After being forced to cancel for two consecutive years due to the ongoing health crisis, Norman Music Festival is set to return on April 28-30, 2022. To gear up for that comeback, Norman Music Alliance — which produces NMF — will dust off their amplifiers with NMF Soundchecks, two weekends of free, outdoor music performances featuring Norman and other regional talent this summer in Downtown Norman.

Weekend One will take place starting at 9 p.m. on Friday, August 13 and 5 p.m. on Saturday, August 14 in front of The Depot, 200 S. Jones, Norman. Weekend Two follows at 7 p.m. on Friday, September 10 and 5 p.m. on Saturday, September 11 behind Opolis, 113 N. Crawford, Norman.

Friday, August 13 features performances from hip-hop artists Sativa Prophets and Josh Sallee, as well as art rock act Kat Lock. Saturday, August 14 includes Norman psychedelic rock crew Helen Kelter Skelter, joined by Austin shoegaze band Blushing and dream pop band Mad Honey (all rescheduled from a rained out July NMF Soundchecks show), along with new indie rock lineup additions including Stepmom, Net, Plain Speak and The Wet Muscles.

The lineup for the September NMF Soundchecks series weekend will be announced soon.

The series is free and open to all to attend.

Amid a rise in cases, Norman Music Alliance continues to follow CDC guidelines and actively seek out advice from local health officials. With ample outdoor space, maintaining social and physical distancing is encouraged, as will masks — particularly for unvaccinated guests — to all those who attend, and required in high traffic spots such as bar and vending areas.

We encourage all those who haven't received a vaccination yet to do so, so that live music events like ours and all the venues who went quiet for too long aren't put in a position to need to do so again.

NMF Soundchecks is presented by Fowler Auto and made possible with generous support from Norman Arts Council, The Garage, The Winston, Pub W, Notorious PIE, Absolut, Armstrong Bank, and patrons like you!