Fort Worth Weekly // June 5-11, 2024

Mavericks in NBA Finals ...

NEW 3-D Street Art Mural* in Sundance Square Plaza gives fans the opportunity to take Selfies for social media support of the Mavs’ quest to win the 2024 NBA Championship against the Boston Celtics.

*3-D Street Mural Art by Fort Worth artist Jan Riggins

FEATURE

Ayahuasca gave Marine musician Jon Ruhl peace — and inspiration. BY WILLIAM L. WILLIAMS

METROPOLIS

Local right-wing Latino group wants to “Protect Kids” — not from guns but gender questions. BY

ANTHONY MARIANI

EATS & DRINKS

Hurst is home to tasty NYC transplant James Provisions. BY

LAURIE JAMES

STUFF

Hoping for a local pro sports triple crown too greedy? Sports gods say yea. BY

PATRICK HIGGINS

Not a Retreat

By William L. Williams

Transphobic Tales

By Anthony Mariani

Bikini Killers

James Provides

STAFF

Anthony Mariani, Editor

Lee Newquist, Publisher

Bob Niehoff, General Manager

Ryan Burger, Art Director

Jim Erickson, Circulation Director

Emmy Smith, Proofreader

Michael Newquist, Regional Sales Director

Jennifer Bovee, Marketing Director

Stacey Hammons, Senior Account Executive

Julie Strehl, Account Executive

Tony Diaz, Account Executive

Wyatt Newquist, Digital Coordinator

Clintastic, Brand Ambassador

By Laurie James

CONTRIBUTORS

Christina Berger, E.R. Bills, Jason Brimmer, Buck D. Elliott, Juan R. Govea, Patrick Higgins, Laurie James, Kristian Lin, Cody Neathery, Wyatt Newquist, Steve Steward, Teri Webster, Ken Wheatcroft-Pardue, Elaine Wilder, Cole Williams

EDITORIAL BOARD

Laurie James, Anthony Mariani, Emmy Smith, Steve Steward

By Juan R. Govea

The Riot Grrrl band transcends punk to achieve activism. Read about them in this week’s Music feature on Page 21.

BY JUAN R. GOVEA

Semper Hi-Fi

After finding some peace on an ayahuasca retreat, Marine Jon Ruhl was ready to sing again.

BY WILLIAM WILLIAMS

Jon Ruhl’s debut album might be out now, but his journey to get there started long ago — and reached its apex in 2015. That’s when he spent 10 days in a Peruvian jungle as part of an ayahuasca retreat. His experience in South America with the powerfully hallucinogenic indigenous plant medicine was transformative, inspiring the 26-year-old folk-rock singer-songwriter and helping him cope with the severe trauma he had been battling from his time as a U.S. Marine Corps field medic in Afghanistan five years before his trip. He recorded his self-titled debut album in Fort Worth at Niles City Sound (Leon Bridges, Vincent Neil Emerson, Quaker City Night Hawks) in January 2021, accompanied by drummer Dennis Ryan from Deer Tick (Dave Matthews’ ATO Records) and Will Van Horn on pedal steel, with Robert Ellis producing as well as adding bass, guitars, keys, and percussion. The album was largely inspired by Ruhl’s troubled childhood in Mississippi but also touches on his life and travels since then, including a 14-month period when he lived out of his converted camper van. Jon Ruhl carries on in the tradition of some of his most beloved artists, such as John Hartford, Jimmy Buffet, Don Williams, and Jerry Jeff Walker.

As a teenager, Ruhl wasn’t someone you would ordinarily think of as a Marine. He began playing guitar at 15 after being grounded by his father for an entire summer and started writing his own music soon after. By 19, he was performing in bars while living in Pensacola, Florida. In 2020, he struck up a friendly correspondence with Ellis, who’s played with Willie Nelson and Paul Simon and co-owns Niles City, and that May, Ruhl and Ellis began forming plans for Ruhl to come to Fort Worth to cut his first full-length. Ruhl has been here ever since.

The following is his story in his words.

So, in that area, they were usually about 80-pound bombs, so they found one, and they called the firebase saying, you know, we need the EOD techs (Explosives Ordinance Disposal) to come out. Those were two guys that were stationed with us, and their job was to defuse these bombs. They were specially trained, kind of Special Forces in a way. They would go defuse these IEDs. They weren’t directly attached to us. We only met them when they got attached in Afghanistan, and so they weren’t necessarily in our unit. We just kind of knew them from going on patrols with them every once in a while.

On May 17, I punched out with 2nd Squad with the EOD guys. We walked down the plateau — the southeastern end of Sharma Shila ridge was the focus of all the IEDs found out there — and this happened all the time, a routine QRF (Quick Reaction Force) EOD patrol: Somebody finds an IED, we cordon it off, form a perimeter around it and provide outward security, and then the EOD techs would go in and usually put a charge on the IED and a timed detonator. They put a timer on it. You set the timer for two minutes or whatever, get the hell away from it, and blow it up, a controlled detonation.

In October 2006, I got expelled from high school for the last time. I had been attending the Mississippi School for Math and Science, which was a public boarding school on the Mississippi University for Women campus. I had already accrued all kinds of infractions in my year there (to include drinking so heavily at a school event I was taken to the emergency room), and by the time I got caught cheating on a government test in October 2006, I was already on very thin ice. The academic dishonesty was the straw that broke the camel’s back, and I was expelled.

When I got back to my father’s house, he was also at the end of his rope. He suggested I join the military, because as soon as I turned 18, he wanted me out of his house.

I guess I’ll start with the main traumatic experience. I was 17 when I joined the Navy out of Mississippi, and I contracted into the Navy to be a corpsman, which are the medical techs, so two years at Naval Hospital Pensacola working post-anesthesia, and then in late 2009, I was up for orders, and at that time, [the Navy was] taking all the corpsmen and all the medical personnel and pulling them over to 2nd Marine Division, because they were getting ready to troopsurge into Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom). In late 2009, I went to field med in Camp Johnson, North Carolina, which is part of Camp Lejeune, near Jacksonville. In March 2010, we left, and I was with 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines’ Bravo Company, which is an infantry battalion, and we went to Helmand Province, Afghanistan, and our area of operations was Musa Qala, which is north central Helmand.

I was 20 years old, going into Afghanistan with my unit. … We were there for seven months, but on May 17, 2010, I was on our little firebase — we built the firebase on a plateau — when we got a call that a patrol farther down the plateau had found an IED (Improvised Explosive Device). There were IEDs all over that end of the plateau, and we usually tried to not go down there … . It was usually ammonium nitrate, and it would have, you know, screws or ball bearings or something in it, some kind of shrapnel in there.

The two EOD techs were Sgt. William Ziervogel and Staff Sgt. Adam L. Perkins. We go down the plateau — the perimeter is already set around this IED. We get there, business as usual. I’m bumming a smoke off somebody. Perkins walked up to the IED — you could see where it had been marked and everything — and I’m sitting there talking to a friend of mine, and it went off, the explosion went off. I turn around there’s just a massive dust cloud — and I remember seeing something solid flying through the air. Come to find out it was his left hand. I kept a journal, and this is a fragment of that day’s entry: ‘I saw Perkins clear the area with the metal detector and kneel down over the IED, and I looked away for half a second. Half a second later, a 155mm British artillery shell encased in glass and metal scraps wired to a pressure-release detonator plate exploded less than two feet away from his face.’

I went into corpsman mode, you know? I was the medic, so I start running towards him, and he was maybe 40, 50 feet away from me? — and my buddy Sgt. Russell Lentz grabbed me, because they have to clear the area around the blast, because a lot of the time, what the Taliban would do was they would plant an IED, and they’d plant another one right next to it, so if the first one went off and got somebody, then the medic comes over, and they detonate the second one, because [the Taliban] really wanted to get us. They wanted to get the corpsmen.

At that point, the dust was clearing, and I could see Perkins on the ground. Ziervogel came over — we called him ‘Z’ — and swept the area around him. And I’ll never forget. Z was a big guy. He was lanky, but he was a big dude, but, I mean, we’re in the middle of a combat zone, and I couldn’t describe it any other way than just like a certain tenderness, that he just reached down and put his hand on Perkins, to check him.

From my journal: ‘As soon as I rolled him over, I could tell his left arm was amputated above the elbow, his bottom jaw was gone, his mouth was full of dirt. His nose

was now just two holes in the center of his face. His right eye was gone. He’s bleeding heavily from his ears, and an area the size of my open hand was missing from the front of his skull, exposing the gray-white frontal lobe of his brain. When I rolled him over on his back, he moved just like the mannequins from field med. His legs were broken.’ I performed an emergency tracheotomy I trached him. Whenever you’ve got massive facial trauma, you want to establish a patent airway, so I put a tourniquet on his left arm and started a crike (cricothyroidotomy) in his throat. At that point, I was calling in the 9 Line, which is the radio transmission to get a CasEvac (Casualty Evacuation). We were already calling it up when my superior back on the firebase told me to start CPR, which you do not do on the battlefield. Corpsman Ryan Miller was resisting that. I said, ‘Just do it.’ ‘A large shrapnel wound in the upper chest, a sucking chest wound, only it wasn’t sucking at all. His amputated arm wasn’t bleeding. I put a chest seal on the chest wound. … Miller is doing compressions. I’m breathing for him. His abdomen looked like a waterbed as he did compressions. … The blast liquefied all his internal organs. When I breathe for him in the tube, I get blood back in my mouth.’

CPR is to essentially keep someone’s heart going and to keep oxygen circulating until you can get an AED (Automated External Defibrillator, the ‘heart shocker machine’) on somebody, so you can get a shockable rhythm. CPR does no good on the battlefield, because once you start, you have to continue doing it, and in a combat setting, it’s not feasible. That’s all you’ll do until they get to a higher echelon of care. We were getting shot at a little bit, but the Taliban are terrible shots — no training at all — so Miller and I started CPR on Perkins, and with the CPR I would get this really, really thready pulse in his neck. I’m sure it was just the CPR. I was checking his pulse in his carotid, because once you’ve lost a lot of blood and you start going into shock, your first palpable pulses you’re gonna lose are gonna be the farthest ones from the heart, so the carotid is the best to check if you’ve still got any pulse at all, and I think it was just the CPR that was pushing blood through his body, so we bandaged him up as best we could. We did everything we could.

Then a British CH47, a Chinook twin-rotor helicopter, came in and picked him up. And, typically, whenever you’re transporting a patient on a stretcher, you always go feet first. I’ll never forget, Miller and I carrying his body — he was dead — over to the helicopter, and the medic standing by the door — they’re all medics on these CasEvacs — had ‘Head First’ written on his hand and flashes his hand at me. We turn him around headfirst, get him on the bird, and they took him off.

From my journal: ‘When the bird got there, my patient turnover was simply, “No pulse, no respiration.” It took (Mark Allan Stevens, my senior line corpsman) telling me before I finally believed it — I did everything I could.’

We ended up finding some more of his body parts, boxed that up so it could be buried with him. I was given the honor continued on page 5

Largely inspired by Ruhl’s troubled childhood in Mississippi, his album also touches on his life and travels since then, including a 14-month period when he lived out of his converted camper van. Jon Ruhl carries on in the tradition of some of his most beloved artists, such as John Hartford, Jimmy Buffet, Don Williams, and Jerry Jeff Walker.

of carrying those body parts in a box and putting it on a bird a couple of days later, and, man, it really … it really fucked with me for a long time. You know, he had a wife and kid, a young child. Here I am, 20 years old — by then, I was 21; I turned 21 in April in Afghanistan — and you know, I’m just thinking like, ‘Why the fuck would that guy die? I’ve got nobody. I don’t even have a fucking goldfish,’ you know?

This is a fragment of that day’s journal entry: ‘I didn’t know his first name, where he came from, or what he planned to do after the Marine Corps, but I still haven’t cleaned all his blood from my uniform, my gloves, my gear, my watch, my fingernails. He died today, and I watched it happen. Miller and I agreed there was nothing we could do.’

And come to find out after the fact, the IED that killed him was unique. It was a pressure-release IED, not the typical IED where you would step on a pressure plate. There had been probably a 15-pound rock on top of this thing, so when he knelt down and took that rock off the top, it went off, so he was kneeling over a 40- to 60-pound bomb when it went off. You know, I didn’t know him that well. We talked a couple of times, and that’s a small blessing, I suppose, to have not known him super-well, but at the same time, to be there when that happened was …

I got out of the military in 2012, and the readily available camaraderie and the support system in the military had kept me pretty well together, but when I got out in January 2012? Man, I just went off the deep end. I fucking lost it. I was drinking extremely heavily. I was winding up in the hospital and arrested, like, all the time. I was out of control. And I

remember — I say I remember, but it was a blackout — that I didn’t know how to process what I’d seen, what I’d been a part of, honestly. I didn’t know, like, why did I survive? Why was I there when that happened? Why wasn’t I able to do anything, you know? … I mean, it was a very horrible thing to see, a horrible thing to be around.

But it must’ve been in 2013, a friend of mine was being treated at Bethesda, Maryland, and I went to go see him. We had gone to Afghanistan together, and we must’ve gone to a bar, and I got totally plastered, and I vaguely remembered him dragging me back to wherever he was staying. I just remember crying my eyes out and calling for Perkins for some reason, which I think I did regularly in blackouts. I would relive this thing where I’m just screaming for him as if the bomb had just gone off, and I was standing there again — because that’s what happened when that bomb went off — and I started running toward where he was. I was yelling his name. I’d relive that in blackouts.

I just felt worthless and purposeless, and the medication that the VA (Veterans Affairs) gave me … I was seeing a psychiatrist at the Washington, D.C., VA, and he pretty much just followed a flow chart. I would tell him my symptoms, and he would say, ‘Oh, that symptom requires this medication,’ and I’d say, ‘I also feel like this,’ and they’d add another medication! They put me on, like, six medications in four months, and I felt crazier than I’ve ever felt in my whole life — and I probably wasn’t supposed to be drinking heavily on them and smoking a lot of weed — but I was just trying to get through the day.

It must’ve been May of 2015 when I booked a trip to Peru with this ayahuasca retreat. I was going down to do that because, honestly, I probably had this naïve thought that something I could take would fix me. continued on page 6

Shown here on foot patrol in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, in summer 2010, Ruhl was a musician before he became a Marine plus musician.

I could take some drug, and it would fix what was going on. It’s funny because I had heard the reference to ayahuasca from a Father John Misty song (“I’m Writing a Novel”) and another from some show where a guy drinks some ayahuasca and has some big trip, so I started looking into it and was intrigued by it, and I thought I’d give this a shot, because the medication hadn’t really accomplished that much.

In 2015, I booked this trip down to Urabamba, Peru with a friend of mine, but the trip itself was facilitated by an Australian guy (Neils) and a French Moroccan girl (Sarah), and they were linked up with this Shipibo shaman from the Amazon. Urabamba is close to Cusco, and it’s pretty far from the Amazon, but the shaman, Gumé (Gumércindo), would come down, like, once a month and do a retreat.

Ayahuasca, medicine, enrapture me fully! Help me by opening your beautiful world to me! You are also created by the god who created man! Reveal to me completely your medicine worlds! Ayahuasca Song of the Shipibo

We first did a mescaline ceremony, a San Pedro ceremony, and, honestly, I was reading The Holotropic Mind by Stanislav Grof at the time, and I think I was trying to form this idea of what the trips were supposed to be like, so that honestly hurt me more than helped. It clouded the original experience of the psychedelic, so I didn’t really get anything until the third ayahuasca ceremony. I didn’t really get much out of the first ceremony. The second ceremony, I took two cups of the ayahuasca. My journal for that day says, ‘5-7-15: My second ayahuasca ceremony was another disappointment. I had a sensation of having a very large body and was floating in outer space. It felt great at the time, but it doesn’t have any bearing on the reasons I came here.’ They assured us that, even though you’re not feeling anything and you might not have a vision, just be confident, the ayahuasca is working.

There were only four ceremonies, spread out over 10 days. The San Pedro ceremony was on Day 2 or 3, and then the next day was an ayahuasca ceremony, and then the next day also, and the third day was a day off, so on the third ceremony, the shaman, Gumé, had told one of the facilitators that ‘this whole thing hinges on whether or not Jon has a vision, and so I want him to sit directly to my left for this ceremony, because that’s the way I move the energy around the room.’

Gumé had been kind of sick, and so for the first two ceremonies, he had just sat in one place in this outdoor ceremony room, which is dark. You do it at night because you want to lose as much unnecessary sensory input as possible, because during the ceremonies, Gumé sings his icaros, these songs to the spirits, bringing the spirits and moving the energy. You know, at the time I thought this was pretty far out there. ‘I’m

just some dude from Mississippi who’s seen some fucked-up shit, but I’m down for it.’ ”

Gumé says, ‘You’re gonna sit directly to my left, and you’re gonna take two cups right off the bat,’ which I did. So, you just sit there in the dark with your eyes closed in kind of a meditative pose, and the beginning of the trip is this amazing … it’s like snakes endlessly moving over each other, but they’re kaleidoscopic, with geometric patterns. This is all happening in my mind. My eyes are closed, and Gumé is singing.

Historically, ayahuasca has been described as a feminine medicine. For centuries, it’s a woman in a white dress that shows up. Sure enough, a woman in a white dress comes and starts talking. ‘Isn’t it strange to have a body? Isn’t the body an odd thing when you think about it? I mean, it gets old. It gets sick. You know, it pisses. It shits and vomits. It breaks.’ And at this point, I’m like purging. I’m throwing up, which is a really good sign as far as the ceremony goes. It makes sense. It’s fitting. It’s this thing that you have to get out of you.

From my journal: ‘As I fell into a deep consciousness, I remembered to focus on my breathing and allow Aya (ayahuasca) to do her work. I found myself in a beautiful place, indescribably gorgeous with mountains changing colors, yellow meadows, and a sky that was simultaneously night and day. I became one with this place and felt my arms were tree trunks, my body a boulder, as I left my own human body.’

At this point, I was deep in the vision. I’m purging. I’m throwing up, and the woman in white is describing this thing, this body, and “isn’t it strange how people are hell-bent on killing other people’s bodies?’ And she’s tying this into combat and warfare and how the body is this vehicle. It’s this transient thing that bears less importance than another part of us.

It was about this time that the consciousness of Adam Perkins and I started to interact, and I can’t remember exactly how

and that would have been everybody’s memory of me, me and that broken body, and I decided not to go back into it. I decided to come up here instead.’

And the fact that it was his decision completely flipped a switch in my brain. I was like, ‘So, it wasn’t something I did?’ The older I get, the more I realize it’s not all about me! He said, ‘And up here, you know, I can lie down and sleep, or I can get up and walk,’ and he said, ‘Time doesn’t exist here.’

About this time, Aya comes back, the woman in the white dress, and she says, ‘It’s time to go.’ I looked at Perkins, and I said, ‘Do you want me to reach out to your family, tell them you’re OK or anything like that?’ He says, ‘No, they know already. I’ve already talked to them.’ He said, ‘Don’t worry. You’ll be here with me someday.’

it started, but I was kind of talking with him like we’re talking right now, and I said, ‘I’m really trying hard to remember your face, because the face I remember, half of it was gone, and your eye was out of its socket. Your jaw was gone. … I’m trying to remember your face before that image was burned into my brain.’ He said, ‘You don’t need to do that. I don’t have a body anymore.’ I said, ‘Oh, well, that makes sense.’ He said, ‘I want you to know that when that bomb went off, I was still right there, looking down at my body in the condition it was in, and I saw you come over, and I saw the way that you worked to save me, and I saw the care and the love that you put into it.’ And he said, ‘I want you to know I made a choice. I made the choice to come here.’

Now, I didn’t describe the setting we were in. Earlier that day, I had hiked up Pumahuanca, this mountain in Urubamba

it’s a beautiful, beautiful mountain in the Andes. You hit this beautiful plateau, and you can just see for miles. You can see down into the valley where Urabamba is, and you can see across the desert, the high desert plateaus of the Andes … and it was like we were up there again, Perkins and I were up there, but it was like a Van Gogh painting, right? And it’s funny because off in the distance — keep in mind I can still hear Gumé singing his icaros — I look down the path a little ways from where Perkins and I are sitting and talking, and Gumé is in this full traditional Incan shaman’s dress and dancing while he’s singing his icaros. Now, he was too sick to dance during the first two ceremonies, but come to find out after the fact, he was dancing during the whole third ceremony, but I’ve got my eyes closed during this vision.

Perkins said, ‘I want you to know I made the decision. I could have gone back into my body and tried to eke out a couple of more years. My family would’ve seen me in the hospital like that. I would never have been able to do anything that I love again,

I came out of the trip immediately. Now, I’ve done a lot of drugs. I mean, I’m a recovered alcoholic, and I’ve done everything under the sun, from pain pills to meth, but I’ve never in my entire life done a drug where one second it’s active, the next second it’s gone. I came to, and I’m back in the maloca (a large circular hut, the ceremonial space used by the Shipibo people for the ceremony). Gumé had sat down again, and I was completely back in my body. I looked over at the Australian guy and the Moroccan girl, Neils and Sarah — they would facilitate, like if somebody’s having a really hard time, they would kind of comfort them and bring them back. They were sober for the experience, so they could help anybody that might need help. So, I lean over to them and whisper, ‘I’m gonna go smoke a cigarette.’ They said, ‘OK, be very quiet,’ so I tiptoe outside. They sell these cigarettes down in the Andes, mapachos. You can buy, like, a 3-gallon bag of these hand-rolled, unfiltered cigarettes, jungle tobacco, absolutely delicious. And I light one of those, and I was just staring up at the stars, and it was like … this thing that had been eating me alive for years, how to come to grips with the death of that man, and Perkins himself describing it saying, ‘I had a choice, but thanks for trying — really, thank you, but I made the choice to come here’ — that absolutely shifted my perspective to where it needed to be. And he had told me, ‘Quit worrying about me. I’m fine. This is great up here. Don’t worry about me.’ And he reminded me that ‘you didn’t realize it, but you were pouring love into my soul.’

Journal entry, 6-5-17: ‘I came to see death differently as the body is accepted back into the Earth, as the soul is accepted and assimilated back into a universal consciousness, in which the individual maintains a certain identity while being a part of the divine spirit in whole and equal parts. So many things that my freewill mind is unable to comprehend on this plane, I came to know: that Perkins is in a beautiful, peaceful place, better off without his mortal form. I will never wear the memorial bracelet again’ I have a bracelet with his death date and name on it — ‘knowing that he no longer needs anything from me, knowing that his memory is preserved and actively holding onto it was something I did for myself.’ continued on page 7

Ruhl (right), accepting a cup of ayahuasca from Shaman Gumé in the maloca in Peru in 2015, did not meet Aya until his third attempt.

Courtesy Jon Ruhl

Aya began closing my eyes to that plane, and I said to Perkins, ‘I can’t stay in this place much longer. I have to return to my body. ‘He replied, ‘You’ll be back here someday. You can come visit occasionally, but one day, you’ll come here to stay.’ It was breathtakingly, indescribably beautiful. My vision ended, and I woke up back in the maloca, and that was it. Aya had shown me all I needed to see that night.

I’m outside smoking, and Neils and Sarah came out — they had been worried because I hadn’t had a vision for the last two ceremonies, and I described to them what I had just seen, and Sarah was just weeping. It was incredible to be in that vision. It was genuinely like my consciousness had been taken out of my body and taken somewhere.

I had spent years at that point trying to figure out a way to move past this: group therapy, medications … you know, if there had been a way for that to happen, if that solution had been able to be put together in my mind, because that’s what I wanted more than anything, but in that vision, I was shown something by some other being or something. It was really like having my consciousness blasted into outer space, into some kind of outer dimension, being shown something, and then my consciousness was just zapped back into my body, and all of a sudden, I was back on Earth.

Perkins’ death was the most traumatic thing that happened to me in Afghanistan. There were other violent things that happened. My friend Woodburn got shot, but he survived. My friend Miller got shot in the arm, but he ended up being fine. There was a guy, Cory Szucs, that got pretty badly banged up in a strike on a truck, and he ended up losing his left leg above the knee. And I was in a truck that got blown up by an IED — I was close to a lot of them that went off but I had such a positive experience with the ayahuasca in South America that I venture to say I’ll partake of a ceremony like that again someday because it was such a powerful thing. I think that when the time is right, it will present itself to me again. I mean, it’s like two plants, right? You take the root of one plant and the leaves from another plant, and you make a tea, and you’re blasted to a different dimension. They would have to have been shown by the spirits how to do that.

Honestly, I almost want to say that these substances need some kind of facilitator, the shaman, that prescribes a specific amount of a certain substance and then guides you through it, because, obviously, I don’t think I would’ve had the powerful experience that I had with ayahuasca if there hadn’t been a shaman involved. So, I think that’s kind of a crucial aspect that most Americans unfortunately don’t realize.

I will say that since that experience in Peru, I’ve developed a deep respect for psychedelics, these substances that have such therapeutic value, and specifically natural

From Ruhl’s journal: “I didn’t know his first name, where he came from, or what he planned to do after the Marine Corps, but I still haven’t cleaned all his blood from my uniform, my gloves, my gear, my watch, my fingernails.”

psychedelics like ayahuasca, psilocybin, and San Pedro.

I’ve had some really beneficial experiences from psychedelics, and anytime I talk to somebody about it, I try to talk about it with an absolute respect and a kind of reverence for these sacred substances, ‘the flesh of the gods.’ You know, a big part of sobriety and working 12 Steps is a reliance on a power greater than ourselves, and through my psychedelic experiences, I’ve been given an understanding that really transcends religion and is able to easily exist outside of organized religious viewpoints, something that’s been with me and kind of taken care of me, in a way, and shown me some things, because, man, I wanted to die for a long time, and a lot of this journal was written in just really low, dark, alcohol, drug places.

And, finally, that’s another reason I’m kind of interested in doing ayahuasca again, because they really recommend cleansing before using, as in sobriety, and that’s probably why I didn’t get anything out of the first two ceremonies, because I was so blocked off with my alcoholism, because with alcoholism you just put everything in that bottle and shove it way down inside, but somehow, ayahuasca got past it. l

A North Texas music historian, writer, and musician, William L. Williams is co-author of Metro Music (TCU Press), celebrating 100 years of North Texas music history, and a three-volume history of the Caravan of Dreams, available for free download at MetroMusicProject.com. Along with fellow ’60s musician-friends, he’s been researching, archiving, and covering North Texas music history since 2003. He is currently writing a series of essays on creativity, entheogens, and the mystical experience.

Courtesy Jon Ruhl

State Sanctioned

By permitting organized hate speech on city property, Mayor Mattie Parker and company quietly condone it.

BY ANTHONY MARIANI

You would think a panel discussion called “Protect Kids” would be about gun violence and how it’s the leading cause of death among Texas children.

Instead, the 10am-noon Saturday

METROPOLIS

focus on “the impact of LGBT ideology, the social contagion of transgenderism, and the dangers of pornography,” according to hosts LUCA (Latinos United for Conservative Action) and co-hosts Tarrant County Citizens Defending Freedom and Texas Coalition for Children.

“This is a crucial conversation about the cultural revolution happening right now,” LUCA says.

A local group is pushing back. In a statement, the Justice Network of Tarrant County said Saturday’s LUCA event represents “nothing more than a blatant attempt to heighten fear and spew inaccurate and dangerous information about the transgender community. This can only put the lives of transgender folks, whose safety and security are constantly at risk, in more imminent danger.”

An interfaith collection of more than 20 organizations and 350 faith leaders and individuals “fighting to protect the rights of all human beings and to create a more just and

Parker and City Council to cancel Saturday’s event based on the Fort Worth Park and Recreation Department’s Community Center Policies & Procedures handbook.

“Use of community centers shall not be permitted to groups which practice, profess, or have as their policy (official or unofficial) discrimination against persons on the basis of sex, race, religion, sexual orientation, color, or national origin,” the policy reads. “Nor shall access be permitted to groups affiliated with organizations which practice, profess, or have a policy of such discrimination.”

The policy would seem to rule out all three of Saturday’s speakers.

One of them is MassResistance Texas’ Tracy Shannon. The mother of four “blessings” *gag* who became popular a few years ago by Karening about drag queen story hours across the state, Shannon claims to have “studied” the “trajectory of the transgender movement and transgender medicine” for 20 years. Shannon, who is

and a relaxing of the already loose and unsound ‘standards’ in transgender medicine.”

Another speaker is Jeff Younger, a parents’ rights activist and perennial victim from Flower Mound who created his high profile among right-wingers via unfounded suspicions about one of his children going through gender dysphoria.

Whatever the two transphobes say on Saturday about the alleged dangers of transitioning too young will be opinion, oral tradition, and, no doubt, quasi-Biblical spin. It will not be based on science or data. We know this because there really isn’t any to cite.

There are anecdotes. In February, The New York Times quoted several trans sources saying they regretted their procedures, clearly to manufacture a trend out of only a few perspectives, which may make for good storytelling but not science. An epidemiologist responded by analyzing a sizable chunk of available information here and overseas.

“We don’t have good U.S. data on the

other countries have fairly useful recent papers showing that detransition is quite uncommon,” wrote Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz in Slate. “What’s clear from this evidence is that the vast majority of people do not experience regret, howsoever defined, after transitioning genders. … Ultimately, the question of what proportion of kids or adults regret their transition is only important to a select group: the people who want to transition and their clinicians. At worst, the rate of regret is still better than other treatments which don’t require national debates over their use, which really begs the question of why anyone who isn’t directly involved with the treatment of transgender people is even weighing in on the topic at all.”

Shannon and Younger are “weighing in … at all” ostensibly to “Protect Kids” from making a life-altering decision too young, because we all know the best parents are other parents, but in reality, it’s to spread Christian Nationalism. For a welcoming audience that, for a newsworthy change, is not all rich white people, there may be no better place than in cherry-red Fort Worth among a racial minority.

Latinos are the fastest-growing segment of evangelicals in the country. Their “vision,” says one pastor in Long Beach, California, is “to see that the kingdom of God will go forward and reach more people

and get into every nook and cranny of society,” including our bedrooms, bathrooms, and public spaces like community centers and the White House. As some of the poorest

dreams of pearly gates, billionairehood, and even white-adjacency.

The third speaker is Texas Coalition for Kids’ Kelly Neidert, best known for having her phone taken from her and thrown in the trash at a local school board meeting. There is little chance Republican Mayor Parker heeds the Justice Network. After Victory Forest Community Center canceled a similar LUCA event last month, she agreed with the Latinos that their First Amendment rights were violated. But, the Justice Network says, “the right to free speech must be weighed against the catastrophic harm that words can do especially when these words are false, inflammatory, and ignorant.”

Without real-time fact-checking, Saturday’s speakers can say anything they want without fear of reprisal or repercussion and for maximum effect. As we saw on January 6, enthusiastically if awkwardly phrased lies spewed like so much vomit after an Adderall-and-Diet-Coke bender can have deadly real-world ramifications. Unless the City of Fort Worth wants a lawsuit on its hands — or worse — the least Mayor Parker and company can do is tell LUCA to take their hatred away from public land and into a private setting. A restaurant maybe. Or a church. And that it should stay there — for good. l

Americans, Latinos are especially susceptible to religious fervor, which brings with it the possibility of transcending often harsh reality and is driven by rabid pastors selling

This column reflects the opinions of the editorial board and not the Fort Worth Weekly. To submit a column, please email Editor Anthony Mariani at Anthony@FWWeekly.com. He will gently edit it for clarity and concision.

STUFF

Joy Thief

Fantasies of a pro triple crown can easily make us lose sight of just how hard it really is to win it all.

BY PATRICK HIGGINS

Greed is a feedback loop. Nothing makes one crave a coveted thing so much as having already obtained it. Once your brain is aware a good ’ol flood of serotonin is on the line, it will twist you into unrecognizable shapes trying to get another burst. How else could you explain the existence of billionaires? We hear the “B-word” so often now that we’ve become completely desensitized to just how profound a figure 1 billion really is. A billion dollars is a sum of money so incomprehensibly large that even if you spent $10,000 every single day starting now, it would take you more than 270 years to go through all that dough. Yet despite already hoarding hundreds of times that figure, egomaniacal tech bros like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos keep chasing that dragon, forever seeking to add more to the pile of gold their scaly bodies lie on.

Now, shamefully, it seems I have become equally greedy. It’s not sociopathic amounts of money I’m seeking, though I wouldn’t say no to a cool millie magically appearing in my checking account. It’s local sports championships I’m chasing. With the world champion Rangers unexpectedly reawakening a decade-long dormant lust within me last fall, I have become a gluttonous Baron Harkonnen, insatiable for the spice of hometown athletes hoisting shiny metal trophies amid a shower of confetti, Champagne, and opposing team’s tears. I

want nay, demand — another title! My desert! My dune! My O’Brien!

Last month happened to be a particularly encouraging one for next-fix prospects. The Stars entered the NHL playoffs as a No. 1 seed and the season-long odds favorite to eventually hoist Lord Stanley’s shiny sipper. Add to this a bonus in a scrappy newlook, post-trade Mavericks squad suddenly appearing unbeatable, and could North Texas somehow manage to sneak two or even three championship titles into just an eight-month span? I was absolutely drunk on the prospect. I felt like a cash-strapped coke fiend on a harsh comedown stumbling on a 3-kilo package of Bogotá’s finest floating in a drainage ditch. As each team progressed through the first two rounds of their playoffs, the hypothetical “what if?” slowly became a mandatory “it must.”

But as sports is an ever-humbling interest, that which can be given will most often be taken away. The package fished out of the ditch turned out to be heavily cut with talcum powder, and the buzz is weak and gives a headache. How dare we tempt the sporting gods by demanding of them. They are wont to spite exponentially more than they are to grant, and spite they did.

On Sunday, aided by their league-best power play, the Edmonton Oilers scored on two of

closing, and worse for guys like Ryan Suter and Joe Pavelski, whose window is probably already closed. I can’t say I’m not at least a little bit relieved that the emotional toll that conference series was taking on me is over. Somewhere in the second period of Game 5, I realized Dallas was not only not going to win that particular game (they looked completely lifeless trailing 2-0) but that they were not going to win another game, much less a Stanley Cup, and all the frustration of failure hit me at once. This was finally their year. Until it wasn’t.

their first three shots to open a 2-0 lead early in the first period of Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals against the Stars. Despite throwing 34 shots at upstart Oil goalie Stuart Skinner to stay alive, Dallas would manage just a single goal in the tilt and fall 2-1 in the game and ultimately 4-2 in the series. And thus, the agony of defeat has come roaring back from the recesses of my psyche, shattering my joy and swapping my hubris for humility.

Somehow, lost in all the recent sports euphoria, was remembering the depth of pain that comes when expectations are unachieved. What made the Rangers’ run so fun last October was the fact that it was out of nowhere. It wasn’t “supposed to” happen. The team was certainly trending up, but most felt it was a year or two away from serious contention. It was the lack of the baggage that comes with expectation that gave us the freedom to enjoy the ride. The same could be said of this current Mavs run. No one anticipated they would be where they are, and that makes it enchanting stakes-free entertainment.

The Stars, though, were supposed to be there, and that they aren’t makes it hurt doubly so. My heart breaks for veterans like Tyler Seguin and team captain Jaime Benn, whose window to win a championship is

It’s a not-so-subtle reminder of just how difficult it is to win it all. You could be the unquestioned best team all through the regular season and into the playoffs and still run into the best player in the world on the opposing team. Or a goalie on a once-in-alifetime hummer. Or a couple of bad calls here or a bad bounce or two there. Or the injury bug or just bad effing luck, and all the anticipation and excitement evaporate instantaneously. Just ask the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Minnesota Timberwolves. Expectation is the same toxin that has poisoned Cowboys fandom for the past three decades, as unwarranted as it has been, and it is the main driver of why Cowboys fans are so incredibly unsufferable. Perpetual Super Bowl-or-bust is a miserable fan experience. Disappointment is the baseline. Enjoyment factor in sports is often directly proportional to the delta between the level of a team’s achievement versus the level of their expectations.

So, take care sports fans. Make sure that you truly appreciate what you’re watching while it’s happening and try to keep the “possible” from becoming “inevitable” in your mind. It can all end in an instant. And usually does. Unless you’re a Montreal Canadiens fan living in the 1950s, 99% of the seasons of teams you root for will ultimately end in heartache. If you’re lucky, maybe lightning strikes once or twice in your lifetime and certainly not twice in eight months. Only when you truly understand just how nearly impossible being the last team standing is, in any sport, can you truly appreciate the accomplishment. It’s exactly that which makes it so magical when it finally does happen. So, if the Mavs happen to be currently riding that second lightning bolt as they head into their first NBA Finals appearance in 13 years, against the Boston Celtics, I certainly won’t be one to take it for granted. l

You could be the unquestioned best team all through the regular season and into the playoffs and still run into the best player in the world on the opposing team. Or a goalie on a once-in-alifetime hummer. Or a couple of bad calls here or a bad bounce or two there.

Hosted by the Movie Mutant (@MovieMutant), the Weird Wednesday monthly secret screening of an obscure genre film at Southside Preservation Hall (1519 Lipscomb St, 817926-2800) has a Pride Month theme this evening with guest hosts YesterQueer (@ FortWorthGayHistory), a group dedicated to documenting and preserving the stories, memories, photos, and ephemera of the LGBTQ community of Tarrant County. At 8pm, the mystery movie will be accompanied by a night market with 40 vendors in two rooms, including local artists, plus booths for Oddities & Horror and Retro Collectors. Parking will be available on Maddox Street in the lot behind the hall.

A pay-what-you-can donation is requested at the door. This event is BYOB, but food vendors will be on-site to meet your snacking needs. For information on more Pride Month activities (like Trinity Pride Fest on Sat, Jun 15), pick up our inaugural Pride Month Issue on Wed, Jun 12.

After the opening reception 5:30pm-7:30pm today, Layla Luna’s Talisman will be up at Artspace 111 (111 Hampton St, Fort Worth, 817-692-3228) thru Jul 13. In her solo show of paintings and small sculptures, she employs motifs, palettes, and text inspired by the deserts of Arizona, New Mexico, and West Texas. There are also clay amulets and trinkets of Southwest creatures. “Sacred souvenirs,” as Luna calls them, “have an ability to hold the magic of an experience and later serve as reminders of the lessons we

learned during the journey.” On Wed, Jun 26, Luna will give an artist’s talk at the gallery 5:30pm-7:30pm. There is no cost to attend.

Can rival sisters Baneatta and Beverly bury their father without killing each other? When a shocking family secret reveals itself at the church, the two face a truth that could either heal or break them. See how Chicken and Biscuits plays out at Theatre Arlington (305 W Main St, Arlington, 817-275-7661) 7:30pm Thu-Sat or 2pm Sun from tonight thru Jun 23. Tickets start at $35 at TheatreArlington. org. Group, senior, and student discounts are available.

Presented by the HELP Center for LGBT Health & Wellness and hosted by MC Liquor Mini, Arlington Pride 2024 is 5pm-11pm at Levitt Pavilion (100 W Abram St, Arlington, 817-543-4308).

Betty Who with Alyssa Edwards, Dixon Dallas, Jujubee, and Kameron Ross will perform along with DJ Al Farb. Also, enjoy a street fair full of vendors. The suggested donation to attend is $10 per person, but register for free at ArlingtonPride.org. Django in June: Just the Music celebrates Django Reinhardt with an evening of his gypsy jazz at 8pm at Arts Fifth Avenue (1628 5th Av, Fort Worth, 817-923-9500). Gypsy Moon and Kimb Platko with String Theory Manouche will perform. Tickets are $25 at ArtsFifthAvenue.org.

continued on page 13

This week’s Weird Wednesday screening helps kick off Pride Month at Southside Preservation Hall.

continued from page 12

Actor/comedian David Koechner (The Office, Anchorman, The Goldbergs) will headline several

stand-up shows at Hyena’s Comedy Night Club (425 Commerce St, Fort Worth, 817877-5233) 8:30pm/10:30pm Fri, 7pm/9:30pm Sat, and 7pm tonight, when he will also host an Office-themed trivia event in character as Todd Packer, telling behind-the-scenes stories about the hit show. The show is 18+. Tickets start at $28.50 on Prekindle.com.

Come break the rules and say “yes!” to new art experiences at the Carter’s Second Thursdays! Every Second Thursday is different than the last — mingle with fellow art lovers, make art, and meet visiting artists, sometimes with live music and always with themed cocktails inspired by the Carter’s collection. You’ll never think of museums in the same way again.

SECOND THURSDAYS ARE

Whether you’ve read the book or not, the Greater Fort Worth Sierra Club invites you to discuss The Secret Lives of Bats: My Adventures with the World’s Most Misunderstood Mammals by Merlin Tuttle at 6:30pm at Fielder Museum (1616 W Abrams St, Arlington, 817-460-4001). For other animal-oriented endeavors, look for the Weekly’s annual Creature Comforts issue in late July. Email any story ledes or thoughts to Marketing@FWWeekly.com.

Easily one of the biggest shows this summer, the Tony Award-winning Hamilton returns to Bass Performance Hall (555 Commerce St, Fort Worth, 817-212-4280) tonight thru Jun 23. Even if rap’s not your bag, there are enough melodic and poignant songs and moments to hit you in the feels, too.

By Elaine Wilder

Journey through artist Dario Robleto’s exploration of history, the universe, and how we as humans tell our story throughout time and space.

Office star David Koechner would like to schedule a meeting with you at Hyena’s this weekend.

Gypsy Moon brings to life the Ragtime-y jazz of Django Reinhardt Saturday at Arts Fifth Avenue.

While Dad probably just wants you to leave him alone this Father’s Day, you probably won’t. Here are eight places to drag him to this Sunday and next weekend. You never listen, do you? Sigh.

1.) Chef Christie is planning a Father’s Day BBQ Brunch at Beacon’s Cafe 287 (12733 N Saginaw Blvd, Fort Worth, 817-809-8606) 7am-2pm Sun. Along with eggs and omelets cooked to order and complimentary mimosas, enjoy the usual breakfast fare, plus chopped brisket, jalapeno/cheddar smoked

sausage, pulled pork, tamale meatballs, and roasted veggies, with bread pudding for dessert. The prices are $16.99 for adults, $8.99 for kids 4-10, and free for kids 3 and under.

2.) BigShots Golf (15700 Golf View Dr, Fort Worth, 682-610-0099) invites you to treat Dad to the Ultimate Father’s Day Experience 11am-11pm Sat-Sun, Jun 15-16. For $139, enjoy 1.5 hours of golf and games, two pizzas, and a large salad for up to six people.

continued on page 15

Some of the residents of the Fort Worth Zoo are waiting for Dad and y’all on Sat, Jun 15.

Fort Worth Zoo

Ricki Derek & The Vegas Six will perform the music of the Rat Pack and more on Father’s Day (Sun, Jun 16) at Scat Jazz Lounge.

Courtesy Ricki Derek

ATE

DAY8

a week

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3.) The Fort Worth Zoo (1989 Colonial Pkwy, Fort Worth, 817-759-7555) hosts a special after-hours Father’s Day Cookout 6:30pm-8:30pm Sat, Jun 15. The event includes dinner at Safari Village, an open bar serving beer and wine, plus animal meetand-greets and access to the Predators of Asia & Africa exhibit until 8pm. Tickets are $85 for adults, $30 for kids 3-12, and free for children 2 and under at FortWorthZoo.org/ Fathers-Day-Cookout. Registration closes Friday, so move fast like a jungle cat!

4.) The Star Wars-inspired Return of the Father’s Day Brunch 10am-2pm Sun, Jun 16, at Lava Cantina (5805 Grandscape Blvd, The Colony, 214-618-6893) features a Live Action Prime Rib Station by Hooray Grills. Along with prime rib, there’ll be a breakfast taco bar, deviled eggs, sour cream/chive whipped potatoes, a mac ’n’ cheese station, balsamic grilled broccolini, shrimp cocktail, and a #DadBod salad bar. Pay when you get there: $30 for adults, $17 for kids 12 and under, and free for kids 3 and younger. Reserve your space now on EventBrite.com.

5.) Along with standard favorites on the Grill Feast Brunch Buffet 10am-2pm Sat-Sun, Jun 15-16, at Pinstripes (5001 Trailhead Bend Way, Fort Worth, 682-3520808), there will be baby-back ribs and pesto chicken, plus bottomless Aperol spritzes and

mimosas. The cost is $27 for adults, $13 for kids 6-12, and free for kids 5 and under. Book your reservation at Pinstripes.com/ Fort-Worth/Reservations/. Be sure and make time to play bocce and do some bowling while you’re there.

6.) If your old man or gramps is a Rat Packkinda guy (and he should be), he’ll sure love parking it in a booth with an Aviation at Scat Jazz Lounge (111 W 4th St, Ste 11, Fort Worth, 817-870-9100) at 3pm or 5pm Sun, Jun 16. That’s when Ricki Derek & The Vegas Six will perform the sparkling music of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Tony Bennett, and more to celebrate dads livin’ the good life. Tickets start at $25 at ScatJazzLounge.com.

7.) Celebrate Father’s Day weekend at Traders Village (2602 Mayfield Rd, Grand Prairie, 972-647-2331) 11am-5pm Sat-Sun, Jun 15-18, with a free car show, live music, shopping from hundreds of vendors, and carnival rides — all-day ride wristbands are $14.99. Admission is free, and parking is $6. When you get hungry, look for the Machete Taco vendor. Trust me.

8.) Eat all you can 10am-2pm Sun, Jun 16, at Willhoite’s (432 S Main St, Grapevine, 817-481-7511). Homemade waffles, madeto-order omelets, fried chicken, and a large salad bar await for $20 per adult and $7 per kid 12 and under. No reservations required. Seating is first come, first served.

By Jennifer Bovee

Dig into a Machete (taco) this Father’s Day (Sun, Jun 16) at Traders Village.

Courtesy Traders Village

EATS & drinks

Just James

Transplanted from NYC, this quaint Hurst eatery serves classic Americana in a bodega-like setting.

James Provisions, 290 Grapevine Hwy, Hurst. 817-576-4323. 11am-6pm Sun, 4-9pm Mon, 4-9pm Wed-Thu, 11am-9pm Fri-Sat. Happy hour 4-5:30pm Wed, 3-5pm Fri-Sun.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY

LAURIE JAMES

There’s no shame in coming home to where people love you. Especially if you’ve spent a decade and a half in the fast-paced, often exhausting world of New York restaurant-ing.

James Provisions is the second of its name from restaurateur Deborah Williamson, who grew up in the Mid-Cities before relocating to New York City. She

founded the original James in Brooklyn with chef/husband Bryan Calvert in 2008. Tucked into the couple’s Prospect Heights neighborhood, it was a small affair, beloved by locals. Last year, the pair returned here to Williamson’s home state to open their second small (80-seat) restaurant. It looks a little like a NYC bodega with its counter service and merch for sale but also like most of the other casual eateries in the area.

The setup at James Provisions is

confusing: You order at the counter, but if you’re seated and having appetizers, your server will take an order for more food when needed. This leaves you with a separate check that you’ll have to settle when they remember to bring it. However, you don’t have to face the line at the counter if all you want is a second drink. If you’re looking for the fast food prevalent in this suburb, you’ll be disappointed. This is real food, cooked and presented beautifully. My suggestion

is to grab an easy appetizer and a couple of drinks and settle in to the pretty, airy space. The list of mains is surprisingly sturdy. My dining companion opted for the BLT: house-smoked bacon, delicious tomato, and a spicy aioli sandwiched between slabs of thick-sliced bread. The whole thing was crowned by a fried egg cooked to your specifications. This is a definite knife-andfork sandwich, and the combo of salty meat, continued on page 19

James Provisions’ BLTE — a BLT with a fried egg (“E”) done to your specifications — is a delicious treat.

The blood orange bellini was tasty if average.

crisp lettuce and tomato, and the delicious egg will make you want to always add an “E” to your BLT.

The BLTE was accompanied by smashed home fries, a wonderful abundance of crispy goodness. James Provisions has a shtick about not frying their food in oils like safflower and generic mixed monounsaturated oil, but whatever they used on these potatoes was absolutely delicious.

If you’re not a bacon fan, the menu contains a good selection of vegetarian items. Still, I highly recommend the roasted chicken breast. After my experience with another restaurant serving me chicken tartare (please for the love of all that is holy, temp your meat before you serve me!), I was a little concerned. I did not need to be. The chicken breast managed to be perfectly moist, and a good part of that was the bone-broth natural jus gravy. The savory salad of fennel, radicchio, and celery was a healthy, crunchy offering, and the taste paired nicely with the herb-augmented bird. However, what I really wanted was some potatoes to soak up that heavenly gravy. Thankfully, my dining companion was a sharer. If you go and order the chicken breast, get yourself a side of spuds so that luscious gravy doesn’t go to waste.

The Pickled Things appetizer was a fresh, light blend of scorching pickled jalapeno and crunchy red onion, along with baby carrots, green olives, and sliced radish. The vinegary bite was assertive but

not acerbic, and the veggies were al dente enough to create the illusion of a tiny salad. The jalapeno was best for imparting flavor and not actually consumption.

A second appetizer –– crispy chickpeas redolent of rosemary and sprinkled with black salt –– was much more pleasing to the eye than the palate. It’s entirely possible that the high crunch factor would delight some, just not me or my dining companion. However, the salt content was perfect. For beverages, James Provisions offers an excellent selection of boozy and booze-free options. My (fully leaded) blood orange bellini was gorgeous and perfectly average. My

dining companion’s Goldie, with turmeric, ginger, lemon, cinnamon, and honey, was a delight of warm earthiness in a cool cocktail.

The entrée portions are generous, and even if you’re eating healthy, you won’t leave hungry. We were too full to consider dessert, although there are some lovely homemade options, including chocolate chip cookies.

While you’re ordering at the counter, you’ll notice the bodega-esque options of bespoke spices, tote bags, aprons, chocolate, and other tchotchkes for sale. It’s not any different than any of the other, larger restaurants who peddle their bespoke spices or cookbooks. Anybody who managed to

run a restaurant in the Big Apple or one of its boroughs through the nationwide recession of 2008 and also the COVID closures deserves full credit for time spent and effort. Williamson has landed back home near family, and James Provisions is a welcome addition to the neighborhood. l

A quick pickle of olives plus red onion and carrot circles made for a zesty, toothsome snack.

A tree grows in Brooklyn — but also patio plants and, for sauces, some herbs at James Provisions in Hurst.

James Provisions’ Goldie, accompanied by some crispy chickpeas, was fabulous.

MUSIC

Ex-Regrets

The Riot Grrrl band transcends punk to achieve activism.

BY JUAN R. GOVEA

A hallmark genre and ethos of the ’90s, Riot Grrrl punk has not gone anywhere — as ExRegrets proves.

“It’s against femicide and [for] a fight for sexual equality,” said frontwoman Jennifer Zooki Sturges. “Riot Grrrl music isn’t a genre to me. It’s a movement.”

Now joined by guitarist Mikey Branton, bassist Andrea Cifuentes, and drummer Jon Rose, the 38-year-old Sturges has been participating in and promoting all things Riot Grrrl for the past decade. The queer singer-songwriter also served as an original board member of Foundation 45, a nonprofit for North Texas creatives contemplating suicide, suffering from addiction, or needing any other kind of mental health help. Ex-Regrets is Sturges’ third band, and she started it with Branton because she said their songwriting is “excellent” together.

Most of Ex-Regrets’ material is pretty dark. They wrote their upcoming single “Keeping Up with the Joneses” as a reminder to not get caught up in vanity and commercialism, and “Duh Almighty” is about Sturges’ rape in 2020.

“I feel it’s the most honest thing I’ve ever written,” she said. “It’s a look into one of the darkest experiences of my life.

Performing that song allows me to speak my truth again and again to a captivated audience. It heals me every time.”

Ex-Regrets have been playing steadily around North Texas at venues like The Cicada, Caves Lounge, and Andy’s Bar. The band has written nearly 30 songs and has released only a handful with the intention of compiling at least a dozen for an album soon.

Drummer Rose said, “I feel like we’re creating a living discography, and it’s a tension release getting your music out there and to be able to share music. Artists express

RIDGLEA THEATER

SAT 6/15 ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW WITH LIVE SHADOW CAST

FRI 6/21 VERIVERY A NIGHT OF KPOP FRI 6/30 THE HALFWAY HOUSE

RIDGLEA ROOM

FRI 6/7

DYMOND CYMONE C-E-T ( CRISP ENTERTAINMENT IN TEXAS) A600, ADDYSON SCHAFFER, AIRBORN903

SAT 6/22 ALEX M.O.R.P.H. MIYUKI, VANGAR, & ECHOVERSE

RIDGLEA LOUNGE

SAT 6/15 SAINT IVY AND SUMMIT VALLEY

something and share it with the world and get something out there the way we want to get our music out there.”

Ex-Regrets’ next show is Fri, Jun 14, at Growl Records in Arlington. After that, they’ll headline Riot Girl Fest on Sat, Jun 22, at Andy’s. The event, now in its fifth year, was started by Sturges to empower feminine, queer, and transgender people across North Texas. Also featuring Mz. Bossy, Rosae, and Side Chicks, this year’s festival will benefit two North Texas nonprofits: DoGood Denton, which provides microgrants to trans/queer organizations and projects, and Finn’s Place, a brick-and-mortar space in Fort Worth for trans and gender-diverse people.

Last Riot Girl Fest raised more than $600 for its beneficiaries, Sturges said, and she expects this year’s concert to be even bigger.

“For these small, grassroots nonprofits, every dollar counts,” she said. “Riot Girl Fest started because I often found myself as the only female musician on a bill. I wanted to help build a community for other people like me. I knew I wanted to create a benefit event because of my previous work in [helping start] a nonprofit. I knew firsthand the struggle of funding such efforts.” l

Ex-Regrets

7pm Fri, Jun 14, at Growl Records, 511 E Abram St, Arlington. $10. All ages. • 7pm Sat, Jun 22, as part of Riot Girl Fest w/Mz. Bossy, Rosae, and Side Chicks at Andy’s Bar, 122 N Locust St, Denton. $10. 940-301-3535.

Jennifer Zooki Sturges: “Riot Grrrl music isn’t a genre to me. It’s a movement.”

Juan R. Govea

Ex-Regrets have been playing steadily around North Texas and intend to compile at least a dozen released singles for an album soon.

Art by Clay Stinnett

SCREEN

Samurai Reborn

By respecting its Japanese setting, FX’s Shogun does the original TV series one better.

BY WYATT NEWQUIST

The TV-watching world seemed to be waiting for Shōgun. Not only was FX’s historical series an adaptation of a bestseller of the same name from 1975, but the story had also been brought to the screen before, in 1980. While NBC’s version was clearly geared to Western sensibilities and hardly ever strayed from the POV of the main character, Euro bro Jack Blackthorne, FX homes in on the Japanese players, particularly Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) and Toda Mariko (Anna Sawai). This change allows this new Shōgun to stand on its own while also respecting the culture and customs — and people — of the country where the story is set.

The tale begins with Jack Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis), the pilot of the Erasmus, landing on the shores of Ajiro in Japan with his crewmates in 1600. Meanwhile, 21 miles away in Osaka, Toranaga finds himself in danger of impeachment, and eventual execution, by the Council of Regents, who believe he is acquiring land to expand his power and influence. (He is.) Blackthorne and his crew become Toranaga’s hostages — the Osakan lord quickly sees the value of a warship with canons — and as the pilot goes from barbaric Englishman to civil guest/prisoner, he becomes a key player in the regents’ warring for ultimate power and control over the title Shōgun.

The series runs at a tight clip. Even when most of the action takes place in council rooms, the dialogue, acting, and reacting keep viewers questioning everyone’s motives. Toranaga feigns surrender one moment, then devises a plan to conquer the regents’ castle in another. Blackthorne may initially seem like an ignoramus, but he is a fast learner and a savvy strategist. Mariko appears reserved as Blackthorne’s interpreter for Toranaga but refuses to be talked down to.

For all you shallow folks out there, Shōgun sure is pretty to look at. The production and costume design are first-rate. The various kimonos feature elaborate patterns and hues, from earthy greens to vibrant

reds, and scenes appear dark when they need to but not so much for you to question your TV calibration. Daytime shots vary between clear and hazy, overcast and rainy, and the architecture, all the houses and castles, seem born from the earth. Huts blend in with forest while castles look sculpted from mountains.

The characters are equally, delightfully varied. Blackthorne is a fish out of water quite literally as a seafarer trapped in an unknown land with his crewmates. Jarvis portrays him as confused yet intrigued by the foreign culture around him, shifting his eyes from one Japanese speaker to another, trying desperately to discern the meaning of a given conversation while also becoming exacerbated by Japan’s backward-tohim ways and customs. As Toranaga, Sanda exudes a powerful aura while remaining humble among his peers and enemies, and as Blackthorne’s interpreter, Sawai shines as arguably the heart and head of the entire series. She expertly navigates the space between her allegiance to Lord Toranaga and to her Christian faith while the actor shows a wide range of emotion just through her eyes, hinting at something simmering just below the surface. You can see — and feel — the quiet rage beneath her exquisite emotionless expression in every scene, especially when her willthey?/won’t-they? lover, the staunchly Protestant Blackthorne, informs her that the Christians from Portugal are secretly building a military base in a formerly abandoned nearby

region. Taking over Japan can be the only explanation.

And while mostly dialogue-driven, there’s still a good dose of action. The hand-to-hand, sword-to-sword, and even ship-to-ship violence is expertly shot and choreographed with medium- and wide-angle lenses.

With so many named characters, it may be tricky to keep all of them straight at first, but the broad strokes of the story an elaborate game of control and power, spanning an entire island nation — eventually untangle easily. Some side players have their own agendas. Lord Yabushige (Tadanobu Asano) tries to placate both sides of the war while Regent Lord Ishido (Takehiro Hira) tries to force the other four regents into moving against Toranaga but hits one ridiculous roadblock after another.

The series also sounds good. The music, by Atticus Ross, Leopold Ross, and Nick Chuba, makes for an otherworldly ambience. Industrial synth alternately colliding and harmonizing with traditional Japanese instrumentation underlines the show’s novel visual grandeur and spectacle. By the finale, what really sticks are the quiet, tender moments between Mariko and Blackthorne and the intense chessboard-style drama between Toranaga and the slimy Ishido. Shōgun constantly challenges, and ultimately rewards, the viewer for taking the journey to feudal Japan. Come for the samurai fighting. Stay for the verbal warfare. l

Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai ultimately prove meetings in government offices can be as deadly as on the battlefield in Shōgun.

Shogun Created by Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks. Starring Hiroyuki Sanada, Cosmo Jarvis, and Anna Sawai. Based on the novel by James Clavell. TV-MA.

DOWNTOWN ARLINGTON MONTH

See Hayes Carll this weekend at Levitt Pavilion.

FRIDAY,

JUNE 7

As part of a “music-friendly community,” Levitt Pavilion Arlington (100 W Abram St,817-5434308) hosts free concerts from most Fridays to Sundays at 7:30pm. This Fri Jun 7, see Hayes Carll with Abbey Brown & The Sound. As with all shows at The Levitt, open seating is available on the lawn. Bring blankets and lawn chairs. You can also bring your own food and coolers with beverages, including alcohol, but please do not bring glass containers. For more info, visit LevittPavilionArlington.org.

SATURDAY,

JUNE 8

Presented by the HELP Center for LGBT Health & Wellness, Arlington Pride 2024 is at the Levitt Pavilion (100 W Abram St, 817-543-4308) 5pm-11pm Sat, June 8. Hosted by Emcee Liquor Mini, this year’s featured performers include Betty Who with Alyssa Edwards, Dixon Dallas, Jujubee, and Kameron Ross, plus music by DJ Al Farb. Also enjoy a street fair full of vendors. The suggested donation to attend is $10 per person, but register for free at https://bit.ly/4cIZhwW. Learn more at ArlingtonPride.org.

SATURDAY,

JUNE 15

The 3rd annual Juneteenth Celebration at The Levitt is Sat, Jun 15 at Levitt Pavilion Arlington (100 W Abram St, 817-543-4308), hosted by MC Howard the Second and Winfred Dalcaour. The gate opens at 4pm and music starts at 5pm with opening act, Dallas-based neo-soul/jazz-funk band Celestial Clockwork. There will also be activities, food trucks, and vendors around the lawn.

Self-described as “just a bunch of chaotic nerds sharing their love of video games and nerd culture through the power of music,” Reggie T. & The Boneheads btings their brand of hip-hop, funk, jazz, R&B, and rock fusion, plus “a side of the good ol church,” at 7pm. Then, The Sensational Barnes Brothers headline at 10pm. Does their name ring a bell? RTTB has recorded with Dan Auerbach, the lead singer of The Black Keys. Known for a musical blend of old and new, they are “a real gem in the gospel/soul scene.”

SAT-SUN, JUNE 15-16

Join the folks at Kung Fu Tea (101 E Abram St, Ste 170, @KFTArlingtonTX) for Arlington’s Crossing Into Summer noon-9pm Sat-Sun, Jun 15-16. This event features artists, food, and giveaways, including a chance to win an Animal Crossing Nintendo Switch. For more information, keep an eye on Facebook.com/KFTArlingtonTX.

For info about more upcoming events in Downtown Arlington, go to DowntownArlington.org/Events/Calendar or follow them at Facebook.com/DowntownArlingtonTexas.

CLASSIFIEDS

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ADVERTISE WITH US

BUY / SELL / TRADE

DORRANCE PUBLISHING

Book manuscript submissions currently being reviewed. Comprehensive services include consultation, production, promotion, and distribution. Call for your FREE Author`s Guide or visit DorranceInfo.com/FTWorth today. 1-866256-0940.

EMPLOYMENT

CHEBA HUT

Cheba Hut has open interviews on Tuesdays from 9am to 9pm. “Join the dank side!” 1217 8th Ave Near Southside

HEALTH TRAVEL ACCOMMODATIONS

According to the New York Times, the following companies have said they would cover travel expenses for employees who need reproductive health services not available in Texas: Airbnb, DoorDash, JP Morgan Chase, Levi Strauss & Co, Netflix, Patagonia, Reddit, Starbucks, Tesla, and Yelp. Additionally, NowThis has listed the following companies also offering the same assistance to employees: Amazon, Apple, BuzzFeed, Citigroup, Comcast, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Lyft, Mastercard, Meta, Microsoft, Paramount, Sony, Tesla, Walt Disney Co, Vox Media, and Zillow. (JMB, FWW)

FAITH-BASED EVENTS

CELEBRATION

COMMUNITY CHURCH

Located at 908 Pennsylvania Av (817335-3222), CCC has services on Sundays at 10am. Want to check out a nonjudgmental, inclusive church at home before attending in person? All services can also be viewed on YouTube (@ CelebrationCommunityChurch130).

GATEWAY CHURCH

Church time is the BEST time! Join us for online church each weekend. Online services start at 4 pm on Saturdays and are available to watch any time after at https://gway.ch/GatewayPeople.

POTTER’S HOUSE

Join the Potter’s House of Fort Worth (1270 Woodhaven Blvd, 817-446-1999) for Sunday Service at 8am and Wednesday Bible Study at 7pm. For more info, visit us online: www.TPHFW.org

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Cardiovascular Disease & Stroke

These are leading causes of death, according to the American Heart Association. Screenings can provide peace of mind or early detection! Contact Life Line Screening to schedule your screening. Special Offer: 5 Screenings for $149! Call today! 1-833-636-1757.

DENTAL INSURANCE

1-888-361-7095

Physicians Mutual Insurance Company covers 350 plus procedures. Real dental insurance - NOT just a discount plan. Do not wait! Call now! Get your FREE Dental Information Kit with all the details! Call or visit Dental50plus.com/fortworth (#6258).

LIFE INSURANCE

Up to $15,000.00 of GUARANTEED Life Insurance! No medical exam or health questions. Cash to help pay funeral and other final expenses. Visit Life55Plus. info/FTWorth or call Physicians Life Insurance Company today! 844-782-2870.

Planned Parenthood

Of Greater Texas

We’re not going anywhere. We know you may be feeling a lot of things right now, but we are here with you and we will not stop fighting for YOU. See 6 ways you can join the #BansOffOurBodies fight on FB @PPGreaterTX. For more info, go to: PPGreaterTX.org

HOME RESOURCES

DIRECTV

Get DIRECTV for $64.99/mo for 12 months with CHOICE Package. Save an additional $120 over 1st year. First 3 months of HBO Max, Cinemax, Showtime, Starz and Epix included! Directv is #1 in Customer Satisfaction (JD Power & Assoc.) Some restrictions apply. Call 1-855-966-0520.

DIRECTV Stream

Carries the Most Local MLB Games! CHOICE Package, $89.99/mo for 12 months. Stream on 20 devices in your home at once. HBO Max included for 3 mos (w/CHOICE Package or higher.) No annual contract, no hidden fees! Some restrictions apply. Call IVS at 1-855-810-7635.

DISH Network

Get 190 Channels for $59.99! Blazing Fast Internet, $19.99/mo (where available). Switch and get a FREE $100 Visa Gift Card. FREE Voice Remote. FREE HD DVR. FREE Streaming on ALL Devices. Call 1-855-701-3027 today!

EARTHLINK

Highspeed Internet Big Savings with Unlimited Data! Fiberoptic Technology up to 1gbps with customizable plan. Call 855-767-0515 today! ERIE Metal Roofs Replace your roof with the best looking and longest lasting material steel from

Erie! Three styles and multiple colors available. Guaranteed to last a lifetime! Limited Time Offer: $500 Discount + Additional 10% Off Install (for military, health workers & first responders.) Call 1-888-778-0566.

GENERAC GENERATORS

Prepare for power outages today with a home standby generator. No money down. Low monthly payment options. Call for a FREE quote before the next power outage. 1-844-887-3143

LEAF FILTER

Eliminate gutter cleaning forever with LeafFilter, the most advanced debrisblocking gutter protection. Schedule a FREE LeafFilter estimate today. Ask about 20% off entire purchase. Plus, 10% senior and military discounts available. Call 1-877-689-1687.

MIND / BODY / SPIRIT

Hannah in Hurst 817.590.2257

Massage Therapy for pain relief, deep relaxation, and better sleep. Professional office in Mid-Cities for over 25 years. “I am accepting new clients now and happy to return your call.” -Hannah, MT#4797.

Texas Coalition for Animal Protection has clinics near you. Schedule an appointment today. TexasForThem.org

PUBLIC NOTICES

TDLR Complaints

Any Texans who may be concerned that an unlicensed massage business may be in operation near them, or believe nail salon employees may be human trafficking victims, may now report those concerns directly to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) by emailing ReportHT@TDLR. Texas.gov.

SUBMISSIONS

We’d Like To Hear From You!

Do you have thoughts and feelings, or questions, comments or concerns about something you read in the Weekly? Please email Question@fwweekly.com. Do you have an upcoming event? For potential coverage in ourlistings sections including Ate Day8 a Week, Bulletin Board, Big Ticket, Crosstown Sounds, or Night & Day, email the details to Marketing@fwweekly.com.

ADVERTISE HERE

Email stacey@fwweekly.com today!

Are You Road-Trip Ready?

With the handy pick-up and drop-off services at Cowtown Rover, having your car checked out could not be easier. Get ready for summertime. Call today! 3958 Vickery | 817.731.3223 www.CowtownRover.com

Best Time For Massage? Now! Hannah in Hurst, professional location, no outcalls. (MT#4797) 817-590-2257

DENTAL INSURANCE

Get coverage from Physicians Mutual Insurance for 350+ procedures. Real dental insurance, NOT just a discount plan. Do not wait! Call 1-888-361-7095 or go online now for a FREE Dental Info Kit. Dental50plus.com/fortworth #6258. (MB)

ELIMINATE GUTTER CLEANING

Eliminate gutter cleaning forever! LeafFilter, the most advanced debris-blocking gutter protection. Schedule a FREE LeafFilter estimate today. 20% off Entire Purchase. Plus 10% Senior & Military Discounts. Call 1-877-689-1687 today! (MB)

The Gas Pipe, The GAS PIPE, THE GAS PIPE, your Peace Love & Smoke Headquarters since 4/20/1970! SCORE a FREE GIFT on YOUR Birthday, FREE Scale Tuning and Lighter Refills on GAS PIPE goods, FREE Layaway, and all the safe, helpful service you expect from a 51 Years Young Joint. Plus, SCORE A FREE CBD HOLIDAZE GIFT With-A-Buy thru 12/31! Be Safe, Party Clean, Keep On Truckin’. More at thegaspipe.net

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH!

Next week, the Weekly will be publishing our inaugural Pride Month Edition. Pick one up in stands on Wed, Jun 12. Meanwhile, send us your ideas and event listings ASAP to: Marketing@FWWeekly.com

HAVE YOUR DREAM BATHROOM!

You can have the bathroom of your dreams for as little as $149/month! BCI Bath & Shower has many options available. Quality materials & professional installation. Senior & Military Discounts Available. Limited Time Offer: FREE virtual in-home consultation now and SAVE 15%! (MB) Call BCI Today! 1-866-913-0581

HISTORIC RIDGLEA THEATER

THE RIDGLEA is three great venues within one historic Fort Worth landmark. RIDGLEA THEATER has been restored to its authentic allure, recovering unique Spanish-Mediterranean elements. It is ideal for large audiences and special events. RIDGLEA ROOM and RIDGLEA LOUNGE have been making some of their own history, as connected adjuncts to RIDGLEA THEATER, or hosting their own smaller shows and gatherings. More at theRidglea.com

Mason Lodge Open House

Our lodge is having a open house to celebrate our new building, to answer questions about Freemasonry and to accept petitions of potential new candidates. Call 757-607-0160.

OFFERING PAINTING & HANDYMAN SERVICES

in Tarrant and Parker Counties. Honest, dependable work at a fair price! Call or Text for a FREE estimate Chris 817-495-3017

PUBLIC NOTICE

The following vehicles have been impounded with fees due to date by Texas Towing Wrecker, 205 S Commercial St, Fort Worth TX 76107, 817-877-0206 (VSF0000964): Great Dane Railers, 2019, VIN 1GRAA0625KW100790, $7,939.21; John Deere, 2020 Back Hoe, VIN 1T0310ELHJG344599, $1,183.07; Kearney 20FT Trailer, 2006, VIN 5LCJF202761001856, $495.15; Rebel, 2005 Trail Bike, VIN LUAHYM20251002838, $645.76; Trailer, 2018, VIN NA, $579.88; Wabash Vans, 2012 Dry Van Duraplate, VIN 1JJV532D7CL694155, $2,337.61.

SAFE STEP: THE #1 WALK-IN TUB

North America’s #1 Wal-In Tub is Safe Step. Comprehensive lifetime warranty. Top-of-the-line installation and service. Now featuring our FREE shower package and $1600 Off for a limited time! Financing available. Call today: 1-855-868-0192. (MB)

SUMMERTIME AWAITS!

Did you pick up your copy of Summertime 2024? If not, no worries. See it in all its flipbook glory at FWWeekly.com in the Magazines drop-down.

WOOF, WOOF, WOOF!

(Translation? Welcome Home, Wrangler!)

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