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INSIDE COVER P.25 In a changing industry, musicians

and venue owners struggle to make profit. By Jeremy Martin Cover by Ingvard Ashby

NEWS 4

METRO Julius Jones files for clemency

6 CITY Historic Preservation

amendment 8 BUSINESS Hotel Habana club renovations 9

Shea conley

AJ NICHOLS

CHICKEN-FRIED NEWS

EAT & DRINK 11 REVIEW Yummy Noodles 12 FEATURE Crudoolandia

14 GAZEDIBLES sandwiches

ARTS & CULTURE 17 THEATER A Doll’s House, Part 2 at

Civic Center Music Hall 18 COMEDY Bianca Del Rio at Hudiburg Chevrolet Center 19 BOOKS To the Max: Max Weitzenhoffer’s Magical Trip from Oklahoma to New York and London-and Back 21 OKG LIFESTYLE Aly Cunningham

AlexA conneRs

Jessica middleton

title fight

22 CALENDAR

MUSIC 25 COVER How do local musicians

make money?

26 EVENT Death Valley Girls at Opolis 27 LIVE MUSIC

THE HIGH CULTURE 29 CANNABIS Red Dirt Sungrown

32 CANNABIS infused pumpkin chili

recipe

37 CANNABIS The Toke Board

satuRday nov. 2nd $35

37 CANNABIS strain review

FUN 38 PUZZLES sudoku | crossword 39 ASTROLOGY

OKG Classifieds 39

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NOVEMBER 29

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NEWS

METRO

Julius Jones’s case was featured in the ABC docu-series The Last Defense. | Photo Disney ABC Press / provided

Seeking justice

Julius Jones, an Oklahoma man on death row, filed an application for clemency. By Miguel Rios

Julius Jones has spent nearly half of his life on death row. He was convicted for the 1999 murder of Paul Howell but always maintained his innocence and has now filed for clemency. He cites his innocence, inadequate representation and racism as the reasons for requesting commutation, a type of clemency. “I have spent the past twenty years on death row for a crime I did not commit, did not witness, and was not at,” he wrote in his application. “I feel terrible for Mr. Howell and his family, but I was not responsible.”

Commutation reasons

Howell, described as a white businessman, was shot and killed in Edmond. The only witness was his sister, who gave a vague description mentioning that the shooter had an inch of hair and a red bandana. Though Jones says he was at home when Howell was killed, he was pegged as the shooter, tried by a jury and sentenced to death in 2002. “At the time Mr. Howell was shot, I was at my parents’ house, with my family, miles away,” Jones wrote. “Despite that, my overworked, underpaid, and inexperienced trial lawyers failed to adequately investigate my alibi, failed to present helpful evidence, and didn’t call a single member of my family to testify that I was at home with them on the night of the crime.” Jones was represented by attorneys from Oklahoma County Public Defender’s Office. In his application, he wrote that his lawyers “simply rested after the state finished its case without presenting any evidence or calling a single witness,” in4

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cluding himself. Jones wrote that he had every intention to tell his story but was advised not to testify by his attorneys. He went on to state that his former friend Chris Jordan was the sole culprit. He also said Jordan set him up and admitted to doing so.

I have spent the past twenty years on death row for a crime I did not commit, did not witness, and was not at. Julius Jones “Prior to my trial, Chris admitted to two people that I wasn’t involved in the murder. In late August or early September 1999, Chris told a man named Manuel Littlejohn that ‘Julius didn’t do it’ and ‘Julius wasn’t there,’” Jones wrote in the application. “Chris admitted to Manuel that he tried to frame me by wrapping the gun used to commit the crime in a bandana and hiding it in my house. Chris also told Manuel about his secret side deal with prosecutors, telling him ‘I’m going to do fifteen years and go home.’ That’s exactly what happened. Even though I told my lawyer about Chris’s confession, he never asked Chris about it and he never called Manuel to testify at my trial.” Jordan took a plea deal to testify against Jones and was sentenced to prison for 30 years before being eligible for release, but

he was released after serving only 15 years. Last year, Jones’s current legal defense discovered that at least one juror — in a nearly all-white jury — was influenced by racial prejudice. In an application for post-conviction relief, they state that a member of the jury told the judge that another juror said the trial was a waste of time and that “they should just take the [N-word] out and shoot him behind the jail.” That juror was never removed. Jones also wrote about racism during the trial in his application. “Prosecutors took every opportunity to racialize me by appealing to the deeply entrenched and stereotypical association between blackness and dangerousness,” he wrote. “In urging jurors to sentence me to death, prosecutors argued that I was a ‘continuing threat’ because I was ‘out prowling the streets’ engaging in criminality. … At the time of my trial I had no prior violent felony convictions. I had gotten into some trouble previously, but none of it was violent.”

Widespread support

Cece Jones-Davis, a local worship leader and social advocate, started building advocacy efforts for Jones after watching The Last Defense, an ABC docu-series chronicling Jones’s case. She said she didn’t know anything about the case before the series aired and described feeling woken up by it. Now, she leads a movement locally advocating Justice for Julius. “It’s something that so many of us are passionate about because we feel something deeply wrong here,” she said. “We are doing our best to move the hearts of the members of the Pardon and Parole Board and the governor to see what it is we see and to understand why it is we are so upset about this. It’s going to take a significant amount of us to move the needle in Oklahoma and outside of Oklahoma. We need all of those who have the capacity and the courage to step

up and help in some way by promoting the petition, encouraging people to watch the documentary, wearing a T-shirt, writing the governor and writing the Pardon and Parole Board.” Jones’s clemency application has received support from several local and national leaders who have urged the Pardon and Parole Board and Gov. Kevin Stitt to commute his sentence, including county commissioner Carrie Blumert, Oklahoma NAACP, Oklahomans for Criminal Justice Reform (OCJR), various national evangelical leaders and even Kim Kardashian West, who has been using her platform to advocate for criminal justice reform. The letters discuss many of the same reasons Jones gives for requesting commutation and many of the same arguments his legal defense has used. “At the time of Julius’ trial, the eyewitness description of the shooter did not fit Julius. Instead, it described his codefendant who served 15 years and is now a free man,” Blumert wrote. “Julius’ attorney was an overworked public defender who failed to cross-examine Christopher Jordan on the six inconsistent statements he gave to the police upon arrest. … The evidence used to convict Julius was inconsistent and several eyewitnesses provided an alibi for Julius.” The letters also mention the disproportionate punishments black individuals face in the criminal justice system, especially in Oklahoma. “Oklahoma has the highest incarceration rate in our country and in the world. We know that racial minorities and women are impacted the most by this reality, and we know that racism, systemic corruption, and classism have historically hindered American ideals of justice,” wrote OCJR executive director Kris Steele and board member Susan Esco. “Clearly, our system has failed on numerous occasions, and has almost killed wrongfully convicted persons. It’s time to examine the merits of Julius Jones’ file and we respectfully request a clemency hearing on his case.” Adam Luck, a member of the Pardon and Parole Board, tweeted about Julius’s clemency application. He said clemency hearings are set once an execution date is set, but Oklahoma currently does not have any executions scheduled, as the state is still developing the new execution method. That’s why Jones filed for commutation and not just a clemency hearing. “It is another means to achieve the same goal of presenting his case to the board and governor,” Luck wrote. “Once applications are received they are screened for eligibility and placed on these dockets prioritized by crime. The eligibility of his application and how the board decided to prioritize his case will affect when it is up for the first stage written review.” Visit justiceforjulius.com for information on Jones’s case and a link to The Last Defense.

PREPARE TO BE SURPRISED. Meet the Maddox family. They have two boys, a daughter with cerebral palsy who is confined to a wheelchair and an infant they foster. It’s more than most of us could handle. But the Maddoxes don’t just receive help from United Way agencies, they find room in a stretched budget and they give to the United Way. Can you? GIVE. ADVOCATE. VOLUNTEER.

United Way of Central Oklahoma

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NEWS Ward 2 councilman James Cooper said he appreciates the new proposal’s language being more narrow but looks forward to address the topic more in the future. | Photo Miguel Rios

“All we were trying to achieve was the ability to bring this question to the city council to make that decision when the property owner does not want it,” Greenwell said during the meeting. “I think this achieves that.” But regardless of the ordinance, the city council always had the final vote for the permanent designation at the end of the process. A supermajority vote, or seven yeas, is needed to pass.

CIT Y

Ordinance opposition

Preservation changes

Oklahoma City Council adopted a measure that changes the historic preservation process. By Miguel Rios

Oklahoma City Council adopted an ordinance last week amending a previous controversial proposal that would have stripped some of Historic Preservation Commission’s powers. Months ago, Oklahoma City councilmembers David Greenwell (Ward 5) and Mark Stonecipher (Ward 8) presented a broad proposal that would have only allowed the city council to initiate any historic designation proposal unless more than 50 percent of owners asked for the designation. Some believed this was too broad, as it took important powers away from the Historic Preservation Commission and Planning Commission. The proposal went before the Planning Commission and returned to council “without recommendation.” Mayor David Holt helped rework the proposal to reflect what he believes to be a compromise. “We’re not talking about any type of application where the property owner is in support of it,” he said at the meeting. “So we’re talking about the very narrow situation about temporary designations (moratoriums) that can last up to 180 days in our current ordinance that are not supported by the property owners and who can approve those. That’s what I tried to hone in on in what I drafted last week.” The ordinance that passed states that 6

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if property owners object to the permanent designation, the issue of a moratorium would go to city council for a simple majority vote. If approved, a 180-day moratorium would go into effect, temporarily barring building or demolition permits to alter the property. If voted down, a moratorium would not go into effect but the designation process would continue.

It was going to be within the purview of city council. That’s why I never understood this conversation. James Cooper “There had to be some sort of little delay built in, so there’s this up to 20 days where they essentially have a temporary designation automatically by virtue of the fact that [Historic Preservation Commission] or the Planning Commission started the designation process,” Holt said. Once a moratorium is voted down, that built-in protection goes away and the property owners retain their full rights, which includes applying for demolition.

Stonecipher thanked the various individuals who were part of the discussion and said the city’s agencies work best when working together. But not everybody was happy with the result. Holt asked Ward 2 councilman James Cooper for his opinion on the amendment. “As I’ve said many, many, many, many times with this, I just thought this was a hammer to a gnat, and so I appreciate that the mayor’s language in this proposal is very narrow. I think it’s fine,” Cooper said, shrugging. “Already with the existing process, we were going to have to go up against that 7-2 supermajority at the very end, and that’s next to impossible. So already, it was going to be within the purview of city council. That’s why I never understood this conversation. … I think this accomplishes what it needed to accomplish. I look forward to addressing this more in the future later.” Cooper also asked if other councilmembers with historic properties had thoughts on the ordinance. “As you know, silence speaks volumes,” said Ward 7 councilwoman Nikki Nice. “Regardless of what the amendments are or what the outcome is … there’s still the opportunity for demolition of these historic properties. And we know the history, especially when it comes to our communities in those lower income, those underserved and communities of color that have been at the disadvantage because of our properties being demolished and destroyed.” Nice also had issue with the fact that Greenwell and Stonecipher, whose suburban wards are least affected by potential historic designations, brought the ordinance forward. Before the vote, Cooper also asked if anyone had signed up to speak or would be willing to speak on the topic. “May we call for the vote please,” Greenwell said. “I mean, we don’t need to fish for [comment]. … So far, no one’s offered to come up.” Cooper said he wanted to hear different people’s interpretations of the ordinance, but no one present volunteered to speak. Holt’s amendment passed 6-3, with Cooper, Nice and Ward 6 councilwoman JoBeth Hamon opposing the measure in a show of resistance, as their vote technically meant they were supporting

the previous broad language. The ordinance was adopted 6-3 with the same councilmembers in opposition.

Work in progress

The city council, Planning Commission and Historic Preservation Commission held a joint workshop earlier this month to review the city’s first historic preservation plan. “The City of Oklahoma City values the identification, recognition, retention and revitalization of historic resources as a significant benefit to our economy, our environment, and to our sense of place and identity for visitors,” the presentation said, according to Oklahoma City Free Press. The presentation lists four main ideas: to enhance public support through outreach and education, to lead by example as good stewards of city-owned and -controlled historic resources, to protect historic resources through new and existing processes and to encourage historic preservation through “enhanced used of existing and development of new

Ward 7 councilwoman Nikki Nice took issue with the fact that two councilmen who represent suburban wards brought forth a proposal that primarily affects other wards. | Photo Miguel Rios

financial or procedural incentives for rehabilitation and adaptive reuse.” “[The purpose is to] comprehensively address the identification, retention, preservation and revitalization of the city’s cultural archeological and architectural resources,” according to the presentation. The plan is not a regulatory document and does not change existing processes or procedures, but it will recommend strategies and action to achieve preservation goals. The historic preservation plan is still under review but is expected to be voted on at the next Historic Preservation Commission meeting 2 p.m. Nov. 6 in the city council chambers, 200 N. Walker Ave.

NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH BEGINS Where Chickasaw Culture lives, breathes, dances and sings. Saturday, November 2, tribes from around the region will come together at the Chickasaw Cultural Center to kick off a month of celebrating historical contributions, cultures and customs of native people. Take part in it all with diverse tribal music, dance, food and so much more, like a pumpkin patch and make and takes during Native American Heritage Day!

CULTURAL CENTER S U L P H U R, O K L A H O M A

C h i c k a s aw C u lt u r a l C e n t e r . c o m | 5 8 0 - 6 2 2-713 0

O KG A Z E T T E . C O M | O C TO B E R 3 0 , 2 0 1 9

BUSINESS

NEWS

Club changes Two clubs in Oklahoma City’s gayborhood have closed and will be replaced, while a formerly shuttered club reopens its doors. By Miguel Rios

Two new club concepts will replace Hotel Habana’s former clubs while Angles reopens its doors.

Habana clubs

Copa and Finish Line, the two clubs in Hotel Habana, closed recently after decades of service. Tom Lagatta, Hotel Habana managing partner, said they did not renew the club’s leases because they needed the revenue, so they plan to open new clubs in the spaces. “This is all a change for us because when we bought the hotel, we were going to start with the room renovations, but we came to understand from a financing point of view that it wasn’t going to be possible without getting the revenue from the bar, the club and the restaurant. We pretty much had no choice but to take this over and get into that,” he said. “It’s pretty extensive to renovate this entire place. We think it will be quite a special place when we’re done, but we have to go about it in a manner that appeals to the banks. … They need to see more cash flow up-front.” Finish Line will become La Bootz, and while it won’t be registered as a

here in November to see what other ideas we can come up with,” he said. “The actual design we’re uncertain [of], even the flavor of the clubs. Like, [La Bootz] is not really going to be that much of a country bar, but we’ll see. We’re still looking at concepts for how they’re finished, although we’re pretty much there in submitting a permit for the nuts and bolts of it.” The restaurant in the hotel, which Whyburn said has operated only a few hours a week, is also getting a renovation and will become Silhouette. The renovations will take place in three phases with La Bootz being first, Silhouette second and Club Exile third. “We’re going to go for the bar first, and while we’re doing the bar, we’re going to figure out the kitchen as far as what we can use in there and what we have to replace. That’s an extensive kitchen renovation because it’s in bad shape,” Lagatta said. “The lobby is going to move from where it traditionally was to the middle of the building, so we will have one lobby that serves the hotel, the bar and the club and probably the gift shop. Then [in the former lobby area], the restaurant will be

it right, so I don’t really have a deadline date,” Whyburn said. “It just depends once we get control of everything what all the issues are.” Visit hotelhabanaokc.com.

New Angles

For Nick Post, owner of Angles and the former Copa and Finish Line, closing down two of his clubs was like “a death in the family.” Post managed the two clubs starting in 1994 and became their owner in 2000. He said he even met his partner 27 years ago in Finish Line.

The biggest thing here is that it’s going to be something new and fun and it still is in the gayborhood. Nick Post

After being shuttered, Angles is reopening with new lights, sounds and events. | Photo Alexa Ace

country bar, Tracy Whyburn, general manager, said it will play mostly country music and have a country flair. Copa will become Club Exile and will remain a dance nightclub. But Lagatta said they are still working out exactly how the clubs will look and feel. “We’ve had a couple of designers come in and look at [the spaces]. We weren’t completely sold on the concepts. We have another designer coming in 8

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expanded to include the lobby. … It will be an expanded restaurant, and we will be able to basically do a banquet for a group that would be renting the entire hotel. So we’re matching the banquet facility to the size of the hotel.” Owners plan to open the bars with minor changes as soon as they get their liquor license while they continue to work out logistics and even through some renovations. “As anything else, we want it up as soon as possible, but we’re going to do

“We had our last dance [Oct. 19],” he said. “People give me stories like, ‘Oh, I met my partner here.’ … Everybody was kind of teary-eyed, and it was a bittersweet night. [Oct. 20,] we had last call because that was our last night to be open, and again, more stories: ‘This is where me and my partner met. We just wanted to have one more drink.’” When Post bought Angles 12 years ago, he said he basically closed it down to control competition with his other clubs. That also allowed him to use it as a venue for national pageants and conventions. “Angles has been open like once or twice a month basically. We use it as an event center,” he said. “You can’t close down like the Copa for an [event or convention] when you have a regular dance night every night, so we were able to use Angles to accommodate different groups.”

Hotel Habana’s two clubs and restaurant are getting a renovation. | Photo Alexa Ace

But now Angles has reopened with regular club hours, and Post said it will be better than ever. The club has new lights and sound technology, and the video screens are now in high definition. “It’s going to be new and exciting,” Post said. “We’re going to have the best in lights, the most advanced video wall, we’re adding lasers that, from what they tell me, are not in any other clubs [permanently] and we’re going to try to do some different events.” In combining Copa and Finish Line into Angles, every Friday and Saturday, the club will play country music until 11:30 p.m. and transition into pop and electronic dance music with a live DJ until close. Post said the idea came from the owners of Round-Up Saloon, a gay club in Dallas that plays country until midnight and then pop until close, who told him the model was successful there. “No one got to Copa until midnight,” he said. “So the crowd that doesn’t come out until after midnight, now they have a place to go, and the cowboys get to go home and go to bed because most of us are older.” Angles hosts a weekly T dance 5-9 p.m. each Sunday and weekly karaoke from 8 p.m. to midnight each Wednesday. Angles also hosts monthly events 9 p.m.-2 a.m. like Melodic, an EDM dance party, every first and third Thursday of the month, Goth Night every second Thursday and Latin Music Night every fourth Thursday. “The biggest thing here is that it’s going to be something new and fun and it still is in the gayborhood, so everyone is welcome but you have to be respectful,” Post said. “I think with the renovations that we’re doing that it’s going to be one of the major hotspots in Oklahoma City.” Visit anglesokc.com.

chicken

friedNEWS

Who’s watching?

The 1.5 million viewers who watched Watchmen premiere on HBO earlier this month saw a recreation of a defining moment in Tulsa’s history and heard songs from the 1943 Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein musical Oklahoma!, but we’re guessing the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department was less than thrilled about it. “HBO’s Watchmen opens in 1921 during the Tulsa Race Massacre,” wrote Esquire’s Matt Miller, “a deeply disturbing real stain on American history, where, on May 31, 1921, a mob of white people attacked a black community. … We see men in KKK white firing guns at helpless men and women. We see planes actually dropping bombs on this small community. It’s chilling, and although Watchmen takes place in an alt-history, this event actually took place.” Many details of the massacre remain uncertain due to attempts by authorities at the time and The Tulsa Tribune — which published an incendiary frontpage article that reportedly incited violence — to erase the event from history, but according to the report released in 2001 by since-renamed Oklahoma Commission to Study the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921, an estimated 100-300 people were killed during the massacre; more than 1,200 homes were “deliberately burned or otherwise destroyed” along with businesses, churches, schools and a hospital and a library; and “not one of these criminal acts was then or ever has been prosecuted or punished by government at any level.”

Nearly a century later, investigators are searching for the location of a suspected mass grave, but considering the massacre was left out of school history curriculums in the state until at least 2000, the new comic-book-inspired HBO series by Lost and The Leftovers co-creator and showrunner Damon Lindelof is likely the first time many people, possibly even some Oklahomans, have heard about it. The series — set in an alternate 2019 in which police wear

Red erring

masks and actor Robert Redford is president — does change at least one fact about the massacre’s aftermath. In Watchmen’s world, the government actually followed the commission’s recommendation that “reparations could and should be made” to descendants of the victims.

What would you say you do here?

In the 1999 cult classic film Office Space, a pair of business consultants both named Bob are brought in to help a software company downsize. It leads to the invariable question, “What would you say you do here?” If the same question was posed to members of the Oklahoma Legislature, we’d probably get a lot of “I’m a people person!” just like Richard Riehle’s character in the movie. Despite this year’s session ending with the Legislature mostly passing bills written by out-of-state interested parties, the Legislative Compensation Board voted to increase lawmaker compensation 35 percent from $35,021 to $47,500. It’s the first legislative pay raise in 20 years. It should be noted that the board has been totally re-appointed under new governor Kevin Stitt. The same board two years ago cut legislator pay by 8.8 percent in 2017, as the budget shortfall created a special session that lasted so long it blended into the next session and created the conditions for the 2018 teacher strike. The underlying conditions for the teacher strike — education funding, not teacher salary — were not addressed during the most recent session. The new board, which includes Oklahoma City developer Jonathan Dodson, claims that a pay raise will help attract “the brightest” Oklahomans to pursue a career in state politics — despite the fact that the salary is still below that state’s median family income, $52,000, according to The Oklahoman. A total $1.85 million increase needed to pay the 149 legislative members will take effect next year. Considering the state has a projected surplus of a little more than $600 million, let’s see if the Legislature uses some of those leftover funds to benefit the state.

Who knew picking the color of a car could be such a big deal. Megan Simpson, former Oklahoma Department of Public Safety assistant commissioner, was tasked with just that earlier this year, so she picked bright Victory Red for her new state-provided Chevy Tahoe. “Yes, I know it’s not the typical color,” she wrote in an email to the fleet director. “But as you would readily agree I’m sure I’m not the typical #2 and you’re not the typical fleet manager, so I know it’s the perfect choice!” It wasn’t. In fact, it was probably the worst choice the self-proclaimed irregular No. 2 could have made. The state paid more than $35,000 to the dealer and spent about $11,000 more to equip it with a siren, a “ghost” light, a police radio, a gun vault and leather seats, according to The Oklahoman. Keep in mind that Simpson is an attorney, not a law enforcement officer. But why would she not need a siren and a gun vault, right? “It’s so pretty!!!!” Simpson wrote in an email to her fleet director. Unfortunately for her, Simpson only got to drive the pretty!!!! Tahoe for a few weeks before

being fired — get this — on Labor Day along with the commissioner and another employee. Now John Scully, the new commissioner, is stuck with what he considers an embarrassment for the department. He said they were going to try to sell it to a fire department or another agency that can afford to buy it, but the process has been slow. So Scully has ordered for it to be sold at an online auction to try to get rid of it as soon as possible. “I don’t want that in the fleet any longer,” he told The Oklahoman. “We just need to move on.” But the three employees that were let go don’t want to move on just yet. They have hired an attorney to file a wrongful termination lawsuit, which should go well for no one involved.

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REVIEW

EAT & DRINK

Sichuan rebirth

Yummy Noodles lives up to its name as its owners find success after leaving Tsubaki Szechuan. By Jacob Threadgill

Yummy Noodles 1630 NW 23rd St. facebook.com/yummynoodlesokc 405-604-4880 WHAT WORKS: Everything on the menu is flavorful and delivered quickly to the table. WHAT NEEDS WORK: The soup dumpling arrived after the entree. TIP: The restaurant is closed Mondays.

As quickly as Tsubaki Szechuan generated fans for its traditional Sichuan cuisine, it was gone. The venture between Peter and Mandy Liu and Henry Yang, of Tsubaki Sushi, connected to the Super Cao Nguyen shopping center captivated native Chinese immigrants and locals for its commitment to delivering flavors from the Sichuan province. The restaurant opened in November 2017, and suddenly and without warning, it closed in March of this year with a Facebook post that intimated Yang and the Lius would be “going their separate ways.” I was inundated with emails from multiple readers who wanted to know where they could get the flavors they’d grown to love at Tsubaki Szechuan. Szechuan Bistro at 1010 W. Memorial Road offers excellent service, but it takes a little cajoling with the staff to go beyond its base dishes that are tempered for an Oklahoma palate. Chuanyu Fusion opened at 7011 W. Hefner Road earlier this year, and it provides a traditional outlet for the northwest portion of the city. Fans of the Lius rejoiced in July as they Spicy wonton soup from Yummy Noodles | Photo Jacob Threadgill

returned with Yummy Noodles, 1630 NW 23rd St., in a strip mall location near the campus of Oklahoma City University. In comparison to the large dining rooms and huge menu at Tsubaki Szechuan, Yummy Noodles is largely as the name implies: noodle-based dishes with a few additional side dishes like scallion pancakes, eggs and dumplings. As the weather finally dips into falllike temperatures, I figured a visit to Yummy Noodles was needed, and it more than lived up to the expectations established at the Lius’ first Oklahoma City location. The restaurant is a true “hole in the wall,” a shotgun setup with tables lining the walls and a door leading into the kitchen. Menus hang next to the tables and display the 14 available noodlebased dishes and a few sides like eggs, dumplings and fried mashed potatoes. My wife and I arrived around 1 p.m. on a Tuesday (Yummy Noodles is closed on Mondays) to find the restaurant about half-filled. A server quickly took our drink order and gave us some time to look over the menu. All of the entrees are noodle-based, mostly served in broth, but a few like the dan dan noodles (finished in chili oil) and Sichuan spicy cold noodles (finished with a peanut sauce) are for those not in the mood to slurp too much during their meal. I ordered the No.1 dish on the menu, which is Chongquing noodles ($9.95 for large), also known at Xiao mian in China, according to chinasishuanfood. com . The dish is made with thin, freshly prepared noodles that are about the width of store-bought spaghetti but

more flavorful and sturdy. The key to Xiao mian is the Chinese red oil, which is a blend of ginger, star anise, Chinese cinnamon, cumin seed, fennel seeds and, most importantly, Sichuan peppercorn. With a lemony and floral fragrance, the Sichuan peppercorn releases a numbing and buzzing sensation in the mouth thanks to the active ingredient hydroxy-alpha sanshool, which measured as high as 50 Hertz in a 2013 study at University College of London. Unlike black peppercorns from the U.S., the Sichuan peppercorn isn’t explicitly spicy. The ingredient is best described with the Mandarin phrase mala, which roughly translates to “numb-spiciness.” If you want to feel the full effects of the Sichuan peppercorn, take a sip of water after a few bites of a broth with the peppercorn chili oil, and your mouth will start buzzing. The reaction of the Sichuan peppercorn opens your taste buds to the nuance of more spicy ingredients in the chili oil like crushed red pepper flakes. The chili oil is the base of the Xiao mian that is combined with fresh ginger, soy sauce and a few other ingredients. Braised beef, scallions, baby bok choy and cilantro add heartiness and freshness to the dish. The beef was tender but also wasn’t overcooked to the point of mush. My wife had a hard time choosing between the wonton soups — one with chili oil and one without — before eventually ordering the spicy version after the server said the heat level can be

Soup dumplings are listed on the menu at Yummy Noodles as “little juicy pork buns.” | Photo Jacob Threadgill

adjusted. She ordered a two out of five and was happy with the final result. I tried to few bites of the wonton soup for comparison and preferred the Xiao mian for its more powerful chili flavor and fresh noodles, but the wonton soup was filled with at least 10 dumplings and is a filling dish at just under $10. The wonton broth is heavy on the garlic compared to the Xiao mian. In addition to entrees, we also ordered the soup dumplings, which are listed on the menu as “little juicy pork buns” ($5.95). Soup dumplings were arguably one of the most popular dishes at the original Tsubaki Szechuan because there isn’t another restaurant in the metro that serves the dish. Broth is cooked and allowed to congeal before it’s added to the dumpling wrapper with a mixture of ground meat. As the dumpling is steamed, the broth returns to liquid and acts like a built-in flavor-enhancer. It’s a labor-intensive dish, so they actually arrived after the entrees, but they were just as good as I remembered at Tsubaki Szechuan, especially when paired with the soy sauce in small teapots on the side of the table that tasted exponentially better than the regular soy sauce in a bottle from the grocery store. I’m delighted to see that Yummy Noodles is picking up where Tsubaki Szechuan left off, albeit with a smaller menu. I hope the streamlined options will cut costs and allow the location to have continued success. O KG A Z E T T E . C O M | O C TO B E R 3 0 , 2 0 1 9

October

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F E AT U R E

EAT & DRINK

Hangover Heaven Crudoolandia takes its “lightning in a bottle” seafood and drink convenience concept to three locations and counting. By Jacob Threadgill

A taste from the west coast of Mexico has turned into a success story for an Oklahoma family whose Crudoolandia stores have now expanded to two locations in Oklahoma City, one in Tulsa and out-of-state expansion on the horizon. Owner Nancy Soto Hallman got the idea for Crudoolandia from her brother Thomas Soto, who wanted to combine the beachside Mexican tradition of combining seafood with the spicy tomato juice cocktail Michelada and the drive-thru convenience of beer barns that Soto saw in Texas. Seven years ago, the first Crudoolandia opened in a vintage service station at 641 SW 29th St., and it almost immediately became a hit. “It’s lightning in a bottle because we sell more than we thought we’d sell,” Greg Hallman said, speaking in English on behalf of his wife Nancy. “It feels like an anomaly sometimes. … We’re taking the idea of eating in Mazatlán, picking it up and putting it in OKC in more of a fast-food concept. All of the pieces fell together. We didn’t plan it that way. It was iterative and we built on the drivethru concept, we added a kitchen and it’s expanded.” Hallman said Crudoolandia’s eureka moment came as they decided to push the boundaries from a traditional Michelada that is referred to colloquially as “red beer” because of the mixture of clamato, lime, chile and soy or Worcestershire sauce with either beer or mineral water. They upA 44-ounce El Rey with shrimp, cucumber and Mexican beef jerky can be finished with beer or mineral water. | Photo Alex

Ceviche at Crudoolandia | Photo Alexa Ace

graded the 32-ounce La Goolosa to a 44ounce El Rey (The King) that tops the drink with shrimp, cucumber, celery, Mexican beef jerky and spices. Its counterpart La Reina (The Queen) substitutes cucumber for coconut. “The King is the most outlandish drink and started off almost as a joke,” Hallman said. “We thought no one would buy it, and it’s turned out to be the bestseller, and it’s how we pay the employees that we have. It’s a marker of success we can create jobs.” Crudoolandia employs 20 people at two locations in Oklahoma City

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and five in Tulsa, where it opened a store two years ago. The 1130 SW 59th St. OKC location opened in June as a way to help traffic congestion on SW 29th Street during the weekend rush, as cars would often back up for blocks into the street. To comply with ABLE and city ordnances, Crudoolandia is classified as a convenience store so that it can serve unopened beer to customers in their cars through a two-bay former garage at its original location. The second Oklahoma City location serves through a drivethru window of a former Taco Mayo. “People ask if it’s legal, but the beer is unopened, and as long as the customer is over 21 and not impaired, it’s just like getting beer and snacks at an OnCue,” Hallman said. Crudoolandia offers chips like spicy Takis or pinwheel-shaped Duros, but it deviates from other convenience stores with its fresh seafood offerings like ceviche with shrimp, fish or a combination of the two. Shrimp is served in a variety of preparations, including aguachile served in either spicy red or green sauce. Raw shrimp is marinated in lime juice for days so it’s ready to safely eat. “I call it Mexican sashimi because it’s prepared raw,” Hallman said of the aguachile. The Chuvi Duvi is a fruit drink with pineapple juice that can be combined with mangoflavored Smirnoff malt beverage for adults or mineral water to be kept nonalcoholic. Soto came up with the name Crudoolandia as a play on words, taking the expression for hangover (crudo, which literally translates to “raw”) and making it a place people want to go. “In Mexico, if anything is a place that you go to for something, you can add ‘landia’ at the end,” Hallman said. “For example, if we go to a place for hamburgers, we might call it hamburgerlandia, and the story behind landia is that it comes from ‘Disneylandia” because it’s the happiest place on earth. The saddest place on earth might be IRSlandia. It’s

Crudoolandia owner Nancy Soto Hallman and husband Greg Hallman | Photo Alexa Ace

like a meme that you can make anything ‘landia.’” Traditionally, a Michelada is the best drink for the “hair of the dog,” in which alcohol is used to alleviate the effect of a hangover. “Crudoolandia translates to ‘Hangover Heaven,’ and the literal translation is Hangover Land, which doesn’t have the same ring as Hangover Heaven because there is nuance in ‘landia’ in that you want to go there,” Hallman said.

The King is the most outlandish drink and started off almost as a joke.

William Haskell, Marvel, Acrylic, 9" x 12".

Greg Hallman Just as Baskin-Robbins and Ben & Jerry’s expanded beyond the chocolate and vanilla options of ice cream, Hallman said they want to do the same for Micheladas at Crudoolandia. They experimented with the idea of serving punch bowl-sized drinks or putting a whole plate of ceviche on top of a drink with a hole in the middle for a straw. “It’s similar to the crazy milkshake movement [that have whole desserts on top]. It started in Mexico to be ‘How crazy can you make it?’… It could be a full meal on your drink and a snack at the same time,” he said. Crudoolandia’s enterprising spirit has the company location scouting in Dallas as a potential franchisee is in talks to bring the concept to Fort Worth, potentially by the concept’s busy season that runs from spring through the summer. “Some restaurants take 6 to 12 months to make a profit, and our overhead is super low. We were in the black within two months in Tulsa,” Hallman said. “We save money because we don’t have to heat and cool a large dining area and little ways to save money here and there.” Visit crudoolandia.com.

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O KG A Z E T T E . C O M | O C TO B E R 3 0 , 2 0 1 9

GAZEDIBLES

EAT & DRINK

Sandwich celebration

Sunday is National Sandwich Day. There’s no reason to wait until the weekend to get a jump on celebrating the day that can easily be applied to every day at these seven locations. By Jacob Threadgill with provided and file photos

Scottie’s Deli

Rivière Modern Bánh Mì

The Sandwich Club

Scottie’s is the only deli in the city where everything from the bread to the meat and even the pickles and mustard are made in-house. The freshness comes through in the excellent final product that will leave you full and happy. It offers a few things that can’t be found elsewhere like duck pastrami and smoked chicken salad, which are the perfect complement to classics done right.

This elevated Vietnamese concept from the folks behind Jimmy’s Egg is serving traditional family recipes alongside modern takes on the bánh mì. Enjoy a craft cocktail while chopping into a pho-rench dip that is a French dip with Vietnamese flavors or the Bánh Fire that puts Buffalo chicken on a fresh baguette roll. You can also get traditional Vietnamese charcuterie on the James Bánh, but be sure to get an order of the Vietnamese street corn or wok-fried green beans with your order.

If you like your sandwich with a side of ’80s nostalgia, The Sandwich Club is the right place for you. Even if menu references to Escape from New York and Revenge of the Nerds might go over your head, you’ll find comfort in a well-made sandwich. Choose from a variety of options or build your own with fun vegetables like sprouts, sun-dried tomato and spreads like pesto and red pepper hummus.

427 NW 23rd St. scottiesdeliokc.com | 405-604-8940

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Super Subs

Hobby’s Hoagies

Caeli’s Sweets Eats & Bar

This Midwest City staple dutifully serves up no-frills sandwiches as well as excellent fries and burgers plus innovative Philly cheesesteaks and the Wicked Chicken sandwich that is a grilled chicken sandwich with a twist. Friendly service puts Super Subs over the top with a menu that includes hot dogs, wraps and fresh salads.

Hobby’s Hoagies lost its patriarch George Hobson earlier this year, but you can still enjoy some tasty sandwiches that the Delaware transplant opened at two locations (one in Edmond and one downtown) because of a lack of steak sandwiches in the area. The menu runs the gamut of Philly steak sandwiches, hot Italian, chicken and regular hoagies and even spaghetti. Be sure to get some of the special hoagie peppers piled high on a housemade Italian roll.

When it comes to unique sandwiches, Caeli’s has everyone else beat with its meatball grilled cheese. The sandwich is simplistic serendipity as mozzarella is melted around the housemade meatballs while the bread gets crispy on the exterior and it is served with marinara for dipping. Caeli’s also offers classic sandwiches like an Italian sub, chicken salad and more.

2150 S. Douglas Blvd., Midwest City 405-733-5440

325 N. Walker Ave. hobbyshoagies.com | 405-605-3131

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ND Foods

2632 W. Britton Road 405-840-9364

Be sure to unhinge your jaw before ordering a sandwich at ND Foods. The familyowned sandwich shop that is also inside an antique store not only delivers huge sandwiches made with high-quality Boar’s Head meat, you can also check out a great collection of furniture and art. Get a hot sandwich like pastrami or muffuletta pilled high or go with something cold like Cajun turkey or tuna salad.

Thurs, Nov 7th ª 5-7 pm Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark First 300 Registered receive a free BrewFest t-shirt!

General Admission $35

ª Must be 21 to enter ª$10 off with Military ID ªTickets: okbio.org/brewfest

EVENT SPONSORS: Crowe & Dunlevy, Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, Hit Design, i2E, Oklahoma Gazette BEER HOSTS: Caisson Biotech, Cytovance Biologics, Dunlap Codding, IMMY, McAfee & Taft, VWR International

O KG A Z E T T E . C O M | O C TO B E R 3 0 , 2 0 1 9

Homeless Alliance Supply Drive in the Paseo Arts District November 1- December 31

Order from our Amazon wish list at thepaseo.org/support

Items requested for donation: Hats Gloves Socks Hand Warmers Drop off sites: The Paseo Plunge Studio Six Betsey King. A Shoe Boutique Paseo Arts Association Little Market CMG Art Gallery

Homeless Alliance Fresh StART Show on Display at the Paseo Plunge November 1-30

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O C TO B E R 3 0 , 2 0 1 9 | O KG A Z E T T E . C O M

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6 GUN IZAKAYA

EVENT

ARTS & CULTURE

Doll parts

CityRep’s production of A Doll’s House, Part 2 adds a second story to one of drama’s most famous open endings. By Jeremy Martin

Spoiler alert for a 140-year-old play: Henrik Ibsen’s 1879 A Doll’s House ends with exasperated wife and mother Nora leaving her husband and children, literally slamming the door on her old life to find a new one the audience can only guess about. Luke Hnath’s 2017 A Doll’s House, Part 2, which The New Yorker called “an irresponsible act—a kind of naughty imposition on a classic” picks up the storyline 15 years later with Nora knocking on that same door. Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre (CityRep) stages A Doll’s House, Part 2 Nov. 8-24 at CitySpace Theatre in Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave. In an interview with Vogue, Hnath said he began writing a sequel to Ibsen’s famous play by rewriting the original in his own words and polling a drama workshop about what they thought happened to Nora after she slammed the door. “Almost everybody said that she went off to work in a factory or became a prostitute and died,” Hnath said. “Given how few avenues there were for emancipated women at the time, those aren’t incredible assumptions, but it dictated to me that what I wanted to do was something completely other than what people were expecting. Instead of a story where she hits a wall of misery, I was going to say that she did great.” Though Nora (played in CityRep’s production by Stacey Logan) has become a successful feminist writer, the people she left behind — husband Torvald (Steve Emerson), daughter Emmy (Avery Carlson) and maid Anne Marie (Pam Dougherty) are less than impressed. “They’re all a little angry at me, and they haven’t been able to yell at me for 15 years to tell their side, what they want to say,” Logan said. “This person was not a maternal person. This person wants to change the world. She could be considered a zealot. She wants to make the world better for women, and she feels that’s her calling. She doesn’t know that at first, but she knows she’s not living her life. She grew up under her father’s heavy hand and moved right in with her husband and had the children and never lived on her own or knew who she was and never had the opportunity to figure that out, so she walked out because she needed to do that.” Leaving offered Nora new opportunities outside the strict confines of her 19th-century marriage, but when she returns to ask Torvald for a legal divorce, the people she left behind have a chance to air 15 years of grievances,

director Ruth Charnay said. “A lot of interesting things have happened to all four of these characters in 15 years,” Charnay said. “They all have a few things that they need from each other, so the fact that Nora has walked back through the door presents the other three characters with some interesting prospects they didn’t have before.”

World-changing motives

Though her character is often at the receiving end of the blows, Logan said the scenes of verbal sparring — which Hnath called “two-person showdowns, like a series of boxing rounds” — are her favorite part. “What I do love about this play and this playwright is that everybody gets their say,” Logan said. “Everyone gets their point of view heard, and they all have very valid points of view. … Everybody’s right and everybody’s wrong.” Charnay agreed the play gives all the characters a sympathetic voice and perspective. “As much as it’s about feminism and it touches on those things, it’s also about gender equality, which is part of why the Torvald character is just as strong,” Charnay said. “It’s not about one person or one gender being superior or whatever. It’s about, How does everybody get a fair shake? and How do we create a world that works that way? And it’s hard. It doesn’t come easy because that’s not the way we’ve all been raised. … It’s tricky.” Emerson finds his character in the sequel more sympathetic than the condescending, reputation-obsessed husband who essentially plays the part of a villain in the original. “In 15 years, he has learned to let go of some things, but not everything,” Emerson said. “He makes more of an effort. … Ibsen’s Torvald is not a guy I ident i f y with, but this guy, I

understand. It’s not so much, I think, a modernization of attitude as it is a realization that women are people too, but it takes him a while to come around. On the other hand, he also feels like he’s an injured party. … She walked out the door and left him with three small children, so that’s kind of an issue.” Still, Emerson can understand Nora’s decision to leave, but empathy for all of the characters and their oftencompeting motives only makes the play more complex.

Nora ... presents the other three characters with some interesting prospects they didn’t have before. Ruth Charnay “Many of the people who are historically great figures, historically large figures have changed the world, were not good family people,” Emerson said. “Every character has not only their own viewpoint, they have their own agenda they want to accomplish. It’s easy for Nora to walk in the door and think she has a plan — ‘I just need for this person to do this and this person to do this and everything will be fine’ — but those people are not going to do that. They have their own plans, and that’s what happens in every scene. … Nobody’s plan goes where they think it’s going to go or where they want it to go. That’s the way it is in real life.”

Also like real life, Charnay said, the play offers a mixture of comedy and drama. “It’s very modern, which means that it’s really easy for us to flow from one to the other,” Charnay said. “We’re used to that now. There used to be a time when you either went to see a comedy or you went to see a drama, and now we know that life has all those moments in it. This play encapsulates that, too, so there’s a lot of really funny stuff, and [Logan] has opportunities to do some great physical comedy, and there’s a lot of situations that are just funny.” Much of the laughter, Logan said, comes from the “jarring” juxtaposition of contemporary, occasionally obscene dialogue and 19th-century fashion. “We are in period costumes, but the show is performed in more modern language and also a modern physicality in these period, costumes and corsets,” Logan said. “So there’s plenty of humor there.” Audience members familiar with Ibsen’s original might have a deeper appreciation for some of the jokes and references, but Charnay said a CliffsNotes cram session isn’t necessary to appreciate Part 2. “Although I think it’s interesting as a cast and a production to be able to have that incredible wealth, that resource of the original to go back and inform all of us and give us so much, it’s not really important for the audience to know anything about the original,” Charnay said. “This really is its own play, and it stands on its own.” Tickets are $40. Call 405-848-3761 or visit okcrep.org.

A Doll’s House, Part 2 Nov. 8-24 CitySpace Theatre Civic Center Music Hall 201 N. Walker Ave. okcrep.org | 405-848-3761 $40

Steve Emerson, Stacey Logan, Avery Carlson and Pam Dougherty star in A Doll’s House, Part 2 Nov. 8-24 at CitySpace Theatre. |Photo Wendy Mutz / provided O KG A Z E T T E . C O M | O C TO B E R 3 0 , 2 0 1 9

CO M D E Y

ARTS & CULTURE

Shady lady RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Bianca Del Rio’s It’s Jester Joke tour brings biting insult comedy to Oklahoma. By Jeremy Martin

When Bianca Del Rio began hosting drag bingo nights in New Orleans more than a decade ago, she didn’t realize at first that she had a winner. “The bars were looking for anything you could possibly imagine to get people into a club,” Del Rio, the season six winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race, said. “When I grew up, the gay people actually went out to clubs, and we would have a good time, and there was happy hour and there was all this madness, but the start of the apps and online dating kind of ruined everything. So at the bar that I was working at … they started bingo one day and they ended up doing it three nights a week. Sometimes it was four people; sometimes it was 100. … At the time, I really didn’t know what I wanted. I just knew that I could make some money to live. … I never expected the opportunities that were there, and I didn’t know how long I would do it, too, because at that time, I think it was about 12 years in or 13 years in and now I’m on 24 years, so I definitely didn’t think that drag would be as exciting as it is now, nor did I think I would be doing it this long.” Del Rio’s international It’s Jester Joke Comedy Tour stops 8 p.m. Nov. 6 at Hudiburg Chevrolet Center at Rose State College, 6000 S. Prosper Blvd., in Midwest City. Del Rio, known for her mental Rolodex of Hate, said she learned early in her career that combining drag with her acerbic insult comedy allowed her to “get away with murder.”

People forget what real life is, and that’s kind of sad. Bianca Del Rio “There’s some novelty about it that people find, an extra little poke when you are a man in a dress,” Del Rio said. “People just think it’s funny. It’s tonguein-cheek, and it’s theatrical. It adds another layer to something. Most comedians wear jeans and tennis shoes and have a stool and a glass of water. When you’re a drag queen, it kind of just vamps it up a little bit. It becomes more of a cartoon and less of reality.” One of Del Rio’s inspirations is Dame Edna Everage, a character created by Australian comedian Barry Humphries, who told The Guardian in 2018 that he defends “to the ultimate [his] right to give deep and profound offense … so long as people laugh while they’re being offended.” Del Rio, who published comedic 18

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advice book Blame It On Bianca Del Rio last year, espouses a similar philosophy. “I don’t care what people have a problem with,” Del Rio said. “That’s not how you live your life. You don’t live your life listening to people you don’t know online telling you what they think you should be doing. Nothing anymore considers context. … All they want to do is say, ‘We don’t like this. We’re offended.’ If you’re offended by something and you don’t like it, then you just don’t watch it. That’s it. That’s the end. … Concern yourself with things that really matter, like the president or the senate or somewhere you can actually make a difference, but yelling at me is definitely not going to change my perspective of my life. Come on. It’s a joke. I’m a joke. I’m a man in a wig. Life is not that fucking serious, and I think people have lost their fucking minds lately. … People forget what entertainment is. People forget what comedians are. People forget what real life is, and that’s kind of sad.” Declaring certain topics off-limits is fatal to comedy, Del Rio said. “People usually make jokes about their experiences and their life and what’s going on from their perspective, and once you start putting barriers up, then you’re fucked,” Del Rio said. “So you take the risk of saying something, and someone can not like it. That’s OK if you don’t like something. Every joke is not going to be a winner. So if someone doesn’t like something you say, that’s fine. That’s fine. That doesn’t mean it’s the end of the fucking world.”

so what? Do I not live my fucking life? … I can’t choose who’s going to like me and who’s not going to like me. That’s just kind of part of the game.” Rather than dwelling on negative criticism, Del Rio is determined to enjoy the incredible opportunities she could not have imagined while hosting bingo in a bar — a world tour, a book deal, two feature films (Hurricane Bianca and its sequel From Russia With Hate, both co-starring Rachel Dratch). “I would never sit here as a gay man and say, ‘It’s all changed. It’s all ruined,’” Del Rio said. “That’s not how the world works. With good comes bad, but things change. Things shift, but it’s an amazing opportunity. I think it’s great when a 13-year-old boy can come in drag to the show with his grandmother. I love it. I think that’s wonderful because I didn’t have that opportunity. You’ve got to find the humor and the good in all of it. If not, you’re going to just be a miserable cunt, and there’s a lot of miserable cunts in the world.” But being positive doesn’t always mean ignoring negativity. In Hurricane Bianca, for example, Del Rio plays a teacher in a small Texas town who is fired for being gay.

“I don’t mind taking on a serious topic, but I think it needs to be done in a comedic way,” Del Rio said. “I don’t want anything to be too preachy, and I definitely don’t believe in beating someone over the head and saying, ‘This is the right way.’ … But sadly, that’s what exists in the world. In 26 states, that’s possible in America. … The movies is reminding people, ‘Hey, this is going on in our country. This is possible.’ And I have a huge problem with that because I’m a tax-paying son of a bitch, and I should have rights just like everyone else. If gay people aren’t considered a whole person, then I should only pay half taxes. How’s that? I should pay you for every right that I get. How do you like that, government?” Tickets are $39.50-$199. Call 405-5948300 or visit okcciviccenter.com.

Bianca Del Rio 8 p.m. Nov. 6 Hudiburg Chevrolet Center Rose State College 6000 S. Prosper Blvd., Midwest City okcciviccenter.com | 405-594-8300 $39.50-$199

Creating opportunity

The mainstream popularity of RuPaul’s Drag Race has changed drag and its audience for better and worse, Del Rio said. “With everything that’s exposed, there’s good and bad,” Del Rio said. “It’s great that drag is in people’s living rooms. It’s great that a show about drag is winning awards. The downside is that people still are assholes. The downside is that you can’t choose your audience. The downside is someone has a problem with it. Christians don’t like men in wigs;

Bianca Del Rio performs 8 p.m. Nov. 6 at Hudiburg Chevrolet Center at Rose State College in Midwest City. | Photo Rene Koala / provided

Heart of the Holidays Gift Market Eat, Shop & Enjoy

November 2, 2019 10AM-4PM

Talent Show! Seeking Community Entries

PRIZES: 1st place-$100, 2nd-$50, 3rd-$25

Community Service Project:

Partnering with Prospect Church 2809 N Missouri Ave, OKC, in Bahama relief efforts.100% of proceeds through the entrepreneurship booth & gift basket drawing entries will be donated. (Gift basket includes product from each vendor)

Metro Tech Stem Building 1901 Springlake Dr., OKC

BOOKS

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World stage

Max Weitzenhoffer’s journey from Norman to Broadway acclaim and back again is captured in a new book published by Full Circle Press. By Charles Martin

When Michael Jackson died in 2009, Norman native Max Weitzenhoffer just so happened to be chairman of Nimax Theatres, which was presenting Thriller Live at its Apollo Theatre in central London. Ticket sales exploded, leading to an eight-year run. When The Phantom of the Opera was being adapted for Broadway by Andrew Lloyd Webber in 1986, Weitzenhoffer’s initial attempt to make an investment in the show was turned down. Then the stock market tanked in 1987 and Weitzenhoffer received a plea from the production company for half a million dollars to replace a major investor who dropped out. “How fast do you need it?” Weitzenhoffer recalled asking in the new book on his life, To the Max by Tom Lindley. “By tomorrow,” was the response. It was another fortunate turn of events that defined Weitzenhoffer’s career track from Oklahoma through Broadway and London and then back to his home state to transform the University of Oklahoma’s theater department. This journey is traced in To the Max as his highlights are accompanied by a leisurely jog through his personal life. Though at times bogged down by the minutiae of his family life and trips abroad, To the Max does offer a fascinating glimpse into the producer’s view of Broadway, where art meets finance and the balancing of egos is often the difference between success and crushing failure.

To the Max: Max Weitzenhoffer’s Magical Trip from Oklahoma to New York and London—and Back by Tom Lindley was published in August. | Image Full Circle Press / provided

Among the book’s highlights is its delve into a seductive Broadway adaptation of Dracula, with inspiration from the illustrations of Edward Gorey. Memories of The Will Rogers Follies and other notable triumphs and misfires are where the biography flows at its best. Weitzenhoffer’s unique insight into the theater business adds dimension to familiar stories, productions and celebrated actors. Weitzenhoffer is also open about his misses, such as his admittedly historic flop with Harold and Maude, which ended its run $300,000 over budget, forcing Weitzenhoffer to sell off property to pay off debts.

Life perspective

To the Max is Lindley’s third biography for Full Circle Press, the imprint of the longstanding independent bookstore of the same name. Lindley retired from a long career as a journalist. In an email exchange with Oklahoma Gazette, he said his move to longform nonfiction comes from his love of the interview. “Every individual and every story I’ve ever tried to tell is unique,” Lindley wrote. “I love the interview process and having the opportunity to be the sponge continued on page 20

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EXPERIENCE FIRST FRIDAY GALLERY WALK Friday, Nov. 1, 2019 • 6-9pm

Live Music: Darren Cipponeri ARTS DISTRICT Mobile Vendors: Yum Pig, That Pie Truck, The Big Friendly Craft Beer Bus, Country Girl Kitchen

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ARTS & CULTURE continued from page 19

that soaks up some knowledge. Doing justice to the stories is sometimes hard. Some sentences I write find their mark; others appear as if they had little thought behind them. When any manuscript I’ve written finally makes it to print, I’m almost afraid to open it because I know there are going to be a thousand things I would like to change. This time, I’m hoping to cut that in half, not because I’m a better writer but because Max is visual by nature, which made the book more colorful and,

BOOKS

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I hope, insightful. Plus, it was beautifully illustrated by designer Carl Brune.” The production quality of To the Max is, indeed, vibrant, visual and fitting for Weitzenhoffer’s love of spectacle. One might assume that the book would stay focused on Weitzenhoffer’s rise through Broadway and dish on behind-thescenes drama, but the story often spills over in many other directions, a result of the volume of interviews Lindley conducted to prepare for the book. “I don’t begin to know what the right formula is, so what I do is interview and research the topic to the point of exhaustion,” Lindley wrote. “If I spent 60 hours with Gene (Rainbolt, Out of the Dust), I must have spent 100 hours with Max. Each conversation will lead you down a new road. I had enough material to write 600 pages, but I’m not sure there was an appetite for that on anyone else’s part. What I did not want to do was produce a manuscript burdened down by all of Max’s accomplishments. For one thing, he’s not comfortable being on a pedestal. And for my part, I don’t like writing vanity books. So, I tried to keep it real, although it’s certainly written from Max’s perspective on life.” Lindley was surprised by how deeply Weitzenhoffer’s ties to Norman remained after he’d left to find success in New York and London. 20

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“He has spent much of his career on the world’s big stage, yet he never strays too far from Oklahoma and Norman,” Lindley wrote. “Some of the reasons for that provide insight into what is important to him down deep.” Weitzenhoffer’s $5 million contribution to create the musical theater program at OU certainly serves as a launching pad for emerging talent nationwide. “It’s my biggest accomplishment,” Weitzenhoffer says in the book. As Lindley wrote, it’s not just about producing graduates, but mentorship and advocacy that “put hundreds of its graduates to work in the theatre since its inception.”

Norman native Max Weitzenhoffer made it big as a theater producer on Broadway and owned a successful theater in London’s West End. | Photo Oklahoma Historical Society / provided

Also mentioned is advice Weitzenhoffer recalled giving three female graduates with their sights set on New York City. First and foremost, he said it was important to avoid marriage and motherhood until they had established solid enough careers that would allow for the necessary sacrifices of family life. Another was never to be late for an audition and always dress appropriate to what the production was looking for. The dating advice was last. Framed as sage guidance from a veteran of Broadway, it is perhaps the most interesting moment of the book for its revealing and unsettling candor. “As far as dating when you get to New York, you make every effort to go to every social function you can think of that is involved in the theatre, whether it’s an opening night party or whatever, and you don’t get involved with anybody unless they can help you,” Weitzenhoffer said. “It’s called networking. It will get you a job because the fact of the matter is when you get there, you’re going to be faced with many people that are just as talented as you are, and they may be more clever at getting a job than you are but that’s the name of the game.” To the Max is available anywhere books are sold.

OKG Lifestyle

Around OKC EAT GoGo Sushi WATCH Fleabag (Amazon Prime) LISTEN The Mean Hustle Broad Cast (The Spy FM) READ Front Desk by Kelly Yang LOVE Sisu Youth Services EXPERIENCE 2nd Friday Art Walk in Norman

Outside OKC Seven Mile Cafe in Denton, Texas EAT Good Mythical Morning (YouTube) WATCH Backlisted Podcast LISTEN “I Was Caroline Calloway” by Natalie Beach (The Cut) READ “When Stephen King is Your Father, the World is LOVE Full of Monsters” by Joe Hill (Literary Hub, excerpted from Full Throttle: Stories by Joe Hill) International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C. EXPERIENCE

Aly Cunningham’s Picks EAT coconut cream pie from Manna

Eatery at Sunnyside Diner

WATCH all the Grey’s Anatomy episodes ever LISTEN Rumours by Fleetwood Mac READ Common Sense Pregnancy by Jeanne Faulkner, RN LOVE all things mayor David Holt EXPERIENCE Sunday Twilight Concert Series at Myriad

Botanical Gardens

Aly Cunningham is cofounder of Happy Plate Concepts, a leadership group that owns and operates four Sunnyside Diner locations and the 59th Street and May Avenue S&B’s Burger Joint. GOGO SUSHI | PHOTO GAZETTE / FILE • FLEABAG (AMAZON PRIME) | PHOTO AMAZON PRIME / PROVIDED • FRONT DESK BY KELLY YANG | PHOTO SCHOLASTIC / PROVIDED “WHEN STEPHEN KING IS YOUR FATHER, THE WORLD IS FULL OF MONSTERS” BY JOE HILL (LITERARY HUB, EXCERPTED FROM FULL THROTTLE: STORIES BY JOE HILL) | IMAGE HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS / PROVIDED • INTERNATIONAL SPY MUSEUM IN WASHINGTON, DC | PHOTO WIKIMEDIA COMMONS / PROVIDED • BACKLISTED PODCAST | IMAGE BACKLISTED PODCAST / PROVIDED RUMOURS BY FLEETWOOD MAC | PHOTO WARNER BROS. / PROVIDED • COMMON SENSE PREGNANCY BY JEANNE FAULKNER, RN | IMAGE TEN SPEED PRESS / PROVIDED O KG A Z E T T E . C O M | O C TO B E R 3 0 , 2 0 1 8

CALENDAR

AD MIKE HOEVEMBER 1 - 2

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

30 & N OCTOBER LLOWEEN NIGHT HA CLOSED

TIZ ALEX BOERR 6 - 9

RAISE HELL: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MOLLY IVINS

NOVEM

MACK MICHABEELR 13 - 16

JOE BOB BRIGGS: HOW REDNECKS SAVED HOLLYWOOD

NOVEM

Spend a fast-and-furious two hours with America’s drive-in movie critic as he uses over 200 clips and stills to review the history of rednecks in America as told through the classics of both grind-house and mainstream movies.

E L MAL-O2N3 E A H C I M B E R 20 NOVEM

SHAKIRA IN CONCERT: EL DORADO WORLD TOUR

RAMER STEVMEBKER 27 - 30

Relive the larger-than-life show on the big screen and, through documentary footage and Shakira’s own words, highights what it took to bring the career-highlight show to 22 countries and nearly a million fans, following the drama of having to postpone the entire tour due to a vocal cord injury.

NOVE

EN MIC

& S H OW

OP AYS - ION BY 5 :30 N ES D T

E IN FR ESERVA $ 2 W/ R - LADIES GET MAN CE ) S R Y O S DA L PE R F TH U R FOR SPECIA ($ 2 WED

BOOKS

The story of media firebrand Milly Ivins, six feet of Texas trouble who took on the Good Old Boy corruption wherever she found it. Her razor sharp wit left both sides of the aisle laughing, and craving ink in her columns. She knew the Bill of Rights was in peril, and said “Polarizing people is a good way to win an election and a good way to wreck a country.”

Now Playing

One Night Only

11.10.19 at 7:00PM

One Night Only

11.13.19 at 7:00PM

Showtimes & Tickets at Rodeocinema.org

2221 Exchange Avenue, OKC 405-235-3456 (FILM)

WWW.LOONYBINCOMEDY.COM

Halloween with Factory Obscura enjoy trickor-treating, a costume contest, an open procession, and a late-night party at the art collective’s MixTape installation, 11a.m.-midnight Oct. 31. Factory Obscura, 25 NW 9th St., factoryobscura.fun. THU Jackbox.tv Game Night play interactive party games with host Alex Sanchez, 8-10 p.m. Mondays. Oak & Ore, 1732 NW. 16th St., 405-606-2030, oakandore.com. MON

FILM

Moore Chess Club play in tournaments and learn about the popular board game at this weekly event where all ages and skill levels are welcome, 1-4 p.m. Sundays. Moore Library, 225 S. Howard Ave. SUN

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975, USA, Jim Sharman) an interactive screening of this cult-classic sci-fi musical sex comedy, Through Oct. 30. The Boom, 2218 NW 39th St., 405-601-7200, theboomokc.com. FRI-WED

Music Industry Networking Night local musicians, promoters and fans are invited to socialize at this community meet-and-greet, 7-10 p.m. Oct. 30. Vices, 1701 E. Highway 66, 405-295-6426, facebook. com/vicesbar. WED

VHS and Chill: Blockbusted Video riff along with comedians and film fans at this monthly movie screening where audience participation is encouraged, 7-9 p.m. first Wednesday of every month. The Paramount Room, 701 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-8873327, theparamountroom.com. WED

Oklahoma Aerospace Forum former NASA astronaut General Thomas P. Stafford and other speakers will talk about the history of the space program and Oklahoma’s aerospace industry at this second-annual forum, Oct. 30. Cox Convention Center, 1 Myriad Gardens, 405-602-8500, coxconventioncenter.com. WED

HAPPENINGS

OKC’S UNIQUE NONPROFIT ART HOUSE MOVIE THEATRE SHOWING INDEPENDENT, FOREIGN, AND DOCUMENTARY FILMS.

8503 N. ROCKWELL 239-HAHA(4242)

Oklahoma Voices hear featured poets read from their works at this monthly event, 2 p.m. the first Sunday of every month. IAO Gallery, 706 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-232-6060, iaogallery.org. SUN

Drag Me to Bingo bingo night hosted by Teabaggin Betsy, 9 p.m. Tuesdays. Partners, 2805 NW 36th St., 405-942-2199, partners4club.com. TUE

Afro Beats a dance party with soca, hip-hop, Caribbean, dancehall and other genres of music provided by DJ Sinz, 11 p.m.-2 a.m. Fridays. Glass Lounge, 5929 N. May Ave., 405-835-8077, glasshouseokc.com. FRI Artists for Choice an evening of local art and music featuring performances by Samantha Crain, Spinster, Bad Jokes and Stepmom and raising funds for Planned Parenthood, 7:30 p.m.-midnight Nov. 1. 51st Street Speakeasy, 1114 NW 51st St., 405-463-0470, 51stspeakeasy.com. FRI Banquet Cinema Bingo Night buy a card for a chance to win cash prizes, 7-8:45 p.m. Wednesdays. The Banquet Cinema Pub, 800 NW Fourth St., banquetcinema.com. WED Board Game Day enjoy local craft beer while playing old-school board and arcade games with friends, 5-8 p.m. Sundays. FlashBack RetroPub, 814 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-633-3604, flashbackretropub.com. SUN Day of the Dead Festival a celebration featuring music, dancing, art, kids’ activities and a parade, 1-7 p.m. Nov. 3. Plaza District, 1618 N. Gatewood Ave., 405-426-7812, plazadistrict.org. SUN

PAMBE Ghana Global Market shop for handmade and artisanal crafts, clothing and other items at this holiday pop-up shop benefitting bilingual education, Through Dec. 24. 50 Penn Place Gallery, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-848-5567, 50pennplacegallery.com. TUE Pooches on the Patio bring your best friend to this dog-friendly happy hour with drink specials, appetizers and free pet treats, 4-7 p.m. Saturdays. Café 501 Classen Curve, 5825 NW Grand Blvd., 405844-1501, cafe501.com/. SAT Renegade Poker compete in a 2-3 hour tournament with cash prizes, 3 p.m. Sundays. Bison Witches Bar & Deli, 211 E. Main St., Norman, 405364-7555, bisonwitchesok.com. SUN Toastmasters Meeting hone public speaking and leadership skills in a move-at-your own pace environment, 7-8:30 p.m. Thursdays. McFarlin United Methodist Church, 419 S. University Drive, Norman, 623-810-0295. THU Trivia Night at Black Mesa Brewing test your knowledge at this weekly competition hosted by BanjoBug Trivia, 6:30 p.m. June 18. Black Mesa Brewing Company, 1354 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-7781865, blackmesabrewing.com. TUE

presents

The Ezra Duo

Thursday, November 7

•

7 pm

Harding Auditorium 3333 N. Shartel Ave, Oklahoma City RSVP at www.hardingfinearts.org

Veteran’s Day Concert and Poker Run Get an early start on Veteran’s Day at this

annual event, now in its fourth year, benefitting Gary Sinise Foundation and Transformations Sober Living. Motorcyclists will assemble poker hands by making five stops, drawing a playing card at each and reconvening at the start/finish line for food, raffles, auctions and live music by Four Stroke Baron, Stellar Circuits and Juni Moon’s Jimi Hendrix tribute band and more. Representatives from Veterans Affairs and Homeless Alliance will also be in attendance. Poker run registration begins at 11 a.m.; kickstands up at 12: 30 p.m.; and music and food starts at 5 p.m. Nov. 2 at Your Mom’s Place, 919 N. Virginia Ave. Registration is $20 for riders, $10 for passengers. Call 405-664-8443 or visit facebook.com/yourmomsplaceokc. NOV. 2 | Photo bigstock.com

FREE ADMISSION RESERVATIONS REQUIRED

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Día de Muertos in the Gardens commemorate the Day of the Dead at this celebration featuring performances by Ballet Folclórico Xochipilli and Mariachi Orgullo de América and a screening of Disney-Pixar’s Coco on the Devon Lawn, 6-9 p.m. Nov. 2. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. SAT

Trivia Night at Matty McMillen’s answer questions for a chance to win prizes at this weekly trivia night, 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays. Matty McMillen’s Irish Pub, 2201 NW 150th St., 405-607-8822, mattymcmillens.com. TUE

GO TO OKGAZETTE.COM FOR FULL LISTINGS!

FOOD Mimosas, Brunch and the American Spirit enjoy brunch hors d’oeuvres and mimosas followed by a museum tour guided by interim president Michael Anderson, 9-11 am. Nov. 2. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. SAT Turkish Food & Arts Festival taste traditional Turkish food, see demonstrations and try traditional Turkish arts and have a fun full of day as the whole family, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Nov. 2. Raindrop Turkish House, 4444 N. Classen Blvd., 405-702-0222, raindropturkishhouse.org. SAT

YOUTH Art Adventures children can enjoy story time and related activities, 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., 405-325-3272, ou.edu/ fjjma. TUE Deep in the Hundred Acre Wood an interactive story time event starring Winnie the Pooh and friends and featuring singing, dancing and puppets, 3-7 p.m. Nov. 1. Harn Homestead Museum, 1721 N. Lincoln Boulevard, 405-235-4058, harnhomestead.com. FRI Early Explorers toddlers and preschoolers can participate in fun scientific activities they can repeat later at home, 10-11 a.m. Thursdays. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2020 Remington Place, 405-602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org. THU Reading Wednesdays a weekly storytime with hands-on activities, goody bags and reading-themed photo ops, 9:30-10:30 a.m. Wednesdays. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. WED Sankofa Chess Club children 7 and older are invited to learn chess in this club meeting weekly, 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Nappy Roots, 3705 Springlake Drive, 405896-0203, facebook.com/pg/nappyrootsbooks. WED

Signing Time Sign Language Class children can learn American Sign Language at this class taught by Mrs. Stacy, 4-5 p.m. Thursdays through Dec. 19. We Rock the Spectrum, 64 E. 33rd St., 405-657-1108, werockthespectrumoklahomacity.com. THU Story Time with Britt’s Bookworms enjoy snacks, crafts and story time, 10:30-11:30 a.m. first and third Thursday of every month. Thrive Mama Collective, 1745 NW 16th St., 405-356-6262. THU Storytime Science the museum invites children age 6 and younger to hear a story and participate in a related scientific activity, 10 a.m. Tuesdays and Saturdays. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2020 Remington Place, 405-602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org. TUE

PERFORMING ARTS Divine Comedy a weekly local showcase hosted by CJ Lance and Josh Lathe and featuring a variety of comedians from OKC and beyond, 9 p.m. Wednesdays. 51st Street Speakeasy, 1114 NW 51st St., 405-463-0470, 51stspeakeasy.com. WED Don Quixote Open Mic a weekly comedy show followed by karaoke, 7:30-9 p.m. Fridays. Don Quixote Club, 3030 N. Portland Ave., 405-947-0011. FRI Dope Poetry Night read your poems or just go to listen to others at this open mic hosted by J. Wiggins and Proverb, 7 p.m. Wednesdays. Ice Event Center & Grill, 1148 NE 36th St., 405-208-4240, iceeventcentergrill.eat24hour.com. WED Evil Dead: The Musical a stage adaptation of the cult horror film with music and a designated splash zone, Through Nov. 2. The Pollard Theatre, 120 W. Harrison Ave., Guthrie, 405-282-2800, thepollard.org. FRI-SAT

GPRA Rodeo Benefit a fundraiser for the Great Plains Rodeo Association featuring live entertain-

ment, auction items and jello shots and hosted by Jeff Germany and Colby Roberts, 10 p.m.-2 a.m. Nov. 1. Frankie’s, 2807 NW 36th St., 405-602-2030, facebook.com/frankiesokc. FRI

Red Dirt Open Mic a weekly open mic hosted by Red Dirt Poetry, 7:30-10:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Sauced on Paseo, 2912 Paseo St., 405-521-9800, saucedonpaseo.com. WED

Iron Horse Open Mic and Showcase perform music on stage at this show open to all experience levels, 7-10 p.m. Wednesdays. Iron Horse Bar & Grill, 9501 S. Shields Blvd., 405-735-1801. WED

Rhyme in Reasons share your talent or just watch other artists perform at this weekly open mic, 7:30-10 p.m. Thursdays. Reasons Lounge, 1140 N. MacArthur Boulevard, 405-774-9991. THU

Italian Gems the Oklahoma City Philharmonic and members of Canterbury Voices and the Oklahoma City University chorus performs works by famous Italian composers, 8 p.m. Nov. 2. Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 405-297-2264, okcciviccenter.com. SAT

The Rocky Horror Show naive Brad and Janet find themselves stranded at mad scientist Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s in this groundbreaking musical by Richard O’Brien, Through Nov. 2. Lyric Theatre, 1727 NW 16th St., 405-524-9310, lyrictheatreokc.com. WED-SAT

Kendell’s Open Mic play up to four songs at this weekly music open mic, 8-11 p.m. Tuesdays. Kendell’s, 110 S. May Ave., kendellsbar.com. TUE

Ron White the standup and former Blue Collar Comedy Tour comic, aka Tater Salad, will perform, 7-10 p.m. Nov. 1. Riverwind Casino, 1544 W. State Highway 9, Norman, 405-322-6000, riverwind.com.

Lumpy’s Open Mic Night play a song of your own or just listen to the performers at this weekly show hosted by John Riley Willingham, 9 p.m. Wednesdays. Lumpy’s Sports Grill, 12325 N. May Ave., 405-2863300, lumpyssportsgrill.com. WED Monday Night Blues Jam Session bring your own instrument to this open-stage jam hosted by Wess McMichael, 7-9 p.m. Mondays. Othello’s Italian Restaurant, 434 Buchanan Ave., 405-701-4900, othellos.us. MON OK Country Cafe Open Mic show off your singing talent, 6 p.m. the second and fourth Thursday of every month. OK Country Cafe, 6072 S. Western Ave., 405-602-6866, okcountrycafe.com. THU OKC Comedy Open Mic Night get some stage time or just go to listen and laugh at this open mic hosted by Travis Phillips, 7 p.m. Mondays. The Paramount Room, 701 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-887-3327, theparamountroom.com. MON OKC Improv performers create original scenes in the moment based on suggestions from the audience, 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Oklahoma City Improv, 1757 NW 16th St., 405-456-9858, okcimprov.com. FRI Triple’s Open Mic a music and comedy open mic hosted by Amanda Howle, 7:30 p.m. every other Wednesday. Triple’s, 8023 NW 23rd St., 405-7893031. WED Open Mic at The P share your musical talent or just come to listen at this weekly open mic, 7 p.m. Wednesdays. The Patriarch Craft Beer House & Lawn, 9 E. Edwards St., Edmond, 405-285-6670, thepatriarchedmond.com. WED Othello’s Comedy Night see professionals and amateurs alike at this long-running weekly open mic for standup comics, 9 p.m. Tuesdays. Othello’s Italian Restaurant, 434 Buchanan Ave., 405-701-4900, othellos.us. TUE

Holmes & Watson In playwright Jeffrey Hatcher’s take on Arthur Conan Doyle’s

world-famous detective/drug addict, Sherlock Holmes is missing and presumed dead after a fateful encounter with his archrival Moriarty (played by Paul Tomlin), leaving sidekick Dr. John Watson alone to solve a new mystery: Three inmates at the same asylum are claiming to be Holmes, and one might actually be telling the truth. The game is afoot through Nov. 9 at Carpenter Square Theatre, 800 W. Main St. Tickets are $5-$25. Call 405-232-6500 or visit carpentersquare.com. THROUGH NOV. 9 | Photo provided

FRI

Sanctuary Karaoke Service don a choir robe and sing your favorite song, 9 p.m.-midnight Wednesdays and Thursdays. Sanctuary Barsilica, 814 W. Sheridan Ave., facebook.com/sanctuarybarokc. WED Tony Roberts and Red Grant the standup comics will perform, 7-11 p.m. Nov. 6. Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd St., 405-708-6937, towertheatreokc.com. WED VZD’s Open Mic Night a weekly music mic hosted by Joe Hopkins, 7 p.m. Wednesdays. VZD’s Restaurant & Bar, 4200 N. Western Ave., 405-602-3006, vzds.com. WED Weekly Jams bring an instrument and play along with others at this open-invitation weekly jam session, 9:30 p.m.-midnight Tuesdays. Saints, 1715 NW 16th St., 405-602-6308, saintspubokc.com. TUE The Wolves University of Oklahoma theater students perform Sarah DeLappe’s play set during warm up exercises for an adolescent girls’ indoor soccer team, Through Nov. 3. Weitzenhoffer Theatre, 563 Elm Ave., 405-325-7370, ou.edu/finearts/. FRI-SUN

ACTIVE Monday Night Group Ride meet up for a weekly 25-30 minute bicycle ride at about 18 miles per hour through east Oklahoma City, 6 p.m. Mondays. The Bike Lab OKC, 2200 W. Hefner Road, 405-603-7655. MON

Run the Alley a three-mile social run for athletes of all abilities ending with beers at The Yard, 6:30 p.m. Thursdays. OK Runner, 708 N Broadway Ave., 405702-9291, myokrunner.com. THU Stars and Stripes Spin Jam a weekly meetup for jugglers, hula hoopers and unicyclers, 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays. Stars & Stripes Park, 3701 S. Lake Hefner Drive, 405-297-2756, okc.gov/parks. WED

Paramount Open Mic show off your talents at this open mic hosted by musician Chris Morrison, 7 p.m. first Wednesday of every month. The Paramount Room, 701 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-887-3327, theparamountroom.com. WED

Twisted Coyote Brew Crew a weekly 3-mile group run for all ability levels with a beer tasting to follow; bring your own safety lights, 6 p.m. Mondays. Twisted Spike Brewing Co., 1 NW 10th St., 405-3013467, twistedspike.com. MON

Poetic City: A Night in the Paseo featured poets Diondra’ Shabrae and Sam Cooper and Poetic City members will read their work, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Nov. 1. Paseo Studio Six, 3021 Paseo St., 405-528-0174, thepaseo.org. FRI

Wheeler Criterium a weekly nighttime cycling event with criterium races, food trucks and family activities, 5-8 p.m. Tuesdays. Wheeler Park, 1120 S. Western Ave., 405-297-2211, wheelerdistrict.com. TUE

Rebels & Royals Drag King Show hosted by former Mister USofA Damian Matrix-Gritte, this monthly show features local drag kings and special guests 10:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. first Saturday of every month. Frankie’s, 2807 NW 36th St., 405-602-2030, facebook.com/frankiesokc. SAT

Yoga Tuesdays an all-levels class; bring your own water and yoga mat, 5:45 p.m.-7 p.m. Tuesdays. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405445-7080, myriadgardens.com. TUE

continued on page 24

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continued from page 23 Yoga with Art workout in an art-filled environment followed by a mimosa, 10:30 a.m. Saturdays. 21c Museum Hotel, 900 W. Main St., 405-982-6900, 21cmuseumhotels.com. SAT

VISUAL ARTS

Between Pastures & Skies: Art from the Ranch, 2014-2019 view mixedmedium works, paintings, drawings, installations, photos and videos created by Irmgard Geul and Skip Hill, Through Nov. 16. MAINSITE Contemporary Art, 122 E. Main St., 405360-1162, mainsitecontemporaryart.com. FRI-SAT brown, carmine, and blue an exhibition of visual, installation and performance art about blackness, queerness, and femininity by artist Le’Andra LeSeur,

Walk peruse art from over 80 artists with 25 participating business for a night of special themed exhibits, refreshments and a variety of entertainment opportunities, 6-10 p.m. first Friday of every month. Paseo Arts District, 3022 Paseo St., 405-525-2688, thepaseo.org. FRI Renewing the American Spirit: The Art of the Great Depression an exhibition of paintings, prints, photographs and more created in the 1930s, Nov. 2-April 26. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. SAT-FRI Thoughts on Africa an exhibition of Don Nevard’s photographs of native African wildlife, Through Oct. 31. Inasmuch Foundation Gallery at Oklahoma City Community College, 7777 S. May Avenue, 4056827579. SAT-THU Welcome Home: Oklahomans and the War in Vietnam explores the impact of the war on Oklahoma families as well as the stories of Vietnamese

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Holmes & Watson In playwright Jeffrey Hatcher’s take on Arthur Conan Doyle’s worldfamous detective/drug addict, Sherlock Holmes is missing and presumed dead after a fateful encounter with his archrival Moriarty (played by Paul Tomlin), leaving sidekick Dr. John Watson alone to solve a new mystery: Three inmates at the same asylum are claiming to be Holmes, and one might actually be telling the truth. The game is afoot through Nov. 9 at Carpenter Square Theatre, 800 W. Main St. Tickets are $5-$25. Call 405-232-6500 or visit carpentersquare.com. THROUGH NOV. 9 | Photo provided Through Nov. 21. Melton Gallery, 100 N. University Drive, Edmond, 405-525-3603, uco.edu. THU Colors of Clay an exhibition of clay pots, bowls, pitchers and jars created by Native American artists, Through May 10, 2021. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. FRI Fall Night Carving Series learn to carve wood to create a variety of printmaking projects at this workshop led by Emma Difani, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Nov. 12. Artspace at Untitled, 1 NE Third St., 405-815-9995, 1ne3.org. TUE Figures & Landscapes: The Art of Carol Armstrong an exhibition of works by the Oklahoma Governor’s Art Award winning painter, Through Nov. 2. The Depot, 200 S. Jones Ave., Norman, 405-3079320, pasnorman.org. FRI-SAT Forms for Language: An Exhibition by Gyöngy Laky an exhibition of the mixed-media artist’s sculptures, constructed from wood, wire, screws, nails and other found items, Through Oct. 31. Artspace at Untitled, 1 NE Third St., 405-815-9995, 1ne3.org. THU Make and Take Origami Bags learn to create artisanal bags at this workshop led by members of Mod Quad Collective, 1-4 p.m. Nov. 2. Artspace at Untitled, 1 NE Third St., 405-815-9995, 1ne3.org. SAT Oklahoma Artcade an exhibition of video-game inspired artworks, also featuring trivia, film screenings and more, Nov. 1-2. The Paramount Room, 701 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-887-3327, theparamountroom. com. FRI-SAT Oklahoma Red Dirt Artists an exhibition of paintings and photographs by Jack Fowler, Rea Baldridge, Joseph Mills and Romy Owens, Through Oct. 31. JRB Art at The Elms, 2810 N. Walker Ave., 405-528-6336, jrbartgallery.com. FRI-THU Paint Your Selfie paint a pre-drawn self-portrait; materials and instructions provided, 7-9:30 p.m. Nov. 1. Heart Studios, 3208 Teakwood Lane, Suite 103, 405-664-4194, heartstudiosllc.com. FRI

families relocated to Oklahoma, Through Nov. 6. Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, 405-521-2491, okhistory.org. MON-WED The Wounded Eye an exhibition of works by photographer, singer, poet and guitarist Cherryl Seard, Through Nov. 2. Nappy Roots, 3705 Springlake Drive, 405-896-0203, facebook.com/pg/nappyrootsbooks. FRI-SAT

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

For OKG live music

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COV E R

MUSIC

Broke music

Singer-songwriter and sound engineer Elecktra has played music in OKC for 20 years. | Photo Justin Waits / provided

Online streaming and more touring headliners in OKC mean even less money for local musicians. By Jeremey Martin

Working as a musician in OKC can mean going to extremes to earn $62.50 — or significantly less. “We were supposed to get a guarantee of $250, and we were supposed to get a free pizza,” Elecktra said, recalling a show at a now-closed venue. “The drummer had something crazy come up and needed to pawn his drum set, so I drove all the way down to Norman in my 1985 240 Volvo with a whole drum kit in the trunk because I had my giant bass cab in the back seat, and I had a snare and a bunch of stuff in the front seat with me and my bass. I had driven all the way down there, I had provided all this equipment, I had to lug my bass cab up half a flight of stairs to get in and then up the stairs to the stage. Then I was getting shocked by the mic the whole time, and I was like, ‘This is going to be worth it because I’m getting a quarter cut of $250.’ … When it came time to get paid, we were expecting $250, and we got $45. It had originally been $80, but they had charged us for the pizza. And it wasn’t a very good pizza.” This kind of horror story has become less frequent for Elecktra — partly because social media has made it easier for musicians to warn each other about perpetual bad actors and partly because she has learned to better protect herself in two decades as a musician — but making a living playing music still seems almost impossible. “I don’t know if there’s anyone that actually is just a musician, like a performDezzGotSteeze, who has been booking and promoting local music for 11 years, said she has noticed a decrease in attendance at local shows over the past decade. | Photo provided

ing musician,” Elecktra, who also works as a sound engineer, said. “There are teaching musicians and sound engineer musicians, musicians that work at music stores. … You can, if you are willing to play covers in bands, make money. If you’re willing to host other shows like open mics, if you can get two or three of those a week at various venues and bars and then do your own stuff on a traditional show, you could make money, but you also would probably be eating ramen a lot. … If you aren’t making the bar enough money, then you’re going to pay the sound engineer whatever the hourly rate is, and if you don’t bring enough people in the door, then no one is going to get paid. I’ve walked away from some of my favorite venues with $12 for a full band.” Mike Hosty, who said he has been playing music in Oklahoma “long enough to know better,” has sold hot sauce, cleaned pools, taught guitar lessons and performed at children’s parties to supplement his income, and earning a living a musician has become even harder now that streaming has virtually eliminated one of his top moneymakers. “If you’re a band in a van, CDs were a primary source of income,” Hosty said, “but nobody has a CD player anymore. … You just have to work harder and play more. Wages for playing have gone down because there’s more people doing it.”

Touring pains

Graham Colton, co-owner of The Jones Assembly, said the dramatic drop in physical music sales in recent years means more musicians are trying to make up the lost income by touring. “Because of technology now, there’s so many more artists that are on tour because it’s the biggest piece for the majority of artists to make money,” Colton said. “They’ve got to go out on the road … which makes the venue space very crowded.” Mark McClellan, a board member at The Depot in Norman, said that while having more touring acts make metro stops is great for music fans and larger venues, it can also mean fewer moneymaking op-

portunities for local musicians and the places that typically book them. “I think there’s still a lot of people going out to see live music, but maybe not to the same places that they used to,” McClellan said. “Everyone has a certain amount of discretionary funds that they can put toward live music … and people are making some different decisions due to the fact that we have so many more options available in the area. And I think the bars are taking the hit for that.” Hosty agreed that people seem less willing to pay for local music when more touring acts are coming to OKC. “Towns that do value local musicians still charge a cover,” Hosty said, “but Oklahoma City is definitely a little bit tougher because people just don’t like paying cover charges and restaurants have obliged. But people will still be willing to pay $30 to go to a premium show. … It’s just a transition period because you have all these great road shows coming in, so do you want to go see a local band? What’s the motivation? That’s a tough sell.” Though The Depot is an arts nonprofit that works to ensure it treats musicians fairly, McClellan said it sometimes has make hard decisions to ensure it at least breaks even on concerts, which cost about $500 for sound engineering, marketing, administrative overhead and — in the case of outdoor shows — portable toilet rentals. “That business side of it for us is sort of a little bit painful because it’s not necessarily about the quality of music in that case,” McClellan said. “We’re making some of our decisions based on business decisions for us, meaning that if we can’t get enough people in the room, then we as an organization are losing money, and we’re a nonprofit and we don’t have money to lose. … We rely on grants and private donations to cover the expenses. Most of the ticket goes straight to the

artist, typically 80 percent. We’re a 100-seat venue, so if you do the math real quick, we’re doing a $20 ticket, and if we sell out the show, the artist is walking out with $1,600, and that’s a goodpaying gig, plus they get 100 percent merch sales, so it’s not uncommon for an artist, even a solo artist, to walk out of a Depot gig with between $1,000 and $2,000, but they’re on the road and we know gasoline is expensive.” Colton, who has also played music in Oklahoma for about 20 years, said that supporting the local music scene while hosting larger tours at The Jones Assembly is a “balancing act” and the venue is booking artists to provide ambiance, not necessarily to increase bar sales. “If you look at a venue the same size as ours, like [Tulsa’s] Cain’s Ballroom, you’re not going to see a lot of local musicians on that stage because there’s not really a place for them,” Colton said. “We have a small outdoor stage; we do different events of all sizes … so just because it’s not our main stage doesn’t mean that we’re not really actively booking local musicians, and I think that we have kind of shown that we take care of those local musicians — at least compared to what I used to get paid when I would play those kinds of places.” DezzGotSteeze, who has been booking and promoting local music for 11 years, said she has noticed a decrease in attendance at local shows over the past decade, but when she gets nostalgic for the old days, she remembers a conversation she had with a friend. “I said, ‘Why can’t things go back to the way they were?’” she said. “And he told me, ‘Maybe it’s not supposed to. Why would you want things to be the way that they were?’ And it really clicked in my head. … This not how we progress. So maybe all the issues that we have will lead us to progression eventually. I think sometimes the kinks have to work themselves out.” Meanwhile, life as a working musician often remains less glamorous than advertised, said Hosty, who was on tour in Kansas when we spoke. “Between Manhattan and Wichita tomorrow, I’ll be sleeping on the foam mattress in the back of my van, and it’s gonna be 38 degrees outside, and I can’t afford a hotel room,” Hosty said. “So take it from someone who sleeps in a cargo van; it’s a rough business, and you’ve got to get tough if you want to do it.” O KG A Z E T T E . C O M | O C TO B E R 3 0 , 2 0 1 9

EVENT

MUSIC

Dark blues

Death Valley Girls’ playfully morbid music resurrects the magic of rock ’n’ roll. By Jeremy Martin

Following 2018’s heavy and distorted Darkness Rains, Death Valley Girls’ “Dream Cleaver” offers a “more joyous” perspective on dying inspired by psychedelics advocate Terence McKenna. “The years leading up to Darkness Rains was all about learning, trying to just really dive in and see how people perceive death — what death is, what we think it is, what we think happens after we die and all these things,” said vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Bonnie Bloomgarden. “And sort of along the way, it led us to certain beliefs, mainly because of Terence McKenna and such, and this song, it sort of led us to a happier place. You can’t change death, but you can change the way you view it.” Los Angeles’ Death Valley Girls plays 9 p.m. Nov. 9 at Opolis, 113 N. Crawford Ave., in Norman. Bloomgarden said playing Darkness Rains’ morbid freakouts such as “More Dead,” “(One Less Thing) Before I Die” and “Born Again and Again” night after night is “always really intense, for sure,” but the band’s jazzinfluenced “anything goes” approach to songwriting means being open to performing whatever music is “channeled.” “We didn’t really know, exactly, before we wrote it, what it sounded like,” Bloomgarden said. “We wrote a lot of it in the studio, so playing it around, it’s definitely cool to see how it affects other people, but I don’t know exactly how it affects each of us. But that’s not necessarily the point. We just like playing together. ... It just sort of comes to us in a weird way, and then we lay it down. Then we realize what the words are, and we sing it once and add layers. It’s kind of magical.” Efforts to approach music making in a more businesslike, less mystical way have failed. “I’m trying to find how to write in advance, but that’s not really the way I do it,” Bloomgarden said. “They all just flop out at once, on that day, for whatever amount of songs we’re going to do. If it’s five, then all five songs, the lyrics come, and it’s not my business to tell the universe how to work. I wish it was a different way, but so far, I haven’t been able to crack the code to whatever that is, to non-procrastination, or maybe I should do more magic. I’m not sure. This is just the way that it happens for me, but I don’t recommend it.” As the band name and song titles “Unzip Your Forehead,” “Occupation: Ghostwriter” and “T.V. in Jail on Mars” make clear, the occult-obsessed blues rock is laced with at least as much humor as menace, and band interviews reveal more reverence for Billie Holiday and The Gun Club than Satan or Charles 26

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Manson. Death Valley Girls’ music, Bloomgarden said, is meant to be fun. “It’s a hard time out there, and during the Depression, instead of all movies being about how hard and horrible life was, they made movies that were, like, extravagant about millionaires and all this stuff, and they tried to uplift people,” Bloomgarden said. “And I felt like there needs to be people that are politically angry, but there also needs to be people to serve the entertainment needs. We find ourselves kind of on that precipice, trying to do both, because we do want to entertain and uplift, and sometimes that’s hard to remember. But that’s the only personal battle is just remembering that people need to sing songs and people need to be happy.” Music can work as a magical force, helping listeners cope with negative and overpowering emotions through cathartic sing-alongs. “There’s a lot of songs on Darkness Rains that I think are good for people to sing,” Bloomgarden said. “Most people’s experience isn’t seeing the songs live, but in their car or going through a big life change or when you’re kids, a certain song or record is just totally your whole persona for a time, and I think the songs are kind of mixed on Darkness Rains — songs to sing when you’re mad or sad. Everyone’s got to sing a song.” Working with idols — opening for Roky Erickson and filming the Andy Warhol-inspired music video for “Disaster (Is What We’re After)” with Iggy Pop — Death Valley Girls saw the transformational power of rock ’n’ roll in the flesh. “Nobody gets to be those guys — Roky or Iggy or anyone — without having something so, so, so special, just an energy that comes off of them that you could spot, like, a mile away,” Bloomgarden said. “It’s like an incredible magic power. I think that is really cool. Sometimes you want to be like, ‘I don’t get why that person’s famous,’ but there’s a reason. There’s always a reason, and they are magical. Even if they’re awful people, they emit some sort of magic that can’t be taught. They’re born that way, for sure. We’re just lucky that the two people we’ve met, Roky and Iggy, are the coolest people ever. They radiate awesomeness.” In an interview with LA Weekly, guitarist Larry Schemel Death Valley Girls plays 9 p.m. Nov. 9 at Opolis in Norman. | Photo Deb Frazin / provided

called The Stooges’ Fun House “the height of human accomplishment,” but Bloomgarden said hanging out with frontman Pop was surprisingly unintimidating, and the resilience of both Pop and Erickson, who re-emerged for multiple comebacks in their careers, is inspiring. “You would think it would be, like, overwhelming terror, but it’s just super chillness,” Bloomgarden said. “They just totally have this aura about them that makes you feel good. There’s one point when I was sitting next to Iggy, and I was like, ‘What is going on? What is happening?’ I thought if I could see myself doing this I would explode, but it just felt so chill. ... Also those guys made it so many times. ... That’s a really cool thing; that’s something to learn, to keep on keeping on. People need you.” While Bloomgarden doesn’t consider herself the same kind of force, she said she also wants her shows to have a positive effect on the audience.

I felt like there needs to be people that are politically angry, but there also needs to be people to serve the entertainment needs.

“Dream Cleaver” was released in August. | Image provided

Paranormal stuff is cool. We’re obsessed with it, but mainly, we’re here to bring the good word of rock ’n’ roll around the world. As long as we do that, everything’s gonna be OK. … We’ve tried weird things before, but it’s not a good idea. We don’t practice that type of witchcraft. Everyone should do whatever they want, but we just want to make people happy, and we want them to listen to rock ’n’ roll. When you’re a kid and you’re a goth or whatever and you think everyone hates you or you hate everyone, you need friends, and we can be your friends, too. It’s something for everybody.” Kate Clover shares the bill. Admission is $10-$12, and the show is all-ages. Call 405-230-0311 or visit opolis.org.

Bonnie Bloomgarden “I think it would be silly for me to think of myself that way, but we all try and make everybody feel better and make everybody feel included and make everybody feel at home,” Bloomgarden said. “We want people to leave happy and excited about rock ’n’ roll.” The band’s macabre aesthetic isn’t meant to intimidate anyone, Bloomgarden said. Death is nothing if not inclusive. “It’s just what we t h in k is cool,” Bloomgarden said. “The dark side and all that, that’s really cool, and ghosts are cool.

Death Valley Girls 9 p.m. Nov. 9 Opolis 113 N. Crawford Ave., Norman opolis.org | 405-230-0311 $10-$12

LIVE MUSIC Tobe Nwigwe, Tower Theatre. HIP-HOP

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

SUNDAY, NOV. 3 Dr. Pants/Santiago Ramones/Elecktra, Sauced on Paseo. ACOUSTIC New Found Glory/Hawthorne Heights, Tower Theatre. ROCK

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 30

MONDAY, NOV. 4

Bad Jokes/Rousey, UCO Jazz Lab. ROCK

Jason Hunt, Sean Cumming’s Irish Restaurant. FOLK

GWAR/Toxic Holocaust/Sacred Reich, Diamond Ballroom. METAL

Post Malone, Chesapeake Energy Arena. POP

John Carlton & Kyle Reid, The Winston. SINGER/ SONGWRITER

TUESDAY, NOV. 5

THURSDAY, OCT. 31

Country Clique, Friends Restaurant & Club. COUNTRY

Casey and Minna, COOP Ale Works Tap Room. FOLK

The Flatlanders, Tower Theatre. COUNTRY

Hot House Band, Othello’s Italian Restaurant. JAZZ Johnny Manchild & the Poor Bastards/The Brothers Moore/The Lunar Laugh, 51st Street Speakeasy. ROCK

Laughing Grass/Spacecowboy/Creeping Toms, PsychRev. ROCK Leftover Crack/Dayz N Daze, 89th Street-OKC. PUNK

Shelly Phelps & Dylan Nagode, Jazmo’z Bourbon St. Café. ACOUSTIC

FRIDAY, NOV. 1

Black Marble Released Oct. 25, Black Marble’s Bigger Than Life is the sound of synthpop for introverts, the perfect soundtrack for a one-person late-night dance party. The title track declares, “You can catch me inside, where it’ll all go right … where I’m bigger than life,” so you might wonder how this music will play, you know, outside of the house, but remember that goths are often great at cutting a rug. Automatic shares the bill. The concert is 7-10:30 p.m. Nov. 8 at 89th Street – OKC, 8911 N. Western Ave. Tickets are $12-$14. Visit 89thstreetokc.com. NOV. 8 Photo Ashley Leahy / provided Young Thug/Machine Gun Kelly, The Zoo Amphitheatre. HIP-HOP

Emily & Chase McCumber/Madison McCoy, Rodeo Opry. COUNTRY

ROCK

The Zoltars/Poolboy/Locust Avenue, Opolis. ROCK

Feeves/Hookup/Swim Fan, 51st Street Speakeasy.

Lacy Saunders, Riverwind Casino. SINGER/SONG-

SATURDAY, NOV. 2

Grasslands/Lost in Separation, 89th Street-OKC.

Fossil Youth/Cliffdiver/Ben Quad, 89th Street-OKC.

WRITER

Todrick Hall, Tower Theatre. POP

Carly Gwin & the Sin/Stepmom, Opolis. ROCK

POP

ROCK

Scott Keeton, Riverwind Casino. ROCK

Merauder/Leeway/I AM, 89th Street-OKC. METAL

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 6 Jacuzzi Boys, 89th Street-OKC. ROCK John Carlton & Kyle Reid, The Winston. SINGER/ SONGWRITER

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

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Sungrown life

While many growers keep their flower hidden as much as possible from natural conditions, Red Dirt Sungrown bathes its flower with Oklahoma’s plentiful rays. By Matt Dinger

While cannabis might be as new of a crop for Guthrie Greenhouses as it is any other Oklahoma farmer, it has the advantage of having more than a century’s worth of experience in horticulture at its site. “Capital City Greenhouse first started in 1892 with the Furrow and Son Company, and they had it until 1983,” co-owner Jesse Tischauser said. “At that point, the Irwin family bought it and they held until 1995. And that’s when her dad, Herb Suehring, purchased it. He actually came down here in 1985 to work at this facility, did it for about five or six years, quit, went and worked in the industry and sold soil and pots, the same stuff we still buy now, and then he came back in ’95 and bought it. Then Tara and I moved out here from Wisconsin when she graduated college in ’97. I went to Oklahoma State [University], got an engineering degree, did the oil field thing for a while and then came back here to work with her and her dad in 2008 when he kind of was retiring, and then he came back to work last year when we got the hemp license and then the marijuana license.” Thus Red Dirt Sungrown cannabis

and the hemp portion, Herb’s Herbs, were born. Cannabis now grows in the greenhouses where flowers and vegetables grew. They received their licenses last October and had their first harvest the week of April 20. “It wasn’t easy to get seeds or clones. Not every variety was readily available. It was difficult to find right away because the market was moving so quick. There was nothing here, so that was our biggest challenge, just getting product to get started. We didn’t have anything,” Tara Tischauser said. Luckily, they weren’t starting exclusively from scratch; the framework for a successful growhouse was already there. “This facility was actually built in 1972 or ’74, somewhere in there, and it was the first Dutch glass greenhouse west of the Mississippi River,” Jesse Tischauser said. “It was a big deal. It was in all the trade magazines. … It provides the most normal outdoor, full-spectrum light you can get, which is why our stuff has so much terps in it. It’s basically like growing outdoor all year, but we can control the environment a little bit more, we can take care of the bugs a little bit

THC

more. ... The benefits of being outdoor in a greenhouse is the full spectrum of sun. You’re getting a higher quality, higher spectrum flower inside here. “Someone with about a 10,000 squarefoot grow indoor Oklahoma City, they pay about $10,000 a month in electricity in July, which is when we have the most stuff running to keep it cool. We spent $2,000 a month on 50,000 square feet. We have four different growing seasons. Our sunlight changes, our temperature changes, humidity changes, so in spring, everything was going well and nice and dandy. The summertime, everything just took off from the heat and the sun. We went from a five-week veg cycle to a twoto one-week veg cycle because everything grew that much faster. So then you get the gloomy parts and then we don’t have all that highlight. … We’re working on getting supplemental lighting once we get OG&E to give us all the power we need. So on those days, you can turn the lights on just like an indoor grow and keep the growth rate higher.”

It was the first Dutch glass greenhouse west of the Mississippi River. Jesse Tischauser The Tischausers said the seasons have even determined which type of cannabis Red Dirt Sungrown grows. “We’re also learning with the different growing seasons, there’s different varieties that do better with each one,” Tara Tischauser said. “So being finally a year into it, we’re starting to figure that out and be able to schedule it. Like, these work a lot better with the higher humidity or these work a lot better when you don’t have as high light, so that’s been a learning curve, but we’re learning that so that’s exciting and that should help us in the future quite a bit.” “In the summer, we had really hot temperatures in here, so everything is very sativa-heavy, similar to an outdoor grow in the summer months, and then now that we’re cycling into some cooler weather, we’ll start putting some more indica stuff Jesse and Tara Tischauser | Photo Matt Dinger

Red Dirt Sungrown is the newest crop at Guthrie Greenhouses. | Photo Matt Dinger

in there,” Jesse Tischauser said. Red Dirt Sungrown operates on a continuous growing cycle. It has eight flower houses on one side of the property and 12 growhouses with flower on the other. “We harvest one of the eight and one of the 12 every week, which is about 900 plants,” Jesse Tischauser said. Like other growers, the Tischausers are learning that cannabis is a finicky, demanding plant that operates best under particular conditions. “You can stuff money into growing this, whereas a petunia you really can’t. You just got to let Mother Nature grow them for us,” Jesse Tischauser said. “It’s a slow process. It’s five months from seed to when you can sell it, know that it’s good or bad. And if it doesn’t work, you’re like, ‘Shit, man. We just wasted 500 plants over the last five months.’” “We’re not out much with our mistakes. It’s just learning,” Tara Tischauser said. “We don’t have any investors. We’re fully profitable at this point already, which is pretty nice to say,” Jesse Tischauser said. “We’ve got nothing to lose at this point,” Tara Tischauser said. The Tischausers are not turning their backs on their roots in favor of the newest cash crop. They will continue to supply the bedding plants that other businesses rely on that have been their bread and butter all these years. “We’re really trying hard not to affect that business because there’s literally no one else in Oklahoma that does it. Our biggest competitor for bedding plants is in Michigan and we sell to all the stores that are just right below the Home Depots and Lowes and Walmarts,” Jesse Tischauser said. “Atwoods, Westlake, True Value, that kind of thing, and we do a 500-mile radius for our delivery, so we’re pretty busy with that. We love our customers. It’s a good business. It’s been a good business for a long time, and we don’t want to back out on them. They’re relying on us. ... We really want to do it all. We want to be doing extracts. We want to do the hemp. We want to do the cannabis, and we want to do the bedding plants,” Tara Tischauser said. Visit reddirtsungrown.com. O KG A Z E T T E . C O M | O C TO B E R 3 0 , 2 0 1 9

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Pumpkin, spiced

In keeping with the season, the chefs from Guyutes bring Oklahoma Gazette readers a spicy, infused pumpkin chili. By Matt Dinger and Jacob Threadgill

We are in the thick of pumpkin-spiced everything season as well as speeding quickly toward chili weather, and this month’s infused excursion is the intersection of both. Each month, Jarrod Friedel and Matt Pryor at Guyutes bring Oklahoma Gazette readers a unique twist on cannabis-infused cuisine. This month, they unveil their spicy pumpkin chili. “I like using the smaller pumpkins. I just think they’re gonna hold better,” chef Matt Pryor said. “You’re going to cut the pumpkin open. You’re going to deseed it, take out all the stringiness out of it and then you’re going to cut it either to half or to quarters, however you want to do it for your cook time. I use olive oil, but you can also use coconut oil or avocado oil to brush it. “When you’re checking it, you’re just checking to see if the lightest touch with a fork will pierce the outside skin and they’ll give you a nice roast. And then just spoon it out, go through a highspeed Vitamix and just run it through. If you need to add water, it’s right around a quarter of a cup, but you shouldn’t if you cook it right, and you can blend it to a puree to give you more of a rush of flavor than just the sweet flavor of, like, a canned puree, essentially. It’s still going to have the sweetness there, but it’s going to give you more levels of depth into your actual chili in the end.” Grind up sausage and hamburger (or riced cauliflower for a vegan variety) and mix that with two cans of rinsed kidney 32

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beans. Add in four or five roma tomatoes, three bell peppers and a jalapeño with salt and pepper, chili powder and the puree. “I’ve been doing pumpkin chili for a while, but the coconut thing I thought would be interesting, just the flavor profile, because the only time I know that that’s used together is for curries. It actually does have a bit of a curry taste to it, which I kind of like,” Jarrod Friedel said. While the mixed ingredients do look like they will be dry, no water is necessary, as the pumpkin makes its own liquids when cooking. “I don’t have to use any water or any other liquid. Pumpkin is the only thing. It looks super dry, but that pumpkin’s gonna moist all that stuff down. It’s going to cook down to a chili,” Friedel said. “I like the texture of it. It’s hard to actually get the pumpkin flavor to come through without adding a shit-ton of pumpkin, and if you overload it with pumpkin, it pretty much stays gross. So the coconut kind of balanced it out and gave it kind of a sweet, odd flavor that somehow worked. I was pretty scared in the beginning when we were trying it because I kept asking everybody, ‘Have you ever heard of pumpkin and coconut together? Nope? Sweet. Let’s try it out.’”

Review

When I saw the construction of the dish, my first thought was, “Where is the broth?” The idea of making chili without additional liquid seemed counterintuitive to me, but it really works in the final

Pumpkin chili served in a hollowed-out pumpkin | Photo Alexa Ace

product. The combination of coconut oil and texture from the puréed pumpkin give the dish the flavor profile and texture of something you might find in Indian cuisine, but the warmth of the chili powder makes it distinctly American-style chili. I didn’t want to overdose, and I was concerned when I saw the 90 milligram-perbowl estimate, so I ate about a third of a serving and waited. There was no residual cannabis flavor in the dish, and the effects of a third of a bowl were limited to a very chill body high. The methodology of allowing the natural juices in the fresh tomato to combine with the pumpkin is something I’m going to have to replicate, especially with cauliflower, during the colder months. —Jacob Threadgill

Infused pumpkin chili Infused coconut oil Ingredients

2 cups unrefined virgin coconut oil 7 grams decarbed cannabis

Instructions

(no-strain method) 1. Add water to a saucepan and heat it up to 140-160 degrees Fahrenheit using a thermometer. 2. Add the 2 cups of coconut oil to a Mason jar 3. Place the top of a Mason jar lid at the bottom of the saucepan for a double-boil setup. 4. Place 7 grams of decarbed cannabis into a cheesecloth sachet and tie it off with butcher string. 5. Place the sachet into oil and place the jar in a saucepan. 6. Let the entire batch steep for 1 1/2-2 hours, making sure the heat does not exceed 200 degrees Fahrenheit. 7. Carefully remove the sachet from the oil. Do not squeeze it. Discard the sachet. 8. Store the infused oil at room temperature. It might re-solidify; warm it slowly to soften it.

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Pumpkin purée Ingredients

1 2-3 pound sugar pumpkin 1 tablespoon oil 1 pinch sea salt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

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continued from page 33

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Spicy pumpkin chili Ingredients

1 pound spicy sausage 1 pound ground beef 3 bell peppers, diced 1 red onion, diced 1 jalapeño, diced 5 roma tomatoes, diced 8 ounces of pumpkin purée 1/2 tablespoon salt and pepper 2 tablespoons chili powder 2 cans drained and rinsed kidney beans 1 cup infused coconut oil

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3. Brush the pumpkin flesh with oil and place it flesh-down on the baking sheet. Pierce the skin a few times with a fork or knife to let steam escape.

If turning the pumpkin into purée, simply scoop it into a high-speed blender or food processor and blend until it is creamy and smooth. If it has trouble blending, add a little water. Baked pumpkin and pumpkin purée will keep covered in the refrigerator for up to one week or in the freezer for one month.

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2. Using a sharp knife, cut the pumpkin in half lengthwise. (Removing the top and bottom is optional.) Then use a sharp spoon or ice cream scoop to scrape out all the seeds and strings.

4. Bake the pumpkin for 45-50 minutes or until a fork easily pierces the skin. Then remove the pan from the oven, let the pumpkin cool for 10 minutes and scoop it out and use it for whatever dish you’d prefer.

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Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Simmer the chili on low for 4-8 hours.

Dosage

Using Jack Herer, a sativa from APCO Med, tested at 21 percent THC. 7 grams x 1000= 7000 7000 x 21%= 1470 1470/32 tbsp= 45.9375 mg tbsp Recipe calls for 16 tbsp 16 tbsp x 45.9375= 735 mg Recipe yields 8 servings 735/8= 91.875 per bowl

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FLOWER REVIEW

Cannabis effects vary wildly from patient to patient based on a multitude of factors, including THC tolerance, brain chemistry and personal taste. This review is based on the subjective experience of one patient. Strain name: Orange Velvet Grown by: Bev’s Buds Acquired from: Oklahoma Kind Connection Date acquired: Oct. 10 THC/CBD percentages: no testing available Physical traits: dark green with dark orange stigmas

the high is exceedingly pleasant and sticks around. This hybrid is the perfect evenhanded high for times when you want to smoke but are not ready to check out for the rest of the day or night. This is the first time I have seen the strain on dispensary shelves here, but I hope it is not the last. It should also be noted that Oklahoma Kind Connection has one of the broadest selections of flower I have seen, with more than 40 strains on shelves when I dropped by. I went in to get Forbidden Fruit but was compelled to try a number of other strains that were equally impressive.

Bouquet: sweet citrus Review: One of my favorite discoveries in the Oklahoma medical cannabis market have been the “orange” strains since the terpene profiles smell so much like their namesake. I went through a heavy Orange Cookies phase last winter but took a break when the temperatures started warming, so it is only suiting to return with the seasonal change. This one smells a little less dank than the Orange Cookies runs I previously had but also is a lot sweeter. The taste remains the same when you burn it; a warm citrus exhale that is not sharp on the lungs but is still heavy on the taste buds. This strain is not particularly potent in the same way that some cannabis patients seek, but for being decently mild,

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Orange Velvet | Photo Phillip Danner

Statements: Keep Out of Reach of Children, Women Should Not Use Marijuana or Medical Marijuana Products During Pregnancy Because of the Risk of Birth Defects or While Breastfeeding. O KG A Z E T T E . C O M | O C TO B E R 3 0 , 2 0 1 9

PUZZLES NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE CROSSWORD PUZZLE BE PATIENT | 1103 By Natan Last Puzzles edited by Will Shortz ACROSS

1 World capital with the historic Temple of Hercules 6 Responses to an offer, colloquially 11 ____ Dunphy, Modern Family matriarch 12 Slow Wi-Fi woe 15 Actor Don of old Hollywood 17 Uninteresting and self-absorbed 18 One-named electronic musician and D.J. with multiple Grammys 20 Paranoid types, slangily 22 Futon alternatives 23 Stand that an artist might take 24 Villainous brother of Prospero in The Tempest 25 E-sports enthusiast 26 Melt down, as fat 29 Occasion to sing “Dayenu” 30 Long narrative poem 31 Ice-skating spot 32 Crew 34 Faux pas 35 Picasso’s “____ Demoiselles d’Avignon” 36 Baseball hit just beyond the infield 37 “No kidding!” 39 Malawi-to-Kenya dir. 40 Element used in old television tubes 42 Creator of a philosophical “razor” 46 Best friend of Potter and Weasley 48 Banquet vessels 49 Speechify 50 One frequently saying “Sorry, I missed that” 51 Like classic Disney films 54 Golfer’s vehicle 56 “No fighting!” 60 Geologic period 61 Eye roll accompanier, often 63 Muscle Beach sight 64 Their eggs are incubated by males 66 Eldest of the “little women” in Little Women 67 Wettish 69 It’s always something 71 What may follow bigger or better 72 Farrah Fawcett’s signature do 73 Sikorsky of aviation 74 “Message received” 76 Rabid enthusiast 77 Warrior, e.g., in yoga 78 Actress Roberts of Everybody Loves Raymond 80 Homeowner’s need 82 Like most standardized tests 83 Tribe famous for weaving and sand painting 85 Crème de la crème 86 Really tickles 88 Russian ruler known as “the Moneybag” 90 It’s in the bag 91 Fruit in an often-parodied William Carlos Williams poem 92 Dark forebodings 96 N.B.A. franchise whose mascot is the fireball Burnie 100 Kind of tuna 101 Troglodyte 105 Base of a column

79 83

107

112

114

115

106 Juul, e.g. 107 It can open a lot of doors for you 110 Historical role for Peter Lorre in The Story of Mankind 111 Party that might not start till midnight 112 Classic kids’ game involving removal of body parts … with a hint to this puzzle’s theme 113 Qatari leader 114 102-Down, affectedly 115 Minuscule, informally 116 “It is the ____, and Juliet is the sun” 117 Actress Cannon DOWN 1 Top celebs 2 Red wine from France 3 Middle-distance runner 4 Nickname for an ESPN baseball commentator 5 Post production locales? 6 Weapons thrown by the Dark Knight 7 Volunteer’s phrase 8 Sights on many music festival grounds 9 Seconded, so to speak 10 Karaoke selection 11 Gift that grows on you? 12 Fabulist

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Saundra Rinearson Godwin Christy Duane Chris White Dustin Testerman

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GRAPHIC DESIGNER Tiffany McKnight

110 113

13 Semidomed church area 14 Secluded valley 16 Saint-____, capital of the Loire department 17 With wisdom 18 Wisecracking Marvel superhero 19 Experienced one 21 Worker at a recycling plant 27 British rocker Brian 28 Cry of terror 31 Contact electronically 33 Middle of a diamond 36 Hawks, e.g. 38 They might be hawked 41 Lament 43 Mobile home? 44 Ukulele accessory 45 Not much 47 Writer Anaïs 51 Fixed up 52 Old kingdom of Spain 53 Author Pierce of the fantasy series The Song of the Lioness 54 Way down 55 Response to tickling 57 “Hi, honey!” follower 58 Finishes 59 Urged (on) 62 “Now that was funny!” 65 Peace Nobelist who went on to become president 68 Outhouses

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105 109

116

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96 104

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103

EDITORIAL

STAFF REPORTERS Jacob Threadgill Jeremy Martin Miguel Rios Matt Dinger

82 86

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95 101

Peter J. Brzycki

100

PUBLISHER 39

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First-class mail subscriptions are $119 for one year, and most issues at this rate will arrive 1-2 days after publication.

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Oklahoma Gazette is circulated at its designated distribution points free of charge to readers for their individual use and by mail to subscribers. The cash value of this copy is $1. Persons taking copies of the Oklahoma Gazette from its distribution points for any reason other than their or others’ individual use for reading purposes are subject to prosecution. Please address all unsolicited news items (non-returnable) to the editor.

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70 Well, I’ll be dammed! 71 Drain 72 Treated meanly 75 Inclination 76 Brine-cured cheese 79 Classic Harlem ballroom, with “the” 81 Go (for) 82 Language from which “curry” comes 84 King who lent his name to a Bible 87 Like most oatmeal 89 Plant, as an idea, modern-style 91 Communist sympathizers, pejoratively 92 He was “thumb” critic! 93 Bishop’s deputy 94 “Mercy!” 95 Metric of corporate success 96 Frenzy 97 Other side 98 Features of many malls 99 Part of an acacia tree 102 See 114-Across 103 Subj. of a “Delayed” sign 104 Speck 108 Decorative fish 109 The Lord of the Rings tree creature

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SUDOKU VERY HARD | N° 29439

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

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

SKULLDUGGERY LANE By Ingvard Ashby

NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS

Puzzle No. 1027, which appeared in the October 23 issue. B R O N C O

R A F F I A

A R T I S T

O P T S

N A A C P

H O U S E C A T

I R R I G A T E

A L P H A B E T B L O C K S

U P S E L L

S U N G

O C TO B E R 3 0 , 2 0 1 9 | O KG A Z E T T E . C O M

H A T H I T

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

E M P T Y C L A N G S T O T P T A

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

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

H Y A C I N T H R A K E N E S T

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY Homework: “Be homesick for wild knowing,” wrote Clarissa Pinkola Estés. Try that out. Report results to FreeWillAstrology.com. ARIES (March 21-April 19)

Do you have any skill in fulfilling the wishes and answering the prayers of your allies? Have you developed a capacity to tune in to what people want even when they themselves aren’t sure of what they want? Do you sometimes have a knack for offering just the right gesture at the right time to help people do what they haven’t been able to do under their own power? If you possess any of those aptitudes, now is an excellent time to put them in play. More than usual, you are needed as a catalyst, a transformer, an inspirational influence. Halloween costume suggestion: angel, fairy godmother, genie, benefactor.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

Author Amy Tan describes the magic moment when her muse appears and takes command: “I sense a subtle shift, a nudge to move over, and everything cracks open, the writing is freed, the language is full, resources are plentiful, ideas pour forth, and to be frank, some of these ideas surprise me. It seems as though the universe is my friend and is helping me write, its hand over mine.” Even if you’re not a creative artist, Taurus, I suspect you’ll be offered intense visitations from a muse in the coming days. If you make yourself alert for and receptive to these potential blessings, you’ll feel like you’re being guided and fueled by a higher power. Halloween costume suggestion: your muse.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

More than a century ago, author Anton Chekhov wrote, “If many remedies are prescribed for an illness, you may be certain that the illness has no cure.” Decades later, I wrote, “If you’re frantically trying to heal yourself with a random flurry of half-assed remedies, you’ll never cure what ails you. But if you sit still in a safe place and ask your inner genius to identify the one or two things you need to do to heal, you will find the cure.” Halloween costume suggestion: physician, nurse, shaman, healer.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Cancerian artist Marc Chagall (1887–1985) was a playful visionary and a pioneer of modernism. He appealed to sophisticates despite being described as a dreamy, eccentric outsider who invented his own visual language. In the 1950s, Picasso observed that Chagall was one of the only painters who “understood what color really is.” In 2017, one of Chagall’s paintings sold for $28.5 million. What was the secret to his success? “If I create from the heart, nearly everything works,” he testified. “If from the head, almost nothing.” Your current assignment, Cancerian, is to authorize your heart to rule everything you do. Halloween costume suggestion: a heart.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

The Dead Sea, on the border of Jordan and Israel, is far saltier than the ocean. No fish or frogs live in it. But here and there on the lake’s bottom are springs that exude fresh water. They support large, diverse communities of microbes. It’s hard for divers to get down there and study the life forms, though. The water’s so saline, they tend to float. So they carry 90 pounds of ballast that enables them to sink to the sea floor. I urge you to get inspired by all this, Leo. What would be the metaphorical equivalent for you of descending into the lower depths so as to research unexplored sources of vitality and excitement? Halloween costume suggestions: diver, spelunker, archaeologist.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

“We have stripped all things of their mystery and luminosity,” lamented psychologist Carl Jung. “Nothing is holy any longer.” In accordance with current astrological omens, Virgo, your assignment is to rebel against that mournful state of affairs. I hope you will devote some of your fine intelligence to restoring mystery and luminosity to the world in which you dwell. I hope you will find and create holiness that’s worthy of your reverence and awe. Halloween costume suggestion: mage, priestess, poet, enchantrix, witch, alchemist, sacramentalist.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

“One language is never enough,” says a Pashto proverb. How could it be, right? Each language has a specific

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structure and a finite vocabulary that limit its power to describe and understand the world. I think the same is true for religion: one is never enough. Why confine yourself to a single set of theories about spiritual matters when more will enable you to enlarge and deepen your perspective? With this in mind, Libra, I invite you to regard November as “One Is Never Enough Month” for you. Assume you need more of everything. Halloween costume suggestion: a bilingual Jewish Santa Claus; a pagan Sufi Buddha who intones prayers in three different languages.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

In his novel *Zone One*, Scorpio author Colson Whitehead writes, “A monster is a person who has stopped pretending.” He means it in the worst sense possible: the emergence of the ugly beast who had been hiding behind social niceties. But I’m going to twist his meme for my own purposes. I propose that when you stop pretending and shed fake politeness, you may indeed resemble an ugly monster—but only temporarily. After the suppressed stuff gets free rein to yammer, it will relax and recede—and you will feel so cleansed and relieved that you’ll naturally be able to express more of your monumental beauty. Halloween costume suggestion: your beautiful, fully exorcised monster.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

“I am glad that I paid so little attention to good advice,” testified poet Edna St. Vincent Millay. “Had I abided by it, I might have been saved from some of my most valuable mistakes.” This is excellent advice for you. I suspect you’re in the midst of either committing or learning from a valuable mistake. It’s best if you don’t interrupt yourself! Halloween costume suggestion: the personification or embodiment of your valuable mistake.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Cleopatra was an ancient Egyptian queen who ruled for 21 years. She was probably a Capricorn. All you need to know about her modern reputation is that Kim Kardashian portrayed her as a sultry seductress in a photo spread in a fashion magazine. But the facts are that Cleopatra was a well-educated, multilingual political leader with strategic cunning. Among her many

skills were poetry, philosophy, and mathematics. I propose we make the REAL Cleopatra your role model. Now is an excellent time to correct people’s misunderstandings about you—and show people who you truly are. Halloween costume suggestion: your actual authentic self.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

Around the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, the eleventh sign of the zodiac, Aquarius, will be capable of strenuous feats; will have the power to achieve a success that surpasses past successes; will be authorized to attempt a brave act of transcendence that renders a long-standing limitation irrelevant. As for the eleven days and eleven hours before that magic hour, the eleventh sign of the zodiac will be smart to engage in fierce meditation and thorough preparation for the magic hour. And as for the eleven days and eleven hours afterward, the eleventh sign should expend all possible effort to capitalize on the semi-miraculous breakthrough. Halloween costume suggestion: eleven.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

Author Robert Musil made a surprising declaration: “A number of flawed individuals can often add up to a brilliant social unit.” I propose we make that one of your mottoes for the coming months. I think you have the potential to be a flawed but inspiring individual who’ll serve as a dynamic force in assembling and nurturing a brilliant social unit. So let me ask you: what would be your dream-come-true of a brilliant social unit that is a fertile influence on you and everyone else in the unit? Halloween costume suggestion: ringleader, mastermind, orchestrator, or general.

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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