Flyover Fest brings 40 bands to Oklahoma City Farmers Market
The two-day event features veteran acts like Have Heart and emerging local groups in the market's wooden dance hall.
By Jabari Long ·
Oklahoma City’s Farmers Public Market will host Flyover Fest on Nov. 7 and 8. More than 40 bands will perform in the second-floor ballroom, which features the state’s largest wooden dance floor. The festival focuses on punk and hardcore music, drawing fans from across the country.
Steven Ward, a co-organizer, described the venue as having a classic feel and the perfect local vibe. Aaron Johnson, who has booked the festival since it began in Tulsa in 2018, moved the event to Oklahoma City to accommodate growth. Tulsa venues could no longer hold the expanding crowds. Johnson noted that the market staff is easy to work with and the building’s appearance helps events run smoothly.
The lineup includes established groups such as Comeback Kid, Drug Church, Madball, and Have Heart. Have Heart will mark the 20th anniversary of their album The Things We Carry. The Massachusetts band broke up in 2009 and has made limited reunion appearances. Their set on Saturday night is one of only five shows the band will play this year. It is the only performance outside the East or West Coast.
Ward said the band reached out to the organizers after the initial lineup was nearly finalized. He recalled the team sitting in stunned silence after confirming the booking. Johnson emphasized that the festival also provides stages for younger, regional bands. He values seeing local groups perform for large crowds who travel to support them.
Johnson cited specific examples of fans traveling from Wichita to see Figurine and from Springfield, Missouri, to see Act With Empathy. He noted that these bands often play to audiences of 200 or fewer in their home cities. At Flyover, they will perform for over a thousand people. This connection between fans and bands defines the genre's community spirit.
Pre-festival events include a live recording of the Axe to Grind podcast at The Sanctuary on Friday afternoon. A preshow at Anthem Brewing is already sold out for Friday night. Ward and Anthony Ortega, who book local shows as Backroom Productions, began planning this year’s event one month after last year’s conclusion. They aim to make Oklahoma a national destination for hardcore music.
Ward stated that putting Oklahoma hardcore on the map is his primary motivation. He wants local fans to see major bands without traveling to Boston or Los Angeles. Johnson, 45, said he remains a hardcore fan and wants the festival to become a memorable part of the genre for the next decade.
