I can remember it like it was yesterday. Riding in a truck with a buddy of mine and him singing the lyrics to a song I had never heard before, but knowing them line for line. I was not a huge altcountry fan at the time but dug some stuff that was out. I asked him, "Who is this?" He responded, "Brooks & Dunn". The song, "Brand New Man".

This song was the launching pad for the most successful duo in any genre to get together and set the music industry on it’s ear. Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, both struggling solo artists in their own right were introduced to one another and asked to put something together and see what they came up with. What follows as they say is now history.

Brooks & Dunn bring the last tour in an amazing career to the BOK Center Friday, May 28, 2010, along with guest Jason Aldean.

The superstar duo has a string of number one hits from "Brand New Man" to "Ain’t Nothing Bout You" to "Play Something Country" the list is as long as their awards, winning Vocal Duo of the Year each year since 1992, except 2000 when they were beat out by Montgomery Gentry, as well as Entertainer of The Year in 1996.

Both Kix and Ronnie are staunch supporters of the working man as well as hugely patriotic. Their love for country and the hard working, grass-roots values that have built it seem to go unmatched. Theirs is music that spans from hard partying after a hard day to gospel that will tear your heart out. B & D have had an incredible run for 20 years.

Brooks & Dunn are renowned for their high-energy stage shows. They have toured with the likes of ZZ Top, The Rolling Stones, Keith Urban, and Big and Rich to name a few. Always leaving a wake of jaw-dropping sets and one-of-a-kind stage shows.

This being the Last Rodeo it is sure to bring out the best in the boys and leave nothing in the auxiliary tanks. They were not about to call it a day as a recording duo without one more chance to party with their fans.

The Last Rodeo Tour, BOK Center Friday May 28, 2010

Doors at 6:00 pm, show starts at 7:30 pm.

Get tickets at all area Reasors, at the BOK ticket office or online. Prices range from $35.50 to $69.75

Northeastern Oklahoma, at least for this weekend, will be the concert capital of the area. Country music fans will be flocking to the BOK Center Friday night for Brooks and Dunn, but for rock-n-roll fans such as myself, the place to be this weekend is just a short drive away in Pryor. Rocklahoma 2010 kicks off on Memorial Day weekend for the first time after taking place later in the summer months in it’s previous editions.

The festival, with the motto of "life, liberty and the pursuit of rock!" boasts a lineup of bands from several genres and eras of rock. ZZ Top, Cinderella, Tesla, Chevelle, Saliva, Fuel, Theory of a Deadman and Sevendust will all be making appearances. Area bands are also well represented with Shaman’s Harvest (Jefferson City, MO), Firstryke (Tulsa), and Taddy Porter (Stillwater) all set to take the stage.

If you don’t have an all-session pass yet, it looks like Friday night will give you the best bang for your buck. 17 bands will span three stages on the day, including up and coming acts Adelita’s Way (3:30 p.m.) and Saving Abel (5 p.m.) starting things off on the main stage. From there, the main stage will see the likes of Buckcherry (6:30 p.m.), Three Days Grace (8:15 p.m.) and Godsmack (10:30 p.m.).

Buckcherry, fronted by Josh Todd, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1995. After a seven year run the band dissolved in 2002 until Todd and lead guitarist Keith Nelson got things going once again in 2005. In 2006 they released the album 15 which included the widely popular hit "Crazy Bitch" and Billboard Hot 100 top ten hit "Sorry."

On their most recent tour the band opened for rock legends Kiss on select dates of their "Alive 35" Tour. Buckcherry is getting set to release their fifth studio album, All Night Long, in August. The first single, "All Night Long" was recently released to rock radio.

Based in Toronto, Ontario, Three Days Grace is comprised of Adam Gontier (guitarist/ lead vocalist), Neil Sanderson (drums), Brad Walst (bass) and Barry Stock (lead guitar). Billboard’s 2007 number one rock artist of the year, Three Days Grace has sold over six million albums worldwide with their first two albums, Three Days Grace (2003) and One-X (2006). Their third album, Life Starts Now, released in September, 2009 debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 list with songs "Break" reaching number one on the Billboard Rock Songs Chart and "The Good Life" reaching 85 on the Canadian Hot 100.

The Canadian group’s debut album peaked at number on the Billborad 200 and included their breakout hit "I hate Everything About You." One-X produced hit songs "Animal I Have Become", "Pain", "Riot", and "Never Too Late." The album reached number two on the 2009 Billboard Top Rock Albums chart.

The headliner for the night is the always pleasing, hard-hitting, heavy-playing Godsmack. Formed in 1995 in Lawrence, Massachusetts, Godsmack is the brain-child of front-man Sully Erna. Tony Rombola (guitar), Robbie Merrill (bass) and Shannon Larkin (drums) round out this band that has sold over 19 million records worldwide. When Boston radio station WAAF started playing "Keep Away" in the late 90’s, the song quickly became the number one song played, and eventually led to Universal/ Republic Records singing the band.

Self titled debut album, Godmsack, including songs "Keep Away", "Whatever", "Bad Religion" and "Voodoo" sold over four million copies. Godsmack’s follow-up effort, Awake, debuted at number five on the Billboard 200 while the song "Awake" reached number one on the Billboard Rock Singles chart. The band went on to release Faceless (2003) and IV (2006) before taking a break from their nearly non-stop touring schedule.

In 2008 they reunited to begin work on the recently released album, The Oracle. Released May 3, the album was an immediate hit, reaching number one less than 24-hours after it’s release on Amazon and iTunes. The Oracle went on to sell 117,000 copies in it’s first week, making it number one on Billboard 200 and Godsmack’s third-straight album to reach the spot. 

If you’ve been waiting for a hard rock show worth attending, this is the one. But hey, if you’ve got a few more bucks to spend, why not pay a little extra and hang around for the entire weekend? For more information on tickets and lineups for Rocklahoma 2010 check out their website.

A show that should have easily been very well attended, the We Are The Fallen was much more of a disappointment than anything else.

I have to be sympathetic to the band here and say it could not be any fault of their own.  The one thing I could possibly say is there is just no real buzz surrounding them.  As I spoke to people about going to the show most were asking who they were.

It could have possibly been a venue issue or maybe just poor promotion.  For the 200 in attendance (and most of them were either with the bands or got free tickets from radio stations) it was a rather drab night at ole 423. 

It was a four band bill that started at 7:30 pm, and probably shouldn’t have started at all.  Why this show wasn’t canceled I do not know. 

First opener was a local band whose name I never did really catch, something about Vegas.  Doesn’t really matter, they were a garage band at best and jumped around on stage like they needed to get back on their meds.  The set was like all the others on this night, way, way, way too loud for the venue and the size of the audience.  Let alone the lead singer pleading with the small grouping of people there to get involved.

Aerias was up next, again way too loud and the same old stage show as most emo bands.  Cody, (lead vocals) for some reason felt the need to tell the name of each song in their set.  Must of been because you couldn’t understand squat.

I was seated at the back of the house for both of these bands and realized very soon that the people around me were family members of both bands.  So these weren’t even fans, they were mom, dad, grandpa, grandma and the siblings that were drug along to support.

Next up Red Line Chemistry, these guys had some talent, unfortunately the sound again was too loud and just drowned out the set.  Highlight of this was the famous Johnny Cash middle finger shirt that the vocalist was wearing.  The music was tight and the energy was there, but if you don’t really have anyone in the crowd (loosely put) to play off of or for it just falls to the ground.

Finally, there is We Are The Fallen.  This is a band that for all reasons should be playing to a packed house.  What happened here?  I realize the album is only days old, 12 to be exact, but where was the promotional push.  Doesn’t Universal Republic have a public relations department? 

Fallen are a band that has been assembled from some pretty heavy hitting talent, the fallout of Evanescence and the vocals of former American Idol finalist Carly Smithson yet seems to not be able to create it’s own identity.  In all ways it looked as though Evanescence had just been shuffled and re-dealt.  Other than the stellar cover of Madonna’s "Like A Prayer" I am not sure it would have mattered if it were Carly or Amy Lee on the delivering end of the lyrics.

Now I will say this, Carly has a hugely powerful voice and was giving it everything she had.  She has some real talent and lays it all out.  If this happens with each show she is either on the road to a blown out voice or just has some incredible control.

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Photos by: Kevin Pyle

I realize I have not given any of these bands any slack, I am not sure that I am supposed to as a critic.  It was definitely a show that had greater potential than what paid off.  We can only hope that they get polished and blow up the scene or just fade away.

Edit Note: The following statement was provided by Tom and Angie Green

For the past eight years, we have tirelessly promoted and produced Dfest Music Conference & Festival. We have experienced some amazing performances, made friendships that will last a lifetime, and created a special event that made Tulsa a very exciting place each July.  Those of you who truly know us understand we do this out of sheer passion, our unending love of music and to empower and create a better place for hardworking, independent musicians.  

In  2010, we have to make the difficult decision to put Dfest on hiatus.  A tough economy, rising production costs and a decline in lower level corporate sponsorships and support have caused us to take pause.  These factors have made us unable to produce the kind of event we are known for, so we are unable to move forward with the festival this year. 

At the point we knew that we had exhausted any and all options and head into July 2010 with full steam, we decided to postpone the event on our own terms.   The integrity and quality of Dfest is of the utmost importance to us as the creators of the event.  

We know that Dfest is a very special event and so much more than just a festival.  We are not willing to compromise the quality of the event in any way that might cause it to be less of a festival than the people of Tulsa and our fans have come to know and love.  In light of these events, we would like to give a very special thanks to the fans who have bought tickets to Dfest in the past, told your friends by Facebook, tweet, blog and let everyone you knew know about how much you love Dfest.  We would also like to thank our loyal sponsors, media partners, team members, emerging artists, and volunteers who have supported Dfest year after year.  A very special thanks and appreciation goes to State Farm, who shared our vision for this event and stood by our side throughout this difficult decision.

With love and respect,
Tom and Angie Green and the Dfest Team

The two-day multi-genre music festival fused with a music industry conference was established in 2002 to help emerging artists gain exposure and connect with the music industry. The conference consisted of music panels, a trade show, music clinics and artist mentoring. Each night, national recording artists performed on large outdoor festival stages while top local, regional and national emerging artists performed on a multitude of outdoor stages, indoor venues and club stages. Dfest become one of the top independent music conferences in the nation as well as the Midwest’s largest music festival of its type, and a hot bed for showcasing exciting new diverse music talent.

Editorial Observation:  The abrupt withdrawal by the organizers of Dfest, Tom and Angie Green, raise more questions than their statement answers.  Why was notice not given earlier in the year?  Why would “lower level corporate sponsorships” cause failure?  Tulsa Today and other organizations had expressed interest in sponsorship in years past, but the Greens did not respond.  It was often noted that the Greens took personal credit for success so why did they fail this year?  No effort was observed to solicit new sponsorship.  No public opportunity was provided to rally support.  Quality public festivals are planned and organized year-round so what happened?  Repeated calls to Tom Green have not been answered and the voice mail on that phone number is full and not accepting additional messages.  Should more information become available; Tulsa Today will provide more detail.

Performance times have been announced for Rocklahoma 2010, America’s biggest Memorial Day weekend party which kicks off summer May 28-30 at “Catch The Fever” Festival Grounds in Pryor, Oklahoma. The festival’s all-star roster of 39 top rock artists from the past three decades performing on three stages includes ZZ Top, Godsmack, Tesla, Three Days Grace, Cinderella, Chevelle, Buckcherry, Theory of a Deadman, Saliva, Saving Abel, Fuel featuring Brett Scallions, Sevendust and many more.  Gates will open at 2:30pm on Friday, and 12:30pm on Saturday and Sunday. 

Advance, specially priced tickets are still available for the multi-day destination camping rock festival.  Full Weekend General Admission tickets are now $125 plus service fees and will be available for $150 at the gate.  Weekend VIP ticket prices are now $320 plus service fees and will increase to $350 at the gate.  Single day tickets range from $40-$50 plus service fees.   

As part of this year’s Rocklahoma festivities, the top five finalists for the second annual Miss Rocklahoma contest will be announced on May 20 and will be introduced on-stage at Rocklahoma on Friday, May 28.  One lucky contestant will be crowned the winner and ambassador for Rocklahoma 2010. 

Established in 2007 as a classic rock destination festival with the motto “life, liberty and the pursuit of rock,” Rocklahoma organizers teamed with AEG LIVE to revamp the 2010 event to encompass a much broader mix of classic, current and up-and-coming rock artists.   

Rocklahoma is located just 45 minutes northeast of Tulsa, in Pryor, OK.  The “Catch the Fever” Festival Grounds is a premiere destination for a multi-day festival, and includes on-site camping with access to restrooms and a shower house, a general store for campers, VIP reserved seating, hospitality areas and much more. 

FRIDAY SCHEDULE (Gates open at 2:30 p.m.)

Main Stage – Adelita’s Way 3:30 p.m., Saving Abel 5 p.m., Buckcherry 6:30 p.m., Three Days Grace 8:15 p.m., Godsmack 10:30 p.m.

Hard Rock Stage – Chuk Cooley and the Demon Hammers 3 p.m., New Medicine 4:15 p.m., Janus 5:45 p.m., The Veer Union 7:30 p.m., Richy Nix 9:30 p.m.

Retrospect Records Stage – Black Tora 2:45 p.m., New Cool World 4:30 p.m., Mad Max 6 p.m., O’dette 7:45 p.m., Firstryke 10 p.m., Krank 12 a.m., Bad Things 1 a.m.

SATURDAY SCHEDULE (Gates open at 12:30 p.m.)

Main Stage – Burn Halo 3:30 p.m., Fuel 5 p.m., Saliva 6:30 p.m., Cinderella 8:15 p.m., ZZ Top 10 p.m.

Hard Rock Stage – Taking Dawn 3 p.m., Nigel Dupree Band 4:15 p.m., Brookroyal 5:45 p.m., Like a Storm 7:15 p.m., Shaman’s Harvest 9:30 p.m., Gypsi Pistaleros 12 a.m.

Retrospect Records Stage – Bad Things 2:30 p.m., Krank 4:30 p.m., O’dette 6 p.m., Wildstreet 7:45 p.m., The Glitter Boys 9:30 p.m., Problem Child 11:30 p.m., The Last Vegas 12:45 a.m.

SUNDAY SCHEDULE (Gates open at 12:30 p.m.)

Main Stage – Aranda 3:30 p.m., Sevendust 5:15 p.m., Theory of a Deadman 6:30 p.m., Chevelle 8:15 p.m., Tesla 10 p.m.

Hard Rock Stage – Within Reason 3 p.m., Hail the Villian 4:45 p.m., Year Long Disaster 6 p.m., Taddy Porter 7:45 p.m., Lacuna Coil 9:30 p.m.

Retrospect Records Stage – New Cool World 2:30 p.m., Mad Max 4:15 p.m., Firstryke 5:45 p.m., The Glitter Boys 7:30 p.m., Problem Child 9:15 p.m., Wildstreet 11:30 p.m., Bad Things 12:45 p.m.