If you haven't noticed there are LOTS of major things happening around the Wormy Dog. Take a look at the calendar for yourself, and you'll see Jack Ingram, Shooter Jennings highlighting this week, The Levelland Jam w Ragweed, RRB, and Stoney Larue in Foss next week as well as Bleu Edmondson and Randy Rogers back inside the Dog, stay with me it just keeps coming because Dwight Yoakum is here on the 18th with Micky and the Motorcars and Mike McClure later in the week and Roger Creager to close out the month. Damn its hard to mention all the shows but there are a dozen other bands playin here and there in between those artists like Jarrod Birmingham, Johnny Cooper, Scott Copeland, Honeybrowne etc, the list goes on and on. Be sure to PLAN AHEAD for all of the shows.
Now ON THAT NOTE, lets talk about a few things that need to be addressed in regards to these and all shows. If you want to be sure that you'll get in BUY YOUR TICKETS EARLY. It gets so old to everyone to get phone calls from people trying to get the "hook up" to get in. First off to you name droppers, don't drop names, you look stupid. If you really are friends with bands, staff, owners, etc, pat yourself on the back but don't try and drop thier name and expect special treatment, it ain't gonna happen and you will be impersonated during closing/cleaning time. If you are a true friend to the bar or band you should have no problem paying for your ticket and supporting them both so they continue to have jobs, right friend? With that said, buy your tix ahead of time or don't complain about waiting in line. I love hearing "We'll buy tix but we just dont want to wait in line, what can you do?....plus four" YEAH FREAKIN RIGHT. Aint gonna happen "Sure no problem" CLICK, and if the bar is so busy that there is a line oustide, wouldn't it make sense that noone has time to answer your calls, or do anything about them. Hmm. Another misconception is that the bar is the one setting the ticket prices. The staff, door guys, management, etc dont control that, so call your state representative or booking agent and talk to them so for those that complain to the door guys, about waiting in line, and having to pay for a ticket, and then the ticket price, re-read the previously mentioned, give them a break and then put a drink to your lips, chug it, and make sure you join us for the party, its always worth the cost.
A new paragraph is in order to continue but I have a couple other things to address. People that post guestbooks, myspaces, personal blogs, or just talk out of thier a$$e$ in person about things that they know absolutely nothing about, are so annoying. "Everyone" thinks that they can speak of the "old" or "real" Dog like they have a clue because they frequented the place, and mention it to make themselves look like they know what they are talking about and have some quality background to what they are saying. If you had a clue, you wouldnt be talking out of your a$$ and trying to validate your points. Wouldn't it be nice to just go to shows and enjoy them without people coming up and talking about the reddirt scene/music/bar industry type stuff without any real understanding about how any of it works. So with that said I don't even know what to say about local bands and the continual crying about the dog "not supporting them". Hmm where to begin. Does anyone remember how long it took Ragweed to get a "break" or become "big"? Something like ten years? Interesting that the bands that started playing as little as a week ago are "ready" to play the Dog on a prime time Saturday night headlining gig because they have a "huge" following and "deserve" it. Hell if you deserve it so much, why doesn't the bar throw in dinner, a massage, and a hotel. I give major props to the bands out there that are "putting in thier time" proving themselves, taking any gigs they can get, opening whenever they get the chance, and truly understand that things aren't handed to them on a silver platter. I wish someone else (and he knows who he is) would address the issue as well and discuss how noone realizes how much it costs to run and keep a bar open in Bricktown, let alone anywhere, and the risks of booking a new band that "just needs a chance" and pay rent at the same time. Seems like theres always a new bar opening, closing, remodeling, reopening downtown because they cant hack it. I give props to everyone involved in the WD for keeping it open, keeping the traditons, the partying, bringing the artists back to Oklahoma. So for the bands that think they should "move to Texas, learn barre chords and cover songs" because the "Wormy Dog doesnt support local music and they can move to Texas and become celebrities", i'll help you pack because sadly you don't know what you are taliking about. Can we listen to your songs on the radio here in OKC while we pack? Doubt it. Are you going to sell out the place? Doubt it. Is that odd? Anyone ever thought about the radio support of this scene and the bands that play in OK or move to TX? Last I checked i didnt hear alot of radio support for any of the local or any of the artists for that matter. Also cover songs, when did they become so "uncool". If you would have been around when The Divide, Boland, Ragweed, etc. were plugging along living gig to gig and building thier fan bases when noone knew them you would sure have heard them play cover songs to keep the party going, and slip thier own songs in between at the right time, timing is everything, eventually it seems as though people were asking to hear thier songs, but if they would just go out there, talk five minutes in between songs and play thier originals that werent known, they would still be unknown. Just a thought to those that trash bands that play a few cover songs, and think they "deserve" thier break.
All in all, lets go over some things we've learned, buy your tixs early, don't be mad at the poor door guys when you wait in line, don't decide to call someone yo know at the Dog, especially after not talking to them in months and expect special treatment, exppect them to answer, or have time for your call if there is a line out the door, we're all turning our phones off. If you are a new or local band, don't be mad because you havent gotten your silver platter chance, especially if you've never even dropped by your "press kit/a demo cd/or even called to get booked, and remember that this whole thing in its entirety is mearly in its beginning years so keep at it. For the "know-it-alls" that like to talk remember, it's amazing how the ones that talk all the time dont know what they are talking about, and the ones that know it all say very little. You want to learn what to do make your band successful or play at the dog, talk to Chuck, you want to really learn about "the old dog" or the real reddirt scene beginnings talk to Chuck, my historian Ragen, or even Nancy. They will tell you some good stories. I hope this blog gave you something to talk about for a while, for those that want to enjoy great music, great people, and cold drinks, I will see you at the bar, let's have a shot on me CHEERS
