John Sebastian said there were 1,352 guitar pickers in Nashville, Tenn. Hell, so what! I'll wager that there are twice those numbers in Oklahoma that are at least as good as anyone playing in Nash-Vegas these days. The depth of talent that is native to Oklahoma stuns, amazes and overwhelms me almost daily. There must be something in the water. Or the dirt. Yet constantly, I hear over and over again, "they're pretty good for a local band."
It's that big fish in a small pond theory. A song doesn't know how big the damn pond is. A good song is good if it's from Seiling or if it's from LA. But somehow local it always depreciated in value. Why?
Because a lot of people depend on someone else to tell them what is good!
So, if folks want to be sheep, be the shepherd. Lead them into local venues to see local musicians. Tell people you have a surprise for them. I never tire of seeing the look on someone's face when they have some "unknown" Okie singer-songwriter just blow them away. And it's so much better because they're ours. Not some mass-produced import junk.
Not that there aren't a lot of talented people from all over the globe. But just like knowing where the food that you eat comes from, knowing where the art that you hear comes from just helps give you a better connection to it.
I like knowing the name of the cow I had for dinner. And I like knowing the guy who wrote the song that started my day. Whether it is Greg or Tom or Randy or John or Terry or Travis or Bob or Woody.
Live music is better. Live local music is even better.
"Mike Lander, Oklahoma City
