Soundcheck: Do You Realize?
By
May 7, 2009
“Do You Realize?” Live at the Oklahoma City Zoo!
I’m heading back to Oklahoma this week for my younger brother’s college graduation, which means that I have a full five days of thrift-store shopping, four-wheeler riding, fried food eating, and horse-wrangling out on my mom’s farm. Everyone knows I get sentimental about all things Oklahoman, and the impending trip home got me thinking about my all-time Oklahoma music (and this does not include any songs form the musical, which tortured me throughout my childhood). This is also a particularly special topic right now because, after some controversy Oklahoma just chose “Do You Realize?” by the The Flaming Lips as the Official State Song of Oklahoma!
The final selection makes me especially happy because:
1) I grew up seeing The Flaming Lips play almost every weekend.
2) They are super nice guys.
3) It’s nice for people to think of Oklahoma for something other than Sally Kern.
4) My dad is pals with Wayne Coyne and helped build his crazy house (see the evidence here!)
In other Oklahoma news, there’s Chainsaw Kittens:
Chainsaw Kittens, “Pop Heiress Dies”
One of the most wildly overlooked bands from Oklahoma is Chainsaw Kittens. The band had amazingly genius pop songs and a crazy drag queen for a lead singer. I saw them play approximately a gazillion times when I was in college, but my most memorable Chainsaw Kittens concert experience came when I saw them open for Jane’s Addiction in 1991 (My dad drove me there). According to legend, someone at the show hated the band so much that they threw human excrement on stage. I don’t actually remember that, but I do remember my dad being completely and utterly freaked out by the whole thing and making me promise that I wouldn’t tell my mom about it.
Reba McEntire “Fancy”
No discussion of Oklahoma would be complete without mentioning at least one country singer. Garth Brooks might have his name splashed across the water tower in Yukon, Oklahoma (you drive past it when you are heading out to my mom’s house in the boonies), but the queen of Oklahoma country music will always be—no, not Carrie Underwood—Reba McEntire.
Have a great weekend, y’all!
