Throughout my years at Norman I have always been a rapid fan of the music scene around town. As a freshman I inhaled as much live music as i could. I would see any band that was playing no matter what they sounded like. Even if the audience only included my five friends and I. Later on the scene got bigger as did my world in Norman. Last Saturday really made me feel proud of Norman and the magic I still felt there.
I met my friend Jacob Abello like my other friends in norman, going to cafe plaid in the daytime and attending parties at night. Weekend by weekend we became better friends. I knew he had good music taste (duh, all my friends do) but I never knew he ever was a musician or had any experience perfoming. Well it was because he never talked about it. Usually I am pretty good about knowing who plays in what band and who with. Its pretty easy when I am bombarded when constant show events on facebook. COME TO MY SHOW ON THIS DAY! I usually rsvp blindly.
But one day in January Jacob casually said hey, May 15th I'm playing at the opolis, I'd like for you to be there. What? uh okay sure. thats a long time away and I didnt know you played, but sure I'll go, I thought to myself. Then I put it out of my mind.
Suddenly its may 12 and I am in norman and I remember about jacob's show. I put it in my schedule of places to be saturday night still not knowing what music or where, but hey its jacob at the opolis, lets go!
So, I get to the show at 11ish and the place is packed. Jacob is rocking it with five of his friends backing him up! and wow! Jacob is swooning the crowd and singing like a pro. I look around at the crowd its everyone I know and then some. It is not freshman year anymore. I know like everyone here. It was like going over to my friend Jacob's house for a party. No advertising, no expectations.
Here is an excerpt from an article in the Oklahoma Gazette:
Abello will celebrate the release of his debut record 9pm Saturday at the Opolis. "Nothing but Gold" is a 10-song nod to his abiding love of pop music. An album release is not particularly extraordinary, especially in Norman. What is so unusual is that all of Abello's friends have no idea he can write or sing. For most of them, Saturday's record release concert is their first opportunity to see him perform.
"We have not rehearsed at all," Abello said. "I should be more worried about it than I am, but those guys do this stuff all the time."
His confidence in his band is perhaps sound, although he has difficulty explaining his personal decision not to perform prior to the album release.
"I didn't want anyone to hear the songs until they were finished," he said. "and maybe that didn't make a whole lot of sense. There's no logic behind not playing any shows."
"The only thing I want or need right now is to play around here," he said. "I don't know how stuff works. Are we going to 'shop' the album or something? I don't now. I'm going to play, and hopefully someone will hear it, because somehow, I need to make my money back."
What I really liked was Jacob's whole approach to his music. He wrote alot of these songs years ago with no future plans of ever putting out a record or getting a band together. And then with a push from a friend they recorded these old songs and performed it one night. Just something fun to do with some songs sitting around. In a time where everyone has something to push or market, these were Jacob's own songs and words that he wanted to share with his friends.
When I see things like this come together it really proves to me why I like the music that I do. Alot of "indie bands" have this grassroot community that inspires people and who end up making really good music. So effortless and with no plans of going anywhere. That night in Norman and many other nights at the opolis I feel like the music I am hearing is a one night only just for the people here right now in this room. Very instantaneous and thrilling. It's how music should be. There are many bands in Norman that I have no desire of ever owning their album and they have no desire to make it. But we all know it because we hear it live again and again every weekend. The only recordings are in each audience member's memories. Norman has done a really excellent job of fostering a music scene like this and this is the stuff small towns are made of. I am so happy that I am a part of it. I'm sure it exists everywhere. But this is mine.
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