On Sunday, October 13th, more than 50 Oklahoma musicians will gather across three stages at 18th and Boston in Tulsa to play the ninth annual “Skinnerfest” celebrating the life and songwriting tradition of Oklahoma Music Hall of Famer, Tom Skinner. The festival will benefit Red Dirt Relief Fund’s Financial Assistance fund to aid music creators facing unavoidable emergencies.
New to the festival this year is a third outdoor all-ages stage that is free and open to the public with support from a Tulsa Vision Arts 5 grant. This stage, located in the parking lot south of Venue Shrine, another of the festival stages, will feature young talent currently under the tutelage of local gigging musicians who are also part of the festival. Hosted by family-favorite Hot Toast, this stage will feature Brass in the Ballpark, the student program of King Cabbage Brass Band; TMC Records, Steph Simon’s McLain High School hip hop program; Preslar Music Showcase with Brian Jones (Friendship Church, composer, producer, teacher) and Chris Bell (BC & the Big Rig); Bob Dylan Center’s Tangled up in Tunes with Chris Combs and Jesse Aycock; and School of Rock.
The day will also include a special tribute set from Wednesday Night Science Project in honor of Don Morris who passed away on August 8. Morris and Skinner started Science Project, along with Gene Williams, in 2000. The remaining members of the band and a slew of special guests will share songs and stories in memory of their original members. This year’s festival logo, which usually reflects the Tulsa skyline in Tom Skinners’ sunglasses, features the silhouette of Morris in a recognition of his importance in the Tulsa music community.
The festival begins at noon with a limited-capacity Bluegrass Brunch with Johnny Mullenax and Friends at Mercury Lounge (additional ticket required). Brunch tickets include general admission to the festival along with a Burgers & Brats cookout from Alley Cat Ranch and two complimentary beverages like Backstage IPA, a recent collaboration of Red Dirt Relief Fund and Cabin Boys of which sales benefit Oklahoma music creators in need.
According to Red Dirt Relief Fund Executive Director Katie Dale, “The talent and energy flowing through the Tulsa music scene right now is inspiring! We think telling the story of how interwoven, expansive and impactful our Tulsa music ecosystem is helps grow our mission of supporting local music professionals in need, and we are grateful to our local partners for making this all possible!”
This year’s lineup represents a mix of Skinner’s Red Dirt friends and “Tulsa Sound” musicians, with more artists to be announced when the full schedule by venue is announced the first week of October.
Skinner was often quoted for his description of Red Dirt music as “more of a brotherhood and a community thing than it is necessarily a style.” This festival seeks to celebrate that community while surprising music fans of all genres by showcasing all Oklahoma talent. Skinner was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame just four months before his death on July 12, 2015.
Red Dirt Relief Fund is a non-profit organization that provides a safety net of critical assistance to Oklahoma music professionals. Since it began in 2012, Red Dirt Relief Fund has granted over $895,000 to more than 800 music creators in 39 Oklahoma counties including $305,000 in COVID relief grants.
Skinnerfest is supported by Tulsa Vision Arts 5, The Collaborative Coffee, Tulsa Dental Center, Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture and Cabin Boys.
Tickets can be purchased at reddirtrelieffund.org/skinnerfest starting at $25. The stages at Mercury Lounge and Shrine are 21+. The outdoor stage is free and all ages.
Visit reddirtrelieffund.org/skinnerfest, friend Red Dirt Relief Fund on Facebook or follow @reddirtrelief for more information and festival updates.
For media or sponsorship inquiries, please contact Katie Dale at reddirtrelieffund@gmail.com or 918-407-4599.
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