In August 1996 I moved to Tulsa for a better TV job. With 65 gigs under my belt, most of them as a solo act in Springfield, and some pretty solid material, I found myself in a town bereft of a coffee-shop scene, or even an open-mic night scene.
The future was iffy.
I found the occasional gig, of course — mainly an open-mic night here and there as they came to light — and I made the first ‘real’ acoustic recording, the long-since-out-of-print cassette Where Is Everybody? — and put my free time to good use. I practiced, and I wrote new material, and I practiced, and I recorded, and I practiced some more.
Despite the lack of frequency, the shows I did through this period — including return trips to Kent and Springfield — were fun. The TV appearances (sometimes the Day Job has its perks) in particular were a blast, albeit a terrifying blast, and the Austin trip was more fun than I’d hoped.
Except for the death-defying drive back. But that’s another story entirely.
This low-key stretch — nearly 5 years long — gave me some unexpected exposure, and set the stage for the summer 2001 emergence of the One True Acoustic Ross.
| When | Where | Comments |
| March 17, 1997 | “You’re on with Sam Jones” KOTV6, Tulsa OK |
interview & performance “Over You Now” & “Idiot” |
| April 23, 1997 | “You’re on with Sam Jones” KOTV6, Tulsa OK |
interview & performance “Princess from Saturn” (last apparance of the old version), “Idiot” (by request of Sam) & the debut of “83 Ribbons” |
| August 20, 1997 | Brady’s Café Kent, OH |
open-mic Vaguerants reunion set with Mark & Ted, plus a solo set |
| May 1, 1998 | “Six in the Morning” KOTV6, Tulsa OK |
interview & performance “Over You Now”, “83 Ribbons,” “Idiot” (by request), “Tribute Album” |
| December 8, 1998 | The Outland Springfield, MO |
open-mic |
| November 3, 1999 | Delaware Playhouse Tulsa, OK |
The Great Stage Experiment (open-mic) |
| January 24, 2000 | Shaggy’s Austin, TX |
open-mic |
| January 25, 2000 | Ruta Maya Coffee House Austin, TX |
open-mic |
| June 13, 2000 | Uncle Bently’s Tulsa, OK |
open-mic |
| June 27, 2000 | Uncle Bently’s Tulsa, OK |
open-mic |
| July 9, 2000 | “The Dr. Demento Show” national syndicated radio |
he played “Idiot” |
| July 18, 2000 | Uncle Bently’s Tulsa, OK |
open-mic |
| July 28, 2000 | “The News on 6 at Noon” KOTV6, Tulsa OK |
interview & performance “Idiot” & “Time For One More” |
| July 30, 2000 | Uncle Bently’s Tulsa, OK |
Tom Skinner’s Songwriter Spotlight |
| February 25, 2001 | Uncle Bently’s Tulsa, OK |
Tom Skinner’s Songwriter Spotlight |
