The Tulsa Voice | Vol. 4 No. 20

VICTIMS’ RIGHTS LEGISLATION | P12 TULSA SANDLOT SOCIETY | P32 Q&A WITH COMEDIAN T.J. MILLER | P44

O C T . 4 – 1 7 , 2 0 1 7 // V O L . 4 N O . 2 0

TULSA AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL Japanese bluegrass and country rock in ‘Far Western’

‘Oil Capital Underground’ shows Tulsa’s punk heritage

P20

Director of ‘Okie Noodling’ has a new documentary

paradise never sounded So Good.

Tickets On Sale Now

Steely Dan Thur, oct 12 TJ Miller sat, oct 14 chase rice fri, oct 27 Steve martin & martin short sat, oct 28

paul anka fri, nov 3 dennis miller sat, nov 4 kenny loggins & michael mcdonald thur, nov 9 swon brothers sat, nov 11 alabama fri, nov 17 frank caliendo fri, dec 1

Live music 7 nights a week, starting at 5pm

81ST & RIVERSIDE 888-748-3731 RIVERSPIRITTULSA.COM

2 // CONTENTS

October 4 – 17, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

ENJOY SOME OF THE BEST DINING TULSA HAS TO OFFER

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

THE TULSA VOICE // October 4 – 17, 2017

CONTENTS // 3

12 TH ANNUAL

CHEROKEE ART MARKET OCTOBER 1 4 & 1 5

Bryan Waytula - “Girl of the Water” (drawing) Best of Class

Sequoyah Convention Center at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa CherokeeArtMarket.com

|

(877) 779-6977

© 2017 Cherokee Nation Businesses. All Rights Reserved.

4 // CONTENTS

October 4 – 17, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

CLOSE UP | P20

BY JOE O’SHANSKY, BRADY WHISENHUNT, AND TTV STAFF

October 4 – 17, 2017 // Vol. 4, No. 20 ©2017. All rights reserved.

YOUR GUIDE TO THE 2017 TULSA AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL

PUBLISHER Jim Langdon EDITOR Liz Blood DIGITAL EDITOR John Langdon

UNCONVENTIONAL FOLK | P26

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

BY BRADY WHISENHUNT

‘FAR WESTERN’ DOCUMENTS A LITTLE KNOWN CHAPTER IN POPULAR CULTURE

AD SALES MANAGER Josh Kampf EDITORIAL INTERN Trent Gibbons

TULSA PUNK CHRONICLES | P27

CONTRIBUTORS David Beebe, Marissa Burger, Jeremy Charles, Alicia Chesser, Andrew Deacon, Western Doughty, Barry Friedman, Ryan Gentzler, Mary Noble, Joe O’Shansky, Lauren Parkinson, Dan Riffe, Kris Rose, Andrew Saliga, Damion Shade, John Tranchina, Brady Whisenhunt, Michael Wright The Tulsa Voice’s distribution is audited annually by

BY KRIS ROSE

‘OIL CAPITAL UNDERGROUND’ SHARES SUBCULTURE HISTORY

FOOTBALL AS FAMILY | P27

Member of

BY JOHN TRANCHINA

DOCUMENTING THE 2015 WAGONER HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SEASON The Tulsa Voice is published bi-monthly by

“Olancho,” showing at TAFF | COURTESY

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

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

BUD ON THE BALLOT

BY RYAN GENTZLER

14 MICRO-MART, BIG AMBITIONS

B Y TRENT GIBBONS

30 BLOCK BY BLOCK

B Y ALICIA CHESSER

How SQ 788 compares to other states’ medical marijuana laws

16 NEXT-LEVEL NOSTALGIA

B Y ANDREW SALIGA

Corbin Brewster, the ‘sins’ of the father, and Tulsa County politics

Marsy’s Law for Oklahoma has bipartisan support

MUSIC

Zach Short reflects on hometown life in Breathe before looking to new horizons

Japanese bluegrass and country rock in ‘Far Western’

‘Oil Capital Underground’ shows Tulsa’s punk heritage

P20

Director of ‘Okie Noodling’ has a new documentary

ON THE COVER The TAFF team: Executive Director Ben Arredondo, Director of Programming Colleen Thurston, and Production Director Adam O’Connor.

PHOTO BY JEREMY CHARLES Projector, reel, and film courtesy of Circle Cinema THE TULSA VOICE // October 4 – 17, 2017

Chris Combs’s debut album is heady mix

40 AGAINST THE BULLYBOYS

B Y DAN RIFFE

The broad appeal of The Max Retropub

TV & FILM

12 A VICTIM’S RIGHTS

B Y MARY NOBLE

39 CAPTURING REFRACTIONS

B Y DAMION SHADE

TULSA AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL

The Goods Bodega is an oasis in a Tulsa food desert

10 THE SON ALSO RISES

B Y BARRY FRIEDMAN

38 SHORT ON TIME

B Y DAMION SHADE

O C T . 4 – 1 7 , 2 0 1 7 // V O L . 4 N O . 2 0

ARTS & CULTURE

8

FOLLOW US @THETULSAVOICE ON:

VICTIMS’ RIGHTS LEGISLATION | P12 TULSA SANDLOT SOCIETY | P32 Q&A WITH COMEDIAN T.J. MILLER | P44

FOOD & DRINK

44 DERRICKS BEWARE

B Y ANDREW DEACON Comedian T.J. Miller wants to talk to you

46 NOT ALL HEROES WEAR CAPES

B Y TRENT GIBBONS

Tulsa’s newest convention looks to give back

The Studios @ The Refinery joins art, life, and play

31 SWEETS FROM THE AZTECS

B Y MICHAEL WRIGHT

‘ Time for Chocolate’ debuts at Nightingale Theater

32 SANDLOT SUNDAYS

B Y LAUREN PARKINSON

Baseball club brings Texas vision to Tulsa

33 CAUGHT LOOKING

B Y DAVID BEEBE

A poem

34 CONTACT SHEET

B Y WESTERN DOUGHTY

The Tulsa State Fair in photos

ETC. 36 THEHAPS 43 MUSICLISTINGS 46 FULLCIRCLE 47 THEFUZZ + CROSSWORD

An interview with MDC founder Dave Dictor

42 SPONTANEITY AND STRUCTURE

B Y JOHN LANGDON Dean Demerritt Jazz Tribe improvises in TTV’s courtyard CONTENTS // 5

editor’sletter

Oh, my my, oh, hell yes Honey, put on that party dress

I’ve loved Tom Petty since I was fourteen.

As a somewhat confused high school freshman, I went to work for a Missouri Republican state senator’s campaign for a week or so.

I travelled around midMissouri in minivans with homeschooled kids and their moms. One day, I sat up front and asked if I could play a CD a friend had burned me.

Buy me a drink, sing me a song Take me as I come ‘cause I can’t stay long “That’s heathen music,” said the young boy in the backseat.

I changed the song, but knew whatever Petty was singing about, I wanted to be it. I didn’t feel quite right for the rest of the trip.

Tom Petty’s lyrics, the way his music immediately gets into and moves me—I can’t listen to it sitting still, or not singing along—he represents something I’ve tried all my life to grasp: Life is what you make of it. It’s also short.

Those lessons are made more apparent this week not only by his death at 66 young years of age, but also by the too-often reminder that death is around us, and those who would do what they can to cause it aren’t far removed.

Like many of you, I woke up on Monday, October 2, and did one of those regular, first-inthe-morning things—I looked at the news on my phone. The shooting in Las Vegas was already being called “the worst …” in U.S. history.

How many times are we going to read that? Or print it?

I’m tired of screwin’ up, tired of going down Tired of myself, tired of this town Rest in peace, Tom. And rest in peace, all of those whose lives were cut short by a madman. May we do better as a society to protect people out pursuing life.

It was too cold to cry when I woke up alone I hit my last number and walked to the road a

LIZ BLOOD EDITOR 6 // NEWS & COMMENTARY

October 4 – 17, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

$100 for you. $1million

for our schools.

Each time you use your School Pride debit card, TTCU donates to our schools!

Life is better in balance.

918-749-8828 | www.ttcu.com | Federally insured by NCUA $25 minimum deposit to open | Annual Percentage Yield for dividend-bearing accounts is .20% as of 7/1/17 | Rate is variable and subject to change after account opening | Fees could reduce earnings on the account | Offer valid 8/1/17 through 10/31/17 | Cash bonus will be automatically deposited into the new account within 60 business days following second qualified direct deposit posting or qualified 20 debit card transactions. Qualified direct deposits and debit card transactions must occur by 12/31/17 | Accounts closed within six (6) calendar months of the account opening are subject to charges equal to the value of the cash bonus | A 1099-INT or applicable tax form for the value of the bonus will be issued | With approved credit | Bonus requirements must be met within 60 business days of account opening | Some restrictions apply

ttcu_tvoice_4.375x6_checking_17_vf.indd 3

www.TraversMahanApparel.com South Lewis at 81st • The Plaza • 918-296-4100

7/27/17 4:10 PM

MUSEUM CONFIDENTIAL UNSEEN. UNHEARD. UNTIL NOW.

ON VIEW

OCT. 14 – MAY 7 THE TULSA VOICE // October 4 – 17, 2017

NEWS & COMMENTARY // 7

okpolicy

N

ext year, Oklahomans will vote on State Question 788, a ballot initiative to legalize medical marijuana. As of 2017, 29 states have approved measures legalizing the drug for medical purposes. We often think of legalization in binary terms—either medical marijuana is legal, or it isn’t—but in practice, the systems put in place by those 29 states to regulate the drug vary greatly. Each state has many choices to make about how patients can be prescribed marijuana, how much they can have, and where they can get it.

The language of SQ 788 is specific on many of these details.

It would put in place laws that decide how a person applies for and receives a license to use medical marijuana; the quantities that a license holder can possess; the qualifications and licensing process for retailers, growers, processors, and transporters; and the tax rate and distribution of revenue from sales.

When compared to other systems, SQ 788 would put in place a system that is on the permissive side, but well within the current spectrum of laws.

Under SQ 788, Oklahoma residents would be able to apply to the Department of Health for a medical marijuana user license.

Applications would have to be approved by a doctor “according to the accepted standards a reasonable and prudent physician would follow when recommending or approving any medication.”

SQ 788 would not require a diagnosis of a specific condition to prescribe medical marijuana.

Among the states that permit medical marijuana already, only California does not specify conditions that qualify a person for access to the drug. The rest limit access to people with conditions like cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, and severe and chronic pain.

Applicants in those states need to have their diagnosis certified by a doctor to get a license.

8 // NEWS & COMMENTARY

Bud on the ballot HOW SQ 788 COMPARES TO OTHER STATES’ MEDICAL MARIJUANA LAWS

by RYAN GENTZLER

All states that allow medical marijuana limit how much a person can possess at one time and in what form. The quantities allowed by state regulations range from 1 to 24 ounces. In addition, many states allow license holders to grow marijuana at home, limiting the number of plants from as few as six in Colorado, Alaska, and Maine to as many as 24 in Oregon.

SQ 788 would allow license holders to possess up to eight ounces of marijuana, six mature marijuana plants, and six seedling plants, as well as one ounce

of concentrated marijuana and 72 ounces of edible marijuana.

These amount to the higher end of the range but are still considerably less than what’s allowed in places like Washington state.

Although some states initially allowed only home-grown marijuana, most now allow retail dispensaries to sell the drug to license holders. In some states, the number of licenses for such businesses is strictly limited—Maine and Minnesota, for example, each allow only eight dispensaries throughout their entire state, New

Hampshire only four. Other states, like California, leave most regulations to local governments. Some states prohibit dispensaries from operating within a certain distance from a school.

Although SQ 788 restricts dispensaries from opening within 1,000 feet of any school entrance, it also prohibits local governments from changing zoning laws “to prevent the opening of a retail marijuana establishment” and places no limit on how many establishments can operate.

SQ 788’s permissive nature shouldn’t be surprising given that the proposal was drafted by activists. Since it was approved as a statutory rather than constitutional measure, the Legislature would be able to amend the law with a simple majority vote. Lawmakers will hold an interim study in October to clarify details of the proposal and hear from states already permitting medical marijuana.

While many Oklahoma legislators are likely skeptical of the idea of marijuana as medicine, they’re right to prepare for the possibility of SQ 788 passing. In a 2013 poll, over 70 percent of Oklahomans supported “allowing seriously ill patients to possess marijuana for medical purposes with a physician’s recommendation.” Recent national polls show 88 percent of all Americans favor medical marijuana and 60 percent favor legalizing recreational marijuana, a trend of support that has been increasing over time.

States have experimented with loosening marijuana laws for over two decades, and the pace of liberalization has quickened in recent years. We’ll know next year whether Oklahomans are ready to try it for themselves. a

Ryan Gentzler is a policy analyst with Oklahoma Policy Institute (www.okpolicy.org).

October 4 – 17, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

DON'T MISS

________________________________________

Featuring

November 2, 2017

Wine Pull Silent Auction Live Auction Entertainment

6 p.m.

Cain's Ballroom

to purchase tables or tickets visit www.uncorkingthecureformsok.org ________________________________________ SPECIAL THANKS Patricia and Newton Box WPX Energy Biogen Pharmaceuticals Gail and Rick Muncrief

Downtown Tulsa's newest address for luxury apartments lies on the southeast corner of 2nd and Greenwood. Live in the vibrant East Village and be within walking distance of the historic Brady Arts District and Blue Dome District.

The Edge at East Village features 1 & 2 bedroom apartments with lots of amenities and features!

211 S. Greenwood ◆ 918-933-5151 theedge-tulsa.com

New Beer Room Coming Soon!

• fine wine • • craft beer • • unique liquor • 401 E. 11th St. • 918-295-0295 /ModernSpiritsTulsa THE TULSA VOICE // October 4 – 17, 2017

NEWS & COMMENTARY // 9

viewsfrom theplains

T

ulsa attorney Corbin Brewster will be Tulsa County’s next chief public defender, replacing Rob Nigh.1

That name … Corbin Brewster? Isn’t his father Clark Brewster, the guy who has represented Tulsa County, the Tulsa County Sheriff ’s Office, and then-Sheriff Stanley Glanz? Doesn’t Corbin work for his father at Brewster & DeAngelis, the firm that represented TCSO and Glanz in the death of Elliot Williams, a man who died of a broken neck and dehydration on the floor of the Tulsa County Jail?2 Didn’t Corbin, along with his father, also represent Tulsa Sheriff Deputy Robert Bates in a second-degree manslaughter case in the shooting death of Eric Harris?

Didn’t they also file suit that Bates was getting inhumane treatment in the Tulsa County Jail, while also defending the Tulsa County Jail against those who alleged it was treating prisoners inhumanely? Didn’t Corbin’s mother and sister also contribute to racking up hundreds of thousands of dollars as Tulsa County appraisers, jobs that were parceled out by—wait for it—Sheriff Stanley Glanz?3 (Even Glanz admitted this was a bit gamey, saying at one point, “I’m sure there’s maybe a perception problem, but I don’t consider it one.”4) That Corbin Brewster is the new Chief Tulsa County Public Defender?

Yep. What happened? Was Terry Simonson unavailable?

Nobody seems to know. The judges who chose Brewster last month might as well have sent up a puff of white smoke from the courthouse chimney, for all anyone knew of the process.5 Many attorneys were critical of the secrecy surrounding the appointment, saying that unlike in years past, the job was never opened for applications.

Instead, the belief is that a “headhunting” committee of local attorneys—some with deep ties to the Brew10 // NEWS & COMMENTARY

Corbin Brewster | DYLAN GOFORTH / THE FRONTIER

THE SON ALSO RISES Corbin Brewster, the ‘sins’ of the father, and Tulsa County politics

by BARRY FRIEDMAN sters—identified Corbin Brewster as a leading candidate.

The specifics surrounding the appointment process are vague and will likel y remain so. Judges, who are tasked with selecting the chief public defender, are exempt from much of the Oklahoma Open Records Act. A request for emails, memos, and signin sheets for the monthl y judges meetings was denied by Court Administrator Vickie Cox.6

Tulsa County’s system of having judges select public defenders is actually not all that unusual—refusing to release documents seems below and beyond the call of duty, though—but there are places— Florida, Tennessee, California, and Nebraska, —where PDs are actually elected.7 There’s good reason to do so. “ You’re very rarel y going to see a public defender system bring a l awsuit,” [David] Carroll says.

“Unless that system has independence, they’re al-

ways going to be afraid to sort of stick their head above the bunker. You see Miami-Dade bring it, for instance, because the public defender is publicl y elected and onl y beholden to the electorate.”

We elect district attorneys. Why not elect public defenders?

But back to our show.

The optics of naming Brewster the Younger to this position stink.

“Here’s why it looks bad,” said former Tulsa Public Defender Jill Webb, when I called her.

“Generally,” she said, “defense attorneys want a case to be dismissed, prosecutors want a conviction, and judges just want the case off of their dockets. Because the court system is so overused and understaffed, it depends on plea bargains to function. If only half of the people assigned a public defender took their cases to trial, the system as a whole would cease to function. So, you have an inherent conflict just by having the Chief PD chosen by the judges.”

When I went to see Dan Smolen of Smolen, Smolen & Roytman, he was, shall we say, less diplomatic than Webb.

“They don’t care about optics,” he said.

The bad blood between Dan Smolen and Clark Brewster has been curdling for years,8 culminating in the Eliot Williams trial, where they opposed each other.

So, it’s a good idea to have a hall monitor and a firehose when these two are in the same room. That said, Smolen has a point.

“I have nothing against Corbin Brewster personally,” he told me.

“However, as a citizen, I have real concerns with him taking on the public defender role. We have brought numerous cases involving serious mistreatment of indigent inmates at the jail. The Brewster Law Firm, including Corbin, has vigorously defended these lawsuits. Now, as the public defender, Corbin will be representing hundreds of indigent inmates housed at Tulsa County Jail. What happens the next time one of these inmates is assaulted in the jail?

What happens the next time one of these inmates is denied necessary medical treatment at the jail?

Will the inmates feel comfortable coming forward with that information, knowing that the leader of the public defender’s office has spent years defending the sheriff against alleged Constitutional violations at the Tulsa County Jail?

If Corbin receives notice from one of his indigent clients, of alleged Constitutional violations or criminal misconduct in the jail, will he not have divided loyalties?

After all, his father’s law firm still represents the Tulsa County Sheriff ’s Office in cases that stem from such allegations. I think this is problematic.”

Wes Johnson, a Tulsa trial lawyer since 1977 and member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the American Civil Liberties Union, can’t throw enough shade on the above.

“A lawyer,” he told me, “can work at different times for opposing legal institutions. In fact there are lawyers currently on the PD’s October 4 – 17, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

staff who have been prosecutors.

Remember, the PD’s office does not represent jail inmates—their criminal clients—who might have some complaint. Those types of litigation have to be processed by a civil practitioner, not a public defender. They only do criminal representation, nothing civil, so no conflict.”

If you asked ten Tulsa County public defenders/lawyers in town to name their top five picks for the public defender’s office, would Brewster have made anyone’s list?

“No way,” Webb said. “Especially not before he was nominated. He doesn’t have enough trial experience to have credibility with attorneys. But that doesn’t mean he can’t be an excellent leader.”

Politically, Brewster was better positioned than the other two candidates, public defenders Stuart Southerland and Marny Hill, to get the gig. Capable or not, experienced or not, it’s pretty obvious Corbin Brewster doesn’t get the job if his last name isn’t Brewster.

Johnson, for one, preferred Southerland “due to his long tenure as a public defender with the office, the relationships he has established within the legal community, and his recognized legal acumen.”

As for the Brewster & DeAngelis law firm, nobody has ever confused it with (or is asking it to be) the Southern Poverty Law Center. Still, it is a go-to legal firm for Tulsa’s powerful and well-connected, often representing law enforcement officials against citizens who accuse them of corruption and the jail against citizens who accuse it of abuse. Is this really the garden from which we should keep picking our chief public defenders?

And then there’s the matter of the former chief Rob Nigh’s endorsement of Brewster. “ They reall y couldn’t have gotten someone better,” Nigh said. “He’s good.

You couldn’t have gotten a better appointment.” 9

Nigh, too, had worked for Brewster & DeAngelis, alongside Corbin, alongside Clark, both before and after his stint in the PD’s office.

Everywhere this goes, there’s a whiff of nepotism, cronyism, mendacity, and secrecy. And while, THE TULSA VOICE // October 4 – 17, 2017

yes, Nigh did come from the same office as Corbin Brewster, Nigh did not defend Bates, did not represent Glanz, did not represent the jail, and didn’t have a wife and daughter who rummaged through the assessor’s office as if it was the family attic.

Here’s Clark Brewster during the aforementioned Williams case: “ You’ve got—and I’m not trying to in any way denigrate the popul ation in any way, but you have drug-addicted people, you’ve got psychop aths, you’ve got sociop aths, you’ve got real security concerns, you have people that have just chronic illnesses.” 10

And now all those drug-addicted psychopathic sociopaths with chronic illnesses he’s not denigrating have a new lawyer—his son.

But maybe it’s just the optics.

It’s not.

COME JOIN US FOR A FREE SEMINAR ABOUT JOINT AND MUSCLE PAIN

Understand different treatment options from

Yogesh Mittal, MD board certified orthopaedic surgeon • Causes

of Pain in Your Joints and Muscles

• Non-Surgical

and Surgical Treatment Options

Tuesday, October 10th | 7pm Renaissance Tulsa Hotel & Convention Center

Come join us and register today at: marketing@toctulsa.com or (918) 925-3251 Light Food And Refreshments Will Be Served Individual results vary. Not all patients will have the same post-procedure recovery and activity level. See your physician to discuss your potential benefits and risks.

A few Fridays back, I spoke to Webb and asked if Nigh—her dear friend—would be willing to talk to me about his comments supporting Brewster.

“Call him,” she said, and gave me the number.

I hesitated.

“I don’t know him. You do.

He’s been sick. I do and don’t want to bother him with this, so see what he thinks first.”

She said that was the better plan. “I’ll let you know when I hear from him.”

He died two days later. a

1)

2)

3)

4)

5)

6)

7) 8) 9)

10)

TulsaWorld.com: Corbin Brewster to be named chief public defender for Tulsa County Tulsaworld.com: Jury awards $10.25 million to Elliott Williams’ estate after his death in Tulsa Jail tulsaworld.com: Stanley Glanz’s ‘political patronage’ appraisers still in use

by Vic Regalado a year after becoming sheriff newsok.com: Millions paid to Stanley Glanz supporters he appointed as appraisers readfrontier.org: Following appointment of Corbin Brewster, shock, frustration, and a wait-and-see approach scholarship.law.missouri.edu: Public Defender Elections and Popular Control over Criminal Justice aba journal.com: When public defenders become plaintiffs kjrh.com: Defense attorney lashes out after Robert Bates denied bond readfrontier.org: Following appointment of Corbin Brewster, shock, frustration, and a wait-and-see approach read frontier.org: Jury awards Williams family $10 million in jail death case

Addiction Are you addicted to heroin or prescription opiates?

Are you unable to stop using?

Are you in chronic pain and the painkillers no longer work?

There are FDA-approved treatments for these problems that you must know about. We have been helping people with these problems for over 10 years. Our success rate is over 90%.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT US AT PETERALANRAOMD.COM OR CALL (918) 747-4900.

Peter Alan Rao, M.D., P.L.L.C Specializing in the Treatment of Addictions and Mood Disorders

NEWS & COMMENTARY // 11

community

A victim’s rights MARSY’S LAW FOR OKLAHOMA HAS BIPARTISAN SUPPORT

by MARY NOBLE

Leo Schmitz, who was injured in the October 24, 2015 OSU Homecoming parade crash, suffered two broken legs and ultimately lost one. | GREG BOLLINGER

O

n November 7, Oklahomans will have the opportunity to vote on State Question 794, also known as Marsy’s Law for Oklahoma. The law aims to amend Section 34 of Article II of the Oklahoma Constitution by increasing the rights of victims of crime to match the rights afforded to the accused.

“Until crime victims have an equal ruling on an equal level, we will never truly receive equal treatment under the law,” said Kim Moyer, state director for Marsy’s Law. Marsy’s Law was inspired by the 1983 murder of college student Marsalee (Marsy) Nicholas.

Just a week after Marsy’s murder, her brother and mother were confronted by the alleged killer at a grocery store. They had no idea he had been released on bail that day. Oftentimes victims and families of victims are left in the dark on investigations, court proceedings, and parole hearings of the accused. Marsy’s Law would change that.

Marsy’s brother, Henry Nicholas, founded the campaign for Marsy’s Law to amend California’s state constitution to grant rights to all victims of crime. The law was passed in 2008 and has since

12 // NEWS & COMMENTARY

been passed in four other states.

After a 2016 evaluation to assess what rights exist in Oklahoma’s constitution and if they could be improved to meet a higher standard, the campaign to pass Marsy’s Law for Oklahoma began.

Since January of 2017, Moyer and her team have traveled Oklahoma, spreading awareness for the state question and educating the public on Marsy’s Law. The bipartisan proposal has received a wide range of support from Oklahoma politicians, county commissioners, district attorneys, victim’s service providers, sheriffs, and more.

Included among the supporters are Tulsa County Commissioner Ron Peters, Tulsa County Sheriff Vic Regalado, and Tulsa County Commissioner Karen Keith.

Oklahoma crime victims have played a key role in advocating for the implementation of Marsy’s Law. In an interview with News on 6, Vicky Jabara—the sister of Khalid Jabara, who was killed in an alleged hate crime in Tulsa in 2016—said, “I think the great thing is this law is a bipartisan law, so everyone can get on board, and I like that about it … It brings communities and victims together.”

Leo and Sharon Schmitz are two other victim advocates. Leo

was one of the many victims of the OSU parade crash in 2015 that killed four people and injured 46.

Leo suffered the main blow from the police motorcycle that flew through the air.

“I ended up losing my left leg, my right leg was snapped in half at the femur, I had head trauma, and all kinds of things,” Leo said.

The crash left Leo in a coma for months, waking up to a mountain of hospital bills and complex court proceedings to face with little assistance or clarity. Their story is similar to the frustration many victims face.

“What really upset me was the fact that the defense attorneys were trying to tell us that we, the victims, are not allowed to be at the trial, and also were notified two months in advance of the lawsuit against the insurance company to help pay for medical bills, the civil suit. A lot of us took off work just to be there, just to find out when the judge comes out and sees everybody there and says ‘I’m not doin it,’ and set another date,” Leo said.

Requesting a continuance for a court proceeding is common but can be frustrating for victims, especially those who may not live in town.

“There was one lady representing herself who drove five hours from Kansas,” Sharon added. “The first civil suit was at 1:00 p.m. but the next one was set at 9:00 a.m., so she had to get up really early to get there and it just so happened to be on the day school started, so her child had to be in school.”

“They prepare, they take time off work, and it’s extremely stressful for a crime victim because they’re losing sleep over this. They have to be ready and they need to relive one of the most horrible moments of their life, only to walk into court and be told a continuance has been granted,” Moyer said.

If victims were granted constitutional standing, the judge would be required to ask if anyone had any objection to the continuance and state the reason. While it doesn’t guarantee a continuance won’t be granted, the victims are heard and considered by the judge.

“This is not a competition with people who are accused of a crime. We want to bring crime victims equal to those convicted of a crime, not higher than but equal to,” Moyer said. “That doesn’t mean that reduces the rights to anyone accused of a crime, we wouldn’t want that anyway. That’s not justice.” a October 4 – 17, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

ARE YOU CURRENTLY PAIN-FREE BUT WANT TO LEARN HOW TO REGULATE PAIN? A TU IRB-approved research study is being conducted at The University of Tulsa that uses biofeedback to teach participants to regulate responses to pain. Participants must be healthy, currently pain-free, and able to attend 3 laboratory training sessions (3.5-4.5 hours/ day). Behavioral and physiological reactions to painful stimuli will be assessed each day to test the efficacy of the training.

Up to $300 compensation will be provided for completing the study.

Start your day with Tulsa’s best breakfast tacos!

BACON • SAUSAGE CHORIZO • VEGGIE

LOCATIONS! 7:30am-10:30am

Monday

Location varies! Check Facebook!

Tuesday

Tulsa County Library, 6th & S. Denver

Wednesday

Tulsa City Hall, 2nd & Cincinnati

Thursday

Tulsa Area United Way, 1430 S. Boston

Friday

Arvest Bank , 5th & Main

Follow us on Facebook & Twitter!

For catering, order online: www.t-towntacos.com

CONTACT: Psychophysiology Laboratory for Affective Neuroscience (PI: Jamie Rhudy, PhD)

918-631-2175 or 918-631-3565

O man greatly beloved, FEAR NOT: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, BE STRONG. FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST, SCIENTIST 924 S. Boulder Church & Sunday School • 10:30am Wednesday Meeting • 6:00pm

$5 Youth tickets SATURDAY, OCT 7 | 7:00PM ROUGHNECKS POSTER GIVEAWAY

SATURDAY, OCT 14 | 7:00PM BUCK NIGHT $1 BEERS & $1 HOT DOGS

TICKETS AVAILABLE | ROUGHNECKSFC.COM | 918.744.5901 | THE TULSA VOICE // October 4 – 17, 2017

NEWS & COMMENTARY // 13

citybites

MICRO-MART, BIG AMBITIONS The Goods Bodega is an oasis in a Tulsa food desert

by TRENT GIBBONS GREG BOLLINGER

HOW TO DO TACO NIGHT AT THE GOODS BODEGA ON A $20 BUDGET: One pound of Grassroots Ranch chicken ($5.99) Eight traditional flour wraps from La Tortilla Factory ($2.99) One and a half-cup house-packaged container of Cilantro sauce ($2.85) Shredded Colby Jack cheese ($1.75) One organic red bell pepper ($1.68) One red onion ($.99) One Roma tomato ($.75) House packaged cup of cumin-spice ($.99)

TOTAL: $17.99 BEFORE TAX This meal fed three people. Most sizable chip bags in the store were $4, and so were neglected to meet the budget. Hopefully you’ve got some lying around—we did. Less than three people might fare better (cheaper) at a restaurant, but you won’t have made it yourself.

14 // FOOD & DRINK

S

eptember’s First Friday saw the grand opening of The Goods Bodega, located only a block away from Guthrie Green in the newly-renamed Tulsa Arts District. The micro-mart sets itself apart with unique items prepared in-store, like dips and cold sandwiches. On weekdays they serve grilled cheese sandwiches from 11 a.m.–2 p.m.

But most importantly, the Bodega fills a need in the area, which is classified as a food desert for its lack of available nutritious foods.

Owner Shawn Zenthoefer explained that even though the district—with its many restaurants—hardly looks like it’s in need of more food, it was missing an easily accessible grocery store.

“There’s a Dollar General a couple miles from here, and the closest Walgreens is in Sand Springs,” Zenthoefer said. “A lot of the people in this area make a trip to the nearest Braum’s when they need their groceries.”

“Obviously we can’t be the solution to the food crisis, but we can be one small part of that solution.”

Zenthoefer is no stranger to the fight against food deserts. She

was a co-owner of the shortly-lived Folks Urban Market in 2014. “This time I intentionally went into the business alone, to keep it simple,” she said. Other than Zenthoefer, the store is staffed by just four employees.

She chose “bodega” for the name so as not to appear to be competing with Reasor’s or other large grocery companies. The name is Spanish, meaning warehouse or cellar. The store’s full name represents a positive mentality and high-quality goods.

The variety of items offered includes MSG-free and organic foods, fruits and vegetables, and things like crab bisque, chocolate-covered espresso beans, stuffed olives, cheese, fruit cups, Oklahoma-made pasta sauce, beer, and tonic water.

Besides the selection, the most distinct part of the store is the coziness of its layout and presentation. The food is limited to one room and the cashier has plenty of space behind the counter to prepare orders. The bodega is bright and pretty—looking more like a cafe than a convenience store, but with the same shortage of seats.

Currently, the biggest hurdle Zenthoefer faces is sourcing food, made especially difficult because of The Goods Bodega’s small size.

Many of the items in the store are packaged in-house so they can be bought in bulk for lower prices.

Despite partnering with several distributors and local vendors for items like bread, coffee, and eggs, the Bodega still lacks buying power for many of the products Zenthoefer knows she must offer.

This means the Bodega doesn’t always make a profit on items, and prices aren’t always as cheap as customers might hope. A framed sign in the store mentions and explains this under its heading: “Where’s the cheap stuff ?”

The headline below it asks, “Why?” The answer: “For Tulsa … the city we choose to live in and love.”

“The store is a project for Tulsa,” Zenthoefer said. “It’s not something I’m trying to retire off of or get rich from. I’m doing it because I felt that it was needed.” a

THE GOODS BODEGA 107 M.L.K. Jr. Blvd.

11a.m. to 7p.m. Mon.–Sun. October 4 – 17, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

MEET ME AT THE MAX! 4p – 6p HAPPY HOUR

FUNDAY: OPEN AT NOON W/

FREE HURTS DONUTS CHAMPAGNE MIMOSA BAR LIVE EVENT BINGO @ 2pm

MON – FRI

MONDAY: DJ ROBBO @ 9pm

$2 DOMESTICS & FREE TOKENS W/ ANY PURCHASE

$1 COORS ORIGINAL

N OW O P EN FO R LU N C H

F R I DAYS !

24 39 E A ST 11TH ST FU EL6 6 O K .CO M

TUESDAY: FREE TOKENS W/ EVERY PURCHASE WEDNESDAY: TEAM TRIVIA NIGHT W/

QUESTIONABLE COMPANY @ 8pm

THURSDAY: DJ ROBBO @ 9pm

FREE TOKENS FOR THE LADIES W/ ANY PURCHASE

FRIDAY: 10/6 • RETRO DJ

10/13 •DJ SOMAR

SATURDAY: 10/7 • DJ ROBBO OF 80S PROM

10/14 • DJ AARON BERNARD OF 105.3 OLD SCHOOL SUNDAYS

NEVER A COVER/21 & UP FREE WIFI NEW RENOVATIONS

THEMAXRETROPUB

BLUE DOME DISTRICT • 114 S ELGIN

We call it "The Bratza."

Because nobody wants to order a "Pizwurst."

THE TULSA VOICE // October 4 – 17, 2017

FOOD & DRINK // 15

downthehatch October is National Pizza Month

#PizzaAndKnots #BFFs

GARLIC KNOT GIVEAWAY* OCT. 4-11 *Free Knots With Purchase of Any Full Pizza or Entree.

Not Valid With Any Other Offer. Dine In Only, Valid at all Andoliniʼs: Owasso, Cherry St./Tulsa, BA, Jenks.

andopizza.com

The Max Retropub Bar Manager Ma jda Al-Amoudi | GREG BOLLINGER

NEXT-LEVEL NOSTALGIA The Max Retropub has broad appeal

by ANDREW SALIGA

We’re giving away FREE STUFF! In celebration of National Pizza Month, the October PIZZA PARTY giveaway includes $250 worth of pizza gift cards!

REGISTER BY OCTOBER 31 ST!

16 // FOOD & DRINK

STATIC-RIDDEN IMAGES OF ‘80S AEROBICS videos and Showbiz Pizza commercials emanate from at least a dozen bulky ‘90s era television sets, while Blondie’s “Call Me” plays in the background and competes with the beeps and boops of arcade games.

My attention frenetically darts around like a pinball between a large Falcor replica in the ceiling, to the coin-operated Zoltar fortune teller, and then to the vibrant drink menu in front of me. I finish a Gizmo cocktail, pick up my stack of tokens, and by a narrow margin choose to play the Dr. Who pinball machine over skee-ball.

After seven years of operation, The Max has transformed from its awkward pubescent stage into the role of social connector. Nostalgic elements provide easy conversation starters for people of all types. No one knows this better than the bar manager, Majda Al-Amoudi, who has been there since day one.

“I love seeing people’s faces light up when they see something they remember from their childhood,” Al-Amoudi said.

“We’ve definitely found our spot.”

However, The Max isn’t just a place for the uber-geek.

“You get the guy in an Affliction t-shirt, a storm trooper, and the 21-year old girl that’s getting married—all at once,” Al-Amoudi said.

The drinks contribute as much to the bar’s personality as the decor.

“I want to do something that’s comfortable for people who go to bars,” Al-Amoudi said.

Drink like the Magnum P.I., The Jem, and Chuck Norris often lead people to order based on name alone, which leads to a few surprises. The Chuck Norris is a shot that includes a 1 million Scoville heat unit hot sauce. Water and cream are on standby.

One of their more popular drinks, The Speedracer, is a creation of Al-Amoudi’s. It is essentially a vodka Red Bull, but it’s the two straws and ensuing race to finish it what Al-Amoudi claims has created several relationships and possibly a few babies.

The Max holds weekly scheduled events including Wednesday night team trivia and Sunday brunch bingo. Al-Amoudi hosts the bingo, luring in players with first-come, first-serve Hurts Donuts and the possibility of winning nostalgia prizes like a Gameboy Color. This month, The Max will host their annual Halloween party and in November, they will host a “pinball palooza” with special pinball machines.

It’s the perfect spot reminisce while simultaneously creating new memories. a

THE MAX RETROPUB 114 S. Elgin Ave. 4 p.m.–2 a.m., Mon.–Sun. October 4 – 17, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

HALLOWEEN TREATS Roll Plushes

Puppy Pop Plushes

Wool Dog Toys

Spooky Cookies

Autumn Donuts

Wool Cat Toys

Wool Dog Toys

Come see our selection of Halloween goodies!

1778 Utica Square • 918-624-2600 • Mon-Sat, 10-6

THE TULSA VOICE // October 4 – 17, 2017

FOOD & DRINK // 17

BEST OF TULSA READERS’ CHOICE 2017

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

Not just an ordinary bar

THE WOODY GUTHRIE CENTER PRESENTS

Open Tues. - Sat. 11am - 7pm

Join us for the tastiest Chicken & Waffles in Tulsa!

21 E. Brady St. 918-585-8587

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

THE WOODY GUTHRIE CENTER

217 E. Archer Historic tulsa Arts District (918) 619-6353

PRESENTS

t he w oody gu t hr ie ce n t e r p r e s e n t s

On Display Sept. 1 - Jan. 7 Curated by the GRAMMY Museum®At L.A. Live

On Display On Display Sept. 1Jan. 7

Sept. 1 - Jan. 7

Curated by the by the GRAMMY Museum®At L.A. Live Curated GRAMMY Museum® At L.A. Live

102 EAST M.B. BRADY STREET WOODYGUTHRIECENTER.ORG

102 East M.B. Brady Street, Tulsa, OK 74103

18 // FOOD & DRINK

10.1 Tulsa Roots Music Rocks the Green Sunday Concert, Indigenous, Joan Soriano, and Tulsa Touch 2:30 pm to 6:30 pm 10.6 FIRST FRIDAY Tulsa Ballet special performance, 7:30 pm 10.7 South Asian Performing Arts Foundation Presents: GARBA on the Green, 7 pm 10.8 Sunday Concert Presented by Tulsa Jazz: Smooth Groove Sunday 2:30 pm 10.13 LINDY in the Park (dance) 6:30 pm to 9 pm 10.14 Walk to Defeat ALS 8 am to 12 pm 10.15 Horton Records Sunday Concert: Haas/Ellicott Trio, Jesse Aycock & Lauren Barth, and Combsy 2:30 pm to 6:30 pm 10.22 Sunday Concert TBA 2:30 pm to 6:30 pm 10.25 TYPros NEXT/NOW the Taste of Fashion, 6:30 pm to 9 pm 10.27 21st Biennial NAASA Conference, 6 pm 10.29 KOSU Radio Presents GHOULS on the GREEN Sunday Concert, 2:30 pm to 6:30 pm

October 4 – 17, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

A Tulsa Tradition!

• Delivery Available • Daily & Weekly Specials • Full Service Catering • Banquet Facilities 14 West M.B. Brady • 918.582.3383 MexicaliBorderCafe.com

CULTIVATING TULSA’S ART SCENE ONE FELLOW AT A TIME. The Tulsa Artist Fellowship in the Tulsa Arts District.

NEW & V I N TA G E V I N Y L T U R N TA B L E S LIVE MUSIC

WE BUY RECORDS !

11A M -11P M E V E R Y D AY 918 . 7 9 4 . 7 8 81 11 E B R A DY S T

tulsaartistfellowship.org

Halloween Green on the

THE LOOP

loop

Don’t miss the bus!

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

Tuesday, October 31st 8:30 pm

facebook.com/TulsaDowntownTrolley

SPECIAL HALLOWEEN ON THE GREEN MOVIE!

THE TULSA VOICE // October 4 – 17, 2017

FOOD & DRINK // 19

LITTLE POTATO INSIDE CIRCLE CINEMA AT TAFF 2016 SARAH ELIZA PHOTOGRAPHY

BUTCH: LEGEND OF LANGSTON

LUNCH LADIES

Close up:

ESTRELLA

YOUR GUIDE TO THE 2017 TULSA AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL

BACK FOR ITS THIRD YEAR, the Tulsa American Film Festival has an exciting and eclectic roster of short and feature length films, both professional and student-made, as well as a selection of industry panels, educational lectures, awards, and after-parties to lubricate the cogs of Tulsa’s filmmaking community.

In fact, it’s already begun.

“We keep telling ourselves we’re going to keep it simple and we’re not going to have a bigger program.

But … okay, we’re going to do five different events before the festival,” said TAFF Director of Programming Colleen Thurston.

The series of special screenings, which began in September and continues through the festival includes a Will Sampson retrospective, a book discussion and screening of “High Noon,” and the Tulsa premiere of James Payne’s delightful, East meets Western documentary about country music in Japan, “Far Western.”

“There’s an expectation once you do a show, and we put more pressure on ourselves every year,” said Ben Arredondo, the festival’s founder.

20 // FEATURED

Other highlights include discussions with Tricia Wood, casting director of “La La Land,” and Tulsa native Doug Claybourne, who produced films for Coppola and Wes Craven, among others.

“We haven’t had industry folks of that caliber here,” Thurston said.

TAFF Production Director Adam O’Connor agreed.

“What’s different in this third year is we’re starting be the ones who are making the connections between the audience and established, or emerging, filmmakers—whereas before we were just getting connected,” he said.

Given their passion, it seems clear they’ll stay that way.

THE TULSA AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL RUNS OCTOBER 11 THROUGH OCTOBER 15.

ALL EVENTS ARE TICKETED UNLESS NOTED ON THIS SCHEDULE AS FREE. FOR TICKETS AND MORE INFORMATION: TULSAAMERICANFILMFEST.COM

October 4 – 17, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

SPACEMAN

PORK.O

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11 TAFF RECEPTION & NATHAN YOUNG EXHIBIT: INFINITE PEYOTE ROAD

LOCAL TIES

NARRATIVE

U R A DIAL TONE DIRECTED BY LAUREN KINSLER Sylvia loves her job as a sign language interpreter who makes phone calls for deaf people. Sure, sometimes she gets too emotionally involved and then a computer glitch sucks her into her callers’ lives, but who hasn’t that happened to?

NARRATIVE

5:00 P.M.–7:30 | CIRCLE CINEMA, 10 S. LEWIS AVE. | FREE Tulsa Artist Fellow Nathan Young’s latest exhibit, “Infinite Peyote Road,” opens October 11 to kick off the Tulsa American Film Festival.

The work explores the images, symbols, sounds, and language of peyote ritual in the Native American Church, along with concepts linking to his personal experiences growing up in and around the church.

“It’s multimedia,” Young said. “There’s sound, there is looping video, and there are photos. A lot of the photos are found stuff. There’s a looping video of a Native American Church singers, slowed down to a crawl.

There’s a white wall, so every night they’re going to project the sound, my installation, these really slow-moving practice videos. There are three, like a triptych.”

The sound accompanying the installation is peyote music from the Native American Church with added sonic layers.

“I take [the singers’ music] and use it to make texture, but I make it like drones, like Popol Vuh, like Werner Herzog-type soundtracks. An ethereal, droney music.”

The show is also a nod to Harry Smith, who documented the music of the Kiowa peyote meeting for the seminal Anthology of American Folk Music on Folkways Records, which led to a greater awareness of the music. “[Smith] was proto-beat. That anthology changed the world, in a weird way. To me, he was that missing link between all my other interests and that world. Allen Ginsburg, William Burroughs, he was super close to those guys. He’s a big inspiration.” –BRADY WHISENHUNT

TYLER

NARRATIVE & DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILMS

OPENING FEATURE FILM & SHORT

DIRECTED BY ANDY KOEGER AND DAN FRANTZ A young woman in present-day New Orleans undergoes an unusual physical transformation.

NARRATIVE

ESTRELLA DIRECTED BY BRANDON HUGO ARROYO A daughter learns to love the creativity her mother left behind.

DOCUMENTARY

LITTLE POTATO DIRECTED BY WES HURLEY Wes Hurley’s autobiographical journey of growing up gay in the Soviet Union before and after the fall of communism, and how life changed with his eventual immigration to America.

DOCUMENTARY

PORK.0 DIRECTED BY BRETT KUXHAUSEN Carl Blake is on a quest: to breed the perfect pig and turn the American pork system on its heels by producing some of the tastiest and happiest pigs in the country.

NARRATIVE

LUNCH LADIES

LOCAL TIES

DIRECTED BY J.M. LOGAN Two burnt out high school lunch ladies do whatever it bloody takes on their quest to become Johnny Depp’s personal chefs.

8:00 P.M.–10:00 | CIRCLE CINEMA NARRATIVE SHORT

BUTCH: LEGEND OF LANGSTON

LOCAL TIES

DIRECTED BY DAVID TESTER AND CHRISTOPHER HUNT Set in Langston University, the nation’s westernmost HBCU (historically black college or university), this film explores the many myths, stories, and legends of a man who has lived on campus since 1961.

NARRATIVE

THE BULLETEERS

LOCAL TIES

DIRECTED BY KYLE ROBERTS When a quirky but deadly outlaw returns to town, it’s up to a masked hero to gather a group of misfits to save the townspeople from the wrath of Todd.

THE TULSA VOICE // October 4 – 17, 2017

SPACEMAN DIRECTED BY CHRISTOPHER OLIVA A young man with big aspirations sets out on a curious path to realize his dream of becoming an astronaut.

NARRATIVE FEATURE

MICKEY REECE’S ALIEN

ter turn in game performances. Cate Jones’s turn as Priscilla—basically a goth incarnation meant to comment on her solitude in their marriage—and her onenote, leaden delivery (purposeful or not) was an odd choice in a film already precariously juggling tones.

Infused with vibrant score by Nicholas Poss, and flat out gorgeous black-and-white cinematography by Joe Cappa (HBO’s “The Night Of…”) “Alien” is nothing if easy on the eyes. Reece moves his camera with delicacy, and composes with a sense of assurance that bridges the gap between low-budget indie quirk and the cinematic integrity of Cappa’s Robby Müller-esque lensing.

“Mickey Reece’s Alien” is like being in its director’s head. And that’s a good place to be. —JOE O’SHANSKY

TAFF OPENING NIGHT AFTER-PARTY, FEATURING PAUL BENJAMAN

7:45 P.M.–9:45 | CIRCLE CINEMA DOCUMENTARY

inevitable osmosis that comes with being a 20th Century kid. The King.

Norman-based filmmaker Mickey Reece has his own take on the subject. Spoiler alert: it’s weird.

In a dreamscape somewhere in the ‘60s, Elvis (Jacob Snovel) is experiencing a cosmic malaise. The King is blocked—and asking existential questions, trying to bridge the gulf between his morose, childless wife Priscilla (Cate Jones), his bandmates and peers, and his managers, Joe (Alex Sanchez) and Colonel Parker (John Scamehorn)—all of whom want him to get back on the horse. The King is dealing with anxieties bestowed by a seemingly indifferent universe.

Unless there are aliens. Of which the King might be one. Like Jesus.

“Mickey Reece’s Alien” is a mocu-dramedy, striking a strange tonal balance that improbably works. This is partially because Reece’s stream-of-consciousness narrative sensibilities are compelling, baffling, and inherently funny. At its best it feels like an astute concoction of mumblecore David Lynch, injected with an off-kilter Linklater sensibility, like “Waking Life,” and a hint of the Coen’s tendency for oddly-timed laughs from oddball characters who seem larger-than-life. The combination is satisfying.

As Elvis, Snovel is somewhat adopting Cage’s version of him from “Wild at Heart.” Sanchez, in addition to John Selvidge (as Tom Jones) and Tennille McCallis-

LOCAL TIES

DIRECTED BY MICKEY REECE I don’t know a ton about Elvis. I don’t know if he had a twin brother who took over for him after the real Elvis burned out and decided to pull a Jim Morrison.

I don’t know if his relationship with his wife Priscilla was a caricature twisted by the artifice that comes with being an idol. I’ve never eaten a peanut butter and banana sandwich. I just know Elvis through the

9:00 P.M.–12:00 A.M. | HEIRLOOM RUSTIC ALES BREWERY, 2113 E. ADMIRAL BLVD. FREE | CASH BAR A live musical tribute to complement the Sunday screening of the documentary “Mad Dogs & Englishmen,” in which Leon Russell performed alongside Joe Cocker in his 1971 American tour. This evening also features Tulsan Paul Benjaman leading a band of Okies in their iterations of the songs from the film. Expect the classics, stay for the surprises.

FEATURED // 21

PANIC ATTACK! JESSICA

WE TOGETHER

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12 SHORT FILM SCREENPLAY READINGS & LUNCHEON 12:00 P.M.–2:00 | CIRCLE CINEMA | FREE DIRECTED BY RENA COOK Rena Cook directs local Tulsa actors in a live reading of TAFF’S three short film screenplay finalists: “4 Minutes of Truth,” written by Ted Satterfield; “The Last Slice of Pie,” written by Lesley Cessna-Kontowicz; “Yes And,” written by Adrienne Dawes.

CONVERSATION WITH DOUG CLAYBOURNE 6:30 P.M.–8:00 | WOODY GUTHRIE CENTER, 102 E. MATHEW B. BRADY ST. | FREE Film producer, poet, painter, Tulsan, and University of Tulsa graduate Doug Claybourne will touch on the high points of his career including working on “Apocalypse Now,” “The Black Stallion,” “The Escape Artist,” “The Black Stallion Returns,” “Peggy Sue Got Married,” “War of the Roses,” “Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse,” “The Mask of Zorro,” “Jack,” “Nights of Rodanthe,” “North Country,” and “Rumble Fish.” Claybourne will focus on his experience filming “Rumble Fish,” 35 years ago in Tulsa. Moderated by Tava Maloy Sofsky (director, OF + MO).

NARRATIVE FEATURE FILM & SHORT 7:00 P.M.–9:00 | CIRCLE CINEMA NARRATIVE SHORT

JESSICA DIRECTED BY JESSICA KINGDON Two women who share a name and appearance meet when one hires the other to clean her house.

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM

OLANCHO 8:30 P.M.–10:30 | CIRCLE CINEMA DIRECTED BY CHRISTOPHER VALDES AND TED GRISWOLD Manuel, a farmer from Olancho, Honduras, seeks fame by making music for the region’s drug cartels. When some of his song lyrics get him in trouble, Manuel must make the most difficult decision of his life: continue or flee.

GIRTY FAMILY SINGERS

CLASSIC FEATURE FILM

RUMBLE FISH

LOCAL 8:30 P.M.–10:30 | GUTHRIE GREEN, TIES 111 E. M.B. BRADY ST. | FREE DIRECTED BY FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA The first impression anyone correctly gets from “Rumble Fish” is how goddamn gorgeous it looks.

Filmed in the wake of “The Outsiders,” and retaining cinematographer Stephen Baum (who went on to shoot every great ‘80s De Palma movie), “Rumble Fish” is a noir experiment in contrasts.

Rusty James (Matt Dillon) is the de facto leader of a gang (played by a raft of future stars), in lieu of his legendary brother, The Motorcycle Boy (Mickey Rourke), who left months prior to find their mother. His brother’s return heralds Rusty’s awakening from his unconsidered life, lived with their father (Dennis Hopper), a literate lush in the Bukowski sense.

Where “The Outsiders” is a pastoral, strictly white-boy transposition of “West Side Story” steeped in golden light, the high-contrast black-and-white edge of “Rumble Fish” is its sweaty, sketchy, pissed-off younger brother. Coppola’s narcotic incongruity (it feels like it should be set in the ‘60’s) meets Larry Clark’s seedy visual aesthetic, and Stewart Copeland’s idiosyncratic score to borderline psychedelic effect.

Also, Tulsa has never been so enigmatically photographed. If you live here, it looks like a dream of your house—the rooms are rearranged, the furniture isn’t yours. The alien familiarity becomes an evocative fugue.

It’s Coppola’s most lucid film—a time capsule that should mean even more to cinema than it does to us.

—JOE O’SHANSKY

I LOVE YOU LIKE SCIENCE

TWO LANE

NARRATIVE FEATURE

PALACIOS DIRECTED BY ROBERT T. HERRERA Eugene, an inner-city teen, escapes the streets and hides on a rooftop on the 4th of July. There, he meets Holly, a young widow. The unlikely companions commit to spending the day together above the city.

22 // FEATURED

MUTT

AFTER-PARTY AT MAINLINE 9:00 P.M.–12:00 A.M. | MAINLINE ART & COCKTAILS, 111 N. MAIN ST. | FREE | CASH BAR Join us at Mainline Art & Cocktails, have a drink, listen to some 80’s music and check out our special “Rumble Fish” photo exhibit, curated by Tulsa Historical Society & Museum.

October 4 – 17, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

KOJO

TULSA FILM MIXER & PANEL: THE INS AND OUTS OF LOW BUDGET HORROR FILMMAKING 5:30 P.M. RECEPTION, 6:30 PANEL CIRCLE CINEMA | FREE MODERATED BY CHRISTOPHER LONG A Friday the 13th edition of The Tulsa Film Mixer and Panel Series to discuss the good, the bad, and the nightmare-inducing aspects of low budget horror, Okie-style. Featuring writer and filmmaker John Wooley, hair and makeup artist Krista Perry, and director of photography Samuel Calvin.

DOCUMENTARY

THE COLLECTION DIRECTED BY ADAM ROFFMAN Two friends stumble upon the holy grail of movie memorabilia in the most unlikely of places.

DOCUMENTARY

GIRTY FAMILY SINGERS

DIRECTED BY JEREMY CHARLES For generations, the Girty family has shared and passed down Cherokee songs.

NARRATIVE

TWO LANE

NARRATIVE

6:00 P.M.–8:00 | CIRCLE CINEMA

CATS WANT TO BREAK FREE

LOCAL TIES

DIRECTED BY JAKE LURVEY An old man and a boy meet on the road to Tulsa.

NARRATIVE & DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILMS NARRATIVE

LOCAL TIES

SWIMMING IN THE DESERT LOCAL TIES

DIRECTED BY DRAYKE HORNIG A cat, in a video, gives a tutorial about making cat videos. But when he tires of this job, he must break free.

DIRECTED BY ALVARO RON In the drought-stricken town of Agua Dulce, a ten-yearold girl challenges her grandfather to follow a crazy plan that will bring water back to the dry river.

NARRATIVE

PANIC ATTACK!

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM

DIRECTED BY EILEEN O’MEARA You know the nagging thoughts that start with “Did I leave the coffee on?” and turn into “Am I pregnant with a devil-baby”? This hand-drawn animation explores anxiety, obsession, and one woman’s slippery hold on reality.

NARRATIVE

WE TOGETHER DIRECTED BY HENRY KAPLAN A short film about a zombie who comes to remember the person who he used to be.

NARRATIVE

I LOVE YOU LIKE SCIENCE DIRECTED BY MAT MILLER A poem from a broken heart.

LOCAL TIES

NARRATIVE

MUTT DIRECTED BY ERIN SANGER A family’s plan to stage an intervention unravels.

DOCUMENTARY

KOJO DIRECTED BY MICHAEL FEQUIERE Twelve year-old jazz drummer Kojo Odu Roney reflects on his work ethic, learning from his father, saxophonist Antoine Roney, and the current state of jazz music.

THE TULSA VOICE // October 4 – 17, 2017

MANKILLER

er) choice for the presidency. The corollary between Clinton’s near-win and Mankiller’s ascension to Chief couldn’t be made clearer. And it’s no accident that the film inspires a similar longing for Mankiller—a “what if” fantasy of how things might have turned out had she lived long enough to run for the highest office in the land.

As a documentary, “Mankiller” is an engaging and inspiring chronicle. Mohl directs with compelling immediacy and passion. It somewhat glosses over the pall that befell Mankiller before the end of her second term—accusations of embezzlement, the details of which remain murky. As a production, the format is standard though well-executed: archival footage, talking head interviews (including Michael Wallis and Gloria Steinem), along with friends, family, and colleagues who recall her effect on their lives, and the lives of Oklahomans, with moving sincerity and respect. The parallels between the issues that gave birth to her activism and how they informed her life are still present. Loss of cultural identity, colonization, marginalization, and other familiar battles. –JOE O’SHANSKY

CLASSIC FEATURE FILM LOCAL TIES

8:00 P.M.–10:00 | CIRCLE CINEMA DIRECTED BY VALERIE RED-HORSE MOHL I figure it’s not up to me to capsulize Wilma Mankiller’s story. “Mankiller,” the new documentary from director Valerie Red-Horse Mohl (“Naturally Native”) does a more than ample job of that. Right up front, anyone— especially anyone who’s lived most of their adult life in Oklahoma—should seek it out.

As the first female Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation in 1985, Wilma Mankiller broke through a glass ceiling of political patriarchy, while forging a level of bipartisan cooperation—in the name of, you know, actually governing for the collective good—that was not only atypical for a such a politically conservative place and time, but also brings into depressing focus the absurd negligence of our contemporary state of non-governance by a party seemingly powered by cruelty, obstructionism, and wrong-headed, inflexible ideology. With heart and a healthy sense of humor (she seemed keenly aware of how cool her last name was), Mankiller’s desire to improve the lives of her people is a lesson in actual leadership. You could hardly be blamed for forgetting what that looks like lately.

The legacy of Mankiller’s liberal populism lives on today in the likes of another native-Oklahoman, Senator Elizabeth Warren, whose non-candidacy last year made even full-throated supporters of Hillary Clinton pine for an ideologically purer (and politically savvi-

POLTERGEIST II: THE OTHER SIDE 10:00 P.M.–12:00 A.M. | CIRCLE CINEMA DIRECTED BY BRIAN GIBSON The supernatural horror film, “Poltergeist II: The Other Side” premiered in 1986 and features the return of the original family, who again battle a spirit trying to harm their daughter, Carol Anne. Starring, Craig T. Nelson, JoBeth Williams, Heather O’Rourke, Zelda Rubinstein and Will Sampson.

OUTDOOR AFTER-PARTY 9:00 P.M.–12:00 A.M. | KENDALL WHITTIER PARKING LOT AT SOUTH LEWIS AVENUE AND EAST ADMIRAL BOULEVARD | FREE | CASH BAR Featuring a special performance by musical act, Desi and Cody. Cash bar. Rain location: Fair Fellow Coffee.

FEATURED // 23

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13

TULSA FILM MIXER + PANEL SERIES: A CONVERSATION WITH HOLLYWOOD CASTING DIRECTOR TRICIA WOOD 10:30 A.M.–12:30 P.M. | CIRCLE CINEMA | FREE MODERATED BY WENDY ROBERTS-GARRETT Brunch and conversation with casting director Tricia Wood (“La La Land,” “American Pastoral,” and “Disturbia”). Wood started her casting career as an intern in 1993 in the Features Casting Department at Paramount Pictures Studio. Born and raised in Oklahoma, Tricia is a member of the Seneca-Cayuga and Cherokee Nations.

NATIVE SHORTS: NARRATIVE & DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILMS 1:00 P.M.–2:30 | GILCREASE MUSEUM, 1400 N. GILCREASE MUSEUM RD. NARRATIVE

MY SOUL REMAINER DIRECTED BY NANOBAH BECKER The music video for Laura Ortman’s passionate “My Soul Remainer” roars from the mountain tops with impressionistic imagery inspired by the elements.

NARRATIVE

IN THE BEGINNING WAS WATER AND SKY DIRECTED BY RYAN WARD In parallel stories, two Chippewa children navigate the dark corners of American history trying to find their way back to a home that may be lost forever.

NARRATIVE

COYOTE STORY DIRECTED BY DANIEL SÉMAN The Ojibwe story of how a sly coyote gets his meal by playing a trick on unsuspecting ducks.

DOCUMENTARY

CREE CODE TALKER DIRECTED BY ALEXANDRA LAZAROWICH Charles ‘Checker’ Tomkins fought in World War II and served as a Cree Code Talker with the U.S. Air Force.

DOCUMENTARY

METAL ROAD DIRECTED BY SARAH DEL SERONDE For decades, thousands of Navajos have worked the railroads, maintaining the trans-continental network.

Metal Road follows three Navajo railroaders as they leave their homeland to replace aging tracks under extreme weather conditions.

DOCUMENTARY

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

BREATHE

THROUGH THE REPELLENT FENCE

DIRECTED BY CODY WILSON The story of an athlete’s unfaltering quest to become an Olympian.

DIRECTED BY SAM WAINWRIGHT DOUGLAS In 2015, the indigenous art collective Postcommodity constructed “Repellent Fence,” a two-mile long outdoor artwork straddling the U.S.-Mexico border. “Repellent Fence,” comprised of 28 oversized inflatable spheres, questions the idea of borders and divisions.

NARRATIVE

BEARDS DIRECTED BY MARCUS YOUNG A mockumentary exploring the beard epidemic in Tulsa.

DOCUMENTARY

OUR HOME

NARRATIVE FEATURE FILM & SHORT

DIRECTED BY IANCU ‘BUNEE’ TOMLINSON What do a near-death experience and eight orphans have in common? A home that changed the course of their lives forever.

8:30 P.M.–10:30 PM | CIRCLE CINEMA NARRATIVE SHORT

TEMPO

LOCAL TIES

DIRECTED BY BRIAN LAWES When Seth suddenly stops speaking, his parents turn to a therapist to uncover the reasons behind his mutism.

DOCUMENTARY

FROM THE WATER TO THE WOODS: THE CHOCTAW STORY DIRECTED BY LOGAN CROSSLEY Choctaw culture keepers share their heritage through storytelling.

NARRATIVE

AS SHE GOES DIRECTED BY AUDREY KURTZ A young woman with social anxiety meets her boyfriend’s family for the first time.

NARRATIVE/EXPERIMENTAL

OUT FROM SMOKE & ASH DIRECTED BY LISANDRO BOCCACCI In 1921, the Tulsa, Oklahoma neighborhood of Greenwood was one of the most affluent all-black communities in America. Using a mix of storytelling approaches, “Out From Smoke & Ash” contemplates the riot that devasted Greenwood and its impact on a community.

DOCUMENTARY

CIRCUS CITY, USA DIRECTED BY ADAM WRIGHT Since the early 1940s, more than 20 circus companies have made their home in Hugo, Oklahoma. The town’s unique history has earned it the nickname of Circus City, USA, and a population that is comprised of clowns, characters, and charmers.

TULSA AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS 6:30 P.M.–7:30 | CIRCLE CINEMA Festival awards for best films, shorts, cinematographers, directors, Oklahoma films, actor, actress, and more.

NARRATIVE FEATURE

THE STRANGE ONES DIRECTED BY LAUREN WOLKSTEIN AND CHRISTOPHER RADCLIFF Writer/directors Christopher Radcliffe and Lauren Wolkstein’s haunting feature debut, “The Strange Ones,” is a gem.

Jerimiah (James Freedson-Jackson) is a teenage witness to murder. The house burns. He’s on the road with a handsome, nameless, brotherly type (Alex Pettyfer). They are clearly on the run. He’s taking Jerimiah to a cabin in the woods.

That’s all I’ll tell you. Giving away the narrative would be criminal. The ominous joys of “The Strange Ones” reside in not knowing where the road leads until you arrive.

The sum of its parts is a moody, beautifully shot, near-masterpiece. It recalls “Blue Caprice” and “Cold in July”—dark, uncompromising tales of lives lived on the margins, in vast kingdoms of rural shadow.

There’s an enigmatic, dream-quality to the flow of their characters that is disturbing and successful.

The exquisite direction from Radcliffe and Wolkstein is elegant, pulling away the dark curtains of inevitability that guard the rabbit hole.

Pettyfer and Jackson are revelations, not only for where they go in their performances (Jackson carries one of the creepiest scenes), but also their pure chemistry. It defines the film’s expertly calibrated sense of anxiety and comforting isolation—pulled to sea in the undertow of Todd Banhazl’s sublime cinematography and Brian McOmber’s perfectly languorous score.

It’s great. Go see it. —JOE O’SHANSKY

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM

ON A KNIFE EDGE

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14

3:00 P.M.–5:00 | GILCREASE MUSEUM DIRECTED BY JEREMY WILLIAMS Filmed over five years and culminating with the events at Standing Rock, “On a Knife Edge” provides a view into the world of a young Lakota activist.

SATURDAY NIGHT AFTER-PARTY DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM & SHORT 8:00 P.M.–10:00 | CIRCLE CINEMA DOCUMENTARY SHORT

THE CAPTIVATING VOICE OF ARTIST KALYN FAY OKIE STUDENT SHORTS: NARRATIVE & DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILMS

LOCAL TIES

8:00 P.M.–12:00 A.M. | THE BEEHIVE LOUNGE, 2405 E. ADMIRAL BLVD. | FREE | CASH BAR Join Tulsa American Film Festival and the newly launched Tulsa Film Collective for this Saturday Night Party, our last party of the festival. Featuring DJ Mark Kuykendall.

DIRECTED BY STERLIN HARJO Singer-songwriter Kalyn Fay Barnoski pursues art in many forms.

4:00 P.M.–6:00 | CIRCLE CINEMA

24 // FEATURED

October 4 – 17, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

STRUGGLE & HOPE

COYOTE STORY

AS SHE GOES

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 15 ONSCREEN OKLAHOMA: HOLLYWOOD REPRESENTATIONS OF THE SOONER STATE 1:00 P.M.–2:30 | GILCREASE MUSEUM DISCUSSION LED BY ELIZABETH ANTHONY Oklahoma has come of age with the art of filmmaking and has been the subject of hundreds of movies. Many people who have never visited Oklahoma learn about it from films. But what have they learned? Film historian Elizabeth Anthony reveals all!

CIRCUS CITY, USA

NATIVE DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM

YOUR WAY BACK TO ME

OUT FROM SMOKE & ASH

LOCAL 3:00 P.M.–5:00 | GILCREASE MUSEUM TIES DIRECTED BY ALEXANDRA DIETZ Hannah Sheridan is half Cheyenne and half Kiowa, born in El Reno. After a decade away from home and following a career in the U.S. Navy, Hannah returns to her community to fulfill her role in the mourning rituals to honor her recently deceased relatives.

CLASSIC DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM

MAD DOGS & ENGLISHMEN

LOCAL 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM | TIES WOODY GUTHRIE CENTER DIRECTED BY PIERRE ADIDGE Directed by Pierre Adidge, “Mad Dogs & Englishmen” is a 1971 American film documenting Joe Cocker’s 1970 U.S. tour. The film features Cocker and Leon Russell, and was released on March 29, 1971.

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM & SHORT 5:30 P.M.–7:30 | CIRCLE CINEMA DOCUMENTARY SHORT

SHILOH

LOCAL TIES

DIRECTED BY MARK D. WILLIAMS Boxer Shy LeBeau’s journey to the 2016 Ringside World Championship reveals that her toughest battles might take place outside of the ring.

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

STRUGGLE & HOPE

LOCAL TIES

DIRECTED BY KARI BARBER Among the wealth of untold American stories is that of the rise and slow disappearance of all-black towns that sprung up in the American West following the end of the Civil War. “Struggle & Hope” mines the stories of the last-remaining residents of several allblack towns in Oklahoma, while charting their efforts to ensure their towns aren’t lost to history.

NARRATIVE FEATURE FILM

MR. ROOSEVELT

THE STRANGE ONES

ON A KNIFE EDGE

8:00 P.M.–10:00 | CIRCLE CINEMA DIRECTED BY NOËL WELLS Noël Wells’ feature debut starts out like a pitch for a sitcom.

After leaving her boyfriend Eric (Nick Thune) to pursue comedy in L.A., Emily (Wells), an Austin, Texas ex-pat, returns to the ATX upon learning their beloved cat is dying.

Devastated and essentially broke, Emily winds up a guest in her old house with Eric and Celeste (Britt Lower), his new, disturbingly Zen girlfriend whom Emily is convinced is sucking out Eric’s soul though a Stepford combination of Kalonopin and domestic banality.

“Mr. Roosevelt” rises above its conceit, coming alive when Emily acquiesces to dinner with Eric, Celeste, and a gaggle of their yuppie friends, in honor of the cat almost none of them really give a shit about. Pissed off, Emily inadvertently reconnects with an old acquaintance, Jen (a scene-stealing Daniella Pineda). That’s where “Mr. Roosevelt” breaks away from its twee inception and becomes a different, entirely better film. It’s a tangible shift in tone and execution, which suffers whenever it returns to its initial hook.

It cheats its characters, somewhat purposefully. Eric is cultishly milquetoast until he suddenly develops a personality, as does Celeste—reveals meant to make you reconsider them. It works, if only because it’s gets funnier and more genuine. Wells is the warm, Hannah Horvath-lite filling that binds it all together.

Get past the first 20 minutes and “Mr. Roosevelt” becomes more than the sum of its Austenite catnip. —JOE O’SHANSKY a

THE TULSA VOICE // October 4 – 17, 2017

FEATURED // 25

We are open late! Thursdays, 5-8pm

Fun Fall Kickoff and Dog Night October 5, 5pm Music Night: Chris Foster October 12, 6pm Pumpkin Painting for Kids October 14, 1pm Music Night: Jared Tyler October 19, 6pm Music Night: Pete Tomshany October 26, 6pm Pumpkinhead Workshop for Kids – Annie Ferris October 29, 2pm to 4pm

3RD ANNUAL

PUMPKIN PATCH October 7 • 10am - 5pm

HANDCRAFTED GLASS PUMPKINS from Tulsa Glassblowing School

WHIMSICAL METAL SCULPTURES from Garden Deva

HOMEMADE PHOTO CARDS & PRINTS from Anitra’s Eye Photography

3900 Tulsa Botanic Drive | tulsabotanic.org | 918.289.0330

TULSA SYMPHONY

2017-2018 S E A S O N T W E LV E

Classics Series

TCHAIKOVSKY’S SYMPHONY NO. 6

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2017 | 7:30 PM

TULSA PERFORMING ART S CENTER TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 6, op.74 COPLAND: Quiet City HINDEMITH: Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber Andrew Grams, Guest Conductor Celeste Frehner, English Horn Tim McFadden, Trumpet *Pre-Concert Conversation | 6:30 PM *Pre-Concert Student Recognition Concert | 6:45 PM *Post-Concert Reception – All Welcome *Childcare Available

For Tickets, Call 918.596.7111 or www.tulsasymphony.org

26 // FEATURED

Stylized archival image of Japanese musician from 1962, photographer unknown | FAR WESTERN

Unconventional folk ‘FAR WESTERN’ DOCUMENTS A LITTLE KNOWN CHAPTER IN POPULAR CULTURE

by BRADY WHISENHUNT FOLLOWING TWO SEPARATE STORIES OF Japanese musicians and their connections to American country music, Matt Leach and James Payne’s documentary, “Far Western” explores the way American folk music has impacted Japanese popular culture. The film takes a look at the small, but tight-knit country music community in Japan where musicians worked against the grain to establish a scene and a wider appreciation for Western-style music.

There’s the story Charlie Nagatani— who founded one of Japan’s first country and western bands in 1961—and his lifelong, single-minded passion for spreading the gospel of country music in his country.

Battling pressure from his family and the skepticism of his peers, he eventually accomplished his dream: being invited to do a yearly spot performing at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.

Charlie’s story is juxtaposed with The Blueside of Lonesome, a Japanese bluegrass band, and their parallel journey.

The film documents the band recounting their initial discovery of bluegrass music while visiting the U.S. in the 1970s, and follows them as they play for Americans in present-day Guthrie and Tulsa. The band is an eclectic mix of musicians with one common element: a deep, abiding love of bluegrass music.

There’s an endearing simplicity to the subjects’ insistence that though they may have grown up in a Japanese culture, American roots music speaks to them.

There’s a repeated theme that a Japanese

person can be every bit as country as a good ol’ boy from Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Director, Producer, and Editor James Payne believes that one of the film’s key messages is that “music has the unique ability to travel, and to be transplanted.”

Its peculiar ability to do so means it winds up in unlikely places.

Live performances by the film’s subjects at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville and Tulsa’s The Colony reveal the nervous excitement of the musicians playing for an American crowd. It’s special for an American country singer to play the Opry to warm reception, but it is several degrees more awesome for an artist from Japan to be invited, much less kill it, there.

As one of the Blueside members explains in the film, “I’ve dreamed of creating that sound of mountain music myself.

I feel like I’ve been trying to re-experience that first moment, of being amazed to listen to this music.”

“Far Western” shows country music as loose, like a dog off a chain, and not limited to North America. a

FAR WESTERN TULSA PREMIERE October 5 5:30-6:30 p.m. reception, 7:00 showing Circle Cinema, 10 S. Lewis Ave. Tickets at circlecinema.com Blue Side of Lonesome will play at Fassler Hall afterward, 10 p.m., 21+, free.

October 4 – 17, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

READY? OCT. 13–15, 2017 KICK-OFF PARTY OCT. 12

· Indie Alley Showcase featuring Indie developers from around the world · Virtual Reality Showcase · Smash Bros. Tournament · PC Tournaments featuring Overwatch and League of Legends

· Cosplay Contest · Tabletop Gaming · Panels and Speakers · Retro Lounge · Live Music

COX BUSINESS CENTER

100 Civic Center • Tulsa, OK Info@XPOTulsa.com

@GamesXPO

TICKETS: XPOTulsa.com

O C TO B E R 1 1 –1 5

T H E 3 R D A N N UA L F I L M F E S T I VA L The Tulsa American Film Festival returns for our 3rd annual festival, celebrating nearly 50 feature and short films, documentaries and student films. Join us for new independent works, with special focus on Native American, Latino and Oklahoma-based filmmakers. Also enjoy a curated lineup of regionally-relevant classics like RumbleFish, Poltergeist II: The Other Side, and Mad Dogs and Englishmen.

There will also be panel discussions with industry pros and fabulous after-parties each evening. Make plans to be a part of the 3rd Annual Tulsa American Film Festival.

For the screenings schedule and ticket information, visit TulsaAmericanFilmFest.com.

THE TULSA VOICE // October 4 – 17, 2017

FEATURED // 27

Wagoner Bulldogs celebrating their 2015 high school football state championship win FATHERS OF FOOTBALL

N.O.T.A., a pioneering Tulsa punk band, playing the Crystal Pistol on North Sheridan Avenue | DAVID FALLIS

Tulsa punk chronicles ‘OIL CAPITAL UNDERGROUND’ SHARES SUBCULTURE HISTORY

by KRIS ROSE YOU MIGHT NOT THINK TULSA WOULD have a punk/new wave music scene worth mentioning. But in the new documentary “Oil Capital Underground,” filmmakers Bryan Crain and Dave Cantrell shine a light on an overlooked facet of Tulsa’s cultural underground heritage. The scene was built from the ground up through talented local bands that drew diverse and loyal crowds of misfits, longhairs, and weirdos. These outcasts gravitated to every ramshackle venue in town and created a community that still thrives.

It began in the late 70’s when the Sex Pistols played Cain’s ballroom. Later, local bands like Los Reactors and N.O.T.A. played with legendary punk bands Black Flag, Hüsker Dü, and The Circle Jerks. Many of these shows happened at the Bleu Grotto, 424, T.U.C.C.A., Nitro (later Eclipse), or The Crystal Pistol.

Greg Sewell, whose mother-in-law owned the cowboy themed bar Crystal Pistol, brought in bands once or twice a week, sometimes angering the regular clientele.

Black Flag front man Henry Rollins remembered about Tulsa: “Cowboys tried to beat us up.”

Although steeped in local lore, Crain and Cantrell keep their focus broad, ignoring some of their own bands in favor of more popular choices. They also avoided using too many inside jokes from the interview to avoid alienating people who were not part of that scene. There are over thirty-five interviews, mostly from locals, with 28 // FEATURED

a few bigger names like Keith Morris of Circle Jerks, Black Flag and OFF!, who said “Tulsa had the most beautiful women.”

When asked about the dearth of female musicians in the Tulsa scene, Cantrell referred to a quote by local drummer Jo Foster, who called it a bit of a “sausage fest.”

Cantrell joked that, as far as diversity goes in the interviews, they have “one Lebanese guy, three women and a whole lot of middle aged white dudes.” In all seriousness, Crain mentions that the actual scene itself was a lot more diverse.

If the trailer is any indication, Crain has a good eye for interesting angles and locations. His twenty-five years of filmmaking experience show, although Crain had some graphics/illustration assistance from Terry Waska (Asylum, P.B.O.C.), the third member of the filmmaking crew.

Crain and Cantrell, who started working on the film in 2011, admit it has been a labor of love. They’ve submitted to several film festivals, with South by Southwest being at the top of the list. a

“OIL CAPITAL UNDERGROUND” Friday, October 6 Circle Cinema, 10 S. Lewis Ave. Reception, 6 p.m. | Screening, 7 p.m., followed by a Q&A with Bryan Crain, Dave Cantrell, and Terry Waska.

Tickets are $10. After-party at The Blackbird on Pearl (1336 E. 6th St.), 10 p.m.–2 a.m.

FOOTBALL AS FAMILY Documenting the 2015 Wagoner high school football season

by JOHN TRANCHINA THE WORKING TITLE IS “FATHERS OF FOOTBALL,” BUT THE UPCOMING DOCUMENTARY by filmmaker Bradley Beesley (“Okie Noodling,” “The Fearless Freaks,” and “Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo”) is about far more than just sports.

Centered in Wagoner, about 40 miles southeast of downtown Tulsa, the film follows the town’s high school football team—the Bulldogs—through the 2015 season. It focuses primarily on head coach Dale Condict and his son, Austin, a player on the team who was recovering from testicular cancer and trying to get back on the field.

“There are several coaches on the team that have sons playing for them,” Beesley said of the title. “But also, it’s a reference to the fact that some of the kids on the team are growing up, and have grown up, without their dads being involved in their lives. And perhaps football is a surrogate for the fathers, and the structure of the team is that of a family.”

Beesley recently raised over $29,000 on kickstarter.com to fund the completion of the project, including editing and sound production. He hopes to finish the film over the next month in time to submit it to South by Southwest Film Festival in March. Once it’s made the festival circuit, it will have a Tulsa premiere.

Now based in Austin, Beesley grew up in Oklahoma City and played high school football for his father, a coach, at Piedmont High School for a couple of years.

In addition to the Condict family, the film also follows receivers A.J. Freeth and Chris Murray, each of whom struggled with their grades, trying to remain academically eligible for Division I colleges.

Not to ruin the suspense, but the 2015 Bulldogs ended up going undefeated, completing the year 14-0, and winning their second straight Class 4A state championship—though the film isn’t really about that, either.

“Like a lot of my documentaries, it’s character-driven, which means it doesn’t have to be about football,” said Beesley, who originally wanted to turn the footage into a TV series. “It’s more about their interpersonal stories and struggles.”

Beesley also noted that some key crew members and producers were from Tulsa.

Wagoner won the state title again in 2016 and is undefeated through five games in 2017. Clearly, as the film demonstrates, high school football is a big part of that community and the team’s success is a source of much local pride.

“I was looking for a small town, because I didn’t want to do a story about Jenks or Union, and I wanted there to be a broad social demographic,” said Beesley. “This is just a project that has been stewing—that I’ve been thinking about for years.” a October 4 – 17, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

Complimentary Public Opening Reception

7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5 Works on display

Oct. 6 -Dec. 30, 2017 Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art The University of Oklahoma 555 Elm Ave. Norman, OK 73019-3003 fjjma.ou.edu | @ fjjma

Admission is always free!

The Jerome M. Westheimer, Sr. and Wanda Otey Westheimer Distinguished Visiting Artist Chair Robert Lee Taylor (U.S., b. 1951) Becoming [detail], 2015 Acrylic on canvas, 28 x 22”in.

Loan courtesy of the artist

For accommodations, please call Visitor Services at (405) 325-4938.

The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. www.ou.edu/eoo

2017

TYPROS

Join TYPros for a night of live music and great food, honoring the people and organizations that make Tulsa rock!

Friday, November 10

6 p.m. | VIP Cocktail Hour 7:15 p.m. | Dinner & Awards Ceremony

Greenwood Cultural Center

322 N. Greenwood Ave. | Tulsa, OK 74102

BOOMTOWN AWARDS PREMIER SPONSORS

Bama

TM

Bama

TYPROS PREMIER SPONSORS

TM

Benefiting the TYPros Foundation to fund projects, programs and events that #MakeTulsaAwesome.

THE TULSA VOICE // October 4 – 17, 2017 TYP_BoomtownAwards_TulsaVoiceHalfPageAd_0917.indd 1

FEATURED // 29 10/2/17 10:07 AM

artspot

Block by block THE REFINERY JOINS ART, LIFE, AND PLAY

by ALICIA CHESSER

Inside Tulsa Artist Fellow Adam Carnes’ studio at Studios @ The Refinery | ABBY MASHUNKASHEY

H

ead west down the little alley between Detroit Avenue and M.L.K. Jr. Boulevard and look left. Amid the sounds of music from Guthrie Green or of construction in the newly-renamed Tulsa Arts District, you might see light peeking out from a half-open garage door, a stack of meticulously colored graphic designs leaning against a sawhorse, and the two sneakered feet of nationally-recognized mural, tattoo, and print artist Codak Smith.

Smith’s new space is one of 29 studios and 14 apartments in Tulsa Artist Fellowship (TAF) Studios @ The Refinery, an airy two-story live/work facility in the newly renovated Archer Building.

TAF was established two years ago by the George Kaiser Family Foundation to bring new life to Tulsa’s arts community. Chosen from hundreds of applicants in literary and visual arts from across the country, TAF fellows receive an unrestricted stipend and free studio and apartment space while they dive into their creative work.

There are currently 34 fellows.

Most have been scattered around town during their tenure in the program.

“Almost all the artists are in one building [now], which is great,” said TAF visual artist Molly 30 // ARTS & CULTURE

Dilworth. “It’s nice to bump into people when you’re working.”

The Refinery’s aesthetic is perfectly 2017: minimalist and artisanal, mostly concrete and white with touches of brick, motion-sensing lights, and non-gender-specific bathrooms.

“We worked with Lilly Architects, who are the brains behind the entire Archer Building renovation and many other GKFF projects throughout the district,” said TAF Program Director Julia White. “With them we put together a branding activity, working closely with another company out of Oklahoma City, to ask what this building means and how we envision it being used.

“We wanted to make sure its history would remain intact. It was a mill at one point. It was a space where the railroad tracks went through the back. There was even a brewery here. It was a working building that connected different cities. Hence the name ‘The Refinery’: people are going to be redefining and refining their practice here.”

“We’re growing, evolving, learning,” White continued. “It’s nice to finally have a space that’s ours. The fellows can cook in the common kitchen and use the gallery walls to photograph their work. We can host workshops, conversations.”

The Refinery also features a ceramics studio, a woodworking shop, and a second-story terrace overlooking Hardesty Arts Center.

“My favorite time is when my office doors are open, White said, “and I look down the hall and Molly’s doors are open, and Joel Daniel [Phillips]’s doors are open, and we’ve got the dogs running around the hallway and you can hear music from other studios. The community that’s grown in this program has been really special. It will be great to see these relationships grow, alongside relationships with the surrounding community, as this building makes the program more accessible.”

During First Friday on October 6, TAF Studios @ The Refinery will celebrate its grand opening with an open house featuring cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and Scott Stulen of Philbrook Museum of Art will DJ. Studio doors will be open and TAF artists will be present. Those who aren’t in town will have their work on the walls, curated by Christina Burke, curator of Native American and Non-Western Art at Philbrook.

“It’s a chance to meet these artists and get to know their work and the TAF program,” White said. “This is our way of saying, ‘Hi, Tulsa. Let’s work together.” a

THE ARCHER BUILDING AT THE CORNER OF EAST ARCHER STREET AND M.L.K. JR. BOULEVARD

With its pedestrian-friendly mix of pleasures and necessities, the Archer Building feels like a microcosm of the George Kaiser Family Foundation’s hopes for the Tulsa Arts District in general. With TAF Studios @ The Refinery is its first tenant, GKFF turns up the volume on one of its core assertions: that creativity is critical to the health of the community, and that artists need community in order to thrive.

But the building isn’t intended just for the artists who will live and work there. Having books, restaurants, housewares, gifts, and groceries within walking distance of public events and workplaces is good for everybody.

It’s shaping up to be a meticulously curated collection of businesses both scrappy and urbane: Magic City Books at the anchor corner, The Goods Bodega (see page 14), Lone Wolf, Press Café + Yoga, Shuffles Board Game Café, Guitar House of Tulsa, Made: An Indie Emporium, and several other tenants yet to be announced.

October 4 – 17, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

onstage COME JOIN US FOR A FREE SEMINAR ABOUT JOINT AND MUSCLE PAIN

Understand different treatment options from

Yogesh Mittal, MD board certified orthopaedic surgeon • Causes

of Pain in Your Joints and Muscles

• Non-Surgical

and Surgical Treatment Options

Tuesday, October 10th | 7pm Renaissance Tulsa Hotel & Convention Center

Come join us and register today at: marketing@toctulsa.com or (918) 925-3251 David Blakely and Bruce Willis in TU’s McFarlin Library | GREG BOLLINGER

Sweets from the Aztecs

Light Food And Refreshments Will Be Served Individual results vary. Not all patients will have the same post-procedure recovery and activity level. See your physician to discuss your potential benefits and risks.

‘TIME FOR CHOCOLATE’ DEBUTS AT NIGHTINGALE THEATER

by MICHAEL WRIGHT “THE PLAY IS ABOUT MY DAUGHTERS’ ancestors: an homage to a heritage passed down through many generations—and now to my family as well,” Bruce Dean Willis said. “I’ve been fascinated by the history, culture and languages of Mexico for over half my life.”

Willis is Professor of Spanish and Comparative Literature at The University of Tulsa. His play, “Time for Chocolate,” will debut with Heller Theatre Company starting October 6 at Nightingale Theater.

Willis based the play off of the “Cantares Mexicanos,” a collection of 16th-century songs housed in the National Library of Mexico. The original texts were recorded in Nahuatl, a picture language of the Mesoamerican people, and eventually translated into Spanish.

Set in the late 15th century, the play takes place in an Aztec-influenced culture located several hundred miles from modern-day Mexico City. In the play, city-state leaders come together to celebrate the arts and pay respect to the initiation of the ruler’s son into adulthood.

“Time for Chocolate” is directed by David Blakely, director of the Theatre Program at Rogers State University and the resident playwright at Heller.

“The day after the gathering, the son will go off to war,” Blakely said. “It’s the last chance for the ruler to help his son understand that the world is bigger than he thinks it is. In that way it’s a very relatable story for contemporary audiences. We all THE TULSA VOICE // October 4 – 17, 2017

want our children to understand the world they’ll have to live in.”

The play is built on spectacle, ritual, and a richness of language based in the poetry of the time, called “flower-song.”

The celebration is enhanced by the sharing of a hallucinogenic chocolate drink used to induce visions and help create ecstatic poetry.

“Chocolate was a critical element of the Aztec culture,” Willis said. “Where they lived is too far up in the highlands to grow cacao. They had to get it from the lowlands, so they were constantly expanding their empire to take over those lowlands.

They would get cacao from those they conquered and use it as money and for ritual observances.”

The play presents a philosophical view on the nature of living in uncertain times. “‘We’re only here for a moment,’ is a statement made in one of the poems,” Willis said. “‘We’re only flowers’ is another.

When I started fleshing out the play I realized that this is a little peek at something that was destroyed. It was an entire kind of worldview that the Spaniards set out to decimate. To me it seems like this precious time capsule.” a

Heller Theatre Company and Tulsa Latino Theatre Companyt

Written by Bruce Willis Directed by David Blakely

October 6 - 7 and 13 - 14, 2017 at 7:30 P.M.

For tickets please visit www.hellertheatreco.com or call 918-609-0482 Nightingale Theater, 1416 East 4th Street, Tulsa

“TIME FOR CHOCOLATE”

October 6–7 and 13–14, 7:30 p.m.

Nightingale Theater 1416 E. 4th St. 918-609-0482 for tickets and information ARTS & CULTURE // 31

sportsreport

Sandlot Sundays BASEBALL CLUB BRINGS TEX AS VISION TO TULSA

by LAUREN PARKINSON

Tulsa Sandlot Society at Chandler Park practice on October 1 | MARISSA BURGER

D

riven by nostalgia, like-minded friends, and cold beer in the dugout, the Tulsa Sandlot Society has grown in reputation and size since its start this summer.

At the heart of the Tulsa Sandlot Society are two brothers, Drew and Rhett McNeil. Drew, a local attorney, and Rhett, a Tulsa Artist Fellow, dreamed of creating something they couldn’t previously find in Tulsa: an inclusive social club centered around baseball.

The idea of bringing a contemporary, loosely-structured sandlot league to Tulsa was inspired by the Texas Playboys Baseball Club.

Founded in 2006, the Playboys play ball in their own five-acre facility in Austin, leading what they call “the Sandlot revolution.”

“For everyone who plays, there is definitely a built-in nostalgia—a connection with our families, growing up and our childhoods,” Drew said. “Baseball is a sport that’s difficult to just play a pickup game. You need to have all the equipment; you need a field to play on and you need to have at least 18 people.”

That’s what pushed the McNeil brothers to pull together a group of friends and start two interchangeable teams, the Saturns and the Tramps.

The teams play each other wherever there’s an empty field.

With youth baseball leagues

32 // ARTS & CULTURE

Tulsa Sandlot Society Co-founders Drew and Rhett McNeil | COURTESY

occupying highly prized fields like LaFortune Park, they typically find themselves at Chandler Park.

There’s only one rule for the Tulsa Sandlot Society: Don’t be a dick.

“Everyone is welcome to play, unless you’re the type of person that makes other people feel unwelcome,” Drew said. “There’s not a void for competitive leagues in Tulsa. If you want to be competitive with a bunch of agro 25 to 30 year olds, you can find that.

Our thing was to have these kind of cool, chill baseball events that involve the game in a fun party atmosphere.”

Bobby Carter is a third founding father and also serves as the group’s manager. Before game time, he’s assigning positions, drafting lineup cards, and chewing sunflower seeds. Once

the game starts, he’s either on the pitcher’s mound or holding down shortstop.

“I’ve met a lot of people I wouldn’t have met otherwise and have become good friends with them,” Bobby said. “That’s kind of been my favorite part. I think we have all grown in this positive environment, so if you’re going to be that guy yelling at another teammate because they dropped a ball, then you gotta go.”

That’s another alluring thing about the society: there’s no hierarchal structure. Once a player makes it to a Sunday sandlot session, their name is added to the roster. Weekly participation isn’t required, but is always encouraged.

“We all had connections to one another before baseball to some degree,” Drew said. “But the Tulsa Sandlot Society kind of solidifies

that connection for us and finds this common ground where we can all get excited about something great.”

Tulsa Sandlot Society receives support from Clean Hands, The Saturn Room, and Coop Ale Works. Clean Hands co-founder Justin Baney is providing the group’s badge design and jerseys, which are set to debut in the coming weeks. He also plays center field. After towing multiple cases of cold beer to the dugout each week, Coop Ale Works sales rep Jeff Dickason takes the diamond.

The Oklahoma City-based brewery has also donated money to the league. After the scrimmage, the group typically fills The Saturn Room’s tiki patio with laughter and camaraderie. They even named one of their teams after the bar.

“To have something that is truly inclusive, regardless of age, marital status, sexual orientation, race, or ethnicity has been a beautiful thing,” Rhett said. “We get along grand and it’s a great party every Sunday. Yes, we play baseball together, but it’s also a method of organizing socially that previously didn’t exist for us.”

The Saturns and the Tramps will head to Austin later this month to compete in the Sandlot World Series. The invitation came from none other than The Texas Playboys. a October 4 – 17, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

A PE RFOR MING ARTS CENT ER

Caught LOokinG

TULS

poem

Oct. 3-30

Southeastern Indian Artists Association PAC Art Gallery Oct. 6

How I Became A Pirate Tulsa PAC Trust Oct. 13-14

TU Dance Choregus Productions Oct. 15

Danish String Quartet Chamber Music Tulsa Oct. 20 & 22

Faust Tulsa Opera Oct. 21-28

GET TICKETS

Fun Home American Theatre Company

TULSAPAC.COM Oct. 26-27 MYTICKETOFFICE.COM Twelve Angry Jurors 918.596.7111 Riverfield Country Day School

BY DAVID BEEBE

Beneath Broken Arrow power lines, Drummond Island in damp knee-high grass, Croton and Henning Park, warmed in last

Tulsa Symphony presents…

light; the ball turns purplish orange with short tosses upward before it lands in soft leather, like the fitted glide of putting on Sunday shoes. I love the motion, the rhythm, the movement of the seams – spinning, floating, dancing, guided by higher, misunderstood things.

Deer watch from the edge of left field as coyotes canter in right, in royal view of the town water tower across the river, last in feeling the sun, framed in center. Practicing our knuckles and curves like boys who never wandered into the

BEETHOVEN AND BRAHMS OCTOBER 6, 2017 • 7:00 pm TSO’s concertmaster Rossitza Jekova-Goza and pianist, Lyndon Meyer will perform Beethoven’s Violin Sonata No. 9, the“Kreutzer.” They will be joined by principal cellist, Kari Caldwell to perform Brahms’ Piano Trio in B major.

VISIT TULSASYMPHONY.ORG FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO PURCHASE TICKETS OR CALL 918-584-3645

woods, never stared down wolves in new darkness.

Join us for music, wine and conversation in a classically casual atmosphere.

Doors open at 6:30 PM for wine and appetizers and the music begins at 7 PM. The FlyLoft is located at 117 N Boston Ave, across from Hey Mambo.

THE TULSA VOICE // October 4 – 17, 2017

ARTS & CULTURE // 33

contactsheet

CONTACT SHEET: THE TULSA STATE FAIR 34 // ARTS & CULTURE

October 4 – 17, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

photos and words by WESTERN DOUGHTY Sensory assault is the single best reason to go to the fair. Everyone who walks through the gate is actually seeking those ADHD-triggering lights, intimidating piles of moving steel, and smells so pungent they can navigate the grounds by their nostrils.

The wide swath of humanity at the fair is made up of sometimes thousands of individuals. While they represent diverse backgrounds and walks of life, it’s almost as if they have forged an alliance. Everyone seems to agree that once they climb aboard a ride, they will put aside their differences for two-and-ahalf minutes of groupthink. Even on the midway, everyone is there to take in the sights—or each other—in much the same way.

Pretty much everyone will eat too much fried food, dirty their shoes, and leave with a sense of exhausted satisfaction. For me, though, it’s easy to enter a sort of foggy, sensory overload state of mind, washing all of that input into a single “fair experience.”

With this project, I wanted to slow it down, use framing to focus on one story, one person, one exchange at a time. I not only cut out some of what was around me to focus on the singular, but I also removed any visual sense of unity. What you are left with are contrasts, textures, and individual expressions. Ultimately, that is what fascinates me—individual people and their stories, contrasted with what is around them. a

Contact Sheet is a place for local photographers to share their projects.

If you’re interested in submitting, write to voices@langdonpublishing.com.

THE TULSA VOICE // October 4 – 17, 2017

ARTS & CULTURE // 35

thehaps

FIRST FRIDAY ART CRAWL

Friday, Oct. 6, 6–9 p.m.

Tulsa Arts District, thebradyartsdistrict.com 108 Contemporary: “Streets: Mark Lewis,” Artist of the Month Christie Hackler; AHHA: OK Visual Arts Coalition’s Art 365, “When is a Quilt Not a Quilt? The Paradox of Appropriation” by Jane Dunnewold, “Turned to Perfection: From Nature into Art” by Northeastern Oklahoma Woodturners’ Association; Back Gallery: Fiber show featuring Malinda Blank and Chris Arnold; Bar 46: Live mural painting by Sally Pierson; Brady Artists Studio: Pottery by Mel Cornshucker, Donna Prigmore, and Chas Foote; Chimera: Music by David Ramirez and Lydia Cheshewalla; Chrysalis Salon & Spa: “Art Macabre – A Halloween Art Show” by Rickey Mizell; Club Majestic: Hoe You Think You Can Dance!

Contest; Guthrie Green: Tulsa Ballet on the Green; Gypsy Coffeehouse: Art by Leeloo Dallas, music by Phillip Cabbil; Henry Zarrow Center for Arts and Education: Contemporary Native American Exhibition; Hey Mambo: Photographs

by Larry Saideman, music by 7blue Jazz Trio; The Hunt Club: Music by Smunty Voje; Living Arts: “Corporeal Cadences” – an exhibition highlighting contemporary Native practices through static and performative works, “Eloquent Craftsman” – a retro exhibition of works by Tom Manhart and his students; Mainline Art & Cocktails: “Some Mistaken Marks” by Alan Frakes, music by Double Treble; Philbrook Downtown: “Identity & Inspiration” and “Game On! Oklahoma superstar larger than life”; Soundpony: Soft Leather; TAC Gallery: “Solar Harvest” by Lucy Burgess; Tulsa Glassblowing School: Demonstration

by John Miller of Illinois State University;

EVAN TAYLOR

MUSIC FESTIVAL

THEATRE

Japan’s Blueside of Lonesome, Belgium’s Louvat Brothers Trio, Australia’s Nick Charles, and many more play this year’s Oklahoma International Bluegrass Festival in Guthrie. Oct. 5-7, $17-$86, Cottonwood Flats, oibf.com

An ancient Mexican ritual known as “flower song” inspires Time for Chocolate, a play written by TU Professor of Spanish and Comparative Literature Bruce Dean Willis. (See pg. 31) Oct. 6-14, $12-$15, Nightingale Theater, hellertheatreco.com

CULTURAL FESTIVAL

MUSIC COMMUNITY

Take in the sights, sounds, smells, and flavors of the Greek islands at the 57th annual Tulsa Greek Festival.

Oct. 5-7, $3-$5, Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, htgoctulsa.org

The No Tulsa Sound will host an “unofficial” Tulsa Music Town Hall at pH Community House, an opportunity for musicians to meet and discuss the state of Tulsa’s music scene. Oct. 11, 7-9 p.m., facebook.com/thenotulsasound

BENEFIT

FILM FESTIVAL

Fuel 66 and Homestead Clothing Co. host Tunes for Texas, two days of live music to benefit Hurricane Harvey victims. The lineup includes Bryce Dicus and The Mercenaries, The Dustin Pittsley Band, and more.

Oct. 6-7, $15-$20, Fuel 66, homesteadclothingco.com

Tulsa American Film Festival returns for its annual showcase of American features and shorts, with a special focus on Native American, Latino, Oklahoma-based, and student filmmakers. (See pg. 20) Oct. 11-15, multiple locations, tulsaamericanfilmfest.com

36 // ARTS & CULTURE

October 4 – 17, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

thehaps

BEST OF THE REST EVENTS POP - Michelle Firment Reid // MUSED. Organization’s poetry-on-poetry series celebrates Michelle Firment Reid with readings from her manuscript of poems, “My Open Side,” and from poets who have influenced her. // 10/5, Joseph Gierek Fine Art, musedorganization.org Movie in the Park: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone // 10/5, Guthrie Green, guthriegreen.com GAMING

XPO Game Festival features the latest gaming technology, demos from large publishers and indie developers, panels and guest speakers, a retro gaming lounge, tabletop games, tournaments, and live music. Oct. 12-15, $35-$65, Cox Business Center, xpotulsa.com

DANCE

TU Dance company is acclaimed for its versatility, drawing together modern dance, classical ballet, and African-based and urban vernacular movements.

Oct. 13-14, $20-$45, John H. Williams Theatre, Tulsa PAC, tulsapac.com

POP CULTURE

Tulsa Pop Culture Expo will feature gaming, cosplay, panel discussions, and appearances by 7th Heaven mom Catherine Hicks, Chase Masterson of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and many others. (See pg. 46) Oct. 14-15, $15-$50, Wyndham Hotel, t-popexpo.com

ART MARKET

Featuring 150 Native American artists representing 50 tribes from across the country, Cherokee Art Market is one of the largest Native American art shows in the region. Oct. 14-15, $5, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, cherokeeartmarket.com

Trick-or-Tease // Moonlight Minx Parade presents an evening of Halloween-themed burlesque. // 10/7, Venue Shrine, tulsashrine.com National Indian Taco Championship // Try the best of the best of this regional delicacy, and see (and take part in) traditional dancing at the NITC Pow Wow. // 10/7, Downtown Pawhuska, facebook.com/NITCPawhuska The Barkyard // Come on and get yappy as Puppy Haven Rescue hosts this two-day adoption event. // 10/7, The Boxyard, puppyhavenrescue.com/ Movie in the Park: Rumblefish // 10/12, Guthrie Green, guthriegreen.com Imparables // 10/13, River Spirit Casino - Paradise Cove, riverspirittulsa.com/entertainment Luchaween // Start celebrating Halloween early with an evening of lucha libre and karaoke. // 10/13, Elote Cafe, elotecafe.com Movie in the Park: Friday the 13th // 10/13, Guthrie Green, guthriegreen.com Pelican Festival // Grand Lake celebrates the return of the migrating American Whte Pelican with an Oktoberfest-themed carnical and art fair. // 10/13, Wolf Creek Park, pelicanfestok.com Rocky on the Runway // Beautiful Xtremes and Tulsa Project Theatre present this immersive Rocky Horror-themed fashion show. // 10/14, She Theatre and Lounge, beautifulxtremes.com

traditional Indian folk and Bollywood music.

You can even learn to dance the garba. // 10/7, Guthrie Green, facebook.com/SAPAFTULSA Danish String Quartet // The quartet performs Beethoven’s Quartet in D Major, Op. 18, No. 3 // 10/14, Westby Pavilion - Tulsa PAC, tulsapac.com Danish String Quartet // The quartet performs Haydn’s Quartet in C Major, Op. 20, No. 2, Schnittke’s Quartet No. 3 (1983), and Beethoven’s Quartet in F Major, Op. 59, No. 1, Rasumovsky. // 10/15, John H. Williams Theatre - Tulsa PAC, tulsapac.com

COMEDY Sam Norton, Kristin Lindner // 10/4, Loony Bin, tulsa.loonybincomedy.com Janet Williams // 10/11, Loony Bin, tulsa.loonybincomedy.com T.J. Miller // 10/14, River Spirit Casino - Paradise Cove, riverspirittulsa.com/entertainment

SPORTS TU Women’s Soccer vs Uconn // 10/5, Hurricane Stadium, tulsahurricane.com TU Volleyball vs UCF // 10/6, Reynolds Center, tulsahurricane.com WWE Live // 10/7, BOK Center, bokcenter.com ORU Men’s Soccer vs Fort Wayne // 10/7, Case Soccer Complex, oruathletics.com TU Softball vs Central Oklahoma // 10/7, Collins Family Softball Complex, tulsahurricane.com ORU Volleyball vs Denver // 10/7, Cooper Aerobics Center, oruathletics.com TU Men’s Soccer vs USF // 10/7, Hurricane Stadium, tulsahurricane.com

ART

Walk to Defeat ALS // 10/14, Guthrie Green, guthriegreen.com

TU Women’s Soccer vs Temple // 10/8, Hurricane Stadium, tulsahurricane.com

The new exhibition Museum Confidential will turn Philbrook inside out, revealing practices, archives, stories, and an unprecedented number of never-before-seen works of art. Oct. 14 through May 2018, philbrook.org

Art on Main // Dozens of Oklahoma artists of many styles and media participate in this outdoor juried art show, which also features local wine and live music. // 10/14, The Rose District, jenkschamber.com/artonmain

TU Volleyball vs USF // 10/8, Reynolds Center, tulsahurricane.com

MUSIC FESTIVAL

Tom Skinner’s Skyline Festival returns honoring the late musician with performances by the Science Project Band, Grazzhopper, Jesse Aycock, Lauren Barth, Brad James, and more. Oct. 15, 3 p.m., $15-$50, Mercury Lounge and The Venue Shrine, reddirtrelieffund.org

For the most up-to-date listings

thetulsavoice.com/calendar THE TULSA VOICE // October 4 – 17, 2017

PERFORMING ARTS The Mousetrap // A group of strangers is stranded in a boarding house during a snowstorm in this Agatha Christie mystery. // 10/6, Broken Arrow Community Playhouse, bacptheatre.com How I Became a Pirate // Young Jeremy Jacobs joins Captain Braid Beard’s band of comical pirates in this swashbuckling musical // 10/6, John H. Williams Theatre - Tulsa PAC, tulsapac.com Garba on the Green // South Asian Performing Arts Foundation presents this festival of

TU Men’s Soccer vs Denver // 10/10, Hurricane Stadium, tulsahurricane.com ORU Women’s Soccer vs Denver // 10/12, Case Soccer Complex, oruathletics.com Tulsa Oilers vs Kansas City Mavericks // 10/13, BOK Center, bokcenter.com TU Softball vs Labette Community College // 10/13, Collins Family Softball Complex, tulsahurricane.com TU Football vs Houston - Homecoming Game // 10/14, H.A. Chapman Stadium, tulsahurricane.com ORU Volleyball vs Omaha // 10/15, Cooper Aerobics Center, oruathletics.com

ARTS & CULTURE // 37

musicnotes

Zach Short | GREG BOLLINGER

SHORT I ON TIME Zach Short reflects on hometown life in Breathe before looking to new horizons

by DAMION SHADE

38 // MUSIC

met Zach Short when he was 15. He was a babyfaced guy with bangs playing in a band called Bloomfield. They were solid for a teenage rock group. But like most high school relationships, they were pretty short-lived. Zach spent the next few years honing his guitar chops. Eventually, he landed a gig as Fiawna Forté’s guitarist and then formed his own project, Zach Short Group (ZSG).

September marked the two-year anniversary of the band’s first album Oxygen, and on October 7, ZSG will release their sophomore record, Breathe, with a live performance at The Hunt Club.

The cadre of musicians in ZSG includes Zach Hardin on bass, Michael Frost on drums, and Andrew Zimmerman on guitar and keys. The album also includes James Johnson on saxophone, former bassist Joe Frost, and Forté singing vocals on the title track. Zimmerman engineered and produced both of ZSG’s albums, and Breathe was tracked in his basement with most of the songs recorded in a

single take. The recording process was meant to emulate the feeling of sitting in an intimate space with the band.

Much of the album is grounded in the aesthetic of ‘60s and ‘70s era classic rock, despite the average age of the band members being 23.

“Some of the first bands I listened to were Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, Pink Floyd, and Van Morrison,” Short said. “It started with Jimmy Page. I would just play a pentatonic scale at first in my solos, but listening to Led Zeppelin really opened me up.”

Breathe reflects these roots.

Dense melodic bass lines anchor the rhythm, and Frost’s relentless drumming make an ample pocket for the harmonies and angular guitar and piano melodies that Short and Zimmerman contribute. Short’s voice adds the last touch of color to these tracks. His autobiographical lyrics are complimented by the purity and authenticity of his voice.

Short’s songs show him wearing his heart on his sleeves, but they

don’t sound naive. He thinks of Tulsa as part of his narrative, and this album tells that story.

“There were a lot of emotional experiences behind these songs …

You’re a young adult and you’re starting into that adult life of making your own decisions and screwing up a lot, and finding that people aren’t who you thought they were.”

After Breathe’s release, Short will move to Tampa Bay, Florida, to live outside of Oklahoma for the first time.

“It’s not like I’m moving there to find a better scene or to find more opportunity. It’s more just to find myself. Sometimes you have to get out of your comfort zone to be able to really see how you fare in the outside world.” a

ZACH SHORT GROUP BREATHE ALBUM RELEASE WITH BRUJO ROOTS AND MOLTEN SUN PROJECTIONS October 7, 10 p.m.

The Hunt Club | $5 | All ages October 4 – 17, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

“Carly Meyers on trombone who plays with ROAR, Dan Oestreicher on bass and baritone sax, and then Brad Walker who played sax on tour with Sturgill Simpson,” Combs said. “We brought all that back and finished it at my home studio adding Olivia McGraw on violin.”

In the opening tracks “Versus” and “Cosmic Trigger” Combs’s gift for melodic hooks is obvious. Bright saxophone is reminiscent of Charlie Parker or Ornette Coleman and plays well against the trombone and bass. There are traces of J. Dilla all over this record, too, from Bones’s

snare drum to the spacy layers of tape sound hissing at the edges of the tracks.

Combs’s production is full of texture, tumult, and even long languid spaces. Lap steel rings over the analog crackle of horns and strings. His blonde Jazzmaster guitar becomes an object with moods.

Combsy is hard to fit neatly into a single musical space.

“To people in the rock world, it’s jazz music,” Combs said. “And to people in the jazz world, it’s rock music. My mom’s side of the family is all from New Orleans. Her dad’s vinyl collection was like Miles Smiles

and old Louis Armstrong and Pete Fontaine.

Then my dad’s side of the family were like Hillbillies from Missouri. They were into this weird country gospel music. Those are the things that kind of made me.” a

COMBSY ALBUM RELEASE WITH LAUREN BARTH AND THE BRIAN HAAS LOVE AMALGAM, FEAT. ANNIE ELLICOTT AND MARK SOUTHERLAND Oct. 13, 9 p.m. | Fassler Hall

Chris Combs | GREG BOLLINGER

Capturing refractions CHRIS COMBS’S DEBUT ALBUM IS HEADY MIX

by DAMION SHADE

“I KNOW HOW I FEEL WHEN I HEAR MUSIC that has someone’s real core being in it,” Chris Combs said. “There’s heart in it and there’s booty in it and there’s mind in it. If those three things are moving together in the same direction you’re going the right way.”

For more than a decade, Combs, the respected Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey guitarist, has anchored groups in genres ranging from jazz to hip-hop to country. Finally, he’s releasing his first solo album, Combsy, October 13 on Horton Records.

“I think the songs all come from different spots within myself,” he said. “There’s not like a theme running or any coherent linear thing happening. It’s all pretty personal. There’s kind of a strange safety with instrumental music. Though I feel like it’s the most intimate shit I’ve done.There’s some Gogo Plumbay moments. There’s some Jacob Fred moments. There’s some Booomclap moments. I’ve had my identity kind of split among these different things for a while. So, this was the first thing I feel like captures those refractions.”

Last October, Combs travelled with drummer Andrew Bones and bassist Aaron Boehler to track everything to tape at The Fellowship Hall in Little Rock. Then, he went to New Orleans and did it again with three of his favorite horn players.

THE TULSA VOICE // October 4 – 17, 2017

MUSIC // 39

musicnotes

Against the bullyboys An interview with MDC founder Dave Dictor

by DAN RIFEE

T

he Reagan era, to me, was defined by hardcore punk, and vice versa. As a kid in the ‘80s, it seemed to me that the only reasonable response to the harsh realities of Reagan’s United States was to be a hardcore kid, and there were few bands as hardcore as MDC. MDC, who play The Vanguard on October 9, were early exponents of extreme punk—exemplars of lightning quick tempos and harsh, distorted guitar noise and strident, shouted vocals decrying police brutality and racism.

They advocated for human rights when it wasn’t in vogue.

For years, people have declared that punk is dead and no longer relevant. But it never really went away. Today, MDC’s music seems prescient and relevant—all over again.

Actually, I never got to see Willie in Texas. So punk rock started happening around me and I fell into that vortex.

RIFFE: Tell me a little bit about the whole Bad Brains fracas.

Members of MDC with part of the famous line from their song “Born to Die” (“No war, no KKK, no fascist USA”) | COURTESY

DAN RIFFE: It’s like the Trump era is a weird echo or replay of the Reagan era.

DAVE DICTOR: Yeah, it really is.

It’s back to the future one more time with all the crazy bullyboys— down to what’s going on with the NFL. It’s just incredible to see the president act like that and of course that’s a smoke screen—it’s them trying to steal health care from regular people and all the other things they’re trying to get away with.

As far as making music in the early ‘80s, I was someone who grew up a decade ahead of you.

40 // MUSIC

I lived through the ‘60s and I got to see the whole spectrum from John F. Kennedy being assassinated, Martin Luther King and Bob Kennedy, the Vietnam War and all the double talking. And Richard Nixon … they recorded all these lies and he has to resign, and then finally Jimmy Carter came, and then four years of Jimmy Carter and they got rid of him. And then it was Reagan in 1980 and it was incredible to live through it. They put a hold on all the rights between eight years of Reagan and four years of Bush.

They got to stack the Supreme Court. They still have a stacked Supreme Court. We’re living

through it and there’s things that coincide with the ‘80s and some would say even the ‘50s. Hopefully we’re a little farther down the road as far as the right side of history.

RIFFE: You grew up on Long Island. Were you aware of the Austin music scene before you moved down there to go to school?

DICTOR: Somewhat. I was. I knew Janis Joplin lived there for a while and they also had this kind of country swing music, and I heard Willie Nelson moved there and that put the nail in the coffin—I’m gonna go hang out with Willie.

DICTOR: Basically we met them; we idolized them. You know, they were the African American hardcore band and the songs on that first release or two they put out were totally like P.M.A.—positive mental attitude. It was all kinds of uplifting kind of stuff. They definitely had some Coptic Christian islands philosophy, Rastafari to the max, homophobic to the max, and it just didn’t work with me at all. I knew Randy Biscuit [from the Big Boys] and Gary Floyd [from The Dicks] well. I had my own sexual feelings, you know, [like] how do I fit into this world? It became, this is not my punk rock that I wanna be subjected to.

Back then bands had their own philosophy and people were drawn to that philosophy and I didn’t want to get on the fence with it. I really had to be outspoken about it. So I did an interview with Maximum Rock & Roll and told them what happened, how they were using the term “bloodclot faggot” and “they deserve to die” and “we don’t want to ever hold a microphone that’s held by a bloodclot faggot” and he was talking about Gary Floyd and Randy Biscuit and it just didn’t work.

RIFFE: Looking at young people specifically, how does punk and October 4 – 17, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

FREE IT ’S L E G A L T IL L

Tulsa’rsee F ONLY u na a j i r a M Lawyer

Free legal representation for first offense marijuana possession.

Tulsa District & City Courts only.

No juvenile cases.

Reasonable fees for other charges.

Some restrictions apply.

Michael Fairchild • Attorney at Large • 918-58-GRASS (584-7277) MDC playing Minneapolis in 2011 | COURTESY

hardcore fit into the modern era as opposed to in the ‘80s?

DICTOR: To me it’s all punk rock.

I started out being in a punk rock band in 1979 and things kind of morphed into MDC which was a hardcore thing. I was never locked into this, “This is all I do is hard core.” That’s not how I feel.

RIFFE: Green Day took your lyrics from “Born to Die”—the “No war, no KKK, no fascist USA,” but changed them to “No Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA” at the 2016 American Music Awards.

Did you feel like they ripped you off ?

DICTOR: It never occurred to me as that at all. I got a call from Rolling Stone magazine saying, “Oh, Green Day is doing your song” that night, half an hour after it happened. I wasn’t watching the AMAs. I was very happy. Use my art, use my music. They played for millions of people that night. The “Born To Die” version of our song went from having 4,000 hits to 40,000 hits. So I was happy.

RIFFE: Is the song “My Family is a Little Weird” a reflection on how you were raised?

DICTOR: Totally. My family was a little weird. My high school had this event with the girls that played basketball and the boys were supposed to dress up like cheerleaders and I got a lot of harassment from older jocks to the point I was beaten up at the beach. We’re talking about Biff from “Back to the Future,” bully-type of people. You know, saying, “You’re a man, you should act like this.” That song came out of that.

THE TULSA VOICE // October 4 – 17, 2017

It’s bad, the realization that they’re making a comeback, but I guess we have to do our thing and speak out against it and make music that rocks against it and sways the kids who are these hungry vessels looking for role models.

We need try to rescue as many of them as we can.

There’s nothing better to do than to try to reverse mass extinction of mammals and wherever this global warming thing is gonna lead. Then there’s economic injustice, so we don’t go back to the 1890s.

ONLINE The best of Tulsa — music, arts, dining, news, things to do and more. Come find out what’s happening.

RIFFE: In our so-called Christian nation, what would Jesus say?

DICTOR: People that want to be Christians, how can they cut welfare, how can they cut food stamps, how can they cut special education funding? I guess people celebrate a different god and one god was trying to help each other out and the other god was kind of Calvinist, kind of stern, you know—buck up or we’re gonna get rid of you. It’s real stuff to ponder and we better nudge it along to a positive place if there’s gonna be survival of this planet—or we’ll live not taking care of people with special needs and that’s where it almost goes to the Nazis. They believed in exterminating people that aren’t fit in their eyes. So here we are trying to do the right thing and I’m glad we’re here. a

MDC WITH THE ELECTED OFFICIALS, BATTALION OF SAINTS, THE CRYPTICS, AND LIFE AS ONE October 9, 7 p.m.

The Vanguard Thevaguardtulsa.com for tickets and more information MUSIC // 41

musicnotes

Spontaneity and structure Dean Demerritt Jazz Tribe improvises in TTV’s courtyard

by JOHN LANGDON

F

or Dean Demerritt, it all comes back to jazz.

Throughout his diverse career that including several years in the early ‘80s playing with Bob Wills-disciples Asleep at the Wheel and a spot in the Ft. Worth Symphony Orchestra—jazz remains at the center of Demerritt’s musical world.

In July, Dean Demerritt Jazz Tribe—a collective of some of Tulsa’s finest jazz players—released Red Dirt Improvisations, an homage to the city’s jazz lineage and a testament to it’s vibrant present. Tribe staples Sean Al-Jibouri on guitar and singer Sarah Maud joined Demerritt in TTV’s courtyard, as well as mandolin player Isaac Eicher, who recently returned to Tulsa after taking first place in the Walnut Valley National Mandolin Championship.

JOHN LANGDON: What was the first song you ever learned to play?

DEAN DEMERRITT: “Satin Doll.” My dad was a jazz piano player. He told me if I learned to play the song I could play in his band. So I asked how much money could I make, and he said, “You might make $25.”

LANGDON: You learned your first song specifically to play a gig?

DEMERRITT: Well, to be on the road to play a gig, yeah. I wanted to learn it so I could play in his band and you know, stay out past ten o’clock at night. I was thirteen or so.

LANGDON: What’s the best show you’ve ever seen here in Tulsa?

DEMERRITT: Most recently, Thundercat at The Vanguard [at the 42 // MUSIC

ple are more amenable to listening to it in Tulsa than they used to be.

LANGDON: Do you have any idea what’s going on with people’s perception?

Dean Demerritt Jazz Tribe playing TTV’s Courtyard Series on Sept. 21 | GREG BOLLINGER

inaugural Higher Plains Jazz and Hip Hop Festival] was really freaking good. He’s a beast.

LANGDON: What’s one of your own most memorable shows?

DEMERRITT: I did an interesting gig with a trio for the great songwriter Jimmy Webb, who’s from Oklahoma. We rearranged a bunch of his songs in a jazz style. I got to go up to him at the end and say, “Hey man, what did you think of what we did with your tunes?” He was very polite and said he liked it.

LANGDON: What’s a non-musical influence on your music?

DEMERRITT: There’s a book by the pianist Kenny Werner called “Effortless Mastery.” I read it every three or four months to remember the reason why I want to play music. We can get stuck in technique and hip chord changes and fascinating rhythms and stuff like that. You don’t want to get too tied down in that when what you really want to do is communicate with the audience.

You’re not on the planet to impress other hip jazz nerds.

Hopefully you’re on the planet to spread the word of music to the masses. At least I try to think that. That’s why I keep having to re-read that book.

LANGDON: For an album like Red Dirt Improvisations, where so much comes spontaneously from the moment, what kind of structure do you take into recording sessions?

DEMERRITT: I tell everybody, “This is a collaboration. If you have a suggestion, I want to hear what it is because together we’ll make it better than just me telling you what to do.” I try to pick musicians who aren’t just great players, but are collaborative and will say, “Why don’t you try doing a fusion thing here?” or “Let’s make this more hip-hop.” So we go into the studio at nighttime—‘cause jazz players like to play when it’s dark outside—and we just see what happens.

LANGDON: In just the last few years, it feels like jazz has become more and more accessible and available.

DEMERRITT: And it’s accepted. Peo-

DEMERRITT: I’ll talk to sixteen and seventeen-year-olds who have all [grown up with YouTube and] been able to pick out their own music and weren’t force-fed musical dog food. They’re not stuck listening to bad, Keith Urban shit on FM radio all the time.

Young people are more hip and open-minded to different kinds of music than they were ten or fifteen years ago. To kids in the ‘90s, jazz was Kenny G—a dork with long hair playing as a snake charmer.

LANGDON: And now you’ve got things like To Pimp a Butterfly, which was recorded with that powerhouse group of musicians and exposes so many people to that world.

DEMERRITT: Now people that dig Kendrick Lamar also dig Thundercat, Kamasi Washington, and Snarky Puppy. It’s freaking fantastic to see.

LANGDON: That’s one of the great things about the Internet: when you find something you like, it’s easy to follow the path backwards to see where it comes from.

DEMERRITT: People who go to see the DJ Flying Lotus know that he’s John Coltrane’s second cousin or something like that. [Editor’s note: Coltrane’s wife Alice was FlyLo’s great-aunt.] For some reason they know that. I went to one of his shows—and was by far the oldest person there—and they all knew who he was and what his background was. It’s great. a October 4 – 17, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

musiclistings Wed // Oct 4

Sat // Oct 7

Wed // Oct 11

Mercury Lounge – Jared Tyler & Seth Lee Jones Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Eicher Wednesdays – ($10) Soul City – Don & Steve White Soundpony – No Thank You, The Dull Drums, Tight Rope The Colony – Tom Skinner’s Science Project Tulsa PAC – *Dean Demerritt, Sean Al-Jibouri, and Sarah Maude Tulsa State Fair – Echosmith, The Agenda, The Fabulous Two Man Band

C.J. Maloney’s – Deuces Wild Band Fassler Hall – MONTU Hard Rock Casino - Cabin Creek – Allison Arms Hard Rock Casino - Riffs – Jenny Labow, Zodiac Mercury Lounge – Pop Skull Rebels, The Quivers Slo-Ride – The Blue Dawgs Soul City – The Rio Band – ($10) Soundpony – Soul Night The Colony – *Harumph, Combsy – ($5) The Fur Shop – Glo Odyssey 2017 w/ DJ Kylie, Darku J, NOIZMEKKA, and more – ($5-$45) The Hunt Club – *Zach Short Group Album Release The Max Retropub – DJ Robbo The Vanguard – Ragland, As We Are, Lucid Reality, Second Glance, Upland, Becca Richter-Cole – ($10) Tulsa State Fair – Pop Evil, Risky Business, The Sellouts, Tom Basler, Desi and Cody, The Hi-Fi Hillbillies

Brady Theater – Stone Sour, Steel Panther, Man with a Mission, Cherry Bombs – ($35-$39.50) Cain’s Ballroom – *SPOON, Mondo Cozmo – ($27-$42) IDL Ballroom – Space Jesus, Krewx, Noizmekka – ($15-$18) Mercury Lounge – Jared Tyler & Seth Lee Jones Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Eicher Wednesdays – ($10) Soul City – Don & Steve White The Colony – Tom Skinner’s Science Project

Thurs // Oct 5 Blackbird On Pearl – Mikey J Cain’s Ballroom – *Portugal. the Man, Lido – (SOLD OUT) Hard Rock Casino - Cabin Creek – Duke Mason Hard Rock Casino - Riffs – Scott Eastman, Rosie & The Hips Mercury Lounge – Paul Benjaman Soul City – The Begonias Soundpony – Caregiver to a Monster, Police Academy 2 The Colony – Open Mic Night w/ DJ Proctor The Colony – Jacob Tovar’s Thirst The Hunt Club – Jon Malone The Max Retropub – DJ Moody Tulsa State Fair – Bret Michaels, The Rumor, The Fabulous Two Man Band, Daniel Jordan, Scott Musick, Dos Capos Yeti – Dachshund, Mercury Tree

Fri // Oct 6 American Legion Post 308 – Round Up Boys Brady Theater – *Gov’t Mule – ($32.50-$48) Cain’s Ballroom – *Explosions in the Sky, Holy Fuck – ($25-$40) Centennial Lounge at VFW Post 577 – *The Grits Cimarron Bar – Fist of Rage Fassler Hall – *Lessons in Fresh w/ Hakeem Eli’juwon, Fly Mecha, Michael Frost, DJ Ed, Dedboii – ($5) Hard Rock Casino - Cabin Creek – Runnin’ On Empty Hard Rock Casino - Riffs – Darren Ray, Well Hungarians Hard Rock Casino - The Joint – Lynyrd Skynyrd – ($65-$85) Lassalle’s New Orleans Deli – Dean Demerritt and Sean Al-Jibouri Mercury Lounge – Corb Lund Peppers Grill – Scott Musick and Friends Soul City – Curtis McMurty – ($10) Soundpony – Soft Leather The Colony – *Chris Lee Becker’s Imaginary Friends – ($5) The Hunt Club – Smunty Voje The Max Retropub – Retro DJ The Vanguard – Tracy Thompson Benefit, The Panny Mob, Piece of Mind, Loose Wires, Streetlight Hero – ($7) The Venue Shrine – Mike Hosty – ($5) Tulsa State Fair – Jagged Edge, Echelon, Tom Basler, Casii Stephan, Jennifer and Pete Marriott Utopia Bar & Lounge – DJ MO

THE TULSA VOICE // October 4 – 17, 2017

Sun // Oct 8 Brady Theater – MUTEMATH, Colony House, Romes – ($22) Cain’s Ballroom – Lecrae, Aha Gazelle, 1K Phew – ($20.95-$159) East Village Bohemian Pizza – Mike Cameron Collective Hard Rock Casino - Riffs – FM Live Hard Rock Casino - The Joint – Rick Springfield & Richard Marx – ($39-$59) Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Moore Jazz – ($5-$20) Soul City – Bruner & Eicher Soundpony – Afistaface The Colony – Paul Benjaman’s Sunday Nite Thing The Fur Shop – Dan Martin The Vanguard – Brooklyn & Bailey – ($25) Tulsa State Fair – Bluffet, Dylan Whitney, Wesley Michael Hayes, Something Steel, Jacob & Vashni, Brandon Clark

Mon // Oct 9 Centennial Lounge at VFW Post 577 – Dave Les Smith and Friends Hodges Bend – Mike Cameron Collective Mercury Lounge – Chris Blevins The Colony – Seth Lee Jones The Max Retropub – DJ Robbo The Vanguard – MDC, The Elected Officials, Battalion of Saints, The Cryptics, Life As One – ($12-$15) Yeti – The Situation

Tues // Oct 10 Cain’s Ballroom – The Head and the Heart – (SOLD OUT) Gypsy Coffee House – Open Mic Hard Rock Casino - Riffs – Bobby D Band Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Depot Jazz and Blues Jams pH Community House – Midwife, Samuel Regan, The New Honey Shade – ($5 (pwyc)) Soul City – Dustin Pittsley The Colony – Singer/Songwriter Night The Vanguard – Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Elliot Root – ($15-$25) Yeti – Writers’ Night

Thurs // Oct 12 BOK Center – Jason Aldean, Chris Young, Kane Brown, Dee Jay Silver – ($45.75-$89.75) Cain’s Ballroom – *Ryan Adams, Lauren Barth – (SOLD OUT) Centennial Lounge at VFW Post 577 – John Clifton Blues Band Hard Rock Casino - Cabin Creek – James Muns Hard Rock Casino - Riffs – Donte Schmitz, 80’z Enuf Kendall Whittier After Five – Dustin Pittsley Band Mercury Lounge – Paul Benjaman River Spirit Casino - Paradise Cove – *Steely Dan – ($75-$85) Soul City – Grazz Duo The Colony – Open Mic Night w/ DJ Proctor The Colony – *The Soup Kitchen w/ Dane Arnold The Max Retropub – DJ Moody The Vanguard – Stone, Queensway, Piece of Mind, Upright, Death Trap – ($10)

Fri // Oct 13 American Legion Post 308 – Joe Harris Cain’s Ballroom – Borgore, Darku J – ($21-$23) Hard Rock Casino - Cabin Creek – Travis Marvin Hard Rock Casino - Riffs – Travis Marvin, Replay Mercury Lounge – KALO Peppers Grill – Wanda Watson Soul City – The Sons of Dust – ($10) Soundpony – Don’t Sleep on My City 2 The Bistro at Seville – Dean Demerritt and Sean Al-Jibouri The Colony – Dylan Stewart, Buffalo Rogers – ($5) The Fur Shop – Bandelier The Hunt Club – Sweatin Bullets The Max Retropub – DJ Somar The Vanguard – Jack Ketch and the Bilge Rat Bastards, Less Than Humamn, Machine in the Mountain, Pittersplatter The Venue Shrine – Nicnos, All About a Bubble – ($10) Utopia Bar & Lounge – DJ MO Yeti – *The Midnight Stroll

Sat // Oct 14

Soul City – Black River – ($10) Soundpony – Pony Disco Club The Colony – *Kalyn Fay Barnoski, Lauren Barth – ($5) The Hunt Club – The Plums, Tony Romanello and the Black Jackets The Max Retropub – DJ Aaron Bernard The Run – Deuces Wild Band The Vanguard – Dead Metal Society – ($10-$15) Woody’s Corner Bar – Wayne Garner Band Yeti – *Unwed Sailor, Holy Void, Sensitiv Southside Boy – ($11.54)

Sun // Oct 15 Bamboo Lounge – And Then There Were Two East Village Bohemian Pizza – Mike Cameron Collective Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Cole Porter Revue – ($5-$20) Soul City – Bruner & Eicher Soundpony – Mouton, Death Crown The Colony – Paul Benjaman’s Sunday Nite Thing The Venue Shrine, Mercury Lounge – *Tom Skinner’s Skyline Music Festival w/ Science Project Band, Red Dirt Rangers, Mike McClure Band, Grazzhopper, and more – ($15-$50) Yeti – Gutter Villain, Parasites

Mon // Oct 16 Brady Theater – A Day to Remember, Moose Blood, Wage War – ($32.50) Cain’s Ballroom – *A$AP MOB, Playboi Carti, Key!, Cozy Boys – (SOLD OUT) Centennial Lounge at VFW Post 577 – Dave Les Smith and Friends Hodges Bend – Mike Cameron Collective Mercury Lounge – Chris Blevins The Colony – Seth Lee Jones The Max Retropub – DJ Robbo Yeti – The Situation

Tues // Oct 17 Brady Theater – *Marilyn Manson, Alice Glass – ($45) Cain’s Ballroom – The Magpie Salute – ($26-$41) Gypsy Coffee House – Open Mic Hard Rock Casino - Riffs – Brian Lynn Jones 7, The Misfit Cowboys Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Depot Jazz and Blues Jams Soul City – Dustin Pittsley The Colony – Singer/Songwriter Night The Vanguard – My Ticket Home, Obscure Sanity, Auspicious – ($12-$15) Yeti – Writers’ Night

Blackbird On Pearl – *El Dub, Stinky Gringos BOK Center – Kidz Bop – ($29.75-$49.75) Cain’s Ballroom – *St. Paul & The Broken Bones – ($25-$40) Fassler Hall – Hosty Hard Rock Casino - Cabin Creek – Pumpkin Hollow Band Hard Rock Casino - Riffs – Boogie Fever, Annie Up Mercury Lounge – Freakjuice pH Community House – Universe Contest, Plastic Psalms, Junfalls – ($5 (pwyc)) MUSIC // 43

popradar

T

.J. Miller entertains audiences with a tour de force stand-up comedy routine combining smart jokes, physical humor, improvisation, audience participation, and notes of philosophical wisdom.

It’s an impressive accomplishment considering his recent workload has included acting, writing, and/or adaption work on “Silicon Valley,” “Deadpool,” “The Gorburger Show,” “Crashing,” “The Emoji Movie,” and more. But his busy schedule doesn’t keep Miller from focusing on his stand-up. He released a new special, “Meticulously Ridiculous,” on HBO earlier this year.

On October 14 at 8 p.m., Miller brings his comedy to Tulsa as the night’s headlining act at River Spirit’s Paradise Cove. For tickets and more information, visit riverspirittulsa.com.

T.J. Miller | COURTESY

ANDREW DEACON: Awesome. Well thanks for taking the time to talk with me. I’m a big fan of yours, so I’m excited to be doing this interview.

DERRICKS BEWARE

T.J. MILLER: Oh thanks dude. Are you in Tulsa right now?

by ANDREW DEACON

Comedian T.J. Miller wants to talk to you

DEACON: I am.

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

MILLER: My cousin and a bunch of my family lives in Tulsa. Miller Davis, who is also my writing partner, is from Tulsa. We have a script with Steven Spielberg and Amblin Entertainment right now. He and I did a pass on the “Emoji Movie” so he’s like this successful writer in Hollywood that’s from Tulsa. I love Tulsa and this is my first time performing there. I’m OK with Oklahoma.

DEACON: I remember when you did your comedy rap album,

44 // FILM & TV

The Extended Play, it featured a hip hop artist from Tulsa named Johnny Polygon, who I’m a big fan of.

MILLER: Oh Andrew, this rules.

You see, Johnny Polygon is on the album because of Miller.

Miller Davis was a fan of Johnny Polygon and we threw him on there.

DEACON: That’s great. On your latest special “Meticulously Ridiculous” was there anything specific you tried to do differently as compared to your last special, “No Real Reason?”

MILLER: I think for me, one of the things that I needed to do was up the ante. I realized nobody really saw that special because Comedy Central doesn’t play it anymore. They don’t play most of their specials. They’ll run them once or twice. So some people have gone back and retroactively seen it after “Meticulously Ridiculous,” or after finding out that I do stand-up. I’m in a position where I consistently have to remind people that I’m a stand-up comic. What’s fun now is to leave “Silicon Valley” and be able to continue to tour and tour more because I really like doing stand-up. It’s really, really fun and it’s a great way to speak directly to the audience rather than speak through the mouthpiece of a character, which is the mouthpiece of the writer, which is the mouthpiece of the show, the network.

You have a lot in between you and the audience and so stand-up for that reason is really, really fun. I also think that we can stream so much stuff that live entertainment has become so much more interesting. For me, the experience of seeing something live has a much bigger premium on it because I can stream anything to my phone from anywhere at any time.

DEACON: How did it feel to record that special in your hometown, Denver?

MILLER: We are immensely happy to be in Denver and to record that special at the Paramount which is such a great theater. It was really, really, really—it was fucking special with a capital F. I also realized that I might want to do my next special at The Comedy Works. I ran the special there the night before the HBO Paramount show and I’d say arguably it was a slightly better set. I’m interested in doing another show October 4 – 17, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

in Denver that is a compilation of or just one paced performance in a comedy club, in a smaller venue.

The interesting thing about playing a casino is that a casino’s always very different. A theater is different from a casino is different from a comedy club is different from a laundromat or a sex toy shop, which I have a show in Los Angeles where I perform at a sex shop.

DEACON: I’ve been to that show.

MILLER: Oh really?

DEACON: I saw Eric Andre perform there a couple years ago. The Pleasure Chest?

MILLER: That’s awesome. Thank you. I do all different mediums.

I play all different venues and they’re always different and it’s always great. It’s just a different vibe and I like that. It’s my first time in Tulsa so it’ll be interesting to see who comes to this type of venue and is a fan of my stand-up and how many people are like “I saw him from Silicon Valley” or “I know him from Deadpool.”

Either way it’s always a good time because at a live performance I make sure it’s actually live. I’m not going up there and giving you my HBO special set. It’s going to be all different material and a lot of improvisation. There’s going to be a lot of riffing with the crowd and a lot of stuff that’s improvised on the spot. Derricks beware. If there are Derricks in Tulsa I’m going to be interacting with them. If your name is Derrick, come to the show and get on stage and let’s talk things out. I’m here to talk to the Derricks of Tulsa.

DEACON: You recently moved to New York from L.A., correct?

MILLER: Yes. New York has its own set of challenges. One of those challenges is carving out stage time. You’d think someone like myself, who is fortunate enough to have access to quite a bit of stage time in New York City wouldn’t have to worry, but you have to carve out where to play, what kind of material plays where. You have an entire world, an entire nation THE TULSA VOICE // October 4 – 17, 2017

right there in Manhattan with all different types of audiences and all different types of people. Everything differs so much whether you’re in Greenwich Village or playing somewhere on the West Side, but it’s great. I have that work ethic that a slow night for me is six sets.

DEACON: That’s a lot of performing.

MILLER: Yeah, I like that. Nick Vatterott and I talk about this a lot—that the best comedians are in New York.

DEACON: I met Nick recently. He was at the Blue Whale Comedy Festival here in Tulsa. He’s an amazing performer.

MILLER: He’s so great. He’s probably the best right now, maybe.

We all aspire to something and right now I aspire to be as funny as Nick Vatterott. In the meantime, we need to do “The Emoji Movie.” I’m gonna reboot it. It’s not even a franchise yet and I’m rebooting it.

DEACON: That’s the perfect time to reboot a franchise, at the inception. What other comedians do you love to watch perform?

MILLER: Well, Nick Vatterott for sure. I’m loving Brent Weinbach too. Brent has twin brothers, Max & Nicky Weinbach. They’re also ridiculous and so funny. I’ve been getting to see Kate Berlant a lot recently. I might get to perform with Maria Bamford in Toronto.

DEACON: She is a comedic inspiration for me.

MILLER: That means you like the weird stuff. I love that. Here’s another great thing about New York: I got to see Jim Gaffigan in New York working on new material. He had a good set but was trying things and ultimately it was one of my favorite things I’ve seen in comedy in my life. He was at The Stand working out some new stuff in between having a meal with the kids and putting them to bed. That’s what I’m excited about in terms of living in New York, so you can have that type of life. a

DID YOU MISS WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN TULSA L AST WEEKEND? DON’T MISS OUT THIS WEEKEND! Join 19,300+ subscribers who receive the weekly Insider e-newsletter to find out what the editors of The Tulsa Voice recommend for their weekend!

Sign up for the FREE weekly Insider today at TheTulsaVoice.com/ theinsider.

FILM & TV // 45

popradar A BRIEF RUNDOWN OF WHAT’S HAPPENING AT THE CIRCLE CINEMA OPENING OCTOBER 6 BATTLE OF THE SEXES In 1973, male chauvinist provocateur Bobby Riggs challenged tennis great (and feminist) Billie Jean King to a tennis match in an outlandish attempt to validate his patriarchal biases. Best Actress winner Emma Stone and Steve Carell star in this retelling of the most-watched televised sports event of all time.

Rated PG-13.

VICTORIA & ABDUL Judi Dench reprises her Oscar-nominated turn as Queen Victoria (in “Mrs. Brown”) in this touching drama about Her Majesty’s controversial late-in-life friendship with an Indian Muslim servant. Stephen Frears (“The Queen”) directs. Rated PG-13.

OPENING OCTOBER 13 SUPER DARK TIMES Set in the era just prior to the Columbine High School massacre, this disturbing indie thriller is a tale of two teenage best friends driven apart by paranoia and violence following a gruesome accident. Not Rated.

SPECIAL EVENTS FAR WESTERN This Land Press and Producer Matt Leach present this feature documentary about American country music in post-WWII Japan from then to the present.

Set in both modern Japan and the American South, the film explores how music can cross geographic boundaries, cultures, and time.

Pre-show meet-and-greet with Leach and director James Payne begins at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $10; for members, $6.50. (Thur., Oct. 5, 7 p.m.)

HIGH NOON (1952) Booksmart Tulsa and Magic City Books, along with the Oklahoma Center for the Humanities, present this special screening of the all-time 1952 classic Gary Cooper western “High Noon.” A pre-show interview with

46 // FILM & TV

Pulitzer Prize winning author Glenn Frankel, discussing the Communist metaphors, begins at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $5. The talk is free.

(Thur., Oct. 5, discussion at 7:30 p.m., film at 8:30 p.m.)

PSYCHO (1960) A “mother” horror movie of a different sort, the Circle’s Graveyard Shift presents Alfred Hitchcock’s timeless thriller-chiller classic from 1960 about motel owner Norman Bates. Rated PG-13. (Fri. & Sat., Oct. 6 & 7, 10:00 p.m.)

PEARL JAM: LET’S PLAY TWO A concert film chronicle of Pearl Jam’s legendary performances at Wrigley Field (led by Cubs fan frontman Eddie Vedder) during the historic 2016 World Series season for the Chicago Cubs. Tickets are $10. (Tues., Oct. 10, 7:00 p.m.)

3RD ANNUAL TULSA AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL This five-day festival showcases feature length and short films from across the U.S., with a special focus on Native American, Latino, and Oklahoma cinema. Film and industry panels are also presented, along with festival related parties. Films screen at Circle Cinema, Gilcrease Museum, and the Woody Guthrie Center. (Wed., Oct. 11 through Sun., Oct. 15.)

THE CRAZIES (1973) Legendary zombie director George Romero followed up his breakthrough classic “Night of the Living Dead” with his first color horror film “The Crazies”—an indictment of military authoritarianism. (Fri. & Sat., Oct. 13 & 14, 10 p.m.)

BROKEN BLOSSOMS (1919) Second Saturday Silents screens this drama from 1919. Lillian Gish stars as a frail young woman from London who’s abused by her boxer father. A friendship with a Chinese immigrant leads to tragic consequences. $5 Adults; $2 children.

(Sat., Oct. 14, 11 a.m.)

Tulsa Pop Kids | SAMANTHA JONES

Not all heroes wear capes TULSA’S NEWEST CONVENTION LOOKS TO GIVE BACK

by TRENT GIBBONS TULSA WILL SOON WELCOME ITS NEWEST— and perhaps most charitable—comic con.

The Tulsa Pop Culture Expo will run October 12-15 in the Wyndham Hotel, attracting a slew of celebrities, artists, and nerd culture enthusiasts with passions ranging from The Big Bang Theory t-shirts to fullon superhero cosplay.

If it were just another comic con, the expo might blend right in with Wizard World or the other geek culture conventions available to Tulsans throughout the year.

But Tulsa Pop’s focus on local talent and its mission to do good in the community set it apart.

Among the talent already locked in for the event are Gil Gerard, who starred as the titular hero in the fan-favorite sci-fi show, “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century”; Justin Nimmo, who played the Silver Power Ranger in “Power Rangers in Space”; Catherine Hicks, from “7th Heaven” and “Child’s Play”; and Tom Waite, who has acted alongside and performed stunts for the likes of Bradley Cooper and Nicholas Cage.

The most unique part of the expo, however, is the organization behind the scenes, Tulsa Pop Kids. The organization is a non-profit whose mission statement includes “facilitating education through arts and entertainment.” This is why the expo itself acts as a fundraiser: the funds go

first towards making comic-books available for children in libraries, schools, and hospitals.

When Arthur Greeno, the group’s founder, asked librarians and school teachers if they wanted comic books, he was surprised to hear such enthusiastic responses.

“Apparently it’s easier for kids to learn what a word means through a comic than a normal book,” he said. “They see the word in the context of the picture, and it makes the association a whole lot easier.”

So far, the organization has donated 3,500 comic books since it started up in March. With the convention helping to spread the word, Greeno is confident they can reach 5,000 by Christmas.

However, Greeno has larger goals than just buying and donating comics.

“If this thing gets big enough, why not use that money to make a real change in the community? Why not fund art or music scholarships?” he asked.

Given enough time, he wants Tulsa Pop to grow large enough to rival its competitors, but without losing its identity as a proudly local affair.

“Tulsa Pop Kids is an organization without any employees,” Greeno said. “We’re all volunteers. We started this project with one question in mind: How can we benefit the community with a business?” a October 4 – 17, 2017 // THE TULSA VOICE

THE FUZZ THE TULSA VOICE SPOTLIGHTS: TULSA SPCA

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

TODDIE is a nine year-old Border Collie Mix. He came to the Tulsa SPCA from Houston to free up space in the Texas shelters for dogs affected by Hurricane Harvey. Toddie walks great on a leash and loves to play with people. His favorite toy is, strangely, his water bucket! Toddie is great for anyone looking for a gentle, fluffy companion.

ACROSS 1 Works a pacifier 6 Helper for the hobbled 10 Old-style hamlet 14 Massive tower in the Bible 19 Open, as compressed files and some jackets 20 Rodriguez or Van Halen 21 Son of one of Adam’s sons 22 Vanish gradually because of winds and/or water 23 “Class, let’s do four SW blends ...”

27 Like deeds that are medal-worthy 28 Muppet that’s a real grouch 29 Attempt to win damages in court 30 Trees that line some streets 31 The fake ones are not you 32 One-third of a Latin American dance 34 Winding device attached to a wrist device 36 Keep a toe from poking out of a sock 38 Be wiped off the face of the Earth 41 Military inits. in Colorado Springs 43 Some have glows overhead and some score touchdowns 47 “Class, let’s do four SC blends ...”

51 Type of marriage that won’t last long 52 Hot rocks down a mountainside 53 Where to eye Buckeyes 54 Basic makeup stuff?

55 Ring champ of Oct. 30, 1974 56 Word with “Waldo” or “the beef” 58 Works dice 60 Wide-reaching or measureless 61 Where Belgrade is 63 Large area for sheep to do their thing

65 Make someone get giddy with it 67 “Class, let’s do four SP blends ...”

75 It can be glazed or powdered 76 Abbr. on a dashboard gauge 77 One with hopes to succeed?

78 Event of some WWII movies 81 Gaits at some hoity-toity horse races 84 Spreads out, as fingers on a table 87 Rum ___ Tugger (Cat in “Cats”) 88 Post-WWII European bloc 89 “Meet Me ___ Louis” 90 Name associated with lifting experiences 91 Animation frames 92 “Class, let’s do four SM blends ...”

99 Huge U.S. island, bear with me 100 Reason your faucet gets on your nerves 101 Smelled horrifically 102 Cleaning ingredients that can burn 104 Predatory gull-like bird 106 Prefix with play or approve 107 It can be in a pack or a tray 110 Floral arrangement that’s “present”-ed?

113 Sunning has three 115 A Muppet 118 Tremor-causing chargers 120 “Class, now let’s do four ST blends ...”

124 Feature of a roller coaster car 125 “Oh, wise one ...” recipient 126 NBA star Anthony’s nickname 127 Overeat 128 Office suck-up 129 Twelve-program link 130 Just ___ (wee bit) 131 Sacrament place DOWN 1 Cold fish dish some find delish 2 Single but looking

THE TULSA VOICE // October 4 – 17, 2017

HANNA is an adorable three year-old Jack Russell/Chihuahua Mix who just can’t stop smiling. Hanna is heartworm positive, but you could never tell because she is so upbeat and happy. The Tulsa SPCA will cover the cost of Hanna’s heartworm treatment; she just needs a lot of and care from her forever family.

Maybe that’s you!

3 Pre-1917 autocrats 4 It’s a little over 2 pounds 5 Gizmo for a film editor 6 Sound from a Baltimore raven 7 “The Sun ____ Rises” 8 Some info that can be fake 9 Who some office workers try to impress 10 It can hold your tongue 11 Carry-___ (some airline luggage) 12 Horizontal spreadsheet components 13 Faker, to Mr. Fancy Pants 14 Air head for the super wealthy?

15 Poison of some old-time mysteries 16 Container for sugar or cherries 17 Cheese that the Dutch export 18 “Shall we?” response 24 Moderate orange-yellow, to Brits 25 Enjoy with gusto 26 Car shopper’s purchase option 33 Part of a commercial aircraft 35 Like those big dudes in action movies 37 “___ in river” (grade school lesson) 38 Cooking spray brand 39 Reminder you didn’t do so well in a duel 40 Humble houses, to put it nicely 42 Didn’t even get a D 44 Writer-director Ephron 45 Vessels for vinters 46 No. of runs scored is one 47 Lug something extra heavy 48 Egypt’s capital 49 Refreshing caravan refuges 50 Really takes it easy 51 Something you never want to hear from a child 56 Stereotypical drunk with a brown bag

57 “It ___ hit me yet” 59 Sentimental in a cheesy sort of way 60 “___, vidi, vici” (Caesar’s boast) 62 Mr. Universe built his 64 Beginning of the second qtr.

66 Sailors in slang 68 Feast of Lots 69 Didn’t just ask for forgiveness 70 Word with salts or Downs 71 Word with “caveat” 72 Big-time CPU maker 73 A boat or a boat mover 74 Clothing closing lines 78 You can work on it 79 Show Chevy 80 Scored with a serve, in tennis 82 Another spelling of 3-Down 83 Begins, as a conversation 85 Unwanted head invaders 86 Was inquiring 91 Contemptible man 93 Place for a frog, sometimes 94 Install, as floor tile 95 It’s shot for entertainment 96 Sudden burst, as activity 97 Unit of women’s wear 98 Yiddish “nuts” 103 Hosiery mishaps 105 Persona’s reverse 107 Like gases with no zip 108 Dance danced single-file 109 “Poly” attachment 110 Hissed attentiongetter 111 Dog in “Beetle Bailey” 112 Some hospital fluids 114 Obscene material 116 “Hey, before ___ you go ...”

117 “A-Tisket, A-Tasket” singer Fitzgerald 119 The golden calf, e.g.

121 CIA agent, often 122 Prefix with washed or mixed 123 “Auld” land

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

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

NINA is a six year-old pointer mix. She was transported to the Tulsa SPCA from Houston in order to make room in the Texas shelters for dogs affected by Hurricane Harvey. Nina loves adventures, but is just as content snuggling up on the couch. Any family would be luck to have such a playful and affectionate dog!

LOYALTY is a beautiful, two year-old Siamese cat who would love to be the queen of any family’s castle. Recently, Loyalty has become more social with people, but likewise is jealous of any other pets, especially cats. Occasionally she’ll enjoy the presence of another animal, but Loyalty really loves to give and receive affection on her own time.

UNIVERSAL SUNDAY CROSSWORD BLEND-S

By Timothy E. Parker

© 2017 Andrews McMeel Syndication

10/8 ETC. // 47

Pleas e re cycle this issue.