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CONTENTS // 3
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June 15 – July 5, 2016 // THE TULSA VOICE
contents
June 15 – July 5, 2016 // vol. 3 no. 1 3 FOOD & DRINK 18 // T he pint of no return
THE STATE WE’RE IN
Mark Brown, publican
On almost winning an Irish pub foodfile
26 // Tour de Pho Megan Shepherd, phobulist
It’s pronounced fuhh citybites
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OKLAHOMA’S FRACTURED NARRATIVE P14
A RT S & C U LT URE 30 // P arty for a living
BY BARRY FRIEDMAN
Liz Blood, bridesmaid
Meghan Hurley talks wedding planning w e d d i n g ta l k
8
10
12
Southern discomfort
‘Behind smoky doors’
Mayor of discordia
by Denver Nicks
by David Blatt
by Mitch Gilliam
A case for Oklahoma’s true geographic location
Last-minute bills breed public distrust
Paul Tay’s disruptive campaign
32 // F lag state Liz Blood, artisan
Molly Dilworth and perceiving the unperceivable inthestudio
MUSIC 36 // T he road from home
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Bobby Dean Orcutt, rambler
Life on tour with John Moreland
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CONTRIBUTORS David Blatt, Mark Brown, Matt Cauthron, Barry Friedman, Mitch Gilliam, Landry Harlan, Simon Hurst, Nellie Kelly, Melissa Lukenbaugh, Jeremy Luther, Adam Murphy, Denver Nicks, Mary Noble, Bobby Dean Orcutt, Joe O’Shansky, Michelle Pollard, Megan Shepherd
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editor’sletter
T
he second regular session of Oklahoma’s 55th Legislature recently ended. Regardless of which side of the aisle you claim, it’s hard to argue that it was an epic embarrassment, a disaster that portends very little good for our state’s future unless something changes in a big way. Thankfully, it’s an election year, and all 101 seats in the State House are up for grabs, along with 25 seats in the Senate. The primary is June 28, which includes not just the state legislature but elections for Tulsa’s mayor, sher-
PUDGE JERSEY GIVEAWAY
JUNE 23
iff, county commissioners and city councilors. Ahead of the election, Barry Friedman offers an agitated assessment of Oklahoma’s regression over the last several decades on page 14, while OK Policy’s David Blatt looks at the public distrust bred by ill-conceived bills rushed through the legislature at the last minute without time for proper review or discussion (page 10). Mitch Gilliam profiles Paul Tay, the perennial fringe candidate for mayor who’s grabbed Tulsa’s attention after crashing a recent de-
bate between G.T. Bynum and Mayor Bartlett (page 12). And Denver Nicks makes a case for why Oklahoma is Southern at heart (page 8). Yes, this issue is especially heavy on the politics and probably not safe for dinner party discussion. Whether or not you agree with some of the opinions found in the following pages, we appreciate your engagement and hope you’ll make a point of voting on June 28. a JOSHUA KLINE MANAGING EDITOR
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THE TULSA VOICE // June 15 – July 5, 2016
NEWS & COMMENTARY // 7
bottomline
Southern discomfort A case for Oklahoma’s true geographic location by DENVER NICKS
T
wo major societies on earth have the following traits in common: until fairly recently, both were agricultural economies under the dominion of a powerful landholding class and populated by a large number of people born into permanent servitude; residents of both are plagued by health issues that stubbornly resist the progress made in the rest of the industrialized world; both cultures celebrate retrograde models of masculinity and femininity; both have a preference for strongman political leaders with authoritarian tendencies; both peoples cling proudly to their backwardness and fiercely to a romanticized bygone era that came to a reluctant end; and, when compared to other societies nearby, both are unusually fertile ground for complete sociopolitical dysfunction. One is Vladimir Putin’s Russia. The other is the American South. For all its charms—and they are many—there is no denying that among regions in the U.S. the American South is the Michael Jordan of being deplorable. Taken altogether, the South is home to the dumbest, sickest, poorest, most willfully ignorant, and tragically neglected Americans. Oklahomans like to weigh the issue of whether or not Oklahoma is, in fact, a part of the South. A few years ago, This Land Press ran an article that explored the idea, pointing out that Okies themselves are torn on the question and that people in other southern states tend to claim Oklahoma as part of the region only reluctantly, if at all. But after the disaster that was Oklahoma’s most recent legislative
8 // NEWS & COMMENTARY
American South, clearly including Oklahoma (the state that went more red than any other that year). Those Southern counties that did swing Democratic did so because of their relatively large African-American populations. Exhibit 6 The Economic Innovation Group’s “Distressed Communities Index,” which tabulates several different measures of economic dysfunction like housing vacancy rates, adult unemployment, and high school drop out rates, places most of Oklahoma squarely in the bad kids corner with the rest of the South. COURTESY MGS
session there should be no more question about whether or not Oklahoma belongs to the South. And just in case the debate lingers, I offer you the final, irrefutable case, piece by piece, that Oklahoma is Southern, with a capital S. Exhibit 1 The U.S. Census Bureau places Oklahoma definitely in Census Region 3, “South,” Division 7, “West South Central,” along with the other unquestionably Southern states Arkansas, Texas and Louisiana. Exhibit 2 Though not technically one of the states that comprised the Confederate States of America, the Indian Territory was claimed by the CSA, and 14% of the population of were African American slaves. The relationship of Native Americans to the Civil War is complex, but we can say with some clarity that the so-called “Five Civilized Tribes”—who
were evicted decades earlier from their homelands in Southern states—sided primarily with the Confederacy. Exhibit 3 Like in the rest of the South, an unusually high percentage of Oklahomans are Baptist. Exhibit 4 Like other once-solidly Democratic states in the South, in the 1968 presidential election following a political realignment over Civil Rights, Oklahoma broke ranks. It’s true segregationist candidate George Wallace didn’t win in Oklahoma, but he did quite well. Wallace didn’t win in South Carolina or Tennessee either. Exhibit 5 In the 2008 presidential election the vast majority of counties in the United States went more Democratic than in previous years, even GOP strongholds like Utah and Idaho. The exceptions were, by and large, counties in the
Exhibit 7 Mapping Internet connectivity rates county-by-county reveals Oklahoma to be among the least-connected states in America, along with the rest of the South, (plus the parts of Arizona, New Mexico and South Dakota populated largely by Native Americans). Exhibit 8 It’s true that many Okies, like Midwesterners, refer to soft drinks generically as “pop,” deviating from the generic “Coke” used in the rest of the South. This turns out, however, to be a geographic anomaly centered in the northeast part of the state. The rest of Oklahoma says “Coke.” Exhibit 9 The accent. The Southern American English accent is notably present in two places: The South, and a small part of Southern California around the city of Bakersfield. Guess who brought the Southern accent to Bakersfield? Okies. a June 15 – July 5, 2016 // THE TULSA VOICE
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THE TULSA VOICE // June 15 – July 5, 2016
NEWS & COMMENTARY // 9
okpolicy
“
Bypassing the normal legislative process and rushing through so much critical legislation without reasonable time for review and debate feeds public cynicism and distrust – and leads to ill-conceived legislation.
‘Behind smoky doors’ Last-minute bills breed public distrust by DAVID BLATT
E
ach year, the Legislature appropriates a sum of money to the Department of Education for “programs and activities.” This line-item covers contributions to teachers’ retirement, early childhood education, alternative education, reading sufficiency, remedial programming, and more. This year, in a budget that was heralded for “holding education harmless,” the programs and activities budget was slashed by 30 percent. There was no press release announcing this cut. No explanation of the change in funding was made public. By the time the Department of Education uncovered the cut, the budget had already passed the Senate and was set for final passage in the House. This was just one of the little gems hidden deep within this year’s General Appropriations (GA) bill, which funds state gov10 // NEWS & COMMENTARY
ernment for the next fiscal year. The bill runs to almost 100 pages, includes some 200 sections, makes appropriations of over $6.8 billion to over 70 state agencies from more than three dozen revenue sources, and affects the life of every Oklahoman. Some of these gems were uncovered quickly, like the $4 million increase the Legislature gave itself amid cuts for most of the rest of state government. Others will take more time to uncover. The budget agreement was announced late Tuesday morning in the final week of session. Less than 24 hours after the bill was written, and four hours after it was posted on the Legislature’s website, the budget passed the Senate. Under the threat of being forced back into special session if they voted no, a bare majority of House members gave the budget final approval Friday afternoon.
The budget is just the most extreme case of the rushed and chaotic manner in which the Legislature conducts its business in the final weeks of session. From February to April, the Legislature generally follows a set of clear rules and guidelines. Committees must post meeting notices in advance. Amendments must be filed 24 hours prior to being heard. Bills not approved by the various deadlines are dead. Then, in May, most of the rules go out the window. Brand-new bills can be introduced, amended, and approved with lightning speed, with little if any opportunity for the public – or even most legislators – to understand what’s going on. For example, a bill to slash the state Earned Income Tax Credit, SB 1604, was filed after 5:00 pm on Wednesday, May 11th. It was heard in a Senate committee Thursday morning and in House
committee that afternoon, then passed out of the full Senate on Monday. This gave legislators almost no chance to hear from the 200,000 Oklahoma families affected by the bill. A friend recently commented that it seemed like all the decisions were being made at the last-minute “behind smoky doors.” He may have gotten his metaphors tangled, combining “smoke-filled rooms” and “behind closed doors,” but the sentiment is clear and justified. Bypassing the normal legislative process and rushing through so much critical legislation without reasonable time for review and debate feeds public cynicism and distrust – and leads to ill-conceived legislation. This needs to change. a David Blatt is Executive Director of Oklahoma Policy Institute (www.okpolicy.org). June 15 – July 5, 2016 // THE TULSA VOICE
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NEWS & COMMENTARY // 11
campaignyear
Mayor of Discordia Paul Tay’s disruptive campaign by MITCH GILLIAM
S
ometime B.C., before the Trojan War, all Greek gods, save Eris, met on Mount Olympus for the wedding of Peleus and Thetis. Eris, the goddess of chaos, wasn’t mailed a save-the-date. Snubbed, she snuck into the wedding, wrote “to the most beautiful” on a golden apple, and hurled it in front of the invited goddesses. They all fought for the apple, each one of them believing they were the most beautiful. The event is the origin of the satirical religion of Discordianism, which uses absurdity and chaos to illuminate hidden truths. On Wednesday, June 1, Tulsa’s favorite snubbed candidate, Paul Tay, threw some Discordianism into Tulsa’s mayoral race. Ambushing a live, televised debate between candidate GT Bynum and current Mayor Dewey Bartlett, the cowboy hard hat-wearing Tay jumped in front of the camera during closing remarks. Tay, who only received two percent of the mandatory ten percent required to participate in the debate, protested what he believed to be the censorship of anti-establishment voices. Asked to leave by moderator Royal Aills, Tay repeatedly yelled “I will not step off!” He brandished a roll of duct tape, which he later said he hoped to use to wrap Bynum in before dumping him in the river. He also called a cameraman “Matt Damon.” The day after Tay’s tantrum, social media showered the perennial shit-stirrer with attention. Video of the bizarre event was plastered across Facebook, accompanied by Tulsans’ liberal use of the “like” and “haha” responses. Memes were created with “I WILL NOT STEP OFF” written underneath his cowboy-hatted silhouette. The Frontier posted 12 // NEWS & COMMENTARY
Mayoral candidate Paul Tay | ADAM MURPHY
Mayor Bartlett’s 911 call from the debacle. Tay personally commented on the myriad posts, reiterating his belief that politicians “need to entertain voters.” Local comedian Dan Fritschie asked Tay if his plan was to “fight bullshit with batshit.” For Tay, batshit is the name of the game. Apart from running for mayor more times than he can remember, he’s famous for
bicycling on the B.A. expressway during rush hour while wearing a Santa suit, towing a giant inflatable penis with his bike, and generally accosting motorists and cyclists in feverish outbursts. Tay was far more mayoral than usual when we met on The Hunt Club’s patio. Leaving the Santa suit and dildos in the closet, Tay wore his now trademark cowboy hat,
dress shirt, tie, and western duster (despite the 80 degree heat). This new, more reserved look is a nod to mainstream politicians, and his hat was inspired by former OK political hopeful, Virginia “Blue Jeans” Jenner. “I take notes on all our politicians, and Virginia always had the hat,” he told me. He’s right, Jenner rocked one hell of a hat. Aside from the more traditional attire, Tay came across as more determined than in past runs. He’s taken the un-Tay-ish route of walking back controversial statements (namely, his plan to drown Bynum, and his labeling of the Rotary Club as “racists”) and has sought to harness the media blitz around him by hosting press conferences and setting up a proper channel for donations. He’s also laid out a more serious set of goals. Speaking at length on his platform, Tay assured me he wasn’t just a dog chasing a car, unsure what to do if he caught it. Tay wants to remodel all of our city parks after the Tisdale Food Forest. “We had a question on Wednesday night,” he said of the debate he interrupted, “where they asked about the mowing cycle. I thought ‘why are we paying to mow our parks when we can plant and let food grow on them instead?’” If elected, he says he would hire a Secretary of Education, and a Secretary of Cyberspace. “We’ve got a super-computer in City Hall, and that thing oughta be cranking out algorithms to make city processes work more quickly,” he said. He’d also require police to carry liability insurance, divert the war on drugs to a focus on rehabilitation, and increase cycling safety. “Ninety percent of cycling deaths are at intersections, so why are we worried about putting June 15 – July 5, 2016 // THE TULSA VOICE
lanes on the streets between intersections?” Tay asked me. He stressed his belief in bicycle awareness over infrastructure, citing his Santa suit as a security feature in high traffic. “We need to put biking and infrastructure between [motorists’ and cyclists’] ears before we put lanes on the streets,” he said. Though sharing similar goals, prominent members of Tulsa cycling and marijuana initiatives claim Tay hurts more than he helps. I asked Cry Baby Hill organizer Andy Wheeler what he and his team thought of Tay’s plans to host an event called Bike Cry Baby Hill Naked. “Ninety-nine percent of cyclists wish he’d just stop, and we wish he’d bikeride naked into a chigger farm,” Wheeler replied. Dean Franklin Grove II is a board member of marijuana advocacy group Oklahomans for Health. He told me Tay participated in Green The Vote’s 2015 petition effort, and left a sour impression upon medical marijuana advocates. “His antics during the petition included screaming at traffic in his Santa suit and begging for money while circulating for signatures,” Grove told me. “This is not what a serious activist does when he is trying to liberate people and save lives.” Though Grove feels Tay’s efforts delegitimize medicinal marijuana in the eyes of mainstream Tulsa, he nonetheless plans to vote for him, “simply to try and force a runoff in this broken electoral system.” A growing number of Tulsans have similar plans to Grove’s, and, if not planning to vote for Tay, are at least praising his Discordian campaign. His political piss-take is a growing pastime in an era when the parodic City of Tulsa Parking Enforcement can win “Best Tulsan to Follow on Social Media” from this newspaper’s readership for telling the official @cityoftulsagov Twitter account to “suck my balls.”* Tay has modeled his campaign after Donald Trump’s (even though he called his supporters “donkeys” in a press conference) and, like the presumptive Republican nominee, is proving the effectiveness of guerilla, shoestring THE TULSA VOICE // June 15 – July 5, 2016
budget campaigns. And apart from providing Tulsans with the entertainment he believes voters deserve, Tay’s actions have actually raised good questions during this election cycle. When Tay rushed the mic on live TV, Mayor Bartlett called 911, and was put on hold. The audio of the call gave Tulsans a laugh, but it also highlighted just how poor our emergency services can be, even for the Mayor. And if this was an emergency, and someone had entered the studio with a gun instead of duct tape, how could he just walk right up to a live broadcast with our Mayor? Bartlett asked himself that last question, and has made security a prerequisite for future debates. Aside from questions of safety, people are asking “why weren’t Tay and the other candidates allowed to speak in the first place?” If Tulsans hear a mayoral candidate speak on drug reform and bicycling, isn’t it possible those conversations could move into the mainstream? Bernie Sanders, once seen as a fringe candidate, brought income inequality and banking reform to the national debate, after all. But Tay doesn’t want to raise questions or push his rivals to the left. He wants to win. He’s encouraged his growing base of supporters to buy dusters and cowboy hats and act as surrogates to boost the number of “PT sightings” on social media ahead of the June 28 primary election. On June 9, he live-streamed a stroll through Utica Square businesses where he talked to customers about his platform, and asked them to hold “I’m with PT” signs before he was given the boot by security. I asked what other antics he has planned for the campaign. “None that I can disclose, for now,” he said with a smile. I asked Tay if he thinks his chaotic approach to campaigning is working. “It works, because you’re here talking to me,” he said. a
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*Tay will debate the City of Tulsa Parking Enforcement moderator Austin Bryant live at the Comedy Parlor on June 25. What they’re debating, I’m not sure. NEWS & COMMENTARY // 13
THE STATE WE’RE IN
OKLAHOMA’S FRACTURED NARRATIVE BY BARRY FRIEDMAN
14 // NEWS & COMMENTARY
June 15 – July 5, 2016 // THE TULSA VOICE
IN “THE WHITE ALBUM,” Joan Didion’s seminal work about how America defines itself, she writes, “We tell ourselves stories in order to live … We interpret what we see, select the most workable of the multiple choices. We live entirely … by the imposition of a narrative line upon disparate images, by the ‘ideas’ with which we have learned to freeze the shifting phantasmagoria which is our actual experience.” We tell ourselves stories in Oklahoma, often award-winning ones (“Oklahoma!” the musical ranking somewhere between college football and hydrocarbons as our greatest export), but the stories of late are bolder—dangerous, manipulative—equal parts hubris and pixie dust, laced with xenophobia and Jesus. This isn’t just about the budget or even the 55th legislative session—though its members set new standards for obtuseness, procrastination, scapegoating, and tripping over themselves—but also about an Oklahoma narrative that changed (mutated, really) in the early 1990s, when the state revealed its hatred of a functioning government, and then hit its stride on January 20, 2009, when the state revealed its hatred of a president. It’s impossible to talk about Oklahoma politics over the past eight years without addressing the election of Barack Obama. To many in the state, he was (and is) Legion, filled with multiple demons, both a boogeyman and piñata. The criticism was couched in opposition to his Affordable Care Act, Iraqi troop withdrawals, environmental objectives, presidential style, ad infinitum, but policy differences can’t explain this kind of venom. Republican Representative Lewis Moore removed Obama’s presidential portrait in 2010 from the House chamber and hid it; Republican Senator Mike Ritze said, “I have never seen a birth certificate that would pass the test of what I call a legal document” when he joined lunatic of lunatics Orly Taitz in questioning the president’s legitimacy; Republican Senator Rick Brinkley authored a “birther bill” attempting to force the president off the 2012 state ballot; Republican Attorney General Scott Pruitt has sued the Obama Administration over a dozen times; former Republican Senator Tom Coburn said his good friend the president owes his success to affirmative action; and present Republican First District Congressman Jim Bridenstine, a former military man, laughed while a constituent talked of hanging the commander in chief. It was fatuous and mendacious, all of it, including this session’s incomprehensible vote to impeach him after he insisted all Americans, regardless of genitalia (even in our state), be allowed equal access to public restrooms.
The story began earlier, though, in 1992, with State Question 640, which required that tax increases receive three-fourths support in both the Oklahoma House and Senate or else go to a vote of the people before being enacted, thus ensuring we could no longer fund state government at mature and sustainable levels without engaging in Herculean somersaults. Two years earlier, State Question 632, approved overwhelmingly by voters, imposed term limits for elected representatives, which fueled the cockamamie notion that Oklahoma would be better served if new legislators, without institutional memory or skill, were given the levers of government every 12 years. Instead of fresh ideas from these new representatives, we largely got pablum: Sharia Law bans, Ten Commandments statutes, incoherent rants about gays and lesbians, Obama, EPA, Planned Parenthood bashing, legislation so badly written it was laughed out of court, and, worse, an overriding narrative that government was an evil pustule that needed to be lanced. And, of course, we got tax cuts—from Democrats and Republicans. We starved the beast and then blamed the beast for being lethargic and unresponsive. We blamed liberals and feminists for hip-checking Oklahoma’s greatness into the boards of mediocrity and political correctness. We accused Obama of having the audacity to act presidential. We had our story. So who are we now? Descendants of settlers who developed this great state where there’s plen’y of heart and plen’y of hope or one of those 18,000 Oklahomans who signed a petition in 2012 supporting secession? We are one part of what former Mayor of New York David Dinkins called America’s “gor-
geous mosaic,” so our handwringing, paranoia, and chest thumping is but one sound in a cacophonous 50-state heartbeat. Every one of those states has grievances, pulls together, and overcomes adversity; every state searches for its lost children and runs extension cords from their homes so people in these emergencies can charge their iPhones; every state honors its veterans and puts American flags on the front porch; every state crows about the brilliance of its institutions and boasts about the strength of its college football programs and engineering and geology schools; every state highlights the resourcefulness and inner strength of its people; every state resigns itself to the unpredictability of its weather; and, yes, every state has a beef with the federal government and is subject to its laws—hence, states can’t pick and choose the laws by which they live, how much religious elbow room it deems necessary, or whether it will allow its bakers—say in Del City—to refuse to make wedding cakes to same-sex couples. When the Murrah Building was bombed, America was with us; when tornadoes devastated Moore (twice), America, including the president we hate so much, was with us. “Everywhere, fellow Americans are praying with you,” Obama said after the EF-5 hit, “they’re thinking about you and they want to help. And I’m just a messenger here letting you know that you are not alone.” Republican Senator Jim Inhofe, in pushing for that assistance, made sure the country knew not all tragedy deserves compassion. Speaking on MSNBC, the lawmaker said that in the case of Hurricane Sandy, “everybody was getting in and exploiting the tragedy that took place.” However, he said, “that won’t happen in Oklahoma.”
WE STARVED THE BEAST AND THEN BLAMED THE BEAST FOR BEING LETHARGIC AND UNRESPONSIVE. WE BLAMED LIBERALS AND FEMINISTS FOR HIP-CHECKING OKLAHOMA’S GREATNESS INTO THE BOARDS OF MEDIOCRITY AND POLITICAL CORRECTNESS. WE ACCUSED OBAMA OF HAVING THE AUDACITY TO ACT PRESIDENTIAL. WE HAD OUR STORY.
THE TULSA VOICE // June 15 – July 5, 2016
NEWS & COMMENTARY // 15
In 1987, when Jessica McClure, a girl of one, fell down a 22-foot well in her aunt’s backyard in Midland Texas, and the people of that community held flashlights and vigils and shovels and retrieved her 55 hours later, President George Bush, the first one, said their efforts were “typically American.” (“Yeah,” joked Jay Leno, “like the Swiss would let her die.”) We all would have saved that little girl. That doesn’t make us Texans, Oklahomans, or even Americans—it makes us human. It’s our story. God, if there is one, doesn’t smile on (or save or condemn or test) us in any greater percentages than he does Nebraskans, nor does he talk to our legislators with any more clarity or frequency; our bluster no more factually based than the bluster found in Illinois; and our sins, our men in hooded white sheets or suits (whose names often appear on streets or law schools), no less evil than those who prowled Philadelphia, Mississippi or Selma, Alabama. They, too, the bigots, tell themselves stories in order to live. So do our heroes. At some point, every story breaks down. At the beginning of Grapes of Wrath, it is raining. It stopped and the Joads left Oklahoma. They didn’t come back. There was no longing to; the place let them down. During the Republican National Convention in 2012, Republican Governor Fallin said it wasn’t the federal government but “thousands of families” who “rushed to put a stake down on empty plots of land” that made this land of ours. “They built tent cities overnight, they farmed the land and they worked hard.” Every word of it a clichéd sop to the state’s new robust ego and selective amnesia. She was telling the country—telling President Obama— that we in Oklahoma were not buying his notion of an interconnected commonwealth from which we all rose and a nation prospered. Mr. President, we know better … as we say in Oklahoma, that dog won’t hunt. She gave credit to Continental Resources CEO Harold Hamm, whom she called a “visionary,” the same Harold Hamm who also tried to get scientists at OU fired for studying links between oil and gas activity and then called Donald Trump the “best choice” for America. Fallin extolled these “early day pioneers” who did it on their own. It was a lie, for if we did it on our own, we did it without the U.S. Army and the Railroad, Homestead and Morrill Land-Grant Acts (the last of which was signed by Abraham Lincoln, a Republican). And if you go to Stillwater today and visit the state’s premier land grant university, you’ll see Morrill Hall, named after Justin Smith Morrill, a man who thought federal funding for public colleges and universities was a good idea. Harold Hamm didn’t do that; a senator from Vermont did. America did. 16 // NEWS & COMMENTARY
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I’M TIRED OF VICTORIES THAT SIMPLY PREVENTED WORSE SHIT FROM HAPPENING,” BLATT SAID. “I’M TIRED OF VICTORIES THAT DON’T ACTUALLY IMPROVE THE LIVES OF A SINGLE OKLAHOMAN. IT’S TIME TO START MAKING SOME REAL PROGRESS ON A POSITIVE AGENDA.
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Last March, two reporters from The Tulsa Voice shadowed two Planned Parenthood lobbyists, Kate and Joe (whose names have been changed), as they met with District 68 State Rep. Glen Mulready, a Republican who sits on the public health committee, to implore him to vote against several anti-choice bills. Excerpts from the reporter’s take are in italics. Kate asks Mulready about HB 3128, which prohibits abortions based on the detection of Down syndrome or any other genetic abnormalities. These abnormalities—and there are many—include a fetus that is unviable outside of the womb
and/or developed without a brain or digestive system. “I believe all life has the right to be protected,” Mulready says. He asks why, if his own mother got sick, could he not kill her. “This is my body,” Kate responds. “It’s different. I have rights over it.” Mulready pauses. “I have the right to throw a punch—” he says, as he leans towards Kate and, in slow motion, mimes throwing a punch at her face. His fist stops just short of making contact with her left cheek. “—but my rights end when my fist hits you.” Mulready then reaches out and holds Kate’s arm. He pats her. “That’s not a threat.” “So, you’re saying,” Kate continues, “once I’m pregnant, my rights over my body end, and I’m just a walking womb?” “No, I’m not saying that.” Mulready then repeats himself and, again, incredibly, throws the same fake-punch. “I’m assuming,” Kate continues, “if you force a woman to have a baby with a genetic abnormality or other disability, you are also supporting the expansion of Medicaid in order to make sure she and her child have the financial support needed to get by in life.” “No. I do not support entitlement programs.” Joe then says to Mulready, “Sir, I do not believe that we, as men, have the right to tell a woman what she can and cannot do with her body.” “I disagree,” Mulready retorts, and then he walks away. These are the stories we tell ourselves. Heartless, angry, vindictive, incomprehensible ones that shape policy, ones that contend women are chattel, ones that equate gratuitous violence against women with complicated choices made by women. I choose not to punch you in face. Why can’t you gals choose to carry an Encephalitic baby to term? Let’s de-certify doctors who cross us. Overwhelming majorities of the state GOP, the party of limited government and personal freedom, tried to push through a bill that would have revoked the licenses of doctors in the state who performed abortions, a constitutionally-protected procedure. And if not for the sanity—this time, anyway—of Governor Fallin, who vetoed it, it would have become law. This is not a policy difference. This is monstrous.
It was the worst day, May 19th, in the history of the Oklahoma state government, a legislative conflagration of unparalleled cruelty and ineptitude, a day, years in the making, when all the berserk misdirection and incomprehension that has been percolating over the last two decades was served hot. It was a day of deliberate sleight of hand, a smoke screen, and it descended on the halls of state govJune 15 – July 5, 2016 // THE TULSA VOICE
ernment—and thus on the rest of us—like a piece of plaster from the crumbling rotunda. And then those who orchestrated and choreographed the mutation blamed those who noticed. “That’s the media’s doing,” said Republican Brian Bingman, the Senate President Pro Tempore. “They can pick and choose and they can elevate the issue and people call and say, ‘Is that really what you all are doing?’ My focus has been on the budget this year.” Here were the headlines that day. “Governor’s attorney wanted wrong drug used in execution, knew it had been used before.” “Oklahoma lawmakers call ‘state of emergency’ to stop trans kids from using the restroom” “Oklahoma lawmakers OK bill criminalizing performing abortion” “Oklahoma lawmakers call for president’s impeachment, file religious-accommodation bill over transgender bathroom directive” “Oklahoma Republicans urge Democrats to vote for tax increase”
One day in Oklahoma. And somewhere in this hideous session, when attention was elsewhere, legislators voted to increase their own operating budget by $4-million but couldn’t muster the courage to stop future tax cut triggers in a budget bleeding deficits and broken promises. And even at the end of the day, it wasn’t the end of the day. Suspending its own rules on adjournment, the House and Senate stayed open late to cut the earned-income tax credit for 355,000 low-income Oklahomans. This is the same House and Senate that last year passed legislation that refused to allow cities across Oklahoma to establish mandatory minimum wage and employee benefits. This wasn’t a war on poverty, it was a war on the poor. OK Policy’s David Blatt, whom I call on often, is as close to gob smacked as I’ve ever seen him. “So what are these families supposed to do?” he asks about this EITC cut. “What,” he asks again slowly, this time not so rhetorically, “are they suppose to do?” Troy Stevenson, executive director of Freedom Oklahoma, an LGBT advocacy organization, called the legislative session “pure insanity” and said it was orchestrated by the “crazy caucus,” a caucus sane state Republicans refuse to spit out, a caucus Brian Bingman, while focusing on the budget all year, didn’t spit out. It is a caucus that needs (and had needed) to be called out, publicly, by the people who give them cover and succor and allowed them to co-opt the R after their names.
This was our state on that day, a day that Oklahoma—the state, the name, the reputation itself— had become a clown to the nation’s bottle of seltzer. Worse, the majority of our legislators, those responsible, didn’t mind being a punchline and wore that derision like ribbons won at the state fair. Who cares what those godless liberals at The New York Times think? We welcome their scorn. There was good news, eventually. The truly horrendous gun, abortion, and transgender bills were defeated thanks to a vigilant consortium of religious leaders, businesses, and even chambers of commerce. But, as Blatt put it, “I’m tired of victories that simply prevented worse shit from happening. I’m tired of victories that don’t actually improve the lives of a single Oklahoman. It’s time to start making some real progress on a positive agenda.” Progress. In Oklahoma, we make sure there is no talk of sex in sex education classes. We drug test the poor for the crime of being poor, throw cash to the luxury boxes and piety to the cheap seats, privatize prisons and schools, and continue to botch executions. There was no coup. This is the government we want. As for those bathroom bills, the funding cuts to mental health, the belittling treatment of women, and the religious symbols in the public square upon which we insist—we’re not better than that. We are that. The devil is not in the details; he’s in the heart. There are no more easy solutions, if there ever were. I asked Stevenson about the teacher caucus and its promise for a change if they’re elected in the fall. “Sure, yeah, maybe,” he says, “but Sally Kern is a teacher.” (Stevenson, on the eve of Kern’s last session in OKC, posted on Facebook that despite their differences, he always appreciated Kern’s openness and commitment to her cause. She responded by reiterating her position that homosexuals are worse than terrorists.) Blatt, too, is hopeful but sober about the future. “After this,” he says, “if the party that’s been in power for ten years doesn’t pay some kind of price...” His voice trails off, he shakes his head, shrugs his shoulders, and smiles, “then I just don’t know.” Our narrative is frayed—tethered to a ship that has been hijacked. It’s a dangerous thing, for this tale, our Oklahoma story, is now being written by people who, as Wayne Greene of The Tulsa World noted, are pissants. We tell ourselves stories filled with heroes and grit and our better angels; we tell ourselves stories about the inexorable and proud march of Oklahoma; we tell ourselves stories about fairness and love and acceptance for all our people; we tell ourselves stories about being forever blessed because God’s on our side; we tell ourselves big, beautiful stories about how good we are and have always been. We lie. a
AND SOMEWHERE IN THIS HIDEOUS SESSION, WHEN ATTENTION WAS ELSEWHERE, LEGISLATORS VOTED TO INCREASE THEIR OWN OPERATING BUDGET BY $4-MILLION BUT COULDN’T MUSTER THE COURAGE TO STOP FUTURE TAX CUT TRIGGERS IN A BUDGET BLEEDING DEFICITS AND BROKEN PROMISES.
Mark Brown and fellow contestants outside The Seanachaoi, an Irish Gaelic word meaning “storyteller” | COURTESY
The pint of no return On almost winning an Irish pub by MARK BROWN
Guinness is what they serve in places where scoring is for darts and getting lucky means a pint on the house. Mark Brown Winning entry from the Guinness “Win Your Own Pub in Ireland” Contest, 1996 “I don’t think this is working,” said the bartender, clearly not accustomed to pulling pints at 8 a.m. He’d filled to overflowing a shot glass—a shot glass, I repeat—with the nitrogenized froth from a tap of Guinness pub draught. “You might try one of those,” I said, pointing to a beer glass if not a pint glass and certainly not a Guinness glass. What could one expect in a place called Bourbon Street? The guys from KJRH began setting up. One of them clipped a mic under my shirt collar. The monitor lit up. “How about that jambalaya!” said the talking head back on Brookside. The only other place in town that served Guinness on tap was Hoffbrau—where the boys of Burn Co. now smoke pig—and 18 // FOOD & DRINK
they wouldn’t be up at this hour. A year later, the Snooty Fox would open in the old Fox Hotel (now the Tavern) with Guinness on tap, only they pumped it through a device designed more for bitter. Instead of a creamy head, you got a pile of loose foam reminiscent of a Dad’s Root Beer. For beer beer, it was a time of dearth, Biblical, pre-historic, the era of Foster’s and Corona. Not even Arnie’s was serving pub draught, an almost unconscionable thought. For a St. Patrick’s party that year, a friend and I drove just over the border in Arkansas, to buy up all the pub draught cans we could find. We found around 30. Out of this mess I managed to become the Zone 7 finalist in the 1996 Guinness “Win Your Own Pub in Ireland” contest, Zone 7 being the swath of turf stretching from Minnesota to Texas. My closest competitors were guys from Cleveland and Denver. The rest were strung along the coasts. Promotionally speaking, Oklahoma was the back of beyond. Hence the TV crew. But then, who wouldn’t want to own, or at least win, an Irish pub?
I’d entered the contest two months earlier, filling out the phrase “Guinness is …” on the back of a postcard entry form. Fifty words or less was the stipulation. I took 19. I had to write Steve Largent, then a congressman, to help expedite my passport. Thankfully, he wasn’t off in the woods without his phone. In May, we boarded a plane for Kennedy Airport, then another for Dublin. On the overnight flight, we drank all the beer on hand, every last can. Through the restless, 10-hour leg came the consistent hiss of another can being cracked. Joe O’Connor, our driver, pulled up in front of Temple Bar, Dublin City. Three days in Dublin, to prime the pump. The business of the contest was days and counties away. This was the happy prelude. “Hurry up, folks,” the driver said. “Pubs close at half-eleven.” A Guinness rep strode the aisle of the tour bus, handing out 20-pound notes. Being paid to drink beer does wonders for brand loyalty. The 20 of us, ten
contestants and their mates, climbed off the bus and into the pubs. Two nights of pints not soon forgotten: drinking among the grizzled men of the Bachelor Inn; in the snugs of Doheny & Nesbitt, on Baggot Street, a block off Stephen’s Green; on Fleet Street at the Victorian-era Palace Bar; and closing the hotel bar at the Berkeley Court, where the cream on the head stood a good two inches. Mid-week, Joe turned the bus southward, past Cashel, Tipperary and Limerick, postcard-pretty and pint-friendly. The entire of south Ireland is a pub, and the round signs pitching another Guinness a guzzling game of connect the dots. That harp in the Guinness logo is Brian Boru’s harp, Brian Boru being the High King of Ireland at the turn of the first millennium, Kincora being his castle keep in Killaloe, County Clare. Little Killaloe was home to The Seanachaoi, our final destination, the place one of us would be getting the keys to. You could see the Shannon from the porch, and the men in boats trolling for pike and salmon in the gray dusk. June 15 – July 5, 2016 // THE TULSA VOICE
Guinness Imports scouted the countryside for such places, the Irish equivalents of Idabel and Barnsdall—peaceful, picturesque and poor. Each town, however wee, had at least one bar, more likely six. A restaurant, maybe, and a sad little shop that would sell you sundries and post your letters. To win your own pub in Ireland, you had to hit a dartboard, draw a pint of beer with some aplomb, and give a speech addled by alcohol. To own your own pub, which one of us soon would, you had to be young, restless and naïve. That afternoon, I sat on a bench with my girlfriend of a solid year watching the river run. The bench was small and we fit snugly. “What if I win …” I said. “What if you win?” she said, the future balanced precariously on the tip of her tongue. The night before the throwdown, bouncing back and forth across the bridge from Killaloe to neighboring Ballina, we drank pints and made new friends. The burg was abuzz: The Yanks were in town to take the pub. Two of our crew, New Jersey Mike and his drinking pal Scummy, nearly came to blows with a pair of locals puffing their chests. We pulled anchor and crossed the bridge yet again to Molly’s, where a local pop band played covers. In front of the small stage, an infant slept peacefully in a stroller. As did I that night, swaddled in my hop-and-barley blanket. While I didn’t see a single dartboard in all of Dublin, the first feat of fitness was a round, held in the sunlit upstairs of the Seanachaoi itself. (My first toss ended up in the scoreless black, two inches from the wood paneling of the bathroom wall.) We went downstairs to pull pints and I got butterflies. The pints of the practice round had little bubbles in the cream. “Poxy,” they call it. When it counted, I pulled something similar, maybe a little prouder of the rim, but still pockmarked. Actor Eddie Burns, two years out from “Saving Private Ryan,” who was celebrity-judging the event, took a swig and gave a shrug that seemed to say, “It’ll do.” As he drank, I told a story about all of the Guinness in Oklahoma. A very short story, indeed. THE TULSA VOICE // June 15 – July 5, 2016
I was in second place after round two, officially. Unofficially, I was feeling bloated and anxious. When I went back of the bar for the last round to orally essay the nobility of Arthur Guinness, I felt no magic. My lines were tepid and clichéd and I won’t repeat them here. There’s a copy of it in a folder labeled “Guinness” in my filing cabinet of spent dreams and unfinished things. And that was as close as I got. A poetic woman from Portland (of course) won. In hindsight, a blessing. I’m better, I find, on this side of the bar. The tides have since turned against me. Ale does not settle well on a stomach tuned to other quaff. I’ll drink the odd beer now and then, mainly saving up for summer in Colorado, where ale seems to have found its Valhalla. Fruity, hoppy, gloriously golden things—a far cry from the so-called “blonde in the black skirt.” In the heady spring of ’96, though, Guinness was the grail and I was Percival, making road trips to Siloam Springs and pledging allegiance to Roy Keane, Shane MacGowan and anything else reeking of Irishness. I still get annoyed when I see it spelled “Guiness” on a menu. That’s one takeaway. Another is ten friendships, now fading in the 20-year abyss. Rick, the contestant from Denver, died before the millennium, run over changing his tire on a New York freeway. Nate Quinn from Brewster on Cape Cod—Nate the Great, a lobster fishermen who starred in a “Deadliest Catch” knockoff—passed a few years ago. His father, Walter, will sometimes send me poems clipped from pages of The New Yorker. The last takeaway is a recurring dream. It haunts me less and less the farther I get from that day of reckoning. In the dream, I am in Dublin, it is near closing time, and for the life of me I can’t find Davy Byrne’s famous pub. Not surprising, given that I’ve never actually been to Davy Byrne’s. Only in my dreams. The cobbled streets lead to nowhere, the creaking walls close in, and before I arrive for the pint of my life, I awaken, not with a thirst but a hunger. a FOOD & DRINK // 19
SUMMER BEER GUIDE
Tasting summer Three whiskey drinkers pretend to be beer experts by THE TULSA VOICE STAFF
L
ast week we had a beer tasting at Voice HQ, thanks to JoJo Hull at Modern Spirits, who curated a cross-section of his most popular summer beers for us to try. As we popped the first bottle, Tulsa expat and former TTV editor Matt Cauthron, in town for Tulsa Tough, just happened to stop by the office to say hello (or so he claims—we think he could smell the beer), so we invited him to sit down and join us for an impromptu taste-and-rate. Disclaimer: Over the course of the tasting we discovered that all three of us prefer whiskey and rarely indulge in decent beer, so take our insights with a grain of salt; we know nothing.
Anchor Brewing Mango Wheat, 4.5% Joshua Kline: Even with my partially stuffed-up nose I can taste the mango. Matt Cauthron: I can smell it for sure. [Sips] Oh yeah, there’s the mango. JK: I think the mango and hops collide to make a sort of grapefruit flavor. MC: I taste that. Tartness. Takeaway: A refreshing summer beer, perfect for the outdoors. 20 // FOOD & DRINK
Leinenkugel’s Grapefruit Shandy, 4.2%
Avery Brewing Co. Raspberry Sour, 5.7%
LIZ BLOOD: It’s good but tastes like grapefruit soda. MC: I like this like I like the first taste of a Summer Shandy ... tastes like Squirt. LB: Or Fresca. JK: I would definitely drink this with tequila in it. Takeaway: Good on it’s own, might be better with tequila. The best of Leinenkugel’s fruity summer beers.
MC: That’s got a kick. JK: It smells delicious, like shoving your face in a pile of raspberries. LB: This is a sharing beer… I’m not gonna beer bong this. I really like it. MC: The aftertaste is pleasant. It’s sour and sweet. Takeaway: So good we just want to stick our faces in it.
sweaty person at a concert and they back into your face. LB: That makes me not want to drink it. It is kind of dirty. I think the fance-smance word is “terroir.” MC: [was originally planning his exit after this beer] I can’t leave on this one. Takeaway: Definitely a beer for the pepperheads. Great if you’re into that sort of thing.
Evil Twin Imperial Simcoe Slacker, 7.5%
Crazy Mountain Amber Ale, 5.25%
SHIPYARD BREWING CO. ISLAND TIME SESSION IPA, 4.5% MC: I’m in love with this. I’m not a huge IPA fan in general. I may go get a six-pack of this now, though. LB: Smells like there’s caramelized sugar in there. [Sips] Yeah, that is good. JK: The hops aren’t overwhelming. Doesn’t have the stingy bitter thing. MC: I like that it’s not aggressively hoppy. “Island Time”—I wondered how they’d pull it off. It’s smooth. Takeaway: A muted, refreshing IPA that avoids the typical hops overload.
MC: I’ve got to revisit IPAs after today. LB: Kind of skunky, which I mean in a good way. Tastes like leaves. Confusing name, I thought, what’s a Simcoe? But it is an IPA? JK: Yeah, it says “IPA” on the side of the can. It’s an IPA. Takeaway: Packs a major ABV punch, a good getting-drunkwhile-barbecuing-in-your-skinnyjeans beer.
Flying Dog Heat Series: Ancho Lime Paradise Lager, 6% LB: I like this because the chili isn’t super present. JK: Oof. Kinda tastes like when you’re standing too close to a
LB: I love the artwork. MC: I like that. But it tastes like autumn and winter, not summertime. JK: Yeah it tastes like toasted… MC: Toasted is a good word. JK: It’s got a cereal thing going on. LB: Definitely a Colorado summer beer. Takeaway: More of a up-in-the-coolmountains beer, basically where we want to be that isn’t Oklahoma in the summer. [Cauthron abandons us for Tulsa Tough pre-gaming.]
Boulevard Hibiscus Gose, 4.2% LB: This smells so good. Makes the backsides of my tongue twitch. June 15 – July 5, 2016 // THE TULSA VOICE
THE TULSA VOICE // June 15 – July 5, 2016
FOOD & DRINK // 21
JK: I’ve always liked this beer; along with Tank 7, the best thing Boulevard makes. LB: It’s bright! Like a just barely ripe strawberry. Takeaway: Salty, floral, sour, pleasant. (Did we mention we’re not beer experts?)
Kona Lemongrass Luau Lager, 5% JK: Kona is the most popular beer in Hawaii, right? LB: It smells like my favorite Thai restaurant. JK: [reads label] “…brewed with lemongrass and natural ginger.” LB: What is natural ginger? This taste healthy. Like an elixir. JK: Reminds me of stir fry. The ginger kind of overwhelms the lemongrass. LB: Yeah but the lemongrass cuts through it. Takeaway: As a lager, it’s super light but herbaceous. Probably a pairing beer, sorry we can’t tell you with what. That’s not our field.
Oskar Blues Pinner Throwback IPA, 4.9% LB: I’m happy to be seeing so many IPAs in the 4-5% region. Mm. That’s my kind of IPA. Kind of sharp but then it rounds out. JK: I have nothing eloquent to say about this but I like the way it hits my tongue. LB: Ok, “on the tongue.” Oskar Blues describes it as “crushable.” I agree. Takeaway: We like the way it hits the tongue.
Abita Strawberry Harvest Lager, 4.2% LB: On first pour, it smells like movie theater popcorn, which is probably not what I’m supposed to be getting. I mean, it smells awesome. JK: Yes! It smells like butter. Like strawberry shortcake or something. LB: Jelly Bellies. JK: It’s very inoffensive, like a gas station lager with an injection of
• fine wine • • craft beer • • unique liquor • 401 E. 11th St. • 918-295-0295 facebook.com/ModernSpiritsTulsa
22 // FOOD & DRINK
strawberry essence. Definitely tastes like a lower point beer. I feel like I should be bowling while drinking this. Takeaway: Good for bowling, baseball games, or just after jumping out of Chandler Park’s swimming pool and burning your feet on the concrete.
JK: Super hoppy but doesn’t make you pucker your mouth. LB: It’s kinda malty. JK: Pleasant bitterness. My taste buds are also numb right now. LB: Beer tasting is not easy. Takeaway: Has a porch swing vibe, somewhere in the shade, tastes authentic and lived-in.
Anchor Brewing Meyer Lemon Lager, 4.5%
Smirnoff Ice Electric Berry malt beverage, non-carbonated, 5%
LB: If you’re at the lake and want a little flavor… JK: Yes, this is a great lake beer, for sure. LB: I like it. Anchor can do no wrong by me. I love all of their beers. This one’s pretty simple. Takeaway: Take it to party cove, but don’t drink and dive.
Lagunitas Hop Stoopid Ale, 8% JK: I like it. LB: If I had a dollar for every time you said that… I’d have like eleven dollars.
LB: I could be convinced this is Powerade. JK: Apparently they put electrolytes in it. LB: So this is a hangover drink. JK: But it’s also a nightclub drink, right? It’s blue. It’s called “Electric Berry.” LB: It’s pretty good. JK: I like that it’s not carbonated. It tastes like blue pop-ice, melted, with alcohol added. Takeaway: Good hair of the dog, a great iteration of the party girl malt beverage. Better than Zima. a
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SUMMER BEER GUIDE
Prairie Artisan Ales | MICHELLE POLLARD
Local craft Catching up with Tulsa’s brewmasters by NELLIE KELLY
I
n 2012, the Brewers Association reported about 2,400 craft breweries in the United States. By 2015, that number had grown to 4,200. Oklahoma now has more than a dozen, and a handful of those are housed in Tulsa. Though craft beer accounts for only about 12 percent of the U.S. beer market, it’s more akin to the beer early Americans drank. Why are the vast majority of today’s commercial beers sweet and yellow? Blame Prohibition and soda pop, says Wes Alexander, who teaches a course called “Introduction to Malted Beverages” at Oklahoma State University and also works at Marshall Brewing Co. From 1920-1933, alcohol was illegal, so soda pop became the most popular drink in America. Once brewers began producing beers again in the 1930s, the traditional European ales and lagers were no longer appealing to American taste buds, Alexander says. That’s when commercial beers
THE TULSA VOICE // June 15 – July 5, 2016
became sweet, light and highly fizzy, just like soda pop, he says. Now that craft brews are catching on, brewers face the challenge of educating consumers and teaching them to appreciate stronger flavors. “It’s an opportunity for us all to convert more craft drinkers,” Alexander says.
Dead Armadillo Tony Peck was in Chanute, Kansas, to help his family clean out an old shed. As he was moving some lumber, between two pieces of wood, he discovered a perfectly preserved dead armadillo. He joked about what a funny name that would be for his planned brewery, and he added Dead Armadillo to a page-long list of names he was considering. A few weeks later, Dead Armadillo emerged as the winning name. Peck, who is the brewery’s co-owner and managing partner, says the company started as a contract brewer in an Oklahoma
City facility. In November 2014, it began renovations at East Fourth Street and South Madison Avenue, in a 7,000-square-foot former garage in what used to be the Fourth Street Auto building. By September 2015, the facility brewed its first batches. Peck still has a day job as a database programmer for Midstates Petroleum. Director of Operations Todd Phillips, one of two full-time employees, handles marketing, daily operations, and the taproom. No doubt about it, most fans of Dead Armadillo Craft Brewing are humans, but the brewery even has a following of four-legged fans: Rex Koelsch’s 25 head of dairy cattle that live on Tulsa’s west side. Every week or so, Koelsch picks up 700-800 pounds of spent grain, which is the wet grain left after the sugar is removed on its way to becoming beer. The cows, Koelsch says, love eating the grain and drinking the water, which provides them with extra protein.
Dead Armadillo produces three year-round varieties and has created three special releases to date. Keep an eye on www. dabrewery.com for information about hours for the taproom at 1002 E. Fourth St.
Prairie Artisan Ales Brothers Chase and Colin Healey started with a simple farmhouse ale that grew into a line of four year-round beers plus at least one new beer every month. “When it’s gone, we move on to something new,” says Wes Morrison, the company’s sales director. “Part of the popularity of our brand is that you always have something new to look forward to.” In the company’s three and a half years, it has spread to 25 states, with about 10,000 barrels per year produced primarily at the Krebs Brewing Co. in Krebs, Oklahoma, with a smaller facility in west Tulsa. FOOD & DRINK // 23
The Tulsa facility at 1803 S. 49th W. Ave. has a taproom open Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. In May the company also opened a beer hall, Prairie Brewpub, at 223 N. Main St., where it features 24 taps, with 10-12 varieties of Prairie beers, plus other local favorites. For all the latest Prairie news, go to www. prairieales.com.
Renaissance Brewing Co.
Marshall Brewing Co. | MICHELLE POLLARD
Kelsey Schumacher and Glenn Hall of Renaissance Brewing Co. | MICHELLE POLLARD
24 // FOOD & DRINK
When Glenn Hall decided to build a brewery, he became as much of an expert in city permitting and zoning as in hops and yeast. According to the city’s zoning code, breweries are allowed only in industrial-zoned areas. So, when Hall bought three dilapidated houses at East 12th Street and South Lewis Avenue in 2011 and 2012 with the goal of using the land for a brewery, he knew that the zoning would have to be changed. That started a two-year process with three appearances before the Tulsa Metropolitan Area Planning Commission and three more in front of the City Council before his plan for the zoning variance was approved. When it is built and producing by the end of the year, Renaissance will be the first brewery to make full-strength beer in an area of the city zoned as commercial instead of industrial. It will be a 1920s-style brick and steel building with 3,000 square feet devoted to the brewery, 2,000 to retail businesses and 2,000 to two upstairs apartments. The process of changing the zoning was “not for the faint of heart,” Hall says, but all the work was worth the satisfaction of building a showpiece for the Renaissance Neighborhood, between East 11th and 15th streets and between Harvard and Lewis avenues, where Hall also lives. “My main focus is my neighborhood,” Hall says. “I’m building a neighborhood brewery, and I’m building it (the brand awareness) one block at a time.” That means employing local workers and giving his spent grains to a neighborhood chicken farmer. Until the building is finished, Hall is brewing at his Renaissance Neighborhood home. HomebrewJune 15 – July 5, 2016 // THE TULSA VOICE
ers are only allowed to make 200 gallons a year and are not allowed to sell it. He makes 20-gallon batches, which take two to four weeks, and gives it away—typically at one or two private functions monthly like nonprofit events, weddings, parties, or personal favors. Keep tabs on when the brewery will open at www.renaissancebeer. com.
The Willows Family Ales Owner and brewmaster Heath Glover loves to make beers that he describes as “crazy and wild.” He uses Brettanomyces, a wild cousin of traditional brewers’ yeast. It can produce unpredictable fermentations, and most brewers avoid it for fear it will take over the tanks and change their traditional recipes. But not Glover. “We tend to brew on the fringe,” he says. “If you’d try rattlesnake jerky, that’s where we’re at.” Unfortunately for Oklahoma, Glover is moving production this year to a facility in Wisconsin,
where he plans to produce about 1,000 barrels annually and where the brews will be canned instead of bottled. Cans are lighter, which reduces transportation costs; allow in no light or air; and can be taken to places like the beach, where glass bottles might not be allowed, Glover says. But the main reason he’s moving, besides a significant increase in production volume, is that most brewers don’t want to work with Brettanomyces, fearing other brews will become contaminated and their taste affected. The Wisconsin company, Glover says, was willing to take on the wild yeast and the canning process. He hopes to open a smaller facility in Tulsa in the future. Whatever bottles of The Willows Family Ales remain will continue to be sold at local bars and liquor stores, and will be replaced with the new cans this summer, Glover says. To keep up with Willows news, stay tuned to the company’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ thewillowsbeer.
Marshall Brewing Co. When Eric Marshall was growing up, his father, David, and brother, Adam, were home brewers. But he fell in love with craft brewing as a profession as a University of Tulsa international business and German language student living in Germany. There, he saw that every town and region had pride in its own beer, and he wanted to bring that culture back to Tulsa. After graduating from TU, Eric returned to Germany and enrolled in the dual degree program with the World Brewing Academy, a partnership between Doemens Academy in Munich and Siebel Institute of Technology in Chicago. After completing that program, he stayed in Germany for three years and apprenticed at six breweries. In 2007, Eric formed Marshall Brewing Co. and purchased the former Hesselbein Tire warehouse at East Sixth Street and South Wheeling Avenue. By April 2008, the company had produced its first batch of beer, and on May 15, 2008, the first three kegs
were sold at a craft brew festival in front of downtown Tulsa pub McNellie’s. Today, Marshall Brewing has nine employees and distributes across Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas. “People who get into craft beer start a journey,” says Wes Alexander, Marshall’s director of sales. “It’s not only a social experience of sharing beer and knowledge. It’s a journey of starting with a wheat beer and maybe moving into an amber or a pale ale.” “And the next thing you know, they’re looking for the hoppier beers before going to barrel-aged Russian imperial stouts. It’s a common journey for the American craft beer drinker.” The Marshall Sixth Street Session Room is open from 3-6 p.m., Thursday, and noon-7 p.m., Friday. One Saturday per month, Marshall offers tours of the brewery, and Fridays usually feature a food truck outside. For a list of Marshall’s year-round and seasonal beers, as well as tour and taproom schedules, visit www.marshallbrewing.com. a
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FOOD & DRINK // 25
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Pho tai bo vien (eye round steak and beef meatballs) at Pho Da Cao | GREG BOLLINGER
Tour de Pho It’s pronounced fuhh. by MEGAN SHEPHERD
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here’s a certain ceremony to eating a bowl of pho. It requires augmentation: a handful of bean sprouts, steamed jalapenos, a squeeze of lime, cilantro and basil. Combine that with the fragrant quality of the star anise and umami in the broth, and preparing pho becomes a sensory experience all its own. In an age when eating is so transactional (fast food, eating at your desk, grab ’n zap meals, pizza by the slice, et al) I like any food that requires me to stop and consider it before eating it. Pho does just that. Traditional pho is comprised of broth, meat, and thin rice noodles. Its origins stem from 20th century Vietnam, where the soup was originally sold in street market carts in the villages of Vân Cù and Dao Cù. Broths made of marinated beef, bones, spices and oxtail give pho its signature belly-warming quality, and tender meats offer a hearty bulk. And while the idea of eating beef tripe (read: stomach) might make the squeamish shy away, for adventuresome diners, pho never disappoints. (Please note: you don’t have to eat tripe, there are many other options.) For those unfamiliar with the cuisine, it’s hard to know where to begin. Thankfully, Tulsa packs a fair number of authentic Vietnamese cafes, all perfect for testing the waters of the traditional delicacy.
PHO DA CAO
9066 E. 31st St. When it comes to Pho Da Cao, all you need to know is “P7,” or pho doc biet. Flank steak, round beef, tendon, meatballs, tripe, and sliced onions give the soup depth and surprising notes of sweetness. The broth is mild, so use hoison sauce and Pho Da Cao’s homemade chili sauce to kick it up a notch. NOTEWORTHY TIDBITS: Most of their broths are made with beef or chicken, so vegetarians should ask a server for animal-free suggestions. June 15 – July 5, 2016 // THE TULSA VOICE
Pho Nhi’s broth was my favorite, hands down. Theirs is loaded with meat and noodles—so much so that it’s hard reach the bottom of the bowl. The Pho Dac Biet, or “The Special,” packs plenty of meat; use your chopsticks and soup spoon to wade through the mass of flank, brisket, tendon, and tripe that hovers around the top to hit the pile of noodles at the bottom. While the tendon was a bit chewy, the savory flank made up for it. The spices take a backseat to the full, meaty flavors in the broth. You can also use the fish sauce on the table to adjust the flavor to your liking. NOTEWORTHY TIDBITS: The smallest size is plenty at Pho Nhi, especially if you order the summer rolls, which are near-bursting with pork and shrimp. Fans of Vietnamese coffee will want to give Pho Nhi’s a sip. Walk off your meal by browsing the stacks at Nam Hai, the Asian market Pho Nhi calls home.
PHO 71 1001 N. Elm Pl., Broken Arrow
The pho here is solid—aromatic and generously portioned, with the noodles cooked just right. Try the pho with beef, pho dat biet, or the pho ga (made with chicken). Pho 71 also has plenty of other Vietnamese staples to explore. And with cheaper than cheap appetizers ($2.99 spring rolls, $1.99 egg rolls), you can eat like a high roller without spending like one. NOTEWORTHY TIDBITS: While numerals in pho culture often denote lucky numbers, the “71” is merely a reference to the restaurant’s 71st and Elm location. Make the journey out to Broken Arrow when you have some time to kill.
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VIET HUONG 7919 E. 21st St.
Viet Huong might not look like much from the outside, but pay no mind. Tulsans have been trekking to this local staple for years for authentic pho, noodle dishes, and Americanized Chinese food. The broth is spice-heavy and interesting, with lots of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove upfront. For those new to pho, Viet Huong is a great place to start: a handy photo album shows you what to expect and makes it easy to choose something appetizing. I asked for a few recommendations and settled on the Hu Tieu Nam Vang— seafood pho with fried wontons. The “small” order is massive, and the fishy soup includes steamed squid, quail eggs, shrimp, and pork. Heat lovers can add jalapeños. NOTEWORTHY TIDBITS: Viet Huong is cash-only. A spread for two will run around $20, but bring a little extra. The restaurant is small, and usually crowded (take it as a sign of quality). If you’re visiting with a large party, plan on splitting up.
RI LE’S 4932 E. 91st St. This hidden gem in south Tulsa has been around for decades, offering great Vietnamese fare and gracious service in a no-frills atmosphere. You might not see pho on the menu, but it’s there, labeled simply “beef soup.” Theirs comes with accoutrements already added in, which might throw off some die-hard pho fans. Note: their small is a true small, and will leave you with plenty of room to try other specialties, like the lumpia dogs or the bun cha gio salad bowl, made with noodles, veggies, and fried spring rolls. For a Vietnamese appetizer that breaks the mold, grab the lumpia dogs. NOTEWORTHY TIDBITS: Ri Le’s has ties to Binh Le, another Vietnamese gem at 31st and Sheridan in midtown. If you can’t make it out south, stop by Binh Le for similar fare. a THE TULSA VOICE // June 15 – July 5, 2016
FOOD & DRINK // 27
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28 // BRADY ARTS DISTRICT GUIDE
124 N. Boston Ave 918-584-9494 clubmajestictulsa.com
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v o te fo r u s
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 303 MLK Jr. Blvd. www.gypsycoffee.com
June 15 – July 5, 2016 // THE TULSA VOICE
JULY 1 from 6-9 PM
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Join us for Brunch 10:30am-2pm every Sat. & Sun. 18 East M. B. Brady St. 918-588-2469 cazschowhouse.com
with YMCA of Tulsa sponsored by Fowler Toyota of Tulsa Fusion of Dance, Mondays at 5:30 pm YOGA, Mondays 6:30 pm, Weds 5:30 pm Bootcamp, Tuesdays & Thursdays 5:30 pm Barre in the Park, Tues 6:30 pm Partner Power, Weds 6:00 am ZUMBA, Sundays 10:30 am
StoryTime, Wednesdays 10:30 am Food Truck Wednesdays, 11:30 am Sunday Concerts, 2:30 pm
All films start at 8:30 pm 7.7 E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (PG) 7.14 XPO Presents: Super Mario Brothers (PG) 7.21 Disney's CARS (G) 7.28 Christmas in July! Home Alone (PG)
21 E. Brady St. 918-585-8587
ARRIVE EARLY STAY LATE
NO Sunday Concerts in July 7.1 FIRST FRIDAY: Annual First Baptist Church Picnic on the Green! 7:00 pm 7.8 SECOND FRIDAY: Lindy in the Park, 6:30 pm 7.12 Starlight Bands Summer Concert Series: JAZZ Under the Stars, 8:00 pm 7.19 Starlight Bands Summer Concert Series: Night at the MOVIES! 8:00 pm 7.22 Country Financial Presents: Gone Country Night with Weston Horn 7.26 Starlight Bands Summer Concert Series: Request Night! 8:00 pm 7.30 Henna Roso: Food Drive & Launch Party featuring COUNT TUTU & Bassel & the Supernaturals 2:00 pm RO N FU N CH E S | ER IC A N D RE | F ORT UN E F E IM ST ER | N AT E BAR GA TZ E B RID G E T E V E RET T | R HE A BU T CHER | DJ D OUGG POU ND J UL IA N MC CU LL OU G H | A HM ED BAROOC HA | BYRO N BO WERS IA N A B R A MSO N | J O F IR EST ONE | M ONRO E M ART IN | NE M R T ON Y H I NC H CLI FF E | MA RO NZ I O VA NC E | AS HL EY BAR NHI LL J OS H F AD E M | J OH N NY PE M BERT ON | GODDAM N C OME DY JA M B RE N T W EI N B A CH | C OME D Y SHO RT F IL M F EST | A FT ER P A RTI ES WI TH SPE CI AL G UE ST S & LI VE M US IC | SU NDA Y CO ME DY BRU N CH
THE TULSA VOICE // June 15 – July 5, 2016
BRADY ARTS DISTRICT GUIDE // 29
weddingtalk
Party for a living Meghan Hurley talks wedding planning by LIZ BLOOD
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f you go to the theater, chances are you’ve seen Meghan Hurley on stage. The actor and director has been involved in numerous Theatre Pops productions, including “August: Osage County” and “Spamalot.” By day, though, Hurley is an event coordinator who’s planned numerous weddings and survived more than a few bridezillas in her day. With wedding season in full swing, we thought it’d be a good time to ask Hurley to dish on the highs and lows of working in the marriage industry.
had to jump start it to be able to leave. He was so mad. But again, I have lots of awesome clients.
The Tulsa Voice: What's the most surprising wedding, themewise, you've had to plan?
TTV: Ok, day of the wedding. How busy are you? How are you? What's really in your coffee cup?
Meghan Hurley: How about a wedding anniversary? It was “Twilight” themed. Things were sparkly. We had twinkle lights, music from the soundtrack, it was kind of woodsy and the food was themed around food from the books. On their first date in the book Bella ate ravioli, so at the party they had Italian food. This was their 40th wedding anniversary and they were rekindling their romance. The books did that for them, which is really kind of sweet. So even after 40 years of marriage that can happen, even over a young adult novel.
MH: I’m putting out fires all day long. Sugar and cream. I’ll get surly if I drink early in the day. Do I drink at the end of the night? Hells yes. I love my job. I work more than most people work. I could sit in a cushy office and make double what I make with the skills that I have, but it’s so much more worth it to be my own contractor. And I love my clients, even the quirky ones and the bridezillas.
TTV: Have you ever done a cosplay or role-play wedding? MH: I almost did. I was asked to and last minute they chose someone else. It was going to be dragon-themed. Not necessarily knight-and-lady, but dragons on the cake, dragons in their centerpieces, dragon emblems, everything red and white. So … very bold. 30 // ARTS & CULTURE
TTV: Do you have any tips for planning a wedding on a shoestring budget? MH: Figure out your priorities, and spend the bulk of your money there. And yes, photography is expensive. A good photographer costs a few thousand dollars at least. But it’s the only thing you get to take away from your wedding. Everything else is thrown away at the end of the night.
Wedding planner Meghan Hurley | LIZ BLOOD
TTV: Is the bridezilla stereotype a real thing? MH: Absolutely. I have so many stories. I also have so many happy and amazing clients, too. But I did have a bride who spent $7,000 on flowers for 50 guests. She had an ornate, beautiful floral sculpture of a peacock made out of orchids. It was gorgeous. The tail was four feet long. She had gold-plated china; everything was satin and silk. It was opulent. She had been complaining about her hair and makeup. They re-did it three times. She looked like a clown, and so I got her parents to convince her it was too much. She walked in upset about the natural look to her makeup, and then looked at the peacock and around the room and said, this is just so underwhelming. But it was gorgeous. The week
before the wedding she almost had to cancel it because she made out with a bartender and one of her bridesmaids. Then two weeks after the wedding she called me and asked for a refund on her flowers. TTV: Are there groomzillas? MH: Yes. So much so. I had a groom ask me where the linens were after a wedding and I said they were rentals, and he was upset about the price. “We paid that much for a rental?” Then years later he emailed me and asked me to stop using his wedding photo, but I wasn’t even using one. Before the wedding, I had told him to use a limousine service, but he wanted to use a friend who had a limo. The limo died on the drive away from the church, with everyone standing there, and they
TTV: Do you get emotional? MH: I do. It’s a job, and sometimes I go into autopilot, but there’s always something at a wedding that grabs me. The brides and grooms that are in it for the marriage? There’s really something there. And I live for moments like that. Like seeing the couple doing their first look. Everyone else is all uppity about this one moment, but to see that they’re seeing past it is really cool. And it’s an honor to be a part of it. a June 15 – July 5, 2016 // THE TULSA VOICE
WEDDING VENUE GUIDE BOND EVENT CENTER
COX BUSINESS CENTER
608 East 3rd Street (918) 442-2993 www.bondtulsa.com Event rental contact: Tiffany Turner-Coats Capacity: 300 seated, 450 cocktail-style
100 Civic Center (918) 894-4262 coxcentertulsa.com Event rental contact: Bonnie Ward Capacity: 100-1,000 Catering in-house by SAVOR & Chef Devin Levine
HARWELDEN MANSION
IDL BALLROOM
2210 South Main Street (918) 584-3333 harweldenmansion.com Event rental contact: Ricky Torix Capacity: 75 - 125
230 East First Street (918) 902-6339 idlballroom.com Event rental contact: Meghan Hurley Capacity: 250 – 600
POSTOAK LODGE & RETREAT
TULSA GARDEN CENTER
5323 West 31st Street North (918) 728-2705 www.postoaklodge.com Event rental contact: Kelly Jo Rickman Capacity: 500+ THE TULSA VOICE // June 15 – July 5, 2016
2435 South Peoria (918) 746-5133 www.TulsaGardenCenter.com Event Rental Contact: Janet Gaither Capacity: 200-250
DOUBLETREE BY HILTON TULSA DOWNTOWN 616 West 7th Street (918) 587-8000 www.TulsaDowntown. DoubleTree.com Event rental contact: Barbara Gresh Capacity: 10 - 1,100
LIVING ARTS OF TULSA 307 East Brady Street (918) 894-9180 www.livingarts.org Event rental contact: Amy Boewe Capacity: 260
TULSA HISTORICAL SOCIETY & MUSEUM 2445 South Peoria (918) 746-5133 www.TulsaHistory.org Event rental contact: Janet Gaither Capacity: 100-175
DRESSER MANSION 235 West 18th Street (918) 585-5157 dressermansion.com Event rental contact: Bethany Faber Capacity: 200
ORAL ROBERTS UNIVERSITY 7777 South Lewis Avenue (918) 495-6462 tulsabanquet.com Event rental contact: Jonnah Renfroe Capacity: varies
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 ARTS & CULTURE // 31
inthestudio
Molly Dilworth in her Cameron & Main Street Studio | MELISSA LUKENBAUGH
Flag state Tulsa Artist Fellow Molly Dilworth and perceiving the unperceivable by LIZ BLOOD
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ulsa Artist Fellow Molly Dilworth seems to always be thinking about the connections between things—especially those that are invisible but affect us nonetheless. In 2007, Dilworth began to consider what it means to be a physical body living in a digital space. “I thought, ‘I’m always online, on my cellphone, and how weird is that? To be living in a digital space and not considering what it feels like,’” said Dilworth. In order to insert herself, and her art, into that large digital world, Dilworth began to make paintings that were large enough to be seen on Google Earth. Her first large painting was on top of an apartment building in Brooklyn. In 2010, her proposal to paint five blocks of Times Square was accepted by the Mayor’s Fund to Improve the City of New York. There, she painted water on the street. “The project was about the hydrogeology there. There are springs that exist under Manhattan. So, the image speaks to ideas about our built environment. We 32 // ARTS & CULTURE
don’t feel the natural world at all in Times Square. I was thinking about what affects us in our daily lives that we can’t perceive. In that environment we can’t perceive natural springs, but they’re there.” In 2011 in New York, Dilworth painted a courtyard at the Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral—thought to be a stop along the Underground Railroad. Her research led to a pattern painting inspired by quilts, which were said to have been used to secretly communicate in the Underground Railroad. “They were thought to be used as maps and signals, washed and hung out on the lines so a pattern would mean one thing or the other.” Though historians have debunked the legend, Dilworth was still enthralled by the story. “Quilts are visually interesting and benign,” she said. “So, I can take this decorative tradition and put it into sites in public. I want to have a conversation about history and race and slavery. But if I put that sign up, I’m probably not going to … except with people who already want to talk about that.”
When Dilworth reflected on this project, as well as the Times Square commission, she saw them as tied together not only under the theme of things-hidden-in-plainsight, but also as connected by labor exploitation. Dilworth said the crew that helped her execute the hydrogeology piece in Times Square was not fairly compensated by its city-contracted employer, which was required to pay union wages but refused. “My crew wanted to walk off the job and report their employer,” she said. In the end, they didn’t, but Dilworth said she would have supported them. “Humans do terrible things to each other, and most of it doesn’t get recorded. [We] haven’t changed much, but the conditions and specifics have changed. So, I started looking at labor and ethics in global shipping.” Her research led to disturbing discoveries, including exploitation of illegal immigrant laborers and human rights violations at sea in the global shipping industry. Shippers often operate under what is
called a “Flag State,” which essentially allows shipping companies to fly and sail under the flag of another country, excusing themselves from certain labor laws, and making exploitation an easier feat. Dilworth started making flags. Each flag (there are fifty in total), made of rip-stop nylon and thread, is different. Dilworth will hang her flags around Greenwood Historical District this weekend for Juneteenth, which celebrates the end of slavery in the U.S. The flags will hang along Archer Street from Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. to Greenwood Ave., and—depending on logistics—possibly up Greenwood and through the district, where the 1921 race massacre occurred. “There was so much wealth in Greenwood, and it was something that shouldn’t have happened in terms of power,” she said, recalling the success of Tulsa’s Black Wall Street before the massacre. “The destruction of Greenwood is connected to these global trade routes because it’s all about wealth, power, and resources—and who gets to have them.” a June 15 – July 5, 2016 // THE TULSA VOICE
JUNE 2-26, 2016
Forever Plaid June 15-19 Dan McGeehan & Susan Apker: On Our Own June 17-18 The Way Motown Revue June 17-19 The Hobbit June 18-19 Red Dirt Acoustical Take on Great Roots Tunes June 23 Shakti June 24-25 The Low Down Dusty Blues June 24-25 Thomas Williams: Villains June 24-25
Cain’s Ballroom
6.26.2016
Tulsa Awards for Theatre Excellence Distinguished Artist Award:
GARY BUSEY
Presented by the George Kaiser Family Foundation Purchase tickets at Cain’s Ballroom $15 or $18 day of event
JUNE 2-7/30 PERPETUAL ART JASON WILSON PAC Gallery
15-19 FOREVER PLAID
Tulsa Repertory Musicals
17-18 THE ULTIMATE ELVIS EXPERIENCE
PF Productions
17-18 DAN McGEEHAN & SUSAN APKER: ON OUR OWN Dan McGeehan
17-19 THE WAY MOTOWN REVUE Spinning Plates Productions
23 RED DIRT ACOUSTICAL TAKE ON GREAT ROOTS TUNES
Monica Taylor, Shelby Eicher, Jared Taylor
24-25 THOMAS WILLIAMS — VILLAINS
Spinning Plates Productions
24-25 SHAKTI
Kripalaya Dance Academy
24-25 THE LOWDOWN DUSTY BLUES
Echo Theatre Company
18-19 THE HOBBIT
Tulsa Youth Opera
Legend of Darkness June 24-26 TULSA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER FOR TICKETS, CALL 918.596.7111 OR VISIT SUMMERSTAGETULSA.ORG THE TULSA VOICE // June 15 – July 5, 2016
ARTS & CULTURE // 33
thehaps
4th of July Events The 4th on the 3rd Sun., July 3, 7:30 p.m. Van Trease PACE, signaturesymphony.org Signature Symphony holds it’s 35th annual day-early concert of patriotic music.
Jenks America Freedom Fest Mon., July 4, Main Street, Jenks America If you’re looking for an old-fashioned, small town feel, head to Main Street Jenks. Shops will be open and competing in a window-decorating contest, dance to live music, and get a big slice of watermelon before taking in Jenks’ fireworks display.
Folds of Honor FreedomFest 2016 Mon., July 4, starting at 5 p.m. Veterans Park, River West Festival Park riverparks.org/freedomfest
Bixby Freedom Celebration Fri., July 1, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., 121st & Memorial bixbyfreedomcelebration.com Now in its second year, Bixby Freedom Fest kicks off July with a bang. The celebration includes a Fun Zone for kids, music, food vendors, guest speakers, and a fireworks extravaganza.
Juneteenth // Juneteenth (June 19) celebrates the end of slavery in the United States, commemorating the day in 1865 when Union soldiers landed at Galveston, TX with the news that the Civil War had ended. Juneteenth festivities begin in Tulsa with a screening of “The New Juneteenth” and a Q&A with director/producer Ike Water at Guthrie Green, starting at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 16. Friday will feature performances at Guthrie Green by Julian Vaughm Eldredge Jackson, Michael Fields, and Jeremy Thomas, starting at 6 p.m. Saturday, John Hope Franklin park will host a walking tour and spoken word performances, Living Arts hosts Noire II, an exhibition featuring works by 20 African American Oklahomans, and GAGE, an event that combines fashion, music, and spoken word poetry. There will also be live music starting at 6 p.m. Sunday, the celebration concludes with a Gospel Brunch at the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame. // Thurs., June 16 through Sun., June 19; Greenwood, Guthrie Green, John Hope Franklin Park, Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame, Living Arts; tulsa juneteenth.org
Bloomsday // Tulsa’s third annual celebration of the legacy of Irish writer James Joyce will include music, a costume contest, readings, giveaways, specialty cocktails, and more. // Thurs., June 16, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Mainline Art & Cocktails, mainlineartok.com
Mid West Hesh Fest Presents: FreakTulsa // A weekend of heavy doom awaits at Downtown Lounge, with nearly 30 dark rock and psychedelic bands, including Smoke Offering, Senior Fellows, Silver Screen Monsters, Violent Wednesday, Skeleton Farm, Blunt Splitter, Psychotic Reaction, Brother Gruesome, Sun Vow, and more. // Fri., June 17 through Sun., June 19, Downtown Lounge, $25-$100, facebook.com/FreakTulsa 34 // ARTS & CULTURE
The crowning jewel of Green Country’s Independence Day celebrations is FreedomFest, which boasts one of the largest fireworks displays in the country. Paul Benjaman Band will play at Veteran’s park at 5:30 p.m. There will also be inflatables for kids. River West Festival Park will have a dance floor and a kids zone with laser tag, a rock wall, and inflatables. There will be food trucks and beverage sales at both parks as well. Blue Rose Café and Elwoods will also offer live music and spectacular views. The fireworks display starts at 9:30 p.m., and while bombs burst in air over the Arkansas River, the accompanying score of patriotic tunes will be broadcast on KRMG (740 AM, 102.3 FM).
G Fest // The inaugural G Fest will feature performances by Kacey Musgraves, The Avett Brothers, Old Crow Medicine Show, Turnpike Troubadours, Robert Randolph & The Family Band, John Fullbright, Uncle Lucius, Red Dirt Rangers, Desi & Cody, Brujoroots, Junior Markham, Levi Parham, Jacob Tovar and the Saddle Tramps, Green Corn Rebellion, Travis Linville, and more. // Thurs., June 16 through Sat., June 18, LoveHatbox Sports Complex, Muskogee, $44-$379, gfestmuskogee.com The Way Motown Revue // This revue by Rebecca Ungerman features 10 Tulsans singing the soulful music of Motown. With themes including rough times, true love and introspection, the eight medleys in the revue include parts from over 70 of Motown’s #1 hits. // Fri., June 17 through Sun., June 19, $20-$30, Robert J LaFortune Studio, PAC, tulsapac.com Paul Benjaman’s Sunday Nite Thing - Five Year Anniversary Show // Paul Benjaman’s weekly show at The Colony, in which he invites a different guest to play with him each week, has become a beloved tradition and shining example of the wonderfully interconnected web of talent that makes up Tulsa’s music scene. On June 19, Benjaman will celebrate the 5th anniversary of the “Thing,” with special guests sitting in with a core band that will include Jesse Aycock, Aaron Thomas, Paddy Ryan, and Benjaman. // Sun., June 19, 10 p.m.-2 a.m., The Colony, thecolonytulsa.com
Seven Minutes in Heaven Story Reading // “It’s
better than being locked in a closet.” Four writers will each read one complete seven-minute story. No poems, songs, or excerpts—just four whole, entertaining pieces. This inaugural reading will feature local writers Kathryn Parkman (This Land Press) and Andrew Marshall (Nimrod), along with visiting Austin, TX writer Tatiana Ryckman (“VHS and Why It’s Hard to Live”) June 15 – July 5, 2016 // THE TULSA VOICE
thehaps
BEST OF THE REST EVENTS Insane Inflatable 5K // A large 5K inflatable obstacle course that participants run through. // 6/18, $65-$100, 8 a.m., Oral Roberts University, insaneinflatable5k.com
and one wild card—it could be you! Show up with your own piece that clocks in under seven minutes and enter your name to read. // Thurs., June 23, 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Mainline Art & Cocktails, 111 N. Main Facebook.com/sevenheavenreading
Red Dirt Acoustical Take on Great Roots Tunes //
Monica Taylor, Shelby Eicher, and Jared Tyler come together to put a Red Dirt spin on classic bluegrass, swing, and country songs, as well as originals. The trio will play fiddle, mandolin, and guitar, and sing three-part harmonies on songs by Bill Monroe, Bob Wills, Bob Childers, Woody Guthrie, and more. // Thurs., June 23, 7:30 p.m., $12-$15, Charles E. Norman Theatre, PAC, tulsapac.com
Mvskoke Nation Festival //
Now in its 41st year, the Mvskoke Nation Festival celebrates the culture of Muscogee (Creek) Nation and features arts & crafts, food, a rodeo, sports and games tournaments, music and more. Headliners include Blues Traveler, Lee Greenwood, BJ Thomas, and Bret Michaels. // Thurs., June 23 through Sun., June 26, Claude Cox Omniplex, Okmulgee, creekfestival.com
The Bard in the Brady // Theatre Tulsa’s free Shakespeare festival returns to Guthrie Green. The company will perform the Bard’s comedy “As You Like It” transposed into the Summer of Love of the late 1960s. Friday’s performance is at 6:30 p.m., Saturday’s is at 2 p.m. // Fri., June 24 and Sat., June 25, Guthrie Green, guthriegreen.com
The Lowdown Dusty Blues //
The Dust Bowl of the 1930s ripped many Oklahoma families apart. Set in Woody Guthrie’s birthplace, Okemah, this show looks at the aftermath of The Dust Bowl as a family implodes. Written by Machele Miller Dill with original music by Chris Jett, this local production is heading to Scotland for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival later this summer. // Fri., June 24 and Sat., June 25, 8 p.m., $10-$20, Charles E. Norman Theatre, PAC, tulsapac.com
Legend of Darkness // The
best 1980s video game you never got to play. Loosely based on Joseph Conrad’s novel “Heart of Darkness,” this multimedia production features dancers composited into computergenerated visuals, as if the action takes place within a video game. A narrator “plays the game” using input from the audience to direct the finale of the who-dunnit finale, with multiple outcomes possible. // Fri., June 24 through Sun., June 26, $10-$15, John H. Williams Theatre, PAC, tulsapac.com
News Junkie presents: Chaos in the Blackbox - Tulsa Parking Enforcement vs Paul Tay // At his recent uninvited appearance at the debate between the two frontrunners in Tulsa’s mayoral race, Paul Tay demanded that his voice be heard. Tay will have his chance to voice his platform in this debate with City of Tulsa Parking Enforcement, our 2016 Best of Tulsa winner for Best Tulsan to Follow on Social Media. Topics of debate to include fighting the establishment elite and $30 fines. (Read our story on Tay on page 12). // Sat., June 25, 8 p.m., $10, Comedy Parlor, comedyparlor.com
Cian Baker says Laugh it up, Tulsa // 6/19, 8 p.m., Comedy Parlor, $5, comedyparlor.com
TU Uncorked Wine Festival // Wine from top wineries and Tulsa’s best restaurants will be served. There will be both a live and silent auction as well as other forms of entertainment. Bottles of wine will also be on sale. // 6/24, 6:30 p.m., Reynolds Center, $75, tualumni.com
Unusual Suspects // 6/24, 10 p.m., Comedy Parlor, $10, comedyparlor.com
Identity and Inspiration // An exhibit dedicated to Native American art // 6/15-6/26, 11 a.m., Philbrook Downtown - 116 E. M. B. Brady St., artstulsa.org
T-Town Famous // 6/24, 8 p.m., Comedy Parlor, $10, comedyparlor.com Hammered! A Drunk Improv Show // 6/25, 10 p.m., Comedy Parlor, $10, comedyparlor.com Sunday Night Stand Up // 6/26, 8 p.m., Comedy Parlor, $5, comedyparlor.com
PERFORMING ARTS
Shrine Stand Up Comedy Night // 6/27, The Venue Shrine, $8-$10, tulsashrine.com
Forever Plaid // “Forever Plaid” is a musical revue of close-harmony singing groups of the 1950s, with songs popularized by Sam Cooke, The Lettermen, and Tony Bennett, among many more. The show tells the story of The Plaids, a group whose dream of recording an album was cut short when they crashed into a bus full of Catholic schoolgirls on their way to see The Beatles on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” // 6/15-6/19, Tulsa Performing Arts Center - Liddy Doenges Theatre, $28-$33, tulsapac.com
Soundpony Comedy Hour // 6/27, Soundpony, thesoundpony.com By George! // 6/30, 8 p.m., Comedy Parlor, $5, comedyparlor.com Comfort Creatures // 7/2, 10 p.m., Comedy Parlor, $10, comedyparlor.com
Dan McGeehan & Susan Apker: On Our Own // Two local playwrights whose scripts have been produced nationwide present an evening of original short plays. McGeehan’s offerings include “A Long Trip,” the story of a lifelong love affair, which was included in “The Best American Short Plays of 2013-2014,” “The Rosebird Egress,” about a small town sheriff with a troubled past, and “Paladora,” concerning the struggle to find love and understanding in an imperfect and difficult world. Apker’s plays include “The Eiffel Truth,” a Parisian fairy tale, “The Commemorative,” which explores family dynamics with a splash of whiskey, and “The Sitting,” about an artist and his elusive subjects. The plays run about 10 minutes each. // 6/17-6/18, 8 p.m., Tulsa Performing Arts Center - Charles E. Norman Theatre, $12-$15, tulsapac.com
Sharp Dressed Men // 7/2, 5 p.m., Comedy Parlor, $10, comedyparlor.com
The Ultimate Elvis Experience // Two Elvis Presleys for the price of one. Jake Rowley, who portrayed young Elvis in the nation tour of the Tony Award-winning “Million Dollar Quartet,” returns to Tulsa, along with Elvis Presley Enterprises’ premier Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist, Shawn Klush, who has appeared on “The Late Show with David Letterman” and HBO’s “Vinyl.” Special guests include Elvis’s original drummer, DJ Fontana, and The Sweet Inspirations, who recorded and toured with Elvis. // 6/17-6/18, 7:30 p.m., Tulsa Performing Arts Center Chapman Music Hall, $15-$59, tulsapac.com
Tulsa Roughnecks FC vs LA Galaxy 2 // 6/17, 7:30 p.m., ONEOK Field, $10-$45
The Hobbit // Tulsa Youth Opera, which features singers in the third through twelfth grades, presents Dean Burry’s adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved novel, “The Hobbit.” Burry’s opera, written specifically for young performers, brings magic of Middle Earth to life with a hummable score. // 6/18-6/19, Tulsa Performing Arts Center, artstulsa.org/event
Tulsa Drillers vs Springfield Cardinals // 6/21, 7 p.m., ONEOK Field, $2-$35
into people’s everyday lives—continues their Poetry-On-Poetry series with an afternoon of work by E.E. Cummings read by local artists and writers. Throughout, attendees are encouraged to write poems inspired by what they hear. // Sun., June 26, 4 p.m., Doc’s Wine & Food, facebook. com/MUSED918
Shakti // In Sanskrit, Shakti (Power) is the creative energy of the universe. This show features powerful dances from India and other cultures with an ensemble of Indian Classical and Bollywood dancers. // 6/24-6/25, 7:30 p.m., Tulsa Performing Arts Center - Liddy Doenges Theatre, $20, tulsapac.com
COMEDY
THE TULSA VOICE // June 15 – July 5, 2016
Laughing Matter // 6/23, 8 p.m., Comedy Parlor, $5, comedyparlor.com
HBA Parade of Homes // HBA is showing off all the homes the Tulsa metro area has to offer. // 6/18-6/26, Free, tulsahba.com
POP: E.E. Cummings // MUSED. Organization—dedicated to putting poetry
thetulsavoice.com/calendar
Komedy Kombat // 6/18, 8 p.m., Comedy Parlor, $10, comedyparlor.com
Paws and Pictures // Bring your dogs and cats to the movies on June 23rd. Two screens, four movies and fun activities for the entire family. // 6/23, Admiral Twin Drive-In, $3 - $7, tulsaspca.org
Thomas Williams - Villains // Thomas Williams returns to SummerStage following his sold-out debut cabaret performance last year. This year, Williams looks to the dark side with music from the stage, screen, pop charts and more. // 6/24-6/25, 8 p.m., Tulsa Performing Arts Center Robert J. LaFortune Studio, $25-$30, tulsapac.com
For the most up-to-date listings
Peter Bedgood // 6/18, 10 p.m., Comedy Parlor, $10, comedyparlor.com
Sunday Night Stand Up // 7/3, 8 p.m., Comedy Parlor, $5, comedyparlor.com Paul Hooper, Nate Abshire, Bill Rusk // 6/15-6/18, Loony Bin, $2-$12, loonybincomedy.com Chris Killian, Thai Rivera, Frankie Palazzolo // 6/226/25, Loony Bin, $2-$12, loonybincomedy.com Mike Smith, Conrad Courtney, Dwight Ray // 6/29-7/2, Loony Bin, $2-$12, loonybincomedy.com
SPORTS
Tulsa Athletics vs Houston Dynamo U23 // 6/18, 7:30 p.m., Athletics Stadium, $7, tulsaathletics.com Tulsa Drillers vs Springfield Cardinals // 6/19, 1 p.m., ONEOK Field, $5-$35 Tulsa Drillers vs Springfield Cardinals // 6/20, 7 p.m., ONEOK Field, $5-$35
Tulsa Drillers vs Springfield Cardinals // 6/22, 7 p.m., ONEOK Field, $5-$35 Tulsa Drillers vs Northwest Arkansas Naturals // 6/23, 7 p.m., ONEOK Field, $5-$35 Tulsa Drillers vs Northwest Arkansas Naturals // 6/24, 7 p.m., ONEOK Field, $5-$35 Tulsa Athletics vs FC Wichita // 6/25, 7:30 p.m., Athletics Stadium, $7, tulsaathletics.com Tulsa Drillers vs Northwest Arkansas Naturals // 6/25, 7 p.m., ONEOK Field, $5-$35, The Center Polo Classic // A full polo match with all traditional festivities that go along with a polo match. All proceeds will go to The Center for Individuals with Physical Challenges. // 6/25, $10 - $25, Mohawk Park, tulsacenterpoloclassic.org
Roast of Peter Bedgood // 6/16, 8 p.m., Comedy Parlor, $10, comedyparlor.com
Tulsa Drillers vs Northwest Arkansas Naturals // 6/26, 1 p.m., ONEOK Field, $5-$35
Improv Pop // 6/17, 10 p.m., Comedy Parlor, $10, comedyparlor.com
Tulsa Athletics vs Santos Laguna sub-20 // 6/30, 7:30 p.m., Athletics Stadium, $7, tulsaathletics.com
Everybody and Their Dog // 6/17, 8 p.m., Comedy Parlor, $10, comedyparlor.com
Tulsa Athletics vs Fort Worth Vaqueros FC // 7/2, 7:30 p.m., Athletics Stadium, $7, tulsaathletics.com ARTS & CULTURE // 35
ontheroad
The road from home Life on tour with John Moreland by BOBBY DEAN ORCUTT
I
heard them just after exiting a gas station outside Dayton, Ohio. “Oh shit! Hey! Is that John Moreland?” It took me a moment to register what was happening. John, his wife Pearl, and myself were traveling from Tulsa to Newark, New Jersey. From there, we would fly to London for John's first European headlining show. It’s a young man in a delivery truck, clearly in the middle of his workday, who had shouted out. Enthusiasm overtook him and, for a moment, his parked truck blocked traffic, causing a choir of honking horns and tempers rising. He waved cheerfully and drove off. While moments like these have become more commonplace since Moreland’s release of last year’s High on Tulsa Heat, and even more so since his appearance on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” last February, they’re still surreal, especially when they come at unlikely times. I don't know if I'll ever get used to it. I can't speak for Moreland but, if I were to guess, I believe he'd say the same. I remember the first tours I did with John as tour manager. Stopping at Taco Bell before the show to use the bathroom was a common practice because the dives we were headed to didn't have a toilet anyone would want to use. This created a gauge for success: Moreland began his career not being able to use the bathroom at the venue. Now he plays venues that give him his own private bathroom. If the crowds never get bigger, it doesn't matter; he's already made it. It's a 1,381-mile drive from Tulsa to Newark. Upon return from the UK, Moreland had shows scheduled that called for 36 // MUSIC
John Moreland played Union Chapel, a church, music venue and homeless center in London, May 27th | REDROSPECTIVE
the tour truck, which is why we had to make the seemingly endless drive before the seven-hour flight across the ocean, leaving the big red beast we travel the country in at Newark Long Term Parking. The first day of travel was ten hours, with a stop in Indianapolis, Indiana. Along the way we killed the time by discussing politics and things we dislike (a common conversation piece), and listened to Boyz II Men and Alan Jackson. We ate fast food out of convenience
and spent a lot of time staring out the window at the changing landscape. The second day was slightly less grueling at eight hours, followed by a stop for the night in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. We had traveled from the plains, through the Midwest heartland, up into coal and tunnel country. By this point, our destination was now an easy two-hour drive away. The next day required an errand in Brooklyn before heading to the airport. New York City traffic is
enough to make you believe in spontaneous human combustion. We figure out the secret to surviving it is “What A Fool Believes” by the Doobie Brothers, on repeat. We made our flight with little time to spare. On board, I watched a movie I've already forgotten and John listened to a Tom Petty/Bruce Springsteen playlist for the duration of the flight. We waited in line for two hours at London Heathrow International Airport, herded like cattle June 15 – July 5, 2016 // THE TULSA VOICE
through customs and into the country. Once the ordeal of just getting there was complete, exhaustion and hunger set in. We were staying in a beautiful hotel in a trendy neighborhood in London with any food from any culture or cuisine you could want within walking distance. We decided on Chipotle because it’s uncrowded and familiar. There was mild disappointment at the lack of queso in a British Chipotle, but overall it was pretty OK. The show wasn't for another few days, which left plenty of time to sightsee, take in the culture, get out and embrace the experience. While that sounds great, the reality is jet lag and half a life spent touring means sightseeing will only happen (maybe) after a day of catching up on sleep. Before the days of international travel, I first saw Moreland play at Mercury Lounge. The venue in London is a far cry from the corner of 18th and Boston. Union Chapel is a prestigious and historic church that doubles as a music venue. Founded in 1799 by evangelical nonconformists, it’s renowned for its stunning architecture, otherworldly harmonics, and beautiful stained glass windows. During a WWII bombing raid, one side of the building was hit. The blast destroyed one of the windows that has since been replaced and is referred to as the “new” side, despite being more than half a century old. The doorway to the back green room is adorned with a chunk of Plymouth Rock, sent to the church in 1886. In the years since that Mercury show, the songs haven't changed. The delivery hasn't changed. The reception has absolutely changed. The pre-show ritual is important. Sometimes it's a game of dice and a Ghostface Killah album. Sometimes it's a case of Red Bull and Swedish metal—not really what folk audiences would expect. Before playing Union Chapel, the pre-show event was getting tattooed by Kentucky-based artist Frank Armstrong, a first in Union Chapel green room history. There is something comforting, when so far away from home, to be hanging out with a southerner in an Atlanta Braves hat. When Moreland took the stage a hush fell on the room and stayed there, with the exception of THE TULSA VOICE // June 15 – July 5, 2016
roaring applause after each song, for the duration of the night. No chatter. No outbursts. Just a group of near-five hundred Brits, and at least one guy who drove twenty hours from Oslo, Norway, who hung onto every word. I couldn’t help but feel like a Tulsa crowd could learn something from those folks. People often ask me if I ever get sick of seeing John play every night. The answer is no, but more than that, I never get sick of watching the crowd and how his moving performance affects them. This audience was it. This was why we came. After the last song a standing ovation demanded an encore, something I can say from experience John does not arbitrarily do. Often, the common formula is a band will play, leave the stage and return after a few minutes to finish the set. John will only return to the stage if an encore is truly wanted. This was one of those nights. We stayed in England a few more days. We killed time and tried not to miss our loved ones too much. We were grateful to get back to New Jersey, something I never thought I'd say. But we still had a few shows left. In Newark, we had a threehour stop for a brake job at a Meinke that resembled a war zone. We played a show in Abingdon, Virginia, which greeted us with lightning and flooding, causing our show to be moved from a spacious amphitheater to a crowded sports bar in a strip mall. We played a festival in Ohio that changed lineup dates and time last minute, which turned what was supposed to be a day off into a rushed five-hour drive with fingers crossed to make load-in on time. We still have a lot of miles to go before we get home. Over the last year, we've been to almost every state in America, Canada, much of Europe and the UK twice. I might be the luckiest guy I know. I get to travel the world with one of my best friends and see things I never thought I'd see. Not a bad gig for the son of a carpenter. There’s no denying it’s the journey of a lifetime, and we are both grateful to be on it, but if the road has shown me anything, it’s an appreciation for the familiar, for home. For Tulsa. a MUSIC // 37
musicnotes
Black future
Jabee looks forward with new record by MARY NOBLE ailing from the east side of Oklahoma City, rapper Jabee experienced his fair share of adversity growing up, including a stint of homelessness. “My momma would always say, ‘this will give us character,’” he said. Jabee has an altruistic spirit. He feeds the homeless at the OKC non-profit City Care, hosts an annual Christmas canned food and clothing drive called “Gift Raps,” and has donated his time and musical talents to the family of Mahhi-vist “Red Bird” Goodblanket (an unarmed Native American teen who was shot seven times by Clinton police during a mental health-related episode). Jabee seems to understand that music is more than notes and words, it’s about having a positive impact on the community. In addition to service, Jabee has a passion for education. In 2014 he won an Emmy for his work on the video “What If,” promoting Science Museum Oklahoma, and this fall he’ll teach two hip hop courses. One will be held at Harper Academy Charter School and the other will be a college level course at The Academy of Contemporary Music at the University of Central Oklahoma. His reasons for teaching extend beyond personal ambition. “My plan is to help funnel those kids from the charter school into college, into the music program.” Jabee’s upcoming ventures intersect with the theme of his new album Black Future, a title derived from a poem written by Oklahoma City teacher and good friend Najah-Amatullah Hylton. Najah premiered the poem at a show where Jabee was also set to per-
H
38 // MUSIC
OKC-based rapper Jabee | SIMON HURST
form during Black History Month in 2015. Unfortunately, Jabee didn’t make it. The day of the show, Jabee said, he went to the mall for a haircut, where he found himself surrounded by four security guards shouting, “we told you no hoodies in this mall!” He then was accused of filming around the mall with a camcorder. Not wanting to create a scene, he decided it was best to make his exit. He said he was inches from the doors when a voice snarled, “You don’t want to leave, you go to jail.” Jabee was swiftly arrested and spent his evening behind bars. “I’ve been alive 30 years and never been to jail,” he told me. He said this incident and countless others like it inspired him to ask the central question of his new album. “We always talk about Black History, but what about Black Future?”
Najah’s poem is the intro to the album and is read over live instrumentation, touching on issues beyond police brutality and emphasizing the importance of education. The poem explores a future in which black culture is celebrated, unhindered by systemic racism. In the twenty something year old Latinegra’s English teacher’s version of the future Black people’s verbs and nouns can agree perfectly and no one will say they “talk white” Grammar proficiency can be the norm There’s a place so dangerously absurd that the words reemerge as tools and our friends rather than the means by which the man condemns us to ignorance “She talks about how it is important to educate ourselves even down to small things like
your and you’re, they’re and there. That’s how I’ve always been and I’ve always thought that way,” Jabee said. The album has 13 tracks with a 19 track deluxe version available on iTunes, featuring guest appearances from Killer Mike, Brother Ali, and Chuck D from Public Enemy, who once said “Jabee’s music has the potential to change the world.” Jabee’s recently released single “Exhausted” is produced by Statik Selektah and pays tribute to the late Sean Price. While Jabee is with the label Murs 316 (founded by L.A. rapper Murs), he is releasing Black Future independently. “Being with Murs has really helped me. And my next album, I’ll probably do with him, but I wanted to see how well I could do on my own based on what I learned from my last album, [Everything Was Beautiful And Nothing Hurt].” It is increasingly common that artists forgo joining a label and remain independent for creative freedom, financial purposes, and a re-balancing of power that often tilts in favor of the label. But Jabee’s partnership with Murs is an exception to the rule. Their relationship is much less symbiotic, consisting primarily of Murs reaching out to underground artists he respects in hopes of jumpstarting their career. “I’ve met a lot of people and I gotta say Murs is probably the realest person I’ve ever met in the music industry,” Jabee said. Jabee will celebrate the release of Black Future on Sat., June 18 with a party at Tower Theatre in Oklahoma City. He’ll perform in Tulsa on Sun., June 19 at Guthrie Green and on Fri., June 24 at The Yeti. a June 15 – July 5, 2016 // THE TULSA VOICE
THE TULSA VOICE // June 15 – July 5, 2016
MUSIC // 39
musiclistings Wed // June 15 Crow Creek Tavern – Cody Woody Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Eicher Wednesdays On the Rocks – Don White The Colony – Tom Skinner’s Science Project The Fur Shop – The Head, SWAP MEAT, Antron and the Earslips
Thurs // June 16 Cimarron Bar – Barry Seal Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - Riffs – Cactus Jones – ($50-$65) Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - Riffs – Chris Hyde Band – ($50-$65) Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - The Joint – Leon Russell – ($35-$45) Mercury Lounge – Joe Buck Yourself River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Jason Young Band The Colony – Honky Tonk Happy Hour w/ Jacob Tovar The Shady Tree – Kelli Lynn and the Skillet Lickers The Venue Shrine – Royal Southern Brotherhood – ($12-$20) Utica Square Shopping Center – Summer’s Fifth Night Featuring Mid-Life Crisis (Classic Rock) – 7 p.m. – (Free) Vanguard – Carter Winter – ($10) Woody’s Corner Bar – John Rentie & Joe Spring
Fri // June 17 American Legion Post 308 – Double “00” Buck Boom Boom Room – DJ MO Cimarron Bar – The Blue Dawgs Dusty Dog Pub – Barry Seal Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - Riffs – Chad Lee – ($50-$65) Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - Riffs – Those Party Bros, Travis Kidd – ($50-$65) Hunt Club – RPM Mercury Lounge – Boxcar Bandits Soul City – Wesley Michael Hayes Soundpony – DarkuJ The Colony – Hosty Duo The Venue Shrine – The Damn Quails – ($8-$12) Westbound Club – Rusty Grove Band Woody’s Corner Bar – DJ Mikey Bee Yeti – DarkuJ Yeti – *We Make Shapes, Mr. Burns
Sat // June 18 Billy and Renee’s – Screaming Red Mutiny, OKLAHOMBRES, Even the Dogs Crow Creek Tavern – The Boogie Downtown Lounge – King Buffalo Fifteen Below Bar and Grill – DarkuJ Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - Riffs – Chad Lee – ($50-$65) Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - Riffs – Midlife Crisis, Chad & Keith – ($50-$65) Hunt Club – Hurricane Mason Mercury Lounge – JD Wilkes River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – The Hi-Fidelics Sandite Billiards & Grill – Mike and the Moonpies Soul City – Dos Bros, Scott Musick Soundpony – Canadian Rifle The Colony – Cody Woody Band, The Great American Wolf The Fur Shop – The Big News 40 // MUSIC
Tulsa Performing Arts Center - John H. Williams Theatre – The Hobbit – ($15-$20) Vanguard – Heartbyrne, A Live One – ($10-$15) Westbound Club – Rusty Grove Band
Sun // June 19 BOK Center – Selena Gomez – ($51.50-$81.50) Crow Creek Tavern – Cody Woody Downtown Lounge – Youngblood Supercult Elwood’s – Brent Giddens and the V.C.R. Band Guthrie Green – *Woody Guthrie Center Presents: Leyla McCalla, Brian Whelan, The Grahams, Jabee Soundpony – Siberian Traps The Colony – Paul Benjaman’s Sunday Nite Thing - 5 Year Anniversary Show Tulsa Performing Arts Center - John H. Williams Theatre – The Hobbit – ($15-$20) Vanguard – Letlive., Seahaven, Silver Snakes, Night Verses – ($10-$15)
Mon // June 20 Fifteen Below Bar and Grill – Concrete Mondays w/ DarkuJ
Fri // June 24
Wed // June 29
American Legion Post 308 – Whiskey Bent BOK Center – James Taylor – ($67-$87) Boom Boom Room – DJ MO Cain’s Ballroom – Chase Rice – ($30-$45) Dusty Dog Pub – James Groves Blues Machine Gypsy Coffee House – Marilyn McCulloch Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - Riffs – The Tiptons – ($50-$65) Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - Riffs – Uncrowned Kings, The High-Fidelics – ($50-$65) Hunt Club – Dante and the Hawks Mercury Lounge – Strahan & The Good Neighbors River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Drive Smitty’s 118 Tavern – Scott Ellison Band Soul City – KALO The Colony – Mo’ Of It The Shady Tree – RPM The Venue Shrine – Bryce Dicus and the Mercenaries – ($5) Woody’s Corner Bar – DJ Spin
Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Eicher Wednesdays On the Rocks – Don White Soundpony – Privatized Air The Colony – Tom Skinner’s Science Project The Venue Shrine – Jon Wayne and the Pain, Magic Beans – ($7-$10) Vanguard – *Good Old War, Wild Child – ($10-$13)
Sat // June 25
Cain’s Ballroom – *Reverend Horton Heat, Unknown Hinson, Koffin Kats, Lincoln Durham – ($13-$26) Guthrie Green – Starlight Concert Band - Americana Gypsy Coffee House – Tuesday Night Open Mic Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - Riffs – Kinsey Sadler – ($50-$65) Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Depot Jazz and Blues Jams The Colony – Tuesdays with Maury Vanguard – Kutt Calhoun, Witney Peyton, Sincerely Collins, Trip C, Mister Gurthy, Infamous – ($10-$15) Yeti – Yeti Writers’ Night
Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - Riffs – Runnin’ On Empty – ($50-$65) Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - Riffs – Superfreak, Travis Kidd, Chad & Keith – ($50-$65) Hunt Club – Tony Romanello and the Black Jackets Mercury Lounge – Dance, Monkey, Dance! River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Banana Seat Roosters Cocktails – Tyler Brant Soul City – *Randy Crouch Soundpony – DJ Sweet Baby Jaysus The Colony – *David’s Bandana The Fur Shop – DarkuJ The Venue Shrine – Cowboy Jones – ($5) Vanguard – Skytown, Class Zero, All For More, Noisebleedssound, The Indigos, Electric Culture – 8 p.m. – ($10-$13) Vanguard – The Browning, Bermuda, Fire from the Gods, Advocate – 3 p.m. – ($13-$15)
Wed // June 22
Sun // June 26
Cain’s Ballroom – Citizen Cope – ($25-$40) Hunt Club – Nick Whitaker and Alexa Kriss Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Eicher Wednesdays On the Rocks – Don White Soundpony – Dead Shakes The Colony – Tom Skinner’s Science Project Whiskey Dog – Cole Lynch
Brady Theater – Blue October, Panic (The Smiths and Morrissey Tribute), Danny Malone – ($24) Crow Creek Tavern – Cody Woody Elwood’s – The Dusty Pearls Guthrie Green – KOSU Presents Hunt Club – Lieberfund Benefit The Colony – Paul Benjaman’s Sunday Nite Thing Vanguard – Never Shout Never, Hundred Handed, Me Like Bees – ($10.45-$70.45)
Elwood’s – Benny Bassett The Colony – Singer/Songwriter Night Yeti – Cypher 120
Tues // June 21
Thurs // June 23 Cain’s Ballroom – *Bone Thugs-N-Harmony – ($27-$95) Crow Creek Tavern – Tyler Brant Downtown Lounge – Redneck Remedy Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - Riffs – Darren Ray – ($50-$65) Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - Riffs – Rod Robertson – ($50-$65) Hunt Club – Ego Culture Knuckleheads Too – Les Dudek Band, Scott Ellison Band River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Kinsey Sadler Soundpony – Femme Fatale The Colony – An Evening with Jared Tyler The Fur Shop – Dan Martin Utica Square Shopping Center – Summer’s Fifth Night Featuring Traveler (Rock) – 7 p.m. – (Free) Woody’s Corner Bar – Ben Neikirk
Mon // June 27 Fifteen Below Bar and Grill – Concrete Mondays w/ DarkuJ The Colony – Singer/Songwriter Night Yeti – Cypher 120
Tues // June 28
Thurs // June 30 Elwood’s – Hosty Duo Hard Rock Hotel and Casino - The Joint – The Monkees – ($50-$65) Hunt Club – Paseo Street Walkers Osage Casino Tulsa - Event Center – Robert Earl Keen – ($20) River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Travis Kidd Soundpony – The Wheel Workers The Colony – Foster Party Utica Square Shopping Center – Summer’s Fifth Night Featuring Bop Cats (Rock & Roll) – 7 p.m. – (Free) Vanguard – The Verve Pipe – ($16-$40) Woody Guthrie Center – Betty Soo – ($17-$20) Woody’s Corner Bar – Brad Hardgrove
Fri // Jul 1 Elwood’s – The Electric Rag Band Mercury Lounge – Sam Pace Soul City – *Wink Burcham CD Release Show Soundpony – TnT Wangs Anniversary Party The Colony – Travis Linville Woody’s Corner Bar – DJ Mikey Bee
Sat // Jul 2
Billy and Renee’s – Daemon Rising, OLDMAN, Symphonia, The Deformati Ed’s Hurricane Lounge – The Heather Buckley Band Mercury Lounge – The Last Slice Soul City – Dan Martin & the Great American Wolf Soundpony – Soul Night The Colony – *Hehl & Foster
Sun // Jul 3 Soundpony – Young Girls, Ramesh The Colony – Paul Benjaman’s Sunday Nite Thing The Venue Shrine – *Count Tutu, Green Corn Rebellion – ($7-$10)
Mon // Jul 4 The Colony – Singer/Songwriter Night Yeti – Cypher 120
Tues // Jul 5 Gypsy Coffee House – Tuesday Night Open Mic The Colony – Tuesdays with Maury Yeti – Yeti Writers’ Night
Guthrie Green – Starlight Concert Band - Fiesta! Gypsy Coffee House – Tuesday Night Open Mic Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Depot Jazz and Blues Jams The Colony – Travis Linville The Venue Shrine – The Lonely Revolts – ($5) Yeti – Yeti Writers’ Night
June 15 – July 5, 2016 // THE TULSA VOICE
SPONSORED EDITORIAL
Ron Funches | COURTESY
Eric André | COURTESY
Josh Fadem | DEVIN DAS
Fortune Feimster | COURTESY
Getting to the “Root” of Tulsa’s Urban Life George Kaiser Family Foundation recently announced the launch of the Root Tulsa app, an urban field guide to Tulsa events, culture and history. “The idea for the app stems from the foundation’s desire to orient locals and visitors to the rich culture of Tulsa,” said Aaron Miller, program officer at GKFF. “Root is like a personal tour guide for identifying sights and learning about the historical context of the city. As Tulsa continues to transform, Root provides access to new information and deeply important local narratives.” Developed by Tulsa-based software development and design company New Medio, Root’s layout is intuitive and easy to navigate. Users can find the hottest places to visit or the most talked about events by clicking on the map. The “Places” tab is your go-to guide for attractions like restaurants, museums, music venues, and bars. Not only does it give a short description of the establishment, but it will tell you how far away it is. The “Stories” tab discusses the city’s history and the Tulsans who made it happen. “Guides” is information gathered from locals with tips for out-of-towners on what to do and shortcuts for how to do it. Lastly, the “Events” tab includes a full community calendar of citywide events, powered by The Tulsa Voice. “As more conventions, concerts and national sporting events choose Tulsa, Root will be the recommended tool for visitors in need of an insider’s guide to the city,” said Ray Hoyt, president of VisitTulsa and Tulsa Sports Commission. Users can also narrow down the search results by selecting an interest: Architecture & Landmarks, Comedy, Family, Fine Arts & Literature, Food & Drink, History, Music, Nightlife & Entertainment, Parks & Recreation, Performing Arts, Retails & Local Services, Special Events and Sports and Fitness. Root Tulsa is available on iPhone and can be downloaded in the App Store. Android and Windows users can connect to Root by visiting RootTulsa.com. THE TULSA VOICE // June 15 – July 5, 2016
Blue Whale Comedy Festival announces more headliners The Blue Whale Comedy Festival recently announced another round of headliners for its third annual festival, taking place September 8-11, including Ron Funches of NBC’s “Undateable.” You might also recognize him from other shows such as Comedy Central’s “@Midnight,” “Drunk History,” and the “Kroll Show.” He’ll also appear in the Bruce Willis comedy “Going Under” later this year. Other headliners include Eric André, creator and host of the “The Eric Andre Show” on Adult Swim, Last Comic Standing alum Fortune Feimster, who’s appeared The Mindy Project, Glee, and Workaholics, and Tulsa native Josh Fadem (“Better Call Saul,” next year’s “Twin Peaks” relaunch). The Blue Whale Comedy Festival will take place in the Brady Arts and Blue Dome Districts this year, at venues including Cain’s Ballroom, Comedy Parlor, Soundpony, and The Vanguard. The complete line-up so far: Ahmed Bharoocha, Ashley Barnhill, Brent Weinbach, Brian Moses, Bridget Everett, Byron Bowers, Doug Lussenhop, Eric Andre, Fortune Feimster, Ian Abramson, Jo Firestone, Johnny Pemberton, Josh Adam Meyers & God Damn Comedy Jam, Josh Fadem, Julian McCullough, Maronzio Vance, Monroe Martin, Nate Bargatze, Rhea Butcher, Ron Funches and Tony Hinchliffe. Submissions are still being accepted for performers, short films and volunteers. Find tickets and more information at bluewhalecomedyfestival.com MUSIC // 41
popradar
Maisie Williams in “Game of Thrones” | MACALL B. POLAY - COURTESY HBO
Breaking the wheel Arya’s act of mercy by LANDRY HARLAN
M
ercy is scarce in the vengeful world of “Game of Thrones.” Though many in Westeros pray to Mother Mercy, one facet of the Seven-Faced God, wrongs are righted more often with brutality than benevolence. It might be the case that many deserve a violent end (Ramsay Bolton, anyone?), but as in all revenge fantasies, the slope gets more slippery with each spilling of blood. To quote the Mother of Dragons, stopping the wheel of death requires “breaking the wheel,” though mercy is likely not what she meant. The rarity of charity is what makes an act by Arya midway through season six such a stark (sorry, couldn’t resist) turning point for the character and possibly the series. From last season to this point, Arya has trained under the tutelage of Jaqen H’ghar, one of the Faceless Men of The House of Black and White in Braavos. The Faceless Men are assassins known for their
42 // FILM & TV
face-shifting abilities, which are of much interest to a girl looking to escape her tragic past. After a series of training montages that rival “Rocky” and “Karate Kid,” Jaqen tests his protégé with an assignment: to poison Lady Crane, the lead actress of a theater troupe. Then, Arya’s training will be complete and she will truly become “no one.” To research her target, Arya attends several performances in which the events of the show’s first few seasons are re-enacted with a farcical twist. Lady Crane plays Cersei Lannister, the first name on Arya’s “kill list,” who presided over the beheading of Arya’s father, Ned Stark. Before the actors head backstage after a show, Arya slips the poison in Lady Crane’s drink. As she makes for an escape, Crane notices and takes an interest in her. Because the actors are playing out scenes from Arya’s life, and because she has been to see the show several times, her interest is
obvious to Crane, who mistakes that curiosity for a desire to be in theater. Arya suggests Crane changes the way she acts during Joffrey’s death—with rage instead of grief. “The Queen loves her son, more than anything,” Arya says, her eyes expressing the silent realization that Cersei and Arya are more alike than she can ignore, with a thirst for justice bounded in love. Lady Crane asks Arya her name. “Mercy,” she responds. Moments later, Arya knocks the poisoned wine out of Lady Crane’s grasp, saving her life. In doing so, Arya rejects her training. Unfortunately, stealing a life from the Many Faced God means that someone else’s must take its place. The Waif sees the act and Jaqen grants her permission to pay the debt with Arya’s life instead. It is unlikely that she will show Arya the same mercy Arya showed Lady Crane. When Sandor Clegane, “The Hound,” begged Arya to give him a quick death, “the gift of mer-
cy,” she refused. When she found Meryn Trant, another name on her kill list, in Braavos, she stabbed him in his eyes. Arya’s formative years were filled with horrific acts that led her to embrace death and its followers, the Faceless Men. Disobeying Jaqen to save Crane means accepting that there is goodness in her—love, justice, and mercy—that cannot be broken. By regaining her independence, she also regains her name and virtue. She is a Stark, no matter how far she runs from the name. In the morally chaotic universe of “Game of Thrones,” the Stark family is the closest thing to a compass. Arya’s return to Westeros has been anxiously awaited for seasons. By reclaiming her family name and adopting a new moniker, “Mercy,” the outcome could be very different than what we’ve come to expect. Cersei is still the first name on her list and likely her first target once she arrives. Will she spin the wheel of violence, or break it? a June 15 – July 5, 2016 // THE TULSA VOICE
filmphiles
Film as populist culture Four pictures to watch before the revolution by JOE O’SHANSKY
T
he idea of political populism—the belief in the power of the common majority to overcome a corrupt ruling elite—has been chronicled in film since the early days of the medium. In politics, the philosophy has largely been co-opted and devoured by special interests that wield populist appeals like a weapon, dividing and conquering through pandering, all the while keeping the majority ignorant and fighting each other (see: the 55th Oklahoma Legislature). As an antidote to this year’s through-thelooking-glass political insanity (and for those of you still mourning Bernie’s loss), here are four films with varying populist bents. Medium Cool Journalism, which should be the fourth independent pillar of transparent governance, has largely been either subverted by free-market pressures or corrupted by inherent exploitation. Legendary cinematographer and director Haskell Wexler foreshadowed everything from sensationalist journalism and corporate collusion in the surveillance state to police brutality and racial identity politics with his 1968 verité masterpiece “Medium Cool.” Starring Robert Forster and Verna Bloom, Wexler’s groundbreaking film combines narrative and documentary scenes to tell the story of a cameraman who abandons his careerism when he realizes he’s become a tool of society’s oppressors. Wexler’s immediacy is fueled by the tumult of America at war, abroad and at home—an unprecedented cultural conflagration that would later be calmed, somewhat ironically, by Walter Cronkite when he assured the country that Vietnam was unwinnable. Wexler filmed in the run
THE TULSA VOICE // June 15 – July 5, 2016
field, leaving the viewer to decide who is right or wrong.
Haskell Wexler behind the scenes of “Medium Cool” | COURTESY
up to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, accurately predicting that riots would occur. That the poor were drafted more readily for combat than the rich was a collective recognition that eventually led to the end of both. For a time. Tanner ‘88 The veil the media puts on the body politic is skewered in Robert Altman’s mirthful mockumentary, “Tanner ’88.” Following the campaign of an anodyne yet sincere presidential candidate, Jack Tanner (Michael Murphy), “Tanner ’88” once again fuses real life with fiction—including appearances from Bob Dole, Ralph Nader, and Jesse Jackson among a raft of eclectic political celebrities, set against the backdrop of the ’88 elections. Written with understated wit by “Doonesbury’s” Garry Trudeau and directed with Altman’s typically chaotic ear for conversational realism, “Tanner” is still relevant in the way it satirizes a
media that embraces sincerity and blurs it beyond recognition. Fans of “Veep” will find themselves in familiar territory. What’s the Matter with Kansas? The media can only claim so much credit for abetting the shell game our leadership is running. The question of why people vote against their inherent self-interests (religious and ideological purity) was answered most famously by Robert Frank’s exposé, “What’s the Matter with Kansas?” which was adapted into a documentary in 2009. Kansas, as well as a good chunk of Oklahoma, used to be a liberal hotbed of radical populism in the early 20th century. That slowly morphed into the paradoxical landscape of today—where unions are demonized and the sheep willingly allow themselves to be fleeced by the rich in exchange for the power to enforce their personal values on others. The film is unique in that it presents all sides on a level playing
Where to Invade Next It seems impossible to convince the ideologically entrenched that good old-fashioned socialism is the cure. And even if it were possible, they aren’t going to swallow that pill when it’s Michael Moore handing it to them. Which is unfortunate since Moore’s latest, “Where to Invade Next” makes a brilliant case for democratic socialism with a great hook. The Western European way of running things (free education, healthcare, paid leave, strong unions, and firmly regulated corporations) is how America used to do it, and Moore spends the majority of the film traveling Europe to remind us of just that. If you want to know what the country might have looked like had Bernie won the nomination, Moore’s genteel treatise is an optimistic window. Yeah, that hopey-changey thing. No matter where you stand, the commonalties that unite us will eventually manifest themselves while our leaders ignore the collective will of the governed as they polish the brass on the Titanic— confident their November reckoning will never come. a
Tulsa’s independent and non-profit art-house theatre, showing independent, foreign, and documentary films.
FILM & TV // 43
THE FUZZ THE TULSA VOICE SPOTLIGHTS: TULSA SPCA 2910 Mohawk Blvd. | MON, TUES, THURS, FRI & SAT, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 918.428.7722
The Tulsa SPCA has been helping animals in our area since 1913. The shelter never euthanizes for space and happily rescues animals from high-kill shelters. They also accept owner surrenders, rescues from cruelty investigations, hoarding, and puppy mill situations. Animals live on-site or with foster parents until they’re adopted. All SPCA animals are micro-chipped, vaccinated, spayed/neutered, and treated with preventatives. Learn about volunteering, fostering, upcoming events, adoptions, and their low-cost vaccination clinic at tulsaspca.org.
Sable
CLEAR THE SHELTERS “Name your price” adoption event July 23, 2016 The Tulsa SPCA invites you to participate in the second annual Clear the Shelters day on July 23, 2016. Clear the Shelters is a national movement to find every shelter animal a permanent home. Last year, over 20,000 animals nationwide found forever homes, making 2015 the most successful year so far. Mooshka
This year, the SPCA and nearly 20 other animal rescues are coming together to adopt out as many animals as possible in a single day. Last year, 118 animals were adopted, meaning that in reality, 236 were saved. Octavia
This year we hope to save even more lives. To join us in Clear the Shelters this year, visit the SPCA on Mohawk Blvd, or one of our participating adoption sites on July 23 between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. to find the next lovely addition to your home. For more information email cadams@tulsaspca.org or call 918-428-7722 ext. 22
Summer of APPreciation! A new deal for APP users every week this summer BEGINNING JUNE 13
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June 15 – July 5, 2016 // THE TULSA VOICE
news of the weird by Chuck Shepherd
Bright Ideas Argentina’s TV channels have many of the same taboos as U.S. broadcasting, including restrictions on women’s hands-on demonstration of how precisely to examine themselves for breast cancer. However, as AdWeek reported in March, the agency David Buenos Aires apparently solved the problem with an explicit TV public service announcement featuring a model (facing the camera, topless) showing exactly how such an exam should go, e.g., where to press down, where to squeeze. The secret? The model was an overweight man with generous-sized “manboobs.” New World order As an alternative to the more costly in vitro fertilization, researchers at a Dresden, Germany, institute announced (in the recent Nano Letters journal) that they had developed a motorized device tiny enough to fit around a sperm’s tail and which could be commanded to propel it to “swim” faster toward the target egg, increasing the chances of fertilization. A prototype is still in the works. The Internet pornography behemoth PornHub recently added to the glut of physical fitness “apps” with one designed to help users tone up sexual muscles. The BangFit’s routines include the “squat and thrust,” the “missionary press,” and other ways to practice what the company describes as the “one activity people are always motivated to do and (for) which they are never too busy.” (Imagine, for example, wrote Mashable.com, “quantify(ing) your dry humps.”) The continuing crisis As Libya’s central bank struggles to stabilize a halting economy, it could surely use the estimated $184 million in gold and silver coins that Moammar Gadhafi minted but left buried in an underground vault in the coastal city of Beyda, but the treasure is inaccessible because central bank officials don’t know the lock’s combination (as The Wall Street Journal reported in May). THE TULSA VOICE // June 15 – July 5, 2016
The latest plan is to have a locksmith squeeze through a 16-by-16inch hole in the outer vault’s concrete wall and once inside to try his hand. If unsuccessful, the government’s bureaucrats likely cannot get paid, but even if successful, various anti-government factions may go to extremes to snatch the coins. Wait, what? Video surfaced in May of students at Winston Churchill High School in San Antonio, Texas, actually playing jump rope with the intestines of cats that had been dissected in biology class. Obviously, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals was not pleased, but school district officials called the exercise a valid demonstration of the “tensile strength of the organ” and only reluctantly agreed to investigate further. When Triston Chase, 20, missed his court date in April in Harnett County, North Carolina, on financial fraud charges, it was revealed that his arrest in December had come when he had been found “residing” illegally, as a civilian, in a barracks at Fort Bragg — in a facility housing the Army’s 3rd Special Forces Group. According to a prosecutor, Chase had been posing as an explosive ordnance disposal specialist “for months.” The official investigation of Special Forces’ barracks “security” was still underway at the time of Chase’s court date.
Weird animals Among the critters for which life is most difficult are male nursery web spiders that (according to May research in Biology Letters journal) instinctively “court” females with food wrapped in silk — offerings that (a) increase the males’ chances of scoring and (b) decrease, by 84 percent, their chances that the female will spontaneously eat the male. The study also found that males sometimes try to mate using nonfood items wrapped in silk (with mixed results) and also that sometimes unscrupulous females accept food gifts but nevertheless immediately devour the male. Recurring themes For years, India has been concerned about the gas-release problem posed by its nearly 300 million cows (and 200 million more gas-intensive animals), but researchers in Kerala state revealed a promising breeding answer in May: dwarf cows (about one-fourth the size, producing somewhat less milk but one-seventh the manure and one-10th the methane). (Pound for pound, methane traps 25 times as much heat as carbon dioxide.) (Bonus: The New York Times Style Book apparently now accepts the word “farting” in formal copy — while reporting that “belching” is the far more serious methane problem.)
News of the Weird Classic (June 2012) All U.S. states have forms of no-fault divorce, but England still requires that couples prove adultery, abandonment or “unreasonable behavior,” which leads to strange claims, according to an April (2012) New York Times dispatch from London. For instance, one divorcing woman’s petition blamed her husband’s insistence that she speak only in Klingon. Other examples of “unreasonable” behavior (gathered by the Times of London): a husband’s objecting to the “malicious” preparation of his hated tuna casserole, another’s 15-year silence (except for writing him Post-It Notes), a husband’s distorting the fit of his wife’s outfits by frequently wearing them, and one’s insistence that a pet tarantula reside in a glass case beside the marital bed. a
6/1 SOLUTION: UNIVERSAL SUNDAY
ETC. // 45
free will astrology by ROB BREZSNY
GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20):
My long-term predictions for the next 15 months are a blend of hopeful optimism and a reasonable interpretation of the astrological omens. Here we go: 1. You will have an excellent chance to smooth and soothe the rough spots in your romantic karma. 2. You will outgrow any addiction you might have to frustrating connections. 3. Unrequited love will either be requited, or else you’ll become bored with the futile chase and move on. 4. You’ll be challenged to either refresh and reinvent an existing intimacy, or else get shrewd enough not to repeat past mistakes in a new intimacy. 5. You will have an abundance of good ideas about how to install the theme of smart fun at the heart of your strongest alliances.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Author Courttia Newland quotes the pre-Socratic philosopher Meno: “How will you go about finding the thing the nature of which is totally unknown to you?” In response to this riddle, Newland riffs on what it means to him: “Even more important than the journey itself, is the venture into the unknowable. The ability to find comfort moving forwards without quite knowing where you are going.” I nominate these to be your words to live by in the coming days, Cancerian. Have open-hearted fun as you go in search of mysterious and impossible secrets! I’m confident you will track them down — especially if you’re willing to be lost. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Your homework is to write a story about the life you’re going to live between now and next April. The length of this predictive tale should be at least three pages, although it’s fine if you produce more. Here are some meditations to lubricate the flow of your imagination. 1. What three questions would you love to have answered during the next 42 weeks? 2. Of the numerous adventures that might be fun to explore, which are the two that would be most consistently energizing? 3. What is the one thing you’d most like to change about your attitude or revamp about your life? 4. What new privilege will you have earned by April 2017? VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): According to an old Chinese proverb, if you want to get rich, you must have a nickname. My meditations on your future suggest that this curious formula may have some validity. The next 15 months will be a favorable time to attend to the groundwork that will ultimately increase your wealth. And your luck in doing this work is likely to be oddly good if you add a frisky tweak to your identity — such as a zesty new nickname, for example. I suggest you stay away from clichés like Ace or Vixen or Sharpie, as well as off-putting ironic monikers like Poker Face and Stonewall. Instead, gravitate toward lively choices like Dazzler, FluxLuster, Hoochie-Coochie, or FreeBorn. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): During the next 15 months, you will have an unprecedented chance to materialize a fantasy you’ve harbored for years. Essential to your efforts will be a capacity to summon more ambition than you ever have before. I’m not talking about the grubby self-promotion that typically passes for ambition, however. Arrogant self-importance and selfish posturing will not be part of your winning formula. Rather, the kind of ambition I’m referring to is a soaring aspiration that seeks the best and highest not just for yourself but for everyone whose life you touch. I mean the holy hunger that drives you to express impeccable integrity as you seek to master the tasks you came to Earth to accomplish. Get started! SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): During the next 15 months, composting should be a primary practice, as well as a main metaphor. If you have been lazy about saving leftover scraps from your kitchen and turning them into fertilizer, now is an excellent time to intensify your efforts. The same is true if you have been lax about transforming your pain into useful lessons that invigorate your lust for life. Be ever-alert for opportunities to capitalize on junk, muck, and slop. Find secret joy in creating unexpected treasure out of old failures and wrong turns. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Have you ever made a fool of yourself while trying to fulfill your deepest yearnings? I hope so. If you haven’t, your yearnings probably aren’t deep enough. Most of us, on multiple occa-
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
sions, have pursued our longings for connection with such unruly intensity that we have made foggy decisions and engaged in questionable behavior. That’s the weird news. The good news is that now and then, the impulse to leave our safety zone in a quest to quench our deepest yearnings can actually make us smarter and more effective. I believe this is one of those times for you. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): During the next 13 months, what can you do to enhance your ability to be the boss of yourself? What practices can you engage in on a daily basis that will build your potency and authority and clout? How can you gain access to more of the helpers and resources you need to carry out your life’s master plan? These are excellent questions to ask yourself every day between now and July 2017. It’s time to find or create your ultimate power spot. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The prison population in the U.S. is over two million, more than twice what it was in 1990. In contrast, Canada keeps about 41,000 people in jail, Italy 52,000, and France 66,000. That’s the bad news. The good news, at least for you and your tribe, is that a relatively small percentage of you will be incarcerated during the next 15 months. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, Aquarians all over the world will specialize in liberation. Not only will you be extra ethical; not only will you be skillful at evading traps; you will also be adept at emancipating yourself from your own delusions and limitations. Congratulations in advance! It’s time to start singing some new freedom songs. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): The English word “catharsis” is derived from the ancient Greek katharsis, which was a technical medical term that meant “purgation” or “purification,” as in flushing out the bowels. Aristotle converted katharsis into a metaphor that described how a drama performed in the theater could “clean out” the emotions of spectators. These days, catharsis may refer to any event that precipitates a psycho-spiritual renewal by building up and then releasing tension. I foresee at least one of these strenuous blessings in your immediate future.
MASTER
ARIES (March 21-April 19): The coming months will be a favorable time to boost your skills as a cagey warrior. I don’ t mean you should push people around and get into lots of fights. Rather, the goal is for you to harness your aggressiveness constructively and to wield your willpower with maximum grace. In the face of fear, you will not just be brave, but brave and crafty. You’ll refrain from forcing storylines to unfold before they’re ready, and you’ll rely on strategy and good timing instead of brute strength and the decree “Because I said so.” Now study this counsel from the ancient Chinese statesman Zhuge Liang, also known as Crouching Dragon: “The wise win before they fight, while the ignorant fight to win.” TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Everything you do in the coming days should be imbued with the intention of enhancing the Flow. It’s high time to identify where the energy is stuck, and then get it unstuck. You have a sacred mandate to relieve the congestion… to relax the tweaks… to unravel the snarls if you can, or simply cut through them if necessary. You don’t need to tell anyone about your secret agenda. Just go about your business with zealous diligence and unflagging purpose. If it takes more effort than you wished, so be it. If your progress seems maddeningly gradual, keep the faith.
If you could change your astrological sign, what would you change it to and why? 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.
June 15 – July 5, 2016 // THE TULSA VOICE
ACROSS 1 “Real” and “alcohol” endings 5 “Sesame Street” grouch 10 Moshe of Israel 15 Provides with weapons 19 History Muse 20 Cheek makeup 21 Lift the spirits of 22 In ___ of (replacing) 23 Stock-price elevator 25 One pretending to be powerful 27 Fair to middling 28 Emulates a lion 30 Give up the occupancy of 31 Way to be noted 32 Robe “cloth” 33 “Frasier” actress Gilpin 34 Computer key 37 Land parcel 38 Sultry summer stretches 41 Online shoppers might spend it 42 Rainless and desperately dry 43 Ocean traffic lane 45 “___ all in your mind” 47 Egyptian Christian 48 Navy commando 49 Competes 50 Provide with an overhead surface 51 Legendary boxer 52 Like an earpiercing sound 54 Frau’s partner 55 Large stringed instrument 56 Swerve wildly 58 Piano-key material 60 Source of light 61 Thing hanging around the house 62 Toot one’s own horn 63 Puts on paint lightly 64 “Nonsense!” 67 Art capable of
68 Imaginary monsters 72 Like some angles 73 Big name in stereo speakers 74 Horse-drawn carriage 76 “Welcome” bearer 77 Microscope part 78 Change for a twenty 79 “Nay” and “uh-uh” 80 Boxcar Willie’s persona 81 Car nut? 82 Astronomy Muse 84 Place to worship from 85 Red Square figure 86 Messy places on farms 88 Like white water 90 Keystone of an arch 91 “You will ___” (hypnotist’s phrase) 92 Specialized vocabulary 93 Blacken with fire 94 American leopardlike wildcat 97 “He’s ___ nowhere man” (Beatles lyric) 98 Crockett’s cap material 102 Some horror-film creatures 104 Biggest portion 106 Cheese in a ball 107 Benjamin Moore product 108 Speak to a large crowd 109 Breeds or varieties 110 “The Untouchables” man 111 Some six-packs 112 ___ Hall University 113 Aphid, to a fruit tree DOWN 1 Certain ballistic missile
2 Pivot around a pole 3 Balmy, as weather 4 Most dependable or upstanding 5 Delphi VIP 6 Apologetic 7 Salad veg. 8 “Act your ___!” 9 Certain tire 10 Leaves 11 Wing-shaped (var.) 12 Runs off at the mouth 13 Consumed 14 Sarin, for one 15 Silverstone of films 16 Letts’ place 17 Track gettogether 18 Certain 24 River’s end 26 After the bell 29 “Lord of the Rings” monster 32 Pronounce an “r” like a Scot 33 Electricity 34 “Unleaded,” coffeewise 35 Bacteria discovered by Theodor Escherich 36 ___ lazuli (blue mineral) 37 Chisholm, e.g. 38 Grocery section 39 Triangular traffic sign 40 “It’s ___ Rock and Roll to Me” 42 Bird’s home way up high 44 Main or blessed thing 46 ___ gin fizz 48 Remove stubble 50 Perfume by burning 52 Not in the least original 53 “A Fistful of Dollars” director Sergio 54 Party throwers
55 57 59 60 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 73 75 78 80 82 83 84 85 87 89 90 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 103 105
Taxi driver (var.) Tests by lifting Undergrad degs. Zoo enclosures Operatic villains, often German engraver Albrecht Gloomy atmosphere Freeze, as a windshield Mushrooms and molds, e.g. Directs the steering of a ship Wide or spacious Honor ___ thieves Netanyahu’s predecessor “Basic Instinct” star Sharon Cecil’s pal in cartoons Not suited to the job Dangers for paragliders Inheritance Kind of violin stroke Blotter statistics Handsome hunks Homebuyers’ needs, often Manmade monsters Khan’s title Selected Boxing venue One thousand escudos “A Prayer for ___ Meany” Transfer ownership Chapters of history Very enthusiastic Slicker or parka Cabbagelike plant Peeves Crow’s creation Seven-faced doctor of film Anger
Universal sUnday Crossword aniMal HoUse By Timothy e. Parker
© 2016 Universal Uclick
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