Hot damn it’s hot outside. Oklahoma’s live music offerings are heating up this week too, with some scorching rock ‘n’ roll shows from Fall Out Boy (and Pigpen but with marijuana smoke rapper Wiz Khalifa), Danzig, and Joan Jett, rounded out with the sunny shoegaze pop of Eternal Summers, Oklahoma’s favorite psychedelic rockers not named Flaming Lips, and an NPR mainstay. Check out Oxford Karma’s best concert picks for the following week below.
Calabar with Polish Gifts and Horace Grant
Thursday, July 16
Blue Note Lounge | Oklahoma City
As a basketball obsessive turned music junkie, I’m a sucker for any and all bands named after athletes: Gnarls Barkley, Chipper Jones, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. (which literally just became Jr. Jr. instead). Neither Norman krautrockers Calabar nor Chicago’s Polish Gifts have any music videos that I could find, so here’s some Horace Grant highlights instead.
The Wurly Birds with Junebug Spade
Friday, July 17
51st Street Speakeasy | Oklahoma City
It’s always a good idea to support Oklahoma’s best local artists. That decision is made all that much easier when the show is free, and this one comes with the added benefit of (probably) hearing new material from The Wurly Birds, who are wrapping up the follow-up to 2012’s Mulberry Huff.
Merel & Tony with Jeff Richardson
Saturday, July 18
Opolis | Norman
If you’ve ever caught an episode of This American Life, then you’ve heard Tony Barilla. He produces much of the music for the NPR favorite — when he’s not collaborating with Pulitzer-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks, songwriter Daniel Johnston, or Merel Van Dijk, a Dutch composer who joined with Barilla to form Merel & Tony in 2013.
Danzig with Pennywise, Cancer Bats and Dryvr
Saturday, July 18
Brady Theater | Tulsa
I mean, it’s fucking Glenn Danzig.
Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
Saturday, July 18
Frontier City | Oklahoma City
Jett has been mired in controversy this week, deflecting allegations that she and Cherie Currie witnessed Runaways bandmate Jackie Fox be raped by then-manager Kim Fowley (who passed away earlier this year). It’ll be interesting to see if that plays into how Saturday night’s show at Oklahoma City’s only amusement park pans out.
Eternal Summers with Jumpship Astronaut, Space4Lease and Zoot Suit
Tuesday, July 21
OKC Farmer’s Public Market | Oklahoma City
The jangly dream pop of Virginia product Eternal Summers has only sharpened since their critically acclaimed debut, Silver (“Pogo” is the jam), heading into their latest LP, Gold and Stone, that dropped in June.
Fall Out Boy with Wiz Khalifa and Hoodie Allen
Wednesday, July 22
BOK Center | Tulsa
The perfect nightcap to a day of binge-watching Entourage.
Stardeath & White Dwarfs with Applied Music Program and Kykuit
Wednesday, July 22
Opolis | Norman
The playfully trippy pair of SDWD and AMP are teaming up for a little tour through the Midwest, which kicks off with Wednesday night’s show at Opolis.
