Growing up in Tulsa, OK, I heard Woody Guthrie’s name often (as well as some of the other Oklahoma greats- Leon Russell, J.J. Cale, Gary Busey- no lie…he was and/or is a badass drummer). After my migration to New Orleans and later Los Angeles Woody Guthrie’s music continued to be an unavoidable force. He’s had such an overwhelming influence on songwriters we are compelled to keep his music alive. And although I am familiar with Guthrie’s music I was not as familiar with his early life, so when an unexpected opportunity arose to see “Bound for Glory” on TCM I was all over it. The film was directed by one of my favorite filmmakers, Hal Ashby (Harold and Maude, Being There) and I was shocked I hadn’t seen it. David Carradine plays Guthrie and simply slays the part…and a young Randy Quaid also makes an appearance sporting the same gentle giant qualities as he did in another Ashby great “The Last Detail”. The film also briefly debut’s actress Mary Kay Place (Terms of Endearment, HBO’s “Big Love”)…another Tulsa native who my mom knew in high school…crazy. The film focuses on Guthrie’s early life in Pampa, Texas and his migration to Los Angeles (via a box car). His life and the sacrifices he makes for his art are so beyond most (if not all) songwriters today…but that topic is another discussion. So if you’re itching to find out more about the great Woody Guthrie’s early life, and you want to see an amazingly beautiful film in the process, check out “Bound for Glory”.

-AM

Check out AM on the cover of this week’s Urban Tulsa Weekly. AM will be headlining at DFEST this week on the main stage along with such talented acts as The All American-Rejects, Paramore, Phantom Planet, Zappa Plays Zappa and more.

For more information and to purchase tickets visit: http://www.dfest.net/

Being AM’s fan has its perks…like discounted tickets to the show at Dfest in Tulsa, OK. Just go to www.dfest.com and click on tickets. Then enter the code: am5off to instantly receive $5 off the $30 ticket price. Your ticket will be valid for two full nights of music.

Dfest is the Midwest’s largest musical festival July 25-26 in downtown Tulsa’s historic Blue Dome District. The festival features us, along with 150 other artists in 20 musical genres on 12 stages.

This special offer is only valid from June 27-July 5, so get online and order your tickets to see AM today! AM will be performing on the mainstage July 26th at 7:00pm. Mark your calendars.

Ventura Country Reporter chose AM as their music “Pick of the Week.”

http://www.vcreporter.com/cms/story/detail/picks_of_the_week/5993/

A.M.

05/29/2008

For an artist whose career is just beginning its upward trajectory, singer-songwriter AM already has the whole myth-making thing down. He doesn’t like revealing exact dates about certain events in his life, and don’t even bother inquiring about his government name — he is not about to give it up. What we do know is that he was born in Tulsa, Okla., grew up a self-described “rock’n'roll kid,” was working in a music store and playing bar gigs with cover bands by the time he was 15, was influenced to become a songwriter by the likes of Bob Dylan, Beck and Jeff Tweedy, left New Orleans for Los Angeles and fell in with the Hotel Café scene, released his first album, Troubled Times, in 2006, and with its spare, mostly acoustic arrangements and simple-but-cryptic lyrics, caught a buzz in the L.A. neo-folk community, which carried over to his second album, last year’s Soul Variations. Oh, and one other thing: He is playing Zoey’s on May 30.

Dfest- July 25 & 26, 2008 – - Tulsa, Oklahoma

**AM is playing the Main Stage at Dfest on July 26, 2008 at 7:00pm**

http://www.dfest.com/

7/24 - ABC’s KTUL Channel 8 – Good Morning Tulsa Performance

7/25 - DFEST – Speaking on panel – 1pm

7/26 - DFEST – Main Stage Performance – 7pm

Headliners
The All-American Rejects
The Roots
The Disco Biscuits
Helmet
Paramore
Zappa Plays Zappa
Ghostland Observatory
moe.
Phantom Planet
Edison Glass
AM
Ty England
Ravi
The Apples In Stereo