Conceived in a garage and born in a bowling alley, The Okie Twist-Off is Oklahoma's premiere annual kustom culture event showcasing old cars and bikes, loud bands, wild art and beautiful people. On the second weekend in August, The Okie Twist-Off makes old Route 66 rumble with the roar of hot rod engines and the twang of vintage guitars.
Kustom culture events are a nationwide phenomenon. From the west's Hootenanny and Viva Las Vegas to the Southeast's Sleazefest and Heavy Rebel Weekender, lovers of cold beer, tattoos and punk-rockabilly music have been descending on small festivals around the country, keeping tabs on each other through a burgeoning internet scene. In 2007, Oklahoma City grease monkey Jeff Beck of Beck's Garage started tossing around the idea of launching an event in his hometown. Enlisting the aid of veteran punk club promoter John Manson and OKC's notorious Ratty Bastards Car Club, a search began for a suitable place to host a car show and music festival. The 66 Bowl on historic Route 66 was the ideal choice; it had a parking lot large enough to hold the event, indoor space enough to have multiple stages for the music, and lots of balls and pins in case people got bored. The inaugural event on Saturday, August 11th, 2007 saw 12 bands, 70 car show entries, and nearly a thousand people in attendance, far beyond the organizer's expectations for a first year event.
Three years later, The Okie Twist-Off has expanded to a two-day format with 20 bands and more. For 2010, the Okie Twist-Off will erupt on Friday, August 6th at the 66 Bowl at 7 PM with night one of the music festival featuring New York City's notorious goth-a-billy freaks Psychocharger and Austin, TX's cowpunk godfathers The Hickoids on the eight band bill. Saturday, August 7th kicks off at noon with the kustom car and bike show and day two of the music festival, featuring North Carolina rockabilly masters The Straight 8s along with perennial local faves Brian Dunning and The Oh Johnny! Girls. Circus-themed mayhem will be provided by Coney Island sideshow freak Adam the First Real Man and local kids' party balloon warrior Chester the Clown. Whether you are a fan of flamejobs on flat black, garage punk, or just like watching people get sunburned, the Okie Twist-Off will be the place to be this August!