The Tulsa Voice | Vol. 4 No. 7

M A R . 1 5 – A P R I L 4 , 2 0 1 7 // V O L . 4 N O . 7

YOUR GUIDE TO BARS, BURGERS, AND BASKETBALL

paradise never sounded So Good.

Tickets On Sale Now tony bennett fri, mar 17

brad paisley thur, mar 23 chicago fri, mar 24 reo speedwagon sat, mar 25 chris rock thur, apr 6 locash fri, apr 7 Here comes the funny tour

starring adam sandler tues, apr 18

smokey robinson thur, apr 20 Kenny rogers fri, apr 28 citizen cope thur, may 4 Don Rickles sat, may 6 Rascal flatts fri, may 12 Tickets On Sale Mar 29 Patti Labelle fri, June 2

81ST & RIVERSIDE 2 // CONTENTS

|

888-748-3731

|

RIVERSPIRITTULSA.COM March 15 - April 4, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

ENJOY SOME OF THE BEST DINING TULSA HAS TO OFFER

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

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

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

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

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

T HE TAV ERN w w w . t a v e r n t u l s a . c o m FINE DINING IN T HE BR A DY A R T S DIS T RICT M AIN & BR A DY

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

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

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

THE TULSA VOICE // March 15 - April 4, 2017

CONTENTS // 3

7 LUCKY GUESTS ARE GUARANTEED TO WIN A NEW INFINITI QX50 During Osage Casinos Spring Spectacular

MARCH 25 • 4 PM – 10 PM Details at Players Club.

Cash and prize amount is across all 7 locations.

Earn entries beginning March 5.

TULSA • BARTLESVILLE • SAND SPRINGS • PONCA CITY • SKIATOOK • HOMINY • PAWHUSKA ©2017 Osage Casino. Must be 18 to participate. Visit Players Club for details. Management reserves all rights. If you think you have a gambling problem, please call 1-800-522-4700.

osagecasinos.com

4 // CONTENTS

March 15 - April 4, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

FEATURED

19

March 15 – April 4, 2017 // Vol. 4, No. 7 ©2017. All rights reserved.

BARS, BURGERS, & BASKETBALL

PUBLISHER Jim Langdon EDITOR Joshua Kline MANAGING EDITOR Liz Blood DIGITAL EDITOR John Langdon

BY THE TULSA VOICE STAFF

ART DIRECTOR Madeline Crawford GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Georgia Brooks, Morgan Welch PHOTOGRAPHER Greg Bollinger

Hey, NCAA fans, here’s what you should do in Tulsa

AD SALES MANAGER Josh Kampf INTERNS Laura Dennis, Jennifer Ratliff-Towner

25

CONTRIBUTORS Alicia Chesser, Angela Evans, Barry Friedman, Mitch Gilliam, Valerie Grant, Jeff Huston, Hans Kleinschmidt, Lisa C. Krueger, Jennie Lloyd, Denver Nicks, Joe O’Shansky, Gene Perry, Michelle Pollard, Amanda Ruyle, Damion Shade, John Tranchina, Eddie Washington, Michael Wright The Tulsa Voice’s distribution is audited annually by

MAD WEEKEND

Member of

BY JOHN TRANCHINA

Tulsa plays a prominent role in 2017’s March Madness

The Tulsa Voice is published bi-monthly by

Prairie Brewpub | MICHELLE POLLARD

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

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

NEWS & COMMENTARY 8 LEGISLATIVE INSANITY, PART THE INFINITY B Y BARRY FRIEDMAN

It keeps getting worse

10 REMEMBERING HOLLAND Y AMANDA RUYLE B Banquet honors TU law graduate who died fighting for women’s rights

12 HAZY BLOODLINE Y DENVER NICKS B Why do white Oklahoma families tell their kids they have Native ancestry?

13 WHERE THERE’S SMOKE Y GENE PERRY B The progressive case for increasing the cigarette tax

FOOD & DRINK

M A R . 1 5 – A P R I L 4 , 2 0 1 7 // V O L . 4 N O . 7

14 BEYOND THE CUP Y ANGELA EVANS B

ON THE COVER

Mixco’s Dad Burger: a brioche bun, 1/3 lb. patty, muenster cheese, baby arugula, and “the shrooms” —chef Nico Albert’s dad’s recipe for wild mushrooms sautéed with garlic, green onions, and butter.

THE TULSA VOICE // March 15 - April 4, 2017

44 GOD’S LONELY APE

BY JOE O’SHANSKY

An interview with the Tulsa World’s Jim Watts

‘ Kong: Skull Island’ is a guilt-free b-movie spectacle

28 DISTANCE B Y LISA C. KRUEGER

A poem

29 DANCING ON FILM

B Y ALICIA CHESSER The Oklahoma Dance Film Festival returns

30 GREEN DAY

B Y JOHN LANGDON

‘ The Salesman’ uses Arthur Miller’s play to critique Iranian masculinity

ETC. 6 EDITOR’SLETTER 32 THEHAPS

36 PUNCHING NAZIS

B Y MITCH GILLIAM

45 FULLCIRCLE

Violent anti-fascism activism is resurgent, but is it productive?

46 ASTROLOGY + SUDOKU

42 MUSICLISTINGS

47 THEFUZZ + CROSSWORD

MUSIC

16 RED VELVET AND OLD FRINGE

Central High instructor Marcus James writes, performs, records and teaches music

Tinder love at the Cellar Dweller

45 ‘ DEATH’ RESTAGED B Y JEFF HUSTON

Navigating Tulsa’s St. Patrick’s Day parties

38 THE MULTI-TASKING PERCUSSIONIST

B Y EDDIE WASHINGTON

TV & FILM

26 ‘ WHAT I AM IS A REPORTER’ Y MICHAEL WRIGHT B

Tulsa coffee shop offers an elevated brew

BY JENNIE LLOYD YOUR GUIDE TO BARS, BURGERS, AND BASKETBALL

ARTS & CULTURE

40 SITUATIONAL VIBES

B Y DAMION SHADE Eclectic music showcase at The Yeti brings musicians together CONTENTS // 5

editor’sletter

Welcome, NCAA fans

T

his issue of The Tulsa Voice is unusual in more ways than one. We don’t typically put sports on the cover (save for Tulsa Tough) and we don’t make a habit of catering to out-of-towners—we’re a community paper with a hyperlocal focus, and our mission is to serve Tulsa first. But the NCAA basketball tournament is coming to town this weekend and it’s a pretty big deal. With three first- and- second-round games at the BOK Center, thousands of people will be getting to know our city and we want to help make a good impression. To that end, we’ve crafted an

itinerary for eating, drinking and playing in downtown this weekend (page 19).

If you live here, this itinerary might seem a little basic—we all know McNellie’s carries a billion beers and Chimera serves a wonderful brunch. (If you live downtown, we’d suggest you either submit to the insanity or go camp in the woods for the weekend; with St. Patrick’s Day happening simultaneously, it’s going to be nuts.)

But if you’re not from around here, our hope is that we can help in some small way to make your stay more enjoyable, to introduce

you to our fair city—especially downtown, where many of you are staying for the weekend— through the sights, sounds, smells and tastes. We love it here, and we hope by the end of your stay that you do, too.

For our regular readers, we’d like to draw your attention to two relatively new installments in the paper. First is Jennie Lloyd’s new column, “Tell You What,” (page 16) in which Lloyd accosts bar patrons and buys them drinks in exchange for a good story.

Secondly, we now collaborate with Nimrod International Journal, the University of Tulsa’s

literary magazine, which is curating selected works of poetry (page 28) for us to publish. We’re thrilled about this partnership and grateful to Eilis, Francine, Diane, Cassidy and everyone else at the journal for the good work they do. As William Carlos Williams said, ““It is difficult/ to get the news from poems/ yet men die miserably every day/ for lack/ of what is found there.”

To subscribe to Nimrod, visit utulsa.edu/nimrod. a

JOSHUA KLINE EDITOR

Thank you, Voice Readers!

THE TULSA VOICE

BEST OF TULSA READERS’ CHOICE 2016

wBest inMuseum ner!

•

Best Place to Learn Something New

Two locations, one world-class art museum.

Stay connected. philbrook.org 6 // NEWS & COMMENTARY

March 15 - April 4, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

We Say NO To Hate The undersigned are united in the belief that all persons have dignity and deserve both respect and compassion from others regardless of race, ethnicity, color, sexual orientation, gender expression, religion, nationality immigration status, ability, or socio-economic status. We oppose those who have threatened Jewish Community Centers, vandalized the Oklahoma Equality Center, and have – with word and deed – demonstrated bigotry against persons of faith different from the majority faith or from nations other than this one. We pledge to speak out against bigotry, to speak up for our neighbors, and to stand together to oppose all forms of hate.

Ada Galli Cathy Campbell Hurtle Abby Kurin Cecilia Wessinger Abril Marshall Celeste Moss Adam Howard Central State Community Services Oklahoma, Inc. Adam Paluka Charis White Aimee Gramblin Charity Marcus Alana Hughes Cherish, Rian, Jude Alice Blue & Indigo Smith Alison Anthony Cherylyn Campbell Painter & Mark Wilson Chris Hernandez All Souls Unitarian Church Chris Wylie & Sandi Cox Allison Geary Chris, Hannah, Cassie, Allison Moore Elliot & Theo Middlebrook Alvaro Nova Christian Brehmer Amanda DeCort Christian Helm Leikam Amanda Renk Christine Hancock Amanda Ross Christine Nagle Amy Hilligoss Christy Chesnut Levine Amy Shelton Christy Fawcett Amy Smith Cindy Decker Ana V. Dickenson Cindy Marinella Andrea M. Waldron Cindy Simon Rosenthal Andrea Walker CIndy Taylor Anita Ward Circle Cinema Ann Tomlins Claire Combs Anna America Clark Wiens Anna Bennett College Hill Presbyterian Annie Simpson Church April Brooks Compassionate Tulsa Arts & Humanities Council Conflict Alternatives of Tulsa Cory Williams Ayn Grubb Crossroads Clubhouse B. Gordon Edwards Crystal Kline BAM Entertainment Crystal Sixkiller Barbara Schoenhals Dahlia Rainwater Barbara Slagle Dale Roberson Barbara VanHanken Dalesandro's Beau M. Adams Dana Livingston Becky Dixon Daniel E. Gomez Becky Frank Daniel J. Grimes Becky Porter Daniel Kachel Belynda Clanton Danielle Neves Berneal Flach Darci McFarland Beth Turner Productions David L. Peterson Bethany Pierce Davis Light Bev Hoster Dawn Walker Beverly S. Bailey Debbie Grace Bill Crowell Deborah Chase Bill Downs Deborah Gist Bill Major Deborah Whittaker Billye Crittenden Denise Reid Black Lives Matter OKC Denise Sprigby Black Optical Dennis Neill Bob Ritz Deric Williams Booksmart Tulsa Devin Fletcher Boston Avenue United Dillon & Sheyda Brown Methodist Church Dionne White Brady Walker Don & Glenda Puett Brandi Dugan Donna Hickman Brendan Jarvis Donna L. Wood Brian Hosmer Doug Townsdin Bruce Luria Dr. Christine Myers Bruce Wiley Dr. Darick Morton Camp Fire Green Country Dr. Dewayne Dickens Candace Liger Dr. Gary Peluso-Verdend Candice Bobnock Dr. Kirt Hartzler Carl J. Rubenstein, MD Drew Diamond Carlos Moreno Dustin Thames Carol Ballew & Johnathan Howard E. Kate Remington Carol Willett Ebony Johnson Carol Wimmer Edith Newton Wilson Carrie Coppernoll Jacobs Edmond Trinity Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Cassaundra Campbell Elaine Cervini Cassie Nodine Elizabeth McCormick Cathey Edwards

Elke Johnson Jennifer M. Solis Krissy Dudley Mike Williams Ellen Ralph Jennifer Selco Krista Baxter Waldron Mindy McGarrah Sharp Ellie Finlay Jennifer Sollars Miller Kristine Nyman Moises Echeverria Ellie Sheely Jennifer Thornton Kurt Gwartney Molly McCown Elma Briggs Jenny Clyde Kyle Johnston Mosaic Elmer Thomas Jeremy Singer & Kyle Miller-Shawnee Mr. & Mrs. Floyd Roberts Madeleine Eller Emeka Nnaka Kylie Lawson Ms. Christy Craig Jessi Lane Emily Bolusky L Flores Nancy Bennett Jessica Haight Emily Dukes L. Haines Nancy Claire Pittman Jill Hendricks Emily Elkins Lana Turner Addison Nancy Day Jill Klein Emily Gamel Lana Larkin Nancy Rosen Jill Peters Emily Harris Laura Bellis NASW-OK Jim Langdon Emily Wood Laura F. Bachman Natalie Hutto JJ Wagner Emma Braselton Laura K. Shaw Nathan Levit Jo Ann Howse Emma Garrett Nelson Laura Williams Oklahoma Center for Community & Justice JoAnn Huber Emma Smith Lauren Houston Oklahoma Center for Joe & Nancy McDonald Ending Violence Lauren Zeligson Nonprofits Everywhere Coalition Joey Mechelle Stenner Laurie Biby Oklahoma Coalition for Erin Robinson Johanna Hummingbird LeeAnne Pepper Reproductive Justice Erv Janssen John Clegg Lehabim Escoto Oklahoma Intercollegiate Evan Taylor John F. Gajda Legislature Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton Evelyn & Roy Jones John Henning Oklahoma Policy Institute Leslie Parr Schumann, MD Father Clark Shackelford Oliver Howard Leslie Penrose Flash Flood Print Studios John Hope Franklin Center Our Revolution - Tulsa Liliane Vannoy for Reconciliation, Inc. Floyd Schoenhals OwnTulsa Linda Love John Imbler Fr. Dewayne Messenger Paige Kennedy Linda Sacks John L. Thomas Jr. Freedom Oklahoma Pam Nelson Lindsay Bennefield John Selph Garry Potter Pamela Dunlap Lisa Davison John Waldron Gary Peluso-Verdend Pamela Rogers Lisa Johannsson Johnna Thurston Gary Percefull Pamela Slate Liggett Liz Masters Jon Watt Gene & Christine Buzzard Pat Fluegel Lori Laub Jonathan Stein Geoffrey Brewster Patrick & Karen Walters Lorri Krisman José Emmanuel Vega Geoffrey Simpson Patrick French Lynnwood Moore Joseph Bessler Gina L Bradford Paul Benjaman made: The Indie Josh Linton Gina Robertson Emporium Shop Paul M Allen Judith Barba Glen B. Ogden Maggie Hoey Paul Sweet Judith Burnham Graciella Edens Maggie Scott Paula Shannon Judith Jewell Land Great Wraps Grill Malisa Pierce PFLAG Tulsa Judy Kishner Greg James Mallory Mitchell Preston Shatwell Julie Reagle Gregory Shaw Mana Tahaie Pride at TU JustHope Partners In G’s Herbalife Mandy Winton Rabbi Charles P. Sherman Nicaragua Guy & Vicky Langston Marcia Bruno-Todd Rabbi Daniel S. Kaiman Justice Waidner Smith Harvard Avenue Christian Marcia Keesee Rabbi Marc Boone Justin Turner Church Fitzerman Margaret Duncan Watson Kalen Davis HeadStrong: Student Rachael L. Romeo Margaret Roberts Kamran Abbasi, M.D. Advocates for Mental Health Rachael Sourjohn Marianne Stambaugh Kara Tilly Heather Hope-Hernandez Rachel Brazelton Marilyn King Kara Y. Farrow Heather Thomas Rachel Linthicum Marilyn McCulloch Karen Blum Heckenkemper Media Marion & Linda McFadden Raindrop Turkish House Karen LaPlante Hilary Kitz Raja'Ee Fatihah Mark Lobo Karen McMillan Holly & Russ Becker Randee Charney Marq Lewis Karen Szabo Hon. Sam A. Joyner Randy Riggs Martha Cullinan Cantrell Karen Worthington Ihloff Salons & Day Spas Ray Hickman Marty W. Jackson Karen, Brek & Ellie Wilkins Ira Rothman Rebecca Jones Mary Bishop-Baldwin Karl Cocke Irene Castell Renee Frenier D.O. Mary Horn Karo Chowning Iris O Chandler Renee Meek Mary Huckabee Karyn E. Fox Islamic Council of Oklahoma Rep. Eric Proctor Mary Jane Buck Kate Silvey Bates Islamic Society of Tulsa Rep. Monroe Nichols Mary Jane Lindaman Katherine Casey J. Bruce Patton Rev. Alvaro Nova Mary Newman Katherine Haskell Jabar Shumate Rev. Amy Venable MaryAnn Morris Katherine P. Mitchell Jackie Caldwell Rev. April Coates MaryAnn Rauch Blust Kathleen Kastelic James M. Donovan Rev. Bob Lawrence Matt & Mary Baird Katy Ackley James Nelson Rev. Cathy Elliott Matt Myers Katy Launius Jamie A. Glisson Rev. Christy Moore Matt Stockman Kay Limke Jamie Lomax Rev. Deborah A. Chase Matthias Wicks Kelley Parker Jan Baldwin Rev. Dr. Ellen Blue Melanie Christian Kelly Forbes Janet Simmons Rev. Dr. Lisa W. Davison Melanie Ochoa Ken & Lucy Piper Jason Anthony Rev. Evan Taylor Melissa Baker Kendall Whittier, Inc. Jayme Cox Rev. Floyd M. Schoenhals Melissa Schnur Kenneth Blenkarn Jeanne Jacobs Mercedes Millberry Fowler Rev. Geoffrey Brewster Kerri Vandiver Jeff Jaynes Rev. Janetta Cravens Meredith Lee Kerry Wiley Jeff Rogers Rev. Jeff Stato Michael Barron Kevin Burr Jeff Snodgrass Rev. Kelli Driscoll & Michael Brecht-Smith Knowlan Randza Jen Sanders the people of Bethany Michael Patton Kren & Reid Bennett Jennifer Ferré Christian Church (Tulsa) Michelle Cornshucker Kris Serna Jennifer Gripado Rev. Lizette Merchan Michelle Hamilton

Rev. Nancy J. Eggen Rev. Rob Martin Rev. Sei Touthang Rev. Shannon Speidel Rev. Susanna Southard Rev. Tamara Lebak Rev. Tim Blodgett Rev. Todd Freeman Rev. Travis & Meagan Ewton Rev. Twila Gibbens Rhona Thorington Davis Rhonda Mayhan Ric Harrison Riley Kern Robert Anquoe Robert Billings Robert Hatley Ron Nofziger Rosanna Metcalfe Rosemary Powell Roxanne R. Roark Royce Kelly Ruth Ann Fate Sabrina Darby Sandra Hill-Haines Sandy Shapoval Sara Lenet-Rotenberg Sarah Bozone Sarah Julian Sarah Morice Brubaker Sarah Myers & Family Sarah Rana Sarah V. Hall Schnake Turnbo Frank Scott McClung Shagah Zakerion Shannon Todd Sharon Bishop-Baldwin Sharon Bookout Shawna & Tony Gehres Shawna Keller Shawna Simpson Shay White, LMSW Sheila Swearingen Shelley Cadamy Shelley Zevnik Breece Sherrie Garnett Sheryl Siddiqui Shirley & Willie Burger Sidney Flack SkaFlash Social Media Tulsa Spiked Mace Software St. Paul's United Methodist Church Stacey Wright, Founder Yes All Daughters Stacy Schusterman, Co-Chair, CLSFF Stephanie Andrews Stephanie Holt Stephen & Amy Brice Stephen Fedore Steve Cluck Steve D. Wright Steve Higgins Steve Hill Sujata Singhal Summer Braeseke Susan Rhodes Susan Savage Susan Urban Susan Williams Susan, Emma & Jake Braselton

Susanna Southard Susannah Henson Suzann Stewart Suzanne Bloomfield Suzanne Kern Swarna Singhal T. Henderson Tamara Clayton Tamara Morton Tammye Jurena Tanner Sturm Teach For America Tenna Whitsel Tera Carr Terrie Shipley Terry Gamel Terry Spencer Terry Thomas The Carrie Dickerson Foundation The CaVU Center The City Lights Foundation of Oklahoma/Night Light Tulsa The Dialogue Institute of the Southwest The League of Women Voters of Metropolitan Tulsa The Lieberman Family The McRad Family The Rev. Everett Lees The Rev. John C. Powers The Surayya Anne Foundation Tulsa Tiffany Phillips Tiffany Taylor Tim Blodgett Tina Berry TJ Clark Todd Freeman Toneille Bent Toni Wine Imbler Tony Mayes Tonya Christian MS, LPC-US Traci L Reeve Traci Robertson Tracy Thompson Trinity Episcopal Church Troy Stevenson Trystan P Carson Tulsa Campus Police Chief Robert Swain Tulsa County Democratic Party Tulsa Foundation for Architecture Tulsa Interfaith Alliance Tulsa Intersectional Activists Tulsa Metropolitan Ministry Tulsa Newcomer Services Tulsa Public Schools Tulsa Young Democrats United Campus Ministry at TU University of Tulsa Young Democrats Vince Facione Wally Johnson Wanda Batman Warrior Sisters We The People Oklahoma Woody Guthrie Center Yolanda Charney YWCA Tulsa Zac & Andrea Kulsrud

This message is brought to you by the Say No To Hate Coalition. For more information, email saynotohateok@gmail.com or visit us on Facebook.

THE TULSA VOICE // March 15 - April 4, 2017

NEWS & COMMENTARY // 7

viewsfrom theplains

I

have argued on these pages for years the GOP in Oklahoma throws cash to the luxury boxes and sanctimony to the cheap seats, and as someone who usually sits on the third base side, in general admission, I have found this to be a maddening, deplorable, cynical, and sycophantic spectacle.

To watch how easily these two groups are played and duped, to see the legislative sops—alternately hilarious and heartless—being thrown to each of them is to know that much of the GOP in Oklahoma is unmoored and, just as troubling (if not more so), the party’s base is largely unconcerned about the unmooring.

Let’s begin with Governor Mary Fallin’s State of the State address last month and the lowering of the bar of effective governance to subterranean levels.1 A thriving, prosperous economy must have a skilled, educated workforce. That starts with good teachers in the classrooms providing our children a quality education FIVE days a week.

Imagine? In Oklahoma, in 2017, students attending school for a full week is a goal, not a given. And many of the same legislators who sat in their seats and cheered that line sat in those same seats over the past eight years and cut the very education funding that made those four-day school weeks a reality; still, they applauded, their hypocrisy and culpability heard in every clap.

For those who hoped, then, this 56th Legislative Session would reveal a kinder, saner state GOP, one more concerned with solutions than optics, it’s not happening. We have what we always have: a mix of sanctimony, berserk mutterings, and Jesus.

To wit.2 The bill, known as the “Fairness in Fault Act” would prohibit courts 8 // NEWS & COMMENTARY

the system between spring and summer.

In the committee meeting Tuesday, the bill ’s author, District 100 Republican Rep. Elise Hall, admitted she didn’ t know of any fraud in our state.

LEGISLATIVE INSANITY, PART THE INFINITY It keeps getting worse

by BARRY FRIEDMAN

from granting a divorce on grounds of incompatibility if: there are minor children, either party submits a written objection to the divorce, or the couple has been married for ten years or more.

Yes, the party of less government wants to dictate how and when couples can divorce, and despising one another will no longer make the cut. This gem, HB 1277, sponsored by District 10 Republican Representative Travis Dunlap, would also provide a woman with 75 percent of the couple’s assets if she can prove her husband is impotent. The husband, meanwhile, would receive the same percentage if he can prove his wife lied about wanting to have children.

I made up that last part, but for a moment, you weren’t sure, were you?

Dunlap is also responsible for HB 1495,3 recently passed by the full House, requiring death certificates to note Suicide as the cause in matters where an Assisted

Suicide was performed, which is truly insane because, a) assisted suicide is illegal in Oklahoma, and b) as an apoplectic Ken Busby, Executive Director & CEO, Route 66 Alliance, reminds us, even if it weren’t, to prove such a thing, you’d need a toxicology report and those cannot be completed within the state required three-day timeframe in which death certificates have to be filed.

Leadership!

Dunlap won in November with 70 percent of the vote.

Moving on.

Is it a good time to punch down on the poor? It’s always a good time.4 Under the proposed bill, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority and DHS would be required to screen anyone who gets benefits every three months, to make sure they’re really eligible.

God knows—because the bill’s author doesn’t—how many thousands of Oklahomans will game

Facts are so 2016.

Hall won in November with over 50 percent of the vote … in a 3-way race.

We head back to the classroom.5 Through the bill, each student would be eligible to receive $2,700 dollars toward a private school.

That’s SB 560, another nail in public education’s coffin, even though District 15 Republican Representative Rob Standridge, who authored the bill, said his main concern is with the youngins.

Of course it is.

“We need to fund public education better. We need to find a way to pay teachers more. But at the same time, we don’t need to wait till all those things are done to make sure we are taking care of kids the best we can,” said Standridge.

FYI: tuition at Tulsa’s Holland Hall for 3rd graders is $15,650 per year year—or about $87/day based on a 180-day school year, meaning little Timmy and his $2700 voucher are good for about 31 days.

Standridge won in November with 62 percent of the vote.

Next we move to the hardships facing the payday loan industry and HB 1912, authored by District 91 Republican Representative Chris Kannady, which would allow such businesses to charge 17 percent interest per month on its shortterm loans. If you’re scoring at home—and if you’re not, it’s time to start—that’s $170 per month in interest for every $1,000 borrowed.6 You wonder for whom this would benefit, except the payday March 15 - April 4, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

loan industry, and, of course, the answer is nobody.

Only a cynic would chalk that up to legislators whoring themselves out to the highest bidder.

Call me a cynic.

Kannady won in November with 72 percent of the vote.

Speaking of freedom, it’s baaaaaaack! Senate JR 157 would ask voters if public money or property can be used for—wait for it—a Ten Commandments Monument. District 1 Republican Representative Micheal Bergstrom, a champion of the bill, explains— or tries to.

“This idea that just because some people might be offended by that that we can’t do it I think is taking political correctness to an extreme, and we just need to avoid that.”

Establishment Clause scholars, non-Christians, and English majors weep.

Bergstrom won in November with 59 percent of the vote.

Nobody is more in love with freedom than Oklahoma Republican representatives—just asked them—including the right of the people to assemble, as long as there isn’t, you know, too much assembling.8 A trespassing bill prompted by pipeline protests in North Dakota cleared an Oklahoma House of Representatives committee on Wednesday. House Bill 1123, by District 51 Republican Representative Scott Biggs, specifies penalties of up to $100,000 in fines and 10 years in prison for individuals involved in actions against “critical infrastructure.”

Those structures, by the way, include refineries, electric generation and transmission facilities, natural gas processing and transportation facilities, telecommunications facilities, crude oil storage and transportation facilities, and certain manufacturing plants—or just about anywhere one would want to protest.

Biggs won in November with 78 percent of the vote.

District 44 Republican State Senator Ralph Shortey, with whom we apparently forgot to check THE TULSA VOICE // March 15 - April 4, 2017

before amending the state constitution, introduced SB 5129, which would re-criminalize simple drug possession to the point where almost every drug offense would be considered a felony (there are similar bills floating around, as well, that do the same thing: SB 256, SB 398, and HB 1482). If you’re thinking, “Hey, didn’t we do the opposite when we approved SQ 780 and 781 last November because it seemed ridiculous to fill our prisons with those who smoked a joint after a TU game,” you’re right, we did, but what do we know?

“People,” said Shortey, “basically did not know exactly how much of the statutes were being changed.”

Shortey won in November.

He was unopposed.

Only slightly off the subject, what would a column about the kooky decay of the Oklahoma GOP be without an appearance from the uniquely bigoted and defensive District 2 Republican Representative John Bennett.10 At Oklahoma Muslim Day at the Capitol (honest to Allah, we have one) last month, he required visiting Muslim students to answer questionnaires before he would agree to meet, including “Do you beat your wife?”

When asked by Tulsa World’s Randy Krehbiel to explain his reasons, he responded through email: “CANT REFUTE FACTS,” adding there were countless acts of violence in the Quran, including Muhammad physically striking his favorite wife for leaving the house without his permission.

Such misogyny and filth in their holy book. Fie, I say.

Good thing there’s nothing like that in the Christian or Jewish bibles. “‘No, my brother! ’ she cried. ‘Don’ t be foolish!

Don’ t do this to me! Such wicked things aren’ t done in Israel. Where could I go in my shame?

And you would be called one of the greatest fools in Israel. Please, just speak to the king about it, and he will let you marry me. But Amnon wouldn’ t listen and since he was stronger than

she was, he raped her.

(2 Samuel 13: 12-15)”

Oops.

Bennett won in November with 55 percent of the vote.

I’m exhausted.

The GOP, which has a 42-6 advantage in the State Senate and a 75-26 edge in the State House, could deal with two obstacles that would go a long way to solving the state’s budget crisis—Question 64011, which makes it just about impossible to raise income taxes, and HB 256212, which lowered the gross production tax to below even that of the socialist enclaves in North Dakota and Texas—but instead spends its time on the periphery: proposing taxes on things like dry cleaning and tattoos, humiliating those who stand in line at Reasor’s using SNAP cards, worrying about sperm motility, moralizing about drugs and marriage, and hypnotizing its base with sepia-toned pablum and fear of others.

It’s a waste and it’s mean.

But that’s what happens when you have one-party rule: all politics is local.

And loco.

It’s the state we’re in. a

1) oklahomawatch.org: A Deeper Look at Fallin’s State of the State Address 2) newson6.com: Proposed Bill Attacks ‘Incompatibility’ As Reason For Divorce 3) Deathwithdignity.org: Current Status 4) kfor.com: Lawmakers pass bill out of committee to spend millions on more screenings for Medicaid and SNAP recipients 5) kfor.com: “We have some real concerns about the money it will take away from our public schools,” School choice debate heats up 6) nondoc.com: Payday lending bills floated from both sides of aisle 7) kfor.com: Lawmaker renews Ten Commandments fight 8) tulsaworld.com: Oklahoma House passes second bill targeting protesters 9) medium.com: Some state politicians want to overturn the vote on drug decriminalization.

10) tulsaworld.com: Legislator requires Muslims who want to see him at Capitol to answer questions, including ‘Do you beat your wife?’

11) ballotpedia.org: Oklahoma Voter Approval for Tax Increases, State Question 640 (March 1992) 12) okpolicy.org: Gross Production Tax, What’s That?

NEWS & COMMENTARY // 9

community

F

ern Holland was born and raised in Bluejacket, Okla., a tiny town a stone’s throw away from Miami, Okla., where she attended high school.

As smart as she was popular, Holland stood out in her community as a straight A-making homecoming queen and the class salutatorian. Tough, driven, idealistic and strong-willed, she was the backbone of her family. But Holland was destined to make it out of small-town Oklahoma.

It was her innate drive to succeed and make a difference in the lives of others that led her to the University Of Tulsa College Of Law, and eventually to Iraq, where she devoted herself to working for the rights and freedoms of Iraqi women through the Coalition Provisional Authority, or CPA. This work on behalf of the American government would ultimately draw the ire of fundamentalist forces within Iraq. One particular case, in which Holland represented two widows whose land was stolen by a Saddam loyalist who then built a house on it, worried her co-workers and friends and family back home.

“The women came to Fern for help,” Professor Greg Allison wrote, “and she discovered under Iraqi law that the women were entitled to an order evicting the thug and knocking down the house … a judge gave her the order, but required her to find a bulldozer to see that it was used to knock down the thug’s house. Fern did exactly that—on March 9, 2004.”

Later that same evening, Holland was traveling with her Iraqi translator and assistant, Salwa Oumashi and former Marine Corps colonel and press officer, Robert J. Zangas, on a dusty road outside of Karbala, when they were ambushed by a group of insurgents who fired multiple rounds into their car. Holland, Oumashi and Zangas were killed instantly.

10 // NEWS & COMMENTARY

Fern Holland, a University of Tulsa College of Law graduate, was killed in Iraq in 2004 while working to help Iraqis establish a democratic government and as an advocate for women’s rights. | COURTESY USAID

REMEMBERING HOLLAND Banquet honors TU law graduate who died fighting for women’s rights

by AMANDA RUYLE Although Holland’s life was tragically cut short, her legacy is celebrated at the annual Fern Holland Banquet, to be hosted this year on March 23 at Renaissance Square by the Women’s Law Caucus from the TU College of Law. Members of the caucus will present a female member of the Oklahoma Bar Association with the Fern Holland Spirit Award.

“We believe, that as female lawyers, it is important to understand how you can use your education and unique experiences as a woman to help others overcome the hurdles that they face,” said Ashley Nix, president of the Women’s Law Caucus. “It’s important to recognize a strong female attorney, who embodies Fern Holland’s spirit and who is succeeding in the face of a misogynistic culture or sexist attitudes.”

Nix hopes the banquet will raise awareness about the extraordinary life Holland led, often tirelessly and without fear.

“Ms. Holland exemplifies what it means to truly use your education and opportunities to change the world,” Nix said. “This is a woman that literally took a bulldozer to Saddam’s men who were stealing from and hurting women.

She was so devoted to her work that she wrote to a friend while in Iraq that she wished there were more hours in the day because she felt like she couldn’t or wasn’t doing enough to bring them justice.”

It seems strange that such a woman has slipped into relative obscurity. In September 2004, New York Times Magazine told Holland’s story in an 8,000-word profile by Elizabeth Rubin, but there have been few mentions

of her in local press. Although she is a native Oklahoman, there has been seemingly little effort to honor her in the state.

“Unfortunately, I think Ms. Holland’s death was shrouded in political narrative and a constant wave of ongoing tragedies,” Nix said. “I can only assume that her individual story was swallowed up along the way. … More people should know about Ms. Holland. This is something we care deeply about.”

Violet Rush, a local activist, TU College of Law student, and a delegate for the Women’s Law Caucus, was surprised that she had never heard of Fern Holland.

“I found it strange that I never knew about Ms. Holland until approximately five months ago,” Rush said. “Why isn’t her name at least well known in the local feminist and women’s rights communities? Unfortunately, our society doesn’t typically hold lawyers in the highest regard. When the general population conjures up some image of a great humanitarian, it’s typically not a lawyer. But I can pretty much guarantee that most of the social progress we’ve attained was due to some scrappy lawyers who believed their clients deserved the same rights and freedoms as those in the dominant culture.”

Holland was the definition of a scrappy lawyer. She died fighting for the rights of strangers on foreign soil because—as her former teacher, Professor Allison, said— she was “dedicated to the proposition that every person, especially women, should have a choice about how to live their lives.” a

FERN HOLLAND BANQUET, hosted by the TU Women’s Law Caucus Renaissance Square Event Center, Campbell Hotel | March 23, 6 p.m.

Individual tickets are $25, a table for eight is $250 Tickets and tables can be purchased at law.utulsa.edu/fernholland March 15 - April 4, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

Infor (US), Inc. has an opening for a Software Engineer in Tulsa, OK. Design & devel’t of new features & modules for FactoryTrak prod. using Baan/LN 3GL & 4GL prog’g langs & tools. Req’s a Master’s deg. (or foreign equiv) in Comp Sci, Eng or a rel’d field; & 2 yrs of exp. Will also accept a Bach. deg. (or foreign equiv) in Comp Sci, Eng or a rel’d field; & 5 yrs of progressive post-baccalaureate work exp. Cand. must possess exp. involving each of the following: Prog’g langs; 3GL; 4GL; Baan/ ERPLN devel’t; ERP Apps; Baan 4; Baan 5; & ERPLN Warehousing/Manufacturing automation app. Exp. for Baan/ERPLN ERP sys. Any suitable combo of edu., training, or exp. is acceptable.

How to apply: Mail resume, ref. IN25, incl. job history, to: Infor (US), Inc. Attn: Cheryl Sanocki, 1351 South County Trail, Building 3, East Greenwich, RI 02818. EOE.

March 31 • 7-9 p.m. • FREE Celebrate Women’s History Month at Gilcrease Museum. Tour the galleries and spot the Wonder Women in the collection during a museum-wide scavenger hunt. Come dressed as your favorite woman of the arts, or a woman you consider to be a role model.

Prizes, food, a cash bar, plus a performance by Tulsa singer/ songwriter Christine Jude.

It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing.

FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST, SCIENTIST 924 S. Boulder Church & Sunday School • 10:30am Wednesday Meeting • 6:00pm

Infor (US), Inc. has an opening for a Software Engineer in Tulsa, OK. Design & devel’t of new modules & features for annual releases of FactoryTrack prod. Req’s a Master's deg. (or foreign equiv.) in Comp Sci, Comp Info Sys, or a rel’d field; & 3 yrs of exp.

Will also accept a Bach. deg. (or foreign equiv.) in Comp Sci, Comp Info Sys, or a rel’d field; & 5 yrs of progressive, post-baccalaureate work exp. Candidate must possess exp. in each of the following: Mongoose Framework db; SQL Srvr; ERP Apps; SyteLine; prog’g langs; C#; Java; Visual Studio; Eclipse; Manufacturing/ Warehousing functional domain expertise; & ability to design, devel., QA & deliver complex functional modules for Manufacturing & Warehousing apps. Any suitable combo of edu., training, or exp. is acceptable.

Gilcrease After Hours takes place on the last Friday of the month. Explore the museum, grab a drink, network with other young professionals, and support your local art community. FREE.

How to apply: Mail resume, ref. IN50, incl. job history, to: Infor (US), Inc. Attn: Cheryl Sanocki, 1351 South County Trail, Building 3, East Greenwich, RI 02818. EOE.

TU is an EEO/AA Institution.

GILCREASE.ORG

ER C N A C N O L CO

S S E N E R AWA

K L A W / N U R K 5 + K 10 , 2017 5 2 h c r a M , y Saturda K a, O s l u T • n e e r G e Guthri

Co

THE TULSA VOICE // March 15 - April 4, 2017

/ Tulsa g r .o n o i t li a o lonCancerC

NEWS & COMMENTARY // 11

tulsaexpat

HAZY BLOODLINE Why do white Oklahoma families tell their kids they have Native ancestry?

by DENVER NICKS

Elizabeth Warren, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts | ANDREW CLINE / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

P

ocahontas is back in the news again, and not because March of this year is the 400th anniversary of her death at the tender age of 21ish. The famed Native American woman’s name has become Donald Trump’s favorite sobriquet for Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a fierce leading voice in the Democratic opposition to his presidency, whom critics have scolded for claiming without much evidence to be of Native American descent.

Warren’s claim to Cherokee and Delaware heritage rests on the weak and wobbly foundation of “family stories.” The whole spectacle strikes most people as utterly bizarre, akin to Rachel Dolezal’s claim to be black. But as anyone who, like Warren, is from Oklahoma can tell you, it’s all rather more complicated than that.

I am white, of the ginger variety, and a fourth generation Okie.

Every ancestor that I know of is of undeniably European heritage.

But my grandmother used to tell me I was part Choctaw, and as strange as it sounds, it’s something I grew up sort of half believing.

This, or some variant thereof—people of strictly European descent claiming native heritage— is a common story in Oklahoma, which raises the awkward question: why do white people do that?

12 // NEWS & COMMENTARY

In part this has to do with the fact in the early days of Oklahoma many Native Americans in the state were justifiably pissed at the government for stealing their lands in the eastern U.S. and refused to sign Uncle Sam’s official rolls. As a result, there probably are quite a few people in Oklahoma with native roots and no way to prove it. Also, after centuries of miscegenation—Cherokee County, Okla., has a higher rate of interracial marriage than any other county in America—a huge proportion of people of native extraction are mostly descended from Europeans or Africans, and thus, to put it in simple terms, don’t possess the traditional Native American phenotype. But I expect Warren’s claim to native ancestry may have more to do with the once common tendency among Oklahoma’s white families to tell the kids they had native blood.

My guess is she heard it as a little girl—in “family stories” probably repeated to her by a grandma only half paying attention as she tried to keep the kids entertained while cooking lunch to feed an army—and she repeated it in adulthood (though not on college or job applications) without giving it much thought.

This phenomenon, which I imagine has gone out of style in

today’s climate of hyper-sensitivity around identity, is not an effort to whitewash native histories or to access racial grievance, though it does suggest a lack of appreciation and respect for the hardship and injustice native people once faced (and some still face).

Rather, it’s something people told kids offhandedly at a time when people were less preoccupied with identity and when family histories were murkier than they are today.

The claim that I am part Choctaw has almost as much going for it as the claim that I am part Martian, but I expect my grandma figured, hey, what the hell, it might by true. She was born in a log cabin in Arkansas in 1917 to parents born not all that long after the Civil War. As it has always been with poor people—for whom ancestry is more often something to escape than to celebrate—my grandma’s family history gets hazy fast. So she told her 5-yearold grandson stories about a supposed “Indian graveyard” hidden away somewhere on the farm where her dirt-poor family eked out a living and how he had Choctaw blood in his veins as she sent him out the door to go play with his pals.

Before you protest that no one in an earlier, more racist era would have falsely told kids that they

were part Native American, consider these lines from an essay by Oklahoma writer George Milburn: “It is difficult to make clear, even to Americans in adjoining States, the peculiar social status Indians enjoy in Oklahoma today. Often the most refined white girl there feels that she has made a lucky catch if she can win a man with Indian blood, and there are Oklahomans of pure ‘Aryan’ ancestry who like to boast that they have ‘a sixteenth Cherokee.’”

Those words were written in 1949, the year Elizabeth Warren was born in Oklahoma City. Milburn notes that full-blood Native Americans in Oklahoma often carried credentials to prove their right to ride in the whites-only train cars forbidden to blacks.

If Warren heard she was part native as a girl, never thought much about it, and then repeated what is in fact a false claim thoughtlessly as an adult, it doesn’t strike me as that big of a crime.

My advice to Sen. Warren is to cop to the fact that it’s possible she isn’t native and explain what may or may not be error with a statement something like the following: “Look, I don’t know.

My grandma told me I was part Delaware and Cherokee so that’s what I thought. Maybe I’m not.

Anyway, Dodd-Frank?” a March 15 - April 4, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

okpolicy

O

ut of all the revenue options that Oklahoma has to fix a deep budget hole, the one getting the most attention from legislative leaders is increasing the cigarette tax. Last year’s attempt to increase the cigarette tax received a majority of votes in the House, but it fell short of the three-fourths supermajority required by State Question 640 for any tax increase, with Democrats making up the biggest block of no votes.

The Republican leadership is trying again this year for a $1.50 per package increase in the cigarette tax with HB 1841, but to get it done they will need some votes from House Democrats. The biggest objection from Democrats is that a cigarette tax increase is regressive — taxing a larger share of income from the poorest Oklahomans — and would result in a troubling tax shift after recent income tax and gross production tax cuts that predominately benefited wealthy individuals and large corporations.

It’s fair for House Democrats to use their leverage on this vote to get GOP support for more progressive reforms such as strengthening working family tax credits. However, we shouldn’t get carried away with arguments that imply a higher cigarette tax would be nothing but a burden on low-income families. Increasing the cigarette tax could be a net benefit to low- and moderate-income Oklahomans.

It’s undeniable that for those who continue to smoke at the same levels, a cigarette tax increase would take the biggest bite out of the incomes of poor Oklahomans. However, the research shows that lower-income, minority, and younger populations are the most likely to quit or cut back on smoking when the price of cigarettes goes up. The tax on cigarettes may be regressive, but the health benefits gained by those who quit smoking are highly progressive. An examination of the impact of a 2009 federal tobacco tax increase found that poor people paid about 12 percent of the THE TULSA VOICE // March 15 - April 4, 2017

new tax but received 46 percent of the health benefits from smoking cessation.

Revenues from the higher cigarette tax are also essential to securing Oklahoma’s health care safety net. HB 1841 would dedicate the new revenues from a cigarette tax increase to various health care funds, with the bulk going to important health services for low-income Oklahomans. The bill sends 45 percent of the revenue to the Health Care Authority to bolster Oklahoma’s Medicaid program (Soonercare); 28 percent would go to the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services to help with our state’s well-documented underfunding of mental health care for poor Oklahomans; and 13.5 percent would go to the Department of Human Services, which operates numerous important programs for poor seniors, kids, and Oklahomans with disabilities.

Altogether that’s 86.5 percent of the revenues from this tax going to agencies that specifically focus on important needs of low-income individuals and families.

The remaining 13.5 percent would go to the University Hospitals Authority, the Oklahoma State University Medical Authority, and the state Health Department, which provide health care and public health services to the benefit of all Oklahomans, including low-income families.

Years of funding cuts have already jeopardized basic access to care for hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans, so the need for any revenues that could undo these cuts is immediate and urgent. Lawmakers who care about a more progressive tax system should keep up the pressure and work to build public support. But in the meantime, we shouldn’t let concerns about who pays outweigh the chance to improve health and save lives. a

WHERE THERE’S SMOKE The progressive case for increasing the cigarette tax

by GENE PERRY

Gene Perry is Policy Director of Oklahoma Policy Institute (www.okpolicy.org).

NEWS & COMMENTARY // 13

foodfile

F

our friends found themselves in a crater on the side of a volcano in El Salvador. This crater, El Boquerón, formed over a century ago between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, at about 4,000 feet above sea level. The coffee-growing sweet spot is home to Loma La Gloria, a coffee farm and mill, and our four protagonists were here on a quest: to discover the best coffee in the world, pay a fair price for it and bring it home to their shop in Tulsa.

Fair Fellow Coffee is owned by two college pals and their lady loves. Andrew Unruh and Jeff Pelt are two country boys who grew up on farms north of Amarillo, Texas.

They both discovered the world of coffee and dreamed of owning a shop one day. Pelt met Kaitlyn in 2008 and Unruh met Danielle Wyman in 2016. The four of them are now celebrating one year since they opened the doors to their spirited coffee shop and roastery in the Kendall Whittier district.

Part of their anniversary celebration was treating themselves to an up-close encounter with a coffee farm in El Salvador.

One of the group’s most enduring relationships has been with Anny Ruth Pimentel, owner and proprietor of Loma La Gloria estate coffee in El Salvador. Pimentel traveled to Fair Fellow in the summer of 2016 to share more about her farm, her family and her coffee. After serving her coffee in Tulsa and communicating with her almost daily, the Fair Fellow crew decided it was time to return the courtesy and pay her a visit.

“It was more eye opening than I planned on it being,” said Wyman. “You’re surrounded by these huge leaves and bright coffee cherries; it’s like you’re in Wonderland. But more than that, we got close to the people at the mill, on the farm. We made each other laugh even though we don’t speak the same language.”

Beyond the exotic El Salvador terroir—which imparts the beans with hints of caramel and citrus, along with a mineral complexity

14 // FOOD & DRINK

Fair Fellow Coffee, 1 N. Lewis Ave. | MICHELLE POLLARD

BEYOND THE CUP Tulsa coffee shop offers an elevated brew

by ANGELA EVANS

Fair Fellow coffee owners and barista recently traveled to El Salvador to see their coffee’s origins | COURTESY

drawn from the volcanic ash— there is a serious human element to the coffee trade.

“We want to make sure the coffee we buy comes from a farmer who was paid fairly; it wasn’t a hold-up, it wasn’t a sharecropping thing,” Unruh said. “Unfair practices like this will continue if you keep giving disreputable farms your money. If you aren’t paying the legitimate farmers better, there is no way for it to be a sustainable

industry. For example, there’s an estimate that around 2,000 manhours go into one cup of coffee.

It takes me 12 minutes to roast 30-lbs of coffee and I get paid way more than the farmers did.”

Consumers don’t always consider the work that goes into producing a simple cup of joe. Farmers, often located in volatile countries like Rwanda, Kenya or Burundi, must maintain large swaths of farm land and pay a fair wage to

employees, implement security and navigate politics in thirdworld countries, fight crop-threatening maladies and cope with ever-increasing prices of farming necessities like fertilizer.

“Yet, the U.S. keeps demanding more without wanting to pay more,” Unruh said. “Eventually, what you start to see is farm workers leave the coffee industry to grow coca because it’s a lot cheaper and the profit yield is somewhat better.”

The result of supporting a farmer instead of a mega agribusiness isn’t just a feel-good endeavor. The effort produces a better-tasting cup of coffee.

“A businessman will look at the bottom line; a farmer will look at the quality,” Pelt said. “I know that when my money goes into putting a roof over my farmers’ heads, food on their tables, they are going to produce coffee that not only tastes great, but that I can feel good about drinking and serving.”

The crew at Fair Fellow fancy themselves caffeinated raconteurs, telling the story behind the cups they serve in a laid-back space that is perfect for whiling away a Saturday with friends or for concentrating on a project. They often host special cuppings where they showcase new coffee in an interactive, heady tasting experience. Their legendary nitrogenated coffee is a frothy blend of caffeine-infused bliss. But, at the end of the day, Fair Fellow Coffee centers on the simplicity of combining a few precious beans with some hot water.

“We want to be a little more innovative with our coffee – from sourcing to roasting. But we want to keep it simple,” Pelt said. “We want you to come in and feel at ease and ask questions, not feel intimidated. After all, we go a long way for people to enjoy a cup of coffee.”

Fair Fellow Coffee is served at several restaurants and shops around town, including Dwelling Spaces and The Bramble, and local distribution continues to expand. a March 15 - April 4, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

BILLIARDS

& BAR

TULSA’S SOURCE FOR EXCEPTIONAL FLAVOR M-S 11 am-10pm SUN 11 am-9pm HAPPY HOUR 3-6pm 1616 S UTICA AVE 918.382.7777 • rokatulsa.com

Warning: Do not eat this ad. It is just a photograph of our specialty pizza, Da Bomb. You will taste only newsprint, which does not taste good, even when drizzled with balsamic glaze. Please drive to the nearest Hideaway Pizza or visit HideawayPizza.com to order your very own seriously great specialty pizza.

POOL with BENEFITS

3415 S. Peoria Avenue (918)742-9500 (No Tie Required)

Superhero Fun for the Entire Family, Benefitting the Child Abuse Network

SUNDAY APRIL 2, 2017 1- 4PM POSTOAK Lodge & Retreat,15 Minutes from Downtown Tulsa PRESENTING SPONSORS

SUPERHERO CHALLENGE $20 Two Obstacle Courses. All Ages Welcome.

Register Online: ChildAbuseNetwork.org For Questions: 918-624-0217 // Facebook.com/CANSuperheroChallenge

Presenting Media Sponsor:

Additional Sponsors:

THE TULSA VOICE // March 15 - April 4, 2017 SHC_Ads-2017-2.indd 1

FOOD & DRINK // 15 2/7/17 9:30 AM

tellyouwhat

Red velvet and old fringe

Tinder love at the Cellar Dweller

by JENNIE LLOYD “Tell You What,” is a new column in which Jennie Lloyd asks people at restaurants and bars to tell her a good story. No last names are used.

“I

was on Tinder because of Cookie,” Christie tells me, referring to the nickname of a chubby, tow-headed friend of her family.

In a back booth of Cellar Dweller, downtown’s resident storm shelter/speakeasy/dungeon/dive, Christie sips a sparkling wineglass of Sofia Champagne and St. Germain. She wears a low-cut white sweater, big jewelry, long hair and six-inch heels.

Cellar Dweller is hung with red velvet and old fringe; the walls are painted-red brick. Above an ornate fireplace hangs an oil painting of a bare-breasted babe wearing a ‘60s beehive and nothing else. This is the place you take people you want to seduce. As such, bartender Western Doughty says the bar has become “Tinder date central” in recent years. Christie says she’s been bringing prospective boyfriends to this bar for more than five years now.

“Cookie was on Tinder to meet bitches and he said he kept getting these bots,” she says. “He said, ‘I can’t see what other dudes say in their profiles.’” So Christie downloaded the app, put Cookie on speaker phone, and scrolled through Tinder profiles, reading them aloud to Cookie so he could get a sense of how other men present themselves.

Messages from interested men began streaming into her Tinder inbox. Two matches struck her fancy.

“Only to them, I said, ‘I don’t do this and I’m deleting this app in 16 // FOOD & DRINK

MORGAN WELCH

a hot 30 minutes, here’s my number, don’t be a creep, I will block you so fast, the ball’s in your court, text me,’” she says in expressive, rapid-fire conversation.

Both of the men she messaged started texting her. One started slow, texting her a cute pair of emoji once a week: the finger pointing to an explosion. They met in person six months later.

The other man pursued her aggressively, and the relationship was called off early on.

As for Cookie, he met someone too.

“Last year, he starts telling me about this girl,” Christie says. “He really became invested. When they broke up, I felt super bad. He was very upset, very depressed. He didn’t really know why. He just said she told him she needed some time. She told him, ‘Let’s take a hot minute, a breather and see where we’re going in life.’

“And that’s ok if you’re being genuine,” Christie says. “But a lot of the time, that’s a cop-out. If you really like someone, you don’t break up with them. So he was upset. And I said, I’ll come over,

make dinner and you can keep all the leftovers. He’s a young dude and he does well not to burn his house down.”

A month or so later, Christie’s dad called her early on a Saturday morning. “Are you sitting down?” he asked. He told her Cookie was arrested the night before and charged with attempted murder.

“Stop, this is hilarious,” she told her dad. “It’s too early for this, what’s going on?” Her dad explained that Cookie was accused of cutting all four brake lines on his ex-girlfriend’s car.

The woman had broken up with Cookie because she was seeing a new guy. The case is ongoing.

“She added the ‘In a Relationship’ to her Facebook and she had set the date the relationship started as before the day that they broke up. So he was destroyed by that.”

Meanwhile, Christie was still charmed by emoji. Finger guns, explosions. They met last July for boat races at Grand Lake.

“I wasn’t sure I liked him but I knew he was super polite and had a very gentle way about him that was immediately relaxing. That endeared him to me,” she says. Eight months in, they’re still dating.

At a nearby table, a bottle blond in workday-white cardigan swirls top-shelf vodka in a glass pearled with sweat. She taps the rim with fingernails, square with careful black polish. She’s the kind of girl who does everything right, but tonight she slurs her words.

She tells her date, “I just wanna… live my life. I don’t want to live in this little…you know, snow globe.”

She constructs a sloppy steeple with her drunkgirl fingers, a prayer. Her date says, “We’re in the snow globe,” chuckling. a March 15 - April 4, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

Better. stronger. faster.

ONE DAY

HUGE Plant Sale

Thursday, April 13 • 9am-7pm Central Park Hall Tulsa Fairgrounds • Gate 12

We worked hard for a week.

We’re now open on Cherry Street with upgrades throughout. #BetterStongerFasterPizza

Stop by for one of the largest plant selections available in the area including Oklahoma natives, pollinators and much more!

All sales benefit Master Gardener projects throughout the year, including programs for school children, senior living residents and Master Gardener coaching for all Tulsans!

Visit tulsamastergardeners.org by March 31 for online ordering!

For more information, call 918-746-3701.

THE TULSA VOICE

BEST OF TULSA 2016

READERS’ CHOICE 2016

w i nne r !

2016

House-made dough, sauces, dressings, mozzarella, and sausage.

Order online or see full pizza, pasta, and more menus at Andopizza.com.

918.272.9328 - Owasso | 918.728.6111 - Tulsa | 918.940.2770 - Broken Arrow

REAL COLLEGE RADIO

Tune into Tulsa’s ecletic, uniquely programmed, local music loving, commercial free, genre hopping, award winning, truly alternative music station. @RSURadio | WWW.RSURADIO.COM THE TULSA VOICE // March 15 - April 4, 2017

FOOD & DRINK // 17

bramble breakfast & bar Enjoy the Quad Brambler Burger.

311 E 2nd St • 918-933-4495 bramblebartulsa.com

Breakfast. Lunch. Brunch. Dinner.

1324 S Main St • 918-582-1964 chalkboardtulsa.com

Eat

LOCAL

THE LOOP

WELCOME Basketball Fans!

loop

Don’t miss the bus!

Use the real time Bus Tracker App available at Scan the QR code and keep track of the Loop with the Tulsa Transit Bus Tracker App. tulsatransit.org facebook.com/TulsaDowntownTrolley

Come try the Bison Burger!

313 E 2nd St • 918-933-4499 tallgrasstulsa.com

18 // FEATURED

Bar and Kitchen. Open for Dinner and Sunday Brunch.

302 S Cheyenne Ave • 918-932-8571 mixcotulsa.com

March 15 - April 4, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

VALERIE GRANT COURTESY

DILLY DINER

HEY, NCAA FANS, HERE’S WHAT YOU SHOULD DO IN TULSA

VALERIE GRANT

BY THE TULSA VOICE STAFF

PRAIRIE BREWPUB FEATURED // 19

FRIDAY

Park brews beer on site and offers 50 televisions to ogle—not to mention their many excellent pizza and wings selections.

SESSION ONE GAME: 12 P.M., BOK CENTER SESSION TWO GAME: 6 P.M., BOK CENTER

To bookend St. Pat’s, head to SOUNDPONY BAR (409 N. Main St.) in the Brady Arts District and watch members of local act Lizard Police pay tribute to Thin Lizzy, which the players say is “the Irish’s most important import besides Connemara single malt.”

ST. PATRICK’S IN THE BLUE DOME

TULSA IS AT THE CENTER OF ATTENTION for many watching the NCAA first- and- second-round March MadnessTM games March 17-19. Madness sister cities include Greenville, Indianapolis, and Sacramento.

If you’re here visiting, welcome! We’ve designed a three-day itinerary to get you acquainted with Tulsa—eating great burgers and brunch, watching games in the best spots (unless, of course, you’ve got tickets), and what to do and see when the games aren’t on—all within walking distance, or a short ride(share) away.

Between St. Patrick’s Day, basketball mania, and necessary recovery, we’ll keep you busy and well-fed. Look at the end of this section for a list of bars and places to eat, organized by districts near downtown.

ELGIN PARK

THE RUSTY CRANE

Whether you’re in from out of town to watch basketball or a local ready to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, start out your day proper WITH A GUINNESS at MCNELLIE’S (409 E 1st St.) in the Blue Dome District from the Guinness Gig Rig—a semi-truck full of the fortifying nectar. McNellie’s Annual St. Patrick’s Day Celebration begins at 11 a.m., and a block over at 2nd and Elgin ARNIE’S BAR will be hosting its own massive street party. Between the two celebrations there will be Irish dancers, live bands, and a corn hole tournament.

If you find yourself wanting to hang out all day but not miss the games, McNellie’s will have an alleyway sports bar for just that reason.

For a full guide to St. Patrick’s Day events in Tulsa, see page 30.

For lunch, there are ample options for both burgers and barbecue. If you’re hanging in the Blue Dome and don’t mind lunching among the reveling crowd, DILLY DINER (402 E. 2nd St.) offers a double meat, double cheese diner-style burger and fries. ALBERT G’S BAR & Q (421 E. 1st St.) has the Fat Albert G’s, an unholy monster of a sandwich with all of the meat (seriously—literally all of the meats they offer are on this thing). Or, if you’re on your way to the games, stop by MIXCO (3rd and Denver) across from the BOK Center for its Dad Burger—a beef patty served on a brioche bun with muenster cheese and mushrooms sautéed with garlic, green onions, and butter (this is the burger on our cover). Lastly, if you have a few extra minutes to go only slightly out of the way, check out RON’S HAMBURGERS & CHILI (1440 S. Denver Ave.) for a sausage cheeseburger. Trust us, this thing is crazy—half beef, half sausage, smashed together with onions fried into the meat.

If you’re not attending the game but plan to watch it on a screen, we recommend ELGIN PARK (325 E. M.B. Brady St.), which is walking-distance from the Blue Dome District’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Elgin

20 // FEATURED

If you wanna venture outside downtown but stay close enough for affordable transportation, KILKENNY’S IRISH PUB (1413 E. 15th St.) will overtake Cherry Street with their own annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration.

SATURDAY

HAIR OF THE DOG, A NAP, MUSEUMS, AND MORE BASKETBALL If your obsession with soccer (or old age) precludes you from sleeping in on a Saturday, head over to EMPIRE (1516 S. Peoria Ave.), Tulsa’s resident futbol bar, and nurse your hangover with hair of the dog as you watch soccer. Empire opens at 10 a.m.

After, treat yourself at THE BRAMBLE (311 E 2nd St.) in the Blue Dome District for a late breakfast and bloodies, or if you’d rather get a quick sugar rush, stop by the recently opened (and open 24/7!) HURTS DONUTS (111 S. Detroit Ave.) for a decadent gourmet donut and coffee.

Satiated, but perhaps not stable, we recommend a nap. GUTHRIE GREEN is a lux grassy knoll perfect for strolling, people watching, or outdoors nap-taking. Off Archer and Boston in the heart of the Brady Arts District, there are plenty of other bars, restaurants, galleries, and shops within walking distance of the Green.

Since this might be your only full day to enjoy the many splendored facets of Tulsa, we suggest you follow your nap with some local culture: PHILBROOK DOWNTOWN (open 12-5 p.m., $9 admission) or the WOODY GUTHRIE CENTER (open 10-6 p.m., $8 admis-

VALERIE GRANT

MIXCO

Join Us Before & After The Game!

Not just an ordinary bar

SHOWING ALL GAMES!

Open 2pm-2am this Fri. – Sun. for the Tournament Over 90 Beers & Seasonal Craft Cocktails

SHOWING ALL GAMES! Beer & Shot Specials!

JUST MOMENTS FROM THE BOK CENTER! 107 N. Boulder Ave. « 918.398.7114 « Bar46Tulsa.com

WELCOME BASKETBALL FANS!

21 E. Brady St. 918-585-8587

$4 cheese fries on Thurs.

Big C Feature - Almost a full pound, prime double meat patties, double cheese, all the fixings!

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

19 TH & RI V ERSIDE DRI V E • BES T PAT IO IN TOW N 8 T V ’S INSIDE L I V E MUSIC THUR-SAT

Food, Full Bar, Live Music & Good Times!

224 N. Main • 918-599-9200 thehuntclubtulsa.com

(918) 582-4600 bluerosecafetulsa.com

Located in the Historic Brady Arts District.

HANGOUT HOSTED BY

ESCAPE TO THE CARIBBEAN

WITH ONE OF OUR

SIGNATURE COCKTAILS AND AUTHENTIC CARIBBEAN COMFORT CUISINE Archer and Main SisserousRestaurauntTulsa.com

918.576.6800 THE TULSA VOICE // March 15 - April 4, 2017

M A RC H 16T H – M A RC H 19T H

• PIZZA BY THE SLICE, WINGS, PASTAS, SUBS AND MORE! • SELECT BUD BOTTLES & CANS, 2 FOR $7 • 10 TVS SHOWING ALL THE HOOPS ACTION DAILY LOCATED ACROSS FROM BOK CENTER • 201 S. DENVER AVE. 918-879-1990 • NAPLESFLATBREAD.COM FEATURED // 21

Satiated and perhaps more stable, head to Fassler Hall (304 S. Elgin Ave.) or Elgin Park (325 E. M.B. Brady St.)—or catch a rideshare and head to BRICKTOWN BREWERY (3301 S. Peoria Ave.) a few miles south of downtown—for the 2 p.m. tipoff of the SACRAMENTO KINGS AT OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER game. That is, assuming you’re not sick of basketball.

(Blasphemy?) Later, the CLEVELAND CAVALIERS PLAY THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS at 7:30 p.m.

FASSLER HALL

And finally, if you didn’t get enough St. Patrick’s Day celebrating out of your system, McNellie’s celebrations are running for a second day, all day Saturday.

SUNDAY

BRUNCH, PATIOS, AND THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE SESSION THREE GAME: 6 P.M., BOK CENTER

MCNELLIE’S

RON’S HAMBURGERS & CHILI 22 // FEATURED

Tulsa loves its Sunday brunch, and there are multiple establishments downtown that do it well. For a rustic, high-end brunch with cocktails and mimosas, THE TAVERN (201 N. Main St.) and TALLGRASS (313 N. 2nd St.) don’t disappoint (reservations recommended), nor do the aforementioned restaurants MixCo and The Bramble. For something a little rowdier, FASSLER HALL (304 S. Elgin St.) does a German spin on brunch, with housemade sausages, breakfast tacos and an ample selection of German beers (and a large outdoor biergarten).

CHIMERA CAFÉ (212 N. Main St.) hosts Vinyl Brunch every Sunday, in which a different local vinyl nerd spins a curated playlist from his or her record collection. Chimera offers a fresh, local, health-conscious and vegan-friendly menu of brunch items, along with a full bar. Meanwhile, across the street, the magicians at ANTOINETTE BAKING CO. (207 N. Main St.) offer an elegant, delicious menu of classy comfort fare. Elsewhere, YOKOZUNA (309 E. 2nd St) features

a pan-Asian spin on classic brunch dishes like Eggs Benedict, as well as a full menu of sushi and entrees.

After brunch, you might stumble over to Tulsa’s landmark “whisper chamber,” the CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE (20 E. Archer St.), an auditory phenomenon that amplifies any noise made while standing within a small, 30-inch circular perimeter (this is especially entertaining for children).

After, if you still have a few hours to kill before the 6 p.m. game, gather your friends and FIND A PATIO (weather permitting) for daydrinking. One of our favorites is at SATURN ROOM (209 N. Boulder Ave.), a tiki bar with some of the best bartenders in town and a killer view of the skyline.

Other great patio options: PRAIRIE BREWPUB (223 N. Main St) has a cozy alleyway patio perfect for enjoying one of their locally-crafted, critically acclaimed beers; LAFFA MEDI-EASTERN RESTAURANT (111 N. Main St.), which serves a variety of exotic Mezze (small appetizers) perfect for absorbing the booze; ARNIE’S BAR (318 E. 2nd St.), whose patio is walled in and shaded with greenery like a divey Chateau Marmont; FAT GUY’S BURGER BAR (140 N. Greenwood Ave.), whose outdoor seating overlooks the Drillers baseball stadium (and who also serve a killer burger); MEXICALI BORDER CAFÉ (14 W. M.B. Brady St.), a Tulsa oldie still kicking after decades; BOULDER GRILL AT HOLIDAY INN (17 W. 7th St.), a classy, affordable spot with a large patio in the heart of downtown; CAZ’S CHOWHOUSE (18 E. M.B. Brady St.), serving comfort food on a breezy sidewalk patio; THE RUSTY CRAIN (109 N. Detroit Ave.), with ample al fresco seating to match its large menu; and EL GUAPO’S CANTINA (332 E. 1st St.) whose rooftop patio and bar offers killer margaritas and an elevated view of the skyline. a

If you’re in from out of town, we hope you enjoy your stay. This itinerary is not comprehensive by any means, and we encourage everyone to go exploring for yourself—there’s plenty to find.

For help in getting to know Tulsa, and for a comprehensive list of bars, restaurants, and events, download the ROOT TULSA app from iTunes (if you’re an Android user, visit RootTulsa.com).

Until next year!

FASSLER HALL AND MCNELLIE’S: VALERIE GRANT; RON’S: GREG BOLLINGER

sion), both across the street from Guthrie Green. Philbrook hosts modern and contemporary art exhibitions, as well as the Philbrook’s Native American art collection, and the Woody Guthrie Center pays homage to one of our state’s most important figures

HEALTHY DOG. HAPPY DOG. All foods and treats at Dog Dish are wheat, corn and soy free.

Ask us about your pet’s nutritional needs.

1778 Utica Square • 918-624-2600 • Open M–SAT, 10–6 THE TULSA VOICE // March 15 - April 4, 2017

FEATURED // 23

BLUE DOME DISTRICT ALBERT G’S BAR & Q - 421 E. 1st St. Go for the barbecue, stay for the barrel-aged cocktails.

ARNIE’S - 318 E. 2nd St. A venerable Tulsa institution just near the Blue Dome. Don’t go for a fancy drink.

Go for a shot of Jameson.

FASSLER HALL - 304 S. Elgin TVs. Cornhole and a a biergarten. Eight Euro/German beers on draft and a pork schnitzel sandwich that is stupid good.

MCNELLIE’S - 409 E. 1st St. This two-level Irish pub is a Tulsa institution, partially credited with the revival of downtown and the Blue Dome district.

350 beers offered and counting.

TALLGRASS - 313 E. 2nd St. Fine farm-to-table dining, craft cocktails.

Not a spot for game watching, but an excellent break from bar food and beer guzzling.

WHITE FLAG - 116 S. Elgin Ave. Burgers, hot melts, wings, brunch, daily specials and a large selection of craft beers and grown up milk shakes.

WOODY’S CORNER BAR - 325 E. 2nd St. A large country bar with a loud juke box and multiple pool tables.

BRADY ARTS DISTRICT CAZ’S CHOWHOUSE - 18 E. M.B. Brady St. Bernie Sanders ate here. So should you.

Comfort food and full bar.

CAZ’S PUB - 21 E. M.B. Brady St. Their tag line is “Caz’s...Helping ugly people have sex since 1995!” We’ll say no more.

BAR 46 - 107 N. Boulder Ave. A spacious, comfortable bar with video games and pool tables.

ELGIN PARK - 325 E. M.B. Brady St. Family-friendly sports bar on the eastern edge of downtown with beer brewed on site and over 50 TVs. DOWNTOWN LOUNGE - 25 N. Cheyenne Ave. Rock and roll bar with $6 beer-and-ashot specials, one block away from the BOK Center.

INNER CIRCLE VODKA BAR - 410 N. Main St. Full bar with outdoor games; hosting the Tulsa Patio Music fest on Saturday, March 18, 2pm - 12am.

A QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE FOR FOOD AND DRINK OPTIONS IN AND AROUND DOWNTOWN

THE RUSTY CRANE - 109 N. Detroit Ave. Eight styles of wings (a dozen for $13) plus burgers, melts, nachos, cowboy queso, and a full bar. The patio is a sunny spot.

THE TAVERN - 201 N. Main St. This upscale-casual restaurant offers its famous Tavern burger for half-price after 9 p.m.

CHERRY STREET KILKENNY’S IRISH PUB - 1413 E. 15th St. Everything about this place, from the food and drink to the décor, works to transport you to the Emerald Isle.

PHAT PHILLY’S - 1305 S. Peoria Ave. Just a few blocks off of Cherry Street. Specializing in cheesesteak sandwiches and wings—with beer. Open ’til 4 am Friday and Saturday.

ROOSEVELT’S - 1551 E. 15th St. 79 tap handles = 70 craft beers, 9 wines.

A large patio and dining room mean you can take a big group.

DOWNTOWN/DECO DISTRICT THE CHALKBOARD - 1324 S. Main Ave. Classy restaurant inside the Ambassador Hotel. Start with a Classic Martini, then go for the 100% Angus beef burger (available at lunch only).

ORPHA’S - 112 W. 4th St. The diviest dive bar in Tulsa, very near the BOK Center. Best for smokers and those excited to mingle with the local natives.

(And it opens at 7 a.m.)

GREENWOOD FAT GUY’S BURGER BAR 140 N. Greenwood Ave. Specialty burgers including the Fat & Juicy burger: two beef patties with butter and cheese melted between them. We won’t tell your doctor. Full bar.

LEFTY’S ON GREENWOOD 10 N. Greenwood Ave. Voted Tulsa’s best new bar in 2016. Eight TVs near the bar, 15 beers on tap, a strong top shelf of spirits, frozen margaritas, bar food.

WANDA J’S NEXT GENERATION 111 N. Greenwood Ave. This small café owned by six sisters (carrying on their grandmother’s name and legacy) offers affectionately made southern/soul food.

MIDTOWN BROWNIE’S HAMBURGER STAND 2130 S. Harvard Ave. One of Tulsa’s oldest hamburger joints.

Sit at the counter and be sure to have a homemade root beer and slice of pie.

CLAUD’S HAMBURGERS 3834 S. Peoria Ave. An iconic Tulsa eatery in its 63rd year of business. Try the hamburger steak.

WEBER’S SUPERIOR ROOT BEER DRIVE-IN 3817 S. Peoria Ave. Claud’s burger rival! The longest-running business in Brookside, Weber’s makes root beer, has a drive-in, and outside dining.

TU/KENDALL WHITTIER LONE WOLF BANH MI - 3136 E. 11th St. Thursday night is burger night. All other days they serve delicious sandwiches (banh mi) with meat (and without). Beer and a TV available.

TALLY’S GOOD FOOD CAFE 1102 S. Yale Ave. Serves breakfast all day (including cinnamon rolls bigger than your head), Oklahoma’s favorite chicken fried steak sandwich, and 14 kinds of hamburgers, including a Lebanese burger and a “Fat Boy.” Full bar with TVs in the back.

UTICA SQUARE POLO GRILL - 2038 Utica Square One of Tulsa’s most celebrated fine dining (and fine drinking) restaurants. The tenderloin burger in the bar is sublime, but so is everything else on the varied menu.

MAD

WEEKEND Tulsa plays a prominent role in 2017’s March Madness MARCH MADNESS gets underway this week, with four first-round games taking place at the BOK Center Fri., March 17, followed by two second-round matchups (between the respective winners of the first-round contests) on Sun., March 19.

It is a big honor for the city to be included as a host; this is just the latest (but biggest) in a long line of NCAA events that have been showcased here lately, following the 2015 Big 12 Baseball tournament, the 2016 NCAA Tennis Championships, and the Big 12 Wrestling Championships held last week at the BOK Center.

“Obviously, it’s March Madness and you don’t have to be a basketball fan to understand its unique brand as a significant event, so for us to be a part of that, it’s important because we get marketed as a destination that people want to visit,” said Ray Hoyt, President of Tulsa Regional Tourism, which oversees the Tulsa Sports Commission, co-sponsor of the petition to bring the NCAA here. “There are a lot of cities that would love to be a host city and aren’t for whatever reason, and Tulsa has broken out of that.”

Tulsa last hosted NCAA basketball tournament games in 2011 and, while that event earned positive reviews for the thennew BOK Center, it did not accumulate overly impressive attendance figures, with the average of 14,274 spectators ranking

seventh among the NCAA’s eight first- and second-round venues that year.

This time, Hoyt expects things to be much different, primarily because of the wide array of new restaurants, hotels and entertainment options downtown near the arena, which could not accommodate nearly as many visitors back then.

“It’s kind of a tale of two cities, I think,” Hoyt said. “In ‘11, it was really about apologizing for overcoming our lack of amenities for the visitors. If you think about it, the arena was really kind of isolated at that point, and we had to put a tent out there for entertainment, because there wasn’t really anything to do. You had to go into the Brady or Blue Dome (Districts).

We were running transportation out to Brookside and Cherry Street because all those people needed to have restaurants and there wasn’t an adequate number downtown.”

While the 2011 tournament generated $2.6 million of overall economic impact for the city, Hoyt estimates the figure will be somewhere between $3.7 million and $8 million or more this time around, partially because there are so many more options.

“Kansas was here in ‘11, and they’ll probably end up here again, and I think their fans will be like, ‘Holy smokes, Tulsa has transformed,’” Hoyt said. “We will

have transportation this time, but only to the downtown core, because we have enough restaurants and entertainment areas for the visitors. That’s how much it’s changed and that’s significant. I think it will be a much different experience for the visitor than it was in ‘11—a better experience.”

Certainly, if some local, or even regional, teams are playing here, it would help, and while the final bracket won’t be set until after this is published, Hoyt is right that No. 1-ranked Kansas is likely to wind up in Tulsa, bringing throngs of rabid Jayhawks fans.

Tulsa will have the No. 1 vs. 16 seed game of the Midwest Region, as well as that region’s 8-9 matchup (with the two winners facing off on Sunday), and Kansas will likely claim that No. 1 spot. Top seeds are usually placed in the region they are closest to, and with defending national champion Villanova, UCLA and Gonzaga occupying the nation’s 2-4 rankings, and therefore most likely to also earn top seeds in the tournament, that leaves Kansas to the Midwest.

The BOK Center also hosts the East Region’s 2 vs. 15 game and the East’s 7-10 contest on Friday, with the winners in round two Sunday.

Obviously, it would help quite a bit if Oklahoma State and Arkansas, the two

BY JOHN TRANCHINA

“local” teams that should make the tournament in the 7-10 seed range, could be placed here, as either one of them would attract a sizeable following. Wichita State, which won the Missouri Valley Conference and was ranked No. 20 in the country, is also in that range. (And it’s important to note that outside of the top seeds, the rest of the brackets don’t usually follow the regional placement rule, so it wouldn’t be unusual for any one of those teams to wind up in the East Regional).

If Kansas does come to Tulsa, you can bet they’ll be leaving with a spot in the Sweet 16. In fact, for those of you filling out your brackets, you can pencil Kansas into the Elite Eight right now, if not the Final Four, as well as they’ve played in claiming their 13th consecutive Big 12 regular season title this year.

Villanova would also seem to be a strong bet to get back to the Final Four, while other potential top-two seeds like UCLA, Gonzaga, Oregon, last year’s finalist North Carolina, Arizona and Kentucky, as well as Baylor and Louisville, should also be considered significant threats to reach Final Four weekend in Phoenix on April 1 and 3.

So check out the games in person if you can (visit BOKCenter.com for tickets), fill out those brackets and stay tuned—it’s going to be a fun three weeks! a

FEATURED // 25

artspot

I

f you’ve been to any Tulsa theatre productions, symphony, or Tulsa Ballet, you’ve likely been in the company of Jim Watts, aka James D. Watts, Jr., reporter on the arts for the Tulsa World.

He’s sort of Dickensian: bearded and ample with a puckish smile.

If you haven’t noticed him, that’s part of his mission: to be the reporter, not the story, even if he is the major arts critic in town.

For three decades, Watts has reported on, as he puts it, “everything cultural except yogurt.”

He began with the Broken Arrow Ledger as a general reporter, then served as editor for the Tulsa PAC’s Intermission magazine. His first job as a critic was for the Tulsa Tribune; he eventually joined the World in October, 1992, after the Tribune went under.

JIM WATTS: The very first thing the Tribune had me doing was a [review of a] Heller Theatre production of a play called “Modigliani.”

They were using freelance reviewers for classical music and dance, and for various reasons those people stopped working for the Tribune; they just had me do it. It was by attrition and the job needed to be done and I was handy.

THE TULSA VOICE: Of the things you were reviewing at first for the Tribune, where were you the least comfortable?

JW: I’m uncomfortable with all of it. I’m not an expert in anything but I’m willing to learn. Probably classical music is the one I have to prepare myself more for.

TTV: Do you research the things you have to review?

JW: Oh yeah. I try to. Sometimes it’s just not possible.

TTV: And you review even when there may not be space in the paper for it.

26 // ARTS & CULTURE

Tulsa World Scene writer James D. Watts, Jr. MICHELLE POLLARD

‘WHAT I AM IS A REPORTER’ An interview with the Tulsa World’s Jim Watts

by MICHAEL WRIGHT

JW: The philosophy—and this is not unique to the Tulsa World—is that everything you write goes on the web first. You write for the web and not for print. The only reviews of mine I know will appear in the paper regularly are of the Broadway touring shows.

They run for a week, they attract large crowds and attention.

Sometimes a theatre review, if the show will run a second weekend and space permits, will appear in the paper.

TTV: How has your aesthetic evolved over the three decades?

TTV: You’re very forgiving.

(Laughter) JW: What I do is I report on what is in front of me. That is highlighted by an opinion that is as informed as possible. Whether I succeed in that is debatable, but that’s what I try. I try not to go in with any preconceived notion.

TTV: I don’t remember what show it was but some people took you to task because you didn’t like a particular production.

JW: That has happened, yes.

JW: What I am is a reporter. My “aesthetic”—that’s a word I would never use.

TTV: I always wonder about what happens if there’s some kind of pushback against a review.

TTV: Well, I’m an academic.

JW: My wife gets very angry at a lot of people. (Laughter) What happens is nothing, usually. The people involved in a show that gets a bad review are understand-

JW: That’s okay.

ably upset even if they think to themselves “Yeah, we didn’t do well.” I tried not to pay too much attention to the brouhaha that arose out of that particular show because I knew it would get me upset; it would sour things. And I did not go back to see the show afterwards so if they corrected what I saw as the problems, then great. People would say, “You didn’t see the show that I saw,” and I would say, “Well, good for you, nobody ever does.” I have learned after 30 years not to take anything personal.

TTV: Do you ever get a chance to have a dialogue with the theatre community, not just about reviewing but how they interface?

JW: I don’t know that that is my role. The thing about the arts community in Tulsa is that we’re seeing in the last decade or so an incredible amount of collaboration that wasn’t there for much of the time that I’ve been here. There’s still some cliquish personality confl ict, but actors that you would think you’d only see with Company A are showing up at Company B or C and that’s a good thing.

TTV: How do you see the impact of TATE (Tulsa Awards for Theatre Excellence, an annual competition among participating community theatres)? Positive, negative?

JW: It’s been a bit of both. I was part of the group that put it together. One of the proposals that I had was that the company that wins the top prize, $10,000, that it would come with a stipulation that half of that money would go to creating and producing an original play that would be presented in conjunction with the following year’s award ceremony.

But that didn’t get out of committee, as they say. When they were talking about revamping March 15 - April 4, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

after last year I brought that up again and it wasn’t immediately dismissed out of hand but it’s probably still going to be a long time coming.

TATE has caused some fractiousness because it always seems that certain groups consistently win it; that it has become this kind of winner-take-all thing, which means that everybody else are losers—which isn’t the case.

But at the same time it has upped the game of some of the companies in town to put on more ambitious shows and to show a fi ner attention to detail in things.

In that case it’s become a positive thing because theatre in this town—in the eyes of everyone outside of the theatre community, and maybe some within the theatre community, is that theatre is a hobby.

What the TATE awards do and needs to do a better job of is making people take community theatre more seriously. If one of the richest men in the world is willing to pay out 20 grand a year to recognize the community theatres in his home town, that’s a statement. That says something.

It’s a substantial amount of money to the people who are receiving it and a substantial amount of elevation.

TTV: Is there interest in original work here?

JW: I think that companies would like to, but there’s also the desire to get people in seats. Because of the nature of the Tulsa community there are a lot of things that to theatre lovers would be old-hat but to most audiences here would be brand new.

TTV: What’s your sense of what’s coming down the pike? What do you hope for?

JW: I would like to see companies do more original work, do Oklahoma work. Take full advantage THE TULSA VOICE // March 15 - April 4, 2017

of all the talents that we have here. About four or five years ago there was a Canadian company that commissioned a series of plays that centered around a local landmark. The plays went from the time of settlement and into the future and that was the season. It was five original plays by five Canadian playwrights—I think it was in Toronto—but it sounded fascinating. What crossed my mind was the Brady Theatre: plays about aspects of the history of the Brady Theatre.

Something that would create a larger-than-theatre-community interest in a project. That would be something I’d love to see.

TTV: Do you see the possibility of a regional professional theatre here in Tulsa? Is it still about subscriber support?

JW: That and the feasibility.

Because if people are going to be paid a professional wage, you have to make sure that they have work. When Tulsa Project Theatre tried to set themselves up as an Equity company it was hard to fi nd people here in Tulsa to work on their shows because people need to eat and pay their bills and there’s more work elsewhere.

I think it could happen but it’s going to be a ways down the line.

We have to get past the idea of theatre as a hobby.

TTV: How does Tulsa do that?

JW: It’s going to need some outside impetus. It’s going to take somebody from the outside before it’s going to be taken seriously. This is not that difficult to do: it just needs X amount of money. At the start, theatre has to be more than theatre to attract the outside interest and then once the outside interest shows an interest the theatre being done had better be very good—because unfortunately you’re only going to get one chance. a

Marcello Angelini | Artistic Director

CAN TRUE LOVE BREAK THE SPELL? T I C K E T S START AT $25!

M AR C H 24- 26, 2017 T U L SA PAC CALL 918.749.6006 VISIT TULSABALLET.ORG

ARTS & CULTURE // 27

Distance

by LISA C. KRUEGER

My aunt was the kind of shrink who dropped acid with Timothy Leary to be at the mind’s frontier. My aunt did not like peoplepleasers. At holidays she brought us sugar-dusted nougats in narrow boxes and provoked arguments between my parents.

She

liked to sit, smoke and watch. Sometimes I felt desperate to make my parents stop.

I would say anything for silence. One

Thanksgiving my aunt leaned forward through the clouds to ask me: Is that what you really think? Her eyes were gray-blue like mine. Sometimes I looked at her and thought I was looking at myself.

She liked my little sister better.

My aunt was a

communist who moved to Rome. The summer I was fourteen we visited her flat above a broken, vast plaza filled with families who stopped talking to watch us.

Over drinks her painter-friend said I

was his Botticelli-muse, when could I pose. My father made us leave. We ate gelato in the plaza and stepped on shards of glass by our car. Someone stole my father’s Dictaphone. Maybe my aunt liked rebels. When she died she left all her money and jewelry to my sister who said I have no need for decorative shit and gave me the woven box. Inside is a jungle of sweater pins, cameos,

fake

diamonds

chokers and cuffs. necklace.

Sometimes

and

pearls,

imitation

turquoise-studded

Sometimes for therapy I choose a pin or a

client

pauses

to

interesting spider you are wearing and then

say

Well that is an

my aunt is right there

in the room. Once at the very bottom of the box I found a pendant with the double-venus sign. I want to ask my aunt about it. I want to ask her what she learned from LSD. I want to ask her why distance alters perspective, and how she knew I lied.

“Distance” originally appeared in Nimrod International Journal’s Fall/Winter 2015 issue, Awards 37. Nimrod is The University of Tulsa’s literary magazine.

For more information and to purchase issues, visit www.utulsa.edu/nimrod.

Lisa C. Krueger is a clinical psychologist. She has published articles and interactive journals related to psychology and creativity, and her poems have appeared in various journals. Her fourth collection of poems with Red Hen Press, “Run Away to the Yard,” will be released in Spring 2017.

28 // ARTS & CULTURE

March 15 - April 4, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

UPCOMING EVENTS

@ the PAC

onstage

March DANCING ON FILM Still from “ Mr. Gaga,” a documentary about Ohad Naharin, director of the Israeli dance company Batsheva | GADI DAGON

The Oklahoma Dance Film Festival returns

14-19- Motown The Musical- Celebrity Attractions 18- Miss Richfield 1981- Oklahomans For Equality 23- Sheridan Road: The Road To Love Is… 24-26- Swan Lake- Tulsa Ballet 29- Brain Candy LIVE- 35 Concerts 31- Joel Sartore- Tulsa Town Hall 31- Alexander Who’s Not Not Not Not Not Not Going To Move- Tulsa PAC Trust 31, 4/1-2, 6-9- The Last Days of Judas IscariotTheatre Pops

by ALICIA CHESSER

O

n a split screen, with a playful techno soundtrack offsetting a mysterious vibe, a man and a woman move in front of two deeply saturated walls. He looks into a mirror and sees the back of his head; she disappears into the other frame, her skin painted with blue sky and white clouds.

The lush, witty film is called “This is Not Magritte,” and as one of the featured shorts in the 10th annual Oklahoma Dance Film Festival (OKDFF), it exemplifies the cinematic and emotional potency of a genre that’s currently exploding in popularity.

You can see “Magritte” installed on the second floor of AHHA through March 26.

While the festival has been running since the beginning of the month, there is still an opportunity to catch a few films and see installations around town. On Tuesday, March 21, AHHA will show the documentary “In the Darkness of the Theatre I Take Off My Shoes.”

AHHA also hosts installations of short films through March 26. The Circle Cinema hosts a screening of “Mr. Gaga,” a documentary about choreographer Ohad Naharin, artistic director of Batsheva Dance Company, on March 19 and “Best of the Fest” presentation on April 4.

“Ohad is a game-changer,” said Jessica Vokoun, associate professor of dance at TU and creator of OKDFF. “He really has transformed the look and feel of dance and the language of movement.”

THE TULSA VOICE // March 15 - April 4, 2017

Naharin’s movement language is called “Gaga”—a nonsense, baby-talk word that points to his belief that all of us share a passion to move. (Attendees at the screening will have a chance to sample a little Gaga movement courtesy of Amy Morrow, who worked with Naharin and also assisted with the film.)

In Gaga, people quake, pounce, belly-laugh, float, and grab. Like the living organisms they are, they never stop moving.

What dance films do visually, Naharin’s movement inspirations do physically: they make you fall in love with life.

Vokoun said that when she started the festival here in Tulsa 10 years ago, many of the submissions were experimental work of mediocre quality.

That’s not the case today.

Dance film has become a fullblown international art form, attracting cinematographers and choreographers with an interest in exploring how movement and the moving eye can play together.

Advancements in video technology allow artists to collaborate in dynamic, visceral ways that connect directly with a hyper-visual generation.

OKDFF’s strength has always been the wild diversity of its selections—from haunting studies in nature to black-and-white streetscapes and sharp visual comedy to elegiac poetry. Each film is its own world. The dancing bodies that inhabit it call out, without words, every sinew of what it’s like to be a human being in it. a

YOU’LL HAVE THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE.

NOW ON SALE!

APRIL 11-16 • TULSA PAC

918.596.7111 • Outside Tulsa Call 800.364.7111 • MyTicketOffice.com Groups of 10 or more save! Call 918.796.0220 Tulsa World

2015

ARTS & CULTURE // 29

GREEN DAY Navigating Tulsa’s St. Patrick’s Day parties // JOHN LANGDON

St. Patrick’s Day is here once again, and what better way to celebrate the man who drove the pagan druids out of Ireland than to gather in droves, imbibe green concoctions, and dance under the light of the waning moon. Slainte!

Arnie’s Bar | VALERIE GRANT

PADDY’S IRISH RESTAURANT in South Tulsa will get the festivities started for the weekend. For their first St. Pat’s since the restaurant was revived last year after nearly a decade, Paddy’s is going big with a two-day party starting on Thursday, March 16, with an outdoor tent with live music, authentic Irish food and drink, and a countdown to midnight, when St. Paddy’s Day 2017 will be officially under way.

For the greenest way to celebrate, TULSA BOTANIC GARDEN’S Good, Green Fun offers crafts, activities, and fun for the whole family Friday and Saturday, featuring live Irish music from Frank Smreker and Timothy O’Brian’s Celtic Cheer.

At some point in holiday history, St. Pat’s became synonymous with street parties, and Tulsa offers several options this year.

KILKENNY’S IRISH PUB will hold their annual all-day Block Party on Cherry Street, with live music from the Tulsa Metro Pipe Band and others, face painting, a kids’ tent, plenty of beer and some of the tastiest Irish food in town.

GEORGE’S PUB in Jenks is hosting its 6th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Bash, with an outdoor stage and special menu. Nearby, FLYINGTEE will host a free St. Pat’s30 // ARTS & CULTURE

themed photo scavenger hunt along the Riverwalk.

The main event is Downtown in the BLUE DOME DISTRICT, where three parties merge into Tulsa’s biggest street party of the year, which will span two days this year, making it bigger than ever. Friday and Saturday, three Blue Dome bars will have outdoor stages and more green food coloring than you can imagine: ARNIE’S BAR’S 61st Annual St. Patrick’s Day Celebration will feature traditional Irish folk music from Cairde na Gael, Larkin, Kilkenny Road, and more, as well as some of Tulsa’s favorite food trucks.

JAMES E. MCNELLIE’S PUBLIC HOUSE will have the outdoor Alleyway Sports Bar, live music and dancing on the Guinness Gig Rig, and the 2nd annual Corned-Off competition to find out which Tulsa chef makes the best corned beef.

WOODY’S CORNER BAR will have DJs spinning inside, while 80s Enuff and Replay play retro hits on an outdoor stage.

You’ll also find live music and events both nights at Blue Dome venues nearby, such as local comedian Rick Shaw’s St. Party’s Day throwdown at the COMEDY PARLOR or DJs Robbo and Ali Shaw at THE MAX RETROPUB. Add to that plenty of green

beer (and better, not-green beer for that matter) and thousands of basketball fans in town for the weekend, and you’ve got a party that simply should not be missed.

ROUTE 66 HARLEY-DAVIDSON will keep the celebrations going on Saturday with their 6th Annual St. Paddy’s Day Biker Bash, featuring live music, Irish food, dollar beers, giveaways, and the traditional St. Patrick’s Day burnout contest, just like in the motherland.

MUSIC

If you’re looking to cut a rug to some somewhat less traditional music on St. Patrick’s Day, there are options aplenty all over Tulsa:

cals La Panther Happens, The Socs, Sweet Ultra, a solo set from The Girls Room, and Dylan Harris at THE YETI. Fayetteville’s Vintage Pistol will play at THE FUR SHOP with locals T.F.M. and Irish music from Finnegan’s Awake.

Not In Public, Trip C, Had Enough, Chris Coast, Pollo The Thrill, and The Anevaylien at WHITE CROW TAVERN. Travis Fite plays at SOUL CITY’S Soulful St. Paddy’s.

The Beaten Daylights at BEEHIVE LOUNGE. The Brothers Moore at THE HUNT CLUB. That One Band at CRYSTAL SKULL.

At SOUNDPONY, a group of local musicians led by Mitch Gilliam of Lizard Police will pay tribute to one of the greatest bands to have ever hailed from Ireland, Thin Lizzy.

A blowout at MERCURY LOUNGE will feature Chicago’s Bleach Party, as well as locals The Fabulous Minx, The Grits, Brandon Clar, Dance Monkey Dance, and Tulsa Pipes and Drums.

Bottoms Up Band and special guests at LENNIE’S CLUB & GRILL. DarkuJ at FASSLER HALL. DJ Demko will spin for ENSO BAR’s St. Patrick’s Day Disco Party.

DJ Mikey Bee at LEGENDS DANCE HALL. DJ Phluf at ELECTRIC CIRCUS.

Minneapolis’s The Coax, Masterhand and Teenage Self, both from OKC, and Mr. and the Mrs. from Lawrence, will play with lo-

For more music on St. Patrick’s Day, see our music listings. a March 15 - April 4, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

st ANNUAL

Saint

Patrick's Day Party at The Max

ST. PATRICK'S DAY WEEKEND! March 17th

DJ ROBBO March 18th

ALI SHAW

Not Irish On St. Patrick’s Day?

Enjoy Celebrating Your Own Heritage, Too… Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro

Westmalle Trappistes

Bohemia Amber

Marshall Brewing Revival Red

Spaten Optimator

Sam Smith Nut Brown Ale

At Ranch Acres, you’ll find Guinness has lots of international friends in our store…famed beers brewed in countries around the world.

Come select one representing your native land and join the celebration on March 17th. The Irish will understand and celebrate with you.

THE TULSA VOICE // March 15 - April 4, 2017

For nearly six decades, we have proudly presented Tulsa’s premier selection of wine, beer and spirits.

Thank you.

3324 E 31st St #A • 918-747-1171

Wine Capital of Tulsa for Over 57 Years

ARTS & CULTURE // 31

thehaps

Lysistrata Mar. 23-26, Lorton Performance Center

T

his is a play for anyone generally frustrated by everything.

For our titular heroine Lysistrata, her frustration stems from the interminable civil war between Sparta and Athens.

Director Machele Miller Dill, who also teaches musical theater history and literature at the University of Tulsa, says she chose Aristophanes’ Greek comedy because it’s classic, but also political—and even feminist.

“Lysistrata” opens with a woman fed up, and she knows she won’t be able to cook or sew her way out of this one. So, she convinces all the women of Athens to take a holy oath to withhold sex from their husbands until the war ends. It’s not a “gentle” play, but it is hilarious.

“It’s tough for comedy to get the respect it deserves, but comedy can make you think just has hard as drama can,” said Dill. She plans to bring 70s and 80s punk rock aesthetics into the production, with key fashion inspiration coming from Debbie Harry, Joan Jett, and Chrissie Hynde.

Dill weaves a sort of linear thread when it comes to war, sex, and power: the war is about gaining power, but sex is about power too, and the women prove to be more powerful when they leverage it to ultimately stop the war.

If you plan to attend “Lysistrata,” keep in mind that this play, while not exactly shocking, is intended to be provoking.

$6-$15, lpc.utulsa.edu

FUN

MUSIC DISCUSSION

Escape the Library // Hardesty Regional Library will transform two rooms into Escape Rooms—one designed for teens and adults and one for kids. Do you have what it takes to escape? Mar. 16, facebook.com/hardestylibrary

Mochas with the Musicologist // Talk Mendelssohn, Rachmaninoff, Schubert, and Dvorák over churros and coffee with Chamber Music Tulsa’s Jason Heilman.

Mar. 18, 10:30 a.m., Pancho Anaya Bakery, chambermusictulsa.org

COMEDY

BALLET

“The Godfather of Comedy,” Paul Mooney—known for his appearances on Chappelle’s Show and as a writer for Richard Pryor—performs at Greenwood Cultural Center. Mar. 17, 8 p.m., $30-$45

Tulsa Ballet presents the timeless “Swan Lake,” choreographed by Tulsa Ballet Artistic Director Marcello Angelini, with costumes and sets by Tony Award winner, Desmond Heeley. Mar. 24-26, $40-$115, Chapman Music Hall, PAC, tulsaballet.org

For the most up-to-date listings: thetulsavoice.com/calendar 32 // ARTS & CULTURE

March 15 - April 4, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

45TH ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM ON THE AMERICAN INDIAN

GIVERS

INSPIRATIONS

friday APRIL 7

www.nsuok.edu/symposium

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Northeastern State University – University Center • Tahlequah, OK

EVENT SCHEDULE April April April April

10-11 12-13 12-14 15

Film Series Intertribal Language Summit Keynote Speakers and Concurrent Sessions Powwow

GUEST SPEAKERS

Jaclyn Roessel (Navajo) – Entrepreneur Jeff Corntassel (Cherokee) – Univ. of Victoria, Canada Devon Mihesuah (Choctaw) – University of Kansas Jenny Davis (Chickasaw) - University of Illinois Tim Tingle (Choctaw) - Author/Storyteller

DOWNTOWN OKMULGEE

ON THE SQUARE

activities

A busload of Oklahoma kids becomes addicted to tobacco...every week.

2017 OrangeFest Glo Run Live Entertainment Food Trucks Family-Friendly Fun

osuit.edu/orangefest 1 in 5 Oklahoma students uses tobacco.

Whether it’s cigarettes, e-cigarettes, hookah or dip, ALL tobacco is dangerous. Tobacco shortens our children’s lives, causing addiction, heart disease, lung disease or worse.

Learn how to protect our kids at StopsWithMe.com.

THE TULSA VOICE // March 15 - April 4, 2017

ARTS & CULTURE // 33

BEST OF THE REST EVENTS Good, Green Fun // Tulsa Botanic Garden’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration includes crafts, activities, and music for the whole family. // 3/17-3/18, Tulsa Botanic Garden, facebook.com IICOT Indian Taco Sale and Vendor Art Fair // The Intertribal Indian Club of Tulsa hosts this free art and indian taco sale. // 3/18, American Legion Post 1 6th Annual St. Paddy’s Day Biker Bash // The Biker Bash features live music by Sweatin’ Bullets, Travis Kidd, and Tulsa Pipe Band. // 3/18, Route 66 Harley-Davidson, facebook.com Martin Atkins: Touring 101 // The Public Image, Ltd. and Nine Inch Nails drummer offers invaluable advice to touring musicians. // 3/18, Woody Guthrie Center, woodyguthriecenter.org

TCC Black Towns Tour Mar. 25, 7 a.m.-6 p.m., $45-$55

T

ulsa Community College’s African American Student Association presents this tour of three black towns in Oklahoma: Boley, Langston, and Clearview. The tour will explore their histories and contributions to the state.

Creative Cocktail Hour // This month’s will feature Tulsa Artists Fellowship writers Simon Han, Colleen Abel, and April Freely. // 3/23, Living Arts, livingarts.org Beethoven for a Later Age // Chamber Music Tulsa and Magic City Books welcome Edward Dusinberre, who will discuss his book “Beethoven for a Later Age: The Journey of a String Quartet.” // 3/27, Central Library - Pocahontas Greadington Learning & Creativity Center, chambermusictulsa.org Haunted Pub Crawl // Learn the haunted histories of some of the Brady Arts District’s most notable pubs. High spirits guaranteed. // 3/25, Brady Arts District, tulsaspirittour.com

RUN

Get Your Rear In Gear and run a 10K, 5K or mile to raise awareness and funds for the Colon Cancer Coalition. Mar. 25, 7:45 a.m., $20-$40, Guthrie Green, coloncancercoalition.org

AUTHOR

S.E. Hinton Live – The Outsiders at 50 // Enjoy a conversation with Tulsa legend S.E. Hinton and celebrate the 50th anniversary of her classic novel “The Outsiders,” followed by a screening of the movie. Mar. 25, 2 p.m., circlecinema.com SCIENCE

Adam Savage of Mythbusters and Tested and Michael Stevens of Vsauce put their collective sense of wonder and curiosity on display with mind-blowing demonstrations for Brain Candy Live tour. Mar. 29, 7 p.m., $20-$50, Chapman Music Hall, PAC, tulsapac.com HISTORICAL EXHIBIT

Travis Mansion: Unlocked // Have a drink and explore Tulsa Historical Society & Museum’s newest exhibit, “Children of the Middle Waters: The Osage Nation Yesterday & Today.” Mar. 28, Tulsa Historical Society, tulsahistory.org/visit/travis-mansion PHOTOGRAPHY

Joel Sartore — PhotoArk: National Geographic’s Modern-day Noah // Sartore’s latest undertaking is to create portraits of the 12,000 captive species of animals before they disappear. Mar. 31, 10:30 a.m., Chapman Music Hall, PAC, tulsatownhall.com 34 // ARTS & CULTURE

Tulsa Pride Bingo // Nicole Carrington hosts this night of Bingo, with appearances by Rainbow Granny and Trailer Trash Teresa, and a Lip Sync Contest with DJ Crystal. // 3/25, Dennis R. Neill Equality Center, okeq.org Ultimate Indoor Garage Sale // Treasures and antiques await at over 200 booths. // 3/25, Expo Square - Exchange Center, exposquare.com

PERFORMING ARTS

SFairy Tale Academy // Spotlight Children’s Theatre presents this world premiere play by Machele Miller Dill and Ed Dill. // 3/24-4/2, Tulsa Spotlight Theatre, spotlighttheatre.org The Last Days of Judas Iscariot // Set in a darkly comic world between heaven and hell, this play re-examines the plight and fate of the Bible’s most infamous and unexplained sinner. // 3/31-4/2, Tulsa Performing Arts Center - Liddy Doenges Theatre, tulsapac.com

COMEDY Friday Night Lit! // 3/17, Comedy Parlor, comedyparlor.com Blue Dome Social Club // 3/18, Comedy Parlor, comedyparlor.com Laughing Matter Improv // 3/18, pH Community House, phcommunityhouse.com/ site/wordpress Sunday Night Stand Up // 3/19, Comedy Parlor, comedyparlor.com Funniest Female Comedian in the Region - Round 2 // 3/19, The Blackbird on Pearl, facebook.com/Blackbirdtulsa Stand Up Comedy // 3/19, The Blackbird on Pearl, facebook.com/Blackbirdtulsa No Mic Open Mic // 3/21, Lot No. 6 Army of Stand Ups // 3/24, Comedy Parlor, comedyparlor.com News Junkie // 3/25, Comedy Parlor, comedyparlor.com Sunday Night Stand Up // 3/26, Comedy Parlor, comedyparlor.com Soundpony Comedy Hour // 3/27, Soundpony, thesoundpony.com Stand Up Comedy // 3/27, The Venue Shrine, tulsashrine.com Eric Schwartz // 3/28, Loony Bin, loonybincomedy.com/Tulsa Dying Laughing // Catch a free screening of this documentary, which features interviews with Jerry Seinfeld, Sarah Silverman, Chris Rock, and more. // 3/30, Comedy Parlor, comedyparlor.com

Miss Richfield 1981 // In her all new show, “2020 Vision,” Miss Richfield 1981 offers a survival guide for the new world, with comedic songs, videos, and her unique take on audience participation. // 3/18, Tulsa Performing Arts Center - John H. Williams Theatre, tulsapac.com

Sunday Night Stand Up // 4/2, Comedy Parlor, comedyparlor.com

Alexander, Who’s Not Not Not Not Not Not Going to Move // Alexander’s father has taken a job in a city a thousand miles away, but Alexander likes where he is just fine. // 3/31, Tulsa Performing Arts Center - John H. Williams Theatre, tulsapac.com

Rick Shaw // 3/17-3/18, Comedy Parlor, comedyparlor.com

Black Grace // Inspired by Samoan and New Zealand cultures, innovative dance that reaches across social, cultural and generational barriers. // 4/1, Tulsa Performing Arts Center - Chapman Music Hall, tulsapac.com

T-Town Famous // 3/24-3/25, Comedy Parlor, comedyparlor.com

Greater Tuna // All of the residents of the third-smallest town in Texas are played by just two men in this comedy. // 4/1, Broken Arrow Performing Arts Center, brokenarrowpac.com Hermitage Piano Trio // Pianist Ilya Kazantsev, violinist Misha Keylin and cellist Sergey Antonov perform pieces

by Rachmaninoff, Shostakovich and Rimsky-Korsakov. // 4/2, Tulsa Performing Arts Center - John H. Williams Theatre, tulsapac.com Sesame Street Live: Elmo Makes Music // When the new music teacher’s instruments go missing, Elmo, Abby Cadabby, Big Bird, and more come to the rescue and discover instruments they never knew existed. // 3/18-3/19, BOK Center, bokcenter.com

Stand Up Comedy // 4/2, The Blackbird on Pearl Rick Gutierrez // 3/15-3/18, Loony Bin, loonybincomedy.com/Tulsa

St. Party’s Day w/ Rick Shaw // 3/17-3/18, Comedy Parlor, facebook.com Christine Stedman // 3/22-3/25, Loony Bin, loonybincomedy.com/Tulsa

Skip Clark // 3/29-4/1, Loony Bin, loonybincomedy.com/Tulsa Andrew Deacon and Friends // 3/31-4/1, Comedy Parlor, comedyparlor.com

SPORTS NCAA D1 Men’s Basketball Open Practice // 3/16, BOK Center, bokcenter.com Tulsa Oilers vs Wichita Thunder // 3/31, BOK Center, bokcenter.com Aquarium Run // OK Aquarium offers a half-marathon, 10K, 5K and one-mile fun run. // 4/1, Oklahoma Aquarium, okaquarium.org NCAA D1 Men’s Basketball Championship - First and Second Rounds // 3/17-3/19, BOK Center, bokcenter.com

March 15 - April 4, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

M I D W E S T E R N T H E AT E R T R O U P E presents

SS S S E E L L G G N I N S I H S H G T T G O O O O N D N O TT D

STAND UP • IMPROV • PODCASTS FILM • PARTIES • LIVE MUSIC

HO T han H

locally sourced artisanal skits & boutique theater vingettes by Jack Allen & JECCIII & ummm…etc.

M A R C H 2 4 , 2 5 , 31, & A P R I L 1 8 P M • $ 10 • N I G H T I N G A L E T H E AT E R n i g h t i n g a l e t h e a t e r. c o m

THE TULSA VOICE // March 15 - April 4, 2017

FUNNIEST WEEKEND IN TULSA

SEPTEMBER 7TH -10TH , 2017 LINEUP ANNOUNCEMENTS COMING SOON!

#BWCF2017 BLUEWHALECOMEDYFESTIVAL .COM

ARTS & CULTURE // 35

The anti-fascist movement, or antifa, began in Europe in 1920s. | JANE CAMPBELL / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Punching Nazis

Violent anti-fascism activism is resurgent, but is it productive?

by MITCH GILLIAM lt-Right figurehead Richard Spencer took a fist to the jaw in January.

Celebratory memes of the punch swept the net before Spencer’s swelling subsided, and a month later rioters cancelled an appearance at UC Berkley by Alt-Right speaker, Milo Yiannopoulos. Both events reignited a nationwide debate over the morality and effectiveness of political violence.

Voices from both the left and right decried the sucker punch and riots as assaults on free speech (and as plain old-fashioned assault). Others argued that fascist views are a direct threat to the existence of oppressed groups, and any violent retaliation is selfdefense.

“What are you gonna do, hug the Nazis to death?” has become a de facto response to the non-violent cry of “love trumps hate.”

In turn, violent factions from both the left and right have taken to

A

36 // ARTS & CULTURE

the streets to clash in the name of their ideologies.

“It’s hard to say ‘don’t bother’ [punching Nazis]”, said a former member of Tulsa’s anti-racist group United Youth Crew (UYC), who requested anonymity. “Because these people need to know that just because their speech might be protected, there still can be repercussions. However, it seems that throwing that punch, as righteous as it feels, will do nothing more than create more hate and violence.”

The current climate of political violence and the debate surrounding it echo the late 80s epidemic of skinhead violence in Tulsa, when UYC was also active.

During this time, groups like Tulsa Anti-Racist-Action and Skinheads Against Racial Prejudice (S.H.A.R.P’s) formed to counter fascist skinhead (or “bonehead,” as they’ve also been nicknamed) groups like the Confederate

Hammerskins. Bats were broken on heads, stabbings occurred, and people were hospitalized for “race mixing.”

Former Nitro Club (now the Blackbird on Pearl) owner Khaled Rahhal had his head bashed with a brick by boneheads and received 28 stitches. Many involved in the scene at the time view the firebombing of Rahhal’s club as the final punctuation mark on the era.

Hate crime legislation had recently made its way to Oklahoma, and four men involved in the firebombing were convicted in ‘91.

Dan Riffe, a Tulsa punk historian of sorts, told me most people “just grew out their hair and disappeared” after those hate crime convictions. “Of course,” Riffe said, “an article over this means something different now, compared to even a few years ago.”

In the 1991 hate group documentary, “Blood In The Face,” a man in SS regalia told his inter-

viewer that the U.S. economy and power structure will crumble and the extreme right will be waiting to strike. The interviewer asked him when that would be, and the man offered a guess of “25 to 30 years.” It’s been 26 years, and some see the Trump administration as a fulfillment of this grim prophecy.

“I’ve stopped looking at political violence through a lens of morality,” said Rafael Diaz, a longtime fixture of the Pennsylvania punk scene and current community organizer. “In the face of what people face every day, whether directly from a cop’s gun, or indirectly through poverty, starvation, lack of healthcare access, etc., it’s very hard to argue that punching a Nazi is anywhere on the same level of moral repugnance.”

A current member of Tulsa’s small-but-growing Anti-Fascist (Antifa) group, who also requested anonymity, believes the moral question isn’t an easy one to answer.

March 15 - April 4, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

“There’s a lot of historical stuff in the 80’s/90’s punk scene and during the rise of fascism in Germany that [have] parallels,” he said. “In both cases, the argument for free speech was made—they aren’t hurting anybody by just simply saying racist things. But if you ask anyone who took part in the skinhead wars [in the 80s/90s], they said the same thing as people said after fascism did its work in Germany: ‘we wish we had done something earlier.’

“So the short answer is yes, it’s acceptable to punch Nazis. The long answer is that no, it’s not okay unless all other avenues for communication and debate fail.

In [Tulsa] we’ve had young Nazis come to us and say ‘I want out of this hateful life, I don’t even believe this, I was just born into it.’

Is it justice to put some teenager who grew up with a racist dad in the hospital? Hell, no. It isn’t.

It’s the opposite of what we are about, politically.”

Studies show a correlation between conservative political gains and increased rioting. In the documentary “Inside The KKK,” a Missouri Klan leader cites the Ferguson riots as the driving force behind his chapter’s booming membership. Some claimed the recent Berkeley riots were precisely what Milo Yiannopoulos hoped for. In the wake of the riots, right-wing bloggers seized on the most violent actions and presented them as the “illiberal left’s” modus operandi.

Diaz isn’t concerned over the right’s image of the left, but believes the violent Antifa and Black Bloc tactics used at Berkeley and at President Trump’s inauguration—where windows were smashed, and limos were torched—are ineffective.

“I worry about the passive allies and the neutral folks that we could be shifting over to our side who suddenly don’t want to be because they don’t see their self-image … in the image of the radical left,” Diaz said. “And that’s not just soft, white liberals.

Plenty of people of color turn off and look at you quizzically when you play a lot of that shit.”

“The desire to purge all people of color from the USA is not a political view. It’s genocide,” said THE TULSA VOICE // March 15 - April 4, 2017

the Tulsa Antifa member. “And that’s exactly what these white nationalists are saying. Look it up for yourself and you’ll see that, don’t take my word for it.

“If are you a person of color, or gay or transgendered, and some guy is gesturing or screaming bigoted obscenities at everyone around him in a public space and you’re uncomfortable with it—or, maybe you’re a white het-

ero guy whose friend is uncomfortable or afraid—yes. You have every right to shut them down, to occupy a public space without your entire culture or identity being attacked. The first amendment only covers the right to say what you want without the state’s intervention in doing so.”

While the current U.S. climate of sucker punches and flaming dumpsters is a far cry from the

stab wounds and bashed heads of the not-so-distant past, political violence and terrorism is on the rise globally—and here at home.

With the hate crime murder of Khalid Jabara last August and the March 6 shooting of the Oklahoma Equality Center—both here in Tulsa—we may see a resurgence of antifa groups whose mission is making racists afraid again. a

ARTS & CULTURE // 37

musicnotes

A

lthough Marcus James is now a musician, he once started as a cornerback at Carver Middle School. Later, in high school, he made the difficult decision to focus on the school band instead of playing football.

“Coming out of Carver, I thought I had to make a choice,” James said. “I didn’t play a lot my eighth grade year because I was ineligible, so I figured I took myself off the radar as far as Booker T. Washington [High School] coaches.”

James is slender built, average height and has dread-locked hair so long it makes you wonder how he can hold his head up straight.

From a distance, it is possible to mistake him for Seattle Seahawks star corner back, Richard Sherman.

Today, James schoolyard dream has come full circle: he now teaches Music Theory at Central High School.

He’s known primarily as a percussionist but plays a variety of instruments. You might know him from his past work with Brandee Hamilton and the Soul Element, Branjae, Charlie Redd and the Full Flava Kings, African Drums with Arthur Thompson, or his appearances at Cypher 120, the music and writer showcase at Yeti hosted by poet/emcee Written Quincey— recently revamped and christened The Situation (see page 40). Last Friday, Quincey hosted Sounds of Solitude: The Experience, a showcase of James’s work (his first three albums, all instrumental pieces, all feature a variation of the title “Sounds of Solitude”) as a multi-instrumentalist at the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame.

“When I think of Marcus James, I remember the soft-eyed young talent in the scene six or seven years ago,” Branjae said.

“He was quiet, always listening and soaking up anything and everything happening in the

38 // MUSIC

THE MULTI-TASKING PERCUSSIONIST

Marcus James | GREG BOLLINGER

Central High instructor Marcus James writes, performs, records and teaches music

by EDDIE WASHINGTON music scene. He’s come into his own artistry since the first time he played drums and bass with me… He deserves all the success coming his way.”

In addition to his presence in the local scene, James finds time to perform regularly at his church, Revelations Revealed

Truth Evangelistic Center on North Lewis.

James’s early musical influences helped him make the decision to choose band over football—most on his mother’s side of the family sing or play an instrument.

“I was doing music and playing drums since I was four. All

through middle school, even though we played football, we was always up by the band at BTW games, and I was just like, man, that’s what I want to do; I want to be in the band.”

His parents bought him his first drum set, but he fell in love with the drums by playing on pots and pans—and before that, an imaginary drum set that he would play in front of the TV while watching concerts. Next, his older brother taught him to play bass. In high school he would practice for hours and hours, even on school nights. He also watched famous bass players like Victor Wooden and Thaddeus Tribbett.

But it was learning to play piano that proved most difficult for him.

“I never thought I would pick up a piano, I would look at all the keys and be like, I don’t think I can do this, and I spent a lot of nights pouting and frustrated, trying to learn songs, it was frustrating. I pouted and threw fits, and over time I noticed myself actually grasping the concept of playing a piano.”

He is driven mostly by the ability to wake up every day and do what he loves: teaching, playing, selling and creating music.

“I’m able to do that everyday all day,” James said.

He’s optimistic about the future, and teaching young students is what drives him. Two of his former middle school students are now playing in college. He said it’s a great feeling to teach someone and then see them succeed down the road.

James is not currently with a band because he’s focusing on his own projects, including his upcoming third album, titled Into the Wild. He’s still finding himself as artist, but knows who he’s trying to be. He wants to be a great and inspiring musician. a March 15 - April 4, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

Watch for our next Special Edition of The Tulsa Voice.

best of tulsa awards magazine

BEST OF TULSA READERS’ CHOICE 2017

COMING MARCH 29 For advertising information, contact: Josh@langdonpublishing.com, 918-585-9924, ext. 228 or Betsy@langdonpublishing.com, 918-585-9924, ext. 233 SPACE RESERVATION DEADLINE: FRIDAY, MARCH 17

THE TULSA VOICE // March 15 - April 4, 2017

WHO DA BEST?

MUSIC // 39

musicnotes

The Situation is a Monday-night showcase at The Yeti. | HANS KLEINSCHMIDT

Situational vibes

Eclectic music showcase at The Yeti brings musicians together

by DAMION SHADE

L

ast October, the weekly musical experience known as Cypher 120 abruptly ended. Local poet Written Quincey called the house band together at the Tulsa Jazz Hall of Fame to discuss their future. He’d decided to step away from the three-year project to explore other creative opportunities. This left the band with a difficult choice: abandon the outlet of a weekly open mic experience, or risk building something completely new from scratch.

“We lost our drummer,” said D.G. Rozell, band leader and trumpet player. “We lost our keyboard player. We lost our host, but we knew we had to somehow keep it going.”

That evening, the remaining band members decided to create a new weekly Monday night musical showcase called The Situation.

“Personally it’s the highlight of my week,” Rozell said. “I don’t get to play with this caliber of musicians in any other band.”

For most bands this might sound like bravado, but The Situation’s house band is truly remarkable. Longtime local voices like Bobby Moffett (aka Black

40 // MUSIC

Keyz) and Rozell form a cohesive unit with young jazz wunderkinds like Jake Lynn (drums), Jordan Hehl (bass), Dominick Stephens (trombone) and Johnny Mullinax (guitar)—all joined by local radio luminary DJ Aaron Bernard (105.3 KJAMZ).

“Bobby is a minister of music at his church,” Rozell explained.

“Jake, Johnny and Jordan are jazz guys. I’m a hip-hopper and classical French horn player. Dom’s in funk. So, it’s like you mix all of this together and what comes out is actually a unique situation.

Because you can go anywhere.

We don’t have a style. One night this dude with a mullet yells out ‘play some Skynyrd!’ and Johnny just went right in. We didn’t miss a beat. Seriously, we can play anything, pop music, R&B, blues, jazz, reggae, gospel. That’s the caliber of this band.”

Only a band with such polished chops could handle the diverse array of musical styles that regularly appear at The Situation. Each Monday night features an open mic and a special guest headliner.

This artist is given 30 minutes to perform their material, often collaborating with the house band.

The eclectic nature of these acts is often genre-bending.

Experimental and indie rock bands like Native Strange and Marie Curie have shared the same stage as local hip hop notables like Steph Simon and Young DV, creating a collaborative space for both seasoned house players and young performers.

“I really like the collectivism of the open mic,” Rozell said. “A poet just performed tonight, and he was so ecstatic because he got to direct the band. I asked him to tell us what he wanted us to play, and he did that and it came out nice. I just want these guys to come out of their shells and be able to flourish. I want The Situation to be a catapult.”

The platform has already helped a few artists. Rozell remembers watching young performers like the R&B artist Tea Rush.

“I invited her out for a Monday, and she’s been coming out a lot ever since. At first she was pretty shy. Now she has a band that she plays with, and she’s booking shows around town.”

Additionally, the members of the hip-hop duo Push Gang credit

The Situation with helping them build the confidence and support to land a showcase at South By Southwest this year.

This small community of performers and musicians has begun to build a new culture at The Situation, but Rozell views all of this as just the first step.

“We’re not running on full power here,” Rozell said. “There’s so much more to Tulsa. I would like to see all of Tulsa get behind their music scene. People on [the north] side of 244 don’t feel like they should come downtown. I feel like an evangelist almost—I gotta go find the people. People think of live music downtown and they probably just think about riding past Woody’s and hearing red dirt rock or a country band. What we’re doing here is no better or worse, but we’re trying to create a unique experience. Music has a potential to have economic empowerment ... I want to see more gospel and church music groups feel welcome downtown. I want to see more poets feel welcome to come out. I want to see more choreographed dance. We want to see people representing all facets.

No limit.” a March 15 - April 4, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

THE TULSA VOICE // March 15 - April 4, 2017

MUSIC // 41

musiclistings Wed // Mar 15 Cellar Dweller – Bluegrazz Wednesdays w/ Grazzhopper Mercury Lounge – Chris Blevins Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Eicher Wednesdays – ($10) On the Rocks – Don White Soul City – Poppa Foster’s Wednesday Gumbo Soundpony – Live band punk/metal karaoke w/ Satanico and the Demon Seeds The Blackbird on Pearl – Move Trio The Colony – Tom Skinner’s Science Project The Fur Shop – City Under Siege, Strothers, Father Mountain, Quixotic Foxes, Photoelectric – ($5)

Thurs // Mar 16 Billy and Renee’s – Mad Cow Crow Creek Tavern – Blake Lankford, Jake Flint Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - Riffs – nighTTrain, Todd East Hunt Club – Erin O’Dowd and Chloe Johns Mercury Lounge – Paul Benjaman Band pH Community House – Blood CLub, Jacob, Narco Alms Soundpony – Arc Flash, The Travel Guide, The Girls Room The Blackbird on Pearl – Noches Tropicales The Colony – Honky Tonk Happy Hour w/ Jacob Tovar The Venue Shrine – World Culture Music March Madness – ($10)

Fri // Mar 17 American Legion Post 308 – Double “00” Buck Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - Riffs – The Hi-Fidelics Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - The Joint – Experience Hendrix w/ Billy Cox, Buddy Guy, Zakk Wylde, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Johnny Lang & more – ($55-$65) Hunt Club – The Brothers Moore Keel’s Lounge – JJ Hall Magoo’s – Rusty Grove Band River Spirit Casino - Paradise Cove – Tony Bennett – ($75-$85) Soul City – Cody Clinton’s Writers Block The Blackbird on Pearl – Dance Monkey Dance The Colony – Chris Lee Becker Utopia Bar & Lounge – DJ MO Zin Urban Lounge – Randy Brumley

Sat // Mar 18 Fassler Hall – Henna Roso, Bassel & The Supernaturals George’s Pub – Hughes Gypsy Coffee House – Marilyn McCulloch Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - Riffs – Another Alibi, Jesse Joice Hunt Club – Speakeasy Inner Circle Vodka Bar – Tulsa Patio Music Fest w/ Dustin Pittsley Band, Cody Brewer, Erin O’Dowd, Chris Lee Becker & more Mercury Lounge – Handmade Moments Soul City – The Scissortails Soundpony – Pony Disco Club The Blackbird on Pearl – Mezclave, Frankie Valdez The Colony – Chris Blevins The Fur Shop – 5ilverback, Mike Hall, Stinky Gringos, The Casual Six, Shabaka The Venue Shrine – Funk You w/ Ego Culture, T.F.M. – ($6) Vanguard – Local Metal Showcase w/ Stanley’s Revenge, Galaxia, Ethera, Lucid Awakening, Alterblood – ($10) Yeti – We Make Shapes, Surron the 7th Zin Urban Lounge – Sean Al-Jibouri

Sun // Mar 19 East Village Bohemian Pizzeria – Mike Cameron Collective 42 // MUSIC

Mercury Lounge – Brandon Clark Soundpony – Operator Music, Special Thumbs, Roots of Thought The Colony – Paul Benjaman’s Sunday Nite Thing The Venue Shrine – The Dead Deads – ($5) Tulsa Spotlight Theatre – Double Treble – ($12) Utopia Bar & Lounge – DJ MO Vanguard – That 1 Guy – ($10)

Mon // Mar 20 Cain’s Ballroom – Matisyahu – ($25-$40) Hodges Bend – Mike Cameron Collective Soundpony – Trunk Weed, Cucumber and the Suntans The Beehive Lounge – OC45, Loose Wires, The Shame – ($5) The Blackbird on Pearl – Open Mic w/ Screamin Steve The Colony – Singer/Songwriter Night VFW Post 577 - Centennial Lounge – Jimmy Peterson, Dave Les Smith Woody Guthrie Center – The Accidentals – ($25-$27) Yeti – The Situation

Tues // Mar 21 Cain’s Ballroom – An Evening with Dawes – ($20-$35) Gypsy Coffee House – Open Mic Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - Riffs – The Hi-Fidelics Mercury Lounge – Wink Burcham, Jacob Tovar and the Saddle Tramps Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Depot Jazz and Blues Jams Soul City – Tuesday Bluesday w/ Dustin Pittsley The Blackbird on Pearl – Great Electric Quest The Colony – Seth Lee Jones The Venue Shrine – Clownvis Presley – ($7-$10) Yeti – Writers Night

Wed // Mar 22 Cellar Dweller – Bluegrazz Wednesdays w/ Grazzhopper Mercury Lounge – Peelander Z Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Eicher Wednesdays – ($10) On the Rocks – Don White Soul City – Poppa Foster’s Wednesday Gumbo Soul City – The Lucky Losers w/ Jimmy Markham The Blackbird on Pearl – Great American Wolf The Colony – Tom Skinner’s Science Project Vanguard – Cory Branan – ($10-$13) Zin Urban Lounge – Randy Brumley

Thurs // Mar 23 Cain’s Ballroom – Casey Donahew Band, BC & The Big Rig – ($23-$38) Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - Riffs – The Crush, Donte Schmitz Hunt Club – Ego Culture Mercury Lounge – Paul Benjaman Band River Spirit Casino - Paradise Cove – Brad Paisley – ($95-$125) Soundpony – Tulsa Spring Equinox Noise Project Caregiver to a monster, GODFEARME, DuClau, Girls Club The Beehive Lounge – Jillian Holzbauer, Rachel Lynch The Blackbird on Pearl – Noches Tropicales The Colony – An Evening with Jared Tyler Zin Urban Lounge – Jim Tilly – SS Web, W.T. Newton & The Ozark Blood, Vagittarius

Fri // Mar 24 American Legion Post 308 – Wiskey Bent Cain’s Ballroom – Shovels & Rope, Matthew Logan Vasquez – ($22-$37) Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - Riffs – DeLorean, Scott Eastman Hunt Club – Tony Romanello and the Black Jackets Mercury Lounge – Freight Train Rabbit Killer, Red Money River Spirit Casino - Paradise Cove – Chicago, JD & The Strightshot – ($75-$350) Savage Space – Limp Wizurds, Kill Vargas, Zunis, Suit Up – 7 p.m. – ($5-$7)

Soul City – Cody Clinton’s Writers Block Soul City – Curtis McMurtry Soundpony – World Culture Music Presents The Beehive Lounge – Damion Shade The Blackbird on Pearl – The Zimmermen The Venue Shrine – Swan Lake Gentleman’s Society, Sunday Moan – ($5) The Wine Loft – Casii Stephan and The Midnight Sun Utopia Bar & Lounge – DJ MO Yeti – Sweet Ultra, Drew Hale, Old Powder New Gun

Sat // Mar 25 Billy and Renee’s – Chuk Cooley, FIST, Not In Public Brady Theater – Kansas – ($49.50-$85) Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - Riffs – The Rumor, Jenny Labow Hunt Club – November pH Community House – Laine Bowlsey, Junfalls River Spirit Casino - Paradise Cove – REO Speedwagon – ($50-$165) Soul City – Mark Gibson Band Soundpony – Sweet Baby Jaysus The Beehive Lounge – Acid Queen, Rescue The Mouse, hUGg, The Beaten Daylights, Witchsister – ($10-$12) The Beehive Lounge – Medicine Train – ($10-$12) The Blackbird on Pearl – Blues Society B-Day Party w/ Dustin Pittsley The Colony – Hosty The Fur Shop – Killer Hearts, Pawn Shop Heroes The Venue Shrine – Samantha Crain album release w/ Husbands – ($10)

Sun // Mar 26 Cain’s Ballroom – Excision, Cookie Monsta, Barely Alive, Dion Timmer – ($33-$48) East Village Bohemian Pizzeria – Mike Cameron Collective Mercury Lounge – Brandon Clark Soundpony – Femme Fatal The Blackbird on Pearl – American Beauty - Grateful Dead Tribute – ($10) The Colony – Paul Benjaman’s Sunday Nite Thing Utopia Bar & Lounge – DJ MO Vanguard – It Lives It Breathes, Avion Roe, gP., Via The Verge – ($10-$13)

Mon // Mar 27 Gypsy Coffee House – Open Mic Hodges Bend – Mike Cameron Collective The Blackbird on Pearl – Open Mic w/ Screamin Steve The Colony – Singer/Songwriter Night Yeti – The Situation

Tues // Mar 28 Gypsy Coffee House – Open Mic Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - Riffs – Travis Kidd Band Mercury Lounge – Wink Burcham, Jacob Tovar and the Saddle Tramps Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Depot Jazz and Blues Jams Soul City – Tuesday Bluesday w/ Dustin Pittsley Soundpony – Night Demon The Blackbird on Pearl – The Pearl Jam The Colony – Seth Lee Jones Yeti – Writers Night

Wed // Mar 29 Cellar Dweller – Bluegrazz Wednesdays w/ Grazzhopper Hunt Club – Caroline Reese Mercury Lounge – Travis Linville Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Eicher Wednesdays – ($10) On the Rocks – Don White Soul City – Mark Benno

Soul City – Poppa Foster’s Wednesday Gumbo Soundpony – Aaron Hale The Colony – Tom Skinner’s Science Project

Thurs // Mar 30 Cain’s Ballroom – Split Lip Rayfield, Vagittarius – ($10-$12) Crow Creek Tavern – Lost Dog Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - Riffs – Travis Marvin Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - The Joint – George Thorogood and the Destroyers – ($35-$45) Mercury Lounge – Paul Benjaman Band Soul City – Cody Clinton’s Writers Block Soundpony – AGOSTO The Blackbird on Pearl – Ocean Disco The Colony – Chris Foster The Venue Shrine – Dan Baird and Homemade Sin – ($8-$12)

Fri // Mar 31 American Legion Post 308 – American Strings Gypsy Coffee House – James Groves Blues Machine Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - Riffs – Hook, Ayngel & John Hunt Club – BC & The Big Rig Magoo’s – Shotz Mercury Lounge – Ramsey Midwood Soul City – Harumph Soundpony – My Brother and Me The Beehive Lounge – Little Joe McLerran The Blackbird on Pearl – Melissa Hembree Band The Colony – Saganomics The Fur Shop – The Hormones, The Beaten Daylights Utopia Bar & Lounge – DJ MO Vanguard – Whitey Morgan, Ward Davis, Tony Martinez – ($20-$125) Zin Urban Lounge – Jim Tilly

Sat // Apr 1 Cain’s Ballroom – Brett Young, Tucker Beathard, LANco, Michael Tyler, Alaska and Madi Gypsy Coffee House – Open Mic Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - Riffs – Wilbur Lee Tucker Mercury Lounge – Wink Burcham, Jacob Tovar and the Saddle Tramps

Sun // Apr 2 BOK Center – Winter Jam – ($10) East Village Bohemian Pizzeria – Mike Cameron Collective Mercury Lounge – Brandon Clark Soundpony – Googoplexia, Bunnygrunt Utopia Bar & Lounge – DJ MO

Mon // Apr 3 Hodges Bend – Mike Cameron Collective The Blackbird on Pearl – Open Mic w/ Screamin Steve The Fur Shop – Reggae Night w/ Lion Heights Yeti – The Situation

Tues // Apr 4 BOK Center – Panic! At The Disco – ($30-$60) Gypsy Coffee House – Open Mic Mercury Lounge – Wink Burcham, Jacob Tovar and the Saddle Tramps Soul City – Tuesday Bluesday w/ Dustin Pittsley The Blackbird on Pearl – The Pearl Jam The Venue Shrine – Gemini Syndrome – ($12-$15) Vanguard – Tauk, MONTU – ($10-$12) Yeti – Writers Night

March 15 - April 4, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

OKLAHOMA STUDY OF NATIVE AMERICAN PAIN RISK RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS NEEDED

$200 compensation ($100/day)

INVESTIGATORS: Drs. Jamie Rhudy & Joanna Shadlow

ORAL ROBERTS UNIVERSITY MABEE CENTER • TULSA, OK APRIL 23 • 1- 4 PM

CONTACT: The University of Tulsa Psychophysiology Research Laboratory 918-631-2175 or 918-631-3565

A novel research study is being conducted at The University of Tulsa to identify potential markers of risk for chronic pain in healthy (currently painfree) Non-Hispanic White and Native American individuals.

This study is safe, non-invasive, and does not involve medication. Participants must be able to attend 2 laboratory sessions (4-5.5 hours/day) in which physiological and behavioral reactions to different stimuli are recorded. This is a University of Tulsa, Cherokee Nation, and Indian Health Service Oklahoma Area Office IRB approved research study.

FREE IT ’S L E G A L

1:00PM DOORS OPEN • 2:10PM WALK & 5K

SIGN UP TODAY!

T IL L

EVENTS.PARKINSONOKLAHOMA.COM/TULSARALLY

NO REGISTRATION FEE!

(DONATIONS AND FUNDRAISING ENCOURAGED)

• SILENT AUCTION • FAMILY FUN

• FUN RUN/WALK • SANCTIONED 5K

918.877.2704 • PARKINSONOKLAHOMA.COM

Tulsa’rsee F ONLY u na Marij yaer Law

Free legal representation for first offense marijuana possession.

Tulsa District & City Courts only.

No juvenile cases.

Reasonable fees for other charges.

Some restrictions apply.

Michael Fairchild • Attorney at Large • 918-58-GRASS (584-7277)

F I L M & M U S I C F E S T I VA L

MAY 5 & 6, 2017

T U L S AOV E R G R O U N D.CO M

THE TULSA VOICE // March 15 - April 4, 2017

MUSIC // 43

filmphiles

“Kong: Skull Island” | COURTESY WARNER BROS.

God’s lonely ape

‘Kong: Skull Island’ is a guilt-free b-movie spectacle

by JOE O’SHANSKY

T

ake the best parts of Peter Jackson’s 2005 “King Kong” remake—the Skull Island action—throw it in a blender with “Jurassic Park, “Apocalypse Now” and “Moby Dick” and you have “Kong: Skull Island,” Warner Bros. second entry (after 2012’s “Godzilla”) in their inevitable expanded kaijuniverse.

Monster movies are always b-movies, even when they’re good.

Nothing really separates a manin-suit, 1960s Toho Godzilla flick from a mega-budget, CGI smashfest as long as they remember what they are supposed to be. The plot is merely a delivery system for

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

44 // FILM & TV

money shots of creature mayhem.

The cast requires a hero (or two) and heroine, and some charismatic cannon fodder in supporting roles, each given their defining character moment before they die. A cheeky sense of humor helps, but it’s really all about the tension and buildup to eruptions of Harryhausen-inspired spectacle.

In that regard, “Kong: Skull Island” is a b-movie mic drop.

Albeit a $190 million one.

It’s 1973 and Nixon has just announced the ending of hostilities in Vietnam. Bill Randa (John Goodman) and his geologist sidekick, Houston Brooks (Corey Hawkins) work for the “X-Files”-esque Monarch—a secret, underfunded government agency tasked with discovering the unknown, which, in this case, is a newly revealed island in the South Pacific responsible for more airplane and ship disappearances than the Bermuda Triangle.

Sensing their window of opportunity closing, Randa and Brooks harangue a senator (Richard Jenkins) into giving them permission to piggyback to the island with an elite helicopter unit led by Colonel Preston Packard (Samuel L. Jackson), if only to find anything weird before the Russians do.

Randa and Brooks, spinning a cover story to Packard about seismic tests, hire a mercenary outdoorsman, Conrad (Tom Hiddleston), to guide them in the wilderness. They are joined by Mason Weaver (Brie Larson), a pacifist photojournalist who’s convinced something nefarious is afoot.

Arriving at Skull Island, they promptly begin dropping bombs—pissing off King Kong (Terry Notary) who, unsurprisingly, takes a dim view of that shit.

Knocked from the sky by a 100foot tall ape, our protagonists are scattered to the winds, with three days to get to the retrieval point.

While the civilians think only of survival, Packard, broken by the end of the war and the loss of his men to Kong, is bent on vengeance.

Directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts (“The Kings of Summer”) and scripted by a lab of writers both credited and not, “Kong: Skull Island” casts no aspersions on itself. It knows exactly how good it needs to be, and it mostly delivers.

Shot on location in Vietnam, the film melds picturesque realism and CG leviathans almost seamlessly, and Vogt-Roberts manages a nice balance of action and humor—staging two stunning

battle set pieces, and peppering the rest with unconcerned, popcorn-munching moments of gleeful (if derivative) fun with a body count.

The effects are pretty. The whole film has a textured polish that belies its period setting. The creature design of Kong—and the myriad, deadly, Lovecraftian beasties who also inhabit the island—is just…super cool. No other way to put it.

Hiddleston and Larson hotness their way through everything, because they are both incredibly hot, so who cares? Goodman is phoning it in like the conspiratorial ghost of Walter Sobchak. When the movie isn’t being completely stolen by John C. Reilly as Hank Marlow, a downed WWII pilot who’s been living with the natives for 28 years, then its Shea Whigham—as one of Packard’s no-bullshit captains—who’s deftly kidnapping whole scenes. They’re both so good it’s almost like they’re in a different movie.

And Kong. He’s in there, too.

That big lug with an orphaned heart. At war with the freaks, and protecting the ladies. “God’s Lonely Ape.” He’s basically a simian Travis Bickle. What’s not to love? a March 15 - April 4, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

“The Salesman” | COURTESY

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

‘DEATH’ RESTAGED ‘The Salesman’ uses Arthur Miller’s play to critique Iranian masculinity FROM IRAN, 2016’S ACADEMY Award winner for Best Foreign Language Film seemed to get its Oscar boost from President Trump’s controversial travel ban on seven Muslim-majority countries.

The apparent protest votes in favor of “The Salesman” were meant to make a political statement, given Iranian writer/ director Asghar Farhadi’s boycott of the Oscars in response to Trump’s travel ban, but the film itself never actually broaches any of the current hot button topics of immigration, xenophobia, or the refugee crisis.

Instead, this 2016 Cannes Film Festival winner for Best Actor (Shahab Hosseini) and Best Screenplay finds Farhadi exploring familiar territory: marital strife and a violent inciting incident. But this time, unlike the straightforward telling of 2011’s “A Separation” (Farhadi’s first Oscar-winner), he contrasts his intense domestic drama against another, more iconic work—one of the great plays of the American theatre.

The title “The Salesman” does not, in fact, refer to its protagonist’s occupation but, rather, the character he’s playing on stage: Willie Loman, the tragic figure in “Death of a Salesman,” Arthur Miller’s seminal, cynical portrait of The American Dream. But rather than making a pointed anti-American commentary, Farhadi draws the parallel to form a critique of Iranian masculinity. Or to be more blunt, it’s a full-blown indictment.

The movie opens on an impending catastrophe as people flee an apartment complex, and even in the midst of Farhadi’s signature naturalism we still see bravura filmmaking. Chaos erupts throughout a lengthy single take of complex cinematic choreography, leaving Emad (Hosseini) and his wife Rana (Taraneh Alidoosti) unsettled and displaced. By the end of it, so are we.

The couple quickly relocates to a new apartment, thanks to THE TULSA VOICE // March 15 - April 4, 2017

a tip from a fellow cast member. Emad and Rana forge on with the show; their shared love of theatre is a bond in their marriage, and she co-stars as Willie’s dutiful but perceptive wife Linda. The affection they have for each other is genuine but, despite these accurate initial perceptions, Farhadi allows us to slowly realize how similar these two are to their damaged onstage alter egos, and does so by patient association rather than calling it out directly.

In fact, as a literature professor by day, Emad seems much more savvy than Willie, both intellectually and empathetically. He’s a good teacher, a good spouse, and gracious even to rude strangers. That all changes, however, when a brutal crime occurs at the new residence. The abusive act does not reveal a dormant fissure between Emad and Rana; it creates one.

This divide, at first subtle, is caused by an external, random act for which neither was prepared. Emad, despite his gift of empathy for others, is unable to appreciate or care for the depths of his wife’s new psychological fragility. A subconscious emasculation has crippled Emad, and the Freudian expression of his debilitated virility takes passive aggressive forms.

Emad’s curt impatience toward Rana not only deflects his own latent shame, it compounds hers. The insecurity of his own strength causes him to wield it as a destructive rather than protective force.

There is no father/son conflict here as there was in Miller’s play, but Farhadi doesn’t need it to illuminate his point. So truthfully, universally rendered are these conflicting undercurrents between masculinity and femininity—which include unintentional misogyny by well-meaning men—that one truth becomes damnably clear: destructive gender dynamics can be as much the purview of the democratic West as they are the theocratic East. —JEFF HUSTON

“My Life As A Zucchini” | COURTESY

OPENING MAR. 17 MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI An Academy Award nominee for Best Animated Feature, this stop motion gem is an emotionally stirring tale of Zucchini, a recently-orphaned boy in a hostile foster environment now searching for a new family, and learning to trust again.

Rated PG-13.

MR. GAGA Opening in conjunction with the OK Dance Film Festival, this documentary is a unique portrait of Ohad Naharin, the acclaimed choreographer and creator of the “movement language” called Gaga. Amy Morrow, a Gaga instructor, will lead the audience in a mini-Gaga class following the 3 p.m. screening on Sun. Mar. 19.

OPENING MAR. 24 THE SALESMAN See adjacent review. Rated R. LAND OF MINE A 2016 Academy Award Nominee for Best Foreign Language Film, this Danish drama is based on a true story. In post-World War II, Allied forces required a group of surrendered German soldiers to remove their own landmines from the coast of Denmark. Rated R. SPECIAL EVENTS SUMMER WARS (2009) This presentation of the Circle Anime

Club tells the story of Kenji, a teenage math prodigy whose date with a girl he has a crush on leads to the breach of virtual reality world. Chaos and destruction ensue. (Fri. Mar. 17 and Sat. Mar. 18, 10 p.m.)

THE SECRET This free documentary presentation compiles interviews with leading authors, philosophers, and scientists as they discuss the Law of Attraction, and explore how people can apply it in their everyday lives. A special live presentation called “The Law of Vibration” follows.

(Mon. Mar. 20, 7 p.m.)

A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3: DREAM WARRIORS (1987) The Graveyard Shift presents the third film in the Freddy Kruger franchise, generally considered the best, and perhaps deepest, sequel of the series.

Shown in 35 MM! (Fri. Mar. 24 and Sat. Mar. 25, 10 p.m.)

THE OUTSIDERS @ 50: A CELEBRATION In partnership with Booksmart Tulsa, Circle Cinema celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the classic novel about rival teen gangs in 1960s Tulsa. Author S.E. Hinton will be present for the event, starting with a 2 p.m. talk and book signing (limited to first 250 people).

Francis Ford Coppola’s film version, shot in Tulsa and starring the 80s Brat Pack in early roles, will screen at 4 p.m. (Sat. Mar. 25, 2 p.m. talk; 4 p.m. film)

FILM & TV // 45

free will astrology

by ROB BREZSNY

PISCES

(FEB. 19-MARCH 20):

If you normally wear adornments and accessories and fine disguises, I invite you not to do so for the next two weeks. Instead, try out an unembellished, what-you-see-is-what-you-get approach to your appearance. If, on the other hand, you don’t normally wear adornments and accessories and fine disguises, I encourage you to embrace such possibilities in a spirit of fun and enthusiasm.

Now you may inquire: How can these contradictory suggestions both apply to the Pisces tribe? The answer: There’s a more sweeping mandate behind it all, namely: to tinker and experiment with the ways you present yourself… to play around with strategies for translating your inner depths into outer expression.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): As soon as you can, sneak away to a private place where you can be alone — preferably to a comfy sanctuary where you can indulge in eccentric behavior without being seen or heard or judged. When you get there, launch into an extended session of moaning and complaining. I mean do it out loud. Wail and whine and whisper about everything that’s making you sad and puzzled and crazy. For best results, leap into the air and wave your arms.

Whirl around in erratic figure-eights while drooling and messing up your hair. Breathe extra deeply. And all the while, let your pungent emotions and poignant fantasies flow freely through your wild heart. Keep on going until you find the relief that lies on the other side.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “I’ve always belonged to what isn’t where I am and to what I could never be,” wrote Portuguese writer Fernando Pessoa (1888-1935). That was his prerogative, of course. Or maybe it was a fervent desire of his, and it came true. I bring his perspective to your attention, Taurus, because I believe your mandate is just the opposite, at least for the next few weeks: You must belong to what is where you are.

You must belong to what you will always be.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Nothing is ever as simple as it may seem. The bad times always harbor opportunities. The good times inevitably have a caveat. According to my astrological analysis, you’ll prove the latter truth in the coming weeks. On one hand, you will be closer than you’ve been in many moons to your ultimate sources of meaning and motivation. On the other hand, you sure as hell had better take advantage of this good fortune. You can’t afford to be shy about claiming the rewards and accepting the responsibilities that come with the opportunities.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Seek intimacy with experiences that are dewy and slippery and succulent. Make sure you get more than your fair share of swirling feelings and flowing sensations, cascading streams and misty rain, arousing drinks and sumptuous sauces, warm baths and purifying saunas, skin moisturizers and lustrous massages, the milk of human kindness and the buttery release of deep sex — and maybe even a sensational do-it-yourself baptism that frees you from at least some of your regrets.

Don’t stay thirsty, my undulating friend.

Quench your need to be very, very wet.

Gush and spill. Be gushed and spilled on.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Would you like to live to the age of 99? If so, experiences and realizations that arrive in the coming weeks could be important in that project. A window to longevity will open, giving you a chance to gather clues about actions you can take and meditations you can do to remain vital for ten decades. I hope you’re not too much of a serious, know-it-all adult to benefit from this opportunity. If you’d like to be deeply receptive to the secrets of a long life, you must be able to see with innocent, curious eyes. Playfulness is not just a winsome quality in this quest; it’s an essential asset.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You’re ripe.

You’re delectable. Your intelligence is especially sexy. I think it’s time to unveil the premium version of your urge to merge. To prepare, let’s review a few flirtation strategies. The eyebrow flash is a good place to start. A subtle, flicking lick of your lips is a fine follow-up. Try tilting your neck to the side ever-so-coyly. If there are signs of reciprocation from the other party, smooth your hair or pat your clothes. Fondle nearby objects like a wine glass or your keys. And

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

this is very important: Listen raptly to the person you’re wooing. P.S.: If you already have a steady partner, use these techniques as part of a crafty plan to draw him or her into deeper levels of affection.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Let’s talk about a compassionate version of robbery. The thieves who practice this art don’t steal valuable things you love. Rather, they pilfer stuff you don’t actually need but are reluctant to let go of. For example, the spirit of a beloved ancestor may sweep into your nightmare and carry off a delicious poison that has been damaging you in ways you’ve become comfortable with. A bandit angel might sneak into your imagination and burglarize the debilitating beliefs and psychological crutches you cling to as if they were bars of gold. Are you interested in benefiting from this service? Ask and you shall receive.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Evolved Scorpios don’t fantasize about bad things happening to their competitors and adversaries. They don’t seethe with smoldering desires to torment anyone who fails to give them what they want. They may, however, experience urges to achieve TOTAL CUNNNG DAZZLING MERCILESS VICTORY over those who won’t acknowledge them as golden gods or golden goddesses. But even then, they don’t indulge in the deeply counterproductive emotion of hatred. Instead, they sublimate their ferocity into a drive to keep honing their talents. After all, that game plan is the best way to accomplish something even better than mere revenge: success in fulfilling their dreams. Please keep these thoughts close to your heart in the coming weeks.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “The noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world,” wrote Martin Luther (1483-1546), a revolutionary who helped break the stranglehold of the Catholic Church on the European imagination. I bring this up, Sagittarius, because you’re entering a phase when you need the kind of uprising that’s best incited by music. So I invite you to gather the tunes that have inspired you over the years, and also go hunting for a fresh batch. Then listen intently, curiously, and creatively as you feed your intention to initiate constructive mutation. Its time to overthrow anything about your status quo that is jaded, lazy, sterile, or apathetic.

MASTER

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “Either you learn to live with paradox and ambiguity or you’ll be six years old for the rest of your life,” says author Anne Lamott. How are you doing with that lesson, Capricorn? Still learning? If you would like to get even more advanced teachings about paradox and ambiguity — as well as conundrums, incongruity, and anomalies — there will be plenty of chances in the coming weeks. Be glad! Remember the words of Nobel Prize-winning physicist Niels Bohr: “How wonderful that we have met with a paradox. Now we have some hope of making progress.”

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Lichen is a hardy form of life that by some estimates covers six percent of the earth’s surface. It thrives in arctic tundra and rainforests, on tree bark and rock surfaces, on walls and toxic slag heaps, from sea level to alpine environments. The secret of its success is symbiosis. Fungi and algae band together (or sometimes fungi and bacteria) to create a blended entity; two very dissimilar organisms forge an intricate relationship that comprises a third organism. I propose that you regard lichen as your spirit ally in the coming weeks, Aquarius. You’re primed for some sterling symbioses.

For an hour, act as if you’re living the life you’ve always wanted to. 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.

March 15 - April 4, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

THE FUZZ THE TULSA VOICE SPOTLIGHTS: TULSA SPCA

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

CHANDLER is a joyful dog that can make everyone around her happy no matter the situation. She loves people, other dogs, toys and playtime. You must see her super-cute butt wag that shakes her whole body! Whoever adopts her is going to be one lucky human.

ACROSS 1 Front door welcomers 5 Archaeologists’ finds 10 Indian tribe of Arizona 14 Monastery head 19 “___ Rhythm” 20 Right on the button 21 Mary Kay competitor 22 Creature known for laziness 23 “Queen ___ Day” (old game show) 24 Prefix meaning four 25 Animal parks 26 Poetry division 27 Success advice from the wise (Part 1) 31 Bachelor’s or master’s 32 Manor VIP 33 Type of wolf or star 34 Finishes completely 35 Thing one can do to one’s loins 36 Data transfer rate unit 37 Relaxation station with mud baths 40 County agricultural exhibitions 43 “___ Tread on Me” 44 Queen’s mate 45 Negative answers 46 Flock member 47 In every way 52 Period of history 53 Some relatives 54 X-ray dosage units 55 Stable animal?

56 Cadbury treat 57 A single unit 58 “... to ___ and to hold” 59 Sec’s big brother 60 Success advice from the wise (Part 2)

69 Some movie ratings 70 Crosby or MacDonald 71 Wife of Lennon 72 Before, of old poetry 73 Monetary unit of India 76 Dove sounds 77 Ablaze 80 Bother persistently with trivial complaints 81 Feature of the very strong 85 “Land of the free” 86 Animal fur 87 Exhalation of relief 88 Word with history or hygiene 89 Artist’s stand 91 Another flock member 92 Gauge on a dash 93 Numbskull 94 Jacket fastener, sometimes 96 ___ up (become energized) 97 Herringlike fish 98 Pharmacist’s mashing tool 101 Success advice from the wise (Part 3) 108 Not rural 109 Ruler of the past 110 Vote into office 111 “___ on Down the Road” 112 Little brooks 113 Devours 114 Adjust shoelaces 115 Work out in a boxing ring 116 Opposite side, in war 117 Song performed by two 118 Passover meal 119 It can cause painful blinking DOWN 1 Offend slightly 2 “___ man is hard to find”

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

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

Her face says it all. SAMARA is all about running playing and having a good time. She’s active but not hyper and gets along very well with people and dogs. Give her a squeak toy and she’s in heaven! Samara is a seven month-old Australian Kelpie mix.

3 Longtime Yankees manager Joe 4 Arrange alternately 5 Placed wagers 6 Some daisies 7 Defense grp. based in Brussels 8 Cream shade 9 Some mimicking birds 10 Source of danger 11 Eggplant shape 12 Game that begins with a break 13 Things that reduce the transmission of heat or sound 14 Begin mountaineering 15 Nonchalantly unconcerned 16 Quite gaunt 17 Sgt. Snorkel’s pooch 18 $1,000, in slang 28 ___ & Young (accounting firm) 29 Sally of comic strips 30 Far from smooth 35 Joint malady 36 Auction participant 37 Far from sweet 38 Wooden hat “hangers” 39 Tennis legend Arthur 40 Lets loose 41 Pirate’s cry, in stereotypes 42 Insect stage 43 Ameche or Larsen 44 Roguish guy 45 Opposite of everybody 48 They provide applause 49 One with big regrets 50 Qatar resident 51 Huge horned animal 57 Olympian gymnast Korbut and namesakes

58 “That’s an interesting thought ...”

59 French Impressionist 61 Underdog’s victory 62 “Stop already!”

63 Freeloader 64 “While” lead-in of old 65 Spelling of TV and film 66 First name in women’s tennis 67 Clear the chalkboard 68 Fit for a 44-Across 73 It may need a fitting 74 Turn over ___ leaf 75 Not currently working 76 Played a certain British sport 77 Some dictionary editors 78 Italian automaker 79 Sick 82 Industry bigwigs 83 Resident Hawkeye 84 Baking riser 90 Appropriateness or relevance 92 Tiny 93 Parchment?

94 Coined money 95 Tidier 96 One of 150 in the Bible 97 Glide on ice 99 Was a bounder?

100 Writing class assignment 101 Heal 102 Land o’ blarney 103 With the ability 104 Son of Isaac 105 School club for singers 106 Like some very old generals (Abbr.)

107 Dried up and withered

SANSA was transferred to us from another rescue and we’re delighted to have her! She’s a happy two year-old terrier mix and does well with other dogs. She likes children and would make a great addition to any family.

Universal sUnday Crossword sTay sTronG

By Timothy e. Parker

© 2017 Andrews McMeel Syndication THE TULSA VOICE // March 15 - April 4, 2017

3/19 ETC. // 47

THURSDAY, MARCH 30

MEET LARRY THOMAS FROM SEINFELD Watch the Ultimate Brutus Burger Challenge at Hwy 66 hosted by Larry Thomas, the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld.

Meet Larry Thomas after the challenge at Riffs from 8:30PM to 9:30PM!

Schedule subject to change.

CNENT_47061_HR_March_BrutusBurger_TulsaVoice_3-15_PrintAd_1713502.indd 1

Pleas e re cycle this issue.

3/3/17 11:52 AM