Downtown Oklahoma City is getting a new two-night music binge as Scissortail Park rolls out the inaugural TailSpin music festival on Friday, Aug. 7 and Saturday, Aug. 8. The free event will flip the downtown greenspace into a weekend of live music, pairing local favorites with touring acts. Oklahoma City indie outfit Husbands tops Friday’s bill, while ’90s alternative mainstays Letters to Cleo close things out on Saturday with evening sets scheduled for the Love’s Travel Stops Stage and the Great Lawn. Organizers are positioning TailSpin as a larger spin on Scissortail’s Summer Concert Series and say the festival is open to the public.
Lineup and schedule
According to Scissortail Park, Friday’s program on Aug. 7 runs from 6 to 10 p.m. and features Messies from 6 to 6:30 p.m., Mad Honey from 6:45 to 7:15 p.m., Foxburrows from 7:30 to 8:15 p.m. and Husbands from 8:45 to 10 p.m. Saturday’s schedule runs 4 to 10 p.m. and includes sets from Call Me Sparrow, Bailey Boy, Chelsea Days and the Casii Stephan Band, capped by a headlining performance from Letters to Cleo at 8:30 p.m. Set windows are posted on the park’s event listing and are subject to change, according to the park.
Free admission and festival footprint
Admission is free and open to the public, and food trucks are expected to line S. Robinson Avenue, according to the Oklahoma Gazette. The paper notes that TailSpin is part of Scissortail’s broader Summer Concert Series and identifies The Chickasaw Nation as the festival’s presenter, with support from American Fidelity, Omni Oklahoma City Hotel, BancFirst and Midtown Renaissance. Performances are slated for both the Love’s Travel Stops Stage and the park’s Great Lawn, giving the event a sizable footprint across the downtown park.
Headliners and the local angle
Letters to Cleo, the Boston alt-rock band behind “Here & Now” and a string of soundtrack appearances, will wrap up Saturday night’s program, according to KOKH (FOX 25). Friday’s top slot belongs to Oklahoma City band Husbands, whose energetic, anthemic sound has been highlighted in local coverage as the group tours behind recent releases. Promoters say TailSpin is meant to spotlight Oklahoma artists alongside regional and national acts in a family-friendly downtown setting.
Logistics and tips
Plan to arrive early if you want prime real estate on the Great Lawn. Bandsintown lists the event at the Scissortail Park Play Pavilion at 655 S. Robinson Ave. The festival spans two nights and is free to attend, offering a low-cost way to camp out with a blanket and take in back-to-back lineups. The park’s event posting includes contact information for park ambassadors along with a reminder that times are subject to change, per Scissortail Park. Expect evening crowds, a mix of local regulars and visitors and plenty of last-minute schedule checks on the park’s website before heading out.
