Whether someone grew up here, came here to attend college, or came because he or she always yearned to be a part of the Sooner nation- if they stuck around long enough, they would discover many places to get their fix of live music in Norman. Campus Corner is drenched with cafes, bars and restaurants that host live music weekly, along with venues such as the Opolis in downtown. Nevertheless, many of the students at the University of Oklahoma remain unimpressed.
Several places around the OU campus have racks of local publications such as Boyd St and the school paper, The Oklahoma Daily, which serve as great sources for upcoming events around the area. As well as, posters sloppily stapled up to the event posts, music events chalked onto the campus sidewalks, and Web sites such as Oklahomarock.com lists 20 venues in Norman that host live music. However, to some students these advertising methods are forgetful and ineffective.
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| Journalism senior and contributing writer for Sooners Illustrated Jono Greco. PHOTO: Sarah Davies |
“Honestly, I only pick up [Boyd St.] to look at the little bar pictures to see if I know anyone in them,” said journalism senior Jono Greco. “I don’t really look at those flyers, posters, or whatever either. But I remember in the past when Modest Mouse was on campus seeing a bunch of flyers for that and I thought it was pretty cool.”
Greco has never attended a concert or live show in Norman, along with many other students who claim to be “uninterested.” Students like Greco mentioned ticket prices, location, venue and popularity of the band as essential elements in deciding whether or not they should attend a show.
“There hasn’t been many shows that interest me in Norman,” said communication sophomore Matt Hebert. “If a ‘big name’ artist like the Rolling Stones, Muse, Coldplay or Bruce Springsteen came I would definitely be enticed to go. But, I prefer bigger venues that would cost under $100 per ticket. The only way I would take a chance on an unknown band that was playing would be if I had heard their music before or if it was a free show.”
The problem does not seem to be minimal advertising or venue deficiency, but a lack of interest in local talent and modest venues. Norman retains at least 20 venues, normanmusicscene.com provides information on upcoming shows- along with 18 other Web sites that supply similar information, Guestroom Records’ store windows are covered with flyers for local shows, and magazines such as Boyd St. provide readers with monthly calendars of entertainment in the area. If students want to entice “bigger bands” to come to their slightly picky college town, they first need to prove there is enough people that support and care about the local music scene and are willing to take a chance on artists that may not be touring with Lady Gaga or repetitively playing on popular radio stations.
If you would like to experience the local Norman music scene for yourself or perhaps take a chance on an unknown aspiring artist, you can visit any of the links in this post for more information on upcoming events.
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| Facebook event invitation for CAC Concert Series and the Opolis' next music event. PHOTO: Courtney Goforth |
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| Advertisement chalked on a campus sidewalk for an international music concert being held at Catlett Music Center. PHOTO: Courtney Goforth |
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| One of several posts around campus for organizations to advertise their event. PHOTO: Courtney Goforth |
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| Newsstands in Gaylord Hall that are always filled with new editions of The Oklahoma Daily, So6ix Magazine, and Boyd St. PHOTO: Courtney Goforth |
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