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inside COVER P. 23 Our annual Rest of OKC, in which the Oklahoma Gazette staff recounts the people, events and otherworldly phenomena that didn’t quite make it into last week’s Best of OKC issue. Cover by Christopher Street. NEWS 4 State 25-year-old bribery
case continues
6 City sit-in anniversary
8 City municipal court hires
community relations coordinator
10 Letters 12 Chicken-Fried News
EAT & DRINK 15 Feature Taste of Soul opens a
brick-and-mortar restaurant
16 Feature Rosebeary’s Bakery
relocates to OKC
18 Feature Spudology
schools potato-lovers
20 Gazedibles delis
ARTS & CULTURE 23 Rest of OKC
41 Art The Jean Genie Jean Jacket Art
Show Vol. 2 at The Paseo Plunge
42 Art The Pancakes & Booze
Art Show OKC at OKC Farmers Public Market
45 Art Women of the Ages Art Show at
The Ink Hub Tattoos and Fine Art
46 Film classic movie series at Cowboy
& Western Heritage Museum
47 Community En Root
mobile barbershop
Oklahoma History Center
48 Community Boots & Bourbon at 50 Health Living and Loving
Life wellness class at Girl Scouts Western Oklahoma
51 Theater University of Central
Oklahoma’s performing arts season
52 Theater Disney’s The Little
Mermaid at Civic Center Music Hall
53 Theater University of Oklahoma’s
performing arts season
54 Calendar
MUSIC 59 Event Opolis 15-Year Anniversary
featuring Chainsaw Kittens
60 Feature jazz singer Champian
Fulton releases a new album
62 Event David Cook at Tower Theatre 64 Live music
FUN 65 Astrology
66 Puzzles crossword | sudoku
OKG Classifieds 67
Gazette Weekly Winner! Ian Maloney To claim your tickets, call 528-6000 or come by our offices by 9/6/17! O kg a z e t t e . c o m | a u g u s t 3 0 , 2 0 1 7
3
NEWS Sody Clements is the lead applicant in the latest legal effort to reopen a decades-old telephone case tainted by a bribed vote. Clements, who serves on the Nichols Hills Council, worked at Oklahoma Corporation Commission when a commissioner was bribed for a vote in favor of an application by Southwestern Bell Telephone Company. | Photo Garett Fisbeck
Local, state and federal government entities that were Southwestern Bell customers at the time could also be eligible for refunds. “My outrage began when I realized the agency that was supposed to be watching out for us wasn’t doing that,” Clements said. “When I was working at the Corporation Commission and I was made aware of the bribery, it just made me burn. I have been riled-up ever since.”
S tat e
“Does bribery win?”
Fight on
The latest appeal in a 1989 Southwestern Bell bribery case awaits the state Supreme Court. By Laura Eastes
Three years ago, when Nichols Hills resident and former Oklahoma Corporation Commission employee Sody Clements filed a class action lawsuit to nullify a 1989 corporation commission telephone case tainted by a bribed vote, she believed justice was on her side. Two decades earlier, federal authorities investigated allegations of bribery over the Southwestern Bell Telephone Company rate case and won convictions aga i n st for mer C or p or at ion Commissioner Bob Hopkins and William Anderson, an attorney representing the telephone company. Both served time in federal prison. For the past two decades, Clements anxiously awaited for either Oklahoma Corporation Commission, which regulates public utilities and the oil and gas industry, or the Oklahoma Supreme Court to reopen the case involving Southwestern Bell. She watched closely as court filings to reopen the case bounced between the two courts. When legal challenges came before the Supreme Court, Clements grew frustrated and disappointed to see the court reject them for procedural or discretionary reasons. “We’ve never had a hearing on the merits of the case,” Clements told Oklahoma Gazette. Motivated by the belief that bribery is unconstitutional and a vote determined by a bribe should not stand, Clements and retired Lt. Gen. Richard Burpee petitioned the Oklahoma Supreme Court to void the 1989 vote and 4
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refund any excess revenues collected by the telephone company to ratepayers. Months after the lawsuit was filed, the justices voted 7-0 to deny jurisdiction in the case. The justices offered no legal opinion on the bribed vote. The fight continued. In 2015, Clements and Burpee, this time joined by James Proctor, Rodd A. Mosel, Ray H. Potts and Bob A. Ricks, petitioned for the Corporation Commission to once again reopen the case. Eight months after the commission heard arguments to dismiss the citizens’ application by attorneys representing AT&T Oklahoma, the predecessor of Southwestern Bell, and the Office of the Oklahoma Attorney General, the commission voted 2-1 to dismiss the case. The group of former customers and regulators responded by appealing that dismissal to the Oklahoma Supreme Court. Now, with the case pending before the Oklahoma Supreme Court, the citizens allege newly disclosed evidence from FBI wiretap transcripts show the conspiracy went beyond Hopkins and Anderson to former executives at Southwestern Bell. New evidence further points to fraud on the Oklahoma Supreme Court. The case could have major implications for the public and the state, Clements said. Proctor, a fellow applicant, is a former director of the commission’s public utility division. In a 2015 affidavit, he said former Southwestern Bell customers could be owed as much as $16 billion in refunds.
In 1989, the Corporation Commission voted 2-1 to allow Southwestern Bell to retain a windfall from federal tax code reductions by investing about $30 million to fund upgrades to Oklahoma’s phone network. Commissioner Bob Anthony, the newest member of the three-member body, dissented the order and advocated the windfall money should have been refunded to Oklahoma customers. At the time, the Oklahoma Attorney General’s office and AARP backed refunds to customers. Anthony, who went on to help the FBI with its bribery investigation at the commission, has long argued the Southwestern Bell case should be reopened because of a bribed vote. In 2014, Anthony told an Oklahoma Supreme Court referee that the matter before the court could be “stated in three words: Does bribery win? Or in four words: Do bribed votes count? So far, the shameful and unfortunate answer in Oklahoma is, yes. Public corruption wins again.” When reached for comment, Anthony said he couldn’t comment on the latest appeal, as the case is still pending. However, he directed Oklahoma Gazette to the appeal record and a public comment made by retired Oklahoma County District Judge and former Assistant United States Attorney John M. Amick, who said in 2011, “Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Bob Hopkins was convicted in federal court of receiving a bribe influencing his vote in the PUB 260 case, but his bribed vote still stands. The Corporation Commission should declare the bribed vote to be void.” “That should have happened,” Anthony said.
Case closed
AT&T Oklahoma has long maintained the issue is closed. “Over the past 25 years, this case has been rejected at least six times by either the Supreme Court or the Corporation Commission, including a vote to dismiss by Commissioner [Bob] Anthony in 2013,”
AT&T Oklahoma said in a statement released to Oklahoma Gazette last week. “Despite the applicants’ continued misstatement of the facts, Southwestern Bell never kept any excess revenues. As required by the commission over 25 years ago, we invested all of it — about $31 million over three years — in our Oklahoma network, to the benefit of Oklahoma citizens. Since then, we have continued to invest in our network. In fact, we’ve invested more than $775 million in our Oklahoma wireless and wired networks during 2014-2016.”
“Tragic” tale
“It’s such a blatant case,” retired FBI agent and former Special Agent in Charge of the Oklahoma Division Oliver “Buck” Revell told Oklahoma Gazette by phone last week. “The facts are not in question. They’ve been established. Yet to have the Supreme Court of Oklahoma not recognize that the citizens and businesses were duped by this overcharging scheme for which bribes were paid, I find it an indication that something needs to be done.” Revell argues the Johnson v. Johnson case, which followed the 1965 Oklahoma Supreme Court bribery scandal, has legal precedent in overturning the Corporation Commission’s 1989 bribed vote. Fifty years ago, after Justice Nelson Corn confessed to taking bribes during his time on the Supreme Court, the court decided to reopen only cases affected by his corruption. The court stated it would give “full right to any person who believes that such decision has been corruptly obtained, to petition this court for a hearing, in which, if corruption can be shown, the decision may be set aside.” Revell said given the federal convictions against a former corporation commissioner and an attorney for the telephone company, the rate case deserves a new hearing, especially given the new evidence and the implications of the case on Oklahomans. “It’s not only an interesting story but a tragic one,” Revell said. “The people of Oklahoma should expect honest and decent government and not expect the decisions made on their behalf to be influenced by corruption in the system.”
“Not going away”
While the telephone company case has come before the state Supreme Court before, the most recent effort is an “appeal of right.” Under that state constitution’s “Corporations” section, “all such appeals … shall have precedence upon the docket of the Supreme Court, irrespective of its place of session, next after habeas corpus cases, to end that a plain, speedy and efficient remedy may by afforded the parties to such appeals.” In April, the case was assigned to the Supreme Court. Applicants like Clements continue to wait for the Supreme Court to make a move. “We are not going away,” Clements said. “We will keep going and going.”
THANK YOU OKC!
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NEWS
Class acts
Fifty nine years ago, 13 youth and their teacher Clara Luper found courage by taking seats at the Katz Drug Store counter and refusing to leave until they were served. The action was pivotal to the civil rights movement. By Laura Eastes
By the time 13 children from the NAACP Youth Council reached segregated Katz Drug Store, located at the southwest corner of Main Street and Robinson Avenue in Oklahoma City, there was no going back. They walked toward the counter, where they took seats and waved a $5 bill. The children, led by Dunjee High School teacher Clara Luper, gave the Katz Drug Store staff an ultimatum: “Serve us Coca-Colas or we sit here until closing time.” They sat until closing time. It was the afternoon of Aug. 19, 1958, and the children’s actions were met with no service. They returned the following day, again taking seats at the counter and ordering Coca-Colas. By the end of the second day, Katz management served the black youth, who were then encouraged to visit other Oklahoma City lunch counters and restaurants. What started as a single event proposed by children — the youngest 7 years old and the oldest 15 — kicked off a movement of nonviolent sit-ins and protests occurring on Saturdays during the school year from 1958 to 1964 in Oklahoma City.
Because when we sat down, people across the nation stood up. Marilyn Luper Hildreth For all of the civil rights movement’s lunch counter sit-ins, Luper and the local NAACP chapter’s sit-ins were unique. It was the first sit-in protest of the civil rights movement, happening 18 months before black college students took seats at a Woolworth’s lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina, which received the nation’s attention and has become synonymous with the movement. Over the next six years, Luper and the NAACP youth’s actions, along with those of their supporters, led to the desegregation of almost every eating establishment in Oklahoma City. The Oklahoma City sit-ins are believed to be the longest nonviolent sit-in protests in United States history. Marilyn Luper Hildreth, one of the original 13 sit-inners the daughter of Luper, contended that because they sat down at the counter and refused to leave, the action inspired others. “Because when we sat down,” 6
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Hildreth said, “people across the nation stood up.”
Sit-in legacy
Hundreds of people filled the pews of northeast Oklahoma City’s Fifth Street Baptist Church on Aug. 19 to honor the original 13 sit-inners, NAACP Minute Men Commandos, clergy and the hundreds of others who participated in the sit-in protests during the six-year campaign in Oklahoma City. “[We] stood up to discrimination by sitting down and asking for a hamburger and a Coke, of which we were denied many times over,” Lynzetta Jones Carter, one of the 13 youth who ventured into Katz Drug Store 59 years ago, told the crowd. “Newspaper articles have been written. Books have been printed. The Katz Drug Store where we started is no longer there. All of those other stores, John A. Brown and Anna Maude Cafeteria, are all gone. Even as I stand here, I can still remember the dark shadow of downtown Oklahoma City. As we reflect back, never, never forget the powerful impact the original sitinners, all former sit-inners and the Minute Men Commandos had on our lives. We must stay the course and continue to work together. That we work for social change in our communities and in our city, Oklahoma City; in our state, Oklahoma; and our nation, the United States of America. We shall overcome.” Later in the program, Hildreth, the daughter of Luper, recounted how her mother penned the play Brother President in 1957. The play earned an invitation by NAACP leaders for 26 Dunjee school students and Luper to travel to New York City for a performance. On the trip, through the northern route of the United States, the 26 students ate at lunch counters, sat freely on buses and stayed in the Henry Hudson Hotel. A year later, many of those same children were seated in Luper’s home for a NAACP Youth Council meeting. Having tasted freedom, the children were tired of facing the injustices of segregation and discrimination. Luper’s daughter proposed a trip to the drug store. All she and her friends wanted were CocaColas, Hildreth said. “We would sit there until we got service, and we sat there,” Hildreth said. “I never dreamed that people could be so mean. I didn’t understand how grown-ups could splatter coffee in your face when they didn’t know anything
Five of the original Katz Drug Store sit-in participants were honored at the 59th Oklahoma City Sit-In Anniversary Program at Fifth Street Baptist Church earlier this month. | Photo Garett Fisbeck
Larry Jeffries presented a citation of recognition to Booker Roberts, one of the NAACP Minute Men Commandos, during the 59th Oklahoma City Sit-In Anniversary at Fifth Street Baptist Church earlier this month. | Photo Garett Fisbeck
about you. I didn’t understand what bigotry was really about, or hatred. I did not understand that as a child, but it didn’t take long to learn.” Following the Katz Drug Store protest, the youth council, under Luper’s leadership, initiated a campaign of nonviolent civil disobedience to end segregation in Oklahoma City. On Saturdays over a six-year period, sit-inners took their seats at segregated lunch counters and refused to leave. The movement ended in 1964, when Congress passed the Civil Rights Act that outlawed discrimination in most public accommodations. “As I look out across this audience, I know you didn’t mind what names they called you because you didn’t answer to them,” Hildreth said. “You wanted Oklahoma and the United States to be a better place to live.”
Preserving history
Next year marks the 60th anniversary of the NAACP Youth Council and Luper’s visit to Katz Drug Store. To commemorate it, local historian Bruce Fisher is on a mission to preserve the experience
and insights of Oklahoma City’s civil rights pioneers as well as other Oklahomans who participated in sit-ins across the state. Fisher and many other program speakers emphasized the need to document Oklahoma’s role in the civil rights movement and ensure its passage to the next generations. At the anniversary program, where leaders called on the audience “to celebrate the past and prepare the future,” few children, teens and young adults were in attendance. “I realize this is only the beginning,” Hildreth said. “It is only the beginning because something is happening in this country. I can’t understand how the division has come up again. We must, the good, freedom-loving people, must continue to fight for freedom.”
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cit y
NEWS
Courting help
Oklahoma City municipal court reforms continue with a new community relations coordinator. By Laura Eastes
On any given day, Manuel Hernandez is called to meet one-on-one with a Spanish-speaking court patron who has arrived at the Oklahoma City Municipal Courts and doesn’t understand their ticket or what they need to do to resolve it. As the court’s community relations coordinator, Hernandez goes through the options and answers any questions in Spanish. A few hours later, Hernandez finds himself repeating that information and answering similar questions. He doesn’t mind, as he knows entering the municipal court system can be confusing and nerve-wracking. More importantly, he knows it doesn’t have to be that way. When court patrons have the right information and know what to expect in the municipal court system, cases move through the system more efficiently and matters are resolved quickly. “If you take it down to layman’s terms, I am the bridge between the courthouse and the community,” Hernandez told Oklahoma Gazette on a recent afternoon at the Oklahoma City Municipal Court building, 700 Couch Drive. “If you don’t fully understand what is going on, I am
If you don’t fully understand what is going on, I am going to be the guy who explains it to you. Manuel Hernandez going to be the guy who explains it to you. I will share the options. If I don’t know what the options are, I will go find out for you.” Last month, Hernandez, who is fluent in English and Spanish, joined the municipal court staff as its first community relations coordinator, a position added as part of the court’s ongoing efforts to strengthen the efficiency and effectiveness of the court system. One of his main duties is informing patrons of their options and developing and implementing outreach programs to enhance the court’s relationship with the community. After only a few weeks on the job, Hernandez sees the need for such a position. At the downtown courts building, he meets with patrons anxiously waiting to resolve their issues and get back to work and their daily lives. Outside the municipal court, during visits to community centers and churches, Hernandez hears all the 8
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reasons people stay away from municipal courts. People say municipal fines are too high, that they face multiple municipal warrants, they don’t have the money to clear it up and that the municipal court system sends poor people to jail because they can’t pay. Hernandez not only explains how the system works but how it has changed in recent years. People who enter Oklahoma City’s municipal court system these days will find staff eager to help resolve cases. No longer are defendants with Oklahoma City municipal court warrants arrested when they enter the building, nor are they arrested if they can’t pay fines and court fees. Instead, defendants are brought before a judge immediately or schedule an indigency hearing. “It’s hard for people to believe that if they have a warrant through the municipal court, we will not arrest them if they come to court,” Hernandez said. “A lot of people don’t believe that. It’s the main message we are trying to get out there, and we are really reaching out to the community. We have over 100,000 warrants at any given time. We want to get them resolved.”
Needed reform
Prompted by the U.S. Department of Justice’s report on the Ferguson Police Department that documented widespread abuses in its police department and municipal courts, City of Oklahoma City leaders and its municipal court leaders started discussions about policies and procedures in 2015. They recognized that the system could be improved to better serve the public. In addition to establishing new ways to enhance the sharing of information, leaders were determined to prevent people from being sent to jail due to poverty. Now, after the implementation of new policies and reforms, court leaders said their efforts have changed the culture of the municipal court. “There has been a significant change that even people with a very brief exchange in our court can see. It is about information-giving,” said Cindy Richard, deputy municipal counselor. Reforms included translating court forms and brochures into Spanish and other lang uages, creating an Understanding Your Ticket brochure for police to hand out with misdemeanor tickets, updating the website and mailing post card notices of missed court dates listing the 15-day grace period to avoid increased fees or a warrant. While some of the changes
Manuel Hernandez sees himself as the bridge between the courthouse and community. He is largely responsible for the court’s community outreach efforts and assisting the public through the municipal court process. | Photo Garett Fisbeck
seemed minor or small, court staff believes they have increased the likelihood of defendants appearing in court and defendants paying or making the effort to pay fines and fees. At the same time, the court has made strides to better address indigent people who are issued citations for speeding, trespassing, stealing and other city law violations. Indigent people are entitled to a court hearing on their ability to pay when fines and court fees are issued; the municipal court has expanded opportunities for low-income people to come before a judge to explain their financial circumstances. There are now eight indigence-hearing dockets each week with a review docket set on Fridays for defendants on a payment schedule to appear before a judge. “If anyone says they can’t pay their ticket, they are given a packet of information,” Richard said. The packet details what documents a judge needs to rule on reduced or suspended fines, payment plan arrangements or continuing with the set fine. “If they want to plead to their ticket but they don’t have the money that day, we send them to an indigene hearing,” Richard said. “Sometimes people just need more time.”
New building
In late October, municipal court operations will move across the street to the new Oklahoma City Municipal Court building, 701 Couch Drive. A $22.8 million project funded by the 2007 General Obligation Bond program, the new court building is home to six courtrooms as well as court offices and attorney-client rooms. And although judges and court staff will move into the modern offices, the true beneficiary of the courthouse is the public, said LaShawn Thompson, municipal courts administrator. The new building will allow people who simply want to pay a ticket to visit a kiosk without going through the security checkpoint. Additionally, kiosk screens will provide the public with the building’s directory as well as the dockets scheduled for the six courtrooms. With a new building and reform efforts continuing, Hernandez is confident that the public will begin to see the municipal court in a different light. The new building is user-friendly, which Hernandez said matches the new philosophy of the municipal staff. “We are taking the fear out of coming to court,” Hernandez said. “We want to be more appealing to the public. Let’s get everything resolved by finding the best solution for everyone.”
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letters
NEWS Oklahoma Gazette provides an open forum for the discussion of all points of view in its Letters to the Editor section. The Gazette reserves the right to edit letters for length and clarity. Letters can be mailed, faxed, emailed to editor@okgazette.com or sent online at okgazette.com. Include a city of residence and contact number for verification.
Liberty over party
Not very many people have seen the controversy in the small town of Columbia, Pennsylvania, and even fewer in Oklahoma probably care about it at this point. However, that is a mistake. The fight that the Adorers of the Blood of Christ have taken up is the same fight that many Oklahoma landowners have. This small community of nuns is standing up to Williams Companies as Williams tries to use government force to steal land owned by their religious order. The government is claiming eminent domain and telling these sisters that they have to violate their religious convictions because big government’s crony, Williams Cos, wants to build a pipeline there. It matters not to Williams or to big government that these sisters said an emphatic “No!” It matters not to
Williams or to big government that the Catholic Church owns this land. Big government, at the behest of “Big Oil,” is telling the Catholic Church how it may use its land for religious purposes and what religious doctrines it is allowed to espouse. Now to bring this back to Oklahoman landowners: We have a state government that has made it illegal to say no when a fracking company comes calling. We have a state government that ignores the U.S. Constitution with impunity. We have a state government that, regardless of if it is Democrats or Republicans in control, tramples over
WHY LISTEN TO THE NEW TAYLOR SWIFT SINGLE WHEN YOU CAN HEAR OUR SUPER-NERDY THINKPIECE ABOUT ITS SOCIOLOGICAL IMPACT INSTEAD?
all Oklahomans for the benefit of its cronies at Chesapeake, Devon, Williams and many others. Maybe it’s time to throw both of those parties out. Maybe it’s time to consider liberty. David M. Stewart, chairman, North Central Oklahoma Libertarian Party Guthrie
Judeo-Christian-based Constitution
To Mr. Blaine T. Browne and all other suffering Trump haters (Opinion, Letters to the Editor, “Open letter,”
July 12, Oklahoma Gazette). Now you know how we felt for the last eight years. Mr. retired professor of American history, I am glad I never sat under revisionist history indoctrination. I am also, as you say, “sincerely concerned about the security and future of our republic” and our Judeo-Christian-based Constitution. And I disagree with you. It is unfortunate that any such well-educated man would make so many false claims and use so many derogatory descriptive terms for the leader and protector of our freedoms. Congressmen Steve Russell, James Inhofe and James Lankford, like professor Browne, I also “hold you and your congressional colleagues responsible for ensuring that Mr. Trump and those in his administration are held accountable (my emphasis) for any transgressions of ethics or law and that appropriate investigative and/or criminal proceedings shall be undertaken without delay or obstruction.” I also hold them accountable for failure to make a clear effort to end Obamacare and drain the swamp. Our nation will not survive much longer at the hands of self-serving politicians and contractors, anti-constitutionalists and ungodly judges. Mike Moberly Oklahoma City
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Weekend
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chicken
friedNEWS
Quakebusters?
Feel that trembling?! Who ya gonna call? Well, unless you’re in need of immediate and direct personal assistance, hopefully not 911. A report by News 9 stated that the Edmond 911 emergency dispatch center received more than 400 calls within the first hour of the 4.2 magnitude earthquake felt Aug. 2 in and outside of Edmond. While many callers were clearly shaken (literally, even), few actually needed police, fire or medical services. “It’s horrible! It’s shaking down our house,” one caller exclaimed. “Yes, ma’am,” the dispatcher replied. “We felt it, too.” “They have to stop!” the caller continued. “Stop this fracking! It has to stop!” “Ma’am, we don’t have anything to do with the fracking, OK?” the dispatcher answered. Though it could be argued that the use of wastewater injection wells is an emergency, it is hardly one that the fine folks at the dispatching center can help alleviate. A call might be more appropriately placed with one’s favorite scienceskeptical state legislator. Of course, this is probably not the first time the dispatch center in Edmond has received calls that weren’t related to urgent emergency response. This Chicken-Fried News writer is imagining soccer moms calling to report teens having “too much fun” on a skateboard or that Super Target is out of sweet potatoes. While 911 is certainly something that should be reserved for first-responder requests, Jennifer Wagnon, public information specialist for the Edmond Police Department, also does not want people to be hesitant to call the number either. “We don’t want to be in the business of discouraging people from calling 911 if they feel like there is a need,” Wagnon told News 9. “In those situations, we want to try to eliminate the non-emergency calls in that situation and just have it solely be for emergency purposes.” We here at Chicken-Fried News certainly hope legitimate earthquake-related calls to 911 are not necessary anytime in the near future.
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Mercy, Me
It’s likely that you’ve never been able to escape the omnipresence of the powerful and uplifting song “I Can Only Imagine” from Oklahoma City band MercyMe, which launched a double-platinum album. The story of lead singer Bart Millard, who lost his father to cancer, and inspired the hit song is the basis of a film by the same name that was shot all over Oklahoma and features Dennis Quaid and Cloris Leachman. Quaid plays Millard’s late father while film newcomer and Broadway veteran J. Michael Finley stars as Bart Millard. Finley spent two months in Bricktown during filming and got engaged, according to The Oklahoman. Country singer Trace Adkins plays the band’s manager. Millard was on set during the shoot, including alongside Finley when he recorded songs for the film in Del City’s Castle Row Studios. “He’s only been encouraging, helpful and supportive,” Finley told The Oklahoman. “It’s an honor to tell his story. I hope that it does him justice.” Filming loca-
tions included the Centennial Rodeo Opry, Oklahoma City Farmers Public Market and a farm in Yukon, according to The Oklahoman. The faith-based film will debut in March 2018 with a premiere in Oklahoma City, where the film has a ton of interest. The Oklahoman reports that 13,000 people responded for the call to be extras for a scene in the movie’s climax that needed a crowd of a thousand people.
Class act
There might be a lot to disagree about these days, but one of the few things almost all Oklahomans can unite under is the fact that state teachers deserve more pay than they are currently getting. The politics of the matter have been debated endlessly. Countless editorials and think pieces have begged lawmakers to do something about the need (not to mention actual teacher protests at the state Capitol). That’s why seeing any gesture to alleviate the financial stress on educators feels like a breath of fresh air. Moore Public Schools teachers were not expecting anything other than their regular paychecks earlier in August, which is why many were thrilled to learn the school system had slipped them each a $250 bonus
the day before classes officially restarted. NewsOK.com interviewed Bryant Elementary School teacher Holly Bentley about the small but unexpected gift. Bentley is a 28-year-old single mother whose bank account was overdrawn at the time. “Even though it was $250, it felt like a million dollars to me because I didn’t have any money to buy groceries for my son,” she said. “I had depleted all of my savings, and I was struggling.” The bonus covered about 2,400 district employees, including 1,500 teachers and principals. Full-timers received $250 while part-time status employees were given $150. The extra money was created through energy conservation measures like cutting back on refrigerators, lamps and microwaves. We here at Chicken-Fried News know the bonus checks are not going to make a significant long-term impact, but in the short-term, a few extra bucks can be a lifesaver. While something still needs to be done to more permanently fix low teacher pay, we applaud Moore Public Schools for doing what it can. “We wanted all our employees to
understand that we valued and supported them,” superintendent Robert Romines told NewsOK.com. Romines gets it. Now it’s time to convince some lawmakers.
Woeful web
Once upon a time, about 10 years ago, two star-crossed lovers laid eyes on each other at Oklahoma City’s Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill. Arturo Eguia-Welch — Chicken-Fried News will call him Romeo — was passing through Oklahoma City on business. Journi Lynn Bentley — known as Juliet in this tale — was serving drinks and plates of cheese fries at the country-and-Westernthemed bar. While it doesn’t appear that their families ever met or were engaged in brutal past prejudices, both Romeo and Juliet kept their new relationship on Facebook, which is really the modern masquerade ball of our time. In 2014, Juliet joined Romeo on trips to Las Vegas, Cancun and Texas. Later that year, Juliet divorced her husband. Following a visit by Juliet to Romeo in his home state of Minnesota in May 2014, where the two stayed in a hotel, the relationship ended. Months later, Romeo returned to
Oklahoma in attempt to reunite with his Juliet. He brought his sweet Juliet a car to replace her previous vehicle, which was wrecked. In January 2015, when Juliet wished to return the vehicle, Romeo found out about her new love interest. The relationships were once again on the rocks. Juliet responded by filing a protective order against Romeo, who she stated entered her home without permission. Around the same time, he also sent her harassing and threatening messages. Months later, Romeo was charged with a felony, second-degree burglary. He has pleaded not guilty, but the case is still pending. Last year, Romeo filed a lawsuit against his Juliet, alleging that she misled him by saying she was separated and preparing to divorce her husband. Romeo believed he was “next in line” for the fair maiden’s heart. He sought $32,135 to reimburse the expenses of the trips the two shared. A Canadian County judge threw out the lawsuit. Last month, the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals let the Canadian County judge’s ruling stand. Throughout the court battle, Juliet repeatedly said she had been honest with Romeo from the
beginning. She was not interested in a relationship; just spending time together. These days, she said poor judgment and an unhappy marriage contributed to the time the two spent together. She has since learned, through a deposition of Romeo, he was also married. At Chicken-Fried News, as we read the lovers’ tale laid out on the internet pages of NewsOK.com, we pondered, “For never was a story of more woe than of this Oklahoma Juliet and her out-of-state Romeo.”
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EAT & DRINK “It was just time for us to give the customers what they’d been asking for,” Cerese said. “They let us know they’d get it more if they knew exactly where to get it. … We had two separate food carts, and they weren’t usually ever in the same spots except for big events, but now … we’re going through a rebranding process where we’re bringing both the egg rolls and the chicken and waffles under one roof.”
F e at u r e
Fusion future
Solid Soul
Taste of Soul further cements its place in the metro with a brick-and-mortar restaurant. By Jeremy Martin
The inspiration for Taste of Soul, which began in 2011 as a food truck selling egg rolls in the Oklahoma City area and opened a restaurant with an expanded menu Aug. 1, originally came from coowner Ricki Bly’s dislike of the staple Chinese restaurant appetizer. “I never liked egg rolls,” Bly said. “They had, like, gray meat inside of them, and I was just like, ‘What is that?’” Bly’s wife and business partner, Cerese Bly — who recalled fond childhood memories of eating at local Chinese restaurants with her family, a tradition the Blys continue with their children — said she took her husband’s disdain for the food as a challenge. “I just said ‘Hey, I’m gonna make an egg roll that you love,’” she said. “Long story short, I got in the kitchen, threw some stuff together and he loved it.” He loved the egg roll she made him so much, in fact, that the Blys began to build a small business around it. “It was so good to me, I was like, ‘I think I can sell it,’” Ricki recalled. “So I gave some away at my job, and the next day, they were like, ‘Where are the egg rolls?’ I was like ‘Y’all liked them?’ and they were like, ‘We’ll pay you for them.’ So that’s how it all started, and then one thing led to another and a lot of people started paying for them.” After the egg rolls proved a hit with coworkers at the furniture warehouse where Ricki Bly worked as a receiving manager, the Blys began selling the rolls at concession stands at basketball games and in gas stations and eventually even a Chinese restaurant added them to their menu. That was when they knew they had a hit and began looking for a way to sell their rolls themselves.
Cerese and Ricki Bly opened Taste of Soul Egg Roll in 2011. | Photo Garett Fisbeck
Other unconventional egg roll choices on the menu include breakfast egg rolls stuffed with hash browns, cheese and bacon or sausage and “Tastees” stuffed with apple or cherry filling and topped with powdered sugar. Soul Rice, offered as a side item, is chicken fried rice with scrambled egg. “Asian fusion is all the rage now,” Cerese said, “and I think that’s why people love our egg rolls — because they’re Asian with a twist. Obviously, we’re not Asian.” Ricki said Taste of Soul’s personal touch keeps customers coming back. “You can’t cheat people on food; they know good quality,” he said. “We handroll all of the egg rolls and hand-bread all of the chicken.” The restaurant, located on the first
floor of the White Star Petroleum building, 301 NW 63rd St., Suite 150, is open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Friday and serves breakfast items until 10:30 a.m. Patrons should park on the north side of the building to access the first-floor entrance. Though Cerese said they’ve “slowed down [their] scheduling until [they] can get the reins on this restaurant,” both the Taste of Soul Egg Roll and Taste of Soul Chicken and Waffle trucks remain open for business at various locations in Oklahoma City and are still available for event catering and private parties. Customers can still track the food trucks’ schedules on their individual Facebook pages. “We’re just extremely grateful to the city for allowing us to be around this long and thankful that they’ve supported us to this point,” Cerese said. They’ve recently opened their first brick-and-mortar location and expanded their menu, but the Blys still have new ideas for the future of Taste of Soul. They’re already considering opening a second location and researching ways to ship orders for long-distance delivery. “We’re always open to new ventures, and who knows what the future holds?” Cerese said. “We’re always working on something. I’ll just say that. We’re always working on something.”
Trendy trucks
The answer came to them on a visit to Atlanta, where the Blys saw that food trucks were becoming trendy, but when they got back to Oklahoma City and opened the Taste of Soul Egg Roll truck, they were still among the first local options being offered. “When we came out, mainstream food trucks weren’t super popular,” Cerese said. “There’s always been south side taco trucks, but as far as other food varieties, there weren’t very many out there when we got started. We were and still are the only egg roll truck here in the city.” Unlike traditional egg rolls made with pork, the Blys’ signature recipe calls for ground turkey. The rolls were so popular, they were the only item offered on the food truck’s menu for the first four years, but Cerese said the reason for the original substitution was simple. “I think that’s just what I had in the kitchen at the time, honestly,” she said, laughing. The Blys eventually added chicken and veggie options to their food truck menu and began running a second food truck specializing in chicken and waffles. Taste of Soul Egg Roll was a runner up for “Best food truck” in Oklahoma Gazette’s Best of OKC 2016 issue and a finalist for “Best soul food” and “Best food truck” this year. The newly opened restaurant, which the Blys said patrons have been requesting for years, combines the menus of both food trucks with added items including grilled tilapia, cheeseburgers and salad options.
Chicken and waffles | Photo Garett Fisbeck
Ground turkey egg rolls and fried rice | Photo Garett Fisbeck O kg a z e t t e . c o m | A u g u s t 3 0 , 2 0 1 7
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F e at u r e
EAT & DRINK
’Beary baked
A longtime home baker brings custom cakes and baked goods to OKC.
By Sean Isabella
Somewhere at the back of Janet Rosebeary’s mind, she always had the thought of opening her own bakery. But as a creature of habit and someone afraid of change, the likelihood of growing a hobby-turned-home business into a standalone store seemed light-years away. That is until a car crash provided an opening. “We all said this was a blessing in disguise,” Rosebeary said. “It was an answered prayer.” It wasn’t the physical destruction from the single-car accident Feb. 7, 2016, that plowed into The Wedding Boutique on May Avenue, a venue used by local businesses as a place to meet clients. Instead, the subsequent actions from a stranger in an SUV gave Rosebeary a reason to expand on the custom cakes and cupcakes she had perfected for two decades. She stepped out of her comfort zone in September 2016 with initial plans. By December, she and her family found a location at Shoppes at Northpark, culminating with a soft opening of Rosebeary’s Bakery in June and a ribbon-cutting ceremony in July. “I knew it was going to be a lot of work, and it scared me. But I love it,” Rosebeary said. “I thought I would get sick of it. Now I get to bake again, I have that passion back that I totally forgot I have.”
Competitive beginnings
The charming shop located near a highfoot-traffic area is the perfect size for a start-up. Seating for a handful of customers and a display case for baked goods occupy the front, leaving space in the rear for baking, decorating and a meeting room with customers. It’s an upgrade from the pint-sized 400 16
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Rosebeary bakes everything from cookies to cannoli early in the week and does wedding cake prep Thursdays and Fridays. | Photo Garett Fisbeck
square-foot commercial kitchen attached to Rosebeary’s house in Guthrie. Upon entry, a lime green theme catches the eye from a leftover design by CherryBerry Yogurt Bar, the previous retail shop that occupied the space. The color scheme is part of Rosebeary’s personality, starting in 1997 when she entered baking competitions. “I was known throughout the circuit for wearing that color. I love that color,” she joked. A former retail manager in Texas, Rosebeary and her husband, Jeff, moved to Oklahoma in the late 1990s. He worked in retail, and she stayed home to raise a family until the day she picked up a cake-decorating book at the Guthrie library. Rosebeary always had a sweet tooth, with baking interests blooming when she was 13 years old, but it started “out of sheer boredom.” Her first cake, the head of Big Bird from the PBS show Sesame Street, didn’t go as planned when she decided to experiment for her 1-year-old daughter’s birthday. Big Bird’s eye melted off when she failed to cool the cake down. “It wasn’t a pretty first birthday picture,” she said, laughing. Undeterred, she made cakes for church members and eventually entered a gingerbread house in the Oklahoma State Fair. She won, and it took off from there. She stayed local for years before hitting the road for wedding cake competitions in Virginia, where she won grand champion for her design, and Maryland. “I said if I ever won grand champion I was going to quit,” said Rosebeary, who estimated she competed in five or
six events a year for the better part of a decade.
Scratch baking
Around 2011, a transition from the road to a more laid-back lifestyle as a mother and home baker would seem to produce a less stressful environment. Not for Rosebeary. “I’m kind of one of those people that likes the high from it. It’s sad. You have your junkies that jump off things, and this is probably mine,” she said. “I will put something off until the last minute so that way I have to rush around to be stressed out and hovering over it. It’s insane, but I love the pressure.” The pressure comes from meeting deadlines and producing eye-catching designs that please the taste buds — all from scratch. Rosebeary bakes from memory. Everything is done by taste and texture. There are no recipes. “None. Not a single one,” she said proudly. She is detail-oriented. She once spent 16 hours designing a Boone Pickens Stadium wedding cake for diehard Oklahoma State University fans. Recently, she constructed cakes for star boxer Floyd Mayweather and rapper 50 Cent and made Oklahoma City Thunder equipment manager Wilson Taylor’s wedding cake. On all three occasions, she was clueless about her customers’ fame. “It blows my mind because it’s like, ‘Me? Really?’” she said. “It’s just surreal. It’s exciting and then stressful because you pray they like everything.” Rosebeary starts wedding cake prep Thursday and Friday. Her busy work is earlier in the week — 12-hour workdays are the norm — when she bakes everything from cookies and lemon bars to cannoli for the display case. “The cases help pay the payroll, and we make our money off the custom cakes,” said Bethany Schneeberger, Rosebeary’s second-oldest daughter, who manages the bakery. They also help tap into Rosebeary’s creative side. Each week produces something different, like the brownies she made with leftover cheesecake batter earlier this month.
Rosebeary’s Bakery sells an assortment of cupcakes and other baked goods as well
Special Events • Private Dining • Catering
as custom cakes. | Photo Garett Fisbeck
“It’s like a mad scientist back there,” Rosebeary said. “Put a little of this in, put a little of that in and let’s see what happens and pray it doesn’t go poof.”
All in the family
Every Saturday, there’s a good chance you’ll find the entire Rosebeary clan — husband Jeff and daughters Heather, Bethany, Myndi and Amanda — in the bakery. On weekdays, Rosebeary works in the back, sometimes with help from Amanda, while Schneeberger manages the front with Myndi. Heather, the oldest of the four, creates truffle cakes for the display case and helps with cakes when she’s not teaching dance classes. Jeff, who is a software engineer, assists in the store and with deliveries on weekends. Rosebeary pushed her children to “do their own thing” growing up, but their paths led to the bakery. Perhaps it was inevitable. Growing up, Rosebeary did cake demos on career day. Birthday parties were extravagant, too — Heather’s 16th birthday party featured a 3-D pirate ship. “She’s always been known as the ‘cake lady,’” Schneeberger said. Yet she’s still mom to those close to her, a personality that spills over to the business side. The goofy charm and motherly tendencies helped Rosebeary serve 168 weddings two years ago, and it’s not uncommon for the bakery to turn custom orders away since they are so busy. “It’s her personality accompanied with how amazing her work is. It’s that to a T,” Schneeberger said. “Whenever she meets with brides, that’s the first thing they say.”
CHEF JONAS FAVELA and his Summer Menu
UPCOMING WINE DINNERS Reservations Strongly Recommended Thursday sepT 14Th
“Thin is In” – Thin-Skinned Grapes & Their Story. $75/seat | 4 Wines | 4 Dishes | 1 Evening Cocktail Hour | 6:30-7p | Dinner 7p
Tuesday OcT 10Th
“Damsels & Doctors” Krupp Brothers Wines; hosted by Sandy Huffine, VP of Krupp Winery. Big-bodied reds & rich foods that will stand up to them. $109/seat
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“November Rhone” – Rhone Valley wines & Fall Foods. $89/seat
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Rosebeary’s Bakery’s offerings include chocolate chip sandwich cookies. | Photo Garett Fisbeck
2920 NW 63rd st. 405.608.8866 www.mmrokc.com
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F e at u r e
EAT & DRINK
COME DINE WITH A
LEGEND!
Smart spuds
Spudology goes back to school with a potato bar concept. By Sean Isabella
Kevin and Marcus Myles lounged in front of their television six years ago, pondering an uncertain future during the 2011 NBA Finals. As Arlington, Texas, residents, the Dallas Mavericks’ championship series with the Miami Heat piqued their interest, but they had bigger things on the horizon: brainstorming ideas for a potential food venture pitched by their father, William. In the time it took from tipoff to the final horn — about 2 1/2 hours — the Myles brothers discovered a concept, a theme and menu item names for a potato bar called Spudology. “We were kind of flipping through my laptop, and we went word for word, name for name, and boom,” said Marcus, referring to his course list from college that featured the likes of physics, chemistry, ecology, biology and psychology. More than four years later, the Myles brothers, with financial backing from their father, debuted Spudology in Oklahoma City, using jumbo potatoes from Idaho as a canvas for toppings like smoked sausage (Physics), turkey (Chem 1), ham (Chem 2) and even a pizza-themed spud (Earth Science). “It’s different,” Marcus said of his thinking at the time. “We’ll figure it out. If not, we’ll school everybody. We loved school and curriculum, so we wanted to keep to right there.”
Evolution
1309 South Agnew • 1st Light South of I-40 Located in Historic Stockyards City.
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Open 6am Every Day
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Located in a strip mall next to 10GYM at 6241 Northwest Expressway, the small shop that serves up 13 different loaded baked potatoes could have easily operated as a gym, a children’s maze or a flavored popcorn stand. Those were some of the pitches generated by Marcus, a workout enthusiast who majored in physical therapy before
Psychology is made with hickory smoked pulled pork. | Photo Garett Fisbeck
switching to business, and Kevin, a mechanical engineer, when they were in search of an investment opportunity. William, a commercial developer, first came across the potato bar concept years ago in New Orleans. The family voted on potatoes and went to work, spending 18 months renovating the space prior to a January 2015 opening. “We put the sheetrock up, we did the floors — everything we could do, minus the electric and plumbing, we pretty much did it,” Marcus said. Kevin used his construction background to focus on the design, erecting a mock periodic table in the front window with elements like “Lu” for Love and “F” for family and more food-appropriate lingo like “B” for butter and “Sp” for sweet potato. Marcus, still involved in fitness at the time, used the gym patrons as guinea pigs to demo the potatoes. Inside, a large menu on the wall serves as the syllabus, referencing the “objectives” and “core curriculum” that pay homage to the Myles’ favorite classes with potato recipes like Physical Science for the base potato topped with bacon, sour cream and chives and Psychology for pulled pork. The terminology made sense to Kevin and Marcus, but not to William. “It didn’t add up to me. But maybe I’m just a few generations removed,” he said. “Let them have a run at it. I didn’t like a lot of their ideas, but I didn’t stop it.”
Professor
The man who helped spark the idea for Spudology doubles as the sauce-maker and quasi pitmaster. When he talked to Oklahoma Gazette, William sported a white dress
shirt and black slacks while welcoming customers and instructing them on their menu choices. But most days, William is out of the public eye. Starting as early as 6:30 a.m., the Memphis native handles food prep and catering orders and is gone by 11 a.m., turning the keys over to his sons. William moved his family to Oklahoma City in 1992, bringing the culture of Memphis barbecue with him. He barbecued for friends as a hobby and produced his mother’s version of a sweet and tangy sauce, although he never seriously considered it as a means to make money. “I believe there’s no question if someone tries our barbecue, they’ll never try those other people’s barbecue again,” William said of his competition. Marcus and Kevin requested to use the sauce, later named ’37 Sauce for the year their grandmother was born, on potatoes, but it came with resistance out of sheer secrecy. Finally, William obliged. “To this day, we still don’t make it inside. If we do, nobody else is here. He’ll make it at home and bring it up or make the workers leave and he’ll do it,” Marcus said. Spudology spent the first year of operation working out the kinks, like how to cook potatoes in increments so they were fresh for the lunch and dinner rush. The sauce was a hit. However, the barbecue took a year to find its way to the menu.
thanKs FOR the VOtes OKC
Best sushi Best Japanese
I believe there’s no question if someone tries our barbecue, they’ll never try those other people’s barbecue again. William Myles Prior to the expansion, the Physics spud featuring smoked sausage from Robertson’s Hams, an Oklahoma staple since the 1940s, was a top seller. Now, William prepares brisket, ribs and pulled pork several times a week, including each Sunday after church, using a friend’s smoker. He incorporates the same ’37 Sauce to marinate chicken and pork tenderloin, too. Bottling the sauce is on the list of future plans, as is adding franchises around the metro area, specifically in Moore, during the next five years. Spudology plans to take an even deeper dive into barbecue with the recent addition of brisket or rib tip dinners. “We always say potato is our theme and barbeque is our thing,” William said. “We’re going to go after more barbecue. We already got our potato customers.”
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g a z e di b l e s
eat & DRINK
Deli cuts
From quintessential Oklahoma City standards to new entries, delis in the area are the best place in the area to fill your sandwich, soup or salad craving. Not just for New York City, these seven locations are the best way to fill your need for cured meats. By Jacob Threadgill | Photos by Garett Fisbeck and Keaton Draper
Brown Bag Deli
7600 N. Western Ave., Nichols Hills facebook.com/thebrownbagdeli 405-842-1444
Open since 1978, Brown Bag Deli is a classic in the Nichols Hills neighborhood. Under owners Sarah and Massoud Baghvardani, the deli makes everything in-house. It is perhaps best known for its curry chicken salad, but other deli classic like pastrami and corned beef also have their fans. Add some variation with sides like tabbouleh and hummus.
Caeli’s Sweets, Eats and Bar
Café 7
726 W. Sheridan Ave. caelissweetseatsandbar.com 405-600-7885
Not many delis offer a full bar like Caeli’s, which is located in the trendy Film Row District. The deli offers meatballs made fresh daily and high quality Boar’s Head meats and cheeses. It also offers Hawaiianstyle poke bowls, which feature raw fish marinated in citrus.
100 W. Main St., Suite 105 cafe7okc.com | 405-748-3354, ext. 3
Café 7 offers premium products at a reasonable price, all of which checks in under $8. With selections that include pizza, pasta, salads and sandwiches, there is plenty to make you happy without hitting the wallet too hard.
Book now for:
tailgates • school events • fall festivals 405.922.9796 • www.wickedhangry.com @wickedhangry
Park Harvey SuSHi wine & SPortS lounge
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Trevino’s
#wickedhangry
301 W. Main St Moore, OK 73160 (405) 794-4584
• ON THE PATIO •
Family owned since 1972
EvEry WEdNEsdAy 5Pm-7Pm Monday - FrIday LuNcH sPEcIAL | 11Am-3Pm 2 rOLLs $10.95 Monday - FrIday HAPPy HOur | 3-6 Pm BEEr, APPETIzEr ANd susHI sPEcIALs 200 n. Harvey | 405.600.7575 20
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Hungry yet? Call us today! 397-1866 @mexicanstreetbeast
#eatMoorelocal
BUTTER CHICKEN
4621 N. May | OKC | 778-8469
District House
1755 NW 16th St. distrcithouseokc.com | 405-633-1775
Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, District House caters a large variety of items that includes high quality coffee (cold brew or espresso) and vegetarian sandwiches. The entire menu is available all day, whether you’re interested in a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich or freshly baked desserts.
ND Foods
2632 W. Britton Road 405-840-9364
Named after the founder’s mother Dolores and son Nick, ND Foods has stood the test of time at its W. Britton Road location thanks to its dessert menu, Boar’s Head meat and cheese and entree menu that includes stuffed bell peppers and chicken pot pie. Apple pie like the one pictured is always piled high and covered in flaky crust that can be topped with ice cream.
Scottie’s Deli
427 NW 23rd St. scottiesdeliokc.com | 405-604-8940
The newest deli in town held its soft opening at the end of August. Under the guidance of Culinary Institute of America alum T.J. Johnson, Scottie’s Deli makes everything in-house. This includes curing and smoking all of its corned beef, pastrami, bacon and chicken. Scottie’s even makes its own mayonnaise and mustard while baking its own bread and desserts.
Someplace Else Deli & Bakery 2310 N. Western Ave. 405-524-0887
After celebrating its 40th anniversary last
year, Someplace Else is better than ever, thanks to a tried-and-true menu that isn’t afraid to innovate. Owners Peggy and Dave Carty have such standbys on the menu as The Hoagie, a mix of ham, salami, Italian ham, lettuce, tomato and peppers on a house-made roll and Reuben. They also added options like the vegetarian hummus and prime rib over the years. It all comes served with a smile and fresh baked bread.
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“Many thanks to our loyal guests, we love you OKC! Here’s to 10 more years of scratch made brick oven pizza!”
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best of okc winners PEOPLE
Best museum
Best LGBT bar or club
Best steakhouse
Best radio personality or team
Best fine jewelry
Best post-game or post-concert spot
Best sushi
Joey and Heather at KYIS KISS 98.9
Best local feed to follow on social media
The Lost Ogle
Best local website or blog
The Lost Ogle
Best local singer / songwriter
Kyle Dillingham Best chef
Bruce Rinehart
at Rococo and The Manhattan OKC Best waiter or waitress
Rocky Rippetoe
at Jimmy’s Egg North Classen Avenue Best bartender
Meghanne Hensley
Science Museum Oklahoma BC Clark Jewelers Best thrift store
Bad Granny’s Bazaar Best clothing consignment
Daisy Exchange Best furniture
Urban Farmhouse Designs Best women’s clothing boutique
Blue Seven
Best place to dine before a show
Cheever’s Cafe
Best place for continuing education
University of Oklahoma Best place to get fit
HiLo Club
Bricktown Brewery Best farmers market or farm stand
OSU-OKC Farmers Market Best optical shop
Sam’s Optical Best florist
Trochta’s Flowers & Garden Center Best tourist attraction
Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum Best public bathroom
OnCue
Best bar for live music
The Blue Note Lounge
YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City
Best open mic/comedy night
Best Participating Restaurant Staff in OKC Restaurant Week
Best bicycle shop
Best bowling alley
several metro locations
Best med spa
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at The Pump Bar
Republic Gastropub
Al’s Bicycles
Best local band
Cottonwood Salon and Spa
Best performing arts group
Best place to get an aesthetic update
My So Called Band Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma
Cottonwood Salon and Spa
Best visual artist
Best place to fix your smile
Best local annual event or festival
Best local district
Arts Council Oklahoma City
Best naughty business
Best charity event
Best new retail establishment
Desmond Mason
Festival of the Arts
Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon Best local homebuilder
Home Creations
PLACES Best place to volunteer
Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma Best business that gives back
S&B’s Burger Joint
Best free entertainment
Festival of the Arts Best live music club
UCO Jazz Lab
Best concert venue
Chesapeake Arena Best public art/mural
New Zealand Thunder player Steven Adams mural on The Paramount building in Film Row
Best place to buy local art
Paseo Arts District
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Orthodontic Associates Bricktown
Christie’s Toy Box
Commonplace Books Best nonprofit
Loony Bin Comedy Club
Dust Bowl Lanes & Lounge Science Museum Oklahoma Best place for a grown-up’s party
Paint N’ Cheers
FOOD AND DRINK Best tea or coffeehouse
All About Cha
Best local winery
Put a Cork In It Winery Best local craft beer
COOP Ale Works
Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma
Best beer selection
Best vapor shop
Best cocktail
OKC Vapes
Best place to buy a vehicle
Bob Howard Auto Group Best pet-friendly patio
The Bleu Garten
Best place to treat your pet
Midtown Mutts Dog Park Best place to hike with your dog
Bert Cooper Trails
(Formerly Lake Hefner Trails) Best credit union
TapWerks Ale House Lunchbox at Edna’s
Best breakfast
Jimmy’s Egg Best brunch
Cheever’s Cafe Best meal for a deal
Empire Slice House Best late-night eats
Beverly’s Pancake House Best hamburgers
The Garage Burgers & Beer
Tinker Federal Credit Union
Best sandwich shop
Best casino for gambling
Best barbecue restaurant
Riverwind Casino Best casino for live entertainment
Riverwind Casino
The Mule
Swadley’s Bar-B-Q Best pizza place
Hideaway Pizza
Cattlemen’s Steakhouse Sushi Neko Best soul food
Bobo’s Chicken Best chicken-fried steak
Cheever’s Cafe
Best vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free or healthy menu options
Coolgreens
Best patio dining
The Bleu Garten Best liquor store
Byron’s Liquor Warehouse Best seafood restaurant
Pearl’s Oyster Bar
Best dessert shop or bakery
Pie Junkie
Best Mexican restaurant
Ted’s Cafe Escondido Best Latin restaurant
Café do Brasil
Best Italian restaurant
Gabriella’s Italian Grill & Pizzeria Best Western European restaurant, not Italian
Ingrid’s Kitchen
Best Mediterranean restaurant
Basil Mediterranean Café Best Indian restaurant
Gopuram Taste of India Best Japanese restaurant
Shōgun Steak House of Japan
Best diner
Beverly’s Pancake House Best food truck or food cart
The Saucee Sicilian Best Uptown 23rd district restaurant
Big Truck Tacos
Best Plaza district restaurant
Empire Slice House
Best Paseo Arts district restaurant
Paseo Grill
Best Automobile Alley district restaurant
Hideaway Pizza
Best Bricktown district restaurant
Chelino’s Mexican Restaurant
Best Midtown district restaurant
Café do Brasil
Best Western Avenue district restaurant
The Wedge Pizzeria Best Downtown restaurant
Kitchen No. 324
Best Participating Restaurant in OKC Restaurant Week
Cheever’s Cafe
Best restaurant overall Cheever’s Cafe,
Best Chinese restaurant
National
Best Thai restaurant
Best national or regional retail establishment you wish was locally owned
Dot Wo Garden
Panang Thai Restaurant Best Vietnamese restaurant
Golden Phoenix
Best pho restaurant
Pho Lien Hoa
Best new restaurants
Barrios Fine Mexican Dishes
Best fine dining establishment
Cheever’s Cafe
Best neighborhood pub
The Pump Bar Best dive bar
Edna’s
Best upscale bar
Sidecar Barley & Wine Bar Best new bar
The Manhattan OKC
Trader Joe’s
Best national or regional gym
Planet Fitness
Best national or regional hotel
The Skirvin Hilton Oklahoma City Best national or regional restaurant you wish was locally owned
Chick-fil-A
Best national or regional sandwich shop
Panera Bread
Best national or regional mexican restaurant
Abuelo’s Mexican Restaurant
Best National or Regional Steakhouse
Texas Roadhouse
REST OF OKC
Welcome to Oklahoma Gazette’s annual Rest of OKC issue, where we take a lighthearted look at the best other things in Oklahoma City! You’ll find a list of all of this year’s Best of OKC winners plus all the weird and wonderful things about our great city. » By Gazette staff | Photos and illustrations by Gazette staff and provided
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REST OF OKC
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Best worst capitol day
Bennett v. muslims
Rep. John Bennett, R-Sallisaw, knew it was the third annual Muslim Day at the Capitol, sponsored by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Oklahoma chapter. The lawmaker, who is well known for making radical, bigoted remarks in his official capacity at the Capitol, knew he would be away from his office. In the event that Muslim constituents made a visit to his office, Bennett prepared a questionnaire. When three Muslim students visited Bennett’s office and asked to speak with the four-term lawmaker, they were handed the prepared questionnaire. It asked the students, “Sharia law says that it must rule over the kafirs, the non-Muslims. Do you agree with this?” and “Do you beat your wife?” As you might imagine, Bennett once again made national headlines and the incident was added to a long list of antiMuslim events in Oklahoma. You might recall Bennett conducted an interim study on “radical Islam” last fall. At the capitol study, a presenter called CAIR a terrorist organization. According to a statement Bennett sent KFOR, the questionnaire was based on what he had read in the Quran and other Muslim faith texts. Bennett, himself, is a reader of the Bible, which he says is the blueprint for living. Until Bennett, who is not to be confused with Rep. Forrest Bennett, D-Oklahoma City, re-reads John 13:3435 (A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if 24
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you love one another) and embraces the biblical advice, we sadly see Oklahoma Muslims repeating in this category. Best worst Trump nominees from Oklahoma
Mary Fallin and Scott Pruitt
In a state so red that surrounding states worriedly ask if Oklahoma is still taking its beta blockers, it only makes sense that the state Capitol was a great place for President Donald Trump to recruit new officials to join the wrong side of history. Shortly after Trump won on Nov. 8, Gov. Mary Fallin excitedly met with Captain Orange at Trump Tower. During the campaign, her name was bandied about for leading the Bureau of Indian Affairs, possibly because of her daughter’s abiding love for wearing sacred tribal headdresses as a fashion statement. Other potential jobs mentioned for Fallin included the Bureau of Land Management, because there aren’t enough oil derricks in Yellowstone National Park, and the U.S. Geological Survey, because she recently discovered what causes earthquakes in Oklahoma. After her meeting, Fallin met with reporters in front of those golden elevators that later served as a backdrop for Trump’s post-Charlottesville great healing of our riven nation. “We discussed a wide range of issues and his plan and agenda for America and how I might be able to help,” she told reporters. “It was a wonderful discussion. Really enjoyed it. Very excited about the administration and all of the wonderful things that will be done for America.”
ThaNkS a buNCh For your voTeS okC!
Such an innocent, sun-dappled time that was. Anyway, Fallin wasn’t offered a cabinet-level position, but in May, Trump appointed her co-chair of the Council of Governors, a body that was convened in 2010 to facilitate greater cooperation between states and the feds regarding homeland security and response to disasters. By meeting with Trump, Fallin proved that her standard response to disasters is to shake hands with the disaster. Meanwhile, the real Trump Sweepstakes winner was former Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, our new Environmental “Protection” Agency chief. Pruitt spent much of his tenure as AG railing against what he saw as anti-capitalist environmental regulations and trying to push through a state question that would have given factory farms a carte blanche to run roughshod over surrounding landowners. According to a July 24 New York Times report, these days, Pruitt spends roughly half his time back in Oklahoma. The Times article reported widespread speculation in Oklahoma that Pruitt is seeking statewide office, which would mean we should all go home and hug our children and tell them we love them. But then a subsequent Times article described the current EPA as a shadowy, paranoid institution where Pruitt is the first agency head to request 24/7 security. Pruitt has armed guards accompanying him at all times, just like all superpopular people charged with making sure the birds still chirp. EPA employees can no longer access the floor where Pruitt works without escort, and they must first leave their cellphones outside his office before meeting with him and
are often told not to take notes. This way, they cannot take cellphone photos of Pruitt, disheveled and alone, babbling to himself while eating a live, mercury-poisoned fish. We’re not saying that Gollum-like behavior takes place, but thanks to the weirdly Howard Hughesian clampdown Pruitt enacted at the EPA, we don’t know that it hasn’t happened.
Best friend to Oklahoma women
Sen. Kay Floyd
It’s tough being a woman in Oklahoma. In recent years, our state has become the female incarceration capital of the nation. In domestic violence statistics, the Sooner State is sixth in the nation for women killed by their intimate partner. It doesn’t get any better in the workforce, as Oklahoma women with full-time jobs earned an average 77 cents to every dollar their male counterparts earned. continued on page 26
New Leaf Floral Midtown
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2500 N May Ave Oklahoma City OK 73107 (405) 842-2444
9221 N Penn Place Oklahoma City OK 73120 (405) 840-5323
Once again, dear friends, you’ve hit us right in the feels. We are honored and have always taken pride in being a part of the LGBTQ community. And, quite frankly, we were surprised to have won the Best LGBT Bar or Club category. Since 1954, the HiLo has been striving to cultivate a space of somewhat judgment-free fun. And while we are pretty elated that our efforts have not gone unnoticed, we’d like to congratulate the remaining nominees (and quite a few other establishments) that have been walking this city forward to be a more diverse, accepting and beautiful place to live. Thank you, OKC
Ice Cream Free since 1954
Christopher Simon
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REST OF OKC
In areas of health, Oklahoma has the second-highest teen birth rate in the United States. Of course, unconstitutional bills filed by state lawmakers perennially assault women’s health and reproductive rights. At the Capitol, despite a female governor, only 13.4 percent of state legislators are female. There are bright spots for women, like Sen. Kay Floyd, D-Oklahoma City. First elected to the House of Representatives in 2012, Floyd has fought to improve the quality of life of Oklahoma families and protect children and victims of domestic abuse. She is not alone. There are many other brave and courageous Oklahoma women lawmakers by her side. Last November, Floyd accepted the 2016 Elected Women of Excellence Award from the National Foundation for Women Legislators. This past spring, the Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women honored Floyd with the 2017 Guardian Award to recognize her contribution to guarding, protecting and preserving the rights of women and families. Three cheers for Floyd! Best worst friend TO Oklahoma women
Rep. Elise Hall
It wasn’t a stellar session for the Oklahoma Legislature and its treatment of women. An equal pay bill remained stalled in committee thanks to Rep. Elise Hall, R-Oklahoma City, who became the only woman in the House not to sign on as co-author. Ironically, Hall replaced Dan Kirby as chair of the Business, Commerce and Tourism committee. Kirby resigned from the Legislature following sexual harassment claims leveled by former assistants. Rep. Justin Humphrey, R-Lane, made international headlines during the session when he referred to pregnant women as “hosts” during debate on a bill 26
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he authored that would’ve required women to get written consent of the fetus’ father before getting an abortion. Rep. Karen Gaddis, D-Tulsa, was elected to replace Kirby, which brings the Oklahoma legislature’s female representation to 13.4 percent, among the bottom 10 in the country. After some of the comments and actions from lawmakers this session, we can only hope that number will increase. Best activism
Women’s March on Oklahoma
A month before the Women’s March, which became a worldwide protest on Jan. 21 to advocate legislation and policies that benefit women and children, Lindsey Kanaly — lead organizer of Women’s March on Oklahoma — told Oklahoma Gazette, “Our goal is to bring people together, educate them about what is happening in Oklahoma and what needs to change. Our legislators need our support. They can’t do it by themselves. They need to know what is important to us.” Kanaly and other Oklahomans planning the Capitol march anticipated a crowd of 2,000 people gathering around the south Capitol steps that morning. By the time the march began down N. Lincoln Boulevard, the crowd had swelled well past a couple thousand people. About 12,000 women, men and children of various races, religions, political affiliations and social classes united to advocate on a number of policies to impact change in Oklahoma. In the past 12 months, there has been a number of marches, protests, rallies and candlelight vigils in response to police brutality, indigenous rights, racism and other issues of social injustice. Metro residents have made their voices heard. “The potential for the change to happen from the bottom up has never
been greater than right now,” Kanaly told PBS NewsHour. “What we do with it is going to be key. It can’t just be show up for this march for this one day, then go home and get on Facebook to complain. You have to keep doing something.” Best worst law proposed
Laws undoing State Questions 780 and 781
Ye careless voters of Oklahoma need not worry; our state’s fine elected officials are here to cover up all your misguided mistakes. In reality, most Oklahomans probably knew exactly what they were voting for when they approved State Questions 780 and 781, which together reclassified lesser drug offenses as misdemeanors and funneled the money saved from reduced sentences to fund rehabilitative programs. Voters approved both state questions last November. A few lawmakers who pride themselves as “tough on crime” types were apparently flabbergasted that the state’s people could make a decision to lessen any kind of penalty, despite a prison system currently well beyond its maximum capacity. Rep. Scott Biggs, R-Chickasha, introduced House Bill 1482 this legislative session. Former Sen. Ralph Shortey, R-Oklahoma City, introduced Senate Bills 503 and 512. Among other things, both legislative attempts would have increased penalties if drugs were found within a certain distance of a public park or school, effectively reversing the will of the people in SQ 780 and SQ 781. Neither of the lawmakers’ bills advanced to the governor’s desk this past legislative session. Rep. Emily Virgin, D-Norman, told Tulsa World in a March 2017 story that the notion that state voters did not know the implications of either State Question is insulting. continued on page 29
Best former restaurant
Spaghetti Warehouse “Former restaurant” sounds about right. While Spaghetti Warehouse, once found at the intersection of Sheridan and Oklahoma Avenues, will forever have a place in the history of downtown Oklahoma City as one of Bricktown’s early torchbearer eateries, its food legacy is often called nostalgic at best and forgettable at worst. The chain Italian-style restaurant closed its Oklahoma City operation in February 2016. It moved into the first floor of a historic six-story building in 1988, though its upper five floors remained sealed and unused. NewsOK. com reported in June that the space is in the process of being purchased by Cedars Group LLC with the intention of turning the space into a hotel or offices. While many locals and out-of-town guests have no doubt sat for a meal or two at Spaghetti Warehouse in the last two or three decades, Oklahoma City’s dining palate has matured well beyond generic plates of pasta. One can hardly walk local streets these days without tripping over a local pho or ramen shop, a reality that few could have imagined in the ’80s. Thriving district culture has brought locally owned restaurants and dining groups to a new plateau. Chic new food and bar concepts pop up almost every month. Oklahoma City truly thanks Spaghetti Warehouse for believing in the downtown area at a time when not many did. But the city’s tastes simply outgrew the longtime Bricktown staple. Next time you’re enjoying a pork belly steamed bun or an artisanal farm-to-table arugula salad, offer a tip of the hat to the bygone downtown eats of yesteryear. O kg a z e t t e . c o m | a u g u s t 3 0 , 2 0 1 7
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REST OF OKC “This idea that voters didn’t know what they were voting on is wrong,” she said. “I’ve heard from people inside my district and outside who said, ‘I knew exactly what I was doing.’” Hear that? State voters actually knew what they were doing. Then again, this is the same electorate that voted in some of these lawmakers. Best future district
SheMa (Shepherd Mall)
With all due respect to our friends at NoMa, the upstart commercial North May District between NW 122nd Street and Hefner Avenue, mama didn’t raise no fool. Yes, we realize there are districts in this city with more tangible momentum than (the historic?) Shepherd Mall. The Farmers Market District (near downtown between Pennsylvania and Shartel avenues and Reno Ave. and Interstate 40), Film Row (west of downtown near the intersection of N. Sheridan and N. Lee avenues) and Wheeler District (south of the Oklahoma River near the Wheeler Ferris wheel, 1701 S. Western Ave.) are all clearly on the rise with plenty of new attractions. Still, we here at Oklahoma Gazette like to peer into the future — even the very distant future. Maybe the forgotten shopping mall found on NW 23rd Street between Pennsylvania and Villa avenues does not excite the average onlooker now, but just wait until a failed Silicon Valley trust-fund millennial comes along to throw some of daddy’s cash at the site. Once that place adds an Apple Store, avocado toast bar and local hot sauce boutique, the young crowd won’t be able to stay away. Current tenants like ASTEC Charter School and the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission are about to be popping! Other forgotten area malls are attempting to step back into relevance. Crossroads Mall has seen some success after being rebranded as Plaza Mayor at the Crossroads. Northpark Mall (now Shoppes at Northpark) is doing its best to stay hip as part of NoMa. But we believe Shepherd Mall — given its close proximity to topnotch fried-chicken fast food staples like KFC, Golden Chick and Raising Cane’s — is best positioned to become a true cultural force in this city: SheMa. Best place to get Faygo in the face
Gathering of the Juggalos
July’s four-day Gathering of the Juggalos festival essentially went off without a hitch, with only eight people arrested out of the estimated 8,000 attending each day. The arrests were for the expected violations like drugs and disorderly conduct. Considering that Insane Clown Posse was founded on principles of disorderly conduct, this arrest must have really been super-
Best Worst Public Art
special, like finding a Faygo bottle at Whole Foods Market. But considering how local media and law enforcement responded to the impending arrival of the face-painting invitational and hardcore music haven, it was as if thousands of Pennywises were crawling from the Oklahoma City sewers to take our children. KOCO had its chopper flying over Lost Lakes Amphitheater and Water Park, and The Oklahoman even interviewed a reformed Juggalo who was traveling from Florida for the event in the hopes of dragging a few of Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J’s acolytes into the church, where they would sing sweet verses to the Almighty instead of “Fucking magnets/ how do they work?” Ultimately, there were no buffalo statue mutilations, appearances by the Yellow King or the Slim Jim shortages that many feared. Instead, Oklahoma City received an infusion of Faygo, the super-fizzy bargain soda that the average Juggalo would normally have to drive 227 miles to the Bosselman Travel Stop in Salina, Kansas, to enjoy. That sweet nectar of the evil clown gets sprayed at ICP concerts at a constant
AlottaAction Advertising In January, Western Avenue received a master class in reverse art appreciation. Just two years after the district adorned many of its buildings with strikingly beautiful murals, one of the works was painted over, signaling that if a tenant thinks your work is “ugly,” your winsome depiction of children frolicking in a swimming hole is doomed to suffer death by Sherwin-Williams. The mural in question, painted by 66-year-old local muralist Bob Palmer, was located at 4616 N. Western Ave., the home of Alotta Action Advertising. When much furor arose after this sweetly nostalgic vision of rural Americana was blotted out with blood-red latex paint, Nondoc contacted Alotta Action owner Jen Hutchings while she was on vacation in Key West, Florida, and presumably hoping not to experience a lot of action. But she did, and she was pissed. “That mural was ugly, and we are going to put a new mural on it,” Hutchings told Nondoc as she was presumably living on sponge cake and watching the sun bake all those tourists covered in oil. Months later, the wall was still red as raw tuna, leading some observers to think that Alotta Action had created a minimalist mural depicting a close-in, microscopic shot of a blood corpuscle. But then in late summer, a new image appeared, almost as if the wall were a sacred shroud or a tortilla. It was Jesus. At least, it looks like Jesus. It could be just a hippie, but a hippie mural wouldn’t have the power to cynically deflect criticism from residents angered by the loss of a beloved painting by Palmer, who told KOCO that the erasure of his work was “like a kick to the stomach.” As for the artistic merit of the new mural, it’s no verdant view into cherished memories of summers spent cooling in the clear waters of a rural stream. It’s Jesus, and if Oklahoma has nothing else, it has a ton of Jesus Christ depictions. So here’s another one, and let’s just say it’s not the “Mona Lisa.”
clip, which meant thousands of Sooner Juggalos and Juggalettes could forego Best Choice brand and soak up face-fulls of Redpop, Candy Apple and Moon Mist Blue, all delivered at high velocity. So far, that’s not a crime in Oklahoma, but the Oklahoma State Legislature, instead of fixing the state budget crisis, is probably mulling a new law against cheap Michigan soda that a few low-information legislators might believe causes clown rampages. continued on page 32
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best of OKC event Best of OKC awards party Oklahoma Gazette’s 33rd annual Best of OKC awards is complete! Winners were announced in 116 categories Aug. 22 at a superhero / supervillian-themed party at The Criterion in downtown Oklahoma City. This year’s event featured live performances by Superfreak and tastings from several different breweries, wineries and liquor companies as well as live screen printing by Oklahoma Shirt Company, comic book-themed photos by MVP Photo Booth and entertainment by magician Michael King curtesy of Arts Council Oklahoma City. Find more photos of the exciting evening and Best of OKC winners and favorites online at okgazette.com. The Best of OKC party venue was The Criterion, catering was provided by Ned’s Catering, decor was by factor 110 and the arcade room was provided by Amini’s. For information about photo use permissions, digital photos and reproductions, please contact Linda Meoli, Oklahoma Gazette vice president of corporate affairs, at lmeoli@okgazette.com.
Guests eagerly await their chance at winning the grand prize in Gazette’s Tower of Power at the Aug. 22 Best of OKC party
Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum proudly poses with their three awards received from the 2017 Best of OKC reader’s poll
OK Cider Co was wine tasting tables for party guests to learn about and enjoy some of the beverages Oklahoma has to offer
Party guests were thrilled about Oklahoma Shirt Company’s live screen deadCenter and Hideaway Pizza
printing of Gazette’s fiercely local and
rocking’ ‘n’ rollin’ at the Best of
independent shirts
OKC awards party Aug. 22
Caleb of 89th Street - OKC focuses on the Batman-themed pinball machine in the Amini’s arcade area along with other guests
The Pump Bar had a blast dressed to the max as their favorite superhero and supervillians at the Best of OKC awards party Aug. 22
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Superfreak kept the volume up and the crowd singing along all night long as the live entertainment the Aug. 22 event
The Blue Note and friends enjoyed the all the Best of OKC party Aug. 22 had to offer
Best of OKC party guests filling their plates with delicious food from Ned’s Catering
Seven years bad luck for opening an umbrella indoors,but Sauced does not care as they are prepared for the stormy walk to their car after the Aug. 22 party
Homes by Taber posed for their comic book-themed photos by MVP Photo Booth as memorabilia of the powerful evening
Spiderwoman and Batman of Paint N’ Cheers were thrilled that readers voted them the best place for a grown-up’s party for the 33rd Best of OKC reader’s poll
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REST OF OKC
Best one-company urban renewal machine
Braum’s Ice Cream and Dairy Stores
The Donnay Building is a funky-looking historic building at a weird and busy intersection in northwest Oklahoma City. With local businesses like HiLo Club, Drunken Fry, Charlie’s Jazz-Rhythm & Blues Records and neighboring diner Classen Grill, it’s a well-liked place to make memories and spend time with friends and family. According to Okie Mod Squad cofounder Lynne Rostochil, that’s exactly what has happened at the Donnay Building since it opened in 1954 with businesses like The Patio restaurant. “This building and the businesses in it touch the core of people,” Rostochil told Oklahoma Gazette in July. “What I find interesting about this building is it’s not just history; these businesses are thriving with new memories being made every day.” Maybe that’s what Braum’s Ice Cream and Dairy Stores officials saw when they looked closely at Classen Circle. They pondered, “Why couldn’t people make more great memories with Braum’s ice cream and other food items ‘Fresh From Our Family Farm’ at that very spot in Oklahoma City?”
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In July, Braum’s officials submitted a rezoning application with the City of Oklahoma City that revealed their plans for a new restaurant on the property and the demolition of existing buildings including the Donnay. One might call it the most ambitious — on a much smaller scale — urban renewal project since architect I.M. Pei unveiled his plan to modernize downtown Oklahoma City by demolishing 500 buildings back in the 1960s. (BTW, most Oklahoma Citians look back on the Pei Plan with distaste, as the city tore down one historic building after another in hopes to create viable retail or residential options that never took off.) A group called Save Classen Circle – Boycott Braums organized a protest hours after news broke of the rezoning application. The Tuttle-based company’s attorney later asked city officials to move the application to a September planning and zoning meeting to allow for more time to meet with the community. Let’s hope this community meeting happens. Best local celebrity with two Beatles’ names
Paul George
Wow! Genius Sam Presti has done it again. The Oklahoma City Thunder general manager only had to give up players Victor Oladipo and Domantis
Best alleged felons
Richard and Ryan Tate
Seventeen years ago, Dr. Richard and Rita Tate launched Tate Publishing & Enterprises as a Christian-based company working with aspiring authors, and later musicians, by offering an array of services to produce and promote high-quality books and music. With the help of their family, including son Ryan, Tate Publishing became known as a vanity press, meaning most of their clients paid the Mustang-based company to have their works published. Following a $2.2 million lawsuit filed by Xerox Corporation against Tate Publishing and Ryan Tate, the company ceased operations in January. At the time of the closure, Mustang Times reported Tate Publishing, between its Mustang and Filipino offices, was working with 35,000 authors. While it promised to work with authors by returning manuscripts for a fee, authors and musicians began routing their complaints to the Oklahoma Office of the Attorney General. While the AG’s office was already more than a year into their investigation into Tate Publishing, 4,849 complaints were lodged against the company between Jan. 17 and May 4. Those complaints led Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter to respond with four felony embezzlement charges, a misdemeanor embezzlement charge, three felony extortion-by-threat charges and a felony racketeering charge against Richard and Ryan Tate as operators of Tate Publishing. Canadian County Sheriff’s deputies arrested and booked the Tates, who posted bond. A Canadian County judge scheduled a pre-hearing conference for the alleged felons on Sept. 6.
Sabonis to land half of Liverpool’s legendary Fab Four. We’re not sure how much game Paul McCartney has on the court (hopefully he was able to find some time for a shootaround before his July 17 concert at Chesapeake Arena), but the halftime shows are about to be the league’s best. OK, relax. Of course we know the Thunder roster’s newest addition is former Indiana Pacer small forward Paul George and not a pair of English musicians born in the 1940s (one of which is no longer living). Whether or not George stays after his contract expires at the end of this season, OKC has every right to be excited about watching one of basketball’s best talents in a Thunder uniform. Still, if Presti’s goal is to get Russell Westbrook to resign with the team, trading for some top-flight musical talent would not be the worst idea. Westbrook’s love for Taylor Swift and Katy Perry is well documented. We also know that his seemingly endless wardrobe includes band shirts for KISS, Ramones and Slayer. Ever yone loves Rumble, but if trading him for legendary metal vocalist Tom Araya of Slayer is enough to keep Westbrook in town, then it is time to send our bipedal bovine friend packing. Best new golf buddy
Bob Stoops
Are you looking to add a four handicap to your foursome at Belmar Golf Club or the Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club? It turns out that one avid golfer has some more free time on his hands and will be able to give you the inside scoop on how the Sooners stack up this year: Bob Stoops himself. After Big Game Bob made the shocking decision to retire as the University of Oklahoma’s football coach in June, an announcement that was delayed to give OU’s softball and men’s golf team a chance to celebrate national championships, Stoops has yet to take a high-paying television analyst gig. That should give him plenty of time to hit the links. Stoops is an annual participant in the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, where he finished fourth in 2012 and once hit a hole-in-one according to Golf Digest, but his game can always drops a few strokes, and what better way than to do so with you? That’s right, you! Stoops turned the program over to 33-year-old Lincoln Riley, but he left him senior Heisman Trophy contending quarterback Baker Mayfield and a strong recruiting class on which to build. Stoops took over the program in 1998
coming off three losing seasons; the team was a shell of its former glory. Stoops won a national title and appeared in three other championship games while becoming the all-time winningest coach in school history in the process. That’s a lot to accomplish by the age of 57. It’ll be awhile before he moves up to the senior tees on the golf course. Best person to help you cry into your cereal
Thank You OKC!
Best Furniture Store
John Moreland
Let’s start with this: John Moreland is fantastic and one of the most exquisitely talented songwriters in a state chock-full of songsmiths. When we’re crying to Moreland’s music, it is absolutely because we want to be. The tattooed and gruffly bearded Americana crooner uniquely rose to prominence by way of Oklahoma’s hardcore punk community. Moreland was born in Texas but settled in Tulsa as a teen thanks to his father’s military job. As much as we love Moreland in Oklahoma, his music is truly the world’s now. The singersongwriter has appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and his last few albums have drawn rave reviews from national music media. He is currently on the last stretch of a long tour through Europe. Moreland released his newest album, Big Bad Luv, in May, continuing the relentless momentum of 2015’s High on Tulsa Heat. Big Bad Luv sprinkles in a few more upbeat numbers in an overall more rock-centric album, but make no mistake; there is still plenty of heartbreak to go around. Sometimes the best way to start the day is by letting all your emotions out. When you need an early morning release, go pour some Froot Loops and put on “Cherokee” or “No Glory in Regret.” After you thoughtfully crunch your way through breakfast, dripping slow tears into your cold milk, you’ll be more than ready to put past pain behind you as you march bravely toward the future. Best boring park name
Scissortail Park
The downtown development of a 68acre, $138 million park that will connect two parks with the use of a sky bridge is this much closer to reality after a groundbreaking ceremony in June. continued on page 34
400 S Western Ave, Oklahoma City 405-812-8374 O kg a z e t t e . c o m | a u g u s t 3 0 , 2 0 1 7
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EARL’S CARRY-OUT & CATERING DRAFT PARTIES, BACK TO SCHOOL, & ALL THE THINGS... Juggling all of these events is going to get a bit messy. Why not add some BBQ to the mix just to prove the point? www.EarlsRibPalace.com
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Best Mexican Restaurant
It’s an exciting time in downtown OKC as the MAPS project continues to pay off. There is only one problem: Did we really have to name the upper park after the Scissortail? Doesn’t the state bird already serve as enough inspiration around the state? Skydance Bridge, which will connect the two parks, is designed after the bird. The new Oklahoma license plate features an outline of the bird. We get it; the bird has a cool tail. Public input was used to determine the park’s name, and we feel this was an opportunity missed to gain some viral fame. The city said on Twitter that it would not accept Parky McParkface as an option after Boaty McBoatface won an Internet contest to name a British research ship. What about Kendrick Parkins, a name the city said would be considered? That would’ve been a great way to honor a great Oklahoma City Thunder teammate and get some Internet chatter. Despite its rather boring name, Scissortail Park is scheduled to open in early 2019 and will bring development to an otherwise forgotten area of downtown.
years.) We here at Oklahoma Gazette are glass-half-full types. Instead of looking at it as “getting stuck,” riders should enjoy their aerial perch as they patiently wait for emergency personnel to pluck them from the sky. Let’s face it; there is probably something in most riders’ days they were trying to avoid anyway — a high school reunion or family dinner perhaps. But one ride on the Silver Bullet and boom, an instant, undeniable and verifiable excuse from any and all social engagements. “Oh, I’m so sorry middleschool-friend Becky whom I have not seen in three years. I can’t make it to your wedding to Steve the insurance salesman because I’m stuck on a roller coaster high above the city’s Adventure District. My best and sincerest wishes to you both.”
Best place to get away from it all
Frontier City’s Silver Bullet
Oklahoma City is loaded with coffee shops and libraries well geared for making quiet work or study sessions pleasant and enjoyable. There are also plenty of lakes and camping destinations in the state for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of city life. However, none of those spots are what we’d call “thrilling.” For the adrenaline junkie looking to catch up on emails or read through a few chapters of the newest James Patterson novel, the Silver Bullet roller coaster at Frontier City is highly recommended. Some call the coaster’s penchant for stalling midway through its run on the tracks a negative. (There have been at least five stoppages on the ride in the last decade and at least three in the last two Best worst Trump inaugural performer
Toby Keith
North Penn Del City Lawton West OKC 15124 Lieyton’s Ct. 5301 Main St. Ste. 117 3807 Cache Road 300 Outlet Ste. 118 405-813-8337 580-699-8337 Shoppes Dr. 405-286-3676 405-607-8337 OKC Edmond Broken Arrow 2836 NW 68th St. 801 E. Danforth Rd 3202 W. Kenosha St. 405-848-8337 405-810-8337 918-254-8337 South OKC 8324 S. Western Ave. 405-635-8337
Norman 700 N. Interstate Dr. 405-307-8337
Tulsa Hills 7848 S. Olympia Ave. WEST 918-301-8337
Dine-In • ToGo • Catering • Banquet Facilities 34
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Oklahomans contend with a constant fear that the “# Days Without a National Embarrassment” sign will roll back to zero, like whenever State Rep. John Bennett opens his mouth. Those unfortunate incidents always play to Oklahoma’s largely incorrect national image as a mélange of country music clichés, catastrophic weather phenomena, atrocious politics and YouTube supercuts of classic Cops arrests. Then Toby Keith decided to perform at President Donald continued on page 36
Best worst license plate
The 2017 scissortail flycatcher Just a few days into 2017, Oklahoma Tax Commission began issuing new license plates bearing a stylized image of the state bird, the scissortail flycatcher. Because we live in an age of complaint and eternal grievance, social media criticism sprang to life like a flock of birds taking flight on the savannah. Now, considering that Oklahomans spent years driving around our fair state with plates declaring that “Oklahoma is OK,” which means it’s a lot like lima beans, the 24th season of Survivor and the latest Macklemore single, this issue caused a surprising level of pique. Perhaps because it was preceded by Allan Houser’s Sacred Rain Arrow design, Oklahomans reacted as if Gov. Mary Fallin had slapped Red from Angry Birds on our tags. Some people on Twitter, perhaps suffering from tunnel vision, thought the new design looked like the Twitter logo. They aren’t incorrect. If you took the bird from the Twitter logo and saddled it with a janky, unwieldy tail that didn’t proportionately evolve after the Pleistocene epoch, you’ve got the new Oklahoma license plate. Still others were convinced that a Hunger Games fanatic designed the new plate to express her or his undying devotion to Mockingjay. Indeed, if one were to squint at the design like Donald Trump looking at an eclipse, it triggers visions of Katniss Everdeen avenging the death of her sister Prim by drawing her bow on Interim President Alma Coin. Does this mean that Oklahoma is bucking to be District 12 in Trump’s Panem? May the odds be ever in Oklahoma’s favor.
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Trump’s inauguration, and we watched the rolling digit creak sadly back to its nil position. One of the best-selling acts from Oklahoma not rhyming with Darth Schnooks, Keith joined such illustrious performers as 1970s variety show star Tony Orlando, child warbler Jackie Evancho and 3 Doors Down, who have dined out on their single “Kryptonite” for 17 years now. Keith left the Democratic Party in 2008, one month before Barack Obama’s first presidential victory, but he did play the Nobel Peace Prize concert in 2009, when Obama won the award, so he continues to be a bipartisan event performer. However, he is unapologetic that his “Red Solo Cup” has “MAGA” emblazoned on it. “There’s no reason not to do it,” Keith said about the inauguration performance during the 2017 Country Radio Seminar, as reported in March by The Boot. “I know a bunch of people were committed. I know a bunch of people — I’m not naming names — but there’s a bunch of people that I didn’t think would have considered it who were committed, and they backed out due to pressure.” Yes, “pressure” is the real culprit, not any concern about being associated with an apologist for hate groups who is currently under investigation by a special counsel and cannot get through a single news cycle without damaging the U.S. standing on the world stage. No, sir. This summer, Keith released a new single, “Wacky Tobacky,” from his upcoming album, The Bus Songs. The song extolls the virtues of cannabis, à la his “Weed With Willie.” This puts Keith at odds with Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who wants to prosecute medical marijuana growers who are acting in accordance with laws in their states. He also reauthorized civil asset forfeiture in drug cases, which means that if Keith gets popped for “Wacky Tobacky” by the Drug Enforcement Agency, he could lose the bus from The Bus Songs. Still no reason not to do it, Toby?
Best devilish ritual
black Mass at the Civic Center
Civic Center Music Hall is the heart of Oklahoma City’s cultural life, but it’s not without its issues. For instance, there’s always the herd of unfortunate Nutcracker attendees who don’t know proper ballet etiquette and proceed to loudly complain about their seats and unwrap and eat the fried chicken that Grandma smuggled in her purse. And, of course, there’s the labyrinthine climb to the balcony, which can start to feel like an endurance test rivaled only by the Michael Bublé concert that awaits you. But those inconveniences are nothing compared to having a satanic priest unleash a hellmouth on stage, and you thought you were there to see The Lion King. In August 2016, Church of Ahriman leader Dastur Adam Daniels held a black Mass at the Civic Center, including a ceremony known as the Consumption of Mary. In the ceremony, a statue of the Virgin Mary is placed at the center of a Solomonic triangle and some devil worshippers dance counter-clockwise around the statue. (Counter-clockwise is bad, like being left-handed or parting your hair on the wrong side.) Then a priestess breaks open the statue, revealing a pig’s heart, and eats it as if she’s eating the heart of Mary. It’s melodramatic to such a point that old-school Satan-baiters like Ozzy Osbourne or Marilyn Manson might deem it too overthe-top. Daniels’ periodic grandstanding in the name of Baphomet caused more problems than just a need to call Buffy in to reseal the hellmouth. This month, Daniels filed suit against Putnam City School District, alleging that teachers and employees mistreated his three children and made false allegations to the Department of Human Services about their parenting. Daniels is suing for $300,000 in damages, which would buy approximately 30,000 pig hearts on Amazon.com.
Best worst name fulfillment
Legacy Grill
Oh, Legacy Grill, we hardly knew ye. Less than a year after Legacy Grill opened as a retrofitting of KD’s southern eatery, the restaurant concept that opened because Kevin Durant left for the Golden State Warriors is already gone. We expected more from a restaurant with “legacy” in the name. Legacy Grill opened with tributes to famous Oklahomans, which was coordinated by Oklahoma Heritage Association, but its menu was only a slight retooling of the soul food offered at KD’s. Legacy Grill did about as well at honoring Oklahoma’s history as Gary Busey trying to remember facts from his Tulsa high school history class after a bender. The restaurant location at 224 Johnny Bench Drive in Bricktown that is managed by Hal Smith Restaurants has reemerged as part of the Charleston’s chain. The popular chain, which boasts three OKC locations among its 18 national locations, should provide stability to the downtown storefront, but we were hoping for something original. Too bad we couldn’t get it at Legacy Grill. Best story Oklahoma Gazette almost wrote
Wall-to-wall Tom Felton coverage
If you have a Facebook or other social media account, you likely saw at least one of your friends posting a picture or update on former Harry Potter actor Tom Felton, who was seemingly all over the metro area while filming a movie in-state. Felton spent most of his childhood playing Potter’s personal adversary Draco Malfoy in the series of films based on author J.K. Rowling’s teen fiction phenomenon. The British actor, who turns 30 in September (seriously, where have the years gone?), enjoyed an extended stay in Oklahoma while shooting a film titled Whaling, which co-stars Tammin Sursok (The Young and the Restless, Pretty Little Liars). The film’s crew shot several scenes in Guthrie. Like any good news outlet, Oklahoma Gazette directs its coverage to fit the interests and needs of its audience. Judging from our social networking feeds flooded with Felton selfies, blurry pictures at a distance of Felton at a neighborhood bar or thrift store and nearly stalkerlike updates on his location in the city, it is clear there was a fair
amount of interest in Felton. While it would have been tempting to focus all our attention on Felton’s day-to-day activities in the Sooner State, the truth is social media seemed to have this particular news beat pretty well covered. On top of your great journalistic work in documenting Felton’s shopping and eating habits over the span of his Oklahoma stay, we will merely add that Whaling is currently in post-production and its release date is still undetermined. Best new bar concept
Meow touché
With the addition of Rewind Pub, 1203 SW Second St., in the up-and-coming Farmer’s Market District, it means Oklahoma City has not one, but two vintage video game-themed bars, positioning the city to corner the market on 2012’s hottest trend: the barcade. Mario, Donkey Kong and Galaga are just a few of the old-school video game cabinets available at Rewind Pub or FlashBack Retro Pub at 814 W. Sheridan Ave. Classic video games are fun, especially when paired with the right ’80s soundtrack, but if Oklahoma City has two barcades, does that mean the trend is losing steam?
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OKC
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500 W I-240 Service Road Oklahoma City, OK 73139
3404 S. Broadway Edmond, OK 73013
405-778-6227
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We are honored & humbled once again to have recieved so many nominations in Gazette’s Best of OKC!
best chef
bruce rinehart (4x winner)
best brunch best seafood restaurant best fine dining best participating restaurant in okc restaurant week best participating restaurant staff in okc restaurant week
best new bar
to open since 6/1/16
best upscale bar Instead of being reactionary, what if OKC became a trendsetter for the rest of the country’s bar scene? Let’s see; we’re just spitballing here, but y’all like cats, right? The Japanese trend of using cats to help soothe patrons at cafes has made its way stateside, with Meow Parlour in New York City, but we can do better than that. Maybe a cat bar with continued on page 38
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DRINK
EAT
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Thanks for the votes OKC!
a side of fencing. Snuggle kitties while you watch your possibly inebriated friends fence. The latest trend in Tokyo is the penguin bar. At Penguin no Iru Bar, patrons can watch their cute bird friends waddle and splash in cool water while they sip drinks. Is this something OKC Zoo can put together? It might allow the zoo to stay open past 5 p.m. Best future food truck item
Chicken-fried steak on a stick
Japanese Restaurant In Business For Over 35 Years
Shoppes at Northpark 11900 N May Ave 405.749.0120
2310 N. WesterN • 524-0887 M-F 7aM-6:30pM sat 9:30aM-4pM
Food truck business in Oklahoma City is exploding, and the phenomenon has led certain local industry leaders like The Loaded Bowl, The Hall’s Pizza Kitchen and Taste of Soul Egg Roll to set up brick-and-mortar restaurants. The average life expectancy for a restaurant is three years, but food trucks give culinary entrepreneurs a chance to market test their creations and work out the kinks before committing to a storefront. This way, if Goulash On A Roll isn’t a hit at The Bleu Garten, simply re-wrap the truck and try again until something sticks. Speaking of sticks, for every Goulash On A Roll, there is a solution: Chicken-Fried Steak on a Stick. This is, after all, the official food of Oklahoma, but it usually isn’t terribly portable. Look at the Steak Sandwich Supreme at Del Rancho. They’ve never found a bun big enough to cover that damn thing. But a CFSOAS allows discriminating gourmands to eat the fried ball of cow on a tongue depressor without getting t hei r h a nd s g rea sy. Furthermore, the accompanying paper bowl of gravy allows for rapid spinning of the CFSOAS for even coating as well as Jackson Pollock-style culinary splatter art. Oklahoma Gazette offers this idea without strings attached. We consider this a public service and will even offer a truck name: Stick It 2 You. Best former OKC meteorologist
Lacey Swope
On June 27, Oklahoma City said goodbye to Lacey Swope. #GoodbyeLacey Please don’t play all cool and pretend like you don’t know about the former News 9 meteorologist. Don’t pretend that you didn’t shed a tear and become emotional as station members gathered around Lacey Swope during her final broadcast. Don’t pretend you didn’t replay the farewell videos News 9 created, remember all the good times and curse the name of News On 6. “Why did the Tulsa station take Lacey Swope from us? What do they have that we don’t have?”
For six years, Oklahoma City metro viewers tuned in to watch Lacey Swope, morning and noon meteorologist, deliver the day’s forecast. Did we need an umbrella? Sunscreen? Or should we expect to hunker down in a storm shelter as an early afternoon severe storm rolls through the Sooner State? Lacey Swope would tell us! Lacey Swope was everything anyone could ever want in a meteorologist. With a positive and energetic attitude, she informed viewers of the forecast, everything from blizzards to droughts, floods and tornadoes. She did it while sporting trendy knee-length dresses with a statement necklace to tie the look together. Now she delivers the forecast to Tulsa viewers at News 9’s sister channel News On 6. We miss you, Lacey Swope! #BringBackLaceySwope. continued on page 38
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BEST OF OKC ReADERS COMMENTS Straightforward, funny, bewildered, angry and downright rude — Best of OKC voters expressed their opinions in many ways in the comment section while they were voting.
Nominations Ballot Write-Ins Best local website or blog Lost Ogle Duh
Best local singer/ songwriter
My ex-husbands new gf the hula hooping ukulele player Na Ah man. I need to get out more.
Best chef
Nick even burgers require a good chef Whoever is at Trapper’s Love the selections, taste, presentation, and serving temperature.
Best waiter or waitress To many to chose from How can I answer that N/A I usually end up at the bar
Best bartender
Alex Bolerjack, Serve (There should be a barista and best coffee shop category!)
Best local band
Deerpeople Are they still together?
Best visual artist Tyson Meade Legend
Best local annual event or festival
Fourth of July in Yukon Family and friends good music
Best local homebuilder Bob I just know bob the builder They’re all rip offs Build your own home
Best concert venue
Cheasapeake Arena This is really the Ford Center
Best public art/mural
Yukon backside of 10 w main Cool
Best public art/mural
Red Wall on 46th and Western Some bullshit screen printing company painted over my favorite mural of kids playing in a pond.
Best museum
Best vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free or healthy menu options
Na Hahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!
Best liquor store
Chihuly Museum of Art Always been a fan.
Broadway No chance of getting shot there. Probably.
Best fine jewelry
Best Latin restaurant
BC Clark Most sales are after Christmas
Best place to dine before a show Barrios that guac with the habaneros though
Best place for continuing education OSU, OU, and UCO Graduated from UCO in Fine Arts
Best place to get an aesthetic update
The Plaza District The Plaza District in OKC always has a very nice aesthetic
Best local district
None Why is every grouping of two stores a district all of a sudden?
Best new retail establishment ??? I shop online...
Best vapor shop Fuck you so disappointing
Best tourist attraction the whole city why not?
Best public bathroom Oklahoma State Capital Building Just joking
Best place for a kid’s party Their parents’ house Children are best left at home
Best local winery
Farfalla Give me the cranberry or
Best barbecue restaurant
None. Oklahoma City barbecue is an oxymoron. No restaurant in the city understands how to properly use smoke, so their meat may as well be oven-roasted.
1491 are there others?
Best new restaurant Urbun those buns are amazing, yours too ;)
Best upscale bar
O bar What is it called now
Best Bricktown district restaurant
Sonic Bricktown is a tourist hellscape
Best Downtown restaurant (includes Arts, Film Row and Farmers Market districts) Loaded bowl There is a typo on your question.
Best national or regional hotel Drury Not in Oklahoma
Best national or regional restaurant you wish was locally owned Ruby Tuesday If it was locally owned, we would have one.
Best National or Regional Steakhouse None are you kidding me?
Run-Off Ballot Write-Ins Best radio personality or team
Rick and Brad (KATT-FM Rock 100.5) This is a protest vote, and the closest to my favorite Spy radio personality I could get.
Best local feed to follow on social media
The Lost Ogle The lost ogle because your feeds could use some work.
Best local singer / songwriter John Moreland Moreland or we riot.
Best chef
Best LGBT bar or club
Henry Bordeaux at Aurora Breakfast, Bar & Backyard Its BOUDREAUX
Best public bathroom
Henry Bordeaux at Aurora Breakfast, Bar & Backyard I believe it is Henry Boudreaux.
Best visual artist
Jay Roberts at Mind Bender Tattoo and Fine Art Gallery JAY MF ROBERTS!!!!!! FTW!
Best concert venue
The Zoo Amphitheatre None of these shit heaps.
Best public art/mural
New Zealand Thunder player Steven Adams mural on The Paramount building in Film Row HUNK
Best fine jewelry
BC Clark Jewelers This is a ridiculous category.
Best clothing consignment
HiLo Club My home! Gazette, please help save the Donnay building from being torn down! The Pump Bar I prefer to hear Stephen Fry reading Harry Potter books to me whilst I conduct my business
Best place for a kid’s party Science Museum Oklahoma Learn something.
Best breakfast
Classen Grill #SAVECLASSENGRILL #SAVECLASSENCIRCLE
Best breakfast
Classen Grill SAVE THE CLASSEN GRILL
Best late-night eats
Beverly’s Pancake House a...WHOLE FRIED CHICKEN..the whole thing!
The Bottom Drawer I always had to use the bottom drawer
Best liquor store
Best place to get fit
Best pho restaurant
Lake Hefner get fit, cletus. yee yee
Best med spa
Udander I did not dander.
Best place to get an aesthetic update
Cottonwood Salon and Spa I have horrible allergies.
Best local district Bricktown Oh my gosh why do I have to pick one?!?!
Best naughty business Night Trips Boobies
Best vapor shop
Vapor World This is a dumb category
Best credit union
Weokie Credit Union Because I always think it says Wookie.
Best LGBT bar or club HiLo Club Save the HiLo!
Best LGBT bar or club
HiLo Club KING AND QUEEN OF ALL KINGS AND QUEENS. LONG MAY SHE REIGN.
Moore Liquor because i love their signs Pho’ever Random--do not even know what Pho is
Best Bricktown district restaurant
Bourbon St. Café Toby Keith personally urinates in everything served in his restaurant, I know this for a fact.
Best Bricktown district restaurant Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill Heard it was great
Best national or regional retail establishment you wish was locally owned Target You wish was locally owned? What? Why?
Best national or regional gym Gold’s Gym Planet Fitness will never get my vote until they learn how to spell Judgment.
Best national or regional restaurant you wish was locally owned
Whiskey Cake Kitchen & Bar Definitely not homophobic ass Chick-fil-A
Best National or Regional Steakhouse Texas Roadhouse The salads are dope!
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Best Worst lateral move
Jack and Ron
Best worst defacement of an Oklahoma Gazette
Wayne Coyne “Let It Be Paul”
When Oklahoma Gazette graphic designer Anna Shilling created the cover for the July 12 “Let It Be Paul” story by Ben Luschen, she depicted Paul McCartney in four stages of his career: the British Invasion mop-top, the Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band mustachioed drum major, the Let It Be/McCartney beardo and the indefatigable elder statesman. This gorgeous cover captured some of McCartney’s personality and character, but it also inspired a remix. Once it reached Wayne Coyne, he summoned his artistic fortitude and hurled a flaming pie at Macca. Soon, the youngest and the eldest McCartney were trading pink teardrops, the Pepper era Paul shot green lasers from his eyes and the bearded courtly sheep farmer Paul bled profusely from his forehead. The composer was artfully decomposing. At first, Shilling wasn’t happy with having her work defaced by the Flaming Lip, but she slowly accepted the idea that it could form the basis for a piece of outsider art. Besides, apart from 2009’s Zombieland, it’s rare to see celebrities transformed into ghoulish stumblers. McCartney seems game for the occasional left turn; maybe he could show up in a Robert Kirkman side project, like Fear the Rocking Dead. 40
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Together more than than two decades, radio personalities Jack Elliott and Ron Williams are better known as the duo “Jack and Ron.” With their antics, Jack and Ron have kept Oklahoma City commuters entertained on their morning commute since new Oklahoma freshfaced football coach Lincoln Riley was in elementary school. While at 98.9 KYIS-FM the team racked up 13 consecutive wins for best radio personality in the reader poll for the Oklahoma Gazette’s Best Of issue, but that seems to have faded. The” Jack and Ron Show” switched to KQOB 96.9 in December of 2015, and
you have to wonder if the duo’s clout has taken a hit. In the most recent Best Of edition, Jack and Ron lost out to Joey and Heather, the show that replaced them at KYIS-FM. Perhaps that means OKC listeners are more loyal to their radio station presets than they are to Oklahoma’s self-proclaimed “favorite jackasses.” Best worst politician to handle campaign money
Kyle Loveless
There was plenty of love lost between former state senator Kyle Loveless and his donors when it was discovered Loveless embezzled more than $112,000 in campaign donations. Loveless resigned from the Legislature in April and pleaded guilty to three felony counts: embezzlement, perjury and filing false campaign reports in August. He will be on probation for three years. The former senator used campaign funds almost daily, according to a report from the Oklahoma Ethics Commission. His misuse included spending campaign funds while on personal trips to Las Vegas and Branson, Missouri. If you’re going to misuse campaign funds, you can find places better than Branson. Loveless also misspent donations on everything from paying a spending ticket to hiring a divorce attorney and trips to the Red River Shootout between the University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas at Austin in Dallas between March 2014 and last December. Loveless paid $112,524 in restitution to the state’s general fund, according to The Oklahoman. Democrat Steven Vincent or Republican Paul Rosino will fill Loveless’ District 45 senate seat after a Nov. 14 election.
ARTS & CULTURE The first Jean Genie Jean Jacket Art Show was last year at The Paseo Plunge.
Art
| Image Bobby Villegas / Provided
Denim deluge
The second Jean Jacket art show at The Paseo Plunge takes art underground. By Jacob Threadgill
Since the 1950s, the jean jacket has represented American counterculture. First, there was Rebel Without a Cause and the coolness of James Dean, followed by Elvis Presley’s all-denim getup in Jailhouse Rock. By the late ’70s, the jean jacket became a uniform for the punk rock scene, and the ethos continued even through designer trends for the ’80s and ’90s. Even in a contemporary sense, Glamour credits Miley Cyrus’ embrace of stylized jean jackets to moving her career from teen Disney star to the twerking rebel we know today. For local artist Tony Thunder, 27, the jean jacket has been a symbol of cool since he was a child, when he would march around the house as a 3-year-old, wearing a Levi’s jacket with a sense of pride.
Jean art
Thunder’s fascination with jean jackets followed him into adulthood when he and his friends would compete to find
the most unique patches for the “coolest” jacket. Eventually, the artist side of him took control and he began using the jackets as a canvas. It led to last year’s pop-up jean jacket show at The Paseo Plunge, 3010 Paseo St. The response to last year’s show was so overwhelming that the jean jackets are the subjects of a nearly monthlong exhibit at The Plunge that will take visitors literally underground, according to manager Charles Martin. “[At the first jean jacket show,] we had everyone, even older people, 60 or 70 years old, coming in really interested,” Martin said. “We had to do it again and make it bigger.” The Jean Genie Jean Jacket Art Show Vol. 2 begins 6:30 p.m. Friday with an opening reception and will be on display through Sept. 24. The first show had four jackets, and the new iteration will have 10-12 with additional art on display. Thunder, who grew up in Moore and attended Oklahoma City Community
College for graphic design, has been a veteran of art shows since he was 18 years old. Much of his work takes the form of pop art, like a pixilated David Bowie in his Starman makeup or Donald Trump made to look like Heath Ledger’s version of the Joker. The act of painting on a jean jacket is not as simple as it might appear. Thunder said it requires thick layers of spray paint as a base to prevent the fabric from soaking up all the color. Once the base layer is applied, Thunder adds paint markers and acrylic paint.
I don’t feel like I really belong in a normal art gallery. Tony Thunder “It requires a lot of layers,” Thunder said, adorned with a black jean jacket with various ornate patches and buttons. “They’re actually pretty hard to write on. You can’t even find them at Goodwills because everyone wants a jean jacket. They never go out of style and last forever.”
Going underground
Artists Kris Kanaly, Sean Vali, Studda Budda and mysterious masked duo
Holey Kids will join Thunder in the exhibit, which will be housed in the basement of The Plunge while the gallery space undergoes renovation. “I don’t feel like I really belong in a normal art gallery,” Thunder said. “[The participating artists] are some of my favorite artists that the city should know about. They’re underground and should get the shine that most traditional artists get, and they will in time.” The exhibit encompasses the entire bottom floor of the 28,000 square-foot Plunge building, which opened in 1933 as Oklahoma’s first community pool. Even after The Plunge opened a year ago, much of the space is still under renovation. Holey Rollers food truck is in the process of moving into a space on the first floor, which is eating into gallery space. The jean jacket show will be downstairs, outside space used by artist George Oswalt, and continue into an unfinished room that will take on the character of the colorful DIY show. “I love the fact we’re doing it underground rather than in the traditional gallery at The Plunge because it feeds into culture of underground rock and now we’re literally underground,” Martin said. The opening reception features a live DJ with other works of art in addition to the jean jackets and patches available to customize your own jean jackets. After the reception, the jackets will move upstairs to another gallery until Sept. 24. “I want it to be like a party. We want a party atmosphere, not like the stuffiness of a normal gallery,” Thunder said. “You don’t have to judge things and eat cheese. Be yourself, let loose and get rowdy.” Martin said that the collection of talent on display during the show is an example of high-end DIY and the participating artists are among the most talented in the state and the connection to jean jackets is something that appeals to all generations. “You will have people that will come out that are not necessarily huge buyers of art, but they like reveling in this scene,” Martin said. “Whenever people are coming through and see 15 skater or punk kids going into a side door of an art gallery, there is something really compelling about that, and people will come in just to see what is going on.”
The Jean Genie Jean Jacket Art Show Vol. 2 opening 6:30 p.m. Friday | runs through Sept. 24 The Paseo Plunge | 3010 Paseo St. paseoplunge.com | 405-315-6224 Free
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ARTS & CULTURE
Aria Lounge at the Sheraton OKC Downtown serving dinner and cocktails daily
Coming Soon Block 23 Dining and Outdoor Patio
Art
One North Broadway, OKC 73102 | 405.815.6010
Syrupy soiree
A Sept. 8 event gives emerging artists a chance to shine in a nontraditional setting. By Jacob Threadgill
Artist and musician Mike Huckeby attended the very first Pancakes & Booze event at Oklahoma City Farmers Public Market in 2013 and left with the intention of joining the next year. Huckeby, an emcee in hip-hop collective Sativa Prophets, said he started dabbling in painting before attending the event but it gave him the confidence to expand his visual art. He participated in the next two events, putting up his work for sale while patrons enjoyed live music, live painting and, of course, the titular pancakes and booze. Huckeby’s reaction is the exact one Pancakes & Booze event founder Tom Kirlin was hoping to foster when he started the event in Los Angeles in 2009. Kirlin wanted to give emerging artists, those who have never set up in a gallery, a chance to explore the business side of art in a nontraditional setting. 42
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“The world is full of artists that are hungry to showcase their talents and get their work out there,” Kirlin said by phone during an interview with Oklahoma Gazette. “They just need an outlet to do it, and that’s what we provide. “There are a lot of artists in our show, and it’s their first time exhibiting in public. It’s kind of comical to see how many have never hung wire on the back of their artwork to get it on the wall. It’s a great feeling, though.” Painting everything from jackets to canvas is part of Sativa Prophets’ live shows. It’s something that emerged for Huckeby after participating in his first Pancakes & Booze Art Show. “It made me think differently about my art and gave me confidence,” Huckeby said. “When you get so many reviews and how long they stare, regardless of whether they buy it or not, it’s really inspiring. It gave me a drive
The Pancakes & Booze Art Show OKC features live music, art, alcohol and pancakes. | Photo provided
to continue to do it and new ideas after talking to artists.” Kirlin said that OKC Farmers Public Market is one the biggest and coolest venues for any Pancakes & Booze event across the country. The multi-level space will be taken full advantage of by event organizers who will position live artists, music and alcohol throughout the space. “It is not your typical gallery setting that can be overwhelming and pretentious. We’re the opposite of the wineand-cheese atmosphere,” Kirlin said of the event, which is only for those over the age of 21. Kirlin, who spends half of the year in Bangkok and the other half in the United States, relies on a team of contractors across the country to help plan the events. He and another full-time employee take artist submissions and determine who will be able to showcase at the event.
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It is not your typical gallery setting that can be overwhelming and pretentious. We’re the opposite of the wine-and-cheese atmosphere. Tom Kirlin He takes submissions right up until a few days before the Sept. 8 event, which runs 8 p.m.-12 a.m. Over 60 artists will display their work. When Kirlin first expanded the event concept outside Los Angeles, the first stop was Nashville, where he had family. It came to Oklahoma City a few years later after being told by artists in Dallas and New Orleans of OKC’s art community. “OKC was one of those places that initially skipped my radar,” Kirlin said. “I didn’t have a good grasp of how strong the art community is there. I found the Farmers Market, and it was such a big venue.” He came into town for the first show and left impressed. “The first show in OKC was one of the biggest we had done at the time, and it was an awesome turnout. It blew us away.” Tickets are $7-$13.65, and the price of admission includes pancakes. Visit pancakesandbooze.com/okc.
The Pancakes & Booze Art Show OKC 8 p.m.-12 a.m. Sept. 8 OKC Farmers Public Market | 311 S. Klein Ave. pancakesandbooze.com/okc $7-$13.65 | 21+
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ARTS & CULTURE Drew Shurtleff’s art is featured in Women of the Ages Art Show at The Ink Hub Tattoos and Fine
Art
Art. | Image Drew Shurtleff / provided
Rethinking ink
Fine art finds a home in a local tattoo studio. By Shel Wagner
Tucked unassumingly into Mayfair Village shopping plaza at NW 50th Street and May Avenue, shouldered alongside a barbershop, a craft supply store and a chain department store, The Ink Hub Tattoo and Fine Art Gallery at first blush might cause a double-take. The low-key location doesn’t exactly holler, “Tat shop!” and the storefront itself appears more straight-laced than severe. Owners/ artists Drew Shurtleff and Leah Cottrill said the buttoned-up image is on purpose. “We’re not scary people at all,” Shurtleff said. “We’re trying to create the most positive vibe we can. We keep the windows big and open. We don’t have crud all over them or have them blackedout. People want to be able to see in, and if they see a big, clean, open gallery space, they’ll feel more comfortable coming in. We want everybody to feel welcomed.” “Sometimes clients who are getting tattoos will even bring their kids to the shop,” Cottrill added. “We’re good with that.”
Judge not
The Ink Hub celebrates its first birthday in October, and business is brisk. The couple credits its success to a friendly, non-judgy atmosphere. They’ll accommodate anybody’s design request as long as it isn’t mean-spirited. “No hate, gangs, violence or anything that is going to promote major negativity,” Cottrill said. Besides Shurtleff and Cottrill, this polished, non-intimidating ink boutique is also home to artists Jeremy Smith and Waymon Thompson, each kicking out strictly original work. Shurtleff is
picky when adding artists to his shop. Along with other more attitudinal prerequisites, he looks for apprentices who already have an artist’s gene. “There are a lot of people out there who are not artists who do tattoos,” he said. “You can learn the trade and you can learn the craft, but you cannot teach someone the artistry. They have to innately have that within them. We can definitely hone it and build it, if the talent is there. But definitely there has to be some sort of talent there in order to be successful in this business.”
No catalogs
The Ink Hub thrives on originality. “We try to keep everything custom here,” Shurtleff said. “In the 12 years I’ve been in the business, I’ve seen an oversaturation of Pinterest kinds of things and the same random image over and over. So we definitely strive here to make sure people are getting something unique that is meaningful to them, for them, only them. It’s not going to be redone on someone else, somewhere else. We don’t resell images or anything like that.” But even with all that pioneering ink work and neighborliness, a business model that combines tattoos and a fine art gallery might still, for the undereducated, seem like an awkward mishmash; something akin to a luck-of-thedraw pairing of dorm-mates. A cursory glance at Cottrill’s personal body art, however, begins to open the mind. That’s where several of Shurtleff’s vibrant, realistic, painting-style tattoos reside, such as the portrait of Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong that lives
on Cotrill’s right arm. Suddenly, the caliber of work becomes evident; it isn’t your grandpa’s tattoo parlor.
Tat daddy
Cottrill first fell in love with art thanks to a high school class, and Shurtleff has been drawing since he could hold a pencil, creating his own comic books and cartoons. He was pursuing a graphic arts degree at the University of Central Oklahoma when his dad, lifelong local artist Ray Shurtleff, approached him about doing tattoos. The younger Shurtleff promptly dropped out of college and the two opened Blues Tattoos in Edmond, where they were considered industry trailblazers of sorts. The year was 2006, and the body art craze in Oklahoma was just starting to stretch and wake up. Later, thanks to his classic and commercial art background, Shurtleff was inspired to design The Ink Hub with half of the square footage dedicated to gallery space. The gallery walls stay dotted with local art year-round, and it’s for sale. The pieces are not necessarily the work of colleagues in the tattoo world, but some are, and all are Oklahomabased.
Ages Art Show will carry the message that women can be just as empowered as men. There should be no sex discrimination. There is so much anger and hate going on right now that we thought, ‘You know what? Let’s show some of the beauty. Let’s show people there are much more beautiful things out there to focus on.’” The Women of the Ages group show spotlights pieces that celebrate the female form and speak to the strength of women. The show is comprised of works by exclusively local talent, including Jay MF Roberts, Josh Reynolds, Bobby Deneen, Viking Ashley, Jordan Tacker, Effin’ Josh, Graham Edwards, Nora Bisher and others. “We definitely want to support statebased artists as well as support and expand the local art community,” Cottrill said. They are so devoted to local art that Women of the Ages marks the gallery’s fifth opening. Motorists on May Avenue might never even notice the unobtrusive, little strip-mall storefront. And nor, without a closer look, might passersby recognize the passion, social awareness and artistlift-ups happening within. Jeremy Smith’s art is featured in Women of the Ages Art Show at The Ink Hub Tattoos and Fine Art. | Image Jeremy Smith / provided
Art mart
Cottrill is the gallery’s director and curates the perpetual display as well as prototypal exhibits like upcoming Women of the Ages Art Show, which opens at The Ink Hub Sept. 16. Shurtleff described the event as a showcase of women throughout history and the substantial ground they’ve stood. He said the inspiration for the show came from the rocky political climate. “There’s just been a lot going on, and a lot of it geared toward making women feel unappreciated and disempowered,” Shurtleff said. “We hope the Women of the
Women of the Ages Art Show 7-11 p.m. Sept. 16 The Ink Hub Tattoos and Fine Art 5020 N. May Ave. theinkhubtattoos.com | 405-778-6837
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Film
ARTS & CULTURE
Forgotten film
A series at Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum shines light on the ‘modern’ West. By Jacob Threadgill
Inspired by a new photo exhibit at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, an upcoming film series at the museum highlights a forgotten period of Western history. The recent addition of the exhibit We the People: A Portrait of Early Oklahoma, which showcases the photography of Henry Wantland from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, highlights the experience of Oklahomans as the territory transformed into statehood. Film historian Elizabeth Anthony put together a four-week film series as part of a larger 16-week program by the museum that highlights and adds context to Wantland’s work. Anthony’s series Taming the Wild West: Turn of the Century Westerns begins Wednesday with the Judy Garlandstarring film The Harvey Girls and runs through Sept. 20. Anthony said that a majority of Westerns take place between the 1830s and 1880s, when cattle drives and conflicts with Native Americans served as a
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primary source of plot friction. Her series uses films that take place from the 1890s to the 1910s, which she said is a forgotten era of Western film. “A lot of Western film is focused on the Wild West,” Anthony said. “After the Civil War, and as we know as Oklahomans, a lot of Indian tribes had been relocated to reservations, a lot of the plot elements start to go away. [The film series] shows the West as it is becoming more civilized, as modernity is taking over.” As a student at Princeton University in the late ’90s, Anthony received a university email address and student homepage. She used her personal site to write about her passion: classic movies. The ubiquity of search engines and links from major print publications to her obituary for actor Jimmy Stewart made her page so popular that the university kicked her off their server. “Thanks to Google, people from all over the world were suddenly finding my little student homepage,” Anthony said. ReelClassics.com was a fully-fledged
business by the time she graduated, and she travels around the country as a film historian based in Oklahoma City. Anthony will introduce each film with added context about the studio, director and actors. The first film, The Harvey Girls, follows waitresses at pioneering chain Harvey House, which Anthony said had real-life locations in Oklahoma. “It was made in 1946, and it is filled with a lot of the post-World War II optimism in the country even though it is depicting the 1890s,” Anthony said. Anthony’s series continues with Cimarron Sept. 6. The Academy Award winner for Best Picture in 1932 takes place in Oklahoma following the adventures of journalist played by Richard Dix and his wife played by Irene Dunne. John Wayne stars in the Sept. 13 showing of In Old Oklahoma, which pits
A Stillwater church in 1901 from a photo exhibit from Henry Wantland that inspired a film series at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. | Photo provided
Wayne against oilman Albert Dekker. The film highlights the changing attitudes toward Native Americans in the new oil economy. Anthony’s series wraps up Sept. 20 with 1971’s Big Jake, another John Wayne classic, which follows “The Duke” as he confronts new technology while battling a gang of outlaws. The museum’s film series continues with four films from historian LuAnn Waters focused on women in the Old West. Waters’ four films run Sept. 27-Oct. 18. The series will be shown 1 p.m. every Wednesday in the Dub and Mozelle Richardson Theater through Nov. 15.
Bruce Waight Sr. and Vanessa Morrison converted a 1960 Airstream Land Yacht into En Root, a mobile barber shop. | Photo Garett Fisbeck
Co m m u n i t y
“We’re starting to see that we’re having clients that it’s their second or third time coming in,” he said. “I have a large clientele base, so I’m able to watch my clients come out and communicate and start conversations with people that they would have never known before because I’m in different locations.”
Cut and run
En Root takes a food truck approach to the classic barbershop. By Jeremy Martin
The idea to cut hair in a trailer first occurred to Bruce Waight Sr. and Vanessa Morrison while they were walking on a beach in the Bahamas. “A couple of guys pulled up in a horse trailer,” Waight recalled. “I thought it was just going to be some guys who were going to go horseback riding up and down the beach … but it turned out they were giving people haircuts. That was the first time I had seen anything like that.” Waight, who has been cutting hair since he graduated from barber college in 2011, remembered that moment a few years later, when he began visiting an older client in the hospital to keep his hair trimmed. “One of my clients got really ill, and he was in the hospital for about six months,” Waight said. “If you can imagine being in the hospital for six months … it was cramped up in the hospital room and kind of uncomfortable. The environment just wasn’t a good environment.” En Root, advertised as the “first blackowned and operated mobile barbershop in the state of Oklahoma,” is Waight and Morrison’s attempt to bring the barbershop experience to customers who might not be able to have it otherwise. Unfortunately, Waight said, the customer who helped inspire the idea passed away earlier this year, but other regulars are benefitting from the shop’s mobility. “A lot of people have trouble just getting to a barber shop,” Waight said. “One particular client had to catch three buses and walk a quarter of a mile just to get to our old barber shop, and he had a bad hip.” Opened in July, En Root operates out of a renovated 1960 Airstream Land
Yacht travel trailer Mondays through Saturdays at different locations in the OKC metro area. The six “partner locations,” each scheduled for a specific day of the week, range from apartment complexes and restaurants to the Opportunities Industrialization Center of Oklahoma County, a nonprofit adulteducation organization. “I think it’s convenient for a lot of people,” Waight said. “It’s convenient and accessible, and it’s new. People just want to check it out and look around and take pictures.” But opening for business takes more preparation on Waight’s end. For one thing, he usually has to set up a generator. “I have my own water, I have my own power,” he said. “It’s a little bit more responsibility than just going to a brick-andmortar and opening up the door and turning on the lights and you’re ready to go. I have to do a little bit more to get ready.” Converting the travel trailer, purchased in 2015, into a mobile, threestation barbershop took more than a year, and being able to legally open for business required Waight and Morrison to lobby the Oklahoma State Board of Cosmetology and Barbering to recommend a change in state law. “It was illegal. It wasn’t allowed; you couldn’t do it,” Waight said. “It took us eleven months to get them to finally approve the idea and finally pass legislation.” Now that the shop is legally licensed to operate in Oklahoma, Waight said the only real difference between En Root and a traditional barbershop, other than the convenience factor, is contend-
A lot of people have trouble just getting to a barber shop. One particular client had to catch three buses and walk a quarter of a mile just to get to our old barber shop, and he had a bad hip. ing with inclement weather when he’s setting up for the day. “We’ve been having a lot of rain lately, and I’ve been having to work out in the rain to get it all set up,” he said. “But you’d be surprised; when you’re inside of it, you really forget that you’re in a 1960 Airstream. It feels like a brickand-mortar once you’re in it and you’re sitting down and kicking back.” Capturing the familiar barbershop atmosphere in their new business was important to Waight and Morrison. “This is a place where a lot of things take place,” Waight said. “A lot of mentorships, a lot of stories that are being told. Relationships are being built in a barbershop. It’s something we saw there was a need for. … The thing about a barber shop is that it’s the cornerstone of a community, and so we have the opportunity to be that for several communities.” After being open for business for a month, Waight said the shop is already starting to attract regulars.
Bruce Waight Sr. En Root recently hired a second barber, and Waight, who has been offering his services to nonprofit organizations such as Homeless Alliance, said he’s eager to use the new mobile shop to continue his charity work. “When I go out there and volunteer,” he said, “they do their best to set up a room that I have to go into and cut, but it just doesn’t have that barbershop feel.” He said he “can’t wait to see” their reaction when he pulls up in the Airstream. The only thing Waight’s not looking forward to is the coming drop in temperature. “I’m not eager for winter, cause I don’t like the cold,” he said, laughing.
Thanks to a change in state law, En Root was able to put wheels under its haircutting operation. | Photo Garett Fisbeck
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ARTS & CULTURE
We are truly humbled and proud to have served OKC for 58 years and counting. As a family owned & operated store we have a true understanding of what it means to be an Oklahoman. We know how hard you work for your dollar and we will continue to offer the lowest prices in town. We believe in customer satisfaction, this is why we train our valued employees extensively over our products, to make sure you find what you want! We have the largest selection in town and can even special order and have it for you in one business day.
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* t s e B s ’ a Oklahom r is Hiring e p a p s w e N lly tly and loca t independen es rg d la te s va e’ ti at o azette, the st is hiring talented and m Oklahoma G n, . s publicatio salespeople owned new advertising
Salespeople
for special publications We’re hiring passionate salespeople who are driven and truly want to help businesses succeed in an ever changing & competitive marketplace. Please send your cover letter and resume to James Bengfort via email to jbengfort@okgazette.com
Founded in 1979, the Gazette is metro Oklahoma City’s fiercely local arts and entertainment authority. okgazette.com *The Gazette earned Society of Professional Journalists Oklahoma Professional Chapter’s 2017 Best of the Best award in the large market category, which includes news publications with circulation over 25,000.
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Co m m u n i t y
Thank you for voting Byron’s Best Liquor Store!
Whiskey in a jar Bricktown Rotary gets the brown out for Boots & Bourbon. By Lisa Hicks Snell
Neat or on the rocks? For lovers of bourbon or just adventurous tasters looking for a good time, Bricktown Rotary’s annual booze bash has something special planned. It’s Boots & Bourbon, a switch from its traditional Days of Wine and Rotary fundraising event. Scheduled 7:30-11:30 p.m. Sept. 15 at Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, organizers encourage everyone to bring their IDs and dress in casual, fun Western wear in keeping with the theme. “We wanted to offer a fresh twist this year by rebranding to a bourbon-tasting experience,” said Patrick Gaines, event co-chairman. “In the past, it was just wine, and a lot of people don’t like wine.” Craft beers were added to last year’s event offerings to appeal to non-wine drinkers, and Gaines said adding bourbon is a positive draw. “Bourbon tastings are really popular right now, and we wanted something for everyone … to make it a new adventure,” he said. Gaines describes Boots & Bourbon as a fun night for the 21-and-over crowd to enjoy great wine, craft beer, delicious food and selections of premium bourbon — most not available anywhere else in Oklahoma — such as drams from Bulleit Frontier Whiskey, an event sponsor. Bulleit, based in Louisville, Kentucky, produces bourbon, a 10-year-old select reserve and a rye whiskey. Guests may also enjoy expressions from Few Bourbon (Evanston, Illinois), Jefferson’s (Crestwood, Kentucky), Firestone Robertson Distilling Company (Fort Worth, Texas), and an Oklahoma distillery, Prairie Wolf Spirits (Guthrie). “We want to expose people to other things that are out there,” Gaines said.
“We’ll have some 12- and 14-year-old whiskeys, too.” Knappogue Castle Whiskey (Ireland) and a selection from Isle of Arran Distillery (Scotland) will be up for tasting alongside their American cousins. Wait. Why would whiskey (or “whisky” if it’s from Scotland) be at a bourbon tasting? All bourbons are whiskey, but not all whiskey can be labeled as bourbon. The three main ingredients in both are grain, yeast and water. Corn and location make the difference. “Bourbon can only be produced in the United States (not just Kentucky). It’s made from a mash bill of at least 51 percent corn and then matured in a brand-new charred oak barrel,” according to the Bulleit distillers. Whiskeys may also have other additions, such as peat smoke or flavor from aging in wine casks, and may be made with barley or rye. Neat, on the rocks with a splash of water on top or violated with fizzy soda, there are a number of ways to drink it. “There are … a lot of varieties in bourbon,” Gaines said. He mostly drinks it on ice but will “sip it neat depending on how good it is.” What’s most important is you enjoy it “any damn way you want to,” said Jim Beam master distiller Fred Noe in a video outlining the steps of drinking the Kentucky spirit. In addition to bourbon, your ticket includes the opportunity to sample a selection of local craft beers provided by COOP Ale Works and Anthem Brewing Company, several wines and a range of food from barbecue to Japanese fusion. A silent auction includes the chance to bid on a trip to Costa Rica, and live music by local musician friends
Muscadine Jelly performs at Boots & Bourbon Sept. 15. | Provided
How to drink bourbon in four steps: 1. Look at the color
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The lighter the color, the lighter the flavor. Darker colors denote more complex flavors.
2. Smell it
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You want to part your lips or open your mouth a little when you put your nose in the glass. This keeps the alcohol from going up your nose and masking the smell of the bourbon.
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3. Taste it Roll it around in your mouth to get all the flavors. Your tongue and mouth pick up different flavors in different places, and you need to roll the drink around to taste it fully.
4. Consider the finish What flavor did it leave behind in your mouth? That’s the finish.
Muscadine Jelly (Frank Lawrence, Danny Lawrence, Chris Boyd and Jam Skippy) will keep toes tapping. “Over the last 14 years, the Bricktown Rotary Foundation has given tens of thousands of dollars to local and regional charities and has donated thousands of dollars to our partners through Rotary International,” Gaines said. This year, guests might see a set-up ShelterBox, one of the charities the event benefits. A ShelterBox contains the essentials people need to begin rebuilding their lives in the aftermath of a disaster. Each is tailored to the specific disaster but typically contains a relief tent, thermal blankets and groundsheets, water storage and purification equipment, solar lamps, cooking utensils, a basic tool kit and a children’s activity pack. Many were distributed in the aftermath of the 2013 Moore tornado. General admission tickets are $65. VIP tickets, which include early entry and premium bourbon tastings, are also available for $90. The first 200 guests will receive a commemorative rocks glass. Guests must be 21 to attend. Visit eventbrite.com or call Julia Baker at 405-706-4526.
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Boots & Bourbon 7:30 Sept. 15 Oklahoma History Center
Kehinde Wiley (American, b. 1977). Leviathan Zodiac (detail), 2011. Oil and gold enamel on canvas, 95¾ x 71¾ in. (243.2 x 182.2 cm). Collection of Blake Byrne, Los Angeles. Courtesy of Roberts & Tilton, Culver City, California. © Kehinde Wiley. (Photo: Robert Wedemeyer, courtesy of Roberts & Tilton, Culver City, California)
800 Nazih Zuhdi Dr. | facebook.com/ bricktownrotary $65-$90 | 21+
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H e a lt h
ARTS & CULTURE
“One of the most ravishing things I have ever seen on a Broadway Stage.” - Time Magazine
SEPTEMBER 5-10 CIVIC CENTER MUSIC HALL
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BROADWAY
Passing knowledge
An Okahoma City naturopathic doctor is teaching women how to change their lifestyles for better health. By Laura Eastes
As a child growing up in the Deep South, Tabatha Carr devoured bowls of cookies ’n’ cream ice cream as an after-school snack. At the dinner table, Carr was served decadent Paula Deen-style meals. When her family moved from Georgia to Enid, Carr found her new Oklahoma friends also ate dishes dolled up with gravies and fried meats and vegetables. By the age of 16, struggling with weight and beginning to encounter serious health issues, Carr began taking blood pressure medicine. Years later, as a young woman with a desire to lose weight, she tried every fad diet from Atkins to cabbage soup. In her 30s, Carr’s physician gave her two options: surgery or medication. Carr finally told herself, “Enough is enough.” “I said, ‘It’s up to me. I control my health. I control my life,’” Carr said. Her approach involved eating a variety of foods for daily nutrients, watching what types of fat she consumed, drinking plenty of water and other lifestyle changes. She also reflected on her past, forgiving herself for old decisions and trusting in fad diets. “The changes didn’t happen overnight because it doesn’t work that way,” Carr said. “I got better. I didn’t have surgery. I wasn’t put on medication. That’s when I knew what my plan was.” Although Carr had wanted to practice medicine when she started college, she pursued a master’s degree in business administration health care after her baccalaureate science degree. After her own health journey, Carr sought the practice of naturopathic medicine, which combines the wisdom of nature with the rigors of modern science. Naturopathic doctors teach clients to use diet, exercise, lifestyle changes and natural therapies to enhance their bodies’ abilities to ward off aliments, according to the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians. Following her training, about three years ago, Carr began her practice, Bulivian Natural Resources. She is on a mission to transform the lives of women who suffer from weight management, hormonal imbalance, blood sugar imbalance, digestion issues and more. “I help women that are stressed and don’t have the energy and the vitality they used to,” Carr said. “Often, we try to get better by losing weight, but we just focus on diet or exercise. A lot of my clients tend to lose 10 to 15 pounds, but
Tabatha Carr | Photo Provided
they gain it back. It’s a cycle. That’s because they’ve missed the mental and the spiritual aspect, the holistic view.” Carr’s love of helping women get healthy brings her to her next quest. This fall, she is conducting free monthly workshops focused on women’s health issues. The first, Living and Loving Life, begins 6 p.m. Tuesday. Education is the missing piece in health, said Carr, who explained many of her clients don’t understand the relationship between lifestyle factors and eating habits and various health outcomes. “This is truly for women who have been struggling,” Carr said. “They’ve struggled all their life and it’s just not working. … They don’t know what their next step is because they’ve tried it all.”
Living and Loving Life 6-7:30 p.m. Tuesday Girl Scouts Western Oklahoma 6100 N. Robinson Ave. livingandlovinglife.org/event Free
t h e at e r
Diverse stagings
UCO’s College of Fine Arts and Design hosts Broadway icons and sings and dances like never before in its 2017-2018 season. By Ian Jayne
All the world might very well be a stage, but theaters are still the locus of movement and voice, the site where artists, dancers and actors combine their efforts to create performance. This diversity and reverence for the stage — both as a physical space and an idea — marks the upcoming performance season of the College of Fine Arts and Design (CFAD) at the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO). The 2017-2018 season consists of many different elements, including the Broadway Tonight series, various musicals and operas, dance performances and music showcases, according to Greg White, professor of musical theater and CFAD assistant dean. Frequent attendees of CFAD events can purchase a Central Arts card for $10, which includes certain discounts. The profits benefit scholarships at UCO.
Broadway Tonight
As part of its upcoming season, CFAD hosts a series of performances and master classes with leading and renowned figures called Broadway Tonight. White said it offers UCO students and the community a new look at the stage. “It’s a very unique program we’ve got on campus,” White said. “We bring in major names in the industry to perform on campus.” Branford Marsalis Quartet opens the series Sept. 8 with a performance at Mitchell Hall Theatre, 100 N. University Drive. Marsalis, a Grammy winner and former bandleader for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, will also host a master class for UCO’s instrumental jazz students. Diavolo Dance Theatre performs
Jan. 30 at Mitchell Hall as part of the Broadway Tonight series. Featured on America’s Got Talent, the group has previously worked with UCO students. Diavolo will perform AWOL, a piece that utilizes metal platforms moved along the stage to make different structures, which dancers use to move around, said Michelle Moeller, chair of the Department of Dance. UCO’s Kaleidoscope Dance Company will also perform at the Broadway Tonight event, Moeller said. Following Diavolo, Lillias White performs at UCO’s CHK|Central Boathouse, 732 Riversport Drive, April 20-21. The Tony Award-winning singer has also lent her voice to Disney’s animated film Hercules. White’s performances will showcase various musical genres, including R&B and gospel. She will sing some songs with the local Ambassadors Concert Choir. The Midtown Men close out Broadway Tonight May 2 at Mitchell Hall. From the original Broadway cast of Jersey Boys, Christian Hoff, Michael Longoria, J. Robert Spencer and Daniel Reichard will perform. “I’m really proud of the series,” White said. “I feel like it’s really boutique programming in its own regard.” Visit broadwaytonight.uco.edu or call 405-974-3375.
Center stage
The School of Music and Musical Theatre chose the first show of the season, Chicago, not only for its persistent popularity, but also as a counterpart to its venue, recently renovated
Musical theater students in UCO’s College of Fine Arts and Design will present several shows this season. | Photo University of Central Oklahoma / provided
Mitchell Hall Theatre, built in 1926. “We wanted to do something that complemented the architecture of Mitchell Hall,” White said. Chicago, set in the 1920s vaudeville world of the titular city, follows Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart, two spurned women who have blood on their hands and performance in their veins. As the women fight legal battles (their own kind of show), they also pursue fame, recognition and female solidarity. The musical runs Oct. 5-8. For its spring musical, CFAD presents Man of La Mancha, loosely descended from Miguel de Cervantes’ gentle satire of knighthood, Don Quixote. The play depicts the imprisoned Cervantes in a series of dizzying transformations, first as Alonso Quijano and then as the titular man of La Mancha in various 16th-century misadventures. Man of La Mancha runs Feb. 15-18 at Mitchell Hall. Theatergoers can also look forward to other shows at Mitchell Hall put on by CFAD’s Theatre Arts program, including Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice Nov. 2-5. Pulling from Greek mythos, the play focuses on its titular figure and the object of her love, Orpheus. The Mousetrap, based on the Agatha Christie novel, runs March 29-30. Like so many of Christie’s stories, The Mousetrap offers audiences a look at the inner workings of Monkwell Manor, a hotel. The season closes with 6 Women with Brain Death, or Expiring Minds Want to Know written by an Oklahoma composer. The show runs April 12-14 at UCO Jazz Lab, 100 E. Fifth Street. “It’s something that when I was in college was a cult favorite around here,” White said of the “irreverent rock revue.”
Music, opera
UCO’s School of Music presents The President’s Concert Sept. 19, which
UCO’s Kaleidoscope Dance Company participates in several College of Fine Arts and Design performances this season and hosts the Oklahoma High School Dance Festival as well as its own concerts. | Photo University of Central Oklahoma / provided
honors Dr. Don Betz, UCO’s president. Out-of-this-world children’s opera Starbird runs Nov. 15-17 at UCO Jazz Lab. Other performances at the Jazz Lab include the annual Macabret, a pop-rock Halloween-themed revue at the Jazz Lab Oct. 27-29, and a holiday revue Dec. 12-16. Additionally, the School of Music will produce Martha, an opera drawing from multiple sources that originally premiered in Vienna in 1847. Following the courtly antics of Lady Harriet Durham and her rural relatives, Plunkett, Lyonel and Sir Tristan Mickleford, the opera runs April 20-22 at Mitchell Hall.
Dance demonstrations
Kaleidoscope Dance Company, UCO’s award-winning dance group, hosts and features in multiple events during the 2017-18 performing arts season. CFAD hosts the Oklahoma High School Dance Festival Nov. 17-18. The two-day festival features performers from about 10 local high schools in Oklahoma City, Norman and Tulsa, Moeller said. It includes work from the high school performers as well as UCO Kaleidoscope dancers. Dancers will also collaborate on Chicago, and Kaleidoscope will offer a full-length spring concert featuring the work of faculty and guest stars March 2-4. “We train our dancers in ballet, modern, jazz and hip-hop,” Moeller said. “Our concerts usually showcase elements of those dance genres.” The wide-ranging season showcases UCO’s dedication to forward-looking performances, said White. “I think we’re very progressive as far as our programming is concerned,” White said. Visit mitchellhalltheatre.com or call 405-974-3375.
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Undersea voices
OKC Broadway brings Disney’s The Little Mermaid to life by diving down into the sea to find stories, song and dance. By Ian Jayne
If there’s one constant in Disney’s The Little Mermaid, it’s transformation. Deriving from Hans Christian Andersen’s darker fairy tale, the story has persisted in various forms, perhaps most notably as a 1989 animated film by the same name. OKC Broadway brings the story of Ariel, Triton and Prince Eric to Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., Sept. 5 -10. Produced by Pittsburgh CLO and Kansas City Starlight, The Little Mermaid stars Diana Huey as Ariel and Eric Kunze as Prince Eric, the wave-crossed lovers who must learn about themselves and each other for their love to survive. The musical, the most recent iteration of the story, brings a special, liveaction element that only theater can provide, according to Kunze. “It’s taken the animated feature and made it into a full-fledged Broadway musical,” Kunze said. “My character, the prince, has a little bit more backstory and an additional song.” “Her Voice,” the newly added track, explores Eric’s reaction when Ariel saves his life and all he can remember is the sound of the mermaid’s song. Fittingly, the song is about voices and identity, a reflection of both The Little Mermaid’s core theme and the backbone of any musical. Another way the musical adaptation reveals further layers to the story comes with “One Step Closer,” a song about dance, Kunze said. Because Ariel and Prince Eric cannot speak to one another, they do so through dancing movements. While Kunze said Eric fits well into the pantheon of other Disney princes in that he is searching for his soul mate, other elements mark both his character and Ariel. Just as Prince Eric wants to defy his landlocked expectations, so too does Ariel yearn to escape the depths of the oceans. As so often happens, the two find love through their seemingly opposite desires. “He doesn’t want to sit on the throne and be that typical king,” Kunze said.
OKC Broadway presents Disney’s The Little Mermaid at Civic Center Music Hall Sept. 5-10. | Photo Mark & Tracy Photography / OKC Broadway / provided
“He’s a very free spirit. He prefers to be on the open sea. … She’s a fish out of water, trying to fit in.”
‘Disney magic’
In order to create the appearance of an “underwater world,” replete with fish of all kinds and the octopus sorceress, Ursula, The Little Mermaid makes use of “Disney magic” in its technical elements, Kunze said. Using a highly specific set of rigged wires, the production suspends some its characters in the air to create the illusion of floating and swimming. For other characters, lighting and special movements make it look like they are also underwater. More dramatic moments, such as Ursula’s demise, also employ lighting to great effect, Kunze said. The show’s technical elements represent the latest way of telling the story that continues to resonate with audiences. “It’s a well-written script, and the story everyone can relate to,” Kunze said. “We just have to bring these characters and make them real and make them flesh and blood.” Kunze said that director Glen Casale wanted to spotlight storytelling. While audiences have most likely seen other iterations of The Little Mermaid on their television screens or on the pages of a book, the musical brings new power to the story through its scope and staging. Tickets are $27.09-$112. Visit okcbroadway.com or call 877-737-2929.
Disney’s The Little Mermaid 7:30 p.m. Sept. 5-7, 8 p.m. Sept. 8, 2 and 8 p.m. Sept. 9, 2 and 7 p.m. Sept. 10 Civic Center Music Hall | 201 N. Walker Ave. okcbroadway.com | 877-737-2929 $27.09-$112
Th e at e r
Stage tough
The University of Oklahoma’s performing arts season kick-off promises high drama. By Shel Wagner
There’s no stadium cushion or Boomer banner required for this University of Oklahoma schedule opener. But for fine arts fans, the kick-off of OU’s performing arts season is something to cheer about. Each year, University Theatre carefully curates a family of nine main-stage performances, corralling a diverse assortment of plays, musicals, operas and dance programs that together fashion the university’s official performing arts season series. The lineup begins Sept. 22 and delivers roughly a show a month through April 29, 2018, staged at a variety of venues across the OU campus. Tagged Catch a Rising Star, a nod to the student talent powering these productions, this year’s slate shines a spotlight on fine arts scholars at the ascent of their careers, giving each a chance to test-drive the talents they have been honing in class. Dean Mary Margaret Holt of OU’s Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts said she believes this year’s University Theatre season promises to transport audiences by way of artistry and entertainment while also delivering a host of creative, imaginative and stylistic challenges to the student performers, designers and technicians.
Season strike
The 2017-18 series launches with the Tony Award-winning musical City of Angels, which follows the downwardspiraling journey of a New York novelist who, when his book is tapped for film adaptation, gets spun-up in the seductive, Technicolor world of Hollywood. In October, another Tony Awardwinner, shenanigan-filled dark comedy Noises Off takes the stage. This delirious thespian escapade centers on a cast of rambling actors who endeavor to rehearse and perform a struggling stage production of Nothing On. And it figures that just as the players start getting things right, everything goes wrong. November ushers in the contrast of classical and contemporary, as Oklahoma Festival Ballet features world-renowned Act II of Swan Lake. This balletic fairytale spins the fable of love promised and challenged by evil alongside an entrancing lakeside setting. Late November plates up a version of Hansel and Gretel that is anything but cookie-cutter with Hansel and Gretel,
the opera. In this classic yarn, a boy and girl find themselves in a gingerbread adventure when the two inadvertently wander into an enchanted forest. This version of the time-honored tale holds tight to all the fantastical elements: a trail of breadcrumbs. a broomstickriding witch and guardian angels.
The arts have the power to speak across generations, cultures and time because they are expressions of the human spirit and because they illustrate commonalities that draw people together. Mary Margaret Holt
Move it
In the New Year, ten newly minted choreographers spread their wings in the Young Choreographers’ Showcase, a campus tradition and audience favorite. Students unveil innovative choreography and brandish a full spectrum of movement styles accompanied by inventive, avant-garde lighting designs. Set in the 1920s, Nice Work If You Can Get It boasts nostalgic George Gershwin tunes and introduces a cast of outrageous roaring twenties characters who have gathered in New York to
celebrate the wedding of a wealthy and charming playboy. But when a gutsy bootlegger captures the playboy’s attention, nothing goes quite as planned. This February 2018 installment includes a blending of slapstick comedy, zippy dancing and even a few ballads. Then, with choreography that is all at once abstract, mood-inspired and narrative, Contemporary Dance Oklahoma examines the creative and oftentimes challenging range of modern dance with dynamic physicality. Opening in March 2018, this production has been dubbed an exploration of the human condition.
Go gothic
In early April 2018, curtains open on the eerie Gothic romance Lucia di Lammermoor, bringing to the stage a gripping tragedy played out in the ruins of a Scottish castle where, fractured by family feud and strong-armed into an arranged marriage, Lucia goes a little insane and murders her bridegroom on their wedding night. This opera features lavish costumes and sets along with a full orchestra and chorus. It’s performed in Italian with English subtitles. Finally, in late April 2018, family favorite Alice in Wonderland strives to fling audiences down the rabbit hole to experience a lavish spectacle of intrigue and bemusement. An elegant blending of both Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, this staged event is billed as a sure-fire memory-maker. While single performance tickets are also available, University Theatre offers two season subscription options: the
OU’s performing arts season features musicals, operas, dance and theater. | Photo Wendy Mutz / University of Oklahoma / provided
Complete Package, which includes tickets to all nine main-stage productions, or the more modest Variety Package that allows staged-entertainment connoisseurs to sample one of each type of production (musical, opera, dance and drama). Even though the productions that make up OU’s performing arts season are invaluable in boosting experiential learning among the students who bring them to life, Holt believes the series also nourishes audience appreciation. “The arts have the power to speak across generations, cultures and time because they are expressions of the human spirit and because they illustrate commonalities that draw people together,” she said. “The performing arts don’t require an extraordinary education or study of a foreign language to be understood. They only require shared space and the willingness to embrace a new experience.” You heard right; all you need is a shared space and a willingness — and, of course, your OU season tickets. Except this time, you can leave the stadium blanket and foam finger at home. Visit theatre.ou.edu or call 405-3254101.
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A SeASonAl Guide to CentrAl oklAhomA
CALENDAR These are events recommended by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members. For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.
The Trip to Spain, (USA, 2017, Michael Winterbottom) Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon embark on a six-part episodic road trip through Spain, sampling the restaurants, eateries and sights along the way, through Sept. 10. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-2363100, okcmoa.com. FRI
HAPPENINGS Mixtapes, Fosters and Volunteers, hear how you can make a difference volunteering and saving homeless animals. Listen to stories by foster parents, meet animals awaiting adoption, enjoy a mixtape of hits and more, 6-7:30 p.m. Aug. 30. DC on Film Row, 609 W. Sheridan Ave., 1-866-3187387, thebellafoundation.org. WED Oklahoma Restaurant Convention and Expo, for those in the food service and hospitality industry, enjoy the annual largest hospitality related trade show in the state of Oklahoma and the most important event for food service and lodging industry professionals. Enjoy exhibits, educational sessions, an opening party and more, Aug. 30-31. Cox Convention Center, 1 Myriad Gardens, 405942-8181, okrestaurants.com. WED -THU
There is a lot to see and do throughout
Overdose Awareness Day Remembrance Ceremony, unite as a community to show support in fighting the battle against addiction while participating in a flower release ceremony in memoriam for those that have lost their lives due to an overdose, 8:30 a.m. Aug. 31. Myriad Botanical Gardens, Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. THU
Autumn, and Gazette gives its readers direction on where to find the best festivals,
Raised Beds seminar, enjoy a horticultural workshop led by Annie Napier, Oklahoma County Extension Horticulture Educator, to help with your gardening needs while walking through the hows and whys of different raised bed options, 1:30 p.m. Aug. 31. Oklahoma County OSU Extension Service, 2500 NE 63rd Street, 405-713-1125, oces.okstate. edu. THU
shows, foods and more! FeAturinG A 3 month CAlendAr inCludinG: labor day events Fall theater Season Fairs, Festivals Special events Concerts, music and Clubs
Art exhibits and Shows day trips museums kid events & Classes Sports Schedules
Along with expanded editorial content PubliShinG SePtember 20, 2017 Ad deAdline tueSdAy, SePtember 12, 2017
Attention publicity seekers!
• Submit calendar events at okgazette.com or email to listings@okgazette.com • Please be sure to indicate ‘Fall Guide’ in the subject line. We do not accept calendar items via phone. • Deadline to submit items for our Fall Guide calendar is Wednesday, August 30, 2017 by 5pm.
CAll or emAil to reServe Ad SPACe or For AdditionAl inFormAtion. specialsections@okgazette.com 405.528.6000
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A Night of French Immersion, greet artists from Clermont-Ferrand, France, and see their art installation in progress. Enjoy the event hosted by Le Monde and Norman Arts Council including light hors d’oeuvres and wine, along with a French-themed silent auction to benefit the school, 6-8 p.m. Aug. 31. Mainsite Contemporary Art, 122 E. Main St., Norman, 405-360-1162, mainsite-art.com. THU
Plaza Beer Walk Bid farewell to summertime, toast the beginning of the school year for families across OKC and raise a few funds to help out the Plaza District’s neighbor, Classen School of Advanced Studies. Visit Empire Slice House, Oak & Ore, Saints and The Mule for a variety of brews from Dogfish Head. Enjoy high-quality beers like SeaQuench Ale, Indian Brown Ale and several India pale ales in the Plaza District on 16th Street between Indiana and Blackwelder Ave. 5-10 p.m. Wednesday. Visit facebook.com/plazabeerwalk for more details. WEDNESDAY Photo Garett Fisbeck
BOOKS John Joseph Matthews: Life of an Osage Writer, in the biography of John Joseph Matthews, Michael Snyder provides the first book-length account of this fascinating figure. Attend the discussion and book signing, 6:30-8 p.m. Aug. 30. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-8422900, fullcirclebooks.com. WED Not Another Superhero/Just Another Sidekick, welcome author Tara Lynn Thompson as she signs copies of her Addy award-winning fiction novels, 6-7:30 p.m. Aug. 31. Best of Books, 1313 E. Danforth Road, Edmond, 405-340-9202, bestofbooksok.com. THU
FILM Bronx Gothic, (USA, 2017, Andrew Rossi) an electrifying portrait of writer and performer Okwui Okpokwasili and her acclaimed onewoman show fusing dance, song, drama and comedy to create a story about two 12-year-old black girls coming of age in the 1980s, 5:30 and 8 p.m. Aug. 31. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. THU
Prompted: A Writing Workshop, an engaging way to jumpstart creativity with a drop-in writing workshop guided by creative writer and graduate student Matt Jacobson. Attendees draw inspiration from images and artifacts featured in Picher, Oklahoma: Catastrophe, Memory and Trauma, 2-4 p.m. Sept. 1. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman, 405-325-3272, ou.edu/fjjma. FRI First Friday Gallery Walk, enjoy special themed exhibits; a juried exhibition photography showcase, refreshments and street cuisine, guest artists and a variety of entertainment opportunities all within walking distance, 6-10 p.m. Sept. 1. Paseo Arts District, 3022 Paseo St., 405-525-2688, thepaseo.org. FRI Life Lessons from Parents of Addicted Children, Parents Helping Parents provide support and resources for those who have addicted children of any age child with an anonymous meeting, 6:307:45 p.m. Sept. 5. McLaren’s Pantry, 3414 S. Blvd., Edmond, parentshelpingparents.info. TUE Brown Bag Lunch Series: It’s Relative: Genealogy and Collections Research, join Kimberly Roblin, Curator of Archives, for a closer look at the temporary exhibition We the People: A Portrait of Early Oklahoma. See how the combination of research and genealogy can unlock a town and its people, 12-1 p.m. Sept. 6. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. WED
FOOD Food for Kids Indian Taco Dinner Benefit, enjoy an Indian taco dinner, dessert and beverages to support Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma’s Food for Kids program to help children directly through the Childhood Hunger Initiative, 5-7 p.m. Aug. 31. Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5263, 103 NE 20th St., Lawton, 580-248-0713, vfw.org. THU Let’s Make Organic Apple No-Bake Cookies, customize the perfect good-for-you snack with a selection of 100 precent organic bulk toppings, 4-6 p.m. Sept. 1. Natural Grocers, 7013 N. May Ave., 405-840-0300, naturalgrocers.com. FRI Homeopathy 101, an intro to the safe and effective form of medicine yielding the results without the side effects of today’s mainstream medicine, 11a.m.-noon Sept. 1. Natural Grocers, 7013 N. May Ave., 405-840-0300, naturalgrocers. com. FRI
go to okgazette.com for full listings!
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Backyard Bugs: An Oklahoma Insect Adventure, taking Oklahoma’s amazing insects to a larger-than-life level with giant animatronics, interactive exhibits and live insect displays to give visitors a unique perspective of a bug’s world and reveal the fascinating complexities of our six-legged neighbors, through August 31. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2020 Remington Place, 405-6026664, sciencemuseumok.org.
Delivery will be Tuesday, Sept. 5th
7-8am: Bethany Country Store, 3401 N Rockwell, Bethany 9-10am: Tuttle Grain & Supply, 1 SW 5th, Tuttle
Ugly Bugs!, Oklahoma Ugly Bug contest with an exhibition of larger-than-life photos of insects all captured by the contest’s 2016 winners, through Sept. 4. Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, 2401 Chautauqua Ave., Norman, 405-3254712, samnoblemuseum.ou.edu. YES, a radically inclusive LGBTQ youth group for ages 13-21 featuring movies, music, dinner and monthly fandom nights with positive, knowledgeable staff and peers, 7 p.m. Aug. 31. Expressions Community Center, 2245 NW 39th St., 405-570-1638, bethechange.org. THU Saturdays for Kids: Leather Braided Bracelet, saddle-inspired, hand-stamped and stitched cowhide leather has long been turned into braided bracelets and now your child can make one of their own to wear and take home, 10 a.m.-noon Sept. 2. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. SAT Comets, Asteroids & Meteors: Great Balls of Fire, the threat of a catastrophic impact from an asteroid or comet is a staple of popular culture, learn about asteroids, comets and meteorites and where come from, through Sept. 10. Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, 2401 Chautauqua Ave., Norman, 405-325-4712, samnoblemuseum.ou.edu. Bodies Revealed, exhibition showcasing real human bodies preserved through a revolutionary process allowing visitors to see themselves in a fascinating way like never before, through October. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2020 Remington Place, 405-602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org.
PERFORMING ARTS To Kill A Mockingbird, in a quiet Southern town, a young girl named Scout learn many life lessons with her brother, Jem, and their father, lawyer Atticus Finch, through Sept. 10. Jewel Box Theatre, 3700 N. Walker Ave., 405-521-1786, jewelboxtheatre.org. Paseo Comedy Showcase, Blue Whale Comedy Festival hosts a lineup including performers providing a preview of what you will find at the festival. Comedians include Josh Lathe, Andrew Deacon, Katie Van Patten, Cameron Brewer and more, 8-9:30 p.m. Sept. 30. The Root, 3012 N. Walker Ave., 405-655-5889, therootokc.com. WED
Band Together Music, a live music event dedicated to supporting good causes with good music from bands around the states during an all ages show, 10 p.m.-1 a.m. Aug. 31. Earth Rebirth, 325 E. Comanche St., Norman, 405-358-3565, facebook.com/Earthrebirthnow. THU
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Real Men Wear Pink kickoff Oklahoma American Cancer Society and the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer fundraiser are ready to launch this year’s Real Men Wear Pink Campaign. Several prominent men in the area will be challenged to wear a pink article of clothing throughout October in addition to raising $2,500 for the cause. The program launch is 5:30-7 p.m. Sept. 7 on the rooftop bar at Packard’s New American Kitchen, 201 NW 10th St. Those interested in participating in the campaign are free to join the event. Visit makingstrideswalk.org or call 405-8415800. Sept. 7 Photo bigstock.com DC Malone, enjoy the solo entertainer who has spent time overseas entertaining the troops, performing in comedy clubs, casinos, concerts and corporate bookings with his musical blues shows, Aug. 31-Sept. 3. Loony Bin Comedy Club, 8503 N. Rockwell Ave., 405-239-4242, loonybincomedy.com. THU -SUN
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The International House of Poetry, a spoken word showcase featuring local, national and international poets while benefiting The Intune Mother Project. Enjoy an open mic, food and drinks available by Cafe Do Brasil, 7-10 p.m. Sept. 1. The TIM Center, 432 NW 11th St., 405-600-5989, timcenter.org. FRI Arcadia Blues Festival, a night of women singing the Blues featuring Christine Jude, Sunsetter’s Revue, Chanda Graham and Miss Blues during the 33rd year of Oklahoma’s longest running Blues festival, 7-11:30 p.m. Sept. 1. Arcadia Municipal Park, 500 W. Second Street, Arcadia, 405-370-1244, ArcadiaBluesFestival.com. FRI
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I Am Not Your Negro The evocative 2016 documentary based on an unfinished manuscript by James Baldwin was a wildly popular draw during its extended run at Oklahoma City Museum of Art earlier this year. Those still looking to see the film that examines the respective civil rights approaches of Baldwin, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X now have another chance to do so. A free screening of the film begins 7:30 p.m. Wednesday inside the Kerr-McGee Auditorium at Oklahoma City University’s Meinders School of Business. Visit okcufilmlit.org. Wednesday Photo Magnolia Pictures / provided
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J o b Fa i r
Dealers Auto Auction
Oklahoma’s Largest Dealer Auto Auction since 1988 1028 S. Portland
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For applications visit DAAOKC.com/careers. Fill it out and bring it with you!
The following positions are available: Body Shop Technicians | Body Tech & Prepper ASE Certified Mechanic | Dispatch Clerk Condition Report Writer | Vehicle Check In (must be detail oriented and interested in cars) Online Sales/Social Media Representative Part Time Drivers If unable to attend send applications to jonahr@daaokc.com
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calendar Encounters, view the exhibition featuring the works of artists Leo Corbett and Hailey Craighead, through Sept. 12. Nesbitt Gallery, 1727 W. Alabama Ave., Chickasha, 405-416-3524, usao.edu/gallery/ about. SA
c a l e n da r
continued from page 55 OKC Improv, Oklahoma’s premiere showcase of the best local and regional improvisational comedy and theater, you will never have the same experience twice, 9:30 p.m. Sept. 1-2. The Paramount Theatre, 11 N. Lee Ave., 405-637-9389, theparamountokc.com. FRI -SAT
Guerrilla Art Park, featuring six Oklahoma artists ranging from emerging to well established in the second edition of the public art display with mediums ranging from ceramics to glass installations and metal work, through Sept. 4. Oklahoma Contemporary’s Campbell Art Park, NW 11th St. and Broadway Drive, 405-951-0000, oklahomacontemporary.org.
ACTIVE
Bricktown Beach, a sand-filled outdoor park area with umbrellas, lounge chairs, sand volleyball equipment and outdoor games, through Aug. 31. Bricktown Beach, Sheridan and Two N. Mickey Mantle Ave., 405-235-3500, downtownokc.com. Pack the Stands for Northwest Classen High School, enjoy a tailgate party with games and hot dogs, the opportunity to meet and encourage all of the school’s athletes and cheer for the football game during the evening, 5:30-9 p.m. Aug. 31. Taft Stadium, 2901 NW 23rd St., rally4schools.com. THU Urban Camping, enjoy a night under the stars at Riversport Rapids bringing classic camping favorites like stargazing and outdoor games together with whitewater rafting and tubing. Bring your tent and enjoy a unique camping experience, Sept. 2-3. Riversport Adventure Park, 800 Riversport Drive, 405-552-4040, riversportokc. org. SAT-SUN Outdoor Beer & Yoga, join 405 Yoga OKC where yoga and beer unite. Bring your own yoga mat for a no-pressure, all-levels, feel-good yoga, 10-10:55 a.m. Sept. 3. The Bleu Garten, 301 NW 10th St., 405-879-3808, bleugarten.com. SUN Sunrise Yoga at Guerrilla Art Park, Nas Crystal Wherry of Yoga Lab leads the class and encourages students to cultivate their practice not only for personal wellness, but also to make positive social change in families, communities and world at large, 7-8 a.m. Sept. 6. Oklahoma Contemporary Showroom, 1146 N. Broadway Drive, 405-951-0000, oklahomacontemporary.org. WED Full Moon Bike Ride and Run, enjoy a run through scenic downtown led by Ultramax Sports Oklahoma or a leisurely bike ride planned by Schlegel Bicycles, 8-10 p.m. Sept. 6. Myriad Botanical Gardens, Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory, 301 W. Reno Ave., 855-750-2273, stephensoncancercenter.org. WED Learn-to-Swim Program, giving residents of all ages and financial situations the opportunity to learn to swim with proper technique and basic water safety at their own pace offered by the King Marlin Swim Club, ongoing, Lighthouse Sports, Fitness and Health, 3333 W. Hefner Road, 405845-5672, marlinswimamerica.com.
VISUAL ARTS 24/7 Art Party, a 24-hour art party with life music, video art, film screenings, interactive art, performances and more, Sept. 2. IAO Gallery, 706 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-232-6060, iaogallery.org. SAT
Art After 5, enjoy a late-night art gallery experience and live music on the roof terrace with the best views of downtown OKC and a relaxing atmosphere, 5-9 p.m. Aug. 31. Oklahoma City
Dancing in the Gardens ‘70s Disco Myriad Botanical Gardens is transforming the Seasonal Plaza into an outdoor disco dance floor and offering free admission to dance demonstrations for all ages. Shake your groove thing with instructors from 3Sixty Entertainment Powerhouse and enjoy disco tunes provided by DJ Brian Smith from muttradio.com. Put on your boogie shoes and hustle on over to 101 S. Robinson Ave. 7-10 p.m. Friday for free dance lessons and food and drink specials to highlight the night. Admission is free. Visit myriadgardens.com or call 405-445-7080. FRIDAY Photo Myriad Botanical Gardens / provided
Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. THU Art Gone Wild, featuring original paintings created by the animals of the OKC Zoo with little assistance from their caregivers. Each animal develops their own unique method of painting and purchased artworks benefit the zoo’s conservation initiatives, Sept. 1-30. Myriad Botanical Gardens, Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. Body, curated to examine how the body has been used to address the themes of movement, fragmentation and mechanization, geometry and identity, through Dec. 30. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman, 405-325-3272, ou.edu/fjjma. Cartoons & Comics: The Early Art of Tom Ryan, the drawings of acclaimed Western artist Tom Ryan are displayed showcasing his creativity, talent and humor from his teenage imagination, high school and coast guard years and his school paper’s sports page, through April 1, 2018. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org.
Life and Legacy: The Art of Jerome Tiger, one of Oklahoma’s most celebrated artists, Jerome Tiger, produced hundreds of works of art and won numerous awards throughout the country. Celebrate the life and legacy of this remarkable painter, through May 13, 2018. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. Lynden Wilcoxson Exhibition, view the works of Lynden Wilcoxson and experience his sense of humor that is obvious in his reinterpretation of found objects as well as in his acrylics and watercolor paintings, Sept. 1-Oct. 1. Contemporary Art Gallery, 2928 Paseo St., 405-601-7474, contemporaryartgalleryokc.com.
Vintage Black Heroes: The Chisholm Kid, featuring panels from the original comic strip, the namesake hero of The Chisholm Kid was portrayed as a positive black character equal to contemporaries like Hopalong Cassidy, Dick Tracy, Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon a full decade before the Civil Rights Movement in America, 10 a.m-5 p.m. through Sept. 17. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-4782250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. We the People: A Portrait of Early Oklahoma, enjoy a selection of Henry Wantland’s photography from his family’s arrival to Stillwater in 1891. Images documented over a two-decade span can be viewed during a temporary exhibition, through January 2018. Will Rogers World Airport, 7100 Terminal Drive, 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org.
Making your Mark: Oklahoma Printmaking Network Statewide Exchange Portfolio, view prints featuring a range from lithography to woodblocking, monotype to silkscreen and many more. The artists range from students to career artists and come from all across the state of Oklahoma, through Sept. 8. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman, 405-325-3272, ou.edu/fjjma. Members Preview Reception, explore the museum’s two newest exhibitions, We the People: A Portrait of Early Oklahoma and Life and Legacy: The Art of Jerome Tiger, during a special members-only evening while enjoying complimentary refreshments and local craft beer, 5:30-8 p.m. Aug. 31. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-4782250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. THU Morgan Robinson’s solo exhibition, view sculptures created by the artist, carpenter and designer who makes nature-inspired pieces and wall ornaments that are both calm and chaotic, through Sept. 23. Kasum Contemporary Fine Arts, 1706 NW 16th St., 405-604-6602, kasumcontemporary.com. Picher, Oklahoma: Catastrophe, Memory, and Trauma, exploring the otherworldly ghost town and reveals how memory can be dislocated and reframed through both chronic and acute instances of environmental trauma, through Sept. 10. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman, 405-325-3272, ou.edu/fjjma. Rachel Hayes Test Patterns, Oklahoma Contemporary kicks off their Showroom/ Showcase series with the work of Rachel Hayes, a nationally recognized artist whose fabric structures explore painting processes, quilt making, architectural space, light and shadow, through Sept. 4. Oklahoma Contemporary Showroom, 1146 N. Broadway Drive, 405-951-0000, oklahomacontemporary.org. Secret Paintings, a series of large canvases recalling Renaissance and pre-Raphaelite masters in their ambitiousness, complexity and scale, view the works of California artist Michael Pearce, through Oct. 20. Nona Jean Hulsey Gallery, 2501 N. Blackwelder Ave., 405-208-5229, okcu.edu/ visualart/gallery.aspx. Sole Expression: The Art of the Shoe, featuring the creations of local, national and international shoe designers and artists; guests examine how the shoe has been interpreted in art throughout history and the science and engineering behind specific shoe designs, through December. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2020 Remington Place, 405-602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org. Spring show exhibit, enjoy the works of oil painter Phebe Kallstrom and handmade jewelry artist Whitney Ingram, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. through November. The Studio Gallery, 2642 W. Britton Road, 405-7522642, thestudiogallery.org.
Right to Birth 5K and Womb Walk Scissortail Birth Services hosts a 5K run and 1-mile walk bringing awareness to the right of expectant mothers and families to choose how, when and where to give birth. Registration begins 7 a.m. Saturday at Lake Hefner’s Stars and Stripes Park, 3701 S. Hefner Drive. The 5K begins at 8 a.m. while the 1-mile Womb Walk starts at 8:40 a.m. Registration for the 5K is $45, but participation in the Womb Walk is free. Visit facebook.com/scissortailbirthdoula or call 405-922-9738. Saturday Photo bigstock.com
The Power of Children: Making a Difference, experience a stirring exhibit that will move and inspire you with remarkable stories of Anne Frank, Ruby Bridges and Ryan White, examining how the power of words and actions can make a positive difference in the face of hatred, racism and discrimination, Sept. 1-Oct. 20. Edmond Historical Society & Museum, 431 S. Boulevard, Edmond, 405-3400078, edmondhistory.org.
The Jean Genie Jean Jacket Art Show Vol. 2, enjoy six featured artists and a live DJ set by Money Makin Jam Boys during an art show featuring jean jackets turned into stylish art pieces with various materials. Party in the basement while viewing art by Tony Thunder, Kris Kanaly, Holey Kids, Sean Vali, Studda Budda and DJ Garistotle, 5 p.m. Sept. 1. The Paseo Plunge, 3010 Paseo, 405-315-6224, paseoplunge.com. FRI The New Art: A Controversial Collection Fifty Years Later, the 150-piece permanent collection purchased from the Washington Gallery of Modern Art is dedicated to the collection of contemporary art and features abstract expressionism, postpainterly abstraction, color field painting and pop art, through May 13. 2018. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com.
go to okgazette.com for full listings!
FOP hosts Mayoral Candidate Forum Join mayoral candidates State Sen. David Holt and Oklahoma County Commissioner Brian Maughan for a public safety forum. Participate in a Q&A session led by moderator Jerad Lindsey, Tulsa Fraternal Order of Police Public Page’s chairman, in advance of the general obligation bond and sales tax vote. Get involved in the free public forum 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the OKC FOP lodge at 1624 S. Agnew Ave. Visit facebook.com/okcfop or call 405-236-4631. TUESDAY Photo Garett Fisbeck
Submissions must be received by Oklahoma Gazette no later than noon on Wednesday seven days before the desired publication date. Late submissions will not be included in the listings. Submissions run as space allows, although we strive to make the listings as inclusive as possible. Fax your listings to 528-4600 or e-mail them to listings@okgazette.com. Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.
For okg live music
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MUSIC Chainsaw Kittens, circa 1993 | Photo Melodie McDaniel / provided
from left Marian and Andy Nunez started Opolis 15 years ago while
event
still members of the band Starlight Mints. | Photo Garett Fisbeck
Stormin’ Norman
A Chainsaw Kittens reunion highlights three days of music for Opolis’ 15 Year Anniversary festival. By Ben Luschen
Opolis, a staple in central Oklahoma’s indie rock and live music communities, celebrates 15 years of concerts with a three-day music festival headlined by a rare reunion of one of the best bands Norman has ever produced. Chainsaw Kittens, the legendary alternative rock quartet fronted by celebrated multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and songwriter Tyson Meade, is set to perform at Opolis’ 15 Year Anniversary Sept. 8 on the venue and bar’s outdoor stage, 113 N. Crawford Ave., in Norman. The anniversary celebration officially begins Sept. 7 and runs through Sept. 9. The outdoor stage is located near Opolis’ patio area. The Kittens’ last billed reunion show was during the first Norman Music Festival in 2008, though there has been at least one other partial reunion since then. The band launched in 1989 and became inactive in 2000. Its current roster includes Meade, guitarist Trent Bell, bassist Matt Johnson and drummer Eric Harmon. Though the Kittens never found wide commercial success, the band’s work is noted as a key early influence for many great bands to follow, including Nirvana and The Flaming Lips. Its cult classic album Flipped Out in Singapore celebrated its 25th anniversary earlier this year. Dozens of other acts will pass through Opolis during the fest. Other headliners
include The Octopus Project, a pop and indietronica band from Austin, Texas; indie rock quintet Horse Thief; and psychedelic/punk rock outfit Helen Kelter Skelter. A bevvy of other Oklahoma and Texas bands representing a wide swath of genres perform indoor and outdoor shows during the three-day celebration. The anniversary festival is presented in partnership with Norman Arts Council and, for this year, replaces Summer Daze, the city’s annual back-toschool concert event. Opolis held an anniversary festival five years ago to commemorate is 10th birthday. Andy Nunez, who co-owns Opolis with his wife Marian, said while he did not ever intend on operating his own venue growing up, the place has become a significant part of his life in the last decade and a half. Despite the mountain of extra work it puts on the small operation, the milestone is worth celebrating. “Somehow, we’re still here,” Andy said.
Cat call
Andy Nunez has been friends with Bell (who also owns and operates Bell Labs Recording Studio) since childhood. When he approached Bell about possibly setting up a Kittens reunion for the festival, the band was noncommittal. “At first, they weren’t going to do it,” Nunez said, “but I’m glad it worked out.”
Meade, in a recent Oklahoma Gazette interview, said the Kittens would not reassemble for just any venue. Many have tried to recruit the band for a reunion in the past, but Meade said the Nunezes are very good friends of the Kittens. The band ultimately agreed to the show because of its love for Opolis. “As clubs go, it’s one of our favorite clubs in the United States because they really are band-friendly,” Meade said. “They know what it’s like to be on tour, and they treat bands respectfully.” Though not commercially successful at the time the band was active, the Kittens are repeatedly mentioned by music publications and blogs as a highly influential act in alt-rock. The Kittens’ name can frequently be seen in lists of the “best bands that never made it big.” “History has been very kind to the Kittens,” Meade said, “and we appreciate that.” This is part of the reason the band does not appear out of place on the Opolis 15 Year Anniversary lineup alongside younger acts. Meade said the members consciously keep reunions sparse as a way of preserving — and even enhancing — the band’s legacy. “Absence makes the heart grow fonder,” Meade said. Above all, Meade is just excited to support Opolis, a venue he admires for embodying the indie rock spirit and drawing a strong and consistent crowd for local bands. “To me, it’s like going to my friend’s house and hanging out,” he said. “It’s very personal.”
Music life
Both halves of the Nunez couple were members of prominent former Norman
indie pop band Starlight Mints (Andy on drums and Marian on keyboard). Opolis began as a practice space for the band, which was touring around six months a year at the time. Musician friends began asking them about tour stops in the area, so the couple began hosting shows out of the venue. “For a long time, there was a desert in trying to find places to play in the metro area, even just Norman,” Andy Nunez said. “We knew that there was a need.” Starlight Mints played its final show at Opolis in 2009. The Nunezes then focused their attention on operating the venue. Many big-name bands have passed through the venue in its 15 years, including Vampire Weekend, The National, The Shins, Grizzly Bear and Spoon. Joshua Boydston, communications director at Norman Arts Council, said Opolis is one of several reasons downtown Norman has seen a cultural renaissance within the last decade. He also praised Opolis’ legacy as an all-ages venue. It spent most of its history as an all-ages venue but became 21+ for a few years starting in 2012 before reopening shows to underage patrons in October. The Nunezes never imagined themselves as venue owner-operators, but they are glad to still be working in music in some capacity. “It’s what we know,” Marian Nunez said. “It chose us.” Visit opolis.org.
Opolis 15 Year Anniversary 6 p.m.-2 a.m. Sept. 7-8, 3 p.m.-2 a.m. Sept. 9 Opolis | 113 N. Crawford Ave., Norman opolis.org | 405-673-4931 $15
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Fast friendship
Oklahoma-born jazz pianist and vocalist Champian Fulton shines on a new album with saxophonist Scott Hamilton. By Ben Luschen
When it comes to collaborative live albums, it is usually assumed the involved performers have spent days — if not months or years — working together and learning each other’s styles in order to ensure a cohesive project. Sometimes, however, creative cohesion can come as instantly as a handshake. Norman-born jazz pianist and vocalist Champian Fulton had been a fan of saxophonist and tenor Scott Hamilton (no relation to the American figure skater) before they did the live recording of their new album The Things We Did Last Summer, released July 14, while on tour together in Spain. Despite an eightsong project that sounds natural and effortlessly smooth with moments of inspired improvisation, the two musicians first met only hours before the concert in which the album was recorded. “We met, we had lunch, we talked and then we went and we made the record,” Fulton said in a recent interview with Oklahoma Gazette. At the beginning of the year, Fulton’s agent had contacted her about possibly going on tour with Hamilton, a longtime jazz performer who toured with legendary bandleader Benny Goodman in the 1970s and was a studio musician for singer and actress Rosemary Clooney. Fulton, an admirer and fan of Hamilton’s work, was immediately excited about the possibility. Her excitement increased after plans to record a collaborative album on the tour began developing. The Things We Did Last Summer was
recorded in April during a concert in the small Spanish city Benicàssim, which is near Valencia. Its tracklist is filled with Fulton and Hamilton’s favorite jazz and pop standards, but Fulton said a few tunes were products of the moment and not anything the pair had discussed performing beforehand. One of the record’s standouts is “The Very Thought of You,” the album’s last track. Fulton, whose vocals are often compared to bluesy contraltos Billie Holliday and Sarah Vaughn, said she grew up listening to Joe Williams’ 1959 version. “It was always moving to me,” she said. “I felt a connection to that song, and I played it all the time. It’s sort of odd that I hadn’t recorded it before.” Another highlight is the instrumental title song, a tune that Fulton said she regularly played with her own band that Hamilton also enjoyed but had never recorded before. “The live recording you hear is actually the very first time we played it,” she said. ‘We all agreed that it just came out so well. It also makes a nice title for the record because it’s sort of wistful and nostalgic.”
Immediate friends
Fulton and Hamilton had to record their album during the first concert of their short Spanish tour for scheduling reasons. Though live albums are often recorded toward the end of a tour, when the musicians are in
from left Saxophonist Scott Hamilton speaks with jazz vocalist and pianist Champian Fulton during a show on their tour together through Spain. | Photo Manolo Nebot Rochera / provided
a firm rhythm, Fulton said she was unrattled about the prospect of recording a project within hours of meeting Hamilton. “Just from hearing Scott’s music I knew that we would get along,” she said. “When we met, he was just so easygoing and we were friends immediately.” Fulton traveled to meet Hamilton in Spain from New York, where she has lived for the last 14 years. Hamilton, a native of Rhode Island, now resides in Italy. Fulton usually makes three or four performance trips to Europe each year. She loves the warm Spanish people and the country’s diverse landscape. “I’ve visited this area [near Benicàssim] in Spain quite a lot,” she said, “so I have some really nice friends and fans there in the area.” The theater in which the live album was recorded seats around 200 people. Fulton said the intimate show featured a friendly crowd familiar with the performers’ work. “It was full and full of people who already knew my
music and already knew Scott’s music,” she said. “They were already excited to be there and it gave a really nice energy.”
‘I’m a Sooner’
Fulton’s last concert in Oklahoma was in April 2016 at Oklahoma City Community College’s Visual and Performing Arts Center. She spent a few days in the area, holding a few clinics for music students and attending the University of Oklahoma’s spring football game. “I’m a Sooner,” she said, “so that was a big deal.” Fulton lives in New York, but she has never left behind her past with the state or her family. Her father, Stephen Fulton, still plays trumpet and flugelhorn in Fulton’s live band. Her grandmother (Stephen’s mother) was also a great piano player. Music was an inescapable part of growing up as a Fulton. “There was always music in the house, and the music was something fun,” the pianist said. “My dad and his friends were having fun playing and listening to music, and I wanted to have fun. It became such a hang. You play music, and then you make friends with the musicians.” Fulton spent her high school days regularly performing downtown in venues like Mickey Mantle’s Steakhouse and the former Maker’s Cigar Lounge. She went to college at the State University of New York at Purchase but would continue her regular local performances when she came home for the summer. She said Oklahomans have not only a great appetite for jazz, but for many kinds of music. “I really think Oklahomans love live music, and they’re very eclectic, I think, in their tastes,” she said. “They love jazz; they love country; they love rock. I think they really just appreciate the aspect of a live band.” Fulton said she knew for a long time that she would eventually move to New York, but not because she was trying to leave her home state behind. “Being a jazz musician, there are so many opportunities here in New York,” she said. “I wanted to come here to play and to be a member of the jazz community, which is sort of centralized in the New York area.” She said she always carries Oklahoma as a part of her, no matter where in the world she is staying. “It’s a very special community there, especially in central Oklahoma,” she said. “I definitely miss that feeling of belonging to it.” Fulton currently has no concerts scheduled in the state, though she plans on returning sometime in the spring. She is scheduled to release a new Christmas album in November. Visit champian.net.
The Things We Did Last Summer | Image provided O kg a z e t t e . c o m | A u g u s t 3 0 , 2 0 1 7
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event
Idol talk David Cook continues to move forward following his success on American Idol.
By Jeremy Martin
American Idol winner David Cook doesn’t remember where he was or what he was doing when he first found out he’d broken a Billboard record in 2008. “Knowing how stupid and ridiculous the schedule was at that time, I was probably working,” he said, laughing. Fresh off his seventh-season Idol victory, Cook set a new record for debut entries on the Billboard Hot 100 in the Nielsen Era by landing 11 songs on the list. The previous record was six, set by Miley Cyrus in 2006. Pre-Nielsen SoundScan data, the record was 14, set by The Beatles in 1964. “Those are the surreal things I think I’ve made a conscience effort not to internalize,” Cook said. “I don’t know how you internalize that and it doesn’t reshape you.” Cook, who spoke to Oklahoma Gazette ahead of his Sept. 6 concert at Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd St., had been playing in bar bands for a decade before finding fame on American Idol, and he said the experience gave him a 62
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sense of perspective that helped him process stardom. “I was fortunate enough playing in Kansas City and Oklahoma for so long that I realized the industry itself is kind of cyclical,” he said. “It’s not a straight path. It’s a lot of ups and downs. So I’ve tried to appreciate the ups and maybe not try to internalize them so much.” He has since relocated to Nashville, but Cook said his time in Oklahoma helped make him the musician he is today. “I really felt like I found myself musically in Tulsa,” he said. “I felt like I learned how to play music in Kansas City but found myself in Tulsa, so I give Tulsa and really Oklahoma a lot of credit for shaping me as a musician and shaping me as a performer. … Some of my best friends are still in Oklahoma.” Following his American Idol win, Cook released a self-titled album in 2008, followed by This Loud Morning in 2011 and Digital Vein in 2015. Though Cook is famously the first American Idol winner to regularly play guitar on the show, his latest single, “Gimme Heartbreak,” released in June, features synthesizers and drum machines and is influenced by electronic acts. “I definitely played around with more cinematic pop elements on this stuff,” Cook said of his upcoming EP. “I really felt like Digital Vein was a great bookend for that period of my career, and I wanted this to feel different. … I found a lot of inspiration in stuff like Nine Inch Nails and Massive Attack and even into stuff like Halsey’s first record
David Cook is currently touring in support of his latest album, Digital Vein. | Photo Bobby Quillard (Provided)
David Cook’s latest single, “Gimme Heartbreak,” was released in June.
Badlands and Aurora. … I’ve been a Nine Inch Nails fan for forever, so it was exciting to really explore that landscape a little bit more.” Cook said he was originally opposed to the EP’s shorter format but, like incorporating elements of electronic music, reconsidering the extended-play record has given him a new burst of creative energy. “It’s just kind of a change in philosophy really,” he said. “I’ve historically been kind of averse to EPs. I’ve loved having a full-length record to have that much space for the narrative. It wasn’t until I was talking to another musician buddy of mine last year and they [said], ‘Name your favorite author and they’ve probably written a short story.’ It kind of got me excited about the format and we were off to the races.” In addition to “Gimme Heartbreak,” the forthcoming EP will include a cover of Phil Collins’ Grammy-winning examination of homelessness, “Another Day in Paradise.”
“I’ve loved that song for a million different reasons,” Cook said, “not least of which, I feel like the narrative of the song and the story behind it kind of resonate with everything right now, so it felt like a good and timely cover.” Rolling Stone said Cook’s covers of songs such as “Billie Jean” and “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” “redefined what an Idol could (or even should) be.” Cook said he approaches cover songs from “one of two paths.” “Either it’s a song that I love and can internalize and I don’t want to screw with it,” Cook said. “[Or] I’ll occasionally get an idea to rework something, but, again, it comes down to being able to internalize it and get excited about it. If you can do that, it makes it a little easier to go onstage and sell it.” Live, Cook said, he and his backing band “ask a lot of our audience” but put as much energy into their performance as they expect in return. “We try really hard to make each of our shows unique to that night and that crowd,” he said. “Typically, when we go play a song on TV, they’ll say, ‘All right; your song’s four minutes but you’ve got two and a half,’ so you’ve got to cut a minute and a half of your song and make it work. We try to make sure the audience gets more than what they paid for.” American Idol moves to ABC for its upcoming season following the end of its 15-season run in April 2016. Cook, who returned to the show to perform and sometimes served as a mentor for contestants on previous seasons, recently posted a video online encouraging people to try out for the singing competition. He said he isn’t sure what role, if any, he might have on the new show. “The lines of communication are always open,” he said. “I think they’re still trying to really figure out exactly what it’s going to be. Historically, my experience with Idol was that some of the best ideas were done at the 11th hour.”
David Cook 7:30 p.m. Sept. 6 Tower Theatre | 425 NW 23rd St. towertheatreokc.com $25-$50
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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.
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LIVE MUSIC These are events recommended by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members. For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.
WEDNESDAY, 8.30 Amarillo Junction/Cody Woody, JJ’s Alley. COUNTRY
The Unlikely Blues Band, Bedlam BBQ. BLUES Uncle Zep, Oklahoma City Limits. ROCK
SUNDAY, 9.3 Buddy South/Amanda Cunningham/Dirty Red and The SoulShakers, Hollywood Corners Station, Norman. COUNTRY DevilDriver/Faova, Diamond Ballroom. ROCK Ryan Hutchens, Red Brick Bar, Norman. SINGER/
Bryon White/Dylan Stewart, Red Rooster Bar & Grill. SINGER/SONGWRITER Chuck Mosley/Zander Schloss, 89th Street-OKC. ROCK Cody Hassell, Vices Bar & Venue. COUNTRY Dead Horse Trauma, Thunder Alley Grill and Sports Bar. ROCK Dirty Red and The SoulShakers, Hollywood Corners Station, Norman. BLUES Lee Rucker, Will Rogers Lobby Cafe & Bar. SINGER/SONGWRITER
Michael Anthony Shanks/Serenity Fisher and the Cardboard Hearts/Michael G. Ronstadt, Red Brick Bar, Norman. VARIOUS Smash Mouth, Tower Theatre. ROCK The Big News, 89th Street-OKC. PUNK
YungL, Bistro 46. HIP-HOP
THURSDAY, 8.31 Brian Gorrell and Jazz Company, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond. JAZZ
SONGWRITER
MONDAY, 9.4 Edmund Snyder, The Root. SINGER/SONGWRITER Kublai Khan/Left Behind/No Zodiac, 89th StreetOKC. ROCK Saad, Topgolf. DJ
TUESDAY, 9.5 Jess Nolan, Saints Pub. R&B Peggy Moran/Conlon and Clewell, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond. CLASSICAL
WEDNESDAY, 9.6 David Cook/Kathryn Dean, Tower Theatre. ROCK Lydia Can’t Breathe, Red Brick Bar, Norman. ROCK
The Ongoing Concept/Eidola/Save Us From The Archon, 89th Street-OKC. ROCK Zigtebra/Ugly Gold/APMFG, Resonator, Norman. INDIE
Jabee Kash/Mustafa, Bison Witches Bar & Deli, Norman. HIP-HOP Jason Young Band, JJ’s Alley. COUNTRY K Camp/Rawyals/Rich Homie Quan, Chesapeake Arena. RAP Maurice Johnson, Oklahoma City Museum of Art. JAZZ
Shelly Phelps, Bourbon St. Cafe. BLUES Superfreak, Red Rock Canyon Grill. COVER The Flannels, Oklahoma City Limits. ROCK The Hormones/The Costanzas, The Drunken Fry.
Featuring:
A round up of recommended beers A directory of locations to drink craft beer A calendar of beer-centered events and beer education 101
PUNK
FRIDAY, 9.1 Aaron Hale and The Human Beings, VZD’s Restaurant & Bar. SINGER/SONGWRITER Brian Lynn Jones and the Misfit Cowboys, Remington Park. COUNTRY Conspiracy Rejects, The Alley Club. ROCK Imago, Oklahoma City Limits. ROCK McKee Brother Jazz Band, Bourbon St. Cafe. JAZZ
Mike McClure/Buffalo Rogers, The Blue Door. SINGER/SONGWRITER Randy Cassimus, Full Circle Bookstore. ACOUSTIC
Publishes Oct. 4 Ad sPAce deAdline Sept. 27 TO ADVERTISE CALL OR EMAIL US TODAY FOR MORE INFORMATION. ADVERTISINg@OkgAzETTE.COM 405.528.6000
Replay, The Greens Country Club. ACOUSTIC Rocky Kanaga, Bricktown Brewery. ACOUSTIC
SATURDAY, 9.2 2AM, Newcastle Casino, Newcastle. COVER Blind Date, Landing Zone, Midwest City. COVER
Jamey Johnson One of country music’s greatest living talents is set to make an appearance at Riverwind Casino. Jamey Johnson is an 11-time Grammynominated singer-songwriter known for poignant hits like “High Cost of Living” and “In Color.” He has also written singles for Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Trace Adkins and more. The show begins 8 p.m. Friday at the casino, 1544 State Highway 9, in Norman. Tickets are $35-$45. Visit riverwind. com or call 405-322-6464. Friday Photo provided
Em & the Mother Superiors, The Blue Note. INDIE Evolution Underground/Shocker Boys, Big Dick’s Roadhouse, Yukon. ROCK Joe Mack, The Patriarch, Edmond. SINGER/
SONGWRITER
JT & Co., Belle Isle Restaurant & Brewery. ROCK Kyle Lacy and the Harlem River Noise, Red Brick Bar, Norman. ROCK Miss Brown to You, Full Circle Bookstore. JAZZ Outline In Color/Kyle Lucas/Via the Verge, 89th Street-OKC. ROCK
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.
Smilin’ Vic, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond. BLUES
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free will astrology Homework: Send news of your favorite mystery -- an enigma that is both maddening and delightful. Freewillastrology.com. ARIES (March 21-April 19)
“We are continually faced by great opportunities brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems,” said businessman Lee Iacocca. You are currently wrestling with an example of this phenomenon, Aries. The camouflage is well-rendered. To expose the opportunity hidden beneath the apparent dilemma, you may have to be more strategic and less straightforward than you usually are -- cagier and not as blunt. Can you manage that? I think so. Once you crack the riddle, taking advantage of the opportunity should be interesting.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20)
Close your eyes and imagine this: You and a beloved ally get lost in an enchanted forest, discover a mysterious treasure, and find your way back to civilization just before dark. Now visualize this: You give a dear companion a photo of your face taken on every one of your birthdays, and the two of you spend hours talking about your evolution. Picture this: You and an exciting accomplice luxuriate in a sun-lit sanctuary surrounded by gourmet snacks as you listen to ecstatic music and bestow compliments on each other. These are examples of the kinds of experiments I invite you to try in the coming weeks. Dream up some more! Here’s a keynote to inspire you: sacred fun.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20)
On its album Jefferson’s Tree of Liberty, Jefferson Starship plays a song I co-wrote, “In a Crisis.” On its album Deeper Space/Virgin Sky, the band covers another tune I co-wrote, “Dark Ages.” Have I received a share of the record sales? Not a penny. Am I upset? Not at all. I’m glad the songs are being heard and enjoyed. I’m gratified that a world-famous, multiplatinum band chose to record them. I’m pleased my musical creations are appreciated. Now here’s my question for you, Gemini: Has some good thing of yours been “borrowed”? Have you wielded a benevolent influence that hasn’t been fully acknowledged? I
suggest you consider adopting an approach like mine. It’s prime time to adjust your thinking about how your gifts and talents have been used, applied, or translated.
CANCER (June 21-July 22)
Author Roger von Oech tells us that creativity often involves “the ability to take something out of one context and put it into another so that it takes on new meanings.” According to my analysis of the astrological omens, this strategy could and should be your specialty in the coming weeks. “The first person to look at an oyster and think food had this ability,” says von Oech. “So did the first person to look at sheep intestines and think guitar strings. And so did the first person to look at a perfume vaporizer and think gasoline carburetor.” Be on the lookout, Cancerian, for inventive substitutions and ingenious replacements.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)
When famous socialite Nan Kempner was young, her mother took her shopping at Yves Saint Laurent’s salon. Nan got fixated on a certain white satin suit, but her mean old mother refused to buy it for her. “You’ve already spent too much of your monthly allowance,” mom said. But the resourceful girl came up with a successful gambit. She broke into sobs, and continued to cry nonstop until the store’s clerks lowered the price to an amount she could afford. You know me, Leo: I don’t usually recommend resorting to such extreme measures to get what you want. But now is one time when I am giving you a go-ahead to do just that.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
The computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee invented the miraculous communication system that we know as the World Wide Web. When asked if he had any regrets about his pioneering work, he named just one. There was no need for him to have inserted the double slash -- “//” -- after the “http:” in web addresses. He’s sorry that Internet users have had to type those irrelevant extra characters so many billions of times. Let this serve as a teaching story for you, Virgo. As you create innovations in the coming weeks, be mindful of how you shape the basic features. The details you include in the beginning may endure.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
The sadness you feel might be the most fertile sadness you have felt in a long time. At least potentially, it has tremendous motivating power. You could respond to it by mobilizing changes that would dramatically diminish the sadness you feel in the coming years, and also make it less likely that sadness-provoking events will come your way. So I invite you to express gratitude for your current sadness. That’s the crucial first step if you want to harness it to work wonders.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
“Don’t hoot with the owls at night if you want to crow with the rooster in the morning,” advised Miss Georgia during the Miss Teen USA Pageant. Although that’s usually good counsel, it may not apply to you in the coming weeks. Why? Because your capacity for revelry will be at an all-time high, as will your ability to be energized rather than drained by your revelry. It seems you have a special temporary superpower that enables you both to have maximum fun and get a lot of work done.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
During this phase of your astrological cycle, it makes sense to express more leadership. If you’re already a pretty good guide or role model, you will have the power to boost your benevolent influence to an even higher level. For inspiration, listen to educator Peter Drucker: “Leadership is not magnetic personality. That can just as well be a glib tongue. It is not ‘making friends and influencing people.’ That is flattery. Leadership is lifting a person’s vision to higher sights, raising a person’s performance to a higher standard, building a personality beyond its normal limitations.”
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
“One should always be a little improbable,” said Oscar Wilde. That’s advice I wouldn’t normally give a Capricorn. You thrive on being grounded and straightforward. But I’m making an exception now. The astrological omens compel me. So what does it mean, exactly? How might you be “improbable”? Here are suggestions to get you started. 1. Be on the lookout for inspiring ways to surprise yourself. 2. Elude any warped expectations that people
have of you. 3. Be willing to change your mind. Open yourself up to evidence that contradicts your theories and beliefs. 4. Use telepathy to contact Oscar Wilde in your dreams, and ask him to help you stir up some benevolent mischief or compassionate trouble.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
A modern Israeli woman named Shoshana Hadad got into trouble because of an event that occurred long before she was born. In 580 B.C., one of her male ancestors married a divorced woman, which at that time was regarded as a sin. Religious authorities decreed that as punishment, none of his descendants could ever wed a member of the Cohen tribe. But Hadad did just that, which prompted rabbis to declare her union with Masoud Cohen illegal. I bring this tale to your attention as a way to illustrate the possibility that you, too, may soon have to deal with the consequences of past events. But now that I have forewarned you, I expect you will act wisely, not rashly. You will pass a tricky test and resolve the old matter for good.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)
Want to live to be 100? Then be as boring as possible. That’s the conclusion of longevity researchers, as reported by the Weekly World News. To ensure a maximum life span, you should do nothing that excites you. You should cultivate a neutral, blah personality, and never travel far from home. JUST KIDDING! I lied. The Weekly World News is in fact a famous purveyor of fake news. The truth, according to my analysis of the astrological omens, is that you should be less boring in the next seven weeks than you have ever been in your life. To do so will be superb for your health, your wealth, and your future.
Go to RealAstrology.com to check out Rob Brezsny’s expanded weekly audio horoscopes /daily text message horoscopes. The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700.
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puzzles New York Times Magazine Crossword Puzzle Found in your inbox By Ruth Bloomfield Margolin | Edited by Will Shortz | 0827 ACROSS 1 Matisse, e.g., stylistically 6 H. H. Munro pseudonym 10 XXX 14 Back up on disk 18 Cons 19 Juicy 20 Seats by the orchestra pit, perhaps 21 Film excerpt 22 Re: ____ (suitor’s subject line) 25, 27, 29, etc. 26 The first pope, to French speakers 27 Words before fat and lean, in a nursery rhyme 28 The Gabor sisters, e.g. 29 Re: ____ (stingy date’s subject line) 34 Hairstyle rarely seen in the military 37 Apply to 38 Formally chooses 39 The crystal in some crystal balls 41 Carrier to Seoul, for short 42 The lowest of the low 44 Catering staple 45 Re: ____ (song lyricist’s subject line) 49 Part of a locust tree 53 Place to say 9-Down 55 Help 56 Quenched 58 World leader who proclaimed “Women hold up half the sky” 59 Bathday cakes? 61 Kind of diagram 62 Dwellers on the Arabian Peninsula 65 Re: ____ (film director’s subject line) 69 Re: ____ (sales agent’s subject line … with an attachment) 72 Peanut butter choice 73 Municipal regs. 75 Prefix with liberal or conservative, but not moderate 76 Slippery sort 77 One is usually set by a chair 80 Purpose 81 Talk smack about 85 Baseball exec Bud 88 Re: ____ (duster’s subject line) 91 Tony winner Hagen
92 $$$$, on Yelp 94 Selma director DuVernay 95 Greek gods’ drink 97 “Down,” at a diner 100 Pithy observations 103 Best-of-the-best 104 Re: ____ (prison librarian’s subject line) 108 Hansen of a 2016 Broadway hit 109 Sidney who directed 12 Angry Men 110 Actress Arquette 114 The Destroyer, in Hinduism 115 Re: ____ (celebrity physician’s subject line) 119 Mark Zuckerberg when founding Facebook, e.g. 120 Eliminated by a ref’s decision 121 Heavenly hunter 122 Monastery figure 123 European capital 124 Repair shop figs. 125 Stuff 126 Simple, as a question DOWN 1 Online help 2 “Are you some kind of ____?” 3 Lone Star State sch. 4 Guest 5 Perfume compound 6 Inspector Clouseau’s employer 7 “A Navel” artist, 1923 8 Wine-and-cassis drink 9 See 53-Across 10 Dalmatian, e.g. 11 Lilylike plant 12 Tot’s “Lemme up on your shoulders!” 13 Old-fashioned gunfight locales 14 Like the people who invented golf 15 Astronaut after whom Buzz Lightyear was named 16 Couch potato 17 Some home printers 19 Title Seuss creature 23 “Stop!,” to a cop 24 Lowly worker 30 Bugged 31 Short and detached, in music: Abbr. 32 Surefire 33 Expert on meters and feet
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90 Like some training 93 Quarantine 96 “Is that even possible?” 97 Must pay 98 Main forces? 99 See the world 100 Tea times: Abbr. 101 Ransom note writer 102 Deseret News reader, e.g. 105 “Turn up the A/C!” 106 Must have 107 Paris’s Musée d’____ 111 Fleet on Fleet Street 112 With 117-Down, Mesabi Range output 113 Regarding 116 Thick coat on a cold day? 117 See 112-Down 118 Small inlet
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