The Tulsa Voice | Vol. 5 No. 16

OKLAHOMA’S MEDICAL CANNABIS CAPER CONTINUES

A LOOK INSIDE TULSA’S ‘HAIR METAL’ SCENE

P13

P40

AUG. 1 – 14, 2018

//

VOL. 5 NO. 16

THE CITY ONSTAGE

All the world’s a stage, and FALL PERFORMING ARTS GUIDE | P23 all the men PORTRAITS FROM SKATELAND | P32 and women MARY KATHRYN NAGLE’S REVOLUTIONARY NATIVE STORYTELLING | P36 merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being

paradise never sounded So Good.

Tickets On Sale Now

vince gill aug 16 candlebox aug 25 billy currington sept 14 dwight yoakam sept 20 slash FEAT. MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS sept 21

garbage oct 13 paula abdul oct 18 dr. ken jeong oct 25

Live Music

Friday & Saturday Nights Starting at 9PM in 5 o’Clock Somewhere Bar and at 10 PM in Margaritaville!

Visit margaritavilletulsa.com for a complete schedule.

81ST & RIVERSIDE 888-748-3731 RIVERSPIRITTULSA.COM

2 // CONTENTS

August 1 – 14, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

ENJOY SOME OF THE BEST DINING TULSA HAS TO OFFER

MCNEL L IE’S w w w . m c n e l l i e s . c o m PROBA BLY T UL S A’S BES T PUB 1S T & ELGIN

YOKOZUN A w w w . y o k o z u n a s u s h i . c o m DOW N TOWN’S BES T SUSHI 2ND & DE T ROIT

FA S SL ER H A L L w w w . f a s s l e r h a l l . c o m HOUSEM A DE S AUS AGES A ND A GRE AT BEER G A RDEN 3RD & ELGIN

EL GUA P O’S w w w . e l g u a p o s c a n t i n a . c o m

EN JOY ME XICA N FOOD A ND M A RG A RITA S ON DOW N TOW N’S ONLY ROOF TOP PATIO 1S T & ELGIN

T HE TAV ERN w w w . t a v e r n t u l s a . c o m

FINE DINING IN T HE T UL S A A R T S DIS T RICT M AIN & M.B. BR A DY

DIL LY DINER w w w . d i l l y d i n e r. c o m BRE A K FA S T SERV ED A L L DAY LONG 2ND & ELGIN

EL GIN PA RK w w w . e l g i n p a r k b r e w e r y. c o m

PIZZ A, HOUSE-BRE WED BEER, WINGS, 60 + T VS ELGIN & M.B. BR A DY

THE TULSA VOICE // August 1 – 14, 2018

CONTENTS // 3

4 // CONTENTS

August 1 – 14, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

August 1 – 14, 2018 // Vol. 5, No. 16 ©2018. All rights reserved.

PUBLISHER Jim Langdon EDITOR Jezy J. Gray ASSISTANT EDITOR Blayklee Buchanan

THE CITY ONSTAGE P23

DIGITAL EDITOR John Langdon CREATIVE DIRECTOR Madeline Crawford

BY TTV STAFF

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Georgia Brooks, Morgan Welch

Fall 2018 performing arts guide

PHOTOGRAPHER Greg Bollinger AD SALES MANAGER Josh Kampf

NEON DREAMS P32

CONTRIBUTORS Alicia Chesser, Charles Elmore, Angela Evans, Barry Friedman, Destiny Jade Green, Greg Horton,

BY DESTINY JADE GREEN AND JOSEPH RUSHMORE

Jeff Huston, Clay Jones, Fraser Kastner, Mary Noble, Anna Rouw, Joseph Rushmore, Damion Shade,

Portraits from Skateland

Brady Whisenhunt The Tulsa Voice’s distribution is audited annually by

Member of

‘ALL ABOUT THE ECHOES’ P36

BY ALICIA CHESSER

Mary Kathryn Nagle’s revolutionary Native storytelling

The Tulsa Voice is published bi-monthly by

1603 S. Boulder Ave. Tulsa, OK 74119 P: 918.585.9924 F: 918.585.9926 PUBLISHER Jim Langdon PRESIDENT Juley Roffers VP COMMUNICATIONS Susie Miller CONTROLLER Mary McKisick DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR Amanda Hall RECEPTION Gloria Brooks

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD Send all letters, complaints, compliments & haikus to: voices@langdonpublishing.com FOLLOW US @THETULSAVOICE ON:

Pema Durham, 10, flashes her biggest smile before the rink fills up with skaters at Skateland. | DESTINY JADE GREEN

NEWS & COMMENTARY 8 A RAW DEAL

B Y ANNA ROUW

14 TULSA’S DECO BELOW

B Y ANGELA EVANS

Boston Title & Abstract combines Deco District charm with speakeasy grit

Plea bargains have unbalanced Oklahoma’s justice system

10 THE BOND BETWEEN THEM

BY BARRY FRIEDMAN Jill Webb and Victoria Jabara fight for the poor and the dead

OKLAHOMA’S MEDICAL CANNABIS CAPER CONTINUES

A LOOK INSIDE TULSA’S ‘HAIR METAL’ SCENE

P13

P40

AUG. 1 – 14, 2018

//

VOL. 5 NO. 16

All the world’s a stage, and FALL PERFORMING ARTS GUIDE | P23 all the men PORTRAITS FROM SKATELAND | P32 and women MARY KATHRYN NAGLE’S REVOLUTIONARY NATIVE STORYTELLING | P36 merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.

THE TULSA VOICE // August 1 – 14, 2018

16 POP A TOP

B Y GREG HORTON

Cocktail purveyors consider the can

12 THE ISLAND OF MISFIT TOYS TV & FILM

BY DAMION SHADE

An elegy for the Yeti (2012 – 2018) 44 THRILL OF THE HUNT

Y MARY NOBLE B 13 REFERENDUM MADNESS Filmmaker John Swab, clean and

BY FRASER KASTNER sober, imagines Tulsa as an industrial Oklahoma’s medical cannabis caper continues

THE CITY ONSTAGE

FOOD & DRINK

MUSIC 40 ‘LICK IT UP!’

BY BRADY WHISENHUNT IDL Ballroom’s ‘hair metal’ showcase pours some sugar on rock-hungry Tulsa

ARTS & CULTURE 37 I CAN HAS CULTURE?

B Y BLAYKLEE BUCHANAN Get to know the Philbrook felines before the 2018 Internet Cat Video Festival

ETC. 6 EDITOR’SLETTER 11 CARTOONS 38 THEHAPS 42 MUSICLISTINGS 46 FULLCIRCLE 47 THEFUZZ + CROSSWORD

wasteland

45 CLICKBAIT

B Y JEFF HUSTON Social media magnifies adolescent angst in ‘Eighth Grade’

45 CRUISIN’ FOR A BRUISIN’

B Y CHARLES ELMORE Tom Cruise, king of the summer blockbuster, reclaims his crown in ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’ CONTENTS // 5

editor’sletter

P

erformance is an action. It is, to borrow from cultural critic Elin Diamond, “always a doing and a thing done.”

Making art from that thing done, and bearing witness to it, is one of the most primitive and powerful ways we try to know ourselves. At its most transformative, experiencing a great play—or a ballet, or a symphony, or a work of performance art—can make the potential for change in our lives legible. It can show us new ways of being.

But life isn’t a grad school seminar, and the performing arts are about more than individual experiences. We live in communities, after all, and the performing arts are part of an economic engine that creates jobs, generates

commerce, and drives tourism in those communities.

With state and federal arts funding forever in jeopardy, we should remember that Oklahoma’s arts and culture nonprofits goosed our economy to the tune of more than $850 million in 2015. That same year, arts and culture spending in the state created or sustained nearly 30,000 jobs, according to a study by Oklahomans for the Arts.

Of course, the value of the performing arts is more than monetary. It’s the annual production of “The Nutcracker” your family can’t miss during the holidays (pg. 24). It’s the dull pain in your cheeks after laughing yourself sick at the Blue Whale Comedy Festival (pg. 31). If we

stopped investing in the arts, you’d notice—and you’d hate it.

I hope you’ll keep these ideas of value and community in mind as you explore our fall performing arts guide (pg. 23). When you support the performing arts—gussied up in neat little rows with your friends, neighbors, and enemies, sharing the timeless experience of watching people make art with their bodies—you make your community better, and you become a better member of it.

See an improv show. Experience an opera. Watch a play. It’s really fun.

Speaking of fun: Be sure to read Brady Whisenhunt’s excellent story about 80s “hair metal” in Tulsa (pg. 40). Learn something about empathy and bail re-

RECYCLE THIS Plastic jugs & bottles

form in Barry Friedman’s account of a meeting between unlikely political allies (pg. 10); skate down memory lane at the last roller rink in Tulsa with a beautiful photo essay by Destiny Jade Green and Joseph Rushmore (pg. 32); and please don’t miss Alicia Chesser’s rich profile of local playwright Mary Kathryn Nagle, who makes art and practices law with the voices of her Cherokee ancestors echoing in her heart.

Happy reading! Thank you.

I love you. a

JEZY J. GRAY EDITOR

NOT THAT Plastic toys

Throw toys away in your gray trash cart or donate them

Plastic jugs and bottles are perfect for recycling, but

plastic toys

6 // NEWS & COMMENTARY

are NOT!

LEARN MORE AT

TulsaRecycles.com August 1 – 14, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

THE TULSA VOICE // August 1 – 14, 2018

NEWS & COMMENTARY // 7

okpolicy

O

A RAW DEAL Plea bargains have unbalanced Oklahoma’s justice system

by ANNA ROUW

8 // NEWS & COMMENTARY

ne of the most basic rights for Americans accused of a crime is the right to a fair trial before a jury. However, the vast majority of criminal convictions—90 to 95 percent—don’t happen at trial.

Instead, they’re the result of a deal negotiated by prosecutors and defense attorneys without going to trial.

Plea deals are the norm for a number of reasons, but the justice system’s dependence on them is a serious problem. When nearly all criminal cases are resolved outside of the courtroom, the dangers include racially-biased sentences, convicting innocent defendants, and a criminal justice system with little transparency or accountability.

In a typical plea deal, the defendant pleads guilty to a crime in exchange for a less-serious charge than what the prosecutor would seek if the case went to trial. For example: A defendant facing first-degree burglary charges that bring 7-20 years imprisonment could be offered a plea deal of second-degree burglary with only five years imprisonment. With years of life at stake, the pressure to take the deal can be intense, even if the defendant has a chance of full acquittal at trial.

Both prosecutors and defense attorneys often push for plea deals due to an overburdened criminal justice system. Due to underfunding, the Oklahoma Indigent Defense System has been on the brink of a constitutional crisis for years, with caseloads that are more than two and a half times higher than national standards. District Attorneys have struggled to keep their offices afloat as state revenues have dried up. Bringing more cases to trial simply isn’t feasible in this environment.

The justice system’s reliance on plea deals gives prosecutors a great amount of power in negotiating the resolution of criminal

cases. Many defendants cannot afford bail or pay a bondsman to be released before their case is resolved, so plea deals may be their only way to get out of jail before trial. With this leverage, prosecutors can press for incarceration or supervision with little resistance from defendants. Desperate to get back to their families, many defendants take the deal. This power imbalance may even influence an innocent defendant to plead guilty merely because they lack the resources to undergo a lengthy trial.

Judges could put plea negotiations on more even ground by giving those who can’t afford bail other options to secure their release, so they aren’t under so much pressure to take the first deal they’re offered. Some Oklahoma counties have already begun to widen the use of non-monetary release, resulting in fewer people in jail. In one study, pre-trial releases were found to reduce defendants’ probability of pleading guilty by 12 percent.

There are other steps lawmakers can take to reduce the impact of plea deals. Oklahoma has already begun to reduce sentences for many crimes, such as reducing minimum sentencing for drug offenders and reclassifying simple drug possession as a misdemeanor. However, there is still a long way to go.

Scarce resources and large caseloads mean that plea deals will continue to be the norm in Oklahoma’s criminal justice system for the foreseeable future. However, district judges and state legislators have options to curb the most problematic elements of plea deals.

Judges and lawmakers should embrace these steps to prioritize justice over convenience. a

Anna Rouw is an intern with Oklahoma Policy Institute (okpolicy.org).

August 1 – 14, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

Work. Live. Play.

• Units from $195,000 • Apply your lease to ownership • Walk to sports, dining, entertainment & special events

100 South Boulder Avenue www.100boulder.com • 918-814-8502

www.TraversMahanApparel.com South Lewis at 81st • The Plaza • 918-296-4100

WE’RE WOVEN IN TO THE FABRIC OF TULSA From financial support to volunteering time and resources to developing valuable programs, we’re fully and intricately immersed in the community making it the best it can be.

As an Economic Development Leader, we’re proud to play a major role in Tulsa’s Future, Visit Tulsa and to serve as the title sponsor of the BOK Center.

As a major supporter of the Tulsa community, in 2017, we provided $2 million in annual contributions to local Tulsa nonprofits and over $1.7 million in annual contributions to the Tulsa Area United Way. Many of our employees participate throughout the year in Learn For Life, a program designed to teach financial literacy to children. And, we just completed our 22nd year as supporter and sponsor of the MLK Parade.

We are grateful for the opportunity to make Tulsa a better place to live, work, and raise a family.

www.bankofoklahoma.com © 2018. Bank of Oklahoma, a division of BOKF, NA. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.

THE TULSA VOICE // August 1 – 14, 2018

NEWS & COMMENTARY // 9

viewsfrom theplains

The bond between them Jill Webb and Victoria Jabara fight for the poor and the dead

by BARRY FRIEDMAN

I

t is a story with too many beginnings.

In September 2016, about a month after her brother Khalid was shot to death on his front porch, Victoria Jabara and her sister-in-law Jenna talked to me about hate crimes, bail, and a legal system often incompetent and heartless.1

are filled with people who can’t make bail: poor people, Jill’s clients, many of whom are there for misdemeanors. Majors tried to run over a woman with a car, but he had money.

He got out.

This is what brings them together.

I guess you could say, the system—failed us. Even the DA said we did everything right. We filed protective orders, we stayed on top of the district attorneys—[Stanley Vernon Majors] ran over my mom with a car, and he got out. I mean, why did he get out in the first place?

Almost a year later, in September 2017, Jill Webb, a former public defender—who, as it turns out, represented Majors immediately after he was charged—talked to me about her passion for the law, her client, and defending the indefensible:2 There’s nothing I could say to alleviate her guilt or understand her pain. By the same token, I don’t think that Stanley getting good representation is an insult to her brother.

July 2018 Jill and Victoria hug when they meet. I invited them to lunch because I want to see them together, see their energies in the same room, and see what common ground looks like. Rami Jabara, Victoria’s and Khalid’s brother, joins us as well.

I want to say this again: They hug.

Maybe this is the beginning Maybe it’s the middle and the end.

10 // NEWS & COMMENTARY

Jill Webb with Victoria and Rami Jabara | GREG BOLLINGER

Maybe this is the story.

Maybe it’s all you need to know.

We need to back up even further.

In August 2016, Majors shot Khalid Jabara dead outside his own home. Majors was jealous his husband had befriended Khalid.

He was also an unhinged bigot who hated Muslims (which the Jabaras were not), as well as blacks, Latinos, and a dead Oral Roberts, whom he called a “fa—ot.” A year before that, the Jabaras filed (and received) protective orders against Majors after he sent emails in which he wrote “F—k you Arabs.

F—k you, bastards” and broke into their cars. He ignored the orders, and the threats continued.

Majors then ran over Haifa Jabara, Victoria and Khalid’s mother, with his car, injuring her.

He was arrested and denied bail.

He stayed in jail for a month.

When his case was kicked up to district court, as these cases usually

are, Judge Bill LaFortune unconscionably, but not inexplicably, set bail—first at a tragically laughable $30,000, and then, after objections from almost everyone, an equally absurd $60,000, which Majors posted. He was allowed back to the house, next door to the Jabaras, next door to the home of the woman he allegedly ran over, next door to the people he had been threatening.

And then he murdered Khalid.

“How did it go when you first met each other,” I ask Jill.

“I think it was more difficult for you,” Jill says, motioning to Victoria, “because you were grieving.”

“Jill reached out,” says Victoria, returning the gesture.

Bail is the security posted by the court to ensure the accused will appear at trial. Bail can be posted in the form of cash or in the form of a bail bond, usually 10 percent of the bail. The jails

The sums that families lose in the for-profit bail system is striking. Over a five-year period just in the state of Maryland, families of people who were accused of crimes and went on to be cleared of any wrongdoing parted with around $75 million in non-refundable bail-bond payments, according to the report.

Looking at discrepancies by race makes the findings even bleaker. In 2015, fewer than 5,000 families in New Orleans together paid $4.7 million in non-refundable premiums, and black families paid 84 percent of bail premiums and fees city-wide that year.3

“Right after my brother died, there’s a car with the license plate IOBJECT outside Majors’ home,” says Victoria. “Who dares visits him? Of course we’re shocked. Of course we’re indignant. I mean, what douchebag does that?”

It was Jill. It was her car.

She was at the house because it was her job to be there, but also because Majors’ husband, Stephen Schmauss, was dying. (He eventually did in April 2017.) Jill went with an investigator to help take care of him. “We took him Ensure,” she says of Schmauss.

“He had lost control of his bowels by this point.”

It’s how evil and kindness jockey for position.

Schmauss, in a story that makes August 1 – 14, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

no sense no matter how deep you go, said his husband, in shooting Khalid Jabara, “killed my best friend.”

“You should not be getting along,” I say to the people around me.

“That’s why this is so palatable.

We come at this from every side,” Rami says.

“That’s the beautiful thing.

We’re all coming at it through love,” Jill says. “There’s no way this should have happened to this family. And they recognize there’s no way this ever should have happened to other families. Both are unjust, and our experiences aren’t going to negate our sympathies.”

This is the human connection.

“This isn’t the first time I’ve reached out to families,” Jill says. “But I’m always hesitant because I don’t want to encroach.

At the same time I don’t want to not acknowledge what happened because very often I’m defending someone who is guilty—like this case. It’s not a whodunit. There is a tragedy. I was really grateful to be welcomed,” said Jill of the Jabaras. “And that we might make the system more just for everyone.”

The wrong people are getting out; the wrong people are being kept in.

Of the car incident, Jill says, “I should have parked it down the street.”

For the Jabaras, the grief has settled to some extent. Life has

THE TULSA VOICE // August 1 – 14, 2018

insisted upon it. Rami and Jenna are having a baby. Victoria is getting divorced.

Jill stopped defending Majors when she left the public defender’s office.

You hear their anger, though.

“After [Majors] ran over our mom, and he was sitting in custody with no bond [meaning he could not get out], and then bond was set eight months later,” Rami says. “I mean, why does one judge set it one level and then it goes to district court, which is LaFortune—he’s not familiar with the case—and he sets bond? How does that happen?”

Jill, who does not want to criticize LaFortune, tries to give some context.

“It’s rare for someone to be held without bond—we want that to be the case—and LaFortune was working off of a bond schedule. What he did is commonly done by every judge.”

Rami is nonplussed.

“I emailed everybody on the damn list,” he says. “‘Are you guys crazy? How could you do this?

How could you not communicate this?’”

Is it protocol, I ask Jill, to alert the families when bail guidelines are changed?

“They don’t have to,” she says.

During the hearing when it was determined Majors would get bail, Victoria said, “I should have stood up and yelled something. That’s my biggest regret.”

“It might not have helped.

They might have just asked you to sit down, to leave,” says Jill, sounding more like a friend than a lawyer.

There was a gun available when Majors got home—of course there was a gun available. It probably belonged to Schmauss, who was not a felon. Should police have swept the house before allowing him to return?

Probably.

But again, Jill cautions painting with too broad a brush.

“Not sweeping a house for guns is normal,” she says. On the other hand, she concedes the cops had been out to the house before. They were told Schmauss had a gun.

“They could have gone the extra mile and done more,” Jill says, “but it's not like they broke protocol, that I know of.”

Rami isn’t buying it.

“It’s like setting out the keys to a drunk driver,” Rami says.

We keep coming back to bail reform. Khalid Jabara is dead because Stanley Majors had $6,000.

How many others don’t?

“It brought awareness to me,” says Victoria, “how we could help, and how f—ed up the system really is.”

So what happens now? The three want to work together to fight the power of the bail/bond lobby in Oklahoma.

A lot of money is made on people who can least afford it.

“Who’s in [jail]? Poor people.

It’s bullshit,” Jill says.

“Trying to explain this to my parents was difficult,” Victoria says. “They’re educated but don’t know the system, so they see it more black and white. ‘Why didn’t he stay in jail? Why didn’t they kill him since he killed someone?’”

There will always be more questions than answers.

“They started a library in my brother’s honor,” says Victoria of The Khalid Jabara Tikkun Olam Memorial Library at Congregation B’nail Emunah Synagogue. “They do a monthly social justice story hour. And it’s our way of honoring my brother. We don’t go to the gravesite. We go to the story hour.

That’s where we feel his presence.”

Then she stops herself.

“But I don’t want a library. I mean—I do, you know . . .”

The You know hangs in the air.

In Hebrew, Tikkin Olam means “Repair of the World.”

Maybe this is the story, too.

“You look for the helpers,” Victoria says, quoting Fred Rogers.

“You have to look for the good.

You don’t get through it otherwise.” a

1)

thetulsavoice.com: The Killing of Khalid Jabara 2) thetulsavoice.com: We’re all in this together 3) theatlantic.com: Who Really Makes Money Off of Bail Bonds?

NEWS & COMMENTARY // 11

community

I

liked to call it “The Island of Misfit Toys” after that kooky animated stop motion Rudolph movie from the 1960s.

But maybe the Yeti is more than an island. There were times these past six years when that cavernous black bar sandwiched between Cain’s Ballroom and the Soundpony felt like an entirely different universe.

If Tulsa’s weirdness had a soul, it would be contained in that abominable snowman guarding the Yeti’s front door. I loved this bar—which, sadly, opened its doors for the last time on July 31—but I can’t imagine how the culture looked to outsiders. It’s where drunk hippies, ex-emo kids, gauge-laden hipsters, and potheads created a music scene together. To me, it was beautiful.

For years, I felt like the only black guy hanging out downtown—but Tulsa has changed since then, and the Yeti was part of that process. Groups like World Culture Music even helped crack the barriers of Tulsa’s long-standing racial segregation by hosting part of Oklahoma’s largest hiphop festival there.

The Yeti’s closing has me thinking about the past six years.

I spent a big piece of them at that bar. This loss feels a bit like a death: the end of something a lot of us loved. In literary terms, I guess that makes this an elegy.

This is my tribute to “The Island of Misfit Toys,” that strange and wonderful place called the Yeti.

It’s hard to say which came first, the Yeti or the latest wave of talented musicians and artists who are suddenly coalescing downtown again. Tulsa has always had talent: Leon Russell, J.J. Cale, and Steve Pryor, just to name a few. They all played downtown back when Cain’s was a place for the bad kids.

Bare-knuckle bar fights were pretty common in those days.

Today, it’s the bars on the other side of Cain’s Ballroom that created a young and rowdy musical space where anything seemed possible. The Soundpony started the process way back in 2008, but it was the addition of the Yeti 12 // NEWS & COMMENTARY

The Yeti | GREG BOLLINGER

THE ISLAND OF MISFIT TOYS

An elegy for the Yeti (2012 – 2018)

by DAMION SHADE that finally transformed the block and helped create an entirely new culture in the part of town I affectionately called the “Wayne Brady Arts District.”

The Yeti was the only bar downtown with multiple stages dedicated to live music almost every night of the week. You could see anything there. Paintfaced, chainmail-clad metal bands with Flying V guitars played on the same stage as ukulele-strumming singer songwriters, rappers, drum and bass DJs, and punk rock kids. Nothing was off limits. No band was too weird. No style too discordant or jarring. If you could draw a crowd, you could play— and most of the music was local.

If the Colony is known for cultivating Tulsa’s singer song-

writers, then the Yeti was one of the places building everything else. The shows were usually free, and the bar was packed on most weekends. Young musicians had a place to play on an actual stage in front of wide audiences. All of this helped make the new wave of 21-year-olds better players.

Now, Tulsa has the deepest and most eclectic bench of talent I’ve ever seen.

What remains now that the Yeti’s closing? I could talk about the gentrification—which seems to have started in earnest downtown—or how I worry that if Tulsa becomes the next Austin, the things I love about Tulsa will begin to disappear. But I’d rather talk about the things I’ll remember.

I’ll remember the night Run

the Jewels played a free show inside the Yeti just a couple of years before they sold out the BOK Center. (Killer Mike stepped off the tour bus with a joint in his mouth, waving and smiling at everyone.) I’ll remember the night Waka Flocka hung out in the bar for hours after a show, musing about how “weirdly lit” Tulsa was.

There were crazy performances from Norma Jean, Murder Junkies, Midnight Stroll, and that legendary Johnny Polygon Center of the Universe after party. I’m pretty sure some of the glitter from that night will always be on my body.

It’s not the famous folks who really affected me, though. Mostly, I’m left thinking about the people who made the Yeti feel like a family. The bartenders, the workers, the scene kids, and even Dwight.

(Regulars will understand.) It genuinely felt like all of us weirdos were doing life together in a way that mattered.

The night of the last presidential election, I was at the Yeti hosting my weekly open mic.

The comedians were crying.

People were racing back and forth between the Pony and the Yeti trying to get a handle on what was happening. Sometime around 1 a.m., a little dance party broke out. Destiny’s Child was bumping through the speakers and people started dancing like little kids. It was like a scene from a Charlie Brown special. Thinking of it still makes me smile.

It feels wrong to mourn a place. It probably seems cheesy and overly-sentimental, but there are babies who wouldn’t exist if not for that silly little bar. Huge, life-altering things happened there—a lot of them. People fell in love. Bands formed and imploded. Apparently, some drunk lady once sat on the floor of the ladies room and recited the entire Olive Garden menu to anyone who walked in.

I will miss the Yeti, but mostly I’ll miss the unlikely configuration of humans that somehow made it possible. Hopefully I’ll see them all again after a brief season of grief and goodbyes. a August 1 – 14, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

statewide

Referendum madness Oklahoma’s medical cannabis caper continues

by FRASER KASTNER

O

klahoma history was made last month when voters passed State Question 788, legalizing medical marijuana. The state question passed with 507,582 votes—just a little over 56 percent. But as quickly as voters approved the popular measure, its future became hazier than ever.

After SQ 788’s passage, the Department of Health issued a set of “emergency rules” that critics said drastically altered the spirit of the referendum. The regulations included a ban on the sale of smokable marijuana in dispensaries, a 12 percent THC limit on edibles, pregnancy test requirements for “females of childbearing age,” along with a requirement that all dispensaries have a licensed pharmacist on site.

It’s that last rule that prompted the fiercest criticism from the business community. Todd Larkin, owner of Pure Wellness CBD in Ardmore, said the regulations were unfair to dispensary owners.

“There’s no way we could afford [a pharmacist],” Larkin said. “And why would we want to pay for one and have to educate them on cannabis? And then you remove smokables, which most dispensaries in Colorado claim are 50 to 60 percent of their profits.”

Questions swirled around these new, puzzling regulations. Why have THC limits if THC is the therapeutic ingredient and has no known deadly dose? Why prohibit dispensaries from selling smokable pot when people can still grow their own? Why require a pharmacist when other states don’t?

It didn’t take long to find an answer to that last question. Reporting by NonDoc revealed that Julie

THE TULSA VOICE // August 1 – 14, 2018

Ezell, former general counsel for the State Department of Health, was offered a job by Oklahoma State Board of Pharmacy director Chelsea Church on the condition that Ezell influence the board to adopt the pharmacist rule.

Ezell’s draft of regulations did not include this requirement, an omission she claimed via text message to Church was the result of threatening emails she received.

Those emails are now known to have been self-authored by Ezell.

The situation is under investigation. Church has been terminated by the Pharmacy Board, and Ezell is facing felony charges for the bogus threats.

“The vast majority of the rules need to be thrown out due to the fact that they’re outside the authority of the Health Department,” said Frank Grove, a founding member of Oklahomans for Cannabis.

Now, to the relief of medical cannabis advocates, those rules are inching closer to the dustbin of history.

Representatives from Oklahomans for Health, Green the Vote, and other advocacy groups met with representatives from the Department of Health on July 26. The meeting resulted in a new draft of the medical marijuana rules, much more permissive than the first one.

The old emergency rules were the subject of two lawsuits. One filed by Green the Vote alleged that secret meetings took place between Gov. Mary Fallin and members of the Health Board in violation of the Open Meetings Act. In addition, the lawsuit argued that several named board members have conflicts of interest and should have recused themselves from the rulemaking process in the first place.

This new draft contains no ban on smokable marijuana, no limits on THC content, no pregnancy test requirements for women, and no requirement that a pharmacist be present at dispensaries. These new rules will be considered by the Board of Health in a special meeting on Aug. 1.

“Right now our main focus is on ensuring that special interests don’t degrade the quality of the program,” Grove said. “We’re fighting a battle on a lot of fronts here, and ultimately right now we need to work with the legislature and our allies to make sure that the program rolls out successfully this year.”

Despite the meddling from special interests, some advocates are optimistic about the future of medical cannabis in Oklahoma.

“It looks like we’re going to have things our way and be able to regulate properly under law, which is all we’ve ever asked for and all we want,” said Chip Paul, founder of Oklahomans for Health.

“That will still have to go through a Department of Health Board meeting, but I would hope they understand the risks involved in not approving what we put forth again.” a NEWS & COMMENTARY // 13

foodfile

Tulsa’s Deco below

Boston Title & Abstract combines Deco District charm with speakeasy grit

by ANGELA EVANS

I

get wind of a new joint in Tulsa. Top secret. Swanky.

Hidden deep below the concrete expanse and neon lights of downtown Tulsa. The kind of place where whispers of words like “clandestine” and “rendezvous” echo softly in a dimly-lit lair.

The directions are clear as mud: Look for an alleyway—like all the others that wind behind the elegant skyscrapers of the Deco District—off 5th Street and Boston Avenue. I spot a sign with no words and walk through double doors into the bowels of a high-rise building. To my right, an incongruous office door with misted glass and gold lettering— Boston Title & Abstract Company.

This has got to be it . . . right?

I open the door and am met with a dark concrete staircase, and no reassurance that I’m where I should be. I step gingerly down one flight. The sounds of music and clinking wine glasses drift upstairs. My eyes adjust to the darkness, and I get my first mirage-like glimpse of beautiful people carousing in an exclusive underground restaurant and bar.

Co-owner and executive chef Paul Wilson greets me with a spoonful of black cherry and absinthe ice cream. His partner in crime, co-owner Greg Donnini, pours me a glass of something divine and tells me the story behind their speakeasy concept, Boston Title & Abstract.

“When I was looking for a space downtown, I kept running into title and abstract companies,” he says. “They always looked empty and old.”

Title and abstract companies perform tangential real estate transactions that are required in only one other state—and will be

14 // FOOD & DRINK

Ratatouille | GREG BOLLINGER

obsolete in a couple years. Soon, the only remaining abstract and title company in Oklahoma will be a phony front for a place to get high-end hooch and cuisine.

The restaurant dwells in the basement of the Meridia high-rise apartment building. The space was originally a boiler room—an empty concrete shell with three inches of water covering the floor. It’s an unlikely spot for a fine dining restaurant, but perfect for a “post-apocalyptic speakeasy,” the guiding inspiration for the restaurant.

“We wanted it to look like a speakeasy was here 90 years ago and was shut down. Then we came in, dusted it off and turned on the lights, got it going again,” says Donnini. “When I was designing the space, I paid homage

to Tulsa’s architecture and Art Deco flair. The Deco District feels like authentic Tulsa.”

The upper level dining area is primo and private—the real catbird seat to scope out the action below. A bar with cozy seats peer into the small but lively kitchen.

A resplendent leather couch with carved wooden accents inhabits the middle of the concrete floor, perfect for canoodling with a cocktail. Banquettes with chunky dark wooden tables line the walls, and Edison bulbs glow in light fixtures made from copper plumbing pipes.

High art details meet raw materials. Unfinished concrete and exposed metal belie the refined menu curated by Wilson.

“We’ve always had the desire to have this juxtaposition—creating

fine dining somewhere unexpected. Part of our scheme was to get that ‘shock and awe,’ where you are walking in and not sure if it’s a restaurant or not,” says Wilson.

Wilson is classically trained in French cuisine, but he grew up influenced by Mexican cooking and worked with a variety of cuisines while in New Orleans. His menu for Boston Title & Abstract is, well, abstract—by design.

“There is a stencil for the menu with a strong French backbone,” he says. “But items within that stencil will change based on seasons and what I’m in the mood to create.”

Wilson’s ratatouille—a traditional French dish of stewed tomatoes, zucchini, squash, and eggplant—gets a summery deconstruction. Twirls of thinly-planed squash and zucchini are cleverly placed along a pool of pureed tomato, with dots of baba ghanoush accenting the edges.

The highlight is a golden disc of lavender bread pudding with an intoxicating herbal sweetness and sumptuous texture.

On nights when Wilson is feeling frisky, a velvety chilled cantaloupe soup or a pho-inspired tamale—or maybe even duck confit mac & cheese—could make an appearance.

“There’s nothing really static on the menu. We want it that way,” Wilson says. “If we’re static, we become boring. And we always want this to be exciting.”

The tightly-knit 10-person crew provides impeccable dinner service from 5 to 10 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for Sunday brunch.

No secret password required— only a reservation, available through OpenTable. a August 1 – 14, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

Think you’re going to find better Italian?

Fuggedaboutit!

324 EAST 1ST STREET BLUE DOME DISTRICT

CALL FOR RESERVATIONS & CARRY OUT 918.561.6300 • 3410 S. Peoria Ave.

Best Museum Thank you, Voice Readers!

THE TULSA VOICE // August 1 – 14, 2018

FOOD & DRINK // 15

downthehatch

Pop a top

Cocktail purveyors consider the can

by GREG HORTON

A

fter decades of ignoring the container of choice for brewers, other sectors of the booze world are finally waking up to the sensibility of using cans. TTV contributor Andrew Saliga talked to sommeliers about canned wines for our July 3 issue, but wineries aren’t the only ones expanding their product lines.

One of the hottest brands in Oklahoma is Pampelonne, a line of sparkling wine cocktails made with French rosé that comes in slender, 250-ml cans.

“Pamelonne adds natural ingredients to French wine to make perfectly balanced wine cocktails,” said Clayton Bahr, a sales representative for Artisan Fine Wine & Spirits in Tulsa, the company that represents Pampelonne. “The idea is to create a blend that emulates classic cocktails.”

“Emulate” is key here, because Pampelonne doesn’t use spirits in their blend; but by adding natural elderflower, juniper, and Meyer lemon flavors, they create a cocktail that tastes like a French 75. The process is the same for the Negroni Sbagliato—which relies on Italian bitters and blood orange—and the Watermelon Americano, which uses Nova watermelon and Thai basil. The blend of flavors does the work of “tricking” the drinker into tasting a classic cocktail, with a twist.

What is most surprising about the Pampelonne line—Artisan has six of the seven available varieties—is that the cocktails are not overly sweet, and are in fact well balanced and delicious. At only seven grams of sugar and 120 calories, they are light, easy to drink, and what everyday drinkers would consider a “healthier” option, like a skinny margarita that actually

16 // FOOD & DRINK

A selection of canned cocktails available in Tulsa | GREG BOLLINGER

tastes like a cocktail. The alcohol is only six percent by volume, so the impact is much like a session beer.

For a more traditional cocktail experience, Hochstadter’s Slow & Low Rock and Rye comes in a beautifully designed, custom-made 100-ml can. Ever love a label design so much you just want the booze inside to be delicious? In the case of Slow & Low, it is. The small can is perfect for a one-cocktail pour, because Rock and Rye contains rye whiskey from Philadelphia-based Cooper Spirits, so the alcohol content is 42 percent by volume—a real cocktail.

Cooper Spirits is best known as the company behind St. Germain elderflower liqueur, but the distillery has been making whiskey for more than a decade. They res-

urrected the historic Hochstadter name when they started producing whiskey. The Slow & Low is their first foray into canned cocktails, and it’s an excellent beginning.

Made with rye, raw Pennsylvania honey, navel oranges, Angostura bitters and rock candy, the Rock and Rye packs a smooth, sweet punch. It’s a variation on an Old Fashioned, but the drink has a great history.

Hochstadter’s was founded in 1884, and the company built their brand on the rock and rye cocktail, so named because bar customers had developed a habit of adding rock candy to rye to mimic an Old Fashioned. Hochstadter’s took a cultural trend and bottled it, and because advertising laws were more lenient then, the con-

coction soon worked its way into pharmacies as a cure for colds, bronchitis, and asthma. Numb any body part well enough, and it feels healed, it seems.

Cachaça (fermented sugarcane juice) is the most popular distilled sprit in Brazil, and Novo Fogo is making the product popular in the U.S., too. Already widely available on back bars around Tulsa, Novo Fogo has released a sparkling Caipirhina in a 200-ml can. As a twist, the company decided to carbonate this classic South American cocktail, making it the perfect summer sipper. It comes in at 11 percent alcohol, so it’s roughly equivalent to a glass of wine.

Finally, Jordan Salcito, sommelier at Momofuku and winemaker in her own right, created Ramona to “make wine coolers cool again.”

Scott Large of Provisions Fine Beverage Purveyors in Tulsa, the company that represents Ramona, said the Sicilian ruby red grapefruit-flavored cooler has far exceeded their expectations in Tulsa.

“We’ve visited a bunch of accounts around the city to introduce them to Ramona only to discover the product already on their shelves or bars because their customers had been asking for it,” Large said.

Ramona is widely available—so widely, in fact, that it’s on the bar at places as diverse as Shuffles Board Game Café and Starlite Bar. Many good wine shops carry it as well. Pampelonne, too, is widely distributed throughout Tulsa, including Parkhill Liquor & Wine and Ranch Acres. Slow & Low is at Parkhill, Parkhill South, and Memorial Wine and Spirits. Cans range in price from about $3 per can for Pampelonne to $6 a can for Slow & Low. a August 1 – 14, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

KEEP Our Air CLEAR! Learn more at

MEET ME AT THE MAX! 4p – 6p HAPPY HOUR

FUNDAY: OPEN AT NOON

FREE HURTS DONUTS CHAMPAGNE MIMOSA BAR LIVE EVENT BINGO @ 2pm

MONDAY: $1 COORS BANQUET ON TAP ALL DAY

TUESDAY: FREE GAME PLAY

MON – FRI $2 DOMESTICS & FREE GAME PLAY

NEW PIN BALL

WEDNESDAY: TEAM TRIVIA NIGHT

QUESTIONABLE COMPANY @ 8pm

THURSDAY: DJ MOODY @ 9pm

FREE GAME PLAY FOR THE LADIES

FRIDAY: 8/3 • DJ JEFF BIANCA 8/10 • AFISTAFACE SATURDAY: 8/4 • DJ ROBBO

8/11 • OLD SCHOOL MAESTRO AB

To sign up for text alerts, text the word OZONE to 41411

NEVER A COVER/21 & UP FREE WIFI SKEE BALL & PIN BALL

THEMAXRETROPUB

BLUE DOME DISTRICT • 114 S ELGIN

WED. AUGUST 8 || 7:30PM || ONEOK Field Bark in the Park & Buck Night

FIREWORKS NIGHTS Aug 3 Aug 17 Aug 25 Aug 31 Presented By:

FOX23

Presented By:

FOX 9-1-1 First Responders Presented By:

Tulsa’s Channel 8

SAT. AUGUST 11

Presented By:

|| 7:30PM || ONEOK Field Back to School Night

River Spirit Casino Resort

BACK TO SCHOOL BACKPACK GIVEAWAY

OKC THUNDER NIGHT AND GIVEAWAY

7:05PM Presented by: Williams

7:05PM Presented by: U.S. Cellular

Sat, Aug 4

Sat, Aug 18

TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW:

TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW THE TULSA VOICE // August 1 – 14, 2018

& Team Poster Giveaway

| 918.744.5901 |

FOOD & DRINK // 17

SAVE THE DATE! THE BEST TASTING WEEK OF THE YEAR BEGINS SEPTEMBER 7!

Join Tulsa’s best restaurants for a 10-day celebration of Tulsa’s culinary scene benefiting the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma’s Food for Kids programs.

50 PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS

NATIONAL SANDWICH MONTH

will serve prix fixe menu options starting at $15 for lunch, $22 for brunch, and $20 for dinner. Select restaurants will also provide specialty cocktails. Each meal and drink automatically includes a donation to the Food Bank’s Food for Kids programs.

Proceeds will be matched up to $25,000 by the George Kaiser Family Foundation.

Visit TulsaPeople.com for prix fixe menus and more starting August 15th!

BENEFITING:

SPONSORS:

Fighting Hunger, Feeding Hope

Community FOOD BANK of Eastern Oklahoma

DRINK BEER.

SAVE THE BIRDS. AT THE GREATEST PARTY EVER HATCHED.

SATURDAY 8.25.18 CRAFT BEERS! EXCELLENT FOOD! LIVE MUSIC! BENEFITING THE SUTTON AVIAN RESEARCH CENTER

TICKETS AND INFO AT WILDBREW.ORG 18 // FOOD & DRINK

Before you celebrate National Sandwich Month, a little history: Credit for the invention and naming of the sandwich is given to John Montagu (1718–92) an English nobleman titled the 4th Earl of Sandwich. Legend has it that when Montagu, a politician with a gambling problem, demanded a meal he could eat while playing cards, his servants brought him thin slices of salted meat between pieces of toasted bread.

This was eventually copied by his cohorts who would order “the same as Sandwich.”

(Source: Wikipedia—take that, ninth-grade English teachers!)

Tulsa, do your part to keep history alive this month.

August 1 – 14, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

COSMO CAFÉ & BAR

DILLY DINER

For over 13 years, Cosmo Café has been serving up unique and sophisticated sandwiches in the heart of Brookside.

Like this one: Our Turkey & Avocado Sandwich, with bacon, cream cheese, red onions, spring greens, ranch and tomatoes on your choice of bread. Large selection of soups, salads, pizzas and desserts too!

DOWNTOWN TULSA’S FAVORITE DINER. Dilly Lunch Available 11AM to close. Served on our homemade bakery bread. Enjoy with your choice of side.

All meats prepared in-house. Serving up breakfast all day, housemade bread, pastries, pies & cakes, homemade soft serve, local produce and so much more!

FASSLER HALL

JANE’S DELICATESSEN

A German-inspired beer hall located in downtown Tulsa. Enjoy homemade sausage, German beer and our beer garden with views of the city skyline.

Happy Hour every Tuesday - Friday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. BRUNCH, LUNCH, AND BEERS. PROST!

Jane’s Delicatessen is an eatery, bar, and market located on historic Route 66. At Jane’s, we’re committed to bringing the people of Tulsa mouthwatering food made from quality ingredients prepared from scratch. Honoring the culinary traditions of classic delicatessens, we serve a mix of Jewish, Italian, German, and French-Canadian inspired dishes.

LASSALLE’S

MCNELLIE’S

3334 S Peoria Ave | 918.933.4848 cosmo-cafe.com

304 S. Elgin Ave. | 918.576.7898 fasslerhall.com

15 W. 5th St. | 918.582.6652 lassallesneworleansdeli.com New Orleans Cajun & Creole brought to you by New Orleanians. Doing NOLA right! Poboy perfection and all your Cajun Creole favorites. Open till 9pm on Fridays! #OklaNola

402 E 2nd St | 918.938.6382 dillydiner.com

2626 E. 11th St. | 918.872.0501 janesdelicatessen.com

409 E 1st St | 918.382.7468 mcnellies.com 7031 S Zurich Ave | 918.933.5258 mcnelliessouthcity.com Sure our beer selection is immense, but the food’s pretty good too! McNellie’s menu is filled with fresh, reasonably priced food. Every day, our dedicated kitchen staff works hard to make a variety of items from scratch, using the best ingredients available.

THE TAVERN

201 N Main St | 918.949.9801 taverntulsa.com The Tavern is a modern interpretation of the classic neighborhood pub. All dishes are developed using simple preparations that showcase the quality and flavors of each ingredient on the plate. The Tavern offers a well-curated list of artisanal beer, world-class wine and specialty spirits.

THE TULSA VOICE // August 1 – 14, 2018

NATIONAL SANDWICH MONTH // 19

A Tulsa Tradition!

• Delivery Available • Daily & Weekly Specials • Full Service Catering • Banquet Facilities

Open Tues. - Sat. 11am - 7pm 217 E. Archer Historic tulsa Arts District (918) 619-6353

14 West M.B. Brady • 918.582.3383 MexicaliBorderCafe.com

THE WOODY GUTHRIE CENTER PRESENTS

It’s back!

40 YEARS OF PUNK IN LOS ANGELES

CURATED BY

102 EAST M.B. BRADY STREET • 918.574.2710

WOODYGUTHRIECENTER.ORG 20 // TULSA ARTS DISTRICT GUIDE

August 1 – 14, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

THANK YOU TULSA,

WE LOVE YOU!

Voted Best LGBT Bar/Club

TOP 3

Best Night Club Best Place to Dance

T U L S A’ S P R E M I E R E D A N C E C L U B

124 N. Boston Ave • 918-584-9494 clubmajestictulsa.com

Not just an ordinary bar presented by

Join us for the tastiest Chicken & Waffles in Tulsa!

18 East M. B. Brady St. 918-588-2469 cazschowhouse.com

21 E M.B. Brady St 918-585-8587

FRIDAY, AUGUST 31

7 pm • Wine Dinner “Under the Tent” with Multiphonic Funk

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 1

An urban park and event space in the heart of Tulsa’s Art District.

3 pm • Gate Opens 3-10 pm • Wineries & Food Vendors 4-10:30 pm • Music featuring Grady

Nichols with Leigh Nash of Sixpence None the Richer, plus The Free Samples, Michael Fields Band, Braxus and Starr Fisher!

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 2

10 am-1 pm • Champagne Brunch with

music by Dean DeMerritt & Sean Al-Jabouri

111 East M.B. Brady Street, Tulsa, OK 74103

www.guthriegreen.com THE TULSA VOICE // August 1 – 14, 2018

TICKETS AND PACKAGES:

POSTOAKLODGE.COM • 918-425-2112 TULSA ARTS DISTRICT GUIDE // 21

22 // FEATURED

August 1 – 14, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

THE CITY ONSTAGE FALL 2018 PERFORMING ARTS GUIDE

BY TTV STAFF See Broadway classics and locally produced world premieres. Hear symphonic performances of music by Beethoven, John Williams, and Prince.

Take a seat in any theater in and around Tulsa and watch vast worlds of stories unfold. The result of such diverse offerings is a city full of toes tapping, hearts soaring, and imaginations running wild.

FEATURED // 23

TIG NOTARO

SYMPHONY IN THE PARK

Every Saturday THE DRUNKARD AND THE OLIO Tulsa Spotlighters perform the melodrama, “The Drunkard,” which is the longest-running play in the country, along with the Olio variety show.

Spotlight Theatre

AUGUST

3–5 SUPERHEROES, UNITE! Those with great powers come together to fight the bad guys.

Spotlight Theatre Spotlight Children’s Theatre 4–12 HEISENBERG/LUNGS Two one-act plays explore human connection and relationships through a sparring match and the enormous decision to bring another person into the world, respectively.

Studio 308 • American Theatre Company 3–12 SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE The 1998 Oscar-winning film, adapted for the stage.

Tulsa Performing Arts Center – Liddy Doenges Theatre American Theatre Company

24 // FEATURED

4 50 YEARS OF BOLLYWOOD Award-winning Bollywood playback vocalists Samir Date and Dipalee Somaiya Date perform old favorites and today’s Bollywood hits.

Tulsa Performing Arts Center – John H. Williams Theatre South Asian Performing Arts Foundation 8 BROWN BAG IT: PAC STAFF PERFORMS SEASON HIGHLIGHTS What talent lurks in the halls of the PAC? Find out as the staff performs selections from upcoming shows.

Tulsa Performing Arts Center – Kathleen Westby Pavilion PAC Trust 11 DARCI LYNNE AND FRIENDS An evening with the ventriloquist and “America’s Got Talent”-winner.

Brady Theater 10–19 GOD OF CARNAGE A discussion between two married couples about a fight between their young sons degenerates into a brawl.

Broken Arrow Community Playhouse

MARIA BAMFORD

10–26 NEWSIES The 1992 film is now a Tony-winning Broadway hit.

Tulsa Performing Arts Center – John H. Williams Theatre Theatre Tulsa

5–23 WICKED Find out what happens in the Land of Oz long before Dorothy and Toto arrive.

Tulsa Performing Arts Center – Chapman Music Hall Celebrity Attractions

24–26 TBII: ON YOUR RADAR Tulsa Ballet’s second company performs the world premiere of Ma Cong’s “Peter and the Wolf,” as well as Jennifer Archibald’s “OMENS.” Studio K and Zarrow Performance Studio Tulsa Ballet

6–9 HELLER SHORTS 2018 — ON CLOUD 9 Heller Theatre Co.’s ninth annual evening of original short plays.

Nightingale Theater • Heller Theatre Co.

31–Sept. 1 BLUE WHALE COMEDY FESTIVAL W/ TIG NOTARO, MARIA BAMFORD, AND MORE Blue Whale returns with its best duo of headliners yet.

Tulsa Arts District

SEPTEMBER

5 BROWN BAG IT: SHELBY EICHER TRIO Shelby Eicher, Tommy Crook, and Jim Bates will play jazz and Western swing.

Tulsa Performing Arts Center – Kathleen Westby Pavilion PAC Trust

7 SYMPHONY IN THE PARK Tulsa Symphony opens its 2018-19 season with its annual late-summer performance under the stars.

Guthrie Green • Tulsa Symphony 7 PIAF — NO REGRETS Broadway star Christine Andreas portrays French singer Edith Piaf through her music, singing in English and French.

Tulsa Performing Arts Center – Liddy Doenges Theatre Choregus Productions

August 1 – 14, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

E V E N T S @ T PA C

Christine Maeda PAC Art Gallery Aug. 1-30 Shakespeare In Love American Theatre Company Aug. 3-12 50 Years of Bollywood South Asian Performing Arts Aug. 4 Brown Bag ItTulsa PAC Staff Tulsa PAC Trust Aug. 8 Newsies Theatre Tulsa Aug. 10-26 The Wizard of Oz Encore! Tulsa Aug. 17-26 Wicked Celebrity Attractions Sept. 5-23

TICKETS @ TULSAPAC.COM 918.596.7111

THE TULSA VOICE // August 1 – 14, 2018

FEATURED // 25

PIAF – NO REGRETS

7–8 THE STREISAND SONGBOOK Ann Hampton Callaway sings some of Barbra Streisand’s greatest hits.

VanTrease PACE • Signature Symphony 14–23 CREATIONS IN STUDIO K The annual evening of new works will feature the first major collaboration between Tulsa Ballet and Philbrook, along with pieces by Alejandro Cerrudo and Jennifer Archibald.

Studio K • Tulsa Ballet 21 FRIDAYS IN THE LOFT — CHAMBER MUSIC I Hear Antonín Dvorák’s serenade for winds, cello, and double bass violin; Poulnec’s sonata for clarinet and bassoon; and Rossini’s duet for cello and double bass in D major. Includes wine and hors d’oeuvres.

Fly Loft • Tulsa Symphony

NEWSIES

21–30 LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS A musical comedy about a hapless florist named Seymour and his flesh-eating plant, Audrey II. Clark Youth Theatre 22 SYMPHONIC DANCES Clarinetist Victoria Luperi is the featured soloist, with selections by Leonard Bernstein, Arturo Márquez, Astor Piazzolla, and Alberto Ginastera.

VanTrease PACE • Signature Symphony 22–23 MONTROSE TRIO An acclaimed pianist, violinist, and cellist perform an afternoon of classical chamber music.

Tulsa Performing Arts Center – Kathleen Westby Pavilion and John H. Williams Theatre Chamber Music Tulsa

VICENTE FOX

28 DIARY OF A WORM, A SPIDER AND A FLY A trio of unlikely friends learns about eco-consciousness, earth science, and respecting people and bugs of all kinds.

Tulsa Performing Arts Center – John H. Williams Theatre PAC Trust Imagination Series 29 BLACK VIOLIN Violinists Kevin “Kev Marcus” Sylvester and Wil Baptiste’s selections include classical, hip-hop, rock, and rhythm and blues.

Tulsa Performing Arts Center – Chapman Music Hall Innovation Arts and Entertainment

26 // FEATURED

29 THE SECOND CITY: MADE IN AMERICA, SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED The legendary sketch comedy company’s touring troupe satirizes our great, big, dysfunctional nation.

Tulsa Performing Arts Center – John H. Williams Theatre PAC Trust

OCTOBER

3 BROWN BAG IT: LA GOZADERA An almuerzo performance with local Latin band La Gozadera.

Tulsa Performing Arts Center – Kathleen Westby Pavilion PAC Trust 5 VICENTE FOX: IMMIGRATION, THE WALL AND THE FUTURE OF U.S.-MEXICO RELATIONS The former President of Mexico will discuss the state of American politics with a call to unity.

Tulsa Performing Arts Center – Chapman Music Hall Tulsa Town Hall 5, 12, Nov. 16 PETER AND THE WOLF The classic children’s tale told en pointe in Brookside and south Tulsa venues.

Studio K and Zarrow Performance Center Tulsa Ballet 5–7, 11–13 THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW Do “The Time Warp” again and pay a visit the unforgettable castle of Dr. Frank N. Furter.

Tulsa Performing Arts Center – John H. Williams Theatre Tulsa Project Theatre 5–7, 12–14 THE BOXCAR CHILDREN The beloved adventure series comes to life on stage.

Spotlight Theatre Spotlight Children’s Theatre 6 TULSA SYMPHONY OPENING NIGHT GALA WITH CELLIST LYNN HARRELL Hear compositions by Antonín Dvorák and Leonard Bernstein. Daniel Hege is guest conductor.

Tulsa Performing Arts Center – Chapman Music Hall Tulsa Symphony 12–14, 19–21 DADDY’S DYIN’: WHO’S GOT THE WILL? In this dramedy, adult children arrive home to spend time with their elderly father during his last days.

Broken Arrow Community Playhouse

August 1 – 14, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

THE TULSA VOICE // August 1 – 14, 2018

FEATURED // 27

14 TESLA QUARTET A renowned international quartet returns to Tulsa with its latest collection of instrumental favorites.

Tulsa Performing Arts Center – John H. Williams Theatre Chamber Music Tulsa 14 SECOND SUNDAY SERIALS See five new one-act plays and vote on which will continue with a new installment next month.

Agora Event Center • Heller Theatre Co. 19–20 STAR WARS AND BEYOND: THE MUSIC OF JOHN WILLIAMS Chosen orchestral selections from movie scores written by Williams; concludes with a costume contest.

VanTrease PACE • Signature Symphony 19, 21 THE BARBER OF SEVILLE Gioachino Rossini’s madcap pursuit of love stars local opera favorites Sarah Coburn and Peter Strummer. Sung in Italian, with English supertitles.

Tulsa Performing Arts Center – Chapman Music Hall Tulsa Opera 20 4U: A SYMPHONIC CELEBRATION OF PRINCE The first and only estate-approved Prince celebration presents orchestral renditions of the late artist’s music by Tulsa Symphony.

BOK Center 20 10 HAIRY LEGS An all-male repertory dance company performs existing and commissioned works by esteemed choreographers.

Tulsa Performing Arts Center – John H. Williams Theatre Choregus Productions 25 DR. KEN JEONG Known for his roles in “Knocked Up,” “Community,” and “The Hangover,” the comedian (and real-life doctor) performs.

Paradise Cove at River Spirit Casino 25–28 DRACULA Ben Stevenson’s gothic ballet features vampire brides soaring through the air and an exploding chandelier.

Tulsa Performing Arts Center – Chapman Music Hall Tulsa Ballet

28 // FEATURED

26 JEANNE ROBERTSON The comedian, motivational speaker, and former Miss North Carolina performs.

Brady Theater DCF Concerts and Red Mountain Entertainment

LOVE NEVER DIES

26 ARCATTACK High-tech wizardry combines rock music with science.

Tulsa Performing Arts Center – John H. Williams Theatre PAC Trust 26–Nov. 4 SOVEREIGNTY The personal and political are one and the same in this moving social drama by Mary Kathryn Nagle. See pg. 36 for more.

Tulsa Performing Arts Center – Liddy Doenges Theatre Heller Theatre Co. 30–Nov. 4 LOVE NEVER DIES The action moves from Paris to Brooklyn in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s sequel to “The Phantom of Opera.”

Tulsa Performing Arts Center – Chapman Music Hall Celebrity Attractions

NOVEMBER

1 DISNEY JUNIOR DANCE PARTY! Get up close and personal with favorite Disney characters.

Brady Theater

4U: A SYMPHONIC CELEBRATION OF PRINCE

2–4 BARNUM THE MUSICAL The true story of circus founder/showman P.T. Barnum.

Tulsa Performing Arts Center – John H. Williams Theatre Theatre Tulsa 3 BEETHOVEN’S EROICA Signature symphony take an in-depth look at Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, including commentary.

VanTrease PACE • Signature Symphony 6 MONTY PYTHON’S SPAMALOT One performance only of Broadway’s smash musical farce loosely based on the legendary King Arthur.

Broken Arrow Performing Arts Center 7 BROWN BAG IT: TULSA OPERA BIG SING Tulsa Opera Young Artists perform arias and opera highlights.

Tulsa Performing Arts Center – Kathleen Westby Pavilion PAC Trust

August 1 – 14, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

COMEDY. CLASSICS. DRAMA, DANCE - AND DISNEY! ORDER YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AT THEATRETULSA.ORG/SHOWS

NOV. 2-10, 2018 AUG. 10-26, 2018

JAN. 4-20, 2019

FEB. 22-MAR. 2, 2019

APRIL 5-14, 2019

LOCAL LANDMARK. NATIONAL TREASURE. EST. 1922 / THEATRETULSA.ORG

COME HOME TO THE ARTS

918.596.7111 / TULSAPAC.COM

THE TULSA VOICE // August 1 – 14, 2018

FEATURED // 29

BRENTANO QUARTET

WICKED

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: CRYSTAL

7–11 CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: CRYSTAL This performance explores the artistic limits of ice, combining skating and acrobatic feats.

BOK Center 9–18 CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION Drama class turns into a social experiment.

Studio 308 • American Theatre Co. 10–11 BRENTANO QUARTET WITH VIOLIST HSIN-YUN HUANG Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Johannes Brahms and Felix Mendelssohn, performed by the 20-year-old classical troupe.

Tulsa Performing Arts Center – John H. Williams Theatre Chamber Music Tulsa 11 THE TEN TENORS The Australian ensemble has toured the world for the last 21 years.

Broken Arrow Performing Arts Center

30 // FEATURED

11 BRITTEN’S WAR REQUIEM Tulsa Symphony, Tulsa Oratorio Chorus and the University of Tulsa Concert Chorale participate in a 20th-century musical opus.

Tulsa Performing Arts Center – Chapman Music Hall Tulsa Symphony 11 SECOND SUNDAY SERIALS See five new one-act plays and vote on which will continue with a new installment next month.

Agora Event Center • Heller Theatre Co. 13 AN EVENING WITH DAVID SEDARIS The best-selling author, public radio contributor, and comedian shares new stories, followed by an audience Q&A. Tulsa Performing Arts Center – Chapman Music Hall Innovation Arts and Entertainment 16 LISA GENOVA — STILL ALICE: UNDERSTANDING ALZHEIMER’S The author, neuroscientist, and medical professor brings inspiring stories about the mysterious, fatal disease.

Tulsa Performing Arts Center – Chapman Music Hall Tulsa Town Hall

16 ALICE IN WONDERLAND This musical adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s children’s story features actors, life-sized puppets, and a digitally-projected set.

Tulsa Performing Arts Center – John H. Williams Theatre PAC Trust Imagination Series 17–18 HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS IN CONCERT See Potter’s second year at Hogwarts as Tulsa Symphony performs John Williams’ score.

Tulsa Performing Arts Center – Chapman Music Hall Tulsa Symphony 27 CHRISTMAS CONCERT WITH GRADY NICHOLS Seasonal renditions by the Tulsa saxophonist.

Tulsa Performing Arts Center – Chapman Music Hall ALS Patient Outreach Services

DECEMBER

1 HOME ALONE IN CONCERT Watch Kevin McAllister take on The Wet Bandits, with John Williams’ score performed live. Ron Spigelman conducts.

Tulsa Performing Arts Center – Chapman Music Hall Tulsa Symphony 5 BROWN BAG IT: TULSA FESTIVAL RINGERS Hear traditional Christmas carols on handbells at this free noontime concert.

Tulsa Performing Arts Center – John H. Williams Theatre PAC Trust 7 ONE-MAN STAR WARS & ONE-MAN PRIDE AND PREJUDICE Two timeless classics performed—you guessed it—by just one man.

Walter Arts Center, Holland Hall Tulsa Project Theatre 7–16 A WINTER ROSE CHRISTMAS Singing, dancing, holiday skits, and audience sing-along presented by children and teens, culminating with a visit from Santa Claus.

Broken Arrow Community Playhouse August 1 – 14, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

7–16 LES MISÉRABLES — SCHOOL EDITION An all-teen cast performs the classic musical saga of love, hope, and redemption.

Tulsa Performing Arts Center – Liddy Doenges Theatre Theatre Tulsa

8–23 THE NUTCRACKER The Sugar Plum Fairy, Mother Ginger, Clara, and the Nutcracker all come to life in this classic ballet set in Paris.

Tulsa Performing Arts Center – Chapman Music Hall Tulsa Ballet

VENUES

7–23 A CHRISTMAS CAROL ATC’s annual musical production of the Charles Dickens holiday classic.

Tulsa Performing Arts Center – John H. Williams Theatre American Theatre Co.

AGORA EVENT CENTER 1402 S. Peoria Ave. #200 agoraeventcenter.com

BROKEN ARROW COMMUNITY PLAYHOUSE 1800 S. Main St., Broken Arrow bacptheatre.com

ANNE & HENRY ZARROW PERFORMANCE STUDIO 1901 W. New Orleans St., Broken Arrow tulsaballet.org

BROKEN ARROW PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 701 S. Main St., Broken Arrow brokenarrowpac.com

BOK CENTER 200 S. Denver Ave. bokcenter.com

CLARK YOUTH THEATRE 4825 S. Quaker Ave. clarkyouththeatre.com

BRADY THEATER 105 W. M.B. Brady St. bradytheater.com

FLY LOFT 117 N. Boston Ave. #208 facebook.com/flylofttulsa

GUTHRIE GREEN 111 E. M.B. Brady St. guthriegreen.com

STUDIO 308 308 S. Lansing Ave. studio308tulsa.com

NIGHTINGALE THEATER 1416 E. 4th St. nightingaletheater.com

TULSA BALLET STUDIO K 1212 E. 45th Pl. • tulsaballet.org

PARADISE COVE AT RIVER SPIRIT CASINO RESORT 8330 Riverside Pkwy riverspirittulsa.com SPOTLIGHT THEATRE 1381 Riverside Drive spotlighttheatre.org

TULSA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 110 E. 2nd St. • tulsapac.com VANTREASE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 10300 E. 81st St. • tulsacc.edu WALTER ARTS CENTER Holland Hall, 5666 E. 81st St. hollandhall.org

9 SECOND SUNDAY SERIALS See five new one-act plays and vote on which will continue with a new installment next month.

Agora Event Center • Heller Theatre Co. 14–15 CHERISH THE LADIES — CHRISTMAS IN TULSA The Irish-American music group returns to Tulsa, celebrating Celtic Christmas traditions.

VanTrease PACE • Signature Symphony 14–23 SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD The first musical from Tony Award winner Jason Robert Brown examines life, love, and the choices we make.

Studio 308 • American Theatre Co. 15 DAVID PHELPS The Dove Award winner returns to Broken Arrow with his annual Christmas concert.

Broken Arrow Performing Arts Center

There’s no place like

29 HOME FREE The fourth-season winner of NBC’s “The Sing Off,” this five-voice a cappella men’s country group brings its barbershop stylings to the suburbs.

Broken Arrow Performing Arts Center a

September 5 – 23 TULSA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER MyTicketOffice.com • 918-596-7111 Groups 15+ 918-796-0220

THE TULSA VOICE // August 1 – 14, 2018

FEATURED // 31

NEON DREAMS Portraits from Skateland

BY DESTINY JADE GREEN AND JOSEPH RUSHMORE

32 // FEATURED

August 1 – 14, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

T

here’s a certain sound—a combination of click and clack—that skates make sliding across the counter. It’s a sound echoed as those skates hit the floor and send you gliding out onto the rink at Skateland on Route 66, the last roller rink in Tulsa, which turns 50 this year. That sound is the hallmark of youth, set against the giggles, laughter, and ridiculously danceable music pumping through the PA system. It’s birthday parties and young love. It’s adults holding hands, coolly cruising into a place of no responsibilities and pure fun. Skateland binds it all together in movement, snack food, and the brightest color of all your childhood memories. It’s a neon reminder that we’re all capable of losing ourselves in the act of skating, falling, and getting up again with little more than a smile.

COVER PAGE Alaska and her mom, Heather, skate hand in hand.

TOP Neon lights, a huge disco ball, smoke machines and wall murals add to the romance and fun of Skateland.

CENTER LEFT Heaven, Jordyn, and Mariah Hurt take a break from skating to make their mother laugh.

CENTER RIGHT Ian and Shalynne Jackson steal a glance on their evening out.

LEFT Hue Johnson rolls through the rink, skating backwards. Hue spent much of his early life occupying various skating rinks around Tulsa and arrived at Skateland this night to lace up his brand new skates and hit the rink again for the first time in 10 years.

THE TULSA VOICE // August 1 – 14, 2018

FEATURED // 33

TOP Jaqi, Kambri, and Rozy Harness search for just the right pose to aunt their skates for the camera.

CENTER LEFT Roller skates available for rent at Skateland in Tulsa. Most people, kids and parents, choose the old school roller skates over rollerblades to carry them around the rink for hours each night.

CENTER RIGHT A skater ducks down low as she slides beneath the bar during the limbo competition held each night at Skateland.

BOTTOM Hue Johnson rests up and prepares for another night out on the rink.

34 // FEATURED

August 1 – 14, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

TOP LEFT Kimberly Vazquez, age 13, shows off for her friends. Kimberly visits Skateland every Friday to see all her buddies.

TOP CENTER A roller blader leaps over the finish line at historic Skateland on Route 66 in Tulsa.

TOP RIGHT Mvhayv Barker holds back laughter as her friends and family skate around her.

BOTTOM “Couples only!” a

THE TULSA VOICE // August 1 – 14, 2018

FEATURED // 35

‘ALL ABOUT THE ECHOES’

S

itting across a table from Mary Kathryn Nagle is like watching a strong wind rush straight towards you from a long way away. It’s a force made of stories, gathered over centuries, and it’s not waiting one more day to move on through.

Originally from Oklahoma City, Nagle is a descendant of some of the Cherokee Nation’s most prominent political and cultural leaders, including John Ridge and Elias Boudinot. Like several of her ancestors, she’s both an attorney and a writer.

Her blood is full of law and letters. She has argued cases in federal courts and had her plays produced on stages from New York City to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

But never in Tulsa, where she lives and works as a partner at Pipestem Law on Native issues. That will change this fall, when Heller Theatre Company will present Nagle’s play “Sovereignty,” which earlier this year was the first play by a Native writer ever to be shown at the renowned Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. Directed by Cherokee poet and scholar Carolyn Dunn, the two-act “Sovereignty” interweaves the story of Nagle’s own family history with a present-day tale of violations and reprisals. “I’m all about the echoes,” Nagle said. “The storytelling does the work.

It’s using the same tools that have been used against us.”

For Nagle, playwriting and law aren’t just jobs—they are opportunities for Natives to be seen and heard as human beings rather than as caricatures in someone else’s story.

“I think it’s crazy that we live in a country where most theaters have never produced a single play by a Native playwright,” Nagle said. “But they have produced redface. That’s why I do the work that I do. I’m trying to change the statistics.”

Like blackface, redface is the practice of performing a dehumanized version of a Native person—dressing up as an “Indian” for Halloween, for instance.

“It’s no accident that redface was created as a performance that was perpetuated across the U.S. at the same time Andrew Jackson was running on a presidential platform of eradication of Native people,” Nagle explained. “You don’t get to a place where your law and politics support the eradication of a people if your culture isn’t also creating performances that support that.

“I think once theaters start doing plays

by Native playwrights, people are going to say, ‘Wait, actually, this is better entertainment. It has more artistic value to me as a human than a fake misrepresentation.’”

And the tide is slowly turning. Oklahoma City Theatre Company has been producing its Native American New Play Festival since

36 // FEATURED

Mary Kathryn Nalge | JUSTIN GELLERSON

Mary Kathryn Nagle’s revolutionary Native storytelling

by ALICIA CHESSER 2010. The Tulsa Artist Fellowship currently boasts Arigon Starr, a playwright, and Sterlin Harjo, a filmmaker, among its fellows.

For Heller Theatre Company, with its new focus on original works of local interest, bringing in “Sovereignty” was a natural development. “There are so many incredibly talented playwrights with important, powerful stories to tell, and the wider theatre world doesn’t always allow the opportunity,” Heller vice president Nick Lutke said. “This season, we really wanted to highlight female/non-male playwrights and playwrights of color. We are thrilled to be working with Nagle and Dunn on this incredibly powerful play.”

Nagle will premiere two new plays in the coming year—“Return to Niobrara” for the Rose Theatre in Omaha and “Crossing Mnisose” for Portland Center Stage—as well as a commission for Yale Repertory Theater based on Osage author Charles Red Corn’s book “A Pipe for February,” about the Osage murders. With money she received on being granted the prestigious U.S. Artist Award this year, she’s doing ev-

erything from helping theaters hire Native language consultants to funding food and travel costs for her Native actors.

Nagle noted that theaters big and small regularly cite a dearth of Native actors when justifying the absence of Native plays in their seasons. “They say, we just don’t know any Native actors, so if we do your play, who are we going to cast? We just have to break that down. Just because you don’t know us doesn’t mean we don’t exist.”

Step by step, word by word, Nagle breaks down false stories by building up the true ones. But it’s not always so simple. For instance, how she starts a play depends on whose story she’s writing.

“It’s about relationships,” she said.

“I’m not going to write about a community I have no relationship with. So if I don’t know a particular community, I introduce myself to them in a respectful manner. I also recognize that if they don’t want me to write their story, then I shouldn’t write it. We can all debate that, but I have no interest in being a writer who extracts a story from a community that’s been taken advantage of and uses

it to make myself look cool.”

So she listens and learns—and then she dreams. “I daydream, I dream at night, and I let ideas come to me. They have fortunately, so far, always come, but sometimes they don’t come by the deadline that the theater has given and so then I have to turn in a really bad first draft.” Nagle said she probably does more revisions than most writers, perhaps due to her legal training, in which creating multiple drafts is an everyday practice.

There’s also the issue of being responsible about putting historical trauma onstage. “Non-Native theater companies are used to non-Native audiences, so they don’t consider how their Native audience is going to be affected. I have to keep both at the forefront of my mind. For Native actors, it can open a huge vessel of hurt and PTSD. We carry it in our blood. I very much honor my Native actors because they are exposing themselves to a lot of hurt in order to bring healing to our community.”

Nagle is deeply respected in that community, according to Harjo. “With a lot of people who are writers and creatives, there’s a lot of talk about doing things, complaining about not getting things— a lot of things other than actually working.

MK (Mary Kathryn) is constantly working.

She’s sort of a beacon of light to us.

“She doesn’t ask questions, she doesn’t ask for permission, she just does it,” Harjo said. “It’s going to really be inspiring to younger people who see this really powerful indigenous woman doing all these things, not holding herself back in any way but letting her voice just rain down.”

The two branches of Nagle’s work— legal and literary—reach into Native and non-Native communities alike. “It’s been incredible to see how Native folks react to seeing one of their stories onstage,” she said. “It’s so revolutionary. We’re so used to being erased or dehumanized that seeing an authentic portrayal where we’re humans is like, ‘How do I recalibrate to this?’”

As for non-Natives, she said, “I think we’ve always thought most Americans don’t want to talk about what I’m writing about. That was true 50 years ago, but today it’s that most Americans don’t even know about it. People today are like, ‘Hey, I’d actually like to know more about this.’

The people who are seeing my plays, that’s what they’re saying to me. People are craving that knowledge now.” a

“SOVEREIGNTY” Oct. 26 & 27; Nov 2 & 3 at 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 28 & Nov. 4 at 2 p.m.

Tulsa Performing Arts Center, Liddy Doenges Theater August 1 – 14, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

artspot

I can has culture?

Get to know the Philbrook felines before the 2018 Internet Cat Video Festival

by BLAYKLEE BUCHANAN

J

ust down the way from the bustling shops and restaurants on Brookside is a grandiose garden tucked behind the 1927 Villa Philbrook—or, as it’s known today, the Philbrook Museum of Art. Built by oil tycoon Waite Phillips and his wife Genevieve, the Italian Renaissance-style estate now holds collections of a stunning variety of work, including 25-acres of pristine, sprawling gardens.

There, you’ll find three cats strutting, slinking, and snoozing.

This is their domain.

The first of the Philbrook Garden Cats to approach on a warm Monday morning in midJuly was a black and white, medium-framed fellow.

“Meow,” he said.

“This is Acer,” Philbrook Marketing Coordinator Zack Reeves said, reaching down to pick him up.

Acer, Perilla, and Cleome are the three official cats of the Philbrook. (Their names are botanical: Acer is a scientific name for maple trees, and Perilla and Cleome are flowers.) They even have T-shirts with their faces on sale in the gift shop. Acer is certainly the most social of the three. He didn’t mind our affection.

Closer to the open garage door of the shop, head horticulturist Trevor Gibson offered an open can of gravy-doused meat slices to corral the other felines.

We were near the shop—which, in addition to being home base for horticultural operations, is something of a private lair for the Philbrook cats. When they want to vacation away from the gardens, they can enter through a small cat door in the garage.

Sometimes they sleep in there.

(They sleep everywhere, really.)

THE TULSA VOICE // August 1 – 14, 2018

Acer

Perilla Cleome

Philbrook Garden Cats | COURTESY

One of Gibson’s staffers emerged from the shop and handed over Perilla, wrapped in a large flannel shirt. Perilla wasn’t interested in being held at all, so we scurried to a grassy clearing surrounded by trees and brush hoping to find the third and most elusive of the three cats. Cleome was prowling the grounds, hunting for insects and other small critters.

Acer and Perilla are brother and sister from the same litter of kittens. “They fight like brother and sister, too,” Gibson said.

As soon as Reeves and I sat the cats down, Perilla headed straight for the food. After licking the can clean, she got up and moseyed around some trees to get away

from us, her tail swishing in the air.

Perilla’s tail looks shorter than it should be for her body. That’s because it is. Among the bountiful animal population in the gardens—owls, squirrels, geese, a spotted eagle—is a skulk of red foxes. They mostly appear during the winter, Gibson said.

One day, the staff found Perilla with about an inch of her tail bone exposed. “We were thinking they were probably on her tail trying to pull her back (at the shop’s cat door),” Gibson said.

After a trip to the vet, Perilla recovered, and the staff was able to fix an area of fence where the foxes were getting in. They still find their way in from time to

time, but now they mostly head south to Zink Park, according to Gibson.

“It’s nature out here,” Reeves said. “It’s crazy.”

After about 20 minutes of calling Cleome, we realized she wasn’t just fashionably late to the interview. She had her own schedule, and we weren’t on it.

Though Perilla had already left, the ever-sociable Acer was still hanging around. We didn’t know until we started walking back, but Perilla had relocated approximately 20 feet away from us, a move which seemed like a statement.

Before departing, Reeves pointed out the 25-foot wide, 14foot tall screen standing west of us, closer to the museum building.

“We play videos on that giant screen,” Reeves said. Philbrook puts on regular movie screenings as part of their Film on the Lawn event. But in August, there’s a screening cat lovers won’t want to miss: The Internet Cat Video Festival 2018.

“This is the debut of the 2018 reel,” Reeves said. “It’s basically 60 minutes of the best cat footage on the internet.”

The event kicks off at 6 p.m. with activities and food trucks. At dusk, around 8:30 p.m., the video reel will start, and at 9 p.m. the doors close (no reentry). Bring your own blanket or lawn chairs.

You can bring your own food as well, but Philbrook asks you don’t bring your pets. They say the three Philbrook Garden Cats are more than enough. a

INTERNET CAT VIDEO FESTIVAL 2018 Friday, August 10, 6 p.m.

Philbrook Museum of Art, 2727 S. Rockford Rd. ARTS & CULTURE // 37

ON STAGE

“Heisenberg” and “Lungs” are one-act plays that explore human relationships through a sparring match and the enormous decision to bring another person into the world, respectively. Aug. 4–5, 9–12, $15, Studio 308, americantheatrecompany.org

CYCLING

Cyclists take to the dirt for races at Fair Meadows for the second annual OK Hellway. Aug. 5, 10 a.m.– 6 p.m., free to attend, $20 to race, pentabike.net

CATS

The Internet Cat Video Festival returns to the Philbrook Museum of Art Gardens with the best cat videos on the web. See pg. 37 for more. Aug. 10, 6–10:30 p.m., $8, philbrook.org Diaphanous Embroidery | AMANDA MCCAVOUR

FIRST FRIDAY ART CRAWL Friday, Aug. 3, 6–9 p.m.

The Tulsa Arts District, thetulsaartsdistrict.org

POW WOW

The Intertribal Indian Club of Tulsa hosts the 41st annual Pow Wow of Champions at The Mabee Center. Aug. 10–12, $8–$15, iicot.org

First Friday exhibition openings and events include: 108 Contemporary: Diaphanous Embroidery by Amanda McCavour AHHA: Spection by Katelynn Noel Knick, Kathleen Neeley, Taryn Singleton, and Megan Dawn Tieman Chrysalis Salon & Spa: Transitions: acrylics by Dean Wyatt Colors of Etnika: Fall sterling silver collection by K. Marina Living Arts: New Arts Camp exhibit Magic City Books: Make Your Own Origami

MEMORIAL

See more than 125 planes flying around Oolagah Lake during the Will Rogers/Wiley Post Fly-In, a day of remembrance for the Okie legends. Aug. 11, 7:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m., Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch, willrogers.com

Mainline Art Bar: Plants & Places by John Wolfe Philbrook Downtown: Bean Dance: Hopi and Kachina Carvings TAC Gallery: Floating World by Nicole White Tulsa Glassblowing School: Demonstrations by Kenneth Gonzales

BALLET

Watch classes, rehearsals, and performances at the Tulsa Ballet Open House. Aug. 11, 9:30 a.m.–3 p.m., tulsaballet.org

DOCUMENTARY

Circle Cinema will screen the theatrical premiere of Oil Capital Underground, a documentary on Tulsa’s punk and thrash scene of the late 70s through 90s, followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers. Aug. 3, $7.50–$9.50, circlecinema.com

AUTHOR

Khaled Beydoun will discuss his new book, “American Islamophobia,” which explores the roots and rise in fear on American Muslims. Aug. 11, 3–5 p.m., Mercy Cafe, cairoklahoma.com

NEWS AWARDS

Tulsa Press Club hosts the Newsies Awards, which celebrate local journalism. Aug. 3, 6–9 p.m., tulsapressclub.org

38 // ARTS & CULTURE

Find more events in our Performing Arts Guide, pg. 23 and at thetulsavoice.com/calendar August 1 – 14, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

Josey Records hosts a Back to School Donation Drive and concert. Saturday will feature local hip-hop with Alan Doyle, Verse, Written Quincey, and more. Sunday is for rockers with John Moreland, Holy Void, Girls Club, and more.

Aug. 11–12, facebook.com/ joseyrecordstulsa

BEST OF THE REST EVENTS Beach Street // 8/4–5, BOK Center, beachstreettulsa.com OUTRA Art Experience // 8/4, Behind Papa Ganouj & Blackbird On Pearl, facebook.com/ undergroundtreestudios Back To School Carnival // 8/5, Dennis R. Neill Equality Center, facebook.com/thepoweroffamilies Jurassic Quest Evolved // 8/10–12, Cox Business Center, jurassicquest.com/tulsa

Open Mic Comedy // 8/13, Centennial Lounge at VFW Post 577, facebook.com/ centennilloungetulsa

SPORTS Tulsa Drillers vs Arkansas Travelers // 8/2, ONEOK Field, tulsadrillers.com Xtreme Fight Night 350 // 8/3, Paradise Cove at River Spirit Casino, riverspirittulsa.com Tulsa Drillers vs Arkansas Travelers // 8/3, ONEOK Field, tulsadrillers.com

That 90s Party // 8/11 , The Venue Shrine, tulsashrine.com

Tulsa Drillers vs Arkansas Travelers // 8/4, ONEOK Field, tulsadrillers.com

The Queens // 8/11 , Dennis R. Neill Equality Center, okeq.org

Tulsa Drillers vs Arkansas Travelers // 8/5, ONEOK Field, tulsadrillers.com

PERFORMING ARTS

Tulsa Roughnecks FC vs OKC Energy FC // 8/8, ONEOK Field, roughnecksfc.com

Rising Star Quartet Contest // 8/10, ORU’s Global Learning Center, risingstarquartetcontest.com

COMEDY Gabriel Rutledge, Rafe Williams // 8/1–8/4, Loony Bin, tulsa.loonybincomedy.com James Johann, Mike Brody // 8/8–11, Loony Bin, tulsa.loonybincomedy.com Open Mic Comedy // 8/6, Centennial Lounge at VFW Post 577, facebook.com/ centennilloungeTulsa

THE TULSA VOICE // August 1 – 14, 2018

Tulsa Roughnecks FC vs Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC // 8/11 , ONEOK Field, roughnecksfc.com TU Men’s Soccer vs SIUE // 8/11, Hurricane Stadium, tulsahurricane.com

SPECIAL GUESTS

John fullbright &

the red dirt rangers

saturday 8:45 pm

PBR: Unleash the Beast // 8/11–12, BOK Center, bokcenter.com Tulsa Drillers vs Corpus Christi Hooks // 8/14, ONEOK Field, tulsadrillers.com ORU Men’s Soccer vs USAO // 8/14, Case Soccer Complex, oruathletics.com

ARTS & CULTURE // 39

musicnotes

Vixen plays at Streets Gone Wild in front of IDL Ballroom in Sept. 2016. | TRENT SCHOENHALS

‘Lick it up!’

IDL Ballroom’s ‘hair metal’ showcase pours some sugar on rock-hungry Tulsa

by BRADY WHISENHUNT

T

here is something enduring and unrestrainable about the music of the hard rock bands that flourished in the 1980s before the advent of the grunge era. Bands like Twisted Sister, Ratt, and Tesla—along with their fans—have weathered a mainstream media that mocked and trivialized iconic, driving rock anthems ever since it became more fashionable to be glum and weary than glossy and wired.

To accept the term “hair band” as a valid category in the taxonomy of rock is to link the genre to fashion. Fashion is fleeting, but rock and roll means something. It is a powerful, virulent, transformative force. If “hair metal” is a fair way to describe a band like Dokken’s music, then why isn’t “bell bottom rock” an appropriate term for the spooky, romantic awesomeness of Blue Öyster Cult?

Eddie Trunk, radio personality and host of VH1’s That Metal 40 // MUSIC

Show, is ready for the bias against 80s bands to die already.

“I think that the music was heavily, heavily marginalized and ridiculed when the 90s came around, and unfortunately to some degree it still does carry the stigma—which is just ridiculous, but it does,” said Trunk, an outspoken champion of 80s hard rock. “And I think that it’s hopefully starting to erode a little bit. What I think people are really starting to realize about this music is that it has become a new generation’s classic rock.”

In interviews, Trunk has referred to Tulsa as his second home. His first encounter with Tulsa’s devoted rock community came in 2007 when he started hosting the annual Rocklahoma festival, but his connection to Tulsa deepened when he met Doug Burgess. In September of 2016, Burgess was a title sponsor for the Farm Rock: Streets Gone

Wild festival, which promised three days of 80s bands in downtown Tulsa. However, on the second day, an unfortunate situation almost brought the music to a grinding halt.

Burgess said it was Eddie Trunk who opened his eyes to a growing concern behind the scenes: The fest promoter had run out of money and skipped town.

That’s when Stubwire owner Brad Wickwire, IDL Ballroom owner Tom Green, and production tech Luke Nagel put up their own cash to pay the bands.

The hard, hook-heavy show went on.

Afterwards came talk of collaboration. “Tom and I discussed doing this again in the future,” Burgess said. “But we would do it right, where everybody would get paid. And that’s how this really started.”

Burgess’ promotional company, D.E.B. Concerts, brought

Winger in to play the IDL Ballroom in February of 2017. Since then, the list of bands that have played there is a who’s who of epic screamers and shredders who in their heyday packed stadiums with screaming fans—bands whose logos were at one time hand-scrawled in ballpoint pen on countless Trapper Keepers.

Dokken, Tom Kiefer of Cinderella, Lita Ford, Jack Russell’s Great White, Warrant, Firehouse, Slaughter, LA Guns, and Stryper have all rocked the IDL. Trunk, who flies in from New Jersey to host every show, regularly gives on-air shout outs to Tulsa on his radio program, keeping his nationwide audience up to speed about the IDL shows.

“I don’t really see many differences from city to city,” Trunk said. “The one thing that I noticed about Tulsa—and always have since I first started going there—is the passion for the music. They’re August 1 – 14, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

genuinely excited that the band is there, and they’re fully engaged in the show. They’re all pushed against the front of the stage watching. That’s something I can say is really nice to see.”

Dokken played the IDL to a pumped, packed crowd in early July. I talked to a devoted Dokken fan who caught the show. She said she’s loved the band since they were in regular rotation on MTV, and that getting to see them live was like a dream come true. “I’d never seen them in person,” she said. “It’s always been a fantasy of mine.”

She described the feeling of seeing Dokken in a smaller venue like the IDL Ballroom. “It was an absolute blast. You could just feel the energy. It felt like seeing a local band, and not . . . Dokken,” she said with a smile.

It’s one thing to see a rock band outside at a big festival or a state fair, with the music bleeding off into the wind. But real fans crave the opportunity to see the band in a setting that honors the energy of a sound that was smelted, shaped, hammered out, and sharpened in small, dark rock clubs—places like Hollywood rock institutions The Cathouse and the Whisky a Go Go. “In a way, IDL has become our Whiskey a Go Go,” Scott Squires said. His cover band, Rocket Science, opened up for Dokken during their July show. They’ve been stirring up IDL crowds with songs from bands like Mötley Crüe, Ozzy Osbourne, and Cinderella for more than a year.

“I’m the guy in the back that nobody knows,” said IDL Ballroom’s Stage Manager Billy Bristol, who works on over 200 shows in a given year, splitting his time between Cain’s Ballroom, the BOK Center, and the IDL. From his vantage point, he gets to watch the reason for the concerts: the fans. “To see the audience reaction when the artist comes on the stage . . . it’s an amazing feeling.”

Bristol will be working production of the upcoming shows, including Faster Pussycat on Aug. 18, Sebastian Bach on Oct. 5, and Kix on Nov. 3. Burgess hinted that two more big names—big names that approached him—are THE TULSA VOICE // August 1 – 14, 2018

being booked and should be announced soon.

Despite the local and national attention, the packed houses, and the killer audiences, Burgess never expects big returns. “I’m doing this out of love of the music, and to support the IDL Ballroom.

Tom Green gets revenue from the bar sales, but I’m just having fun,” he said.

Trent Schoenhals—who covers 80s rock and all things heavy on his

podcast, Thunder Underground— has gone to most of the IDL shows and has had many of the bands as guests on the show. He’s seen what Burgess’ work has done for fans of the music like himself.

“Doug is doing this because he’s passionate about it,” Schoenhals said. “And it’s a great thing for people who are fans of this music, because you have to be willing to go into it that way and just say, ‘Well, I love Winger enough that if

they don’t sell this place out, I’m still okay with the fact that I put on a great show.’”

The passion that keeps organizers going beyond the call of duty to bring rock and roll to the people reflects the passion seen in the crowds, and this seems to have something to do with Tulsa.

“Tulsa is a music town,” Squires said. “We love our music, and we love our hard rock. It’s in our veins.” a

MUSIC // 41

musiclistings Wed // Aug 1 Hard Rock Casino - Riffs – Running On Empty Los Cabos - BA – Caleb Fellenstein Los Cabos - Jenks – Weston Horn Mercury Lounge – In the Whale Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Kinky Friedman – ($15-$35) River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Weston Horn Soul City – Don & Stephen White Soundpony – The Matters, New Time Zones, Oceanaut The Colony – Tom Skinner Science Project The Vanguard – Stepping Stone, Iron Born, Give Way, Tell Lies – ($10)

Thurs // Aug 2 Fair Fellow Coffee Roasters – MisFEST Songwriting & Poetry Workshop w/ Kalyn Fay and Victoria McArtor – ($7-$15) Hard Rock Casino - Riffs – Doc Fell, House Party Los Cabos - BA – Local Spin Trio Los Cabos - Jenks – Zene Smith Duo Los Cabos - Owasso – Scott Pendergrass River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Trett Charles Soul City – The Begonias Soundpony – Road to Renewal w/ DJ Chicken Strip The Colony – Jacob Tovar’s Western Night The Colony – Chris Lee Becker - Happy Hour The Hunt Club – Mark Carpenter and Dustin Pittsley The Venue Shrine – Pop Up Jam Utica Square – Usual Suspects

Fri // Aug 3 41 Brookside – John D. Neal American Legion Post 308 – Round Up Boys Blackbird on Pearl – Robert Hoefling & Family, SCRONG – ($5) Buddy LaFortune Community Center – Beacon Drive Ed’s Hurricane Lounge – EverFade Hard Rock Casino - Riffs – Scott Eastman, Members Only Los Cabos - BA – Zodiac Los Cabos - Jenks – Midnight Riders Los Cabos - Owasso – Accoustique by Franklin Louie’s Bar & Grill – Rusty Cajun M & M Ole Time Tavern – The Chad Todd Band Mercury Lounge – John Baumann pH Community House – Green Corn Rebellion, klondike5 Soul City – The Dirtbox Wailers – ($10) Soul City – Susan Herndon - Happy Hour Soundpony – DJ WhyNot The Colony – The Dull Drums – ($5) The Hunt Club – Straight Shot The Max Retropub – DJ Jeff Bianca The Venue Shrine – Mountain Sprout – ($7-$10)

Sat // Aug 4 36th St North Event Center – Rockstar Ronnie – ($20-$30) 41 Brookside – Tequila Kim Reynolds Blackbird on Pearl – Sloppy Joe Fiasco, Echo Bones, Native Strange Cain’s Ballroom – Dylan Scott, Jesse Joice – ($22-$37) Dusty Dog Pub – Barry Seal Hard Rock Casino - Riffs – Kalo, Orphan Annie 42 // MUSIC

Los Cabos - BA – Weekend All Stars Los Cabos - Jenks – Str8ght Shot Los Cabos - Owasso – Weston Horn Mercury Lounge – Cassi Stephan and the Midnight Sun, Jess Nolan Soul City – Green Corn Rebellion, Snobug, Bodeen, Jess Nolan – ($10) Soundpony – Soul Night The Colony – Don White Band – ($5) The Hunt Club – Fuzed The Max Retropub – DJ Robbo The Vanguard – Knox Hamilton, Brother Sundance, Future Tapes – ($15-$30) Uncle Bently’s – Bucky Hopwood, Brady Hover Woody’s Corner Bar – Wayne Garner Band

Sun // Aug 5 Guthrie Green – Beau Roberson, Dustin Pittsley, Kalyn Fay, Rachel La Vonne, Chris Lee Becker Los Cabos - BA – Steve Liddell Los Cabos - Jenks – The Fabulous Two Man Band Maryn’s Taphouse & Raw Bar – Barrett Lewis Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Ashlee Elmore w/ Tim Shadley & Michael Bremo – ($5-$20) River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Brent Giddens Soul City – Bruner & Eicher Soul City – Gospel Brunch w/ Dustin Pittsley & Friends Soundpony – The Jibs The Colony – Paul Benjaman’s Sunday Nite Thing The Colony – Singer/Songwriter Open Mic Matinee hosted by David Hernandez The Hunt Club – Randy Crouch The Vanguard – Perspective, My Heart & Liver Are The Best of Friends, SPRNRML, Cheap Kites – ($10) The Venue Shrine – We Are Tulsa Tribute w/ Violent Victim, Oldman, Grind, Fist of Rage, and more – ($10-$12) The Venue Shrine – Green the Vote – ($5)

Mon // Aug 6 Centennial Lounge at VFW Post 577 – Dave Les Smith, Papa Foxtrot, and Friends Central Center, Centennial Park – The OK Karaoke Chorale River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – The Marriott’s Soundpony – We Are The Asteroid - Happy Hour Show The Colony – Seth Lee Jones The Colony – Ryan Browning - Happy Hour The Hunt Club – Stinky Gringos Reggae Jam The Venue Shrine – The Situation – ($5)

Tues // Aug 7 Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Depot Jazz and Blues Jams River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Jacob Dement Riverwalk Amphitheater – Austin French Smitty’s 118 Tavern – Scott Ellison Band The Colony – Dane Arnold & The Soup The Colony – Deerpaw - Happy Hour

Wed // Aug 8 Cain’s Ballroom – Nahko and Medicine for the People, Xiuhtezcatl – ($25-$40) Hard Rock Casino - Riffs – Bobby D Los Cabos - BA – Nick Whitaker Los Cabos - Jenks – Rockwell

Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Shelby and Nathan Eicher – ($10) River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Weston Horn Soul City – Don & Stephen White Soundpony – Panda Riot The Colony – Tom Skinner Science Project

Thurs // Aug 9 Cain’s Ballroom – Umphrey’s McGee, Spafford – ($27.50-$42.50) Centennial Lounge at VFW Post 577 – Brews, Brats, and Bodacious Music w/ Sloppy Joe Fiasco, Zoey Horner & Friends Colorfeed A/V – Sad Baxter, Sam Lloyd, Planet What, Ramona & The Phantoms Hard Rock Casino - Riffs – Dante Schmitz, Hook Hard Rock Casino - The Joint – Blondie – ($65-$85) Los Cabos - BA – The Hi-Fidelics Los Cabos - Jenks – Jacob Dement Trio Los Cabos - Owasso – Steve Liddell River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Trett Charles Soul City – The Begonias The Colony – Jacob Tovar’s Western Night The Colony – Chris Lee Becker - Happy Hour The Hunt Club – Dan Martin The Vanguard – Corkscrew Nose Dive – ($10) Utica Square – Doctors of Replay

Fri // Aug 10 41 Brookside – Sitting Ducks American Legion Post 308 – Joe Harris Bounty Lounge – Cody Woody Fuel 66 – Burn Tulsa w/ Robert Hoefling, Rhizomorphic, Henry + The Invisibles, Konkoba Percussion Hard Rock Casino - Riffs – Trett Charles, Allison Arms Hard Rock Casino - The Joint – Martina McBride – ($55-$75) Los Cabos - BA – Doctors of Replay Los Cabos - Jenks – Speakeasy Los Cabos - Owasso – Brent Giddens Trio Louie’s Bar & Grill – Rusty Cajun Mercury Lounge – Basil Trio Soul City – Scott Musick & Friends Soul City – Susan Herndon - Happy Hour Soundpony – My Brother and Me The Beehive Lounge – Jarrod Turner The Colony – Count Tutu – ($10) The Hunt Club – Smunty Voje The Max Retropub – Afistaface Woody Guthrie Center – Chris Lee Becker album release w/ Dylan Layton and Jared Tyler, Kalyn Fay – ($20)

Sat // Aug 11 41 Brookside – Dan Martin 918 Coffee – Kinda Collective Bad Ass Renee’s – Labadie House, Stellar Ascent, Forbidden Serenity, Highdive Blackbird on Pearl – The Danner Party – ($5) Blue Rose Café – Tyler Brant C.J. Maloney’s – Julie & The Retrospex Cain’s Ballroom – B.B. King’s Blues Band featuring Tito Jackson – ($20-$70) Fur Shop – Slick Grip, Finding September Hard Rock Casino - Riffs – Travis Marvin, Hybrid

Josey Records – Back to School w/ Alan Doyle Keeng Cut, Verse, Written Quincey, Sugashort, Paparyzi, ChasingRyan, I Am DES, Krisheena Suarez, Jarry Manna, Ali Shaw, Buddy Rodriguez Lennie’s Club & Grill – Circle Los Cabos - BA – Usual Suspects Los Cabos - Jenks – House Party Los Cabos - Owasso – Recommended Dose Mercury Lounge – The Fabulous Minx, The Big News Soul City – Branjae – ($10) Soundpony – Pony Disco Club The Colony – Tarantino Night w/ Hernadi & Jones The Hunt Club – RPM The Max Retropub – DJ AB The Venue Shrine – That 90s Party – ($16-$20) Woody’s Corner Bar – The Rumor

Sun // Aug 12 Blackbird on Pearl – Calliope Musicals – ($5) Cain’s Ballroom – Senior Star Round-Up w/ Cowboy Jones, The Round Up Boys – ($10) Central Center, Centennial Park – The OK Karaoke Chorale Elwood’s – Donnie Evetts Josey Records – Back to School w/ John Moreland, Girls Club, Holy Void, Plastic Psalms, Cucumber and the Suntans, Evan Hughes Los Cabos - BA – Daniel Jordan Los Cabos - Jenks – The Fabulous Two Man Band Maryn’s Taphouse & Raw Bar – Barrett Lewis Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Annie Ellicott w/ The Modern Oklahoma Jazz Orchestra – ($5-$20) River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Brent Giddens Soul City – Bruner & Eicher Soul City – Gospel Brunch w/ Dustin Pittsley & Friends The Colony – Paul Benjaman’s Sunday Nite Thing The Colony – Singer/Songwriter Open Mic Matinee hosted by David Hernandez The Venue Shrine – A Benefit for Danny Baker – ($5)

Mon // Aug 13 Centennial Lounge at VFW Post 577 – Dave Les Smith, Papa Foxtrot, and Friends River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – The Marriott’s Soundpony – Lyrical Smoke w/ Kid Kev, Drag Dinero, Adam The god, Derricc Waters, Wotko, Pudge, Rxg7r The Colony – Seth Lee Jones The Colony – Ryan Browning - Happy Hour The Vanguard – Pickwick Commons, Obscure Sanity – ($10) The Venue Shrine – The Situation – ($5)

Tues // Aug 14 Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Depot Jazz and Blues Jams pH Community House – Snailmate, Rachel Bachman River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Jacob Dement The Colony – Dane Arnold & The Soup The Colony – Deerpaw - Happy Hour

August 1 – 14, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

1020 S ROCKFORD AVE #B THE PEARL DISTRICT 918.398.6588 JOSEYRECORDS.COM

Tasty Treats For The Dog Days* *The hot period of the summer reckoned in ancient times from the heliacal rising of Sirius (the Dog Star).

Bacon I Smell Bacon

I Love Cheese

Macarons

Pupcake

Boxed Lunch

Rotisserie Chicken

Grilled Cheese

Birthday Cake

We offer Tulsa’s best selection of baked treats and healthier, premium foods.

THE TULSA VOICE // August 1 – 14, 2018

1778 UTICA SQUARE • 918-624-2600 OPEN MON.-SAT., 10-6

MUSIC // 43

onscreen

Thrill of the hunt

Filmmaker John Swab, clean and sober, imagines Tulsa as an industrial wasteland

by MARY NOBLE ore than 10 years ago, I met John Swab and learned that he was a painter—but he doesn’t really do that anymore.

“It’s too isolating,” he said. “I had a pretty gnarly drug habit for a long time and I kind of had to nix that. I have people I collaborate with in film and I’m a little more accountable.”

Swab will be three years sober on August 23.

A writer, director, and Tulsa native, Swab has had a passion for filmmaking since childhood. “My uncle was a screenwriter when I was a kid. He lived in LA, and he’d come back, and I just thought it was the coolest thing in the world,” he said. “He passed away when I was 18 or 19.”

Swab finished his first screenplay at the age of 19. Not quite ready to produce a full length feature, he partnered with co-director Corey Asraf on the short film, “Judas’ Chariot.” (This was a prologue of sorts to what would eventually be called “Let Me Make You a Martyr.”) The pair debuted “Judas’ Chariot” in venues across the country, including Circle Cinema, in an effort to garner support and financial backing.

Swab was eventually able to acquire enough funds to not only make the feature, but also to include Mark Boone Junior (“Sons of Anarchy”) and Marilyn Manson on the cast list. Filmed in Tulsa, Owasso, and Sand Springs, “Let Me Make You a Martyr” is a bleak portrayal of rural life in the Bible Belt and its ominous, crime-ridden underbelly.

Swab said the biggest lesson he learned from his first film was about writing and the value of constructive criticism. “I had nev-

M

44 // FILM & TV

John Swab | GREG BOLLINGER

er written anything before then,” he said. “We were all so innocent and young, and nobody would tell me I’m wrong, or ‘no.’ No one was challenging me on anything.”

Like many creatives, Swab is critical of his previous work. But he couldn’t deny the level of accomplishment from his first go at filmmaking and soon began work on another—this time without a co-director.

Sixty or so rewrites later, Swab is gearing up to film his forthcoming movie, “Run with the

Hunted.” It’s the story of a boy named Oscar, who is forced to flee his small town after committing a murder to save his best friend’s life. Oscar escapes to the nearest big city, an industrial wasteland, where he is inducted into a gang of child street thieves.

The film then jumps ahead 15 years: Oscar is now the leader of a band of children, and the girl he saved so long ago has set out to find him.

“Run with the Hunted”— scheduled to premiere at Circle

Cinema sometime next year—will be filmed August 6–31 in Hominy, a small town in Osage County, and in Tulsa.

“I’ve really got some great locations. I’ve got the Admiral Twin for a drive-in scene. I’ve got this great abandoned warehouse where they used to fix the trolley cars, and an abandoned jail on Charles Page [Boulevard],” Swab said.

While filmed in Oklahoma, the movie isn’t set here. Swab described the setting of the film as a “pseudo non-reality before cell phones; it’s all old—nothing that would suggest anything new.

“I’ve got some pretty seasoned actors in this one that I’ve spent a lot of time with, who have really helped me hone this thing and get it to where everybody knows exactly what the hell is going on,” Swab said. A Tulsan named Mitchell Paulsen will play young Oscar, and the majority of the child bandits will also be locals.

Looking back, Swab acknowledged how life has improved since his decision to get sober.

“I’m pretty happy about it.

I feel a lot better and the people around me are happy,” Swab said.

While he isn’t actively painting anymore, it played a role in his recovery. He taught art to people going through detox and continued teaching when he got out of rehab.

“My hardest thing I had to learn was that drugs aren’t my problem,” Swab said. “I was the problem, and drugs were just a symptom—a way of me dealing with however the fuck I thought I should feel—so my issue now is me, and just keeping myself in check and making sure I’m a considerate human being. That’s the hardest part now.” a August 1 – 14, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

onscreen

Elsie Fisher in “Eighth Grade” | COURTESY

CLICKBAIT CRUISIN’ FOR

Tom Cruise in “Mission: Impossible - Fallout” | COURTESY

Social media magnifies adolescent angst in ‘Eighth Grade’ WELL, THAT WAS AWKWARD. With piercing, at times overwhelming, accuracy, “Eighth Grade” captures the trauma of adolescence like few films have.

The experience is akin to watching a horror movie, gasping and wincing as you avert your eyes from cringe-worthy embarrassment that’s just too painful to watch.

This story of a 13-year-old girl during her last week of middle school is often funny, too, but it all adds up to an unflinching look at one of life’s most difficult seasons.

The Sundance Film Festival hit isn’t so much a coming-of-age story as it is a feature-length trigger for a teenager’s worst fears, sure to resonate with those currently navigating these anxieties while resurrecting them for those who once did.

This is made even more difficult by social media. Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and the like are tools meant to help us connect with others and express who we are— but young teenagers often struggle with the former, because they’re still unsure about the latter. Social media compounds these challenges while also serving as a mask for them, an irony explored to great effect in “Eighth Grade.”

First-time writer/director Bo Burnham is a bit of a sage on the subject. He’s a 27-year-old comedian who got his start posting YouTube videos from his bedroom.

He found success as an early adopter of a platform that has become, in the decade since, obnoxiously ubiquitous.

“Eighth Grade” may be about a young girl, but Burnham has undoubtedly mined his own personal biography. Now outspoken about his own concerns with social media, this cautionary indictment comes off as a humbled mea culpa.

THE TULSA VOICE // August 1 – 14, 2018

Newcomer Elsie Fisher plays Kayla Day, a quiet girl whose shyness belies her inner extrovert. She’s bursting with emotions and thoughts and feelings, but she’s too insecure to express them. In her first effort to put herself out there, she creates a YouTube channel for self-help videos, offering the kind of social advice she might benefit from applying to her own life. The authority she exudes online, however, completely crumbles in the real world.

That starts to change as Kayla begins making attempts to follow the counsel of her own videos. The results are often agonizing to watch. Each moment festers in awkward silence, but the humiliation is deafening. Worse yet, Kayla’s desperation to fit in also opens her up to new risks.

Her single dad is sincere and engaged, even sensitive, but he’s ill-equipped to help Kayla navigate this transition. Kayla uses her cell phone as a wall between them, which doesn’t help, but Burnham sympathizes with both parent and child.

We don’t take sides in their conflict. Burnham has us rooting for both.

Along with this empathetic insight, Burnham displays a confidence in filmmaking that exceeds his home video origins.

He utilizes a vérité style but with intention, painting a skillful cinematic portrait of his subject. The budget may be low, but the quality isn’t.

Even when things appear they may go right for Kayla, we’re waiting for another shoe to drop. Sometimes it does— but not always—and by the end of this pubescent gauntlet, there’s comfort in a simple ideal: The coolest person in the room is the one who’s the most generous.

—JEFF HUSTON

A BRUISIN’

Tom Cruise, king of the summer blockbuster, reclaims his crown in ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’ “MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FALLOUT” ups the ante established by its high-energy predecessors with more death-defying stunts and mind-bending twists.

In the latest installment of the TV series turned cinematic franchise, Ethan Hunt’s mission, should he choose to accept it (spoiler alert: he does), is to retrieve three plutonium cores before they fall into the hands of a terrorist cell known as The Apostles who want to trigger a nuclear fallout as a way of global peacekeeping. Faced with a life or death decision, Hunt chooses to save his colleague, Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames), over the fate of the world. Is this decision Hunt’s greatest downfall or his greatest strength?

It’s a decision that lands him in hot water with CIA Director Erica Sloane (Angela Basset). Sloane assigns August Walker, a thuggish pitbull of an operative played

by Henry Cavill, to babysit Hunt’s recovery mission at all costs. What ensues is two hours and 27 minutes of globe-trotting, jaw-dropping, white-knuckled action that puts this year’s glut of summer blockbusters to shame.

Writer/director Christopher McQuarrie is at the helm—the only director to return to the “M.I.” franchise—and he’s in rare form here. McQuarrie is known for his labyrinthine plotting and laconic dialog, and this film is the perfect canvas for his talents. He weaves a plot of espionage and

duplicity so intricate and knotted you’d think it was a pair of iPhone earbuds long lost at the bottom of your backpack.

It’s worth repeating that “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” is not messing around with the action. Gone is the heavy reliance on CGI and snap-zoom cheats designed to make the action feel more thrilling. Instead, McQuarrie and Cruise pack more real-life physical stunt work in this film. It’s no wonder Cruise broke his ankle performing one of the movie’s more routine stunts and still climbs to his feet sprinting off, visibly pained.

Cruise suffers for our entertainment here, making “Fallout” the most high-impact installment of the series. This film is a marvel of tactile, physical stunts and hand-to-hand action that doesn’t feel choppy or clipped. Aside from some careful reliance upon wire-rigging, there’s never a set-piece that feels compromised or rushed for the sake of “energy” or computer-generated cheating.

It’s a testament to Tom Cruise’s status as our greatest living action hero that, after 22 years and six films, the “Mission: Impossible” franchise hasn’t lost any steam. It continues to deliver some of the most awe-inspiring, in-camera stunt work to be captured on the big screen. The latest film is wildly entertaining and one of this year’s best to boot.

—CHARLES ELMORE FILM & TV // 45

There is no FEAR IN LOVE; but perfect love CASTETH OUT FEAR.

Laurel and Hardy | COURTESY

FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST, SCIENTIST 924 S. Boulder Church & Sunday School • 10:30am Wednesday Meeting • 6:00pm Reading Room • Mon. & Wed. • 11am-1pm

Tulsa’s independent and non-profit art-house theatre, showing independent, foreign, and documentary films.

TELL US WHAT YOU’RE DOING “Your lobes smell great!”

Essential Oil Diffuser Plugs

So we can tell everyone else Send all your event and music listings to voices@langdonpublishing.com

FREE

STUFF!

REGISTER BY AUG. 31

thetulsavoice.com

SANDWICH MONTH GIVEAWAY! $250 package includes gift cards for: Queenie’s Cafe, Phat Philly’s, Baxter’s Interurban Grill, Burn Co. and Chimera.

FREE IT ’S L E G A L T IL L

Tulsa’rsee F ONLY u na Marij yaer Law

OPENING AUGUST 3 EIGHTH GRADE This acclaimed debut from the Sundance Film Festival follows a 13-year-old girl through her final week of middle school. Shy and awkward, she tries to overcome her anxieties and fears of rejection to make a real connection with her peers, beyond the surface level of social media. Rated R. HOT SUMMER NIGHTS Academy Award nominee Timothée Chalamet (“Call Me By Your Name”) stars as a Cape Cod teenager who gets in over his head in the drug trade while falling for the sister of his drug-dealing partner. Rated R.

WE’RE GIVING AWAY AT

A BRIEF RUNDOWN OF WHAT’S HAPPENING AT THE CIRCLE CINEMA

Free legal representation for first offense marijuana possession.

Tulsa District & City Courts only.

No juvenile cases.

Reasonable fees for other charges.

Some restrictions apply.

OIL CAPITAL UNDERGROUND A new documentary about Tulsa’s underground music scene—from rock to punk to thrash metal—from the late 1970s to the early 1990s, focusing on the popular local bands and clubs of the era through archival footage and interviews. The 7:30 p.m. showing on Friday, Aug. 3, is followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Bryan Cain and musicians Dave Cantrell and Terry Waska. Not Rated.

OPENING AUGUST 10 GENERATION WEALTH Our current culture has produced the richest society that the world has ever seen. This new documentary investigates the pathologies that have created it. From director Lauren Greenfield (“The Queen of Versailles”). Rated R.

SPECIAL EVENTS LAUREL AND HARDY SHORTS (1928) Second Saturday Silents presents two short films from the iconic comedy duo of the early Hollywood era, Laurel and Hardy: “You’re Darn Tootin’” and “Too Tars,” both from 1928.

A Felix the Cat silent cartoon short will be an added attraction. Bill Rowland accompanies on the Circle’s 1928 pipe organ. Tickets $5 for adults, $2 for 16 and under. (Sat. Aug. 11, 11:00 a.m.)

Mondays are Free Popcorn Day for Circle members. $2 Tuesdays for TU Students.

Michael Fairchild • Attorney at Large • 918-58-GRASS (584-7277) 46 // FILM & TV

August 1 – 14, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

THE FUZZ THE TULSA VOICE SPOTLIGHTS: TULSA SPCA

2910 Mohawk Blvd. | MON, TUES, THURS, FRI & SAT, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 918.428.7722

CARSON is a happy-go-lucky little Chihuahua terrier mix. He’s a year and a half old and weighs 15 pounds. Carson is a very high energy little guy and would do great with an active family with children. He would be so happy to zip around in the back yard with some older kids.

ACROSS 1 Aids for those far from the stage 4 Be a gawker 9 Q-tip 13 In ___ of (alternatively) 17 Back, to a captain 18 Non-P.C. flyers 19 Tidal bore 21 Transgresses 22 Four canned things 26 Any mom in May 27 Bomb finder 28 Embellisher 29 Where waves are created 30 Canine plaything 31 Dropped drug 32 Formed 35 Seriously bandage up 38 Insanity, in court 42 One cutting corners?

45 Two canned things 47 Honey alternative?

48 Toast type 50 Is not blind to 51 Bathsheba’s ill-fated hubby 52 Bitterly harsh-tasting 54 Hatchery sound 55 Bridgestone abbr.

56 Violent and gory 57 Some descendants of Muhammad (var.)

59 Household hot spot 61 Relaxing spots 63 Four canned things 71 Bluish-green shade 72 Horrific event 73 Derived by logic 74 Brings smiles to

78 Fourth-qtr. followers 81 Not a fantasy 83 Toss as useless 84 Some sports commentary 85 Tropical fever 86 “Mother” with lots of dirt 88 ___ Christian Andersen 89 Three canned things 92 Preparing (with “up”) 94 Burn the outside of 95 U.S. neighbor 96 Estimate follower 97 Dines simply 98 Thing under the knee 101 Like days of yore 106 Table condiment 110 Like G-rated stuff 112 Indonesia’s capital 114 Five canned things 117 First name of 68-Down 118 Underground network 119 Sound from a fountain 120 Fitting and logical 121 “The World of Suzie ___” 122 Upper part of a glacier 123 Like craft shows 124 “The Partridge Family” regular DOWN 1 Ottoman VIP 2 Happening now, as “the game” 3 Delivers awesome news to 4 King, to subjects 5 Test T 6 “Bon” follower

KINLEY is a 2 ½ year old Staffordshire bull terrier mix who weighs in at 61 pounds. Kinley is an absolute sweetheart. She loves strangers and is calm and laid back. She adapts well to whatever kind of attention you want to give her – soft and gentle or maybe a little rougher. She would do well in a variety of homes and would be great with children. Kinley loves water and likes to roll around in her kiddie pool.

7 Like a ’60sthemed party 8 ___ a sour note 9 Utah lily 10 Drift on air, as smoke 11 Long, long tail?

12 Brings up, as a subject 13 Examine lasciviously 14 Persia, now 15 Marine bird 16 Cold War country 18 Common house type 20 Whirlpools 23 An NFL team is named after his poem 24 Very heavy 25 Human chassis, for short 30 Classic TV comedian Milton 31 Godless state 33 Pitch generator 34 Place for serious fishing 36 Bee’s kin 37 Vegas desirables 38 Gilpin of sitcoms 39 Hawaiian souvenirs 40 Bibliog. space saver 41 Rosy? No. 42 Super-manly 43 Construction piece 44 ___ firma (land) 45 ___ New Guinea 46 College treasurers 47 Strong fiber 49 Daniel the great golfer 53 Dry, sharp-tasting British beers 56 Sound of astonishment 58 Hated rivals 60 Upscale ride maker

62 Hymnal’s relative 64 Campaign poster phrases 65 Livelier, on the Pacific 66 Territory 67 Chinese fruit 68 “Happy Days” co-star 69 Huge ape 70 Small, quick bites 74 Parts of “Hamlet” 75 Pained look 76 A human 30-Across 77 Emulate a majestic eagle 79 Marching band member 80 Common planting 82 Fluorescent lamp gas 85 Adjustment 87 “Rumor ___ it ...”

90 Pertaining to the eyes 91 “Erase” anagram 93 First-year pro 97 Type of fly?

99 “___ left at the light” 100 Sustain 102 Track revolution 103 Be fearful and reluctant 104 A day’s march 105 Ill-tempered 106 Merganser 107 Money unit since 2002 108 “B ___ bird” 109 Squeal, in slang 110 Security surveillance network 111 Not be in the winner’s circle 112 Fast country dances 113 Supporter in 72-Across 115 Fishy delicacy 116 Postmenopausal treatment letters

Find the answers to this issue’s crossword puzzle at thetulsavoice.com/puzzle-solutions.

THE TULSA VOICE // August 1 – 14, 2018

The Tulsa SPCA has been helping animals in our area since 1913. The shelter never euthanizes for space and happily rescues animals from high-kill shelters. They also accept owner surrenders, rescues from cruelty investigations, hoarding, and puppy mill situations. Animals live on-site or with foster parents until they’re adopted. All SPCA animals are micro-chipped, vaccinated, spayed/neutered, and treated with preventatives.

Learn about volunteering, fostering, upcoming events, adoptions, and their low-cost vaccination clinic at tulsaspca.org.

SUNNY is an 11-month-old mixed breed and weighs 52 pounds.

She has stolen a lot of hearts here at the Tulsa SPCA. Sunny is very kind-hearted and can be a bit shy around new people. After you have taken the time to get to know Sunny, her confidence will blossom and she will have a thousand kisses for you.

LUCY is a beautiful, solid black 4-year-old domestic shorthair. She is shy in new environments at first, but after she gets to know you, she will follow you around asking for affection. She loves treats! Lucy would be good with any family but just needs a little bit of time to bond.

UNIVERSAL SUNDAY CROSSWORD YES I CAN X 18

By Timothy E. Parker

© 2018 Andrews McMeel Syndication

8/5 ETC. // 47

Pleas e re cycle this issue.