Boot Scootin’ Boogie: Tulsey Town Two-Step Brings Back The Honky Tonk For The Best Tulsa Time In A Long Time

· 3 min read
Boot Scootin’ Boogie: Tulsey Town Two-Step Brings Back The Honky Tonk For The Best Tulsa Time In A Long Time

Cassidy McCants Photo

Inaugural Tulsey Town Two Step
VFW Post 577 Community Hall
Friday, Oct. 6, 2023

When’s the last time your big Friday night plans involved two-stepping at the VFW?

If that doesn’t sound like the place to be, think again. Last weekend, the city was abuzz with anticipation for the first-ever Tulsey Town Two-Step at VFW Post 577. Two-step lessons started at 7:30, with live music kicking off at 8:15. We arrived right on time, immediately basking in the warm, orange-red glow of the VFW’s maple-floored dance hall. There were no presales — this seemed bold, but Tulsans young and old, famous and infamous, came around for a honky-tonkin’, elbow-rubbin’, good-old-fashioned two-steppin’ time.

The early crowd was eager to learn or brush up on some two-step. Heather Heathrow proved a great instructor, acting as leader (“the guy”) alongside her capable and beautifully deadpan partner, DeJon Knapp. Quick, quick, slow, slow, she guided us over and over, till most of us had picked up the basics.

(Cut to two hours later, in the bathroom, singing the little mantra to myself. A woman walks in, catches me: ​“You’re never going to forget it.” Three days later, I fear she’s right.)

“Boot Scootin’ Boogie” — the video was filmed in Tulsa in the ​’90s, by the way — was one of the practice songs. Our cowboy boots and suede heels clacked across the room. We laughed when we slipped up, lost our rhythm, or got distracted spotting members of the Native sketch comedy group the 1491s.

Even Killers of the Flower Moon star Lily Gladstone was posted up at the back of the dancefloor much of the night. I couldn’t decide: Is this really Tulsa? or This is so Tulsa. I’m going for the latter, but, still, it’s wild to think her Friday night plans involved our local VFW.

The talent of the Post 577 house band is an embarrassment of riches: Jesse Aycock on guitar, Paddy Ryan on drums, John Fullbright on keys, Johnny Carlton on bass, and Muskrat Jones on pedal steel. The band laid the backbone for the classics and originals from a stellar line-up of rotating performers: JD McPherson, JP Harris, Samantha Crain, Agalisiga ​“Chuj” Mackey, Sterlin Harjo, and Jacob Tovar (the host).

Just to name a few of the songs the band buoyed:

Tovar’s ​“Three Good Reasons” (good reasons for leaving Tulsa: July, August, and you)

  • McPherson’s cover of Dan Penn’s ​“Tearjoint”
  • Crain’s covers of Patsy Cline’s ​“Walkin’ After Midnight” and Mary Chapin Carpenter’s ​“Passionate Kisses”
  • A Sterlin Harjo, et. al., rendition of ​“Jambalaya (On the Bayou)”
  • Mackey’s cover of Merle Haggard’s ​“Big City”
  • Beau Jennings’ cover of Johnny Cash’s ​“Big River”

“Passionate Kisses” was a surprise — most songs we heard that night were more on the country side — but what a joy to dance to a household tune from my childhood within minutes of scootin’ to the music of my parents’ era, like Don Williams’ ​“Tulsa Time” and Bob Wills’ ​“Take Me Back to Tulsa.” The music spanned genre and decades, held together by its suitability for two-stepping.

Local dancers showed up without showing off, keeping the vibe newbie-friendly but authentic and energetic. The dancefloor was also filled with other Okie musicians, some Tulsa Artist Fellows and a few of the Rez Dogs crew, as well as downtown’s young professionals, local entrepreneurs and even a former city councilor — some of Tulsa’s hippest. Boomers and twenty-somethings danced alongside one another, all keeping true to Tulsa’s honky-tonk roots.

The atmosphere was welcoming and warm. Maybe a little too warm, with all our boot-scootin’ bodies, but there were several places to cool down, including the Centennial Lounge’s upstairs bar/patio and the well-lit dining room off to the side of the dance floor. (They had meat pies, vegetarian spring rolls, pulled pork sandwiches, steak fries, and cookies for sale. Honky tonk fuel!)

When I got to steal a moment from Tovar, I expressed my joy and gratitude. He was glad for the opportunity from McPherson, who organized the event with help from Aycock, and thrilled by the big turnout. For years he and his peers have been playing ​“music for people to dance to.” Now they plan to do it monthly. If the event gets big enough, he said they might have to move it elsewhere.

For the record, I’m on Team Keep It At The VFW: kitschy feel, cheap drinks, snacks on the side — and there’s always the upstairs bar. And, naturally, I expect to see more women on the stage next time. Either way, though, I’m waiting with bated breath and happy feet for the next big honky tonk happening.

Next Tulsey Town Two-Step: Hopefully November!