“The Guys” Take the Stage for Full Moon Concert, August 31 in Tonkawa

The Guys featuring NOC Roustabout Alumni will perform a broad selection of pop and rock covers at the Full Moon Concert, Thursday, August 31 sponsored by North Central Oklahoma Arts Council, Heart in the Park committee and Northern Oklahoma College Foundation. Music begins at 7:00 p.m. with free admission in Tonkawa Centennial Park. Band members from left: Hunter Vogele, Erik Willadsen, Brandon Haynes, and John Shwayat.

The Guys featuring Northern Oklahoma College Roustabout Alumni will headline the Full Moon Concert on Thursday, August 31 in Tonkawa Centennial Park, 301 East Grand in Tonkawa.

The musically eclectic band features four NOC Roustabout alumni including Brandon Haynes (lead-vocals/piano), Brad Matson, (auxiliary percussion), John Shwayat (bass), Hunter Vogele (drum-set), and Erik Willadsen (guitar) who is also a NOC graduate. The audience will enjoy a broad selection of covers including pop, rock, and some good ole’ oldies! Roustabout alumni include Krista Hembree, Tim Muniz, Christopher James, Taryn Pruett, Kenneth Thomas, Alyssa Baker, Faith Crum, Regan Clapper, and more!

Haynes teaches music and is the vocal director and musical arranger for the Roustabouts at Northern Oklahoma College.  He is also the director of music and worship arts at First United Methodist Church in Tonkawa and the artistic director for the Choral Arts Society of Northern Oklahoma (CASONO) Ponca City community choir. Haynes also performs frequently at TS Fork Restaurant in Tonkawa. His debut album entitled Brandon Haynes: With a Little Help from my Friends is soon to be released! The album features many of Haynes’ musician friends and local artists including Ciara Brooke of Five-Year Gap and Broadway-performing friend Isaiah Bailey.

Vogele (aka Hunter Grant in the music realm) connected with Haynes through church praise-band collaborations and the NOC Roustabouts. In 2019, he co-produced his debut solo album with Haynes entitled Hunter Grant: Pieces and is available on various streaming platforms including Spotify and Apple Music. Shwayat is a music graduate from NOC and frequently performs bass guitar in the area for various groups. Outside of music, Shwayat is a deputy treasurer at the Kay County Treasurer’s Office. Willadsen is a personal banker at Gateway First Bank in Tonkawa and also works as a ranch hand. He relishes performing guitar with The Guys and also in the band Hambone.

The family-friendly outdoor concert begins at 7 p.m. at the Heart in the Park Pavilion and is free to all.  The NOC Foundation along with the Alumni and Community Relations are supporting this community event and will host an information booth with giveaways, bottled water and games.

Since bench seating in the park is limited, the public is invited to bring lawn chairs or blankets. Pets on leashes are welcome and restroom facilities are located across the street in the Santa Fe Depot. Throughout the evening, concert goers may walk the world’s only heart-shaped labyrinth, and the evening concludes with the traditional group howl at the full moon.

Wilkin Hall at NOC Tonkawa will be used for the concert in case of inclement weather.

Northern Oklahoma College and NOC Foundation joins North Central Oklahoma Arts Council and Heart in the Park Committee to sponsor this event.  Next month’s Full Moon Concert is scheduled for 6:30 pm Friday, Sept. 29. In case of inclement weather or for more information, check for Full Moon Concert updates at https://heartinthepark.org/ and on NCOAC Facebook: www.facebook.com/TonkawaArts/ or by messaging 580-628-0108.