The Strip
Ye Old College Bar: A Love Story
On Monday we played the College Bar on the legendary strip in Stillwater.
Us switching it up for "Fight for Your Right"
Friends at the College Bar
I can’t stress enough how awesome it is to have a good gig on a Monday, and this one was great.
Though we left the venue a little after 2 am, the night continued for six more hours (at least for a few of us). We all went to hang out with some friends at a small gathering which was fun. Hooch and Jordan got rocked in beer-pong, but in their defense, the cups were huge Joe’s cups (of Eskimo Joe’s etc) and had I not been the DD, I think I would have wrecked. The night ended back at Jared and Megan’s with us sitting on the front porch, waxing on the topics of the day. I decided to head to bed with day break, but Hooch and Jared chatted until around 8:30!
That’s Oklahoma for yah! Next stop, Enid. Round II
Willie’s, where Garth Brooks got started
Our show was killer, as usual. Willie’s is the bar where Garth Brooks got started playing in the early 80′s so its a cool historic venue. It has an intimate feel because of the really shallow stage. I was excited and honored that a lot of people came back to see us again after catching our show Monday – both new and old fans. We didn’t repeat a single cover that we played on Monday, so it was a very different experience.
Side note – at the VFW on Saturday we pulled Jerry Jeff Walker’s “Sangria Wine” out of thin air. Even without having ever done that before, it was apparently good enough to warrant being requested at Willies.
Oklahoma is a non-stop party. Wednesday is “free beer night,” at a lot of bars on the Strip, which means you pay $7 and you get all you can drink draft beer all night. Basically everyone wants to drink and be social all of the time. Seems like no matter what day of the week, you’ll find people looking for fun in a college town sort of way. This makes for enjoyable shows, rowdy crowds, and after-parties that last until dawn or beyond.
Wednesday at Willie’s was no exception. A crew went back to Jared and Megan’s where the band stayed, and I was the first to go to sleep at 5:30 AM. Thursday we had a “rest day” but lo and behold I ended up out again, with a bunch of new friends who at dawn started talking about getting tacos and 40s now that it was early enough to buy beer again. Stillwater is like Vegas, just less ritzy, a lot cheaper, and much more genuine. Therefore, I have more fun in Stillwater.
We’re all glad to hit the road and head on, but we’re all looking forward to being back soon.
Oh College Bar… How we love thee…
Our first day technically playing in Stillwater and man has it been a blasty blast! It’s always nice to walk down “the strip” in Stillwater again. I’ve spent many a night playing solo and full band shows on the strip. It’s where I really started playing on stage and it just feels like home for me as a musician. The College Bar well… is just a great venue. Everyone in Stillwater who likes to see diverse live music comes to The College Bar. They have a great selection of beers on tap and it just attracts the kind of people that like our flavor of funky music. There were a few of my old friends in the crowd as well as a lot of new friends. By the end of the night we had a nice group of folks dancing and there was just a great overall vibe. Couldn’t have asked for a better first show in Stillwater. I’m totally looking forward to a whole week of playing music in Oklahoma!
