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June 24, 2005 was a busy night in Bricktown.

Loretta Lynn was playing the Coca-Cola Bricktown Event Center.

Graham Colton was playing Bricktown Live.

Two different rooms.

Same night.

Max says this was the first time he ever produced Loretta Lynn.

That is where he learned.

The conversation gets tangled because everyone is trying to remember who worked which show.

Graham Colton had The Hero Factor from Tulsa on the flyer.

But the big story was Loretta Lynn across the way.

...

Ogre, ohGr & Skinny Puppy

June 28th.

Ogre from Skinny Puppy came through, and it landed right on Max’s birthday.

The local band was Thorazine, which is about as perfect as it gets for a show like this.

Only 174 people showed up.

But the flyer is what really takes over the conversation.

Trippy.

Weird.

Dark.

They show it to the camera because it is that strange.

A baby with no head.

A visual that looks mo...

Skrillex, Strata, & In This Moment Meet At The Radio Station

This is one of those stories where the timing looks crazy years later.

Sonny Moore was playing The Conservatory before he fully became Skrillex.

He had just left his screamo band, had a major label background, and was starting to do his own thing.

At the time, he had released an independent EP with a song called “Skrillex.”

Same night, the radio station had Strata coming in for an interview and acoustic performance.

They also had...

June 21, 2005 at Bricktown Live. 

$15 ticket.

Sold out.

No big advertisement.

No local band.

No extra package.

Just Mindless Self Indulgence.

At that time, MSI had a completely underground following, and that crowd showed up strong.

No radio push needed.

Just fans who knew exactly what it was.

Underground following.

Sold-out room.

One band.

That was Bricktown Live in 2005.

 #HeresTheDealPodcast #MindlessSelfIndulgence #MSI #Seether #BricktownLive #CainsBallroom #LorettaLynn #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownen #oklahoma 

Rolling Stones & Who Shows At The American Airlines Center

Some concert tickets come with a story before the show even starts.

Max talks about seeing The Rolling Stones at the American Airlines Center.

Merle Haggard was supposed to open, but he canceled the day of, or the day before.

The tickets were comps from Merle Haggard’s camp.

And Max says those were not tickets you could just give to anybody.

So they went to Max and Brad.

Then Delbert McClinton ended up op...

Everybody has a favorite Lynyrd Skynyrd song.

But picking just one is hard.

The conversation starts with the question.

Do you mean songs they wrote, or songs they remade?

Because with Skynyrd, even the covers became their own thing.

The picks come out fast.

“Don’t Ask Me No Questions.”

“Call Me The Breeze.”

“Simple Man.”

“Tuesday’s Gone.”

Then the deeper cuts start flying.

“Curtis Loew.”

“Four Walls of Raiford.”

“Gimme Three Steps.”

“Double Trouble...

Drag Boats, Hydroplanes, Tubing, & Water Skiing

Back in the day, Lake Overholser had a whole different kind of energy.

Hydroplane races.

Drag boats.

People lining the shores.

In the 80s, drag boats were a huge deal.

Max says his dad and his dad’s buddies had drag boats, and that is how he learned to water-ski.

But there was one important rule.

Do not put your thumb up.

To most people, that might mean slow down or “I’m good.”...

This one goes deep into Dio history.

The conversation starts with Black Sabbath, Heaven and Hell, Ozzy, Dio, and Rob Halford stepping in with Sabbath.

Because apparently Ozzy would not play unless Dio did not sing.

Classic rock drama.

Then the memories shift to those huge Dio shows.

Last in Line.

Sacred Heart.

The glowing ball.

The dragon.

That full theatrical Dio stage show.

Then comes the Black and Blue Tour.

1980 at Lloyd Noble with Black Sabbath...

Rod Stewart is one of those artists where even the side stories are legendary.

The clip starts with Rod Stewart playing Lucas Oil Theatre on February 8, 2024.

And of course, Jeff hits the line.

“Tonight’s the night.”

Then Max brings up working a Rod Stewart show at Choctaw Durant.

That night, he had to hire a wardrobe girl on the fly.

The wild part?

She had no idea who Rod Stewart was.

Rod actually told her, “I’m Rod Stewart.”

She still had to...

The Sno Core tour in 2001 came through Wichita with a stacked lineup.

Fear Factory.
 Kittie.
 The Union Underground.
 Slaves on Dope.
 Boy Hits Car.

That was the scene at the time.

Heavy bands, industrial metal, nu metal, and clubs full of kids ready for something loud.

Jeff says this was also where he met Dr. Evil.

Then the conversation shifts to The Union Underground, a band that seemed to come through all the time.

January 26th at the Diamond Ballroom was another one.

Some bands never disappoint.

Reverend Horton Heat is one of them.

Jay says he has probably seen the Rev more than any other band, and every time, it is great.

Jimbo on the standup bass.

The bass getting turned sideways.

The fretboard tricks.

“Liquor in the front.”

That psychobilly fire every single night.

One of Max’s favorite memories was seeing Reverend Horton Heat with ZZ Top at the Brady Theater.

Second row center.

Last-minute tickets.

A badass...

April 2001 had a solid run of heavy shows.

April 4th, Jerry Cantrell played The Other Side with Comes with the Fall.

April 5th, they were at the Will Rogers Theatre.

Back to back Oklahoma dates.

Then April 13th brought Drowning Pool, Slaves on Dope, and No One to The Other Side.

That was right in the middle of the early-2000s heavy rock wave.

Then April 20th, Static-X hit Cain’s Ballroom with Godhead, Indo, and Deadsy.

846 people showed up.

Strong turnout.

...

Getting George Strait tickets turned into a full Oklahoma land rush.

The building changed the plan, sent everybody across the street, and told them that on the count of three, they had to run to the door.

Wherever you landed was your place in line.

No stopping cars.

No calm ticket queue.

Just a sprint for George Strait tickets.

Then the story jumps to January 18, 2008 at Cain’s Ballroom with Nashville Pussy and Reverend Horton Heat.

That lineup was hard to beat.

Cain’s ev...

Pantera The Real Steel Tour 2001

March 20, 2001. Pantera at The Myriad. The Real Steel Tour.

This was the Reinventing the Steel record cycle, and the lineup was brutal.

Pantera.
 Soulfly.
 Morbid Angel.
 Nothingface.
 Passers.

3,844 people packed into The Myriad.

Damn near 4,000 people for a heavy show.

Tickets were $29.50, and it was also a Virgin Crab show, tying Larry into the night.

Soulfly brought their crowd.

Morbid Angel made it heavier.

Nothingface had that connection to Hellyeah late...

Days Of the New Concerts

October 1997.

Days of the New came through Oklahoma for two dates.

October 7th at The Boar’s Head.

October 8th at The Brink in Tulsa.

Tickets were only five bucks.

This was right when Days of the New was starting to break. Travis Meeks was still just a kid, the song had hit radio, and everything was beginning to explode around them.

Jay remembers being a freshman in college when that song took off.

Then came th...

Some backstage transportation stories are just awkward.

At the Fayetteville Fair, Rick Nielsen from Cheap Trick refused to ride in the same limo with the other band members.

The fair was packed, and a police officer was ready to escort the limo out.

But Rick would not get in.

Jeff tried to talk him into it, but Rick still said no.

So they compromised.

Rick rode out in the front seat of the police car instead.

Then Max brings up Guido having a similar Cheap...

Dinosaur Jr., TSO, & Flaming Lips Shows End 2007

December 2007 ended with a wild mix of shows.

December 9th was Dinosaur Jr.

Originally booked at the Diamond Ballroom, but low ticket sales moved it to The Conservatory.

Back then, Oklahoma City was not really an alternative music town. It was more metal, rock, and blue collar.

Tulsa was the stronger alternative market.

Then December 22nd brought Trans-Siberian Orchestra to the Ford Center for their Christmas show.

TSO was still building into the holiday arena tradition...

April 22nd at the Diamond Ballroom was Crazy Town, Saliva, and Stereomud.

436 people showed up.

Crazy Town had the name, Saliva fit the early-2000s radio rock lane, and Stereomud had ties to Life of Agony.

But the room still did not blow up.

Then April 24th moved to The Other Side in Tulsa.

Drowning Pool.
 Slaves on Dope.
 No One.
 Element.
 Hinge.

Strong lineup on paper.

But the number listed was only 45 people.

Then you see the day.

July 1997 had a strong weekend of shows.

July 25th at Bricktown Live was Ween.

“Piss Up a Rope.”

That one felt like a Darrell Baskins Mindcandy show, or possibly something Dave helped co-promote.

Then two days later, July 27th, Collective Soul played the Diamond Ballroom.

Sold out.

1,500 people.

The Silent Parade Tour.

Tickets were only $15, and Darla Hood was on the bill too.

This was right when Collective Soul was in their moment, and the Diamond was packed.

Ween at B...

This story goes back before the Forte record.

David Brown looks back on the early days of Oklahoma metal, the promotion parties, and the people who helped push the scene forward.

The Forte parties brought attention, but they also brought a bill big enough to shock the bosses from Europe and Germany.

Before Forte, there was Oliver Magnum.

Hal had done the Oliver Magnum demo, and that connection helped build the path into everything that came after.

Then the story turns personal.

Max talks about knowing David...

David Allan Coe Sings Purple Rain

David Allan Coe doing “Purple Rain” in Hawaii sounds impossible, but Bruce, his tour manager, says it happened.

According to Bruce, Coe showed up to the venue with purple hair, wearing a long purple duster, and performed “Purple Rain” in its entirety.

That is a visual you do not forget.

The story ties back to Prince and how powerful that song became across every kind of music.

But David Allan Coe singing it live?

That is a whole different kind of...

May 2001 had a wild run of shows.

First up was Clutch at The Other Side.

Absolute fire.

That was one of those shows people were proud to say they saw. Clutch never disappointed.

Two days later, The Other Side had Girly Freak Show and Element.

Then May 24th brought Insane Clown Posse, Mars, and Blaze Ya Dead Homie to the Diamond Ballroom.

This was the first time ICP actually played and finished the show in Oklahoma after the earlier cancellation stories.

Then May 31st, Reverend...

Forte, Massacre Records, & Foundations Forum ’92

David Brown takes this story back to the early 90s metal business.

Before Massacre Records and Foundations Forum, David wanted to be an engineer and producer. He went to Full Sail in Florida, got certified, and kept chasing the LA studio path.

Then Forte called.

The Oklahoma metal band had signed with Massacre Records, a German label, and wanted David to go to Germany with them to help make the record.

So he did.

David went overseas, produced the Forte re...

June 22, 1997.

Matchbox 20 played The Boar’s Head.

A 95X show.

Only five bucks.

That ticket price feels impossible now, but back then, it was just another club show on the calendar. There was even a cool backstage pass designed like a matchbox.

Orbit was on the bill too, possibly a local band, and the room was part of that old Oklahoma concert scene where bands could come through right before everything got bigger.

Then years later, Matchbox 20 came back around in a whole different way.

Ma...

Prince Says NO To The Flaming Lips

This was the first time Jay ever saw The Flaming Lips cover “Purple Rain.”

At the time, nobody knew the bigger story behind it.

The Flaming Lips were on Warner Brothers, and the label was putting together a compilation where Warner artists covered other Warner artists.

The Lips recorded a studio version of “Purple Rain” for it.

But Prince never cleared it.

He said no.

Jay says he heard that version one time and begged someone who work...

I Fell In A Manhole Meeting Dio

Meeting Dio should already be a great story.

But this one turned into a full Scooby-Doo moment.

It happened behind The Roxy after a Dio show. Max was trying to get his stuff signed, and the buses were parked in the narrow alley behind the venue.

It was dark.

There was not much room.

And there was a water meter hole waiting on him.

Max stepped right into it.

The cover flipped, he went...

Some runner stories are pure chaos.

This one happened in downtown Ardmore.

Aubrey’s car pulled up, and she jumped out saying, “Aubrey’s gonna kill me.”

Across the street, Max and Jeff realized Jay was crawling underneath the car trying to pull out an orange traffic cone.

She had hit the cone, heard the bump, and kept driving, thinking it would clear the wheels.

It did not.

The cone got wrapped under the wheel well, so Jay ended up on the ground trying to yank it loose.<...

Rolling Stones 11/1/81 vs 11/1/97

November 1st is a serious Rolling Stones date.

On 11/1/81, The Rolling Stones played the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

Max was there.

They had also played the night before on Halloween, in the rain.

That 1981 tour was supposed to be one of those “farewell” moments, and Max saw The Stones 11 times that year, including four times in Texas in one week.

The big memory from Dallas was Mick Jagger going all the way to the top of the stage and singing “Sympathy for the De...

Kid Sings Punk Rock With Murphy’s Law On His Birthday

Murphy’s Law was on stage at The Other Side for a sold-out show with Clutch and VOD.

No barricade.

Right up front was a 10-year-old kid in Big Smith overalls.

And it was his birthday.

Jimmy Gestapo called him up on stage and asked if he wanted to sing with the band.

The kid said yes, but he did not know the words.

Jimmy told him, “Just sing what you feel.”

The...

Holding Rick Nielsen’s 5-Neck Guitar

This happened in Wichita at inCahoots.

Rick Nielsen’s famous five-neck guitar was sitting on a stand in the dressing room, and people could see it from the parking lot.

One kid spotted it and could not stop staring.

He kept saying how cool it was.

The band had already left for the hotel, and the guitar was still sitting there.

So Jeff told the kid to come over.

He picked up the five-neck guitar, put it on t...

Some product names are too perfect.

Tommy Chong had one called “Urine Luck.”

Spelled U-R-I-N Luck.

And once that name came up, the whole room lost it.

It sounds like a joke.

It sounds like something only Tommy Chong would be attached to.

And that is exactly why it works.

The conversation turns into everybody repeating the name, laughing at it, and making it even more ridiculous.

Urine Luck.

Once you hear it, you are not forgetting it.

 #Heres...

April had a pretty cool run of shows in Oklahoma.

April 10th at Bricktown Brewery was JGB.

The Jerry Garcia Band members.

Jerry Garcia had already passed by then, so it was not Jerry himself, but still, having members of that band upstairs at the Brewery is pretty wild.

Standing room only.

Tickets were $15 in advance and $20 at the door.

Then the Brewery kept rolling.

April 11th was The Verve Pipe.

April 15th was Ian Moore.

Ian Moore shows up a...

Three weeks into Hollywood Recording Studios, the first band in front of him was Guns N’ Roses.

Not a bad welcome to LA.

They were cutting demos for Spencer Proffer, who was deciding whether he wanted to sign the band. Several labels had already passed, which looks like a massive mistake now.

The music was there.

The chaos was there.

And according to the story, the wild Guns N’ Roses studio legends were true.

Some of those recordings later ended up tied to The Spaghetti Incident?

Bu...

Max only saw Van Halen twice.

The first was the 2008 comeback tour at the Ford Center.

That was a huge moment.

Then came the later run with Kool & The Gang, which sounds like a strange pairing, but it worked.

Max saw Kool & The Gang with Van Halen twice.

Once at the BOK Center in Tulsa.

And once at what was then Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City.

That is what makes concert memories stick.

The band matters.

But so does the...

CAKE is one of those bands that surprises people live.

They look like normal guys on stage, then the groove hits, the horn kicks in, and the whole room locks in.

Max calls them one of the best live bands he has ever seen.

There is even an autographed poster from that Diamond Ballroom show hanging in The Diamond.

The conversation also turns to Fashion Nugget, which still holds up enough for Josh to grab it on 180-gram vinyl.

Then the calendar moves to March 23rd at The Boar’s...

This is what happens when the ticket guy forgets the tickets.

Max was on a hard run, headed to the Red Hot Chili Peppers show, and somehow left his moneybag at home.

The tickets were inside it.

Total rookie mistake.

Everybody looked at him like, “How are you going to fix this?”

Luckily, Max had pictures of the tickets on his phone.

He showed them at the box office, gave them his ID, they checked the system, and it worked.

Next thing you know, they had...

Jeff Lynne’s ELO & ELO II

Jeff and Max were getting ready to head to Dallas to see Jeff Lynne’s ELO at the American Airlines Center.

When you have worked in the concert business and seen so many bands, certain shows still stand out as ones you do not want to miss.

That was this one.

They started talking about how many times they had actually seen ELO. Max remembered the Out of the Blue tour with the spaceship production, possibly at Lloyd Noble Center.

He had...

December 15th at the Diamond Ballroom.

Sponge played to 444 people with Ruth Ruth and Red 5 on support.

Max calls Sponge one of his all-time favorite bands, and Vinnie Dombroski gets a lot of respect in this story.

Great songwriter.

Incredible vocalist.

Years later, that connection carried into Texas Hippie Coalition.

When Max first started managing THC, they ended up in Detroit at Vinnie’s studio. Somewhere, Rich still has songs that Vinnie and Texas Hippie Coalition wrote together that have never been released.

A Sponge sh...

September 1997 had a wild mix of shows.

September 19th, Flotsam and Jetsam played Bricktown Live with Nevermore.

Then September 21st, Leon Russell returned to The Boar’s Head.

A few weeks later, Days of the New came through for two Oklahoma dates.

October 7th at The Boar’s Head.

October 8th at The Brink in Tulsa.

This was early Days of the New, when Travis Meeks was still just a kid and the band was starting to break through.

Tickets were only five bucks.

He...

Arlo Guthrie, Leon Russell, & Presidents of The United States

January 17th was Arlo Guthrie at City Blues, and it ended up being the very last show at that venue.

Then February 23rd, Leon Russell played The Boar’s Head, marking part of that shift north in the Oklahoma concert scene.

A few days later, February 27th, Presidents of the United States of America played the Diamond Ballroom.

1,095 people were there.

That was the “Peaches” era, and the band was huge in that moment.

They came in hot...