Kristen Vails is one of the coolest people we know. As executive director of the Plaza District, she’s responsible for bringing in awesome local businesses like Collected Thread and Warpaint Clothing, organizing super fun events like LIVE on the Plaza
and the annual Fanny Pack Fashion Show and contributing to the overall
quality of life and culture of Oklahoma City . Oh yeah, and she also
creates awesome paintings like this.
So, needless to say, we were pretty stoked that she agreed to star in the new Fowler VW ad campaign that’s running in the Oklahoma Gazette. Thanks, Kristen, for helping us out and for all that you do for Oklahoma!
We’re changing the ads up each week, so tune in next Wednesday to
check out which amazing Oklahoman will be featured in the Fowler VW
Gazette ad!
On May 21, 2011, Austin-based band The Black Angels visited Oklahoma City for a concert at ACM@UCO Performance Lab.
Before its set, I met with the band inside the Spy Van.
They performed a playful version of this Velvet Underground song, which is only a small taste of its upcoming episode.
Random Fact: The band lifted it’s name from the Velvet Underground
track “The Black Angel’s Death Song.” That song and “Mirror” are from
the album “The Velvet Underground & Nico.”
The film will trace the life of Rogers throughout the country.
Jennings’ mission is to keep Rogers’ life and impact alive.
Jennings has involved a lot of local talent in the making of the film.
The trailer reveals Chad and Jarod of Blackwatch Studios are working to make the film. The duo record a lot of great music in Norman. Also, Bradley Beesley is attached to the project. His documentary “The Fearless Freaks” expertly detailed the Flaming Lips’ rise to fame.
If anything, you should at least keep your eyes open for the release of this new film.
Oklahoma City-based artist Kris Kanaly hopped into the Spy Van and crafted an original piece of art during Live on the Plaza last month.
Kanaly has a really interesting family history. His family owned an art gallery for almost 100 years.
And all of that happened in Oklahoma (it unfortunately closed last year).
We met up with Kanaly inside DNA Galleries and had Derek and Kurt of The Pretty Black Chains help
out with some original music for an interview. Kanlay talked about his
interest in street art and growing up with skater culture.
Kanaly is responsible for painting the outside of Wayne Coyne’s new art gallery.
Finding a 12 string guitar with 11 strings is a little random too.
But most random is finding a blue VW van sitting behind Gray Owl Coffee just begging Field and Sherree Chamberlain to play a song.
Mind you, this episode wasn’t filmed inside our famous green van, but it was more than suitable for a surprise session.
After a last minute show decision, Field decided to visit Norman
after a Dallas show fell through. Chamberlain approached him about
singing on the song “Look at What the Light Did Now,” which Feist is known to cover.
When Chamberlain showed up to the coffee shop, she was gleaming at
the opportunity to practice the song. After a last minute trip to
Blackwatch Studios, she found a suitable guitar and we headed behind
Gray Owl to perform this gentle track.
LIVE on the Plaza is this Friday! And in honor of the Velvet Monkey
fashion show that will take center stage at the event, we’re hosting a Spywagon Photo Contest!
Just tweet a photo of yourself striking a pose in The Spywagon while
you’re at LIVE on the Plaza, and immediately you’re entered to win! We
promise The Spywagon will make you look at least 25 percent hotter. So
what do you have to lose?
Simply tweet the photo to @fowlerVW and @plazadistrict.
Winner will get:
-$50 Deep Fork Group Gift Card (good at The Wedge, Cafe Nova, Deep Fork Grill, The Mantle and Chicas)
-$100 worth of fun VW accessories
-Cool stuff like recently released music from The Spy FM
Example:
I struck a pose in the #spywagon! @plazadistrict @FowlerVW http://twitpic.com/4w0bxa
See? Doesn’t The Spywagon make these guys look hot?
We hate to toot our own horn, but we definitely wanted to thank
all of our wonderful customers for making us No. 1 within year one of
opening our doors. Thanks to YOU, we recently took the top spot in new
Volkswagen sales AND certified pre-owned sales in Oklahoma! And your
customer reviews made our service department No. 2 in the NATION for
customer satisfaction!
We’re also pretty excited about our one-year anniversary this week.
Thanks to all our customers, employees, friends and family for an
incredible first year in business! Here’s a look back at all the fun
we’ve had.
The Fowler VW Spywagon
Fowler VW GM Jonathan Fowler couldn’t resist this 1977 Volkswagen
Vanagon parked in an OKC driveway with a FOR SALE sign in the window. So
he snatched it up, slapped on some paint and christened The Spywagon.
And we’ve been going on crazy adVANtures with Ferris O’Brien and the
folks over at The Spy FM ever since.
The best thing about The Spywagon? It inspired us come up with the idea
to document Oklahoma musicians and artists on the move through the VDub Sessions. Check out episode 1 with Taddy Porter.
"Checking it Twice" Holiday Album
Fowler Volkswagen and Nice People Records teamed up to offer a holiday
gift to indie music lovers — a free album filled with original holiday
music from local musicians and a free holiday concert to follow.
Released in November, Checking It Twice: A Nice People Holiday Companion featured local acts such as The Boom Bang, Evangelicals, Gang Starr Museum, Crocodile and more.
LOVE on the Plaza
We love the Plaza District
in Oklahoma City! As the official sponsor of the district, we get to do
fun stuff like set up Valentine’s Day photobooths, host Twitter
contests, and give away free stuff every month at LIVE on the Plaza.
Which, BTW, is this Friday, May 13th!
Grand Opening Party
What do the Oklahoma Victory Dolls, a taco truck, and this super cute kid have in common? They were all at our grand opening party in August!
Jabee @ Norman Music Festival
It doesn’t get any cooler than hanging out with Jabee in The Spywagon at the Norman Music Festival. WE LOVE SPONSORING THIS EVENT!
Paul F. Tompkins Comedy Show
This poster pretty much says it all. Thanks to OKC Comedy and BradChad Porter for hooking Oklahoma City up with this show!
A LEGO fashion show? We didn’t quite know what to think of Block Party OKC
when we first signed on as a sponsor. But we loved the people involved
and the idea of raising money for early childhood education, so we
jumped in feet first. With the fun times that were had by all during the
first event, we think this will quickly become one of Oklahoma City’s
biggest parties of the year!
Japanese party band Peelander-Z stopped by the Fowler VW booth for a
little interview before their performance at the Main Stage of Norman
Music Festival 4.
Let’s just say they really know how to put on a show. Watch for
yourself as the craziness unfolds when videographer Nathan Poppe tells
them the camera is rolling.
