Cover Story
Thunder rolls
When we finally document the story of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s championship season — after we’ve had time to reflect, dissect, critique, appreciate — it’s possible that the defining result is Mayor David Holt becoming a meme based on his head-in-hands response to Jaylin “J-Will” Williams’ perfectly timed F-bomb at Scissortail Park. No, it wasn’t…
Home advantage
When Mayor David Holt revealed conceptual renderings of Oklahoma City’s new arena July 16, it quickly became apparent the building was designed not only to meet the needs of the Oklahoma City Thunder and its fans, but major touring acts, too. If you’re a live music fan, you likely know the frustration of your favorite…
Pups welcome
There’s a saying about why dogs love their owners so completely. It’s something along the lines of, “They’re just a part of your world, but to them, you’re the whole world.” That feels a little manipulative, since I’m pretty sure my dog mostly lives for her sixteen comatose couch hours every day. But it is…
Possible musics
Santiago Ramones’ album release show 8 p.m. Thursday, July 17 Resonant Head 400 SW 25th St. resonanthead.com $12 Spoiler alert: Clicking around on Santiago Ramones’ website, you might find an obituary for Rebecca Michelle Woodward (1992-2016). But don’t worry; she didn’t really die because she never really lived. Like many musicians’ sites, santiagoramones.com/hypothetical features links…
Mild side
The Peras Tour 7 p.m. Sunday, July 27 Tower Theatre 425 NW 23rd St. towertheatreokc.com $47-$60 We resisted the urge to use the most common headline for a story like this, but Joe Pera talked with us. The standup comic and namesake star of Adult Swim’s delightfully low-key series Joe Pera Talks With You is…
powdr play
powdr album release show 7 p.m. Saturday, July 26 Chateau Casa Message @powder.band on Instagram for the address $5 After many lineup, name and style changes, powdr, aka the band formerly known as several other things, is ready to make its debut. Released through Oklahoma label Mystery Class Records, Settle Pain will be available on…
Soul sisters
Note: This show has been cancelled. Saxophonist and lifelong Blues Brothers fan Adam Ray wanted to produce a tribute show featuring songs from the 1980 film when, like the sunglasses-sporting siblings, he saw a glimmer of divine inspiration. “I realized, ‘Wait. This would be a lot cooler with two awesome female singers,’” Ray said. Enter…
Kitty lit
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof July 18-Aug. 3 Jewel Box Theatre 321 NW 36th St. jewelboxokc.com $20-$25 Winner of the 1955 Pulitzer Prize for drama, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof features nine principal human cast members — all humans. No cats. Oklahoma City’s Jewel Box Theatre, 321 NW 36th St., will stage the…
Paseo personified
Paseo is like a mirage. One wrong turn, and you could miss it entirely. Catch it on a dark night, and you might fail to spot the enduring, endearing details of the district’s Spanish Revival architecture. But in a city bisected by I.M. Pei’s harsh lines, Paseo stands apart with its color, culture and timeless…
Sponsored: Bison Coloring Contest July
How to enter: 1. Color Spirit Buffalo and take a picture of the colorist with the buffalo and/or a picture of the colored Spirit Buffalo alone 2. Submit the image and complete the profile at okgazette.com 3. Share your image to collect votes Entries for contestants under the age of 18 must be submitted by…
Glamp grounds
When Travis Brorsen was trying to figure out his life’s direction, it didn’t come to him in a dream or vision; it wasn’t the result of working with a career counselor or life coach. Instead, it went running away from him down Runyon Canyon in Los Angeles. After graduating from Oklahoma State University (OSU) and…
Fish forward
Kanji Japanese 14600 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Suite G kanjiokc.com 405-493-9471 What works:The nigiri is on par with high-end sushi spots in major metros. What needs work:There’s not much to improve upon here; it’s more about guests understanding the format. This is not your neighborhood quick-serve sushi spot. Tip:Follow Kanji’s social media for announcements about upcoming…
Construction zones
As the city of Oklahoma City moves the needle on many of the $1.1 billion in MAPS 4 projects this summer, it’s also preparing a $2.7 billion bond package for infrastructure maintenance, expected to be on a special election ballot this fall. There are some similarities between the two. Both MAPS 4 and the general…
Summer flicks
Movies love summer. The two just go together, kindred spirits dedicated to childhood, fun and escapism. Hollywood saves its blockbuster entertainments for that period between Memorial Day and Labor Day, of course, but there is also that class of films that are set during or otherwise pay homage to the season of long days and…
Humane horizon
It’s a good time to be alive in Oklahoma City. We can now add “NBA champions” to our collective resumé, and national attention is abundant. Where there was once a windswept prairie, there is now Chisholm Creek. Faded First National Center has metamorphosed into The National, while the newly renovated Skirvin is home to Chef…
Thunder move
The Oklahoma City Thunder just completed a historic season in a building that will soon become history itself. OKC voters approved a new arena to be opened by 2028, meaning Paycom Center, the only home the Thunder has known, has just three years left. No doubt, the new arena will include more bells and whistles…
Chicken s***
After a mere two decades, a federal judge has finally confirmed what many residents in Eastern Oklahoma already know: the Illinois River Watershed is still getting a generous, phosphorus-rich “spa treatment” from poultry litter. Federal Judge Gregory K. Frizzell ruled last month that despite the claims of major poultry producers like Tyson Foods, the vibrant…
Snow days
The use of virtual school during the pandemic brought an end to snow days, as schools quickly realized they could close their buildings during inclement weather while still counting it as a school day if students logged on to their laptops at home. That won’t be as much of an option moving forward. Beginning in…
Tuition hike
Tuition at the University of Oklahoma (OU) is going up. Hey, university president salaries don’t pay for themselves. The OU Board of Regents has voted to raise tuition for the fifth consecutive year. It’s practically a tradition now, like tailgating before a Sooners football game. Most undergrads and grad students will see a 3% increase. …
Cold War caper
The Prodigy, a new novel by Oklahoma City attorney Dee A. Replogle, Jr., begins in a unified Berlin at the end of the millennium, but the bulk of the international thriller is set in various cities with the collapse of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) as the backdrop. Replogle has long been a fan…
Misfit miracle
Longtime Oklahoma City Thunder fans can certainly understand the inclination to root for the underdog, cheer on the outlier or bet it all on an unlikely hero. Local nonprofit Mutt Misfits Animal Rescue Society has been doing the same thing since 2017, saving the dogs and cats that have been deemed “unsaveable” by other organizations.…
