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Well, it takes more than two minutes to reach downtown, but once in the Arts District, most things are a short walk away, including museums to two early folk music pioneers, Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan. So is the historic Black Wall Street memorial. Against that backdrop, an Easter weekend metal fest (augmented to two days, for the first time, and split between competing venues) might seem inconsequential, but the star-studded line-up was interesting enough to make BraveWords fly half way across the country, for the 5th show in eight days, which encompassed almost 50 bands, total. Sold my soul, for rock ‘n’ roll: no rest for the weary!

Outside of their Ventura, CA home base, Night Demon considers Cleveland, OH (where they recorded the Live Darkness concert album) and Tulsa, OK as their biggest domestic hot spots. So local record label magnate/promoter Brian Horton concocts an annual event that centers on Night Demon (who are annual participants), marrying imported touring acts with some high profile one-offs, for a dream, metalhead weekend. The first night took place at the Vanguard, a throwback rock club, with black plywood bathroom stalls & cracked porcelain fixtures. There was a balcony (reserved for VIPs) that afforded some decent photographic opportunities, beyond shooting through the heads on the crowded (sometime pitting) area in front of the stage.

First up, a local vibe. Four (what appeared to be high-school age) youngsters, going under the unwieldly moniker, SheHatesMeNot. A two guitar quartet (just like their heroes), the drummer even occasionally played standing up. Apart from the late arriving "We The People", they offered a mix of originals and cover tunes heavily skewed towards (early) Metallica worship, including a cover of Diamond Head's "Am I Evil". Plenty of youthful vigor, onstage and in the pit. Next, a thrash trio named Intent. The singer also handling guitar. "Network Failure" stood out, amongst the lively presentation.

No stage is big enough to hold Blind Oath, especially bassist Jacob Fuller. Saw two performances and both times, he repeatedly left the stage, to play in the crowd, or tonight, looking down from the balcony. During "Spectral Attack" he was already MIA onstage. Although rooted in traditional metal, the sound is a high energy combination of sub-genres, but singer Eric Miller, who initial wore a cowl, but black blindfold throughout (get it?), sings in a more aggro, guttural manner. The chugging signature tune is led by guitarist Mitch Gilliam, stage left, who latter adds backing vocals to a revved up rendition of W.A.S.P.'s "Mean Man". By "The Flame", they'd won most of the crowd (not composed solely of Tulsa residents) and even got a clap-along going. Fun-loving, hard partying guys who are committed (or should be?). Beware! 

Although serious about their (witch) craft, from the audience perspective, Savage Master are just good, campy fun, with catchy, speed metal songs. The purple hoods/robes for all but frontwoman/dominatrix Stacey Savage separates them from others, but beyond that, it wouldn't work, without the music. Storming out of (Hell's) gates, "Ready To Sin" blasts the front row, who respond, quickly learning the "Under the banner 666" chorus. Stacey, with black, winged cape, produces a few props for green lit "With Whips And Chains" follow-up. Totally in character, she touches the bald head of a gent in the audience, on "Child Of The Witch". Fog almost perpetually envelopes the stage, where a lit, 3-foot candelabra is centrally located. Blue hued "Devil Rock" raises the speed limit. Albeit illuminated in green, "The Ripper In Black" is accented by matching (vertical) eruptions of smoke, opposite sides of the stage. The band has added a new visual element to the show, a black, spiral horned ram (outfit) that interacts with Savage. Like I said, fun evening.

Swedish metallers Screamer have been spending a lot of time in the US lately, so decided to offer a varied, career spanning repertoire, different than last year. Unlike that tour, they were able to bring along newest member, guitarist Jonathan Mortensen. "Ride On", under green lights, sets the crowd in motion. The guys are dressed all in white, with matching vests. Andreas Wikström has a great voice, capable of melody, as well as power, and utilizes both on "Hellfire", the first of three off the Kingmaker album. After a step back to the title track off the debut, twin guitars introduce a green lit "Shadow Hunter". All not named Henrik Petersson (aka, the drummer) stand four abreast, at the front of the stage, headbanging, to begin "Kingmaker". It's twin leads, center stage, and the crowd repeats the titular chorus. "Burn It Down" threatens to do just that, before bringing their night to a close with "Out Of The Dark". Tentative plans call for another American sojourn, this fall. Keep your fingers crossed.

Danish thrashers Artillery were also out on tour. Backwards baseball cap wearing guitarist Michael Stützer and bespectacled bass player Peter Thorslund remain the core of the band, overseeing the legacy. It's still the early stuff that resonates most deeply. As such, the band aims to please, kicking off with "The Almighty", off the '85 debut! Martin Stenne (Iron Fire, ex-Force Of Evil) is now on the mic. "By Inheritance" is up early, too much applause. Despite the late hour, the crowd is still active, swirling and running into one another. "Khomaniac" is as relevant as ever. As usual, "Terror Squad" is the last cut.

Speaking of turning back the hands of time. My second encounter with Nasty Ronnie and his band, Nasty Savage, in two years. A fan since the ‘80s and seeing a couple of German shows in the decades since, never thought I'd witness a pair of domestic gigs in such a short timeframe, this late in his/my careers. Still a great manipulator of crowds ("Are you in?") and with the bloody culmination of TV destroying antics, not much has changed. 

This was also a run-through of ‘80s hits, Ronnie walking onstage to "Gladiator", with a Mohawk arrangement of metal spikes atop a gimp mask. The mask was gone after the opening number. From the get-go, he labeled (literally) his electronic victim, for the night, slapping a 2 Minutes to Tulsa sticker on the TV screen. As they wound through "Metal Knights", he referenced this being the first time back to Tulsa, in 34 years. As the songs progress, Ronnie continues his television foreplay, stroking the machine, whipping it with cords, etc. "Witches Sabbath" and "Unchained Angel" are aired back-to-back, both having appeared on the Wages of Mayhem demo cassette, back in '84 (now pressed on CD and available at shows).

Ultimately, Ronnie's love affair with "the idiot box" turns violent, unleashing iron chains on it. Red lit "The Morgue" sees the main man don a skull mask. He plucks flower petals and tosses them on the tube, as well as the crowd. Periodically, he douses his own head with a bottle of water. As a teaser, they debuted a new song, "The Sixth Finger" from the forthcoming album: an intense intro, followed by lengthy instrumental, with schizoid time changes, lots of tapping out bass notes. The blue/green lit "You Snooze, You Lose" see the Ronnie-TV relationship meet it (inevitable) violent conclusion, as he hold it overhead, then throws it to the ground, repeatedly. He bounces it off his chest and let's it hit him in the forehead, which purposefully cuts him open. Still time for closing "XXX", during which Ronnie distributes blood stained pieces, to the audience, as souvenirs. More memories to come apparently. YES!!

Rough act to follow, but scheduled Night Demon headlining show had to be scrapped, at the eleventh hour. Luckily, a couple of the Cirith Ungol guys had shown up a day early, out of curiosity, and were persuaded to help out bandmates Jarvis Leatherby (bass/vocals) and Armand John Anthony (guitar). What followed was a half dozen "rare" cuts, split 50-50 between the old stuff and the most recent incarnation of the band: all not destined to be repeated, on Saturday (although a few were played, in Houston, at Hell's Heroes, the week before). As cool as it was to hear "Blood & Iron", "Death Of The Sun" and "Finger Of Scorn", really would have preferred a full Night Demon set, but hey, that's rock n roll.  

Day 2
Same as yesterday, show kicks off at 5:30, but the location has moved a block up Main Street, to the cavernous Cain's Ballroom (opened in 1924) where all the country & western greats from the 40s & 50s performed, as well as a host of contemporary rock acts, attested by the oversize portraits and colorful posters that adorn the walls. The room can easily accommodate the crowd (most of whom are onboard with the two-day ticket option, although the youngster contingent, from yesterday, seems to have evaporated). There's a small set of bleachers, against one wall and few reserved tables/chairs that are quickly put to use, by the graying patrons. There's also a restaurant associated with Cain's, the savory smells of BBQ, waft inside, every time the adjoining doors are opened.

First up is the Salt Lake City one-guitar quartet, fronted by Madeline Smith, in her bat wing outfit. As a week earlier (at Hell's Heroes) they begin with backs to the crowd, then suddenly turn about and storm into "Going Home". From then on, it's in-your-face metal, with little let up. Smith works all corners of the big stage, as the bass and guitar come together, center stage, then pirouette back to their respective sides. An electric fan, at the foot of the stage, billows the mustachio bassist's hair (Noah Henley, in leopard print shirt). For bouncy "All Or Nothing", Jamison Palmer (guitar) adds backing vocals, while "Fearless Priestess" offers a heavier thump. A faster, hard driving "No One Wins" keeps the accelerator pressed, segueing into the blue lit "Wait To Die", with its thunderous bass/drums bottom end. An energetic set draws to an end with "Stalking The Beast". No nonsense metal of the highest caliber. And fun, to boot!

One of the rising careers (hopefully only temporarily) derailed by the Covid pandemic, Hell Fire were poised for a step up, then knocked back (essentially) to Square One. Jake Nunn and crew have persevered and appear to back to where they were 4-5 years ago and set to finally crack the European live market (with an upcoming German festival appearance). It's easy to see why; the music, leaning slightly to the heavier end, with twin guitars from Nunn and Tony Campos and frenzied onstage action, including bassist Kai Sun. The San Fran troupe opened with the F-bomb dropping "Medieval Cowboys". Nunn is tethered to the mic, but still finds a way to go back-to-back with Campos.

A blue hued "Addicted To Violence" ups the aggression, both in terms of the guitars and the vocals. It ends with Nunn offering an a cappella shout of the titular phrase. Some catchy twin leads in red lit "Victims", which sees Campos ditch his denim jacket, before standing back-to-back with the other guitarist. Alone, Tony plays his Flying V vertically, bracing it against his thigh, trading leads with Nunn. The song ends with two puffs of stage fog launch skyward, simultaneously. A heavy groove, "Free Again" is not as speedy as what's transpired, thus far, but they leave with the thrashy "Warpath". Onward and upwards, guys!

Red lights beckon Omen, opening with "Death Rider". Kenny Powell (guitar) remains the force behind the Texas legend and has found a good singer/frontman, in Nikos Migus. Under blue lights, "The Axeman" sees Powell take a rare stroll to stage left. Streaks of red and yellow greet "Warning Of Danger', where the guitar and bass switch sides. Migus gets the crowd to pump fists overhead and chant ("whoa, whoa") during the slower/initial portion of "Into The Arena", which eventually rocks out. Fans sing the titular chorus. "Die By The Blade" introduced original drummer, Steve Wittig, for one song, but the guests aren't done. Later, a riffing "Teeth Of The Hydra" brings out Kenny's son, Gary, on second guitar (Man do the songs sound fuller with an additional axeman). The father/son team trade leads. "Battle Cry" finishes this greatest hits package.

Been a while since I saw Jag Panzer (2018 Bang Your Head festival, in Germany) and the prospect of shows remains remote, with singer, Harry "The Tyrant" Conklin living Thessaloniki, Greece. So jump at the opportunity, if/when it arises. So a lot of territory for the Jags to cover, in a short period, as newbie "Bound As One" starts (including pre-recorded album voiceover). With his reading spectacles, bearded drummer Rikard Stjernquist looked more like Santa (or a member of the Oak Ridge Boys) than a metalhead, but fret not. When the time came, showed he was still in fine form. During "Shadow Thief", original guitarist Mark Briody was noticeably having fun, repeatedly returning to a stockpile of guitar picks and firmly planting one in the hands of those pressed against the stage (no barricade keeping fans from bands). 

Conklin asked "How many of you are under 35, here tonight? Then you weren't born, when we recorded this." Cue purple/blue lit "Harder Than Steel", which showcases the singer's vocal sustain, when not flexing his biceps, acting out the lyrics. "Dark Descent" briefly sees both guitars on Briody's side. Apart from the drummer, three of the four out front wore the same werewolf/gargoyle da Vinci design t-shirt, Ken Rodarte apparently missed the memo. Copper/blue illumination on "Stronger Than You Know" which morphs into "Take To The Sky". 

Stepping back in time, Harry relates how, as kids, they wrote, as a team in the basement. Mark adds, that as a big James Bond fan, we convinced the band to call the song, "License To Kill". Conklin (as he often does) "personalized" the lyrics, adding references to both Oklahoma and later, in the violin introduced "Black" he name-checked 2 Minutes To Tulsa. "Iron Eagle" is a red lit finale, Conklin commandeering center stage. The others are willing to let him have it. Not bad for their first performance in Tulsa. Yeah, just like Cirith Ungol, the Colorado act had never ventured to the city, until now. Something special. 

Who unlocked the cage keeping Eric AK at bay? Wow, the man was a frenetic bundle of energy as Flotsam & Jetsam came ripping out of the gate with "Hammerhead". The singer all over the stage and belting out the classic with ease. Album partner "Desecrator" followed, no let up, as the two guitarists face off, center stage, widdling away. Michael Gilbert was particularly vicious. Reds and blues for "Iron Maiden" and the tale of axe murderer Lizzy Borden, aka "She Took An Axe" also gets a workout. "I Live, You Die" sees both guitars on Gilbert's side, as Eric AK, in black leather vest works both ends of the large stage. He's a cool badass, more a Charles Bronson than the Stallone or Schwarzenegger archetype, but don't misjudge, as he'll "F" you up, in an instant. Ended with "No Place For Disgrace". 

All evening, the 15 minute set changes were like clockwork, which afforded Night Demon time for a short set, to placate fans disappointed by their absence yesterday. Still insistent on the "Outsider" intro (despite the time limit), but the song races. With only a few moments available, Jarvis Leatherby and Armand John Anthony rocket around the stage. "Screams In The Night" is like a repeated slap in the face: pummeling. "Heavy Metal Heat" (bit of a surprise choice) continues the high paced musical onslaught. Just enough time left for "The Chalice", complete with glowing eyed mascot, Rocky. Lots of singing along to "drink from the chalice!" Good luck on the Blind Guardian US tour, boys! 

Last, but not least was the current, one guitar, four-piece incarnation of Cirith Ungol, offering an updated, reprise of last evening, comprised of originals: Tim Baker (vocals) and drummer Rob Garven, alongside the Demon's Leatherby and Anthony. The band has never been about stage show, although the younger Demons give Ungol a jarring live edge they've lacked. Cirith Ungol has always been about the dynamics within the music and Baker's somewhat unique vocalization. 

Opening with "I'm Alive" Baker has orange tinted mirror sunglasses and a black denim jacket atop a shirt with the band's omnipresent 8-pointed design. "Frost & Fire" was up next, a lethal dose of old school connecting with the crowd. Maybe it was having a mini-set already under their belts this evening, or just the infusion of "youth", but "Chaos Descends" was faster and more aggressive, a super-charged Ungol, if you will. Warmed up, Baker ditched the jacket, come "Atom Smasher" ("there it goes!") and "Black Machine" allows the fans to sing the chorus, en masse. When not singing, Baker circles the area in front of the drum riser, a pedestrian, careful to not get run over by the speeding traffic of either guitar or bass. The singer is more expressive, during "Master Of The Pit", which sees Anthony go into full KK Downing mode, occupying 2/3 of the stage. "King Of The Dead" follows. They empty the stage, but there will be an encore. Bittersweet, given the impending retirement, but "Join The Legion" is their swansong.

Don't know if this will be the last time witnessing Cirith Ungol, as they're scheduled to pack it in, once the current string of announced dates have run their course. If so, thanks guys, for 4+ decades of memories and this was a memorable send-off. Cheers!

Addendum:
While not officially part of 2 Minutes To Tulsa, it's become a tradition that on Sunday morning, after the festival, bands and fans reconvene at a local German restaurant, for the Bangover Brunch, a free event that sees impromptu groupings of musicians play cover tunes and just let loose. Russ Tippins (guitar, Satan) brought his ‘70s hard rock inspired outfit, Tanith, to play a full set. If you plan on hitting Tulsa next year, keep this "extra" in mind, as it typically runs for a couple of hours, beginning at noon.

More 2 Minutes To Tulsa coverage:
Day 1
Day 2