Month: January 2019

CONCERT ANNOUNCEMENT: Parker Millsap Headlines May 1 Show at ACM Performance Lab in Bricktown

Oklahoma native Parker Millsap has quickly made a name for himself with his captivating live performances, soulful sound and character-driven songwriting. He performs 7 p.m. May 1 at ACM@UCO Performance Lab, 329 E. Sheridan Ave., in Oklahoma City. 

The event is part of the Academy of Contemporary Music at the University of Central Oklahoma’s (ACM@UCO) continuing Metro Music Series celebrating the school’s 10th anniversary.

Tickets are $10, and go on sale to the public 10 a.m. CT Friday, Jan. 18 at acm-uco.eventbrite.com.

Millsap has had a string of highlights in recent years: A network television debut on “Conan,” a performance with Elton John at Apple Music Festival in London, an Austin City Limits taping and an Album of the Year nomination from the Americana Music Association. He has also received praise from The New York Times, The Boston Globe, LA Times, The Austin Chronicle and Rolling Stone to name a few.

He first picked up an acoustic guitar at age 9, then plugged in and went electric after getting into Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Millsap eventually started a cover band with classmate Michael Rose, who still plays bass with him today. Over the years, he recruited musicians Daniel Foulks (fiddle) and Andrew Bones (drums) to join his band.

Parker’s first three full-length releases — 2012’s “Palisade,” 2014’s self-titled LP and 2016’s “The Very Last Day” — showcased a primal mastery of acoustic folk rock, with their flourish for revelation and fiery dynamics all recorded with extreme precision, purpose and efficiency.

ACM@UCO’s Metro Music Series is sponsored by Oklahoma Gazette, Exchange Music, KOSU Radio, Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores, and the Oklahoma Arts Council, which receives support from the State of Oklahoma and the National Endowment for the Arts’ Art Works initiative.

Posted on January 14, 2019 by Buddy Broncho

ACM@UCO Presents Literati Variety Show in February, Featuring Local Musicians, Writers, Poets

In a multi-act event promoting storytelling and its various forms, the Academy of Contemporary Music at the University of Central Oklahoma (ACM@UCO) presents Literati Variety Show, 7 p.m. Feb. 9 at ACM@UCO Performance Lab, 329 E. Sheridan Ave., in Oklahoma City. Admission is free.

Charles Martin, founder and creative director of Literati Press Comics & Novels, based in Oklahoma City, calls Literati Variety Show a “five-act variety talk program.”

“This is a celebration of storytelling as entertainment as well as a force to give meaning to life,” Martin said. “We are uniting artists from all mediums — music, poetry, comedy, anyone with a good story and the wherewithal to tell it well.”

The Feb. 9 event is presented by ACM@UCO as part of its Metro Music Series celebrating the school’s 10th anniversary.

Martin hosts the show, where he’ll introduce a music and literary pairing by hip-hop act Original Flow and The Fervent Route; a conversation with George Lang, editor-in-chief of Oklahoma Gazette; Heath Huffman, Public Access comedian of note; authors Holly Sampson Hall and Jeremy Hall with a performance reading of “The Most Wonderful Wonder”; and Molly O’Connor, founder of OKC StorySlam.

The show is co-organized by longtime local artist, Oklahoma City Arts Commissioner and Istvan Art owner and manager Stephen Kovash. Speaking recently to Oklahoma Gazette, Kovash said one of his goals with this show is to establish a new artistic family in the metro.

“Things are starting to coalesce in terms of Oklahoma writers,” he told the Gazette. “And so I think what Charles is doing here is perfect timing. … There’s hunger for ideas, and there’s pent-up demand, but there’s also a supply that’s pent-up. So maybe if we can get those people together, it’s going to explode.”

ACM@UCO’s Metro Music Series is sponsored by Oklahoma Gazette, Exchange Music, KOSU Radio, Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores, and the Oklahoma Arts Council, which receives support from the State of Oklahoma and the National Endowment for the Arts’ Art Works initiative.

About the Performers

Molly O’Connor:
O’Connor is an Oklahoma City-based multi-disciplinary artist and cultural worker. Her creative and artistic practices include visual art, creative writing, original solo performance work and storytelling. In 2005, O’Connor founded OKC StorySlam, a monthly, competitive open-mic storytelling event influenced by “The Moth Radio Hour” and podcast.

Holly Sampson Hall and Jeremy Hall:
Holly Samson Hall and Jeremy Hall write and perform dark folk music as Welcome Little Stranger. Creators of “The Most Wonderful Wonder” podcast, the Halls explore tragedy, folklore and strange, true tales from the back pages of American history.

Heath Huffman:
Huffman is a stand-up comic born and raised in Oklahoma City. He tells jokes that highlight the absurdity of working out, the quirkiness of his religious upbringing and the peculiar world of cheap Italian food. He also hosts two podcasts — Christian music review show “The Praisedown” with Heath and Alex, and comic book narration show “Paneled,” both of which some people (not him) think are very good.

George Lang:
Lang is a journalist who has worked for Oklahoma Gazette multiple times since 1994. He returned as its editor-in-chief in 2017. In the interim, he also wrote for The Oklahoman. While there, he became its assistant entertainment editor, interviewing about 95 percent of film industry’s A-listers and hosting an award-winning video series about local musicians, “Static.” He hosts “Spy 101” radio show 8 p.m. Saturdays on The Spy (KOSU) and he teaches at ACM@UCO.

Original Flow and The Fervent Route:
Oklahoma City-based music act Original Flow & The Fervent Route mixes high-octane lyrical content with live instrumentation and old-school hip-hop delivery. It also includes ACM@UCO alumni.

About ACM@UCO Metro Music Series

The 2018-2019 school year marks ACM@UCO’s tenth anniversary. To celebrate, it expanded its long-running Metro Music Festival into a yearlong event. The revamped Metro Music Series includes the High Noon Showcase, presenting free shows by ACM@UCO-tied music acts and tastemakers; its ACM@UCO Performance Lab series by regional and national touring acts; and a growing roster of masterclasses, clinics and workshops with industry leaders, many of which are open to students and the public.

Find more info about Metro Music Series events at acm-uco.eventbrite.com.

For more information about ACM@UCO, visit acm.uco.edu.

Posted on January 9, 2019 by Buddy Broncho

NewsOK: Late musician’s friends honor Connor Hicks with ‘Legacy’ album

Oklahoma artists recently paid tribute to Connor Hicks, a local musician who died Dec. 18, 2017 in a car crash. Late last month, his friends — led by singer-songwriter and guitarist Jacob Mann — and family released “Legacy.”

The album includes previously unrecorded songs by Hicks, who had studied at the Academy of Contemporary Music at the University of Central Oklahoma (ACM@UCO).

In addition to his solo work, Hicks had performed with numerous Oklahoma-based acts, including Matt Stansberry, Shane Henry, Chase Kerby and Mallory Eagle.

The Oklahoman published a Dec. 28 feature about the album:

Hearing the completed album was a little overwhelming, said Hicks’ father, Ronnie Hicks.

“… It was probably the thing in my life that gave me the most joy, was seeing him perform and helping him share it,” he said. “So, it was important to me for as many people to have the opportunity to hear it as possible.”

Journalist Brandy McDonnell wrote of the 2017 wreck:

Connor Hicks, 20, and Jeremy Wallace, 42, died at the scene of an early morning crash Dec. 18, 2017, four miles south of Bowlegs on U.S. 377. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol’s report, which described foggy conditions, concluded the accident took place shortly after midnight, when Hicks’ vehicle, traveling southbound, crossed left of center and hit Wallace’s vehicle head-on.

Both drivers were Ada-based musicians and members of the Chickasaw Nation.

McDonnell added:

As Hicks’ family has been working with the UCO Foundation to establish a scholarship in his honor, Mann worked with about 20 engineers, producers and musicians to create the “Legacy” album.

“After the wreck, I got with all of our engineers and guys that he had recorded demos with,” Mann said. “His laptop was actually in the car with him, so that was kind of an ordeal getting the files off of that. … Once we were able to get those together, we were able to find six songs that we felt really excited about.”

Stream the album on Spotify:

Posted on January 9, 2019 by Buddy Broncho

Last Call: Spring 2019 OKF+MO Internship Applications Due Jan. 11

The Oklahoma Film + Music Office (OF+MO) is now accepting applications for the 2019 Spring Internship Program. OF+MO seeks to provide selected interns with an understanding of the film and music industries in a professional state agency setting by involving them in diverse projects throughout the spring semester.

OF+MO supports our state’s thriving film and music industries by administering the Oklahoma Film Enhancement Rebate Program and connecting filmmakers and musicians with jobs, local businesses and diverse locations. Located on Film Row in Oklahoma City, OF+MO is a division of the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department, which includes Oklahoma Today, Discover Oklahoma, Oklahoma State Parks and Travel.

We are particularly interested in candidates with experience in or enthusiasm for film, music, public relations or marketing for specialized projects. Interns will be selected based on previous experience, professionalism and university level. Priority will be given to those in their junior or senior year. Previous office experience is a plus.

Position details

Intern responsibilities will include researching and compiling film and music events throughout Oklahoma for our website and our monthly newsletter, Now Playing. Chosen candidates will gain valuable experience in the development of OF+MO’s Production Directory, Locations Directory and Music Directory by assisting in research and data input. Interns will also support the office by locating and archiving press articles, conducting research, assisting with marketing inventory and/or other various special projects. Interns may be given the opportunity to participate in locations scouting and set visits, experience special events sponsored by OF+MO and will be exposed to other divisions within tourism. Assistance with general office opening and closing duties is required and expected on a daily basis. Internships are not production-based.

All internships are unpaid and open to those seeking college credit toward graduation. It is the responsibility of the intern and the student’s advisor to track their hours and complete all enrollment and coursework requirements in accordance to their college or university.

This internship will last nine weeks, beginning the week of Feb. 4. If interested, please submit a resume and cover letter to Jeanette Stanton at jeanette.stanton@travelok.com. Deadline for submission is Friday, Jan. 11. Please include, “OF+MO Intern Application – Your Name” in the subject line of your email.

About the Oklahoma Film + Music Office

Created in 1979, The Oklahoma Film + Music Office strives to share all that Oklahoma has to offer by welcoming filmmakers and music professionals to the state and by creating a network of support to develop Oklahoma’s film and music industries. For more information about the Oklahoma Film Enhancement Rebate Program or the Oklahoma Film + Music Office please visit okfilmmusic.org.

Posted on January 8, 2019 by Buddy Broncho

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