Oklahoma’s pro baseball teams are back in the dugout this month with a whole new season of competition. Oklahoma City’s RedHawks return to the diamond at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, 2 S. Mickey Mantle Drive, Oklahoma City. The season for the Triple-A affiliate team to the Houston Astros begins out of town in a four-game series against Nolan Ryan’s Round Rock Express at the Dell Diamond in Texas. The team plays its first home game against the New Orleans Zephyrs on Friday, April 11. For tickets and game and event schedules, go to www.okcredhawks.com. The Tulsa Drillers get the advantage when it plays its season opener against the Corpus Christi Hooks at ONEOK Field, 201 N. Elgin Ave., on Thursday, April 3, at 7:05 p.m. The Drillers play Corpus Christi through Saturday, April 5, and then the San Antonio Missions from Sunday, April 6-Tuesday, April 8. Visit www.tulsadrillers.com for ticket information, a full game schedule and a look at special events throughout the season.
The Kansas City Royals play in Kauffman Stadium, one of the game’s most beautiful ballparks.
Kansas City’s world-famous barbecue is available at more than 100 area restaurants. Photos courtesy Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association.
Oklahomans aren’t strangers to that distinctive product of fire, smoke and select cuts of meat thrown together at 250 degrees for so many hours. That’s barbecue, and in Kansas City, Mo., it’s a style of grilling that comes by way of history and invention. So what exactly sets K.C. barbecue (pork, beef, chicken or other) apart from what you’ll find in Texas, Tennessee or elsewhere in the South? Let’s just say the answer is ultimately in the smoke rings and water.
Location, Location, Location
The “Barbecue Capital of the World,” Kansas City is located at the Missouri-Kansas state line at the split of the Kansas River from the Missouri River. As the nearest major city to the center of the contiguous U.S., Kansas City was a Midwest crossroads from east to west up through the 1800s and from south to north in the 20th century. The Missouri River (and later the railroad) carried Americans to a new country and town that would reflect the mix for decades to come.
K.C.’s Real Godfather
A steamboat cook from Tennessee named Henry Perry arrived in Kansas City in 1907. A year later, he was serving smoked meats from an alley stand to workers in the Garment District. Eventually, Perry moved into the area now called the 18th & Vine District serving slow-cooked beef, opossum and raccoon smoked over oak and hickory logs and served with a peppery sauce. Modern Kansas City came of age gnawing on Perry’s ribs and visiting the two still-standing establishments that represent his legacy.
Order Up!
When Perry died in 1940, employee Charlie Bryant took over his restaurant and sold it to his brother, Arthur Bryant, in 1946. Arthur Bryant’s BBQ in Kansas City still serves an assortment of meats (another hallmark of K.C. barbecue) with its equally famous sauce. Gate’s Bar-B-Q opened in 1946 when George and Arzelia Gates teamed with another Perry employee, Arthur Pinkard. That recipe has carried the Gates brand into the 21st century with six restaurants throughout the metro area. Kansas City is home to more than 100 barbecue joints, from dives to upscale, but some of the most notable you’re sure to hear bragged about include Oklahoma Joe’s, Danny Edwards, Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbecue and B.B.’s Lawnside BBQ.
Something To Celebrate
If finding yourself at the center of the Kansas City smoke ring isn’t enough, try a visit to one of the city’s premier barbecue festivals. The American Royal takes place every fall, celebrating the region’s agricultural heritage and agrarian values. Horse shows and livestock events notwithstanding, it’s also called the “World Series of Barbecue,” drawing hundreds of pit masters to the largest competition in the world (www.americanroyal.com). Find more at the Great Lenexa BBQ Battle-Kansas State Championship in nearby Lenexa, Kan. (www.lenexa.com) and the Balloons & BBQ Festival at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan. (www.balloonsandbbq.com).
The Bright Light Social Hour on stage in Austin. Photo by Roger Ho.
Thursday, April 24-Saturday, April 26
Eight years ago, spring in downtown Norman hummed with activity as the Sooner student body at the University of Oklahoma prepped for finals and looked ahead to summer break far from the Norman campus. Then came the first Norman Music Festival, and the college town whistled more than just Pomp and Circumstance. Setting up on downtown’s main drags, the festival has brought headlining rock acts such as Portugal. The Man, Joy Formidable, Of Montreal and Dirty Projectors to town along with great Oklahoma-grown artists Samantha Crain, J.D. McPherson and Leon Russell to the stages. This year, the festival’s seventh, welcomes psychedelic rockers from Austin, Texas, the Bright Light Social Hour (pictured), as well as blues-roots act Moreland and Arbuckle from Wichita, Kan. Look for them along with many others on the three stages from Thursday, April 24, to Saturday, April 26, in downtown Norman. The fact that all this entertainment was and remains free is especially endearing to all those broke, hard-working students. For more, visit www.normanmusicfestival.com or find it on Facebook.
An ancient species, alligator gar are native to Oklahoma waters. Photo courtesy Oklahoma Aquarium.
Old timers’ stories and photos tell of how local rivers once teemed with alligator gar – armored giants with three rows of slicing teeth that made them apex predators. Human development (and prejudice) changed that, but recent efforts may keep this native ally around a little longer.
The largest species of gar, the alligator gar is also among the largest freshwater fish in North America, found throughout the southeastern U.S.
Known to reach up to 350 pounds, the adult alligator gar resembles its namesake and can appear intimidating, but its true nature is more complex, says Brian Fillmore, a biologist with the Tishomingo National Fish Hatchery.
“They want nothing to do with humans,” Fillmore says. “They’re more afraid of humans than we are of them.”
Carnivores that have preyed on other fish species – as well as their own – for millions of years, alligator gar are essential to ecosystems, he adds. They remove fish that are old, weak and sick, allowing juvenile fish – bass, catfish and other species – the chance to flourish.
Once considered a scourge and competitor, the alligator gar has been subjected to campaigns encouraging fishermen to destroy them. Dams have also made it more difficult for this sensitive species to spawn by preventing river floods, which create slow-moving water zones thick with vegetation for alligator gar hatchlings – or fry – to hide in, Fillmore says.
As a result, the species has declined, confirmed in Oklahoma Department of Wildlife surveys. State and federal wildlife offices, however, have stepped in to help by regulating harvesting of the species and restocking it around the region.
Over the years, the hatchery in Tishomingo has hatched, raised and released fry into waters in other states to repopulate and also help control the invasive Asian carp. Later this summer, the hatchery will release fishery-raised juvenile alligator gar into the Red River basin and Lake Texoma area – the first time it has restocked into Oklahoma waters, Fillmore says.
The effort is more than worthwhile.
“Once, they’re gone, they’re gone,” he adds. “There’s no bringing them back.”
The cozy living room/entertaining area is anchored with an unusual glass coffee table that grooves into a large ornamental teak ball. Photo by David Cobb.
Marshall Matlock remembers growing up in south Oklahoma City and visiting the downtown area with his parents for special events.
“Then, downtown didn’t seem like much of a place to live,” he recalls.
Now, Matlock is one of the city’s most enthusiastic advocates for downtown living.
He stands at one of the large industrial windows in his corner condo in The Guardian and points to the many attractions he enjoys. It’s a quiet Saturday morning. No traffic. Downtown is just waking up for the weekend.
Four blocks to his right are Bricktown, the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, Film Row, Chesapeake Energy Arena, the Plaza entertainment district. Food trucks and bike and river trails abound.
To his left are four blocks that feature stately churches and two historic, tree-lined residential areas – Heritage Hills and Mesta Park.
“I love living downtown,” Matlock says.
While the interior of his one-room loft might seem small, the view from his second floor windows provides an expansive vista of the iconic Capitol dome.
This is not Matlock’s first experience with downtown living.
He lived in downtown Houston in 2001. After graduating from Oklahoma State University in 2003 with a business degree, he lived in Arlington, Va., while working in Georgetown, Washington, D.C., in the shadow of the U.S. Capitol. From 2005 to 2013, downtown Kansas City was home. Those experiences introduced him to the vitality of urban living.
Working from his condo, Matlock has created a comfortable living/work space, using furniture leftovers from former downtown residences.
The condo bears remnants of its previous industrial life: Ceilings are high, some pipes are exposed, concrete floors are smooth but paint-stained. Windows have special shades for filtering sunlight.
The open stainless-steel kitchen overlooks what Matlock calls a “floating” living room. A black leather sofa and chair flank an unusual coffee table of cantilevered glass nesting in a teakwood ball. Contemporary art adds sparks of color.
Matlock uses two armoires on casters to conceal the bedroom, dividing the open space and giving the illusion of two rooms.
His corner “office” is opposite the kitchen/living room, and the expansive windows bring downtown inside. The bathroom, utility and storage areas are near the apartment’s entrance.
“The Guardian is a great place to live,” Matlock says. “The building has a variety of residents. My neighbors have a 2-year-old son and a St. Bernard, and we’ve become friends.”
On the ground level of The Guardian, an empty space will become The Garage Burger Bar, set to open this spring. Matlock also enjoys numerous food and shopping events, including holiday pop-up shops, a collection of locally-owned shops temporarily housed in midtown geodesic dome each Christmas time.
“There are many people living downtown doing interesting, different things. I’m meeting people who are passionate about creating a new downtown environment. I see downtown living becoming a real option for people of all ages and interests,” Matlock says.
Two large armoires on casters cleverly separate the living room from the bedroom area. Photo by David Cobb.
The large windows employ industrial shades that control ambient lighting. Photo by David Cobb.
The compact, well-designed kitchen provides plenty of storage space and ample room for one of Matlock’s hobbies – cooking. Photo by David Cobb.
The industrial feel of The Guardian extends to the common areas, where staircases are enclosed in wire screen. Photo by David Cobb.
Photo by David Cobb.
Matlock prefers a streamlined look for the corner office in his condo. Photo by David Cobb.
The cozy living room/entertaining area is anchored with an unusual glass coffee table that grooves into a large ornamental teak ball. Photo by David Cobb.
Tuesday, April 1-Sunday, April 6 Tuesday, April 8-Sunday, April 13
Not everyone who advances on American Idol will go on to live music-superstar lives after the votes have been counted. Who says that’s a bad thing? Former contestants Diana DeGarmo and Ace Young have vaulted their turns on the TV singing competition into Broadway musical careers. Young made his debut on the Great White Way as Kenickie in 2008’s Grease and went on to star in a revival of Hair, where he met DeGarmo, who has appeared in such major productions as Godspell, Hairspray and Brooklyn: The Musical. Catch the couple – they’re married – in the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice hit. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat stops Tuesday, April 1-Sunday, April 6, at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center, 101 E. Third St., Tulsa. Tickets are $20-$60. The show then moves to the Oklahoma City Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., Oklahoma City, for a run Tuesday, April 8-Sunday, April 13. Tickets are $24-$70. For more, visit www.celebrityattractions.com.
Larger Than Life by Greg Beecham. Image courtesy Gilcrease Museum.
Opens Thursday, April 10
When you think of scenes of the American West, images of Southwestern landscapes, wildlife and people from decades long ago come to mind. If Gilcrease Museum’s Rendezvous has had an impact on how we view Western art, it is that sun never set.
The museum’s annual Rendezvous Artists’ Retrospective Exhibition and Art Sale opens April 10 with a viewing of new and retrospective works by contemporary artists. Works – mostly paintings and sculptures – will be auctioned to help fund Gilcrease programs.
Among the many names included in the exhibit, two stand out: painter Greg Beecham and sculptor Ross Matteson. Both are this year’s featured artists and are slated to speak on April 11 at the museum, 1400 N. Gilcrease Road, Tulsa.
Beecham, a veteran of monumental shows, such as the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum’s Prix de West in Oklahoma City and the Masters of the American West Show at the Autry National Center in Los Angeles, is the son of outdoor artist Tom Beecham (who illustrated the Remington Arms Co.’s admired calendar for almost 30 years). He began his career under the tutelage of his father and even thrived in the same genre of art, but Beecham has established his own name and reputation.
Matteson’s career began in music, but he has spent the last 27 years as a sculptor, with works that have been shown all over the world. Working in marble and bronze, Matteson created a sculpture out of steel and glass titled The Structure of Love Is Indestructible just after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C. The sculpture is a powerful statement of the strength of love and spirit as well as a breakthrough work in Western art. Matteson is also a Prix de West award-winning artist.
Artwork not sold at the April 11 auction will be available for purchase throughout Rendezvous’ show, which ends July 13. For more about the art sale and exhibition, visit www.gilcrease.utulsa.edu or call 918.596.2757.
Editor’s Note: Read more about the featured artists at this year’s Rendezvous in M.J. Van Deventer’s article “Wildlife Inspires Artists.”
Arezou Motamedi trains at the USA Canoe/Kayak high-performance center in Oklahoma City.
Photo by J. Christopher Little.
Arezou Motamedi trains at the USA Canoe/Kayak high-performance center in Oklahoma City. Photo by J. Christopher Little.
Arezou Motamedi is one of many individuals in the Sooner state who love to kayak on the Oklahoma River. What makes Motamedi unique, however, is that she traveled across the world to do it. The 25-year-old kayaker was born and raised in Tehran, Iran, and was a member of the Iranian national kayaking team.
After nearly seven years of excelling in the sport, Motamedi met up with world-renowned kayaking coach and Oklahoma native Shaun Caven, and in June 2012 she began training at the USA Canoe/Kayak’s national high-performance center in Oklahoma City. In addition to kayaking, Motamedi works as a staff accountant for the Oklahoma Boathouse Foundation and is pursing a master’s degree in business administration from Oklahoma City University.
What made you want to come to Oklahoma for kayaking?
I wanted to get better and improve in kayaking, and I eventually heard about my coach (Caven) and the program. When I moved here, I really liked the atmosphere.
I researched and found out about Oklahoma Boathouse Foundation…and they have one of the top facilities. I traveled all over the world back when I was on the [Iranian] national team, but this is one of the best in the world.
How did you get into kayaking?
I started off as a swimmer when I was 6 years old. I was on the national team for swimming, but since Iran is an Islamic country, we got the chance to race against other Islamic countries – but we couldn’t compete in the world championship or the World Cup. I really liked all water sports, and I thought it would be a good idea to switch to another sport, so I tried kayaking. At first I just wanted to try it out and see how it went, but I ended up really loving it.
What advice would you give to someone in your position – someone growing up and aspiring to become successful in a sport?
I came all the way from Iran to be here…and I did that to get better at kayaking. I’d tell young kids to try a sport that you really love…especially one that has facilities close to you. Iran was good, but it just doesn’t have the facilities for kayaking.
You’re tired, too busy to cook, and the kitchen’s a mess. On the rack, there are bottles of spices so old that the dates have actually worn off. What can you do? Whether you need food, organization or simply ideas, chef Joanna Gold, owner of Gold Plated personal chef service, would like to be your private kitchen concierge.
A graduate of the Culinary Institute of Platt College in Oklahoma City, this East Coast native knew she wanted to offer a personal chef service that was accessible and more affordable for working mothers, those starting a new diet and anyone needing help in the kitchen. Gold Plated strives to get people out of the drive-thru lanes and back into their kitchens.
Service is available through a four-tier system that offers as little as 10 hours of extra help in the kitchen each month and as much as 25 hours per month, in which the Gold Plated staff does all the shopping, kitchen organization and cooking.
Later this month, kids and adults alike will partake in the yearly tradition of coloring and hiding dozens of Easter eggs. But once the candy is gone and the holiday is only a memory, you’re left with a bunch of hard-boiled eggs to be eaten.
Once thought to be a contributing factor in raising bad cholesterol levels, the much-maligned egg should once again assume its “incredible, edible” status – eggs have numerous health benefits. Additionally, recent studies have concluded that eggs do not contain as much cholesterol as previously thought.
High in protein and surprisingly low in calories, eggs are a great choice for those trying to drop a few pounds. And did you know that eggs are one of few foods that naturally contain vitamin D, which is vital to overall good health?
Eggs are also good sources of folic acid, vitamins A and B and potassium, too. So go ahead and enjoy snacking on those leftover Easter eggs, or try a delicious egg salad. Your body will thank you.
Easter Egg Salad
8 eggs
½ c. finely chopped celery
½ c. reduced fat mayonnaise
¼ c. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. sweet or dill relish
3 tbsp. minced red onion
Salt and pepper to taste
If you don’t already have extra Easter eggs on standby, place fresh eggs in a single layer in a large saucepan or pot. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Remove pot from heat and place in the sink under cold, running water. Once the eggs are cool, dry and peel them and thinly chop both the whites and the yolks. In a large bowl, combine eggs, celery, mayonnaise, mustard and relish; mix well. Stir in the onion and season with salt and pepper to taste.
