TulsaPeople / August 2009 / They say it's your birthday

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They say it's your birthday

The BOK celebrates its one-year anniversary in Tulsa.

This week’s Paul McCartney blowout at the BOK Center marks the one-year anniversary of this already impactful and essential addition to our city.

Since the Eagles first took the stage around this time last year, our humble little township has been visited by the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Elton John, Janet Jackson, Metallica, and that is just a sample. I haven’t even mentioned the non-musical events that have filled the seats. 

When the facility’s doors opened last year, I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that many were skeptical about how successful the BOK Center would actually be. Some thought it was a waste of money from the beginning, some thought it would be a flash in the pan and others just complained for the sake of complaining.

You know who you are. There are always those who will, for reasons unknown, stand in the way of progress. Be it social, technological, ideological or otherwise, they will always have some small base of representation. I, for one, never felt this way. Not because I could see into the future. And not because I know anything more about this, that or the other thing. To be completely honest, I have no interest in 80 percent of the shows that come to the BOK. But I don’t care. The point is that SOMEONE DOES. And that person is paying for the tickets, bringing loved ones and friends and getting the ball rolling on progress.

It’s great to hear the numbers. The BOK Center has broken all expectation and even some records with its attendance and tickets sold over the past year. Artists and shows that would usually fly right over Tulsa now have a vested financial interest in coming here. They know that people will come. But beyond these achievements, which are impressive and something to be proud of, there is something else. I have always seen the BOK Center not as a place, but an idea: an idea that will spark a million more. A catalyst that will bring about the things that we have talked about for so long. 

So happy birthday, BOK Center! You’ve earned it!