Summer is half-way Over Man, school is starting. A long, long time ago, when I was in school, our year was from early Sept. to the end of May. Summer was at least 20 days longer than now. Classes didn’t start until after the opening day of Dove season. We got to haul hay and make purty good spending money 20 days longer. Football two-a-days started the middle of August so some days we practiced, then loaded hay and came back to practice again. Ah, the good ole days. The above was a weak attempt to make a Public Service Announcement for the Start of the School year. Watch for Bus Stops. Watch for School Zones. AND keep an eye peeled for them goofy kids that are NOT watching where they walk. Let’s give the students a fair chance to get an education without incident. Remember- your bad planning(hitting the snooze too many times and running late to work) does not constitute an emergency. Slow down-Pay attention.
Summer is half way over. And showing good sense, Most venues with outside stages are taking a break. I have witnessed several musicians suffer from heat exposure and a lotta fans, too. But there are still plenty of places to hear Live Music. And if ya wanna see a broader view of Live Music schedules, Check out these fb pages. Melissa Woodall has the “Live Music Lineup- Eye on Ft. Smith”. It covers Ft. Smith and surrounding area and gives you a chance to make plans to pick a place that offers the right food with the perfect Music. Casting a broader loop, Barbara Barrett’s fb page covers Country and Western Swing for Oklahoma and even Texas for dances, festivals, fish-fries and fundraisers. It’s for the fans that follow bands or styles of Country Music within a 3 hour drive or closer. Fiddler’s Contest, Steel Guitar Convention and Swing dance contest are all listed. Barbara does a super job. By the way, The Poteau Daily Newspaper and the two on-line papers- Oklahoma Welcome and Heavener Ledger are awesome ways to keep up with our area’s happenings. Please support them.
Another site that I just discovered(I’m a lil’ slow) is the Poteau Chamber of Commerce Newsletter. Catch it on fb-Karen Wages Chamber of Commerce page will let you join and get an email of all the info. For instance, The newsletter gives the 2025 Balloon Fest info, Jazz at the Museum, Fundraisers and The Car and Jeep Show. Check it out!
Pirates, be on the lookout! PHS All-class Alumni ReUnion is just around the corner. The Supper and Dance will be Aug. 30th at The Don Reynolds City Center. “Sierra Bravo” will provide the dance music. Friday nite, We will have a Pirate Party with “The Old Dawgs” bringing songs to enjoy, sing along and even take requests. It will be at the Shop Dog Brewery at 315 Dewey Ave. Music starts about 6 pm. It’s a free event and all you public folks are welcome.
The Open Mic Nite at The Coffee Cup was a hit last Friday. I always enjoy the singer/songwriter and the beginners. “MidWestern Playboys” had a great nite at Ava’s/Fianna Hills. “Rhythm Coalition” Had’em rollin’ in the hay at Akin’s Feed Room. Lots of great music to hear ‘round here!
Jazz at the Museum will be next week, Tuesday 19th from 6:30-8:30pm. This mini-concert will be a special nite of music that will feature several different Latin rhythms. Pianist and Bandleader, Al Grzech exposed this music to me during the several years of learning to play Jazz. Awesome experience from a kind musician with a whole lotta patience. I learned that there were as many variations of Latin rhythms, subtle differences determined by the areas that it originated. I only knew two- Bossa Nova(an Elvis tune) and Santana(Oye Como Va). Ah, I had a lot to learn. Bossa Nove, Samba, Cha Cha, Tango and more! And on percussion this show is Mark Steele. The way I remember, Mark is the son of a Jazz drummer, Retired Band Director in Greenwood and an exceptional musician. He will bring life to the tunes in the two sets this Tuesday. Make plans on being there.
Live Music This Week: The Jazz Jam is back. Thursday 14th, another opportunity to catch some music from seasoned players, Teachers, Band Directors and students. Jazz standards will be heard ringing in The Bakery District Patio. Great venue for The Jazz Jam and for the fans of this genre of music. It’s from 6-8pm and free. Hosted by Don Bailey, he invites ya to come hang out with the cool kids. Listen to Jazz-Rock-Blues-Pop tunes. See ya there.
“MJ and the Geezers”- Michelle MJ Wright Faulkenberry, Chuck Wright and Rodney Reed will be making an appearance and a lotta good music at the Frozen Oasis in Pocola. This trio specializes in the eclectic tunes that make them so lovable. John Prine to Led Zeppelin, they are entertaining and precious. It will be Sat. 16th at 8:30 pm. Git something cool to drink and listen to some awesome music.
Muldrow City Limits will feature ”Backroads” on Sat.16th. This dancehall is set-up for dancers and fans of Classic Country and Rock. “Backroads can play your favorites. Doors open at 6pm. Dance at 7pm. It’s a NS/ND venue so be on yer best behavior.
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