Winter Wanderland Winter Wanderland

Whether the weather is mild or frigid, the OKC metro has no shortage of experiences.

FRE

COVER STORY

Winter joys

FINDING SOLACE INDOORS AND OUT DURING OKLAHOMA’S MOST UNPREDICTABLE SEASON

By Kendra Michal Johnson

“The most wonderful time of the year” is over and it’s cold, and warm and then cold again. Spring is a couple months away and wallets are still recovering from end of year expenses. Luckily, the Oklahoma City metro is not short on affordable winter activities of both the warm and cold variety.

BRAVING THE OUTDOOR COLD

Walking in winter

Oklahoma has an abundance of state and city parks, where wintertime brings sparseness and subtlety in the form of bare trees against blue skies and red dirt.

The loss of greenery can reveal

new and different aspects of familiar places and waterways stand out even more against the pale neutrals of dormant plants.

Check out Lake Thunderbird State Park around golden hour (approximately one hour before sunset or one hour after sunrise) for gorgeously cinematic views of the water.

For a more urban vibe, visit Scissortail Trail Park with its modern sculptures and glimpses of the OKC skyline The glowing sculpture over I-40 is especially breathtaking at night and the majority of the trail is relatively well lit. Walk a few blocks north of Scissortail Park to reach Myriad Botanical Gardens (and make sure to check out the newly-reopened Crystal Bridge).

Farther north, try out Lake Hefner for long walking paths and beautiful paved biking trails along the waterfront, plus a fun photo op at the lighthouse.

Regardless of which trail you choose, don’t forget the sunscreen if you’ll be out during daytime hours. The sun’s rays may not be hot on your skin, but it can be just as damaging if you’re in it directly for an extended period.

Embrace the ice

Make freezing weather your friend by gliding across a safer kind of ice.

During Blazers Ice Centre’s public skating times, you can soar or stumble your way around the ice in a spacious, climate-controlled atmosphere at 8000 S. I-35 Service Road.

At $15 per person, it’s not the cheapest activity on this list, but worth trying out for the memories. Check out their website at blazersicecentre.com/calendar/facilityschedule/ for an up-to-date schedule.

For another icy option in a similar price bracket, check out Arctic Edge Ice Arena, 14613 N Kelley Ave. in Edmond. Public skating times are listed on their website at arcticedge.com.

Winter festivities

Stroll down beautiful streets, dodging in and out of shops, galleries and restaurants at an art walk.

The Paseo’s First Friday Gallery Walk’s next two events will be Feb. 3 and Mar. 3 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Numerous galleries, restaurants and businesses in the district will be open, including JRB Art at the Elms and the Paseo Arts & Creativity Center.

If you’re planning on dinner at one of the district’s restaurants, Paseo Art Association’s Executive Director Amanda Bleakley recommended placing a reservation.

Many artists are typically present at the gallery walks, Bleakley said, offering attendees the chance to interact with the artists and learn more about their work.

In downtown Norman, the 2nd Friday Norman Art Walk’s next two events will be 6 to 10 p.m. on Jan. 13 and Feb. 10.

Recent art walks in Norman have included more than 15 participating businesses, as well as art displays and live music, and it’s likely this pattern will continue through into the spring months.

Meanwhile, LIVE! At the Plaza is being held from noon to 4 p.m. Feb. 12. The February event is themed around Valentine’s Day, named “LOVE! On the Plaza,” while the

The golden hour before sunset makes a memorable image of the Devon Tower’s silhouette as viewed from Scissortail Trail Park. | Photo by Kendra Michal Johnson

A young skater learns to balance on the ice at Devon Ice Rink. | Photo by Kendra Michal Johnson

March event — when it returns to its regular second Friday evening schedule — is pet-themed.

COZYING UP INSIDE

Game day

A group of friends, plenty of snacks and a shared game can warm even the coldest of winter days.

If you’re a fan of making up stories and engaging in imaginary fantasy universe combat, join a Dungeons & Dragons campaign at The Kobold Lounge, 3718 NW 23rd St. Sign up ahead of time to join a campaign at thekoboldlounge.com, and bring your creativity to game day. Food, snacks and game accessories are available for purchase at the lounge but there is no game entry fee and all the supplies you need are provided. For a smaller scale sample before jumping into a multi-session campaign commitment, start with one of their hosted one-shot events on Wednesday or Friday night.

If arcade, video, and card games are more your style, stop by DZ Comics And Gaming, 625 N Moore Ave., with pricing starting around the $5 range for the arcade. The store also holds numerous organized game events, including Magic the Gathering and Yu-GiOh, typically with a $5 entry fee. A detailed schedule is available at dzcomics.com/events.htm.

Prefer sitting down around a board game with the whole family or friend group? Try Edmond Unplugged, 117 S Broadway. For $5 per person, play any board game from the stores’ library, while eating snacks and sipping on drinks available for purchase. Game selections include Settlers of Catan, Cards Against Humanity, and Ticket to Ride. Children age 6 or younger participate for free. Edmond Unplugged also hosts events for other card and role-playing games.

Turn over a new leaf

When the leaves are off the trees, it’s a good time to turn the leaves of a book.

Up north is Best of Books, 1313 E Danforth Road, in Edmond. If you’re

down south, you should check out Best of OKC 2022 winner Green Feather Books, 300 W Gray Street Suite 108, in Norman. If you’re on the eastside, make sure to drop by Nappy Roots, 3705 Springlake Drive, or by Deer Clan Books, 3905 N College Ave., to broaden your horizons if you’re out west.

And don’t forget the most affordable option of all: the library. The OKC Metro area is largely split between the Pioneer Library System, in Norman, Moore and Southwest OKC, and the Metropolitan Library System, in Edmond, Midwest City, and Downtown OKC.

Muse at museums

A library card can also get you free

entry at several museums.

Check out an Experience Pass from the Metropolitan Library System and use it to receive free regular admission for up to five people—depending on the pass—at the Museum of Osteology, Oklahoma City Museum of Art or the Oklahoma History Center.

Learn about area history at the Edmond History Museum. Kids will especially love the Children’s Learning Center that includes an interactive pioneer town complete with a general store and train station.

The University of Oklahoma’s Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art houses an excellently-curated art collection and is home to Factory Obscura’s Synesthesia installation until the summer. It’s easy to spend a full afternoon wandering through its galleries, and the museum’s Aaron M. and Clara Weitzenhoffer Collection of French Impressionist artwork is a must-see.

Oklahoma Contemporary in Automobile Alley hosts a range of quality modern art exhibits. Current exhibits include “Fugitive Speech” featuring the works of Emily M. Chase, JJJJJerome Ellis and Anita Fields, and a collection of artworks by the museum’s own staff. Admission to the arts center is also free.

Edmond Unplugged is home to a wall of board games, which can be enjoyed within the store, for a $5 per player fee. | Photo by Kendra Michal Johnson

The view of the Skydance Bridge from the pedestrian walkway beneath it is especially stunning at night. |

Photo by Kendra Michal Johnson

COVER STORY

Midwinter glow

By Kendra Michal Johnson

With the high of the holiday season over and done, it’s easy to fall into a winter slump.

Catching a glimpse of sparkly eyeshadow or a bright red lip in the mirror can be the perfect way to revive a little cheer and maybe find a touch of the approaching Valentine’s Day spirit.

However, bright makeup looks come with potential pitfalls, as makeup can settle into creases during long hours of wear or melt off in the over zealous warmth of indoor heating.

So for those looking to add a little glow to their January, OKC’s local makeup artists are here to help.

Step 1: Start with skin

Every good makeup look starts with its base, and ironically, that isn’t foundation.

“Makeup application does start with a great skincare regimen, one that is good for you,” The Velvet Mirror’s Natasha Goodlin said. “Not to go even deeper, proper nutrition and hydration — that also plays a huge role in how our skin type is.”

With more than a decade of experience in the beauty industry, Goodlin launched her own makeup line, Natasha Rae Cosmetics, in 2018. Meanwhile, her sister, Savanah Harris, was forming Savvy Beauty Co.

Now, in 2023, both sisters are combining their businesses to form The Velvet Mirror. Goodlin’s cosmetic line will continue to be available during the transition to its new name: Velvet, and can be found at velvetmirror.com.

Her skincare recommendations depend on type.

“For me, personally, in the winter season, I do not moisturize after I have washed and toned. I use my primer instead,” Goodlin said. “I’ll do an eye cream but I do not moisturize. Even though winter tends to be a little drier, I am still oily and this I know.”

For those with drier skin types, keeping skin moisturized is important to prevent the skin from appearing flaky.

Step 2: Prime everything

The next part of laying down a good base is the primer.

“It just kind of gives you a blank canvas to work off,” Brushed Salon and Makeup Studio owner Samantha McLoud said. “The primer sits on the skin and kind of hovers above it and kind of acts like a double sided tape; sticks to your skin and then it grabs the foundation, so it keeps everything wearing really well.”

Harris agreed.

“If you have any sort of face primer, a pore perfecting primer, which is a product that we carry; that’s going to help, you know, make your pores look invisible,” she said. “It’s going to help keep your makeup on, it’s going to help it lay smoothly on your face.”

a bold eye to do that, but then to carry that on with a nuder lip or a medium toned lip, or if you don’t like a lot of eye makeup, you can do a bolder lip and a natural eye but I always recommend one or the other.”

Some wearers may feel more comfortable in bold colors, while others want to go more neutral.

“Do a practice run,” Herschel said. “That way you can take pictures and see how it looks. Because sometimes you do your makeup for a really special event and it doesn’t show on

“I don’t do any makeup without an eyeshadow primer,” McLoud said. “My favorite eyeshadow primer is Urban Decay Primer Potion.”

Starting with eye makeup before the rest of the face allows more forgiveness for mistakes.

“If you make a mess with the glitter, you can easily clean it up with a makeup wipe,” Herschel said. “So I always recommend if you’re doing a glam eye or any sort of loose pigment or glitter to do the eyes first.”

She said she applies NYX’s glitter primer and uses makeup setting spray on her brush to help prevent fallout.

“Then you can take a piece of tape and just kind of stick it to your skin and, you know, pick up all the glitter before you put the rest of your makeup on,” she said.

If the idea of loose glitter seems intimidating, glitter liner might be a more beginner-friendly option.

“Start really easy and maybe just do a line. And then if it doesn’t work out, get a good blending brush and buff it out and go with a full glitter eye,” McLoud said.

Speaking of glitter, “a lot of people buy, like, craft glitter that’s not for the face or the eyes, so you definitely want to be making sure that you’re using something that is safe for the eye area, so you don’t end up in the ER with a scratched cornea,” McLoud said.

McLoud also named a few options.

“Benefit Porefessional, that’s one of my favorites,” she said.

Step 3: Choose your adventure

Next, it’s time to select the makeup adventure you want.

“I always recommend balance,” Makeup By Raven’s Raven Herschel said. “So if they’re a person that likes

camera the way you want it to and you have to make some tweaks.”

Meanwhile, times in-between special events are the perfect chance to experiment without the pressure of having cameras around.

Step 4: All about the eyes

Whatever kind of eye look you choose, the key is once again primer.

For a more neutral eye look, applying liner to the upper waterline— right below the upper lashes—can add drama and is beginner friendly, Goodlin said.

To select eyeshadow shades, check for visibility especially if there’s a chance you’ll be taking selfies or pictures while wearing the look.

“I always recommend, you know, two shades darker than your skin tone with an eyeshadow, or else it’s not going

LOCAL MAKEUP ARTISTS’ TIPS TO STAY SPARKLING THROUGH EVEN THE LONGEST WINTER DAYS

Natasha Goodlin (left) and Savanah Harris (right) work together preparing a client for her moment in the spotlight. | Photo by Leslee Layton Films, provided.

Raven Herschel of Makeup By Raven recommends using a glitter primer to help elaborate eye looks last all day—and night if needed. | Photo by Kendra Michal Johnson

to show up on camera,” Herschel said.

Additionally, choose long lasting formulas.

“I would use waterproof mascara,” Harris said, along with a lash primer to help hold her lashes’ curl and add drama.

Step 5: Face forward

Like during the skincare step, skin type is important in determining your foundation choice.

“Sometimes illuminating or very moisturizing foundation—though it feels good—is maybe not great for longevity,” Goodlin said, even for drier skin types.

Instead, she recommends applying a more matte foundation, such as her line’s mineral liquid foundation, but with a damp beauty blender.

“Even though a mattifying foundation seems kind of weird to apply on an already dry skin type, when you apply it with a beauty blender it gives you that moisture,” she said.

Step 6: Longwearing lips

The classic red or burgundy lip is a makeup staple—fantastic for a quick touch of joy—but is legendary for smudging.

“ You can blot whatever lipstick you’re wearing with like a tissue and then put a translucent powder over the lipstick and that will really mattify it,” Herschel said.

She recommended the Rimmel Stay Matte translucent pressed powder.

Additionally, use lip products known for staying power, such as lip vinyls can help.

“You kind of paint it on, where you want it. It stays put, it doesn’t move and it stays glossy,” McLoud said, naming Maybelline Superstyle Vinyl Inks as an example.

Goodlin’s makeup line’s lip colors were specifically designed for longevity and comfort.

She and Harris recommended using Ella International Lip Chic Lipstick Sealer after applying lip color, to lock it in place.

Step 7: Set everything

“If you’re using a lot of like cream products, you want to set those products with a similar color in a powder form or else it’s just going to slip and slide,” Herschel said.

An additional top off with setting spray seals everything.

“You always want to finish your makeup with a setting spray,” Herschel said. “And I noticed a big difference with this because my eyes are hooded, if I don’t do a setting spray, my eyeliner will move.”

Step 8: Rock it

And that’s basically it.

The artists only recommended a few key items to take with you out the door.

“Sometimes we get really hot in rooms and I get super shiny and it always shows up on camera,” Herschel said. “So oil blotting tissues are amazing.”

Another option is bringing a powder puff.

“Pat that on your powder, wrap it in a tissue and just stick it in your purse,” Harris said.

Patting it across the T-zone—the nose, forehead, chin and under the eyes—helps press everything back into place while picking up any excess oil, Harris and Goodlin said.

Herschel also advised bringing your lip color with you.

Step 9: Take it off

Don’t forget to take it all off after the event and do your skincare, because remember, a good makeup look starts with what’s underneath it.

Caught without makeup remover in the house? Not a problem.

“I’ve even gone into the kitchen and gotten some coconut oil and worked it all over my face,” McLoud said. The oil breaks down the makeup and a quick shower washes it down the drain.

Brushed Salon and Makeup Studio owner Samantha McLoud demonstrates touching up eye makeup on hair stylist Tayler Shackelford.| Photo by Kendra Michal Johnson

Kevin recently replaced four

six Oklahoma State Board of Education members with all the precision of a bazooka.

The new board members include an oil and gas CEO, a homeschool teacher, an accounting firm owner and a pharmacist, because who knows more about the future of public school education than that roster? They might know a thing or two about privatization though, and what is government for if not to providing new revenue streams to Kevin’s friends?

Kevin retained Yukon businessman Trent Smith, although redistricting

means he moves to a different congres sional district and spelling bee cham pion Ryan Walters rounds it out.

On their way out are a realtor, a “lu bricant industry account manager,” a charter school and nonprofit executive and the board president for a school advocacy group (one also formerly headed by Walters).

It’s hard to tell from that shakeup whether Oklahoma can expect to see a glorious return to its position as 48th

“owning the libs” will put Kevin and his cronies where we all think he’s headed — to dead last in the country when it comes to schooling.

Rumor has it that the new curriculum will include a Pledge of Allegiance recitation every hour on the hour, daily Christian prayer meetings (attendance

not required but strongly encouraged) and weekly story hour with an armed police officer or soldier in uniform.

All free lunches are canceled because there’s no such thing and all students will be required to take at least one credit hour in bootstrapping for graduation.

Illustrations by Jerry Bennett

of the

Even more baffling is that many of the right wing’s major figures — like Donald Trump and Tucker Carlson — are seemingly proud of it. This isn’t the same party as the “evil empire” years under Reagan, though it could be argued that Putin’s autocratic regime is a far greater threat to world peace than the final years of the Soviets leading to glasnost and perestroika.

Hell, it’s not even an argument. Russian military leaders have made unveiled threats about using nuclear force if things don’t go their way on the ground in Ukraine.

But even that brinkmanship

hasn’t prevented officials from tiptoeing around Russia. In fact, Russia Today — a known propaganda arm — just used Oklahoma state Sen. Nathan Dahm’s (R- Broken Arrow ) words in a broadcast.

“The Pentagon is planning on sending Ukrainian troops to Oklahoma to train on U.S. missile systems. The last thing we need is them misfiring a missile into Oklahoma” is the exact phrase of Dahm’s they parroted.

To be fair, Dahm followed it up with this quote to KTUL in Tulsa: “I’m America First, I’m not on the side of Russia, I’m not on the side

of Ukraine. I am on the side of the Russian people and the Ukrainian people because the people are the ones caught in this meat grinder that are having this loss of life because of the actions of both their governments.”

He’s not wrong and even recent-

ly proposed brokering peace talks for both nations on Oklahoma soil. That’s a far better idea than placating Russia or justifying Putin’s actions as so many of his conservative colleagues have been.

Hot noodles

Though this season’s temperatures haven’t been frigid most days so far, you might still be experiencing the winter blues. Few things are as comforting as a nice, warm bowl of noodle soup. Thanks to OKC’s wide range of Asian restaurants with multiple styles of ramen and pho-filled menus, the options are bountiful. Here are seven places where you’re guaranteed to find a moodaltering bowl.

By Berlin Green Photos provided

405-900-6615 • 300 Paseo Dr. gororamen.com

After starting out in the Plaza District, Goro Ramen moved to its stylish new space in the Paseo, taking its classic menu designed by Chef Jeff Chanchaleune with it. Their stellar spicy miso is made with a thick chicken broth and roasted garlic miso, topped with a spicy pork meatballs, corn and a perfectly soft-boiled egg, ajitama, menma, goma and negi atop tender noodles. It’s popular for a reason.

405-524-5045 • 3016 N Classen Ave.

No list of OKC noodle soups would be complete without Pho Cuong’s brilliant stable of delicious Vietnamese soups. Fondly known to locals as the “Green House,” Pho Cuong has been an easy choice for

405-825-4532 • 321 NW 8th St. tamashiiokc.com

Tamashii carries a great menu of ramen, including two types of tonkotsu, a delicious curry ramen and tsukemen, or “dipping noodles,” finished with braised pork belly, nori, bamboo and a jammy soft-boiled egg. However, the star of the show is definitely the miso butter corn ramen, a miso ramen made in a true Hokkaido style with the aforementioned ingredients.

Goro Ramen

Tamashii Ramen

Pho Cuong

405-521-8087 • 901 W 23rd St.

One of the city’s most popular spots to find a classic bowl of pho has long been Pho Lien Hoa. This Uptown 23rd pho restaurant features a large dining room that is often packed — with good reason. Here you’ll find a swath of steaming hot bowls of noodles over flavorful broth paired with tender beef, toothsome tripe, melty tendon and more. But don’t forget your cash, as Pho Lien Hoa doesn’t take cards.

405-525-7373 • 3221 N Classen Ave.

For carnivores who judge a bowl of pho based on the amount of meat it contains, Pho Thai Nguyen delivers the beefy goods and the rich housemade broth would make a top contender if there were an OKC pho contest. While this pho doesn’t need extra seasoning, a spoonful of spicy sriracha doesn’t hurt either. Pair your soup with traditional spring rolls for a well rounded meal.

405- 463-0303 • 1001 W. Memorial Rd. Masasushiokc.com

If you’re looking for a fantastic bowl of noodles in Quail Springs, look no further than Masa Ramen. Here you’ll find a shoyu ramen made with chicken broth and filled with pork belly, bamboo, sprouts and black fungus, all finished with the traditional softboiled egg. For something even richer, try the popular ribeye ramen made with a pork broth and tied together by the satisfying flavors of thinlysliced ribeye and chili floss.

405-608-5054 • 15001 N May Ave. pho54okc.com

Nestled in a strip mall along May Avenue, the small and quaint Pho 54 serves classic bowls of pho filled with thick rice noodles and proteins like tender rare steak and brisket in a savory broth. While any on the menu would satisfy, the shop’s seafood pho is a particular highlight thanks to a rich broth bolstered with shrimp, squid and imitation crab.

Pho Thai Nguyen

Pho Lien Hoa

Masa Ramen

Pho 54

ARTS & CULTURE

Handmade, not handmaid

PASEO’S LITTLE D GALLERY PRESENTING THE PLAN B PROJECT, SHOWCASING JEWELRY AND METAL ART RAISING MONEY FOR PLANNED PARENTHOOD

By Brett Fieldcamp

“We need conversations,” Shauna Burke said. “It’s an interesting moment in history. With every step forward, there’s ten steps back.”

Burke is a jewelry artist, curator, and organizer based in Brooklyn, where she works primarily with hardened and soft metals to interpret what she says is the simultaneous toughness and vulnerability of her native New York City.

In NYC, it’s easier to have anything-but-easy conversations. The city runs hot with an almost defiant progressivism, not least when it comes to questions of abortion rights and choice.

It’s harder to have those conversations in places like Oklahoma.

That’s why Burke created the Plan B Project, a touring showcase for jewelry and wearable works meant to hold up a mirror to the abor tion debate, and to wordlessly reflect the toll – both psycho logical and physical – of draconian bans and anti-choice laws like Oklahoma’s.

“Jewelry in its tradi tional form is really wear able art,” she said. “This show is made up of pieces that are wearable, yes, but that are also statements. You’re going to look at them twice.”

Though Burke admits to being passionately and irrepressibly political, she wanted this show to be a more quietly powerful collection of pieces representing the emotions and the silent, internal challenges of those affected by such regressive policies nationwide.

“Most of the statements are subtle, but you’re definitely going to take a look and say, ‘Hey, what is this about?’ and it’s going to bring on a conversation,” Burke said. “And that was our goal. It’s not necessarily to be in your face or to be too strong, but just to have this conversation about bodily autonomy.”

That same desire to spark a conver-

sation, no matter how controversial in such a firmly red state, was the motivation for OKCbased artist Denise Duong to welcome the Plan B Project to her Little D Gallery.

“This means the world to me,” Duong said. “This show in particular is unique in its vision as it addresses the aspects of autonomy to one’s own body through wearable art, which becomes part of one’s body when worn.

The cause and effects of the inability to control what can happen to a person without the option of safe access to abortion is historically profound and needs to be addressed more.”

The pieces on display and for sale as part of the Plan B Project range from the subtle, sometimes cryptic symbolism of amphora bottles and flowers or seeds to the more blunt, striking imagery of wire hangers and anatomical designs.

A necklace by artist Rachel Quinn features a limbless, feminine torso. Above the neck, just a silver cross. Below the waist, just three vivid, blood-red jewels.

“Some artists really just took it completely in their own direction,” Burke said. “Several artists have created works that fall sort of in between religion and human fertility, dealing with things like beads, which could be looked at as prayer beads or even a woman’s cycle of fertility.”

Since originally conceiving of the show as a way to raise both awareness of, and money for, pro-choice organizations and activism, Burke said that the scope has widened organically to address the greater issue of bodily autonomy in all its forms.

“It really started with the abortion issue, because that was my original inspiration,” she said. “But I think as

it’s grown, and as the artists sort of individually discuss it, it’s become a bigger issue of, ‘If this right is taken away, then what other rights can be taken away?’ and, ‘What kind of control do I have over my own body?’ And that’s clearly not only a women’s issue.”

The thing that all of the featured artists share, and perhaps the most important element that both Burke and Duong want to convey through the show, is the connective empathy required in both thinking emotionally about a piece of art and responding emotionally and thoughtfully to these issues.

“My thoughts on the people that oppose choice is that they will turn a blind eye because their hands already cover their ears and eyes to see beyond what they have firmly decided is right. It’s hard to un derstand art without empathy and the willingness to see beyond your own perspective,” Duong said.

The same sentiment was echoed by Burke. Even coming from a liberal enclave like NYC, she believes that, rather than just being surrounded by like-minded people, it’s the willingness to be open to challenging conversations and subversive ideas that keeps a mind open to the true beauty of art.

“I think when you’re so serious and so fiercely moral about a subject, you’re

not open to nuance and grace,” she said. “You really do have to look past your own tunnel vision to understand art, to understand literature, to understand anything outside of your own little bubble.”

Breaking through that bubble in Oklahoma is likely to be a challenge, but for all of the potential controversy and turmoil around seemingly anything that so much as mentions abortion, gender identity, or sexual affirmation in our state, Burke has no second thoughts about bringing the show to OKC.

“Maybe that would be a good thing,” she said of the show’s potential to create that kind of unwanted stir. “This is political and it’s emotional, and I think that my own perspective could be naive to this particular audience. But that is also why I want to bring it to that audience, because continuing to have a political conversation only with people who agree with you doesn’t get you anywhere.”

The Plan B Project jewelry and art show at the Paseo’s Little D Gallery will hold its opening reception on Feb. 2. The show runs through Feb. 12., and 25 percent of all sales will go to Planned Parenthood to help fight abortion restrictions and dangerous, regressive lawmaking across the country.

Visit planbartproject.com

(left to right) Denise Duong, Kelly Temple and Shauna Burke. | Photo by Berlin Green

“Vessel” by Thomas Mann, Carved Micarta and acrylics, bronze,steel, silver, found objects. | Photo provided.

“Hanger Earrings” by Krista Bermeo, Oxidized silver, hand fabricated with lamp worked glass drops. | Photo provided.

full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.

BOOKS

An Afternoon with Oklahoma Authors Book

Signing local authors Mark Jones of Shadowed Souls Laurel Thomas of When Stars Brush Earth, B.W. Luby of The Foxling and Kathleen Gibbs of Journey of the Cheyenne Warriors will be autographing their books, noon-2 p.m., Jan. 28. Best of Books, 1313 E. Danforth Road, 405-340-9202, bestofbooksok.com. SAT, JAN 28

FILM

Alcarràs (2022, Spain, Italy, Carla Simón) the life of a family of peach farmers changes when the owner of their large estate dies and his lifetime heir decides to sell the land, suddenly threatening their livelihood, 5:30 p.m., Jan. 27; 2 & 8 p.m., Jan. 28; 12:30 p.m., Jan. 29.

Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405236-3100, okcmoa.com. FRI-SUN, JAN 27-29

Living (2022, United Kingdom, Oliver Hermanus) in 1950s London, a humorless civil servant decides to take time off work to experience life after receiving a grim diagnosis, 11:30 a.m., Jan. 27. Rodeo Cinema, 2221 Exchange Ave., 405-235-3456. FRI, JAN 27

Music Movie Mondays: Almost Famous (2000, USA, Cameron Crowe) based in the early 70s, a highschool boy is given the chance to write a story for Rolling Stone magazine about an up-and-coming rock band as he accompanies them on their tour, 6:30 p.m., Jan. 30. Rodeo Cinema, 2221 Exchange Ave., 405-2353456. MON, JAN 30

Oklahoma Film Showcase: Mono an anthology film created by five directors who each filmed different segments throughout one single day in the life of protagonist Molly, 7 p.m., Jan. 27. Rodeo Cinema, 2221 Exchange Ave., 405-235-3456. FRI, JAN 27

Oklahoma Film Showcase: Mono Duex an anthology film created by five directors who each filmed different segments, tells the story of a jaded therapy session comprised of a man who lost everything, a frontiersman hunted by a Cheyenne brave, a morbidly desperate life insurance salesman, a traumatized neurologist and a single mom on a risky blind date, 7 p.m., Feb, 4. Rodeo Cinema, 2221 Exchange Ave., 405235-3456. SAT, FEB 4

Silent Sundays: Metropolis with Live Music Score (1927, Germany, Fritz Lang) in a futuristic city sharply divided between the working class and the city planners, the son of the city’s mastermind falls in love

with a working-class prophet who predicts the coming of a savior to mediate their differences, 3 p.m., Jan. 29. Rodeo Cinema, 2221 Exchange Ave., 405-235-3456. SUN, JAN 29

Femme Film: Smooth Talk (1985, USA, Joyce Chopra) free-spirited 15-year-old girl Connie Wyatt flirts with Arnold Friend, a dangerous stranger but finds herself in a dangerous situation and must prepare herself for the frightening and traumatic consequences, 8 p.m., Jan. 26. Rodeo Cinema, 2221 Exchange Ave., 405-235-3456. THU, JAN 26

The Trail (1962, France, Italy, West Germany, Orson Welles) an unassuming office worker by the name of Josef K is arrested and stands trial, but he is never made aware of his charges, 8 p.m., Jan. 27; 5:30 p.m., Jan. 28; 3 p.m., Jan. 29. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. FRISUN, JAN 27-29

HAPPENINGS

Broadway Rave an evening of dancing to some of Broadway’s greatest songs, 8 p.m., Jan. 28. Beer City Music Hall, 1141 NW 2nd St, 405-708-6937, beercitymusichall.com. SAT, JAN 28

Coffee and Cars OKC the largest monthly gathering of car enthusiasts across the state, featuring automotives of all types spanning from classics to hotrods, exotics to luxuries, sports to supers, there is something for every car lover, first Saturday of every month, 8 p.m. Chisholm Creek, 13230 Pawnee Dr., 405-728-2780, coffeeandcars.com. SAT, FEB 4

Forensic Night learn about the methods doctors, anthropologists and law officers use to examine human skeletons to solve true crime cases, 5:30 & 8:30 p.m., Jan. 27. Skeletons: Museum of Osteology, 10301 S. Sunnylane Road, 405-814-0006, skeletonmuseum.com. FRI, JAN 27

Fourth Friday on Film Row an evening of live music, food, games, and local vendors to shop from, 6-10 p.m. The Paramount Building, 701 W. Sheridan Ave., westvillageokc.com. FRI, JAN 27

Gimme Gimme Disco an ABBA-inspired dance party, 8:30 p.m., Feb. 4. Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd St., 405-708-6937, towertheatreokc.com. SAT, FEB 4

Live & Loud a networking event for aspiring songwriters, composers, lyricists, musicians, and bands to exchange ideas with industry professionals, 7-10 p.m., Thursdays. Joe & Charlies’ Sober Nightclub, 1146 N. Macarthur Blvd, 405-9990450. THU, ONGOING

Mario Kart N64 Tournament this tournament tests the participants skills to see who will come out on top with prizes from Roughtail Brewing Co., watch out for those banana peels and tortoise shells, 7:30-10:30 p.m., Jan. 25. Up-Down OKC, 1629 NW

16th St., 405-673-7792, .UpDownArcadeBar.com/ Oklahoma-City. WED, JAN 25

Opera Faire attend lectures on metaphysical topics, visit with psychics and mystics and shop vendors selling oil, crystals and other items, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Feb. 4; noon-6 p.m., Feb. 5. Oklahoma Foundation for the Disabled, 8421 N. Walker Ave., operafaire.org. SATSUN, FEB 4-5

Our Conservatory in Depth explore the newly renovated conservatory in a hybrid tour/class which features different aspects of some of the plant life growing within, 11 a.m.-noon, Jan. 28. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. SAT, JAN 28

Raised Bed Gardening learn strategies, benefits, layouts and more for creating raised garden beds, 10-11 a.m., Feb. 4. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. SAT, FEB 4

FOOD

Every Color Soup learn how to make a healthy soup that includes every color of vegetable, participants will be able to enjoy a bowl of the soup, warm drinks and a treat, 1-2 p.m., Jan. 28. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com.

SAT, JAN 28

Hot Cocoa Bombs bring the family and learn how to make delicious hot cocoa bombs, participants will leave with three bombs of their own creation to take home, Sat., Jan. 28, 11 a.m. Belle Kitchen, 7509 N May Ave., 405-430-5484, belle-kitchen.com. SAT, JAN 28

OKC Brew Tours jump on the bus and visit three local breweries within the OKC metro area with multiple tasters at each stop as well as take a behind the scenes tour and learn how beer is made, 6-9 p.m., Fridays and 2-5 p.m, Saturdays through Jan. 31. OKC Brew Tours, 701 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-822-0285, okcbrewtour. com. FRI-SAT, THROUGH JAN 31

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

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

Yukon Chocolate Festival featuring over 20 chocolate booths, a silent auction and awards for the best tasting chocolate and best booth décor, 1-3 p.m., Feb. 4. Dale Robertson Center, 1200 Lakeshore Dr., 405-350-7680, yukonok.gov/catalog. SAT, FEB 4

YOUTH

Groundhog Day Celebration children will learn about the seasons, create a colorful painted canvas using a flower’s shadow as a template and look for the “almost real” groundhog hiding in the garden, 10-11 a.m., Feb. 2. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. THU, FEB 2

Kids Take Over the Cowboy kids will learn about one of the first Historic Black Towns in the West, while trying their hand at rodeo events, creating a rodeo vest and accessories and more, 10 a.m.-noon, Feb. 4. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum. org. SAT, FEB 4

Late Night at the Museum: Cowboy Clue children will learn about fingerprints and how to collect them, followed by a flashlight tour of the outLAWman exhibit, a real-life game of Clue and end the night with a movie and popcorn, 6:30-11 p.m., Jan. 27. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-4782250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. FRI, JAN 27

Storytime with the Author young reader author Kim Rodgers will be autographing and reading her latest children’s book, Just Like Grandma, 11 a.m., Feb. 4. Best of Books, 1313 E. Danforth Road, 405-340-9202, bestofbooksok.com. SAT, FEB 4

Superphilharmonic kids can dress up as their favorite superhero and join Oklahoma City Philharmonic in the quest for truth, justice and musical play, 2 p.m., Feb. 5. Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 405-297-2264, okcciviccenter.com. SUN, FEB 5

are events recommended by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members For

Fresh stART Art Show features artwork by artists who are or have experienced homelessness, through Feb. 5. DNA Galleries, 1709 NW 16th St., 405-525-3499, dnagalleries.com. THU-SUN, THROUGH FEB 5 Photo Purple Trees by Brady Williams / provided

Chocolate Decadence enjoy chocolate-inspired cuisine, live music, wine, champagne, and a Valentine auction at this fundraising event benefiting the annual community holiday event, Lights on Broadway, 6:30-9 p.m., Feb. 2. Leadership Square, 211 N. Robinson Ave., 405-232-0877, automobilealley.org/chocolate-decadence.

THU, FEB 2 Photo provided

PERFORMING ARTS

A Company of Wayward Saints a comedy by George Herman follows the antics of a weary troupe of actors who must put aside dreams of individual stardom and learn to work together, directed by Richard Lemin. 8 p.m., Feb. 2-4, 9-11, and 16-18; 2:30 p.m., Feb. 5, 12, and 19. Jewel Box Theatre, 321 NW 36th St., 405-521-1786, jewelboxokc.com. THU-SUN, FEB 2-19

Bang Bang Queer Punk Variety Show a variety show featuring drag, burlesque, belly dancing and more, 7 p.m., Feb. 2. Blue Note, 2408 N. Robinson Ave., 405-600-1166, thebluenotelounge.com. THU, FEB 2

Disney In Concert: Magical Music from the Movies enjoy an evening with Oklahoma City Philharmonic and four guest singers as they perform some of the most memorable moments from classic Disney films, 8 p.m., Jan. 27-28. Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 405-297-2264, okcciviccenter.com. FRI-SAT, JAN 27-28

Music of the Knights a celebration of three of Britain’s most legendary songwriters, Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sir Elton John and Sir Paul McCartney, 8-10 p.m., Jan. 27. OCCC Visual and Performing Arts Center Theater, 7777 S. May Ave., 405-682-7579, occc.edu/pas. FRI, JAN 27

OKCPHIL Classics: Rite of Spring a performance of Jonny Greenwood’s suite from There Will Be Blood, Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat Minor, OP. 23 and Stavinksy’s The Rite of Spring featuring pianist Daniel Hsu, 8 p.m., Feb. 4. Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 405-297-2264, okcciviccenter.com. SAT, FEB 4

Steve Treviño a live stand-up comedy performance, Sat., Jan. 28. River Spirit Casino Resort, 8330 Riverside Parkway, Tulsa, 918-299-8518, riverspirittulsa.com. SAT, JAN 28

ACTIVE

Devon Ice Rink enjoy outdoor ice skating with seasonal food and beverage offerings, through Jan. 29. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, downtownindecember. com/devon-ice-rink. FRI-SUN, THROUGH JAN 29

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

WWE Monday Night Raw a live theatrical professional wrestling performance, 6:30 p.m., Jan. 30. BOK Center, 200 S. Denver Ave.,Tulsa. 918-894-4200, bok. centertulsa.com. MON, JAN 30

YMCA FitCrew a four-week variable-intensity interval training workout to help lose weight or improve posture and balance, noon - 1p.m. Scissortail Park, 300 SW 7th St., 405-445-7080, scissortailpark.org. MONWED, ONGOING

THEY DIDN’T CHOOSE TO LIVE WITH SECONDHAND SMOKE.

When kids are exposed to secondhand smoke in a car, the health risks increase. Kids in other states are protected, but in Oklahoma, smoking in cars is still legal. Where do you stand?

Join the fight to protect Oklahoma kids.

VISUAL ARTS

Americans and the Holocaust a traveling exhibit that examines the motives, pressures and fears that influenced Americans’ reactions to Nazism, war and genocide during the 1930s to 1940s, through Feb. 12. Ronald J. Norick Downtown Library, 300 Park Ave., 405-231-8650, metrolibrary.org. THU-SUN, THROUGH FEB 12

The Art of Food an exhibition that features over 100 pieces of work by 37 well-known artists , all highlighting the subject of food, Feb. 2-May 22. Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, 11 NW 11th St., 405-951-0000, oklahomacontemporary.org. THU-SUN, FEB 2-MAY 22

Art-o-Mat an exhibit that features Clark Whittington’s idea of transforming an old coin-op cigarette machine into a photography distribution device, along with close to 300 works from the Art-O-Mat repertoire and the option for visitors to purchase a piece of art for $5 from the machine, through Mar. 10. Oklahoma City University Norick Art Center, 1608 NW 26th St., 405208-5707, okcu.edu. MON-FRI, THROUGH MAR 10

Basket Workshop: Liberty Basket participants will learn how to create their own basket utilizing sea grass, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Jan. 28. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. SAT, JAN 28

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

exhibITion: The Only Way Out Is Through Art Opening featuring artwork from Romy Owen’s latest series, The Mandalas, which is comprised of intricate webs that present possible portals to another dimension, 5-8 p.m., Jan. 28. amshot, 428 Dean A McGee Ave., 405-418-6282, amshot.com. SAT, JAN 28

Inspiration in Detail an exhibit featuring works by Ranell Zurmehly using media such as oil, acrylic, colored pencil and graphite as she depicts her growth as an artist through her drawings, Jan. 5-28. Artspace at Untitled, 1 NE 3rd St., 405-815-9995, 1ne3.org. THUSAT, JAN 5-28

Looking Through the Windows to the West expands on the permanent exhibit, Windows to the West, with Wilson Hurley’s never before seen prep materials such as test canvases, sketches, color studies and mathematical diagrams and formulas used to create the five large scale triptychs, through Feb. 19, 2023.

National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum. org. FRI-TUE, THROUGH FEB 19

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

outLAWman showcasing the often thin-line between the lawmen and the outlaws in the American west featuring transcripts from the Osage murder trails, Virgil Earp’s Smith & Weston revolver, a purse allegedly belonging to Bonnie Parker and other items, Nov. 19 through May 7, 2023. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. MON-SUN, NOV 19 THROUGH MAY 7

Paseo Arts District’s First Friday

Gallery Walk peruse art from over 80 artists with 25 participating businesses for a night of special themed exhibits, refreshments and a variety of entertainment opportunities, 6-9 p.m. first Friday of every month. Paseo Arts District, 3024 Paseo St., 405-525-2688, thepaseo.org. FRI, FEB 4

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

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

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

Tanner Frady Art Show check out some of OKC Art Legend Tanner Frady’s newest works with the ability to purchase pieces to take home during Fourth Friday Art Hop, 6-10 p.m.Jan. 27. Core4 Brewing, 7 N. Lee Ave., 405-620-4513. FRI, JAN 27

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

Winter 2022 Group Exhibition organized by Gallery Director Helen Opper, features the work of Joan Wegener, Michael McDaniel, and the student artists of Captivating My Creative Culture, through Jan. 31, 2023. The Art Hall, 519 NW 23rd St., 405-456-9504, arthallokc.com/winter-2022-group-exhibition. SUN-SAT, THROUGH JAN 31 Visit okgazette.com/Events/AddEvent

2 Friends & Junk Craft Show enjoy a unique shopping experience with vendor’s booths filled with antiques, repurposed furniture, home decor, handmade jewelry and more, 9 a.m. -4 p.m., Feb. 3-4. Tulsa Expo Square, 4145 E. 21st St., Tulsa, twofriendsandjunk.com. FRI-SAT, FEB 3-4 Photo provided

By Evan Jarvicks

“ᎰᎵᎦᏧ ᏂᏥᏫᏪᏍᎬ?”

According to the printed lyrics that accompany physical copies of ᎠᏅᏛᏁᎵᏍᎩ, a Cherokee language album released in latter 2022, the preceding question translates to, “Do you know what I’m saying?” Hip-hop artist Zebadiah cheekily and offhandedly mutters it at the tail end of “ᏗᎦᏚᎲᏍᎦ,” a track that is otherwise about big and luxurious living, so the comment seems incidental. However, in the context of the album, it is a thematic Easter egg that tests listeners and rewards the observant ones. ᎠᏅᏛᏁᎵᏍᎩ, after all, is on a mission for attention.

Under the direction of native filmmaker Jeremy Charles in partnership with Horton Records, the album’s design aims to spark interest in Cherokee, an endangered indigenous language that depends on new generations to endure. Less than 1 percent of the Cherokee population is reported to speak it fluently, and only two of its three known regional dialects have survived the last century.

ᎠᏅᏛᏁᎵᏍᎩ (or Anvdvnelisgi using English letters, pronounced “Ah Nuh Duh Nay Lees Gi”) translates to “performers,” and it brings together a dozen of them from farreaching backgrounds and genres to vanquish any notion that such an old language is too archaic to be relevant. This album pops like a party cracker.

Kicking off with Austin Markham’s “ᎣᏍᏓᏫᏗᎦᎵᏍᏓ,” a pop number with boy band finger snaps and acoustic guitar set to a crisply produced beat, the album is striking in its modern sound. Tulsa indie folk darlings Desi & Cody build infectious rhythms and smart harmonies on some sitar-accented jangle pop with “ᎭᏤᏩ.” IIA’s mix of lofi beats, pizzicato synth lines, and bedroom pop femme vocals in “ᎠᏅᏛᏁᎵᏍᎩ ” is on par with TikTok-era hits.

The youthful energy on ᎠᏅᏛᏁᎵᏍᎩ is perhaps the LP’s most promising contribution to its mission, and it carries over to its more traditional folk tracks as well. Huge talents like Ken Pomeroy, Aaron Hale, and Kalyn Fay have been on the rise for years, and here,

they bring their powerful voices and visible platforms to the project.

Something about the Cherokee language seems to have inspired an environmental consciousness in these three, too, since each chooses to share a song that meditates on the natural world to work through heavy thoughts.

Veterans from the red dirt side of Oklahoma music are represented in

thing pretty unique, especially with the vintage-sounding studio work.

Most unique, however, are the album’s two closing metal songs. Colby Luper’s “ᎤᎧᏖᎾ” draws from Cherokee folklore to capture how badass and epic native storytelling can be, while Medicine Horse’s “ᎫᏩ ᏕᏡᎬᎢ ” goes insanely hard with a seven-minute protest against assimilation told in dramatic spoken

it would have worked. It is a small misstep, though, in an otherwise staggering achievement.

Of the 12 main songs on ᎠᏅᏛᏁᎵᏍᎩ, three are new translations of previously released songs (with Monica Taylor’s “ᎠᎠᎹᎭ ᏗᎦᏌᏬᏍᏗ” taking extra care to rewrite its phrasing altogether). The rest are all new, which is especially enthralling for an album concept that has never been tried before. The hours of coaching and discovery that guided the translation, rehearsal, and recording of these tracks are evident in how naturally the Cherokee language takes to some of these sounds for the first time.

As for its ultimate goal, there is one easy way to prove the album works. Play Zebadiah’s “ᏗᎦᏚᎲᏍᎦ ” again a couple of times and see if its chorus doesn’t stick. This track, which translates to “The Baker,” has fun with the notion of making one’s own fortune (i.e. dough, get it?) and living large. The Cherokee word for big, ᎤᏔᎾ (pronounced “Ooh Ta Na”), is so catchy in its repetitive refrain over these three minutes that even toddling listeners should have little problem remembering the meaning and pronunciation of ᎤᏔᎾ

Monica Taylor and Travis Fite. Taylor’s “ᎠᎠᎹᎭ ᏗᎦᏌᏬᏍᏗ” has some beautifully fluent spoken moments amidst its dobro guitar and sage vocals. Fite’s knack for infusing reggae into his sound proves fruitful on the full-on traditional genre exercise that is “ᏍᏆᏎᏍᏕᏗ.”

Despite this seasoned songwriting, the most old-fashioned track on the album is easily “ᎦᏠᎯᎭ ” by Agalisiga Mackey, a fresh-faced country singer whose folk yodel seems to be channeling an elder spirit. His voice is well beyond his years, and his bluesy lyrics combine with the fiddle and mandolin of a bluegrass number to create some-

word and guttural howling in turn. It ends the album on one hell of a high note.

There is a needless bonus track that follows immediately: the title theme to animated series “ ᎢᎾᎨᎢ,” which ᎠᏅᏛᏁᎵᏍᎩ project leader Jeremy Charles directed prior. This pre-existing song is a great little one-and-a-half minutes on its own, but without a proper buffer from Medicine Horse’s preceding meditative harshness, its abrupt tone shift causes whiplash, as does its short runtime. Perhaps if someone were to have written a custom instrumental intro to bridge the two spaces (or at least a gap of silence),

That is pretty fitting because this album is, well, big. Native culture has long been seen through a sepia-tinted lens of the past, told in history books written by descendants of American colonizers. That thinking tends to put modern-day tribes in the past, too, such that it comes as no real surprise that Cherokee is an endangered language. This vital album, however, was not created for The Smithsonian. It is not a document of the past. It lives vibrantly in the present, full of color, beaming with the culture of today and the promise of tomorrow. It also sounds fantastic, and for a project like this, replay value goes a long, long way.

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

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 25

Angel Olsen, Tower Theatre. INDIE

Kendrick McKinney Trio, 51st Street Speakeasy. JAZZ

Trett Charles, River Spirit Casino Resort, Tulsa. COUNTRY

The Wednesday Band, The Deli. COUNTRY

THURSDAY, JAN. 26

Casey Donahew, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa. COUNTRY

Chastity/Mad Money/Ben Quad/Dinosaur Boyfriend, The Sanctuary. PUNK

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

DJ Ecog, River Spirit Casino Resort, Tulsa. DJ

Funk Night, VZD’s Restaurant & Bar. FUNK

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

Lynne Hanson/Anya Hinkle, The Blue Door. AMERICANA

Mark and Edgar Cruz, UCO Jazz Lab. ACOUSTIC

Nelly, River Spirit Casino Resort, Tulsa. RAP

Shelly Phelps and The Storm, Bourbon Street Bar. BLUES

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

FRIDAY, JAN. 27

Adam Ray, Round Midnight. JAZZ

The Aints, The Deli. ROCK

Amarillo Junction/Five Year Gap, River Spirit Casino Resort, Tulsa. COUNTRY

American Slang, Beer City Music Hall. ROCK

Bad Genes, VZD’s Restaurant & Bar. COVER Big Weather, Ponyboy. INDIE

Brek Osenbaugh, Frenzy Brewing Company. ACOUSTIC

Brian Gorrell and Jazz Company, UCO Jazz Lab. JAZZ

Carter Sampson, Grand Casino Hotel & Resort, Shawnee. AMERICANA

Doubles/Jasper Wilderness/Keyland Music Company, The Vanguard, Tulsa. POP

Dr. Pants, Full Circle Bookstore. ROCK

Greenbeard/Klamz/Twin Wizard, Blue Note.

METAL

Live Jazz!, Hefner Grill. JAZZ

McKee Brother Jazz Band, Bourbon Street Bar. JAZZ

Mystery Dates Band, Hollywood Corners. COVER

Otis VCR/Burn the Throne/ Meanstump/Dion Warlocke, 89th Street—OKC. METAL

Red NOT Chili Peppers/Stylees, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa. TRIBUTE

Sarah Lee Guthrie, The Blue Door. FOLK

Smells Like Nirvana, Diamond Ballroom. TRIBUTE

Whiskey Chicks, Whiskey Chicks. COUNTRY

SATURDAY, JAN. 28

Ana Popovic, Belle Isle Restaurant & Brewing Company. BLUES

Catherine Fuller, Full Circle Bookstore.

ACOUSTIC

Chuck Prophet, The Blue Door. COUNTRY

Forgotten Space: Celebrating the Grateful Dead, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa. TRIBUTE

From Parts Unknown/Caught Stealing, Blue Note. METAL

Hail the Sun/Lilac Kings/A Mixtape Catastrophe, The Vanguard, Tulsa. ROCK

Hypnotik/Casey West, River Spirit Casino Resort, Tulsa. VARIOUS

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

Keller Williams, Tower Theatre. FOLK

Live Jazz!, Hefner Grill. JAZZ

McKee Brother Jazz Band, Bourbon Street Bar. JAZZ

Miss Brown to You, UCO Jazz Lab. JAZZ

Next Halen, VZD’s Restaurant & Bar. TRIBUTE

Oklahoma R&B Bash featuring Keith Sweat, BOK Center, Tulsa. R&B

Owen Pickard/Kelcie Pickard/Wes Fowler/Amanda Martindale/Alexis Fruga/Cory Bullis/Jordan Taylor, Rodeo Opry. COUNTRY

Shiloh Steel, Grand Casino Hotel & Resort, Shawnee. ROCK

Wayne and Brenda, The Black Raven, Harrah. FOLK

SUNDAY, JAN. 29

Barrett Lewis, River Spirit Casino Resort, Tulsa. ROCK

Chris Knight, The Blue Door. SINGER/ SONGWRITER

Jazz Night!, Blue Note. JAZZ

Live Jazz!, Hefner Grill. JAZZ

The Lone Bellow, Beer City Music Hall. AMERICANA

No Whiners Aloud, Mojo’s Blues Club. JAZZ

Tin Can Gramophone/Hosty, The Deli. FOLK

MONDAY, JAN. 30

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

Chris Hyde, River Spirit Casino Resort, Tulsa. COVER

Jack Wright and Ron Stabinsky/Wet Skeleton/Awful Eternity, The Sanctuary. JAZZ

Mental Mondaze, Hubbly Bubbly Hookah & Café. VARIOUS

TUESDAY, JAN. 31

Ben Neikirk, River Spirit Casino Resort, Tulsa. COVER

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

Bush, Marshall, Meyer and Meyer, Armstrong Auditorium. BLUEGRASS

Caleb McGee, The Deli. BLUES Kempmusik, Mojo’s Blues Club. ACOUSTIC

Soulfly/Bodybox/Half Heard Voices/Caliber, The Vanguard, Tulsa. METAL

St. Paul and the Broken Bones, The Jones Assembly. SOUL

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 1

Edgar Cruz and Friends, Broke Brewing Company. ACOUSTIC

Jazz Jam, 51st Street Speakeasy. JAZZ

Kendrick McKinney Trio, 51st Street Speakeasy. JAZZ

Trett Charles, River Spirit Casino Resort, Tulsa. COUNTRY

The Wednesday Band, The Deli. COUNTRY

THURSDAY, FEB. 2

Aaron Lewis, River Spirit Casino Resort, Tulsa. ACOUSTIC

Arkansauce, Ponyboy. FOLK Combsy/Brothers Griiin/DJ Kylie, The Vanguard, Tulsa. JAZZ

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

Caleb McGee/John Elisha, The Deli. BLUES

Everybody Else’s Girl, Full Circle Bookstore. JAZZ

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

Kennedy Fine, Frenzy Brewing Company. SINGER/SONGWRITER

King Cabbage Brass Band, Blue Note. JAZZ

Kody West, Beer City Music Hall. COUNTRY Live Jazz!, Hefner Grill. JAZZ

McKee Brother Jazz Band, Bourbon Street Bar. JAZZ

Shortt Dogg, UCO Jazz Lab. BLUES

Smokey Motel/Kitchen Slug/Polydrive, The Vanguard, Tulsa. POP

SATURDAY, FEB. 4

Acid Queen/Helen Kelter Skelter/Psychotic Reaction, Blue Note. ROCK

Adam Ray Funktet, VZD’s Restaurant & Bar. JAZZ

The Bottom of the Barrel, Hollywood Corners. AMERICANA

Celtixx/UBI, The Vanguard, Tulsa. HIP-HOP

Horseless Ryder, Frenzy Brewing Company. ACOUSTIC

Jason Boland & the Stragglers, The Auditorium at the Douglass. RED DIRT

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

Kyle Reid, The Blue Door. JAZZ

Live Jazz!, Hefner Grill. JAZZ

McKee Brother Jazz Band, Bourbon Street Bar. JAZZ

Miss Brown to You, Full Circle Bookstore. JAZZ

Miss Fortune, Beer City Music Hall. PUNK

Oberon/AITDIWAF/Magazu/Kemper Temper, The Sanctuary. METAL

Riverfield Rocks 2023, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa. ROCK

Smilin’ Vic, UCO Jazz Lab. BLUES

Tanya Tucker/Tommy Howell, River Spirit Casino Resort, Tulsa. SINGER/SONGWRITER

SUNDAY, FEB. 5

Jazz Night!, Blue Note. JAZZ

Jessica Tate, Full Circle Bookstore. INSTRUMENTALIST

Live Jazz!, Hefner Grill. JAZZ

No Whiners Aloud, Mojo’s Blues Club. JAZZ

Tin Can Gramophone/Hosty, The Deli. FOLK

MONDAY, FEB. 6

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

Memphis May Fire, The Vanguard, Tulsa. METAL

TUESDAY, FEB. 7

Alice Howe and Freebo, The Blue Door. BLUES

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

Caleb McGee, The Deli. BLUES

Death Cab for Cutie, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa.

ALTERNATIVE

Kempmusik, Mojo’s Blues Club. ACOUSTIC Subtronics, The Criterion. EDM

The Tooth comprised of three members, The Tooth have taken metal to a whole new level by intertwining elements of punk, doom, sludge and other heavy genres to create a hardcore sound that is one of a kind. Catch them with Money, Antipath, Dischordia and War, on Drugs Sat., Jan. 28 at The Sanctuary, 2828 NW 10th St., linktr.ee/ thesanctuaryok. SAT, JAN 28

Photo provided

The Judds, BOK Center, Tulsa. COUNTRY

Nick Massey, Frenzy Brewing Company. AMERICANA

Shelly Phelps and The Storm, Bourbon Street Bar. BLUES

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

FRIDAY, FEB. 3

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

THE HIGH CULTURE COMMENTARY

To legalize or not to legalize? That is State Question 820

AFTER SEVERAL YEARS OF DELAYS, OKLAHOMA VOTERS WILL NOW DECIDE WHETHER ADULTS CAN PURCHASE CANNABIS WITHOUT A LICENSE.

By Mason Pain / Gies Law Firm

Oklahoma is just under six weeks away from voting on State Question 820, a citizen-led ballot initiative that could statutorily legalize cannabis for adults over 21 while placing a 15 percent excise tax on those sale and also provides expungement pathways for people with past legal entanglements from decades of what some would call over-criminalization in the state.

After years of revisions and court battles, SQ820 will now be the sole issue on the March 7 ballot.

SQ820 received overwhelming support in the signature-gathering stage of the petition process, surpassing the signature requirement by tens of thousands a month ahead of the deadline for the November ballot. Those efforts were thwarted by a newly outsourced signature counting process from the state and legal challenges that escalated to the Oklahoma Supreme Court. While Gov. Kevin Stitt did declare a special election for SQ820, he’s since reminded everyone cannabis is federally illegal and said that he does not support “a checkerboard of jurisdiction across the states.”

Stitt is not the only one speaking out against the measure. The topic is being debated in the industry, with the main concern being whether a recreational program could be a detriment to the existing medical program. Oklahoma Southern Baptists, the state’s largest religious group, have also come forth to condemn cannabis, saying that it “devastates communities, leaves families vulnerable and that states should protect people from the ‘proliferation of recreational marijuana.’”

A necessary distinction is the difference between medical and recreational cannabis. The terms “recreational” and “medical’’ apply to how cannabis is regulated and sold, but its phytocannabinoids and their therapeutic properties/potentials don’t change depending on its market.

Legalization efforts would better be framed as “partial” and “full.” We currently have partial legalization in Oklahoma. Theoretically, there are would-be “patients” who could medically benefit from cannabis but who do not want to be on government registries and therefore risk some level of penalty for possessing or consuming cannabis. Those from outside Oklahoma that visit the state and possess cannabis also risk a penalty for possessing and consuming it. Legalizing adultuse would expand access to these groups of adults of legal age. Moreover, full legalization is the only thing that has the potential to eradicate what remains of a local black market, capturing that revenue for the benefit of our state.

The opposition to recreational cannabis has grown out of longstanding prohibition here, until recently enforcing some of the most punishing criminal cannabis codes and harshest possession penalties in the country. A second offense of possessing any amount of cannabis was a felony less than five years ago. Even since the passage of State Question 788, the National IncidentBased Reporting System data shows there have been 14,847 arrests related to cannabis in Oklahoma –86 percent of which were for possession. Oklahoma’s cannabis laws have long robbed people of their rights and civic status, separated families, made it harder to get jobs, housing, and custody. This still has not been corrected.

One of the most important decriminalization aspects of SQ820 is its retroactive application. Former convictions that would not be illegal under current laws would be eligible for expungement, resentencing or dismissal. The court would be ordered to process requests without prejudice or delay, without hearings or hassle and all outstanding fines and fees associated with the conviction would also be waived. The retroactive application provision

transforms felonies into civil infractions and that alone transforms peoples’ lives, returning to people their dignity.

SQ820 would also bring new opportunities to industry participants. Current cannabis margins are thin, with a massive supplyand-demand imbalance that continuously forces out small businesses. Full legalization allows business owners to create new revenue streams, as expanding access means expanding customer bases. For some, passing SQ820 would be like throwing a life raft to businesses currently on life support. While it’s true that companies would have to apply and pay to hold an additional adult-use license, a true medical market could also emerge while every owner would be able to cast a wider net, carving out niches and creating space for themselves. Opportunities could be created overnight that do not currently exist in the existing framework.

Also, cannabis tourism is projected to be a 17 billion dollar industry moving forward. Oklahoma has a chance — if it so chooses — to become a cannabis destination before federal legalization opens the floodgates.

Legalization could create thousands of jobs both directly and indirectly while generating state and

municipal tax revenues for our local communities. Marijuana Policy Project data shows aggregate tax revenues from adult-use cannabis sales hit 3.7 billion last year.

The fifth most valuable cash crop in the country, capitalizing on trends during boom times has historically helped agricultural states like ours by infusing rural communities with cash.

To recap, we can help a) eliminate the black market b) provide a lifeline to struggling small business owners c) expand our state’s agricultural and tourism opportunities, and d) restore civic statuses and rights to thousands of Oklahomans.

SQ820 would provide an immediate social and economic impact that we can continue to build upon through legislative engagement.

In 2018, Oklahoma overwhelmingly voted for a medical cannabis program. In November, only two of the five states with legalization measures on the ballot voted to approve them.

Legalization is about safe access, economic development, freedom, justice and providing opportunities that Oklahomans otherwise wouldn’t have been afforded. We, as voters, now get to decide whether we’ll deliver it.

Mason Pain | Photo provided.

THE HIGH CULTURE STRAIN REVIEWS

Strain name: Lilac Diesel

Grown by: Elite Cannabis

Acquired from: Unity Rd.

Date acquired: Jan. 13

Physical traits: frosted light green and orange

Bouquet: sweet, fruity and earthy

Review: Unity Rd. bills itself as the nation’s first cannabis franchise and recently set up shop in the former Ringside Medical space in Quail Springs. Having been a while since I’ve tried some Lilac Diesel, I decided to check out this beautiful run from Elite Cultivation, a Wynnewood-based grow that also processes their own cartridges and edibles. This bright, trichome-encrust ed flower offers a complex flavor profile that produces tasty smoke. One can expect

a balanced high that is both calming and mood elevating, perfect for those weekends

Strain name: Hippie Crasher

Grown by: Apex Genetics

Acquired from:

Date acquired:

Physical traits: with hints of purple

Bouquet: sweet and gassy

Review: A chance encoun ter with the proprietors of Dynamic Meds at the newlyopened sports bar The Boot, both at the corner of Reno and May avenues, led to the discovery of this strain, the cur rent flagship of Apex Genetics. This cross between Wedding Cake and Kush Mints looks like a winter storm under magnification, so much so that you have to break it up even to see its true colors clearly. The nose isn’t extremely strong and it doesn’t hit your lungs hard, which might lead you to be lieve it isn’t potent, but that would be a mistake. A mistake I made (also didn’t get a close look at the

trichomes until after the first bowl — oops). This one took a few minutes to reach its full potential. Once it did, the regret of going so hard in the

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

WEEK OF JANUARY 26

Homework: What is the best, most healing lie you could tell? Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

Noah Webster (1758–1843) worked for years to create the first definitive American dictionary. It became a cornucopia of revelation for poet Emily Dickinson (18301886). She said that for many years it was her “only companion.” One biographer wrote, “The dictionary was no mere reference book to her; she read it as a priest his breviary—over and over, page by page, with utter absorption.” Now would be a favorable time for you to get intimate with a comparable mother lode, Aries. I would love to see you find or identify a resource that will continually inspire you for the rest of 2023.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

“The aspects of things that are most important for us are hidden because of their simplicity and familiarity.” So declared Taurus philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein in his book Philosophical Investigations. Luckily for you Tauruses, you have a natural knack for making sure that important things don’t get buried or neglected, no matter how simple and familiar they are. And you’ll be exceptionally skilled at this superpower during the next four weeks. I hope you will be gracious as you wield it to enhance the lives of everyone you care about. All of us non-Bulls will benefit from the nudges you offer as we make our course corrections.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

Poet Carolyn Kizer said the main subject of her work was this: “You cannot meet someone for a moment, or even cast eyes on someone in the street, without changing.” I agree with her. The people we encounter and the influences they exert make it hard to stay fixed in our attitudes and behavior. And the people we know well have even more profound transformative effects. I encourage you to celebrate this truth in the coming weeks. Thrive on it. Be extra hungry for and appreciative of all the prods you get to transcend who you used to be and become who you need to be.

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

If you have any interest in temporarily impersonating a Scorpio, the coming weeks will be a favorable time to play around. Encounters with good, spooky magic will be available. More easily than usual, you could enjoy altered states that tickle your soul with provocative insights. Are you curious about the mysteries of intense, almost obsessive passion? Have you wondered if there might be ways to deal creatively and constructively with your personal darkness? All these perks could be yours— and more. Here’s another exotic pleasure you may want to explore: that half-forbidden zone where dazzling heights overlap with the churning depths. You are hereby invited to tap into the erotic pleasures of spiritual experiments and the spiritual pleasures of erotic experiments.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

The circle can and will be complete—if you’re willing to let it find its own way of completing itself. But I’m a bit worried that an outdated part of you may cling to the hope of a perfection that’s neither desirable nor possible. To that outdated part of you, I say this: Trust that the Future You will thrive on the seeming imperfections that arise. Trust that the imperfections will be like the lead that the Future You will alchemically transmute into gold. The completed circle can’t be and shouldn’t be immaculate and flawless.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Shakespeare’s work has been translated from his native English into many languages. But the books of Virgo detective novelist Agatha Christie have been translated far more than the Bard’s. (More info: tinyurl.com/ ChristieTranslations.) Let’s make Christie your inspirational role model for the next four weeks. In my astrological estimation, you will have an extraordinary capacity to communicate with a wide variety of people. Your ability to serve as a mediator and go-between and translator will be at a peak. Use your superpower wisely and with glee!

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Libran musician Franz Liszt (1811–1886) was a prolific and influential genius who created and played music with deep feeling. He was also physically attractive and charismatic. When he performed, some people in the audience swooned and sighed loudly as they threw their clothes and jewelry on stage. But there was another side of Liszt. He was a generous and attentive teacher for hundreds of piano students, and always offered his lessons free of charge. He also served as a mentor and benefactor for many renowned composers, including Wagner, Chopin, and Berlioz. I propose we make Liszt your inspirational role model for the next 11 months. May he rouse you to express yourself with flair and excellence, even as you shower your blessings on worthy recipients.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

This may risk being controversial, but in the coming weeks, I’m giving you cosmic authorization to engage in what might appear to be cultural appropriation. Blame it on the planets! They are telling me that to expand your mind and heart in just the right ways, you should seek inspiration and teaching from an array of cultures and traditions. So I encourage you to listen to West African music and read Chinese poetry in translation and gaze at the art of Indigenous Australians. Sing Kabbalistic songs and say Lakota prayers and intone Buddhist chants. These are just suggestions. I will leave it to your imagination as you absorb a host of fascinating influences that amaze and delight and educate you.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

“All the world’s a stage,” Shakespeare wrote, “and all the men and women merely players.” That’s always true, but it will be even more intensely accurate for you in the coming weeks. High-level pretending and performing will be happening. The plot twists may revolve around clandestine machinations and secret agendas. It will be vital for you to listen for what people are NOT saying as well as the hidden and symbolic meanings behind what they are saying. But beyond all those cautionary reminders, I predict the stories you witness and are part of will often be interesting and fun.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

In this horoscope, I offer you wisdom from Capricorn storyteller Michael Meade. It’s a rousing meditation for you in the coming months. Here’s Meade: “The genius inside a person wants activity. It’s connected to the stars; it wants to burn and it wants to create and it has gifts to give. That is the nature of inner genius.” For your homework, Capricorn, write a page of ideas about what your genius consists of. Throughout 2023, I believe you will express your unique talents and blessings and gifts more than you ever have before.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

Greek writer Nikos Kazantzakis (1883–1957) was nominated nine times for the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature, but never won. He almost broke through in the last year of his life, but French author Albert Camus beat him by one vote. Camus said Kazantzakis was “a hundred times more” deserving of the award than himself. I will make a wild prediction about you in the coming months, Aquarius. If there has been anything about your destiny that resembles Kazantzakis’s, chances are good that it will finally shift. Are you ready to embrace the gratification and responsibility of prime appreciation?

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

Piscean educator Parker Palmer has a crucial message for you to meditate on in the coming weeks. Read it tenderly, please. Make it your homing signal. He said, “Solitude does not necessarily mean living apart from others; rather, it means never living apart from one’s self. It is not about the absence of other people—it is about being fully present to ourselves, whether or not we are with others. Community does not necessarily mean living face-to-face with others; rather, it means never losing the awareness that we are connected to each other.”

Go to RealAstrology.com to check out Rob Brezsny’s expanded weekly audio horoscopes / daily text message horoscopes. The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700.

By Wyna Llu | Puzzles Edited by Will Shortz | 0122

35 [I’m frustrated!] 36 Fragrant noodle soup made with beef 39 Like Captain James T. Kirk, by birth 41 Número de ‘‘Años de Soledad” in a Gabriel Garc’a Márquez novel 43 Follows 44 ______ + Golfer’s cry + “Ugh!”

46 Column crossers + Sentry + ______ 49 “Encore!” 50 Irks 52 Crossed off 53 Gangster-film prop 56 “Holy” city 58 Nongendered possessive 59 Insult that’s also a measurement device 61 “The landlords of New York,” once 63 One cast in a fantasy movie 65 Digging 66 French festival, familiarly + ______ + Actor Michael 70 Punching tool + Chopping tool + 72 Cherubic archer 73 Foil lookalikes 75 Seoul-based carrier 76 Influential sorts 78 Rod with seven A.L. batting titles 80 Athlete’s cup 85 Flattering verse 86 In the manner of 87 Demonstrate extreme flexibility, as an acrobat 89 Opposite of neo90 Tandoor bread + Harlem music venue + 93 Word of obligation + ______ + Punxsutawney name 95 Some origin stories 97 Response to “Shall we?” 98 H.S. science class for some college-bound students 99 Rocky Mountain bugler 100 Move, in real estate lingo 101 Pioneered 103 Immediately 105 Couple of llamas? 107 Rug rat + Magic stick + 110 Soccer score + ______ + Scottish inlets 115 Resistor unit 116 Iconic 1984 movie vehicle that was a combination ambulance/ hearse 119 “Anything for you!”

PUZZLES

120 Actress de Armas 121 Annoyances when trying to make change 122 Challenging, informally 123 Corleone, for one 124 Toilet-paper spec 125 Most likely to offer solace, say 126 Calm

DOWN 1 Fastener used with a padlock 2 The “E” in FEMA: Abbr. 3 “Diamonds” singer, to fans 4 QB protectors, collectively 5 Time to decide who’s in or out 6 Polite Spanish assent 7 ThinkPads, e.g., once 8 “Doc” in the Mets Hall of Fame 9 Removed, as a knot 10 Language suffix 11 Spanish seasoning 12 Hindu goddess in the “Ramayana” 13 Serpentine constellation 14 Ambidextrous features? 15 It may have just desserts 16 Converter of natural heat energy 17 Doohickey 18 Tweens, e.g. 21 Making level 27 Welcomed at the door 29 Broccoli follower 32 Intestinal bacterium 33 Choir platforms 36 Boggy stuff 37 Literary award shaped like a rocket 38 Milky gemstone 40 Common solvents 42 Some R.P.I. grads 43 Chances 45 Hurry 46 Waze suggestions: Abbr. 47 Armpit, anatomically 48 Move to a larger pot, say 51 More than a couple 54 Doesn’t just sit there 55 Boxing stats 57 Influential leader of the Seminole people 59 Burrito-shaped lunch counter item

60 Part of X-X-X 62 [Is this thing on?] 64 Scenic stroll, from the Spanish 66 Baja Peninsula resort, for short 67 In the thick of 68 Hardly Mr. Nice Guy 69 Hippocratic oath takers: Abbr. 71 Path covered with diamonds 74 Vamooses 75 Pretentiously affected 77 “Frozen” villain 79 Existential emotion 81 Goofus 82 Dance squat 83 Where 95-Down’s Wild Ride ends, at Disneyland 84 Key ingredient in Key lime pie 87 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame city: Abbr. 88 Floated down a river, say 91 “Hmm, gotcha” 92 Unteachable sort, in a saying 94 Tessellations 95 “The Wind in the Willows” squire 96 “Nice try, but I don’t think so” 98 Islands that form atop underwater volcanoes 101 Making all the stops 102 Portion of a log 104 Quick to think or act 106 [Grrr!] 108 “Eh, what can you do?!” 109 Black cat, classically 111 For fear that 112 Michael of “Superbad” 113 Wraparound garment 114 Eye affliction 117 Belt worn with a yukata 118 Company that owns Wite-Out

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