Tulsa, OK

If you haven’t noticed by now, I like freaks. Really, if Rocky Horror wasn’t a clue, I just don’t know what is. Anyway, for all of my fellow freak enthusiasts, it is that time of year again. No, I’m not talking about the company dinner at the civic center. I’m talking about Tulsa’s own Freaker’s Ball.

Held at the historic Cain’s Ballroom, 423 N Main St, this is the 33rd Annual Freaker’s Ball. This year’s ball is featuring Bands On Five Stages: Crooked X, RadioRadio, Motive For Movement, Tranny, The Red Alert, The Starkweather Boys, Malan Darras, My Solstice, Doomsday Junky, Bait, DDS, Bag Eyes, Stevedore, Greg Klaus, Ghosts, Susan Herndon, Radio Wave Days, Mariachi Tulsa, Wendy Nichol, Wade Burrow, Team Galaxy, Acoustic Ross, City Of Tulsa Pipes & Drums, Chuk Cooley, El Paso Hot Button, Rook, Red Headed Step Children and Anderson Pipe Band

$1000 Costume Contest at 11pm

Tickets:

Adv :: $11 // Day of :: $13

Doors :: 7pm

In Person at the following:
Cain’s Box Office
Starship Records & Tapes
Reasor’s Customer Service
Tan & Tone America in OKC
Order by phone at 866.443.8849

A little myspace history and info on the ball:

In 1974 organizers wanted to put together a wild night of costumes and music and did just that at the Tulsa State Fairgrounds. Taking the name from a poem by Shel Silverstein Called “Freakin’ at the Freakers Ball” (this also became a song recorded by Dr. Hook and The Medicine Show). Silverstein also wrote “A Boy Named Sue”, which became the famous song by Johnny Cash. The first Freakers Ball was off and running. After a year or two, the event was moved to the historic Cain’s Ballroom and was then allowed the chance to really take on a life of it’s own. Under the care of Cain’s longtime owner Larry Shaeffer, Freakers Ball would flourish. With Freakers Ball serving as an annual tradition on or around Halloween.

In the early Nineties promoter Davit Souders became actively involve with Freakers Ball and Cain’s Ballroom thus introducing it to a whole new generation of costumed participants and musicians. The event has had its share of national and regional acts on the bill and has always included area artists as well. Since the latter part of the 1990’s Freakers has exclusively showcased music and musicians from the Tulsa area.

With a 32-year history, Freaker’s Ball is the single largest Halloween-related event in the state of Oklahoma. During the latter half of the 1990’s, Freaker’s Ball expanded to accommodate four stages making it the largest one-day showcase of Tulsa area music.

In 2002, the company Doc Roc took over ownership of the ballroom and began a major and much needed remodeling of the historic venue. In 2003, Doc Roc and Davit Souders/Diabolical Productions teamed up and the event grew into a record 25 plus bands and performers featuring such diverse musical genres as Celtic, Rockabilly, Jazz, Mariachi, Rock, Electronic, punk, red dirt and more. The Costume Contest, which is a show unto itself, has at times been controversial but always entertaining. Costumed contestants come as characters literally of all shapes and sizes; to add to the evening’s excitement, the audience judges the contest. With Souders as the longtime gate keeper, the drive and desire will always be to make Freakers Ball the event that is expected with additional surprises along the way. For year 33, a fifth stage will be added, raising the number of featured performers to a new record of 30.