The Tulsa Voice | Vol. 3 No. 5

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FEB. 17 - MAR. 1, 2016

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February 17 – March 1, 2016 // THE TULSA VOICE 1/27/16 11:52 AM

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THE TULSA VOICE // February 17 – March 1, 2016

CONTENTS // 3

4 // CONTENTS

February 17 – March 1, 2016 // THE TULSA VOICE

contents

Feb. 17 – Mar. 1, 2016 // vol. 3 no. 5

Bull in the Alley | VALERIE GRANT OF TULSAFOOD.COM

N E W S & C O M M EN TA RY

Restoring trust at TCSO What should we look for in a sheriff?

MARQ LEWIS // 8 12 // P rogressive policing?

Mitch Gilliam, advocate

Candidates for sheriff offer ideas for fixing TCSO forumreport

18

Eat global Eritrean and Ethiopian Cafe brings authentic African cuisine to Tulsa

INSIDE TULSA’S (SORT-OF) SECRET LOUNGE

MEGAN SHEPHERD // 14

A RT & M U S I C

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COVER PHOTO BY VALERIE GRANT OF TULSAFOOD.COM

We Make Shapes releases debut EP

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD Send all letters, complaints, compliments & haikus to:

voices@ langdonpublishing.com PUBLISHER Jim Langdon MANAGING EDITOR Joshua Kline ART DIRECTOR Madeline Crawford ASSISTANT EDITOR Liz Blood DIGITAL EDITOR John Langdon GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Morgan Welch, Georgia Brooks PHOTOGRAPHY/MULTIMEDIA Greg Bollinger

facebook.com/thetulsavoice twitter.com/thetulsavoice instagram.com/thetulsavoice

MITCH GILLIAM // 34 28 // T ulsa flushed

30 // T he faceted self

M.W. Vernon, soubrette

Liz Blood, understudy

Deconstructing the shit show

Rick Bartow exhibition haunts, amuses, inspires

to i l e t ta l k

at t h e g i l c r e a s e

FILM & TV 38 // # OscarsSoLame Joe O’Shansky, sharpshooter

The Academy is old, white and out of touch filmphiles

AD SALES MANAGER Josh Kampf CONTRIBUTORS Mark Brown, Barry Friedman, Mitch Gilliam, Valerie Grant, Landry Harlan, Marq Lewis, Melissa Lukenbaugh, Shadi Nadri, Joe O’Shansky, Michelle Pollard, Megan Shepherd, M.W. Vernon

oklahomaeducation

FOOD & DRINK

Finding the bull

BY M A RK BROWN

13 // Milk money

Liz Blood, inquisitor Six questions with Steffie Corcoran

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 ADMIN. ASSISTANT Rachel Webb RECEPTION Gloria Brooks, Gene White

The Tulsa Voice’s distribution is audited annually by Circulation Verification Council THE TULSA VOICE // February 17 – March 1, 2016

42 // We want to believe Landry Harlan, skeptic

‘The X-Files’ reboot stumbles but shows promise popradar

REGULARS // 10 viewsfromtheplains // 16 downthehatch 32 thehaps // 36 musiclistings // 44 thefuzz // 45 news of the weird CONTENTS // 5

editor’sletter

L

ast year was a complete train wreck for the Tulsa County Sheriff ’s Office. Over the course of several months, we watched years of cronyism, corruption and complacency come to light thanks to the vigilance of local media—specifically The Frontier and Tulsa World—and the tireless work of citizen activist group We The People Oklahoma.

The scandal began with the tragic shooting death of Eric Harris and ended with the indictment and ouster of Sheriff Stanley Glanz.

As the story unfolded, a picture slowly emerged. We learned that Robert Bates, the 74 yearold insurance executive/reserve deputy who shot Harris during a sting after mistaking his gun for a taser, ran Glanz’s 2012 re-election campaign and donated money and vehicles to TCSO. We learned that he had not completed the

required training hours to be a reserve deputy. We learned that the gun he used to kill Harris was his personal firearm, not issued by the department.

We learned that TCSO was in chaos, and deeply divided. Deputies were forced to play favorites and overlook incompetence. Potentially incriminating office memos and records were “lost,” only to pop up in the media through anonymous leaks.

Even the things the sheriff seemed to get right turned out to be rotten. According to a Frontier investigation published just last week, Glanz bragged in a 2011 letter to the Department of Justice that TCSO had “set the bar” for other departments to follow in the prevention of sexual assaults inside the jail. Glanz and his chief deputy who prepared the statistics, Michelle Robinette, testified under oath before a fed-

eral review panel on prison rape that only two sexual assaults had occurred inside the jail between 2008 and 2010.

But The Frontier’s investigation found that not only was the number of documented sexual assaults closer to 20, but several of them were perpetrated by TCSO detention officers, including multiple assaults and rapes of a 17 year-old girl held in the jail.

Then-Chief Deputy Robinette, who provided those dishonest numbers to DOJ, is currently acting as interim sheriff.

I remind you of these infuriating facts because an election is coming up—one that’s arguably more important to our city than the looming presidential election.

On April 5, Tulsa will for the first time in 27 years elect a sheriff whose last name is not Glanz.

As We The People Oklahoma founder Marq Lewis points out on

page 8, we have an opportunity to remake TCSO into an institution that’s transparent and accountable to the citizens of Tulsa, not just its political patrons. As Mitch Gilliam observes on page 12, the political will is there, and the candidates are acting accordingly.

Many of you reading this probably signed We The People’s petition last year to impanel the grand jury that ultimately indicted Glanz.

Congratulations, you helped make this election happen. Now let’s finish the job.

Read up on the candidates. Go to the public forums. Stay engaged. For God’s sake, vote. a

JOSHUA KLINE MANAGING EDITOR

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6 // NEWS & COMMENTARY

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February 17 – March 1, 2016 // THE TULSA VOICE

yourvoice

AWARDS BEST OF TULSA | P8 ARE BACK!

Geez, liberals, progressives—what horribly miseducated people FEB. 3 - 16, 2016

//

VOL. 3 NO. 4

queens From fab drag ers, to rooftop fiddl for you Tulsa’s got a show P24

I

passed through Tulsa in mid-January and happened on a copy of The Tulsa Voice while driving cross-country. Your publication was informative, entertaining and well written. I will try to get another copy on my way east.

Thank you, Dennis

Harvey Pekar’s silly quote “America is a country where competition rather than co-operation is praised, where it’s thought that society will benefit from people being set against each other” (TTV Feb. A, “Fitter, Happier”) makes me ask just who sets people against each other. The competition comes from someone having an idea for a product that they think others will value more highly than a product already in the market. And you think there’s no co-operation? Then why have there been antitrust laws (kinda worthless) for over a century?

Geez liberals, progressives—what horribly miseducated people.

Anatoly Arutunoff, one of the founders of the Oklahoma Libertarian party in ‘75

If we’re going to change the constitution, let’s start with Freedom of The Press. I believe any news

THE TULSA VOICE // February 17 –Tulsa March 2016M.indd 1 2578 Tulsa Opera Streetcar Named Desire Voice1,9"x6"

broadcaster caught lying to the public should be sent straight to prison. Starting with the misrepresentation of firearms VS health issues (TTV Jan. B). 13,000 people die each day from smoking, only 30 from being shot. Yet Barry Friedman, and the rest of the “dog pee on snow” yellow journalists, never mention that. BUT WHY? Because Obama and the federal government aren’t interested in your health. They want to disarm you. They know the closer the Baby Boomers get to retirement and focus on how much money the government has actually stolen from the tax payers, they will do what George Bush Sr., said they would do. Chase them down the streets and hang them to the nearest TREES. We are at the beginning of a social revolution.

It’s the 2nd time this has happened in my life time. It’s not about Trump. He’s just the tip of a very large deep iceberg. Just watch what happens, if the stupid government continues, full speed ahead.

Ronnie Bishop.

Born on the 4th of July, Tulsa.

NEWS & COMMENTARY 2/2/16 4:39 // PM7

bottomline

Restoring trust at TCSO What should we look for in a sheriff?

by MARQ LEWIS

E

ditor’s note: Last April, a series of revelations in the wake of the shooting death of Eric Harris by a Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office reserve deputy resulted in a scandal that devoured most of the year and ended with the public’s trust in the office greatly diminished. On March 1, a special primary election will be held to pick a new sheriff, followed by a general election on April 5.

As founder of citizen activist group We The People Oklahoma, Marq Lewis helped draw the public’s attention to the scandal and initiated the grand jury petition that ultimately led to Sheriff Stanley Glanz’s indictment and ouster.

The Tulsa County Sheriff ’s Office (TCSO) is an integral part of law enforcement in Oklahoma. The office handles numerous duties including but not limited to security, maintaining the jail and, most importantly, protecting the citizens of Tulsa County. The new sheriff of the TCSO needs to be an individual of integrity, an effective leader, and a person who understands the needs of a diverse county.

The recent scandals in the TCSO show that a leader can either make or break an organization. We have witnessed firsthand how favoritism, cronyism, and lack of accountability can erode morale in the office, along with the public’s respect. The next Tulsa County Sheriff now has the responsibility to restore what has been broken and to build a new and better TCSO. The office of sheriff is an independent office and no individual or group hires or fires the sheriff. A sheriff must show the highest standards of integrity and 8 // NEWS & COMMENTARY

Marq Lewis | MICHELLE POLLARD

must hold him or herself accountable not only to the office but to the public he or she serves. The election of an individual to the sheriff office’s highest position should not be taken lightly. That individual must be accountable to the citizens, the constitution of the state, and the Constitution of The United States of America. A sheriff must be able to work effectively with government officials and all local, state and federal law enforcement, and not allow ego to get in the way of his or her duties.

Recently, the TCSO has suffered a major blow to its credibility, honesty, accountability, morale, and pride because of leadership—or the lack thereof. Our county needs a sheriff who can cross bridges, build relationships with diverse communities, collaborate with other agencies, take criticism, respond quickly to problems and make the necessary policy changes to allow the TCSO and the jail to run more efficiently and effectively.

What kind of leader do you want in the sheriff ’s office? What type of leadership will they bring?

Will it be more of the same passive leadership or will there be a combination of the transformational, goal-oriented, active role-modeling that we deserve in a sheriff ? What changes do they expect to accomplish? These are questions to consider as we, citizens of Tulsa County, choose who to elect.

What should we look for in a sheriff ? Someone who is accountable to all of the citizens of Tulsa County and not just to the political party he or she represents. We need a leader who understands how to handle a crisis situation.

This individual needs to welcome diversity and have an office that represents the people of the county in all departments, including upper management.

The new sheriff must give the deputies and detention officers the necessary tools to do their jobs more effectively. We must have a fiscally responsible leader who employs the necessary technology without overspending.

There should be no financial or familial ties to any contracting

company working with the department or jail. The new sheriff must have zero tolerance for corruption in the department even if it involves associates, friends, or family members.

What should we look for in a sheriff ? Someone who can support the needs of the employees in the TCSO along with the citizens of the county. The sheriff must demand adequate training for his staff and deputies in all areas, including mental health training. Ineffectively trained personnel leads to an ineffective department.

The new sheriff must also understand that inmates are people and not a commodity. Inmates are still citizens of the county and they have rights, which should be upheld, not violated. Abuses of inmates should not be tolerated.

The sheriff must find a way to make sure those who are physically or mentally ill receive adequate and proper medical treatment by law.

We The People Oklahoma presented the TCSO with a fivepoint plan to be used that can improve the relationship between the TCSO and the citizens of the county. The meetings we had with former acting sheriff Rick Weigel were informative and encouraging. These meetings need to continue with the new sheriff and action must be taken to adopt the five-point plan.

Tulsa County needs someone who can restore much needed order and accountability to the TCSO. It is a privilege and honor to be named Tulsa County Sheriff and the individual elected must understand service to the people comes before all else. This is what we, the people, are looking for in the new sheriff of Tulsa County. a

February 17 – March 1, 2016 // THE TULSA VOICE

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viewsfrom theplains

The state we’re in, part III It’s taxing.

by BARRY FRIEDMAN

V

ery near the end of Woody Allen’s “Love and Death,” a dead Boris Grushenko (Allen) appears to his former love, Sonja (Diane Keaton).

He is standing with Satan.

“What happened?” she asks, untroubled by or oblivious to the hooded figure holding a sickle.

“I don’t know,” says Boris, explaining how a vision came to him and told him all would turn out fine. “I got screwed.”

On February 1, Governor Mary Fallin gave her sixth State of the State Address.1 What happened?

We got screwed.

If we don’t adjust our tax structure to reflect this change in commerce, there will be increasing pressure to raise government revenue in less palatable ways.

Palatable … Adjust? What a profile in euphemisms.

For starters, what made Fallin think a $147-million tax cut2 was a good idea when there was already a 600-million budget shortfall (it’s now $1.3 billion)? Who thinks lowering tax rates to a level where a state can’t provide essential services is a panacea, anyway?

Well, Governor Brownback of Kansas, but I digress.3 In Oklahoma, we decided to codify our own paralysis.

In 1992, voters approved State Question 6404, a measure that forced any tax increase proposal to be presented directly to voters unless a super majority (75 percent) in both houses of the legislature approved the increase.

You can’t get 75 percent of Oklahoma legislators to allow advanced placement history courses, so what are the chances they’re going to support tax hikes and/or admit 10 // NEWS & COMMENTARY

Damn Obama—oh, wait.

But getting back to David’s point, if doing away with the tax break for horizontal drillers would slash almost $400-million from the deficit, why don’t we do that?

The governor’s answer: I’ve got a better idea—bring me the smokers.

Of that $910 million [budget shortfall], my budget proposes $181.6 million from a personal consumption tax on cigarettes.

For the love of Johnny Depp, is she kidding?

This is the most important thing we can do to improve Oklahoma’s health ranking.

Governor Mary Fallin | GEORGIA BROOKS

they were wrong to approve them in the first place?

So, now, not only is there not enough money to pay for the things we want, like education, there’s barely enough to keep the lights on. As good friend of the column Oklahoma Policy Institute Director David Blatt points out, there’s no easy way out of this.5 Our state tax system is no longer generating the revenue needed to pay for basic public services.

And he cautions against rounding up the usual suspects.

It’s easy to blame falling energy prices and accompanying job losses for the shortfall – until we recall … when oil prices were over $100 a barrel and the state was enjoying stronger economic growth than the national average, we still faced a $188 million shortfall.

Why is that?

Proliferating tax breaks: Tax credits, deductions, and exemptions grow in number and magnitude each year as a result of legislative action and inaction.

Let’s stop for a moment to remind ourselves of the last time we had such a budget crisis—2010— and who came in and saved us.6 Federal stimulus money could take care of more than half of the state’s $900 million budget hole, a key budget negotiator says. Of the $2.6 billion in federal money earmarked for Oklahoma over the next two years, indications are about $500 million can be used for budget stabilization and programs for the 2010 fiscal year, said state Rep. Ken Miller, chairman of the House Appropriations and Budget Committee.

Actually, the most important thing we can do to improve Oklahoma’s health ranking is to accept ACA money and expand Medicaid.

But, yet again, I digress.

Come now. Isn’t there something else we could do?

Some have suggested that Oklahoma should postpone the 0.25 percent income tax cut that went into effect this month because of the budget shortfall and its impact on the upcoming 2017 fiscal year. The income tax cut’s budgetary impact in the upcoming 2017 fiscal year is only a little more than 10 percent of the projected budget hole. Oklahoma would still have over an $800 million budget hole even if that tax cut hadn’t taken effect.

So, the $181.6-million we’d raise in new cigarette taxes is significant, but the $147-million that could be saved by postponing the most insupportable of all tax cuts is chump change? How is it more palatable to raise that kind of February 17 – March 1, 2016 // THE TULSA VOICE

money on the backs (and pre-carcinogenic lungs) of smokers than it is to raise them on corporations that frack? Couldn’t be because more poor people smoke than drill for hydrocarbons, could it?

Of course not.

In 2007,8 the state income tax was 6.65 percent; it was then lowered to 5.25 percent (Brad Henry proposed that), which was insane, for even then we weren’t spending enough on education, infrastructure, etc. Last year, Fallin proposed lowering it to 4.5 percent (actually she proposed getting rid of it altogether, which was, well, what comes after insane?) but then agreed to a 5 percent rate. Before it could be lowered, though, mechanisms were put in place to make sure we could afford it, that the state economy could handle the hit.

To the astonishment of anyone with firing synapses, for at this point oil prices had already started to slide and the state deficit was already ballooning, GOP leadership said, “Yes, we can.”

What a windfall it’s been.9

tion ten commandment statues and botched executions. Maybe Oklahoma voters are fed up with the party’s embrace of guns, xenophobia, and climate deniers.

Maybe voters want healthcare, reproductive rights, a state that doesn’t lead the nation in earthquakes and hungry children, dignity for gays and lesbians, teachers who don’t have to get second jobs, hiring freezes that actually freeze hirings, and an attorney general who will stop suing everyone.12 And maybe this explains the recent victories of Democrats Cyndi Munson (in a district that has been Republican for 50 years) and J.J. Dossett (from a district that elected Randy Brogdon).

Maybe voters are done with a party that hates government and governance.

Eight different times during her speech on February 1, the governor, imploring us to be smarter, saner, more fiscally responsible, said, “We can do it.”

She’s right. We can. We should.

She’s done enough. a

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The median Oklahoma household will get onl y $29 from the cut to the top rate, while two out of five households will get nothing at all because they earn too little to have any of their income taxed at the top rate. Meanwhile, the wealthiest 1 percent of households will receive, on average, $2,009.

Lovely.

From the Center on Budget And Policy Priorities:10 Taking into account the fact that their costs eventuall y must be paid for, most American families likel y will lose from the tax cuts over the long run.

But the governor persists.11 High taxes are job killers and hurt families’ disposable income.

Fine. Give me my $29. I’ll take myself out to dinner.

This budget debacle is further indication the Republican hegemony in Oklahoma may be coming to an end, buried beneath sepia-toned hubris and discredited financial models, not to men-

1) Kgou.com: Transcript: Governor Mary Fallin’s 2016 State Of The State Address 2) Okpolicy.org: What you can do with your tax cut 3) kansas.com: Kansas tax-cut plan could cause $712 million deficit by 2018, researchers now say 4) Ballotpedia.org: Oklahoma Voter Approval for Tax Increases, State Question 640 (March 1992) 5) Okpolicy.org: The state budget deficit is not just oil prices 6) Newsok.com: Stimulus may cover half of Oklahoma’s shortfall 7) Newsok.com: Gov. Mary Fallin’s Speech to the Republican National Convention 8) taxvox.taxpolicycenter.org: Oklahoma Pulls the Trigger on an Unaffordable Tax Cut 9) Okpolicy.org: What you can do with your tax cut 10) Cbpp.org 11) content.govdelivery.com: PRESS RELEASE: Gov. Fallin Statement on General Electric Leaving High-Tax Connecticut 12) Stateimpact.npr.org: “Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt Sues EPA – Again”

THE TULSA VOICE // February 17 – March 1, 2016

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NEWS & COMMENTARY // 11

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Progressive policing?

At open forum, Republican candidates for sheriff offer ideas for fixing TCSO

by MITCH GILLIAM

W

hen I entered the TCC Center for Creativity, a smiling rep from the League of Women Voters of Metro Tulsa greeted me. She thanked me for attending, offered to update my voter registry, and gave me a copy of the Constitution. The event, a forum with the Republican candidates for Tulsa County Sheriff, was co-organized by the LWV and The Frontier. Frontier editor-in-chief Ziva Branstetter led the event and began by reviewing the forum’s odd necessity. In the wake of the resignation of Stanley Glanz, our longest-running sheriff, Tulsa is holding a special election on April 5 to complete his term.

The reasons for Glanz’s resignation are common knowledge by now. Evidence of kickbacks, falsified training records, cover-ups and general skullduggery has tarnished his 27-year legacy. The smoking gun of Glanz’s undoing was held

by Robert Bates when, during a sting operation, the pay-to-play reserve deputy mistook his firearm for his taser and killed an unarmed black man named Eric Harris.

At the forum, the candidates who chose to comment on Harris’s killing uniformly labeled the situation a “tragedy.” Agreement seemed to be the theme of the answers offered that evening, while the candidates sought to differentiate themselves in their opening remarks.

The ousting of Glanz came about largely through movements relying on youthful energy. Activist group We The People Oklahoma was a driving force in making sure the Harris shooting stayed in the public consciousness, and the nature of the shooting found solidarity with the Black Lives Matter campaign.

Outlined in Black Lives Matter’s list of policy demands, known as Campaign Zero, is a 12 // NEWS & COMMENTARY

need for body cameras, community interaction, and an end to policing for profit. It was surprising to see those demands find such favor in a room full of Republican candidates for a law enforcement position in one of the nation’s reddest states.

The bedeviled specter of Glanz loomed heavy over the event, though he was rarely mentioned by name. Instead, a faint howl and rattling of chains could be heard with each utter of “transparency,” “trust,” or “accountability”—all terms with which his administration was not synonymous.

Vic Regalado was the first to call out “transparency” as a “buzz word,” espousing the need for communication with multiple community advisory boards.

Others echoed the sentiment, and Dan Miller expressed an interest in holding monthly press conferences to update the public about TCSO’s dealings.

On the subject of trust between deputies and communities, the candidates were asked about the 287(g) program, which partners state and local law enforcement agencies with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and has been accused of encouraging the racial profiling of Latinos. All candidates denounced racial profiling, but all viewed the program as a welcome tool against illegal immigration. Luke Sherman believes 287(g) is a good thing, but said he would need a “situational awareness” of the program before fully supporting it.

On the subject of transparency, candidates decried the Glanz administration’s obfuscation and lack of accountability, and all supported the broader implementation of body cameras. Jason Jackson said he would “find a way” to put body cameras on every deputy and officer.

The question of privatizing the jail drew considerable scorn from

the candidates, with most declaring that profits had no place in the incarceration process.

At the end of the Q&A, Branstetter announced it was time for “closing arguments” before correcting herself. “[I mean] closing statements,” she laughed. “I’ve been watching too much ‘Making A Murderer.’” The slip of tongue spoke to similarities between the dubious reputation of the Manitowoc County Sheriff ’s Department and our own. (Several days after hosting this forum, Branstetter dropped another bomb on TCSO with a story detailing the office’s failure to disclose in a 2011 report to the Department of Justice numerous sexual assaults that had occurred in the county jail.)

The age of the crowd mirrored the homogeneity of the candidates’ responses. Including Jason Jackson’s 17 year-old son, I was one of less than ten people under the age of forty in attendance.

As I noticed this, I thought back to the genuinely warm reception the LWV representative had given me, and realized how rare local political engagement is for my age group.

That this event was only for the Republican candidates (of which there are nine to the sole Democrat, Rex Berry) might explain why young voters were underrepresented. Or it might be the event was simply underpublicized. Whatever the reason, young voters must become more involved. The citizens of Tulsa have effectively put the need for progressive policing on the table, and this is the first time in 27 years that the name “Glanz” won’t appear on the ballot. The same citizens who passionately petitioned for his ouster—whether through social media, open protest, or signing the grand jury petition—have an opportunity to stay engaged with the process of selecting his replacement. a

February 17 – March 1, 2016 // THE TULSA VOICE

MILK MONEY

Six questions with Oklahoma Department of Education’s Steffie Corcoran

by LIZ BLOOD

T

he Tulsa Voice: Tell us a little bit about your background in public education and how you came to be the executive director of communications at the Oklahoma State Department of Education. What does your current job entail?

Steffie Corcoran: Between 1994 and 2000, I was a language arts and Gifted & Talented teacher at Del Crest Junior High in the MidDel district. Those years as an educator never left my heart, even after a long career as an editor for Oklahoma Today magazine.

When Phil Bacharach, now the OSDE’s Senior Policy Advisor, told me about the Communications department vacancy in August, I was intrigued by the idea of again serving kids and teachers and decided to apply.

TTV: Oklahoma’s education crisis seems to be reaching a tipping point. We earned a D-Plus on our most recent state report card— putting us at 46th in the nation.

Our classrooms are over-populated and underfunded, and our teachers are so poorly paid that we are losing them to work in other states. How did we get here, and how do we fix it?

SC: How we got here is a long answer with many tendrils. I can tell you that none of this is new.

Public education in Oklahoma has a history of struggling to meet funding needs, treating and

compensating teachers in ways that acknowledge and respect them as professionals, and valuing education in general. The same situations, to a lesser degree, were facing the teachers in my building more than 20 years ago.

tified teachers, who have stepped up to the plate to fill a great need in great numbers.

TTV: In light of our teacher shortage, the number of emergency teaching certificates issued dramatically increased this past year. What are the baseline requirements for receiving an emergency teaching certificate and how do you ensure the recipient is qualified to be in the classroom?

TTV: Governor Fallin recently announced plans for a $3,000 pay-raise for teachers. This seems like a vital and urgent move. But House Minority Leader Scott Inman asserts this is an empty promise, impossible to implement because it will require a supermajority in both Houses to pass the necessary tax increase. How realistic is this proposed raise?

If a tax increase doesn't pass, are there alternative options?

SC: A context for the magnitude of our teacher shortage: We have emergency-certified 1,037 teachers this school year. For all of 2014, that number was 506. As recently as 2011, the total number for the year was 32.

Emergency certifications are granted only after a district has exhausted a search for a particular position and been unable to find credentialed applicants. That district superintendent then petitions the State Board of Education for approval to hire a specific nontraditional applicant. The qualifications are that the candidate have a degree, preferably in a field related to the vacancy, and eventually be willing to pursue a traditional or alternative certification pathway in order to stay in the classroom. Superintendent Hofmeister often speaks of her gratitude for our emergency cer-

SC: In her first year in office, Superintendent Hofmeister has been raising a clarion call about teacher pay and Oklahoma’s teacher shortage in virtually every speaking engagement. The OSDE believes that raising teacher compensation in Oklahoma to the regional average is indeed vital and urgent. As you know, there are a number of pay increase proposals currently making their way through the legislature, in addition to an initiative petition.

There will likely be more as the legislative session progresses and various proposals are amended, budget-checked, and vetted. The budget situation is sobering, and we are aware that finding ways to fund teacher pay increases will be immensely challenging. We remain committed and believe that the issue has reached critical mass at a statewide level.

THE TULSA VOICE // February 17 – March 1, 2016

TTV: Governor Fallin has also proposed to consolidate the administration of dependent pre-K – 8 schools with neighboring pre-K –12 districts. Oklahoma has 516 school districts, 97 of which are dependent. Does this mean that these schools will close, or their administration will shrink or be located elsewhere?

What does the public need to know about proposed school consolidation?

SC: It is too early in the legislative session to speculate on what might or might not happen with the consolidation bills currently under discussion. I would refer you to the bills’ authors for a fuller picture.

TTV: How does the Department of Education attempt to remain politically neutral when so many education-related issues (funding, teacher pay, programming) are determined by the politics of who is elected and what bills do or do not pass?

SC: Superintendent Hofmeister is committed to serving public schoolchildren in Oklahoma, period. Keeping our eye on the importance of our mission: to champion excellence for all Oklahoma students through leadership, engagement, and service. It keeps things in perspective and reminds us of why we’re here and what we’re here to do. a NEWS & COMMENTARY // 13

Shiro | GREG BOLLINGER

citybites ERITREAN & ETHIOPIAN CAFE 6934 S. Lewis Ave. 918.477.9227

Eat global Eritrean and Ethiopian Cafe brings authentic African cuisine to Tulsa Vege combo | GREG BOLLINGER

by MEGAN SHEPHERD

A

Coffee made from Ethiopian coffee beans | GREG BOLLINGER

14 // FOOD & DRINK

fter telling an out-oftown friend about Tulsa’s bustling food scene, I ate my words when he asked me, “any good African food?”

I couldn’t think of a single place. It seemed that Tulsa’s culinary options weren’t nearly as progressive as I’d thought.

But, thankfully, I was wrong.

Yonas and Feven Abraham are introducing Okies from the Tulsa area and beyond to authentic African cuisine at their Eritrean and Ethiopian Cafe.

Yonas made his way to America by a turn of fate that he says was not unlike “winning the lottery.”

A friend filled out a work visa application on his behalf and helped him score a spot in a work program in the States—something Yonas says was pretty rare to find.

He landed in Dallas, but a friend at Rhema Bible College in Broken Arrow soon talked him into relocating to Oklahoma.

“You have to have a call to come to Tulsa,” Yonas said. Lucky for us, Yonas heard his loud and clear.

Yonas’s background is in engineering, but when a staffing change left him out of work, he started to wonder if his next professional endeavor might not

be in a cubicle, but in a kitchen instead. A devout man of faith, Yonas prayed for guidance and clarity, and it wasn’t long before the next step revealed itself: to open a café.

Without any previous restaurant experience, getting the business off the ground was a challenge. But the pieces soon fell into place, and the customers shortly followed. A fair number of Tulsans stop by the café without any previous familiarity with Eritrean or Ethiopian cuisine, and Yonas says newbies are almost always pleasantly surprised.

“I’ve never had any complaints of my food,” he said with a smile.

His approach seems to be working. The family-run business has been serving since October, boasts a near perfect rating on Yelp, and shows no signs of slowing.

It’s a testament to Tulsa’s hunger for quality international fare and more dining diversity.

Although Eritrean and Ethiopian Cafe’s exterior at 69th and Lewis is nondescript, the experience waiting inside is anything but.

Yonas and Feven run the café with the help of their tightknit families, each of them contributing to and riffing on recipes that have been passed down on

February 17 – March 1, 2016 // THE TULSA VOICE

either side of the family tree for generations.

Ethiopian and Eritrean food is more familiar than you might think. The majority of dishes are stews and marinated meats served with injera—flat, porous bread intended for sopping up the flavorful sauces and broths.

This is not far from the naan and pita pairings often found in Middle Eastern cuisine. A three-day fermentation process gives the injera a sour taste and absorbent bubbles. As an added bonus, the fermentation is said to aid in the digestive process.

With several beef, chicken, lamb, and vegetarian dishes and stews, Eritrean’s signature characteristic comes through in its spice medleys. Dishes are marinated, slow-cooked, made to order, and long on flavor. Service is not always quick, but Yonas is happy to make suggestions for customers in a rush. Truth be told, fresh Ethiopian food is worth waiting for.

Sambusas make for a perfect appetizer and are big enough to share with the table. Similar to an Ethiopian empanada, sambusas are fried, flakey pockets of dough filled with lentils, veggies, or meat.

Yonas serves his with a homemade sweet chili sauce or barbecue sauce. Aside from the pastry case full of sweets and desserts, sambusas are one of the only indulgent items you’ll find on an otherwise light, lean menu. Luckily, Yonas’s version of light and lean doesn’t exclude savory and satisfying.

“The people who like to eat … let them come here,” Yonas said.

Many dishes are naturally vegetarian and gluten-free—a fact that’s not at all lost on Yonas.

“Be addicted to it! Be healthy!” he said, pushing my plate closer to me.

The Beef and Vege combo gives diners a crash course in the exotic fare, while the berbere, a spicy red pepper sauce made with a laundry list of seasonings, gives patrons more versed with Ethiopian and Eritrean food a hit of familiar flavor in the Key Wot dish.

Other favorites include Lamb Tibs

cooked with peppers, onion, and rosemary, and Kifto—super lean, super rare slices of beef dressed with spiced butter.

Trying Ethiopian or Eritrean food for the first time can be a little intimidating. A menu of hard-to-pronounce dishes and a stark absence of silverware on the

THE TULSA VOICE // February 17 – March 1, 2016

tables might leave some diners feeling like they’re out of their element. But eating stew with your hands isn’t nearly as strange as it sounds once you get going; the technique comes quickly. Plus, kids love an opportunity to play with their food, and the cafe’s simple, laid-back vibe caters well to family

dining (read: no waiters or stuffy white tablecloths). Grab a few extra napkins and embrace the experience.

Yonas couldn’t be more excited to welcome people to ‘his house.’

“I love the people of Tulsa,” Yonas said. “This is home sweet home for me.” a

FOOD & DRINK // 15

THE TULSA VOICE

BEST OF TULSA READERS’ CHOICE 2016

Nominated Best Liquor Store!

downthehatch

by LIZ BLOOD

vot e for u s

*

WHI TE L I ON 6927 S. Canton Ave. 918.491.6533 White Lion’s bartender Brooks Boaz

Pick up all of these Best of Tulsa Local Beers at Modern Spirits.

401 E. 11th St. • 918-295-0295 • facebook.com/ModernSpiritsTulsa

fine wine • craft beer • unique liquor

Breaking Down Barriers Voter Engagement Forum Saturday, March 5th 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Rudisill Regional Library, 1520 N. Hartford Ave.

Learn, organize and activate around local barrieres that prevent Tulsans from voting.

FREE and open to the public, RSVP at votingpower.org Continental breakfast provided 16 // FOOD & DRINK

Pint polishing I put my hand in a small drip of sticky vinegar sauce on the dark wood table and now I can’t stop smelling my palm.

I’m not proud of it, but it’s early and I’m the only person around.

Perched on “the platform,” an elevated area near White Lion’s bar, I pretend to be interested in the Whitbread posters to my left and right.

The White Lion, housed in a Tudor-style building in south Tulsa, has been in business since 1999. Betty Southard, who moved here from Liverpool in 1957, owns the place with her son, John. “This was his idea,” she says. “He told me and I said he was mad.” Her nephew, Peter Shevlin, a retired aircraft engineer also from Liverpool, is its manager.

The last time I was here the room was packed, warm with body heat and beer breath. There were five of us on the platform then. I order the same drink I had last time: a Brown Bitter—half Smithwick’s Ale and half Newcastle, slightly sweet and tasting of toasted bread.

My pint glass says “Only for the Bold” and, heartened by these crimson walls and the ale, I decide that is what I am. Bold. I can write this new column here. No need to

self-edit now. A sober individual can do that tomorrow.

I strike up a conversation with Peter, or he strikes one up with me. He asks what I’m doing.

“Writing,” I say. He pauses and looks me up and down. “Weirdo,” he says, and we both laugh.

A fleeced and flannelled couple comes in, definitely new to the place—all wide-eyes and giggles, peering with admiration around the room at all the shit on the walls: brass bottle openers, old photographs, framed tea towels.

“It’s kind of amazing,” one of the couple says.

Peter asks what I do for a living and I answer.

“Do you like it?” he asks. “I do. It’s nice to work doing what I enjoy.” He agrees and gestures around. “This is about enjoying people. Having a giggle, having a laugh,” he says. Then I remember he called me a weirdo. “You don’t have to think too much,” he says.

I’ll cheers my Brown Bitter to that. a In “Down the Hatch,” assistant editor Liz Blood offers a look inside Tulsa’s many bars, pubs, saloons and gin joints. Send suggestions for future columns to liz@langdonpublishing. com or @lizblood on Twitter.

February 17 – March 1, 2016 // THE TULSA VOICE

Not just an ordinary bar THE TULSA VOICE

BEST OF TULSA READERS’ CHOICE 2016

vote f or u s

Best Old Bar Best Bathroom Graffiti Best Smoke Friendly Bar

WE'RE THRILLED TO BE THE OLDEST BAR EVER NOMINATED FOR BEST NEW BAR. THANKS, TULSA, FOR PAYING ATTENTION. MIXED COMPANY EST. 2014

21 E. Brady St. 918-585-8587

THE TULSA VOICE

BEST OF TULSA READERS’ CHOICE 2016

v ote f or u s

Fine dining…

At an affordable price!

THE TULSA VOICE

BEST OF TULSA READERS’ CHOICE 2016

v o t e fo r u s THE TULSA VOICE

BEST OF TULSA READERS’ CHOICE 2016

Best Chicken Fried Steak

vo t e fo r u s

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

South 918.499.1919 6024 S. Sheridan

Downtown 918.592.5151 219 S. Cheyenne

Deco District DecoDistrictTulsa.com

514 S. Boston Ave. 918-582-1403 www.elotetulsa.com

Breakfast, Lunch & Smoothies

415 S. Boston Ave. 918-938-6858 M-F, 8am-4pm /DecoDeliTulsa

V

A U

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620 S. Cincinnati Ave. 918-948-6761 www.vaulttulsa.com

Breakfast: 7-9:30am M-F Lunch: 11am-2pm M-F Brunch: 9am-2pm Sat & Sun

We ! 415 S. Boston Ave. 918-583-3111 er Deliv NewAtlasgrill.com THE TULSA VOICE // February 17 – March 1, 2016

FOOD & DRINK // 17

dininglistings TU/KENDALL WHITTIER

SOUTH TULSA

Big Al’s Health Foods Bill’s Jumbo Burgers Billy Ray’s BBQ Brothers Houligan Calaveras Mexican Grill Capp’s BBQ Corner Café Duffy’s Diner El Rio Verde Freddie’s Hamburgers Guang Zhou Dim Sum Jim’s Coney Island Las Americas Super Mercado & Restaurant

BBD II Baja Jack’s Burrito Shack Bamboo Thai Bistro Bellacino’s Pizza & Grinders Bodean’s Seafood Restaurant The Brook Camille’s Sidewalk Café Cardigan’s Charleston’s Cimarron Meat Company Dona Tina Cocina Mexicana El Guapo’s El Samborsito Elements Steakhouse & Grille The Fig Café and Bakery First Watch Five Guys French Hen Gencies Chicken Shack Gyros by Ali Hebert’s Specialty Meats Helen of Troy Hideaway Pizza India Palace

Lot a Burger Maxxwell’s Restaurant Mr. Taco Oklahoma Style BBQ Philly Alley Pie Hole Pizza Pollo al Carbon Rib Crib BBQ & Grill The Right Wing Route 66 Subs & Burgers Tacos Don Francisco Tally’s Good Food Cafe Umberto’s Pizza

PEARL DISTRICT El Rancho Grande The Phoenix Café Lola’s Caravan

Ike’s Chili Papa Ganouj JJ’s Hamburgers

BROOKSIDE Biga Billy Sims BBQ Blue Moon Bakery and Café The Brook Brookside By Day Café Ole Café Samana Charleston’s Claud’s Hamburgers Cosmo Café & Bar Crow Creek Tavern Doc’s Wine and Food Egg Roll Express Elmer’s BBQ Lokal The Hen Bistro HopBunz In the Raw Keo La Hacienda Lambrusco’Z To Go

Leon’s Brookside Mazzio’s Italian Eatery Ming’s Noodle Bar Mondo’s Ristorante Italiano Old School Bagel Café Pei Wei Asian Diner R Bar & Grill Rons Hamburgers & Chili Señor Tequila Shades of Brown Sonoma Bistro & Wine Bar Starbucks Sumatra Coffee Shop Super Wok SushiHana The Warehouse Bar & Grill Weber’s Root Beer Whole Foods Market Yolotti Frozen Yogurt Zoës Kitchen

UTICA SQUARE Brownies Gourmet Burgers Fleming’s Goldie’s Patio Grill McGill’s Olive Garden P.F. Chang’s China Bistro

WO ODLAND HILLS

BLUE D OME The Krazy Olive La Crêpe Nanou La Flama Mahogany Prime Steakhouse McNellie’s South City Mr. Goodcents Subs & Pastas Napa Flats Wood Fired Kitchen Naples Flatbread & Wine Bar Nordaggio’s Coffee OK Country Donut Shoppe Pita Place Redrock Canyon Grill Ripe Tomato Ron’s Hamburgers and Chili Sushi Hana Japanese Fusion Thai Village Tres Amigos Mexican Grill & Cantina White Lion Whole Foods Yokozuna Zio’s Italian Kitchen

Pepper’s Grill Polo Grill Queenie’s Café and Bakery Starbucks Stonehorse Café Wild Fork

Albert G’s Bar & Q Bramble Dilly Diner El Guapo’s Cantina Fassler Hall Joe Bots Coffee Juniper

Lambrusco’z McNellie’s S&J Oyster Company STG Pizzeria & Gelateria Tallgrass Prairie Table White Flag Yokozuna

DECO DISTRICT Atlas Grill Billy’s on the Square Boston Avenue Grill Deco Deli

Elote Café & Catering Mod’s Coffee & Crepes Tavolo The Vault

DOWNTOWN 624 Kitchen and Catering All About Cha Stylish Coffee & Tea Baxter’s Interurban Grill Bohemian Pizzeria The Boiler Room The Boulder Grill Café 320 Casa Laredo Coney Island Daily Grill Foolish Things Coffee Grand Selections for Lunch The Greens on Boulder Lassalle’s New Orleans Deli

Lou’s Deli MADE Market in the DoubleTree by Hilton Mazzio’s Italian Eatery Naples Flatbread & Wine Bar Oneok Café Oklahoma Spud on the Mall Seven West Café Sheena’s Cookies & Deli Steakfinger House The Sushi Place Tabouli’s Ti Amo Topeca Coffee Williams Center Café

TERWILLEGER HEIGHTS Bill & Ruth’s Blue Rose Café Burn Co. BBQ The Chalkboard Dalesandro’s

Elwoods Mansion House Café Ron’s Hamburgers & Chili La Villa at Philbrook

GREENWOOD Abear’s Fat Guy’s

Lefty’s on Greenwood

MIDTOWN Albert G’s Bangkok Thai Super Buffet Bravo’s Mexican Grill Bros. Houligan Celebrity Restaurant Daylight Donuts Supershop Eddy’s Steakhouse Felini’s Cookies & Deli

Golden Gate Lambrusco’z Mary Jane’s Pizza My Thai Kitchen PJ’s Sandwich Shoppe Phill’s Diner Trenchers Delicatessen

Monterey’s Little Mexico Nelson’s Buffeteria Pho Da Cao Pickle’s Pub Rice Bowl Cafe Rib Crib BBQ & Grill Roo’s Sidewalk Café Royal Dragon Sezchuan Express Shawkat’s Deli & Grill Speedy Gonzalez Grill Spudder Steak Stuffers USA Tacos Don Francisco Thai Siam Tokyo Garden The Tropical Restaurant & Bar Viet Huong Villa Ravenna Watts Barbecue

Tulsa Broken Arrow

18 // FOOD & DRINK

Arnold’s Old-Fashioned Hamburgers Burger House Charlie’s Chicken Jumpin J’s Knotty Pine BBQ Hideaway Pizza Linda Mar

Lot a Burger Monterey’s Little Mexico Ollie’s Station Rib Crib BBQ & Grill Sandwiches & More Union Street Café Westside Grill & Delivery

Antoinette Baking Co. Caz’s Chowhouse Chimera Coney Island Draper’s Bar-B-Cue Gypsy Coffee House Hey Mambo The Hunt Club Laffa

Lucky’s on the Green Mexicali Border Café Oklahoma Joe’s Prhyme Downtown Steakhouse The Rusty Crane Sisserou’s Spaghetti Warehouse The Tavern

Mary’s Italian Trattoria Mi Cocina Oklahoma Kolache Co. Palace Café Panera Bread Phat Philly’s The Pint Qdoba Mexican Grill SMOKE. Te Kei’s Tucci’s Café Italia Zanmai

EAST TULSA

Harden’s Hamburgers Hero’s Subs & Burgers Los Primos Moonsky’s Cheesesteaks and Daylight Donuts The Restaurant at Gilcrease White River Fish Market

WEST TULSA

BRADY ARTS DISTRICT

15 Below Andolini’s Pizzeria Café Cubana Chimi’s Mexican Food Chipotle Mexican Grill Coffee House on Cherry Street Genghis Grill Heirloom Baking Co. Hideaway Pizza Jason’s Deli Kilkenny’s Irish Pub & Eatery La Madeleine Lucky’s Restaurant

NORTH TULSA Amsterdam Bar & Grill Admiral Grill Bill & Ruth’s Christy’s BBQ Evelyn’s Golden Saddle BBQ Steakhouse Hank’s Hamburgers

Jay’s Original Hoagies Keo Kit’s Takee-Outee La Roma Lanna Thai Logan’s Road House Louie’s Mandarin Taste Marley’s Pizza Mekong River Mi Tierra Napoli’s Italian Restaurant Oliveto Italian Bistro Ri Le’s Rib Crib BBQ & Grill Ridge Grill Ron’s Hamburgers & Chili Savoy Shogun Steakhouse of Japan Siegi’s Sausage Factory & Deli Ti Amo Italian Ristorante Wrangler’s Bar-B-Q Yasaka Steakhouse of Japan Zio’s Italian Kitchen

CHERRY STREET

I-44/BA INTERCHANGE Big Anthony’s BBQ Bill & Ruth’s Subs Billy Sims BBQ Binh-Le Vietnamese Chop House BBQ D’Oro Pizza Desi Wok Fiesta Cozumel Gogi Gui Growler’s Sandwich Grill Hideaway Pizza Himalayas – Aroma of India Ichiban Teriyaki Jumbo’s Burgers Las Bocas Las Tres Fronteras Le Bistro Sidewalk Cafe Mamasota’s Mexican Restaurant & Bar Mazzio’s Italian Eatery

Asahi Sushi Bar Baker Street Pub & Grill Billy Sims BBQ Bistro at Seville Bluestone Steahouse and Seafood Restaurant Brothers Houligan Brothers Pizza Bucket’s Sports Bar & Grill Charlie’s Chicken Chuy’s Chopsticks El Tequila Fat Daddy’s Pub & Grille Fat Guy’s Burger Bar Fish Daddy’s Seafood Grill Fuji FuWa Asian Kitchen Firehouse Subs The Gaucho Brazilian Steakhouse Haruno Hungry Howie’s Pizza In the Raw on the Hill Jameson’s Pub Jamil’s Jason’s Deli

Al Sultan Grill & Bakery Big Daddy’s All American Bar-B-Q Birrieria Felipe Bogey’s Brothers Houligan Casa San Marcos Casanova’s Restaurant Charlie’s Chicken Cherokee Deli Darby’s Restaurant El Centenario El Gallo Loco El 7 Marez El Refugio Azteca Super Taqueria Fiesta Del Mar Flame Broiler Frank’s Café Fu-Thai Garibaldi’s The Gnarley Dawg Hatfield’s

Jay’s Coneys Josie’s Tamales Kimmy’s Diner Korean Garden Leon’s Smoke Shack Lot a Burger Maria’s Mexican Grill Mariscos Costa Azul Mariscos El Centenario Mekong Vietnamese Pizza Depot Pizza Express Porky’s Kitchen Ron’s Hamburgers & Chili RoseRock Cafe Señor Fajita Seoul Restaurant Shiloh’s of Tulsa Shish-Kabob & Grill Stone Mill BBQ & Steakhouse Tacos San Pedro Taqueria la Cabana Timmy’s Diner

ROSE DISTRICT Andolini’s Pizzeria Daylight Donuts Fiesta Mambo Franklin’s Pork & Barrel In The Raw Sushi Main Street Tavern

McHuston Booksellers & Irish Bistro Nouveau - Atelier de Chocolat Romeo’s Espresso Café The Rooftop Toast Breakfast and Brunch

February 17 – March 1, 2016 // THE TULSA VOICE

Finding the bull BY MARK BROWN photos by Valerie Grant

Inside Tulsa’s (sort of) secret lounge THE TULSA VOICE // February 17 – March 1, 2016

FEATURED // 19

We cozied into the booth next to each other, not across from each other the way the table was set. It took a minute to rearrange things. When the waitress appeared, I was still sorting forks and stems.

“Welcome to the lounge,” she said, setting two menus in front of us before pitching the fish of the day. “I’ll be back with a wine list, but if you’d like, we also offer a martini cart.”

“Excellent,” I said.

“I’ll send it right over,” she said, and did.

“Vodka or gin?” the cartender asked. There was a bottle of each next to little bowls of olives and lemons. Toulouse-Lautrec would have painted him.

Gin, of course. The lounge house martini balances Martin Miller’s London Dry with a splash of Dolin vermouth. They sang harmony. I slipped the lip of the glass over my own.

“We should do our 25th here,” I said, snapping a tip off a garlic breadstick. She was navigating the wine list by votive.

“Is that soon?” she said, squinting. “No.” “I’m just saying, if it makes it.”

“Make it? To our 25th!”

“Not us. This.”

The light of a dozen spiny chandeliers was absorbed in a library’s worth of mahogany wood and beveled glass. Bartenders in suspenders moved briskly past servers replenishing serviettes, as if choreographed to the soft drum-and-bass.

Tucked in an alley somewhere inside the IDL, the lounge has no official name, address or signage—just an unassuming copper bull hanging over an anonymous door. A phone number hides in some not-too-distant corner of the Internet, but you have to want to find it. It all reminded me of somewhere, a dining room in another city, or a film, maybe even a book.

I can picture Graham Greene’s Maurice Bendrix having his own booth here, plying Sarah Miles.

“Maybe the Atlantic Sea Grill,” I said.

“Yeah, kinda,” she said.

Maybe. Say, if the Atlantic Sea Grill grew a pair.

The Starters

I never open a menu before a drink. It’s a curse. Once the genie is out of the bottle, the pressure of wishes takes over. But my martini had run dry.

A menu should read like a table of contents, not an index. The lounge’s menu offers three starters, 20 // FEATURED

a couple of salads, three entrees, four sides, and not a chicken in sight. First things first.

“Give us a slice of the bacon,” I said. “And the escargots. And the wedge.”

Escargots are funny. These dozen were farmraised. Found in the wild, they must be purged.

“I have done this,” wrote London chef Fergus Henderson, “though it is quite emotional.” He then describes a time in the Hebrides when his party imprisoned several snails, starving them and biding time. “Days seemed to pass watching the poor captive snails leaving trails of snail poo on the sides of the bucket.”

Would you eat snails? Maybe that’s why they float them in what’s called “snail butter.”

The wedge is my dad’s salad from my youth.

While I zigzagged from the tang of so-called “Italian” to the sugary “French,” he stuck with Roquefort. I went there, eons later, to the cave in France where big wheels of the stuff grow mold, to impress him. He was more about the dressing.

The wedge salad thrives on the creamy, nutty Maytag blue developed at Iowa State University almost 60 years ago. Here, it coats threadbare slices of red onion and halved cherry tomatoes that are more blueberry in size. The chunk of iceberg—a far cry from its torn-leaf, limp-biscuit self—is cold enough to bite back.

The $4 bacon—a meaty strip from the back, not the belly—arrived on a plate scorching to the touch, the salad on one equally frigid. What a touch! The world has become so lukewarm.

Only in a morgue should you lay a piece of meat on a cold slab.

“What’s that music?” I asked, raking the bacon through the tomato dipping sauce with a zing of horseradish. Anymore, it’s such a dumb question.

“I’m not sure,” said our host. “It’s Pandora, based on Thievery Corporation.”

He found the band on Shazam, some name we both immediately forgot. He shouldn’t have bothered, but he did.

To eat snails you brace the shell with a tight set of tongs—scalloped on the ends, like forceps—and retrieve the snail with a tiny fork.

The tongs are tricky, and I kept spraying snail butter across the tablecloth. Good thing I don’t deliver babies.

“Wow,” she said, chasing a bite of bacon with a sip of Decero Malbec.

I ordered a Bonny Doon Syrah and opened the meatier portion of the night’s program.

The Sides

If ever I’m wandering in the desert and manna falls from the sky, I hope it’s potatoes Egan.

Not a staggering plate of pommes frites, but a half-dozen Russet wedges nestled in a chafing dish.

David Egan, manager of operations at the Cattlemen’s Café in Stockyards City, inspired this dish. Some men get bridges, others office complexes, but Egan’s name is etched in a potato dish for the ages. Crunchy outside, creamy within and born for the butter that baptizes it.

Cheese—a generous grating of Grana Padano, less known but older than its Parma cousin, created 900 years ago by Cistercian monks—and a sprinkling of lemon zest completes the rapture.

Creamed spinach: soothing and mineral— another good marriage. I can’t eat steak withTHE TULSA VOICE // February 17 – March 1, 2016

Tucked in an alley somewhere inside the IDL, the Lounge has no official name, address or signage—just an unassuming copper bull hanging over an anonymous door.

A phone number hides in some not-too-distant corner of the Internet, but you have to want to find it.

out it. I could, but I’d feel hollow. Like pouring milk over your granola from one of the cartons with missing persons on it.

The sides, however delicious, must now take a backseat. You can’t put a bull on your menu, hell, over your door—the stocky sort of breed you see chasing the guys in white up the side streets of Pamplona—and not be about steak.

Ours was still cooking when I felt the shift: the lounge had become less of a restaurant and more of a bar. They offer two dinner services— an early one that starts at 6 and late-ish one at 8—so at not quite 9:30 this atmospheric change came as a bit of a surprise.

I found myself staring at a piece of art on the far wall, an abstract of metal shapes against a salmon-pink background, a delicate light framed in dark wood. Then I realized I was looking out a window, into the adjacent alley, at a collection of conduit.

“Could I get a glass of the Stepping Stone?”

I asked, taking a tasty step up from the Bonny Doon. Out of the corner of my eye, the bull was charging.

The Meat

There’s a filet on the menu. And, in a throwback worthy of Barry’s wishbone, a market fish choice. That night it was a tower of shellfish on ice, the sort that put Balthazar on the map. I’d never dream of ordering it but respect why it’s there. Restaurant fish being the flown-in sort, it had all but vanished from the local tables of the day. To see it back in full regalia felt like Napoleon riding side-saddle up the Champs Elysees.

Clearly, I’d drunk the Kool-Aid, and the Syrah. I had the bull by the horns. Or it had me by the britches. I’d made up my mind what to eat weeks ago. It was predestined, inevitable.

The Lounge Table Steak is a prime Porterhouse, $43 a person, served in slices a la Peter Luger. The price per person stays the same, but the cut grows thicker as the size of the party increases. (Our steak for two was 1¾-inches thick. One that serves a party of five climbs to 2½ inches.)

The host tipped the dish that corralled it onto a bread plate, at a tilt. “Slice of tenderloin for the lady,” he said, forking a morsel, “slice of strip for the gentleman. And some vitamins.”

He spooned onto our plates a bit of the blood and clarified butter that pooled at the end of the dish.

“Enjoy. I’ll be back in a few bites.”

Enjoy. A rage pumped inside me, a primal urge. If a doe had pranced by I’d have tackled her. The meat was on the rare side of the medium-rare she’d ordered. It melted on the tongue in the sublime way of sashimi. The seasoning was notable in its strength and simplicity: an occasional but satisfying show of salt. The size was colossal. We’d make tacos with most of it come Tuesday. Out of nowhere, the door opened, letting in a reviving blast of cool air. My wife shivered.

“When there’s a big snowstorm in New York,” she said, “do you think the restaurants just don’t open?”

“If the trains run, I guess,” I said. Hell or high water, can they afford not to?

Under a glass, on a coaster, another golden bull, the adoration of Aaron in Exodus. What better way to ride out the shrinking price of oil than on a tidal wave of animal fat? What better emblem to paw and stomp in the face of a downturn?

But they rein it in. In spite of all the bull, the service is discreet. The staff glides around confidently, in control, and nobody said farmto-table once. I ate a similar menu several years ago at Keen’s, the old Herald Square chophouse. The lounge’s is bolder, and better. It’s not resting on anything, like laurels.

“You finish this,” she said, nudging half a glass of Katherine Goldschmidt cabernet across the crisp, shirt-like tablecloth. I stabbed another piece of beef, my last, and swirled the cab in the glass. Chewed, swallowed. Drank, swallowed.

“You having fun?” we said together. Jinks.

The End

The cake—the only dessert on the menu— needs a tale of the tape: “Weighing in at 3 and quarter pounds and standing 12 inches tall …”

It’s got a steak knife stuck in it, as if a toreador had just buried the blade. Six layers of crumb, six of chocolate buttercream, it rises off the plate like the Flatiron Building off Fifth Avenue. We went at it vertically, forking a point off the corner. Half the bar had turned to regard the spectacle. They cheered us on, but we could go no further. My head spinning, I sought comfort in our surroundings. The chatter of other tables, the darkness of lacquered wood. Couples strolled by sporting a mishmash of finery.

We’d eaten cake and that called for a digestif. A meal should cascade, like a mountain freshet into a deep pool. After some confusion we’ll just call Scottish, the server brought a 10-year-old Talisker in a cut-glass tumbler.

I sipped and the whiskey settled me. “Come here. This is a very good malt whiskey. Go ahead, it’ll settle your stomach.” Dustin Hoffman doing Dutch Schultz in Billy Bathgate.

“What’s wrong?” my wife asked. I’d gone silent.

“Nothing,” I said, with a twist of a smile. a FEATURED // 21

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BEST OF TULSA 2016 NOMINEES Hey smartasses, TIME

TO VOTE AGAIN.

We waded through thousands of passionate opinions, confused questions and trenchant one-liners to cull a list of Tulsa’s top talent as determined by you.

In the process, we found more than a few unusable answers that made us shoot coffee through our nose. A FEW HIGHLIGHTS: BEST PLACE FOR A TINDER DATE: Off a cliff if you’re still using Tinder BEST STREET CORNER: 11th and Garnett! LOL BEST CHEAP THRILL: Your mom BEST PLACE TO TAKE A SELFIE: I’m not a 12 year-old girl BEST PLACE TO FEEL LIKE YOU’RE NOT IN TULSA: Oklahoma City Now that you’ve got that out of your system, go to THETULSAVOICE.COM/BOT one more time and cast your ballot for the cream of the crop.

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T U L S A’ S

A R T S

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E N T E R T A I N M E N T

BEST GALLERY 108 Contemporary Hardesty Arts Center (AHHA) Living Arts M.A. Doran Gallery TAC Gallery

BEST PERFORMING ARTS VENUE Guthrie Green Living Arts Nightingale Theater Tulsa Little Theatre Tulsa Performing Arts Center

BEST LARGE MUSIC VENUE BOK Center Brady Theater Cain’s Ballroom Guthrie Green The Joint

BEST MUSEUM Gilcrease Museum Philbrook Museum of Art Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art Tulsa Air and Space Museum Woody Guthrie Center

BEST PLACE TO HAVE A LAUGH Blue Whale Comedy Festival Comedy Parlor Loony Bin Comedy Club Ok, So…Tulsa Story Slam Soundpony

BEST PLACE FOR LIVE LOCAL MUSIC Cain’s Ballroom The Colony Guthrie Green Mercury Lounge Soundpony

BEST PUBLIC ART “Artificial Cloud” at the Center of the Universe Clean Hands Murals Dia de los Muertos Murals at Living Arts “The Unbearable Absence of Landscapes” at 108 Contemporary Woody Guthrie Mural at Woody Guthrie Center

BEST FREE ENTERTAINMENT First Friday Art Crawl Guthrie Green Mayfest Ok, So…Tulsa Story Slam Soundpony

BEST PERFORMING ARTS COMPANY Encore!

Theatre Pops Theatre Tulsa Tulsa Ballet Tulsa Symphony

BEST ALL-AGES MUSIC VENUE BOK Center Brady Theater Cain’s Ballroom Guthrie Green The Vanguard BEST SMALL MUSIC VENUE The Colony The Hunt Club Soundpony The Vanguard The Venue Shrine

BEST OPEN MIC The Comedy Parlor Cypher 120 – The Yeti Ok, So…Tulsa Story Slam – Enso Singer/Songwriter Night – The Colony Tuesday Night Open Mic – Gypsy Coffee House Writer’s Night – The Yeti BEST RECORD STORE Blue Moon Discs Cheap Thrills Holy Mountain Ida Red Starship Records and Tapes Vintage Stock BEST CASINO Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Osage Casino River Spirit

C R È M E

D E

BEST LOCAL ALBUM III And There Stand Empires Grazzhopper Grazzhopper High On Tulsa Heat John Moreland Jacob Tovar and the Saddle Tramps Jacob Tovar and the Saddle Tramps King of Tallulah Earl Hazard Shallow Grave for a Dying God Senior Fellows Sneaker Paul Benjaman Band Visions from the Tisdale Steph Simon BEST MOVIE THEATER AMC Southroads 20 Circle Cinema Eton Square 6 The Tulsa Cinemark Warren Theatre Broken Arrow BEST TRIVIA NIGHT Baker St. Pub & Grill Empire Hop Bunz Joe Momma’s Soundpony

L A

C R È M E

BEST SPORTS TEAM Athletics Drillers Oilers Roughnecks FC TU Golden Hurricane Football BEST KARAOKE Elote Cafe & Catering Mainline Art & Cocktails New Age Renegade Warehouse The Yeti BEST NIGHT CLUB Club Majestic Electric Circus Enso Legends Soundpony BEST ANNUAL FESTIVAL Blue Dome Arts Festival Center of the Universe Festival Linde Oktoberfest Mayfest Tulsa Tough PARTY OF THE YEAR Center of the Universe Cry Baby Hill Halloween at Brady Theater Linde Oktoberfest St. Patrick’s Day in Blue Dome District

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* V O T E AT T H E T U L S AV O I C E . C O M / B O T * V O T E AT T H E T U L S AV O I C E . C O M / B O T * V O T E AT T H E T U L S AV O I C E . C O M / B O T * V O T E AT T H E T U L S AV

T

F I N A L I S T S

F O R

T H E

B E S T

N O S H

BEST KOREAN Gogi Gui Korean Grill Korean Garden Seoul Bistro Sobahn

BEST HANGOVER BREAKFAST Brookside By Day Dilly Diner IHOP Tally’s Good Food Cafe Village Inn

BEST CHICKEN FRIED STEAK The Brook Brothers Houligan Caz’s Chowhouse Nelson’s Buffeteria Tally’s Good Food Cafe

BEST BRUNCH Brookside By Day Dilly Diner La Villa Lucky’s SMOKE. On Cherry Street

BEST BBQ Albert G’s Bar-B-Q Billy Sims BBQ Burn Co. Elmer’s BBQ Rib Crib

BEST BLOODY MARY Doc’s Wine & Food Fassler Hall Kilkenny’s McNellie’s SMOKE. On Cherry Street

BEST PIZZA Andolini’s Pizzeria East Village Bohemian Pizzeria Hideaway Pizza STG Pizzeria & Gelateria Umberto’s

BEST COFFEEHOUSE Chimera Cafe The Coffee House on Cherry Street DoubleShot Coffee Company Shades of Brown Starbucks

BEST TAKEOUT PIZZA Andolini’s Pizzeria Hideaway Pizza Mazzio’s Italian Eatery Pie Hole Pizzeria Umberto’s

BEST BAKERY Ann’s Bakery Antoinette Baking Co. Heirloom Baking Co. Merritt’s Bakery Pancho Anaya

BEST STEAK Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar Mahogany Prime Steakhouse Prhyme Downtown Steakhouse SMOKE. On Cherry Street Texas Roadhouse

BEST HEALTHY/VEGETARIAN Big Al’s Healthy Foods Chimera Cafe Elote Cafe & Catering Laffa Whole Foods Market Zoës Kitchen

BEST FARMERS MARKET Brookside Farmers Market Cherry Street Farmers Market Guthrie Green Farmers Market Owasso Farmers Market Rose District Farmers Market

BEST SEAFOOD Bodean Seafood Restaurant Bonefish Grill Fish Daddy’s Seafood Grill Red Lobster White River Fish Market

BEST PATIO Blue Rose Cafe Los Cabos Cafe Olé El Guapo’s Cantina R Bar & Grill

BEST GROCERY STORE Aldi Natural Grocers Reasor’s Sprouts Farmers Market Whole Foods Market

BEST TACO Elote Cafe & Catering El Guapo’s Cantina Mr. Nice Guys El Rio Verde Tacos Don Francisco

BEST VIEW Blue Rose Cafe El Guapo’s Cantina In the Raw On the Hill The Penthouse at The Mayo Hotel Zanmai

BEST FOOD TRUCK Ando Truck – Andolini’s Pizzeria The Dog House Lola’s Gypsy Caravan Lone Wolf Mr. Nice Guys

BEST CHINESE Golden Gate Mandarin Taste Panda Express P.F. Chang’s Pei Wei

BEST DELI Boston Deli Dilly Diner Jason’s Deli Lambrusco’z Trencher’s Delicatessen

BEST INDIAN Cumin Flavor of India Desi Wok Himalayas Aroma of India India Palace

BEST SANDWICH Banh Mi, Lone Wolf Dutch Crunch, Trencher’s Delicatessen Phat Philly, Phat Philly’s The Reuben, Trencher’s Delicatessen The Trencher, Trencher’s Delicatessen BEST BURGER Claud’s Hamburgers Fat Guy’s Burger Bar Goldie’s Patio Grill Ron’s Hamburgers & Chili The Tavern

BEST ITALIAN Dalesandro’s Mary’s Trattoria Mondo’s Ti Amo Villa Ravenna BEST JAPANESE/SUSHI Fuji In the Raw Sushi Hana Yokozuna Zanmai

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BEST MEXICAN Calaveras Mexican Grill El Guapo’s Cantina El Rio Verde El Tequila Señor Tequila BEST THAI Bamboo Thai Bistro KEO Lanna Thai My Thai Kitchen The Tropical BEST VIETNAMESE Binh Le Pho Da Cao Pho Nhi Ri Le’s Viet Huong

BEST FAMILY DINING The Brook Brothers Houligan Charleston’s Dilly Diner Hideaway Pizza BEST MEAL WORTH TWICE THE PRICE Brothers Houligan Bull in the Alley/The Lounge Lone Wolf El Rio Verde Tallgrass Prairie Table The Tavern BEST CHEF Ben Alexander The Tavern Michelle Donaldson Tallgrass Prairie Table, Bramble Breakfast & Bar Philip Phillips Lone Wolf Banh Mi Trevor Tack McNellie’s Group Justin Thompson JTR Group

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BEST SERVICE Charleston’s Hideaway Pizza Kilkenny’s Mahogany Prime Steakhouse Tallgrass Prairie Table BEST NEW RESTAURANT Bramble Breakfast & Bar Bull in the Alley/The Lounge Dilly Diner East Village Bohemian Pizzeria Eritrean & Ethiopian Cafe BEST RESTAURANT FOR LOCALLY SOURCED INGREDIENTS Bramble Breakfast & Bar Chimera Cafe Elote Cafe & Catering Juniper Tallgrass Prairie Table BEST HOTEL RESTAURANT The Boiler Room The Chalkboard Daily Grill Maxxwells Restaurant Warren Duck Club BEST SPOT FOR DAY DRINKING Blue Rose Cafe Fassler Hall Hodges Bend McNellie’s R Bar & Grill Soundpony BEST PLACE TO WATCH THE BIG GAME Buffalo Wild Wings Fassler Hall Lefty’s on Greenwood Leon’s on the Restless Ribbon R Bar & Grill BEST BAR FOOD The Brook Fassler Hall Kilkenny’s McNellie’s R Bar & Grill BEST BEER SELECTION Fassler Hall The Fur Shop Kilkenny’s McNellie’s R Bar & Grill BEST BARTENDER Loren Baldwin – Crawpappy’s Noah Bush – Saturn Room/Hodges Bend Derek Clark – Soundpony Ray Conde – Kilkenny’s Amy Pullen – Soundpony T. Read Richards – Valkyrie Sean Ryan – Arnie’s

BEST COCKTAIL Chocolate Martini Mahogany Prime Steakhouse Cradle of Life Saturn Room The Fall from Grace Laffa French 75 Vintage 1740 Gin & Jam The Vault Irish Coffee Hodges Bend Norma Jean Andolini’s Pizzeria Old Fashioned Valkyrie Tobacco Old Fashioned Hodges Bend Wake Up Call Hodges Bend BEST LOCAL BEER Atlas IPA Marshall Brewing Co. Big Jamoke Porter Marshall Brewing Co. Bomb!

Prairie Artisan Ales Prairie Standard Prairie Artisan Ales Sundown Wheat Marshall Brewing Co. BEST NEW BAR Bull in the Alley/The Lounge Inner Circle Vodka Bar Lefty’s on Greenwood Mixed Company Saturn Room BEST OLD BAR Arnie’s Caz’s Pub The Colony Empire McNellie’s Soundpony BEST LGBT BAR/CLUB Area 18 Club Majestic New Age Renegade Tulsa Eagle Yellow Brick Road BEST BAR FOR SMOKERS Arnie’s Caz’s Pub Mercury Lounge Yellow Brick Road The Yeti BEST LIQUOR STORE Collins Midtown Liquor Deep Discount Liquor Modern Spirits Parkhill Liquors & Wines Ranch Acres Wine & Spirits BEST LATE-NIGHT DINING Dilly Diner Kilkenny’s Phat Philly’s The Tavern Village Inn

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V O I C E . C O M / B O T * V O T E AT T H E T U L S AV O I C E . C O M / B O T * V O T E AT T H E T U L S AV O I C E . C O M / B O T * V O T E AT T H E T U L S AV O I C E . C O M / B O T * V O T E

Y O U R 2 0 1 6 B E S T O F T U L S A N O M I N E E S F O R H O T S P O T S A N D C O O L C AT S BEST STREET CORNER 2nd St and Elgin Ave 5th St and Boston Ave 6th St and Peoria Ave 18th St and Boston Ave Boston Ave and M.B. Brady St Main St and M.B. Brady St BEST REASON TO RISE EARLY ON A SATURDAY Brunch Cherry Street Farmers Market River Parks Tulsa Flea Market Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area BEST PLACE (OTHER THAN HOME) TO WAIT OUT EXTREME WEATHER Cellar Dweller Fassler Hall Hodges Bend Soundpony Woodland Hills Mall BEST BATHROOM GRAFFITI Caz’s Pub Empire Fassler Hall Mercury Lounge Soundpony BEST CHEAP THRILL The Center of the Universe Cheap Thrills Guthrie Green Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area BEST PLACE FOR A TINDER DATE The Center of the Universe The Comedy Parlor Guthrie Green R Bar & Grill BEST PLACE TO FEEL LIKE YOU’RE NOT IN TULSA Brady Arts District Guthrie Green Hodges Bend Philbrook Museum of Art Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area BEST PLACE TO MAKE SOMETHING Hardesty Arts Center (AHHA) Fab Lab Owl and Drum Philbrook Museum of Art Pinot’s Palette Purple Glaze Tulsa Glassblowing School BEST PLACE TO LEARN SOMETHING NEW Hardesty Arts Center (AHHA) Philbrook Museum of Art Tulsa Community College Tulsa Town Hall University of Tulsa BEST PLACE TO SHOP GREEN Cherry Street Farmers Market Dwelling Spaces Grogg’s Green Barn Natural Grocers Sprouts Farmers Market Whole Foods Market

BEST PLACE TO TAKE OUT-OF-TOWNERS Brady Arts District The Center of the Universe Gilcrease Museum Guthrie Green Philbrook Museum of Art

BEST PLACE TO GO WITH YOUR DOG Biscuit Acres Bark Park Guthrie Green Joe Station Dog Park River Parks Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area

BEST PLACE TO TAKE A SELFIE The Center of the Universe Guthrie Green The Ladies’ Room at Soundpony Philbrook Museum of Art Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area

BEST PLACE TO PEOPLE WATCH Guthrie Green River Parks Tulsa State Fair Walmart Woodland Hills Mall

BEST BOWLING ALLEY Andy B’s Dust Bowl Lanes and Lounge Main Event Entertainment Sheridan Lanes

BEST PLACE TO PICK UP THE NEW COPY OF THE TULSA VOICE The Brook Chimera Cafe Dilly Diner Hideaway Pizza Holy Mountain Ida Red Online Soundpony Tally’s Good Food Cafe

BEST HEALTH/FITNESS CENTER Lifetime Fitness Saint Francis Health Zone Sky Fitness St. John’s Siegfried Health Club YMCA BEST PLACE TO STRIKE A (YOGA) POSE Be Love Guthrie Green Salt Tulsa Yoga Therapy The Yoga Room BEST RUNNING/CYCLING/ATHLETIC STORE Fleet Feet Sports Lee’s Bicycles Lululemon Runner’s World Tom’s Bicycles BEST ORGANIZED FOOT RACE/RUN Color Run McNellie’s Pub Run Route 66 Marathon St. Patrick’s Day 5K Tulsa Run BEST PLACE FOR CYCLING Avery Drive River Parks Tulsa Tough Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area BEST PLACE TO HIKE Chandler Park Mohawk Park Redbud Valley Nature Preserve River Parks Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area BEST PICNIC SPOT Chandler Park Guthrie Green River Parks Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area Woodward Park BEST PUBLIC PARK Guthrie Green LaFortune Park River Parks Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area Woodward Park

BEST HOTEL Aloft Tulsa Downtown The Campbell Hotel Hotel Ambassador Hyatt Regency The Mayo Hotel BEST PLACE TO BUY A LOCAL GIFT Decopolis Dwelling Spaces Ida Red Lyon’s Indian Store Rustic Cuff BEST PLACE TO BUY YOUR SPECIAL SOMEONE A GIFT Dwelling Spaces Glacier Confection Ida Red Moody’s Jewelry Snow Goose BEST PLACE YOU WISH WERE STILL IN BUSINESS Bell’s Amusement Park Cafe Samana Miss Jackson’s Petty’s Fine Foods Steve’s Sundry BEST SALON The First Ward Ihloff Salon & Day Spa Raw Elements Sterling Salon Walk-In Salon by Robert Cromeams BEST CLOTHING STORE FOR GALS Anthropologie Chico’s Posh Saks Fifth Avenue Suite One Boutique Urban Outfitters BEST CLOTHING STORE FOR GUYS Banana Republic Clean Hands Dillard’s Travers Mahan Urban Outfitters

BEST VINTAGE CLOTHING STORE Cheap Thrills Echo Shop Goodwill Jo and June Quality Thrift Vintage Vault BEST TATTOO ARTIST Tony Carrera – Pen and Ink Tattoo Dustin Cleveland – Pen and Ink Tattoo Nico Fedelle – Precision Body Art Kris “Squiggy” Snead – Black Gold Cale Turpen – Geek Ink Tattoo BEST LOCAL POLITICIAN Dewey Bartlett G.T. Bynum Blake Ewing Kathy Taylor None BEST BULLSHIT CALLER Lee Roy Chapman Blake Ewing Barry Friedman Jay Hancock Michael Staub Andy Wheeler BEST METEOROLOGIST James Aydelott – KOKI Fox23 Mike Collier – KTUL Channel 8 Alan Crone – KOTV News on 6 Mike Grogan – KOTV News on 6 Travis Meyer – KOTV News On 6 BEST HAIR ON A LOCAL MEDIA PERSONALITY Kristin Dickerson – KTUL Channel 8 Lori Fulbright – KOTV News on 6 Terry Hood – KOTV News on 6 Chera Kimiko – KOTV News on 6 Karen Larson – KJRH 2 Works for You LeAnne Taylor – KOTV News on 6 BEST TULSAN TO FOLLOW ON SOCIAL MEDIA @Tulsa_Parking Mary Beth Babcock Steve Cluck Michael Staub Jerry Wofford BEST PERSON/GROUP MAKING TULSA BETTER Bike Club George Kaiser/George Kaiser Family Foundation Tulsa Town Hall Tulsa Urban Wildlife Coalition Tulsa Young Professionals (TYPros) BEST NON-PROFIT Domestic Violence Intervention Services (DVIS) George Kaiser Family Foundation Iron Gate Tulsa Girls Art School Tulsa Town Hall BEST THING THAT’S CHANGED ABOUT TULSA IN THE LAST YEAR The continued revitalization of downtown Sheriff Glanz is gone Progress on A Gathering Place Progress on road improvements and the completion of work on I-44 There will not be an outlet mall on Turkey Mountain

T H E T U L S AV O I C E . C O M / B O T * V O T E AT T H E T U L S AV O I C E . C O M / B O T * V O T E AT T H E T U L S AV O I C E . C O M / B O T * V O T E AT T H E T U L S AV O I C E . C O M /

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Tulsa flushed Deconstructing the shit show

by M.W. VERNON

I

have a theory: the bathroom captures the spirit of an establishment, that intangible quality that transforms a space into a place, an aesthetic that proves a distinct ideology.

These strange chambers of shame and abjection are filled with fluids and other opaque matter.

Piss, vomit, excrement, blood, sweat, semen, booze, powders, smoke. There’s a sticky fog in these weird closets we go into when we want to do something we’re embarrassed about. Whether there’s something inside us that needs to be flushed or something of which we’d liked to be stuffed—bathrooms are the places for that to happen.

In Queering Bathrooms: Gender, Sexuality, and the Hygienic Imagination, author Sheila L. Cavanagh notes that public bathrooms “accumulate waste, not only excrement and offal, but the castoff and outmoded remains of things, places, people, techniques, and ideas for which physical and conceptual space no longer exists in the world above.”

A good bathroom, the kind I’m after, should sparkle incandescent under a black light, and also tell a story.

Bathroom graffiti more or less functions like a pre-Internet Reddit or Tumblr. It’s harmless, low-cost deviance. It’s the one place in real life where anyone can anonymously make their mark or identify their presence before a captured and diverse audience.

Objectively, I’m not sure there is a bathroom with the “best” graffiti.

But, Soundpony is probably many Tulsans’ darling.

Soundpony doesn’t go out of its way to outwardly designate the ladies’ room from the mens’ room, though it becomes apparent once you’re through the door: one bathroom has urinals, the other has mirrors. There’s something

28 // ARTS & CULTURE

Yellow Brick Road | PHOTOS BY SHADI NADRI

special inside both: an ephemeral narrative that is constantly being written by everyone who stumbles inside with a Sharpie or a sticker.

Every so often, they’ll cover it all up and start over.

Fassler Hall also has some real gems of wisdom. One that is especially poignant: “The only villain in a Goofy movie is the distance between father and son.” Caz’s bathroom graffiti—though less insightful—is more interactive.

Once I spent half an hour calling the numbers scrawled in the ladies’ room.

“Hello? Hi. Yeah, it said to call ‘for a good time,’ so... you tell me.”

Turns out, that’s one way to find meth in Tulsa.

At Cain’s Ballroom, there’s a plaque to remind you that you’re

pissing on hallowed ground. This proof of historical significance discourages graffiti, and the stalls, which kind-of feel like livestock containers, are painted black to quickly and easily cover any scribbles or scratches. It feels overly sterile, which oddly magnifies the lived-in griminess of the place.

Chimera has two single-occupancy bathrooms that both picture a gender-neutral character from Saturday Night Live. Inside either one, you’ll find information on community events and advertisements for all kinds of wonderful miscellany, like a call for flautists. Chimera’s bathrooms, like its menu, have a mindfully curated minimalism.

The public restroom at Pie Hole is unisex and is adorned with

quirky messages and pithy statements. Both bathrooms at Yellow Brick Road are unisex, neither have urinals, and both have signage with information about STD testing. The Majestic’s facilities, though labeled, are very loosely gendered, and if you’re brave enough to actually sit on the toilet, you can feel bass from the dance music past the hallway reverberating through the bog.

A slew of articles and essays in the last several months have made the case for or against gender-neutral facilities. In some states, it’s illegal—and punishable by hefty fines and/or jail time—for people to use public bathrooms that don’t align with the chromosomes with which they were born, regardless of how they identify in the present.

According to Cavanagh, the mechanisms of public bathrooms stink of something Freudian: urinals represent the vagina and seats the anus. “The toilet, like the unconscious, is a dumping ground for unacceptable impulses, sexual practices, identifications, and desires.” Incidentally, activities that occur in bathroom stalls are perceived as dirty.

The historical tradition of homosexual sex in public bath houses pre-dates... just about everything. There’s latrinalia preserved in Pompeii that translates to: “Weep, you girls. My penis has given up on you. Now it penetrates men’s behinds. Goodbye, wondrous femininity!” A very, very small survey concluded the best bathrooms to cruise in Tulsa are at Woodland Hills Mall and the River Parks.

SWIM enjoys a recreational trip to the bathroom as much as the next discrete twenty-something.

And that someone who isn’t me prefers single-occupancy bathrooms with good latch-bolt locks.

Like at DoubleShot. a

February 17 – March 1, 2016 // THE TULSA VOICE

Soundpony’s mens’ room Chimera’s bathroom entrances

FUN FACT:

Alfred Kinsey did an analysis of latrinalia (a fancy word for bathroom graffiti) in the 1950s that suggested men tend to make more aggressive and sexual statements while women scrawl more conversationally.

Soundpony’s ladies’ room

THE TULSA VOICE // February 17 – March 1, 2016

ARTS & CULTURE // 29

Creation of Crow, 2014, Acrylic on Canvas, 36 x 48 inches | COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND FROELICK GALLERY

RICK BARTOW: THINGS YOU KNOW BUT CANNOT EXPLAIN Gilcrease Museum Jan. 23 through April 24 From Nothing Coyote Creates Himself, 2004, Wood, metal, 41 x 84 x 16 inches | COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND FROELICK GALLERY

30 // ARTS & CULTURE

February 17 – March 1, 2016 // THE TULSA VOICE

The faceted self

Rick Bartow exhibition haunts, amuses, inspires

by LIZ BLOOD

I

’ve seen Rick Bartow: Things You Know But Cannot Explain at Gilcrease Museum twice now.

Both times I wandered in awe through the exhibit, between the wooden, found object sculptures, large-format pastel drawings, and paintings. This is the work of someone who clearly brings his life experiences to bear, evoking feelings of whimsy and sadness, humor and fear.

A quote by Bartow on the museum’s wall reads: “We have to reveal ourselves. In the way that we reveal ourselves, we let our life shine.”

Through his art, Bartow reveals a concept of the multiple selves that we as humans carry around, and the renewal and transformation that can occur over the course of a life. He shares multiple versions of himself: the Native American, the soldier in Vietnam, the husband and friend.

The 108 artworks featured in the four-room Things exhibition include hand-carved masks, sculptures made with real teeth and found objects, Japanese-style printmaking, bright pastel works on hand-made paper, depictions of skulls, shadows, flowers, human figures that are part-animal, animal figures that are part-human, crows, and dogs; abstraction, expression, pain, joy, and humor.

The body of work spans four decades, but is only a sample of the some three thousand works Bartow, a master of various media, has made in that time.

In the show’s title piece, one of the oldest on display, we see layers of graphite thick and shiny, and a ghost-like face that appears to haunt the foreground figure.

There are many lines where an eraser cut swaths through the dark graphite lines. Of erasures, Bartow said, “One thing I hold true is that we’re made up as much of

Deer Spirit for Frank LaPena, 1999, Acrylic on panel, 24 x 24 inches | PRIVATE COLLECTION

what we’ve lost as of what we’ve gained. And what is erasing but a metaphor for that?”

His metaphors are made easier to see and understand by the curators’ thoughtful arrangement of the works by theme: self, gesture, tradition, transformation, and dialogue. While the explanatory cards offer guidance, the work is open to personal interpretation. Many of the pieces feature gaping or open mouths. I frequently saw these figures as screaming, or gasping, until Laura Fry, the Gilcrease Museum curator of art, suggested they might also be laughing, singing, or shouting. “Rick Bartow's bold colors and sweeping lines reflect both the pain and joy of his own life experiences. These artworks are intensely personal,” she said.

“Yet Rick also invites viewers to bring their own meanings to his artwork.”

Some of the images disturb.

In the exhibition’s entry hallway,

THE TULSA VOICE // February 17 – March 1, 2016

“Nak May Kway Let Way 6” (“My Crying Eyes For You 6”) depicts a dark image of a man masked in caliginous pigment and shadow.

His features are barely discernable, except for his piercing, white, challenging eyes. It is one of six paintings Bartow created in response to being given five Native American skulls that had been in a museum’s collections storage.

Other images evoke laughter.

If you kneel down to look at one wooden sculpture in particular, you will see something inside its mouth you otherwise wouldn’t.

It was made that way for a child’s gaze. On the “Dialogue” card nearby, Bartow’s quote reads: “Is there a lesson to be learned?

There’s a time for entertainment.

Children understand. Adults muck it up.”

Animal faces layered over human faces, human faces blended with animal faces, animal heads on human bodies—these remind

us of the interconnectedness of being. In the room showcasing his new work, yellow articulates illness and expunging illness, a reference to his most recent stroke. Wooden and depicted masks cause the viewer to consider how a mask transforms the wearer, and for what that mask might be a metaphor. Bartow pays homage to Da Vinci, to Gustav Klimt, and to various artistic traditions including African, Maori, Native American, Japanese, and European.

Jill Hartz is the co-curator of the exhibition and executive director of the Schnitzer Museum of Art from which the exhibition hails. “[Bartow’s work] touches deeply emotional, sensual, and spiritual dimensions,” Hartz said. “His art, as he says, is a means of therapy, and it’s exciting to see art practice as fundamental to survival, as a way of exorcising demons, finding balance and acceptance in life. He affirms our connection to nature and the cosmos, why Native cultures are important in teaching us how to live fully and harmoniously with one another and with the land today. He reminds us of the joy that looking at art can bring us, and he makes us laugh and cry, sometimes at the same time.”

Things is a new step for Gilcrease Museum, which will now include solo shows by living Native American artists in its exhibition rotations.

“Thomas Gilcrease sponsored many living artists during the time that he was collecting,” Fry said.

“With this and upcoming exhibitions, we are hoping to honor his legacy as a champion of living Native artists.”

After you see the show, if you’ve got some cash to spare, purchase the exhibition catalogue book in the gift shop. You’ll want to look at these images for years to come. a ARTS & CULTURE // 31

thehaps

TSO Classics: Spirit and Awakenings Sat. Feb. 20, 7 p.m., $21-$76 Chapman Music Hall, PAC, tulsapac.com Tulsa Symphony celebrates the desire to renew the human spirit with Resphigi’s transcription of Bach’s “Wachet Auf” (Sleepers Wake), Mendelssonhn’s “Reformation” symphony (No. 5), and Beethoven’s 6th Symphony. “Spirit and Awakenings” also marks the return of guest conductor Sarah Ioannides, who The New York Times described as a conductor with “unquestionable strength and authority.”

Everything is Awesome: An Evening of Lego Thurs., Feb. 18, 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Philbrook Museum of Art, philbrook.org Learn about the history, development and design of Lego with John Baichtal, author of “The Cult of Lego.” Explore the creative possibilities and world-wide phenomenon of your favorite tiny bricks.

Don’t Dress for Dinner Fri., Feb. 19 through Sun., Feb. 28, $23-$27, Liddy Doenges Theatre, PAC, tulsapac.com Husband and wife Bernard and Jacqueline are each having an affair. The couple is forced to think fast when both of their lovers come for dinner in this French farce by Marc Camoletti. “Don’t Dress for Dinner” is the sequel to Camoletti’s “Boeing-Boeing,” which delighted audiences in Theatre Tulsa’s 2013 production.

No Call / No Show Sat., Feb. 20, 7 p.m., The Fur Shop, facebook.com/NoARTnStuff 15 D.I.Y. artists and punk bands from around the state come together for one night at The Fur Shop. See paintings, sculpture, wood burning, prints and more while hearing music from James Bond Dracula, Kinda Creepy, Death Squad, The Big News, and Costanzas.

32 // ARTS & CULTURE

Back Gallery Portrait Show Name Drawing Party Sat., Feb. 27, 4 p.m., Soundpony, facebook.com/backgallerytulsa ATTENTION: Artists. The Back Gallery (in the alley between Valkyrie and Gitwit Creative) will hold it’s 3rd annual all-city portrait show on Friday, April 1. Artists ages 18 and up of all styles and mediums are invited to participate. Names will be drawn from a hat to randomly assign who will turn whom into a new work of art. Throw your name in the hat at Back Gallery’s Facebook page, or in person at Soundpony before 4 p.m. on the 27th.

History of Rock n Roll in Tulsa, Part 1 Tues., March 1, 6 p.m., $120 Woody Guthrie Center, woodyguthriecenter.org Follow Tulsa’s music history from the early ‘50s to today with some of Tulsa’s original rock and rollers. Guest speakers include Gene Crose, Bobby Taylor, Johnny Williams, Junior Markham, Terrye Newkirk and John Wooley. Discounted tickets for the forthcoming second part of the series will be available for attendees of part one.

February 17 – March 1, 2016 // THE TULSA VOICE

BEST OF THE REST EVENTS

Darryl Starbird’s National Rod & Custom Show // See hundreds of gleaming and unique hot rods and custom cars at the 52nd annual Starbird car show. The show also features live entertainment and music, including performances by Ddendyl Hoyt of “The Voice,” minibike and lawnmower races, and a demolition derby. This year also marks the first Rockin’ Billy Bash, a celebration of the rod & custom spirit and D.I.Y. attitude, with art, ink, rock and roll, and more, presented by cancersucks.com. // 2/19-2/20, Expo Square - River Spirit Expo, $5$25, starbirdcarshows.com The Vintage Tulsa Show // Tulsa’s largest antiques and vintage event features 250 vendors from 20 different states. // 2/19-2/21, Expo Square - Exchange Center, $4-$15, vintagetulsashow.com

PERFORMING ARTS

Chang Mu Dance // Chang Mu Dance Company mixes dance movements of various periods of Korean history with contemporary styles and innovative choreography. Chang Mu expands its dance vocabulary with creative combinations of movement, poetry, and painting. // 3/1, Tulsa Performing Arts Center - John H. Williams Theatre, $52, tulsapac.com/index.asp

COMEDY

Sunday Night Stand Up // 2/18, 8 p.m., Comedy Parlor, $5, comedyparlor.com Hammered! A Drunk Improv Show // 2/27, 10 p.m., Comedy Parlor, $10, comedyparlor.com News Junkie // 2/27, 8 p.m., Comedy Parlor, $10, comedyparlor.com Unusual Suspects // 2/26, 10 p.m., Comedy Parlor, $10, comedyparlor.com T-Town Famous // 2/26, 8 p.m., Comedy Parlor, $10, comedyparlor.com

By George! // 2/25, 8 p.m., Comedy Parlor, $10, comedyparlor.com Frankie Morrell // 2/24-2/27, Loony Bin, $2-$12, loonybincomedy.com/Tulsa Shrine Comedy Night // 22-Feb, The Venue Shrine, tulsashrine.com Cian Baker says Laugh it up, Tulsa // 2/21, 8 p.m., Comedy Parlor, $5, comedyparlor.com

Whale Comedy Fest. Hilton Price and BradChad Porter will perform opening sets. // 2/21, 7:30 p.m., Loony Bin, $5-$10, loonybincomedy.com/Tulsa Komedy Kombat // 2/20, 10 p.m., Comedy Parlor, $10, comedyparlor.com Comfort Creatures // 2/19, 10 p.m., Comedy Parlor, $10, comedyparlor.com Susan Freeman // 2/19, 8 p.m., Comedy Parlor, $10, comedyparlor.com Laughing Matter // 2/18, 8 p.m., Comedy Parlor, $5, comedyparlor.com J.R. Brow, Patrick Keane // 2/18-2/20, Loony Bin, $2-$12, loonybincomedy.com/Tulsa J.R. Brow, Patrick Keane, Daniel Shappley, Lyoid Fussell, Jack Allen, Stef Bright, Billy Bazar, Desiree Newton // 2/17, Loony Bin, $5, loonybincomedy.com/Tulsa

SPORTS ORU Women’s Basketball vs Omaha // 2/25, Mabee Center, $8, mabeecenter.com TU Women’s Basketball vs USF // 2/24, 1 p.m., Reynolds Center, $5 Tulsa Oilers vs Idaho Steelheads // 2/23, 7:05 p.m., BOK Center, $13$73, bokcenter.com TU Men’s Basketball vs Temple // 2/23, 6 p.m., Reynolds Center, $15$44 Tulsa Oilers vs Allen Americans // 2/21, 4:05 p.m., BOK Center, $13$73, bokcenter.com Tulsa Oilers vs Allen Americans // 2/20, 7:05 p.m., BOK Center, $13$73, bokcenter.com ORU Women’s Basketball vs Western Illinois // 2/20, Mabee Center, $8, mabeecenter.com Tulsa Oilers vs Evansville Icemen // 2/19, 7:05 p.m., BOK Center, $13$73, bokcenter.com ORU Men’s Basketball vs Denver // 2/19, 7 p.m., Mabee Center, $12$40, mabeecenter.com TU Men’s Basketball vs Cincinnati // 2/18, 8 p.m., Reynolds Center, $15-$44

Dan Fritschie - “Reproduction” - Live DVD Taping // To celebrate eight years behind the microphone, local comedian Dan Fritschie will record a new live album and DVD, “Reproduction,” at the Loony Bin. Fritschie opened for Nick Thune at last year’s Blue THE TULSA VOICE // February 17 – March 1, 2016

For the most up-to-date listings

thetulsavoice.com/ calendar ARTS & CULTURE // 33

musicnotes

Five bangers

We Make Shapes releases debut EP

by MITCH GILLIAM

I

recently met with Damion Shade at the Yeti on Writer’s Night. Throughout our conversation, open mic hopefuls approached Shade to sign up for the stage. “Sheet’s over there, man,” Shade would say with a warm smile and quick handshake.

The Writer’s Night is Shade’s baby, and has offered a voice to unheard songwriters and poets for the last few years. In addition to corralling the comedians and mesmerists that perform each week, Shade uses the night to perform his own songs.

Shade writes his songs under the moniker The Savage Young, an act which sometimes manifests as a full band. Other times The Savage Young is just the dreadlocked and gentle giant of Shade, pouring his heart out through an acoustic guitar. Recently The Savage Young found himself walking between the downward dogs at the Yoga Room’s live music event, which Shade described as “weirdly intimate,” through a laugh. Lately though, Shade’s focus has been on We Make Shapes, a collaborative project with musician Nathan Wright (Count Tutu, Branjae and the Filthy Animals).

“Metropolis (1927),” the opening track of We Make Shapes debut EP Penta, is an exercise in stadium rock maximalism filtered through minimal trip-hop instrumentation. The song’s blown-out snare hits and Van Halen guitar licks ride atop a hypnotic 808 vamp. Shade’s voice is absent. In fact, his voice seldom appears on the EP; and when it does, it may sound less than human.

“In certain ways, I was just like, ‘fuck singing,’” Shade said about his vocal approach in We 34 // MUSIC

Damion Shade | MELISSA LUKENBAUGH

Make Shape’s beginning. “There was a point where I thought we’d be an instrumental band, and that Nathan’s guitar would be the voice.” Shade lost his mother in 2013 while fronting his former band Ithaca, and attributed the resulting period of depression to his step away from the mic. On Penta, he’s singing again, but with a more calculated approach to the

lyrics, and often through vocal effects.

On “folds,” one of the three tracks on Penta to feature vocals, Shade repeats: “You are the only force that cuts each length of time into a hairbreadth/That folds the universe into a bright and utter grin that I try to find.”

It’s a mantra, and the only lyric in the song. It’s also an act of

restraint from a man that once wrote songs with single lines that read: “Quentin Tarantino films were washing over Julie’s glasses, reminding her that she is growing cold. All the other film school dropouts made remarks about detachment, and how our culture is slowly growing old.” Shade recited these lyrics to me at Yeti, and chuckled. “Like...I sang that shit.”

Apart from the new lyrical approach, Shade and Wright have narrowed their musical focus after a recent tour with Jonny Polygon.

After following Polygon night after night and putting most of the crowd into what they called a “Buddhist trance” with their more experimental music, Shade had an epiphany. “I had this old football player moment, where I thought, what would my coach say?”

The duo decided to play every song, “more committed, more focused, more into it, and sing every note with all the strength and power and control [we could] possibly muster.” They also dropped their more spacey compositions (the group has 57 total songs) in favor of their bangers, of which they’ve assembled the five hardest hitting for Penta.

On Friday, Feb. 19, Tulsans can get a taste of Penta at the Yeti, where We Make Shapes will host a concert celebrating the album’s release. The show starts at 10 p.m. and the cost is $5 at the door. a

We Make Shapes Album Release Party with Special Guest Surron the 7th Feb. 19, 10 p.m., $5 The Yeti, 417 N. Main St. February 17 – March 1, 2016 // THE TULSA VOICE

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THE TULSA VOICE // February 17 – March 1, 2016

MUSIC // 35

musiclistings Wed // Feb 17 Dusty Dog Pub – Scott Ellison Hunt Club – Open Mic w/ Swampfox Mix Co – Mike Cameron Collective Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Wednesday Night Spotlight w/ Shelby Eicher On the Rocks – Don White Pickles Pub – Bill Snow The Colony – Tom Skinner’s Science Project

Thurs // Feb 18 Boom Boom Room – DJ MO Enso – Casii Stephens Band Fur Shop – The Peach Kings, The Fabulous Minx Hard Rock Casino - Cabin Creek – Brian Capps Hard Rock Casino - Riffs – Travis Kidd, FM Live Hard Rock Casino - The Joint – Joan Jett and the Blackhearts – ($45-$55) Hunt Club – Ego Culture IDL Ballroom – Herobust – ($12) Magoo’s – Patti Taylor Band Osage Casino - Events Center – Turnpike Troubadours – ($25) River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Mike Barham & The Honky Tonk Prophets Roosters Cocktails – Daniel Jordan Soundpony – Busty Brunettes The Colony – Honky Tonk Happy Hour w/ Jacob Tovar The Venue Shrine – Young LA – ($10) VFW Post 577 - Centennial Lounge – Brad Hoskins Woody’s Corner Bar – Brandon Jackson Yeti – *Mike Dillon – ($5)

Fri // Feb 19 727 Club – Midnight Run Band American Legion Post 308 – Double “00” Buck Brady Theater – Chris Young, Cassadee Pope – 7:30 p.m. – ($35-$55) Cain’s Ballroom – Uncle Lucius – 8:30 p.m. – ($13-$15) Ed’s Hurricane Lounge – The Heather Buckley Band Hard Rock Casino - Cabin Creek – Redland Hard Rock Casino - Riffs – Travis Kidd, Replay Hunt Club – Curt Hill Mercury Lounge – Shane Smith & The Saints, Kayla Ray Nitro Lounge – Beauty Killed the Beast, Forever In Disgust, Constant Peril Osage Casino - NINE18 Bar – The Stars Pepper’s Grill - South – The Jennifer Marriott Band Pickles Pub – David Dover Pickles Pub – Scott Ellison Band River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Time Machine River Spirit Casino - Event Center – The Temptations – 7 p.m. – (SOLD OUT) Smitty’s 118 Tavern – Tyler Brant Soundpony – Brenda the Band, Weird Science The Colony – Hosty The Venue Shrine – Bart Crow – ($10.25-$15) Vanguard – Sovereign Dame, The Capital Why’s,

36 // MUSIC

The Raven Charter, Jankins – ($10) VFW Post 577 - Centennial Lounge – Steve Pryor Woody’s Corner Bar – DJ Spin Yeti – Cucumber Mike’s Yeti Happy Hour Yeti – We Make Shapes album release - Penta

Sat // Feb 20 Boom Boom Room – DJ MO Bull & Bear Tavern – Dean DeMerritt Jazz Tribe w/ Stephanie Oliver Charles Schusterman Jewish Community Center – Eric Himan – ($25) Crow Creek Tavern – RPM Dusty Dog Pub – Scott Ellison Ed’s Hurricane Lounge – Liquid Static Electric Circus – Aww Yeah! w/ DJ abSRD and Ject & Svenchen Four Aces Tavern – Truck Stop Betties Fur Shop – No Call / No Show Hard Rock Casino - Cabin Creek – Wayne Garner Hard Rock Casino - Riffs – The Hi-Fidelics, Replay Hunt Club – Trilly Boy Mercury Lounge – Darrin Kobetich, Boxcar Bandits Nitro Lounge – DJ Krisp-E Osage Casino - NINE18 Bar – The Stars River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Time Machine Soul City – Dustin Pittsley Soundpony – DJ Trigger, DJ Warning, DJ Swang em The Colony – Mo’ Of It - Motown Review – ($5) The Venue Shrine – Tony Romanello & The Blackjackets CD Release – ($5) Vanguard – The Oh Hellos, Lomelda, Scales of Motion – ($16-$50) VFW Post 577 - Centennial Lounge – The Blue Dawgs Woody’s Corner Bar – Tyler Russell Yeti – Contra, Who & The Fucks, Cucumber and the Suntans

Sun // Feb 21 Bodean – Dean DeMerritt Jazz Tribe w/ Sarah Maud East Village Bohemian Pizzeria – Mike Cameron Collective Soundpony – Skeleton Farm, Jitters - Happy Hour Show – 6:30 p.m. – () Soundpony – Tul$axWorld The Colony – Paul Benjaman’s Sunday Nite Thing

Mon // Feb 22 Hodges Bend – Mike Cameron Collective Juniper Restaurant & Martini Lounge – Stephanie Oliver, Dean DeMerritt and Frank Brown Soundpony – Ed Hochuli The Colony – Singer/Songwriter Night Yeti – Cypher 120

Tues // Feb 23 Hard Rock Casino - Riffs – Bill Holden Nitro Lounge – Caboose, The Calamities, Cosmosis Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Depot Jazz and Blues Jams The Colony – Mike Cameron Collective The Venue Shrine – The Lonely Revolts – ($5) Yeti – Writer’s Night w/ Damion Shade

Wed // Feb 24

Sat // Feb 27

AFur Shop – Goddamn Gallows, The Devil’s Cut, The Dirty Mugs, Joe MySide & the Sorrow – ($8) Mix Co – Mike Cameron Collective Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Wednesday Night Spotlight w/ Shelby Eicher On the Rocks – Don White Pickles Pub – Bill Snow Soundpony – La Panther Happens The Colony – Tom Skinner’s Science Project

Billy and Renee’s – Captain Chaos BOK Center – Brad Paisley – 7:30 p.m. – ($35$69.75) Boom Boom Room – DJ MO Cain’s Ballroom – MUTEMATH, nothing But Thieves – 8:30 p.m. – ($23-$38) Dixie Tavern – Skytown, The Plums Four Aces Tavern – David Dover Hard Rock Casino - Cabin Creek – Joe Worrel Hard Rock Casino - Riffs – Travis Kidd, Imzadi Hunt Club – JT and the Dirtbox Wailers Lot No. 6 – Dan Martin Mercury Lounge – Dylan Stewart & The Eulogists, Scott Evans Osage Casino - NINE18 Bar – Mike Black and The Stingrays Pickles Pub – Scott Ellison Band River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – West 51 Soundpony – DJ Sweet Baby Jaysus The Colony – Barnoski Project The Venue Shrine – Agent Orange, In the Whale – ($8.50-$10) Vanguard – Hawthorne Heights, Mest, The Ataris, Handguns, London Falling, Lizard Police – ($20-$50) VanTrease PACE – Victoria Luperi - A Red Rose for Music – ($29-$54) VFW Post 577 - Centennial Lounge – Gypsy Cold Cuts Woody’s Corner Bar – Speak Easy

Thurs // Feb 25 Boom Boom Room – DJ MO Cain’s Ballroom – Borgeous, Morgan Page, Delora – 8 p.m. – ($23-$38) Crow Creek Tavern – The Blue Dawgs Enso – The Plums, RedWitch Johnny Fur Shop – Darkbuster, Merlinmason, The Normandy’s, The Penny Mob – ($10) Hard Rock Casino - Cabin Creek – The Tiptons Hard Rock Casino - Riffs – Scott Ellison, Pumpkin Hollow Band Hard Rock Casino - The Joint – Hank Williams Jr. – (SOLD OUT) Hunt Club – Jabe Burgess River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – The Hi-Fidelics Roosters Cocktails – Daniel Jordan The Colony – Beau Roberson The Venue Shrine – Aaron Kamm and the One Drops – ($5-$10) VFW Post 577 - Centennial Lounge – Pat Ryan Key Woody’s Corner Bar – Jacob Stiefel

Fri // Feb 26 American Legion Post 308 – Whiskey Bent BOK Center – Iron Maiden – 7 p.m. – ($29.50$89.50) Cain’s Ballroom – Reckless Kelly, Bley Edmondson – 8:15 p.m. – ($18-$33) Cox Business Center – Life in Color: Kingdom ft.

Steve Aoki – 7 p.m. – ($30.50) Gypsy Coffee House – Marilyn McCulloch Hard Rock Casino - Cabin Creek – Great Big Biscuit Hard Rock Casino - Riffs – Scott Eastman, Those Party Bros Hunt Club – Hosty Duo Lennie’s Club – David Dover Mercury Lounge – Deep Fried Squirrel Osage Casino - NINE18 Bar – Mike Black and The Stingrays Pepper’s Grill - South – Dean DeMerritt’s Jazz Tribe Pickles Pub – South of Vertical River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – West 51 River Spirit Casino - Event Center – America – 7 p.m. – (SOLD OUT) Soundpony – Dr. Rock Doctor The Colony – Steve Pryor The Venue Shrine – Krayzie Bone – ($15-$20) Vanguard – Seabound, Nite, Esoterik, DJ Robbo, DJ Bone – ($16-$20) VFW Post 577 - Centennial Lounge – Tres Dudes Woody’s Corner Bar – DJ Mikey Bee Yeti – Cucumber Mike’s Yeti Happy Hour

Sun // Feb 28 East Village Bohemian Pizzeria – Mike Cameron Collective Soundpony – shmu The Colony – Paul Benjaman’s Sunday Nite Thing

Mon // Feb 29 HHodges Bend – Mike Cameron Collective Juniper Restaurant & Martini Lounge – Dean DeMerritt and Frank Brown The Colony – Singer/Songwriter Night Yeti – Cypher 120

Tues // Mar 1 Brady Theater – Breaking Benjamin, Starset – 8 p.m. – ($35-$42.50) Cain’s Ballroom – Gary Clark Jr., Muddy Magnolias – 8 p.m. – (SOLD OUT) Nitro Lounge – Caboose, The Calamities, Cosmosis Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Depot Jazz and Blues Jams Yeti – Writer’s Night w/ Damion Shade

February 17 – March 1, 2016 // THE TULSA VOICE

THE TULSA VOICE // February 17 – March 1, 2016

MUSIC // 37

FEBRUARY 19-28, 2016 LIDDY DOENGES THEATRE AT THE TULSA PAC To Order Tickets MyTicketOffice.com (918) 596-7111

AND THE AWARD GOES TO… The Revenant or Mad Max: Fury Road?

Rooney Mara or Alicia Vikander?

Will Leo finally get his Oscar?

We asked four local film connoisseurs to join TTV’s resident movie nerds Joe O’Shansky and Joshua Kline in forecasting the big winners for this year’s 88th Academy Awards, which airs Sunday, Feb. 28, at 6:00 p.m. on ABC.

*

BEST AWARDS PREDICTOR

Think you have the winners pegged?

Go head to head with Joe. If you correctly predict more wins than him, we’ll throw your name in a hat for a chance to win six passes to Circle Cinema and a $50 McNellie’s Group gift card. Go to

THETUL S AVO IC E .C OM/OSC A RS

check out Joe’s complete list of choices and then fill out your own ballot.

38 // FILM & TV

February 17 – March 1, 2016 // THE TULSA VOICE

James Cooper President, Oklahoma Film Critics Circle

Joe O’Shansky TTV Film Critic

Claire Edwards freelance filmmaker, TTV columnist

Jeff Huston film critic at hustonmovieblog.com

Chuck Foxen film programmer Circle Cinema

Joshua Kline TTV managing editor

Best Picture

WILL WIN: The Revenant SHOULD WIN: Spotlight SNUBBED: Tangerine

WILL WIN: The Revenant SHOULD WIN: The Martian SNUBBED: Tangerine

WILL WIN: The Revenant SHOULD WIN: Mad Max: Fury Road SNUBBED: Phoenix

WILL WIN: The Revenant SHOULD WIN: The Revenant SNUBBED: Inside Out

WILL WIN: The Revenant SHOULD WIN: The Revenant SNUBBED: Embrace of the Serpent

WILL WIN: The Revenant SHOULD WIN: Mad Max: Fury Road SNUBBED: Beasts of No Nation

Best DIRECTOR

WILL WIN: Alejandro González Iñárritu, The Revenant SHOULD WIN: George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road SNUBBED: Sean Baker, Tangerine

WILL WIN: Alejandro González Iñárritu, The Revenant SHOULD WIN: George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road SNUBBED: Cary Joji Fukunaga, Beasts of No Nation

WILL WIN: Alejandro González Iñárritu, The Revenant SHOULD WIN: Lenny Abrahamson, Room SNUBBED: Christian Petzold, Phoenix

WILL WIN: George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road SHOULD WIN: Tom McCarthy, Spotlight SNUBBED: Todd Haynes, Carol

WILL WIN: Alejandro González Iñárritu, The Revenant SHOULD WIN: Alejandro González Iñárritu, The Revenant

WILL WIN: George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road SHOULD WIN: Alejandro González Iñárritu, The Revenant SNUBBED: Paolo Sorrentino, Youth

Best ACTOR

WILL WIN: Leonardo Dicaprio, The Revenant SHOULD WIN: Leonardo Dicaprio, The Revenant SNUBBED: Michael B. Jordan, Creed

WILL WIN: Leonardo Dicaprio, The Revenant SHOULD WIN: Leonardo Dicaprio, The Revenant SNUBBED: Michael B. Jordan, Creed

WILL WIN: Leonardo Dicaprio, The Revenant SHOULD WIN: Leonardo Dicaprio, The Revenant SNUBBED: Michael B. Jordan, Creed

WILL WIN: Leonardo Dicaprio, The Revenant SHOULD WIN: Leonardo Dicaprio, The Revenant SNUBBED: Richard Gere, Time Out of Mind

WILL WIN: Leonardo Dicaprio, The Revenant SHOULD WIN: Leonardo Dicaprio, The Revenant SNUBBED: Grigoriy Fesenko, The Tribe

WILL WIN: Leonardo Dicaprio, The Revenant SHOULD WIN: Leonardo Dicaprio, The Revenant SNUBBED: Ben Mendelsohn, Mississippi Grind

Best ACTRESS

WILL WIN: Brie Larson, Room SHOULD WIN: Brie Larson, Room SNUBBED: Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, Tangerine

WILL WIN: Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn SHOULD WIN: Brie Larson, Room SNUBBED: Arielle Holmes, Heaven Knows What

WILL WIN: Brie Larson, Room SHOULD WIN: Brie Larson, Room SNUBBED: Nina Hoss, Phoenix

WILL WIN: Brie Larson, Room SHOULD WIN: Brie Larson, Room SNUBBED: Emily Blunt, Sicario

WILL WIN: Jennifer Lawrence, Joy SHOULD WIN: Brie Larson, Room

WILL WIN: Brie Larson, Room SHOULD WIN: Brie Larson, Room SNUBBED: Elisabeth Moss, Queen of the Earth

Best SUPPORTING ACTOR

WILL WIN: Sylvester Stallone, Creed SHOULD WIN: Sylvester Stallone, Creed SNUBBED: Paul Dano, Love and Mercy

WILL WIN: Tom Hardy, The Revenant SHOULD WIN: Tom Hardy, The Revenant SNUBBED: Idris Elba, Beasts of No Nation

WILL WIN: Tom Hardy, The Revenant SHOULD WIN: Tom Hardy, The Revenant SNUBBED: Oscar Isaac, Ex Machina

WILL WIN: Sylvester Stallone, Creed SHOULD WIN: Tom Hardy, The Revenant SNUBBED: Harrison Ford, Star Wars: The Force Awakens

WILL WIN: Tom Hardy, The Revenant SHOULD WIN: Tom Hardy, The Revenant

WILL WIN: Sylvester Stallone, Creed SHOULD WIN: Christian Bale, The Big Short SNUBBED: Idris Elba, Beasts of No Nation

Best SUPPORTING ACTRESS

WILL WIN: Rooney Mara, Carol SHOULD WIN: Rooney Mara, Carol SNUBBED: Mya Taylor, Tangerine

WILL WIN: Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl SHOULD WIN: Rooney Mara, Carol SNUBBED: Diane Ladd, Joy

WILL WIN: Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl SHOULD WIN: Rooney Mara, Carol SNUBBED: Jessica Chastain, Crimson Peak

WILL WIN: Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl SHOULD WIN: Rooney Mara, Carol SNUBBED: Alicia Vikander, Ex Machina

WILL WIN: Rachel McAdams, Spotlight SHOULD WIN: Rachel McAdams, Spotlight

WILL WIN: Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl SHOULD WIN: Rooney Mara, Carol SNUBBED: Jada Pinkett Smith, Magic Mike XXL

Best Original Screenplay

WILL WIN: Spotlight SHOULD WIN: Spotlight SNUBBED: Trainwreck

WILL WIN: Spotlight SHOULD WIN: Inside Out SNUBBED: Trainwreck

WILL WIN: Spotlight SHOULD WIN: Ex Machina SNUBBED: Crimson Peak

WILL WIN: Spotlight SHOULD WIN: Inside Out SNUBBED: Sicario

WILL WIN: Ex Machina SHOULD WIN: Ex Machina

WILL WIN: Spotlight SHOULD WIN: Spotlight SNUBBED: Mistress America

Best ADAPTED Screenplay

WILL WIN: The Big Short SHOULD WIN: Carol SNUBBED: 45 Years

WILL WIN: Carol SHOULD WIN: The Big Short SNUBBED: The End of the Tour

WILL WIN: The Big Short SHOULD WIN: Room SNUBBED: Diary of a Teenage Girl

WILL WIN: The Big Short SHOULD WIN: Room SNUBBED: Steve Jobs

WILL WIN: Room SHOULD WIN: Room

WILL WIN: Room SHOULD WIN: The Big Short SNUBBED: Steve Jobs

Best CINEMATOGRAPHY

WILL WIN: The Revenant SHOULD WIN: Mad Max: Fury Road SNUBBED: It Follows

WILL WIN: The Revenant SHOULD WIN: The Revenant SNUBBED: Tangerine

WILL WIN: The Revenant SHOULD WIN: The Revenant SNUBBED: Tangerine

WILL WIN: The Revenant SHOULD WIN: Carol SNUBBED: Brooklyn

WILL WIN: The Revenant SHOULD WIN: The Revenant

WILL WIN: The Revenant SHOULD WIN: Carol SNUBBED: Tangerine

THE TULSA VOICE // February 17 – March 1, 2016

FILM & TV // 39

filmphiles “If the Academy Awards do not catch up with the culture, that is on them, not the rest of us actually interested in watching the best, most entertaining, and engaging movies we can f i n d .”

— J a m e s C o o p e r, P r e s i d e nt o f O k l a h o m a Film Critics Circle

Left to right, top row: Cate Blanchett (Denis Makarenko), Brie Larson (Helga Esteb), Jennifer Lawrence (Tinseltown), Charlotte Rampling (PAN Photo Agency), Saoirse Ronan (Helga Esteb) Left to right, bottom row: Bryan Cranston (Helga Esteb), Matt Damon (S Bukley), Leonardo DiCaprio (Andrea Raffin), Michael Fassbender (Andrea Raffin), Eddie Redmayne (DFree) COURTESY SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

#OscarsSoLame

The Academy is old, white and out of touch

by JOE O’SHANSKY

T

he Oscars are under fire this year for once again failing to nominate a single black person in any of the major categories. TTV film critic Joe O’Shansky recently discussed the controversy with James Cooper, president of the Oklahoma Film Critics Circle. Here is their conversation, edited for space and clarity.

Joe: The hashtag #OscarsSoWhite—a reaction to the complete absence of any black nominees at this year’s Oscar festivities—has spurred a plethora of reactions, from boycotts to ill-advised commentary from people who likely don’t believe white privilege is at

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

40 // FILM & TV

issue. James, you’re a critic, the president of the Oklahoma Film Critics Circle (OFCC), and a black man. What’s your take? Is it sour grapes, or is there a systemic racism that influences what films and talents get a shot at the gold?

James: Here is my question: are the Oscars relevant? Specifically, does anyone take them seriously?

The serious systemic problem is that Academy voters are 94 percent white, 77 percent men, and 63 percent over the age of 63.

If any movie wants a chance at a nomination, it needs to appeal to this homogenous group. So, how many of these voters watched “Tangerine,” a critically acclaimed film about two black transgendered prostitutes in LA? Praised at Sundance, shot on an iPhone 5s, and ignored for a single acting, writing, or technical award. Why? Ten years ago when I was an undergrad in film school, I caught on to these voting demographics and realized Academy voters mostly watch films they recognize and make them feel comfortable.

Is that awarding art or giving statues away to the best marketing campaign? I say this fact not as a half-black man but as a person paying attention to Academy demographics.

Joe: On one side it seems to be considered evil political correctness to make a fuss about it. Charlotte Rampling’s cringe-worthy observation that it’s “racist against whites,” or Michael Caine’s blasé “their time will come” assessment.

Is the institution outdated—is this just another way the Academy reveals its irrelevance?

James: The whole institution is archaic and out of touch with most film critics and moviegoers, yes.

Did you read the recent interview Entertainment Weekly did with an Academy voter on “Straight Outta Compton?” The voter, an award-winning director, said, “many Academy members wouldn’t even see the film because it represented a culture that they detest or, more accurately, they assume they detest,” i.e. rap.

Joe: Yeah, I did read that. Conversely, I heard stories about voters nominating and awarding “12 Years a Slave” without watching it.

James: Would not surprise me.

Also, on “12 Years,” “Django” is the better film and should have won Best Picture the year the Academy was actually smart enough to nominate it.

Joe: When I see a performance like Michael B. Jordan’s in “Creed” and it’s not up for consideration, I just cease to understand.

James: Yep, I gave up understanding when “Crash” beat “Brokeback Mountain.”

Joe: Oh, God. Yeah, I guess it all began for me when “Goodfellas” lost to “Dances with Wolves.”

Just, what?

James: At best, Academy voters get it right in technical categories occasionally. Best Cinematography is an example this year with “Carol,” “The Revenant,” “Mad Max,” “Sicario,” and “The Hateful Eight.” Beautiful films, simply breathtaking to see.

Joe: I think the technical stuff is easier to get right because their qualities, and leaps forward in technology, are plain to see. I’m starting to think we should agitate for the abolition of the Academy Awards. Not because they’re racist.

Just because they inflict actual harm on pop culture.

James: For sure. Also, I support movie critics abandoning the Academy. I mean, does anyone think the Grammys know what they are

February 17 – March 1, 2016 // THE TULSA VOICE

talking about these days? No way.

At best, they sneak in Kendrick Lamar or Arcade Fire, maybe.

Joe: #OscarsCanSuckIt. Pie in the sky question: if they were better, if the demographics of the voters, and their culture changed, would the Oscars be worth saving?

James: How do you change that culture? Honestly, the only movie awards I care about are film critic’s associations releasing their annual lists of the Top Films of the Year, every group from New York to Austin to Dallas to the African American Film Critics Association. These critics watch hundreds of films a year for a living and strike me as considerably more knowledgeable than the homogenous group of older white men that is the Academy.

These critics are black, white, Asian, Latino, gay, straight, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, atheist, middle class, working class, young, old, and middle age. I will throw my lot in with them.

Joe: I usually look to those critics and guild awards when I make my Oscar picks, because I’m pretty sure that’s all the Academy is doing anyway.

James: Oh definitely. Also, I love Film Comment’s annual year-end list, which always includes so many films from across the world.

Joe: Yeah, where the hell is “Mustang,” “Phoenix,” or “White God”? “Tangerine’s” exclusion was a huge oversight. It was my number one pick for the year because it’s flat-out ground breaking.

James: Earlier I said I gave up understanding why the Academy nominates and awards the movies and actors they do. I do understand. Will the Academy, the majority of which are older white men, watch movies shot in Sweden, Russia, Latin America, or the Middle East? To repeat my earlier answer, clearly not.

Joe: It amazes me that I’m watching shit on Netflix that they should be voting on. And not just the films we mentioned, but notably “Beasts of No Nation.” I think Idris Elba made a joke about it when he accepted his SAG award.

James: Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and YouTube are game changers and have democratized movie watching. Now, we have better access to foreign films, smaller films, LGBT films, black films, etc. If the Academy Awards do not catch up with the culture, that is on them, not the rest of us actually interested in watching the best, most entertaining, and engaging movies we can find.

And, if Oscar voters want to continue ignoring horror and comedy films for Best Picture and other awards, then fine. Let them, and let audiences keep rewarding those films at the box office and on home video. “It Follows” and “Trainwreck” were great 2016 films. Where are they?

Joe: I’m actually amazed that “Mad Max” is up for Best Picture.

Not because it doesn’t deserve to be, but because it’s the Academy.

James: “Mad Max” is incredible and deserves every award. What a powerful film. How it secured a nomination is beyond me. Whether its inclusion is symbolic remains to be seen.

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Joe: They almost never go with hardcore genre films like that. The Academy is about prestige. That’s why September through December has become so goddamn annoying. The prestige pictures, which are usually, though not exclusively, about white people.

James: “Chi-raq” is a terrible film, and “Concussion” is, well, whatever. Those two specific films do not deserve nominations, so I find Spike Lee and Jada Pinkett Smith unfortunate messengers for an important message. When Spike talked all his noise on “Django,” calling it racist before even watching the movie, sorry, not interested. Too bad. “Do the Right Thing” and “Bamboozled” are great. What happened to that guy?

Joe: Exactly. Jordan deserved to be up there. But not everyone. As for Spike, well, his best work is behind him.

James: Jordan is fantastic. Sad to see the Academy ignore his performance. We all know better, though. a

THE TULSA VOICE // February 17 – March 1, 2016

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FILM & TV // 41

popradar

Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny in “The X-Files” | COURTESY

We want to believe ‘The X-Files’ reboot stumbles but shows promise

by LANDRY HARLAN

A

ny news of a television revival makes me anxious. When Netflix successfully brought back Fox’s cult classic “Arrested Development” a few years back, other studios quickly followed suit. In addition to “The X-Files,” this year will see revivals of, among others, “Full House,” “Gilmore Girls,” and “Twin Peaks.” Exciting news for fans, but recapturing the magic that made these shows so beloved is a herculean task. Can’t we just let them rest in peace?

In the case of “The X-Files,” I’m unfashionably late to the party—I was two when it premiered in 1993 and 11 when the finale aired in 2002. (My sci-fi horror fix came from “Are You Afraid of the Dark?”) So, with only the barest idea of the show’s dense mythology and no nostalgia clouding my emotions, I dove into “My Struggle,” the premiere of “The X-Files”’ new six-episode season, currently wrapping up on Fox. I’d rather not go too in depth on the groan-inducing premiere in lieu of the improved later episodes, but here’s what you need to know: Set in the present day, the FBI has shut down the X-Files,

42 // FILM & TV

Fox Mulder’s (David Duchovny) and Dr. Dana Scully’s (Gillian Anderson) old paranormal investigation stomping grounds. Mulder is still the believer and Scully still the skeptic, separated with a kid who gets the exposition-filled flashback treatment in later episodes. Joel McHale shows up as Ted O’Malley, a conspiracy-minded conservative talk show host seemingly modeled after Glenn Beck, Alex Jones and Bill O’Reilly, and the catalyst for bringing the band back together.

Even a ho-hum mystery involving aliens and shadowy agencies can be interesting with good acting, interesting characters and production values. The problem is, they didn’t show up for the reboot. Duchovny and Anderson are accomplished actors, yet they appear lethargic and uninterested from scene to scene. The wooden dialogue doesn’t help, filled with tired clichés and lines that are obvious fan service (“Mulder, you want to believe! You want so badly to believe!”).

Without character chemistry, nuance, or visual flair, “The X-Files” reboot premiere stumbles out of the gate. Luckily, the next

few episodes bring self-containment, levity, and promise.

I expect that episodes like “Founder’s Mutation” and “Mulder & Scully Meet the Were-Monster” were what captivated original fans. They aren’t flawless, but focusing on a standalone horror instead of overbearing mythology is more welcoming to new viewers, like me. In “Mutation,” the horror is genetically altered children and mad scientists. In “Were-Monster,” it’s a very confused “horned-toad lizard-creature” played by New Zealand comedian Rhys Darby.

Outlandish, goofy plotlines and game guest stars (Kumail Nanjiani was born for his role as a fidgety Animal Control officer) bring much-needed fun to the formula.

Still, laziness persists in the writing. Neither episode’s premise is particularly novel and references to the character’s traumatic pasts (those flashbacks I mentioned) seem ham-fisted and lack pathos.

Crucially, “The X-Files” fails to give its viewers a reason to connect to present-day Mulder and Scully.

Why did creator Chris Carter feel the need to revisit this world

14 years later? It would make more sense if the new episodes better depicted how the world has changed. The horrors of the 21st century look a lot more like the black mirrors of technology and the constant intrusion of our surveillance state. The premiere falls short of truly incorporating the zeitgeist and the following two episodes don’t register it at all.

I get it. Nearly every science fiction show, or serialized show for that matter, running today owes a debt of gratitude to this show. It pioneered government conspiracy in pop culture and allowed for the creation of an overarching mythology that few shows had ever attempted. Still, you can’t judge a book by how much you liked the author’s previous work.

The reboot shines when it doesn’t linger on the past and feel the need to explain how it all connects. If the back-end of this run can better embrace the present with wit and absurdity through sharper writing, the idea of a proper full season follow-up (as Carter is pushing for) might be more appealing. I want to believe.

“The X-Files” still has some convincing to do. a

February 17 – March 1, 2016 // THE TULSA VOICE

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THE TULSA VOICE // February 17 – March 1, 2016

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FILM & TV // 43

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

TARGET is a four-yearold Lab/Shepherd mix.

Don’t let his size put you off, he is a gentle giant.

He is a huge fan of belly rubs and cuddle time.

When walking him, he might plop down and roll over, expecting a belly rub. He is extremely smart. This “little” guy is a fan favorite. Come and meet him soon. He loves visitors.

TUTT is an energetic two-year-old Rottweiler mix. He has one objective in mind at all times: “Fetch the tennis ball!”

He gets along with all shapes and sizes of dogs and cats. He knows all the basic commands and walks nicely on the leash (he’s had obedience training). He is a very loyal young man and bonds quickly.

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 fosters 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.

EDDY is a four-year-old Fox Terrier mix. This little guy adores pulling the stuffing out of his plush toys. He makes the cutest noises while holding what’s left of the toy in his mouth and shaking it wildly. You can’t help but give him even more to “de-fluff,” it’s just too cute. You won’t be able to resist his charm.

BOBO is a two year old Siamese/Manx. He is a very unique individual.

He doesn’t seem to mind dogs. He loves to play with the kittens in the room but doesn’t get along with some of the older female cats. He likes the outdoors, and his big blue eyes can be seen from miles away.

MOOSHKA is a mellow and cool three-year-old orange tabby. He enjoys hanging out and watching the others play. He can stuff himself into small beds and hide when he is just wanting some alone time. When he’s ready for attention, he’ll let you know with sweet little head butts and soothing purring.

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February 17 – March 1, 2016 // THE TULSA VOICE

news of the weird

by Chuck Shepherd

A News of the Weird Classic (December 2011) In October (2011), the super-enthusiastic winners of a Kingston, Ontario, radio station contest claimed their prize: the chance to don gloves and dig for free Buffalo Bills’ football tickets (value $320), buried in buffalo manure in a wading pool. The show’s host, Sarah Crosbie, reported the digging live (but, overcome by the smell, vomited on the air). More curious was a runner-up contestant, who continued to muck around for the second prize even though it was only tickets to a local zoo.

Intelligent design Wired.com’s most recent “Absurd Creature” feature shows a toad devouring a larva of a much-smaller beetle, but the “absurdity” is that the larva is in charge and that the toad will soon be beetle food. The larva’s Darwinian advantage is that, inside the toad, it bites the hapless “predator” with its hooked jaws and then secretes enzymes to begin decomposing the toad’s tissue (making it edible) -- and provoking it to vomit the still-alive larva.

Great achievements An 80-year-old man and a 37-yearold woman were ticketed in separate incidents in Canada the week of Jan. 18 when police spotted them driving cars completely caked in snow except for a small portion of the windshield. The man, from Brussels, Ontario, was driving a car resembling a “pile of snow on the road.” The Halifax, Nova Scotia, woman’s car was, a police statement said, “a snowbank with four wheels.”

Great art!

Fed up with the “pretense” of the art world, performer (and radio personality) Lisa Levy of Brooklyn, New York, sat on a toilet, naked and motionless, at the Christopher Stout Gallery in January to protest artists’ “BS” by presenting

herself in the “humblest” way she could imagine. Visitors were invited to sit on a facing toilet (clothed or not) and interact with her in any way except for touching. Levy told the Bushwick Daily website that too much “ego,” “like a drug,” “distorts your reality.”

Wait, what?

In January, the U.S. Department of Justice’s inspector general recommended closing down a program of the department’s Drug Enforcement Administration that paid employees of other federal agencies (Amtrak and the beloved Transportation Security Administration) for tips on suspicious passengers. (The program apparently ignored that federal employees have such a duty even without a bounty.) DEA was apparently interested in passengers traveling with large amounts of cash -- which DEA could potentially seize if it suspected the money came from illegal activity (and also, of course, then keep the money under federal forfeiture law). According to the inspector general, the tipping TSA agent was to be rewarded with a cut of any forfeited money.

The continuing crisis Britain’s North Yorkshire Police successfully applied to a judge in January for a “sexual risk order” against a man whose name was

THE TULSA VOICE // February 17 – March 1, 2016

not disclosed publicly and whose alleged behavior was not revealed.

Whoever he is and whatever he did, he is forbidden to enter into any sexual situation with anyone without providing at least 24 hours’ notice to the police nor is he allowed to look at or possess any sexually oriented materials.

According to the York Press, the order is temporary until May 19, at which time the magistrates may extend it.

Bright ideas Christopher Lemek Jr. was arrested in Palmer, Massachusetts, in January and charged in a New Year’s Eve hit-and-run accident that took a pedestrian’s life. Lemek emerged as a suspect a few days after the collision when police, visiting his home, noticed freshly disturbed earth in his backyard.

Eventually Lemek confessed to literally burying the evidence -- using a construction vehicle to crush his truck and an excavator to dig up his backyard and drop the truck into it.

Dominican Republic divorce and keeping it secret. Cristina found out only when she realized in a property accounting that her name was not on the deed to their Manhattan apartment. (She is challenging that divorce as improper even under Dominican law.)

Recurring themes Few matters in life are weirder than the Scottish love of haggis (sheep’s liver, heart, tongue and fat, blended with oats and seasonings, boiled inside a sheep’s stomach to achieve its enticing gray color!), and in January, in honor of the Scottish poet-icon Robert Burns, prominent Peruvian chef Mitsuharu Tsumura joined Scotland’s Paul Wedgwood to create haggis from, instead of sheep, guinea pig. Wedgwood said he was “proud” to raise haggis “to new gastronomic levels.” a

2/3 SOLUTION: UNIVERSAL SUNDAY

No need for a pre-nup The 20-year New York marriage of Gabriel Villa, now 90, and Cristina Carta Villa, now 59, apparently had its happy moments, but as Cristina found out when things went bad recently, Gabriel had attempted to protect himself shortly after the wedding -- by obtaining a ETC. // 45

free will astrology

by ROB BREZSNY

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18):

“We all have the potential to fall in love a thousand times in our lifetime,” writes Chuck Klosterman. “It’s easy. But there are certain people you love who do something else; they define how you classify what love is supposed to feel like. You’ll meet maybe four or five of these people over the span of 80 years.” He concludes, “A lover like this sets the template for what you will always love about other people.” I suspect that you have either recently met or will soon meet such a person, Aquarius. Or else you are on the verge of going deeper than ever before with an ally you have known for a while.

That’s why I think what happens in the next six months will put an enduring stamp on your relationship with intimacy.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Sixteenth-century Italian poet Torquato Tasso described one of love’s best blessings. He said your lover can reunite you with “a piece of your soul that you never knew was missing.” You Pisceans are in a phase when this act of grace is more possible than usual. The revelatory boon may emerge because of the chemistry stirred up by a sparkly new affiliation. Or it may arise thanks to a familiar relationship that is entering unfamiliar territory.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): “Love is a fire,” declared Aries actress Joan Crawford. “But whether it’s going to warm your hearth or burn down your house, you can never tell.” I disagree with her conclusion. There are practical steps you can take to ensure that love’s fire warms but doesn’t burn. Start with these strategies: Suffuse your libido with compassion. Imbue your romantic fervor with empathy. Instill your animal passions and instinctual longings with affectionate tenderness.

If you catch your sexual urges driving you toward narcissists who are no damn good for you, firmly redirect those sexual urges toward emotionally intelligent, self-responsible beauties.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Fifteenth-century writer Thomas à Kempis thought that real love can arouse enormous fortitude in the person who loves. “Love feels no burden,” he wrote. “It attempts what is above its strength, pleads no excuse of impossibility; for it thinks all things lawful for itself, and all things possible.” As you might imagine, the “real love” he was referring to is not the kind that’s motivated by egotism, power drives, blind lust, or insecurity. I think you know what I mean, Taurus, because in the past few months you have had unprecedented access to the primal glory that Thomas referred to. And in the coming months you will have even more. What do you plan to do with all that mojo?

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Gemini novelist Elizabeth Bowen (1899-1973) was fascinated in “life with the lid on and what happens when the lid comes off.” She knew both states from her own experience. “When you love someone,” she mused about the times the lid had come off, “all your saved-up wishes start coming out.” In accordance with the astrological omens, I propose that you engage in the following three-part exercise. First, identify a part of your life that has the lid tightly clamped over it. Second, visualize the suppressed feelings and saved-up wishes that might pour forth if you took the lid off. Third, do what it takes to love someone so well that you’ll knock the lid off.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): “No one has ever loved anyone the way everyone wants to be loved,” wrote author Mignon McLaughlin.

I think that may be true. The gap between what we yearn for and what we actually get is never fully closed. Nevertheless, I suggest that you strive to refute McLaughlin’s curse in the coming days. Why? Because you now have an enhanced capacity to love the people you care about in ways they want to be loved. So be experimental with your tenderness. Take the risk of going beyond what you’ve been willing or able to give before.

Trust your fertile imagination to guide your ingenious empathy.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Here’s the counsel of French writer Anatole France: “You learn to speak by speaking, to study by studying, to run by running, to work by working; in just the same way, you learn to love by loving.”

What he says is always true, but it’s especially apropos for you Leos in the coming weeks.

You now have a special talent for learning

Place the numbers 1 through 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once.

NOVICE

more about love by loving deeply, excitedly, and imaginatively. To add further nuance and inspiration, meditate on this advice from author Aldous Huxley: “There isn’t any formula or method. You learn to love by loving -- by paying attention and doing what one thereby discovers has to be done.”

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “I do not trust people who don’t love themselves and yet tell me, ‘I love you,’” said author Maya Angelou.

She concludes: “There is an African saying: Be careful when a naked person offers you a shirt.” With this in mind, I invite you to take inventory of the allies and relatives whose relationships are most important to you. How well do they love themselves? Is there anything you could do to help them upgrade their love for themselves? If their self-love is lacking, what might you do to protect yourself from that problem?

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “Only love interests me,” declared painter Marc Chagall, “and I am only in contact with things that revolve around love.” That seems like an impossibly high standard. Our daily adventures bring us into proximity with loveless messes all the time. It’s hard to focus on love to the exclusion of all other concerns. But it’s a worthy goal to strive toward Chagall’s ideal for short bursts of time. And the coming weeks happen to be a favorable phase for you to do just that. Your success may be partial, but dramatic nonetheless.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “A coward is incapable of exhibiting love,” said Mahatma Gandhi. “It is the prerogative of the brave.”

That’s my challenge to you, Scorpio. In accordance with the astrological currents, I urge you to stoke your uninhibited audacity so you can press onward toward the frontiers of intimacy. It’s not enough to be wilder, and it’s not enough to be freer. To fulfill love’s potential in the next chapter of your story, you’ve got to be wilder, freer, and bolder.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “It is not lack of love but lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages,” said Friedrich Nietzsche. He believed that if you want to join your fortunes with another’s, you should ask yourself whether you will enjoy your conversations with this person for the next 30 years -- because that’s what you’ll be doing much of the time you’re together. How do you measure up to this gold standard, Sagittarius? What role does friendship play in your romantic adventures? If there’s anything lacking, now is an excellent time to seek improvements. Start with yourself, of course. How could you infuse more camaraderie into the way you express love? What might you do to upgrade your skills as a conversationalist?

MASTER

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “Love isn’t something you find,” says singer Loretta Lynn.

“Love is something that finds you.” Singer Kylie Minogue concurs: “You need a lot of luck to find people with whom you want to spend your life. Love is like a lottery.” I think these perspectives are at best misleading, and at worst debilitating. They imply we have no power to shape our relationship with love. My view is different. I say there’s a lot we can do to attract intimate allies who teach us, stimulate us, and fulfill us. Like what? 1. We clarify what qualities we want in a partner, and we make sure that those qualities are also healthy for us. 2. We get free of unconscious conditioning that’s at odds with our conscious values. 3. We work to transform ourselves into lovable collaborators who communicate well.

Anything else? What can you do to make sure love isn’t a lottery?

Want some inspiration as you compose your romantic invitations? Go here: bit.ly/LoveAd t h i s w e e k ’ s h o m e w o r k // T E S T I F Y AT F R E E W I L L A S T R O L O G Y. C O M .

46 // ETC.

February 17 – March 1, 2016 // THE TULSA VOICE

ACROSS 1 Legendary jazz singer Fitzgerald 5 Be a con man 9 Emulates kangaroos 13 Cuts off, as tree limbs 17 Landlocked country of Southeast Asia 18 Old salt 20 Line-___ veto 21 Halo glow 22 African country once called Upper Volta 24 PC storage units 26 Do simple math 27 “By the ___ token ...”

28 19th letters of the Hebrew alphabet 30 Necklace fasteners 31 Like a country road 33 Former mayor Giuliani 34 Distort, as the truth 35 Bottomless pit 37 Like some excuses 39 Battery mate?

43 Panacea 44 Business name abbr.

46 Matzoh’s lack 48 Competitive kind of personality 49 Item in a carpenter’s box 50 Thug’s parting words 52 Pet that grows on you?

54 He’s a deer 55 Like groups working together 57 Bull’s weapons 59 St. crosser 60 Just passable 61 “___ Your Enthusiasm” (HBO show)

64 65 66 69

Landlord’s due Slugger Griffey Jr. Sculptor’s chest Hanging Gardens location 71 Turn topsy-turvy 73 Santa ___, California 74 ___ of operation 77 It seems like forever 78 French door piece 80 Danson of TV 81 Bed linen 83 Well source 88 The three of six 90 Easily split mineral 91 Well in the past 92 Primary color in photography 93 Odom, formerly of the NBA 95 Flashy 97 Volcano in Sicily 98 NFL legend Graham 99 Range of vision 101 Obtains wool 103 Pains’ partners 104 Stakes used in quoits 105 Long-legged wader 106 How great minds think 108 House with a steep roof 111 Reveler of myth 113 Storefront sign 114 Ewe’s mew 117 Eschew written music 119 Expatriations 122 Japanese drink 123 To issue, as heat 124 Lustrous fabric 125 Colon composition 126 Just managed (with “out”) 127 “___ noted” 128 Negative votes 129 Revue segment DOWN 1 Napoleon exile site

2 Praise highly 3 Noted British Romantic poet 4 Set a price of 5 Squalid 6 Cousin of a tearoom 7 Tooth docs’ org.

8 Muslim house of worship 9 Daily temperature stat 10 Mayberry’s town drunk 11 Hank’s “King of the Hill” wife 12 Loud kisses 13 Some merchandise pickups 14 Inning enders 15 Type of school 16 Pert blurt 18 Hike from the center 19 Parting word 23 Ideological beliefs 25 Like a pastor’s food (var.)

29 “Gomer ___, USMC” 32 Good-for-nothing 33 Exact copy 34 “Saturday Night Live” genre 35 “Macbeth” quintet 36 Boating area marker 37 Guitarist’s neckline?

38 Per unit 40 Slow on the ___ (thickheaded) 41 Add 46-Across 42 Small piece of cloth or paper 44 Mechanical teeth 45 Stackable cookie 47 Like a cold sheep 51 Undersea acronym 53 Raggedy redhead 56 Hotel units 58 Publicity ploy 62 Type of bread 63 Windy

66 Tell secrets 67 Like some narrow streets 68 Antenna shelter 69 Tree with smooth bark 70 Wild Asian asses 72 NBC mascot 75 Resistance unit 76 Some believers 78 Actor Sean 79 Word with high-pressure or disaster 82 New Mexico town 84 Day care enrollees 85 According to regulations 86 Like a fashionable arrival 87 Baseballer Slaughter 89 Strutted 91 19-Acrosses from a tyke 94 Type of parallelogram (var.)

96 Slightest amount 100 Complied with 102 High-flying military rank 103 Isn’t the wrong way?

106 ___-ski party (lodge gathering, perhaps) 107 Like Jack Sprat’s meat?

108 Vaulted part of a church 109 Harsh criticism 110 Toothy garden tool 111 Wind catcher 112 Like some SoHo shops 113 Double-curved arch molding 115 Voting “no” 116 Kind of principal (Abbr.)

118 Aussie avian 120 “What was ___ think?”

121 Roadblock requests

UNIVERSAL SUNDAY CROSSWORD Edited by Timothy E. Parker

BY THE WAY

By Agnes Brown

© 2016 Universal Uclick

S Y A W A E V I G !

K C A B E AR

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ETC. // 47

Pleas e re cycle this issue.