A great evening at the 7 Clans Casino…………………….
Welcome back. Music, I often travel many miles to listen to good music and I found out last night Friday night that Newkirk, OK is quickly becoming a showcase for many of the best bands in the country.. Located 12 miles east of I-35 on highway 77 and about 5 miles south of the Kansas border, Newkirk is the county seat of Kay County. The town was established during the Cherokee Strip land run in 1893 and there’s lots of Native American history here. There is still a big population of Cherokees living in these parts and they maintain many traditional customs. Never in this part of the state before, this is where I was headed for a big concert at the 7 Clans Casino.
The 7 Clans are the seven traditional family units of the Cherokee tribe and after doing some research I learned that five of these seven clans own casinos in Oklahoma, two in Red Rock, one in Chilocco, one in Perry and this one in Newkirk. It is a beautiful place with all the glitter of Las Vegas but you don’t have to travel, its right here in Oklahoma.
The band I came to listen to Friday was called Credence Clearwater Revival and they became famous on a wet Saturday night back in 1969 playing at an outdoor music festival called Woodstock. Two of the founding members, Stu Cook and Doug “Cosmo” Clifford are in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and in 1995 they formed a new band changing the name of the group from Credence Clearwater Revival to Credence Clearwater Revisited. They have been playing to sold out crowds ever since. I had seen these guys a few years back and if sixties rock & roll is your thing, this is your band “for sure man.” To wrap up the trip: a concert with a great hall to have it in, throw in some really good grub, a friendly staff, a nice hotel to stay in and I’d say this town of Newkirk with a population of 2,243 is an overachiever and definitely worth a visit if only to catch a good show.
And speaking of a good show here are two you might want to check out this weekend.
On Friday it’s a rescheduled visit to Bartlesville for OU superstar and Super Bowl Champion Joe Washington, Joe was originally supposed to be in Bartlesville a month ago but a medical problem forced him to change his visit to this Friday. He will be at Arvest’s Eastside Branch from 9-11:30. Then he will be at Jude’s Coffee House (next to Food Pyramid) from 1:30-3PM. On his way back to Oklahoma City Joe has also agreed to stop by for a visit to Vera around 3:30 or so. If you want to meet a darned nice guy who’s as humble as they come, that’s Joe. I’ll be with him all day and we’ll both have our new books to sign.
That’s Friday for me. Then Saturday and Sunday I’ll be at another gun show and this time it’s in Tulsa at the Metcalf Gun & Knife Show. Held at the Tulsa Fairgrounds, the Metcalf Show has been coming to town for years and although it is not the giant Wannamaker show it is still big.
From there I’m headed back to Oklahoma City Sunday night for a couple of days before I start what will probably be a multi week story about a local case that has gone viral. I will be at the Tulsa Court House where the Robert Bates trial is drawing worldwide attention to Oklahoma with what I hope will be some behind the scenes details.
Stay tuned and till next week, I’ll see ya down the road…..