The semi-annual Blue Fish Companion event will host its thirteenth gathering Saturday in the Sooner Theatre.
Dubbed "I was a Teenage Bluefish," the event was formerly held at the American Legion Hall in Norman, but has been moved because of changes in the Legion's policies, Blue Fish organizer Quentin Bomgardner said.
A party unrelated to Blue Fish caused complaints with neighbors about a month ago, Bomgardner said. Those complaints caused the Legion's change in policy, so that the venue now no longer allows events past 10 p.m.
The Sooner Theatre holds more people than the Legion, he said. The Sooner has a capacity of 550 occupants. The Blue Fish traditionally has 300-400 attendees.
Bomgardner estimated that half the crowd will be students and expects eighty percent to be returning Blue Fish fans.
Logan Rowe, member of the band Drives Like a Dream and longtime Blue Fish attendee, said the venue change will make the Blue Fish a more credible music festival.
"The event might lose money but it puts the concert on a whole new level of importance," he said.
Jennifer Heavner Baker, Sooner Theatre artistic director, said though the building is on the National Register of Historic Places, she thinks this concert will be great for the theater.
"We want to prove the Sooner is a performing arts center for all of Norman, including the college community," she said.
Although the facility is bigger, people will not be allowed to bring liquor into the facility and those who want to smoke will have to exit and re-enter. Drinks will be served to those who are 21 or older.
The lineup for this fall's "I was a Teenage Bluefish" includes Bomgardner's band Forty Minutes of Hell, Purple Cow Story, Drives Like a Dream, a variety act performed by Donny Vomit and a showing of various local short films.
The headlining act will be Defenestation, a Norman rock quartet who will be reuniting after a 17-year hiatus.
The band was popular in the 1980s and was instrumental in developing the Norman music scene, Bomgardner said.
Defenestration guitarist Todd Walker said he is excited about Blue Fish's move to the new facility.
"The Sooner Theatre is a great place," he said. "We need to see more rock shows at the Sooner Theatre. It's sitting there waiting to be used."
Each Defenestration member did solo projects during the band's break, including Mead's local band, Chainsaw Kittens.
The original three members are OU graduates Walker, Meade (vocals, guitar) and Chris Royse (bass). OU graduate Eric Harmon, who has performed with each of the band members on different projects rounds out the band on drums.
The band was nervous about playing after such a long break, they said.
"I was a little bit nervous myself until we practiced," Walker said. "It's like falling off a log, it's not a problem. I learned how to play by playing these songs and probably Chris did too. You can't forget that."
Donny Vomit will also perform his variety act, which includes walking on glass and blowing fire.
"I was a Teenage Bluefish" is for all ages and begins at 8:30pm at Sooner Theatre, located at 101 E. Main St.
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