The news release for the opening of our Rock n Roll exhibit tomorrow.
Michael
Oklahoma History Center
Oklahoma City, OK
April 28, 2009
Contact: Michael Dean (495) 522-5241
Oklahoma History Center
To Open
Another Hot Oklahoma Night
A Rock & Roll Exhibit
(Editors Note: No admission will be charged Saturday, three stages will feature 14 bands playing for free, tattoo tent for the kids, and other activities for the family from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday May 2nd only.)
Opening on May 2, 2009, the Oklahoma History Center will host a special exhibit entitled Another Hot Oklahoma Night: A Rock & Roll Exhibit. The exhibit will explore the Rock and Roll artists, radio stations, personalities, venues, and fans that have called Oklahoma home. Beyond the facts of each story, the exhibit will show how growing up in Oklahoma affected the music. These stories will be displayed in an innovative style to encourage visitor participation and ensure our visitors will take away a new perspective on the history of Rock and Roll in Oklahoma.
Many artists and bands have called Oklahoma home. In the 1950’s, performers such as Wanda Jackson, who toured with Elvis Presley from 1956 to 1960, Eddie Cochran, and the Collins Kids were vanguards in the Rockabilly movement that inspired the Beatles and eventually the British Punk movement of the late 1970’s.
Oklahoma is represented in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by three artists: Woody Guthrie, Bob Wills, and Charlie Christian, who each inspired future artists in their own way. In justifying their inclusion, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame cited Woody Guthrie for transforming folk ballads into the music for social protest and observation. Thus, he opened the door for artists such as Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and others folk and rock songwriters. They cited Bob Wills for his innovative work in western swing that later moved into rock and roll including his use of forms of jazz, hillbilly, boogie, blues, big band swing, and even rhumba and mariachi styles. The Hall of Fame also named Charlie Christian for elevating the guitar as a lead instrument influencing later artists including B. B. King and Chuck Berry.”
Many artists and bands have called Oklahoma home. In the 1950s, performers such as Wanda Jackson, who toured with Elvis from 1956 to 1960, Eddie Cochran, and the Collins Kids were vanguards in the Rockabilly movement that inspired the Beatles and eventually the British Punk movement of the late 1970s.
The 1960s was a period when Rock and Roll expanded beyond its Country, Blues, and Jazz roots. The sound of The Ventures displayed this experimentation, featuring Oklahomans Bob Bogle on bass and Nokie Edwards on guitar.
Tulsa may rival other international cities as home to some of the most accomplished Rock and Roll and Pop music artists in the world. Tulsa musicians were in serious demand during the 1960s and 1970s. The multitalented Leon Russell, drummer Jim Keltner, bassist Carl Radle, and guitarist J. J. Cale collaborated with artists such as John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, and Bob Dylan.
These musicians headed a group that became known as the “Tulsa Sound.” Also during the 1960s, Kiowa guitarist Jesse Ed Davis played with Taj Mahal, with whom he performed during the famous Rolling Stones “Rock & Roll Circus,” and John Lennon before launching a solo career.
During the 1970s and 1980s many Oklahomans made their marks on the music charts. One of the biggest hit makers was David Gates and his band Bread. Other notable Oklahomans that produced music during the 1970s included B.J. Thomas, Boz Scaggs, Barry McGuire, Dwight Twilley, Elvin Bishop, and Moon Martin. The GAP Band from Tulsa combined R&B, Funk, and Soul, producing several best-selling albums. Many current Hip Hop and R&B artists have sampled their music.
Michael Been of Oklahoma City and Scott Musick of Tulsa formed a band, The Call, in 1980. Influenced by Woody Guthrie through Bob Dylan and The Band, Been wrote songs that combined political issues with personal introspection and became popular on College Radio during the 1980s and early 1990s.
In the 1980s, a fast-food cook from Oklahoma City, Wayne Coyne, started a band called The Flaming Lips and brought an avant-garde approach to Rock which has grown into a phenomenon in the new millennium. The Flaming Lips continue to influence the music industry worldwide through their innovation and experimentation.
Tulsa based Hanson exploded on the pop charts in the 1990s with their catchy tunes and created pandemonium among young teenage girls reminiscent of Beatlemania thirty years earlier. The three brothers continue to produce music and have matured into a critically acclaimed Pop/Rock act.
The All-American Rejects from Stillwater are a power pop group that has reached international stardom since they released their first EP in 2001. Another band with Oklahoma roots, the Kings of Leon, released their first EP in 2003 and have built a worldwide following.
Many other bands, including local garage bands, artists, and early influences will also be included in the exhibit.
From the very beginning, the state’s radio stations broadcast Rock and Roll not just across the state but also across the entire nation. Oklahoma City radio station KOMA captured the attention of national audiences during the early years of Rock and Roll and launched the careers of disc jockeys like Charlie Tuna and John Peel. Radio DJs on stations around Oklahoma have been as much a part of the music as the musicians themselves.
Rock and Roll radio is represented by Oklahoma City radio stations KOCY, WKY and KOMA, while Tulsa claimed KTUL radio, KAKC and KELI … all major influences in Rock and Roll radio. Many teenagers who grew up in the Midwest, and every state West of Oklahoma listened to KOMA at night. In the 1960’s the Oklahoma City powerhouse had the second largest measured radio audience on the North American Continent. By the 1970’s the face of contemporary radio began to change. In Tulsa FM radio stations such as KTBA, KMOD, and KRAV started claiming larger and larger listening audiences. In Oklahoma City KATT, KJ-103, and KRXO also saw their audience numbers move up. In 1988 KOMA-AM began playing “oldies” and experienced unprecedented ratings for an AM radio station playing music.
Live venues play a major role in the social nature of Rock and Roll, providing a place not only for the artists to connect with the audience but also a place for the audience members to connect with each other. Beyond the more recent large-scale stadiums and arenas, legendary Oklahoma venues such as Cain’s Ballroom and the “Old Lady” Brady Theatre in Tulsa and Oklahoma City’s Zoo Amphitheatre have become iconic Rock and Roll landmarks.
The name of the exhibit, Another Hot Oklahoma Night, is taken from a line in the song Oklahoma written by Michael Been of The Call. The song’s lyrics describe the energy and heat connected with both an impending thunderstorm and a spiritual revival. For Michael Been this is a snapshot into life growing up in Oklahoma.
Oklahoma contains the following verse:
We were shaking in our beds that night
There were strangers in the streets that night Preacher called out hell’s been raised Another hot Oklahoma night Another hot Oklahoma night The kind of night where you just sit still The kind of night where you just don’t move We were shaking in our beds that night We were shaking in our boots that night Tornado hit and the roof gave way Tornado hit and all we could do is pray!
- Copyright 1986, Neeb Music/Tarka Music
The exhibit title Another Hot Oklahoma Night also loosely refers to the heat and energy of Rock and Roll that could be experienced while listening to KOMA on the radio in your car on a summer night or seeing a concert with several hundred of your closest friends at Cain’s Ballroom.
The History Center staff is planning monthly concerts in which the artist will discuss their particular part of Rock and Roll, and then demonstrate it with a live concert.
The Winnie Mae Café located inside the Oklahoma History Center, offers fresh, made-to-order gourmet soups, salads, sandwiches and entrees. To arrange café service for your group, please call (405) 522-0657. Custom catering is also available.
Groups of 10 or more are $4 per person with free admission for the group tour leader and driver if booked at least two weeks in advance. Guided tours and living history presentations are available at no additional cost.
Groups tours are available by contacting Robbin Davis, Volunteer & Marketing Manager
(405) 522-5248 or by email at [email protected]
Oklahoma History Center hours are: Monday – Saturday 9am-5pm, Sunday 12pm-5pm. Closed New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas ###
Michael
Oklahoma History Center
Oklahoma City, OK
April 28, 2009
Contact: Michael Dean (495) 522-5241
Oklahoma History Center
To Open
Another Hot Oklahoma Night
A Rock & Roll Exhibit
(Editors Note: No admission will be charged Saturday, three stages will feature 14 bands playing for free, tattoo tent for the kids, and other activities for the family from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday May 2nd only.)
Opening on May 2, 2009, the Oklahoma History Center will host a special exhibit entitled Another Hot Oklahoma Night: A Rock & Roll Exhibit. The exhibit will explore the Rock and Roll artists, radio stations, personalities, venues, and fans that have called Oklahoma home. Beyond the facts of each story, the exhibit will show how growing up in Oklahoma affected the music. These stories will be displayed in an innovative style to encourage visitor participation and ensure our visitors will take away a new perspective on the history of Rock and Roll in Oklahoma.
Many artists and bands have called Oklahoma home. In the 1950’s, performers such as Wanda Jackson, who toured with Elvis Presley from 1956 to 1960, Eddie Cochran, and the Collins Kids were vanguards in the Rockabilly movement that inspired the Beatles and eventually the British Punk movement of the late 1970’s.
Oklahoma is represented in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by three artists: Woody Guthrie, Bob Wills, and Charlie Christian, who each inspired future artists in their own way. In justifying their inclusion, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame cited Woody Guthrie for transforming folk ballads into the music for social protest and observation. Thus, he opened the door for artists such as Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and others folk and rock songwriters. They cited Bob Wills for his innovative work in western swing that later moved into rock and roll including his use of forms of jazz, hillbilly, boogie, blues, big band swing, and even rhumba and mariachi styles. The Hall of Fame also named Charlie Christian for elevating the guitar as a lead instrument influencing later artists including B. B. King and Chuck Berry.”
Many artists and bands have called Oklahoma home. In the 1950s, performers such as Wanda Jackson, who toured with Elvis from 1956 to 1960, Eddie Cochran, and the Collins Kids were vanguards in the Rockabilly movement that inspired the Beatles and eventually the British Punk movement of the late 1970s.
The 1960s was a period when Rock and Roll expanded beyond its Country, Blues, and Jazz roots. The sound of The Ventures displayed this experimentation, featuring Oklahomans Bob Bogle on bass and Nokie Edwards on guitar.
Tulsa may rival other international cities as home to some of the most accomplished Rock and Roll and Pop music artists in the world. Tulsa musicians were in serious demand during the 1960s and 1970s. The multitalented Leon Russell, drummer Jim Keltner, bassist Carl Radle, and guitarist J. J. Cale collaborated with artists such as John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, and Bob Dylan.
These musicians headed a group that became known as the “Tulsa Sound.” Also during the 1960s, Kiowa guitarist Jesse Ed Davis played with Taj Mahal, with whom he performed during the famous Rolling Stones “Rock & Roll Circus,” and John Lennon before launching a solo career.
During the 1970s and 1980s many Oklahomans made their marks on the music charts. One of the biggest hit makers was David Gates and his band Bread. Other notable Oklahomans that produced music during the 1970s included B.J. Thomas, Boz Scaggs, Barry McGuire, Dwight Twilley, Elvin Bishop, and Moon Martin. The GAP Band from Tulsa combined R&B, Funk, and Soul, producing several best-selling albums. Many current Hip Hop and R&B artists have sampled their music.
Michael Been of Oklahoma City and Scott Musick of Tulsa formed a band, The Call, in 1980. Influenced by Woody Guthrie through Bob Dylan and The Band, Been wrote songs that combined political issues with personal introspection and became popular on College Radio during the 1980s and early 1990s.
In the 1980s, a fast-food cook from Oklahoma City, Wayne Coyne, started a band called The Flaming Lips and brought an avant-garde approach to Rock which has grown into a phenomenon in the new millennium. The Flaming Lips continue to influence the music industry worldwide through their innovation and experimentation.
Tulsa based Hanson exploded on the pop charts in the 1990s with their catchy tunes and created pandemonium among young teenage girls reminiscent of Beatlemania thirty years earlier. The three brothers continue to produce music and have matured into a critically acclaimed Pop/Rock act.
The All-American Rejects from Stillwater are a power pop group that has reached international stardom since they released their first EP in 2001. Another band with Oklahoma roots, the Kings of Leon, released their first EP in 2003 and have built a worldwide following.
Many other bands, including local garage bands, artists, and early influences will also be included in the exhibit.
From the very beginning, the state’s radio stations broadcast Rock and Roll not just across the state but also across the entire nation. Oklahoma City radio station KOMA captured the attention of national audiences during the early years of Rock and Roll and launched the careers of disc jockeys like Charlie Tuna and John Peel. Radio DJs on stations around Oklahoma have been as much a part of the music as the musicians themselves.
Rock and Roll radio is represented by Oklahoma City radio stations KOCY, WKY and KOMA, while Tulsa claimed KTUL radio, KAKC and KELI … all major influences in Rock and Roll radio. Many teenagers who grew up in the Midwest, and every state West of Oklahoma listened to KOMA at night. In the 1960’s the Oklahoma City powerhouse had the second largest measured radio audience on the North American Continent. By the 1970’s the face of contemporary radio began to change. In Tulsa FM radio stations such as KTBA, KMOD, and KRAV started claiming larger and larger listening audiences. In Oklahoma City KATT, KJ-103, and KRXO also saw their audience numbers move up. In 1988 KOMA-AM began playing “oldies” and experienced unprecedented ratings for an AM radio station playing music.
Live venues play a major role in the social nature of Rock and Roll, providing a place not only for the artists to connect with the audience but also a place for the audience members to connect with each other. Beyond the more recent large-scale stadiums and arenas, legendary Oklahoma venues such as Cain’s Ballroom and the “Old Lady” Brady Theatre in Tulsa and Oklahoma City’s Zoo Amphitheatre have become iconic Rock and Roll landmarks.
The name of the exhibit, Another Hot Oklahoma Night, is taken from a line in the song Oklahoma written by Michael Been of The Call. The song’s lyrics describe the energy and heat connected with both an impending thunderstorm and a spiritual revival. For Michael Been this is a snapshot into life growing up in Oklahoma.
Oklahoma contains the following verse:
We were shaking in our beds that night
There were strangers in the streets that night Preacher called out hell’s been raised Another hot Oklahoma night Another hot Oklahoma night The kind of night where you just sit still The kind of night where you just don’t move We were shaking in our beds that night We were shaking in our boots that night Tornado hit and the roof gave way Tornado hit and all we could do is pray!
- Copyright 1986, Neeb Music/Tarka Music
The exhibit title Another Hot Oklahoma Night also loosely refers to the heat and energy of Rock and Roll that could be experienced while listening to KOMA on the radio in your car on a summer night or seeing a concert with several hundred of your closest friends at Cain’s Ballroom.
The History Center staff is planning monthly concerts in which the artist will discuss their particular part of Rock and Roll, and then demonstrate it with a live concert.
The Winnie Mae Café located inside the Oklahoma History Center, offers fresh, made-to-order gourmet soups, salads, sandwiches and entrees. To arrange café service for your group, please call (405) 522-0657. Custom catering is also available.
Groups of 10 or more are $4 per person with free admission for the group tour leader and driver if booked at least two weeks in advance. Guided tours and living history presentations are available at no additional cost.
Groups tours are available by contacting Robbin Davis, Volunteer & Marketing Manager
(405) 522-5248 or by email at [email protected]
Oklahoma History Center hours are: Monday – Saturday 9am-5pm, Sunday 12pm-5pm. Closed New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas ###