The Situation
August 28, 2023
Fassler Hall
What’s The Situation? It’s an open mic night with a live band, but it’s so much more than that. It’s an artist development platform for not only rappers and singers but also musicians. Artists like Steph Simon, Omaley B, and Jerica Wortham have grown and developed there. (Oftentimes it marks an artist’s first time getting to perform with a live band.) The band usually opens the night with their own jam session, then the night progresses into an open session where attendees can sign up to perform or just come onstage and jam with the musicians. And just like every Situation, this night featured a brand new lineup of performers stepping up to the mic, backed by a band so talented that after hearing a track for only 30 seconds, they are able to recreate it like they had been rehearsing the song for years.
The Situation isn’t a new concept. It’s the continuance of a local Tulsa talent showcase that started at the Yeti, one of the first downtown locations to embrace hip-hop. But The Situation is more than hip-hop. It’s Tulsa! After a hiatus of several years, this event is being resurrected on a monthly basis. You can experience it this fall on the last Wednesday of every month at Fassler Hall, led by some of the same people who helped make it one of the most magical things to happen to a city with deep musical roots.
The band starts with DJ Somar, a legend in the Tulsa hip-hop scene who kicks things off by playing the performer’s track. Next you have drummer Jake Lynn, who is the heartbeat of the performance and helps the track stay on course. Then you have the legend Bobby “Black Keys” Moffett, who puts the soul into the track on the keyboard. Next you have one of the best musicians in Tulsa, Johnny Mullenax — when he plays his guitar all you can think is, “Go Johnny! Go!” And finally you have the frontman and trumpeter D.G. Rozay-el, whose trumpet is like the voice of the band. From time to time he’s been known to grab the microphone and freestyle while the band plays.
But it’s the open mic performers who are the heart of The Situation, because it lives and dies with the emotions that they wear each time they get on stage. The beautiful thing about this event is seeing an artist’s growth on stage. Some come back week after week, getting better and better.
There’s also this element of surprise because you don’t know who will show up to perform. The first performer of the night last month was trumpet player Bishop Marsh, who came out to support and also flex his musical chops. Following him were Terryce, who delivered a powerful performance; GOLDIELXCS, who showed that greatness is worth waiting for with a song that left everyone wanting more even after it ended and her spell wore off; and Bambi (in above video), who surprised everyone by just being her: one of the best rappers in Oklahoma.
The biggest surprise of the night was Dane Arnold from the band Soup, who blew the crowd away with his soulful voice. That’s the Situation! You never know who will show up and you can never guess what will happen when someone opens their mouth or picks up their instrument, whether they’re seasoned performers or totally new to the scene.
The Situation is something every Tulsan needs to experience for themselves. It’s experiences like these that will keep amazing talent here and keep attracting more eyes on Tulsa.
Next at Fassler Hall: Jacob Tovar Honky Tonk Happy Hour, Thursdays at 6 p.m.
