Percussionist Josh Massad is one of several Tulsa musicians participating in “Vox Novus: Fifteen Minutes of Fame” at Living Arts of Tulsa. Photo courtesy of Emam & Friends.
Thursday, May 29, 7:30 p.m.
Everybody gets it, and this week, a handful of composers from all over the world will have their celebrated quarter-hour at Tulsa’s Living Arts of Tulsa, 307 E. Brady St. Vox Novus: Fifteen Minutes of Fame brings together composers and musicians to showcase new musical work on local stages around the globe. On Thursday, May 29, at 7:30 p.m., Tulsa area musicians will have a turn each to premiere 15 original, one-minute works submitted for Vox Novus. Participating musicians include Kristi Sturgeon, Marc Watson, Dayna Smith, Josh Massad, Austin Pendergrass, Jody Naifeh and Karen Naifeh Harmon, who is also one of the composers whose work was selected for Vox Novus. Admission is $5-$7. For more, visit www.livingarts.org.
A representative of Woods & Waters Winery and Vineyard in Anadarko pours wine samples at last year’s Made in Oklahoma Wine, Beer and Food Festival. Photo courtesy Midwest City Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Saturday, May 31, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
“Agritourism” is a word that catches a lot of attention, particularly when tours of local wineries are involved. But the Made in Oklahoma Wine, Beer and Food Festival celebrates the variety and expanse of products grown and produced in the state.
The festival, which takes place at Midwest City’s Reed Conference Center and Sheraton Midwest City Hotel, brings together representatives of Oklahoma wineries and breweries along with local artists, merchants, cooks and items with a distinctive Oklahoma identity. In its third year, the festival takes place from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, May 31.
“The entire purpose of the festival is to increase awareness of Oklahoma’s agritourism. One of the things that we’ve done is try to focus on wineries that grow grapes here,” says Melanie Voice, special events and marketing manager for the Midwest City Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Agritourism invites consumers to appreciate locally produced and grown products by taking them to where it all starts. The festival promotes that appreciation for local vineyards and wine producers, but that initial focus has since expanded to highlight locally made beers, locally grown produce and other items – handmade or manufactured on a slightly larger scale – you can’t get anywhere else.
Guests at the festival will find an assortment of goods for the pantry as well as the rest of the home, including salsas, popcorn, fudge, jellies and jams, jewelry, fine art, wood-carved gift items and more, Voice says.
The festival again will feature the Great Grilled Cheese Challenge: Masterminds of Melt contest in which at least six contestants are chosen to create inventive grilled cheese sandwiches. Other events include the Wine & Palette art class, in which participants are given a canvas, paint and a glass of wine to enjoy; cooking demonstrations; the Go Green Oklahoma Sustainability Fair; Cruisin’ with Cops Open Car, Truck and Motorcycle Show; and live music and entertainment all day long, thanks to a partnership with the Oklahoma Film and Music Office.
There are advantages to buying Oklahoma-made goods.
“When you have things that are mass produced – this is my opinion – it often loses flavor or craftsmanship,” Voice says, but locally made items are often created with attention to detail and with great care.
Plus, it helps the state economy.
“Everything is turned right back into our state,” Voice says. “Who doesn’t want to help their own state – where they live, thrive and work?”
Summer evenings are for spending time outdoors with friends, good music and food every Thursday night at Utica Square. The 23rd annual Summer’s Fifth Night concert series kicks off Thursday, May 29, just ahead of the impending heatwave with the Mid-Life Crisis Band playing classic rock. The scheduled continues: Pop Machine, June 5; Light Opera Oklahoma, June 12; Bop Cats, June 19; Admiral Twin, June 26; Mary Cogan, July 3; Starr Fisher Ensemble, July 10; Luxtones, July 17; Usual Suspects, July 24; Red Dirt Rangers, July 31; Traveler, Aug. 7; Jeff Shadley’s Mad Men of Swing, Aug. 14; Jessica Hunt Band, Aug. 21; Grady Nichols, Aug. 28. Concerts are from 7-9 p.m. every Thursday and are free to the public. For more, visit www.uticasquare.com.
Photo courtesy Oklahoma City all Sports Association.
Tuesday, May 29-Sunday, June 4
There’s the pitch, the swing and another year of softball action headed your way when the NCAA Women’s College World Series returns to the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium, 2801 N.E. 50th St., Oklahoma City. Series champions the University of Oklahoma beat out Tennessee during last year’s finals. Who will take the series this year? Will the Sooner women make another successful run up the bracket to face another worthy adversary? The NCAA Women’s College World Series takes place Tuesday, May 29-Sunday, June 4. Go to www.ncaa.com to view team rankings, play schedules, stadium information and ticket purchase options, including all-session tickets, qualifier packages, promotion nights and more. Outfield flex tickets are also available for $15 per session. The series is sponsored by Oklahoma City All Sports.
OKC All Sport also hosts the Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championships on May 21-25 at the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, 2 S. Mickey Mantle Drive, Oklahoma City. For more on that event, visit www.big12sports.com.
The race is on at lunchtime during the week in Oklahoma City. Businessmen and women head to Nic’s Grill to claim one of a dozen or so seats in the small café. Those who aren’t so lucky to grab a place will still wait patiently in a line that sometimes wraps around the building outside to order one of Nic’s super juicy, fried onion burgers. The legendary half-pounders are cooked on a griddle behind the counter by owner Justin Nicholas. Each burger is served with a heaping helping of curly fries cooked to order. Daily specials offered include meatloaf, pork chops and fried chicken, liberally seasoned, pan-fried and served with mashed potatoes and gravy. 1201 N. Penn, Oklahoma City. 405.524.0999
Photo courtesy National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.
Photo courtesy National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.
Saturday, May 24-Sunday, May 25
Families get a taste for the cowboy life at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum this weekend. The Chuck Wagon Gathering & Children’s Cowboy Festival is back with two days of pony rides, live entertainment, stagecoaches, children’s activities and yummy campfire vittles on the grounds of the museum, 1700 N.E. 63rd St., in Oklahoma City. The weekend features indoor attractions, but this event is about taking the action outdoors for a taste of the Western way that’s as fun as it is insightful. Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 24, and Sunday, May 25. Festival admission is $15 for ages 13 and over, but kids 12 and under are free. For more, visit www.nationalcowboymuseum.org.
The Tulsa Symphony performs at the Guthrie Green. Photo by Aaron Stephenson, courtesy Guthrie Green.
The Tulsa Symphony performs at the Guthrie Green. Photo by Aaron Stephenson, courtesy Guthrie Green.
Saturday, May 24, 2-10 p.m.
Supporting a good cause sounds good at the Tulsa Music Festival, especially when the sounds are coming from the likes of Steve Liddell, We the Ghost, the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra and other local musicians. Presented by the nonprofit Tulsa Night Out, the festival benefits Project Reach of Tulsa and the Tulsa SPCA while it showcases great local talent. The festival begins at 2 p.m. at the Guthrie Green, 111 E. Brady St., with activities for families, arts and crafts vendors and probably more than a few food trucks on hand. The afternoon progresses into an evening of live entertainment leading up to the Tulsa Drumline and the Tulsa Symphony performing music outside of its usual repertoire – Led Zeppelin, Queen, Lorde and more. The event is free. For more, visit www.tulsamusicfestival.com.
“Are you ready to rock?” You’re sure to be asked more than a few times this weekend if you make your way to Pryor and Rocklahoma, the state’s great big party of rock heavies past and present. This year’s line-up includes Kid Rock, Five Finger Death Punch, Staind, Twisted Sister, Deftones, Seether, Killswitch Engage and many, many more. Whether you plan to catch a few shows or have the camper ready to go for the long haul, Rocklahoma promises to give you more than you expect. The festival takes place Friday, May 23, to Sunday, May 25, at the “Catch the Fever” Festival Grounds near Pryor. General admission tickets start at $84 for single days and $189 for the weekend. For more, visit www.rocklahoma.com.
Photo by Kaden Shallat, courtesy Big Hassle Media.
Photo by Kaden Shallat, courtesy Big Hassle Media.
Sunday, May 25, 8 p.m.
When you’re a musician identified with indie rock acts such as Regina Spektor and Of Montreal, you can bet the musically astute are going to check you out. For Kishi Bashi, listeners have tuned in to his solo work – most notably the 2012 album 151a and his latest, Lighght – and given it a “yay” for it vibrant pop spirit and blend of influences from classical to experimental. As adept at the keyboard as he is the violin, Kishi Bashi has played plenty of the big music festivals, but now, he’s on his own and about to hit the Bricktown Music Hall, 103 Flaming Lips Alley, in Oklahoma City. Show is at 8 p.m. Sunday, May 25, with doors opening at 7 p.m. Tickets are $12-$14, available at www.ticketstorm.com.
It’s been a rough road for the Tulsa Shock, Oklahoma’s only WNBA team, but with a new coach and a series of wins in the preseason, fans have reason for a show of optimism. Although the team lost to the San Antonio Silver Stars in last weekend’s season opening game, they lost by a margin of four points (plus the Shock beat the same rival in the preseason). Coach Fred Willliams has said he wanted to develop the team’s mental toughness. That will definitely be put to the test when the Shock play the season’s first home game Friday, May 23, at the BOK Center, 200 S. Denver Ave. Skylar Diggins, Odyssey Sims, Glory Johnson and the rest of the team square-off with the Minnesota Lynx at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $12-$155 at www.bokcenter.com.
