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INSIDE COVER Now that the streets are alive once again, Oklahoma Gazette takes a look at some of the artists who make our structures, alleys and public and private spaces sing By Matt Dinger Cover photo by Berlin Green Design by Phillip Danner
ARTS & CULTURE COVER Street art of OKC/ Oklahoma Mural Syndicate 13 Citizen Spotlight: Adam Ely 14 COVER Abstract Remix 16 Video games and the pandemic 19 Best of OKC Ballot 23 Black Sky Affair 4
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26 Gazedibles 28 Calendar
MUSIC COVER Tony Tee profile Thomas Who? profile 33 Soundcheck 35 Live music 31
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VOL. XLIII NO. 11 PUBLISHER | Bryan Hallman bhallman@okgazette.com EDITOR | Matt Dinger mdinger@okgazette.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR | Phillip Danner DIGITAL MEDIA & PRODUCTION COORDINATOR | Kendall Bleakley SOCIAL DESIGNER | Berlin Green ADVERTISING advertising@okgazette.com 405-528-6000 ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Saundra Godwin | sgodwin@okgazette.com Christy Duane | cduane@okgazette.com Clyde Dorr | cdorr@okgazette.com Grant Freeman | gfreeman@okgazette.com ACCOUNTING/HR MANAGER Monique Dodd | mdodd@okgazette.com CIRCULATION MANAGER Patrick Hanscom | phanscom@okgazette.com CONTRIBUTORS KM Bramlett Brett Fieldcamp Trevor Hultner Evan Jarvicks Ryan Spencer
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Sing by Matt Dinger The story of contemporary street art probably starts with illegal graffiti in the 1960s, but the Oklahoma chapter is still writing itself across blank walls and empty canvases. We all remember the “Killroy Was Here” WWII-era drawings from the history books, have seen the early graffiti styles in footage of subways in the 60s and 70s, and some of us even know about Jean-Michel Basquiat and his “SAMO” tags or his photos alongside other pop art luminaries like Andy Warhol before his death at 27 due to a heroin overdose. If you don’t, there are multiple documentaries about Basquiat as well as a 1996 feature film. Then there was Keith Haring. And Shepard Fairey. And Banksy. Quickly, what was a guerilla art form (and often an illegal one to boot) stepped up speed as street artists took their underground passion and brought it to the masses. Steve Powers’ A Love Letter To You
Carlos Barboza’s mural at Stonecloud @cbaroza_art | Photo Phillip Danner
Sunny Dayz Mural Festival with murals by (Left to Right) @jayna_hadwiger, @rhianadeckart, @up.doggs | Photo Berlin Green
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composed more than 50 rooftop murals spanning 18 blocks in Philadelphia set the tone for mural festivals to come. That spirit translates through state mural festivals like the Habit Mural Festival in Tulsa, which is on hiatus this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Habit Fest is put together by Clean Hands Army. “Clean Hands is basically just like a design and mural crew based out of Tulsa. It’s kind of a collective of four of us. I do the bulk of the design work and there’s about three of us that paint all the murals,” Aaron Whisner said. “Probably five years ago, we had a studio space/storefront in a warehouse on the east side of downtown Tulsa. We’d been looking to start doing like a mural fest in Tulsa, initially, we were going to do it in various locations around town, whatever walls we get donated at the time.
George F. Bakker III mural at the opening of Plaza Walls. @gfb3 | Photo Phillip Danner
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But the building, it was this big warehouse and we just had like the small section of it. The landlord offered to give us the whole thing for the event, so that’s kind of how we just ended up having it there at that specific spot, as opposed to kind of making it like an all-city thing, which eventually we did a couple of years later,” he said. Last year’s festival was done by streaming the work of the muralists using a film crew on site. “It was cool, but I felt like the energy — having people out and like watching the process wasn’t quite the same — which is, to me, kind of the purpose of all these festivals. To have people physically come and see the process,” Whisner said. While they plan to keep the main hub for next year’s festival, they’re actively seeking more opportunities. “The hurdle is getting the walls donated. There’s no shortage of artists that want to paint these spaces. We don’t like to give the artists parameters when they’re painting. We want them to do whatever they want. A lot of times when a building owner donates something, they want to, like you know, art direct it and stuff and that’s never really been like our thing. We want the artists to have full creative freedom,” he said.
You can’t think about public art in Oklahoma without giving props to the Oklahoma Mural Syndicate. OMS operates the Plaza Walls project along with its sister event, the Milk Crate Jam. This year, they were the team behind the inaugural Sunny Dayz Mural Festival in the Britton District near Western Avenue and Britton Road. But they’re also responsible for El Reno Walls as well as the Route 66 Mural Festival in far-flung Miami in the northeastern part of the state. It’s no wonder USA Today named OKC as the best city for public art in the country. Locals and artists from as far west as Hawaii and as far east as New York descended upon the Plaza Walls 2021 Mural Expo,
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Dylan Bradway mural at 13th and Classen @mrdylanb | Photo Phillip Danner
Sm. Sanz mural in the Plaza at Gatweeod Ave and Nw 16th St. @sm.sanz | Photo Phillip Danner
Wrdo & Nico mural in the Plaza on the side of Oak and Oare on NW 16th st. @weerdo1994, @nicosuavalicous | Photo Phillip Danner
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Denise Doung’s mural at Classen and Sheridan Ave. @lildfromokc | Photo Berlin Green
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creating 38 new murals earlier this month. Here is the full 2021 line-up: Carlos Barboza, BëkiT, Brady, Yo Bro, CES, Darin, Charlie Doves, Riley Edge, EYEZ, Jaiye Farrell, Sek Fink, ISIS FISHER, Kristin Gentry, Guer, Ana Iaccarino, George F. Baker III, Black Tiger IMC, JABEE, JUURI, Eric Karbeling, Katelynn Noel Knick, Al Lovett, MAST, Meme (Few & Far), Tiffany McKnight, Nico, OU, Marium Rana, John Salame, SM Sanz, No Parking Studios, Jaspyr Soul Style, Trashwolf, Michael Noel Walters, Weerdo, Wheron, Maeve Wise, and May Yang. MC StuddaBudda led the live entertainment featuring DJ Dee Rock, Garistotle, DJ Goddess, Hex _ Rated, Nymasis, and SkraCTH. And everyone got paid a little something thanks to the tireless volunteer work of Dylan Bradway and Kris Kanaly. “We think it’s the most attended. We had the most amount of artists ever. We upgraded the fence panels so they’re nice and smooth. First time we had a stage. We had more performers than ever. We sold more merch than ever. We have the most sponsors ever. It was really a big thing,”
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With Love Project at 1708 NE 23rd St. (Left to right ) @caleblee81, @dawnjaiye, @ebonyimandallas, @noparkingstudios, @tlynnmcknight, @tonythunder.art | Photo Berlin Green
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Dusty Gilpin mural at Zuma. @okiedust | Photo Berlin Green
OMS President Kris Kanaly said. The popularity of this year’s mural festival is a testament to the work those two, along with the rest of their team, have been putting in for years. “I used to run DNA Galleries in the Plaza District. My ex-wife and I started that back in 2008 and really helped curate some people down there, businesses and artists and creatives,” OMS Vice President Dylan Bradway said. “ After a couple of years of being down on the Plaza, I realized that the alley was back there but nobody was really utilizing it. We had started doing murals in the District through DNA and on the side of Saints, so the value of the murals down in the District was becoming more apparent.” They struck a deal with real estate owner Steve Mason. “We just approached him and said, ‘Hey, this is a perfect place for artists to come congregate and create murals, create public art, that changes and rotates. We see value in that, especially as supporters of street art just influenced by graffiti or stuff like that,” Bradway said. Kanaly said he got his start
Collaboration team Lindsay Zodrow and Hayley Owen working on their mural in the alley of Plaza Walls. @yo.bro.okc | Photo Berlin Green
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Zek Fink and BëkiT mural in the alley of Plaza Walls. @sekfink @el_bekit | Photo Berlin Green
Julie Robertson’s mural in the Western Ave District @Juuriart83 | Photo Berlin Green
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Kris Kanaly, President of OMS @pyramidguy | Photo provided
Dylan Bradway, Vice President of OMS @mrdylanb | Photo Beau Brand 10
O C T O B E R 1 3 , 2 0 2 1 | OKGA Z E T TE .COM COV E R S TORY
as a kid tagging ditches and underpasses but honed his craft on walls that were donated to him and fellow artists to do their thing with. Decades later, he’s still doing the same thing. But all of OMS is a volunteer and 501(c)3 non-profit organization and festivals of this scale and with this much talent take a lot of time, so they’ve launched Blank Walls in an attempt to garner local, state and federal funding for the project. “The artists we hire are ALWAYS paid, but our staff is not … After six years of unpaid staff and a proven track record of building culture through inspirational installations and events, we have reached a tipping point,” a blank portion of the Plaza Walls read this year. “We’re definitely getting to the point where we realize this is not sustainable and we really need to focus on getting enough grants or getting enough funding to where we can pay staff, but we haven’t gotten there yet. We’re just a group of artists that said, ‘Hey, let’s do this.’ None of us had ran a nonprofit before, so we just kind of dove in, classic Silicon Valley model, where you worry about how you make money later on — you just start building. And that’s where we are. So we built something amazing. We realize our cultural impact on the city and on the state. We’ve got to figure out a way to pay staff and that’s currently kind of a top priority,” Kanaly said. “We have to approach each project with the mindset like, we have to have the right funding to do this but if it’s there, a lot of these small towns are willing to put money towards things to benefit their little downtown areas,
Blank mural inside of the Plaza Walls. Scan the QR Code below to donate to Plaza Walls | Photo Phillip Danner
smaller communities to bring some life to them. Same thing happened in El Reno. Miami is way out in the middle of nowhere and that’s kind of a logistical problem but like we’ve made it happen multiple years in a row went off without a hitch,” Bradway said. Li ke t he Ok la hom a Mu r a l Syndicate, Habit Fest is funded primarily through donations. For more info about how to donate or sponsor, go to habitfestival.com/ For more info about how to donate or sponsor the Oklahoma Mural Syndicate, go to plazawalls.org/nonprofit
For more information about to donate to Plaza Walls scan the QR code with your smart phone.
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CITIZEN SPOTLIGHT
Changing Luck Adam Ely & Team of Hard Luck Auto In each issue, we are highlighting a person in our community who stands out for their leadership, kindness, and good deeds. Know someone like that? Email bgreen@ okgazette.com to share their story. To meet Adam Ely is to be greeted with a beaming smile and an energy that seems to have no bounds. This man exudes light, and he knows what it means to be down on your luck. A U.S. Army combat veteran who served overseas in multiple tours, Ely has seen a lot of the world and witnessed its darkness, so he really just wants to put all the good he can back into it in the best way he knows how — fixing cars. “My oldest daughter was working for Domino’s. She had a friend who would give her a ride every day, but her friend’s car was running like crap. I told her for $65, we can give her car a tune-up,” Ely said. “She said she’d already had it diagnosed and that one of the local repair places and told her it would be almost $500 bucks to fix it. The next time she came to pick my daughter up, I told her to come 45 minutes early next time, and I’d knock it out for her. And that’s when we had a little bit of a lightbulb moment ...There are a lot of places out there, and there are a lot of people in need. Some of these repair bills are unattainable, depending on your income. A little delivery driver who makes her living off of tips can’t wait for weeks for an expensive tune-up, and we can help her for less than a quarter of the cost. About six weeks later, I made a post on Facebook that said this is what I want
to start doing. Six weeks later, my inbox was so full that it was just out of control. So I started a separate Facebook page just for Hard Luck Auto. The rest is history.” In November 2017, Adam started working out of the back of his truck with a small toolbox. He’d take appointments via his new Facebook page and drive around to homes to fix their cars for free. His wife Toni, an Air Force veteran, designed T-shirts to offset the cost. By 2019, Mike Rowe, known for Discovery Channels “Dirty Jobs,” took note and paid Ely a surprise visit on behalf of his Facebook show “Returning the Favor.” Rowe and his team rented Ely a space in downtown Oklahoma City for two years. “The first year, the volunteers were a lot of high school kids in auto shop classes or at Vo-Tech. I would mentor them, and it was a cool place to help them learn and hang out. But the dynamic has kind of changed a bit. When Litahni ‘Shawshank’ Shawhan came on, he was my first real volunteer. He took this place from a cool garage to hang out at to a real business and a force to be reckoned with. I think he is absolutely the reason for our success today,” Ely said. When the lease on the space ran out this April, Redemption Speed Shop stepped in to offer space for Ely and his small team of volunteers to continue to work. The single-bay shop operates three days a week and services about five cars a day. In 2020 alone, a year wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, Hard Luck Auto served 567 people and saved Oklahomans nearly $200,000 in labor costs and parts savings thanks to partnerships with Napa Auto Parts,
Danny Spaulding, Richard Faust and Adam Ely of Hard Luck Auto. | Photo Berlin Green
O’Reilly’s, AutoZone and others. “You buy the parts and we’ll do the labor. We’ll do brakes, shocks, struts, tune-ups and oil changes. We’ll go so far as to change a fuel pump or an alternator,” Ely said. “We do a lot of suspension and brake work. We’ve found a niche that we’re really good at. When I was working out of the back of my truck for the first two years, I was only able to help three or four people a week, thanks to the incredible generosity of our volunteers and the community we’re able to help so many more,” Ely said. The plans for the future of Hard Luck Auto are hefty. In 2020, the City of Midwest City donated an acre of land to Ely to continue his mission but that’s only a fraction of the journey. Even with donors willing to help with windows and other elements, they still have to raise nearly $700,000 to develop the land and construct the building. They’ve hosted a music festival, poker runs, and poker tournaments to raise the money, but so far, it’s only made a small dent. “We also had an anonymous donor through one of the philanthropy foundations in Oklahoma City donate $15,000, so the support has been amazing,” Ely said. “Of that $700,000, we’ve only got about $670,000 to go.” The planned facility planned for the corner of NE 23rd and Air Depot in Midwest City will contain five car bays, a conference room and a shop that would allow the Hard Luck Auto team to serve even more people each week. Hard Luck Auto brings a deep sense of purpose to Ely’s family and it does the same for his team. Danny Spaulding, a freelance graphic designer, is among Adam’s current volunteers.
“I love it to be honest. It’s an amazing gig,” Spaulding said. “I’ve always liked helping people out as much as possible. I met Adam and found out about what he was doing. I just came up here one day and asked if he needed some help. He invited me right in and let me start working on cars with him. We’re only open a few days a week so it works perfectly with my schedule while allowing me to pay it forward.” The newest volunteer, Richard Faust, a retired GM mechanic of 32 years has only been on the job a few days. “Why sit around bored at home since I retired,” said Faust. “I’ve always enjoyed working on cars, and I’ve always enjoyed giving back to people. Adam and Hard Luck allow me to do both. It’s very rewarding work.” To learn more about Hard Luck Auto or to donate, visit hardluckauto.org
For more information about Hard Luck Auto scan the QR code with your smart phone.
CITIZ E N S POTLIGHT OKGA Z E T TE .COM | O C T O B E R 1 3 , 2 0 2 1
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“Adapt” by Rhiana Deck | Photo Phillip Danner
The top f loor of Oklahoma Contemporary is currently home to a quad of fresh murals inspired by abstract expressionist art created just for the exhibit. Abstract Remix continues through Jan. 24, 2022. “By placing these typically public works indoors, the exhibition invites the public to a visual conversation on how Oklahoma Contemporary is integrated within the larger panorama of Oklahoma City’s cultural and artistic growth,” Oklahoma Contemporary’s site states. Rhiana Deck, Codak Smith, Kalee Jones W., and May Yang are the artists behind the murals. Smith and Yang are both Tulsa residents, with local murals on display there, while Jones and Deck are both in Oklahoma City and recently completed outdoor murals at the first Sunny Dayz Mural Festival in August. Deck’s mural for Abstract Remix is named “Adapt.” Its placard reads: “Rhiana Deck deals with perspective and flowing lines to create energetic compositions. Her freestyle approach to mural design enables her to better express the emotional context in which she paints. He newest work speaks to the restless nature of communities in flux — a commentary on how collaboration contributes towards resilience.” And while Deck said she prefers collaborative pieces, she certainly showed that resilience in getting the work completed. 14
“Long story short, they didn’t get the panels until a week and a half before the show,” Deck said. “I wasn’t able to actually start painting on the panels until five days before the show, and they were actively priming the panels while I was painting on them. And it’s funny because the name of the piece that I did is called ‘Adapt,’ because I feel like people right now, we’re having to adapt hardcore right now.” She was working on panels that were four feet by eight feet, using acrylic and aerosol spray paint, so she had to work
“Fruit Forward with Nice Dancey Dance” Kalee Jones W. | Photo Phillip Danner
O C T O B E R 1 3 , 2 0 2 1 | OKGA Z E T TE .COM COV E R S TORY
mostly outside to get them completed, which also provided challenges. “I was painting on them separately, so it wasn’t like I was painting on them all at once so I could eye them all together, I was painting on two or three at a time. And every day when I would come in at nine o’clock in the morning, they would be in a different spot, and not on purpose … But I had fun and that kind of went along with the name of it. The paint was still wet. Two hours until the show I was still painting,” Deck laughed. Also on display in the exhibit is a timelapse video of the artists creating the works. “I was there every day from the morning until way after everybody left.
I was there past one o’clock in the morning and I didn’t mind. I was having a great time. It was badass. I had my own key to Oklahoma Contemporary and I could just walk around, walk through all the rooms,” she said. For more information about Art Remix, scan the QR code with your smart phone.
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On March 20, 2020, something weird happened. A video game, of all things, became a symbol of the fight against COVID-19. Coming into 2020, Nintendo, one of the “Big Three” video game console ma kers a long w ith Sony and Microsoft, was celebrating a minor victory. It had just sold more lifetime units of its flagship handheld-console hybrid device, the Switch, than Microsoft ’s X box One, making Nintendo the number-two best selling console manufacturer in the world. Fifty-three million people owned a Switch worldwide, and the 2019 holiday season had been particularly good to the company. The recently-released
Pokémon Sword and Shield, the first mainline Pokémon game to hit the Switch since the console’s release in 2017, sold 16 million copies, providing a big boost in Switch sales as well. But as the holiday season waned and whispers of a new, deadly virus started to get louder, that momentum was threatened. Their first-party release lineup for the year primarily consisted of a remaster of a Wii game, Xenoblade Chronicles, a special Mario 35th anniversary package, and a remake of Pikmin 3. Nothing that exactly screamed “tentpole release.” Oh, a nd t he Enter tainment, Planning and Development Group No. 5, led by veteran director Aya Kyogoku, was putting the finishing touches on a new Animal Crossing title. The planned date of release: March 20, 2020. The very first thing anyone says to you in Animal Crossing: New Horizons
comes from the Nook twins, Timmy and Tommy: “Good morning! We’re so excited to have you here!” They are sitting at the front desk of the Nook Inc. Deserted Island Getaway Package check-in counter, and in addition to their excitement to see us, they want to be “the first to congratulate you on your wise decision to sign up for this adventure.” DOOM, this isn’t. Well, actually - we’ll come back to DOOM. The game is all rounded corners, soft colors and adorable, friendly (if bizarre) anthropomorphic animals. You play as the only human character, the winner of a “deserted island getaway” that quickly morphs into a new permanent settlement, with you at the center as the “village representative.” You can craft items, build your own home and the homes of other villagers, go fishing and dig for rare fossils - all in any order you like, and at your own pace. One of the coolest features: you could visit your friends’ islands, and they yours. Early and release-day reviews are primarily positive, noting the relaxed pace and calming sound design.
Writing for VICE, Gita Jackson observed that “New Horizons is asking you to create a society from scratch, to build a community out of a deserted island, but making a community isn’t dependent on how many trees you cut or weeds you pull. Community in New Horizons is built in the same ways it is built in the real world: by talking to your neighbors, and listening to them in return.” Everybody thought the game was good, a perfectly workable title with a calming atmosphere at a time when nobody was feeling very calm. Nobody expected the explosion it would cause. Spring Break, 2020. Bryan Trude, a University of Georgia researcher, is having to make some last minute adjustments to his daily routine. Now, instead of making the commute across Athens from his apartment to the campus and teaching classes in-person, he’d be teaching from his apartment instead. COVID had necessitated a move to virtual learning over the break. Trude, an alum of the University of Central Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University, describes himself as a homebody; the sudden switch in routine, to him, was little more than his “normal,” just “turned up another notch.” Plus, he had something to look forward to just as the spring semester was getting started.
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O C T O B E R 1 3 , 2 0 2 1 | OKGA Z E T TE .COM ART S & CULTURE
Animal Crossing on Nintendo Switch | Photos Unsplash.com
“I was so eager to get [Animal Crossing: New Horizons] I actually preordered the digital version just so I could have it downloaded and ready to play the moment it activated,” he said. Trude is a PhD candidate studying how social online games help reduce feelings of loneliness and increase feelings of belonging and social support compared to social media sites. “From a psychological standpoint, there are three core elements that go into the formation and maintenance of a social relationship between two individuals,” he said. “[Two] of those elements refer to your physical closeness - physical proximity - to another person, and a social closeness in shared
interests, likes, dislikes, hobbies etc. - social proximity.” As he describes it, “When most of the planet went into lockdown, many people (myself included) found that physical proximity to others reduced to zero - I live alone and have no pets. What video games offer, however, particularly social online games, is an approximation of that physical proximity through the social proximity offered in online play.” When the game came out, Trude was spending time building up his island and inviting his friends to visit. “We would spend time just chasing each other around, whapping each other with nets and spamming emotes at each
other, but it felt like I was spending time with someone, doing something we enjoyed, even if I was physically isolated,” he said. “It was like taking the edge off of my loneliness, like I was escaping the confines of my 450-squarefoot apartment, and not putting my life at risk to do so.” Animal Crossing: New Horizons sold more than 11 million copies in the first eleven days after release. By the time the company released its quarterly investor report in May, the game had skyrocketed to 13 million copies sold and growing; it was “now the best start ever for a Nintendo Switch title,” according to the report. During the 2019 fiscal year, the company had managed to sell
21 million Switches; between December 2019 and June 2020, the company sold another 8.9 million devices. And it wasn’t just gamers buying the console and Animal Crossing by themselves. It was regular folks from all walks of life: grandparents and grandkids, spouses and partners, friends, classmates, coworkers - all looking for an island of escape. Writing for NBC Think on March 29, just days after the game’s launch, cultural critic Ani Bundel caught the wave
Continued on page 22
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F O R Y O U R BA LLO T T O BE CO UN TE D : Oklahoma Gazette must receive your ballot (one per envelope) by mail no later than Monday, November 8, 2021.
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BEST CHEF
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ANDREW BLACK, BLACK WALNUT KURT FLEISCHFRESSER, VAST JEFF CHANCHALEUNE, GORŌ RAMEN + IZAKAYA KEVIN LEE, THE JONES ASSEMBLY MANI RAJU, TAJ CUISINE OF INDIA
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ST A Z E TZTE ET . CTE OM 20 3 O CA TUOGBUE R 1123, 2, 022002|1 O| KG OKGA .COM
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BIRDS WATCHING OKC THUNDER DANCE PARTY BY JOE SLACK, NW CLASSEN BETWEEN 7TH AND 9TH STREETS HEADLINES BY JOE SLACK, I-35 EDMOND OKLAHOMA LAND RUN MONUMENT BY PAUL MOORE, BRICKTOWN FLAMENCO BY JONATHAN HILLS, THE PASEO ARTS DISTRICT OKCONNECTED BY MATT GOAD, WILL ROGERS WORLD AIRPORT
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LIFE IN THE LIGHT BY DENISE DUONG, FILM ROW WOODSTOCK MURAL BY ROADRUNNER MURALS (GRANT & KAYLYN STACEY), FLOWER POWER CANNABIS CO. MURALS BY DUSTY GILPIN, ZUMA PLAZA WALLS (MULTIPLE ARTISTS), PLAZA DISTRICT WITH LOVE PROJECT (MULTIPLE ARTISTS), THE MARKET AT EASTPOINT
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GOODS & SERVICES
KURE CBD & VAPE LIQUID VAPOR LOUNGE OKC VAPES THUNDER VAPOR VAPOR PLUS OK
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LIFE & WELLNESS BEST PLACE TO VOLUNTEER
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BEST NONPROFIT
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BEST PLASTIC SURGEON
CDR. ANUREET K. BAJAJ, MD, BAJAJ PLASTIC SURGERY DEREK SHADID, MD, SHADID PLASTIC SURGERY ASSOCIATES IVAN WAYNE, MD, FACIAL PLASTIC SURGERY AND W FACIAL AESTHETICS JUSTIN JONES, MD, JONES PLASTIC SURGERY TIM R. LOVE, MD
BEST HOSPITAL*
INTEGRIS BAPTIST MEDICAL CENTER MERCY HOSPITAL NORMAN REGIONAL MOORE OKLAHOMA HEART HOSPITAL OU MEDICAL CENTER
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BELLA LUCE MED SPA H-MD MEDICAL SPA MARIPOSA AESTHETICS & LASER CENTER RADIANCE MEDICAL AESTHETICS OF OKLAHOMA REFINEU MEDSPA OKC
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EDEN SALON & SPA LENOX SKINCARE PURITY DAY SPA THREE GRACES DAY SPA UDÅNDER
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early. “‘Animal Crossing’ is a world where there is no run on medicines that heal you, or lack of food to eat,” she wrote. “In this time of social distancing, it turns out that a trip to a calming island, where there are no demands on your time other than building a few houses and planting some trees in a virtual paradise is exactly what many of us need.” Imad Khan, writing for the New York Times, uncovered just a month after launch how the game was already being used in unconventional ways, like as a virtual meeting room for isolated drug and alcohol addicts in recovery. “Animal Crossing offers a haven and can give players a feeling of empowerment and community, particularly at a moment when many are being told to stay at home,” he wrote. Bella Blondeau felt like she dodged a bullet. The freelance writer had just finished moving across the country to be with her girlfriend, and lockdown loomed huge overhead just as they managed to find a place. “[The pandemic] intensified a relationship that might have grown slower, and produced this cogent, ‘we can survive anything’ feeling for the two of us,” she said via Twitter direct messages last month. As her jobs changed mid-pandemic, she found herself with more quality time to spend with both her partner and with games in general, Animal Crossing among them. “I don’t have to worry about making people outside of my own social circle care about stuff,” she said. “And I think that’s led to not only a healthier, deeper appreciation of gaming, but a better relationship to discussing them with people.” As for New Horizons, she said, “These past few months, I’ve dipped my toes in it again without the baggage of hype, or mining it for guides, or whatever. So I’m treating it like the tiny, cute life sim it is at heart - it feels like I’m rediscovering Wild World (a 2005 Animal Crossing title for the Nintendo DS) as a little girl all over again.” Animal Crossing was not the only island of escape uncovered throughout the year in quarantine. Games across the board got a bump in popularity. One game, Among Us, went from being an almost dead game with an exceedingly small indie community to one of the largest cultural events of the summer and fall of 2020. Two congresspeople, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar, even appeared on a prominent Twitch streamer’s Among Us stream and played multiple rounds of the game as part of their get-out-the-vote campaign. Indie titles Fall Guys and Phasmophobia also went viral as digital novelties-cum-social gathering spots. Established titles like Fortnite continued hosting concerts and other special 22
Players play Fortnite remotely during the pandemic. Fortnite allows players to play on various devices. | Photos Unsplash.com
events in earnest, staking early claims in the nascent digital space known as the “metaverse.” While these games certainly attracted new players to gaming in 2020, it became clear quite quickly that the titles themselves weren’t as important as the building and maintenance of social bonds they facilitated - you could be around friends in a game in a way that was simply unsafe to do in the world. “I’ve met some of the most amazing people in the gaming community,” local Landon Payne said. “We continue to provide much needed love and support to each other and new gamers as well. This mess of a pandemic has brought a lot of terrific people together.” One such trend of terrific people coming together is among the indie development scene and the website Itch. io, which hosts games on a payment scheme similar to the music download site Bandcamp. Last year, during the Black Lives Matter protests following the murder of George Floyd, developers pooled their games together - in the thousands - and offered them for sale in a five-dollar bundle.
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The bundle, called the Itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality, featured 1700 games valued at $9,400; it raised more than $8.1 million for the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund and the Community Bail Fund in just a few days. In the ensuing year, Itch has done similar bundles for queer game developers, raising over $100,000 for 200 creators, and Palestinian aid, raising over $800,000 for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. Games may not have been able to save us from the worst effects of the past 18 months, and they likely will not be able to save us from what the months to come have in store, but one thing they can do is give us little pockets of joy we can share across distance and time, without risking our physical well-being and that of those around us. The worlds they contain and the narratives they offer us can provide us with the sparks to keep up the struggle just as they offer a narrow window of escape. Animal Crossing, Among Us, Phasmophobia all provided us with an opportunity to get together over our networks and enjoy experiences we
couldn’t replicate in the real world. Other games, like Kentucky Route Zero, Umurangi Generation and Cloudpunk, made powerful statements through their carefully-crafted stories and the rich worlds those stories took place in; they provided sources of inspiration and determination among a mire of confusion. Gamers even made a whole fake sport, Blaseball, that kept the fantasy sports dream alive when most real ones weren’t playing. So, if you have the time, play a game. It doesn’t have to be on an expensive next-gen console or a super powerful computer with a graphics card worth more than your car. It can be on your phone, in those few stolen minutes of a smoke break. Maybe it won’t save the world, but it might take the edge off just enough to keep going.
Black Sky Affair
By Ryan Spencer
Let us focus on a cosmological topic fraught with no small measure of incensed passion: Pluto. Confused, even angry expressions… At least that was the scene at my bar. Beloved Pluto, no longer a planet? Even in the ever-dynamic realm of science such banishment plucks the cords of our fondness for the “little planet that could,” though other circumstances surrounding Pluto’s detection also relate closely to the heart. Discovered in 1930, Pluto was the only planet to be found by an American, 24-year-old assistant astronomer Clyde Tombaugh, and was named shortly after by 11-year-old Oxford native Venetia Burney, giving the schoolgirl the honor of being the only person to name a planet. Fancy a young lady from England christening our solar system’s then-outermost realm for the Roman god of the underworld--brother to Jupiter and Neptune and judged by the ancients to rival the lords of both heavens and sea as every bit equal in eminence and authority. Fast-for ward to 2006. The International Astronomical Union meets in Paris amid much contention and spirited debate, drawing upon over two decades of fresh data confirming the existence not only of Eris (a spheroidal body beyond Pluto’s orbit, closely competitive in size and of similar eccentric orbit) but of an entire solar system-encompassing group of objects known collectively as the Kuiper belt. In light of new and constantly expanding data, IAU members in a split decision resolve to redefine Pluto’s astronomical categorization along with these other trans-Neptunian bodies rather than expanding our planetary family to include Eris, the planetoid Ceres, and
other remote and newfound objects. Said Dr. Peter Shull, Oklahoma State University Associate Professor of Physics Emeritus and IAU member, “It was a good decision. Our solar system actually has two asteroid belts: the rocky-metallic one between Mars and Jupiter, and the rocky-icy Kuiper belt. The largest objects in both belts are roundish instead of irregular in shape, a consequence of gravity and the strength of materials.” Thus was Kuiper belt constituent Pluto classed a dwarf planet; cue fifteen years of disenchantment by the layman. I was no exception, though I accepted it as I learned more about how the evolving findings fitted into our conception of this tiny corner of the universe, the star system we call home. Things change. They must, as we explore, study, and move toward a greater comprehension. To deny change on one hand is to accept a static and therefore perpetual condition of ignorance on the other. Such is not the way of science, or of its method. And perhaps young Venetia’s choice of namesake was more auspicious than we might have imagined. Pluto’s current status sets it as the prototype of a novel ordering of unique worlds, a benchmark, the king of its class as distinguished from the footman of the former. As Satan ruled Tartarus, so does Pluto now command its own new netherworld, and as Milton said, “Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heav’n.” Here’s to clear minds, and meeting change.
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India in OKC The India Association of Oklahoma brings culture to downtown OKC in its annual festival. By KM Bramlett India, the vast and culturally-diverse South Asia country where religious traditions vary widely and nearly 20,000 dialects are spoken across its 29 states, will be showcased at a rescheduled festival later this month. The India Association of Oklahoma
Dancers perform at the 2019 India Food and Arts Festival | Photo Sarun K Sunny at Sarun Photography
(IAOK) will host the India Food and Arts Festival at the Myriad Gardens from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Oct. 24. Admission to the family-friendly immersive cultural event is free. Every region of the country will be represented at the festival, IAOK spokesperson Angela Oommen said. The festival will feature a wide variety of experiences including food, jewelry, dance and music performances, art, a fashion show, and workshops.
Festival participants will also have opportunities to dress in traditional clothing and play a variety of popular Indian games, including cricket. The food menu for the festival includes many dishes, including dosa, chicken biryani, chole, mango lassi, and more. India’s culinary styles are incredibly flavorful and colorful and include lots of vegetarian-friendly options. Cumin, fennel, cardamom, turmeric, chili pepper, coriander, mustard, and cinnamon are some of the common spices in Indian cuisine, and many dishes contain coconut milk, ghee (clarified butter), and yogurt for richness. Some regional cuisines incorporate lamb, chicken, or fish, and Indian desserts are decadent and beautifully crafted. The festival schedule includes many dance performances by local Indian dance academies. Indian classical dance is highly athletic, and the dancers’ costumes are made of luxurious, colorful fabrics and include lots of jewelry and accessories. Mythic narratives, religious stories, and devotional messages are often woven into the choreography. The mission of IAOK is for people to enjoy and learn about India and “to let everyone know that we’re all one and Oklahomans,” Oommen explained. The organization, founded in 1976, is dedicated to promoting Indian culture in Oklahoma and serving in areas of need.
They have served in many ways in the OKC-metro community and in India throughout the pandemic. At the beginning of the pandemic, when PPE was in very short supply, IAOK coordinated volunteers to handstitch 10,000 fabric masks to be distributed around the metro area. In June, IAOK and the Hindu Temple of Oklahoma hosted a COVID vaccination clinic for the community. In July, the organization held a public picnic and bake sale in the Wheeler District to raise funds to send to India through the worst of the Delta variant surge there, among other community efforts. Further get to know your Indian neighbors and their culture by visiting www.ifafok.com or visit their Facebook page for more information. For more information about the festival, scan the QR code with your smart phone.
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Apparently It’s Pumpkin Season Pumpkin spice and all that’s nice. Never mind, let’s just stop right there. I’m not a fan of pumpkin anything so if anyone who knows me actually reads this, they’re going to tell you I’m a complete liar for even trying. But, in an attempt to “get with the season,” as my co-workers have been telling me to do lately, I’m going to torture myself by scouring OKC for seven different pumpkin items, so you know where to get them and maybe I never have to hear about it again. LOL, who am I kidding? By Berlin Green Photos provided
Pumpkin Coffee
Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin Bread
There’s no point in singling anyone out here. You know damn well every single coffee joint in the state has a pumpkinsomething on their menu. I at least went to Stella Nova, Clarity Coffee, Scooter’s, and even Dunkin’ to make sure. I could go to more but I think you get the idea. You’re sure to find some pumpkin spice latte mumbo jumbo anywhere. I’m sure there are a few out there that stand united with me against the pumpkin spice tyranny but the field is mostly filled with traitors.
I’ve never understood the obsession with pumpkin pie. Or pecan for that matter, but that’s a different subject for a different issue. Oh man, despite my love for fall, do I, in fact, actually loathe the season? I guess I’m going to have to discuss this with my therapist. Anyway, do they sell pie? Then they probably have pumpkin pie on their menu. This includes Railyard Pies, Soup Soup and likely places that don’t even usually make pie. Dang… Pumpkins might be a cash crop.
This is my singular concession with pumpkin nonsense. Pumpkin bread is pretty damn good. Not as good as banana bread but it’s pretty alright. Especially warmed with a bit of butter. You can find delicious versions of it at Sprinkled Bakery in Oklahoma City and Merritt’s Bakery in Tulsa. In addition to a moist and tasty pumpkin spice bread, Big Sky Bread Co. offers loaves of pumpkin yeast bread which I hear is different from your traditional pumpkin bread but lends itself perfectly to a sandwich.
It’s literally everywhere.
Do they sell pie? They have it.
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Not so common.
Pumpkin Shakes
Pumpkin Ice Cream
Pumpkin Cookies
Pumpkin Donuts
For those of you who prefer to drink your meals and want to consume your pumpkin-flavored goodness on the go, there are lots of shake shops ready to whip up some crazy pumpkin concoction just for you. Boasting flavors like pumpkin cheesecake and pumpkin spice latte, you can definitely get your pumpkin fix with these shakes. Notable shops include UpTown Nutrition, Paseo Nutrition, Empower Nutrition and Momentum Nutrition. Also, how much space do you need for a pumpkin farm?
If you ask me this is a damn travesty, but okay. I feel like ice cream is taking it a bit far. Don’t you put ice cream on your pumpkin pie? So it’s going to be pumpkin on pumpkin? I can’t even process this. But, you like what you like and you guys really love pumpkin stuff. Find flavors like vegan pumpkin cider and pumpkin spice at Roxy’s or pumpkin bread batter at Coldstone Creamery. Andy’s Frozen Custard and Braum’s also offer pumpkin ice cream treats that seem to be quite popular.
Of course there are the cookies. Little pieces of baked heaven, topped with some perfectly whipped icing. So cute and delicious, with flavors of cinnamon, spices and … pumpkin. (I hope you can tell how hard I worked to write that. It was actually a lot of effort when typing through clenched teeth.) Find pumpkin-flavored cookies at spots Brown’s Bakery, Dolci Paradiso, and City Bites. Not a cookie but basically a fluffier version, there are even some pumpkin cupcakes at spots like Sara Sara Cupcakes.
I actually didn’t even know this was a thing until I started writing this. Seriously, what the hell? Is anything sacred? Anyway, apparently pumpkin donuts are some phenomenon that happened while I was purposely sleeping under the rock of ignorance. You can find these “mouthwatering” pastries at places like Hurt’s Donuts, Dunkin’, Krispy Kreme, and anywhere else sacreligious enough to make a donut out of pumpkins… In other news, I’m getting into the pumpkin-growing business.
Yes, your local shake shop has one.
What the heck is this?
There’s a cookie for everything.
I have questions.
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CALENDAR are events recommended by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.
HAPPENINGS Brick-or-Treat Parents and guardians are invited to bring their kiddos to Bricktown to enjoy a family-friendly evening that includes spooky tunes, roaming characters, photo ops, and trick-ortreating at participating businesses. Attendees can pick up an event map from the information booth on the Mickey Mantle Plaza of the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark to plot their route., The event is free and open to everyone. Trick-or-treaters must be under the age of 14 and be in costume to receive free candy and giveaways., Mon., Oct. 25. Downtown OKC, 211 N. Robinson Ave., 405-235-3500, downtownokc.com/brick-or-treat. MON, OCT 25 Chisholm Trail Festival The family-oriented event celebrates the western history of the famous Chisholm Trail. The festival is filled with living history re-enactors of the Old West, a variety of foods, live entertainment, contests, Civil War demonstrations, gunfights, vendors, craft booths, the Kids Korral, pony rides, and a petting zoo. FREE Admission, Sat., Oct. 16, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Mollie Spencer Farm, 1001 Garth Brooks Blvd., 405-354-1895, yukonok.gov/ChisholmTrailFestival. SAT, OCT 16 Community Conversation about Homelessness in West OKC The purpose of this conversation is to get to know your neighbors and discuss some of the issues and opportunities with regards to those who are homeless in our area., Our guest presenters will include: Lindsay Cates (Homeless Services, OKC Planning) will let us know how the city is responding to these issues and Bo Ireland (Clark United Methodist Church/Lazarus Community) who will discuss his plans for a ministry specifically serving the homeless., Hosted by The Windsor & WesTen Districts. There is no charge but registration is requested here: https://homelessnesswokc.eventbrite. com No Charge, Tue., Oct. 19, 5:15-6:30 p.m. Prosperity Bank, 4631 NW 23rd, 405.256.8033. TUE, OCT 19 Linwood Place Home Tour The Linwood Place Home Tour is returning this year on Sunday, October 17th from 1-5pm. This self guided tour gives visitors a chance to see some of Linwoods beautiful historic homes. The Home Tour is our neighborhoods largest fundraiser of the year. Proceeds from the event go directly to the neighborhood to help fund maintenance and improvements to our park and green spaces, events, and capital projects. We invite you to take a stroll through Linwood and enjoy the homes and tree lined streets. $12.00 before tour, $15.00 day of tour, Sun., Oct. 17, 1-5 p.m. Linwood Place Neighborhood, 3241 NW 20th, 405-620-2366, linwoodplaceokc. com/copy-of-linwood-place-home-tour-201-1. SUN, OCT 17
Make Ready Market Join us at the Make Ready Market, an outdoor market located in Midtown OKC. We will have tons of vintage, beautiful pottery, locally made clothing, jewelry, skin care, flowers, soap, plants, and original art! Plus food trucks and live music, it’s a fun time. Bring a friend and see you there! Follow us @makereadymarket for more info. FREE, fourth Saturday of every month, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. through Nov. 27. Make Ready Buildings, 220 NW 13th St., 4053990097. SAT, OCT 22 Mansion in the Moonlight – Paranormal Investigation Welcome to the Moore-Lindsay House of Norman. Join us for this inaugural investigation weekend and find out if the spirits will talk and share secrets of years gone by., We will show you how to use paranormal equipment and lead an investigation with hopes of having your own experience. So, grab your flashlight and your favorite adventure buddy for a hauntingly good time., This is for new and seasoned investigators. Bring your equipment if you got it! If you don’t, bring your sense of adventure., Must be 16+ to attend. Under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. 25.00, Fri., Oct. 15, 7-11:59 p.m. The Moore-Lindsay Historical House Museum, 508 N Peters Avenue, 4052375533, valkyrieparanormal.org/upcomingevents. FRI, OCT 15 Midtown Walkabout Save the date because Midtown Walkabout is returning this October! This bi-annual event will take place on Saturday, October 16, and will put you in the fall spirit with seasonal promotions and activities for those shopping, eating, and visiting the district., Midtown merchants will provide specials, discounts, and activities during their normal operating hours, and there will be free pop-up programming to enjoy., Sat., Oct. 16. Midtown OKC, NW Eighth St., 405-235-3500, downtownokc.com/ midtown-walkabout. SAT, OCT 16 Night Market Friday, October 15, 5:30 – 9:30pm, 28
Come out to Scissortail Park and shop from approximately 50 local vendors throughout the Park during Night Market at Scissortail Park., Find art, home décor, jewelry, candles, antiques, bath and body products, and unique treasures you won’t find at an average gift shop. This is a great opportunity to support local businesses in a safe, outdoor environment. Food trucks and bar service will be available as well as live entertainment., Fri., Oct. 15, 5:30-9:30 p.m. Scissortail Park, 300 SW Seventh St., 405-4457080, scissortailpark.org/nightmarket. FRI, OCT 15 OKBio BrewFest The OKBio BrewFest showcases Oklahoma’s breweries, wineries and distilleries and supports the OKBIO Association. Buy tickets now at i2e.org/ okbio/brewfest/ $35, Thu., Oct. 21, 5-7 p.m. Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, 2 S. Mickey Mantle Drive, 405-813-2428, i2e.org/okbio/brewfest. THU, OCT 21 OKC Beautiful’s third annual Fall Harvest Festival Join OKC Join Western Avenue Association this year as MidFirst Bank Beautiful celebrate the bounty of fall harvest with an afternoon full of your fa- presents the 18th annual Taste of Western! Taste of Western features a host of nibbles and bites from vorite seasonal foods and activities! Fall Western Avenue restaurants, along with wine, beer, live music and a silent auction, you can’t miss this Harvest Fest will feature a chili cook-off, annual event! Wed., Oct. 20, 6-9 p.m. Will Rogers Theatre, 4322 N. Western, www.visitwesternavenue. local beer, live music, yard games, and com/taste-of-western. WED, OCT 20 Photo provided pumpkin decorating. 21+ Tickets are and a brilliant original score by Matthew Pierce, who 1307 S. Agnew Ave., 405-235-7267, stockyardscity.org/ $35 and includes two beers, unlimited will be conducting the OKCPHIL at all performances., calendar. SAT, OCT 16 chili samples, and access to games and activities. Fri., Oct. 22, Sat., Oct. 23 and Sun., Oct. 24. Civic Center Youth Tickets are $20 and include food, admission, Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 405-297-2264, okcballet. and activities. Stop by the pop-up farmers market org. FRI-SUN, OCT 22-21 to buy school-grown veggies from our OKC Harvest FOOD program., Sun., Oct. 17. Delmar Gardens Food Truck Park, 1225 SW 2nd St., 405-232-6506, okcbeautiful. ACTIVE OSU-OKC Farmers Market at Scissortail Park com/news-events/fall-harvest-fest. SUN, OCT 17 Oklahoma City’s largest outdoor market features The Haunted Trail at Dodge City Paintball The an all-made and grown-in Oklahoma producer-only Oklahoma Railway Museum Steam Train Ride Haunted Trail, est. in 2020 on the 30 acres of wooded, marketplace providing access to more fresh products Relive the golden age of steam railroading when the spooky, terrain of Dodge City Paintball, proves to be to serve the community. Located at the corner of Oklahoma Railway Museum host Leigh Valley Coal one of the most riveting haunted outdoor attractions Oklahoma City Boulevard and South Robinson AvCompany #126 The beautifully restored 1930s-era coalin the Oklahoma City area. It is by far the largest enue, the Scissortail Park Farmers Market will be open, burning saddle tank steam locomotive affectionately haunted attraction, taking 20-25 minutes to walk. All rain or shine, every Saturday from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. known as “Sadie”. Ride in vintage 1920s & 30s pasalong the way, it is packed with creative and unique through October. Scissortail Park, 300 SW Seventh St., senger cars or on an open flatcar or caboose and enjoy scares which will challenge your bravery and nerve. 405-445-7080, cissortailpark.org/osu-okc-farmersthe unique experience of hearing that engine chug See why haunted attraction fanatics rank it 5 out of 5 market-at-scissortail-park. SATURDAYS down the track during the 40 minute excursion. Tickets stars., Tickets: $20 Single Event Pass. $30 Fast Pass. are $18.00 for adults, $10.00 ages three to twelve and Season Pass $60. Season Fast Pass $80., Purchase Veggie Dinner @ Picasso Cafe Join Picasso Cafe under three ride free as a lap child $10.00-$18.00. tickets online or at venue, or $20 - $80, Fri., Oct. 15, on the third Tuesday of each month for a four to fiveOklahoma Railway Museum, 3400 NE Grand Blvd., 7:30-10:30 p.m., Sat., Oct. 16, 7:30-10:30 p.m., Fri., Oct. course menu; featuring a fresh and creative take on 4054248222, oklahomarailwaymuseum.org/gramling22, 7:30-10:30 p.m. and Sat., Oct. 23, 7:30-10:30 p.m. vegetarian-inspired fare. Enjoy with or without wine steam-locomotive. FRI-SUN OCT 15-17 & OCT 22-24 Dodge City Paintball, 16425 NW 150th St, 405-373pairings. Dinner begins at 6:30. Oct. 19, TUESDAY. 3745, dcphauntedtrail.com. FRI-SUN Reservations 405.602.2002 / Seating is limited., Tue., Raise Your Racquet Raise Your Racquet is the Oct. 19. Picasso Cafe, 3009 Paseo St., 405-602-2002, annual fundraiser for First Serve OKC, a 501c3 nonMidtown Mutts Treats & Tails The picassosonpaseo.com. TUE, OCT 19 profit, which strengthens the lives and enhances the Midtown Mutts Foundation will be sponsorcharacter of Oklahoma City youth through tennis and ing their annual Dog Costume contest on education. This relaxed, family-friendly event will feaYOUTH Saturday, October 16th from 12 pm till 4 pm. There will ture Keynote Speaker Patrick McEnroe and a drawing be live music, relay games several vendors, and fun for Pumpkinville This year families can explore for breakfast and a private tennis lesson at the OKC the entire family. So get your furbaby all dressed up the Land of Oz and enjoy imaginative Golf and Country Club with Patrick the next morning! in their best costume and enter them into our contest. displays created in the Children’s Garden $100, Fri., Oct. 22, 6-9 p.m. OKC Tennis Center, 3400 Check-in for the costume contest will be from 12:00pm with pumpkins, gourds, haystacks, cornstalks, and N. Portland Avenue, 405-315-3822, firstserveokc.org/ till 1:45pm. There is a $20.00 dollar fee for the costume mums. Play hand-crafted games, participate in activiryr2021. FRI, OCT 22 contest which has 3 categories and 1st & 2nd prizes ties, and enjoy live entertainment, unlimited rides on for each. Lots of great prizes to win. Free to watch but Red Earth Fall Fest The 35th Annual Mo’s Carousel, and special treats. The popular murals there is a $20.00 entry fee for the contest, Sat., Oct. Red Earth Parade has been referred to as will return this year including a new mural on the 16, 12-4 p.m. Midtown Mutts Dog Park, 407 W Park Pl,, America’s most unique parade. This year, the water stage by local artist Nick Bayer. The cost is $8 4054580110, bit.ly/3uVxGmy. SAT, OCT 16 Red Earth Parade will also signal the opening of one per person, free for ages 2 and under, and free for of OKC’s newest events, FallFest on Saturday, October Myriad Garden members., Through Oct. 24. Myriad 16 from 12-4pm on the Devon Lawn at the Myriad GarVISUAL ARTS Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, dens. The streets of downtown Oklahoma City will be oklahomacitybotanicalgardens.com THROUGH OK Art Crawl Discover the art next door alive with Native spirit as Red Earth Fallfest celebrates OCTOBER 24 with the OK Art Crawl! This program funcIndigenous People’s Day in Oklahoma City with an tions as a drive-by exhibition and features arts & crafts market, Intertribal Dances, and much PERFORMING ARTS 200+ artists across the state displaying their pieces in more., Sat., Oct. 16. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. front of their houses, on their front porches, in their Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, calendar.oklahomacityboNotes on Survival Directed by Marie Casimir and garages, and anywhere they see fit!, Sat., Oct. 16. tanicalgardens.com/event/fall-festival-presented-bypresented by Djaspora Productions, Notes on Survival ovac-ok.org/ok-art-crawl. SAT, OCT 16 red-earth. SAT, OCT 16 is a multimedia performance that shifts the dancers and audience between moments of protest, rest and Open World: Opening Celebration Get ready to SMO21: How to Escape a Horror Movie pure joy. Anchored in both the public and private POWER UP! Be among the first to engage with Open Deranged Scientists - Demented Dolls - Space Aliens experiences of Black Oklahoman Womxn activists, World: Video Games and Contemporary Art during - Crazed Slashers - Poltergeists. Skip the haunted this dance-theater piece questions if Black Womxn its opening celebration! This special event will include house and learn how to survive this Halloween. Afraid can and should save us. Free or pay-as-you-can complimentary drinks, hors d’oeuvres, arcade machines, of the dark? That’s okay. There are cocktails. VIP (suggested donation $5 or $10), Thu., Oct. 14, 7 p.m. console gaming, an 8-bit-inspired DJ and more., Thu., Oct. Tickets include early access, tactical knowledge and a Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, 11 NW 11th St., 21. Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, 11 NW 11th St., signature cocktail! Guaranteed survival., Fri., Oct. 22. 405-951-0000, oklahomacontemporary.org/learn/ 405-951-0000, oklahomacontemporary.org. THU, OCT 21 Science Museum Oklahoma, 2020 Remington Place, public-programs/upcoming-programs/notes-on405-602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org/smo21. FRI, survival. THU, OCT 14 OCT 22
18th Annual Taste of Western
Stockyards Stampede Stockyards City Main Street invites everyone to attend the annual Stockyards Stampede! The Chain Ranch Longhorns will kick off the event at 10:00 a.m. by parading down the street. Don’t miss the chuckwagon camp of traditional cooking demonstrations, live music, market vendors, Kids Corral and more! The perfect opportunity to experience all that is Stockyards City! Visit the restaurants, shops, and get pictures of the things you can only see in Stockyards!. Stockyards City,
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Oklahoma City Ballet: Alice (in Wonderland) Oklahoma City Ballet will launch its 50th Anniversary season at the Civic, Center Music Hall with three productions of Septime Webre’s ALICE (in wonderland), October 22-24, 2021. All performances will feature live music performed by the OKCPHIL., ALICE (in wonderland) is a fresh take on Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, featuring beloved characters like Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, the frantic White Rabbit, and the Cheshire Cat. This production mixes skilled ballet with theatrical effects,
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4001 n. pennsylvania ave. oklahoma city, ok. 73112
OKLAHOMA CITY.
Anthony Tee AKA Nymasis uses his art to push himself and the next generations into new levels of artistic expression. By Matt Dinger Photo Berlin Green
Tony Tee may perform under the moniker of Nymasis, but he’s really all about unity. The Oklahoma City-based battle rapper, producer, DJ and emissary of all things hip-hop has had skin in the game for more than two decades and he’s only gaining momentum. Over the years, Tee has graced the stage along with some other big names. Among them but not all of them are Devin the Dude, Lil Uzi Vert, Future, Rakim, Atmosphere, Migos, Talib Kweli Lincka and Afroman. He holds regular DJ spots around Oklahoma City as well as live performances. Tee recently teamed up with Oklahoma hip-hop royal Johnny Polygon, releasing their first single together, “HandOut.” As an added treat, Tee held the release of the video for that song until Oklahoma Gazette’s publication date. Tee, who is half-Hispanic and halfNative, has leaned on both sides of his heritage, incorporating them into his art and community-building. As a teen
in the late 90s, Tee got caught up with Brian Frejo and the Culture Shock crew. “Culture Shock was an event that we threw every year in November right after the Red Earth Native powwow thing. It would be every year during Red Earth weekend so people will come from all over the country from Texas, Cali,” Tee said. “They was traveling around the country doing reservations. They was DJing. they was B-boying, they was rapping, but also they were mentoring, Suicide’s real crazy. Obviously, alcohol is a real epidemic thing but I hadn’t seen that, really, from people our age talking to people our age or younger. And so mentoring from 18, 19 was super a part of it. There was no rapping or dancing or DJing if there wasn’t the mentorship that came with that. … They could see that there was brown people doing this. There was brown people out here traveling. That in itself was like, ‘Damn.’ People were like, ‘I can do this? I can rap?’ And they could, so it was real, real dope to be able to have that influence real early.” He was primarily known as a battle rapper from 1999-2005, appearing at major events all across the country, including Scribble Jam, School of Thought, and King of the City. But the lack of a title to his moniker allows him not to be pigeonholed into one type of performer, he said. “I think a lot of us put ourselves in boxes whenever we say, ‘I am a pro-
ducer. I’m a DJ. I am a dancer. I’m a painter.’ Doesn’t matter, outside of hip-hop even, it just seems to want to be the natural thing to label ourselves. It’s something I try to steer clear of because all doors are open right now. That’s one of the things that we’re able to reach all demographics whenever we have our classes: in hip-hop, there’s something for everybody,” Tee said. That spirit is what got Tee involved in community work, which began picking up steam during the “Not For Sale” exhibition at Oklahoma Contemporary. Tee partnered with Angel Little, who originally got him into mentoring and teaching, and the pair now teach “DJ School” at the new studio facility on the site of the main building along Broadway Ave. and NW 11th Street. In addition to that work, he has also partnered with the Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs and Urban League among others. He and Little have recently started working with a youth center in Tecumseh as well. “There’s something for the shy kid who doesn’t like to talk a lot. There’s something for the tech kid who just likes games, the writers who just like poetry and stuff like that. They don’t have no aspirations to be rappers or anything, just letting them know the many facets of writing, the many genres and facets of art production. Even recording. Some people who don’t want to be the front guy, but they’re decent engineers
because they still like being a part of it. Or it’s just recording people and that gets you into TV and all this other stuff to where that’s how they record their stuff. That happens to be how we record rap stuff too, but that’s also how a real production goes. TV studio craft, voiceovers and all the anime and stuff that they’re really into and so it’s able to check all those boxes … I just really like to keep labels off of everything. Even in our classes, I’m willing to drop ‘hip-hop’ because it’s just so much more. So much embodying the arts and just inclusiveness,” he said. After being involved in the scene for more than 23 years, Tee has decided to stick his neck out and try making his art his living for a change. He recently just stepped away from his “real job” to do his thing as a full-time gig. “As adults, man, we beat the fuck out of ourself … because we’re caught up in life and this seems to be something that we used to do or me, you know? ‘I used to DJ. I used to rap. I used to dance. I used to paint graffiti. All that shit. Now I’m a parent and I work a real job.’ And that’s all valid and probably more valid than what I do, but it’s good to be a lighthouse for anybody that just is kind of out there floating,” Tee said.
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Rap powerhouse Thomas Who? amplifies Oklahoma hip-hop through meaningful collaboration By Evan Jarvicks
Thomas Who? raps better than you. Is it a bold claim? Yes, but it doubles as an even bolder dare. As a rising cornerstone of Oklahoma City hip-hop’s next decade, Thomas Who? has plenty of mindbending, dexterous verses in his catalog to substantiate his place on the leaderboard. However, when he boasts his catchphrase — literally “I rap better than you” — it isn’t for the ego trip. On the contrary, it plays as a sincere challenge to inspire healthy competition in the scene. If a wordsmith can go toe-to-toe with him, he wants to meet them. After all, iron sharpens iron. At well over six feet, the deep-toned rapper wears a commanding physical 32
presence that matches the heft of his lyrical bars. He’s more than proud to flaunt his seemingly effortless rhyme schemes and creative twists of phrase to rap circles around most, yet outside of the recording booth, he is just as likely to champion the work of his growing network of local and regional colleagues. Thomas Who?’s hunger for collaboration has manifested in a multitude of 2021 developments. His new year-long singles project boasts a dream team of features with which he is thrilled to share the spotlight. He is one of the few OKC residents to hold down a treasured spot on Tulsa’s Motown-signed commemorative multimedia hip-hop project Fire in Little Africa. He has a new album slated for Thanksgiving Day on which he will share top billing with DJ/producer Dr. View. And he has taken up a mantle or two at reputed hip-hop venue Hubbly Bubbly Hookah & Cafe, where he flexes his papa bear brawn to
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mentor newcomers in the scene. “It gives me a chance to learn from my peers,” Thomas Who? said of his cooperative instincts. “It gives me a chance to be in the room with people who see nothing and then decide to make something out of it. Artists are crazy, but we are not isolated. We needed our Danger Room; I tried to Professor X some shit.” Next Thursday, October 21st, Thomas Who? will host Heart of Hip Hop, a long-running third-Thursday pillar of Hubbly Bubbly’s calendar of monthly events. With DJ Shaheed Ali behind the booth, the event will feature performers BonezFlow, ItsDoc, Savion, Queso Bobbie, and Chris Savage. The special guest of the night will be King Energy himself, Soufwessdes. “I was blessed with an opportunity to become a partner, and I seized that opportunity,” said Who? regarding his newfound leadership at the hookah lounge. “This gives me an opportunity to foster our culture from a grassroots level. I think that place is special. It was before I had anything to do with it. I think that we can push to make it as legendary as it feels.” Hubbly Bubbly’s artistic communion, which has drawn the likes of Shaquille O’Neal and Russell Westbrook over the years, is a natural way to rub shoulders with key members of the artistic community, but Thomas Who? is also a draw of his own. Take his ongoing 2021 singles project, which has been dropping a new track ever y Tuesday (dubbed “Who’sDay”) since January and will run through December. His roster of features includes established emcees like Jabee and Huckwheat as well as rising stars such as K.O., Nayborhood Barbie, and producer Sun Deep. While delectable selections like “Nu-Tang” and “2K” find Who? riding the track solo, a new Who’sDay release is more likely to pass the mic, as on collab jams “No Way” and “Hoely Smoke.” Thomas Who? will be the first to point out that his singles project is not the first of its kind, however. In 2019, Lawton emcee Jacobi Ryan set a high bar with his #52in365 release schedule, which pioneered the concept. Ryan also put out a new track every week, but with an accompanying music video and podcast episode for each one. Where this could cause a rift over marked territories in some local circles, though, neither Ryan nor Who? saw 2021’s Who’sDay series as anything more than a token of respect in pursuit of inspired art. “Jacobi was my inspiration to begin this series,” Thomas Who? said. “He did it on a level in which I wouldn’t be able. However, I learned from him and inquired about how I should do it. That’s my nigga forever, and I’m grateful for his brotherhood.” Though the format is similar, the Who’sDay series has an entirely different flavor than Ryan’s #52in365 series because, naturally, Thomas Who? has
a style of his own. It’s one that encompasses such a broad spectrum of hip-hop influences in such a relaxed blend that it helps explain how his collaborators fit into his world so seamlessly. “I’m The Lounge God,” Who? said. “I don’t make club music. I make music you sit and smoke hookah and weed to. I make music you roadtrip to. I make music that makes you consider various sides of life. I make music that lets hip hop know what it means to me. I make music from the 80s and the babies. I am fervently pursuing being timeless, leaving my DNA on the landscape of hip-hop in this city and state.” Part of that DNA is already taking root in the young artists with whom he works and mentors, and he credits this as much to his willingness to check his ego for the grander picture as to his own accomplishments. “We have so much talent in this place,” Who? said. “Oklahoma has a hip-hop culture. It’s flavored with Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Lawton, and all of the influences that we have by way of being in the middle of the country. If we plan on making the country take us seriously, it cannot be about whose name is bigger on the fucking flyer. It has to be about who is willing to create the most objectively dope thing possible.” In this light, Thomas Who?’s challenging catchphrase (the one that says he raps better than you) prisms out to reveal its hidden humility. Leadership is not about who sits on the throne but about the legacy one creates, whether through oneself or through others. Or as Thomas Who? puts it: “When ego dies, art flourishes.”
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By Evan Jarvicks Jacobi Ryan - IKIA
7 S. MICKEY MANTLE DRIVE, SECOND FLOOR OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73104 WWW.PARRISHDEVAUGHN.COM
The latest release from Lawton hip-hop entrepreneur Jacobi Ryan is the opposite of its homonym. Not to be confused with IKEA, the Swedish brand known for its fickle furnishings and labyrinthine stores, IKIA is rich with focus and merit. As the title track explains, IKIA is an acronym for “I Know I Am,” which is a firm declaration of identity and purpose. Jacobi Ryan has been putting in the work for years with long-term goals in mind, so as fans and peers continue to take notice, it’s merely the manifestation of the confidence he has already built up in himself. Verbally, Ryan is a straight shooter. Only one out of the 10 new tracks on IKIA leans into triplet flows, with most rocking a crisp 4/4. This feels in line with his work-ethic themes, which reflect in track titles like “No More Distractions” and “Tapped In”. Against vintage, occasionally jazzy samples, his lyrics favor a self-made mentality, dropping lines about investment, skillbuilding, and the fruits of properly grown dreams. Since his epic rebranding in 2019, where he released a new track, music video, and podcast episode for every week of the year, the “25/8” artist has more than established these themes by this point, so it’s refreshing to hear new contexts as he continues to double down on them. New mentions of girlfriends are a welcome development in Ryan’s typically lone wolf nature, and his recent concept EP Practice Gym adds an extra sense of payoff to IKIA. Listening to his lines about needing to work even smarter and harder, though, one can tell that Ryan still senses more potential in himself than what audiences can see and hear in the consistently solid work he has put out to date. In other words, IKIA is a prime addition to Jacobi Ryan’s catalog in itself, but it’s also a promise that the best is still yet to come.
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These are events recommended by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members. For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.
SATURDAY, OCT. 23 Charley Crockett, Cain’s Ballroom. Country Machine Gun Kelly, The Zoo Amphitheatre Paul Thorn with Jared Deck, Tower Theatre.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 13 Music First: Levi Parham, The Jones Assembly.
THURSDAY, OCT. 14 Acoustic Open Mic, Core4 Brewing. Dwight Yoakam, River Spirit. Music First: Just Chels, The Jones Assembly. Testament, Diamond Ballroom.
SUNDAY, OCT. 24 Big Dopes / Bad Athlete / Dinosaur Boyfriend, Blue Note Lounge. Hosty, The Deli. Electric NEEDTOBREATHE, The Zoo Amphitheatre.
TUESDAY, OCT. 26 Music First: Chase Kerby, The Jones Assembly.
Watchhouse, Cain’s Ballroom.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 27
The Wild Feathers, Tower Theatre.
Music First: Kyle Reid, The Jones Assembly.
FRIDAY, OCT. 15
Highly Suspect, Cain’s Ballroom.
Fall Fiery FiddleFest featuring Kyle Dillingham & Horseshoe Road, Belle Isle Restaurant & Brewing Company. GOJIRA, Diamond Ballroom. Music First: Willie & Kendrick Duo, The Jones Assembly. Noah Engh & Mallory Eagle, Ponyboy. NF - Clouds Tour, The Zoo Amphitheatre. Randall King, Cain’s Ballroom.
SATURDAY, OCT. 16 Judas Priest, The Zoo Amphitheatre.
SUNDAY, OCT. 17 Hosty, The Deli. Electric KATTFEST 2021, The Zoo Amphitheatre.
MONDAY, OCT. 18 Mat Kearney, The Jones Assembly X Ambassadors, Cain’s Ballroom.
TUESDAY, OCT. 19 Blues Brothers, Cain’s Ballroom. Music First: Erick Alexander, The Jones Assembly.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 20 Brother Moses, Ponyboy. Music First: Josh Roberts, The Jones Assembly.
THURSDAY, OCT. 21 Acoustic Open Mic, Core4 Brewing. Beau Jennings, Ponyboy. Lord Huron, The Jones Assembly. NELLY, The Zoo Amphitheatre. Reckless Kelly, Tower Theatre. The Wild Feathers, Cain’s Ballroom.
FRIDAY, OCT. 22 Music First: Blake O, The Jones Assembly. Shinyribs, Tower Theatre.
TICKETS & MORE AT TOWERTHEATREOKC.COM @TOWERTHEATREOKC
Playboi Carti / Narcissist, The Zoo Amphitheatre.
ON SALE NOW OCT 29 A Day to Remember w/ Asking Alexandria & Point North, The Criterion OCT 29 Asleep at the Wheel, Cain’s Ballroom OCT 30 Josh Abbott Band, Cain’s Ballroom NOV 3 Walk The Moon, Cain’s Ballroom NOV 4 Big Head Todd and the Monsters, The Jones Assembly NOV 5 Walk The Moon, The Jones Assembly NOV 9 Dr Dog with Toth, The Jones Assembly NOV 19 Grgory Alan Isakov with special guest Israel Bebeker (of Blind Pilot), The Jones Assembly NOV 20 Parker Millsap, The Auditorium at the Douglass NOV 24 Read Southall Band, Cain’s Ballroom NOV 24 Graham Colton, The Jones Assembly DEC 2 King and Country, Paycom Center FEB 22 Hippo Campus, Cain’s Ballroom FEB 22 Strfkr, Tower Theatre APR 20 Hippo Campus, The Jones Assembly 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.
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STANDARDS
There’s no dispute that BCC Collective has the most eye-catching of public Oklahoma dispensary art, with its massive JEKS murals covering both the southern and eastern exposures of the building providing photorealistic portraits of Albert Einstein, Willy Wonka and Darth Vader, among others. But across the city and state, the burgeoning cannabis industry has provided many walls for artists to canvas with murals, from the Cheech & Chong inside The Paseo Cannabis Collective to the enormous samurai covering the eastern interior wall of Budo Bud. South of Reno, Giddy’s is getting an artistic makeover with a potential remodel, Flower Power Cannabis Co. in Moore is also showing its colors and conversations have been had about adorning a full wall of the Fire Leaf location in Stockyards City.
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Vote on page 20 or online at bestofoklahomacity.com
Mural on Flower Power Dispensary by Grant & Kaylyn Stacey @roadrunnermurals | Photo Berlin Green
Murals by Jeks One @jeks_nc | Photos Phillip Danner
CAIN’S BALLROOM
423 North Main St
Tulsa
Mural inside Budo Bud by Tox Murillo @tox_m | Photo Berlin Green
HIGH CULTURE OKGA Z E T TE .COM | O C T O B E R 1 3 , 2 0 2 1
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For more information strain reviews scan QR code with your smart phone.
Strain name: Killer Cupcake Grown by: Honey Creek Acquired from: Paseo Cannabis Collective Strain name: Eastside MAC Grown by: Spring Farms Acquired from: Midwest Cures Date acquired: Oct. 4 Physical traits: purple and light green Bouquet: earthy and sweet Review: A cross between two potent strains, Eastside OG and Miracle Alien Cookies AKA MAC, this one is no joke. As best anyone can tell, Eastside is a combination of multiple Ocean Grown strains, while the MAC comes from a particularly strong lineage. Whereas a straight MAC#1 (Capulator cut) will leave your face on the floor, the balance of the OG strain with this cross keeps you upright. Definitely more on the relaxing and euphoric side than a sleeper, which allows for daytime consumption
rather than a nightstand strain. Spring Farms also produced another run from some of these genetics, Adam’s OG, which also definitely does some damage if you don’t check your consumption. Word is that their Terple run will also be particularly potent if you’re looking for something strong.
Date acquired: Oct. 4 Physical traits: purple and light green with frosted trichomes Bouquet: gassy and earthy Review: Many times, if in a hurry or feeling adventurous, the inclination is to just ask a budtender (one who smokes, that is — it’s not at all uncommon to find budtenders who don’t) what their favorite strain is and run with it, so long as it also passes the personal nose test. More often than not, you’re left with a recommendation you might not otherwise have taken but one that hits its mark. The Killer Cupcakes from Honey Creek is such a strain. This smoke feels almost perfectly balanced with an elevated but calm euphoria coming from a hit or two and becoming more powerful but not overbearing with each successive indulgence. Whether you need to calm down to stay focused on the task at hand or forget about the tasks behind or before you altogether, this strain will get you where you’re going.
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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY - WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 30 Homework: What subject are you trying to avoid thinking about? https://Newsletter. FreeWillAstrology.com ARIES (March 21-April 19)
According to my understanding of the upcoming weeks, life will present you with unusual opportunities. I suspect you will find it reasonable and righteous to shed, dismantle, and rebel against the past. Redefining your history will be a fun and worthy project. Here are other related activities I recommend for you: 1. Forget and renounce a long-running fear that has never come true. 2. Throw away a reminder of an old experience that makes you feel bad. 3. Freshen your mood and attitude by moving around the furniture and decor in your home. 4. Write a note of atonement to a person you hurt once upon a time. 5. Give yourself a new nickname that inspires you to emancipate yourself from a pattern or habit you want to leave behind.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20)
Taurus poet Donte Collins’ preferred pronouns are “they” and “them.” They describe themself as Black, queer, and adopted. “A lover doesn’t discourage your growth,” they write. “A lover says, ‘I see who you are today, and I cannot wait to see who you become tomorrow.’” I hope you have people like that in your life, Taurus—lovers, friends, allies, and relatives. If there is a scarcity of such beloved companions in your life, the next eight weeks will be an excellent time to round up new ones. And if you are connected with people who delight in your progress and evolution, deepen your connection with them.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20)
“Gemini author Lisa Cron advises her fellow writers, “Avoid exclamation points! Really!! Because they’re distracting!! Almost as much as CAPITALIZING THINGS!!!” I’ll expand her counsel to apply not just to writers, but to all of you Geminis. In my astrological opinion, you’re likely to find success in the coming weeks if you’re understated, modest, and unmelodramatic. Make it your goal to create smooth, suave, savvy solutions. Be cagey and cool and crafty.
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CANCER (June 21-July 22)
Ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu told us that water is in one sense soft and passive, but is in another sense superb at eroding jams and obstacles that are hard and firm. There’s a magic in the way its apparent weakness overcomes what seems strong and unassailable. You are one of the zodiac’s top wielders of water’s superpower, Cancerian. And in the coming weeks, it will work for you with even more amazing grace than usual. Take full advantage of your sensitivity, your emotional intelligence, and your empathy.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)
Leo author James Baldwin told us, “You read something which you thought only happened to you, and you discover that it happened 100 years ago to [Russian novelist] Fyodor Dostoyevsky. This is a great liberation for the suffering, struggling person, who always thinks that he is alone.” In that spirit, Leo, and in accordance with astrological omens, I urge you to track down people who have had pivotal experiences similar to yours, either in the distant or recent past. These days, you need the consoling companionship they can provide. Their influence could be key to liberating you from at least some of your pain.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
“We must never be afraid to go too far, for truth lies beyond,” declared novelist Marcel Proust. I wouldn’t normally offer that counsel to you Libras. One of your
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SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
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Author William S. Burroughs claimed his greatest strength was a “capacity to confront myself no matter how unpleasant.” But he added a caveat to his brag: Although he recognized his mistakes, he rarely made any corrections. Yikes! Dear Scorpio, I invite you to do what Burroughs couldn’t. Question yourself about how you might have gone off course, but then actually make adjustments and atonements. As you do, keep in mind these principles: 1. An apparent mistake could lead you to a key insight or revelation. 2. An obstruction to the flow may prod you to open your mind and heart to a liberating possibility. 3. A snafu might motivate you to get back to where you belong. 4. A mess could show you something important you’ve been missing.
In her novel We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Sagittarian author Shirley Jackson wrote, “Today my winged horse is coming, and I am carrying you off to the moon, and on the moon we will eat rose petals.” I wonder what you would do if you received a message like that—an invitation to wander out on fanciful or mysterious adventures. I hope you’d be receptive. I hope you wouldn’t say, “There are so such things as flying horses. It’s impossible to fly to the moon and eat rose petals.” Even if you don’t typically entertain such whimsical notions, the time is favorable to do so now. I bet you will be pleased with the unexpected grace they bring your way.
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SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
Poet Octavio Paz described two kinds of distraction. One is “the distraction of the person who is always outside himself, lost in the trivial, senseless, turmoil of everyday life.” The other is “the distraction of the person who withdraws from the world in order to shut himself up in the secret and ever-changing land of his fantasy.” In my astrological opinion, you Virgos should specialize in the latter during the coming weeks. It’s time to reinvigorate your relationship with your deep inner sources. Go in search of the reverent joy that comes from communing with your tantalizing mysteries. Explore the riddles at the core of your destiny.
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strengths is your skill at maintaining healthy boundaries. You know how to set dynamic limits that are just right: neither too extreme nor too timid. But according to my analysis of the astrological potentials, the coming weeks will be one of those rare times when you’ll be wise to consider an alternative approach: that the most vigorous truths and liveliest energies may lie beyond where you usually go.
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Capricorn author Susan Sontag wrote about people who weren’t receptive to her intensity and intelligence. She said she always had “a feeling of
being ‘too much’ for them—a creature from another planet—and I would try to scale myself down to size, so I could be apprehendable and lovable by them.” I understand the inclination to engage in such self-diminishment. We all want to be appreciated and understood. But I urge you to refrain from taming and toning yourself down too much in the coming weeks. Don’t do what Sontag did. In my astrological opinion, it’s time for you to be an extra vivid version of yourself.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
“I am diagnosed with not having enough insanely addictive drugs coursing through my body,” joked comedian Sarah Silverman. Judging from current cosmic rhythms, I’m inclined to draw a similar conclusion about you. It may be wise for you to dose yourself with intoxicants. JUST KIDDING! I lied. Here’s the truth: I would love for you to experience extra rapture, mystic illumination, transcendent sex, and yes, even intoxication in the coming weeks. My analysis of the astrological omens suggests these delights are more likely and desirable than usual. However, the best way to arouse them is by communing with your favorite non-drug and non-alcohol inebriants. The benefits will last longer and incur no psychological cost.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)
“The truth is,” writes cartoonist Bill Watterson, “most of us discover where we are headed when we arrive.” I sense this will describe your life during the next six weeks. Your long, strange journey won’t come to an end, of course. But a key chapter in that long, strange journey will climax. You will be mostly finished with lessons you have been studying for many moons. The winding road you have been following will end up someplace in particular. And sometime soon, I suspect you’ll spy a foreshadowing flash of this denouement.
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.
OKG
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PUZZLES NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE | WHAT A CHARACTER! By Dory Mintz | Puzzles Edited by Will Shortz | 1010 1
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81 Goth relative 82 ‘‘What in the .?.?. !’’ 85 $$$ for old age 87 ____ soap 88 Brutes 92 Ones fighting for change 97 Reindeer in ‘‘Frozen’’ 99 Start of a rendezvous request 100 2019 jukebox musical featuring the song ‘‘Proud Mary’’ 101 Sun-kissed, say 102 Funny business? 104 Zip 106 ‘‘____ a Crime’’ (2016 Trevor Noah memoir) 108 Hempseed product 111 Property claim 113 One might be good or evil 117 Michael ___ of ‘‘Ugly Betty’’ 118 End of an era? 119 Bringing up the rear 121 Tops 122 Kind of syrup that’s an alternative to honey 123 Homeland of many Paiute and Shoshone 124 Grate expectations? 125 ‘‘Spy Kids’’ actress Hatcher 126 ‘‘So true!’’ 127 One of two poles
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1 ‘‘May God bless and keep the ____ .?.?. far 124 125 126 127 away from us!’’ (‘‘Fiddler on the Roof’’ line) 2 Bad way to go ACROSS 25 Piece of work 57 Contents of some banks 3 Winans with 12 Grammys 26 Premium membership 59 Hyphenated beverage 4 Panko-breaded chicken dish 1 Ones with big heads designation brand 5 Sp. title around the office? 28 End ____ 60 Holders of multiple 6 Fence line? 6 With 27-Down, island 30 Small row passports 7 A long time nation near Indonesia 32 Sashimi selection 65 Transcript fig. 8 Drops in water 10 What OPEC and NATO 33 Holds 66 Give a hoot? 9 Purchase for Wile E. Coyote are both in? 36 Language of the 18th67 Values highly 10 Sleeveless undergarment, 14 E, in Morse code century poet Mir Taqi Mir 68 Trouble informally 17 Inauguration Day activity 69 Soothe 11 Settled (on) 19 Five-times-a-day Islamic 38 (0,0), in math 41 Put on an unhappy face 71 [Ignore that edit] 12 Event with a crowning prayer 72 Honey ____ (Special K moment 20 Word with earth or muscle 42 It lets you see the sites flavor) 13 Store 21 Function whose output 46 Rice dish 74 First openly lesbian 14 Pull out all the stops is 45º when applied to 1 47 Mess up 48 Hebrew name meaning anchor to host a major 15 Not sharp, perhaps 22 German : Freundin :: ‘‘ascent’’ prime-time news program 16 Thompson of ‘‘Sorry to Spanish : ____ 49 Walks (on) 77 Pond fish Bother You’’ 23 Google search info 53 Talk, talk, talk 78 Not looking good at all 18 Summer ____ 24 Some whiskeys 55 ‘‘How ____!’’ 80 Follow closely 19 Soda cracker, by another 121
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name 20 Choice words? 26 Pull in 27 See 6-Across 29 Microsoft’s answer to the iPad 31 ‘‘I’m so sorry for you!’’ 33 Trendy 34 Alex and ____ (jewelry chain) 35 Mo. metropolis 37 Early development sites 39 Extended-wear manicure options 40 Added bonus, metaphorically 43 Aerie baby 44 Celia known as the ‘‘Queen of Salsa’’ 45 Words of admission 50 Stop ____ (sign) 51 Muralist Rivera 52 Goof (around) 54 Kind of data distribution with two peaks 56 Finish with 58 Tometi who co-founded Black Lives Matter 60 Newsroom sights 61 ‘‘So are we!’’ 62 Used Grubhub or Postmates, say 63 ____ Ing-wen, first female president of Taiwan 64 Alleged 66 Traditional attire for some martial artists 70 Ornate tea vessel 73 Overdone 75 ‘‘Howdy!’’ 76 Putinaseat,perhaps 79 Lakeside city that’s at one end of I-79 83 Result of pulling the goalie 84 Jane of ‘‘9 to 5’’ 86 ‘‘Don’t misbehave!’’ 89 Q followers 90 Letter that rhymes with three other letters 91 Phishing target, for short 93 Encroach 94 Human rights lawyer Clooney 95 Like the Dalai Lama 96 Part of the joke 97 Gawps 98 Go away 102 Take a dive, perhaps
103 W.W. II threat 105 Ringing in the new day? 107 Katie of ESPN 109 Brown or blacken 110 ‘‘Duh!’’ in modern slang 112 [Nodding] 114 Japanese soup ingredient 115 Children’s author Blyton 116 Bird with a reduplicative name 119 J.F.K. alternative 120 Dallas and Houston are in it, in brief
Stumped? Call 1-900-285-5656 to get the answers to any three clues by phone ($1.20 a minute).
SUDOKU HARD | N° 8474 Fill in the grid so that every row, column and 3-by-3 box Grid n°8474 hard contains the numbers 1 through 9. www.printmysudoku.com
9 4 8
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NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS Puzzle No. 0926, which appeared in the September 29 issue.
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S N O E A M T S I T U A T L S E A E G S I R S E A M I M B O O A G G M M C O O L O W B A N E E W S R E N E R E Y F A E D G S A U
T I D I N G S
I G L O O S
I O S H A H Y E L S L I N E E C A O T C E A R R
N O S E P N M A D I C L E S O B T S A A R M P H E A R T R F E S E D L W L A I A T E O N N E E R
I N A R E A B E R N I E M A S C A R A
F W E P O O P R R E I D O K C O T N E P F R O G A A A T E L U R E S E H O T N O A T H E X H U B L E M I V S O I A F S S A I L C R E L O C K W I R I O F S S U T O S T
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A S I A M
N E A R S
VOL. XLIII NO. 11 Oklahoma Gazette is circulated at its designated distribution points free of charge to readers for their individual use and by mail to subscribers. The cash value of this copy is $1. Persons taking copies of the Oklahoma Gazette from its distribution points for any reason other than their or others’ individual use for reading purposes are subject to prosecution. Please address all unsolicited news items (non-returnable) to the editor. For subscription inquiries, email kbleakley@okgazette.com
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