Snooze?! Like Denver Snooze? That would be incredible and perfect for this location.

Yes.

They've been talking to them for quite a while and they seemed close, then got cold feet.

Hatch will be very similar.

If we got a Snooze....man oh man. Id be so happy.

It would be very hard for a dinner restaurant to operate in that space given two bars already in the complex and the theater itself.

A breakfast / lunch spot would be the perfect complimentary use. Hope it works out but it may turn out to be a longer term deal.

What would the hold up be for Snooze? I agree that a breakfast/lunch spot would be perfect. That would be a great, recognizable, get.

I think Snooze had other markets they want to do first.

I don't think they ever said 'no'; just 'not now'.

I think Snooze had other markets they want to do first.

I don't think they ever said 'no'; just 'not now'.

So, they hit snooze?

It's Jabee August 13th.

no, the jabee show is at the criterion.

no, the jabee show is at the criterion.

Yes, Jabee's Facebook page said the Tower was not going to be ready for the 8/13 show so they moved it to the Criterion.

no, the jabee show is at the criterion.

It was announced as the first show at the Tower. I'm not sure if the Tower is not finished yet or they had more demand than anticipated, but it does look like it is at the Criterion now.

From their Twitter account:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cze_3uSUkAA4zBm.jpg


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cze_4J_UkAEDMOA.jpg

Oh wow!

Did they decide to go with no fixed seating on the lower level?

Did they decide to go with no fixed seating on the lower level?

The can bring in seats depending on the event.

Are they ever going to actually host an event of some kind?

From their Twitter account:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cze_3uSUkAA4zBm.jpg


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cze_4J_UkAEDMOA.jpg

Looks great! Can't wait for a show/event in there.

Awesome!

Per their Twitter account, the official return of Tower music is February 18th with Jabee and many more.

Really hoping we get some news on 2017 concerts soon.

Sounds like there will be a record release for Horse Thief at the Tower in the near future.

Should see an official announcement in the next day or so.

Horse Thief will be there March 3rd.

Horse Thief will be there March 3rd.

Nice! Great band!

With new curtains up, renovated Tower Theatre opening
By Molly M. Fleming
The Journal Record

OKLAHOMA CITY – On Saturday, the curtains will rise for the first show at the renovated Tower Theatre.

But getting the theater opened as a music venue required some curtains to go up.

In 2014, the Pivot Project bought the historic theater on NW 23rd Street and adjacent office and retail space. The group turned the theater over to Levelland Productions in February 2016 when renovations were complete.

Levelland Chief Operating Officer Scott Marsh said once the concert operation company took control of the venue space, it learned it needed some large curtains to help with sound quality.


That became a challenge when his team had to figure out how to do that in a historic building. If it was done incorrectly, the state historic preservation office could have turned down the Pivot Project’s request for tax credits.

“What we ended up having to do was to build a steel structure to hold the weight of the curtains that didn’t affect the plaster walls,” he said. “If you drill too far into the building, you really affect the structure. We had to go in and fabricate a custom steel structure that’s attached to the wall. It has some anchor points, so it didn’t go too far into the wall.”

Hip-hop artist Jabee will be the first to test the sound quality on Saturday. He’s joined by L.T.Z., Grand National, Soufwessdess, and Zie.

Marsh said it was important to Levelland for the first show to be a local artist with a national draw.

“Jabee has some national credibility and has a lot of respect in the hip-hop music scene,” said Marsh. “From a music-lover’s standpoint, he’s been promoting Oklahoma’s music scene for years. We felt like it was a great opportunity to further the conversation that hip-hop is a popular genre and popular in Oklahoma City.”

Like the theater, hip-hop has a long history in Oklahoma, said Hugh Foley, professor of fine arts at Rogers State University and a founding board member of the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame. Rhythm and blues figures Lowell Fulson and Roy Milton were popular in the 1940s. Then, in the 1970s, Tulsa’s Charlie Wilson and the Gap Band hit the national stage. Wilson has worked with Snoop Dogg, Master P, and Dr. Dre.

In more recent years, Muskogee’s Ester Dean has worked on tracks with Christina Aguilera, Katy Perry, and R. Kelly.

Foley said having Jabee as the first artist says a lot about the venue’s future.

“I think it’s a good sign that the folks running the theater want to do something that’s youth-oriented and Oklahoma City-music oriented, he said. “It says they’re going to be more than just another medium-sized rock venue.”

Marsh said the venue now gives Levelland three places to bring in live music, with crowd sizes ranging from 500 people at the ACM Performance Lab to 3,500 people at The Criterion. The Tower will hold about 1,000 people.

“The Tower becomes this great midsize venue,” he said.

Bringing in 1,000 people to the east side of NW 23rd Street is going to give a boost to the area, said Jonathan Dodson, a partner with the Pivot Project. David Wanzer and Ben Sellers are also with the group.

Pivot has one 1,700-square-foot space available for lease near the theater; otherwise, the top and bottom floors are leased. The next place to open in the strip will be the Bunker Club, operated by the Pump Bar’s Hailey and Ian McDermid.

Dodson said the Pivot Project team is excited about the opening.

“Our dreams were for this to not just be a state-known venue, but a regional venue,” he said. “We don’t think there’s anyone that represent the hip-hop scene like Jabee.”

http://www.reddirtreport.com/slice-o-life/tower-theatre-host-grand-opening-concert

I'll be there Saturday night for Jabee! Excited to see the venue and Jabee!

http://newsok.com/tower-theater-owners-end-agreement-with-operators/article/5543014

Levelland is proving to be a massive disappointment across the board. Two shows? Both with local artists? That's it? The Criterion calendar is mostly empty as well. Once again it's the promoters, not the venues, that will determine if this city ever achieves an even modest live music scene. Promoters in OKC have been underwhelming to poor for nearly two decades.

Opolis Production has done a fine job with their small venue in Norman for a long time. I wonder if they would be interested in running something in OKC as well. They must have a ton of connections, and a lot of bands that come though there currently or have grown beyond the size of Opolis could do well at the Tower.

There is more to this story that will likely come out in the near future.

There is more to this story that will likely come out in the near future.

Steve said on Twitter that there is a part 2 to this story coming.

I think we are talking about different things.

Opolis Production has done a fine job with their small venue in Norman for a long time. I wonder if they would be interested in running something in OKC as well. They must have a ton of connections, and a lot of bands that come though there currently or have grown beyond the size of Opolis could do well at the Tower.

They also book shows for the AMC@UCO venue in Bricktown, I think. Some of the shows on their website are there instead of in Norman. They bring in good acts, it would be great if they could promote for the other OKC venues.

This is more of a post regarding the Criterion, but I'm posting it here due to the recent discussion on Levelland's lack of shows. Some fairly good shows (Modest Mouse, Milky Chance, Silversun Pickups, etc.) are headed to the Diamond Ballroom this spring (http://www.diamondballroom.net/)...how is the Criterion/Levelland losing out on opportunities to bring these bands to a far superior venue?

I think I read Tower and its promoter are going their separate ways?

I think I read Tower and its promoter are going their separate ways?

Yes, that was mentioned in the article linked in post number 685.

This is more of a post regarding the Criterion, but I'm posting it here due to the recent discussion on Levelland's lack of shows. Some fairly good shows (Modest Mouse, Milky Chance, Silversun Pickups, etc.) are headed to the Diamond Ballroom this spring (http://www.diamondballroom.net/)...how is the Criterion/Levelland losing out on opportunities to bring these bands to a far superior venue?

I think there's going to be a lag when it comes to the Criterion replacing the Diamond Ballroom. The latter will always have the advantage of cheap facility fees and huge capacity = higher revenue.

I think there's going to be a lag when it comes to the Criterion replacing the Diamond Ballroom. The latter will always have the advantage of cheap facility fees and huge capacity = higher revenue.
I hate the diamond ballroom with a passion.

I hate the diamond ballroom with a passion.

This.

Not to pile on, but..

Levelland, which also operates the Criterion and Wormy Dog Saloon in Bricktown, initially signed a 15-year lease with the Pivot Project in 2015 for the Tower Theatre.

15 yr lease ends after like 2 shows, I would like to hear explanations from both sides, cuz its all messed up...Whatevs, the goal is to fix it, have good shows at tower...

I think there's going to be a lag when it comes to the Criterion replacing the Diamond Ballroom. The latter will always have the advantage of cheap facility fees and huge capacity = higher revenue.

Criterion has a significantly higher capacity than Diamond. It's 3-4 times as big.

IMO Criterion doesn't FEEL that much bigger than the Diamond on the inside, BUT that close-in feel with the added capacity is what you want.

Well, that didn't take long - new concert series beginning May 5, running through June, these guys blow away Levelland completely...

Meet the Tower Theatre's new operators (http://newsok.com/meet-the-tower-theatres-new-operators/article/5544356)

^

Keep in mind that series is not in the theater itself but in Stephen Tyler's studio on the 2nd floor.

The article says it will be some time before they book large events in the theater space.

On the Tower Theater website: Studio Series — Tower Theatre (https://towertheatreokc.com/studio-series/)

^

Keep in mind that series is not in the theater itself but in Stephen Tyler's studio on the 2nd floor.

The article says it will be some time before they book large events in the theater space.

Right, but compared to what Levelland did in their time with the Tower, it's still great progress.

Right, but compared to what Levelland did in their time with the Tower, it's still great progress.

Agree!

Looking forward to the whole facility being more active.

Bunker Club just opened, S&L will re-open a week from today, Ur/Bun opens soon and Scottie's Deli is well under construction. This place should start realizing it's full potential soon.

So, uh, Pete. When is the real story of wtf happened with Levellend gonna come out? Those Tower guys are uber-professional so they are not going to say anything public, I know. But isn't that what quasi-anonymous internet message boards are for, no?

So, uh, Pete. When is the real story of wtf happened with Levellend gonna come out? Those Tower guys are uber-professional so they are not going to say anything public, I know. But isn't that what quasi-anonymous internet message boards are for, no?

I have to admit, this has me curious as well - and I'm curious to see if a similar outcome happens at the Criterion.

The guys they booted are the same people that run The Criterion. I'm guessing this isn't terribly complicated... probably just terrible at doing their job, lol. I think they do a horrible job with The Criterion anyway.

Right, but compared to what Levelland did in their time with the Tower, it's still great progress.

I agree. Having consistent events there period of all kinds is what will make this place successful. I think this studio concert series is a great idea.

No show: Why Levelland left the Tower Theatre

By: Molly M. Fleming The Journal Record April 14, 2017

OKLAHOMA CITY – Levelland Productions co-owner Ronnye Farmer said the company saw the Tower Theatre as a good addition to its existing venues. The company also operates The Wormy Dog Saloon and The Criterion.

It fit a seating niche, or so they thought.

“As it turned out, it had significantly fewer seats than anticipated when we signed the lease,” he said. “It’s 500 seats smaller than what we thought.”

The Pivot Project team, consisting of Jonathan Dodson, Ben Sellers, and David Wanzer, renovated the historic theater on NW 23rd Street. They purchased the theater and adjoining office and retail spaces in 2014. The first show was Feb. 18, 2017, but The Pivot Project and Levelland ended their 15-year leasing contract just one month later, in March.

Wanzer laughed about the difference in seat count. He said he did not want to comment further on the matter.

“We negotiated an exit strategy out of their lease and are happy with moving forward in a different capacity,” he said.

Farmer said the 500-seat difference changes the caliber of shows the company can book, which affects the amount they can charge for tickets. The ticket price affects how much money the company can make.

“We signed a lease for a dollar amount built around a certain number of seats and what we can earn off those seats,” he said. “When you lessen that, you change the ability to make that money back. If there’s a significant change in what you’re earning, it’s hard to maintain the expense you signed on for.”

Levelland lost a significant amount of money when it had to cancel a show before the Tower Theatre had its permits. A show was scheduled for early February 2017. Farmer said there were problems getting the Savings and Loan Bar finished, so the permitting fell behind.

He said the canceled show was a loss in money and can hurt a relationship with a talent agent.

Farmer said the company will be more careful in its next leasing venture, even doing their own due diligence on capacity. He said with The Criterion opening in January 2016, maybe Levelland took on too much at one time.

“We probably bit off more than we could chew,” he said. “But there were other issues that contributed to us parting ways. We all agreed to part amicably with no animosity toward each other.”

https://twitter.com/NathanPoppe/status/864566175241576448

^

Interesting.

Looks like they are planning to put in a tiered floor rather than the current slope.

Nice.. that is basically how every other theater conversion venue I have visited has done. The blue Bird and Ogden in Denver and the Granada in Dallas all have a similar floor set up. is a bit easier to stand on for Shows for sure.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/tower051617.jpg

I'm trying to remember. Did they have plans to keep the option of screening movies there as well?

Nice.. that is basically how every other theater conversion venue I have visited has done. The blue Bird and Ogden in Denver and the Granada in Dallas all have a similar floor set up. is a bit easier to stand on for Shows for sure.


Yeah... Looks very similar to the Granada with one exception... No ledges to set your drinks or empties on.... One thing I noticed after the show I attended at the Granada was that I wasn't stumbling over beer cans on the way out because people had set them on the ledges instead of throwing them on the floor like they do at Cain's.

They announced the first events for the theater space:

http://newsok.com/okcs-tower-theatre-reveals-fall-concert-and-event-schedule/article/5550434

Aug. 5 - 2017 Oklahoma Craft Beer
Summit

Aug. 11 - Jabee's birthday celebration with Statik Selektah

Sept. 16 - '90s Prom with My So Called Band

Oct. 17 - “Heart and Soul Queen of New Orleans” with Irma Thomas, The Blind Boys of Alabama and The Preservation Hall Legacy Quintet

Nov. 8 - Penny & Sparrow

They announced the first events for the theater space:

http://newsok.com/okcs-tower-theatre-reveals-fall-concert-and-event-schedule/article/5550434

Aug. 5 - 2017 Oklahoma Craft Beer
Summit

Aug. 11 - Jabee's birthday celebration with Statik Selektah

Sept. 16 - '90s Prom with My So Called Band

Oct. 17 - “Heart and Soul Queen of New Orleans” with Irma Thomas, The Blind Boys of Alabama and The Preservation Hall Legacy Quintet

Nov. 8 - Penny & Sparrow

I HATE TO SEEM NEGATIVE, but this is somewhat underwhelming. On a positive note, I'm super excited that XX is coming to Criterion, though. Much like I have said for years, having a venue is one step, but the rubber meets the road with the promoter. The concert offerings in this city are second rate.

Tower has multiple offers pending. These were the first shows they got on the books after a mad scramble during the transition and - though they are fine offerings - are not exactly indicative of the bookings you can expect going forward. The venue is once again under construction, as they are having to install a new sound system and build out the back of house to conform to industry standards, which was not done by the previous tenants. In other words, I'd hold off on any opinion other than guarded optimism.

And for the record - since I know the players involved pretty well - I personally don't even have the "guarded" qualifier attached to my own optimism. I simply have optimism.