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April 29, 2025

‘Exciting’ musical lineup slated for Diamond Daze

By Lynn Adams Staff Writer

While vendors that choke downtown Sallisaw streets might generate the most excitement during the annual Diamond Daze festival, the free entertainment isn’t far behind.

Music is a festival highlight, and Diamond Daze offers plenty of it again this year at multiple locations — Stage Park, at the corner of Choctaw Avenue and Oak Street, and Pocket Park, at the corner of Cherokee Avenue and Oak Street.

Local product and 2022 Sallisaw graduate Drake Hyde has been pegged as this year’s Diamond Daze headliner, and there are several returning acts along with bands well-known throughout the region for a full slate of music at the May 2-3 festival.

“We’re terribly excited to have Drake Hyde. He’s sung here a few times before (including last year), having started here as a high school kid,” says Sallisaw Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Marty Green. “He’s really come a long way. He’s very professional, and, of course, he’s been on ‘The Voice.’ He’s got a great act.

“Our entertainment committee, they’ve done a great job. They work diligently. They’ve met multiple times getting this lineup put together. We’re extremely excited. I think we’re bringing a good product to the town, and people just need to take advantage of it,” Green says.

Ted Capps & Rude Mood

Whether you like Stevie Ray Vaughn, Stevie Wonder, Delbert McClinton, Willie Nelson or the Black Crows, Rude Mood is sure to satisfy your musical appetite.

Rude Mood is a groovin’ threepiece band featuring seasoned musicians who will keep you on the dance floor. Ted Capps, lead guitar and vocal, formed the band with drummer Donny Riley in 2000.

Since forming, Rude Mood has played stages throughout Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas. The band has shared the limelight with artists such as Black Oak Arkansas, Credence Clearwater Revisited, Ozark Mountain Daredevils, America, and Brewer and Shipley, and played numerous blues festivals throughout the tri-state area. The band has played Fort Smith venues, as well as the Cherokee Casino & Hotel in Roland, and is a returning act from last year’s Diamond Daze.

“We had Ted Capps last year, and we’re looking forward to that again,” Green says.

Kanton Teen & the Penny Pickers

If superlatives make the band, then Kanton Teen & the Penny Pickers are destined to be a Diamond Daze favorite.

Online reviews ballyhoos the group as a “brand new small-town band that will blow your mind at how amazing they are,” urging music lovers to “have a listen, you won’t be disappointed.” Another critique gushes that “I can’t think of a better group of guys. The talent, the dedication, the readiness to play music at any moment, I have a blast every time I hear them play. If you haven’t had a chance to catch [them], you’re missing out.” Yet another assessment makes a case for audiences to “give these boys some love. They’re out there doing it like it’s supposed to be done: Playing shows for the crowds. Definitely a must-see for sure.”

Members of the band are Kanton Washington, vocals and guitar; Dalton Wagner, lead guitar; Gary Sizemore, violin and vocals; Russ Jones, bass guitar; and Will Shepherd, drums.

Cherokee Nation Youth Choir

An instant success when it debuted in 2023, the Cherokee Nation Youth Choir returns for Saturday’s late-morning crowd.

“We’ve got the Cherokee Nation Youth Choir that’s going to be singing, which were really great when they were here before,” Green says. “ They wanted to be back here again this year, so they’re gonna be singing for us at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Pocket Park. And that’s gonna be a really neat deal.

“I’m really, really excited about the choir returning for Diamond Daze. Of course the Cherokee Nation is one of our premier sponsors on this,” Green says.

Libby Starks Band

Billed as “your favorite music experience” — “A lot of people have said she is really, really good,” Green says — the Libby Starks Band takes its audiences on “a musical journey where the heart of country music meets the soul of the river valley and surrounding areas. Discover the sounds that have captivated audiences far and wide.”

Libby Starks Band

But the Libby Starks Band is more than just a band. It’s a celebration of the rich tapestry of country music. Formed in the heart of the river valley, the band has been serenading audiences with its unique blend of traditional and contemporary country sounds, along with some of the most unforgettable classic rock tunes.

“Our journey began with a shared passion for storytelling through music, and over the years, we’ve grown into a beloved staple in the local music scene,” Starks says. “Our mission is to bring people together through the power of song, creating unforgettable memories with every performance.

“Music became my passion at 8 years old when I sang my first solo in front of my entire hometown. Now, I get to do what I love — singing with an awesome and talented group of guys! What started out as just a band to have some fun has morphed into more than I could have ever imagined.”

For the group of talented musicians, opening for artists such as Crystal Gayle, Sawyer Brown, Ben and Marty Haggard, Aaron Tippin and JoDee Messina has been “a dream come true.”

The band does all kinds of country — old, new, red dirt — nothing is off limits. Their set list includes covers from artists ranging from Patsy Cline, Tanya Tucker and Linda Ronstadt to Martina McBride, Reba McEntire and The Judds to Miranda Lambert, Ashley McBryde, Maren Morris and many more. There’s something for every country music fan, as well as a mix of rock tunes from artists such as Stevie Nicks, Janis Joplin, Bonnie Raitt and more.

“Our band is a tight-knit group of talented musicians, each bringing their own flair and expertise to the stage,” the band’s namesake says. “ Together, we create the harmonious sounds that define Libby Starks.”

Members of the band are Libby Starks, lead vocals; John Haney Gaddis, keyboard and lead vocals; Lee Carter, lead guitar; Jim Wolfe, bass guitar; and Chris Bryant, drums.

Sallisaw Middle School Jazz Band

The Sallisaw Middle School Jazz Band is an ensemble comprised of seventh- and eighth-grade students who’ve been in band for at least one year. The majority of the students are playing a different instrument than the one they play in their regular band classes. The seventh- and eighth-grade regular band, from which all the jazz band students are also members, recently received a perfect score at the Heartland Music Festival in Oklahoma City. Sallisaw is one of the few schools of its size with a dedicated jazz band class during the day as an elective for students. Many of the eighth graders in the ensemble also perform as members of the Sallisaw High School marching band.

For Diamond Daze, the jazz band will perform four songs of contrasting styles — “Devil with the Blue Dress,” with Samson Awesome performing the alto saxophone solo; “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay,” also featuring a solo by Awesome; “Besame Mucho,” with soloist Adalyn Elder on tenor saxophone; and “Birdland,” with soloists Awesome and Mason Sanders on trumpet.

Members of the band in addition to Awesome, Elder and Sanders are Gracie Anderson, tenor sax; Drake Darling, baritone sax; Kylie Washington, Barbra McClure, Adrian Fuller, Erik Morales and Nadilee Eden, trumpet; Jace Emerson, Skyler Davis and Dean Martin, trombone; Eli Frazier, piano; Elijah Riggs, bass; Levi Glover, drums; and Ava Campney, auxiliary percussion.

The jazz band will also perform at its awards concert at 6 p.m. May 6 at the Sallisaw High School gym. The concert is free.

Canyon Sons Band

The iconic Lower Feed Room stage at Akins Store is a familiar backdrop for a revolving cast of friends and family that backs the Kimble brothers as they preach the musical gospel of the cosmic honky-tonk dropouts to everyone who needs to hear it.

It was while hunkered down in Oklahoma’s deep backwoods in 2020 that Brother Michael decided to write songs inspired by the cosmic cowboys of his childhood. Enlisting the help of his actual brother, Brother Kevin, the two set out to make a sound that brought back childhood memories of listening to the songs of Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Michael Martin Murphey, Jerry Jeff Walker, Guy Clark, Townez Van Zandt, and The Lost Gonzo Band.

Themes of heartbreak, small-town life, drugs and alcohol, cowboys, and the ever-changing landscape of their native Oklahoma can be found throughout their songs.

Mr. Cabbagehead & the Screaming Radishes

The band with the unusual name is not the vegan alternative to Meat Loaf or The Bacon Brothers, but it is, according to lead singer and Mr. Cabbagehead alter ego Ricky Young, “vegetable-related rock for a healthier lifestyle.”

Mr. Cabbagehead and the Screaming Radishes

Mr. Cabbagehead & the Screaming Radishes is a uniquely audience-focused, highly-energized redesign of roots influences, creating relevant, enduring rock ’n’ roll extensions of Stax, Motown, and rhythm and blues.

The band’s rise to the Southwest music scene began in a garage in 1984, when a group of “30-something” high school friends got together. The group is known for its unique and dynamic musical arrangements, showcasing a robust instrumental brass/woodwind/ horn section working cohesively with one of the most aggressively talented rhythm sections in the country. Th ensemble has endeared itself to audiences across the nation with its amusing, entertaining and enjoyable approach, and unique ability to engage its audience’s participation and involvement at events and shows.

On the “historic register of bucket list items to see and do,” Mr. Cabbagehead & the Screaming Radishes presents a “must-see experience” for all age groups and musical tastes.

But if Young had listened to his mother 40 years ago, his music legacy would have been much different.

“I told my mother, ‘Mom, Bubba wants me to play in a band. You’ll never guess what our name is, Mom. It’s Mr. Cabbagehead and the Screaming Radishes.’ She said, ‘Ricky, you will never get a job with a name like that’,” Young recalled in 2024.

In the intervening 40 years, Young says the band has been all over Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Kansas and Oklahoma. And in that time, Young says not much has changed in the style of music they play.

“They liked hearing ‘My Girl,’ James Brown, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Chicago and a lot of other musicians that are probably a lot more talented than we are. People want to hear that,” he said.

Young says the secret to staying together this long is “not killing each other. We grew up together and we’ve been friends forever. We’d agree to disagree and shake hands. We kind of roll with the punches.”

“This is one we’ve worked on at least the last three years is Mr. Cabbagehead & the Screaming Radishes,” Green says. “They say they are fantastic and put on a neat show.”

Drake Hyde

Drake Hyde, who calls himself “a craftsman of country tunes,” transforms life’s narratives into lyrics and captivates souls with every single note.

“I am a passionate country music singer dedicated to turning life’s most precious moments into song,” the 2022 Sallisaw graduate says. “With a keen ear for melody and a deep love for storytelling, I strive to create music that is not just beautiful, but that resonates with the heart, evoking raw emotion and painting vivid soundscapes with every note.

Drake Hyde

“I am a country music singer/ songwriter known for my dedication to traditional, old-school country music. My authentic sound channels the spirit of classic country legends, featuring rich, soulful vocals accompanied by traditional instrumentation, including steel guitar, fiddle and honky-tonk piano,” Hyde says.

“I’ve had the privilege of working with amazing talent, and have been honored with several awards for my work. I have built a loyal following among traditional country music fans who appreciate my commitment to preserving the classic country sound in an era dominated by more commercial country-pop. My performances, whether at local honky-tonks, regional fairs or larger venues across Oklahoma and neighboring states, evoke the spirit of country music’s heyday,” he says.

Hyde’s journey to Diamond Daze headliner status has been years in the making, and marks his return to the annual festival from a year ago. But that was before his appearance on national TV as a contestant on NBC’s “The Voice,” where he earned praise from the Queen of Country herself, Reba McEntire, as well as from fellow judges Snoop Dogg and Gwen Stefani.

“I loved your singing, I loved your voice, I love the song you sang — Collin Raye’s song,” McEntire told Hyde as feedback to his performance on “The Voice.” “If you do come back, and if I’m here, you better believe I’ll be turning for you, because I thought you did a heck of a job. I’m very proud of you. I hope to see you sometime back in Oklahoma.”

Then McEntire told Stefani in confidence: “Drake is a wonderful singer. I kick my butt for not turning around for a fellow Okie.”

And he won over Snoop Dogg: “You’ve got a real mature voice. Your voice sounds like a real, real strong urban cowboy.”

A Sallisaw product who attended Connors State College and is now studying natural resources and ecology at Oklahoma State University, Green foretold of Hyde’s celebrity and has a marketing arrangement with the performer.

“He’s a good young guy,” Green says. “I told him, ‘When you get famous someday, you talk about that you sang at Diamond Daze.’

“He sang here a couple of years for us, and he’s kind of a George Strait kind of a kid,” Green says.

Hyde’s music accolades in addition to appearing on “The Voice” include being the inaugural winner of the LOOT8/Bob Kingsley Acoustic Alley Singer-Songwriter Contest and as the opening act for Country Radio Seminar 2025.