Cannons end their Summer tour with a sold-out show at Oklahoma City’s newest music venue, featuring support from songwriter Windser.
Since opening in late March of 2022, Beer City Music Hall has already featured numerous sold-out shows, with Cannons being no exception. Built along the back wall of the venue is a large bar, which features a wide variety of local beers and impressive cocktails made with local liquor. Above the bar is a mural of a silhouetted cowgirl riding a horse. The western artwork, coupled with the extensive bar menu featuring all the best local beer and liquor, perfectly encapsulates the Oklahoma City essence.
Fans eagerly pile into the small venue, building excitement for this highly-anticipated show, which sold-out almost a month in advance. First to start the evening is Windser, a songwriter from California, backed by his tour band of talented musicians. His guitarist, DD Walker, starts the show by playing droning guitar notes as the rest of the band makes their way to the stage. Windser starts his set with “Friends I Barely Know,” a song about being surrounded by friends that you barely know, which perfectly encapsulates the concert experience. Fans begin to dance and take in the light-hearted, easy-listening vibes that Windser puts forth. This particular show is special because bassist, Josh Hogan, is originally from Oklahoma. In the middle of his set, Windser announces that he has an EP coming out in October and he plays “Paris,” an unreleased track that will be on this upcoming EP. Windser plays a few more songs and ends his set with “Memory,” a single released in late 2021.
Fans begin to push toward the front of the venue, preparing for the main act: Cannons. The stage illuminates with pink lighting and a backing track of modern ethereal piano music drones over the speakers. The band seamlessly transitions from playing along with the backing track to performing their song “Shadows.” Singer, Michelle Joy, makes her way to the stage in a flashy outfit, a known staple of hers for live performances. She dances across the stage and interacts heavily with the crowd throughout the entire evening. The entire crowd sways and dances to the dreamy, entrancing tones encompassing the room.Cannons recently released the album Fever Dream on March 25, 2022. They played many songs from this new album, including “Hurricane,” which was a crowd favorite, and “Ruthless,” which the crowd loudly sang along to with their middle fingers excitedly in the air, mimicking the singer’s motions that go along with the words of the song. At one point, Michelle Joy addresses the crowd and speaks about how she got largely into reading about black holes during the pandemic lockdown. She became interested in the concept of time slowing down, which to her was a metaphor for falling in love. Inspired by this, she wrote the song “Tunnel of You.” She also mentions that the band enjoys releasing music often, and had been uploading covers to their YouTube channel. Their cover of “Golden” by Harry Styles became widely requested by fans at live shows, so they decided to add that to their summer tour setlist. “Golden” was the only cover that Cannons performed at this show.
Cannons ended their set with “Fire for You,” which is currently their most popular song. They performed their single “Evening Star” as an encore. Throughout the night, bassist and keyboardist, Paul Davis, moved seamlessly between both instruments, showing off his extensive musical skill. Guitarist, Ryan Clapham, served groovy guitar tones all evening. Michelle Joy captivated the crowd with her demanding stage presence, enchanting dance moves, and incredible fashion sense. They ended their Summer tour with an unforgettable show of ethereal vibes, thought-provoking lyrics, and mesmerizing dance music.
Words by: Mallory ForsgrenPhotos by: Tyler Williams
CANNONS
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