By Thomas Conner
© Tulsa World Up, up and away ... yada yada yada. There are lots of reasons to check out the Gatesway International Balloon Festival this weekend, but one of the best barely has been mentioned in the advertising and the hubub: the festival features a fantastic line-up of local music acts. For all those harping into thin air about how much Tulsa would benefit from a music festival of all-local rock acts, this is it. On Friday evening and all day Saturday, two stages at the festival will be packed with the creme de la creme of local bands — from hot pop and rock on the Z-104.5 FM “The Edge'' Stage to more down-home and bluesy sounds on the KVOO Stage. Rocker Dwight Twilley is scheduled to headline the festival on Saturday night, and it's a rare opportunity to see this underappreciated pop master burn up a stage. Twilley, whose top 20 hits were 1975's “I'm on Fire'' and 1984's “Girls,'' currently is enjoying the revivalist crest of the power pop movement. Those two hit singles are popping up on compilations around the world, solidifying Twilley's importance in rock 'n' roll history. “It's great. It kind of let's these songs take their place in history in the pack with all the ones being remembered,'' Twilley said this week. The first two albums from the Dwight Twilley Band, “Sincerely'' and “Twilley Don't Mind,'' are scheduled for rerelease in October from The Right Stuff record company. Twilley, though, is no nostalgia act. Saturday's show will feature a good chunk of new material, songs that Twilley has been writing since he moved back to Tulsa last year and then raised eyebrows with his showcase at the South by Southwest music festival in March. “We've got a lot of new songs that we'll be doing this weekend, stuff we'll be trying out before the centennial show in September,'' Twilley said. Twilley and his band will open for Leon Russell on Sept. 19 as part of Tulsa's centennial homecoming celebration. Twilley's band includes guitarists Pat Savage and Tom Hanford, plus the rhythm section that doubles for two other Tulsa bands (Crown Electric, Brian Parton), bassist Dave White and drummer Bill Padgett. “I came back (to Tulsa) because I wanted to create another band of Tulsa musicians,'' Twilley said. “I think this is the best band I've had since the Dwight Twilley Band,'' which included the late Phil Seymour. Also on the bill, the Mellowdramatic Wallflowers have a full set of shimmering new pop songs in advance of a new CD due any time now. Jenny Labow, formerly of Glass House, is still supporting her solo debut CD of breezy acoustic pop, and Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey once again steer their ever-winding wandering around the country for another hometown gig. Jify Trip is returning to form, too, after some juggling of guitarists. After losing their original axman, Steve Francen -- formerly of Mellowdramatic Wallflowers — sat in with the band, but his current project, Flapjack Cancer Co., didn't allow the extra time. A sharp, award-winning player from Oklahoma City, Tony Romanello, will be playing with the band for the balloon festival. He's a great player, worth checking out. The styles run the gamut, too, from the slightly wacky rock of the Cactus Slayers to the intelligent jazz of the Jazzbos. The festival's music schedule offers a fine sampling of what's going on around town every weekend right under your nose, and the event benefits the Gatesway charity. What's to lose? Gatesway International Balloon Festival When 3-10:30 p.m. Friday, 6 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Saturday and 6 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday Where Occidental Center, 129th East Avenue and 41st Street Tickets Admission is free Parking Available near the sight; plus a shuttle bus will be running from the sight to Expo Square and Broken Arrow High School Comments are closed.
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Thomas Conner
These online "clips" reproduce a self-selection of my journalism (music etc) during the last 20+ years. It's a lotta stuff, but it only scratches the surface. I do not currently possess the time or resources to digitize the whole body of work. These posts are simply a bunch of pretty great days at the office. Archives
September 2024
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