Grammy Winners The Flaming Lips Coming Back To Oklahoma

Tuesday, February 27th 2007, 10:38 am

By: News On 6

It's five months away, but excitement is building for this year's edition of Diversafest. The music festival provides an opportunity for young bands to perform and learn more about the music business. The News on 6â€™s Rick Wells reports organizers are excited both by how the festival has grown and by a terrific slate of headliners.

"We are super excited," said Diversafest founder Tom Green.

Green and his wife organized the festival six years ago as a showcase and education conference for young musicians. This year Dfest is an official Centennial event, and it's gonna be huge!

"The headliners for this year, and we are very proud to announce this, Oklahoma's very own, three time Grammy award winning The Flaming Lips," said Green.

The Flaming Lips along with Leon Russell will lead a parade of more than 130 bands at the two-day event, most of them local or regional groups looking for an opportunity.

"Instead of driving the youthful entertainment away from us we want to embody it here, and build on it by bringing industry here," Green said.

So as in past years the executives will be here to listen to music and help educate musicians.

Mayor Kathy Taylor came along for Tuesdayâ€™s Dfest kickoff to lend the City's endorsement.

"Music is Tulsa's history, from the Jazz Hall of Fame to the Cainâ€™s Ballroom, and now this is the largest music festival in Oklahoma," she said.

This year the festival will move to the Blue Dome District on the East End of Downtown, with outdoor and indoor locations for bands to play.

We asked the Mayor if she could bring in a group of her choice who would it be?

"I'm pretty excited the Flaming Lips are coming actually," said Taylor.

She says she became a fan when she was Tourism Secretary.

Diversafest is July 27-28; organizers are still looking for musicians for the festival. For more information about DFest, logon to their website www.dfest.com.