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12/26/19 4:34 PM
INSIDE COVER P. 4 As winter sets in, Oklahoma
City’s overnight shelters rely on donations and volunteers to help keep people safe. By Miguel Rios Cover by Ingvard Ashby
NEWS 4
COVER winter shelters
9
CHICKEN-FRIED NEWS
6 CITY Bricktown Comedy Club opens
EAT & DRINK 11 FEATURE The Hive Eatery 12 REVIEW
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14 GAZEDIBLES food trends
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NEWS City Rescue Mission, 800 W. California Ave., sees a significant increase in clients starting in September. | Photo Alexa Ace
Sisu Youth Services, said Sisu’s overnight beds are usually filled as well. “Our emergency weather beds are utilized most every time they’re available. Maybe not all of them, but to some extent we almost always are on a wait. Typically, if there’s an extra bed, there’s two or three youth that are going to fill those beds regardless of the weather really,” she said. “But we definitely want to make sure that they have a safe place to stay when the temperatures are below 32 degrees.”
COV E R
Youth focus
Winter contingency Overnight shelters for people without a home rely on donations and volunteers to best serve their clients, especially in the cold months. By Miguel Rios
Sixteen people experiencing homelessness in Oklahoma City died during winter 2017. Some froze to death on the streets while others died trying to stay warm in fires that got out of control. Having somewhat of a cold weather plan in place to shelter people experiencing homelessness was not enough to save those lives. That was when city shelter leaders got together to craft a more exhaustive plan, said Dan Straughan, Homeless Alliance executive director. “We knew we had to have something more formal, more structured and more robust,” Straughan said. “All the shelter directors meet once a month for lunch, and so we just got together and, in consultation with The City of Oklahoma City and some volunteer groups, put together this program. It’s pretty structured. We’ve all agreed that we will open overflow beds when it’s 32 degrees [Fahrenheit] or below, and we determine that 48 hours in advance. So we always know and can tell people if the shelters will be open tonight and tomorrow night. We all agreed that for forecasting purposes, we would use the National Weather Service website and use 73101 as the location.” Salvation Army, 1001 N. Pennsylvania Ave.; City Rescue Mission, 800 W. California Ave.; Jesus House, 1335 W. Sheridan Ave.; Grace Rescue, 2205 Exchange Ave.; and Sisu Youth Services, 3131 N. Pennsylvania Ave., all open up overflow beds for the winter contingency plan crafted in 2018. “Last winter, we didn’t lose anybody,” Straughan said. “That’s an outcome, and that’s exactly what we wanted to happen. We hope for the same thing this year.”
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The plan
Currently, the five shelters in the plan collectively offer about 161 overflow beds for the winter contingency plan, but that’s just phase one. “In three phases, we can actually go to a little over 300 beds,” Straughan said. If they see the beds filling up and expect to max out, Grace Rescue Mission can open its gym for an additional 75 cots. If those were to fill up as well, which Straughan said would likely only be due to a long stretch of low temperatures,
forecasts temperatures lower than 32 degrees, an email goes out to all shelters and other partner agencies like local libraries and meal sites. “What most of them do is make sure that people who are homeless are aware that that’s available to them. That’s the big thing,” Straughan said. “For all those shelters that are doing cold-weather contingencies, there’s additional costs involved in staffing, in supplies, food, that kind of stuff, so Regional Food Bank [of Oklahoma] steps up to provide extra meals during the winter. United Way made a special sort of emergency grant to defray the cost of staffing and security at shelters.”
For all those shelters that are doing cold-weather contingencies, there’s additional costs involved. Dan Straughan
Dan Straughan is executive director of Homeless Alliance. | Photo Alexa Ace
Homeless Alliance can open its day shelter for an additional 70 spaces. “We will not turn somebody away. If we were one over capacity, shelters will just make room,” Straughan said. “We may just have to provide transportation.” As soon as National Weather Service
As of late December, the weather contingency plan has been activated 16 nights and the highest utilization was Nov. 11 when 141 beds were occupied. While the whole system activates when temperature forecasts fall to 32 degrees Fahrenheit or less, some providers like City Rescue Mission open their overflow beds at higher temperatures. Including those nights means the winter contingency plan has been activated 39 nights, with the first being Oct. 30. Erin Goodin, City Rescue Mission CEO and president, said they have filled pretty much all of their overflow beds when the contingency plan has been activated. “Especially on our men’s side, not so much on our women’s side, but every night, our cold weather men’s beds are full,” she said. “We haven’t turned anybody away, but we will increase our count a little bit if we need to. We try not to overload our security staff at night, but we have never gotten to the point where we’ve had to actually turn anybody away.” Jamie Caves, executive director of
Sisu Youth Services is the only shelter in the plan that specifically caters to youth experiencing homelessness. After the closure of the only other youth-focused overnight shelter, Sisu became the only place where youth could find a bed to stay overnight. That made Sisu much more busy than ever before. Caves said things have somewhat stabilized but its decision in May to temporarily expand three available overnight beds has stayed in effect. Sisu currently has 19 overnight beds, and five additional spaces open up when the cold weather contingency is activated. “It was pretty chaotic and stressful for a few months after, but it has stabilized some,” she said. “There’s a lot of pressure when you’re the only one because that means you have to be really careful about suspending a youth for bad behavior, so that puts us in a situation where we really have to weigh out, ‘Is this safe for the other youth here, and what is the contingency plan for this youth?’ Weighing those against each other is a difficult position to be in, but when you’re the only one, it’s certainly something that we’re faced with constantly.” Being a shelter that focuses on youth also comes with different obstacles officials have to help clients overcome. For example, unaccompanied minors aren’t able to stay at any of the adult shelters. “So if find yourself 17 and homeless, there isn’t another shelter you can stay at,” Caves said. “Then there’s things like enrolling in school, there’s health-care barriers sometimes if they are a minor. … This age population, we find that there is sometimes a lack of skill and that they do not have the skills they need to rely on themselves. So we also make sure that we’re teaching them how to do some very basic functions like cook a simple meal for yourself, how to do some basic chores and keep things clean. … The goal is for this experience with homelessness to be brief and one time, but in order for that to happen, we know that they need some skills.”
Cold shelter
Even when the temperatures remain higher than 32 degrees throughout the cold months, shelters across the city see
a significant increase in the number of clients they serve. For City Rescue Mission, the increase begins around September. Goodin estimates a 40 percent increase. “Traditionally, around Christmas and when it gets colder, we do see an increase. It usually hasn’t been as high as what we’re experiencing this year,” she said. “We have more families than we’ve had in a really long time.” Currently, Goodin said, City Rescue houses about 40 families and anywhere between 80 and 120 children per night. “We have a lot of clients that come in with an average income of $900 a month and their housing expenses are $700 a month, and that’s just not a sustainable housing situation,” Goodin said. “Most of them come from housing and to our shelter, and it’s usually evictions.” Caves has noticed two main reasons winter increases the number of people they serve. The first is an increase in desperation. “The cold weather changes the desperation of the situation and needing shelter. It isn’t just about not wanting to be outside or being exposed to violence, but now we’re talking about, ‘Do you have the proper equipment to survive the night?’” she said. “It means we carry different supplies. We have HotHands and gloves and scarves and sleeping bags, and if we are full and someone is sleeping outside, then we will absolutely provide those supplies for them.”
Jamie Caves is executive director of Sisu Youth Services, the city’s only emergency overnight shelter specifically focusing on youth. | Photo Miguel Rios
The second thing, which she said was also prevalent last year, is an increase in youth being kicked out of homes. “It seems as though when the kids get out of school and the stress and tension of the holidays come together, we’re seeing an increase in minors that are being kicked out of the house,” Caves said. “That’s happened both years that we’ve had that increase in young people that just don’t have a place to go anymore.” Caves said Sisu has to turn people away several times a week but works with them
Erin Goodin is CEO and president of City Rescue Mission. | Photo Miguel Rios
to find other shelters and resources. “We will work to find another solution for someone. We don’t ever want camping to be the answer, but some of the youth choose that as the answer. If that’s what they want to do, that’s OK. That’s their decision,” she said. “We just want to provide them the supplies that they need to be able to camp and stay safe. We’ll also get them connected to another adult shelter.”
Temporary fix
Despite the positive impact the cold weather contingency has already had in the lives of people experiencing homelessness, Straughan, Goodin and Caves said the plan is ultimately a Band-Aid on the larger issue of homelessness. All three agreed that the answer is more affordable housing. “There’s nothing wrong with a BandAid. When you’re bleeding, you need a Band-Aid, but it’s not the ultimate answer. The ultimate answer is housing,” Straughan said. “Ideally, as a community, we need to look at — and MAPS 4 will go a long way in doing this — preventing homelessness on the front end and providing housing and other assets to people that are currently experiencing homelessness.” Goodin also pointed out that housing prices have gone up while wages have stayed stagnant. “Our clients really need affordable housing in safe areas. That’s key,” she said. “We’ve experienced a huge increase here in the number that we’re serving. I think on our busiest night, we’ve been about 525-530 at night, and that’s significantly more than what we’ve served in the past. Housing is huge, and affordable skilled wages. Most of our clients aren’t going to have four-year degrees, but they need something that they can do that pays a wage so that they can afford housing.” Additionally, Caves said a Housing First model is important. Housing First continued on page 6
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COV E R
would provide a home for people without a place to stay so that they can focus on bettering themselves when it comes to other things that might be fueling their homelessness. “Until you have that housing stability, you can’t really focus on your mental health. I do believe we’re severely lacking in the mental health support that we’re providing to our community. I also think we need to address criminal justice reform because we know that it makes a significant impact on a family when a parent is incarcerated,” she said. “It’s all those cycles of poverty and all of those things that affect people, and when we continue to create those cycles of poverty without making meaningful change, we’re sort of forcing people into this being their life.”
We’re sort of forcing people into this being their life. Jamie Caves All three, however, also agreed that the city is making important decisions to move in the right direction. “People maybe don’t really realize that Oklahoma City is on a seven-year trend of slowly but steadily decreasing homelessness, and there’s not that many big cities in this country that can say that. We’ve kind of figured out what works; we just need more resources to do more of the work,” Straughan said. “One of the things that sets Oklahoma City apart from other cities is how well the nonprofit and government sectors work together. We’re just used to collaboration. Maybe that’s a silver lining of being a disaster-prone state … is we’ve recognized over decades that teamwork makes the dream work.”
Helping hands
Donations, primarily monetary ones, are typically what shelters need the most. Shelters are usually in an ongoing need of winter items like blankets, hats, gloves, socks and lip balm as well.
Cold weather contingency SHELTER
BEDS
POPULATION
HOURS
BUS ROUTE
Salvation Army
90
Men, women & families
7 pm – 6 am
008, 007, 038
40
20 men, 20 women
Men
012
1001 N. Pennslvannia Ave.
City Rescue Mission 800 W. California Ave. (Beds open at 40 degrees)
8:30 pm – 6 am Women & Children
6 pm – 6 am
6pm check-in for everyone when temp is below 30
Jesus House
16
Men
Sign up
009
10
Men
5 pm (Dinner) – 6 am
012, 016
5
Youth age 14–22
Check-in 7–8 pm
008
1335 W. Sheridan Ave.
Grace Rescue Mission
1 – 4:30 pm
2205 Exchange Ave.
Sisu Youth 3131 N Pennsylvania Ave.
7 pm – 8 am
These shelters will be providing overflow beds during the winter when the temperature drops to 32 degrees or below. To find out when beds are available, contact Heartline by dialing 2-1-1 or check the dates listed online at www.heartlineoklahoma.org/emergency-winter-shelter-beds. “During cold weather contingency, we hire additional security to come in overnight, so it increases our expenses,” Goodin said. “We also need socks, men’s clothing, men’s work boots, travel-size toiletries, those are very helpful.” Along with donations, volunteering is a huge part of what keeps shelters going. Sisu, for example, is 90 percent volunteer-run, so it depends on people taking time out of their day to help with its operations. “Volunteering to come work shifts,
especially people that might have experience in education or mental health backgrounds or social work, we’d love to have them come in and work a shift once a week, once every other week and just really be involved in supporting youth and providing that direct care,” Caves said. Sisu also feeds its youth through a meal train, so it depends on community members donating prepared foods. “So 365 days a year, the community brings food to Sisu to feed the youth,”
Caves said. “This is another excellent way we can get the community involved. They can sign up with a group of friends, sign up themselves, they can bring dinner once a month, once every three months, but bringing food to feed 20 hungry people is also really important and an awesome way to get involved for those that maybe don’t feel super comfortable with direct care.” Visit homelessalliance.org.
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CIT Y
Bricktown Comedy Club can hold 275 people per show in cabaret-style seating. | Photo Alexa Ace
A-list comedy A new downtown venue bringing national comic headliners is now open. By Miguel Rios
A new comedy club bringing national headliners to downtown OKC is now open. Bricktown Comedy Club had two shows last weekend and already has comedians booked through July. Bricktown Comedy Club, operated by family-owned BARK Entertainment, brings comedians like Jay Pharaoh, Damon Wayans, Dave Attell, Nicole Byer, Margaret Cho and many more next year. The club can seat 275 people each show in a cabaret-style seating arrangement. “People in Oklahoma deserve live entertainment and want live entertainment, and artists want to give that to them,” BARK CEO Adam Norwest said. “I think the farthest seat from our stage is 30 or 40 feet, so you pay $40 and you can be that close to Damon Wayans. That’s not something that you can do normally. … It’s cool getting to bring it to that level, and some of the comedians like to meet fans afterward. They don’t usually have time to do that in a theater with 1,000 or 2,000 people, but they can get through a line of 200.” Bricktown Comedy Club is connected to Gamers Arcade Bar, which also opened this past weekend. Though the two are connected, Norwest said you don’t need tickets for a show to enjoy drinks or games at the bar. “It’s great if you want to go before the show or after the show or even on a day when we don’t have a show,” Norwest said. “We have like 25 or 30 games. We have a really amazing mural that was painted by a local artist, Chris Presley. It says, ‘Greetings from Bricktown,’ and has a montage of a bunch of video game characters. … To me, it’s more of a bar that happens to have video games that you can play and it gives you something to do.”
BARK Entertainment has opened three other comedy clubs, the first of which opened in Tacoma in 2011. Its club in Spokane, Washington, also has an arcade bar connected to it. Bricktown Comedy Club features a full bar with 10 beers on tap, bottled beer, wine and what Norwest calls “really good bar food,” the bulk of it being gourmet sandwiches. Norwest said the club and arcade will give people in Bricktown something slightly different to do, making for a great date spot. “One of my favorite things about our first club is we have people who come in and say, ‘We had their first date here. We celebrated and got engaged here. We have kids now,’” Norwest said. “I take full credit for it. If the marriage doesn’t work out and they got divorced, maybe they should’ve come to more comedy shows. We at least take responsibility for love happening. But it’s a great first date or date anyway because you don’t have to be funny. Somebody else can be funny, and it lightens the mood and eases tension.” Tickets are generally $10-$20 per person but can be higher for special events. There are two levels of tickets: general admission, which is for seats on a firstcome-first-served basis, and premium tickets, which guarantee seating in the front couple of rows.
National comics
MTV’s D.C. Young Fly and Friends performs tonight at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., and Last Comic Standing winner John Heffron performs for the club’s New Year’s Eve show Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.
“If you don’t know who [John Heffron] is and you just want to come check the club out and see a good show, I promise times a million you’ll think he’s funny,” Norwest said. “Some people have expressed concern about Bricktown on New Year’s Eve, but that’s why we have two shows. We have the 7:30, so you get out of there at 9 o’clock and get home before anything gets crazy, or we have the 10:30 show. You can count down to midnight and then go party it up in Bricktown. I’m just super excited about that show.” Norwest is also particularly excited about Dave Attell’s shows in February but is proud of being able to showcase a variety of comics. “He’s probably the one I’m most excited about just because he’s someone that I
really enjoy watching,” Norwest said. “He’s somebody that’s famous and has a name just because he’s so good at comedy.” One of the club’s latest bookings is Trevor Wallace, who got started in comedy through Vine before creating various viral YouTube videos. “I’m super excited about that. And that was really cool to book too because that’s one I know we had to offer it on and it just sat there forever, and then he
came to our Tacoma Comedy Club Dec. 10 and right afterwards he got confirmed,” Norwest said. “My mom actually went to his show … and she thought he was really funny, and she’s never seen any of his videos or anything. So it always makes me happy that somebody is good for any general audience that might not know who they are.” Norwest, a retired comedian himself, said the most common question he gets is whether or not he’ll ever perform at one of his comedy clubs. “I say, ‘No.’ I say, ‘I retired’ … but I think Kiss is doing their seventh retirement tour right now, so I won’t say goodbye forever. You never know what’ll happen,” he said. “I will say, when we tested the sound system out, I thought, ‘Oh this is good. I want to tell jokes here.’ … I’ll make a deal that if I ever come out of retirement, it’ll be Oklahoma first.” Since the news about the club broke, Norwest has heard a lot of positive feedback and enthusiasm from the public. “It’s awesome. It makes me feel validated in the financial investment behind it, and now I just got to make sure that we follow through on what people are expecting. I’m not too worried about it, but I definitely want everyone to have a good time,” he said. “At the same time, I would say, if you come in the first couple weeks, be patient with the staff. They’re all very nice, but it’s a lot to learn. I think that we all, myself included, forget that sometimes when we go to a new business.” Visit bricktowncomedy.com.
Gamers Arcade Bar, which features various arcade games, a mural by a local artist and a full-service bar, is connected to the comedy club. | Photo Alexa Ace
NYE w/John Heffron 7:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Tuesday Bricktown Comedy Club 401 E. California Ave. bricktowncomedy.com | 405-594-0505 $20-$30
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chicken
friedNEWS
Helping hand
Businessman-turned-politician Kevin Stitt might have parlayed some of the same energy that elected businessman-turnedpolitician Donald Trump to the White House to become Oklahoma’s governor, but he’s not exactly falling in lockstep with the president on every decision. At the urging of Oklahoma faith leaders, Stitt sent a memo to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that Oklahoma will continue to accept refugees, which is in compliance with a presidential executive order that allowed cities and states to opt out of receiving political refugees. “Faith leaders across the state reached out requesting the State continue its history of accepting refugees facing dire political or religious circumstances in their home countries,” a statement from Stitt read. “As part of their relocation, these refugees undergo a thorough legal vetting process and are often reunited with family living in the States. I appreciate churches who have assisted these individuals, and stand ready to continue to do so, to ensure the success of refugees in our communities.” The Trump administration has slashed the amount of refugees allowed to the enter the country — to just 18,000 in 2020 after accepting 30,000 in 2019 and 45,000 in 2018 — while it separates families and keeps children in cages of people from Central and South America who are seeking asylum from the very things allowed under refugee statutes. Even Congressman James Lankford,
R-Oklahoma City, criticized Trump’s plan, saying that efforts to curb illegal immigration shouldn’t stop us from welcoming refugees. Only about 206 refugees of the 28,052 refugees accepted in the country this year have settled in Oklahoma this year, according to The Oklahoman. Considering Oklahoma was founded as a haven for refugees in their own country, it only makes sense that the state continues to be a haven for allowing people to get back on their feet.
Heavenly treasures
Oklahoma’s property taxes, according to Oklahoma Policy Institute, are among the lowest in the U.S., but a recent report from journalism nonprofit The Frontier
reveals that for some properties, the taxes are even lower — as in zero. “State law grants tax exemption to properties ‘used exclusively and directly for fraternal or religious purposes,’” The Frontier reported on Dec. 16, “but the process for determining whether a property is eligible for tax exemption is a patchwork of policies and practices formed by each county’s tax assessor and local district attorney determinations. … State law contains no standard for what kind of property qualifies for a religious tax exemption. The law doesn’t even require a property to be owned by a church or a religious group to qualify for a tax-exempt status.” Among the tax-exempt properties The Frontier discovered in its study of nine Oklahoma counties were a 120-acre cattle ranch, airplane hangars, radio broadcast towers and a $1.7 million seven-bedroom, five-bath house sitting on 10 acres of land. “In Oklahoma if a church or parachurch organization (such as a ministry) can show it owns the property and that property is lived in … then the property is usually taken off the tax rolls,” Tulsa-based nonprofit attorney Philip Haney told The Frontier. “It’s almost a presumption that that property is being properly used by a church or religious ministry and can be taken off the rolls.” You might expect us to be all sarcastic and snarky about allowing absurdly wealthy organizations and individuals to keep money that could be going to our underfunded schools, social programs and infrastructure, but as the pastors of the Chicken-Fried Church of Fake News — where we hold services while ripping massive bong hits on a private jet to get as close to God as possible — we commend the state of Oklahoma for not taxing our hangars full of sacred jets, our holy pot farm and our blessed solid-gold pansexual body-positive strip club. Amen.
Fox 25 recently reported two instances of local dispensaries trying to give back during the season. Only one of them was successful. Sweetleaf Health Center and Dewey United Methodist Church partnered to give five families baskets of food. Sweetleaf manager Amanda Mathews said the partnership was a step in the right direction, especially in terms of knocking down the stigma surrounding dispensaries in neighborhoods. “There’s a lot going on with controversies with dispensaries being close to churches, and we’re trying our hardest to fight that,” Mathews said. Dewey church pastor Jinx Barber told Fox he “never in a million years” thought the partnership would happen. “But I tell you what, anyone willing to help people in our community, I will gladly work with,” he said. “Now that it’s legal, we’re going to have to get used to it being around, but it’s no different from alcohol in some respects.” Unfortunately for children who come from low-income families, Collinsville School District did not have the same willingness when Pure Rx Dispensary approached it to donate money. The school district, which has accumulated an outrageous and shameful $4,000 in school lunch debt, turned down a contribution from the dispensary for about $2,700 to pay for outstanding lunch debt. The district’s nutrition director Michell Janah said they were advised not to take the donation because the lunch
program is federally funded. Though if this federally funded program didn’t let children go into lunch debt, maybe they could have accepted the money for other improvements in the district. “I’m bummed that we couldn’t take their money, and I hope that they truly understand,” Janah told Fox. “I know money is money, but things are not always so clear. Federally funded programs have a lot of rules and regulations, and we have to be careful with those. We do not what to get stripped of it and have it impact our entire community.” Fox reports that other people in the community have stepped up to make donations, which were OK for the school to accept. The district said it will start the new year with no lunch debt, which might sound like a feel-good story when it actually highlights the disgraceful fact that lunch debt even exists in one of the wealthiest countries in the world.
High offerings
Giving season is essentially over, but it seems like some businesses found it hard to participate in holiday philanthropy. O KG A Z E T T E . C O M | J A N U A R Y 1 , 2 0 2 0
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The Hive Eatery in Edmond provides organic, quality products for comfort and allergen-free food. By Jacob Threadgill
The Hive Eatery in Edmond was born out of the bond between friendship and the desire to provide a dining destination that will make guests happy if they’re searching for indulgent comfort food or if they need organic, allergenfree clean eating. Ailene Siharath met Stephanie Ward-Armstrong during one of the most difficult parts of Siharath’s life. Ward-Armstrong was there for Siharath in the wake of her divorce after the two met about six years ago, and the bond strengthened over time. “She comforted me at a time in my life when I needed someone to listen to me, and she was there for me,” Siharath said. “She’s always been pushing me to do this.” Ward-Armstrong was diagnosed with lupus, an autoimmune disease that forces her to eat clean with a focus on organic products that are gluten-free. “Lupus is different for everyone at different levels,” Ward-Armstrong said. “For me, if I eat something that is not working on my body, I swell up, get really tired. I really have to watch my diet, and [Siharath] provides that for me. … I’m limited on what I can order, and I got tired of going to a restaurant and I could have salad or salad. I told her to gear a menu for people like me: lupus, glutenfree, diabetic, vegan.” Siharath owns Kate’s Diner in Guthrie, a venture she continues to run with her ex-husband, and she has made a successful business out of serving comfort food. Ward-Armstrong encour-
aged her to branch out and create a restaurant that features more than just a few nominal items for people looking for clean eating. “I’ve been doing Katie’s for 17 years where we serve a lot of hamburger steak, chicken-fried steak and biscuits; everything is hearty and covered in gravy,” Siharath said. “[Ward-Armstrong] told me that I needed to do something in Edmond on a lighter flair. There was the challenge. It’s been my bread and butter to make those things that are not so cal-
to execute the menu that is created by herself and her daughter Cameron, who tinkered with ideas like a classic chicken and waffle but with a Belgian waffle made out of jalapeño cornbread and chicken breast tenderized and pounded before being fried and topped with hot honey butter. “He fit in with our vision of serving quality,” Siharath said of Fleming. “He’s got a tattoo with the word ‘quality’ on his arm. In the interview project, I was looking at a few resumes, and then when I met him, it was right in line with what I was going for in this company.”
Healthy dishes
Classic Shrimp & Grits | Photo Aaron Gililland / provided
orie-friendly. I wasn’t sure if there was a market for it because it is Oklahoma, but it has been received so well.” The Hive opened in a shopping center location formerly occupied by The Hash Retro Diner in mid-December. The Hive is named after Siharath and WardArmstrong’s friend group, which is lovingly referred to as the “beehive.” The original concept of the restaurant had plans for a larger footprint with a full bar and cocktail service, but the location called for a smaller concept, so they shortened the nickname to go along with the smaller space. Siharath said they might start serving bloody marys and mimosas at The Hive in 2020. Siharath hired chef Micah Fleming | Photo Alexa Ace
Ward-Armstrong and other diners looking for relief from having to substitute items on the menu to make it applicable to their diet can find comfort in the Weight For It section of the menu. The Hive offers three types of avocado toast. One is seeded with whole grain toast, smashed avocado, Campari tomatoes, arugula salad and a poached egg finished with balsamic reduction. There is also a version with egg salad and radicchio and a smoked salmon option.
We’re stepping things up to a higher level. Ailene Siharath “I’m an avocado toast freak; I love it,” Ward-Armstrong said. The shrimp and chicken zoodles provide a hearty carb-free pasta replacement with an Alfredo sauce while the keto shrimp and grits pairs the flavors of the Southern classic with a cauliflower version of grits. The Hive servers Impossible patties
Seeded is one of three styles of avocado toast available on the menu at The Hive Eatery. | Photo Aaron Gililland / provided
to provide a plant-based options on its burgers, but it also gets loose Impossible meat shipped to the restaurant where staff combines it with spices to make their own vegetarian sausage patties. Customers with allergy concerns are encouraged to work with servers to create new items on the menu like one customer who now has a menu item named after her: The Ashley, which is the smoked salmon avocado toast on gluten-free cauliflower flatbread. “We had another lady that also has lupus that got an Impossible burger on cauliflower bread and hadn’t eaten a burger in years because of the bread,” Ward-Armstrong said. “It meant so much because she said that it’s been so hard to find a restaurant that is geared for her.” The Hive is open 6:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 6:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday-Sunday. In addition to its keto and vegetarian menu options, The Hive offers Siharath’s version of classics served at an elevated level, like eggs Benedict that get a garnish of edible flowers. “I’m not trying to be Jimmy’s Egg or IHOP, but we’re stepping things up to a higher level,” Siharath said from the restaurant that is located across the street from a Denny’s. Siharath continues to cook at and operate Katie’s Diner, and WardArmstrong is a co-owner while also owning and managing Lifetime Insurance in Edmond. On the weekends, it’s all-hands-on-deck, as WardArmstrong and Siharath help at The Hive any way possible. “We found each other divinely,” Siharath said. “My biggest goal is to want to help people because it brings me the greatest joy, and for her too. We started this project and wanted to brand it well so we can have multiple locations and have people invest and have fruit in this business.”
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Ron’s special
As it prepares for its 45th anniversary in 2020, Tulsa original Ron’s Hamburgers & Chili still serves classics done right. By Jacob Threadgill
Ron’s Hamburgers & Chili 4723 N. May Ave. ronsburgersandchili.com | 286-9172 WHAT WORKS: The hand-cut fries are a treat while the classic chili is a meat-lover’s paradise. WHAT NEEDS WORK: The texture on the sausage burger is more lean than a regular burger. TIP: Root beer is served in a frosted mug.
In a state rich in hamburger history, Tulsa native Ron Baber established a name and legacy for himself when he founded Ron’s Hamburgers & Chili in 1975 at a small, 10-seat restaurant on E. 15th Street in Tulsa. Baber died at the age of 82 in 2018, but he lived to see his hamburger empire expand to 19 total locations across Oklahoma and into Texas and Arkansas. “I had built up $10,000 in a retirement plan, and it was enough to put a down payment on this little place,” Baber told Tulsa World about Ron’s original location. “I always loved to cook and always wanted my own place. When other guys were buying Playboy, I was buying Gourmet.” Ron’s signature burger, Ron’s Special, is one of its huge beef patties cooked with fried onions into the meat and then topped with bacon bits, Cure 81 ham and pepper jack and American cheese while the bottom bun is dressed with mustard, mayonnaise, pickles, lettuce and tomatoes. A “Did you know?” section on the 12
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back of the menu points out the irony of food history, like how hamburgers (which originate from Hamburg, Germany) have no ham at all. Ron’s Special goes out of its way to introduce ham to the burger and is similar — and totally different at the same time — to the Geronimo burger at Geronimo’s Bakery, 1817 N. Martin Luther King Ave., in Oklahoma City. As for the other part in the name of Ron’s restaurants, chili is made fresh daily in huge pots as two parts ground beef and one part ground pork simmer away in spices before being added to its brown-and-red sauce. Chili can be ordered with beans, onions or jalapeños and more of that melted pepper jack cheese. The chili can be applied to burgers and hot dogs or ordered as Frito Pie; it can be eaten on its own in a bowl or pilled on top of spaghetti with cheese and beans. While Ron’s chili is as comforting as a weighted blanket, there are more innovative options on the menu, like the sausage burger, which combines pork country breakfast sausage with ground beef. Fresh chicken is battered and fried and can be paired with housemade honey mustard, ranch, barbecue or gravy for dipping, but add some battered and fried jalapeños for an extra treat. The fried jalapeños also appear elsewhere on the menu like in Ron’s famous Spanish Fries, which also add some fried onions for good measure. The
Stay Cool. Stay Dry. Sleep Well. A cup of chili with a sausage burger and a half order of fries at Ron’s Hamburgers & Chili in Oklahoma City | Photo Jacob Threadgill
same application is available for the Spanish Okra (fried). Root beer is served in frosted mugs with free refills.
Taste test
Since moving to Oklahoma in 2017, I’ve had fun getting to know the state and its culinary traditions, but Ron’s Hamburgers remained a culinary blind spot for me. I knew it was an institution. I drive by the Oklahoma City location, 4723 N. May Ave, during weekly trips to the nearby Aldi grocery store, but it’s hard to gauge interest because its windows are tinted and the connected parking lot doesn’t include spots right next to the restaurant. With dark windows and non-adjacent parking, I honestly thought the location wasn’t very popular, but I couldn’t be more wrong. It turns out that all of those cars in the lot weren’t clambering to get into the nearby plant store.
I only saw one person try to pick up a burger while I was in there. I walked up to Ron’s on a Monday around noon on Christmas Eve’s eve — a day that I thought might have a light lunch crowd — to find the restaurant near-capacity. Guests have the option of picking up call-in orders at the counter, but otherwise, find your way to a booth or table and wait for a server to take your order. I knew that I wanted to try a sausage burger over the Ron’s Special because I’d never seen the former before, but I have encountered ham on a burger. I also knew that I wanted to try some of Ron’s famous chili, but I didn’t necessarily want it on the burger; I wanted to isolate the flavor of the sausage in the burger, and I didn’t want it to come soggy. I ordered a cup of chili with cheese, raw diced onions and beans with a sausage burger and a half order of fries with an unsweet iced tea ($17.11 before tip). The food arrived quickly, but not
so quickly that I suspected the hand-cut fries might’ve been waiting under a heat lamp. Seriously, the fries might be the star of the show. There was great variation in the basket — the larger fries retained a delicately soft center while other, smaller pieces got crispy in the grease. (Ron’s has a sign that says trans fats are not used in the frying process.) I was not prepared for the burger construction; it’s a large patty flattened to about 1/3 of on an inch thick with a diameter the size of a 45 record. The large saucer of meat hides the vegetables underneath as the cheese mixture peaks from under the top bun as its melds into the bread. I found the texture of the sausage burger itself to be more sausage than beef. The patty had more lean, less fatty texture and seemed to spring back into place after every bite. If you’re a Jimmy Dean freak or just really love country sausage, then it’s the burger for you. I think I’ll stick with the regular burger next time. The huge burger is a knifeand-fork affair; I was afraid the bottom bun would lose structural integrity if I tried to pick it up with my hands. I only saw one person try to pick up a burger while I was in there. The chili was exactly what I would expect for a recipe that has been a hit for decades: heavy on grease and meat flavor, but light on the spice. I didn’t think the fries improved while dunking them into the chili, but it turns out I did enjoy the burger with the chili. The move next visit might be to get a regular burger with a chili topping. There’s no dessert served at Ron’s because its entrée portions are so large. I ate about half of the burger, finished the chili and put a dent in the fries. I was still not hungry at dinner, but I’m glad that I stopped at Ron’s and excited to see that it’s still executing at a high level after 45 years. Visit ronsburgersandchili.com.
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A Buster Burger is a sausage burger topped with ham, chili and cheese. | Photo provided
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Trendsetting
Organic Squeeze
Frida Southwest
As this local purveyor for all things local, from produce to home goods and grab-and-go meals, has expanded — now with an Edmond location — the offerings have expanded with it. During the winter, pick up items like local greens sure to keep you healthy between holiday meals or get to know the owners, who will keep you up-to-date on when and how to stock your fridge and pantry full of Oklahoma items.
A recent partnership with Provision Kitchen has allowed Organic Squeeze to become a one-stop shop for eating healthy. Hal Smith Restaurants has taken the concept into Norman with eyes on locations across the state. Now it’s more than just cold-pressed juices and smoothies; customers can get snacks, grab-and-go meals and soups from the Provision Kitchen refrigerator.
Just as with its other restaurants Oso on Paseo and Picasso Cafe, the ownership at Humankind Hospitality is committed to providing organic and sustainable produce whenever possible. The products reach a higher level at Frida and its speakeasy The Daley, where diners get a taste of the American Southwest and chophouse classics with a twist.
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Urban Agrarian
The ability to connect with sustainable and local products is becoming more and more important for conscientious diners. Trends point to more restaurants offering mindfully sourced products. These seven businesses are on the forefront of trends.
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Red Rooster
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Stone Sisters Pizza Bar
Black Walnut
The venerable Red Rooster (established in 1937) has been through different ownership over the decades, but new owner Andrea Koester (Holey Rollers) has given it new life as a trendy, farm-totable small plate restaurant and craft cocktail bar. The menu changes with the season, but most of the plates will check in at or below $15 to make sure that local and seasonal doesn’t break the bank.
The flavors of Bar Cicchetti’s menu touch on cuisines from across the Mediterranean while utilizing both local suppliers like Oklahoma-bred Nishyobi Akaushi steak and sustainable seafood featured in saffron bouillabaisse. Bar Cicchetti’s unique setup allows small and large groups to enjoy a traditional, coursed sit-down or spend all day grassing on small plates while watching the big game.
At the beginning of the 2010s, the term “gluten-free” hardly existed on menus. Now, entire restaurants cater to providing gluten-free options. Stone Sisters uses sprouted wheat crust (in additional to traditional white crust) to wow diners with its unique combinations like pasta on pizza or the Thanks Gramps, which is organic barbecue sauce and pasteurized chicken with local cheese topped with Granny Smith coleslaw after it comes out of the oven.
The menu at Black Walnut isn’t divided by “appetizer, salad and entrée.” Instead, guests choose from small and large plates under the distinctions “sweet and savory,” “fresh and light,” “smoky and satisfying” and “casual and comforting.” The menu combines flavors from around the world with a rotating drink menu to keep diners on their toes and always give them a reason to try something new.
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T H E AT E R
ARTS & CULTURE
American variations Oklahoma City Philharmonic’s Minimalism in a New World celebrates a tradition of independent individualism. By Jeremy Martin
What do composers Frank Zappa, Philip Glass and Antonín Dvořák have in common? “First of all, I really love all of them,” said Oklahoma City Philharmonic musical director and conductor Alexander Mickelthwate. “I wanted to do some Zappa in this season and tried to figure out what to combine it with.” The philharmonic orchestra plays Minimalism in a New World, a concert featuring works by all three composers, 8 p.m. Jan. 11 in Thelma Gaylord Performing Arts Theatre at Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave. The common thread linking Dvořák to Zappa and Glass begins in 1892, when Czech composer Dvořák traveled from Prague to New York City to head National Conservatory of Music of America. Instead of instructing his students to copy the European masters, Dvořák advised them to seek inspiration from American musical traditions. African American folk music, Dvořák told New York Herald, “must be the real foundation of any serious and original school of composition to be developed in the United States.” At the conservatory, Dvořák chose Harry Burleigh, an African American student, as his assistant, and the traditional plantation songs and spirituals Dvořák learned from him had a noticeable influence on the famous Symphony No. 9 (From the New World). Another of Dvořák’s students, African American violinist and composer Will Marion Cook, went on to teach legendary jazz composer and bandleader Duke Ellington. “[Dvořák] taught to not imitate the European composers,” Mickelthwate said. “He really was quite advanced. He had African American students, and he encouraged looking into American Indian culture to really find what is coming from the people in America and then use that. And that was a huge thing in general and put America on this trajectory that they really created their own language. [George] Gershw in, [Leonard] Bernstein — there are so many composers that really are independent … and very different from the Europeans composing at the same time.” Dvořák composed “Symphony No. 8 in G major, op. 88,” which closes the program, in 1889 before his trip to the New World. Writing for the Viennese newspaper Neue Freie Presse in 1891, critic Eduard Hanslick called the work “one of Dvořák’s best.” “Dvořák is a serious artist who has 16
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learned much but, despite his knowledge, he has not sacrificed spontaneity and freshness,” Hanslick wrote. “His works give voice to a singular individual, who emanates a refreshing breath of innovation and originality.” Mickelthwate said that spirit of innovation and originality, which Dvořák carried with him to the U.S., can also be heard in the works of the other composers included on the concert program.
It will be really exciting, actually, for me to adapt my style to all those different scores. Alexander Mickelthwate “Zappa never would have happened in Germany,” Mickelthwate said. “Philip Glass never ever would have happened in Germany because there was a complete different way of how one had to write; it was much more rigorous. In America, there were many inspirations, but Dvořák was one of them, to really develop your own voice as an individual.” Glass, born in Baltimore in 1937, is — along with Steve Reich, Terry Riley and La Monte Young — a pioneer of American minimalism. After studying composition at Juilliard School of Music in New York City, Glass traveled to Paris to study under influential instructor Nadia Boulanger and met Indian sitarist Ravi Shankar, whose work inspired Glass to experiment with repetition and syncopation. Mickelthwate said conducting Glass’s “Violin Concerto No. 1,” composed in 1987, presents significantly different challenges from conducting Dvořák’s work. “One pattern is repeated over and over again and then changed slightly and morphs very slow into something new, so one has to be quite steady and let the music speak for itself,” Mickelthwate said. “Dvořák is really the opposite almost — very free, very romantic, and it’s like storytelling in the moment. By changing the tempi, I have much, much more freedom to bring my own view, my own take onto the music. I can give my own feelings.” The Glass concerto features guest violinist Jennifer Koh, who played the title role in the revival of Glass’s opera Einstein on the Beach. The four-and-a-
half-hour opera required her to spend an estimated hour in makeup to get into character and another hour onstage as a soloist. Mickelthwate called Koh the “most important Philip Glass interpreter at the moment.” Robert Wilson, who co-wrote Einstein on the Beach with Glass, seems to agree. “Jennifer has a very deep and interior sense of music,” Wilson told Los Angeles Times in 2013. “I’ve never heard Phil’s music this way. She can do Bach and Philip Glass.” Mickelthwate said that Koh’s interpretation of Glass’ work adds a component associated more often with romanticism than minimalism. “She’s an extremely emotional player, like really emotional, what you would usually associate w ith Tc h a i kov sk y or somet h i ng ,” Mickelthwate said. “It ’s really awesome to have Philip Glass’ work performed really emotionally. That’s the special thing about her.”
Exploding the genre
A singular figure in rock and avantgarde classical music, Zappa originally composed “The Dog Breath Variations,” which opens the concert, as part of the soundtrack for his “completely nutty” and unmade science fiction film Uncle Meat, Mickelthwate said. The genre-spanning soundtrack was released in 1969, and a making-of documentary with the same title was released in 1987. Mickelthwate credits Zappa, born in Baltimore in 1940, with “exploding the genre” of classical music by maintaining its compositional rigor while incorporating elements of improvisational jazz, blues and rock ’n’ roll. “Zappa is really i nt er e st i ng ,” M ic kelt hw at e said. “It sounds as if somebody would improvise certain stretches, and then it comes together again, but it’s all written out. So it’s this mix between jazz and rock ’n’ roll and freeform a little and really fun.” Conducting Zappa’s work requires yet a different approach. “It’s also important to
The concert features works by Frank Zappa, Philip Glass and Antonín Dvořák | Photo Shevaun Williams and Associates / provided
let the music speak for itself and bring that feel of the ’60s out,” Mickelthwate said. “It will be really exciting, actually, for me to adapt my style to all those different scores.” Whether listeners are so willing and able to adapt to the program’s widely varying styles is still uncertain. Though Mickelthwate personally loves Zappa, Glass and Dvořák, he is not sure exactly who will be interested in a concert bill featuring works by all three. “I have no idea yet,” Mickelthwate said. “That will be a surprise. … It might be a crazy mix of audience.” Tickets are $19-$82. Call 405-5948300 or visit okcphil.org.
Minimalism in a New World 8 p.m. Jan. 11 Civic Center Music Hall | 201 N. Walker Ave. okcphil.org | 405-594-8300 $19-$82
Oklahoma City Philharmonic’s Minimalism in a New World 8 p.m. is Jan. 11 in Thelma Gaylord Performing Arts Theatre at Civic Center Music Hall. | Photo provided
CO M E DY
Rim shot
Game plan
Basketball-themed comedy benefit show Why Not? returns to OKC. By Jeremy Martin
Demetrius “Juice” Deason performs at Why Not? Comedy Show, benefitting Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma 7 p.m. Jan. 10 at Tower Theatre. | Photo provided
Back for its fourth year, the Why Not? Comedy Show returns to Oklahoma City Jan. 10. The show’s co-founder, NBA point guard Russell Westbrook, also returns to OKC that week — in a Houston Rockets uniform. On Jan. 9, Westbrook, who is not confirmed to appear at the comedy show, will be playing his first NBA game in OKC since the Thunder traded him in July. Why Not?, benefitting Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County, is 7 p.m. Jan. 10 at Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd St. “It’s a different show; it’s a different year; it’s a different promotion,” the show’s other co-founder, stand-up comic Demetrius “Juice” Deason said. “But different is not bad. I think it’s going to be a great show, great energy, great vibe.” Though Westbrook no longer lives in OKC, Deason said he still cares about the show he helped start. “He still supports the show,” Deason said. “He’s still working on being there. We’re still friends. We’ve still got an ultimate goal that we have in mind for impacting the city … so we’re going to keep doing everything that we do.” Though another NBA MVP ex-Thunder player, Kevin Durant, faced boos on the court upon returning to OKC as a Golden State Warrior, Deason thinks Westbrook, if he makes an appearance at the comedy show, will receive a warmer reception. “If he comes, you know how that looks,” Deason said. “I think they’ll respond even better because it’s one thing for people to say they’re going to do something, but it’s another thing to do it. For me and him to continue building the from left Deason poses with Why Not?’s other co-founder, former Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook. | Photo provided
legacy that he started, it says a lot about his character and my character. I think people are going to really support it.” Local hip-hop artist Jabee hosts this year. Deason, who hosted the previous shows, will be performing a full comedy set. “Originally, I came into the city to support Russell Westbrook and some of his nonprofit work, his off-the-court activities touching the city,” Deason said. “Then I started doing shows, started doing my own nonprofit work in the city, and now people recognize me for the show. But this year is really to let people know that I’m legitimately one of the best comedians to do this. I want people to know that so that next year we won’t need a headliner, we won’t need a lot of the promotion because people will know how good I am at what I do.” Deason described this year’s headliner Will “Spank” Horton, a member of the sketch and stand-up collective The Plastic Cup Boyz, as “Kevin Hart’s righthand man.” Horton, who started comedy in Philadelphia in 2001, was featured on Hart’s Comedy Central stand-up showcase The Next Level in 2017. Why Not? will also features Taneshia “Just Nesh” Rice, a former Chicago social worker and another comic Hart chose to perform on The Next Level.
Deason’s brand Layups2Standup includes comedy shows and a youth basketball league. Deason, who grew up playing basketball with Westbrook, said the sport helped shape him into the person he is today.
If you’re going through a lot, I definitely would look into maybe doing comedy because that might be your gift. Demetrius “Juice” Deason “Basketball is the core of everything I do,” Deason said. “I made all my friends through basketball; all my tight-knit family is through basketball. Basketball taught me life lessons and put some things into my heart that I never lost … put in the work every day, believe in yourself, things like that. To have a basketball league and a brand and a nonprofit that’s all tied into basketball and helping kids achieve their dreams is very, very powerful, and it motivates me every day.” Though a college back injury ended Deason’s NBA dreams, he said many of the skills he learned on the court carried over to the stage when started performing as a stand-up comic. “I wasn’t the best player on my team, but I stayed in my lane,” Deason said. “I worked hard every day. I came to work, and I was in the gym all day … so now with comedy, my focus doesn’t change. I knew when I first started, I’d be doing what I’m doing now, and I know I’m going to be doing what I’m doing later already because I have the same ap-
proach — stay in the gym, stay working, stay putting in the work. If I’m working and I’ve got my head down, I’m only going to get better. My plan, my events, everything I do is just going to get better and bigger.” The only difference in stand-up is he can’t pass the ball. “I’ve got a team when I’m playing basketball,” Deason said. “We go out there together, strap up, playing fiveon-five. My team when I’m onstage, they’re not onstage with me, so at that moment, I have to represent my team and hold it down myself. I think that’s the biggest thing is that there’s nobody else. It’s just me, so I’ve got to make sure I execute and believe in myself and have a great approach and game plan.” Deason, according to the biography on the Layups2Standup website, “grew up in a South Central LA motel room with his mother, sister and brother and had learning difficulties so severe that sometimes he was embarrassed to speak.” After the back injury ended his basketball career, “he worked at an El Pollo Loco for three years and slept on the floor of the family’s tiny apartment” while his mother recovered from kidney problems. While Deason has successfully mined his past for material, he said that laughter does not exclusively come from sadness. “It definitely helps to feed off real-life experiences and real-life pain,” Deason said. “It definitely makes it richer. It makes it more real so people can connect to it, but at the same time, I don’t think that you’ve got to go through stuff to be funny or you have to be in pain or unhappy to be funny. I’m a very happy person, even though I went through a lot. I’m very happy. I’m very laid-back.” However, he added, comedy is a useful outlet for people experiencing hardship. “If you’re going through a lot, I definitely would look into maybe doing comedy because that might be your gift,” Deason said. But for those who are still too embarrassed to speak about their difficulties, Deason wants his comedy to provide that outlet. “I’m not even doing this for money,” Deason said. “I’m doing this to help and inspire people. For me, it’s always about helping the next person get through what they’re going through. … A lot of the stuff I do is because I know what the people that don’t have are going through and my job is to kind of be the voice for the voiceless.” Tickets are $40-$1,000. Call 405708-6937 or visit towertheatreokc.com.
Why Not? Comedy Show 7 p.m. Jan. 10 Tower Theatre 425 NW 23rd St. towertheatreokc.com | 405-708-6937 $40-$1000
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CALENDAR are events recommended by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.
BOOKS Brunching with Books a book club meeting every other week, with reading selections chosen by group preference, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays. Buttermilk Paseo, 605 NW 28th St., 405-605-6660, buttermilkokc.com. SAT
The Happy Hour a monthly meet up and networking event for professional women with guest presenters and drinks from Anthem Brewing Company, 5-6:30 p.m. second Wednesday of every month. The Treasury, 10 N. Lee Ave., Suite 100, 325-660-2264. WED
Illuminations: Starry Starry Night an immersive light installation inspired by Vincent Van Gogh’s famous painting, through Jan. 1. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. WED Jackbox.tv Game Night play interactive party games with host Alex Sanchez, 8-10 p.m. Mondays. Oak & Ore, 1732 NW. 16th St., 405-606-2030, oakandore.com. MON
Oklahoma Voices hear featured poets read from their works at this monthly event, 2 p.m. the first Sunday of every month. IAO Gallery, 706 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-232-6060, iaogallery.org. SUN
Karaoke Night perform your favorite songs on a stage with a light display and professional sound system, 8 p.m. Dec. 25. Bison Witches Bar & Deli, 211 E Main St., Norman, 405-364-7555, bisonwitchesok. com. WED
HAPPENINGS
Moore Chess Club play in tournaments and learn about the popular board game at this weekly event where all ages and skill levels are welcome, 1-4 p.m. Sundays. Moore Library, 225 S. Howard Ave. SUN
Afro Beats a dance party with soca, hip-hop, Caribbean, dancehall and other genres of music provided by DJ Sinz, 11 p.m.-2 a.m. Fridays. Glass Lounge, 5929 N. May Ave., 405-835-8077, glasshouseokc.com. FRI Board Game Day enjoy local craft beer while playing old-school board and arcade games with friends, 5-8 p.m. Sundays. FlashBack RetroPub, 814 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-633-3604, flashbackretropub.com. SUN Coffee with Real Estate Investors network over coffee and discuss topics such as real estate investing, building a successful business and chasing the American dream, 7 p.m. Wednesdays. Starbucks, 5800 W. Memorial Road, 405-722-6189, starbucks. com. WED Conversational Spanish Group Meetup an opportunity for all experience levels to practice speaking Spanish, 7 p.m. Tuesdays. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. TUE Devon Ice Rink ice stake in the Myriad Botanical Gardens and enjoy seasonal food and beverages., Mondays-Sundays. through Feb. 2. Devon Ice Rink, 100 N. Robinson Ave., 405-708-6499, downtownindecember.com/devon-ice-rink. FRI-SUN Downtown Recyclers Toastmasters practice your public speaking skills at this ongoing weekly meeting, noon-1 p.m. Wednesdays. Department of Environmental Quality, 707 N. Robinson Ave., 405702-0100, deq.state.ok.us. WED Drag Me to Bingo bingo night hosted by Teabaggin Betsy, 9 p.m. Tuesdays. Partners, 2805 NW 36th St., 405-942-2199, partners4club.com. TUE Governor’s Club Toastmasters lose your fear of public speaking and gain leadership skills by practicing in a fun and low-stakes environment, noon-1 p.m. Wednesdays. Oklahoma Farm Bureau Building, 2501 N. Stiles Ave., 405-523-2300, okfarmbureau. org. WED
Pooches on the Patio bring your best friend to this dog-friendly happy hour with drink specials, appetizers and free pet treats, 4-7 p.m. Saturdays. Café 501 Classen Curve, 5825 NW Grand Blvd., 405844-1501, cafe501.com/. SAT Renegade Poker compete in a 2-3 hour tournament with cash prizes, 3 p.m. Sundays. Bison Witches Bar & Deli, 211 E. Main St., 405-364-7555, bisonwitchesok.com. SUN Toastmasters Meeting hone public speaking and leadership skills in a move-at-your own pace environment, 7-8:30 p.m. Thursdays. McFarlin United Methodist Church, 419 S. University Drive, 623-8100295. THU Trivia Night at Black Mesa Brewing test your knowledge at this weekly competition hosted by BanjoBug Trivia, 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays. Black Mesa Brewing Company, 1354 W Sheridan Ave., 405-7781865, blackmesabrewing.com. TUE Trivia Night at Matty McMillen’s answer questions for a chance to win prizes at this weekly trivia night, 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays. Matty McMillen’s Irish Pub, 2201 NW 150th St., 405-607-8822, mattymcmillens.com. TUE WWE Monday Night Raw professional wrestlers Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch, Kevin Owens, Charlotte Flair, Rey Mystery and more are scheduled to appear; card subject to change, 6:30 p.m. Jan. 6. Chesapeake Energy Arena, 100 W. Reno Ave., 405-602-8700, chesapeakearena.com. MON
FOOD OKC Farmers Market a year round farmers market featuring fresh produce, honey, baked goods, meat, hand made goods and more., Saturdays, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. OKC Farmers Market, 311 S. Klein Ave., 405-486-0701, okcfarmersmarket.com. SAT
PlantBased Health Forum & Dinner Learn about the health benefits of adopting a plant-based diet and try a plant-based meal at this educational forum and dinner featuring guest speakers Dr. Jimmy Conway (pictured above), Andrea Conway and PlantBased OKC’s Randy Titony. The forum and dinner is 6-7:30 p.m. Sunday at Piatto Italian Kitchen, 2920 NW 63rd St. Admission to the forum is free, but attendees will be expected to pay for their meals. Call 405-608-8866 to RSVP. SUNDAY Photo provided
YOUTH Art Adventures children can enjoy story time and related activities, 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman, 405-3253272, ou.edu/fjjma. TUE Beginning Martial Arts Classes students ages 7 and older can learn martial arts from instructor Darrell Sarjeant at this weekly class, 4:30-5:30 p.m. Thursdays. Nappy Roots, 3705 Springlake Drive, 405-896-0203, facebook.com/pg/nappyrootsbooks. THU
Early Explorers toddlers and preschoolers can participate in fun scientific activities they can repeat later at home, 10-11 a.m. Thursdays. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2020 Remington Place, 405-602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org. THU
THROUGH JAN. 24 Photo Sharon Burris / provided
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Iron Horse Open Mic and Showcase perform music on stage at this show open to all experience levels, 7-10 p.m. Wednesdays. Iron Horse Bar & Grill, 9501 S. Shields Blvd., 405-735-1801. WED Joel Forlenza: The Piano Man the pianist performs variety of songs made famous by Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and, of course, Billy Joel, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Othello’s Italian Restaurant, 434 Buchanan Ave., 405-701-4900, othellos.us. TUE Kendell’s Open Mic play up to four songs at this weekly music open mic, 8-11 p.m. Tuesdays. Kendell’s, 110 S. May Ave., kendellsbar.com. TUE
Reading Wednesdays a weekly storytime with hands-on activities, goody bags and reading-themed photo ops, 9:30-10:30 a.m. Wednesdays. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. WED
Lumpy’s Open Mic Night play a song of your own or just listen to the performers at this weekly show hosted by John Riley Willingham, 9 p.m. Wednesdays. Lumpy’s Sports Grill, 12325 N. May Ave., 405-286-3300, lumpyssportsgrill.com. WED
Sankofa Chess Club children 7 and older are invited to learn chess in this club meeting weekly, 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Nappy Roots, 3705 Springlake Drive, 405-896-0203, facebook.com/pg/nappyrootsbooks. WED
Monday Night Blues Jam Session bring your own instrument to this open-stage jam hosted by Wess McMichael, 7-9 p.m. Mondays. Othello’s Italian Restaurant, 434 Buchanan Ave., Norman, 405-7014900, othellos.us. MON
Storytime Science the museum invites children age 6 and younger to hear a story and participate in a related scientific activity, 10 a.m. Tuesdays and Saturdays. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2020 Remington Place, 405-602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org. TUE-SAT
OKC Comedy Open Mic Night get some stage time or just go to listen and laugh at this open mic hosted by Travis Phillips, 7 p.m. Mondays. The Paramount Room, 701 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-887-3327, theparamountroom.com. MON
PERFORMING ARTS Composite Photography: Dark Worlds, New Realities Layering botanical photographs over complex backgrounds on glossy aluminum, Ardmore-based artist Sharon Burris creates images of surreal fantasy that re-contextualize nature’s magic. Get lost in their many facets at this solo exhibition on display through Jan. 24 in Inasmuch Foundation Art Gallery at Oklahoma City Community College’s Visual and Performing Arts Center, 7777 S. May Ave. Admission is free. Call 405-682-1611 or visit occc.edu
just go to listen to others at this open mic hosted by J. Wiggins and Proverb, 7 p.m. Wednesdays. Ice Event Center & Grill, 1148 NE 36th St., 405-208-4240, iceeventcentergrill.eat24hour.com. WED
Divine Comedy a weekly local showcase hosted by CJ Lance and Josh Lathe and featuring a variety of comedians from OKC and beyond, 9 p.m. Wednesdays. 51st Street Speakeasy, 1114 NW 51st St., 405-463-0470, 51stspeakeasy.com. WED Don Quixote Open Mic a weekly comedy show followed by karaoke, 7:30-9 p.m. Fridays. Don Quixote Club, 3030 N. Portland Ave., 405-947-0011. FRI Dope Poetry Night read your poems or
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OKC Improv performers create original scenes in the moment based on suggestions from the audience, 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Oklahoma City Improv, 1757 NW 16th St., 405-4569858, okcimprov.com. FRI-SAT Triple’s Open Mic a music and comedy open mic hosted by Amanda Howle, 7:30 p.m. every other Wednesday. Triple’s, 8023 NW 23rd St., 405-7893031. WED Open Mic at The P share your musical talent or just come to listen at this weekly open mic, 7 p.m. Wednesdays. The Patriarch Craft Beer House & Lawn, 9 E. Edwards St., Edmond, 405-285-6670, thepatri-
10 a.m.-noon Saturdays. Jackie Cooper Gymnasium, 1024 E. Main St., Yukon, 405-350-8920, cityofyukon. gov. SAT Run the Alley a three-mile social run for athletes of all abilities ending with beers at The Yard, 6:30 p.m. Thursdays. OK Runner, 708 N Broadway Ave., 405702-9291, myokrunner.com. THU Stars and Stripes Spin Jam a weekly meetup for jugglers, hula hoopers and unicyclers, 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays. Stars & Stripes Park, 3701 S. Lake Hefner Drive, 405-297-2756, okc.gov/parks. WED Twisted Coyote Brew Crew a weekly 3-mile group run for all ability levels with a beer tasting to follow; bring your own safety lights, 6 p.m. Mondays. Twisted Spike Brewing Co., 1 NW 10th St., 405-3013467, twistedspike.com. MON Yoga Tuesdays an all-levels class; bring your own water and yoga mat, 5:45 p.m.-7 p.m. Tuesdays. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405445-7080, myriadgardens.com. TUE
List your event in
Yoga with Art workout in an art-filled environment followed by a mimosa, 10:30 a.m. Saturdays. 21c Museum Hotel, 900 W. Main St., 405-982-6900, 21cmuseumhotels.com. SAT
VISUAL ARTS Articulation work on your art or craft project with other creators at this weekly meet-up; bring your own supplies and clean up after yourself, 6:30-10 p.m. Thursdays. Little D Gallery, 3003 Paseo, (720) 773-1064. THU Colors of Clay an exhibition of clay pots, bowls, pitchers and jars created by Native American artists, Through May 10, 2021. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. FRI-TUE Paseo Arts District’s First Friday Gallery Walk peruse art from over 80 artists with 25 participating business for a night of special themed exhibits, refreshments and a variety of entertainment opportunities, 6-10 p.m. first Friday of every month. Paseo Arts District, 3022 Paseo St., 405-525-2688, thepaseo.org. FRI Renewing the American Spirit: The Art of the Great Depression an exhibition of paintings, prints, photographs and more created in the 1930s, through April 26. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. SAT-TUE Until We Organize: The Struggle for the Equal Rights Amendment an exhibition of photographs chronicling Oklahoma’s battle over the ERA, through Nov. 30. Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, 405-521-2491, okhistory.org. MON-TUE
Caballeros y Vaqueros One of the American West’s most enduring symbols, the cowboy, is actually the multicultural combination of customs taken from Africa and Spain and infused with European, Native American and Islamic traditions. Get a more fully developed picture of real cowboys and their origins in this exhibition, which presents spurs, saddles, boots and other work objects as sculptural art. The exhibition is on display through Sunday at National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St. Admission is free-$12.50. Call 405-478-2250 or visit nationalcowboymuseum. org. THROUGH SUNDAY Photo provided archedmond.com. WED Othello’s Comedy Night see professionals and amateurs alike at this long-running weekly open mic for standup comics, 9 p.m. Tuesdays. Othello’s Italian Restaurant, 434 Buchanan Ave., Norman, 405-7014900, othellos.us. TUE Paramount Open Mic show off your talents at this open mic hosted by musician Chris Morrison, 7 p.m. first Wednesday of every month. The Paramount Room, 701 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-887-3327, theparamountroom.com. WED Rebels & Royals Drag King Show hosted by former Mister USofA Damian Matrix-Gritte, this monthly show features local drag kings and special guests 10:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. first Saturday of every month. Frankie’s, 2807 NW 36th St., 405-602-2030, facebook.com/ frankiesokc. SAT Red Dirt Open Mic a weekly open mic hosted by Red Dirt Poetry, 7:30-10:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Sauced on Paseo, 2912 Paseo St., 405-521-9800, saucedonpaseo.com. WED Rhyme in Reasons share your talent or just watch other artists perform at this weekly open mic, 7:30-10 p.m. Thursdays. Reasons Lounge, 1140 N. MacArthur Boulevard, 405-774-9991. THU
Sanctuary Karaoke Service don a choir robe and sing your favorite song, 9 p.m.-midnight Wednesdays and Thursdays. Sanctuary Barsilica, 814 W. Sheridan Ave., facebook.com/sanctuarybarokc. WED-THU
VZD’s Open Mic Night a weekly music mic hosted by Joe Hopkins, 7 p.m. Wednesdays. VZD’s Restaurant & Bar, 4200 N. Western Ave., 405-6023006, vzds.com. WED Weekly Jams bring an instrument and play along with others at this open-invitation weekly jam session, 9:30 p.m.-midnight Tuesdays. Saints, 1715 NW 16th St., 405-602-6308, saintspubokc.com. TUE
ACTIVE
Submissions must be received by Oklahoma Gazette no later than noon on Wednesday seven days before the desired publication date. Late submissions will not be included in the listings. Submissions run as space allows, although we strive to make the listings as inclusive as possible. Fax your listings to 528-4600 or e-mail them to listings@okgazette.com. Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.
Co-ed Open Adult Volleyball enjoy a game of friendly yet competitive volleyball while making new friends, 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays. Jackie Cooper Gymnasium, 1024 E. Main St., Yukon, 405-350-8920, cityofyukon.gov. WED Monday Night Group Ride meet up for a weekly 25-30 minute bicycle ride at about 18 miles per hour through east Oklahoma City, 6 p.m. Mondays. The Bike Lab OKC, 2200 W. Hefner Road, 405-603-7655. MON Open Badminton hit some birdies in some morning pick-up games of badminton with friends,
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For OKG live music
see page 22
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.
Submit your listings online at okgazette.com or e-mail them to listings@okgazette.com. Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.
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EVENT
MUSIC
‘Surprise Surprise’ Josh Abbott Band’s Catching Fire looks beyond heartbreak to celebrate survival. By Jeremy Martin
Josh Abbott had a full day ahead. “I’m on dad duty right now,” Abbott said toward the end of our phone interview. “I just finished grocery shopping … and now I have to unload the groceries, which is the worst part of buying groceries.” Josh Abbott Band plays 8 p.m. Jan. 11 at The Criterion, 500 E. Sheridan Ave. The band released four-song EP Catching Fire in June. Abbott said the album celebrates “accomplishments and family and friendship and good times.” “There’s no sadness in those songs,” Abbott said. “[‘Catching Fire’] is song of redemption. It’s a song of survival. It’s a song of putting away your demons and becoming a better version of yourself.’” On the EP’s title track, Abbott sings about the “road to resurrection” and standing up to “restless midnight demons.” On 2015 concept album Front Row Seat — which Rolling Stone said “goes out on a limb in a way country hasn’t seen in decades” — Abbott, who got divorced in 2014, sang in intimate detail about a relationship from its early romance to its painful dissolution. On “Ain’t My Daddy’s Town,” a standout track from 2017’s Until My Voice Goes Out, Abbott, whose father died during the album’s recording, sings “This ain’t my daddy’s town no more / Somebody’s got to fill those boots he wore / And I ain’t saying I’m the man he was / But it’s my turn to carry on what he loved.” Catching Fire’s upbeat, optimistic tone
is equally autobiographical, Abbott said. “We always write about what we know, and what I know is my own life,” Abbott said. “There’s been ups and downs, like everybody in life, and I think right now … I’m happily married; we have a beautiful baby girl, and I’m very fortunate to get to do this for a living. So I think when you consider all those things together, it’s a very nice time in life.” While Abbott is in a different headspace than he was when he recorded some of the band’s previous material, he understands those songs have taken on a significance outside his own life. “You kind of have to play the old stuff because that’s what fans want to hear, but I do think you sing them and perform them from a different perspective,” Abbott said. “At the time, back in the day, I used to sing songs about other girls that I had dated in college or whatever and breaking up and that whole thing and how the world is ending and you’re so sad and all that. It’s funny because now I still sing those songs, but I don’t sing them, I guess, with the same personal intent and passion. I sing them for the fans, and a lot of times I’ll let them sing a chorus by themselves. That’s the way I kind of look at music is when I write a song, I’m writing it for me, usually, or my wife or whoever, and whenever I put that song out on an album, it’s now kind of public domain, right? The song’s not
really mine anymore because I’ve chosen to share this song with other people in hopes that their similar experiences in life will make the song and the lyrics relatable enough to seem and feel real. Once we put a song out, to me, it’s everyone else’s, and it’s just my job now to perform it for them.” In addition to the title track, which closes the album, Catching Fire also includes opener “Little More You,” which Abbott describes as “just a really sweet love song,” and self-explanatory “Oughta Get Drunk.” “We’re all stressed out, all this political bullshit,” Abbott said. “There’s just stuff every day that’s just nonsense, and sometimes you just need to go to bar and catch a buzz with your friends and not take it so seriously.”
Fortunate future
Abbott said “Surprise Surprise” is “one of the most autobiographical songs” the band has released.
Sometimes you just need to go to bar and catch a buzz with your friends and not take it so seriously. Josh Abbott “The first verse really encompasses how our band got started, and the second verse kind of alludes to my previous marriage, my current marriage and the difference between the two,” Abbott said. “Then the bridge basically says, ‘We’re having a kid.’ It’s like, ‘Wow! This song really encompasses the last 18 years of my life’ — maybe not that long. I’d say 15 years. I’m not that old. … I think fans who have followed us and are familiar with our story and mine along the way, I think that they appreciate that song, and it’s fun for them to be able to sing a song about something they kind of already know.” Since its founding in 2006, the band has faced difficulties not included in the song — most publicly, witnessing the Mandalay Bay Las Vegas mass shooting in 2017, where 58 people were killed and 500 more wounded at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival about six hours after the band left the stage. Abbott Catching Fire was released in June. | Photo Joseph Llanes / provided
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Josh Abbott Band plays 8 p.m. Jan. 11 at The Criterion. | Photo Joseph Llanes / provided
had gone back to his hotel room before the shooting started, but guitarist Caleb Keeter, who was on the concert grounds at the time, made headlines afterward for writing an essay calling for gun control declaring, “Enough is enough.” Moving forward, Abbott said the band is focusing on the present’s many positives and the future’s possibilities rather than dwelling on past sadness. “We are very fortunate, blessed, lucky — whatever you want to call it — that this is the life that’s been given to us, in terms of playing music and it pays the bills and having families and growing older and having our health,” Abbott said. “So I think you’ll see a lot more of that ahead. I don’t think you’ll see a lot of sad songs from us in the future.” In Abbott’s present reality, writing and singing sad songs would be disingenuous. “I think it’s important as you grow up and go down the line to continue writing songs that reflect your current spot in life,” Abbott said. “There’s no point in me writing a song about breakup, heartache, sadness, divorce because that’s just not where I’m at in life. I don’t want to fucking sing about those things, and a lot of fans don’t want to sing about that. … Our genre of music is built on the honkytonks. We’re very fortunate that we get to play some really big arenas and venues at times, but for the most part, we’re playing a bunch of honkytonks and bars. People don’t go there to get some deep religious or sad song experience. They’re not there in a theater to sit down and listen to sad stuff. That’s not who we are, and that’s not the fans we’ve curated over the last decade. We are a band that emphasizes having a good time and falling in love, and that’s what we try to write and sing about.” Tickets are $25-$50. Call 405-8405500 or visit criterionokc.com.
Josh Abbott Band 8 p.m. Jan. 11 The Criterion 500 E. Sheridan Ave. criterionokc.com | 405-840-5500 $25-$50
EVENT
Scented apprentice
Tribute act Smells Like Nirvana brings teen spirit and more to Diamond Ballroom. By Jeremy Martin
As a kid, Paul Wandtke wanted to be Kurt Cobain, but Wandtke’s brother had another idea. “To tell you the truth, I grew up listening Nirvana, and when I saw Kurt on TV, I said, ‘I want to do that when I grow up. I want to play guitar. I want to be in my own band,’” Wandtke said, “but growing up, my brother made me play drums. I was forced to play drums, so I was always, like, a closet frontman.” As vocalist and guitarist for Nirvana tribute act Smells Like Nirvana, Wandtke is still playing grunge covers like he did in his brother’s band at the age of 11, but now he’s front and center. Smells Like Nirvana plays 8 p.m. Jan. 11 at Diamond Ballroom, 8001 S. Eastern Ave. Wandtke has had high-profile success drumming in a metal band and a jukebox musical, but he started the tribute ba nd hoping to have more steady work. “I was sick of looking for gigs, professional gigs,” Wandtke said. “It’s not every day you can find them. I played for the famous metal band Trivium, and before that I was doing Rock of Ages. I was doing my last Rock of Ages contract, and I was like, ‘Shit, man. After six months, I’m going to be home, not making any money, looking for gigs.’”
I’ve had 50-year-old men come up to me crying like, “Dude, I relived my childhood.” Paul Wandtke Nirvana cover bands are less common than Beatles or Rolling Stones tribute acts, but Wandtke said the Seattle grunge band was the obvious choice for his interests and vocal range. “If you go check me out on karaoke night, I do not sound good unless I’m singing Nirvana,” Wandtke said.
Drummer Nick Rich — grandson of legendary jazz drummer Buddy Rich — agreed. “He was meant to be the singer for this tribute band,” Rich said. Cobain, who took his own life in 1994, had a complicated relationship with rock stardom. “When we’re back stage and the lights go out and the manic roar of the crowds begins,” Cobain wrote in his suicide note, “it doesn’t affect me the way in which it did for Freddie Mercury, who seemed to love, relish in the love
and adoration from the crowd which is something I totally admire and envy. The fact is, I can’t fool you, any one of you. It simply isn’t fair to you or me. The worst crime I can think of would be to rip people off by faking it and pretending as if I’m having 100% fun.” Despite the band’s somber end, Wandtke said people have fun at Smells Like Nirvana shows. “Everybody sings along,” Wandtke said. “The last time we were at the Diamond Ballroom, there was like 1,200 people there. … Everybody’s in there just having a good time. … It’s been over 20 years since Kurt’s been gone. It was a different time and a different era. At the end of the day, it’s about entertainment. … People go crazy, man. They’ll jump offstage and they’ll crowd-surf. They’ll get kicked out of the venue. It’s partially like, ‘Is this what it was like when Nirvana was there?’” The people in the audience range
from “teenagers to people in their late 40s, early 50s,” Wandtke said. “I’ve had 50-year-old men come up to me crying, like, ‘Dude, I relived my childhood,’ and then they’ve got their kids with them,” Wandtke said. “It’s weird because on social media, half our followers are kids. It’s crazy to see that, but I think kids gravitate towards it because it’s real music. … People just like that Kurt was really honest and didn’t give a shit. He just put his heart and soul into everything he did. I think that’s what people miss in modern-day music.”
to make people move,” Wandtke said. “Then you add a sick melody, but if the groove’s not there, it doesn’t matter what kind of melody you’ve got.” As a drummer, Rich appreciates Wandtke’s approach. “That’s the great thing about having Paul, obviously, writing the original songs — he uses his drum background,” Rich said. “For a drummer like me, it’s so evident that that’s there because the songs just flow in such a groovy way.” Because Smells Like Nirvana crowds might appreciate Dead Original songs, Wandtke said he uses the tribute act to Dead Original “cross-promote.” Wandtke and Rich also play Wandtke’s “We’ll just book Smells Like Nirvana original songs in the band Dead and sneak an original song in the set Original, which Wandtke said draws just for fun,” Wandtke said. comparisons to Alice in Chains and Tool Not sticking to the traditional rules as well as Nirvana. The band recently of a tribute band is, in a way, a better toured as support for Candlebox. tribute to Nirvana than a note-for-note “On the surface, right away, you’re reproduction, Wandtke said. Live, going to be like, ‘Oh my god. That singer’s Nirvana would sometimes unexpectinfluenced by Kurt,’ but if you dig into it edly cover Kiss or Boston (whose “More musically, we have different elements Than a Feeling” bears more than a passing resemblance to “Smells Like Teen Spirit”) or even prank the audience: In response to tabloid rumors about his drug addiction, Cobain took the stage at the 1992 Read i ng Fest iva l dressed in a hospital gown and sitting in a wheelchair, for example, and the band began its MTV Video Music Awards performance playing the opening chords of “Rape Me” before launching into hit single “Lithium” to scare the executives in the audience. Tribute act Smells Like Nirvana plays 8 p.m. “That’s why we aren’t Jan. 11 at Diamond Ballroom.| Photo David so rigid,” Wandtke said. Urmanski / Concert Close Ups / provided “That’s why we tell people about the origilike odd meters,” Wandtke said. “Our nal project, because it’s like, ‘Hey, we’re ultimate goal is to keep Smells Like real dudes. We’re playing Kurt’s music. Nirvana but have Dead Original be the Let’s remember Kurt.’ … I’m not going one that’s touring around the world.” up there wearing the exact shoes he Rich thinks fans of one band are wore. … We say whatever’s on the top of likely to enjoy the other despite their our minds in real time. It’s kind of like a obvious differences. punk rock show to be honest with you.” “If you were to compare Nirvana and Rich agreed. Dead Original, it’s such a completely “That’s what makes a Smells Like different sound, a completely different Nirvana show so interesting, that you structure, songwise,” Rich said. “It’s know what you’re going to get in a sense not even similar, except for the fact that just like you would with a Nirvana show,” we’re trying to make America grunge Rich said, “but you never know what again. … They’re two different monsters you’re going to get when the band plays.” that will appeal to the same crowd.” Tickets are $13. Call 405-677-9169 Like Nirvana-drummer-turnedor visit diamondballroom.com. head-Foo Fighter Dave Grohl, Wandtke has stepped out from behind the kit to Smells Like Nirvana take on frontman duties, but he thinks 8 p.m. Jan. 11 his drumming experience is evident in Diamond Ballroom his songwriting. 8001 S. Eastern Ave. “The thing is with drumming, diamondballroom.com | 405-677-9169 whether you’re a virtuoso or you’ve just $13 got the basic skills, you understand how
O KG A Z E T T E . C O M | J A N U A R Y 1 , 2 0 2 0
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Monster A Go-Go Side Show OKC’s Fire Bad (pictured above) describes its sound as “monster rock ’n’ roll,” a combination of “metal, punk, surf and fuzz” with “a touch of high-flying Lucha action.” Chickasha’s Wicked Shimmies, featuring the surviving members of proto-punk pioneers Debris, is a monster of a different sort, playing caustic acid rock seemingly created specifically to soundtrack a bad trip. See both acts on a double bill designed to give you nightmares of the headbangingest kind. Come one, come all Saturday at Drunken Fry, 1201 N. Western Ave. Admission is $5. Visit facebook.com/drunkenfryokc. SATURDAY Photo provided
These are events recommended by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members. For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.
EXPERIENCE Friday, Jan. 3, 2020 • 6-9pm
Amarillo Junction, JJ’s Alley Bricktown Pub.
Kyle Reid, Scratch Kitchen & Cocktails. SINGER/
ARTS DISTRICT
Brent Brander “Opposites Attract” abstract oil & acrylic David Padgett “Expressive Realism“ oil paintings Exhibit Jan 3 - Feb 1 Local and national art, great food, art classes and plenty of shopping!
SONGWRITER
John Carlton & Kyle Reid, The Winston. SINGER/SONGWRITER
Amarillo Junction, JJ’s Alley Bricktown Pub.
Hot House Band, Othello’s Italian Restaurant. JAZZ
Enuff Znuff, Oklahoma City Limits. COVER
Shelly Phelps & Dylan Nagode, Jazmo’z Bourbon St. Café. ACOUSTIC
John Carlton & Kyle Reid, The Winston. SINGER/
ACOUSTIC
SONGWRITER
Stary/Mad Honey/Stepmom, The Paramount Room. ROCK
Electric Okie Test, 51st Street Speakeasy. COVER Jessica Tate & John Rouse, Bossa Nova Caipirinha Lounge. JAZZ Ong, Katt’s Cove. ROCK Trifecta, The Deli. COVER
SATURDAY, JAN. 4 Rev Jones Band, Brewskey’s. ROCK Tanner Fields/Buddy South/Tyler Hopkins, 51st Street Speakeasy. COUNTRY
SUNDAY, JAN. 5 Hosty, The Deli. ROCK The March Divide/Elecktra/Diva, Sauced on Paseo. ROCK
J A N U A R Y 1 , 2 0 2 0 | O KG A Z E T T E . C O M
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 8
THURSDAY, JAN. 2
Christian Pearson, The Paramount Room. JAZZ
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MONDAY, JAN. 6
405.525.2688 • thepaseo.org
Live music submissions must be received by Oklahoma Gazette no later than noon on Wednesday seven days before the desired publication date. Late submissions will not be included in the listings. Submissions run as space allows, although we strive to make the listings as inclusive as possible. Fax your listings to 528-4600 or e-mail to listings@okgazette.com. Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.
GO TO OKGAZETTE.COM FOR FULL LISTINGS!
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J A N U A R Y 1 , 2 0 2 0 | O KG A Z E T T E . C O M
CANNABIS
THE HIGH CULTURE
Rough takeoff
The secretive launch of State Question 806 upset and angered much of the medical cannabis community before it was voluntarily withdrawn 11 days later. By Matt Dinger
Once word of State Question 806 began making the rounds, the cannabis sphere was instantly teeming with fury. The petition was withdrawn 11 days later, but a revised version is expected to be filed before the year’s end. The buzz began quietly while people first learned of State Question 806, then as more people gave the petition the first read, the opposition began speaking out and organizing. Within a week of the petition being filed, there were numerous Facebook groups with names like “Kill the Bill” and “Vote No on SQ806” as well as digital leaflets and memes being passed around social media. Much of the initial fury revolved around the issue that there was not broad industry input on the initiative petition’s contents and, in fact, the vast majority of the cannabis community was taken by surprise by its introduction. Also at issue was the quiet introduction of the petition to the secretary of state’s office, the identities of the women whose names were on the petition and questioning the authorship itself. The initiative petition was filed with the secretary of state’s office on Dec. 12 and was uploaded to the site on Dec. 13. Details slowly surfaced, like that longtime political organizer Michelle Tilley had been tapped to be the campaign manager. On Dec. 19, a week after filing, American Civil Liberties Union Oklahoma’s executive director Ryan Kiesel came forth and did a short Facebook live video with Lawrence Pasternack on Oklahoma Cannabis Liberty Alliance’s page where they both revealed more details.
Pasternack said in the video that he, Chris Moe and Norma Sapp had met with Kiesel about a month prior after they were approached by the group wanting to run a citizen petition for adult use, or recreational, cannabis. A few weeks later, Oklahoma Cannabis Liberty Alliance was sent a draft. Kiesel said he was involved in a personal capacity and not in coordination with ACLU.
The secrecy was to give us some time to put together a more organized campaign. Ryan Kiesel Kiesel did not have a hand in the authorship of State Question 788 but represented Oklahomans for Health when ACLU argued successfully in front of the Oklahoma Supreme Court that the attorney general’s rewrite of the ballot language was misleading. Kiesel said in the Facebook video that the group decided to push forward once they realized there was broad support for such an initiative. He acknowledged that the rollout was intentionally kept quiet to hopefully avoid language challenges during the filing window. “Time is our enemy here, where we have to get everything done, all of the legal process has to be completed and finished and the campaign has to be out, signatures have to be collected, they have to be validated, they have to be verified sometime mid-August before they actually print the November general election ballots for
2020. The secrecy wasn’t secrecy for the sake of trying to keep folks from giving input. The secrecy was to give us some time to put together a more organized campaign, and a part of that was, if we’re to be putting together an organized campaign, that we’ll have a funded signature collection effort with it. It’s best if we don’t have a protest. Our hope is that having a low-key rollout would give us that time to potentially avoid a protest and then to begin to put together a top-notch campaign apparatus around this. I can tell you the people that have been working on this are leaders in the state and even around the nation in marijuana law reform and criminal justice reform in budget revenue and taxation policy, in mental health and substance abuse policy and then in campaign management. This ballot measure, this concept, represents an amazing opportunity for the people of Oklahoma to build on what we built with State Question 788, not tear it down, not take away those patient protections that are there right now. I know there’s a lot of misinformation out there about what this would do in regard to medical,” Kiesel said. “We’ve got an amazing campaign team, some of the best lawyers in the state of Oklahoma working on this and some of the best activists, and we’re ready to do this and make Oklahoma an adult use state but not just an adult use state, but the adult use state, the one that’s a model for the nation, that looks at the best policies that we’ve learned from the 11 other states that have done this and implements it in an even better way.”
Petition withdrawal
Then, on Dec. 23, the petitioners withdrew the petition, again without a word. The news broke again via the Oklahoma secretary of state’s website on Thursday, and once again, the cannabis community’s social media exploded. The withdrawal is a single sentence requesting the withdrawal of the petition. It is signed by the original petitioners, Vanessa Brandon Avery and Amy Young. Young made a Facebook post Thursday afternoon that read in part:
State Question 806 has caused contention the medical cannabis community. | Image Phillip Danner
“In the end, I changed my mind about something very important to our state, mainly because of two things: 1. I want Oklahoma children to have the medicine that they need and 2. I want Oklahoma businesses to thrive. 99% of what I do is based on what I want to give to Oklahoma. After being an educator for 25 years, my original choice was based in hopes for more funding for education, mental health, releasing people from modern day slavery (privatized prisons where imprisonment benefits investors) and infrastructure improvements for the entire state. I want more for all of us here in Oklahoma. But I can also see when I’ve been wrong and won’t hesitate to admit it, apologize and correct it if I can. The truth is that the people I agreed to sign for came to me and suggested rescinding at the exact moment that I was going to ask for it, so please take this as a starting point for something that could help so many, not a final solution. Speak up about what you want. I’m sure they will be watching. I am no longer affiliated with that group but I believe that they are trying to do something good here.” Tilley said they had hoped to refile the new petition when SQ806 was withdrawn, but the language was still being worked out as of Dec. 26. “We’ve been trying to talk to a lot of different people and try to get as much feedback as we can,” she said. “We want to make it as strong as possible, and there’s just so much concern that it’s affecting the medical community. We don’t want that, so we’re working on language to make it crystal clear that we do not warm to harm the medical marijuana community.”
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CANNABIS
THE HIGH CULTURE
Oklahoma-grown
Purple Tangie Cannabis Co. has taken home prizes in both High Times Cannabis Cup and Cowboy Cup during its first year in business. By Matt Dinger
When he took the stage at Cowboy Cup to accept the back-to-back awards for best indoor flower and grand champion flower, he did not do so as Jeremy Jones but as Jeremy Purple Tangie. Jones is the owner and public face of Purple Tangie. While he is not the only employee, being the public face of the company is part of his job and the moniker, first used on Facebook, is now how people commonly refer to him. “I guess you expect to win, but I didn’t go out and plan a speech for it. I expect to win, but you didn’t you don’t think that you’re really going to out of this many contestants, but then I won and I had my platform to share, but I really didn’t,” Jones said. “Just on a personal note, I’ve always been that person, like people feel that I’m real confident, maybe even cocky sometimes, but I’m not the person that’s ever, like, wanted attention. … I didn’t set out to become Jeremy Purple Tangie. Purple Tangie is the name of our company. We have a strain behind it, and it was like, I’m Jeremy and then the company’s Purple Tangie. We needed an outlet to be able to send friend requests and you can’t do it with a like page, and then boom, I become Jeremy Purple Tangie. I’m okay with that. I like the positive attention that we’re getting.”
to have the best cannabis and I want them to have really affordable access and I’ve been doing this more than half of my life.”
Okie effort
Jones was born and raised in Eufaula, and that is where his companies are based now. He planted his first seed
results of myself. It’s the team that I surrounded myself with and then was blessed to be part of building,” Jones said. “So it’s really a team effort. … Basically, when we came together and we formed the team, we had brought people on the other experience that had been on other teams that, you know, had those achievements. As far as an award, a High Times Cannabis Cup award, Oklahoma, that was my first one to be a part of.” While Jones is the public face of the company, he has partnered with longtime friend and associate Brad Williams. “We actually shared this mutual interest from the time we were about 18 or 19 years old, and so we actually kind of knew each other through that,” Jones
It’s all about the team and a collective of bringing those unique results. Jeremy Jones Cannabis has been one of Jones’s passions since he was a teen. “My relationship with cannabis probably started when I was 2 to 3 years old and I wondered what was that smell coming out from the door of my dad’s bedroom,” Jones said. His relationship with cannabis and society’s relationship with cannabis and, therefore, society’s relationship to Jones have been at odds until he founded the company. “When I tried weed, there was something about it that connected with me, and I needed it from then on and I’ve been a daily smoker every day of my life since nearly 15, so yeah, I battled with it, that, ‘Oh, am I a drug addict?’ 15, 20 years ago because of the scenario that we were in then. ‘Am I this bad person?’ I knew how good it made me feel, and I knew how it inspired me. … I’m very passionate about this product,” he said. “I love this product, and I want people 26
J A N U A R Y 1 , 2 0 2 0 | O KG A Z E T T E . C O M
owner of the company, but Brad, he plays a crucial role and I just see him like a partner.” There are about 10 other employees in the company, but the lead grower who cultivated the award-winning crops this season, Kirk Laminack, just left the company to start a family. “He got a master’s degree from Texas A&M. He grew exotic plants from all over the world for about four years, then he came in and assisted, really led it, for about eight months,” Jones said. Purple Tangie, the public-facing company, and Green Rush Gardens, the growing arm of the operation, are just two of the projects in the works. Jones is currently at work building a much larger concept under the name Pharmicated Collective. “I want to do something way bigger than me. I want to do something bigger than myself,” Jones said, “and so when I really started with this, I embarked on bringing people together that were better than me, that had their gifts, that really complemented my gift and trying to bring the right people together to get the right results and then make sure that we’re able to provide them with the right tools that they need for success. … It’s all about the team and a collective of bringing those unique results.” Purple Tangie takes great pride in taking top honors at Oklahoma competitions because this state is and will always be home to Jones. “We have a purpose. We’re real folks. We’re normal people, everyday people, and we’re here in this. Yes, we want to be wildly profitable and successful. There’s nothing wrong with that, but we want to do it in a way that’s right, that’s sustainable and that’s beneficial for the state,” he said. “I don’t want to see a guy come in here and get a partnership and then he’s yanking all the fucking profits out of that company and sending it back to California or back to Chicago, back to Florida. I want to see the business here stay here. I want to make money so that I can reinvest it in this state. I want Oklahomans for Oklahoma.” Visit purpletangie.com.
Photo Caption | Photo Gazette/Staff
when he was a teen, but cultivation was never his passion. “Being from southeast Oklahoma, we really have great conditions for cannabis cultivation, so what I found is you can plant a seed in the right area and a lot of years, it would really take care of itself a lot of times. Certainly not every year, but we have the conditions for the right cannabis genetics to truly thrive and sustain on their own, so pretty much the shit can grow wild,” he said. Purple Tangie is the opposite of seeds thrown into the ground, with a carefully cultivated product and image. “The results that you see, it’s not the
Jeremy Jones, founder of award-winning Purple Tangie Cannabis Co., is focused on producing quality cannabis. | Photo Alexa Ace
said. “And so with his abilities on SEO, website design, graphic design and stuff like that, we’re kind of the opposites of the spectrum, and I knew that, ‘Man, I want this guy on the team. I need him on the team.’ I wanted him putting something together bigger than myself, so I am the
Purple Tangie | Photo Alexa Ace
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Self Wellness GIFT GUIDE
MI X ERS FOR YOUR HOLIDAY MINGLERS
Get your motor runnin’ this holiday season with Canna South’s Black Gold Premium 1200mg THC Syrup. This 4oz can packs a punch and mixes perfectly with any beverage. Choose from green apple, cherry, watermelon or blue raspberry to find your favorite flavor or enjoy any of our flower, edibles, plants, vapes, tinctures and more!
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46 Releaf Dispensary several metro locations weedmaps.com
Ringside’s Gummy Gloves are Island Punch flavored and a true delight for your tastebuds. We have 5mg, 10mg, and 20mg options so that every patient can find the dose they are looking for. What makes these gummies especially unique is our reintroduction of terpenes; because of this reintroduction, our gummies come in Sativa and Indica specific options.
Ringside Medical 14201 N. May Ave., Suite 205 ringsidemedical.com 405-242-5325
CHEEBA CHE WS
If it isn’t the great selection of premium cannabis flower that brings you to Tegridy Market, then it has to be the outstanding array of quality edibles to help you through the new year! Come check out our three varieties of world famous Cheeba Chews cannabis taffy. Available in Indica, Hybrid, and Sativa!
Tegridy Market 2811 Dorchester Drive weedmaps.com 405-810-5199
T HE M A R I JUA N A R E VOLU T ION S TA R T S HER E
Enjoy one of Okie Kush’s home-grown strains today! Roadkill, with it’s frosty trichomes, will have you saying, “Pass the turkey, please!” and help ease the strain of the holiday madness. Okie-grown, Okie-cured. Visit any of our 4 metro locations to talk with a knowledgeable budtender and find the product that’s right for you!
Okie Kush Club several metro locations okiekushclub.com
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We have Pipes, THC - CBD oils and non THC oils as well as Hemp Balm. Your medical needs are met at our shop.
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Who’s on your “nice” list this year? Promote their health and well-being this holiday season with PlusCBD Oil Gold Formula 500mg Roll-On. PlusCBD™ Oil Roll-Ons contains 500mg of CBD, plus warming camphor, cooling menthol and a unique blend of five traditional Asian botanicals, including cinnamon, licorice and poria mushroom.
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Products containing THC in this gift guide are for personal use only and may only be purchased using a valid patient license from the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority.
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J A N U A R Y 1 , 2 0 2 0 | O KG A Z E T T E . C O M
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FLOWER REVIEW
Cannabis effects vary wildly from patient to patient based on a multitude of factors, including THC tolerance, brain chemistry and personal taste. This review is based on the subjective experience of one patient. Strain name: Gelato Cake #1 Grown by: Purple Tangie Cannabis Co. Acquired from: Eden Rose Dispensary Date acquired: Dec. 18 THC/CBD percentages: 19.45 percent/.85 percent (per Oklahoma Compliance Testing Lab) Physical traits: light green with purple, few stigmas, frosted with trichomes
market. I had been smoking quite a bit in the week leading up to sampling this one, and it still hit me like a sledgehammer. The effects were as loud as the scent and lasted an incredible length of time as well. While my personal tastes are more predisposed to the eponymous Purple Tangie strain, this is an excellent heavy indica. I would use this one for intense pain, getting some sleep while ill or to quell powerful insomnia, but for people who like that “stoned� feeling in their waking hours, this will be a favorite.
Bouquet: earthy and gassy Review: You already know what you are getting into just from the sight and smell of this one. The pungent aroma will literally fill a room, and the nugs are light but incredibly frosty. This is the strain that not only took second place in the Oklahoma High Times Cannabis Cup for indica flower, but also took first place for indoor and won the grand champion flower at Cowboy Cup. Those honors are certainly deserved, as this one ranks up there with the most potent cannabis I have had to date in the Oklahoma cannabis
Gelato Cake #1 | Photo Phillip Danner
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PUZZLES NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE CROSSWORD PUZZLE DOWN FOR THE COUNT | 0101 By Laura Taylor Kinnel Puzzles edited by Will Shortz ACROSS
1 TV-screen inits. 4 Steinful 7 Cut (off) 10 “Nope” 13 Lucky strikes? 15 Massage target 17 Capital of Belarus 19 Spa amenity 20 1/x, for x 24 Top type 25 Hay-fever irritant 26 Online payment option 27 Record holder for the most Indianapolis 500 laps led (644) 29 Lowly workers 30 Mythical being depicted in bronze in Copenhagen Harbor 31 Followers of dos 32 Home of the NCAA’s Rhody the Ram, for short 34 Director DuVernay 36 Govt. org. often impersonated on scam calls 37 Picked a card 39 Abstainers … or the central column’s answers vis-à-vis 20-, 39-, 74- and 101-Across, respectively 44 One in a pocketful 45 Has finished 47 Speed that would enable a 23-minute D.C.-to-L.A. flight 48 Where fans are often placed on high? 50 Org. whose academy’s motto in English is “The sea yields to knowledge” 52 One who might give you a shot 53 Miss 54 Food that Marge Simpson once served with “a whisper of MSG” 58 Big name in denim 59 Collected $200, say 63 “Te ____” 64 Former superstore chain selling diapers and strollers 67 “Egads!” 68 Quite a tale 70 Spirit 71 Charitable offering 73 Film character who says, “Kiss me as if it were the last time” 74 It postulates a space-time fabric 80 Congressional budget directives 81 San Francisco’s ____ Valley 82 Radio medium 83 Renaissance-themed festival 84 Tears to pieces 86 Who once had all 10 of the top 10 Billboard hits simultaneously 87 “The Gift of the Magi” author 89 “Seriously?” 91 Gobbles (down) 94 Doze (off) 95 Mr. Incredible’s actual surname 96 College town of George Washington Carver 98 Hither’s partner 99 “Absolutely!” 101 Little Richard hit with “the most inspired rock lyric ever recorded,” per Rolling Stone 104 Sea eagle 105 Many-time NHL All-Star Jagr 107 Sheepish
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since 2000: Abbr. 22 Complement of turtledoves in a Christmas song 23 Obsolescent TV companion 28 Paris’s ____ La Fayette 30 Disfigure 33 ____ sleep 35 Perturb 38 The Caine Mutiny author 39 End of some school names, for short DOWN 40 Orbicularis ____ (eyelid-closing 1 Super Bowl trophy eponym muscle) 2 Deep-fried doughy treats 41 “We ____ Kings” 3 Picked nits 42 What fools might make of themselves 4 ____ tear (athlete’s injury) 43 “Je ne ____ quoi” 5 Thieves’ place 44 Joint winner of FIFA’s Player of 6 Yosemite attraction the Century award in 2000 7 Hides one’s true nature 46 Top-level foreign-policy grp. 8 Group with the 2012 chart-topping 49 Monopoly quartet: Abbr. album Up All Night, to fans 51 Fold 9 It’s pitchfork-shaped 53 Fuel line 10 “Why do you ask?” response 54 Wallop 11 The 1 in (1,2), in math 55 1935 Triple Crown winner 12 Work times, typically 56 Top-ranked professional tennis player 14 Phaser setting for a record 237 consecutive weeks 15 Admiral Graf ____ (German 57 Ark contents WWII ship) 59 ____ fast one 16 Leaf (through) 60 Labor-day setting? 17 Bearing 61 “Beau ____” 18 One might be taken in protest 62 Signs off on 19 Longtime NPR host Diane 65 “I tell ya!” 21 Satellite inhabited continuously 66 Charlotte of The Facts of Life
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69 Universal self, in Hinduism 70 Preserves something? 72 Houston A.L.’ers 73 Trump who wrote 2017’s Raising SUDOKU VERY HARD | N° 35095 Trump Fill in the grid so that every row, column and 3-by-3 box 75 Tiny margin of victory contains the numbers 1 through 9. www.printmysudoku.com 76 When one usually goes through customs 77 Purple pool ball 78 Brushed up on 79 Lucky-ticket-holder’s cry 84 Famed Chicago steakhouse 85 A couple of Bible books 87 Completely unrestrained 88 Tribute 89 Swollen, as a lip 90 Drain, as blood 92 Swiss dish 93 Derisive expressions 95 Runs smoothly 97 They can’t do without does 100 Prefix for a polygon with 140 degree interior angles 101 Headed for overtime 102 A short rest, so to speak 103 He: Lat. 104 Top female baby name of 2014-18 106 Year that Michelangelo’s “The Crucifixion of St. Peter” was completed 109 Things the Energizer bunny may need
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SKULLDUGGERY LANE By Ingvard Ashby
NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS
Puzzle No.1229, which appeared in the December 25 issue. P O P T O P
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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY Homework: I declare you champion, unvanquishable hero, and title-holder of triumphant glory. Do you accept? ARIES (March 21-April 19)
“We are all hostages of the joy of which we deprive ourselves,’ wrote poet Odysseus Elytis. Isn’t that an astounding idea? That we refuse to allow ourselves to experience some of the bliss and pleasure we could easily have; and that we are immured inside that suppressed bliss and pleasure? I call on you, Aries, to rebel against this human tendency. As I see it, one of your main tasks in 2020 is to permit yourself to welcome more bliss, to aggressively seize more pleasure, and thereby free yourself from the rot of its nullification.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20)
At age 22, Taurus-born Dutch citizen Willem de Kooning sneaked into the United States. He was a stowaway on an Argentina-bound freighter, and stealthily disembarked when the ship made a stop in Virginia. As he lived in America during subsequent decades, he became a renowned painter who helped pioneer the movement known as abstract expressionism. His status as an illegal immigrant rarely presented any obstacles to his growing success and stature. Not until age 57 did he finally became an American citizen. I propose we make him one of your role models in 2020. May he inspire you to capitalize on being a maverick, outsider, or stranger. May he encourage you to find opportunities beyond your safety zone.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20)
When British novelist E. M. Forster was in his late 30s, he had sex with another person for the first time. Before that he had published five novels. After that, he produced just one more novel, though he lived till age 91. Why? Was he having too much fun? Looking back from his old, age, he remarked that he would “have been a more famous writer if I had published more, but sex prevented the latter.” I suspect that sensual pleasure and intimacy will have the exact opposite effect on you in 2020, Gemini. In sometimes mysterious ways, they will make you more productive in your chosen sphere.
CANCER (June 21-July 22) “Every part of our personality that we do not love will regress and become hostile to us,” wrote poet Robert Bly. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t suffer from this problem at least a little. That’s the bad news. The good news for us Cancerians (yes, I’m a Crab!) is that 2020 will be a favorable time to engage in a holy crusade to fix this glitch: to feel and express more love for parts of our personality that we have dismissed or marginalized. The result? Any self-sabotage we have suffered from in the past could dramatically diminish.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)
As a young adult, Leo-born Raymond Chandler worked as a fruit-picker, tennis racquet-stringer, and bookkeeper. At age 34, he began a clerical job at the Dabney Oil Syndicate, and eventually rose in the ranks to become a well-paid executive. The cushy role lasted until he was 44, when he was fired. He mourned for a while, then decided to become an author of detective fiction. It took a while, but at age 50, he published his first novel. During the next 20 years, he wrote six additional novels as well as numerous short stories and screenplays—and in the process became popular and influential. I present this synopsis as an inspirational story to fuel your destiny in 2020.
the Duke of Milan, that he sometimes positioned himself in front of his painting-in-progress and simply gazed at and thought about it, not lifting a brush. Those were times he did some of his hardest work, he said. I trust you will have regular experiences like that in 2020, Libra. Some of your best efforts will arise out of your willingness and ability to incubate your good ideas with concentrated silence and patience.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
By 1895, Henry James had already published 94 books. He was renowned in the U.S. and England, and had written the works that would later lead to him being considered for a Nobel Prize. Then, at age 52, although he was not physically fit, he decided to learn how to ride a bicycle. He paid for lessons at a bicycle academy, and cheerfully tolerated bruises and cuts from his frequent falls as an acceptable price to pay for his new ability. I admire James’ determination to keep transforming. Let’s make him a role model for you in 2020. May he inspire you to keep adding new aptitudes as you outgrow your previous successes.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
The fame of Virgo-born Italian poet Ludovico Ariosto (1474–1533) has persisted through the ages because of Orlando Furioso, an epic poem he authored. It tells the story of the Christian knight Orlando and his adoration for a pagan princess. This great work did not come easily to Ariosto. It wasn’t until he had written 56 versions of it that he was finally satisfied. I suspect you may harbor an equally perfectionist streak about the good works and labors of love you’ll craft in 2020. May I suggest you confine your experiments to no more than ten versions?
When Sagittarian composer Ludwig van Beethoven created the Eroica symphony in the early 1800s, many observers panned it. They said its rhythms were eccentric, that it was too long. One critic said it was “glaring and bizarre,” while another condemned its “undesirable originality.” This same critic concluded, “Genius proclaims itself not in the unusual and fantastic but in the beautiful and sublime.” Today, of course, Eroica has a different reputation. It’s regarded as a breakthrough event in musical history. I’ll go on record here, Sagittarius, to say that I suspect you created your own personal version of Eroica in 2019. 2020 is the year it will get the full appreciation it deserves, although it may take a while. Be patient.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
Leonardo da Vinci worked on his painting The Last Supper from 1495 to 1498. It’s a big piece—about 15 by 29 feet. That’s one reason why he took so long to finish. But there was another explanation, too. He told his patron,
I’m going to speculate that sometime in the next six months, you will experience events that years from now you’ll look back on as having been the beginning of a fresh universe for you. What should you call this launch?
I suggest you consider elegant terms like “Destiny Rebirth” or “Fate Renewal” rather than a cliché like the “Big Bang.” And how should you celebrate it? As if it were the Grand Opening of the rest of your long life.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
In 2020, I believe you will be able to summon the insight and kismet necessary to resolve at least one long-running problem, and probably more. You’ll have an enhanced ability to kick bad habits and escape dead-ends and uncover liberating truths about mysteries that have flustered you. Frustrations and irritations you’ve grudgingly tolerated for far too much time will finally begin to wane. Congratulations in advance, Aquarius! The hard work you do to score these triumphs won’t always be delightful, but it could provide you with a curiously robust and muscular kind of fun.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)
Let’s say you wanted to dress completely in silk: shirt, pants, vest, scarf, socks, shoes, hat, underwear all made of silk. And let’s say your dream was to grow and process and weave the silk from scratch. You’d start with half an ounce of silkworm eggs. They’d hatch into 10,000 silkworms. Eventually those hard-working insects would generate five pounds of silk—enough to create your entire outfit. So in other words, you’d be able to generate an array of functional beauty from a small but concentrated amount of raw material. By the way, that last sentence is a good description of what I think your general approach should be in 2020. And also by the way, dressing in silk wouldn’t be too crazy an idea in the coming months. I hope you’ll have fun cultivating your allure, style, and flair.
Go to RealAstrology.com to check out Rob Brezsny’s expanded weekly audio horoscopes /daily text message horoscopes. The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700.
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