Festival guide: Center of the Universe

An hour-by-hour itinerary, plus some musicians and veteran festival-goers give advice on how to have the best time possible.

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Just as summer reaches its boiling point, downtown Tulsa will erupt for two days with the music from over 100 bands. Musicians will come from near and far, both in terms of geography and craft, to gather with their fans at the heart of the country for the Center of the Universe Festival, just in its second year and already a draw for tens of thousands. 

Here we connect the dots between the must-see bands and when and where to find them; some tips from our music writers on how to best enjoy the fest; and some commiseration. With a fest this big, the music lovers’ choices are not easy. 

Fest pro tips

Some musicians and veteran festival-goers on how to have the best time possible

BEFORE THE FEST

Case the line-up. Sure, we’ve given you the line-up we like best (right), but if you want a truly customized experience, take the time before the fest to listen to each band before you settle on a schedule. The Center of the Universe Festival website, at centeroftheuniversefestival.com, is an easy resource. Then, download the COTU Fest mobile app, free on iTunes, and bookmark each band you want to see. The app offers you the option to receive a reminder before the event—or, you can filter the acts by stage/location or by day if you’d rather wing it. The app comes with a list of nearby museums, retail, bars, and restaurants to visit on your downtime, too, plus a festival map and other info. 

If you’d rather skip the app, here’s a quick hack from local music photographer Kevin Pyle: Create a daysheet in Notepad or Notes. Then, take a screenshot and make it your lockscreen wallpaper. Your customized line-up, at a glance. 

A custom daysheet is available on the full COTU site, too. Use the iCal function or email it to the account you use on your phone. 

Once you’ve picked which bands you’d like to see, like them on Facebook. If you’re feeling really enthusiastic, says Ryan Daly, TTV contributor and member of The Fabulous Minx, a COTU Fest band, post on the groups’ wall to let them know you’re excited about their shows. Bonus points: Tag Center of the Universe in your post. It helps build buzz for the set.

TTV music writer, Lizard Police frontman, and COTU Fest performer Mitch Gilliam has more homework for you: listen to all the bands you can, pre-fest. “It’s great to discover music at a fest, but you can’t get jacked for the goods if you’ve struck out on bullshit all day in the heat,” he said.  

WEEKEND OF THE FEST

Who wants to worry about parking or trying to enjoy a music festival without the company of a beer or two? Consider hiring a ride. In case you haven’t heard, Uber, the mobile app-powered rideshare and taxi alternative, is new to Tulsa. Don’t forget to download the app before you leave for the festival; if you’re an Uber virgin, a dry run might not be a bad idea, either. 

Too: if you don’t plan to imbibe, consider biking to the festival. It’s lots cheaper than blowing cash on a cab. Plus, parking is easier. “There are bike stands er’where,” according to friendly local and TTV contributor Andy Wheeler (before the fest, check out his downtown how-to guide at thetulsavoice.com). 

Yet another option: Drive downtown, find a parking spot nice and removed from the mayhem, then bike in.  

You’ve heard it before: Stay hydrated. The COTU Fest folks won’t allow any outside liquids onto the festival grounds, but the doors of the restaurants of the Brady District and the serving windows of an entire herd of food trucks will be open, so water should be in plenty supply—by the bottle and for a price, we assume. Bring cash and spend the few days prior guzzling plenty of H2O. 

Somewhere in the fest there are corporate-branded koozies, sunglasses, and bandanas being handed out for free. Find these items. You can thank Mitch Gilliam later for the advice and the shade.

Footwear. Pretend you are old and wise and make the kind of footwear choices someone old and wise would make. Trust. 

Sunscreen. The sun doesn’t set until 8:34 p.m. on July 25-26, the days of the festival; the first bands strike up at 5:30 p.m. The rays will be long, but even on music-festival weekends, it’s better to be safe than crispy. 

Find a bar/grill near the fest, and do all your drinking/resting there. “Be nice to your servers, and you’ll be glad to have a place with respectably priced drinks, air conditioning, and (hopefully) chips, while you skip all the bands you decided you hate,” Gilliam said. “Don’t be the guy passed out under a tree with an $8 High Life spilled in his lap.”

Have a designated spot for meetups. “A real one, like that bar you picked, or a stop sign across from where the fest lets out,” Gilliam said. “One of you or your friends’ phones will go dead, I promise you, or they will get lost. I double promise you that you will both be glad you picked a rendezvous that’s more solid than ‘in front of the main stage and kinda back to the left.’” 

Last but not least: pace yourself. Fests are typically (hot) and longer than you think, Gilliam said. “Don’t pass out under a tree.”