Friday, March 13, 2026
Payton Little, The O’Colly
Asher Myers and Dylan Moss play at Bad Brad’s BBQ on Feb. 12. Myers taught himself guitar in 11th grade by watching YouTube videos in his family’s game room.
How a Stillwater barbecue joint gave a young songwriter a stage
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BY BRYSON THADHANI
ad Brad’s Bar-B-Q has sheet‑metal awning held up by a side room, 33 feet rough‑cut tree trunks with the long and 22 feet wide, bark on them. String lights hang but on Thursday nights from the ceiling. T‑shirts line the it feels like something bigger. wall behind him. A flag on the left Asher Myers stands under a states, “Friends don’t let friends
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CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
listen to shi**y music.” The room at the end of the ramp on the right is dim compared to the main restaurant. Beer bottles sweat on tabletops. Conversations hum quietly in the background,
low enough not to drown him out. When a song ends, people don’t clap politely. They slam their hands against the tables.
See STAGE on page 3A
Higher gas prices push students to side hustles, tighter budgets Bryson Thadhani
said when asked if higher prices have changed how much he drives. “If gas went up another 50 cents a gallon, Gas prices are back over $3 in definitely something in my groceries Stillwater, and some Oklahoma State — probably the snacks I get — I’d cut students say every few cents at the pump back so I can afford gas.” now shows up in their weekly budgets. Sanchez said he does not buy OSU student Isais Sanchez fills up anything extra in the store when prices about every two weeks. He said he jump. remembers paying around $2 a gallon “I don’t even buy snacks if gas is more a few months ago and thinks it was expensive,” he said. “As soon as it starts closer to $2.20 the last time he filled going past $3, that’s when it’s too much.” up. “Yeah, I would say it does,” Sanchez See GAS on page 2A
CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Lilian Easter, The O’Colly
Ray Flaherty singing his song “Bones” at The Salty Bronc on March 7.
Feature
Ray & the High Rollers chase big stages from Bennett Hall Lilian Easter
that’d be cool,’” Flaherty said. “Mitchel was kind of like, ‘Let’s get a gig. This sounds fun. Let’s just try it.’” In August 2022, the music drifting out Their first show at Outlaws on The of Bennett Hall wasn’t part of a grand Strip wasn’t polished. plan. “We sounded pretty bad,” Flaherty It was just Ray Flaherty and a guitar. said. “But it was fun, so we kept Most evenings, Flaherty sat in his dorm practicing, kept playing songs, and I room strumming chords while bassist started writing.” Nate Crossland listened and played That rough night at Outlaws was along. Around the same time, Crossland enough to keep going. Flaherty kept met drummer Mitchel Crawford on writing and the trio kept rehearsing. the tuba line in the Oklahoma State Soon, they became Ray & the High University marching band. Rollers — a name that started as a “I went over to Mitchel’s house, we joke. played a little, but we were like, ‘Hey, See CHASE on page 8A STAFF REPORTER
Andon Freitas, The O’Colly
Gas prices are rising across Stillwater, leaving students with difficult budget decisions.