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The Beach Boys

Photo courtesy River Spirit Casino.
Photo courtesy River Spirit Casino.
Photo courtesy River Spirit Casino.

Thursday, July 16 and Friday, July 17

The original California boys, whose vocal harmonies mesmerized the ‘60s, reunite on the River Spirit stage. The Beach Boys sprouted from the emerging California sound of the ‘50s and ‘60s with its summer hit Surfin’. The band rose to popularity in the ‘60s with its unique sound and lyrics, evoking a southern California youth culture of surfing, cars, romance and summer fun. Influenced by jazz-based vocal groups, rock-and-roll and doo-wop, the group experimented with many genres ranging from pop ballads to the up-tempo sounds of psychedelic. The band was a family affair with brothers Brian, Carl and Dennis Wilson, who were joined by their cousin Mike Love and classmate Allan Jardine. As the group’s creative leader, Brian Wilson orchestrated the its harmonies, composing the music and producing the recording sessions. From 1962 to 1966, The Beach Boys charted 22 hit singles. In 1964, Brian halted touring with the group to work on hits like California Girl, Help Me Rhonda, The Little Girl I Once Knew and the group’s next studio album, Pet Sounds. Amongst Pet Sounds’ disappointing sells, The Beach Boys quickly released The Best of The Beach Boys. With no discouragement, Brian began to work on The Beach Boys’ next hit single, Good Vibrations. The single launched the group back to the top of the charts, also winning them three Grammy award nominations, including Best Contemporary Rock ’n’ Roll recording, which they lost to New Vaudeville Band. Although the group never won a Grammy, they have obtained a resume of countless hits garnering respect from the current pop music scene. For more information, visit www.riverspirittulsa.com.

The Greenbelt Meridian

Photo courtesy Hardesty Arts Center.
Photo courtesy Hardesty Arts Center.
Photo courtesy Hardesty Arts Center.

Opens Saturday, July 18 –

Featuring Tulsa artists James and Yiren Gallagher, The Greenbelt Meridian exhibition is inspired by the movement and mystical sounds of invisible animals on the edge of a wooded darkness. The two artists use art to campaign for the return of a piece of land back to nature, and they have set out to use art to create a great circle around the world, hence the Greenbelt Meridian project. In the past year, the artists have retraced the first Civilian Conservation Corps’ shelterbelt and visited sections of the 100th Meridian. The 100th Meridian passes through North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. In the U.S., the meridian marks the divide between the precipitation-rich eastern side of the country and the dry, western part of the country. James and Yiren encourage visitors of the exhibit to respond to and participate in the work in progress by bringing canned goods, purchasing ceramic cantaloupes or supporting the artists’ campaign for a national monument in Oklahoma. Opening Saturday, July 18, Greenbelt Meridian will be on display in the Main Gallery of the Hardesty Arts Center through Sept. 6. For more information, visit www.ahhatulsa.org.

Prix de West Invitational

Ken Carlson Following the Sun 13” x 30”, oil on board. Photo courtesy National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.
Ken Carlson Following the Sun 13” x 30”, oil on board. Photo courtesy National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.
Ken Carlson Following the Sun 13” x 30”, oil on board. Photo courtesy National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.

Thru Aug. 2

A five-decade tradition, the Prix de West Invitational Art Exhibition, the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum’s annual exhibit that attracts the best in Western art, continues this month. More than 100 artists, including three new artists – C. Michael Dudash, Scott Tallman Powers and Charles Timothy Prutzer – share more than 300 paintings and sculptures with the Oklahoma City museum. With pieces depicting landscapes, wildlife, people and more, the displayed artworks include historical pieces that reflect the early days of the west as well as those more contemporary. This exhibit serves as another way the museum preserves and interprets the evolving history and cultures of the American West. See oil paintings From a Boy to a Man by Daniel F. Gerhartz, Following The Sun by Ken Carlson and As the Sun Fades in the West by Tim Cox; bronze sculptures By A Nose by Tim Cherry and Desert View by Geral Balciar; and many other Western wonders. Prix de West will run through Aug. 2. The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit www.nationalcowboymuseum.org.

The Swon Brothers

Photo courtesy Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Tulsa.
Photo courtesy Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Tulsa.
Photo courtesy Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Tulsa.

Saturday, July 18

When the country-duo The Swon Brothers turned three chairs during their blind audition on season four of The Voice and announced to the judges they were from Oklahoma, those not named Blake Shelton knew they didn’t stand a chance. On their trek to the Top 3, The Swon Brothers effortlessly won over the audience with their musical talents, harmony and brotherly charm. While The Voice allowed the two to share their talents with the world, many in Oklahoma already knew their name. From performing in their family’s gospel band to joining their parents on a family-style variety show, Zach and Colton Swon can honestly say they’ve been playing music all their lives. After signing with Arista Nashville and bringing on producer Mark Bright, The Swon Brothers released their 2014 self-titled record that included hits “Later On” and “What I’m Thinking About.” On July 18, the duo returns to Oklahoma for a performance on The Joint stage at Tulsa’s Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. An artist with a lot in common with The Swon Brothers, Corey Kent White, a Bixby native and recent contestant on The Voice, will open the show. Tickets start at $35 and the show begins at 8 p.m. For more information, visit www.hardrockcasinotulsa.com.

Summer’s Fifth Night at Utica Square

Photo by Kelly Kerr.
Photo by Kelly Kerr.
Photo by Kelly Kerr.

Thursday, July 9  

Continuing this month, Tulsa’s Utica Square lights up with live music each Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. This week, the Red Dirt Rangers will take the stage. Embodying the country-folk sound that originally formed in Stillwater, Okla., the Red Dirt Rangers, a group made up of Brad Piccolo, John Cooper, Ben Han, Randy Crouch, Dan Morris and Rick Gomez, represent the genre masterfully. Stop by Utica Square, celebrate summer and enter to win some great prizes that include Utica Square gift certificates and merchandise. See the full lineup of performers at www.uticasquare.com.

EngageOK 2015

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Tuesday, July 7 and Wednesday, July 8

Educators and school administrators will gather at the Cox Convention Center for a unique professional development presentation aimed at the classroom and the office. Presented by the Oklahoma Department of Education, EngageOK’s 2015 speakers will address a variety of approaches pertaining to community collaborations, volunteering, religion engagement and social issues, including domestic violence, substance abuse, poverty, community outreach and anti-human trafficking. Speakers include Dr. Terry Holliday, Dr. Adam Saenz and State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister. Holliday is currently Kentucky’s fifth commissioner of education, and under his leadership, the state implemented Senate Bill 1, which mandated new academic standards, new aligned assessments and a professional growth effectiveness system for teachers, principals and superintendents. Saenz, the author of The Power of a Teacher: Restoring Hope and Well-Being to Change Lives, earned his Ph.D. at Texas A&M and has studied at Harvard and Oxford. Hofmeister is the 14th state superintendent of public instruction in Oklahoma and has toured throughout Oklahoma to advocate for schoolchildren, launched improvement efforts to transform the Oklahoma State Department of Education into a more translucent organization.

In addition to the conference, 50 exhibitor booths will be provided for organizations and businesses to offer information and resource material. For more information, visit www.engage.ok.gov.

Cats

Photo courtesy Youth Onstage.
Photo courtesy Youth Onstage.
Photo courtesy Youth Onstage.

Thursday, July 9-Sunday, July 12

Youth Onstage brings the popular musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and based on a tale by T.S. Eliot to life at the PACE Studio Theater. Through song and dance, Cats tells the story of the Jellicle Ball, where cats of all shapes and sizes gather and where one cat will be selected by the leader and allotted an extra precious life. This production is made possible by a talented staff of youth, including directors, choreographers, musical directors and performers from the Tulsa area community. Youth OnStage is a nonprofit youth theater company comprised of an all-volunteer acting troupe made up of middle school, high school and homeschool students from all over northeast Oklahoma. For 15 years, the organization’s mission has been to provide an encouraging environment for youth that nurtures love of theater and develops technical skills in acting, directing, stage management and life skills. For more information, visit www.youthonstage.net.

Luke Bryan

Photo courtesy BOK Center.
Photo courtesy BOK Center.

Thursday, July 9

Durant, Okla., will host the Grammy award-winning country artist Luke Bryan. Arguably the biggest country music star currently touring, 2015 has become the year for Bryan, who has sold out arenas and recently announced the Aug. 7 release of his fifth studio album, Kill the Lights. Bryan had a significant amount of success with his hit single Kick the Dust Up. With the songs thumping beat and quirky banjo hook, Bryan sings that he’d rather hang in a dusty field with a jar full of “clear” than stand in line for $10 drinks. The Kick the Dust Up singer snagged Male Video of the Year at the 2015 CMT awards for “Play It Again,” his romantic ballad from his previous album, Crash My Party. For more information, visit www.choctawcasinos.com.

Seryn

Photo courtesy Bullhorn Publicity.
Photo courtesy Bullhorn Publicity.
Photo courtesy Bullhorn Publicity.

Thursday, July 9

Denton, Texas, natives bring their musical style to Tulsa’s budding scene. A six-piece band whose members play multiple instruments, Seryn’s sweet melodic sound is layered with sounds of guitars, ukulele, accordion, bass, violin, banjo and various other classic instruments. Each member and their musical talents carry the same importance. On Thursday, July 9, Seryn will be playing for a crowd at the Vanguard Music Hall. For more information, please visit www.thevanguardtulsa.com.