Mother Road Revival Folk Music Festival Coming To Tulsa

On Monday, Tulsa's BOK Center announced plans for a concert and an annual music festival.

The first ever Mother Road Revival brings together several of Tulsa's musical tourist attractions.

It's something new downtown - a music festival spread across the Brady and into Kendall Whittier, but it's centered around Route 66 and Tulsa's sound.

The announcement gave fresh evidence that Tulsa is more than a stop on a tour schedule, it's becoming a place where music begins.

Organizers of the Mother Road Revival hope to solidify Tulsa as a music city. The event brings in headliner Jason Isbell for a concert at the BOK Center; Isbell took home two Grammys in February for Best American Roots Song and Best Americana Album.

But the festival also expands four days, with events at Cain’s Ballroom, Circle Cinema and Guthrie Green.

Learn More About Mother Road Revival

“We came up with the idea and through discussing things with stakeholders in the Brady and Blue Dome, so many people want to get involved. It's exciting,” said BOK Center General Manager, Jeff Nickler. 

The Woody Guthrie Center and the new Bob Dylan archives played a part in pulling the event together.

"So we want to make it accessible for the entire community, but we also want to bring a bunch of people to Tulsa and increase our reputation as a music community," said Woody Guthrie Center Executive Director, Deana McCloud.

While folk music, with new talent like Isbell, is a focus, it's all wrapped around Route 66.

For the first time, Ken Busby with the Route 66 Alliance said, celebrating so many things uniquely Tulsa.

“It's cool to tie all this together and showcase all the great things happening on the Mother Road, with the music, and culture and everything surrounding that,” he said.

Presentations at the Woody Guthrie Center will showcase interactions between Woody and Bob Dylan, whose archives are coming to Tulsa. The Circle Cinema will host a folk film component, and there will be happy hours and networking events as well.

The festival will be held Thursday through Sunday starting September 8. Organizers hope to make it an annual event that will have a large economic impact on Tulsa.

Isbell is headlining Saturday, September 10 with special guests Shakey Graves and Lucero.

Tickets go on sale through the BOK Center this Friday.

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