Herds of small terriers cowered and scurried out of the crowded living room at the first blast of the kick drum. The 10-piece band was packed into a house in Northwest Norman as it pushed through a parade of diligently rehearsed send-ups to one of pop music’s most bizarre and unfailingly upbeat outfits: The B-52’s. […]
Charles Martin
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Asleep, Audience
Asleep, Audience “¦ Dream! is a band in the grip of evolution, and its latest release, “Agent Change: Masquerade, Deli Cuts, & Other Poppycock” surveys the varying faces of the group since its first four-track recording was laid to tape in 1990. “Agent Change” sprawls over 26 tracks, a combination of unreleased material through the […]
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The Toasters roll into Oklahoma to play, visit Norman-based record label
Twenty-five volatile years haven’t shaken Toasters front man Rob “Bucket” Hingley’s faith in ska. The long-standing survivor of “third wave” ska music ” the 1980s renaissance of rocksteady and reggae-styled music cast through a British pop-punk prism ” Hingley keeps the embattled music form alive with a relentless tour schedule and solid album releases, which […]
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3December’ brings in some of the nation’s innovators
How are Nemo’s swimming motions so fluid? How can “Madden ’08” replicate the human physique so realistically? And how can an average computer user mirror the techniques used by the pros to create imagery for the highest-grossing films and video games of the year? These questions and more will be answered by “3December,” a celebration […]
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Oklahoma’s lightweight title up for grabs at Remington Park
Undefeated newcomers to the Oklahoma lightweight rankings, George Colbert and Noah Zuhdi will be fighting Monday night for the Oklahoma lightweight title. Colbert and Zuhdi have racked up impressive victories and are widely agreed to be two of the state’s best lightweights. SANCTION FIGHTSDIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES “They are two really good lightweight division fighters, they are […]
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National organization, Gazette team up for ‘American Unchained’ event
The American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA) and Oklahoma Gazette are teaming up to rally local restaurants, bookstores, bakers, coffee shops, mechanics and other businesses wanting to resist the market domination of corporate chains. Saturday marks “America Unchained,” a national effort to urge consumers to skip over Wal-Mart, Target and other big-box retailers and spend money […]
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Starlight Mints to perform at Norman Music Festival
Norman Music Festival organizers gleefully roamed the packed downtown streets last year as the inaugural event defied expectations by bringing a festival packed not only with local and regional talent, but offering it up to city residents for free. The festival lured Chainsaw Kittens out of semi-retirement, brought the cult choir The Polyphonic Spree to […]
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Annual Peace Festival offers opportunity for holiday shopping
Tired of crass commercialism, cheap, plastic toys and halfhearted keepsakes? Want your holiday shopping to mean something this year? Look no further than the 22nd annual Peace Festival. Saturday’s festival is your one-stop shop for meaningful mementos that not only give you a head start on your Christmas wish lists, but also help make the […]
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Oklahoma Community Orchestra debuts first performance of challenging season
Dizzy Gillespie and his impossibly large, chipmunk cheeks helped found Afro-Cuban jazz, aided in ushering in the age of bebop jazz, and influenced a generation of performers. On Sunday, the Oklahoma Community Orchestra will celebrate the legend’s catalogue of work with “The Music of Dizzy Gillespie” at Oklahoma Christian University. “Even though the program features […]
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Summer Olympics inspire metro handball players to stir up interest in local team
Kenneth Bethune flinched and ducked as a handball pounded against wooden rafters next to him, sending a rattle through the court. “He throws hard,” Bethune said, referring to former American team handball player Jeff Chappell. CRISP PASSINGSCRIMMAGE The tall, barrel-chested Chappell has the build and athleticism of a football linebacker, but instead chooses to play […]