Although it's good that our local music scene continues to thrive and grow, the downside is that we often see a few of our favorite bands fold up as its members move on to new ventures. Most of the time it's a good thing, allowing them to grow and mature, but occasionally it's nice to reflect back on a few of the acts that meant the most to us.

Personally, I occasionally find myself slipping in a disc that got me through a rough season and reliving a few memories with Wreckless Process.

True, the band did wear its Tool and Perfect Circle influences on its sleeve, but it also threw a Midwestern twist on the tunes and was a prime example of what was going on in Tulsa's modern/alt-rock circles, merely five years ago.

As part of a circle of friends and bands that jokingly referred to themselves as part of the T-Town Wusscore movement, which included Day By Day, Copious and the highly under-rated Glen Strain, Wreckless Process arguably saw the most success of the group, releasing a CD and touring not only regionally, but even making a short West coast run before dissolving.

When the band's debut disc, Pull Your Own Weight, was released in 2005, its intensity and immediacy made it one of my favorite local releases of the year. Not only did it hit me in the face with thoughtful lyrics, it was also my first proper exposure to Armstrong Studios and introduction to the production work of Ryan Wallace and Stephen Egerton.

In hindsight, Wreckless Process was one of a handful of bands that truly engaged me and helped my sink my teeth onto the local music scene.

As is the case with 99 percent of young bands, the group eventually splintered and went its separate ways but did so without any animosity and its members continue to be active in a pair of Tulsa's more popular rock acts.

Matt Barrett, Brennan McDonald and Leif West joined Violence to Vegas (which recently signed a deal with FOF/EMI records), while Brandon Davis founded My Solstice with Eli Gattenby, who eventually departed to join the now defunct Congress of a Crow. With three years having passed since its members parted ways, the group has decided to come together once again for a reunion show Friday night at the Marquee.

When I recently discussed the band's success with Brandon Davis (who actually departed Copious to replace original singer Jordan Coon, now of First Lady Assassins), he said, "We opened for Story of the Year at the Cain's, we sold some records and yeah, we had some success. We actually picked up a lot of fans from that tour. I still check MySpace every now and then and someone will ask 'When are you guys coming back to Denver?'"

Ultimately, the shift that occurred during the band's West coast tour led to its eventual demise. When Eli Gattenby chose to leave the band to pursue another opportunity, Matt Barrett shifted to drums, and Davis said, "It was kind of a domino effect."

Once the members started swapping positions or leaving, the group chemistry changed and Davis said, "it just wasn't the same band."

So why come together for a reunion show now? Perhaps the better question is why not?

According to Davis, although the members went their separate ways, they all remained friends and kept in touch.

"We kind of talked and joked about doing a reunion when we'd see each other at parties and stuff, but the more you joke about it, the more it gets you thinking," he said. "Finally, I just said 'OK, we've been talking about it -- if I book us a show, do you really want to do it?' and everyone agreed."

Davis also assured there are no outside agendas to the reunion. "This is just for fun. There's no long-term concept or idea behind it," he said. "It's just about having a fun night and reliving some memories."

Unfortunately, putting the show together hasn't gone as smoothly as hoped. In hopes of making it a huge party and true event, the night was originally booked as a reunion for Upside and Fighting Tomorrow as well, but outside circumstances have prevented each of those bands from being able to appear.

On the bright side, a few quick calls filled the bill in short order, with Baron Von Swagger stepping up to represent Tulsa's next wave of brash rock & roll bands and First Lady Assassins keeping the event something of a family affair.

According to Davis, Wreckless Process will be playing the majority of Pull Your Own Weight and a few songs that never got recorded or released. In addition, original singer Jordan Coon will perform "Consequently Jackie" (for which he wrote the lyrics) with the band. The group will also have a limited number of CD's on hand for fans that never got a copy or need a replacement and will also be playing some video footage from the band's 2005 West coast tour.

Tickets are $6 in advance or $8 at the door for an evening that will not only let us enjoy the music one last time, but also relive some old memories with the band and friends. If you were a fan of Wreckless Process or any of the other "T-Town Wusscore" bands, you won't want to miss it.

Weekly Festival Update

As I've said throughout the past couple of weeks, festival season has finally arrived. Although we don't have a major one in town this weekend, the music still rolls on out at the festival grounds in Pryor, as Bikelahoma preps the crew and facilities for this year's revamped Rocklahoma, which has moved to Memorial Day weekend.

There's no need to get ahead of ourselves, however, and Bikelahoma has plenty of music to offer this weekend. Granted, catering to the biker crowd isn't what our local clubs and local indie rock bands normally do, but it might provide an interesting diversion if you're looking for a change of pace.

The weekend's headliners definitely lean to the classic rock crowd with Marshall Tucker Band, Jackyl and Foghat on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, respectively, but those bands aren't really what caught my interest. What's really worth taking note of is the fact that the rest of the lineup is comprised of local (and a couple of regional) acts.

The talent pool consists of mostly hard rock and blues rock acts, which would easily fit the demographic of the festival, drawing on a few acts that our readers already know and a handful that don't get much exposure. Highlights from the weekend include Cody Clinton making a pair of appearances, Hector Backwoods, Chuk Cooley and the Demon Hammers, Pedal Point, Siva Addiction, Bait, Floodlyne, Sweatin' Bullets and Mercy Street, to name just a few. In addition, after hours sets will be performed by Steve Pryor on Friday night and Infamous on Saturday.

A little look at behind the scenes details reveals that AXiS Entertainment, which is based here in Tulsa and is partnered with Universal Music Group, assisted in hand-picking the lineup and keeping it rooted in local music to give our bands some much needed exposure. If you're looking to escape for the weekend, this one might be worth checking out.

Pub Crawl?

It seems Brookside is trying to bring some life (and good live music) back to the neighborhood this summer and recently launch the Brookside Music Crawl, an event planned for the third Friday of each month. Last month's initial crawl slipped by without notice but was such a success that the lineup is already growing.

Round two is Friday night, May 21, and includes 16 acts spread between six locations.

This is actually a cool idea to bring some life and music back into the area, as you can wander between locations and catch a little of everything without paying a cover. I'm honestly not familiar with most of these acts, either, so it's a nice opportunity to check out someone new as well. The lineup looks like this ...

Sharky's is the title sponsor for this little venture and will feature Vashni on the patio from 7:30-9:30pm, followed by Mongo from 9:30 to close, inside the hall. Meanwhile, The Sellouts play the Bruhouse patio between 8pm and midnight before DJ Matt with special guest Chauq-D closes it down.

Hourly sets begin at 6pm at Shades of Brown with Mike White, Leah Hugon and Living Machines and 6:30pm at Garlic Rose with Whitney Fennimore, Hank Born and rising country talent Chloe Johns. The bill is rounded out by Symon Hajjar, Sunday, Kickfight and Colton & Zarah at Ida Red beginning at 8pm and two as-of-yet unannounced artists playing Ivey's downstairs patio at 6 and 8pm.

As a monthly event, this is one I'll be looking forward to as the summer progresses.

Weekly Roundup

I've already thrown a lot of options at you with the reunion, music crawl and festival, so I'll try not to overload you, but there are still a few more shows worth checking out this weekend.

Friday night, May 21, is arguably the busiest night of the week. I'm already planning on the aforementioned Wreckless Process show, but there's plenty more to choose from. The most under-rated and over-looked acts of the weekend are playing just a block apart on Main Street on Friday evening. Jared Tyler appears at Lola's at 9pm with a $5 cover, and My Tea Kind makes an all too infrequent Tulsa appearance when the group shares the stage with Joe Mack at Hunt Club.

Meanwhile, Besard Lakes headlines Bob's with Stardeath and White Dwarfs opening the show and Friday's best indie rock show is at the Crystal Pistol with Native Lights, Student Film and The Non. Chances are I'll be skipping up and down Main Street between shows.

Saturday night, May 22, is a little less hectic, making it easier to choose. Shows worth considering include Bright Giant at Mercury Lounge, RadioRadio at Hunt Club or Greg Reichel and Ryan Dorman appearing at Arnie's.

If you're in the mood to dance, it's the two-year anniversary of the monthly Assimilation dance party at The Marquee or you can always stop in at Electric Circus.

If you're looking for a departure from the norm this weekend, then you'll want to settle in at Eclipse on Sunday, May 23, to catch your punk fix with touring acts NOBUNNY and The Spits with local openers La Panther Happens, Ptiaradactyl and Bearhug.

Cover is only $7, and I can't think of a better reason to stay out on Monday night, except maybe stopping for a nightcap with Brandon Clark at Mercury Lounge.

Cain's Ballroom has a corner on the market for the rest of the week with Sunday's big show in the ballroom featuring We Are Fallen (American Idol's Carly Smithson with Ben Moody, John LeCompt and Rocky Gravy from Evanescence) and openers Red Line Chemistry, Aerias and Forget Me in Vegas. Of Montreal headlines on Tuesday, May 25, followed by Ty Mayfield's CD release at Bob's on Wednesday.