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ON THE COVER
NEWS
Food & Drink
ARTS & CULTURE
Oklahoma City-raised New York artist Summer Wheat uses inspiration from a 17th-century masterpiece and her Sooner State upbringing to create an immersive new exhibit, Pry the Lid Off, at Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center. On the cover: Wheat stands in front of her piece “Rainbow Arcade,” part of the Pry the Lid Off exhibit at Oklahoma Contemporary. Story by Ben Luschen, P.27. Cover photo by Garett Fisbeck.
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Legal: booze and brews
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Home & Garden
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Analysis: Bernie Sanders
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Arts & Culture calendar
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Easter Services
8 Health: Lynn Institute collaborative 10
Health: suicide prevention
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Health: Senior Match food drive
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Education: Spencer schools
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Congress: Steve Russell
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The Black Raven Pub, Design Appétit, wing hunt, Gia Gia Vietnamese Family Restaurant, food briefs, OKG eat: chicken
ARTS & CULTURE
Music
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Cover: Pry the Lid Off
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Visual Arts: Current Studio, Youth Art Sale
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Ben Rector, Steve Martin, Joni Mitchell tribute, calendar
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Sudoku / Crossword
Chicken-Fried News
Performing Arts: Kristin Chenoweth
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Astrology
Letters
33
Youth: Whiz Kids Oklahoma
46
Classifieds
34
Film: 10 Cloverfield Lane
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Congratulations Billie Lee
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I-40 EXIT 178 | SHAWNEE, OK | 405-964-7263 Oklahoma Gazette | march 16, 2016 | 3
news legal
Drinking games Changes to state alcohol laws put manufacturers, distributors, retail shops and consumers at loggerheads.
Editor’s note: Booze and brews is an Oklahoma Gazette series examining our state’s beer and liquor laws. “This is a fun time,” said Kevin Hall, founder of League of Oklahomans for Change in Alcohol Laws (LOCAL). Hall is excited because, after years of false starts, it seems like the state’s alcohol laws might actually change. Sen. Clark Jolley’s Senate Joint Resolution 68 passed the Senate and is being considered in the House of Representatives, paving the way for a statewide vote that could dramatically alter the alcohol landscape. Sen. Stephanie Bice authored Senate Bill 383, which will spell out the changes Oklahomans could vote on. “I went to seminary in Denver,” Hall said. “I got a master’s in New Jersey. Those are places with a real craft beer culture.” When he came to Oklahoma, he drank at James E. McNellie’s Public House and people complained about the state’s backward alcohol laws. “I said, ‘Then let’s do something about it,’” Hall said. “The next week, nobody showed up.” Getting to this point has been a slog, but even on the precipice of change, there is a lot of controversy about what the new world will look like and who will survive.
Change brewing
There’s plenty to do at Oklahoma City-based Anthem Brewing Company between brewing bottles of Arjuna, shipping out pallets of Golden One, running a taproom and testing out new beers. Now, president and brewmaster Patrick Lively has two more jobs:
Clark Jolley’s SJR 68 passed the Senate and moves to the House. Jolley speaks during a recent public forum at Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School. watching and waiting. Anthem is part of Craft Beer Association of Oklahoma (CBAO), of which Lively is vice president. The organization’s position is simple: Let the breweries sell beer. Current law makes it illegal for Anthem’s taproom to sell products higher than 4.0 alcohol by volume, including bottled beers or growlers for off-site consumption. Those are the changes most important to Oklahoma’s craft brewers, but the laws would change a whole lot more. “The way [lawmakers] have gone about it is to create a framework for change,” he said. “We’re a small
At a glance Bills Senate Joint Resolution 68: This resolution puts the repeal of Oklahoma’s alcohol laws on the statewide ballot in November. 3.2 ABV beer is in the state’s constitution, which requires a vote of the people to amend. Senate Bill 383: This bill puts new alcohol laws into state statutes, which do not require a vote of the people to change. SB 383 includes provisions for craft beer sales at breweries, wine and cold full-strength beer sales in liquor stores, grocery stores, convenience
4 | march 16, 2016 | Oklahoma Gazette
portion of that.” Until the particulars are spelled out, CBAO has taken a position of “nonopposition.” he said. As for greater distribution through grocery and convenience stores, Lively said he isn’t yet counting that revenue. “I mean, we’re not going to turn them down, but it’s naive to think we’re going to be in every grocery store in the state,” he said. “Dictating which beers get in and how much shelf space they get and where gets really political.” He said big chain stores will likely stick with big chain breweries. Meanwhile, liquor stores are big supporters of local
stores and pharmacies and allows liquor stores to comprise up to 20 percent of sales from nonalcoholic items.
Initiative petitions Oklahomans for Consumer Freedom: Similar to SJR 68 and SB 383, this initiative petition is described as a “backstop” by supporters in case legislation stalls and would ensure changes go to a vote of the people. It would drop the amount liquor stores can earn from nonalcoholic sales to 10 percent. Retail Liquor Association of Oklahoma:
craft breweries. “We don’t want to turn our backs on them,” he said.
Freedom fighters
Freeing craft brewers to sell in their taprooms isn’t a major concern to Oklahomans for Consumer Freedom (OCF), the Wal-Mart-funded group advancing an initiative petition that largely mirrors the details in SJR 68. Political director Tyler Moore said the group’s petition is there to ensure Oklahomans get a chance to vote on full-strength beer and wine sales in grocery stores, pharmacies and convenience stores in November even if legislation fails to advance. “It’s a tough budget year, and legislators have different priorities,” he said. Regardless of the state’s coffers, Moore said it’s clear that consumers want more choices. And not allowing consumers to buy chilled full-strength beer and wine in those stores is leaving tax money on the table. “As I talk to different people about OCF, they always talk about people buying beer in Missouri or Texas and bringing it home,” he said. “That might not be an enormous figure, but we don’t want to prolong neglecting revenue we’re missing out on.”
Loss leader
While grocery chains have their interests in mind, so do local liquor stores, said Retail Liquor Association of Oklahoma (RLAO) president Bryan Kerr. RLAO’s competing initiative petition would give his members a fighting chance. “All the petitions are good for craft In a competing initiative petition, RLAO proposes licensees who can sell lowpoint beer be allowed to sell all beer, no matter the ABV. Some grocery stores and other entities would be able to get licenses to sell wine, and small brewers would be able to sell their products at breweries, festivals and trade shows. Beer, wine and liquor sales would be allowed every day of the year except Thanksgiving and Christmas. There would be no sales cap for liquor stores on nonalcoholic products.
bigsto ck.co m
GAR ETT FI S BE CK / FI L E
By Greg Elwell
Selection subtraction
Thirst Wine Merchants managing partner Alex Kroblin said the watchword is “consolidation.” There’s nothing inherently wrong with wine and strong beer in grocery stores, but consumers should know who they’re buying from. “Yes, there might be more points of access to get the product, but there
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beer drinkers,” he said. “Ours is designed with local businesses in mind.” Conceding strong beer and wine to grocery and convenience stores will hurt liquor stores, but Kerr said RLAO’s proposal would stanch the bleeding by allowing them to sell more nonalcoholic products. “We don’t see any reason why there should be any percentage limit on nonalcoholic products. There’s no consumer negative,” Kerr said. “There’s no public safety problem with liquor stores selling bread. The only reason it would matter is convenience stores and grocery stores don’t want something that could draw customers away from them.” OCF’s initiative petition would limit nonalcoholic sales in liquor stores to 10 percent of total sales. The two senators’ bills would limit those sales to 20 percent. RLAO wants no restriction.
Anthem Brewing Company
All the petitions are good for craft beer drinkers. — Bryan Kerr are fewer companies selling those products,” Kroblin said. “You may have 30 different places to buy wine or beer, but those places are owned by three
companies.” The larger the company, the less likely the selection will reflect the will of local consumers. “If you’re a craft beer fan and you walk into a big chain grocery store, there’s no one there who can make a difference about which beer they stock,” Kroblin said. “Those decisions are made at corporate headquarters hundreds of miles away.” People might think independent liquor stores are working together to
keep prices high, but that’s not true. “[In reality,] they can’t conspire with themselves, let alone each other,” he said. The proposed legislation has forced them to come to the table to help craft changes, but Kroblin said it might be too late. SJR 68 and SB 383 would affect where alcohol is sold, who can distribute it and how. The current system isn’t perfect, he said, but proposed changes would favor larger distributors and wholesalers that could essentially pair up, pushing smaller distributors like Thirst to the margins and making it difficult to deliver products throughout the state. “Without smaller distributors, selection goes down and price goes up,” he said. Thirst specializes in smaller, familyowned wineries. Kroblin said it’s hard to say if those wineries would end up in the corporate mix if the company went under. “It’s not a doomsday scenario but does throw a wrench in the works,” he said. “Do we have the wherewithal to deliver all of our products to all 77 counties? We’re in the same boat as the independent retailers. It’s a whole new world to figure out.”
Oklahoma Gazette | march 16, 2016 | 5 3/11/16 6:20 PM
news analysis
Chasing votes Sen. Bernie Sanders’ victory in Oklahoma’s Democratic primary came as a result of demographics and a strong ground game.
Sen. Bernie Sanders’ recent Super Tuesday win in Oklahoma’s Democratic primary came as the result of a perfect political storm: political will, targeted demographics, strategic media buys and a killer app in the form of independent voters. For the Vermont senator’s national presidential campaign, the Oklahoma win was make-or-break, a prime indicator of whether a strategy centered on attracting support in states with heavily Caucasian voter bases could generate enough momentum to defeat Democratic presidential candidate and former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. Sanders’ voters tend to be white, while Clinton is overwhelmingly favored among African-American voters. Oklahoma became important to Sanders’ campaign because of its hard demographic slant. “Bernie Sanders put together a white Democrat strategy,” said Bill Shapard, founder of SoonerPoll.com, one of the state’s leading public opinion polling organizations. “He won Oklahoma on Super Tuesday. He then won Kansas, and then he won Nebraska. “He targeted states where the Democrats had a low African-American percentage of the vote. That’s why he didn’t go after Alabama or Georgia or Tennessee, for example. “And so Oklahoma ended up being the first test case for him — that’s why he came to the state multiple times; that’s why he put a staff on the ground and why he spent money here.”
Voter demographics
According to an ABC News exit poll, almost three-quarters of Oklahoma’s Democratic primary voters were white, and their ranks came to support Sanders over Clinton by a double-digit percentage. However, states that share a similarly conservative political leaning with Oklahoma, such as South Carolina, had a different story. “In South Carolina, he just got annihilated,” said Keith Rollin Eakins, a University of Central Oklahoma political science professor. “In South Carolina, only about 35 percent of the voters were white.” But ethnicity tells only part of the
6 | march 16, 2016 | Oklahoma Gazette
okl ah oma gazette
By George Lang
story. Sanders also led among male voters and voters under age 45. In fact, according to a CBS News exit poll, Sanders won over 80 percent of the 18-to 29-year-old vote. “Anecdotally, I can tell you there were a hell of a lot of young people at my poll,” Eakins said. “He’s just killing with the youth vote.”
primary. Shapard said this could be part of the reason his Sooner Poll findings, released on Super Tuesday, favored Clinton. The poll, taken Feb. 23-25, showed her beating Sanders by 9 percentage points. “Now, why would people break late for Sanders? I believe it’s because when the opposition doesn’t answer dollar-for-dollar, person-for-person and appearance-for-appearance, a lot of people shift in the last couple of days,” Shapard said. “Hillary Clinton did not come to the state, she didn’t have a ground game and she didn’t spend the money. I believe that if Hillary had come to the state and matched him, she would have performed better and possibly won the state.”
Media impact
Independent voters
He targeted states where the Democrats had a low AfricanAmerican percentage of the vote. — Bill Shapard
This win did come with a significant price tag. Sanders for President outspent Hillary for America on Oklahoma media buys $689,590 to $378,229. Shapard said that disparity, combined with Clinton not visiting the state, resulted in a late swing toward Sanders in the final week before the
But even equivalent ground games and cash outlays do not account for the rise of the independent voters. In July 2015, Oklahoma Democratic Party delegates voted 314-137 to allow registered independents to vote in its primary elections. According to Eakins, this decision
laid the groundwork for a Sanders victory in the state. “I think opening up the Democratic primary to independents really did help Sanders quite a bit,” Eakins said. “If you look just at the self-identified Democrats in the CNN exit poll, Clinton would have won 52 to 43. But among the independents, who were 27 percent of those who voted in the Democratic primary, Sanders won 69 to 21. So they definitely tipped it into Sanders’ camp.” Of course, exit polls only provide snapshots of what happened March 1. Pollsters such as Shapard are waiting for the Oklahoma State Election Board to provide countyby-county breakdowns on political party identification. According to the election board’s public information officer, Bryan Dean, it could be a while before all the data comes in from the counties. “Generally, two to three weeks is what we tell folks,” Dean said. “The smaller counties get done pretty quickly, while the larger counties have a lot of precincts to deal with, so it’s going to take a lot longer.”
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Oklahoma Gazette | march 16, 2016 | 7 2/24/16 9:20 AM
LY N N I N STI TUTE FO R H E A LT HCAR E RE S E ARCH I N C . / P ROVI DE D
news health
Vibrant rebirth Lynn Institute pursues an aggressive plan to build a healthier northeast OKC community. By Laura Eastes
Oklahoma County Commissioner Willa Johnson has seen her fair share of studies on northeast Oklahoma City during her two decades in public service. Like most, she didn’t need data or statistics to tell her the community was suffering. It was the area’s decline in economic conditions and quality of life that catapulted Johnson into public office on the Oklahoma City Council in the mid-1990s. “I’ve watched that area literally go down to absolutely nothing,” Johnson told Oklahoma Gazette. “There were times when we had about four grocery stores. We had all kinds of businesses. It just all went away. It became crimeridden. All of the negative things that could go on in a community started to happen.” Johnson advocates for a healthier and more vibrant northeast community. Bringing change to the poverty-stricken area was her goal throughout her 14 years representing Ward 7. She was elected commissioner of northeast Oklahoma County — District 1 — in 2010. Four years ago, Lynn Institute for Healthcare Research Inc., joined the cause after viewing data supporting generations of high-risk health conditions including diabetes, obesity, hypertension and a high infant mortality rate. The nonprofit embarked on a multi-layered initiative to improve the health of residents living in ZIP codes 73105, 73111 and 73117. “[The Lynn Institute] summary mirrored what I’ve been talking about for years,” Johnson said. “I think when this summary and data gets out, eyes will light up about what we need. I’ve seen a lot of studies in my life. In my opinion, this one is far better than any I’ve seen.”
Lynn’s approach
Known for its basic medical research and sleep studies, OKC-based Lynn Institute took on a new initiative focused on community health research, planning and community engagement in 2012. The organization’s leaders sought to change the health of a community and established an aggressive four-step approach that included a comprehensive assessment of health outcomes followed by a 10-year plan. Feb. 29, the nonprofit unveiled The Lynn Lifestyle Summary – Northeast Oklahoma City, a nearly 100-page health document that cites hundreds
8 | march 16, 2016 | Oklahoma Gazette
of government and private studies, feedback from focus groups and community leader input. Karen Vineyard Waddell, president and CEO, said the summary serves as a springboard for establishing a 10-year plan and ultimately building a healthier community. “We had groups that wanted us to open clinics in northeast Oklahoma City,” Waddell said. “We thought the work was much bigger than that. We thought coming together was necessary.” Lynn Institute leaders asked 34 individuals representing health care, nonprofits, local business, government, education and the faith community to form the Healthy Community Collaborative – Northeast Oklahoma City. Led by co-chairs Greg Jones, a northeast businessman, and former Lt. Gov. Jari Askins, the collaborative discusses issues and data outlined in the summary. The group will develop a sustainable 10-year plan and set measurable two-year objectives to change health outcomes. Decades from now, Lynn Institute leaders predict positive shifts in the community’s health statistics and an overall stronger, more vital community. “We believe this group is what will change northeast Oklahoma City,” Waddell said.
Blight challenges
OKC’s northeast communities are home to the State Capitol, the Oklahoma Health Center complex and the Adventure District, where the city’s zoo and a handful of museums are located. Despite the employment, lifestyle and wellness opportunities of those three adjacent districts, much of the northeast area is blighted, dominated by homes built before 1959 and abandoned buildings. Blight does more than negatively impact surrounding property values and economic opportunities; it takes a toll on residents’ overall well-being. Michael Owens, a Lynn Institute board member, spent eight years working on the northeast side. During that time, he noticed it was difficult to find fresh fruits and vegetables and there were few primary care physicians and fewer walking and bike trails compared to other parts of OKC. Originally from Wisconsin, he found the city’s northeast neighborhoods representative of African-
Karen Vineyard Waddell and Jari Askins lead the Healthy Community Collaborative – Northeast Oklahoma City.
American and minority communities around the country. “It is difficult for the community, as it stands now, to change the trends and statistics, such as obesity, diabetes and others that tend to plague the AfricanAmerican community,” said Owens, who also is a member of the collaborative. “That’s why I think this collaborative is so important. It gives leaders, not just in that community but the broader Oklahoma City area, a chance to focus on these specific challenges and collaborate in a way that can solve them.” Owens said efforts are underway to help the northeast community, like the city’s urban renewal plan, known as Northeast Renaissance Oklahoma City Tax Increment Finance District. As addressed in the summary, there are 61 nonprofit organizations serving the three ZIP codes home to more than 22,000 residents. They formed Sisters in Motion, an organization that encourages people to walk for improving physical activity and healthier lifestyles. In addition to grassroots groups, the Oklahoma City-County Health Department maintains a health clinic and a variety of wellness programs from its location at 2600 NE 63rd St. At the state level, there is an Office of Minority Health at the Oklahoma State Department of Health. The state agency conducts public health events specifically focused on the health concerns of minority communities. The collaborative will work to identify successful efforts and examine ways to expand. Additionally, it will review key health areas where action is needed to remove barriers. Discussion could include crime prevention, transportation, education and employment opportunities.
At a glance Health issues facing Oklahoma City’s northeast neighborhoods › Hypertension, stroke, diabetes and heart attack mortality rates are above national and state averages. › More than 36 percent of residents are obese, which is higher than rates of obesity for Oklahoma County at 29 percent. › The area records a low bingedrinking rate when compared to Oklahoma County, the state and the nation. However, the area has a higher heavy or chronic drinking rate than the three comparisons. Poverty trends “Northeast Oklahoma City, represented by the tri-ZIP area, has a lower median income, a higher poverty level, receives more government supported Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) dollars and has higher unemployment levels than the comparisons,” according to Lynn Institute – Northeast Oklahoma City.
Source: Lynn Institute — Northeast Oklahoma City. The summary reviewed data for ZIP codes 73105, 73111 and 73117.
The collaborative meets next month. “Our goal is to look at all those trends and to see movement in the opposite direction for a healthier community,” Owens said. “In order for that to happen, we need to engage the community to change behaviors but also bring the missing components.”
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Oklahoma Gazette | march 16, 2016 | 9 3/1/16 4:10 PM
news health
Hopeful support
Noon-1 p.m. Wednesday, March 23 Oklahoma History Center 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive 405-521-3552 Free
By Alissa Lindsey
Oklahoma’s suicide rate is almost twice the national average for people ages 25 to 64. Oklahoma Department of Human Services addresses prevention in its next installment of its spring lecture series noon-1 p.m. Wednesday, March 23, at Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive. Savannah Kalman, Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services prevention program manager, speaks about recent data related to suicide deaths and statewide and individual action strategies. “One life lost to suicide is one too many,” said Mark Beutler, DHS representative. “As our state faces critical funding issues, it is paramount we do what we can to ensure Oklahomans have a place to go when they need help. Resources and help are out there; this lecture is one way we are letting Oklahomans know the
scope of the problem and how they can help prevent it.” In Oklahoma, there are high numbers of almost every at-risk population, including people serving in the military and veterans, Native Americans, LGBTQ youth and white men between ages 35 and 55. “[If someone is a member of one of these groups,] that doesn’t mean that your destiny is to have suicidal thoughts,” Kalman said. “It simply means you are in a category that does die at higher rates, and therefore, we want to pay closer attention to what you’re going through.” Oklahomans also have high rates of substance abuse and access to lethal means, so Kalman and her department focus on making sure people take their prescription medications as prescribed and protect access to firearms. While feelings of financial insecurity
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during an economic downturn or feelings of physical isolation due to the state’s rural layout are risk factors for suicidal thoughts, many experience these feelings. Only a small fraction of those experiencing them go on to feel suicidal. “One thing I want to stress is that if there was one single factor, we would be a lot closer to reducing our rate more swiftly,” Kalman said. “Suicide is complex and personal, and therefore, our strategy for suicide prevention must be comprehensive.” Part of the strategy is to teach people the warning signs people might exhibit if they have suicidal thoughts. “We all need to know how to identify the risk factors and warning signs,” Kalman said. “We need to be able to ask the brave question, ‘Are you thinking of killing yourself?’” According to the National Suicide
R E S E R VAT I O N S
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Savannah Kalman
Prevention Lifeline, some warning signs include feelings of hopelessness, being a burden to others or feeling trapped; acting anxious or reckless; sleeping too much or too little; and withdrawing, showing rage or extreme mood swings. The Youth Suicide Prevention Council, created in 2001 by the Oklahoma Legislature, meets 1 p.m. every fourth Thursday at Shepherd Mall, 2401 NW 23rd St., Suite 1F. Meetings are open to the public. “The main purpose of the lecture series is to provide an educational forum on topics that are timely and relevant and allow participants to ask questions, learn and share with each other,” Beutler said. The lecture is free and open to the public. To register, call 405-521-3552. If someone is in crisis and needs help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
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Suicide Prevention in Oklahoma
The Oklahoma Department of Human Services takes action to help reduce the state’s ballooning suicide rate.
news health
Sharing security Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma seeks donations and volunteers during its spring Senior Match program.
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Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma estimates it helps feed between 12,000 and 14,000 food-insecure seniors each month.
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By Kaley Patterson
Hunger is not just a problem in thirdworld countries. Oklahoma seniors are among those battling hunger, and Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma fights for them. Oklahoma ranks in the top 10 for states battling food insecurity among seniors. This spring, the food bank conducts its Senior Match program in which donations made through April 30 are matched dollar for dollar up to $120,000 by the Charles and Cassandra Bowen Charitable Foundation and two anonymous donors. The money will specifically be used to help provide food to seniors. Rodney Bivens, executive director, said over the years, the food bank has learned older residents often rely on Social Security to fund retirement and discover they can’t make ends meet. “We have discovered many seniors are having to make choices of whether they can afford to put food on their table or get their prescriptions,” Bivens said. “Those are decisions they shouldn’t have to make. We estimate there’s around 27,000 food-insecure seniors in Oklahoma, and we’re committed to trying to make sure they have enough food.” The food bank directly serves seniors through three programs: mobile pantry, home delivery and mobile market. Each month, the mobile pantry provides food to 1,000 seniors via nine Oklahoma City Housing Authority sites and one Norman Housing Authority site. The home delivery program serves 29 sites throughout 53 counties and reaches 1,200 seniors a month. The monthly mobile market maintains 18 locations across the OKC metro and provides food boxes to about 1,300 seniors. Altogether, Bivens said Regional
We estimate there’s around 27,000 food-insecure seniors in Oklahoma. — Rodney Bivens Food Bank helps about 5,300 seniors a month, and through its 350 partner agencies located in 53 counties, it reaches another 8,000. In total, around 12,000 to 14,000 seniors receive food, he said, and about half are identified as food insecure. It’s challenging to reach the other half because most are isolated, live alone in rural areas and haven’t identified themselves. Senior hunger has serious health ramifications. “I have a saying: ‘Our seniors gave us a New Deal, and they deserve a better deal,’” Bivens said. “And the challenge with not having adequate food for a senior is that it creates real implications for chronic diseases where they end up having to have more medications, more hospitalizations and more doctor visits because they’re not eating properly.” To reach more seniors, Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma wants to partner with more senior programs to expand its mobile markets (pop-up grocery stores). It helps seniors attain food and gives them opportunities to socialize. “It’s a larger and larger challenge to reach seniors,” Bivens said. Regional Food Bank seeks funds and volunteers. Call 405-972-1111 or visit regionalfoodbank.org for more information.
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Oklahoma Gazette | march 16, 2016 | 11
news education
The Spencer community ignites with new opportunities for its schools. Adrian Anderson on the Star Spencer High School football field
By Laura Eastes
Here’s to the school we love, Let’s fight team, fight! The final line from the Star Spencer High School fight song proved prophetic for Adrian Anderson. In the mid-1990s, as a student wearing the Bobcat blue and white, Anderson heard the song countless times on the basketball court, especially during the 1995-96 season. That year, Star Spencer earned a state basketball championship. Winning a state title stays with a person, as does loyalty, pride and commitment. In Spencer, those life lessons resonate among the 3,912 residents. The community’s environment and its people have a profound effect on shaping youth character. “Spencer is a loving community that embraces the sense of community,” said Anderson, who graduated in 1997. “We strive for excellence. We want to set the bar high and then exceed it. … There are a lot of good people in Spencer.” Anderson’s love for Star Spencer runs deep. It’s also the alma mater of his mother and uncle. His passion ignited upon his return as a volunteer coach and mentor with the school’s basketball program during the 2007-08 season. As an alumnus, parent and community member, Anderson fights to ensure Oklahoma City Public Schools (OKCPS) expands learning opportunities to give Spencer students even greater opportunities for success. In addition to Star Spencer, Rogers Middle School and Spencer Elementary are located in Spencer city limits. Green Pastures Elementary School sits on the edge of city limits. “I am advocating for the entire community,” Anderson told Oklahoma Gazette. “It was on my heart to build a relationship [with the district]. People
12 | march 16, 2016 | Oklahoma Gazette
had done it before me, but I wanted to be consistent. I felt like I could bring things that [district leaders] might not be aware of.”
Community pride
Nicknamed “The Good Neighbor City,” Spencer is located 10 miles from downtown Oklahoma City, and its residents have close ties with their schools, said Cindy Van Kley, president of the Spencer Chamber of Commerce. “Contrary to most of the other school areas in the Oklahoma City district, Spencer really does have a sense of community,” said Van Kley, a resident since 1979. “It is a town, not a suburb and not a neighborhood school. Families go back generations. The city just celebrated its 113th birthday. You get the sense that most people who live here went to school here.” After a public vote in 1960, Star Spencer joined the OKCPS district. More than 40 years later, residents fought to keep their schools with OKCPS and not join other neighboring districts. Loyalties lie with the schools as well as the district, but at times, the community feels left out when it comes to education facilities, school supplies and resources.
New partnerships
On a mild and breezy late February evening, hundreds of parents, students and community members made their way into the Star Spencer auditorium for a presentation by the district and The Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools. Flyers displayed around the school shared a special announcement concerning the Star Spencer Athletic Complex and Partners in Action, a joint program between the district and foundation.
The presentation by Tim McLaughlin, founder of Fields & Futures, brought roaring applause. The nonprofit organization has helped rebuild more than a dozen OKCPS athletic fields, and its sights are set on Star Spencer. This summer, students will find a rebuilt football field in Carl Twidwell Stadium. More improvements will follow with reconstructed baseball and softball fields, and the stadium’s track will have new asphalt. McLaughlin told the crowd that the mission of Fields & Futures extends past green fields. “If they play, they stay,” he said. “If they play, they graduate.”
New start
It’s welcome news to the Spencer community, known to pack stands during home football games and exercise on the track. Principal Chris Gardner said the athletic complex has needed a boost for years. Fourteen years ago, Star Spencer welcomed back Gardner, who also is an alumnus, to serve as assistant principal. He spent the last eight years as principal of the school of 376 students. “This is well overdo, and I am excited. … My first year at Star Spencer, during the last home football game, we had to play the football game with a vehicle [with headlights on] parked in front of the ticket sales,” he said of the aging facilities. “The score clock ran out. We had to keep time manually.” Others see the Fields & Futures partnership as a catalyst for more to come. At the Feb. 25 event, foundation leaders presented Partners in Action, a program that gives business, organizations and individuals an avenue to support specific classrooms and
schools. “We have a unique opportunity on our hands,” said Spencer Mayor Earnest Ware. “It will take everyone — parents, the city and churches — to make this move into fruition.” In this small community, many residents already rally to build strong school programs. As a Star Spencer volunteer, Van Kley knows many who help the schools. She named the school’s active athletic booster club and parents who volunteer with its fine arts program. However, there is always a need for more community volunteers. “So much of the extracurricular activities at the schools require volunteers because there is not a lot of funding from the district,” Van Kley said. “A lot comes out of teacher pockets or parent pockets. That’s just the way it is.” Anderson believes it’s a different dynamic as communication lines open between district leaders and the Spencer community. Anderson is a staple at the district’s board of education meetings. He said he likes what he hears when it comes to decisions impacting the Spencer schools, but it will take time, especially as the district works with fewer state dollars. “We are working to get there,” Anderson said as he viewed a bulldozer parked near Carl Twidwell Stadium. He stood about 20 yards away from the school’s sign, which read, “Be a part of the change you want to see.” “We have partners, like Fields & Futures and Partners in Action,” he said. “The district is making investments. We will get there. … Our kids deserve this. Our community deserves this.”
Ga r ett fisbe ck
Advocating change
news CONGRESS
Ground truth
INTEGRIS AND
Freshman U.S. Congressman Steve Russell takes on border security and immigration policy.
MAYO CLINIC.
By Laura Eastes
THE NAME YOU TRUST, BACKED BY THE NAME THE WORLD TRUSTS.
Ga r ett fisbe c k
Days after the Nov. 13 Paris terror attacks, an Oklahoma freshman congressman delivered a heartfelt speech on the U.S. House floor. He called the American Security Against Foreign Enemies (SAFE) Act of 2015 “xenophobic” and a “kneejerk” reaction to the tragic events in Europe. “America is a lamp that lights the horizon of civilized and free mankind,” Rep. Steve Russell, R-Choctaw, said in the Nov. 19 speech. “The Statue of Liberty cannot have a stiff arm. Her arm must continue to keep the torch burning brightly.” Russell’s four-minute speech caught the attention of his Republican Party colleagues who were pushing for the bill’s passage. The SAFE Act called for adding extra security procedures to restrict admission of Iraqi and Syrian refugees into the country. Shortly before the Nov. 20 vote, Russell agreed to exchange his vote for a seat at the table. Months later, the act failed in the U.S. Senate. During a town hall with constituents in The Village, Russell detailed what he learned at the table where decisions are made about the government’s policy toward refugees. When he began his U.S. Congress career representing Oklahoma’s 5th District in January 2015, the U.S. Army veteran brought with him his knowledge of military operations, veterans’ affairs and refugee encounters. Fourteen months into his term, Russell now holds unique insight and context from a trip to the Middle East, where he visited refugee camps on the Syrian border. He said the refugee resettlement process is solid. “I got out and saw those places,” Russell explained to a crowd gathered March 8 at The Village municipal building. “Why? Because I learned as a solider if you want the ground truth, it’s closest to the ground.” As a combat veteran, Russell has witnessed Middle East conflicts and refugee resettlements firsthand. He said he believes in honoring the international treaties that call for protecting war victims and enacting refugee resettlement programs but agrees with proper refugee vetting protocols. His trip, which included stops in Syria, Lebanon and Turkey, confirmed his belief. At a Turkey refugee camp, Russell heard about a toddler named Kauthar
Steve Russell center shakes hands with Don Spurgin before a March 8 town hall meeting at The Village Municipal Court building. who was critically injured when a barrel bomb struck her northern Syrian home. A Galveston, Texas, hospital offered Kauthar lifesaving treatment, but she and her mother faced obstacles obtaining travel visas. Russell intervened and asked the U.S. Consulate in Turkey to allow them to leave the country. Last month, Kauthar underwent surgery at Galveston’s Shriners Hospital for Children. “I looked at the 18-month-old girl who was burned by a barrel bomb. It burned her eyelids off and burned her body severely,” Russell said. “There is a difference between people trying to attack us and little girls.” To Russell, the visa waiver program poses a greater terrorist threat than refugee admission. He backed Rep. Candice Miller’s, R-Michigan, measure to reform and tighten the rules with 38 countries whose citizens can visit the U.S. without U.S. visas. The Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015 also calls for restricting travel of those who visited Syria or Iraq. Russell was one of 407 U.S. House members who voted in favor of the bill, which was first proposed in September. The bill, which passed in December, moved to the U.S. Senate, where no vote has been called. “That was our biggest, most single vulnerability, and that’s what we focused on,” Russell said.
Immigration policy
Before the Syrian Civil War and the Syrian refugee crisis, Russell had concerns about the country’s immigration policy. He supported a bill from Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, calling for spending an additional $10 billion for border security. The Border Security Results Act of 2013 supported adding more border agents and new technology to track people who enter the country illegally. The bill never made it to a vote, despite its large collection of cosponsors. Russell said securing the border is the first step toward any type of immigration reform legislation. He said both parties are ready to tackle reform, but it’s unlikely under President Barack Obama’s watch. “Here is the problem: We have an unsecured border,” he said. “How do you heal a wound when you are not going to stop the bleeding? You aren’t going to stop it. Right now, we want to come up with some immigration policy before we fix our border. You can’t do that.” Russell said building a fence or a wall, like Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump suggests, is not the answer. “The problem with a fence is they will go through it,” he said. “It makes sense to have it in certain places where you can watch over it and protect it. As an infantryman, you know what obstacles are? Something to bypass.”
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Oklahoma Gazette | march 16, 2016 | 13 UNI_15-IN-271_Working_Together_Strip_Vertical.indd 23/7/16 9:11 AM
Chicken
Fried news
Last gasps
Good news, Oklahoma! All 27 of the discriminatory and anti-LGBT bills proposed by members of this year’s Legislature failed. State House and Senate branches refused to advance any of the proposals, meaning they’re dead for this legislative session. “We have seen a truly unprecedented level of community advocacy this legislative session, and fair-minded legislators — both Republicans and Democrats — have listened,” said Troy Stevenson, Freedom Oklahoma executive director, in a media statement. “It is our greatest hope that going forward we will be fighting for positive change rather than fighting back against discrimination. But no matter what, we will keep fighting until every Oklahoman is equal under the law and in every walk of life.” One bill wanted to make people prove what sex was listed on their birth certificates before they could use genderspecific restrooms. Another would have banned school employees from counseling any student about “human sexuality” without notifying parents first. Yet another would have legalized “conversion
14 | march 16, 2016 | Oklahoma Gazette
therapy” for minors, a practice widely condemned as quackery. That any member of the Legislature believed it was a good idea to waste so much time and taxpayer money to clog up the lawmaking process with these civil rights-violating duds is shocking. That their peers and Oklahoma residents condemned these lawmakers for their actions, though, is life-affirming. High five, Oklahoma. Have a drink. Celebrate. Then get your rest. There’s an election in November, and we need you for that, too.
We’re No. 44!
There’s OK news, good news and bad news. Which do you want first? Heck, it doesn’t matter. We’ll tell you anyway. Oklahoma City is the 44th best city in which to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, according to personal finance website WalletHub. The upside? It’ll cost you way less to party here than Boston. That city ranked No. 1 for St. Patrick’s Day traditions but No. 67 in costs. OKC ranked No. 3 in the latter category. Tulsa ranked No. 15 for traditions
and No. 27 for cost. The bad news is OKC ranked No. 98 for St. Patrick’s Day weather. It’s mid-March. Anything could happen, especially rain. At Chicken-Fried News, we choose to believe that raises the opportunity of finding a rainbow — or a double rainbow (What does it mean?!) — and, logically, a ginormous pot of gold. Y’all go on to Boston. We’d rather be rich.
Ring-tone deaf
It’s tax season! Perhaps the only people excited are overly enthusiastic accountants, folks at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and scammers. This season, scammers are already at it. Mark Opgrande, Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office spokesman, told a local TV station that IRS scammers are calling, impersonating
deputies and asking for money owed to the IRS. According to KOKH, the con artist introduces himself as Officer Lee Chandler with the sheriff’s office. Callers reported threatening demands such as pay up, surrender or go to jail. Yikes! Sadly, some targets fell for the trick, which prompted deputies to pass out a tax scam pamphlet. We at Chicken Fried-News haven’t flipped through it, but we hope the first tidbit includes the IRS’ fondness for the U.S. Postal Service. If you find yourself on the bad side of the IRS, expect a letter. Phone calls are dubious. Pamphlets can be found at the Oklahoma County Jail and sheriff’s office substations in Midwest City and Quail Springs Mall, KOKH reported.
Dead right
Is the religious right dead? That’s a question Daniel Burke, a CNN religion editor, asked March 2 in an analysis of Super Tuesday.
“The exit polls paint a picture of a radically shifting religious landscape,” Burke wrote. He cited the “hammer” that is Donald Trump — it’s only a matter of time before he starts referring to himself as “The Ump,” a la David Hasselhoff — while referencing a Religious News Service post by Trinity College religion professor Mark Silk on “spiritual politics” (whatever that is) that ended with “Religious Right, RIP.” Christians were expected to “christen the most God-fearing candidate” — probably not the best decision-making tactic when electing a world leader, but we digress — and religious leaders cautioned against casting votes for Trump because he doesn’t emulate their values, but that isn’t what happened, and some feel they only have themselves to blame. “The religious right is reaping what they have sown: By drawing religious
people into politics, people began to put their political preferences ahead of their religious values,” said University of Notre Dame religion and politics expert David Campbell in the CNN report. Burke also cited Hillary Clinton’s church appearances, the “God gap” between Christian conservatives and liberal Democrats, Bernie Sanders’ attractiveness to irreligious voters and Ted Cruz’s emotional unavailability as factors contributing to the religious right’s death in this election.
On a roll
Nothing good happens after midnight. Just ask 31-year-old Jason Ray. He was arrested earlier this month after an early morning crime spree spanning Oklahoma City. Police said he carjacked a victim in a Wal-Mart parking lot near Interstate 40 and Meridian Avenue, according to KFOR.com. An officer spotted him and a chase ensued before he bailed from the vehicle and escaped into a nearby neighborhood.
But the car didn’t stop. “You don’t expect for somebody to jump out of a moving car and keep going,” Younts Waters, owner and manager of Polar Donuts, told the news station. The unmanned vehicle swerved through an intersection before stopping in a parking lot. Meanwhile, Ray attempted another carjacking, which was unsuccessful, kept running and tried to break into a home before he surrendered to police, the news outlet reported. “Everybody is safe, and I’m happy for that,” Waters told KFOR.com.
Bathroom brawlers
KOCO broke the first and second rules of Fight Club recently when it reported on a pint-sized version of the brawling enthusiasts’ association at Capps Middle School. A cellphone video of the fight posted to the news site showed participants in a boys’ bathroom laughing as they slugged
and kicked one another. Putnam City Schools officials said it was a one-time incident and participants were suspended on the day of the brawl. One parent, however, said they happen daily and it makes students like her son afraid to go to school. “To know that your kid is nervous because he’s going to have some kids jump on him is a really horrible feeling,” she told KOCO.com. District spokesman Steve Lindley said school officials haven’t seen a pattern of fights like this, but parents and students should tell the principal if they are scared. That would be better than last year, when a scuffle erupted between a parent and teenaged student at Putnam City West High School. Officials said they are monitoring bathrooms. We sympathize with the teachers tasked with checking the lavatories for tussles, not only because it’s scary to get in the middle of a fight, but also because few things are grosser than bathrooms used by teenagers.
Oklahoma Gazette | march 16, 2016 | 15
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. Whose fault?
Blaming Oklahoma’s more than $1 billion budget shortfall exclusively on the oil bust is seriously misleading. What about the series of income tax cuts passed by the Oklahoma Legislature and supported by Gov. Mary Fallin, which slashed funding for core public services by almost one-fourth? Surely, systematically cutting that amount of revenue is a factor in not having enough tax dollars to pay for services. Oklahoma’s top tax rate dropped from 6.65 percent before 2004 to 5 percent beginning in 2016 with an annual revenue loss of $1.022 billion from tax cuts alone, according to analysis by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. The preapproved tax cut scheduled for 2018 would lower the top rate again to 4.85 percent, adding an additional $100 shortfall to the annual cost of tax cuts. Meanwhile, the wealthiest Oklahomans are taking their tax savings to the bank. The poorest Oklahomans don’t pay taxes anyway. That leaves low and middle-income families like mine to shoulder the tax burden while struggling with low wages, anemic job opportunities and ever-increasing costs of living. Republican leaders promised tax cuts would boost the state’s economy and create thousands of new jobs. Well, where are they? — Red Goldfarb Bethany Dental solutions
I think its nice that dentists are donating some services for those particularly impacted by our thirdworld dental care system (News, “Dental solutions,” Laura Eastes, Jan. 27, Oklahoma Gazette). I’ll believe they are sincere in wanting to help the poor when they march up to the state Legislature and demand a little free market in dental care by relinquishing their monopoly on dentures so that denturists could fit and sell dentures directly to the public. Of all the dental services that poor people need, dentures (full and partials) are among the hardest for poor people to find. Because of the dental monopoly, the price of dentures is inflated over what a free market in
16 | March 16, 2016 | Oklahoma Gazette
dentures would offer. So, as long as they hide behind their legal monopoly, I’m not impressed the least little bit by their “Missions of Mercy.” While I am sure that individual dentists are wonderful, kind and Christian (or Jewish, Islamic, Hindu or Buddhist) people, as a profession, they are rent-seeking economic aristocrats who prefer to see people suffer without care than to give up even the tiniest slice of their profitable, legally protected monopoly. — Bob Waldrop Oklahoma City Kiowa Six
I am a non-Indian lover of Indian art and reader of the Gazette since the early days. This article is superb, from my point of view, particularly for completing the story of the Kiowa Six and Lois Smoky as told by Ms. Satepauhoodle-Mikkanen (Visual Arts, “Artful evolution,” Wilhelm Murg, Feb. 17, Gazette). The article is good and important to the Indian world in general, and the Indian art world should require it to be circulated. — Barry Benefield Oklahoma City Median death
Susan Schmidt’s letter (Opinion, Letters to the Editor, “Free speech,” Jan. 27, Gazette) about the median ordinances limiting free speech and assembly is a good example of how Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and America is chipping away at our liberties and protections in the interests of a few rich and powerful individuals and groups. I don’t like panhandlers who wear better shoes and drive better cars than me, but if they want to make more money than me looking like fools in the cold and heat, just don’t expect my handout. I give at church. I serve and support in many other ways. I may decide
I want to stand on the median and hold a sign that asks, “Why are we talking about wasting millions on a Native American museum that could be funded by casinos, or building parks, or making downtown and the river more beautiful, or giving great benefits to politicians and school superintendents instead of paying teachers better, fixing potholes or building parking space so our veterans can get to their VA appointments on time?” That is my right. This is one more reason why Donald Trump is so popular. Reasonable citizens hope he will use common-sense economic principles to evaluate and cut or fund reasonable, prioritized spending while honoring basic constitutional principles and laws. America and Oklahoma are about to mismanage their liberty and economy out of existence. America was known for liberty; now we are known for media porn, gambling, killing babies, sexual perversion and corrupt politicians and businessmen. — Michael Moberly Oklahoma City Common-sense answers
Oklahoma has a deficit. This deficit exists because our Legislature is not just anti-government; it is anti-governing. It has followed the pattern launched by Republicans since Reagan to make sure government doesn’t work, thus making the private sector the only solution to everything. Why? I think the “why” has been forgotten; now it is just in the DNA. This unthinking approach toward governance is ingrained, surviving on constant reinforcement (i.e., Fox, The Oklahoman, hate for Obama, etc.). Success isn’t even important to continue the mantra. The failure of our state’s finances cannot have anything to do with our methods. The stunning failure to prepare for a rainy day does
not spark a single thought about the course we are on. Taxes: bad, bad; private industry left alone: good, good. It’s in the Bible, somewhere. No knowledgeable espouser of capitalism thinks it can exist without regulation. The planet’s best-developed engine of economic growth cannot arrive at its destination without mishap if it has no one at the wheel. State government has locked the wheel in place and gone back to the dining car to cook red meat over a coal-fired stove. Here’s what we could have done: One: Don’t lower taxes. State revenue is more than $1 billion lower per annum than it would be without the last decade’s tax cuts. Neglected by our budget, education now seeks a 1 percent sales tax for education, which is very regressive, and yes, Governor, it is a replacement tax engendered by our tax cuts. It has to come from somewhere in your world, just not from the “job creators” (rich people). Two: Charge the fossil fuel industry more at the wellhead. Our traditional 7 percent tax has decreased to 2 percent over the years. Unlike North Dakota, which charges far higher taxes, we did not build up a large reserve fund during the good years. When our legislators say, “Not our fault; we can’t control energy prices,” they show their total lack of vision. They may not be able to control energy prices, but they do control taxes on the industry and the citizens. Three: Accept the Affordable Care Act. This would have dramatically reduced health costs for the state while improving our population’s health. We are paying unnecessarily for health care services because, well, that guy in the White House. Spite is really an essential plank in our governing platform. Yes, our state government has failed dramatically in our state’s finances and future. — Clare Woodside Edmond
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18 | march 16, 2016 | Oklahoma Gazette
Full nest
Bagpipes aside, The Black Raven Pub is a treat for the senses.
Irish bread pudding
By Greg Elwell
Always check the calendar. Gathered around a pair of tables at Choctaw’s The Black Raven Pub, 14471 NE 23rd St., we laughed as a pair of kilted bagpipe players entered the ostensibly Irish pub. Maybe they had just left a gig, I said. Maybe this is where they like to eat, I said. Maybe they won’t start playing, I said.
“Oklahoma!,” friends can open a chat program and talk until the racket dies down. So it went as customers drank and ordered and ate and the band played and rested and played again. My first thought when anyone mentions Black Raven is always the Guinness cheddar. On the restaurant’s website, the owners call it a “beautiful black melted The Black Raven Pub goo” and I am hard-pressed 14471 NE 23rd St., Choctaw | 405-390-1400 to find any better words to theblackravenpub.com describe it, but here it goes. Guinness cheddar looks like a mountain of hot tar and What works: Salmon boxty and tastes like every choir of angels in Guinness cheddar are winners. heaven came down to rub their famously cheesy wings on your What needs work: The shepherd’s pie taste buds. As Leviticus 8:37 needs a flavor boost. tells us, “Blessed art thy angel wings, yea, verily, because they Tip: Check the calendar if you’re not taste of beery cheese.” Amen. keen on bagpipery. That is why you should order the Guinness chips But it was right there on the bar’s ($6.99) before you even order a drink. online events calendar: Oklahoma You need these in your life. Scottish Pipes & Drums. As more Scotch eggs (two for $7.49) also are bagpipes and players entered, we all knew popular. A Scotch egg is a hard-boiled what was going to happen. egg wrapped in sausage, breaded and A brief word about the glories of fried. It’s exactly as good as it sounds, in the technological age in which we a heart-stopping sort of way. currently live: It you’re looking for mashed potatoes, Cell phones are completely amazing. Black Raven uses them a lot. Probably They can guide people to an out-of-thethe best place for them was underneath a way restaurant in Choctaw. They can couple of sausages and some gravy in the look up Irish terms with which they are bangers and mash ($10.99). not familiar before ordering. And when While in other applications they were a bluster of bagpipes arrives and starts a little dry or stiff, the dark brown gravy playing a familiar, but unique version of and the fat from the Irish sausage in the Shepherd’s pie
Salmon boxty
bangers and mash made for a hearty, velvety bite. If you suffer from a chill, this is a dish guaranteed to warm you from the inside. There’s more mashed potatoes atop the shepherd’s pie ($10.99), but I wasn’t as excited about this dish. The potatoes didn’t have as much moisture to work with, and the melted cheddar cheese on top seemed lost in the mix. I like the mix of mushrooms, vegetables and ground beef and pork under the potatoes just fine, but the flavor didn’t blow me away. I’d much rather get the fish and chips ($10.99), but that’s almost always true. The Black Raven dips cod filets in a Harp batter and fries them golden and crispy, with the fish inside still tender and juicy. The fish and batter has a mild sweetness, but for a real punch of flavor, grab that malt vinegar and go to town. Depending on how cold it is outside, I’ll tentatively recommend the beef and Guinness stew ($9.99). The flavor was nice but could have used a bit more seasoning. Freshly ground pepper would go a long way to livening up a pretty straightforward dish. It’s filling. It’s nice and warm. But it doesn’t bring as much to the table as the salmon boxty ($17.99). Oh, boxty. Ever since Sean Cumming’s Pub, I have been a fan. It’s a silky salmon filet wrapped in thinly sliced potatoes, pan-fried and then topped with a lemon-dill sauce. It’s crazy how good this is and how stark the comparison is between some much heavier fare.
Pub food, by nature, is pretty fatty, heavy stuff. It’s there to keep you fed while you have a few pints, before you head back into the mines. Salmon boxty isn’t diet food, but it’s so much more delicate than a Scotch egg or even fish and chips. That lemon-dill sauce is dreamy, too. Creamy and tart, it’s a great balance against the starchiness of the potatoes. Forgive me, but I had to go back for more Guinness cheddar on the Black Mist Burger ($14.49). It’s a burger topped with Guinness cheddar and corned beef. The taste was fine, but sadly, the cheese got lost amid all the other strong flavors. One might be better off getting The Raven Burger ($9.99) and adding Guinness cheddar for $3.50. It’s less meat, but more of that amazing cheese flavor. Finally, the Irish bread pudding ($5.99) continues my streak of being wrong about bread puddings. Growing up, I could not stand the mushy and wet texture of the sweet slop, but Oklahoma City and the surrounding environs are making some tremendous bread puddings lately. This was moist with pockets of crispness and plenty of balanced flavor from the Irish whiskey caramel sauce. As several guests grabbed their coats and headed out, one of the pipers said, “We finally drove you off, huh?” No, because they will be back for the Guinness cheddar and Irish bread pudding.
Oklahoma Gazette | march 16, 2016 | 19
P HOTOS BY GA RET T FIS B EC K
food & Drink
Ga r ett fi sb e c k
food & Drink
Big Appétit Focus on Home’s new fundraiser pairs food, interior design and a helping hand. Anh Weber and Adam Edge
By Greg Elwell
Design Appétit March 31-April 2 Cox Convention Center 1 Myriad Gardens designappetitokc.com
Divine Dining Gala 6 p.m. March 31 | $250
Public Viewing and Art Mart 10 a.m.-6 p.m. April 1 10 a.m.-4 p.m. April 2 $10
Cocktails by Design 7 p.m.-11 p.m. April 2 | $50-$90
Focus on Home provides beds, tables, curtains, couches and other furnishings to help complete the transition from homelessness. To raise money and awareness, the Oklahoma-based charity hosts its first Design Appétit event March 31-April 2 at Cox Convention Center,
20 | march 16, 2016 | Oklahoma Gazette
1 Myriad Gardens. Nine design and architecture teams are creating vignettes — stunning, immersive dining spaces — for guests to explore. During the Divine Dining Gala, different chefs serve menus reflecting each of the one-of-a-kind dining tableaus. Participating chefs include Kevin Lee of Vast, Allison Dake of Brown Egg Bakery, Scotty Irani of In the Kitchen with Scotty, Henry Boudreaux of Museum Cafe and Top Chef contestant Joshua Valentine. It starts at 6 p.m. Tickets are $250. The spaces will be open for public viewing for a $10 donation 10 a.m.-6 p.m. April 1 and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. April 2. The event wraps up 7-11 p.m. April 2 with Cocktails by Design, which presents the vignettes along with bites from local restaurants, cocktails and music by DJ Saad. Tickets are $50, or $90 per couple.
Throughout the event, Focus on Home will open Art Mart filled with Oklahoman-made pieces for sale. HSE Architects interior designer Anh Weber said each team is doing its best to keep the final look of the spaces a secret, preferring to dazzle and excite visitors upon their arrival. Focus on Home founder Joli Sanders said the goal is to create an annual event that stands apart from the normal cocktail hour fundraiser with a band and a silent auction. “We work with people’s homes, so it makes sense to get designers involved,” she said. After people buy dinner tickets, Sanders said, they are contacted by Design Appétit to be matched with a table they’ll enjoy. That’s also Focus on Home’s goal.
“We have different partnering agencies that send people to us. The case workers, when they are working with a family transitioning out of a homeless situation or people living in extreme conditions without any furnishings, they come to us,” she said. “We help people who need that final step to create a home.” Using a combination of donated funds and gently used furnishings, Focus on Home can “move in” a family for about $500. Since last year, the group has helped about 50 families, and almost all ask how they can help the next family on the list. The organization seeks volunteers to help with lifting and decorating or refurbishing wood or upholstered pieces. Find tickets at designappetitokc.com.
P HOTOS BY GA RET T FIS B EC K
Bird, word A hot wing hunt across OKC yields a bevy of tasty birds.
by greg elwell
Chicken wings are garbage. Well, they used to be garbage. For years, chicken wings were the cuts of the bird that butchers gave away just to clear some space. Breasts and thighs — those were the real moneymakers. Then, in 1964, Frank & Teressa’s Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, came up with a recipe for fried wings covered in butter and hot sauce. Ever since, the popularity of Buffalo wings has grown exponentially. What used to be garbage is now one of the most expensive parts of the chicken. Oklahoma City is a long way from Buffalo, but that doesn’t mean our wing cravings can’t be met by local eateries. The first stop on a metrowide wing hunt should be Pizzeria Gusto, 2415 N. Walker Ave., where meaty chicken drummies are tossed with Gusto’s Sriracha hot sauce and served with a creamy Gorgonzola dressing. The secret, said owner Kathryn Mathis, is that Gusto’s chefs treat their wings like another fried favorite. “We dredge the wings in a flour mixture and then fry them. It’s almost like blanching french fries,” she said. “We fry them and then let them rest, and then we fry them again. It makes them nice and crispy.”
Wings in Honey Love sauce at Wing Supreme Buffalo-style wings at Upper Crust Wood Fired Pizza
Chicken lollipops at Guernsey Park
We fry them and then let them rest, and then we fry them again. — Kathryn Mathis
She has experimented with Buffalostyle sauces at Big Truck Tacos, using a Cholula sauce for its Tuesday special. For Gusto, she wanted to keep the butter base, but switch to Sriracha, adding in basil and garlic to give it a more Italian flavor and then honey to sweeten. Finally, she uses balsamic vinegar for a late punch of brightness. “And since we’re an Italian pizza place, we don’t have blue cheese, so we made a creamy Gorgonzola sauce,” she said. “A lot of people double up on that Gorgonzola sauce.” For a different take on hot wings,
you have to try the chicken lollipops at Guernsey Park, 2418 N. Guernsey Ave. Executive chef Paul Langer credits the flavor to the all-night brine the restaurant uses for its “frenched” wings, a process that uses a whole chicken wing and pushes the meat onto one bone. The goal is to create a “super umami” flavor on easy-to-eat wings dredged in rice flour and fried. The
lollipops are paired with a Thai chili gastrique that hits sweet, savory and spicy buttons all at once. There’s more cutting afoot at Upper Crust Wood Fired Pizza, 5860 Classen Blvd., said senior kitchen manager Bo Belt. The recipe he uses calls for pulling the knuckle off the wing and removing one of the bones, making for a single-pull wing
that he said is extremely easy to eat. The sauce at Upper Crust is an interesting hybrid of classic Frank’s RedHot mixed with barbecue sauce and a couple of other secret ingredients, making for a slow-building sweet heat that mounts quickly since the wings are so easy to eat. An Oklahoma City classic, the wings at the big, red Bobo’s Chicken truck, 1812 NE 23rd St., are a musttry that will turn into a must-have. Bobo’s wings are so addictive because of the truck’s late hours and because they smoke that tender mass of meat and bones all day before deepfrying. The result, topped with honey, is a sticky, sweet wing that can barely wait for you to pull it apart and dig in. They aren’t wings, but if you leave Bobo’s without buying extra fried biscuits, there is no hope for you. For a classic hot wing experience with a roster of flavors that can’t be beat, the winner is Wing Supreme, 3925 N. Lincoln Blvd. Owner Eric Johnson’s restaurant is a relative newcomer to the area, but he has been cooking wings since 1989 — first in Norman and then in Washington, D.C. Wing Supreme has quickly built a following with its wok-built sauces. “What sets us apart from most places is that they just fry their wings and toss them in sauce,” he said. “That flavor’s just on the outside. We create our sauces in the wing as we cook it.” That gives the wings a deep-down taste that lasts long after the last finger is licked. The Southern-fried wings have an almost catfish batterlike flavor, salty and seasoned, while the Honey Love wings start off sweet before turning to a glorious heat that tingles on the lips. The wings themselves are a little smaller than you might find at the wing chains, but they are cooked to perfection and served fresh. That means wait a hot second — it’s worth a little extra time to save your mouth from the burn. And if you’re just looking for a great Buffalo sauce, Wing Supreme has those too. It’s more proof that you don’t have to be anywhere near New York to find chefs who can turn what used to be the butcher’s garbage into spicy, addictive gold.
Oklahoma Gazette | march 16, 2016 | 21
P HOTOS BY GA RET T FIS B EC K
food & Drink
Aw, Gia!
Despite “pizza” on its menu, Gia Gia serves real Vietnamese cuisine.
By Greg Elwell
Let’s all make a solemn vow to stop referring to dishes that are not pizza as pizza. Pizza is universally beloved. If scientists could bring a pizza to life — a kind of Frankenstein’s pizza, if you will — Americans would elect it president. Moms everywhere try to fool us into eating foods by comparing them to pizza. Is that quiche? No. It’s just an egg pizza. Are those Brussels sprouts? Think of them as cabbage pizza balls. No one is fooled. So when I see delicacy bánh xèo listed as “Vietnamese pizza” on the menu at Gia Gia Vietnamese Family Restaurant, 2624 N. Classen Blvd., I have to wonder, Who is the intended audience? Bánh xèo ($5.99) means “sizzling cake,” and it’s amazing. It’s a rice flour pancake of sorts folded over with bean sprouts, onions, pork and shrimp inside. The cake crackles under the weight of your fork, giving way to a tender, airy cake and steam rising from the stuffing. I dipped it into the fish sauce as I ate and thought that people who ordered this thinking they were getting pizza would be disappointed because it’s nothing like pizza. But it is delicious. Now, if Gia Gia wants to start calling cháo “rice oatmeal,” I will support it every step of the way because that’s a pretty good description. Cháo, also called congee, is a mild rice porridge flavored with different meats. I got the duck cháo ($9.99), which is a big bowl of porridge with some meat cotton — no, really; it exists — on top and a plate covered in veggies and big slices of on-the-bone duck meat. I am not 100 percent sure how I was Mi hoanh thanh
22 | march 16, 2016 | Oklahoma Gazette
Duck cháo Bánh xèo
Gia Gia Vietnamese Family Restaurant supposed to eat it, so I just chose “like an animal” and went to town pulling duck meat off the bone and putting it in the bowl with the porridge. Truly, this is a problem. People, at least in my experience, are loath to try new things. We talk about it all the time, but there’s always this fear that you’re going to get something you don’t like. Add in a degree of difficulty to getting the food in your mouth and that’s a recipe for disaster. I love the flavor of the duck, which is fatty and luscious and a little gamey, and I love the flavor of the cháo, which is simple and savory and filling. I just
wish it was easier to eat, because I think the complexity of the presentation might keep people from trying it. On the other hand, there are rewards to learning to eat something new. Those who enjoy our most famous local Vietnamese dish will be happy to find that Gia Gia serves a lovely pho thai ($7.99), a big bowl of beautiful noodle soup with thin slices of rare steak slowly cooking in the steaming-hot seasoned beef broth. Gia Gia has good pho with a fatty broth. Hopefully that doesn’t bother you, because that’s all flavor floating around, waiting for you to slurp it up. If pho is the only Vietnamese food your friend is comfortable eating, you can take her here while you explore the rest of the menu. For instance, you should probably order the com suon bo dai han ($7.99), which is a super simple dish of rice with grilled Korean-style short ribs. The meat is tender, sweet and salty — a beefy flavor bomb waiting to go off. English-style short ribs sit on top of the bone while these are cut across the bone and the grain, making for a fallapart-tender bite that requires a paltry amount of work. If you need a big bowl of noodles
2624 N. Classen Blvd. | 405-602-5095 facebook.com/giagiarestaurant What works: Bánh xèo isn’t pizza, but I love it. Egg noodle dishes are lovely. What needs work: Duck cháo is tasty, but difficult to eat. Tip: When language fails, it’s OK to point to the food you want.
with more noodles on top, though, I’d suggest the mi hoanh thanh ($7.99). It’s hot pork broth filled with gorgeous, thin egg noodles and covered in wontons and barbecue pork. This isn’t a snack. It’s a meal and a half. Pork broth might seem unfamiliar to you, but it’s the base in lots of ramen dishes and makes for a savory, filling broth. There’s a nice depth of flavor to it, so be sure to drink it down after you’ve eaten your meat and noodles. Gia Gia’s menu is littered with other delights, from the simple fresh spring rolls ($2.75) to vermicelli bowls covered in shrimp, pork and egg rolls. And there’s the pizza that’s not a pizza. Do not hide your beautiful food behind an Italian word, Gia Gia. Be proud of who you are, especially when it means making food as wonderful and different as bánh xèo.
food briefs
RUSTIC ITALIAN FOOD AND ITALIAN WINE
by Greg Elwell
Tues-Thurs 5PM-10PM | Fri & Sat 5PM-11PM Sun 5PM-9PM 1 block from Civic Center & OKC Museum of Art
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Vast might seem like it’s just for Oklahoma City’s well-to-do, but that wasn’t the vision of Devon Energy Corporation co-founder Larry Nichols. The restaurant and its spectacular view, like the tower it sits atop, belong to the people of the city. Thirst Wine Merchants managing partner Alex Kroblin said the same goes for wine. That’s the driving message of Wine for the People 5:30 p.m. March 24. “We try to find wines that retail for $20 or less,” Kroblin said. “This is an event to be shared with the people, so we keep the wine prices in line with that.” This month’s event focuses on Australian wines from importer Vine Street. “This will be a cool opportunity to try some wines that might defy your notions of what Australian wines are like,” Kroblin said. “Vast always does a great job pairing food with the wines. It’s one of the more fun events we get to do.” Tickets are $30-$35. Visit vastokc.com. Vast is located at the top of the Devon Energy Center tower, 333 W. Sheridan Ave.
Licking chops Hungry for locally raised vegetables and meats? Urban Agrarian follows up February’s hit beef dinner with a fivecourse menu focusing on pasture-raised lamb and fresh herbs. The Farm to Table Dinner series presents a family-style meal prepared by chef Timothy Mort with wine pairings by sommelier Ian Clarke of Putnam Wines 6:30 p.m. March 31 at OKC Farmers Public Market, 1235 SW Second St. As at previous dinners, Urban Agrarian invites producers to speak to diners about how the food is produced. A speaker from Prairie Wind Nursery in Norman will attend this month’s dinner. Tickets are $85 with wine pairings or $60 without alcohol. Visit urbanagrarianfarm2table.eventbrite.com.
Brunch! Open O Op pen à 11 • MARCH 27 pen
Whiskey tango Rather than let March 27 have all the fun, Whiskey Cake Kitchen & Bar, 1845 Northwest Expressway, decided that International Whisk(e)y Day should be all month long. The restaurant celebrates International Whiskey Month (which it just created) with weekly whiskey classes 4-5 p.m. each Tuesday through March 29. Classes are $20 and include whiskey tastings hosted by guest experts. “Each week, we’re focusing on a different region of whiskey,” said Spencer Henrion, assistant general manager. “We have a spirit specialist who teaches a basic knowledge of the distilling methods of specific whiskeys, which grains are used and how the flavor profile comes through.” Remaining classes include Japanese Whiskey March 22 and American Whiskey March 29. Call 405-582-2253 to make reservations.
Reservations Recommended 405.478.1417 | www.jbruners.com
Oklahoma Gazette | march 16, 2016 | 23
Who’s chicken? Chickens deserve better than boneless, skinless breasts and processed nuggets. And so do we. If these noble birds must perish, let them at least go on to that great coop in the sky knowing that we will enjoy their sacrifice. Forget those bland lumps of dry protein and let the culinary wizards at these restaurants prepare a chicken so tasty you’ll cross the road for it. — By Greg Elwell Photos by Garett Fisbeck
Mama E’s Wings and Waffles 3838 Springlake Drive 405-424-0800
There’s nothing better than home cooking, especially when you don’t have to clean up the mess. That means there’s nothing better than stopping in at Mama E’s for its fried wings dusted in powdered sugar and served atop a gorgeous, golden waffle. Your kitchen will stay immaculate (or at least the same level of dirty as before) while you enjoy mac and cheese, tender greens, sweet potatoes and those killer wings.
Empire Slice House
Taqueria Sanchez
1734 NW 16th St. empireslicehouse.com | 405-557-1760
4011 NW 10th St. 405-520-3553
It’s known that Emma Lazarus went through several drafts of “The New Colossus” before it was engraved on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. “Give me your tired, your poor, your hungry masses yearning to eat pizza” didn’t make the cut, but that couldn’t stop Empire Slice House from creating a Lady Liberty pie covered in chicken, olives, artichokes, red pepper, feta, mozzarella and a splash of balsamic vinegar reduction. It’s for America.
Philosophers have long wondered why tacos taste so good when they come from a truck. Aristotle, Plato, Kant, Nietzsche — all would have loved the pollo taco from Taqueria Sanchez. Tender, juicy chicken wrapped up in a corn tortilla with onions and cilantro and a blast of hot sauce — what’s not to like? But don’t actually ask a philosopher that question; you will be there forever.
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La Brasa International Cuisine
The Wedge Pizzeria
1310 NW 25th St. labrasaokc.com | 405-524-2251
4709 N. Western Ave. thewedgeokc.com | 405-602-3477
Peruvians have chicken figured out. Fried chicken is great. Chicken cordon bleu is wonderful. But you’ll be hardpressed to find a better bite of bird than the pollo a la brasa at La Brasa. This beautifully seasoned and roasted chicken is the epitome of delectable. Each juicy bite is complemented by crispy, bronzed skin — a satisfying flood of flavor. The rest of the menu is a dream, but no one can resist the lure of this signature dish.
Sloth loves Chunk, but he probably would have sided with the Fratellis if they’d offered him The Wedge’s much-loved Truffle Shuffle pizza. He’d finish him faster than a Baby Ruth for one of those wood-fired beauties topped with pulled, roasted chicken, crimini mushrooms, sage, spinach and a dash of truffle oil. Start throwing in red pepper hummus on the side or a starter of antipasto and there wouldn’t be a Goonie left in Astoria.
Cafe 501
The Miller Grill
501 S. Boulevard St., Edmond cafe501.com | 405-359-1501
326 Elm Ave., Yukon millergrill.com | 405-265-2775
There’s something playful about serving the cast-iron chicken at Cafe 501 in a bucket. KFC famously served yard birds in buckets, but there’s nothing so inelegant about this presentation of creamy polenta covered in wilted spinach and red wine-braised chicken. The Colonel might have been Brigadier or Commodore if he’d thought to serve this intoxicating medley. The only problem is when one bucket of cast-iron chicken isn’t enough.
Q: Which came first, the chicken or the egg? A: It doesn’t matter if you eat them together. Help wipe out two generations of chickens at once with the Mother Clucker from Yukon’s Miller Grill. The fried egg breaks just right over the blackened chicken, soaking the crispy onions in rich, delicious yolk for a sandwich that is impossible to beat.
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Johannes Vermeer’s 17th-century masterpiece “The Milkmaid”
Beyond walls Summer Wheat uses inspiration from 17th-century art and her Oklahoma upbringing in Pry the Lid Off, an immersive new Oklahoma Contemporary exhibit. By Ben Luschen
Daylight breaks through brightly colored panes that checker the glassedin lobby. The reflected hues of stained glass signal something pure. Come nighttime, light from within pushes its way through, illuminating the gallery like a kaleidoscopic dream. This is art from the inside out. Pry the Lid Off is locally born artist Summer Wheat’s immersive art installation housed at Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, 3000 General Pershing Blvd. It was installed in February and runs through Aug. 12. A lace pattern inspired by a dollar store tablecloth is the backdrop for Wheat’s vibrant window display. Images of present-day wares — wineglasses, fashionable boots and stiletto heels — overlay the display. They are unlikely pairings. Wheat, now a New York resident, said Pry the Lid Off is the latest development in a series of works devoted to 17th-century Dutch Golden Age masterpiece “The Milkmaid.” Stylistically, nothing in the selfdescribed maximalist painter’s exhibit resembles Johannes Vermeer’s classic oil painting. No one in Vermeer’s time marched around in pumps, yet each concept displayed examines some aspect of his work.
“Obviously, my work doesn’t look anything like this painting,” Wheat said. “This is all imagined, a playful rendition of how I’m reimagining [the milkmaid’s] world.”
Finding beauty
Wheat didn’t consider herself a fan of the type of art “The Milkmaid” represents. She first saw the painting when she was in her early 20s. She hated it. More accurately, she tried to hate it. She examined every detail of the piece as she searched for ways to articulate her disdain, but the opposite happened. She began to understand what made it great. “What ended up happening is I fell in love with it,” she said. Wheat became obsessed with the plaster wall behind the painting’s subject. The color range used to depict how the sunlight unevenly hit a white wall fascinated her. She loved its texture — the nails, the small punctures and rivets. Wheat also thought about the maid’s world beyond that wall. She reimagined what was happening inside the painting. How could she give new context to a female servant? How could the common, traditional idea of a maid be made uncommon? “It’s a feminist piece,” she said. “I’m
empowering her and reassigning her role in the world, but then honoring the idea of servant and what it means to be a servant and to serve each other.” In Pry the Lid Off, Wheat said, she marries old and new, conventional and personal. It’s her most recent installment in a series of exhibits exploring aspects of the servant’s world. Each exhibit explores a new room in the maid’s house. Wheat said Oklahoma Contemporary’s display examines storage space. It’s a loose narrative, but one she intends to take all the way. “I want to kill her off in a way to end the collective consciousness,” Wheat said, “and kill off the idea of this female servant that’s embedded in our genetic code.”
Removing the lid
Wheat tinkers with Vermeer’s elements of light and color through her faux stained glass display. Near the front of the exhibit, a black plywood board with negative space cutouts hangs on one of Oklahoma Contemporary’s white walls. It resembles a dish rack. Pry the Lid Off is a site-specific art installation. Wheat began working on it after curator Julie Maguire approached her about the opportunity two years ago. Before she created anything,
Summer Wheat immerses herself in her latest exhibit, Pry the Lid Off, on display now at Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center. Wheat walked through the gallery and visualized what she could do with the space. The concept behind the exhibit was to transform the area into a storage container, something someone could rip the lid off to see the goods inside. While developing the installation in New York, Wheat used small scale models and peered inside to arrange her work. “The whole space turned into a giant dollhouse where I was able to move things around a lot,” she said. Creating a site-specific exhibit so far away from where it would be installed was challenging, even aside from transportation. Wheat completed her stained glass display piece-by-piece, in smaller squares. At home, she could hang up only four pieces at a time. She saw the complete work for the first time after it was installed in Oklahoma City. She said she was excited when it worked.
Searching skies
Among the installation’s standout pieces continued on next page
Oklahoma Gazette | march 16, 2016 | 27
P H OTOS P R OVI DE D
cover visual arts
PH OTOS P R OVI DE D
COVER visual arts
“Strawberry Sun,” 2015, acrylic paint on aluminum mesh
I want to ... kill off the idea of this female servant that’s embedded in our genetic code. — Summer Wheat
“Cabinet,” 2015, acrylic and oil paint on canvas
are a pair of large, night-sky tapestries: “Valley of Life With Alligators” and “Valley of Life With Snake.” From a distance, they appear to be made from some sort of fabric. Closer inspection reveals dried blots of colorful paint and handmade beads. Wheat created the tapestries by pushing acrylic paint through aluminum window mesh. Up close, bright yellow stars look like colorful
28 | march 16, 2016 | Oklahoma Gazette
children’s clay pressed through a mold and placed on black mesh. They look and feel like actual textiles. As much as Pry the Lid Off is about “The Milkmaid,” it also is an opportunity for Wheat to reconnect with her Oklahoma upbringing. She graduated from Casady School before moving away. She briefly returned to finish her undergraduate studies at the University of Central Oklahoma before
moving to New York. Each time the artist returns to the state, she is mesmerized by its open sky. She remembered driving down country roads under the deep-blue expanse. She listened to — and for the first time, connected with — music. “My main relationship to a lot of these works has to do with the sky. It’s like [how] I use all the elements of the painting,” she said. “I think about the sun coming in through the window, and my relationship to the sky here in Oklahoma was always the most important thing I had here.” More of Wheat’s personal connections with the state are featured near the back of the installation. The artist included large, busily painted collections of boots and bows in a section comprising what might have been the maid’s wardrobe. She said boots and bows are staples found in every Oklahoma girl’s closet. Hanging near the bows is a painting inspired by canary yellow trousers infamously worn by Wheat’s grandfather. She said her grandparents were eccentrics and had a major impact on the person Wheat is today. They kept peacocks and very large sheepdogs in the yard. Their home looked like a medieval castle. They drove
around in a car that was as brightly yellow as her grandfather’s pants. “They were very worldly and exposed me to a lot of things,” Wheat said. “My grandfather went to Russia and China a lot and would always bring me back presents from really exotic places.”
Inspiring others
Part of Oklahoma Contemporary’s mission is art education. Being a contemporary art outfit, it does not often have opportunities to bring in works of masters like Vermeer. Pry the Lid Off runs through the summer camp season, and Wheat’s installation will be integrated into the gallery’s youth programs. The venue’s Circle Room is set aside for children to explore elements of Wheat’s project. One display resembles the faux stained glass at the entrance and allows youths to blend colors over a light panel. Another lets them thread colors in a way reminiscent of her tapestries. “It makes me happy to serve a purpose that way, that I could influence [someone],” she said. When she was a first-grader, an animation artist came to school and wowed her classmates with a pencil and a large sketchpad. Like a magician, he made bunny rabbits appear on the page and hop within and outside its limits. From that day on, Wheat was entranced by the world within white space. Maybe that is why she was so fascinated by the white plaster walls in “The Milkmaid.” “I’ve always been interested in the white of a canvas and the space a painting occupies, that you can go into and travel in,” she said. “It actually is a dimensional surface; it’s a dimensional opportunity.”
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Oklahoma Gazette | march 16, 2016 | 29
Current events
A new studio concept offers artists a full range of creative motion. By Ben Luschen
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www.TBSVending.com 405.639.3000 30 | march 16, 2016 | Oklahoma Gazette
Local artists Kelsey Karper and Romy Owens saw a problem with the common artist-studio dynamic. They hope to flip that dynamic on its head with their jointly curated studio space. The pair explained venues that show art are often driven by the need for sales. They are compelled to show art they feel like they can sell because that’s how they will pay their bills. In turn, that places a mandate on artists to make work that appeals to the masses. “It skews it in a direction that is a little more decorative, a little more safe,” Owens said. “It’s not to say that the work that we see on a regular basis isn’t amazing, because there’s some incredibly talented artists in the state and in the region that we are very lucky to get to see.” Karper and Owens founded Current Studio, 1218 N. Pennsylvania Ave., as a way to offer local artists an alternative to the pressure of sales. It’s a space committed to doing things in a new way. The studio will also manage adjoining artist studios next door to the gallery, which will be shared by Mandy Messina, Marissa Raglin, Kelly Rogers and Lauren Zuniga. Karper said she hopes Current Studio not only provides a space for bolder art, but gives artists the advance support and financial backing to make it a reasonable possibility. An 18-month trial period starts the studio off as it raises money to avoid perpetual fundraisers. During that trial period, Current will try out a variety of different models and programs and determine what the art community wants from them. Last summer, Karper and Owens curated an Individual Artists of Oklahoma (IAO) exhibit called The Elaborate Collaborate. The project brought artists together and gave them a forum in which to collaborate. The show and the artwork evolved over the
Kelsey Karper and Romy Owens at Current Studio course of the exhibition. “That was received really well by the audience, and the experience for the artists was really meaningful. That prompted Romy and I to start thinking about all the other things that we had in mind,” Karper said. They had so many ideas, there were not enough venues in which to implement them. Then they started thinking about what they could do with a space of their own. Their ideas suddenly became very real when they were approached about a space in the Classen Ten Penn area. The space they occupy sits barren and open, yet full of promise. In addition to building capital to support artists, Current Studio’s online GoFundMe page also hopes to raise money for work on the interior. Karper said she is excited about the neighborhood potential in Classen Ten Penn and wants Current Studio to play a role in developing it. “We’re hoping long-term that something Current Studio can do is connect artists with the challenges of our neighborhood or our city and come up with artistic solutions to those challenges,” she said. “We could be the thing that connects those two.” Despite differences in approach, Owens said Current Studio’s vision of impactful, experiential art and selfsustaining artists is one shared by many community organizations. “In no way is this any competition for anyone in terms of what’s happening here or what’s happening anywhere,” Owens said. “We’re all working together with the same goal in mind.” To learn more about Current Studio’s 18-month trial period or to donate, visit gofundme.com/ currentstudio.
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Oklahoma Gazette
Blooming talent Applications are now being accepted for Festival of the Arts Youth Art Sale. By Christine Eddington
At age 17, Sarah Covington is a seasoned artist with a juried exhibit and healthy sales under her belt, thanks to Arts Council of Oklahoma City’s Youth Art Sale. Last year, the Casady School senior was featured in the event, which is part of the Festival of the Arts. She loved the experience. She described her work as mostly abstract, black-and-white photography with a few pieces of color portraiture mixed in. “It was so much fun to get to have my own space and to exhibit and sell my work,” she said. “If you’re thinking about trying to do it, I’d say do it because it’s such a different experience. It’s good to get out there.” Most of us know that the Festival of the Arts has brought visual, performing and culinary arts to our ever-changing city for 49 years. For the past six years, it has also cultivated young artists by hosting the Youth Art Sale, a miniature, professionalstyle show that gives young artists the opportunity to experience the process of selling art at a festival. “The Youth Art Sale is juried,” said Christina Foss, Arts Council of Oklahoma City communications director. “Every year, a professional visual artist is hired as a juror. She or he reads the artists’ statements and studies the sample work that is submitted.” This year, that juror is Rebecca Lowber-Collins from Oklahoma City. Students ages 8-18 who live in Oklahoma, Cleveland, Lincoln, Pottawatomie, Canadian, Kingfisher, Logan, McClain and Seminole counties can apply. Find the application form online at
A young artist displays and sells her work at last year’s Festival of the Arts in Oklahoma City. artscouncilokc.com. There is a $10 application fee, but the council’s website said that if young artists find it prohibitive, the council might be able to help. Application deadline is 5 p.m. March 31. No late submissions will be accepted. “Artists can keep all of their proceeds,” Foss said. “However, we encourage young artists to consider donating a portion of their proceeds to Arts Council Oklahoma City’s All Access Arts program.” Who knows? Today’s Youth Art Show exhibitor might be tomorrow’s Andy Warhol, or at least gain a deeper appreciation for the arts as a young adult. “Many have gone on to college to study art in preparation for a career in the fine arts,” Foss said. Covington has some tips for young artists hoping to get into the show. “Start matting your work now. Don’t wait until the last minute,” she advised. The Youth Art Sale is during the festival in Bicentennial Park, 500 Couch Drive. The sale runs 11 a.m.-5 p.m. April 23 in the Special Events Pavilion in the northwest corner of the park. Festival of the Arts runs April 19-24. Hours are 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free. The festival is run by 5,000 volunteers, and volunteer co-chairs Suzi Clowers and Kermit Frank helm it this year.
Oklahoma Gazette | march 16, 2016 | 31
john r uss o / P ROVI DE D
ARTS & CULTURE PERFORMING ARTS
Wicked homecoming Kristin Chenoweth mines her extensive musical career for her performances with Oklahoma City Philharmonic.
by George Lang
Kristin Chenoweth with Oklahoma City Philharmonic 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday Thelma Gaylord Performing Arts Theatre Civic Center Music Hall 201 N. Walker Ave. okcciviccenter.com 405-297-2584 sold out
Kristin Chenoweth never lets much time pass before she comes home. In November 2015, the Tony Awardwinning singer and actress lent her voice to Celebrate Pink OKC, a fashion show and fundraiser in which she led the crowd of 400 in a chant demanding “a world without breast cancer.” Four months later, she’s back to bond with her extended Oklahoma family again. This time, she wants to blow the roof off Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave. Chenoweth headlines the venue she helped reopen following the hall’s renovation nearly 15 years ago. At 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, she delivers a show renowned for its variety, audience engagement and stagecraft. For her 2015-’16 concert tour, the actress and singer pulls from each stage of her career. Her setlist constantly evolves. “I am constantly picking songs, and the show is ever-changing,” said Chenoweth, who performs this weekend with Oklahoma City Philharmonic, conducted by maestro Joel Levine. “That is what so fun. I have been doing
32 | march 16, 2016 | Oklahoma Gazette
Kristin Chenoweth
a lot of Don Henley and Dolly Parton, and of course, I sing things people want to hear from me, too.”
Finding definition
That covers a lot, as the Broken Arrow native’s career spans two decades of Broadway, film and television work, but Oklahoma City audiences were early to the party. Chenoweth attended Oklahoma City University (OCU) in the late 1980s and early ’90s. She earned a bachelor’s degree in musical theater in 1990 and a master’s degree in opera performance two years later. Her studies under OCU vocal instructor Florence Birdwell prepared her for a wide range of performances with Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma and other area theater companies, including roles in productions like The Sound of Music, The King and I and Gypsy. “She is in my singing head every day,” Chenoweth said of Birdwell. “‘Consonants are your friends! If no one can understand your words, the beautiful sound doesn’t matter!’ ‘Only sing from your place of truth!’ I think of her every day, and I miss her all the time. She is a master — she is my master.” Birdwell’s instruction guided Chenoweth through her post-OCU career as she became an in-demand performer in regional theater, a fiveyear period that culminated in her 1997 Broadway debut in Kander and
Ebb musical Steel Pier. Two years later, she won a Tony for her performance as Sally Brown in the revival of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, eventually leading to her iconic performance as Glinda, the Good Witch of the North in Wicked. That 2002 production helped define Chenoweth for a generation of theatergoers, and her performance of “Popular” from Wicked is now a setlist mainstay. “For sure, ‘Popular’ is the most requested song, as is a song I’ve done for years called ‘Taylor the Latte Boy,’” Chenoweth said. “Those will be represented on my setlist.”
I am constantly picking songs, and the show is ever-changing. — Kristin Chenoweth
‘Complicated truth’
Her undeniable stage presence quickly converted into success in film and television. Following the short-lived 2001 NBC sitcom Kristin, Chenoweth occupied The West Wing for two years and starred with fellow Oklahoman Lee
Pace in ABC’s Pushing Daisies, earning an Emmy for her performance as Olive Snook. A few years later, she merged her musical and TV personas when she made a recurring appearance as April Rhodes in Fox’s Glee. She recently completed work on the indie comedy-drama film Hard Sell. “It is about the complicated relationship between mother and son,” Chenoweth said. “And the mother has a host of mental illnesses, so of course, you see who is [doing the] parenting.” The exuberance and range that serves Chenoweth so well in stage plays, film and TV results in a concert performance full of interesting stylistic twists and surprises, some of which only Oklahoma City audiences will see. “Maestro Levine and I are discussing some cool ideas now,” she said. “I think no matter what I sing, the energy from me is off the charts. I could never be the type of artist who just phones it in. I’m always exhausted when it’s done; it’s a marathon.” And she is ready to run this marathon in OKC. “I get the feeling of complete and utter safety when I come to Oklahoma, that no matter what, I’m with folks who love me,” she said. “I’m one of theirs. It is a beautiful thing to attach yourself to your home state. I miss Oklahoma. I miss church and the general kindness that Oklahoma exudes. I miss my family. I miss the red dirt!”
Growing expectations The upcoming Seeds of Hope Banquet raises funds and awareness for a 21-year-old youth mentorship and education program. A boy participates in the Whiz Kids program, in which volunteers mentor and tutor at-risk youths.
By Kaley Patterson
Seeds of Hope 6-8:30 p.m. March 28 Cox Convention Center 1 Myriad Gardens whizkidsok.org 405-602-2815 $100 (sponsorships available)
To celebrate 21 years of tutoring and mentoring, Whiz Kids Oklahoma hosts its annual Seeds of Hope banquet 6-8:30 p.m. March 28 at Cox Convention Center, 1 Myriad Gardens. The event raises awareness of the organization, shows appreciation to its volunteers and serves as a fundraiser. Since 1995, the faith-based, one-onone tutoring and mentoring program and division of City Care has served first- through sixth-graders across Oklahoma City with high dropout risks and low socioeconomic levels. Whiz Kids helps inner-city students who read below grade level and could benefit from a positive mentor. The Seeds of Hope banquet honors volunteers who work year-round with children or help with various aspects of the program along with the multiple companies and organizations that support Whiz Kids. “We’re just looking forward to Oklahoma City coming out and
supporting a work that is really serving our city well,” said Bea Jai Webb, director. “It is our goal to really celebrate the generosity from our city for our kids.” This year’s keynote speaker is Carey Casey, Kansas City-based National Center for Fathering’s Ambassador for Fathers. He also serves on the White House Task Force on Fatherhood and Healthy Families. Webb said Casey will inspire mentors attending the banquet. “He really encourages the mentors and allows them to know they’re significant,” Webb said. “Our speakers are really big on mentoring, and he truly is one of the best in the nation.” The evening also features a silent auction with 150-200 items such as Kendra Scott jewelry, works of art, a basketball autographed by the Oklahoma City Thunder team and a seven-day family trip to Orlando, Florida. The evening’s funds support Whiz Kids sites. Over the past 21 years, the organization has worked with more than 800 students in 29 urban schools and at 29 sites partnered with 70 churches. Currently, it works with schools in six cities. Shea Gordon, Whiz Kids community relations and product manager, said the organization’s goal is to add two to three sites per year.
Sh p
Score cool stuff at your local Goodwill.
Building success
Webb hopes the fundraising event sparks an interest among individuals to get involved as donors or volunteers. “We can only provide our services as we partner with local churches to give us a site to operate out of and their members to serve our cause, as well as corporations,” Webb said. “It is a must that we keep the awareness going and to get people to volunteer and to get people to help us provide this needed service.” During the 2014-15 school year, Whiz Kids had 1,250 volunteers tutoring and mentoring students or working in other capacities within the program. One is Mercedius Jones, a Boeing electrical engineer who has worked with mentee Joshua for three years. Jones began volunteering with Whiz Kids in August 2013. He has worked with Joshua ever since. “I saw that I was really helping him, and that’s why I’ve been involved this long,” Jones said. “At the time, I didn’t have my father in my life, so I know now how much positive effect a good role model and a positive male can have on another young male.” When they started, Joshua was in first grade and read at a 0.6 grade level. At the end of the year, he read at a 1.6 grade level. Now, Joshua’s in third grade and
20 locations in Central Oklahoma Oklahoma City Norman • Edmond Shawnee • Ada Ardmore • Yukon Warr Acres Stillwater • Moore Midwest City okgoodwill.org/locations
reads at a 2.9 grade level. Jones always sees an improvement. “Right now, he’s working on comprehension,” Jones said. “That’s being able to … tell what he read and describe what he read from point A to point B. … He’s doing really good so far.” Recently, Jones received an Outstanding Mentor Award from Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence chairman David Boren and president Anil Gollahalli during Oklahoma Mentor Day at the State Capitol. Jones said Whiz Kids is important to the OKC community because it gives children opportunities to experience positivity they might not see every day and get on the right path. “Most of these kids are in povertystricken areas and there’s a lot of violence,” Jones said. “The importance of Whiz Kids is that you have another adult outside of their family and school that does not have to be there but is showing a child one-onone interaction and attention. Most kids just need attention and a little extra help.” The banquet is open to the public and free for volunteers. Tickets are $100, and table sponsorships are $1,200 to $10,000. For more information about the Seeds of Hope banquet or to volunteer or donate, call 405-602-2815.
Donate Stuff. Create Jobs. Goodwill's mission is to enhance the quality of life for individuals with disabilities and disadvantages through the power of work.
Oklahoma Gazette | march 16, 2016 | 33
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John Gallagher Jr. and Mary Elizabeth Winstead in 10 Cloverfield Lane
I’m not entirely sure what to write about a movie that I wish you didn’t even know the title of. That isn’t to say you shouldn’t see 10 Cloverfield Lane. See it. It’s a phenomenal movie, the kind that makes you hold your mouth agape on your first viewing and then inspires you to evangelize by showing it to everyone you know. Subsequent viewings, of which there will be many, will be spent watching friends react to the movie, experiencing the secondhand nearsmug joy of solving a puzzle you’ve already finished. But you won’t be able to watch their faces for long before you’re wrapped up in tension again. Knowing the twists and turns only deepens the experience because they’re never cheap, but they’re rational enough that they prompt post-viewing discussions and the kind of retracing of steps that happens when one loses their keys. I know that’s vague, but the less specific I can be, the better. Then again, nobody walked into Psycho thinking they were going to get a lighthearted musical, so maybe it’s OK to give some broad strokes. The directorial debut of Dan Trachtenberg, a guy known for sci-fi video game fan films and commercials, 10 Cloverfield Lane is a pinnacle thriller. With a script by Josh Campbell and Matthew Stuecken, with intense Whiplash writer/director Damien Chazelle adding what one can only assume was a hefty amount of tension, the movie is tight and fast and will break viewers’ necks if they’re not careful. A little over an hour and a half flies by on the shoulders of Mary Elizabeth
Winstead, who gives a performance rivaling Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley. She solidifies herself as one of the most malleable, tough, subtle actresses working today. She’s joined by John Goodman (giving an Oscarworthy performance, if these kinds of movies won Oscars) and John Gallagher Jr., whose easy, stumbling delivery makes every line endearing. “I’m sure it’s good, but what’s it about?” one might ask. Michelle (Winstead) has a fight with her boyfriend, who we never see, before the film begins. She packs up, moves out of their shared apartment and drives to the most relatable destination: away. But before she gets there, she gets sidetracked and spends most of the movie with Howard (Goodman) and Emmett (Gallagher). Any more details and I’d take away from what 10 Cloverfield Lane has to offer. Excellently shot, with cramped meaning squeezed into every frame, it plays with viewers like only a good film can. Emotional states and feelings toward the characters fluctuate expertly, with comic relief so perfectly timed and paced that if someone said it was a joint directorial effort by a statistician and a psychologist, I would believe you. So often, movies spend their runtimes trying to get their points across, to make you believe things about characters or to just buy the plots. 10 Cloverfield Lane has viewers and knows it has them. It has them chained up and won’t let go. They will develop Stockholm syndrome.
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Oklahoma Gazette | march 16, 2016 | 35
arts & culture are events recommended by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members. For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.
BOOKS
Could it be juvenile fibromyalgia? If your child is 13 to 17 years old and is experiencing widespread pain or has juvenile fibromyalgia, they may qualify for a clinical research study of an investigational medication for juvenile fibromyalgia.
Nothing Daunted Women’s Book Discussion Group, this month’s selection is Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore, 7 p.m., March 17. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405842-2900, fullcirclebooks. com. THU New Ink, discover newly released books and soon-tobe best sellers, 3-5 p.m., March 19. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405842-2900, fullcirclebooks. com. SAT Book Signing, Karen West and Susan Ford-West sign their book Sisters Get Their Kicks on Route 66, which chronicles their 2,448-mile adventure down Route 66, 6:30-8:30 p.m., March 23. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. WED
To learn more, call:
888-342-7695 or go to www.FibroStudy.info
FILM
Eggstravaganza Free museum admission, games and crafts will be on-site at Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History’s annual spring Eggstravaganza. The celebration promises to be of Jurassic proportions. The event begins 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 23, at the museum, 2401 Chautauqua Ave., in Norman. The egg hunts begin at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free. Visit samnoblemuseum.org or call 405-325-4712. Wednesday, March 23 5:30 p.m., March 18. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa. com. FRI
Run Free: The True Story of Caballo Blanco, (US, 2015, dir. Sterling Noren) documentary about ultra-runner Michah True, a Boulder, Colorado, resident and focal character in The New York Times bestselling book Born to Run, 7 p.m., March 21. B&B Theater, 4623 NW 23rd St., 405-9172299, bbtheatres.com. MON
Cemetery of Splendour, (FR, 2015, dir. Apichatpong Weerasethakul) Thai soldiers suffering from a mysterious sleeping sickness are housed in a temporary rural clinic; there, past and present, waking state and dream all become indecipherable, 8 p.m., March 18 & 19. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3101, okcmoa. com. FRI
HAPPENINGS
Children of the Civil Rights, (US, 2015, Julia Clifford) a group of children from Oklahoma City who went into restaurants and asked for service; documentary film shares their six-year odyssey to freedom, 2 p.m., March 19. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3102, okcmoa. com. SAT
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Only Yesterday, (JP, 1991, dir Isao Takahata) the story of a 27-year-old who embarks on a life-changing trip on the countryside and reflects on her childhood dreams, memories and desires while seeking a more authentic and fulfilling life in the present,
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Do you worry about your child’s unexplained aching, stiffness, fatigue, or sleep trouble?
Book Signing, Manning Wolf signs Dollar Signs: Texas Lady Lawyer vs. Boots King and Bill Rogers signs History Retweets Itself: Texas Edition, 6:30 p.m., March 16. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. WED
Dinosaurs vs. Whales: What Is the Largest Animal of All Time?, a Dinosaurs, Past and Present lecture by Matt Wedel; he explains that size is constantly on the minds of paleontologists, and it has attracted a lot of public attention in recent years as the discoveries of ever-larger dinosaurs have been announced; most of the extremely large dinosaurs are known only from fragmentary fossils, 6 p.m., March 16. Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, 2401 Chautauqua Ave., Norman, 405-325-4712, snomnh. ou.edu. WED Art After 5, enjoy the Oklahoma City skyline along with live music, friends and cocktails on top of OKCMOA, 5-11 p.m., March 17. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa. com. THU Automobile Alley Shop Hop, explore all that Automobile Alley has to offer; open house events at shops, live music, street artists, discounts at local restaurants and more, 6-9 p.m., March 17. Automobile Alley, 1015 N. Broadway Ave., 405-488-2555, automobilealley.org. THU Plan Your Spring Gardens: Pollinators & SustainablyGrown Vegetables, learn about planting pollinator and veggie gardens at home; region-specific milkweed and vegetable starts will be for sale along with a social hour, 7-9 p.m., Mar. 17. SixTwelve Community Center, 612 NW 29th St., sixtwelve.org. THU
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(800) 869-1451 • (405) 297-2264 • CelebrityAttractions.com GROUPS OF 15 OR MORE SAVE, CALL (800) 869-1451 x220 /BwayOKC 36 | march 16, 2016 | Oklahoma Gazette
McNellie’s St. Patrick’s Day Green shirt or not, James E. McNellie’s Public House welcomes guests all day for St. Paddy’s. Live music is provided by Hosty Duo, and drink and food specials mark the celebration. Early starts are welcome too — doors open 10 a.m. at McNellie’s, 1100 Classen Drive. An outdoor celebration begins at noon. Admission is free. Visit mcnelliesokc.com or call 405-601-7468. Thursday
OKC Home + Outdoor Living Show, more than 300 exhibitors inspire visitors with home design and outdoor living tips and products also featuring celebrities and local experts, including: John Gidding of HGTV’s Curb Appeal: The Block and Matt Muenster of HGTV’s Bath
March 24 | MAUNDY THURSDAY 8:30 am Morning Prayer | 5:30 pm Evening Prayer 7:00 pm Holy Communion | 8:00 pm The Watch March 25 | GOOD FRIDAY 8:30 am Morning Prayer 12:00 pm Good Friday Liturgy with Homily 5:30 pm Children’s Stations of the Cross 7:00 pm A Meditation on the Passion of Christ March 26 | The Great
Vigil of Easter
5:30 pm Holy Communion March 27 | EASTER DAY Holy Communion 7:30 am, 9:15 am, 11:00 am 5:00 pm
All Souls’ Episcopal Church BI GSTO CK.COM
6400 N. Pennsylvania | OKC www.allsoulsokc.com
Pump’s St. Patrick’s Day The Pump Bar celebrates St. Paddy’s Day right. It opens noon Thursday and will serve food from a special Irish menu. Carte Blanche, an all-vinyl DJ group, will spin tunes, and live acts include Ramones tribute band Havana Affair and emo-pop-punk band Shut Up Matt Jewett. Join the party at 2425 N. Walker Ave. Visit facebook. com/thepumpbar or call 405-702-8898. Thursday
Crashers, noon-9 p.m., March 18; 10 a.m.-9 p.m., March 19; 10 a.m.-6 p.m., March 20. Oklahoma State Fair Arena, 333 Gordon Cooper Blvd. FRI -SUN Fifth Annual Cowboy Round-Up, a cowboy-themed rendezvous filled with adventure for all ages, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., March 19. Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, 405-521-2491, okhistory.org/historycenter. SAT Watercolor Calligraphy Class, begin with basic watercolor techniques, go over the technical skills on how to hold your brush and direct your brush on the paper to get the calligraphy art form and learn the differences between a few different watercolor mediums as you practice connections and build your watercolor calligraphy toolbox, 2-3 p.m., March 19. Rally, 1745 NW 16th St., rallyokc.com. SAT St. Patty’s Day Celebration, celebrate at the zoo for games and up-close encounters with some of our animal ambassadors who are always decked out for St. Patty’s Day; light snacks and limited adult beverages provided, 7-8:30 p.m., March 19. Oklahoma City Zoo, 2000 Remington Pl., 405-424-3344, okczoo. com. SAT
FOOD Caffeinate your Conscience, join the coffee specialists from Whole Foods Market OKC for an evening of education and tasting featuring Allegro Coffee; prizes and swag bags feature products that support Whole Planet Foundation, 6:30 p.m., March 16. Whole Foods Market, 6001 N. Western Ave., 405-879-3500, wholefoodsmarket.com. WED MTV Madness Party, come dressed as your favorite '80s music artist, sign up ahead of time and take part in the lip-sync battle, 8 p.m., March 19. Flashback Retropub, 814 W. Sheridan Ave. SAT Saturday Cooking Class, learn to make eggplant, mozzarella saffron rice bake, 1 p.m., March 19. Buy For Less, 3501 Northwest Expressway, 405-946-6342, buyforlessok.com. SAT Cooking Demo, learn how to prepare scalloped potatoes and ham, 1 p.m., March 19. Uptown Grocery Co., 1230 W. Covell Road, Edmond, 405-509-2700, uptowngroceryco.com. SAT
Christ the King Catholic Church 8005 Dorset Drive (1 block north of Wilshire halfway between Penn & May) www.ckokc.org
Palm Sunday
March 19th at 5 pm March 20th at 8 am, 10 am, 12:15 pm
Holy Thursday
Mass of the Lord’s Supper March 24th at 7 pm
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament follows Mass until 12 Midnight
Good Friday
Veneration of the Cross and Holy Communion
March 25th at 3 pm & 7 pm
Holy Saturday Easter Vigil Mass March 26th at 8 pm
Easter Sunday Masses continued on next page
March 27th at 8 am, 10 am & 12:15 pm
Oklahoma Gazette | march 16, 2016 | 37
Join Us... March 20th
March 24th
March 25th
8:30am and 10:45am Worship Service; 9:30am Sunday School
Service 7:00pm
Outdoor Prayer Labyrinth
Palm Sunday
Maundy Thursday
March 27th
Good Friday
Easter Sunday
9:30am Easter Celebration: Donuts, juice & milk; Photo area; An Easter Story puppet show; Goody bags and Easter Egg Hunt with candy filled eggs and prize baskets. 10:45am Easter Cantata “A Journey to Hope” performed by the New Covenant Choir.
New Covenant Christian Church 12000 N. Rockwell Ave. • (405) 722-7445 • NCCCOKC.ORG
38 | march 16, 2016 | Oklahoma Gazette
ACTIVE
reminder that life is good at summer home on the pond, 8 p.m., March 17-19; 2:30 p.m., March 20. Jewel Box Theatre, 3700 N. Walker Ave., 405521-1786, jewelboxtheatre.org. THU -SUN
Drop-In Yoga, yoga class in the museum’s galleries, 5:45-6:45 p.m., March 17. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa. com. THU
Whodunit Dinner Theater: Final Idol, dinner and a comedic murder mystery play involving the audience, 6:15 p.m., March 18. Ted’s Escondido Cafe Event Center Annex, 6900 N. May Ave., 405-420-3222, whodunit. net. FRI
Kombucha Brewing Workshop, learn how to homebrew a favorite alkaline drink; learn step-by-step how to make your own kombucha and take home a complete brew kit at the end of this hands-on workshop, 2-4 p.m., March 19. Edible OKC, 107A NE Third St., 405-7060658, edibleoklahomacity. ediblefeast.com. SAT
Spring Celebration, celebrate the start of spring by learning about what causes seasons and traditions of the Spring Equniox, followed by planting a spring plant and creating a paper kite; ages 6-10, 10 a.m., March 18. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, oklahomacitybotanicalgardens. com/events. FRI
Head to Tail Dining: Black Wagyu, seven-couse meal designed to highlight the flavors and textures from different cuts of beef, 6 p.m., March 21. Ludivine, 805 N. Hudson Ave., 405-778-6800, ludivineokc.com. MON
Sesame Street Live: Make a New Friend, Elmo, Grover, Abby Cadabby and their Sesame Street friends welcome Chamki, Grover’s friend from India, to Sesame Street and together, they explore the universal fun of friendship and celebrate cultural similarities, from singing and dancing to sharing cookies, 10:30 a.m. & 6:30 p.m., March 18; 10:30 a.m., 2 p.m. & 5:30 p.m., March 19; 1 & 4 p.m., March 20. Cox Convention Center, 1 Myriad Gardens, 405-602-8500, coxconventioncenter.com. FRI -SUN
Where Mexico Meets the USA, cooking demonstration, Henry Boudreaux, executive chef at OKC Museum of Art Cafe, brings Mexican-American cuisine to life featuring fresh salsa, tequila queso, migas, Mexican shrimp cocktail and a baked tamale casserole, 6:30 p.m., March 21. The International Pantry, 1618 W. Lindsey St., Norman, 405360-0765, intlpantry.com. MON
YOUTH Be the Dinosaur, exhibit features video game stations that require each player to decide — do they want to be an herbivore or a carnivore? The decision leads them on a virtual adventure for survival — deciding to eat the wrong plant or turning the wrong corner could spell the end of the game, which is set in an immersive recreation of the Cretaceous period. Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, 2401 Chautauqua Ave., Norman, 405-325-4712, snomnh.ou.edu. SAT
Spring Break at the Oklahoma History Center, explore galleries, participate in hands-on activities, go on a scavenger hunt, make hats and learn wacky facts about Oklahoma along with many other fun activities, March 16-19. Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, 405-521-2491, okhistory.org/ historycenter. WED -SAT Book Event, Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver talk about their children’s book, Here’s Hank: You Can’t Drink a Meatball Through a Straw, 3-5 p.m., March 17. Boys and Girls Club of Oklahoma County, 3535 N. Western Ave., 405-521-9292, bgcokc.org. THU
Paper Garden, using three different paper folding techniques, create beautiful paper foliage to fill up our paper gardens; ages 6-8, 10 a.m.-noon, March 19. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3103, okcmoa. com. SAT Story Time With Julie, kidfriendly storytime with the latest children’s books, 10:15 -11 a.m., March 19. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. SAT
Oleanna, play written by the Pulitzer Prize-winning David Mamet; an edge-of-your-seat drama covering the themes of power, manipulation, spin and human perception, 8 p.m., Mar. 18. The Paramount Room, 701 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-6379389, theparamountokc.com.
NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, NCAA first- and secondround games, March 18 & 20. Chesapeake Energy Arena, 100 W. Reno Ave., 405-602-8700, chesapeakearena.com. FRI /SUN
FRI
Kristin Chenoweth in Concert, Oklahoma’s own Emmy and Tony award-winning singer and actress charismatically takes center stage, delighting us with her uniquely virtuosic style, 8 p.m., March 18 & 19. Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 405-297-2264, okcciviccenter. com. FRI -SAT
Kevin Bozeman, smooth and clever are the words that can best describe the comic stylings of Kevin Bozeman, who has appeared on Comedy Central, CBS Star Search and was also asked to perform at the prestigious Chicago and Boston comedy festivals, 8 p.m., March 16-17; 8 & 10:30 p.m., March 18-19. Loony Bin Comedy Club, 8503 N. Rockwell Ave., 405239-4242, loonybincomedy. com. WED -SAT On Golden Pond, a love story about Ethel and Norman Thayer as they return to their summer home for their 44th year on Golden Pond; a beautiful
Native American Bolo Ties: Vintage and Contemporary Artistry, exhibition exploring the bolo ties unique Western
Skip Hill: Works on Paper, an exhibition demonstrating contemporary drawing and mixed media practices spotlighting the work and creative process of local artist. Firehouse Art Center, 444 S. Flood Ave., Norman, 405-3294523, normanfirehouse.com. Through the Eyes of the Lynx: Galileo and Microscopy, the second of two Galileo’s World exhibitions; the Academy of the Lynx, or Accademia dei Lincei, were responsible for the first published report of observations made with a
OKC Thunder vs Houston Rockets, NBA basketball game, 7 p.m., March 22. Chesapeake Energy Arena, 100 W. Reno Ave., 405-602-8700, chesapeakearena.com. TUE
Nghiem’s Fairy Tales: Episode 3-Terrible Vacations, a storytelling show with funny people telling true stories; in episode three hear stories about terrible vacations featuring some of Oklahoma City’s funniest people, 8 p.m., March 19. New World Comics, 6219 N. Meridian Ave., 405-7217634, newworldcomics.net. SAT
OKC Blue VS Bakersfield Jam, OKC Thunder’s NBA D-League affiliate VS Bakersfield Jam, 7 p.m., March 22. Cox Convention Center, 1 Myriad Gardens, 405-602-8500, coxconventioncenter.com. TUE
VISUAL ARTS
Cinderella, Tony Awardwinning Broadway musical that’s delighting audiences with its contemporary take on the classic tale; be transported back to your childhood as you rediscover some of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s most beloved songs, 7:30 p.m., March 22 & 23. Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 405-297-2264, okcciviccenter.com. TUE-WED
Affinity Works: Home Lands, paintings by Michael Nicholson who uses a technique combining on-site plein air painting with traditional studio painting. Oklahoma State Capitol, 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd.
PERFORMING ARTS OKC Improv, OKC Improv offers up some tasty talents featuring OKC Improv Grab Bag and musical improv, 8-9 p.m., March 16. Noir Bistro & Bar, 701 W. Sheridan Ave. WED
March Featured Artists, Arden Barrett and Sally Burpee display their works of art, including acrylic landscapes, portraits, oil paintings and other mediums. The Studio Gallery, 2642 W. Britton Road, 405-752-2642, thestudiogallery.org.
Photography Exhibit, Ron Brandon’s work. 50 Penn Place Gallery, 1900 Northwest Expressway, Suite 113-R, 405848-5567, 50pennplacegallery. com.
Yoga in the Gardens, all-levels Vinyasa-style class, 5:45-6:45 p.m., March 22. Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-297-3995, myriadgardens.com. TUE
BIG STO CK.COM
Anthem Brewing Ride Bikes and beer! Formerly the Rocktown Ride, the Anthem Brewing Ride begins a new cycling tradition. After the ride, which moves at the pace of the slowest rider, everyone receives a free pint of beer. The first weekly Anthem ride departs 6 p.m. March 17 (and each subsequent Thursday) at Anthem Brewing Company, 908 SW Fourth St. The ride is free. Visit anthembrewing.com/events or call 405-604-0446. Thursday, ongoing
St. Patty’s Rooftop Yoga, St. Patrick’s yoga class with lots of prizes, drinks and refreshments to benefit The Oklahoma Health and Recovery Network, 7:30 p.m., March 17. Allied Arts, 1015 N. Broadway Ave. #200, 405-278-8944, alliedartsokc. com. THU
than 200 mostly '80s and '90s video clips to conjure nostalgia among the generations raised in front of the TV, as images from Saved by the Bell, Full House, Seinfeld and more comingle on the screen. Oklahoma Contemporary Showroom, 1146 N. Broadway Drive, 405-9510000, oklahomacontemporary. org/showroom.
P r ovided
BI GSTO CK.COM
arts & Culture calendar
St. Patrick’s Day at the Gardens Looking for some family-friendly St. Patrick’s Day fun? Head over to Myriad Botanical Gardens for potato stamping and planting at Spring Break Pop-Ins, live music by Oklahoma Scottish Pipes and Drums, a performance by Oklahoma Academy of Irish Dance, a step lesson with instructor Chelsea Baron and crafts on Sheridan Lawn. Celtic folk band Ravens Three also performs. There is a $2 suggested donation for Spring Break Pop-Ins, and dance lessons are $10 for gardens members and $15 for nonmembers. Participate in the festivities 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday at 301 W. Reno Ave. Visit myriadgardens.org or call 405-445-7080. Saturday
Beloved, a student-curated exhibit that attempts to shine a spotlight on the horror of human trafficking and give a voice to its victims. The Lightwell Gallery, 520 Parrington Oval, Rm. 202, Norman, 405-325-2691, art. ou.edu. Ceramic Sculpture, Jean Keil, resident artist at In Your Eye Gallery, unveils her latest collection of ceramic pottery; an exploration of surface using texture highlighted with color on forms made with handbuilding techniques. In Your Eye Gallery, 3005 Paseo St. #A, 405-525-2161, inyoureyegallery. com. FANCLUB, Oklahoma Citybased art collective consisting of emerging and expanding artists who have joined creative forces and divergent interests to shape art events that are fantastic and engrossing; show consists primarily of printmaking, including screenprinting, serigraphy, monotype and woodcut. The Barn, 1601 N. Blackwelder Ave. Forgotten, Isaac Harper aims to preserve what people once called their homes and show the legacy that is left behind by these families. Artspace at Untitled, 1 NE Third St., 405815-9995, artspaceatuntitled. org. In One Ear, a kaleidoscope of overlapping video clips in constant flux, ruled by a soundtrack broadcast on radio frequency 99.9 FM; David Steele Overholt chose more
Labyrinth David Bowie died a little over two months ago, but his legacy lives on. A lot of people know him simply as Jareth the Goblin King. Sleeper hit Labyrinth was a dud at the box office in 1986 but rose to cult fame and has delighted audiences ever since. The fantasy adventure (directed by Jim Henson and produced by George Lucas) screens 5:30 and 8 p.m. Thursday at Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive. Tickets are $7-$9. Visit okcmoa.com or call 405-236-3100. Thursday
sartorial adornment’s history and revival. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-4782250, nationalcowboymuseum. org. Natural Impressions-Evolved, Oklahoma City artist Stacey Dianne Miller creates mixed media artwork with a primary focus in printmaking. The Depot, 200 S. Jones Ave., Norman, 405-307-9320, pasnorman.org. New Blooms, debuting works by Brook Rowlands; display of aggressive expressive strokes, in often lush juxtaposition of vivid color, which creates the initial perspective plane of her compositions and transforms into floral forms. Kasum Contemporary Fine Arts, 1706 NW 16th St., 405-604-6602, kasumcontemporary.com. Our City, Our Collection: Building the Museum’s Lasting Legacy, exhibit telling the story of the museum’s history as a series of transformative gifts, bequests and acquisitions; including artists such as Georgia O’Keefe, Rembrandt van Rijn, Gustave Courbet and many more. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa. com. PASS, showcase of artwork by Mandy Messina. Artspace at Untitled, 1 NE Third St., 405815-9995, artspaceatuntitled. org.
microscope (Apiarium, 1625), as well as with the telescope. At the same time Galileo was making his telescopic discoveries, he was also experimenting with lenses to magnify the small. Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, 2401 Chautauqua Ave., Norman, 405-325-4712, snomnh.ou.edu. Todd Beats Art Show, the exploration of how he chooses to manifest a visual expression that captures the depths and contrast of every day life; a sporadic assembly of moments that demand decisions, reactions and opinions, which are then loosely held together with extremely fragile rules and structures, so that we may derive meaning and purpose for our existence. 1219 Creative, 1219 N. Classen Blvd., 1219creative.com. Western Skies, Gene Dougherty, 2015 Governor’s Arts Awards winner exhibits his most recent watercolors of Native Americans, horses and cattle that typify Oklahoma and the American West are painted in his unique, realistic style. Paseo Gallery One, 2927 Paseo St., 405-524-4544, facebook. com/paseogalleryone. Willard Stone Centennial: A Legacy of Art Through Family, multi-media exhibit showcases artwork by the late Willard Stone and his family. Oklahoma Country-Western Museum & Hall of Fame, 3929 SE 29th St., 405-6773174.
For music calendar see page 44
Oklahoma Gazette | march 16, 2016 | 39
E ri c Rya n An der s on / P r ovi ded
arts & culture music
Show starter Self-made musician Ben Rector opens up one of the city’s newest music venues March 26. Ben Rector
By Ben Luschen
Ben Rector with Gavin James 8 p.m. March 26 The Criterion 500 E. Sheridan Ave. criterionokc.com 405-308-1803 $22
When planning a tour, there are so many people relaying information that sometimes it can turn into a game of Telephone. Tulsa native Ben Rector spoke with Oklahoma Gazette before his March 26 venue-opening performance for The Criterion, 500 E. Sheridan Ave. He first thought he would perform during its opening week, not on opening night. He realized the distinction a few weeks after he booked the tour. “I was so excited and flattered when I found out I’d be the first,” he said of his gig at the new music hall, which holds 3,500-4,000 guests. Rector cracked the Billboard Top 10 for the first time with his 2015 release Brand New. In an era when success in independent music is possibly as attainable as ever, he set a gold standard for aspiring artists looking to build careers without major label support. His following is grassroots and loyal.
40 | march 16, 2016 | Oklahoma Gazette
Scott Marsh, The Criterion general manager, said those factors contributed to the decision to open with Rector. Venue management discussed at length which act should launch the space. All agreed it should be an Oklahoma artist. “We didn’t want to go the typical route right off the bat, and frankly, Ben Rector just fell into our laps,” Marsh said. “We got a call from his agent about dates, and it worked out in a fateful sort of way.”
Size matters
Rector said he is excited about what a venue like The Criterion has to offer Oklahoma City. Many midsized cities he has toured have a club that will hold a few thousand people, with the next step up being an outdoor amphitheater or small arena that holds somewhere between 6,000 and 10,000. “That’s a huge jump, and there are a lot of bands people love that are somewhere in between those venues,” he said. “I think having The Criterion will make Oklahoma City a definite stop on a lot of fantastic tours going forward.” The first show he played in was a battle of the bands at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa. Marsh said the two venues are not heavy competitors. The Criterion is larger, for one.
Also, the number of Oklahoma City residents attending Tulsa shows is not as high as one might think. Rector has fond teenage memories of catching concerts at the historic Tulsa venue and said he hopes one day, The Criterion amasses the type of tradition that makes Cain’s so unique. “I really do think a great venue has a huge impact on the caliber of music that comes through a town,” he said. “Cain’s is such a huge part of that in Tulsa.” The Criterion’s goal is to avoid emulating other venues by becoming a catalyst for discussions about Oklahoma City’s music and musical identity. Marsh said OKC is filled with great talent but gets little credit as a music city. “We want that to change, and we hope that providing a top-of-the-line venue will be the spark to help create our eventual musical identity,” he said. Criterion crews are wrapping up finishing touches ahead of opening night. Marsh said the space will make updates and additions, including new art and sound suppression. The venue also booked acts such as Third Eye Blind, Rick Springfield, My Morning Jacket and Deftones for 2016. Rector said if he was plucked out of class as a University of Arkansas student and told he would one day sit
I really do think a great venue has a huge impact on the caliber of music that comes through a town. — Ben Rector
at the top of Billboard charts or be the opening act for a large-scale venue, he would not have believed it. Even so, he said he doesn’t feel like someone who has risen above anyone or anything. When he performs at The Criterion, he hopes the crowd sees a son of the state christening what will one day be a new landmark on Oklahoma’s music map. “We try to keep the show pretty interactive,” he said. “I don’t do very well coming off as cool and mysterious, so I try to make the show feel approachable. I don’t know what we’ll do for the opening, but I bet the band and I will put our heads together and come up with something.”
10601 S. Western • OKC 703-1119
Open 2pm-2am Daily
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p hotos by Ga r e t t fi s b e c k
music
The Banjo World of Steve Martin
String boss The Banjo World of Steve Martin strikes a serious note for the wild and crazy guy.
The Banjo World of Steve Martin Through Feb. 1, 2017 American Banjo Museum 9 E. Sheridan Ave. americanbanjomuseum.com 405-604-2793 $5-$8
By Ben Luschen
Earl Scruggs made the banjo talk. Steve Martin made the banjo cool. No one realizes this more than the American Banjo Museum, 9 E. Sheridan Ave. The Banjo World of Steve Martin exhibit opened there in February and remains on display through February 2017. The venue also inducted Martin into its hall of fame in September. “The reality is, to the general public these days, Steve Martin is one of the most recognizable figures associated with the banjo,” said Johnny Baier, museum executive director. Baier said the museum worked to bring in the exhibit before Martin was inducted. Doing anything with the Saturday Night Live (SNL) alumnus and star of movies like 1979’s The Jerk and 1987’s Planes, Trains & Automobiles takes a lot of advance planning. No progress could be made on an exhibit without the actor’s blessing. Thankfully for American Banjo Museum, Martin was flattered by the offer to tell his musical story. “Most people can’t fathom the Wild and Crazy Guy being serious about anything, but banjo is a real passion for him,” Baier said. Martin offered the site a handful of instruments from his private collection, some very personal. Visitors will find Martin’s first banjo — the one he learned to play on — behind glass. Next to it sits the one he played on SNL and Wild and Crazy Guy. No banjo in history has been seen by more people, aside from maybe Scruggs’. Also included in the museum’s collection are the banjos Martin used to perform and record two of his bluegrass albums, The Crow and Rare Bird Alert. Martin keeps each one
42 | march 16, 2016 | Oklahoma Gazette
tuned for specific songs he plays on them. He was willing to lend these instruments to the exhibit because he has no immediate plans to perform any of that material, though Baier added the artist has the right to call back any of them if needed. In addition to banjos, guests also can watch clips from Martin’s live performances in the downstairs theater. Upstairs, people can catch a candid, sit-down video interview between Baier and the entertainer. Baier said Martin is a man fully aware of his status as a banjo ambassador. Other entertainers and comedians have been connected with the banjo or other musical instruments in the past, but usually as a prop. Martin has rarely, if ever, used his banjo as a gag. He’s serious about music. “One of the reasons this exhibit exists is that he realizes adding his celebrity name and status to anything that will promote the banjo will help the banjo,” Baier said. “He doesn’t need help in his career. He’s firmly established.” Martin has tweeted about the exhibit but has not yet visited it. Baier said Martin told him he wants to see it, if possible. He’s tied up working on the Broadway bluegrass musical he wrote, Bright Star, opening March 24. American Banjo Museum has seen an uptick in attendance since the exhibit opened last month. Intentionally or not, Martin has become the most recognizable name in the banjo world. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s the most important temporary exhibit that we’ve ever had,” Baier said.
Ga z et t e Sta ff / F i le PROVID ED
Blue ballads
A local Joni Mitchell tribute is more than a concert filled with covers. By Ben Luschen
Tribute to Joni Mitchell with Miss Brown To You and others 8 p.m. Saturday The Blue Door 2805 N. McKinley Ave. bluedoorokc.com 405-524-0738 $15
Mary Reynolds fought back tears as she spoke about the power of Joni Mitchell’s work. The lead of local jazz-folk band Miss Brown To You organized a five-woman tribute to the artist 8 p.m. Saturday at The Blue Door, 2805 N. McKinley Ave. Shelly Phelps, Peggy Johnson and Sunshine Hahn join Reynolds and bandmate Louise Goldberg. After playing selections spanning Mitchell’s career, the group will perform 1971’s Blue in its entirety. Each artist offers a personal take on songs such as “All I Want,” “The Last Time I Saw Richard” and “River.” This year’s Mitchell tribute is the sequel to a similar event held last year at The Paramount OKC. Its attendance surprised Reynolds. She said twice as many people came to hear Mitchell covers than usually attend her shows at the same venue. The tribute seemed special to those who went, Reynolds said. She decided to make the tribute a regular thing. While works by some of Mitchell’s 1970s contemporaries — The Eagles; Boz Skaggs; Crosby, Stills and Nash — are still performed in bars across the country, Mitchell’s music is often overlooked. “[She] does have the ability to hit
top Mary Reynolds performs at the State Capitol in 2013. a very universal tone, a very universal note, with things like ‘The Circle Game’ and ‘Both Sides Now,’” she said. Reynolds said they will not perform verbatim versions of Mitchell’s works. For example, they might play Blue songs out of order. Each artist interprets music in her own way. Reynolds said she will sing “My Old Man,” a song that works for her because its theme is universal. The idea is that personal interpretations help audiences become closer with performers while learning to understand source material in new ways. Tributes like this one can be refreshing musical experiences. “I think all of these people have very unique viewpoints and voices and really have something to contribute to that Blue experience,” she said. Reynolds has performed music since 1977. In her early days, she played a lot of coffee shops and pizza places, and she turned to Mitchell’s music because of its rhythmic nature. She loved playing Mitchell then, but she admitted moving away from it at some point. In part, these tributes create opportunities for Reynolds to return to the work that impacted her. “Joni Mitchell, to me, is like Shakespeare,” she said. “Sometimes, even in spite of yourself, you quote Shakespeare all the time. Sometimes I say things that are Joni Mitchell lyrics and other people understand me because they’re in the Joni Mitchell game and they love it.”
Oklahoma Gazette | march 16, 2016 | 43
are events recommended by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members. For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.
G AZ E TT E STAFF / FIL E
music calendar Gregory Jerome
WEDNESDAY 3.16 Grant Wells, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO Harumph/Empty Bottles/ Hardship Letters, The Deli, Norman. VARIOUS
THURSDAY 3.17 2AM/Drive, Baker Street Pub & Grill. ROCK Dave Thomason Band, Grady’s 66 Pub, Yukon. COVER Midas 13, Room 222. ROCK These City Walls — Tribute to U2, VZD’s Restaurant& Club.
Hip Hop 4 Flint Oklahoma City is one of more than 40 cities nationwide hosting a hip-hop show benefiting those affected by the Flint, Michigan, water crisis. The night’s many performers include Fresh, Gregory Jerome (pictured), Beetyman and L-Smooth. The event is 8 p.m. Saturday at District House, 1755 NW 16th St. Admission is $5. Proceeds go toward the purchase of water filters to be sent to Flint. Visit twitter.com/hiphop4flintokc or call 405-633-1775. Saturday
COVER
Westerners/Foxburrows/ Brother Gruesome, Blue Note Lounge. ROCK
FRIDAY 3.18 “1” Stone Band, Sliders. COUNTRY
Amarillo Junction, Remington Park. COUNTRY Bermuda/Demolisher/ Invoker, 89th Street Collective. ROCK Chris Trapper, The Blue Door. SINGER/SONGWRITER
Christian Pearson/Gary Johnson, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO
Dylan Stewart Eulogists, Wormy Dog Saloon. COUNTRY Groove Merchants, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond. COVER Killer Strut/Voodoo Dolls/Velox/ NoiseBleedsSound, Music Room OKC. ROCK Nightwish/Sonata Arctica/ Delain, Diamond Ballroom. ROCK
Randy Cassimus, JJ’s Alley. ACOUSTIC
Ryan Reid Band, Grady’s 66 Pub, Yukon. ROCK Saige Cross, Belle Isle Restaurant & Brewery. SINGER/SONGWRITER
The Lunar Laugh, Othello’s Italian Restaurant, Norman. POP
What She Said, Oklahoma City Limits. ROCK
SATURDAY 3.19 ’68/Idlehands/Windmark, 89th Street Collective. ROCK
Howard Brady, Full Circle Bookstore. ROCK
The Central Jazz Reading Band, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond.
Mike Hosty, Noir Bistro & Bar.
The Jukebox Romanticks/ The Glory Holes, Blue Note Lounge. ROCK
ACOUSTIC
Old Bulldog Band, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond. ROCK Scott Keeton, Remington Park. ROCK Silverstein/Being As An Ocean/Emarosa, Diamond Ballroom. ROCK Stealing Saturn, Oklahoma City Limits. VARIOUS Tommy Gunz, Othello’s Italian Restaurant, Norman. HIP-HOP Tyto Alba/The Happily Entitled/The So Help Me’s/ Happy Abandon, The Blue Note Lounge. SINGER/
SONGWRITER
The Cult, Brady Theater, Tulsa. ROCK
SUNDAY 3.20 Barbra Streisand & Janis Joplin Tribute Show, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond. COVER Black Pussy/Flannel Mouth/Cobrajab/ DopeQuest, Blue Note Lounge. ROCK
Caleb McGee, The Deli, Norman. VARIOUS Caroline Cotter, Red Brick Bar, Norman. SINGER/
SONGWRITER
Impressions in Brass, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond. CLASSICAL Lost In Society, The Drunken Fry. ROCK Oshwa/So Much Light/Sun Riah/Blake Lusk, Opolis, Norman. ROCK The Skulx/Your Mom, Blue Note Lounge. ROCK Underoath/Caspian, Diamond Ballroom. ROCK Eli Paperboy Reed, The Vanguard, Tulsa. SINGER/
SONGWRITER
WEDNESDAY 3.23
Edgar Cruz, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. ACOUSTIC
Harumph/DeerPeople/The Kickback, The Deli, Norman.
Harumph, Othello’s Italian Restaurant, Norman. JAZZ OxenFree/Say Brother/Magic Munchbox, First Pastafarian Church of Norman.
VARIOUS
The Central Jazz Jam, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond. JAZZ
ROCK
The Soorleys, The Depot, Norman. FOLK
COUNTRY
Daniel Jordan, Fuze Buffet & Bar. ACOUSTIC
Tyler Lee/OKC Limits Sunday Jam, Oklahoma City Limits. SINGER/SONGWRITER
MONDAY 3.21 Have Mercy/Owel/A Will Away, 89th Street Collective. ROCK
44 | march 16, 2016 | Oklahoma Gazette
All Dogs, 89th Street Collective. ROCK
Grant Wells, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO
Travis Linville/Mike Hosty One-Man Band, The Deli, Norman. ROCK
David Cook, Wormy Dog Saloon. COUNTRY
TUESDAY 3.22
Blessthefall/Miss May I, OKC Farmers Public Market. ROCK
“1” Stone Band, Sliders.
Dannie and The Storm/Sadie Evans/Brian Dunning, Rodeo Opry. COUNTRY
JAZZ
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.
sudoku/crossword By David J. Kahn / Edited by Will Shortz
ACROSS
1 Spokesperson in TV insurance ads 4 Candidate’s concern 9 Snap 13 “Not ____!” 18 Manhattan developer? 19 Big name in travel guides 20 Track runner 21 “Et tu” follower 22 Sharing word 23 See blurb 26 It may detect a break, for short 27 Hit 2011 animated film 28 Stay here 29 Source of iron 30 An eternity 31 See blurb 35 Crashes badly 37 Czech refromer Jan 38 Press (for) 39 Cut off 40 Request after a breakdown 43 Some cleaners 45 See blurb 50 Billionaire sorts 52 ____ Peninsula 53 Borah Peak locale 54 Part of a foot 55 Music appreciation 57 Lead-in to care or dare 58 Nike ____ Max 61 Dedicated works 62 See blurb 67 How to play solitaire 68 Some conversation interruptions 69 See blurb 79 Italian fine? 80 Big head 81 Figure in The Garden of Earthly Delights 82 Hal, to Henry IV 83 Titania or Oberon, in space 84 Former NBC drama 86 National alternative 88 Getting ready, with “up” 90 See blurb 95 Jazz (up) 96 Place for plaques 97 Dos 98 Bro or sis 100 Mound great
101 Ham 103 See blurb 109 Squeakers 111 Best Foreign Language Film of 2014 112 Fiver 113 Always, to Shakespeare 114 One carrying a toon? 115 See blurb 120 Har-____ (tennis court surface) 121 Part of a legend 122 Hunted for morays 123 Sides of sectors 124 Atypical 125 Lascivious sort 126 Some speedsters, for short 127 Photographer Adams 128 Seedy type?
DOWN
1 Rude thing to drop 2 First lady before Michelle 3 Senate’s president pro tempore after Patrick Leahy 4 Movie co. behind Boyhood and Transamerica 5 He played Bond seven times 6 Allows in 7 Not follow orders or guidelines 8 Time remembered 9 Phony persona 10 Stumblebum 11 One of two New Testament books 12 Like some old schoolhouses 13 Scandal airer 14 Food for Oliver Twist 15 Major Italian highway 16 See 69-Down 17 Modernists, informally 20 Kind of column 24 Giorgio’s god 25 Like comebacks? 32 Brunch pie 33 Food-safety org. 34 Commander’s place 36 Years at the Colosseum 39 Christopher ____, tippler in The Taming of the Shrew 41 Earthy color 42 “____ asking?”
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29
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publisher Bill Bleakley
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Associate Publisher James Bengfort
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Accounting/HR Manager Marian Harrison
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Accounts receivable Sue Auld
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Advertising Director Christy Duane, cduane@okgazette.com
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70 Real-time messaging system 71 ____ piccata 72 Move, informally 73 Three-time All-Star Longoria for the Tampa Bay Rays 74 It’s good for the long haul 75 Lottery winner’s cry 76 Mel Blanc, notably 77 Daughter of Nereus 78 Director Lee 79 Sucked dry 85 City on the Brazos River 86 Loretta Lynch and Eric Holder: Abbr. 87 Greek summit 89 Pit-____ 91 Penalty for poor service, maybe 92 Colors 1960s-style 93 Many ski lodges 94 Like Lhasa apsos
Account Executive / Advertising assistant Leah Roberts
99 Lhasa apso and others 102 Like polenta 103 Some electrical plugs 104 First string? 105 Inc. cover subj. 106 “Journey to ____,” recurring segment on Sesame Street 107 Unhip 108 Lose, in a way 109 Tousle 110 ____ Empire 116 Pay-view connection 117 Keyboard abbr. 118 Packers’ org.? 119 Up to, briefly Note: The answers to 23-, 31-, 45-, 62-, 69-, 90-, 103- and 115-Across are themselves clues to the names spelled by their circled letters.
Stumped? Call 1-900-285-5656 to get the answers to any three clues by phone ($1.20 a minute).
Sudoku Puzzle Hard
1 5 8
5
9
9
D A B S
4
3 7 2 8 8 2 4 7 4 8 7 2 7 9 3 1
A P A R T
M O A N
E Q U I P
C U Z C O
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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY by ROB BREZNY
Homework: Identify your fondest childhood memory, and recreate in the present time the feeling you had back then. Testify at Freewillastrology.com. ARIES (March 21-April 19) Artist Steven Spasuk works exclusively with an unusual medium: soot from candles and torches. He spreads the stuff across a blank canvas, then uses various instruments to sculpt the accidental blobs into definitive forms. I’ve seen the results, and they’re both well-done and intriguing. What would be the metaphorical equivalent, in your world, of using soot to make beautiful and interesting things? I think you’re primed to turn waste into building blocks, rot into splendor, and lead into gold. (See Spazuk’s work at spazuk.com.) TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Carl Sagan said that science thrives on “two seemingly contradictory attitudes: an openness to new ideas, no matter how bizarre or counterintuitive, and the most ruthless skeptical scrutiny of all ideas, old and new.” Whether or not you are a scientist, Taurus, I recommend that you practice this approach in the coming weeks. It’s the tool that’s most likely to keep you centered and free of both rigidity and illusion. As Sagan concluded, this is “how deep truths are winnowed from deep nonsense.” GEMINI (May 21-June 20) “Excess on occasion is exhilarating,” said British author W. Somerset Maugham. “It prevents moderation from acquiring the deadening effect of a habit.” Now would be an excellent time to take that advice to heart, Gemini. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, you not only have a license to engage in rowdy fun and extravagant pleasures; it’s your sacred duty. So get out there and treat yourself to an orgy of naughty adventures — or at least a celebration of meaningful thrills. You can return to the rigors of discipline and order once you have harvested the healthy benefits that will come from escaping them. CANCER (June 21-July 22) At one point in Friedrich Nietzsche’s book Thus Spoke Zarathustra, the hero is having a conversation with himself. “You have wanted to pet every monster,” he says. “A whiff
of warm breath, a little soft tuft on the paw — and at once you were ready to love and to lure it.” If I were you, Cancerian, I would regard that type of behavior as forbidden in the coming weeks. In fact, I will ask you not to pet any monsters at all — not even the cute ones; not even the beasties and rascals and imps that have slight resemblances to monsters. It’s time for maximum discernment and caution. (P.S.: One of the monsters may ultimately become a nonmonstrous ally if you are wary toward it now.) LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) On a social media site, I posted the following quote from self-help teacher Byron Katie: “Our job is unconditional love. The job of everyone else in our life is to push our buttons.” One commenter took issue with this. “’Pushing buttons’ is a metaphor that’s long past its expiration date,” she wrote. “Can’t you come up with something fresher?” So I did. Here are a few potential substitutes for “push our buttons”: “tweak our manias” . . . “prank our obsessions” . . . “glitter-bomb our biases” . . . “squeeze our phobias” . . . “badger our compulsions” . . . “seduce our repressions” . . . “prick our dogmas.” Whichever expression you prefer, Leo, find a graceful way to embrace your fate: Your current job is unconditional love. The job of everyone else in your life is to tweak your manias and prick your dogmas. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) In the coming weeks, you will have maximum power to revise and reinvigorate your approach to cultivating intimate relationships. To aid your quest, I offer this paraphrased advice from Andrew Boyd: Almost every one of us seeks a special partner who is just right. But there is no right person, just different flavors of wrong. Why? Because you yourself are “wrong” in some ways — you have demons and flaws and problems. In fact, these “wrongs” are essential components of who you are. When you ripen into this understanding, you’re ready to find and be with your special counterpart. He or she has the precise set of problems you need — is the person who is wrong for you in just the right ways. (See Boyd’s original quote: tinyurl.com/boydquote.)
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) In her book The Winter Vault, Anne Michaels says, “We become ourselves when things are given to us or when things are taken away.” If she’s right, does it mean we should be grateful for those times when things are taken away? Should we regard moments of loss as therapeutic prods that compel us to understand ourselves better and to create ourselves with a fiercer determination? Meditate on these possibilities, Libra. In the meantime, I’m pleased to announce that the things-getting-taken-away period of your cycle is winding down. Soon you’ll begin a new phase, when you can become a deeper, stronger version of yourself because of the things that are given to you. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) “I’ll make love when the lust subsides,” sings Denitia, one-half of the electro-pop band Denitia and Sene. That would be a good motto for you to play around with in the coming days, Scorpio — in both literal and metaphorical ways. I’ll enjoy seeing how your emotional intelligence ripens as the white-hot passion of recent weeks evolves into a more manageable warmth. As fun as the intensity has been, it has blinded you to some of the possibilities for collaborative growth that have been emerging. You may now be ready to explore and appreciate sweeter, subtler pleasures. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) “The poems I have loved the most are those I have understood the least,” said T. S. Eliot. I’m going to steal and expand upon his idea for the purpose of giving you an accurate horoscope. In the coming days, Sagittarius, I suspect that the experiences you love most will be those that you understand the least. Indeed, the experiences you NEED the most will be those that surprise and mystify and intrigue you. Luckily, life will be ingenious in bypassing your analytical intelligence so as to provide you with rich emotional stimuli for your soul. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Capricorn painter Henri Matisse made the following testimony about his creative process: “At each stage I reach a balance,
a conclusion. At the next sitting, if I find that there is a weakness in the whole, I make my way back into the picture by means of the weakness — I re-enter through the breach — and I reconceive the whole. Thus everything becomes fluid again.” I recommend this approach to you in the coming days, Capricorn. You’ve been making decent progress on your key project. To keep up the good work, you should now find where the cracks are, and let them teach you how to proceed from here. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) “We all lead three lives,” said Austrian novelist Thomas Bernhard, “an actual one, an imaginary one, and the one we are not aware of.” I suspect you’ll get big glimpses of your third life in the coming weeks, Aquarius: the one you’re normally not aware of. It might freak you out a bit, maybe unleash a few blasts of laughter and surges of tears. But if you approach these revelations with reverent curiosity, I bet they will be cleansing and catalytic. They are also likely to make you less entranced by your imaginary life and better grounded in your actual life. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) “The greatest illusion is not religion,” says aphorist Michael Lipsey. “It’s waking up in the morning imagining how much you’re going to get done today.” But even if that’s often true, Pisces, I suspect that you have the power to refute it in the coming weeks. Your ability to accomplish small wonders will be at a peak. Your knack for mastering details and acting with practical acumen may be unprecedented. For the immediate future, then, I predict that you’ll largely be able to get done what you imagine you can get done. 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.
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