Sitting on the patio of Spaceship Earth, a vibey little coffee shop in downtown McAlester, Oklahoma late on a windy evening in early May, I reflected on the night’s events in a state of pleasant perplexion. Happy, indistinct chatter folded itself into wonderfully warbly melodies wafting from the singer-songwriter sized stage from the back of the establishment. A large crowd had gathered, some in business attire, some as funkily clad musicians, and some came as casually clothed rural citizens straight from a hard day’s work. All conversed freely and happily with each other, mingling in and out of groups and exchanging hugs and pleasantries in between turning to give the band a rousing round of encouragement. Earlier in the evening, and just a block or so up the street from where I currently sat, I had caught the live sets of the talented Canadian folk artist with a cult-like following, Joe Pug, who had opened for possibly the most talented lyricist Oklahoma has ever produced, John Moreland. 

It had been my first time visiting the Dancing Rabbit Music Festival that now calls McAlester home, a brand new but endearingly pure-hearted musicfest in its second year of conception, and I couldn’t help but be impressed with the atmosphere that had sprung up so quickly and seemed to have consumed what was once a drowsy and provincial Oklahoma town. How was this possible? How did sleepy, rural McAlester suddenly develop a backdrop where musicians, critics, and a diverse collection of community members are able to come together to share and appreciate artful music regardless of background and previous exposure to an artist or genre? 

The answer lies in an eclectic group of music-minded individuals prone to gathering at Spaceship Earth Coffee Co. weekday mornings at 8:00 am, known forever henceforth as The Founders. According to their own festival biography, the roster of founders include: the IT business owner, lawyer, insurance agent, local charity worker, and bar owner (Kyle Spruce, Blake Lynch, Josh Hass, Joey Clark, and Adam Gronwald, respectively). The legend goes that the group routinely meets in the morning for good coffee, boisterous debates, and enthusiastic conversations. Sometime in 2020, a morning’s conversation turned to, “lamentations over a lack of live music locally,” to which the attorney in the group proclaimed with confidence, “a music festival could be created and then carried out fairly easily at barely any cost.” The group humorously admits that bravado was foolish, but luckily for the festival’s patrons, that blind optimism was adopted by the rest of the founding group and The Dancing Rabbit Music Association was born. 

As someone who grew up in the fringes of the independent music scene, I would normally associate a music festival with excellent performances tempered by sticky crowds, sweaty tempers, and an abundance of tall patrons obstructing one’s view of the stage. With the DRMA, that couldn’t be further from the actual experience. The food trucks were on point and the lines moved quickly. The sound quality was amazingly clear and carried well. The crowd was endearingly respectful of the stage, the artists, and each other. The set up was conducive to one of the most enjoyable live outdoor experiences I’ve experienced at a music fest, allowing attendees to actually focus on the performance, and be fully immersed in the music, instead of continually fighting against the distraction of the masses. In short, the DRMA has sprung up seemingly from nowhere and is quickly becoming my favorite live music venue, despite its young age and it’s lack of experience. 

With the May 7th season kickoff of the insanely talented John Moreland and the intriguing Joe Pug show already in the books, festival goers can still look forward to two more festival days of June 11 and July 16. June 11th’s lineup will include the Flobots, Josie Dunne and Stroke 9 and veers away from the performances that DRMA festival goers have experienced before. 

According to the band’s bio, the Flobots are an alternative hip hop band from Denver, CO, who are on a mission to use their music as a tool to create community, conversation, and ignite the activist in all of us. Flobots are best known for their blending of genres and lyrical landscapes, traversing topics of race, equality, democracy, and social justice. Today, the band’s core group is comprised of Emcees Jonny 5 (born Jamie Laurie) and Brer Rabbit (born Stephen Brackett) along with musicians Andy Rok Guerrero (guitar/vocals) and Kenny O (drums). It’s sure to be a unique and challenging performance few locals have had the opportunity to experience. 

Stroke 9 is a 20-year band hailing from San Francisco with roots firmly in West Coast Rock-n-Roll. They tour extensively, produce new music constantly, and at the moment are currently promoting their latest album released in January of 2020. The album, Calafrio, was written, produced, and released exclusively by the band, and recorded in studios, hotel rooms, and backyards up and down the coast during the spring of 2019. Driven by acoustic guitars and electric piano, filled with rich harmonies, and infused with seasoned pop sensibility, the record captures the sound of West Coast rock and roll. Their upcoming performance at the DRMA festival should make for a heck of a show. 

Also on the ballot for the June 11th show is Josie Dunne, dubbed “quirky and charismatic” by the music blog Onestowatch, and currently promoting her latest album, Tennis, out now and available on most streaming platforms.  

This year the DRMA will host nine national touring acts and six after show performers. An upgrade made since the debut season includes themed “festival” days which occur before each concert, giving patrons opportunities to support other acts throughout the day which include but are not limited to local youth who also happen to be aspiring musicians. The DMRA site asserts of the 2022 season, “It is still in downtown McAlester, still free to the public, still within budget, and it is the best damn party in Southeast Oklahoma.” I hope to catch you there! 

For more information on festival dates, upcoming shows, or to contact the DRMA about performing at the venue, visit https://dancingrabbit.live/upcoming-festivals/. 

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All photos accredited to Sierra Haney Photography https://www.sierrahaneyphotography.com/