J U N E 1 8 - J U LY 1 , 2 0 1 4 // V O L . 1 N O . 1 3
wicked
HOW T UL SA G OT
W H E N B R O A D WAY C A M E T O T H E P R A I R I E WHAT DROUGHT
m e a n s f or re d m e a t | p g 2 2
20
THE RETURN OF THE HOMESTEAD DISTILLER
34
THE ART OF THE STRIP
40
TULSA IS LESS ROTTEN
Collective Soul
Wednesday, June 25
Counting Crows Friday, August 1
Frank Caliendo Thursday, July 10
Bill Cosby
Thursday, August 7
Boston
Thursday, July 17
& Toto Michael McDonald Friday, August 15
LIGHTING IT UP S C A N TO PURCHASE TI C K E TS
LIKE US FOLLOW US Schedule subject to change.
2 //CNENT_33044_HR_JointEnt_TulsaVoice_6-18_Ad_1415473.indd CONTENTS 1
June 18 – July 1, 2014 // THE6/10/14 TULSA8:49 VOICE AM
LATE NIGHT?
SKIP THE PAPER BAG AND KETCHUP PACKETS, AND TREAT YOURSELF TO REAL FOOD AND LATE NIGHT DRINKS.
Yoko o n Yale Patio Now Open!
SUNDAY-THURSDAY 11AM-10PM
FRIDAY & SATURDAY 11AM-MIDNIGHT
SATURDAY & SUNDAY BRUNCH 11AM-3PM
Yoko Downtown 309 E 2nd Street 918.508.7676 Yoko on Yale 9146 S. Yale, Suite 100 918.619.6271 yokozunasushi.com
FRIDAY & SATURDAY LATE NIGHT HAPPY HOUR • 10PM-12AM • YOKO ON YALE LOCATION ONLY THE TULSA VOICE // June 18 – July 1, 2014
CONTENTS // 3
4 // CONTENTS
June 18 – July 1, 2014 // THE TULSA VOICE
contents
June 18 - July 1, 2014 // vol. 1 no. 13 NEWS & COMMENTARY
“ Thanks to the rules of supply and demand, the price of beef—translation: that mouth-watering filet on the swanky steakhouse menu—is climbing.” featured
The quick and the dead Can cycling reform our cities and repair the consequences of our auto addiction? REN BARGER // 12 8 // Guns on Cherry Street
10 // The great copout
Barry Friedman, sharp shooter
Ray Pearcey, re-thinker
hat the OOCA wants us W to get used to news
Mayor Bartlett and the police pay referenda cityspeak
14 // The diplomat Kelsey Duvall
Trevor Tack unites innovation and tradition foodfile 16 // Buzzin’ around town
22
FOOD & DRINK
In Beef We Trust
ARTS & CULTURE
What record-high market prices and a lingering drought have to do with dinner // BY GAIL BANZET-ELLIS 26 // How Tulsa got Wicked
Performance art that has everything to do with fashion
40 // Tulsa is less rotten
Kelsey Duvall, stage setter
Tom Lohr, thrill seeker
When Broadway came to the prairie featured
Lydon’s brush with T-Town that never was featured
MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD
NICCI ATCHLEY // 34 28 // More than skin deep Britt Greenwood, art slinger What it means to be black in 2014 artspotting
Send all letters, complaints, compliments & haikus to:
ART DIRECTOR Madeline Crawford GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Morgan Welch, Georgia Brooks AD SALES MANAGER Josh Kampf ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Melissa Moss AD SERVICES MANAGER Amy Sue Haggard DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Samantha J. Toothaker THE TULSA VOICE // June 18 – July 1, 2014
Ashley Heider Daly, free & clear
Guide to letting go and homing in da ly s t y l e
New festival seeks to expand your musical consciousness
PUBLISHER Jim Langdon ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Matt Cauthron
CONTRIBUTORS Nicci Atchley, Gail Banzet-Ellis, Ren Barger, Shane Bevel, Ryan Daly, Ashley Heider Daly, Kelsey Duvall, Barry Friedman, Britt Greenwood, Allison Keim, Joshua Kline, Jennie Lloyd, Tom Lohr, Jennifer Luitwieler, Joe O’Shansky, Ray Pearcey, Matt Phipps, Hilton Price, Evan Taylor
30 // B e ye not a glutton
MUSIC, FILM, TV
voices@ langdonpublishing.com EDITOR Natasha Ball ASSISTANT EDITOR John Langdon
Allison Keim, java muse
The best places to get caffeinated in Tulsa thedish
facebook.com/thetulsavoice twitter.com/thetulsavoice instagram.com/thetulsavoice
RYAN DALY // 38 44 // Send in the clones
45 // Binge fatigue
Joe O’Shansky, film critic
Joshua Kline, couch potato
The latest remix drops another tasty beat filmphiles
“Orange” remains good, but we’re exhausted tubular
1603 S. Boulder Ave. Tulsa, OK 74119 P: 918.585.9924 F: 918.585.9926 PUBLISHER Jim Langdon PRESIDENT Juley Roffers VP COMMUNICATIONS Susie Miller CONTROLLER Mary McKisick RECEPTION Gloria Brooks, Gene White
REGULARS // 18 voice’schoices // 19 dininglistings 20 boozeclues // 33 events & things to do // 42 musiclistings 46 news of the weird, crosswords // 47 free will astrology CONTENTS // 5
editor’sletter
Things always get a little crazy when “Wicked” looms over the buckle of the Bible Belt.
B
ut it’s not just us. In any town on the tour of the show, now celebrating 10 years on Broadway, rows upon rows of seats in cavernous venues across the country are kept warm for weeks. Maybe it’s the 200 pounds of dry ice used in each show that brings Tulsa to a fever pitch when those big, black-andgreen semis roll up to 2nd and Cincinnati. Perhaps it’s the 4-5 miles of cable that is used to automate ten big cities’ worth of lights and sounds. Or maybe it’s just two dozen whole chances to get in on the secret, even if we’ve heard it before, of the untold story of the witches of Oz. On page 26 Kelsey Duvall looks back to tell the story of how Tulsa got “Wicked” (hint: as with so many good stories, it all started with a man, a vision and
2014 KIA Optima
a spare room for tinkering), plus how the show joins a particularly exciting summer in Tulsa’s performing-arts scene. At dinner before you head to the theater, odds are good you’ll notice a change in the number printed to the right of your usual filet, rib eye, or porterhouse. On page 22 Gail Banzet-Ellis looks into what’s causing the hike, tracing the mark-up on beef all the way to lonely pastures like one near Waynoka, on a ranch grazed by cattle since before Oklahoma was a state. Jennifer Luitwieler invites you to indulge your sinful side with a shot of vodka from Oklahoma’s own Prairie Wolf Spirits, now available in Tulsa, on page 20. Barry Friedman tells of monsters on Cherry Street on page 8, Allison Keim goes in
search of Tulsa’s best (caffeine) buzz on page 16, and Tom Lohr remembers when a different kind of wicked came to Tulsa. He has the story of how John “Rotten” Lydon, the same who played Cain’s Ballroom the summer the Pistols toured the U.S., was slated to finally return to Tulsa this month. On page 40 is a lament on why, alas, it was never meant to be. If you haven’t had a chance to sit down with our new Daly Style column, I invite you to turn to page 34 for a twist on home décor from a voice reminiscent of Amy Sedaris. We think Elphaba would approve. And why let all the stage actors in town these next few weeks have all the fun? Nicci Atchley has a few tips and tricks for aspiring burlesque
performers, complete with a budget-friendly guide on how to piece together a costume that will have the folks in the mezzanine grabbing for their opera glasses, on page 34. To take things over the top, our favorite and most nefarious, villainous, and downright godless local dishes are on page 18—proof that the line between bad and good is blurry at best, and is rarely all that it seems. a
NATASHA BALL EDITOR
Style meets substance.
Priced from $19,947
It has an answer for everything. Meet your family’s mobile MVP, the 2015 KIA Sorento. It’s roomy, fuel-efficient, and tech-savvy. Kia’s top-selling vehicle is ready to help you take on your world.
Not your average midsize sedan. Why shouldn’t a midsize sedan thrill? With a fusion of bold style, grin-inducing performance, and advanced technology, the 2014 KIA Optima truly challenges midsize sedan conventions.
*Contact dealer for details; dealer retains all Kia rebates
2015 KIA Sorento Priced from $21,947
4747 South Yale • (918)622-3160 • www.PrimeauxKIA.com 6 // NEWS & COMMENTARY
June 18 – July 1, 2014 // THE TULSA VOICE
THE TULSA VOICE // June 18 – July 1, 2014
NEWS & COMMENTARY // 7
newsfrom theplains
Guns on Cherry Street What some open-carry advocates want us to get used to by BARRY FRIEDMAN
F
or Sabine Brown, the week, already filled with guns, couldn’t end fast enough. And then her kids wanted to talk about monsters. “Arguing with the oldest one about the existence of them in sewers,” she told me. It’s an image I can’t shake. Not that the monsters aren’t in the sewers, but it’s the worry they emerge from time to time and troll through farmers markets and restaurants. Brown is the Oklahoma chapter head of Moms Demand Action, formed after Sandy Hook, and she met some members with clipboards on Cherry Street a few Saturdays back, intending to sign up new ones. Which brings us to the Oklahoma Open Carry Association. On its website, there is a nuzzling couple, armed; an African American family, two kids, mom and dad, armed; and two smiling, 20-something girls in halter tops, arms around each other, both armed. In its message statement: “To educate and desensitize the public and members of the law enforcement community about the legality of the open carry of a handgun in public.” “Desensitize”? Carumba! “We got out there at 8 a.m.,” said Brown. “They [members of OOCA] showed up shortly before 9. There were nine or ten of them.” This from freedompost.com1: “They [members of Moms Demand Action Oklahoma] were a bit surprised when members of The Oklahoma Open Carry Association approached them to ask some questions.” Men with guns who just want to “ask some questions” tend to have that effect on moms in t-shirts. So what were the men with guns there to do? According to the organization’s website, it was 8 // NEWS & COMMENTARY
“to exercise a natural right to self defense using the most efficient and common tool, a handgun.” My email to the group to double check about that Saturday in particular yet goes unanswered. In Oklahoma, you need a state-issued permit to open carry, which is as difficult to get as gift cards to Dave and Buster’s. Just eight hours of training, fire 50 rounds of ammo, manage to stay awake for the class, send a check to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and, presto, you’re a defender of freedom. “My first thought,” Brown told me, “was when a group of men openly carrying loaded weapons arrives is not that they must have good intentions. Nine armed men around two people with clipboards isn’t exactly conducive to civil conversation.” It then began to rain. Brown and another volunteer decided to grab lunch. “We picked Chipotle because of their statement about guns,” Brown said—or, so she thought was the restaurant’s statement about guns. “Oklahoma Open Carry had received word that MDA was going to go to the local Chipotle’s for
lunch,” read the story about the morning’s events on freedompost. com, and joined them there. According to the group, “MDA activists then proceeded to take pictures of the gun owners. The management … threw Moms Demand Action out of his store!” Except … not so much. “At no point were we thrown out or evenly politely asked to leave,” Brown said. “The reason we left is because my children were joining us.” “I took pictures, yes,” she said. “I wanted to document what these men were doing, and now I guess I have to live with the shit story making the rounds about us being thrown out.” And that’s because other than KRMG, which quoted OOCA, no other local media outlet picked up the story. Apparently, armed men parading up and down Cherry Street doesn’t make it in to the local news cycle. The manager at Chipotle told me, no, Brown and her group were not thrown out, but, yes, the company frowns upon pictures being taken in the restaurants. In corporate America, it’s not the guns; it’s the pictures of guns.
What happened on Cherry Street is not the story—it’s just part of the new American dystopia: a loaded gun left in a toy aisle at Target; mass killings of students at UC-Santa Barbara and a GOP official referring to them as “bitches who cried before dying”; it’s North Las Vegas and Troutdale; it’s armed men with AR-15s slung over their shoulders who are convinced they’re what the Founding Fathers had in mind when they talked of militias; and it’s a mother and daughter, ordering a burrito, while a man stands next to them, fondling his Glock. Desensitized yet? “I guess in their America,” Brown said, “you are to assume that people you don’t know approaching you with loaded and openly displayed weapons have only the best of intentions. It’s what these assholes want us to get used to.” Not just their America—ours. There are monsters among us. a 1 freedompost.com: “Tulsa Chipotle Kicks Out Anti-Gunners “Moms Demand Action” for Rude Behavior” “News from the Plains” appears each issue and covers Oklahoma politics and culture—the disastrous, the unseemly, the incomprehensible … you know, the dayto-day stuff. Barry Friedman is a touring stand-up comedian, author, and general rabble-rouser. RE A D T HE RE S T AT
Barry could go on all day, but there’s only so much space. Catch the rest of his musings at TheTulsaVoice.com/Barry
June 18 – July 1, 2014 // THE TULSA VOICE
S:4.125” One of the “Best Places to Experience Native American Culture” - CNN, April 23, 2014
2013 Tribal tion Destina of the * Year
SM
TV | INTERNET | HOME PHONE
Other Qualifying Bundle Packages Include:*
79
Bundle prices starting at
99
$
Say Osiyo to Cherokee Nation Museums Plan your visit to Cherokee Nation with the
24 MONTHS OF SAVINGS FREE PRO INSTALL
Cherokee Compass museum package. Get discounted admission to the
PLUS,
Prison Museum, Cherokee Heritage Center and John Ross Museum, as
WITH HASSLE-FREE WIFI SETUP AND SUPPORT
PER MONTH FOR 12 MONTHS WITH A 2-YEAR AGREEMENT*
T:6”
COX BUNDLE
S:5.75”
The Cox Bundle makes everything work better together.
INCLUDED FOR 2 YEARS
WHEN YOU UPGRADE TO A QUALIFYING BUNDLE
Cherokee National Supreme Court Museum, Cherokee National well as a list of 107 FREE adventures and a FREE T-shirt with a $15 purchase of the Compass museum package. Children 18 & under are
918-270-7070
COX.COM/BUNDLE
COX SOLUTIONS STORE®
*Offer expires 6/30/14 and is available to new residential customers in Cox service areas. $79.99/month includes new subscription to Cox TV Economy, Internet Essential, and Phone Starter service to complete the 3-service bundle. After 12 months, bundle rate increases by $15/month for months 13-24. Regular rates apply thereafter. See www.cox.com for details. 2-year agreement required. Early termination fees may apply. TV Economy consists of Cox TV Starter service and selected cable networks from Cox TV Essential. A Cox digital receiver is reflected in the advertised retail price. Other equipment options are available and prices may vary. Additional bundle options are available and may be required for access to all advertised features. Free install limited to standard pro install on prewired outlets. Prices exclude additional installation/activation fees, equipment charges, inside wiring fees, additional outlets, taxes, surcharges and other fees. Not all services and features available everywhere. A credit check and/or deposit may be required. Offer may not be combined with other offers. Other restrictions may apply. †Cox Home Security requires separate 3-year term. Service provided by Cox Advanced Services Oklahoma, LLC – License No. 2002. Additional conditions apply. Cable modem required for Internet services. A DOCSIS 3 modem is required to consistently receive optimal speeds for Preferred and higher tiers, and is strongly recommended for all other tiers. Uninterrupted or error-free Internet service, or the speed of your service, is not guaranteed. Actual speeds vary. Telephone modem required and will be provided for duration of phone service subscription. Upon disconnection of phone service, modem must be returned within 30 days or a monthly rental fee or lost equipment charge will apply. Modem uses household electrical power to operate. Telephone service, including access to e911 service, will not be available during an extended power outage without a battery or if the modem is moved or inoperable. New modem installs do not come with a battery. You may purchase a battery from Cox or, if you are a Lifeline customer, obtain a battery from Cox without charge. You must monitor and replace the battery as needed (see www.cox.com/battery).Telephone service provided by an affiliated Cox entity. Other restrictions may apply. HBO GO® and MAX GO ® are only accessible in the US and certain US Territories where a high speed broadband connection is available. Minimum connection of 3 Mbps required for HD viewing on laptop. Select titles not available in HD. Minimum 3G connection is required for viewing on mobile devices. Some restrictions may apply. HBO®, Cinemax ®and related channels and service marks are the property of Home Box Office, Inc. Other restrictions may apply. ©2014 Cox Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.
FREE. Available at all Cherokee Nation Gift Shops and museums.
Osiyo is the traditional Cherokee greeting. Come say “hello” and plan your visit today: VisitCherokeeNation.com • (877) 779-6977
*Named 2013 Tribal Destination of the Year by the American Indian and Alaska Native Tourism Association
ROCK & RESCUe Saturday, June 28, 2014 10 am-2 PM at Guthrie Green
ADOPT A PET THROUGH ONE OF 20 RESCUE GROUPS!
All newly adopted pets will receive a free micro chip, ID tag, wellness exam, pet photo and goodie bag from OAA.
PET CONTESTS PHOTOS MUSIC
pet related businesses including vets, trainers, retailers, groomers & doggie day care! Bring your pet for $20 micro- chipping and $5 ID tags from Oklahoma Alliance for Animals!
2032_TOUR_COMPASS_4.375x6_tv.indd 1
6/5/14 4:05 PM
COOL TREATS for COOL DOGS All natural frozen dog treats in single serve cups created by “the bear & the rat” in Colorado. As seen on ABC’s hit show, “Shark Tank,” this treat is not only fun, it’s healthful. A daily serving freshens doggie breath as well as supports a pup’s digestive and immune systems. Three billion probiotic cultures per cup!
Be safe...
Come see our selection of life vests for all sizes of dogs.
The Farm Shopping Center at 51st & Sheridan 918-624-2600 • Open 10-6 Monday-Saturday THE TULSA VOICE // June 18 – July 1, 2014
NEWS & COMMENTARY // 9
cityspeak
The Great Copout Mayor Bartlett and the police pay referenda by RAY PEARCEY
T
he great Anglo American poet T.S. Eliot, in “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” one of the most celebrated poems of the 20th century, opined that we “measure out our lives in coffee spoons.” These days we could say we spend buckets of time trifling with weeds while blowing off the forest. The Mayor apparently wants to deal with our policing challenges, but he is only toying with a tiny part of it. He is, as Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel famously said, letting a crisis go to waste. The Mayor recently called for an all-city referendum vote to resolve stalled pay discussions with the Tulsa Police Department and their union, the Fraternal Order of Police. On the face of it, the controversy is about a half million in additional planned compensation for Tulsa cops this year, and because of a long-standing convention, for a stipulated time to come. If the mayor gets his way, this previously agreed “satisfactory performance increase” for a big part of the police force would this year become only a “stipend.” The Mayor has brought the discussion into play: he called for a city-wide vote on the whole matter, arguably because of the city’s calamitous budget situation. The referenda call, which the City Council must cosign, was rejected by the Council on June 5. Some days after the council defeated his call for a public vote, Bartlett elected to accept the union bonus package shortly thereafter. Some suspect that his entire call for a referendum vote was simply a bluff, an unsuccessful one that didn’t really resolve anything. In any event, what’s actually needed is a deep re-think of the cost, shape, and future of policing
10 // NEWS & COMMENTARY
Tulsa Mayor Dewe y Bar tlet t (left) and Tulsa Police Dept. Chief Chuck Jordan (inset)
in T-Town, and not just the costs of Tulsa’s police crew, but what they do, who is on tap, and how the force goes about its critical work. What we have here is another leadership crisis. How, in a town that wants top-notch public safety, can the same be delivered given our revenue problems, the needs of the balance of the city work force (which hasn’t seen anything other than anemic salary boosts in years), and other big needs like greatly expanded park funding and funding for arts and culture? Tulsa needs a radical new model for providing policing, and the Mayor’s now-aborted call for a vote of the people doesn’t begin to address the need to revision public safety. Mayor Bartlett and TPD Chief Chuck Jordan have explored some options. The Mayor has talked, on more than one occasion, about dumping a passel of desk-bound administrative positions and redeploying the dollars these high-salaried positions command to more field cops. But this avenue doesn’t yield the funds needed for a transformational effort, and it doesn’t
begin to push down our arguably explosive public-safety cost curve. The notions I’ve scratched out here borrow heavily from the military reform movement (MRM) led by John Boyd, William Lynd, Pierre Sprey, and former Sen. Gary Hart, plus a small set of other innovators from the ‘80s and ‘90s. MRM was an attempt to decentralize military operations, rebuild small-unit effectiveness, exploit a digitally networked system, lighter aircraft, and special operations and tactics to give American forces more agility and effectiveness. The MRM was also an attempt to use enlisted people, most of whom came to military service without college educations, plenty of avenues for garnering an understanding of complex technologies, novel battle systems, and cultures wildly different from their own. It’s an effort that arguably has succeeded beyond anyone’s expectations. And I’ve borrowed from the energetic effort in Chicago and Denver to rethink the separate missions, dedicated staffs, and
parochial hardware. What if we provide extended emergency medical training to police and fire workers and create dual-use centers for investigations for forensic analysis, for suspect search and apprehension, and for building inspections and hazardous-material monitoring? Both of these “movements” presume the use of fewer people, wide-scope training regimes, the exploitation of mobile communications, advanced computing systems, and even artificial intelligence. Both the military reform effort and the scattered experiments in big-city policing are tied to improving efforts to make soldiers and public-safety workers more attuned to variations in cultures, languages, and community dynamics that could improve policing in Tulsa in dramatic ways. How about a dual-salary system where TPD veterans and experienced, superior performers are paid at a top rate that exceeds the already very generous median salaries of $72,000-plus? A dual system would also feature a lower compensation tier for new or entry-level cops and for a novel regime of high-school and college-bound apprentices and former private cops-in-training. This avenue, (which would have to be negotiated intensely with the police union and would be phased in to make good use of officer departures and retirements), would wire around Tulsa’s rigid college-degree requirements for cops and comparatively high-salaries for entry-level officers while providing additional manpower and a more diverse pool of applicants. A dual-track wage could also reconnect Tulsa policing with its youth, minority groups, women, and especially with kids and mid-career June 18 – July 1, 2014 // THE TULSA VOICE
NOW OPEN adults from Tulsa’s underrepresented west and north sides. How about a system that would utilize military veterans, or those those who have done military-police work and have had some of the tough, multicultural, out-of-country experiences that many first-year Tulsa police recruits do not? How about ramping up technology? What about making use of new technological advances that could reduce costs but yield a superior outcome? How about more cops on bikes (they could be new electric hybrids), more Segway units, and scrapping our hyper-expensive helicopter fleet and making use (after the expected Federal Aviation Administration’s 2015 approvals) of a small drone fleet that could do emergency surveillance and tracking of dangerous suspects, which make up the core mission of Tulsa’s helicopter cop crew? A more speculative change: using Google’s new driverless cars to conduct some routine forms of street and highway patrol.
How about an expansion of current-chief Jordan’s community-based policing model? We could try a new regimen that would use on-foot (and on-bike) cops, and TPD crews on Segways. All of these modes might provide citizens, community leaders, and retailers outside of Tulsa’s core with unprecedented access to Tulsa police. The increased confidence could only bolster public safety. If the mayor and other of Tulsa’s leadership want to ask us to reconsider another tiny aspect of policing in T-Town, they will be making a mistake. We need a broader, more inclusive, and much bolder discussion. a Ray Pearcey, a technology, public policy and management consulting professional, is managing editor of The Oklahoma Eagle and is a regular contributor to The Tulsa Voice.
101st & Elm • 918.296.7028 www.ReserveAtElmApartmentsTulsa.com
• Jenks schools • Garages available • Resort style pool • Outside fire pit & lounge • Dog park on-site • 24 hour emergency maintenance • Washer/dryer connections
follow us on
@reserveatelm
Like us on
facebook.com/thereserveatelm
MORE THAN 100 COMMUNITY COLLABORATIONS OU-Tulsa’s interdisciplinary collaboration with community agencies creates a meaningful learning experience unlike any other in northeastern Oklahoma. Discover all the ways you can impact your world with OU-Tulsa.
Knowledge. Action. Impact.
Learn more at ou.edu/tulsasooners The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. www.ou.edu/eoo
THE TULSA VOICE // June 18 – July 1, 2014
NEWS & COMMENTARY // 11
myvoice
The quick and the dead Can cycling repair the consequences of our addiction to our cars? by REN BARGER
M
ovement is essential to the human condition. Working at Tulsa Hub, where the mission is to change lives through cycling, is not just about promoting bicycling as an everyday transportation option. I also encourage an examination of the relationship between movement and mobility. Mobility is not just movement through geographic space. It is the intertwined physical, technological, social, economic, political, and experiential dimensions of human movement. It is culturally meaningful. It affects changes in social condition and social status. It is a lens through which privilege and disadvantage, power and powerlessness, are revealed. Streets and transportation systems are the civic inheritance of cultures. They are a reflection of the values and priorities of nations, municipal and societal. The street is also an expression of domination and power, where hierarchy of size, speed, affluence, and privilege dramatizes the relationship between the Quick and the Dead. At the close of 2004, when I was 21 years old, an accident left me with a broken neck and fractures across eight other bones. I was on my bike when the car hit. Then, I was in a wheelchair for 12 // NEWS & COMMENTARY
two months. Just as I was learning to walk again, my sister, 18, was killed in a car accident. Needing full-time care, I was invited to return here, to the place of my birth. As I grieved, I began to peer deeply into my new community and our wayfinding. Americans like to believe they are free to move, but free and equal mobility is a myth. Some are in charge of it, some are excluded or even imprisoned by it. In the car-centric world, it’s difficult to take seriously the bicycle, that kids’ toy, that “sporting good,” that thing that makes you sweat, as a form of transportation. But now we are remembering as a society that the bicycle is a means to get around. To those living in poverty, a transportation bicycle can mean the difference between unemployment and income, which means the difference of living in a home or living “on the streets.” At year six as leader of a social business, my work is more focused on the bicycle as a tool of socio-political, environmental, and cultural change. In an era of growing public concern over increasingly expensive fossil fuels, climate change, the sustainability of consumption-oriented lifestyles, obesity and “preventable” disease epidemics, and interest in reducing the scale of everyday
life, the bicycle helps people “get around how they get around,” as the late Susie Stephens, a prominent bicycle advocate during the 1990s, said.
In the car-centric world, it’s difficult to take seriously the bicycle, that kids’ toy, that “sporting good,” that thing that makes you sweat, as a form of transportation. Mayor Dewy Bartlett’s affable voiceover greets visitors to the Tulsa International Airport with “selling points” of our fair city. Tulsa, he says, has the “second-shortest commute time of any city in America.” See here the prejudice of the automobile defining the totality of Tulsa’s transportation culture. Bicycles in the city are the wave of the future for car-choked, financially-strapped, obese, and sustainably-sensitive urban areas, and something for which Americans—60 percent of whom say they would bike more if conditions on the roads were safer—may be ready for.
Here’s the vision of victory for my particular social-justice crusade (or, at least, what would help me sleep better at night): that the definition of “transportation” no longer be limited to the means of the system of conveyance itself rather than the people involved. When you see a cyclist, see a member of your community—a parent, a sibling, a person who survived their childhood, a person who means the world to someone in their life, a person who is trying to make sense of this city with the only ways and means they have been given or earned. Resist the urge to lay on the horn or lay on the gas. Let the person get to where they are going, because their journey is very long and full of danger. As the Flaming Lips sing, “It’s a very dangerous thing to do exactly what you want”—societal change is always dangerous. Dangerous— and mobilizing. a Ren Barger is the founding and current Executive Director of Tulsa Hub. The Tulsa Hub Syndicate conducts bicycling-for-transportation education courses, a community bicycle repair workshop open two nights a week, and daily earn-a-bike programs serving high-poverty adults and at-risk youth. For more info visit their Facebook page, or tulsahub.org. June 18 – July 1, 2014 // THE TULSA VOICE
EARN AN MBA AT NIGHT At a Top 100 Business School
Scholarships Available www.utulsa.edu/collins
T I P E E K
L O CO ! A S L U TS T
IR H S ! T W W O E N N OCK T S IN
3336 S. Peoria Avenue • 918-949-6950 • www.idaredboutique.com facebook.com/idaredtulsa • Mon-sat 10:00-7:00, sun 12:00-4:00 THE TULSA VOICE // June 18 – July 1, 2014
NEWS & COMMENTARY // 13
Trevor Tack, Exe cut ive Chef at Bodean Seafood Restaurant // Photo by Evan Taylor
The diplomat Bodean chef Trevor Tack brings innovation and tradition together on one plate by KELSEY DUVALL
W
hen Trevor Tack got the call from Bodean Seafood Restaurant (3376 E. 51st Street) last spring, he knew it wasn’t one to ignore. Now Executive Chef at the iconic restaurant, Tack has brought his own touch to the menu. In a sit-down with Tack, he shed some light on how to navigate the tension between tradition and innovation, sustainability, and tips for would-be chefs. The Tulsa Voice: What dish are you particularly excited about right now? Trevor Tack: I really like our ahi tuna [preparation]. We had the same prep for about 20 years before I came along, and it needed revamping. It was really loved and everyone enjoyed it; however, I changed it to a newer version of itself. It’s a Dijon bourbon glaze on the tuna itself. It comes with a corn emulsion, fried grit cakes, and powdered corn, with popcorn shoots as well. The inherent sweetness of 14 // NEWS & COMMENTARY
the corn goes really well with the richness of the tuna. TTV: How does a dining experience at Bodean convey your vision?
We work for each other, and we work for Tulsa. What we want to provide is an experience they can’t get anywhere else, something that leaves an indelible mark on their mind, an unparalleled dining experience.
TT: We’re a very family-oriented company. We work for each other, and we work for Tulsa. What we want to provide is an experience they can’t get anywhere else, something that leaves an indelible mark on their mind, an unparalleled dining experience. We want to make repeat customers out of everyone that comes in the door through excellence in service and quality of food. We’re very proud of what we serve here. We promise people excellence, and that’s what we have to deliver every time. The first dish that goes out the door and the last dish that goes out the door, they have to be remarkable. If what you’ve obtained is excellent no more, then you have to go for a new goal.
TT: We work with Lomah Dairy (based in Wyandotte) exclusively for our milk. We use their Neufchâtel, several of the cheeses, the milk that goes into our soups. I also go to the farmer’s market and pick things up occasionally. Also, I work with Progressive Produce, with Joe Tierney, and he has farms and relationships with Oklahoma farmers that we get a lot of produce from.
TTV: What local ingredients do you work with?
TTV: Do you have any tried-andtrue tips for home cooks?
TT: You know, the difference in what I do and what people at home do is just ingredients. If you get the best ingredients you can, your food will taste better. There are a few things we use that you can use at home, like unsalted butter, shallots—actual shallots, actual garlic. Making your own stock, that’s a big one. The stock that you use has to be quality since that’s the whole basis of the cooking. TTV: What about working with fish specifically, since it can be tricky? TT: It’s just food. It’s not curing cancer or rocket science. You know what? If you mess up, start again. We have to just learn as we go. And don’t be intimidated, because it is just food. Yeah, it’s a fish—just put it in the oven. Start there. Go with the easiest form for the protein, and you’ll get a result eventually that you like. So just try, try, try again. If you mess up, it’s a good thing. You learn, and then you can do it again. a June 18 – July 1, 2014 // THE TULSA VOICE
5 Pizzas, Top 20: World Pizza Championships, 2014
We're headed South of the border! That’s right! El Guapo’s Cantina is headed to 81st and Harvard this summer, and we are looking for talented people to fill all positions.
Stop by either location to fill out an application, and note “SOUTH” on your application. Or, visit mcnelliesgroup.com to print out an application at your convenience. We look forward to hearing from you!
Driven by virtue. crafted for taste.
Ask About The Slice Of The Day!
Salads • Pastas • Desserts • Catering • Beer • Wine Guaranteed to Taste Great Gluten-Free Options In Tulsa: Late Night Slices Th, F, Sa 10p to 1a Full Bar • Award-Winning Cocktails more than 75 Beers • Wines On Cherry Street in Tulsa • Original in Owasso • Food Truck andopizza.com | facebook.com/andopizza | @andopizza
$5 Burger Night
Sundays from 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. 10% off for all Students, Faculty & Alumni
DOWNTOWN
SOUTH TULSA
332 E 1st St 918.382.RITA
Coming Soon! 8161 S Harvard Ave
Create an Event They Will Never Forget. Two spacious events centers that will give your event a unique feel. Catering options available through new favorite Maxxwell’s Restaurant. Twenty-six one of a kind rooms that will wow your guests. 2636 E. 11th St. • Tulsa, OK 74104 (918) 744-5500 • www.thecampbellhotel.com
6 am-10 pm • 7 days a week • (918) 748-5550 Located inside the historic Campbell Hotel THE TULSA VOICE // June 18 – July 1, 2014
Located on Historic Route 66, and National Register of Historic Places. NEWS & COMMENTARY // 15
foodfile
Buzzin’ around town The best places to get caffeinated in Tulsa by ALLISON KEIM
“A
t Starbucks I like ordering a ‘tall venti in a grande cup.’ That’s basically me asking for a small large in a medium cup.” This quote from “This Book Has No Title” by Jarod Kintz comments on the absurdity of corporate coffee. Kintz’s self-pub-
lished books are those you would find in any neighborhood coffee house, inspiring weird conversations from the over-caffeinated. Thoughts such as these are born of the creative types huddled in these places, these sacred, wonderful containers of the building blocks of our communities.
Artistic people don’t always want to gather at bars, but instead in places where creativity is worn like a badge. Coffee shops have united communities for years, providing a casual environment for exchanging ideas, sharing thoughts, and sipping a house roast. When I was a restless young adult, I frequent-
ed Gypsy Coffee House, which opened downtown in 2000 after a massive renovation of the historic building. There, I was introduced to poetry and acoustic guitar via open mic. I remember the clove-cigarette smoke and strong coffee in the air as I realized there was a whole world out there, right here. a
Foolish Things Coffee Company 1001 S. Main St.
The Coffee House on Cherry Street 1502 E. 15th St.
Featuring coffee from Mariposa Coffee Roasters in Norman and Blueprint Coffee Roasters in Saint Louis, Foolish Things supports our regional roasters.
The coffee is great and the pastries are delicious, with plenty of gluten free options.
Cafe Cubana 1340 E. 15th St.
The down-to-earth atmosphere and local art make this spot comfortable, relaxing, and perfect for sipping coffee.
Cubana thrives because of its consistently good coffee drinks and the loyalty of its regular customers. You might spot a Tulsa legend if you are there at the right time.
Double Shot Coffee Company 1730 S. Boston Ave.
There isn’t anyone as serious about coffee as Brian Franklin, owner and roastmaster. He’s done his research and his passion comes through in his product.
Nordaggio’s Coffee 8156 S. Lewis Ave., Suite C Chimera Cafe // Photo by Matt Phipps
Shades of Brown Coffee 3302 S. Peoria Ave.
Gypsy Coffee House 303 MLK Jr. Blvd.
Open seven days a week, this is where late-night coffee culture was born in the 918.
Topeca Coffee 115 W. 5th St #169
Home of a “seed to cup” approach to the business of coffee; the beans come from the family farm in El Salvador and are roasted right here in Tulsa.
Opened in 1998, a once tiny espresso bar has become a longlived southside tradition.
Otherwise noted: Joebot’s Coffee Bar 119 S. Detroit Chimera Cafe 212 N. Main St. The Phoenix 1302 E. Sixth St.
According to Christy Moore, founder of Stone Soup Community Venture, one in five Tulsans don’t know where their next meal will come from. This startling statistic served as inspiration to implement change and open the first “pay what you can” community kitchen in Tulsa. It’s a pop-up kitchen called Tulsa’s Table that will provide a meal in exchange for a donation or a commitment to volunteer in the cafe. Phillips Theological Seminary at 901 N. Mingo Road will host the event, providing a space to creatively meet the hunger needs of our community.
Leon’s on Brookside is my happy-hour spot because they have a great selection of local craft beer and the bartenders are fantastic. COOP F5, a hoppy, grapefruit-forward IPA made in Oklahoma City, is the beer feature for June. At Leon’s, you can get a pint for $3. To sweeten the deal, every Wednesday, any of the brick oven pizzas are $5. The portion size is just right for one person and it’s a heck of a deal. Try the ‘Green Eggs & Ham” pizza—it has two sunny-side-up eggs, Canadian bacon, pesto, and just the right amount of mozzarella.
ALLISON’S DISHES The Village on Main in Jenks is sponsoring Jenks Saturday Market, a family-friendly market every Saturday from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. until the end of September. From face painting to bounce houses, the kids can find something fun to do while you shop for locally grown vegetables, snack on nosh from food trucks, and listen to live music. The market is situated on the south side of Main Street at 7th in the parking lot of the former Green Acres Market, where parking is ample. The market is pet-friendly, too, so bring your dog. 16 // FOOD & DRINK
Chris and Amanda West moved to Tulsa after Hurricane Katrina and they brought the flavor of New Orleans with them. They opened Lasalle’s New Orleans Deli at 6th and Boston this year, making classic Ca jun fare in a quick-service environment. The food is so good that the line often stretches out the door. The muffuletta sandwiches are delicious, but I would recommend the Oyster Po Boy special, available on Thursdays. They run out fast because it’s that darned good.
June 18 – July 1, 2014 // THE TULSA VOICE
HAVANA NIGHTS PARTY with Nestor Miranda,
JOIN US BEFORE AND AFTER THE SHOW
owner of Miami Cigars
Enjoy fantastic Cuban food and cigar specials!
June 18 5:30 - 8pm
NOW ONLINE
409 W Stonewood Dr. Broken Arrow 918-355-0008
www.cigarboxtulsa.com
VOTED TULSA’S
BEST PATIO
3 Years Running!
(All Day Every Day)
Happy Hour Mon – Fri 4-7pm
$2 Domestic Bottles & $5 Appetizers
Cold Beer, Great Food & The Best Local Live Entertainment FRI. 20 SAT. 21 THU. 26 FRI. 27 Brandon Paul Hosty Duo Curtis Clark Benjaman Roper Band SAT. 28 Mary Cogan
INSPIRED AMERICAN, LOCALLY SOURCED HERMETICALLY SEALED CIGAR LOUNGE 1542 E. 15th St., Tulsa • 918.949.4440 • SmokeTulsa.com
Home of the $2 Mimosa & $5 Bloody Mary
1924 Riverside Drive • (918) 582-4600 • bluerosecafetulsa.com
Made Market - DoubleTree by Hilton Tulsa Downtown
616 W SEVENTH ST | MADEMARKET.COM
(Free, covered parking for restaurant guests)
THE TULSA VOICE // June 18 – July 1, 2014
FOOD & DRINK // 17
voice’schoices NATASHA BALL
MATT CAUTHRON
Fat Guy’s
Sonoma Bistro
Chimera Cafe
Old School Bagel
140 N. Greenwood Ave.
3523 S. Peoria Ave.
212 N. Main St.
3723 S. Peoria Ave.
It’s not just anywhere you can get a dare in a paper sack, but the Peanut Butter Bacon Burger at Fat Guy’s Burger Bar, prepared Thai style, is skydiving on a bun. Far be it from me to call it a meal for every day, but local lore holds that these two-dozen bites of beef, bacon, pineapple, jalapéno cilantro, Sriracha, and peanut butter hold medicinal properties and can cure near-sightedness, nightmares, and heartbreak. To be used only as intended.
The Blueberry Gooey Butter Cake from Sonoma is a sinfully delicious treat all on its own, but the simple addition of a dollop of vanilla bean ice cream elevates this dessert to the realm of the sublime. As the piping hot cake, rich with buttery goodness, slowly melts the ice cream, each bite is a symphony of flavors, textures and temperatures that will submarine your post-dinner plans in favor of a deep, satisfying dessert coma.
All hail the taco. Any dish from any culture can become a taco these days. Perhaps the most American take on the Mexican staple is Chimera’s Loaded Potato Tacos. Potato, turkey, bacon, cheddar, onions, and jalapeño all smothered in ranch. You get three of them, but they’re so delicious, I couldn’t manage to snap a picture before devouring nearly two. One day, all food will be folded into corn tortillas. That’s my utopia.
MON-THUR 11 A.M.-10 P.M. FRI-SAT 11 A.M.-11 P.M. SUN 11 A.M.-9 P.M.
Ham, salami—yes, both—and provolone. Lettuce, tomato, and peperoncini, too, but the two meats, affixed by cheese and bathing in thick Italian dressing, make this sandwich transcendent and something of a cardiovascular samba, especially when embraced by a salt bagel. Called “The Italian,” it’s found at Old School Bagel Cafe. Not for the faint-hearted—literally. One bite and a bad ticker will seize up like a lawnmower engine without oil.
SUN-MON, 7 A.M.–5 P.M. TUES-SAT, 7 A.M.–10 P.M.
MON-SUN, 11 A.M.-10 P.M.
JOHN LANGDON
BARRY FRIEDMAN
MON-SAT, 6 A.M.-4 P.M. SUN, 6 A.M.-3 P.M.
BEST CHINESE FOOD Dine in or carry out,
Pepper Shrimp
3.5 Out of 4 Stars From Scott Cherry’s Review in Tulsa World
TULSA’S BEST DINNER SPECIAL! GOLDEN GATE CHINESE CUISINE 30 Years in Business
Vegetable Chop Suey Lettuce Wraps
2620 S. Harvard • 918-742-4942 OPEN: Mon.-Fri. 11am-9pm, Sat. 12pm-9pm
Follow Me to…
Now NON-SM Always OKING
JUNE
Live Music
☛ EVERY WEEKEND VISIT US
FOR LIVE MUSIC!
Check for our daily specials *FatDaddysPubAndGrille.com * 8056 S. Memorial Drive • 918-872-6206
18 // FOOD & DRINK
Sat. 14 Tequila Kim Fri. 20 Laron Simpson Sat. 21 Matt Breitzke Fri. 27 Chris Clark Sat. 28 Ben & Nick
June 18 – July 1, 2014 // THE TULSA VOICE
dininglistings DOWNTOWN Abear’s Baxter’s Interurban Grill The Boulder Grill Café 320 Casa Laredo Coney Island Daily Grill Fat Guy’s Foolish Things Coffee Grand Selections for Lunch The Greens on Boulder Heavy Metal Pizza Lassalle’s New Orleans Deli Lou’s Deli MADE Market in the DoubleTree by Hilton
Mazzio’s Italian Eatery Naples Flatbread & Wine Bar Oneok Café Oklahoma Spud on the Mall Seven West Café Sheena’s Cookies & Deli Steakfinger House The Sushi Place Tabouli’s Bistro at Atlas Life Ti Amo Topeca Coffee Trula The Vault Williams Center Café
EAST TULSA Al Sultan Grill & Bakery Big Daddy’s All American Bar-B-Q Birrieria Felipe Bogey’s Brothers Houligan Casa San Marcos Casanova’s Restaurant Charlie’s Chicken Cherokee Deli Darby’s Restaurant El Centenario El Gallo Loco El 7 Marez El Refugio Azteca Super Taqueria Fiesta Del Mar Flame Broiler Frank’s Café Fu-Thai Garibaldi’s The Gnarley Dawg Hatfield’s
Jay’s Coneys Josie’s Tamales Kimmy’s Diner Korean Garden Lot a Burger Maria’s Mexican Grill Mariscos Costa Azul Mariscos El Centenario Mekong Vietnamese Pizza Depot Porky’s Kitchen Ron’s Hamburgers & Chili RoseRock Cafe Señor Fajita Seoul Restaurant Shiloh’s of Tulsa Shish-Kabob & Grill Stone Mill BBQ & Steakhouse Tacos San Pedro Taqueria la Cabana Timmy’s Diner
BRADY ARTS DISTRICT
BLUE D OME
Caz’s Chowhouse Chimera Draper’s Bar-B-Cue Folks Urban Market Gypsy Coffee House Hey Mambo The Hunt Club Laffa Lucky’s on the Green Mexicali Border Café
Albert G’s Bar & Q Dilly Deli El Guapo’s Cantina Fassler Hall Joe Bots Coffee Joe Momma’s Pizza
Oklahoma Joe’s Prhyme Downtown Steakhouse The Rusty Crane Sisserou’s Spaghetti Warehouse The Tavern Zin Wine, Beer & Dessert Bar
I-44/BA INTERCHANGE Big Anthony’s BBQ Bill & Ruth’s Subs Billy Sims BBQ Binh-Le Vietnamese Chop House BBQ D’Oro Pizza Desi Wok Fiesta Cozumel Hideaway Pizza Himalayas – Aroma of India Ichiban Teriyaki Jumbo’s Burgers Las Bocas Las Tres Fronteras Le Bistro Sidewalk Cafe Mamasota’s In & Out Mazzio’s Italian Eatery Monterey’s Little Mexico
Nelson’s Buffeteria Pho Da Cao Pickle’s Pub Rice Bowl Cafe Rib Crib BBQ & Grill Royal Dragon Sezchuan Express Shawkat’s Deli & Grill Speedy Gonzalez Grill Spudder Steak Stuffers USA Tacos Don Francisco Thai Siam Tokyo Garden The Tropical Restaurant & Bar Viet Huong Villa Ravenna Watts Barbecue
NORTH TULSA Admiral Grill Bill & Ruth’s Christy’s BBQ Evelyn’s Golden Saddle BBQ Steakhouse Hank’s Hamburgers Harden’s Hamburgers
Hero’s Subs & Burgers Ike’s Chili Los Primos The Restaurant at Gilcrease White River Fish Market
WO ODLAND HILLS Juniper McNellie’s S&J Oyster Company Tallgrass Prairie Table White Flag Yokozuna
UTICA SQUARE Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar Goldie’s Patio Grill McGill’s Olive Garden P.F. Chang’s China Bistro
Pepper’s Grill Polo Grill Queenie’s Café and Bakery Starbucks Stone Horse Café Wild Fork
SOUTH TULSA BBD II Baja Jack’s Burrito Shack Bamboo Thai Bistro Bellacino’s Pizza & Grinders Bodean’s Seafood Restaurant The Brook Camille’s Sidewalk Café Cardigan’s Charleston’s Cimarron Meat Company Dona Tina Cocina Mexicana El Samborsito Elements Steakhouse & Grille The Fig Café and Bakery First Watch Five Guys French Hen Gencies Chicken Shack Gyros by Ali Hebert’s Specialty Meats
Helen of Troy Mediterranean Cuisine India Palace La Flama Mahogany Prime Steakhouse McNellie’s South City Mr. Goodcents Subs & Pastas Naples Flatbread & Wine Bar Nordaggio’s Coffee OK Country Donut Shoppe Pita Place Redrock Canyon Grill Ripe Tomato Ron’s Hamburgers and Chili Sushi Hana Japanese Fusion Thai Village Tres Amigos Mexican Grill & Cantina White Lion Whole Foods Zio’s Italian Kitchen
BROOKSIDE Antoinette Baking Co. Biga Billy Sims BBQ Blue Moon Bakery and Café The Brook Brookside By Day Café Ole Café Samana Charleston’s Claud’s Hamburgers Cosmo Café & Bar Crow Creek Tavern Doc’s Wine and Food Egg Roll Express Elmer’s BBQ Fuji La Hacienda The Hen Bistro Hibiscus Caribbean Bar and Grill In the Raw Keo Lambrusco’Z To Go
Tulsa Broken Arrow
THE TULSA VOICE // June 18 – July 1, 2014
TU/KENDALL WHITTIER Big Al’s Health Foods Bill’s Jumbo Burgers Billy Ray’s BBQ Brothers Houligan Capp’s BBQ Corner Café Duffy’s Diner El Rancho Grande Freddie’s Hamburgers Guang Zhou Dim Sum Jim’s Coney Island Las Americas Super Mercado & Restaurant Lot a Burger Maxxwell’s Restaurant
Moonsky’s Cheesesteaks and Daylight Donuts Mr. Taco Nelson’s Ranch House Oklahoma Style BBQ The Phoenix Pie Hole Pizza Pollo al Carbon Rib Crib BBQ & Grill The Right Wing Route 66 Subs & Burgers Tacos Don Francisco Tally’s Good Food Cafe Umberto’s Pizza
Atlas Grill Billy’s on the Square Boston Avenue Grill Deco Deli
Elote Café & Catering Mod’s Coffee & Crepes Tavolo The Vault
CHERRY STREET Andolini’s Pizzeria Café Cubana Chimi’s Mexican Food Chipotle Mexican Grill Coffee House on Cherry Street Daylight Donuts Doe’s Eat Place Full Moon Café Genghis Grill Heirloom Baking Co. Hideaway Jason’s Deli
Kilkenny’s Irish Pub & Eatery La Madeleine Lucky’s Restaurant Mary’s Italian Trattoria Mi Cocina Palace Café Panera Bread Phat Philly’s Qdoba Mexican Grill SMOKE. Te Kei’s Tucci’s Café Italia Zanmai
WEST TULSA Main Street Tavern McHuston Booksellers and Irish Bistro Romeo’s Espresso Cafe
MIDTOWN Albert G’s Bangkok Thai Super Buffet Bros. Houligan Celebrity Restaurant Daylight Donuts Supershop Eddy’s Steakhouse
Jay’s Original Hoagies Keo Kit’s Takee-Outee La Roma Lanna Thai Logan’s Road House Louie’s Mandarin Taste Marley’s Pizza Mekong River Mi Tierra Napoli’s Italian Restaurant Oliveto Italian Bistro Ri Le’s Rib Crib BBQ & Grill Ridge Grill Ron’s Hamburgers & Chili Savoy Shogun Steakhouse of Japan Siegi’s Sausage Factory & Deli Ti Amo Italian Ristorante Wrangler’s Bar-B-Q Yasaka Steakhouse of Japan Zio’s Italian Kitchen
DECO DISTRICT Leon’s Brookside Mazzio’s Italian Eatery Mondo’s Ristorante Italiano Old School Bagel Café Pei Wei Asian Diner R Bar & Grill Rons Hamburgers & Chili Señor Tequila Shades of Brown Sonoma Bistro & Wine Bar Starbucks Sumatra Coffee Shop Super Wok The Warehouse Bar & Grill Weber’s Root Beer Whole Foods Market Yolotti Frozen Yogurt Zoës Kitchen
ROSE DISTRICT BruHouse Daylight Donuts Family Back Creek Deli & Gifts Fiesta Mambo!
Asahi Sushi Bar Baker Street Pub & Grill Billy Sims BBQ Bistro at Seville Bluestone Steahouse and Seafood Restaurant Brothers Houligan Brothers Pizza Bucket’s Sports Bar & Grill Charlie’s Chicken Chuy’s Chopsticks El Tequila Fat Daddy’s Pub & Grille Fat Guy’s Burger Bar Fish Daddy’s Seafood Grill Fuji FuWa Asian Kitchen Firehouse Subs The Gaucho Brazilian Steakhouse Haruno Hungry Howie’s Pizza In the Raw on the Hill Jameson’s Pub Jamil’s Jason’s Deli
Felini’s Cookies & Deli Golden Gate Mary Jane’s Pizza My Thai Kitchen PJ’s Sandwich Shoppe Phill’s Diner Steve’s Sundries Trenchers Delicatessen
Arnold’s Old-Fashioned Hamburgers Burger House Charlie’s Chicken Go West Restaurant & Saloon Jumpin J’s Knotty Pine BBQ Linda Mar
Lot a Burger Monterey’s Little Mexico Ollie’s Station Rib Crib BBQ & Grill Sandwiches & More Union Street Café Westside Grill & Delivery
TERWILLIGER HEIGHTS Bill & Ruth’s Blue Rose Café Burn Co. BBQ The Chalkboard Dalesandro’s
Elwoods Mansion House Café Ron’s Hamburgers & Chili La Villa at Philbrook FOOD & DRINK // 19
boozeclues
RAISING SPIRITS A Guthrie family goes into the booze business by JENNIFER LUITWIELER
C
orn and water are two of the most ubiquitous substances in the United States, representing billions of dollars in sales. They also combine to make the most commonly consumed alcoholic beverage. Vodka has been wetting lips since the late eighth century, beginning in Russia and Poland. Now, a pair of brothers in Oklahoma is bringing that old-world process to the prairie. Hunter and Blake Merritt, with their wives and parents, built Prairie Wolf Distillery on Oklahoma Avenue, in historic downtown Guthrie. The building and the distillery were years in the making, traveled along miles of red tape. After learning the business and honing their craft, “It took us a good six months just to get all the correct permits,” Hunter said, 20 // FOOD & DRINK
noting that the city of Guthrie was proactive in attracting the distillers. “They basically asked us what they could do to bring our business there,” which was unlike other cities where they looked to build, Hunter said. Distilling spirits differs from microbrews in the amount of permits required. Anyone can brew beer at home, but distilling, maybe because of Prohibition’s bathtub gin, requires distillers to jump through legal hoops, and to have a dedicated site. The family appreciated the history of Guthrie and like that they are situated “in such a cool area.” But the cool factor only gets a business so far. The brothers set about producing a line of spirits to support the Guthrie vibe, a distinctive blend of small town sensibility
with a fresh, urban atmosphere. When Hunter earned his MBA in 2010, he and his brother implemented their shared life-long dream of owning a business. The brothers and their dad each took on distilling apprenticeships at three different distilleries, where they learned the science behind spirits. Then, all three men traveled to Louisville to study under some of the best distillers in the business. In order to get the distillery operating, they had to perfect their own recipe. Hunter said they use the same corn that all of the big producers use, and once distilled, they bring the spirits to the appropriate proof with their own blending water. The water streams through the family’s ranch, Prairie Wolf, which has belonged to the Merritt family since the 1889
land rush. They invested in and installed a reverse osmosis water filtration system on the ranch. Most people don’t think about the flavor of water, assuming it doesn’t really have much taste. Hunter said that many vodka producers use distilled water, which has a sort of flat, stale taste. “We spent more time tweaking our water than probably anything else.” Big names in vodka will often purchase ethanol in massive drums, which they then distill. Prairie Wolf starts at the beginning. They cook corn and water in a 100-gallon pot until they have a mash, a sort of crude beer brew high in sugar. Yeast added to the mash consumes the sugar, and as a byproduct produces ethanol. Distillation comes next, the process of heating the fermented brew. June 18 – July 1, 2014 // THE TULSA VOICE
Vodka and coffe e liqueur are dist illed by Guthrie’s Prairie Wolf Dist iller y and then distributed throughout the state // Cour tesy
The spirit rises as steam and then condenses again in a purer form. A few years ago, a repeated distillation process came into vogue. Vodka makers distilled their vodka three times, then five, then seven, each time claiming the process yielded the purest vodka available. The Merritts didn’t fall for it. “We distill our vodka once, very slowly, and the right way. It’s as pure as it will ever be,” Hunter said. Off the still, the vodka is around 190 proof. The distiller then adds blending water to bring the spirit to 80 proof. Merritt, who tastes all his vodkas at room temperature, said the result is a “smooth, smooth, smooth” drink. Vodka is just the beginning. Most craft distillers bring vodka to the market first, since it is a neutral spirit that doesn’t require specialTHE TULSA VOICE // June 18 – July 1, 2014
ized ingredients or lengthy aging. A small business can begin to create brand awareness and cash flow while preparing whiskey or gin that requires more time and technique. Prairie Wolf is no different. The other product the distillery now has on shelves is a coffee liqueur called Dark. It is made from beans grown in the Kona valley in Hawaii on land owned by an Edmond man. The distillery worked with Oklahoma State University’s food lab to find a recipe they could bring to market, and according to Jesse Fincannon, the manager at Whiskey Business, an upscale retailer of wine, beer and spirits in downtown Tulsa, it beats Kahlua and Frangelico any day. Hunter attributes this to the natural ingredients. There are no additives to make it pretty. In fact, the recipe is
top-secret; the distillery is closed to the public. The liqueur and the vodka are both 100-percent American sourced and made. In early May, the distillers put the first batch of whiskey in barrels. Now they wait at least two years. Hunter said that many craft distillers will speed up the process in order to get a product to the market, but the result is an inferior product. They have some assurance that the years the whiskey spends in barrels will not be wasted. “If it tastes bad going in, it’ll taste bad going out,” Hunter said. He said theirs will be a bourbon whiskey that “will have a lot of deep caramel, vanilla flavor, like a dessert wine, with a velvety finish.” Fincannon praised the brothers and their product, saying that they make a smooth vodka at a reason-
able price. He said that there are only two craft distillers in Oklahoma, with Twister operating out of Moore. But he expects to see more. Some of the increase in interest may have its roots in the burgeoning DIY movement, but Fincannon also said that the spirits trends tend follow those in beer-brewing. There are microbrewers all over the state now, and microdistillers are the next in line. In the hot summer months, Merritt prefers a nice, clean vodka and soda with lime, while Fincannon suggested infusing a watermelon with vodka and serving slices. Moscow Mules, made with ginger beer, are another top summertime cocktail. Fincannon, of course, suggested a White Russian, which uses both the vodka and Dark. a FOOD & DRINK // 21
I N B E E F W E T RU S T What record-high market prices and a lingering drought have to do with dinner by GAIL BANZET-ELLIS
I
n a world of 4x4 trucks, muddy boots, and dusty cowboy hats, Oklahoma cattle ranchers also play the role of broker, calling the shots on when their companies should buy, sell, and trade. Most transactions occur amid the chatter of an auctioneer’s cackling microphone. Thousands of dollars swap hands in a matter of minutes. Cattlemen congregate to watch the fruits of their labor translate to a paycheck. Oklahoma’s beef industry is a $3-billion business, the state’s largest agricultural sector. Homegrown meat raised on the prairie is served up on plates locally as easily as it is exported around the world to countries like Japan and Mexico. In recent years, high market prices have turned cattle into gold. According to statistics tracked by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service, the annual value of fresh retail beef in 2008 was $3.96 per pound. Today, it is $1.50 higher compared to the latest monthly data recorded in April, at $5.49 per pound. Even an old tired bull well past his glory days has the potential to sell for more than $2,500. Thanks to the rules of supply and demand, the price of beef—translation: that mouth-watering filet on the swanky steakhouse menu— is climbing. These prices were unheard of five years ago. Joe Don Eaves, owner of Tulsa Stockyards, where around 100,000 head of cattle are bought and sold each year, has never seen cattle this high, he said—“not even close. All classes of cattle are at re22 // FEATURED
cord-breaking prices and they’re in really high demand.” It’s no wonder Oklahoma’s Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry has its own rural crimes unit. The Wild West lives again through modern-day cattle rustlers who snatch valuable, innocent cows from Oklahoma’s wide-open spaces. It’s a Catch 22 for Oklahoma. The high price of beef boosts the economy at the same time that it reduces our inventory. Oklahoma is a beef production powerhouse, ranking third in the nation with a total herd of 4.3 million head. But when dry conditions cripple the supplies of grass, hay, and other feedstuffs in certain parts of the state, Oklahoma ranchers and, eventually, beef consumers feel the effects. Forage has come up short in certain parts of the state in the past few years. When rain doesn’t fall and grass doesn’t grow, ranchers must purchase expensive grain to keep their cows fed. Then, there’s water. When ponds, creeks, and streams go dry, piping in water to a large herd of thirsty cows in the middle of a hot, dry summer becomes timely and costly. Normally, cattlemen would save promising young cows, also known as replacement heifers. These broody mamas would live out their days raising baby calves on the ranch, but the unprecedented market prices are tempting producers. Most Oklahoma ranchers are trimming back their herds because of the drought or the exciting prospect of a healthy payday at auction. But selling off
large portions of valuable assets is risky. On paper, it makes sense to sell when the market is hot, but if prices remain high, cattlemen will find it twice as hard to build back their herds. Oklahoma ranchers may never again have the opportunity to purchase cattle of the same quality as the ones they once owned and nurtured from birth, and when cattlemen are forced to pay a higher price for their animals, grocery shoppers both here and abroad can expect to do the same. “It’s been good for the economy for several years, but we’re running out of inventory,” Eaves said. “The money is just too good to hold them back.”
*** Neil Goucher’s heifers were “the best of the bunch – a handpicked group” of which he and his family had spent years perfecting. Decades of careful bull selection and breeding had resulted in sound, sturdy cows that produced healthy baby calves. These calves grew big and strong on a diet of native grasses and hay (when it was available), which results in a leaner product on the plate. Then, the ponds and streams on Goucher’s northwest Oklahoma ranch began to disappear. Even after piping in water, he knew he was going to have to downsize. “We just sold the heifers we were keeping for replacements because we didn’t have enough to feed them,” Goucher said. Slowly, successive years of drought are driving Goucher’s historic ranch out of business.
In the summer of 2011, local cattle markets in western Oklahoma became flooded with trucks and trailers. Ranchers waited in line to run their beloved cows through the sale ring and cut their losses while they still had the chance. Most of the stock landed in a different part of Oklahoma or in a different state altogether, where feed and water resources were plentiful. As of January 1, nationwide cattle inventory was the lowest it has been since 1951. When many of the state’s ponds and other rural tributaries dried up and the year’s crop of forage blew away in the hot summer wind, cattlemen were left with two choices: spend a fortune feeding grain and trucking in water to keep their herds or make the heartbreaking decision to downsize and, in some cases, completely liquidate. The drought has subsided in Green Country, but conditions for ranchers in much of western Oklahoma remain dire. Goucher’s family ranch near Waynoka dates back to 1893, and a creek on the homestead has never run dry – until now. Goucher wonders how long he can wait out the lingering drought. Hay supplies are low, and Goucher’s cattle pastures have been overgrazed, now producing significantly less of the nutritious forage his cows need to prosper. He sold 25 percent of his commercial Angus cow-calf operation, and he predicts another 25 percent will have to go this summer. After another dry winter, he is left with no other choice. June 18 – July 1, 2014 // THE TULSA VOICE
Thanks to the rules of supply and demand, the price of beef— that mouth-watering filet on the swanky steakhouse menu— is climbing.
Photo by Evan Taylor THE TULSA VOICE // June 18 – July 1, 2014
FEATURED // 23
“The ponds and streams on Goucher’s northwest Oklahoma ranch began to disappear. Slowly, successive years of drought are driving Goucher’s historic ranch out of business.”
Cat tle inventor y reached an historic low in drought-ravaged wester n Oklahoma in re cent years // Photo by Shane Bevel
“When it finally does rain, everyone else is going to want to replace their herds, too, and it will be quite expensive,” Goucher said. “I don’t want to go into debt and start with another herd of cows. I’m getting old and probably won’t replace them.” Most ranchers never really retire from the business. They raise cattle until the day they die. The average age of today’s cattleman is around 57. Fewer young adults are becoming ranchers, closing the door on family ranches, which flourished before the development of much larger corporate operations.
*** State cattle inventory numbers are beginning to show a modest recovery. According to January statistics, Oklahoma reported a 2.4-percent increase in total cow numbers and a 16-percent increase in the number of beef replacement heifers. “Our producers are trying to rebuild,” said Derrell Peel, an extension marketing livestock specialist at Oklahoma State University. “But it just depends on drought conditions.” 24 // FEATURED
“It’s a mixed bag right now – if you have cattle, you’re enjoying the high prices and the total value of production is up, but for a lot of producers profitability is still at risk,” Peel said. “Those who have been in drought or who are still in drought are incurring additional costs of feed while trying to maintain the animals they have.” From the sale barn to the meat counter, the value of beef is at an all-time high. The USDA’s Economic Research Services reports consumers pay nearly double the price they did 10 years ago. Jayson Lusk, Regents Professor and the Willard Sparks Endowed Chair of Agricultural Economics at OSU, says “expenditures on beef really haven’t changed that much, so consumers might be buying less, but they’re still spending the same amount.” While cattle ranchers hedge their bets on market trends and weather patterns, beef consumers, beset with high prices whether they buy from the grocery store or from the rancher up the road, are beginning to take a
more vested interest in the origin and safety of their food. In the late 1980s and early ‘90s, consumer demand for beef dropped significantly in response to higher prices and reports that linked it to health risks, such as higher cholesterol and saturated fat. “Evidence suggests those factors did have a damaging effect on consumer beef during that time period, but in the past two years, it’s really leveled off,” Lusk said. “Beef is actually making a comeback” on the consumer market. Omar Galban, corporate chef at Polo Grill in Tulsa’s Utica Square, says he hasn’t noticed a decline in orders for beef entrees, despite price hikes. “We’ve increased our pricing around 20 percent in the past two years, but our guests really don’t change what they eat,” Galban said. Polo Grill’s menu features beef from three suppliers in Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas. Menu prices are adjusted accordingly to reflect live cattle-market values, but Galban said guests aren’t complaining. “They come in knowing what they want, and they don’t mind paying for the best quality.”
Tallgrass Prairie Table currently is constructing a climate-controlled meat fabrication facility at its location in the Blue Dome District. Tallgrass receives its beef from Z7 Bar Ranch in Pawhuska, and having the ability to butcher whole animals onsite will reduce its input costs. As a result, Tallgrass can help alleviate the climbing price of beef for customers. In the meantime, executive chef Michelle Donaldson says dining trends reflect consumers who aren’t wary of paying higher prices when they know the beef is local and sustainable. “Consumers today are well-educated in the world of food, and they’re empathetic and understanding of why prices must increase,” she said. This summer’s rainfall totals will write several chapters of the rancher’s story. Cattlemen like Neil Goucher may have to downsize, but they’re not ready to throw in the towel. Much like the history of his family’s business, Oklahoma’s cattle legacy is one of highs and lows, feast and famine, sustained by appetite and consumers who still crave a juicy steak. a June 18 – July 1, 2014 // THE TULSA VOICE
LANNA THAI RESTAURANT & BAR
“Thai Styled Fresh Seafood”
Ranked in the Top 10 in 2011 For Best New Restaurant by the Tulsa World
« « « « « FINE DINING « « « « «
Listed on Best Business Meal Spots for Tulsa by UrbanSpoon
Voted Tulsa’s Best Thai Restaurant 1st Place Award for 14 Consecutive Years
Voted Tulsa’s Best Vegetarian Restaurant 2013
Surveyed more than 4000 Thai Restaurants by Focus Thai Cuisine 2007
Visit us online at TheTropicalTulsa.com
Lunch Specials Daily
Ranked in the top 50 nationally.
See our full menu at LannaThaiTulsa.com
49TH & MEMORIAL BEHIND DEALERSHIP 918.895.6433 | FIND US ON
7227 S. MEMORIAL • 918.249.5262 • FIND US ON
“One of the most enjoyable meals I’ve had in a while... Flavors were well developed and delicious.” - Pam Vrooman, Tulsa “Delicious, fresh food. So well done. Really excited you’re adding to the Tulsa restaurant scene.” - Sarah Winchester, Tulsa “Most delicious meal we’ve enjoyed in years... Absolutely loved all of it.” - Douglas Fischer, Tulsa “Very much enjoyed this unique restaurant.” - Trevor Hughes, Tulsa
111 N Main St, Tulsa, OK 74103 | (918) 728-3147 www.laffatulsa.com | info@laffatulsa.com
PERFECT GAME*
*Enjoying $1 Beers AND Baseball
at ONEOK Field!
THE TULSA VOICE // June 18 – July 1, 2014
FEATURED // 25
Drew Pay ton at Celebrit y At tract ions headquar ters with a por trait of his late father, founder of the company // Photo by Case y Hanson
How Tulsa got Wicked When Broadway mixed and melded with Tulsa’s theater scene by KELSEY DUVALL
I
t’s a tidy office in South Tulsa, far from the thriving, eccentric arts districts revitalizing the central city. The waiting-room table offers local magazines and a book chronicling the history of Christianity in America. It’s a cozy, calming atmosphere, maybe not what one would expect to see at the home office of Celebrity Attractions, the production company that brought “Wicked” to Tulsa. When Drew Payton, the company’s COO, steps out to greet visitors, he exudes the same warmth and welcome. This is his family business, dedicated to preserving the vision that his late father, Larry Payton, who passed in 2013, initially brought to the company. It’s with pride that he points out the posters from seasons past and renovations in progress. Like his father was, he’s a polished, poised businessman with his hands full running a busy company, but also as his father did, he nevertheless makes people feel like the whole 26 // FEATURED
morning has been blocked out just for a visit. “Wicked” has Tulsa abuzz for the third summer in five years, slated for the Tulsa Performing Arts Center June 18 – July 6 for 2014. The national tour first came to town in July 2009 and ran for four full weeks, and, according to the Broadway League’s count, more than 73,500 people attended the show. The economic impact (which includes advertising, employment, expenses, rentals, taxes, etc.) on Tulsa was estimated at more than $16 million, with an additional $6 million spent by theater-goers who bought dinners, hotel rooms, and transportation. “Wicked” returned in Fall 2010 for a limited, two-week run. More than 36,500 people saw the show, with economic impact calculated at more than $8.7 million and ancillary spending (additional money spent by theater-goers) at almost $3 million. “Wicked” holds the Tulsa box-office records for both
a two-week and four-week Broadway engagement. But major Broadway shows weren’t always the norm here, at least not until the late ‘80s. The fostering of a Broadway culture in Tulsa began in 1983 with Larry Payton and his wife, Kay. While Payton was still working as Dean of Student Activities at The University of Tulsa, the couple began the company that now spans seven Midwest cities from a spare bedroom. “They wanted to, you might say, revitalize the town itself with family entertainment. I was young, my sister was young, so they wanted something they could take the whole family to,” said Drew Payton. The history of the company now spans three decades. One of the earliest shows, The Beatles tribute “1964,” marks its thirtieth consecutive year in Tulsa this July. But it was after Celebrity Attractions’ first season in ’91-
’92 that the economic shifts in Tulsa brought demand for more entertainment. The company was poised to make the most of the opportunity, to fill seats with Tulsans bright eyed and optimistic, eager to take their place on the world stage again as the former Oil Capital turned telecom-and-technology hub. New York, Line One “In 1996, ‘Phantom of the Opera’ was the show that bumped Celebrity Attractions into the ‘known.’ We worked to get it here for six weeks, and New York laughed at us. We fought and fought and fought, and we got it. When ‘Phantom’ opened up for the first performance of the six-week run, we had less than fifty seats for the whole six weeks left. New York took notice,” said Payton. Now, Celebrity Attractions doesn’t have to fight as hard—if New York laughs, it’s because they know they will have a successful June 18 – July 1, 2014 // THE TULSA VOICE
BEING WICKED “Wicked” returns to Tulsa this summer for three weeks, June 18-July 6
24
shows in Tulsa
2005
broke the house in every city record since it started touring nationally in March
run in the company’s markets. While it may take up to four years to bring a show to town, Celebrity Attractions now has markets that draw touring companies. Payton attributes the company’s success to hard work and faith. The emphasis on family and community is a direct outgrowth of their Christian values, the element at the heart of their business model. “Our company is grounded in our Christianity. We are a Christian company and not ashamed of it. Our staff gets together every Monday morning and the first thing we do is talk about our lives. Then we have a short prayer, all together. Then we go into the business—what’s going on in the business? It’s not just about our faith. It’s about who we are together,” said Payton. The company’s original goal was to enhance the community, including both Broadway and events that appeal to smaller, niche audiences. For example, Larry Payton brought author Paul Young to Tulsa twice to speak about “The Shack,” his successful Christian book. “Larry’s thought was, even if we affect one person’s life, it’s worth every penny that we put into it. You know, what we do is discretionary dollars, it’s not an ‘I must go and do this!’ So we have to be bringing things people want to see that will make their lives better…and happier. “That’s why ‘Wicked’ is coming back as a return engagement— people want to see it,” said Payton. THE TULSA VOICE // June 18 – July 1, 2014
200
the national touring companies use about 200 pounds of dry ice per show
$3.2
grossed more than $3.2 billion worldwide
They are doing a service by bringing in commercially successful shows… The more bodies in the PAC, the more you have people seeing what’s going on. They might take a chance on the local [theater]. Broadway on the Prairie When Broadway and touring shows sweep into Tulsa, it’s a tide that lifts all ships. Chad Oliverson, Marketing and Public Relations Manager for the PAC Trust, said that both touring shows and local companies play a role in the city’s theater scene. “They are doing a service by bringing in commercially successful shows. The more bodies in the PAC, the more you have people seeing what’s going on. They might take a chance on the local [theater],” said Oliverson. “The more people who come, the more people are exposed to the theater experience, the more they may seek it out,” said Vern Stefanic, a fixture in Tulsa theater. Stefanic has been a director, playwright, and teacher here for over 30 years. “It does give people the chance to embrace something completely different and very entertaining. They have huge budgets, and you can fly people from the ceiling, and the
4-5
the companies use 4-5 miles of cable to automate scenery, lights, and more
$35
tickets start at $35 for balcony seats
PAC can refigure for the things that are going to happen. Local theater doesn’t have the ability to do that,” said Stefanic. Thanks in part to the spotlight touring shows like “Wicked” shine on Tulsa’s theater scene in general, local theater is thriving, Oliverson and Stefanic said, and it has the ability to offer a more diverse palate of performing-arts experiences. This summer’s Tulsa Fringe, an outgrowth of the long-running SummerStage program, provides local artists and patrons with a performing-arts concept usually seen only in bigger cities. It’s a chance for Oliverson to do what he thinks he does best: help local talent break into production as well as performance. “Five of the last six plays [I have directed] have been multimedia because people are used to processing that way. That’s the future of theater, and local is doing that more and more,” Stefanic said. “We may not have million-dollar budgets, but with stage and creative use of space, we can be impressive, too. If you get them in the door, now that they’ve been exposed to the big, gee-whiz of touring [shows], they’re going to be surprised. “People who see them for the first time are pretty impressed with the talent we have here. Younger people are coming in with a lot of training from Heller and around town…we have a whole generation who watched ‘Glee!’ They want to be a part of that. Even though they aren’t
$175
tickets go up to $175 for orchestra seats
as classically trained, they are so sharp and so natural on stage,” said Stefanic. Tulsa’s Theater Next The boundaries of Tulsa audiences are begging to be pushed. Payton sees Celebrity Attractions bringing different types of productions to town, including plays, a genre close to his own heart. But to bring a national touring play to Tulsa, it has to sell. And Tulsans aren’t always buying. “When I saw ‘Driving Miss Daisy’ with James Earl Jones, I was on Row D going, ‘You’re right there!’ The tough part dealing with New York sometimes is reminding them that we are in the buckle of the Bible Belt. There have been shows that were more edgy that come to Tulsa that just don’t sell,” said Payton. Tulsa’s theater community and its patrons have strived the past 30 years to cultivate the performing arts as a viable part of Tulsa’s creative community. By definition, a community is a group working together for the greater good. The dance between a company that brings shows to town and the PAC Trust and local companies that help create shows in town both edgy and family-friendly continues. “There is a place for everything in Tulsa,” said Oliverson. “None of us stand alone. Together we are stronger.” “Celebrity Attractions is still thriving,” Payton said. “We’re really looking forward to being part of the community, helping to continue to grow it even more.” a FEATURED // 27
artspotting
NOIR is at Living Ar ts, 307 E. M.B. Brady Stre et, through June 26
More than skin deep Art show asks what it means to be black in 2014
by BRITT GREENWOOD
T
he same day as Tulsans boarded bicycles to tour streets haunted by the Tulsa Race Riot 93 years plus a day earlier, artist and organizer of the show NOIR, Nathan Lee, arrived from central Oklahoma at a bright corner of the Greenwood District, at Living Arts of Tulsa. He was unloading art work for the exhibit which opened on June’s First Friday art crawl. “What I’m hoping NOIR is, is a new starting point,” said Lee in a phone call. “I’m not a politician or social activist or anything. I just want people, particularly black/African American people, to begin to examine who we are right now, who we are in the context of this moment.” Lee invited 13 black artists to participate alongside him in the show, designed to dissect notions of racial identity. Lee said the Greenwood location for the show was a strategic albeit emotional choice. “But I feel it’s important we look at it now so we can start moving forward—a starting point that isn’t steeped in anger, isn’t steeped in guilt, that is steeped in a history that I am sure most of us would have rather not have happened,” said Lee. On a sunny day, with Brookside traffic as background noise, I sat down with one of
28 // ARTS & CULTURE
the participating artists, Chris Sker. Sker has worked in graffiti and murals in the past. He said his works are based in abstract expressionism using aerosol, calligraphy, and strong line work. “I paint energy and emotion,” he said. He described his large-scale calligraphy piece, “True Love”: “It’s about love of yourself because that is the truest form of love. Racial identity is a constantly changing thing. So, I looked at True Love as an expression of your self-identity.”
“When I grew up, if you’re not white, you’re black.” Sker describes himself as bi-racial. “When I grew up, if you’re not white, you’re black,” he said. “Now, the people who don’t like Obama use the bi-racial aspect as an insult almost, like he is not really black.” But regarding being black or white, he said, Sker doesn’t think too much about it. “I am who I am,” he said. Lee mentioned painter and sculptor Samia Dempsey. She created an approach to African American identity which he never considered. Lee said Dempsey
originates from Lebanon and looks white, but she identifies as black due to her once-close proximity—a few hundred miles—to the continent. “Her struggles were very similar to the African American who was brought here. She is from a whole different perspective. She is from across the world, yet she had experienced similar things because she is from a particular ethnic group,” said Lee. “Is she black? Is she white? Does it matter? How broad is being African American?” Lee chose to include her in the NOIR show. “The Hand That We Are Dealt” is the title of Lee’s artwork he made in collaboration with poet Melanie E. Bratcher, Ph.D. “A lot of times we have to play a card…sometimes, people play a race card,” Lee said. He said the mixed-media piece with lines of verse weaved within examines the concept of using race to aid in one’s defense and questions whether or not society is moving towards a moment when race needs not apply. The conversations Lee said he is most eager to generate with NOIR include healing from a painful past in the Greenwood District. NOIR runs through June 26 at Living Arts, 307 E. M.B. Brady Street. a
ART HAPPENINGS MONET AND THE SEINE // A rare opportunity to see the work of one of the fathers of Impressionism in Tulsa. The exhibit features his works of the Seine River, a place the artist spent much time throughout his life // 6/29-9/21; Philbrook Museum of Art; 2727 S. Rockford; 918-749-7941 EXPERIENCE TULSA: ART AND CULTURE ALL AROUND TOWN // A chance to see the history of several Tulsa cultural and art organizations // through 7/11; Tulsa Performing Arts Center Gallery; 110 E. 2nd; 918-596-7122 MOREcolor // This show has been a Tulsa staple since the 1980s. This year, around 60 visual and performing artists will feature their works of various mediums. All entries are selected by a regional jury // Starts 6/19; Dennis R. Neill Equality Center; 621 E. 4th; 918-743-4297 PLEIN AIR INVITATIONAL // Artists from around the region will gather in Tulsa’s Brady District for several weeks to paint from the street. Each artist will display two chosen pieces in the Zarrow Center, all for sale // through 6/29; Henry Zarrow Center for Art and Education; 124 E. M.B. Brady Street; 918631-4400 June 18 – July 1, 2014 // THE TULSA VOICE
Psychophysiology Laboratory for Affective Neuroscience
BE SEEN ON THE GREEN DON’T MISS OUT ON JUNE'S ACTIVITIES FITNESS ON THE GREEN Fowler Toyota & the Y present: Tai Chi Mon. at 5:30 pm Boot Camp w/ The YMCA Tues. & Thurs. at 5:30 pm Partner Power Weds at 6:00 am Shake it Fit Fri. 4:00 pm Family Fitness Sat. at 8:00 am lululemon presents Community Yoga Weds. at 6:00 pm BARRE 3 Class Thurs 11:30 am JUST FOR FUN Story Time on the Green Weds 10:00 am Food Truck Wednesdays w/ the Tulsa VOICE Weds. at 11:30am Total Blast Zumba Sun. @9:30 am Guthrie Green Sunday Market Sun. at 10am Ballroom Blitz Salsa in the Park Sun. 7:00 pm JOIN OUR ONLINE FAMILY AT GUTHRIEGREEN.COM FOR ALL THE GREEN HAS IN STORE FOR YOU. 4/28111 TULSA & Fitness Expo EastPULSE BradyHealth St. Tulsa, 10:00 am - 2:0074103 pm Oklahoma Sunday Concert: HORTON RECORDS presents fb.com/guthriegreentulsa Shinyribs, Pilgrim, & Honeylark @guthriegreen
THE TULSA VOICE // June 18 – July 1, 2014
RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS NEEDED
The University of Tulsa Psychophysiology Laboratory for Affective Neuroscience needs healthy research participants for a safe, IRB approved study that examines the influence of a pain-relieving cream on physiological reactions.
MOVIES & MORE! JUNE 19
MOVIE NIGHT! Pan's Labrynth (R) 8:30 pm
Participants must be age 18 or older and cannot currently have any allergies to pain-relieving creams, have a chronic pain condition or take any anti-anxiety or anti-depressant medication. Compensation ($100) is provided to eligible participants who complete the study.
To receive additional information or determine eligibility call: The University of Tulsa, 918-631-3565 or 918-631-2175
JUNE 20 & 21
FRI 6.20 Juneteenth Music Jubilee 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm SAT 6.21 MLK Commemoration Society: Juneteenth Gospel Festival 7:00 pm - 11:00 pm JUNE 24 - 30 TUES 6.24 Starlight Concert Band: "Americana Night 8:00 pm THURS 6.26 Tulsa VOICE Presents: MOVIE NIGHT! Jurassic Park 8:30 pm with Tulsa Zoo Give Aways! SAT 6.28 Oklahoma Alliance for Animals Presents: ROCK & RESCUE 10:00 am to 2:00 pm SUN 6.29 Horton Records Presents: Sunday Concert with SIMO, Jared Tyler & Travis Fite, and Jesse Aycock 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm
STILL SLOUCHING: FROM BROOKLYN TO BUSHYHEAD
With John Wooley and Barry Friedman
Directed by Vern Stefanic
Collected essays, commentaries, music, comedy, gardenvariety bitching, and shameless book sales. Fri. June 27 • 7:30pm, 9:30pm Sat. June 28 • 7:30pm, 9:30pm
Woody Guthrie Center • $15 includes admission to Woody Guthrie Center
FOR TICKETS: 918.596.7111 OR SUMMERSTAGETULSA.ORG TULSAFRINGE.ORG
ARTS & CULTURE // 29
dalystyle
Be ye not a glutton
A guide to letting go and homing in on your dream décor by ASHLEY HEIDER DALY
I
’ve heard all my life how much personal growth lay ahead of me—after high school, after college, in my first job, in marriage, and so on. Turns out, it’s true. I know one negative attitude can ruin the collaboration of an entire team, I know bosses take you seriously if you take yourself seriously, I know it’s OK to pause an argument late at night and wait for the perspective only morning can bring, and I know money is important but happiness is priceless. And I, finally, just on the brink of thirty, know which light fixture I want in my bathroom. Believe it or not, home decorating follows the same path as Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs. Owning a furniture-less home is like being a starving person. Many poor design decisions spring from deep, literal emptiness. My mind muddled with need, I’ve made some truly inappropriate choices. I once put a flatbacked bookshelf across a corner, leaving a gaping wasteland of useless space behind it. The shelf was given to me, and it could only fit that one way, and I just really wanted to get my things out of boxes and onto something. That last sentence is definitely not how I want to explain my decorating choices to my children. Recently, I’ve had people tell me they are done decorating their house because it is full of furniture. Shut up. You have better days ahead, my friend. Thank
30 // ARTS & CULTURE
BYE, BYE, BABY Say sayonara to that couch you’ve had since college
It’s t ime to find that invest ment pie ce, an heirloom, your tr uest fur nit ure love dream // Photo by Ashle y Heider Daly
God I didn’t stop at the bookshelf-across-the-corner experiment. My husband later built a bookshelf that fit in that corner, and I’m a better person for not settling for option A. A full house is where a focus on true design can begin. You have arrived at the best part of the journey. It’s time to self-actualize y’all—furniture-wise, that is. You know how good it felt to just own a chair? Now imagine how good it feels to own a chair for which you yearned. I own some chairs of my dreams, and I sit in them every day, and they make me a nicer person. Think I’m wrong to put so much emphasis on material things? That means you’ve never owned the chairs of your dreams. Your home is full. Great. Now you can refine. Look for the best version of what you love, discover the better answer for the fur-
niture needs you have. Be happy with what you have, but let your life be open to new arrangements and trading out for something you didn’t know was better until you saw it. The best houses are layered with moments when you learned something about yourself. My new bathroom light says, “I like brass, and I’m finally comfortable with that.” a
Ashley Heider Daly used to be so obsessed with gold-gilded frames that she fancied her home was like the walls of the Louvre. After starting a mid-century vintage furniture store, Retro Den, this style frame no longer suits Daly’s style needs. She honors the memories of this home style by reminding herself that she’ll at least always have a gold-gilded heart.
Respect the memories. Some people can’t get rid of a piece of furniture they’ve fallen out of love with because they feel attached and loyal. I’ll only say this once: don’t flatter yourself. No one assigns more humanity to furniture than I do. If you don’t love it anymore, the right thing to do is to let it go on and live another life where love is possible once again. It’s not your mom’s house. My parents generously gave me a lot of furniture when I got my own place, including some peach occasional chairs. I traded out those chairs years later with some wooden, Danish lounge chairs, and I was wildly nervous my parents wouldn’t approve the drastic change or be hurt I didn’t keep their gift forever. It’s funny—I think they were actually proud I’d settled in on my own look. And if they weren’t, shame on them. A return on investment. The sofa you paid $300 for at Ikea five years ago gave you memories, friend, but don’t embarrass yourself by insisting it also gave you back exactly the financial investment you made. You made out with your future spouse on that sofa AND you can get $40 for it on Craigslist? You’re welcome. That’s how your sofa wants to be remembered. June 18 – July 1, 2014 // THE TULSA VOICE
Let’s do lunch. All works feature scenes in the Brady Arts District.
JOIN US throughout the month of JUNE for Food
Truck Wednesday at
Art Exhibition and Sale through June 29, 2014
Guthrie Green, featuring musical acts handpicked by
THE TULSA VOICE
SEE IT
WANT IT
SCHEDULE Strolling Brady by Christopher Westfall, acrylic, 24" x 18"
JUNE 18 Desi & Cody
RENT IT
JUNE 25 Steve Pryor 124 East M.B. Brady • gilcrease.utulsa.edu/zarrow
TU is an EEO/AA institution.
3342 E 25th St Suite 4B (918) 744-8177 • harvardterrace.com
www.tulsasymphony.org THE TULSA VOICE // June 18 – July 1, 2014
ARTS & CULTURE // 31
eventlistings Novel Talk - I AM HUMAN: Individual Empowerment from 1920 to Today Laura Mariarty, author and professor of Creative Writing at the University of Kansas, will discuss what connects us and what keeps us apart. Her talk will explore issues of women’s rights, gay rights, and human rights in general. Mariarty is the author of four books, including “The Chaperone,” in which she delivers a strong message of human equality and dignity using both real and fictional characters to tell the story of one Kansas woman’s delayed coming of age as she serves as a chaperone to New York in the 1920s. Moriarty’s visit is part of Tulsa City-County Library’s Adult Summer Reading Program which coincides with the children and teen’s summer reading programs. Any adult who reads or listens to four books to complete the program may complete a quick online survey at tulsalibrary.org/adultsrp for a free bagel coupon from Panera and a chance to win a Kindle, Tulsa Art Deco books, or one of 185 prizes.
6/24, 7:00 pm-8:30 pm, , 621 E 4th St, tulsalibrary.org/
Events
Parade of Homes // Home Builders Association of Greater Tulsa presents the annual Parade of Homes. Over 150 new homes in a variety of price ranges in the Tulsa Metro area will be open for tours daily from 1 to 7 p.m. between June 21st and 29th. Find your dream home, and speak directly to the home builders of each home on the tour. The Parade of Homes Official Guide, which features everything you need to know about the 2014 Parade and all of the homes and builders featured, is available to download for free at TulsaPeople.com and TulsaHBA. com, or to purchase at area QuikTrip locations through June 29. // 6/21-6/29, 1:00 pm-7:00 pm, tulsahba.com Citywide Juneteenth on Historic Greenwood // Celebrate freedom with a variety of events in the Historic Greenwood District June 19-21. The weekend begins 6/19 with The National Association of Black Journalists host “Where Do We Go From Here?,” a forum discussing the impact of economic development, education and Oprah on Greenwood, as well as music from jazz artist Frank Bates. On 6/20, Greenwood Avenue will be bustling with music, spoken word poetry, art, and more. The weekend culminates on 6/21 with a Gospel and Jazz festival featuring Tonnie and Boris Nichols, Sandra Knauls and more in the field at OSU-Tulsa. All events are free and open to the public. For more information, visit facebook.com/JuneteenthOnGreenwood.
Beware of the Beast // Participants have three “lives” as they make their way through this unique running obstacle course at Mohawk Park. Obstacles include Mount Olympus, Hades Haze, the Minotaur Maze, and more where participants’ lives may be easily lost. All participants receive a t-shirt, and those who finish the course with lives remaining receive special “I beat the Beast” shirts. Overall winners 32 // ARTS & CULTURE
receive a custom Beware of the Beast Battle Axe. // 6/21, 8:00 am-2:00 pm, $60, 5701 E 36th St N, bewareofthebeast.com Oklahomans For Health: Freedom Festival Part 3 // Oklahomans for Health host their third festival to raise awareness and get petition signers in an attempt to get medical marijuana on ballots this fall. Freedom Festival is an all day event with performances by Written Quincey, Mike Dee, Surron the 7th, Blue Spot, Old Powder New Gun, Ruan B Wallace, Surfacer, Mugen, Bound, and Earph. // 6/22-6/23, 4:00 pm-2:00 am, 417 N Main St, facebook. com/oklahomansforhealth State of the State Address & Luncheon // Governor Fallin rides into town from the capital for her State of the State Address. Maybe this belongs in the Performings Arts section. // 6/23, 11:30 am, $50, 100 Civic Center, coxcentertulsa.com Rock & Rescue // Oklahoma Alliance for Animals’ 6th Annual “Rock & Rescue” is a fun, family oriented event for pets and people of all ages. The event features music, food and drink, low cost ID tags and microchipping, and a variety of pet-related products and services. Find your new best friend among the adoptable dogs and cats from over a dozen area shelters and rescue groups. // 6/28, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Guthrie Green, 111 E M.B. Brady St. AnimalAllianceOK.org Busker Workshop // All the ma jor cities in the world have them. Buskers: bold and creative street performers competing to have the most surprising acts and interesting costumes on the street. If you’re interested in learning more about busking or would like to start busking but don’t know where to start, join Richard Renner, artistic director of the Lawrence Busker Festival, for this workshop on the history and basics of street performance. For more information or to register, visit summerstagetulsa.org or call 918-5962367. // 6/28, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Fly Loft, 117 N Boston Ave. Rockets Over Rhema // One of the biggest fireworks displays in the area, Rockets Over Rhema is a patriotic tribute for the whole family. The fireworks start at 10 p.m., but there’s plenty to do starting at 6 p.m., including live music, inflatable games, a car show, mechanical bull, rock wall, face painting and temporary tattoos, and concesstions. // 6/29, 6:00 pm-10:30 pm, 1025 W Kenosha St, rocketsoverrhema.com
Visual Arts
MOREcolor 2014 // Oklahomans for Equality hosts the MOREcolor 2014 Regional Juried Fine Arts Exhibition for Pride. Exhibiting over 50 artists in a broad spectrum of media and styles, MOREcolor is open for just four days from June 19 through 22. The opening event from 6 to 9 p.m. on the 19th will feature the harp music of Linda Paul and the Jazzical Strings Trio, a multi-discipline performance work entitled “Noise Level 1,” an installation by Matthew Ruyle, as well as food and a cash bar. // 6/19-6/22, 6:00 pm, 621 E 4th St, okeq.org AHHA Film Series - Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child // Centered on a rare interview that director and friend Tamra Davis shot with Basquiat over twenty years ago, this definitive documentary chronicles the meteoric rise and fall of the young artist. In the crime-ridden NYC of the 1970s, he covers the city with the graffiti tag SAMO. In 1981 he puts paint on canvas for the first time, and by 1983 he is an artist with “rock star status.” He achieves critical and commercial success, though he is constantly confronted by racism from his peers. In 1985 he and Andy Warhol become close friends and painting collaborators, but they part ways and Warhol dies suddenly in 1987. Basquiat’s heroin addiction worsens, and he dies of an overdose in 1988 at the age of 27. The artist was 25 years old at the height of his career, and today his canvases sell for more than a million dollars. With compassion and psychological insight, Tamra Davis details the mysteries that surround this charismatic young man, an artist of enormous talent whose fortunes mirrored the rollercoaster quality of the downtown scene he seemed to embody. Free and open to the public. // 6/19, 8:30 pm, 101 E Archer, ahhatulsa.org
Performing Arts
The Music Man // Fast-talking conman Harold Hill convinces the people of River City, Iowa to buy instruments and uniforms for a boys’ band he promises to organize, though he knows nothing about music and intends to skip town with the townspeople’s cash. His plans change as he falls for the local librarian Marian. Presented by Tulsa Project Theatre. // 6/13-6/22, $20-$30, 100 Civic Center, coxcentertulsa.com WICKED // A prequel of sorts to “The Wizard of Oz,” WICKED tells the story of two young girls in the land of Oz who would grow up to become the
Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good. Though the show is sold out, a lottery will take place 2.5 hours before each performance for orchestra seats. You must be at the PAC ticket office in person and have a valid photo ID to be eligible for the tickets, which cost $25 each, cash only. // 6/18-7/6, SOLD OUT, 110 E 2nd St, tulsapac.com
Book of Days // Book of Days, by Lanford Wilson (“Hot L Baltimore”) is set in a small Missouri town dominated by a cheese plant, a fundamentalist church, and a community theater. When the owner of the cheese plant dies mysteriously in a hunting accident, Ruth, his bookkeeper, suspects murder. Cast as Joan of Arc in a local production of George Bernard Shaw’s “St. Joan,” Ruth takes on the attributes of her fictional character and launches into a one-woman campaign to see justice done. Mature Audiences Only. // 6/196/22, $10-$15, 110 E 2nd St, tulsapac.com BOOM // Awad-winning Canadian actor, director and writer Rick Miller performs this one-man, multimedia performance that documents the music, culture, and politics that shaped the Baby Boom generation. Miller takes his audience through 25 turbulent years, from 1945 to 1969, giving voice to over 100 influential politicians, activists, and musicians. From the boom of atomic bombs that ended World War II through the explosion of science and technology that landed men on the moon, “BOOM” is an impressive feat of performance. // 6/20-6/21, $25, 110 E 2nd St, tulsapac.com Janet Rutland Sings the Sixties // The Sand Springs singer’s 10th cabaret show for SummerStage. “This music is a real heart punch,” said Rutland. “You can remember exactly where you were and what you were doing when you first heard these songs. It’s a trip.” Rutland will perform songs by Dusty Springfield, The Mamas and The Papas, Bob Dylan, and more. // 6/20-6/21, $12, 110 E 2nd St, tulsapac.com The Drunkard and The Olio // A Tulsa Tradition for more than 60 years, Tulsa
June 18 – July 1, 2014 // THE TULSA VOICE
eventlistings BattleGrounds MMA - O.N.E Native Tulsan and two-time Olympic Gold Medal-winning wrestler Kenny Monday and his BattleGrounds MMA host O.N.E., a one-night, eight-man welterweight tournament with a $50,000 award for the winner. ”We are excited to have assembled a group of incredibly talented and accomplished athletes for this landmark tournament,” said Monday. Competitors in the tournament are all-time great Dennis “Superman” Hallman, Alaskan-born Jiu-Jitsu stylist Cody “AK Kid” McKenzie, undefeated prospect and former NCAA Nation Westling Championship runner-up Chris Honeycutt, former Marine Luigi “The Italian Tank” Fioravanti, Urijah Faber protégé David “Bulletproof” Mitchell, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Roan “Jucao” Carneiro, two-time world championship contender and two-time one-night tournament winner Brock Larson, and local fan favorite Josh “The Beast” Bryant of Broken Arrow. //
6/27, 7:15 pm, $65-$150, 200 S Denver Ave, battlegroundsmma.com
Spotlighters perform “The Drunkard” and “The Olio” every Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. // 6/21, 7:30 pm, $10-$15, 1381 Riverside Dr, spotlighttheater.org You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown // All of your favorite characters from Charles M. Schulz’s “Peanuts” come to life in this stage adaptation presented by Sand Springs Community Theater. // 6/26-6/29, $10-$15, 110 E 2nd St, tulsapac.com A Really Cool, Cool Show (Please Come!) // Performance artist JohnTom Knight’s new coming-of-age story based on his own experiences and insecurities. Mature Audiences Only. // 6/27-6/28, $5-$8, 110 E 2nd St, tulsapac.com The Drunkard and The Olio // A Tulsa Tradition for more than 60 years, Tulsa Spotlighters perform “The Drunkard” and “The Olio” every Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. // 6/28, 7:30 pm, $10-$15, 1381 Riverside Dr, spotlighttheater.org
Comedy
Midnight Swinger, John Novosad // Stand Up // 6/18, 8:00 pm, $7, 6/19, 8:00 pm, $2, 6/20, 7:30 pm, $10, 6/20, 10:00 pm, $10, 6/21, 7:30 pm, $10, 6/21, 10:00 pm, $10, 6808 S Memorial Dr, loonybincomedy.com/tulsa Raw Meat // Improv // 6/19, 7:00 pm, $5, 328 E 1st St, comedyparlor.com a night OUT w/ Nicole Carrington, Sophia Starr, Drew Welcher, Tiffany Elam // Stand Up // 6/19, 9:30 pm, $5, 328 E 1st St, comedyparlor.com
Comfort Creatures // Improv // 6/20, 10:00 pm, $10, 328 E 1st St, comedyparlor.com
Jane’s Comedy Connection // Stand Up // 6/29, 7:30 pm, $10, 328 E 1st St, comedyparlor.com
Snap! // Improv // 6/21, 7:00 pm, $10, 328 E 1st St, comedyparlor.com
The Roast of Dan Fritschie w/ Corey Douglas, Billy Bazar, Hilton Price, Geral Harris, Michael Zampino, Rick Shaw, Sheila Naifeh, C.R. Parsons, Gina Fritschie // Stand Up // 6/29, 8:00 pm
Kelly’s Treehouse // Improv // 6/21, 8:30 pm, $10, 328 E 1st St, comedyparlor.com Ryan’s Drinking Problem (A Beer Drinking Game Show) // Game Show // 6/21, 10:00 pm, $10, 328 E 1st St, comedyparlor.com Kenzilla’s Working Without a Net // Stand Up // 6/22, 7:30 pm, $5, 328 E 1st St, comedyparlor.com Nathan Joyner, Dianna Jarvis, Hilton Price, Benjamin Wolf, Micah Medina, Cam Porter, Kenneth Hood, Russell Abbott, Billy Bazar // Stand Up // 6/23, 9:00 pm, Wednesday Night Live // Variety // 6/25, 8:00 pm, $10, 6808 S Memorial Dr, loonybincomedy.com/tulsa Untamed Shrews // Stand Up // 6/26, 8:00 pm, $9, 6808 S Memorial Dr, loonybincomedy.com/tulsa/ Raw Meat Jam // Improv - open to anyone who wants to join in // 6/26, 7:00 pm, $5, 328 E 1st St, comedyparlor.com Bamboo Lounge Comedy Night // Stand Up // 6/26, 7204 E Pine St, Untamed Shrews // Stand Up // 6/27, 7:30 pm, $12, 10:00 pm, $12, 6808 S Memorial Dr, loonybincomedy.com/tulsa Low Status Characters // Long Form Improv // 6/27, 7:00 pm, $10, 328 E 1st St, comedyparlor.com Back In My Day & Improv Over/Under // Long Form Improv // 6/27, 8:30 pm, $10, 328 E 1st St, comedyparlor.com Everybody and Their Dog // Long Form Improv // 6/27, 10:00 pm, $10, 328 E 1st St, comedyparlor.com Untamed Shrews // Stand Up // 6/28, 7:30 pm, $12, 10:00 pm, $12, 6808 S Memorial Dr, loonybincomedy.com/tulsa/
Bamboo Lounge Comedy Night // Stand Up // 6/19 , 7204 E Pine St
Squeaky Clean Stand Up // // 6/28, 7:00 pm, $10, 328 E 1st St, comedyparlor.com
Spontaniacs! // Improv // 6/20, 7:00 pm, $10, 328 E 1st St, comedyparlor.com
Acoustic Ross, Hilton Price // Music and Stand Up // 6/28, 8:30 pm, $10, 328 E 1st St, comedyparlor.com
Toby Morton Presents… // Stand Up & Sketch // 6/20, 8:30 pm, $10, 328 E 1st St, comedyparlor.com
Blue Late Special with Jeff Brown // Sketch Talk Show // 6/28, 10:00 pm, $10, 328 E 1st St, comedyparlor.com
THE TULSA VOICE // June 18 – July 1, 2014
The Purple Heart of the Pearl Stand-Up Comedy Night // Stand Up & Improv // 7/1, 7:30 pm, 1109 E 6th St
Sports
Tulsa Drillers vs. Springfield Cardinals // 6/18, 11:05 pm, $5-$35, 201 N Elgin Ave, milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t260 Tulsa Athletics vs. Corinthians FC of San Antonio // 6/20, 7:30 pm, $5-$10, 4802 E 15th St, tulsaathletics.com World Cup Watch Party // Tulsa Roughnecks host a watch party for Team USA’s match against Portugal, their second match in the World Cup. Admission is free, and the game will be shown on the stadium big screen. Attendees are also invited onto the field for several soccer activities including a free-play area for pick up games, a juggling contest, shooting area, and dribbling relay race. Compete for prizes! Participants are asked to leave their cleats at home and opt for tennis shoes for the field activities. Gates at ONEOK Field will open at 3:30 p.m., and kickoff is scheduled for 5. // 6/22, 3:30 pm, 201 N Elgin Ave, tulsaroughnecksfc.com Tulsa Militia vs. New Orleans Brass // Tulsa Roller Derby’s mens’ team season opener. // 6/22, 6:00 pm-9:00 pm, $10, 401 E Broadway Ct, derbystrong.com Tulsa Drillers vs. San Antonio Missions // Bark In The Park! Bring your canine baseball fan with you to the game! // 6/25, 7:05 pm, $5-$35, 201 N Elgin Ave, milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t260 Tulsa Drillers vs. San Antonio Missions // Patriotic Jersey Giveaway to first 1,000 fans! Thirsty Thursday: 12 oz beers and 16 oz fountain drinks are just $1. // 6/26, 7:05 pm, $5-$35, 201 N Elgin Ave, milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t260 Tulsa Drillers vs. San Antonio Missions // 6/27, 7:05 pm, $5-$35, 201 N Elgin Ave, milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t260 Rumble on the River IX // Xtreme Fighting League hosts a night of MMA action with XFL champions Ed Cline and Jerrett Rouse, along with featherweight champion James “Whitey” Warren,
Mike Cook, and Erin McDougall taking on a team of rising MMA prospects from Mexico. // 6/27, 7:00 pm, $35-$60, 8330 Riverside Pkwy, tickets.riverspirittulsa.com Tulsa Athletics vs. Dallas City FC // 6/27, 7:30 pm, $5-$10, 4802 E 15th St, tulsaathletics.com Tulsa Drillers vs. Corpus Christi Hooks // Mickey Mantle Career Ring Giveaway to first 1,500 fans! // 6/28, 7:05 pm, $5$35, 201 N Elgin Ave, milb.com/index. jsp?sid=t260 Tulsa Shock vs. Los Angeles Sparks // 6/28, 5:00 pm, $12-$155, 200 S Denver Ave, wnba.com/shock Tulsa Drillers vs. Corpus Christi Hooks // Kids Eat Free Souvenir Sunday // 6/29, 2:05 pm, $5-$35, 201 N Elgin Ave, milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t260 Tulsa Shock vs. Phoenix Mercury // 6/29, 3:30 pm, $12-$155, 200 S Denver Ave, wnba.com/shock Tulsa Drillers vs. Corpus Christi Hooks // Independence Fireworks Extravaganza! Here’s to the Heroes Jersey Auction - Players and coaches will wear special jerseys that will be auctioned off with proceeds benefiting the Folds of Honor Foundation. // 6/30, 7:05 pm, $5-$35, 201 N Elgin Ave, milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t260
RE A D T HE RE S T AT
For more event listings, visit:
ARTS & CULTURE // 33
fashionplate
Burlesque 101
A look at the performance art that has everything to do with fashion by NICCI ATCHLEY
“T
here’s something about a half-dead girl dancing that people really seem to enjoy,” said the founder of Tulsa burlesque troupe TwoLips Burlesk, the woman who portrays the persona Poppy Pie, told me over a cup of tea. No, she wasn’t talking about a burlesque show gone bad. It was zombie burlesque, one of the many themed routines Poppy has performed over the years. How does one create an aesthetic that flirts with death? Some standards that would garner the Grim Reaper’s approval: a pale face, darker eyes, maybe a little artificial blood, and, in Poppy’s case, an old costume she distressed by tearing it and rubbing charcoal into the fabrics. “Burlesque can be anything your mind wants it to be,” Poppy said. “Our creativity and our own skills are the only thing that’s going to limit us as artists.” The word burlesque, of Italian origin, means a joke, ridicule, or mockery. It isn’t just about a strip tease; it’s also about the comedy, the commentary. It’s vaudeville. Burlesque reminds us, “let’s not take ourselves too terribly seriously,” Poppy said. With any theater or performance art, the visual aspect, especially costumes, plays a key role in the overall experience. In burlesque, they may end up on the floor, but the costumes matter. There are three main categories of burlesque, as Poppy explained them: Classical, Neo, and Fetish. Classical Burlesque incorporates glamour and grace, with elaborate costumes and props. In Classical style, it’s typ34 // ARTS & CULTURE
How You Burlesque on a Budget Ball Gowns and Cocktail Dresses. Affordable dresses can be found just about anywhere, but Poppy is partial to Name Brand Clothing and thrift stores. “You won’t think twice about cutting the sides and installing snaps,” she said. Many dancers have developed sewing skills and sometimes purchase old beaded gowns to repurpose the fabric, she said. Thigh highs. “Thigh high stockings, held up by old-fashioned garters, are definitely making a comeback in all genres. They’re sexy and they’re practical. If you get a hole in a stocking, you only have to replace that one.” Her personal favorite is a good quality Cuban Heel stocking with the seam up the back. “Locally, Muse Intimates has beautiful thigh highs with the right amount of stretch. A stocking has got to have the right amount of stretch to do a good peel. Otherwise, the move looks awkward,” Poppy said. For the accompanying garter belts, she recommends Dillard’s. Gloves. Gloves are to arms what stockings are to legs, Poppy said. Corsettes. “Patricia’s has a lot of great corsettes (among other goodies) with good boning that aren’t going to break the bank,” Poppy said. Embellished Underthings. Ross, Burlington Coat Factory, and JC Penny are Poppy’s go-tos for basic bras and skivvies, which she embellishes herself with sequins, rhinestones, beads, feathers, and fringe. The founder of Tulsa burlesque troupe TwoLips Burlesk, the woman who por trays the persona Poppy Pie // Photo by Hilton Price
ical to see beautiful ball gowns, rhinestones, and feathers. Layers of garments are vital; the routine is all about losing the layers, one at a time. Neo or “new” burlesque is focused on the tease. “A dancer could come out dressed as a monkey and it would be considered acceptable,” Poppy said. “Truly, anything goes with this particular style.” Fetish burlesque, by definition, is the more fantastical and decidedly darker of the three, incorporating power struggles and games
of submission and dominance in the form of bondage and, sometimes, body suspension. Whether Classical, Neo, or Fetish, none of these genres are mutually exclusive. Much like the real life they satirize, the styles often overlap. Creativity and self-expression and, ultimately, audience entertainment are king, regardless of the genre, Poppy said. “I want to be raw and emotional and to give my audience me. The costume is a vital part of that experience.” a
Feather Boas. “The feather boa is so classic and lovely,” Poppy said. “Feathers are a kind of fetish. There’s something about the softness touching a girl’s skin that is universally enticing.” Sensible Shoes. At least, sensible by dancer’s standards. A burlesque stage is no place for stripper heels, Poppy said. It isn’t sexy to wobble. Poppy recommends a ballroom-dance shoe because of the lower heel and support. “The wrong pair of shoes can kill your number,” Poppy said. “You have to be sure-footed to be sexy.” Pasties. These stick-on patches that cover those lady parts above the belt always hiding behind black boxes on TV come in all shapes and sizes, from plain and clear to glittered and tasseled. Poppy, a pro, lights hers on fire on stage (but please, don’t try this at home). June 18 – July 1, 2014 // THE TULSA VOICE
Place your first custom t-shirt order with
GreenHouse Clothing, and get 20 %
off of
in-stock GHC apparel! Must present this ad to receive discount. Offer expires 7/15/14
GreenHouse Clothing design. print. wear.
AT
GreenHouseClothing.net
MISS
3310 S. Yale • 918-895-6225
Est. 2005
Tulsa
Fabulous Florals
@ghclothing
JACKSON’S UTICA SQUARE TULSA
918.747.8671
MON -SAT 10-6
MISSJACKSONS.COM
Show Th e E n i s ll D r e ss a
XS to 4XL
Volupté (vō-luep-tā)
The quality of being voluptuous; full of delight, luxury and pleasure; (of a woman) curvaceous and attractive
2814 East 15th Street • Tulsa
VolupteTulsa.com THE TULSA VOICE // June 18 – July 1, 2014
ARTS & CULTURE // 35
musicnotes
mi-MOH-suh-pud-EE-kuh: A Lo-Fi Album Foe-Fum Records Pick up a copy of the new record at Ida Red or Dwelling Spaces, and follow Fiawna Forté on Facebook and Twitter for news on upcoming shows—including the Center of the Universe Festival. Phillip Hanewinkel, Fiaw na For té and Nathan Wright
Sounds from a snowy day Fiawna Forté on overcoming obstacles and bringing to life the music in her head by MATT CAUTHRON
T
ulsa singer-songwriter Fiawna Forté has been a musical force of nature since before she could hold a guitar. She wrote her first song when she was a toddler, and hardly a day has since passed that she hasn’t spent creating music. Her first full-length album, “Transitus,” was released in 2010 and acclaimed for its primal, rock-infused power. For her sophomore effort, “mi-MOH-suh-pudEE-kuh: A Lo-Fi Album,” Forté toned down her signature ferocity in favor of a more intimate, haunting, stripped-down vibe. Forté visited The Tulsa Voice headquarters to regale us with a selection of tracks from the record as part of our ongoing Courtyard Concert Series. We took that opportunity to corner her for a chat about the album, the record label she started with husband Phillip Hanewinkel, and the virtue of getting back to basics. The Tulsa Voice: The new album is called “mi-MOH-suh-pud-EEkuh.” Where does that come from? Fiawna Forté: It’s actually a plant. The word is Latin. I’m kind of a Latin freak. I don’t know why. “Transitus” was Latin, too. The word means “transition.” 36 // MUSIC
TTV: I understand the album was recorded with very minimal equipment and technology. FF: Yes, very lo-fi. There were no computers involved. Phillip and I have been trying to do more of that. In fact, we’re doing a side project called “Nine and Ten” where we’re going to be recording straight onto tape. Basically, just because it’s fun. It’s not for any pretentious reason. It’s just interesting to try to do things the old-school way. When you’re recording onto tape, you take it a little more seriously, because you can’t just hit “erase.” It’s actually permanently there. You can tape over it, but then the quality is diminished. For some reason it just feels more valuable when you’re recording on tape than when you’re using a computer. This album, I did everything myself. I played everything, wrote everything, and recorded it. It was all just because I wanted to record some songs. It wasn’t supposed to be an album, to be honest. TTV: Why not? FF: Well, I had a pretty hard year. I won’t go into the details, but I had some physical hardships and basically had to sit on the couch for weeks. It made me really think
about things a lot. One day it started snowing, and something about snow really makes me want to write. So every morning I’d get up about 5 and just start writing and playing. And I’d go all day. For about five months, that’s just what I did. At the end of it, I had 16 tracks, and Phillip said, “This has to be an album. You have to release it.” I’m still a little uneasy about it. A producer may hear it and wonder what I was thinking, but it was something that was just for fun, and I wanted people to hear what came out of it. Phillip’s got me in the habit of recording myself whenever I’m playing around. I write songs all the time. I probably write five a day. Some of them are really bad. Some of them are OK. And some turn into something that I actually want to put out. But with these songs it got tricky. I like to consider myself a producer in some ways, but I’ll hear things in my head that I don’t have. So I’ll have to kind of make up that sound with guitars and organs and things. I’d hear a trumpet or a trombone in my head, and want to put it on there, but I’d have to make it up, try to recreate the sound in my head. TTV: How did Foe-Fum Records come about?
FF: Because of certain things I’ve seen in my life, I never wanted to be screwed over by anybody. I don’t want anybody to own my image or what I do. If I do it, I want to know that I did it. Even if it’s a mistake, I want to know I made that mistake. It’s not because someone else tried to warp something of mine into something they wanted. So even as a kid I always knew that I wanted to be in control of what I did. I’ve walked away from probably 15 different offers to sign deals— some kind of big deals—simply because I knew that I wanted to do things my way. And people can do that. It is possible. So Phillip and I started buying up equipment to record our new albums, and started thinking about the future and what we wanted to do with our lives. We thought, well, if we want to do what we want to do, why don’t we just start a label and put out our music ourselves? People ask, who puts out your albums? Who represents you? Well, we do. Only us. And we like it that way. a Watch Fiawna Forté perform selections from the new album as part of The Tulsa Voice’s Courtyard Concert Series
TheTulsaVoice.com/Courtyard
June 18 – July 1, 2014 // THE TULSA VOICE
CO JUNE
Comedy Night & THUR 6/19 Guys Night
g Tulsa Performin r te >> >> Arts Cen … MING TO THE PAC 18/7-6: Wicked Celebrity Attractions 5/7-11: Experience Tulsa Art and Culture Are All Around Town PAC Gallery 19: Vintage Wildflowers in Concert 19-22: Book of Days Theatre Pops 20-21: Janet Rutland Sings the Sixties 20-21: Rick Miller’s BOOM
J U LY
ART GALLERY & BAR
11-12: Rasa Kripalaya Dance Academy 11-13: “13” Theatre Tulsa 12-13: A Band of Gypsies Mischievous Swing 18: Bridging the Gap BBCM Quartet 18-20: Bare: A Pop Opera Fruugensteinery Productions 18-20: Mob Mental.ity Portico Dans Theatre 19: Tinkerbell is Dead… No, It’s Just a Flesh Wound Theatre Pops
2 for 1 PBR for The Boys
FRI 6/20
TBA
SAT 6/21
Karaoke!
MON 6/23
Karaoke & $1 PBR
Phil THUR 6/26 Marshall & Guys Night SAT 6/28
Streetlight Fight & Merlin Manson
SUN-THURS 4PM - 2AM FRI & SAT 2PM - 2AM 1323 E. 6th ST LIKE US LOTNO.6
Tickets and info: 918.596.7111 & TulsaPAC.com DOWNTOWN AT 3RD & CINCINNATI
2014 @
918-798-7827 www.starlightbands.net
Free Summer Concerts at 8pm: Tuesday, June 24 Americana Night Tuesday, July 1
Let’s Dance!
Tuesday, July 8
Jazz Under the Stars
Friday, July 11
That’s Entertainment! @ First Friday
Tuesday, July 15 Night at the Movies Tuesday, July 22 At Your Request Friday, August 1
Jazz Under the Stars @ First Friday
Guthrie Green, 111 E. Brady, Tulsa THE TULSA VOICE // June 18 – July 1, 2014
MUSIC // 37
Get psyched New festival seeks to expand your musical consciousness by RYAN DALY
T
ulsa is run amok with music festivals, from the massive Center of the Universe Festival, which last year attracted a reported 80,000 to the heart of the Brady Arts District, to the Backwoods Bash, a three-day camping and music event on Keystone Lake, to the brand new Hop Jam, a music and craft beer festival put on by the Hanson camp. Now, we can add one more to the list: Tulsa Psych Fest, a fledgling mini-festival that, come June 28, will bring 14 bands to two stages in downtown Tulsa in a single night. The event’s organizer, Moonshine front-woman Sarah Dickenson, said all she set out to do was book a show. “I didn’t really expect it to be this ambitious,” Dickenson said over the low-level din of the festival’s chosen venue, The Yeti, 417 N. Main Street. “I just wanted an excuse for all of our out-of-town friends’ bands to come to town and play one awesome show. We saw that these small-scale psych fests were coming together around TULSA PSYCH FEST LINE-UP HELL CACTUS STAGE (INDOOR) Akiba – 5:45 p.m. This OKC four-piece plays self-described “ghetto-blasting laptop indie power-pop.” Cosmostanza – 6:55 p.m. A guitar-and-drum duo, these OKC lads play fast garage-punk and tunes similar to Thee Oh Sees or Broncho. standout track: “Avant-Garde” facebook.com/cosmostanza Noun Verb Adjective – 8:05 p.m. This Tulsa five-piece plays trippy pop cobbled together from all manner of instrumentation. standout track: “Feynman Lectures on Physics: Vol. 1” facebook.com/NounVerbAdjective Fabulous Minx – 9:15 p.m. This freaked out Tulsa guitarand-drum duo with a sometimes saxophone player plays roots and 38 // MUSIC
Tulsa Psych Fest organizer Sarah Dickenson at the fest ival’s chosen venue, Yet i, located at 417 N. Main St. // Photo by Ryan Daly
Small festivals like this one serve a dual purpose, at once putting burgeoning local artists on stage in front of an exponentially larger audience than they would typically draw alone, and exposing any Tulsan willing to shell out $5 to bands they wouldn’t have heard otherwise. “People in Tulsa are starting to be really interested in local music, they aren’t satisfied to just wait for the next big show at the Cain’s,” Dickenson said. “And, it gives the bands in our scene, which can be cliquish, the opportunity to play to some people they haven’t before, and to kind of come together and lift each other up.” a
the country and we thought, Tulsa hasn’t really done anything like this before. It just kind of snowballed from there.” The lineup includes bands from as far away as Carlsbad, Calif., and will feature psychedelic light shows on both stages by Austin-based artistic collective Ether Wave. “Festival” may be a generous classification – after all, the event is in one bar on a single night. But small festivals like this one fill a unique gap in Tulsa’s family of
music events. The problem with big music festivals is, in order to draw the crowd necessary to turn a profit, organizers need to book a big-name headliner. As the festival becomes successful, local musicians, even the big ones, tend to get lost in the fray, either pushed aside by national acts on the side stages where local or regional acts once had a home, or, if the festival becomes too expansive, as with Austin’s SXSW, there is simply too much happening to make an impact.
Award-winning music journalist Ryan Daly is coasting through life on his wit and good looks. Outside these ink-smudged pages you can find him performing as one-half of local band the Fabulous Minx, promoting shows with his label, Midnight Creeper Records, or loitering. Tweet to him @okwordsandpics.
rockabilly-inspired rock ‘n’ roll. standout track: “Good Girls Cuttin’ Loose” facebook.com/FabulousMinx
MOON VIEW STAGE (OUTDOOR) Pillage People – 5:10 p.m. They are people. They come to pillage. This surf-rock trio hails from right here in Tulsa, Okla. facebook.com/pillagepeoplemusic
of guitar and organ pop that draws from Memphis soul, 60s girl-group and early psychedelic bands like the Zombies. standout track: “Solid Gold Buzz” facebook.com/la.happens?fref=ts
The Flood – 6:20 p.m. Another guitar-and-drum duo from right here in Tulsa, these high-school boys play Black Keysstyle blues rock well beyond their years. standout track: “Yard Sale” facebook.com/TheFloodMusic
Dead Mockingbirds – 9:50 p.m. This Dallas, Texas, four-piece plays rowdy, sweaty, loud rock ‘n’ roll with a southern bent. standout track: “White” facebook.com/deadmockingbirds
Moonshine – 10:25 p.m. This local band, fronted by event-organizer Sarah Dickenson, draws heavily from late 70s hard rock bands like Black Sabbath and Pentagram. standout track: “Broke Joke” facebook.com/tfarchctib Mellowphant – 11:35 p.m. Named for a mythical half-elephant beast, this Austin, Texas, trio plays garage and psych-pop. standout track: “Tiny Apartment” facebook.com/VoltaireCasinoMusic Lochness Mobsters – 12:45 Originally from Lake Charles, La., this Austin, Texas, band that plays “a tasteful mix of surf and upbeat garage rock.” standout track: “Yes, I Do” facebook.com/Lochness.Live
Psychotic Reaction – 7:30 p.m. Blues rock that sounds like “the velvet underground on acid, blue cheer on meth and the hellacopters after they huffed like 50 gallons of paint thinner.” standout track: “Get You Alone” facebook.com/psychoticreactionband La Panther Happens – 8:40 p.m. These local fellows play a brand
Pagiins – 11:00 p.m. Hailing from Fort Smith, Ark., this five-piece plays hyped-up garage with sing-along moments. standout track: “What’s the Point?” facebook.com/Pagiins The Swift Beats – 12:00 p.m. This Carlsbad, California, fourpiece band plays jangly surf and blues-based rock ‘n’ roll. standout track: “Tough Love” facebook.com/TheSwiftBeats June 18 – July 1, 2014 // THE TULSA VOICE
THEY GIVE IT TO US. WE GIVE IT TO YOU. JUNE GIVEAWAYS INCLUDE:
Center of the Universe festival passes, Drillers tickets, and dining gift cards for Hey
PubLic Programs
free with paid admission to the Center or annual membership
July 5 - 2:00 PM
Randy Noojin “Hard Travelin’ Show”
Mambo and The French Hen. MORE TO COME WHEN IT COMES. TheTulsaVoice.com/Giveaways
woodyguthriecenter.org
July 8 WoodyFest Preview 1:30 PM 2:15 PM 3:00 PM 3:45 PM 4:30 PM 5:15 PM 6:00 PM
Anthony da Costa Ronny Cox John Wort Hannam Larry Long David Amram Tim Easton Annie Guthrie
coNCerT Series
call or go online for ticket info July 18 - 7:00 PM Oh, Jeremiah
address 102 East Brady Street, Tulsa, OK 74103 Phone 918.574-2710 email info@woodyguthriecenter.org
THE TULSA VOICE // June 18 – July 1, 2014
MUSIC // 39
Q&A
Tulsa is less Rotten
John Lydon’s second brush with T-Town that never was by TOM LOHR
J
ohn Lydon is no stranger to controversy. As Johnny Rotten he was the irreverent front man for the pioneering punk band Sex Pistols. His antics made headlines and the lyrics to the Pistols’ most infamous song, “God Save the Queen,” were so disrespectful to the monarch that it suffered heavy censorship in the UK. The group’s short run, from 1975-78, spawned countless copycat bands and helped put the U.S. music scene, which was mired in sentimental songs and in the death grip of disco, back on track to rock and roll. Sex Pistols did one U.S. tour. A punk blitz that hit seven cities, venues in the south were targeted specifically, depending on who you talk to, to “bring punk to the people” or to “cause controversy” (read: publicity). Already suffering strife within the group, the U.S. tour turned out to be its last performances. After leaving the stage in San Francisco the band would not perform again for nearly two decades, and then without bassist Sid Vicious, who died of a heroin overdose just a year later. Lydon was set to return to Tulsa on June 24. He was cast as King Herod in the musical “Jesus Christ Superstar” that involved a tour of more than 30 North American cities. Ahead of his anticipated return, The Tulsa Voice interviewed Lydon about his upcoming performance, slated for the BOK Center. That interview may have been the last one Lydon gave as the potential on-stage persona of King Herod; a few hours later, the entire tour was cancelled. His stop in Tulsa would have been a noteworthy event. Of the 40 // MUSIC
TTV: Any tentative schedule for a new PiL album and tour (Public image Limited, Lydon’s decades-long, post-Pistols music group)? JL: Yes, some time after Christmas. We are also involved in a PiL documentary. TTV: What would be something outside of the box that you have not done yet? JL: Ballet. TTV: One of our readers had a question. What does John Lydon listen to? John Lydon was slated to ret ur n to Tulsa June 24 // Cour tesy
seven concerts performed in the U.S. by the Pistols, only a few stages remain standing, and only one is primarily a music venue, and that’s Cain’s Ballroom. It was also the group’s next-to-last concert, and by that time the writing was on the wall for Rotten and company—or, rather, in the wall. A sheetrock section of one of the walls at Cain’s is framed and hangs in the manager’s office, complete with a hole Sid Vicious smashed with his fist. The Tulsa Voice: How did you get the part of King Herod? John Lydon: Probably from the sheer good taste on behalf of someone in the production. What would seem like an ironical move initially came to be a genius touch. TTV: Your tour schedule looks to be brutal (30 cities, one performance a week, with few days off). JL: It’s serious hard work but I
love that. That is when you really bond, when you tour…It’s terrifying to go on stage every night, but it’s more terrifying to be suffering invalidence (sic). TTV: You live in Los Angeles now? JL: I became an American citizen last year. I am now a proud citizen of the US of A. It was a joy ceremony and was all very emotional. I don’t make moves like that very lightly. It took me a long time to consider, changing my nationality. TTV: How does stage acting compare to performing on stage with a musical group? JL: This is a hell of a lot more work…You have to relate other characters. It’s choreographed. Something the wild man that I am is not used to. But I am loving the challenge of it. You have to leave your ego at the door in order to do a thing like that.
JL: Everything and anything. Anybody that has had the courage and audacity to make a record instantly appeals to me. TTV: Any favorites? JL: I tend to steer clear of top 30…I sadly lament the demise of record stores. I used to raid local record stores to find out what the locals were listening to. Lydon won’t be raiding any the record stores in Tulsa anytime soon. After John’s hard work at promoting and rehearsing for JCS, he never got to take the stage. His last words onstage as a Sex Pistol at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco must have been echoing in his head. After performing “No Fun” he asked the audience, “Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated?” He then abruptly left the stage. a Editor’s note: This interview has been condensed and edited. June 18 – July 1, 2014 // THE TULSA VOICE
Your
Get the word out for upcoming live music shows
VOICE
Send dates, venue and listings to John@Langdon Publishing.com
For Live
Music
Get carried away! Summer help needed. All Tulsa locations! 11th & Garnett • 918-438-4224 41st & Memorial • 918-627-4884 71st & Lewis • 918-499-1661 Town West Shopping Center • 918-446-6336
PatriciasGiftShop.com
FREE IT ’S L E G A L T IL L
F
DOEREED as l SN ong ’T OM ILL as naEtuXrIST E e
GAL .
Free legal representation for first offense marijuana possession. Tulsa District & City Courts only. No juvenile cases. Reasonable fees for other charges. Some restrictions apply.
is
Michael Fairchild • Attorney at Large • 918-58-GRASS (584-7277)
NEW MIDTOWN
Tulsa’s Couples Friendly Adult Superstore
Tulsa's only adult superstore with a full bookstore and adult novelty items for sale. Oklahoma’s Oldest Adult Novelty Shop
OPEN 24 HOURS 7 DAYS A WEEK
LOCATED IN THE ♥ OF THE BLUE DOME DISTRICT
319 E. 3rd St. • tulsaadultfun.com • 918-584-3112 THE TULSA VOICE // June 18 – July 1, 2014
MUSIC // 41
musiclistings Food Truck Wednesday music series, curated by The Tulsa Voice Have your lunch on the lawn, provided by one of Tulsa’s finest mobile kitchens, while you enjoy music from some of Tulsa’s brightest stars. The Food Truck Wednesday Music Series at Guthrie Green is curated by The Tulsa Voice for the month of June, and yet to come are Desi & Cody (pictured at left) on June 18, and guitar legend Steve Pryor on June 25. Get out of the office and into the groove. Guthrie Green, 111 E. Brady St. // Wednesdays, 11:30-1:30
Wed // June 18
Guthrie Green – Desi & Cody – 11:30 am Infuzion Ultra Lounge – Tom Basler – 5:00 pm Cellar Dweller – Mike Cameron Collective – 9:30 pm Cain’s Ballroom – Jeff Tweedy, The Handsome Family – 8:00 pm – $35-$55 The Vanguard – Charlie Hunter and Scott Amendola, Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, Yojimbo – 8:00 pm – $20-$50 Soundpony – Earl Hazard / Slack Celebration Pickles Pub & Grill – Chris Lynch – 6:00 pm Pickles Pub & Grill – Billy Snow Elwood’s – Wendy Nichol – 6:00 pm On The Rocks – Don White – 7:00 pm Crow Creek Tavern – Dan Martin – 9:00 pm The Colony – Tom Skinner Science Project
Rum Runnerz – Hip Hop Night – 9:00 pm The Colony – Jared Tyler, Travis Fite, Arthur Thompson, Matt Hayes
Sat // June 21
Thurs // June 19
The Hunt Club – Ego Culture Tulsa PAC – Vintage Wildflowers – 7:30 pm – $15 Utica Square – Bop Cats – 7:00 pm Infuzion Ultra Lounge – Tom Basler – 5:00 pm Cain’s Ballroom – Neon Trees, Smallpools, Nightmare and the Cat – 7:30 pm – $23-$25 The Vanguard – Blake Pettigrove, Alaska and Madi from The Voice Team Blake, Capitol Cars, The Lukewarm– 7:30 pm – $7 Soundpony – The Danner Party, Johnny and the Be Goods Woody’s Corner Bar – Aaron Woods Band Mercury Lounge – Grass Crack – 10:00 pm The Joint @ Hard Rock Casino – Frank Sinatra Jr. – 8:00 pm – $35 Riffs @ Hard Rock Casino – Me & My Monkey – 7:00 pm Cabin Creek @ Hard Rock Casino – Time Machine – 8:00 pm Mystic River Lounge @ River Spirit Casino – T3 Trio – 8:00 pm Pickles Pub & Grill – Steve & Sheldon Magoo’s – DJ TIMM-A Meinig Recital Hall, TU – Maud Squad performs Radiohead’s “In Rainbows” – 8:00 pm Yeti – Turnt Up The Shrine – Afroman – $8 ADV, $10 DOS Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Don Diego – 9:00 pm – $20-$30 Lanna Thai – Scott Musick Undercurrent – Scarlet Canary – 7:00 pm
42 // MUSIC
Cabin Creek @ Hard Rock Casino – Brent Baker Band – 9:00 pm River Spirit Event Center – Christopher Cross – 7:00 pm – $25-$45 Mystic River Lounge @ River Spirit Casino – Lost On Utica – 9:00 pm Pickles Pub & Grill – M.I.C. Magoo’s – Jennifer Marriott The Shrine – A Live One (Phish Tribute) – $8 ADV, $10 DOS Crow Creek Tavern – David Dover – 9:30 pm Rum Runnerz – Problem Child – 9:00 pm The Colony – Kely Barnoski Lot No. 6 – Christina Jude
Fri // June 20
Kingspointe Village – Alaska & Madi from The Voice’s Team Blake – 7:30 pm Fat Daddy’s Pub and Grille – Laron Simpson Guthrie Green – Juneteenth Music Jubilee w/ L2, Sassieon Dupris, DJ Spencer LG, Leon Rollerson, The Production Crew, Doc Shaw – 7:00 pm The Hunt Club – Klondike5 Gypsy Coffee House – Andrew Michael – 9:00 pm Infuzion Ultra Lounge – Tom Basler – 5:00 pm Daily Grill – Mike Cameron Collective – 7:00 pm Cain’s Ballroom – Granger Smith, Earl Dibbles Jr., Shady 5 Eighty – 8:00 pm – $13-$23 The Vanguard – Outline in Color CD Release Show w/ City Never Sleeps, Killing a Classic, Alice Awaits – 7:00 pm – $17.50 Soundpony – DJ Sweet Baby Jayzus Mercury Lounge – Crandon Jenkins – 10:00 pm Riffs @ Hard Rock Casino – Darren Ray – 5:30 pm Riffs @ Hard Rock Casino – Time Machine – 9:00 pm C:Note @ Hard Rock Casino – Uncrowned Kings – 9:00 pm
Fat Daddy’s Pub and Grille – Matt Breitzke Guthrie Green – Juneteenth Music Jubilee w/ The GPW Boys, The Kings of Joy, Darrell Christopher, The Voices of Unity, Merton Huff & The Metropolitan Baptist Choir, Free At Last Drama, Stephanie Rose, Robert Lee, Dr. Joey Crutcher & The Gospel Music Workshop of America – 7:00 pm The Hunt Club – David Castro Band – Gypsy Coffee House – Superdarren65 – 9:00 pm Infuzion Ultra Lounge – Mark Bruner – 6:00 pm Infuzion Ultra Lounge – The Jump Shots – 10:00 pm Cox Business Center – The Avett Brothers, Langhorne Slim & The Law – 8:00 pm – $35-$44 Soundpony – Team Nightstand, The Shutdown Shutouts Woody’s Corner Bar – Patrick Winsett and Foolish Pride Band – 9:30 pm Mercury Lounge – Red Dirt Rangers – 10:00 pm Riffs @ Hard Rock Casino – Darren Ray – 5:30 pm Riffs @ Hard Rock Casino – M.I.C. – 9:00 pm C:Note @ Hard Rock Casino – Uncrowned Kings – 9:00 pm Cabin Creek @ Hard Rock Casino – Great Big Biscuit – 9:00 pm Mystic River Lounge @ River Spirit Casino – Lost On Utica – 9:00 pm Pickles Pub & Grill – Rockfisch Magoo’s – Octane Blue Yeti – Light Is Dark Shades of Brown – Gwen’s Kids – 7:00 pm Undercurrent – Kick Tree, Benny’s Little Weasel, Fist of Rage – 8:00 pm Rum Runnerz – Midnight Run Band – 9:00 pm Cimarron Bar – KALO – 2:00 pm Sandite Billiards & Grill – Miles Williams – 8:00 pm
Kenosha Station – Matt Mason, The Brandon Clark Band – 10:00 pm Torchy’s Cadillac Country – Wesley Michael Hayes – 8:00 pm Mason’s – Travis McClearen and Signal My Way The Colony – Grayles, Adrienne Gilley and the Musical Melody Makers
Sun // June 22
The Hunt Club – Preslar Sunday Showcase Infuzion Ultra Lounge – Myron Oliver – 10:30 pm Soundpony – DarkuJ Happy Hour Show – 4:00 pm Mercury Lounge – Nathan Kalish and the Wildfire – 5:00 pm Mercury Lounge – Brandon Clark – 9:30 pm Pickles Pub & Grill – Open Mic Yeti – Freedom Festival w/ Written Quincy, Mike Dee, Surron the 7th, Blue Spot, Old Powder New Gun, Ryan B Wallace, Surfacer, Mugen, Bound, Earph– 4:00 pm Downtown Lounge – Mothership, Black Pussy – 8:00 pm Guthrie Green – Sneaky Pete – 10:30 am Dusty Dog Pub – Black Kat Benders – 2:00 pm Creative Room – Travis McClearen, Signal My Way – 5:00 pm The Fur Shop – Hannah Wolff – 8:00 pm The Colony – Paul Benjaman’s Sunday Nite Thing
Mon // June 23
Pickles Pub & Grill – Extreme Karaoke w/ M&M Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Depot Jam – 5:30 pm Osage Event Center – Roots & Boots w/ Sammy Kershaw, Collin Raye, Darryl Worley – 7:00 pm – $25 The Colony – Open Mic w/ Cody Clinton
Admiral Twin
June 18 – July 1, 2014 // THE TULSA VOICE
musiclistings Elsa Cross “Elsa Cross plays David Lynch’s kind of rockabilly,” proclaimed the Austin American-Statesman of the alt-country/rock-n’-roller from Austin whose sneering, hard-driving tunes and playfully dark lyrics have drawn comparisons to a young Johnny Cash. Cross will spend the summer crisscrossing the U.S. in support of her new album, “X-Town,” finally making her way to Tulsa in late June. For the uninitiated, get yourself acquainted with Cross’s music at elsacross.com, then come get your feet acquainted with the dance floor at the Merc. Mercury Lounge, 1747 S. Boston Ave. Saturday, June 28 // 10 p.m.
Tues // June 24
Guthrie Green – Starlight Concert Band - Americana Night – 8:00 pm Central Park BA – Usual Suspect Gypsy Coffee House – Open Mic – 7:00 pm Mercury Lounge – Wink Burcham – 10:00 pm Riffs @ Hard Rock Casino – VCR – 7:00 pm Yeti – Carnegie
Wed // June 25
Guthrie Green – Steve Pryor – 11:30 am Infuzion Ultra Lounge – Tom Basler – 5:00 pm Cellar Dweller – Mike Cameron Collective – 9:30 pm Soundpony – Wreck and Reference, Reigns Happy Hour Show – 5:00 pm Soundpony – Sphynx The Joint @ Hard Rock Casino – Collective Soul – 8:00 pm – $45-$55 Pickles Pub & Grill – Billy Snow Yeti – Turnt Up The Shrine – Terrapin Flyer w/ Melvin Seals – $15 ADV, $20 DOS On The Rocks – Don White – 7:00 pm Downtown Lounge – White Light Cemetery – 8:00 pm Rum Runnerz – The Boogie – 8:00 pm Mason’s – Bryce Dicus The Colony – Tom Skinner Science Project
Thurs // June 26
The Hunt Club – Fine as Paint Utica Square – Admiral Twin – 7:00 pm Infuzion Ultra Lounge – Tom Basler – 5:00 pm Cain’s Ballroom – Whiskey Myers, Brandon Clark, Chance Anderson Band – 8:00 pm – $12 Soundpony – Otis the Destroyer Woody’s Corner Bar – Cale & Tim from All In Gents Mercury Lounge – Foley’s Van – 9:00 pm Riffs @ Hard Rock Casino – Travis Kidd – 3:00 pm Riffs @ Hard Rock Casino – Brend Giddens as Elvis – 7:00 pm Cabin Creek @ Hard Rock Casino – Brian Capps – 8:00 pm THE TULSA VOICE // June 18 – July 1, 2014
Mystic River Lounge @ River Spirit Casino – Jesse and Bryan of Another Alibi – 8:00 pm Pickles Pub & Grill – Steve & Sheldon Magoo’s – DJ TIMM-A Lanna Thai – Scott Musick Undercurrent – We Shall Remain, Pez for Breakfast, Frank Zito and the Mannequins – 8:00 pm Rum Runnerz – Hip Hop Night – 9:00 pm The Colony – Beau Roberson and Friends Lot No. 6 – Phil Marshal
Rum Runnerz – Forgotten Frieday – 9:00 pm Mason’s – Travis McClearen and Signal My Way Westbound Club – Johnny Duke & Shootout – 10:00 pm Ed’s Hurricane Lounge – Elaborate Hoax – 9:00 pm The Colony – Travis Linville
Fri // June 27
The Hunt Club – Greg Reichel and the Big Flats Gypsy Coffee House – Grant Wiscaver – 8:30 pm Infuzion Ultra Lounge – Tom Basler – 5:00 pm Infuzion Ultra Lounge – Lost On Utica – 10:00 pm Cain’s Ballroom – Trisha Yearwood – 8:00 pm – SOLD OUT The Vanguard – Semi Precious Weapons – 6:30 pm – $10.45 Soundpony – We Make Shapes, Verse and the Vapors Fassler Hall – Gogo Plumbay – 11:00 pm Woody’s Corner Bar – DJ Spin Mercury Lounge – Tyrannosaurus Chicken – 10:00 pm Riffs @ Hard Rock Casino – Hi Fidelics – 5:30 pm Riffs @ Hard Rock Casino – Jumpsuit Love – 9:00 pm C:Note @ Hard Rock Casino – Travis Kidd – 9:00 pm Cabin Creek @ Hard Rock Casino – JP Dross – 9:00 pm Mystic River Lounge @ River Spirit Casino – Smilin’ Vic – 9:00 pm Pickles Pub & Grill – Wharp Drive Magoo’s – Merle Jam ft. Chuck Stevens Hillman’s Garage – Pre Tulsa Sike Fest Show w/ The Lochness Mobsters, Dead Shakes, La Panther Happens, The Daddyo’s, The Tum Yetos, Cucumber & The Suntans, Creepozoidz, Okie Mirage, Hey Judy – 6:00 pm Yeti – Summer On Titan The Shrine – Severmind, Warchestra, The Board, Blackwater Rebellion – $5 Downtown Lounge – Across the Atlantic, Daydream Empire – 8:00 pm
The Shrine – The Moai Broadcast – $5 Shades of Brown – Gwen’s Kids – 7:00 pm Undercurrent – Seven Day Crash – 8:00 pm Rum Runnerz – Outlaw Son – 9:00 pm Kenosha Station – The Salty Dogs – 8:00 pm The Fur Shop – The Dirtvoxwailers – 8:00 pm The Colony – Grinnin Possum, war on Gravity Lot No. 6 – Punk Party
Sun // June 29
Guthrie Green – SIMO, Jared Tyler & Travis Fite, Hesse Aycock – 2:00 pm Infuzion Ultra Lounge – Myron Oliver – 10:30 pm The Vanguard – Chad Sugg, Summit, Sick/Sea – 7:30 pm – $10-$25 Tom Skinner Soundpony – When Particles Collide, The Last Slice Mercury Lounge – The Harmed Brothers – 5:00 pm The Hunt Club – Glam R Us Mercury Lounge – Brandon Clark – Gypsy Coffee House – Ryon Whitfield 9:30 pm – 8:00 pm Pickles Pub & Grill – Open Mic Infuzion Ultra Lounge – Mark Bruner Guthrie Green – SIMO – 6:00 pm The Colony – Paul Benjaman’s SunDaily Grill – Mike Cameron Collective day Nite Thing – 7:00 pm The Vanguard – Nashville Comes to Town w/ Tonya Lunette Stout, Paul Sikes, Matt Henkins, Erin Ashleigh – Pickles Pub & Grill – Extreme Karaoke 7:30 pm – $20-$25 w/ M&M Soundpony – Psychotic Reaction, Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Depot Dead Shakes Jam – 5:30 pm Fassler Hall – My So Called Band – Elwood’s – Mark Gibson – 6:00 pm 10:00 pm The Colony – Open Mic w/ Cody Woody’s Corner Bar – Tyler Lee – Clinton– 9:30 pm Mercury Lounge – Elsa Cross – 10:00 pm Riffs @ Hard Rock Casino – Harley Guthrie Green – Starlight Concert Daniels Band – 5:30 pm Band - “Let’s Dance” – 8:00 pm Riffs @ Hard Rock Casino – Lost On Gypsy Coffee House – Open Mic – Utica – 9:00 pm 7:00 pm C:Note @ Hard Rock Casino – Travis Cain’s Ballroom – 311, Earphunk – Kidd – 9:00 pm 8:30 pm – $35-$50 Cabin Creek @ Hard Rock Casino – Soundpony – Hikes Merle Jam – 9:00 pm– Mercury Lounge – Wink Burcham – Mystic River Lounge @ River Spirit 10:30 pm Casino – Smilin’ Vic – 9:00 pm Brady Theater – Kenny Wayne ShepPickles Pub & Grill – Dane Trout & herd Band, Dustin Pittsley Band – The Hook 8:00 pm – $34 ADV, $39 DOS Magoo’s – Rock Show Yeti – Tulsa Psych Fest – 5:00 pm – $5
Sat // June 28
Mon // June 30
Tues // July 1
MUSIC // 43
filmphiles
Send in the clones Latest remix of ‘Jump Street’ drops another tasty beat by JOE O’SHANSKY
T
here was a time, not long ago, when I railed against the kind of creative bankruptcy that fuels feature film adaptations of dated television shows. From “Scooby Doo” to “Josie and the Pussy Cats,” over the years, self-aware crap that cashes in on pop culture nostalgia and brand recognition, be it based on television, theme park rides, comic books, board games or Gen-X toy lines, has become the (not so) new normal. But, as any “Star Trek” fan knows, resistance is futile. Entertainment is a marketplace where success is measured in opening-weekend grosses and little else. If critics really made a difference to casual filmgoers, Adam Sandler would have been hosting “Family Feud” years ago. But sometimes, if only by sheer repetition, the machine gets it right. Such was the case with 2012’s “21 Jump Street.” Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (who went on to make “The Lego Movie” inexplicably worthwhile) transformed another seemingly rote idea into a fun, clever, and hilarious action-comedy that sagely commented on the superficialities of its titular prime-time source material which time had, fortunately, forgotten. Buoyed by a smart script from Michael Bacall (“Scott Pilgrim vs. the World”) and a great chemistry between its leads (Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum), Lord and Miller delivered an unabashedly funny movie that utterly defied expectation. If that was your thing, then get ready for more of the same. Though unlike “The Hangover
44 // FILM & TV
“22 Jump Stre et” beat “How to Train Your Dragon 2” its June 13 opening we ekend
2,” which cravenly milked what worked from the first entry, “22 Jump Street” makes a point of planting one foot firmly in the real world to satirize its own sameness, and the industry that depends on that familiarity. The plots are practically, and purposefully, identical, itself a comment on the formula of prime-time television, right down to the last episode “recap” as Schmidt (Hill) and Jenko (Tatum) go undercover at a local college to root out the purveyors of a new (and deadly) synthetic drug sweeping the campus. The unlikely brotherhood they formed in their first outing has strengthened even as their weaknesses become more pronounced. Jenko can leap tall buildings but can’t think his way out of a doughnut hole, while Schmidt is a constant victim of his physical ineptitude yet somehow manages to score with the girl of his dreams. When the trail leads to the college football team and a dude-bro quarterback named Zook (Wyatt Russell) with whom Jenko instant-
ly hits it off, a wedge is driven between Schmidt and Jenko that threatens to derail the case. “22 Jump Street” cleverly strikes a balance between satirically jabbing at its existence and turning its own tropes on their ears. “Nobody gave a shit about the Jump Street reboot, but you got lucky,” intoned Nick Offerman’s Chief Hardy. And why would they? If you were a fan of the actual show, this incarnation would be a letdown, I suppose, since it more or less eschews the ensemble dynamic for a straight buddy/cop comedy. But Lord and Miller know they can take the formula and play with it. Their skilled direction sustains a natural and unforced comedic tone, part lowbrow, part slapstick, yet knowingly witty, with an odd yin-andyang motif that re-emerges in surprisingly subtle ways. They’re also equally suited to the action set pieces, nailing all the right comedy beats within the mayhem and saving their best gags for last, though it does lack the unlikely freshness of the “original.”
As with the first film, it’s the chemistry between Tatum and Hill that provides the momentum, playing up the romance (I refuse to say “bromance,” though I guess I just did) at the core of their friendship in bitingly funny ways (“Are you saying you want to be in an ‘open’ investigation?” Schmidt asks when he feels like he’s losing Jenko to Zook). Supported by memorable comedic turns from its co-stars, most memorably from Ice Cube, Rob Riggle—who is flat-out demented—and Jillian Bell (with what might be the films funniest gag), “22 Jump Street” is as nimble a retread as one can possibly imagine. The plot might as well be a MacGuffin—a point the film is keenly aware of. Is it as funny as the first? Not really. And poking fun at itself for that inevitability only goes so far. But it’s not a mile off, either. The fact that “22 Jump Street” is as inspired as it is means that these guys know what worked. And if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. a
Tulsa’s independent and non-profit art-house theatre, showing independent, foreign, and documentary films.
June 18 – July 1, 2014 // THE TULSA VOICE
tubular
“Orange is the New Black” was released on Netflix June 6
Binge fatigue ‘Orange is the New Black’ remains good, but we’re exhausted by JOSHUA KLINE
C
onsidering my late start, I had no intention of ploughing through the entire second season of “Orange is the New Black,” which became available through Netflix on June 6, for this column. But, as was the case with last summer’s first season (as well as Netflix’s other addictive drama, “House of Cards”), I found myself mainlining the majority of the 13-episode season in one sitting, even as I watched the possibility of a proper night’s sleep dissolve and the anxiety of an approaching deadline grow. The comedy-drama about day-to-day life in a medium-security women’s prison premiered last year and immediately became Netflix’s biggest success, drawing more viewers and better reviews than the much-hyped “Cards.” Creator Jenji Kohan (“Weeds”) used Piper Kerman’s memoir as the blueprint for a lively, lightly satirical romp about race, class, and gender that never felt high-minded or preachy. The contrasting tones of the show—serious in its approach to social issues but with an airy, bright artifice and sitcom plotting—was summed up
THE TULSA VOICE // June 18 – July 1, 2014
perfectly in its opening credits, a montage of real ex-cons’ faces set to the bubbly pop of Regina Spektor’s “You’ve Got Time.” As disturbing as it often was, the sharply written first season always felt light on its feet, breezy and comforting like one of the beach reads found under the bunk of Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling), Kerman’s fictional alter-ego.
The characters are, for the most part, more dynamic this time around, but the plotting is sloppier and the sharp edge that made last season feel dangerous has been dulled. While not as focused or consistent as its first run, this new batch of episodes is entertaining enough to sate fans and demand a third season. If you liked last season, you’ll also enjoy this one. If you hated the show, nothing here is
likely to change your mind. The characters are, for the most part, more dynamic this time around (save for Chapman’s fiancée and best friend in an annoying, pointless tangent), but the plotting is sloppier and the sharp edge that made last season feel dangerous has been dulled. It’s more sitcom, less satire. The new binge model of television watching promulgated by Netflix is, for this writer, quickly losing its appeal. The entertainment giant first reshaped how we rent movies by making the video store a thing of the past (RIP Blockbuster and Hollywood Video). Now, it has redefined how we consume television by venturing into the content game with a handful of original series (in addition to “Orange” and “House of Cards,” it has Eli Roth’s horror soap “Hemlock Grove” as well as revivals of “Arrested Development” and “The Killing,” which Netflix rescued from cancellation) produced in-house and released exclusively to subscribers. The trick: each season is released in full with every episode available right out of
the gate. The upside: the viewer controls how the episodes will be parsed out for consumption. No worrying about setting the DVR, no waiting a week to find out what happens next. The downside: the ritual of appointment viewing is gone. Water cooler conversation is now stifled, dominated by spoiler concerns and questions about how far along you are in the story, and everyone is always on a different page. Inhaling 13 hours of a good series in one sitting is akin to burning through an entire novel in a night. When it’s over, you feel exhausted and hollow, proud of your devotion until you realize you can’t remember half of what you just read. There’s no time to linger on a chapter, to contemplate the particulars of the plot, to soak up the characters, to discuss with friends, to allow your opinion to evolve organically over an extended period. You got through it, you enjoyed it, but its memory starts to fade almost immediately. So it goes with “Orange is the New Black.” I finished the last episode just two hours ago, but already I can barely remember it. a FILM & TV // 45
news of the weird by CHUCK SHEPHERD
Eyes of the Beholder Thirty thousand spiders, led by members of the British Tarantula Society, gathered in Coventry on May 18 for the annual BTS exhibition, with a Socotra Island blue baboon spider taking Best in Show for first-time entrant Mike Dawkins. According to news reports, judges ignore spiders’ personalities and make their selections by objectifying the body — seeking “shiny coats, correct proportions, an active demeanor and proper stance” (which means that “all eight legs should be upright and perfectly poised”). Veteran judge Ryan Hale said winning does not necessarily make a spider more valuable, but is likely to enhance the keeper’s reputation in the tarantula-training community.
Government in Action Susan Coppinger, 47, was promoted by the city of Boston in January to a job paying $38,800 in the Inspectional Services Department
ACROSS 1 Trattoria courses 7 Large blood vessel 12 Diners who use shakers 19 Feeling shock 20 Become extinct 21 Stock character in French pantomime 22 Small, irregular amounts 24 Apprehensive state 25 Maple fluid 26 Opera solo 27 Visualizes 29 Ascot, e.g. 30 “Ciao for now!” 32 Parcel of land 34 Thin pancake 38 Tom and Diane 41 Prepare the salad 43 Angelic light 45 Farmer’s field 46 Cornered, as a cat 47 “Caught you!” 48 Leaving helpless 50 Brook 51 Tariff target 55 Qatar bigwig 56 Residents of Martha’s Vineyard, e.g. 58 Put up a building 59 Poker player’s ploy 60 Reese and Herman 61 Lewis Carroll creature 62 Brought into the world 63 Type of table or zone 64 Leave, as in a will 67 Present as a gift 69 Disturbance 72 River to the Caspian Sea 74 First people of Manitoba 76 Qualified voter 78 Iron-on picture
80 Conjurers 81 Drawing medium 83 It comes before a fall? 84 Big retail store divisions 86 Book manufacturer’s leather 87 Baseball strategy 89 More than displeasure 90 Richard of “The Godfather” 91 Zamboni’s surface 92 “___ be a pleasure!” 93 “___ Ha’i” 95 Strong, sweet wine 97 Filled, as a ship’s hold 99 Artist’s prop 101 Diving apparatuses 103 Hamster healer 105 Male descendants 106 Type of lens 107 React to a bad performance 110 Annoy incessantly 114 Repeatedly 118 Streamers and flags 119 Green Bay athlete 120 Make it possible for 121 Went down, PC-style 122 Winter fall 123 Put emphasis on DOWN 1 Goalie’s protection 2 Home of the Taj Mahal 3 Liner or tanker 4 Restaurant pickup 5 Examined, as ore 6 Curious one 7 Assistance 8 “The Star-Spangled Banner” preposition
— even though a month earlier she had been arrested for bank robbery. In fact, police said it was her second robbery of the same Santander Bank in nearby Quincy. Apparently, the city’s human resources office does not monitor mugshots on MassMostWanted. com, but in April, the city finally secured Coppinger’s resignation.
Great Art! Food trucks are ubiquitous in many urban areas, bringing ethnic foods to street corners, and now in the New York City neighborhoods of Williamsburg and Soho, art impresarios bring stage presentations to the insides of 24-foot trucks parked on the street. Typically, ticket-holders (fewer than 20) climb in for a 30-minute play, followed by a 15-minute “intermission” a few steps away at a neighborhood bar, and then it’s back in the truck for another half-hour. One art-truck producer blamed outlandish New
9 Insulting but loving tributes 10 Potatoes and yams 11 Not docked 12 Where to take a mud bath 13 “You ___ seen nothin’ yet!” 14 Specialized vocabulary list 15 Judge or juror 16 Palindromist’s preposition 17 Decay 18 Home for a hog 20 Time of reckoning 23 Pen tips 28 Signature comedy routines 30 Local rule or regulation (var.) 31 Community spirit 33 Fortuneteller’s card 35 Some tournament results 36 “The ___ mightier than the sword” 37 Kin of a tsunami 38 Mark on a bass 39 Ready for the day 40 Like Harvard grads 42 Paddle kin 44 PC linkup letters 47 Busy month for the IRS 48 35.3 cubic feet 49 Start of a diary entry 51 Model of excellence 52 Sticky situation 53 Toe quota 54 Many Muslims 57 Katmandu’s country 59 Second crop of grass or hay in a season 61 Disrespectful expression 62 Gaucho’s weapons 65 Shoulder blade bones
66 Ballpark instrument 68 Oxygen container 70 Give to charity 71 ___ Islands (Scapa Flow locale) 73 Pro ___ (in proportion) 75 Suffix with “high” or “low” 77 Some software backups 78 Oxford doctorate, briefly 79 Susan Lucci character 80 Haggard singer? 81 Persian fairies 82 Opposite of WSW 84 Banned bug killer 85 Thousandth of an inch 88 Ancient Assyrian capital 90 Offensively loud 93 Cincinnati gridder 94 ___-Lorraine (French region) 95 Unstable subatomic particle 96 Humble homes 98 They’re at odds with odds 100 Daytime serials 102 Mogul 104 Become weary 107 Pig on the silver screen 108 Makes less squeaky 109 Vending machine inserts 110 English broadcaster 111 Where to find a hammer or anvil 112 Trial evidence, sometimes 113 “Acid” used in some trips 115 Well-liked president? 116 After deductions 117 Fish with a long snout
York City real estate prices for the turn to mobile sites.
Police Report Dan Greding, working on contract with the city of Santa Barbara, California, was busy at work one February day installing signs on street lamps warning that only “75 Minute Parking” was permitted. On one block, three signs were called for, but the last one required Greding to drill into concrete, insert screws and wait for the concrete to dry — which apparently took more than 75 minutes, and a passing police officer ticketed his truck. Greding’s first appeal of the citation was denied, but a second appeal was pending at press time.
6/4 SOLUTION: UNIVERSAL SUNDAY
Least Competent The 9-1-1 call at 1:50 a.m. on May 29 came from a man who said he was lost on Deen Still Road near Polk City, Florida, and being chased by wild hogs. A sheriff ’s deputy
Universal sUnday Crossword Edited by Timothy E. Parker
MaKinG ConneCTions By Gary Cooper
© 2014 Universal Uclick 46 // ETC.
fairly easily “rescued” Andrew Joffe, 24, but then discovered that Joffe (a) had an active arrest warrant and (b) was in possession of a GPS device that he admitted stealing from a car that evening. The Polk County sheriff told reporters that it was “unusual” for an absconding thief, with a warrant, to bring himself to deputies’ attention like that, but acknowledged with a wink that “it does get pretty dark out on Deen Still Road in the middle of the night.”
6/15 June 18 – July 1, 2014 // THE TULSA VOICE
rock and roll crossword As We’re Puzzlin’ By byby Todd Santos Can’t You Smell ThatOn Puzzle Todd Santos
Across Across 1 song about 1 Lana Front Del yardRey stages? 6 garbage? Pavement song about floating? 6 English singer/songwriter Orton 10 Way to play a bass 10 Seger“The System album 14 Bob Loverboy Kid ___ Tonight” ark? 15 about Warrant “___ Red” 14 metalcores ___ thethe Day 16 Christian Primus might tell one “From 15 Practice space Punchbowl” 16 Jackson “Another Part ___” 17 Michael Black Crowes classic “___ Angels” 17 19 Squeezeboxes Where 2Pac wanted “To Live & Die”? 19 Skatalite Jackie 20 Former Might get a spray-on one for shoot 20 Hot Racing” Chili Peppers song that 21 Red “Human Kershaw runs down your cheek? 22 Member of tribute band, perhaps 21 24 Doorman “I Bet You connections Look Good on the 22 Keith Sweatband “___ Out” Dancefloor” 23 Saves, ___” 28 St. ProVincent vote, for“Jesus new member 25 Palmer 29 The Catchy partsSquares of songs“Blind ___” 27 White 30 “Creatures” Led Zeppelin___ ’82 in album 31 CD “___ With Your Best Shot” 33 Lifted Pat Benatar 35 spend all your money 34 Desire “Takin’ to Care of Business” band, on tix briefly 36 Band “’Cause a ___!” 37 Rollins Barenaked Ladies “___I’m Pirate Ship” 38 Caketobuys in “Italian Leather” 40 What “All I Have Do ___” 39 does at some winter fests 42 What “OnceitBitten, Twice ___” 40 43 Post-rehab The Damneddrink “___ This Earth” 41 Sheeran 45 Ed Kanye “I Am“The ___” A ___” 42 (The ___ Colada Song)” 46 “Escape Chorus line 43 the Left Banke told to “Walk 47 Who Alex Lora band El ___ 49 Away” Archers of Loaf “White Trash Heroes” 44 Oasis opener“___ the eye of your mind” 47 Be Giants 54 They RobynMight “Criminal ___” lead single off 55 “Lincoln” Pretenders “___ Stand by You” 48 a happy pop song 56 Like Maiocco of Vixen 53 “Why Redding Does My Heart Feel ___?” 59 Moby “Mr. Pitiful” 55 “What Kind Man 60 Chicago ’95 Van Morrison songoffor an atheist? ___?”album about all’s 64 Would Meshuggah 57 “Shooting opposite? Rubberbands at the singer 65 Stars” Grateful DeadBrickell “Yes I get the gist ___, 58 Robbie Williams but it’s all right” band Take ___ 59 Dog Night “__ Not 66 Three Michael Bolton “How ___ to BeCome” Lovers” 62 Lovato Love” “Believe ___” 67 Demi ’60s “Puppy Paul 63 the Beatles were in”? 68 Where Alt-country band The ___“Back Brothers 64 “Resident ___” 69 Spacehog Exhausted debut from show 65 Elton sang goodbye to a “Yellow Down one “Your kiss is on my ___” 1 Brick” Hall & Oates 66 He’s “The Wanderer” 2 NIN Cornershop hadThat a “Brimful 67 “The Hand ___” of” it 3 “___ Child is Born” Down 4 Gotye Black Kids “I’m ______ Gonna 1 “Somebody UsedTeach to Know” Your Boyfriend To was Dance With 2 Where 1-AcrossHow singer “Off to”? You” org. 3 Rights 5 The Guitar playing 4 Why ___ pose 6 Rod Who Stewart Steely Dan gaveAbout a “Number” 5 “Crazy ___” to? 7 Rainbow Beck “Jack-___” 6 bassist Jimmy 8 Spill Sum Canvas 41’s “Lip” after a fight? 7 “Himerus and ___” 8 many “Summoner’s Tales”tribute 9 How ’91 Elton John & Bernie Taupin 10 Sting What told Love does, to J. Geils 9 Dresden Dollsproducer “The Time ___ Come” 11 Def Leppard “Mutt” 10 “I “Up wantYour a girl___” who laughs | 12 Weezer Joan Jett ___”Yoakam “3 ___” 13 for Dwight 6/8 6/15
11 18 12 23 13 25 26 18 22 27 30 24 31 25 32
26 33 28 34 29 30 35 31 36 32 33 38 34 39 37 39 41 44 43 46 45 47 46 48 49 50 51 52 53 53 57 54 55 58 56 59 61 60 61 62 63
Saxon “Crime ___” “Dancing on the Edge” Ford Kid Rock song for the Lord? Tattooed What w/hands during Gustercouple singerdid Miller ballad ’70s “A Letter to Myself” soul band British “Life for Rent” singer ___-Lites Bon Jovi “___ Sleep When I’m Recurring theme Dead” Company Sony acquired in ’87 U.K. mag Facesmusic “___ La La” “Happy Songs Happy People” Peter Tosh “Youfor Don’t Miss Your band Water (Till Your Well Runs ___)” Aerosmith “Big ___” “You Can Leave Your ___” Type fork for a musician Whatof The Temptations “Ain’t Too Maiden and Proud” to doButterfly? “Smooth Operator” Rapper Camu ___ singer Husker Du label ’80s “Sugar Tax” synth-band, for They short tap, at times Blind Boys ___ “Another ___ the Dark” Wallflowers Like most backstage passes Hot Hot Heat “Make Up the BreakCorinne Bailey ___ down” single What Dead or Alive willcops do to a Surprise attack by the record? Pioneers of ambient house, with “the” Label exec ___ and Cake Indie rockers Omarion ___” “Kiss G. Love &“Bachelor Special Sauce “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and ___” is ’71one Pink Floyd comp “Tigermilk” __ & Sebastian “Shadowboxer” Apple “Every Which ButUnder” Loose” “Thunder fromWay Down Rabbitt drummer Fig What for song? stardom Smellyartist Arabdid, Strap ’00 Marilyn Jonny LangManson “___ Me”song “Disposable ___”down it, during show Might get a chill Hadise “___“Show Me Up”me flesh and Shinedown “Here Goesnow Again” Go album bone, It ‘cause ___OK you” Cream “___ Glad” James “Can’t catch love with ___ or Tom Waits “Don’t Go Into That ___” a gun” What dirtLagoon turned into at festival Creeper “Chance ___ Bob Dylan “Good ___ Been to You” Lifetime” Member that quit before band’s “True to You” Ocasek success Gary Puckett & the Union ___
PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER
free will astrology by ROB BREZSNY
GEMINI (May 21 - June 20):
“Nikhedonia” is an obscure English word that refers to the pleasure that comes from anticipating success or good fortune. There’s nothing wrong with indulging in this emotion as long as it doesn’t interfere with you actually doing the work that will lead to success or good fortune. But the problem is, nikhedonia makes some people lazy. Having experienced the thrill of imagining their victory, they find it hard to buckle down and slog through the gritty details necessary to manifest their victory. Don’t be like that. Enjoy your nikhedonia, then go and complete the accomplishment that will bring a second, even stronger wave of gratification. CANCER (June 21-July 22) Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts has a collection of Japanese art that is never on display. It consists of 6,600 wood-block prints created by artists of the ukiyo-e school, also known as “pictures of the floating world.” Some are over 300 years old. They are tucked away in drawers and hidden from the light, ensuring that their vibrant colors won’t fade. So they are well-preserved but rarely seen by anyone. Is there anything about you that resembles these pictures of the floating world, Cancerian? Do you keep parts of you secret, protecting them from what might happen if you show them to the world? It may be time to revise that policy. (Thanks to Molly Oldfield’s The Secret Museum for the info referred to here.) LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) In the next two weeks, I hope you don’t fall prey to the craze that has been sweeping Japan. Over 40,000 people have bought books that feature the photos of hamuketsu, or hamster bottoms. Even if you do manage to avoid being consumed by that particular madness, I’m afraid you might get caught up in trifles and distractions that are equally irrelevant to your longterm dreams. Here’s what I suggest: To counteract any tendency you might have to neglect what’s truly important, vow to focus intensely on what’s truly important. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Writing at FastCompany.com, Himanshu Saxena suggests that businesses create a new position: Chief Paradox Officer, or CPXO. This person would be responsible for making good use of the conflicts and contradictions that normally arise, treating them as opportunities for growth rather than as distractions. From my astrological perspective, you Virgos are currently prime candidates to serve in this capacity. You will continue to have special powers to do this type of work for months to come.
6/1 6/8
© 2014 Universal Uclick www.upuzzles.com
As We’re Puzzlin’ By Can’t You Smell ThatOnPuzzle
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) In accordance with the astrological omens, you are hereby granted a brief, one-time-only license to commit the Seven Deadly Sins. You heard me correctly, Libra. As long as you don’t go to extremes, feel free to express healthy amounts of pride, greed, laziness, gluttony, anger, envy, and lust. At least for now, there will be relatively little hell to pay for these indulgences. Just one caveat: If I were you, I wouldn’t invest a lot of energy in anger and envy. Technically, they are permitted, but they aren’t really much fun. On the other hand, greed, gluttony, and lust could be quite pleasurable, especially if you don’t take yourself too seriously. Pride and laziness may also be enjoyable in moderate, artful amounts. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Scorpio novelist Kurt Vonnegut rebelled against literary traditions. His stories were often hybrids of science fiction and autobiography. Free-form philosophizing blended with satirical moral commentary. He could be cynical yet playful, and he told a lot of jokes. “I want to stand as close to the edge as I can without going over,” he testified. “Out on the edge you see all the kinds of things you can’t see from the center.” He’s your role model for the next four weeks, Scorpio. Your challenge will be to wander as far as you can into the frontier without getting hopelessly lost. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) “Make a name for the dark parts of you,” writes Lisa Marie Basile in her poem “Paz.” I think that’s good advice for you, Sagittarius. The imminent future will be an excellent time to fully acknowledge the shadowy aspects of your nature. More than that, it will be a perfect moment to converse with them, get to know them better, and identi-
fy their redeeming features. I suspect you will find that just because they are dark doesn’t mean they are bad or shameful. If you approach them with love and tenderness, they may even reveal their secret genius. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Pet mice that are kept in cages need to move more than their enclosed space allows, so their owners often provide them with exercise wheels. If the rodents want to exert their natural instinct to run around, they’ve got to do it on this device. But here’s a curious twist: a team of Dutch researchers has discovered that wild mice also enjoy using exercise wheels. The creatures have all the room to roam they need, but when they come upon the wheels in the middle of the forest, they hop on and go for prolonged spins. I suggest you avoid behavior like that, Capricorn. Sometime soon you will find yourself rambling through more spacious places. When that happens, don’t act like you do when your freedom is more limited. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) It’s transition time. We will soon see how skilled you are at following through. The innovations you have launched in recent weeks need to be fleshed out. The creativity you unleashed must get the full backing of your practical action. You will be asked to make good on the promises you made or even implied. I want to urge you not to get your feelings hurt if some pruning and editing are required. In fact, I suggest you relish the opportunity to translate fuzzy ideals into tidy structures. Practicing the art of ingenious limitation will make everything better. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) It’s always important for you to shield yourself against our culture’s superficial and sexist ideas about sex. It’s always important for you to cultivate your own unique and soulful understandings about sex. But right now this is even more crucial than usual. You are headed into a phase when you will have the potential to clarify and deepen your relationship with eros. In ways you have not previously imagined, you can learn to harness your libido to serve both your spiritual aspirations and your quest for greater intimacy. ARIES (March 21-April 19) If you were alive 150 years ago and needed to get a tooth extracted, you might have called on a barber or blacksmith or wigmaker to do the job. (Dentistry didn’t become a formal occupation until the latter part of the 19th century.) Today you wouldn’t dream of seeking anyone but a specialist to attend to the health of your mouth. But I’m wondering if you are being less particular about certain other matters concerning your welfare. Have you been seeking financial advice from your massage therapist? Spiritual counsel from your car repair person? Nutritional guidance from a fast-food addict? I suggest you avoid such behavior. It’s time to ask for specific help from those who can actually provide it. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) “My music is best understood by children and animals,” said composer Igor Stravinsky. A similar statement could be made about you Tauruses in the coming weeks: You will be best understood by children and animals -- and by all others who have a capacity for dynamic innocence and a buoyant curiosity rooted in emotional intelligence. In fact, those are the types I advise you to surround yourself with. For now, it’s best to avoid sophisticates who overthink everything and know-it-all cynics whose default mode is criticism. Take control of what influences you absorb. You need to be in the presence of those who help activate your vitality and enthusiasm.
Compose an excit ing praye r in which you ask for some thing you’re not “supposed” to. this week’s homework // TESTIFY AT FREEWILLASTROLOGY.COM THE TULSA VOICE // June 18 – July 1, 2014
ETC. // 47
“A Night in New Orleans” with
Aaron Neville & Dr. John in Featur
g
pions m A h c XFL d ine an ed c l us e T T ro Jarre
7 2 e n u J 7pm
Ti
5, s $3 ckeT
St arri
$45,
$60
AUG 22
ng:
7pm
” My Party t” ore “It’s s Tonigh p e Lesley G le S n io L e ” h T a “ ns ades P rk el’s Toke on “Palis n n a Jay Sieg C ” om Boom Bo grays Freddy “ The Stin Bowzer & rs The Rolle Rocky &
Julypm18 7
T
Ts icke
$30,
$40,
TickeTs on sale june 23 ALL AGES WELCOME!
$50 ude incl rs” hits n Dolla
& e” Millio m a e d h a T “If I H ng Theory a “Big B
AU7pGm 8 Tic
$45, keTs
$55,
$65
order tickets online
riverspirittulsa.com
81 s t & R i v e R s i d e · R i v e R s p i R i t t u l s a .c o m