Michael Ray at the Oklahoma City Fair

Last Friday, the 16^th of September, a few friends and I met up in Oklahoma City to catch Michael Ray at the fair. The last time we saw Ray was his stop in Oklahoma City during Brantley Gilbert’s blackout tour (Show Review and Band Review) and we were all excited to see what he could do as the headlining act. It was like mother nature herself knew there was great music coming. Because the rain we were expecting never showed. I had the pleasure of getting to meet Ray before the show and  he as usual was a total sweetheart.

He started out the show with his up tempo song "Another Girl" and I am pretty sure I did not sit back down til the show was over. We also got to hear the song he co-wrote for Big & Rich, "Runaway With You," as well as "Look Like This," and his newest single "Think a Lil Less."  A truly fun part of the show was when the iPod Shuffle began. Ray and the band played a fun selection of songs from  Toby Keith's "Should Have Been a Cowboy" to Tom Petty's "Mary Jane's Last Dance." Though a special mention goes to his cover of Bruno Mars' "Just The Way You Are." Before Ray began singing, he addressed the females in the crowd saying they were beautiful just the way they were. That they should never change for anyone, but rather they are amazing just the way they are.

We also heard "Everything In Between," "Drivin' All Night," "This Love," "Real Men Love Jesus," and the number one hit "Kiss You In The Morning." Michael Ray is an amazing singer and has a very talented band backing him up. Kurt Ozan (utility player), Jonathan Sepulveda (bassist), and Lucas Chamberlain (guitarist) are just as amazing to listen to and watch perform as Michael Ray. Everyone always looks like they are having the time of their lives while performing. Their cover of "Dust On The Bottle" was perhaps one of the funnest covers I have seen. It was such a fun night and definitely not the last time I'll see Michael Ray.

You can see Michael Ray on his Think A Lil Less tour, which is his first as headliner, starting Oct. 14th in Phoenix, AZ. Tickets are on sale now.

Bands at the Ballroom

The big picture of music is pure artistry, but the sum parts that make up the whole can be just as breathtaking.

Justin Adams and Mike Ball

My Bands Matter Too stories are a way to meet the bands that share the stage with the incredible artists we all know and love during their live performances. This concert was at Cain's Ballroom and the particular band to meet shared the stage with Justin Adams, an amazing singer/songwriter and terrific guitarist in his own right. This was not my first time seeing them perform. However, I was no less impressed than the first time I saw them. I told you all about Justin Adams' performance in my Pardi in the Ballroom review. Now here is a little about the band's.

Tommy Kratzert and Mike Ball

 Tommy Kratzert plays the guitar, Clark James the drums, and Mike Ball the bass. Sometimes an artist is so talented it takes a special caliber of skills to help bring their songs to life and Adams' seems to have found that with his band. All three band members actually rotate singing back up vocals throughout Adams' set. Different parts of Adams' performance highlights different instrumental riffs from each band member. Whether it be Tommy or Mike's impressive accomplishments on their various guitars or Clark's stellar abilities on the drums, these talented musicians are exceptional to watch perform. 

Clark James

 I discovered something that seems to add to a show from prior concerts. They are more enjoyable to watch when you know the performer is not just talented, but genuinely a nice person. One of my new favorite quotes is, "Talent gets you in the door, but class keeps you there." I mention all this because I've had the pleasure of meeting Justin Adams and his entire band. All four of these men are so nice to any and every fan that walks up to them. I highly recommend catching any Justin Adams show that comes to a city near you. You won't be disappointed in him or this band.

Tommy Kratzert and Justin Adams

Bands of the Blackout Tour ~ Oklahoma City, OK

The Blackout Tour was so incredible it can not be properly justified in one review. Brantley Gilbert, Canaan Smith, and Michael Ray are all talented in their own right, but they each share the stage with some phenomenal musicians. Sometimes during a concert one member of the band or another may catch your eye. This could be due to a killer guitar solo or a beautiful melody on the keys. All three bands totally blew me away that night in Oklahoma City.

Photo Credit: @Little_Bridgie @auntie6127

When Michael Ray took the stage, he was accompanied by a guitarist, a bassist, a utility player, and his long time drummer. This was my first time seeing Ray perform with a full band and it was magnificent. Sitting at the side of the stage my view of the bands was pretty great. The guitarist was  Lucas Chamberlain and the only word that comes to mind is outstanding and the bass player of this talented foursome is Jonathan Sepulveda. I had a friend tell me once that there was just something special about bass players and Sepulveda proves it. The utility player of Ray's band is Kurt Ozan. A utility player is the band member who plays multiple instruments. Ozan was on the opposite side of the stage, but I did catch him playing both the pedal steel guitar and the electric guitar. Given his skill level on those two instruments, I am curious as to what else he can play. Rounding out this talented band was Andrew Beselica on the Drums. 

Photo Credit @little_Bridgie @auntie6127

Canaan Smith also has an incredible four man band sharing the stage with him. This band with its two guitarist, bassist, and drummer are one of my favorites to watch live. Each band member seems to have a passion for playing that almost rivals Smith's. As guitarist Kenny Fuller plays, you can see the pure joy emanating from him. One can't help smiling while watching him get lost in the music. Background vocalist Stephen Whitfield was one of the reasons I started paying closer attention to bands during live shows. He's got some pretty serious skills on the guitar and is quite proficient at the mandolin as well. The bassist for Smith's band is extremely talented and his name is Luke Berridge. The rhythm keeper of the band is none other than the drummer Tucker Wilson. Much like every other member of the band he is brilliant and extremely fun to watch.

Photo Credit @shanherrold @auntie6127

The Georgia native Brantley Gilbert took the stage with his five man band and the already high energy level soared through the roof. The variety of instruments Gilbert's band played that night was unbelievable. The utility player in the band is BJ Golden and as my friend put it he was mesmerizing. The band leader Jess Franklin skillfully plays both the guitar and the keyboard. While the amazingly talented Noah Henson rocks out in impressive style on his rhythm guitar. The bass quota for this band was beautifully covered with a stellar performance on both the bass guitar and bass cello by Stephen Lewis and last, but certainly not least, rounding out the band is drummer Ben Sims. The range of instruments these five talented men bring to the table is just plain phenomenal. The show in Oklahoma City was incredible and I have to once again suggest catching one of the remaining stops. My review of everything is here.