OKLAHOMA CITY – For most, January is a time of rest and recuperation, for nursing the holiday hangover and coming down from the New Year’s blitz, so running out to a loud raucous concert or sweaty dance party might be the very last thing on your mind this month.
But just because you’re taking it easy doesn’t mean that you have to isolate yourself from the city’s music scene completely.
This year, January is offering an enticing lineup of musical events designed more for reflection, intention, and conversation than for headbanging or physicality, with special evenings of anniversary concerts, symphonic storytelling, and artistic discussion.
So if you’re looking to ease into 2026 with the musical emotions running high, but the intensity a little lower, these are the events you won’t want to miss.
Cheyenne – ‘I Am Haunted, I Am Alive’ 20th anniversary concert – Blue Door – Saturday, January 10th
While Beau Jennings has become synonymous with Oklahoma’s gritty, heart-bearing Americana-rock sound with his backing band The Tigers, he first began garnering some serious attention two decades ago as the leading force behind moody folksters Cheyenne.
On their debut album, “I Am Haunted, I Am Alive,” Cheyenne demonstrated a knack for atmospheric, cleverly orchestrated singer-songwriter alt-folk that quietly rose to become a local cult classic and a fan-favorite among Jennings’ celebrators to this day.
So for the 20th anniversary, it was only natural for Jennings to convene a group of Cheyenne regulars and special guests to perform the album in its entirety on stage for the first time ever, landing at the historic Blue Door, arguably the home base for concertgoers looking for a more reverent and reflective night of listening in OKC.
For more, visit bluedoorokc.com.
OKC Philharmonic presents ‘Mozart’s Rivals: Race to the Top’ with special guest Hannah White – Civic Center Music Hall – Saturday, January 10th
Perhaps the best way to get some high drama and intensity out of a concert in January without the distorted guitars or thumping sub-bass beats, the OKC Phil is presenting an evening of evaluation for the immortal Mozart and his most remarkable contemporaries and rivals.
Featuring one of the most revered and timeless masterworks of the great Mozart’s life, his “Requiem,” the night will also spotlight works by two of the era’s other greats, all pushing to out-compose one another through groundbreaking creativity and technical leaps of the time.
Any fan of the film “Amadeus” will know Salieri, and the Phil will open the evening with his “26 Variations on La Folia di Spagna.” They’ll then turn their talents and attentions to the Chevalier Joseph de Saint-Georges, one of the most compelling and complex composing minds of the generation, performing his violin concerto in D Major.
Of course, a night of such distinguished and inimitable composers requires a star soloist of the same caliber, so the Phil will be joined for the evening by award-winning violin superstar Hannah White.
For more, visit okcphil.org.
Al Green/Donny Hathaway Night – Round Midnight Bar – Sunday, January 11th
What better way could there be to ease into the new year than with the evocative, heart-tugging tunes of two of the greatest soul singers of all-time?
Jazz pianist Kendrik McKinney and his band present another evening of favorites reinterpreted through their jazz prowess, following showcases of everything from Vince Guaraldi to Pat Metheny.
This time, they’re keeping it down low and soulful for the evening with songs from the spectacular R&B catalogs of greats Al Green and Donny Hathaway, and of course that means enlisting some of the scene’s most powerful soul voices to pull it off.
The band will be joined by singers Adam Aguilar and Rod Porter, both ready to belt and croon on some of the most pitch-perfect soul tracks in history, from the sensuality of Green’s “Let’s Stay Together” to the full-on power of Hathaway’s “The Ghetto.”
For more, visit greenhathaway.eventbrite.com.
Check the Rhythm w/ DJ Krisha K. and DJ D.L. feat. DJ Reaper – The Soundbar – Monday, January 12th
Have you ever wondered how a beat gets built, how a sample gets selected and developed into the foundation of a hip-hop or dance track, or how a DJ constructs their sets?
Well, here’s your chance to not only learn all about, but to get a front-row look at the process in action from some of the biggest names in Oklahoma City’s DJ scene.
Longtime collaborators Krishna K. and D.L. are set to provide a masterclass in the origins and processes of beat-making, taking guests inside the development of a DJ set into a fully fledged, grooveable experience.
They’ll be joined by special guest DJ Reaper, the musical mind behind some of OKC’s biggest MC’s, including Jabee.
It’s a rare opportunity to see the artistry and creativity that goes into building songs and sets in the hip-hop and EDM worlds, and it’s a perfect fit for one of the city’s best and most diverse listening rooms at The Soundbar.
For more, visit thesoundbarokc.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 is our Arts and Entertainment Editor. He has been covering arts, entertainment, news, housing, and culture in Oklahoma for 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.
