You may have recently enjoyed the Toyota Texas Music Revolution at Plano’s Oak Point Park, Lee Roy Parnell with the Courtyard Texas Music Series at Courtyard Theater, or caught a concert at McCall Plaza, but we have something a little different to offer you now.
You see, we have amazing tourism partners across state lines, with whom we learn from, share ideas with and, together, play an essential role in promoting the largest industry in the U.S. Visit Stillwater helped us promote the Toyota Texas Music Revolution, so we are more than happy to do the same for their upcoming Bob Childers’ Gypsy Café event.
A road trip to Stillwater from Plano is a simple four-hour drive north. If your road tripping in the fall, you might find yourself at an Oklahoma State University football game, but another claim-to-fame is their Red Dirt music scene.
The sound of Red Dirt music is more than a genre rooted and cultivated in Stillwater. It is a way of life, a catalyst for storytelling and a source of mentorship for musicians and songwriters who have influenced the Stillwater. Red Dirt music was rooted in sacred ground along the outskirts of town in 1979, where once stood a two-story farmhouse. For over 20 years, musicians held jam sessions in the living room, on the front porch, in the garage, known as the Gypsy Cafe, and around campfires. Musicians such as Bob Childers (the Father of Red Dirt Music), Tom Skinner, Jason Boland, Stoney LaRue, Randy Crouch, Monica Taylor, Mike McClure and many more launched their music careers at “The Farm,” and in Stillwater’s live music venues.
Head north on Wednesday, April 26 and experience a night of musical discovery featuring acoustic pairings of Oklahoma’s best songwriters swapping songs and stories inspired by the godfather of Red Dirt, Bob Childers. Each set will include at least one Bob Childers tune. Sets will be staggered across three walkable venues, culminating with an all-artist finale on the main stage at Eskimo Joe’s.
Courtesy of Visit Stillwater: a pair of tickets is up for grabs along with a one-night hotel stay in Stillwater. Enter now for the drawing on April 7!
Cody Canada joins Kaitlin Butts and Mike Hosty as stage hosts for this year’s event. Jason Boland, who met fellow Stragglers band mate Brad Rice while the two attended OSU, also joins the lineup. Nine musicians selected through an open call by the Oklahoma Music + Film Office include: Blake Parks, Bryce Dicus, Chris Hoffmeier, Dan Martin, Kalo, Katie Williams, Matt Mason, T.Z. Wright and Zac Wenzel.
For the complete lineup of more than 60 Oklahoma songwriters and for more event information, head over to Visit Stillwater’s website.
Photos courtesy of Visit Stillwater.
