The end-of-summer heat had lessened somewhat Saturday afternoon, but that just gave Norman residents an excuse to hold their lighters high at Norman’s Dustbowl Arts Market.
The musical gathering took place during and after the arts market Saturday, which allowed local arts and crafts vendors to sell their wares on Buchanan Street in Campus Corner.
Blackwatch Studios organized the lineup and included well-known bands such as The Pretty Black Chains and Colourmusic but also some local, independent groups.
Bands began playing at noon, and the music did not stop until 5 p.m. when Colourmusic, the last group, left the stage.
The concerts, tucked snugly into the parking lot of Hideaway Pizza, were a hit with OU students like musical theater senior Shannon Hucker who were able to enjoy great, free music so close to campus.
“We really like the music scene in Norman,” Hucker said. “It’s actually still kind of understated, but I think it’s going to start spreading.”
Most of the bands were from Oklahoma, and some even called Norman their home at some point.
“[Performing artist] Sherree Chamberlain is an Oklahoma City native — and she’s gone so far with her music — but it’s cool to see that she comes back and helps out at events like this,” English junior Jonny Hupp said.
Around 9 p.m., Dead Sea Choir took the stage and busted out some instrumentals before sweeping the crowd away with soulful falsetto harmonies. Saturday night's show was impressive, as it was the first time the band played together live in more than a year.
“We don’t really do it for the publicity,” said Geordan Taylor, bass player for Dead Sea Choir. “We just like to play.”
The crowd began to thicken when The Pretty Black Chains prepared to take the stage.
The concert series’s emcee said the band will go into “hibernation,” and will not be playing together again for a while.
The Pretty Black Chains regularly sells out its concert venues, so it was a treat for fans to be able to see it for free.
The band did not disappoint: Lead singer Kellan McGugan sounded just as flawless as he does on the band’s album, and entertained the crowd with snappy, gyrating movements akin to Elvis Presley after five energy drinks.
Megan Deaton, Life and Arts Reporter
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