The Oklahoma Today Podcast

Season 6, Episode 16: Take Me to Church Studio in Tulsa

Purchased by the legendary Leon Russell in a deal struck at the diner across the street, Tulsa's Church Studio has become an iconic piece of music history. All-time greats like Tom Petty, George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and Stevie Wonder recorded there while the former real-life church was used as the home of Shelter Records in the 1970s, and the walls still very much contain a musical soul. On this week's show we meet up with Teresa Knox, who revived the Church Studio after it had sat vacant for many years. Today it is a first-rate recording studio once again, as well as a key tourist destination for music fans. Church Studio's Carney Fest, a celebration of Leon Russell's top-hat showmanship and legacy as a godfather of the Tulsa Sound musical style and movement, takes place Saturday, May 3.

 

Also on this week's episode, the editors discuss some of the historical sites in Oklahoma they love to visit, and podvents triggers some old prom memories. 

Season 6, Episode 15: The Federal Building Bombing in OKC, Reflecting 30 Years Later

The podcast assumes a more serious tone this time around as we reflect on the thirtieth anniversary of the April 19, 1995, bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah federal building in downtown Oklahoma City, still the largest-scale and most deadly domestic attack in the nation's history. As a result of the attack, 168 people (adults and children) died. Today our guest is current OKC Fire Chief Richard Kelley, who has spent more than three decades in service to the local fire department and was a first responder the day of the bombing. He recounts what he saw on the scene that day, the scare of a rumored second bomb, and speaks on the important lessons the response to that day can teach future generations of first-responders and Oklahomans. 

Also on this week's show, the editors share what they remember about that day in 1995. This includes Chris, a working video journalist at the time. You won't want to miss it!

Season 6, Episode 14: A Samurai Showcase at Philbrook Museum of Art

Spanning nine centuries of armor worn by the iconic and fascinating warriors of old Japanese society, the new Samurai exhibition at Philbrook Museum of Art gives viewers a deeper understanding of the culture, lifestyle, and art of the day. Coming to the Tulsa museum from the Collection of Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller, Samurai is on display now through August 3. Nathan and Chris paid a visit to the exhibit for an up-close look at this blockbuster summer attraction at the Philbrook.

Also on this week's episode: The editors share their favorite places to eat in Tulsa (of which there are many good ones) and podvents reminds us of an all-time Oklahoma Today cover. You won't want to miss it!

Season 6, Episode 13: Now Up to Bat: The Oklahoma City Comets

The name of the baseball team in Oklahoma City might have changed for this season, but it'll be the same familiar fun times at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark this spring and summer. Known last year as the Oklahoma City Baseball Club while the organization underwent rebranding efforts, the newly dubbed Oklahoma City Comets take their inspiration from "The Commerce Comet," a nickname of Oklahoma-born baseball legend Mickey Mantle. With the first Comet homestand beginning April 1, we took the time to meet some of the faces behind the new brand. This includes new manager Scott Hennessey, team president Michael Byrnes, and everyone's soon-to-be favorite mascot Moonshot. 

Also on this week's episode, the editors discuss their concession-stand favorites, and podvents blows the trumpet for the Medieval Fair of Norman. You won't want to miss it!

Season 6, Episode 12: Chalk Talk with USAO's Montmartre Festival

Chalk it up to a good time: Our guest today is Jacquelyn Knapp, art professor at the University of Sciences and Arts in Chickasha and organizer for the annual Montmartre Festival of chalk art on campus. Though not quite as big as its famous namesake festival in France, USAO's Montmartre Festival is one of the best times to visit Chickasha. Part of the USAO Spring Triad on campus, the festival coincides with the USAO Scholastic Meet and the Droverstock Music Festival. Artists from a variety of age groups will compete for sidewalk supremacy will flexing their creative muscles in an event that is equally fun for competitors and spectators. 

Also on this week's show, the editors discuss which color they would add to an Oklahoma themed crayon set, and podvents tells us where to get our next caffeine fix. You won't want to miss it!

Season 6, Episode 11: Reopening the Betty Price Art Gallery

Chances are, you're due for a visit to the Oklahoma State Capitol. Even if you have seen all the significant restoration and art upgrades made in the past few years, you probably haven't seen the newly reopened Betty Price Art Gallery. Housed on the Capitol building's second floor, this room features works from the State Art Collection, with big-name artists like Ed Ruscha and Allan Houser represented, among many others. We attended the opening and caught up with Oklahoma Arts Council executive director Amber Sharples to learn about all the work that went into reopening the gallery and what the collection says about Oklahomans as a people. 

Also on this week's episode, the editors share what they're looking forward to this spring, and podvents introduces us to Ben's "white whale." You won't want to miss it!

Season 6, Episode 10: Off The Dome with OKC Improv

Going with the flow is easier said than done for some of us, but it is the name of the game in improv, the stage art of unscripted comedy. Founded in 2009, OKC Improv is both an organizer for great community events and a training and performance vehicle for actors and comics of both the serious and aspirational varieties. Executive Director Kendon Lacy is our guest on the show this week. He talks about his personal history with improv, big events coming up at OKC Improv's theater in Oklahoma City's Plaza District, and how interested community members can sign up for classes. Plus your favorite Oklahoma travel podcast hosts give their best effort in some basic improv exercises. 

Also on this week's show, the editors discuss their favorite dessert destinations in the state, and podvents brings us some fishy props. You won't want to miss it!

Season 6, Episode 9: Back to Tulsa Week for the Bob Wills Texas Playboys

Bob Wills' Texas Playboys were synonymous with Tulsa's Cain's Ballroom through America's Great Depression years, becoming national stars with daily radio broadcasts. Wills died many years ago, but the band's legacy lives on, currently led by Jason Roberts. Roberts and the Texas Playboys band will once again return to Tulsa this week for the annual Bob Wills Birthday Bash. Later in the week the will head to Oklahoma City for Bob Wills Day at the Oklahoma State Capitol. Roberts joins the show this week to talk about his career path that led to this classic role. He is also joined by Texas Playboys manager and music historian Brett Bingham, and the pair of them discuss the larger musical legacy of this classic Western swing act.

Also on this week's show, the editors huddle around the warmth of their laptops during this remotely recorded ice week show, and podvents previews a future family outing for our host Ben. You won't want to miss it!

Season 6, Episode 8: Ben vs The Oklahoma State Meal

The Oklahoma State Meal—which became an official state symbol in the 1980s—is a legendary spread: chicken-fried steak, biscuits with sausage gravy, barbecue pork, cornbread, grits, okra, squash, corn, black-eyed peas, strawberries, and pecan pie. Isla's Southern Kitchen in Tulsa is currently the only restaurant in Oklahoma where diners can order the entire state meal. Though it comfortably feeds 2-4 people, Isla's does give brave (or foolish) souls the option to compete in the Oklahoma State Meal Challenge, in which a single diner racers to consume all the dishes in under forty-six minutes (Oklahoma is the 46th state). Today our host Ben Luschen, dubiously qualified for such an endeavor, takes the challenge head-on, with coaching provided by former Oklahoma Today Podcast host Greg Elwell. 

Also on this week's episode, the editors weigh in on what dishes they would like to see included in an updated version of the state meal, and podvents tells us where to go for fried oysters and town gossip. You won't want to miss it!

Season 6, Episode 7: Global Literature with RC Davis-Undiano

This week's featured guest is RC Davis-Undiano, executive director of the World Literature Today magazine and organization based in Norman. World Literature Today is an internationally recognized literature and culture magazine heralded by the Nobel Prize committee as “one of the best edited and most informative literary publications” in the world. Davis-Undiano is a Mexican-American writer who additionally serves as Neustadt Professor in Literature and the director of the Latino Studies Program at the University of Oklahoma. This audio-only conversation was conducted by Poteau-born writer Rilla Askew, author of The Mercy Seat and Prize for the Fire.

Also on this week's show, the editors share what books they're currently reading, and podvents let's you know where to find a one karat diamond. You won't want to miss it!