Tulsa World: Fever is growing at Pryor music festival

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Fever is growing at Pryor music festival

Hazzard performs at Country Fever north of Pryor on Friday. ADAM WISNESKI/Tulsa World

By JENNIFER CHANCELLOR World Scene Writer
Published: 6/20/2009 2:03 PM
Last Modified: 6/20/2009 7:40 PM

Get live Country Fever updates, video, photos and more from the scene … and read about other music news. tulsaworld.com/barrelhousebeat.

PRYOR — This weekend’s Country Fever camping and music festival brought together thousands of friends, families and music lovers of everything from old-school country to rock ‘n’ roll.

Brothers Hayden and Ryan Metzger from Tahlequah came to the festival grounds near Pryor for “quality time” before elder brother Ryan leaves for the Army in July.

Ryan, 18, and Hayden, 15, strode to a tent to listen to musician Travis Linville and his band perform. Each also rode a mechanical bull as they took shelter from the near-triple digit heat on Saturday afternoon.

“This was our first time to ever ride one,” said Ryan Metzger as he slung his arm around his brother’s shoulder. “This festival was the best way I could think of to spend what little time I have left with him before I leave.”

Ryan Metzer heads to Fort Jackson, S.C., in early July, he said.

The pair came in Friday and plan to stay through Sunday. Friday night, the boys were even invited onto the stage by headlining act and Red Dirt musician Stoney LaRue, they said.

“Stoney just told the guard, ‘Everyone’s comin’ up here,’ and we got up there and hung out and danced,” said Hayden Metzger.

It was a highlight the boys won’t soon forget. “It was totally awesome,” said Ryan Metzger.

Traffic into Pryor picked up over the weekend as thousands of Red Dirt music fans flocked to Country Fever camping and music festival on the Fever Fest grounds north of Pryor.

Red Dirt music is often confused with “Texas country,” but it is an Okie-born, eclectic mix of country, classic rock, folk and rock ‘n’ roll that originated around Stillwater.

It was a change — and a risk — for Country Fever, which has featured more “mainstream” headliners at past festivals.

The Kum & Go, the Indian Smoke Shop and other businesses on Highway 69 through the Pryor got “crazy” with business, said a clerk in the gas station.

At one point, a minor scuffle broke out over parking spots as festivalgoers clotted the entrance waiting to buy everything from sunblock to beer. “The increase in business has been huge,” the clerk said, who wished to not be identified. “The cops were called, but it was settled quickly.”

Official attendance numbers haven’t been released for this year’s Country Fever camping and music festival — it ends Sunday night — but gauging from the sales of some vendors who do this every year, tickets sales were probably down overall.

Last year’s attendance over four days was estimated at 80,000 people.

“We usually get about 500 paying visitors each year while we’re here,” said Tobi Cahill, who works with Safari Joe’s wildlife sanctuary in Adair. She set up a booth at this year’s event. “So far this weekend, we’ve probably had about 100.”

As she petted a blue and gold macaw named Blue, a few kids squeezed into the tan tent to look at pythons, tortoises, alligators and lizards.

Cahill credited the lack of rain (“Usually, the rain cools things off for everyone,” she said), the economy and a change of format for this year’s slump.

But out here, the fans didn’t seem to mind one bit. In fact, most fans said they liked the change — many said they came this year for the first time due to the inclusion of acts like Stoney LaRue, Billy Joe Shaver, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Robert Earl Keen, Jason Boland & the Stragglers, Jerry Jeff Walker and more.

Country Fever was also landmark for more than genre change.

Five years after a helicopter crash killed two people and seriously injured the three founding members of Red Dirt music legend the Red Dirt Rangers, here, its frontman finally faced his fears.

John Cooper, along with rowdy Red Dirt cohort Mike McClure and his drummer Eric Hansen, climbed aboard for a scenic helicopter ride. They cruised high over the Country Fever festival crowds just north of Pryor.

“Mike said, ‘I’m buyin’ and we’re flyin!’” said Cooper. “So I went. We got in and at first I was really nervous.

“But once we got up there it was calming,” he said. “I’ve only flown three times. Once I nearly died. The second time was on the way to the hospital after the crash. This time … I had a choice,” he said, then smiled broadly.

Cooper is also working behind the scenes with a lot of bands over the weekend, in addition to a Saturday performance with the Red Dirt Rangers.

“We’re all having a ball out here,” said Cooper. “We rarely get to see each other like this.”

The Red Dirt Rangers took the stage at Country Fever on Saturday with several announcements. One, they’re working on a collection of Porter Wagoner hits with Tulsa Sound and Red Dirt scene stalwart Steve Ripley.

And, the band’s writing new songs, too.

The group, celebrating 20 years together this year, fired off an energetic set with full band: Don Morris on bass, Jim Karstein on drums, Randy Crouch on fiddle and pedal steel guitar, Ben Han on lead guitar and vocals, Brad Piccolo on guitar and vocals, and John Cooper on mandolin and vocals.

And, the boys also paid tribute to Red Dirt scene co-founder Bob Childers, who died last year from complications of lung disease. They performed his tune, “Good Morning Mary Ann,” a bouncy, down-tempo love song.

“None of this would be happening today if Bob Childers hadn’t come along. This festival, our careers, everything,” said Cooper. “We miss him very much.”

Saturday headliners:

1:30 p.m.: Aaron Watson

3 p.m.: Ray Wylie Hubbard

4:45 p.m.: Red Dirt Rangers

6:30 p.m.: Reckless Kelly

8:15 p.m.: Jason Boland & the Stragglers

10:30 p.m.: Cross Canadian Ragweed

Sunday headliners:

1:30 p.m.: Brandon Rhyder

3 p.m.: Ryan Bingham & the Dead Horses

4:45 p.m.: Johnny Cooper

6:45 p.m.: Eli Young

9 p.m.: Jerry Jeff Walker

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By JENNIFER CHANCELLOR World Scene Writer

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Reader comments for this story have been moved to the most updated version of the story, now under the headline "Slide Show: Surf the heat wave ," which was published on 6/21/2009. So far, 4 comments have been made.