One-Horse Race for Mayor?

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inside COVER P.4 Why did a big-league city like Oklahoma City let its mayoral race become a snoozefest? Oklahoma Gazette looks at the factors contributing to the least-competitive mayoral race in recent years. Story by Laura Eastes Cover design by Christopher Street

NEWS 4 Cover Where is the competitive

nature in the mayor’s race?

6 Election 2018 mayoral

candidates

8 Election local groups work for

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NEWS

cov e r

Illustration Jim Massara

Showdown?

Not really. Oklahoma City’s mayoral race is quiet with three candidates seeking the seat — but why? By Laura Eastes

When asked about the upcoming mayoral election for the state’s largest city, Jason Doyle, a longtime radio personality in Oklahoma City covering local politics, responded, “I would call this a sleeper.” “Municipal elections generally don’t bring out a lot of voters,” he told Oklahoma Gazette. “It’s a sleeper because you have such a strong candidate in [Sen. David] Holt. … I think after [Oklahoma County Commissioner Brian] Maughan dropped out of the race, the discussion went away about the Oklahoma City mayor’s race.” At present, there is not much interest in the election for OKC’s 36th mayor and who will succeed popular Mayor Mick Cornett, the city’s longest-serving mayor. There are three candidates: Sen. David Holt, college student Taylor M. Neighbors and Randall L. Smith, who recently retired as an internal auditor. Of the three, only two are campaigning: Holt and Neighbors. Of those two, only one — Holt — has raised substantial funds in his quest for the mayor’s seat. The mayoral primary election is Feb. 13. If no candidate collects a majority of the votes, the two top candidates move on to a general election in April. “I have not heard much of anything about the mayor’s race,” James Davenport, professor of political science at Rose State College, told Oklahoma Gazette. “This is surprising when you have a long-term incumbent stepping down. You would have thought that would have generated a lot of interest from people who would be inclined to make that run. … I think that might be the most interesting thing — the lack of competition for an open seat in a top 50 city that has had a growing population, a growing economy. You would expect more competition then what has emerged.”

Once competitive

This wasn’t supposed to be a noncompetitive mayoral election. Following 4

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Cornett’s February 2017 announcement that he would not seek a fifth term in office, he made public his intention to run for governor the following May, and it appeared there might be a crowded field of candidates fighting for the open seat. Maughan, a third-term Republican representing District 2 on the county commission, was the first to announce his intention to run. Days later, Republican state senator Holt joined the field. Pol it ic a l newcomer Ma r i n a Mangiaracina, who had recently lost her bid for a spot on the city council, made public her campaign. There were whispers that Rep. George Young, D-OKC, was considering a run. There remained constituent support if Ward 2 Councilman Ed Shadid had thrown his hat into the mayoral race for the second time. In late October, Maughan withdrew from the race, citing issues related to the injuries he received in a summer car accident. Mangiaracina’s campaign was suspended. Young endorsed Holt. Shadid was silent.

There was then only one candidate for mayor four months before the primary and a little less than two months before December’s candidate-filing deadline. At the end of September, Holt had raised $358,546 in campaign donations. “Everybody thought we had the field set,” Doyle said. “Could someone raise the money and get their name out there to be able to beat someone like Holt, who has name recognition and is so well-known in political circles?” No one publicly appeared up for the challenge. At the end of candidate filing, candidates for mayor included Holt, Neighbors and Smith. Admittedly, both Neighbors and Smith don’t have much hope for winning, but both have issues on their minds. Neighbors is canvassing neighborhoods and posting frequently on social media in her grassroots campaign. Smith is not campaigning. The candidate OKC voters choose will earn a four-year term as the leader of the nine-member nonpartisan council and work with the long-established city manager form of government. The job pays $24,000 a year.

Little engagement

In most major cities, fewer voters turn out to cast ballots for mayor when compared to congressional or state elections. For instance, four years ago in OKC, 11.6 percent of eligible voters cast ballots in the mayoral contest against incumbent Cornett and council member Shadid. The mayor’s race of 2014 looked a lot different from today with increased media attention, public forums, advertisements, mailers and yard signs. This year’s contest lacks those election basics. What the 2014 race had that 2018 does not is contention. Shadid’s run at the mayoral seat included questioning the MAPS 3 convention center project, which was part of Cornett’s MAPS 3 initiative, passed by voters under his watch as mayor in 2009. These days, the conversation isn’t so much about MAPS 3 but what the future holds for the MAPS program. At the same time, OKC is sitting pretty with voters recently passing a tax increase to invest billions into the city’s infrastructure and public safety positions. In recent years, decisions by the eight council members and mayor have largely been in agreement.

Issues drive turnout

why people voted in the last four mayoral elections

52,263 voters MICK CORNETT — 30,231

Mayor Kirk Humphreys’ resignation left the seat wide open, attracting a serious field of four candidates.

2004 SPECIAL ELECTION

Accomplishments that helped secure Cornett’s job included bringing the NBA’s Hornets to Oklahoma City.

Activist Steve Hunt challenged Cornett on the recently approved MAPS 3 plan of capital projects.

24,134 voters 14,136 voters

MICK CORNETT — 14,073

47,963 voters MICK CORNETT — 31,514

Councilman Ed Shadid focused his challenge on Cornett’s support of the MAPS 3 convention center.

MICK CORNETT — 12,383

2006 REGULAR ELECTION

2010 REGULAR ELECTION

2014 REGULAR ELECTION

“I think there is a general satisfaction with the direction the city is going,” Davenport said. “You don’t see that contention around the council that maybe in previous decades you’ve seen or in other forms of government like the state Legislature or Congress.” Another reason for limited voter engagement and ultimately low turnout at the polls is that the mayor and the city council are nonpartisan elected officials. In partisan systems, there are local party workers to remind and bring citizens to the polls. Brett Sharp, professor of political science and public administration at the University of Central Oklahoma, said the nonpartisan election system — adopted in OKC and other American cities — was a reform initiative to come from the 20th century Progressive Era movement. “What you don’t see in nonpartisan races is partisan institutions —political parties — behind candidates, either recruiting them or advocating to get the voter turnout,” Sharp said. “One of the other things the Progressives did was separate the nonpartisan elections from the regular partisan elections. These elections occur at off times by design.” For many Oklahoma City voters, the Feb. 13 ballot will only include the mayoral race. Some voters will see nonpartisan school board races. In other words, there is not much of a draw, all three experts said. Should the Feb. 13 ballot attract few voters, those seeking to launch an initiative petition in OKC could consider it a win. Under municipal law, a citizen-generated ballot question is required to gain legally sufficient signatures that are equal to or greater than 25 percent of the number of votes cast in the previous mayoral election. Over the past four years, 11,991 signatures were required. Last fall, grassroots movement Save OKC Schools collected signatures to bring a temporary city income tax to benefit teacher pay. The movement, led by Shadid, fell short of the threshold. An integral part of the political process — whether local, state or federal — is the public debate around issues in the months, weeks and days before an election, Sharp said. Elections can keep elected officials engaged and accountable, which can be a benefit for constituents. “I do miss having some competition,” Sharp said. “I think it’s good for the community to have a contest of ideas in the open public marketplace. It is healthy for a community. We don’t have that.” An example of healthy public debate around issues is the fictional comedy televisions series The Mayor, Sharp said. In the ABC show, a hip-hop artist runs for mayor to promote his career, but after a public debate on key issues, the community support behind his campaign swells and the artist is elected as their next mayor. “The way our race here, in contrast to the fictional one, doesn’t have any public forums,” Sharp said. “That’s a little disturbing.”

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Oklahoma City voters will face something unfamiliar when they cast ballots next month: a wide-open mayor’s race. State Sen. David Holt, Taylor M. Neighbors and Randall L. Smith are competing in the Feb. 13 election to succeed Mayor Mick Cornett, who is stepping down after 14 years to run for governor. The next mayor will inherit quite a lot: a growing local economy, shiny new developments peppered through downtown and the urban core, an efficient and lean city government and a recently passed new tax increase, just to name a few. At the same time, the next mayor will be faced with the decision to plan the next MAPS campaign, implement the billion-dollar infrastructure plan approved by voters in September, partner with neighboring municipalities for regional transit and criminal justice reform and, perhaps, explore ways to improve the city’s education system — viewed by many, including all three candidates, as a crisis situation. If one of the three candidates earns a majority of the votes, the candidate will be sworn in as the city’s 36th mayor. If no candidate receives a majority, the two candidates with the most votes go on to a general election April 3. The deadline to register to vote is Friday. A native of Oklahoma City, Holt, 38, has served in the Oklahoma Legislature as a senator representing parts of northwest OKC, Bethany, Warr Acres and The Village. Prior to his time in the Legislature, Holt, who resides in the Quail Creek neighborhood, spent five years as Cornett’s chief of staff. In addition to name recognition, Holt is the only candidate to raise substantial money for the race and has actively

Candidates David Holt and Taylor M. Neighbors | Photos provided

campaigned for nearly a year. Neighbors, 21, is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in music at the University of Oklahoma. The Heritage Hills East resident is a political newcomer who began her grassroots campaign the day she filed for office last month. Like Neighbors, Smith, 59, is new to politics. Originally from Weatherford, Smith spent 20 years as an internal auditor for the State of Oklahoma. He has resided in south Oklahoma City for the past 20 years. Smith is not campaigning for the seat.

It is important to have the manpower for short response times but also community policing. David Holt Oklahoma Gazette recently interviewed all three candidates to discuss the issues they see facing the city and how they’ll approach those issues if elected mayor.

The views

The issues addressed by Holt, Neighbors and Smith are standard fare for almost any election: better streets, improved public safety, a stronger education system, more MAPS-like progress, continued progress in criminal justice reform and, of course, leadership. Holt added the issue of diver-

sity and inclusion. “The city is diverse, but not necessarily in any given room,” Holt said. “This is a top challenge for me as the next mayor to bridge those divides and bring our city together in a stronger way and make sure everyone is represented at the leadership table.” Holt sees an opportunity to make strides in diversity through the mayor’s role in appointments on city boards, trusts and commissions, like airport, arts, parks, planning, water and more. Holt explained he has the foundation for appointments, as during his campaign, he has gained supporters that vary in location, age, gender, background, economic status, ethnicity and even political affiliation. (The office of the mayor is a nonpartisan seat, but Holt has served in public office as a Republican.) In a similar sense, Neighbors discussed a desire to bring positive change to the city’s disenfranchised communities. If elected mayor, Neighbors explained she would approach the city’s most pressing issues with a “sense of urgency” that hasn’t been seen during Cornett’s time in office.

I think MAPS should have focused a little bit more on people because ... we are the key to growth. Taylor M. Neighbors “I think we have come very far with what we’ve done,” Neighbors said, citing the MAPS initiatives, which have plugged millions into downtown though transformational capital improvement projects like Ronald J. Norick Downtown Library, Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark and Oklahoma River improvements. “Like I’ve said, I don’t think we’ve approached it all with that same sense of urgency. … I think we really should have been focused more on our people and what impacts them on a day-to-day basis.” Smith believes the city’s top priority is working to become “a place millennials find attractive to live.” Further, he believes the next mayor should pursue endeavors like exploring the development of a publicly run, highspeed Internet network — like Chattanooga, Tennessee — and pushing policies to promote commercial and residential solar energy. “I think we need to, and I hope the next mayor does this, develop consensus about where we need to go the next 10 to 15 years,” Smith said. “It’s time to make Oklahoma City more user-friendly and more affordable.” Holt, like the others, wants to ensure the Better Streets, Safer City plan to benefit street infrastructure and public safety is successful. The quarter-cent

permanent sales tax will benefit public safety, including the hiring of 129 new police officers. He is particularly interested in the city pushing communitypolicing approaches with those new hires.

It’s time to make Oklahoma City more user-friendly and more affordable. Randall L. Smith “It is important to have the manpower for short response times but also community policing,” Holt said. “If you just have enough officers to respond to 911 calls, you are not doing the community policing work that is needed for keeping tension from rising between the public and police officers.” The only friction Neighbors brings to the campaign is in questioning the city’s use of tickets from police and other municipal court fines and fees. She wants to ensure the city is not profiting handsomely from those to fund core services. Neighbors also wants the city to focus on designing better streets. “We can’t just invest in repairing the streets because that is only a five- to 10-year solution,” she said. “I think we need to invest in better streets and in ways to keep them up as long as possible. That might mean new materials or an overhaul of how we build streets.” When it comes to the future of MAPS, the Holt and Neighbors campaigns converge. Both want to see the program continue and both support substantial efforts to reach as many citizens as possible for feedback in shaping MAPS 4. Both agree education will likely be a big part of the public debate, but it wouldn’t mimic MAPS for Kids with capital improvements to school buildings. In Neighbors’ opinion, the next MAPS initiative needs to focus on transforming the lives of the average Oklahoma Citian, not areas of the city with large-scale capital projects. “There are people in Oklahoma City who are simply struggling,” Neighbors said. “Every day is a fight to survive. It doesn’t matter if you are old or young. I think MAPS should have focused a little bit more on people because, in my opinion, we are the key to the growth of this city.” Holt said the next MAPS could “go a different direction” but it would continue to maintain its core character of producing transformational capital projects. He stated MAPS was created to address the “crises of our times.” “I think with the failures on the state level to meet our social welfare and education needs, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the citizens of Oklahoma City ask if MAPS 4 can meet some of those needs, in addition to the more traditional quality of life,” he said.

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Engaging voters

Local organizations want to play a big role driving civic engagement this year with hopes that it leads to better policy outcomes. By Laura Eastes

It might have been called Civics 101, but the discussion amongst several dozen women during a midweek lunch at a popular pub in the downtown neighborhood of Midtown had little to do with identifying the three branches of government or chatting about specific rights and duties of citizens. Instead, Women Lead Oklahoma’s program director Elizabeth Horn engaged the women by asking what was on their minds. “What are the things you worry about? What news stories stick in your head? What are the issues that keep you up at night? Let’s take those and answer the questions, Who is responsible? Why do I care, and what can I do? Who is responsible? is the big one,” Horn told Oklahoma Gazette. At Women Lead’s #7MonthsOfCivics, a monthly lunch series launched this month for women to learn about government structure and how to navigate it, there’s no shame in admitting anything. Don’t know what the county commissioner does? Not a problem. If you aren’t clear about who to call about a pothole or where to start when it comes to a school-related matter, Women Lead — a nonpartisan nonprofit that aims to empower women — will explain. Horn has met many women who find themselves wondering how to get involved in a process that seems beyond their control. Women Lead, along with many other nonpartisan organizations, is working to educate on the roles, systems and actions needed to make a positive and measurable change in individuals’ lives and their communities. “It doesn’t matter what you are registered as or if you are registered,” Horn said. “We will do whatever it takes to help grow that little spark.”

Women Lead Oklahoma’s Elizabeth Horn is one of many leading efforts to engage Oklahomans in civics education. | Photo Laura Eastes

Showing up

Let’s Fix This, a grassroots movement to bring “regular folks” to the Oklahoma Capitol turned nonprofit centered on civics education, creates opportunities for anyone to engage with state government. The organization’s signature red buttons have become a common sight among those seated in the House and Senate galleries or roaming the halls of the lawmakers’ offices. Let’s Fix This has planned four Capitol days with the first set for Feb. 22.

We will do whatever it takes to help grow that little spark. Elizabeth Horn “Just going to the Capitol is a great chance to see how things work, even if you don’t want to talk to your legislator,” said Andy Moore, founder and executive director of Let’s Fix This. “It’s totally fine just to observe. We are happy to answer any questions.” Coming into 2018, Let’s Fix This leaders believe the organization can play a greater role in education and is exploring the creation of short videos on subjects like voter registration, what to expect if you’ve never voted before or how a bill becomes state law. Following the contentious past 12 months at the Capitol, such videos could serve a growing population of citizens seeking an opening into civic engagement.

Oklahoma City Community College Cultural Programs Presents

Doug Stone

“2017 was sort of a circus at the state Capitol,” Moore said. “Every week, we got new followers on Facebook and Twitter. People were signing up for our newsletter. This year, as the elections begin to ramp up, I believe we will see people congregate around candidates. I hope that pushes issues back to the forefront. I hope people remember now is the time to have conversations and pay attention.”

and The Stone Age Band

Why vote?

Indeed, it is time to pay attention. Locally, many communities face school board and municipal elections in February. Oklahoma conducts its next congressional and state primary elections in June, with majority winners appearing on the November ballot. Oklahomans enter the ballot booth at a unique time in the state’s history. In recent months, state lawmakers were called back twice to the Capitol to address budget issues. Leadership on both sides of the aisle agrees the state has a budget problem. No solution has been reached. “I see this as a crucial year for Oklahomans,” said Lindsey Kanaly, an organizer for March On Oklahoma and board member for the national March On movement born from the Women’s March with a focus to influence future local, state and midterm elections. “It is time to make Oklahoma the way we want to see it.” March On Oklahoma, Let’s Fix This, Women Lead and Freedom Oklahoma are joining forces Saturday for Operation: Marching Orders. Following 2018’s Women’s March OKC (see OKG’s calendar section for more information), group leaders will discuss how to channel interest and energy into action to produce change beginning at 2 p.m. at Kamps 1910 Cafe. Additionally, March On will speak about its national online poll to survey individuals and groups about the issues that matter most. The results, which will be broken down nationally, statewide and locally, will be shared with civic engagement groups, advocacy organizations, candidates and elected officials. All three leaders agreed Operation: Marching Orders is the first of many events from Oklahoma’s nonpartisan organizations dedicated to encouraging voting and other forms of civic engagement in 2018. Kanaly, who attended the Women Lead Civics 101 event and other similar events, is encouraged by the number of locals coming together to learn how to make a difference. “I think it is a sign that people want to learn more about how their government works,” Kanaly said. “Not just state and federal, but county and municipal. These are just the very beginning steps of understanding, which will eventually capture the voters for 2018. You have to educate them, give them the power and the tools to make an educated vote.”

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Hero’s welcome?

Like the Oklahoma business community’s version of The Avengers, several of the state’s wealthiest and most influential figures have joined together to announce their plan to combat our greatest super villain: a crippling budget shortfall. David Rainbolt, executive chairman of BancFirst, and Larry Nichols, founder and chairman emeritus of Devon Energy, spoke before the media earlier this month at Oklahoma History Center, announcing a revenueproducing proposal from a new coalition called Step Up Oklahoma. Step Up Oklahoma also includes powerhouse state names like Continental Resources CEO Harold Hamm, Oklahoma City Thunder majority owner Clay Bennett, former Oklahoma attorney general Mike Turpen and many more. Among some other things, the group’s plan is to generate more money for the state and create a teacher pay raise through tax increases on cigarettes, the energy industry, motor fuels, wind-power generation and personal income. Their proposal also includes refundable tax credits and increased gaming revenue. NonDoc quoted Rainbolt as saying the proposal was an attempt at bipartisanship, with every detail of the proposal being a tradeoff for something else. “There was lots of compromise that went into this proposal,” he said. “So if you begin to pull out even the smallest piece of it, there’s going to be an opposite and equal reaction and the whole thing begins to fall apart. By definition, every single piece of this has been negotiated.” Hmm … so the answer to solving this state’s budget woes is as sturdy as the average leaning Jenga tower. Sounds about right.

Omni glamour

In early January, when architectural renderings of Oklahoma City’s Omni Hotel were released, it deserved a clickbait headline like, “OKC’s Omni will be like nothing you’ve ever seen before.” Here at Chicken-Fried News, we haven’t found any local media utilizing the headline; however, after viewing the hotel designs by Rule Joy Trammell + Rubio, we think the catchphrase summarizes it well. After all, has OKC ever had a rooftop pool terrace that resembles what one finds on the pages of Travel + Leisure magazine? What about the Omni incorporating restaurants, a sports bar, a coffeehouse and retail shops on its lower three floors? Such a glamorous setup reminds us of Las Vegas hotels without the casino games. Oh, and we can’t forget to tell you Oklahoma City’s Omni will be a 605-room AAA Four Diamond hotel serving the new MAPS 3 Convention Center. At this point in reading, we imagine readers saying, “Hold up a minute. This hotel is for visiting convention folks, but it sounds like a leisure destination for wealthy people.” Truth be told, the hotel will serve both convention and leisure traffic. According to a press release from The

Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City, the Omni is expected to deliver an economic impact of more than $137 million per year. Bring it, travelers! The alliance, which partners with the city on economic development deals, worked with Omni to strike the convention center “headquarters” hotel deal with OKC. The city committed $84.5 million in financing for the project, with Omni investing $150.1 million. “The convention center hotel provides the space we need to compete for large conventions that often require a room block of 500 or more,” Cathy O’Connor, alliance president and CEO,

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stated in a press release. “But I’m also pleased with how the hotel offers amenities and features that Oklahoma City residents will enjoy.” Mark your calendars for the Omni’s completion in late 2020. The big question remaining is, Who’s hosting that first pool party?

Falling upward

Imagine your work environment could be so full of turmoil that it would have to pay an additional 10 percent on a six-figure salary just to keep an unqua lif ied i nt er i m manager? That’s exactly the situation the beleaguered Oklahoma State Board of Health finds itself in as KFOR reports Preston Doerflinger, the agency’s new interim commissioner, will receive a $189,000 salary, which is $18,000 more than his current pay. Doerflinger has no background in medical or health fields, something he acknowledges, which is why he is not seeking the job full-time. Doerflinger is a businessman and a former state Secretary of Finance and Revenue.

Doerflinger replaces Terry Cline, who resigned in October as news the department is facing a $10 million budget shortfall came to light. Doerflinger even recently said that his department might not be equipped to facilitate the medical marijuana law if it passes in the June election. “Just the turnaround, with anybody, would be difficult. But for this agency, it would be next to impossible for us to be able to get ready to carry out what we’re charged with under the way it’s currently designed,” Doerflinger said to KFOR about State Question 788, which would legalize medical marijuana. Since we’re using taxpayer money to pay Doerflinger so much, you would think the state could ac t ua l ly at trac t someone who is qualified to manage the board of health.

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OKC restaurant Bacon delivers a highquality product, but is it trying to elevate a complementary ingredient? By Jacob Threadgill

Bacon 7523 N. May Ave. | 405 848-4868 What works: In-house smoked bacon lives up to its billing, even in sweet aspects. What needs work: Chunky chicken leads to inconsistent bites in the lasagna. Tip: Go to Vito’s and use the entrance on the right.

Bacon and eggs is the quintessential American breakfast — so much so that it is advertised as such when traveling overseas. Over the last decade, fueled by the popularity of carb-averse diets like Atkins and dropping pork prices, bacon has found its way into ancillary products like bacon vodka and bacon mints. All-bacon restaurants have popped up in a few cities to capitalize on the craze, but the trend missed Oklahoma City until early last year, when Sean and Cathy Cummings opened Bacon, 7523 N. May Ave., which shares an entrance with the couple’s other restaurant, Vito’s Ristorante. After the couple closed a restaurant that previously used the space in 2016, they continued to use the bar for Vito’s special events, where Sean Cummings and friends began to experiment with different variations of their own bacon. “We’d go through all of these recipes together, and finally, I thought, ‘I can make a menu out of these,’” Sean Cummings said. “Right now, there are so many restaurants in Oklahoma City that you have to do something different to stand out.” The concept certainly does make it stand out, and it’s one that has piqued my curiosity for some time, but when I went for my maiden voyage to the land of bacon, I couldn’t find the restaurant. Google maps told me I had arrived at its location in Lakeside Shops, but I didn’t see a sign along with the other stores in the strip. I called, and Cummings told me that they had the world’s worst signage. A construction company made it so that a new placard can’t be placed alongside other storefronts. He advised me to go to Vito’s and then veer right for the blue door. “When you get to the door, you’ll see there is ‘bacon’ written everywhere, but it’s not up on the top part, where it needs to be,” he said. Once inside, the décor is warm but A salted caramel ice cream is enhanced with crunchy, brown sugar-covered pieces of bacon.

the restaurant is dimly lit. Artful takes on pig diagrams line the walls, and I’m ready to get my fill of cured meats. I spent all weekend eating salads in preparation for the review. I order a bacon sampler ($12), which includes eight of what Cummings said is a possible 20 varieties of bacon. The appetizer arrived full of sizzling meats that included Canadian bacon, Irish bacon (pork loin), shoulder bacon, bacon jam, jowl bacon, Kentucky bacon sausage and dessert bacon that is served cold with brown sugar and pecans.

Its Canadian bacon puts the store-bought version to shame. The jowl bacon is what I was expecting from the restaurant. You might be more familiar with the Italian preparation of guanciale, but it’s crispy and deep-flavored like the average American “streaky” bacon but — to borrow a phrase from This Is Spinal Tap — turned up to 11. Its Canadian bacon puts the storebought version to shame, and the Irish bacon delivers a subtler take on smoked pork. The Kentucky sausage is a take on an ancient Irish sausage that combines rolled oats with meat. Cummings serves it with smoked jalapeños, bacon and onion held together by a cornhusk. My favorite from the sampler was actually the bacon jam, which

Cummings said was inspired by Indian chutney but substitutes the vegetable base for chopped-up bacon. It’s equal parts sweet and vinegary, and it benefits from a richness of cooked-down coffee, which Cummings said is the secret ingredient. My entrée was a burger with a patty of half ground beef and half ground bacon ($9) topped with a Mexican green chili sauce that is filled with chunks of shoulder bacon. Cummings said the idea for the green chili burger concept came from a visit to Frank & Lola’s in Bartlesville. The tartness of the tomatillo-based green chili sauce cut through the grease of the burger. I wasn’t sure if the bacon would translate in the patty, but the smokiness makes it stand out. The presentation was awe-inspiring, but it was somewhat clumsy to eat. I used a knife and fork to rein in a soggy bottom bun. As good as the chili was, especially with a healthy dose of smoky cumin, I’m not sure it benefitted from the shoulder

The bacon sampler includes eight versions of smoked pork, including bacon jam. | Photo Jacob Threadgill

bacon, which wasn’t crispy and tasted like ham with less salt. I also tried the bacon, spinach and chicken lasagna ($14). Served in a garlic cream sauce, the six-layer lasagna had good core ingredients, but I only found three to four small pieces of spinach and the chunks of chicken breast made for uneven bite consistency. I think it would be better if the chicken was braised or slow-cooked so it would be pulled and spread evenly throughout. I finished the meal with a serving of bacon ice cream ($7), which is housemade salted caramel cream finished with bits of bacon that have been covered in brown sugar to make sure they retain their crunch. I was expecting sad bits of chewy bacon in the ice cream, but the texture elevates it to a treat that will linger in my memory. Bacon also offers several bacon-infused cocktails, including a bloody mary, OldFashioned, margarita and martini (all $7). It recently expanded to a full weekend brunch in which the salted meat is in more comfortable territory, especially as a topper to eggs Benedict, which Cummings said accounts for 65 percent of its orders. As much as bacon maniacs want to elevate the smoked meat from supporting player to entrée star, I can’t help but think of it as Jason Alexander. I consider it an injustice that Alexander never won an Emmy for his portrayal of George Costanza, perpetually losing the best supporting actor award to Frasier’s David Hyde Pierce or his Seinfeld co-star Michael Richards. Alexander is a better Larry David (who served as the model for Costanza) than Larry David (on Curb Your Enthusiasm), but his career has floundered when talent does not surround him. My favorite bites of the meal were the bacon jam and ice cream, where sweet and salty merge, only further strengthening bacon’s case as food’s best supporting actor.

| Photo Jacob Threadgill

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A meal doesn’t have to be in courses.

try a few bites instead!

This issue features some of OKC’s best restaurants and gourmet shops to eat your light meal in public or pick up something to take home.

PUBLISHING FEBRUARY 7 Call your account executive at 528.6000 or email advertising@okgazette.com to reserve your space!

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F E AT U R E

EAT & DRINK

Historic addition

McClintock Saloon & Chop House provides Stockyards City with a new late-night option. By Jacob Threadgill

As the nation’s largest stockyard and only one in the world working within a historic district, Oklahoma City’s Stockyards City has long been a draw for tourists and locals, but beside historic Cattlemen’s, there wasn’t anywhere for those visitors to go in the evening for years. Since opening in late October 2017, McClintock Saloon & Chop House, 2227 Exchange Ave., is providing tourists with a taste of what they might expect to see in OKC without an overt presentation to scare away local patrons. “It feels very authentic,” said Kelli Payne, director of Stockyards City Main Street Association, noting that she often works with travel writers and tour groups to showcase the district. “It opens up a nightlife option that was missing.”

Unlikely partnership

A partnership between restaurateur Michel Buthion (La Baguette, Bellini’s Underground), storeowner Lindsay Ocker and Alan Green to open the saloon began a few years ago during Buthion’s trip to Nashville. Growing up in France, Buthion said he watched Westerns and dreamed of owning a saloon like the ones he saw

onscreen. He arrived in Oklahoma in 1979, attracted by a program at the University of Oklahoma, but never attended OU. He opened a restaurant and laid down roots. A trip to Nashville brought Buthion into a few Western saloons, which awakened memories of his childhood dream. “I should open one in the Stockyards,” he said to himself. When he returned to OKC, Buthion walked into his friend Ocker’s boot store with a bottle of whiskey and jokingly proclaimed, “I’m kicking you out.” “The design of the bar started that night,” Ocker said. “It’s a good thing we ran out of whiskey because there is no telling what we would’ve come up with.” McClintock Saloon has more than doubled in size since the initial concept. Originally, it was only going to serve a limited menu, but they expanded into a business next-door and added a fullservice chophouse menu.

Saloon decor

The 7,300 square-foot facility has eleven ornate chandeliers hanging amongst crushed red velvet in the dining room. The saloon features a 50-foot oak bar, which was built by a local contractor.

McClintock’s 50-foot bar was built by a local contractor.| Photo Jacob Threadgill

“We emptied three supply houses of wood,” Ocker said. “We saturated the market for a while. People think we refurbished this bar. They’re dumbfounded when we tell them it’s brand-new.” Ornate sculptures of Helen of Troy and Hercules, commissioned by an artist in St. Petersburg, Russia, stand tall amongst the saloon’s impressive selection of alcohol that includes over 200 styles of whiskey and healthy selections of tequilas and mescal in addition to vodka and gin. Buthion has a passion for whiskey and even recounted a visit to Woodford Reserve Distillery in Kentucky, where he left with six barrels. He blended two of his favorites for sale at the bar. “They don’t call me Michel; down here, I’m Stockyard Mitch,” Buthion said while showcasing a bottle with his nickname on it. The saloon is hoping to engender a

loose atmosphere in the bar and installed a giant bell near the entrance. If a patron rings the bell, they have to buy a $4 mixed whiskey shot for everyone touching the bar. It sells a T-shirt with the phrase “I rang the bell at McClintock.” Buthion said it’s a tradition that takes place almost every night. The saloon kept the name of Ocker’s boot store, which opened in 2000. He said the name is an homage to 1963 John Wayne movie McLintock! “Most saloons being built now are going for a rustic look,” Ocker said. “We’re going for totally opposite. Saloons weren’t filled with buckaroos. They had bankers, attorneys and business people.” McClintock’s menu includes six cuts of steak, fried chicken and a selection of fresh seafood, including oysters, shrimp cocktail and mussels. A weekend brunch 10 a.m.-to 3 p.m. Saturday-Sunday usually includes live music by a local folk, bluegrass or country band. Buthion said he has been surprised by the amount of tourists who spend just as much time posing for pictures around the bar or under elaborate taxidermy as they do enjoying their food. “Just last week, we had a group of Germans, Japanese and Australians all in here at the same time, and they’ve got pictures up on Facebook before they even leave,” Ocker said. Payne said that McClintock has been a popular stop as she guides travel writers through Stockyards City. “I had one writer recently who had been to Fort Worth, Tombstone and Deadwood recently and said that they weren’t real, like they were trying to be something that they weren’t,” Payne said. “He said, ‘This is real deal; there are cowboys down here because they’re making a living down here.’” Visit mcclintocksaloon.com.

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Tuna tower is a new menu item at McClintock Saloon | Photo Jacob Threadgill

A special section devoted to wedding & event planning Publishing

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EAT & DRINK

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Hidden treasure

Oklahoma’s oldest candy company expands its national footprint under new owners. By Jacob Threadgill

Oklahoma’s oldest candy company got its start with forgotten candy equipment nearly a century ago. In 1927, Claude Washington was supposed to attend the University of Oklahoma to become a lawyer at the urging of his father. Instead, enterprising Washington dropped out of school and offered to give his car to his father in exchange for candy-making equipment that was stowed away in the attic of a downtown warehouse his father had recently bought. The elder Washington turned down his request for the car but said, “If you can find a home for the equipment, it’s yours.” Woody Candy Company started with a family tradition that endures to this day and has only grown under the Jackson family, led by co-owner Brian Jackson, who purchased the company from Claude Washington Jr. in 2014. “[We’re] one of Oklahoma’s greatest hidden treasures that shouldn’t be a hidden treasure,” said Brian Jackson, who bought the company with his parents Bill and Elaine Jackson. At a 15,000 square-foot facility located at 922 NW 70th St., a retail store sells a wide variety of confections while a packaging center that perpetually smells like brown butter manufactures and packages treats that are sent to 5,000 wholesale retail clients across the country. The Jackson family relied on a twodecade-long friendship with Claude Washington Jr. to become shepherds of the venerable company. Bill Jackson met Washington Jr., who fulfilled his grandfather’s dream of becoming a lawyer, when the two worked in the oil and gas industry in the 1970s and early ’80s.

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Brian Jackson is the current president of Woody Candy Company, which was started by Claude Washington Sr. (pictured in the painting) in 1927. | Photo Jacob Threadgill

Changing guard

Washington Jr. took over for his father at Woody Candy in 1983 and added a retail store and an influx of confectionary recipes like turtles and toffees, but when he ran into Bill Jackson at the end of 2013, Washington Jr. relayed that he was planning to shut down the company and sell its equipment at the end of the year to spend more time with his ailing wife. Bill Jackson spoke with his son Brian, who worked for Deloitte Consulting and was looking to become his own boss, about the opportunity to purchase the company, but they wanted to objectively test the product. Bill’s brother Jeff Jackson is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, has been named the best French chef in America and is currently the executive chef at The Lodge Torrey Pines in San Diego. They sent samples of Woody Candy’s products to San Diego, where Jeff Jackson had the products tested by two of his employees who used to work for California’s famous See’s Candy. “When they called back, they asked us how much they were charging for the butter toffee,” Brian Jackson said. “We said $25 per pound, and they said, ‘Are you kidding me?’ I wasn’t sure if that was too high or too low. They said that if they had that product in Los Angeles or San Francisco, they would have people lined up to pay $50 per pound.” The allure of a company with a ninedecade history of best-in-class products became too much to pass up, especially when the chefs to whom they

gave samples said they would buy the company sight unseen if the Jacksons passed.

Wholesale expansion

Since Brian Jackson took over as the day-to-day manager, he also operates as the company’s head salesman. Woody’s wholesale footprint has expanded from 1,200 clients across the country to more than 5,000 in just under four years. Jackson has focused on putting displays in stores such as Hobby Lobby, Love’s, Michaels and Cracker Barrel and sees growth opportunity in the grocery store space in 2018 and beyond. “We’ve started having [wholesale] clients calling to request our product instead of the other way around,” Jackson said. “If we can get you to get one bite, our success rate is very high.” Jackson works on recipe concepts, but Woody’s is committed to recipes formulated by the Washingtons and traditional Oklahoma creations, like Aunt Bill’s Brown Candy. The fudge is an Oklahoma tradition that dates back to The Oklahoman’s Susan Adams, who first published the recipe in 1931 and was uncovered by current Oklahoman food writer Dave Cathey. “We’re the only ones still crazy enough to make it on a commercial level,” Jackson said. “It’s legendarily difficult because labor is tough and the atmospheric conditions and chemistry have to be right. You have to mix the components at the right time in the process, at the right consistency and at the right rate. If you mess up one of those three or four variables, even in the slightest bit, it’s going to ruin the batch. … You won’t know until the next morning if it came out correctly.” Jackson said batches of Woody’s

Aunt Bill’s Brown Candy often have to be donated to local charities if they don’t meet high-quality standards. Washington Jr., 85, serves as president emeritus and will often drop by to ask for ingredients to experiment on new confectionary creations, including cooking a completely new treat for his neighbors just before Christmas last year. “He’s made candy since he can walk,” Jackson said, noting that Washington Jr. created a few of the products the company is looking to expand into the wholesale market in 2018.

If we can get you to get one bite, our success rate is very high. Brian Jackson

Jackson said the chewy caramel pralines ($2.29 per package) are the company’s most successful item in its wholesale division but they’re looking to add peppermint and lemon ice at more retail clients, in addition to caramel praline fudge, based on each product’s success at the Oklahoma City retail store. “It’s our job to shepherd this company for a new generation,” Jackson said. “We don’t want to grow too fast and have quality suffer. It is a delicate process.” Visit woodycandy.com.

Chewy caramel pralines are Woody’s top seller at more than 5,000 retail clients

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g a z e di b l e s

eat & DRINK

Culinary dissonance

Do you dread the conversation about where to go for dinner? Do you and dinner guests argue about what kind of cuisine to try? These seven Oklahoma City-area restaurants not only offer multiple types of cuisine, but they also do it deftly.

Bistro B

Ding Asian Fusion

El Toro Chino

With nearly 600 items on its menu, Bistro B is like one of those shiny roadside diners you might see on the East Coast, except it specializes in regional Vietnamese favorites and Chinese classics. Get housemade pho or banh mi, but also look for less popular items like canh, a sour soup. You’d be remiss to ignore some truly inspired bubble tea flavors like kiwi pineapple coco or banana ginger.

Sometimes a Chinese or Pan-Asian restaurant will add sushi to the menu in a Hail Mary attempt to attract more customers. All of those restaurants look like even greater frauds when compared to Ding Asian Fusion, where traditional Chinese dishes are served alongside sushi in a way that is aesthetically pleasing and tastes great.

This Norman eatery celebrated its oneyear anniversary last winter, and diners have caught on to the concept that combines Mexican dishes with Chineseinfluenced entrees. Its popular enchilada dip is served with fried wontons. Its counter service lunch is paired with sit-down dinner service, and brunch offers chicken and waffles along with chilaquiles.

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La Brasa

1310 NW 25th St. labrasaokc.com | 405-524-2251

Executive chef James Vu wants to take you around the world to showcase some of his favorite dishes. The most famous is pollo a la brasa, the national dish of Peru. Marinating and split-roasting the chicken over charcoal takes 36 hours. Enjoy Peruvian selections along with Korean fare like Kalbi short rib tacos or dolsot bibimbap.

Guernsey Park

2418 N. Guernsey Ave. guernseypark.com | 405-605-5272

Guernsey Park takes familiar concepts like sushi and short ribs and elevates them to a new level under the guidance of executive chef Paul Langer. At lunch, get a sushi burrito. At brunch, the short rib Benedict swaps the English muffin for a fried steam bun, and dinner includes fivespice fried chicken and Vietnamese-style ribs. Diners should hurry to get their Guernsey Park fix though; the restaurant is closing its doors for good Jan. 28. Its sister restaurant, Covell Park in Edmond, remains open.

Yuzo Sushi Tapas

808 N. Broadway Ave. yuzosushitapas.com | 405-702-9808

Yuzo is an exercise in cognitive dissonance. The words “sushi” and “tapas” aren’t supposed to go together, but Yuzo’s blend of Latin-inspired and Japanese fusion dishes succeeds in providing a satisfying meal whether you’re looking for sushi, ramen or Creole salmon, Brazilian meatloaf or Colombian kebab. Its fusion concept might be most expertly conceived with hamachi ajillo, which combines the Japanese word for yellowtail with the Spanish for garlic to create a mouthwatering treat.

Zarate’s Latin Mexican Grill

706 S. Broadway, Edmond zarateslatingrill.com | 405-330-6400

The menu at Zarate’s runs the gamut with Mexican, Peruvian, Chilean, Brazilian, Cuban, Bolivian, Jamaican, Argentinian, Venezuelan and Puerto Rican influence. Whatever your choice, from Peruvian chicken to Jamaican jerk nachos or a Venezuelan pot roast, it’s sure to be good. Lomo saltado (pictured) remains Zarate’s most popular dish.

Petite 10 Tea Room 10 West Main • Yukon 494.9504 Open for Lunch Wed-Fri 11-2 2nd Sat. of every month

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4621 n. May | OkC | 778-8469

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ARTS & CULTURE OVAC’s 1988 VisionMakers art show | Photo Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition / provided

that evolved into the various Artist Survival Kit Workshops held throughout the year. McNeese also oversaw the inaugural 12x12 fundraiser auctioning off works of art measuring one square foot in size, which raised $5,000 in its first year. During his time with OVAC, the annual budget grew from $6,000 to $90,000. But McNeese, who has since moved back to Ponca City, where he helped start a children’s art education program and co-founded the Bison Bison student film festival, said one of his biggest accomplishments was knowing when to leave.

They hoped I could get more young artists involved. Julia Kirt

art

Gaining Momentum

Evolving arts

Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition celebrates 30 years of cultivating art in the state. By Jeremy Martin

John McNeese hated his job. “After I got out of college, I got into accounting and became a CPA and was a CPA about 10 years, except I just couldn’t stand it,” McNeese said. “So I moved from Ponca City to Oklahoma City and started a gallery and started working with artists.” Artists and gallery owners, McNeese soon discovered, took more satisfaction from their work but made very little money at it — especially in the Sooner State. “We talked a lot about the National Endowment grants to artists and how most of them were going to Texas, which we were in the same region, and nothing really came to Oklahoma.” So McNeese founded Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition (OVAC) in 1988 with the goal of getting more money to working artists in the state. Early support came from Kirkpatrick Family Fund, Oklahoma Arts Council and Laura Warriner, who now runs 20

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

[Artspace] at Untitled. Incorporating the coalition and reporting it as a nonprofit to the Internal Revenue Service, McNeese found a new use for his accounting degree. “Even though I never practiced as a CPA again, it gave me the base to understand what was going on. I understood financial statements and knew where we were and where the money was coming from and all that kind of stuff,” McNeese said. McNeese started the quarterly newsletter, later renamed Cross Current and since expanded into Art Focus Oklahoma. In 1989, the coalition awarded its first $1,000 fellowship to an artist. Under McNeese’s tenure as executive director, which lasted until 1997, the coalition began holding the Business of Art workshop and seminars “Undies” by Sarah Atlee in 2007’s Art 365 show | Photo Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition / provided

“I think one of the best things I did was step down as executive director,” he said, “because a couple of years later, they got Julia Kirt as executive director and she took it far beyond anything I ever imagined.” Kirt, who first found out about OVAC when she attended a 12x12 fundraiser, took over as executive director in 1999. “I was 25, so I hadn’t been out there that long,” Kirt said. “I always joke that they couldn’t afford someone with experience, so I got hired for my potential.” But her youth might have been a major selling point to the board of directors. “When I started, they were really worried about how many young artists were involved in showings, and so I think that was one of the reasons they hired someone young,” Kirt said. “They hoped I could get more young artists involved.” Soon after Kirt took over, she began Momentum, an exhibition highlighting the work of artists 30 years old and younger, but she said much of her guidance in her early inexperience came from the coalition’s past. “I didn’t know what I was getting into,” Kirt said, “so the first six months, I spent tons of time reading the organization’s history. … I read the material so I could try to understand who people were and what they were interested in, and then I went around the state and met with artists

and board members to talk to them. Learning the heart of what artists said they needed helped me know what direction we should go and how to prioritize.” In addition to helping young artists get started in their careers, Kirt said one of the most satisfying parts of working for OVAC was encouraging experienced artists to continue working. “I would get calls from people all the time who had put away making art for like 20 or 30 years so they were 50 or older, 65, and they were just letting themselves start to spend time on art again,” Kirt said. “It was wonderful to encourage them and to validate that that was a good thing for them to do, and they needed that encouragement that it was worthwhile for their time and energy.” Whether working with younger or older artists, or seeking out new funding opportunities from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and the elusive National Endowment for the Arts, which OVAC first began securing during her tenure, Kirt said the coalition’s directors were always willing to adapt and evolve. “The board are such fabulous and creative and interested people,” Kirt said. “If they’re not artists themselves, then they’re people who really believe in artists and believe in creativity, and I think that makes them especially open to risks.”

Advocating art

The needs of artists in different communities throughout the state vary greatly, however, depending on the economics, educational opportunities and access to arts programs and exhibits in each community, and in determining how to best serve each region, Kirt began to see a larger pattern at play. “Over the years, I’d gotten more interested in advocacy,” said Kirt, who now serves as executive director for the nonprofit Oklahomans for the Arts and is currently campaigning for a state senate seat. “I think when you look at the heart of what makes it a challenge for artists to be in our state, my lens got bigger and bigger in terms of, ‘OK, well, if you don’t value art and artists, it’s hard within the economy and within education and within the state government.’ We spent more and more energy on helping artists advocate for their careers, advocate for

An interactive art piece from 2007’s Momentum art show | Photo Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition / provided

their own path, and I think that has to connect to these bigger state issues. If we don’t have arts education, do kids get to discover their own gifts and abilities and interests? Do we have an arts economy without arts education? I don’t know. I think it’s going to be really hard for our state if we don’t.” When Holly Moye took over as OVAC’s executive director in 2014, her first priority was to adapt the coalition to better serve the state as a whole.

Everybody, no matter where you are, wants to have some involvement in the arts. Holly Moye “I wanted to make more of an effort to be more present in rural areas,” Moye said. “We really started working with new towns and holding events and openings in areas outside of Oklahoma City and Tulsa.” Exhibitions in smaller towns such as Guymon and Ada followed, but Moye — a Raleigh, North Carolina, native who went to art school in Boston — said she experienced some culture shock as a “city slicker” meeting with art enthusiasts in Pawhuska. “They walk in and two of them are legit in cowboy outfits, and I was just like, ‘What is going on? This is so bizarre,’” Moye remembered, laughing. “And one of the guys, he actually owned one of the outfitter shops there, he was like, ‘Yeah I rode my horse today, blah blah blah,’ and he just kept his horse down on the street. There was a little area where he just put his horse. And I’m sitting there wearing all black, from

Boston, like, ‘What have I done with my life right now?’ But it was just this great moment of kind of getting out of that city mentality and realizing that everybody, no matter where you are, wants to have some involvement in the arts.” When Moye left OVAC after two years to become the director of the school of visual arts at Oklahoma City University, several of the programs she helped start, such as Momentum Ada, had not yet launched. Krystle Brewer, who previously worked with OVAC as a volunteer, took over as executive director in June of 2017, and she said the organization is continuing to provide support to modern working artists. “Everyone here is new, and we have kind of a new vision for where we want the organization to go,” Brewer said, “just focusing more on engaging the members and having them feel more a part of the organization and also responding to the needs of our members.” The coalition recently launched a series called Artists’ Forums covering specific topics. The first panel, suggested in a Facebook conversation, discussed resources available to female artists over 40. OVAC continues to evolve along the guidelines laid out in the July 1988 issue of its newsletter: “We are pleased and excited to announce the formation of the Oklahoma Arts Coalition, a not-for-profit corporation created to provide programs, services and advocacy for the individual artist living and working in Oklahoma and to create and expanded public interest in and understanding of the visual arts. … The visual arts deserve to be nurtured and our programs will reflect this premise. We hope you will join with us.” O kg a z e t t e . c o m | j a n u a r y 1 7, 2 0 1 8

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ARTS & CULTURE Nunsense: The Second Coming features the antics

t h e at e r

of a group of extraordinary nuns. | Photo provided

Musical mercies

Nunsense: The Second Coming brings song, dance and the unexpected to Jewel Box Theatre. By Ian Jayne

Nuns — it seems they’re seen through one of two lenses: saintly or subversive. Nunsense: The Second Coming explores the in-between, taking central protagonists the Sisters of Hoboken as fully formed people who worship, sing and even dance when the moment calls for it. Directed by Shawna Linck, Nunsense II’s five-person cast includes Paula Parkhurst as Mother Superior, Janitta Swain as Sister Mary Hubert, Joan Raney as Sister Robert Anne, Tess Brenner as Sister Mary Paul and Catherine Etter as Sister Mary Leo. Linck herself is no stranger to the world of Nunsense musicals created by Dan Goggin; she once played the role of Reverend Mother in Nuncrackers: The Nunsense Christmas Musical. Nunsense II picks up after the events of Nunsense as the sisters stage a variety

show at Mt. St. Helen’s High School, where the students are in the midst of performing Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado, a comic opera set in Japan. In addition to juggling two different shows, the sisters also have to contend with Franciscans who come for Sister Robert Anne — known as “Sister Amnesia” after a head injury — and her prize winnings from the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes. “I had forgotten how much fun this premise is,” Linck said of her return to the Nunsense universe, this time as director. Although not Catholic herself, Linck said her husband attended Catholic high school. “Dan Goggin wrote this; he’s Catholic. It’s from the home, making fun of themselves. It’s recognizing all the craziness that goes on and celebrating it,” Linck said.

For Linck, the show’s tightrope walk between religion and humor manifests in the nuns themselves and the women who play them. “I would like to show the strength of these women,” she said. “They’re talented vocalists, but they’re also talented actors and dancers.” The small cast size makes for familiarity with the director — Linck has previously worked with Swain and Raney — but also with the audience. “I wanted to make sure that our audience connects with these people. I fully expect them to come up and want to talk to the sisters when we’re done,” Linck said. “Our curtain call will allow them that opportunity. We need that connection in our world, no matter what our faith is.”

Tenderly wacky

In the 172-seat Jewel Box (known as The Round), Linck said the audience is always a priority. “One of the things we’re most worried about … is that our audience, no matter where they’re sitting, feels engaged and part of what’s happening and has good sightlines,” she said. Nunsense II — a show about nuns performing another show — adds

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several layers of complexity for the director and performers. One main element, costuming, naturally takes the form of habits for the sisters. “So much of their body language is shut off,” Linck said. “The only part of them we see is a very limited version of their face.” Because of costuming limitations, Linck said the cast has paid special attention to blocking and choreography to ensure audience visibility. The Jewel Box’s unique setup — a circular theater with a central stage — also allows for actors to move more freely amongst their spectators. “We can be really up close and personal with them,” Linck said. “They might have a nun on their lap.” Other vital elements for any musical — song and dance — inform both the technical and thematic elements of Nunsense II, according to Linck. “People will be surprised to see dancing nuns, but they actually have a tap number, and they have a polka and several other dances that make for some comic relief,” she said. Further layering ensues when the nuns incorporate Japanese-themed props from The Mikado. “It creates a really fun atmosphere,” Linck said. As a result of these many elements, Linck described the play as both wacky and tender. “There’s something special about a nun,” Linck said. “Whether you’re Catholic or Muslim or Protestant, when you walk by a nun, you feel that you need to behave — and these nuns don’t necessarily behave. You get to see them as real people, and that’s what makes you fall in love with them.” Maybe that’s how Nunsense: The Second Coming, with its nuns in habits and its meta performances, makes a new kind of sense.

Nunsense: The Second Coming 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays through Feb. 11 Jewel Box Theatre | 3700 N. Walker Ave. jewelboxtheatre.org | 405-521-1786 $25-$30

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“The music lifts the ballet to its utmost heig hts,” Daev sa id. “Tchaikovsky’s music, along with the visual of the ballet, continues to be a delight to people all over the world.”

Edmond’s Armstrong Auditorium has welcomed either Moscow Festival Ballet pictured or Russian National Ballet every year since its 2010-11 season.

t h e at e r

| Photo CAMI / provided

Future dates

International connection

Moscow Festival Ballet returns to Armstrong Auditorium as a local favorite. By Ben Luschen

Moscow Festival Ballet, which is based in Russia, will soon bring 41 dancers into Oklahoma for two nights of traditional ballet. Russian ballet has become a January tradition at Edmond’s Armstrong Auditorium, 14400 S. Bryant Road. The ornate performing arts theater has welcomed either Moscow Festival Ballet or Russian National Ballet every year since its 2010-11 season. Moscow Festival principal dancer Alexander Daev was in Oklahoma last year for the company’s two-night performance schedule in the city. The visit has become as much a tradition for the dancers as it is for the audience that pays to see them. “We really do enjoy coming to the Armstrong Auditorium and are looking forward to this year’s visit,” Daev said in a translated email interview. “Everyone at the Armstrong treats us so very good. The people of Oklahoma are friendly and always encourage us with their response to our performance.” The company will present its Best of Russian Ballet Gala beginning 7:30 p.m. Jan. 29 at the auditorium. At 7:30 p.m. Jan. 30, the dancers return to present Romeo and Juliet & Best of Tchaikovsky. Last year, the company performed Cinderella and The Sleeping Beauty on consecutive nights. Daev said those who

attend this year’s performances will be in for some of the best dancing they have ever seen.

Packed programs

Those attending the Best of Russian Ballet Gala can expect a sort of “greatest hits” night featuring bits from some of the most known and loved ballets. “This is a lot of fun for us and for the audience,” Daev said. “You will see different ballets from classic Russian ballets such as The Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Don Quixote, The Dying Swan and more. Beautiful costumes and beautiful dancing.” Daev is a 37-year-old dancer who graduated from Voronezh Ballet School in 1998. He has been working with Moscow Festival Ballet since 2002 and is now head assistant artistic director and ballet master. The Russian ballet tradition is rich and densely populated with the world’s best known and reproduced ballets, including The Awakening of Flore, Swan Lake and The Firebird. Moscow Festival Ballet will return the next night to perform Romeo and Juliet, another Russian favorite. “Romeo and Juliet provides an abbreviated version of the classic Shakespeare tragedy with all the elements of the story,” Daev said. “The emotions of this ballet captivate the

audience from the very beginning.” Romeo and Juliet was composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in the 19th century. Sergei Prokofiev, another famous Russian composer, debuted his take on the Shakespeare classic in 1940.

Tchaikovsky’s legacy

Following Romeo and Juliet, the second half of the Jan. 30 show will be a mixture of classic scenes from Tchaikovsky’s other cherished ballets, including Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty. Tchaikovsky’s ballet scores are by far the art form’s most well-known pieces of music. Daev said fans of the composer will not want to miss the performance. “The beautiful music makes it a very memorable experience,” he said. The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake were all written by Tchaikovsky and are seen by many as the three pillars of ballet companies around the world. Part of the reason these productions are so often reproduced, Daev said, is because of the enduring quality of their musical scores. “Tchaikovsky’s music can bring out every emotion for the listener,” he said. “When you add the dance, it is an unbeatable combination to enjoy.” One of the most interesting things about Tchaikovsky’s legacy is that many of his ballets we cherish today were not box office hits at the time of their debuts. Of the big three, only Sleeping Beauty was widely seen by original audiences. The quality of the music, however, helped bring the productions back to life and eventually endeared itself to a wide audience. Moscow Festival Ballet performs a scene from the classic Tchiakovsky ballet Romeo and Juliet. | Photo CAMI / provided

Moscow Festival Ballet concludes a powerhouse January for Armstrong Auditorium, which also hosted worldrenowned banjo player Béla Fleck and string quartet Brooklyn Rider on Jan. 16. But there are plenty of other acts that keep Armstrong’s momentum going through the conclusion of its 2017-18 performing arts series. Dublin Irish Dance — a dance troop made of members who have performed with Riverdance, Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance, and Celtic Woman — will present its dance gala Feb. 20. Prestigious German orchestra Staatskapelle Weimar, founded in 1491, makes a stop March 15 at Armstrong on its first North American tour in its 500year history. On the historic tour, the orchestra will showcase Brahms’s Tragic Overture, his violin concerto with Ukrainian violinist Valeriy Sokolov, and his cherished Symphony No. 1. On April 19, Armstrong Auditorium concert manager and Herbert W. Armstrong College choir director Ryan Malone presents the oratorio Abraham with assistance from the Edmond college’s choir and orchestra. The score captures the epic ups and downs in the Old Testament figure’s life. Glenn Miller Orchestra concludes the season on May 10. The jazz big band is one of the most sought-after bands of its type in the world. The orchestra plays around 300 live dates each year. Visit armstrongauditorium.org.

Best of Russian Ballet Gala 7:30 p.m. Jan. 29 Romeo and Juliet & Best of Tchaikovsky 7:30 p.m. Jan. 30 Armstrong Auditorium | 14400 S. Bryant Ave. armstrongauditorium.org | 405-285-1010 $31-$71 O kg a z e t t e . c o m | j a n u a r y 1 7, 2 0 1 8

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Oklahoma City Philharmonic cellist Valorie Tatge balances performing, rehearsing and educating in her weekly work schedule. By Ben Luschen

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24

Hello, cello

It does not matter how many performances, rehearsals or college lessons Oklahoma City Philharmonic cellist Valorie Tatge has gone through in a given day. There is always work to be done at home, too. Tatge, a Norman native, has been a member of OKC Phil for the last 25 years. Even with her large body of experience, there is always an unending list of new pieces for her to memorize. “I’ve got a stack on the piano at all times,” she said, “so you’re always just working on it.” Though she only spends a fraction of her total time performing for an audience on the Civic Center Music Hall stage, Tatge hardly ever truly clocks out. Playing on one’s own time and learning new pieces is part of being a professional musician. Cello is integral to the way Tatge lives her life. “It really is all cello all the time,” she said. That level of dedication might sound overwhelming, but Tatge would not have it any other way. Her job directly improves the quality of people’s lives and

provides joy to the community. She is not sure what could be more rewarding. “I’m constantly looking for more ways to get more music out into the community,” Tatge said. “It’s such a wonderful thing; it’s so appreciated. People love it.”

Rehearsed routine

Few things link us to our pasts quite like music. When people hear that Tatge is an orchestra musician, they almost always have a personal connection to share with her. “It draws up a musical memory,” she said. “They always say, ‘Oh, I used to play this,’ or, ‘My favorite song is this.’ There’s always an example. It’s something people can relate to.” Tatge realized the power of music, particularly when played live, at a young age. She grew up playing piano but fell in love with the cello thanks to Norman Public School’s orchestra program. She went on to study music at the University of Oklahoma. Life as a professional musician always felt like her destined calling.

Cellist and Norman native Valorie Tatge has been performing with OKC Philharmonic for more than 25 years. | Photo Larry Moore / provided

She joined OKC Phil in 1992 after participating in an open tryout. Since joining the orchestra, she has performed in innumerable programs in the state for not only OKC Phil, but for The Norman Philharmonic, Oklahoma City Ballet and nationally touring productions. Tatge said OKC Phil musicians typically get a program schedule for the upcoming season in the summer. (OKC Phil’s season usually begins in the fall.) But they don’t get actual orchestra parts to practice until a few weeks before. There won’t be any more than a handful of rehearsals for a given program, but those rehearsal dates are packed tight. The orchestra will typically meet four consecutive days before a Classics performance and maybe just one or two times before a Pops production. They always practice together, usually on the Civic Center’s main stage. But none of the schedule rehearsals account for the many hours each musician spends practicing on their own time. “I play as much as I can possibly squeeze in,” Tatge said.

Enthusiastic educator

Playing in the philharmonic is not Tatge’s only job. One or two days a week (depending on the semester), she teaches college music classes at Oklahoma Christian University and Southern Nazarene University. She is also an instructor with Oklahoma City Cello Project, an educational program for pre-college cello players. When stacking her education duties on top of OKC Phil program scheduling and personal practice time, things can eventually come to a head. “When the holiday season begins and [OKC Ballet’s] The Nutcracker starts,” Tatge said, “and you’re doing all your church gigs and you’re trying to get all your students prepared for contest, the things start piling up and you keep thinking, ‘Oh, I’m busy every minute.’” Still, the cellist does not mind the time demands. She loves teaching just as much as she loves performing. Her orchestra teachers had such an impact on her growing up that she always knew she would one day return to teach herself. “I admired my teachers so much and they were like parents to me, or like a different kind of parent,” she said. “They showed me things and helped me and they helped so much. I would just love it if a younger person thought I was doing that for them — giving that much back.” As an instructor at the university level, Tatge said she has some students who want to become professional musicians and others who just play cello because it is what they have always done and it’s what makes them happy. She loves to see players with different career aspirations still playing.

“That’s always fun because they always have a great time during the lessons,” she said.

Playing together

It is easy for orchestra musicians like Tatge to look at their career like an infinite cycle of new pieces to nail down for several days and then drop after the program is over. “After all these years, I’ve played so much music, but there’s so much out there,” she said. “There’s always a new piece coming at you.” Still, Tatge is ever the optimist. She enjoys being busy because she genuinely loves cello and playing music for a captive audience. It is such a large part of her life that at slower times, like in the summer, things seem a little off. “Sometimes you get a little antsy when you do have some down time,” she said. “You’re always like, ‘Oh, what am I missing?’”

I’m constantly looking for more ways to get more music out into the community. It’s such a wonderful thing. Valorie Tatge Tatge said of all the things she gets to do, the most rewarding part of her job is having a great number of incredibly talented colleagues. “There are so many fabulous musicians in our town,” she said. “It’s such a treat to work with any and all of them.” Tatge has been a member of OKC Phil for 25 years, and there are several other musicians who have been part of the orchestra for as long or longer. Having longtime colleagues is not something unique to the orchestra life, but Tatge said something special happens between orchestra players after years of shared immersion in classical music. They extend joy not only to their audiences, but to each other as well. “It really is a second family,” she said. “You see each other so often. You’re working together every night, every day. But yeah, it’s a special feeling to go and work with them.”

01/19

Don’t miss this event! Celebrate and support Oklahoma’s diverse art scene at the party with a purpose on Jan. 19.

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c u lt u r e

ARTS & CULTURE

Pueblo rises

Paseo’s first new construction in a decade welcomes the arrival of restaurant tenants. By Jacob Threadgill

Pueblo at Paseo, a mixed-use development with nine retail spaces, is the first business construction in the district in nearly a decade, said its developer Jeremy Foraker. The development is comprised of three buildings, and the upper section that includes six 300-600 square-foot small studio commercial spaces opened last September, but its storeowners have been patiently awaiting the opening of a pair of restaurants, which they hope will generate more foot traffic to the area. “Not many people know we’re up here,” said Cindy Cornelsen, owner of Smash Bangles, 607 NW 38th St., Suite F. “Once the restaurants open, I hope it will help to be a better barometer of how well I’m really going to do.” Cornelsen makes her own jewelry and uses the space to showcase art and other gifts made by Oklahoma artists. Foraker designed the building to provide affordable retail space for people looking to open their first brickand-mortar locations. Cornelsen is paying $725 rent per month, which is slightly higher than other gallery spaces but something she chalked up to new construction. “It’s a dream come true, and I’m in26

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credibly lucky to be here to showcase other people and hopefully do something for the small-art community in OKC,” Cornelsen said. Cornelsen’s visibility concerns should be somewhat assuaged with the opening of popular Norman restaurant Scratch Kitchen & Cocktails at the end of this week in the Pueblo, only a few feet away from her store. Other tenants in the building include photographer Eric Bloemers’ EB Gallery, Herban Mother and an office for Braid Creative. Scratch owner Brady Sexton said he contemplated an Oklahoma City expansion in Midtown a few years ago, and Foraker served as his realtor. Now that Foraker has moved into development, he called Sexton after finishing plans for Pueblo, of which Picasso Cafe owner Shaun Fiaccone is also an investor. Sexton met his wife in The Paseo Arts District about 10 years ago, and the couple still owns a home in the neighborhood. “We love the area,” Sexton said. “Scratch doing craft cocktails will go over well as a complement [to other businesses]. We look forward to being part of a community of restaurants that all do better as more people go there to dine.” Sexton opened a Scratch location in Telluride, Colorado, last month, and

tHe cottage Developer Jeremy Foraker designed Pueblo at Paseo, which houses nine businesses at the corner of 28th Street and Dewey Avenue. | Photo Jacob Threadgill

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the Paseo restaurant will feature a different menu from its Norman location. Scratch will split 3,150 square feet in Pueblo’s second building with Buttermilk Southern Sliders, a breakfast concept developed by Waffle Champion’s Todd Woodruff, which is shooting for an April 1 opening, Foraker said. Scratch serves a weekend brunch, but it’s open 11 a.m.-2 a.m. during the week. Foraker said Scratch’s evening hours will pair well with Buttermilk Southern Sliders’ morning rush in a neighborhood with limited parking.

It’s a passion project to have something in an area that is cool, interesting and fun. Jeremy Foraker

“Land is at a premium, and it is hard to scrap a bunch of houses to turn it into a parking lot,” Foraker said. “We added public parking to property, which was a difficult process working with traffic department, but it was a necessity to add as much parking as we could.” The concept behind Pueblo began three or four years ago after Foraker completed The Rise shopping center at 23rd Street and Walker Avenue with former business partner Johnathan Russell of Land Run Commercial Real Estate. The Foraker Company invests primarily in retail spaces but also some housing in Oklahoma City and smaller communities like Ada and Elk City.

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“It’s a passion project to have something in an area that is cool, interesting and fun,” Foraker said. “This is a unique development to put three buildings on one site with an outdoor patio space and small tenants.” The original design of Pueblo only had two buildings with a driveway connecting Dewey Avenue to 28th Street, but Foraker said the site’s topography, which has a 10-foot drop from the southwest corner to the northeast corner, made that design untenable. Instead, Foraker designed a third building and dropped it to a lower level, creating two courtyard areas. The third building, a 1,650 square-foot space along Dewey Avenue, had an original coffee shop tenant drop out. Foraker said he’s nearing a deal with a new restaurant that is aiming for a fall 2018 opening. He said that he is hopeful Pueblo’s two courtyards will become a mingling spot, especially during the Paseo’s monthly art walks and Paseo Arts Festival Memorial Day weekend. “In a small space, we’ve added nine new businesses,” Foraker said. “Hopefully it adds to the synergy and demand of the neighborhood and fits in with the tenants.” Foraker is developing seven additional 400 to 700 square-foot suites in conjunction with Fiaccone’s Mexican restaurant concept Frida that has yet to begin construction on the south side of 28th Street. “The demand [for retail space] has been here, but it’s been pent-up because there wasn’t anything available in the Paseo,” Foraker said.

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OCU PRESENTS 2018 FILM SERIES

ARTS & CULTURE Dietitian Jennifer Like helps people set realistic

Bakushû

goals and maintain healthy diets through the Oklahoma City-County Health Department’s Total Wellness program. | Photo provided

(EARLY SUMMER)

teins and dairy to create well-balanced meals. As the class progresses, participants talk about their behavior changes and barriers to continuing their new lifestyle. “We work with individuals to problem solve their barriers,” Like said. “Often, what we find is that nutrition and physical activity are not the biggest hurdles. It is getting enough sleep, reducing stress or taking medication on a regular basis.”

Dir. by Yasujirô Ozu, Japan ‘51

Diabetes prevention

SUNDAY, JANUARY 21st @ 2pm FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC Meinders Auditorium | NW 27 & N McKinley For more information visit okcufilmlit.org

List your event in

Submissions must be received by Oklahoma Gazette no later than noon on Wednesday seven days before the desired publication date. Late submissions will not be included in the listings. Submissions run as space allows, although we strive to make the listings as inclusive as possible.

Submit your listings online at okgazette.com or e-mail them to listings@okgazette.com. Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted. 28

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h e a lt h

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

Wellness visible

After 10 years, OCCHD continues to offer its Total Wellness program to help locals with weight loss and healthy living. By Laura Eastes

The hardest part about committing to healthy living is getting started. For the past decade, dietitians with the Oklahoma City-County Health Department (OCCHD) have helped countless locals begin a lifestyle change that resulted in reductions in cholesterol levels, blood sugar, blood pressure and weight loss. Over eight weeks, Total Wellness class participants learn the Pick Your Plate method, commit to 150 minutes of physical activity each week and develop the right state of mind to change unhealthy behavior. As an interactive weight loss program, Total Wellness also works with adults in the prevention of diabetes and heart disease, said Jennifer Like, a dietitian with OCCHD’s Total Wellness program. Classes began this month at nine locations across Oklahoma County. “One of the great things about our program is that it is realistic,” Like told Oklahoma Gazette. “It is not complex. There is no counting. There is no weighing. It is a very visual method of how to know if you are on the right track. We give the support that you need.” On the first day of class, participants don’t talk about how many pounds they

want to lose. Instead, everyone holds the same goal of losing 5 percent of their body weight and becoming more active.

What we are looking for is one to two pounds of weight loss each week. Jennifer Like “Five percent weight loss in eight weeks is a realistic goal,” Like said. “Some people come in with a goal that they want to lose 50 pounds. That’s not very realistic in that short time period. What we are looking for is one to two pounds of weight loss each week. For most people, 5 percent is going to be 10 to 15 pounds. Losing that 5 percent of your body weight puts you on that right path towards lowering your risk of both diabetes and heart disease.” In the early weeks, participants learn how to eat while achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. Through the Oklahoma Pick Your Plate Method, participants learn how to mix and match vegetables, grains, fruits, pro-

In 2007, the health department developed the Total Wellness class after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched its National Diabetes Prevention Program, a highimpact prevention approach to reduce new diabetes cases. The original classes targeted the county’s Hispanic residents with curriculum primarily focused on diabetes prevention. In 2009, OCCHD leaders revamped the program to focus on both the prevention of diabetes and reduction of heart disease. Classes were offered for eight weeks in locations across the county. Oklahomans have long struggled with obesity. When someone is overweight or obese, they face increased chances of developing type 2 diabetes. According to The State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America released in August, Oklahoma holds the ninth highest adult obesity rate in the nation. The share of the state’s adults who suffer from diabetes in 2016 was 12 percent, while 36.2 percent of adults suffered from hypertension (high blood pressure), which is another obesityrelated health issue. Like said Total Wellness produces many success stories. Some of the greatest feedback has come from participants who were advised by their physicians that they no longer needed certain prescription medication. Others have praised the program for kicking unhealthy habits. Overall, the program records about a 3 to 5 percent reduction in total cholesterol levels, blood sugar and blood pressure among class participants after eight weeks, Like said. “The hardest part is getting started,” she said. “This is a great way to get started in a very supportive environment where everyone is on the same page.”

For more Total Wellness | occhd.org/tw Multiple metro locations 405-425-4422 (English classes) 405-425-4308 (Spanish class) Free Note: Pre-enrollment is required. Participants must be 18 or older and can live outside Oklahoma County.

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

BOOKS Storytime with Miss Julie, Bring the kids for storytime with books Miss Julie picked herself. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. SAT The Song of the Lion, Anne Hillerman signs her mystery novel about a deadly bombing and how Navajo tribal cops must go back into the past to find the killer, 3-5 p.m. Jan. 20. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-8422900, fullcirclebooks.com. SAT Read the West Book Club, discusses Willa Cather’s book My Antonia written in 1918 and evoking the Nebraska prairie life of Cather’s childhood. 1-2:15 p.m. Jan. 21. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. SUN Art Adventures, bring your young artists ages 3 to 5 to experience art through books with related art projects, 10:30 a.m.-noon Tuesdays through June. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman, 405-325-3272, ou.edu/fjjma. TUE Reading Wednesdays, share the love of reading with your young children with seasonal, nature-themed books and interactive song and crafts, 10 a.m. Wednesdays. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. WED Read for Adventure, the OKC Zoo and Metropolitan Library Systems have partnered to publish the children’s book, Our Day at the Zoo and to create a community Read for Adventure program enabling readers to check out the new book from any of the 19 Metro Library locations, through March 31. Metropolitan Library System, 300 Park Ave., 405-231-8650, metrolibrary.org.

FILM Hare Krishna, (2017, USA, John Griesser), 70-yearold Indian Swami Srila Prabhupada arrives in America igniting a spiritual phenomenon, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 17. B&B Windsor Theatre 10, 4623 NW 23rd St., 405-917-2299, bbtheatres.com. WED Regular Lovers, (2005, France, Philippe Garrel), follows twenty-year-old François, a poet avoiding military service, who falls in love with a beautiful young sculptor, 7 p.m. Jan. 18. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. THU Archived Education: Forgotten Films for the Classroom, a special selection of 16mm films such as Why Man Creates and Discovering Composition in Art that are rarely pulled off the shelf, 3 p.m. Jan. 19. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. FRI Back to the Future, (1985 ,USA, Robert Zemeckis), travel back in time with 17-year-old Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) and eccentric scientist Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd), 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Jan. 20. Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd St., 405-708-6937, towertheatreokc.com. SAT

Bakashû (Early Summer), (1951, Japan, Yasujirô Ozu), a post-war film dealing with issues of communication problems between generations and the rising role of women, 2 p.m. Jan. 21. Oklahoma City University, 2501 N. Blackwelder Ave., 405-208-5000, okcu.edu. SUN Obsession, directed by Ivo van Hove, this encore presentation is a pre-recording of the stage production starring Jude Law, 6 p.m. Jan. 21. OCCC Visual and Performing Arts Center, 7777 South May Ave., 405-682-7579, occc. edu. SUN The Florida Project, (2017, UK, Sean Baker), covers a single summer of precocious 6-year-old Moonee (Brooklynn Prince) and her rebellious young mother Halley (Bria Vinaite), 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Jan. 19-20, 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Jan 21. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-2363100, okcmoa.com.

HAPPENINGS Festival of Arts & Ideas: Mysteries & Mysticism, a one-day unique learning experience with students and faculty on the theme of Mysteries and Mysticism, 7-9 p.m. Jan. 18. USAO Ballroom, 1727 West Alabama Ave., Chickasha, 405-224-3140, usao.org. THU Trailblazer Luncheon, features women who have led the way in their fields and this time it is a conversation with Mary Mélon, 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m. Jan. 19. State Chamber of Commerce, 330 NE 10th St., 405-757-3223, womenleadok.org. FRI ArtNow 2018 Closing Event, reserve your spot for the ArtNow 2018 closing event to shop the art sale and mingle with the featured artists, 6:30-11 p.m. Jan. 19. Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, 3000 General Pershing Blvd., 405-951-0000, oklahomacontemporary.org. FRI Free Trout Fishing Clinic, open to all ages with help from volunteer educators sharing tips for bait, equipment, knot-tying and more, 7-8:30 p.m. Jan. 19. Putnam City High School, 5300 NW 50th, 405297-1426, okc.gov/parks. FRI Home + Garden Show, escape the winter blues by shopping and saving on home and garden products with professional advice, Jan. 19-21. State Fair Park, 3001 General Pershing Blvd., 407-4705081, oklahomacityhomeshow.com. Image Transfer Workshop, taught by local artists Kjelshus Collins and Adrienne Day; learn how to transfer toner images onto printmaking paper to create collages, 1-4 p.m. Jan. 20. [Artspace] at Untitled, 1 NE Third St., 405-815-6665, 1ne3.org. SAT DIY Annuals from Seeds, once you learn the proper techniques, you can embellish your yard, patio or balcony with annuals this year, 10 a.m.-noon, Jan. 20. Will Rogers Garden Center, 3400 NW 36th Street, 405-943-0827, okc.gov/ recreation. SAT Winter Cornhole Tournament, promote the rights of local craft brewers with an indoor cornhole tournament benefiting the Craft Brewers Association of Oklahoma, 3-6 p.m. Jan. 20. Anthem Brewing Company, 908 SW 4th St., 405-6040446, anthembrewing.com. SAT Break the Ice, for ages 21 and up with cupcakes, beer flights, board games and ice skating as well as music by DJ Brian Smith, 8-11 p.m. Jan. 20. Devon

2018 Women’s March Stand for your right to be heard by marching around the Capitol starting at 11 a.m. on Saturday. Then enjoy a group of speakers and entertainment at noon at the Oklahoma State Capitol, 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd. SATURDAY Photo Laura Eastes Ice Rink, 100 N. Robinson Ave., 405-235-3500, downtownindecember.com. SAT Professional Bull Riders, dirt-flinging bull riding battles with several PBR World Champions including Cooper Davis, J.B. Mauney and more, 6:45 p.m. Jan. 20 and 1:45 p.m. Jan. 21. Chesapeake Arena, 100 W. Reno Ave., 405-602-8700, chesapeakearena.com. SAT Single Space, reflect, prioritize and renew your perspective for 2018 with women like you, 3 p.m. Jan7, Jan. 14, Jan. 21, Jan. 28. Studio 7, 520 NW 23rd St., 405-409-2878, studio7okc.com. SUN

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

YOUTH Drop-In Art: Self-Portrait Prints, carve and print self-portraits using Styrofoam sheets and block printing inks with teaching artist Erin Latham, 1-4 p.m. Jan. 20. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. SAT

Cash Flow Planning, from Tuesday Topics, a free financial and educational lunch series presented by Allegiance Credit Union, noon-1 p.m. Jan. 23. Leadership Square, 211 N. Robinson Ave., 405-2350877, allegiancecu.org. TUE

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A Kaleidoscope of the West, Don Reeves, McCasland Chair of Cowboy Culture, concludes his 38 years at the museum with a talk on the collections, ideas and friendships he has made, 1-2 p.m. Jan. 24. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. WED Leadership Development, a seminar for business professionals and innovators about profitable relationships, overcoming fear and building confidence, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Jan. 24. Chesapeake Arena, 100 W. Reno Ave., 405-602-8700, chesapeakearena.com. WED Museum Theory and Practice, explore the research, preservation, management and interpretation of historical and cultural resources, through April 27. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-4782250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. TUE

FOOD Fork + Bottle: New Year, New Neighbors, an evening with fine wine and craft beer from Stonecloud Brewing Company and a five-course meal, 6:30-9 p.m. Jan. 18. Mary Eddy’s Kitchen x Lounge, 900 W. Main Street, 405-982-6960, maryeddysokc.com. THU Pop-Up Hack Your Coffee Bar, find out how coffee can unlock your health potential with engergizing and health-boosting ingredients, noon-2 p.m. Jan. 19. Natural Grocers, 7013 N. May Ave., 405-8400300, naturalgrocers.com. FRI Breakfast in the Bridge, starts with a scavenger hunt, a talk about products from the tropics and ends with healthy breakfast food from the rain forest and desert, 10-11:30 a.m. Jan. 20. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-4457080, myriadgardens.com. SAT Ladies Coffee Night, share culture and create connections while raising awareness on global women’s issues such as ending violence, 5:30-8 p.m. Jan. 20. Raindrop Turkish House, 4444 N. Classen Blvd., 405-702-0222, facebook.com/ raindropokc. SAT

40 Minutes or Less: Surrealism Night OKC Film Society presents independent, art house and avant-garde short films at [Artspace] at Untitled, 1 NE Third St. The surrealist films include Un Chien Andalou, Meshes of the Afternoon and more. The screening is 6-7:30 p.m. Jan. 25. Admission is free. Call 405-815-9995 or visit 1ne3. org. JAN. 25 Photo [Artspace] at Untitled/provided

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

go to okgazette.com for full listings!

Heroes & Villains Cirque Musica showcases feats of strength, skill and grace with the world’s greatest circus and acrobatic performers. Oklahoma City Philharmonic performs music that takes audiences on a musical journey through songs featuring their favorite heroes. Heroes & Villains starts 8 p.m. Jan. 26-27 at Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave. Tickets are $19-$68. Call 405-2972264 or visit okcphil.org. JAN. 26-27 Photo Cirque Musica/provided

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calendar Introduction to Glassblowing, a workshop for beginners focusing on safety, the movement of glass and creating glass paperweights, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Jan. 20. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. SAT

l isti n gs

continued from page 29 Explore It!, answer all your questions of what, why and how about the natural world we live in, 11:30 a.m.-noon Saturdays. Sam Noble Museum, 2401 Chautauqua Ave., Norman, 405-325-4712, samnoblemuseum. ou.edu. SAT

Master Strokes: Dutch and Flemish Drawings from the Golden Age, showcasing 93 works from the 16th-20th centuries including masterpieces by Rubens, Rembrandt and Sir Anthony van Dyck. Works by lesser-known artists are also included as well as designs of architecture and the applied arts, through Jan. 21. 2018. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com.

Discovery Time, a program for preschool and elementary-age kids with a hands-on activity of stories, crafts and discovery table specimens, 2:30 p.m. Sundays. Sam Noble Museum, 2401 Chautauqua Ave., Norman, 405325-4712, samnoblemuseum.ou.edu. SUN

Native Voices: Native Peoples’ Concepts of Health and Illness, explores the interconnectedness of wellness, illness and cultural life for Native Americans, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. through Jan. 17. Sam Noble Museum, 2401 Chautauqua Ave., Norman, 405-325-4712, samnoblemuseum.ou.edu.

Kid Inventor, design, test and build unique creations using a variety of materials and technologies such as Legoes, string, paper and more, through March. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2020 Remington Place, 405-602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org.

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

PERFORMING ARTS Garrett Jacobson and Jeremy Thomas, two jazz organists in musical conversation on the Hammond organ accompanied by Lee Rucker on trumpet and Dave Bowen on drums, 7 p.m. Jan. 21. The Depot, 200 S. Jones Ave., Norman, 405-307-9320, pasnorman.org. SUN String Theory, presents a trio of string quintets by Bunch, Mozart and Dvořák with a touch of clarinet, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 23. St. Paul’s Cathedral, 127 NW Seventh St., 405-235-3436, stpaulscathedralokc.org. TUE

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

One Work, Many Voices: The Question of Beauty, artists Marilyn Artus and Nicole Emmons-Willis discuss topics of feminism, equality and power inspired by a single work of art, 6-7 p.m. Jan. 18. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. THU

Come-and-Go Telescope Lessons Own a telescope and want to learn how to use it? Bring your telescope to familiarize yourself with correct operating techniques during an informal, come-and-go event with Oklahoma City Astronomy Club 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday at Science Museum Oklahoma, 2020 Remington Place. Admission is free-$15.95. Call 405-602-3760 or visit sciencemuseumok.org.

Open Impressionism: The Works of Erin Hanson, a large selection of paintings by Erin Hanson showing works from the past decade and her evolution into one of the most sought after artists of her generation, through Feb. 22. The Goddard Center, 401 1st Ave. SW, Ardmore, 405-226-0909, goddardcenter.org.

SATURDAY Photo Science Museum Oklahoma/provided

Past, Present & Future, represents contemporary artists from wellestablished artists to emerging artists and the artists of right now, through 28. JRB Art at The Elms, 2810 N. Walker Ave., 405-528-6336, jrbartgallery.com.

Beer and Yoga with Fusion Fitness, bring your own mat; Lazy Circles Brewing will supply the beer! Classes are taught by Lindsey from Fusion Fitness, 2 p.m. Jan. 20. Lazy Circles Brewing, 422 E. Main St., Norman, 405-310-5364, lazycirclesbrewing.com. SAT

Yoga in the Gardens, an all-levels class led by Lisa Woodward from This Land Yoga; class participants should bring a yoga mat and water, 5:45 p.m. Tuesdays. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. TUE

Winter Yoga & Ayurveda Workshop, learn easy and practical ways to incorporate Ayurveda, nutrition, yoga asana, breath work and self-care routines, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Jan. 20. Aalim Bellydance Academy, 2520 N. Meridian Ave., 405-844-0304, aalimdanceworld.com. SAT

Line Dancing Lessons, perfect your dancing skills with some country music, Wednesdays. Chisholm’s Saloon, 401 S Meridian Ave., 405-949-0423, facebook.com/chisholmssaloon. WED

Drop-In Yoga: Saturday Morning Yin and Mindfulness, yoga instructor Tracy Dawn Espinosa Checotah teaches a reflective practice in the galleries focusing on calming the mind, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Jan. 20. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. SAT Thunder Youth Basketball Winter Camps, for 9-14-year-olds, the hustle camp takes place after the OKC Thunder game focusing on ball-handling, dribble-and-drive tactics and finishing at the rim, Jan. 21. Cox Convention Center, 1 Myriad Gardens, 405-602-8500, coxconventioncenter.com. SUN

VISUAL ARTS ArtNow 2018, features 25 artists’ artwork with tours, artist talks and a chance for guests to learn about the artists’ creative process, through Jan. 19. Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, 3000 General Pershing Blvd., 405-951-0000, oklahomacontemporary.org. As I See It, features paintings of Oklahoma Artist Steve Hicks ranging from landscapes to abstract art, through Feb. 25. The Depot, 200 S. Jones Ave., Norman, 405-307-9320, pasnorman.org.

Cartoons & Comics: The Early Art of Tom Ryan, the drawings of acclaimed Western artist Tom Ryan are displayed showcasing his creativity, talent, and humor from his teenage imagination, high school and coast guard years and his school paper’s sports page, through April 1. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. Conversation with a Curator, join director of curatorial affairs Michael Anderson for a tour of Master Strokes: Dutch and Flemish Drawings from the Golden Age, 2 p.m. Jan. 20. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. Decomposition: Discovering the Beauty and Magnificence of Fungi, the kingdom of fungi is on display at SMO’s smART Space Galleries exploring the uses, benefits and beauty of fungi, through Aug. 12. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2020 Remington Place, 405-602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org. Docent-Guided Signature Tour, see some of the finest Western art in the country with ethnographic material from Native Americans and mountain men, and learn about frontier military life, Saturdays and Sundays through Feb. 25. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. Eclectic Eye, a diverse showcase of different mediums, such as oil pastels, acrylics and photography with Margaret Hoge, Jane Morgan, Stephanie Halley and more, through Jan. 28. In Your Eye Gallery, 3005 Paseo St. #A, 405-525-2161, inyoureyegallery.com. Flat Rocks opening reception, an evening presenting the works of Danny R.W. Baskin with large interactive pieces offering food and drink, 7-9 p.m. Jan. 19. Individual Artists of Oklahoma IAO Gallery, 706 W. Sheridan Ave, 405-232-6060, individualartists.org. FRI Head Space, engage in a process of discovery and exploration with University of Oklahoma MFA students Camila Linaweaver and Sean Mueller, through Feb. 2. The Lightwell Gallery, 520 Parrington Oval, Rm. 202, Norman, 405-325-2691, art.ou.edu. I-35 Toy Trucks, BJ White paints abstracts on man’s imprint on the earth from constructions and habitats to trucks, through Feb. 17. [Artspace] at Untitled, 1 NE Third St., 405-815-6665, 1ne3.org.

International Finals Rodeo Watch as cowboys and cowgirls from around the world compete in barrel racing, roping, bull riding, bronc riding and more, and shop a variety of vendors at the trade show Friday-Sunday. Then attend a cowboy church service and bring the kids for OG&E Kids Day at Rodeo on Sunday at Oklahoma State Fair Arena, 333 Gordon Cooper Blvd. Tickets are $10-$31. Call 405-948-6800 or visit ipra-rodeo.com. FRIDAY-SUNDAY Photo IPRA Rodeo/provided 30

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

go to okgazette.com for full listings!

Resolutions, a group art show with a diverse group of artists working in the theme of New Year’s Resolutions, through Feb. 4. DNA Galleries, 1709 NW 16th St., 405-525-3499, dnagalleries.com. SHIFT, Factory Obscura presents a fullyimmersive, experiential art installation that challenges the participant to physically explore the full-sensory environment, Thu-Sun noon-6 p.m. through Feb. 25. Current Studio, 1218 N. Pennsylvania Ave., 405-673-1218, currentstudio.org. Strange Tide, Danny Joe Rose III’s paintings are abstract and reminiscent of places he has been, a sort of visual history, through Feb. 17. [Artspace] at Untitled, 1 NE Third St., 405-815-6665, 1ne3.org. The New Art: A Controversial Collection Fifty Years Later, the 150-piece permanent collection purchased from the Washington Gallery of Modern Art is dedicated to the collection of contemporary art and features abstract expressionism, postpainterly abstraction, color field painting and pop art, through May 13. 2018. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. Turn the Page 2018, artists Holly Bjorkstrom, Kafie Gibson Carman, Annalisa Campbell and more express what turning the page means through their art, noon-5 p.m. Tue-Sat through 27. Paseo Art Space, 3022 Paseo St., 405-525-2688, thepaseo.com.

Submissions must be received by Oklahoma Gazette no later than noon on Wednesday seven days before the desired publication date. Late submissions will not be included in the listings. Submissions run as space allows, although we strive to make the listings as inclusive as possible. Fax your listings to 528-4600 or e-mail them to listings@okgazette.com. Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.

For okg live music

see page 33

MUSIC either at the end of this year or early next year.

EVENT

OKG: You’re also known for your work as a studio producer. What were some of the projects you worked on in 2017 that you thought were interesting? Linville: Yeah, Jason Scott’s Living Rooms EP just came out, and I’m really proud of that. I worked with Erin O’Dowd on her full-length release, which is about to come out. I’m working on some songs for a guy named Michael Wilkinson in Florida. So yeah, I have some projects going on, and in some ways that has dominated my recording work throughout the year because I only have so much time that I can get to stuff. Part of me putting out another record is sort of putting a pause button on all of that for a little while so I can think about my own material. I’m sort of just now getting there, but I really enjoy producing records for songwriters.

Travis Linville | Photo Blake Studdard / provided

En route

Travis Linville looks back on a big 2017 as he plans his return to The Blue Door. By Ben Luschen

Though Travis Linville’s stand-out Americana and folk album Up Ahead was released in 2017, many of its songs were written one or two years prior. It would be easy to understand how the longtime Oklahoma singer-songwriter, producer and noted sideman for Texas crooner Hayes Carll could tire of the material he has been living with nearly every day for the last several years. Speaking recently with Oklahoma Gazette, Linville said while he has happily moved on from some of the songs in his early career, the slightly melancholy twinge on Up Ahead still feels fresh and relatable. Linville spoke with Gazette ahead of his scheduled date at The Blue Door, a venue the artist has sold out the last few times he has played there. The show is set for 8 p.m. Jan. 27 at the popular listening room, 2805 N. McKinley Ave. Often known for his studio work and contributions as a side performer, Linville used 2017 as a year to step out on his own, traveling across the nation in support of Up Ahead. In March, he was named a Country Artist You Need to Know by Rolling Stone. Aside from the success of his new album, Linville spoke on the current projects he is involved in as a producer and his work as an adjunct professor at the Academy of Contemporary Music at the University of Central Oklahoma (ACM@UCO), where he has worked for the past six years.

Oklahoma Gazette: How has the fan response to Up Ahead been in the last year? Was it everything you hoped? Were there any surprises for you taking that album out on the road? Travis Linville: The response was great. Everybody was really supportive. There are a lot of people who have been following what I do for a long time. A lot of that is taking different shapes from playing as a local singer-songwriter or being a bandleader or kind of being a side man or a performer for other artists. OKG: Did you feel like you made a lot of those connections out on the road? Linville: Yeah. It was a big year as far as making new fans and meeting new people. That’s all one of the more rewarding parts of doing music. One of the parts of doing music that I like is the travel and meeting new folks along the way. I’ve always had my foot in a few different worlds, and I think really what the difference was that this past year I squarely put myself back into the driver’s seat of my own calendar and my own career and my own music. It’s kind of hard to fully do that if I’m on tour half the year playing guitar for Hayes Carll. So I’ve been out doing something that’s not too much different from what I’ve been doing the last 10 years, except that I’ve stepped back into the world of doing it with my own songs and on my own.

OKG: Has your relationship with the songs on Up Ahead shifted at all? You probably wrote those several years ago, and here we are in 2018. Linville: Relationships with songs always change over time. In my experience, a lot of times, they dwindle away. I don’t have much interest in playing songs that I wrote when I was 20 years old because I don’t much care to hear what the 20-yearold version of myself had to say. But with these songs, I’ve played them all year long and I feel like they still hold up and they still keep my interest. I’m still proud of them. It’s only one year in, but as of now, they still feel relevant and current to me.

I’m squarely back in the world of controlling my own schedule. Travis Linville OKG: For 2018, do you think you’ll still be as focused on some of your solo work, or are there other kinds of projects you think you’ll be involved in? Linville: I’m going to continue on. I’m squarely back in the world of controlling my own schedule. That’s one of the big perks to doing music as a job — you can create your own world and reality, as far as when and where you work. It’s hard to do that if you’re waiting for someone else to let you know when you’re playing. I’m going to be touring a lot this summer — as much as possible. And this year as much as possible. And working toward another record release

OKG: Are you still working as an adjunct professor at ACM@UCO? Linville: Yeah, definitely. This is the first day of spring semester. I typically direct a few bands here and sometimes teach a songwriting class or ear training or music fundamentals classes. I really love it. You know, I started hanging around a music store in Chickasha where I grew up. Every day, I would just go in and hang. I was 15 years old and looking for a job that wasn’t in a kitchen, which is where I was working at the time. I kept asking the guy, “Hey, what do you think about me working here?” and he was just kind of like, “This is a one-man show. This is just a little music shop; I don’t need another worker, but if you want to teach lessons, you can.” So I started teaching guitar lessons in 1995, something like that. In some way or another, I’ve always tried to keep education part of my thing. It’s just important to pass it down and I enjoy it. But ACM is awesome. The people here are great and the staff is really, really great. Many of the people I work with I’ve known for years. I love it here at ACM, and it’s definitely a jewel for Oklahoma City. OKG: Is there anything about the Blue Door show you want to add? What can people expect with that? Linville: Yeah, well, we love playing The Blue Door. It’s all-ages; it’s BYOB, which is kind of a cool thing. I guess the last three or four times I played there, it’s sold out, so it’s definitely a make-sureyou-get-tickets-early situation. But as far as 2018 goes, we’ve just got to keep grinding away playing wherever and whenever I can find a place to play.

Travis Linville 8 p.m. Jan. 27 The Blue Door | 2805 N. McKinley Ave. bluedoorokc.com | 405-524-0738 $20

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MUSIC Keller Williams | Photo Taylor Crothers / provided

purpose for exposed toes. Some of the pedals he had to press with his feet were so small that he’d often press more than one down while wearing shoes. “With my toes, as I’m playing, I could kind of feel around where these buttons are with my toes using the sense of feel,” he said. Local fans can count on seeing Williams’ well-kept feet when the musician performs 8 p.m. Jan. 26 at Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd St. Admission to the all-ages show is $22-$30. The only times Williams shelters his digits on stage are in extreme elements, something he won’t be exposed to in the Tower’s warm confines. “I’ve been taken to my knees with electric shocks through the microphone,” he said. “There are festivals where it’s raining and the water is creeping in. I mean, I’m not stupid. But I do it anytime I can get away with it, which is 99.9 percent of the time.”

EVENT

Stepping out

Acoustic ascension Keller Williams is still shattering acoustic expectations with the help of loop pedals.

By Ben Luschen

Keller Williams’ live show is a unique sight to behold. Many have compared his distinctive acoustic guitar and looping pedal technique to a one-man jam band. Williams prefers the term acoustic dance music, and the sounds he conjures with little more than his guitar, looper and computer push the boundaries of genre. Those who look a bit harder at Williams’ highly praised live show, however, will notice another striking detail: He often performs barefoot. “It definitely doesn’t feel right when I have my shoes on and I’m playing,” Williams said. “It feels too different, and I don’t like it.” Williams (no relation to the Texas32

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based realty company of the same name), has been churning out his blend of jazz, rock, reggae, electronica and progressive bluegrass since the late 1990s. The outdoor festival favorite is known for his adventurous series of solo, monosyllabic studio albums including 1999’s Breathe and 2002’s Laugh. In January ’17, he released Raw, his first full-length to ditch loop pedals and feature just Williams’ guitar. In a recent conversation with Oklahoma Gazette, Williams said his penchant for playing barefoot began as a teenager when he was just trying to be comfortable on stage. But as he began to incorporate the pedal bass into his act more and more, he saw a practical

Williams first adopted the pedal bass while playing small bars and clubs in the ’90s. As just an acoustic musician, he felt nearly invisible in rooms full of people mostly focused on drinking their beer or talking to a friend. He needed some way to grab people’s attention. “I wasn’t able to afford anyone to play with me — I couldn’t pay them,” he said. “And I didn’t want some kind of cheesy sequencer to play the music as soon as you hit the button.” Williams began trying out the pedal bass as a way to make more sound without the help of others. As he got better at it, he noticed a lot more people were paying attention to what he was doing. It was unique and upbeat. “It kind of turned into this little dance party,” he said. Looping and synthesizer technology has improved by leaps and bounds since Williams began using it in the previous century. He now has a pick-up in his guitar that sends the vibrations in his strings to his computer, which then translates that into programmed cello, flute, saxophone and other samples. “Just for the guitar-playing consumer,” he said, “there’s so many inexpensive tools you can buy and plug in, ready to go, to start looping.”

Musical meld

Some recording artists — either through their own established precedent or pressure to keep up with the hot new sound of the day — find themselves conforming to a kind of sound they think their fans want to hear. For Williams, this dynamic works in the opposite direction. He makes music for himself first; fans tune in to hear what new direction Williams wants to take his sound. Though that kind of creative independence is often championed by fans and musicians alike, to actually forge one’s own path takes courage. Williams

knows his career will only last as long as he can maintain fan interest. “I definitely could not do what I do if people were not buying tickets to the shows,” he said. “And if they stopped buying tickets, then I’m done; I’m going to be a DJ or something.” Williams’ music ranges from steady bluegrass to bizarre electronic-sounding blends. He said his fans and other jam band enthusiasts are usually pretty open to a wide range of sound. “The open-minded folks that come to these shows maybe share my undiagnosed attention-deficit disorder and we all get along pretty good,” he said. It isn’t just Williams who is blending sounds these days. The musician notices a number of areas where different musical camps are beginning to overlap. Electronic music has borrowed hiphop’s half-time groove and adapted it for its own purposes while, in turn, hip-hop adds more tones of electronica. Williams said a lot of today’s pop music has taken on a slightly rougher aesthetic from EDM. “It’s definitely still polished,” he said, “but it’s definitely got the grimy grunge of all the subgenres of electronic dance music.”

I’ve been taken to my knees with electric shocks through the microphone. Keller Williams

New work

Williams is working on a couple of new releases that will likely make their way to fans within the next year. On one all-instrumental project, he will be swapping out the bass line on a few of his older songs and replacing it with acoustic upright bass from Danton Boller. Boller is the bassist in Williams’ fourpiece band KWahtro, which released its Sync album in January 2017. Aside from the instrumental album, Williams also plans on releasing another solo vocal album in 2018. His back catalogue is rich with distinct and frequent projects. Williams sees everything he puts out as a monument to his life at a certain point in time. “Releasing records for me is more of a documentation,” he said, “just to kind of document where I am and what I’m doing musically.” Visit kellerwilliams.net.

Keller Williams 8 p.m. Jan. 26 Tower Theatre | 425 NW 23rd St. towertheatreokc.com | 405-708-6937 $22-$30

LIVE MUSIC These are events recommended by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members. For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.

wed - Ladies Night & daNce LessoNs @7 thurs - siN Night driNk speciaLs

WEDNESDAY, 1.17

jam sessioNs w/ BreNt kruger & joN murchisoN (No cover)

Amarillo Junction, JJ’s Alley. COUNTRY

Fri & Sat - $10 bucketS during gameS

Andy Adams, The Lobby Bar. FOLK

HyperPhlyy, The Chameleon Room. R&B

Martha Odom, The R&J Lounge and Supper Club. POP Ridiculas Trixx/They Act Human/The Devil’s Cut, Red Brick Bar, Norman. ROCK

THURSDAY, 1.18 Brent Kruger & Jon Murchison, Chisholm’s Saloon. ROCK Christy Hays, The Deli, Norman. SINGER/ SONGWRITER Edgar Cruz, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond. ACOUSTIC Stephen Baker, Blue Bonnet Bar, Norman. INSTRUMENTAL

FRIDAY, 1.19 Big Easy Brawler, The Chameleon Room. POP Brandi Reloaded, Sherlock’s Night Club. ROCK EverFade, The Root. ROCK Faux Fiction/Brain in the Sky/Kompulsive Child, Your Mom’s Place. PUNK Feel Spectres/Anvil Salute, Blue Note Lounge. INDIE Groove Merchants, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond. VARIOUS

Jessica Tate Album Release Show Jazz harpist Jessica Tate releases her fourth album, Sideshow Cabaret, featuring original music and jazz standards. The album release show is 7-10 p.m. Friday at VZD’s Restaurant & Bar, 4200 N. Western Ave., and features jazz band Amante. The cover charge is $5. Call 405-602-3006 or visit vzds.com. FRIDAY Photo Jessica Tate/provided

SUNDAY, 1.21 Amanda Cunningham, Lost Highway Bar. SINGER/SONGWRITER Deep Deuce Brass Band, Venu Lounge. REGGAE Hosty, The Deli, Norman. BLUES Jeremy Hall/Jarvix, Sauced on Paseo. INDIE Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives, Tower Theatre. COUNTRY

Michael Kleid’s Touch Of Sax, Flint. POP

JC Hopkins Band, Hollywood Corners Station, Norman. COUNTRY

MONDAY, 1.22

John Baumann, The Blue Door. COUNTRY

Jelani Eddington, Oklahoma History Center. INSTRUMENTAL

Nadachance/Yung Flexo/Brae Sav and more, Tower Theatre. HIP-HOP Paxton Pennington, The Deli, Norman. SINGER/ SONGWRITER Randy Cassimus, Full Circle Bookstore. ACOUSTIC Stoney LaRue/Bo Phillips Band, Graham’s Central Station. COUNTRY Uncle Blue, Jacky’s Unique Club. BLUES

SATURDAY, 1.20

Old Bulldog Band, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond. ROCK Shocker Boys, Uncle Freddy, Next Halen and more, Oklahoma City Limits. ROCK

February 4 R.luM.R

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Tickets and Info TOWERTHEATREOKC.COM @towertheaterokc 405-70-TOWER | 425 NW 23rd St. OKC

Oklahoma City Community College 2017–2018 Performing Arts Series Presents

The Hunts, OCCC Visual and Performing Arts Center. FOLK

WEDNESDAY, 1.24 Margo Price, Diamond Ballroom. COUNTRY Samantha Fish, VZD’s Restaurant & Bar. BLUES

Claire Piersol Duo, The Lobby Bar. JAZZ

Mike Rae & Abbigale Dawn, Blue Bonnet Bar, Norman. FOLK

January 30 PROPAgAndA

Matt Bradford, Red Brick Bar, Norman. FOLK

Whisky Priest, Blue Bonnet Bar, Norman. ROCK

Midas 13, Fuel Bar & Grill. ROCK

January 27 RECKlEss KElly

Hosty, Hollywood Corners Station, Norman. BLUES

Savoy Trio, The Lobby Bar. JAZZ

Lisa Morales, The Blue Door. SINGER/SONGWRITER

ChiSholMSSaloon

TUESDAY, 1.23

Born in November, Noir Bistro & Bar. R&B

Jason Scott, McClintock Saloon & Chop House. SINGER/SONGWRITER

401 S. Meridian like uS

The Edmond Jazz Orchestra, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond. JAZZ

All Seems Lost/Agony/Sathe/Dog Will Hunt and more, 89th Street - OKC. METAL

Haniwa/Packing for Pluto, VZD’s Restaurant & Bar. ROCK

January 26 KEllER WilliAMs

Metro Strings, Full Circle Bookstore. INSTRUMENTAL

Pallbearer/Sumoken/Idre, 89th Street - OKC. METAL

Meanstreak, Oklahoma City Limits. ROCK

Home oF tHe true country weStern welcomeS i Fr

Wicked Shimmies/Dresden Bombers, Red Brick Bar, Norman. ROCK

Jack Rowdy, The Landing Zone, Midwest City. COUNTRY

JV’s Fillin’ Station, Blue Bonnet Bar, Norman. COUNTRY

January 25 dK THE dRuMMER

jan 19 - jackSon tillman jan 26 - jimmy blytHe

Braxton Speaks, Blue Bonnet Bar, Norman. SINGER/SONGWRITER

Jeffrey Lewis & Los Bolts, 89th Street - OKC. INDIE

January 21 MARTy sTuART

The music of The Hunts, a Virginia-based band of seven siblings, runs from folk-rock to noise-pop. Known for their harmony-laced take on alt-folk, their music reveals their sophisticated sense of melody and undeniably dreamy innocence.

Live music submissions must be received by Oklahoma Gazette no later than noon on Wednesday seven days before the desired publication date. Late submissions will not be included in the listings. Submissions run as space allows, although we strive to make the listings as inclusive as possible. Fax your listings to 528-4600 or e-mail to listings@okgazette.com. Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.

Tuesday, January 23 • 7:30

pm

Tickets: $15–$29

Child and Group Ticket pricing available—contact the Box Office for more information.

tickets.occc.edu • 877-285-9286 • www.occc.edu/pas OCCC Visual and Performing Arts Center Theater • Oklahoma City Community College 7777 South May Avenue ONE

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go to okgazette.com for full listings!

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puzzles New York Times Magazine Crossword Puzzle VOWEL PLAY

By David Steinberg | Puzzles Edited by Will Shortz | 0107

ACROSS 1 Start of the third qtr. 4 Treatment centers? 8 Sycophant’s quality 13 Mr. Dithers’s wife in Blondie 17 ____-ball pens 18 Ristorante dessert 20 Construction-site vehicle 21 Top 22 Richard Simmons diet regimen / London tabloid 24 Records 25 One may have a height restriction 26 Gauge 27 Carpe ____ 29 What a red pepper on a menu may signal / Made clear 31 Caninelike animal more closely related to a cat than a dog 32 Three-engine planes 34 Babies grow into them 35 O. J. Simpson trial judge 37 “Goosebumps” author 38 So-called “cradle of civilization” 40 Curse 43 Preceder of free throws / Juice container? 46 Pretended to be 50 Inventor Howe 51 Discombobulated 52 Slimming surgeries, in brief 54 ____ Ste. Marie, Michigan 55 Strategic position 57 Like the data in big data 59 Warriors’ org. 60 Really bothered 62 Used, as a chair 65 Chow mein relative 67 Self-reflective question 69 Fooler / Summer Olympics standout 72 Sound signal booster 73 Kind of medicine 75 Lady friend, in Livorno 76 SoCal-based sneaker brand 78 Zeno of ____ 79 Colonial Indian title 81 When big bands thrived 84 Bridges of old film 86 “Shush!” 88 Writer Shaw 91 Scheduled to arrive 92 Hypothesized

94 Harry Potter’s ex-girlfriend / Register sound 96 National Spelling Bee airer 97 Some prized Prado pieces 99 One of the Kennedys 100 Disappointing 102 Sin subject? 104 Lessens the distance between, in a race 106 Straight or curly hair, e.g. 110 “He’s so lame!” / Deer variety 112 Golden-apple goddess 114 App developer’s milestone 115 Prefix with port 116 Photographer’s light 118 Thin neckwear / Assam or Earl Grey 120 Complete 121 Lightly touched 122 Afghan, e.g. 123 Cursive capital that looks like a flipped “&” 124 Mustang feature 125 Mount 126 Little sibling, often 127 Major race sponsor

DOWN 1 Jerusalem’s onetime kingdom 2 Nervous 3 Act the middleman 4 Visits for a time 5 Yappy lap dogs, informally 6 Plane calculation 7 Unadventurous 8 Word after “&” in many a company name 9 Minister’s home 10 Makes into a movie, say 11 Trusts 12 Richie’s mom on Happy Days 13 Flare-ups in the hood? 14 OxyContin or Demerol 15 Fixes the décor of completely 16 Canceled 19 Sort of 20 Thin layers 23 Moscow landmark 28 Writer Jong 30 “Hoo boy!” 33 Solidify 36 18, say 37 Is litigious

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free will astrology Homework: Report your favorite graffiti from a bathroom wall. Go to Freewillastrology.com and click on “Email Rob.” ARIES (March 21-April 19) Many American women

did not have the right to vote until August 18, 1920. On that day, the Tennessee General Assembly became the 36th state legislature to approve the Nineteenth Amendment, thus sealing the legal requirements to change the U.S. Constitution and ensure women’s suffrage. The ballot in Tennessee was close. At the last minute, 24-year-old legislator Harry T. Burns changed his mind from no to yes, thanks to a letter from his mother, who asked him to “be a good boy” and vote in favor. I suspect that in the coming weeks, Aries, you will be in a pivotal position not unlike Burns’. Your decision could affect more people than you know. Be a good boy or good girl.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) In the coming weeks,

Destiny will be calling you and calling you and calling you, inviting you to answer its summons. If you do indeed answer, it will provide you with clear instructions about what you will need to do expedite your ass in the direction of the future. If on the other hand you refuse to listen to Destiny’s call, or hear it and refuse to respond, then Destiny will take a different tack. It won’t provide any instructions, but will simply yank your ass in the direction of the future

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Looks like the Season of a Thousand and One Emotions hasn’t drained and frazzled you. Yes, there may be a pool of tears next to your bed. Your altar might be filled with heaps of ashes, marking your burnt offerings. But you have somehow managed to extract a host of useful lessons from your tests and trials. You have surprised yourself with the resilience and resourcefulness you’ve been able to summon. And so the energy you’ve gained through these gritty triumphs is well worth the price you’ve had to pay. CANCER (June 21-July 22) Every relationship is

unique. The way you connect with another person -- whether it’s through friendship, romance, family,

or collaborative projects -- should be free to find the distinctive identity that best suits its special chemistry. Therefore, it’s a mistake to compare any of your alliances to some supposedly perfect ideal. Luckily, you’re in an astrological period when you have extra savvy about cultivating unique models of togetherness. So I recommend that you devote the coming weeks to deepening and refining your most important bonds.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) During recent weeks, your

main tasks have centered around themes often associated with strain and struggle: repair, workaround, reassessment, jury-rigging, adjustment, compromise. Amazingly, Leo, you have kept your suffering to a minimum as you have smartly done your hard work. In some cases you have even thrived. Congratulations on being so industrious and steadfast! Beginning soon, you will glide into a smoother stage of your cycle. Be alert for the inviting signs. Don’t assume you’ve got to keep grunting and grinding.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Norwegian artist Edvard

Munch (1863-1944) created four versions of his iconic artwork The Scream. Each depicts a person who seems terribly upset, holding his head in his hands and opening his mouth wide as if unleashing a loud shriek. In 2012, one of these images of despair was sold for almost $120 million. The money went to the son of a man who had been Munch’s friend and patron. Can you think of a way that you and yours might also be able to extract value or get benefits from a negative emotion or a difficult experience? The coming weeks will be a favorable time to do just that.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) “I think I like my brain

best in a bar fight with my heart,” says poet Clementine von Radics. While I appreciate that perspective, I advise you to do the opposite in the coming weeks. This will be a phase of your astrological cycle when you should definitely support your heart over your brain in bar fights, wrestling matches, shadow boxing contests, tugs of war, battles of wits, and messy arguments. Here’s one of the most important reasons why I say this: Your brain would be inclined to keep

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the conflict going until one party or the other suffers ignominious defeat, whereas your heart is much more likely to work toward a win-win conclusion.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) When he was 24 years

old, Scorpio-born Zhu Yuanzhang (1328-1398) was a novice monk with little money who had just learned to read and write. He had spent years as a wandering beggar. By the time he was 40 years old, he was the emperor of China and founder of the Ming Dynasty, which ruled for 276 years. What happened in between? That’s a long story. Zhu’s adventurousness was a key asset, and so was his ability as an audacious and crafty tactician. His masterful devotion to detailed practical matters was also indispensable. If you are ever in your life going to begin an ascent even remotely comparable to Zhu’s, Scorpio, it will be in the coming ten months. Being brave and enterprising won’t be enough. You must be disciplined and dogged, as well.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) In 1892, the

influential Atlantic Monthly magazine criticized Sagittarian poet Emily Dickinson, saying she “possessed an extremely unconventional and grotesque fancy.” It dismissed her poetry as incoherent, and declared that an “eccentric, dreamy, half-educated recluse” like her “cannot with impunity set at defiance the laws of gravitation and grammar.” This dire diss turned out to be laughably wrong. Dickinson is now regarded as one of the most original American poets. I offer this story up as a pep talk for you, Sagittarius. In the coming months, I suspect you’ll be reinventing yourself. You’ll be researching new approaches to living your life. In the course of these experiments, others may see you as being in the grip of unconventional or grotesque fantasy. They may consider you dreamy and eccentric. I hope you won’t allow their misunderstandings to interfere with your playful yet serious work.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Bubble gum is

more elastic and less sticky than regular chewing gum. That’s why you can blow bubbles with it. A Capricorn accountant named Walter Diemer invented it in 1928 while working for the Fleer Chewing Gum Company.

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At the time he finally perfected the recipe, the only food dye he had on hand was pink. His early batches were all that color, and a tradition was born. That’s why even today, most bubble gum is pink. I suspect a similar theme may unfold soon in your life. The conditions present at the beginning of a new project may deeply imprint the future evolution of the project. So try to make sure those are conditions you like!

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) “When one door

closes, another opens,” said inventor Alexander Graham Bell. “But we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened.” Heed his advice, Aquarius. Take the time you need to mourn the lost opportunity. But don’t take MORE than the time you need. The replacement or alternative to what’s gone will show up sooner than you think.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) Gilbert Stuart painted

the most famous portrait of America’s first president, George Washington. It’s the image on the U.S. onedollar bill. And yet Stuart never finished the masterpiece. Begun in 1796, it was still a work-inprogress when Stuart died in 1828. Leonardo da Vinci had a similar type of success. His incomplete painting The Virgin and Child with St. Anne hangs in the Louvre in Paris, and his unfinished The Adoration of the Magi has been in Florence’s Uffizi Gallery since 1671. I propose that Stuart and da Vinci serve as your role models in the coming weeks. Maybe it’s not merely OK if a certain project of yours remains unfinished; maybe that’s actually the preferred outcome.

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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