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PrintTulsa Sound: Beat the heat
A look at what's happening in the Tulsa music scene.
Hanson
August is brutal.
It’s not even hot anymore. It’s beyond hot.
Did you know Eskimos have 732 words for snow?*
Oklahomans should have at least more than one word for “hot.”
August does offer something other than heat: a bountiful crop of bands, live music and acts to check out.
8/14
Alex and the Anders
Eclipse, 1336 E. Sixth St.
The wife and I like to DVR shows we know we will like. There is no steadfast rule to choosing our programs. It’s based upon hunches, except for one: The Sunday night lineup on HBO is guaranteed goodness.
We recently finished watching “Treme,” based on New Orleans’ three months after Hurricane Katrina. It was created by the same folks who made “The Wire,” and “Treme” is a lot like “The Wire,” except for one thing: the music.
New Orleans’ music is more of a feeling than any particular sound. There’s jazz, zydeco, blues, rock and everything else — but with some hot sauce, a horn section and crawfish heads in it.
I started looking for some local bands playing in that same vein and found Alex and the Anders. They are a local four-piece that features Alex Munson (singer/guitar), Tomas Burkhart (harmonica/washboard), Blake Jarman (drums) and Tucker Carter (bass).
It’s not about anything else other than having a good time with these guys, and you can’t help but go along with it.
Self-described as “alcoholics with a music problem,” they remind me of some of the music featured in “Treme.” It’s a spicy crawfish gumbo that will go down well with a few beers.
Throw a horn section in there and they could fit right in the Treme.
8/25
Hanson
Cain’s Ballroom, 423 N. Main St.
In the early ’90s, this author was standing outside the old Blue Rose Café on Brookside. I was standing outside because the place was packed. When I say “packed,” I don’t do it justice: Think “rush hour on a Beijing train during Chinese New Year” crowded.
I just wanted something to eat and could not get food.
I was annoyed.
The reason it was so crowded was that three kids (ages 7-12?) were singing “Rockin’ Robin” on the deck.
Upon realizing this, I flew right past annoyed into livid. “Is this a joke?” I thought. “These kids are talentless hacks, and why won’t they just quit already so I can eat?”
Since then, these kids have sold more CDs than Ronald has sold cheeseburgers, fought poverty and AIDS in Africa and teamed up with TOMS Shoes to give needy children free pairs of shoes.
Their recent release, “Shout it Out,” has gotten some great critical reviews while still oozing pop sensibilities, and their “Blues Brothers”-inspired video brought some (good) attention to the Greenwood District.
It will be a huge night on North Main Street.
Besides not being able to judge talent, I still want that cheeseburger.
8/26
Ween
Cain’s Ballroom
There aren’t many venues that could pull off Hanson one night and Ween the next without calling in a Santeria priest.
Possibly the most original, most fearless band playing over the past 25 years, Ween goes from country to electro to indie and right back to country — in the same song.
And that’s just the music.
The lyrics range from profane to satirical to surreal and beyond. I don’t know who started borrowing first, but there is a pipeline buried somewhere between Oklahoma City/Norman, home of the Flaming Lips, and New Hope, Pa., Ween’s home base.
They are bizarre. They don’t always make sense. They are scary. And most of all they are brilliant.
For those who haven’t been to a Ween show or are unfamiliar with the band’s fans, get ready: It’s a love affair (see: everyone knows the words except you).
*I made that number up. Next month you can make up your own numbers with Mad Libs Music Column!
