Decadence & Depravity; A Road Paved By Press

In recent months national press has named Tulsa a hotbed of “indie” music. Having this spotlight cast on our city creates a responsibility to support a scene that we all know will undoubtedly flourish and then self-destruct.

With this unknown expiration date looming in the near future the usual hipsters have all reported for duty while they still can. They’ve come in droves, poking and prodding, hoping to see the next big thing rise from the ashes left behind by Hanson and countless other frauds. Conversations ranging from originality to who found what band first can be heard echoing from one SUV to another.

These are all the signs of a feeding frenzy, the exodus from Brookside to downtown has begun. Newcomers to the music district shuffle down brightly lit streets in hopes of finding “the concert” and being seen in “the bar”. The hipster uniform is also present, being worn and exploited by the masses that now descend upon the city scene on a weekend only basis.

The natives are getting restless, the clouds are growing dark, a tension now fills the air and our lungs. We feel it getting thicker as we carefully slip past the doughy-eyed suburbanites that seem to have been cloned for the sole purpose of taking up space and making it increasingly more difficult to order drinks in your favorite bar.

Fortunately among all this there is a silver lining. Fortunately there are those few elite individuals that have helped shape and promote the Tulsa (original) music scene. They are bar owners and concert providers, they are visionaries. These are the people that should have keys to the city.

At times of frustration and dismay I often ask, “What would Soundpony do?”, and the answer I always find is to be tolerant of those I do not naturally embrace. I believe this philosophy put into action is our only chance to slow and possibly halt the implosion of our city’s musical treasure trove.

So please join me downtown, be yourself, bring your friends, wear your clothes and bring your appetite, because this slice of history is waning, it’s fragile and needs your support.

Brandon Douglas