Image via the Oklahoma Underground Music Archive
#41 UMAmi Nov. 2026
a FREE monthly zine via the OK Underground Music Archive
Leo in the Sky (with Diamonds) by Granny Anarchy Our night sky is brightening as light pollution increases; many modern individuals no longer see The Milky Way or even constellations which were easily discernable a decade or so ago. We've also simply forgotten that some constellations exist. One of our obsolete constellations is Felis the Cat, introduced by French astronomer Jérôme Lalande in 1799. Lalande was a cat lover and created this arrangement of faint stars in the southern sky near the constellations Hydra (the Water Snake) and Argo (The Ship). Lalande felt that - although the zodiac contained the constellation Leo the Lion – since domestic dogs were immortalized in the heavens as star groupings Canis Major and Minor, companion cats should also be allowed to have an official arrangement. Lalande may also have been inspired by the poem “The Hours and the Cats” by French lawyer and politician Claude‑Antoine Guyot des Herbiers. I find it interesting that The Cat sits in the sky between the threat of the snake and the relative safety of the ship, specifically by the ship's compass, or Pyxis - which would have been vital for seafaring navigation. Perhaps Lalande placed the Cat there not only because it fit (and sit!) - but because he thought it provided necessary protection and guidance for mythological sailors and nocturnal travelers. Lalande never mapped Felis the Cat on his own atlas, but he described the constellation to German astronomer Johann Bode. Felis made its first appearance in Bode’s Uranographia sive Astrorum Descriptio in 1801. According to astronomer and historian Richard Hinckley Allen, a translation of a letter from Lalande reads “I am very fond of cats. I will let this figure scratch on the chart.”
Although Felis stalked the skies and several star charts throughout the 1800s, its nine lives were brief – it may have last been seen in Elisa Bowen’s 1888 Astronomy by Observation. By 1900, the Cat’s stars were assigned to Hydra, Pyxis and the constellation Antlia (the Pump).
“Noctua, Corvus, Crater, Sextans Uraniæ, Hydra, Felis, Lupus, Centaurus, Antlia Pneumatica, Argo Navis, and Pyxis Nautica”, plate 32 in Urania’s Mirror, by Jehoshaphat Aspin. London, 1825.
In 2018, the former brightest star in the original constellation of Felis - an orange-red giant now assigned to Hydra - was officially given the name Felis by the International Astronomical Union in honor of the abandoned arrangement. Now that the constellation of the Cat no longer officially stalks our skies, there are officially three feline star groupings: Leo Major, Leo Minor, and the Lynx. In the interest of brevity, we will focus on Leo Major, or Leo the Lion.
Leo was one of the earliest observed constellations; an organization of stars in similar shape at the same area was recognized by the Mesopotamians as far back as 4000 BCE. Babylonians referred to it as the Great Lion. Leo, along with the other signs of the zodiac, was officially catalogued by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century. Leo contains several bright stars, the brightest of which is Regulus. Babylonians knew Regulus (which is actually four-star system with a blue-white primary) as the King Star. Leo also contains several well-known Messier and NGC galaxies. In addition, The Leonid meteor shower occurs annually in November. In 2026, this show should be active from November 3-December 2 and peak on November 17–18. It’s estimated that around 15 meteors per hour will be visible with prime viewing time between midnight to dawn. Leo is most associated with the myth of Hercules and the Nemean lion, who had a mane and pelt protecting it from harm as well as claws that were sharper than any human-forged weapon. After Hercules defeated it, he wore its hide as armor. The Lion was eventually placed in the sky as a symbol of strength. Leo was also important to the Egyptians, Greeks, Persians, Syrians, and Turks.
Many people may be aware of Laika, the Soviet dog sent to space. Were you aware that there was also a catstronaut? Félicette was a black and white French cat who flew on board a Véronique AG1 rocket on October 18, 1963. She experienced a 13-minute suborbital flight and several minutes of weightlessness, then returned to earth safely by parachute. Photo via Wikipedia
Now that you have all of this information, what can you do with it? Well, here are Some Punk and Alternative Songs (sort of)
About Cats:
Perhaps you can create your own playlist to listen while skywatching during November Nights – or to honor some feline friends during a time of traditional family festivities!
This article and playlist are dedicated to the memory of a beloved monster who recently crossed the rainbow bridge. (photo via Granny Anarchy)
did you know Metro Library has a (free) space for recording? What: the “podcast room” (which also works for musical recording)
Where: Almonte Library 2727 SW 59th St, Oklahoma City, OK 73119
all you need is a library card (and signing a waiver) to use the space which includes:
audacity bandcamp mics 2 guitars a keyboard PLUS: You can “Book a Librarian” if you need help getting started
VENUES 89th Street 8911 N Western Ave (OKC) 89thstreetokc.com Beer City Music Hall 1141 NW 2nd (OKC) beercitymusichall.com Blue Door 2805 N McKinley Ave (OKC) bluedoorokc.com Blue Note 2408 N Robinson Ave (OKC) okcbluenote.com Bookish 1005 NW 36th St (OKC) shop-bookish.com Criterion 500 East Sheridan Ave (OKC) criterionokc.com Core4 Brewing 7 N Lee Ave (OKC) core4brewing.com Diamond Ballroom 8001 S Eastern Ave (OKC) diamondballroom.com
OK Cider 705 W. Sheridan Ave (OKC) okciderco.com Opolis 113 N Crawford Ave (Norman) opolis.org The Pet Shop 1529 Linwood Blvd (OKC) thepetshopokc.com Ponyboy 423 NW 23rd St (OKC) ponyboyokc.com Resonant Head 400 SW 25th St, Suite A (OKC) resonanthead.com Resonator 325 E Main St (Norman) resonator.space The Sanctuary 1012 N Indiana Ave (OKC) facebook.com/thesanctuaryok Shadow Box Music 1825 Epperly Dr. (Del City) shadowboxokc.com
Factory Obscura 25 NW 9th St (OKC) factoryobscura.com
51st Street Speakeasy 1114 NW 51st Street (OKC) 51stspeakeasy.com
Grand Royale 1749 NW 16th St (OKC) instagram.com/grandroyaleokc
Tower Theatre 425 NW 23rd St (OKC) towertheatreokc.com
Jones Assembly 901 W Sheridan Ave (OKC) thejonesassembly.com
The Venue 1103 North Villa (OKC) thevenueokc.com
Mycelium Gallery 2816 N Pennsylvania Ave (OKC) myceliumgallery.com
Zoo Amp 2101 NE 50th St (OKC) okczooamp.com
November calendar $ = $1-20 $$= $21-39 $$$= $40+
= All Ages
= Oklahoman band/artist
= Benefit Show
= Roadie Recs
Bingham and the Texas Gentlemen @ 01 Ryan Criterion $$$
SAT
Dead Sullivan, Some Fear, Charlotte Bumgarner @ Resonant Head $$ PJ Morton @ Tower Theatre $$
02 Shakey Graves @ Jones Assembly $$$ MON 22nd @ Beer City Music Hall $$ 03 West WAGE WAR, We Came As Romans, Varials, and
TUE
Cane Hill @ Diamond Ballroom $$$
The Animeros @ Resonant Head $$ The Election Night Show @ Tower Theatre $$
04 Daughtry @ Criterion $$$ WED
The War and Treaty @ Tower Theatre
$$
05 Chencho Corleone @ Criterion $$$ THU
Open Mic Night w/Make Oklahoma Weirder @ Factory Obscura $ 14+
DAMAG3, Connor Cristi, Diet Riot @ Resonant Head $$ JER, Garden Ants, Morris Village @ Pet Shop $
Mojo, American Slang @ Beer City Music 06 Blacktop Hall $$
FRI
Underoath, August Burns Red, Atreyu, as cities burn @ Criterion $$$ DJ MARK FARINA @ Grand Royale OK City Opera @ OK Cider
$$
$
Club Opolis - Flash Jordan, Tommy Ray Long @ Opolis $ Noah Gundersen, Runnner, Breakup Shoes @ Resonant Head $$ TRSH, Adjust The Sails, Dear Maryanne, Dear Cincinnati @ 89th St. $$ West Texas Exiles @ Blue Door
$$
Against the Damned, Atsu, Grand Inquisitor, Bog @ Shadow Box $ Red Kate, Filth Hounds, Matt Jewett @ Blue Note $ Phelps & The Storm @ Blue Door $$ 07 Shelly Upon Your Dead Body, Identity Crisis @
SAT
Resonant Head $$
Palmer Anthony, Oaktown, Max Goen @ 89th St. $ Wight Lighters, Lindagail Lewis @ Blue Note $
Qoncert Weekend @ Shadow Box $ Dissociation Presents: David Lord, Silk Road, Johnny Bell, Electrogong, Bird Hands @ Opolis $ Cut Connie, Laney Jones and the Spirits @ 08 Low Beer City Music Hall $$
SUN
Bettysoo @ Blue Door
$$
08 Wax, DJ Hoppa, The Palmer Squares, RUTGER! @
SUN Resonant Head CONT’D
$$
Jay Webb, Lil Man J @ 89th St. $$
Baker & Clyde Mcgee @ Grand Royale $ 09 Bosko The Surfrajettes, Strawberry '66 @ Resonant
MON
Head
$$
Destroyer, Destroyer, Mary Mortem, Palefade, And In The Darkness I Was Free @ 89th St. $ Toledo @ Beer City Music Hall $$ 10 Trish OCT, Billy Marchiafava @ Resonant Head $$
TUE
Chrissy Chlapecka @ 89th St.
$$
@ Beer City Music Hall $$ 11 bleood J Plank @ Blue Door $$
WED
Animal, Gift @ Beer City Music Hall $$ 12 Post William Elliott Whitmore, Division Men @ Blue
THU
Door $$ Trip G, Serenity, Shi, Venomstaydrippin, Cortez, DJ Reaper, C4 @ Blue Note $ Thundercat @ Criterion $$$
13 FRI
Depraved, Capital Murder, Lamb Slaughter, Korah’s Rebellion, Before the Gallows @ Shadow Box $ Michelle Shocked @ Blue Door $$
Open Mic @ Bookish $
Blade Rave @ Diamond Ballroom $$ 18+
13 Scoochie Boochie, Groovebox @ Resonant Head $$
FRI CONT’D Cowboy Jr., Commander Pilot, Sum @ Blue Note $ Switchfoot, Anberlin @ Criterion $$$
Paige Fish @ Beer City Music Hall $$
14 The Shandies, Tipps And Obermiller @ Blue SAT
Door $$
The Steppers, Go Yonder @ Blue Note $ Bliss, Money, Autumn Child @ Bookish $ Gully Boys, Pollyanna, Colliding @ Resonant Head $$ Lily Rose, Erin Kinsey @ Tower Theatre $$ Hearth, Within Arms Reach @ Shadow Box $
in April @ Opolis $ 15 Waves Stringsmen @ Resonant Head $$
SUN
Cabal, Mannequin P*ssy, Wednesday, Snooper 16 B*tch @ Criterion $$$
MON
AJJ, Greet Death @ Resonant Head $$
the Hurt, Magdalene Rose, Unbroken 17 Heal Reign, XIII Minutes* @ 89 St. $ th
TUE
Greatly, Kennedy Fine, Beau Jennings @ 18 Daring Resonant Head $$
WED
Trip, Tha Landlord @ Beer City Music Hall $$ 19 Don Cat Clyde, Dean Johnson @ Resonant Head $$
THU
of the Year Bash - King Pink, daychaser., Pearly 20 End Red, skySoBlack, 0 Miles Per Hour, @ 89 St. $ th
FRI
The Wilder Blue @ Beer City Music Hall $$ Amy Lavere, Will Sexton @ Blue Door $$ The Charles Sisters @ OK Cider $ Mortwight, Blood Tower @ The Sanctuary $$ Respair Pelt, Piehole, Insectisilence @ Shadow Box $
21 Party Water - Kyle Reid @ Blue Door $$$$ Cole Phillips @ Beer City Music Hall
SAT
Levi Jack Taylor @ OK Cider $ Mama's Broke, aka Bobby @ Resonant Head $$ Big A** Truck I.E., Chamber, Mugshot, LIE, Primal Hominid @ 89th St. $$ Nxt Szn, Say it Yourself, Falling Guillotine, Kardiac @ Shadow Box $
Shoulders, Ramsey Thornton @ Beer City 22 Nick Music Hall $$
SUN
Oso Oso, Liquid Mike, bugsy, Red Sun @ Resonant Head $$ Alok @ Tower Theatre $$
Story of the Year, Stand Atlantic, 25 Silverstein, Footballhead @ Criterion $$$ WED
27 Camille Farrell @ OK Cider $ FRI
Big News*, Fair Weather Enemies*, Dirty 27 The Reggae Punx @ Resonant Head $
FRI CONT’D
& Dale @ OK Cider $ 28 Carrie Jeff Fierro @ OK Cider $
SAT
Elizabeth Cook @ Blue Door $$ Future of Sound Sessions w/Human Creature, Brian Dailey, OAF, CGX Visual @ Factory Obscura $$
recurring events Celtic Jam at the Patriarch Funk at the Blue Note Blues at the Speakeasy
MONDAY TUESDAY
Bluegrass at the Patriarch WEDNESDAY Jazz at the Speakeasy Experimental Night at Opolis - every 4th Wednesday Wasted Hours: A Singer-Songwriter Showcase at Grand Royale Open Mic night at Factory Obscura - 1st THURSDAY Bluegrass at the Speakeasy Song Swap at the Blue Note (usually 1st Thursdays) Live Music at Johnnie’s on Britton Open Mic Night at Core4 Brewing Open Mic Night at Bookish DJ nights at Ponyboy Live Music at Johnnie’s on Britton
FRIDAY
Celtic Jam at the Banjo Museum - 4th SATURDAY DJ nights at Ponyboy Live Music at Johnnie’s on Britton Celtic music at Full Circle Bookstore Songwriter Sessions - 3rd Sundays at Core4 Brewing Tea & Zines at Floating Bookshop
SUNDAY
From Our Inbox Theater Cuckoo: a night of monologues fundraiser & Silent auction November 18 6-7 pm silent auction featuring works by local artists & experience passes 7 pm monologues! @ the 4801 (4801 N MacArthur Blvd)
Reading Family Tarot Spreads by la pêche punkette For some, the simple day of turkey, parades, and afternoon naps is not so simple. We might have to attend two dinners in a day because of our blended family; we might be dealing with grief as we stare at an empty seat at the table; we might keep quiet to avoid enraging our family; heck, we might even be at work, saving lives or selling last minute cranberry sauce. Tarot doesn’t typically come to mind as a Thanksgiving activity, but for some of us, it’s a daily practice that gives us insight into our subconscious mind. The images, themes, and symbols on the cards can trigger thoughts that we might have buried, or intuitive knowledge we’ve packed away. For a day as loaded as Thanksgiving, tarot can serve as a meditative practice before entering the chaotic, delicious din of the turkey day tableau. When reading family tarot, I highly recommend that you take the time to work through your deck and take note of the court cards (Kings, Queens, Pages, Knights). Which ones remind you of family members? Which ones remind you of yourself? The court cards are a good way to identify the kind of archetypal roles your family members play in your life.
Spread #1: Gang’s All Here (You can create your own layout for this spread - I suggest making one with an unexpected hierarchy, not the one that you would visualize on a family tree.)
1 - You 2 - Your mom or mother figure 3 - Your dad or father figure 4 - Your maternal lineage 5 - Your paternal lineage 6 - What I got from my maternal lineage 7 - What I got from my paternal lineage 9 - My unique gift as a result
**Journal Prompt** Look through your whole deck and select a card for each of your family members. Then, draw a card at random for each. Write about the differences between your perception and the drawn card.
Spread #2: Cycle Breaker
1
2
3
4
5
1 - What is the primary negative cycle that is plaguing my family? 2 - From which family member did this cycle begin? 3 - What set this cycle in motion? 4 - What is the first step I can take to disrupt this cycle? 5 - What are my ancestors telling me about this cycle? **Note on Card 3** Often, these cycles may begin from historical events like war, disaster, occupation, etc., and it may be helpful to draw a card for clarity, either to illuminate the cause or your ancestor’s experience of it.)
Spread #3: Family Tea
1
3
**You will need a (cool) family member for this one, pull them aside and have some good conversation!**
2
1 - Something I know about our family 2 - Something you know about our family 3 - A hidden influence on our family/Something we don’
Sources and Suggested: Theresa Reed, Ancestral Tarot. 2021, Wesler Books. (in library catalog) Ancestry.com available through the library catalog, free while at the library FamilySearch, free to use with an account online Wikitree - free to use with an account online
Do you want to take the musical inspiration in your head and capture it for the world to hear?
Capture your Musical Groove with Ableton Move Metro Library - Bethany Saturday, Nov. 21, 10a.m.-4p.m. ages 12-17 The Ableton Move puts a carefully chosen slice of Live Music into a beautifully portable box. Attendees will receive an intensive introduction to this groovebox taught by instructor Nick Poss from the Academy of Contemporary Music at UCO.
6700 NW 35th St Bethany, OK 73008 405-789-8363 **sign up for a slot**
Jackalope’s Jams Thanksgiving is a mess at the best of times. Of course there’s the history. But even its modern incarnation it’s a lot. Thanksgiving is full of timers and forgotten ingredients and spilled gravy, of awkward conversations and high expectations and your nearest and dearest getting on your last nerve. Nowadays it’s the prelude to people being willing to trample someone to get a better deal on something shiny in a box. And goodness knows it’s all even more of a mess for the saints who deal with the rest of us at our worst in retail spaces, food service, hospitals, and more. However you spend that particular Thursday, here’s a little something mellow and bright to listen to while you take a few deep breaths and hopefully eat something tasty.
Monthly Collaborative Playlist This month’s prompt: Us
Listen Here:
Next month’s prompt: Go For It Ask for a collaborator link, send us your picks for either playlist, or drop us a line via IG (@MetroSpecialCollections), FB (the OK UMA group & Metro SCR page), or email at Oklahoma.UMA@gmail.com
AMA Roadies Edition What’s your fave Thanksgiving or seasonal media?
“Planes, Trains, and Automobiles” —gotta love that soundtrack. —la pêche punkette I don't know if it's a favorite, but I did just watch the slasher "Thanksgiving," and it was wild. -Zoe 1. Son in Law because "I'm an adult!" 2. Pieces of April, which is beautifully poignant and criminally unavailable across streaming services and in our own library media. 3. Free Birds, a family friendly rebellion featuring George Takei. 4. Charlie Brown Thanksgiving is a classic with questionable food choices. -Granny Anarchy I would absolutely eat toast and popcorn for Th’giving dinner! Especially if Snoopy made it. -
The first one that popped into my head was “Pieces of April,” but I also love the ambiance of flicks like “The Trouble with Harry,” and my personal list would also include “The Iron Giant” and movies about food and family of all kinds. -Jackalope
Got a question? >>> Oklahoma.UMA@gmail.com
send us your: favorite albums show reviews hot takes scribbles shower thoughts playlists feedback ideas / suggestions requests and more! email us at oklahoma.uma@gmail.com UMAmi is a monthly zine by Metropolitan Library Staff and you! Copies are distributed around the first weekend of each month and can be found at Metropolitan Library branches and music or alt lifestyle locales around the metro, such as: 39th Street Records * Bad Granny's * Beer City Music Hall * Blue Note * Bookish * Bunker Club * Classen Coffee * Core4 Brewing * Core Board * Craig’s Emporium * Dig It * Diversity Family Health * DNA * Elemental Coffee * Empire * Factory Obscura * Floating Bookshop * Flora Bodega * Full Circle * Gold Fang Gallery * Grand Royale * Guestroom Records * Iron Rose Salon * KOSU * Literati Press * The Mule * Money Ruins Everything * Mortal Yoga * Mycelium Gallery * No Regrets * OK Cider * Oklahoma Film Exchange * Opolis * Orange Peel * Oscillator Press * Perets * Ponyboy * Red Cup * The Sanctuary * Sauced * SISU * Second Wind Coffee* Speakeasy * Stonecloud Brewing * Velvet Monkey * SiYo
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