Shows
MBJ Enterprises LLCSevendust, Static-X, Cannibal Corpse, & Living Sacrifice ShowsThis was one of those stretches where every flyer got heavier.Sevendust, Coal Chamber, Sepultura, and Downset. That lineup alone says everything about where heavy music was headed in 2000. Downset had a following. Sevendust was already becoming one of those bands people stayed loyal to for life.Then came Static-X, Taproot, Deadlights, and Slaves on Dope.That was the sound of the era. Industrial edge. Nu-metal energy. Packed rooms. Loud merch tables. Everybody trying to catch the next band before they broke wide open.September 6, 2000 — Cannibal Corpse at the Diamond Ballroom....
2026-06-2601 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCKansas & Peter Criss ShowsOctober 22, 1994.Kansas at The Roxy.Ten dollars in advance.And according to Max, it was one of the best club shows he ever saw.Kansas was locked in that night. Tight, powerful, and the kind of live performance that gives you goosebumps while you’re standing there. Some shows are good. Some shows remind you why you started chasing music in the first place.That was one of them.Fast forward years later, and Kansas is still out there playing rooms like Heartland Expo Center in Shawnee. Th...
2026-06-2500 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCZZ Top, Pretenders, & Stray Cats ConcertAugust 3, 2007.ZZ Top. The Pretenders. Stray Cats.That was one of those bills where every name on the flyer mattered.ZZ Top always delivers. The Pretenders are legends in their own right. But that night?Stray Cats stole the show.As many times as Max had seen ZZ Top, and even after seeing The Pretenders a few times, the Stray Cats came out and absolutely blistered the place. Brian Setzer and Lee Rocker are hard to top when they’re locked in, and that night they proved it.
2026-06-2300 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCCamping Out For Ozzy Osbourne Tickets In The SnowBefore online presales, verified fan codes, and digital queues, you had to earn your concert tickets.Sometimes that meant camping outside in the snow.Max talks about waiting in line for Ozzy Osbourne tickets during the Randy Rhoads era with only a few people crazy enough to be out there. The police got called, Jim Dunn came out, and instead of just running them off, he realized they weren’t leaving.So he opened the door and let them stay inside a small area.That moment turned into something bigger....
2026-06-2301 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCBuying Taylor Swift Reputation Tour TicketsMax’s sister came to him with a job: two Taylor Swift tickets at AT&T Stadium. Not just any tickets either. They had to be good, because they were for the big boss.So Max called Ron.And Ron’s answer was exactly what you want to hear in that moment:“No problem. We’ll get it done. Don’t ask how. We’ll just get it done.”As the show got closer, Max had to drive down to Arlington, pay $60 just to park at a hamburger stand, and walk into the madne...
2026-06-2202 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCPowerman 5000, Static-X, Dope, & Slipknot ShowsPowerman 5000, Static-X, and Dope at the Diamond Ballroom.1,210 people. March 18, 2000.That was a hot bill for that moment. Powerman 5000 was moving. Static-X was on fire. Dope fit right in with that whole industrial, nu-metal, heavy radio wave that was taking over in 2000.At that point, 1,210 at the Diamond was probably a sellout or close to it.And then you fast forward 23 years.Powerman 5000 comes back to the same room in 2023.Same Diamond Ballroom.Different decade.Same kind of crowd memory.Then...
2026-06-2101 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCRolling Stones in Paris or the DesertWhen you’ve seen The Rolling Stones as many times as Max has, picking one favorite show is almost impossible.Every one is different. Different stage. Different songs. Different city. Different people with you. Some shows hit because of the performance. Some hit because of the moment around it.But if you had to narrow it down?Paris or the desert.Paris was unforgettable. Eiffel Tower in the rain. The whole atmosphere. David Browne and Annabel Brandt there with Max, helping make it one of those once-in-a-lifetime trips.And th...
2026-06-1801 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCThe Biggest Gift You Could Ever Give MeSome guests would be cool to have on the podcast.This one would mean something different.After years of stories, Jeff finally got to meet Max’s mom, and even with all the stories he’d heard, it still hit different. Then came Max Baker Sr. Stories started flowing, and the room knew right away there was history there.Max says having his dad on the podcast would be the biggest gift anyone could ever give him.Because he admires his father.That’s the heart of this clip.I...
2026-06-1701 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCI Drove a Wrecker to Buy George Strait TicketsMax drove a wrecker. If he made a little money, he put it right back into the next show, the next ticket buy, the next opportunity. That was the cycle.It started young. At 14, he bought his own motorcycle and turned it into his motocross bike. He learned early how to work, how to build credit, and how to walk into a bank with a plan.If Fleetwood Mac was coming through on the Tusk tour, he’d go to the banker and say, “I need to borrow money for 90 days.”And for a long...
2026-06-1501 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCI Quit Red Bull & Mexican FoodMax quitting Red Bull was not a small thing.For years, it was part of the routine. Before recording, before work, before getting on the road, somebody was usually making a 7-Eleven or OnCue run for sugar-free Red Bulls. Then one day, the heart doctor asked what he drank, Max said Red Bull, and the answer came back simple: “No good for you. Cut it out.”So he did.No big announcement. No long speech. Just stopped.And that wasn’t the only change.Max also gave up Mexican food...
2026-06-1201 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCAlice Cooper Brutal Planet TourSeptember 27th at the Bricktown Event Center.Alice Cooper on the Brutal Planet tour.That was one of those shows where everybody made it through the day, even if not everybody loved being there. Jeff may not have been thrilled, but the night itself turned into a real one.Backstage was tight. One way in, one way out. Kitchen area. Side access. Everybody packed into the same working space, trying to keep the show moving.And somewhere in the middle of it, there’s a photo with Alice Cooper, Carrie, and Ma...
2026-06-1200 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCMeeting Mick Jagger & Keith Richards Unforgettable Backstage Stories It doesn’t matter where Max is in life — hospital bed, lowest low, highest high — the Stones have carried him through it. That’s not a slogan. That’s survival. And by 2024, the story has stretched far beyond Oklahoma: seeing them in Paris, seeing them in the desert alongside names like Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Neil Young, The Who, and Roger Waters.Then comes the backstage moment you can’t script.Pipe and drape. One opening. You step through… and accidentally step on Mick Jagger’s toes. The kind of mistake that becomes a legend the second it hap...
2026-06-0901 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCDo They Roll Along Stoned?It starts with a simple problem.“There’s a band coming this summer that I have no connections for.”And everybody immediately knows who we’re talking about.“Do they roll along stoned?”Yeah. They do.That’s how show business works. The biggest moments don’t show up on a calendar first — they show up in random conversations where you realize your ass is on the line again. And somehow, it turns into a blessing.Then the joke becomes the plan:“So do you have to get her Roll...
2026-06-0900 minMBJ Enterprises LLCIf You Stay in the Problem, You Never Find a SolutionMax says it plain. If you stay in the problem, you never find the solution.That lesson came from the woman sitting to his left, his sister Deana. When they first started spending more time together again, she saw him at his worst. Leg straightened out. Pain loud. Mood even louder. And she didn’t baby him. She held it up and hit him with the truth. “What are you gonna do now, big boy?” Even joked about whacking him with a cane when he was acting up.But the point wasn’t the joke.The...
2026-06-0401 minMBJ Enterprises LLCI Just Got Released From The Hospital TodayThe day Max was released from the hospital with a new knee. Rehab starting. Exercises underway. And even with the fresh pain of surgery, Max says it still doesn’t compare to what he was living with before.That’s the part people don’t understand until it’s them. Chronic pain doesn’t just hurt, it starts messing with your mind. It gets to the point where getting in a chair, getting in the truck, doing normal life feels impossible. Max said if it kept going the way it was, another week might have pushed him...
2026-06-0100 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCTwo Nights With UdoraTwo nights. Two stages. Full local scene energy.The dates matter here. Not July 24th. It was July 29th and 30th.One of those nights was at Cain's Ballroom and it was a Mad Max style build. Two stages, constant changeovers, and a lineup that felt like a roster sheet of that era.Udora headlining the mix with Midnight to 12, Wither, Makeshift, Rook, Cynical Theory, All Too Familiar, Vent, Waiting on Juliet, Oversold, Trip C, and Fighting Tomorrow.This wasn’t random booking. Udora mattered. David’s band. They’d been on the...
2026-05-2700 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCUntitled EpisodeJesse Jane Is on Drowning Pool’s Backstage PassGoing back through old laminates and backstage passes will bring back some wild memories.One of them?Drowning Pool backstage. Cain’s Ballroom date. Bricktown date. And printed right there among Oklahoma’s “finest” was Jesse Jane.And this wasn’t random.Because at that same time, there was the Devil’s Daughter video with Shotgun Rebellion.3130 Studios. Clark Dealcast shooting. Same space where other projects had happened before. Different energy this time.And suddenly the q...
2026-05-1401 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCBuilding a Massive Stage in MiamiBuilding a Massive Stage in MiamiBefore the permanent venues. Before the easy load-ins.We built it from the ground up.On the backside of a parking lot in Miami, Oklahoma. Facing east toward what everyone jokingly called “the mushroom field.” No existing infrastructure. No pre-hung rigging. Just open space and a plan.And it wasn’t a small setup.It was a massive steel stage.First time ever building a full steel stage system from scratch. Labor crews. Long days. Layout adjustments. Wind considerations. Electr...
2026-05-0901 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCHank III & Assjack at Cain's BallroomSame night Lamb of God was tearing up Springfield, Hank III was leveling Cain’s Ballroom.Country first set. Assjack second set. Two completely different worlds in one room.We had done Hank before at the Will Rogers in Oklahoma City, but we kept telling him about Cain’s. Telling him about the history. The ghosts in the walls. The legends on the stage.That night it happened.DCF, Doc Rock, and Choice presents. Packed house. Full circle moment.The part that sticks the most wasn’t even dur...
2026-05-0801 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCWhat’s in Godsmack’s Future?Twenty years ago they were climbing.Now they’re headlining with a different kind of conversation happening around them.Godsmack has publicly hinted that this may be the final major run. Fewer tours. More one-offs. Possibly no more records. That’s a shift.So what’s next?The casino model.We’ve seen it before.Aerosmith Mötley Crüe Def Leppard Poison Joan JettResidencies. Multi-night casino runs. Destination weekends. It’s not a downgrade. It’s a pivot.The real questio...
2026-05-0701 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCFilming "Devil's Daughter" with Jesse Jane & Shotgun RebellionSometimes rock videos crossed the line on purpose.This one definitely did.Shotgun Rebellion filmed the video for Devil’s Daughter inside a church. Dark setting. Controversial concept. And somehow Max ends up co-starring alongside Jesse Jane.That’s when the realization hit.“Wait… I’m filming a music video in a church with a porn star?”And not just any adult star. Jesse Jane was one of the biggest names in the industry at that time. The whole thing felt surreal from the start.The video leaned all t...
2026-05-0601 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCEvery Band Had the Same Agent — Tim BorrorHere’s what made that lineup even crazier.It wasn’t just stacked.Every band on that stage was booked by the same agent — Tim Borror.One agent. One package. Multiple subgenres. Total domination.When that happens, everything runs smoother. Routing makes sense. Negotiations are streamlined. Relationships are tight. It’s strategic.And look at what that package covered:Lamb of God – modern American metal powerhouse Clutch – groove-heavy hard rock Opeth – progressive extreme metal Unearth – Massachusetts metalcore From Autumn to Ashes – emo/post-hardcore Norma Jean – chao...
2026-05-0501 minMBJ Enterprises LLCBand Canceled Max Put TM's Cell # On Venue DoorBand Canceled Max Put TM's Cell # On Venue DoorThis was the Killswitch show that never happened.Somewhere along the way they got hung up — Wichita Falls, Texas, if memory serves. Didn’t make it. No show.And the kids?They were furious.You’d brought that band through four or five times. Built a real fan base. Sold tickets. Packed the room. So when the cancellation hit, the blame didn’t go to weather or logistics or routing.It landed on you.Tensions were high. Pe...
2026-05-0401 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCHank Williams III At Cain's BallroomHank was my guy.And one night at Cain’s stands out more than most.Before the doors ever opened, he was just walking the room. No crowd. No noise. Just him studying the walls. If you’ve ever been inside Cain’s, you know it’s a museum of American music history. Photos everywhere. Legends in frames.The moment that stuck?Him standing under the painting of his grandfather, Hank Williams.That wasn’t just a cool photo op. That was legacy. Bloodline. Weight.Shelton Hank Williams c...
2026-05-0300 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCSounds of the Underground Festival 2005July 10, 2005. One day. One ticket. Absolute chaos.Lamb of God Clutch Opeth Unearth From Autumn to Ashes Norma Jean Poison the Well Every Time I Die Chimaira Throwdown Madball High on Fire All That Remains Strapping Young Lad DevilDriver GWARAll on the same bill.Under twenty bucks.That lineup today would cost you a mortgage payment in festival passes.This was the era right after Ozzfest started slowing down. Before Mayhem Festival became the next monste...
2026-05-0201 minMBJ Enterprises LLCWhat 90s Grunge Bands Can Sell Out Casinos?When you start talking about 90s grunge in casino rooms, the first tier is obvious.Pearl Jam Alice in Chains Foo FightersThose bands aren’t playing casinos. They’re still arena and festival headliners.The real casino conversation starts with the second tier.Soul Asylum Everclear Sponge Gin Blossoms The NixonsThese are the bands that can absolutely sell out the right casino room.The 90s audience is older now. They’ve got disposable income. They want nostalgia. They want to hear the...
2026-05-0101 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCPartying Outside the Gates Before the ShowWhat most people don’t realize is you just added a whole new chapter to the “back in my day” stories.Because before that hill became a park… it was a grass parking lot.And that parking lot?It was a massive tailgate party before the gates ever opened.Back then, fans didn’t line up down the road with wristbands and phones out. They stayed at their cars. Trucks backed in. Tailgates down. Coolers open. Music blasting. Grills going. It was the concert before the concert.It felt like a col...
2026-04-3000 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCSelling KISS & Black Crowes MerchandiseThe first time casino merch sales really hit different was in Durant.Smart move.When you bring a legacy act like KISS into a smaller market and print that city name on the shirt, it changes everything. Miami. Durant. Towns that had never seen their name on an official tour tee before.That’s not just merchandise.That’s validation.And in those markets, people buy heavy.KISS down in Durant? Cleaned house. Lines stacked. Credit cards flying. When your town is printed under that iconic logo, you’...
2026-04-2901 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCHilary Duff, Headroom, Tech N9ne, & Tantric Shows2004 was stacked.Hilary Duff rolled through on the Most Wanted Tour at the Lloyd Noble Center. AEG Live and DCF Concerts. No cameras. No recording. Tight security. At that moment, she was a massive pop act. That was peak teen-tour era. Big production. Big rules. Big money.Same stretch of dates, totally different vibe.August 27th at the Diamond Ballroom Headroom. 414 people. $10 ticket.That’s grassroots rock promotion. DCF and Choice pushing local and regional talent. Packed enough to matter. Cheap enough for everybody to get in.
2026-04-2801 minMBJ Enterprises LLCSafety Meetings & Tailgate PartiesWhen you’ve got 60 stagehands, loaders, riggers, and production crew flaring up in the heat, you better have a park nearby.That’s why that space mattered.Safety meetings were daily. OSHA approved. Hard hats, steel toes, paperwork, radio checks. Everyone likes to talk about the party, but the show doesn’t happen without structure.Still, sometimes a “safety meeting” meant cooling off and catching your breath.Back when it was a parking lot, fans didn’t line up down the road before gates. They stayed at their cars.Coolers open...
2026-04-2601 minMBJ Enterprises LLCMexican Acts Are The Hardest Working BandsThere was a time when major Mexican touring acts were coming into the Zoo for a fraction of what other national tours were charging.A typical Zoo show might cost 150 grand.Some of these acts came in for 35.Full night. Headliner status. Big crowd.And they brought everything.Production. Sound. Lights. Crew. Backline. No house package needed. No outside techs touching their gear. Trucks roll in. They unload. They set it. They line check. They play. They tear it down. Gone.Fast.Efficient....
2026-04-2601 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCW.A.S.P. Ended Amplified LiveIn the 80s you saw W.A.S.P. in arenas.By 2022, they were playing clubs.And it didn’t matter to Blackie Lawless. His rider didn’t care what size the room was. You filled it. Or you had a problem.Some shows you book to win.Some shows you book because you love rock and roll.W.A.S.P. at Amplified Live was one of those.And it ended up being the one that shut the place down.After that run, Amplified Live...
2026-04-2501 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCNeil Young & Good CharlotteSixteen-dollar tickets.Different eras. Same idea.Neil Young went through that stretch where he’d split the show in half. First set mellow. Deep cuts. Acoustic tones. Then he’d flip the switch. Hard, noisy, almost industrial energy. Think Trans. Think Ark and Weld. Think Crazy Horse pushing it into heavier territory.That was him testing the crowd. Changing lanes mid-show.Then you jump forward.Good Charlotte, Simple Plan, and Relient K rolling through Expo Square Pavilion in Tulsa and State Fair Arena in Oklahoma City.Pop-punk wave...
2026-04-2301 minMBJ Enterprises LLCLos Tigres del Norte At The Zoo AmphitheatreFamily Day at the Zoo Ten-dollar ticket.Los Tigres del Norte headlining with four or five other regional Mexican acts traveling together. Caravan-style lineup. Full cultural event.And it sold out.Ten thousand people.Carnival set up in the back. Food vendors. Families everywhere. The Zoo right next door offering free admission with a concert ticket.So what happened?Half the crowd would drift into the Zoo between sets. Then the amphitheater would fill back up when the next act hit. Then they’d leave aga...
2026-04-2301 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCZZ Top & Cardboard Vampires Then Soulfly & El NinoMid-August 2004 was stacked.First up, ZZ Top at the Zoo. The opener? Cardboard Vampires, a project fronted by Jerry Cantrell. That wasn’t a long-running act. Limited appearances. That night, they opened for ZZ Top and that was the band assigned to work with. Not a bad shift.Then August 19.Soulfly and El Niño at Diamond Ballroom.486 tickets.$23.Heavy package. Solid bill. But 486 in that room feels light. That’s the gamble with metal tours. Some nights explode. Some nights grind.The very next day...
2026-04-2201 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCRobert Plant, Billy Idol, The Wallflowers & Ryan Cabrera In One WeekMarch 2005.One week. Four major artists. Zero downtime.It starts with Robert Plant at Southside Education Center in Tulsa. Friday, March 11. From there, drive him down Route 66 to Oklahoma City for March 13 at Bricktown Events Center. Full escort mode. Shopping stops. Meals. Hosting duties. Rock royalty riding shotgun on Route 66.Three days off.Then back at it.Wednesday at Cain's Ballroom with The Wallflowers.That night, straight back to Oklahoma City to step into Billy Idol at the Red Cocoanut Events Center. No rest. Drop Billy at...
2026-04-2101 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCEvanescence & Seether – Max Gets Hired As Zoo RunnerMid-2004 was stacked.Canadian rock rolling through town. Finger Eleven. Thornley, fronted by Ian Thornley, who previously led Big Wreck. Multiple rooms. Cain’s. Bricktown Live. The Rockwell.Then August 11.Zoo Amphitheatre.Evanescence. Seether. Three Days Grace.That was a strong bill. Post–“Bring Me to Life” era. Radio heavy. Big turnout.Three days later, August 14.ZZ Top at the Zoo.But behind the scenes is where the real shift happened.After getting in trouble and not being welcomed on some of the b...
2026-04-2001 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCLocal H & Sum 41 ShowsApril 17.Back in Oklahoma City.Local H at Bricktown Live. Ten bucks. Short and Sweet, Andy, and Ballista on the bill. Ballista was local. Tight scene. Downtown Bricktown energy. That room was loud, sweaty, and perfect for a band like Local H.And yes, being thanked in the liner notes hits different. That’s a permanent receipt.Two days later?Sum 41, Unwritten Law, and Hawthorne Heights at Bricktown Event Center.Twenty-five bucks.That lineup was stacked.Sum 41 in their prime. Unwritten Law steady as...
2026-04-2001 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCThe Killers Play Bricktown Live – $9.47 TicketsNine dollars and forty-seven cents.That was the ticket.Radio show. The Buzz Presents. No mystery fees stacking up at checkout. If you bought it at the door, you paid $9.47. Box office counted clean at the end of the night. No service charge surprise hiding in the drawer.That’s how it worked back then.And this wasn’t some random booking.The Killers ran through Oklahoma rooms on their way up. Bricktown Events Center. Diamond Ballroom. The Zoo. Cain's Ballroom. Possibly The Brady. Before arenas. Before headlining major cent...
2026-04-1800 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCStyx At Buffalo Run Casino & ResortOne night it’s Styx inside Buffalo Run Casino.Next night it’s 15 bands, two stages, and organized chaos.That’s the range.Styx at Buffalo Run was inside. Clean production. National act. Tight schedule. Professional room. Solid crowd.Then you flip the calendar to the 16th and it’s Disjointed, Trip C, Wither, Makeshift, Midnight to 12, Severance, Waiting on Juliet, None Were Found, Welcome the Silence, Rotting Cycle, Transfixed, Bent, Rhythmic Disturbance, Separation from All, Skull Playground.Fifteen bands.Two stages.Bands crossing over. Announcers weaving through the crowd...
2026-04-1702 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCW.A.S.P. In A 300 Capacity ClubBlackie Lawless.Bricktown Live.2004.A band that once opened for KISS. Shared bills with Iron Maiden. Played Donington. Headlined arenas.Now standing in a 300-cap room in Oklahoma City.That’s the reality of rock cycles.W.A.S.P. came through more than once. Still touring hard. Still carrying that massive mic stand. Still performing like it was 1986. The stage presence didn’t shrink just because the room did.And that was the strange part.In 2004, it wasn’t easy to find younge...
2026-04-1601 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCMötley Crüe – The Red, White & Crüe Tour 2005Springfield to Miami runs. Bricktown Live metal nights. Ford Center arena shows.That stretch of 2005 had everything.Same night at Bricktown Live you had God Forbid, Caliban, It Dies Today, and Full Blown Chaos. Pure heavy lineup. No radio singles. No crossover push. Just straight metal. Years later, Doc Coyle from God Forbid ends up in Bad Wolves, but back then they were grinding it out.Then April 14, 2005.Ford Center.Mötley Crüe – Red, White & Crüe Tour.Bought a ticket. Took Dylan. Fan mode. Arena packe...
2026-04-1401 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCRasputina, Lamb of God & Finger Eleven ShowsAugust 2004 was loaded.August 5. Funk Junkies at The Rockwell. August 7. Rasputina at Bricktown Live. Three women, stand-up bass, cello-driven chaos. Twelve-dollar ticket.Two days later it explodes.August 9, 2004. Lamb of God, Atreyu, Every Time I Die, and Unearth at Cain's Ballroom.Sixteen bucks.That was a violent lineup for $16.Packed floor. No bad sightlines. Hard tickets sold at Starship, Jam Shack, The Bag in Broken Arrow, VCF, Choice. Real outlets. Real paper tickets. No service fees stacking up.Same night at Bricktown Live? Fi...
2026-04-1401 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCBugs Bunny, A Monkey & Other Rider RequestsRiders tell you everything about a tour.Sometimes it’s normal. Towels. Drinks. Snacks.Sometimes it’s Sammy Kershaw wanting an 8x10 framed photo of Bugs Bunny in his dressing room. Not a joke. In a frame.Then came the monkey requests.One band kicked off the legendary M&M era of rider stories, but the “monkey in the dressing room” request had everyone scrambling. No idea what to do. So Max grabbed his kid’s Curious George and set it up backstage. Problem solved.Hank needed a monkey too. Stuff...
2026-04-1301 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCSpooky Fruit, Shadows Fall, & As I Lay Dying ShowsEarly 2000s Oklahoma shows were stacked.One night you’ve got Spooky Fruit, Mark of the Sage, Falling High, Far From Nothing, 80 Proof, and Scions at the Diamond Ballroom. Tulsa bands mixed in. Local scenes colliding. Packed rooms. No filler.Same night across town? Static-X and Soil at The Rockwell.Then August 3, 2004 hits.Shadows Fall. As I Lay Dying. Himsa. Remembering Never.Bricktown Live. About 500 capacity.Fifteen bucks.That was one of the baddest $15 shows you could see.As I Lay D...
2026-04-1201 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCTrash Can Punch At Zoo ConcertsThere was a time when zoo concerts ran on coolers and creativity.You could bring your own ice chest inside. As long as it wasn’t in bottles or cans, security let it slide. The 7-Elevens near the entrance would stack coolers to the ceiling on show days. They knew the drill.That’s where “trash can punch” came in.Everclear. Mixers. Gallon milk jugs. Everything poured together and passed around the crowd. Ice chests doubled as seats or step stools when the lawn filled up. It wasn’t polished. It wasn’t subtle. It w...
2026-04-1101 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCBob Dylan & Willie Nelson Ballpark TourSeptember 3rd, 2004.Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.First show ever built on that turf.No prefab. No shortcuts. Built with labor. Hands-on. Long days rolling into longer nights. That was the kickoff for the ballpark era.Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson touring baseball stadiums across the country. Jam Productions behind it. Promoters getting commemorative bats and gloves like it was Little League for rock and roll. David still has his.For Max, this one hit different. Huge Dylan fan. Named his kid after him. Hero status. So he’s out there do...
2026-04-1001 minMBJ Enterprises LLCBoy Scouts of America Clean Up After Tailgate PartiesNobody thinks about what happens after the party.They remember the music. The crowd. The chaos. But when the parking lot cleared out and the tailgates shut down, somebody still had to deal with the aftermath.That’s where the Boy Scouts of America came in.They’d roll up in this little cage truck like a pit crew. Bottles, cans, trash everywhere. They were Johnny-on-the-spot, tossing everything into that truck and hauling it straight to recycling. That was their payday.And that park? That’s where the real tailgates lived. Grateful...
2026-04-0901 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCTaking Zakk Wylde to a Drive-In Movie TheaterTaking Zakk Wylde to a Drive-In Movie TheaterAfter an acoustic show the night before and then Black Label Society at Cain's Ballroom, Max was running for the band. Fifteen-passenger van. Long nights. Zero sleep. That’s all he’ll admit to.At some point, he takes Zakk Wylde to see something most rock stars hadn’t seen in years.The Admiral Twin Drive-In.Back in 2005, drive-ins were almost extinct. Two screens back-to-back. Old-school Americana. The kind of place you don’t expect a global metal icon to be standing in front of...
2026-04-0801 minMBJ Enterprises LLCTexas Hippie Coalition On Jerry SpringerThis one didn’t happen at a venue.It happened in a hospital hallway.Before the injury, a deal was worked out for Texas Hippie Coalition to appear live on The Jerry Springer Show. Two versions of the performance. A TV edit and an R-rated cut. Full chaos. Classic Springer energy.Max was supposed to be there.Then life shifted.Instead of standing backstage at a TV taping, he’s being pushed down a hallway at St. Anthony Hospital for wound care. Big Dad is the one pushing the whee...
2026-04-0602 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCSlipknot, Lamb of God & Shadows Fall x2March 28 and 29, 2005.Back-to-back nights. State Fair Arena. Kansas Coliseum.Slipknot. Lamb of God. Shadows Fall. DevilDriver.Massive bills. Pure heavy energy.And somehow… Max didn’t get in.“No Max allowed.”Didn’t buy a ticket. Couldn’t get through the door. While Lamb of God was leveling the building and Slipknot was in full machine mode.That era was stacked. Metal was peaking. LOG shirts everywhere. DevilDriver crushing it. Shadows Fall holding their lane strong.Then a week later, April 3, 2005, Sparta plays Bricktown Li...
2026-04-0601 minMBJ Enterprises LLCThe Groundskeeper Got PissedOutdoor show. Big build. Turf field.Everything has to be covered in plywood. Every inch protected. Because once you’re on grass, you’re on borrowed time.Somewhere in the middle of it, a security guard drags a chair out to center field. Plants it. Sits there. Leaves indentations in the grass.Enter the grounds police.Not security. Not the guard.The Baker Boys.That’s who got blamed.When you’re building stages that size, the days bleed together. Day rolls into night. Night into the...
2026-04-0501 minMBJ Enterprises LLCBand Thinks The Record Label Is Paying For EverythingDinner before the show.Big table. Big spending.Max leans over and says, “You know you’re paying for all this, right?”The band laughs it off.“No, man. It’s the record company.”Meanwhile the label reps are ordering everything. Expensive wine. Full menu. No hesitation. Just stacking receipts like it’s free money.Max and Brad are in the corner splitting a sandwich, watching it unfold.Every bottle. Every entrée. Every round.Recoupable.The band had no idea. They thought th...
2026-04-0401 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCHank Williams III Warns Audience About Second SetMost artists ease you into a show.Hank III gives you a warning.First set? Pure country. You’re in heaven. Steel guitar. Honky-tonk energy. The kind of set you don’t want to end.Then he grabs the mic.“For those of you that came for the country… it’s over.”He tells the crowd straight up. Take a break. Leave if you need to. When he comes back, it’s his music.And that second set?Loud. Heavy. Thrash. Speed metal. By the time he shifts...
2026-04-0301 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCForklift Crashes Into Sheriff’s Daughter’s CarFirst show at the ballpark.No traffic control. No blocked streets. Gear being pushed up a ramp into open traffic in Bricktown. Cars flying by while you’re loading out.That was the setup.Then after the show, the forklift starts backing out of the hole.Crunch.Straight into the sheriff’s daughter’s car.Wrong car. Wrong night. Wrong timing.For a debut show at that venue, it came with stress, tension, and a very uncomfortable conversation.But the bill?Bob Dy...
2026-04-0201 minMBJ Enterprises LLCArtist Getting Ripped Off By Record LabelsGetting a record deal is one thing.Getting your rights back? That’s almost unheard of.In this case, the label agreed to return the band’s rights upon recoup. That doesn’t happen often. Other people in the industry even asked who negotiated that contract.It wasn’t luck. It was intentional.Too many artists before them had already lived the cautionary tale. Stories about legends like Bo Diddley being taken advantage of. Contracts signed. Rights gone. Catalogs owned by someone else.And the line you hear over and over:“I don’...
2026-04-0101 minMBJ Enterprises LLCProblems, Issues, & Show StoppersSome shows, you know exactly why you’re there. You know why it matters. You know what it’s shaping inside you.In this business, there are problems, there are issues, and then there are showstoppers. Problems can be handled. Issues can be fixed. Showstoppers change everything. #HeresTheDealPodcast #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownen #oklahoma #oklahomacity Like, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.Follow & Connect: Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx Jeff Brownen Fac...
2026-03-3101 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCThe Chainsaw KittensBricktown Amphitheater.Chainsaw Kittens take the stage. Norman band. Cult following. Built their name the hard way.Tyson Meade was never typical frontman energy. He had his own lane. Art-driven. Different. The band carved out a reputation far beyond just local buzz.Years later, word was Tyson had been overseas in Asia teaching English as a second language. Then he made his way back to Oklahoma City around the time cannabis became legal.That’s the thing about scenes.Bands evolve. Artists disappear for a while. Then they resurface in...
2026-03-3000 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCEdgefest 2003Sponsored by The Edge. Packed with national acts and a wave of local bands filling out the lineup. It wasn’t just a concert. It was a scene.Jeff, Max, and Sean McGillicuddy weren’t just attending. They were running merch. Tables set up in a full circle around the field. Shirts, CDs, boxes stacked high.And then it got weird.The band drops off all these merch boxes… and never picks them back up.Now you’ve got stacks of inventory that don’t belong to you. Running around the festival t...
2026-03-2901 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCIchiro & The Samurai Saki HouseMay 30, 2003. Social Burn, Memento, Presence, and Headroom at The Samurai.David was working with Headroom, trying to break the band. Social Burn had major label heat. It felt like another club show on paper.It wasn’t.Ichiro ran The Samurai differently. If you told him a national act was in town, he made space. Weeknight, weekend, didn’t matter. He understood traffic before social media existed.Bands would come in. He’d cook for them. They’d hang out. A local band would be playing. Someone makes a phone call.“He...
2026-03-2701 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCThe Mad Dogs & Englishmen TourBefore it became legendary, it was a lifeline.The promise behind Mad Dogs & Englishmen wasn’t just music. It was survival. The project, the record, the tour — it helped Joe Cocker stay in the United States. Financially. Professionally. It reset the board for him.At that moment, you could argue Leon Russell was bigger. Leon had played with The Stones. He was jamming with JJ Cale. He was already respected as one of the greatest sidemen in rock history. He had his own records moving. His name carried weight.The Mad Dogs & Englishmen reco...
2026-03-2601 minMBJ Enterprises LLCDon’t EVER Go On The BusBackstage, small things turn into big explosions.A can of Campbell’s soup gets dumped into a crockpot instead of making it from scratch. She sees it. She snaps. Full meltdown over respect, effort, and doing things the right way. That was lesson one.Later that night, another scene unfolds.A girl is crying in the back of the house. The bus is gone.Max doesn’t sugarcoat it. “You were on the bus? You never go on the bus.”No rescue mission. No dramatic reunion. Just taillights fading into the...
2026-03-2501 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCZZ Top, Bob Weir & Stone Sour ShowsMarch 3, 2003. The Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers Tour hits the Ford Center with ZZ Top and Ted Nugent. Huge stage. Huge room. At that time, that pairing still felt massive.That same season, Stone Sour rolled through with Powerman 5000, Raw, Systematic, and Outspoken. Back-to-back nights. Diamond Ballroom one night. The Other Side the next. No breaks. Just load in, execute, load out, repeat.Meanwhile in Tulsa at Cain's Ballroom, Bob Weir and RatDog were doing their thing. That was the night the mayor handed Bob Weir a key to the city. Deadheads lined the sidewalks...
2026-03-2501 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCUntitled EpisodeBone Thugs-N-Harmony at the Diamond BallroomMay 16, 2003.Bone Thugs-N-Harmony at the Diamond. And back then, it wasn’t a partial lineup. It was pretty much all of them.644 people in the room. Packed energy. That era when “First of the Month” still hit different live.Fast forward to 2023 and Bone Thugs is booked at Choctaw in Grant, Oklahoma around 4/20. Different venue. Different stage. Same name.Some acts cycle through trends.Bone Thugs keeps showing up. #HeresTheDealPodcast #BoneThugsNHarmony #DiamondBallroom #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownen #oklahomacityLike...
2026-03-2300 minMBJ Enterprises LLCMötley Crüe Came To My Parents’ HouseMax shows up at his parents’ house and asks to borrow the van. With him are Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee, right in the middle of their wild ’80s era. Long hair. Tight clothes. Zero subtlety.Deana answers the door and has no idea who they are. Dad just sees “Max and some friends.”Van keys handed over. Chaos era Crüe standing in a conservative Oklahoma driveway.That’s how normal and insane collided in one afternoon.Like, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told. #HeresTheDeal...
2026-03-2201 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCMalevolent Creation, Rollins, Chevelle & 30 Seconds to MarsThere was a stretch when the calendar stopped making sense.Malevolent Creation was pulling in Oklahoma City crowds. The joke was that people might see the name on the flyer and think it was a church group. It wasn’t. It was heavy. And it worked.This was the period when everything started accelerating. The groundwork in the venues was paying off. Systems were forming. Max and Jeff became road dogs.The same night, at the Bricktown Event Center, Henry Rollins was likely doing one of his first spoken word tours. A different ki...
2026-03-2101 minMBJ Enterprises LLCA Trip From Taco Bell To Taco HellLisa has done shows with us before. And when it comes to running? She’s locked in. Calm. Efficient. Protective.Until the Taco Bell incident.Post-show food run after a Diamond night. The drive-through scam was in motion. “Printer’s broken.” Cash only. No receipt.Wrong answer.She went off. Hard.Employees in tears. Manager apologizing. “We’ll give you the food for free.”“I don’t want the food for free. I want my receipt.”Like, share, and follow so these stories keep getting...
2026-03-2001 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCThe Cramps, Evanescence, Slaves on Dope & Pissing RazorsSpring 2003 was a blur.One night you’re at the Diamond with The Cramps. The same night you’re across town at The Other Side going full Texas with Pissing Razors, 40 Grit, and Society 1. Back-to-back shows. Highway miles stacking up. The road felt like home.Three days later, April 29, Evanescence hits the Bricktown Event Center with Revis, Die Trying, and more. Momentum building. Alternative breaking wide open.Then April 30, back at The Other Side: Slaves on Dope, Hotwire, Skindred, and Lock n’ Load. Different crowd. Same intensity.Those weeks weren’t organize...
2026-03-1901 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCHappy Birthday MaxIt’s the Beatles birthday. Happy 64th.The fans are rolling in. Balloons. Confetti. Hip hop air horn on standby. Maybe even a circus clown before it’s over.And then the special guest to the right.Deana Baker.Max’s sister. The one who lived through the Baker household years. Growing up with him?“It was crazy. He kind of did his own thing. He was the one who always got in trouble… so we just watched him to know what not to do.”Sixty-four years later a...
2026-03-1901 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCRemember Chevelle, Disturbed & Atreyu Concerts?April 2003 was stacked.April 8 brought Chevelle, Disturbed, Taproot, and Un Loco to what had just transitioned from the Myriad to the Cox Convention Center. Heavy lineup. National names. That era when nu-metal and hard rock were packing rooms.Three days later, April 11, another one.Atreyu. 18 Visions. Fail Safe. Ground Zero. Special Edgar.Atreyu was on fire at that time. 18 Visions had a serious following. And Fail Safe was pulling crowds, getting played on The Edge, and building momentum before later becoming Violence to Vegas.Tulsa had a strong pipeline...
2026-03-1801 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCEvel Knievel, Dennis Rodman & Brian Bosworth Attend Buffalo Bike RunThe Buffalo Bike Run wasn’t a small-town gathering.It was Cross Canadian Ragweed. It was Foghat. It was over-the-top production.And it was Evel Knievel.Dennis Rodman.Brian Bosworth.For anyone outside Oklahoma, that lineup sounds unreal. Rodman made sense in the biker world. Bosworth showing up before being fully embraced again by the Sooner crowd? That raised eyebrows. But he was still part of that culture.Even Lorenzo Lamas made an appearance.This was happening in Miami, Oklahoma — and if you’re local, you kn...
2026-03-1701 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCMax Calls Mother For Help, She Sends DeanaIt wasn’t a small event.It was the Buffalo Bike Run. Marketed as the largest payout in Oklahoma bike run history. Over $100,000 paid out. Vendors. Music. A full production. Even a circus element.Max and his partner at CEU, Brad White, built it big.And then it got bigger.The response was overwhelming. Riders. Participants. Moving parts everywhere. At some point, it wasn’t about pride. It was about survival.So Max did something unexpected.He called his mom.She didn’t hesitate. She called...
2026-03-1601 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCMudvayne & In Flames at The Bricktown Event CenterMarch 26, 2003.Mudvayne. In Flames. Grade 8. A heavy lineup at the Bricktown Event Center during a time when alternative and metal were surging in Oklahoma.This was one of those days where everything clicked. When Jeff and the crew worked those Event Center shows, they were dialed in. Sean McGillikelly was in the mix. Choice Music had skin in the game. It wasn’t just attendance. It was partnership.Being a partner means you’re not just there for the backstage pass. You’re there if it loses money too. You’re there to fix it.
2026-03-1401 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCI’m Deana Baker. I’m Here to Help.Max and Brad are yelling. Bumping bellies. About ready to throw down.And Deana walks into the middle of it.“They look at me and say, ‘Who are you?’ I said, ‘I’m Deana Baker. I’m Max’s sister. I’m here to help.’”They ask what she’s going to do.“Uh… whatever. I don’t know.”Then comes the assignment.A box. Full of pre-registration paperwork. Hundreds of packets that people are supposed to pick up the next day at noon.Not alphabetized. Not orga...
2026-03-1301 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCThe Band Wants Pizza at 1:00 AMYou want to be a tour manager? A promoter rep?Here’s the test.It’s almost 1:00 AM. Bus call is set. The band wants six pizzas. You’re in a town where everything shuts down by 11. You forgot to place the order.Money won’t fix it. They want pizza.What do you do?There’s always a solution.You go to 7-Eleven. You buy frozen cheese pizzas. You heat them up. You slide them into pizza boxes.That’s the trick of the trade.
2026-03-1201 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCThe Stagehands Smoked In Ted Nugent's Dressing RoomJune 3, 1994. Lynyrd Skynyrd, Ted Nugent, and Ian Moore at the Zoo Amphitheatre.Big summer show. Big production. Tight camps.And then the mistake.Before the show, stagehands went into Nugent’s dressing room and smoked weed. The tour manager walked in, caught the smell, and lost it. Ted is famously anti-weed. It wasn’t just a bad look. It was disrespectful.They almost got fired.Different dressing rooms, different rules. The Skynyrd camp had their own traditions. The urn placed on Billy Powell’s white piano. That piano was treate...
2026-03-1102 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCThe Romantics & The Dirt PoetsJuly 2nd at the Bricktown Brewery brought The Romantics and The Dirt Poets together for a $3 ticket night. The show did around 300 people. At three bucks a head, that’s not bad for a club show in the mid-90s.Everyone knows The Romantics. Solid catalog. Radio songs. Name recognition.But the band worth spotlighting that night was The Dirt Poets.If you were around the Oklahoma scene in the 90s, you know that name. Alongside bands like Wakeland, they were pa...
2026-03-1001 min
MBJ Enterprises LLC3 Days with ICP & 2 Live CrewThree days. Three cities. One crash course in show business. February 28 at the Diamond Ballroom. March 1 at Cain's Ballroom. March 3 at The Cotillion.That run wasn’t just about ticket sales. It was about learning how Psychopathic Records operated.ICP’s show was precision chaos. Around 100 liters of Faygo per night. When the soda ran out, the show was done. That’s how rehearsed it was.931 at the Diamond. Packed. Capacity.Three days on the road builds relationships fast. By the end of that run, friendships were forming...
2026-03-0902 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCWoodstock ’94 Okie Style 8 Bands For $8!While the world was watching Woodstock ’94 on a massive stage, Oklahoma did it our way.August 14, 1994. Eight local bands. Eight dollars at the door. Six bucks in advance. That was the deal.This was for everyone who couldn’t afford to fly out to the real Woodstock chaos. No Netflix documentary. No mud-covered headlines. Just a stacked local lineup and a crowd ready to show up.Bands like Slick Lily, Jim the Elephant, Celibut, Nothing Sacred, Buck Bush with 36 Inches, Ugly Stick, Barnyard Sluts, and 8 Minutes to Earth. Different styles. Different scenes. One
2026-03-0902 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCCarcass & Life of Agony At The RoxyWhen Carcass and Life of Agony hit The Roxy, it changed the temperature in the room.Life of Agony already had a strong following here. That show packed the place out and brought real energy back into the building. For the first time, there were cars filling the parking lot, a circle pit on the floor, and stage diving off the front. It was chaos in the best way.Security had to work that night. Keith Graham was running it, and it wasn’t a quiet shift. That was the River Runs Red era, and th...
2026-03-0802 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCQueens of the Stone Age 2 Sold-Out Shows & DinnerMarch 8 and 9, 2003.Two nights. Two cities. Both sold out.First at the Bricktown Event Center in Oklahoma City. Then at Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa.In OKC, he was Jeff’s assistant. In Tulsa, he was the runner.One of those Tulsa runs meant driving the band to Jamil's Steakhouse for dinner.If you’re a runner, you know the rules. You don’t invite yourself in. You don’t insert yourself into the moment. You drive. You wait.But when the band turns around and says, “Come join us,”...
2026-03-0701 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCFrom The Beaver Pond To Cowboys To The RoxyJune 12th marked our first and possibly only show at Cowboys before it transformed into The Roxy. The lineup featured Forte and Pitch Black, and it turned into a turning point for that building.Long before it was Cowboys, the place was called The Beaver Pond. In the 70s, it was a strip club where dancers floated on lily pads in a real swimming pool.That pool never left.The stage at Cowboys was built directly over it. Dead center stood a pole...
2026-03-0602 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCLeon Russell aka Hank Wilson“Rollin’ in my sweet baby’s arms.”When Leon stepped into his Hank Wilson persona, he wasn’t just covering country standards. He was honoring them. Recording under the name Hank Wilson, cutting classic covers, bringing that Oklahoma edge to traditional songs.And when you really dig into the catalog, it’s not even close.Leon was prolific. Across genres. Across decades. Studio work. Producing. Writing. Building bands.He knew how to pick talent too. He signed Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers early on.That show? Both bands were firing on al...
2026-03-0501 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCBackstage With Keith Richards On The Bigger Bang TourIt wasn’t a no-security tour.This was the Bigger Bang era with The Rolling Stones — and the backstage setup was on another level.Snooker tables. Game areas. Full liquor bar. Food everywhere. The most elaborate backstage environment he’d ever seen.And then the seat assignment.At Keith Richards’ table.Keith comes out with his buddy, same scarf, same energy. Quiet moment. Timing something. Synchronizing medicine. Intense. That’s all that needs to be said.Earlier at the The Waterford Marriott, there was a meeting. Comped front-row...
2026-03-0401 min
MBJ Enterprises LLCCollective Soul At The Bricktown BrewerySome moments don’t feel big when they’re happening, but time turns them into milestones. July 14, 1994 was one of those nights when Collective Soul played Bricktown Brewery and quietly checked a major box in their career. It was their first sell-out show, and tickets were just $8. Same artwork. Same early-era vibe. No hype machine yet. Just a band catching fire at exactly the right moment. #CollectiveSoul #BricktownBrewery #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownen #HeresTheDealPodcast #oklahoma #oklahomacityLike, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.
2026-03-0300 min