This review was originally published by PureRockNews.com which is no longer around. Enjoy this look back at the early days of Rocklahoma!
I entered the gates a Rocklahoma virgin, having never attended the three day rock and roll festival before, or any other multi-day music mecca for that matter. By the time I left I was certifiably addicted! I had the great fortune to be attending as a member of the media, and just before the festival, was invited to camp out all weekend with Oklahoma’s own Motortrain who was scheduled to play a campground stage, so I was more than excited to get the party rolling!
We loaded up the RV (spoiled, I know, but a girl’s gotta have standards), packed the coolers, and as little clothing as possible and hit the road. In the final days prior to the festival, Motortrain was informed that the stage they were meant to play on had been pulled from the event for reasons not relevant to this review, so our caravan included the RV and the band van loaded down with most of their gear. They were going to make their Rocklahoma debut whether they had a stage or not! As we pulled through Pryor, Oklahoma my excitement level was becoming uncontainable. Octane (on Sirius XM) was playing a non-stop run of Rocklahoma artists and all I could think about was that I would FINALLY get to see a Jackyl set in its entirety. (Sidenote: Many years ago I had tickets to see Jackyl perform in a very small club in Phoenix, AZ, but through poor companion selection and a series of unfortunate events I found myself chasing my date out of the venue with police following close behind during the second song of the set. Ask me about it sometime… it’s quite the funny story). Anyhow, with Jackyl on the radio and on my mind, I made the right turn at the Rocklahoma sign and sailed right into the back corner of the VIP campgrounds late Thursday afternoon.
The whole evening was spent setting up the RV for the long haul (cutting limes, rinsing shot glasses, icing down the beer… you know… the important stuff), learning the lay of the land, and meeting the neighbors. From Tanya who plays in an all-female football league in Northwest Arkansas, to Ken from the band Bad Decisions out of Fort Smith, and a dozen others who hailed from many states around including our own. All were happy, hospitable, and ready for the weekend. PureRockNews Rocklahoma Headquarters Diggin the decor! Rocklahoma vets for sure. Tents and RV’s as far as the eye could see at Rocklahoma 2012! My vote for the BEST Rocklahoma 2012 campground!
Once we got our bearings, it was time to wander out and join the pre-party that was already well underway. Sunshine at Axis Entertainment had a hell of a show going on at the Axis stage, and we were just in time to catch Tulsa’s own Baron Von Swagger. We stayed for a bit of Aformatic, but then wandered back out into the campground area to find that the Jager Stage had also kicked up a party of their own. This is how I met the boys from Scattered Hamlet, who somehow ended up playing every night we were there. The LA-based rock and roll band really defined everything I had come to Rocklahoma to find. They were rough, rowdy, and really putting on a show. Between lead singer Adam’s ten foot tall stature and surly growl, and guitarist Red’s dirty smirk during every solo I somehow became captivated in the very spirit of the festival. Beer was being spilled on me, shirtless men trying to pick me up, and shots and beads were being poured from the stage. I was in heaven.
We took a few minutes to meet the organizers of Camp Jager, Fred and Stacey, who looked incredibly relaxed for two folks who had just drove in and set up a complete stage, sound system, lighting rig, and majorly outfitted camper. But alas, we called it a night and wandered back to our campsite to rest up for the official opening day.
To continue the tale, visit Rocklahoma 2012 in Review: Day Two