The Tulsa Voice | Vol. 4 No. 11

M A Y 1 7 – J U N E 6 , 2 0 1 7 // V O L . 4 N O . 1 1

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KEENAN LANE AND STEPH SIMON CREATED THE HIP-HOP FESTIVAL TULSA NEEDS P21

DIY HARD: MEET THE PEOPLE WITH THE PASSION PODCASTS ARE CANDID | P24 // THEATER IS DANGEROUS | P26 // ZINES ARE DEFI ANT | P32

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2 // CONTENTS

May 17 – June 6, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

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THE TULSA VOICE // May 17 – June 6, 2017

CONTENTS // 3

4 // CONTENTS

May 17 – June 6, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

May 17 – June 6, 2017 // Vol. 4, No. 11 ©2017. All rights reserved.

PUBLISHER Jim Langdon MANAGING EDITOR Liz Blood ASSITANT EDITOR Kathryn Parkman DIGITAL EDITOR John Langdon

FEATURED

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

21

AD SALES MANAGER Josh Kampf AD EXECUTIVE Craig Freeman

ONE FOR US

CONTRIBUTORS Courtney Collision, Angela Evans, Barry Friedman, Jeff Huston, Hans Kleinschmidt, Joshua Kline, Joe O’Shansky, Elliot Rambach, Dan Riffe, Amanda Ruyle, Damion Shade, John Tranchina, Michael Wright

The Tulsa Voice’s distribution is audited annually by

BY DAMION SHADE

The story of Oklahoma’s largest hip-hop festival

24

Member of

FROM THE BASEMENT TO THE STUDIO

The Tulsa Voice is published bi-monthly by

BY JOSHUA KLINE

The end of one DIY podcast, the beginning of another 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:

Hip-hop artist Steph Simon at The Yeti | HANS KLEINSCHMIDT

NEWS & COMMENTARY

12 RESURGENCE ON THE RIVER

B Y ANGELA EVANS

26 THE SAVAGE GOD

B Y MICHAEL WRIGHT

Oklahoma working families saw a smaller tax refund this year

New tenants breathe life back into RiverWalk Crossing

Art that scares us—or doesn’t get a chance to

8 ANOTHER ASSAULT ON EDUCATION

B Y BARRY FRIEDMAN

14 REQUIRED IMBIBING

B Y LIZ BLOOD AND

28 MISSED MATCHUP

B Y JOHN TRANCHINA

Nursing home administrators edition

Encounters with the future in Tulsa’s sister city, Amiens, FR

M A Y 1 7 – J U N E 6 , 2 0 1 7 // V O L . 4 N O . 1 1

MUSIC 38 PLACES TO KEEP

B Y JOHN LANGDON Talking with Lauren Barth at her TTV Courtyard Concert

DIY HARD: MEET THE PEOPLE WITH THE PASSION PODCASTS ARE CANDID | P24 // THEATER IS DANGEROUS | P26 // ZINES ARE DEFI ANT | P32

ON THE COVER Keenan Lane (left) and Steph Simon, creators of World Culture Music Festival PHOTO BY HANS KLEINSCHMIDT THE TULSA VOICE // May 17 – June 6, 2017

KATHRYN PARKMAN

Your patio drinking and reading guide

10 A PRESIDENT AND A PROPHET

B Y ELLIOT RAMBACH

Hamsters to power Tulsa Public Schools and other stuff you shouldn’t have to read

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ARTS & CULTURE

7 NOT CONSIDERED

B Y COURTNEY CULLISON

45 BAD NEWS

B Y FRASER KASTNER

KEENAN LANE AND STEPH SIMON CREATED THE HIP-HOP FESTIVAL TULSA NEEDS P21

FOOD & DRINK

TV & FILM 42 MESMERIZING GUT-PUNCH

B Y JEFF HUSTON

‘ T he Dinner’ feels like a play, digs deep like a novel

43 MAGIC HOURS

B Y JOE O’SHANSKY Philbrook’s evening Film on the Lawn series expands to year-round showings

44 A PLACE BOTH WONDERFUL

AND STRANGE

B Y JOE O’SHANSKY A ‘Twin Peaks’ primer ahead of its May 21 revival

Recent loss won’t deter the team formerly known as Tulsa Athletics

30 LET’S GET TOGETHER

B Y AMANDA RUYLE Lord Dudeness will officiate whatever kind of wedding you want

32 ANALOG FOREVER

B Y DAN RIFFE

Local zine culture thrives

33 PAINTINGS, POTTERY, AND PLANTS

B Y KATHRYN PARKMAN Shades of Brown owner exhibits her work

ETC. 17 THEDIGEST 34 THEHAPS 40 MUSICLISTINGS 43 FULLCIRCLE 46 ASTROLOGY + SUDOKU 47 CROSSWORD CONTENTS // 5

editor’sletter

LIKE WATER FOR FISH

“When you get your moment, bitch, you better own it,” Keenan Lane aka Keeng Cut repeats like a mantra in his first single, “Own It.” His first full-length album, World Culture Keys, drops this Thursday, May 18, at the

opening of World Culture Music Festival—Oklahoma’s largest hip-hop festival, which Damion Shade writes about in this issue’s cover story, “One for Us” (p. 21).

“Prime time’s all the time,” raps Lane—a modern call to

seize the day. And something I also take to mean: there is no perfect moment for anything.

More than 60 years ago, James Baldwin wrote in his novel, “Giovanni’s Room”: I don’t believe in this nonsense about time.

Time is just common, it’s like water for a fish.

Everybody’s in this water, nobody gets out of it, or if he does the same thing happens to him that happens to the fish, he dies.

And you know what happens in this water, time? The big fish eat the little fish. That’s all. The big fish eat the little fish and the ocean doesn’t care.

This issue is a celebration of the makers who aren’t waiting around—for permission, a bigger paycheck, or any of the reasons we cook up to not do what needs doing. There are podcasts to record (p. 24), plays to write (p. 26), pots to throw (p. 33), people to marry (p. 30), zines to print (p. 32), and politicians to make fun of (p. 45). I’d especially like to call out that last mention and welcome Fraser Kastner, our new columnist, who will be covering local and statewide “Bad News” in the Voice.

It’s a pleasure to live and work in Tulsa, where artists and writers understand that trying is doing— and owning it. a

LIZ BLOOD

MANAGING EDITOR 6 // NEWS & COMMENTARY

May 17 – June 6, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

okpolicy

NOT CONSIDERED Oklahoma working families saw a smaller tax refund this year

I

f you are one of the more than 300,000 Oklahoma households that claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), you may have noticed that your tax refund is lower than it was last year, even if there was no change in your income. That’s because the Oklahoma Legislature slashed the state EITC to help close last year’s budget hole. The state EITC is no longer refundable in Oklahoma, so most people who qualify for the credit will no longer get the full benefit.

The EITC is a tax credit that encourages work by supplementing income from lower wage jobs.

You must have earned income to claim the credit, and the amount of the credit depends on a family’s earnings and number of children.

In 2017, a family with one adult working full-time at minimum wage and two children can claim an earned income credit of $5,572 on their federal tax return and a credit of $278.60 (5 percent of the federal amount) on their Oklahoma tax return. The state EITC was adopted in Oklahoma in 2000 with strong bipartisan support.

People all across the state in every legislative district benefit from it.

Families that claim the EITC pay most of their taxes through sales taxes and payroll taxes. Since they have low incomes, the EITC is often worth more than they owe in income taxes, so they receive refunds. Families use that money to pay for basic needs that cannot be easily covered with their monthly income (like home or car repairs), to pay down debt, or to save.

THE TULSA VOICE // May 17 – June 6, 2017

The EITC and the tax refund it generates are a critical part of the yearly financial plan for thousands of Oklahoma families.

So how did the EITC change in Oklahoma last year? The EITC is still available in Oklahoma, but it’s no longer refundable. This means that if the credit is larger than the amount an individual owes in income taxes, the difference will no longer be refunded to them. This change impacted more than 200,000 low-income families across the state this year, with an average loss of $91 per family.

However, some families will see a much bigger loss. A single parent working full-time at minimum wage with two children lost $279 this year because of this change.

A married couple with two children and an income of $20,000 lost $260.

Taking money from Oklahoma families at the bottom of the income ladder was not the right way to address our budget crisis.

We should be expanding programs that reward work—not limiting their benefit. Though three different bills were introduced this session that would have restored the EITC’s refundability in Oklahoma (HB 1311, HB 1474, and SB 434), none were given consideration by the legislature. Making the EITC non-refundable was a mistake, and now those who will pay for it are the least able to afford it. a

by COURTNEY CULLISON

Courtney Cullison is a policy analyst with Oklahoma Policy Institute (www.okpolicy.org).

NEWS & COMMENTARY // 7

viewsfrom theplains

B

ad legislation in Oklahoma is like a Russian nesting doll. Just when you think you’ve reached the last one, there’s another … and another … and another.

Which brings us to House Bill 1551, a blip on the otherwise polluted legislative horizon this session—as of this writing it’s already passed both chambers and is waiting for a conference to iron out the differences between the two versions. If signed into law, the Oklahoma State Board of Examiners for Long-Term Care Administrators (OSBELTCA) would be prohibited from requiring advanced degrees for those who operate the state’s nursing homes if they have 10 years of relevant experience.

Think about that for second.

An administrator in a long-term nursing facility would be exempt from holding an advanced degree if he or she could demonstrate 10 years experience in such a facility.

Let’s stop there.

Someone want to tell me who’s going to define what “experience” is in such cases—legislators, the administrators themselves, patients? And would it be limited to administrative experience, or would budgetary experience in the facility count, as well? How about public relations and marketing? Janitorial, perhaps? To put this another way: you want your neurosurgeon to have experience in brain surgery procedures or actually be certifiably trained and licensed—to have a mastery of standardized protocols—before he’s allowed to root around in your frontal lobe.

Admittedly, when you consider the legislature’s actions on HB 2177,1 which would bypass the Oklahoma Supreme Court decision on the Ten Commandments and allow them to be placed wherever legislators wanted to put them; its passage of HB 1482,2 which would rescind a state

8 // NEWS & COMMENTARY

ANOTHER ASSAULT ON EDUCATION Nursing home administrators edition

by BARRY FRIEDMAN

question already approved by voters on reclassifying some drug offenses; its whoring itself out to the payday loan industry on HB 1913,3 thankfully vetoed by Governor Fallin; its unconscionable consideration of HB 1270,4 which would burden even further those receiving state healthcare; and its inexplicable backing of HB 2132,5 which would allow Oklahoma municipalities to set up fiefdoms that would be beyond the purview of state law—HB 1551 is far from the worst thing out there, but it is a shining example of misguided and myopic legislative meddling.

Who thinks of things like this, anyway?

These two: Republican State Senator Michael Bergstrom (District 1) and Republican State Representative George Faught

(District 14). Faught, if you’re scoring at home—as we always suggest you do—is the same legislating canker sore who authored HB 1549, a horrendous detritus-fi lled pustule, which would prohibit women from seeking an abortion in the case of a genetic abnormality.

Faught also believes rape could be God’s will.6 “Well, you know, if you read the Bible, there’s actually a couple circumstances where that happened,” Faught began. “The Lord uses all circumstances. I mean, you can go down that path, but it’s a reality unfortunately,” he said.

How do you not question this guy’s motivation on any bill to which he’s connected?

Anyway, here’s the money shot.7

The Board shall not include a requirement for completion of a four-year degree for licensing or certification requirements for nursing facility administrators if such individuals possess ten years of experience at a nursing facility.

Hard to imagine what the motivation is here in lowering the bar on educational standards unless you believe, as seems to be their talking point, that there’s a shortage of such administrators in Oklahoma due to such requirements and this will allow for more of them.

Jim Jakubovitz, CEO/NHA of the Tulsa Jewish Retirement and Health Center here in Tulsa at Zarrow Pointe, parks this one about six rows deep.

“It just totally doesn’t hold water. And it’s been proved ad-nauseam to the contrary. There’s more than 700 nursing home administrators in Oklahoma and only 350 nursing facilities that require an administrator—and a licensed administrator is statutorily allowed to run three nursing homes if they’re in a 50-mile radius,” Jakubovitz said.

Jakubovitz (full disclosure here: I’ve know him for years and my grandmother stayed at Zarrow 35 years ago) dismantles the argument that loosening the regulations will be good for the industry or that there’s a shortage of administrators because of the present guidelines.

“Most professions have some sort of licensing body,” Jakubovitz explained. “Medical boards decide who physicians are, what they have to do, nurses have a board that determines whether you’re an RN or LPN, even cosmetology has a board that determines what the requirements are before you can cut hair. The Nursing Home Administrators Board is no different.”

Fifteen years ago, he said, OSBELTCA added a four-year May 17 – June 6, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

degree requirement before one could become a nursing home administrator. About six years ago, the board created a certified assistant administrator position for people who had been in the industry for a while.

Now? “The board has documented proof about why the care has been improved as a result of educating administrators. People came to the board with the proposed change to remove the education requirement and the board turned them down.”

And that’s when they went the legislative route.

Here’s what the legislation says: From Section One. No license or certification shall be issued to a person as a long-term care administrator unless: 1. The person shall have submitted evidence satisfactory to the Board that the person is: a. not less than twenty-one (21) years of age, and b. of reputable and responsible character; and 2. The person shall have submitted evidence satisfactory to the Board of the person’s ability to supervise the defined facility type in which he or she is licensed or certified to serve as a long-term care administrator.

Nice, huh? “Over twenty-one and … of reputable character.” Bartenders have higher standards.

All right, so what of the claim that facilities, especially in rural parts of the state, are closing?

“They’re closing, yes,” says Jakubovitz, but not because there’s an educational requirement on administrators—they’re closing because there’s only 10 people in the facilities. And you can’t have an efficient business with 10 clients.”

More to the point, who lowers the bar in any profession, much less medical care, on the dubious assertion that you have an industry-wide shortage because of it?

If you’re a hospital and need a neurosurgeon, you don’t hire a gastroenterologist because he’s the only one who’s available and will relocate to your little town.

THE TULSA VOICE // May 17 – June 6, 2017

Jakubovitz admits he’s not objective here—and clearly he’s not—but for the love of Richard Webber, why are we having this conversation and why are elected legislators, many of whom wouldn’t know the difference between a breathing tube and a Shop-Vac, trying to strong-arm a professional licensing body to loosen its standards? Do they hate government regulation so much they can’t distinguish anymore between the sound and the ridiculous?

Don’t answer that.

This one’s sound and should be left alone.

“This doesn’t belong on the legislators,” Jakubovitz told me.

“This is an industry issue. The industry has spoken and it wants more education. And you can’t go back and forth and get into a pissing match about who’s qualified, who’s not. It’s not the legislators who should make that call.”

I remind him that he—not the GOP—is advocating for getting government out of the industry.

“Yeah, I am, in this particular case. Every single profession has a licensing body,” he says again, “and they get to make the rules for their profession without a bunch of lawyers and representatives saying, ‘We know more about the nursing home administrator role than you and we don’t care what you think and we’re going to dictate the rules and requirements are.’ I mean, that’s just arrogant.”

No, that’s Oklahoma. a

1) kfor.com: Bill that would allow Ten Commandments back at the Capitol passes Oklahoma House 2) newson6.com: OK House Approves Bill Changing Drug Possession Charges Back To Felonies 3) newsobserver.com: Fallin vetoes Oklahoma bill pushed by payday loan industry 4) okpolicy.org: Prosperity Policy: No truth in labeling 5) normantranscript.com: Oklahoma Stewardship Council says HB2132 is response to defeat of SQ 777 6) rawstory.com: Oklahoma State Rep says rape and incest are the ‘will of God’ in abortion bill hearing 7) legiscan.com: Bill Text: OK HB1551 | 2017 | Regular Session | Engrossed

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tulsaexpat

A president and a prophet Encounters with the future in Tulsa’s sister city

by ELLIOT RAMBACH

W

hen Emmanuel Macron won France’s presidential election on May 7, he also became the second-most celebrated product of Tulsa’s French sister city, Amiens.

For this provincial city in France’s crumbling, industrial north, who could be more notable than a president? The answer: Jules Verne, the visionary science fiction novelist and the second-most translated writer of all time, after Agatha Christie and ahead of William Shakespeare.

Jules Verne is credited with inventing the genre of science fiction, and published multiple books that now reside in the cultural shorthand, like “Around the World in 80 Days,” “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” and “Journey to the Center of the Earth.” Held up to today’s amazing, terrifying, engulfing technology, Verne’s 19th-century visions of the future are prophetic; it’s not a stretch to say that Verne invented a blueprint for humanity in the hours he spent writing and staring out the window of his study in his home in Amiens.

I traveled to Amiens two weeks ago, after the first round of the French presidential election, when the 39-year-old liberal, centrist Macron and far-right, ethno-nationalist candidate Marine Le Pen had advanced to the election’s second-round runoff. Le Pen, who had polled high in the region, had promised a program of economic and ethnic nationalism. Macron offered a positive vision of a new France, one which leads the rest of the world in science, technology, and innovation.

In the days before May 7, Macron’s campaign revealed that their electronic communications had 10 // NEWS & COMMENTARY

Jules Verne’s home in Amiens, FR | ELLIOT RAMBACH

been obtained by hackers, packaged into a single, downloadable file, and released onto the Internet. Whoever compromised their systems had reportedly done so to persuade voters to abandon him en masse just days before the election.

Those hoping to avoid a far-right takeover held their breath to see if such technological intrigue would sway the results, as some say it did in last year’s American election.

The answer turned out to be no. Macron and his optimistic, forward-looking platform won with 66.1 percent of total votes nationally. In Amiens, Macron won by a margin of 3 to 1.

I returned to Amiens two days after the election of Macron, and saw little acknowledging the success of its hometown candidate.

Other than placards placed outside of grocery stores to advertise the day’s newspaper, reading “Macron wins on the back of his frontieres,” there was little to indicate that such a quaint mid-sized city had

placed one of its sons in the nation’s highest office.

Determined to find green space outside of Amiens’ chalky, concrete center, I walked to Jules Verne’s former home, a three-story townhouse where he lived from 1882 until his death in 1905, now a museum of all things Verne.

From a distance, the Maison Verne stands out; atop its circular tower is a globe, surrounded by metal rings intended to visualize the movement of celestial bodies around the earth. Though history proved Verne to be a visionary of contemporary technology like submarines, helicopters, worldwide media telecasts, and live videoconferencing, he was first and foremost an explorer of other cultures, and focused primarily on how technology could connect people around the world. He imagined coming times when the world would shape itself around instantaneous communication and high-speed transportation,

leading to a global vision of a better future.

However, later in life, Verne witnessed the impact of industrialization on working people and became reticent about technology’s potential. In his story, “The Day of an American Journalist in 2889,” Verne imagined a world controlled by a small handful of powerful empires: the Americans, the French, the Russians, the Chinese.

In the story, the true leader of America is not the president, but the heir to a media empire, Fritz Napoleon Smith. Smith is America’s intelligent and level-headed CEO, and humanity has accessed unlimited renewable energy from sunshine, water, and the wind. And yet, nations hurl chemical weapons at one another, companies continuously project advertisements onto clouds in the sky, and the U.S. government experiments with cryogenically reanimating its most famous and privileged men. It is both utopia and dystopia, caused by technology.

After touring Verne’s home, I stopped in a lush green park near a bust depicting Verne, with several young people carved into the marble plinth below him, reading and presumably enjoying his books. In this park it was only me and a group of teenagers, dressed in mostly gray and black and playing loud music on a plastic, battery-powered speaker. I admired the view of Verne’s home, photographed his statue with the conspicuously touristy camera around my neck, and listened to the teenagers laugh, possibly at me.

I heard a sound, turned around, and locked eyes with one of the teenagers as he released a stream of urine onto a nearby bush. a May 17 – June 6, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

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NEWS & COMMENTARY // 11

foodfile

RiverWalk Crossing in Jenks welcomes midtown classics to shopping and dining strip | GREG BOLLINGER

Resurgence on the river New tenants breathe life back into RiverWalk Crossing

by ANGELA EVANS

I

n 2005, well before the Gathering Place began taking shape, another bold development opened, west of the Arkansas River in Jenks. The RiverWalk Crossing—a sprawling outdoor entertainment, retail, and restaurant outlet—was received with great fanfare, but the popularity of the area of was short-lived. The failure of several fledgling businesses was hastened by the economic downturn of 2008, leaving the property a 150,000-square-foot skeleton.

In 2012, Muscogee (Creek) Nation purchased the property through a sheriff ’s auction for $11.5 million. It stayed relatively empty, save for the business spaces that have remained almost fully occupied over the years. The retail and restaurant tenants—the lifeblood of the entertainment attraction—were few with just a handful weathering the long storm.

12 // FOOD & DRINK

Now, RiverWalk Crossing is finally experiencing its rebirth, thanks in large part to the efforts of OneFire Holding Co., an investment holding company and business operator funded by the Nation. OneFire operates as an independent entity with its own board and runs a large portfolio of manufacturing, distribution, and construction projects. In 2014, RiverWalk Crossing became its first commercial real estate asset.

“There was a ton of deferred maintenance and capital improvements that had to be addressed,” said Mike Payne, chief executive officer of OneFire. “It was a disaster. Everything from lighting to landscaping to irrigation systems had not been maintained.”

The property manager, Bill Faber, agrees.

“It was sitting at about 38 percent occupancy and it just hadn’t been well taken care of,” Faber said. “Plumbing needed attention

and some roofing needed to be done. None of water features worked, all the flowerbeds were bare. Some of the restaurants looked like the proprietors just locked the place up and left everything behind. It was a ghost town.”

The mixed-use RiverWalk Crossing features winding paths with a million-dollar view of the river on one side, and space for restaurants, shops, and businesses on the other. A splash pad is just a stone’s throw from the modest amphitheater where live music is played (including RiverWalk’s Summer Concert Series, running Saturdays from 6 – 9 p.m.).

Inhabiting roughly two acres, RiverWalk Crossing dovetails into the heavily populated path of Riverside Drive, where casinos thrive, river trails bustle, and, soon, where the Gathering Place—a dynamic, fully loaded park and recreational behemoth— will reside.

“If you look at the Gathering Place, River Spirit Casino, the outlet mall project, and us, there is well over a billion dollars of development going on along the Arkansas River. That’s not by chance,” Payne said. “People want to spend time at the river. We want businesses that will fit with the lifestyle of the families and active people who are drawn to this area.”

To revive RiverWalk, OneFire devised a four-phase plan.

Phase I was focused on deferred maintenance, which took a good portion of money and time to complete. Much of the project was repurposing the RiverWalk Movie Theater, which lacked the equipment for digital format and amenities movie-goers demand now, like reclining seats and online reservations.

Though the demolition of the movie theater was controversial to some, it opened the path for Phase II—filling office space, enhancMay 17 – June 6, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

ing current tenant relationships and space, and, most importantly, securing an anchor tenant.

STRATEGIC FORESIGHT

The river is a magnet for activity, but OneFire understood that a major attraction would be necessary to entice people to the Riverside market. The attraction answer came in the form of an innovative, technology-forward golfing concept, FlyingTee. The $22 million entertainment venue, built where the movie theater once stood, is the glossy three-level, 53,000-square-foot, state-of-theart attraction the RiverWalk team envisioned.

Golf pros and amateurs alike fill the 60 climate-controlled golf bays equipped with proprietary golf ball tracking technology that gives players instant feedback. Different game modes, like darts, HORSE, or blackjack can be played, and avid golfers can virtually play famous courses from around the world. The sprawling space has a full-service bar and restaurant, so visitors can eat and drink in their private bays while hitting a few balls.

Celebrating its first year in June, anchor tenant FlyingTee has gained a steady following and shows no sign of slowing down.

RESTAURANT REVOLUTION

Since the beginning, RiverWalk has been a revolving door for restaurants. Much of the rapid turnover can be attributed to the untenable traits of first-time owners and unproven concepts. OneFire’s strategy was to avoid filling the valuable restaurant space haphazardly or hastily. Thus, Phase III—wooing established, popular eateries to fill the restaurant spaces.

“We had the opportunity to be full two years ago, but it would’ve been first-time operators. And maybe they would’ve done a wonderful job, but it was an unknown,” said Payne. “Our strategy was to choose local, unique, and only the best of the best.”

OneFire made good on this strategy, recently announcing the addition of two significant local restaurants to RiverWalk. Legacy pizzeria Andolini’s—which has already opened its massive new space—and the supernatuTHE TULSA VOICE // May 17 – June 6, 2017

rally popular Burn Co Barbecue (expected to open in July) are sure to attract a serious cadre of fans.

Maryn’s Taphouse and Raw Bar is a new concept by long-time restaurateur Corey Crandall, featuring executive chef Josh McClure’s menu. Maryn’s expects to open May 22. These newcomers will join forces with the restaurants that have remained, like Marble Slab and Los Cabos.

Payne said that only one restaurant space currently remains unfilled, and that their goal is to fill these spaces only once, implementing long-term leases that benefit the tenant and allow them to grow their business.

FUTURE FLOW

Just three years ago, RiverWalk Crossing was almost 60 percent empty. Today, it is on track to hit 90 percent occupancy by the end of the year, a great way for OneFire to begin Phase IV—keeping tenants happy and their businesses filled with customers year-round.

“I think we are able to accomplish that because we’re a large area that’s operated by one group, not individual store fronts owned by different people fighting against each other,” Faber said.

“We’re trying to build a community of retailers and tenants that help each other and we help them, so it’s this big circle of support for the long-term.”

Despite the ebb and flow of RiverWalk Crossing’s success story, Payne hopes most of all that the people will enjoy the space OneFire and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation have shaped.

“People want to come to RiverWalk and create memories. They love walking up and down the river, which is evident all down the river,” said Payne. “When all the dams hit and we have water permanently out here, it’ll be amazing for the property. It’s hard to beat the view when there’s water flowing.”

Payne said he’d like to see some unique gift shops or candy shops fill the remaining spaces, but overall, the slow-and-steady strategy seems to be showing promise.

“Some of the stuff that is opening now, two and half years ago we had on our road map at the very beginning. It’s great seeing it all come together.” a

6808 S Memorial Dr Ste 146 918-461-2605

www.highgravitybrew.com

FOOD & DRINK // 13

O DINING GUIDE • PATIO DINING GUIDE • PATIO DINING GUIDE • PATIO DINING GUIDE • PATIO DINING GUIDE • PATIO DINING GUIDE • PATIO DINING GUIDE • PATIO DINING GUIDE • PATIO DINING GUIDE •

patioguide

The Eagle

Colony

TEQUILA SUNRISE “Bean Spasms” by Ted Berrigan and Ron Padgett, illustrated by Joe Brainard

HAMM’S DRAFT “What I Learned at the War”

by Jeanetta Calhoun Mish (Oklahoma’s 2017 Poet Laureate)

Like The Eagle’s patio, “Bean Spasms” is lush, inviting, and not too serious.

Tulsa native Ron Padgett described “Bean Spasms” as a collaborative collection of “plays, a fictitious correspondence, a picaresque novel, goofy interviews and poems of various types … as well as mistranslations and parodies of each other’s work and the work of others.”

Plus, it’s filled with the whimsically absurd illustrations of Joe Brainard, who also grew up in Tulsa.

Empire GIN AND TONIC “Jubilee City: A Memoir at Full Speed” by Joe Andoe Joe Andoe’s Palahniukian perverse memoir recalls his early years in Tulsa and emergence as an artist. Like his art, Andoe’s writing feels “psychedelic but real … like the stillness at twilight when animals come out into the open.”

R Bar CRANE TEA WEISS “Collected Poems”

by Ron Padgett

Saturn Room CLASSIC RUM DAIQUIRI “Simple Pleasures,”

by A.W. Marshall Some of the short stories in “Simple Pleasures,” will last you exactly the time it takes to drink a simple rum daiquiri.

(Not the frozen kind.) Marshall’s debut collection is weird, funny, occasionally dark, and always unexpected.

“Beam Spasms” and Tequila Sunrise at The Eagle | MORGAN WELCH

REQUIRED IMBIBING If there’s anything TTV editors love, it’s reading and day-drinking. Here’s your carefully curated guide for an afternoon of escapism: legendary Okie reads paired with classic Tulsa patios.

Hodges Bend TOBACCO OLD FASHIONED “Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States”

by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz We can’t think of a better place to read the first history of the United States told from the perspective of indigenous peoples than Hodges Bend, which sits on land once owned by the wealthy Creek Hodge family.

by LIZ BLOOD AND KATHRYN PARKMAN

Arnie’s RUM AND COKE “That Was Then, This Is Now”

by S.E. Hinton Set in the same universe at “The Outsiders,” “That Was Then, This Is Now” is another S. E. Hinton Okie bildungsroman.

Inner Circle Vodka Bar BLOODY SUSAN “Head Cases”

by Michael Paul Mason Spend an afternoon reading about the strange and true world of traumatic brain injuries by Tulsa’s own “anti-Oliver Sacks.” Then, use your newfound cursory knowledge to recklessly diagnose your bar-mates.

14 // FOOD & DRINK

Penthouse Rooftop Lounge, Mayo Hotel VODKA SODA WITH LEMON “The Dream Songs”

by John Berryman This collection of 385 poems by John Berryman (born in McAlester in 1914) recounts the dreams of the psuedo-autobiographical Henry as he navigates through variant internal and external troubles.

Mainline WHISKEY ON THE ROCKS “Dubliners” by James Joyce (TU publishes the James Joyce Quarterly)

Blackbird on Pearl Fassler SHOT OF VODKA IN A STIEGL RADLER “Vagabond”

by Gaylord Oscar Herron Aid your journey through this visual poem with vodka in grapefruit-flavored beer. Sip as you turn the pages of the 1975 Tulsa classic created by the man many refer to as G., also the owner of G. Oscar Bicycles.

HOUSE WINE “Bob Dylan, the Essential Interviews” Thirty-one Dylan interviews including his 1966 Playboy interview, Studs Terkel’s 1963 radio interview on WFMT in Chicago, a 1965 interview with director Nora Ephron, and an interview Sam Shepard turned into a one-act play for Esquire.

(TU is home to Dylan’s archives.)

May 17 – June 6, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

RIVER SPIRIT CASINO RESORT

Welcome to Fassler Hall Tulsa. This German gem in the heart of downtown Tulsa is known for its German beer and live entertainment. Join us for the Thunder Games and Happy hour in the biergarten! Also, don’t miss the expansive whiskey and cocktail menu.

Beneath palm trees and sunshine, River Spirit Casino Resort’s exclusive pool is ready for you. Soak up the sun while enjoying boat drinks and poolside dining.

Whether in a private cabana or enjoying a day pass, paradise is yours.

MCNELLIE’S SOUTH CITY

ELGIN PARK

Sure our beer selection is immense, but the food’s pretty good too! McNellie’s menu is filled with fresh, reasonably priced food. Every day, our dedicated kitchen staff works hard to make a variety of items from scratch, using the best ingredients available. Enjoy brunch on the patio every Saturday and Sunday, which features a great bloody mary bar.

Welcome to Elgin Park! Enjoy our pizza, wings, burgers and brews on the patio.

Pizza, brewery & sports conveniently located across from Drillers Stadium.

304 S Elgin Ave | 918.576.7898 fasslerhall.com

409 E 1st St | 918.382.7468 mcnelliessouthcity.com

DILLY DINER

402 E 2nd St | 918.938.6382 dillydiner.com Downtown Tulsa’s favorite diner. Serving up breakfast all day, housemade bread, pastries, pies & cakes, homemade soft serve, house cured meats, local produce and so much more! Come soak up the sun on our patio with a fat stack of pancakes and mimosa service. Open till 1am on weekends.

1-888-748-3731 | 8330 Riverside Pkwy riverspirittulsa.com

325 East M.B. Brady | 918.986.9910 elginparkbrewery.com

DALESANDRO’S

1742 S Boston Ave | 918.582.1551 dalesandros.com Welcome to Dalesandro’s. Join us on the Patio for Award Winning Authentic Italian Food. Located on 18th & Boston, Downtown Tulsa. Walk-ins are welcome, but reservations are recommended.

EL GUAPO’S CANTINA SOUTHSIDE

IN THE RAW SUSHI ON THE HILL

Our newest El Guapo’s is located in the Walnut Creek shopping center at 81st and Harvard. Here you’ll find the largest selection of tequila and mezcal in Tulsa, a beautiful garden patio, and the same great food and service as the original.

Welcome to In The Raw Sushi! Enjoy our breathtaking view from our patio “On the Hill” or dine with us at our newly constructed Eel Bar at our “Brookside” location. At either restaurant, relax and enjoy In The Raw’s delicious sushi and boozy cocktails. Kam pai!

8161 S Harvard Ave | 918.728.7482 elguaposcantina.com

THE TULSA VOICE // May 17 – June 6, 2017

6149 South Sheridan | 918.524.0063 intherawsushi.com/onthehill

FOOD & DRINK // 15

O DINING GUIDE • PATIO DINING GUIDE • PATIO DINING GUIDE • PATIO DINING GUIDE • PATIO DINING GUIDE • PATIO DINING GUIDE • PATIO DINING GUIDE • PATIO DINING GUIDE • PATIO DINING GUIDE •

FASSLER HALL

O DINING GUIDE • PATIO DINING GUIDE • PATIO DINING GUIDE • PATIO DINING GUIDE • PATIO DINING GUIDE • PATIO DINING GUIDE • PATIO DINING GUIDE • PATIO DINING GUIDE • PATIO DINING GUIDE •

Blue Rose Café $3 MIMOSA The Tulsa Voice This drink—like us—is light, refreshing, cheap, and easy. Blue Rose Café also won TTV’s 2017 Best of Tulsa award for Best Patio.

Warehouse MINI PITCHER “Robopocalypse”

by Daniel H. Wilson

Lefty’s on Greenwood TALLGRASS PRAIRIE RASPBERRY JAM “Fire in Beulah” by Rilla Askew

May 26 • 7-9 p.m. • FREE You’re invited to a “beer garden party” at Gilcrease Museum!

Tour the Gilcrease gardens, listen to live music, and enjoy craft beer from Marshall Brewing Company, COOP Ale Works, and American Solera. We will have food trucks in the parking lot, and the bluegrass band, Grazzhopper, will perform on the front porch of the Gilcrease House.

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.

The Vault PALOMA “Crazy Brave” by Joy Harjo

McNellie’s South

Every Tulsan should read this. Set in Tulsa leading up to the 1921 massacre, Rilla Askew’s parallel narratives explore the lives of Althea Whiteside and her maid, Graceful.

The sensory details you’ll find familiar— the way Askew describes the wind, for example—are even more vivid against the backdrop of midtown and downtown.

Doc’s

BLOOD ORANGE GOSE “Mean Spirit” by Linda Hogan

VIEUX CARRÉ “The Unraveling of Mercy Louis”

by Keija Parssinen

Hogan’s debut novel, set in Osage Indian Territory during the 1920s oilboom, has enough murder and greed to justify an extra gose to calm your nerves.

Pair the old Southern classic with this modern Southern gothic on Doc’s corner patio for a transportive experience.

TU is an EEO/AA Institution.

GILCREASE.ORG

Mercury Lounge A SHOT AND A BEER “Way Down Yonder in the Indian Nation” by Michael Wallis

East Village Bohemian Pizzeria

THE LOOP

loop

JERRY GARCIA “Living with Music”

by Ralph Ellison East Village’s whiskey, Averna, absinthe, orange bitters, and lemon concoction will have you tapping your toes as you take in one of Ellison’s lesser-known works.

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

Sunburn your skin on Soundpony’s patio while simultaneously burning your tongue and brain. Tulsa’s own hot sauce correspondent Denver Nicks teaches you everything you wanted to know about the spicy stuff.

Vintage 1740 Elgin Park PUT ME IN KOLSCH “Right Down the Middle: The Ralph Terry Story”

by John Wooley Drink Elgin Park’s yeasty, fruity Western German Kolsch-style beer as you read the as-told-to biography of Ralph Terry, a star pitcher for the 1960s New York Yankees who was from Chelsea, Oklahoma, 50 miles northeast of Tulsa.

16 // FOOD & DRINK

Soundpony BLOODY MARIA MADE WITH VIDA MEZCAL AND BABY D’S BEE STING ORIGINAL “Hot Sauce Nation: America’s Burning Obsession”

by Denver Nicks

DEATH IN THE AFTERNOON (CHAMPAGNE AND ABSINTHE) “Don’t Die Before You’re Dead”

by Yevgeny Yevtushenko (RIP) Soviet and Russian poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko called Tulsa home for the last 30 years of his life. He died in April. Yevtushenko leaves behind a legacy of work that exemplifies art as dissent and vital to life. He was one of the first in the Soviet Union to publicy decry Stalinism. We hope the poet would laugh at this pairing, and not think it in too poor of taste. a May 17 – June 6, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

THE DIGEST News bites from Tulsa’s food scene

by ANGELA EVANS

"The Boz" is covered in jalapeños, so each slice should be washed down with a "stone cold" beer.

Trust us, this reference is hilarious.

Mr. Nice Guys at Guthrie Green | GREG BOLLINGER

The grass is Greener Mr. Nice Guys began their journey in a humble food truck, churning out their signature street tacos (and mac and cheese!) at events and bars. As of April 15, they’ve scored the sweet restaurant space at Guthrie Green, formerly inhabited by Lucky’s on the Green. Their menu is chock-full of Nice Guy favorites, like carnitas, spicy pork, and black bean dip. The Nice Guys do Taco Tuesdays right with $1 street tacos, but for a next-level taco experience, order a taco flight: 10 regular street tacos for $19, available every day.

MIXED COMPANIES Announced on May 1, MixCo, an upscale cocktail lounge and restaurant in downtown, joined the ranks of Justin Thompson Restaurant Group (JTR Group). While Jared Jordan retains ownership, day-to-day operation will be managed by JTR Group—owner of Juniper, Prhyme, Tavolo, and 624 Catering.

MixCo will experience minor tweaks, but will still feature craft cocktails and Nico Albert’s polished menu.

Friday, June 2nd, 6-10 pm honor heights park — beer, food, entertainment

pr

ing a r u at hom rs e f l a ee ok ft b a cr

e

se f r ho ien nted no ds by: rh o eig f ht s

tickets

tickets

(advance)

(at gate)

$25

$30

LUCKY LEGACY Since 2007, Lucky’s Restaurant has been a Cherry Street mainstay with a cozy, off-beat interior and creative American fare. And that’s the way it will stay, even though owners Matt and Brooke Kelley have decided to bid the biz adieu to relax a little and pursue projects. The Kelleys passed the torch on May 2, selling both Lucky’s and neighboring Oklahoma Kolache Company to Steve Jeffrey, owner of The Spudder.

sponsored by:

TORERO BOWS OUT

Torero Bar & Kitchen opened its doors in July 2016 only to close them two months shy of their first anniversary. Despite popularity among Tulsa tastemakers, Torero’s last dinner service was May 6, a mere four days after the official announcement was made. Torero was owned by restaurateurs Chip Gaberino and Noah Bush, with Executive Chef Ian Van Anglen at the kitchen’s helm.

THE TULSA VOICE // May 17 – June 6, 2017

Tickets available at Honor heights park and blossoms garden center online at friendsofhonorheightspark.org FOOD & DRINK // 17

Not just an ordinary bar

THANK YOU TULSA,

WE LOVE YOU! BEST OF TULSA READERS’ CHOICE 2017

Voted Best Night Club & Best LGBT Bar/Club

BEST OF TULSA

Join us for the tastiest Chicken & Waffles in Tulsa!

READERS’ CHOICE 2017

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

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

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 303 MLK Jr. Blvd. www.gypsycoffee.com

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

21 E. Brady St. 918-585-8587

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

The Woody Guthrie Center is excited to once again offer Summer music-related activities for youth 12-18 years of age.

SKLAR BROTHERS

KYLE KINANE DAVID GBORIE GINA BRILLON

BRIAN MOSES

JORDAN ROCK NAOMI EKPERIGIN

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn and play with professional musicians!

JUNE 19-28 | 3:00-4:30 p.m.

Sessions include education in different genres of music, songwriting, musical recording, and musical performance. The camp environment encourages young musicians to think independently, work cooperatively and discover their own creativity.

Designed for young musicians ages 12 to 18 Participants will learn to work together as a band Guidance from professional local and visiting musicians to write original songs

LIZA TRIGGER

Workshops with industry professionals

Build on what you know about playing to become a MUSICIAN!

LATE LATE BREAKFAST

SEPTEMBER 7TH -10TH , 2017

approval forms qualify for half-priced tuition or a rate of $0.50/lesson)

Discounted tuition for members For more information regarding Youth Rocks, or to register, please contact jerry@woodyguthriecenter.org.

EARLY BIRD PASSES ON SALE NOW!#BWCF2017

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102 East M.B. Brady St. | Tulsa, Oklahoma 74103 | 918-574-2710 | info@woodyguthriecenter.org

18 // BRADY ARTS DISTRICT GUIDE

JACQUELINE NOVAK

FUNNIEST WEEKEND IN TULSA

Reduced tuition based on need (reduced/free school lunch

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BYRON BOWERS

MORE ANNOUNCEMENTS COMING SOON!

Opportunities to perform for the public and on local television stations

4/18/17 3:20 PM

May 17 – June 6, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

Saturday, May 20 • Hominy

Saturday, May 27 • Skiatook

Opening Act – Travis Kidd Band

Opening Act – Darrel Cole Band

John Michael Montgomery

Chris Janson

GATES OPEN • 5 PM OPENING ACTS • 6:45 – 7:45 PM HEADLINERS • 8:15 PM

SPRING 2017

FREE OUTDOOR CONCERTS RAIN OR SHINE

All ages welcome. Bring your own chairs.

No outside coolers, food, or drinks allowed.

(877) 246-8777

THE TULSA VOICE // May 17 – June 6, 2017

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©2017 Osage Casino. Management reserves all rights.

FOOD & DRINK // 19

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REIMAGINING THE CONNECTION BETWEEN BRADY HEIGHTS AND BRADY ARTS LIVE MUSIC • PUBLIC ART • COMMUNITY STREET MARKET & MORE

June 4, 2017 • 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Main Street between Fairview and Easton 20 // FEATURED

Street Cred Benefactors

Gold Sponsors

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May 17 – June 6, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

Keenan Lane and Steph Simon, creators of World Culture Music Festival, surrounded by festival performers

The story of Oklahoma’s largest hip-hop festival

BY DAMION SHADE PHOTOS BY HANS KLEINSCHMIDT THE TULSA VOICE // May 17 – June 6, 2017

FEATURED // 21

WORLD CULTURE MUSIC WAS BORN OUT OF FINDING GENRES AND STYLES OF MUSIC THAT REFLECTED LESS OF A COMMON AESTHETIC AND MORE A SHARED SENSE OF COMMUNITY AND PERSONAL EXPRESSION.

60-plus artists will appear at World Culture Music Festival, May 18–22

THIS IS THE STORY OF RAP MUSIC IN AMERICA: 22 // FEATURED

Unlikely weirdos with few resources and even fewer connections banding together to make a culture. Kids who couldn’t afford ballet shoes and private lessons created the art form known as breakdancing. Musically gifted teenagers without pianos and violins created a whole new type of symphony with their mothers’ old turntables and funk records, and young cocky wordsmiths turned the cadence of their voices into singable prose.

Steph Simon and Keenan Lane (aka Keeng Cut) are two such characters

using music, social media, and the resources they have to bring to life World Culture Music Festival, Oklahoma’s largest hip-hop event.

“Me, Keenan, Verse, Pade, Dial Tone, Keezy, Track, and Ando. That’s the faculty of the festival this year,” Simon said. This list includes local rappers, producers, blog editors, business entrepreneurs, and DJs running the logistics of this year’s five-day festival.

What began as a homegrown festival last year with 22 artists is now a multi-day showcase with more than 60 different acts.

“One big difference this year is that it’s changed from one day to five.

It was originally gonna be two days— Friday and Saturday—but we incorporated Burns’s show on Thursday. Then we incorporated Trillary Banks and DJ Dial Tone’s art show at the Soundpony Sunday, and we decided to end the weekend with The Situation that Monday.”

Simon’s partner, Lane, said the festival’s reach is growing.

“This year we got more connections,” Lane said. “Last year it was a Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Texas type of thing, but now we got artists from places as far out as Boston and New York. Last year I promoted it myself driving from here all the way to Lawton. I would rent a car every week, and throughout that week put up posters in OKC and other places. This year social media is promoting it. With all of the people submitting from out of state it’s awesome.”

“It’s predominantly hip-hop, but I don’t like to put these artists in a box,” Simon said. “We have bands. We got producers. We even got Christian artists this year.”

This eclectic mix was deliberate.

World Culture Music was born out of finding genres and styles of music that reflected less of a common aesthetic and more a shared sense of community and personal expression.

“Back in 2013, 2014 is when I came up with the name World Culture Music,” Lane said. “I was writing music for other people, but I couldn’t really identify what it was I was doing.

I would write a whole love song, and then a whole opposite of a love song.

Then a ratchet rap song or even a rock song, but it was all me though. So, I called it World Culture Music and said that was my genre.”

Simon took the brand and ran with it.

“The festival was needed,” Simon said. “I knew the Center of The Universe Festival had just stopped, and I thought, we need to fill that void. It was easy to reach out to 20 or 25 rappers that I know and say let’s throw a festival MAY 17 – JUNE 6, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

At The Situation, a weekly Monday night music showcase at The Yeti

THE WORLD CULTURE MUSIC FESTIVAL

is a free event and will take place from May 18 – 22 at Soundpony and The Yeti.

Full lineup, schedule, and stage/venue information available at worldculturemusicfestival.com

because we need one. We need one for us. I always noticed our local festivals didn’t have as many hip-hop artists.

“So I said we need a festival for hip-hop and to keep it positive at the same time. I know rap gets a bad name. Rap music—people hear it and automatically associate it with violence, but so much of the music and culture I see in Tulsa isn’t like that. I personally screened these artists this year to reflect that the type of hip-hop image that we want World Culture Music to represent.”

Steph Simon listed a host of notable artists to watch for this year.

“I’m really excited to see the band Childish Adults from Kansas City, and the young CTS Crew. I’m really excited to see Blue Cato. He won the March Madness competition we held at The Shrine, which guaranteed you spot at the festival. Then there’s Young Cutty—I want to see him. He’s a young guy that’s kind of getting notoriety in the national form. There’s a whole bunch of beautiful R&B singers like Tea Rush, Sincere Grant, and Ninety-One. Of course I’m probably most excited for the artists on the ‘Favored and Flavored’ stage. That’s where you’re gonna see the artists I like to call the forefathers: Surron, Mike Dee, Verse, Tone, Pade, Thril, Keeng Cut.” The festival is also a formal introduction to the artist who gave it its name. Keeng Cut’s first full-length album, World Culture Keys, will be released on the opening evening of the THE TULSA VOICE // MAY 17 – JUNE 6, 2017

festival, Thursday, May 18. The seven-track personal manifesto is built around classical piano, synth samples, and modern dirty South beats and features the infectious “Own It,” Cut’s first single.

“I didn’t perform last year,” Lane said. “It was all about Steph. I worked behind the scenes with [Steph’s album] Visions of the Tisdale … I played the background manager type assistant.

Now I’m about to put out an album, and he’s been playing the background and supporting me.”

It appears the duo have turned this process of mutual support into a model they hope to spread to the wider community.

“Ten years ago it wasn’t like this,” Simon said. “It was a dope scene back then, but it was too much competition.

The scene kind of beat itself up. The other difference is what the Internet and the new technology has done to talent. I got an inbox full of joints with young people wanting me to listen, and they’re all dope. They got more access to studios and beats. You can go on YouTube and pick whatever beat you want. We didn’t have that back then.

We barely had Internet. The Blackberries and Socket phones couldn’t do all this. Because of the Internet I don’t think the music is a limiting factor.

It’s the talent. We have a talent pool that’s as big as any city you can think of. It’s crazy. You’ll see it. I think all of these artists are good enough to hold their own.” a

“WE HAVE A TALENT POOL THAT’S AS BIG AS ANY CITY YOU CAN THINK OF. IT’S CRAZY ... ALL OF THESE ARTISTS ARE GOOD ENOUGH TO HOLD THEIR OWN.” – STEPH SIMON

FEATURED // 23

Michael Zampino and Hilton Price, hosts of Opinions Like A-holes PHOTO BY HANS KLEINSCHMIDT

THE END OF ONE DIY PODCAST, THE BEGINNING OF ANOTHER

BY JOSHUA KLINE

THREE YEARS AGO, Jason Ferguson started a podcast. The scruffy musician was gorging on the booming medium, listening to shows by comedians like Marc Maron, Joe Rogan, and Bill Burr. Like many of us these days, he was smitten with the concept of a do-it-yourself, no-rules radio show, and decided he’d start his own. “[Back then] there were podcasts around and doing well, but it was right before Serial [popularized the medium in the mainstream],” Ferguson said. “I was listening to podcasts all the time and thought it

24 // FEATURED

was cool, and I thought, ‘Oh, I wanna do that.’”

In May of 2014, Ferguson launched From a Basement in Tulsa. His first episode featured El Dub (real name Lee Walsh), a musician who, at the time, lived in an RV and traveled from town to town playing solo shows. True to the podcast’s title, the episode was recorded in Ferguson’s basement apartment in Owen Park.

“I didn’t know what I was doing, I was just trying to get comfortable talking into the microphone—and learning how to turn a microphone on,” Ferguson said.

As he tells it, he had no agenda—or plan, really—he just wanted to talk about cool stuff with his friends over beers and record it.

He and his musician friends started the podcast just hanging out at his house, where they recorded a few proto-episodes that were never released.

Soon after its beginning, Lourdes Alcala, Ferguson’s girlfriend, took on the title of executive producer and started handling the pod-

cast’s marketing, branding, social media, and—most crucially—the booking.

“I made a huge deal about releasing episodes consistently,” Ferguson said. But, he was also lackadaisical about scheduling interviews. With Alcala on board, From a Basement in Tulsa became a

MAY 17 – JUNE 6, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

well-oiled machine, producing podcasts made up mostly of interviews with local musicians, artists, and national and regional acts passing through town.

As a host, Ferguson was a natural—affable, easy-going, focused, and knowledgeable. But his passion for podcasting started to dwindle as he became more focused on music.

After a few months of wrestling with the idea, he and Alcala decided to throw in the towel. The last episode of From a Basement in Tulsa—his 131st—was posted on Nov. 6, 2016.

The guests were Kylie Slabby and Kylie Hastings from popular Tulsa garage rock band The Daddyo’s, and the episode was recorded in a basement of another kind: a recording studio Ferguson had taken over at the bottom of an office building downtown.

“It kind of became a little bit of a job, and I was becoming obsessed with recording music,” Ferguson said. “The first time I really recorded music was people playing live for the show, and I found that really fun … I was spending so much time editing the show … I don’t know, I wasn’t having as much fun, and with something like that, if you’re not having fun, there’s really absolutely no point.”

At the same time that Ferguson and Alcala were putting the finishing touches on their last episode of From a Basement in Tulsa, Tulsa comics Michael Zampino and Hilton Price launched their own podcast from a makeshift studio across town.

Opinions Like A-holes is a weekly riff session during which Zampino and Price bullshit about pop culture news of the day with various guests.

Since posting the first episode last Halloween, the two have managed to produce consistently, posting a new episode nearly every Monday.

I initially reached out to Zampino to ask if I could watch them record an episode for this article; Zampino responded that I should be a guest.

When I arrived at the studio, it was in the earliest stages of what looked to be a lengthy buildout, save for a fully functional podcast recording studio in one room, where Zampino and Price were preparing the talking points for the day’s episode on a dry erase board: Movie trailers (“The Dark Tower” and “Kingsman: The Golden Circle”), the recent Hall and Oates concert, the Fyre Festival debacle, and the new At the Drive-in album, among others.

“Guns ‘n’ Roses and The Who announce a joint tour?!” Price said incredulously as he scanned the internet from his Mega Man-adorned laptop. “Alright,” he shrugged. “You wanna do that one?”

“Yeah,” Zampino agreed. “We’ll end with that one.”

Opinions is the product of Channel Four and a Half, a fledgling production company/comedy collective led by Zampino, Andrew Deacon, Landry Miller, and Ryan Green. In October of last year, the group rented out an office space in a modest shopping strip near 51st Street and Peoria Avenue, and began the process of turning the space into a full-fledged production studio, with

plans for video webcasts, podcasts, and other ephemera. The goal is to provide support and an outlet for local comics serious about producing content, specifically webcasts and podcasts. Channel Four and a Half already hosts about a dozen programs on their website, which they do as a service—they never charge for hosting. “[The company] started as a combination of a place to put all the stuff we were already creating and an avenue to help the other super creative people around us who had great ideas, but didn’t have the equipment or know-how to actually record or film,” Zampino said. “Some people had a way to produce a show but wanted another option besides just throwing it up on YouTube or iTunes.”

Last year, 57 million Americans listened to a podcast at least once a month, according to Edison Research, a market research company based in New Jersey. More people listen to podcasts now than use Spotify, by a wide margin, and the number of active Twitter users and podcast listeners is about equal.

The medium is experiencing rapid growth in listenership, but measuring the number of podcasts being produced is another matter—according to the Pew Research Center, nobody really knows. In Tulsa alone, new podcasts seem to pop up every week on topics both local and national, from broad subjects like film, comedy and the arts to specific interests and fields like vinyl, real estate, and city politics.

“There are no widely accepted estimates of the total number of podcasts in the U.S.,” said Pew contributor Nancy Vogt in a June 2016 story at journalism.org. However, she goes on to say, Libsyn, one of the largest podcast hosting companies (which hosted From a Basement), hosted 28,000 podcasts in 2015, up from 22,000 the previous year and 16,000 in 2014.

Speculating beyond these numbers is a fool’s errand for the same reasons it would be absurd to try to measure the number of teenagers recording songs in their parents’ basements.

And that’s part of the appeal: literally anyone can play radio host now—the motivation, talent, and labor it takes to produce a podcast is only slightly higher than what it takes to run a well-curated Instagram account. At the very least, one only needs a laptop, a microphone and some basic software to record what sounds and feels like a legitimately produced radio show. Press record, talk, add some intro music, design a cool logo, throw the file up on iTunes and Soundcloud, and start promoting it on social media.

But this ease of use is also why it’s so hard to build a sizeable audience, much less monetize it. It’s more likely that your cat meme will go viral than you’ll ever make money off your podcast. For larger organizations and institutions, such as news outlets, churches, and various pockets of industry, podcasting is a low-stakes, low-cost way to boost traffic and visibility. But for DIYers, it remains a hobbyist’s medium, sustained only by the passion and devotion of its creators. When the passion runs out, the podcast usually follows. a

“In Tulsa alone, new podcasts seem to pop up every week on topics both local and national, from broad subjects like Film, comedy, and the arts to specIFIc interests and fIelds like vinyl, real estate, and city politics.”

THE TULSA VOICE // MAY 17 – JUNE 6, 2017

FEATURED // 25

onstage

I

n Tulsa’s current theater season, Mark Frank’s play, “He is She,” came under fire even before rehearsals. The play was accepted by the Echo Theatre’s Reverb Play Festival (the festival was subtitled, with no small irony now, “Dangerous Works for a Dangerous World”) on April 3, after a national call for scripts that began in February.

When Joe Watts, the director of the script, sent the play out to the theater community for casting purposes, a barrage of public Facebook posts and phone calls to Mark Frank immediately followed.

These are samples of public posts on Frank’s page: “Fuck you! You’re (sic) play is a piece of shit!”; “Your play isn’t worth anyone hearing it as it is pure garbage!”; “I read your script and you should be ashamed how you treat women.” One disturbing post read: “I know where you live.”

Who gets to determine what Tulsa theater audiences see? Is there a censor lurking? Surprisingly, the local theater community itself has been responsible at least twice for what can only be described as a form of censorship.

Strong reactions to challenging work have a long history. For example, a play by Alfred Jarry, “Ubu Roi”—scatological, infantile, and intentionally provocative—enflamed a Paris audience, both pro and con, and became a sensation overnight in the 1890s.

The Irish poet William Butler Yeats, praising the play’s disobedience of social and religious norms, wrote of the groundbreaking work: “[W]hat more is possible?

After us the Savage God.” Jarry’s play is now considered to have engendered the Theater of the Absurd, a form still widely practiced around the globe. One can easily draw a direct line from “Ubu Roi” to Jean Genet’s “The Blacks” and Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot,” among other 26 // ARTS & CULTURE

THE SAVAGE GOD Art that scares us—or doesn’t get a chance to

by MICHAEL WRIGHT absurdist works, and continue through plays by Sam Shepard and even Tulsa’s Tracy Letts, including “Bug” and the violently amoral (therefore rarely produced) “Killer Joe.” Some of these works have caused political or public outcry and have even been, for a time, banned.

But what if the work of art is, in effect, pre-censored—never permitted to be seen, never given any public exposure?

In Tulsa, in 2014, a production of four plays from Christopher Durang’s collection of short works, “Durang Durang,” was cancelled. The producing organization, Heller Theatre, was at that time under the wing of the City of Tulsa Recreation Department and

cited concerns over one of the plays, “A Stye in the Eye,” which contained references to a bloody and maggot-covered American flag in the published text.

The trouble began when one member of the cast suddenly objected to the flag content—eight days before opening, even after attending several weeks of rehearsals. (The play is an overt satire of a Sam Shepard play, “A Lie of the Mind,” which deals unflinchingly with spousal abuse and family dysfunction.)

A suggested solution by Heller was to perform the show once in its entirety for an invited audience and then complete the run performing only the three remaining plays for the public. The decision of the company of actors and

the directors was to reject this attempt at censorship and walk out. In follow-up discussions it was revealed that the plays had not been fully vetted before being approved for production. Heller didn’t know what it had accepted, in otherwords.

Fearing for his personal safety and continued employment, Frank withdrew “He is She” on April 7.

According to Frank, “He is She” was intentionally written to be offensive. The playwright says that the play is a direct response to current politics and social realities in our country.

“The play tackles very hot issues in today’s ‘Trump World,’ such as Russian-US collusion, illegal immigration, Keystone-Dakota Pipeline, transgender rights, and the Mexican border wall,” he said.

The play is unquestionably an assault on traditional theater, as well as traditional values. The language is very strong throughout, and various people, not just women, are subjected to violent treatment.

“It’s based in part on a real character,” said Frank. “It’s a very topical, political play. I wanted people to take action about the political situation in the country. I wanted an emotional response.”

Machele Dill, artistic director of Echo Theatre, said she knew the play was provocative but wanted to do it anyway, in spite of the reactions.

“That made me more determined,” she said. “Nobody’s going to tell me what I can and can’t put on stage.”

“It boggled my mind that someone can’t separate the playwright from the work,” Dill said, “and [think] they have the ‘right’ to say ‘no one can see this.’”

Yet, the reactions managed to do exactly that: no one will ever see the Heller production of “A Stye in the Eye” nor Echo Theatre’s reading of “He is She.” A savage god, indeed. a May 17 – June 6, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

May 25-26 Sangama Kripalaya Dance Academy May 26-27 Live From Tulskatown, Or What You Won’t Two O’Clock/Four O’Clock Productions May 27 & June 2-3 Flyin’ West - Theatre North June 1-4

Pete ‘n’ Keely Tulsa Repertory Musicals

June 1

Cherokee Maidens & Sycamore Swing in Concert

June 2-4 & 8-11 Little Shop of Horrors Tulsa Project Theatre

20 17

June 2

Voices of the Future: Songs About Teenage Life, Love & Hope - Tulsa Youth Cabaret

June 3

Shelby Eicher Hillbilly Jazz

June 4

Vintage Wildflowers in Concert

MAY 25-JUNE 25 T U L S A

P E R F O R M I N G

A R T S

Judy Baca

Lily Yeh

A R T TA L K WITH

Judy Baca & Lily Yeh Compelling, Meaningful & Beautiful will be presented by A Gathering Place Tulsa in partnership with TAF and the Philbrook Downtown.

The conversation will be moderated by Jack Becker and starts at 6pm.

C E N T E R

Tuesday, May 30 • 6 – 7:30 pm Philbrook Downtown ETULSA.ORG OR

ERSTAG TICKETS @ SUMM

PRESENTED BY

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TELL US:

voices@langdonpublishing.com THE TULSA VOICE // May 17 – June 6, 2017

ARTS & CULTURE // 27

sportsreport

T

hey were agonizingly close to a dream matchup, but despite the disappointing loss in the opening round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup tournament, not to mention the loss of their stadium, the Tulsa Athletic soccer club is still here and thriving.

(Even though they were forced to drop the S from the end of their name (thanks to an overbearing lawsuit threatened by Major League Baseball’s Oakland A’s— see the story in the Voice’s 2017 Feb. 1 issue), I’m still going to call them “Athletics.”)

The gut-wrenching loss came 2–1 on penalty kicks to the Oklahoma City Energy FC’s U23 squad at the University of Tulsa on Wednesday, May 10. Now, the Energy’s U23 team gets the opportunity the Athletics desperately wanted—to face the Tulsa Roughnecks FC in the second round of the tournament at TU on May 17.

“We realize that game would be important for the city of Tulsa,” said Athletics co-owner Sonny Dalesandro of the possibility of facing the Roughnecks. “I think people have wanted to see that game for some time now.”

And while the Energy seemed to have the better of play in the first half, with former TU player Matt Puig scoring in the 44th minute to give OKC a 1–0 lead, the Athletics slowly took over territorial control as the second half wore on.

Tulsa’s Declan Fitzpatrick tied the contest in the 80th minute and the Athletics had multiple opportunities to take the lead after that and through two 15-minute overtime periods, but could not connect. OKC then won the shootout 4–2, nullifying the dream cross-city matchup.

“Penalty kicks are always a coin flip, really,” said Athletics coach

28 // ARTS & CULTURE

OKC Energy FC U23 vs Tulsa Athletic at TU Soccer Complex on May 10 | COURTESY

MISSED MATCHUP Recent loss won’t deter the team formerly known as Tulsa Athletics

by JOHN TRANCHINA

Joey Ryan. “It’s a tough way to decide a game after you’ve played for 120 minutes. I thought the second half we were the better team and in overtime, we were creating all the chances. A very exciting game by two good teams.”

Despite the bitter defeat, and having survived the loss of their stadium at the corner of East 15th Street and Yale Avenue—which is being torn down to make way for the new USA BMX headquarters and training facility, the Athletics are back for their fifth season in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL).

The squad will now play its home games at LaFortune Stadium, next to Memorial High School at LaFortune Park, on Hudson Avenue between 51st and 61st streets. The Athletics’ first home league game is Sat., May 20 at 7:30 p.m. against Ozark FC from Siloam Springs, Ark. It may not have the same intimate Athletics character as their old home, and the playing surface is Astroturf instead of grass, but LaFortune Stadium should serve the team’s needs well.

“We had to play somewhere, and we looked at about seven or

eight other options,” Dalesandro said. “There’s not a ton of places in Tulsa where you can play soccer in a stadium environment and LaFortune was one of them. It’s got a good location in midtown, it’s close to our offices, it’s close to where the boys will be staying.

“We loved the old stadium. It was a very unique piece of who we are. We had the freedom to do a lot of things there and express who we are as a club, which was really important in defining the character of our organization. At the same time, a lot of resources went into maintaining that.

“The venue we’re at now is new—it’s fantastic. A lot of things that were on our plate are now taken off of it, so we can focus on things like making sure the team on the field is as good as possible and not have to worry about mowing the field three times a week. We’re looking forward to it.”

On the field, the Athletics are hoping to build off a strong 2016 season in which they went 11–1–0 during the regular season, the second-best record (out of 84 teams) in the NPSL. After winning their first-round playoff matchup 4–1 over the Liverpool Warriors (a team based in Saginaw, Texas, not England), the Athletics were upset 2–1 by Dutch Lions FC (of Houston) in the South Central Conference Final.

And despite the recent U.S. Open Cup loss, Dalesandro is optimistic of his team’s chances this year.

“We lost a couple of key players, but we added a couple of really good pieces as well,” Dalesandro said. “On paper, I think we look maybe a little better this year than last. I think we have all the tools to make another deep playoff run and hopefully bring a national championship trophy to Tulsa. Fingers crossed.” a May 17 – June 6, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

C

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Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

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THE TULSA VOICE // May 17 – June 6, 2017

ARTS & CULTURE // 29

community

Rawb Brothers likes to snap his own keepsake Polaroid of each wedding he officiates COURTESY

A

wise woman once said, “If you want to go into debt by throwing a lavish party you will barely remember, have yourself a big wedding.” (Full disclosure: that woman was me.)

For decades the wedding industry has grown at an unbelievable pace, ballooning into what is now a multibillion dollar industry, according to Forbes magazine.

What used to be an intimate celebration that took place over the course of a few hours can now include several events across multiple days.

It’s not uncommon for a wedding weekend to consist of cocktail hours and dinners in the days before the actual ceremony, followed by a lavish and lengthy reception complete with an open bar and a fully catered meal.

There is often a morning-after brunch to help soften the blow of the hangovers guests earned while trying to recoup the money they spent on their personal travel expenses in liquor.

There are chocolate fountains, photo booths, professional photographers, extravagant and personalized party favors, catered meals, mason jars everywhere, customized koozies, an entire botanical garden’s worth of flow30 // ARTS & CULTURE

LET’S GET TOGETHER Your Lord Dudeness will officiate whatever kind of wedding you want

by AMANDA RUYLE

ers, dresses that cost more than my first car, centerpieces, themes requiring set designers to pull off, multiple cakes, live birds, a second dress, bands and DJs and emcees, and whatever else you can imagine.

If you attend a wedding trade show, you will leave with grandiose ideas about what your special day should look like, and it probably has very little to do with what makes your relationship with your partner so special.

The cost of such an extravagant event, as well as the impersonal nature it can take on, has caused many couples, young and old alike, to push back against the industry and redefine what a wedding should be.

Rawb Brothers, or Your Lord Dudeness, as it says on his busi-

ness card, has been performing wedding ceremonies for seven years. What started as a joke among his high school friends became a reality when one of those friends asked Brothers to officiate his wedding.

“My best friend had all of his best men lined up and he asked me if I would officiate his wedding. We had always joked about it, but we decided to make it a reality … It was an Irish-style wedding, we were doing shots and drinking out of the keg. Part of the ceremony was actually about same-sex rights, and how [the couple] had the right to marry but same-sex couples didn’t. They wrote it for me, and I read it, because that’s what they wanted.”

Ensuring that couples have

the ultimate say in how their ceremonies are conducted is key to the services Brothers provides, and part of the reason people seek him out. He has performed ceremonies for couples considered by many to be non-traditional and who may struggle to find officiants and locations that will serve their wedding needs.

He has married a trans couple, several same-sex couples, older couples entering into their second or third marriages, and couples who are looking to avoid the typical church wedding and have some fun with their vows.

“Why not have fun with it, make your wedding fun and about you?” Brothers said. “I kind of gained this philosophy at my grandma’s funeral because I was disappointed that it wasn’t about her … I thought, ‘Wait, I’m ordained, I could do this stuff and make it about the people, fully.’

That’s how it should be.”

Brothers is happy to oblige whatever requests his clients make.

“You get to tell me how you want it done. If you want a certain script written, or want to write it yourself … or if you want me to dress a certain way, I’ll do it … I want to make sure the couple has it their way, May 17 – June 6, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

because it is all about them. It’s their wedding.”

Over the years he has collected a series of props to use during the ceremonies, including various texts he will happily use during the exchanging of the vows. His collection includes a leather bound book on Darwinism and a Star Wars box that, with a push of a button, opens to reveal a Star Wars book rising from the center.

He will also accommodate Dudeist weddings, and even has a Flying Spaghetti Monster unholy text. He once officiated a gothic-themed wedding and, at the request of the bride, wore a top hat, a long black overcoat, and a Texas Chainsaw Massacre t-shirt as the bride walked down the aisle to a song by the band Type O Negative.

Planning a wholly unique and individualized wedding often calls for an unusual venue. Although he has officiated weddings in more traditional venues like the Sapulpa Country Club country, many who use his services are looking to save money, which means avoiding costly rental fees and the stress that comes with planning a huge event. “[Weddings] bankrupt people, or they have to have their families pay for it, yet you can do it for so cheap and have so much more fun. People get so stressed about weddings, and they shouldn’t be … Tulsa is your playground, there are so many great sites … buildings you can use as backdrops and so many great parks.”

Weddings are held all over Tulsa these days, including in landmark spaces such as the Circle Cinema, the Dresser Mansion, and the Center of the Universe, and in little dive bars like Mercury Lounge. Some couples choose to individualize their ceremony, but still go for a prime location that can accommodate a large guest list, like Cain’s Ballroom or Living Arts.

Ultimately, Brothers will go anywhere and do anything to assure that the couple getting married has the individualized, unique, and stress-free wedding they desire.

“I get a lot of joy out of it. I have a lot of fun, and they have a lot of fun. I want to give them a good memory, and it’s fun to see people click.” a THE TULSA VOICE // May 17 – June 6, 2017

VENUE GUIDE PLANNING a work conference or wedding party?

Your guide to event venues (big and small) around Tulsa

CAMP LOUGHRIDGE 4900 West 71st Street (918) 446-4194 www.camploughridge.org Event rental contact: events@camploughridge.org Capacity: 300

624 CATERING

THE BROADWAY

624 South Boston Avenue (918) 779-6333 www.624catering.com Event rental contact: Heather Dusenberry Capacity: 200 reception, 125 seated

720 South Kenosha Avenue (918) 592-2211 www.TheBroadwayTulsa.com Event rental contact: Susan Wright Capacity: 250 reception, 175 dinner seating

HARWELDEN MANSION 2210 South Main Street rtorix@ahct.org harweldenmansion.com Event rental contact: Ricky Torix Capacity: 75 - 125

OKLAHOMA AQUARIUM

ONEOK FIELD

300 Aquarium Drive (918) 296-FISH okaquarium.org Event rental contact: events@okaquarium.org Capacity: Varies with room/ area, 20-1,000+

201 North Elgin Avenue (918) 574-8324 oneokfieldevents.com Event rental contact: Courtney Gemmett Capacity: 50-400

TULSA GARDEN CENTER 2435 South Peoria (918) 576-5155 www.TulsaGardenCenter.com Event Rental Contact: Janet Gaither, events@tulsagardencenter.com Capacity: 200

TULSA ZOO 6421 East 36th Street North (918) 669-6605 tulsazoo.org/weddings Event rental contact: Nicolas Stolusky, Amy Watson Capacity: 100-600 indoor; 4,000 outdoor

LIVING ARTS OF TULSA 307 East Brady Street (918) 585-1234 livingarts.org Event rental contact: Chris Henson Capacity: 260

POSTOAK LODGE & RETREAT 5323 West 31st Street North (918) 430-3299 www.postoaklodge.com Event rental contact: Kelly Jo Rickman Capacity: 50-500

WHITE HOUSE MANSION 1 West 81st Street, Tulsa (918) 313-0808 whitehousemansiontulsa.com Event rental contact: Julia Kwok Capacity: 5-300

VENUE GUIDE // 31

bookworm

ANALOG FOREVER Local zine culture thrives

by DAN RIFFE

I

first became aware of fanzines in the late ‘70s. I was a science fiction geek and belonged to the local science fiction fan club called Starbase Tulsa. Some of the members of the club put out a zine called Sol Plus, my first introduction to self-publishing.

A fanzine, as it’s name implies, is a magazine made by and for fans of a particular subject matter or area of interest: literary, film, or musical subgenres, lifestyles or modes of belief. An argument could be made that fanzines have been around since Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense,” a pamphlet that encouraged egalitarian government and independence from Great Britain in 1775–76. But the term first became popular among early sci-fi fans in regard to the amateur, fan-published periodicals about the genre.

Early science fiction zines were often produced on mimeograph, a cheap printing machine that forces ink through a stencil onto paper.

Those old-fashion public school tests and handouts with the difficult-to-read purple print that are familiar to people of a certain age were produced by a mimeograph.

Fanzines took a leap forward when the first commercial photocopier was made available in 1958.

Underground comic artists, beat writers, and other misfits immediately started publishing their work with the new technology.

One thing most fanzines have in common is a desire for sincere expression that isn’t homogenized by the genteel ministrations of an

32 // ARTS & CULTURE

editor with an MFA. In spite of the lack of conventional polish that many zines display, there is value in the singularity of voice and unfiltered expression. And, in a zine, you don’t have to worry about Facebook removing your post because someone reported it for “violating community standards.”

In the early ‘80s, I saw a punk rock fanzine for the first time: No Fashion, published by Jeff Sniderman, aka “Jeff Shit.” His attitude in print was defiant, snotty, and transgressive. The reviews of records and shows by bands like Black Flag, Flipper, and NOTA seemed to have been written by someone who might literally be foaming at the mouth. To my teenage mind, his description of an early Tulsa appearance of Black Flag as “the embodiment of the antichrist” was both frightening and compelling.

David Fallis’ Dry Heave was highly political, but also personal, with its sarcastic social commentary, ridicule of consumer culture, and, of course, reviews of punk shows, records, and other zines.

The reviews were crucial to the punk scene as there was a virtual blackout of punk and hardcore in the mainstream press.

Zines were proto-social media, totally analog and DIY, and probably more fun and compelling because it took more effort to do, thus separating those who really had an urge to say something from the people who just like the sound of their own voice. Zines developed over time throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s, largely inspired by the DIY punk rock zine revolution, but distinctly apart from it, like Lisa “Suckdog” Carver’s Roller Derby, or Jim and Debbie Goad’s psychotically misanthropic yet hysterically funny Answer Me!.

In our current cultural landscape, the necessity for fanzines in print form might seem counterintuitive. But along with increased interest in vinyl records, cassette tapes, and other analog media among swaths of the millennial

population, there is an apparent increase in printed fanzines, especially here in Tulsa. Gogo Reader, An(art)Chist Tulsa, Sister Speak, and the series of zines published by Broken Thumb press (No Tulsa Sound, for example) are representative of the diversity of our local zines.

Sister Speak, published by Marianne Evans-Lombe and Mia Wright, wasn’t originally intended to be a zine at all. They wanted to form a feminist consciousness-raising group. The zine was meant to help create interest in the group. But it didn’t happen in the way they had planned.

“The zine became this important project I didn’t expect,” said Evans-Lombe. “The consciousness-raising group became a zine.”

Evans-Lombe said the Internet has had a profound impact on artists’ ability to create and disseminate their work, but that the harsh, judgmental atmosphere prevalent on much of social media has a negative effect on individuals—and our culture generally.

Sister Speak is distributed for the most part hand to hand; the human interaction and tangible document is an important part of the process. In some ways, Sister Speak seems to be an antidote to social media.

Ceili Lawrence, an editor of An(art)Chist Tulsa along with Sydney Smith, also thinks of self-produced print media and her zine as a haven from the furor and superficiality of Facebook and Twitter.

“I’m looking for something more sincere and genuine,” Lawrence said. “To not put it on paper—it wouldn’t be the same.”

“Digital is boring. You can’t smell the paper. You can’t set it on fire,” said the creator of Gogo Reader, who wished to remain anonymous.

“To print something takes another level of intent and commitment … that’s saying something more about the idea.” a May 17 – June 6, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

artspot

Shades of Brown will display pottery by owner Melinda Curren and her mother, Marcia Borum, through May GREG BOLLINGER

ART OUT OF EARTH

Shades of Brown owner exhibits her work MELINDA CURREN talks very quickly. She’s probably been operating on a slightly over-caffeinated baseline since opening Shades of Brown 13 years ago. Shades—a longtime spot for creatives to showcase their work—is less stuffy than a gallery, and Curren works with many early-career artists.

For the first time, Curren and her mother, Marcia Borum, are exhibiting their own work. Pottery by both Curren and Borum, as well as paintings by Borum, will be on display through the end of May. “We’re the mud masters,” Curren said. “Nine years ago me and my mom started making mugs for the cafe. We’ve expanded since then, but I’m getting a little tired of making mugs.”

Curren first learned pottery from Linda Coward at Brookside Pottery, and now she has a kiln, wheels, glazes, and just about everything else she needs to create art out of earth. She says it’s a labor of love, and the process is so rewarding because of the tactile gratification.

“Clay is super forgiving, which is what I love about pottery … There’s so much give and take to it,” Curren said.

After making pottery “just for herself,” the mugs became popular at Shades. Curren typically loads 40–60 mugs in the kiln every month, solely to use and sell in the cafe. More recently, Curren and her mom started making other vessels for plants. The handthrown planters are rustic and fun with earthy glazes and whimsical cuttings.

She loves succulents for similar reasons she loves clay—they’re hearty and resilient. She also uses a lot of snake and purple heart plants for how easy they are to cut and repurpose. Another theme emerges: the value of getting full use out of things is greater than monetary.

This show represents most of everything Curren loves to do—make things and share them with people.

“I love pots, I love plants; I want people to enjoy them. May is good— it’s spring—to enjoy life … If you love it as much as I do, you can take it home with you. If not, I’ll take it home myself!” —KATHRYN PARKMAN

BEST OF TULSA READERS’ CHOICE 2017

Best Museum Thank you, Voice Readers!

THE TULSA VOICE // May 17 – June 6, 2017

ARTS & CULTURE // 33

thehaps

DOWNTOWN FESTS

Friday, May 18, through Sunday, May 21 MAYFEST boasts works by over 100 artists in indoor and outdoor exhibits and booths, three outdoor stages, dozens of bands, and activities for the whole family. Music headliners include Tulsa-based Prince tribute Vince and the Revolution, Eric Himan, and Wisconsin bluegrass and roots band Horseshoes & Hand Grenades. May 18–21, Deco District, tulsamayfest.org WORLD CULTURE MUSIC FEST is five days of independent and underground hip-hop artists from Tulsa, the surrounding area, and beyond. Performers include Steph Simon, Earl Hazard (aka Mr. Burns), Verse, Pade, Surron the 7th, and many more. For more, see pg 21.

May 18–22, Soundpony and The Yeti, worldculturemusicfestival.com BLUE DOME ARTS FESTIVAL celebrates the art of Tulsa with over 250 local artists and vendors, local flavors including everything from Harden’s Hamburgers to Lone Wolf Banh Mi, and two dozen performances from the likes of Animal Names, The Danner Party, and American Shadows. May 19–21, Blue Dome District, bluedomearts.org After cruising around the weekend’s festivals, ArtCar Weekend culminates with the BURNING CAR BALL 2017. Joining the ArtCars are a steampunk fashion show, live music from Space Horse, Police Academy II, and Noun Verb Adjective, fire spinners, and an ArtCar effigy bonfire. May 20, 8 p.m., $10, 32 N. 72nd W. Ave, livingarts.org The Hanson brothers’ beer and music festival, THE HOP JAM will feature 65 breweries from around the world and performances by Mayer Hawthorne, KONGOS, John Fullbright, Castro, Johnny Polygon, Count Tutu, and Hanson themselves. Hanson will be inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame before their performance.

May 21, Free admission, beer passes and VIP tix available for $40–$100, The Brady Arts District, thehopjam.com

BLUE DOME ARTS FESTIVAL

THEATRE

FESTIVAL

Heller Theatre Company and Midwestern Theater Troupe present the world premiere of The Light Fantastic, or In The Wood, an immersive theatrical experience by David Blakely. May 18–21, $12–$15, Nightingale Theater, nightingaletheater.com

Tulsa Pride Festival & Parade begins with the RainGlow Run on Friday, followed on Saturday by the parade and street festival in the East Village, and concludes with the Pride in the Park family picnic at Guthrie Green on Sunday. June 2–4, okeq.org

PERFORMANCE

EVENT

Michael Wright’s Life in Clouds: Chaos, Coteries and Chairs will focus on random occurrences counterpoised against scripted moments to create a sense of group dynamic and disruption. May 26–28, 7 p.m., Tulsa Artist’s Coalition, tacgallery.org

Examining Change: Performances // The North Tulsa Art Project is a series of events comparing the North Tulsa of the 1990s to today. Performances will feature poets, rappers, musicians, actors, and dancers. June 3, Living Arts, livingarts.org

34 // ARTS & CULTURE

May 17 – June 6, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

MUSIC NIGHT

with Steve Liddell

Thursday, May 25, 5-8pm Music starts at 6pm tulsabotanic.org | 918.289.0330

TULSA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

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ARTS & CULTURE // 35

thehaps

BEST OF THE REST EVENTS

PERFORMING ARTS

Michael Wallis and The Donner Party // Michael Wallis launches his new book, “The Best Land Under Heaven, The Donner Party in the Age of Manifest Destiny.” // 5/25, Tulsa Historical Society, booksmarttulsa.com

Something Rotten! // Set during Shakespeare’s time, two playwright brothers who can’t manage to write a hit visit a soothsayer who shows them the future of theater. // 5/235/28, Tulsa Performing Arts Center, tulsapac.com

Please Touch the Art // This art show is designed to engage all the senses, with a particular focus on accessibility for the visually impaired. // 6/2-6/30 29th Annual Tulsa Artist Coalition Member Show // TAC exhibits over 100 pieces by local artists. // 6/2-7/22, TAC Gallery, tacgallery.org

SUMMERSTAGE TULSA

Thursday, May 25, through Sunday, June 25 Tulsa Performing Arts Center, summerstagetulsa.org SummerStage comprises over 25 performances at the PAC over the next month. Here’s a look at the first couple of weeks: Sangama Kripalaya Dance Academy presents a dance and music production about embracing individuality while also striving for unity.

May 25–26, $20 Live From Tulskatown, or What You Won’t Sketch comedy, music, and some yodeling by Jack Allen and friends.

May 26–27, $12–$20 Flyin’ West Set in 1898, this play tells the story of the female pioneers who overcame tremendous odds and settled together in the all-black town, Nicodemus, Kansas. May 27, June 2–3, $15–$17 The Cherokee Maidens & Sycamore Swing Red dirt and bluegrass combine in this homage to roots music of the past featuring Robin May, Monica Taylor, and Lauren “Sis” White.

June 1, $23-$25 Pete ‘n’ Keely It’s 1968 and America’s sweethearts have reunited—after a big public break-up—for a live musical TV special. June 1–4, $32–$35 Voices of the Future: Songs About Teenage Life, Love & Hope Tulsa Youth Cabaret presents an evening of solo and group performances of some of the most beloved songs of the musical stage. June 2, $20–$30 Little Shop of Horrors Tulsa Project Theatre presents the classic and bloody musical story of Audrey II, the flesh-eating plant.

June 2–11, $25–$35 Shelby Eicher – Hillbilly Jazz A night of Western swing featuring Eicher, Tommy Crook, Steve Bagsby, Jared Johnson, and Nathan Eicher.

June 3, $16–$20 Vintage Wildflowers This string trio mixes an eclectic variety of genres with their true obsession: Celtic music. June 4, $12

For the most up-to-date listings

thetulsavoice.com/calendar 36 // ARTS & CULTURE

Crawfest 2017 // 5/20, Hebert’s Specialty Meats, hebertsmeats.com Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You // Circle Cinema will screen this documentary on the writer/producer/ creator, as well as footage from the Woody Guthrie Prize ceremony, and an interview with Lear. // 5/17, Circle Cinema, circlecinema.com The Clairvoyants // 5/25, Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - The Joint, hardrockcasinotulsa.com Abuela’s Tales // Spotlight Childrens Theatre presents this worldpremiere musical by Machele Miller Dill and Rebecca Ungerman. // 5/195/28, Tulsa Spotlight Theatre, spotlighttheatre.org Movie in the Park: Finding Dory // 5/18, Guthrie Green, guthriegreen.com Shell Super Rotella Beauty Contest // Some of the nicest big rigs on the road come to town in hopes of being chosen to appear in the annual SuperRigs Calendar. // 5/19, Guthrie Green, guthriegreen.com Film on the Lawn: The Princess Bride // 5/26, Philbrook Museum of Art, philbrook.org Tokyo in Tulsa Sakura Festival // Rescheduled from April, Tokyo in Tulsa presents this traditional celebration of the blooming of Japanese Cherry Blossoms, featuring karaoke, cosplay, and more. // 5/26, Guthrie Green, facebook.com/tokyointulsa Route 66 Patriot Fest // Celebrate the US of A with a variety of events and activities. // 5/27, Route 66 Village, rt66patriotfest.com Barghest, Recluse // 6/1, Soundpony, thesoundpony.com The Grits // 6/2, Soundpony, thesoundpony.com Asian-American Festival // The Tulsa Library Trust hosts this celebration of Asian art, culture, and food. // 6/3, Martin Regional Library, tulsalibrary.org/martin Soul Night // 6/3, Soundpony, thesoundpony.com

An Act of God // God descends from the heavens to answer some of humanity’s deepest questions in this comedy written by 13-time Emmy Award winner David Javerbaum (The Daily Show). // 6/1-6/11, American Theatre Company Animalia // Portico Dance Theatre presents this performance inspired by the habits and movements of wild animals. // 6/2-6/3, Tulsa Ballet Studio K, porticodance.org

COMEDY Friday Night Lit! // 5/19, Comedy Parlor, $10, comedyparlor.com Army of Stand Ups // 5/20, Comedy Parlor, $10, comedyparlor.com Mayfest Comedy Jam w/ Kountry Wayne, Karlous Miller, Chico Bean, Billy Sorrels, “Velly Vel” Harris // 5/20, Cox Business Center, bokcenter.com Sunday Night Stand Up // 5/21, Comedy Parlor, comedyparlor.com Open Mic Comedy // 5/24, VFW Post 577 - Centennial Lounge T-Town Famous // 5/27, Comedy Parlor, $10. comedyparlor.com Sunday Night Stand Up // 5/28, Comedy Parlor, comedyparlor.com Soundpony Comedy Hour // 5/29, Soundpony, thesoundpony.com DJ Trillary // 6/4, Soundpony, thesoundpony.com Michael Palascak, Andrew Rivers // 5/17-5/20, Loony Bin, loonybincomedy.com/Tulsa The Mic Drop // 5/19-5/20, Comedy Parlor, $10, comedyparlor.com Mark Klein // 5/24-5/27, Loony Bin, loonybincomedy.com/Tulsa CR Parsons: Lawyers, Guns, and Funny // 5/26-5/27, Comedy Parlor, $10, comedyparlor.com Dan O’Sullivan // 5/31-6/3, Loony Bin, loonybincomedy.com/Tulsa

SPORTS Tulsa Athletic vs Ozark FC // 5/20, Memorial High School - Lafortune Stadium, memorial.tulsa.schooldesk.net Tulsa Athletic vs OKC Fighting Imps // 5/24, Memorial High School Lafortune Stadium, memorial.tulsa. schooldesk.net The Skunk Run Race Against Racism // 5/27, Brady Theater, bradytheater.com Tulsa Athletic vs FC Wichita // 6/3, Memorial High School - Lafortune Stadium, memorial.tulsa.schooldesk.net May 17 – June 6, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

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Tune into Tulsa’s eclectic, uniquely programmed, local music loving, commercial free, genre hopping, award winning, truly alternative music station. @RSURadio | WWW.RSURADIO.COM THE TULSA VOICE // May 17 – June 6, 2017

ARTS & CULTURE // 37

musicnotes

PLACES TO KEEP Talking with Lauren Barth at her Courtyard Concert

by JOHN LANGDON

T

he sonic space where Lauren Barth’s new album Forager exists is on a desolate stretch of road halfway between Laurel Canyon and Turkey Mountain. A California native in Oklahoma, Barth takes her surroundings with her in songs as a kind of collection of imagined vistas, places to visit between your ears. Inhabiting the spirit of a traveler, a gypsy, and a long-lost companion, Barth’s song “The Devil, My Father” takes the listener into a sprawling landscape that’s equal parts desert dunes and windswept tallgrass.

While here at the Voice office for the first Courtyard Concert of the season (accompanied by Jesse Aycock on guitar, Aaron Boehler on bass, and Andrew Bones on drums), Barth talked about the places that inspire her, taking Kurt Vile to a Jacob Tovar show, and hating Tame Impala (most of the time).

Lauren Barth performing in The Tulsa Voice courtyard on May 4 | GREG BOLLINGER

38 // MUSIC

FIRST SONG LEARNED: It was “Take It Easy” by The Eagles. That was the first song I learned on guitar and then the first song that I learned to actually sing and play was “Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright” by Bob Dylan. The

first time I played it in front of people, it was three people in my dorm room and I was so scared that I was shaking. It was terrifying. I’ll never forget that. It was so great. Then it took me 10 more years to get comfortable doing it.

DESERT ISLAND DISCS: One for sure, no doubt about it, is Blood on the Tracks by Bob Dylan. That’s my desert island record. Animals

by Pink Floyd is my other favorite record. I can zone out to it, I can sleep to it, I can meditate to it, I love going to that world. And it might be cheating because it’s a compilation, but it’s called I Am the Center and it’s a compilation of American New Age music from 1950 to 1990, and it’s, like, the best music in the world. So good.

GUILTY PLEASURE LISTENING: I have a lot, but my newest is “I’m a Man” by Tame Impala. And I only say it’s a guilty pleasure because I am the biggest hater. Like, “You should listen to this new Tame Impala,” and I’m like, “Get this out of my face, I hate this hipster crap.” And then I heard this song and thought it was so good and someone told me it was them and I thought, NO! It’s so good. Don’t tell anyone I like it.

May 17 – June 6, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

Also “Sideways” by E-40. Some real hyphy Bay Area hip-hop.

Sometimes you really need it.

I’m not used to it and it’s exciting.

It’s kind of like my cool new boyfriend that no one knows is cool.

TULSA’S BEST SHOW EVER: Any night of the week where you go to a local musician’s weekly gig is gonna be great. I’ve seen some incredible Sunday Nite Thing with Paul Benjaman nights. The one after Leon Russell’s funeral might have been the coolest one.

It was packed to the gills, so many people in there, everyone singing along, drinking, celebrating.

There was another night, when Kurt Vile played at Cain’s and then we took him and his band to Mercury to see Wink [Burcham] and [Jacob] Tovar play and he was so stoked on it. That was really cool because it was like two of my worlds mixing.

ON MUSIC: Music is two things.

Just as a human, it’s my savior.

It’s the thing that makes life okay.

When life is overwhelming and scary and weird, music is the thing that makes all the scary

thoughts turn off. So for me as a human, music is therapy. As an artist, it’s my tool to put poetry to. I didn’t think I was going to be a musician when I was a kid, I just liked to write poetry. And then I started listening to rock and roll, so I figured I should get a guitar. It’s my vessel to express myself. a

CATCH LAUREN BARTH’S NEXT LOCAL SHOW, JUNE 10 AT SOUL CITY WITH ANNIE OAKLEY AND SHANNON BRACKETT.

FORAGER

is available in stores and online now via Horton Records.

MOST MEMORABLE SHOWS: My favorites are usually weird spaces that aren’t venues or house shows. Jesse and I played a really cool show last summer in San Francisco at this venue called The Chapel. It’s an old church that they converted to this beautiful venue. It was packed and everyone was quiet and listened.

And I’ve had some pinch-me moments, like playing The Roxy in LA while I was touring playing guitar for Nikki Lane. We played some big, beautiful, old theaters that I never thought I would get to.

DREAM VENUE: I really want to play the Fillmore in San Francisco.

That’s one of my dreams. The other is the Santa Barbara Bowl.

Santa Barbara is my hometown and you can see the mountains and the ocean from the Bowl and it’s just gorgeous. If some day I can play on that stage, I’ll be a happy lady.

A NON-MUSICAL INFLUENCE: Landscape and nature, locations. The desert was my big muse for a long time. I lived in LA and it was my escape. As soon as I’d get to the desert, I’d feel so much better and inspired. Oklahoma’s been doing it for me for a while. It’s a new landscape for me, you know?

THE TULSA VOICE // May 17 – June 6, 2017

MUSIC // 39

musiclistings Wed // May 17

CJ Moloney’s – Chuk Cooley Mercury Lounge – Travis Linville Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Eicher Wednesdays – ($10) On the Rocks – Don White River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Chris Blevins, Wink Burcham Soul City – Poppa Foster’s Gumbo Soundpony – Live band metal karaoke w/ Satanico and the Demon Seeds The Blackbird on Pearl – Open Mic w/ Screamin Steve The Colony – Tom Skinner’s Science Project The Venue Shrine – Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers – ($20)

Thurs // May 18

Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - The Joint – Almost Famous, Miracle Max Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - The Joint – Rod Robertson Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - The Joint – Huey Lewis and the News* – ($55-$65) Hunt Club – All About a Bubble Mercury Lounge – Paul Benjaman Band Mr. Nice Guys on Guthrie Green – Grazzhopper* River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Brent Giddens, Ali Harter Soul City – Cody Clinton’s Writer’s Block The Colony – Honky Tonk Happy Hour w/ Jacob Tovar The Run – The Rumor The Venue Shrine – Jelly Roll – ($10) VFW Post 577 - Centennial Lounge – Rusty Ferrell Yeti – Vagittarius, Finches in the Attic, The Mules Zin Urban Lounge – Randy Brumley

Fri // May 19

American Legion Post 308 – Round Up Boys Crow Creek Tavern – 5th Element Band Dusty Dog Pub – Barry Seal Ed’s Hurricane Lounge – Follow The Buzzards Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - The Joint – Allison Arms Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - The Joint – SquadLive, Urban Addiction Hunt Club – November Lennie’s Club – The Hitmen Mercury Lounge – Jonny Burke River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Southern Shine, Chris Foster River Spirit Casino - Volcano Stage – Vashni Duo The Beehive Lounge – From Parts Unknown, Pawn Shop Heroes The Blackbird on Pearl – Jabee, Saganomics, Higher Learning Academy, Young Dv, DJ Heavy J* The Boxyard – Travis Fite – 4 p.m.

The Colony – Desi & Cody The Venue Shrine – Freak Juice, Seth Lee Jones Band* – ($5) VFW Post 577 - Centennial Lounge – Community Center, Rachel Bachman, PNK PRTS – ($8) VFW Post 577 - Centennial Lounge – Rachel Bachman and PNK PRTS with Community Center Zin Urban Lounge – Sean Al-Jibouri

Sat // May 20

Centennial Lounge – Sloppy Joe Fiasco Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - The Joint – Chad Lee Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - The Joint – Scott Eastman Hunt Club – Smunty Voje IDL Ballroom – Figure – ($12-$20) River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Caleb Fellenstein, Afistaface River Spirit Casino - Volcano Stage – The Tiptons The Blackbird on Pearl – Dirtfoot w/ Mike Hosty – ($10) The Boxyard – Chris Blevins – 4 p.m.

The Fur Shop – F.S.U. fest w/ Stinky Gringos, The Mules, Shelter People, The Dischord – ($5) The Venue Shrine – The Chimpz – ($7) Vanguard – Grind, Skytown, Stanley’s Revenge, Oklahombres – ($10) 40 // MUSIC

VFW Post 577 - Centennial Lounge – Sloppy Joe Fiasco, Hey Judy Zin Urban Lounge – Randy Brumley

Fri // May 26

CJ Moloney’s – Duane Mark Elwood’s – Cody Woody La Iguana Nightclub – The Normandys, Made Well, Kick Tree Mercury Lounge – McKinley James Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Peter Cincotti River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Chris Foster, Chris Blevins Savage Space – American Standards The Colony – Paul Benjaman’s Sunday Nite Thing The Fur Shop – North by North, Hey Judy, Pollen RX* Tulsa Botanic Garden – klondike5 – 1 p.m.

Vanguard – American Standards, Obscure Sanity, The Coast Beneath – ($7-$10)

American Legion Post 308 – American Strings Fassler Hall – Amea* Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - The Joint – Todd East Hunt Club – Dante and the Hawks Mercury Lounge – Barnyard Stompers River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – The Hi-Fidelhicks, Ali Harter River Spirit Casino - Landshark Pool Bar – Donnie Brewer River Spirit Casino - Volcano Stage – Vashni Duo Soul City – Don White Soundpony – Favored n Flavored The Beehive Lounge – Colouradio, American Shadows, Quahlity Vibes, Cabot Unknown* The Boxyard – Travis Fite – 4 p.m.

The Colony – Paul Benjaman Band Vanguard – Unsung Alibi, Suitup, The Beaten Daylights, Pawn Shop Heroes – ($10)

Mon // May 22

Sat // May 27

Sun // May 21

River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – The Marriotts, Jacob Tovar Soundpony – Ice Sword The Colony – Seth Lee Jones Band VFW Post 577 - Centennial Lounge – Jimmy Peterson, Dave Les Smith Yeti – The Situation

Tues // May 23

Gypsy Coffee House – Tuesday Night Open Mic Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - The Joint – Great Big Biscuit Mercury Lounge – Wink Burcham, Jacob Tovar and the Saddle Tramps Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Depot Jazz and Blues Jams River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Erin O’Dowd, Scott Musick, Dos Capos Soul City – Tuesday Bluesday w/ Dustin Pittsley The Beehive Lounge – The Bloody Lips The Blackbird on Pearl – Travis Fite The Boxyard – Little Joe McLerran – 4 p.m.

The Colony – Singer/Songwriter Night w/ Dan Martin Yeti – Writers Night

Wed // May 24

BOK Center – New Kids on the Block – ($30-$200) Mercury Lounge – Travis Linville Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Eicher Wednesdays – ($10) On the Rocks – Don White River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Chris Blevins, Wink Burcham Soul City – Poppa Foster’s Gumbo Soundpony – The Casual Six, Marie Cure, DuClau The Blackbird on Pearl – Open Mic w/ Screamin Steve The Blackbird on Pearl – Sloppy Joe Fiasco The Colony – Tom Skinner’s Science Project The Fur Shop – Lily Frances, Jillian Holzbauer Vanguard – Cold Shoulder, Short Leash, Gutter Villain, Andnow – ($7-$10)

Thurs // May 25

Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - The Joint – Motordog, The Hi-Fidelics Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - The Joint – Runnin On Empty Hunt Club – Ego Culture Mercury Lounge – Paul Benjaman Band River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Brent Giddens, Ali Harter Soul City – Cody Clinton’s Writer’s Block Soundpony – Soft Leather The Colony – An Evening with Jared Tyler Utica Square – Swunky Face Big Band w/ Branjae

Billy and Renee’s – Madewell, Without Sacrifice, Not In Public Chimera Cafe – We Make Shapes single release w/ Steph Simon* – ($10) Fassler Hall – Darku J Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - The Joint – Dropouts, Stars, Jenny Labow Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - The Joint – Rivers Edge Hunt Club – Keeping Secrets IDL Ballroom – Poppy Pie’s Burlesque Roulette – ($18-$25) Mercury Lounge – Ivory Deville River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Zodiac, Caleb Fellenstein River Spirit Casino - Landshark Pool Bar – Afistaface River Spirit Casino - Volcano Stage – Dane Arnold & The Soup Soundpony – Sweet Baby Jaysus The Blackbird on Pearl – Brad James Band – ($5) The Colony – Dan Martin Band The Fur Shop – Marking Strangers The Run – The Rumor Vanguard – Bubba Sparxxx, Struggle Jennings – ($15-$50) Vanguard – Sink In, Class Zero, The Classics, Couch Jackets - Early Show – ($7-$10) Yeti – Spaceface & Brothers Griin, Roots of Thought Zin Urban Lounge – Jim Tilly

Sun // May 28

Guthrie Green – The Rowdy Bunch Music Festival w/ Bethany Grace and GypsySoul, Even Keel, the Doctors of Replay, Rusty Meyers Band – 2:30 p.m.

Mercury Lounge – Brandon Clark River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Chris Foster, Chris Blevins The Blackbird on Pearl – American Beauty (Grateful Dead tribute) – ($8) The Colony – Paul Benjaman’s Sunday Nite Thing Vanguard – Minor Morals, Souls, Sledge – ($7) Yeti – Mean Jolene, Golden Ones, Cucumber and the Suntans

Mon // May 29

River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – The Marriotts, Jacob Tovar The Colony – Seth Lee Jones Band Yeti – The Situation

Tues // May 30

Gypsy Coffee House – Tuesday Night Open Mic Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - The Joint – Wayne Garner Mercury Lounge – Wink Burcham, Jacob Tovar and the Saddle Tramps Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Depot Jazz and Blues Jams River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Erin O’Dowd, Scott Musick, Dos Capos Smitty’s 118 Tavern – Scott Ellison Band Soul City – Tuesday Bluesday w/ Dustin Pittsley The Blackbird on Pearl – Flat Duo Jets – ($6.25)

The Boxyard – Little Joe McLerran – 4 p.m.

The Colony – Singer/Songwriter Night w/ Dan Martin Vanguard – Barbarian, Sabrewulf, Iron Born, Ruse, Piece of Mind – ($7) Yeti – Writers Night

Wed // May 31

Brady Theater – Foster the People, Miya Folick – ($32.50-$35) Mercury Lounge – Travis Linville Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Eicher Wednesdays – ($10) On the Rocks – Don White River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Chris Blevins, Wink Burcham Soul City – Poppa Foster’s Gumbo The Colony – Tom Skinner’s Science Project

Thurs // Jun 1

BOK Center – Roger Waters* – ($55-$200) Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - The Joint – Vince Neil – ($35-$45) River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Brent Giddens, Ali Harter Soul City – Cody Clinton’s Writer’s Block The Colony – Honky Tonk Happy Hour w/ Jacob Tovar TThe Fur Shop – The Punknecks Yeti – The Normandys, The Murder Junkies

Fri // Jun 2

American Legion Post 308 – Round Up Boys Foolish Things Coffee Company – Marcus James - Sounds of Solitude: Into the Wild – 7:30 p.m. – ($10-$15) IDL Ballroom – Cinderella’s Tom Keifer – ($30-$40) Mercury Lounge – Dalton Domino River Spirit Casino - Paradise Cove – Patti LaBelle* – ($65-$75) Soul City – Jared Tyler Record Release w/ Seth Lee Jones, Casey Van Beek, Jake Lynn* The Blackbird on Pearl – The Plums – ($5) Vanguard – Bass Race 2 feat. Murder Palace, Darku J, KrewX, DJ Zach Fast – ($5-$10) Zin Urban Lounge – Randy Brumley

Sat // Jun 3

Billy and Renee’s – Bermuda County Mercury Lounge – Vandoliers The Colony – Vagittarius The Venue Shrine – Pirate Parrrrrrty – ($5) The Wine Loft – The Blue Dawgs Vanguard – Greenhouse Vol. I w/ Rose Gold, Fight the Fade, Via the Verge, Upland, Forswear – ($10)

Sun // Jun 4

Mercury Lounge – Brandon Clark River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Chris Foster, Chris Blevins The Colony – Paul Benjaman’s Sunday Nite Thing

Mon // Jun 5 BOK Center – Journey – ($25-$149.50) River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – The Marriotts, Jacob Tovar The Colony – Seth Lee Jones Band Vanguard – Mocklove, Second Glance, When the Clock Strikes, Anchorway – ($7-$10)

Tues // Jun 6 Mercury Lounge – Wink Burcham, Jacob Tovar and the Saddle Tramps Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Depot Jazz and Blues Jams River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Erin O’Dowd, Scott Musick, Dos Capos The Colony – Singer/Songwriter Night Vanguard – Bad Suns, Hunny – (SOLD OUT)

May 17 – June 6, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

OKLAHOMA STUDY OF NATIVE AMERICAN PAIN RISK RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS NEEDED

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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.

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Greenwood Cultural Center presents

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Sponsorship Levels

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For Additional Information Contact: Frances Jordan-Rakestraw @ 918-596-1025

THE TULSA VOICE // May 17 – June 6, 2017

MUSIC // 41

filmphiles

Steve Coogan, Richard Gere, Rebecca Hall, and Laura Linney in “The Dinner” | COURTESY

Mesmerizing gut-punch ‘The Dinner’ feels like a play, digs deep like a novel

by JEFF HUSTON

S

ometimes when you go to the movie theater, you end up seeing great traditional theater. That’s exactly what “The Dinner” serves up.

Rather than stilted cinema, a strong visual sensibility from director Oren Moverman helps this chamber piece expand beyond the restrictive frame of a “taped play” that often handicaps movies set in a specific location (the recent “Fences,” for example) while giving it an Altman-esque organic flow.

In the vein of Tony-winning dramas like “Who’s Afraid of Vir-

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

42 // FILM & TV

ginia Woolf ?” and the more recent “God of Carnage,” this fourhander about adults confronting a family crisis is actually based on a 2009 international best-seller by Dutch author Herman Koch. It’s not the broad indictment of rich white people that the works of Edward Albee are, but, as a specific morality play, “The Dinner” is as challenging as it is riveting.

This was a divisive polarizer among critics at the Berlin and Tribeca film festivals, as aggressive experiments with form often are.

Even so, “The Dinner” delivers precisely what high-minded cinephiles often beg for: a probing examination of people, individually and in relationship, that keeps revealing itself in ways that prompt you to rethink your assumptions, feelings, biases, and judgments.

“The Dinner” unsettles you in all the right ways.

Two wealthy couples, a pair of brothers and their wives, meet at a posh restaurant to discuss a disturbing event involving their sons.

Richard Gere and Steve Coogan play brothers Stan and Paul Lohman, Rebecca Hall and Laura Linney their wives Katelyn and Claire (respectively). Stan, a congressman with higher ambitions,

calls the meeting to hash out how they should address this private issue. If it goes public, the fallout would destroy their families, not to mention Stan’s career.

While the focus remains on the core quartet, Moverman employs insightfully calibrated flashbacks to flesh out specific psychologies and relational tensions. These flashbacks are sophisticated, not merely expository, peeling back internal layer after layer. The accumulated tensions fuel the subtext of the present crisis. This is a movie that feels like a play but digs as deep as a novel.

Moverman elevates the aesthetic with beautiful, motivated camera work. The frame lingers on its subjects in a way that magnifies anxieties and psychology, and judicious editing empowers the actors to take full ownership of their characters. Moverman gives them room to modulate and define these performances through lengthy takes rather than splicing them together through several.

Moverman also astutely uses the location to poke satirical holes. It’s a restaurant so ridiculously elite that the garçon describes a select cheese as “controversial” with a straight face.

A strong ensemble piece, “The Dinner” is ultimately a Steve Coogan showcase. Known for his comic skills, Coogan is devastating as a nihilistic history teacher who can’t cope with the complexities of history or the people who made it. This dysfunction applies to his family history, too, but Coogan brings nuance, even humanity, to a character that could’ve strictly been angry.

Linney, Gere, and Hall each navigate the strengths and weaknesses of their own characters with aplomb. Linney in particular creates sympathy for Claire’s selective moral relativity by establishing her as a pillar of strength under fragile circumstances, and Gere convincingly fights for moral clarity in the most unlikely of archetypes: a career politician.

Cate Blanchett originally signed on to make this her directorial debut before conflicts caused her to bow out, and her interest speaks to how rich and provocative the film is. The finale goes one melodramatic step too far, and its end is intentionally frustrating, but these are nitpicks in an otherwise absorbing, mesmerizing gut-punch that should spark intriguing post-viewing arguments of its own. a May 17 – June 6, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

MAGIC HOURS

Philbrook’s “Films on the Lawn” | COURTESY

PHILBROOK’S EVENING FILM ON THE LAWN SERIES EXPANDS TO YEAR-ROUND SHOWINGS

by JOE O’SHANSKY THE PHILBROOK MUSEUM’S ONGOING SLATE OF SUMMER MOVIES, “Films on the Lawn,” ramps up its 2017 season beginning May 26 with a 30th-anniversary screening of the beloved, Rob Reiner-directed comic fantasy, “The Princess Bride.” But, according to Philbrook Communications Manager Jeff Martin, it’s not just about seeing a film in the mansion’s bucolic garden with friends, family, and a picnic blanket.

“We’re having a real themed wedding,” Martin said. “April Brooks and Will Gibson [dressed as Princess Buttercup and Westley] will tie the knot for free with an ordained performer acting out scenes from the film. We always want the films to be more than the sum of their parts. We’ve had a flash mob during ‘West Side Story.’ Terrance Malick guest-curated one season, and so on.”

The film series has been around for over 40 years, but this year they’re shifting gears. Rather than showing films just on Friday nights during July, Philbrook will host movies every fourth Friday of each month, year-round—even if the weather doesn’t agree.

“If it’s bad weather, we’ll go inside. Hell, if it’s snowy we might watch ‘Fargo’ outdoors,” Martin said.

Let’s hope it snows again some year.

Upcoming films include the bizarre Wolfgang Petersen fantasy adventure, “The Neverending Story” (Jun. 23), Alfred Hitchcock’s classic thriller, “Vertigo” (Jul. 28), and in August nobody is putting Baby in a corner for “Dirty Dancing” (Aug. 25).

“We’ll have dancing in the garden for ‘Dirty Dancing,’” Martin said. “A campout for ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ in September with s’mores. Those are just a few teasers.”

Guests will actually have the opportunity to stay overnight for “Moonrise” (details to come), and are encouraged to ride their bikes in for the October screening of “E.T. the Extraterrestrial.”

Admission is $6 for Philbrook members and $8 for non-members, and free for kids 17 and under (admission to “The Neverending Story” will be free for all). There will be a cash bar andplenty of food trucks each time, but guests are welcome to bring their own picnics, chairs, blankets, and other accoutrements for a night of cinema under the stars.

For tickets and additional information visit my.philbrook.org or call (918)748-5300. a THE TULSA VOICE // May 17 – June 6, 2017

A BRIEF RUNDOWN OF WHAT’S HAPPENING AT THE CIRCLE CINEMA OPENING MAY 19 NORMAN A dramatic thriller made with a light touch, Richard Gere stars as Norman, a scheming New York fixer who befriends a young Israeli politician.

Three years later, Norman’s life is dramatically changed for better and worse as a result of their friendship. Directed

by Oscar-nominee Joseph Cedar (“Footnote”), it co-stars Michael Sheen, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Dan Stevens, and Steve Buscemi. Rated R. A QUIET PASSION A biopic from director Terence Davies (“The Deep Blue Sea”) about American poet Emily Dickinson, from her early life as a schoolgirl to her later years living as a reclusive, unrecognized artist. Cynthia Nixon stars as Emily, and Jennifer Ehle plays her sister Vinnie. Rated PG-13.

CITIZEN JANE: BATTLE FOR THE CITY A riveting documentary about the 1960s showdown between NYC activist Jane Jacobs and a ruthless construction kingpin in their dramatic struggle for the soul of a neighborhood. Andrew Horowitz, son of Tulsa civic activist Betsy Horowitz, will speak about his mother’s legacy following the 2pm screening on Sunday May 21st. Not Rated.

OPENING MAY 26 LET ME MAKE YOU A MARTYR A dark gothic crime movie filmed in Oklahoma, it’s a revenge tale about two adopted siblings who fall in love and hatch a plan to kill their abusive father. Co-starring Marilyn Manson.

Opening night premiere on Thur., May 25, followed by Q&A with director John Swab. Rated R. THE LOVERS Tulsa’s Tony Award-winning playwright Tracy Letts stars with Oscar-nominee Debra Winger as a husband and wife who are each having their own extramarital affairs. On the verge of divorce, however, the two start to cheat on their lovers … with each other. Rated R.

OPENING JUNE 2 NEITHER WOLF NOR DOG After a white author is summoned by a Lakota Elder to write a book, they go on a road trip through the heart of contemporary Native American landscape. June 2 premiere followed by Q&A with actor Richard Ray Whitman. Not Rated.

SPECIAL EVENTS WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?: NT LIVE Imelda Staunton stars in this heralded new production of Edward Albee’s landmark play about a young couple pulled into an aging couple’s toxic relationship. Produced at London’s

Harold Pinter Theatre. (Thur., May 18th, 6pm) LOST HIGHWAY (1997) The Graveyard Shift presents director David Lynch’s tale of two parallel stories that become connected by a mysterious turn of events. Starring Bill Pullman and Patricia Arquette. Rated R. (Fri. May 19th & Sat. May 20th, at 10pm) LONG STRANGE TRIP This sprawling four-hour documentary is an inspiring and complex look at The Grateful Dead, infamous for their chaotic artistic process and free-wheeling path to legendary status. Never-before-seen footage and interviews offer an unprecedented access to this iconic rock band. All seats $20. Rated R. (Thur., May 25, 6pm) KIKI A larger-than-life documentary look into the world of New York City LGBTQ youths of color, empowered by staging elaborate dance competitions.

This is the official kickoff event for Tulsa Pride, in conjunction with the Equality Center of Oklahoma. (Tue., May 30, 7pm) TWELFTH NIGHT: NT LIVE The daring new gender-fluid modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s comedy of errors, passion, and mistaken identity, staged by director Simon Godwin and starring Tamsin Greig as the transformed Malvolia. (Thur., May 18, 6pm) MULHOLLAND DRIVE (2001) The Graveyard Shift presents a newly restored version of director David Lynch’s surreal tale about an aspiring actor’s hypnotic, sensual, and dark journey into Los Angeles. Starring Naomi Watts and Justin Theroux. Named Best Movie of the Century So Far by a BBC International Critics Poll. Rated R. (Fri., June 2 & Sat., June 3, at 10pm) DOWRY OF THE MEEK A moving story of redemption about an abandoned polio-afflicted orphan from the Vietnam War whose life is nearly destroyed until a divine encounter changed everything.

This powerful documentary is hosted by guest speakers Bob and Marty Wagoner, and made possible by The Windows Ministry Inc. of Tulsa. (Sun. June 4, 2pm) D-DAY REMEMBERED FREE event screening of the Oscar-nominated documentary narrated by David McCullough. Featuring a display in the gallery from Keith Myers Traveling Military Museum. (Tue., June 6, 2pm & 6pm) PURPLE RAIN (1984) The pop musical classic starring Prince, screening on what would’ve been his 58th birthday.

Rated R. (Wed., June 7, 7:30pm)

FILM & TV // 43

popradar

A PLACE BOTH WONDERFUL AND STRANGE A ‘Twin Peaks’ primer ahead of its May 21 revival

by JOE O’SHANSKY

“W

ho killed Laura Palmer?” was the great preoccupa-

tion of 1990.

Fans would meet at classic diners for “damn good” pie and coffee and to communally imbibe the latest adventure of the brilliant FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper and his Watson-esque sidekick, Sheriff Harry S. Truman (Michael Ontkean), with an enthusiasm befitting diehard geeks immemorial.

My interest in director David Lynch then resided in his bizarre films. During the initial run of “Twin Peaks,” I inundated myself with “Eraserhead,” “Wild at Heart,” “Blue Velvet,” and his maligned “Dune” adaptation, the former two starring Lynch’s Boy Scout avatar and future special agent, Kyle MacLachlan.

I didn’t enter the town of Twin Peaks (pop. 51,201) until the prequel film, 1992’s “Fire Walk with Me,” which arrived after the series was cancelled after 30 episodes. Seeing the movie first was a confounding introduction to the supernatural mythology surrounding the town, and the identity of who killed Laura Palmer—who everyone (but me) by then knew was her father, Leland (Ray Wise), possessed by the spirit of a demon named Bob (Frank Silva).

44 // FILM & TV

“Fire Walk with Me” is a dark mirror to the original series, a stylistic orgy of Lynch’s weirdest, sometimes basest, instincts—and apparently it’s integral to the new series. Showtime, where “Twin Peaks” will air, doesn’t impose content restrictions, a likely indication that the new episodes, which Lynch shot as a 19-hour long movie, will feel more like the unsettling, often graphic “Fire,” than the amiably weird show that captured the collective zeitgeist, spinning it into cult classic immortality.

At the time, “Twin Peaks” was being referenced on “The Simpsons,” Agent Cooper was appearing on “SNL,” as well as shilling Georgia coffee in Japanese commercials. Angelo Badalamenti’s sumptuous jazz-infused score inspired many bands, among them Xiu Xiu’s experimental Plays the Music of Twin Peaks and Fantomas’s cover of the title song from their amazing thrash deconstruction Director’s Cut, which notably captured and re-invented their groundbreaking influence.

Uber-writer David Foster Wallace became enamored enough to academically, and pop-culturally, define the term “Lynchian.”

It also inspired dozens of television imitators. “Lost” gets

namechecked a lot. But from early atmospheric homages like “Northern Exposure” (originally “Twin Peaks” was called “Northwest Passage”) and “Veronica Mars,” to more recent and direct recreations like “The Killing” or “Wayward Pines,” the culture-shifting shadow of Lynch and co-creator Mark Frost remains long.

That’s ironic for a show that was, at heart, an homage to past icons of film and television. The One-Armed Man (Al Strobel) is an obvious nod to “The Fugitive.”

Laura Palmer and her identical cousin Maddy (Sheryl Lee x 2) are Kim Novak’s doppelganger blonde and brunette from “Vertigo.” When I finally watched the syndicated “Twin Peaks” on Bravo in the mid-‘90s (with friends coming over each week, stacking donuts by type, drinking coffee— all that shit), the added Log Lady (Catherine Coulson) introductions became a riddle-me-this parody of “The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.”

A murder mystery, a soap opera (mirrored by another, literal soap opera within it), a “Newhart”-inspired rural comedy, and a supernatural buddy cop show—“Twin Peaks” became a narrative effortlessly complex and unexpected.

The identity of the murderer

was meant to be a MacGuffin, investing you in its often banal background players and revealing the rot beneath the veneer of their (often not) normal, small-town lives. A tantalizing warren of rabbit holes leading to a darker threat that looms over them all. Lynch knew that as soon as the mystery of who killed Laura Palmer was resolved, the show would be over.

In effect, it was. The final ten episodes suffer from Lynch walking away. The plotting devolved into a slapstick shadow of the characters’ former selves while the new nemesis, Windom Earle (Kenneth Welsh), kept the story spinning its wheels until Lynch returned to put the show out of its misery with a stunning, if frustrating, cliff hanger finale that left our stalwart Cooper possessed

by Bob and trapped for 25 years in the Black Lodge netherworld of Lynch’s imagination.

And now it’s 25 years later. The new “Twin Peaks,” which starts May 21, is Lynch’s swan song. It’s hard to know what to expect. Old fan favorites rarely make for good encores (hello: “The X-Files”).

And like most great artists, Lynch’s and Frost’s defining works reside in their past.

But that doesn't mean they can't come back with style. a May 17 – June 6, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

GERBILS TO POWER TULSA PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND OTHER STUFF YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE TO READ • BY FRASER KASTNER

AN ANNOTATED GUIDE TO TPS CUTBACKS In light of our state’s recent accounting whoopsie (we need close to a billion bucks and the free market hasn’t worked it out yet), Tulsa Public Schools has been tasked (again) with streamlining its budget.

The following is an incomplete list of what to expect in the coming school year.

• Twenty-six fewer non-teaching positions. Some people think that being a teacher in Oklahoma is the worst job in the world. In reality, our state’s teachers share this distinction with their non-teaching colleagues, like security personnel and administrators who somehow have to make do with a $12 million budget cut. (Losing that job must be like the sweet release of death at the end of a long, horrible illness.) The good news is that most of these jobs are already unfilled. The bad news is that cutting those jobs doesn’t save money.

• Fewer lights. Teachers will be asked to identify hallways and staircases with no security cameras and shut off the lights there. We know, we know—it sounds like they’re just creating spaces where kids can get beaten up. But since that’s basically what most public schools are these days, and school policies on bullying generally just cover the school’s ass at the expense of the victim—why lie to ourselves? It’s better to be incompetent and honest than incompetent and dishonest.

• Teachers will now buy their own school supplies. Wait, they’ve already been doing that for years. Shoot.

• No more fire alarms. The kids only ever use them for the wrong reasons and those buildings are, like, 99 percent asbestos anyway.

• Until now, all schools have been heated by thousands of hamsters running on wheels hooked up to a single generator from Kmart. Hamsters will now be replaced by gerbils, which are more cost effective.

• Schools will now teach safe sex so there’s not so many damn kids around the next time this happens.

Okay, the last ones weren’t real. You couldn’t tell, right? Or did you go to TPS?

Bitch-ass kids who can’t afford food apparently don’t want to be bullied either Several Oklahoma school districts have recently drawn criticism for their handling of outstanding student lunch debts. Some students, whose accounts showed that they had no money left in said accounts, had their hot lunches thrown in the trash in front of them, while others were stamped on the hand as a visible reminder to their parents to pay up.

Look, kids, the way this works is very simple: school meal programs are administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which has recently asked Oklahoma (and the rest of the 50 states) to come up with their own lunch policies by July 1.

Obviously that isn’t going happen, because 1) we are broke as shit and 2) it’s not like there are gonna be any consequences for our state legislators.

So now, Oklahoma’s already underfunded school districts get to manage feeding their students, paying for it, while figuring out how to keep the lights on. Expecting anyone in office to take responsibility at any point in that process would amount to a radical upheaval of our political system. Considering this, it makes perfect sense to shame kids for not being able to pay.

It’s not society’s fault poor kids can’t pass the buck any further!

RALPH SHORTEY ACCIDENTALLY BECOMES FIRST PUBLICLY GAY REPUBLICAN OKLAHOMA LEGISLATOR, MAKES HISTORY Sure, he wasn’t exactly outed on his own terms, since the cops found him in a hotel room with a bunch of drugs, lotion, condoms, and a 17-year-old boy. And fine, maybe he resigned in disgrace because he was paying a high school kid for sex, or whatever. And yeah, okay, fine, his political career is over, since trying to run as a gay Republican would be like trying to join the SS with a big gold star on your jacket. But, hey! Baby steps.

GOOD NEWS FOR EXPLOITATIVE REPORTERS

40th anniversary of Girl Scout Murders approaches It was a calm evening in a campground just outside of the sleepy burg of Locust Grove—the sort of time and place that, had you been there as a child, you might dream of in your twilight years—remembering toasting marshmallows, catching frogs, or seeing the primal dance of the firefly over the prairie and feeling the stirrings of something wild and beautiful in your own soul. It was the sort of time and place that we all want for our own kids, memories we would never trade in spite of the pain we feel when we let our guard down and allow them to return.

Well, unless you were there on July 13, 1977, in which case you probably just remember those three Girl Scouts being murdered and don’t want to relive that horrific experience. But we’re coming up on the 40th anniversary, so that’s not gonna stop the media from finding you. If anyone sticks a microphone in your face, just ask them what more they need before they’ll let the girls rest in peace. a THE TULSA VOICE // May 17 – June 6, 2017

ETC. // 45

free will astrology

by ROB BREZSNY

TAURUS

(APRIL 20-MAY 20):

When poet Wislawa Szymborska delivered her speech for winning the Nobel Prize, she said that “whatever else we might think of this world — it is astonishing.” She added that for a poet, there really is no such thing as the “ordinary world,” “ordinary life,” and “the ordinary course of events.” In fact, “Nothing is usual or normal. Not a single stone and not a single cloud above it. Not a single day and not a single night after it. And above all, not a single existence, not anyone’s existence in this world.” I offer you her thoughts, Taurus, because I believe that in the next two weeks you will have an extraordinary potential to feel and act on these truths. You are hereby granted a license to be astonished on a regular basis.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Would you consider enrolling in my Self-Pity Seminar? If so, you would learn that obsessing on self-pity is a means to an end, not a morass to get lost in.

You would feel sorry for yourself for brief, intense periods so that you could feel proud and brave the rest of the time. For a given period — let’s say three days — you would indulge and indulge and indulge in self-pity until you entirely exhausted that emotion. Then you’d be free to engage in an orgy of self-healing, self-nurturing, and self-celebration. Ready to get started? Ruminate about the ways that people don’t fully appreciate you.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): In a typical conversation, most of us utter too many “uhs,” “likes,” “I means,” and “you knows.” I mean, I’m sure that… uh… you’ll agree that, like, what’s the purpose of, you know, all that pointless noise? But I have some good news to deliver about your personal use of language in the coming weeks, Cancerian.

According to my reading of the astrological omens, you’ll have the potential to dramatically lower your reliance on needless filler. But wait, there’s more: Clear thinking and precise speech just might be your superpowers. As a result, your powers of persuasion should intensify. Your ability to advocate for your favorite causes may zoom.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In 1668, England named John Dryden its first Poet Laureate.

His literary influence was so monumental that the era in which he published was known as the Age of Dryden. Twentieth-century poetry great T. S. Eliot said he was “the ancestor of nearly all that is best in the poetry of the eighteenth century.” Curiously, Dryden had a low opinion of Shakespeare.

“Scarcely intelligible,” he called the Bard, adding, “His whole style is so pestered with figurative expressions that it is as affected as it is coarse.” I foresee a comparable clash of titans in your sphere, Leo. Two major influences may fight it out for supremacy. One embodiment of beauty may be in competition with another. One powerful and persuasive force could oppose another. What will your role be? Mediator? Judge? Neutral observer? Whatever it is, be cagey.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Just this once, and for a limited time only, you have cosmic clearance to load up on sugary treats, leave an empty beer can in the woods, watch stupid TV shows, and act uncool in front of the Beautiful People. Why? Because being totally well-behaved and perfectly composed and strictly pure would compromise your mental health more than being naughty. Besides, if you want to figure out what you are on the road to becoming, you will need to know more about what you’re not.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In addition to fashion tips, advice for the broken-hearted, midlife-crisis support, and career counseling, I sometimes provide you with more mystical help. Like now. So if you need nuts-andbolts guidance, I hope you’ll have the sense to read a more down-to-earth horoscope.

What I want to tell you is that the metaphor of resurrection is your featured theme. You should assume that it’s somehow the answer to every question. Rejoice in the knowledge that although a part of you has died, it will be reborn in a fresh guise.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “Are you ready for the genie’s favors? Don’t rub the magic lamp unless you are.” That’s the message I saw on an Instagram meme. I immediately thought of you. The truth is that up until recently, you have not been fully prepared for the useful but demanding gifts the ge-

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

nie could offer you. You haven’t had the self-mastery necessary to use the gifts as they’re meant to be used, and therefore they were a bit dangerous to you. But that situation has changed. Although you may still not be fully primed, you’re as ready as you can be. That’s why I say: RUB THE MAGIC LAMP! SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You may have heard the exhortation “Follow your bliss!”, which was popularized by mythologist Joseph Campbell. After studying the archetypal stories of many cultures throughout history, he concluded that it was the most important principle driving the success of most heroes. Here’s another way to say it: Identify the job or activity that deeply excites you, and find a way to make it the center of your life. In his later years, Campbell worried that too many people had misinterpreted “Follow your bliss” to mean “Do what comes easily.”

That’s all wrong, he said. Anything worth doing takes work and struggle. “Maybe I should have said, ‘Follow your blisters,’” he laughed.

I bring this up, Sagittarius, because you are now in an intense “Follow your blisters” phase of following your bliss.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The versatile artist Melvin Van Peebles has enjoyed working as a filmmaker, screenwriter, actor, composer, and novelist. One of his more recent efforts was a collaboration with the experimental band The Heliocentrics. Together they created a science-fiction-themed spoken-word poetry album titled The Last Transmission. Peebles told NPR, “I haven’t had so much fun with clothes on in years.”

If I’m reading the planetary omens correctly Capricorn, you’re either experiencing that level of fun, or will soon be doing so.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In what ways do you most resemble your mother? Now is a good time to take inventory. Once you identify any mom-like qualities that tend to limit your freedom or lead you away from your dreams, devise a plan to transform them. You may never be able to defuse them entirely, but there’s a lot you can do to minimize the mischief they cause. Be calm but calculating in setting your intention, Aquarius! P.S.: In the course of your inventory, you may also find there are ways you are like your mother that are of great value to you.

Is there anything you could do to more fully develop their potential?

MASTER

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “We are what we imagine,” writes Piscean author N. Scott Momaday. “Our very existence consists in our imagination of ourselves. Our best destiny is to imagine who and what we are. The greatest tragedy that can befall us is to go unimagined.” Let’s make this passage your inspirational keynote for the coming weeks.

It’s a perfect time to realize how much power you have to create yourself through the intelligent and purposeful use of your vivid imagination. (P.S. Here’s a further tip, this time from Cher: “All of us invent ourselves. Some of us just have more imagination than others.”)

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Beware of feeling sorry for sharks that yell for help. Beware of trusting coyotes that act like sheep and sheep that act like coyotes. Beware of nibbling food from jars whose contents are different from what their labels suggest. But wait! “Beware” is not my only message for you. I have these additional announcements: Welcome interlopers if they’re humble and look you in the eyes. Learn all you can from predators and pretenders without imitating them. Take advantage of any change that’s set in motion by agitators who shake up the status quo, even if you don’t like them.

Which of your dead ancestors would you most like to talk to?

Imagine a conversation with one of them. 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.

May 17 – June 6, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

ACROSS 1 Roundish hairstyles 6 Warbled 10 Big commotions 14 Ark measurement unit 19 Extensive grassy and nearly treeless plain 20 Symbol on a computer desktop 21 Small construction block 22 Asinine 23 Something little sluggers aspire to play 26 River deposits 27 Installation in a fancy bathroom 28 Fruit or melon coat 29 Systems for audiophiles 31 Congeal, as blood 32 Word with city or child 34 Attachment to rod or bus 35 Throat bug 37 Cleansed and then some 43 Break awful habits 46 Bring joy to 47 Flightless Aussie bird 48 One of the seven continents 50 A century in letters?

51 Respectful movement by a girl 54 Some round machine parts 59 Bore witness 61 Partner in marriage 62 Very small parasites 63 Give a villainous look 64 Adult male deer 66 Ask, as “the question” 67 Full of spunky energy 68 Female bullfighter 70 Made money?

73 Hindu gentlemen (var.)

77 Khan’s title of respect

79 Require 80 It’s definitely not right 84 Bide one’s time 85 Take on, as a role 88 Teacher or professor 90 Extremely heavy burden 92 Flipping tool in the kitchen 93 WWW address 94 In ___ of (as a substitute for) 95 Abbr. for a large Texas city 98 Annapolis naval student, briefly 99 Group of seven 101 Factor in storing fruits and vegetables 107 Stuffed with cargo 109 Word often coupled with neither 110 Love, French-style 111 Cat scratch deliverer 113 A thumbs-down indicates it 116 Night-prowling feline 117 Big-time degree 120 “The Creation” composer Joseph 122 Certain military shindig 125 Development places for babies 126 Common kitchen appliance 127 Lunchtime, for many 128 Highly excited, to jazz cats 129 Source of a green gem 130 Places for nightly retirements 131 “Been there, ___ that” 132 Affirmative answers DOWN 1 Charitable handouts 2 Do the chicken dance 3 Indian prince 4 Wife of Lennon 5 Worthlessness

6 “Burnt” crayon color 7 College campus environment 8 Egg ___ (Christmas drink) 9 Some African antelopes 10 Notwithstanding or even though 11 “Heavens!”

12 Eye with lust 13 Performances for one 14 “___ for cookie” (grade school lesson) 15 Charity quite active during Halloween 16 Features of some ink pens 17 “... and ___ the fire” 18 Exam relative 24 Fuzzy clothing fluff 25 Active volcano in Italy 30 Tiny groove 33 Part of the Grand Canyon 36 Supplied fresh weapons and ammo to 37 Bumper sticker 38 Wash out with a solvent 39 A la ___ (restaurant phrase) 40 Playful aquatic critter 41 Stubby pencils 42 Applies with a Q-tip 44 Thesaurus name 45 Like the north side of many trees 49 “Is that clear?”

52 Basic beliefs of a community 53 Period between birthdays 55 Downloadable software program 56 Weaver’s device 57 Leblanc’s Arsene 58 “Halloween ___: Season of the Witch” (1982 horror movie) 60 Dr. of rap and headphone fame

Universal sUnday Crossword

65 Rubbish 67 Not taking it anymore 68 Beyond repair 69 Rain in Spain 71 Word between surnames 72 “Bill & ___ Excellent Adventure” 73 Hindu misters 74 Not fooled in the least 75 Pro shagging flies 76 Furnace fuel 78 Bon ___ 80 “E pluribus unum” language 81 Short composition for a solo instrument 82 Makes origami 83 Cafeteria carriers 85 Lemon attachment 86 Atlantic food fish 87 Concluding parts 89 Avoiding being in the picture 91 Ingredient in fertilizers and explosives 96 “I suspected as much!”

97 Ridicule satirically, as in a magazine or film 100 Cheap, gaudy and showy 102 Made tough by habitual exposure 103 Violin bow applications 104 Qom locale 105 Ludlum’s “The ___ Ultimatum” 106 Sugar unit 108 Discharge from Britain’s RAF 111 Small freshwater fish 112 Turned in after the deadline 114 Best-liked, informally 115 Do a banker’s or librarian’s job 117 Gym surfaces 118 Depressed color 119 Places for yodels 121 World Cup zero 123 Loving murmur 124 Quilters’ get-together

Have a Ball!

By Timothy e. Parker

© 2017 Andrews McMeel Syndication

5/21

WE’RE HIRING! Dog Training and Assessment Specialist Under the direction of the Tulsa SPCA director of operations and the veterinarian, the dog training and assessment specialist will provide leadership and direction for the following activities: assessments, intake and outcome decisions, training, and behavior advice.

Qualifications include: • Thorough understanding of canine behavior • Ability to work with and train others • Strong attention to detail • High school diploma required, college degree preferred • Completed or in process of completing certified training program (full list of certif ications can be found at www.tulsaspca.org) This is a part-time, non-exempt position with $15.00 per hour starting pay, 20 hours per week maximum. Work days for this position: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Hours are negotiable.

To see a full list of qualifications and to apply, visit www.tulsaspca.org/careers/.

THE TULSA VOICE // May 17 – June 6, 2017

ETC. // 47

Pleas e re cycle this issue.