30 Artists to See at Norman Music Festival
Norman Music Festival has grown a lot since 2008. Even though that growth has brought Thee Oh Sees, Tune-Yards, The Sword, and Cloud Nothings, the festival remains completely free for attendees. In its eleventh year, NMF2019 brings a wide variety of music and a mix of bands from national headliners to hidden local gems. We put together a list of bands we think you need to see when heading to NMF.
Thursday
Alan Doyle Old school hip hop from Tulsa. Check out the video in the link featuring Tulsa legend Evan Hughes! 7:30 pm at Brewhouse
Tripsitters – This indie-pop trio has fans singing along and hitting the dance floor. 8 pm at Bison Witches front stage
Plain Speak - Bedroom pop that grew into something that feels right at home in the venue. 8:30 pm at the Opolis indoor stage
Night Beats – Garage rock drenched with a heavy dose of psychedelia and old school r&b. 9:30 pm at the Opolis outdoor stage
Tallows – Local indie rockers just released their second full-length album, and always seem to find creative new ways to perform live. 9:30 pm at the Opolis indoor stage
Bringer – Tulsa’s eccentric rock group who write songs about everything from Goldie Hawn to stalking. 10 pm at the Main Street Event Center
Zunis – Consistently featured on Only Oklahoma, Zunis have put out some of the catchiest local music recently. 10 pm at Resonator
Soccer Mommy – This pretty much goes without saying, but Soccer Mommy has exploded onto the indie music scene in the past two years. Even though artist Sophie Allison is only twenty years old, she knows how to put on a powerful live show. 10:45 pm at the Opolis outdoor stage.
Applied Music Program – Norman’s A.M.P. is an indie synth-pop group featuring members of the legendary Oklahoma bands Starlight Mints and Stardeath and White Dwarfs. 12 am on the Opolis indoor stage
Don’t Tell Dena – Psychedelic indie rock from OKC. 1 am at the Main Street Event Center
Friday
Mansions – A solo songwriter and producer who creates hip hop and r&b influenced tracks. 6 pm at The Winston West Stage
Swim Fan – Boasting a diverse group of artistic influences, Swim Fan paint a beautiful lo-fi indie pop picture. 7 pm at the Opolis indoor stage
Plastic Psalms – Mathy hard punk rock from Tulsa. This band managed to do a whole album of Hüsker Dü covers, and do them justice. 7 pm at Resonator
Bowlsey – hip hop and neo-soul pour out of this OKC quartet. 7 pm at Winston West Stage
Tom Boil – Tulsa post-punk and hard rockers who have carved a clear niche for themselves. Righteous anger and energy pour out of this band. 8 pm at Resonator
Pearl Earl – This long-running Denton, TX garage band puts on a killer show with hooky, psychedelic-influenced rock. 8:30 at Opolis outdoor stage
The Garden – The duo makes electronic indie rock with some punk rock attitude thrown in there. They may not be household names quite yet, but their name definitely deserves to be as high as it is on the festival flyer. 10:45 pm at the Opolis outdoor stage
Psychotic Reaction – Norman hard rockers Psychotic Reaction put on a loud, fuzzy, energetic show every time they hit the stage. They’ve mixed punk, hard rock, and grungy psychedelia to create a unique stand out sound. 12:30 am at Main Street Event Center
Poolboy – A radical surf-punk inspired Norman group. 9 pm at Guestroom Records
Lizzie No – A singer-songwriter, Lizzie often gets pigeonholed as a folk artist. If you’re not into folk, don’t let this scare you off of her music. She brings a fresh approach to a lyric-focused songwriting style. 7 pm at Main Street Event Center
Bonus suggestion: If you have never seen The Fabulous Minx, go check them out 11:30 pm at the Red Brick Bar. If you need more convincing check out their music video, also featuring Tulsa legend Evan Hughes.
Double bonus: Planet What don’t play as much as they used to since one member moved out of state. You can catch them at 9 pm on the Gray Street Stage.
Tripe bonus: Get ready to get goofy with the boys of Ben Quad. You can check out the Tulsa/Norman-based emo band at Resonator at 9 pm.
Saturday
Big Business – Heavy riffs from ex-members of The Murder City Devils and Karp. 9:30 pm on The Winston West Stage
Beach Fossils – Yes, naming the headliner seems like the easy way out. That being said, Beach Fossils are a long-running part of the Brooklyn indie scene, and you really shouldn’t miss them when you have the chance. 10 pm on the Fowler Automotive Main Stage
The Allie Lauren Project – The powerful project of an amazing singer, whose name is not Allie. Check out the diverse and unique sound of this Oklahoma artist. 10 pm at Main Street Event Center
Skating Polly – Oklahoma City’s own angsty grunge influenced rock trio. They are one of Exene Cervenka’s favorite bands. 6 pm on the Fowler Automotive Main Stage
Black Milk with The Nat Turner Band – Detroit native Black Milk has been putting out poignant hip hop since 2002. His most recent set mixes in a live band for an energetic show. 8:30 pm on the Fowler Automotive Main Stage
Carter Sampson – The Americana queen of Oklahoma. Carter is a staple in Oklahoma music playing over 200 shows each year. 10:45 pm on the Gray Street Stage
LCG & the X – While they aren’t newcomers, their name has recently bounced around the state due to powerful feminist lyrics and hip-shaking rhythms. 4 pm on the Fowler Automotive Main Stage
Girls Club – an energetic mix of punk, synth-pop, and good ole’ rock and roll. Did we mention they have two bass guitarists? 1:30 pm at the Opolis indoor stage.
Sailor Poon – Austin garage rock weirdos who are no stranger to the Oklahoma music scene. 11 pm at the Opolis indoor stage.
Flock of Pigs – Norman’s own, and mixing a ton sounds to create something completely unique, Flock of Pigs are one of the local gems hitting the main stage this weekend. 11 pm on the Opolis outdoor stage
Let us know which bands you saw! Share your pictures with us on Facebook and Instagram!
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