The Tulsa Voice | Vol. 5 No. 1

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2 // CONTENTS

December 20, 2017 – January 2, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

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THE TULSA VOICE // December 20, 2017 – January 2, 2018

CONTENTS // 3

THE TULSA VOICE

BALLOT COMING IN THE JAN. 3, 2018 ISSUE

December 20, 2017 – January 2, 2018 // Vol. 5, No. 1 ©2017. All rights reserved.

HUNDRED-YEAR PLAN P18

PUBLISHER Jim Langdon

BY DAMION SHADE

Emergency-certified teachers are not the answer to Oklahoma’s education crisis

EDITOR Liz Blood ASSISTANT EDITOR Cassidy McCants DIGITAL EDITOR John Langdon

TRIVIAL MATTERS P20

ART DIRECTOR Madeline Crawford GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Georgia Brooks, Morgan Welch PHOTOGRAPHER Greg Bollinger

BY TTV STAFF AD SALES MANAGER Josh Kampf

Get your ephemera fix all week in Tulsa

EDITORIAL INTERN Trent Gibbons

TULSATHINK P22

CONTRIBUTORS Mark Brown, Alicia Chesser, Ty Clark, Claire Edwards, Barry Friedman, Mitch Gilliam, Valerie Grant, Deborah J. Hunter, Jeff Huston, Mary Noble, Joe O’Shansky, Gene Perry, Andrew Saliga, Damion Shade, John Tranchina The Tulsa Voice’s distribution is audited annually by

BY MITCH GILLIAM, LIZ BLOOD, AND CASSIDY MCCANTS

31 questions to test your hometown trivia knowledge

Member of

VOICE’S CHOICES P24

BY TTV STAFF

The Tulsa Voice is published bi-monthly by

Staff picks for the best, worst, and most cathartic of 2017

1603 S. Boulder Ave. Tulsa, OK 74119 P: 918.585.9924 F: 918.585.9926 PUBLISHER Jim Langdon PRESIDENT Juley Roffers VP COMMUNICATIONS Susie Miller CONTROLLER Mary McKisick DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR Amanda Hall RECEPTION Gloria Brooks

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NEWS & COMMENTARY

FOOD & DRINK

ARTS & CULTURE

8 ANTI-TAX DESPOTS

B Y GENE PERRY

14 TAKE A GANDER

B Y MARK BROWN

26 LIFE STORIES

B Y ALICIA CHESSER

SQ 640 has made Oklahoma ungovernable

10 THE 9TH ANNUAL BAD PENNY AWARDS

16 IT AIN’T WRONG TO CHAMBONG

B Y ANDREW SALIGA

BY BARRY FRIEDMAN

2017: A special kind of awful

12 WHERE I BELONG

B Y DEBORAH J. HUNTER 2017: Chock-full of examples

illustrating racism in America

MUSIC

Here’s what to do with the goose you wrestle off of Riverside

Shooting sparkling wine: flashy meets trashy

TV & FILM 43 GIRL BANNED

B Y CLAIRE EDWARDS Comedian Marcia Belsky faces down Facebook

37 DAMN.

B Y TY CLARK, JOHN LANGDON,

44 ‘A BUNCH OF DECENT MOVIES’

BY JEFF HUSTON

MARY NOBLE

AND JOE O’SHANSKY

2017: A good year for music

40 PAYING HOMAGE

B Y DAMION SHADE

St. Domonick will release his new album at charity hip-hop event

TTV film critics recap the year in film

Orth Contemporary makes art personal

28 FORMERLY FRINGE

B Y MITCH GILLIAM Local comedians on where their scene is headed next

30 FROM NEAR-TRAGEDY, PERSPECTIVE

B Y JOHN TRANCHINA Union football falls in championship game

32 RING IN THE NEW YEAR

B Y TTV STAFF Say “buh-bye” to 2017 and ring in ‘18 at these events

ETC. 34 THEHAPS 42 MUSICLISTINGS 46 FULLCIRCLE 47 THEFUZZ + CROSSWORD

41 JINGLE BELL RAP

B Y DAMION SHADE

Three nights of hip-hop and charity

THE TULSA VOICE // December 20, 2017 – January 2, 2018

CONTENTS // 5

editor’sletter

SMUT SHAMING Last week, one Matthew McDaniel reviewed The Tulsa Voice on Facebook:

To start, we are not Urban Tulsa. Langdon Publishing started The Tulsa Voice after Urban Tulsa folded in late 2013. We turned four years old on Dec. 18—just two days ago. A friend said to me, “I had no idea the Voice was so young.”

Secondly, it’s true—we do have editorial concerns that guide the stories we tell. In 2017, that list included: opioid addiction, people experiencing homelessness and mental health issues, violations of the National Environmental Policy Act and the presence of wastewater injection wells on Pawnee Nation land, who locally will be affected by the annulment of DACA, undervalued and overworked public school teachers, the emergency-certified teachers epidemic (this issue, pg. 18), the need for Oklahoma justice system reform, our state’s criminalization of the poor, Black Lives Matter, the Women’s March, the Oklahoma Center for Equality, prison labor strikes and activism, ICE protests at David L. Moss Criminal Justice Center, Oilfield Prayer Day protests at the Oklahoma Capitol, local access to birth control, the pro-bono Immigrant Rights Project at TU’s Boesche Legal Clinic, the Oklahoma Indigent Defense System, taxes, state questions, education funding, arts funding— and the list goes smuttily, smuttily on.

But that content doesn’t even make up the bulk of the work our TTV writers and editors do, which includes coverage of visual arts, performing arts, music, film, literature, food, drink, sports, and more.

In this issue, we cover Tulsa’s recent enthusiasm for the Chambong (pg. 16), the philosophy behind Orth Contemporary art gallery in Kendall-Whittier (pg. 26), Union High School’s state championship loss and their teammate’s injury (pg. 30), the new release by local rapper St. Domonick (pg.

40), plus our annual year-end ruminations.

Before you say “thou doth protest too much, Blood,” let me just say I won’t be smut shamed. Our mission at The Tulsa Voice is to be an alternative resource for news, commentary, and entertainment— and an advocate for the earnest and unruly here.

We are also 100 percent advertiser supported—so a big, huge thank you to our advertisers who do the good work of supporting local journalism—especially in a time when it’s under fire.

I hope you all enjoy this issue and the last few days of 2017. Happy Holidays! a

LIZ BLOOD EDITOR 6 // NEWS & COMMENTARY

December 20, 2017 – January 2, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

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philbrook.org/festival DECEMBER 2017

THE TULSA VOICE // December 20, 2017 – January 2, 2018

NEWS & COMMENTARY // 7

okpolicy

I

ANTI-TAX DESPOTS SQ 640 has made Oklahoma ungovernable

by GENE PERRY

8 // NEWS & COMMENTARY

n March 1992, Oklahoma voters approved State Question 640, which requires a 75 percent supermajority for the legislature to increase taxes. It passed with the support of 56 percent of those voting that day, but with nothing else on the ballot, turnout was very low. To put things into perspective, President Bill Clinton received just 34 percent of the vote in Oklahoma later that year, but still had nearly 100,000 more votes than State Question 640.

Nevertheless, the minority of Oklahoma voters who supported SQ 640 on that day has had a dramatic and long-lasting impact on our state.

The history of State Question 640 is deeply intertwined with Oklahoma’s debates over education funding. In 1990, Oklahoma passed historic education reforms that paired tax increases with new requirements to reduce class sizes, increase teacher pay, strengthen teacher accreditation, and make other improvements to schools.

Soon a political action committee called the Oklahoma Taxpayers Union organized a ballot initiative (SQ 639) to repeal it. SQ 639 was voted down in October 1991, but the Oklahoma Taxpayers Union regrouped to put SQ 640 on the ballot just five months later.

The largest financial supporter of the campaign for SQ 640 was the Oklahoma Publishing Company (the parent company of The Oklahoman) and its executives Edward L. Gaylord and Clay Bennett (now chairman of the OKC Thunder). On the other side, the biggest financial contributors against SQ 640 were the Tulsa Chamber of Commerce and the State Chamber of Oklahoma, alongside groups representing teachers and public employees.

Oklahoma’s 75 percent supermajority restriction for any tax increase is the most stringent in the U.S. Fourteen other states require a supermajority, but in most of those states, it is 60 percent or two-thirds. Oklahoma is the only

place in the country to require three-fourths supermajority approval of all tax increases. And since SQ 640 passed, lawmakers have not once cleared that hurdle.

In most cases, the idea of raising taxes was not even brought up, because lawmakers knew that it would be nearly impossible.

Of course, that hasn’t prevented lawmakers from cutting taxes multiple times with a simple majority. As a result, Oklahomans are paying a historically low percentage of income in state and local taxes. The 7.9 percent of personal income Oklahomans contributed to state and local taxes in 2014 was lower than that in all but two states and significantly below all surrounding states.

The costs of this disinvestment in our state have been well documented, including the largest cuts to school funding in the nation, serious threats to the care of Oklahoma’s most vulnerable seniors and people with disabilities, tens of thousands of Oklahomans losing needed mental health care, and a prison system at the brink of collapse.

Now majorities of Republicans and Democrats alike have realized the mistakes of the past and acknowledged that Oklahoma has a revenue problem. But SQ 640 allows a minority of anti-tax legislators to block revenue solutions Oklahomans want. Even though a revenue plan won strong, bipartisan support in special session, it fell just short in the House of Representatives with “only” 70 percent approval.

As the Tulsa World recently wrote, the Oklahoma Legislature “has become an example of the tyranny of the extremes.” To get out of this mess and make Oklahoma governable again, it’s clear that we need to undo SQ 640. a

Gene Perry is policy director of Oklahoma Policy Institute (www.okpolicy.org).

December 20, 2017 – January 2, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

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For this flash fiction contest, Nimrod International Journal and The Tulsa Voice will select one first-prize and one second-prize winner from the Tulsa area.

First prize: $150; second prize: $50.

Entries may be no more than 500 words long. Both winners will be published in The Tulsa Voice.

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DEADLINE: JANUARY 31, 2018

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Winning work will be published in a late spring/early summer 2018 issue of The Tulsa Voice. Selected finalists will also be published, though they will not receive prize money.

Board-certified in Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine

THE TULSA VOICE // December 20, 2017 – January 2, 2018

NEWS & COMMENTARY // 9

viewsfrom theplains

OVERHEARD “OKLAHOMA IS NOT A STATE. IT’S A CONDITION.”

THE 9TH ANNUAL BAD PENNY AWARDS 2017: A special kind of awful • by Barry Friedman

“A BAD PENNY ALWAYS RETURNS.” –GRANDMA SYLVIA

W H ERE DO WE BEGIN IN recapping this most horrible of years?

How about the Super 8 in Moore, Okla., where Ralph Shortey, an Oklahoma representative and Christian conservative wearing an Ephesians 5:22 (“Wives, submit yourself to your husbands”) t-shirt, is holding a bag of pot and some condoms and hiding a 17-year-old boy in the bathroom? Perhaps at the Rogers County Sheriff’s Office, where a former Tulsa police officer who shot and killed an unarmed African-American has started her new gig (with back pay)? Perhaps at a Markwayne Mullin rally, just to see if we can get him so pissed he’ll start rambling incoherently about how much money he makes? Ah, hell, let’s just put Honey Lamb in the car, drive down to the State Capitol, and see how many male legislators will grab her ass? It’s now only nine bucks round-trip on the Turner Turnpike.

Back in 1992, marking the 40th anniversary of her accession to the British throne, after Princess Diana and Prince Charles separated and Sarah, the Duchess of York, was photographed topless and having her toes sucked, Queen Elizabeth called the entire year Annus horribilis.

Ah, 25 years ago. Back then, Oklahoma was passing budgets, our legislators weren’t ruled by ALEC, and Donald Trump was still on wife #1 and had just started bankrupting casinos.

Those were the days, huh?

AND WE’RE OFF. 10 // NEWS & COMMENTARY

THE BATSHITTERY OF JOHN BENNETT, 2017 EDITION Building on a truly bizarre 2016, when he called for Hillary Clinton to be shot and referred to Islam as “a cancer in our nation that needs to be cut out,” Rep. John Bennett (R-Sallisaw) didn’t disappoint this year. He described state workers as terrorists, asked a group of visiting Muslim students at the Capitol if they beat their wives, and ate a live chicken on the House floor.

(I may have made up that last part.)

NFL PLAYERS UNDER A CONCUSSION PROTOCOL AREN’T THIS LOOPY. Kirk Humphreys, former OKC mayor, presently co-host of KFOR’s weekly talk show “Flashpoint,” and an OU Board of Regents member, said, “If [homosexuality] is OK, then it’s OK for everybody, and, quite frankly, it’s OK for men to sleep with little boys if it’s OK.” (P.S. He later apologized for his “lack of clarity” and for those he may have “hurt.”

You compare them to pedophiles, and some people just take it the wrong way.)

JUST SAYING, WITH THE DEAD BODY SPRAWLED OUT BY THE SINK, IT’S NOT LIKE IT WAS IN ORDER. A dead woman was found in a restroom in a Sand Springs Walmart on a Monday in June.

According to police, her body might have been there all weekend, because someone from the store had put an “Out of Order” sign on the door.

“ARMAND, COLLARD GREENS AND CHITLINS FOR THE WHITE FOLK! SPARE NO EXPENSE.” According to a federal lawsuit accusing her of racial discrimination, Madeleine Pickens, ex-wife of T. Boone, told her African-American chef Armand Appling at the Southern Califor-

nia country club she owns—yes, owns—she wanted “black people food”—not “white people food”—to be prepared at her rural Nevada dude ranch and wild horse sanctuary.

“NOT ONLY THAT, BUT MY WIFE’S LIKE TOTALLY HOTTER THAN YOURS.” In Tishomingo, the city council voted to add “In God We Trust” stickers to all city vehicles, a move defended by former city manager Woody Jumper. “My God is the God of Abraham,” he said. “Yours may be some other god, and so it’s kind of generic.”

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION At Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School in OKC, a graduating senior chose to quote a dubious passage from Adolf Hitler’s “Mein Kampf”—“If you want to shine like the sun, first you have to burn like it”—in the student yearbook. Unfortunately, it was directly below that of another student who quoted—wait for it—Anne Frank. Best part of the story: The school bought stickers so students could place them over the offending quote. I’m sure everyone knows this, but that would be Hitler’s.

THERE’S A BETTER CHANCE THAT …

Rep. Mike Ritze (R-Broken Arrow) will hand out free condoms and prison porn in the parking lot of Planned Parenthood than there is of Amazon building its new headquarters in Tulsa.

“I’VE GOT A GUN!” “OH, YEAH, I’VE GOT LESBIANS AROUND MY WAIST.” An Oklahoma man who had adult magazines taped to his body for protection claimed he was in “survival mode” after he was arrested for allegedly attempting to stab his former neighbor.

THE REAL LEGISLATORS OF OKLAHOMA CITY DAN KIRBY (R-TULSA) Accused of sexually harassing a former staffer. He resigned, took it back, resigned again.

WILLIAM FOURKILLER (D-ADAIR) Accused of harassing a high school intern. Did not participate in the investigation, so his House colleagues made him attend a sensitivity training course where they taught him how to stay away from teenage girls.

BRYCE MARLATT (RWOODWARD) Booked on one felony count of sexual battery after being accused of groping an Uber driver.

TRAVIS BRAUER (EX-STAFFER FOR GOVERNOR FALLIN) Took photos and videos up women’s skirts at the State Capitol.

GEORGE FAUGHT (R-MUSKOGEE) When asked whether God sanctioned rape, said, “If you read the Bible, there’s actually a couple of circumstances where [rape] happened. The Lord uses all circumstances. It’s a reality, unfortunately.”

STATE REPRESENTATIVE RALPH SHORTEY (R-JAIL) Just, ewww.

“DOESN’T MATTER IF YOU’RE GAY OR STRAIGHT TO SENATOR INHOFE,” SAID NO ONE EVER. THE GREATEST THING WRITTEN IN THE TULSA WORLD IN 2017 In a story about marijuana smugglers and—wait for it—the Weed family, Brianna Bailey wrote, “Margery and Jeffrey Weed are the parents, and there’s also a Jason Weed, though we’re not sure where he fits in the family tree.”

THE WORST THING WRITTEN IN THE TULSA WORLD IN 2017 In a breathless editorial, hilariously entitled “Fly your flag ... and do it right,” Wayne Greene did everything but come to your house to see if the bottom of Old Glory was scraping the porch. “The American flag,” he wrote, “is the symbol of the greatest nation on the Earth, and a unifying emblem for a diverse nation. Fly it often, proudly and properly.”

J O U R N A L I S T S W E ’ L L M I S S : Z I VA B R A N S T E T T E R December 20, 2017 – January 2, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

OKLAHOMA’S TOP 100 (ABRIDGED)

17. Oklahoma Gubernatorial Candidate Joe Exotic 68. Laurence Curtis, an OKC man who built a moat around his house and filled it with horned lizards, an American alligator, and other reptiles.

OUR FAVORITE TAKE ON THE HISTORY OF REI IN TULSA. “IT’S A BADLY BUNGLED SHITSHOW”—FORMER MAYOR TERRY YOUNG “THAT’S REAL MONEY, BABE, SO, YEAH, I HAVE PERFORMANCE ANXIETY.” Rep. Travis Dunlap (R-Bartlesville) introduced a bill this past session that would make divorce much more difficult to get in Oklahoma. Included is a provision stating that if a woman proves in court her husband is impotent, she’ll automatically get 75 percent of everything he owns.

WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG? According to Department of Homeland Security officials last month, new tests in 2018 will include the outdoor release of inert chemicals and biological stimulant materials. And, adding insult to injury, the tests will take place at the Chilocco Indian School campus.

IRONY IS DEAD. A former Tulsa County sheriff, Rick Treadwell, was wounded in an accidental shooting at the Wanenmacher’s Tulsa Arms Show, which, on its website, states, “A crowded gun show is no place for a loaded gun.”

THEY LOVE THEM SOME “BLACK PEOPLE FOOD,” THOUGH. Tulsa Police Chief Chuck Jordan told the Tulsa World, “I think history has proven that we’re going to have more crime problems from that community,” and then was shocked— shocked, I tells ya—that his comments were not received well.

TRUER WORDS THERE ARE NOT. U.S. Rep. Markwayne Mullin: “I know I’m not perfect. I say stupid stuff all the time.”

WHICH IS ABOUT ALL I WANT TO SAY ABOUT MY TWO FAILED MARRIAGES … Until Governor Fallin signed a bill repealing both statutes, it had been illegal in Oklahoma to seduce a virgin by promising to marry her or by impugning her virtuousness.

FRANK RIZZO, FORMER PHILADELPHIA MAYOR, WAS ONCE ASKED ABOUT NEPOTISM IN HIS ADMINISTRATION, AND HE REPLIED, “NEPOTISM HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. I MADE MY BROTHER FIRE CHIEF.” Corbin Brewster, son of famed Tulsa Criminal Defense Attorney Clark Brewster, was named chief public defender in proceedings Opus Dei would have found secretive.

NOT TO MENTION A GUY WITH AN IPHONE SNAPPING PHOTOS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE ESCALATOR. Karen Kipgen, who runs the page program for the Oklahoma House of Representatives, sent out a Capitol-wide email during an LGBT, Planned Parenthood, and HIV/AIDS advocacy day at the State Capitol: “As per the Speaker’s office, Pages are being allowed access to the ladies’ restroom across from 401, for today.

Again, there are cross-dressers in the building.”

2018 PREDICTIONS QuikTrip will build a QuikTrip inside another QuikTrip.

On May, 3, 2018— this day only—every highway light in Tulsa County will work.

Construction at The Gathering Place will, you know, be moving along.

Former Senator Tom Coburn will urgently warn that the end of the republic is at hand unless we immediately follow his specific recommendations to thwart it and put him in charge of all things.

Governor Drew Edmondson There will be a salmonella outbreak at the 2018 Tulsa State Fair.

TU basketball coach Frank Haith will be fired.

Donald Trump will visit Tulsa and call it Tusla. a

PSA OF THE YEAR

TO BE FAIR, CHLOE HAS BEEN KIND OF A BITCH LATELY In the Oklahoma Ethics Commission report, Jason Reese (R-District 83) placed an Ordinary and Necessary Campaign Expenditure of $10.05 for HOTWIFE CHLOE NEEDS TO BE PUNISHED. THE TULSA VOICE // December 20, 2017 – January 2, 2018

AND YOU THOUGHT LINDSEY GRAHAM SUCKED UP TO TRUMP First District Republican congressional candidate/McDonald’s owner Kevin Hern sent out a fundraising letter extolling the president’s love of Big Macs.

“The Tecumseh Police Department is offering FREE testing for gluten-laced meth. Please bring your meth to the Tecumseh Police Department for your FREE test.”

NEWS & COMMENTARY // 11

yearinreview

“W

hat one does realize is that when you try to stand up and look the world in the face like you had a right to be here, without knowing that this is the result of it, you have attacked the entire power structure of the Western world.”

—James Baldwin

I, along with many other Americans, spent months in disbelief after the 2016 presidential election.

How could the voters who elected Barack Obama for two terms elect a racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, swindling, misogynistic, alleged rapist? How could people who claimed to be allies of marginalized populations and care about social justice and civil rights vote for him or abstain from voting, allowing into office a blow-hard television personality who incited violence at his rallies, ridiculed the disabled, and insulted American veterans and their families?

This was not just a difference of political opinion. It was a betrayal. At first, I was more disturbed by this than I was by the upsurge of ill-informed white supremacists and misogynists who want women to return to the kitchen and minorities on bended knee.

I’m a black woman in Oklahoma. I have always known that racial hatred and belief in white superiority didn’t disappear after the Civil Rights Movement. They just took off the hood and put on a suit and tie, exchanged the white robe for the judge’s or minister’s robe, put down the burning torch and picked up the redlining, gerrymandering pen. We have seen this reality played out in the media all year long—for instance, 45’s pardon of Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was convicted of criminal contempt for racial profiling, or when 45 refused to denounce the racists in Charlottesville.

In the beginning of this year, I harbored a vain hope that 45’s incompetence and elementary level 12 // NEWS & COMMENTARY

WHERE I BELONG 2017 was chock-full of examples illustrating racism in America

by DEBORAH J. HUNTER

of knowledge about—well, just about everything—would somehow keep him from being sworn into office.

White supremacist rallies and rhetoric increased during 45’s campaign and continued to rise after he was elected. An FBI 2016 report stated: “The number of hate crimes triggered by bias against a person’s racial or ethnic background rose to 3,489 from 3,310 a year earlier … Half of those episodes were motivated by racism against black people.”

Those increases happened immediately before and after 45’s election. Studies have not yet been completed for 2017.

As an adult, I have never worried about going anywhere I choose. But, not long after the Charlottesville incident, I went

to meet some friends for dinner.

I was suddenly overcome with a sense of panic. At first, I didn’t know why I felt so vulnerable. It took me a moment to analyze.

The tables were full of white people whose faces had turned toward me when I walked in. I had grown used to institutionalized, under-the-table, behindclosed-doors racism with only the occasional outbursts of ugliness.

Recent events and their public exposure heightened my awareness.

I never dreamed I was a person who could become complacent.

I had.

It was temporary.

I was born in Jim Crow Tulsa and segregated my entire childhood and adolescence. All four of my grandparents were survivors of the 1921 Greenwood Massacre.

They escaped and came back to Tulsa to rebuild. My parents’ generation was shushed. Few dared to speak up about the racial injustices witnessed and experienced in the years following the conflagration.

Threats of a repeat invasion were ever-present, often whispered: “We burned you out before.

We can do it again.”

Everything in my life was about being black. I lived in a black neighborhood, attended allblack schools and churches, and shopped only in neighborhood stores. I was insulated against the racial discrimination my parents and other adult family members surely endured. I never even heard of the Greenwood pogrom until I was 20 years old.

All of my educators were black, and they came from a generation that was taught we had to be better to be equal. But they were wrong. It doesn’t matter to most of our non-black contemporaries, even if they stand as allies, if we are better educated, better spoken, better dressed, better behaved, better skilled. We are still black, and that often matters more than anything. Our skin color is considered a defect or something to be overlooked.

Even now, in 2017, I have been told by white people: I don’t see color. I just treat you like anybody else.

You’re not really black.

My great hope is that the vileness of exclusionary legislation, police brutality and murder, and verbal and physical assaults by whites on people of color have awakened apathetic Americans to the reality of the depth and breadth of racial bias. Before true change can begin, those who benefit from the oppression of others must bend their stiff necks to listen to the oppressed— and believe them. Those who are oppressed must stop believing they have no power.

And, in 2017, I still know that wherever I am is where I belong. a

December 20, 2017 – January 2, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

THE TULSA VOICE // December 20, 2017 – January 2, 2018

NEWS & COMMENTARY // 13

foodfile

TAKE A GANDER Here’s what to do with that goose you wrestle off of Riverside

by MARK BROWN

T

he best Thanksgiving turkey I ever ate actually was roast goose, served with potatoes fried in goose fat, an arugula salad, lots of Rhône wine, and a cheese course in lieu of a pie. I think of that Thanksgiving every time I see a gaggle—flying over my house every night about dusk, huddling just off the No. 6 green at the LaFortune Par 3, or resting on the great lawn (soon to be a vast playground) along Riverside, where they once flocked and I trust will return. Maybe in time for Christmas. I picture one garnished with pancetta and juniper, on the same sideboard with the stout and figgy pudding.

Unless you hunt, your access to geese is limited. I married into a family of hunters, one of whom once said, “I don’t supply game to yuppies.” There are frozen birds in some grocery cases but they will run you five times the price of chicken, sometimes more.

Stupid money when fresh meat abounds—a tantalizing option for the gourmand who suddenly finds

14 // FOOD & DRINK

himself between jobs, or for the conscientious cook who eschews feedlot beef and industrial poultry.

None of the restrictions outlined in the state’s “Legal Means of Taking” mention the act of tackling in plain sight. (It is illegal to take your bird by “drug, explosive, or stupefying substance.”) The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife’s harvest season for migratory birds ends February 18.1 Given the plethora of geese, though, you could probably get an exemption under the Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator provision.

In any case, it won’t be easy.

Not only can geese fly—most I know are aggressive. It’s fight or flight, and, short of a shotgun, you’ll have to move fast and with fury. I won’t counsel you in how to procure or process your goose, but I will say that cities from Portland to New York have offered Canada goose on the menu in their shelters for years.

Anyway, we have too many.

They’re wonderful in flight, but then they land in droves. I’ve

begun mistaking them for yard ornaments and elaborate wildlife art installations. I don’t recall this many Canada geese as a kid, and I did some wandering. We must have scared off one of their predators.

For those willing, I’ve taken the liberty of devising an efficient and quite tasty goose menu that should carry you through the week. If you have a serviceable kitchen and don’t mind shopping in aisles beyond Whole Foods, you can do this. Assuming you wouldn’t be bagging a wild goose off a public lawn unless you were desperate, I’ve tried to be budget-conscious.

Nam-Hai carries fresh chilis in bulk. For super-fresh corn tortillas, go to the source: Tortilleria de Puebla (3118 S. Mingo Rd.).

Supermercados Morelos (2119 S. Garnett Rd.) sells potatoes, onions, and other produce for cents on the dollar.

Cook’s note: I’m only talking here about winter geese. You need, and want, a good layer of fat on your bird in order to manage this menu.

SUNDAY: ROAST GOOSE WITH FRIED POTATOES Reserve one leg during your butchering. Season it with salt and pepper, wrap it, and refrigerate it (see Tuesday). Save the offal from your dressed goose and place in the fridge, covered.

Roast the seasoned goose (minus a leg) in a pan deep enough to collect its fat. Salt and pepper, toss in some sage leaves and juniper berries—or not. Fry some diced potatoes in a half-inch of the fat.

Pour extra fat in a jar; refrigerate.

Strip the carcass of all the meat you don’t eat and stick it in the fridge. Place the carcass in a large pot with an onion, a few garlic cloves, and a couple of broken carrots and stalks of celery.

Cover with water, bring to a boil, and simmer for two hours. Strain the liquid and refrigerate. Toss the rest.

MONDAY: RISOTTO Fry the other half of your onion in enough goose fat to coat a pan. After it softens, add short-

December 20, 2017 – January 2, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

grain rice and stir. Ladle in the goose stock, a cup or so at a time to let it absorb. Toward the end, add shredded cooked goose and chopped jalapeño to taste. When the rice is tender and the liquid thickened, add a knob of butter and a healthy sprinkling of Cotija, a crumbly Mexican cheese.

TUESDAY: BURGERS Finely grind or mince your raw goose leg, adding enough of the leg suet to achieve a binding blend.

Season liberally with salt and pepper and grill over hot coals, or sauté in a smidge of goose fat.

WEDNESDAY: NOODLE SOUP Heat two tablespoons of goose fat in a stockpot. Sauté diced carrot, celery, and onion until soft. Deglaze with a touch of vermouth.

Add 8 cups of goose stock, then add a cup or so of goose meat and any innards (save the liver; see Friday). Heat until boiling, reduce heat, and cook for 20 minutes, adding 8 ounces of dried pasta halfway through. Taste for seasoning; garnish with chopped parsley.

THURSDAY: WHITE BREAD DUMPLINGS Remove the crust from several slices of enriched white bread.

(Cube the crusts and fry in goose fat for some tasty croutons.)

Lay a slice of bread flat and, in the center, pile a small amount of cooked goose meat. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Pull the sides of the bread up around the meat and squeeze the whole into a wad, completely sealing in the meat. After few good squeezes, the bread will return to a doughy state. This may take practice.

Sauté with just enough fat to dampen the bread, rolling the dumplings around often to keep them from burning and sticking.

Serve in a bowl of heating stock, garnished with a bit more goose meat (if you still have plenty) and a sprinkling of parsley.

Note: Alternatively, you could try simmering the dumplings in the stock, provided you knead your white bread sufficiently. It should be quite doughy.

FRIDAY: CANADA HASH Simmer two or three unpeeled potatoes in a pot until tender but not overcooked, about 20 minutes.

Grate, peels and all, into a bowl.

Sauté a diced onion and a couple of chilis in a small amount of goose fat until tender. Add a bit more fat, then add the potatoes. Fry over moderate heat until potatoes brown and get crispy in spots. Toss in some goose and stir to mix. Season well.

If you happened upon a goose egg in your hunting, fry the egg to your liking in a bit of fat. Serve atop your helping of hash.

Fry the goose liver gently in the same pan until it firms up a bit; you still want some jiggle.

Spread the cooked liver over a piece of toast. Season and eat with your hash.

Have yourself a merry little pizza.

SATURDAY: TACOS (CARNITAS GANSO) Fry a diced onion and chopped jalapeños in two tablespoons of goose fat. After they’ve softened, add shredded goose meat and sauté over higher heat until crispy, moistening with chili sauce.

Serve in steamed tortillas garnished with whatever you have around that makes sense—slivers of avocado, torn cilantro, bits of Cotija. a

1) The full season, according to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation website, is Nov. 4–26 and then again from Dec. 9–Feb, 18. (There’s also a September season for “resident” Canada geese, meaning our flock. Alas.) The website dictates seasons for a number of sport fowl, including the “webless migratory game birds,” some of the names of which are beautiful enough to inspire lines—the mourning dove, the Eurasian collared, the Sora and Virginia rails, the purple gallinule, the common moorhen, and the woodcock. For some very delicious reading, you might hunt down Guy De la Valdène’s “Making Game: An Essay on Woodcock”—you’re not likely to find a more artful blend of outdoor sport, food and wine, and literary restraint.

Reminder: these are the regulations for the proper and legal taking of wild game, but I don’t suppose a goose recognizes city limits.

Truman welcomes you to the Ranch during the Holidays.

Thank you for shopping and supporting our business since 1959.

Mark Brown is the author of “My Mother is a Chicken” (This Land Press, 2012).

THE TULSA VOICE // December 20, 2017 – January 2, 2018

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FOOD & DRINK // 15

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T

he thought of Champagne may conjure images of extravagant parties, wedding receptions, or New Year’s Eve toasts. But, thanks to the Chambong, the bubbly drink can now be consumed with reckless abandon to celebrate any occasion. If alcohol is a social lubricant, then the Chambong is the oil can.

The Chambong—an odd-looking contraption, resembling a cross between a Champagne glass and a pipe—had humble beginnings. A week before the 2014 Super Bowl, a few friends aimed to create a super bowl. They realized the device wasn’t as suitable for cannabis as they’d hoped, but fortunately they recognized its resemblance to a Champagne glass. They filled it with sparkling wine and took a swig—and the rapid-consumption device was born. Several prototypes and a few years later, it’s now available in both glass and plastic and with optional stands.

The Chambong’s introduction to Tulsa may be a little more difficult to trace. Most credit it to Ashley Sutton of Thirst Wine Merchants, who in 2015 gave a set to Matt Sanders, owner of Vintage 1740 (1740 S. Boston Ave.).

Since Vintage’s monumental rosé party, the Chambong has become a Vintage staple, and it wasn’t long before its popularity spread.

Sanders gave a set to Valkyrie (13 E. M.B. Brady St.), and word has it that MixCo (South 3rd Street and Denver Avenue) then started offering them.

Jimmy Reid, bartender at Vintage 1740, attributes the Chambong’s rise in popularity to two factors: it makes Champagne (or sparkling wine) consumption less pretentious, and it invokes curiosity from across the bar. Reid says it’s not unusual for a party bus of 12 bachelorettes to roll in to bong some bubbly before migrating to

16 // FOOD & DRINK

IT AIN’T WRONG TO CHAMBONG Shooting sparkling wine: flashy meets trashy

by ANDREW SALIGA Chambonging at Vintage 1740 | COURTESY

their next destination. Hank Hanewinkel III, who bartends at MixCo, recalls serving two or three rounds of Chambongs in the span of 10 minutes to a group celebrating the recent divorce of one of their members.

Chambongs are known to cause the “mojito effect,” a term used to describe how the mystique of one person’s flashy beverage

often leads additional customers to inquire about and order the same. These larger group settings is where the Chambong’s rapid distribution abilities shine.

Vintage 1740 regular Darku Jarmola shared a sentiment about his first Chambong shot—one similar to others I’ve heard.

“It’s an interesting story, but it’s almost like asking someone

where they were the first time they took a shot,” said Jarmola. But one key difference between a shot and a Chambong makes the latter unique: Shots are taken during highs and lows, but Champagne is always associated with celebration.

It’s not uncommon for the veterans to purchase a newbie’s first Chambong, even if it’s a stranger.

“When I’m out with someone and they say they’ve never had a Chambong before, I’m like, well, you’re having one now,” said Jarmola.

When asked if the Chambong dilutes the Champagne experience in any way, Reid said that’s possible, but he boasted of persuading renowned winemaker Rajat Parr to partake in a Chambong at their annual rosé party. Parr, a fan of bubbles, conceded that it wasn’t the worst experience.

While gathering Chambong stories across Tulsa, I found one unnamed patron whose story spanned at least two bars. His claim to fame at one establishment was that he drank the classic Champagne and absinthe cocktail, Death in the Afternoon, out of a Chambong; at the other bar he was known for taking a Chambong and inadvertently spilling it all over his face.

The first time using a Chambong may be a bit tricky, but that’s half the fun. For the uninitiated, partaking in this communal tipple means simply tilting the Chambong until it forms a V-like shape, slowly filling with sparkling wine until one inch of empty space remains on both ends, and then drinking it like a shot from the smaller end.

If you’re looking for a way to kick off a celebratory night, or if the standard mimosa brunch isn’t enough, a round of Chambongs is the perfect way to get things started. a

December 20, 2017 – January 2, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

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FOOD & DRINK // 17

THREE YEARS AGO, DIXIE MEYER WAS A PART-TIME NURSE in her hometown of Alva, Okla., a small town about 12 miles from the Kansas border where the local residents call themselves Goldbugs in honor of the Alva High School football team. Their mascot is a tiny, goldrenrod-colored beetle, inspired by an Edgar Allen Poe story.

Meyer is a lifelong Goldbug. She and her husband were high school sweethearts—they met in seventh-grade English at the same school their children attend today. In 2014, when the high school couldn’t find a certified teacher to cover biology or chemistry, Meyer took the job as an emergency teacher, a person without the proper teaching certifications who has been granted provisional teaching status by the Oklahoma State Board of Education.

“I saw this post on Facebook with the principal saying, ‘Does anyone know a [registered nurse] who would be interested in teaching?’ I thought, ‘Well I’m a registered nurse.

I’d be interested,’” Meyer said.

“I don’t know if you have ever lived in a small town, but a small town revolves around its school. We have a great system of responsibility and a great sense of pride.

We want the best for our schools. That would be wonderful to help a little bit in my own small way.”

Today, Meyer is one of 1,800 or more emergency-certified teachers who have entered the classrooms in Oklahoma, but she is also a rare success story. It’s hard to imagine how small towns survive without people like her.

Since working at the high school she’s been a computer resource teacher, a soccer coach, and a biology and chemistry teacher, all while she and her husband fostered one of her former students and his two younger sisters after they were taken into protective custody by DHS. Oklahoma relies heavily on people like Meyer right now.

Both rural communities with dwindling populations and urban centers like Tulsa are seeing mirror images of the same crisis. There simply aren’t enough teachers in the state. Folks like Meyer are working to fill the gap, but as the state looks to certify the largest number of emergency teachers in its history, the model isn’t sustainable.

State Education Superintendent Joy Hofmeister has been involved in Oklahoma education for decades. She was a teacher in Tulsa and worked as the owner of the Kumon Math & Reading Centers in South Tulsa and Utica Square for 15 years before being elected superintendent in 2014.

Hofmeister believes the emergency teacher situation is a symptom of a deeper issue.

“In Oklahoma education we have been operating on the same dollars as [in] 2008 but with 50,000 more students,” she said. “During that time, fixed costs have skyrocketed. Even when it appears on paper as being held flat since 2008, the amount of dollars that can be given to actually provide resources for children in classrooms has not increased. In fact it’s actually shrinking because the cost [of] healthcare [has] eroded those funds. This means that we grow and grow in our enrollment, and the amount that we can provide students for instruction diminishes year after year.”

These diminished resources affect every part of education: larger class sizes, fewer administrators to tackle discipline issues, outdated textbooks and technology—and even the shuttering of entire schools in some districts. One of its most insidious effects is on teacher salary. Oklahoma is now the worst state in the nation for average teacher pay. This has led to thousands of teachers a year migrating to other states to build better lives for themselves and their families.

“If teachers go to districts on the border in Texas they can actually make nearly $20,000 more as a starting teacher with zero experience,” Hofmeister said. “Some teachers are having to decide between staying in the small community school they love and moving to Kansas, where they can make $10,000 more a year. There isn’t much of a cost of living difference between these states. When you 18 // FEATURED

December 20, 2017 – January 2, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

look at the regional average of those states that border Oklahoma, we are dead last in compensation. So we’re just talking about becoming regionally average with our teacher pay. That is the first step. I believe we should be nationally competitive, but that would be step two.”

The teacher exodus directly correlates to the rise in emergency-certified teachers. Five years ago Oklahoma issued only 32 emergency teacher certifications, and, according to Hofmeister, last year that number was up to 1,160.

“Escalation is very much the correct term. In fact, we’ve also just realized that 23 percent of the new teachers coming into Oklahoma education in classrooms and schools are emergency-certified. The count begins July 1.

So in just a matter of three and a half months we saw numbers exceeding 1,800 emergency certification requests.

That is August to October. This school year we’re already over 1,800. This means there are people stepping into a classroom without the training or experience yet to teach that class.”

These pressures stress a system already imperiled by the opioid crisis and across-the-board cuts to social services in the state.

“We have children experiencing a life of trauma, as our state battles untreated addiction in the home or untreated mental illness or instability due to foster care—we have many children whose mothers are incarcerated. These students’ needs grow increasingly diverse. It is a growing barrier for their educational success and attainment,” Hofmeister said.

Some emergency teachers, like Meyer, have years of experience in other fields like nursing, which develops crisis management skills and an ability to respond to people in trauma, but many do not. But the average person—without training—is not familiar with handling children whose home lives are strained and thus need more attention.

“We know our emergency-certified teachers need training and professional development support for classroom management,” Hofmeister said. “It’s not enough to know the content. You also have to know how to work with students who have experienced trauma. You have to know how to work with students who have special education needs or how to identify those children who need to be tested to see if they qualify for a learning disability. That is not something you are inherently able to do without training, and when our state cuts budgets, that training is stemmed.

It doesn’t provide the support that emergency-certified teachers need to feel they can make a difference and to keep them in the classroom.”

“I might have a very slanted view because we have such a wonderful school system in Alva,” Meyer said. “We have all the assets we need, we have a wonderful administration … [and] have very low turnover. That makes such a difference.”

Meyer’s daughter is also a teacher; she works at U.S. Grant High School in Oklahoma City.

“I think she’s one of eight biology teachers in the district.

This year, all but two of them are new to the school. They have a very transient population of students at her school, too. She gets and loses students all the time and that’s very frustrating. We’ve just been so lucky in Alva. We have wonderful administration … A lot of new or emergency teachers at other places aren’t getting that kind of support.”

Last month, the Oklahoma Legislature debated a measure to raise teacher pay, which ultimately failed, by five votes, to pass the State Senate.

“There was a $3,000 teacher pay raise voted on by the Senate and the House, and it lacked 5 votes,” Hofmeister said. “There were 108 yes votes, if you combine the numbers in the Senate and the House. What I hear is overwhelming support to pay teachers a regionally competitive salary … but when it comes down to why that didn’t pass, there just wasn’t agreement … The majority of Oklahoma THE TULSA VOICE // December 20, 2017 – January 2, 2018

“Twenty-three percent of the new teachers coming into Oklahoma education in classrooms and schools are emergencycertified ... [From August to October,] we saw numbers exceeding 1,800 emergency certification requests.”

OKLAHOMA STATE SUPERINTENDENT JOY HOFMEISTER

legislators know that needs are going unmet, and though there is an overwhelming number of legislators willing to vote yes to increase revenue to cover critical services for Oklahomans, it just hasn’t happened yet.”

Legislators have signaled that they plan on revisiting the issue again next year, but with an estimated 60,000 Oklahoma students already in often overcrowded classrooms led by emergency teachers, time seems short.

“It’s very worrisome, particularly with math classes, when a middle school teacher has 40 to 45 kids every hour.

How does that teacher provide the kind of one-on-one assistance outside the classroom to children that are struggling—or for the ones who need advanced placement, who deserve to have their needs met, too? I don’t think we appreciate how much these individuals stepping forward to help need training and need support from their principals and fellow teachers,” she said.

Superintendent Hofmeister doesn’t believe this crisis is intractable. But she does think it’s about priorities.

“We’re giving away billions in exemptions due to a whole variety of incentives. These need to be reviewed. I

think we could remove incentives and sales tax exemptions that do not have a high return on investment. My understanding is we are allowing something like 6 to 8 billion in sales tax exemptions. That’s one place to start.

“Again, that is all part of a conversation legislators need to have and I believe are having, but there’s got to be consensus on having a bipartisan stabilizing budget. I’m absolutely hopeful because of those in the schools today who remain committed and dedicated to the kids in Oklahoma. They are here because they want to be in the classroom. They are here because they want to stay in Oklahoma, and we see a real indication of uncommon courage and leadership.”

An ancient but familiar teaching proverb, attributed to Confucius, goes, “If your plan is for one year, plant rice. If your plan is for ten years, plant trees. If your plan is for one hundred years, educate children.”

If the state fails to meet its current challenges, Oklahoma risks not only its children’s future, but also losing community leaders like Dixie Meyer who want to stay here and serve. a FEATURED // 19

TIM EDWARDS HOSTS AT GEORGE’S PUB

64 PERCENT OF ALL THE WORLD’S statistics are made up right there on the spot 82.4 percent of people believe ‘em whether they’re accurate statistics or not I don’t know what you believe, but I do know there’s no doubt I need another double shot of something 90 proof I got too much to think about — Todd Snider, “Statistician’s Blues” Lighten up. Team up. Show off.

Forget your Twitter and Facebook feeds for an evening. Here’s a weeknight guide for where to hang out, have a drink, and see what frivolous details you’ve managed to keep in store despite the heavy news of late.

GET YOUR EPHEMERA FIX ALL WEEK IN TULSA

by TTV STAFF photos by GREG BOLLINGER

bles for an answer. Between questions, find yourself a shot and a beer. For those of you in it to win it, there’s a $50 cash reward for the first-place team.

ELGIN PARK (325 E. Mathew B. Brady St.) also puts on a trivia night with Questionable Company on Mondays at 8:00 p.m.

TUESDAY ROOSTER’S COCKTAILS, 8:00 P.M. 8215 E. Regal Blvd.

Rooster’s team-based trivia nights are typically on the shorter side, usually lasting about a half-hour, and the prizes vary, so it’s impossible to say exactly what you’ll be competing for any given week, but everyone has a chance to win something.

SUNDAY FUEL 66, 7:00 P.M. 2439 E. 11th St. Fuel 66 Tulsa bar and food court is a family-friendly trivia night destination, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a few drinks while testing your memory for minutia.

There’s a $50 cash prize for the winning team. Everyone else will have to settle on a good time and good eats.

SOUNDPONY, 9:30 P.M. 409 N. Main St. Soundpony Bar’s Trivia with Jack might be the longest-running weekly trivia event in Tulsa. The late-night lounge is great for trivia aficionados looking to test their skills in a funky atmosphere. And it was voted best trivia in TTV’s 2017 Best of Tulsa Awards. The last two rounds consist of a physical challenge for contestants, then a namethat-song question. Winners’ prizes are on the eclectic side; past winners have taken home oddities like cat calendars, lawn flamingos, and old movie posters.

MONDAY EMPIRE, 8:00 P.M. 1516 S. Peoria Ave. At this humble hangout, you can play a game of pool or watch sports on the TV while your team scram-

Tuesday is the biggest night for trivia in Tulsa. Also check out SOUL CITY GASTROPUB & MUSIC HOUSE (1621 E. 11th St.) at 7:00 p.m. and INNER CIRCLE VODKA BAR (410 N. Main St.) or FLYING TEE (600 Riverwalk Terrace, Jenks) at 8:00 p.m.

QUESTIONABLE COMPANY, which hosts trivia nights at Fuel 66, Empire, Saturn Room, Maryn’s Taphouse & Raw Bar, George’s Pub, Flying Tee, The Max Retropub, and Prairie Fire Pie, will be inviting its top-performing teams to compete in its first-ever Ultimate Trivia Championship in January, with a $500 prize. See facebook.com/questionable1company for more information.

TEAM MAD MAXX COMPETING AT EMPIRE 20 // FEATURED

December 20, 2017 – January 2, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

LIVE EVENT TRIVIA, which hosts at Rooster’s Cocktails, Inner Circle Vodka Bar, Soul City Gastropub & Music House, and Louie’s Grill & Bar, has a similar competition with a $500 prize for teams in its national league; speak with your venue’s host to find out if they’re participating and how to earn more points for your team.

Live Event also plans to host trivia night at Joe Momma’s pizza (308 E. 1st St.) in the Blue Dome District after they re-open late this month.

For more info: liveeventtrivia.com.

TRIVIA TROPHY AT FUEL 66 WINNERS AT SOUL CITY GASTROPUB & MUSIC HOUSE

WEDNESDAY SATURN ROOM, 8:00 P.M. 209 N. Boulder Ave. At the Saturn Room tiki bar, you’ll have the chance to acquaint yourself with new tropical tastes, choosing from a variety of rum flavors and tiki cocktails—but pay attention! The Saturn Room hosts buzzer trivia; the questions are easier, but players play alone, and the first to hit their buzzer locks out everyone else from answering. The reward here is different, too: every right answer earns you a dollar. Up to $75 is given out each week.

MARYN’S TAPHOUSE & RAW BAR, 8:00 P.M. 400 Riverwalk Terrace, Suite 180, Jenks Trivia night at Maryn’s Taphouse & Raw Bar (located by the Arkansas River at Riverwalk Crossing) is perfectly timed: try out their Wednesday-night wings and current featured beers: the Rahl & Sons Angry Santa, Rahl & Sons THE TULSA VOICE // December 20, 2017 – January 2, 2018

Winter Warmer, and the Shiner Cheer. Maryn’s also offers 40 beers on tap, 8 tap wines, and over 60 hand-crafted cocktails and bottled beers. The winning team takes home a $50 Maryn’s gift card.

You can also get your Wednesday trivia on at 8:00 p.m. at either THE MAX RETROPUB (114 S. Elgin Ave.), PRAIRIE FIRE PIE (1303 E. 15th St.), or LOUIE’S GRILL & BAR (813 E. A St., Jenks).

THURSDAY GEORGE’S PUB, 8:30 P.M. 108 N. 1st St., Jenks Voted one of the top 5 pubs and trivia nights in TTV’s 2017 Best of Tulsa Awards, and named one of the best places to eat cheaply and well by the Tulsa World, George’s Pub is another fun spot for testing your knowledge of minutiae. The winning team gets $50 to spend at the pub—perfect for grub like fish and chips or beer and cocktails from the full bar. a FEATURED // 21

TULSATHINK

31

questions to test your hometown trivia knowledge

BY MITCH GILLIAM, LIZ BLOOD, AND CASSIDY MCCANTS

1

What former Tulsa restaurant’s Colorado counterpart appears in an episode of “South Park?”

2

Which Detroit garage rocker owns a house in Tulsa?

5 6

In what neighborhood is Tulsa’s oldest house?

What television cartoon characters worked at a Burger World, inspired by the location in “UHF,” thus tying them to Tulsa?

The Cain’s Ballroom was originally a garage for which KKK member and city founder?

8

The voice of which Disney/Pixar “Cars” character lives in Tulsa?

12

Which extra-wide street in the neighborhood west of LaFortune Park was once the main runway at the old Cherokee Airport?

22 // FEATURED

3

4

9

Who is the voice actor from the previous question?

11

Mob boss Whitey Bulger is connected to Tulsa through a murder that occurred where?

13 14 15

What restaurant originally occupied the location of the Burger World in Weird Al’s movie, “UHF”?

7

What former Tulsa rollercoaster featured a mural of Batman’s nemesis, The Joker?

10

The Beatles’ spiritual advisor, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, bought what Tulsa landmark and allowed it to fall into disrepair?

The frontman of which multimillion record-selling band lived in the Kennedy Mansion in the ‘70s?

A hole punched in the wall by a member of what band is still framed at Cain’s Ballroom?

What Tulsa punk band’s logo appears in the documentary “American Hardcore”?

16

Which frequent mayoral candidate bikes around Tulsa in a Santa suit?

19

17

When the mayoral candidate from the previous question interrupted the televised 2016 mayoral debates, by what name did he call the cameraman?

20 23 22 24

What local bar is opening another location in Minneapolis, Minn. in 2018?

21

What restaurant has autographed photos of its most famous regular, Waylon Jennings, hanging on the walls?

According to Waylon Jennings, what Tulsan is “still the king”?

Williams Tower was designed by the same architect and is a near quarter-scale replica of what U.S. landmark?

30

What is the recently-coined name of a Tulsa district at the south end of the IDL?

What is the name of the sculpture by Robert Haozous at the Center of the Universe?

31

Which district is named for a disused Gulf Oil service station?

What tower did “Tower Guy” occupy in 2012 to get his name?

What local business group is opening several locations in Little Rock, Ark. in 2018?

In what tune about Tulsa does Ernie Fields sing “If you go down to Greenwood tomorrow, I’ll sing you the blues some more”?

What Ministry song originated from a chance encounter in a Tulsa hotel room with the singer of the Butthole Surfers?

27 28 25 26

Behind what movie theater is Tulsa’s underground and abandoned mall?

18

What Tulsa building was the first major architectural structure designed in the U.S. using computer simulation?

29

Which of these Deco buildings was not built between 1915 and 1930? Philcade Building, Philtower, Spotlight Theater, Boston Avenue Methodist Church, Oklahoma Natural Gas Company Building, Christ the King Catholic Church, Page Warehouse, Southwestern Bell Main Dial Building

ANSWERS 1. CASA BONITA 2. JACK WHITE 3. OWEN PARK 4. HARDEN’S HAMBURGERS 5. BEAVIS AND BUTT-HEAD 6. TATE BRADY 7. THE ZINGO 8. THE SHERIFF 9. MICHAEL WALLIS 10. THE CAMELOT HOTEL 11. SOUTHERN HILLS COUNTRY CLUB 12. URBANA AVE. 13. AEROSMITH 14. SEX PISTOLS 15. N.O.T.A. 16. PAUL TAY 17. MATT DAMON 18. CLEAR CHANNEL COMMUNICATIONS’ RADIO TOWER 19. HODGES BEND 20. MCNELLIE’S GROUP 21. HANK’S HAMBURGERS 22. BOB WILLS 23. “T-TOWN BLUES” 24. “JESUS BUILT MY HOTROD” 25. AMC SOUTHROADS 26. THE TWIN TOWERS 27. “ARTIFICIAL CLOUD” 28. UNIVERSITY CLUB TOWER 29. PHILCADE BUILDING (1931) 30. CATHEDRAL DISTRICT 31. BLUE DOME DISTRICT FEATURED // 23

VOICE’S CHOICES Staff picks for the best and worst of 2017

COME ON DOWN—TTV staff names the highs, lows, and most cathartic moments of the past year. Let’s reflect before we ride on into the mystique and promise of 2018.

LIZ B LO O D , EDI TOR BEST BOOK: I enjoyed “Most American: Notes from a Wounded Place” by Rilla Askew (University of Oklahoma Press, June 2017). Askew writes: “From the Trail of Tears to The Grapes of Wrath, our most iconic narratives have been about how this land, this Oklahoma, is a place so many have come to in pain and anticipation and sorrow, and it is a place others have left in the same way.”

BEST TV SHOW: I can’t ever get enough of “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Larry David is the patron saint of anxiety and cringe— and I love him for it. The 2017 season was a fun escape.

BEST LIVE SHOW: Horton Records Rock ‘n Folk ‘n Chili Cookoff 4. Chris Blevins grounded us, Mike Dee & Stone Trio shook us, and John Fullbright saved us. Plus, all-you-can-eat chili.

BEST MOMENT FOR TULSA: Former Tulsa Police Officer Shannon Kepler convicted of first degree manslaughter and sentenced to 15 years in prison for shooting and killing Jeremy Lake.

BEST INSTANCE OF JUSTICE SERVED: The long overdue downfall of Harvey Weinstein and the subsequent comeuppance for all of those other sexual assaulters and harassers.

BEST NEWS STORY: Tulsa Democrat Allison Ikley-Freeman’s victory by 31 votes in November over Republican Brian O’Hara for Senate District 37. Ikley-Freeman is young, a woman, lesbian, and a mental health counselor. She doesn’t fit the profile of most Oklahoma politicians—and that’s why I’m glad to see her in office.

WHAT NEEDS WORK IN 2018: More women, people of color, and LGBTQ individuals running for public office and making art.

24 // FEATURED

December 20, 2017 – January 2, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

GREG B O LLING E R, P HOTOGRAPHER BEST ALBUM: As You Were, Liam Gallagher BEST SONG: “Rainbows & Waterfalls”

by Pretty Lights—their first studio-released music in over four years, and it was absolutely worth the wait.

BEST TV SHOW: “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.” Informative.

Effective. Hilarious.

BEST LIVE SHOW: John Moreland at Cain’s Ballroom. It was pretty awesome to see John cap off his amazing year at the historic, hometown venue.

BEST NEW FOOD OR DRINK: Mr. Nice Guys at Guthrie Green. I was gonna give it an A+, but I forgot there was an A++.

BEST MOMENT FOR TULSA: The downtown development going on makes me one proud Tulsan.

GEOR G IA B R O OKS, GRA PHIC DESIGN E R BEST SONG: “Get in My Car,” BRONCHO BEST TV SHOW: “The Crown” BEST LIVE SHOW: “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” at the Tulsa PAC. I went in humming the “Gilmore Girls” theme song to myself, and came out in a daze. This lady wrote so many freaking songs—I had no idea.

BEST NEW FOOD OR DRINK: I love going to Maryn’s Taphouse & Raw Bar in Jenks. Quality pub food and being on the Riverwalk feels like being on vacation.

BEST INSTANCE OF JUSTICE SERVED: Harvey Weinstein

BEST MOMENT FOR TULSA: The Women’s March in downtown Tulsa in January. To march with my loved ones and so many Tulsans I didn’t know was an uplifting way to start an intimidating 2017. I’ve used that day as a moment of strength for our community and nation when things have been difficult throughout the year.

WORST NEWS STORY: Scott Pruitt confirmed as administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

WHAT NEEDS WORK IN 2018: We could all stand to be a lot less self-obsessed and watch out for each other better.

BEST MOMENT FOR TULSA: Every impassioned Facebook thread of arguments on the best Mexican food in town. This is how we grow.

BEST ALBUM: Kesha, Rainbow. After the awful past few years she’s had, Kesha deserves a huge win. And holy wow, does she get one with this album. You can really hear how her experiences have changed both her lyrics and style. I challenge any female to listen to “Woman” and not belt/ sing/yell along with it.

BEST LIVE SHOW: Horton Records Rock ‘n Folk ‘n Chili Cookoff. Tulsa has an absurdly high concentration of talented musicians, and this show made it so much more apparent.

M ADELINE C R AWF ORD, A RT DI RECTOR

THE TULSA VOICE // December 20, 2017 – January 2, 2018

BEST NEW FOOD OR DRINK: Smoked Tangerine Pulled Pork Tamales from Sauce Boss. (The hot sauce is )

BEST BOOK: “NOS4A2” by Joe Hill. It isn’t a new book, but one I discovered this year, and is the only book I’ve ever read that gave me nightmares. “NOS4A2” could do for Christmas music what “IT” did for clowns. The story is a supernatural thriller featuring a 1932 Rolls Royce Wraith, a woman able to travel from location to location by folding space, a serial killer named Charlie Manx who kidnaps children, and his henchman, Bing.

BEST MOMENT FOR TULSA: G. T. Bynum’s first year as mayor. Bynum’s ambition for Tulsa is fantastic. I love that he thinks big for the city, and I can’t wait to see what plans he has for the future.

His humor and accessibility is something that I don’t remember ever seeing in a mayor before.

BEST NEW FOOD OR DRINK: Heirloom Rustic Ales—great beer, great interior.

BEST ART INSTALLATION OR SHOW: The Internet Cat Video Festival on the lawn at Philbrook Museum of Art (Sept.

29, 2017). Something about watching silly videos with hundreds of people out in the open made it feel as if we had all become a kind of post-postmodernist installation about physical connection in the age of the digital echo chamber. Plus, cats.

BEST NEWS STORY: Each development in Mueller’s investigation

BEST EVENT: Tulsa Zoo’s fundraiser Waltz on the Wild Side. The entertainment was top-notch, the food was ridiculously good, the take-home gifts were adorable (I’m still holding onto my Waltz-branded sunglasses).

BEST ART INSTALLATION OR SHOW: “Streets: Mark Lewis” at 108 Contemporary (Oct. 6–Nov. 19, 2017). Large-scale and made up of paper layers, the pieces showed dynamic and magical looks at city landscapes. With their massive size and intricate details, they stopped you in your tracks.

BEST EVENT: Steve Martin and Martin Short at Paradise Cove followed immediately by the greatest Halloween house party I’ve ever attended.

AMANDA H A L L , DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR

WORST NEWS STORY: Researchers find that 83 percent of the world’s drinking water is contaminated with microplastics.

BEST TV SHOW: It’s a tie: “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Bob’s Burgers.”

BEST LIVE SHOW: Roger Waters: Us + Them at BOK Center

JOHN L AN G D O N , D I G I TA L E D IT O R BEST BOOK: I likely would have read more had it not been for “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.”

WHAT NEEDS WORK IN 2018: Reality

CASSIDY MCCANTS, A S S IS TA N T E D IT O R BEST BOOK: Carmen Maria Machado’s “Her Body and Other Parties” (Graywolf Press, Oct. 2017). It’s a bizarre, fantastic collection—the stories show how our bodies remember what we’ve been through, how the body endures everything the mind does.

BEST TV SHOW: I can’t help it.

“Stranger Things 2.” I’m a kid again when I watch it.

BEST LIVE SHOW: Most recently, John Moreland at Cain’s. It was fun to welcome him home—and to hear him play on a guitar made from the venue’s original floor.

BEST NEW FOOD OR DRINK: Prairie Fire Pie’s Yukon Gold potato pizza.

BEST NEWS STORY: There was a handful of good ones, among them “A Bill Funding Arts and Humanities Endowments Passes House Committee.” (And it ended up being a great year in Oklahoma for NEA funding—the best in nearly a decade.)

WORST MOMENT FOR TULSA: We didn’t see #justice4crutch this summer.

WHAT NEEDS WORK IN 2018: I think we’re headed this direction, but I hope we’ll all work on listening to one another. There’s a lot of yelling and blaming happening in our community and in our nation. And there’s a refusal to really engage when it’s challenging. When I give in to the yelling I feel like I’m drowning out my own empathy. It’s dangerous.

J U LEY R O FFER S , PRESI DENT OF LANGDON PUBLI SHI NG BEST BOOK: “Killers of the Flower Moon”(Doubleday, April 2017)—a depressing story of how corrupt the government and law enforcement in Oklahoma were (not that long ago) and perhaps a glimpse into why Okla. seems so backwards in many ways today.

BEST ART INSTALLATION OR SHOW: I can’t think of best this year, but I know the worst I saw: The opening of the New Whitney Museum in NYC featured its 2017 biennial. Most of it was awful.

BEST INSTANCE OF JUSTICE SERVED: Roy Moore was defeated in Alabama.

BEST NEWS STORY: The many #METOO stories WORST NEWS STORY: The many #METOO stories BEST MOMENT FOR TULSA: Tulsans continue to protest whatever may be wrong in a peaceful manner.

WORST MOMENT FOR TULSA: TPD Officer Betty Shelby, who shot the motorist Terence Crutcher—who simply had car trouble—wasn’t convicted.

MO R G A N W ELC H , GRAPHI C DESI GNER BEST ALBUM: After Laughter by Paramore. Veering in a very new direction from their past discography, but in a good way. Paramore was able to give some of my anxieties and depression a pair of dancing shoes.

BEST LIVE SHOW: Seeing The Starting Line for the first time, then two more times, all while being on a cruise ship with tons of other bands.

BEST ART INSTALLATION: The Oklahoma state wildflower mural, done by Decopolis owner William Franklin, at the Harvard Square Shopping Center.

BEST NEW FOOD: Poke Bowl Love has struck the deepest of chords in my heart.

I love hand-rolled sushi, but man do I love build-your-own sushi bowls.

WORST NEWS STORY: The acquittal of TPD Officer Betty Shelby, who unjustly shot and killed Terence Crutcher.

WHAT NEEDS WORK IN 2018: People need to be more respectful and kind with what they say online. Being positive warrants better results than being negative. a

FEATURED // 25

gallerytalk

LIFE STORIES Orth Contemporary makes art personal

by ALICIA CHESSER

Katie Orth, owner and founder of Orth Contemporary art gallery | VALERIE GRANT

A

fter 11 years as a director at the M.A. Doran gallery on Brookside, Katie Orth struck out on her own last May to open Orth Contemporary (20 S. Lewis Ave.) in Kendall-Whittier.

In the thick of the down-to-earth bustle of the neighborhood, the gallery is a slice of tart elegance.

But Orth, who tears up talking about the art and artists who call her space home, isn’t your stereotypical gallerista.

ALICIA CHESSER: How did you get into this line of work?

KATIE ORTH: I signed up for an internship at a gallery in San Francisco and it turned into a job. I did that for five years, then came to Tulsa. I kind of knew that eventually I’d want to do it on my own.

We all have a different way of seeing, a different voice. There’s a space for everybody. So far it’s been the best time of my life.

The art business is hard.

There’s not a large number of collectors out there. A lot of people will spend money on cars and houses and trips, but an investment in art is not a priority.

But art changes your life if you let

26 // ARTS & CULTURE

it. I don’t think I would be alive today without art. It’s uplifting. It educates. It teaches you to slow down and look.

CHESSER: Why did you decide to land in Kendall-Whittier?

ORTH: It’s been a gamble, but I think I made the right choice.

First of all, it was affordable! And there’s a lot of creativity down here. Circle Cinema has the best movies you can’t see in any other theater. Talmadge Powell is a great studio down the street. I knew Marjorie Atwood and the Urban Art Lab had spaces here. People are in their studios working down here. There’s that energy in the air already. I’m showing work, and they’re making work. It’s interesting.

We’re starting an art walk around the neighborhood, from the Circle on to the photography and print studios and on and on, so people can see creativity in action. People usually just see the output in various places around Tulsa, but it’s happening here.

CHESSER: How do you choose what to show?

ORTH: My focus is to represent up to 10 artists. I’m at seven right now. As a gallery owner, you want to work with artists who affect your life in a positive way. The artists I’ve chosen so far [among them Tulsa Artist Fellow Eric Sall, former MTV VJ Tabitha Soren, and Rosemarie Fiore, who works in fireworks and smoke]—their processes are all different, all compelling. Everybody here has a different process they came to through their own life story. A lot of these stories you’ll remember for the rest of your life once you hear them.

CHESSER: What is the relationship like with the artists you represent?

ORTH: It’s work that doesn’t feel like work. The artists love what they do and let me be part of that.

To have this job, to be able to invite people like this into my life and have them say yes—I feel like the luckiest person out there. I like to showcase one artist at a time so they can have their voice heard clearly. They know I represent a small number so they’re never going to be shoved in the racks

and not looked at ever. They’re my little family.

My focus is getting these artists to the next level in their career. I hope to get every one of them in a museum collection. Henry Jackson [whose paintings are featured in the gallery’s current show] was my first. I know I’ll lose some of them in time, but that means I did it right. Everybody here deserves to be the next Chuck Close.

CHESSER: A lot of the art world just seems like hype. What you’re cultivating is a really personal approach to making art part of people’s lives.

ORTH: You have to follow and collect and make what you love.

Designer things aren’t going to affect your life, your emotions, like art will. It’s almost like re-wiring us to come out of that trendy lifestyle and see what creativity can do.

There’s a soulfulness to this work that sticks with you. Sometimes I just lie on the floor in here and stare at it. I’ve never been able to meditate like you’re supposed to, but I can look at art, do it that way, and be elevated. a

December 20, 2017 – January 2, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

TULSA SYMPHONY

2017-2018 S E A S O N T W E LV E

Classics Series

AN EVENING WITH ERIC WHITACRE

It’s back!

SATURDAY, JANUARY 13, 2018 | 7:30 PM

TUL SA PER FO R M I N G A RT S C E N T E R Whitacre: Water Night Five Hebrew Love Songs Equus Songs of Immortality Godzilla Eats Las Vegas Deep Field Eric Whitacre, Grammy-winning Composer and Guest Conductor with Tulsa Oratorio Chorus

Tulsa Symphony welcomes GRAMMY® Award winner Eric Whitacre as a guest conductor and composer. His groundbreaking Virtual Choirs have united musicians across the globe in new and powerful ways. He will lead the Tulsa Symphony and the Tulsa Oratorio Chorus through a thrilling and diverse collection of his works which include Water Night, Equus, Deep Field, and Godzilla Eats Las Vegas. *Pre-Concert Conversation | 6:30 PM *Pre-Concert Student Recognition Concert | 6:45 PM

*Post-Concert Reception – All Welcome *Childcare Available

DON’T MISS OUT THIS WEEKEND! Join 18,555 subscribers who receive the weekly Insider e-newsletter to find out what the editors of The Tulsa Voice recommend for their weekend!

Sign up for the FREE weekly Insider today at TheTulsaVoice.com/ theinsider.

THE TULSA VOICE // December 20, 2017 – January 2, 2018

TULS

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Christmas Cabaret Sheridan Road Jan. 12-21

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An Evening With TULSAPAC.COM Eric Whitacre MYTICKETOFFICE.COM Tulsa Symphony 918.596.7111

ARTS & CULTURE // 27

lolz

From left: Landry Miller, Laura Cook, TJ Clark, and Evan Hughes

T

hat Tulsa’s comedy scene has grown exponentially in recent years is no secret.

The once-fringe artform exploded out from the Loony Bin and the occasional open mic into countless monthly and weekly mics, showcases, podcasts, and our own Blue Whale Comedy Festival.

Local comedians have traveled the nation, spreading awareness of how comedy-friendly our city is.

Much ink has been spilled over the scene in TTV’s pages, as the scene has proven it is something to spill much ink about. I talked to several local comics about the sustainability of Tulsa comedy and where we might be heading after the banner year of 2017.

What do you see as the next evolution for Tulsa comedy, and what moves do we need to make to get there?

LANDRY MILLER, Channel Four and a Half member and writer of a nationally broadcast late-night talk show (which he is bound by penalty of death not to disclose): I think the next step for Tulsa comedy is for us as a collective to take a very self-aware look into the way our community operates.

We have comics here in Tulsa that are just as good as comics anywhere else in the country. But I believe there’s a deep-rooted feeling of self-doubt among the comedians here that makes us feel like no matter how well we do, no matter how many shows we’re on or how many people are 28 // ARTS & CULTURE

Formerly fringe Local comedians on where their scene is headed next

by MITCH GILLIAM there, it doesn’t matter. Because we’re in Oklahoma. It’s a state no one looks at. But that’s not the case at all. Tulsa has the opportunity to be a hotspot for comedy.

A place that people all over the country could look at as a place to see comedy at its best. But the comics here, the foundation, have to believe it’s possible to be just as good as the best comedy cities in the country before that can happen. We have the talent, we have the potential; all we need is the confidence.

LAURA COOK, host of The Beehive Lounge and The Starlite Bar showcases: Now that we’ve bulked up, what should we do now? Keep going. Continue to stand with one another. We need to do for the Tulsa comedy scene what Tony and Michelle Cozzaglio (organizers of Fuck You We Rule fest and the Punk Rock Flea Market) have done for the Tulsa punk scene.

I want to make Tulsa a place touring comics will want to visit and a place where they will want to perform. And we absolutely

have the resources! Every year, Blue Whale gets bigger and more exciting. Open mic at Fur Shop grows and grows. Not just with new comedians, but new audience members. Low turnout can be so frustrating, but when everything comes together and you have a great turnout and a great lineup giving great sets, all those frustrating times are worth it.

EVAN HUGHES, Inner Circle Vodka Bar social media coordinator: I’d love to see more comedy before and after live music. I’ve performed on shows with Iron Born, Joe Myside & the Sorrow, Alan Doyle, Fabulous Minx … so many others. I think we’re already at the point where people aren’t surprised that a comic is booked on a music show, but as a community we still have to keep pushing for stage time. We can’t be home on the couch waiting to be hit up about doing shows. We have to be out there networking.

TJ CLARK, inventor of the “Weight Wife”: I think the next move for Tul-

sa comedy is the caterpillar, my favorite of all the breakdancing moves. Because Tulsa comedy is soon to become a big ol’ butterfly.

A butterfly with buffalo wings for wings.

But more realistically, I think the next move for Tulsa comedy is having more independently produced shows. The closing of The Comedy Parlor left us locals with lots of weekends free. This has some of us traveling more and some producing new shows in town. There’s already been new monthly showcases pop up at The Starlite Bar, Bamboo Lounge, and The Beehive Lounge, and I think we’re gonna see lots more well-curated, locally produced shows all over town.

I think the future of Tulsa comedy looks diverse. Not just in gender, race, and age, but in styles of comedy and types of shows.

Some of the free-form and playful things you hear in comedy podcasts will bleed over to live shows.

It’s already happening in other cities, and I can see shows like that doing really well here.

To get there, we need a few things. Clubs and bars willing to host different types of shows.

Comedians need to get better at promoting, too. It’s difficult to hype yourself when self-deprecation is your jam. I think someone busting out of Tulsa on a national level would do a lot to get local audiences to come out. That’s the dream, of course, and I think we have many in town now that are on that trajectory. a

December 20, 2017 – January 2, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

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ARTS & CULTURE // 29

sportsreport

T

he Union High School football team was on a mission.

When the Redskins took the field in front of 14,817 fans at The University of Tulsa’s Chapman Stadium for the Class 6A-I state championship game on Dec. 1, they weren’t just playing for a second straight state title. They were competing for their fallen teammate, Keviyon Cooper, who was cheering them on from the sidelines.

The fact that they came agonizingly close, ultimately succumbing to Owasso 21–14, made the outcome even more painful.

A lot had happened since Union rallied for a 59–40 comeback victory over rival Jenks in the MidFirst Bank Backyard Bowl on the same TU field back on Sept. 9 (as chronicled in the Sept. 20 issue of TTV).

The Redskins, defending state champions, continued to roll, entering the title contest with a 12-0 record, riding an 18-game winning streak.

Their only close game came Sept. 29 against that same Owasso squad, a 44–41 double-overtime thriller. Beyond being a hardfought triumph over a difficult opponent, that was when Cooper, a senior running back, suffered a traumatic brain injury.

Cooper had just finished a season-best performance, gaining 159 yards and two touchdowns on 30 rushes, when he started to feel strange and then collapsed in the locker room bathroom. He underwent emergency surgery and remained in the hospital for several weeks.

While the Redskins missed his contributions on the field, they kept winning without him as his teammates rallied around the cause of “winning it for Keviyon” (#KevStrong).

“The adversities that took place with Keviyon really helped our team bond,” Union Coach Kirk Fridrich said. “We grew a lot from it. We’re really proud of Keviyon.”

Junior quarterback Peyton Thompson, who completed 22 30 // ARTS & CULTURE

Union High School junior quarterback Peyton Thompson playing in the Class 6A-I State Championship DEAN ATCHISON

FROM NEAR-TRAGEDY, PERSPECTIVE Union football falls in championship game

by JOHN TRANCHINA of 36 passes for 387 yards, was despondent after the loss. Union trailed 21–7 when Thompson connected on an 86-yard touchdown pass to A.K. Wilson late in the third quarter, but he also threw two interceptions, including one into the end zone on the Redskins’ final drive with 56 seconds left.

“When we came out here tonight, it was all about the seniors and Keviyon, and we played hard and fought to the very end,” Thompson said, fighting through tears. “Keviyon was a leader on our sidelines and in our locker room. Ever since he was able to get out of the hospital, everything

we do, we’re motivated by Keviyon. He’s an inspiration to us all.”

Cooper has mostly recovered.

Although his football career is over, he has progressed through the rehab process and is preparing for track season in the spring.

He won the 400-meter race at the Class 6A state championship last year while Union claimed the track and field team title.

“My recovery’s coming great,” Cooper said. “I’m back to running 70 percent, I’m doing physical therapy, trying to get my body stronger and get ready for track.”

With Union behind 14–7 at halftime, Cooper delivered an encouraging speech in the locker

room—and his teammates nearly completed the comeback.

“I’m proud of our kids and how they battled back and made a game of it,” Fridrich said. “Just couldn’t get it done. I think it was Owasso more than anything. It’s a good football team.”

Under the guidance of firstyear head coach (and former TU coach) Bill Blankenship, Owasso became the first school other than Union or Jenks to win the 6A state championship since 1995.

It was the Rams’ first-ever solo title (they were declared Class 3A co-champions in 1974 when they tied the state final, before the days of overtime).

As upset as they were after the defeat, though, both Fridrich and Thompson acknowledged that the situation with Cooper put things in perspective: Maybe football isn’t the most important thing in the world.

“No doubt about it; there’s things bigger than a game,” Fridrich said.

“It can be taken away at any time,” Thompson added. “We’re just blessed we have him back. It was a really dangerous injury, and all of us love him. We didn’t even get to celebrate that win against Owasso earlier in the season because all we cared about was our brother. Everybody was with him all along the way in his recovery, and we’re really proud of him.”

Cooper appreciates the overwhelming support he’s received from the Union football family.

“It felt good, all the support in and out of the hospital,” he said. “I still got the support now. I know these guys have my back and they tried 100 percent.”

It was precisely because of that intense camaraderie the players all share that Thompson was so disappointed the Redskins couldn’t pull out the victory. In the end, it all boils down to the relationships the game cultivates.

“It’s tough,” Thompson said.

“I just hate that these seniors don’t get to go out the right way, like they deserve. I’m just grateful to be a part of this team. I love this team.” a

December 20, 2017 – January 2, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

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THE TULSA VOICE // December 20, 2017 – January 2, 2018

ARTS & CULTURE // 31

Ring in the

NEW YEAR RACE INTO THE NEW YEAR River West Festival Park

Runnersworld Tulsa invites you to start off 2018 on the right foot with a 5K leading to black-eyed peas, cornbread, and views of the midnight fireworks over the Arkansas River. $15–$35, runnersworldtulsa.com

SWING IN THE NEW YEAR

THE BLACK & GOLD EXPERIENCE SAX on Cherry Street

Two clubs in one, the Black Club will feature DJ JB Smoove, and the Gold Club will feature live music by The Queens of Tulsa R&B (Mz. Val, Tea Rush, and Tammy Hamilton). Food catered by Rozay’s Wingz. $15–$100, saxnye2018.eventbrite.com

Southminster Community Center

TOTALLY AWESOME 2018

Swing dance the night away with The Oklahoma Swing Sindicate (TOSS). Never swung? The evening includes a beginners’ and an intermediate lesson. $5, theoklahomaswingsyndicate.org

100.9 FM Totally Awesome 80s hosts this party, which features a buffet dinner and DJ Badger spinning ‘80s hits on vinyl. $75, totallyawesometulsa.com

PUNK AND HARDCORE NEW YEARS EVE The Vanguard

Performances by MERLINMASON, The Penny Mob, Piece of Mind, Iron Born, and Tell Lies. $5, thevanguardtulsa.com

INTERSTELLAR SOIRÉE The Mayo Hotel

Shoot for the stars as the ball drops to music from LA DJ Michael Linner and DJ Vince. Includes heavy hors d’oeuvres and champagne. $95, themayohotel.com

PARTY LIKE THE RAT PACK

DoubleTree at Warren Place

EDDIE & THE ECCLESIASTICS NEW YEAR’S EVE EXTRAVAGANZA

A music and comedy show featuring the music of the ‘50s and ‘60s. $30–$35, studio308tulsa.com

32 // ARTS & CULTURE

THE BOUNTY LOUNGE

ROCK COUTURE NYE BASH

MIAMI NIGHTS RESTAURANT & LOUNGE

She Theatre and Lounge

A Cirque-style celebration with a red-carpet VIP experience. facebook.com/shetheatre

BLACK TIED FÊTE The Fur Shop

Start the year with kink: risqué performances and art. $30–$35, facebook.com/blacktiedfete

Whiskey 918

Balloon drop, champagne toast, and, naturally, mechanical bull rides. $15–$30, facebook.com/whiskey918

Agora Event Center

Music by The Fabulous Mid-Life Crisis Band and Grady Nichols; optional buffet dinner. $75–$115, facebook.com/events1402

NYE HOLIDAY GLAM: FLIRTY 40S Wine Loft Bar

DJ Mario, DJ Cloud, and DJ Rico spin jams from the tropics. $10 before 11 p.m., facebook.com/miaminights.tulsa

Ann Bell & Friends perform ‘60s and ‘70s R&B. Featuring Jimmy Markham, Jamie Oldaker, Charles Tuberville, and others. $40, tulsashrine.com

DJ P spinning retro tunes, door prizes for the first 30 guests, and free plays on arcade games. $10, facebook.com/themaxretropub

Live music by the Chris Foster Trio. mercurylounge918.com

KISS tribute band Dressed To Kill.

Free or $10 to reserve in advance, facebook.com/crystalskullbar

SOUNDPONY

DJ Trigger Warning and DJ Swang Em. thesoundpony.com

C’YOTE CLUB

Live music by Heather Buckley

DUSTY DOG PUB

Enjoy a prime rib dinner and champagne toast under the fireworks at midnight. With music by DJ Matt. $75/couple, bluerosecafetulsa.com

THE HUNT CLUB

MERCURY LOUNGE

CRYSTAL SKULL

THE VENUE SHRINE

BLUE ROSE WONDERLAND BALL

Giveaways and music by DJ Oprah Spinfree. facebook.com/ thebountyloungetulsa

BLACK & WHITE PARTY

THE MAX RETROPUB

624 Catering

Theatre Tulsa and Chef Justin Thompson team up for a gourmet dinner and an evening of your favorite crooner tunes sung by local performers. $45–$150, facebook.com/theatretulsa

Barrett Lewis Band, balloon drop with prizes, and a free professional photo booth. $40; VIP: $180/couple, thewinelofttulsa.com

Live music by Downbeat, The Brothers Moore, and Roots of Thought. thehuntclubtulsa.com

Live music by The Hitmen

FLYING TEE

Sip champagne while teeing off into 2018 with games, prizes, a DJ, and a buffet. $45–$75, ftnye2017.eventbrite.com a See music listings on pg. 42 for more NYE entertainment

Take it back to the age of swing before jumping into 2018. Live music by

December 20, 2017 – January 2, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

JACK DANIELS & KORBEL PRESENT

NYE

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BLACK & WHITE PARTY

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THU All-Day & Night THE TULSA VOICE // December 20, 2017 – January 2, 2018

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514 E. 2nd Street - Tulsa - 21 & Up - Non Smoking Blue Dome District ARTS & CULTURE // 33

thehaps

BEST OF THE REST EVENTS

COMEDY

Creepy Christmas Tour // Hear some of the creepiest Christmas tales from around the world while seeing some of T-Town’s most fabulous holiday lights. // 12/20, Woodward Park, tulsaspirittour.com

Comedy Night // 12/20, Centennial Lounge @ VFW Post 577, facebook.com/ centenniallounge577

Lucha Claus // Lucha Claus will deck the halls with Tulsa’s fiercest lucha libre wrestlers. // 12/21, Elote Cafe, elotetulsa.com Festivus Party // There will be music, dancing, an unadorned aluminum pole, the airing of grievances, feats of strength, and maybe a Festivus miracle or two. // 12/23, The Starlite, thestarlite.net

PHILBROOK FESTIVAL

Throughout December Philbrook Museum of Art, philbrook.org

This season, Philbrook gets our vote for purveyor of the most holiday cheer in town. Each Friday this month (and Christmas Eve), the museum stays open until 9 p.m. so guests can enjoy the magnificent lights in the gardens, as well as live music, a Lego village, and hot cocoa.

Philbrook Director of Horticulture Sheila Kanotz will lead a flashlight tour of the gardens at 6:15 p.m. on 12/22.

Holiday Rock N’ Roll Swap Meet! // Buy, sell, or trade rock n’ roll memorabilia, t-shirts, records, books, and more. // 12/27, Bound for Glory Books, facebook.com/ boundforglorybooks Harry Potter Trivia Night // Show off your knowledge of the wizarding world and try Heirloom’s new eerily purple farmhouse ale, Devil’s Snare. // 12/28, Heirloom Rustic Ales, heirloomrusticales.com

PERFORMING ARTS

On Christmas Eve (12/24), the museum will screen the other greatest Christmas movie of all time, “Elf.”

Sheridan Road Christmas Cabaret // Vocal group Sheridan Road celebrates the holidays with candlelit nostalgia, a capella carols, and swinging tunes. Tickets include wine, cheese, coffee, and holiday deserts. // 12/21, Kathleen Westby Pavilion - Tulsa PAC, tulsapac.com

Most crucial of all, between Christmas and New Year’s, Philbrook will host a much-needed Silent Night on 12/29, which will feature several quiet and relaxing activities, including yoga, massages, and a silent disco.

The Nutcracker // More than 100 children join Tulsa Ballet to perform Tchaikovsky’s classic ballet. // 12/22, Chapman Music Hall Tulsa PAC, tulsapac.com

Starting at 7 p.m. on 12/22, Philbrook will screen the greatest Christmas movie of all time, “Die Hard.”

Steve Jessup, Mike Merryfield // 12/20, Loony Bin, tulsa.loonybincomedy.com Comedy Night // 12/27, Centennial Lounge @ VFW Post 577, facebook.com/ centenniallounge577/ Kristin Key // 12/27, Loony Bin, tulsa.loonybincomedy.com Micah Medina, T.J. Clark, De’Marrio Oates, Ethan Sandoval, Ryan Jones // 12/28, The Venue Shrine, tulsashrine.com

SPORTS TU Women’s Basketball vs Arkansas State // 12/22, Reynolds Center, tulsahurricane.com

Tulsa Oilers vs. Kansas City Mavericks // 12/27, BOK Center, tulsaoilers.com Tulsa Shootout Micro Sprint Racing Tournament // 12/27, Expo Square, tulsashootour.com TPS Tournament of Champions - HS Basketball // 12/27, Mabee Center, mabeecenter.com TU Men’s Basketball vs ECU // 12/28, Reynolds Center, tulsahurricane.com Tulsa Oilers vs. Kansas City Mavericks // 12/29, BOK Center, tulsaoilers.com Tulsa Oilers vs. Kansas City Mavericks // 12/30, BOK Center, tulsaoilers.com ORU Men’s Basketball vs Omaha // 12/30, Mabee Center, oruathletics.com

FOR UP-TO-DATE LISTINGS: THETULSAVOICE.COM/CALENDAR 34 // ARTS & CULTURE

December 20, 2017 – January 2, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

TELL US WHAT YOU’RE DOING So we can tell everyone else Send all your event and music listings to voices@langdonpublishing.com

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LARGEST Indoor Car Show in the country!

SPECIAL APPEARANCES: “Misfit Garage” Tom Smith “Gear Dogs” Nate Boyer, James Miller, & Lance Moland “Count’s Kustoms” Ryan Evans “Twinstunts Thrill Show” LIVE MUSIC: Jimmy Lee Jordan Band Rockabilly Brian Dunning DEMOLITION DERBY & ONE & ONLY INDOOR “HOONING” FREESTYLE ACTION ARENA!

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A winter holiday celebration December 1st - 31st & Christmas 7pm - 10pm fridays, saturdays & sundays

featuring music, holiday treats &

the glow express train ride www.guthriegreen.com

Gifts for furry friends on your list…

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1778 Utica Square 918-624-2600 36 // MUSIC

December 20, 2017 – January 2, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

musicnotes

Damn.

2017 goes down as a good year for music by TY CLARK, JOHN LANGDON, MARY NOBLE

We asked local rappers, singers, songwriters, drummers, emcees, et al: “What was 2017’s album of the year?”

Here are their answers.

KING GIZZARD AND THE LIZARD WIZARD’S ENTIRE 2017 CATALOG If forced to choose just one album for the year, it has to be Kendrick’s DAMN., but if we’re talking about a year’s-worth of musical output, 2017 belongs to King Gizzard. With the range shown on the four Gizz records released this year so far (they promised five before year’s end)—Eastern-influenced experimentation on Flying Microtonal Banana, high-concept prog-metal on Murder of the Universe, freewheeling, jazz groove on Sketches of Brunswick East, and the swirling, cerebral triumph of Polygondwanaland—and the fact that none of them suffers from the weight of the band’s prolific output, they’ve cemented themselves among the best and most fascinating bands playing.

RAPSODY, Laila’s Wisdom Some of you may have noticed that Roy Moore was recently delivered the most satisfying ass-kicking of 2017.

To the benefit of all women, black women voters in Alabama made sure Moore stayed out of office. These and other recent events solidified my choice for album of the Year: Rapsody’s Laila’s Wisdom. Jazzy, soul-laden beats provide the backdrop to some of Rapsody’s most impressive and poignant lyrics to date. Songs like the Maya Angelou-inspired “Sassy” celebrate the confidence of black womanhood, and the entire album reveals the tough vulnerability inherent in the feminine experience. While there is still a long way to go, Rapsody helps women to love themselves through the journey, in both the ups and downs.

IDLES, Brutalism I cannot go on enough about Bristol’s IDLES. They are cooler than they even know. They’re labeled as “art punk”— I’m not a big fan of labels and just describe them as evolved-distorted bass-driven 2017 punk. Well done!

–TY CLARK, TTV WRITER, THE BOURGEOIS

–MARY NOBLE, TTV WRITER

–JOHN LANGDON, TTV DIGITAL EDITOR

JD MCPHERSON, Undivided Heart and Soul

DRAB MAJESTY, The Demonstration

JESCA HOOP, Memories Are Now

I just love this band, musically and personally. They are the real deal.

Also, being a drummer, listening to Jason Smay on this record is thoroughly enjoyable.

I heard this is what the goth kids in South Park are listening to.

Jesca Hoop has been my favorite artist for ten years now. I found her in the days of Myspace, quite by accident, by continually clicking on number 1 on “top 8 friends.” Remember that?

Anyways, her new album just does not disappoint, and everyone needs to hear it.

–PADDY RYAN, DRUMMER

–NATHAN YOUNG, NOISE ARTIST, VISUAL ARTIST, COMPOSER

–RACHEL BACHMAN, SINGER/SONGWRITER THE TULSA VOICE // December 20, 2017 – January 2, 2018

MUSIC // 37

DEJOHNETTE, GRENADIER, MEDESKI & SCOFIELD, Hudson I looked forward most to Hudson, and it did not disappoint. Hudson is the superband comprised of jazz legends Jack DeJohnette, John Scofield, Larry Grenadier, and John Medeski. On this recording, they pay tribute to many of their own musical heroes, like Hendrix, Dylan, Joni Mitchell, and The Band, reworking cover material as jams and free jazz improvisations. There are also a few well-crafted originals contributed by DeJohnette. Jazz, rock, peace, and protest: just what we need.

–JARED JOHNSON, DRUMMER

DIALTONE, Magnum As musicians we inspire. Ourselves.

Other musicians. The world. Dialtone gave any musician that follows him the push they needed at the top of 2017.

Myself included. With production by Papa, Magnum came on a USB in the form of a bullet and gun with the rumor of a short film to follow. The short film came and looked like nothing we’d seen as a local rollout for an album. It reminded me of The Wall. Magnum’s marketing showed artists in Tulsa and surrounding areas that execution is everything. From it came festivals, a movie, and an impromptu art show called “No Parking,” also the work of Tone—all executed with Magnum in mind, with success at every event— proving that nothing is impossible and anything can happen.

KING GIZZARD AND THE LIZARD WIZARD, Flying Microtonal Banana Introducing various Turkish instruments and custom-built microtonal guitars, keyboards, and harmonicas for one record is a bold move, but one that has caught my ear and taken hold. With an obvious krautrock influence, I love hearing that world collide with garage rock and traditional Turkish music in a lo-fi setting.

While the rhythmic complexity is very different than in their other albums, they make up for it with exotic quarter tones, putting the wrong notes in the right places.

–CONOR ROBB, THE DULL DRUMS, CUCUMBER AND THE SUNTANS, CONTRA

SZA, Ctrl I enjoyed this album because it’s FEARLESS! The way the artist allowed herself to express personal insecurities along with satisfactions within her relationships (or situations), her style is unique and unapologetic. I was introduced to SZA earlier this summer and learned that she wrote songs for a few major artists, such as Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, and Rihanna, before releasing her own album, which sparked my interest in her work even more. Being a writer myself and hearing the freedom of the new talent that has arisen the past few year is extremely encouraging. The world of hip hop and R&B has definitely come back to life.

–TEA RUSH, SINGER/SONGWRITER

–PADE, RAPPER

POND, The Weather As much music that came out this year, and as much as I love King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, I’ve decided to give The Weather by Pond my favorite of the year. It’s such a fantastic and lush record. They dropped the “harder-in-comparison” pysch rock for more synths and grooves, and it really pays off. With his lyrics and melodies, Nicholas Allbrook has once again taken the next step in evolving into a better singer/songwriter.

–NICHOLAS DELESDERNIER, CONTRA

38 // MUSIC

SCOTT COOK, Further Down the Line Scott Cook’s 2017 release Further Down the Line is an introspective journey into what it is to travel and entertain for a living. Stories of loss, love, protest, and joy paint this album in a light reminiscent of his past works but with an ever-increasing acuity. I love it. The song “Fellas, Get Out the Way” holds a particular poignancy in times like these, and his perspective is something many of us would do well to hear.

–CHRIS BLEVINS, SINGER/SONGWRITER

BJORK, Utopia

DIALTONE, Magnum

This music is a soundtrack to an M.C. Escher painting. There is such depth to the production on this album, and I wasn’t hip to her mate Arca before this. Acoustic and synthesized instruments, neo-‘80s effects, and minimalist compositional style all serve as a medium for her surreal and emotional storytelling. I think [William S.] Burroughs would enjoy taking a hit to this.

For album of the year I choose Dialtone & Papa’s Magnum because it’s a 100 percent rap album. It was long-awaited for myself, so when it came out it was everything from a classic Dialtone album I wanted. The bonus is that it’s a conceptual collaborative effort comprised of seven tracks solely produced by Papa. The title comes from the show “Magnum P.I.” Papa got the idea to sample its score after watching the series on DVD. Favorite track: “Cruising USA.”

–MIKE CAMERON, MIKE CAMERON COLLECTIVE, COUNT TUTU

–KEENG CUT, RAPPER December 20, 2017 – January 2, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

CHRISTIAN SCOTT ATUNDE ADJUAH, Diaspora

KEENG CUT, World Culture Keys

CAMERON AVERY, Ripe Dreams, Pipe Dreams

DAVE DONDERO, Inside the Cat’s Eye

Naturally, I would pick a jazz record for my favorite. Christian Scott is an amazingly gifted trumpeter and musical stylemasher. If you could aggregate 100+ years of jazz tradition with trap, neo-soul, and an imaginative re-working of late ‘80s Miles Davis, then you might come close to describing this record. But, more importantly, you get virtuoso improvisations, growls, and anguish leading us into the jazz future (sans “smooth jazz”). Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah is part of the new wave of jazz, along with artists like Kamasi Washington, Thundercat, Esperanza Spalding, Robert Glasper, and Cecile McLorin Salvant.

Representing North Tulsa and Black Wall Street, Keeng Cut and Seriously K 5IVE have their own style. A mixture of intricate rapping patterns along with harmonizing and dope production keep you interested the entire time.

The album starts off with the song “Better Everyday”—an anthem for bettering yourself. It leads into “Own It,” which is 3 minutes of tellin’ you to own your moment when you get it.

With features from some of the hottest local artists in town, you won’t skip a song if you start it, and you might just be inspired to make some ginger pineapple tea and asparagus for dinner, ride bikes, start a business, and take better care of your kid. Ha.

This is a 21st-century big band/crooner record. Sweeping melodies played by strings reinforce feelings of loss and longing. Avery croons stories of unrequited love and disappointment over tasteful compositions reminiscent of the Rat Pack. The album speaks to the naïve hopes and misunderstandings of our romantic lives.

The fluctuating dynamics illustrate the crests and pitfalls of romantic desire, ending ultimately with an acceptance of the lessons set before the listener.

Dave Dondero’s succinct, clever lyrics are coupled with a simple sound that’s punchy and beefy yet unintrusive, rhythmically rolling always. His imaginative storytelling sounds like traditional folk with punk sensibilities and straightforward, carefully-crafted melodies. Dondero’s rich, resonant voice has an unaffected, pleasing vibrato that he doesn’t over-exploit.

The guitar drives the tunes with spacious riffs and rhythms; bass and drums are subtle and sturdy. “Country Cliché,” bold in sound and lyric, opens with saloon-style piano. It has a light, humorous vibe slapped with searing lyrics that cut deep and are deliciously dark.

–DEAN DEMERRITT, DEAN DEMERRITT JAZZ TRIBE

–TRAK, PRODUCER, FILMMAKER, RAPPER

BLOOD CULTURES, Happy Birthday

KESHA, Rainbow

It’s very pop, but it’s smothered in dreamy, ethereal sounds and voices.

They play with synth and vocal pitch tuners in a way that totally blows my mind. It’s one of those albums that stimulates all your senses. It was my go-to album for long car rides this year. I can’t wait to hear more from them.

My favorite album of 2017 is Rainbow by Kesha. It’s her triumphant return to the musical landscape. If you think you know what Kesha sounds like, think again. This album is a beautiful anthem of a woman who is just a little bit freer than she was when we first heard her voice. There are layers to this woman, and she isn’t afraid to show that.

–LINDSEY WESSINGER, GIRLS CLUB

–CASII STEPHAN, SINGER/SONGWRITER

–JOSH RICKS, MOLTEN SUN PROJECTIONS

–ADRIENNE GILLEY, SINGER/SONGWRITER

WU-TANG CLAN, The Saga Continues

NATURE & MADNESS, Where Will We Go

Sonic nostalgia. Involuntary head-bobbing. Serious wordplay. The good old days. The golden era. Familiar tempo.

No mumbling. Multi-syllabic polyrhythms and unexpected cadences from the lyricists. The proven formula = more MCs than a six-shooter can hold.

Sean Price. The gawds. The wisdom.

The math of it all. The topical relevance and timeliness and timelessness.

Absolute brilliance. Wu Tang: The Saga Continues. Album of the Year.

I was fortunate enough to meet Ryan Pickop, the man behind Nature & Madness, earlier this year in Arkansas. Though this was a 2016 release, these songs were important for me in 2017. I have spent generous amounts of time combing through his lyrical and musical compositions while driving the turnpike between here and OKC. Solid gold, through and through.

He recently transplanted to Tulsa with his family, and I look forward to what he does next.

–D.G. ROZELL, TRUMPETER, HOST OF THE SITUATION THE TULSA VOICE // December 20, 2017 – January 2, 2018

–KALYN FAY, SINGER/SONGWRITER a MUSIC // 39

musicnotes

PAYING HOMAGE St. Domonick will release his new album at charity hip-hop event

by DAMION SHADE

St. Domonick | GREG BOLLINGER

L

ast May, I went to a warehouse party downtown.

It was an art show with rappers and DJs playing late into the evening. There were a few hundred kids in attendance—the median age was probably around 19. It was the kind of DIY event that ten years ago in Tulsa would’ve been inhabited by indie rock bands, occasional mosh pits, and a roomful of antsy college kids with fake IDs smiling and flirting or staring awkwardly down at their shoelaces. This evening was noticeably more diverse but equally lively.

When the rapper known as St. Domonick took the stage, the crowd surged around him.

Near the end of his set the sound system started to give out, but the young rapper leapt into the audience unfazed. He rapped into the crowd, a capella, the infectious hook to his single “Kelly Slater” as they screamed every syllable right back at him. An eclectic collection of abstract and modern pop art covered the walls, and someone had hung electric red neon letters spelling “Tulsa” right beside where Domonick stood performing.

I saw a new picture of Tulsa: a sweaty warehouse packed with all sorts of millennials screaming rap hooks back at a makeshift stage.

40 // MUSIC

St. Domonick likes cryptograms. The 22-year-old Tulsa rapper who’s also known as “Vuelo” leaves these tiny encrypted language puzzles all over his records. The decoder ring that unravels the mysterious origins of the title of his new mixtape SSS somehow includes Aquaman, “big pants,” and TNT Wangs. I’ve been sworn to secrecy, but St. Dom seems confident the fans will figure it out.

“SSS has numerous meanings,” he said. “The audience and the fans are gonna figure it out soon.

It’s a fun record. It’s just crazy how it came together because I was in such a dry spell before I made it. For it to come together so organically and so fast, it was just a great feeling.”

2017 was a difficult year for the young rapper. His family suffered the loss of his father, and he’s found himself crippled by writer’s block until recently.

“I was so depressed,” he said.

“I had writer’s block all year.

Since Orphic dropped. I hadn’t written a song since, like, April, and I was still rapping over YouTube beats and shit. I don’t have the money to afford beats.

I was like, ‘How am I going to find producers?’ Then I literally wrote down everything I planned

to do. Like ‘I Domonick will be more financially responsible. I will meet more producers locally and acquire dope beats and have the dopest visuals.’ I wrote all this shit down. Literally I checked all that off this year. I got everything that I wrote down, bro. Now I have too many beats. That took me out of my slump.”

SSS represents a bit of a departure from Domonick’s three previous mixtapes. His most recent records, Aquaman and Orphic, vacillate between chillwave, ambient trap beats and more soul sample-centered boombap. This album is more minimalist sonically but also more dynamic. David Puletz from Shwing! Studios worked as executive producer on the project, and he is clearly working to create more space for Dom’s fluid triplet cadences. The beats are spacy and kick-and-clap heavy, fitting well in the context of more mainstream modern producers like Nav and Metro Boomin.

The stream-of-consciousness writing process on display feels like a change, as well. St. Domonick sounds like a disembodied id, projecting all his young strength beyond himself.

“I started writing to this Lil Yachty beat,” he said. “I couldn’t really feel it, but the first line I had

for it was really sticking with me.

The next day I woke up with hella energy. I went and got something to eat, and then I ended up driving to where my old childhood apartments used to be. I used to live at Normandy, like around 21st and Sheridan. There’s a slope where the big buildings used to be with these two big eagles on it. It’s not there anymore, but I parked up there where you can see everything. I was trying to pay homage on this tape to my favorite people growing up.”

St. Domonick’s references are interesting, too. The rapper’s verses are rich with evidence of his quirky, closeted nerd personality. Marty McFly, Modest Mouse, comic book heroes, and even Draco Malfoy from “Harry Potter” make appearances on SSS. It feels like St. Domonick is having fun rapping again.

“I believe in balance, and that you can’t have uplifting positive content with substance without a rapper sometimes talking his shit too and talking about how dope and fly he is. One of my favorite rappers is Missy Elliot, and all she does is talk about how fly she is.

So I can do it too.”

SSS will be released Saturday, Dec. 23 at the Gift Raps 4 charity event at Soundpony and The Yeti (see pg. 41). a

December 20, 2017 – January 2, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

JINGLE BELL RAP THREE NIGHTS OF HIP-HOP AND GOOD CHARITY

to see a group working to do something for those kids.”

PEARLS founder Sonya Renee will be present at the event to accept cash donations or any gently used uniforms, white shirts, polos, khakis, socks, shoes, belts, and other basic school

clothing items people bring to donate.

The Yeti lineup includes: Kode Ransom, Fly Mecha, Bezel365, Marcel P. Black, Mr. Burns, Trip G., St. Domonick, and Steph Simon. Soundpony lineup includes Ron Ron, Written Quincy, and Jabee.

DJ Ali Shaw & DJ Heavy J will also be at the event.

Gift Raps is free to enter, but donations are encouraged. a GIFT RAPS 4 The Yeti and Soundpony Sat., Dec. 23, 9 p.m.

The Gift Raps Christmas hip-hop event was started four years ago in Oklahoma City by rapper Jabee. Each Christmas, the hosts select a local charity and hold a concert featuring a group of hip-hop artists who donate their time to raise money and collect tangible donations.

This year, Gift Raps 4 will feature performers from Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana, and will take place over the course of three nights in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and El Reno. In past years, the event has donated to organizations like John 3:16 and Domestic Violence Intervention Services (DVIS).

Gabie Castañeda, one of the event’s organizers, selected the local nonprofit PEARLS (Phenomenal Extraordinary Admirable Radiant Ladies) this year.

PEARLS collects new and gently used uniforms and clothing for pre-K to high school students. Castañeda has seen the need for these items up close in Tulsa.

“When I used to teach at Langston, I saw a lot of parents struggling to afford the cost of new uniforms,” she said. “Especially for families with several kids who are growing so quickly, it can be a real burden. A lot of schools out north are uniform based. So it was nice THE TULSA VOICE // December 20, 2017 – January 2, 2018

MUSIC // 41

musiclistings Wed // Dec 20

Sat // Dec 23

Wed // Dec 27

41 Brookside – Travis Kidd Blackbird on Pearl – Scott Evans and Dylan Stewart Coffee House on Cherry Street – Open Mic Crow Creek Tavern – Acoustique by Franklin Mercury Lounge – Jared Tyler & Seth Lee Jones River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Jacob Dement Soul City – Don & Steve White Soundpony – *Live Band Heavy Metal Karaoke w/ Satanico and the Demon Seeds The Colony – Tom Skinner’s Science Project The Vanguard – If Then, Future Tapes, Ragland!

– ($10) Tin Dog Saloon – Joshua Yarbrough Band

Blackbird on Pearl – *Whirligig – ($5) Fassler Hall – *Combsy, Henna Roso – ($5) Hard Rock Casino - Cabin Creek – Darrell Cole Hard Rock Casino - Riffs – Double Barrel, Time Machine Lefty’s On Greenwood – *Faye Moffett MixCo – Stephanie Oliver and guests Osage Casino Tulsa - NINE18 Bar – Deuces Wild River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – The Hi-Fidelics River Spirit Casino - Volcano Stage – Brent Giddens Soul City – *A Blues Christmas w/ Dustin Pittsley Band – ($10) Soundpony – *Gift Raps 4 w/ Jabee, Written Quincy, Ron Ron The Colony – Paul Benjaman Band – ($5) The Fur Shop – Error 404 w/ Murder Palace, Darku J The Max Retropub – DJ Al Compton The Vanguard – Brian Hughes, Jesse Joice – ($10-$25) The Venue Shrine – Full Flava Kings Xmas Party – ($10) Unit D – Unit D Christmas Spectacular ft. Brian Parton w/ Soapbox Okies, Brian Lee Dunning, Jeff Graham – ($10) Wyld Hawgz – Posterchild Yeti – *Gift Raps 4 w/ Steph Simon & The Rowlands, St. Domonick, Trip G, Mr. Burns, Marcel P Black, Bezel365, Fly Macha, Kode Ransom, DJ Ali Shaw, DJ Heavy J

41 Brookside – Travis Kidd Blackbird on Pearl – Scott Evans and Dylan Stewart Coffee House on Cherry Street – Open Mic Mercury Lounge – Jared Tyler & Seth Lee Jones River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Jacob Dement Soul City – Don & Steve White Soundpony – *Lyrical Smoke w/ J. MBA, Thrill, King Doeja, Priest, Damion Shade, The Neighbors, Steph Simon, DismondJ The Colony – Tom Skinner’s Science Project Wyld Hawgz – Open Mic w/ Mike Barham

Thurs // Dec 21 Cain’s Ballroom – 21 Savage, YoungBoy Never Broke Again – (SOLD OUT) Crow Creek Tavern – Randy Brumley, Josef Glaude Hard Rock Casino - Cabin Creek – Travis Marvin Hard Rock Casino - Riffs – Travis Marvin, Big Daddy Lefty’s On Greenwood – *The Percolators Mercury Lounge – Paul Benjaman River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Jake Flint Soul City – The Begonias The Colony – Jacob Tovar’s Thirst The Hunt Club – Ego Culture The Max Retropub – DJ Moody The Venue Shrine – The Band Camino – ($10-$12) Vintage 1740 – Chris Foster Woody Guthrie Center – Charlie Mars – ($20-$22) Wyld Hawgz – W. T. F.

Fri // Dec 22 Bad Ass Renee’s – DJ MO Blackbird on Pearl – Mike Hosty – ($5) Blue Rose Cafe – Zene Dusty Dog Pub – The James Groves Band Hard Rock Casino - Cabin Creek – Time Machine Hard Rock Casino - Riffs – Chris Hyde, Rumor Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – A Jazzy Christmas with Michael Fields Jr., New Jerusalem Baptist Choir, Jerrell Jackson, Eldredge Jackson, and more – ($10) Osage Casino Tulsa - NINE18 Bar – The Hi-Fidelics River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Brent Giddens River Spirit Casino - Volcano Stage – Vashni Duo Soul City – *Desi & Cody’s Toy Drive – ($5-$10) Soul City – Susan Herndon Soundpony – Afistaface Spinster Records – *DismondJ, Higher Learning Academy, DJ Jeff Bianca The Colony – Red Roots Bluegrass w/ Monica Taylor – ($5) The Hunt Club – Smunty Voje The Vanguard – My So Called Band – ($10) The Venue Shrine – Red Dirt Rangers, BC and the Big Rig – ($10-$15) Underground Coffee – Alexis Onyango & Braden Norris Westbound Club – Jimmy Blythe Band Wyld Hawgz – Patrick Stuart and the 50 Whiskey Band Yeti – *Bitch, This Ain’t No Damn Christmas Show! w/ Alan Doyle, Mainframe Trax Family, Bayn, Heavy J 42 // MUSIC

Sun // Dec 24 East Village Bohemian Pizzeria – Mike Cameron Collective Mercury Lounge – Brandon Clark River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Brent Giddens Soul City – Bruner & Eicher The Colony – Paul Benjaman’s Sunday Nite Thing The Fur Shop – Dan Martin Wyld Hawgz – Exposure Rock Jam w/ Patrick Stuart, Soupbone, Joey Trevino, David Teegarden

Mon // Dec 25 Blackbird on Pearl – Monday Night Portal w/ Josh Beeson Centennial Lounge @ VFW Post 577 – Dave Les Smith, Papa Foxtrot, and Friends Hodges Bend – Mike Cameron Collective River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – The Marriotts The Colony – Seth Lee Jones The Venue Shrine – Freakshow – ($10) Yeti – The Situation

Tues // Dec 26 Blackbird on Pearl – The Pearl Jam Gypsy Coffee House – Open Mic Hard Rock Casino - Riffs – Allison Arms Lefty’s On Greenwood – Gypsy Cold Cuts Mercury Lounge – Wink Burcham & Jacob Tovar Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Depot Jazz & Blues Jams River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Dane Arnold Soul City – Dustin Pittsley The Colony – Singer/Songwriter Night Yeti – Writers Night

Thurs // Dec 28 Hard Rock Casino - Cabin Creek – Brandon Butler Hard Rock Casino - Riffs – Scott Ellison, Cumberland Run Hard Rock Casino - The Joint – Roots and Boots w/ Aaron Tippin, Sammy Kershaw, Collin Raye – ($35-$55) Lefty’s On Greenwood – Soul Cool Mercury Lounge – Paul Benjaman River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Jake Flint River Spirit Casino - Paradise Cove – Styx – ($5-$199) Soul City – The Begonias The Colony – The Soup Kitchen w/ Dane Arnold The Max Retropub – DJ Moody The Vanguard – Chess Club, Postparty, Cheap Kites, Anchorway – ($10) Vintage 1740 – Chris Foster

Fri // Dec 29 Bad Ass Renee’s – DJ MO Blue Rose Cafe – Nick Gibson Cimarron Bar – Str8ght Shot Fassler Hall – Mike Dee & Stone Trio, Damion Shade Hard Rock Casino - Cabin Creek – Rod Robertson Hard Rock Casino - Riffs – Donte Schmitz, Dr. Z Lefty’s On Greenwood – Curt Hill Mercury Lounge – BC & The Big Rig Osage Casino Tulsa - NINE18 Bar – Usual Suspects River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – The Tiptons River Spirit Casino - Volcano Stage – Mike Wilson Soul City – *The Grits album release – ($10) Soul City – Susan Herndon The Colony – *Swunky Face Big Band – ($10) The Max Retropub – Afistaface The Vanguard – Through Being Cool, Forswear, Class Zero The Venue Shrine – Kashmir Wyld Hawgz – The Triad

Sat // Dec 30 Blackbird on Pearl – Masquerade Bash w/ Grind, Fist of Rage, Sovereign Dame, Solidify – ($5) Cain’s Ballroom – The Turnpike Troubadours – (SOLD OUT) Cimarron Bar – Posterchild Hard Rock Casino - Cabin Creek – Lucas Gates Hard Rock Casino - Riffs – Maverican Goose, Well Hungarians Lefty’s On Greenwood – Travis Fite MixCo – *Stephanie Oliver and guests Osage Casino Tulsa - NINE18 Bar – Another Alibi River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – The Hi-Fidelics River Spirit Casino - Volcano Stage – The Duo Soul City – RIO Band – ($10) Soundpony – DJ Sweet Baby Jaysus

The Colony – Green Corn Rebellion – ($5) The Max Retropub – DJ Robbo The Venue Shrine – Tulsa Intergalactic Circus – ($15) Wyld Hawgz – Seven Day Crash

Sun // Dec 31 Beehive Lounge – Gadget Sons C’yote Club – Heather Buckley Cain’s Ballroom – The Turnpike Troubadours – (SOLD OUT) Club Majestic – Red Party Crystal Skull – Dressed to Kill - KISS Tribute Dusty Dog Pub – The Hitmen East Village Bohemian Pizzeria – Mike Cameron Collective Fassler Hall – Paul Benjaman Band NYE Family Jam Hard Rock Casino - Cabin Creek – Bobby D, George Brothers Hard Rock Casino - Riffs – Rosy Hips, Boogie Fever, Replay Mercury Lounge – Chris Foster Trio Osage Casino Tulsa - NINE18 Bar – R-Kaine River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – The Sellouts River Spirit Casino - Volcano Stage – DJ and the Band SAX On Cherry Street – Mz. Val, Tea Rush, Tammy Hamilton – ($15-$100) Soul City – Bruner & Eicher Soundpony – DJ Swang Em, DJ Trigger Warning Studio 308 – Eddie & the Elesiastics – ($30$35) The Fur Shop – Dan Martin The Hunt Club – Roots of Thought, Downbeat, The Brothers Moore The Max Retropub – DJ P The Vanguard – MERLINMASON, The Penny Mob, Piece of Mind, Iron Born, Tell Lies – ($5) The Venue Shrine – Ann Bell & Friends NYE w/ Jimmy Markham, Jamie Oldaker, and more – ($40) Wyld Hawgz – Roaring 20s NYE w/ Rocket Science Yeti – DJ Deathstar, BabyGurl, Dilation

Mon // Jan 1 Cain’s Ballroom – *Hangover Ball w/ Cody Canada, Evan Felker, Jason Boland, Mike McClure, Wade Bowen, Jamie Lin Wilson, Williams Clark Green, BJ Barham – ($22-$42) Centennial Lounge @ VFW Post 577 – Dave Les Smith, Papa Foxtrot, and Friends Hodges Bend – Mike Cameron Collective Mercury Lounge – Chris Blevins River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – The Marriots The Colony – Seth Lee Jones Yeti – The Situation

Tues // Jan 2 Gypsy Coffee House – Open Mic Mercury Lounge – Wink Burcham & Jacob Tovar Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Depot Jazz & Blues Jams River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Dane Arnold Soul City – Dustin Pittsley The Colony – Singer/Songwriter Night Yeti – Writers Night

December 20, 2017 – January 2, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

ladyparts

C

omedian and Tulsa native Marcia Belsky has been making recent headlines everywhere from The Guardian to The Daily Dot about her battles with Facebook over their seemingly prejudicial community standards.

Belsky’s and others’ posts have led to the banning of women and people of color for hate speech against white men, while a large volume of hate speech directed at those groups is ignored. Belsky spoke to me about the ongoing saga, which began when a photo of her as a six-year-old with a word bubble saying “Kill all men” was reported and she was subsequently banned from the site. As time went on, she was banned for longer periods, culminating in a 30day ban for commenting “men are scum” on a post.

Facebook decided they were going to take this protected group’s idea and apply it to white men, and what happens is a de facto silencing of people of color and women.

EDWARDS: Do you think this is, in any way, a reaction to the recent outing by women of several men in entertainment and politics as abusers who wield their power to harass and assault women?

GIRL BANNED Comedian Marcia Belsky faces down Facebook

by CLAIRE EDWARDS Facebook Enemy No. 1, Marcia Belsky | MINDY TUCKER

CLAIRE EDWARDS: Can you pinpoint a moment when you started to notice a pattern here, or to suspect something more sinister than just human error?

immediately removed or censored as hate speech, whereas these guys—hate speech is just a part of their language—are literally free to harass them.

MARCIA BELSKY: It’s interesting, because you just don’t know.

[Facebook has] no transparency and there’s no way to appeal the ban short of a massive social media campaign or having access to the press.

When you’re banned, you can still log in to your account, and your account isn’t marked in any way to indicate that you’ve been banned. You just can’t reply to messages, can’t post, can’t reply to posts, and you can’t like anything.

You’re like a Facebook ghost, because they still want you to consume their platform.

EDWARDS: What do you think about men using freedom of speech to excuse hate speech they employ against protected groups, then clutching their pearls when women or people of color use the same sort of language towards them?

EDWARDS: So it’s like you’ve been robbed of your agency on the site?

BELSKY: Exactly. And this has been a chronic pattern for women who’ve been responding to the news. Their emotional reaction against something men said is

BELSKY: As Rae Sanni [the co-host of Belsky’s podcast Misandry with Marcia and Rae] put it, they are weaponizing literalism. For so long, they said “racism isn’t real, sexism isn’t real, none of this is real, how dare you censor freedom of speech.” Once they realized they were losing that battle, they went the other way. These guys want all the language of victimhood while not acknowledging that any of these systems of oppression are in place. They act like white men are oppressed, and it’s a complete ignorance of any history.

EDWARDS: Explain why it’s more

THE TULSA VOICE // December 20, 2017 – January 2, 2018

injurious/dangerous to use hate speech against women, people of color, and other protected groups than when similar speech is employed against white, heterosexual, cisgender men?

BELSKY: Social media has given a massive voice to people who didn’t have one before, such as women, gay communities, people of color. You have Black Lives Matter, which took off on social media. You have the #MeToo social media campaign. Both have had real, tangible consequences.

It’s absolutely imperative for women, people of color, and marginalized communities to have access to social media platforms and to be able to talk about the systems that are oppressing them, and to equate that to white men having their feelings hurt, to me, is just a flawed way of thinking. It looks at things ahistorically and without context, and that’s not how society works. That’s not how social media should work.

There are protected groups that were made because of white supremacy and misogyny, and

BELSKY: It’s hard to ignore the coincidence. I can’t prove correlation, but after you have this huge movement of women speaking openly about their experiences with men online, I think when men start to feel their privilege is slipping away even a little bit, they’re like “don’t YOU start to act entitled.”

There will, of course, be a backlash. They’ll be keeping women out of the workplace—it’s that Mike Pence bullshit—where there are no more closed-door meetings with women. They’ll just use that as an excuse to keep women out.

Because their sexual desires are our fault. That’s how they wanted to set up the game the whole time.

EDWARDS: Have the bans changed how you post to social media at all?

BELSKY: I used to post “kill all men.” I didn’t even think about people being sensitive to it. I don’t feel like my comedy is even joking hate speech. My comedy is about showing an over-the-top version of what the other side thinks feminists are. It’s also cathartic for women, because there’s some truth in the anger that the other side projects as “feminazism.”

And not everybody’s going to understand that, but a lot of people do. I should be able to voice my frustration at being fucking scared 10 times a day if I walk by dudes or if a dude gets too close to me.

It’s all depressing. But it’s okay, because there will be a matriarchy soon! a FILM & TV // 43

filmphiles

‘A bunch of decent movies’ TTV film critics recap the year in film

by JEFF HUSTON and JOE O’SHANSKY JEFF HUSTON: Joe, let’s crawl out from under our “for your consideration” DVD screener pile to get our bearings on this year’s awards season.

Before we start picking through the onslaught of year-end releases, what movies from the first 10 months of 2017 have endured, in your estimation? For me, “Get Out” is the easy one. Jordan Peele’s horror/racism allegory is so clever, smart, and relevant.

Lesser-known indies that also still resonate: the experimental “A Ghost Story” from David Lowery, starring Casey Affleck. Last year’s Best Actor plays a ghost in the form of a bed sheet, but it’s all very heady and philosophical. There’s also “It Comes at Night” from Trey Edward Shults, another horror/thriller thick in genre atmosphere. It delivers on the promise of Shults’s microbudget 2016 breakout “Krisha.”

44 // FILM & TV

JOE O’SHANSKY: I loved the rarefied anxiety of “Krisha,” but Shults’s new film still sits in my “not seen” pile. Like you, I’m playing catchup. It’s probably not surprising that genre stuff made an impression on me earlier this year.

“Kong: Skull Island” and “Logan” both redefined the terms of their predecessors.

“Wonder Woman” was great and, for a brief moment, gave one hope that the DC films wouldn’t all suck. Edgar Wright’s “Baby Driver” is a gangbuster action comedy, a masterclass in film editing—it better get nominated for that—and a welcome return to form for one of my favorite directors. “Get Out” is exactly the kind of subversive, vital filmmaking I want from the wildly talented Jordan Peele.

But if I were putting up a top 10, what comes to mind are Danny Boyle’s unlikely perfect “T2

Trainspotting” and the equally unlikely masterpiece “Blade Runner 2049.”

“City of Ghosts,” the story of the fall of Raqqa, Syria to ISIS, destroyed me. I won’t see a better, more traumatizing documentary this year. Or, hopefully, for the rest of my life. “The Florida Project” feels like a new American New Wave film, this year’s “American Honey,” but better.

Do you have a nascent top 10 in your head now that we’ve seen some of the late-season awards bait?

HUSTON: Much like the title of a top awards contender, my current top 10 has the shape of water, which is to say it’s very fluid. I’ve been underwhelmed by what this Oscar season has offered. The only entry that’s won my heart completely is Greta Gerwig’s coming-of-age gem “Lady Bird,”

an absolute charmer that seems to literally gush off the screen.

I’m a bit more mixed on looming releases like “The Shape of Water” and Steven Spielberg’s “The Post.” Guillermo del Toro’s Cold War fantasy romance creature feature [“The Shape”] is the better artistic accomplishment of the two. But both stories are in serious need of nuance and complexity; Spielberg’s more so, since it aspires to realism and indicting the notion of fake news.

“Hostiles,” however, is a towering Western that has yet to get a Tulsa release date. I was fortunate enough to catch it at a special event put on by Circle Cinema, honoring co-star Wes Studi. Along with Tommy Lee Jones’s “The Homesman” from 2014, director Scott Cooper’s “Hostiles” ranks among the genre’s best since Eastwood’s “Unforgiven.” It may also boast Christian Bale’s best per-

December 20, 2017 – January 2, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

“Ladybird,” “The Big Sick,” “Hostiles,” “Wonder Woman,” “Dunkirk,” “Blade Runner 2049,” Get Out,” “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” | COURTESY

formance to date, which is saying something.

O’SHANSKY: Man, I should have been at that “Hostiles” screening.

Cooper is great. And I feel you on the underwhelm-ment—let’s call that a word now—concerning the late-season awards-bait releases so far. Except for “The Shape of Water.” #TeamFishMan. The much anticipated and hyped “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” proved Martin McDonagh can hit flat notes. I didn’t dislike it like you did, but he clearly has a better ear for the characters of his homeland. The similar level of hype for “Call Me

by Your Name” was unfounded.

It’s just fine. On the other hand, I’d recommend “The Post” watch “Spotlight” to see how it’s done.

My favorite late-season releases have largely been docs and foreign films. A great palate cleanser for the PTSD-inducing “City of Ghosts” is the hilarious “Too Funny to Fail,” which tells the story of the lamentably short-lived “The Dana Carvey Show.” “Jim and Andy” was a hoot, just for how unabashedly weird Jim Carrey actually is.

Swedish director Ruben Östlund’s bizarre, revelatory artistic satire “The Square” had me fas-

cinated by the myriad rabbitholes of its cultural and sexual commentary. Did I say “City of Ghosts”?

Yeah, I did. Christ, that movie.

Aside from “Mother!”— though “Phantom Thread” awaits—nothing really felt that important this year. “I, Tonya” was surprisingly perfect for right now—and a blast of a movie.

“Lady Bird” made me cry. Her mom loves her so much.

But, yeah, it’s like we saw a bunch of decent movies with almost incongruously great performances.

How about you? Anything that put a lump in your throat? Perhaps “The Last Jedi”?

HUSTON: Pre-Jedi, that’s easy: “The Big Sick” and “Coco.” And “Wonder,” too, for that matter, but Kumail Nanjiani’s fictionalized take on his real-life romance is something particularly special. With various threads that blend seamlessly—a love story, health crisis, potential in-laws, and culture clash—“The Big Sick” is the best rom-com of the young 21st century.

There’s also the tragically underseen “Maudie,” the better Sally Hawkins film of the year.

She portrays Canada’s most famous painter, who suffered from

THE TULSA VOICE // December 20, 2017 – January 2, 2018

arthritis and lived in poverty. God, that performance moved me. I wanted to hug her, but then that’s a common response to nearly any Hawkins performance.

I found myself moved by the end of “Dunkirk,” which earns its heroism after Nolan masterfully weaves three separate timelines during the same WWII battle, capturing the intimate on an epic scale.

Shout out, too, to “Wonder Woman” for giving me chills when she emerges as her heroic self in WWI’s No Man’s Land. Badass. It was the right blockbuster at the right time.

And “The Last Jedi”? Unfortunately, it fits squarely into our running theme: underwhelmed.

I liked it, and that final stretch is truly epic, but the Force wasn’t strong in the belabored build-up.

It’s not prequel-embarrassing, but it’s not inspiring either.

O’SHANSKY: That No Man’s Land shot in “Wonder Woman” dropped my jaw because I finally found myself fully invested in a DC film without a snarky word from my internal monologue. One of those “it’s about time” moments, for more reasons than one.

I can’t believe I didn’t mention “Dunkirk” earlier, since it might be my favorite Nolan movie.

Elegant; his typical watchmaker convolution is muted and imbued with an emotional intimacy largely missing from his work—yes, even “Interstellar.”

As for “The Last Jedi,” I liked it more than you, though your initial take is pretty spoton. It’s overstuffed. But after the semi-schizoid pacing of “The Force Awakens,” it felt confident enough to breathe and take some chances. Despite the familiarity, it surprised me more than once. And it really sticks the landing.

It’s hard for me to not be overwhelmed by that world, even when it underwhelms. a

Tulsa’s independent and non-profit art-house theatre, showing independent, foreign, and documentary films.

FILM & TV // 45

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Michael Shannon, Sally Hawkins, and Octavia Spencer in “The Shape of Water” | COURTESY

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Venue Guide

A BRIEF RUNDOWN OF WHAT’S HAPPENING AT THE CIRCLE CINEMA

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OPENING DECEMBER 22 THE SHAPE OF WATER From director Guillermo del Toro, this Cold War-era fantasy drama stars Sally Hawkins as a mute woman who works at a secret government facility. There, she forms a bond with an aquatic human-like creature being held captive and tortured for research. Winner of several yearend awards, it’s one of season’s big Oscar contenders. Rated R. DARKEST HOUR A riveting dramatization about Winston Churchill’s rise to leadership in the spring of 1940. As Hitler and the Nazis march across Europe, Churchill challenges the Nazi appeasers within the U.K. government, helping turn the tide of World War II. Gary Oldman stars as Churchill in a performance garnering Oscar buzz. Rated PG-13.

The $250 package includes: 2 Tulsa Town Hall tickets for February, March and April lectures 2 Five Horizons Spa float sessions 2 Flying Tee gift cards

46 // FILM & TV

STILL SHOWING LADY BIRD THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI THE DISASTER ARTIST WONDER WHEEL

SPECIAL EVENTS WHITE CHRISTMAS: SING-A-LONG (1954) With Friday and Saturday screenings sold out, a Thursday night show has been added by popular demand. Enjoy this Bing Crosby holiday musical classic on the big screen, with a one-of-akind audience sing-a-long experience. (Thu. Dec. 21, 7:30 p.m.)

ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975) For the 11th consecutive year, Circle Cinema presents this kinky cult classic musical. Audience participation is encouraged!

Circle Cinema will have prop bags for sale at the concession stand. *No throwing objects at screen and no water guns.* Friday night’s event will be hosted by Hilton Price, voted “Tulsa’s Best MC.” (Fri. Dec. 29 & Sat. Dec. 30, 10:00 p.m.)

MOLLY’S GAME: PREMIERE WITH TULSA ACTRESS SAMANTHA ISLER Aaron Sorkin’s Golden Globe nominated gambling drama with Jessica Chastain, co-starring Samantha Isler. A native Tulsan, Isler will be at Circle Cinema for a pre-show meet & greet. She will also introduce the 7 p.m. premiere showing to talk about her role as the teenage Molly Bloom. (Fri. Jan. 5, 6:00 p.m. pre-show; 7:00 p.m. screening)

December 20, 2017 – January 2, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

THE FUZZ THE TULSA VOICE SPOTLIGHTS: TULSA SPCA

2910 Mohawk Blvd. | MON, TUES, THURS, FRI & SAT, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 918.428.7722

The perfect cat for Netflix and snuggling, MILES is a four-and-ahalf-year-old, declawed cat who is extremely affectionate. He came to the Tulsa SPCA after a new member of his household found out she was allergic to cats. This sweet boy has been through a lot of transition in the past few months and would love to find a cozy home for the holidays.

ACROSS 1 Intelligence measure 7 One way to be ripped 14 MLB All-Star Hosmer 18 New mother, perhaps 19 Faze or discombobulate 20 Relating to sheep 21 Two of a kind 23 Bad thing to plant 25 Before, old-style 26 Not make the grade?

28 Stuffable breads 29 Thing taken in 1960 30 They’re edible when cracked 32 Make judgments 34 Nonverbal approval 35 Certain sibling 36 Dealt a mighty blow, old-style 38 Some bold poker players 40 “___ dead, Jim” (Bones McCoy line) 41 Regard with deep admiration 43 Stepped with oomph 44 Tall quadruped 48 Healthy and vibrant 49 Chop down, as a tree 50 Org. of secrets and spies 51 100-yard event 53 Marina ___ Rey 54 Unit of deceit 56 Romantic, poetic black 58 Theater district 60 Consistent annoyers 62 Loyal and honest 66 Tree juice 67 Italian High Renaissance painter

TORI has been a resident of the Tulsa SPCA since April when she was surrendered with her five kittens. All of Tori’s kittens have been adopted and we would love to find Tori a home this holiday season! Tori is two years old and has an eye condition called Virtual Keratitis, but that doesn’t slow her down. She would thrive in a quiet home with no small kids, occasional pets, and a few nice window sills for long naps in the warm sunshine.

69 One-mast sailing vessel 70 Expert interpreter of religious texts 72 Great boxing legend 73 Certain secret compartment 76 Space ram 77 Three lines that rhyme together 79 Enterprise “journey” 80 Angeles head 82 Common couple?

83 Any threesome 84 Public vehicle 85 Major deg.

87 Not throw away 89 Crouched 92 Some historical time periods 93 Prologues 96 Smartphone card 97 Army VIP 100 Huge name in farm equipment 101 Private plane maker 104 Chicken ___ king 105 Parcel of land 107 “Answer, please” invite letters 108 Be a more productive batter 109 Savory 111 Animated character 113 “Have a seat” 114 Two-answer exam?

117 Bio 119 Safe bear 120 Ms. Havisham of Dickens’ “Great Expectations” 121 Open, as a fence gate 122 Poem types 123 Bureau 124 Nets with floaty things DOWN 1 Make furious 2 Minimum assemblages to conduct business

3 Like good imitations 4 Mind-reading ability 5 Egomaniac’s VIP 6 Tire pattern 7 Wiedersehen front 8 Rice Krispies sound effect 9 Like a lot of stationery 10 Trojan War participant 11 Anticipates with horror 12 Nights before 13 Gun an engine 14 “Blessed” occurrence 15 Part of a mouthwash operation 16 Rack up, as debt 17 Catch-as-catchcan fivesome 20 Ukrainian port city 22 Opera-house level 24 With a more frosty reception 27 Jacket material 31 Cat burglar’s forte 33 Muddy, soggy earth 35 LaBeouf of film 37 Fish with little fat 39 Plant seeds 42 Brooks or Gibson 44 “I Just Wanna Stop” singer Vannelli 45 Org. that approves medicines 46 Wrong idea 47 Many Bel Air properties 50 Take for one’s own use 52 Optimists’ unending supply 53 Auto and antique sellers 55 “___ all be just fine” 56 Readable download 57 Rorschach test stain

The Tulsa SPCA has been helping animals in our area since 1913. The shelter never euthanizes for space and happily rescues animals from high-kill shelters. They also accept owner surrenders, rescues from cruelty investigations, hoarding, and puppy mill situations. Animals live on-site or with foster parents until they’re adopted. All SPCA animals are micro-chipped, vaccinated, spayed/neutered, and treated with preventatives.

Learn about volunteering, fostering, upcoming events, adoptions, and their low-cost vaccination clinic at tulsaspca.org.

Sweet MARGIE would be a wonderful companion for someone looking for a laid-back, loyal pet. She bonds strongly with the people that she loves. Margie is two and a half years old, quite shy, and would fit best in a home without small kids or loud activity. She lost her previous owner to illness, and so will need some time to get to know you. Once you do gain Margie’s love and trust, she’ll be a total snuggle bug!

58 Generic dog name 59 What a thinker thinks up 60 ___ & Whitney (engine manufacturer) 61 Not in harm’s way 63 Not abstainers, they 64 Major river of central Europe 65 Product of a wannabe singer 68 Dispose of leftovers, in a way 71 Person offering a welcome 74 Dress shirt fastener 75 Very seasoned sailor 78 Murmur affectionately 81 Thing to do during Colorado winters 84 Altar area 85 Ante kin 86 Instrument with long strings 88 Conclude 90 Harden into bone 91 Ship with the Nina and Santa Maria 92 Tooth coverings 94 Fox TV show (with “The”) 95 Seven-piece combos 97 Reproductive cell 98 Makes joyful 99 Continuous-play music segment 101 Absolutely healed 102 Piano exercise 103 Tool shelters 106 Doughnut-shaped surface 108 Camp Swampy pooch 109 Superpower pre-1991 110 ___ of Wight 112 Love points 115 Was winning the race 116 La Brea fill 118 U.S. investigative org.

When the Tulsa SPCA rescued ZUZU BAILEY, she had been abandoned and was in need of food, water, and medical care. Despite coming from a rough situation, Zuzu is a happy and active girl! She is about one year old and would love to find a forever family to give her plenty of playtime and adventure as she grows up.

Universal sUnday Crossword one or THe oTHer

By Timothy e. Parker

© 2017 Andrews McMeel Syndication THE TULSA VOICE // December 20, 2017 – January 2, 2018

DABS is one smart cookie! She already knows basic commands like sit and shake and she would do well as an agility dog. Dabs is three years old and is not fond of other animals so she will need to be the only pet in the home. Dabs is very active and enjoys playing fetch, chase, and tug.

This fun-loving little girl is cuddly, as well!

12/24 ETC. // 47

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