I walked up to the ticket booth and informed the man I was to be placed on the "list", to which he slyly responded, "Well, I need your name if I'm going to check." There's always one in every crowd. After giving Grumps my name and securing my having existed long enough to merit alcohol, I made way out onto the giant open floor of the Arbuckle Ballroom. If you've never been to the Arbuckle Ballroom, I can give you a pretty simple description. It is a giant tin barn. Folding tables provided patrons a place to sit, along with a handful of secluded booths.
I ran into Nic almost immediately. I sat hunched over my phone typing tweets and notes furiously when he strolled up to my booth and introduced himself. Nic is a testament to energy and determination. Constantly working an angle. He enthusiastically grabbed my hand and gave it a good firm shake. After our introductions it was off to meet Ratlin' Bridge, the band Nic is pushing, the owner of the Ballroom and his wife, and the owner of Woody's in Tulsa. Nic also gave me a VIP backstage pass that would allow me to pass uninterrupted into a "quarentined" area behind some omniously black curtains. VIP had access to a private bathroom. Fancy.
After shaking hands with several wonderful people, R.Bridge took to the stage. I have never had the pleasure of seeing the guys perform live, but had heard stories. They had just come off of selling out a venue and were appropriately jazzed up about the night. The best way to describe R.Bridge, if there is such a thing, would be with two words. Blues and Rock. While the guys weren't necessarily strong between songs, (What has been referred to as the "talk". One suggestion would be to make sure you don't make a big deal about Cody Canada when he is performing with the Departed. As we should all know by now, it is not the "Cody Canada Show". Ragweed is gone. Let the era of the Departed begin.), they made up for it with originals that were dripping with blues inspired bravado. They are and could be billed as a rock n' roll outfit, but I think that isn't doing them justice. A few more miles down the road and I could see the Bridge becoming something that people are talking about. On that night however, they were an opener that felt like an opener. Simply stated, for the most part, being an opener is not a bad thing. It means you have potential. You have something good enough to get the gig booked, but need to work on your show, your stage presence, your material, etc. before being the headliner. Maybe it was the fact that The Departed and crew were in the building that rattled nerves. Maybe it was the small showing of adoring fans that early in the evening (I had arrived shortly after the doors opened, and they took the stage not too long after.). Whatever the reason, I'm not ready to write these guys off quite yet. I think there is a heap of potential. Keep polishing guys. You'll shine.
After shaking hands with several wonderful people, R.Bridge took to the stage. I have never had the pleasure of seeing the guys perform live, but had heard stories. They had just come off of selling out a venue and were appropriately jazzed up about the night. The best way to describe R.Bridge, if there is such a thing, would be with two words. Blues and Rock. While the guys weren't necessarily strong between songs, (What has been referred to as the "talk". One suggestion would be to make sure you don't make a big deal about Cody Canada when he is performing with the Departed. As we should all know by now, it is not the "Cody Canada Show". Ragweed is gone. Let the era of the Departed begin.), they made up for it with originals that were dripping with blues inspired bravado. They are and could be billed as a rock n' roll outfit, but I think that isn't doing them justice. A few more miles down the road and I could see the Bridge becoming something that people are talking about. On that night however, they were an opener that felt like an opener. Simply stated, for the most part, being an opener is not a bad thing. It means you have potential. You have something good enough to get the gig booked, but need to work on your show, your stage presence, your material, etc. before being the headliner. Maybe it was the fact that The Departed and crew were in the building that rattled nerves. Maybe it was the small showing of adoring fans that early in the evening (I had arrived shortly after the doors opened, and they took the stage not too long after.). Whatever the reason, I'm not ready to write these guys off quite yet. I think there is a heap of potential. Keep polishing guys. You'll shine.
The Departed walked on stage and set the place on metaphorical fire. I had run into the guys from The Last Call Coalition (Chad was off melting hearts on an acoustic guitar somewhere), and stood next to the guard rails with them and some new friends of mine, Brandon and Ivy. Brandon and Ivy are addicted to the Dirt that runs Red. They told me tales of Steamboat MusicFest, chance run-ins with artists from all over, and how Brandon came to write for TXRDR. I was in good company, which is the essential key to getting the maximum experience when indulging in live music. The easiest way to explain what transpired inside of that tin monument to Oklahoma Music would be to say this: Cody Canada has never looked better. Seth James is at the top of his game. The entire entity that has become The Departed is without a doubt finally that force to reckoned with we all hoped it would be. Cody is at the top of his form when he becomes lost in the moment, letting the music flow from his fingers as they dance their way around his six string. Seth James' voice draws you in for a private show of what it means to hurt, to love, to live. Plato, Littleton, and Chris provide the back bone of this titan, never detracting from the greater whole, yet still standing out and causing you to mumble "Oh my god..." to the random stranger next to you. The album, while incredible and one of my favorites from last year, comes no where remotely close to doing the guys justice when translating the feel and energy they create when live. The Departed is not just something you listen to, it is an experience. It is an experience that rekindled my faith in music.
Saturday night at JC Cowboys in Weatherford I had the honor and the privelage of seeing my good friends from Ryan Reid open for The Departed. Ryan and his merry band of merry makers have grown exponentially in the year that I have known them. Check that. It's been less than a year, and the growth of Ryan Reid's live show is mind numbing. Ryan owns the crowd. Know that when you go to see Ryan Reid, you don't have a choice. You will be drawn in. You will be enthralled. You will follow Ryan and his men wherever they choose to lead you from that stage. The opener's sole purpose is to get the crowd "warmed up" as they say in the industry. Getting the people out of their seat, getting them involved, getting them loud and well on their way to drunk; these are the jobs of the opener. Ryan didn't open. He co-headlined with a killer set that couldn't even be derailed by a technical mix up which resulted in the loss of the main mic. From the moment they took the stage, it was all about interacting with the crowd. They weren't there to entertain alone. Ryan Reid and friends wanted to share the experience with us in the crowd. That has to be the one thing that I admire most about Ryan. He doesn't differentiate between himself and those on the dance floor, or those watching from the rails. He works for the entire set to create a singular moment in time that we the fans get to share with the band. Ryan is on my "ones to watch list". Ryan did tell me he has been writing feverishly and is ready to hit the studio with new material. I'm waiting anxiously to see just what the "Sexy Viking" has up his sleeve.
To see what I'm talking about; here is where you find everyone online:
The Departed
Ryan Reid
Ratlin Bridge
Saturday night at JC Cowboys in Weatherford I had the honor and the privelage of seeing my good friends from Ryan Reid open for The Departed. Ryan and his merry band of merry makers have grown exponentially in the year that I have known them. Check that. It's been less than a year, and the growth of Ryan Reid's live show is mind numbing. Ryan owns the crowd. Know that when you go to see Ryan Reid, you don't have a choice. You will be drawn in. You will be enthralled. You will follow Ryan and his men wherever they choose to lead you from that stage. The opener's sole purpose is to get the crowd "warmed up" as they say in the industry. Getting the people out of their seat, getting them involved, getting them loud and well on their way to drunk; these are the jobs of the opener. Ryan didn't open. He co-headlined with a killer set that couldn't even be derailed by a technical mix up which resulted in the loss of the main mic. From the moment they took the stage, it was all about interacting with the crowd. They weren't there to entertain alone. Ryan Reid and friends wanted to share the experience with us in the crowd. That has to be the one thing that I admire most about Ryan. He doesn't differentiate between himself and those on the dance floor, or those watching from the rails. He works for the entire set to create a singular moment in time that we the fans get to share with the band. Ryan is on my "ones to watch list". Ryan did tell me he has been writing feverishly and is ready to hit the studio with new material. I'm waiting anxiously to see just what the "Sexy Viking" has up his sleeve.
To see what I'm talking about; here is where you find everyone online:
The Departed
Ryan Reid
Ratlin Bridge
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