Sweet Beats

FREE EVERY WEDNESDAY | METRO OKC’S INDEPENDENT WEEKLY | FEBRUARY 3, 2016

Grammywinning Sugar Free Allstars readies new album

BY BEN LUSCHEN P.XX

G ARETT FISBECK

BY BEN LUSCHEN P.39

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ON THE COVER

NEWS

LIFE

LIFE

On the day of Sugar Free Allstars’ recent Oklahoma Gazette cover shoot, Chris Wiser, keyboardist and vocalist, removed one of his trademark bow ties from the console of his truck and hustled back into Bell Labs Recording Studio. Grammy winners Wiser and Rob Martin were in the mixing stage of making their selftitled, fourth family-friendly album, due out April 4. By Ben Luschen, P. 39.

On the cover: Chris Wiser and Rob Martin are Sugar Free Allstars. Photo

by Garett Fisbeck. Photo illustration by Gazette staff.

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OKG picks

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Peforming Arts: Kinky Boots, God of Carnage

Food & Drink: date night, briefs, Edmond concept, OKG eat: great views

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Sudoku / Crossword

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Cover: Sugar Free Allstars

OKG shop: naughty gifts

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Nonprofit: Animal Rescue Friends

Music: Asking Alexandria, The Electric Rag Band, listings

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Culture: Mardi Gras Ball

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Culture: Norman Mardi Gras Parade

Film: The Finest Hours, Kung Fu Panda 3

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Astrology

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Classifieds

State: equal pay bill

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City: impact fees

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State: budget issues

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Education: savings accounts

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Election: Super Tuesday

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Chicken-Fried News

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Commentary

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Letters

Mission statement Oklahoma Gazette’s mission is to stimulate, examine and inform the public on local quality of life issues and social needs, to recognize community accomplishments, and to provide a forum for inspiration, participation and interaction across all media.

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Visual Arts: Hector Lopez

Congratulations Lauren Brown

You’re Gazette’s Weekly Winner!

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O k l a h o m a G a z e t t e | F E B R ua r y 3 , 2 0 1 6 | 3

news state

Equal earnings State lawmakers push a bill to amend a 1965 law, giving women the power to ask about pay.

Fifty years after the passage of an Oklahoma law prohibiting sex-based wage discrimination, women are earning 73 cents on the dollar compared to men.

The gender pay gap concerns Rep. Emily Virgin, D-Norman, as research supports that the average Oklahoma woman who works a full-time job earns $32,186 per year, compared to the average man paid $43,803.

Those statistics trouble the secondterm lawmaker, especially if a man and woman are working the same job and performing identical duties.

In Oklahoma, it’s difficult for a woman to identify gender inequality in the workplace. Often, it’s taboo or impolite to discuss earnings.

“Women just don’t know,” said Virgin, who represents House District 44. “They are not aware.”

That could change with the passage of House Bill 2929. The proposed law protects women who compare paychecks with coworkers. Authored by Rep. Jason Dunnington, D-Oklahoma City, the law amends the discriminatory wage law of 1965 by adding a transparency clause and steeper punishment for violators.

If passed in its current form, it would be illegal for an employer to fire an employee who “made a wage claim or discussed, inquired about or consulted an attorney or agency about a wage claim.”

“It is the piece that we’ve missed with an equal pay law on the books in Oklahoma for over 50 years,” Dunnington said. “Without the transparency piece, it’s been an ineffective law for women. By [adding] transparency, we will have a bill in place that will work effectively to help women earn equal pay.”

Employers who violate the law face a maximum fine of $200 per pay period and face issuing back pay to workers.

The Commissioner of Labor will enforce the law.

National conversation

The bill is similar to the recently passed Fair Pay Act in California. Viewed as one of the toughest equal pay laws in the nation, the act updated the state’s 1949 gender-based wage discrimination law.

Now, California’s private sector employers can’t fire or retaliate against workers who discuss compensation

Jason Dunnington and Emily Virgin answer questions during a recent press conference at the Oklahoma State Capitol. with coworkers. Additionally, the law gives employers more clarity on criteria for paying similar employees different wages.

Equal pay legislation is being considered in more than 20 states, including neighboring states Missouri, Colorado and Kansas. On the campaign trail, presidential candidates Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump have addressed equal pay for equal work issues.

In late January, President Barack Obama introduced a rule mandating companies with 100 employees or more report salary information including employee’s gender, race and ethnicity to the federal government. The rule expands an existing executive order and will boost equal pay laws, according to White House reports.

Dunnington said equal pay legislation is a bipartisan issue. Equal pay laws help states attract and retain female employees.

“If Oklahoma wants to attract and retain the best and brightest in fields like science, technology, business and beyond, we need our policy to match our rhetoric,” said Dunnington, who represents House District 88.

“By passing equal pay for equal work legislation, we will be doing that. We will put ourselves in a position … to

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attract and retain young women in Oklahoma … to come to our state … and help build a better future.”

Opponents of the law argue the legislation is unnecessary because of existing federal law. Under the National Labor Relations Act, employees are protected to discuss wages and work conditions during collective bargaining efforts.

Oklahoma Human Resource State Council (OKHR) advises employers to avoid policies that ban employees from discussing compensation, said Lindsey Nichols, director of the nonprofit and state affiliate of the Society for Human Resource Management.

“Employers in Oklahoma are likely already required to comply with most, if not all, of the aspects of employment law that House Bill 2929 includes,” Nichols said. “HB 2929 would simply add additional penalties for employers who do not comply with the law. For that reason, the position of the Oklahoma Human Resources State Council is that while the spirit and purpose of HB 2929 is commendable, in terms of the day-to-day operations of Oklahoma business, not much should change for those employers already complying with existing legal obligations.”

Advocates’ reactions

Equal pay legislation builds a brighter

future for women and their families, said Kendra Horn, executive director of Sally’s List, an organization that recruits and trains women to run for political office in Oklahoma.

Horn cited statistics by the National Partnership for Women and Families, which reports that women head 183,000 family households in Oklahoma.

Nationwide, the nonprofit advocacy organization showed that mothers are the sole breadwinners in nearly 40 percent of families.

Married women serve as breadwinners in more than half of American families.

“When we increase wages for women, we don’t just impact women,” Horn said. “We impact families and the overall strength of our economy.”

Pay inequality is an issue among parents and grandparents, said Danielle Ezell, executive director of Oklahoma Women’s Coalition.

Today, young girls are told to dream big, work hard and achieve any career goal. The conversation doesn’t include facing pay inequality.

“We’ve promised them they can be anything they want to be,” Ezell said.

“We’ve encouraged them to work hard and go to college. We’ve passed laws to ensure when they get to work, they wouldn’t face gender discrimination and harassment. It is time for us to pay women fairly.”

What’s on the books Under Oklahoma Statues, Title 40: Labor: It shall be unlawful for any employer within the State of Oklahoma to willfully pay wages to women employees at a rate less than the rate at which he pays any employee of the opposite sex for comparable work on jobs which have comparable requirements relating to skill, effort and responsibility, except where such payment is made pursuant to a seniority system; a merit system; a system which measures earnings by quantity or quality of production; or a differential based on any factor other than sex.

Effective July 15, 1965

Ga re tt fis bec k

By Laura Eastes

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news city

Fee fairness

OKC’s impact fee proposal meets with criticism as developers voice concerns over the potential economic impact.

When builders turn over permit applications to the City of Oklahoma City, they receive a summary of fees.

Ranging from hundreds to several thousand dollars, builders write big checks to cover new construction fees, pay for water hookups and, in some cases, fund a traffic impact analysis.

Aubrey Hammontree, director of the city’s planning department, described the traffic impact analysis as unfair, especially in the case of an undeveloped, four-corner intersection. The first developer pays for a traffic impact analysis, which reveals the intersection requires future improvements. The study results repeat for the second and third developers but alter for the fourth.

“The fourth corner trips the trigger,” Hammontree said.

“The intersection now needs the improvement, and the last person in pays for the entire improvement. That’s the system we have now. It is not an equitable system.”

job growth and tax revenue.”

Impact fees are not new to OKC or neighboring cities. The city now charges water and wastewater impact fees.

Three local cities — Edmond, Moore and Norman — charge impact fees for residential and nonresidential builds.

Cities like Lincoln, Nebraska; Fort Worth, Texas; and Albuquerque, New Mexico, impose impact fees. However, their impact fees are higher than proposed OKC rates.

Van Hoose said city officials should explore all building rates and fees when comparing cities. In his experience, one city might charge impact fees but offer lower fees in other building areas.

He proposed the city examine other options, such as a gas tax or a MAPS for roads sales tax, which would generate revenue to fund road projects utilized by all residents.

What’s next

New approach

City planners propose ditching traffic impact analyses. Instead, they recommend establishing impact fees.

The proposal comes after two years of in-depth research and study following a decade of conversation.

Impact fees, also called development fees, are a one-time way to raise money for new infrastructure. In Oklahoma, state law allows municipalities to utilize impact fees to fund infrastructure projects associated with new development.

The plan, introduced as an ordinance, was presented Jan. 26 to the Oklahoma City Council. In it, homebuilders face traffic and park impact fees of 77 cents to 92 cents per square foot. Commercial builders would pay traffic impact fees of 48 cents to $4 per square foot.

If approved, city planners estimate impact fees would generate $6.7 million annually for new street and traffic projects and $2 million for new parks and trails.

While city planners view the proposal as equitable, some developers believe the proposal falls short of fair.

The Central Oklahoma Home Builders Association (COHBA) is

Aubrey Hammontree and other city staffers plan to meet with homebuilders and developers to discuss the proposed ordinance. one of the organizations against the ordinance in its current form.

“Most of our builders realize there is a need for infrastructure in the outer parts of the city,” said Rusty Appleton, COHBA executive director.

He said the group began discussions with city planners on impact fees in 2014.

“We do realize we need to pay a share of that, but we have to strike a balance. We want good infrastructure, livable communities with good parks and nice trail systems,” Appleton said.

“Anytime the price of homeownership goes up, that’s a concern to us and everyone in the industry. There is no doubt this will cause the price of homeownership to go up.”

Leaders with Associated General Contractors of Oklahoma and Associated Builders and Contractors of Oklahoma expressed concerns about the impact fees during the Jan. 26 council meeting.

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Development deterrent?

For more than three decades, OKC resident Jeff Van Hoose, president of Van Hoose Construction, has worked closely with the city’s planning department.

He agreed the city needs to revise its current requirement for developers to fund traffic impact analyses; however, he didn’t believe the solution lies with impact fees.

Like Appleton, Van Hoose said the proposed fees negatively impact OKC building projects. If approved, commercial developers face steeper costs when applying for building permits. Under the proposal, a developer constructing a 1,000-square-foot office building would be charged a $1,929 impact fee, according to city figures.

Van Hoose said developers will avoid those fees by building in cities neighboring OKC, like Yukon, Edmond, Mustang, Moore, Del City and Midwest City.

“We are going to lose a lot of business,” Van Hoose said. “The bottom line is, when you lose business, you lose

The Brookings Institution think tank describes impact fees as a “more efficient way to pay for infrastructure than general taxes, and ensure benefits to those who pay them.”

Hammontree said planners reviewed national studies and findings on impact fees, including Washington, D.C.based Brookings Institution data, when developing the ordinance, which is more than 30 pages.

“We think we have developed a fair approach that will benefit our citizens and not compromise our competition among peer cities,” she said.

If the council approves the proposal, more general obligation bond money could shift to maintaining streets, sidewalks and parks, Hammontree said.

Currently, the city utilizes bond money to fund new construction on quality-of-life projects. Between 2008 and 2013, OKC spent an average of $20.4 million each year to widen roads and improve intersections in response to new development, according to the city.

Hammontree and other city staffers plan to meet with homebuilders and developers to discuss the proposed ordinance. Both Van Hoose and Appleton said they plan to present other options they believe are more fair.

The council revisits the issue at a public hearing March 29 and could vote at its April 5 meeting.

m a rk ha n co c k

By Laura Eastes

O k l a h o m a G a z e t t e | f e b r ua r y 3 , 2 0 1 6 | 7

news state

Budget frontlines Faced with a revenue shortfall, Fallin points to opportunity.

Others want long-term solutions, lessening the need for annual cuts.

BY Laura Eastes

‘Reasonable solutions’

Waiting for tax collections to improve isn’t the answer, nor is doubling down on cuts and relying on one-time revenues, Blatt said during Oklahoma Policy Institute’s Jan. 28 State Budget Summit at Will Rogers Theatre & Event Center.

“We do have a chance to look at how we develop our budgets and try to put into place some more longterm planning and foresight into the process,” Blatt said.

The nonprofit group supports a repeal of the most recent income tax cut, which dropped to 5 percent Jan. 1. The repeal is one of “five reasonable solutions” introduced during the summit.

Other solutions are adopting combined corporate reporting, ending the state’s double deduction, enacting a tax on online sales and accepting federal funds for health care — Medicaid expansion.

All options generate recurring revenues into Oklahoma’s coffers, according to Oklahoma Policy Institute.

During the event, Norman Mayor Cindy Rosenthal, state auditor Gary Jones, Sen. Clark Jolley, Rep. Scott Inman, Cherokee Nation Secretary of State Chuck Hoskin Jr. and University of Central Oklahoma business dean Mickey Hepner addressed the bleak budget situation.

“We are stuck in a place where a train wreck is coming,” Hepner said.

“All the levers we could use to stop it aren’t available to us. So the crash, in the terms of the state budget, is coming in the next few months.”

Bills to watch Budget reform: Senate Joint Resolution 30 Senate President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman, R-Sapulpa, sponsored the resolution calling for Oklahoma voters to alter the budget process.

Under the proposal, lawmakers craft the budget each legislative session but push policy issues to every other year. States such as Arkansas, Louisiana and New Mexico limit sessions to every other year.

The Senate leader said the proposal allows lawmakers “to take a closer look at our spending” and bring transparency to the process. Last session, the resolution passed the Senate. It remains eligible for the House to review this session.

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m a rk ha n coc k

Following state leaders declaring revenue failure in December and a $177 million midyear budget trim, lawmakers faced a grim situation this week when returning to the Capitol.

Last week, Gov. Mary Fallin told reporters the $900.8 million budget hole was an opportunity. Crafting the state’s fiscal year 2017 budget requires creativity, hard work and “rolling up our sleeves.”

“I see this budget shortfall as an opportunity to be able to fix things — be able to clean our house, frankly — and to get things in order so that we can pay for things we need to pay for,” Fallin told Tulsa World.

Opportunity wasn’t how David Blatt, executive director of Oklahoma Policy Institute, described the revenue failure and midyear cuts. The group explores funding cuts and their impact on state agencies and residents.

Over the last year, dwindling tax dollars created job losses for state employees, increased wait times for mental health treatment, raised college tuitions, eliminated services for people with developmental disabilities, reduced payments to health care providers and forced further cuts to public schools.

Blatt said a drop in oil prices only partially contributed to the budget crisis.

Shrinking monthly tax collections came on the heels of several cuts to the state’s personal income tax, which resulted in a $1.022 billion loss over the course of more than a decade, according to The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.

from left Mickey Hepner, Gary Jones, Scott Inman and Clark Jolley talk before a recent State Budget Summit at Will Rogers Theatre & Event Center.

Lawmakers’ reactions

“We are not going to solve this problem by raising taxes,” said Jolley, R-Edmond. “We are not going to solve this problem by budget cuts. ... We’ve got to take a multi-solution approach to get us out of this because it was a multiapproach that got us here.”

The Senate Appropriations Committee chairman advocated for examining “off-the-top” money, funds that divert dollars away from the general revenue fund. Agencies and programs, such as the Oklahoma Department of Transportation and the college scholarship program, fall in the “off-the-top” spending category and void the appropriations process.

Typically, the state distributes $3 billion to “off-the-top” spending each year.

Last May, Fallin signed a $7.1

Delay of income tax cut: Senate Bill 1073 Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Mazzei, R-Tulsa, proposed amending a two-year-old income tax law. The bill would modify the method for dropping the state income-tax rate, which dropped 0.25 percent Jan. 1.

Under SB 1073, the income-tax rate reduction is void after declaration of a revenue failure during the same fiscal year. Additionally, the bill addresses requirements for triggering a further rate cut.

The finance committee will review the legislation.

Rain plan changes: Senate Joint Resolution 44 Authored by Sen. David Holt, R-Oklahoma City, SJR 44 called on voters to decide altering the number state leaders look to when setting the cap on the state’s Rainy Day Fund.

billion budget, which included funding for common education, human services, corrections, public safety, juvenile affairs and other agencies.

House Minority Leader Inman described a perfect storm as he cited causes of the budget shortfall. He blamed approval of a low horizontal drilling tax, a high number of tax credits and personal income tax cuts.

“We are here because you have a group of elected officials who would rather govern by political philosophy than by political reality,” said Inman, D-Del City.

It’s difficult to predict the budget outcome during a session with a fiscal crisis of historic proportions. However, lawmakers can continue to work for solutions thanks to a handful of proposed legislation measures.

Holt calls for the Rainy Day Fund to be measured at 15 percent of the total state budget.

Currently, the fund is measured on the general revenue fund certification at 15 percent. Under the current practice, lawmakers determine the cap on appropriated funds only. That means “off-the-top” money — revenue not appropriated by the Legislature — is not included in the measurement.

Last session, the general revenue fund certification was under $5.6 billion, less than a quarter of the amount spent by the state when including off-the-top money.

Holt argues the current Rainy Day Fund “gives a false sense of security.”

The resolution was referred to the Senate Rules Committee. If passed, voters would consider the measure on the November ballot.

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news education

Choice language Two Oklahoma legislators host public forums to answer community questions about education savings accounts.

By Brett Dickerson

Answering questions

Nelson submitted House Bill 2949 on Jan. 21. It has similar language as his bill last year, HB 2003. Jolley’s bill, Senate Bill 609, was held from a final vote last year to allow it to be considered in this year’s legislative session.

Nelson characterized the bills as “almost identical.”

In the Jan. 21 forum, Nelson described the plan as “an unprecedented ability to customize your kids’ education.”

“It’s really changing the dynamic of education from being focused on children as a group to focused on children as individual people — what’s best for the specific child,” Nelson said.

The ESA concept would allow parents to receive an “education benefits card,” much like current recipients of food and medical state aid receive now.

Moderator Scott Mitchell said

guests sent over 50 questions, written on notecards, to the legislators.

They mostly centered on three topics: how the plan would be financed, how it would affect public schools and who would be allowed to use it.

Nelson said under his plan, qualified parents could use a portion of their “perpupil funding” for the ESAs. Some of the per-pupil funding would remain within the school district, he told forum guests.

It’s really changing the dynamic of education from being focused on children as a group to focused on children as individual people.

— Jason Nelson

Program funding

Nelson said per-pupil funds are determined in part by a sliding scale based on household income, which is measured against federal guidelines regarding free and reduced lunch programs. Those with higher household incomes would receive less “portable” funds.

In response to questions about the impact of ESAs on public schools, Jolley and Nelson said they believed the potential for harm is exaggerated.

If passed, their plans would utilize much of the per-pupil ESA funds on the parent-selected options. Remaining funds would be spent in public schools.

Questions were raised about who could take advantage of the plan.

Nelson said that homeschoolers and students currently enrolled in private schools would be ineligible.

“This will not take money out of public schools for students who might have gone there,” Nelson said. “Their public schools are not receiving money for them right now, anyway. It is only for those who are there and then decide to go elsewhere.”

After the forum ended, Lathonya

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Gare tt fis beck

Oklahoma City metro proponents of a school voucher-type system recently renewed efforts to pass state legislation allowing education savings accounts.

Public information forums held Jan. 19 and 21 at two local private schools were part of those efforts.

Education savings accounts, or ESAs, would allow parents to use portions of public tax funds to enroll children in private schools, online or virtual courses, tutoring, concurrent college courses and educational therapies and services. It also would allow parents to use tax funds for textbooks, other curriculum materials and fees for nationally standardized tests used for college admission requirements.

However, it would not pay for computer hardware or common supplies like pencils and paper.

The legislation would set the Oklahoma Board of Education with the task of defining acceptable tutoring and the eligibility of educational therapies.

State Sen. Clark Jolley, R-Edmond, and Rep. Jason Nelson, R-Oklahoma City, are entering their third year of proposing ESAs. Discussions at Mount St. Mary Catholic High School in southside OKC and Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School in north OKC allowed community members to ask written questions to the two Oklahoma legislators who favor the measure.

Jason Nelson discussed proposed education spending accounts during a recent community forum in Oklahoma City.

Shivers told Oklahoma Gazette that she has two children in two different Catholic schools, making them ineligible for ESAs. “I came here to find out about funding and how this might help children who are living in poverty,” Shivers said.

She added that Nelson and Jolley were thorough.

Not all attendees felt as satisfied.

In recent years, Oklahoma City Public Schools Board of Education member Phil Horning has lobbied the Oklahoma Legislature on his own time to help keep public education funding fully dedicated to public schools.

Without going into detail, he said the presentation “was disappointingly one-

sided and misleading.”

The forums were organized and sponsored by Scissortail Community Development Corporation, which promotes parent education and choice for schooling through one of their programs, ChoiceMatters.

According to Scissortail’s COO Robert Ruiz, The Walton Family Foundation and “other local donors” fund Scissortail CDC and its programs, which include ChoiceMatters.

Jan. 7, The Associated Press reported the Walton foundation “has spent more than $1 billion on K-12 education over the past 20 years, including $385 million to help start charter schools in poor communities.”

news election

Election time

Super Tuesday could get interesting in Oklahoma.

When Oklahoma’s GOP voters went to the polls during 2012’s Super Tuesday, they voted in favor of former U.S Sen. Rick Santorum.

The last time state Democrats took to voting booths to cast ballots in a primary, U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton won the Sooner State in the 2008 presidential primary. The primary election before that, state Democrats gave Gen. Wesley Clark his first primary and only wins during the 2004 election season.

While some view Super Tuesday as similar to the general election, as a dozen states open voting stations and poll candidates, others believe the well-known day of the election season is more of a test to see how candidates play across a broad spectrum of voters in different regions.

On March 1, Oklahoma Democrats, Independents and Republicans will cast ballots. They join voters in 14 other states and American Samoa with primary elections or caucuses during Super Tuesday, a term used to describe the day the greatest number of states hold primary elections.

Oklahoma’s role in Super Tuesday is hard to pinpoint, said Tyler Johnson, a University of Oklahoma political science professor. The state’s role in determining presidential nominees depends on outcomes from earlier primaries and caucuses in states like Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

Winning Oklahoma might allow someone to stay in the game longer.

— Tyler Johnson

“If you see instances in which one candidate runs the table, wins a majority of the states and looks like they have momentum, then I think some of the middle to lower delegate count states on Super Tuesday might not be seen as that big of a prize,” he said. “If we see a mixed bag coming out

GARE TT F I S BECK / FI L E

By Laura Eastes

Mark Hammons, State Democratic Party chairman, notified the State Election Board in November that the Democratic party will open primary voting to Independents. of the first few primaries and caucuses, then perhaps it elevates our importance.

Winning Oklahoma might allow someone to stay in the game longer.”

Independent voters

Unlike prior presidential primaries, Independents can cast votes in this Democratic primary. In 2015, the Oklahoma Democratic Party amended its constitution and bylaws to permit Independents to vote in primary and runoff primary elections.

“It will draw a lot of people that have not been active in politics before by opening the doors of primaries,” said Mark Hammons, party chairman, in November. “We are going to get a lot of people that take that first step in a very important, very critical historic primary election.”

Last month, the state election board reported there were 266,605 registered Independent voters in the state.

Independents are “the fastest-growing segment of the state’s electorate,” said Paul Ziriax, board secretary.

As Independent electorate numbers grow, so do the number of registered Republicans. There are 880,130 registered GOP voters, a 3-percent increase over 2014. Republicans now constitute 44.5 percent of the state electorate, while Democrats are 42 percent of those registered.

February elections

Before Super Tuesday, many Oklahoma County voters will go to the polls for

school board races and a Midwest City mayoral race on Feb. 9.

In the Metro Technology Centers Board of Education race, Matt Latham faces incumbent E. Elaine Schuster for district 4. Schuster was first elected to the seat in 1982.

Carrie Coppernoll Jacobs and Adam Zodrow vie for the Oklahoma City Public Schools Board of Education’s vacant Seat 3. Phil Horning, who is not seeking a third term, now occupies the seat.

A recall election is set in Midwest City for the mayor’s post. Candidates Matt Dukes, Charles Thompson and Mark DeShazo face incumbent Mayor Jay Dee Collins in that election.

Super Tuesday Friday marks the final day that voters can register to vote, change their party or update registration information to participate in the March 1 Presidential Primary Election.

Voter registration forms are available on the Oklahoma State Election Board’s website, elections. ok.gov. Also, voters can visit county election boards, post offices, tag agencies and libraries to find forms.

This is the first primary election in which Independent voters can cast ballots in the Democratic primary.

Independents make up 13 percent of registered Oklahoma voters.

Democratic candidates on the ballot are Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Rocky De La Fuente, Keith Judd, Martin O’Malley, Michael Steinberg and Star Locke.

Republican candidates on the ballot are Marco Rubio, Ben Carson, Chris Christie, Rick Santorum, Mike Huckabee, Carly Fiorina, Jeb Bush, John Kasich, Donald Trump, Rand Paul, Lindsey Graham and Ted Cruz.

March 1 also marks a special election for Oklahoma County court clerk. The seat was left vacant after Tim Rhodes stepped down to take a position with Oklahoma Corporation Commission. The election is a primary. Democrat candidates are Charles Gray and Anastasia A. Pittman. Republican candidates are Linda Amick Dodson, Owen Garretson, Charles Key and Rick Warren Jr.

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Chicken Native support

Local champion for the civil rights of women (cough) and Native Americans (cough cough — sorry; there’s something in our throats), Sen. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma City, wants the government to remove Andrew Jackson from the $20 bill because of the part he played in Native American relocation.

“The Administration has already announced they will place a woman on the $10 bill in 2020,” Lankford said in a Jan. 21 press release. “I support recognition of a historic American woman on the $20 bill and the removal of Andrew Jackson, since he began the Indian removal policies that forced thousands of American Indians off their ancestral homelands.”

“As president, Andrew Jackson’s Indian removal policies led to the forced relocation of millions and the death of thousands of American Indians,” the press release said.

Everyone likes $20 bills, but who likes Andrew Jackson anyway?! To be fair, his mother probably liked him and we don’t really know what he was like outside of work, but that’s beside the point.

Fried news Anyways, what we really want to say is we think it would be great if the woman on the $20 bill was a Native American from Oklahoma, and we have recommendations.

Wilma Mankiller was the first female chief of the Cherokee Nation, serving 1985-1995. During her tenure, she supported community development and business projects and worked to improve relations between the tribe and the federal government. Bill Clinton awarded Mankiller the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1998.

Native American activist Suzan Shown Harjo is a poet and writer and is also president of the Morning Star Institute, a Native American rights organization. She helped pass the 1978 American Indian Religious Freedom Act and 1990’s Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014.

Alice Brown Davis, the first female Principal Chief of the Seminole Tribe of Oklahoma, and activist Roberta Lawson, who served on the National Committee for the Mobilization for Human Needs and was president of the Oklahoma State Federation of Women’s Clubs, would also be great candidates.

Lankford is a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.

Economy, schmeconomy!

Looking over a list of the more than 3,400 bills in front of the 2016 Oklahoma Legislature is enough to make some of us rethink this whole democracy thing.

If you thought government was canceled until they iron out the almost $1 billion Oklahoma doesn’t have, guess again. And it’s not like they’re focusing

solely on the economy (like that would matter anyway). Our lawmakers are taking on the tough issues like House Joint Resolution 1040 from Rep. Jason Murphey, asking for Oklahomans to vote on changes to the state Constitution to term-limit the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

There’s also House Resolution 1029 from Rep. Mike Shelton, which would urge schools and state agencies to stop flying the flag of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and start flying the Heritage and Freedom Flag.

But wait; there’s more! If you act now, you can read Rep. David Brumbaugh’s scathing House Resolution 1032.

It expresses disapproval of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, which said same-sex couples have a fundamental right to marry.

Adaptive legislation

Two state lawmakers, Rep. Sally Kern, R-Oklahoma City, and Sen. Josh Brecheen, R-Colgate, are reviving previous efforts to get biblical creationism back in schools.

And then the state Legislature said,

ANTI-AGING SERVICES

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“Let there be ambiguity in the science classroom.”

Unfortunately for them, it isn’t quite that easy.

While Kern and Brecheen have shown skepticism toward the concept of biological evolution, their legislative attempts to open up classroom conversations show their own signs of adaptation. Both lawmakers had bills on the teaching of Creationism fail in the past, and both leave the term out of their most recently filed attempts.

This time around, both take a “science is controversial” approach over a religious one. In recent legislative sessions, bills like these have not had an overwhelming track record of success, which is why they needed new phrasing.

Few things say, “Let’s get serious about the state’s financial crisis,” quite like poking the government’s nose a little further into classrooms. Indeed, lawmakers have a lot on their plates aside from the budget. More than 3,000 bills are eligible for consideration this session.

Until that day comes, Chicken-Fried News is always free.

Genuine flag

Have you ever waved an American flag during a Fourth of July parade? Have you ever stopped, taken a closer look and noticed a “made in China” sticker?

That’s what happened to Rep. Ken Walker.

Well, we at Chicken-Fried News don’t know that for certain. However, the Tulsa lawmaker’s recent proposed bill has us thinking it’s a possibility.

Under House Bill 2341, American flags paid for with public money must be “American made from the fabric down to the assembly,” according to Tulsa news station NewsOn6.com.

We like to keep it local in Oklahoma.

This bill does just that.

Thanks to News on 6 coverage of the bill, the state can shop at Liberty Flags in Tulsa. The shop only sells American flags made in the United States.

Good luck to the second-year lawmaker in his endeavor to pass the American Flag Act. We wonder if Walker has contacted former Oklahoma Congressman Dan Boren? We recall Boren’s efforts in Congress to ban the importation of foreign-made flags. Sadly, the Democrat didn’t have much luck at the national level.

Nightmarish neighbors

Gunshots, screaming matches, dog attacks, car break-ins, fights and careening and speeding cars at a Tulsa residence were caught by a neighbor’s

security camera, according to a report by northeastern Oklahoma news outlet Fox23.com.

The former neighbors recently edited their footage into a video documenting “the worst neighbors in the world,” which quickly went viral.

And these people easily qualify for that title.

Gunshots ring out morning, day and night. Night surveillance shows neighbors hunching over as they attempt to dodge the view of the camera as they rifle through the homeowner’s pickup truck.

A sedan squeals to a stop in front of a home, Tokyo Drift-style, as someone screams “Merry Christmas!”

Three loose dogs run from the yard and pin a child against a chain-link fence across the street as he screams for help.

An angry group of people tries to pull someone from a car before it speeds away.

Before the family with the camera gave up and left, Tulsa County sheriff’s deputies were called to their loud neighbors’ property “over 20 times in the last few years,” Fox23.com reported.

O k l a h o m a G a z e t t e | F e b r ua r y 3 , 2 0 1 6 | 1 3

commentary

p rovi de d

Fostering Oklahoma’s creative growth

By Aaron Miller

Moving from Chicago to Tulsa five years ago, I expected wide-open spaces. I imagined a never-ending sky and friendly down-home people. In many ways, Tulsa met those expectations.

What I did not expect was the true essence of Oklahoma’s spirit: a fiercely independent will to succeed, a drive to make a mark and a landscape of limitless potential.

George Kaiser Family Foundation’s (GKFF) storied history of investment in the arts began well before my time in this state, yet it captures Oklahoma’s spirit beautifully. Oklahoma’s major metro areas owe a debt of gratitude to the creative mavericks who paint, sculpt, craft and perform in our streets as they embody Oklahoma’s fearless spirit of independence and creativity.

The revitalization of Tulsa’s Brady Arts District as one of the most authentic and accessible cultural

neighborhoods in the United States was unimaginable 15 years ago.

Inspiration from Tulsa’s art community fueled over $150 million in private investment in parks, apartments, offices, sporting complexes and restaurants in the district.

Oklahoma City followed a similar trajectory in the Paseo Arts District and Film Row. Artists paved the way, finding inspiration in the abandoned warehouses and quiet streets.

Cultural institutions pushed outside of their comfort zones, investing in unconventional ways to satisfy our state’s thirst for music, art, dance and community. Businesses took risks, passionately fighting through obstacles to create walkable, vibrant destinations.

The success of Tulsa’s artistic community inspired GKFF to bolster support for the arts. In addition to GKFF’s support of major cultural

organizations, the foundation supports local theater, emerging arts groups and educational arts programming.

The creation of the Tulsa Artist Fellowship (TAF) to recruit and retain artists to live and work locally pays homage to the power of the individual to make change.

In the spirit of limitless potential, TAF enlists artists in a one-year fellowship with an unrestricted stipend of $20,000, free housing and free studio workspaces. Fellows also have the option to extend fellowships beyond the one-year commitment and stay in Tulsa.

The first cohort of the fellowship, focused on visual arts, arrived earlier this month.

Three of the 12 inaugural fellows are from Oklahoma, creating a vital mix of local and national talent for TAF. Other fellows came from locales such as Brooklyn, New York; San Francisco;

Opinions expressed on the commentary page, in letters to the editor and elsewhere in this newspaper are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of ownership or management.

Baltimore; and Juneau, Alaska. As they embark on ambitious and important projects, we know Tulsa will push them in exciting ways.

With fellowship applications for 2017 now open, GKFF is expanding the program to include writers. The foundation is committed to awarding up to 30 new fellowships and more than $1,000,000 in stipends, housing and workspace for visual artists and writers in 2017. The addition of the literary arts honors a rich tradition of famed Oklahoma writers such as S.E. Hinton and Ron Padgett, both from Tulsa.

TAF acknowledges the essential role the arts play in our state and invests in creatives to tell important stories. GKFF is proud to develop innovative programs to support the arts and expose the world to the spirit of Oklahoma.

For more information, visit tulsaartistfellowship.org.

Aaron Miller is a program officer at the George Kaiser Family Foundation and serves on the Tulsa Artist Fellowship committee.

LETTERS Oklahoma Gazette provides an open forum for the discussion of all points of view in its Letters to the Editor section.

The Gazette reserves the right to edit letters for length and clarity. Letters can be mailed, faxed, emailed to jchancellor@ okgazette.com or sent online at okgazette. com. Include a city of residence and contact number for verification.

Hand-fed

Deadly Christmastime tornadoes in Texas and elsewhere in the Southeast and equally deadly flooding in Oklahoma, Texas and the Southeast took Sen. Jim Inhofe to the air to inspect the damage here. He exclaimed that he did not remember a time when perhaps our entire state deserved federal disaster relief!

Since no part of our country is in the typical tornado and flood season, one would think that some curiosity about climate change might have occurred to him. If so, he let that sleeping dog lie.

Likely he has also not read the widely publicized internal (and thus astonishing) Exxon Mobil scientific study made in the 1970s, which concluded that fossil fuels contributed significantly to global warming. Just think, about 40 years ago,

a major polluter thought the world might be approaching the point of no return.

Not surprising, Exxon Mobil did nothing to change its output of fossil fuels.

Even if the senator didn’t, one would think that somebody on his staff would have noticed a recent, well-publicized exposition of Exxon. In his public stance, Inhofe is clearly on their side. Could it be the principle of “never bite the hand that feeds you” is operative?

— Frank Silovsky Oklahoma City They’re bullies

We don’t need better educated police officers (Opinion, Letters, “Better educated,” Jay Hanas, Jan. 6, Oklahoma Gazette). We need better police management and accountability.

Like any other organization, the performance of employees is a reflection on management, or lack thereof. You can’t manage everything from a comfy office where you protect marginal employees with friendly performance reviews. There will always be police bullies. I knew many in the military; young guys who boasted about busting heads.

As a teenager in the ’60s, I was

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arrested by a young policeman who, after positioning me and my friends spreadeagle with hands on the car’s rooftop, pulled his revolver and placed in on the car top, and said, “Why don’t one of you #!!#** go for it.” His partner was standing by to shoot us if we were that stupid.

Later, in the ’80s, one of my reserve military officers was also a SWAT officer and liked to joke about how they broke down the door at a wrong address and trashed the house.

A college degree won’t fix this problem; only the watchful eye of a good commander or manager. Police bullies should be counseled, retrained, observed, disciplined and terminated

when necessary. The good-ole-boy captain/manager might need retraining, but it doesn’t require a college degree.

And for the rest of us, resisting arrest and disrespect toward law enforcement is a no-brainer. I guess officers could use more firearms training; it shouldn’t take a dozen rounds to down a man. Just more evidence of a culture that resists the biblical common sense our founders had in mind: “For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same.”

— Michael Moberly Mustang

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For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.

BOOKS Dale Lewis Book Signing, author of Footprints in the Dew will sign his book about the unsolved murder case in Osage County, 6:30 p.m., Feb. 4. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. THU Dan Elish Book Signing, author of novels for both children and adults including Nine Wives and many others, 3-5 p.m., Feb. 6. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway , 842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. SAT

FILM 2016 Academy Award-Nominated Animated Short Films, see all the Oscar-animated Academy Award short film nominees in one place, back-to-back, 5:30 p.m., Feb. 4; 12:30 p.m., Feb. 7. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 236-3100, okcmoa.com. THU/SUN

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2016 Academy Award-Nominated Live Action Short Films, watch the live action Academy Award short film nominees , 8 p.m., Feb. 5. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 236-3100, okcmoa.com. FRI 2016 Academy Award-Nominated Documentary Short Films, before watching the Oscars, watch the live action Academy Award short documentary nominees back-toback, 4:30 p.m., Feb. 6. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 236-3100, okcmoa.com. SAT The Lunchbox, (2013, dir. Ritesh Batra) a lunchbox is mistakenly delivered to the wrong person and sparks a friendship between a woman and a lonely man on the verge of retirement, 7 p.m., Feb. 7. Oklahoma City University, 2501 N. Blackwelder Ave., 208-5000, okcu.edu. SUN

HAPPENINGS Propel OKC, lunchtime gathering to connect, develop and maximize your leadership potential, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Feb. 3. Plenty Mercantile, 807 N. Broadway Ave., 888-7470, plentymercantile.com. WED '80s Trivia Night, test your '80s knowledge in this fun and competitive night of trivia, 8-10 p.m., Feb. 4.

Flashback Retropub, 814 W. Sheridan Ave., 633-3604, flashbackretropub.com. THU An Affair of the heart, craft fair for all to enjoy: arts, crafts, antiques, collectibles and more, 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Feb. 5-6; 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Feb. 7. Oklahoma State Fairgrounds, 3001 General Pershing Blvd., 948-6700, okstatefair.com.

FRI-SUN '80s Dance Party, celebrate the decade and dance the night away; everything from synth-pop to freestyle to industrial underground, 9 p.m., Feb. 5. Sauced on Paseo, 2912 Paseo St., 521-9800. FRI

Cultural Connections: Arezzo in Norman Arezzo in Norman celebrates a second life as it travels up the interstate for an encore exhibition in Oklahoma City. The Norman Arts Council show is the result of an exchange program with Italy. Works by three Italian artists are exhibited in the show, and three Oklahoma artists will showcase works at the University of Oklahoma’s Arezzo campus in Italy in May. Arezzo’s encore opening reception is 6-9 p.m. Friday at Paseo Plunge, 3010 Paseo St. It remains on display through March 5.

Friday how to start annual flowers, vegetables and herbs including care tips, useful techniques and tools, 10-11:30 a.m., Feb. 6. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 445-7080, oklahomacitybotanicalgardens.com/events. SAT Milliners Class: Red Hats for Valentine’s Day, join the Oklahoma History Center for a day of hat-making; learn the history of Edwardian milliners and create your own hat, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Feb. 6. Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, 521-2491, okhistory.org/historycenter. SAT Friends Lecture Series, Jennifer Thompson as lecturer for Champion of the Impressionists: Paul Durand-Ruel; Thompson is the Gloria and Jack Drosdick curator of European Painting and Sculpture before 1900 and curator of the John G. Johnson Collection at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, 6 p.m., Feb. 9. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 236-3100, okcmoa.com. TUE PR OVID ED

Seed Starting Workshop, hands-on workshop teaches you

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Theeb, (2014, dir. Naji Abu Nowar, US) film tells the powerful story of one adolescent boy’s survival in the treacherous conditions during war time under Ottoman Empire, 8 p.m., Feb. 4 & 6; 5:30 p.m., Feb. 5; 3 p.m., Feb. 7.

Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 236-3100, okcmoa.com. THU-SUN

FOOD Chocolate Decadence, evening of chocolate, coffee, wine, champagne, smooth jazz and a valentine auction benefiting Automobile Alley, 6-8:30 p.m., Feb. 4 Automobile Alley, 1015 N. Broadway Ave., 488-2555, automobilealley.org. THU Spanish Tapas, Explore the unique culinary trends of Spain with a variety of tapas, including mojo picon pork skewers, chicken with chorizo & olives, patatas bravas and churros with chocolate sauce, 6:30 p.m., Feb. 4. The International Pantry, 1618 W Lindsey St., Norman, 3600765, intlpantry.com. THU Farmers Market, public market featuring locally produced fruits, vegetables, wines, meats, baked goods, clothing and more, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Feb. 6. OKC Farmers Public Market,

Women in War Zones In her powerful new exhibit Women in War Zones, local artist Ebony Iman Dallas celebrates those who conquered tragedy, including the 13 women who testified to bring former Oklahoma City police officer Daniel Holtzclaw to justice. An opening reception is 6-10 p.m. Friday at The Project Box, 3003 Paseo St. Admission is free. The exhibit runs through Feb. 27. Visit theprojectboxokc.com.

Friday

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Yes Indeedy, Mrs. Hannah Atkins Metropolitan Library celebrates Black History Month by hosting performances of Yes Indeedy, Mrs. Hannah Atkins by triplethreat troupe Rhythmically Speaking. Atkins was a librarian, a professor, a civil rights leader and the first African-American woman elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives. Select performances are 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 3, at The Village Library, 10307 N. Pennsylvania Ave.; 3 p.m. Thursday at Capitol Hill Library, 330 SW 24th St.; 3 p.m. Saturday at Del City Library, 4509 SE 15th St., in Del City; 6 p.m. Monday at Choctaw Library, 2525 Muzzy St., in Choctaw; and 6 p.m. Tuesday at Ralph Ellison Library, 2000 NE 23rd St. Admission is free. Visit metrolibrary.org for a complete list of performances.

Yukon

Chocolate Festival 5th Annual Affair Extraordinaire Saturday, February 6, 2016 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

For information (405) 350-8937 or (405) 354-8232 www.cityofyukonok.gov cityofyukonokgov @cityofyukonok @cityofyukonokgov

Wednesday, Feb. 3Tuesday, ongoing 311 S. Klein Ave., 232-6506, okcfarmersmarket. com. SAT Yukon Chocolate Festival, the fifth festival will feature a variety of chocolate treats served by local businesses and groups, 1-3 p.m., Feb. 6. Dale Robertson Center, 1200 Lakeshore Drive, Yukon. SAT Anatomy of a Medicinal Bean Soup, learn the ancient Chinese medicinal guidelines for choosing elements and preparing a robust and restorative adzuki and vegetable soup, 2-3 p.m., Feb. 6.

Natural Grocers, 7001 N. May Ave., 840-0300, naturalgrocers.com. SAT Taste of OKC, Oklahoma City’s premier tasting event featuring over 30 gourmet restaurants, an open bar, silent and live auctions, and live music by Chase Kerby & the Villains; proceeds support Big Brothers Big Sisters, 6:30 p.m., Feb. 6. Chevy Bricktown Events Center, 429 E. California Ave., 236-4143. SAT Health by Chocolate, learn how to use quality chocolate to enhance your food and your health; demonstration of how to make delicious, healthy, treats along with learning health benefits of chocolate, 3-4 p.m., Feb. 7. Natural Grocers, 7001 N. May Ave., 840-0300, naturalgrocers.com. SUN Chocolate and Coffee and Black Beans, Oh My!, a nutrition event led by Pam Patty, RD, LD as she demonstrates how to make black bean brownies, 10-11:30 a.m., Feb. 9. Integris Health Edmond, 4801 Integris Parkway, Edmond, 657-3000, integrisok. com/integris-health-edmond-ok. TUE continued on next page

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As Long as We Both Shall Live Jewel Box Theatre premieres its production of As Long as We Both Shall Live, a murder mystery with a comedic twist. It runs through Valentine’s Day. Showtimes are 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday at 3700 N. Walker Ave. Tickets are $15-$20. Visit jewelboxtheatre.org or call 521-1786.

Thursday-Sunday, ongoing

YOUTH Daddy-Daughter Dance, an evening of elegance and excitement for dads and daughters to enjoy, 7-9 p.m., Feb. 4 & 5. Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 297-2264, okcciviccenter.com. THU-FRI The Giver, when Jonas turns 12, he is chosen for special training from The Giver, who is the only person who holds the memories of real pain and real joy; Jonas learns the truth about life, 11 a.m., Feb. 4-5; 8 p.m., Feb. 5-6; 2 p.m., Feb. 7. Oklahoma Children’s Theatre, 2501 N. Blackwelder Ave., 606-7003, oklahomachildrenstheatre.org. THU-SUN Black History Month for Kids, crafts and hands-on activities for children of all ages, Feb. 6. Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, 521-2491, okhistory.org/ historycenter. SAT Art Making: Silkscreen T-Shirts, families will learn basic silkscreen printing techniques as they design and print their own one-of-a-kind T-shirt, 10 a.m.-noon, Feb. 6.

Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 2363100, okcmoa.com. SAT Cats You Will Remember, explore Cat Forest and learn about the zoo’s family of cats, 10-11:30 a.m., Feb. 6.

Oklahoma City Zoo, 2000 Remington Pl., okczoo.com.

SAT Fairytale Takeover, go on an adventure with a story and scavenger hunt, helping fairytale characters find what they are looking for, Feb. 6. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 445-7080, oklahomacitybotanicalgardens. com/events. SAT Black History Month for Kids, crafts and hands-on activities for children of all ages, Feb. 6. Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, 521-2491, okhistory.org/ historycenter. SAT

PERFORMING ARTS Mann ... and Wife, charming romantic comedy in which Henry Mann searches for the perfect date to his ex-fiancee’s wedding, 7:30 p.m., Feb. 3-4 & 10; 8 p.m., Feb. 5-6; 2 p.m., Feb. 6-7. Lyric Theatre, 1727 N.W. 16th St., 524-9312, lyrictheatreokc.com. WED-SUN Justin Leon, stand-up comedy performance, 8 p.m., Feb. 3-4; 8 & 10:30 p.m., Feb. 5-6. Loony Bin Comedy Club, 8503 N. Rockwell Ave., 239-4242, loonybincomedy.com.

WED-SAT

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Mariachi Los Camperos, the Grammy award-winning mariachi ensemble has celebrated the rich vocal tradition of Mexico with lively programs featuring the country’s most beloved songs; Mariachi Los Camperos employs the finest musicians from Mexico and the United States, 7:30 p.m., Feb. 4. Armstrong Auditorium, 14400 S. Bryant Rd., Edmond, 285-1010, armstrongauditorium.org. THU Broadway Tonight, performance by Grammy Awardwinner Melissa Manchester, 7:30 p.m., Feb. 5-6 CHK/ Central Boathouse, 732 S. Sixth St. FRI-SAT God of Carnage, Tony Award-winning, side-splitting comedy, written by Yasmina Reza and translated by Christopher Hampton; a comedy of manners, where the masks come off and the darkside of parenting is revealed, 8 p.m., Feb. 5-6. Pollard Theatre, 120 W. Harrison Ave., Guthrie, 282-2800, thepollard.org. FRI-SAT Gidion’s Knot, theatrical performance adapted from book written by Johnna Adams; tells the story of a troubled young boy and his moms fight to get an explanation for his actions, 8 p.m., Feb. 5-6. Paramount Theatre, 11 N. Lee Ave., theparamountokc.com, 637-9389. FRI-SAT Symphonie Fantastique!, classical works from Mozart, He Zhanaho & Cheng Gang and Berlioz performed by violinist Andrea Segar and conducted by Robert Moody, 8 p.m., Feb. 6. Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 297-2264, okcciviccenter.com. SAT

ACTIVE OKC Thunder vs. Orlando Magic, NBA basketball game; no real magic either, 7 p.m., Feb. 3. Chesapeake Energy Arena, 100 W. Reno Ave., 602-8700, chesapeakearena. com. WED Cardio Step, join Randy Hulin for a great cardio workout to start your weekend, 8:30 a.m., Feb. 6. Pacer Fitness Center, 5520 N. Independence Ave., 949-3891. SAT Harlem Globetrotters, one-of-a-kind family entertainment; ball handling wizardry that thrill fans of all ages, 2 & 7 p.m., Feb. 6. Chesapeake Energy Arena, 100 W. Reno Ave., 602-8700, chesapeakearena.com.

SAT OU Men’s Basketball, OU Sooners vs. Texas Longhorns, 8 p.m., Feb. 8. Lloyd Noble Center, 2900 S. Jenkins Ave., Norman, 325-4666, lloydnoblecenter.com. MON

Yoga in the Gardens, all-levels Vinyasa-style class, 5:45-6:45 p.m., Feb. 9. Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory, 301 W. Reno Ave., 297-3995, myriadgardens.com. TUE

VISUAL ARTS Beth Hammack and Pat Edwards, February’s featured artists showcasing works in oil, watercolor, acrylic and mixed media The Studio Gallery, 2642 W. Britton Road, 752-2642, thestudiogallery.org.

Brilliant: The Light Show, art exhibit featuring multiple talented artists and different mediums of art; hinges on the realization that all of our visual arts are indebted to light, be it in a natural or man-made source, direct or indirect, sunlight or heat lamp. JRB Art at The Elms, 2810 N. Walker Ave., 528-6336, jrbartgallery.com.

Clay Animal Sculptures, create your own piece of art; perfect for ages 5-adult, 10 a.m., Feb. 6. The House of Clay, 1100 NW 30th St., 524-5610, thehouseofclay. com. SAT Euphoria Artistry III: Greek Mythology, a night showcasing some of Oklahoma’s talented visual artists, musicians, designers, models, photographers and other artists, 8 p.m., Feb. 6. Loves Studio & Event Center, 1309 24th Ave. SW, Norman. SAT First Friday Gallery Walk, over 60 artists in more than 17 galleries, 6-10 p.m., Feb. 5. Paseo Arts District, 3022 Paseo St., 525-2688, thepaseo.com. FRI

Oklahoma Big and Small, intricate pen and ink images created by Renee Lawrence; she explores all things Oklahoma through miniature ink drawings and large acrylic paintings. Contemporary Art Gallery, 2928 Paseo St., 601-7474, contemporaryartgalleryokc.com.

Photography by Alan Ball, see the scenery and portrait photography of Alan Ball all January and February. 50 Penn Place Gallery, 1900 Northwest Expressway, Suite 113-R, 848-5567, 50pennplacegallery.com.

Riding The Whirlwind: Weather in the West, a highly interactive exhibit focusing on the way the rugged weather conditions of the Western United States have influenced and shaped Western culture. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org.

Seeing Red, a collaborative show featuring works from each individual resident artist at In Your Eye Gallery; each original piece will spotlight the romantic color red using clay, photography, acrylics and oils. In Your Eye Gallery, 3005 Paseo #A. Shades of Red, work by gallery artists in different shades of red. The Purple Loft Art Gallery, 514 NW 28th St., Suite 400, 412-7066.

Unspeakable, Cynthia Brown and Brett McDanel join forces to showcase their unique 2-D and 3-D works; Brown’s pieces are bright and joyous abstracts on canvas, while McDanel’s sculptures bring life to the mechanical. Kasum Contemporary Fine Arts, 1706 NW 16th St., 604-6602, kasumcontemporary.com.

P R OVID ED

Introspection Manifested, Alexandra Engelman uses monsters, beasts, and other creatures to express ambiguous ideas and concepts, and finds that they best allow her to manifest these thoughts into visual space. Artspace at Untitled, 1 NE Third St., 815-9995, artspaceatuntitled.org.

James Surls, nature figures prominently in the work of sculptor James Surls, and over the course of four decades, he has developed evocative, hybrid forms in wood, steel, and bronze inspired by flowers, the human body, and rock formations. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman, 325-3272, ou.edu/fjjma.

Let’s Talk About It, Oklahoma Play ball! If you love baseball, books and discussing life’s human dramas, you should participate in Play Ball: The American Sport Meets the American Dream.

Let’s Talk About It, Oklahoma’s book discussion series continues 7 p.m. Tuesday at Oklahoma City University’s Walker Center, room 151, near the center of campus at NW 26th Street and Florida Avenue, with Bang the Drum Slowly by Mark Harris. Bang the Drum Slowly is the third session in the five-part series made possible by Oklahoma Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Admission is free. To preregister and borrow books, call Harbour Winn at 208-5472 or email hwinn@okcu. edu. Learn more at okcufilmlit.org.

Tuesday

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life food & drink

It’s not too late to plan a romantic evening (or morning) for Valentine’s Day. Oysters at Pearl’s Oyster Bar

By Greg Elwell

No reservations needed here; just come on in and bring your date.

— Brandon Eller

Valentine’s Day might be the big event, but she said the restaurant is built for intimate meals anytime. As such, the Valentine’s menu will be available starting Thursday for those who can’t make a Sunday supper.

Other high-end options include Boulevard Steakhouse, 505 S. Boulevard, in Edmond, where diners receive attentive service and mouthwatering dishes like filet tips and wild mushrooms and one of the best

ma rk hancock / f ile

As Trinidadian-German philosopher Nestor Alexander Haddaway once asked, “What is love? Baby, don’t hurt me. Don’t hurt me no more.”

To this day, scholars puzzle over his question. What is love? Can it be felt physically, or is it merely an abstract concept to which we ascribe physical traits? And who are these babies he’s so afraid of?

All of these are terrible things to talk about on date night, by the way.

You remember. Date night? Oh, man, I can’t believe you forgot again!

Don’t worry; Oklahoma City’s romance restaurant experts are here to help you salvage this nightmare.

“Normally, we’re closed on Sundays,” said Paseo Grill co-owner Lesley Rawlinson. “But we’re opening up especially for that evening.”

Reservations for a special Sunday dinner at Paseo Grill, 2909 Paseo St., go fast, but Rawlinson said that has a lot to do with the atmosphere of the restaurant.

“We’re really geared toward couples.

We have the curtains going already, and lots of private spaces,” she said. “We run our regular menu, but we’ll also have a special dinner for two with filets, a 10-oz. lobster tail and sides for each person.”

Michelangelo’s Coffee and Wine Bar owner Michael Palermo pours wine. bowls in the metro: truffled mushroom soup.

Though Michelangelo’s Coffee and Wine Bar, 207 E. Main St., in Norman isn’t fancy, owner Michael Palermo said it’s plenty romantic. For Valentine’s Day, the restaurant tops tables with white cloth, offers deals on bottles of wine and makes sure that everybody gets a little of that romantic treat: chocolate.

“We’ve had several first dates here.

Two that we know of turning into marriage,” he said. “We’ve had several surprise proposals here as well.”

In fact, Palermo said the shop hosted the wedding of one couple who had their first meeting at Michelangelo’s.

Unlike some of the most bustling watering holes in the metro, this

Norman wine bar might have a bit of live music, but it’s mostly a great place for intimate drinks, one-on-one conversations and budding romances.

If drinking is a must for your date, check out WSKY Lounge, 228 NE Second St., in Deep Deuce. While the evening gets rowdier at sister restaurant Slaughter’s Hall next door, WSKY is a little more reserved. It’s an excellent place for whiskey, but the bar runs deep for whatever kind of cocktail you desire.

Adventurous amore

For a rollicking good time and access to plenty of spirits, Pearl’s Oyster Bar, 5641 N. Classen Blvd., is an obvious choice, especially if you forgot to get a reservation, said assistant general manager Brandon Eller.

“No reservations needed here,” he

said. “Just come on in and bring your date. We’ll have a lot of fun.”

As one of Oklahoma City’s oldest seafood restaurants, Pearl’s has become the go-to spot for many seeking that most romantic of aphrodisiacs: oysters.

But those who are less inclined toward slurping bivalves from a shell will still find plenty to love, including a Valentine’s special of filet or mahi mahi topped with a mix of lobster and crab and a jalapeño-cilantro béarnaise sauce.

Since Valentine’s falls on a Sunday, Pearl’s is serving its romantic magic all day, starting with brunch.

Another fish lover’s paradise is Tokyo Japanese Restaurant, 7516 N. Western Ave., where the menu goes from cooked to raw and everywhere in between. For something light and exotic, adventurous eaters might want to give the sea urchin nigiri a try.

French is the language of love, so French food must be the most romantic cuisine around. What better reason to give always-lovely La Baguette Bistro, 7408 N. May Ave., a visit?

If escargot and beef tartare aren’t up your alley, Oklahoma City’s best-known French eatery also plates seared duck breast and leg confit, beef bourguignon over fettuccine and desserts so rich, you might want to skip dinner altogether.

What is dating but bringing two disparate worlds together? That’s what makes La Brasa International Cuisine, 1310 NW 25th St., such an inspired choice. Peruvian and Korean food come together in an exciting menu that’s a delight for the taste buds and a sure conversation starter.

The famed pollo a la brasa, an amazing roasted chicken, is paired with kimchi, herbs, naan and slaw in the Pollo a La Brasa y China, but maybe save that for a couples’ date night.

If you’re feeling frisky, order the Ceviche Leche de Tigre. Even if the aphrodisiac effect is just a placebo, it’s a deliciously fresh dish.

Hopefully, if you take any of this advice, your date night will be successful enough that you won’t be pondering Haddaway’s philosophical challenge alone afterward.

O k l a h o m a G a z e t t e | F E B R ua r y 3 , 2 0 1 6 | 2 1

Ga rett fi sbe c k / fi l e

Romantic repast

NO RESERVE TACK AND SADDLES

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 6TH 7 PM | DOORS OPEN 6 PM FOR PREVIEW American Legion | 5000 S.E. 24th. St. OKC The inventory of 3 Bar Saddle Shop is available for immediate liquidation & to be sold to the highest bidder, piece by piece! Western saddles & horse equipment.

Nothing held back. You bid, you set the price.

TERMS OF SALE: CASH, ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS, & DEBIT FOR MORE INFO 541-592- 4300 We are also liquidating high end top quality saddlery. 50 top quality saddles including: Roping, Wade, Full Silver Show Saddles, Pleasure Saddles, Pony, Barrel, Australian, (seat sizes from 12”-19”)

All kinds of leather goods. Over 200 bridles & breast collars, Cowboy halters, Bronc halters, Bling halters, leather & nylon halters. Harness, Show Headstalls, and lots of silver & cowboy spurs, stable supplies & more.

Over 100: wool saddle blankets, memory core pads, 100% wool saddle pads, gel core saddle pads & many other style saddle pads.

Gazette

r e h t e g To b etter

ValentiTnheis'sYear!

With Us

by Greg Elwell

Booze and pancakes A winning combination returns to Oklahoma City 8 p.m.-2 a.m. March 18 as Pancakes & Booze Art Show takes over OKC Farmers Public Market, 311 S. Klein Ave. Billed as the city’s largest underground art show, Pancakes & Booze features more than 70 local artists, live body painting and a free pancake bar.

Artists who would like to participate can submit work at pancakesandbooze.com/submityour-artwork. Artists must show 3-10 pieces, and each piece costs $15 to show. Pancakes & Booze receives no commission from art sold.

In addition to art and pancakes, the show features live music and live art and is for guests 21 and older.

Timber After 21 years in business, Twelve Oaks Restaurant will close.

Opened by Bill Horn in 1995, the fine dining restaurant, 6100 N. Midwest Blvd., is in a renovated a Victorian home that Horn moved to an area between Edmond and Guthrie. Specializing in steaks, seafood and wine, the eatery continued on after Horn’s death three years ago, with his daughter and son-inlaw Lisa and Gregg Janes at the helm.

“Sad to say we have to do it,” Gregg Janes said. “We’ve been running it about three years, and we pretty much doubled sales in that amount of time. But about May or June, we started seeing weakness in the numbers.”

Though customers still loved the food and service, Gregg said frequency of visits became an issue only exacerbated by the downturn in the economy.

“Talking with other operators, we’re not in this boat by ourselves,” Janes said.

“When you’re faced with putting money into a business and not getting much out of it, you have to draw a line.”

The venue’s final day is Feb. 15. The family encouraged anyone who purchased or received a gift certificate to redeem it before closing or contact them before April 15 at info@twelveoaksrestaurant.com.

The Janes hope to find a buyer for the restaurant, either under the current name and concept or who is interested in doing something new.

Gregg said he will continue at his full-time job outside the restaurant while Lisa will likely take a rest and enjoy spending time with her five grandchildren before possibly returning to nursing. mark h an cock

Spend Day

FOOD BRIEFS

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7101 Miramar Blvd Oklahoma City, OK 73111 Reservations Recommended 405.478.1417 www.jbruners.com

Top tip Oklahomans are friendly with their wallets, at least according to pointof-sale company Lavu. A recent study of 2015 transaction data from restaurants that use the iPad-based system crowned the Sooner State the top tipper in the country.

Oklahoma was in the top 10 in restaurant (21.17 percent), bar (23.96 percent) and coffee shop (20.68 percent) tipping. Overall, the results said Oklahomans tip 23.17 percent, ahead of Maryland (21.96 percent) and New Hampshire (21.14 percent).

The worst average in the country according to Lavu? North Dakota.

And because it’s important to so many of you, yes, Oklahoma bested Texas tippers in every category.

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life food & Drink

Cool Mill

The site of Russ Johnson and Jonathon Stranger’s new restaurant concept in Edmond

Oklahoma City chefs are cooking up something big in Edmond.

By Greg Elwell

In an ice-cold former creamery, Ludivine owners Jonathon Stranger and Russ Johnson and bar manager Chris Barrett recently unveiled plans for their next restaurant.

The unnamed eatery will take up residence in Edmond’s long-closed Eagle Milling Co. creamery, 103 W. Second St., across the road from the iconic Rodkey flour mill. When they first entered the space, it had been used as storage for decades.

“You could barely walk through that room,” Stranger said, pointing to what will become the bar.

Among the detritus, he found old ledgers, a manual for a submarine from World War I and a framed copy of the Oklahoma City Times proclaiming Hitler’s defeat.

Despite years of neglect, the new owners like the bones of the building and plan to retain much of the rustic charm of the 1922 structure.

Plans include an entrance on the east side of the building done in a Japanese burnt wood technique called shou sugi ban that preserves and seals the wood with fire. Once inside, diners will get peeks into the kitchen, including a giant copper wood-burning

from left Chris Barrett, Russ Johnson and Jonathon Stranger at the site of their new restaurant concept in Edmond.

Le Panyol stove.

The cuisine will be a simpler, more rustic version of the food served at Ludivine, 805 N. Hudson Ave., with a continued focus on fresh, local and seasonal dishes.

“Lots of roasted meats,” Stranger said. “We’re not doing pizza. If we wanted to do pizza, we’d just start a pizza place.”

The menu also will include freshbaked bread and kid-friendly options that go beyond frozen chicken fingers.

Instead, items marked as suggestions for younger diners will include smaller portions of the restaurant’s regular menu. As a parent, Stranger said he knows that good kids items are sorely lacking.

High-quality ingredients will be easy to come by, as the chefs will use fresh produce available at Edmond Farmers Market, just east of the creamery. The restaurant will have Saturday and Sunday “market brunch” meals inspired by what’s in season.

Barrett showed off the bar space, which will mirror the quality and style of Ludivine’s cocktails, beer and wine program.

“Fresh ingredients and classically inspired cocktails,” he said.

The restaurant also will feature a patio and a drink rail outside.

Johnson described the decor as industrial without being inhospitable.

There are plans to expand the kitchen and private dining areas with an added 600 square feet of space.

Stranger said the opening of an Edmond restaurant came after his family moved to the area last year and he felt a need to add to the city’s smallbut-growing food scene.

Johnson and Stranger opened farmto-fork restaurant Ludivine in 2010 to acclaim and followed up their success with another high-concept spot, The R&J Lounge and Supper Club, 320 NW 10th St., in 2014.

O k l a h o m a G a z e t t e | F E B R ua r y 3 , 2 0 1 6 | 2 3

Viewmaster Eyeballs — if you’re reading this, you probably have at least one. And what a burden they’ve become, right? Yeah yeah yeah, sight is great if you’re crossing the street or admiring art, but most of the time, it’s just a drag. Stop assaulting your vision with run-ofthe-mill restaurants and go somewhere that’s a feast for the eyes and the stomach.

— by Greg Elwell, photos by Garett Fisbeck and Mark Hancock

Redrock Canyon Grill

Fassler Hall

Museum Cafe

9221 Lake Hefner Parkway redrockcanyongrill.com | 749-1995

421 NW 10th St. fasslerhall.com | 609-3300

415 Couch Drive okcmoa.com/cafe | 235-6262

When the sun hits the water just right on Lake Hefner, people literally become blind for a minute and everybody tries to echolocate until their sight returns.

But after that minute, it’s just gorgeous.

And there’s no place better to enjoy the setting sunlight glinting off the ripples than Redrock Canyon Grill. Order the tenderloin, seared and sliced, and enjoy a glass of wine as night falls and the werewolves come out.

Hoist a stein full of hefeweizen and look around at the sea of humanity that washes over Fassler Hall on a nightly basis. The key to people-watching is volume, and there is no lack of subject matter in this massive beer hall. Best of all, you can gnaw on some housemade sausages and down some comically large mugs of beer while getting your fill of questionable fashion choices and hairstyles.

The management at Museum Cafe, inside Oklahoma City Museum of Art, asked us to pass along an important message: Please stop eating the art. It might be difficult to tell the difference between the artfully plated food and the artfully arty art, but one is way more expensive than the other and much more difficult to prepare. Remember the old saying, “If it’s in a frame, leave it the same. If it’s on a plate, it probably tastes great.”

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Bossa Nova Bar

Kd’s

Power House

Sauced on Paseo

440 NW 11th St. cafedobrazilokc.com/bossa-nova 525-9779

224 Johnny Bench Drive kdsbricktown.com | 701-3535

1228 SW Second St. powerhouseokc.com | 702-0699

2912 Paseo St. saucedonpaseo.com | 521-9800

There’s no guarantee you’ll see Kevin Durant at the restaurant that bears his initials, but it’s not unheard of, either.

After walking the bustling sidewalks of Bricktown, it’s nice to settle in at this opulent eatery and look for celebs. The Baller Menu has gone away, but there are still a lot of KD’s favorites waiting for you to try. Honey-fried chicken? Check.

Blackened stuffed catfish? Double check.

You can’t have great people-watching without great drinks. Down in the Farmers Market District, Power House packs them in with a killer list of cocktails. If you like a Bloody Mary, you’ll love the Little Fat Cowboy. Those looking to light up their taste buds in the perpetually dim bar should order a Spicy Sexton Rita. But if all you get is a beer and a basket of Hawaiian pig biscuits, grab a seat on the patio and enjoy watching all of OKC drop by.

The phrase “You will not believe what I just saw at Sauced” gets thrown around a lot. Nestled in the art-acular Paseo Arts District, Sauced’s wide-open patio gets used all year and draws in as diverse a crowd as the toppings on the Suicide Pie. Whether it’s an impromptu jam session by local musicians, an open-mic comedian or someone eating an entire Rice Krispies treat in three bites, you won’t believe what you saw, either.

The view from the Bossa Nova Bar patio is gorgeous sober, but it gets even better after you enjoy a couple caipirinhas, the official cocktail of Brazil. The menu is full of drinks you won’t find anywhere else, including a few with roasted cashew fruit and a variety of crushed grapes. And if it’s too cold to go outside, there’s a giant television on one wall and bar brimming with more beautiful drinks to try.

nothing says I Love you like

pad thai

lunch buffet M-F | 11am-2pm

O k l a h o m a G a z e t t e | F E B R ua r y 3 , 2 0 1 6 | 2 5

Sense and sensuality KC’s #1 Explore O age Shop Vint

essories Clothing • Accot Records & hesr curious good

February welcomes Valentine’s Day and Mardi Gras, and sometimes the best way to celebrate is by loving the one you’re with — even if that person is you. Adult games, lingerie, costumes, sales, toys, fitness and couples classes offer plenty of reasons to tell your friends, “Sorry.

I can’t make it to the booze and paint social tonight; I’m tied up.” — By Gazette staff | Photos by Mark Hancock

in the Plaza 1759 NW 16th • Oklahoma City • 405-528-4585 Open Tues-Sat 12-7 • Like us on Facebook

tues-fri 11am-7pm

saturday 12pm-6pm

The Indigo Attic

art classes, jewelry, crafts, handmade art, furniture, gifts with an edge!

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5924 NW 38th | OklahOma City

a colorful little hippie store, & so much more

fOllOW us!

Carlie’s 6000 S. Interstate 35 Service Road carlies.net 634-5900

Carlie’s has everything you need for Valentine’s Day. Find X-rated candy hearts ($2.99), Fuzu Glove Massagers ($20.99), glow-in-the-dark Lover’s Dice ($3.99), Bedroom Commands Romantic Game ($7.99) and even a Truth or Dare Spinner Valentine’s gift bag ($4.99) to wrap it all up in.

Hustler Hollywood 500 S. Meridian Ave.

2 6 | F E B R UA R Y 3 , 2 0 1 6 | O k l a h o m a G a z e t t e

Adam & Eve 218 E. Main St., Norman

hustlerhollywoodstores.com

adameveokc.com

605-3769

701-5881

Hustler Hollywood has every kind of gift you can imagine: edible, kinky, lingerie, for her or him, couple’s, silly and under $15. Get Sex Panther cologne ($44.99) for your man, the popular and oftenjoked-about Fleshlight ($64.99-$129.99) and Japanese drip candles ($11.99). While you’re there, pick up a Hustler logo V-neck tee for her that says, “Relax ... it’s just sex” ($20).

Metal, rubber, silicone, plastic — football isn’t your partner’s only fantasy. This boutique offers a Super Bowl Sunday special 2-3 p.m. Sunday and in-store education classes on topics such as The Art of a Positive Relationship and stays open 6 p.m.-10 p.m. during the monthly 2nd Friday Norman Art Walk events in downtown Norman. Pick up a mister bottle of Adam & Eve’s flavored lubricant ($9.95-$12.95) in watermelon, cherry or strawberry. Ask about Adam & Eve Video on Demand and Gay Mall movie service while you’re there.

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8009 W. Reno Ave.

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patriciasgiftshop.com 792-2020

Patricia’s is stocked full of supplies for your romantic Valentine’s Day. Bond with your lover with the Fetish Fantasy Series kit ($19.99), which comes with metal handcuffs (and keys!), a small leather whip and an eye mask. Stay smooth with help from Coochy Shave Creme ($8.99$13.99). Don’t forget System Jo H20 lubricants, massage oils and toy cleaners ($6.99+).

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www.loonybincomedy.com Teaze Dance & Fitness 1112 N. Broadway Ave. teazedance.com 232-7653

If you’re looking for a Mardi Gras pre-party, this might be the perfect warm-up spot for you and your pals.

Established in 2009, Teaze offers party packages ($230-$400) including the use of its dance studio and 14 poles, music playlists, class instruction, a changing room and a lobby area.

Props feature chairs, canes, feather fans and boas all in a private space. You can even hire a personal instructor and rent or buy your own pole so you can dance just about anywhere.

Christie’s Toy Box 2106 W. Lindsey St., Norman christiestoybox.com 321-0555

Popular items at Christie’s Toy Box include Wicked Ultra silicone-based lubricant ($27.99) and Doc Johnson’s iRocket ($56.99) and iPlay ($67.99).

Other popular items are Hemp Seed massage and body oil in scents like Dreamsicle and skinny dip. Christie’s also sells costumes — everything from fake mustaches ($3.99) to body glitter ($6.99) and a (hello, nurse!) threepiece halter garter dress with cap and stethoscope ($27.99).

O k l a h o m a G a z e t t e | F E B R UA R Y 3 , 2 0 1 6 | 2 7

Race Dance company showcases sensual movement and the human connection in their burlesque-inspired club show to push the boundaries of self-expression and sexual confidence in Oklahoma.

TickeTs

$25 per person 18 to enter, 21 to drink tickets.racedance.com

When

Saturday, February 13 7:30pm & 9:30pm

2 8 | f e b r ua r y 3 , 2 0 1 6 | O k l a h o m a G a z e t t e

Where

ACM@UCO Performance Lab 329 E. Sheridan, Oklahoma City 73104

sponsors

ACM@UCO Prairie Wolf Spirits and Strong Tonic Britt’s Eye View Photography

life nonprofit

Ga rett fi s bec k

Forever families Animal Rescue Friends of Nichols Hills is a small but important animal rescue and adoption group trying to find good homes for abandoned dogs.

Allison Peterson with Cabella at Flower Garden Park in Oklahoma City.

By Oraynab Jwayyed

For 15 years, Animal Rescue Friends of Nichols Hills has helped stray animals find safe homes. As a nonprofit, volunteers and donations keep it operating.

However, as the number of stray dogs has increased, Animal Rescue Friends (ARF) has been working beyond its capacity. More than half a dozen animals needed immediate care in recent weeks, and the organization’s members are reaching out for help finding homes for the animals.

Finding strays

ARF’s primary goal is to reunite lost pets with their humans.

As of now, ARF works with local animal control to locate strays. Once found, dogs are picked up for processing, taken to a veterinarian for any treatments they might need and then examined for tags or microchips to identify their owners.

The city pound holds the dogs for seven days to allow people time to locate and pick up their pets.

Allison Peterson volunteers as an ARF board member, advocate and pet foster parent.

“The animals we have are brought to us by animal control, and then we maintain our own database,” Peterson said.

More than a dozen pets — including cocker spaniels, Labrador retrievers, Pekingese, beagle-boxer mixes and other breeds and mixes — await forever homes.

All dogs are fully examined and neutered or spayed before adoption.

New owners pay a $100 fee to help cover the animal’s cost of care while it’s in the organization’s care.

ARF’s needs

There are several ways volunteers can help.

They can work at scheduled adoption events at PetSmart, 2932 NW 63rd St., or Blue Seven, 7518 N. May Ave. People also can foster animals in their homes while the animals wait for homes, Peterson said.

Sometimes, through fostering, volunteers form deep connections with the animals. And Peterson said that’s OK, too.

“If the foster family can’t allow the dogs to go to another home, then they can adopt the dogs,” she added.

PetSmart has a schedule on its website and hosts weekly events, weather permitting. ARF and Blue Seven agreed to host monthly adoptions at the boutique.

Screening adoptions

Adoption applications are available at both event sites. Those interested in owning a dog are required to fill one out and provide contact and background information.

Adoption applicants also must pass background checks. ARF calls references and makes house visits when the need arises.

“Generally, with technology today, we’re able to get photos and stay in touch

Needing shelter

We’re able to get photos and stay in touch with owners of our dogs so we know that they’re happy in their new homes.

The animals are now housed at a Nichols Hills veterinary shelter since ARF does not have one of its own. The vet operates near capacity, and there is a need to help find the animals homes.

“All of our animals are also listed on Petfinder, which is a website that specializes in listing animals in shelters around the nation,” Peterson said.

— Allison Peterson

For more with owners of our dogs so we know that they’re happy in their new homes,” Peterson said. “We just want to know the dog is going to a home that has the means to support the animal or has the ability for us to find the dog if we need to check up on him or her.”

ARF strives to maintain relationships with new owners to ensure the dogs are well cared for.

“These animals really become our own family members, so right now, I’ve got 17 little brothers and little sisters and I’m just trying to find them a home,” she said.

Peterson shared more about a dog that has waited a long time for the right forever home. Cabella is a 4- or 5-year-old boxer/ shepherd mix that is “good with kids, rides well in cars and is a very smart girl.”

>> Animal Rescue Friends of Nichols Hills: animalrescuefriends.com, on Instagram at @arfnicholshills or call Suzy at 843-3038 >> City of Nichols Hills impounded animal search: nicholshills.net/ lostfound.asp >> Adoption events at PetSmart’s 2932 NW 63rd St. location: stores.petsmart.com/215 >> Central Oklahoma Humane Society: okhumane.org >> Metro-area animal shelters: okhumane.org/about/metro-shelters >> Petfinder: petfinder.com

O k l a h o m a G a z e t t e | f e b r ua r y 3 , 2 0 1 6 | 2 9

Dixie delight

SixTwelve, 612 NW 29th St.

SixTwelve celebrates its birthday and Cajun culture at its second Mardi Gras Ball.

By Jack Fowler

Mardi Gras Ball 8-11 p.m. Saturday SixTwelve 612 NW 29th St. sixtwelve.org $75-$500

wedding & event planning A speciAl section devoted to

cAll YoUR oKlAHoMA GAZette AccoUnt eXecUtive todAY!

3 0 | f e b r ua r y 3 , 2 0 1 6 | O k l a h o m a G a z e t t e

“If there was no New Orleans, America would just be a bunch of free people dying of boredom.” – Judy Deck, email sent to Chris Rose, 2005 It’s tough to say anything new about New Orleans.

The beautifully dirty, sacredly profane city has inspired more good novels and bad pop songs than maybe any other city in America. Its gumbo blends mystery, detritus, high society, voodoo, jazz and revelry to give it a flavor uncommon anywhere else in the world, and other cities, ours included, can sometimes look a little stodgy in comparison.

But Oklahoma City can expect a shot of Big Easy panache this weekend as Paseo Art District’s SixTwelve nonprofit community learning center celebrates its second anniversary with Mardi Gras Ball 8-11 p.m. Saturday at 612 NW 29th St. The party also celebrates the Crescent City’s swankier side: White-tie attire is optional but encouraged, as are beads and masks.

When asked why she chose that theme, SixTwelve cofounder Amy Young had a ready answer.

“Community,” she said. “Mardi Gras and so many New Orleans traditions are focused on community and people coming together to celebrate. I wanted to do something

like that here. We didn’t have a Mardi Gras ball anywhere else in OKC, and I wanted to provide something different. And I love zydeco music.”

The event features catering from Picasso Cafe and Norman restaurant Scratch Kitchen + Cocktails and authentic ambiance from Louisianabased zydeco band Nathan & the Zydeco Cha-Chas.

The event is about more than raising money to keep SixTwelve going, Young said. It’s also about bringing people into the community that SixTwelve has been such a vibrant part of over the past two years.

Young said ticket sale proceeds will help purchase new kitchen equipment so the organization can begin holding youth cooking classes.

“So far, we feel really welcome by the community, and we’ve loved being here,” Young said of the school and Paseo event hub she helped launch. “We’ve been able to do so much: the pre-K, the OKC Girls Art School, community gardening projects, yoga classes, residencies for artists, neighborhood events. It’s been amazing.”

She said big plans — including a spring break urban farming camp and several summer programs to help youth stave off doldrums — are on the docket for 2016.

As for those who might not favor the top hats and tails of a white-tie affair, Young, in true New Orleans fashion, said not to sweat it.

“White tie is optional, but anybody’s welcome in anything they want to wear,” she said. “We just want people to come celebrate with us.”

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Despite dating back to 1994, the Norman Mardi Gras Parade is still regarded as one of the city’s best-kept secrets.

Norman Mardi Gras Parade 2012

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By Ben Luschen

Norman Mardi Gras Parade 7 p.m. Saturday Along E. Main and Commanche streets between S. Jones and Crawford avenues, Norman normanmardigrasparade.com Free

It’s Mardi Gras in a college town. It’s Norman’s only night parade of the year. It has a history dating back more than two decades. So why do some people call the state’s longest running Mardi Gras parade, starting 7 p.m.

Saturday, “Norman’s best-kept secret”?

Aimee Rook, the parade’s coordinator, said there are a number of reasons the celebration has had a hard time establishing name recognition in Central Oklahoma, but she mostly thinks the Mardi Gras reputation precedes them.

“I do think some people in Norman think that it’s risqué because it’s Mardi Gras, but I don’t think they understand that even in New Orleans, there are 50 neighborhood parades that are just families, churches and people just having fun and being creative together,” she said. “It’s not all about debauchery.”

Regular turnover from the University of Oklahoma’s student body and a very limited advertising budget are also hurdles, but despite some limitations, the parade is still going strong, drawing crowds of as many as 5,000 in good weather.

Rook said there is no way she can control everything that goes on once the parade gets rolling. But for the most part, the Mardi Gras event is a grassroots, friendly neighborhood parade.

The things Rook can ensure are food and live music.

The parade starts at the railroad

tracks near E. Main Street and S. Jones Avenue and travels down Main to S. Crawford Avenue and then south to E. Comanche Street before coming back up Jones and looping around the course again.

Music will be provided by a zydeco band and the Noble High School marching band, but Rook said other bands are highly encouraged to take part in the parade.

Rook admitted that some could have a hard time securing a trailer or float and added that the weather could be cold, but those obstacles shouldn’t be that hard for most musical acts to overcome.

“Honestly, when you roll down Main Street, all those people who rarely go out and listen to music or hear rock or jazz or zydeco, they’re never going to hear that [anywhere else],” she said.

The parade’s royalty selections this year include Stacey Wright and her niece Danielle Brown, key organizers in the Yes All Daughters campaign, a grassroots effort to address bullying and sexual violence in schools.

Rook, who also organizes Groovefest, does not represent any company or particular cause in putting together the parade. She views the event as a form of community art therapy, an opportunity to shake off the winter blues and work with friends and family on a creative project.

“We just want to have fun,” she said. “That’s really the point of the parade, to create some joy. We’re not raising money or saving the world, except maybe through art.”

Bands or others interested in entering the parade are encouraged to contact normanmardigrasparade@ gmail.com by Thursday. Registration for a float is $20.16. Bands are not required to pay for registration.

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life visual arts

Art, character

Local illustrator Hector Lopez takes pride in his gig as a caricature artist at Oklahoma City Thunder home games, but his success only makes him aspire for more.

When Hector Lopez was a boy, he got lost at a theme park. Friends and family searched the places a normal kid might be, but he wasn’t standing in line for a roller coaster or binging on cotton candy.

“I was watching the caricature artist,” Lopez said. “I’d never seen anybody do that, and I was amazed.”

Two decades later, Lopez is the guy amazing people. As the official caricature artist for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Lopez and his quick-draw portraits have become a sight every bit as synonymous with home games in the ’Peake as Rumble the Bison and $8 beers.

He works 41 home games a year, plus however many playoff games the Thunder happens to have in it. He works VIP events, farmers markets, school functions and arts festivals.

His portraits grace the walls of more local homes than those of maybe any other local artist, and it’s not just because he’s prolific. It’s because he’s good.

“Practice,” Lopez said. “I was a bad caricature artist when I first started, but I knew I could draw really good dragons and airplanes. It’s just something that I made my mind up to work on, and it came over time.”

financial pinch all too familiar to most working artists, and his close proximity to the bright lights and bling of an NBA franchise only exacerbates his feelings.

“I’d like to at least be middleclass again,” Lopez said. “But in all seriousness, all day, I think about how to grow my business. I guess I have been running one; it’s just been ‘ghetto.’

You know, I work at a place where you’re always in front of the example of young, famous millionaires — the cars, the houses, all of that. Just being around it makes me want it. I want a rapper lifestyle, and I’m not ashamed to admit it.”

Even if he never achieves rich-andfamous status, Lopez said he’d settle for having a few more creature comforts.

“People with normal jobs, even if they hate them, they can still afford to have their own car and go to Hawaii on vacation,” Lopez said. “I’m borrowing my brother’s car right now, and I can’t afford to go anywhere. But I can’t quit because of my pride, and if I don’t do this ‘business’ thing right now, I won’t ever do it.”

Money troubles and aspirations aside, Lopez said his ultimate goal is to keep growing and working as an artist.

When asked what inspires him to keep going, he fought back tears. He spoke about his father, who died when Lopez was 14 years old.

“I want my dad to see me, if he’s watching,” he said. “I want him to see that I can pull this off, that I can make it this way.”

Family encouragement

Originally from Tabasco, Mexico, Lopez credits his parents for fostering his burgeoning talent as a kid and giving him the confidence to parlay it into an adult occupation.

“Me being an artist now all has to do with my parents complimenting my doodles when I was little,” said Lopez, 32. “I caught that early. That’s the reason I continued drawing, and so I drew all the time. I never had anybody tell me I sucked at it, so I just never stopped.”

However, he didn’t envision being a caricature artist early on. In addition to drawing, Lopez experimented with oils, acrylics, digital photography and skateboard design. Shortly after his family moved to Monrovia, California, Lopez took a job as a concept artist designing inflatables at a party supply store in Los Angeles, and one afternoon, his new path revealed itself.

“We were all loaded up, ready to go to a party, and we saw that I really didn’t have anything to do while they were gone,” Lopez said. “So the manager told me to just take my stuff

Hector Lopez points to the back of his T-shirt, which features one of his illustrations and his logo. and draw caricatures at the party.”

It took. Lopez continued honing his new craft until he eventually landed a fulltime job drawing portraits at Universal Studios. As happy as he was to finally be a working artist, he said the money just wouldn’t stretch far enough in LA and he began looking for other options.

“The mother of my son lived here, so I moved to OKC in 2008. I was working as a designer for El Nacional (OKC’s Spanish-language newspaper), and that was OK, but I don’t want to have a 9-to-5 where an art director tells me what to design,” Lopez said. “And then, all of a sudden, Seattle gave up their Sonics. There must be somebody out there looking out for me. It’s a very lucky position after struggling financially for so long.”

For dad

Lopez said he earns around $400 per game, and even though it’s seasonal work, it’s enough to get him through the rest of the year while he takes freelance design jobs. It’s a living, he said, but it’s not the life he wants.

“I’m in a very lucky position, but this year is all about me growing,” Lopez said. “For starters, everybody knows I’m a caricature artist, but deep down, I know I’ve got more art in me. Caricatures are like the fast food of art. You pay some money, you sit down for a few minutes and you get something to take with you.

And that’s fine, and it pays the bills, but I feel like I owe Oklahoma City some fancy paintings soon.”

He also said he’s becoming increasingly frustrated with the constant

A recent sketch by local caricature artist Hector Lopez

O k l a h o m a G a z e t t e | f e b r ua r y 3 , 2 0 1 6 | 3 3

P HOTOS P R OVI D E D

By Jack Fowler

P HOTOS BY M ATTHEW MUR P HEY / P ROVI DED

life performing arts

Kinky Boots’ national touring company

OK Kink

Former OBU student Jim J. Bullock portrays George, a man fighting to maintain tradition, in the touring production of Broadway hit musical Kinky Boots.

BY ADAM HOLT

Kinky Boots 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Feb. 11, 8 p.m. Feb. 12, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Feb. 13, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Feb. 14 Civic Center Music Hall 201 N. Walker Ave. okcciviccenter.com 297-2264 $20-$65 Note: Recommended for ages 12 and older

A story about a man and his unlikely friendship with a drag queen as they pull themselves up from their fabulous bootstraps to earn a living steps into Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., on Tuesday for a six-day, eight-performance run.

Kinky Boots is a musical about a man named Charlie who owns a shoe factory he inherited from his father. As the business fails, Charlie scrambles to find ways to stay afloat. He strikes a partnership with cabaret performer Lola.

While devising a strategy to produce high-heeled boots, they realize they have more in common than they thought.

The musical is based on the true story of a British man named Steve Pateman who saved his shoe business by creating a line of male fetish boots named Divine Footwear.

The story was picked up in 1999 by the BBC documentary series Trouble at the Top. It inspired the 2005 movie Kinky Boots, which inspired the musical.

After its 2013 debut, the Broadway musical was nominated for 13 Tony Awards, winning six. Kinky Boots songwriter Cyndi Lauper earned a prize for best original score, Jerry Mitchell won for best choreography and Billy Porter received a nod for best performance by a leading actor in a musical. The show also earned the coveted best musical award.

The production is currently touring the United States.

Fateful role

One star of the touring musical is actor Jim J. Bullock, age 60, whose presence in the entertainment industry spans four decades. He built his early career with roles in the sitcom Too Close For Comfort and the film comedy Spaceballs, as well as with a “square” on game show Hollywood Squares and a co-host slot with Tammy Faye Messner on the Jim J. and Tammy Faye Show. He has since performed in plays, musicals, films and television shows.

In Kinky Boots, Bullock plays the part of George.

“I am the foreman of the boot factory. … It’s a nice, even, steady role. I have a lot of stage time and not a lot of dialogue, which I’m very grateful for,” Bullock said.

Bullock grew up in Texas but was born in Wyoming. After high school, he

3 4 | f e b r ua r y 3 , 2 0 1 6 | O k l a h o m a G a z e t t e

It was at OBU where I said, ‘I want to be a special actor.’

— Jim J. Bullock

attended Oklahoma Baptist University (OBU) in Shawnee on a music scholarship.

“I was going to be a singer, but I got cast in a production at OBU that put me in the theater for the majority of time I was there,” he said.

He was working in a school production when he realized what he wanted to do with his career.

“I definitely remember Godspell. My parent’s didn’t pay for OBU; they paid for Godspell,” he said of his experience in the musical. “I went, ‘You know what?

This is something I want to pursue.’ It was calling to me. I went after it. It was at OBU where I said, ‘I want to be a special actor.’”

After two years, Bullock left for Los Angeles. Though he did not earn a degree, he said OBU provided him what he needed for his future.

“I got the encouragement at OBU from teachers, from professors,” Bullock said.

Once in LA, the young man from rural America confronted culture shock.

“It was like the world opening up for me. I had never been exposed to culture, different faiths and different types of people,” he said. “Every day was exciting and different.”

Outside of his time at OBU, Bullock acted in off-Broadway productions in the early 2000s, but he is best known for his 2005 portrayal of Edna Turnblad in Music Theatre West’s production of Hairspray. The tour stopped in Oklahoma City and Tulsa.

Bullock said what makes this particular production of Kinky Boots special is the camaraderie of the cast.

“They’re a great group of people,” he said. “Like it or not, you’re a family when you are out on the road like this.

I’m very proud of our company. We’re very fortunate there’s no divas, not a lot of attitudes flying around. I’ve been in those experiences, and it makes it so not pleasant.”

He is also pleased with the societal ideas Kinky Boots weaves into its story.

“It’s really got a great message,” Bullock said, “one that I am really proud to be a part of. We’re traveling around and giving this message that we need to love each other and accept each other for what we are.”

Visit okcciviccenter.com for more information.

Susan Riley

Renee Krapff

Timothy Stewart

Brutal comedy Guthrie’s Pollard Theatre delivers 90-minute chuckle God of Carnage.

P HOTOS BY P OL L AR D TH EAT RE COM PAN Y / P ROVI DED

James A. Hughes

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By Ben Luschen

God of Carnage 8 p.m. Feb. Friday-Saturday, 12-13, 18-20, 25-27; 2 p.m. Feb. 14 and 21 The Pollard Theatre 120 W. Harrison Ave., Guthrie thepollard.org 282-2800 $15-$25

The Pollard Theatre Company in Guthrie debuts its presentation of parenthood-fueled comedy God of Carnage Feb. 5-27 at 120 W. Harrison Avenue in Guthrie.

Written by Yasmina Reza, the play centers on boiling-over emotions when two sets of parents meet to discuss the behavior of their children.

God of Carnage was a critical and fan success on Broadway, most notably in 2009 with a cast featuring James Gandolfini, Jeff Daniels, Marcia Gay Harden and Hope Davis.

It earned a Tony Award for best play and a Laurence Olivier Award for best comedy. “[The characters] start out as very civil and maybe on just a little bit of an edge, and then things just devolve and they become more like children themselves,” said Linda McDonald, who directs the production for Pollard Theatre.

McDonald said it is thrilling and challenging to direct the 90-minute show because the type of comedy it contains hinges so heavily on four actors.

“It’s very much a characterdriven comedy even though it has a

compelling situation, but the thing that makes it funny isn’t because it’s slapstick or something,” she said. “It’s funny simply because the characters take it so seriously.”

Call 405.528.6000 for information and advertising opportunities

‘Extremely talented’ Pollard’s four-person cast includes James A. Hughes, Susan Riley, Renee Krapff and Timothy Stewart.

“All four are onstage from the time the curtain goes up to the time the curtain goes down,” McDonald said.

She is familiar with the “small and extremely talented” group of actors and said it is a privilege to work so closely with them.

McDonald got involved with God of Carnage after Pollard leadership invited her to direct it.

This production marks her directorial debut for the Guthrie performance venue.

She also is an accomplished writer, winning the 2013 Oklahoma Book of the Year in fiction for her first novel, Crimes of Redemption.

Though she does not currently perform with the theater company, McDonald has acted in several past productions.

She also has directed Of Mice and Men for OKC Theatre Company and Sherlock Holmes and the Hound of the Baskervilles for Jewel Box Theatre.

Other upcoming Pollard productions include Hairspray, running April 15-May 7, and American Idiot, running June 10-July 2. Learn more at thepollard.org.

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Gridinn°1404272333 medium Fill the grid so that every row, column and 3-by-3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9.

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New York Times Crossword Puzzle answers Puzzle No. 0124, which appeared in the January 27 issue.

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50 H&R Block employee’s biceps?

52 Upbeat 53 Renaissance-fair instruments 54 Hartsfield-Jackson airport code 55 Game of Thrones actress Dormer 57 Bleed (through) 59 ____ speak 60 Theodore who directed St. Vincent, 2014 62 Refuses to settle?

63 Onetime Iranian leader 65 Origami BlackBerry, e.g.?

68 Amusing baseball scoring play?

74 Boehner’s successor 75 Weight 76 Ingredient in a Spanish omelet 77 Without ____ (1990 live

Grateful Dead album) 80 Place of control 83 Last king of Spain before Juan Carlos 86 Tourette’s symptom 87 “Friendship is like ____, easier

made than kept”: Samuel Butler 89 Narrow-minded views

91 Drink in an old Pontiac?

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95 Patriotic men’s org.

96 Crafty e-tailer 97 Scottish John 98 Quality of beef 99 Basic vocabulary level in

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104 Sign in a restaurant that doesn’t

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108 Chef who explains in detail how

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Oklahoma Gazette is circulated at its designated distribution points free of charge to readers for their individual use and by mail to subscribers.

The cash value of this copy is $1.

Persons taking copies of the Oklahoma Gazette from its distribution points for any reason other than their or others’ individual use for reading purposes are subject to prosecution.

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the Vampire Slayer 51 Make one 52 Lead 56 Creature formed from

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Stumped? Call 1-900-285-5656 to get the answers to any three clues by phone ($1.20 a minute). The answers to the New York Times Magazine Crossword Puzzle that appeared in the January 27 issue of Oklahoma Gazette are shown at left.

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New York Times Magazine Crossword Puzzle INITIAL TURN By Francis Heaney and Brendan Emmett Quigley / Edited by Will Shortz

92 Cabaret song with a

German title 94 Shares on Tumblr, say 95 Commercial prefix with foam 100 Greatly enjoy, as a joke 102 Maxima 104 Tied up 105 Smith who wrote

The Hundred and One Dalmatians 106 Writer Jong 107 Like businesses on Yelp 108 Tax-fraud detector, informally 109 Artist Paul 111 Construction piece 112 Newcastle’s river 116 URL ending 118 Big A.T.M. maker 119 The Browns, on a ticker

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Sugar babies Sugar Free Allstars returns to the kindie rock scene with a new look and fresh material.

By Ben Luschen

Contrary to popular belief, Chris Wiser is not always wearing a bow tie. But he doesn’t go far without one, either.

On the day of Sugar Free Allstars’ recent Oklahoma Gazette cover shoot in Norman, Wiser, keyboardist and vocalist for the only “family funk super duo” in Oklahoma City — and maybe the world — removed one of his trademark bow ties from the console of his truck and hustled back into Bell Labs Recording Studio.

Inside, he squeezed in next to drummer Rob Martin, better known as Dr. Rock. They were crowded by gear branded with the band’s new logo, yet to be seen in public. The pair was so close they could elbow each other. An oversized bag filled with plastic red and blue balls was dumped into the space for good measure.

The Grammy winners were in the mixing stage of making their self-titled fourth family-friendly album, due out April 4. Still, Wiser had some hopes the shoot could maintain the illusion of a band in mid-jam.

“This is exactly how we track an album,” Wiser joked while Martin sat with his leg propped against the bass drum.

Maybe it isn’t “exactly” how the band tracks an album, but the personas Wiser and Martin adopt in the spotlight are not too far removed from how they behave in real life. Family music’s Penn & Teller were born to be rock stars, even if it didn’t always feel like it.

Funky return

Martin and Wiser’s new album is their first new project in three years. Wiser also believes it is their most ambitious effort to date.

Yes, he said ambitious. The band with a catalogue that includes hits like “Cars and Trucks” and “Rock Awesome” might work with childlike themes, but their instrumentation and vision is palatable — and enjoyed — by adults, too.

“We don’t really write kid songs, per se; we just write songs,” Wiser said. “We just make sure that they’re appropriate for everybody to listen to.”

Some parents secretly loathe the rudimentary sounds they hear from candy-coated kid bands on TV, but there’s

Kids want to rock, and they’re not afraid to rock. There’s no inhibitions.

— Chris ‘Boom!’ Wiser

nothing dumbed-down about Sugar Free Allstars, a project that offers nods to the funk of music acts such as Deep Purple, Parliament, Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem, New Orleans Dixieland and Second Line.

Trent Bell, Sugar Free Allstars producer and former Chainsaw Kittens guitarist, previewed some of the band’s new tunes while Wiser and Martin listened on a couch against the wall.

The first song Bell played, “Mr. DJ,” was inspired by early-’80s Prince but has lyrics about not wanting to go to bed instead of getting freaky in one.

The song faded to a close. Wiser perked up as he listened to the opening drums of the following track.

“This is the hit,” he said. “This is the song people have been waiting for. Kids are dying to get hold of this song.”

Then came the opening lyrics.

“Monster truck! Monster truck! M-mm-m-m-m-monster truck!”

The heavy electric track is their homage to Deep Purple, Martin said. But what makes it truly great is that it’s more than a simple smash fest with a looped riff. The song has musical stages and layers with the type of progression you don’t hear on Nick Jr. Without the words, you would not guess “Monster Truck” is a song made with children in mind.

“We’re not breaking new musical ground, but I feel like, in some way, in the family music genre, we’re pushing the envelope,” Wiser said.

Carter Sampson

Chris “Boom!” Wiser

Scene setters

In the industry, some music is made exclusively to entertain children. This is not the aim shared by Sugar Free Allstars, continued on next page

Rob “Dr. Rock” Martin

O k l a h o m a G a z e t t e | f e b r ua r y 3 , 2 0 1 6 | 3 9

p hotos by ga r e t t fi s b e c k

cover music

p r ovi de d

cover music

Rob “Dr. Rock” Martin and Chris “Boom!” Wiser

a band originally founded as an adultoriented, club-playing three-piece.

“A lot of these groups that are more children’s music … a lot of those musicians might not have ever experienced that part of it — trying to entertain adults,” Wiser said. “[However,] I think a large percentage of the people we personally know in the kindie rock world have.”

Kindie rock, a term coined in the last decade or so, is a style that packages ageappropriate musical themes within indie music that is palatable for an entire family.

After the duo finishes live sets, parents often approach them in disbelief, saying they were not expecting to enjoy the show.

“Parents will tell us that they listen to the albums when their kids get out of the van,” Martin said. “They still keep listening.”

In his experience, Wiser said most kindie rock bands are similar to his own in that they come from conventional, adult backgrounds.

“It’s a pretty small scene of people who have done some pretty cool things,” he said.

Sugar Free Allstars, which was the band’s name even before entering the kindie rock world, released its first family album in 2007 with the intention of it being a one-off, novelty project. At the time, parents were already telling them their children enjoyed the group’s music, so why not?

Even in the burgeoning genre, Sugar Free Allstars’ funky sound quickly stood out. The duo began making connections in family music circles across the nation before it built a local brand.

“It was literally like somebody was like, ‘This is the way you’re going to end up. You don’t realize why you’re making these decisions now, but you’ll see why; just stick with me,’” Wiser said.

Making art

There are no real rules to writing kindie

rock, Wiser said, but he doesn’t write about drinking alcohol, staying out late or getting cheated.

“We might write about women, but it’ll be Mom,” Martin added.

The duo also must remember to be as apolitical and not offensive as possible.

After years of performing in 21-andup venues, Wiser and Martin also are much more aware of what they say while onstage. A slip-up could ruin them.

Even so, the act does not bind itself strictly to elementary-school themes.

On the 2014 single “My Daddy’s Record Collection,” for example, Sugar Free Allstars introduces children to a technology most have never heard of while simultaneously striking a nostalgic chord with parents. Like pop culture references in Pixar movies, Wiser and Martin hide old band references and harmless jokes within their music that often go unnoticed by younger listeners.

Wiser wasn’t married until after Sugar Free Allstars moved to a kindie rock format. He now has two children of his own. Before he became a father, the vocalist said some songs were inspired by things he would see other people’s kids do.

Writing family-conscious lyrics, Wiser said, is not any easier or harder than writing for other genres.

“People say, ‘What do you think about when you think about writing a kid’s song?’ I say, ‘I think about writing a song,’” he said.

The pair said they still find what they do artistically rewarding. One song that hit the top of the SiriusXM radio kids’ chart, Wiser said, was very much a James Brown-type funk.

The vocalist said he is honored and excited to imagine Sugar Free Allstars might be a child’s first live rock show and the first exposure they have to that kind of sound.

“Not that we’re better than James Brown, but they might not have ever

4 0 | f e b r ua r y 3 , 2 0 1 6 | O k l a h o m a G a z e t t e

Parents will tell us that they listen to the albums when their kids get out of the van.

heard James Brown,” he said. “So what if they like this and they seek it out later in life because of what we did?”

return to music aimed at solely adults.

Sugar Free Allstars has several events planned before the release of its next album, including a March 16 appearance on the South by Southwest Family Meltdown stage in Austin, Texas, and a March 24 event with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic. (Learn more about the Link Up grade-school music program at okcphilharmonic.org/registration.)

The band will also be showcasing KindieComm, a national family music conference in Philadelphia, April 2.

No matter where Sugar Free Allstars plays, a crowd of loud and passionate fans is sure to follow.

Paying dividends

‘Rock Awesome’

— Rob ‘Dr. Rock’ Martin

Wiser and Martin remember playing at bars in front of maybe 10 people. Their CDs just sat there as people instead spent their money on another round of drinks.

“That’s a big deal in a bar,” Martin said. “People will not buy the album because they need to buy that last shot.”

In a kindie rock format, the band no longer competes for dollars. In fact, because adults enjoy the music, many parents are more comfortable buying their album with the knowledge that it will be played in their car a few hundred times.

In addition to financial benefits, shows are played in the daytime, so Wiser is free to spend evenings with his own kids.

The transition has opened up doors the pair never imagined when playing ahead of last call inside a dark pub.

“We’re both convinced, the way it was going, that the band wouldn’t even exist anymore if it weren’t for this,” Martin said. “We were getting pretty burned out.”

An appearance on a Grammy-winning children’s album or the opportunity to play with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic never occurred to them before, but both have become realities for the duo that said they are unlikely to ever

Adults can get excited for rock shows, but for children, that excitement comes from somewhere more primal. They don’t need time to warm up to the band or liquor to put them at ease.

“You scream at them, ‘Are you ready to rock?!’ and they will scream back as loud as they can,” Wiser said.

The two often have to yell — not just to show stage energy, but to be heard over the deafening crowds that can form at a festival or in a school auditorium.

Sitting on the studio couch, Wiser recalled one of Sugar Free Allstars’ loudest shows.

Two years ago, the duo played the youth stage at Austin City Limits in an outside mall area overlooked by apartments nearby.

The noise level from that performance was so intense, people from the apartments called the police with noise complaints.

“Kids want to rock,” Wiser said.

“And they’re not afraid to rock. There’s no inhibitions.”

Sugar Free Allstars’ self-titled album will be available for pre-order on iTunes on Thursday.

Alexandria’s answer

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life music

Asking Alexandria

With a new lineup, Asking Alexandria returns to a state that showed them love in the past.

By Ben Luschen

Bullet for My Valentine with special guests Asking Alexandria and While She Sleeps 7:30 p.m. Feb. 13 Diamond Ballroom 8001 S. Eastern Ave. diamondballroom.net 677-9169 $29-$150

At one time, even the word “Oklahoma” sounded foreign to Ben Bruce, lead guitarist and founding member of English metalcore band Asking Alexandria.

The group returns to Oklahoma City in support of Bullet for My Valentine 7:30 p.m. Feb. 13 at Diamond Ballroom, 8001 S. Eastern Ave. On the band’s first stop through the state, the musicians were unsure what to expect.

Bruce, in a phone interview with Oklahoma Gazette, said what they found was an “insane” and massive crowd. The presence of a few choice strip clubs in the state didn’t hurt either.

“When we went and headlined that first time, I was like, ‘Holy shit; this is fucking mental,’” he said. “We’ve been back multiple times since, and more often than not, now, if we have a day off before or after the show, we’ll actually stay in Oklahoma for the extra day so we can just chill out and drink and stuff because it’s just quite a laid-back vibe.”

This time when the band rolls into town, it will be without Danny Worsnop, its former lead singer.

Worsnop and Asking Alexandria parted ways in January 2015 when the singer went on to perform full-time with his other, more hard-rock band We Are Harlot. The separation was mutual but not overly cordial.

Losing a lead singer is never something a band shrugs off, even though Bruce himself has contributed vocals as Asking Alexandria’s frontman before Worsnop joined.

“This is a big moment for us, and it is a significant change, but it’s definitely a much-needed change,” Bruce said.

The band added a new frontman, Denis Stoff, formerly of Ukrainian band Make Me Famous.

Bruce said it was an easy process to bring in Stoff. His added presence has been a shot in the arm for a group used to dealing with a member Bruce said was not interested in making music with them.

“Denis has come along and he’s given us all this big boot in the ass, and it’s nice to look to your left and right onstage and see your singer with a massive grin on his face, jumping around, all the energy in the world,” he said. “Now we’re all having a blast.”

For every fan who voices skepticism about the act’s new singer, Bruce said 20 others say it was a much-needed adjustment.

The Black, due out March 25, is the first new Asking Alexandria project since 2013 and the first with Stoff.

“It’s almost like we’ve been reborn,” Bruce said.

In the band’s first few records, he said, there was a large amount of energy and passion present in recordings. Bruce is the first to admit its last record, From Death to Destiny, lacked that kind of life.

Some critics called the project a more “grown-up” effort. The group began anew with Stoff and the songwriting process immediately went into high gear. Within a few weeks, Bruce said they developed the backbone of what would ultimately become The Black.

The emotions are real, Bruce said, and the music is relatable.

“From the second this album begins almost to the last note on the record,” Bruce said, “there’s a huge amount of energy that comes through the speakers that takes the listener on a journey.”

O k l a h o m a G a z e t t e | f e b r ua r y 3 , 2 0 1 6 | 4 1

MUSIC album review

p rovi ded

Juiced blues

By Ben Luschen

The Electric Rag Band’s sixth album, My Side, is nothing short of a good time.

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4 2 | f e b r ua r y 3 , 2 0 1 6 | O k l a h o m a G a z e t t e

The Electric Rag Band proves the grass is not always greener.

Sometimes it’s blue.

My Side is the Tulsa father-son combo’s sixth studio album. Father Pat Cook is on guitar, and son Dan Cook is on drums. The bluesy folk band also includes some washboard elements.

Released in October, 13-song My Side might be the group’s most polished record yet. The Rag Band doesn’t necessarily break new ground on the project, which deals with themes related to the joys and frustrations of love. The appeal is in the execution.

Much of the first half of the album recounts classic, relatable tales of courtship and relationships. Working up the strength to talk to that girl — the one with just the right look and just the right smile — elicits a very specific and conflicted feeling. “Do This to Me” conjures that feeling well.

“She’s So Good Lookin’” also has a very familiar feeling. In the chorus, Pat howls the phrase in exactly the way those words were meant to be said — backed by your everlasting soul.

The third track, “She’s Got My Car,” is particularly interesting. In the song, a stranded man reflects on the decision to let his girlfriend borrow the car. There’s something in the man’s words that lets us know he’s missing something. Who or what that is, however, seem to be up to interpretation. The song is a reminder of how some men talk about women and cars in much the same way.

While the first half of the album features good, straightforward storytelling, My Side really kicks into gear with “Like I Want,” a more upbeat

song. The middle of the album, which also includes “Charleston Girl” and instrumental “Two Dollar Strings,” is the danceable portion of the project.

The drums on “Strings,” in particular, make you want to get up and move.

The Electric Rag Band’s storytelling rises to another level as the album comes to a close. “Smash That Radio” is truly something different from the rest of the music on My Side, in a good way. It’s one of the best lyrical songs on the release; acoustic strings give the song more depth than those before it.

As the Cooks smash radios “to break clear,” the end of the album seems to take on a tougher edge in general. Pat plays with allegory in all three of the closing tracks. “Slider” equates a tough, hard-to-understand woman with a confounding major league pitch. The closer, “My Revolution Blues,” ends the album with a head-nodding and harmonized anthem.

Much of My Side is upbeat. Even if the listener has no vested interest in The Electric Rag Band or its musical style, it is hard to imagine someone coming away from the experience without respect for what the duo is doing. With the band’s down-to-earth stories, swaying instrumental backing and a healthy dose of clean fun, listeners will want to take the Cook side in any family feud.

My Side may be streamed on Spotify and purchased online from iTunes, Amazon and Google Play.

Learn more about The Electric Rag Band and My Side at ragband.com.

The Electric Rag Band Album: My Side | Available now on Spotify, iTunes, Amazon and Google Play www.ragband.com

Friday, Feb. 5

PROVIDED

p hi l c l a rki n p hotogra p hy / p rovi de d

life music

Yo La Tengo

Aaron Einhouse, Wormy Dog Saloon. COUNTRY Cara Black, Noir Bistro & Bar. SINGER/SONGWRITER Country Shop, Sliders. Country Culture Cinematic, Blue Note Lounge. R&B Daniel Jordan, Fuze Buffet & Bar. ACOUSTIC Dark Ascent/Left to Die/Arkhon, Diamond Ballroom. ROCK DJ SIX, Russell’s, Tower Hotel. VARIOUS Electric Okie Test, 51st Street Speakeasy. COVER Elizabeth Speegle Band, The Martini Lounge. JAZZ

Wink Burcham, The Paramount, Saturday

Empire Grey, Oklahoma City Limits. ROCK Gary Johnson/Grant Stevens, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO Hayes Carll, The Blue Door. SINGER/SONGWRITER

Live Music Wednesday, Feb. 3

Jahruba & The Jah Mystics, Othello’s Italian Restaurant, Norman. REGGAE Jason Aldean, Chesapeake Energy Arena. COUNTRY Karen Khoury, Legend’s Restaurant, Norman. PIANO Max Ridgway Trio, Full Circle Bookstore. JAZZ

Grant Wells, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. JAZZ

My So Called Band, The Deli, Norman. COVER

Harumph, The Deli, Norman. JAZZ

Poolboy/Penny Hill/Sarah Reid, Opolis, Norman. FOLK

Maurice Johnson, R&J Lounge and Supper Club. JAZZ

Shortt Dogg, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond. BLUES

Scott Lowber/Will Galbraith/Ed VanBuskirk, Friends Restaurant & Club. COVER

Tilian & Myke Terry, 89th Street Collective. ROCK

Thursday, Feb. 4

Culture Cinematic

okg

music

Friday

pick

Experimental R&B act Culture Cinematic welcomes the release of its latest album, TNDA, with a blowout show 10 p.m. Friday at Blue Note Lounge, 2408 N. Robinson Ave. DJ Reaper, Jabee, Ronnie Harris, Jade Castle and Nymasis round out the bill. Admission is $7. Visit facebook.com/culturecinematicokc.

Tulsa Playboys, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa. COUNTRY

Saturday, Feb. 6

Jim the Elephant, Baker Street Pub & Grill. COVER

2AM, Tapwerks Ale House & Cafe. ROCK

Joel Melton/Bill Lewis, The Blue Door. FOLK

Monday, Feb. 8

Chuck Whetstone, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO

Country Shop, Sliders. Country

Dylan Stewart and The Eulogists, The Deli, Norman.

FOLK

DJ Blev, 51st Street Speakeasy. VARIOUS

Matt Blagg, Mickey Mantle’s Steakhouse.

SINGER/SONGWRITER

Patron Aints/Grassland Caravan/John Calvin, The Deli, Norman. ROCK

Michael Kleid, Fuze Buffet & Bar. VARIOUS

Rick Toops, Friends Restaurant & Club. ROCK

Micky and the Motorcars, Wormy Dog Saloon. COUNTRY

Tuesday, Feb. 9

Brent Saulsbury/Will Galbraith/Wayne Duncan, Friends Restaurant & Club. ROCK

Excision/FIGURE/Bear Grillz, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa.

VARIOUS Yo La Tengo, ACM@UCO Performance Lab. ROCK

DJ Jason Daniel, Russell’s, Tower Hotel. VARIOUS Don and Melodee Johnson, Twelve Oaks, Edmond. JAZZ

Mike Hosty, Noir Bistro & Bar. ACOUSTIC

Elizabeth Speegle Band, The Martini Lounge. JAZZ

Miss Brown to You, Full Circle Bookstore. JAZZ

Fossil Youth/No X Thanks/Life Lessons, 89th Street Collective. ROCK

Quiet Things/Rumor Has It/Goodfella, First Pastafarian Church of Norman. ROCK

Hinder, Diamond Ballroom. ROCK the g reen room pr / provided

Jason Aldean, Chesapeake Energy Arena, Friday

Replay, Newcastle Casino, Newcastle. COVER

Stoney LaRue/Mike Ryan Band, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa.

COUNTRY

Tyler Hopkins, Blue Note Lounge. FOLK Uncle Zep, Oklahoma City Limits. COVER Wink Burcham/Kyle Reid/Andy Adams, The Paramount. FOLK

Sunday, Feb. 7 Brandy Zdan/Kiersten White, Opolis, Norman. FOLK Karen Khoury, Legend’s Restaurant, Norman. PIANO Mike Hosty One Man Band, The Deli, Norman. ROCK Scott Lowber/Will Galbraith/Rick Toops, Friends Restaurant & Club. COVER

Caleb McGee/Spacedog Jam, The Deli. BLUES Saintseneca, Opolis. ROCK

Smilin’ Vic, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond. BLUES

The Patron Aints, The Deli, Norman. ROCK

BRILLZ/Party Favor/Jackal, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa.

VARIOUS

Lamb of God, Diamond Ballroom. ROCK

Wednesday, Feb. 10

Madonna

Abysmal Dawn/Brokenflesh/Against The Damned, 89th Street Collective. ROCK Grant Wells, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. JAZZ Harumph, The Deli, Norman. JAZZ Martin Sexton, ACM@UCO Performance Lab. FOLK Maurice Johnson, R&J Lounge and Supper Club. JAZZ Scott Lowber/Will Galbraith/Ed VanBuskirk, Friends Restaurant & Club. COVER

Submissions must be received by Oklahoma Gazette no later than noon on Wednesday seven days before the desired publication date. Late submissions will not be included in the listings.

Submissions run as space allows, although we strive to make the listings as inclusive as possible.

Fax your listings to 528-4600 or e-mail them to listings@okgazette.com. Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.

O k l a h o m a G a z e t t e | f e b r ua r y 3 , 2 0 1 6 | 4 3

WALT DI S NEY STUDI OS M OTI ON P I C TURES / P ROVI DED

life film 17 Piece Big Band

Salutes the 50th Anniversary of Duke Ellington’s renowned nine-movement Far East Suite

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4 4 | f e b r ua r y 3 , 2 0 1 6 | O k l a h o m a G a z e t t e

By Jacob Oller

Some films infect you with a viral sense of glee, duty, sadness or hope.

The torrential freshet of The Finest Hours will have you hacking phlegmy pneumonia for hours afterward. The film drenched its characters so palpably, I feared the productively coughing child next to me in the theater had been vicariously contaminated.

The true story tells of the bisected tanker SS Pendleton’s 1952 rescue during a howling Bostonian nor’easter by a small Coast Guard crew helmed

by Chris Pine’s Bernie Webber while the Pendleton’s crewmen (led by Casey Affleck) try to hold out on a doomed ship. To a much less interesting extent, it also watches Webber’s fiancée, Miriam (Holliday Grainger thanklessly portrays an oil painting), mull around on the coast, anxiety-ridden.

When not aboard the squallnavigating ships, The Finest Hours succumbs to its back-of-the-box-recipe script. Written and rewritten, the team behind it jostles us from the tangible, exciting danger with ungentle reminders that we’re watching a movie.

For each crashing wave impact on the half-ship that throws its crew into walls or 5 feet in the air, we cut back to the woefully boring mainland to see vintage-shop golem Miriam go through the motions of the determined wife fretting over the protagonist. She pleads to Webber’s commanding officer (played by the multi-accented Eric Bana) with all the emotion and pathos of a Post-it note reminder.

The inhabitants of dry land utter off-screen asides to explain things in such an absurdly blunt way, you’d think the town’s population suffered some citywide social dysfunction. Even

on the bilged Pendleton, as soon as the action lulls, so do we. I agree with Affleck’s engine master, who, during one of the boring assemblies in the mess hall/muster station, refutes a crewmate’s trite discussions on life by saying he doesn’t “see the point in sitting around discussing it.” Sadly, someone did.

However, director Craig Gillespie and his director of photography, Javier Aguirresarobe, with their hard-nosed notions toward solidarity and workingclass brotherhood, push and pull their actors apart and together with the brutal vorticity of the film’s frigid hurricane. A navigationally swirling tracking shot throughout the ship’s labyrinthine architecture sketches a crew as individuals and as a unit as they shout a new course heading in a naval game of telephone from the top deck to the bowels of the pump room.

Unfortunately, the second time this occurs, we get almost the same exact sequence, following the same route shot with less fervor, rather than Gillespie trusting his audience to have attention spans long enough to remember where they parked outside the theater.

Yet, this is where the film thrives — burly men winching a capstan or creating a makeshift rudder from an I-beam while water levels rise toward important pumps belowdecks — visually explain the practicalities of survival. Pine, playing against type as a timid, square skipper, does well to lend workmanlike suffering to a visual storm easily discarded as fantastical.

The Finest Hours isn’t a wordy film by any means, but when its salty silence beats back the droning melodrama, you can hear its core cry out for its contemplative potential.

D REA M WO RKS A N I M AT I ON L LC / PROVI DED

Animated accolades

Kung Fu Panda 3 continues the franchise’s penchant for excellence.

Kung Fu Panda 3

BY TYLER TALLEY

Like its titular character, the Kung Fu Panda franchise continues to defy expectations by being inexplicably better than any movies with the words, “Kung Fu” and “Panda” together in the title should be. They succeed through nuanced storytelling, effective world building, utterly stunning animation and a keen ability to never take themselves too seriously. Kung Fu Panda 3 continues the winning streak while providing an appropriate capper to the trilogy.

In this installment, Po (Jack Black), is confronted with the return of an ancient foe, Kai (J.K. Simmons), a blade-wielding yak that has stolen the chi of thousands of kung fu masters and uses it to raise a supernatural jade army. He also learns that his long-lost biological father, Li (Bryan

Cranston), and an entire village of other pandas are alive. This parental revelation obviously leads to some added tension with Po’s adoptive father, noodle-peddling goose Mr. Ping (James Hong).

Po is tasked with reconciling his past, learning to be the panda he never knew he was, with his future by once again saving the world in his position as the Dragon Warrior, all with help of his friends, Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) and the Furious Five: Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Monkey (Jackie Chan), Crane (David Cross), Viper (Lucy Lui) and Mantis (Seth Rogen).

Something that sets these films apart from your standard kiddie fair often dumped on audiences early each year (looking at you, Norm of the North) is that

in all the slapstick hijinks and kung fu fury, the human element remains crucial.

Po might be the Chosen One, but he is also a fanboy and a goofball. The way he works past his underachieving and zany sensibilities and lives up to the prophecies placed upon his shoulders while remaining the panda we know and love makes up the strong thematic core that translates so well through this franchise.

Even our main villain this time around, imbued with such gusto and fun from Academy Award-winner Simmons, is beyond a simple mustache-twirler, or at the very least a little more threedimensional than one would expect.

Unrestrained by the limits of reality, the action sequences on display are on a scale unlike anything you’ve seen

outside Japanese anime. Co-directors Jennifer Yuh and Alessandro Carloni keep the camera steady yet fluid, ensuring audiences are engaged with the fast-paced action at hand and not lost in the flurry of punches and kicks.

Panda 3 is lighter than its predecessors and isn’t afraid to use cute baby pandas for a laugh, but it never scarifies that mature flair that has consistently put the series ahead of the “animated talking animals” pack. While this film puts an effective cap on the series, DreamWorks has promised more Panda films to come — due in part, no doubt, to the commodity of brand recognition these days.

However, if their output continues at this level of quality, it’s hard to not say, “More, please.”

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

by ROB BREZNY

Homework: Brag about your flaws and weaknesses and mistakes. Send your boast to Truthrooster@gmail.com.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) The Bible’s Book of Exodus tells the story of the time Moses almost met God. “Show me your glory, please,” the prophet says to his deity, who’s hiding. “You cannot see my face,” God replies, “but I will show you my back parts.” That’s good enough for Moses. He agrees. I hope that you, too, will be satisfied with a tantalizingly partial epiphany, Aries. I’m pretty sure that if you ask nicely, you can get a glimpse of a splendor that’s as meaningful to you as God was to Moses. It may only be the “back parts,” but that should still stir you and enrich you.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) The archaic English word “quaintrelle” refers to a woman who treats her life as a work of art. She is passionate about cultivating beauty and pleasure and wit in everything she is and does. But she’s not a narcissistic socialite. She’s not a snooty slave to elitist notions of style. Her aim is higher and sweeter: to be an impeccable, well-crafted fount of inspiration and blessings. I propose that we resuscitate and tinker with this term, and make it available to you.

In 2016, you Tauruses of all genders will be inclined to incorporate elements of the quaintrelle, and you will also be skilled at doing so. If you have not yet dived in to this fun work, start now!

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Sufi teacher (and Gemini) Idries Shah offered this teaching: “They say that when Fortune knocks, you should open the door. But why should you make Fortune knock, by keeping the door shut?” Let’s make this your featured meditation, Gemini. If there is anywhere in your life where proverbial doors are shut — either in the world outside of you or the world inside of you -- unlock them and open them wide. Make it easy for Fortune to reach you.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Many Cancerians harbor a chronic ache of melancholy about what they’re missing. The unavailable experience

in question could be an adventure they wish they were having or an absent ally they long to be near or a goal they wish they had time to pursue. That’s the bad news.

The good news is that you can harness the chronic ache.

In fact, it’s your birthright as a Cancerian to do so. If you summon the willpower to pull yourself up out of the melancholy, you can turn its mild poison into a fuel that drives you to get at least some of what you’ve been missing. Now is a favorable time to do just that.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) How will the next chapter of your story unfold? I suspect there are two possible scenarios. In one version, the abundance of choices overwhelms you. You get bogged down in an exciting but debilitating muddle, and become frazzled, frenetic, and overwrought. In the other possible scenario, you navigate your way through the lavish freedom with finesse. Your intuition reveals exactly how to make good use of the fertile contradictions. You’re crafty, adaptable, and effective. So which way will you go? How will the tale unfold? I think it’s completely up to you. Blind fate will have little to do with it. For best results, all you have to do is stay in close touch with the shining vision of what you really want.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) “To hell with my suffering,” wrote Arthur Rimbaud in his poem “May Banners.” I suggest you make that your mantra for now. Anytime you feel a sour thought impinging on your perceptions, say, “To hell with my suffering.” And then immediately follow it up with an expostulation from another Rimbaud poem, “It’s all too beautiful.” Be ruthless about this, Virgo. If you sense an imminent outbreak of pettiness, or if a critical voice in your head blurts out a curse, or if a pesky ghost nags you, simply say, “To hell with my suffering,” and then, “It’s all too beautiful.” In this way, you can take advantage of the fact that you now have more power over your emotional pain than usual.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) “I like people who unbalance me,” says Irish writer Colum McCann. Normally I wouldn’t dream of encouraging you to make the same declaration, Libra.

My instinct is to help you do everything necessary to maintain harmony. But now is one of those rare times when you can thrive on what happens when you become a bit tilted or uneven or irregular. That’s because the influences that unbalance you will be the same influences that tickle your fancy and charge your batteries and ring your bell and sizzle your bacon.

“I’d slit my best friend’s throat for this.” Bourdain was exaggerating for comic effect, but I’m concerned you may actually feel that strongly about the gratifications that are almost within your grasp. I have no problem with you getting super-intense in pursuit of your enjoyment.

But please stop short of taking extreme measures. You know why.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) The African Association was a 19th-century British group dedicated to exploring West Africa. Its members hoped to remedy Europeans’ ignorance about the area’s geography.

In one of the Association’s most ambitious projects, it commissioned an adventurer named Henry Nicholls to discover the origin and to chart the course of the legendary Niger River. Nicholls and his crew set out by ship in their quest, traveling north up a river that emptied into the Gulf of Guinea. They didn’t realize, and never figured out, that they were already on the Niger River.

I’m wondering if there’s a comparable situation going on in your life, Scorpio. You may be looking for something that you have already found.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) You may sometimes be drawn to people or places or ideas long before they can give you their gifts. Although you sense their potential value, you might have to ripen before you’ll be ready to receive their full bounty. Here’s how author Elias Canetti expressed it: “There are books, that one has for twenty years without reading them, that one always keeps at hand, yet one carefully refrains from reading even a complete sentence. Then after twenty years, there comes a moment when suddenly, as though under a high compulsion, one cannot help taking in such a book from beginning to end, at one sitting: it is like a revelation.” I foresee a comparable transition happening for you, Aquarius.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Richard P. Feynman was a brilliant physicist who won a Nobel Prize in 1965 for his pioneering work in quantum electrodynamics. He also played the bongo drums and was a competent artist. But excessive pride was not a problem for him. “I’m smart enough to know that I’m dumb,” he testified. “The first principle is that you must not fool yourself — and you are the easiest person to fool.” I suggest you adopt him as your role model for the next two weeks, Sagittarius. All of us need periodic reminders that we’ve got a lot to learn, and this is your time. Be extra vigilant in protecting yourself from your own misinformation and misdirection.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) The Leaning Tower of Pisa is eight stories high, including its belfry, and tilts sideways at a four-degree angle. When builders started construction back in 1173, they laid a weak foundation in unstable soil, and the building has never stood straight since then. And yet it is the most lucrative tourist attraction in the city of Pisa, and one of the top ten in Italy. Its flaw is the source of its fame and glory. What’s the equivalent in your world, Pisces?

Now is a favorable time to take new or extra advantage of something you consider imperfect or blemished.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Food connoisseur Anthony Bourdain has a TV show that enables him to travel the globe indulging in his love of exotic cuisine. He takes his sensual delights seriously. In Charleston, South Carolina, he was ecstatic to experience the flavorful bliss of soft-shell crab with lemon pasta and shaved bottarga. “Frankly,” he told his dining companion,

Go to RealAstrology.com to check out Rob Brezsny’s expanded weekly audio horoscopes /daily text message horoscopes.

The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700.

O k l a h o m a G a z e t t e | f e b r ua r y 3 , 2 0 1 6 | 4 5

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Oklahoma Gazette O k l a h o m a G a z e t t e | F e b r ua r y 3 , 2 0 1 6 | 4 7

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