Photos by Nathan Poppe

Sturgill Simpson is anything but an ordinary country musician. He bends the genre to his will delivers performances with a relentless passion and vigor. He’s fierce live and sharp in interviews. It was no accident he had 3,000 fans chanting his name before he took stage. Simpson’s Criterion set had some sound issues but that was no fault of the venue or the performer.

Simpson bounced between several songs from his first two albums before finally delving into “A Sailor’s Guide to Earth” and offering a satisfying trip through his perfect 2016 album. A horn section added a lavish punch that helps define Simpson as an artist who continues to grow, change and sharply entertain.

He’s only going to get bigger from this point on. You better catch him while you can.

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Photos by Nathan Poppe

There’s something hypnotic about Grace Potter when she charges the stage.

The alluring performer dances, jumps and switches between nearly every instrument within her grasp. She’s a force and you can’t help but follow her dart back and forth the stage like you would a tennis ball at Wimbledon. Just be careful not to get whiplash. It sure doesn’t hurt when the songs have heart and manic energy to match Potter’s enthusiasm.

One of the best concerts I’ve seen all year, and I’d be a fool not to catch her again in Tulsa later this year.

Check out more photos here.

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Photos by Nathan Poppe

Have you ever been around someone so talented that it’s frustrating?

That’s sort of the reaction I had around My Morning Jacket when they took stage for the first time in Oklahoma City. This is a band that clearly takes its music and musicianship very seriously. Although the sound was somewhat muddy, nothing could fully distract from the quality of the performance. Jim James and Co. blazed throughout the MMJ catalogue and performed a double dose of Prince covers.

What a night.

Here’s the rest of the photos from that night.

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Photos by Nathan Poppe

An opening band can be a lot of things.

Out of place, tepid, surprising and a zillion other adjectives.

The Barr Brothers weren’t good. It took three songs for me to realize they were great. The road-tested band of Canadians performed a set that constantly teetered between searing and intimate. As strong as My Morning Jacket’s headlining set was, you only saw half a night of stellar music if you skipped this opening slot.

I can’t wait for The Barr Brothers to return.

The rest of the shots are here. They also name drop Oklahoma in this haunting ballad.

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Photos by Nathan Poppe

That’s all I got for photos from Norman Music Festival this year.

I had a ton of fun spending nearly 24 hours at the festival over three days of shooting.

Here’s everything I shot at the festival.

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Photos by Nathan Poppe

Here’s a healthy helping of photos from my return trip to Norman Music Festival 9.

The festival got bigger and badder on Friday night. Just wait until you see Saturday’s shots though.

You can still see all my festival photos here.

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Photos by Nathan Poppe

Norman Music Festival 9 has come and gone but here’s visual walk through my three days at the festival starting with my April 21 shots.

All of my photos are here.

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Photos by Nathan Poppe

I caught my fourth Ben Folds show and it was a treat because of the his accompaniment.

Yep, the yMusic Ensemble is something special and was a welcomed addition to Folds’ latest tour.

The venue was packed out, which was great to see on weekday evening in OKC.

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Photos by Nathan Poppe

Rick Springfield was hot stuff in the early ’80s. The “Jessie’s Girl” singer is a pretty accomplished actor, too.

Regardless, he sits down during the entirety of his “Stripped Down” solo tour. It was a challenge but I aimed to make a sitting dude as interesting as possible.

Let me know how I did.

All the photos from that night are here.

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Photos by Nathan Poppe

I caught these cats opening for Third Eye Blind.

They’ve got a nice mix of garage rock and pop fun going on. I can dig it.

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Photos by Nathan Poppe

I spent an entire Friday hanging out at Metro Music Fest this year.

The college’s festival is meant to give student bands the chance to shine and invite a few headliners into downtown Oklahoma City.

I think it’s one the best curated festivals in OKC and boasts a lot of cool shows for free. I hope to see the metro grow to embrace it more.

Here’s all my photos from the festival.

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Photos by Nathan Poppe

Here’s a few of my favorite shots from the second concert at The Criterion.

It’s rare for me to feed off of the energy of a band I don’t know, but I was really enjoyed shooting this Third Eye Blind set.

All the photos from that night are here.

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Photos by Nathan Poppe

I shot a buncha photos on my disposable camera the last time Dan Deacon performed in Norman.

He’s coming to OKC on April 8 for the Metro Music Fest.

Just go.

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Photos by Nathan Poppe

Ben Rector surprised me.

I’d followed his pop music trajectory for years and his infectious, fun nature never connected with me.

Well, then I saw him live. He has all the makings of a pop superstar. Catchy songs, danceable beats and crowds that know every lyric to ever song. I was glad to shoot this show. Oh, and it was my show as The Criterion’s house photographer. Swish.

All my photos are here.

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