To create great music, it's a good idea to surround oneself with great musicians. Callupsie lead singer Aaron Hamby claims two guitar heroes in his band: Sam Ewing on bass and gypsy jazz guitarist Clay Welch on lead. Hamby said that they, along with drummer Lizzy Wattoff, "put the meat" on his songs.
Callupsie has built a buzz in Tulsa with its airy melodies and subtle jazz instrumentation, tied together with punk-funk beats. The band is starting to play outside of Tulsa in anticipation of its forthcoming album, to be released in early 2008.
"We feel we've made a dent in Tulsa and I want to do that in other towns," Hamby said, who's also scoped out the international market while he toured Europe with Tulsa band Unwed Sailor.
TULSA SCENE
Unwed Sailor is one of several Tulsa bands, including Aqueduct, that migrated from Oklahoma in search of greener pastures, leaving the Tulsa indie scene dangerously depleted, Hamby said. Tulsa musicians and fans have managed to rebuild the scene, and Hamby said he hopes bands like Callupsie can help end the area's musical brain-drain.
"The scene is starting to grow here and we want to act as ambassadors and bring other bands here," he said.
Callupsie will take the stage at the LiT Lounge, 209 Flaming Lips Alley, at 8 p.m. Saturday with El Paso Hot Button and Church of the Snake. Tickets are $6. "Charles Martin
