Bites

free every wednesday | Metro OKC’s Independent Weekly | FEBRUary 7, 2018

Oklahoma Gazette delivers the small plates, appetizers and sides that will tide you over.

BY JACOB THREADGILL

ARTS MONTH : A monthlong series focusing on the arts in OKC!

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RICK SPRINGFIELD WITH RICHARD MARX

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inside COVER P.13-21 Small plates, light snacks and

bar specialties go to the top of the menu for Bites, Oklahoma Gazette’s extended look at short orders that are long in flavor in OKC.

NEWS 4

Education OKCPS school

6

Health flu epidemic

superintendents

9 Business Thunder Launchpad 10 Chicken-Fried News

EAT & DRINK 13 Review Off the Hook Seafood & More 14 Feature The Pritchard 16 Feature En Croûte 18 Feature dim sum

19 Feature drinks and snacks

20 Gazedibles Oklahoma snacks

ARTS & CULTURE 22 OKG Shop Valentine’s Day

24 Art Generations in Modern Pueblo

Painting: The Art of Tonita Peña and Joe Hilario Herrera at Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art

program

26 Film deadCenter’s education

Valentine’s Gift Guide 30 Theater Dublin Irish Dance’s Stepping Out at Armstrong

Auditorium 27

34 Calendar

MUSIC 37 Event Bully at Opolis

38 Event An Evening with KALO at

VZD’s Restaurant & Bar

Theatre

40 Event Vibro Kings at Tower 41 Live music

FUN 41 Astrology

42 Puzzles sudoku | crossword

OKG Classifieds 43

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NEWS

E D U C at i o n

The Oklahoma City Public Schools Board of Education named Aurora Lora superintendent in July 2016. Eighteen months later, Lora submitted her resignation. | Photo Gazette / file

Another gone

Oklahoma City schools have been down this road before. Revolving leadership continues. By Laura Eastes

After five years of leading Oklahoma City Public Schools, Marvin Crawford stepped down early in the spring of 2000, buying out his contract and heading south to Texas. As Crawford crossed the Red River, no one could have imagined his departure would set off a revolving door of superintendents that continues to plague the district today.

In the last 18 years, 11 individuals have led the state’s largest school district.

Aurora Lora, the district’s most recent superintendent, penned a letter to the eight-member Oklahoma City Public Schools Board of Education last week, informing them of her resignation. She served 18 months of a three-year superintendent contract. At the beginning of February, the district’s Rebecca Kaye assumed the role of acting superintendent.

Kaye joined the district 13 months earlier as a member of the superintendent’s cabinet in the position of chief of staff.

The constant change in leadership has prompted questions by community members and school observers. Why does Oklahoma City lack the ability to retain an effective superintendent?

How can the district reset the course?

“This district has to be transformed,” said Ed Allen, president of the Oklahoma City American Federation of Teachers.

“We are so dysfunctional. Until you transform, get rid of the dysfunction and get the organization where it can work in a proper manner, no superintendent can bring in a great idea. It wouldn’t work. The organization has to be fixed.”

Oklahoma City is not alone in struggling to keep superintendents for more than a few years. The Council of the Great City Schools, a Washington-based association that represents Oklahoma City and other large urban districts, notes that the average tenure of an urban superintendent is about 3.2 years. In contrast, Rebecca Kaye | Photo Gazette / file

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the School Superintendents Association found the average tenure for a superintendent is between five to six years.

A number of factors contribute to the short tenure of urban superintendents, explained Keith Ballard, a longtime Oklahoma educator who served as superintendent of Tulsa Public Schools from 2008-2015 after spending eight years as executive director of the Oklahoma State School Boards Association.

“The reason it is more difficult is because of the broad constituency that you have,” said Ballard, who currently teaches educational leadership and policy studies at University of Oklahoma Tulsa’s Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education.

The constituency ranges from students and parents to school board members and staff. At the same time, urban superintendents are in frequent contact with their city’s mayor and chamber of commerce as well as unions and the media. Board members, who are elected officials, represent a geographical area of the school district. In Oklahoma City, those wards, known as districts, are diverse in culture, economic status and other characteristics.

Superintendents must unify the board to work toward the betterment of all children in the district, Ballard said.

In urban areas, districts see higher numbers of students entering school unprepared or behind because of poverty.

“Part of the solution is [for an urban superintendent] to be grounded in a philosophy,” said Ballard, who also recommended urban superintendents seek individuals to serve as advisors from the diverse communities, including faith and ethnicities, as well as a teacher advisory board. “If you are not grounded, you will grab this program out of the air and that program out of the air. You will not succeed if you do that. Programs come and programs go, and there are good programs. You have to be experienced and very grounded in a philosophy.

For me, my philosophy first and foremost is to value the classroom teacher.”

Abrupt departures

Even before Lora’s departure, the community was eager for stability at the district’s top position. The board thought they had achieved that with the last two superintendents.

Robert Neu, a Seattle-area administrator with more than 20 years of experiences in education, landed the superintendent position in July 2014.

Twenty-two months into his contract, Neu and the board reached a separation agreement. Neither board members nor Neu publicly revealed why Neu’s employment was cut short.

I believe that it is now time for me to step aside and allow you to come together as a team to find a leader.

Aurora Lora In the summer of 2016, Lora, the district’s associate superintendent, who was initially given the job temporarily, replaced Neu. Lora had never served in the role of superintendent before.

Lora guided the district in crafting its 2016-17 school year budget, which was $30 million less than the year before because of state budget reductions and fewer federal dollars appropriated for technology services from e-rate. By fall, Lora presented a plan to invest in the district’s infrastructure and voters passed a $180 million bond measure. At that same time, building principals expressed frustration over Lora’s leadership, delivering a “lack of confidence” letter to the board near the end of 2016.

The following spring, school board elections brought new members Charles Henry and Rebecca Budd to the eightmember board. Paula Lewis, who represented District 4, was elected board chair. She appointed Mark Mann to fill her vacant seat. Meanwhile, Lora floated a proposal to close several

schools in response to anticipated state budget cuts. The community responded in an uproar. Lora backtracked the proposal with no schools closed.

Last month, a day after the board reviewed Lora’s performance in a closed-door executive session, Lora wrote about her frustrations with her “bosses” on her social media account.

Lora later removed the post and apologized. A week later, Lora resigned.

“Our board has gone through some transitions during my time here and I believe that it is now time for me to step aside and allow you to come together as a team to find a leader that will be right for you as a new board,” Lora wrote in her resignation later.

What now?

The district is back to where it has been before: an acting superintendent and a school board searching for a superintendent with staying power. In the past, the board has hired an interim superintendent to lead the district until it finds its next leader. John Thompson, a former Oklahoma City teacher and current education writer, said hiring an interim superintendent should once again be explored.

“Two of the best superintendents we’ve had were Linda Brown and Dave Lopez,” said Thompson.

Brown served as interim during the 2006-07 academic year. Lopez, now Secretary of State, served as interim for nine months before Neu was hired.

“The district was in crisis,” Thompson said. “They hired someone with experience and no agenda. They did an excellent job.”

Further, Thompson recommends the interim superintendent guide the community through a public discussion on establishing the district’s priorities. The board would hire a superintendent committed to those priorities and with the experience to tackle the community’s desires.

Allen, who leads the teacher’s union, said he has already suggested to some board members that the search for a new leader be revised.

“I think more people need to be at the table and talk about the entire process of hiring a new superintendent,” he said.

He named the union, the business community, parents and other stakeholders as deserving seats.

No single individual in the role of superintendent can redeem the district, Allen said. Instead, it will take strong leadership throughout the district.

For Oklahoma City to gain staying power from its next superintendent, Ballard recommends the school board seek a candidate with experience, strong communication skills and a history of forming relationships within the communities they’ve worked.

“It needs to be a person who has character and understands ethics,” Ballard said. “I think it needs to be someone who has tough skin, someone who can persevere through tough times and someone who is interested in people first and programs second.”

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Flu epidemic

With high numbers of hospitalizations and deaths in the United States at the midpoint of the season, local health officials advise flu season precautions. By Laura Eastes

The day before Oklahoma City-County Health Department held a free drivethrough flu shot day during which nearly 500 doses of injectable vaccine were distributed from a parking lot at Remington Park, Gary Cox, OCCHD executive director, explained flu infection rates were still rising with the season only about halfway through.

At the end of January, more than 2,500 Oklahomans were hospitalized for the flu and 92 died. By the time the f lu season ended in 2017, 115 Oklahomans had died. The season typically begins as early as October and November and can continue into May. So far this year, the flu has claimed eight lives in Oklahoma County with three reported during the fourth week of January.

Cox, along with other local, state and national health officials, has been encouraging everyone to get vaccinated. Despite the vaccine’s mediocre protection, it’s the best protection from the respiratory illness caused by a virus sweeping the area and other parts of the country, he said.

“It’s the best protection to keep people healthy this flu season,” Cox said standing beside two boxes containing 650 doses of flu vaccine delivered to the local health department by state officials. “It’s the best thing we can do. It’s the best thing we have available. That’s why we are here: to protect folks and improve health.”

Across town, at a pharmacy near the corner of SW 119th Street and S. Western Avenue, pharmacists and staff

greet flu sufferers young and old. Chris Phillips, pharmacist and owner of Chris’ Express Drug, explained this flu season seems sicker than past. He believes the increased foot traffic for flu medications into his pharmacy is because of the weakened vaccine.

However, he does recommend the flu shot to his patients.

In addition to the vaccine, Phillips and his staff fill prescriptions for flu antiviral medicine. In late January, when Phillips heard that nearby pharmacies were running out of the drug Tamiflu, which is a treatment for the flu, his pharmacy responded. As a compounding pharmacy, pharmacists took the capsule form of Tamiflu and made it into a liquid, creating medication children could take.

“I realized there was going to be a weekend where little ones who couldn’t swallow a pill wouldn’t get flu medicine,” said Phillips, who took to the pharmacy’s Facebook page to inform customers of their supplies. “When I saw the response on Saturday, I knew that Sunday, we would have to open for a small amount of time for those that were desperate for it.”

Thirty minutes before the pharmacy opened on Sunday afternoon, a line formed. Business has remained steady for flu medication going into February, Phillips said.

Flu season 101

Across the country, flu hospitalization rates are the highest ever seen at this point in the season, according to The

Oklahoma City-County Health Department received 650 doses of flu vaccine on Feb. 2. Local and state officials recommend people get a vaccine to help prevent getting and spreading the flu. | Photo Laura Eastes

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which began their tracking in 2005.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health is reporting similar findings when it comes to hospitalizations, according to Kendra Dougherty, the state’s influenza surveillance coordinator.

Dougherty called this year’s flu season intense and active.

“We are just now at a plateau or at the peak of our flu season,” Dougherty said.

“Historically, you usually have half of the hospitalizations on the back of a season.

We could still see flu into May. As of right now, we’ve seen over 2,500 hospitalizations. We still have a lot of flu season left.

It is definitely not too late to get a flu shot.”

Historically, you usually have half of the hospitalization on the back of a season. We could still see flu into May. Kendra Dougherty Why is this year’s flu season on track to becoming one of the worst in terms of hospitalizations and deaths? According to the CDC, the circulation of H3N2, an influenza strain that is known to be aggressive, bolstered the spread of the disease. In the past, seasons with H3N2 have been associated with more illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths.

H3N2 can hit the elderly, the very young and people with certain chronic health conditions especially hard, Dougherty said.

While flu symptoms vary from person to person, the most common

symptoms are fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches, fatigue, vomiting and diarrhea, according to the CDC. To avoid the flu, there is a vaccine, which is recommended for everyone 6 months of age and older. While no flu vaccine is ever perfect, the vaccination can reduce illness and prevent flu-related hospitalizations, the CDC reports.

“It’s high-risk individuals that really benefit from the flu shot as well as the people around them,” Dougherty said.

“It provides a layer of immunity around those high-risk individuals, which are those 5 years of age and younger, people over the age of 65, pregnant women and people with underlying medical issues, especially lung or heart.”

This year’s flu vaccine has been criticized as national news agencies have speculated the vaccine is ineffective.

CDC officials have not reported estimates of the vaccine’s effectiveness yet; however, the agency reports that flu vaccines have lower effectiveness against H3N2 viruses than other flu viruses.

Aside from the flu shot, Dougherty explained the single most important thing to do is prevent the spread of germs. Good hand washing and not touching your face are extremely important this time of year. Also, covering your mouth when you cough is crucial.

“You don’t realize it, but you are infectious up until a day before you show signs and symptoms of the flu,” Daugherty said. “Having good respiratory edict will protect the people around you when you don’t know you are sick.”

Still time

During the fourth week of January, there were 457 flu hospitalizations in Oklahoma County, up from 380 cases the week before. Three flu deaths were reported in Oklahoma County, according to OCCHD. “As far as deaths and hospitalizations, we thought we’d go down. That didn’t happen,” said Cox, who leads OCCHD. “Although it is late in the season, we don’t know when it is going to end.”

OCCHD offers flu vaccinations at three clinics: OCCHD Gary Cox Partner Building, 2700 NE 63rd St.; South Regional Health Campus, 2149 SW 58th St.; and OCCHD West Clinic, 4113 NW 10th St. Patients may walk in to request the vaccine during regular clinic hours 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays and 8 a.m.-noon Fridays.

Flu vaccines are also widely available from a number of local healthcare providers.

There is a downside to getting the vaccine, which takes two weeks to kick in, late in the season, explained Dougherty, who still recommends the vaccine.

“While you are waiting at a doctor’s office or a pharmacy, you are where sick people are waiting to be seen or pick up their medicine,” Dougherty said. “You can pick up the flu while you are in line.”

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NEWS services. Our hope [is] by the time they graduate and have demo day, they will have an actual product to present as opposed to just an idea on paper.”

StitchCrew will accept applications for the Thunder Launchpad Accelerator through Feb. 25, with the 12-week program set to begin March 13. A second batch, or cohort, will launch later in the year.

While Thunder Launchpad is home to its accelerator program, it will also host events and programs intended to enhance technology education, ideation and networking. The goal is to foster the evolving tech community, even if they don’t participate in the accelerator.

“We will have the flexibility to host conferences, seminars and best practice, even hackathons where a group will collectively attack a problem faced by the business community over a few hours,” Byrnes said.

BUSINESS

Right time

Accelerate

from left Erika Lucas, Brian Byrnes and Chris Lucas discuss Midtown’s Thunder Launchpad, which will house a business accelerator program operated

by StitchCrew. | Photo Laura Eastes

The Thunder are hosting a startup accelerator and more to grow tech innovation in Oklahoma City.

By Laura Eastes

For Oklahoma City, the Thunder is more than a basketball franchise with its role in boosting the local economy, enhancing the city’s national image and uniting its citizens in civic pride.

A decade ago, when the team arrived, Thunder leaders, as well as civic leaders, saw it as a chance to prove that success could be found in a small market, whether the team wins on the court and large crowds fill the arena or otherwise.

The Thunder and the City of Oklahoma City rose to the occasion.

The team made the playoffs in their second season, the Western Conference finals in their third and the NBA Finals in 2012. Simultaneously, nearly $1 billion in taxpayer dollars was invested in and around downtown, spurring further private investment and creating an eye-catching area with urban districts primed for entertainment, dining and living space.

Now, Oklahoma City’s entrepreneurs and startup tech community is working to prove that its emerging tech hub is only small market in name alone.

“A small market does not have to be a roadblock,” explained Chris Lucas, co-founder of StitchCrew, an Oklahoma City-based company that matches technology startups in the Midwest with venture capital firms seeking to expand outside traditional tech hubs.

Such a notion resonated with the Thunder, explained Thunder senior vice president of sales and marketing Brian Byrnes. Over the last year, the Thunder, with the help of StitchCrew, worked

toward the opening of the Thunder Launchpad, 309 NW 13th St., a space intended to bolster innovative and entrepreneurial capacities.

With its own startup accelerator program, Thunder and StitchCrew leaders believe Thunder Launchpad will “cultivate, promote and encourage entrepreneurs and the startup community in Oklahoma City and help them advance to the next level.”

We were naturally curious about technology innovation.

Brian Byrnes “We think the Thunder can have a huge influence, and our track record gives us the confidence,” Byrnes said inside Thunder Launchpad, located in the Monterey building. “It is a natural extension of our community investment.”

Thunder version

In recent years, startup accelerators have played an increasing role in the emerging tech ecosystem throughout the United States, partly because they benefit the startup as well as the investors. Unlike business incubators, accelerators are designed as highly intense and selective programs that offer a range of services and funding opportunities to participants. They are grounded in mentorship and peer-to-peer as-

sistance with startups, or founders, working toward graduating after three or four months.

Investors, technology companies and other businesses aren’t the only ones taking note of accelerators. In 2015, MLB’s Los Angeles Dodgers made national headlines when it launched its own startup accelerator. The baseball franchise, along with New York-based advertising agency R/GA, was the first professional sports team to dab into a startup accelerator program. Since, more teams, like NFL’s Minnesota Vikings and NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, have premiered similar programs.

While the Thunder follows suit, Byrnes explained the Thunder Launchpad is Oklahoma-grown and differs from others owned by professional sports teams. For instance, the Dodgers seek startups based in sectors of sports, technology and entertainment, which translates to new developing technologies in smart stadiums, fan engagement, e-sports, ticketing and more that could ultimately be utilized by the team’s ownership.

The Thunder Launchpad is not industry-focused. Rather, it’s “technologyfocused and industry diagnostic,” said Erika Lucas, StitchCrew’s CEO and founder. StitchCrew will operate the accelerator where founders work on developing ideas pertaining to sectors of energy, financial services, health care, government, education and agriculture.

“It’s an opportunity for founders to go through a fast-paced training program to get their companies from whatever stage they are to being ready to provide a pitch deck to investors,” Erika Lucas said. “It is very mentorshipdriven with peer-to-peer learning. We will also build a team around them with

Thunder Launchpad debuts during the team’s 10th season, a fact not lost on Byrnes and other Thunder leaders.

Oklahoma City’s embrace of a developing Innovation District and its efforts to attract new investment, retain local talent and create jobs initially attracted the Thunder to technology investment.

“We were very interested ourselves,” Byrnes said. “While we are an organization with playing basketball as the product and are a sports entertainment entity, we are also a global brand and are involved and exposed to so many opportunities in technology, whether it is artificial intelligence, VR or player performance analytics. We were naturally curious about technology innovation and marrying that up with what was happening in Oklahoma City and the state of Oklahoma.”

When the Thunder sat down with StitchCrew, they were pitched a plan to explore programs proven to foster the growth of tech in cities similar to OKC. “Oklahoma City, we strongly believe, has all the assets and resources to make it happen here,” Erika Lucas said. “One of the reasons we decided to partner with the Thunder is because the biggest challenge is creating a culture of collaboration. We are going to have to work together and bring the resources together.

We couldn’t think of a better partner that embodies collaboration and embodies corporate citizens than the Thunder.”

Thunder Launchpad has already received applications from founders.

Local investors have also reached out to learn more. Both Thunder and StitchCrew leaders presented Thunder Launchpad as an ongoing initiative with its accelerator program expanding beyond two batches.

“It’s another piece to the economic puzzle in Oklahoma City that is growing, that is vibrant and that is forward-oriented,” Byrnes said. “We think that is an exciting place to be. This is the start of something that has great potential.”

Visit thunderlaunchpad.com.

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chicken

friedNEWS

JT BM

In the run-up to Super Bowl LII, the Chicken-Fried News team internally wrestled with the big issues, like “Are Philadelphia Eagles fans or New England Patriots fans more impervious to frostbite, and can we commission an independent clinical study?” or “How can I eat these chicken wings without my gochujang sauce?”

But none were more important than this: Who will join Justin Timberlake during the halftime show?”

For the CFN staffers who don’t know pigskin from pork rinds, this was of utmost urgency.

There was the issue of whether the other four former NSYNC members would join Timberlake for a run through “Tearin’ Up My Heart” or if JT might invite Janet Jackson onstage 14 years after the notorious wardrobe malfunction at Super Bowl XXXVIII and actually put clothes on her this time.

But then things went completely bonkers in the newsroom when CFN’s Twitter feeds blew up with a photo of 2017 Heisman Trophy winner and University of Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield posing with Timberlake in what appeared to be a semiheated party tent in Minneapolis.

What made it interesting was the fact that sports broadcaster and former Keith Olbermann sidekick Dan Patrick told Mayfield he’d try to get the quarterback a gig backup dancing for Timberlake if the OU star threw more than 40 touchdown passes, according to NewsOK.com.

Of course, Mayfield threw 43 of those thingys. So CFN doesn’t know what kind of juice Patrick has with the Man of the Woods, but CFN saw no evidence of Mayfield during the halftime show, unless he was in charge of the big, hanging sheet for the posthumous projection of Prince.

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Generational clash

“Kids these days,” said one Chicken-Fried News reporter very loudly after reading a news piece from KFOR titled “Oklahoma teen accused of posting child pornography in attempt to blackmail school administrators.”

The senior reporter continued, “What’s with all this sexting?”

“Oh, gag me with a spoon,” responded one reporter, a member of Generation X. “I can’t even,” answered the millennial reporter on staff.

We at Chicken-Fried News are collectively asking, “What’s going on, Generation Z?” We get that you have grown up entirely in the digital world, expect highspeed Internet at your fingertips and want an app for everything — we like apps. We don’t understand posting nude and provocative photos on social media or using your high school’s Wi-Fi to do so. Case in point: the Carl Albert High School student and creator of the Snapchat account tyler_yodaddy.

According to KFOR, tyler_yodaddy posted nude and provocative photos of fellow Carl Albert students through the school’s Wi-Fi. When school leaders learned of the account and its

posts, it shut off the Wi-Fi. tyler_ yodaddy responded with a threatening message to the administration. If they didn’t turn the Wi-Fi back on, more photos would be posted, the TV station reported.

More photos were posted.

As you might imagine, Midwest City Police Department launched an investigation, which ended with a juvenile accused of violating the computer crime act, blackmail and transmission of obscenity and child pornography. Those charges were presented to the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office, Juvenile Bureau, the TV station reported.

We at Chicken-Fried News don’t get it. We are not alone. Police Chief Brandon Clabes told KFOR, “It could have been completely avoided if teenagers just don’t take and share these types of ‘selfies.’ Once underage nude photos (child pornography) are made public, they are forever.”

Maybe it is time for older generations to

speak Gen Z lingo. So we ask, “Suh?”

Proud dad

Don’t look now, but a pair of Stoops brothers might soon be back to pacing Sooner sidelines.

No, Bob Stoops isn’t coming out of retirement.

And as far as we know, defensive coordinator Mike Stoops will still be policing his unit from a box above the stands.

Instead, a new generation of Stoopses are ready to leave a Sooner legacy. Bob’s son Isaac Stoops announced late last month that he would be joining his father’s former team as a walk-on. Isaac joins Drake Stoops, his twin brother, who walked on to the team in early January.

It seems the Stoops name has become invariably linked to University of Oklahoma and their family is as in love with the school and state as locals (crimson-wearing ones, at least) are of them.

Though the brothers are walk-ons at OU, it is not as if they didn’t have

Y R r A T a t O Nno EyeSs C I i V v R r E e Ss c

other options. Isaac chose the Sooners over scholarship offers from schools like Army University, University of Central Oklahoma and Drake (the school in Des Moines, Iowa, not his brother or the pop-rap superstar).

Bob Stoops could be seen at several OU games last season, enjoying the games much like any other fan — well, any other fan with their own private suite.

In the coming season, however, the former head coach evolves from the fan role to a more intense position: team dad. When will it be Bob’s turn to deliver the juice boxes and orange slices? Now that he is retired, he will have plenty of time to drive his sons to team banquets at Celebration Station.

Hopefully Bob keeps his dad passions in check. The last thing current head coach Lincoln Riley needs is his own version of LaVar Ball, notorious father of Los Angeles Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball. But we have to admit it would be entertaining to see Bob pull his sons out of OU for more playing time and influence on a football team in Lithuania.

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EAT & DRINK

REVIEW

Smothered seafood is Off the Hook’s most popular dish. A lobster sauce with a bevy of other seafood is poured over either rice or garlic fries. | Photo Jacob Threadgill

Southward expansion

Opening its second location, Off the Hook Seafood & More becomes the standard bearer for Oklahoma seafood. By Jacob Threadgill

Off the Hook Seafood & More 125 W. Britton Road | 1920 S. Meridian Ave. What works: Smothered seafood proves seafood and cheese mix.

What needs work: The greens could benefit from apple cider vinegar.

Tip: Don’t be afraid of the softshell crab.

Husband-and-wife duo Corey and Loniesha Harris seem to have the Midas touch by cornering the market on an unlikely concept, making Oklahoma known for seafood.

Born and raised in Oklahoma City, Corey Harris went to culinary school and became a certified chef in 2007, eventually taking a culinary instructor position with Guthrie Job Corps Center in Guthrie.

The idea to start a food truck began during a friendship with an Oklahoma City Thunder player whom the Harrises met through a friend, but when the player got traded, the dream didn’t die. “[Loniesha] is the one that said, ‘Why wait for somebody else? Let’s do it ourselves,” Corey Harris said with a laugh.

Off the Hook Seafood & More food truck was born in 2013 and became such a sensation at public events that its first permanent location opened at 125 W. Britton Road in 2015. The success of the restaurant was put to the test in a location that was built for a Starbucks and later became Vamonos Mexican Grill

— neither of which lasted longer than a year, according to Harris.

“Again, it was my wife. I was content with the short hours of the food truck,” Harris said. “She said ‘We can do it’ and convinced me. … Everyone says that we’re the only thing that has survived (at the Britton location). It’s a good feeling. You’d think a Starbucks would’ve survived.”

Smothered, covered

Off the Hook has something Starbucks doesn’t have: smothered seafood fries.

Harris said he got the idea while working a catering event for a wedding, where he would often make a lobster sauce to be served over baked fish. After one event, he decided to dip some fries into leftover lobster sauce, and Off the Hook’s most popular dish was born.

Harris kicked up the sauce with shrimp, crawfish, lump crab and baby clams while adding cheese, bacon and onions for an indulgent topper. It’s a dish that would not exist if Harris was adhering to traditional Cajun food, and that’s what sets Off the Hook apart.

“My motto is that we’re a little bit of Cajun and a whole lot of amazing. I’m born and raised in Oklahoma. This is an Oklahoma thing,” he said. “I don’t like people to look at us as being a soul food restaurant. We have some soul-

inspired dishes, but I don’t like being put in a box. I want people to enjoy it for what it is, which is off the hook.”

For my first trip to Off the Hook, I went to its original Britton location to find it packed even at 2 p.m. Its space as a former Starbucks means the building was designed with a drive-thru, and Harris adapted the menu to get to-go orders through the window, but don’t expect a traditional fast food expedition.

“We had to put up signs [saying] ‘We’re not fast food. We’re good food fast.’ People assume that we’re McDonald’s, but we’re cooking to-order; it’s not sitting under a lamp.”

The staff at the Britton location couldn’t have been more friendly or attentive, first asking if I had been there before and later genuinely checking on my meal after it arrived. I went with Off the Hook’s star — super smothered seafood ($15) — but opted for spicy rice rather than fries. The “super” version of the smothered seafood includes a fried tilapia filet and five shrimp.

I was somewhat surprised because I expected the fish and shrimp to be covered in the lobster sauce in addition to the rice, but it arrived separate and freshly fried.

The lobster sauce delivers on its mission to provide a hearty seafood-rich sauce that is accented by bacon and cheese. I’ve always thought of the combination of seafood and cheese as a faux pas, but it works in this case. I ordered a side of greens with smoked turkey. I like my greens to have some remnants of sweetness, usually from apple cider vinegar, but I realize that I might be in the minority.

Meridian expansion

Off the Hook expanded to its second location, 1920 S. Meridian Ave., in the second half of 2017, but it is a different experience from its original location.

With a full bar that includes 12 taps, frozen margaritas and wine (and soon

liquor), the Meridian location is much more of a sit-down atmosphere. During the Saturday dinner rush, the restaurant was once again busy, and with good reason.

At the new location, Harris has added a few new items to the menu, including chicken wings and a salmon burger and brunch burger (Angus patty topped with smoked sausage, hash brown, cheese, bacon, fried egg and strawberry jam), both of which he said are top sellers.

I opted for the softshell crab sandwich because I consider softshell crab somewhat of a rarity, especially at an affordable $10. If the name doesn’t give it away, softshell crabs are removed from the water after a fresh molting to prevent a hardening of the shell. The crab is flash-fried and served whole on a bun with mixed greens, tomatoes and chipotle aioli.

“Wait; what did you order?” my dinner guest asked as I gleefully munched on my sandwich.

“You don’t see [softshell crabs on menus] because a lot of people don’t understand what it is,” Harris said. “We have so many people that when they order it, they don’t expect the whole crab.”

I also tried an order of Caribbean jerk-flavored wings (three for $6) and was more than pleasantly surprised. I would’ve liked a little more heat from a jerk sauce (one that traditionally uses Scotch bonnet peppers), but the wing is served whole, so three wings is actually like six when you don’t have to choose between drums and flats.

Leaving the wing intact pays dividends in a juicy final product that is among the best wings I’ve had in the city.

The Harrises hope that they’ve opened two of what will one day be many Off the Hook locations, and I can absolutely see it happening. They’re offering unique products with good service in a way that will make Oklahomans proud.

Softshell crab is served whole on a bun with mixed greens, tomato and chipotle aioli. | Photo Jacob Threadgill

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EAT & DRINK

Fighting pretension

The Pritchard shows that tapas and wine can be accessible. By Jacob Threadgill

The symbiotic relationship between food and wine pairs together as well as the working relationship of general manager Mindy Magers and executive chef Shelby Sieg at The Pritchard.

Magers and Sieg worked together at The George Prime Steakhouse (now home to 3Sixty Restaurant & Bar atop Founders Tower) before each was hired at The Pritchard, 1749 NW 16th Street, in 2016.

Magers serves as general manager and sommelier and has a wine pairing for each of Sieg’s dishes. They spend a lot of time at work tasting food and wine pairings for Sieg’s ever-changing menu, and they developed a bond that is so tight they even finish each other’s sentences.

“Tensions can get high; you’re here long hours, you’re tired and if you don’t know someone,” Magers said about life in a typical restaurant before Sieg finished the thought. “You don’t have prior understanding in how they operate, and I think that’s why we work well together.

“People can tell when things are tense, and it comes through in the service staff. It’s nice to have a lighter atmosphere here,” Sieg said.

The ethos of The Pritchard is centered on the small, tapas-style plates that Sieg adjusts every six weeks or so.

Guests are encouraged to share food and create a more social environment than just staring at their phones.

The food is something owners Aimee Ahpeatone and Steve Mason wanted to place an emphasis on with a recent rebranding. A new sign installed at The Pritchard last week no longer refers to it as a wine bar. “[People] would come in and say, ‘Oh, you have food too?’ We’re trying to get

the right public perception,” Magers said.

“The biggest thing that we try to fight all the time is that we’re pretentious because we’re a wine bar,” Sieg continued.

The idea of a pretentious wine bar is antithetical to how Sieg approaches food. She wants The Pritchard to be a place for someone leaving a class at nearby YogaLAB as well as someone in search of a few beers.

There is a lot of flavor there, but nothing that is going to blow out your palate or ruin your wine.

Mindy Magers “We don’t want anything (on the menu) that feels like you’re excluding anyone or that you have to have a culinary degree to understand what is going into the plates,” Sieg said.

New offerings from Sieg dot the menu alongside standbys like Brussels sprouts with Spanish chorizo and crispy fingerling potatoes with raclette cheese.

“There would be mutiny if I ever removed the Brussels,” Sieg said.

Veal and pork meatballs with parsley, cilantro and smoked paprika served with a romesco sauce are among recent additions to the menu. Romesco is of Catalonian origin and is a roasted red pepper and nut-based sauce (Sieg used walnut) with tomato and vinegar.

Sieg has also introduced arancini Candied Oklahoma pecans and CRACKers | Photo Jacob Threadgill

IS READY

left Ham and cheese arancini served over pea shoot pesto right Veal and pork meatballs with a romesco sauce | Photos Jacob Threadgill

served with pea shoot pesto. Sieg adds ham and cheese to fresh risotto before it is battered and fried. She uses pea shoots from Prairie Earth Gardens in Oklahoma City and Spanish marcona almonds as the base for a pesto that is bright and sweet.

“It’s seems fancy, but it’s peasant food because it used to be leftover risotto from the day before,” Sieg said. “It’s like a better version of ham and peas.”

Customers looking for a “bite” to go along with The Pritchard’s extensive wine list should try candied Oklahoma pecans as well as a flatbread covered in Grana Padano, which is similar to Parmigiano Reggiano.

“We list them on the menu as a CRACKer because they’re so addictive and popular,” Sieg said. “[Grana Padano] is aged longer and has more depth of flavor than Parmesan.”

Magers credited Sieg for developing a menu that accents the wine selection.

Sieg said that while she likes some heat in dishes, she’ll never serve something doused with hot sauce.

“There is a lot of flavor there, but nothing that is going to blow out your palate or ruin your wine,” Magers said.

The Pritchard offers wine by the

glass, bottle and carafe, with glasses starting at $6.

Magers said that 12-year-old Anciano Tempranillo from Spain is the restaurant’s top seller, followed by a 2015 Durigutti Cabernet Franc from Argentinia.

“The cab franc is a rare find because it’s a Bordeaux grape,” Magers said, noting that she sells more imported than domestic wine. “In Spain, the land there is not that expensive compared to Napa Valley (California), where you’re paying hundreds of thousands of dollars an acre. You can get better value from Spanish wines because they’re not trying to cover their overhead.”

As with food, Pritchard focuses on small, family-owned wineries because those who own vineyards are also farmers.

“There is nothing pretentious about getting your hands dirty,” Magers said.

“It is very much part of the ethos of the restaurant. It’s a family place, and we want to convey they in the food we’re doing, wine that we’re serving,” Sieg said.

In 2018, the Pritchard has gotten away from “stuffy” wine dinners and has begun hosting interactive classes like a holiday cocktail class, wine pairing class and Scotch history class.

Visit pritchardokc.com.

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Fromage hangout Get tips for pairing cheese with wine from En Croûte cheesemonger Crosby Dyke. By Jacob Threadgill

Who says you can’t have cheese for breakfast?

In a corner of Nichols Hills Plaza, En Croûte, 6460 Avondale Drive, offers a curated selection of domestic and imported artisan cheeses among a wide variety of small plates, pastry, full breakfast, dinner and decadent dessert.

Across the menu, cheese is the one constant, said managing partner and cheesemonger Crosby Dyke.

“You can get a cheese plate with breakfast or have one late-night with a glass of wine,” Dyke said, who suggested pairing manchego or aged Gouda with coffee and a young triple cream Brie with freshly baked pastry.

“There is no secret to developing a palate [for cheese],” Dyke said. “It’s repetition.”

Opened in late 2016, En Croûte is under the culinary direction of partner Jonathon Stranger and also includes partners Drew Tekell, Andrew and Apple Rice and Robbie Haggard.

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Dyke said En Croûte wants to offer more seasonal and smaller production cheeses that can’t be found retail at places like Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods Market and Sprouts Farmers Market. It also serves as wholesaler to other restaurants in the city for their own cheese boards.

“We don’t have a huge selection all the time, but we try to get in what is seasonal and smaller production, artisan cheese,” Dyke said.

Cheese can be selected à la carte, but the best way to sample a variety of cheese and charcuterie is to order the Le Loup plate ($35). Dyke and other cheesemongers on staff use their trained senses, including smell, to determine when a Crosby Dyke is managing partner and cheesemonger at En Croûte. | Photo Jacob Threadgill

cheese is à point or at its peak (on point) for inclusion on a daily board.

In late January, Dyke selects Truffle Tremor, L’Amuse Signature Gouda and Colston Bassett Stilton to pair with La Quercia Berkshire Cross prosciutto, Fra’ Mani soppressata and house-made country paté, which is served with house-made raspberry Fresno jam.

“The aged Gouda is good anytime, but the Stilton is perfect winter cheese.

The longer you work here, the more you become a cheesemonger,” Dyke said, noting that each staff member samples each cheese and is ready for suggestions if a customer asks.

That includes wine and cheese pairings.

“The sparkling rosé is perfect for any cheese,” Dyke said. “A lot of people want to pair bigger, bolder reds because that is Oklahoma’s favorite — big Napa cab-

Bethany left Le Loup plate features three cheeses and three types of charcuterie. right Wagyu tartare is a popular item in warmer months. | Photo Jacob Threadgill

ernets — and you can do it, but for a big, bold wine you need a big, bold cheese.”

For beginners, Dyke recommended pairing mild cheese with mild wine versus the same for bolder flavors. Like the Truffle Tremor, an artisan selection from California, she recommended a softer wine with fewer tannins like a sauvignon blanc as a white or even a pinot noir as a red.

Dyke began working with cheese at Forward Foods in Norman while in college at the University of Oklahoma.

She said some of her favorite moments as a cheesemonger come when she tells a table that a certain cheese might be strong but then it ends up being the table’s favorite on the board.

“People might not buy cheese from the case based on how it looks, but if you put it on a board for a little taste, there is no commitment,” Dyke said.

Just as with breakfast, Dyke said cheese shouldn’t be left out of the final meal of the day — dessert — noting that En Croûte has a selection of dessert wines like fortified ports and Madeira.

“They’re actually some of the best

WEEK

wine to pair with cheese because their residual sugar cuts through the saltiness of the cheese,” Dyke said.

For a beginner’s guide to cheese, Dyke recommend books by Max McCalman, and the staff uses McCalman’s handbook as a handy guide for parings. McCalman suggests pairing blue cheese with a sweet wine.

“You would think a bold red because it’s a full-flavored cheese, but something about the mold sometimes doesn’t quite cut through with the tannins,” Dyke said.

Perfect bite

En Croûte provides many unique “bites” for the city, whether be it small or large.

The addition of En Croûte sister restaurant St. Mark’s Chop Room & Bar with its connection to Oklahoma-raised wagyu beef means En Croûte now offers wagyu sausage and a tartare ($14) made with Dijon mustard, garlic lemon aioli, fresh thyme, basil, parsley, shallots and garlic. It also has an ahi tuna tartare.

“They get really popular when it gets warmer because it’s nice and light,” Dyke said of the tartare.

En Croûte also offers a pickle plate ($8) of house pickled fresh local produce, but don’t expect to see just pickled cucumbers.

A recent plate includes local okra, lotus roots, strawberries, jalapeños and onions.

Another showstopping “bite” at En Croûte is the fried Brie and prosciutto ($12), which earned high marks from En Croûte chef Brady McBride.

“It’s a really bright, fun dish and one of my favorites of the small plates to prepare,” McBride said.

Brie receives an egg wash and is dipped in breadcrumbs before being topped with prosciutto sliced to order and served with macerated berries and toast.

After a long day, Dyke said her favorite “comfort” cheese is Oma, which comes from Jasper Hill Farm in Vermont and is owned by the von Trapp family, of Trapp Family Singers fame.

A washed-rind variety, the enzymes of the brine breakdown the cheese to add nutty and umami flavors, Dyke said.

“It’s one of my favorite cheeses and an American original,” Dyke said.

Visit encrouteokc.com.

FEBRUARY 19-25, 2018

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Bethany is the metro’s newest dining destination for foodies and families alike!

Come to Bethany for a week of delicious meals in different cuisines with convenient parking, friendly staff and wallet-friendly prices!

Participating restaurants Aloha Shave Ice & Coffee Shop Boomarang Diner Cantina Bravo Mexican Grill Ding Asian Fusion Java39 Metro Mini’s Gourmet Donuts

Olde Orchard Restaurant Papa Angelo’s Pizzeria Pho3Nine Stray Dog Cafe Swadley’s Barbecue

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F E AT U R E

EAT & DRINK

Before tapas

Dim sum predates Spanish tapas by generations, and its tradition is thriving in OKC. By Jacob Threadgill

The same familial connection that has made dim sum a Chinese tradition dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618 CE-907 CE) can be felt on weekends in Oklahoma City.

Although Spanish-style tapas might be the most culturally pervasive small plate dining in America, tapas traces its roots to the Middle Ages, while dim sum dates back to the first century.

Two Classen Boulevard mainstays — Grand House, 2701 N. Classen Blvd., and Fung’s Kitchen, 3231 N. Classen Blvd. — break out trolleys to serve a large variety of steamed, fried and baked dumplings, buns and small entrée dishes.

Grand House owners Kathy and Thai Tien began dim sum service 34 years ago, not long after the couple moved to Oklahoma City from Boston.

Dim sum service has been a tradition at Grand House since its original location at NW 23rd Street and Classen Boulevard and followed a few blocks north when it moved into the old Village Inn Pancake location, Kathy Tien said.

Tien said dim sum has settled into a weekend tradition because it gives working families a chance to be in the same place and it allows their own kitchen to prepare the more than 65 dishes available during service.

“Every Monday through Saturday, we have to prepare for the weekend; we freeze what we can and do everything else fresh,” Tien said.

Kathy Tien’s family is from Hong Kong, but she was born in Vietnam, and her family moved to France before coming to the United States.

Reflecting her eclectic background, Grand House transitioned to a PanAsian restaurant. For example, Korean kalbi beef short ribs are on the menu 18

F E B R U A R Y 7, 2 0 1 8 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

Among Fung’s Kitchen’s most popular dim sum dishes are shrimp siu mai, barbecue pork steam bun and special siu mai with fish eggs. | Photo Jacob Threadgill

along with Vietnamese pho, Thai noodles and Japanese sushi.

The dim sum experience is uniquely Chinese. Guests pick and choose from dishes being pushed in steam carts, and the server stamps a card to indicate which dish was taken. Each dish starts at about $3 and is served with three or four servings to promote optimum sharing, Tien said.

“If you only have two people, you can’t get a lot of variety,” Tien said. “In a large family, everyone gets a small piece and gets to try more items.”

The offering at Fung’s Kitchen is slightly less — there is only one cart compared to multiple at Grand House — but each dish packs a punch.

Fung’s most popular dim sum item is shrimp siu mai, a small open-faced dumpling packed with shrimp. It also sells a lot of barbecue pork steam buns, which might be more accessible for someone not willing to try fried chicken feet. Chicken feet meat is similar to that of wings, but you might have to spit out the tiny bones on a nearby plate.

Fung’s Kitchen’s dim sum service runs 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday-Sunday while Grand House serves 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Each location has a dim sum service on Christmas, and Grand House extends the tradition for every major U.S holiday.

If a holiday falls on Thursday, Grand House serves dim sum Friday, Saturday and Sunday, as well.

“Sunday is our most popular day because people like to come after church,” Tien said. “It’s our own brunch service.”

F E AT U R E

Boozy snacks

CHEESE. CHOCOLATE. HEARTS.

What places in the city have the best boozy bites?

By Jacob Threadgill

Even while operating out of a kitchen not much larger than a parking space, chef Haley Hinson at The Pump Bar, 2425 N. Walker Ave., is able to produce plates that pair with the bar’s ethos.

When owner Hailey McDermid and husband Ian opened The Pump in 2015, they wanted a fun outdoor patio experience that is promoted by a jovial staff and unique tiki-themed drinks highlighted by a daily special called The Dirty Harry.

“We want the menu to complement that [environment] and do bar food on an elevated level and made with good ingredients,” Hailey McDermid said.

“You’re not meant to come in and sit down with one giant plate in front of you. It’s meant for sharing and communal and social experience.”

The Pump has recently debuted an updated small plate menu and doubled its brunch offerings, the latter of which now includes three types of tater tots, which have been a staple bar snack since opening.

We went through hell with our cheese curds trying to find the right ones, but we have great ones now.

Hailey McDermid Its most popular snack is the Okie Poutine ($10), which is The Pump’s take on the national dish of Canada. Tots are topped with braised short rib, cheese curds and brown ale gravy.

Cheese curds set the dish apart from gravy fries but can be difficult to source in Oklahoma.

Bison Chili Fries are a go-to snack at The Pump. | Photo provided

“We went through hell with our cheese curds trying to find the right ones, but we have great ones now,” Hailey McDermid said.

New additions to the snack menu include pretzel nuggets served with beer cheese or Nutella (both $7), spicy pork rinds ($4) with picante-lime seasoning and the Pho Rench Dip ($11), which combines two popular Vietnamese dishes into one plate. Pho Rench Dip is sliced ribeye with pickled veggies on a baguette with pho broth, so it’s like a banh mi version of a French dip.

A new Buffalo chicken quesadilla ($10) is served with a side of elote (Mexican street corn), which replaces the faro succotash as a side item.

Head bartender Meghanne Hensley, reigning winner of Oklahoma Gazette’s best bartender title in the Best Of OKC fan vote, designs a daily seasonal cocktail based on the weather or ingredients on hand.

“I do a really awesome mulled wine when the weather gets cold that sells out every night,” Hensley said.

Cold weather usually means hot toddies, stouts and richer drinks, but during a warm weather outbreak last week, Hensley broke out an Orange You Glad I Didn’t Say Banana drink with banana rum, aged rum, orange juice, lime and coconut cream, cinnamon and sliced banana.

The new brunch menu features the Bump and Grind ($8) cocktail with espresso rum, horchata rum, cold brew KLLR coffee and chocolate bitters.

Bartender Rainier Crespo also created a Hangover Horchata ($8) using his family’s recipe.

THEY ALL MELT HERE Bar bites Guyutes 730 NW 23rd St. guyutes.com | 405-702-6960 While you grab a drink on its patio, snack on Gimme the Beat ($7) roasted beet hummus with green onion and sweet potato chips (pictured) or Pig Lips ($7), baconwrapped cherry tomatoes.

Hopscotch 10909 N. May Ave. hopscotchok.com | 405-286-4246 Burgers and fries are the focus at this sports bar. Choose between five different types of fries or tomato bisque served with grilled cheese bites ($8).

The Jones Assembly 901 W. Sheridan Ave. thejonesassembly.com | 405 212-2378 The hippest place in town offers more than concerts. You can also snack while you drink. Tuna tartare, scratch biscuits, octopus in a Thai chili glaze and deviled eggs highlight the snack portion of the menu.

Pub W 3121 W. Memorial Road pubdub.com | 405-608-2200 Pub W has three locations in the metro area and highlights Okla-

savor every moment

BOOK A TABLE

homa with Squashpuppies ($7) — a take on the hushpuppy with extra veggies — and serves it with honey butter and jalapeño jam.

Republic Gastropub 5830 N. Classen Blvd.

Romance packages always available at The Melting Pot. Make reservations for romance!

republicgastropub.com 405-286-4577 Republic features a few elevated takes on bar classics like the Scotch egg ($10), pork belly sliders served with kimchi coleslaw ($12) and truffle potato skins ($10).

Sidecar Barley & Wine Bar 1100 N. Broadway Ave. sidecarokc.com | 405-421-0203 A large cocktail, wine and liquor menu is highlighted by small plates and sandwiches. Snacks include a meat and cheese board ($12), smoked salmon ($11) and kale chips ($8).

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g a z e di b l e s

eat & DRINK

Sooner snacks

This issue of Oklahoma Gazette is all about small plates, snacks and bites. Oklahoma produces many great treats that are available at the grocery store or in retail shops.

From sweet treats to savory snacks like cornbread and beef jerky, we’ve got you covered.

Jacob Threadgill | Photos by Jacob Threadgill and Gazette / file

Della Terra Fine Pasta

Woody Candy Company

Java Dave’s Coffee

Chef Chris Baker started selling his fresh pasta at farmers markets in Oklahoma in 2011, and now his pasta is available at fine dining restaurants around the country, including many in Oklahoma City. Pick up some yourself at its retail location on Broadway Extension or 10 retail locations in the city. Get them in classic flour-based pasta or an ancient grain set made with khorasan, spelt and durum.

Founded by Claude Woody in 1927, Woody Candy Company is the oldest candy company in Oklahoma. Woody’s claim to fame is chewy caramel pralines available at 5,000 retail locations across the country, but stop by its OKC retail shop for many more options. Of course, Woody Candy is also the only place to get Oklahoma’s famous Aunt Bill’s Brown Candy either at its physical store or online.

Snickerdoodle has long been a favorite in cookie form, but coffee? Tulsa’s own Java Dave’s Coffee makes its own blend of snickerdoodle-flavored coffee, Snickerdelicious. Check out many of Java Dave’s interesting flavors at its Edmond location, where the menu expands into breakfast and deli sandwiches, salads and pastries.

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201 S. Broad Ave., Shawnee shawneemilling.com | 405-273-7000

An Oklahoma institution since 1906, Shawnee Milling Company first introduced baking mixes to grocery stores in 1964. Its most important product might be cornbread mix, which is available in four flavors: yellow corn muffin mix, Mexican, white and yellow buttermilk. No matter the flavor, don’t forget to pre-heat your skillet for a crispy bottom.

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Arbuckle Mountain Original Fried Pies & Coffee 3721 NW 50th St. arbucklemountainpies.com 405-946-1300

Why sit down for a piece of pie when you can get one on the go? The hand pie tradition started as a respite for cowboys along the unforgiving terrain of the Arbuckle Mountains. The original storefront is near Turner Falls, but the Oklahoma City location serves through a drive-thru window, frying each hand pie to-order within a few minutes.

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Jerky.com

What started as an operation in a former elementary school in Ada has become an Oklahoma powerhouse since its acquisition by the Chickasaw Nation in 2000. With over 50 wholesale retail locations in the metro area — most notably OnCue, Crest Fresh Market and Homeland — you don’t have to go to Davis to peruse its selection of confections. Pairing peanut butter-filled and raspberry-filled bars puts a whole new spin on PB&J.

What started as a location in Penn Square Mall has expanded to Midtown and the Chisholm Creek development.

Now Jerky.com, founded by Doug Iske and Chad Trost, has had so much success with its unique flavors of jerky (ranging from beef to poultry, seafood and wild game), summer sausage and licorice that it has expanded across state lines with a location in Grapevine, Texas.

multiple metro locations bedrechocolates.com | 580-369-4200

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Join the Gourmet Club for only $25 a month!

Each month you’ll receive a selection of delicious and unique items for the kitchen and pantry, ranging from pastas, condiments, pestos and sauces to chocolate and confections. Recipes and serving suggestions for each month’s items are included.

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SHOP shopp i n g

Aisle of love Will this be another year of shopping for Valentine’s Day at the last moment? If so, do not worry; you likely are not alone.

Fortunately for last-minute planners, there are a variety of local shops and businesses that can get procrastinators Valentine’sready in a pinch. Oklahoma Gazette breaks down several options for a perfect date. By Ben Luschen | Photos Ben Luschen and provided

•Oklahoma City Ballet okcballet.org 405-848-8637

Sorry; Netflix and chill just isn’t going to cut it for a Valentine’s date. Take the day to enjoy city life with your significant other. This year, Oklahoma City Ballet delivers the perfect date-night treat with its highly anticipated original production of The Little Mermaid. This is a world-premiere ballet choreographed by artistic director Robert Mills and adapted from the timeless story by Hans Christian Andersen. Shows start 8 p.m. Feb. 16-17 and 2 p.m. Feb. 18. All performances are at Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave. Tickets are $15-$65.

• Apple Tree Chocolate

754 Asp Ave., Norman appletreechocolate.com 405-310-3959 How about some sweets for your sweetie? They say the best way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, but we have found that the caramel, turtle and candy-covered apples at Norman’s Apple Tree Chocolate easily transcend all gender considerations. For Valentine’s Day, Apple Tree sells boxes of chocolate-dipped strawberries and other specially assembled gift packages. In addition to berries and its trademark apples, the shop also offers a great selection of decadent truffles, fudge and cake dots year-round.

Freeman’s Liquor Mart

4401 N. Western Ave. 405-524-8031 To properly wine and dine someone, you’re going to need a good bottle of fermented 22

F E B R U A R Y 7, 2 0 1 8 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

grapes. Thankfully, Freeman’s Liquor Mart not only carries a versatile selection of wines, but a knowledgeable staff that can point you in the right direction given your tastes and needs. And while wine is typically considered the most romantic form of liquid ethanol, Freeman’s is not here to judge couples who prefer to crush a six-pack together or sip their way through a fancy Scotch. Find their official Facebook page for more information.

I’m thinking.. ! for my ValentIne We have men’s & women’s jewelry as well as other gifts!

•Splurge/ Baskets of Love

3915 N. College Ave., Bethany facebook.com/splurgebasketsoflove 405-789-9020 The Splurge / Baskets of Love hybrid near the campus of Southern Nazarene University works with customers to package together baskets full of goodies to fit any of your loved ones. By custom order, employees can put together decorative baskets of stuffed animals, cards, candy and other snacks. While most baskets are custom-fit to the recipient’s tastes and the purchaser’s budget, Baskets of Love also tries to assemble prepackaged baskets for customers who would rather grab them and go. The Bethany family-owned business has been assembling gift baskets for more than 20 years and knows a thing or two about putting together a memorable holiday gift.

Smash Bangles

607 NW 28th St. smashbangles.com 405-628-7621 This new Paseo Arts District shop is close to being a one-stop Valentine’s Day destination. Smash Bangles owner Cindy Cornelson sells gorgeous and colorful handmade jewelry made by herself and other vendors. But in addition to fine necklaces and wristbands, shoppers can also pick up some exquisite chocolates for their lover. Evangeline’s Hand Made Chocolates are made with local ingredients and sold in the shop.

Tony Foss Flowers 7610 N. May Ave. tonyfossflowers.com 405-843-4119

Does a rose by any other name smell as sweet? We can’t say for sure, but we do know the name of the local business to go to for red roses around Valentine’s Day. Tony Foss Flowers always includes roses in its signature tropical arrangements for the holiday. Stop by the shop to take in some natural beauty and Foss or another employee will help you pick out a great-looking bouquet for your beau.

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art

ARTS & CULTURE

Native modernity

Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art showcases works of Tonita Peña and Joe Hilario Herrera in a new exhibit. By Jeremy Martin

When the University of Oklahoma acquired a collection of more than 4,000 Native American artworks in 2010, one professor became especially interested in about 70 of them.

“I realized we had the nucleus of a major exhibition there,” said OU art history professor and Native American art chair W. Jackson Rushing III. “I’d been thinking about it for years; I’d been thinking for about 20 years of doing this show, and finally, the timing was right.”

Among the thousands of works donated to the university by influential Arizona art collector James T. Bialac were paintings by Pueblo artists Tonita Peña and her son Joe Hilario Herrera, enough to serve as the center of an exhibition spanning 65 years of American art history. Generations in Modern Pueblo Painting: The Art of Tonita Peña and Joe Herrera opened at OU’s Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art last month.

Rushing — who interviewed Herrera before his 2001 death and Herrera’s family about his life and legacy in subsequent years — said the role Peña, Herrera and other Pueblo Indian artists played in modern art has often gone unrecognized.

“They were two really important figures, not just in 20th-century Native American painting but just in 20thcentury American painting in general,” Rushing said. “Although in the world

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of Indian art, they were certainly wellknown figures, the larger world of American art didn’t understand their historic significance.”

Peña, a self-taught artist who began painting watercolors of Pueblo life in the early 1910s, caused controversy in her small New Mexico community by breaking with tradition.

“Before the early 20th century, Native painting was always specifically for Native purposes, and the idea that you would make paintings on paper and sell them to people outside your village was a novel concept as a way of participating in the cash economy,” Rushing said. “Historically, women didn’t do figurative painting.

They made symbolic and decorative paintings for utilitarian objects and for ritual objects, but … she was the first and only artist of her generation to do that kind of figure painting, so that was also something that was the source of some friction.”

Though she avoided breaking longstanding taboos by only painting scenes from public ceremonies and daily village life instead of more private tribal rituals, Peña, who signed most of her paintings with her Pueblo name Quah Ah, still had to establish her own tradition as the only woman among the first generation of Pueblo watercolorists in the San Ildefonso Self-Taught Group.

“There were no models for what she

was doing for a female professional artist,” Rushing said, “so she had to invent an identity that helped her process all of that. She had to become a businesswoman; she had to negotiate relationships with her patrons at the museum, the cost of the paintings, all that sort of thing.”

Traditional influence

Her son Herrera, who learned to paint from her at a very young age, went to art school at the University of New Mexico, where a professor introduced him to cubism and art deco, which greatly influenced Herrera’s own style.

“Herrera was smart enough to see the continuity across culture and time of these designs and forms,” Rushing said, “so he invented what he called ‘abstract symbolism,’ and it’s a wonderful synthesis of ancient Pueblo imagery and 20th-century imagery. They’re so exciting to look at; they’re just so smart and so beautiful.”

While Herrera and his contemporaries drew inspiration from modern art, many other modern artists were equally influenced by traditional Native American painting.

“All through the 20th century, there were non-Native modern artists interested in Native American things, either subject matter or symbols or processes or values,” Rushing said. “Almost simultaneous with that was the beginning awareness of Native artists of modernist practices in the arts. And so modernism and modern art was not monolithic. It wasn’t the same thing everywhere at the same time.

Modernism flourished not just in Paris and London and New York but in places like Santa Fe and Taos. The iterations of it away from urban centers of power were different. … We focus too much of our studies of modern art on the notion of the Euro-American male genius working in an urban center, and modernism is so much more than that.”

Generations, open through April 8 in the museum’s Nancy Johnston Records Gallery, is the first career retrospective exhibition for both Peña and Herrera and also features works by Romando Vigil, Geronima Cruz Montoya, Michael Kabotie and Julian Martinez and his grandson Tony Da and nephew Gilbert Atencio on loan from several public and private collections. An interactive display invites families and children to film personal video messages and write thank-you notes. Peña’s works haven’t been significantly featured in a major exhibition since the 1930s, and several of Herrera’s later works are premiering in their first public exhibition.

“They both made works of art that preserved culture and extended it at the same time,” Rushing said. “Culture can be sustaining, but if it isn’t elaborated Joe Hilario Herrera’s “Eagle Dancer” exhibits modern influences in its depiction of traditional Pueblo imagery. | Image Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art / provided

on or advanced or extended, then it becomes constraining. And neither of them wanted to be constrained. They wanted to be free to develop their art in a way that didn’t break taboos but reflected their own unique vision, and I think all major artists have those same kinds of desires. They want to extend culture forward. They want to make new knowledge through their work.”

Tonita Peña challenged the traditions of female Pueblo artists with figurative works. | Image Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art / provided

Michael Kabotie’s “Guardian of the Water” is included in Generations in Modern Pueblo Painting at OU’s Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. | Image Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art / provided

Generations in Modern Pueblo Painting: The Art of Tonita Peña and Joe Herrera Through April 8 | Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art University of Oklahoma | 555 Elm Ave., Norman ou.edu/fjjma | 405-325-3272 Free

O kg a z e t t e . c o m | F E B R U A R Y 7, 2 0 1 8

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FILM

ARTS & CULTURE

Wandering wonder

deadCenter Film Festival’s engaging high-school education program spans the state. By Ben Luschen

In its first year of full-fledged existence in 2011, deadCenter Film Festival’s statewide high school education program was focused on teaching teenage students how to make a movie. But executive director Lance McDaniel said after visiting several schools, the local nonprofit organization found out it can make a difference in a much more useful way.

“What we heard that first year was, ‘Boy, I’ve never heard that guy speak in class,’” McDaniel said. “The teachers who were the most impressed were like, ‘Oh my gosh! Because of what you did, I heard that guy talk.’”

As it turns out, a lot of teenagers (and many other kinds of people) love movies.

Using class time usually devoted to textbook study to instead discuss what they liked about their favorite films was revolutionary for some students who lacked the motivation or courage to speak up before.

When McDaniel began hearing teachers and students at different schools they visited making the same compliments to the program over and over again, it was an epiphany.

“Because I’m a chatty person and was all through high school, it didn’t occur to me that that’s what was necessary,” he said. “But after we started going to a lot of schools, what we found out was, ‘Wow! Those quiet kids will stand up and talk about a horror film or a comedy or a superhero in a way that they won’t volunteer to answer a question about Shakespeare.’”

Since that first year, deadCenter’s statewide education program has shifted its focus from filmmaking to generalized creative thinking, and with great results.

McDaniel and other deadCenter representatives visit around 30 schools each year, ranging from Oklahoma City’s urban core to rural Guymon and Durant.

deadCenter, known by most as the popular four-day summer film festival in downtown OKC, has started to sprout a reputation for education efforts. The statewide program received the Governor’s Arts in Education award in 2014.

All of deadCenter’s education efforts are always free. deadCenter is an Allied Arts member agency, and its statewide program is underwritten by the OKC nonprofit coalition.

McDaniel said he thinks Allied Arts sees the value in deadCenter’s statewide program and its ability to assist a teenage base that is often underserved in the arts. And the schools the program visits love the way they promote student engagement.

“That really has become the fundamental thing that teachers love about us,” he said.

Creative thinking

McDaniel travels all over the state to visit schools for the program. This year, deadCenter is targeting schools in towns with populations of 2,000 or less.

Most of the schools involved in the program were, at some point, contacted by deadCenter. Many of them are repeats from past years. Some were referred to the program by other schools.

The program focuses on visiting small, distant towns because those schools are less likely to be visited by other city arts organizations. These smaller schools are where McDaniel believes they can make the biggest impressions.

“There’s towns that don’t have a movie theater — lots of them,” he said.

In a typical school visit, deadCenter will interact with students in a number of ways. They are asked to partner up and come up with their own movie concept. They go through a mock audi-

love for you to meet with these high school kids,’” McDaniel said. “Almost every single one of them is like, ‘Absolutely.’” deadCenter also hosts continuing education workshops aimed at working adults. A free writing seminar — the third deadCenter has organized — was held at Oklahoma City University last month.

McDaniel said deadCenter is interested in enriching the local film industry, and part of that is ensuring state writers are producing the best scripts they can.

“We think for the Oklahoma film industry to succeed, there needs to be really big movies coming out of the Oklahoma film scene,” he said. “Not just those coming to us, like August: Osage County. But those coming up organically through the state.”

Other efforts

‘Worth it’

Outside its statewide high school visits, deadCenter has two other components to its work in education. One is deadCenter University, a competitive entry high school program for students with a greater passion for filmmaking.

Last year, more than 60 students from across the state were accepted into the program. The students come in during the week of deadCenter Film Festival and gather at Metro Technology Centers’ Springlake Campus to work on their own film project. While there, they will work with and receive guidance from the talented actors and filmmakers involved in that year’s festival.

McDaniel said deadCenter University has become one of the biggest selling points for bringing in out-of-town filmmakers. A lot of people are eager to share their passion with a younger generation.

“Anyone we bring in town, we say, ‘We’d Students from Putnam City High School gather around deadCenter Film Festival executive director Lance McDaniel for instruction. McDaniel has been involved in deadCenter’s education efforts since 2011. | Photo deadCenter Film Festival / provided

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Students from around 30 state schools, including Classen School of Advanced Studies, participate in deadCenter Film Festival’s statewide education program each year. | Photo deadCenter Film Festival / provided

tion for a movie part.

McDaniel said he often shows a short clip from the Chickasaw Nation-funded movie Pearl and asks students to list every job involved in putting that scene together (both on-camera and behind the scenes).

“Our goal is to show that this piece of film you may see online has 75-200 people working on it,” he said. “One may just be doing the graphics for the door, and someone’s job is to drive the truck with the wood on it to build the set. It’s getting them thinking about, ‘Well, if movies are that way, so is everything.’”

Not every student is interested in becoming a filmmaker. McDaniel said the goal of the program is to get them thinking in new ways and realize that there are a number of ways they can impact a community.

“It gets them thinking about all jobs,” he said. “There are a million jobs out there in almost any industry.”

Traveling all over the state means being on the road as many as three days a week in the fall. McDaniel sometimes finds himself sleeping in a small-town hotel room alone to reach the furthest schools. Still, he regrets nothing.

“It’s worth it because the goal is that we want to go where people aren’t getting exposed to stuff,” he said.

In his many travels, McDaniel has noticed one thing about education in Oklahoma: There are bright students and teachers in literally every school.

No matter where he goes, he leaves impressed with someone he encountered.

The challenges students and educators face, he said, come from the support — or lack thereof — around them. McDaniel said deadCenter wants to do its part to help give everyone involved in education the greatest opportunity to succeed.

“I feel great about education in Oklahoma because I think we’ve got tons of smart kids and we’ve got good teachers,” he said. “We just need to bring up the structure around them.”

Visit deadcenterfilm.org.

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Get one. Get some.

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1 1. Gift Card

| Urbane Nails & Spa | 13008 N. Pennsylvania Ave . | 405 - 608 - 8886 | 6233 NorthWest Expressway | 405 -720 -1112

Manhattan OKC | 210 Park Ave . | 405 - 605 -5300 | themanhattanokc .com woodsmantr ading .com

3. Fox Pillow

2. Valentine Dinner at The Manhattan

| The

| Woodsman Tr ading Co. | 9705 North May Avenue , Suite 120 | 405 -286 - 0614 |

4. Opal, Pearl and Diamond Earrings by Valerie Naifeh | Naifeh Fine Jewelry | 9203 N. Pennsylvania Ave. | 405-607-4323 | naifehfinejewelry.com

5. BioTEMedical Hormone Replacement |

A New Beginning Women’s Healthcare | 11401 S. Western Ave . | 405 -735 -3041

N. May Ave . | 405 - 430 -5484 | belle- kitchen.com

7. The Womanizer |

6. Valentine’s Day macaroons | Belle Kitchen |

7509

Patricia’s Erotic Boutique | 615 E . Memorial Road | 8009 W. Reno Ave . | patriciasgiftshop.com

O kg a z e t t e . c o m | F e b r u a r y 7, 2 0 1 8

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8. Fajitas for Two! | Chelino’s Mexican Restaur ant | Sever al Metro Locations | chelinos .net 359 - 8200 | 1033 S . Meridian | 405 -949 -9000 | tbje .com 9286 | tickets.occc .edu

10. OCCC’s Cirque Eloize Saloon |

9. Gift Bag

| The Beef Jerk y Emporium | 810 W. Danforth, Edmond | 405 -

OCCC Visual and Performing Arts Center Theater | 7777 S. May Ave . | 877-285 -

11. Health and Wellness for your Valentine | Herban Mother Cannabis Dispensary | 607 NW 28th St. Ste . A | 405 -509 -3183 | herbanmotherllc .com

12. Valentine’s Dinner at Rococo | Rococo Restaur ant & Fine Wine | 2824 N. Pennsylvania Ave . | 405 -528 -2824 | 12252 N. May Ave . | rococo - restaur ant.com Wear | Sam’s Best Buy

| 2409 S . Agnew Ave . | 405 - 636 -1486 | samsbestbuys .com

15. Gourmet Flavored Popcorn & Chocolate Truffles

14. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club | Lost

| Kernels & K andies | 7640 NW Expressway, Ste . 205 | 405 - 470 -7446 | kernelsandk andies .com

Trent | OCCC Visual and Performing Arts Center Theater | 7777 S . May Ave . | 877-285 -9286 | tickets .occc .edu 4700 S. Bryant Ave .

The Little Mermaid | hiloclub .net

18. Handmade Chocolates by Evangeline’s |

21. Car Wash Gift Certificate |

20. Valentine’s Day Ball | HiLo

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19. Oklahoma City Ballet’s

Club | 1221 NW 50th St. | 405 - 843 -1722 |

Brick town Auto Bath & Shine | 100 NE fourth St. | 405 -232-3068

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16. OCCC’s The Magic of Adam

17. Valentine Decor and Gifts Galore | K aren’s Flea Market |

Smash Bangles | 607 NW 28th St. Ste . F | 405 - 628 -7621 | smashbangles.com

Okl ahoma Cit y Ballet | 6800 N. Cl assen Blvd. | 405 - 843-9898 | okcballet.org

13. Family Ski

Highway Bar | 1613 N. May Ave . | 405 - 601-5606

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Valentine’sDayBall 1221

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Christopher Dale, I love you tons! Thanks for being my sidekick through life and my lifelong bff.

LOVE YOU, honey. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Dear LW, I love your sense of adventure and curiosity. Loving yourself first is the best thing you have ever done. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Oklahoma Gazette readers show their love Victor, you’re truly a blessing. You came into my life just when I needed you the must.

Love always, Schontyle

Sarah Elmore Evans, I now know what true love is thanks to you. Happy Valentine’s Day. Love your sexy chocolate man

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Nancy...You will forever be my always!

I love you! Tony

Erika, I love you and the girls with all my heart.

Happy Valentine’s Day.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

No matter what, I love you! Patricia ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Happy Valentine’s Day to my sweetheart!!

Can’t wait for our special night :)

Miles, I love you to the moon and back! Love, Mom

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Allen, thank you for loving me & the girls the way you do! You’re a great husband an amazing father! Melissa ILY!

Hello my precious Smokey and Bandit! Meowmy loves you so much and wishes you a furry, love-filled Valentine’s Day!

Kent, To many more Gazettes, my dear friend.

Thanks for being who you are! You’re such a blessing in many lives. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

My ‘Love Note’ is to the two best “kids” ever Stephanie & Zachary Christ, my heartbeats. Love you more than life. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Alysha, You are my best friend, and I am so glad we found each other. I love you so much. Your commie, Jonathan ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Love you Ed Thayer today and forever!! Thank you for always being there for me! You are my ROCK!

Happy V-Day Luv U From James Iysus and Goofy Cat ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Happy birthday to my best student in the world, Waite Swanson, a Happy Valentine’s Day, too. Ms. Johnie ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

No matter how old we are, I’ll never get tired of touching your butt!!! I love you so, my Speckled Sexy!!! MLLF ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

When I say I love you it’s not out of habit, I’m reminding you that you are my life, Happy Valentine’s Day Sugarbear. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Chickie Cutie, Happy 25th Valentine’s Day as my sweetheart. We have shared so many wonderful times. Love, Daniel ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Rayray ur the bestest woman any guy could dream of having 831 always forever in my heart Turtle

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Mike - You have been the Valentine of my heart for the past 43 years.

O kg a z e t t e . c o m | F e b r u a r y 7, 2 0 1 8

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From yoga to massages, pilates to nutrition help our readers relax and feel great from head to toe.

T H E AT E R

ARTS & CULTURE

Migration moves

Dublin Irish Dance brings Stepping Out, a narrative of love, identity and Irish-American immigration, to Armstrong Auditorium.

By Ian Jayne

Publishing : February 28 & March 7 Call your account executive at 528.6000 or email advertising@okgazette.com today to reserve your space!

Do You See What I See? Painted Conversations

by Theodore Waddell February 9 – May 13, 2018

Lynn’s Narcissus. Theodore Waddell, 1997, oil and encaustic on canvas, 72" x 72"

1700 Northeast 63rd Street Oklahoma City, OK 73111 Mon – Sat, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Sun, Noon – 5:00 p.m. nationalcowboymuseum.org Museum Partners Devon Energy Corp.

E.L. & Thelma Gaylord Foundation Major Support The Oklahoman Media Company The True Foundation

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Leaving home is one thing, but leaving a homeland? This movement — from country to country, from home to the unknown — represents a major strand of American history and the narrative crux of Dublin Irish Dance’s touring production of Stepping Out. Stepping Out will be performed 7:30 p.m. Feb. 20 at Armstrong Auditorium, 14400 S. Bryant Ave. The production highlights a story of emigration and immigration, as Irish-born Ciara decides to leave her home country for America. Performed

by Irish dancers from Celtic Woman and Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance and accompanied by an eight-member band and vocalist, Stepping Out draws on a rich history of Irish immigration that boomed substantially from the middle of the 19th century to the early years of the 20th century.

During the period, many Irish citizens sought to escape famine and seek out new occupational prospects through emigration. Irish emigrants numbered in the hundreds of thousands and then the millions, often facing collective discrimination and drawing from similar wells of experience, but their stories remain unique.

Annie Moore, one such immigrant, gained historical acclaim for becoming the first person to pass through Ellis Island when it opened in 1892.

Such narratives of change and transformation inform the two-act structure of Stepping Out. The first number of Act I, “Dawning of the Day,” begins in Ireland; the act ends with Ciara’s decision to leave her country. Act II picks up with Ciara’s arrival (“Shores of Amerikay”) and follows her life as a new immigrant. Costuming details also

track Ciara’s narrative arc, as her clothes become more colorful and modern.

Although Stepping Out is a story about leaving, its sonic and thematic resonances communicate the power of memory, culture and tradition.

Culturally significant musical instruments, such as uilleann pipes (a type of bagpipes) and the bodhrán (a frame drum) help evoke a distinctly Irish sensibility.

The music in Stepping Out combines a mixture of traditional Irish folk songs such as “The Parting Glass” and ones specifically written for the show, said lead singer Megan Burns.

Of course, when somebody asks you if you want to tour the USA, you say you would drop everything and go.

Megan Burns “One of the songs I sing is called ‘Carrick ferg us,’” Burns said.

“Carrickfergus is a lovely little town in north County Antrim, and the song is about missing your hometown and crossing overseas and reflecting on your life at home and the people you’ve left behind.”

Through this fusion of sonic and geographic specificity, Stepping Out nuances the immigrant experience through the lens of Ciara’s experience while acknowledging the stories of others like her (“An Emigrant’s Tale”).

Her story, magnified, contains both love and loss, and the show evinces the personal sacrifice of immigrants through Ciara’s relationship with Aidan, her Irish lover.

Songs such as “Le Chéile” (Gaelic for “together”), “Always There” and “Set You Free” signify Ciara and Aidan’s relationship and Ciara’s decision to emigrate. Once in America, Ciara joins a community of other immigrants but misses her home. Ciara — much like Eilis Lacey, the protagonist of Irish author Colm Tóibín’s 2009 novel Brooklyn and subsequent 2015 film — meets a potential new lover in America, Irish immigrant Sean.

“Not only does she arrive to America, but she’s also met somebody else and is torn between who she chooses,” Burns said of Ciara’s choice. “Does she choose her childhood sweetheart, or does she choose the man that she’s just met when she came to America?”

Once Aidan immigrates to America, the stakes become even higher, creating a love triangle that symbolizes the tension between familiarity and newness, between stasis and change.

Sean and Aidan face off as well (“Between Worlds,” “Taking a Stand”).

“We have many a cappella dances that express the anger between the two men, and that’s how we portray the emotional aim of the story,” Burns said.

Interpreting Immigration

From its title (a play on Irish step dancing) to the dances throughout, Stepping Out is a show that literalizes and abstracts the idea of movement.

Whether it’s on the stage, between dancers or the larger conceptual journey from Ireland to America, the show visualizes this narrative movement.

For Burns, the moves of the dancers tell the story.

Stepping Out features performers from traditional Irish dance and music groups like Celtic Woman and Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance. | Photo provided

Dublin Irish Dance’s Stepping Out explores the Irish immigrant experience through a romantic triangle. | Photo provided

“I think that’s a testament to how professional and how amazing our dancers actually are,” she said.

Burns, previously a full-time teacher, has also made moves across the world. Originally from County Armagh, Ireland, Burns spent time teaching in Qatar, where she also performed in a band. Upon returning to Ireland, she worked various singing gigs before the Dublin Irish Dance tour directors contacted her last January about joining the tour for Stepping Out. “Of course, when somebody asks you if you want to tour the USA, you say you would drop everything and go,” Burns said. “Whenever I learned a little bit more about the story, I was so much more interested in it.”

Burns said the past year included rehearsals and preparation.

“We can enjoy the tour now that the hard work is done, and we know everything like the back of our hands,” she said.

The show, which involves the audience at certain points, has allowed for the touring company to connect with many people in America who have Irish roots, Burns said.

“We’re really looking forward to going to Oklahoma,” she said. “Probably the best part of the show is being able to interact with the audience after it and getting feedback and hearing their stories.”

Visit armstrongauditorium.org.

Dublin Irish Dance, Stepping Out

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calendar are events recommended

by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.

BOOKS Brilliant Book Clubs Launch Party, a book-buddy program launches to mobilize local volunteers to meet with elementary students during lunch to read a book together; enjoy an night of wine, cheese and live music, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Feb. 8.

Commonplace Books, 1325 N. Walker Ave., 405551-1715, commonplacebooksokc.com. THU Storytime with Miss Julie, Bring the kids for storytime with books Miss Julie picked herself. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. SAT A Horse Goes to the Store, author of the Johnny Bob Adventures Glenda Buckmier signs her book about a farm horse named Dusty who decides to go shopping, 11 a.m. Feb. 10.

Best of Books, 1313 E. Danforth Road, Edmond, 405-340-9202, bestofbooksok.com. SAT Second Sunday Poetry, novelist, essayist and poet Jason Poudrier reads his collections of poetry Red Fields, published by Mongrel Empire Press in 2012, and a chapbook, In the Rubble at Our Feet, published by Rose Rock Press in 2011, 2 p.m. Feb. 11. The Depot, 200 S. Jones Ave., Norman, 405307-9320, pasnorman.org. SUN Mid Oklahoma Writers Meeting: Dr. Ken Hada, free to the public, Dr. Ken Hada presents poems from his collection along with a screening of several of Duane Hada’s River White paintings, 7-9 p.m. Feb. 13. Eastside Church of Christ Family Center, 916 S. Douglas Blvd., Midwest City, 405732-0393, eastsidechurchofchrist.info. TUE Read for Adventure, the OKC Zoo and Metropolitan Library Systems have partnered to publish the children’s book, Our Day at the Zoo‚ and to create a community Read for Adventure program enabling readers to check out the new book from any of the 19 Metro Library locations, through March 31. Metropolitan Library System, 300 Park Ave., 405-231-8650, metrolibrary.org.

FILM The Searchers, (1956, USA, John Ford), a Western starring John Wayne; an American Civil War veteran embarks on a rescue mission to save his niece from the Comanches, 6:30-9:30 p.m.

Feb. 8. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. THU

Moulin Rouge!, sing and dance to Baz Luhrmann’s award-winning musical extravaganza with an intermission by OKC’s Burlesque group Dust Bowl Dolls, 8:30-11 p.m. Feb. 8. 51st Street Speakeasy, 1114 NW 51st St., 405-463-0470, 51stspeakeasy. com. THU

HAPPENINGS Oklahoma City Sales & Management Career Event, a free event to find jobs including inside sales reps, account executives, mortgage brokers and more; bring your resume and dress business professional, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Feb. 7. Embassy Suites, 1815 S. Meridian Ave. , 405-682-6000, embassysuites3.hilton.com. WED Laissez les Bon Temps Rouler!, dive into a New Orleans jazz club dressed in beads and your favorite mask to enjoy music by City Cabaret Band and vocals by Ronn Burton, Mahalia Gronigan and more, 8 p.m. Feb. 8-10. The Paramount Theatre, 11 N. Lee Ave., 405-637-9389, theparamountokc.com.

Flower Power Market, STASH hosts its Valentine’s pop-up shopping party with local art, handmade products, food trucks, live music and more, 6-9:30 p.m. Feb. 9. Downtown Norman, 122 E. Main St., Norman, 405-637-6225, downtownnorman.com. FRI LIVE! on the Plaza, join the Plaza District every second Friday of the month for an art walk featuring artists, live music, street pop-up shops, live performances, and more, 7-11 p.m. Feb. 9. Plaza District, 1618 N. Gatewood Ave., 405-367-9403, plazadistrict.org. FRI Vexxed Valentine, bring your Valentine to the most frightening haunted house in the area and receive a discount as a couple, 7-11 p.m. Feb. 9-10.

Guthrie Haunts Scaregrounds, 4524 Riverside Place, Guthrie, guthriescaregrounds.com.

Treasure Your Roots Genealogy, a conference covering topics on DNA, oral history, newspapers and more with keynote speaker Thom Reed, global outreach manager for Family Search International, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Feb. 10. St. John Missionary Baptist Church, 5700 N. Kelley Ave., 405-4783344, okgensoc.org. SAT See You Saturday, learn about inspirational Oklahomans who make our state great with interactive exhibits and free admission, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Feb. 10. Oklahoma Hall of Fame, GaylordPickens Museum, 1400 Classen Drive, 405-2354458, oklahomahof.com. SAT When Arts Collide, a benefit funding art programs for youth with a day full of food, drinks, body painting, live music and more, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Feb. 10. Avenue 101, 5929 N. May Ave., thetishayshow. com. SAT Prom Of The Dead: 80’s Video Dance Party, wear your best 80’s prom attire or come as you are;

Love JRB Art at the Elms presents Behnaz Sohrabian’s portraits of women and abstract paintings as well as work by Malaysian fashion and jewelry designer Stella Thomas through Feb. 25 at the gallery, 2810 N. Walker Ave. Call 405-528-6336 or visit jrbartgallery.com. wednesday-wednesday, through feb 25 Photo JRB Art Gallery/provided

FX artists are on hand to get you looking more dead than alive, 9 p.m. Feb. 10. The Ruins Live, 12101 Interstate 35 Service Road, 405-418-8209, thesanctuaryokc.com. SAT Norman Mardi Gras Parade, put on your Mardi Gras mask and costume for a carnival-themed celebration with food trucks, music, dancing and a parade, 7 p.m. Feb. 10.

Downtown Norman, 122 E. Main St., Norman, 405-637-6225, downtownnorman.com. SAT Krewe de Banjo Mardi Gras, festivities include live jazz by Shelby Eicher, New Orleans cuisine such as jambalaya, red beans and rice and more along with a cash bar and Mardi Gras treats, 6-9 p.m. Feb. 10.

American Banjo Museum, 9 E. Sheridan Ave., 405604-2793, americanbanjomuseum.com. SAT Sweet Sensations: Romance, Chocolate, Bodycare & Essential Oils, learn how to make lotion bars to take home, sample chocolates and massage oils to get in the Valentine’s Day mood, 3-4 p.m. Feb. 11.

Natural Grocers, 7013 N. May Ave., 405-840-0300, naturalgrocers.com. SUN An Affair of the Heart, a craft show with exhibitors from across the country displaying antiques, collectibles and handmade items such as quilts, baskets, dried flower arrangements and more, Feb. 9-11. Oklahoma State Fairgrounds, 3001 General Pershing Blvd., 405-948-6700, okstatefair.com. FRI Museum Theory and Practice, explore the research, preservation, management and interpretation of historical and cultural resources through the University of Central Oklahoma’s graduate program in museum studies, through April 27. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org.

FOOD The Lost Ogle Trivia, for ages 21 and up; test your knowledge with free trivia play and half-priced sausages, 8-10 p.m. Tuesdays through Nov. Fassler Hall, 421 NW 10th St., 405-609-3300, fasslerhall.com. TUE

Crowns: A Gospel Musical Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma’s production of Crowns is an uplifting celebration of life that connects the love affair many African-American women have with their hats to tales that recount memorable occasions in the lives of six women.

Shows are 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays-Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through Feb. 25 at Lyric at the Plaza, 1727 NW 16th St. Tickets are $25-$68. Call 405-524-9312 or visit lyrictheatreokc.com. WEDNESDAY-WEDNESDAY, THROUGH FEB. 25 Photo KO Rinearson/provided

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F E B R U A R Y 7, 2 0 1 8 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

Geeks Who Drink, weekly trivia with fun audio and visual rounds where teams compete to win free pints and gift cards, 7-9 p.m. Mondays. Stonecloud Brewing Company, 1012 NW 1st St., 405-602-3966, stonecloudbrewing.com. WED

YOUTH Kid Inventor, design, test and build unique creations using a variety of materials and technologies such as Legos, string, paper

and more, through March. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2020 Remington Place, 405-602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org.

Hot Chocolate Valentine, suited for ages 6-10, learn about the fruit that chocolate comes from with a scavenger hunt, hot cocoa tasting and creating two packages of cocoa mixes and cards to give to our valentines, 2-3:30 p.m. Feb. 10. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-4457080, myriadgardens.com. SAT Explore It!, answer all your questions of what, why and how about the natural world we live in, 11:30 a.m.-noon Saturdays. Sam Noble Museum, 2401 Chautauqua Ave., Norman, 405-325-4712, samnoblemuseum.ou.edu. SAT Discovery Time, a program for preschool and elementary-age kids with a hands-on activity of stories, crafts and discovery table specimens, 2:30 p.m. Sundays. Sam Noble Museum, 2401 Chautauqua Ave., Norman, 405-325-4712, samnoblemuseum.ou.edu. SUN Art Adventures, bring your young artists ages 3 to 5 to experience art through books with related art projects, 10:30 a.m.-noon Tuesdays through June. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman, 405-325-3272, ou.edu/fjjma.

Little Sapling Series, enjoy songs, games and interactive fun for the whole family exploring the world of gardens with mud pies, observing caterpillars and more, 10-11 a.m. every other Tuesday. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. TUE

PERFORMING ARTS Alexander Hamilton, Oklahoma History Center presents Eben Kuhns as Alexander Hamilton, chief of staff to George Washington and a self-made man; with only one performance, tickets might go fast! 7 p.m. Feb. 8. Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, 405-522-0765, okhistory. org. THU The Magic of Rob Lake, a benefit show for Norman Animal Welfare and Friends for Folks, magician Rob Lake performs his grand illusions, 7:30-9 p.m.

Feb. 9. Nancy O’Brian Center for Performing Arts, 1801 Stubbeman Ave., Norman, 405-364-0397, roblake.com. FRI Nice Work If You Can Get It, a slapstick comedy with jazzy dance numbers brings to life a cast of outrageous characters in New York to celebrate the wedding of a wealthy playboy, 8 p.m. Feb. 9, 10, 16, 17 and 3 p.m. Feb. 11, 18. Elsie C. Brackett Theatre, 563 Elm Ave., Norman, 405-325-4101, theatre.ou.edu. FRI

The Centennial Rodeo Opry, an evening of live music and the best performers representing country, folk, blues, gospel, rock, bluegrass and more, 6 p.m. Saturdays. Centennial Rodeo Opry, 2221 Exchange Ave., 405-297-9773, ohfo.org. SAT Historic Organ Concert & Dedication, learn about the organ’s history and refurbishment, then be treated to a concert of highly regarded classical works performed by Silviya Mateva followed by a reception, 3-5 p.m. Feb. 11. Trinity Lutheran Church of Norman, 603 Classen Blvd., Norman, 405-321-3443, tlcnorman.org. SUN Heisenberg, stars Broadway leading lady Stacey Logan brings to blazing, theatrical life the uncertain and often comical sparring match that is human connection, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 9, 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Feb. 10, 1:30 p.m. Feb. 11. Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 405-297-2264, okcciviccenter.com.

School of Rock, this musical follows Dewey Finn, a wannabe rock star turned substitute teacher who transforms a class of straight-A students into grade-A rockers, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 6-8, 8 p.m. Feb. 9, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Feb. 10, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Feb. 11.

Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 405297-2264, okcciviccenter.com.

The Magic of Adam Trent, an immersive entertainment extravaganza of magic, illusion, comedy and music designed to entertain the entire family, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 13. OCCC Visual and Performing Arts Center, 7777 South May Ave., 405682-7579, occc.edu. TUE Tuesday Noon Concerts, a series presented by OU School of Music and the museum features 30-minute concerts during the lunch hour, noon-1 p.m. Tuesdays. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman, 405-325-3272, ou.edu/fjjma. TUE

ACTIVE Learn-to-Swim Program, giving residents of all ages and financial situations the opportunity to learn to swim with proper technique and basic water safety at their own pace offered by the King Marlin Swim Club, ongoing, Lighthouse Sports, Fitness and Health, 3333 W. Hefner Road, 405845-5672, marlinswimamerica.com.

Thunder Jr. NBA Skills Challenge, free and open to boys and girls under the age of 13, the challenge tests the participants in their ability to dribble, shoot and rebound, 6-10 p.m. Feb. 9, 8-10 a.m. and noon-3 p.m. Feb. 10. Cox Convention Center, 1 Myriad Gardens, 405-602-8500, coxconventioncenter.com.

Yoga with Art, relax and stretch in contemporary art-filled spaces with yoga instructed by This Land Yoga, 10 a.m. Saturdays. 21c Museum Hotel, 900 W. Main St., 405-982-6900, 21cmuseumhotels.com. SAT Yoga & a Brew, roll out your yoga mat for a class with traveling yoga instructor Natalie Moses; then enjoy a 405 freshly brewed beer, 1-3 p.m. Feb. 11.

405 Brewing Company, 1716 Topeka St., Norman, 405-573-2668, 405brewing.com. SUN Yoga in the Gardens, an all-levels class led by Lisa Woodward from This Land Yoga; class participants should bring a yoga mat and water, 5:45 p.m.

Tuesdays. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. TUE Line Dancing Lessons, perfect your dancing skills with some country music, Wednesdays.

Chisholm‘s Saloon, 401 S. Meridian Ave., 405949-0423, facebook.com/chisholmssaloon. WED

VISUAL ARTS As I See It, features paintings of Oklahoma Artist Steve Hicks ranging from landscapes to abstract art, through Feb. 25. The Depot, 200 S. Jones Ave., Norman, 405-307-9320, pasnorman.org.

Botanical Watercolor Painting, learn how to create watercolor paintings working with silk flowers and live flowers with teaching artist Kiana Daneshmand, 6-9 p.m. Thursdays. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. THU Brett Horton Art Show, features acrylic and oil paintings, colored pencil and ink drawings, mixed media and surreal works as well as photos and videos by the artist, through Feb. 28. Picasso Cafe, 3009 Paseo St., 405-602-2002, picassosonpaseo. com.

Cartoons & Comics: The Early Art of Tom Ryan, the drawings of acclaimed Western artist Tom Ryan are displayed showcasing his creativity, talent, and humor from his teenage imagination, high school and coast guard years and his school paper‘s sports page, through April 1, 2018. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org.

to intermediate students, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Feb. 12-14. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org.

Life and Legacy: The Art of Jerome Tiger, one of Oklahoma’s most celebrated artists, Jerome Tiger, produced hundreds of works of art and won numerous awards throughout the country.

Celebrate the life and legacy of this remarkable painter, through May 13, 2018. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org.

Decomposition: Discovering the Beauty and Magnificence of Fungi, the kingdom of fungi is on display at SMO’s smART Space Galleries exploring the uses, benefits and beauty of fungi, through Aug. 12. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2020 Remington Place, 405-602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org.

Love Is a Canvas, give art to your Valentine this year choosing from a selection of paintings, fused glass, metal sculptures, jewelry and more, through Feb. 28. The Purple Loft Art Gallery, 514 NW 28th St., Suite 400, 405-412-7066, thepaseo.org.

Docent-Guided Signature Tour, see some of the finest Western art in the country with ethnographic material from Native Americans and mountain men, and learn about frontier military life, Saturdays and Sundays through Feb. 25. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org.

Fine Print! Posters from the Permanent Collection, arranged chronologically and thematically with five topics: artists, entertainers, patriotism, products and ideas reflecting the twentieth century’s conflicting values, through May 27. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman, 405-3253272, ou.edu/fjjma.

Fringe at the Art Hall, hosts artists of Fringe Women Artists of Oklahoma providing various fine art mediums and provocative concepts to our communities, through April 1. Art Hall, 519 NW 23rd St., 405-231-5700, arthallokc.com.

Photo Norman PTA Council/provided

Photo Science Museum Oklahoma/provided

Corazón: Student Art Exhibition, a student visual arts exhibition presented

by Oklahoma Latino Cultural Center; the final day features a mariachi-themed project, through Feb. 10. Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, 3000 General Pershing Blvd., 405-9510000, oklahomacontemporary.org.

Do You See What I See? Painted Conversations by Theodore Waddell, explores Waddell’s abstract expressionism like never before by redirection the visitor’s attention to the importance of what they do not see rather than what they do see on the canvas, Feb. 9-May 13. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-4782250, nationalcowboymuseum.org.

Norman Chocolate Festival Taste a variety of delectable treats from participating businesses like Apple Tree Chocolate, Fancy Cakes & Confections and more. Funds raised benefit public education. The festival is 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Saturday at Norman North High School, 1809 Stubbeman Ave. Tickets are $30-$50.

Visit normanptacouncil.org. Saturday

Tinker ’Bout It Late Nite Lab This first-ever program consists of activities connected to tinkering. Kids of all ages can animate, automate, build, break and create.

Late Nite Lab is 6-11 p.m. Friday at Science Museum Oklahoma, 2020 Remington Place. Call 405-602-6664 or visit sciencemuseumok.org. Tickets are free-$20. Friday

In Their Element: A Showcase of Native Photographers, features four American Indian photographers­— Brad Woods, Jim Trosper, Lisa Hudson and Cara Romero —with their individual photography styles, through Feb. 28. Exhibit C, 1 E. Sheridan Ave., Ste. 100, 405-767-8900, exhibitcgallery.com.

Jardin do Amor/Garden of Love, view works by Skip Hall with mixed-media drawings of tattoo expressive patterning, looping graphic lines and kinetic scribbling creating a sensual and sensory experience, through March 23. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com.

Leather Working Workshop, Traditional Cowboy Arts Association (TCAA) members Pedro Pedrini and Troy West teach tool modification, drawing floral layout and floral carving for beginner

Mindscape: The Subjective Realism of Steve Breerwood, features oil paintings that relate to the artist’s relationship with his inner self through an autobiographical approach giving the view a glimpse of subjective reality, through Feb. 22.

Melton Gallery, 100 N. University Drive, Edmond, 405-974-2000, uco.edu.

OFF-SPRING: New Generations, explore the development of both personal and group identity, childhood, family, history and gender politics through sculptures, paintings, photographs, and videos, through Apr. 2018. 21c Museum Hotel, 900 W. Main St., 405-982-6900, 21cmuseumhotels.com.

Open Impressionism: The Works of Erin Hanson, a large selection of paintings by Erin Hanson showing works from the past decade and her evolution into one of the most sought after artists of her generation, through Feb. 22. The Goddard Center, 401 1st Ave SW, Ardmore, 580-226-0909, goddardcenter.org.

Share the Love!, show your love for your favorite piece of art or artifact by placing a heart next to it and sharing it on social media with #MyWest and #HeartsForArt, through Feb. 14. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org.

SHIFT, Factory Obscura presents a fully immersive, experiential art installation that challenges the participant to physically explore the full-sensory environment, Thu-Sun noon-6 p.m. through Feb. 25.

Current Studio, 1218 N. Pennsylvania Ave., 405-6731218, currentstudio.org.

Space Burial, an exhibit using satellite dishes as a burial object for a space-faring culture and facilitates the dead’s afterlife journey to the stars, through April 8. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman, 405-3253272, ou.edu/fjjma.

Strange Tide, Danny Joe Rose III’s paintings are abstract and reminiscent of places he has been, a sort of visual history, through Feb.17. [Artspace] at Untitled, 1 NE Third St., 405-815-6665, 1ne3.org.

The Art of Oklahoma, celebrate the 110th anniversary of Oklahoma statehood with a diverse collection of art created by or about Oklahomans

go to okgazette.com for full listings!

and the cities and landscapes they call home.

Enjoy works by John Steuart Curry, Oscar Brousse Jacobson, Nellie Shepherd, David Fitzgerald and Woody Big Bow, through Sep. 2. 2018. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-2363100, okcmoa.com.

The New Art: A Controversial Collection Fifty Years Later, the 150-piece permanent collection purchased from the Washington Gallery of Modern Art is dedicated to the collection of contemporary art and features abstract expressionism, postpainterly abstraction, color field painting and pop art, through May 13. 2018. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com.

The Question of Beauty, presents modern and contemporary art from the permanent collection that employs beauty as a mode of expression, together with work that either rejects or ignores beauty, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. through Feb. 11. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-2363100, okcmoa.com.

Unlocking the Vault: Mysteries and Marvels of the Museum, exposes rarely seen artifacts from the museum’s vault such as John Wayne‚Äòs personal Buddha sculptures and a sketch of a dinosaur on CM Russell letterhead, Feb. 9-March 13. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org.

Wake, a multisensory installation created by Grace Grothaus and Rena Detrixhe to animate water with waves through recorded audio, through March 31. Oklahoma Contemporary Showroom, 1146 N. Broadway Drive, 405-951-000, oklahomacontemporary.org.

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.

For okg live music

see page 40

O kg a z e t t e . c o m | F E B R U A R Y 7, 2 0 1 8

35

1613 N May Ave. 405.601.5606

List your event in 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.

Submit your listings online at okgazette.com or email them to listings@okgazette.com.

Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.

36

F E B R U A R Y 7, 2 0 1 8 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

MUSIC

EVENT

Bully | Photo Alysse Cafkjen / provided

No pushover

Bully’s Alicia Bognanno leads the Nashville band’s charge from both sides of the studio glass.

By Ben Luschen

The sophomore album from Nashvillebased grunge quartet Bully was released in October to no shortage of press and reviews. Losing is also the band’s debut on the famous Sub Pop record label after its first LP Feels Like was released summer 2015 on Columbia Records.

Much of that initial press was positive, and rightfully so. Publications praised Bully vocalist, guitarist, producer and founder Alicia Bognanno for her work on both sides of the studio glass. Losing was tracked over just a few months at legendary producer Steve Albini’s Electrical Audio studios in Chicago. Bully’s music is particularly known for the Minnesota native’s trademark shouting vocals layered with plenty of gritty rasp.

However, Bognanno gives her best effort not to get caught up in what others have written. To her, the music is a reflection of her individual creative spirit, a piece of herself that she is kind enough to share with the world.

“I try not to read reviews ever,” Bognanno said in an Oklahoma Gazette phone interview. “I’ll read big ones when they come out to get a general sense of

how it was received. After that, I don’t really look too much into it because I want to keep making music that I like.”

Bully performs with special guest Melkbelly 10 p.m. Friday at Opolis, 113 N. Crawford Ave., in Norman. Admission to the all-ages show is $12-$14.

Bognanno said Losing is exactly the record the band set out to make. To her, that is success enough. The thoughts and words of someone else — positive or negative — shouldn’t change that.

In fact, Bognanno said they could even hamper her creativity.

“I feel like once I start reading too much into things, I’ll cater things to make someone else happy,” she said. “I’m not really playing music for that purpose.”

The purpose that Bognanno does play for is a deep-seeded passion for music at all its levels.

Production passion

Bognanno wanted to work in the music industry for as long as she could remember; not just as a singer or musician, but in any way she could contribute to the creative or technical side of things.

Before she was recording albums at Albini’s Electrical Audio studio, Bognanno was a production intern there. She wanted to learn analog tape production, and there is no better place to learn than under masterful Albini, known for his work with Nirvana, Pixies, Superchunk and more.

“Recording analog just makes a lot more sense to me,” she said. “It’s more of a physical process than staring at a computer screen.”

Bognanno said she was persistent in her pursuit of the internship. She emailed and called as much as she could until she finally secured an interview with the studio’s intern coordinator.

“I kept bugging them,” she said. “I just kept touching base and following up in the months leading up to it and making sure it was still happening.”

Though women make up much of music’s talent in front of the microphone, there is a large gender disparity in production and songwriting at the industry’s highest levels. Female producers like Bognanno are a rarity. No woman has ever won a Grammy for Producer of the Year.

A lack of representation has never been a deterrent for Bognanno. Her current production work is limited to Bully releases, but she is still passionate about pursuing the technical side of her craft.

In the future, she would like to produce records outside her own band’s work.

“Most of the time, I’m pretty swamped with Bully stuff,” she said, “but if the right opportunity came along, I’d totally be open to doing it.”

Diverse tone

A lot of Bully’s music is distinctive in that it can feel upbeat and aggressive while also pleasantly soothing at nearly simultaneous moments. Songs that eventually turn heavy will also feature pretty, dueling guitars. It is a sound that especially feels appropriate on Losing, an album with lyrical themes about change and coming of age.

“In the songs, there’s a lot of emotional pull and back and forth,” Bognanno said.

“The music sometimes just replicates that subconsciously.”

The vocalist’s goal is not necessarily to write personal, introspective lyrics, though they often are. Instead, Bognanno focuses on making sure each song makes sense as a whole.

Bognanno tries to write under a single theme on each song to avoid jumbled ideas and give each piece special meaning. The best way to keep on top of that is to write what feels familiar, and that usually means going into her own life in some way.

“It just ends up being more personal because I’m trying to make sure I understand what I’m saying and what I mean when I’m writing lyrics,” she said.

Most of Bully’s songs are written in the music room of Bognanno’s Nashville home. The room is nothing special, just a small space where the band practices and keeps its gear.

Still, songwriting could occur at any time or place. Bognanno will sometimes write on the road or at a moment when she

just happens to have her guitar with her.

It can be very spontaneous.

“A lot of times, songs will come about in random cities if I’m feeling inspired,” she said. “It sounds cheesy, but it’s true.”

Self-maintenance

Bognanno said Bully’s 2018 plans are mostly dedicated to touring. The travel life is something the vocalist has accustomed herself to in recent years.

In the songs, there’s a lot of emotional pull and back and forth.

The music sometimes just replicates that subconsciously.

Alicia Bognanno “Being on the road is really weird, and there is no real routine,” she said. “It’s changing all the time.”

She makes a conscious effort to take care of herself as she travels. It is the only way she knows how to make a month or more of shows feasible for her body.

Doing so is a practice in restraint and discipline. Bognanno said road life includes a lot of waiting time — time where food, alcohol and partying are readily available. Sometimes there aren’t many options from which to choose.

“It’s easy to just eat garbage because you’re just in the van all the time,” she said.

Bognanno is primarily concerned about taking care of her body because her screaming vocals demand special preservation. She tries to remember to drink tea before she goes to bed each night. She controls her sleep schedule to the best of her ability.

“I try not to stay up late,” she said. “A lot of times, it’s out of my control because we’ll have to drive a couple of hours that night. But I try to get as much sleep as I can because that seems to affect it the most. I can’t stay out to 5 a.m., drinking, and then wake up and scream for the next 30 days.”

So far, Bognanno never had a night where she was just unable to speak. She is not sure how much people in the audience notice it, but she said there are some nights when her voice feels more capable than others, and it feels strongest about one week into touring. Despite numerous obstacles, her voice and body always find a way to adjust.

“Once the muscle memory starts happening,” she said, “it kind of figures out how to fend for itself and is good to go.”

Visit bullythemusic.com.

Bully w/ Melkbelly 10 p.m. Feb. 16 Opolis 113 N. Crawford Ave., Norman opolis.org | 405-673-4931 $12-$14

O kg a z e t t e . c o m | F E B R U A R Y 7, 2 0 1 8

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MUSIC

EVENT

Kalo, Wild Change | Photo Provided

FEBRUARY 15,16,17 CURTAIN IS AT 7:30 PM PURCHASE TICKETS AT THE DOOR OR SHOWTIX4U.COM

38

F E B R U A R Y 7, 2 0 1 8 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

$15 ADMISSION OR $10 FOR STUDENTS AND SENIORS VISIT THEBETHANYSTAGE.COM OR EMAIL US AT THEBETHANYSTAGE@GMAIL.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION

Uncommon folk

Bat-or Kalo prepares for her Folk Alliance International debut as her blues-rock trio readies its next chapter. By Ben Luschen

Bat-or Kalo and her energetic, eponymous blues-rock band are not necessarily associated with the kind of slow acoustic storytelling typically found at the annual Folk Alliance International conference. But the Israeli transplant is planning to do her best to blend in as a solo artist in her Oklahoma Room debut.

Each year, Tulsa-based Horton Records sponsors the Oklahoma Room showcase, which highlights the very best Sooner State folk talent at the premiere folk music and networking event. In addition to the KALO vocalist and guitarist, this year’s roster includes Jesse Aycock, Levi Parham, Jacob Tovar, Paul Benjaman, Kyle Reid, Jared Tyler, Carter Sampson, Beau Roberson of Pilgrim, Chris Lee Becker, Lauren Barth, Chris Blevins, Kalyn Fay, Erik the Viking, Andy Adams, Dustin Pittsley, Dan Martin, Ken Pomeroy, Erin O’Dowd, Jason Scott, Jared Deck, Chloe Johns, Steve Liddell and Scott Aycock.

The Oklahoma Room artists will perform at various times Feb. 14-18 at the conference, which is being held this year at The Westin Kansas City at Crown Center in Kansas City, Missouri.

Less than a week after the conference concludes, Kalo returns for her band’s first Oklahoma City show with new bassist Chad Roper, a longtime music staple in the area. An Evening with KALO is 7:30-11 p.m. Feb. 24 at VZD’s Restaurant & Bar, 4200 N. Western Ave. KALO, a trio that also includes drummer and percussionist Mike Alexander, released two albums in 2017. Live in NYC, recorded at the legendary Greenwich Village nightclub

The Bitter End, was released in March.

KALO’s studio album Wild Change made a July debut.

In addition to her coming Oklahoma Room appearance, Kalo spoke with Oklahoma Gazette about the challenges of staying in the U.S. on an artist visa and readying a new sound for her band in 2018.

Oklahoma Gazette: You were recently performing in Israel, your home country. How often do you usually perform over there, and is that something you enjoy doing?

Bat-or Kalo: Sure. It’s home, so you expect from yourself just a little bit more, but it’s alright. Of course I’m enjoying it. I don’t play there often. I play when I go, and I go probably once a year because I have my family there.

I need some down time.

OKG: What’s the music crowd like there compared to what you play for here in the U.S.?

Kalo: Oh my God, it’s night and day. I think any artist should experience radio — not online radio, but regular radio — and travel the world, opening the radio where you’re at. It’s just very, very different. [Israel] has a lot of influence from Egyptian and German music. You could call it, I guess, Middle Eastern music. Right now, what’s hip is combining it all together with pop music. I think it’s very cool — a very ethnic rhythm mixed into pop music, which makes it easier to swallow.

OCU PRESENTS 2018 FILM SERIES

The Salesman Dir. by Asghar Farhadi thur, Feb 8

STephen baker Fri, Feb 9

JOhn bOMbOy sat, Feb 10

The DenniS brOTherS Wed, Feb 14

cOlin ryan thur, Feb 15

STephen baker Fri, Feb 16

JuSTin lOgan

SUNDAY,, FEBRUARY FEBRUARY18 4thth @ 2pm SUNDAY FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC Meinders Auditorium | NW 27 & N McKinley For more information visit okcufilmlit.org

sat, Feb 17

The TraDing cO. Wed, Feb 21

abbigale Dawn thurs, Feb 22

clinT harDeSTy Fri, Feb 23

JareD Deck KALO’s namesake Bat-or Kalo is one of more than 20 state artists featured in The Oklahoma Room at Folk Alliance International in Kansas City. | Photo Photo Jim Beckel/Provided

OKG: Last year was a pretty big year for the band; you all had two albums out. It seems like you’re always staying busy.

Kalo: I am. If this is how we’re going to make a living, you better.

OKG: You’re in the United States on an artist visa. Doesn’t that require you to keep fairly busy?

Kalo: Absolutely. I think it’s part of my thing for now. You need to make a portfolio each time you present yourself to the government. You have to build a case.

OKG: Does that put any kind of pressure on you?

Kalo: Yes. And not just on me. Everyone has to be on board with me about everything. You can’t find yourself in excuses.

We all have good days and bad days, you know? When bad days appear, you try to do your best not to quit. I’m working with people who are really fiery.

Sometimes if I want to throw everything away, I know they’ll kick my ass.

OKG: You’re participating in the Oklahoma Room of the International Folk Alliance Conference in Kansas City. Are you excited for that?

Kalo: Yeah, I think it’s very cool.

OKG: Have you participated in that before?

Kalo: I have not. It’s my first time. I’ve watched things about it, and I’ve heard about it before. On the East Coast and West Coast, I never heard about it there.

But when I came to the Midwest, there were other things lining up and this was one of those things I’ve heard of.

OKG: A lot of great Oklahoma artists are going to be there, and you’re one of them.

Kalo: Yeah, I’m happy to be included.

OKG: You’re at the cool kids’ table.

Kalo: Right. Which, I never actually got into the cool kids’ table. I must tell you this.

OKG: I find that hard to believe.

Kalo: That’s the truth.

In its 36th year, OCU Film Institute presents films on the theme “Picturing Reconciliation”

sat, Feb 24

Dan MarTin Wed, Feb 28

brenT nere Weekly events Mondays

Open Mic w/caleb Mcgee tuesdays

for more info www.okcufilmlit.org

Tanner Miller 405.928.4550

OKG: What kind of table did you sit at?

Kalo: Oh, you know, “that table” over there. I was not quiet, but I was a weirdo, I guess. Not cool, because being cool is a different story.

OKG: For this coming year, do you all have any new music you’re working on?

Kalo: Yes. We have a new addition to the band. I have a new bass player. I’ve been looking forward to having a new sound.

I’ve been having a soul and jazz kind of thing. I was trying to keep it very simple, I guess. Now I’m trying to do more, and I feel like with this structure now, we can do some other crazy things that I’ve always wanted to do. We’re looking forward to recording another live album, because live albums are awesome. We all love them because what happens on stage never happens in the studio. Then we’re going to go into the studio, of course.

We’re already working on new songs, because that’s always what you’re supposed to do. I’m just kidding, of course.

I sound very cynical, because everyone has their own process. I’m looking forward to going in a new direction.

An Evening with KALO 7:30-11 p.m. Feb. 24 VZD’s Restaurant & Bar 4200 N. Western Ave. vzds.com| 405-602-3006 $10-$15

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MUSIC February 10 REAd SOuTHAll bAnd February 17 WAndA jACKSOn February 18 lAlAH HATHAWAy February 21 WAXAHATCHEE FEBRUARY 22 COOP SHOWCASE March 8 SHOOTER jEnnInGS March 9 & 10 405 PITSTOP

Vibro Kings | Photo Ron Reichel / provided

March 21 COlTER WAll March 22 THE dEAd SOuTH Tickets and Info TOWERTHEATREOKC.COM @towertheaterokc 405-70-TOWER | 425 NW 23rd St. OKC

wed, FeB 14

keys n kraTes w/ PromniTe, Jubilee Fri, FeB 16

wade bowen w/kaiTlin buTTs, bryce dicus TUeS, FeB 20

noThinG more w/ The conTorTionisT, biG sTory, kirra wed, FeB 21

somo w/ caye, kid Quill

ThUrS, MAr 1

maTisyahu w/ eminence ensemble SUn, MAr 11

floGGinG molly life is Good Tour Fri, MAr 16

GranGer smiTh w/ earl dibbles Jr. Fri, MAr 23

Jeezy w/ Tee Grizzley

ThUrS, MAr 26

sylvan esso w/ suzi analoGue TUeS, MAr 27

k. flay w/ yunGblud

TUeS, April 10

sleeP w/ subrosa Tulsa ok

423 norTh main sT

TickeTs & info cainsballroom.com 40

F E B R U A R Y 7, 2 0 1 8 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

event

March 20 THE blACK AnGElS

Tied together

Wanda Jackson’s Tower Theatre opener Vibro Kings dress to impress. By Ben Luschen

The show won’t be Chris Henson’s first time to play inside Tower Theatre, but the Vibro Kings’ chance to open for rockabilly queen Wanda Jackson will be a significant upgrade over his last gig at the historic venue.

“I played there in, like, ’98 when there was water falling through the ceiling and stuff,” Henson said. “We thought we were going to get electrocuted.”

Of course, Tower Theatre has seen a significant overhaul since the late 1990s.

After the venue’s current ownership group took over in April, they wasted little time transforming the space into a premier destination for music and movies in Oklahoma City.

Maud-born Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Jackson is arguably the biggest name to grace the stage since that reopening. The last few months have been busy for the 80-year-old. In November, she released a new autobiography Every Night Is Saturday Night: A Country Girl’s Journey to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

In January, it was announced the music pioneer would be named an Oklahoma Cultural Treasure at the Governor’s Arts Awards ceremony Feb. 28.

Jackson starts the party just over a week in advance Feb. 17 at her Tower Theatre gig, 425 NW 23rd St. Those packing into the venue to see Jackson are likely to notice her opening act, distinct suit-and-tie-clad rockabilly trio Vibro Kings. The OKC band includes guitarist and vocalist Henson, bassist Jeremy Burgin and drummer Jeff Wilder.

Speaking recently with Oklahoma Gazette, the band was still coming off the rush of opening for Jackson during her Jan. 21 show at Tulsa’s Cain’s Ballroom.

“The place was packed, and they were very responsive to us,” Henson said, “and also, of course, to Wanda.”

The opportunity to play at historic Cain’s Ballroom was an honor for Henson in and of itself, but to share a bill in the venue with Jackson seemed like a dream.

“You’re going around looking at pictures of Hank Williams and all these people and you’ve got Wanda Jackson in the background, singing ‘Funnel of Love,’” he said. “It was very surreal because there’s not many legends alive still.”

Sharper image

The Vibro Kings’ trademark look, with a white shirt and black tie under a black suit and bowler hat, is sharp and full of contrast. On stage, they look as if they just wandered off the set of Reservoir Dogs.

Henson doesn’t want the aesthetic to end at their look.

“Our music could be in a Quentin Tarantino film,” he said. “That’s the kind of vibe we like: obscure, old-sounding stuff.”

The Vibro Kings, founded in 2015, are an older band relative to the many younger groups that make up most of OKC’s local music fabric. Wilder said the suits not only give the band a distinct look, but show that they’re serious about showmanship and their craft.

“It’s more of a respect thing, what we’re doing here, instead of show up in cargo shorts and T-shirts,” the drummer said.

The band’s members come from a wide range of musical backgrounds, having previously played in nearly every type of genre as members of separate projects.

That breadth of influence perhaps plays into The Vibro Kings’ eclectic sound,

which is mostly a blend of rockabilly and surf-style rock.

There are hints of blues mixed in and, as Wilder says, “just a touch of Motörhead” gives them a slight edge.

Henson has known Wilder and Burgin for many years. The Vibro Kings grew organically out of the simple desire for Henson and Wilder to play together, with Burgin joining in later.

Ron Reichel, the band’s manager, was attending a music showcase at Anthem Brewing Company when he heard The Vibro Kings for the first time.

He was immediately struck by their look and musicianship. When the show was over, he struck up a conversation with the group and told them he had worked with a few other bands in the past. The conversation snowballed into a professional relationship and, eventually, a friendship.

The Vibro Kings tries to fit as much music into its set as possible, not taking much time for on-stage banter. The manager said the group lets its talent speak for itself.

“When they start playing, people start catching on real quick,” Reichel said.

“They get the same response that I got the first time.”

Henson said the band’s music and sound is by far the most important thing to the members. They want to deliver the best product they can each time they go out on a stage.

“It doesn’t matter if there’s 10 people in the crowd or 1,000 people,” he said.

“We’re going to play the same show.”

‘Magical thing’

Burgin said The Vibro Kings have always been able to lock in with their playing, always finding a perfect sync to their rhythm and timing. That is not something to be taken for granted.

“That’s a really magical thing,” he said.

“It’s really unique and doesn’t happen very often. It’s just our personalities, the way we fit together. It just happens, and I think people can see that.”

Vibro Kings is currently preparing its debut studio album, which should be released later this year. Henson said this band is the least forced he has ever been involved in. Things seem to come together really naturally. Egos are regularly tossed aside for the sake of the music. Everyone seems to be on the same page.

“For the most part, if something doesn’t sound right, we all know it doesn’t and we know it needs to be worked on,” he said. “That’s really refreshing. We work very well together.”

Visit vibrokingsokc.com.

Wanda Jackson w/ Vibro Kings 8 p.m. Feb. 17 Tower Theatre 425 NW 23rd St. towertheatreokc.com | 405708-6937 $20-$28

LIVE MUSIC Rick Springfield/Richard Marx, Riverwind Casino.

These are events recommended

by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members. For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.

ROCK

Taylor Kropp, Red Brick Bar. SINGER/SONGWRITER

Uncle Blue, Belle Isle Restaurant & Brewery. BLUES

SUNDAY, 2.11 Bad Bad Hats, 89th Street - OKC. ROCK

The Big News/The Holophonics, Blue Note Lounge. PUNK

Michael Kleid’s Touch Of Sax, Flint. POP

WEDNESDAY, 2.7

The Ju Ju Beans/The Big Worry/Nathan Mongol Wells, Your Mom’s Place. VARIOUS

Side Effects/Caleb Alvin James/Hayden Bedwell and more, Your Mom’s Place. ACOUSTIC

Boogie T/Squnto, OKC Farmer’s Market.

The Mighty Orq/The Scott Keeton Band, VZD’s Restaurant & Bar. BLUES

STBTLCO/Hog Feed, Blue Note Lounge. ROCK

CJ Boyd, Eos, Grant Wiscarver, The Prairie Rebellion, RoundAbout. VARIOUS

The Penny Mob/Loose Wires, The Drunken Fry.

FOLK

ELECTRONIC

PUNK

Susan Herndon and the Bella Councel, The Depot.

Migos, Cox Convention Center. HIP-HOP

SATURDAY, 2.10

Truth Uncommon/Polly of the Hero, Sauced on Paseo. ROCK

THURSDAY, 2.8

Alex Burris, Grady’s 66 Pub. ACOUSTIC

MONDAY, 2.12

Carly Gwin and the Sin/Team Nightstand/Locust Avenue, The Deli. ROCK

Skel, The Root. INDIE

Alice Howe/Kirsten Maxwell, The Blue Door. SINGER/SONGWRITER Dead Country Gentleman, VZD’s Restaurant & Bar. ROCK Limbs/Great American Ghost, 89th Street - OKC. HIP-HOP

Little Big Town/Kacey Musgraves/Midland, Chesapeake Arena. COUNTRY Lunar Laugh/Dead Country Gentleman/Turbo Wizard, VZD’s Restaurant & Bar. INDIE Skrilla G, The Venue OKC. RAP Stephen Baker, The Bluebonnet Bar. JAZZ

FRIDAY, 2.9 Andy Adams, Mary Eddy’s Kitchen x Lounge. FOLK Bart Crow, Graham’s Central Station. COUNTRY Brandi Reloaded, The Landing Zone. ROCK

Luke Combs Country artist Luke Combs recently released a music video for his latest single, “One Number Away” and is best known for his hits “Hurricane” and “When It Rains It Pours.” He performs his Don’t Tempt Me With a Good Time tour with Ashley McBryde 7:30 p.m. Feb. 16 at The Criterion, 500 E. Sheridan Ave. Tickets are $42. Call 405-840-5500 or visit criterionokc.com. FEB. 16 bigstockphoto.com Kyle Rainer & Running Hot, Chisholm’s Saloon.

Cherokee Maidens, The Blue Door. COUNTRY

COUNTRY

Hosty, The Deli. BLUES

Kyle Reid/Kate Williams, Opolis. JAZZ

Intervals/Nick Johnston/Night Verses and more, 89th Street - OKC. ROCK John Bomboy, The Bluebonnet Bar. BLUES

Layken Urie, Remington Park. COUNTRY Power Pyramid/Gentle Ghosts/Husbands, 51st Street Speakeasy. POP

Cheap Kites/Intervention/The Weekend Classic and more, 89th Street - OKC. ROCK Death Before Breakfast, Red Brick Bar. PUNK Dirty Red & The Soulshakers, Mooney’s Pub and Grill. COUNTRY Grant Peeples/Cary Morin, The Blue Door. FOLK Hosty, NOIR Bistro & Bar. BLUES Killswitch Engage/Anthrax/HAVOK, The Criterion.

METAL

Layken Urie, The Root. COUNTRY Limp Wizurdz/Psychotic Reaction, Opolis. PUNK Read Southall Band, Tower Theatre. ROCK T-Town Jazz Quartet, [Artspace] at Untitled. JAZZ The Dennis Brothers, The Bluebonnet Bar. BLUES The Hormones, Blue Note Lounge.

PUNK

Joe Pug, The Blue Door. SINGER/SONGWRITER

TUESDAY, 2.13 Susan Herndon/Jordi Baizan/Terry Klein, The Blue Door. FOLK

WEDNESDAY, 2.14 Saint Monroe/Stone Tide, Saints. ROCK Split Lip Rayfield, The Blue Door. BLUEGRASS

Live music 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 to listings@okgazette.com.

Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.

go to okgazette.com for full listings!

free will astrology Homework: Describe how you plan to shake off some of your tame and overly civilized behavior.

Testify at Freewillastrology.com.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) British athlete Liam

Collins is an accomplished hurdler. In 2017, he won two medals at the World Masters Athletics Indoor Championships in South Korea. Collins is also a stuntman and street performer who does shows in which he hurtles over barriers made of chainsaws and leaps blindfolded through flaming hoops. For the foreseeable future, you may have a dual capacity with some resemblances to his.

You could reach a high point in expressing your skills in your chosen field, and also branch out into extraordinary or flamboyant variations on your specialty.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) When he was 32, the man

who would later be known as Dr. Seuss wrote his first kid’s book, And To Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street.

His efforts to find a readership went badly at first. Twentyseven publishers rejected his manuscript. On the verge of abandoning his quest, he ran into an old college classmate on the street. The friend, who had recently begun working at Vanguard Press, expressed interest in the book. Voila! Mulberry Street got published. Dr. Seuss later said that if, on that lucky day, he had been strolling on the other side of the street, his career as an author of children’s books might never have happened. I’m telling you this tale, Taurus, because I suspect your chances at experiencing a comparable stroke of luck in the coming weeks will be extra high. Be alert!

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) A survey of British

Christians found that most are loyal to just six of the Ten Commandments. While they still think it’s bad to, say, steal and kill and lie, they don’t regard it as a sin to revere idols, work on the Sabbath, worship other gods, or use the Lord’s name in a curse. In accordance with the astrological omens, I encourage you to be inspired by their rebellion. The coming weeks will be a favorable time to re-evaluate your old traditions and belief systems, and then discard anything that no longer suits the new person you’ve become.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) While serving in the U.S.

Navy during World War II, Don Karkos lost the sight in his right eye after being hit by shrapnel. Sixty-four years later, he regained his vision when he got butted in the head by a horse he was grooming. Based on the upcoming astrological omens, I’m wondering if you’ll soon experience a metaphorically comparable restoration.

My analysis suggests that you’ll undergo a healing in which something you lost will return or be returned.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) The candy cap mushroom,

whose scientific name is Lactarius rubidus, is a burnt orange color. It’s small to medium-sized and has a convex cap. But there its resemblance to other mushrooms ends. When dried out, it tastes and smells like maple syrup. You can grind it into a powder and use it to sweeten cakes and cookies and custards.

According to my analysis of the astrological omens, this unusual member of the fungus family can serve as an apt metaphor for you right now. You, too, have access to a resource or influence that is deceptive, but in a good way: offering a charm and good flavor different from what its outer appearance might indicate.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) A grandfather from New

Jersey decided to check the pockets of an old shirt he didn’t wear very often. There Jimmie Smith found a lottery ticket he had stashed away months previously.

When he realized it had a winning number, he cashed it in for $24.1 million -- just two days before it was set to expire. I suspect there may be a comparable development in your near future, although the reward would be more modest. Is there any potential valuable that you have forgotten about or neglected? It’s not too late to claim it.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) The U.S. Geological Survey

recently announced that it had come up with improved maps of the planet’s agricultural regions. Better satellite imagery helped, as did more thorough analysis of the imagery. The new data show that the Earth is covered with 618 million more acres of croplands than had previously been thought. That’s 15 percent higher than earlier assessments! In the coming months, Libra, I’m predicting a comparable expansion in your awareness

of how many resources you have available. I bet you will also discover that you’re more fertile than you have imagined.

you’re taking care of? Now is a good time to make adjustments and corrections.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) In 1939, Scorpio comic

was a famous American actor, director, and drama teacher. He appeared in or directed numerous films, plays, and TV shows. But in the 1970s, when he was in his forties, he also spent quality time impersonating a banana in a series of commercials for Bic Banana Ink Crayons.

So apparently he wasn’t overly attached to his dignity.

Pride didn’t interfere with his ability to experiment. In his pursuit of creative expression, he valued the arts of playing and having fun. I encourage you to be inspired by his example during the coming weeks, Aquarius.

book writer Bob Kane co-created the fictional sciencefiction superhero Batman. The “Caped Crusader” eventually went on to become an icon, appearing in blockbuster movies as well as TV shows and comic books.

Kane said one of his inspirations for Batman was a flying machine envisioned by Leonard da Vinci in the early 16th century. The Italian artist and inventor drew an image of a winged glider that he proposed to build for a human being to wear. I bring this up, Scorpio, because I think you’re in a phase when you, like Kane, can draw inspiration from the past. Go scavenging through history for good ideas!

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) I was watching a four-player poker game on TV. The folksy commentator said that the assortment of cards belonging to the player named Mike was “like Anna Kournikova,” because “it looks great but it never wins.” He was referring to the fact that during her career as a professional tennis player, Anna Kournikova was feted for her physical beauty but never actually won a singles title. This remark happens to be a useful admonishment for you Sagittarians in the coming weeks. You should avoid relying on anything that looks good but never wins. Put your trust in influences that are a bit homely or unassuming but far more apt to contribute to your success.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Charles Nelson Reilly

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) According to ancient

Greek writer Herodotus, Persians didn’t hesitate to deliberate about important matters while drunk.

However, they wouldn’t finalize any intoxicated decision until they had a chance to re-evaluate it while sober. The reverse was also true. Choices they made while sober had to be reassessed while they were under the influence of alcohol. I bring this to your attention not because I think you should adhere to similar guidelines in the coming weeks. I would never give you an oracle that required you to be buzzed. But I do think you’ll be wise to consider key decisions from not just a coolly rational mindset, but also from a frisky intuitive perspective. To arrive at a wise verdict, you need both.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) A Chinese man named

Wang Kaiyu bought two black-furred puppies from a stranger and took them home to his farm. As the months passed by, Wang noticed that his pets seemed unusually hungry and aggressive. They would sometimes eat his chickens. When they were two years old, he finally figured out that they weren’t dogs, but rather Asian black bears.

He turned them over to a local animal rescue center. I bring this to your attention, Capricorn, because I suspect it may have a resemblance to your experience. A case of mistaken identity? A surprise revealed in the course of a ripening process? A misunderstanding about what

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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puzzles New York Times Magazine Crossword Puzzle SURPRISE ENDINGS

By Priscilla Clark and Jeff ChenPuzzles Edited by Will Shortz | 0128

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ACROSS 1 Small house in the Southwest 7 Covert missions 15 Select 18 Wading birds 20 Light, catchy tunes 21 “Je t’____” 22 Cite 23 Pimp launches career in rap …

BUT HAS AN EPIC FAIL! 25 Father of Paris, in myth 26 Apple buy-product?

28 Relax, with “out” 29 Assessed 30 Cabby saves prostitute … WITH

HIS BLATHERING! 33 Labatt, for one 34 Composer known for mood music 35 Relinquish 36 Something coming off the shelf?

38 Tropicana products, for short 41 Floor 43 Guy makes a new best friend

… WHO TURNS OUT TO BE A COMMUNIST! 50 Beverage called a “tonic” in Boston 51 Inclines 54 Enya’s land 55 Appropriate 56 Retired pool shark returns …

TO WIN FRENCH

IMPRESSIONIST PAINTING! 60 ____ Revere, Engineer (best-

selling 2013 children’s book) 61 Facial expression often

accompanied by “Heh, heh, heh” 62 Big dipper 63 Pink-slip 64 ____ Equis (Mexican beer) 65 Chap gets life lessons from kid

… WHO’S REALLY AN ANDROID! 70 One side in college football’s

“Big Game” 72 Blue 74 Bitcoin, e.g.

75 Utopias 78 Shoves (in) 81 West Coast officers track wise-

cracking detective … TO A BOVINE! 86 One with a role to play 87 Bullets, in cards 88 First America’s Funniest Home Videos host

89 Glamorous Gardner 90 Friends gather for a funeral

… AND COOK UP AN ENORMOUS STEW! 93 “Bali ____” 94 Lively tune 95 Symbolic bird in On Golden Pond 96 Recipe amts.

100 “Angel dust” 102 Kind of knot 107 Bog monster emerges …

WITH A NEW LINE OF SNACK CRACKERS! 111 Shakespearean king 112 Auto safety feature to prevent

skidding, for short 115 Man, for one 116 Greeting on Maui 118 007 gets fired … AND LANDS A

JOB AS A SCOTTISH TAILOR! 121 Out early 123 Playing ____ 124 Spamalot writer 125 Drained 126 Object of veneration by

ancient Egyptians 127 Casualty of a crash?

128 One side of a ledger

DOWN

1 Goldfish, e.g.

2 Sidestep 3 Balkan capital 4 Mountaineer’s tool 5 Skynet’s T-800’s, e.g.

6 One who’s passed the bar: Abbr.

7 Parent’s scolding 8 Praised 9 “____ Poetica” 10 Letters on a video surveillance screen 11 Trendy smoothie ingredient 12 Force on earth, in brief 13 Bussing on a bus, for short?

14 Two plus two equaling five, e.g.

15 High mark in Spanish class?

16 “Mon ____” (words of endearment) 17 Energetic 19 “Bon” time 21 Some 24 Color changer 27 Flick 31 Carpentry rod

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97 Slops 98 Wallops 99 T-shirt choices, briefly 101 What drones lack 102 2008 Israeli political biography 103 Relatives of Tonys 104 Sum up 105 ____ Scott 106 “Positively Entertaining” cable network 108 Le Pew of Looney Tunes 109 “That’s the truth!”

110 Makeshift ghost costume 112 Warring 113 Florida city, informally 114 Brand of tools 117 Says further 119 Great time 120 Sworn statement 122 GP’s grp.

59 Olympics unit 66 Concern of an orthopedic MD 67 Howls 68 Org. that’s found by accident?

69 Piece of chicken 70 Symbols on Irish euro coins 71 Video intrusions 72 Tracker’s clue 73 Sole part 76 Astronomical event 77 Goodies in a goody bag 79 Swarm 80 Hindu honorific 81 Burger topper 82 Backtalk?

83 Miner’s find 84 Immigrant’s class, in brief 85 Bounded 91 Sneaked a peek 92 Part of TGIF

Stumped? Call 1-900-285-5656 to get the answers to any three clues by phone ($1.20 a minute).

C E L L O

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O P T R E B E D T A B G R O F O R W U A E N T T G N E I S A S H E L C A N A O V A S Y E E O Q T H Q U E A T I D R E I T T C O M M E M A S A N

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New York Times Crossword Puzzle answers Puzzle No. 0114, which appeared in the January 31 issue.

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Gift on a string Spiner of “Star Trek: T.N.G.” Destined (to be) Singer Sands Goes (for) In song, Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt’s first name Mix and match? ____ Gay (WWII plane) Fifth sign “____ Gang” Grp. with the motto “Until every one comes home” Gran Torino, e.g.

Part of a score, maybe Dentist’s directive Lacking pizazz “____ I” (“Same here”) Position sought by some MBAs Kind of shot

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