above Maria Sanchez delivers fresh chips to from left Terry, Nikki and Linda Sanders. Some places, the minute you walk in the door, there’s a good feeling. Alvarado’s is one of them. It’s not a posh restaurant, but the two dining rooms are spotless and welcoming. Manager Rosa Torres greeted us with a smile before […]
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Posted inFood & Drink
Spring-activated
above Mustang beer at McNellie’s A new batch of beers from Oklahoma brewers is hitting liquor stores and restaurant taps with drinks form-fitted for spring sensibilities. According to Battered Boar Brewing Company’s Mike Sandefur, introducing a new beer is one of brewing’s most challenging aspects. His newest offering is Ultimo Hombre, an unfiltered American wheat […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Irish ayes
above David Haynes pulls Michael Collins whiskey off the shelf at Grand Cru. Peter Crandall Polk described the amber spirit as having “the flavor that is missing from American and Canadian whiskeys. It makes the back of your throat warm, like a fire on a cold morning. A hint of smoke, almost a burnt vanilla. […]
Posted inMusic
Monty Harper — Songs From the Science Frontier
In “Songs From the Science Frontier,” Stillwater’s Harper takes cutting-edge science research and explains it to kids in song format: phototactic bacteria, wheat genomics and luminescence dating, among other things. It’s a testament to his lyrical ability that it’s not only explained well, but rhymes. Talk about challenging yourself. With a project like that, the […]
Posted inMusic
I Spy … ?
Its loyal listeners wanted to know how to help, and that’s what they have been doing — loudly and visibly — ever since, because of all the things the alternative station offers its listeners that they can’t get elsewhere locally. “It has good music,” said Peyton Suitor of Skating Polly. “That’s something that most other […]
Posted inMusic
OKC to SXSW
After humble beginnings in 1987 as a Austin, Texas-based music festival, SXSW now annually hosts almost 2,000 bands, thousands more industry professionals, a film festival and an interactive festival. This year’s music portion takes place March 15-20. How important is SXSW? Two years ago, this unknown band called Mumford & Sons played a pizza parlor […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Tips to avoid the anxiety of getting bumped
If you make the decision to move down, prepare yourself for an evening filled with anxiety. For some reason, it’s mildly terrifying sitting in seats that are not your own. Every single person that comes walking toward your section looks like they’re “The One.” You can’t really enjoy the game because you’re constantly scanning for […]
Posted inNews
Class act
Well, why not? We already have a moat to keep out the Texans, right? Though it seems like a strange idea, it is not without precedent. For example, there was a wall known as an “anti-fascist protective rampart” erected by the former East Germany. That seemed to do wonders for the country and spawned a […]
Posted inMusic
Three’s company
Lonely singles in a new city often turn to dating websites to find companionship. Bet you didn’t know that musicians looking to make sweet, sweet tunes together do the same. A Dallas-based “musician matchmaking site” is how two ex-Okies found their St. Louis soul mate; for Oil Boom, it was love at first sight. “We […]
Posted inMusic
Bear necessities
It’s not uncommon for beloved bandleaders to spawn successful side projects. Jack White had The White Stripes and The Raconteurs. Maynard James Keenan had Tool and A Perfect Circle. Scott Weiland had Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver. Antonio Laster may not have been the front man before, but the bassist for Stillwater favorite Mayola […]