Only 225 people showed up that night.

Meshuggah. Strapping Young Lad. And Highwayman live at the Diamond. A tour worth bragging about.

But it wasn’t just heavy riffs shaking the walls.

It was May 9. The infamous tornado night.

Half a mile down the road was complete destruction. And the band is standing outside asking, “What do we do?”

You could see it in their faces. This wasn’t normal tour stress.

The Diamond has always been in the path. Storms roll through, fly over, keep moving. That’s the rhythm if you’re a native Oklahoman. You don’t panic. You read the sky.

So the call was simple.

“We need to get up, play the show, and get on down the road.”

Two hundred twenty-five brave souls inside. A tornado tearing through the city. Double bass drums and warning sirens competing for volume.

That’s Oklahoma.

Ten out of ten times? No guarantees.

But sometimes you ride it out. And sometimes the show still goes on.

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When you grow up in Oklahoma, tornadoes are part of the soundtrack.

Max talks about being a little kid, babysitting his brothers and sisters, watching a tornado dip down and take the house across the street. It followed the creek and kept moving. After seeing that up close, storms hit different.

“If I’m gonna go, I’m gonna go. Ride it out.”

That same Oklahoma grit carried into the concert nights. One week it’s heavy rock like Godsmack shaking walls in Tulsa. Another night it’s May 16, 2003 at the Diamond Ballroom with Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Esham, and Blaze Ya Dead Homie lighting up the stage.

Different genres. Same energy.

Storms outside. Storms inside the venue. Both unforgettable.

That’s what makes Oklahoma shows different. You learn early not to panic. You learn to stand your ground. Whether it’s weather rolling in or bass shaking the building, you ride it out.

Music and moments like that don’t fade. They stick with you.

Like, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.

#HeresTheDealPodcast #OklahomaStories #DiamondBallroom #BoneThugsNHarmony #Godsmack #ConcertMemories #LiveMusicCulture #OKCMusicScene #TulsaShows #RockAndRap #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownen #oklahoma #oklahomacity

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Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx | TikTok @maxbakerjr
Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownen

Here’s The Deal YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealok

Here’s The Deal Podcast Website
https://heresthedealok.com

Buy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables
https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.com

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Before the show even started, a Confederate flag was hanging up high in the venue. The band made it clear. If that flag stays, we’re not playing.

That’s a show stopper.

So up the ladder I went. Rolled it tight so it couldn’t be seen. Done. It probably hadn’t been touched in decades, and I caught plenty of grief for it afterward. But the choice was simple. Either fix it or shut the show down.

And that wasn’t the only lesson that night.

If you’re going to promote ICP, you better understand what you’re getting into. Carpet on the stage. Carpet on the floor. Visqueen on the walls. If you don’t plan for it, you’ll pay for it. Same goes for bands like GWAR. It’s not chaos. It’s controlled mayhem.

Love them or hate them, Juggalos are loyal. When they’re down with the clown, they’re down. That kind of fan base doesn’t happen by accident.

Show stoppers test you. How you respond defines whether the show goes on.

#Juggalos #InsaneClownPosse #TheDiamondBallroom #OklahomaMusicHistory #HeresTheDealPodcast #MaxBakerJr #JeffBrownen

Like, share, and follow so these stories keep getting told.

Follow & Connect:
Max Baker Jr. Instagram @bmaddmaxx | Facebook @bmaddmaxx | TikTok @maxbakerjr
Jeff Brownen Facebook @jeff.brownen

Here’s The Deal YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@heresthedealok

Here’s The Deal Podcast Website
https://heresthedealok.com

Buy Here’s The Deal Vintage & Collectables
https://heresthedealvintagecollectables.com

Get an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Card
https://medcardsmadeeasy.net

Concert & Event Production Services
https://bakerboyspro.com

Buy Roadie CBD Balm & Oil
https://bakersremedycbd.com