The Hop Jam music and beer festival is back, hoppier and jammier than ever.
The festival is marking its second year in the Brady Arts District on May 17 with an expanded list of brewers offering samples of their latest brews, and music from a variety of artists.
Tulsa natives and festival organizers Hanson will close out the festival.
“We were blown away by the response to the first Hop Jam, but there was a clear message from many guests — more beer!” Hanson keyboardist and singer Taylor Hanson said in a release. “We’ve set out to make sure there is not only more beer but a little more of everything from music to food, and a fun environment for everyone that joins us.”
And once again, Tulsa World readers will be choosing the opening band with its Awesome Music Opening Band Contest, tulsaworld.com/awesomemusiccontest. Submissions start today at the website.
Also performing this year are Oklahoma natives Horse Thief, the folk duo Jamestown Revival, blues/rock singer and guitarist Black Joe Lewis and the large and eclectic group The Polyphonic Spree.
Hop Jam 2015 is again free to attend. Beer will be sold by purchasing individual tickets. Hop Head VIP tickets are available for $45. VIP admission starts at 2 p.m. and music is set to start at 3 p.m. with an opening band, to be decided by the fans. VIP tickets will be available at thehopjam.com.
This year is scheduled to include 30 brewers, with nearly half of them coming from Oklahoma. It’s a big expansion from last year’s brewer list and is once again in partnership with the McNellie’s Group. There will be more state, national and international brewers featured at the festival.
Many of the brewers will attend the festival in person on May 17, including some of the national and international brewers. For many, it will be the first time their beer has made it to Oklahoma, according to the release.
Oklahoma brewers will include Anthem, Battered Boar, Black Mesa, Choc, Coop, Dead Armadillo, Elk Valley, Hanson Brothers, Iron Monk, Marshall, Mustang, Prairie Artisan Ales, Roughtail Brewing and Willows Family. A full list is at thehopjam.com.
Horse Thief brings a psychedelic folk-rock feel to the stage. The band’s most recent album, 2014’s “Fear in Bliss,” drew widespread acclaim.
Jamestown Revival and Black Joe Lewis were both bands that performed in large showcases recently at South by Southwest. Combined with The Polyphonic Spree and Hanson, the bands have a unique sound that will add to an eclectic lineup, with the final local band decided by Tulsa World readers in the coming months in the contest sponsored by the Tulsa World and the Oklahoma Film and Music Office.
The inaugural Hop Jam festival in 2014, took place on the Sunday after Mayfest. It was a way for the Hanson brothers to give back to the community by bringing local beer and music to fans for a free festival. Hanson got its start in the early 1990s playing Mayfest stages, so Hop Jam is bringing the circle back around.
Last year’s performers included Capital Cars, Taddy Porter, Butch Walker, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, with Hanson closing the show.
Organizers estimated that 30,000 people attended last year’s festival.
The festival also marks the end of the annual Hanson Day, when members of the Hanson fan club come to Tulsa from all over the world to hear the band talk and play several shows.