Music In & Around Ponca City
Sounding Off Story & Photos by Steve Scott/ Contributing Writer
W
hile writing this column, your “freelance music blogger” is munching on a Reuben sandwich with kettle chips at the Ground Round Restaurant in Ponca City. It’s been a year since my band played this juke-joint, always packing the place to SRO (standing room only). I, like many others, sure miss those good times. But there are positive signs on the horizon. While doing a little clerical work in preparation for my column, I ran across something remarkable on my laptop screen: A long line of shows that took place in Ponca City over the month of March. I have to say that live entertainment in our area has started a slow, but sure, revival. There is demand, and the town is getting busy again. Live music is returning! I feel like singing Handel’s Hallelujah chorus! The Bandstand
at Finn’s Pub in Manhattan, Kansas, and back to Zanotti’s in Stillwater on May 25.
Ridin’ High hosted three bands in April, and opens May with Gannon Freeman & CCrev. April 2 Native Stone and J.D. Brower really packed the joint, so look for more band announcements soon. The Grand Cigar lounge in downtown Ponca City broke the ice with the Arms of London Unplugged performing an acoustic act. With the arrival of nice weather, look for more buskers on their Second Street patio soon. Astoria hosted Matt Thompson to a full house in March and announced some remodeling to their building, including re-felting of the pool table and a new dartboard.
"You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.”
As of press time, it appears the local bars are booking just a week or two in advance, which is not good for a publication. But perennial rockers Mother Kelly, Dirty Erin and Morrison 33 have “their people talking with the bar’s people” to set dates. Look for announcements soon. On the lighter side, the peerless team of Backroads Music continues to establish their place on the entertainment scene. Bookings at Rand-Shan’s in Pond Creek and Zanotti’s in Stillwater were pending at press time. Guitar great Larry Newsom has a solid calendar going forward, and added Back2Sighs to his list of stops in March, packing the house and giving an extra set for the crowd. Look for him May 1 at the Paul Schatte Memorial Chili Cook-Off, May 13
36 May 2021
Morgan Reynolds
The Hayes Brothers Band looks to have a busy summer, with four bookings on the calendar with more pending. Something happening …
The Arts and Humanities Council will have Mike Seals on piano with his jazz trio, featuring Paul Palma on bass and Don Long on drums in the amphitheater at City Central on May 13 and 27. The one-hour concerts start at 7 p.m. and will feature different light-jazz songs. May starts the North Central Oklahoma Arts Council “Full Moon Concert Series.” The NCOAC brings outstanding music acts to perform in the Tonkawa downtown park gazebo, entertaining hundreds of people each month and, more importantly, supporting the music arts. Each free event occurs on the night of a full moon, so the days of the week vary with the lunar cycle. Bring your lawn chairs or a blanket to enjoy these concerts that start at 7:30 p.m. each month. The lineup for this year includes: Wednesday, May 26 – Morgan
Thursday, June 24 – Hillcrest Ensemble Friday, July 23 – Harwood, Roberts and Thompson Sunday, August 22 – Holly and the Guys Monday, September 20 – The Hayes Brothers Band Kicking things off is Morgan. This is an unplugged performance featuring Morgan Reynolds, a multi-instrumentalist (piano, sax, guitar, flute) and vocal master from Stillwater. Morgan has a background in gospel and classic rock with an OSU degree in music and vocal performance. She is a powerhouse act, and regularly performs across the United States, as well as in Mexico and Europe. In addition, she has worked with multiple Grammy winners. Locally, you can catch her act at Ponca City, Stillwater and Oklahoma City venues. Her live performances give an audience the feeling of seeing something truly extraordinary. Bottom line: Morgan is a must-see show! Finally
This last year reinforced the old adage, “You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.” As a musician, I crave performing for audiences and being a part of people enjoying themselves. That all quickly vanished this last year as everyone went home, locked their doors and hunkered down with rooms full of toilet paper. But out of this experience, I am reminded that each day is a gift and just how blessed we all are. For our local bands, the time was not lost. Music continued to emanate all over town. And not just from the “normal” places. Everyone continued to practice. New music was created in bedrooms and garages, and some was taken to the studio for new albums. Everyone’s sound has developed, which means when our local musicians hit the stage this spring, they are bringing their “A” game. Overall, everyone wins. And, I’m personally ready to get out there and start “winning”!
If anyone has information on live music events, please write me at smscott54@hotmail.com.
