The First Cut is the Deepest, Vol. 2
Thelma’s Peach
Oct. 8, 2023
“The First Cut is the Deepest,” at Thelma’s Peach, brings Tulsa songwriters up in front of a crowd to share their earliest records. Not only is it an intense act of vulnerability, it’s also a well-done event, and fun to attend, thanks to the organizing efforts of Nicholas Foster and Caitlin Turner (who host as the production company Bus Money Productions).
The artists on the bill for this round were Mike Gilliland, Dialtone, Mason Remel, Jesse Aycock, and Damion Shade — all chosen by the participants in the first edition of “First Cut,” presented back in June. For me, Aycock and Shade especially exemplified what an event like this can accomplish.
Aycock gave the crowd a surprising and beautiful show, admitting that he thought the recording displayed needed to be the earliest thing the artist had ever put to reel. It turned out to be a fortuitous mistake, since Aycock’s earliest piece was written when he was twelve years old. The piece was, first of all, way too good for a twelve year old to have written it — and yet, there was his adolescent voice cracking in the tape static. The lyrics moved between a forlorn love and the challenges of living close to a friend with an abusive parent, along with the struggles of being friends with that person. Real shit for a twelve year old; the crowd was deeply impressed. Aycock was an open, enjoyable presence on the stage as he shyly admitted the foibles of his earliest attempts.
Finishing out the night was Damion Shade, whose booming voice, “RAISE SOME HECK” Tyler Thrasher T‑shirt, and Greenwood Ave jacket took up the stage in his usual amiable, big-hearted way. Discoursing freely and loudly, Shade offered two versions of an old song, “Ithaca.” The first version he played on acoustic guitar, and the second on a drum machine. Between the first and second versions of the song, Shade told the crowd, his mother died. For a long time, he said, he didn’t want to make music at all. But the purchase of a drum machine and looper helped him create music that didn’t require too much effort, and with that he re-composed “Ithaca” in a different way, electronically. Throughout his discoursing, the crowd was so quiet and reverent you could hear Highway 244 outside. Impossible to come out of a show like that unmoved.
Foster and Turner were amiable hosts on the stand. “We put this event on because we’re obsessed with Tulsa music,” Turner said. “And we hope you are too.” An additional nice touch was the distribution of coloring book programs, with a cute bus illustration on the front and markers everywhere for attendees to use. The inside panel of the program listed some gentle tips for listening to recorded music in a crowd: “Close your eyes if you are especially brave or scared,” “Consensually hold hands with your neighbor,” “Do a respectful head-nod/foot-tap like you’re the producer.”
I was struck by the earnestness of the event, which stared wide-eyed at the act of songwriting and presented a way into understanding it. Is it likely that every person there had already written a song or two? Sure. Is it likely that every person there was inspired to write one more? I think so. And that’s deep.
Next at Thelma’s Peach: GIRLS NIGHT x THE PEACH hosted by Cara Cox & Audrey Byrd, Oct. 21.
