A lifetime of music: Ural Thomas & the Pain play OK Fest Aug. 2 in Enterprise

Published 12:00 pm Tuesday, July 22, 2025

ENTERPRISE — Ural Thomas turns 86 in December and on Aug. 2, his band headlines OK Fest in Enterprise.

“I feel so blessed,” he said of a lifetime of American soul music.

Thomas was born in Louisiana and moved to Portland with his family at age 4.

“I was raised in the church — my mom was musical and my dad was a preacher,” he said.

As for his own pursuit of music?

“It’s still kind of a mystery,” he said with a chuckle. “I just love music and love being with people.”

He became a professional singer in the 1950s.

“I was just a kid,” he said.

He played with others at parties and street corners, “sharpening up on harmonies.” He’s shared the stage with James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Otis Redding and Etta James.

“Along the way, you learn what you really want with yourself and the music,” he said.

He moved back to Portland in the late 1960s and took a break from performances because bandmates moved on, or got married.

But he never gave up music, and his backyard jam sessions drew a crowd.

“I was drawing people in,” he said. “Pretty soon, we had people coming from all over the world.”

In the early 2010s, Scott Magee showed up.

“I was just sitting in my backyard playing and Scotty came in — ‘Hey man, can I play?’ I handed him the drumsticks,” he said.

The two formed Ural Thomas & the Pain.

“This is our 13th year,” he said.

The group released two albums between 2015 and 2018, followed by “Dancing Dimensions” in 2022. Thomas said they are currently finishing their next album.

With more than 100 songs in their catalog, he said every show is a bit different, depending on the audience.

“I try to bring the best of myself, no matter if there’s two people or two thousand,” he said.

As for the Enterprise show?

“They can expect surprises and a lot of fun,” he said. “Music is one of the keys to life. I don’t ever want to stop.”

OK Fest

Thursday, July 31, features a screening of “The Last Dive” at 7 p.m at the OK Theatre, 208 W. Main St. Tickets are available at theoldok.com for $24.31 or free for ages 12 and younger.

On Friday, Aug. 1, Nashville band East Nash Grass plays at the OK at 7 p.m. Online tickets are $34.89, or free for ages 12 and younger who attend with a paid adult.

OK Fest moves to Main Street in Enterprise on Saturday, Aug. 2, with a makers market from noon to 5 p.m. For the music, gates open at 3 p.m., and the shows run from 4-11 p.m.

Online tickets are $56.04, or free for ages 12 and younger who attend with a paid adult. Tickets are available locally at Joseph Hardware, Dollar Stretcher and The Bookloft. First up is the Brothers Brann, followed by the Brady Goss Band, and Dick Jr. and the Volunteers. Additional musicians — including Bart Budwig and Clark Bags — will play between sets.

The festival culminates with Ural Thomas & the Pain.