Joan Jett & The Blackhearts

In just a two-day period, June 29 and July 1, Choctaw Casino’s Grand Theater hosted two spirited musical groups – Maddie & Tae on Wednesday nights and Joan Jett & The Blackhearts on Friday nights.

One would expect that these talented females and their equally-talented bands would perform well beyond expectations — if that’s possible, and sometimes it is — and neither disappointed.

Maddie & Tae are Madison Marlow of Sugar Land, Texas, and Taylor Dye of Ada/Silo, Okla. Both seemed completely blown away from their vantage view-point (on stage) of the entire audience and at least four times exclaimed that it was, by far, the largest crowd they had ever drawn. And the smiles on those two ladies’ faces could have put a lighting technician out of work!

Since the release of their first CD in August 2015, Maddie & Tae have already chalked up three hits.

Joan Jett, tho a few years older not only in years, but in experience, also brought the Grand Theater crowd to its feet more than once. This Pennsylvanian soprano and vegetarian has been dubbed not only the queen of rock and roll, but also listed as one of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time. (Rolling Stone).  And she’s chalked up numerous award-winning and best-selling records over the years. She and the Blackhearts traveled to Choctaw’s Event Center in Pocola for the next night’s concert.

So, what do they have in common? Both (or all three, maybe it should be said)

Maddie & Tae

Maddie & Tae’s fans ranged from about 8 to 80 years of ago. And they talked with, especially, the younger fans with vigor. Some of those fans had waited for hours to get their photo made with Maddie & Tae.  They also autographed items for people for about two hours after the show.

Joan Jett took time to talk with her fans as well. She asked each his or her name and repeated it back, as if to memory.

Both also seemed to thoroughly appreciate each member of their respective bands, introducing and showcasing them through their concerts.

Maddie & Tae photos (click here)

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts photos (click here)

Next up at The Grand Theater in Durant’s Choctaw Casino is Peter Frampton and also Lynyrd Skynyrd on Aug. 7; Lady Antebellum on Aug. 19; and John Anderson and Pam Tillis on Aug. 20. Go Online to ChoctawCasinos.com for information on these and other shows, plus concerts at the Event Center at Choctaw’s Grant, Okla. facility. Next up there is Vanilla Ice on July 22.

Photos by Mary Jane Farmer

Click here for more photos

On February 12, Choctaw Casino’s Grand Theater came alive with Boyz II Men fans, who filled the football-arena-style event center from stage front to the 3rd floor balcony. And these fans sang along much of the time, the recognized mark of long-time die-hard fans of any musical performer or group.

Shawn Stockman, Nathan Morris, and Wanya Morris gave the audience what they came to see — a performance filled with their signature a cappella harmonies, emotional ballads,  sometimes- choreographed stage presence, and, afterward, a meet-n-greet session for some of those fans. This is their 25-year anniversary working together as a top R&B group.

Check ChoctawCasinos.com often for a complete line-up of their concerts in Durant, and also at their many other venues around Oklahoma. And those are always carried here on Scene In Town’s Live Music Calendar.

(I’d make this longer, this band is that good — but I know it’s really the photos people want! 🙂 )

For more photos, click here

Aaron Lewis

Photos and short review by Mary Jane Farmer

Aaron Lewis, the former lead singer with the rock group Staind, showed up on the country scene a few years ago, and apparently hasn’t ever looked back. He performed, for the second time, for Choctaw Casino in Durant Feb. 19, 2016, to a packed house, and then moved on to the Choctaw Event Center stage in Pocola, Okla. Saturday night. That was a sold-out show.

Lewis took time during his pre-show Meet n Greet with fans to talk with them, sign autographs, and pose for photos, which are available for those who were involved on ChoctawCasinos.com Website, as is the schedule of upcoming shows at the various facilities.

He brought with him four other musicians, all highly talented, and they played along with him most of the time. However, he also took time to perform several songs solo during the show.

Aaron Lewis

He opened it, as he said he always  does, by asking the crowd to stand and the men to take off their caps or hats. He then led the 2,500 people in the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. He didn’t quite chain smoke on stage, but he did chain light-up cigarettes often during the performance. Would take one drag, put it down, and re-light it between the next two songs.

In an interview found online, Lewis said that he had learned to love country music from his grandfather, then gravitated toward rock as he grew up. It was when he was touring with sometimes-country artist Kid Rock that his country took roots returned, and he decided to pursue it as a career. Hasn’t seemed to have looked back.

Photos by Mary Jane Farmer, and can be found on the link below.

KISS, in all its glory and white-face, proved to still be the entertaining, talented, in-your-face (even if it isn’t white-face), that it ever was. KISS played — sold out — Choctaw Casino’s Grand Theater Jan. 29, 2016.

It started out a little hinky when, after MC Jody got the crowd all ready for them (8:15 p.m.), the curtains didn’t open til 9 p.m. But, fans kept on having fun, many of them having their photos made with a Gene Simmons’ similarly-costumed fan, (whose photo can be seen on Daniel Akers‘ Facebook profile). In fact, there were quite a few folks/fans of all ages in white-face, emulating their favorite KISS musician.

The curtains opened to crank out the first of many pyrotechnics shows — rockets, choreographed with the music obviously by a fireworks  master, and the occasional blasts from the ends of guitars.

The band kept up a non-stop, crowd-pleasing show for nearly two hours after that —

KISS front line, Simmons, Stanley, Thayer

interacting with front-row moshers and delivering their hits from the decades of hit-making and genre-changing recordings.

KISS‘ videographers kept the three screens filled with Paul Stanley’s, Gene Simmons’, Eric Singer’s, and Tommy Thayer’s musical movements, but also turned the cameras onto the crowd regularly, a gesture that met with fans’ approval all night long.

To be noted here — KISS plays only with the four musicians, relying completely 100% on their own talents. Another highly-unusual band style, which also makes KISS unique among hard/heavy rock bands everywhere.

Go to the Live Music Calendar here or go online ChoctawCasinos.com to learn of future shows at the Grand Theater, and those include the next event, already sold out (sorry, fans) — Boyz II Men on Feb. 12, followed by Zane Williams and band at Gilley’s also at Choctaw (never a cover charge for bands at Gilley’s.)

For 48 photos, click here   (Sorry, but it was near-to-impossible to get many good photos of drummer Eric Singer).

Randy Houser

For more Randy Houser photos, click here.

For more Frankie Ballard photos, click here

For more Craig Campbell photos, click here

Nashville’s finest – although not necessarily their most-award-winning — singers stomped the Grand Theater stage (Choctaw Casino, Dec. 15, 2015), each with his own unique style and talent. Randy Houser, Frankie Ballard, Craig Campbell — each played sets with their individual bands, and a stage crew made sure those breaks between bands didn’t last long at all.

Craig Campbell opened. He didn’t sing his 2011 recording of “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” but he did perform his comedic “(My Girl Just Loves To) Fish.”

And it has to be said — he’s grown even more since he sat in on an open mic years ago at Love & War in Texas. He was on radio tour then, and only a couple of people in the audience even knew who they were listening to. A fine performer and songwriter.

Frankie Ballard

Frankie Ballard, the newest to the Nashville experience, could also be called “The Guitar Man,” judging from his expertise on electric guitar. He electrified his stage presence, as well, mixing in a lot of his own guitar work into his songs. On stage, one could see influences that could include Elvis and Billy Gibbons (that ZZ Top man). And if James Dean had been a singer, he could have been an influence. And throw in some Kid Rock to that stage presence. Almost as if he’d been studying and emulating North Texas’ Kyle Brooks (Rhythm & Beards)

And then, there was Randy Houser. Keeping country in country music, Houser has had numerous charted hit songs, including “How Country Feels,” most of which he performed for the enthusiastic days. Only three days before his 40th birthday, Houser’s stage presence was somewhere between Craig Campbell’s and George Strait’s, — lots of movement on stage without any jumps or gyrations. Well, there was one lope across it to be with his bass player once, but just that once.

Craig Campbell

Next up at the Grand Theater is New Year’s Eve, when Clay Walker and Restless Heart will performing, beginning at 8 p.m. Click here to link to that Website for ticket purchases.