Oklahoma Gazette 11-19-14 by Oklahoma Gazette

FREE EVERY WEDNESDAY METRO OKC’S INDEPENDENT WEEKLY VOL. XXXVI NO. 47 NOVEMBER 19, 2014

NEWS: LOCAL GROUP WORKS TO CHANGE BEER & LIQUOR LAWS. P.4 AN ENTERTAINING FOCUS

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CONTENTS 40

ON THE COVER

In this issue, you’ll find stories about seasonal events, entertaining, our local brewing industries and more. On the cover: Drinking responsibly is now more fun than ever before. Local breweries, restaurants, distilleries and drinkers are doing more to protect our environment. Story by Devon Green. P. 22. — Jennifer Chancellor, editor-in-chief

NEWS 4

State: League of Oklahomans for Change in Alcohol Laws

Analysis: Democrats reorganize

Metro briefs

Education: Oklahoma Public School Resource Center

Chicken-Fried News

Commentary

Letters

LIFE

OKG picks

Sudoku / Crossword

Food & Drink: Tommy’s Italian American Grill, Cover: sustainable drinking, food briefs, Skimpy Mixers, OKG eat: micro brews

Active: OCU Community Dance Center

Music: Music Made Me: James Hammontree, event listings, Plain Speak, The Bourgeois

Film: holiday preview, Whiplash

Astrology

Classifieds

Culture: holidays

Performing Arts: Valery Kuleshov, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Red Dirt Poetry at Sauced on Paseo, alcohol in live comedy

Books: Best of Books

MISSION STATEMENT Oklahoma Gazette’s mission is to stimulate, examine and inform the public on local quality of life issues and social needs, to recognize community accomplishments, and to provide a forum for inspiration, participation and interaction across all media.

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NEWS STATE

P HOTOS BY M A RK HA N COC K

Tapping freedom LOCAL group advocates to change Oklahoma’s beer and liquor laws. BY BEN FELDER

Visitors to Bedré Fine Chocolate Factory in Davis can buy a box of confections after their tour. A trip to Field’s Pies factory in Pauls Valley can end with the purchase of a famous pecan pie, and if an outing to the Braum’s Family Farm in Tuttle leaves you with a sweet tooth, a pint of ice cream is always for sale. But a swing through Roughtail Brewing Company in Midwest City won’t end with the cash register ringing up a six-pack of its top high-point beer. “You can order a beer at a restaurant, you can order a beer at the bar and go down to the liquor store and drink it at your house,” said Tony Tielli, Roughtail co-founder. “But the place that makes the beer is the one place where you can’t buy it. It’s silly, it’s completely ridiculous.” Oklahoma’s liquor laws restrict breweries from selling high-point beer, which is any drink with more than 3.2 percent alcohol per weight, on-site. For many craft breweries like Roughtail, high-point beers are signature products. “For us not to be able to sell [highpoint] beer here is like not being able to sell bread at a bakery,” Tielli said. Earlier this year, a group of Oklahoma beer enthusiasts formed an advocacy group with a goal of changing that law. “We thought this was something we can do to support local breweries,” said Kevin Hall, director of the League of Oklahomans for Change in Alcohol Laws (LOCAL). Hall, who fell in love with craft beer and home brewing during his time at seminary school in Colorado, a state known for its craft beer scene, said coming back home to Oklahoma opened his eyes to the archaic laws related to alcohol. As someone who enjoys visiting craft breweries in other states and has seen the

from left Kevin Hall, director of League of Oklahomans for Change in Alcohol Laws (LOCAL), and Tony Tielli of Roughtail Brewing Company check out a draw beer in the light between brewing vessels at its Midwest City production facility. Patrons enjoy crafted beers during a recent Free the Taps rally held by LOCAL at Roughtail Brewing Company in Midwest City.

tourism impact they have, fighting to allow breweries here to serve all of their products seemed like the best place to start. “This will generate jobs and revenue in the state,” Hall said. “It’s about tourism [and] it’s about increasing the hospitality industry.” LOCAL hosts Free the Taps fundraisers in Tulsa and Oklahoma City and wants to hire a lobbyist who can work with legislators to change the law. Hall realizes that it could take years achieve the desired outcome and he hopes his group can start the legislative process in 2015. Grassroots efforts to change Oklahoma’s alcohol laws have sprouted before, but LOCAL draws inspiration from similar, successful groups in other states. In 2013, Free the Hops, a beer advocacy group in Alabama, helped pass a bill that legalized home brewing and shares similar goals with LOCAL when it comes to restrictions on small breweries. As brewery growth explodes across the country, Hall believes that a local market that is friendlier to breweries will increase tax revenue, jobs and quality of life. United States Census numbers show that, since 2007, the number of U.S. breweries

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The place that makes the beer is the one place where you can’t buy it. It’s silly, it’s completely ridiculous. — Tony Tielli

doubled to nearly 900 and revenue increased by 33.6 percent. Tielli believes a change in the law would have an instant impact on his business. “I would hire another person tomorrow,” Tielli said. “We’ve sold a ton of beer [to stores and bars], but we are barely keeping the lights on by doing that. It’s that taproom business that allows small breweries like us to survive.” Changing alcohol laws here has been difficult. In 2011, the Legislature created a task force to consider changing a ban on high-point alcohol sales at grocery stores, but it disbanded after two meetings due to a lack of consensus among its members. After the end of prohibition,

Oklahoma remained a dry state for nearly 26 more years and liquor by the drink was illegal until 1985. If successful, LOCAL might also advocate to change laws that restrict beer sales here, including a law that requires liquor stores to sell high-point beer at room temperature. As a result of that law, some brewers refuse to ship to Oklahoma because their products must remain refrigerated. Current laws also inhibit local brewers from selling directly to retailers or distributing directly to restaurants, bars and stores. “If you have a bar and said you wanted to buy my beer I would say, ‘Great, but you have to contact your distributor,’” Tielli said. Brewers like Tielli are hopeful that LOCAL will make an impact that they are unable to make on their own. “If there is going to be change, it’s going to come from a group like [LOCAL],” Tielli said. “If brewery owners to go and try to talk to lawmakers, they are going to look at that as us trying to advance our own businesses. But when lawmakers see that there are a ton of people who are taxpayers, voters and citizens in their state that support this, that is a much different situation for them.”

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NEWS ANALYSIS

What’s next?

Still stinging from overwhelming election losses, Oklahoma Democrats are spending more time reorganizing than licking their wounds. BY BEN FELDER

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Over the past two election cycles, a combination of deep distrust of the president, a growing economy at home and Oklahoma’s socially conservative values have made it impossible for Democrats to win the governor’s seat. In four years when Gov. Mary Fallin terms out, any shot at a Democrat win might mean action now, especially for a party still reeling from the Republican Party’s dominance of the Nov. 4 elections. “It will be easier,” Ben Odom, former vice-chairman of the state Democratic party, said about his party’s chances of winning in 2018. “One way or the other, you will have a change in administrations and [Barack] Obama will not be president. Not having him as the president will not serve as the motivator for many Republicans like it does now.” Fallin capitalized on conservative voters’ mistrust of Obama and attempted to link him to her challenger, Democrat Joe Dorman. Numbers from the Gallup research company show that the president’s approval ratings in this state are consistently lower than the national average. However, anecdotal numbers indicate that what may benefit Democrats more than President Obama leaving the White House might actually be a Republican replacement. The last time Oklahoma voters elected a governor from the same political party as the president was in 1986. “It does make it easier having a Republican president,” Odom said. “Not that I’m rooting for that.” Naturally, there are many other factors at play in any gubernatorial race, and Odom said Republicans have advantages here that could carry them through 2018. For example, Dorman finished 15 points behind Fallin in the election. Indeed, Dorman lacked both name recognition and funds, as Fallin spent twice as much on her campaign. Even so, Odom thinks Democrats might have a chance in 2018 with a more wellknown candidate. “Right now, we really don’t have much of a bench,” said Joe Hartman, co-owner of Skyfire Media, which ran campaigns for several metro-area

PRESIDENT PARTY

OKLAHOMA GOVERNOR

2014

Democrat (Barack Obama)

Republican (Mary Fallin)

2010

Democrat (Obama)

Republican (Fallin)

2006

Republican (George W. Bush)

Democrat (Brad Henry)

2002

Republican (W. Bush)

Democrat (Henry)

1998

Democrat (Bill Clinton)

Republican (Frank Keating)

1994

Democrat (Clinton)

Republican (Keating)

1990

Republican (George Bush)

Democrat (David Walters)

1986

Republican (Ronald Reagan)

Republican (Henry Bellmon)

It has to start with name recognition. — Ben Odom

Democratic candidates. “Ask people who the leader of the party is and you may get 20 different answers.” Hartman said it will be important for Democrats to elected new candidates to the Legislature and other statewide seats in an effort to lead up to future gubernatorial races, especially since Republicans have more viable candidates, including Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb, who is an early favorite to run in 2018. “We haven’t been electing leaders at the local level of government who can build that experience and name recognition who can then run for governor,” Hartman said. Odom agreed. “It has to start with name recognition,” said Odom, who mentioned that Oklahoma’s Democratic Party already is floating popular names like Dan Boren, Kim Henry and Brad Carson. Carson and Boren are both former representatives from Oklahoma’s second congressional district, and both are the most recent Democrats to represent our state at the federal level.

Henry is the wife of former Democratic governor Brad Henry, who served consecutive terms prior to Fallin’s election. Democrats believe the Henry name still carries a lot of sway. Earlier this year, in fact, proponents urged Brad Henry to run again, even though it would have required a specific interpretation of the law. While Democrats might favor ancestry when looking for potential candidates, Hartford emphasized a need to develop new party leaders. Beyond name recognition and the influence of the nation’s political climate, many Democrats also believe their party’s message should be retooled. “We need to unify our message a little more around income equality and quality of life and which party is advocating better for those things,” said Forrest Bennett, a vice president of membership with Young Democrats of Oklahoma. Bennett also believes the party needs to increase participation from key demographics, including young voters, because they tend to trend more progressive. “We tried to make education a huge issue this year and I think that was important,” he said. “But I think we have a lot to say on issue of the economy and strengthening the middle class.”

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Appreciating a park can be challenging for guests with disabilities, or even impossible for people in wheelchairs. However, Martin Park Nature Center in Oklahoma City developed a userfriendly trail design for guests with walking, seeing or hearing issues. “We are able to return to life with the expectation and hope that we will be able to participate as meaningful citizens in all facets of life in Oklahoma City,” said Jack McMahan, speaking about his experience as a quadriplegic after a cycling accident in 2004. McMahan spoke Nov. 12 during a construction launch ceremony for the Jim Thorpe Rehabilitation Hospital Courage Trail at Martin Park. He also helped launch Wilderness Matters, a nonprofit organization that works to help parks more accessible to everyone, which is funding the project. When complete, the trail will be wheelchair-friendly and include interpretive signage. Mayor Mick Cornett helped launch the project: “It’s going to be a tremendous step forward, there aren’t very many of these in the entire United States. I have a sense there is going to be a lot more along the way.” OKC district follows federal health guideline

The Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 prevents schools from serving unhealthy food during school. However, states were allowed to grant exceptions for fundraisers that include fatty foods, such as candy bars and cookies. The Oklahoma state board of education voted unanimously last month to let districts sidestep the federal law, which some board members called a “gross overreach” by the federal government. Edmond and Norman districts advocated for the exemption, but the OKC school board voted this month to follow federal law.

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The Oklahoma Department of Transportation hosted a public forum Nov. 13 to present its plan for a new boulevard downtown.

Say what?

“I applaud [the Oklahoma Department of Transportation] for its flexibility to this point, but the lane width of 11 feet is incompatible for this [25 mph] boulevard and I want to advocate for 10-feet lane width,” said Tom Perryman, a downtown employee who spoke last week at an ODOT public forum discussing an Oklahoma City Boulevard plan. “If you make an 11-foot lane, you are setting up drivers to fail.” By the numbers

1,692,743. That’s how many pounds of food Governor Mary Fallin’s Feeding Oklahoma Drive raised throughout the month of October. Along with half a million in donations, the drive will provide more than 4 million meals for hungry Oklahomans this holiday season. “I am continually impressed by the support and generosity shown by Oklahomans in all 77 counties, and this year’s food drive proves to be no different,” Fallin said. The Feeding Oklahoma Drive benefited the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma and their partner agencies across Oklahoma.

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Getting schooled

Oklahoma Public School Resource Center acts “as a central office for small districts that don’t have one,” organizers say. BY BEN FELDER

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For the majority of Oklahoma school districts, navigating the complicated world of 21st Century education can be a lonely experience. Lacking the resources of larger schools districts like Oklahoma City and Tulsa, many of the state’s rural districts and urban charter schools face smaller funds and increased mandates without the collaborative support enjoyed at larger schools. That’s where the Oklahoma Public School Resource Center (OPSRC) comes in. Launched this year, the organization offers small districts communication, curriculum, technology and legal support. Districts pay a monthly fee and have access to the resources of OPSRC and its staff. “Many school districts here in Oklahoma feel crunched,” said Brent Bushey, the center’s executive director. The center has helped districts navigate complicated legal issues, and it also developed a communication plan for community members regarding tough financial decisions. In addition, Bushey said OPSRC is developing a Web hosting service for districts that is cheaper than most other services following the federal government’s decision to restrict schools from using E-Rate dollars (from the Schools and Libraries Program of the Universal Service Fund) to fund websites.

Brent Bushey is executive director of the Oklahoma Public School Resource Center. “The resource center model was really interesting to me because we are particularly focused on smaller districts and smaller schools,” Bushey said. In a state where all but 23 of the 520 districts have fewer than 4,500 students, the majority of schools are small operations where superintendents might also be found teaching math or driving a bus. “We primarily focus on rural schools and charter schools,” said Sarah Julian, communications director at OPSRC. “Typically, those are the districts that don’t have a lot of funding to provide full-time employees in the areas that we provide resources. “You can kind of look at us as a central office for small districts that don’t have one.” Districts pay a $2,500 annual fee to utilize the center’s directors and professional development services throughout the school year. The concept of consolidating services in education has grown in popularity in recent years, especially as lawmakers look for ways to cut costs and direct more funds into classrooms. The Oklahoma State Senate Education Subcommittee on

Appropriations held an interim study this month that reviewed a bill designed to consolidate administrative services for nearly 200 districts with fewer than 250 students. “The issue here is the duplication,” said Sen. Kyle Loveless, R-Oklahoma City, who authored a school consolidation bill. “If there’s just a little bit of waste, multiplied over 500 districts, that needs to be addressed. Looking at it and discussing it and not just ignoring the problem is what we need to move forward.”

This is all about removing the barriers that keep teachers from doing their job. — Brent Bushey

Bushey gave a presentation at the interim study and discussed the service his organization offers. With offices in a modern warehouse in Midtown, OPSRC has the feel of a collaborative organization, which fits its model of innovation. Bushey said he hopes the center will evolve and embrace new ideas to help schools. Some of those new ideas may come from member schools, he said. “The ideal relationship we are going for is to work with districts that want to try something new but don’t want to get smacked for it,” Bushey said. “I will know that we are winning when we have superintendents calling and saying they have a new idea.” OPSRC doesn’t heavily push policy issues at the state level, but Bushey believes the charter school model should be expanded into rural

The Oklahoma Public School Resource Center, located in Midtown, is constructed in part from shipping containers and is filled with modern decor. districts. Bushey said the center has freedom to try new things and grow thanks to funding from the George Kaiser Family Foundation, Inasmuch Foundation, Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation and The Walton Family Foundation. OPSRC also has a relationship with the Arkansas Public School Resource Center, which offers a proven model of success, Bushey said. Additionally, OPSRC launched the Catalyst Education Fund (CEF) in an attempt to pump more dollars into rural schools. The fund will go towards grants for arts, STEM and technology programs in small districts. CEF comes at a time when industries including science, engineering and energy are having difficulty filling positions that require advanced levels of science and math proficiencies. “What we’re seeing now are students graduating from high school who have not been trained in the logic of how to interpret and take a problem from point A to point B,” said Luke Curley, president of Oklahoma City’s Shoreline Capitol and managing partner of the Monterey Energy Group. Providing resources, innovative ideas and even funding for many of the state’s smaller districts is the goal of OPSRC and Bushey believes it’s an approach that today’s education industry requires. “This is all about removing the barriers that keep teachers from doing their job,” Bushey said. “It will take new ideas.”

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CHiCKEN CKEN The American dream

Remember that local gun range that announced it would start serving alcoholic beverages? Well, the specialty drinks are now flowing, guns are popping and even politicians are partying like it’s a monster truck rally. Wilshire Gun’s biggest fan might be Gov. Mary Fallin. And if by biggest fan you mean the person who arrives in the largest armored personnel carrier, runs over a car and then fires a gun, then yeah, Fallin won last Friday at the range’s grand opening. “Well, it was interesting, being able to ride in this tank and crush a car, and what an exciting way to open up the Wilshire Gun range today,” Fallin told koco.com. Because, obviously, safety. “Having the ability to have meeting spaces where people can learn about gun safety and the appropriate

FR FRiED NEWS handling of firearms, which is also a very important part of gun ownership,” Fallin said. And, because, obviously obviously, jobs. “It’s a great new addition to Oklahoma City, and it’s creating jobs,” Fallin said. Let’s celebrate those jobs and our safety with Crimson and Cream swirl drinks, guns and Locked and Loaded Nachos. (Hold the beans and substitute a tank, please.)

KD’s longest commercial

For a documentary that debuted this month, one of Oklahoma City’s favorite sports icons gave HBO a behind-the-scenes look at his life during the NBA offseason. The film,

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starring Kevin Durant, is creatively named The Offseason. In an interview about the movie, Durant said it offered viewers a chance to see what his life is like beyond game day and that he is a normal guy — a normal guy that travels the world, hangs out with celebrities and plays basketball eight hours a day. Durant also said the documentary offers a chance to see his personality. “A lot of people think I am quiet,” Durant told HBO. “But if you start talking to me, I’ll talk back.” You know, like a normal human being. The documentary is probably an enjoyable watch for any Thunder fan, but don’t expect it to be too raw. Besides starring in the documentary, Durant is also named as a producer, which probably makes this nothing more than a two-hour commercial for KD. But, hey, his commercials are pretty entertaining.

10 days?!

College students giving up beer? That’s a headline. Doing it willingly? That’s downright remarkable. And that’s not all they’re giving up. They’re forsaking daily lattes, caffeine-laden sodas — you know, things they hold most dear. And we know that caffeine can make or break a college career. Well, to be fair, so can beer. If the students at the University of Oklahoma (OU) seem a little twitchy, back off, man, it’s all for charity. According to a NewsOK.com report, students at OU are joining a 10-day grassroots campaign that got its start at Texas A&M University. Henry Poegler founded The Wells Project for Living Water International at A&M after learning how little of the world has access to clean water. Students voluntarily give up their favorite beverage for 10 days and donate the money they save to the nonprofit. Living Water International made The Wells Project its official college campus campaign in 2009, and it soon spread to campuses across the country. This is the second year OU has

participated. Students are encouraged to donate $51, or what the average college student spends on drinks over 10 days. Um, we’re not sure where those numbers came from, but we’re guessing many penny beer nights figured in there somewhere.

Prosperity or bust

One expert believes that Oklahoma’s economy only recently returned to normal from the last bust. No, he’s not talking about the Great Recession of the aughts; economist Russell Evans recently told okcfox.com that we’ve just now recovered from the state’s devastating oil bust of the late 1980s. And he warned that we might be

dangerously close to another one. “We’re not quite back to some of those reliance, which is probably a good thing, but we certainly are back to a level where we are reliant on the industry as an engine of economic growth,” Evans said. Oil and gas is Oklahoma. Will it be our future as well? Mayor Mick Cornett is confident, but not overly so. “Despite our successes in diversifying the economy, the energy industry has sort of out-diversified us,” he told the local Fox affiliate. “In other words, it’s continued to grow exponentially. It’s a good problem to have, especially in good times.” Almost everyone does agree that, right now, we’re fine. Which is sort of like coming home to find a fully stocked refrigerator and then assuming it always will be stocked.

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Every day, Blake Griffin pounds people on the basketball court. Now, there are claims that he did so off-court, too. The Clippers star, Oklahoma City native and former OU AllAmerican was charged with one count of misdemeanor battery after allegedly “squeezing [39-year-old Daniel Schulman’s] hand and shoulder and/or slapping him in the face.” Reports show that the scuffle stemmed from Schulman taking a photo of Griffin after a night of fun at Las Vegas’ TAO Nightclub. Unfortunately for Griffin, what happened in Vegas left Vegas. When asked to comment after practice last week, Griffin declined. “I really can’t,” ESPN reported. “I’m not really allowed to speak on that, but I’m very confident in the situation. So once

I can, I will.” When asked if the charges were “scary,” Griffin — who is 6 feet 10 inches tall, 251 pounds and presumably not afraid of anything (except spiders, like the rest of us) — didn’t cower. “No, I definitely would not say scary,” Griffin said. “I mean, I feel more bad just for the fact that it’s a distraction. And I don’t know how big of a distraction it really is, but it is. And that’s what I feel mostly bad about.” The Los Angeles Times reported that if convicted, Griffin faces up to six months of jail time, a $1,000 fine and/or community service under Nevada law. More likely, Griffin will get a hard wrist-slapping from the NBA first. Or maybe a solid face-slapping. Because, you know, justice.

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www.midfirst.jobs O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | N OV E M B E R 1 9 , 2 0 1 4 | 1 3

COMMENTARY

Small kindnesses = big changes BY JOSH DELOZIER

The world is going to hell, they say. The youth of our country are selfabsorbed, they lament. The government is worthless, the arts don’t matter and our neighbors don’t care, we’re told. We’re not buying it. Sure, in today’s information-obsessed world, it’s easy to get caught up in the drama. Our Twitter and Facebook feeds are filled with passive-aggressive status updates, humble bragging and rants about bad experiences with businesses. In addition to this daily barrage of negativity, we are constantly exposed to images of terror and messages of fear in the media. But there is also a lot of good happening around us. Here in Oklahoma, we’ve recently seen job growth, prosperity and a positive social swell that’s transforming our communities like never before. New

local organizations are springing up to tackle the challenges facing our citizens. Businesses are rallying together to promote social well-being, and ordinary people — our neighbors, our friends — are giving at unprecedented levels. According to the Oklahoma Alliance for Nonprofits, in 2010, the 19,000 nonprofits in our state accounted for $12 billion in revenue, and you can’t say it’s all for the tax write-off. It’s because Oklahomans take care of each other. We call our legislators to ensure public funding for the arts. We give our hard-earned dollars to artists, musicians, filmmakers, activists and community action agencies. We make our voices heard at city council, donate to disaster relief and create events, public art and attractions that add to the quality of life here in our state. And we can do more.

During this season of gratitude and giving, we have an even greater opportunity to change lives and make our communities better. Your wallet and your time are tools that will ensure continued prosperity during your lifetime and beyond. Donate funds to or volunteer your time with a nonprofit whose mission touches your heart. It doesn’t have to be the biggest, most well-known organization. In fact, smaller organizations sometimes need the most help. Another way to make an immediate impact on the community is to shop local. We have hundreds of independent businesses that would love to see you walk through their doors. Their products are often made by local artists and makers who put genuine care and craftsmanship into the goods they produce. Plus, more of the dollars you spend at local businesses stay right here

Opinions expressed on the commentary page, in letters to the editor and elsewhere in this newspaper are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of ownership or management.

in our community and to continue to do further good. Small Business Saturday, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, is the perfect time to shop local and pick up handmade gifts. Finally, I encourage everyone to consider those who are less fortunate this holiday season. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the hubbub of shopping, parties and presents, but small acts of kindness can spark big changes. Adopt a family, donate a coat or simply make a small gesture that will put a smile on someone’s face. These are gifts that keep giving and the memories that last. So, as the holiday season draws near, remember to support all things local, make a difference in at least one person’s life and keep furthering the positive changes we are seeing in Oklahoma. Josh DeLozier is the director of marking and communications at NewView Oklahoma, a nonprofit the empowers blind and vision impaired Oklahomans to achieve their maximum potential.

LETTERS Oklahoma Gazette provides an open forum for the discussion of all points of view in its Letters to the Editor section. The Gazette reserves the right to edit letters for length and clarity. Letters can be mailed, faxed, emailed to jchancellor@ okgazette.com or sent online at okgazette. com. Include a city of residence and contact number for verification. Drink more (local) wine

Forty-one states allow off-site shipping of wine from wineries. Oklahoma, of course, does not. As a winery owner, I tell customers that I cannot ship, but they can. However, now my customers are being told by shipping companies (FedEx and UPS Inc.) that it is illegal to ship wine. I know this is a crock because consumers in 41 states can receive wine. There are even rumors that some Oklahomans receive wine shipments from out-of-state. The Oklahoma attorney general has restrictions on who or how a ruling can be requested, but I personally do not think that the ABLE Commission has the authority or the right to govern what private Oklahoma citizens can do. Okies everywhere have trouble believing that this state has wineries, and Okies want to send wine to their far-flung relatives just to prove that it does.

Not helping our own wineries only boosts the sales of California and French wineries. — Tom Knotts Norman Honor veterans every day

Beginning with the inception of our country, we had the United States Department of War. After WWII, its name was changed to United States Department of Defense. The old name should have been retained. We have had almost continuous war since. Since WWII, hundreds of thousands of our servicemen and servicewomen have died or been maimed in undeclared wars, most of them draftees fighting in Korea or Vietnam. So on Veteran’s Day, I hope you thanked and honored veterans who served in WWII. It’s doubtless they defended our country. To the rest, we owe them thanks every day for standing ready to defend us. To those who fought, died or were maimed in these unnecessary, undeclared wars, our government owes you an apology. My own generation was decimated by our war on Vietnam. Visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., for a feeling. Too

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many names of my colleagues are etched on that monument. They died in vain. — Frank Silovsky Oklahoma City Coal-amity

Within minutes of President Barack Obama’s carbon emissions agreement with China, Sen. Mitch McConnell began making references to a “war on coal.” If there was a war on coal, coal would win. Some experts claim it kills 13,000 Americans a year due to asthma in addition to about 100 coal mining deaths annually. Let’s not even mention the carbon dioxide impact. If there was a war on coal, it could be

settled with the demolition of a handful of strategic railroad bridges. However, this is not a war, and we are civilized human beings. Pointing out the dangers of coal and proposing reasonable legislation is not to be equated with acts of violence. Furthermore, if coal were somehow defeated by a war and every coal-fired power plant in America were shut down, and if natural gas and renewables could not fill in the gap, we Americans would suffer to an unimaginable degree. We would have to resort to reducing our power consumption back where it was in the dark ages of 1990. — Dan Wade Oklahoma City

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BOOKS Book Signing and Unveiling, Art of the Oklahoma Judicial Center; photographed by Neil Chapman and written by Gayleen Rabakukk in collaboration with Justice Yvonne Kauger, Kyle Shifflett, Debby Williams and Justice James Edmondson, 5:30 p.m., Nov. 20. Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, 5212491, okhistory.org/historycenter. THU

Glenda Kuhn Book Signing, children’s author of Aliyah Likes Being a Giraffe, Let’s Be Friends and Delilah Dances, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Nov. 22. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2100 NE 52nd St., 602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org. SAT

Saturday Dance 7:30-10:30pm

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

Agatha Nolen Book Signing, author of Chasing My Father, 6-7:30 p.m., Nov. 20. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 842-2900, fullcirclebooks. com. THU

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Book Signing, Carolyn Macy, author of Hawaiian Night Before Christmas and picture book author Una Belle Townsend, 10:30 a.m.-noon, Nov. 22. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. SAT Wayne Rohde Book Signing, author of The Vaccine Court will discuss and sign his new book, 2-4 p.m., Nov. 22. Best of Books, 1313 E. Danforth Rd., Edmond, 3409202, bestofbooksedmond.com. SAT Powerful Prose Discussion Series, book discussion of Think Like a Freak by Steven Levitt led by OCU President, Robert Henry, 6:30-8 p.m., Nov. 24. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. MON

FILM Wild in the Streets, (U.S., 1968, dir. Barry Shear) a young man gains political influence of a counterculture rock band and oversees a teenage revolution, 6:30 p.m., Nov. 19. The Paramount OKC, 701 W. Sheridan Ave., 5170787, theparamountokc.com. WED

20,000 Days on Earth, (U.K., 2014, dir. Iain Forsyth) staged day in the life of Australian musical icon Nick Cave and insight into his creative process, 7:30 p.m., Nov. 20; 8 p.m., Nov. 22. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 236-3100, okcmoa.com. THU, SAT Je t’aime Je t’aime, (France, 1968, dir. Alain Resnais) a man who recently attempted suicide is selected to participate in a time-travel experiment only tested on mice, 8 p.m., Nov. 21.; 5:30 p.m., Nov. 22. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 236-3100, okcmoa.com. FRI/SAT

HAPPENINGS Shop Hop, explore all that Automobile Alley has to offer with open house events at shops, live music, street artists, discounts at local restaurants and more, 6-9 p.m., Nov. 20. Automobile Alley, 1015 N. Broadway Ave., 488-2555, automobilealley.org. THU

Nothing Daunted Women’s Book Discussion Group You might know True Grit from the 2010 film (or the 1969 film, depending on your age). But if you know of and have read Charles Portis’ acclaimed 1968 book — considered by many to be one of the great American novels — then you can dissect Mattie and Tom’s enthralling story in the Nothing Daunted Women’s Book Discussion Group. Dialogue begins 7 p.m. Thursday at Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway. Admission is free. Call 842-2900 or visit fullcirclebooks.com.

Thursday Premiere on Film Row, family-friendly event featuring live music, art exhibitions, food trucks, film screenings and more, 7-10 p.m., Nov. 21. Film Row, 700 W. Sheridan Ave., filmrowokc.com. FRI

Endangered Language, learn the basics of languages like Muscogee Creek and Choctaw in conjunction with Native American Heritage Month, 7 p.m., Nov. 20. University of Central Oklahoma, 100 N. University Drive, Edmond, 974-2000, uco.edu. THU

Historic Thanksgiving Day Celebration, learn what Thanksgiving looked like when the Pilgrims and Wampanoag people got together and how it has changed over time while creating crafts, playing games, and enjoying Thanksgiving-inspired treats, 10 a.m.noon, Nov. 22. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 445-7080, myriadgardens.org. SAT

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FOOD

LIVE MUSIC

Ronnie Jay Wheeler & The Hawks

The ABCs of What You Eat: Pumpkins, facts and nutritional information about pumpkins; learn how to select the perfect pumpkin and recipes, 10 a.m., Nov. 19. Buy For Less, 2500 N. Pennsylvania Ave., 525-6600, buyforlessok.com. WED

Hot Dogs and More!

Tea & Tips, healthy tips and refreshments, 9:30-10:30 a.m., Nov. 20. Uptown Grocery Co., 1230 W. Covell Rd., Edmond, 509-2700, uptowngroceryco.com. THU

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Sundance Film Festival doesn’t just give away awards, you know. You have to earn it. The Overnighters — a documentary following troubled North Dakota oil workers and a local pastor’s efforts to help them — earned it, winning the festival’s U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Intuitive Filmmaking. See it 5:30 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Sunday at Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive. Tickets are $5-$9. Call 236-3100 or visit okcmoa.com.

Friday, Sunday

315 E. Sheridan, Bricktown, OKC 1 6 | N OV E M B E R 1 9 , 2 0 1 4 | O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E

Bacon and Bourbon Dinner, five-course meal hosted by the Oklahoma Pork Council and developed by Gaillardia Chef Brett Mashore, featuring pork paired with premium bourbon samples, 7 p.m., Nov. 21. Gaillardia Country Club, 5300 Gaillardia Blvd., 302-2800, gaillardia.com. FRI Weekly Farmers Market, shop goods from local produce, bakers and artisans, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Nov. 22. Farmers Public Market, 311 S. Klein Ave., 232-6506, okcfarmersmarket.com. SAT Holiday Entertaining Show, see displays for party trays, menus, table settings and more for ideas and inspiration for the upcoming holiday season, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Nov. 23. Uptown Grocery Co., 1230 W. Covell Rd., Edmond, 509-2700, uptowngroceryco.com. SUN

YOUTH Interactive Thanksgiving Display, learn about traditional Thanksgiving foods and plants and how they’ve transformed over time, Nov. 19-26. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 445-7080, myriadgardens.org. WED-WED

PRO VID ED

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Bright Night of Hunger Games, overnight adventure including Science Live and Planetarium shows, IMAX movies, access to the exhibits and hands-on survival-themed activities, 7 p.m., Nov. 21-7 a.m., Nov. 22. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2100 NE 52nd St., 602-6664, sciencemuseumok. org. FRI-SAT

Home for the Holidays A Gift of American Dance

Directed by Jo Rowan presents

Blue Thumbs and Gyotaku, learn about pollution prevention and the ancient art of fish-printing, also known as Gyotaku, 10 a.m.-noon, Nov. 22. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 4457080, myriadgardens.org. SAT Art Adventures, experience art through the book Look! Look! Look! by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace; ages 3 to 5, 10:30 a.m., Nov. 25. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman, 325-3272, ou.edu/fjjma. TUE

PERFORMING ARTS

Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

American Farce, Max is in debt and a woman drops off a boy claiming him to be Max’s son, but the boy has a special gift for picking winners at the track and helps Max with his debt, 8 p.m., Nov. 20-22; 2:30 p.m., Nov. 23. Jewel Box Theatre, 3700 N. Walker Ave., 521-1786, jewelboxtheatre. org. THU-SUN Thoroughly Modern Millie, Tony Award-winning musical tells the story a of young girl who has just moved to the city in search of a new life for herself, 8 p.m., Nov. 20-22; 3 p.m., Nov. 23. Poteet Theatre, 222 NW 15th St., 609-1023, poteettheatre.com. THU-SUN

Dec. 11 Dec. 12 Dec. 13 Dec. 14

8 p.m. 8 p.m. 2 p.m. & 8 p.m. 2 p.m.

All performances are held at the Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center on the Oklahoma City University Campus

Christmas with the Crawfords, comedic musical tribute to Hollywood’s Golden Era set during Christmas Eve in the 1940s, 8 p.m., Nov. 21-22. The Boom, 2218 NW 39th St., 601-7200, theboomokc. com. FRI-SAT

To Reserve Tickets, Call the Performing Arts Ticket Office

405.208.5227 Noon - 4:00 p.m. Monday - Friday

www.okcu.edu/tickets

PROVID ED

“Home for the Holidays is one of our town’s spectacular Christmas shows.” - J. Leland Gourley, OKC Friday

Sergio Monteiro If you can play works from the likes of Mozart and Chopin — and play them flawlessly — on piano, then you’re in rarified air. Decorated concert pianist/ivory tickler Sergio Monteiro certainly fits this bill, performing as a soloist all around the world before being named director of piano at Oklahoma City University’s Bass School of Music. See Monteiro perform selections from renowned composers 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Armstrong Auditorium, 14400 S. Bryant Rd., in Edmond. Tickets are $23-$48. Call 285-1010 or visit armstrongauditorium.org.

Thursday

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No Laughing Matter, impov workshop with OKC Improv Managing Director Sue Ellen Reiman, 1-3 p.m., Nov. 22. ACTS Studio, 30 NE 52nd St., 286-9412, ghostlightokc.com. SAT

Utah Jazz vs. OKC Thunder, NBA basketball, 7 p.m., Nov. 26. Chesapeake Energy Arena, 100 W. Reno Ave., 602-8700, chesapeakearena.com. WED

The Play of Daniel, medieval opera from the mid1100s performed by the University of Oklahoma School of Music, 3 p.m., Nov. 23. Catlett Music Center, 500 W. Boyd St., Norman, 325-0538, musicaltheatre. ou.edu. SUN

VISUAL ARTS

Kyle Kinane Comedy Show, known for appearances on Comedy Central, Conan, Workaholics, and Funny People; also featuring Spencer Hicks, BradChad Porter and Cameron Buchholtz, 8-10 p.m., Nov. 24. Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, 3000 General Pershing Blvd., 951-0000, oklahomacontemporary.org. MON

ACTIVE Good news! You can get a rebate from Oklahoma Natural Gas when you have an HVAC professional replace your natural gas heating system. Plus, by keeping your natural gas furnace running efficiently, you’ll see long-term energy savings that help lower your utility bills. For a complete list of rebates, terms, eligibility requirements, forms and natural gas facts, visit OklahomaNaturalGas.com/Rebates.

OU Sooners vs. Bradley Braves, women’s college basketball, 7 p.m., Nov. 21. Lloyd Noble Center, 2900 S. Jenkins Ave., Norman, 325-4666, soonersports. com. FRI St. Jude Give Thanks Walk, 5K run/walk benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 7:30 a.m., Nov. 22. Oklahoma City Zoo, 2000 Remington Pl., 424-3344, okczoo.com. SAT Chill Your Cheeks 5K, run through over four million twinkling Christmas lights, 4:30 p.m., Nov. 22. Chisholm Trail Park, 500 W. Vandament Ave., Yukon, 350-8937. SAT KIND Yoga Series, all-level Vinyasa-style yoga class, 5:45-6:45 p.m., Nov. 25. Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory, 301 W. Reno Ave., 297-3995, myriadgardens.org. TUE

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Art Connections, collaborative exhibit featuring artist Chad Woolbright, photographer Danny Deen, painter Suzzane Peck, sculptor Link Cowen and welder Dan Garrett. In Your Eye Studio & Gallery, 3005-A Paseo St., 525-2161, inyoureyegallery.com. Bring It, art show highlighting work produced by students of the UCO design department. University of Central Oklahoma, 100 N. University Drive, Edmond, 974-2000, uco.edu. Contemporary Baroque Still Life, baroque paintings by Mary L. Parkes characterized by subtly ornate details and bold color in playfully whimsical still-life settings. Kasum Contemporary Fine Arts, 1706 NW 16th St., kasumcontemporary.com. Enriched, paintings created by animals from the Oklahoma City Zoo. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2100 NE 52nd St., 602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org. Gallery Talk, information about the exhibit My Generation: Young Chinese Artists, noon-1 p.m., Nov. 26. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 236-3100, okcmoa.com. WED Glass Act Part II, powdered glass exhibit featuring plates, decorative shapes, bowls and more. Jann Jeffrey Gallery, 3018 Paseo St., 607-0406, jannjeffrey. com. Lotus Flowers & Butterflies, display of Oklahoma native Rick Sinnett’s colorful, larger-than-life paintings. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 445-7080, myriadgardens.org.

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VASA (Visual Art Student Association) is basically the NASA of University of Oklahoma organizations, providing artistic opportunities to its members and the community and featuring some of the most creative work made by OU students. The group is holding its annual fundraising auction 6 p.m. Friday in the Lightwell Gallery at OU’s School of Art and Art History, 520 Parrington Oval, in Norman. Admission is free. Call 325-2691 or visit art.ou.edu.

Friday Madonnas of the Prairie: Depictions of Women in the American West, lecture led by Michael R. Grauer, associate director for curatorial affairs and curator of art and Western heritage at the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, 7 p.m., Nov. 21. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman, 325-3272, ou.edu/fjjma. FRI Melton Legacy Collection, collection spanning more than 500 years of European and American oil paintings and drawings. University of Central Oklahoma, 100 N. University Drive, Edmond, 974-2000, uco.edu.

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Saints and Scoundrels, a mixed-media series of small works on handmade paper by Leigh Ann Campbell. Paseo Gallery One, 2927 Paseo St., facebook.com/ paseogalleryone. Scavange, FRINGE art show featuring Jeanne Turnage, Van Lango and Debra Ashley who used found objects to create art. AKA Gallery, 3001 Paseo St., 606-2522, akagallery.net. Somewhere In Between, heartwarming exhibit by sisters Betty and Rose Refour, an adult artist with autism, featuring paintings of vibrant textural abstracts and whimsical characters. The Project Box, 3003 Paseo St., 609-3969, theprojectboxokc.com.

PROVIDED

Out of the Box, eight companies were given a box of objects and tasked with creating something “out of the box” that can take a picture, turn on a fan, turn on/off a clock, draw a picture or blow up a balloon. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2100 NE 52nd St., 602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org.

Roots, exhibit of freestanding and wall-mounted metal sculptures made of found objects by Jim Dodson, Jr. Governor’s Gallery, State Capitol, 2300 N. Lincoln, 521-2931, arts.ok.gov.

Joe Turk There are reclusive artists, and then there’s Joe Turk, whose vibrant oil-on-canvas paintings have made him a mythical figure in the Oklahoma arts community. Meet Turk as he unveils his most recent work, “The Surrendering of an Ego,” in a rare private edition signing 7:30-9:30 p.m. Thursday at Kasum Contemporary Fine Art, 1706 NW 16th St. Each purchase of his print “The Complainer” will admit two people to the event. Call 604-6602 or visit kasumcontemporary.com.

Thursday

For OKG music picks see page 41

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Savory sustenance From appetizers to desert, Tommy’s Italian American Grill feeds your need for distinctive recipes.

BY GREG ELWELL

Tommy’s Italian American Grill 5516 W. MEMORIAL ROAD TOMMYSITALIANGRILL.COM 470-5577 WHAT WORKS: BRANZINO! WHAT NEEDS WORK: THE BALSAMIC ON THE PROSCIUTTO PIZZA. TIPS: ASK FOR A SPOT ON THE PATIO, UP OR DOWNSTAIRS, WHEN THE WEATHER COOPERATES.

Welcome back to Oklahoma City, Tommy. Formerly located in NorthPark Mall, Tommy’s Italian American

Tommy’s Italian American Grill’s Linguine Con Frutti Di Mare includes shrimp, scallops, clams and mussels in butter and white wine, tossed with pasta and finished with pomodoro sauce.

left Coffee-flavored tiramisu may be the perfect ending to any Italian dinner. right Bruschetta is served on a grilled Italian baguette with basil pesto, Roma tomatoes, fresh basil and Parmesan cheese. Grill, 5516 W. Memorial Road, recently found a new life in a budding restaurant row on far west Memorial Road. It’s a bit of a drive, but the area now has great sushi at Tsubaki Sushi & Hibachi, top-notch pizza at Revolve Pizza Kitchen and, at Tommy’s, Italian dishes you won’t find everywhere else. To start, though, an Italian dish you will find everywhere else: The bruschetta ($8). How do you pronounce bruschetta? Great

question. Thank you for asking. You can put your hand down now. Oh, it’s in a cast? I couldn’t tell. It looks very natural. The proper way to say “bruschetta” is through a mouth filled with bruschetta. It’s soft bread with a crisp top, covered in tangy pesto, tomatoes and Parmesan cheese. However you mispronounce it, it tastes fresh and wonderful. Another classic on the menu is the Caesar salad ($5), which is a big pile of

romaine lettuce, croutons and dressing. Is it as good as Junior’s? Of course not. But if you’re in the mood for a premeal salad, it does the job well. Tommy’s offers a variety of spaghetti options, with your choice of pomodoro, tomato basil or bolognese sauces and meatballs. For a simple, classic taste, I’d go with straight-up pomodoro, with its chunky tomatoes and garlicky seasoning. I was less taken with the tomato basil sauce, but only because I couldn’t taste the basil. If you get the meatballs, be prepared for a bit of a bite. They use a peppery sausage mixed in for a juicy, flavorful flourish. Another great place for the pomodoro is in the Linguine Con Frutti Di Mare ($20), filled with shrimp, scallops and mussels. I prefer my seafood in a white wine or butter sauce, and the pomodoro plays well with the fresh “fruit of the sea.” The scallops were cooked perfectly, not chewy at all, and the mussels had a ton of that fresh-from-the-water sweetness. I went with a friend who tried the lasagna ($17). The meat mix used is similar to what’s used in the meatballs, so expect some heat hiding under all that cheese. Lasagna is plenty filling, but unfortunately, some of the little touches get lost in the mix. If I hadn’t seen them, I wouldn’t have known there were artichokes hearts hiding in-between those rich pasta layers. If you go for a pizza, I must warn you away from the prosciutto pie ($15), which was perfect except for one ingredient. Balsamic vinegar can be a lovely addition to many dishes, but the abundance of balsamic glaze on this pie overtook the flavor of the prosciutto and the eggs. Perhaps you like lots of balsamic, or maybe you can ask for it on the side. Otherwise, it was distinctive and flavorful. My favorite dish at Tommy’s is the branzino ($25), a whole, roasted European sea bass. The skin is salty and crisp and underneath lies perfectly cooked flaky fish. There’s a bit of an oily flavor to the branzino, but in a good way. That’s the flavorful oil from the fish, keeping it moist and delectable. It’s enough you could share, but it tastes so good you won’t want to. For dessert, the tiramisu ($8) was fine, but a bit dry in places. Better was the triple-chocolate cake ($8), which was creamy and packed with cocoa gusto. Service is another high point at Tommy’s each time I visit; I find the staff gracious and attentive, if sometimes a tad bit lost about the expansive menu. Still, as time goes on, things will only improve. And with the food already at a high standard, and that bodes well for the reborn Tommy’s.

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OKG investigates the best ways to get tipsy without stumbling on Mother Nature’s toes. BY DEVON GREEN

Congratulations! The stuff of great brewing: hops, You made it grains, bottles and yeast at The halfway through the week, and we Brew Shop. encourage you to celebrate your reduce their environmental impact in accomplishments. a variety of ways. In fact, here’s an accomplishment “We started in 2009, and when you can toast to right now: Drinking we got our start, sustainability and more responsibly. By that, of course, our carbon footprint was something we mean that you can imbibe with we were always conscious of,” JD the assurance that you’re helping make Merryweather said. our city more beautiful by making it He is co-founder and PR and sustainable, greener and more fun. marketing director of COOP Ale From state-made brews to Works, 4745 Council Heights Road. recycling programs, booze fans and Its founders devoted businesses now often work themselves to crafting in tandem to save precious delicious, Okie brews that resources. From packaging Get recipes and more have a minimal impact on to brewing techniques and online at the environment. even recycling programs, okgazette.com “Every choice that now it’s even easier to feel the brewery made had to good about your night out do with the bottom line: Is with friends. it good for the company? Is it The libations you choose good for the planet? And always, if it’s could impact your environment good for the environment, it’s good for in friendly ways. The principles of the company,” Merryweather said. drinking green are so simple that you can start living by them right now.

Local is lovely

The best thing you can do for the planet, and OKC, is buy local. The closer to home the brewery or distillery is, the less of an impact its manufacture and delivery has on the environment. Area brewers work to

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Cheap and responsible

When you run the numbers, sustainable and environmentally responsible practices make sense. These sentiments were expressed at each area brewery and distillery we visited. Blaine Stansel, CEO and founder of Roughtail Brewing Co., 1279 N. Air

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be challenging for them to find local grains, especially hops. “You also need to keep in mind that hops determine the flavor of the beer you are making in a major way, and most of them grow along the same latitude and longitude,” Anthony said. “The Pacific Northwest and Germany are on the same latitude, for instance, so we do have to ship ours in.” “When you are making beer in any great quantity for a product to sell, you need consistency,” he elaborated. “The most complete answer I get is that, especially with hops, the growing season is so inconsistent here that you never end up with the same results twice.”

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Making the hard stuff

The most noteworthy difference between brewing and distilling is that with distilling, there is little waste. Also, the carbon footprint of is smaller because state distilleries are small-batch operations and the process itself uses fewer energy resources. Distilleries use steam to quickly and efficiently create and maintain heat, and it’s safer than using an open flame. Anthem Brewing Co. brewer Will Perry moves used grain that was removed from fermentation vessels.

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Depot Blvd., Midwest City, explained environmentally sound choices are almost always cheaper, too. “We’re always trying to lower our cost, and anytime you use extra water … extra energy, that’s going to cost you and it’s just not being responsible,” Stansel said. There are several practices that many of brewers here have in common, including recycling aluminum kegs, canning rather than bottling, using steam heat for their water and making sure the used grain from the brewing process makes its way to area farmers. The grain, which still has plenty of nutrition, is a supplement for farm animal feed. COOP gives its spent grain to an area goat farmer. “In California, brewers actually sell it to farmers. There’s such a demand for it, they can actually make a profit,” Merryweather said. Anthem Brewing Co., 908 SW Fourth St., gives its spent grains to a pig farmer in Norman. Owner Matt Anthony also uses recycled whiskey and brandy barrels in his aging process. He also has enormous reclaimed foudres — the large, upright barrels used to age wine — for aging beers. Anthem also had its brewery plumbed to recycle runoff water from the initial step in the brewing process. Packaging is critical when it comes to curbing waste and encouraging sustainability. The brewers we talked to package in cans for two reasons: It is the ideal container for beer and it is easily recycled. “They are easy to transport, you can take them to the lake [or] to the public pool, and you can always find somewhere to recycle them,” Merryweather said. “We kind of started the canning trend in the metro, and we’re proud of that.” No matter how conscientious a brewery or distillery might be, it can

@bleugarten.com

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The Brew Shop offers everything needed to make your drinking habit more sustainable, including classes.

“We use a boiler system that suits our purposes,” said Hunter Merritt, founder of Prairie Wolf Spirits. “In fact, that energy can [also] be reclaimed for other heating or cooling.” Prairie Wolf Spirits, 124 E. Oklahoma Ave., in Guthrie makes Prairie Wolf Vodka, DARK coffee liqueur and its newest addition, Loyal Gin. DARK is created with Oklahomaroasted Kona coffee beans. For Loyal, Prairie Wolf teamed with t, an urban tea house to create a gin with a custom botanicals blend and green tea. Scissortail Distillery, 2318 N. Moore Ave., in Moore makes four choices of premium liquors: Scissortail Bourbon, Oklahoma LandRum, Black Kettle Gin and Scissortail Rye Whiskey. Much like the beers we mentioned previously, you can find these spirits at local package stores, bars and restaurants, including Scratch Kitchen & Cocktails, 132 W. Main St., in Norman and 51st Street Speakeasy, 1114 NW 51st St.

The commandments of drinking green

Drinking green is easier than you might think.

First commandment: Buy local.

Seek out brews at your favorite familyowned liquor store or bar. Some local breweries, like OKC’s COOP Ale Works, will soon release low-alcohol versions for sale in grocery and convenience stores.

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Second commandment: Consider the packaging.

Each brewery we talked to uses 50 percent post-consumer materials in its packaging. It is also recyclable. Glass can be difficult to recycle in Oklahoma City, making cans the ideal container for your beer.

Third commandment: When you can, buy in bulk.

If you’re throwing a party, grab growlers (gallon jugs) to-go from places like Belle Isle Restaurant and Brewing Company or buy a half- or full-sized kegs. Aluminum kegs are easy on the environment: reusable and recyclable — and if you use reusable cups, there is almost no waste.

Fourth commandment: Recycle.

Visit bars and restaurants that make an effort to recycle. Project Green Plate (PGP) is a local nonprofit that helps local businesses recycle by sorting and recycling for them. Individuals can help support the group by purchasing a Green Card that helps offset recycling costs and lets cardholders save money on meals at establishments that prioritize sustainability. You can also help support their efforts by patronizing participating businesses that work with PGP: The Bleu Garten, 301 NW 10th St., and The Wedge Pizzeria, 4709 N. Western Ave. “There aren’t really many options for recycling for bars and restaurants, a lot of it is up to the individual,” said Chris Buerger, a PGP owner.

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We’re always trying to lower our cost, and anytime you use extra water … extra energy, that’s going to cost you and it’s just not being responsible. — Blaine Stansel If your favorite local bar or restaurant doesn’t participate, urge them to practice recycling in other ways. Learn more about PGP and the Green Card at projectgreenplate.com.

Fifth commandment: Brew your own.

For the greenest, most sustainable way to imbibe, home brewing is best. It’s is also the most economically sensible commandment because you control everything from packaging to ingredients. Aaron Cross, who teaches the beginner’s class at The Brew Shop, 3624 N. Pennsylvania Ave., is passionate about beer, and he is convinced that anyone can do it. Owner Gail White and her staff are knowledgeable and helpful and happy to explain all aspects of the craft. Cross’ Saturday classes are part instruction, part fun conversation and always entertaining. The cozy shop also has everything for novice and advanced

brewers. There are even a variety of all-in-one kits available to help you create your very own trademark brew. Imagine how impressed your friends would be with a homemade holiday gift. For those interested in something other than beer, there are winemaking and cider kits as well. For more information, stop by the shop or call 528-5193.

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Two more important things: Do your homework (It’s fun; we promise.) and pay attention. At large festivals, ask where your trash goes, and speak up if recycle bins are not clearly marked. Speak louder when there are no recycling choices. Today, ask your local bar to commit to the fourth commandment. Cheers.

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Bacon + bourbon = love Oklahoma Pork Council presents its fourth Bacon and Bourbon fundraising dinner.

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seed and sauerkraut salad with Basil Hayden’s 3. 62-degree egg, bacon salad with Maker’s 46 4. Braciole, tomato reduction, roasted fennel with Baker’s 5. Bitter chocolate-dipped pork skin, pork brittle with Knob Creek Party at Hunt House

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M-F 7am-6:30pm • Sat 9:30am-4pm 2310 N Western 524-0887 Five pork-infused courses — and five bourbons — are the highlights of the Bacon and Bourbon dinner.

Nothing motivates OKC residents to get to a party quite like bacon. Combine said meat treat with a worthy cause and you have a party that you might just have to fight to get tickets to. The Oklahoma Pork Council has upped the ante, again, with its fourth Bacon and Bourbon dinner. The five-course meal, prepared by James Mashore, Gaillardia Country Club executive chef, will feature pork dishes paired with premium bourbons. Roy Lee Lindsey, executive director of Oklahoma Pork Council, said in a media statement that the council wants, “bacon enthusiasts to think about pork in new and creative ways.” The Oklahoma Pork Council is a nonprofit that supports state pork producers and educates the public about production and versatility. Bacon and Bourbon Dinner 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21 Gaillardia Country Club 5300 Gaillardia Country Club okpork.org 232-3781 $100+ Must be 21

Courses: 1. Pork belly bao with Maker’s Mark 2. Head cheese, pickled mustard

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The Patriarch Craft Beer House & Lawn, 9 E. Edwards St., in Edmond is a house party without the hassle, and it opens in the Spring of 2015. Partners Steve Russell and Bryce Thompson picked the historic Hunt House named after the original owner, William H. Hunt. The home will undergo renovations to accommodate its new life as a community gathering space, but the integrity of the historic property is a major consideration of the owners. “At this point, we are excited to get moving on something that’s been in the planning stages for as long as it has. There’s a lot to do, but as far as we’re concerned, spring can’t get here fast enough,” Russell said. Russell and Thompson said they will highlight American craft beer on their menu. The house’s expansive yard will include lawn games, ample seating space and a rotating roster of food trucks. Russel said there will be a walk-up window in the house’s kitchen to serve beer. “We have also been talking about adding a stage for live music, but that’s something for the future,” Russell said. The project earned approval from the Edmond City Council late last month. The Hunt family moved to Edmond in 1901 and played a significant role in the establishment of Citizens Bank of Edmond. (The bank and its CEO, Jill Castilla, created Heard on Hurd, an Edmond food truck and music festival that returns in the spring.) For more, visit thepatriarchedmond. com.

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Skimpy Mixers started as a pool party experiment and is now available at more than 600 stores nationally. BY GREG HORTON

Megan Toole and Summer Lamons, two of the three owners of Skimpy Mixers, graduated from Edmond Memorial High School in 2005. In school, Toole and Lamons were standout athletes, and they would go on to be scholarship athletes at Oklahoma universities, Toole at OU and OSU and Lamons at Tulsa University. They loved to party, but they hated the calories that came with exotic mixed drinks. At a pool party in 2010, Toole and another friend, certified nutritionist Krista LaMothe, came up with the idea for a low-calorie mixer after reverse engineering a Frozen Dreamsicle cocktail they both loved. The original drink clocked in with more than 600 calories, so the two set out to make a lower-calorie, delicious mixer made with real fruit juice. Lamons joined in, and in 2011, the trio created Skimpy Mixers, their own brand line. They are 35 calories per serving or less, far lower than sweet-and-sour mix or other sugary concoctions that line grocery store shelves. It did well on its own, promoted by word-of-mouth and social media among friends. However, by 2013, all three were ready for something bigger and Toole approached Wal-Mart. She spent months studying the giant retailer, and she took her research to the top of the company. “I knew they wanted to double sales in their beverage division by 2016,” Toole said. “We had been doing grassroots work marketing our product in small towns all over the place. I pulled our sales sheets and noticed that every town we were in had a WalMart.”

Skimpy Mixers can be found in most Wal-Mart stores. She offered the retailer a deal: The $12-per-bottle Skimpy Mixer could be $4.98 on store shelves, and most of the preliminary marketing was already completed. The gutsy risk paid off, and now, Skimpy Mixers is available in 650 WalMart stores in all 48 contiguous states. Flavors include Orange Dream, berry lemonade, Skimpy Margarita, pineapple and Sweet ’n’ Sour, all made with real fruit juice. They’re also low-sugar, lowcarb and gluten-free, Toole said. The latest creation was cherry limeade in a joint marketing effort with Torrei Hart, star of the VH1 reality show Atlanta Exes and former wife of actor-comedian Kevin Hart. Hart approached the trio after seeing their product line at a marketing event, Toole said. Hart loved the package and the quality, so she signed on. “She’s moving out from her ex-husband’s shadow, and she is establishing herself and her brand,” Toole said. “We want to show that this isn’t about a color or race, but it’s about women showing that they can run with the big dogs. We can compete with the men.” All three founders now live in Dallas. Toole, who now also runs an insurance agency as a second business, said the team behind Skimpy Mixers wanted to emphasize women’s empowerment, and Hart helped make that happen. Skimpy Mixers are available at WalMart, Amazon.com, the official website at skimpymixers.com and on Facebook at facebook.com/skimpymixers.

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Drink it in To help keep your spirits up as these cold, heartless days of winter take hold, we’ve done the homework and the legwork to find hardworking, local craftspeople devoted to making your holidays go smoothly. (Read as Drink up!) — by Devon Green, photos by Mark Hancock, Lauren Hamilton

Prairie Wolf Spirits

Scissortail Distillery

Roughtail Brewing Co.

124 E. Oklahoma Ave., Guthrie prairiewolfspirits.com

2318 N. Moore Ave., Moore facebook.com/scissortaildistillery

1279 N. Air Depot Blvd, Midwest City roughtailbeer.com 771-6517

Since 2009, the Merritt family has created smooth, award-winning, local vodka. Prairie Wolf Vodka is now available in many restaurants, including Picasso Cafe, Grand House China Bistro, Grandad’s Bar, 51st Street Speakeasy and The Drum Room (among others) and at package stores. Its newest additions include DARK, a coffee liqueur made with locally roasted Kona coffee beans, and Loyal Gin. The family worked with t, an urban teahouse to create the unique taste.

Scissortail makes Scissortail Bourbon, Oklahoma LandRum, Black Kettle gin and Scissortail Rye Whiskey in small batches. Owner Garrett Janko seldom gets a day off but is thrilled that so many people have discovered that his smooth, environmentally friendly booze doesn’t skimp on taste or quality.

This brewery does everything it can to reduce waste, from the production process to the its and cans. Most of the beer produced by Roughtail is in kegs, and you can try a pint at Louie’s Bar & Grill, 301 W. Boyd St. in Norman, and Iron Starr Urban Barbeque, 3700 N. Shartel Ave.

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Black Mesa Brewing Company 1354 W. Sheridan Ave. blackmesabrewing.com

This brewery is named after the highest point in Oklahoma, and its founders maintain some of the top environmental practices in the state. Black Mesa primarily packages beer in kegs, as that’s the least wasteful way to serve and drink beer, but you will also find its beers at retailers. Use the beer map on its website (above) to find local bars and restaurants close to you.

Belle Isle Restaurant and Brewing Company

Mustang Brewing Company

Battered Boar Brewing Company

Visit the restaurant’s second story. It offers beers brewed on tap, live music and trivia contests. The brewery makes seasonal changes to its offerings and always has customer favorites available, such as Belle’s Blonde and Flanagan’s Amber Ale. One of the city’s oldest and best, this brewery also sells growlers, so you can grab your favorite suds to go.

Mustang has fun with everything it does, and it’s obvious with its latest limited release, Frah-Gee-Lay Sweet Potato Porter, made with flavors of chocolate, vanilla and hints of cinnamon and clove. The name is a cheeky nod to A Christmas Story, everyone’s favorite holiday movie.

Master brewer Mike Sandefur and his son Jordan recently created LaPadite Farmhouse Ale, a beautiful, unexpected beer that enlivens taste buds with hints of dandelion and Australian Galaxy hops. The brewery also houses reclaimed foudres (oak aging casks for wine). Find Battered Boar in retail stores like 2nd Street Wine Co., 1340 E. Second St., in Edmond and Freeman’s Liquor Mart, 4401 N. Western Ave.

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LIFE

Blood, sweaters and tryptophan BIG STOCK PHOTO.COM

Here’s how to mentally, physically and fashionably prepare for this holiday season.

BY CARISSA STEVENS

A signature drink is always a cute idea. A nice touch might even be to make recipe cards with the ingredients of your signature drink for guests to take home. — Haleigh Kenney

Food and drink

To put guests into an adequate tryptophan coma, many hosts opt to serve turkey. The logistics however could seem overwhelming. When do you begin cooking? Will it feed all of the guests? Luckily for some, it is possible to avoid recreating the dinner scene from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, and leave the cooking to the professionals. Places like Sprouts Farmers Market and Whole Foods Market make things easier: Order online or in-store and you can specify the cooking method as well as the number of guests you need to feed. Plus, you know where the bird came from and that it has no antibiotics or growth hormones. It is also pre-

MARK HANCOCK

Ready or not, the holiday season is upon us. As the first strand of Chesapeake Energy’s lights went up on Western Avenue in early October, dreams of decking the halls, tacky sweater parties and spiked eggnog danced in our heads. For many, the thought of the upcoming festivities is exhilarating. Time spent with friends and family, mouth watering meals and all-around merriment are things we look forward to all year. ’Tis also the time of year for awkward gatherings, stressful get-together planning and hemorrhaging bank accounts. How does one best prepare mentally, physically and fashionably for this time of year? We have you covered with our party prep guide. Darren Wheeler, owner of Wheeler Meat Market, poses with beef tenderloin, a big seller this holiday season.

cooked so you can just pop it in the oven for an hour or so to reheat it. If a tryptophan coma isn’t for you, Darren Wheeler of Wheeler’s Meat Market says popular options are barbecue and beef tenderloin. But for a non-traditional take on the traditional bird, you can also buy smoked turkey, of which Wheeler sells approximately 3,000 during the holidays. “It’s not like it was years ago,” Wheeler said. “Everyone eats a lot of turkey throughout the year now.” For those guests who don’t eat meat, don’t sweat learning the intricacies of a non-traditional menu: Most grocers sell pre-made vegan and vegetarian side dishes, too. Also, another option that anyone can enjoy is tofurky — a vegetarian roast of wheat protein and organic tofu — that comes with everything you need (including cooking instructions) and is found at most grocery stores. A popular accompaniment with any

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meal or happening has always been the cocktail. Shaken or stirred, on the rocks or neat, Haleigh Kenney, event planner at XO Events, suggests creating one signature cocktail to keep things easy. “A signature drink is always a cute idea. A nice touch might even be to make recipe cards with the ingredients of your signature drink for guests to take home,” Kenney said. For informal parties, consider serving snacks instead of a full meal. “While serving a meal when a party is hosted during dinnertime, follows the rules of etiquette,” said Whitney Tatum, president of Eventures event planning company. “Heavy hors d’oeuvres are popular as well. Latenight fun food is popular and easy too. “Try bringing out another course of light bites as guests dance the night away. Another great way to nourish guests is to serve several small courses throughout the evening.”

Another new favorite is plaid or metallic linens. A few yards at most shops costs about $20 and can be reused, she said. Kenney said the following items are “out” this year: animal print, feathers, bright-colored ornaments on Christmas trees and multi-colored tree lights. For attire, take a cue from the invitation. If specific attire preference is not noted or if the theme is ambiguous, ring up the host to check. (Oh, and if the invite says RSVP, do so. Always.) Also, if it’s a work-related function, the smartest rule is to abide by your company’s dress code, Kenney said. A popular theme this time of year is the “tacky Christmas sweater” bash. To find the best (worst) ones, comb the city’s thrift shops, she said. Worth mentioning is Bad Granny’s Bazaar, 1759 NW 16th St. While in the Plaza District, check into Out on a Limb resale, 1710 NW 16th St.

Decor and dress

Enjoying your family (and others)

When designing the gala, remember, it’s your celebration. “Traditional colors like red and green are always popular, and will always be popular,” Tatum said. “But we’re designing events with an assortment of non-traditional colors and a contemporary feel, too.” Whatever the motif, ambiance is always important. Kenney prefers to buy vessels for her flower arrangements and candles at Oklahoma-owned shops like Hobby Lobby. A popular design trend Kenney uses is to mix metals like silver and gold for things like votive holders and flower vases. “They dress up the simplest of tables,” she said. “Drop a tea light down in them and call it good. … Mercury glass is an absolute favorite of mine when decorating for the holidays.”

Whether attending or throwing a blowout, awkward or stressful run-ins are inevitable. “The holiday seasons, for most of us, mean increased stress and anxiety,” said Joshua Nichols of Family Solutions Counseling. “Anxiety has the potential to increase when we are around family and friends, depending on the situation and the nature of the relationships.” Before walking into any potentially stressful environment, whether it’s a work-related party or meeting a significant other’s family for the first time, Nichols recommended pausing for a moment to focus on how you will behave, despite how others treat you. “It is perfectly fine to feel nervous or afraid,” he said. Also, make others at ease (they’re nervous, too) by sharing an inexpensive gift, recommended Carey Sue Vega, an OKC etiquette expert. “Don’t worry too much about what to say,” Vega added. “Instead, ask easy, open-ended questions, then listen. … Getting them to talk is the easiest way to break the ice and get conversation to flow comfortably.”

LIFE PERFORMING ARTS

P ROVI DE D

Toast of the town A UCO Fine Arts fundraiser features the unique talents of pianist Valery Kuleshov.

6 p.m. Thursday UCO Jazz Lab 100 E. Fifth St., Edmond ucojazzlab.com 359-7989 $75

The University of Central Oklahoma College of Fine Arts and Design will present its signature fundraising event Toast to the Maestro, featuring the talents of Central Artist in Residence and world renowned pianist Valery Kuleshov, Thursday at the UCO Jazz Lab. Kuleshov’s performances are based on Russian piano traditions. “Having seen Valery perform a number of times, I am still captivated by the way he brings music to life with such skill and passion,” said Deborah Baucom, development manager for the UCO College of Fine Arts and Design. “Our Toast the Maestro event is intimate when compared to concerts in a large performance hall, with patrons seated near enough to watch Valery’s hands closely. The entire time he plays, the audience is completely enthralled.” Kuleshov became the Artist in Residence for the UCO School of Music in 2000, and in 2013, he declared Edmond his home. Kuleshov was born in Chelyabinsk, Russia, near what is now Kazakhstan. Teachers soon noticed his talent, and by age 7 he had left home to enter the prestigious Central Music School at the Moscow Conservatory. He has toured the globe, performing in some of the world’s best concert halls including New York’s Carnegie Hall, the Milan Conservatory in Italy and the Great Halls of the Moscow Conservatory and St. Petersburg Philharmonic. “Valery is truly a virtuoso pianist and his solo performance is sure to

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encapsulate and move the audience,” said Blair Quiring, project coordinator for the UCO College of Fine Arts and Design. Kuleshov’s performances have been compared to the style of Vladimir Horowitz. He is influenced by the Romantic music of Schumann, Liszt, Chopin, Brahms and Rachmaninoff. However, Kuleshov’s own style and talent distinguish him from other contemporaries. Included in the evening’s events will be a silent auction with items provided by Boulevard Steakhouse, Edmond Music, Lyric Theatre, Myriad Botanical Gardens, Oklahoma City Museum of Art, Oklahoma City Ballet, Oklahoma City Philharmonic, UCO’s Musical Theatre Division and several others. “This special event is known for its pairing of elegant food and wine with a musical program that showcases the talents of our students, faculty and Artist in Residence,” Quiring said. “These auction items and packages are perfect for gifts, date nights, a family night out and membership opportunities within the arts community.” Toast the Maestro is considered a signature fundraising event for UCO’s School of Music, with proceeds benefiting the All-Steinway School Initiative. All ticket and silent auction proceeds will be used to underwrite Steinway Pianos for the students and faculty within the School of Music. At this year’s event, UCO also will debut a new Steinway piano purchased with funds raised at last year’s event. The evening will include performances by UCO music students and faculty. The faculty/staff Trio Antiqua — violinist Theodora Morris, violist Ralph Morris and cellist Thresa Swadley — will take the stage as well as Central piano students Buyun Li and Ziyun Li.

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Name brand CityRep’s Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike is an exercise in supremely satisfying theater. BY LARRY LANEER

This exhibition has been organized by the Tampa Museum of Art and the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg and curated by Barbara Pollack.

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Friday, 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 1 p.m. Sunday Civil Center Music Hall 201 N. Walker Ave. okcciviccenter.com 297-2264 $8-$35

Birdhead (Chinese, founded 2004). The Light of Eternity No. 3 (detail), 2012. Black and white inkjet print. © Birdhead, courtesy of the artists and ShanghART Gallery Shanghai.

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You can’t accuse Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre (CityRep) of being contrarians with their production of Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike at CitySpace. According to American Theatre magazine, this comedy by Christopher Durang will be the most-produced play this season in the United States, holiday shows and Shakespeare plays excepted. It’s easy to see why Vanya/Spike is so popular. Compared to the inanity that passes for comedy these days, it’s smart, compelling and good fun. Middle-aged siblings Vanya and Sonia have spent their best years caring for aging parents who died of Alzheimer’s. Meanwhile, their sister, Masha, has supported the family working as a movie star. She regretfully passed up the chance to play her namesake in Anton Chekhov’s The Three Sisters to act in a series of B-movies about a nymphomaniac serial killer, but it paid the bills. Now, Masha has returned home with her boy toy, Spike, an idiot of the first water. This CityRep production has much going for it. First is director Michael Jones’ staging. As the title indicates, the characters and story are Chekhovian. Vanya and Sonia spend much time gazing at their pond, waiting for a blue heron to return. The family might lose its estate (well, its upper-middle-class home). They

Wendy Welch and Shawn Churchman in Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. have a cherry orchard (a few trees). Some of the dialog sounds as if it were translated from 19th-century Russian. Jones brought together an excellent cast. Each character has a scene in which he or she excels. Not that every moment is stunning, but Durang’s writing is engaging. (Vanya/Spike won the 2013 Tony Award for best play.) As Vanya and Sonia, Shawn Churchman and Wendy Welch open the play with that antiquated dialog. Churchman and Welch nail their performances as the characters show unexpected strength. As Masha, Stacey Logan runs the gamut from imperious to fragile. In her best performance yet for CityRep, Logan plays the character as a classic bully propelled by her own insecurity. Haulston Mann’s job as the buff Spike is to look sexy in his underwear (he does) and to act the dolt, which he does with considerable skill. Lauren Grace Thompson is sweet as Nina, who appeals to both Vanya and Spike in different ways. But none of the performances exceed that of Kyra Wharton as the cleaning lady, Cassandra, who embodies her namesake from Greek mythology in predicting disasters both large and small. Cassandra doesn’t like using voodoo — unless it’s for a good cause. Wharton’s delightful performance raises the production’s energy level, and that’s not a knock against the other actors. All of the elements of a fine show come together in CityRep’s Vanya/Spike. A worthy script and a quality production make for satisfying theater.

Saucy slingers P HOTOS BY N I C K OXFORD

With its weekly poetry night, Sauced on Paseo offers a platform to seasoned and aspiring poets alike. BY DEVON GREEN

Casey Horwitz takes in Red Dirt Poetry night at Sauced.

Red Dirt Poetry 8 p.m. Wednesdays Sauced on Paseo 2912 Paseo Drive facebook.com/RedDirtPoetry 521-9800 Free

The room is at capacity and there’s anticipation in the air similar to that before a rock concert. The energy is positive and edgy. There are inevitably the guys and gals who walk into Sauced on the Side, 2912 Paseo Drive, to grab a cocktail or beer and get curious. “Not a night passes that we don’t have one outsider say to me or the co-host that they had no idea we had this going on,” poet Rob Sturma said. “Most times we see them back the next week.” He and his co-host, Tapestry, emcee a weekly, Wednesday-night open-mic night that draws both spectators and participants. It’s a mixed crowd on Red Dirt Poetry nights at Sauced, and the sign-up sheet fills up fast. Once the words start flying, it is powerful and cerebral. The poets, from nervous first-timers to pros, bare themselves to a room of, for some of them, strangers. The hosts like to keep things low-key, encouraging and maintaining a positive vibe. “We definitely have one of those scenes here where there is a lot of support from fellow poets, especially from those who have done it a while to those new to the whole thing,” Sturma said. More experienced poets often find themselves mentoring new poets. There is seldom a competitive vibe, and this confidence separates the Oklahoma poetry scene from the others that Sturma has been a part of. The readings — and even the slams — take on a kind of rock ’n’ roll atmosphere where anything goes, and the bar definitely doesn’t hurt for business. “Poets and writers, they work well in that environment where you can kick back and have a few drinks,” Sturma said. “Sauced has been a really great place for us, and they’ve just been wonderful to work with.” There was one night, Sturma said,

There is a lot of support from fellow poets, especially from those who have done it a while to those new to the whole thing.

Andy Bowen listens to a fellow poet at an open mic night.

Benjamin Cease reads his work aloud to others at Red Dirt Poets Poetry Night.

when the atmosphere got even more rock ’n’ roll — perhaps even surreal — than usual. A band performed before the reading, and the dramatic stage lighting also included a disco ball. “As if that wasn’t enough to set the mood, the lights were set to pulse with each word going into the microphone, which made everyone’s poem, like, 500 times better,” he said, then laughed. Sturma loves the environment OKC offers, especially with Red Dirt Poetry, which morphed from The Home for Wayward Poets, established before he decided to relocate here after visiting during a book tour. “The second time I came through here, I just knew that this was where I was going to stay,” he said. As for fledgling poets, Sturma is passionate about having a space where young people can express themselves in any way they see fit. He is proud to note that three of the 12 nominees for State Youth Poet Laureate are also Red Dirt Poets. “We’ve kind of cultivated a younger readership and we’re getting a lot more youth,” Sturma said. “Even though we are a very free-speech reading, we want to make sure that teens and youth want to read and find a place and they feel comfortable reading.” The sign-up sheet is open to anyone, and Sturma said he tries to let everyone perform who wants to, but all are welcome to come and listen. “Who knows?” he said. “You might realize you do have something to say.”

O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | N OV E M B E R 1 9 , 2 0 1 4 | 3 3

LIFE PERFORMING ARTS

N I C K OXFORD

Liquid courage The consumption of alcohol in live performance art is a centuries-old ritual. OKC comedians keep the tradition alive. BY ERIC WEBB

There’s a long tradition of alcohol and performing arts that dates back thousands of years. Outside of concerts, nowhere is the consumption of intoxicating beverages by audiences and performers alike more prevalent nowadays than in live comedy. While substance abuse among stand-ups does happen, BradChad Porter, co-founder of OKC Comedy with over eight years of performing experience, said that most comedians do a pretty good job of self-policing. “I think it’s fair to say that the comics I work with almost all drink before, during and after performances, but it is rare that one of them would be considered intoxicated onstage. After is another story,” Porter said. “Drinking made me more comfortable when I started doing comedy, and the more comedy I did the more I found myself drinking.” Others are loath to set hard and fast rules and rely on instinct. “I trust my mood, for better or worse,” said James Nghiem, stand-up comic, musician and owner of comedy record label Robot Saves City. “I’ve had a lot of bad sets drunk but I’ve also had good ones, too,” Nghiem slowed his intake after he realized that he’s better when he leans closer toward sobriety. “For the sake of the audience, I’m trying to chill out,” he said. “But if they want to see a train wreck, and

someone wants to give me a ride home afterward, I’ll show them a disaster.” Local performer Cristela Carrizales avoided drinking before performances during her two decades in theater, but that changed about six years ago after she started improvising. “I thought it lessened my inhibitions,” Carrizales said. “I mean, I needed to be loose if I was making everything up, right? I thought I was opening myself for the improv gods to flow through.” However, after she performed sober at a festival, she was surprised that it turned out to be one of her best shows. “I found myself hearing everything being said. My thoughts were clear, my retorts quick and my laughs received were plentiful,” Carrizales said.

Under the influence

While plenty of improvisers and standups partake in pre-show drinks, booze is rarely seen onstage. Christopher Curtis and Curt Coy broke that boundary when they created C-4, their comedy duo. The longtime friends and frequent collaborators have performed together with Red Dirt Improv and Fortune’s Fools. For C-4, they created a concept that combined their favorite things: fast-paced dialogue, mixology and three-piece suits. They launch each performance with a ritual mixing of cocktails on stage followed by a series of verbal

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jousting matches interspersed between scenes that can be silly or serious. Over the last five years, Coy and Curtis have found ways to play with their own premise. First they varied the cocktail, then they moved on to making punch, taking pulls from flasks or sipping tiki cocktails. “We generally relegate those things to the opening 90 seconds of the show. After that it’s about the improv,” Curtis said. “Although we definitely continue to drink whatever it is we’ve made.” There was no consensus among the performers as to whether or not alcohol makes one funnier. Coy emphatically said that, yes, drinking makes him funnier. “Otherwise I’m lying to myself,” he said. “Or it’s psychosomatic.” Porter said that when he has been drunk on stage, he was no good at all. “Same goes for the bedroom,” Porter said. “Doing a show for an audience who isn’t drinking is, nine times out of 10, an awful experience. The energy is saggy and weird. Comedy should be done at night, for drinking people.”

Booze is the best medicine

Nghiem said it’s one thing for a crowd to be loosened up, but he doesn’t think there are benefits to performing for drunks. “Hammered crowds have no

Comedians Cameron Buchholtz, Zach Smith and BradChad Porter laugh over drinks at McNellie’s Public House. attention span and can’t even really process the words that are coming out of your mouth,” he said. Dealing with drunken, belligerent or unresponsive audiences are harrowing experiences for all standups. In Stillwater, Porter once got some unexpected help dealing with an unruly crowd from an inebriated coed who stumbled onto the stage and grabbed the microphone. “She loudly and drunkenly said into the microphone, ‘If y’all will shut up so I can hear him, I’ll show you my boobs!’” he said. “I quickly took the microphone. After admonishing the audience — practically begging them to shut up because I needed this — I started counting down from 10,” Porter said. “When I got to one, I saw two of the six college-age boobs I ever beheld in person.” Smith said that it’s normal for comics and audiences to want to drink. “I think the comic is nervous about making people laugh and possibly the audience is nervous about being made to laugh,” he said.

S HA N N ON CORN M A N

LIFE BOOKS

A family affair Oklahoma natives return to Edmond and purchase local bookstore.

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Julie Hovis and Kathy Kinasewitz had owned Edmond-based Best of Books since 1992 but in 2012 they decided to retire and sell the store. Kinasewitz said she and Hovis had talked to several potential buyers over the years but they didn’t want to sell their beloved store to just anybody. Meanwhile, in 2012, Joe Hight and his wife, Nan, began a nearly two-year stay in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where Joe served as the editor of local newspaper The Gazette. Nan, having just retired from directing public and private high school bands for more than 30 years, began volunteering in the gift shop of a local hospital. Their daughter, Elena, was embarking on a unique journey of her own, after earning a drama degree from Washington University in St. Louis, she volunteered to move to Central America to teach reading to 5-year-old children in an orphanage on the Honduras-Guatemala border. By 2014, Elena had spent two years in Honduras, Nan’s volunteer work had almost grown into a fulltime job of its own and Joe helped The Gazette win a Pulitzer Prize on a story written the year before. But each wanted to come back to Oklahoma and try something new. Upon meeting the Hights in June, Kinasewitz said she and Hovis thought they would be ideal owners. “[They] were friendly and outgoing people, something you need in the retail business,” said Kinasewitz, adding that their hands-on approach to growing the business would suit it well. But the Hights say they bring more to the bookselling table. Joe said Elena, who serves as the company’s vice president and general manager, delivers youthful energy and knowledge of social media.

Elena Hight transitions to a new venture as vice president and general manager of Best of Books in Edmond. Elena said Nan, the company’s secretary, carries decades of teaching experience and ways to connect with fellow teachers to get them the reading materials they need. And Elena and Nan said Joe brings his connections through his journalism and printing days — along with the title Big Ideas Guy — to Best of Books as its president. One particular challenge Joe said he sees with owning an independent bookstore is the countless choices for readers everywhere, including major bookstore chains and the proliferation of digital reading media. However, he expressed confidence in being able to keep Best of Books successful and thriving due to an existing loyal base of patrons and providing personalized customer service. While Best of Books is still a brick-and-mortar bookstore and, according to Joe, “[it’s] the foundation of what [they] do,” the Hights say they are planning for continued growth and success. Their future outreach plans include an updated website, a Facebook page and a new Twitter account. The Hights also say they plan to continue long-running projects like supplying book fairs in local schools and hosting book signings with local and regional authors. Kinasewitz and Hovis plan to stay with the bookstore as advisors to help the Hights ease their transition into full-time ownership. Best of Books is located at 1313 E. Danforth Road in Edmond’s Kickingbird Square shopping center. For more information, call 340-9202 or visit bestofbooksedmond.com.

Nov. 26th

615 E. Memorial, OKC 755-8600 8009 W. Reno, OKC 792-2020

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TROUBLE WITH BOWEL CONTROL?

SUDOKU/CROSSWORD

Do you. . . ❏ experience accidental leaking of stool?

SUDOKU PUZZLE EASY

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

❏ carry a change of clothes ‘just in case’? If so then you may have bowel or fecal incontinence. Fecal Incontinence is an unanticipated leakage of stool, and is more common in women than in men. What can be done to treat fecal incontinence? A new Clinical Study is evaluating a minimally invasive injection procedure for the treatment of fecal incontinence. The study is open to those who: ✔ are over 18 years of age ✔ have already tried and failed other available treatment options ✔ willing to participate up to 36 months How can you get involved? Our female-specialty center is currently recruiting women to participate. To find out more about this study, please contact the Research Coordinator listed below or go to the Clinical Trails website below.

Research Coordinator at this Hospital: Trynisha Cheadle, LPN 405-271-8001, ext. 46205, Trynisha-Cheadle@ouhsc.edu www.clinicaltrials.gov/

WWW.S UDOKU-P UZZLES .N ET

❏ keep tabs on where the restrooms are located?

IRB # 1868 The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. (#83979, 12/13)

❏ stay home for fear of having a bowel accident?

NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS Puzzle No. 1109, which appeared in the November 12 issue.

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C W P O S T

D O L L E Y

S E A L A B

C U B I S T

H A U N C H

R E D T E A

S H O P F O R

H E M L I N E

U N E A T E N

C R A B R E L O Q U E A R A D M Z T S B O A L T I R O A M I S T I A H U M I D M I R O W P N E T W O T S M Y P T A O T I N I E C L N R A T Y S O F G T E D O O N E V T T O S

S G T

T A M S E C A N L E P A

S C A N D A B E L A N L E O I T H E R A N O I S L O O K

O N L Y

I M A C T R I P L E T

T A T T R Y A T E

F O U R

F E D R R A I U N E T P A Z I T S E E T O J O L C O M E R T H C O R N A T S T I T G O G E E N A H R E E P T Z I N E R L E R E X A C E E P E R C H A D O R E N E X U S

G I R L S H Y

I D I A M I N

N E P T U N E

G R E E T E R

N E P A L A I C E V S I U R P I L E

A L I N E R

L Y C E E S

E A S E I N

S N A R E D

A T O Z

ACROSS 1 Extremely attractive bodies 6 Bird found in this grid’s lowerright corner 13 Building material in Oz 18 Female surfer 19 Words from a Latin lover 20 By product of petroleum refining 22 1996 Olympic tennis gold medalist 23 Suffer remorse 24 U.S.S.R.’s Brezhnev 25 Sharp 26 Side of a diner 28 Background color of a $100 bill 30 It might be stained 31 Hikers’ snacks 34 Facetious unit defined as the amount of beauty needed to launch one ship 36 Young musician? 37 Nail holder 39 Libby’s bagful 40 “That old” stuff of song 42 Sodium ___ (potato-chip flavoring) 46 World’s first national park 49 Dog’s plaint 50 Leading 52 Whitney who went to Yale, appropriately 54 Quaking ___ 57 Body of water found in this grid’s upper-right corner 58 Lawn tool 60 Performing, say 62 Plagued 63 Vitamin used to fight Alzheimer’s 65 X contributor 66 Puts on eBay, say 68 “What a ___!” 69 “Methinks,” in forums 70 Instruments in the Beatles’ “Norwegian Wood” and “Within You Without You” 72 Hawaiian verandas 74 Prey for a cheetah 75 & 77 When combined into one word, national trivia championship, e.g. 78 Hardware-store or nursery

purchase 79 Gels 80 Beverage found in this grid’s lower-left corner 82 Ending with may 85 Injury found in this grid’s upper-left corner 87 Bereavement 88 Placeholder? 90 Prey of the Morlocks 91 Give the go-ahead 94 Relative of a panpipe 97 Common muffin flavor 101 Jai ___ 102 Impersonal notes .?.?. or what four groups of this puzzle’s answers do (totaling 11 words) 104 “Mon ___!” 105 Josh 106 ___ 6 107 Fundamental 109 Unit named for a telephone pioneer 110 Crass 112 Substance in some signs 116 Inclined (to) 118 Eponymous Bloomer 119 Tranquil 120 Print up? 121 Owner of Columbia Pictures 122 Baby bird? 123 Super-rare occurrence DOWN 1 Helga’s “horrible” husband 2 Butler’s maiden name? 3 Banning from future work 4 Nitrogen symbols 5 Earth-shattering, maybe 6 Quaint way of sending documents 7 Lerner’s partner on Broadway 8 Beehive Stater 9 Long, narrow fish 10 Insult 11 Centuries-old instrument 12 Peak performance? 13 Lily-livered sorts 14 Course: Abbr. 15 “Fingers crossed!” 16 Illusory sight on Mars 17 Robotic dog on Doctor Who

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36 40

49 54

63 67 72

77 82

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18 Bit of power 21 Paradise lost in Paradise Lost 27 Rapper ___ Wayne 29 View from Neuchâtel 32 What you might bow your head to receive 33 Like some wineglasses 34 Have good intentions 35 Sunburn preventer, maybe 38 Idle 40 “Koala bear,” e.g. 41 Modern purveyor of Scrabble and Monopoly 42 “___ we done here?” 43 Who said, “I can’t prove it, but I can say it” 44 Trial site 45 Pittsburgh-to-WilkesBarre dir. 47 Honeymoon attire

103 107

111

106

110

102

105

101

87 92

39 44

Stumped? Call 1-900-285-5656 to get the answers to any three clues by phone ($1.20 a minute). The answers to the New York Times Magazine Crossword Puzzle that appeared in the November 12 issue of Oklahoma Gazette are shown at left.

Oklahoma Gazette

123

48 110, to Bilbo Baggins 49 Sports star with size 18 shoes 50 Ginger ___ (1952 Newbery winner) 51 Bill 53 “NO!” 55 End of the Bible? 56 Scottish negatives 58 Some ovines 59 Director Guillermo ___ Toro 61 Swindles 64 Like some councils 66 Tabula ___ 67 Ignore 71 Start of a round 73 Rapt 76 Home of India’s Red Fort 79 Went down a slippery slope 81 “.?.?. just kidding!” 82 Web file format, for short 83 Burn alleviator

1116

NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE CROSSWORD PUZZLE COLORFUL CHARACTERS By Tom McCoy / Edited by Will Shortz

84 Be winded 86 Frosty’s pipe 88 Decorative bands 89 Chillax, say 91 Future imago 92 Alternative name for Troy 93 Anne’s home, in literature 95 Court locale 96 Desist 98 Top prize 99 Film archive 100 December celebrations 102 Incursion 103 Beaver State capital 106 Chief 108 Long ride 111 Day-___ 113 Go (for) 114 Modern beginning? 115 Long, narrow fish 117 Blood-type system

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Enjoy one of Oklahoma’s premier holiday light displays at Chickasha’s

LIFE ACTIVE

Join us for Opening Night festivities Saturday, November 22, 2014 @ 6 pm Featuring live entertainment, food and fun! Admission to the park is always FREE! Donations accepted Hours: Monday - Thursday, 6 – 10 pm Friday & Saturday, 6 – 11 pm Featuring: • Carriage rides • Live Nativity • Camel rides and live animals • Gift shop and food trucks Located just 30 miles SW of OKC, right off I-44!

www.chickashafestivaloflight.com

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Born to dance

OCU’s Community Dance Center lets students hone their teaching skills and gives children from low-income families a chance to dance their hearts out. BY KEVAN GOFF-PARKER

A special Oklahoma City University (OCU) dance program pairs students aspiring to become dance teachers with young protégés from the community in a pas de deux that benefits both. OCU’s Community Dance Center can usually be found alive with spinning 4-year-olds or teens learning to tap — all taught by dance pedagogy students headed toward gradation. The scholars hone their teaching skills while students, primarily from low-income homes and benefiting from OCU-generated grants, attend the classes. Jo Rowan, founder of the university’s world-renowned dance program, said the dance center allows the university’s Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Arts Management to meet two critical needs. “First, we are providing the opportunity for our undergraduate pedagogy students to teach in pragmatic learning situations,” Rowan said. “Second, and most importantly, we are providing a safe place where kids from our community experience many different styles of dance while learning important values such as teamwork, discipline and self-confidence.” Dance pedagogy senior Gwynn Loud said her teaching opportunities there have led to valuable insights. “I’m an only child, and during my first year of teaching, I realized that I needed to learn how to approach children and how to talk to them,” Loud said. “I also learned that kids sometimes need to have a push with their self-confidence. That doesn’t always come in an academic setting. It was like getting to know little brothers and sisters and that was a really fun experience.” Originally from New Hampshire,

Youth ages 5 to 7 learn to dance at OCU’s Community Dance Center. Loud began dancing at age 3. She knew she wanted to teach dance by age 5. Her goal is to become a master dance teacher. Teaching at the dance center has given her a “chance to instill a safe space for children to expand their creativity, gain self-confidence and improve their physical health.” “The children here learn about musicality and self-expression in a nonacademic and family-friendly setting,” Loud said. Parents benefit from the opportunities, too, because the studio has two viewing windows where parents can watch their child grow and gain technical skills, Loud said. Another important benefit is that students at the center can’t tell who is on scholarship and who isn’t. Students in the national free or reduced-cost lunch program can qualify for grants and scholarships. About 70 percent of students now at the center receive such scholarship support. Martin L. O’Gwynn, vice president for OCU’s University Advancement and external relations, said the Oklahoma City Community Foundation recently awarded an $18,000 iFund Opportunities for Children grant to the center. He said it will enable OCU to provide vital educational opportunities for local children. “They alleviate the financial constraints on families and allow for additional relief as parents know their kids are in a safe place, taking part in dance classes that will be both challenging and rewarding,” he said. For more information, call the center at 208-5508 or visit okcu.edu/ community-dance-center.

M A RK HA N COC K

Festival of Light

LIFE MUSIC

Music Made Me: James Hammontree The multitalented rock enthusiast offers a glimpse into his informed and reverential musical universe.

James Hammontree likes to keep busy, pursuing visual art while also playing in an assortment bands like post-punk act Sex Snobs, local shoegaze favorites Power Pyramid and the now-defunct hardcore outfit Chud. Hammontree also just premiered his brand new solo project Sensitiv Southside Boy with a demo cassette released in late October, and he’ll make his live debut with a secret show on Thanksgiving Day. So what records helped shape such a diverse creative output? Hammontree breaks down the five albums that had the greatest influence his respective musical projects. Neu! — Neu! (1972) This is basically where music that has a direct influence on me begins. Along with bands like Kraftwerk, Can and Faust, Neu! is responsible for the krautrock era of the ’70s — freeform, open-ended, experimental, uninhibited and even spiritual rock and roll. Musically divorced from its predecessors from the ’60s, this album takes a whole new direction on the limits of modern music. Many of the songs start, build, climax and end at their own pace with no regard for normal pop structures. Its compositions flow freely, allowing layers to build without restriction. Sonically, Neu! is the most dynamic album I have heard to this day. The band’s name is a perfect description of the sound: pure and totally new art. David Bowie even championed the band, naming his hit “Heroes” after the Neu! track of the same name.

Wire — 154 (1979) Wire completely redefined the limits of punk, and it is one of the most original and creative bands to date. The definitive post-punk band, Wire took punk far beyond what The Clash, Buzzcocks and their contemporaries were doing at the time. Taking a very artful and angular approach, the songs vary wildly in sound; many are dark and atmospheric with daunting lyrics and clashing instruments, while others are beautiful pop nuggets with catchy choruses even your grandma could hum along to. 154’s creative palette is almost infinite. After hundreds of listens since a young age, I still hear something new each listen. Though they never acquired substantial mainstream success, Wire is regarded in many circles as one of the most integral and influential punk bands of all time. The Birthday Party — Prayers on Fire (1981) The Birthday Party was a band from Australia that featured Nick Cave on vocals, but it was very different from Cave’s solo career with the Bad Seeds. Prayers on Fire required a bit of a learning curve for me, but after my music taste matured as a listener and a player, it became obvious how important the band was. Defining its own brand of menacing and aurally assaulting goth-punk, The Birthday Party was a rusty needle in the vein of the prettyboy new wave movement, with music

PROVIDED

BY JOSHUA BOYDSTON

that was dark, angsty, dissonant and downright dirty. Whether fast or slow, each song leaves you with an anxious feeling. Thriving on nervous energy, this band did whatever it wanted as long as it left you uncomfortable. Music this demented could have only come from Australia. Whatever they were drinking must have been much stronger than Victoria Bitter. Sonic Youth — Goo (1990) Goo is an obvious choice for anyone into alternative rock, but it is undeniably relevant and timeless all the same, an album that has remained as important to me as it was in my early teenage years. After graduating from the normality of punk rock and metal, this album gave me hope through its fearless innovation and individuality. Any Sonic Youth fan will tell you this, but it still amazes me how many people haven’t investigated the band’s career on a deeper level. Goo encompasses so many human emotions it feels like watching a movie inside your own ear. My favorite track is “Mote,” a song I heard on a skateboarding video when I was 11, and I was immediately hooked.

Lightning Bolt — Hypermagic Mountain (2005) Where do I begin with this piece of work? More so than any modern or current band, Lightning Bolt’s Hypermagic Mountain completely changed the way I view music — and art in general. When this came out, my 17-year-old mind was blown; it was almost frustrating — yet enlightening — to hear so many sounds and noises on one record. I had never heard so much energy on a piece of music before this. Lightning Bolt is raw, savagely energetic, electrically innovative, uninhibited, noisy, and yet the Providence-based band can also be melodically uplifting. Brian Chippendale’s drumming style is a fast and ferocious mess that resembles hail falling on a roof at 1000 miles per hour, while Brian Gibson’s crushingly distorted and octave-drenched bass ties together the rhythm and raw melody hidden beneath the surface of all the speed and noise. This combination of instrumentation and sonic manipulation makes a visceral and transcendent sound that is like nothing else on the planet. Hypermagic Mountain encompass the pure raw creative feelings we all had as children and reveals that intuition and innovation has no time limit.

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LIVE MUSIC WEDNESDAY, NOV. 19 Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys, The Blue Door. COUNTRY Casey & Minna, First National Center. FOLK Drive, Baker St. Pub & Grill. ROCK Grant Wells, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO Jill Scott, WinStar World Casino, Thackerville. R&B The Friends No BS Jam, Friends Restaurant & Club. VARIOUS

Christian Pearson/Gary Johnson, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO Collective Soul, Riverwind Casino, Norman. ROCK DJ RnR, Russell’s, Tower Hotel. DANCE Drive, DC on Film Row. ROCK Honeylark/Caleb McGee and the Townies, Blue Note Lounge. VARIOUS John Randolph/Shelly Phelps, The Paramount OKC. VARIOUS Karen Khoury, Legend’s Restaurant, Norman. PIANO Lip Service, Oklahoma City Limits. COVER Loretta Lynn, Grand Casino, Shawnee. COUNTRY

THURSDAY, NOV. 20

No Dry County, Grady’s 66 Pub, Yukon. ACOUSTIC

Adrian Belew Power Trio, ACM@UCO Performance Lab. ROCK

Souled Out, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond. ROCK

Ali Harter/Elizabee, The Deli, Norman. SINGER/ SONGWRITER Brent Saulsbury/Will Galbraith/Wayne Duncan, Friends Restaurant & Club. ROCK Cole Swindell/Kelleigh Bannen, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa. COUNTRY

Randy Cassimus, Full Circle Bookstore. ACOUSTIC Roy Lee Scott & The Flying Cowboys, Sliders. COUNTRY

The Clique, Friends Restaurant & Club. VARIOUS The Great American Jug Band, Opolis, Norman. FOLK

SATURDAY, NOV. 22

David Morris, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO

Beth & Jess, Nonna’s Purple Bar. ACOUSTIC

Edgar Cruz, The Blue Door. ACOUSTIC

Brad Good, Riverwind Casino, Norman. ROCK

Forum/Tallows, 51st Street Speakeasy. ROCK

Casey & Minna, Uptown Grocery Co., Edmond. FOLK

Jade Castle, Oklahoma Tower. POP

Don and Melodee Johnson, Twelve Oaks, Edmond. JAZZ

Misfits/Londons Dungeon/The Quickiez, Farmers Public Market. ROCK

Eli Young Band/Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa. COUNTRY

Mothership/Cobrajab, Blue Note Lounge. ROCK

Fred Hill, The Paramount OKC. VARIOUS

The Dave Thomason Band, Grady’s 66 Pub, Yukon. COVER

Grant Stevens, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO

2AM, Belle Isle Restaurant & Brewery. ROCK Aaron Newman, Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill. ACOUSTIC Aaron Pierce/Sherree Chamberlain/Moon Giant, 51st Street Speakeasy. VARIOUS Aaron Watson, Diamond Ballroom. COUNTRY Avenue, Tapwerks Ale House & Cafe. COVER Bill Kirchen, The Blue Door. COUNTRY Carlton Dorsey, Nonna’s Purple Bar. REGGAE

Stardeath and White Dwarfs

Wade Bowen/Chance Anderson, Wormy Dog Saloon. COUNTRY

Cowboy Troy/Sarah Dunn Band/Lower 40, Choctaw Creek Park, Choctaw. COUNTRY

FRIDAY, NOV. 21

P ROVI DE D

LIFE MUSIC

OKG

music

pick

Jim the Elephant, Baker St. Pub & Grill. ROCK Joel Wilson, Grady’s 66 Pub, Yukon. ACOUSTIC Johnny Hootrock, Blue Note Lounge. ROCK

Midtown Music 2 with Stardeath and White Dwarfs, Tallows, Bored Wax and Galactique Saturday

The first installment of the fledgling Midtown Music concert series was a rousing, rooftop-based success, serving up some of Oklahoma’s best bands (and beverages) in one healthy dose. The series is back for a second helping with Midtown Music 2, and both the lineup and setting ought to make for one of the most unique showcases of the season. See Stardeath and White Dwarfs, Tallows, Bored Wax and Galactique 5 p.m. Saturday at City Presbyterian Church, 829 NW 13th St. Admission is $5. Visit citypresokc.com.

Karen Khoury, Legend’s Restaurant, Norman. PIANO Kyle Reid and The Low Swingin’ Chariots, The Deli, Norman. JAZZ

My So Called Band, The Deli, Norman. COVER

Ali Harter, Blue Note Lounge. SINGER/SONGWRITER

Raven’s Three, Full Circle Bookstore. VARIOUS

TUESDAY, NOV. 25

Lucky, Tapwerks Ale House & Cafe. COVER

Rich O’Toole, Wormy Dog Saloon. COUNTRY

Mac Stevens/TJ Mayes, Opolis, Norman. ROCK

Ronnie Milsap, Buffalo Run Casino, Miami. COUNTRY

Matt Stansberry & the Romance, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond. VARIOUS

Roy Lee Scott & The Flying Cowboys, Sliders. COUNTRY

Caleb McGee/Ali Harter, The Deli, Norman. SINGER/ SONGWRITER

Maurice Johnson, Avanti Bar & Grill. JAZZ

Stardeath and White Dwarfs/Tallows/Bored Wax, CityPres. ROCK

Lucky, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. COVER

Mitch Casen, Friends Restaurant & Club. COUNTRY

Stars, Russell’s, Tower Hotel. COVER Travis Linville, The Blue Door. SINGER/SONGWRITER

Adrian Belew Power Trio, ACM@UCO Performance Lab, Thursday, Nov. 20

What She Said, Belle Isle Restaurant & Brewery. ROCK Wino Browne, Oklahoma City Limits. COVER

SUNDAY, NOV. 23 Carnage/Dzeko and Torres/Paris Blohm, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa. VARIOUS Edgar Cruz, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. ACOUSTIC

Pinkish Black/Idre/Cobrajab, The Conservatory. ROCK

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 26 Blame It On The Boogie/Space4Lease Olympus Mons, The Deli, Norman. VARIOUS Dawn & Hawkes, The Blue Door. FOLK Grant Wells, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO Stars, Baker St. Pub & Grill. COVER The Friends No BS Jam, Friends Restaurant & Club. VARIOUS

John Moreland/Kierston White, The Blue Door. SINGER/ SONGWRITER Karen Khoury, Legend’s Restaurant, Norman. PIANO Mike Hosty, The Deli, Norman. COUNTRY

PROVIDED

MONDAY, NOV. 24

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Adam & Kizzie/The Funky Knuckles, Urban Roots. R&B Alan Orebaugh and Friends/The Handsome Devils, The Deli, Norman. ROCK

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.

P R OVI DE D

Speaking up After a tornado demolished its belongings — and seemingly, its career — Plain Speak has rebuilt itself from the ground up. BY JOSHUA BOYDSTON

Plain Speak with Single Mothers, Semblance and Hex 7 p.m. Thursday Dope Chapel 115 S. Crawford Ave., Norman dopechapel.com $5

So much can be lost in a single moment. Singer Dan Pechacek and multiinstrumentalist Ben See had devoted over two years and every spare moment they had to recording their debut album as Plain Speak. Patchwork sessions helmed by See were done as Pechacek could return to Oklahoma while living out of state. But when the tornado touched down in Moore in May 2013, its path tore right through See’s residence, and it was gone. Everything. All of it. Gone. The only thing left behind was the foundation and a few of Zach Nedbalek’s drum tracks. The band was so close to finishing; an estimated 90 percent was done, but then there was nothing. Like so many of See’s neighbors, Plain Speak was forced to rebuild from the ground up. “Obviously, it was a devastating blow in every way,” See said. “I had lost everything I owned, and to top that off, a record that I had been working on for two and a half years.” But that dark cloud revealed an unseen benefit: a chance for a new start. Plain Speak rallied together, deciding to have Michael Trepagnier engineer the record at his Cardinal Song studio, letting go of the past and feeling the songs more than overthinking them. “When we realized it was gone, it was like, ‘Let’s do this again, but better this time,’” Pechacek said. “We had been trudging through the ending of that original album. Coming back to it, we knew the songs inside and out, and it was nice to go into the studio and just play them.”

I had lost everything I owned, and to top that off, a record that I had been working on for two and a half years. — Ben See

The title of the album — Foundations — nods to the disaster that proved so instrumental to the course the album took. But it goes deeper than that. A natural name for a debut, it also hints at Plain Speak reconnecting with the emotions at the core of the “lyrically focused,” soul-baring songs that became all the more powerful in the wake of that devastation. Drawn from a love of artists like Death Cab for Cutie, American Football and Fleet Foxes, those vulnerable narratives are delivered with a sonically lush, acoustic-driven aesthetic. “Each one meant something fairly specific when they were written,” Pechacek said. “Over the years, they grew into a complex set of feelings. We did the best we possibly could with them.” They’ve come out the other side as a new band now, especially with Pechacek back in Oklahoma and frequent live shows — including Thursday’s show with Single Mothers, Semblance and Hex at Norman’s Dope Chapel — revealing a more robust tone and attitude in line with the emo revival currently playing out. 2015 will be used to flex that muscle, with some regional touring and hopefully even a new EP. “We like that energy,” Pechacek said. “We like that intensity. There’s an evolution happening, and it’s one we are really excited to ride out.”

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10/29/14 10:09 AM

LIFE MUSIC REVIEWS

Status quo BY JOSHUA BOYDSTON

The Bourgeois want to be both well-liked and dangerous, but those two things are immensely difficult to pull off simultaneously.

Spike

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The Tulsa trio isn’t alone in that. A big wave of arena-ready rock bands have attempted to have that cake and eat it, too, some more successful than others at it. Basically, you have to be cool enough to charm the daughter but safe enough to ease the worries of mom and dad. The Bourgeois feel so clearly mindful of this in the exhaustively titled We’re Still in the Gutter, But Some of Us Are Looking at the Stars, a well-polished and slickly produced alt-rock record whose fangs have been filed down just a little too much. That’s not to say it’s toothless or uninteresting, and aiming yourself toward a radio-friendly sound is a good way to nail down some quality choruses and hooks. The Bourgeois’ propensity for pulling out of all corners of alt-rock and recycling it into something unique is laudable, too. But the band mutes some of the coolest influences and weirdest ideas (there’s venomous METZ-inspired riffs and percussion runs that bring a vital edge to songs like “No Remorse,” “Be Your Own Machine” and “Smoke and Mirrors”) and turns up the volume on the more easily palatable ones. Such methods result in the inoffensive but all too familiar “Perverting the American Dream” or “Whenever I’m with You” playing 15 years past due and bearing more in common with just-left-of-center ’90s rockers Stone Temple Pilots and Bush than Smashing Pumpkins and Nirvana.

Lorde cover “Royals (Pure Heroine Overdose)” unfolds in similar fashion, like a Gavin Rossdale cash-grab. It’s less bad than unnecessary. This affliction isn’t alleviated by the hard-rock, cliché-addled lyricism (“Once the Novocain hits the brain/ Numbness can start to cure the pain” and “Heavy is the head that wears crown of thorns/ I’m replacing my angel wings with devil horns”) or the textbook Hot Topic emo title “Walk on the Oscar Wilde Side.” Still, it’s a fun little rock ’n’ roll party record that refuses to take its foot off the gas, throttling through airguitar-inviting licks and head-banging hooks executed with a true rock star’s confidence. Singer Zach Mobley has vocal chops that bounce nicely between post-punk zingers, throbbing metal takes and pop anthems (“Mi Amor”). Drummer Ty Clark and bassist Shawn Kintz are just as adept. All of it comes together in pockets. Nervy opener “Smoke and Mirrors” feels the most natural and serendipitously finds The Bourgeois at its best, while “No Remorse” is a formidable entry into the modern bluesrock fray. And to find that balance even on occasion so early (it took Arctic Monkeys and The Black Keys almost a decade each to consistently hit that mark) is promising. There’s a lion there; it just needs to be let out of its cage.

The Bourgeois Album: We're Still in the Gutter, But Some of Us Are Looking at the Stars Available now | thebourgeoisband.com

LIFE FILM

Let’s go to the movies It’s the most wonderful time of the year for film lovers.

Big Eyes

BY PHIL BACHARACH

It’s that peculiar time of year when Hollywood rolls out films for audiences who might welcome more than car crashes, fiery explosions and Adam Sandler lighting his own farts. Here’s what to look forward to the next few months, which should bear plenty of gifts for Oklahoma City moviegoers. The Theory of Everything (Nov. 28)

Talk about Oscar bait. First, The Theory of Everything is about supersmart Stephen Hawking. (Oscar voters like biopics.) Second, it takes place in England. (Oscar voters think the UK means classy.) Third, it features able-bodied actor Eddie Redmayne contorting himself to portray the physically disabled subject. (Think Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis in My Left Foot or Oscar nominee John Hawkes in The Sessions.) Wild (Dec. 5)

Reese Witherspoon portrays writer Cheryl Strayed, who in 1995 embarked on an agonizing, 1,000-mile hike of the Pacific Coast Trail following the death of her mother and demise of her marriage. Witherspoon’s gritty performance has sparked plenty of attention, and not just for baring it all, literally, in a reportedly intense sex scene. Exodus: Gods and Kings (Dec. 12)

As 2014 began with famously irascible Russell Crowe as the title character in Noah, it’s only right that equally hotheaded actor Christian Bale end

Unbroken

Inherent Vice

The Imitation Game

the year playing Moses. Ace director Ridley Scott lends a swords-andsandals sensibility to this tale of the biblical hero whom Bale reportedly has described as “schizophrenic” and “one of the most barbaric individuals” he has ever read about.

battle between her and her ex-husband (Christoph Waltz). After several unnecessary remakes by Burton (Planet of the Apes, Alice in Wonderland, Dark Shadows), it’s exciting to see the creator of Ed Wood and Edward Scissorhands return to the land of misfit weirdos.

Unbroken (Dec. 25)

Mr. Turner (January)

The only way Hollywood could have screwed up Laura Hillenbrand’s nonfiction best-seller Unbroken is if its actors were sock puppets. The story of Louis Zamperini, an Olympian runner-turned-World War II airman who survived 47 days adrift at sea and two years in a Japanese POW camp, is the stuff of true heroism. It’s daunting material for a seasoned director, let alone Angelina Jolie, who makes only her second directorial turn here. Thankfully, she has good help from screenwriting brothers Joel and Ethan Coen.

Always-interesting filmmaker Mike Leigh (Secrets & Lies, Vera Drake) finds an irresistibly interesting subject in 19th century British painter J.M.W. Turner, whose artistic brilliance was matched by his personal boorishness. Timothy Spall has already received raves as the titular Turner. (No word on who plays Hooch.)

Into the Woods (Dec. 25)

Surefire ingredients for a Christmas season hit: Disney, fairy tales, Stephen Sondheim songs, Meryl Streep chewing on human flesh. OK, that last part isn’t actually a part of Into the Woods, although we are sure the inimitable Streep might chew on lots of scenery, along with the likes of Johnny Depp, Emily Blunt and Anna Kendrick. Big Eyes (January)

Considerable buzz surrounds this Tim Burton-directed story concerning the real-life tale of artist Margaret Keane (Amy Adams), whose iconic paintings of big-eyed children ignited an ugly court

Selma (January)

Dramatizing one of the monumental events in the civil rights movement, Selma earned rapturous reviews after its premiere Nov. 11 at the AFI Film Festival in Los Angeles. David Oyelowo stars as Martin Luther King Jr., who led protest marches from Selma, Alabama, to Montgomery in 1965. Historically important, powerfully relevant and produced by Oprah Winfrey — yeah, this one might be getting an award or several. American Sniper (January)

At age 84, Clint Eastwood could be enjoying his golden years playing bingo at an American Legion hall or watching The O’Reilly Factor. But the man continues to direct movies at an astonishingly fast clip. In American Sniper, the Codger of Cool directs the harrowing story of real-life Navy SEAL

Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper), the most lethal marksman in U.S. military history. Inherent Vice (January)

A Paul Thomas Anderson film is always cause for celebration, especially when the mastermind behind Boogie Nights and There Will Be Blood is adapting supposedly unadaptable novelist Thomas Pynchon. Joaquin Phoenix sports Sam’s Club-sized mutton chops in this uber-weird 1970s yarn of L.A. noir likely to polarize audiences. But admit it: Who doesn’t appreciate a good polarizing now and then? Foxcatcher (TBA)

For all of you who wondered just what Steve Carell would look like with a prosthetic nose and a creepy demeanor, director Bennett Miller (Moneyball, Capote) offers the stranger-than-fiction story of du Pont family scion John du Pont and his ill-fated involvement with Olympic wrestling gold medalist — and University of Oklahoma alum — Dave Schultz. Critics say Carell is a shoo-in for a best actor nomination. The Imitation Game (TBA)

Outside of a Charles Dickens novel, you won’t find many names more fun to say aloud than Benedict Cumberbatch. Odds are that presenters at the 2015 Academy Awards will prove it, too. That is due to The Imitation Game, in which Cumberbatch (heck, it’s even fun to write) portrays Alan Turing, the math genius who broke the Germans’ Enigma code for the Allies in World War II.

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LIFE FILM

NOVEMBER 20 COLE SWINDELL W/ JASON BOLAND & THE STRAGGLERS AND CODY CANADA & THE DEPARTED

NOVEMBER 29

20,000 Days on Earth Thurs., 7:30 p.m. | Sat., 8 p.m. Whiplash

CANCER SUCKS CONCERT

Whip it

W/ POP EVIL

DECEMBER 7

AARON LEWIS

Oscar hopeful Whiplash is a profoundly moving crash course in both acting and filmmaking.

DECEMBER 12

STONEY LARUE

Je t’aime Je t’aime Fri., 8 p.m. Sat., 5:30 p.m.

DECEMBER 20

RED DIRT CHRISTMAS

W/ TEA LEAF GREEN, RED DIRT RANGERS AND HOSTY DUO

The Overnighters Fri., 5:30 p.m. Sun., 2 p.m.

DECEMBER 26 & 27

TURNPIKE TROUBADOURS For movie descriptions and ticket sales visit okcmoa.com

TULSA, OK ★ 423 NORTH MAIN ST. TICKETS: cainsballroom.com or 877.4.FLY.TIX

“MY TEETH ARE LIKE DIRTY PROSTITUTES.” – #OverheardAtGrandads EW. 317 NW 23rd Street

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405.604.0922

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grandadsbar.com

3rd Friday Premiere

come in for lunch, wine & cheese, coffee & pie, enjoy it in the cafe or take it in the theatre.

Means “spotlight on the paramount building”

Outdoor market, Night bazaar, food, music (inside Paramount bldg.), artists and a pokerrun!

Kicks off at 6:30... JUST FOLLOW THE LIGHTS!

7 0 1 W s h e r i d a n • 4 0 5 . 5 1 7. 0 7 8 7

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theparamountokc.com

BY ZACH HALE

The pursuit of greatness — and the trials endured to get there — often makes for great drama. Whiplash certainly does, but it’s also far from your standard musician-movie fare. The breakthrough feature from 29-year-old director Damien Chazelle, now playing at AMC Quail Springs Mall 24, 2501 W. Memorial Road, is as ambitious as its protagonist, fledgling but immensely talented and driven jazz drummer Andrew Neyman (Miles Teller, The Spectacular Now), and it leaves nary a trace of potential untapped. Andrew is a student at the fictitious Shaffer Conservatory, the most prestigious music school in the country, where, in a chance encounter, he successfully auditions for Shaffer’s most infamous conductor, Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons, Labor Day). In the film’s first major dispute, Fletcher is eerily stoic with the unsuspecting Andrew in a practice session with Fletcher’s ensemble. But it doesn’t last long, as Andrew witnesses the unspeakable verbal and physical abuse his instructor is capable of when Fletcher berates, belittles and tears down his students to a beyondexcessive degree. Startled but undeterred, Andrew continues his quest to be “one of the greats,” listening to recordings of his idol Buddy Rich and practicing with a vigor that leaves his hands awash in blood by session’s end. The more potential Fletcher sees in Andrew, the more abusive he becomes, and Andrew begins to estrange his girlfriend, Nicole (Melissa Benoist, TV’s Glee), and his father, Jim (Paul Reiser, Life After Beth), whom he

sees as obstructions in his path to perfection. The scenes in which Fletcher pushes Andrew to the brink of his ability (and his sanity) are, simply put, suffocating in their intensity. Teller’s portrayal of a steadfast, if somewhat naive, pupil is a monumental leap forward for the young actor, significantly besting any of his prior performances. Simmons, meanwhile, gives one of the most fiercely terrifying portrayals of the year, a nuanced glimpse into the motives behind a highly complex villain who takes his art to the extreme. An Oscar nomination — and most likely a statue — is in his near future. While not without its problems — primarily a script that tests the limits of believability — Chazelle’s writing and direction are remarkably seasoned for such a young filmmaker. Select shots adeptly spotlight drum kits drenched in blood and sweat, while its sound weaves flawlessly between impassioned dialogue and an anxious jazz soundtrack. The subtle attention to detail adds a provocative depth to the drama as it unfolds. For a relatively low-budget indie, Whiplash feels titanic. The sheer breadth of anxiety interspersed throughout its fervent performances and thematic undertones makes Chazelle’s film one of the year’s most compelling, discharging as much vitality as bodily fluids on Andrew’s snare. It’s a commentary on the value of idealistic perfection and what must be forfeited to attain it, but unlike most musings on the subject, Whiplash breaks down its audience in order to realize its own potential.

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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY ARIES March 21-April 19 What exactly do you believe in, Aries? What’s your philosophy of life? Do you think that most people are basically good and that you can make a meaningful life for yourself if you just work hard and act kind? Do you believe that evil, shapeshifting, kitten-eating extraterrestrials have taken on human form and are impersonating political leaders who control our society? Are you like the character Crash Davis in the film *Bull Durham,* who believed in “high fiber, good scotch, the sweet spot, and long, slow, deep, soft, wet kisses that last three days”? Now would be an excellent time for you to get very clear about the fundamental principles that guide your behavior. Re-commit yourself to your root beliefs -and jettison the beliefs that no longer work for you. TAURUS April 20-May 20 I have two encyclopedias of dreams, and they disagree on the symbolic meaning of mud. One book says that when you dream of mud, you may be facing a murky moral dilemma in your waking life, or are perhaps dealing with a messy temptation that threatens to compromise your integrity. The other encyclopedia suggests that when you dream of mud, it means you have received an untidy but fertile opportunity that will incite growth and creativity. I suspect that you have been dreaming of mud lately, Taurus, and that both meanings apply to you. GEMINI May 21-June 20 Are there certain influences you would love to bring into your life, but you can’t figure out how? Do you fantasize about getting access to new resources that would make everything better for you, but they seem to be forever out of reach? If you answered “yes,” it’s time to stop moping. I’m happy to report that you have more power than usual to reel in those desirable influences and resources. To fully capitalize on this power, be confident that you can attract what you need. CANCER June 21-July 22 Should you cut back and retrench? Definitely.

Should you lop off and bastardize? Definitely not. Do I recommend that you spend time editing and purifying? Yes, please. Does this mean you should censor and repress? No, thank you. Here’s my third pair of questions: Will you be wise enough to shed some of your defense mechanisms and strip away one of your lame excuses? I hope so. Should you therefore dispense with all of your psychic protections and leave yourself vulnerable to being abused? I hope not. LEO July 23-Aug. 22 I know you’re beautiful and you know you’re beautiful. But I think you could be even more beautiful than you already are. What do you think? Have you reached the limits of how beautiful you can be? Or will you consider the possibility that there is even more beauty lying dormant within you, ready to be groomed and expressed? I encourage you to ruminate on these questions: 1. Are you hiding a complicated part of your beauty because it would be hard work to liberate it? 2. Are you afraid of some aspect of your beauty because revealing it would force you to acknowledge truths about yourself that are at odds with your self-image? 3. Are you worried that expressing your full beauty would intimidate other people? VIRGO Aug. 23-Sept. 22 Helsinki, Finland is growing downwards. By cutting out space in the bedrock below the city’s surface, farseeing leaders have made room to build shops, a data center, a hockey rink, a church, and a swimming pool. There are also projects underway to construct 200 other underground structures. I’d like to see you start working along those lines, Virgo -- at least metaphorically. Now would be an excellent time to renovate your foundations so as to accommodate your future growth. LIBRA Sept. 23-Oct. 22 The Pantone Color Matching System presents a structured approach to identifying colors. It’s used as a standard in the printing industry. According to its system of classification, there are 104 various shades of grey. I suspect you will benefit from being equally discerning in the coming weeks. It just won’t be possible to differentiate between the good guys

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and the bad guys. You’ll misunderstand situations that you try to simplify, and you’ll be brilliant if you assume there’s always more nuance and complexity to uncover. Don’t just grudgingly tolerate ambiguity, Libra. Appreciate it. Learn from it. SCORPIO Oct. 23-Nov. 21 I am not necessarily predicting that you will acquire a shiny new asset in time for the solstice. Nor am I glibly optimistic that you will get a raise in pay or an unexpected bonus. And I can offer only a 65-percent certainty that you will snag a new perk or catch a financial break or stumble upon a treasure. In general, though, I am pretty confident that your net worth will rise in the next four weeks. Your luck will be unusually practical. To take maximum advantage of the cosmic tendencies, focus your efforts on the one or two most promising prospects. SAGITTARIUS Nov. 22-Dec. 21 Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) was an Italian astronomer, physicist, and mathematician who is sometimes called “the father of modern science.” He expressed his innovative ideas so vigorously that he offended the Catholic Church, which convicted him of heresy. For us today, he symbolizes the magnificence of rational thought. And yet Galileo also had a weird streak. For example, he gave lectures on the “Shape, Location, and Size of Dante’s Inferno,” analyzing the poet’s depiction of hell. In the course of these meticulous discourses, Galileo concluded that Satan was more than four-fifths of a mile tall. In this spirit, Sagittarius, and in accordance with current astrological omens, you are temporarily authorized to de-emphasize the constraints of reason and logic so that you may gleefully and unapologetically pursue your quirky proclivities. CAPRICORN Dec. 22-Jan. 19 While in his early twenties, actor Robert Downey Jr. appeared in the films *Less Than Zero* and *Weird Science.* That got him semi-typecast as a member of Hollywood’s Brat Pack, a group of popular young actors and actresses who starred in coming-of-age films in the 1980s. Eager to be free of that pigeonhole, Downey performed a ritual in 1991: He dug a hole in his backyard and buried the clothes

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he had worn in *Less Than Zero.* I recommend that you carry out a comparable ceremony to help you graduate from the parts of your past that are holding you back. AQUARIUS Jan. 20-Feb. 18 In her book Revolution from Within, Gloria Steinem offers a challenge: “Think of the times you have said: ‘I can’t write,’ ‘I can’t paint,’ ‘I can’t run,’ ‘I can’t shout,’ ‘I can’t dance,’ ‘I can’t sing.’” That’s your first assignment, Aquarius: Think of those times. Your second assignment is to write down other “I can’t” statements you have made over the years. Assignment three is to objectively evaluate whether any of these “I can’t” statements are literally true. If you find that some of them are not literally true, your fourth assignment is to actually do them. The coming weeks will be a favorable time to transform “I can’t” into “I can.” PISCES Feb. 19-March 20 “Dogs don’t know where they begin and end,” writes Ursula K. Le Guin in her book The Wave in the Mind. They “don’t notice when they put their paws in the quiche.” Cats are different, LeGuin continues. They “know exactly where they begin and end. When they walk slowly out the door that you are holding open for them, and pause, leaving their tail just an inch or two inside the door, they know it. They know you have to keep holding the door open . . . It’s a cat’s way of maintaining relationship.” Whether you are more of a dog person or a cat person, Pisces, it is very important that you be more like a cat than a dog in the coming weeks. You must keep uppermost in your mind exactly where you begin and where you end.

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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