Ten years ago, Oklahoma City had no Criterion. The Jones Assembly hadn’t been assembled, and Tower Theatre was still an abandoned relic of a bygone era. There were still concerts that came to town, but the city has grown and hopefully with it, our appetite for shows. OKC concert goers are in for a busy […]
Chad Whitehead
Posted inMusic
Five years later…
In March 2017, my business partner Stephen Tyler and I had a dream to make Tower Theatre a world-class concert venue in the heart of our beloved Uptown 23rd entertainment district. We also had no money, an unfinished building, and an empty calendar. We were under intense pressure to open as soon as possible and […]
Posted inMusic
The shape of OKC music to come
Looking ahead is terrible business these days. Pretending to know what’s coming in 2022 for the music world after the last 18 months is generally hilarious. As we head into another year marred by you-know-what hanging in the literal air, there’s a lot to be excited about in the OKC music scene. Bear in mind, […]
Posted inMusic
Those were the fat days
Touring for a living can be brutal. Behind the fun and obvious thrill of making music, eking out an existence on the road is a treacherous way to pay the bills. And that’s assuming you get along with your bandmates. I’ve had a behind-the-scenes look at touring life since 2005, when bands first started crashing […]
Posted inMusic
Read the comments
It’s not every day I get called a Nazi. On Thursday, Aug. 19, Tower Theatre and Ponyboy announced that we’re requiring proof of vaccine or negative COVID-19 test to attend our shows. This decision was not a move we wanted to make initially and something our team wrestled with for weeks. During our Don’t Call […]
Posted inMusic
Save our sanity
The concert business is a tricky one. The risks are intimidating and you’re only as good as your last month of shows. It takes a unique set of wild-eyed professionals to cut it in this business, and I’m proud to count myself among them. Bringing Tower Theatre to life with our team has been my […]