Weekly Featured Local Musicians

[kmf563]

I thought I would go ahead and post this thread to let you all know it was in the works. For those of you that missed the other thread, I'm going to be featuring a different local band/solo artist here every week. I have started sending out interview questions to local artists and will start reviewing those pretty quickly. The first artist will go up next Thursday, June 28th. Everyone is welcome to leave comments and/or questions for me and also for the band members. A note for the artists - I have a list of names and will be working through those getting information to you. Please be patient.

Thanks everyone! I'm having so much fun with this, even though it's a lot more work than you would think.

[kmf563]

LEMMA

Folk/Rock/Blues/Jazz/Singer-Songwriter

Members:
Aaron Newman - Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
Luke Mullenix - Bass
Blake Lennon - Lead Guitar
Jeff Woods - Drums/Pezitar
and on the CD you can hear Andrew Vollmer on the Sax and Keyboards
(he is currently in Australia)

"Imagine The Beatles and Sublime with a splash of the blues - now you've got an idea of the spectacular music produced by this five-piece, high-energy band from Oklahoma City"
- Chris Colberg with newsok.com

Some of their websites:
www.myspace.com/lemma
www.myspace.com/lemmata
GarageBand.com : Lemma
purevolume™ | Lemma

Contact Info:
lemmaband@gmail.com

Awards:
From Garageband.com -
Track of the Day on June 28, 2007 in Folk Rock
Best Male Vocals in Folk Rock, week of June 25, 2007
Best Lyrics in Folk Rock, week of June 25. 2007
Track of the Day on June 17, 2007 in Folk Rock
Best Keyboards in Folk Rock, week of June 11, 2007
Best Melody in Folk Rock, week of June 11, 2007

You can demand them here:
Eventful - Lemma - Tour Schedule, Event Calendar, Demands

They are currently on the clearchannel top 100 charts online:
ClearChannelMusic.com

Upcoming Shows:
June 29th - Lumpy's Sports Bar & Grill
July 14th - Tapwerk's
July 15th - Earlywine for the Arts Council Twighlight in the Park Series
White Trash Bash for Deep Deuce

I received a lot of input from these guys on the music scene in Oklahoma. Here's some of what they had to say:

"If you want something bad enough, you'll support it. Maybe if the local radio stations would play local music it might be a little easier (during the day, not at midnight). There is a lot that goes into a show that is behind the scenes kind of stuff. Whether a band is great or sucks, at least applaud." - Aaron

"One of the difficult things about OKC is how spread out it is. Musicians almost need to approach each region of OKC as a different market. I would like to see more venues that have live music without charging a cover for admission. That upfront cover can be offputting to some people. If we want OKC's music scene to thrive, we as musicians need to recognize that it is OUR music scene. We need to get fired up about getting out there and improving/expanding it. Go see a live act. I guarantee there is somebody out there in OKC playing something that will float your boat. We have a diverse group of quality musicians here in OKC. Don't let them slip by you." - Luke

"OKC needs more live venues, not bars. I believe everyone has the opportunity to go as far as they want to go in music. Good luck to all and thanks for keeping it alive." - Jeff

Some of their favorite local performers included Aranda, The Hero Factor, Kanaga, Ali Harter, Lisa Curl, and Ben Rector.

Luke was kind enough to share a couple of his personal stories with me about some of his experiences as a performer.

"When I was in high school I was in an absolutely horrible band. We were the unofficial Thursday night band at a local dump. One night we show up to have the people running the place tell us that we were opening up for another band. I asked who it was and they said Thin Lizzy. I thought they were of course joking. We got done with our opening set, pulled our gear off the stage, and our smallish crowd took off. This left the girl I was dating at the time, myself, and three regular patrons (alcoholics for whom the bar was the closest thing in walking distance). I sat down and situated myself. A big banner unfurled behind the band that read 'Thin Lizzy'. It was a slightly surrealistic situation. Evidently they had booked this gig just looking at the occupancy of this place. "

"Then there was the time that we opened up for Dr. Hook. That show was in Lawton. We get to the venue and find that Dr. Hook had already set up and sound checked 12 hours early for their show. We start to head toward the stage and are intercepted by a tech/roadie guy that said they would not be moving Dr. Hook's equipment to the back before we played and that we would have to work around their setup. We were further informed that we were not so much as to breathe on any of Dr. Hook's gear. Plenty of room, should be no problem. This was the largest collection of crappy gear I've seen used at the same time in my life. We somehow managed to set up. Our drummer at the time was told he would be using Dr. Hook's kit. He will just need to use his own snare and symbols. Drummers sharing a kit like that is a fairly common occurence on multiple band gigs like that. Those drums looked like they were very nice when they were purchased sometime in the 60's. Set goes well until the last song. On the opening drum fill, Jeff manages to put the bass drum beater through the kick drum head. At which point the Dr. Hook people go ballistic. They demand that Jeff provide a replacement. Ok, that sounds fair. Nevermind the fact that your bass drum head is in sorry shape and should have been replaced a couple decades ago. Problems arose when they realized Dr. Hook's kick drum is two inches smaller than Jeff's. We packed up, collected our pay, and headed out. They weren't pleased with us."

These guys have been working hard in the studio and should have a new CD real soon. Be sure to go check them out!

[CCOKC]

This band sounds great! I will definitely have to check them out.
By the way what is the White Trash Bash?

[kmf563]

It's an annual event Deep Deuce holds. I have more information, pictures, and video of that at home. I'll try to post something when I get off work. Lots of bands, lots of drinking basically.

[CCOKC]

Cool.

[kmf563]

Well, I can't find my stuff from the white trash bash last year...it's probably a good thing. haha. Anyway, once all the information comes in on the event for this year I will post it and you will probably understand a little better what it is about.

[kevin_garinger]

Hey there,

Have you ever heard of a band called Southern Drive. We are from Oklahoma but now live in Dallas and have attended the WTB before but never played. Who do i need to contact about playing that this year?

Heres our stuff if anyone wants to check it out, We played Kooterfest in Ardmore this year before Linville and along with a bunch of OKC musicians. We sound kinda like Wade Bowen, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Blues Traveler and OAR mixed together with a splash of Yonder Mountian String Band and Metallica.

www.myspace.com/southerndrive

Pop me an email if ya can
kevin_garinger@yahoo.com

[kmf563]

2AM

Rock/Pop

Members:
Adam Aguilar - lead vocals, guitar
Bryan McMasters- vocals, guitar
Ryan McMasters - Drums
Austin Speer - Bass

BOOKING
E-mail us @ Booking[AT]2AMBand[DOT]com
Atten: Booking 2AM

Management
Verticaleap Entertainment.
Brad Bartlow
myspace.com/verticaleap

The band officially formed in February of 2005, and quickly began brainstorming ideas and writing material. Concerned with focusing on the heart of the song, it has become easy for the band members to hone their sound. Of course, there is still much more work to be done, but they are definitely on the right track. Production on their debut, self-titled CD, which consisted of six songs, in early August of 2005, and released it in mid-November 2005, had huge raves and consistently played on the radio in Oklahoma City with their three hit songs, I See You, Running In Circles and Save Me.

"With a name like 2AM, you'd expect some chilled-out, mellowing-toward-dawn type songs, right? Well, this erstwhile supergroup has other plans - comprised of Bryan and Ryan McMasters from Lotus Netti and Adam Aguilar and Austin Speer from Sub Roza, there's more rocking than relaxing on the menu here." - Preston Jones, Oklahoma Gazette

Websites:
2AM Band
www.myspace.com/2amband
2AM : iSOUND.COM™
CD Baby: 2AM: 2AM


You can demand them in your city here:
Eventful - Demand - 2AM in Edmond, Oklahoma, USA

Upcoming Shows:

July 7th Bora Bora w/ Aranda
July 13th Pearl's Lakeside
July 21st Pearl's Lakeside
Aug 3rd Pearl's Lakeside
Aug 10th Belle Isle Brewery w/Congress of a Crow
Aug 12th Twighlight in the Park @ Myriad Gardens
Aug 17th Pearl's Lakeside
Aug 31st Pearl's Lakeside

Some of their favorite local performers:

Bryan - Little League Hero "They stick with their originals, don't play covers no matter what anyone says."
Austin - The Rounders - "They are original and not afraid to take chances and do their own thing."
Adam - Albert Aguilar "Not just because he is my brother, but because he is one one of the best songwriters/guitarists/vocalists I know."
Some others included Aranda, Luma, Plainview, Revel, Red Light Knights, Shane Henry, Speedy West, and Paige Harwell.

Quotes:

"We still think OKC is lacking when it comes to venues and audiences that really enjoy listening and finding new local original talent. Keep supporting Oklahoma original music. It is alive and has tons of potential, all it needs is some TLC. "
- Adam

"The music scene is missing decent venues, venues that pay, and venues that care. In other words, venues. (We need) advertisements. The Gazette is NOT enough."
- Bryan

"The general trend leans toward dance clubs and cover bands. A change in focus towards original music would be a great first step (to improve the local music scene). Go out and see the bands you love and don't be afraid to seek out new bands as well."
-Austin

[CCOKC]

Thanks for this feature. I think the common thread I am seeing is that these bands need places to play in the city. What kind of places are they used to playing in othere cities. What are we missing?

[kmf563]

I think Bryan hit it when he said we needed venues that care. Mostly what I have noticed and am hearing from the artists themselves is that most of the venues set up shows more for background noise and to increase liquor sales. It's like they set up a live jukebox just for something to fill up the quiet. The other problem is that venues tend to book one really good show a month but nothing steady. Their business hurts the rest of the time usually causing them to close or resort to karaoke or some other draw for money. The other issue is the door cover. I think this is a huge failure. For an all ages show or an event, sure a cover is to be expected. But most people drink more when there isn't a cover - the venue really loses money when they charge at the door. The restaurants really understand this concept and take Red Rock or Pearl's for example - most people know that even without looking at the schedule it's going to be a band worthy of hearing. 9 out of 10 times 2am will be the show at pearl's. This brings repeat customers. They smell the food, they eat, and they drink. They stay longer because of the great music thus spending more on liquor and snacks. The biggest thing I have noticed that other cities have that we don't have is a live venue row. Western started looking like they were going to do this, but I guess not. One of the guys I interviewed for an upcoming feature mentions the lack thereof of support from the college campuses. OU is the only large campus I have ever been to that doesn't have live music lined up every weekend. I think once okc in general comes together and isn't so spread out things will be better venue wise. I also think promotion in general would help. The radio stations getting involved would be wonderful - but then again there's another problem, half our radio stations aren't even local! I think people getting out and seeing shows and spreading the word about the people you see would help tremendously. I don't know really. That's part of why I am doing this - to help bring attention to what's missing and to bring awareness to the fact that we have some really talented musicians in this state and it's a shame that they don't get the love they deserve.

[CCOKC]

Keep up the good work!

[kmf563]

The Hannah Wolff Band

Rock/Indie/Pop

Members:

Hannah Wolff - Guitar/Vocals
Blake Lennon - Lead Guitar/Backup Vocals
Luke Mullenix - Bass
Jeff Wesner - Drums

Originating out of Oklahoma City the Hannah Wolff Band is off to a fast start in gaining popularity on the road to success. The band has been busy securing a local and national following, promoting a sophomore album, and constantly searching for unique sounds to separate them from the masses.

The band has been filling local and national venues including The Viper Room in Hollywood and the Icehouse in Vegas. They have a full schedule in front of them as they hit the road again next week.

For booking information please contact Hannah Wolff booking@hannahwolff.com

Websites:
Welcome to the Hannah Wolff Band
www.myspace.com/hannahwolff

Upcoming Shows:

7/13 Deep Deuce (Hannah & Tim acoustic)
7/19 The Courtyard Grill - Texarkana, Arkansas
7/20 Sharpie's Clubhouse - Shreveport, Louisiana
7/21 Cinema 218 - Texarkana, Texas
7/25 Davey's Uptown - Kansas City, Missouri
7/26 Van Goghz Martini Bar and Bistro - St. Louis, Missouri
7/27 Underground @ The Red Sea - St. Louis, Missouri
7/28 Martyrs - Chicago, Illinois
7/29 The Klinic Bar - Madison, Wisconsin
7/30 The Reptile Palace - Oshkosh, Wisconsin
8/2 The Uptown Bar - Minneapolis, Minnesota
8/3 Rossi's - Minneapolis, Minnesota
8/4 Prestige World Class - Omaha, Nebraska
8/23 The Hallway - Tahlequah, Oklahoma
8/24 Mike's Tavern - Kansas City, Missouri
8/25 The Annex - Madison, Wisconsin
8/26 Elbo Room - Chicago, Illinois
9/4 Hilo - Oklahoma City
9/8 VZD's - Oklahoma City

"It's the eighth wonder of the world that Norman, a college town with 20,000 students, has only 2 places with consistent live music (The Deli and the Opolis). How the hell does that happen? Maybe there's a water supply issue that could be taken up with Boren. Surely an epidemiologist has looked into this phenomeno. I'm not sure how much longer we'll be able to claim the Flaming Lips as the sole source of "cool" in Norman! Everyone thinks there's a great scene nearby, but it's never their city. What we might lack in numbers is made up for with quality, and there are a lot of great musicians to see on any given weekend."
- Jeff Wesner

Some of their favorite local artists include:
Jahruba, Gabriel Marshall, Lemma, Porn King Trio, Camille Harp, Carter Sampson, Ali Harter, and The Hero Factor.

[kmf563]

Hush Hush Commotion

Rock/ Indie/ Pop

Members:
Scott Michael – Vocals
Andy Adamson – Guitar
Dylan Depel – Drums
Chris Lusk – Keys
Dan Adamson – Bass

Hush Hush Commotion officially debuted on February 20th, 2007. They started the idea of the band only a couple of months before that. So far they have already shared the stage with huge national acts such as Saosin, AFI, Copeland, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Between the Trees, The Fold, Sound The Alarm, and Sherwood.

In April of this year their second-to-none work ethic earned them the winner’s of the March Bandness Battle of the Bands with 94.7 the Buzz. You can hear their song “Yours til Niagara” in regular rotation on this radio station. On www.94.7thebuzz.com you can vote for them to be chosen as one of their daily 'top 5 bands that don't suck'.

With a strong local following, these guys are looking to broaden their horizons and are hitting the road to promote their first CD entitled “It Could Happen…” They will start in OKC this Saturday with their official CD release party.

CD Release Info:
07.21.07
Bricktown Ballroom
$10 to get in
$5 for a CD (after the release this price will go up)
Show starts around 7pm
After party to follow at LIT
w/ The Surely Method, Minutes Too Far, Fresh Sunday, and OK Stranger (from Cali)


Websites:
www.myspace.com/hushhushcommotion
purevolume™ | Hush Hush, Commotion

Upcoming Shows:

07/21 CD Release OKC
07/28 Dfest
07/29 El Torreon Ballroom Kansas City, MO
07/31 Knickerbockers Lincoln, NE
08/1 The Bootlegger Frontenac, KS

And they are still adding more dates and shows!

Some of their favorite local artists:

"I really enjoy watching The Non. It's not often that an instrumental band can keep an audience's attention as well as they do. Also Minutes Too Far has a great work ethic and I think it really shows with their success."
-Scott
"Right now I really like Vannadine. They put a lot of effort into their stage show, which makes for an entertaining performance."
-Dylan
"My local favorite is Minutes Too Far. They are the hardest working band around. I'm also a pretty big fan of Zac Maloy."
-Dan
"Ah, so many to choose from...let's see: Minutes Too Far - They are just an all around good band; The Surely Method - So much potential, they have a lot in store for them; Mayola - I just love the energy behind their music both live and recorded; and Crazy Diamonds - Because their music owns my soul...plain and simple!"
-Chris
"I also enjoy The Surely Method, I agree with their potential and I think that their singer Jon has a great voice. Crazy Diamonds is another band with tremendous potential and I love the vibes from watching them play live."
-Andy

Memorable moments for them:

"Opening for Buzzfest was probably one of the more memorable moments for me as a musician. Playing for 2,000-3,000 people was such a high for us."
-Scott
"I would have to say the Willie Bracklein show. It was amazing to see so many people come out and support him and his family. It was an honor to be a part of it. "
- Dylan
"Personally, just last month when we played a show with Sherwood, that has been my most memorable experience. I have followed that band for the last two years and they are one of my recent favorites. Going from just a kid in the crowd to playing alongside them on stage was pretty cool for me."
- Chris
"At this point, I would have to say playing the Willie Bracklein Memorial Show was one of the most memorable. Getting to play music for a great cause and talking to his parents really put a lot into perspective for me."
- Dan
"Winning 94.7 The Buzz "March Bandness" was definitely a high point for all of us. It not only helped us financially, but it also opened up a lot of doors as far as shows and promotion are concerned."
-Andy

This is just such a great group of guys. They are sure to have an enjoyable and productive year ahead of them. As busy as they have been this week, they all took the time to sit down and answer some questions for me. They had some really good things to say. Enjoy!

"I would have to say overall support from the public is a big thing missing. It seems that in Oklahoma City, bands have to work tirelessly for weeks just to get their friends out to see them play. I think that if people would go out once in a while to the few places we do have around here they will discover how much fun shows are and how - even if you don't know the bands - it's a great opportunity to discover new music, meet new people, and have fun. Oklahoma City is such a crossroads of music, if everyone would do away with the preconceived notions of others and promote music in general, our scene could really blossom."
"Buy the Album! We feel that we have a true representation of ourselves musically and personally, and we hope that everyone will give us a chance."
- Chris

"As far as the bands are concerned, I would say a sense of camaraderie is missing. They would be surprised how many people will go to their shows if they are seen around other venues promoting their event"
"I will always remember the time we played with AFI and there was a sign on their vegan food saying 'no locals' so of course we ate it. Afterwards, they were walking around looking sad and hungry; stingy vegans, ha!"
- Dan

"It would be nice to see some new venues open up. There are quite a few smaller places to play, but I just miss having clubs like The Green Door and Bricktown Live."
- Dylan

"A strong sense of camaraderie amongst bands and promoters as well as heavy promotion would be key in making this scene a strong one. The continued support from all of our fans and friends has been such a boost for us. There have been some frustrating times with the production of our album, but the overwhelming support we have received has been more than enough reason for us to remain optimistic as a band."
- Scott

[kmf563]

I have been so swamped that I haven't had time to put a feature together this week. BUT - I decided I needed to go ahead and honor someone special.

Here's to you guys. I love you and wish you well with your future endeavors.


PLAINVIEW

If you haven't heard these guys yet, your last chance will be this Saturday at Danny Bob's in Edmond. They have officially parted ways but will come together one last time for their beloved OKC fans.

Background info:

Travis Richmond - vocals, guitars
Justin Shipley - guitars, vocals
Evan Ray - drums
Josh Thompson - bass, vocals


With a work ethic as strong as oak and a tendency to let loose to match, Plainview has taken the regional music scene by surprise. Their soulful interpretation of Red Dirt country music has been affectionately referred to as Rebel Country. This title encompasses both their inspired music and personalities. These hardworking and devoted musicians do not hold themselves within the boundaries of what is standard or predictable in today's American music.

These four amazing artists and personalities have written, recorded and performed their vision of what music is missing today. It's the mergence of traditional and modern country and rock styles that give them the edge in grabbing the attention of anyone who listens.

Plainview is real.
Real people.
Real music.
Real America.

They have accomplished so much in the last couple of years including playing some big shows with some big names. They have been added to the rotation and a favorite of KKNG.

CD Baby: PLAINVIEW: Plainview
Welcome to Rebel Country
www.myspace.com/plainviewmusic

I love you guys and will miss your amazing performances!!
Who else rocks some Boston like you?

(socoe reunion joshy?)

[kmf563]

Travis Linville
Acoustic/ Red Dirt/ Singer-Songwriter

Booking:
Clint Wiley
Axis Artist Agency
Phone: (512) 754-6726
Fax: (512) 754-6720
clint@axisartistagency.com

Websites:
TRAVIS LINVILLE:::::home
www.myspace.com/travislinville
Travis Linville*-*Sonicbids EPK

Travis was born with music in his blood. His family name has gone hand in hand with music for three generations in Grady County. Born in Chickasha, Travis picked up a guitar aound the age of 13 and has been playing ever since. He is out on the road about half of the year, the rest of his time is spent here in his own backyard writing, recording, or performing.

You can catch him at the Deli in Norman on most Monday nights.

“I think presentation is missing in the local scene. Most ‘venues’ in Oklahoma don’t present live music as a concert. Instead, they tend to use live music as a background noise for a hang. When the venues take the time to set up the show like a concert it creates the best situation for the artist to make fans and later pack the venue full of people. Most bars just don’t get it or don’t have to try so they don’t. There are a few great exceptions in the local scene like the Blue Door and the Arts Council. The solution is to look with a bigger vision and to look for the details. Another thing that I see on the road that I don’t see here is real radio involvement. It’s nice to see radio dj’s hosting weekly concert series and being active in their local scene. No matter what style of music, once one dj starts it creates a friendly competitive spirit that ends up fueling the whole scene and potentially making it bigger that it ever could have been.”
- Travis Linville

Some of his favorite local musicians are Camille Harp, Mama Sweet, Mike Hosty, Little League Hero, and The Gunship.

One of his fondest memories so far has been playing onstage with Willie Nelson in Luckenbach, Texas back in 1999. Maybe this upcoming show at the zoo will top that one!

Upcoming shows:
08.10.07 Roxies Talequah, OK 8pm
08.11.07 Roxies Talequah, OK 8pm
both of these shows are part of the Illinois River Jam w/ numerous friends

08.17.07 Zoo Ampitheatre Oklahoma City, OK
W/ Willie Nelson, Ray Price, and Merle Haggard
5pm

08.18.07 Muscle Car Ranch Chickasha, OK

08.19.07 Lions Park Norman, OK 7:30pm
Summer Breeze Concert Series
Free

Discography:
LP - Uncertain Texas
2000 - Roadamp Records

LP - Aint Being Treated Right
2002 - Roadamp Records

LP - Live in Oklahoma
2003 - Roadamp Records

LP - The Burtschi Brothers & Mike McClure Band
2004 - Boo Hatch Records

LP - Hometown Blues
2006 – Sweetworth