JUST A-SWINGIN': Western Swing Weekend draws hundreds of aficionados

Nov. 6—HULBERT — The Lodge at Sequoyah State Park was in full swing Friday. Western swing, that is.

Famed musician Bob Wills would have been proud, as the dance floor of the grand banquet hall remained occupied all day by members of the Western Swing Music Society of the Southwest. They two-stepped around the room to the classic sounds of the old genre, only breaking to allow the next band to step on stage.

John Jones, WSMSS president, said the society hosts six showcases a year, but the Western Swing Weekend at Sequoyah Park is everyone's favorite.

"This is everyone's favorite location," he said. "It's a beautiful park. You can come hear the music, walk back to your room, you can go eat, and you don't even have to get back in your car. Plus it's a beautiful area and everything is set up very well."

A subgenera of American country music, Western swing originated in the late 1920s and has elements of pop, blues, jazz, Dixieland and more. Considered a Fort Worth product, the genre evolved over the years and captured the ears of people all over the country. In fact, there were people from at least eight different states at the event, which ran from Wednesday, Nov. 3, to Saturday, Nov. 6.

"It's a pretty unique, American stye of music, and we're real proud of it, and we're trying to keep it going," said Jones. "Really, it's a very versatile type of music, because it incorporates a lot of things. It's got fiddle breakdowns, it's got straight-ahead jazz, more traditional country, and it's all blended in — and we call it Western swing."

The Wester Swing Music Society is a nonprofit organization, and all the musicians and workers were volunteers. Each year, the group raises money to give out scholarships to deserving youth. One of those recipients is Kristyn Harris, who was featured on "American Idol" in 2018. The WSMSS gave out 21 scholarships last year and is hoping to up that number this year.

"Our big thing is giving back and trying to keep promoting and supporting Western swing," Jones said.

While the banquet hall had the most action, surrounding rooms at The Lodge were open for jam sessions. Anyone with an instrument could stop by and find others to strum along with. The music was nonstop, too, running from the morning and through the night. And it's an event many WSMSS members couldn't wait to attend.

Warren Rowland said it had a community atmosphere.

"We met people in 2017, and we're still sitting with them and always look forward to seeing them," he said. "We just couldn't wait to get to see all of our friends. We don't need anything else to make us happy, other than the music."

It was a happy affair, indeed. Grins on faces spread from ear to ear. And while perhaps attracting an older demographic, the dance floor was more lively than anywhere to be found in Tahlequah.

"You notice there's not a lot of young kids," said Carol Deatherage. "It's probably 50 and up, but that's because the young people don't like to dance. All of us love to dance. That's why we're here."

Check it out

The Western Swing Weekend at The Lodge continues Saturday. It costs $5 for WSMSS members and $10 for non-members, and runs from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.