In-between other Dust Bowl Days (DBD) Farm & Ranch Festival events from July 18 – 20, the 4th Wild Plum Jam brought 1,750 attendees – double last year’s count – to hear three popular Red Dirt country bands on July 19 at Sayre’s City Park.
Tyler Wilhelm, Stoney Larue, and Cody Canada & The Departed gave powerful, satisfying performances. Tickets cost $35 (early bird) or $40 (at gate). The DBD festival ended with graceful gospel singing on July 20, also in the City Park.
TYLER WILHELM
Tyler Wilhelm Band’s energetic home town sound kicked off the night’s music at 7:00 p.m. with favorites like “County Line,” “Cocaine & Whiskey,” and “Better Off Alone.” Jason Wilhelm (father) played lead guitar, Lane Wilhelm (son) laid down a strong bass rhythm and Austin Rios (drummer) kept the songs moving to support Tyler Wilhelm’s (older son) vocals and rhythm guitar.
Before they played, I asked Tyler Wilhelm how the past year has gone. “It’s been great. We’re going to the studio next week” to record new songs including “Curtain Call” and “Everything” (premiered at Plum Jam). Wilhelm said his life and music have been inspired by his fiancée, Becky Kelln, from Shattuck.
The multi-generational crowd was pumped for more music.
STONEY LARUE
Stoney LaRue took the stage at 8:20 p.m. in a black cowboy hat and teeshirt. Born in Taft, Texas, and raised in Yanush, Oklahoma, he honed his song-writing and guitar playing skills in Stillwater’s music scene with Jason Boland and Cody Canada. He performed at the “The Boys from Oklahoma” concert at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., in April, where he, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Jason Boland and the Stragglers and The Great Divide were inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.
As LaRue switched between acoustic and electric guitars, fans enjoyed “Forever Young,” “You Oughta Know Me By Now,” “Down In Flames,” “Walkaway” (written with Cody Canada) and many more favorites. They played slower paced songs too, like “Velvet” and “Empty Glass.” The band added a rock and roll tune, “Spirit in The Sky.”
Yes, the band’s three guitars and drums resulted in a driving rhythm and lots of licks, yet the audience clearly heard LaRue’s baritone song lyrics over those.
Attendees enjoyed the show. Tiffani DeWitt from Pampa, Texas, advised “Keep bringing good lineups and more advertising to keep the momentum.” Tera Hamman from Cheyanne came because of the “…quality of musicians, the price was good and it’s my birthday!”
Headliner Cody Canada from Yukon started at 10:00 p.m., his band playing a mix of hard-edged Red Dirt country blended with rock and roll music.
Fans enjoyed and often sang along with “17” (“You’re always 17 in your hometown”), “Boys From Oklahoma,” “Maybe I Miss Your Body,” the still new “Paper Moon (”On the edge of a freakout”) and many more. The crowd next to the stage swayed, danced, and sang along. Most of the songs played were from the Cross Canadian Ragweed period.
Jeremy Plato, playing bass guitar, sang back-up vocals and a couple of songs on his own, like “To Find My Love.” Vocalist Graycie York accompanied many songs.
The tempo and decibels increased over time, with throbbing electric guitar riffs and the bass guitar and drums driving songs along. Yet, it all blended. The Departed played for almost two hours, giving fans the songs they love to hear.
SUNDAY SINGING
On July 20 at 7:00 p.m. at the same location, gospel songs and hymns inspired 100 people to sing with soloists and church groups.
Soloists included Joe Burch (“There Is Love” by Peter, Paul and Mary) and Kooper Twyman (energetically singing “Two Wooden Beams”). Duelists Sandra Hunter and Kendra Akins (“Trust in God”) and Westin Woodruff and Danielle Tucker (“Because HeLives”)sang. Membersfromthe Trinity and Refuge Churches sang too.
Credit goes to Mireya Cotts for organizing the Sunday Singing event. Regarding the high turnout of the Wild Plum Jam, Joe Merrick, a music coordinator, said, “We’re excited about the future of the event.”
Kathy Schones of Canute is a Board Member of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association. She wrote, “The Dust Bowl Days event is good for Route 66 in Sayre, bringing in a lot of area residents and the band line up for the Wild Plum Jam is excellent.”
