- Curt's List -

Out & About

This is simply a Night Out page that is more or less a blog on my different
live music adventures around town.

 Last night's Hard Rock Casino "Joint" performance by 'Styx' was incredible !! The band still boasts 2 of it's orig. '70's members James Young & Tommy Shaw plus newer members from the 90's Chuck Panozzo, & vocalist, keyboardist extraordinair Lawrence Gowan.
 Styx brings back some incredible memories for me as
I was a teen then & was just discovering their music
as well as others like Ambrosia, Foreigner, Steve Miller, Pink Floyd, Kansas & Journey in Vinyl form - and ALWAYS enjoyed the special treat of heading down to the orig. Sound Warehouse on the corner of 15th & Peoria, or the little multi-colored houses just E. of 11th & Delaware known as the orig. Starship Records & Tapes - to look at all the new albums and figure out which ones I really needed !!
- Back then KMOD actually played ALBUM oriented rock & would play entire albums on Sunday nights.
 Styx did not disappoint last night in any way, shape or form !!
Reprising note-for-note such hits as Blue Collar Man, The Grand Illusion, Crystal Ball, Paradise Theater, Too Much Time On My Hands, Fooling Yourself, Lady '95, Come Sail Away, Castle Walls, Man In The Wilderness, Renegade & others...with Young & Shaw using a variety of at least 10 different guitars along the way. And the very low - lows - were most impressive as the bass player uses a 5 string bass.
Most memorable besides all of their great hit songs and the awesome duel guitar solos from each end of the stage with smoke & lights - was the keyboard player Lawrence Gowan & his keyboards which were on a lighted
platform and could spin completely around as Lawrence played them - often - behind his back. Awesome Concert !! - c.f. / 10.07.11

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 The Bluegrass Music of The Steep Canyon Rangers
w/ Spec Gst: Steve Martin on Banjo at The PAC
- Chapman Music Hall - last August 24, 2011 was
soooo much more than what I expected ! (Almost
all of the music in the show was written by
Steve Martin as well...)   
 It was a true delight and completely entertaining !
The musical performances were amazing with a
variety of different lead instruments & vocals as
well as totally different treatments of every
song... and of course the wonderfully witty comedy of
Steve Martin throughout. A concert experience I'll remember for years !! - c.f. 
 Steve Martin has played the banjo for many years but
recently won a 2010 Grammy Award for his album,
"The Crow / New Songs For The Five String Banjo"
and in March 2011 he & The Steep Canyon Rangers
released their first album together "Rare Bird Alert"
which debuted at #1 on Billboard's Bluegrass Chart.

~ ~ ~

 I hope you didn't miss the Malford Milligan (Storyville) concert at 'All Soul Acoustic Coffee House' a few months back because it was truly awesome. Malford & his band performed some great, funky, rockin' R&B & Blues as well as a number of Storyville songs in true Malford style...with him front & center - rippin out those extraordinary, soulful vocals for which he's so popular for. ...There was an amplifier malfunction however, that pretty well shut the band down for a few minutes, near the end of the show...but Malford immediately grabbed the closest working mic & improvised - accapella - with a spectacular bluesy gospel song that brought the entire audience to a fitting ovation. I even managed to chit-chat with Malford a little after the show about some of the other Tulsa appearances I've made over the years - including the Storyville Concert way back when the original Sunset Grill was open & serving Brookside...for only 6 bux a ticket !! Such the gentleman... Malford was even kind enough to autograph my ticket stub for me before he got back to helping his crew tear-down their gear.            If you haven't managed to take in an All Soul Acoustic Coffee House Concert yet and are perhaps a bit apprehensive...I urge you to check out who's coming and treat yourself to a fine intimate evening of spectacular music. - c.f.

 Have you checked out "The Joint" yet ? - The new music venue at The Hard Rock Casino ?...It's a 2700 seat venue primarily designed for concerts & other music events,...much like The Brady Theater but without a balcony AND the troublesome support beams that always posed a problem,...depending on where you happened to sit - downstairs. Great sound & big flatscreens flanking each end of the spectacular soundstage.
My first visit to "The Joint" was to see Vince Gill for the
first time live - 01/22/11. I regard Vince as the Eric Clapton of Country Music. A true artist in every aspect of the word,...singer - guitar slinger - songwriter - extraordinaire. Vince was awesome. He chatted & told stories - about the songs as well as stories about growing up in Norman as Tulsa became the Music Mecha in Oklahoma but couldn't get over here to save his life - throughout the entire concert. He - and his stellar band of veteran musicians - performed a wide variety of past hits, current hits, and hits, undoubtedly, to come - such as; "Pretty Little Adriana", "Look At Us", A song written for Merle Haggard: "Real Mean Bottle", "High Lonesome Sound", "What The Cowgirls Do", "One More Last Chance", The Cherrypickers notorius song: "It's Hard To Kiss The Lips At Night (That Chew Your Ass - All Day Long)", "Oklahoma Borderline", The song Vince wrote for his wife; Amy Grant: "Whenever You Come Around", "Go Rest High On That Mountain" With Guests; The Cherokee National Youth Choir, & an encore "jam" - "Liza Jane".
...As well as a couple of great new songs from a yet to be released new album that I can't accurately remember the names of.
 Vince was in town last year while The Joint was under construction,and upon checking it out he promised that he'd be back,...

  - I've since returned to the Joint 02/26/2011 a second time for the rockin' country duo; Montgomery Gentry - who were really great ! From the awesome intro with their light rig being hoisted up - while on - to the top of the soundstage as the band filed out from the revealed entrance/center of the backdrop to Ozzy's Crazy Train !! ...to my favorite M.G. song and apparently one of the audience's as well; "My Town" and an incredible selection of old & new hits along the way. Another fine, fine concert experience ! The giant beachballs & T-shirt girls definitely lent a party atmosphere as well !! (I've even had the privilege to share a shot or two with the lads,...as they used to play Tulsa City Limits on more than one occasion when I bounced there - the last year of it's existance,...and would enjoy a shot or two with any of the crew that wished to join in at the end of the big bar - between sets - and they'd often say how much they absolutely loved the place.) 
  "The Joint" is a fine addition to the Hard Rock Casino,...especially since one could arrive early and have a hey-day. gaming, dining, and perhaps sip on a libation or two,... within the casino - Before an incredible concert !! - c.f.

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 Last nights Patty Larkin concert at All Soul
Acoustic Coffee House (12/10/10) with
Alan Williams from the group "Birdsong in Morning"
opening - was just amazing.
Alan accompanied himself on guitar as he sang a handful
of beautiful songs that he wrote - up on the intimate
Emerson Hall stage - in front of around - 150 or so - people. One especially haunting song about a fallen Civil War soldier stood out among the rest for me.
After a brief intermission of coffee & cookies Patty Larkin
took the stage.
Patty is a guitar players guitar player. She writes witty & interesting songs and accompanies herself on guitar as well,...in a most extraordinary manner.
She's facinating to watch as her fingers travel up and down the neck of the guitar making beautiful noises and sounds like you've never heard.
On one song she even used a violin bow on the Fender Strat. that she had with her, and a well executed loop machine in another.
- Yet another completely mezmorizing evening of intimate live music, engaging talk, song explanations, & musings from a nationally reknowned artist I had never heard before.
(I cought singer/songwriter Greg Trooper last year w/ Dustin Pittsley & Brad James opening - and was just as amazed.)
If you've never ventured out of your normal live music comfort zone of cigarrette & drunks filled bars to try something completely different,...yet surprisingly outstanding - I urge you to do so in the guise of The All Soul Acoustic Coffee House.
I believe you'll be hooked after only one performance as I
have been.

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Chuk Cooley's Admiral Twin Benefit Concert - Rose Bowl - 10/10/10

 I didn't arrive at the Rose Bowl until,...around 3:00 and really didn't now what to expect,...but ended up staying until around 9 or so,...and had a blast. The practically non-stop wrestling was really fun to watch & listen to,...and the music was great ! Two stages were serving up a variety of different music. The standout performances - for me - were The Kristin Nicole Band w/ some awesome rockin' country from a band I hadn't heard before,...Kristin is quite the singer AND entertainer ! New to me as well was Brandon Clark - whom also performed a great rockin' country set. Chuk Cooley & The Demon Hammers tore it up - right proper. The tribute band; Let's Zeppelin - was a very nice surprise,...very authentic and very good !! They were actually quite amazing,...be sure to catch them if you can, I don't believe you'll be disappointed in any way. Outside we heard a great set from my buds; Rude Jester. Pwe & the boys; Under The Gun - had to have been the best performance of the night,...they're just too much fun to watch and too damn good to ignore !! Sweatin Bullets w/ new lead guitar slinger; Ron Harper - were even better than usual on a big outdoor stage. All-in-all,...it was a great concert,...with just enough things to do - to keep busy the entire night. Great Job Chuk !! (I believe they raised over $24k to help rebuild the Admiral Twin.)

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 "Red Dirt,...Songs From The Dust" is a delightful, poignant, triumphant, Love Letter to the Tulsa Sound & The growing Red Dirt Movement here in Tulsa - 3 years in the making - by London's Lata Gouveia. And a sweet, sweet declaration to the incredible, overflowing music talent that seems to just seep out of Oklahoma soil like weeds in an abandoned garden.
- Last night's private screening of Lata's one hour Documentory at Tulsa landmark; Circle Theater 05/17/10, was a pleasure and a joy. With EVERY seat filled with local musicians, perveyors of Red Dirt, & live music in general,...including Mayor Bartlett. Lata deserves many, many congratulations on such a fine, fine movie,... and Tulsa's undying gratitude for shining a light on our treasure trove of talent and wonderful people,...particularly; Rocky Frisco, The Red Dirt Rangers, Tom Skinner, Randy Crouch, & the late Bob Childers. With cameos throughout by local Radio personalities and musicians.
- I'm not sure when we Tulsans will be able to obtain a copy of our own but I'm sure the word will spread quickly when this happens and I urge everyone - music lover or not - to get a copy and cherish it.
- The After-Party and Jam Session at Eclipse was spectacular !!
Practically everyone that viewed the film made it to the party.
With rotating performances by The Dustin Pittsley Band, The Red Dirt Rangers w/ Randy Crouch, & Jesse Aycock, Steve Pryor, Don White, Paul Benjaman, Sage, Scott Aycock, Dave Teegarden Jr. and a variety of assorted musicians I haven't met but definitely need to.
What a night !!
Thank you Lata !!

Trailer: Videos page. .

 - Eric Clapton & His Band Rock The BOK -
                           March 3rd, 2010
 Eric and his band were at Tulsa's BOK Center
on Tuesday, March 2. - One of only eleven in
North America this year. All the early reports
indicated Eric rocked the BOK. It was a
"hometown show" for bandmember
Walt Richmond (keyboards). Opening with
"Going Down Slow," Eric took the audience
on a musical tour of his career touching on
his blues roots, his work with
Derek & The Dominos, Cream, and his ample
solo catalog.
 The cameras were focused on his fingers for
most of the evening.
My favorite portion of the evening was just
Eric, in a chair, w/ mic & an acoustic, under
a spotlight. Just INCREDIBLE finger picking !!
Sustain and runs that blew me away !! There's
a REASON he's one of the greatest guitar players
in the world. He thanked Tulsa several times,
and even gave a shout-out to " Two Tulsa Musicians
I've always admired: David Teegarden & Tommy
Tripplehorn"
The Who's Roger Daltrey opened the evening
for a 45 minute set of Who songs,...and was quite
impressive !! The guy can still belt em out !!
- One fan commented from his
iPhone right after the show,
"The 7 hour drive to Tulsa was worth it.
A veteran of many shows since '74, I can
say his playing is better than ever."

L-R,...Tulsa's Walt Richmond on the Hammond B3, Eric Clapton, Chris Stainton on Keys, Steve Gadd on Drums. ( Willy Weeks on Bass &  Michelle John & Sharon White - backing vox - aren't visible. )