Come Hungry

OKC's communities — including the arts, home kitchens and traditional restaurants — shape the way people eat.

- 405 PITSTOP

@BEERCITYOKC

02/11 - MY SO CALLED BAND

02/17 - LATRICE ROYALE

02/18 - GASOLINA

02/21 - JERRY HARRISON & ADRIAN BELEW

02/24 - SPELLING BEE(R)

02/25 - THE DOLLY PARTY

03/03 - SOFT HANDS

03/09 - BORED TEACHERS COMEDY TOUR

03/10 - A TRIBUTE TO THE PURPLE ONE

03/11 - BE OUR GUEST: DISNEY DJ NIGHT

03/17 - PINK FLOYD LASER SPECTACULAR

03/18 - AMERICAN PETTY & DREAMS UNWIND

03/19 - K. MICHELLE

03/24 - FORGOTTEN SPACE: GRATEFUL DEAD TRIBUTE

03/25 - THE TAYLOR

Dr. King’s “mistake”

CELEBRATIONS OF THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. OFTEN FOCUS ON WHAT IS PALATABLE FOR WHITE AMERICANS AND SHY AWAY FROM THE RACIAL INEQUITIES THAT BRING US DISCOMFORT 45 YEARS LATER.

By Robin Meyers

I’m writing on the day we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Many people observe the holiday by doing a service project, and I just returned from helping OCU students make a thousand sandwiches for the Homeless Alliance. We mostly remember the “I Have a Dream” speech King and forget the last five years between the March on Washington and his assassination on the balcony of the Lorraine Hotel in 1968. That’s when he grew increasingly convinced that, as he told his friend Harry Belafonte, we might be integrating people into a house that was burning down. Without economic justice there is no social justice.

In a book that should be required reading in every school— that is, if we weren’t trying to keep our students from learning the truth—King wrote about the need for systemic change, not just an end to the most overt and vile forms of segregation. The book was called, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? It made King into the enemy of more than just white supremacists. It turned “white moderates” against him when his sermons shifted from racial equality to those reforms necessary to address the forces that kept Black people from achieving self-sufficiency and social mobility.

Exactly one year before King was murdered, he spoke at the famed Riverside Church in New York City. On the upper west side of Manhattan, just blocks from Wall Street, King spoke directly to the vast inequality of wealth in America (which is far worse today), reminding a mostly white and wealthy audience that the black soldiers fighting in Vietnam were there to protect freedoms that many would not enjoy when they returned home. The next morning, in the liberal New York Times , the paper’s own editorial was entitled, “Dr. King’s Mistake.”

In it, the editorial board criti-

cized King for venturing outside of his area of moral expertise (integration) and into the world of economics, which he should leave to the “experts” of predatory capitalism. What they really meant of course, is that it’s one thing for a prophet to speak to the condition of the human heart, but the red line for corporate America is the sanctity of a system that produces and protects wealth for the already wealthy. King had this strange idea that we should help the people who need help, not the ones who don’t.

It is one thing to protest the shameful segregation of Jim Crow, but do not talk about reparations or higher wages, or someone is liable to pay a redneck to shoot you. Sentiment is one thing we are all entitled to, but do not cross the golden calf. We will name streets after Dr. King and observe his birthday, and condemn systemic racism but leave banking regulations to banks, and redlining to mortgage companies. As for unions, my evangelical friends tell me that Jesus is against collective bargaining.

People forget that the March on Washington was for jobs and freedom, not just for making speeches and singing “We Shall Overcome.” In his later years, King would explain that there are really two phases of the civilrights movement. The first was to recognize the humanity of Black people. The second was to work toward true community and equality. This requires more than a change of heart, although this is a first step. After changes in the law that made the most obvious segregation illegal, the second phase has been more than just illusive. We have actually gone backwards, especially with the frontal assault on voting rights.

The truth is that it is painful to acknowledge that so much of what King preached against is still with us. In The Guardian, British journalist Gary Younge wrote: “The

codified obstacles to freedom and equality have been removed, but the legacy of those obstacles and the system that produced them remains. Black Americans are far more likely than white people to be stopped, frisked, arrested, jailed, shot, and executed by the state, while the racial gaps in unemployment are the same as 40 years ago, the racial disparity in wealth and income is worse than 50 years ago … [People of color] have the right to eat in any restaurant they wish; the trouble is, many can’t afford what’s on the menu.”

So let us keep marching but let us do more than march. Let us look long and hard into the enduring soul of racism itself. It is in all of us. As for the inconvenient truth of prophets, let us remember that we have always stoned the real ones to death. Several years ago, the cover of The New Yorker showed Martin Luther King Jr. kneeling on the sidelines of an NFL game with Colin Kaepernick. It reminded us of what King would be doing today and why so many of us would still hate him.

To conclude on a personal note, I had just become captivated by the voice of Dr. King as a teenager, when at the age of 15, on a fishing trip with my preacher father, the news came of his assassination. It was one of the only times I saw my father cry. Just two months later, the best of

all the Kennedy brothers, in my opinion, and probably the next president, Bobby, was also shot dead. A darkness fell across that spring in 1968 that is hard to imagine if you did not live through it.

So, what shall we do? To begin, let’s try to appreciate why King has been both sentimentalized, misunderstood, and misrepresented. And then us work to make the dream a reality, even when it requires sacrifice. Here is one of King’s lesser-known quotes: “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”

So, we shall. And one day, Overcome.

The Rev. Dr. Robin Meyers is pastor of First Congregational Church UCC in Norman and retired senior minister of Mayflower Congregational UCC in Oklahoma City. He is currently Professor of Public Speaking, and Distinguished Professor of Social Justice Emeritus in the Philosophy Department at Oklahoma City University, and the author of eight books on religion and American culture, the most recent of which is, Saving God from Religion: A Minister’s Search for Faith in a Skeptical Age. Visit robinmeyers.com.

Robin Meyers | Photo by Berlin Green

Illustrations by Jerry Bennett

There’s a new attorney general in office, and he’s bringing the smoke.

Gentner Drummond had spent less than two weeks in office when his office fired off an email — on a Sunday evening no less — announcing that he will be turning up the heat on the Swadley’s investigation.

“The Office of Attorney General is the appropriate entity to determine if the findings merit prosecution and, if they do, to prosecute any wrongdoers. One of my top priorities in this office is to end the culture of corruption and scandal. Oklahomans deserve true accountability in government,”

Drummond wrote in a press release.

When the smoke cleared, Swadley’s had scooped up $16.7 million in state funds to renovate and open restaurants in an exclusive contract with the state tourism department.

That’s not the only investigation heating up. He dismissed a civil suit against ClassWallet, a Florida company previously accused of mishandling $31 million in state education funds. But that doesn’t mean bad actors are off the hook.

“After a thorough review of this

lawsuit filed by the previous Attorney General is almost wholly without merit. It is clear that a number of state actors and other individuals are ultimately responsible for millions in mis-

spent federal relief dollars,” Drummond wrote.

It may be a little too early for barbecue season, but we’re getting out the lawn chairs for this grilling.

Years in the making, State Question 820 will finally be put to a vote on March 7. It might just be the first time a cannabis initiative has stood alone on the ballot in this country.

To be sure, all bloodshot eyes will be on us that day. The stakes are high — and made higher — by the fact that the state legislature has already introduced bills, or at least shells of them, that could introduce qualifying conditions and THC limits of products sold in the current legal market.

But most importantly, this is Oklahoma’s chance to atone for its longstanding and draconian prohi-

bition and enforcement policies which still result in thousands of people a year ending up behind bars for possessing a plant that is magi cally made legal by holding a piece of state-endorsed plastic. And that legalization effort is retroactive, meaning our overcrowded state prisons will see some much needed relief by way of releasing nonviolent offenders. And let’s face it, Oklahoma’s burgeoning restaurant scene — which recently received numerous James Beard Foundation semifinalist nominations — could certainly use the munchies money.

Sure, the cannabis industry here

shake fronts morphed into dispensaries five years ago and many will be something else when the market boil reduces to a simmer. That’s going to happen regardless of legislation, but Oklahoma has done something unique here and there’s no reason why the industry —

which brought more than $115 million in tax revenue in the preceding 18 months — should go up in flames prematurely.

Court cuisine

TWO BLACK-OWNED RESTAURANTS ARE BRINGING AN UNPRECEDENTED HELPING OF SOUL TO MALL-GOING EXPERIENCES IN OKC.

By Evan Jarvicks

Pretzels, pizza slices, and other on-the-go snacks have long been favored within the bustling food court hearts of American shopping malls. Quick meals, however, tend to lack soul. They might make an impression for a moment, but the moment dissipates too soon, encouraging shoppers to move on with their day. Malls are designed to function this way, of course, but a new league of Oklahoma City restaurateurs are challenging that notion of late. By simply inviting a more intentional dining experience, they imply a question: What if food courts were a destination unto themselves?

Spunkie’s Soul Food — located inside Penn Square Mall — and Flavor Train — located at OKC Outlets — have a lot in common. Both originated from food truck concepts, both are Black-owned businesses, and both offer some of the most hearty made-to-order dishes around with nary a heat lamp in sight. In a place where folks rarely stop to smell the flowers, these two make a strong case to stop and taste the flavors.

Salivation station

Inspired to leave corporate work behind to chase her culinary dreams, Robbin Adams leapt into the food truck game in 2017. She founded Flavor Train, one of Oklahoma City’s best-kept burger secrets, and last August, it pulled into OKC Outlets for a long-term stay. While the truck is still active, big appetites can find her adventurous spin on gourmet burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, fries, and more in the outlet mall’s food

court seven days a week.

“I can do a lot more now than being on my truck,” Adams said. “Even though I’m in the mall, it’s still a brick-and-mortar to me.”

One need only glance at the sizable menu to see what she means. The sandwich selection is double that of the food truck, allowing for even more niche burger offerings. Favorites like the bacon jam-topped Sweet & Sassy Burger

money, but it also makes the bold choice to include croutons under the bun. In a decidedly weird way, it works.

“Some people come in, and they want the same thing all the time. I try to convince them to try new things,” Adams said.

Other highlights include the cherry pepper-adorned Fajita Dog and the Diablo Dawg, which includes crushed Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. If it isn’t obvious by now, Flavor Train loves a good dash of heat. Adams said that it is all part of what makes her food different.

“I love to play with spices,” Adams said. “I did not want to open and sell the same food as everyone else. I wanted my food to have a twist to it.”

That twist extends to the side dishes as well, with the option to upgrade one’s fries for a mere dollar a nobrainer. Not to be confused with the heaping loaded fry main dishes, these are seasoning upgrades that include garlic parmesan and, perhaps most strikingly, Caribbean jerk options. Even the simplest of sides are high points, with the perfectly prepared onion rings and house-seasoned fried okra options outperforming just about any barbecue joint in town.

and the Flame Thrower, which pairs ghost pepper cheese with locally-sourced hot sausage, are all here. Brilliant newer experiments like the restaurant’s awardwinning German Burger and the Big Caesar are given the chance to shine, however. The latter, for instance, not only brings romaine lettuce, parmesan, and caesar dressing to give the traditional bleu cheese burger a run for its

This is casual sitdown food at its best...and biggest. Portions are more than ample, especially for the price point, and it is a reflection of Adams’s values intersecting with customer demand. She wants to ensure her customers are getting a good deal, even those with smaller bellies. The most popular dish with kids is the chicken tender basket, and it packs three fresh, robust tenders in every meal.

Flavor Train’s Conductor Dog with parmesan garlic fries. | Photo by Berlin Green

“When I first opened the restaurant, I did have a kid’s menu,” but, Adams said, “the kids were eating from the big menu.”

If children are some of the harshest critics around, this is quite the endorsement.

While not overtly a soul food concept, the soul that emanates from Flavor Train’s kitchen is unmistakable, and when combined with an inspired menu, this makes Chef Adams an unmatched culinary voice sorely missing in Oklahoma City burger discourse.

Spunkie fresh

When approaching Spunkie’s Soul Food inside Penn Square Mall’s second-floor food court, one message becomes apparent. Multiple signs plainly state, “We’re selling soul food, not fast food.”

Only a true momand-pop business could get away with this spunky approach to customer service, and in a building full of sterilized corporate messaging, it is an oasis of personality. Founders Tony and DeNoya Crawford are not shy people.

“We come from big families that always have really high energy, so Spunkie’s was perfect for our company name,” DeNoya Crawford said. “We are full of energy and love to have fun with our Spunkie’s customers. We grew up loving and eating soul food.”

Like Flavor Train, Spunkie’s started in 2017 as a food truck business before moving into a mall environment last year. Since September, the restaurant has offered bounties of fried chicken, pork chops, greens, and yams to shoppers, but the menu extends beyond the usual soul food suspects. Some of the items the Crawfords would like to see more customers try include the corn pudding, grape cake, and BBQ meatballs. Regardless of the order, though, one can rest assured that everything is made to order.

“You will have to wait on your food, but it will be good and hot. We don’t

just have the food sitting around under warmers,” Crawford said.

This makes an especially important difference when it comes to fish and fowl. Spunkie’s fried chicken comes piping hot with a

menu’s love for cake, it gets difficult to save room for dessert with such a full main dish.

“We try to give people their money’s worth,”

Crawford said.

The restaurant recently started offering smaller plate options for those not looking to fill all the way up, and this could be a smart move given that the mall’s AMC multiplex is just around the corner from the food court. Save for places like Flix Brewhouse, where meals are delivered in-theater, Spunkie’s is perhaps the most convenient dinnerand-a-movie option around, and having smaller portions leaves just enough room for popcorn on date night.

Not everyone is keen on this arrangement, unfortunately. With the new exposure to a more diverse market that Penn Square Mall provides, some openly racist people have stumbled onto a new target for harassment. Crawford said that Spunkie’s workers regularly get violent, slur-heavy phone calls demanding them to leave the mall. It gets rough.

MUNCIPAL JUDGE

Salary $110,789.28. The City of Oklahoma City seeks a full-time Municipal Judge. Upon appointment, must be a resident of Oklahoma City, with a minimum of four years’ experience in Oklahoma as a licensed, practicing attorney. Additional requirements are listed in the application.

All interested applicants should apply at www.okc.gov/departments/ personnel/careers.

Please direct all inquiries to Assistant City Manager/Court Administrator, LaShawn R. Thompson at (405) 297-2673.

Applications with resumes will be accepted February 1, 2023 –February 28, 2023.

juicy, satisfying first bite that no fast food joint can imitate, much less replicate. The catfish is flaky, striking the right balance between its white meat tenderness and cornmeal crisp. Neither need condiments, but for spicier tongues in want of a hot sauce kick, the Spunkie’s house-standard recipe is likely to appease.

Side dishes include soulful takes on the basics, like the mashed potatoes made with hearty lumps and a homemade gravy that is somewhere in the middle of white and brown. Less common options include the rice broccoli cheese casserole, which includes a veggie component cooked to such tenderness that it blends into the cheese easily.

The portions are robust too. A fried pork chop meal, for instance, comes with two large chops when one would be plenty. Despite the

Obviously, such people have never tried the food. At Spunkie’s, love itself is literally cited as an ingredient in family recipes, and the uncompromising care that its owners take in preparing a quality meal speaks volumes in a place where quick bites are the norm.

People and food are not dissimilar. Not taking the proper time to prepare or enjoy a meal is like not making the effort to appreciate the complexities of individual persons. Nuances are missed. Experiences are shallowed. The true potential of diversity is lost.

After decades of food court corner-cutting, however, Blackowned businesses in OKC are challenging the status quo for the better. By favoring taste to its fullest, Spunkie’s Soul Food and Flavor Train are not only bringing delicious, intentional dining to their respective courts, but they are also furthering a simple, universal message. Slow down, and appreciate the flavor.

TUESDAY MARCH 21 Drive by

SUNDAY MARCH 26

Colony House

SUNDAY APRIL 16

Judah & the Lion

WEDNESDAY APRIL 26

Blues Traveler

THURSDAY APRIL 27

MONDAY JUNE 19

Flavor Train stands in the food court of the Outlet Shoppes. | Photo by Berlin Green

Every meal from Spunkie’s is packed with flavor. | Photo by Berlin Green

Bring your appetite

OKLAHOMA CONTEMPORARY’S LATEST EXHIBIT IS ALL ABOUT THE FOOD

By Kendra Michal Johnson

It’s a necessity, a joy, sometimes a luxury, often too scarce, a chameleon that takes different shapes in different cultures and contexts, and the subject of Oklahoma Contemporary’s latest exhibit: food.

The Art of Food: From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation will be on display from Feb. 2 through May 22, with an opening celebration from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Feb. 9.

Admission to the exhibit is free, but tickets are required for the opening celebration.

Oklahoma Contemporary Director Jeremiah Matthew Davis described the exhibit as “a creative exploration of everything that revolves around food and the things around which food revolves.”

The show invites its viewers to take a deeper look at the role sustenance plays in their lives.

“It’s an opportunity to, in a fun and at times deep way, interrogate the things that nourish our bodies and the cultures that revolve around the things that we eat and grow,” Davis said.

The subject matter makes the artwork relatable to a wide range of audiences.

“Whether they’re new to contemporary art or whether they are dyed-in-the-wool, card-carrying contemporary art enthusiasts. There’s work that’s fun, immediately recognizable. Things that will make people laugh, that will delight children,” he said.

Davis said he also wants to encourage viewers to think in depth about their relationships with food.

“I hope that it inspires them to think a little bit more deeply about their own relationship to food, whether that’s a cultural one—depending on where they grew up—or how their families introduced food and food culture to them, how our food is grown and processed, how we relate to food, whether that’s as an idea, as nourishment, as a cultural carrier of information and

histories,” he said. “And, really, to think about not only what exists in the past but how they want to think about the culture of food in Oklahoma in the future.”

The Art of Food includes work by various artists and is united by the common theme rather than a singular artistic approach.

“It is an exhibition featuring 36 postwar and contemporary artists and about 100 objects that engage with different aspects of food, from community to foodways, agriculture, control and then some things that are more related to traditional depiction of foods, like still lifes,” Davis said.

“This gives us the opportunity to let our audiences, without having to book a plane ticket, come down to Oklahoma Contemporary, get a free admission to the galleries, and scope out works by people

including Katherine Ace, Neal Ambrose-Smith, Enrique Chagoya, David Gilhooly, Damien Hirst and Hung Liu.

“There’s also a few of these really lovely, small scale watercolors depicting bar scenes from [Warhol’s] hometown of Pittsburgh that he created before he moved to New York to launch his iconic career in the contemporary art world,” Davis said.

And Chagoya’s work in the exhibit riffs off Andy Warhol’s famous soup cans.

“So that intrigues us because Andy Warhol’s already paved the way for us seeing soup cans as a fas-

collection with communities across the United States.

“We brought the biggest names of the last 50 years, right to their own community, right there,” he said. “Just blocks away from where people live and work in Oklahoma City.”

Journey to Oklahoma

The show was first brought to fruition by Interim Director and Curator of Exhibitions Olivia Miller at The University of Arizona Museum of Art as a curated exhibit from the art collection of the Schnitzer family foundation.

“My process is a bit of an ebb and flow,” Miller said. “And what I mean by that is that I start really big. So you know, the first part of this exhibition had to do with just gathering all of the relevant images and so that involved working with the staff at the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation, and just asking them to gather any image that would relate to food or drink.”

The resulting selection was large enough to require being narrowed down.

“Food is a huge topic. I could have gone in any number of directions,” Miller said.

Narrowing criteria included logistical concerns such as available space, but also creative considerations.

like Roy Lichtenstein and Jenny Holzer, Andy Warhol, John Baldessari, you know, some of the major names that are present in the show.”

The exhibition includes both well-known and lesser-known pieces from a total of 36 artists,

cinating object,” Family Foundation President Jordan Schnitzer said. “But then Enrique Chagoya puts his own words in, which makes us think differently about his perspective.”

Schnitzer said he sees himself as “a sort of Johnny Appleseed of art,” and enjoys sharing his art

“As the themes began to take shape, works that maybe were initially on my list, I felt like they were now becoming a bit more tangential to the focus and so that was another way they got cut,” she said.

The Art of Food exhibition was previously on display at the University of Arizona from Oct. 2021 to March 2022. It found its

Exhibition view of The Art of Food, now open at Oklahoma Contemporary. | Photo by Berlin Green

The Enlightened Savage by Enrique Chagoya | Photo by Berlin Green

way to Oklahoma Contemporary through the museum’s prior rela tionship with the foundation.

“We established a relationship with Jordan Schnitzer and his family foundation years ago when we borrowed several objects from their collection for inclusion in our 2021 exhibition Ed Ruscha: OKLA,” Davis said.

Choosing and planning future exhibitions is a process that typi cally starts about two years in advance. Once the museum decides on a traveling exhibit to bring in— which they do approximately once every two years, Davis said—it’s time to start the preparations.

Hands-on Programing

The museum will also include opportunities for viewers to inter act on an in-depth level with the content and context of the works.

“We build education programs around it, we think about how to connect it with our community through marketing and advertis ing communications,” Davis said. “We also ponder how we’re going to support it.”

“We’re creating an art gallery installation directly adjacent to the exhibition space that allows our visitors to come in, dig in a little bit, flip through some books, maybe check out a documentary about the show or relevant to the

Jonathan Seliger’s Fresh stands in front of Andy Warhol’s The Cow. |

Photo by Berlin Green

Benjamin Holland Wells

Home cooking

Jonnie Holmes was told she couldn’t sell her jams and jellies made in her home kitchen without having several of her products tested by the Oklahoma State Department of Health.

Holmes, the owner of Jake’s Jams in Tulsa, was spending $225 per test for each flavor to have the Department of Health approve the products for sale.

by Joanna

Discouraged by the barriers and costs of starting a small food based business, Holmes paused her dreams of manufacturing jams and jellies for eight months. As she was about to start manufacturing the products in are one of many goods — including breads, honey, popcorn, roasted coffee, and scones to name a few — Oklahoma co-ops and grocers are allowed to sell from local producers without access to a commercial kitchen space.

Thanks to the Homemade Food Freedom Act — an amendment of the 2017 Oklahoma Home Bakery Act that went into effect Nov. 1, 2021, Holmes can produce her “cottage food” wares from her home instead of a commercial kitchen. Cottage food products are usually sold at farmers markets, online, on-road markets, and roadside stands.

As long as they’re shelfstable and don’t contain any cannabis, meat, meat by-products, poultry, seafood, and unpasteurized milk, the regulations allow for earnings up to $75,000 each year in sales, according to the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture. The state previously

capped earnings at $20,000. There are still restrictions in place despite the changes. Currently, homemade alcoholic beverages are not for sale and the state requires labeling restrictions vendors have to follow to be able to sell their goods in store.

Food revolution

The number of farmers markets nearly doubled from 4,700 to 8,700 from decade to decade ending in 2018. Farmers markets, on-road markets, and roadside stands generated $2.2

food law. Both they and the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture had input.

“I think having this flexibility is good for everyone and benefits everyone to be able to sell these kinds of products,” Forbes said.

Angela Renee Chase, the co-owner and operator of Flora Bodega, a local cooperative grocery store in Oklahoma City, is one of the people who helped knock on the doors of legislators at the Oklahoma State Capitol to advocate for changes to the law.

Chase noted prior to the changes, selling dry goods or preserves made in a home kitchen was illegal.

“Oklahoma refers to itself as a ‘farm state,’ but a lot of those basic foods people were buying or trading had no idea it was illegal,” she said.

Chase voiced frustration with the inconsistencies in requirements for both grocers and vendors.

billion worth of local food products sold by farms to consumers in 2015, according to the U.S Department of Agriculture.

Meagan Forbes, director of legislative council and senior legislative council for the Institute for Justice, was involved in changing cottage food laws not just in Oklahoma but nationwide. The Institute for Justice is a nonprofit advocacy group based in Virginia.

Forbes talked with Oklahomans interested in changing the law because of indoor farmers markets by the Oklahoma State Department of Health for violations of the existing cottage

While she is pleased with the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture and Oklahoma State Department of Health communicating more frequently, she believes further clarity is needed in regards to the regulations such as SafeServ, a food safety certification course.

“We try to be as ready as possible for inspection if they want people to get the ServSafe license at all to sell goods,” she said. “The accessibility of what they want people to get such as food handlers license, they might ditch. They have incomplete rules on how they want to handle this.”

SafeServ is a requirement in Cleveland, Oklahoma, and Tulsa counties, and the City of Stillwater, according to the Oklahoma Restaurant Association.

Erica Rankin-Riley, Public Information Officer at the Oklahoma State Department of Health, said grocers and vendors need to be aware

Flora Bodega sells a variety of cottage goods from local makers. (above) A chocolate torte made by Angela Chase. (below) | Photos by Berlin Green

of the requirements for the act and to educate themselves.

“This will allow individuals to know what is in the law and what steps they need to take to ensure they are following it,” she said.

Recipe for success?

Chase pointed to inflation making everything more expensive for small business owners. She added people can’t afford to travel or rent a commercial kitchen space all the time, thus making the cottage food industry a necessity for those wanting to start their own business.

“This in-between step that can be leveraged to get there, to grow bigger. I think people miss that point,” she said. “If they want to argue about whether that’s less people that are going to be in these commercial kitchens, there could have been more people with these amazing skills if the resource gap wasn’t so big the entire time.”

Katherine Whalen, Managing Director of Gardens & Outreach at St. Francis of the Woods near Coyte, says the change in regulations has been beneficial in regards to eliminating waste and finding additional revenue due to being able to sell canned goods.

Whalen explained canning is a helpful way to preserve the harvest and sell excess food.

“We could only sell so many through our avenues, but we weren’t able to make the rest into pear butter to sell. We still could give it to friends, of course, but we weren’t able to include it in our finances.” she said.

Whalen says food safety is on the back of her mind when creating products to sell.

“I would never want someone to get sick from something I made. Not only would that be forever on my conscience, it’s also bad for business. I imagine most small-scale producers feel the same. We take pride in what we make and sell,” she said.

Holmes takes pride in the fact the regulations have been encouraging for both consumers and small food based producers.

“As a small, food-based business I can now introduce new products, allowing my business to grow. The new guidelines help to ensure food safety is a priority, and I’m sure to follow all of the rules and regulations,” she said.

Holmes’ ultimate dream is to move production of Jake’s Jams into a commercial kitchen. Until then, she isn’t dissuaded from enjoying the challenges of operating a small food based business.

“There is room for us all,” she said.

Super supper

There is nary a tradition as American as Super Bowl Sunday, when friends, families and neighbors get together to watch two football teams battle one another for a ring. Along with watching what has arguably become America’s favorite pastime (here’s looking at you Major League Baseball), a concurring tradition is to feast on America’s iconic dishes during the big game. Here are some places to find your Super Bowl spread.

By Tatum Stewart

Chick-N-Beer is a longtime Uptown 23rd gastropub specializing in traditional double-fried chicken wings as well as gluten-free and cauliflower varieties. Their flavor options are bold and authentically Korean-based, ranging from BBQ honey and red curry to a savory gochujang (a sweet and spicy fermented red chili paste). Along with a wide array of sauces, they also house a tap wall with an impressive variety of Oklahoma brews.

Opening in 2003, Bedlam BBQ has become an Oklahoma staple. Preparing their meat in the traditional curing and dry-rub technique, Bedlam flawlessly delivers fall-off-the-bone ribs, juicy brisket and perfectly smoked chicken. Along with their smoked meats, they also offer your traditional barbecue sides like cowboy beans and nontraditional sides like sriracha honey eggs. Whatever your classic Super Bowl cookout looks like, Bedlam BBQ has what you need to fill in the gaps or provide the main course.

One of OKC’s newer bars, The Flycatcher Club, has already made quite the name for itself. On the outside, you wouldn’t be able to guess that it’s the sister bar of downtown cult classic Bar Arbolada, but inside you’ll find the burger Alton Brown hailed as the best in the nation. Not only do they have a critically-acclaimed double cheeseburger, but they also offer a perfectly fried chicken sandwich, a savory pork belly sandwich, and a two-dollar beer.

405-604-6995 • 715 NW 23rd St. chicknbeerokc.com

405-780-6578 • 1137 NW 2nd St. instagram.com/theflycatcherclub

Photos provided

405-528-7427 • 610 NE 50th St. | bedlambarbq.com

Chick-N-Beer

The Flycatcher Club Bedlam BBQ

Another good place to find a great chicken sandwich is NASHBIRD. Tucked away on NW 9th Street in Automobile Alley is this Nashville hot chicken shop with a walk-up counter and bar. This casual dining spot has something for every chicken lover whether that’s wings and jumbo tenders. With seven heat levels ranging from “chirp” all the way to “reaper,” they also offer family packs that are perfect for the Sunday game. Make sure you save room for their velvety banana pudding.

A staple of a good Super Bowl watch party is the classic chips and dips setup. Big Truck Tacos has long expanded from its original food truck but still has exactly what you crave. Their creamy queso, fresh roasted salsa and housemade guacamole will wow your party. Along with their regular cheesy fare, they also offer a more elite queso variant with chorizo, black beans, guacamole and pico de gallo that’s worth every penny.

Empire Slice House also needs little introduction, as they’ve been feeding local Oklahomans unique New York-style slices for years. Their full 20-inch pies range from different complex flavors such as the Figgy Stardust, a basil pestobased pie with figs, ham, roasted chicken and marinated mozzarella, to more subtle pies such as the Doug E. Fresh, their take on the classic margarita pizza.

The onion burger has been a fan favorite for Okies since its humble conception, reportedly in an Ardmore cafe in the 1920s. Tucker’s is a joint where you can find caramelized onions to pair with their fresh, juicy patties and customize the rest to your liking. They have traditional shoestring fries that are perfectly salted every time and their creamy milkshakes will help soothe if your team loses the game.

The Mighty Mississippi is Callin’ Your Name!

Enjoy Broadway’s Tony Award-winning musical re-envisioned in an all-new, hour-long version of Mark Twain’s popular novel. With adjustments made for period-specific language and updating the roles of Jim and Huck, this tale of friendship-against-all-the-odds is re-imagined for two best friends who show a path to a better world. Great fun for all ages!

4 WEEKS ONLY! • FEBRUARY 16 - MARCH 11

405-525- 8226 • 530 NW 23rd St. bigtrucktacos.com

405-600-9718 • 1 NW 9th St. nashbirdchicken.com

405-557-1760 • 1804 NW 16th St. empireslicepizza.com

405-609- 2333 • 324 NW 23rd St. tuckersonionburgers.com

Big Truck Tacos

NASHBIRD

Empire Slice House Tucker’s Onion Burger

ARTS & CULTURE

Heavenly beings

THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR OF JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR MAKES ITS STOP IN OKC THIS MONTH.

By Adrienne Proctor

Jesus Christ Superstar, the controversial rock opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, makes its 50th anniversary tour stop in Oklahoma City this month.

It runs Feb. 14 through 19 at the Civic Center as part of the 2023 OKC Broadway series.

A reimagined account of the Christian gospels told from Judas’ point of view, the earthly Jesus is painted as a rockstar with hordes of crazed fans in his wake in lieu of pious followers. The show remains polarizing and has been criticized for being blasphemous, offensive and even antisemitic. The show’s creators remained ever faithful, backing their intentions to create a relatable, humanized version of the deity. The original run was nominated for five Tony Awards, and a Broadway revival in 2012 introduced Jesus Christ Superstar to a younger generation of theatre goers, one that is more tolerant of religious controversy than their grandparents were. The 50th anniversary tour remounts the original show and puts a modern spin on it with a vibrant, diverse cast as well as striking costuming and staging choices.

This touring production is of particular interest to Oklahoma City, as one of our own steps into the iconic role of Judas. Oklahoma native Elvie Ellis graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2014 and went on to perform first in the national tour of Waitress. He joined the cast of Jesus Christ Superstar in October as part of the 45-city national tour.

“This show is really special because it’s celebrating the 50th anniversary of one of the most iconic musicals in theatre history,” Ellis said. “Jesus Christ Superstar has such a long-standing history and dedicated following, so it’s awesome to be a part of that legacy on this scale. Playing Judas has been so rewarding because this is a true dream role of mine. When I first fell in love with musical theatre, I never thought I would be able to sing this role or perform at this level, so it’s been fulfilling and affirming to be able to do this.”

When a local performer swings back through town on a national tour, it’s a rite of passage and performing at the Civic Center is a fullcircle moment for performers and audiences alike.

“There’s nothing quite like returning to Oklahoma to perform. I was born and raised in Oklahoma City, and this is where I first experienced theatre and became obsessed with the artform. It’s surreal to be able to come back home in a production of this scale and to be performing at the OKC Civic Center where I’ve seen countless touring shows, in hopes that one day I would be performing on that stage. I’ll be dedicating each performance to the place I call home and all the people — family, friends, and teachers — that have helped me get here,” Ellis said.

They’re not portrayed as just ancient, one-dimensional beings. I hope people come see our show and leave asking themselves who they might be in this story, what decisions they might make if faced with the same circumstances, who the real villain is in the story, or if there is even a villain at all. Telling this story, the way we tell it has given me the opportunity to see these two characters in particular (Jesus and Judas) as people first and epic Biblical figures second. It’s allowed me to see them

quality, Broadway-caliber theatre to people across the country. Traveling to New York City to see a Broadway show can cost a lot of money, and the unfortunate reality is that many people don’t have the resources to make a trip like that possible for them or their family. I love that we get to bring that special experience to people right in their hometowns (or close to it). We get so many people at the stage door that tell us this was their first live musical experience ever, and so many young people in high school or college who come to be inspired and fulfilled. It’s a real honor to be a part of that moment for so many,” Ellis said.

But the role itself is incredibly demanding, he said.

“Judas is known as one of the most vocally demanding roles ever written for the male voice, and people who come to see Jesus Christ Superstar always have high expectations for the actor playing that role. Being disciplined outside of the show, getting enough sleep, resting my voice when needed, and taking care of my body so that I can give my best performance has been the biggest challenge,” Ellis said. His favorite moment comes from the opening number “Heaven on Their Minds.”

Performing the show in his hometown in the buckle of the Bible Belt added to the full circle moment for him.

“I’m most excited for Oklahoma City audiences to just experience this story. Jesus Christ Superstar is a story many people know, love, believe, and identify with. I think we tell it in a way that makes people think about these characters as real people with full feelings, fears, hopes, and doubts.

both as whole people with their own questions, hopes, and anxieties. And, I must admit, it makes me want to live out my Christian faith in a more authentic, people-oriented way,” Ellis said.

It also is a chance to bring the magic of a Broadway show to audiences who otherwise wouldn’t have had a chance to see it.

“My favorite thing about touring with this production is bringing high

“I think it beautifully captures all the complicated emotions Judas must have had leading up to his betrayal of Jesus . Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice masterfully captured Judas’ love and fear for Jesus, and what he believed was to come. It’s exhilarating to try to bring forth all those feelings in a four-minute song each night,” he said.

Visit okcbroadway.com

Cast of Jesus Christ Superstar | Photo provided.

Elvie Ellis and cast. | Photo provided.

ARTS & CULTURE

Good company

JEWEL BOX THEATRE’S SEASON OPENER TRIUMPHS AFTER FORMER BUILDING DEMOLISHED

By Kendra Michal Johnson

The huffing and puffing sounds of Scapino dragging an enormous chest out onto the stage is the first thing audiences hear.

It’s an unusual introduction for a play, yet perfect for director Richard Lemin’s production of A Company of Wayward Saints by George Herman, running through Feb. 19 at Jewel Box Theatre.

Within a few moments, the performance has firmly established its conversational, playfully irreverent, and directaddressbased tone.

Centering around a company of commedia dell’arte-performers commedians— the play features numerous miniature scenes that the commedians use to try to impress a wealthy duke so he’ll pay for their trip home.

Commedia dell-arte is a form of improvisational theatre—featuring stock characters such as the young lovers, the soldier, and the doctor—that is mostly associated with the renaissance.

Yet Jewel Box Theatre’s A Company of Wayward Saints seems set in a time outside of time, with dialogue sounding almost Shakespearean one moment and dropping modern-isms like “metropolitan substitution for a haystack” the next—which in the skillful hands of the cast, becomes an inside joke shared with their audience.

These commedians are comprised of Don Taylor as the company manager Harlequin, Denise Hughes as Harlequin’s flirtatious wife Colombine, Keegan Zimmerman as Harlequin’s mentee Scapino, Daniel E. Willsey as the sad merchant Pantalone, Allyson Rose as the diva Ruffiana, Chip Chappelle as the supercilious Dottore, John C. Arnold as the militaristic Capitano, and Maddie Loury and Kaelin McGowan as the (mostly) sweet lovers Isabella and

Tristano, respectively.

The task they are given from the unseen duke to earn their trip home is deceptively simple: perform a play about “the history of man.”

Along the way, Jewel Box Theatre’s cast displays an impres sive array not only of humor, but of stillness and depth.

Meanwhile, their commedian char acters can’t seem to find a way to

teresting theme, not just for the the atrical community here in Oklahoma City, but for, you know, everybody,” Lemin said. “If we all learned how to work together, we can really get things done.”

A Company of Wayward Saints the first performance of Jewel Box Theatre’s 2023 season and the first performance that Lemin is overseeing as a co-managing director of Jewel Box alongside Deborah Franklin.

The launch of the 2023 theatre season may surprise some readers, since the iconically-domed First Christian Church building that for merly housed Jewel Box Theatre was abruptly demolished in 2022.

What the community may not have realized is that “the theatre” (and the congregation) moved three years ago to a complex on the east side of the property and their new show forms a joyous reminder of the theatre’s ongoing vitality despite the recent demolition.

A Company of Wayward Saints formance times include: 8 p.m. Feb. 9-11; 2:30 p.m. Feb. 12; 8 p.m. Feb. 16-18; and 2:30 p.m. Feb. 19. Visit jewelboxokc.com

Colombine (Denise Hughes) as Penelope listens impatiently Capitano (John C. Arnold) as Odysseus explains his long voyage home from the Trojan War. | Photo provided.

OKG PICKS

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

BOOKS

Read the West Book Club discuss the book Killers of the Flower Moon, the story of the Osage Murders and the beginnings of the FBI, 1-2:15 p.m., Feb. 19. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum. org. SUN, FEB 19

Shelly White book signing local author will be signing her newest book, In For A Penny, which is the third installment in her paranormal romance novels, 2-4 p.m., Feb. 18. Pear Street Books & Plants, 918 N. Hudson Ave., 405-724-7328, pearstreetbooks.com. SAT, FEB 18

FILM

Dark Side of the Rainbow experience the pairing of Pink Floyd’s album The Dark Side of the Moon and The Wizard of Oz to see the apparent synchronicity where the film and the album appear to correspond with one another, 9 p.m., Feb. 10. Rodeo Cinema, 2221 Exchange Ave., 405-235-3456. FRI, FEB 10

Double Date Double Feature enjoy a back-toback feature of two Nora Ephron classics featuring Sleepless in Seattle and When Harry Met Sally 6 p.m., Feb. 16. Rodeo Cinema, 2221 Exchange Ave., 405-2353456. THU, FEB 16

Geographies of Solitude (2022, Canada, Jacquelyn Mills) an immersion into the rich landscapes of Sable Island and the life of Zoe Lucas, a naturalist and environmentalist who has lived over 40 years on this remote strip of sand, 5 p.m., Feb. 18. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. SAT, FEB 18

Jackie Brown (1997, USA, Quentin Tarantino) a flight attendant with a criminal past gets caught by the ATF for smuggling but after becoming an informant against the dealer she works for, she must play a dangerous games of bluff, deceit and betrayal to avoid being killed, 7 p.m., Feb, 15. Rodeo Cinema, 2221 Exchange Ave., 405-235-3456. WED, FEB 15

Music Movie Mondays: What’s Love Got to Do with It (1993, USA, Brian Gibson) the story of famous singer Tina Turner’s rise to the top and how she gained the courage to leave her abusive husband, Ike Turner, 6:30 p.m., Feb. 13. Rodeo Cinema, 2221 Exchange Ave., 405-235-3456. MON, FEB 13

My Bloody Valentine (1981, USA, George Mihalka) a decades-old folk tale about a deranged killer who kills those who celebrate Valentine’s Day turns out to be true when a group defies the murderer’s order and people begin turning up dead, 7 p.m., Feb. 8. Rodeo Cinema, 2221 Exchange Ave., 405-235-3456. WED, FEB 8

No Bears (2022, Iran, Jafar Panahi) two parallel love stories in which the partners are thwarted by hidden, inevitable obstacles, the force of superstition, and the mechanics of power, 8:30 p.m., Feb. 10; 5:30 p.m., Feb. 11; 12:30 p.m., Feb. 12. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. FRISUN, FEB 10-12

Oklahoma Film Society: Belly (1998, United States, Hype Williams) Tommy Brown and his friend Sincere are gangsters who have learned how to make a good living by dealing drugs and pulling armed robberies but their priorities begin to differ when they realize that their lives are headed for a dead end, 7 p.m., Feb. 9. Rodeo Cinema, 2221 Exchange Ave., 405-235-3456.

THU, FEB 9

Triangle of Sadness (2022, Sweden, Ruben Östlund) models Carl and Yaya are invited on a luxury cruise for the super-rich, everything starts out great but after a storm sinks the ship they are marooned on a deserted island with the surviving passengers and a single crew member who must teach everyone how to survive, 5:30 p.m., Feb. 10; 2 & 8 p.m., Feb. 11; 3 p.m., Feb. 12. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. FRI-SUN, FEB 10-12

Unseen a documentary showing an unfiltered glimpse into the lives of parents caring for children and adults with disabilities or complex medical needs, discussion to address the caregiving crisis in our state to follow after the film, 5:30 p.m., Feb. 16. Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd St., 405-708-6937, towertheatreokc.com.

THU, FEB 16

HAPPENINGS

An Affair of the Heart a craft show with exhibitors from across the country displaying antiques, collectibles and handmade items such as quilts, baskets, dried flower arrangements and more,, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m., Feb. 1011; 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Feb. 12. Oklahoma State Fairgrounds, 3220 Great Plains Walk, 405-948-6700, aaoth.com.

FRI-SUN, FEB 10-12

Clue! at the Cowboy a western-themed live action version of the board game in which players(participants) must solve a murder, 7-9 p.m., Feb. 17. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. FRI, FEB 17

International Dog Show an all breed dog show with professional judges where fans can learn about their favorite breeds, 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m., Feb. 18; 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., Feb. 19. Oklahoma State Fairgrounds, 3220 Great Plains Walk, 405-948-6700, okstatefair.com. SAT-SUN, FEB 18-19

Knit Night an evening of fellow knitters working on their projects while enjoying the store’s atmosphere, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. TUE, FEB 14

Adèle Wolf’s 11th Annual

Valentine’s Affair a Valentine’s themed event that features burlesque, cabaret, aerial arts, circus, and belly dance in addition to audience participation games, vendors, and themed cocktails, attendees are encouraged to dress to impress and pose in the photo booth, 8-11 p.m., Feb. 11. The Auditorium at the Douglass, 600 N. High, 405- 673-6162, adelewolf.com. SAT, FEB

11

Live & Loud a networking event for aspiring songwriters, composers, lyricists, musicians, and bands to exchange ideas with industry professionals, 7-10 p.m., Thursdays. Joe & Charlies’ Sober Nightclub, 1146 N. Macarthur Blvd, 405-999-0450. THU, ONGOING

LIVE! on the Plaza join the Plaza District every second Sunday for an art walk featuring artists, live music, shopping and more, 6-10 p.m. second Sunday of every month. Plaza District, 1618 N. Gatewood Ave., 405-426-7812, plazadistrict.org. SUN, FEB 12

Mardi Gras at the Museum enjoy an evening of jazz and beer featuring Crewe De Banjo and Anthem Brewery, 6-9 p.m., Feb. 18. American Banjo Museum,

9 E. Sheridan Ave., 405-604-2793, americanbanjomuseum.com. SAT, FEB 18

Mardi Gras Parade join the city of Norman in their annual parade with this year’s theme being Phoenix Rising,featuring whacky shenanigans, costumed canines, festive music and more, festivities beginning at sunset, 7-9 p.m., Feb, 18. The Depot, 200 S. Jones Ave., 405-307-9320, pasnorman.org. SAT, FEB 18

Mix-Tape V-Day Bash shop unique and love-themed gifts from local artists while listening to live performances by local bands and even participate in a scavenger hunt through the Mix-Tape exhibit, 7-9:30 p.m., Feb. 11. Factory Obscura, 25 NW 9th St., factoryobscura. fun. SAT, FEB 11

OKSstorySLAM: Bad Dates join the communal purge of Valentine’s Day woes at the monthly open mic storytelling event, anyone can share a story on the theme, all stories should be true and told by the person they happened to, 7-9 p.m., Fef. 19. 51st Street Speakeasy, 1114 NW 51st St., 405-463-0470, 51stspeakeasy. com. SUN, FEB 19

Plants & Punch Workshop participants will receive a terrarium kit that includes plants, all the materials needed and instructions on how to put everything together while enjoying some adult punch, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Feb. 17. Plant People Shop, 1212 N. Hudson Ave., 405-698-8428, plantpeopleshop.com. FRI, FEB 17 Seed Starting and Sharing gardeners of all levels will have the opportunity to try new plants in their gardens by growing their seed collection at this seed share event, 10 a.m. - noon, Feb. 18. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. SAT, FEB 18

Skee-Ball Tournament players of all skill levels are encouraged to participate in this tournament featuring a classic arcade game, prizes provided by Vanessa House, 7:30 p.m., Feb. 8. Up-Down OKC, 1629 NW 16th St., 405-673-7792, .UpDownArcadeBar.com/OklahomaCity. WED, FEB 8

Sunday Spotlight: Colt Express learn how game makers take concepts from history and pop culture to create games that are fun and interactive, 1 p.m., Feb. 12. First Americans Museum, 659 First Americans Blvd., 405-594-2100. SUN, FEB 12

Up-Down is for Lovers celebrate Valentine’s Day by skipping the romantic dinner for two for video games, tallboys, heart-shaped pizza and a fanny pack, 11 a.m. -11:30 p.m.; Feb. 12-14. Up-Down OKC, 1629 NW 16th St., 405-673-7792, UpDownArcadeBar.com/OklahomaCity. SUN-TUE, FEB 12-14

Valentine’s Day Markers’ Market shop from local artists this Valentine’s season with goods from pottery to succulents, handcrafted jewelry to aromatherapy and more there is sure to be a gift for all, 1-5 p.m., Feb. 11. Angry Scotsman Brewing, 704 W. Reno Ave., 405-673-7713, angryscotbrew.com. SAT, FEB 11

Vintage Tulsa Show featuring over 250 booths of merchandise filled with antiques, estate jewelry, art, furniture, clothing, linens and much more, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m., Feb. 17-18; 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Feb. 19. Tulsa Expo Square, 4145 East 21st Street, Tulsa, heritageeventcompany. com. FRI-SUN, FEB 17-19

FOOD

Veggie Dinner at Picasso Cafe join Picasso Cafe on the third Tuesday of each month for a four-course menu; featuring a fresh and creative take on vegetarian-inspired fare with the option to have a wine pairing, reservations required, 6:30 p.m., third Tuesday. Picasso Cafe, 3009 Paseo St., 405-605-2002, picassosonpaseo. com. TUE, FEB 21

Sunday Jazz Brunch enjoy a lavish brunch featuring classics like eggs benedict, lemon buttermilk pancakes and Italian favorites and the wood-fired grill with live jazz music and signature cocktails, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Sundays. Tellers, 120 N. Robinson Ave, 405-900-6789, tellersokc.com/event. SUN, ONGOING

Wine Down Wednesday explore the sommeliercurated menu of Old and New World wines while listening to live music, 6-10 p.m., Wednesdays. Tellers, 120 N. Robinson Ave, 405-900-6789, tellersokc.com/ the-great-hall. WED, ONGOING

YOUTH

Beautiful Beaks: Great Backyard Bird Count kids can learn about the many shapes and sizes of bird’s beaks through craft making and hiking the garden to spot different birds, 11 a.m. - noon, Feb. 18. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-4457080, myriadgardens.com. SAT, FEB 18

Crafts and Tales a story followed by an activity ranging from learning about a real specimen from the collections to crafting a thematic piece of artwork, 11 a.m.-noon, Wednesdays. Sam Noble Museum, 2401 Chautauqua Ave., 405-325-4712, samnoblemuseum. ou.edu. WED, ONGOING

Drop-In Art each Saturday will feature a different themed craft for children, third Saturday of every month, 2:45 p.m. through June 17. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. SAT, FEB 18

Love Bugs: Valentine’s Day Fun children and parents will be able to create a love bug themed rock garden while learning about bugs and drinking pink lemonade, 10-11 a.m., Feb. 11. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. SAT, FEB 11

Hammered Moon and Star Earrings workshop participants will learn the technique of making hammered earrings in either a moon or star shape, 1-5 p.m., Feb. 11. Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, 405-521-2491, okhistory.org. SAT, FEB 11

Myriad in Motion: Jump and Shout recommended for ages 4-8, this morning class will teach kids different exercises to a fun playlist and the power of teamwork to complete relay races and an obstacle course, 8:30 and 9 a.m., Saturdays. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. SAT, ONGOING

Pom Pom Wreaths: Valentine’s Day Fun kids will learn about the chrysanthemum flowers while making their own pom pom wreath and mixing in some botanical accessories, 1-2 p.m., Feb. 11. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. SAT, FEB 11

Storytime with Miss Julie enjoy snacks, crafts and story time, 10:15-11:30 a.m., Saturdays, ongoing. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. SAT, ONGOING

Weekday Story & Craft Time for Littles listen to a story or two followed by a hands-on arts and crafts activity, 10 a.m., every 2nd & 4th Thursdays. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. THU, FEB 9 & 23

PERFORMING ARTS

3rd Act Theatre Company presents The Girl With the Green Eyes after a fairytale wedding to the love of her life, jealousy creeps into Jinny Austin’s life as her husband, Jack, seemingly gets closer to her friend, Ruth; unknown to her, there is a scandal brewing, and as suspicions of adultery swirl tensions rise and

Photo by Audrey Ivory / provided

Photo provided

her marriage is in danger of falling apart, 8-10 p.m., Feb. 10-11; 2:30-4:30 p.m., Feb. 12. 3rd Act Theatre Company, 12040 N May Ave., 404-593-8093, 3rdacttheatreco. com. FRI-SUN, FEB 10-12

Big River based on Mark Twain’s novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, about Huck who escapes from his abusive father and Jim the runaway slave as they travel the Mississippi River to find freedom, 10 a.m., Feb. 16-17, 23-24, Mar. 2-3, & 9-10 ; 2 & 5 p.m., Feb. 18-19, 25-26, Mar. 4-5, & 11. Lyric Theatre, 1727 NW 16th St., 405-5249310, lyrictheatreokc.com. THU-SUN, FEB 16-19, 23-26, MAR 2-3 & 9-11

Bonnie & Clyde: A New Musical a love story of how two small-town nobodies grew to become one of the most famous criminal couples, 7:30 p.m., Feb. 16-18; 5 p.m., Feb. 19. UCO Jazz Lab, 100 E. 5th St., 405-974-2100. THU-SUN, FEB 16-19

Cinderella a young girl escapes her mean spirited stepsisters and stepmother with the help of her fairy godmother performed by Oklahoma City Ballet, 7:30 p.m., Feb. 10; 2 & 7:30 p.m., Feb. 11; 2 p.m., Feb. 12. Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 405-297-2264, okcciviccenter.com. FRI-SUN, FEB 10-12

Cirque du Soleil: Corteo a joyous funeral procession celebrating both the life and death of Mauro the clown performed by acrobats and aerial artists, 7:30 p.m., Feb. 9-10; 3:30 & 7:30 p.m., Feb. 11; 1p.m., Feb. 12. Paycom Center, 100 W. Reno Ave., 405-602-8700, paycomcenter.com. THU-SUN, FEB 9-11

Dublin Irish Dance a Celtic dance performance showcasing Irish melodies, African rhythms and more featuring world-class dancers from Dublin, Ireland, 7:30 p.m., Feb. 15. Armstrong Auditorium, 14400 S. Bryant Ave., 405-285-1010, armstrongauditorium.org. WED, FEB 15

Eddie B a live stand-up comedy performance, 7 p.m., Feb. 11. The Criterion, 500 E. Sheridan Ave., 405-3081803, criterionokc.com. SAT, FEB 11

An Evening with Patsy Cline featuring Shelly Phelps and the Moonlit Pass Band in a musical about Patsy Cline including some of her famous songs and many others, 8 p.m., Feb. 10-11. The Pollard Theatre, 120 W. Harrison Ave., 405-282-2800, thepollard.org.

FRI-SAT, FEB 10-11

Much Ado About Nothing a comical tale of two couples’ misadventures in love written by William Shakespeare, 7:30 p.m., Feb. 9-11; 2 p.m., Feb. 12. Mitchell Hall Theatre, 100 N. University Drive, 405-974-2000, uco.edu. THU-SUN, FEB 9-12

Pageant The Musical a beauty pageant of six contestants, all men, who are competing in swimsuit, talent, grown and spokesmodel contests to be crowned Miss Glamouresse, each night will end differently as the judges are random members selected from the audience, 7 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from Feb. 17-Apr. 21. The Boom, 2218 NW 39th St., 405-601-7200, theboomokc.com. FRI-SAT, FEB 17-APR 21

Rob Little a live stand-up comedy performance, 8 p.m., Feb. 17. Belle Isle Restaurant & Brewing Company, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-840-1911, belleislerestaurant.com.

FRI, FEB 17

The Beverly Kill-Billies a themed dinner theatre murder mystery, Tue., Feb. 14. Cattlemen’s Steakhouse, 1309 S. Agnew Ave., 405-236-0416, whodunit.net.

TUE, FEB 14

ACTIVE

Monster Jam world-class athletes and their 12,000-pound monster trucks tear up the dirt in wideopen competitions of speed and skill, 1 & 7p.m., Feb. 18; 1 p.m., Feb, 19. Paycom Center, 100 W. Reno Ave., 405602-8700, paycomcenter.com. SAT-SUN, FEB 18-19

Myriad in Motion: Yoga bring your mat and water for an all-levels yoga class with instructors from YMCA, 6 p.m. Tuesdays and 9 a.m. Saturdays. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. TUE & SAT, ONGOING

OKC Touch Rugby Practice an evening of playing touch rugby for beginning to advanced players on the Love’s Travel Stops Great Lawn, Tuesdays, Wednesdays. Scissortail Park, 300 SW 7th St., 405-445-7080, scissortailpark.org. TUE, WED, ONGOING

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Houston Rockets a professional basketball game, 7 p.m., Feb. 15. Paycom Center, 100 W. Reno Ave., 405-602-8700, paycomcenter.com. WED, FEB 15

Skele-Zen enjoy a relaxing morning of Vinyasa yoga among the museum’s collection of over 450 skeletons, 10:30 a.m. - noon, Feb. 12. Skeletons: Museum of Osteology, 10301 S. Sunnylane Road, 405-814-0006, skeletonmuseum.com. SUN, FEB 12

Yoga in the Park bring a yoga mat and water bottle for an hour of spirit, mind and body alignment, 6-7 p.m., Fridays. Andrews Park, 201 W Daws St., 405-3665472. FRI, ONGOING

VISUAL ARTS

Americans and the Holocaust a traveling exhibit that examines the motives, pressures and fears that influenced Americans’ reactions to Nazism, war and genocide during the 1930s to 1940s, through Feb.

12. Ronald J. Norick Downtown Library, 300 Park Ave., 405-231-8650, metrolibrary.org. THU-SUN, THROUGH FEB 12

Art in the Park learn the ins and outs of candle making to create a personalized candle, participants will be able to select their own tin, color and scent, 6:30-7:30 p.m., Feb. 9. Scissortail Park, 300 SW 7th St., 405-4457080, scissortailpark.org. THU, FEB 9

Art of the Northwest Coast features the artistic work of the northwest coast known throughout the world for its style and vibrant colors that tell stories, teach family history and express cultural views though prints, glass, totem poles and more, through May 1, 2023. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. SAT-TUE, THROUGH MAY 1

Art-o-Mat an exhibit that features Clark Whittington’s idea of transforming an old coin-op cigarette machine into a photography distribution device, along with close to 300 works from the Art-O-Mat repertoire and the option for visitors to purchase a piece of art for $5 from the machine, through Mar. 10. Oklahoma City University Norick Art Center, 1608 NW 26th St., 405-208-5707, okcu.edu. MON-FRI, THROUGH MAR 10

The Collector’s Eye a private collection of work from LBA player and Edmondite, Ekpe Udoh, carefully selected body of work featuring artists such as Taha Clayton, Jeffrey Henson Scales, Frank Morrison, and Kevin Williams, through Feb. 18. Artspace at Untitled, 1 NE 3rd St., 405-815-9995, 1ne3.org.

THU-SAT, THROUGH FEB 18

Jose Dávila features sculptures in which the artist has balanced industrial materials in precarious ways off of fabricated construction, through May 2023. Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, 11 NW 11th St., 405-9510000, oklahomacontemporary.org. THU-SAT, THROUGH MAY

OKG PICKS

Kiarostami: Beyond the Frame features a multimedia collection of artwork by Iranian filmmaker, photographer and visual artist, Abbas Kiarostami, through April 9, 2023. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. SATTUE, THROUGH APR 9

Looking Through the Windows to the West expands on the permanent exhibit, Windows to the West, with Wilson Hurley’s never before seen prep materials such as test canvases, sketches, color studies and mathematical diagrams and formulas used to create the five large scale triptychs, through Feb. 19, 2023. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum. org. FRI-TUE, THROUGH FEB 19

Monthly Art Opening a monthly art show of local artists with February’s featured artists being May Yang, Marissa Childers and Hilary McQueen, Feb. 9-March 5. DNA Galleries, 1709 NW 16th St., 405-525-3499, dnagalleries.com. THU-SUN, FEB 9-MAR 5

Nicole Moan Fashion Show: The Ceramic Corset Experience featuring the beautiful ceramic corsets of local artist and designer Nicole Moan through a fashion show to display her works on live models, 6-8 p.m., Feb. 9. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. THU, FEB 9

One Hundred Years of Revolution: French Art from 1850 to 1950 features works arranged in chronological order to show how the French artists changed from creating realistic depictions of the world to abstract compositions over a 100 year period, through Feb. 19, 2023. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. THROUGH FEB 19, 2023

Past, Present, Future featuring the works of Denise Duong, Brett Weston, George Bogart and Mike Larsen, through Feb. 25. JRB Art at The Elms, 2810 N. Walker Ave., 405-528-6336, jrbartgallery.com. FRI-SAT, THROUGH FEB 25

Playing Cowboy an exhibition featuring Western-themed toys from the 1880s all the way to present time including toy cap guns, costumes, board games, a coin-operated mechanical horse and more, Feb. 10-May 7. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. FRI-SUN, FEB 10MAY 7

Robert Rauschenberg: Pressing News features work by Robert Rauschenberg from his Currents exhibition in which he collaged together headlines, photographs, advertisements, and articles from national newspapers, through Feb. 27, 2023. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., 405-325-3272, ou.edu/fjjma. THROUGH FEB 27

Sahara Sea Monsters features fossilized specimens of several famous dinosaurs and reptiles from the ancient Sahara, including spinosaurus, mosasaurus and more, through Feb. 12, 2023. Sam Noble Museum, 2401 Chautauqua Ave., 405-325-4712, samnoblemuseum. ou.edu. SAT-TUE, THROUGH FEB 12

Second Friday Art Walk a free celebration of arts & creativity held monthly in the Walker Arts District of Downtown Norman, second Friday of every month, 6 p.m. Downtown Norman, 122 E. Main St., 405-637-6225, downtownnorman.com. FRI, FEB 10

Second Saturday enjoy an afternoon of art-making, a family-friendly tour of our gallery and explore an Art Pack full of engaging activities for all ages, second Saturday of every month, 1-4 p.m. Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, 11 NW 11th St., 405-951-0000, okcontemp.org/SecondSaturday. SAT, FEB 11

Selections from In Citizen’s Garb: Native Americans on the Southern Plains an exhibit displaying modern gelatin silver prints made from glass plate negatives of Indigenous people in the Lawton and Fort Sill area from 1889 to 1891, ongoing. Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, 405-521-2491, okhistory.org. TUE-MON, ONGOING

Forensic Night an adults only night where participants will learn about the methods doctors, anthropologists and law officers use to examine human skeletons to solve true crime cases, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Feb. 10, 12 & 14. Skeletons: Museum of Osteology, 10301 S. Sunnylane Road, 405-814-0006, skeletonmuseum.com. FRI, SUN, TUES, FEB 10, 12 & 14

The SuperNatural an exhibit features works from several artists focusing on a new world whose shape and matter will be determined by human activity. 21c Museum Hotel, 900 W. Main St., 405-982-6900, 21cmuseumhotels.com. THROUGH FEB 28

Synesthesia Factory Obscura’s newest immersive art experience focusing on color and textural elements while guests open their senses to discover what colors sound and smell like. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., 405-325-3272, ou.edu/fjjma. THROUGH JUNE 4

Afternoon Tea Series a monthly tea party featuring seasonally crafted tea tiers filled with tea sandwiches, fruit, quiche, seasonal scones and sweets from Chef Caleb and Quincy Bake Shop paired with custom teas, Sun., Feb. 19. Bradford House, 1235 NW 38th Street, 405-4513693, bradfordhouseokc.com. SUN, FEB 19

Valentine’s Day Candle-Making

Experience participants will learn the process of candle making while creating a candle of their own by selecting fragrances, colors and a jar, 5:30 p.m., Feb.10; 2:30 & 5:30 p.m., Feb. 11. Scentsational Encounters, 7626 W. Reno Ave., Ste. A105, 405-818-3105, scentsationalencounters.com. FRI-SAT, FEB 10-11

Visual Narratives: First American Photography features works by five First American photographers, Philip Busey Jr, Peggy Fontenot, Lester Harragarra, Kelly Langley and Jim Trosper who represent different tribes, including the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Patawomeck, Kiowa and Otoe-Missouria, through Feb. 2023. Exhibit C, 1 E. Sheridan Ave., 405-767-8900, exhibitcgallery.com. MON-SUN, THROUGH FEB 2023

Voices from the Drum features 20 drums thematically arranged to examine how the artists approached the drum, through their culture, artistic vision and in relationship to traditional dance within the Osage community, Feb. 4-March 31. First Americans Museum, 659 First Americans Blvd., 405-594-2100. SAT-FRI, FEB 4- MAR 31

WINIKO: Life of an Object, Selections from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian reflecting on the Native belief that their cultural materials hold the spirit of their makers and those who wore or used them this exhibit features of over 100 items that have been returned to the 39 tribes of Oklahoma after being taken from them in the early 1900s, ongoing. First Americans Museum, 659 First Americans Blvd., 405-594-2100. ONGOING

You Have Died of Dysentery an exhibit showcasing Western-themed games, books and videos, such as The Oregon Trail and Red Dead Redemption, through May 7. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. SAT-TUE, THROUGH MAY 7

Visit okgazette.com/Events/AddEvent to submit your event or email them to listings@okgazette.com. Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.

Submissions must be received by Oklahoma Gazette no later than noon on Wednesday fourteen days before the desired publication date.

For OKG live music

see page 20

Submissions run as space allows, although we strive to make the listings as inclusive as possible.

Photo Adobe Stock

Photo Adobe Stock

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 8

Jazz Jam/Kendrick McKinney Trio, 51st Street Speakeasy. JAZZ

Jazz Nights, The Study. JAZZ

Jennifer Knapp, Ponyboy. FOLK ROCK

Sunset Patio Bar Karaoke Night, Sunset Patio. KARAOKE

Trett Charles, River Spirit Casino Resort, Tulsa. COUNTRY

The Wednesday Band, The Deli. COUNTRY

THURSDAY, FEB. 9

A.J. Croce, River Spirit Casino Resort, Tulsa. POP

Brad Fielder/Rock Bottom String Band, Opolis. AMERICANA

Country Music Group Therapy/Biscuits & Groovy, The Deli. COUNTRY

DJ Ecog/Brent Giddens, River Spirit Casino Resort, Tulsa. VARIOUS

Joel Forlenza, Othello’s Italian Restaurant, Norman. INSTRUMENTAL

Jonathan Brown/S. Reidy/Jacobi Ryan/ Jarvix, The Sanctuary. RAP

Pony Bradshaw, Blue Note. SINGER/ SONGWRITER

Randy Rogers Band, The Jones Assembly. COUNTRY

Shelly Phelps and The Storm, Bourbon Street Bar. BLUES

Short & Broke/The BlueRays/JL Jones, Mojo’s Blues Club. BLUES

FRIDAY, FEB. 10

Burl Monte Easier, Opolis. FOLK ROCK

Chase Matthew/Kidd G/Avery Anna, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa. COUNTRY

Joel Forlenza, Othello’s Italian Restaurant, Norman. INSTRUMENTALISTS

K-POP Night, Beer City Music Hall. DANCE PARTY

Kennedy Fine, Stonecloud Brewing Co. SINGER/ SONGWRITER

Live Jazz!, Hefner Grill. JAZZ

McKee Brother Jazz Band, Bourbon Street Bar. JAZZ

Morgan, River Spirit Casino Resort, Tulsa.

AMERICANA

Primal Brain/Freak City Skates the Plaza/Bashed In/Otis VCR, 89th Street—OKC. PUNK

Souled Out, UCO Jazz Lab. COVER

Will Grim Brown/Anomalists/Nevermind the Embers, Blue Note. METAL

SATURDAY, FEB. 11

Big Thief/Buck Meek, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa.

ALTERNATIVE

BLY, VZD’s Restaurant & Bar. R&B

Boyz Night Out, Bedlam Bar-B-Q. COVER

Carson Jeffrey/The Lowdown Drifters, Tumbleweed Dancehall & Concert Venue, Stillwater. COUNTRY

Catbamboo/World Peace Death Ray/Lilac Kings/SUNFO, 89th Street—OKC. ROCK

Fast Fashion, Belle Isle Restaurant & Brewing Company. TRIBUTE

Garrett “Big G” Jackson, UCO Jazz Lab. BLUES

Harry Styles Night, Beer City Music Hall. POP

Leotie, Frenzy Brewing Company. INDIE

Live Jazz!, Hefner Grill. JAZZ

Lucas Ross/Makenna Fields/Tanner Fields/ Adam & the Original Sin/Josh Terry/Rebekah

Ruyle, Rodeo Opry. COUNTRY

McKee Brother Jazz Band, Bourbon Street Bar.

JAZZ

My So Called Band, Tower Theatre. COVER

One Night Stand/Rusty Meyers, River Spirit Casino Resort, Tulsa. VARIOUS

Sisteria/The Raven & The Bear/Dust Lord, The Vanguard, Tulsa. METAL The So Longs/General Genre/Broke Ass Radio, Blue Note. ROCK

Stolen Cable/Lunar Division, Opolis. INDIE ROCK

SUNDAY, FEB. 12

Barrett Lewis, River Spirit Casino Resort, Tulsa. CLASSIC ROCK

Jazz Night!, Blue Note. JAZZ

No Whiners Aloud, Mojo’s Blues Club. BLUES

Ordinary Elephant, The Depot. FOLK Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers, Beer City Music Hall. ROCK

School of Rock OKC, 89th Street—OKC. ROCK

Tin Can Gramophone/Hosty, The Deli. FOLK

MONDAY, FEB. 13

The Aints/Bailey Gilbert & Friends, The Deli. AMERICANA

Chris Hyde, River Spirit Casino Resort, Tulsa. COVER

TUESDAY, FEB.

14

Anthrax/Black Label Society, The Criterion. METAL Blvck Hippie, Factory Obscura. INDIE ROCK

Bruce Benson & Studio B, 51st Street Speakeasy. BLUES

Caleb McGee, The Deli. BLUES

Kempmusik, Mojo’s Blues Club. ACOUSTIC Lacy Saunders, Othello’s Italian Restaurant, Norman. COVER

Mike Wilson, River Spirit Casino Resort, Tulsa. VARIETY

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 15

Destiny Bond/Mugger/Tell Lies/Free 4 All/In

Periculum, The Sanctuary. PUNK

Edgar Cruz and Friends, Broke Brewing Company. ACOUSTIC

Jazz Jam/Kendrick McKinney Trio, 51st Street Speakeasy. JAZZ

Jazz Night, Bradford House. JAZZ

Trett Charles, River Spirit Casino Resort, Tulsa. COUNTRY

The Wednesday Band, The Deli. COUNTRY

YOUR DAILY INTEL BRIEFING ON-AIR, ONLINE AND ON-DEMAND

These are events recommended by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members. For

full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.

Original Flow is an OKC hip-hop artist, emcee, poet and producer, known for being a wordsmith with a message, whose lyrics of positivity and triumph perpetuate his belief in preserving the storytelling aspect of music, whether good or bad, so as to allow the listener the opportunity to relate and connect with the artist. Hear his “old school” feel at 8 p.m., Thurs. Feb. 16 at Blue Note, 2408 N. Robinson Ave., 405-600-1199, okcbluenote.com.

THU, FEB 16 HIP-HOP Photo by @__iloveinstantnoodles/provided

THURSDAY, FEB. 16

Country Music Group Therapy/Biscuits & Groovy, The Deli. COUNTRY

Dust Bowl Lanes & Lounge Karaoke Night, Dust Bowl. KARAOKE

Joel Forlenza, Othello’s Italian Restaurant, Norman. INSTRUMENTAL

Shelly Phelps and The Storm, Bourbon Street Bar. BLUES

Short & Broke, The BlueRays, JL Jones, Mojo’s Blues Club. BLUES Stepmom, Ponyboy. PUNK

FRIDAY, FEB. 17

Austin Meade, Beer City Music Hall. RED DIRT Bloom Dream/Some Fear/Photocopy/ Objects in Space, The Sanctuary. EMO

Christopher Baur, Core4 Brewing. SINGER/ SONGWRITER

Jessica Tate, The Deli. INSTRUMENTAL

King Cabbage Brass Band/Johnny Mullenax/ DJ Moody, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa. JAZZ

Live Jazz!, Hefner Grill. JAZZ

McKee Brother Jazz Band, Bourbon Street Bar. JAZZ

Randy Cassimus, Full Circle Bookstore. ACOUSTIC

Rob Leines/The Last Knife Fighter/Lance Roark, Blue Note. COUNTRY

Whisky Outlaws/Ben Neikirk, River Spirit Casino Resort, Tulsa. VARIOUS

SATURDAY, FEB. 18

Alastair Greene, Belle Isle Restaurant & Brewing Company. BLUES ROCK

Ashley Osborn/Chloe-Beth/Kolton Hall/ Wyatt Zane/Callie Diggs, Rodeo Opry. COUNTRY

Austin Meade, The Vanguard, Tulsa. ROCK Gasolina, Tower Theatre. REGGAETON

Howard Brady, Full Circle Bookstore. COUNTRY

Jake & The Idols/Born in November, River Spirit Casino Resort, Tulsa. VARIOUS

Joel Forlenza, Othello’s Italian Restaurant, Norman. INSTRUMENTAL

Live Jazz!, Hefner Grill. JAZZ

McKee Brother Jazz Band, Bourbon Street Bar. JAZZ

Porcelain/Alumnus/Typhoid/Jawline, The Sanctuary. PUNK

Randall King/Braxton Keith/Palmer Anthony, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa. COUNTRY

Stan Carrier, Bedlam Bar-B-Q. ACOUSTIC

SUNDAY, FEB. 19

Barrett Lewis, River Spirit Casino Resort, Tulsa. CLASSIC ROCK

Jazz Night!, Blue Note. JAZZ

Live Jazz!, Hefner Grill. JAZZ

Mac Saturn, Beer City Music Hall. POP ROCK

Tin Can Gramophone/Hosty, The Deli. FOLK

MONDAY, FEB. 20

The Aints/Bailey Gilbert & Friends, The Deli. AMERICANA

Chris Hyde, River Spirit Casino Resort, Tulsa. COVER

TUESDAY, FEB. 21

Ben Neikirk, River Spirit Casino Resort, Tulsa. COVER

Bruce Benson & Studio B, 51st Street Speakeasy. BLUES

Bruce Springsteen, BOK Center, Tulsa. ROCK

Caleb McGee, The Deli. BLUES

Jerry Harrison & Adrian Belew, Tower Theatre. FUNK

Kempmusik, Mojo’s Blues Club. ACOUSTIC Poi Rogers, The Blue Door. COUNTRY

The Royal Hounds, Lost Highway. COUNTRY

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. Visit okgazette.com to submit your lisitngs or email listings@okgazette.com. Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.

Strain name: Cake Crasher

Grown by: Sirius Research

Acquired from: Great Barrier Reefer

Date acquired: Jan. 20

Physical traits: dark green with purple and orange

Bouquet: earthy and sweet

Review: Great Barrier Reefer in Bethany is always fun. David, a laid back Australian, really steals the show at this Gold Coastthemed dispensary. An early favorite as well as an OKG Best of OKC alumni, they now carry flower from Sirius Research. Owners and grower Rachel McBride and her partner, Vince, have sev eral years of growing experi ence and strive to produce the dank they want to see in the world. Cake Crasher, a mellow strain that’s a cross between Wedding Cake and Wedding Crasher, has

THE HIGH CULTURE

STRAIN REVIEWS

WEEK OF FEBRUARY 9

Homework: Name one thing you could do to express your love more practically. Newsletter. FreeWillAstrology.com

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

During my quest for advice that might be helpful to your love life, I plucked these words of wisdom from author Sam Kean: “Books about relationship talk about how to ‘get’ the love you need, how to ‘keep’ love, and so on. But the right question to ask is, ‘How do I become a more loving human being?’” In other words, Aries, here’s a prime way to enhance your love life: Be less focused on what others can give you and more focused on what you can give to others. Amazingly, that’s likely to bring you all the love you want.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

You have the potential to become even more skilled at the arts of kissing and cuddling and boinking than you already are. How? Here are some possibilities. 1. Explore fun experiments that will transcend your reliable old approaches to kissing and cuddling and boinking. 2. Read books to open your mind. I like Margot Anand’s The New Art of Sexual Ecstasy. 3. Ask your partner(s) to teach you everything about what turns them on. 4. Invite your subconscious mind to give you dreams at night that involve kissing and cuddling and boinking. 5. Ask your lover(s) to laugh and play and joke as you kiss and cuddle and boink.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

You are an Italian wolf searching for food in the Apennine Mountains. You’re a red-crowned crane nesting in a wetland in the Eastern Hokkaido region of Japan. You’re an olive tree thriving in a salt marsh in southern France, and you’re a painted turtle basking in a pool of sunlight on a beach adjoining Lake Michigan. And much, much more. What I’m trying to tell you, Gemini, is that your capacity to empathize is extra strong right now. Your smart heart should be so curious and open that you will naturally feel an instinctual bond with many life forms, including a wide array of interesting humans. If you’re

terpenes reminiscent of berry cereal milk. Highly recommended before a meal as you’ll gain an appetite that will mellow out after you eat.

Strain name: Buddha’s Hand

Grown by:

Acquired from: House

Date acquired:

Physical traits: green with hints of purple

Bouquet: and gassy

Review: be hard to find motivation on cold, winter mornings, but Buddha’s Hand is the perfect strain to fight those le thargic mornings. This cross between Lemon Thai and Snow Lotus has heavy pleasant citrus notes that linger once burned and also leaves an energizing, cerebral high. Buddha’s Hand is a perfect strain for for being productive and tackling your

to-do list, and Classen Kush

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

brave, you will allow your mind to expand to experience telepathic powers. You will have an unprecedented knack for connecting with simpatico souls.

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

My Cancerian friend Juma says, “We have two choices at all times: creation or destruction. Love creates and everything else destroys.” Do you agree? She’s not just talking about romantic love, but rather love in all forms, from the urge to help a friend, to the longing to seek justice for the dispossessed, to the compassion we feel for our descendants. During the next three weeks, your assignment is to explore every nuance of love as you experiment with the following hypothesis: To create the most interesting and creative life for yourself, put love at the heart of everything you do.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

I hope you get ample chances to enjoy deep soul kisses in the coming weeks. Not just perfunctory lip-to-lip smooches and pecks on the cheeks, but full-on intimate sensual exchanges. Why do I recommend this? How could the planetary positions be interpreted to encourage a specific expression of romantic feeling? I’ll tell you, Leo: The heavenly omens suggest you will benefit from exploring the frontiers of wild affection. You need the extra sweet, intensely personal communion that comes best from the uninhibited mouth-to-mouth form of tender sharing. Here’s what Leo poet Diane di Prima said: “There are as many kinds of kisses as there are people on earth, as there are permutations and combinations of those people. No two people kiss alike— no two people fuck alike—but somehow the kiss is more personal, more individualized than the fuck.”

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Borrowing the words of poet Oriah from her book The Dance: Moving to the Deep Rhythms of Your Life, I’ve prepared a love note for you to use as your own this Valentine season. Feel free to give these words to the person whose destiny needs to be woven more closely together with yours. Oriah writes, “Don’t tell me how wonderful things will be someday. Show me you can risk being at peace with the way things are right now. Show

me how you follow your deepest desires, spiraling down into the ache within the ache. Take me to the places on the earth that teach you how to dance, the places where you can risk letting the world break your heart.”

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Libran author Walter Lippman wrote, “The emotion of love is not self-sustaining; it endures only when lovers love many things together, and not merely each other.” That’s great advice for you during the coming months. I suggest that you and your allies—not just your romantic partners, but also your close companions—come up with collaborative projects that inspire you to love many things together. Have fun exploring and researching subjects that excite and awaken and enrich both of you.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Scorpio writer Paul Valéry wrote, “It would be impossible to love anyone or anything one knew completely. Love is directed towards what lies hidden in its object.” My challenge to you, Scorpio, is to test this hypothesis. Do what you can to gain more in-depth knowledge of the people and animals and things you love. Uncover at least some of what’s hidden. All the while, monitor yourself to determine how your research affects your affection and care. Contrary to what Valéry said, I’m guessing this will enhance and exalt your love.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

In his book Unapologetically You, motivational speaker Steve Maraboli writes, “I find the best way to love someone is not to change them, but instead, help them reveal the greatest version of themselves.” That’s always good advice, but I believe it should be your inspirational axiom in the coming weeks. More than ever, you now have the potential to forever transform your approach to relationships. You can shift away from wanting your allies to be different from what they are and make a strong push to love them just as they are.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

I analyzed the astrological omens. Then I scoured the internet, browsed through 22 books of love poetry, and summoned memories of my best experiences of

intimacy. These exhaustive efforts inspired me to find the words of wisdom that are most important for you to hear right now. They are from poet Rainer Maria Rilke (translated by Stephen Mitchell): “For one human being to love another human being: that is perhaps the most difficult task that has been entrusted to us, the ultimate task, the final test and proof, the work for which all other work is merely preparation.”

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

To get the most out of upcoming opportunities for intimacy, intensify your attunement to and reverence for your emotions. Why? As quick and clever as your mind can be, sometimes it neglects to thoroughly check in with your heart. And I want your heart to be wildly available when you get ripe chances to open up and deepen your alliances. Study these words from psychologist Carl Jung: “We should not pretend to understand the world only by the intellect; we apprehend it just as much by feeling. Therefore, the judgment of the intellect is, at best, only the half of truth, and must, if it be honest, also come to an understanding of its inadequacy.”

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

“In love there are no vacations. Love has to be lived fully with its boredom and all that.” Author and filmmaker Marguerite Duras made that observation, and now I convey it to you—just in time for a phase of your astrological cycle when boredom and apathy could and should evolve into renewed interest and revitalized passion. But there is a caveat: If you want the interest and passion to rise and surge, you will have to face the boredom and apathy; you must accept them as genuine aspects of your relationship; you will have to cultivate an amused tolerance of them. Only then will they burst in full glory into renewed interest and revitalized passion.

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 1-877873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700.

NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE | WITH EASE

By Garrett Chalfin | Puzzles Edited by Will Shortz | 0129

Garrett Chalfin, 18, is a senior at Riverdale Country School in New York City. Next year he’ll begin studying philosophy at the University of Chicago. Last June, after chancing upon this puzzle’s theme idea, he stayed up until 4 a.m. thinking of examples. He finished the puzzle while at summer camp, demonstrating to his co-counselors how to fill a crossword grid. —W.S.

53 What to add to “Iraq” to make it adjectival

54 Subwoofer sound

55 Jhumpa ____, author of the Pulitzer-winning “Interpreter of Maladies”

56 Take a load off

58 Some cameras, in brief

60 SETI subjects

62 Language in which “puzzle” is “pid sa”

120 Chimes and dimes vis-à-vis this clue’s answer

121 Difficult to climb, in a way

DOWN

1 Trio with the 1995 No. 1 hit “Waterfalls”

2 Jolly laugh

3 Passionate

4 Fragrant medicinal plant also called colicroot

5 Most snarky

6 Finish second

7 Something to hang your hat on

8 Elect 9 Plains tribe

10 Not to go

11 Bugging people, perhaps

12 Displays of shock

13 Start to play?

14 Put on no pretensions

15 “Fine by me”

16 Sin city

17 Commits piracy

18 Avant-garde

24 “My name is Prince, and I am ____” (Prince lyric)

26 Proficient 29 Sauces made with basil and pine nuts

59 British sailor, in slang

61 One who’s rolling in money

63 Is exultant

64 City of 16+ million straddling the Yamuna River

65 7-10, e.g., in bowling

67 Big name in printing

68 Plants used in wickerwork furniture

74 “Worth a try”

76 Gut feelings

78 Bit of hype, informally

80 Scoop

82 Worry for a speakeasy

83 Slips up

84 Layer

86 Parlor offering, for short

87 Language in which “puzzle” is “puzal”

91 “Is that understood?”

92 “Is that understood?”

93 State of uneasiness, informally

95 Seton who wrote “Dragonwyck”

96 Prayer leaders

98 Hang around

100 Taking out the trash, for one

101 Navajo dwelling

102 One of the Corleones

103 Interlocking bricks

97

31 Songs to be played at a concert 32 Slinky, e.g. 34 Sales-promotion

104 Made a case

105 Word that may come from a pen

106 ____ Park, home to the University of Chicago

107 One-on-one Olympics event

108 “All ____!”

111 Farm structure

112 Top part of Scotland?

113 “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” feeling

49 Spots on a Rorschach card

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

SUDOKU EASY | N° 20084

NEW YORK TIMES

CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS

Grid n°20084 easy

Fill in the grid so that every row, column and 3-by-3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9. www.printmysudoku.com

Puzzle No. 0122 which appeared in the January 25th issue.

VOL. XV NO. 03

Please

Copyright