The Brandon Clark Band

Walking Tall

If there's one thing that needs to be cleared up, it's this: The Brandon Clark Band is not a country act. Sure, the group did play at Country Fever last summer (and was, ironically, one of the only bands to NOT play a cover tune all weekend), but that's more a matter of time, place and exposure. Stop in for a club gig with BCB and you'll find more screaming guitars and miller flying than boot scootin'.

The band may get taken for granted since it plays so frequently, but that's changing as the group keeps getting more and more out of town gigs. On the occasion that I get to stop in, however, it's nearly always like pulling out an old record and rediscovering one of your old favorites. Classic guitar tones and bar-room rock are the rule, especially when the band is on fire and playing live.

The live show is where the Brandon Clark Band thrives, which may explain the energy caught on the band's new disc, Tall, which rolls out this Friday night, May 2, with a CD release party at Mercury Lounge.

With nearly two years time invested and the disc all but completed, the band decided to scrap the sessions a few months ago and made a trip to visit Hank Charles at Valcour Sound. From there, the group started from scratch and while Charles dialed in the tones and directed the recording, the band kicked out the tunes the way it does things best: live and in the moment.

Of course, a few punch-ins and overdubs were added, but mostly, it was live. In turn, there's an energy on the new record which was missing from the initial sessions.

Back to the whole country thing. It's not that there aren't elements of country in the band's music. There are also elements of blues, jam and even hard rock at times, but you rarely hear the group described as a blues or jam band. As bassist Darren Lightfoot put it, "We still rock up the country and country up the rock."

Not quite Red Dirt, not country or blues, the Brandon Clark Band incorporates a little of everything from the band members' influences and rolls it all together.

One listen to Tall tells you all you need to know; The Brandon Clark Band is finally starting to capture part of its live attitude in the studio and, in turn, creating CDs that will spend a lot more time in the CD player in your car.

Yes, there's still a little honky-tonk and country in there. "This Hangover Ain't Over" has the twang and lyrics that most people associate with country, but the sound is closer to Austin's Derailers than anything coming out of Nashville. At the same time, "Try a Little Loneliness" has a swagger and swing that you're more likely to find with Roger Clyne and the Arizona Peacemakers.

The real standout of the new disc, however, is easily "She's Got No Wings" --a song penned by bassist Darren Lightfoot. It's a song that already stood out, but when the group suggested while recording that it would sound cool with strings in the back ground, producer Hank Charles took the band one step farther by scoring it out overnight and adding the parts the next day. Charles input and attention to detail was definitely a deciding factor in the new recordings.

In turn, the band got what they were looking for: a big bass and drum sound along with a full guitar tone. The end results exceeded the band's expectations. Now, it can exceed yours.
- Urban Tulsa

He's no Brandon Jenkins.

"I have no idea why this happens," he said of the frequent confusion between him and his fellow musical troubadour.

"People will book shows thinking he's us and viceversa," he said.

"I even have a shirt that says, 'I'M NOT BRANDON JENKINS!' " Clark said with a laugh.

"Honestly, we're good friends. We think it's hilarious."

Well, all confusion will be laid to rest on Friday, when Clark debuts the first full-length CD from the Brandon Clark Band, "Tall," at Mercury Lounge on 18th Street and Boston Avenue.

Other than the obvious physical differences — Jenkins' bald pate, for example — there are also myriad musical variants.

"People always call my music 'red dirt,' " Clark said of his music and his band.

"But Jenkins is red dirt. I'm Americana. My influences are The Black Crowes and Tom Petty, ZZ Top, early Rolling Stones."

The latter mistake is an understandable one — Clark's distinctive, big-guitar-anddrum blend of country, rock and Americana is a sound also embraced by the red dirt

.. --> 336x280 Advertisement (CM8) --> .. language=javascript>CM8ShowAd("336x280");..> music community.

But, most of Jenkins' gigs are in and around Austin, Texas, where he now lives.

Clark, on the other hand, plays regularly all over the Sooner State, and he's based in Broken Arrow.

Clark can be found performing around Tulsa, often several nights a week — and upward of 250 nights a year.

His band was even invited back for a second year to perform at Country Fever in June, the monster country festival in Pryor ("We were the only band there that played an all-original set!" he said she was shocked to discover). Often, his band is invited to play at Toby Keith's "I Love This Bar & Grill" in Oklahoma Cit y. "I haven't had a day job in seven years," he said. " You can't fi nd a better life for a bunch of laid-back cut-ups like us."

And cut up they do. Band members Heath Jacobson, Dave Duval and Darren Lightfoot indulge in practical jokes — especially with regional touring band (and friend) Back Porch Mary, he said.

"Oh, we do things like on that 'Punked' show, where we'll call and say a band member quit or whatever and someone has to fill in," he laughed.

He also pals around with bands like John Moreland & The Black Gold Band and the Turnpike Troubadours, he said.

Then there was that one contest with a certain local bar owner to see how many beer bottles could be broken over one helmet-wearing head.

"We worked the 'cover band' scene for years," he explained. "So we don't ever take anything too seriously.

"We wanted to play originals and realized that the demand for our band went up, our pay went up and the number of shows skyrocketed.

"It's nice to be so busy that I don't have 17 minutes to waste anymore for covers like 'Freebird,' " he said, then laughed.

In fact, he has a lot more time to focus on his songwriting, he said. The new record was recorded with the help of producer Hank Charles over at Valcour Sound, where Charles even wrote vast, symphonic string arrangements for one track, "She's Got No Wings."

"We recorded this in 43 hours of studio time," he said. "We had another version of this album that we'd worked on for a year and a half.

"We've been around a while but were completely blown away by Hank's handiwork in the studio," he said. "He just knew how we were supposed to sound. We're a live band, we simply love to play."
- Tulsa World

I have been hearing some buzz about Brandon Clark for quite some time and was told to go have myself a listen. If you are around the music scene for very long, your going to hear that alot. What got me interested was the buzz was coming from some pretty influential members of the Red Dirt community, so I paid attention. I live in Bartlesville, which in spite of mine and several other folks best efforts, is NOT the heart of the regional music scene, so I marched myself down to Dirty's Tavern (they treat'cha Dirty...at Dirty's) in Tulsa to catch Brandon opening up for No Justice. When we walked in the place was full and the crowd was packed tight like cattle in a chute all the way up to the stage, Brandon was commanding attention in his honest, straightforward style... songs of Okie honky tonk life, stories from the road and loves won and lost. He had those folks in the palm of his hand.

He also had me in the palm of his hand, because it didn't take long to know that all the rumors about him were true. Yes, he Is Good, he is a really nice guy, and he means it. In my opinion, that makes it even better.

Tuesday is your chance to catch Brandon here in Bartlesville, he will be this weeks special guest at Tuesday Night Science at the Solo Club. Don't miss your chance to hear Brandon in such an intimate setting.

Make sure and listen to a few of his songs here: http://www.myspace.com/bclarktulsa and read on to hear what others are saying about Brandon Clark.



"With a sound ranging from Tommy Conwell and Roger Clyne, to a dash of George Jones, and a little Widespread Panic, Brandon Clark embraces his influences and wears them proudly on his sleeve."
Gary Hizer- Urban Tulsa Magazine, Tulsa Ok


Brandon Clark’s sound is a mix of rock, classic country, folk, red dirt, and blues, also known as “Americana Roots Music”. Raised in the true “Red Dirt” country of the western Oklahoma Panhandle, Brandon has been a lasting statement on the Oklahoma music scene over the last 8 years. Growing from being in cover bands to releasing 2 original cd’s, Brandon has come to the forefront of the Oklahoma music scene as a songwriter and performer.

It’s truly taken Brandon Clark a few years to really find himself. Brandon started off in cover bands playing pop songs and packing dance floors. All of that was just fine until the day he picked up a used cd called “Essential Earle”, by Steve Earle, and the rest as they say, is history. Brandon had found the true style of music that really touched and made since to him. Upon discovering Steve Earle, that cd also pointed Brandon in the direction of many others in the Americana/Classic Country realm of Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, and George Jones to Roger Clyne, Bare Jr., and Ryan Adams. With those influences growing stronger and stronger, Brandon has become a gigging machine in Oklahoma over the past 5 years. Brandon has kept a schedule of bookings that total well over 200 shows a year and has become one of the only musicians out of Tulsa, Ok to be able to play music as a full time job.

Over the past 3 years, Brandon has released 2 full length cd’s. Panhandle Gatherings was his freshmen effort. It gained a lot of momentum on the local Tulsa scene, but was unable to break out regionally. The cd gained credit for it’s up front lyrics and story telling ability. Brandon’s sophomore cd, Songs From The Beer Joint, was released this past April and is proving to be the effort that Brandon needed to gain regional attention. With a 5 Star rating from Payne County Line Promotions out of Stillwater, Ok, Songs From The Beer Joint is forging ahead and gaining a broader audience for Brandon. It seems to be the jewel needed by Brandon to kick start his career to the next level.

As mentioned earlier, Brandon did start off playing in cover bands. This has proven to not be as bad of a thing as most “cover” artist run into. When asked, “What kind of music do you play?” Brandon just responds with one simple answer, “depends on what kind of crowd shows up.” With that kind of ability to pull off anything, it’s no wonder why Brandon has been able to grow and as artist and grow a fan base that keeps getting larger and larger. Brandon has made the perfect platform to present his original music and keep a crowd happy.

Brandon’s straightforward approach to song writing is becoming a lost art in today’s world of big production/Nashville songwriting nothingness. It’s quite simply, a breath of fresh air. Brandon writes songs about family, friends, truth, true life experiences, and the Oklahoma Panhandle. He basically writes about what he knows and believes in. It’s with that honesty that Brandon seems to touch and make since to his audience and keeps them coming back for more.

“Brandon is one of those great Oklahoma artists that just keep getting better with age. His vocals are smooth and right on target and that comes from many days and nights performing his craft to the best of his ability. - Bartlesville Music Scene

Brandon Clark grew up about two hours north of Amarillo in the Texas County town of Guymon, Okla.

While he may not be a Texas boy, he definitely is a Panhandle boy and he's bringing his red dirt band to the GoldenLight Cantina.

"It's kind of a homecoming for me," Clark said.

Clark is no stranger to Amarillo, but for his band mates, it'll be a new experience.

"I actually played up there years ago in different bands, but we haven't been there together before," Clark said.

The band has toured primarily in eastern Oklahoma and northeastern Texas, but sees the GoldenLight show as a chance to expand its fan base.

"Hopefully with us doing this Amarillo gig this weekend, it'll turn into us getting into the western Oklahoma area and the Panhandle more often," Clark said.

Besides seeing a new act play Amarillo for the first time, the band's personable attitude is also reason to go, Clark said.

"We definitely don't have the big band attitude that a lot of people have," he said.

"The people that come and see us are our friends. If we don't know 'em, we definitely go out of our way to meet 'em."

The band released "Panhandle Gatherings" in 2004 and "Songs From the Beer Joint" in April 2006.

"They're good CDs, but it's not a good portrait of where we're at right now," Clark said.

The band should release a third album in late March or early April, Clark said.

"Just got to go in and find the time to record the last four or five songs for it," he said.

The new album is heavier on guitar solos and big sounding drums, giving it more of a rock 'n' roll edge.

The band also recently joined Back Porch Mary and the Jackson Taylor Band on Dry Gulch Records.

The Brandon Clark Band takes the stage at 10 p.m. Saturday.

"We're just looking forward to it," Clark said. "I always told them people of the Panhandle are good people."
- The Amarillo Globe

rating: 5 / 5
What a great day for Brandon Clark April 27th will be! It is the release date for “Songs From The Beer Joint”. The label says… it is a CD containing “Tall Frosty Tales About Longnecks and Big Shots”! And it delivers just as advertised! The selection of songs and the arrangements showcase Brandon’s vocals and musical talents to the tee! From “Shots Of Tequila”, Brandon gets the party started, and he and the band keep it rock’n through “South Of The Border”. This set of tunes clearly showcases the many fantastic talents of Brandon Clark and The Drinkin’ Buddies Band made up of Eric Tarr, Heath Jacobson, Josh Richards, Louis Drapp, Joey Trevino and Brandon Clark. Brandon is one of those great Oklahoma artists that just keep getting better with age. His vocals are smooth and right on target and that comes from many days and nights performing his craft to the best of his ability. From knowing Brandon as I do, I did not anticipate anything but the best from him, and he delivers that with precision and care. Then to my surprise, besides the 9 songs from the band, there are 7 great acoustic songs preformed by Brandon Clark included on this CD. Brandon starts with “Billy Brashears” and includes the songs “Another Bottle”, “Wandering Eyes”, “Let’s Go Dancing”, “LBV”, “My Old Man”, and “The King Is Gone”. As someone who loves acoustic music, I can promise you the acoustic songs included in this CD are among some of Brandon’s finest. I think another aspect of this CD really grabs one without knowing it. It seems that Brandon has mixed into his CD songs by the greats of music history along with songs he has written. With that in mind, I dare you to purchase a CD, listen to the words and arrangements all the way through one time … and make a list of those that are Brandon’s originals and those that are covers! I will predict you will miss at least 3 songs out of the 16! Most miss 4…. But I will go easy on you! Brandon has some brilliant original songs included in this CD. What grabs you without your knowing is how they fit in amongst those from the “greats” just like a fish takes to water! He is a very accomplished writer and proves it with this set of originals included on this CD. From San Antone, to Wandering Eyes, or My Old Man, or ole’ Billy Brashears, or any of his other songs… Brandon lays it all on the line, open for us to see his soul, and paints pictures with words that remain in our mind and soul long after the notes have left our ears! Speaking from experience, of course! Got to give these “tall frosty tales about longnecks and bigshots” 5 out of 5 stars. (I really should deduct points for the CD’s title… “Songs From The Beer Joint” for lack of originality, however, I’ll let that ride!) - http://www.brandonclark.org - Stan Moffat, Payne County Line, Stillwater, OK. April 25, 2006
- Payne County Line Promotions

Evolutionary Honky Tonk
It’s been a little while since we caught up with Brandon Clark, but he’s still hard at work, playing solo acoustic gigs at Mercury Lounge on Monday nights and the Grey Snail on Wednesdays while filling the weekends with band gigs. While his band has changed over the past couple of years, it hasn’t changed his focus. If anything, it’s only made it sharper.

After The Red Lights disbanded and he moved on with Five Day Bender, Clark continued to write his Americana/Honky-Tonk songs and even headed into the studio to work on his next disc. After committing nine songs to tape with that band, the record still didn’t feel done, so he went back in and recorded another seven acoustic tunes.

Before the record would see the light of day, however, Five Day Bender came to an end as guitarist Eric Tarr left for Nashville. Brandon has continued to move forward, however, and as fate would have it, he’s back to playing with the guys he started out with in the very beginning.

Drummer Heath Jacobson is still keeping time (he was a part of the 5DB line-up), and bassist Darren Lightfoot and guitarist Dave Duval have stepped up as “The Drinkin’ Buddies”. If the band line-up sounds familiar, that’s probably because it is. This is essentially the original cast of local cover band Supermodel, who finally called it a day earlier this year.

Now, instead of playing dance tunes, they have banded together to present Brandon’s songs along with a group of hand-picked country and honky-tonk tunes. You may hear some Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, or even a Led Zeppelin (albeit, countrified Zeppelin) tune, but you won’t catch them playing “Brick House” or “Blister in the Sun” anymore.

It seems like everything has come full circle for Brandon and the rest of the band. Brandon has referred to Duval as one of the best, most under-rated guitar players in town for years.

Now the time is right for this band of brothers to come together again. Their playing is tight and focused, and the shows are now more like a concert than a dance party. In turn, their fan base continues to grow.

The time is also right for the new music to see the light of day. Released simply as a Brandon Clark CD, Songs from the Beer Joint is essentially a double album that gives a good snapshot of where Clark is at right now.

The band portion of the disc includes a re-recording of “Shots of Tequila” and “South of the Border” from the Red Lights CD, as well as a cover of Merle Haggard’s “Mama Tried”. The acoustic half really spotlights Brandon’s storytelling with “Billy Brashears (Why Do We Fight For Freedom?)”, “Wandering Eyes” and ”My Old Man”.

The new disc was recorded completely from donations and tips over the past six months, which is a testament to Brandon, the band and their fans.

“It’s really cool when your friends believe in you that much and are willing to step up (to make it happen)”, says Clark.

So now the “Drinkin’ Buddies” chapter begins and it promises to see Brandon, Heath, Darren and Dave take it all up another notch. In fact, they already have. The “Beer Joint” songs are all good, but the latest band incarnation seems to have really lit a fire under everyone and added a little more grit to the songs and performances.

The official Tulsa release party for Songs from the Beer Joint is this Saturday night, April 29, at The Grey Snail.

If you’re a fan of Red Dirt or country-rock, then you’ll want to be sure and stop in to see Brandon and the Drinkin’ Buddies turn The Snail into a Honky-Tonk for the evening and change the color of Cherry Street. And while you’re there, you can get your copy of the new CD.
- The Urban Tulsa