Oklahoma Gazette 4-8-15

FREE EVERY WEDNESDAY | METRO OKC’S INDEPENDENT WEEKLY | APRIL 8, 2015

BY DESIGN

OKC’S ANNUAL ARCHITECTURE WEEK HIGHLIGHTS OUR CITY’S EVOLUTION.

FOOD: LOCAL CHEFS TURN THE TABLE ON HUNGER P.28 ARTS: CITY CABARET A NEW FAVORITE OF ARTISTS AND AUDIENCES P.36

GARETT F ISBECK

BY BEN FELDER P.4

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ON THE COVER Oklahoma City celebrates its eclectic style, development and redevelopment this week during Architecture Week. It runs through Saturday with tours, awards ceremonies, photo exhibits and youth events. OKC’s economic growth propels continued building and impacts the possible survival of the central business district’s few remaining historic structures. On the cover: Award-winning 828 Residence.

Story by Ben Felder. P.4

NEWS 4

Cover: Architecture Week

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City: The Windsor District

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News briefs

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State: Creativity World Forum

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Chicken-Fried News

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Commentary

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Letters

LIFE 16

OKG picks

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

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LIFE

LIFE

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Food & Drink: Pierre Pierre Crêperie, Zorba’s Mediterranean Cuisine, food briefs, Turning the Table on Hunger, OKG eat: bloody marys

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ACM@UCO Metro Music Fest

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Religion: Islam in Oklahoma

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Community: CPR reunion

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Visual Arts: Brett Weston donation

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Performing Arts: Defiant Requiem: Verdi at Terezín, The City Cabaret, The Amish Project

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Books: How We Sleep at Night: A Mother’s Memoir

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Sudoku / Crossword

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Active: 7th Annual Wheelchair Basketball Tournament

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Music: Music Made Me: Warped Frames, event listings, Bowlsey

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Film: Furious 7, Oklahoma City: The Boom, the Bust and the Bomb

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Astrology

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Classifieds

CONGRATULATIONS JENNY SHAW You’re Gazette’s Weekly Winner!

To claim your tickets, call us at 528-6000 or come by our offices by 4/15/15.

OKLAHOMA GAZETTE | APRIL 8, 2015 | 3

M ON aGHa N M Orri s / p rOVi DeD

NEWS COVEr

History hereafter This week celebrates the incredible talent that helps design, develop and define our city’s distinctive architecture.

OK Sea

By BEN fEldEr

Oklahoma City’s architectural identity is embodied in the all-toooften competitive forces of historic preservation, innovation, development and destruction.

Iconic structures like Stage Center and Union Bus Station have been demolished or slated for removal over the past year, causing some to question the city’s commitment to conserving its architectural art.

At the same time, renovation projects like Mayfair Apartments and 309 Montgomery revive aging structures in ways that also embrace modern concepts.

“It was the vision of tomorrow that really spurred a lot of demolition in Oklahoma City,” David Pettyjohn, executive director of Preservation Oklahoma, said in reference to the mid-century urban renewal projects and today’s effort downtown to remove old buildings to make way for new skyscrapers.

The city experienced an architectural renaissance in the mid 20th century as iconic buildings like the Gold Dome and Founders Tower were built following the popular Googie style, which uses geometric, futuristic shapes inspired by car culture and the Space Age. Another building boom occurred in the 1980s when Valliance Bank Tower, One Leadership Square and Union Plaza were constructed as symbols of economic power.

4 | april 8, 2015 | OklahOma Gazette

Today, OKC’s economic growth propels continued building, most notably of Devon Energy Tower, completed in 2012. However, Pettyjohn said plans for additional high-rises also impact the possible survival of the central business district’s few remaining historic structures, pushing the city closer to a homogenized city center.

“One of the great things about historical architecture is it provides diversity to a city,” he added. “When you now look at [downtown] and what it’s becoming, it’s pretty much just glass and steel and … parking garages.”

However, even recent garage construction displays our city’s growing fascination with unique design. The new Arts District Garage near City Hall used a Federalist Deco style that also added bright color to west downtown.

“Our goal was to have a garage that blended parking with office and retail in a highly pedestrian environment and also complemented the current architecture in the area,” Central Oklahoma Transportation and Parking Authority (COTPA) Director Jason Ferbrache said in November at its opening.

While much of downtown’s new development reaches skyward, the Midtown neighborhood a few blocks north appears more eager to take on renovation projects when creating new apartments, restaurants and shops. Built in 1931, The Mayfair Apartments, 1315

N. Broadway Place, reopened last year with an ultramodern interior.

“We’d always kind of looked at the [Mayfair] and thought it could be really cool,” said Jana Krauss, a property manager with Midtown Renaissance, the company that owns Mayfair Apartments. “We wanted to make it something you wouldn’t expect to see in an old building like this.”

The 13 apartments inside utilize straight lines and white surfaces in their ultramodern and contemporary design features.

Just a few blocks away, 309 Montgomery’s preservation project also emphasizes its modernist influence.

Built in 1947 as a Chrysler-Plymouth sales-and-service shop, the open-air interior was retrofitted with 13 stacked shipping containers, each serving as an office. Shipping container repurposing

is a growing trend locally. Other projects, including OK Sea, also used them.

Mayfair Apartments, 309 Montgomery and OK Sea are part of Saturday’s 14th annual AIA Architecture Tour, hosted by the Central Oklahoma chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

AIA dubbed this week Architecture Week in OKC. It runs through Saturday. A series of related events include a presentation on endangered buildings (see okgazette.com for more coverage from Tuesday’s event), a photography competition and an awards ceremony Friday.

“We’ve had Architecture Week since 2001, which includes the big tour of five residential and three commercial projects,” said Melissa Hunt, local AIA chapter executive director. “We usually have about 600 people who want to attend the tour.”

Hunt said this week not only celebrates the work of the architecture community but allows the public an opportunity to expand its understanding and appreciation of the roles building and design play in our city’s history and ongoing development.

“If you’re a non-architect, you would probably latch onto the Devon Tour that is so visible, and that’s a great project,” Hunt said. “But we have many other projects that we are excited about.

I have seen a huge transformation in the types of styles we now see.”

Modern, unique

Beyond renovation and demolition, the city also is experiencing an increase in new, modernist-influenced housing construction.

Architects like Ken Fitzsimmons of TASK Design interior and architectural design firm credit that growth to the region’s willingness to take imaginative risks.

“I think people are definitely not as afraid to try and do something unique as they used to be,” said Fitzsimmons, who designed the 828 Residence, located in the growing SoSA (South of CONTiNUEd ON PAGE 6

aRChIteCtURe Week SeleCt eVeNtS Register for each and learn more at aiacoc.org.

OklahOmaNmaDe architectural Photography Competition exhibit 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday fitzsimmons Architects 2721 N. Walker Ave. $15

aIa Central Oklahoma honor awards Program 11:30 a.m. friday Will rogers Theatre 4322 N. Western Ave.

annual aIa architecture tour Noon-5 p.m. Saturday eight self-guided locations across the city $12-15

kIDesign 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday Oklahoma City Museum of Art 415 Couch drive free

You’re invited to attend New Mexico Military Institute’s

Night with NMMI Wednesday, April 22nd at 6:30 p.m.

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Please RSVP by calling Sam Barnes at 575.624.8653 or email Sam at sbarnes@nmmi.edu.

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St. Anthony) neighborhood, another building on Saturday’s tour.

The dwelling’s modernist design features clean lines and a boxy shape.

At the same time, it also incorporates many practical features often included in older homes.

It is one of several contemporary homes that blend both modern and traditional elements as SoSA becomes a city hub for residential design.

“Being an Okie, it’s got to work, it’s got to meet the budget and you use what’s available,” Fitzsimmons said. “But I think we also try to make it unique while also being something that fits here.”

Kayla Baker, co-owner of Northline Development, said both modern and contemporary styles are growing in popularity across the city.

Northline owns the 828 Residence.

I don’t know if the average citizen understands the importance of architecture and design, but it seems like, as a community, we are becoming more aware.

— Melissa Hunt “I felt like there was never really a product that I wanted to buy in Oklahoma City. I went down to Dallas and found this modern duplex that I fell in love with, and I started to use that idea here,” Baker said. “If you want something like this, you have to venture out on your own, which is scary to a lot of people. Personally, I think building a traditional home is more risky.”

While some of the area’s modern

6 | april 8, 2015 | OklahOma Gazette

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Ga r e t t fi s b e c k

NEWS COVEr

at top Architect and interior designer Ken Fitzsimmons inside the kitchen of 828 Residence (pictured on this week’s Gazette cover), a project he helped with. above Kayla Baker at 828 Residence, a featured project of Architecture Week, which runs through Saturday. architectural styles already exist in other markets, many of these buildings also have unique aspects and pay homage to our state’s culture.

As Fitzsimmons said, a scaled-down budget becomes more important here when compared to prices in places like New York or Los Angeles. And architects add personalized touches to their work.

Butzer Gardner Architects (recently renamed Butzer Architecture and Urbanism) cleverly designed the Classen Residence, 925 NW Eighth St., in ways that allow its outside appearance to complement its surroundings, said Torrey Butzer.

The home’s Classen-facing side is a flat, three-story surface that mimics the industrial look of its surroundings. From Eighth Street, however, the structure more closely resembles a house, including an

sa M DaY / p rOVi De D

Mayfair Apartments

angled roof and a mixture of cedar and metal construction elements that uniquely emulate neighboring homes.

Butzer said her team did not want a blank wall facing Classen, so various panels were used to spell out the owner’s name in Morse code, providing an artistic look that still had personal meaning to the owners.

“I think it’s really very poetic that it has meaning to the client with personal features that those driving by might not even realize,” Butzer said.

Brian and Ann Dell own Classen Residence, and their goal was to build an uncomplicated house in the city’s core.

“We relied on our architects, and we are very happy with what they did for us,” Ann Dell said. “They used the space really well; there is enough room, and we aren’t too crowded even though it’s a smaller home. It kind of fills our needs perfectly.”

OKC’s style

As cities often work hard to build reputations for food and music, distinctive architecture can also help establish and maintain a city’s prominence. New York City, Chicago and San Francisco have identifiable, unique styles that enhance and reflect each city’s history and personality. Smaller cities like Indianapolis, Indiana, and Charlotte, North Carolina, are now drawing more national and international attention, too.

“By American standards, Charlotte is an old city, but it has undergone a huge transformation in the last few decades,” said Christopher Henry, a writer with architectural website ArchPaper.com. “It is now the second-largest banking center in the United States, and this is partly reflected in its growing skyline.”

Its finance sector growth shaped the city’s architectonic feel, much like Oklahoma’s oil and gas industry influenced OKC’s own idiosyncratic skyline.

Even at the street level, cities like Charlotte have embraced distinct style touches that help define neighborhoods and give them a personalized feel.

It’s also happening here, where projects like Dust Bowl Lanes & Lounge in Midtown— another of Fitzsimmons’ works — creatively utilizes color and signage to help it stand out.

“I think people are beginning to expect something that is different or [unique],” Fitzsimmons said. “What people are willing to take on is changing.”

Celebrating design

Architecture Week offers a platform to celebrate the way our city looks, which, in turn, impacts the way our city feels, Hunt said.

“I don’t know if the average citizen understands the importance of architecture and design, but it seems like, as a community, we are becoming more aware,” he said.

Hunt said Saturday’s self-guided 2015 AIA Architecture Tour offers people opportunities to learn about and gain a deeper appreciation for the ways developers and architects help enhance our city’s look and feel.

“I think that it is a great time to be an architect here and a great time to really play a role in how the city is being shaped,” Butzer said. “It seems like there are lots of new buildings out there that are done in fresh ways and not just old, traditional ways.”

Tour tickets are $12 in advance and $15 the day of the event and include a printed tour guide with detailed information about each of its eight locations, including the history of each particular building style.

“The more people pay attention to their surroundings I think is only a good thing, and architecture helps you do that,” Butzer said.

OklahOma Gazette | april 8, 2015 | 7

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Discerning design The Windsor District thrives due to its eclectic blend of worldly culture and business diversity.

By BEN fEldEr

Editor’s note: This story is part of a monthlong series that explores the neighborhoods in urban Oklahoma City.

Pick up next week’s Oklahoma Gazette for more coverage.

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Nestor Garcia reaches into the ice cream case and scoops out a ball of chocolate chip, the refrigerated air offering a sense of relief on a mid-80s spring day.

“We have different flavors,” Garcia, who operates Neveria La Fuente De Michoacán, said, not about the offerings of ice cream in his shop, but the cultural offerings found within just a few blocks.

On the western end of The Windsor District, a community of businesses and homes along 23rd Street, mostly between MacArthur and Meridian avenues, Garcia’s shop is just one of several restaurants and businesses that offer a unique cultural experience. West Africa, Latin America and India are just some of the lands with a presence in one of Oklahoma City’s most diverse communities.

“You could go around the world over here in one night if you wanted to,” said Barbie Smalley, business liaison at The Windsor Area Business Group and director of The Windsor District.

Smalley lists off a possible itinerary of one night’s entertainment that includes Ethiopian cuisine at Queen of Sheba, bellydancing at Gopuram Taste of India and pastry desserts at Feria Latina.

“We like to say, ‘Think globally, travel locally,’” Smalley said.

Intelligent development

During a time in Oklahoma City when dozens of urban neighborhoods are in the process of redeveloping after years of neglect, Windsor has its own aspirations of becoming a success story. Marketing its international flair is one attempt to stand out, along with continuing to develop a community that is alive with a mixture of local and national businesses.

“I really think we are starting to develop awareness of this area,” said Rick Hutzenbiler, owner of Smokey’s BBQ and Diner. “I really think we are developing a close-knit group of people who are trying to make this area better.”

Like Uptown 23rd, the Plaza District and many other inner-city districts, Windsor experienced a decline in commercial and residential activity over the past few decades when the malls and shopping centers of the outer suburbs were built.

However, Windsor is in a unique position as an inner-ring suburb; while the city center and outer suburbs continue to see new development, Windsor is faced with revitalizing rundown strip malls that are already home to businesses.

In addition to its commercial centers, the district is made up of modest neighborhoods and apartment complexes.

Nestor Garcia serves ice cream at his business, Neveria La Fuente De Michoacán, in The Windsor District.

Blank canvas

Windsor feels like an up-and-coming neighborhood that lacks the trendiness of other communities in the process of redevelopment closer to the city’s core.

It is a blue-collar community, where the expansion of evening bus service has been an important addition and home prices are much more affordable than those neighborhoods around downtown.

“We are an established community that also has a blank canvas,” Smalley said. “The neighborhood has different sections that have potential, if you have the right vision.”

Most residents see Windsor Hills Shopping Center as the community hub and the place where most economic activity takes place.

“We wanted something local that we could kind of be more hands-on with,” said Grant Soderberg, whose firm, Square Deal Capital, purchased the shopping center last year. “We feel like the area is going to grow over the next five and 10 years.”

You won’t find specialty coffee shops, art galleries or boutiques in the shopping center — not that residents wouldn’t welcome that, Smalley said. Instead, tenants like T-Mobile and Crest Foods have found success.

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Business leaders say having a local owner of the shopping center has made a huge difference after years of an out-of-state ownership group.

“The community is very deep,” Soderberg said. “They care a lot about their area; they care about the perception of the area.”

Private investment isn’t the only thing making a difference in Windsor. The city has played a part with street and sidewalk repairs, along with increased police presence through a grant-backed patrol program.

Police designated a part of the city that included the district as a high-crime area a couple years ago, and through a Safe Oklahoma Grant, law enforcement says it is making a difference with increased patrols and deeper relationships with apartment managers and business owners.

“It gives me hope that you have this area of the city that is a true village and it’s growing,” said Kim Cooper-Hart, a planner with the City of Oklahoma City who works with inner-city communities like this one.

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I think Windsor is one of those neighborhoods that helps people experience a part of the American Dream.

— Kim Cooper-Hart

Cooper-Hart views Windsor as a place that offers affordability and space for families that might not be looking for the high density of downtown or Midtown.

“We’ve had a lot of voices that say we need to build downtown and bring people downtown, and I agree with that completely. But there are people who want to have a suburban life, and that’s not an evil thing,” Cooper-Hart said.

“I think Windsor is one of those neighborhoods that helps people experience a part of the American Dream. Windsor is a good, central, middle-class community, and that’s a part of our country that we are losing. It’s exciting to see Windsor coming back.”

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OklahOma Gazette | april 8, 2015 | 9

NEWS BriEfS

By BEN fEldEr

prOViDeD

Rail delay Passenger rail service between Tulsa and Oklahoma City remains on track, but its start date has been pushed back several weeks.

The Eastern Flyer, which will connect the state’s two largest metros, was originally slated to begin service this month. But company officials announced last week the line will begin operations sometime in May. In other passenger rail news, House Bill 1077, a bill that would open the Heartland Flyer, the passenger rail line between Oklahoma City and Ft. Worth, Texas, to other providers, passed out of the Senate Transportation Committee last week and is headed for consideration on the Senate floor.

Oklahoma has said it cannot pay the requested amount from Amtrak for the rail line’s operation, creating some fear in rail advocates that the line might be in jeopardy. HB 1077 would allow the state to open the Heartland Flyer to other operators, bringing competition into the fold that could drive down the cost.

“Right now, Amtrak is a monopoly,” said Evan Stair, president of Passenger Rail Oklahoma, a rail advocacy group. “There are companies out there, and they are ready [to run the Heartland Flyer].”

Shelter upgrades Oklahoma City’s animal shelter is undergoing renovations that will bring new floors, walls and kennels. The renovations are expected to be complete in six months.

“Our shelter is really going to look great when our project is finished, and we’re excited for everyone to see it,” said Julie Bank, the city’s animal welfare superintendent. “This is going to make our shelter a better place for our city’s pets and for people who want to come here to find the newest member of their family.”

The new construction materials and design will help prevent the spread of disease and replace aging components of the shelter with new spaces that are clean and more pleasant for pets and visitors, the city said.

The shelter will remain open during construction and will continue to offer adoptions. It’s located at SE 29th Street and S. Bryant Avenue and is open for adoptions from noon to 5:45 p.m. every day but holidays. prOViD eD

Ward 2 Councilman Ed Shadid’s opinion of a new downtown convention center and tax-subsidized hotel is clear. He is against it. Others on the council, like Ward 5’s David Greenwell, have defended the project and expressed comfort with spending public dollars to help build a major hotel.

But Ward 1 Councilman James Greiner (pictured) offers a middle-ground perspective that highlights the complexity of the issue and the questions left to be answered.

“The biggest issue, I think, for the convention center hotel really is ...,” Greiner said before taking a pause. “You know, I don’t know what the biggest issue is. I think the fact that I don’t know what to say about the convention center hotel at this point says a lot.”

Greiner would prefer not to spend tax dollars on a private hotel, especially one that has several hundred rooms that might sit empty most of the year. He doesn’t want City Hall getting into the hotel business and feels there is something un-capitalistic about subsidizing one hotel over others that have been built.

But he also believes some type of hotel is needed to make the MAPS 3-approved convention center a success. “[Our advisors] keep telling us we need a hotel, so I guess that’s what I’ve got to believe,” Greiner says with a laugh. “Certainly the need for higher hotel capacity is needed. The convention bureau tells us those numbers, but I say that no private developer wants to come in and help alleviate the shortage when [the city] is openly announcing we are going to help build a large hotel in the coming years.”

Greiner avoids offering a premature decision because he realizes there are still a lot of details to work out in the coming months. But as the council openly debated the issue during a meeting last week, Greiner offered an invitation to residents.

“We’ve talked about public input a lot, and I think the best way for public input is for everybody out there to contact us,” Greiner said during the meeting. “The citizens elected us to make decisions, but we all want to hear what every one of our citizens think about these issues.”

Following a failure to negotiate a purchase price for downtown property, the city is back on the hunt for a convention center site. The council has also received presentations on the need for a large hotel to support the new convention center and the likelihood that such a hotel will require some sort of assistance from the city.

“This tail wags the dog. There is no question about it,” Ward 4 Councilman Pete White said about the way the convention center has dominated the city’s discussions in recent months. “The people I represent literally [couldn’t] care less. And I suspect that if you had a poll today, the people of this city couldn’t care less.”

The site selection setback has been used by Shadid — the convention center’s biggest critic — as a reason to reconsider the project in its entirety, especially the hotel.

“To me, the writing on the wall is obvious that the city should reevaluate its effort to build a convention hotel,” Shadid said.

White and Shadid’s comments were challenged by other members, including Greenwell and Mayor Mick Cornett. But Greiner’s conversation with Oklahoma Gazette on the issue highlights the fact that there are still many unknowns and additional information will continue to sway the conversation until a final decision is made on where to build the convention center and how involved the city gets in building and operating a convention hotel.

“If there is a public subsidy needed, what is the public subsidy going towards? If it’s going to be made for making a bigger hotel, I don’t think that would be the best use for it,” Greiner said. “To me, it also depends on how you define a public subsidy. We own the land and we are going to lease it to a private contractor or private hotel company to develop a hotel to run it, then yeah, I certainly wouldn’t be opposed to that.

“But build it bigger just so we can get these big conventions that are just a possibility? That’s the sort of stuff that I’m really adverse to. I don’t have a lot of answers right now.”

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Convention center

OklaH OMa G aZette / file

Gov. Nigh

10 | april 8, 2015 | OklahOma Gazette

Former Oklahoma Governor George Nigh will speak April 16 at Oklahoma City Community College’s (OCCC) Public Affairs Forum. The nonpartisan forum gives students and the community insight into the politics during the speaker’s time in office and how those political issues impact Oklahoma now, OCCC states. The forum will be 12:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. in Sarkeys Atrium in the Visual and Performing Arts Center Theater, 7777 S. May Ave.

Ga re tt fi s be c k

NEWS STATE

Changing minds Last week’s Creativity World Forum highlighted global industry leaders with ideas and concepts that also inspire our city’s growth and development.

By GAZETTE STAff

Last week’s Creativity World Forum (CWF) opened with a quote from poet Charles Wright about the landscapes within us and about us and a performance of the Willy Wonka song “Pure Imagination” by Oklahoma City musician Graham Colton.

CWF is one of the world’s largest conferences of its type. Established by international Districts of Creativity Network, it brings global leaders together to discuss business, education and innovation of all types.

Creative Oklahoma hosted the event as part of the organization’s mission to promote our state as North America’s crossroads of innovative entrepreneurship and collaboration.

Local businessman and former Olympic gymnast Bart Conner opened the daylong event as he greeted guests from 11 nations and 25 states.

This year’s overarching theme was that anything is possible when people work together and facilitate dialogue.

“This life is absurd,” said speaker and psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman during the March 31 gathering. “There are these authorities and leaders, and we think they know everything. Kids need to be taught to challenge them and be their own advocates.”

Kaufman said he was a special education student until ninth grade.

He convinced his high school administration to give him a trial run at non-special education classes.

Given the opportunity, he thrived.

With this same passion of pursuit, Kaufman pushed through barriers and stigmas to gain a psychology degree from Carnegie Mellon and a Ph.D. from Yale. He created the Imagination Network, which consists of our more creative functions, things like daydreaming, future planning, compassion, reading fiction, retrieval of personal memories and reflective consideration of experiences.

We should promote these things,

Mike Knopp delivers his presentation, Transformations on the Oklahoma River, during Creativity World Forum.

Kaufman said, and learn to recognize important indicators of creative achievement, called “beyonder characteristics” — things like deep thinking, tolerance of mistakes, feeling comfortable as a minority of one and, most importantly, falling in love with a future version of ourselves.

The world is in the midst of a global shift. The 20th century industry, so heavily focused on production and accompanying infrastructure, is being replaced by a conceptual industry where ideas reign.

Another speaker, Deborah WinceSmith, president of the United States Council on Competitiveness, calls it an ideation industry or a “conception economy.” Particularly within the sectors of information gathering and development in digital, biological, nano- and cognitive technologies, opportunity abounds to harness the convergence of this knowledge.

“The physical and digital worlds are converging,” Wince-Smith said.

“Artists must think like engineers, engineers like artists.”

The concept of community impact through creative solutions was exemplified by OKC’s own transformation of the North Canadian River.

“Imagine one of the ugliest ditches you can crossing through your city,” Mike Knopp, executive director of the Oklahoma City Boathouse Foundation.

From years of planning and work a world-premier rowing and watersport facility — the home of the United State Olympic team and a rapidly expanding cultural, social and artistic complex — arose.

“Because why not,” he said.

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www.redcarpetokc.com OklahOma Gazette | april 8, 2015 | 11

CHiCKEN CKEN Honest criminal

The chief investigator at the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs has been terminated from his position due to ongoing fraud you kind of have to respect.

Alleging that Steven B. Pancoast Jr. faked documents and credentials and denied his New Jersey criminal record, authorities accused the 41-yearold of impersonating a police officer, perjury and illegal possession of a firearm after a felony conviction, reported an article from The Oklahoman.

Additionally, Pancoast’s antics might have compromised a number of cases in which he held investigative roles, including a pending neglect case against an assistant at the Claremore Veterans Center.

Though a fraud on paper, The Oklahoman reported that he had a legitimate reputation as a hard worker and avid

12 | APRIL 8, 2015 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

FRiED NEWS investigator of abuse and neglect.

There aren’t really any other answers about how he passed as legitimate, except that he was working for the government — which, if we’re being honest, is always an acceptable excuse.

Mobile Jane

People keep their pot in a lot of weird places, but this is the one of the weirdest we’ve ever seen.

A woman from South Carolina was arrested last month after police pulled her over in her mobile home after she ran over an orange traffic cone on the South Canadian River bridge.

KOCO.com reported that police became suspicious when 31-year-old Leslie Ray said she bought the vehicle in Texas and a

routine check showed that it was actually purchased in Arizona.

If Pickles the K-9 deputy wasn’t on duty, things might have turned out differently.

Pickles alerted police that the mobile home wasn’t just full of cheap furniture and plastic paneling.

Police found 31 pounds of marijuana — worth about $300,000 — hidden throughout the mobile home.

If you’re surprised at the audacity of Ray, you should know that she also has a felony charge for allegedly trafficking ecstasy.

And in her mug shot, she has a huge grin on her face and is holding the Canadian County Jail placard with her ID number and the date on it like she’s filling in for Vanna White on an episode of Wheel of Fortune.

Big money, big money, big … bust.

Nani boo-boo

The grudge match between the Oklahoma State Department of Health and Nani has entered a new realm as the agency recently issued a cease-and-desist order to shut down the supper club — which Nani is both appealing and ignoring.

Owners Andon Whitehorn and Colin Stringer, both licensed food managers, say they’re acting as “personal, private chefs” who create “dining experiences” for customers.

The health department says they’re a restaurant and subject to health inspections and zoning laws.

“The way the law reads in Oklahoma is that if it’s not illegal, then it’s legal,” Whitehorn said. “We’ve asked for clarification on their rules, but they’ve given us no answer.”

Instead, the owners said restaurant inspectors have shown up unannounced and tried to bluff their way in but were turned away. Now they face a $250 daily fine if they continue operating past the 15-day period allowed for an

appeal after the cease-and-desist order was filed.

“No matter what happens, we’re not going away,” said Whitehorn.

And, it seems, until the law is settled by a court, neither is the health department.

promised to paint parts of the building in a color that matches the bus station, preservationists like Shadid believe the structure should be saved and redeveloped, or at least not flattened just to make room for another parking garage.

Shadid, preservationist

Tagging equality

After he took his fight against the pending demolition of the old Union Bus Station to court, Councilman Ed Shadid claims Mayor Mick Cornett and the rest of the Oklahoma City Council are now fighting back.

A 27-story office building and parking garage is planned for the bus station site, and the Downtown Design Review Committee voted in January to allow for the demolition of the building, despite a protest from some citizens and a preservation organization.

Shadid is seeking a new hearing on the matter that considers the importance of historic preservation.

Even though developers of the proposed high-rise have

An Oklahoma man was told his support of a marginalized group of people was too sexy recently when the Oklahoma Tax Commission denied his request for a personalized license plate on the grounds that it was too sexual in nature.

The requested tag read LGBTALY, which if you read it very closely, or not closely at all, reveals itself as not sexual at all. Less so considering plates that are

APRIL 19 THROUGH JUNE 14, 2015

(or that we’d like to see) approved, like ATHEIST or GB4LIFE (Garth Brooks? Game Boy? We wanna know!), or borderline-offensive DMB GIRL, IDIOT, too-awesome F CANCR or even slightly narcissistic plates like 2DEEP4U, which could swing either, um, way — either too sexual or slightly too boneheaded.

Anyway, now that we have the tax commission deciding what is too sexy for us, maybe it will do something about those downright salty 1099 forms.

NATIONAL WEATHER CENTER BIENNALE 2013 Best of Show Winner Elizabeth Patterson (Los Angeles, California) Pershing Square, Los Angeles Colored pencil and solvent on Bristol vellum 34.5 x 48.5 in The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. www.ou.edu/eoo.

For information and accomodations on the basis of disability, please call (405) 325-3095.

Bird song

of how well the Thunder star’s been handling the ball.

(On the court! Don’t send the license plate police after us, please!)

“Here’s a young man that has had serious injuries — bad knee injuries throughout his career — yet every time he walks on the court, you know you’re going to get 100 percent from him. He attacks, he’s fearless and he plays the way it should be played, so I’m all for him,” the b-ball king said on NBC Sports’ ProBasketballTalk show.

If this isn’t validation that Oklahoma City is a big-league city, we don’t know what is.

Larry Bird loves us!

Well, not “us,” per se, but close enough.

Larry Bird recently got all gushy-wushy over Oklahoma City Thunder pro-baller Russell Westbrook, saying he “hopes he wins 10 MVPs in a row” because

ART’s window on the impact of weather on the human experience.

PUBLIC OPENING: 3 P.M. SUNDAY, APRIL 19 NATIONAL WEATHER CENTER

THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA

120 DAVID L BOREN BOULEVARD | NORMAN, OKLAHOMA

NWCBIENNALE.ORG OKLAHOMA GAZETTE | APRIL 8, 2015 | 13

COMMENTARY

M A RK HA N COC K

Individuals define neighborhoods

BY LIZ STEVENS

In our current obsession with building the next hip neighborhood, I fear we are so concerned with placemaking and shopping local that we risk forgetting the bedrock these redeveloped neighborhoods were founded upon, which is great people.

In addition to those well-known community leaders, there are great people who work tirelessly and faithfully in community associations or just as fellow human beings making a life in a common space.

Classen’s North Highland Park neighborhood has sat in quiet deterioration over the years, forgotten by a city and people that would just as soon pave it over.

But many neighbors that have been here for decades, such as Shirley Denson,

have soldiered on, running meetings, making phone calls, writing letters and working tirelessly to remind the city that we are here. It was Denson who fought for our neighborhood to be in the city’s Strong Neighborhood Initiative (SNI) program, and we have her and a handful of other neighbors to thank for these new sidewalks and trees as much as we do City Hall.

It concerns me that Denson, or our association president Clem Faris or my next-door neighbor Jean Colbert (whose family is responsible for nearly every rose bush and canna on our street) were not mentioned and do not have their pictures alongside articles about what makes our neighborhood great (Re: News, “Moving in,” Ben Felder, April 1, Oklahoma Gazette).

I did not move to North Highland Park because of the historic charm or chance at being an urban hotspot. My family simply settled into our home and began from there to form relationships and come alongside those who came before us.

And it was not an easy task for any of us to put aside our prejudices, some we didn’t even know we had until we found ourselves living and working side by side, to unify and work toward a common goal of building a great community.

Now, we are suddenly seeing houses bought and flipped and new families move in, and we’re struggling to keep up with welcoming everyone and trying to remember that we are getting new neighbors and allies when sometimes it seems more like we are being invaded

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

and bought out.

What makes North Highland Park great is that our neighbors are holding on to our identity, welcoming people of different races and socioeconomic backgrounds, trying to ensure that our welcoming committee is indicative of that diversity when we show up at a doorstep.

We are walking our new sidewalks and saying hello. We are asking the city for our desperately needed lighting and signage that orders cars to slow down and protect our children playing.

We are asking for parks and gardens and wheelchair ramps and, in every conceivable way, striving to remain true to our neighbors and ourselves as we move forward in solidarity.

Liz Stevens is a member of Classen’s North Highland Park Neighborhood Association.

OKLAH OMA G AZETTE / FILE

Thank you, Spencer Mellow

BY JENNIFER CHANCELLOR

I’ve lost too many friends to addiction and mental illness. Not a single one of them was a quitter; they fought for every day they had. They each also were happiest when they helped other people feel happy and whole. They were parents, stepparents, family members, lifelong friends, longtime colleagues, artists and mentors.

Local artist Spencer Mellow’s recent death was a watershed moment, though.

In the few years that I knew him via social media, he influenced me and fundamentally changed me. Everyone who met him was changed, and for good reason.

He openly challenged authority, he covered himself in tattoos and he jumped into everything with fierceness and determination. On the outside, he was fearless and hilarious.

I watched as he created his first ink-and-watercolor pieces. They were incredible, visceral and bold. I’ve been surrounded by art my entire life; I have a

14 | APRIL 8, 2015 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

creative family, and many of my friends are artists. But, somehow, it was Spencer who first inspired me to start collecting it. Today, I have more art than I can keep, show or hoard, and I share it with everyone. Thank you, Spencer.

Spencer also showed me that there is no shame in talking about our own mental health or addiction recovery work. He debunked the double standard of some groups that dictate that our individual recoveries — and the programs and people that help us — shouldn’t be discussed publicly, yet also tell us, “We’re only as sick as our secrets.”

He talked to everyone who would listen. In the recovery community, this was a revolutionary act.

He also blogged about youth in recovery. He founded Time to Fight art studio, in part, to celebrate “the pain that leads to happiness.” He recently moved to Minnesota to study art therapy for children.

To know him at all was to accept him completely as he was: just as imperfect and wonderful as everyone else. Spencer believed in humanity and life.

At his March 31 funeral service, I didn’t wipe away a single tear. Don’t get me wrong; I cried. But with each tear, I prayed for friends gone before Spencer and friends I know I will lose after him.

I prayed for myself, too.

I prayed that more people like Spencer — like all of us — will fight to commend, support and educate others about people with diseases like addiction and mental illness.

I’m not the praying type. I believe that actions mean more than words.

Indeed, Spencer fought for every day he had, and he fought for others. He shared his struggles and victories openly and, apparently, without regret.

Thanks to Spencer, I, too, feel a responsibility to talk about these things and encourage others to speak about

them and find the support they deserve and need. There’s no shame; only reality.

At his funeral, Spencer’s family asked that, in lieu of flowers, people please consider donating to Mission Academy (Teen Recovery Solutions, teenrecoverysolutions.org), A Chance to Change (achancetochange. org) or the National Alliance on Mental Illness’ Oklahoma Chapter (namioklahoma.org).

It’s time to fight.

“The Boxer,” by Simon and Garfunkel: In the clearing stands a boxer, And a fighter by his trade And he carries the reminders Of ev’ry glove that laid him down Or cut him till he cried out In his anger and his shame, “I am leaving, I am leaving” But the fighter still remains.

Jennifer Chancellor is editor-in-chief of Oklahoma Gazette.

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

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

a person of a non-Anglo-Saxon decent doesn’t give you the right to use racist slang just the same as these men at OU did. What they said on that bus was wrong. What was heard after the OU basketball game was wrong also.

Be accountable for the things you say and do. Enough is enough!

— Jessica Smith Oklahoma City

Be accountable

Government problem

The recent controversy surrounding the OU SAE fraternity and the racist remarks of its members is not the fault of those few individuals.

It is the fault as society as a whole.

We, as a society, must make any form of racist word or act, regardless of the context, unacceptable.

I am the mother of three children, all of whom are of biracial ethnicity, so I can see both sides of the “race card” argument. I dare a child in my home to even think of making a racist comment regarding the race they are, or any other race for that matter.

However, if society ever expects to make a real change in the way race is viewed, the first step is to end racism in ourselves. Just because you may be

Former President Ronald Reagan once said, “The government is the problem.” I’m not sure that was true then, but it’s certainly true now. For starters, Oklahoma’s two Republican U.S. Senators (Jim Inhofe and James Lankford) as part of a total of 47 Republican senators, were called traitors in the March 10 issue of the New York Daily News. The newspaper said that these 47 senators signed an open letter to the leaders of Iran. I believe the letter was intended to sabotage President Obama’s efforts to negotiate a settlement to keep Iran from becoming capable of and intending to produce nuclear weapons.

President Obama, our commanderin-chief, is the one to negotiate with foreign countries. Unbelievably, these

arrogant, ignorant senators undermined President Obama. They also made former President Ronald Reagan sound prophetic when he said, “The

government is the problem.”

— Wanda Jo Stapleton Former State Representative Oklahoma City

SERVICE . HONOR . KINDNESS The spirit of generosity - giving until there’s no more to give -

The Oklahoma Standard...It’s a part of Oklahoma’s DNA.

COMMIT . SHARE . ACT

OKLAHOMA GAZETTE | APRIL 8, 2015 | 15

HEAT AND FROST INSULATORS APPRENTICESHIP

NOTE: Apprentices receive training in commercial insulation, industrial and process plant insulation, refrigeration and low temperature insulation and prefabrication of fittings, head covers and related work.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: • Age 18 years or older • High school graduate or GED (high school transcript required and proof of GED, if applicable) • U.S. citizen or legal resident alien (documentation required) • A valid driver’s license • Physical exam and drug test will be required prior to indenturement Applications may be picked up at the Heat and Frost Insulators Workers’ Local #94 union office, 716 SE 79th St, Oklahoma City, OK, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., on May 1 - May 14, 2015 and must be returned no later than June 1st, 2015.

Applicants will be selected based on highest qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex or national origin. The Contractors party to the Heat and Frost Insultaors Workers’ JAC Agreement are Equal Opportunity Employers.

Please call 405-632-6767 for additional information

OKG picks are events

recommended by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members.

For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.

BOOKS Advance Work: Art and Advertising in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West, illustrated lecture led by Michelle Delaney, author of the book Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Warriors: A Photographic History by Gertrude Kasebier; she expands on her research and focus on the 898 Sioux Native American portraits by New York photographer Gertrude Kasebier, 7 p.m., Apr. 9. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman, 325-3272, ou.edu/fjjma. THU John Biggs Lecture, author of Popsicle Styx will talk about developing a hook in the first paragraph, 10 a.m., Apr. 11. Mardel Christian & Education, Edmond, 3300 S. Boulevard St., Edmond, 341-2439. SAT Krystle Martin Book Signing, author will sign copies of her book “Home” in which she helps the reader find a safe place and place to call home, 3 p.m., Apr. 11. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 8422900, fullcirclebooks.com. SAT Second Sunday Poetry Reading, James Hochtritt will read some of his works, 2 p.m., Apr. 12. The Depot, 200 S. Jones Ave., Norman, 307-9320, pasnorman.org. SUN

P ROVI DED

The Heat and Frost Insulators Joint Apprenticeship Committee is seeking applicants, male and female, for apprenticeship training in the commercial and industrial insulation trade. The JAC anticipates selecting one to three apprentices in the near future.

FILM Jauja, (AR, 2014, dir. Lisandro Alonso) Gunnar Dinesen, a Danish general searches for his 15 year-old daughter after she runs away with a young solider, 7:30 p.m., Apr. 9; 9 p.m., Apr. 10; 8 p.m., Apr. 11. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 236-3100, okcmoa.com. FRI Oklahoma Urban Cinema Festival, film festival featuring over 30 independent films from all over the world and Oklahoma, Apr. 10-12. Various Oklahoma City Locations, okurbancinema.com. FRI-SUN Stories We Tell, (GR, 2012, dir. Sarah Polley) Oscarnominated director, Sarah Polley, investigates the secrets within her family of storytellers, 2 p.m., Apr. 12.

Oklahoma City University, 2501 N. Blackwelder Ave., 208-5000, okcu.edu. SUN City Slickers, (US, 1991, dir. Ron Underwood) a sales executive in New York is on the verge of a mid-life crises and goes to New Mexico with friends for his birthday vacation to participate in a cattle drive, 7 p.m., Apr. 14. Harkins Theatre, 150 E. Reno Ave., 231-4747, harkinstheatres.com. TUE

HAPPENINGS

Local documentarian Julia Clifford explores the Oklahoma City connection to the protests of the ’50s and ’60s in this film, recounting interviews with local police officers, journalists and civil rights activist John Lewis. Footage from local sit-ins and a firsthand account of Bloody Sunday are featured.

Three screenings will be shown: 6 p.m. Thursday at Northwest Library, 5600 NW 122nd St.; 2 p.m. Saturday at Midwest City Library, 8143 E. Reno Ave.; and 2 p.m. Sunday at Ronald J. Norick Downtown Library, 300 Park Ave. Attendance is free. Visit metrolibrary.org.

Thursday-Sunday

Water Conservation Workshop, free workshop held by the Master Gardeners Association who will provide advice on creating a drought-tolerant yet beautiful landscape, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Apr. 11. Will Rogers Garden Center, 3400 NW 36th St. SAT Spring Plant Sale, plant sale including perennials, herbs and vegetables, hard-to-find and indestructible plants among others, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Apr. 11-12. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 445-7080, oklahomacitybotanicalgardens.com/events. SAT-SUN PROVIDED

32nd Annual NSRA Southwest Street Rod Nationals Plus, more than 1800 specialty automobiles, street rods, muscle cars, antiques, customs and restored cars from all over the US and Canada, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Apr. 10; 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Apr. 11; 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Apr. 12. Oklahoma State Fairgrounds, 3001 General Pershing Blvd., 9486700, okstatefair.com. FRI-SUN

Children of the Civil Rights

Vigilante en Vogue, fashion show bringing together the biggest boutiques and clothing lines from across the state to raise funds and awareness for the 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization Rescue Her, 7-11 p.m., Apr. 12.

Will Rogers Theatre, 4322 N. Western Ave., 604-3015, willrogerstheatre.com. SUN

Jeeves in Bloom Based on humorist P. G. Wodehouse’s comedy characters, this play entertains with Cyrano de Bergerac-like entanglement. There are romantic somersaults, burglary threats and even possible death by meat cleaver, and only the unflappable valet Jeeves can save the day in this Oklahoma City premier. The play’s run launches this weekend with shows at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Carpenter Square Theatre, 800 W. Main St. Tickets are $5-$20. Visit carpentersquare.com or call 232-6500.

Friday-Saturday, ongoing

16 | APRIL 8, 2015 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

Oklahoma Gazette needs a discerning A&E journalist with eclectic music tastes, a nose for arts and entertainment news and an experienced editing eye.

We’re hiring someone who’s ready to help coordinate diverse performing arts, visual arts, local music and film coverage for central Oklahoma’s fiercely independent arts and entertainment authority.

At least two years journalism experience preferred. InDesign experience a plus.

BI GSTOC KP HOTO.COM

Please send a cover letter, resume, clips and references to jchancellor@okgazette.com.

Tai Chi at the Library Combining martial arts, balance and meditation, Tai Chi offers practitioners an opportunity to exercise with low-impact movements and a calming pace. A centuries-old Eastern practice, the meditative art is offered as a series of sessions held at 6 p.m. Thursdays at Bethany Library, 3510 N. Mueller Ave. Register for the free event at metrolibrary.org.

Thursday, ongoing

FOOD The ABC’s of What You Eat: Bell Peppers, learn the facts about bell peppers and enjoy a yummy bell pepper relish, 10 a.m., Apr. 14. Buy For Less, 3501 Northwest Expressway, 946-6342, buyforlessok.com. TUE

YOUTH Jackie and Me, Joey, a ten-year-old boy has a special talent for time travel and travels back to 1947 for a school project to meet Jackie Robinson and has the trip of a lifetime, 11 a.m., Apr. 8; 11 a.m. & 7:30 p.m., Apr. 9; 7:30 p.m., Apr. 10; 2 & 7:30 p.m., Apr. 11. Oklahoma Children’s Theatre, 2501 N. Blackwelder Ave., 606-7003, oklahomachildrenstheatre.org. WED-SAT Homeschool Sleepover: Ligthen’ Up!, spend the night at the zoo and learn how some creatures make their own light; including animal and science demonstrations, a night hike and breakfast, 7 p.m., Apr. 10. Oklahoma City Zoo, 2000 Remington Pl., 424-3344, okczoo.com. FRI CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

OKLAHOMA GAZETTE | APRIL 8, 2015 | 17

M A RK HA N COC K / FI LE

continued

Grilled Cheese and Beer Tasting Buy For Less and Uptown Grocery Co. are celebrating Grilled Cheese Month with a cheesemonger meet-and-greet and grilled cheese and beer tasting.

Wisconsin master cheesemaker Kerry Henning will be on hand to speak about his work with, yep, Henning’s Wisconsin Cheese. The event starts 7 p.m.

Friday at Uptown Grocery Co., 1230 W. Covell Road, in Edmond. Attendance is free. Call 509-2700.

Friday

KIDesign, an introduction to architecture and design for 1st through 6th grade with opportunities to participate in various activities as they create and design their own projects with members of the local architectural community, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Apr. 11.

Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 2363100, okcmoa.com. SAT Hello Spring, welcome spring with a live music

by Sugar Free All-stars, Spaghetti Eddie and the Lyric Theater’s Academy Kids along with kite demonstrations by the Tulsa Wind Riders, games, face painting, live animals, and other fun activities, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Apr. 11. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 445-7080, oklahomacitybotanicalgardens. com/events. SAT

PERFORMING ARTS Kristin Key, stand up comedian and Last Comic Standing contestant, 8 p.m., Apr. 8-9; 8 & 10:30 p.m., Apr. 10-11. Loony Bin Comedy Club, 8503 N. Rockwell Ave., 239-4242, loonybincomedy.com. WED-SAT

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS

Go to

okgazette.com/GWW to enter to win a pair of tickets:

Monday, April 20, 2015 Diamond Ballroom

GAZETTE’S WEEKLY WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED EACH WEEK IN THE TABLE OF CONTENTS Printed winners have 7 days to claim tickets 18 | APRIL 8, 2015 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

ACM@UCO Metro Music Fest, featuring live free music throughout Bricktown along with a series of educational panels, 3 p.m.-midnight, Apr. 10. ACM@ UCO Performance Lab, 329 E. Sheridan Ave., 9744700, acm.uco.edu. FRI Bluegrass Concert & Workshop, live music from Good Friends Bluegrass, The Williamson Family Band and Garland Blocker & Friends along with a banjo workshop, 4 p.m., Apr. 11. Oklahoma Country-Western Museum & Hall of Fame, 3929 SE 29th St., 677-3174.

SAT Kevin Hart, comedy show; comedian, actor and producer, 7 p.m., Apr. 11. Chesapeake Energy Arena, 100 W. Reno Ave., 602-8700, chesapeakearena.com.

SAT

Kenny Zimlinghaus, comedian comes to OKC on his Clean Your Clock Comedy Tour, 8 p.m., Apr. 11. The Paramount OKC, 701 W. Sheridan Ave., 517-0787, theparamountokc.com. SAT Nick Offerman & Megan Mullally, award-winning comedians come to OKC to launch their new comedy tour, Summer of 69: No Apostrophe, 7:30 & 10 p.m., Apr. 15. Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 297-2264, okcciviccenter.com. WED

ACTIVE OKC Dodgers vs. Round Rock Express, baseball game, 7:05 p.m., Apr. 9-11; 2:05 p.m., Apr. 12.

Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, 2 S. Mickey Mantle Drive. THU-SUN KB3-KickBoxing + KettleBells = KickButt Workout, an extreme workout led by fitness instructor, Cassie Cody, 8:30-9:30 a.m., Apr. 11. PACER Fitness Center, 5520 N. Independence Ave., 949-3891. SAT Get Your Rear in Gear, 5K run/walk to raise funds and bring awareness for colon cancer, 9 a.m., Apr. 11.

Journey Church, 3801 Journey Parkway, 217-8700. SAT Redbud Classic, 33rd annual 5K and 10K run benefiting local non-profits, 2 p.m., Apr. 12. Waterford Complex Building, 6201 Waterford Blvd. SUN OKC Thunder vs. Portland Trail Blazers, NBA basketball game, 7 p.m., Apr. 13. Chesapeake Energy Arena, 100 W. Reno Ave., 602-8700, chesapeakearena.com. MON OKC Barons vs. Hamilton Bulldogs, The Oklahoma City Barons host the Hamilton Bulldogs, the AHL affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens, 7 p.m., Apr. 14.

Cox Convention Center, 1 Myriad Gardens, 602-8500, coxconventioncenter.com. TUE

VISUAL ARTS #MyOklahoma, photographer Caroline Cohenour and friends present their view of Oklahoma using Instagram. In Your Eye Studio & Gallery, 3005-A Paseo St., 525-2161, inyoureyegallery.com.

April Featured Artists, “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” exhibit by Candice Anderson featuring her oil paintings and photography exhibit “One Image-Many Memories” by Linda Guenther.

Contemporary Art Gallery, 2928 Paseo St., 601-7474, contemporaryartgalleryokc.com.

Balancing Acts, series of clay sculptures that symbolize problems the world faces such as climate change, world hunger and war by Oklahoma mixed media artist, Paul Medina JRB Art at The Elms, 2810 N. Walker Ave., 528-6336, jrbartgallery.com.

Black and White Retrospective of Oklahoma, photography works by Eric Bloemers of Oklahoma and the OKC metro area. BlackMint Collective, 800 W. Sheridan Ave., 219-5074, facebook.com/ blackmintcollective.

Color in Bloom, glass pieces inspired from the flowers and trees showing off their early blooms as well as hand-painted silk scarves by Quinquia Calhoun. Jann Jeffrey Gallery, 3018 Paseo St., 607-0406.

Custom Designs on Fabric, workshop led by Kjelshus Collins; create your own designs for clothing, pillows, aprons, and other fabrics and wearable items, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Apr. 11; noon-4 p.m., Apr. 12. Artspace at Untitled, 1 NE 3rd St., 815-9995, artspaceatuntitled. org. SAT-SUN

Husbands, Wives and Lovers, exhibit of artwork by Norman-based artist, Mary James Ketch in which she creates a series of paintings that question our current behavior and how it reflects our future. The Project Box, 3003 Paseo St., 609-3969, theprojectboxokc. com.

Live on the Plaza, Monthly artwalk event which promotes emerging artistic talent in Oklahoma City.

Plaza District, 1618 N. Gatewood Ave., 367-9403, plazadistrict.org.

Living Shrines, a collection of shrines found throughout New Mexico photographed by internationally recognized photographer Siegfried Halus. JRB Art at The Elms, 2810 N. Walker Ave., 5286336, jrbartgallery.com.

Oklahoma Girl, photography exhibit by Moore-based photographer Josh Fisher. The Purple Loft Art Gallery, 514 NW 28th St., Suite 400, 412-7066.

Painting in the Gardens, Wine and Palette instructors will show you how to paint spring scenes on terracotta pots, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Apr. 11. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 445-7080, oklahomacitybotanicalgardens.com/events. SAT Southeastern Beadwork I, beading workshop led by nationally known Beadwork artist, Martha Berry, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Apr. 11. Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, 521-2491, okhistory.org/ historycenter. SAT Super Sonic Make + Take, explore the Terra exhibit with art activities, face painting, food trucks and more, 1-4 p.m., Apr. 12. Oklahoma Contemporary Showroom, 1146 N. Broadway Drive. SUN

Fine Art Show, featuring oil painter Phil Starke and sculpture/photographer Tony Hochstetler, 4:30-7 p.m., Apr. 10; 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Apr. 11; 1:30-3:30 p.m., Apr. 12. Grapevine Gallery, 1933 NW 39th St., 528-3739, grapevinegalleryokc.com. FRI-SUN How I See OKC, an exhibit of photography showcasing what our city looks like through the eyes of the individuals experiencing homelessness; collaboration between The Curbside Chronicle and Upward Transitions, 6 p.m., Apr. 9-10. The Society, 1609 Blackwelder Ave. #4, facebook.com/theSOCIETYokc.

THU-FRI

UNITED STATES

AIR FORCE ACADEMY BAND THE FALCONAIRES performing at

UCO Jazz Lab

MARK H ANCOCK / FILE

100 E 5th St. Edmond, OK April 17th, 2015 7:30 p.m

The Color Run A 5K snaking through the Oklahoma City Adventure District offers a wonderful way to see a lively bit of our city. But this isn’t just a 5K; it’s a unique paint race that celebrates health, happiness and individuality. Runners will run, skip and hop their way through different color zones as they’re splattered with crazy colors. Part of a larger effort, The Color Run hosts more than 300 events in 50 countries. The race starts 9 a.m. Saturday at Remington Park, 1 Remington Place. Registration is required. Entry is $39.50 per person for a team of four or $45 for individuals.

Visit thecolorrun.com.

For OKG

Saturday

Yukon Fine Arts Center 850 Yukon Ave. April 18th, 2015 7:00 p.m

Visit the Yukon For FREE tickets call the Parks & Rec Department or Community Center 2200 S. Holly Ave (405) 350-8937

music picks see page 43

Oklahoma Gazette OKLAHOMA GAZETTE | APRIL 8, 2015 | 19

WRONG WINDOW April 10th-19th

By Bill Van Zandt & Jane Milmore Produced by special arrangement by Samuel French

Screamingly Funny!

A tongue-in-cheek spoof to Alfred Hitchcock movies.

SANDBBURGERS.COM 20 NW 9TH • 405-270-0516 || 5929 N MAY • 405-843-8777 14020 N MAY • 405-418-8477 7745 S WALKER (I-240 & Walker) • 405-631-0783

Saturday, April 18, 2015 • 11am-3pm 725 S. Lincoln Blvd., Oklahoma City RSVP by visiting centralconnection.org/boathouse

The official CHK|Central Boathouse Community Celebration for our faculty, staff, students and their families and the community at large. This nocost event will feature an official ceremony, our UCO Women’s Rowing team and Coach Derrick, music, art, tours, food trucks including Big truck Tacos, discounted activities on the River and much more as we celebrate together UCO being on the Oklahoma River! #CHKCentral | #UCO125

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20 | april 8, 2015 | OklahOma Gazette

O K L A H O M A

Fri & Sat @ 7:30pm Sunday’s @ 2:30pm M tickets: SANDBBURGERS.COFor www.stagedooryukon.com or 405-265-1590 601 Oak Street • Yukon • 73099

life food

lunch Special

yes, please

Augustus Gloop

The Violet

pHOTOS BY Ga rETT Fi S BEC K

Yes, please,

The Boz

This crêperie’s taste selections will have you coming back for more.

Pierre Pierre Crêperie 7 NW Ninth St. | 600-9494 | pierrepierreokc.com What WORkS: The General and Violet are extremely delicious combos.

By GreG elwell

Never underestimate the appeal of food wrapped in other food.

Corndogs. Burritos. Turduckens.

Giant tacos made out of a folded pepperoni pizza filled with a whole beef brisket and a bowl of Caesar salad.

But if you want to get classy — and we’re talking a top hat and a monocle and a ball gown made of several smaller, lacier ball gowns classy — then you need to taste the miracle that is the crêpe.

What is a crêpe?

Have you ever had a pancake and said, “What if this was thinner and stuffed with either sweet or savory filling?” That’s a normal thing to say out loud.

And it’s kind of crazy that you’ve been saying it for so many years without anybody taking you to Pierre Pierre Crêperie, 7 NW Ninth St., and saying, “Yeah, it would be this.”

And what a this this is! It’s a this that can be incredibly versatile. For instance, there’s this: The General.

Like all savory crêpes on the Pierre Pierre menu, The General is $9 and includes your choice of a soup or a salad. (Go at lunch and your $9 purchase will also include a Sara Sara cupcake.) So far, this is my favorite

on the menu, filled with sautéed wild mushrooms, tender braised onions and tangy, slightly chilled, slightly melting goat cheese.

It’s a classic flavor combination, and with good reason. The thin crêpe holds back the flavorful interior until you breach it with a knife and fork, spilling forth into a delicious mess.

If you require meat in your meal, then you might like The Boz, which has plenty of crisp bacon and crunchy green onions and is topped with cream cheese.

It’s a good choice but less complex and interesting than The General.

You can build your own crêpe as well, but can you really trust yourself?

You didn’t even know what a crêpe was a minute ago. Are you going to mix chicken with zucchini and feta? Or ham with jalapeño and more ham? Will you go triple ham? Is that even allowed?

Sure, maybe you’ll beat the expectations and deliver a truly wonderful recipe that wows the owners so much they’ll beg to put it on the menu and name it after you. But, more likely, you’ll figure out that they know what’s good and you should just listen to them.

And, at $9 apiece, do you want to take the chance on a bland crêpe?

What NeeDS WORk: Savory crêpe Probably my one prices are a bit steep. complaint is that these tIP: pierre pierre is inside Sara Sara, seem a little pricey for in case you get lost lost. what you get. (If I had a second complaint, it was that the chicken tortilla soup was way until it was deemed “too cruel.” too salty.)

But, you know, it’s pretty good What I’d really love is to see some in the Violet ($5) crêpe. Honestly, the of the brunch crêpes ($9, with potato mixture of sweet blueberries in syrup cake and a drink) added to the regular and cream cheese would probably be menu. A crêpe Benedict sounds just good without it, but the white chocolate as good Wednesday night as it does shavings pair surprisingly well.

Sunday morning. Ditto for the Speedy, The Augustus Gloop ($5) is one which is huevos rancheros, onions, of Pierre Pierre’s best sellers, which is potato, red pepper and mozzarella understandable, because the combo topped with pico de gallo. of Nutella, strawberries and shaved Pierre Pierre’s grilled cheese ($9, chocolate sounds like a winner. And with choice of soup or salad) is not a it is, if you’re sharing, because this is crêpe in any way; it is, instead, a grilled so rich that it’s almost overpowering. cheese sandwich. It eschews the usual It’s good — make no mistake — but I cheddar for a mix of mozzarella and was only a few bites in before I had to goat cheese with a liberal filling of tap out. onion marmalade between two buttery Pierre Pierre is not Oklahoma City’s pieces of Texas toast. first crêperie, nor, I hope, is it its last.

This is better than the grilled cheese For those who enjoy foods wrapped you make at home. It just is. Stop in other foods, however, this should fronting. definitely be a stop on the Oklahoma Surprise fact: White chocolate City Food-Inside-Other-Food Tour. is not technically chocolate, nor is it Wow ... I should start a tour company. something anybody enjoys eating. It was briefly used as a substitute for coal as the default gift for naughty children

OklahOma Gazette | april 8, 2015 | 21

life food & drink

Zorba’s Mediterranean Cuisine serves up a quarter century of authentic recipes, along with new menu additions.

By GreG elwell

Gyros are not chef Nordeen Bennai’s favorite dish.

After more than a year at Zorba’s Mediterranean Cuisine, 6014 N. May Ave., Bennai has served countless gyros to hungry customers — and there’s nothing wrong with that.

“Zorba’s has always been known for gyros,” he said. “But there’s so much more to the menu.”

With 25 years in Oklahoma City, the restaurant built a loyal following for its gyros, falafel and kabobs. But as the business ages, Bennai said it needs to stay fresh to attract more customers.

The original Zorba’s was a tiny spot hidden away at 4621 N. May Ave. It was frequently filled to the brim at lunch as hungry strangers crowded into the dining room for pitas filled with freshly shaved and grilled meats and platters covered in colorful rice and skewered vegetables.

Wait times spiraled, though, as the customer base grew by leaps and bounds. Rather than expand on the old building, the owners chose a new spot up the road. And after much fanfare (and construction), the business reopened eight years ago with a lobby, a bar, a larger dining room and kitchen and a nearly identical menu.

“When Zorba’s opened, there was nobody else doing Mediterranean food,” Bennai said. “Now, it’s everywhere.”

So he’s working on a flavor injection by steadily increasing the selection on the menu to include different dishes and spices. The old favorites will never go away, but without new items, the business cannot evolve.

Ruby Rainbow Trout ($13) is just one example of his hand on the menu.

A luscious filet of trout is seasoned and grilled before being laid over a buttery garlic vin blanc sauce with sautéed ribbons of zucchini and squash; carrots; red peppers; plump, bite-sized tomatoes; butter beans; and spinach.

Serving fish to red meat-centric OKC diners is always a risk, Bennai said, especially if it isn’t catfish, salmon or tilapia. But the mild trout combines the firmness of salmon with a gentle flavor that is easy for seafood neophytes to enjoy. And the sauce begs to be sopped up with a fresh pita.

Many regular dishes come from Bennai’s daily specials, including the

22 | april 8, 2015 | OklahOma Gazette

Zorba’s scampi and gyro platter

wine dinners Chef Nordeen Bennai holds monthly wine dinners at Zorba’s in which he pairs different varietals with cuisines from around the world. The next dinner is scheduled for May 21 and will feature the cuisine of Bennai’s native Morocco. “it’s like Christmas Eve for me; i get so excited,” he said. “i plan these months in advance, and i come out and talk to the diners between courses.”

Zorba’s diners at lunch

Zorba’s ruby rainbow trout.

chicken Marsala and the Greek chicken linguine. Sales feedback from customers tells him what they’d like to see stay on the menu and what can go.

But expanding the menu isn’t just

about adding what he likes. It’s also about meeting customers halfway.

Some customers are set in their ways and will always just get the gyro platter, but he has got different

options — a Florentine version in a creamy spinach sauce, a garlic version and even one tossed with shrimp scampi — to help them branch out.

He’s hoping more choice will translate into customers who see the restaurant as more than a place to satisfy their occasional gyro cravings.

“People who come in once a month, I’d like to see them every two weeks,” he said. “It’s about giving people a reason to come here more often.”

Sometimes that includes taking away reasons that customers might stay away, as well. After 8 years in its current location, Zorba’s is reworking some interior furnishings to add renewed polish to the dining room.

“If someone walks out unsatisfied, that’s not just $8 or $12 we’re losing,” he said. “That’s thousands of dollars from the people they tell about their experience.”

Bennai said he’s committed not just to meeting customer expectations but exceeding them and helping push the envelope.

Soon, he said he will begin bringing in new seafood choices on the weekends to give customers a chance to find new favorites. And as an alumnus of both Cafe 501 and The Petroleum Club, he has the food resume to back him up.

He knows that’s what many people want when they come to Zorba’s. But that’s not going to stop him from taking the restaurant’s clientele on new culinary adventures ... even if they ultimately choose to have another gyro.

p HOTOS BY M a rK Ha N COC K

It’s Greek

SPONSORED PROGRAM

OFFICIAL

PROGRAM

APRIL 10, 2015 • 3PM – 2AM FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC A

CM@UCO Rocks Bricktown is now the ACM@UCO Metro Music Fest! Join us for a bigger, bolder music experience celebrating UCO’s 125th anniversary and our state’s musical legacy. The festival will feature a variety of established Oklahoma artists including John Fullbright, BRONCHO and Horse Thief along with more than 60 ACM@UCO student bands performing throughout Oklahoma City’s Bricktown District.

Whether you enjoy rock, pop, folk, hip-hop or country music, the ACM@UCO Metro Music Fest has something for you. Continue reading the rest of this official program for a complete lineup of artists and venues or visit www.acm-uco.com. CONtINUeD ON NeXt PaGe

WWW.ACM-UCO.COM • 405-974-4700

OklahOma Gazette | april 8, 2015 | 23

BronCHo

Bowlsey

Jabee

kaitlin Butts

John fullbright

pHOTOS prOViDED

SPONSORED PROGRAM

METRO MUSIC FEST

ACM@UCO ARTISTS & EVENTS ACM@UCO LOBBY 1

25 S. OKLAHOMA AVE. ACM@UCO METRO MUSIC FEST MARKET 3:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

ACM@UCO PATIO 2

DROPSHOP 10:00 p.m.

BOARE 11:00 p.m.

ACM@UCO PERFORMANCE LAB 3

329 E. SHERIDAN AVE.

25 S. OKLAHOMA AVE.

THE HAD MATTERS 7:00 p.m.

INDIGOS MUSIC 5:00 p.m.

THEM HOUNDS 8:00 p.m.

CUTTER ELLIOTT 6:00 p.m.

DAY ONE 9:00 p.m.

THE KYLEE HIGGINS BAND 7:00 p.m.

SPACEFACE 10:00 p.m.

LONEMOON 8:00 p.m.

HORSE THIEF 11:00 p.m.

RICHARD BLAKE 9:00 p.m.

STARDEATH & WHITE DWARFS 12:00 a.m.

24 | april 8, 2015 | OklahOma Gazette

ACM@UCO SONGWRITING ROOM 4

25 S. OKLAHOMA AVE., LOBBY LEVEL PANEL: “MUSIC AND FILM: A PERFECT PAIR” 3:00 p.m.

PANEL: “FROM LOCAL TO NATIONAL: MMF HEADLINERS TALK MUSIC CAREER GROWTH BEYOND OKLAHOMA” 4:00 p.m.

DEMONSTRATION: “ABLETON LIVE: A DEMONSTRATION” 5:00 p.m.

S. REIDY 7:00 p.m.

CELADON CITY 7:30 p.m.

WILLIS 8:00 p.m.

OF_COSMOS 8:30 p.m.

BRANDON ROMANS 9:00 p.m.

FRE$HJAY 9:30 p.m.

SCHOTTY 10:00 p.m.

SARDASHHH 10:30 p.m.

ZEDEK 11:00 p.m.

GRAHAM PREEMO 11:20 p.m.

NICK CHAOS 11:40 p.m.

CANDICE COOPER 12:00 a.m.

JABEE 12:15 a.m.

SOUTHWEST CORNER OF RENO AND OKLAHOMA AVE. HONEY 3:00 p.m.

NØISEBLEEDSSØUND 3:50 p.m.

THE ARGOTS 4:40 p.m.

ALUMA 5:30 p.m.

RACHEL BRASHEAR 6:20 p.m.

RIPPLE GREEN 7:10 p.m.

KAITLIN BUTTS 8:00 p.m.

KEVIN & DUSTIN WELCH 9:00 p.m.

JOHN FULLBRIGHT 10:00 p.m.

BRONCHO 11:15 p.m.

MOURNING PATTERNS 5:00 p.m.

ZOOT SUIT 6:00 p.m.

PART TIME SAVANTS 7:00 p.m.

WHISKEY CHICKS

BOWLSEY 9:00 p.m.

10

THE KFOR CHANNEL 4 BAND 10:00 p.m.

115 E. RENO AVE.

KIERSTON WHITE 11:00 p.m.

7

JOHN CALVIN ABNEY 12:00 a.m.

SONIC WATER STAGE 9

WORMY DOG SALOON 11

LOWER BRICKTOWN ERICA RAY 3:30 p.m.

311 E. SHERIDAN AVE.

SEPH(RA) 4:30 p.m.

AIR LINE ROAD 10:00 p.m.

VINACE 7:30 p.m.

MARCH OF DEATH 11:00 p.m.

THE DULCETS 10:00 p.m.

EQUILIBRIUM 12:00 a.m.

SEARCH MARBLY 9:00 p.m.

CLAN OVERDRIVE 10:00 p.m.

GENUINE HICK 9:00 p.m.

MATT STANSBERRY & THE ROMANCE 11:00 p.m.

CAROL MORGAN/SÁHNIŠ 5:30 p.m.

105 E. CALIFORNIA AVE.

RECOMMENDED ACTS:

EYES MADE READY 6:30 p.m.

» Bowlsey » Jabee » Them Hounds » Shiny Toy Guns » Tulsa Sound Tribute » Kaitlin Butts » Horse Thief

SPACE4LEASE 8:30 p.m.

HANNAH WOLFF 9:30 p.m.

JJ’S ALLEY

ALLYSON MEGHAN 9:30 p.m.

LOWER BRICKTOWN FOUNTAIN STAGE 8

RENO AND MICKEY MANTLE

THE CRYSTAL CASSETTES 3:00 p.m.

FM PILOTS 4:00 p.m.

4

7 FLAMING LIPS ALLEY

3 2 1

10 E. CALIFORNIA AVE.

BRICKTOWN CANAL

WANDA JACKSON WAY

6

N. MICKEY MANTLE DR.

JADE CASTLE 12:30 a.m.

» Stardeath and White Dwarfs » Clan Overdrive » Aluma » Rachel Brashear » Space4Lease » The Hideouts

E. SHERIDAN AVE.

S. OKLAHOMA AVE.

GRANT ADAMS 11:30 p.m.

Matt Stansberry & The romance

» Broncho » FM Pilots » John Fullbright » Sardashhh » John Calvin Abney » Willis

11

212 E. SHERIDAN AVE. SAIGE CROSS 10:30 p.m.

“TULSA SOUND” TRIBUTE 12:00 a.m.

TRAVIS TRAPS 11:30 p.m.

GOOD CULTURE 8:00 p.m.

CAPT. NORM’S DOCKSIDE BAR 6

THE HIDEOUTS 11:00 p.m.

SHINY TOY GUNS (ACOUSTIC SET WITH CARAH FAYE AND CHAD PETREE) 10:30 p.m.

CHICKASAW BRICKTOWN BALLPARK

JOE CARTER AVE.

AT&T MAIN STAGE 5

E. RENO AVE.

5 8

9

OklahOma Gazette | april 8, 2015 | 25

SPONSORED PROGRAM

BRICKTOWN ARTISTS & VENUES

SPONSORED PROGRAM

A

s the University of Central Oklahoma, the parent school for the Academy of Contemporary Music (ACM@ UCO), celebrates its 125th year, the festival welcomes a change, too.

ACM@UCO Rocks Bricktown is now Metro Music Fest, as the event now incorporates a broader variety of bands and venues, each with Oklahoma ties.

Over 60 acts take to 10 stages on Friday in a free music festival and showcase that spans crisp and clean, up-tempo singer-songwriter fare; sludgy, psychedelic rock; an old-school

Tulsa Sound tribute and even electronica and DJ music.

This is Oklahoma music like many haven’t heard before, as the school not only spotlights its unique program but the state’s music industry. Many artists will perform in venues they’re not usually associated with in ways not normally linked to their respective genres.

One headliner, electronicaladen rock act Shiny Toy Guns, formed in L.A., includes keyboardist-bassist Jeremy Dawson and vocalist-guitarist Chad Petree, who grew up together in Shawnee.

Petree and lead vocalist Carah

Faye Charnow perform an acoustic set 10:30 p.m. Friday on the Sonic Water Stage.

Oklahoma City hip-hop artist Jabee delivers his substantive lyrical flow in an intimate setting 12:15 a.m. at the ACM@ UCO Songwriting Room on the school’s Bricktown campus.

Norman-OKC-Tulsa punkpop hybrid Broncho — fresh from a fistful of South by Southwest showcases in Austin — plays its only Oklahoma show announced for its current tour, which runs through July and hits cities from Paris to New Orleans.

Broncho takes the AT&T Main Stage at 11:15 p.m. Friday, after

SPONSORED BY

Bearden native and fresh-faced folk and blues wunderkind John Fullbright’s 10 p.m. show.

Launched six years ago, the full-day Metro Music Fest succeeds with help from schooltied music acts, tech crews, sound engineers, business majors, management and even University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) public relations and marketing students.

Metro Music Fest venues include Whiskey Chicks, Wormy Dog Saloon, JJ’s Alley Bricktown Pub, ACM@UCO Performance Lab, Capt. Norm’s Dockside Bar, with additional stages at the AT&T Main Stage, located at the southwest corner of Reno and Oklahoma Ave., the Fountain and Sonic stages in lower Bricktown and ACM@ UCO’s Patio and Songwriting Room stages.

Metro Music Fest runs 3:00 p.m. to 2 a.m. April 10 in Bricktown. Admission is free and all-ages for most stages. However, some venues require guests to be 21 and over to enter.

Sponsors include AT&T, Oklahoma Gazette, Brad Reeser with Keller Williams Realty, Bricktown Brewery, deadCENTER Film Festival, Downtown OKC, Inc., Henry Hudson’s Public House, Walrus Audio, 98.9 KISS FM, 100.5 KATT FM, 104.9 WILD FM. ACM@UCO offers education in performance, personal growth, entrepreneurship, music production and more. Learn more at www.acm-uco.com.

Chef dinner

Tasty city Leadership Midwest City hosts Taste of Midwest City 6-9 p.m. Monday at the Reed Center, 5800 Will Rogers Road, in Midwest City.

The event features food from more than 20 area restaurants — including Judge’s Char-Grill and Chequers Restaurant & Pub — entertainment, a silent auction and a wine pull. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door.

Learn more at tasteofmidwestcity.com.

Proceeds from this year’s event benefit Mid-Del Food Pantry, City of Midwest City Animal Welfare, Midwest City Fire Department’s Public Education Department, Midwest City YMCA, Mid-Del Youth & Family Shelter, Mid-Del Public Schools and the Rose State College Foundation, which were chosen by the Leadership Midwest City class.

In 2014, Taste of Midwest City generated more than $22,000 in proceeds.

GreenAcres

Beer bash The party will be hearty on Saturday as Midwest City-based Roughtail Brewing Co. celebrates its second birthday with food trucks, live music and, of course, beer.

It runs 6-10 p.m. on the brewery grounds, 1279 N. Air Depot Blvd., in Midwest City and features music from Attica State and concessions from MOB Grill and Frank’s Wurst.

The event’s main draw, however, is a selection of 10 beers — some of which won’t be available again.

General admission tickets are $10 ($5 for designated drivers) and come with four drink tickets, each good for one 6 oz. beverage. Roughtail will pour its signature IPA, 12th Round, Hoptometrist and Polar Night brews and its limited release 2nd Anniversary Ale. Nonalcoholic drinks will also be available, but the event is for ages 21 and older.

prOViDE D

M a rK Ha N COC K

Tickets are on sale for April’s Francis Tuttle Guest Chef Dinner with John Madore (pictured), executive chef at Picasso Cafe.

Seatings are 6-8 p.m. Friday.

Madore is a U.S. Navy veteran who trained in kitchens in Florida and Pennsylvania before returning to Oklahoma and joining Platt College’s culinary arts program.

In 2010, Madore became nighttime sauté cook at Picasso Cafe and quickly moved up the ranks to become executive chef in February 2011.

Tickets are $50 ($60 with wine pairings) and can be purchased at francistuttle.edu/district21.

M a rK Ha N COC K / Fi l E

food BriefS

Special delivery Krystal Russell wants more people to learn about and try what small Oklahoma businesses have to offer. Her company, Okie Goodies Box, delivers a monthly sampler of locally made foods.

Each month’s package is themed and filled with snacks, condiments and sweets.

Featured local brands include Healthy Cravings, LLC snacks, Head Country and Daddy Hinkle’s seasonings and marinades. Learn more at okiegoodies.cratejoy.com.

OklahOma Gazette | april 8, 2015 | 27

life food & drink help needed

WestTown visitors find all three thanks to local chefs and the Turning the Table on Hunger challenge.

By GreG elwell

Successful ingredients

“Do you have onions and peppers?”

“We got onions. Don’t know about peppers.”

The pickings were slim in the pantry of The Homeless Alliance’s WestTown Resource Center and Day Shelter as The Coach House chef Kurt Fleischfresser began planning the next day’s lunch. He was the first contestant in the Turning the Table on Hunger challenge, in which Oklahoma City chefs prepare a meal for everyone at the shelter using only donated ingredients.

It’s a challenge faced daily by shelter cooks across the country, including chef Johnny Wofford and Delbert Briggs, who prepare two meals a day, five days a week for more than 250 people.

“It’s like Chopped every day,” said Briggs, who also often spends his afternoons driving around, collecting food donations. “We’ve got no clue what we’re going to get day-to-day.”

The idea came from Clayton Bahr, who helps with The Homeless Alliance’s Turkey Tango event on Thanksgiving Day each year. While several individuals give their time and resources around the holidays, the shelter feeds people every week.

“I’m lucky enough to have contact with several local chefs through my work as a wine rep,” he said.

But how would these classically trained culinary wizards fare without access to fresh vegetables, a limited supply of meat and a refrigerator full of day-old donuts from Krispy Kreme?

Chef’s delight

Fleischfresser arrived at 8 a.m. March 23 to start planning as Wofford and Briggs showed him the kitchen. In the storage area is a hodgepodge of different products, including bottles of Sunny D, cans of beans and plenty of boxes featuring the word “instant.”

In addition to cooking 10 meals a week, Wofford packs 50 care boxes to send with families to keep them fed over the weekend. Into those, they usually add individual products and foods they don’t have enough of to feed a large crowd.

Emerging from the refrigerator, Fleischfresser announced that tomorrow’s lunch would be pepperoni chicken pasta — an old favorite from

28 | april 8, 2015 | OklahOma Gazette

at top Chef Kurt Fleischfresser preps lunch at WestTown Day Shelter during a recent Turning the Table on Hunger challenge. above Kevin Lee prepares lunches during a recent chef challenge. his days at now-defunct Portobello’s — with fresh salad and lemon curd bread pudding.

“First thing out of the chute, I was happy to find such a clean, organized kitchen,” he said. “I appreciate (Wofford’s) challenge. I think having a fresh eye come in once in a while can help. Maybe they’ll incorporate some of what we did that day into their dishes. I hope we can get more people in to help.”

A who’s who of local cuisine arrived on the morning of March 24.

Fleischfresser enlisted help from Kevin Lee, Vast sous chef; Jonathan Groth, Will’s Lobby Bar executive chef; Russ Johnson, Ludivine chef and Danh Do, apprentice at The Coach House, as well as Bahr and others. Fleischfresser also started off by bending the rules and donating fresh red peppers, sausage and butter for the day’s lunch.

The commotion brought interest from the crowd sitting at tables in the shelter’s main room, said Haley Phelps, day shelter director.

“They usually start lining up 10 or 15 minutes early, but not this far back,” she said. “It ties into their food insecurity. If it’s going to be good, they’re worried it’ll run out before they get to the front of the line.”

It’s not just about the ingredients, Phelps said.

Adding a regular slate of kitchen volunteers would be a tremendous boost to the shelter, but that requires people who are willing to commit their time.

Wofford added that more volunteers — and a steady supply of fresh foods — would be revolutionary.

Even simple staples, like real butter, would make everything easier.

Right now, the menu centers largely on what is shelf-stable or items that can be frozen and saved, like turkey and gravy over rice and beans and cornbread.

Finding proteins can sometimes be as difficult as putting vegetables on the plate, Wofford said.

For everyone involved in Turning the Table on Hunger, the challenge is about bringing people together using one thing that crosses every line in society: food.

This time around, the meal was a success, according to diner Eric Bricker, who said he usually comes to the shelter for lunch.

“This is the best food I’ve ever had here,” he said. “I wish we had more variety, more real vegetables — fresh, not just from a can.”

Following Fleischfresser is a tough act in any restaurant, but in April, Johnson will lead the Turning the Table challenge.

“It’s going to be hard but fun,” he said. “In the meantime, I want to talk to Johnny (Wofford) about what kinds of stuff they need donated. Maybe we can get a few more small appliances in here.”

p HOTOS BY Ga rETT Fi S BE C K

Food, security, love

Those interested in making a donation to WestTown can go through The Homeless alliance. Volunteers are needed for breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday and can register through the United Way of Central Oklahoma’s Volunteer Center. learn more at volunteercentraloklahoma.org. You can also reach The Homeless alliance at 415-8410 and homelessalliance.org.

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Licensed by: OBPVS. Programs vary by campus. Important information about the educational debt, earnings, and completion rates of students who attended the programs at Platt College, visit http://www.plattcolleges.edu/content/program-disclosures

OklahOma Gazette | april 8, 2015 | 29

Bloody great There’s plenty of erroneous information floating around about the origins of the bloody mary cocktail, and here is some more: The bloody mary was originally known as a bloody gary and was named after Gary Burghoff, who played Radar on M*A*S*H. Does that terrible joke make you wish you had a drink? You’re in luck.

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

Pearl’s oyster Bar 5641 n. Classen Blvd. pearlsokc.com | 848-8008

“Make it yourself!” is usually an order barked by parents at ungrateful teenagers who complain about their sandwiches, but at Pearl’s Oyster Bar, the do-it-yourself spirit makes the spirits more interesting. Order your favorite vodka and then whisk yourself to the bloody mary bar, where you can mix and match your mixers (but not your matchers) with garnishes galore.

Hillbilly Po Boys & oysters

The Boom

1 nw ninth St. facebook.com/HillbillyPoBoysoysters 702-9805

Some call a bloody mary “the hair of the dog,” which isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement, flavorwise. If you’d like to burn the metaphorical hair off that metaphorical dog, you can literally drink one of Hillbilly’s jalapeño moonshine bloody marys. If it doesn’t cure your hangover, at least it will wake you up.

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The bloody mary bar at The Boom coincides with its comedy cabaret and drag show, Sunday Gospel Brunch.

Diners get to mix up their favorite concoctions while performers put together a hilarious show that has packed in crowds for more than five years. The 21-and-up-only shows are at noon and 1:30 p.m., and reservations are highly suggested — as is a sense of humor.

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The Beef Jerky emporium 9346 n. May Ave. tbje.com | 751-6275

If you’re stuck at home but still want to taste that brunchiest of beverages, stock your pantry with some bloody mary mix from The Beef Jerky Emporium, which has plenty of spicy varieties (including Demitri’s concentrates and Ben Jack Larado ready-made mixes) as well as a heaping helping of pickled garnishes.

Oh, and lots of beef jerky.

S&B’s Burger Joint 5929 n. May Ave. sandbburgers.com | 843-8777

Are you rrrrrrready to rumble? S&B’s has always has a great lineup of bloody marys, but the Bloody Rumble is nextlevel good. Their mix masters make a beefy au jus-infused mix, add in lemon and lime and garnish with a big, housemade meatball.

Mutt’s Amazing Hot dogs

Power House

1400 nw 23rd St. mutts-hot-dogs.com | 525-3647

For all the flavor and none of the alcohol, it might be worth your while to visit Mutt’s Amazing Hot Dogs for its Hair of the Dog: a breakfast link, french fries and a fried egg on a poppy seed bun ... with delicious bloody mary ketchup. It costs a little extra, but it’s worth it to get some of the bloody mary ketchup on the side, for dipping your duck fat fries or (non-duck) fat fingers.

1228 Sw Second St. powerhouseokc.com | 619-1169

It’s two, two, two drinks in one! For a new twist on a bloody mary, Power House’s Fat Little Cowboy subs out the usual vodka for a mix of smoky alipús mezcal and half a can of Modelo Especial. (What happens to the other half? You get it on the side.) And nothing gives the cowboy a yee-haw like a garnish of pickled okra and a cocktail weenie.

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OklahOma Gazette | april 8, 2015 | 31

p hotos p r ovi de d

life reliGion

nihad Awad speaks during the recent CAir banquet.

State of religion A CAIR event brings together multifaith leaders for a discussion about religion and Oklahoma’s Muslim community.

By GreG Horton

Nihad Awad came to Oklahoma City for the first time just weeks after the Murrah bombing. Awad is the national executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), and his organization was less than a year old when Timothy McVeigh murdered 168 people.

“People forget that the Muslim community was accused of the bombing immediately after it happened,” Awad said.

In fact, Ibrahim Ahmad, a Jordanian national who lived in Oklahoma City, was initially questioned in Chicago and London. Most networks reported that Middle Eastern groups were suspected, and venerable publications like The Wall Street Journal reported or implied it was the work of Islamist terrorists.

Public anger was directed at Muslims all over the U.S., culminating in a Muslim woman in Oklahoma City miscarrying a child while an angry group of Oklahomans threw stones at her house, according to American Journalism Review. She said she was too afraid to leave her house to seek medical attention.

Awad was in Oklahoma on March 28 to address Oklahoma Muslims who gathered for the ninth annual awards banquet for CAIR Oklahoma at Reed Conference Center in Midwest City.

According to Adam Soltani, the director of CAIR Oklahoma, 550 people attended the event, some of whom were Christian ministers and other friends of Oklahoma’s Muslim community.

32 | april 8, 2015 | OklahOma Gazette

“American fabric”

“We partner nationwide with the interfaith community,” Awad said, “both for unity and the protection of the American fabric. We defend the civil rights of American Muslims and try to inform the public about Islam with the goal of creating mutual understanding.”

According to Soltani and various other sources, the Muslim population of Oklahoma is approximately 30,000.

The number is difficult to substantiate, as the U.S. Census does not ask about religious affiliation, but whatever the difference, it is still less than one percent of Oklahoma’s population. That does not mean that Islam is not thriving in Oklahoma though.

Saad Mohammed moved to Oklahoma 22 years ago. The Brooklyn native served in the U.S. Navy before he converted to Islam, and now, he and his wife raise their twin sons in the metro.

Mohammed is on the board of CAIR and oversees communications for The Islamic Society of Greater Oklahoma City.

“The faith is growing like crazy,” Mohammed said. “We are seeing so many conversions.”

Mohammed was at the event only a day after another Oklahoman “took Shahada,” at ISGOC’s mosque on N. Portland Ave. The Shahada is the first pillar of the Islamic faith (there are five total), and the phrase, which is the first step in the conversion process, is familiar even to non-Muslims: There is

no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger.

The recent convert and his wife — who was scheduled to take Shahada on March 31 — are only two of many who are finding something compelling in this third of the Abrahamic faiths.

Mohammed, an African-American, addressed the reasons that people — especially those, it seems, from the African-American community — are converting.

“I converted because of the love, support, brotherhood, strong community and strong family,” he said. “The mosque is like the United Nations; there are so many different ethnicities represented, even Caucasian.”

In fact, at the event, the mixture of races was remarkable, especially for Oklahoma standards, and Caucasian Muslims were well represented. One of the keynote speakers was Imam Suhaib Webb, an Oklahoma native who grew up in the Church of Christ.

Imam Webb is now the most highprofile Caucasian imam in the United States. As he moved among the crowd, he greeted his fellow Muslims in the traditional fashion — with a kiss on each cheek — and conference attendees took his picture, shook his hand and asked if he would be in photos with them.

The ease with which the races meet, greet, talk and worship together is one of the signature marks of Islam, and Mohammed referenced it as he talked about Oklahoma converts.

“The acceptance of the community is appealing to Americans,” Mohammed said. “It was the reason Malcolm X converted. The brotherhood of the races he saw in the Hajj (pilgrimage, the fifth pillar) brought about his conversion.”

Individualism

Mohammed said that one of the challenges was contending with the individualism that is so endemic to American culture.

“People convert and bring a cultural background with them, and we try our best to teach them that American culture and the Islamic faith can exist side by side,” he said.

Every religion is challenged by

American individualism, but the practices of Islam — especially prayer, fasting and weekly worship (Jum’ah prayer) — help transform people into people of faith. Still, the event managed to seem completely normal, even to an outsider.

Groups of teenagers, including girls with and without hijabs and boys in suits, clustered in pods, flirting, giggling and whispering under the watchful eye of parents and peers. At times, it felt like the youth group lockins in churches all over Oklahoma or that brief period of time following Sunday service when the kids play while the adults pray or say their goodbyes. It felt normal.

The Muslim community is integrating in Oklahoma in ways we do not always notice.

“The media suffers from the ‘what bleeds leads,’” Awad said. “American Muslims are not defined by their everyday actions. They are grouped in with terrorists. Our doctors heal people every day. Muslims serve every day, help every day, yet we are not defined by that. American Muslims are very educated as well. I’m proud of that.”

However, the integration is occurring. Oklahoma is now home to 28 halal restaurants. Halal rules concern food, especially slaughter and preparation, much like kosher rules for Jews. There are 11 halal markets, 16 halal caterers and ten mosques. Two private schools for K-12 educate young Muslims every school day.

“If 9/11 is the benchmark — and I hate to use it, but it is what put the spotlight on Muslims — the number of mosques and organizations have grown 74 percent since the attacks,” Awad said. “From 2000 to 2010, the number of mosques in the U.S. grew from 1,200 to 2,220. The Muslim community has become more institutionalized, and now, the infrastructure is developing everywhere, even Oklahoma.”

Suhaib Webb right was one of the keynote speakers at the CAIR banquet. An Oklahoma native who grew up in the Church of Christ, Webb is one of the most high-profile Caucasian imams in the United States.

p r ovi de d

life CoMMunity

Life saver

Michelle Rodriguez-Pico used her CPR skills to help a man, but she doesn’t consider herself a hero.

Michelle rodriguezPico and edwin “Duke” nix

By louis fowler

When Michelle Rodriguez-Pico’s daughter was only 2 years old, a grape got stuck in her throat and she began choking.

“I wasn’t there, but when I went to pick her up, the lady told me, ‘We are trained to work with babies if they get stuck with food,’” Rodriguez-Pico said.

As soon as Rodriguez-Pico heard that news, she decided to learn how to perform CPR. Originally taking classes at the American Red Cross, with subsequent follow-ups and recertifications through her employer at Oklahoma Gas & Electric (OG&E), Rodriguez-Pico had not used her CPR training until a United Way of Central Oklahoma’s Emerging Leaders’ holiday party this past December.

Senior citizens were invited to the

party from Trinity Garden Apartments, and Rodriguez-Pico was forced into action as 80-year-old Edwin “Duke” Nix fell to the floor after a round of festive dancing.

After Rodriguez-Pico performed about 22 chest compressions and checked for obstructions in his throat, Nix slowly started to rouse, with Rodriguez-Pico keeping him calm and lucid until the paramedics arrived, whereupon he was taken to the hospital and quadruple bypass surgery was performed.

“I don’t remember it. There was nothing going through my mind because I was too far out of it,” Nix said. “When I got back home from rehab, that’s when I learned it was Michelle who saved my life. I was very emotional. I think I started crying. We have a connection now.”

The two recently reunited, with Rodriguez-Pico happy to find Nix was doing well and “in good spirits,” but was also quick to correct him — or anyone else — when they bestowed the title of “hero” upon her, believing instead that she was merely a vessel through which God worked his healing wonders.

“I’m not a hero,” Rodriguez-Pico said.

“The first thing I tell everybody is that it really wasn’t me; it was God. God wanted him to come back, and I was just there at the right time to physically be able to make that happen.”

This is a sentiment that Nix can see both ways.

“There must be a reason I’m still around,” Nix said. “After all, I’m almost 81 years old ... I don’t know what the reason is, but I will discover it.”

Divine intervention or not, Rodriguez-Pico was recently honored with the Positive Energy Together Award from OG&E, something that she will use to further publicize just how important it is to take the time to learn CPR because, as she has proven, one never knows when it’ll come in handy.

“A lot of people think CPR is hard to learn or get certified, but really, it’s not,” Rodriguez-Pico said. “Anybody can perform CPR, and the important reason is the heart stops, and if it stops for more than five minutes, you’re dead. The possibly of the ambulance arriving in five minutes is low, so even if you can take a class, you’ll at least have a possibility of saving a life. I believe anybody can do it.

It’s not difficult; it’s not hard.”

photos by b rett Weston / provid ed

life visuAl Arts

Focused display A local philanthropist donates 50 photos by a renowned photographer to OKCMOA.

By ZACH JACoBs

This is getting to be a habit. Fortunately, this habit is something all Oklahomans can enjoy and be proud of.

Christian Keesee, chairman of the board of trustees for Oklahoma Citybased Kirkpatrick Foundation, donated 50 photographs taken by Brett Weston to the Oklahoma City Museum of Art March 19.

Museum president and CEO E. Michael Whittington said he and the museum staff look forward to sharing this gift with the community.

“Mr. Keesee’s vision and extraordinary generosity have enabled the Oklahoma City Museum of Art to take a prominent role in collection and presenting American photography,” said Whittington.

Since 2004, Keesee has donated 410

photographs taken by the late Weston to the museum. Last year, the museum organized a showing of Weston’s photos — all of which were donated by Keesee — called Brett Weston: Land, Sea, and Sky to celebrate his previous gift of 150 Weston photographs.

Born in 1911, Brett Weston picked up the art from his father, legendary photographer Edward Weston, focusing his camera on subjects in his native California and Mexico. At the age of 21, Brett Weston took part in the landmark Group f/64 exhibition in San Francisco, which included works from his father and other famous photographers, like Imogen Cunningham and Ansel Adams.

Alison Amick, curator at the museum, said Edward would often take broad, sweeping photographs of his subjects,

while Brett would photograph the same subjects but take a closer, more focused view. She said this difference in focus distinguishes the two photographers over the years.

Brett served in World War II as a photographer and cameraman before being assigned to the Signal Corps in New York and, eventually, to El Paso, Texas, in 1945, where he photographed the gypsum dunes of the nearby White Sands National Monument.

Over the next few years, Brett traveled the American South and East Coast after receiving a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1947.

In the late 1940s, Edward Weston was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease; Brett returned to California to care for his ailing father and help print his negatives.

Brett traveled to and photographed various subjects in Europe, Oregon, Baja California, Japan and Hawaii over the next few decades. He died in Kona, Hawaii, in 1993.

This recent gift of photographs includes images taken between 1938 and 1980 in New York, Europe and Japan, as well as portraits of Edward.

There is no projected date yet for the Brett Weston photography show at the museum, but Amick said it will probably take place within the next year and will feature all 50 donated photographs for about a three-month period. After the showing, the photographs will remain at the museum as part of its permanent collection.

OklahOma Gazette | april 8, 2015 | 33

LIFE PERFORMING ARTS

Unlikely chorus A performance of Verdi’s Requiem carries the voices of Theresienstadt.

BY CHRISTIAN WILSON

Meet the Maestro lecture with Murry Sidlin 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 8 Oklahoma City Museum of Art 415 Couch Drive murrysidlin.com 848-3132

Defiant Requiem: Verdi at Terezín

Murry Sidlin

When you conjure the image of a Nazi concentration camp in your mind, you’ll likely meet the gaze of gaunt eyes or follow the textures of malnourished ribs and tattered clothes.

If you imagine the sounds arising from behind the barbed wire fence, you might hear cries, screams or nothing at all.

The landscape was bleak in Holocaust camps. But while prisoners had little to voice to speak with, a select few could sing what all needed to say.

Performing 16 times over the course of its tenure in the Theresienstadt fortress camp in Terezín, Czechoslovakia, a chorus of 150 Jewish prisoners defied their captors with renditions of Giuseppe Verdi’s Requiem.

“They were kind of the showcase for the Nazis,” said Dr. Randi Von Ellefson, artistic director of Canterbury Choral Society, who explained that the prisoners were shown off to inspecting Red Cross parties as evidence of good treatment.

“These were the happy Jews.”

Of course, this wasn’t at all true. The chorus was simply the only avenue of protest and power available to the prisoners. Behind the seemingly well-stocked storefronts erected as part of the Nazis’ Verschönerung, a false beautification process, there was little but death and dust.

The story of the Terezín chorus is one of its esteemed and charismatic conductor, Rafael Schächter, and

34 | APRIL 8, 2015 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

his fellow inmates, but it couldn’t have been written without American conductor Murry Sidlin.

Sidlin, currently Dean of the School of Music at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., undertook research of Terezín, which gave rise to a dramatic performance recounting the story of the camp and its steadfast will. The nationally touring performance of Defiant Requiem: Verdi at Terezín comes to Civic Center Music Hall at 3 p.m.

Sunday. Sidlin will conduct.

The performance requires a massive cooperative effort involving a choir of nearly 200 singers, the full orchestra of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, four soloists, actors and a narrator. In addition to the full Requiem by Verdi, the performance includes film clips and recitations.

But its impact goes beyond enormity.

“It’s so much more than a concert,” Von Ellefson said. “You have to put into context the Czech Jews who had never sung Latin, learning this piece by rote at night in a dank basement with an out-of-tune piano.”

There was only one vocal score of the music. And their piano had no legs.

The story is nothing short of powerful, he continued. It’s one of the few experiences in life that will really change you because of the depth of honesty and insight into the cruelty of the prisoners’ existence. For instance, each of the 16 times Rafael Schächter performed the piece, he

P ROVI DED

3 p.m. Sunday Canterbury Choral Society Civic Center Music Hall 201 N. Walker Ave. canterburyokc.com 232-7464 $5-$55

had to retrain singers because members of his chorus would be shipped off to Auschwitz, the notorious extermination camp known for its gas chambers.

“It’s Verdi’s Requiem, but in a completely different context,” Von Ellefson said. “That’s why it’s called Defiant Requiem. It’s sort of like the prisoners are saying to the Nazis, ‘Someday, you will be judged for this.’”

Verdi’s Requiem is widely known even though people might not be able to call it to mind.

But when you hear it, you’ll know, said Von Ellefson. The recognizable part is the “Dies irae,” which cycles back through the piece four times and has been used in numerous television commercials. Its popularity and renown is comparable to “Ode to Joy,” the fourth movement of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9.

One might not be able to tell why a Jewish person would be interested in doing the Verdi Requiem. We wanted to have their blessing.

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“By far, it’s probably the most famous piece of music that everyone would know,” Von Ellefson said.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Oklahoma City collaborated on the performance, offering financial and outreach support in addition to something much more important.

“One might not be able to tell why a Jewish person would be interested in doing the Verdi Requiem,” Von Ellefson said. “We wanted to have their blessing.”

At 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 8, the Oklahoma City Museum of Art will hold a Meet the Maestro lecture, in which a Q&A with Murry Sidlin will follow clips from the documentary film Defiant Requiem. A reception on the OKCMOA rooftop will round out the night.

Jauja Thursday | 7:30 p.m.

Friday | 9 p.m.

Saturday | 8 p.m.

Art and Craft Friday | 5:30 p.m. with panel discussion to follow Saturday | 5:30 p.m.

Sunday | 2 p.m.

For movie descriptions and ticket sales visit

OKCMOA.COM OKLAHOMA GAZETTE | APRIL 8, 2015 | 35

LIFE PERFORMING ARTS

Cabaret clutch

M A RK HA N COC K

The City Cabaret offers intimate, varied showcases that feature musical experiences that artists and audiences can connect with.

BY CHRISTIAN WILSON

The City Cabaret 8 p.m. April 17-18 Oklahoma Shakespeare on Paseo 2920 Paseo St. thecitycabaretokc.com 928-0690 $15

Cristela Carrizales wants to eliminate artistic boundaries. Too often, the roles they are selected for and the audiences they’re cast to entertain restrict artists.

It’s from this frustration that The City Cabaret in Oklahoma City is born.

“Because I’m a singer, I’ve always wanted to have a cabaret,” she said. “I’ve produced a couple in previous years, and they’ve always been well-attended.

They’re a wonderful way for artists to connect with an audience and make

personal decisions about the songs they sing.”

Cabarets call to mind a variety of things, ranging from performances and recitations to the racier stripteases and burlesques. However, what Carrizales wants to do is unique. It’s not a dinner theater, though there is a cash bar. City Cabaret, foremost, is an intimate musical experience that gives the artists control.

“When you’re an actor or musical theater person, you have to wait around for the role,” she said. “This way, the performers get to have control over the songs they connect with.”

City Cabaret will be held in the Oklahoma Shakespeare on the Paseo gallery space. The room is small, Carrizales said, but will comfortably hold 50-60 people. The setup is entirely

from left The City Cabaret members Chris Black, Corie Melaugh, Courtney and Charlie Monnot. created for and adaptable to the night’s crowd with seating arranged specifically for the event.

Opening weekend performers have been chosen, though most future show openings will be filled through open auditions, Carrizales said. Once selected, artists can select and perform their own material.

The group’s premier performance, which takes place April 17, tapped Renee Anderson, Charlie Monnot, Scott Hynes and Oklahoma City University voice professor Courtney Crouse.

The artists will have roughly three works each for what Carrizales expects to be a two-hour program. Ranging from

Broadway hits to songbook favorites and a little bit of jazz, the acts have a big-show feel, but Carrizales said it’s all presented out of context.

“Eventually we’ll start doing scenes,” she said. “We’ll have jazz nights or scene nights or duet nights. We won’t always do Broadway.”

The goal is to attract the best talent that people know about but also give the young crowd a chance to grow. Carrizales also wants to give people a good time.

“It’ll be different than what people are used to here,” she said. “If you’re a person who loves musicals and Broadway songs, then you can relax and just experience the artists.”

Common bonds PROVID ED

Coinciding with the 20-year anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, The Amish Project connects the tragedy between communities.

BY CHRISTIAN WILSON

The Amish Project 7:30 p.m. Friday, 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, 1:30 p.m. Sunday Freede Little Theatre Civic Center Music Hall 201 N. Walker Ave. cityrep.com 297-2264 $8-$35 Note: This production is rated PG-13 due to adult themes.

On Oct. 2, 2006, a man walked into a small Amish schoolhouse in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, shot 10 young girls and committed suicide. While a tragic blow to a tight-knit community, the response from the Amish community emphasized forgiveness and understanding rather than antagonism and hate.

36 | APRIL 8, 2015 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

The event inspired writer and actress Jessica Dickey to create the critically lauded off-Broadway play The Amish Project, which Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre (CityRep) brings to Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., this weekend.

The play’s most intriguing feature is its character representation, which requires one woman to play seven parts. Originally performed by Dickey, CityRep has chosen actress Katherine Michelle Tanner for this run.

Despite the solitary nature of the performance, she doesn’t feel alone.

The spirit of the girls, each character she embodies and each person in the audience is with her at all times.

“It is very full, and surprisingly, I’m not alone at all,” Tanner said. “We are all there that night to suspend disbelief and

CityRep presents The Amish Project with Katherine Michelle Tanner. go on a journey.”

The play’s themes focus on the ability of communities to mend themselves following tragedies in ways that emphasize the humanity of all involved, including the gunman and his family.

“What stood out most [in my research for this play] was the overwhelming amount of forgiveness from both the Amish community and non-Amish community,” Tanner said.

Donald Jordan, CityRep’s founding artistic director, believes this message of pervasive and proactive reconnection has perpetual relevance.

“The piece speaks to both a human societal problem that is global and to the age-old question of how we respond to the insanity of violence,” Jordan said.

While the performance and characters are inspired by the 2006 shooting, Dickey makes clear that the piece is fictionalized and populated with her imagination more than reality.

In addition to characters such as the gunman and victims, the play includes seemingly unrelated roles, like a professor and a Hispanic grocery clerk.

“In both the Amish story and our own [with the Oklahoma City bombing], you see the goodness of thousands of kind and good people wrestling with and overcoming the evil perpetrated by a tragically broken human being,” Jordan said. “This is both a reminder of our past and an example of the way forward.”

Sound sleep

m Ark hA n coc k

lIFe BookS

A new book examines a parental journey of coming to terms with a child’s sexual orientation and a religion that has condemned him for it.

By AlISSA lINDSey

In a time when civil rights are so hotly discussed, How We Sleep at Night: A Mother’s Memoir takes readers on a road trip of selfexploration. It is a snapshot of the life of Oklahoma City native Sara Cunningham during a time in her life when her beliefs about the Christian church and the gay community were incongruous.

Cunningham’s writing allows the reader to climb inside her head and experience her emotions when confronted with the dissonance of her love for her son, her confusion with a religion that condemns her son for his sexual orientation and her resulting depression. Throughout the book, she mixes in anecdotes, Bible verses and lyrics to songs that her son, Parker, wrote to illustrate the many opinions she has received on the topic.

Her journey from critic to ally gives her a unique perspective on the LGBTQ community.

“I’m so glad to be on this side of this story,” Cunningham said.

As deplorable as the message of Westboro Baptist Church may be, the group’s far-reaching media presence has motivated a generation to reexamine its beliefs and extend a dialogue about the issue to its peers.

In the book, Cunningham writes that the Westboro group has “stirred a generation to stand in love and in favor of the gay community.”

Often, the rainbow is associated with the LGBTQ community as a symbol of gay pride, but it was first a symbol of promise in the Bible.

In Genesis 9:12, God says, “This (rainbow) is the sign of the covenant I am making between me you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come.”

Cunningham writes in her book about her realization that God made this promise to all people, including gay people, for all of time.

Sara Cunningham with her son, Parker, at District House in the Plaza District, where they recently had a performance, reading and signing event for her book.

Finding balance Cunningham gives the following pieces of advice to anyone going through a similar situation: 1. Make your home a safe place.

2. Don’t yell, “Just don’t be gay.”

3. Get educated. No excuses.

4. Don’t cut all your hair off and go natural after being bleach blonde your entire life.

5. Surround yourself with people who can speak love and grace to you and your children. Be patient with those who don’t.

6. Don’t lose your faith. It gets easier. I promise.

She spent a year writing her book, which came out in November through CreateSpace.

She has sold about 300 paperbacks and given away almost as many.

How We Sleep at Night is available for purchase for $12.10 on Amazon. To learn more about Cunningham’s story, visit facebook.com/howwesleepatnight.

How We Sleep at Night made me proud to be a part of a generation that is resolving to stand up for equality for gender and sexual minorities in the church.

Cunningham believes that communication between the church and the gay community is the most important way we can encourage compassion to prosper.

“As a Christian, to anyone in the gay community who has been hurt by the church, I would like to offer a straight apology,” Cunningham said.

She wrote How We Sleep at Night as a resource for other parents because she lacked such resources during her journey becoming “a Christian parent who is affirming of her gay child.”

OklahOma Gazette | April 8, 2015 | 37

SATISFY YOUR CRAVINGS

SuDOku/CROSSWORD SuDOku Puzzle eASY Fill in the grid so that every row, column and 3-by-3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9.

More than a meal it’s an experience.

WWW.S UDOKU-p UZZlES .N ET

6014 N. May • 947.7788 www.zorbasokc.com

NeW YORk TimeS CROSSWORD Puzzle ANSWeRS Puzzle No. 0329, which appeared in the April 1 issue.

38 | April 8, 2015 | OklahOma Gazette

W A R T S

B I O L A B S

A N N E X E S

T E T O N

O V A R Y

S E X T S

F A C E D

O U T L I N E

D R E S S U P

L E G O

E D D I E A D T T A E L N A S H E N L A E S N A P I O D E O T

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

S I M O N E T I C K L E

H A S A S M O K E M A C S L A P D O G

A C H E

M E A N T B I O T Y C B O A M S M K O N A S S C H R U I G B E E R

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

1

ACROSS 1 Small drums 7 Leaves of grass 13 Folded like a fan 20 East Coast national park 21 Early stone tool 22 Go wild 23 Ancient Peruvian using Netflix?

25 Washington post?

26 Newbie: Var. 27 Senator Mike from Wyoming 28 1965 hitmakers Dino, ____ & Billy 30 Start to lose it 31 Exactly 72, maybe 33 “No fishing here!”?

38 Be up 39 Ending with Vietnam 40 Vietnam ____ 41 Like the headline “ELVIS FATHERED MY ALIEN BABY” 42 Sheer 44 Lines from Homer and Erasmus 47 Some art projections 51 Dog whose rocket went off course?

55 Make the podium 56 Some black-tie events 57 Refrain syllable 58 “Network,” for one 59 Never 62 “Is that so?”

64 A minimus is a little one 65 Comment to an annoying blackjack dealer?

71 TV ET 72 Pub fixture 73 “Ta-da!”

74 Up-to-the-minute 77 Letters after Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s name 78 Less deserving of a laugh, say 81 Sealer, maybe 82 Part of a jumbo trail mix?

87 Sorry sort 89 Lit 90 Marie Antoinette, par exemple

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91 First name on the America’s Got Talent panel 93 State on the Miss.

94 Bouncer’s concern 96 AAA offering: Abbr.

97 Agent for Bogart’s partner?

102 Wild 104 Declare 105 Filmmaker Riefenstahl 106 Hold it!

108 “When I was ____ …”

109 President John Tyler’s wife 111 “12-Point Type: A History”?

116 Tied up 117 They might grab some food before a flight 118 Hard and unyielding 119 Bar order that’s not drunk 120 “Me as well!”

121 Isn’t completely truthful DOWN 1 It may be on the tip of your tongue 2 Put in play 3 It holds a lock in place 4 Classic theater 5 Marshy place, perhaps 6 Identical to 7 Auto pioneer Karl 8 “When dealing with people, let us remember we are not dealing with creatures of ____”: Dale Carnegie 9 Will Smith biopic 10 When repeated, a child’s meal 11 Yadda, yadda, yadda 12 Tangerine or peach 13 Force divided by area, in physics 14 ____ brothers, inventors of the motion picture (1895) 15 Having five sharps 16 Cause of a great loss?

17 Option for a quick exit 18 Quaint letter opener 19 Classic British Jaguar 24 Concerning 29 Sharp turn 32 Projected image

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VOl. XXXVii NO. 14

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The cash value of this copy is $1.

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

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34 High-tech surveillance acronym 35 Major account 36 Site of a 1776 George Washington victory in the Revolutionary War 37 ____ Rudolph, U.S. sprinter who won three golds in the 1960 Olympics 43 British racetrack site 44 ____ Hardware 45 It’s in the 60s 46 Rock singer?

48 Photoshop user, e.g.

49 Egyptian king overthrown in a 1952 revolution 50 Wintry mixes 52 Barely touch, as a meal 53 Visibly stunned

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

Oklahoma Gazette

8

Grp. with a launch party?

Criticism Spiral-horned antelopes “C’est magnifique!”

Like some titmice Fist bump, in slang It might say “Happy Birthday!”

Ancient Assyrian foe Old lab burners Ambushed One calling foul?

Mess (around) Catholic rite Delphine author Madame de ____ Waxing and waning, e.g.

U.K. honour Free Thomas Jefferson and Calvin Coolidge, e.g.

Quiet period Menial

85 86 88 92 94 95 97 98 99 100 101 103 107 110 112 113 114 115

0405

NeW YORk TimeS mAgAziNe CROSSWORD Puzzle CAliFORNiA, HeRe i COme By Alan Arbesfeld / Edited by Will Shortz

Showstopper?

When school’s open More slapstick Novelist McEwan ____-bodied Board’s opposite Maryland’s largest city, informally ____ Fisher Hall, longtime venue at Lincoln Center Whale constellation Capone henchman Something you might get a charge out of Tasty “In that case …”

China’s Lao-____ Suffered from Jeff Lynne’s band, for short Patch of land ____ season

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OklahOma Gazette | April 8, 2015 | 39

P ROVI DE D

LIFE ACTIVE

Healthy competition OU Medicine hosts the 7th Annual Wheelchair Basketball Tournament to benefit the Greater Oklahoma Disabled Sports Association.

BY BRENDAN HOOVER

7th Annual Wheelchair Basketball Tournament 5:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday Freede Wellness Center Oklahoma City University 2501 N. Blackwelder Ave. oumedicine.com 271-6900

Presents NEW ORFORD STRING QUARTET “Nothing short of electrifying.”

— Toronto Star

Sunday, April 12 4 PM at Christ the King Catholic Church 8005 Dorset Dr.

tickets $20; students free with id

www.cmok.org see more on facebook

40 | APRIL 8, 2015 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

Like the Washington Generals facing the Harlem Globetrotters, teams of local doctors hope this is their year to finally win.

OU Medicine will host the 7th Annual Wheelchair Basketball Tournament from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. April 9 at Oklahoma City University’s Freede Wellness Center, 2501 N. Blackwelder Ave. Admission is free, and the event benefits the Greater Oklahoma Disabled Sports Association (GODSA), a nonprofit that offers recreational and competitive adaptive sports programming to people with physical disabilities.

Teams from several OU Medicine departments — including administration, anesthesiology, neurosurgery, operating room, orthopedic surgery, otolaryngology, surgery and urology — and a team from 180 Medical, a medical supply company, will compete in 10-minute exhibition basketball games against youth teams comprised of GODSA wheelchair athletes.

All participants will compete in wheelchairs.

“Every year, they kick our booty,” said Dr. Dominic Frimberger, professor of pediatric urology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center who practices at The

The Greater Oklahoma Disabled Sports Association, a nonprofit, holds the Wheelchair Basketball Tournament Thursday.

Children’s Hospital at OU Medical Center.

A GODSA board member and one of the tournament’s founders, Frimberger said the event has grown to become GODSA’s biggest annual fundraiser. Last year, it netted $20,000, which went to buy equipment and allow teams to travel for competition. The cost of a court wheelchair can run $4,500 or more.

“It’s not fair that these kids cannot play sports just because they have a disability. All they need is adaptive equipment,” Frimberger said. “It’s like if you wanted to run but had no shoes.”

When he sees physically disabled patients for the first time, their confidence is often low and they don’t talk much. After getting involved in adaptive sports, the children tend to open up.

“They come in and chat with everybody. They’ll high-five you,” he said. “They talk with other kids and realize there’s a lot of other people like them.”

This year’s tournament features a silent auction, a bake sale and other activities. Frimberger’s wife, local artist Joan Frimberger, will auction off a commission for a pet portrait.

The Oklahoma City Thunder Storm Chasers and Thunder Drummers are also scheduled to attend.

Read more about GODSA at okgazette.com.

P ROVI DED

LIFE MUSIC

Music Made Me: Warped Frames Pick almost any decade and the members of this band will give you an album that inspired them.

BY LOUIS FOWLER

Usually, the Music Made Me feature focuses on one particular singer or musician to tell their aural autobiography, but when the fellas in Warped Frames were asked, they all clamored for a chance to show off their diverse chops.

And after listening to the band, it really makes sense. The quartet considers its music a “nice mixture of rock, grunge, blues and punk” that has grown and matured exponentially since the band has gotten together over the past year, playing almost nonstop and gaining a loyal local following. Fans always want more of its unique, garage-based amalgam of pure American rock.

The band dropped a six-song, self-titled EP in December and said it hopes to release a full album sometime this year. It also announced its recent addition to the upcoming Norman Music Festival lineup, where it’ll play alongside national and local acts including Ra Ra Riot, Nadastrom, Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires, Johnny Polygon, Colourmusic, The Octopus Project, Grooms, Josh Sallee, Jabee, Horse Thief and dozens of others. It runs April 23-25 along Main Street in

Norman. Learn more about the free event at normanmusicfestival.com.

Here’s the music that made Warped Frames.

Sonic Youth

Daydream Nation (1988) Brandon Napoleon (bass): I love all of Sonic Youth’s records, but this is the first one I heard. Hearing the guitars on this album blew my mind; they were making noises [that] I had no idea guitars could make. I love how this album has long, multi-layered songs like “Cross the Breeze” but also straightforward, hit-you-in-the-mouth songs like “Silver Rocket.” This record made me realize distortion and noise could be powerful tools.

Yellowcard

Ocean Avenue (2003) Rick Nanthakoummane (drums, vocals):

I’m sure after hearing “Way Away” by Yellowcard in 2003, I had no doubt I wanted to pursue percussion. The vocals fit my range quite well. The fast-paced drum fills, added to power chords by the guitar, turned me onto the genre as I grew out of the boy bands. The violin mashed up with their sound gives them their distinct flavor, which sold it for me. A decade later, I picked up my first drum kit and have been teaching myself ever since.

Sin Fang Bous

Clangour (2009)

Lee Jensen (guitar, vocals): I wanted to pick something different to show my diverse musical background, such as jazz, heavy metal or punk, but none of those would reflect what shaped me more as a musician than the album Clangour

by Sin Fang Bous. A friend who was also writing songs at the time showed it to me, and I could never get past how simple but complex and ambient the songs were. Layers and layers of different instruments, sounds of nature and

vocals combine to give you something completely different but somehow familiar.

Creedence Clearwater Revival –

Chronicle (1976) Matt Lanzer (guitar): I grew up listening to the music of my father.

This album in particular is one he introduced me to. It’s reminiscent of summer days and tells stories that are relatable in many ways. The bass lines, the melodic guitar riffs, the voice of a storyteller ... these are all things that made me love music and inspired me to be a musician. This is one of those albums that is like an old friend. There might be long stretches between listening sessions, but it’s always there and it’s always great.

OKL AHOMA GAZ ETTE | APRIL 8 , 2015 | 41

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42 | APRIL 8, 2015 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

11/18/14 1:15 PM

Aaron Newman Band, Colcord Hotel. FOLK Edgar Cruz/Jeff Nokes and Freinds, Avanti Bar & Grill.

ACOUSTIC

Gentry, Kendell’s Bar. VARIOUS Jabee, 51st Street Speakeasy. HIP-HOP

Jason Boland and the Stragglers/Graham Colton, Pioneer Cellular Event Center, Weatherford. VARIOUS Jim the Elephant, Baker St. Pub & Grill. ROCK Karen Khoury, Legend’s Restaurant, Norman. PIANO Kristen Stehr, Belle Isle Restaurant & Brewery. COUNTRY

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

Kyle Reid and The Low Swingin’ Chariots, The Deli, Norman. JAZZ

Travis Linville, The Deli, Norman. SINGER/SONGWRITER Scott Lowber/Will Galbraith/Ed VanBuskirk, Friends Restaurant & Club. COVER

THURSDAY, APR. 9 Avenue, Baker St. Pub & Grill. COVER Brent Saulsbury/Will Galbraith/Wayne Duncan, Friends Restaurant & Club. ROCK David Morris, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO LUCKY, Colcord Hotel. COVER Melt Banana, Opolis, Norman. ROCK Mike Hosty ‘One Man Band’, The Bleu Garten. ACOUSTIC Samantha Crain/Jabee, The Deli, Norman. VARIOUS Travis Linville, Grandad’s Bar. SINGER/SONGWRITER Wildings/The Wurly Birds, DC on Film Row. ROCK Yonder Mountain String Band/Ben Sollee, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa. VARIOUS

FRIDAY, APR. 10 Born in November, Mickey Mantle’s Steakhouse. POP

Yonder Mountain String Band

Jason Aldean, BOK Center, Tulsa. COUNTRY

Grant Wells, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO

Tech N9ne/Chris Webby/Krizz, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa.

HIP-HOP

P ROVI DE D

LIVE MUSIC WEDNESDAY, APR. 8

Logan Gorrell Trio, Lottinvilles Restaurant, Edmond. JAZZ Meanstreak, Bourbon Street Bar. ROCK MF Ruckus/Your Mom, Blue Note Lounge. ROCK Remedy OKC Band, Oklahoma City Limits. ROCK Replay/Boogie Fever, Remington Park. COVER Roy Lee Scott & The Flying Cowboys, Sliders. COUNTRY Souled Out, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond. ROCK

Yonder Mountain String Band

Wild Heart/Brent Saulsbury, Cee Gee’s Club, Edmond.

COVER

Thursday

SATURDAY, APR. 11

OKG

music

This progressive bluegrass-country-jam band from Colorado has made serious tracks on the national scene and ahead of its sixth album release, Black Sheep, the band hits the road for a spring tour.

The outfit has transitioned to a quintet of guitar, mandolin, banjo, fiddle and bass. Standout musicians Allie Kral and Jacob Jolliff serve as guests. Doors open at 8 p.m. Thursday at Cain’s Ballroom, 423 Main St., in Tulsa. Tickets are $22.50$37.50. Visit cainsballroom.com.

pick

A Tribute to David Bowie, Oklahoma City Limits. Cover Adam Carroll, The Blue Door. SINGER/SONGWRITER Bleu Edmonson, Wormy Dog Saloon. COUNTRY Bowlsey, Hidden Dragon yoga. HIP-HOP Casey and Minna, Buy For Less. ACOUSTIC DJ R&R, Colcord Hotel. VARIOUS

LUCKY, Russell’s, Tower Hotel. COVER

Don and Melodee Johnson, Twelve Oaks, Edmond. JAZZ

Martin Lopez Project, Bourbon Street Bar. VARIOUS

Electric Okie Test, Sandro’s Pizza and Deli, Norman.

COVER

Miss Brown to You, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond. JAZZ Replay/80’z Enuf, Remington Park. COVER

Grant Stevens, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO

TUESDAY, APR. 14 5th Street Jazz Collective, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond. JAZZ

Robben Ford, ACM@UCO Performance Lab. BLUES

Bryan Adams, Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Catoosa.

SINGER/SONGWRITER

Roy Lee Scott & The Flying Cowboys, Sliders. COUNTRY

Caleb McGee, The Deli, Norman. ROCK

Brent Blount, Full Circle Bookstore. JAZZ

Jeremy Phifer, Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill.

COUNTRY

Buffalo Rodgers/Carter Sampson/The Viking Erik, Guildhaul. VARIOUS

Jim the Elephant, Grady’s 66 Pub, Yukon. ROCK

Superfreak, Riverwind Casino, Norman. COVER

LUCKY/Shaun Suttle, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. COVER

Johnny Polygon/Moongiant, Blue Note Lounge.

VARIOUS

Texas Hippie Coalition/Another Round/Octave Jaw, Diamond Ballroom. ROCK

Nora Jane Struthers & The Party Line, The Blue Door.

SINGER/SONGWRITER

Jordan Law Duo, Mickey Mantle’s Steakhouse. ACOUSTIC

The Suspects, Tapwerks Ale House & Cafe. REGGAE

Josh Qualls, Colcord Hotel. VARIOUS

Ultra City/Good Culture/Mourning Patterns/Lost Boys, The Conservatory. ROCK

Chase Kerby & The Company Men/Annie Oakley/ Foxburrows, Breathing Rhythm Studio, Norman. ROCK Christian Pearson/Gary Johnson, Skirvin Hilton Hotel.

PIANO DJ Rhiannon & MK Ultra, Farmers Public Market.

VARIOUS DJ SIX, Russell’s, Tower Hotel. VARIOUS Drive, Riverwind Casino, Norman. ROCK

Karen Khoury, Legend’s Restaurant, Norman. PIANO

Wild Heart, The Barracuda, Norman. COVER

Lip Service, Belle Isle Restaurant & Brewery. COVER Logan Gorrell Trio, Lottinvilles Restaurant, Edmond. JAZZ

SUNDAY, APR. 12 Claire Piersol Trio, Uptown Grocery Co., Edmond. JAZZ Edgar Cruz, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. ACOUSTIC Jared Jenks, Colcord Hotel. ACOUSTIC Karen Khoury, Legend’s Restaurant, Norman. PIANO

Dylan Hammett, Colcord Hotel. ACOUSTIC Edgar Cruz/Jeff Nokes and Freinds, Avanti Bar & Grill.

ACOUSTIC Givers/Pree, The Conservatory. POP Grant Wells, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO Maurice Johnson, R&J Lounge and Supper Club. JAZZ Scott Lowber/Will Galbraith/Ed VanBuskirk, Friends Restaurant & Club. COVER

Our Own Accord/King Cold/In The Time Of Titans, The Conservatory. ROCK

Speak, Memory, The Deli, Norman. ROCK

MONDAY, APR. 13 Alan Orebaugh and Friends/The Handsome Devils, The Deli, Norman. ROCK Rick Toops, Friends Restaurant & Club. ROCK PROVIDED

Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors/Humming House, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa. ROCK

Mike Hosty ‘One Man Band’, The Deli, Norman. ROCK

Scott Lowber/Will Galbraith/Rick Toops, Friends Restaurant & Club. COVER

Jabee The Deli, Norman Wednesday

WEDNESDAY, APR. 15

The Weathermen, Baker St. Pub & Grill. VARIOUS

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.

OKLAHOMA GAZETTE | APRIL 8, 2015 | 43

Other avenues A new local concert series hopes to show that less really can be more.

BY JAMES BENJAMIN

Bowlsey 8 p.m. Saturday Hidden Dragon Yoga 26 NE 10th St. hiddendragonyoga.com 215-9642 $15

Oklahoma City’s Cellar Door Music Group and Fanswell, an online service based both in Oklahoma and Los Angeles that allows fans to play host to bands and musical acts, are working together to host a series of smaller-scale, “listening room” shows in nontraditional venues.

Local folk-infused hip-hop group Bowlsey is the act behind the first show in the series 8 p.m. Saturday at Hidden Dragon Yoga, 26 NE 10th St. Admission is $15, which includes wine and beer.

Cellar Door Music Group, cellardoormusicgroup.com, is a blog started by local singer-songwriter Jennifer Maynord and her sister.

Maynord said she has a background in English that she wanted to take advantage of and there were so many local artists and venues she wanted to brag on.

“I love writing and wanted to put that to use,” Maynord said. “I just kind of started this blog in January, not thinking much of it.”

Maynord, who also balances being a mother and teaching yoga with her blog duties, said she always planned on eventually hosting events like the Bowlsey show through her blog, but it wasn’t until Fanswell house show resource co-founder and local musician Graham Colton approached her about the idea for the concert series that she was really able to go “pedal to the metal” on organizing shows.

“I have a lot of people who are really enthusiastic about hosting these shows and having artists come in,” she said. “It’s a great opportunity for them because they get foot traffic in their

44 | APRIL 8, 2015 | OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

Bowlsey will perform the first show of the Cellar Door Music Group series on Saturday. studio and their business.”

The shows are a benefit to the concertgoer as well because they offer opportunities to see live music without putting up with late nights or a noisy, smoky bar atmosphere.

Maynord said she has been to some listening room shows and says nothing can match the feeling of live music being played in a raw and intimate setting.

“I have a 2-year-old, and I don’t get out as much as I would like to,” she said. “I would rather attend a show like that than one at a larger venue.”

Other shows in the series are already being planned, which Maynord hopes becomes a regular event. Beau Jennings will play June 12 at Overholser Mansion. Show details are still being worked out, but Maynord said there will be a night tour of the mansion after the show.

I have a 2-year-old, and I don’t get out as much as I would like to. I would rather attend a show like that than one at a larger venue.

— Jennifer Maynord

“Our goal is to make these shows people want to attend, businesses want to host and artists want to play,” she said. “We still have a ton more to do. I would like to do something monthly, but that will partly depend on the success of events.”

GA RE TT FI S BE C K

LIFE MUSIC

LIFE FILM

Cars, Corona P ROVI DE D

The seventh film in the Furious series pays tribute to Paul Walker with nostalgia and tried-and-true plot developments.

BY CHRISTIAN WILSON

Moviegoers have come to expect a few things from The Fast and the Furious franchise.

The films won’t carry the most believable or intelligent plots. They won’t stun you with sharp dialogue. They sure as heck won’t refrain from boob shots.

These things make sense for a film series predicated on a Nitro-fueled, sexrife, hard-body culture.

But even for those unfamiliar with the world of cars and barbells, this movie was stimulating. For the very particular crowd that appreciates this sort of entertainment, it probably couldn’t have been better.

There’s a certain helplessness one feels in the face of complete absurdity, when the rules of the road

aren’t followed and disbelief must be suspended. Such is the spirit of so-called movie magic, especially in Furious 7, which opened over the weekend in local theaters.

Sometimes, your brain needs to shut down in order to forgive the impossible scenes playing out in front of your eyes.

Luckily, this isn’t hard. With an already-boiling hot pot of sex, cars and action, the film throws in cameos from the likes of Iggy Azalea and Ronda Rousey, Bourne Trilogy fight sequences, a new director and some of the most ridiculous stunts you’ve ever seen. The effect? Furious 7 hits where it needs to: the head, the genitals and the heart of its passionate fan base.

The go-to tonic for dullness, it

seems, is sex. After Furious 7’s first drag race scene, you kind of forget to care about reality. You’re living the poor man’s dream: girls, cars and Corona.

On top of this base appeal, the franchise has done a fairly decent job developing a wealth of characters to promote themes of family and loyalty.

But to understand what’s going on in Furious 7, you really need to have followed it since day one. This isn’t even close to a standalone movie. There are innumerable self-references and allusions.

There’s no character development. The bulk of the story has already happened.

This is just an ending.

Tragically cut short by a fatal car crash, actor Paul Walker is honored throughout the movie, which features an

extended homage to his legacy with the series.

Each character gets time with him, and the audience has the opportunity to reflect alongside the characters they’ve invested in.

The movie is the cast and crew’s way of saying goodbye. If nothing else, this makes it worthwhile.

There were always going to be undertones of nostalgia and impending separation in this film. It was evident the moment news of Walker’s death hit. There needed to be closure. But the tragedy of his accident lends the opportunity for a true message. Family matters. Family is always with you. It gives this pure adrenaline entertainment a soul.

Big Boom PROVIDED

Cornett chronicles the city’s turbulent past in a new documentary.

BY BEN FELDER

To appreciate Oklahoma City’s recent success, it helps to understand its past, which is filled with financial, natural and man-made disasters, the combination of which has hardly been seen by any other American city.

But OKC proved resilient through economic collapse and terrorism, and that is the message of Mayor Mick Cornett’s documentary, Oklahoma City: The Boom, the Bust and the Bomb, which opens to the public this weekend.

“It’s hard to imagine a city enduring more than we did during that time period,” Cornett said about the 25-year time period chronicled in the film.

OKC saw its economic profile skyrocket in the 1970s due to the oil boom.

But that success came to a screeching halt when Penn Square Bank was shuttered in 1982. The bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building over a decade later left the city in literal shambles.

“We have a new generation moving [to Oklahoma City] who don’t have the same experiences that I had and a lot of us who grew up here have,” Cornett, 56, said. “I just find it to be a fascinating story when you look at what we went though, especially when you consider where we are now.”

OKC has become one of the nation’s recent urban success stories as voterapproved MAPS projects transformed entire neighborhoods and the former NBA Western Conference champion Thunder have raised the city’s profile among the global sports world. But when Cornett considers the city’s successes of the past two decades, he believes it is a direct result of its turbulent history.

“We were shaped by what happened in a way that is unique to us,” Cornett said.

The film includes interviews with nearly 25 people, including Bob

Ron Norick in a scene from Oklahoma City: The Boom, the Bust and the Bomb.

Blackburn, executive director of the Oklahoma Historical Society.

“I think what makes this film so significant is it connects the dots unlike anything that has been done before,” Blackburn said. “People have cherrypicked one part of [the city’s history], but no one has taken on the ambitious challenge of connecting the dots like this film does.”

Cornett spent three years working on the documentary, which he said could have been done quicker if not for having to complete it in addition to his duties as mayor. The film also put Cornett behind the camera, asking questions, which is a familiar exercise, given his background as a journalist.

“I consider myself a storyteller, even

in my political work,” Cornett said.

“I still feel like I approach things as a journalist.”

Oklahoma City: The Boom, the Bust and the Bomb opens at Harkins Theatre on Friday with four showings daily. Visit Harkins Theatres’ website (harkinstheatres.com) for more information. Beginning Friday, there will also be an option to rent the movie on any mobile device or purchase the DVD at okcmovie.com. “[Cornett’s] real story is how we have reinvented a city that how has this new personality,” Blackburn said. “I thought it was a very ambitious project, but when I saw the results, I was really pleased. It helped me understand my own community better.”

OKLAHOMA GAZETTE | APRIL 08, 2015 | 45

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY Homework: What’s the best question you could ask life right now? Tell me by going to FreeWillAstrology.com and clicking on “Email Rob.”

find a source of beauty that will stimulate your sense of wonder and fuel your passion to express yourself for a long time.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Uitwaaien is a Dutch word that means to go out for a stroll in windy weather simply because it’s exhilarating. I don’t know any language that has parallel terms for running in the rain for the dizzy joy of it, or dancing through a meadow in the dark because it’s such nonsensical fun, or singing at full volume while riding alone in an elevator in the mad-happy quest to purge your tension. But in the coming weeks, you don’t need to describe or explain experiences like this; you just need to do them.

Experiment with giving your instinctive need for exuberance lots of room to play.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) “Everything we do in life is based on fear, especially love,” said Cancerian comedian Mel Brooks.

Although he was joking, he was also quite serious.

More often than we like to admit, desperation infects our quest to be cared for. Our decisions about love may be motivated by a dread of loneliness. We worry about whether we are worthy of getting the help and support we need. It’s a fundamental human problem, so there’s no reason to be ashamed if you have this tendency yourself. Having said that, I’m happy to report that you now have the necessary power to overcome this tendency. You will be able to summon tremendous courage as you revise and refine your relationship with love. It’s time to disappear the fear.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Your nasty, nagging little demon isn’t nasty or nagging any more. It’s not doing what demons are supposed to do. It’s confused, haggard, and ineffective. I almost feel sorry for the thing. It is barely even keeping you awake at night, and its ability to motivate you through fear is at an all-time low. Here’s what I suggest: Now, when the demon’s strength is waning and its hold on you is weak, you should break up with it for good. Perform an ultimate, non-reversible exorcism. Buy it a one-way bus ticket to the wasteland and say goodbye forever.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Do you ever feel reverence and awe, Leo? Are there times when you spontaneously yearn to engage in acts of worship? Is there anyone or anything that evokes your admiration, humility, and gratitude?

The coming weeks will be a good time to seek out experiences like these. According to my reading of the astrological omens, you will get tender jolts of transformational inspiration if you blend yourself with a sublime force that you trust and respect.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) When he was in his fifties, French painter Claude Monet finally achieved financial success. He used his new riches to buy a house and land, then hired gardeners to help him make a pond full of water lilies. For the first time in his life, he began to paint water lilies. During the next 30 years, they were his obsession and his specialty. He made them a central feature of 250 canvases, which now serve as one of his signature contributions to art history. “I planted my water lilies for pleasure,” he said. “I cultivated them without thinking of painting them. And then suddenly, I had the revelation of the magic of my pond.” I regard the imminent future as a good time for you to do something similar, Gemini: Create or

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) A lot has happened since you were . . . uh . . . indisposed. You’ve missed out on several plot twists.

The circle has been broken, repaired, broken again, and partially repaired. Rumors have been flying, allegiances have been shifting, and riddles have been deepening. So are you ready yet to return to the heated action? Have you learned as much as you can from the commotion that provoked your retreat?

Don’t try to return too early. Make sure you are at least 70 percent healed.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Rent, but don’t buy yet. That’s my $250-per-hour advice. Keep rehearsing, but don’t start performing

the actual show. OK? Flirt, but don’t fall in love.

Can you handle that much impulse control? Are you strong enough to explore the deeper mysteries of patience? I swear to you that your burning questions will ultimately be answered if you don’t try to force the answers to arrive according to a set timetable.

I guarantee that you will make the necessary connections as long as you don’t insist that they satisfy every single one of your criteria.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) The Guerrilla Girls are a group of prankster activists who use humor to expose sexism and racism in the art world. Every so often they take a “weenie count” at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. During their first survey in 1989, they found that five percent of the artists who had work hanging in the galleries were women, while 85 percent of the nudes depicted in the paintings were women. More recently, in 2012, their weenie count revealed that four percent of the artists were female, but 76 percent of the naked people in the paintings were female. The coming week would be a good time for you to take a weenie count in your own sphere, Scorpio. Conditions are more favorable than usual to call attention to gender disparities, and to initiate corrective action.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) The English term “engine” refers primarily to a machine that transforms energy into mechanical power. But its roots are in the Old French word engin, which meant skill or wit, and in the Latin word ingenium, defined as “inborn talent.” I’d like to borrow the original meanings to devise your horoscope this week. According to my reading of the astrological omens, your “engine” is unusually strong right now, which means that your cultivated skills and innate talents are functioning at peak levels. I suggest you make intensive use of them to produce maximum amounts of energy and gather more of the clout you’d love to wield.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) What I’m about to say is not a hard scientific fact, but it is a rigorous poetic fable. You don’t need to go to the mountain, because the mountain is willing

and able to come to you. But will it actually come to you? Yes, but only if you meet two conditions. The mountain will pick itself up and move all the way to where you are if you make a lot of room for it and if you are prepared to work with the changes its arrival will bring.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) If you were a four-year-old, cookies might be a valuable treasure to you. Given a choice between a bowl of stir-fried organic vegetables and a plate full of chocolate coconut macaroons, you’d probably choose the macaroons. For that matter, if you were four years old and were asked to decide between getting a pile of macaroons and a free vacation to Bali or an original painting by Matisse or a personal horoscope reading from the world’s greatest astrologer, you’d also opt for the cookies. But since you’re a grownup, your list of priorities is screwed on straight, right? You would never get distracted by a sugary, transitory treat that would cause you to ignore a more nourishing and long-lasting pleasure. Right?

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) On June 23, 1917, Babe Ruth was the starting pitcher for the Boston Red Sox in a Major League Baseball game against the Washington Senators.

After the first batter drew a walk, Ruth got upset with the home plate umpire and punched him in the head. Ejected! Banished! The Babe had to be dragged off the field by the cops. The new pitcher was Ernie Shore. He proceeded to pitch a perfect game, allowing no further Washington player to reach base in all nine innings. In the coming weeks, Pisces, I see you as having the potential to duplicate Ernie Shore’s performance in your own sphere.

Coming in as a replacement, you will excel. Chosen as a substitute, you will outdo the original.

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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