​Now I love Rocklahoma.  I love the headliners. I love the scene. I love seeing the old friends every year.  I love the focus on traditional heavy metal.  I love the respect the organizers show to old-school rock-and-roll by signing bands that are in--or surely will be in--the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  But I also love it when they go off beat and find something that does not fit with the heavy metal theme of the weekend.

​Whether it is Lovebettie or Nicnos, Rocklahoma organizers have a way of finding eclectic music that metalheads can really appreciate. Both of the aforementioned fantastic bands are back this year on the Axis stage, which will, as always in Pryor, cause tough decisions about whether to stay inside with the headliners or venture out to Axis with bands whose names are often unknown outside of their hometown.
 
Roots of Thought is another of those amazing Axis stage bands that should not be missed.  Being Tulsa, Oklahoma, natives, they have appeared at Rocklahoma before, but for some reason I missed them in their last appearance. But that is certainly not going to happen this year. I will be up front.
 
Headed by talented vocalist Tazmen West and backed by guitarist Logan Meldrum, bassist Tyler Burke and drummer Gavin Wendlen, Roots of Thought is what I would call “Psychadelic Indie Rock.”  I am not even sure that is a genre, but it definitely fits.  There are Indie overtures, but when the music gets going there is definitely a 60’s psychadelia going on.
 
Nowhere is this truer than in the song “Lotus,” where West’s vocals shine and the guitars are allowed to dance around in your head freely.  I am sitting, writing this in a tie-dye shirt, and feeling quite at home.

Another great song, “Diamond Mind” has a truly enjoyable video here:

​Roots of Thought serves up a much more traditional Indie sound in “I Think.”

​“Wake Up” offers Roots of Thought’s punk side. If you listen to the EP Parallel Mind you will get a sense of the diverse abilities of this group of talented musicians.  I am really looking forward to enjoying their show at Rocklahoma.  Along with The Grizzly Band, this is another local band you should put on your “must-see” list. 

Instead of starting from the last band on the list and working my way up as I did last year, this year I am picking bands at random, and of course, band names that stand out get all of the attention.  Speaking of which, if you are bored today, check out this link.

Perhaps The Brady Bunch Lawnmower Massacre or People with Chairs up Their Noses aren’t playing, but The Grizzly Band has definitely caught my attention.
 
While The Grizzly Band earns its name straight from chords of vocalist Chad Grizzly, there is a lot more to like than just the unique growl of Grizzly.  The band, from Austin, Texas, is inspired by Bruce Springsteen and Johnny Cash, and melds that with a more traditional southern rock sound.
 
When getting to know The Grizzly Band I would definitely start with the single “Train Wreck,” from their Reverbnation site.


​Of course once you are there, you’ll be staying to listen to the rest.  Try “Hammer Down” and then the others.
 
But if you want to experience some serious variety, get down to some of their patented Whiskey Punk (their self-prescribed genre). Hit this song.

“Onward and Westward” is a groovy song and funny video.  Here you can hear the influences of “The Man in Black,” and the videography is done solely on Chad Grizzly’s iPhone, and the results are hilarious.

​I just spent the past half hour just letting their music play, and it is fantastic.  From hard rock, to Springsteen, to the honky-tonk of a band such as Nicnos, The Grizzly Band is something I will not miss at Rocklahoma 2016.  You shouldn’t either.