To the bat cave!
After all, nothing destroys the benign boy candy vibe of a Robert Pattinson-level broodfest like knowing he spends part of every night practicing echolocation as a flying mammal. But at a 340-acre tract of land in northwestern Oklahoma, visitors can spend an evening watching thousands of Mexican free-tailed bats leave for the nightly hunt. The…
‘Deal’ of the century
What’s the big deal with “A New Deal”? Lots, according to Alison Amick, curator at Oklahoma City Museum of Art, where the exhibition opens Thursday for a summer run. With 56 paintings, “1934: A New Deal for Artists” celebrates the 75th anniversary of the Public Works of Art Project — the first program that addressed…
Local musicians remember Speedy West
In a world full of jaded, egocentric guitar heroes, local musician Gary “Speedy” West Jr. was a generous soul whose genuine love for people was as impactful as his sharp, soulful skills on the pedal steel guitar. Sadly, West passed away on May 4 after a long battle with cancer. He was 58. Multi-instrumentalist Brent…
How’s it hangin’?
“This, I thought, was eating,” Bourdain wrote, describing the onglet, better known as hanger steak. When a cow is processed, there is this mysterious, little-known piece of meat, which some people (including me) find good. Others, however, stay far away. There is nothing modern about the no-waste hanger steak; it’s been a cut known for…
End of session grades
Let’s get to my end-of-session grades: —State Senate Pro Tem Brian Bingman (Republican leader): B-plus. It is hard to steer entire pieces of legislation and issues when you are one third of the process (House, Senate and governor), but Sen. Bingman held true to his convictions. Despite going against House Speaker Kris Steele and Gov.…
Extreme hobbies
Yes, the new hot thing is fiery self-expression, according to a YouTube video (one of “dozens”) featured on News9.com. Eager to demonstrate his technique, our exhibitionist young daredevil sprayed body mist in a zigzag pattern on one pant leg, then set it on fire, so it “looks all crazy and stuff.” “The more you move…
Meek’s Cutoff
In “Meek’s Cutoff,” director Kelly Reichardt painstakingly reveals the hardscrabble existence of a few pioneers — lost and bereft of water — as they spiral from desperation to panic. It’s a compelling narrative with flashes of enigmatic majesty, but those moments are snuffed out by an unrelentingly glacial pace. Screening Thursday through Sunday at the…
Charlie’s sheen
In the past 26 years, the Charlie Christian International Music Festival has grown a great deal. “It was a grassroots party, if you will,” said Anita Arnold, executive director of festival sponsor Black Liberated Arts Center. “You could even call it a block party.” Named for the Oklahoma City-raised, influential swing and jazz guitarist Charlie…
Sleeping beauty
Constructed of chrome rods and bound by cables, the sculpture snakes at 73 feet long. It made its debut last week, after traveling around the world for stops at the likes of New York City’s Museum of Modern Art. New York-based artist Kenneth Snelson made three such 3-D sculptures. “It’s a privilege to be able…
Slow connection
“You’ve Got Hate Mail” is a comedy about infidelity in the computer age. Written by Billy Van Zandt and Jane Milmore, the play is told entirely through emails, chat messages and texts between five characters who read aloud and react to the correspondence. There’s the appropriately named Richard, a lawyer who can’t keep his little…
Unchained melody
There is perhaps nothing more fascinating and potentially disastrous than a band no longer bothered with the status quo, and deciding to play whatever the hell it feels like. Sometimes, this alienates fans; other times, it results in a significant artistic leap forward. The Pretty Black Chains pulled an abrupt about-face with their new LP,…
Mideast feast
WHAT WORKS: The super fresh ingredients used in the recipes and friendliness of the staff. WHAT NEEDS WORK: More signage is needed to find the place. THE TIP: After eating there once, you may be tempted to have a longtime affair with fresh food from the Middle East. Before moving here from Atlanta more than…
Taking the three
Nope, we’re talking about a man so obsessed with NBA legend Larry Bird that he requested three more years on his Oklahoma Department of Corrections prison sentence just to match the jersey number of the former Boston Celtics star. The Boston Globe reported that Eric Torpy is perceived to be a “birdbrain” for taking a…
Double park
As the Myriad Botanical Gardens renovations unfold, questions are being raised about the fate of one of the centerpieces of the MAPS 3 program: the 70-acre central park. Under a MAPS 3 timeline that has yet to receive the City Council’s stamp of approval, the $130 million park, located between what will be the future…
CFN Quote of the Week
He is a great ambassador for the University of Texas and for sports and now the NBA off the court. And he’s just a phenomenal player. I didn’t miss a game when he was here, other than if we were out recruiting or something because he’s just an absolute star. But you pull for him…
Sketchy duo
But you do have a regular TV receiving local signals, including KAUT- TV 43. Lucky for you, 7 p.m. Saturday on the newly re-branded Freedom 43 is movie night. What makes that so special isn’t the film selection (unless you really like Jason Biggs), but the two men hosting it. Dubbed the 2 Movie Guys,…
Def, not dumb
It’s a common storyline: Young, fervent rockers mellow with age and settle into an elder statesman role, complete with less touring. This is not the Deftones’ storyline. “Right now, we’re just hammering it out on the road. We totally enjoy it,” said Frank Delgado, the California-based alt-metal band’s turntablist/keyboardist. “As you get older, you find…
If you build it
While the 834 houses valued at $1 million or more only account for less than 1 percent of the total residences in the county, that number has jumped from just 26 homes in 1998, according to the Oklahoma County Assessor’s Office. By 2001, there were 118 homes valued at more than $1 million, and six…
Pan-seared sounds
Ohio metal band Lo-Pan loves to tour. “Most of us are very strongly connected to our performance,” said drummer Jesse Bartz. “That’s how we want to earn our fans.” How much does Lo-Pan like touring? So much so that Bartz’s answer to almost every question ended up related to hitting the road: On the story…
Blues brothers
If together long enough, bands become little families; the fewer the people, the tighter the bond. Duos can become like twins: a tight-knit relationship that becomes more than mere partnership. The men behind blues-rock duo The Black Jack Gypsys does the theory one better: The Oklahoma City boys are brothers by actual blood. “Being close…
Over the river and through the woods
“Memorial Day travel experienced a gain of more than 14 percent in 2010, and this year we expect to add slightly to that gain due to an increase in air travel and an improvement in the overall domestic economic picture,” said Brad Roeber, AAA regional president. “Some travelers will compensate for the higher fuel costs…
Shoot from the hip
With a foreword by actor James Garner, fellow Oklahoman, the hardcover features photographs and essays, all highlighting specific features of the state that Cook finds to be particularly unique. His subjects include everything from landscapes to the different lifestyles residents lead. “Oklahoma is my birth state, and I feel a strong connection to the land…
Grab the popcorn
Showing at 9:45 a.m. for 10 consecutive weeks, Mondays through Fridays, the lineup includes the recent double Academy Award nominee “How to Train Your Dragon,” plus the family friendly favorites “Megamind,” “Alpha and Omega,” “Despicable Me,” “Ramona and Beezus,” “Yogi Bear,” “Shrek Forever After,” “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” and “Cats & Dogs: The Revenge…
Painted ladies
(Trust me, if you had dark brown hair, but curiously blond eyelashes and eyebrows, you’d be BFFs with mascara and your eyebrow brush, too.) I know: I’m young. I should be experimenting with fun, bright makeup! Instead, my look is more Night Nurse at the Old Folks Home. But you lovely readers aren’t boring like…
Tweet to win
“If you have the right kind of online presence, it can greatly improve your chances of getting hired,” said business author Maribeth Kuzmeski, “but one wrong move — a photo of you while intoxicated or an ill-advised tweet about a difficult professor — and employers might shun you.” Kuzmeski suggests these tips in using social…
Bite size
The nonprofit Fine Arts Institute of Edmond hosts “Rhythm Qs & Blues,” an inaugural barbecue and music celebration, May 28. Kicking off at 10 a.m. in Edmond’s Hafer Park, the festival will spotlight more than 40 barbecue teams from across the country that will compete in a cook-off officially sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque…
Smooth move
Patrick Mok and his wife, Jo Anne, own Tropical Cafe, 304 S. Kelly in Edmond, a full-service restaurant with a smorgasbord of smoothies. The menu features combinations like the Tropical Teaser (coconut milk, pineapple, mangoes, bananas, nonfat yogurt and ice) and Strawberry Fields (strawberries, bananas, yogurt and ice). Other blended delights include options like Chocolate…
Church and state
But you know your church’s problems have begun to spin out of control when they suck City Hall and a good portion of an Oklahoma City Council meeting into the fray. It’s safe to say the Tabernacle Baptist Church, 1829 N.E. 36th St., has had some issues lately. According to a City Council memo, the…
Show me the money
The most recent filing period ended May 16, and covered the period from around March 21 through May. While three elections — Wards 5, 6 and 8 — were decided during the March 1 election, the Ward 2 election went to an April 5 runoff. The latest filings give the clearest picture yet of the…
Real ‘science’
The word “theory” in the context of science means “a coherent group of general propositions used as principles of explanation for a class of phenomena.” Phenomena are described by facts. The facts describing evolutionary phenomena are vast and diverse. It is a scientifically established fact that life has changed sig nificantly over time and that…
Touch it
Electric Touch has more than one British invasion to thank for its success. Playing Pryor’s Rocklahoma festival this weekend, the five guys grew up listening to UK rock acts like Rolling Stones and The Kinks. Front man Shane Lawlor hails from Britain as well, which is peculiar considering the rest of the band is as…
Windy music
On Sunday, it brings its unique music from the Windy City to our often windier one, for a 6 p.m. concert at Frontier City, 11501 Northeast Expressway. Together since 1997, the band has twice as many albums and three times as many singles than it does members. Its most recent LP debuted at the top…
PR BS
—“Heidi Goes Viral In A New Web Clips for Lean Pockets” —“OID Commissioner Doak Supports Boating Under the..”—“MEDIA ALERT! MEDIA ALERT! MEDIA ALERT! MEDIA ALERT!” —“Press Release: DCS plans temporary changes to LESO Program” —“New Organic Energy Shot, ‘Green Rhino’, May Stomp All Over Others” —“Osama Bin Laden: Religious Leader, Military Commander, Antichrist? Expert Reveals…
Fresh faces
8014 N. Western 842-6200 This used to be the site of the former North Side Diner. At Good Gravy, it’s the chicken-fried steak and the hot beef sandwiches that are flying out the door. Only open four weeks, it serves eggs and even oatmeal for breakfast, plus omelets. For lunch, check out the bacon and…
Galileo probe
David Grow obviously is committed to the evolution paradigm for explaining observations in science. In reading his letter (“‘Controversy’ response,” April 27, Gazette), one has to remember that his foundational assumption is that evolutionist naturalism is true. Thus, he would use the lack of production of vitamin C in both humans and apes as suggesting…
Picture of horror
On May 25, 1911, the lynching of a black woman and her teenage son six miles west of Woody Guthrie’s hometown of Okemah nearly erupted a race war with the neighboring all-black town of Boley. Tension escalated in Okfuskee County when George Loney, Okemah’s Caucasian deputy sheriff, was investigating stolen livestock and visited the black…
Maynor was unsung hero of Westbrook controversy
Winning Game 2 of the Western Conference finals May 19 on the road should have been a feel good story for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Instead, most of the discussion afterward was focused on a single negative aspect. During the fourth quarter, in which the team expanded a onepoint advantage to a lead of as…
Beautiful, long ‘Hair’
Developed in 1967, “Hair” is more experience than narrative, immersing the audience in the culture and conflicts of the 1960s through mostly great songs and loosely connected scenes. It bravely tackled taboo issues of the time, including the hippie lifestyle, civil rights, drug use, the sexual revolution and the antiwar movement. What story there is…
The Greatest Movie Ever Sold
The Oscar-nominated pop documentarian (“Super Size Me”) has sold out — in a good way — to bring audiences “The Greatest Movie Ever Sold,” a film about how marketing and advertising is an inescapable part of our daily lives. So what? Spurlock’s twist is that his doc is completely funded by marketing and advertising, as…
French summer
The original vines, like most in France, were destroyed by insects in the late 19th century. The region persevered, however, and new Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah and Mourvèdre vines were planted. The Tavel region produces richer, fruitier rosés than most of its French counterparts, but what stands out most about Tavel wines is their utter dryness.…
The Cat o’ Nine Tails
It has nothing to do with a cat, other than being supremely sly and getting out its claws when it needs to. Really more thriller than horror, the Rome-homed “Cat” purrs along like a good, pulpy mystery should. When a late-night break-in at a genetic research firm appears to have resulted in no theft, the…
Advance to the Rear / Don’t Go Near the Water / The Honeymoon Machine
The subgenre of lazy-day laffers used to be standard-issue Tinseltown fare, as three new, made-on-demand releases from Warner Archive show. From 1964, “Advance to the Rear” is a Civil War comedy starring the legendary Glenn Ford (“Superman: The Movie”) as Jared Heath, captain to a Union army of misfits who get in trouble for retreating…
Muay Thai Giant
I’m serious, even if the movie almost never is. Standing at nearly 7 feet tall, the bald Jones plays “loser laborer” Barney, who wins a trip to Thailand. No sooner is he there than he is drugged and robbed. He’s left with nothing — no money, no passport — but his pants. Although his hands…
Red City Radio — The Dangers of Standing Still
The last song of the Oklahoma City group’s aptly titled album could be the first, as there’s no letup of enthusiasm, speed or snare drum in their pop-punk debut. Highlight “Talk Me to Sleep” features the best lyric (“They’re asking us to die for something / While asking us to live for nothing”) and the…
Identity
Acorn Media has released the complete series on a two-disc set that’s worth landing on crime fans’ radar. While its concept sounds suspect — stolen identities are investigated — the execution is near-expert. It’s not, as I expected, half-a-dozen hours of people fretting over check fraud. Thankfully, it’s more complicated than that, and the stakes stand…
OU linebacker Austin Box dies
OU President David L. Boren released the following statement this afternoon about the former Enid High School star: “The university family is deeply saddened by the tragic death of student-athlete Austin Box. Our hearts go out to his family and friends.” Athletics Director Joe Castiglione released the following statement: “Austin Box will be greatly missed…
Savage County
Ostensibly a hillbilly horror film like “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” it tracks a group of high school seniors who would never hang out with one another, much less make eye contact in the halls, heading out in the country for a day at the lake. One shovel to the head of a shotgun-toting old coot…
Never Apologize
No, “Clockwork” wasn’t one of them. A taped performance of McDowell’s one-man stage show, “Never Apologize” is a sparse production, relying on the actor to carry the weight of its two hours, supplemented on occasion by footage and photographs. McDowell got his start via Anderson’s revolutionary 1968 satire, “if ….,” and it birthed a professional…
Chawz
When you’re a parody — and this essentially is — you can have too much of a good thing. At some point, you just wear an audience out and risk having a pin poked at yourself. That comes way early, unfortunately, to the point where its title is all it has going for it. To…
Laura Stevenson and the Cans — Sit Resist
Laura Stevenson and the Cans’ “Sit Resist” does that, too, but on steroids. Genres that are beautifully integrated here include (but are not limited to) folk, pop, rock, indie rock, indie pop, ’50s girl pop, Motown, gospel and waltz. And somehow, she ties it all together into an incredibly coherent album. Wow. The unifying thread…
Mister Buddwing
All he has on him are a timetable, a couple of pills, and a phone number. Perhaps those digits will offer a clue to solve the mystery surrounding his identity, and thus, lead him to the only name on the tip of his tongue: Grace. Could he be to whom the newspaper headline “Dangerous Mental…
Daughters of Satan
Literally 31 seconds, as a naked Asian woman is whipped as she hangs precariously above a floor of metal spikes. This 1972 flick isn’t messing around. The only reason anyone still talks about this film today is because it was an early role for Tom Selleck before he found his fame and fortune as TV’s…
Grand Prix
While “Fast Five” continues burning up the box office, Warner Home Video brings one of the all-time great racing movies to Blu-ray with 1966’s “Grand Prix.” Directed by the great John Frankenheimer (“The Manchurian Candidate,” “Seconds,” “Ronin”), it hails from the days when going to the movies was a real event. This, for instance, comes…
Reactor reaction
First, he states nuclear plants in the U.S. “… are robust and designed to withstand significant natural disasters.” Isn’t that what the Japanese said as well? And aren’t those nuclear plants the same specs as U.S. plants? Plants that big business will not fund since the investments are so risky and the liability is so…
‘Designer’ debate
In his Commentary (“Point: More doctors, less preachers,” April 13, Gazette), he uses the words “proven science” and “well-proven scientific theory” in defending evolution. If it were “proven,” it would be a law, not a theory. The problem or controversy is not evolution, because evolution works. The real problem is the conclusion that Darwin came…
