Music

Singer-songwriter Cara Black resumed performing a year ago after a nearly five-year break.   Black is one of the most visible musicians in the metro: Her regular gig is drawing numbers and smiling on television for the Oklahoma Lottery.   “I’m one of the original three hired to just do the voice-overs, but once they […]

Oklahoma rapper Blake O. ” the O is for Overstreet ” isn’t worried about the “white rapper” label.   “I just pretend I’m not a rapper, no matter that I’ll be rapping everywhere I go,” Blake said. “I’m an artist. You gotta joke for it. But then you gotta make sure to take it seriously.” […]

University of Oklahoma student radio station, The WiRe, has officially hit the airwaves. Now broadcasting on 1710 AM, the WiRe has expanded its reach past the campus to much of Norman.   Program and Music Director John Cope said the station filed paperwork for an FM frequency, which didn’t work out.   “It was either […]

Snow Patrol is in the midst of a major worldwide surge in popularity, helped by opening for U2 on tour and having their breakout single, “Chasing Cars,” appear on “Grey’s Anatomy.”   “Twenty-two million people watch ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ drummer Jonny Quinn said. “My girlfriend lives in Austin and that’s how her whole office found out […]

When not playing rock ‘n’ roll or classic country, you might find local musician Mark Lewellen at the tiny Christian Crusaders Academy in Purcell, where he teaches mostly high school students language, math, the Bible and ” if needed ” even mops the floors.   He’s been teaching, and loving it, for one semester. “It’s […]

Ty Kamm is the assistant manager at Joe’s Place Fine Wine & Spirits in Norman, but you might recognize him as the showman fronting longtime local heroes Klipspringer.   “My discount comes in handy for the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle,” Kamm said.   BUSY, BUT EASYFor Kamm, the job has lasted nearly as long as […]

While most bluegrass bands have a sound that is easily identifiable, Colorado’s Yonder Mountain String Band mixes elements of rock, pop, country and bluegrass with vocal harmonies and something that is inexplicably theirs.   “We don’t really have a term for it. It’s just the Yonder Mountain Sound. Elvis didn’t call it rock ‘n’ roll; […]

Slava, the Oklahoma City International Folk Dancers’ performance group, has performed dancers from around the world since the early Eighties.   Joan Chambers, who has been folk dancing since 1968, said, “The folk dance group is a very close-knit group of people, and we’ve been sort of a family for years. I think of it […]

Among the speakers at The Beatles Weekend in Norman in February were author Andy Babiuk and collector Russ Lease.   Babiuk wrote the definitive book on The Beatles’ instruments, “Beatles Gear: All the Fab Four’s Instruments, from Stage to Studio.” Lease is one of the foremost collectors of the band’s memorabilia.   MUSICAL LEGACYWhile researching […]

Henry McMinn of Oklahoma City’s Audyssey Studios said the hardest thing about recording other people’s music is the people themselves.   “Everybody’s got the McDonald’s and Wal-Mart mentality: They want you to do it as fast as you can and have it sound as perfect as you can for the minimal amount of money,” he […]