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TULSA FAMILY’S LIVING ROOM DOUBLES AS COZY CONCERT VENUE FOR LOCAL AND TOURING ACTS.

BY BLAYKLEE FREED

About once every month, Chris McCabe recon gures the Riverview neighborhood home he shares with his family into a live music venue that’s hosted more than 50 concerts in every genre with touring and local acts.

e house-venue, Vox Pop Tulsa, is a project for McCabe and an outlet that combines his love of music and community. He started the initiative in 2017 with good friend Daniel Sharples to bring more live acts to Tulsa and provide a more intimate setting for shows, with crowd size of 60 people.

“You can see some great bands (at local venues), but 80% of the people, they’re just hanging out, so they’re talking. e music is in the background,” McCabe says. “When it’s time for the music to start (at Vox Pop), it’s dead quiet. It’s about the art. It’s more like going to the symphony.”

Concerts typically include a touring act paired with a local act. Concerts this year have included Austin, Texas, singer-songwriter Matt the Electrician with Tulsa’s Casii Stephan, and Mike Hosty with Clancy Jones — both Oklahoma musicians. McCabe doesn’t make money from the shows; proceeds from suggested donations go to the artists.

Acoustics are a top priority, and McCabe says the high ceilings in his 1915 two-story craftsman home make for great sound, thanks to sound tech- nician Ken Lewellen, who volunteers his skills to make it so.

Before every show, there’s a potluck. McCabe, president of the Riverview Neighborhood Association, is a self-described extrovert and wants to foster communal experiences. “I really love being around people, and that’s really the heart of why I keep doing this, because I just want to create an atmosphere and a place where people can be in community,” he says.

When Vox Pop began, McCabe noticed the potlucks weren’t drumming up a lot of conversation. “I just saw a lot of people kind of sit in a corner by themselves, with their food and whoever they came with, so we started bringing in guest speakers for that rst hour, and we’ll do an interview session with somebody of interest.”

Social hour speakers are typically key players in Tulsa organizations, local artists and authors. Previous speakers have included Dylan Goforth, editor of e Frontier; Outsiders House Museum founder Danny Boy O’Connor; and Muriel Fahrion, creator of Strawberry Shortcake.

It takes about half a day to set up a show, pushing all the dining and living room furniture that can’t be sat on to nooks and crannies elsewhere in the home. McCabe has ve children ages 3-19, four of whom live in the Vox Pop house. e kids and McCabe’s wife, Erin, help with Vox Pop however they can, sometimes by suggesting artists.

“( e kids) will show me somebody they’re listening to, and I’ve been able to get them,” McCabe says with a grin.

On March 24, Tulsa country musician Joey Frendo* is on the lineup with Colorado songwriter Jackson Emmer. For tickets (suggested $20 donation) and location information, visit voxpoptulsa.com. TP