Locals, tours keep live music scene living through December

Last Updated on November 30, 2023, 10:19 AM | Published: November 29, 2023

OKLAHOMA CITY — It’s no big surprise that the live music industry sees something of a dip in December, as people tend to spend their money on gifts and holiday supplies and spend their nights at home staying warm.

But throughout the year’s home stretch, there are always bound to be a handful of great indie shows, just perfect for when the cabin fever starts to set in and you feel yourself itching to brave the elements and get the blood flowing.

Last week, we showed you some of the best options for holiday-themed concerts, but if that’s not up your alley, December is also sporting a host of awesome gigs – rock, rap, and otherwise – with nary a jingle bell in sight.

Between some can’t-miss touring acts making their way through OKC and some of the very best musical minds that call the city home, this month is offering some great opportunities to get out on the town and dance yourself warm.

Snotty Nose Rez Kids – 89th Street  – Saturday, December 2nd

Don’t let the (intentionally) off-putting name dissuade you, this Indigenous rap duo is freshly signed to Sony Records and primed to explode onto an international scene that’s recently seemed hungrier than ever for authentic representations of the real-world Native and First Nations experience.

Hailing from the Haisla Nation in what is now British Colombia, the Rez Kids have been racking up awards and nominations all over Canada, from the Juno Awards to the coveted Polaris Music Prize, thanks to their energy and unflinching honesty about life in the too-often ignored, marginalized Native community.

It’s a perspective that feels tragically and infuriatingly at home right here in Oklahoma, so be ready for the Rez Kids to blow the roof off of 89th Street this weekend.

For tickets and more information, visit 89thstreetokc.com.

Brotherboy – Album Release Show – Resonant Head – Friday, December 8th

One of the buzziest recent bands on the OKC scene, and one of the best additions to the city’s ever-growing dream-pop roster, Brotherboy are set to celebrate their first full-length album drop on what is surely the perfect platform for their sound: the silver-draped, multi-colored Resonant Head stage.

The band’s debut LP, “All My Friends Are Breaking Up,” comes on the heels of a half-year parade of strikingly solid singles that saw the band dropping a new track each month since July. So if you’re wanting to sing along with their beautifully balanced, airily atmospheric pop-rock at the show, there’s already a handful of the album’s tracks available to study.

For tickets and more information, visit resonanthead.com.

Husbands – Resonant Head – Saturday, December 9th

And then the very next night, return to Resonant Head to catch OKC’s most recent national buzz-makers, Husbands, bringing their own brand of off-kilter indie-rock to Capitol Hill, capping off a year that saw a national tour, a brand new album, and even spots at Austin City Limits and Lollapalooza.

Here’s hoping that these December OKC shows become an annual tradition for Husbands, as their Beer City spot this same time last year – complete with a holiday carol cover or two – was one of the highlights of the season.

If these back-to-back nights don’t solidify Resonant Head as one of the best, strongest, and most vital venues for the city’s scene, then I don’t know what will.

For tickets and more information, visit resonanthead.com.

Original Flow and the Wavvez – Album Recording Show – Factory Obscura – Friday, December 15th

Without question, one of the most exciting acts in the city right now is Original Flow and the Wavvez, marrying the illuminating, conscious lyricism that’s made Flow one of the city’s most integral hip-hop voices with some of the most wildly talented live players from across styles and scenes.

Knowing that there’s no substitute for the palpable, electric energy of a Flow and the Wavvez live show, they’ve decided to record their entire debut LP “Words for the Mindfull” live on stage at Factory Obscura, with the audience itself playing a major role.

Throw in a slice of East Side pizza and you’ve got the makings of the most anticipated live music event of the month.

For tickets and more information, visit factoryobscura.com.

DeVotchKa – Beer City Music Hall – Friday, December 29th

Before you see 2023 out for good on New Year’s Eve with the inevitable dance parties and drunken, packed-bar singalongs all over town, maybe catch one more legitimate live band show when Beer City hosts one of the most creative and hard-to-define bands in America.

DeVotchKa’s sound falls somewhere between orchestral indie-rock and turn-of-the-century vaudeville, but most casual film and music fans will know them by their score to the persistently great “Little Miss Sunshine” all the way back in ’06.

But rest assured, there’s a rising, triumphant element in the DeVotchaKa sound that’s sure to make this show a perfect send-off for the year.

For tickets and more information, visit beercitymusichall.com.

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