DALALAPALOOZA LIVE MUSIC CONCERT

SEPTEMBER 1 – 2

6 PM – 10 PM  |  One Fire Field

Welcome to the very first Dalalapalooza! Join us at One Fire Field on Friday and Saturday nights for an evening filled with a blend of folk and bluegrass melodies, as talented musicians bring everyday stories to life. From local gems to the renowned Fayetteville string ensemble, Arkansauce, our lineup of six bands promises a fantastic experience. Grab your blankets and lawn chairs, and prepare to unwind under the starlit sky.

Dalalapalooza is more than just a concert; it represents good and strong medicine for Cherokees. “Dalala” in Cherokee translates to “woodpecker,” which is considered by many as a cultural messenger and warrior.

ARTISTS

AGALISIGA MACKEY

Agalisiga Mackey uses his music to help preserve the Cherokee language and to inspire others. Mackey said he only writes songs in Cherokee. He incorporates Cherokee into his music because he wants to show others it can be used in modern forms, such as in music, TV shows, and movies. Mackey plays older country and western music in English and Cherokee. That’s because of the joy it brings him, as he grew up listening to it, and it’s one of the easiest genres to play on the guitar. Mackey has sung ceremonial songs since he was a child. He will be recording the intro to a Cherokee version of “The Berenstain Bears” and releasing an album soon.

ARKANSAUCE

Arkansauce calls forth melodies of the Ozark Mountains’ rolling hills and raging rivers with their distinct blend of newgrass. This progressive string quartet features Tom Andersen on bass, guitarist Zac Archuleta, Ethan Bush on mandolin, and Adams Collins on banjo. Their music features improvisational string leads matched with complex melodies, intriguing rhythms, and deep thumping bass grooves. Each member sings lead and harmony parts as well as contributes to the lyrics, which offer authentic, intelligent songwriting with hard-hitting hooks. Arkansauce independently released their 5th album, OK to Wonder, on April 21, 2023. With 11 original tracks—ranging from upbeat and stimulating to contemplative and encouraging—the collection is filled with songs of revelry, wonder, insight, and whimsy. The album was met with wide-ranging critical acclaim.

HANNAH RENELL

Hannah Renell began writing and playing music as soon as she could talk. The first time she ever performed live was at the Iguana Cafe in downtown Tahlequah, Oklahoma, where her dad, “Doc” John Fell, often performed. Hannah formed a group called “Hannah & The Postmen,” a high-energy indie rock/pop band based around Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she currently resides. Hannah often performs solo shows with just her and her keyboard where she shows off original music that focuses more on lyricism and heartfelt personal subjects. Being able to express all the different sides of the human experience is what Hannah really loves about writing and performing music.

JOHNNY MULLENAX

Johnny Mullenax, a 27-year-old Tulsa native, grew up in a musical family. He started playing the guitar at age 5, when his Mom, Janey, who played in a 50’s rock-and-roll cover band, put him on stage to play the Star-Spangled Banner at a 4th of July show. In his teens, he followed his family to the Walnut Valley Festival and Flat-Picking Championship in Winfield, Kansas. In typical Johnny fashion, he showed up with just a guitar and ended up sleeping in a standup bass case. Johnny started a Sunday Bluegrass Brunch residency at Tulsa’s famed Mercury Lounge in January 2021, and it has become a beacon for musicians and fans alike. Claiming wide-ranging influences from AC/DC and The Ramones to John Coltrane and Parliament, Johnny’s style is reminiscent of Billy Strings—a sound he calls a funky country bluegrass good time for working folks.

KAYLN FAY

Kalyn Fay (Cherokee Nation, Muscogee descent) is a songwriter and musician from Oklahoma, who cultivates an additional interdisciplinary practice that interweaves visual arts, curation, and education. Deeply rooted in Oklahoma, Fay’s songs are heartfelt, sonic explorations of their nuanced relationship to the landscape and people of the southern plains. Their practice engages with both the cultural and personal, using music and storytelling as a way to lean into Indigenous understandings that foster empathetic and sustainable relationships with community and environment. Kalyn Fay is currently an NACF LIFT Fellow (2022-2023) and a First Peoples Fund Artist-in-Business Leadership Fellow (2023).

MONICA TAYLOR & FRIENDS

Monica Taylor earned the nickname “The Cherokee Songbird” for her distinctive singing style, Cherokee heritage and her home near the Cimarron River in Oklahoma. With a sound like Emmylou Harris and a slight yodel in her voice, Monica captivates you with her vocals. Monica has recorded and performed with a litany of famed Red Dirt, country and bluegrass musicians including Jimmy LaFave, John Fullbright, Jared Tyler, Robin Macy, and the godfather of Red Dirt, Bob Childers. For more than three decades she has been writing songs from the heart. Monica has worked with many performers on stages across the country, like Garrison Keillor, Asleep at the Wheel, the Nitty Gritty Dirtband, Ellis Paul, Sam Baker, Keith Carradine and others.

TRANSLATORS

KATHY SIERRA
BOBBIE SMITH
HARRY OOSAHWEE
DAVID CRAWLER
ELLEN CULP
CORA FLUTE
RYAN MACKEY

LANGUAGE COACHES

DANIELLE CULP
SCHON DUNCAN

WITH SPECIAL ASSISTANCE FROM THE CHEROKEE LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT

SAMMY STILL
DENNIS SIXKILLER
ROY BONEY JR
ANNA SIXKILLER
MARGARET LEUTHJE
DAVID CRAWLER
JOHN ROSS