Porch Pickin’: Norman Porch Festival returns for second helping – Norman Transcript

Long before a lot of Oklahoma artists made their way to big stages and bright lights, they were playing on front porches, sharing good times with friends, writing, laughing and dreaming.

Its a natural habitat for a songwriter, watching the world go by with a guitar in hand, picking along on a summer afternoon. Its a side of the music life that fans dont often see, but it will be on full display when the second annual Norman Porch Festival returns from 6 to 9 p.m. on Aug. 19 to the Miller Historic District.

Last years festival was the first of its kind in Oklahoma, and organizers Wess McMichael and Sara Kaplan didnt know what to expect. People showed up by the hundreds, on foot, on bike, towing toddlers, walking dogs and soaking in an evening of music as they bounced from one front yard to another.

Singer/songwriter Kierston White will make her Norman Porch Festival debut this year, but like so many other artists, she said shell feel right at home.

Itll be more like going camping than playing a show, she said. Front-porch picking is how a lot of us started. Thats what we do at home, thats how we write. You just sit around on a front porch and play.

I think its more organic. You wont have the noise of a bar and well all be outside during a perfect time of year.

White said shes not sure who shell have playing with her, but like any good front-porch jam, shes not too worried about the details.

Im going to grab whoevers around that day, she said. We like to get together and jam any chance we get and I think itll be perfect.

McMichael said he was pleasantly surprised by the turnout and the reception last year, and is looking forward to a similar block-party atmosphere this time around.

It was up in the air, he said. There were a lot of unknowns there, but it was an overwhelming success. Some people asked me to do it twice a year, some people asked if we would do it in different neighborhoods. We were very excited and its something were going to try to carry forward.

McMichael said he had worked with the Dreamer Concepts board, and after Midsummer Nights Fair folded in 2016, he was looking for a new way to showcase Normans musical talent.

Norman is the City of Festivals, and to that point, McMichael treated Midsummers end as a means to exercise the law of conservation of festivals.

This year, McMichael said he was initially worried about securing enough artists, but when he started making calls, he found a lot of enthusiasm. And when he secured Norman legend Mike Hosty, he said it upped the cool factor.

Theres a lot of goodwill involved, he said. This town has some of the best musicians per capita of anywhere in the world. Maybe not all of them are famous, but people in Norman get it and they like to hear them. So, putting those two things together is easy.

It really wasnt that much of a deal. Once I let people know I needed PA systems, they started coming out of the woodwork. It really made itself and it really kept the grass roots vibe going. No sponsorships, just a lot of good will and people volunteering to make it happen.

Theres no committee. There are no meetings. I think Sara and I had pizza once. Theres a unique want to hear these amazing musicians and the musicians just want to be heard and the two come together naturally.

Last year, the festival had 33 performers on 11 stages. This year, there could be even more artists involved and a few improvements.

McMichael said the only issue last year was bathrooms, or the lack thereof. So, this year, McMichael said the festival has arranged to provide portable outhouses. To help people find their way to their favorite stage, McMichael said the festival will be providing an interactive Google map with band lineups and venues at mcmichaelmusic.com, though lineups have yet to be finalized.

McMichael said he will also be unveiling two new stages the new artist stage and a spoken words stage. To make sure everybody will get a chance to see their favorite acts, show times will be staggered.

White and McMichael said its a great time for performers, but theyre not the only ones who get to enjoy the atmosphere. Some of them, well, they live there.

This is my second year and Im ecstatic, said Sheila Dilling, who manages the stage at 503 S. Crawford Ave.

I think we need to keep it going. We had such a fantastic turnout and it was a great opportunity for neighbors to mingle purposefully, instead of just while were working on our yards or walking our dogs.

There was a lot of anticipation and immediate interest and I think everyone was pleased with how it turned out. Theres nothing like a porch in the summer and our neighborhood has some great porches. It was a neat opportunity to showcase our neighborhood.

She said 405 Brewing will be sharing some of their beers at her place, much like Lazy Circle Brewery did last year. She said thats the kind of community Norman is, and festival helps bring people together. Having the Miller Historic District host the event adds a little something extra.

I do think its fitting, she said. I think the porch fest highlights the unique character of our neighborhood, even though its just a few blocks. There are all these fantastic porches that you dont see so much now. I think its a sort of hidden gem. Its this little pocket of cottages. I would love to see the porch fest continue. I also think its a great close to summer. Its kind of that last chance to really spend some quality time on your porch and include as many people as you can.

Then, theres the music.

Sometimes youre lucky when youre hanging out on the porch and somebody maybe has a guitar and youre all having beverages, but this opens it up to the entire neighborhood, she said. Its like that times 10.

First-time porch host Allie Halford, who moved to Norman from Oklahoma City in May, said she wanted in immediately when she heard about the festival.

These are the kinds of things that we love, Halford said. We lived in a neighborhood in Oklahoma City that did a lot of things like that, and you really got to know your neighbors and feel part of your community.

Halford said turning porches into stages brings people together. She has a lot of musician friends and shes hoping Norman band Cedar House will get to perform on her porch. If they dont, she said its cool. Shell just get to meet more musicians.

Confirmed artists:

Mike Hosty

Caleb McGee

Susan Herndon

Camille Harp

Lacy Saunders

Kierston White

Katie Williams

Derek Paul

Dorian Small

Steven Baker

Clint Hardesty

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Porch Pickin': Norman Porch Festival returns for second helping - Norman Transcript