Want to get on the fast fest track to the best outdoor summer music events throughout Oklahoma? From indie rock to jazz, make your plans now with our guide to music events close by and worth the drive.
KJ103 Summer Showdown
Country Fever 2008
Bricktown Blues Festival
OK MOZART Festival
11th Annual Woody Guthrie Folk Festival
True Colors Tour
Rocklahoma 2008
Dfest Music Conference and Festival
KJ103 Summer Showdown
June 3
Remington Park, 1 Remington Place
$20 advance, $25 door
Site
Sean Kingston, Baby Bash, Shwayze, C-Side, Blake O., and more
If you're interested in catching some radio-friendly rappers, the KJ103 Summer Showdown is clearing out Remington Park's horses and replacing them with hip-hop thoroughbreds of the FM dial for this day-long concert.
Country Fever 2008
June 12-15
Pryor
$55 one-day pass, $115 four-day pass
Site
Willie Nelson, Tracy Lawrence, Sugarland, Dierks Bentley, Pat Green, Jason Boland, Kevin Fowler, Stoney LaRue, Trace Adkins, Gretchen Wilson and more
If you have a fever and the only prescription isn't more cowbell, try a dose of cowboy at this year's Country Fever. More than 25 national and regional country artists performing on three stages will perform throughout the four-day festival, providing plenty of Western tunes to fix what ails you.
Bricktown Blues Festival
June 13-14
Downtown Oklahoma City
Site
Marcia Ball, Jason Aldean and more
If you are thirsty for some blues or just a few brews, the 12th annual Bricktown Blues Festival brings both. Along with a lineup combining traditional and contemporary blues performers, previous festivals have served up championship barbecue to audiences hungry for more than just live music.
OK MOZART Festival
June 13-21
Bartlesville
$20-$275
Site
Ben Vereen, Peter Nero, Barry Douglas, Branford Marsalis, Michael Krajewski, Frederica von Stade and more
If you're looking for a more classical experience, the acclaimed OK MOZART Festival is a multidisciplinary performing arts event with an emphasis on classical tunes. The fest lasts an impressive nine days and includes eight major evening music and dance performances, two matinees, 10 daytime chamber concerts and more than 75 showcase events. Even if you can't distinguish Bach from Beethoven, you're likely to find something to enjoy at the diverse event.
11th Annual Woody Guthrie Folk Festival
Okemah
July 9-13
Free
Site
Judy Collins, Jimmy LaFave, Amy Speace, Joel Rafael, John Gorka, Don Conoscenti, Sara Hickman, Sam Baker, Romi Mayes and more
If you want to help commemorate the life and music of one of Oklahoma's most legendary musicians, unplug at the annual Woody Guthrie Folk Festival and help preserve the songwriter's legacy. Nicknamed "WoodyFest" by attendees over the years, the fest gives folk fans a unique (and free) opportunity to catch renowned artists performing and collaborating in impromptu jam bands.
True Colors Tour
June 23
OKC Zoo Amphitheatre, 2101 N.E. 50th
$41-$178.50
Site
Cyndi Lauper, The B-52's, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Andy Bell of Erasure, Margaret Cho, Girl in a Coma
If you like pop music with a dash of color and camp, the True Colors Tour is a traveling festival set to bring both to the Zoo Amphitheatre stage. Featuring nearly five hours of nonstop, upbeat pop music accented by performers like comedian Margaret Cho and Carson Kressley of TV's "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," the concert atmosphere is certain to remain sunny regardless of Oklahoma's ever-changing weather.
Rocklahoma 2008
Pryor
July 10-13
$55 one-day pass, $120 three-day pass
Site
Bret Michaels, Sebastian Bach, L.A. Guns, Night Ranger, Warrant, Kix, Trixter, Tesla, Queensrÿche and more
If you believe that bands don't rock like they did a couple of decades back, set your sights (and Trans Am) toward this year's Rocklahoma, a music festival billed as the world's largest Eighties-rock extravaganza. Promoters said the July festival has sold tickets in all 50 states and every continent in the world "¦ except Antarctica. Guess the ice can't take the heat.
Dfest Music Conference and Festival
July 25-26
Tulsa
$33.50 advance, $45 door
Site
The All-American Rejects, The Roots, Disco Biscuits, Paramore, Zappa Plays Zappa, Ghostland Observatory, Helmet, Phantom Planet, Edison Glass, The Apples in Stereo and more
If you're an indie enthusiast interested in checking out emerging artists, this year's Dfest is showcasing 120 unsigned acts along with nearly 30 headlining bands, representing more than 20 musical genres on a dozen stages. Not only is this music festival one of the largest in the Midwest, but it is continuing to set itself apart as one of the most diverse in the country. "Gazette staff
