THESE TUNES @ NOON ARTISTS WILL BE PERFORMING AT CARNEY FEST 2026 MAY 2ND.
Experience the magic of The Church Studio during the “Tunes @ Noon” series (Tue-Thu-Sat). Enjoy intimate live performances from talented Americana, jazz, and rock musicians in a legendary setting. Your admission includes a museum tour of the renowned facility where Leon Russell made history. After the show, explore the vibrant shops and restaurants of Studio Row, the heart of the Pearl District’s creative scene. Check the latest lineup on the official Church Studio events page and plan your visit!
By Deborah McLaren
Patti Steel
“Tulsa truly has my heart.” — Patti Steel
Patti Steel is soulful, fearless, and deeply human. She recently told me, “I’m an artist that enjoys all music. Americana is a huge umbrella—roots music, blues, jazz, even classic—but when it comes out of me, it doesn’t stay in that same form. I channel all of it. There’s a soul, folk, rock, country, blues, and jazz thing that comes inside and back out, and I don’t have a word for it yet, so for now I just call it Americana Soul.”
Multi-instrumentalist Patti prioritizes emotional grit, warmth, and vulnerability, embracing the risk of imperfection in her performances. Known for playing a diverse array of instruments ranging from spoons and guitar to mandolin and clarinet, she emphasizes resilience and the courage to experiment. As she told me, “I’m not a master of all of them, but I’m not afraid to try. I’m not afraid to mess up. I’ll get on stage, take the risk, fall short if I have to, and keep going.” She’s like a master woodcarver who can talk to you about the weather while still turning out a perfect piece.
Music has been in Patti’s blood from the start. Her dad, Brian Richardson, ran in the same circles as legends like the Gaines siblings from Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Cate Brothers. Patti still keeps those ties alive today, playing with Earl Cate’s daughter in her own band, the Dawn Cate Band. Her own path started on a hand-me-down clarinet. She actually wanted to be a drummer, but since the drumline was full, she just jumped in wherever she was needed—even picking up the bass in junior high because the band had a gap to fill. For a long time, she didn’t see herself as a “leader,” just a piece of a bigger sound.
That “fly on the wall” energy followed her into a master’s degree in photojournalism. For about a decade, she was the one behind the lens at campfire jams and open mics, documenting the scene until musicians started asking her to put the camera down and sit in. Little by little, the pull of the stage grew stronger than the view through the shutter.
Patti spent a decade with the Trash Can Bandits, doing everything from playing to booking shows and hauling merch. When the band split during the COVID shutdown, her life shifted, and the “Patti Steel” solo project was born out of pure necessity to pay the rent. She began teaching music and taking any gig she could find—a period of survival she captured in her song “2020 Quarantine” with Dominic Roy Music. Building it one performance at a time, she eventually put a full band together for a show at Kingfish, a Fayetteville staple for local music. The energy that night was undeniable, and what started as a way to get by quickly became the real deal.
There have been a few iterations of the Patti Steel Band. She writes and performs a lot of original songs. One is called “Catchin’ My Back Hand,” which speaks to the struggle of being in an abusive relationship—feeling trapped, believing you can’t get away, and then realizing you actually can. Another original, “No Better,” calls out people who act like they’re above others when, in truth, they’re not better at all. Some of the cover songs she performs with her band include music by The Staple Singers, Alabama Shakes, and Led Zeppelin—artists whose power and soul have deeply influenced her sound. She’s been writing new material and has a new album.
Patti’s connection to The Church Studio in Tulsa started with a bit of a leap of faith. After meeting musician Tom Pevear and inviting her to play with him at the Colony Club in Tulsa, he invited her to sit in with him at Tunes @ Noon. Despite the nerves of playing with someone she’d only played with once, the session clicked. That first Tunes @ Noon performance created a relationship with Nancy Ruth and the Church Studio team. Since then, Patti has become a regular face at the studio, returning for several sessions. She told me, “I love, love, love the church studio.” Now, she’s taking that momentum to the stage, preparing to bring her full band to Carney Fest 2026.
Patti didn’t grow up listening to Leon Russell, but after spending time in Tulsa, she became more aware of his impact on the music industry. “Not just as a performer, but as a songwriter, producer, and visionary. His legacy is woven into the spirit of the city.” To honor that, she’s putting together a tribute to Leon for her set at Carney Fest and bringing a local Tulsa artist up to join her. “Tulsa truly has my heart—as much as anywhere I’ve ever lived. No matter where life takes me, I’ll always look for a way to come back and make my home there again.”
When she isn’t performing, Patti’s still a documentary photographer and educator, staying busy as a collaborator and sharing what she knows about storytelling and creative growth. Patti brings joy, power, and authenticity to every note she plays and sings.
Check out Patti Steel’s NPR Tiny Desk Contest 2026.
See her calendar and scheduled events at Patti Steel; music available on all streaming platforms.
Patti Steel (Photo by Meredith Mashburn Photography)
Tom Pevear
“The Tulsa music scene has been beyond my wildest dreams.” – Tom Pevear
Originally from Boston, the folksinger and interpreter of songs, Tom Pevear, eventually traded the East Coast for Denver. While working as a para at a local school, he met his wife, Jordan, a Norman, OK, native who was teaching an elementary enrichment class. They began their life together in Colorado, but without deep roots there, the pull of her home state grew stronger. In 2021, they made the leap to Tulsa, drawn by the city’s vibrant music community and an existing circle of friends. He spent the last few years holding down the fort as the primary caregiver for twins, Arlo and Eleanor. Now that they’re seven, life is a bit louder and a lot busier, but they love being part of the music community.
Growing up in a household with a father who was a massive music fan, Tom explained to me, “Music became something of a ‘gateway drug,’ if you will.” The path began with the upright bass in high school before transitioning to electric guitar. Post-college, the focus shifted toward fingerstyle folk, performing as a singer and an interpreter of songs.
He’s a music researcher at heart. When a song catches his ear, he can’t help but dig into its history, uncovering details about where it came from. His early work was rooted in the music of Jorma Kaukonen of Hot Tuna, John Hurt, and Doc Watson. While he’s since carved out a sound of his own, you can still hear those acoustic blues influences baked into every song he plays. His work often includes classic blues, folk, bluegrass, and country songs while also crafting original compositions that capture his experiences on the road. He enjoys taking on the challenge of translating piano arrangements onto the guitar. There is a constant search for the next song to deconstruct and reimagine.
“At the core, it boils down to a fundamental love for playing the guitar.” Tom explains, “The music industry is a challenging landscape to make a living in, but there is a constant chase for a specific sound—an aspirational tone that the instrument has yet to fully yield. It is a pursuit that drives every session; while that “perfect” sound may remain elusive, the journey toward it is what provides the spark.” His passion for his guitars, especially his Iris DF Burst, caused Iris to invite him to join their artist lineup. “They kindly built me a custom DF in a natural finish. It has an Adirondack spruce top, aged mahogany back and sides, and a 1 3/4-inch nut, and it was love at first sight. It’s a highlight of my musical career to be one of their artists, and I’m so grateful.”
Tom’s album, “Songs for the Road” (released August 2025), was recorded with Matt Teegarden, here in Tulsa. “It was a lightning-fast process—recorded live in his living room in about six hours.” Tom said, “The goal wasn’t to produce a polished ‘studio’ record; the goal was to capture a moment. Being a live artist first, it was important to have a record that felt raw and authentic to that second year in Tulsa. It’s just raw guitar and performance, and it was a huge win to have a label, Nashville’s Gitcha Records, pick it up from there.”
The album includes “Bye Bye Baby,” which is gentle and melodic, with a highly syncopated fingerpicking style. And “I Am The Light Of This World,” is a classic example of gospel blues. However, it is optimistic and bright, almost like a sound of shimmering light to match its hopeful message. It’s about unshakable confidence, a perfect song for Tom. It reminds me a little of early Taj Mahal’s Queen Bee.
Tom volunteered as a docent at The Church Studio when he first moved to Tulsa. Although he says he didn’t do many shifts because his music career took off. Eventually he played some sets at Tunes @ Noon and the Tulsa Tempo Podcast and loves being part of the community. He’s looking forward to playing in the studio during Carney Fest 2026.
“Being part of the Tulsa music scene is something I’m incredibly grateful for—the musicians around this town are a constant source of inspiration.” Tom explains, “I don’t really have any massive, looming goals; I just want to be part of the crowd. I get asked a lot about ‘what’s next,’ but in my mind, I’ve already made it. I get to make a living playing guitar, and more importantly, I get the benefit of real time with my instrument. I have to book my show, get paid, and drive 60,000 miles a year, but I’m playing. I feel like I’ve made it.”
Check out Tom Pevear & The Backyard Band on Thursdays at the Colony in Tulsa.
See his calendar and scheduled events at Tom Pevear; music available on all streaming platforms.
Tom Pevear
Native Strange
Native—local/familiar
Strange—unknown
= A feeling of comfort in the unknown
Tulsa-based Native Strange are known for indie rock with soulful vocals, led by singer-songwriter Blake McBride. The group is known for a “jammy” indie rock sound, performing around Tulsa, and featuring emotional, personal songwriting.
Singer-songwriter Blake McBride’s musical roots go back to a large, church-centered family, where he first started writing his own material. By 2018, the project became a family affair when his sister started inviting him to open mics and his brother, Boone McBride, joined in. The two brothers’ sound quickly drew in other musicians, evolving into a hodgepodge collective with a rotating cast of players. During a practice session focused on the contrast between the familiar and the unfamiliar, they landed on the name Native Strange. What started as a grassroots project has since grown into a fixture of local Tulsa music.
Today, the band also features Christian Curtis (bass), Brenden Curtis (lead guitar), Jorge Sepulveda (rhythm guitar), Chris Reynolds (keys), and Nathan Wilson (drums). All of the members are from the Tulsa area, except Jorge, who moved from California to Tulsa. While he initially joked about expecting tumbleweeds and horses, he was quickly won over by the city’s character and the genuine kindness of the people he met. He eventually found his way into the local music scene and is now a key part of the Native Strange crew. His arrival helped solidify the band’s transition from a rotating hodgepodge of musicians into the ensemble it is today.
The band is fully rooted in the Tulsa music community, operating with a self-sufficient, DIY mindset that keeps their creative process close to home. With their keyboardist, Chris, serving as the engineer at Brady Street Records, the band has the unique advantage of practicing and recording their EPs and LPs in a space they are already at home at.
The band is carving a groove for the sound they produce and doing their best to engage with fans and build a community around them where everyone feels safe and wants to come back and bring a friend to the next show. With all the members working full-time jobs, the project is a true passion project filled with drive, motivation, and hope. Jorge said, “I feel very fortunate; there’s the willingness of strangers to listen, even though there’s so much music in the city.”
To help all of them to survive, they have a band fund that they maintain for flat tires, sticks, and strings. Jorge says it “is essential for long-term sustainability; it prevents emergency out-of-pocket costs from causing friction between members. Treating show earnings as a business reinvestment (primarily for merch) rather than beer money allows the band to be more sustainable without relying on our personal day job income. With babies at home, we’ve moved to a quality-over-quantity model. Every gig must now pass a bit of a test: is the exposure, pay, or networking worth the hours taken away from your family? This high bar for playing actually prevents burnout. It ensures that when you do play, the energy is higher because the stakes and the sacrifice are clear to everyone involved.”
“We felt very giddy, but safe, when we were invited to play Tunes @ Noon; it’s kind of like the ultimate sign that you’ve found your creative community.” Jorge described, “Once we played outdoors in the garden, feeling like you could have played for another hour proved your set is tight and the connection with the crowd is genuine. Inside is a bit trickier, but when you trust the crew and the environment, you can stop worrying about the technical hurdles and actually focus on the live dynamics happening together in the band.”
They feel they are achieving the success they want. The band has found a supportive circle in Tulsa. Working with the Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture (Tulsa FMAC) has helped them get in front of the right crowds, while The Church Studio is the next step for their recording sound. Most importantly, they’ve found a rhythm that respects their lives as parents, making sure that when they do head out to play, the community and the room make it worth the trip. They are looking forward to taking the stage at Carney Fest 2026.
At its heart, Native Strange exists to forge a genuine connection in a world that often feels heavy and out of control. They play for the pure love of the craft. Jorge emphasizes that “While the world may feel like it’s on fire, we use our music to bring people together, expressing a shared truth: that we all carry the same weight and walk the same path. By embracing the beautiful weirdness of life and spreading love, we’ve turned our music into a full-circle celebration of being alive right now, offering a sense of belonging and peace to everyone who listens.”
Keep up with Native Strange on Facebook and YouTube; music available on all streaming platforms.
Native Strange