THE CRITERION, OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – APRIL 28,2026
Today we made the drive to OKC for The Kinda Hard Tour with Bilmuri, The Home Team, and GANG!. With thunderstorms rolling in and tornado warnings all over the place, we still pushed through to see some of our favorite bands.
Before the show, we had to make our usual stop at Bricktown Brewery. If we’re in OKC, it’s basically tradition at this point. Great food, good drinks, and the perfect way to start the night before things got loud.
Since it was right next to the venue, we also took a trip through Bass Pro Shops, which honestly feels like an event on its own. Something about walking around looking at boats, fishing gear, and enough outdoor equipment to survive anything right before going to a concert just felt right.
Even with the weather trying to ruin the plans, nothing was stopping us from making it to this one. Some nights are worth the drive, and this was one of them.
First up was GANG!. Before they even hit the stage, they already had the room laughing with posters plastered everywhere about breaking the world record for the world’s smallest kickflip, while also apparently carrying an active grudge against Tony Hawk after a cease and desist order. That kind of chaos was the perfect introduction.
Once they got going, they brought a fun set with plenty of energy and didn’t waste a second getting the crowd into it. You could tell they weren’t there just to play songs, they came to entertain.
And visually, they absolutely understood the assignment. The matching jumpsuits and green ski masks pulled the whole thing together and gave them a look that was equal parts unhinged and stylish. Sometimes the fit matters, and GANG! knew exactly what they were doing.
Second to the stage was The Home Team, and the second they walked out you could feel the temperature in the room jump about ten degrees. Suddenly the venue was packed with people swooning, screaming, filming every second, and for reasons still unknown, crying like they had just been handed life-changing news. The effect this band has on people needs to be studied.
Their pop rock sound hit exactly how it needed to. Big choruses, slick vocals, punchy riffs, and enough bounce in the set to keep the whole room moving. They’ve got that polished sound that feels huge live without losing any personality, which is where a lot of bands miss the mark. The Home Team knew exactly what they were doing from the first note.
What really sold it though was the stage presence. The dorky dance moves, the cool attitude, and the kind of confidence that never felt forced made them impossible to ignore. One second they looked like the smoothest band on the tour, the next they were goofing around like they were in somebody’s garage practice space.
That balance is what makes them stand out. They can be tight musicians, heartthrobs, and total weirdos all in the same song. Not an easy trick to pull off, but The Home Team made it look effortless. By the end of the set, they had the crowd fully in their hands and probably gained a few hundred new fans in the process.
Last but absolutely not least was Bilmuri, closing out the night in the only way that made sense: huge, loud, and unforgettable. This was our second time seeing them, and somehow it still carried the same magic as the first time. If anything, it hit even harder knowing what was coming and still being caught off guard by how good it was.
The second the intro started, the whole room was locked in. That saxophone opening lit the fuse immediately, then came the badass guitar playing, massive vocals, and the kind of sound that feels like it could knock pictures off the wall. Bilmuri has this wild ability to mash together humor, heart, heavy riffs, and arena-sized hooks without it ever feeling forced. It just works.
The venue was beyond packed. I’ve been to plenty of shows, but I’ve never seen a room stuffed wall to wall like that. People were packed in like sardines, shoulder to shoulder, no breathing room, no personal space, just bodies ready to lose their minds the second each song kicked in. And they did. Every chorus got screamed back, every riff got a reaction, every moment felt bigger because the crowd was giving it right back.
Then there was everything happening around the music. The lighting was on point all night, throwing the whole room into this larger-than-life glow. The bubbles floating through the air somehow made total sense in the middle of all the chaos. It felt fun, ridiculous, and weirdly beautiful at the same time.
That’s what makes Bilmuri stand out. They can make a room laugh, scream, sing, and throw down all in the same set. They didn’t just headline the night, they turned it into something people will be talking about long after the drive home.
By the end of the night, The Kinda Hard Tour delivered everything you could want from a show and then some. From fighting through storms and tornado warnings just to make the drive, to our usual stop at Bricktown Brewery, wandering through Bass Pro Shops, and then watching three bands completely tear the place apart, it turned into one of those nights that feels bigger than just a concert.
GANG! brought the chaos and personality, The Home Team brought the hooks, swagger, and crowd control, and Bilmuri brought the kind of headline set that reminds you why live music matters in the first place.
Some shows are fun for a night. Some shows stick with you long after the last note. This one was worth every mile, every weather warning, and every second of the drive home. Oklahoma City got loud, and we were lucky enough to be there for it.
MID SOUTH 