About BagEyes

Brad Walker • John McDaniel • Richard Sanders • Chris Felthous • Shawn Sanders

Bag Eyes

In January of 1997 five individuals experimented with sound. Simultaneously creating an outlet that expanded creative expression and a chance to speak out their visions and beliefs. Shawn Sanders; guitar, John McDaniel; drums, Brad Walker; bass, and a dual vocal ensemble with Chris Felthous and Richard Sanders form the band known as BAG EYES. The sound formed by all five members develops a rap/hardcore hybrid that is performed by the band with incredible amounts of energy.

On the night of June 21, 1997, BAG EYES performed live for their first time. Although the crowd was small they were responsive, and BAG EYES knew this was only the beginning.

After only five short months of playing small town venues, BAG EYES were at the right place at the right time. On November of 1997 BAG EYES were interviewed by Rolling Stone Magazine before playing their first show in Tulsa, OK. This interview led to a profile of one vocalist, Richard Sanders, in Rolling Stone's 30th Anniversary Issue. As If the shock from the magazine article was not enough, the band was asked once again to be interviewed for a Rolling Stone TV Special being compiled for ABC.

"The Rolling Stone: State of the Union" was aired on ABC Television on May 21, 1998, and featured a four minute segment of BAG EYES. The special included such famous names as MARILYN MANSON, JOHNNY DEPP, and THE BEASTIE BOYS.

The interview was taken at what served as the bands practice place in Claremore, OK. The segment was seen to the band as a dream come true. Not only was their message televised to a national audience, but the band's music would be heard by audiences on a national level. The special has since been broadcast on VH1 and MTV, and is seen by BAG EYES as a tool to achieve the goals they hope for, not their claim to fame.

The band experienced then what other local bands were receiving, but in a different manner. Going from national exposure to local coverage was seen by the band as backwards. The band received local coverage in various publications in Tulsa after the special was aired, including The Tulsa World, Infinity Press, and Urban Tulsa weekly.

After playing any small club or bar in Tulsa and surrounding areas they could, BAG EYES hard work finally paid off. BAG EYES were offered their first show opening for national acts at the CAIN'S BALLROOM FIRST ANNUAL UNDERGROUND FIESTA, July 24, 1998. The bill included such acts as GIRLS AGAINST BOYS and STANFORD PRISON EXPERIMENT. The response was unbelievable. After building quite a following through the bands local shows, their turnout matched that of any band at the Underground fiesta.

The show was a catalyst for more to come in 1998, including the 24th annual Freakers Ball at the Cain's Ballroom and playing with other bands such as DEAD ORCHESTRA, SIXTEEN DELUXE, and FINGER ELEVEN. The band has also become favorites on Tulsa's Homegroan which airs all original music on Z-104.5 THE EDGE in Tulsa, OK.

1998 ended on a note that could not have been any sweeter. On November, 7 BAG EYES would open for SUICIDAL TENDENCIES and INFECTIOUS GROOVES, two bands who have influenced BAG EYES for years. Following the SUICIDAL/INFECTIOUS show, BAG EYES were given a 30 minute time slot on Z-104.5 THE EDGE's Homegroan Live, airing parts of THE 20th ANNUAL FREAKER'S BALL and THE SUICIDAL TENDENCIES/INFECTIOUS GROOVES shows.





In 1999 BAG EYES are just getting started.
In early 1997, four musicians from Claremore, a small north-eastern town in Oklahoma, came together to create a musical powerhouse. With their strong views on various subjects, these four men drew from each other’s energy and passion to form a creative machine in which socio-chemical commentary would become the basis that would prove to be a musical force to be reckoned with. Thus BagEyes was born. Claremore’s close proximity to Tulsa brought the advantage of being able to make a quick ascension into the local music scene. With Richard Sanders as the front man, BagEyes set themselves apart with a distinct flow and rhythm that made them stand out from many of the other acts that plague the music industry. Guitarist Shawn Sanders, bassist Brad Walker, and drummer John McDaniel help to bring that passion and energy that is distinctly BagEyes to the forefront in an all out sonic assault. Following a show at the Eclipse (a small venue in Tulsa ), BagEyes was approached by a team for Creative Thinking LTD, working in conjunction with Rolling Stone magazine. This encounter was the initial contact that proved fateful. The result of that chance meeting led to an appearance in Rolling Stones 30th anniversary issue and a featured slot in the accompanied ABC television special; Where its at: State of Union, was a visual snapshot of the American music scene where select up and comers were interspersed with the modern legends and historical figures of rock and roll. It was this exposure that really put BagEyes on the map. We started with nothing back in 1997 and I’m really proud of what we have been able to accomplish.” says ringleader Richard Sanders. Many bands haven’t even done what we have thus far, and we’ve only scratched the surface of what we are capable of. We have only begun, and we are ready to take BagEyes to the next level. BagEyes has played the ever so popular Edge-Fest with more than 20,000 in attendance and Tulsa’s Birthday bash to 15,000 and have played alongside the likes of Kottonmouth Kings, The Urge, Kittie, and P.O.D., The Urge, Suicidal Tendencies, Twiztid and is requested every year by Afroman as well. In addition to being one of Tulsa’s mainstays of heaviness, BagEyes continues to venture out to the surrounding states, gaining more and more exposure and notoriety along the way. BagEyes plans for the future are to make their music, expand their reach on the tour circuit and continue to play! “