Visiting the Leon Russell Studio and Studio 666
Today’s blog will feature some things the kids and I did this past week. Some super fun activities in Tulsa!
First, going backward in time… this past Tuesday, March 1st: The Church Studio.
Another reason why Tulsa Rocks! The grand opening of the world-famous, “The Church Studio” has undergone a massive renovation and is finally back open. The building opened as a church in 1915 on the corner of Trenton and 3rd Street in Tulsa. It was purchased 50 years ago by Tulsa musician Leon Russell who turned it into a recording studio. It sat vacant for many years and now, 50 years to the day Leon purchased it, it is open again. Teresa Knox is a superfan and new partner/owner of The Church Studio. Tours for the grand opening week, this week, are only $5 and well worth seeing now because this will be a source of adoration from very influential musicians worldwide for many years to come. So, you can say you were in The Church Studio when it reopened!
Below is a video interview with Teresa and a walkthrough of the facility. It honestly felt like there was a spiritual vibe emanating from these righteous walls.
Second, Monday, February 28th: Velvet Taco.
My video podcast focuses on nonprofits and small businesses in Tulsa. The newest taco joint in town is called, “Velvet Taco.” It is on the corner of 15th and Peoria. It’s a perfect spot to bring the kids during the day or meet some friends in the evening as you are getting your night-on-the-town started. And/or at the end of a night-on-the-town because they are open late on the weekends and you KNOW a taco is perfect munchy food after a night of drinking and dancing! Gotta try the Kobe Bacon Burger Taco.
Third, Saturday, February 26th: Up With Trees.
Atticus and I attended a volunteer appreciation luncheon with Up With Trees. The luncheon was held at Studio 308 in the burgeoning East Village area near downtown. I had never been into this events rental space before but hope I get invited again soon because it was super cool and sheik. Steve Grantham and his Up With Trees staff do a wonderful job keeping Green Country, green! And they put on a fun party too. You may have seen in previous blogs the times my son and I volunteered to paint some of the Up With Trees signs you see displayed around Tulsa. We did it to help an organization that truly is a big reason why I moved to Tulsa, but it was nice to feel appreciated too, with free BBQ, Milo’s sweet tea, and cake. Plus, a fun little golden statue holding a shovel as a memento. AND the UWT crew even put on a hilarious award show presenting awards to the “best trees” and volunteers.
Fourth, Friday, February 25th: Studio 666 movie at Circle Cinema.
I am going to start doing movie reviews courtesy of Circle Cinema. My relationship with them began many years ago. Chuck Foxen and I became instant friends when we discovered our unapologetic love for movies dealing with music. Whether it’s documentaries, dramas, or campy comedy horror movies like the new Dave Grohl/Foo Fighters movie, Studio 666.
When I moved to Tulsa 17 years ago one fascination I had was Circle Cinema since it was featured in one of my favorite movies, The Outsiders. Chuck and I have done several partnerships over the years highlighting movies from Rush, KISS and now Foo Fighters. I’ll be reviewing other movies (not just music movies) at Circle Cinema. Tonight I am going to see The Batman and will have my write-up for you next week.
I’m very biased, I must confess before I give you my review. I have quite the man-crush on Dave Grohl. I love everything he does, so yes and I loved this movie. And yes, keep the kids at home for this one! There is foul language, very gory scenes, and gratuitous sex scenes. Let’s face it, Foo Fighters are musicians, not actors, and it shows. But, to me, that only adds to the awesomeness of this movie. It’s not meant to win any Oscars unless there is a new category called: CateGORY.
The special effects are terrible, the storyline is “iffy”, and the acting is, well… not.
And yes, I give it a THUMBS UP! In much the same way I loved watching KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park, I loved watching Studio 666.
One last thing, shoutout to Cox Media Group for helping citizens recycle responsibly. Bring the old junk that you have laying around the garage, backyard, storage unit, etc and recycle them at Expo Square tomorrow (March 5th) for a one-day, city-wide recycling event called: Big Spring Clean. We will be there from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm accepting your recyclables. There will be a line so please be patient and thank you for caring about our environment by following the three R’s: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.
