OKLAHOMA CITY — From comedy metal to groundbreaking arena tours to local rockers and experimental showcases galore and then all the way back around to comedy metal, OKC has seen a serious summer concert season in 2024.
Well, that season begins to wrap up now as September rolls in on some merciful 80 and 90-degree days, bringing with them some of the local scene’s most important and enduring names and some chances to catch an outdoor show or two without melting into the ground.
So whether you’re looking for a final blowout before heading back to school or just trying to celebrate with another couple of late nights before the leaves and clocks all change, here are some major names hitting stages around the Metro in September.
Cake – Zoo Amphitheater – Sunday, September 8th
Surely one of the most unique bands to break big out of the 90s, Cake hit the airwaves with a brass-heavy bang and a funky, side-eyed groove that couldn’t be ignored.
Since dropping left-of-the-dial standards like “The Distance,” “Short Skirt, Long Jacket,” and their take on Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” (one of the most awesome cover tunes ever released,) the band has been comfortably carving a niche that few other acts can fit into.
After a few decades now, they’re still going strong and still bringing that classic sense of indie detachment to their horn-loaded funk-rock and sardonic lyrical storytelling.
They’ve also been giving out free, plantable trees to lucky audience members during their recent shows, and they’ve made specific mention of OKC’s greatly improved biking infrastructure. So that’s pretty cool.
There will always be something inherently summery about Cake’s music, so relish this chance to catch them under the late-season sun.
For tickets, times, and more info, visit okczooamp.com.
Hosty – 51st St. Speakeasy – Friday, September 13th
The Speak is like your best friend’s house and Hosty is like your older brother’s friend hanging out and jamming some songs at a house party.
Putting them together just makes sense.
Sure, the indelible, omnipresent one-man band that is Mike Hosty can practically always be found somewhere in the Metro scene any weekend – from Tulsa to Edmond to Muskogee to even Tulsa and beyond – but there’s something great about catching him at Speakeasy in OKC.
His stompy roots rock just feels right at home inside of a wacky old house, and there’s no wackier, older house built for drunken singalongs than The Speak on a Friday the 13th night.
Expect a cover charge at the door. For more info, visit 51stspeakeasy.com and follow @the_speak on Instagram.
Samantha Crain – Uncanny Art House – Friday, September 13th
Speaking of scene stalwarts, Norman’s own country-folk queen, Samantha Crain, will be on hand to help christen the brand new Uncanny Art House on Norman’s historic Main Street on the 13th.
A joint effort from some of the photography community’s biggest talents, the original Uncanny Alley launched last year in a dank back alley walk-up space in Norman.
Well, they’ve finally graduated to a respectable, street-facing storefront right on Main Street as the Uncanny Art House, where their boundary-pushing showcases of local artists and groundbreaking performers can get the recognition they deserve.
And kicking it all off on Grand Opening night will be the inimitable Crain, bringing the kind of folk storytelling and southern-tinged songwriting that’s made her a lynchpin of the scene for years.
The event is free, but for more info, including a rundown of showcasing visual artists and venue information, visit uncannyarthouse.com.
Arlo Parks – Tower Theatre – Sunday, September 15th
One of the buzziest emerging stars from the recent burst of underground pop/R&B/singer-songwriter styles, Britain’s Arlo Parks has been racking up awards, accolades, and high-profile collaborations since dropping her debut in 2021.
Parks’ heartfelt, soulful ballads and wistful, Motown-meets-modern-indie sound struck some big chords with her hometown British audiences, but for American fans, it was the queen-maker Phoebe Bridgers that practically anointed Parks through numerous appearances, collabs, and duet single “Pegasus.”
If you’re looking for some pretense-less, heart-swellingly honest songwriting and soft crooning, you’ll want to be at the Tower on the 15th.
For tickets, times, and more, visit towertheatre.com.
Built to Spill – Tower Theatre – Friday, September 20th
One of the most formidable and integral acts in American indie-rock, and one of the most persistently respected and beloved American bands of the last three decades, Built to Spill arguably defined the entire sound of 90s Midwestern indie.
Their legacy and continuing influence on rock music – from the underground to the world-spanning – is as strong today as ever, so getting the chance to catch them doing their thing right here in OKC will always a big deal.
Even better, they’re touring this time in celebration of their genre classic “There’s Nothing Wrong with Love” and playing the entire acclaimed album front to back. So if you’re a true indie-rock diehard, this is set to be one for the books.
For tickets, times, and more, visit towertheatre.com.
Psychotic Reaction / Helen Kelter Skelter / Turbo Wizard – Resonant Head – Saturday, September 28th
Talk about scene legends, how about three on one bill?
All three of these bands can lay some claim to status as Okie rock royalty, with Psychotic Reaction perhaps the most relentless in the psych-punk sound, HKS the most active and respected among driving desert-rockers, and Turbo Wizard surely the most loved of all underground OKC doom metal.
With their powers combined, they’ll be blowing the roof off of Resonant Head to celebrate the limited edition colored vinyl release of Psychotic Reaction’s recent “Dystopian Anthems for Locust Eaters.”
Who will be the loudest and most crushing on the night? Be there (maybe with ear protection) to find out.
For tickets, times, and more, visit resonanthead.com.
You can find out about local music and performance happenings in the OKC metro weekly in this music column by Brett Fieldcamp. | Brought to you by True Sky Credit Union.
Brett Fieldcamp has been covering arts, entertainment, news, housing, and culture in Oklahoma for nearly 15 years, writing for several local and state publications. He’s also a musician and songwriter and holds a certification as Specialist of Spirits from The Society of Wine Educators.