On May 5th downtown’s very own Soundpony will be having its fourth birthday!  In an effort to combine this magic with the already exciting Cinco De Mayo, they’re bringing in Tulsa DJ Sweet Baby Jaysus to host this whole meltdown! To celebrate this event, we’ve teamed up with the Soundpony this week to bring a contest to the table. The winner will receive a $15 certificate to use at Soundpony!

Now, we’ve all had Sunday mornings where you woke up and said, “Did that really happen last night?” and felt the immediate need to call a buddy and tell them what hilarious events occurred on the prior eve. For this week’s contest, we want to know: What is the funniest thing that you have ever seen happen in a Tulsa bar? This can include things that have happened to you as well. And don’t lie; we all have lie detectors built into our brains at The Tulsa Project (we don’t really).

Anyway, the details of the contest are as follows:

• You must post your comment to this specific blog entry on tulsaproject.com. Don’t post them on anything but here or everyone will laugh at you.
• The contest will run through the weekend, ending on Sunday evening at 7pm. On Sunday night, three judges will decide on the best story. We’ll post the results Monday morning, so check out tulsaproject.com then, too.
• Try to avoid defaming someone (by name, at least) for — you know — common decency.
• If you want to be notified when we decide on a winner, leave your e-mail address on the comment form so we can let you know that you’re the lucky one.
• No duplicate entries please.

Oh, also, feel free to be creative; that never hurts.

That pretty much sums it up. May the best man, woman, or beast win!

Last week, I posted the first of a two-part series on downtown happenings that simply debunk the theory that there is nothing to do in downtown Tulsa on weeknights.  This week, we’ll mark the end of the series with things to do on a Wednesday or Thursday night — all downtown.

Fortunately, now that ONEOK Field has officially opened, we’ll be seeing a lot more things going on in the Brady District and Greenwood District as new restaurants, bars, and shops pop up, over the next few years.  Most notably, Fat Guys Burger Bar has opened up; while they serve an amazing burger, their beer prices are cheap enough to justify leaving a Drillers game for a beer or two and coming back (re-entry is granted with your ticket stub).  If you’re the kind of person that likes to drink beer and watch baseball, you might find yourself adapting to this technique.  What can I say?  I’m a sucker for frugality.

As we proceed with the list of things to do on weeknights in our beloved downtown area, I will make one last recommendation, in hindsight: If your leisure time affords it to you, try getting a group of friends together and knocking all of these out in one week.

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Wednesday Nights

Everything right and good about beer, food, and pub games convicts me to share this holy grail of intra-week downtown activities: $3 Burger Night at McNellie’s (www.mcnellies.com).  This weekly wonder is no secret among Tulsans, no doubt; you can count on a 45 minute wait if you show up between 5:30-8:00.  Even if you do have to wait, however, it’s well justified when you take the first bite of their juicy, cooked-to-order patties.

The secret to getting to doing this gig right is showing up at the right time; They actually run this burger special from 5pm to 11pm, every Wednesday night.  If you can hold off long enough — which is difficult to type, as I salivate from the mere thought of their burgers — coming in late for burgers is worth the reward of quick, attentive service.

Of course, McNellie’s is largely known for one thing: their beer selection.  With a variety spanning well into the upper-300′s, you’ll have more than enough choices.  To maximize your bang-for-the-buck, grab one of their top-tier $3 monthly special beers — April’s special is the hearty Warsteiner Dunkel.  Furthermore, they offer a weekly special beer that comes in a glass that you can take home with you.

You just can’t beat a deal like that.  $3 burgers.  $3 high-end beer.  Free pint glass with the purchase of the weekly special.  Am I right?  All on a Wednesday night.

409 E. 1st St. – 918.382.7468

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Thursday Nights

As far as weeknight entertainment goes, Thursday night is definitely the slacker.  While there is definitely some fun to be had — as there always is, in my mind — the options are, quite frankly, just much less exciting.

As I mentioned earlier, though, the opening of ONEOK Field (www.oneokfield.com) and the Tulsa Drillers season (www.tulsadrillers.com) have brought some new options to Downtown Tulsa, namely Thirsty Thursdays.  On these nights, ONEOK Field sells beer and soda for a mere dollar.  This definitely puts a new spin on games, as far as the crowd is concerned.  Even if you aren’t a baseball fan that, in itself, is worth seeing in person.  Remember to root for the home team — our Drillers!

Just a few blocks west of ONEOK Field is Caz’s Pub (www.cazspub.com).  Another staple in the Brady District, Caz’s is always offering drink specials; on Thursday nights they have free food between 2pm and 7pm and give away free PBR with the purchase of a shot of Jagermeister.  If you’re in the mood to play some pool rather than watch baseball, this place will be hopping on Thursday nights during baseball season.

A few weeks ago we mentioned a pub on North Main Street that has quietly become a solid bet for good food, drinks, and music: The Hunt Club (www.thehuntclubtulsa.com).  On Thursday nights you can grab all three of these in one setting.  Their menu is awesome.

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Hopefully, you’ll be able to use some of these recommendations for those boring weeknights when it just feels like there is nothing to do.  While weekends are still, and probably will continue to be, the time to be downtown for entertainment, nightlife, and partying, the weeknights do, in fact, have something to offer.  On that note, as people continue to make their way downtown for food and drinks, developers will see more potential; in the end, there will continue to be more things to do during the weekend.

This year the ladies of the South Tulsa Indie Crochet and Knitting group and members of make:Tulsa have come together to bring a unique opportunity to Tulsa with the first Spring Fiber Fest.  On Sunday May 2^nd, Tulsans can come out and learn how the fiber arts are made.  Despite the fact that the fiber arts are everywhere (and quite possibly on you right now) most of us have no idea how the processes work; this is what Fiber Fest hopes to change.

When you come out, you’ll be able to see demos of the entire process of fiber arts from animal fleece, to roving, to dying and spinning yarn, to knitting by hand, machine, and loom.  You say you’re a bit more hands on?  Great, there will be classes taught throughout the day on how to knit, crochet, knit on a loom, and intro to Fair Isle, offering something for everyone from beginners to experts, all being taught by Loops (and one by me). All classes are free, but supply kits are required and will be available to purchase from Loops.

According to event organizer Andrea McClendon:

“There are many knitting and fiber enthusiasts among us and we wanted to bring that to the forefront in the South Tulsa area. What better way to enjoy Spring than to celebrate the creative process! Spring Fiber Fest will give people a chance to see many different aspects of the fiber arts – from spinning and knitting demonstrations to enjoying the finished products. If you don’t already know how to knit or crochet or spin – we’ll teach you!”

These ladies have also promised to have vendors with everything from roving, hand spun yarn, stitch markers, knitwear, and a few non fiber Oklahoma artists, guaranteeing there will be something for everyone, and remember: Mothers Day will only be a week away.

So recap: demos for you to watch, classes for you to learn, shopping for you to…shop, and prizes for you to win.  This is a great opportunity to try something new.  Come out to the Barn at 109^th and Louisville from 11-5 on Sunday, May 2^nd and support this great effort to keep it local.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard the phrase “There is nothing to do in Downtown Tulsa on weeknights”. Unfortunately, this resounding notion has infiltrated the minds of many residents of Owasso, Bixby, Broken Arrow, and Jenks. And why not? As far as many are concerned, it hasn’t been proven otherwise. Even more frustrating is the fact that thousands of these Metro dwellers work downtown.

When I started Tulsa Bar Buzz around this time last year, my goal was to promote bar and club specials, as well as concerts, to entice naysayers to venture downtown. It’s hard to tell from an analytical viewpoint how effective it’s been, but I haven’t given up hope. I firmly believe that, in order to change how people think about downtown, they will need to see proof that they can safely come here, have a good time, and not be $100 out of pocket by the end of the night. At this point, people will reconsider downtown as a viable destination for weekday/weeknight entertainment.

This week, I want to give you a few more weekday nightlife options; Many of you may already be familiar with some of them, but by putting this out there, we will, with any luck, increase exposure to people that don’t necessarily live in midtown or downtown.

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Monday Nights

Joe Momma’s pizza (www.joemommas.com) became a staple in the downtown scene as soon as it opened its doors. Not only do these people have a feverish obsession with making great brick-oven pizza, among other tasty delights, but they also tend to have special deals or events almost nightly. On Mondays they offer up two more reasons to come out: 50 cent wings and open mic performances.

Whether you’re craving music or wings, you can bet your money that you’ll leave satisfied. Their open mic night was nothing short of entertaining last time I went, with a good dynamic of musicians and songwriters. Although they start letting performers play at 9pm, they begin serving 50 cent wings at 5pm. Seriously, though; if you haven’t been here yet, go.

112 South Elgin Ave – 918.794.6563

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Tuesday Nights

While Soundpony Lounge (www.thesoundpony.com) isn’t the only place to catch weeknight trivia, it is certainly the most colorful and quirky. Every Tuesday night at 10pm trivia host Jack Wood holds a very interesting version of the game. With physical challenges like beer can bowling and paper airplane contests, things get interesting quickly. As it turns out, this event draws a pretty decent crowd; there have been times that I’ve attended and witnessed an entirely full house.

Also worth noting are the prizes that the winning team receives. These range from the questionably useful to the totally bizarre. I’ve seen teams win demilitarized hand grenades, Roman soldier Halloween costumes, machetes, and model horse skeletons. Yes, I’m completely serious.

Two words of advice, though, before you go:

• Show up at 8:45pm, and get in on the free hotdogs and $1 Miller High Life draws.
• Do not yell out the answers. I know this is common sense, but if you go to Soundpony Trivia Night and don’t heed this piece of advice, you will experience a new level of embarrassment. Somehow, despite the fact that Jack mentions this every week, someone will still yell out an answer.

409 N. Main St – 918.582.7669

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Next week, I’ll bring you even more events to keep you and your friends entertained in the midst of the workweek. That way you can tell all of the naysayers that, indeed, there are things to do in Downtown Tulsa during weeknights. Stay tuned, and add us to your RSS feed!

First things first: I’ve always been a bibliophile and lover of the arts. I love to read, and like every other writer on the planet, I’m “working on a novel”. It’s been in the works for at least 3 years, yet I’ve barely completed three chapters; at this rate, I’ll have it finished before I turn 93. On Sunday, Philbrook had an opening that really caught my eye entitled Bookworks.  In this exhibit, the lines between book and art are so blurred that the book itself is a work of art. A few years ago I fell in love with printmaking, an interest that coincided conveniently enough with my wife delving into it as her chosen medium, and during this time was introduced to book-as-art. Philbrook has a great intro to book art for those unfamiliar, and has plenty to offer those with for a love of the medium.

 Much of the collection comes from Tulsa’s own McFarlin Library Department of Special Collections at TU. Local printmaker and book artist Milissa Burkart will be on hand throughout the run of the collection to discuss book as art.  I was unfamiliar with Milissa, but this weekend she opened her home to the OVAC Art Studio Tour and I was fortunate enough to see the space where she works and to visit with Milissa firsthand. I would definitely recommend making time to go to the discussion entitled “Bookworks II: Exploring Book as Art,” an opportunity to learn how books become three-dimensional works of art on Wednesday, May 12 from noon to 1 at Philbrook.  Want to get a little more hands on?  Philbrook will have an additional class on May 22^nd with Burkart helping a class to make their own “book object.”

9 Artists, 20 Slides, 20 Seconds. Tonight, April 14th @ 7pm at Joe Momma’s check out Chit | Chat, the second installment of the multi-disciplinary creative event. From this month’s Letter from the Editor:

The concept is simple, if not familiar: give a creative person 20 slides to showcase their work with 20 seconds per slide. Though the fast pace is a challenge in itself, what we get is an exposition of one of the city’s greatest assets: its creative energy. Artists, musicians, and generally talented people talking about what they do. There’s nothing more inspirational, more fundamentally energizing to a creative movement than the open sharing of ideas.

Tepera | Hood design (you might remember Shane Hood from our very first issue last November) to talented poster designer / illustrator Denny Schmickle to visual artist Grace Grothaus, this installment of Chit|Chat should give us a glimpse into the work and process of some of Tulsa’s most intriguing and talented individuals.

Full list of participating artists:

• Printmaker Denny Schmickle
• Architect Lanny McIntosh
• Illustrator Bryan Cooper (featured above)
• Interdisciplinary Artist Glenn Herbert Davis
• Design firm Tepera | Hood
• Photographer Joshua Meier
• Painter/sculptor Grace Grothaus
• Musician/Video artist Daniel Sutliff (who was featured on our music blog, Independent Cause, click here to read the write-up)
• Artist/Designer Darshan Phillips

RSVP and more information on the Chit | Chat Facebook event page.

Local entrepreneur Scott Smith opened The Blue Jackalope coffee shop and grocery store in 2008. For two years it has served as a community gathering place and beacon for a local food revolution — and a great place to grab a cup of coffee. The Blue Jackalope in photos, by Kenneth M. Ruggiano.

Plus: Food that’s just right for spring and our picks for the best of April.

Click here for April’s Issue.

On April 8th Ida Red, in association with Toms shoes, hosted the local “One Day Without Shoes” event. The event, designed to raise awareness of the plight of children in the developing world who have shoes, was one of countless others like it across the country. Participants gathered in front of Ida Red and waited for the signal — delivered by Tulsa’s own Taylor Hanson — and commenced a roughly one-mile walk down Brookside and back again, complete with cheers, a good deal of skipping and honking cars.
Click for more photos.

When Phil Hernandez opened the doors of his newest club last October, he knew that he had a tough winter ahead of him. As a matter of fact, after hearing his story this weekend, I have a completely new perspective on the difficulties of opening a bar or club downtown. Working his way through everything from local sign ordinances to liquor laws, he slowly got Utopia Club (3rd and Greenwood) up and running. There was no way a few snags in this man’s plan would stop him, though; his resolve is truly impeccable.

Now that spring has come around, it would seem that Hernandez’s persistence has paid off; next Saturday’s Rock the Hunger event will not only mark Utopia Club’s first outdoor concert, but all proceeds — $5 or 5 canned-food items — will go directly to the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma. With the combination of a charitable cause and impressive line-up of musicians, bands and comedians that you won’t find playing at many places downtown, I can see this event being a success.

While I’m on the topic of music, I’ll give you a run-down of what you can expect to find throughout the four nights of the week that Utopia Club is open. On Wednesdays you’ll witness what Hernandez refers to as “an assembly of some of the most talented gigging musicians in Tulsa”. By the way, they make up his house band. I haven’t had a chance to see these guys in action yet, but if Hernandez is as spot on as he is with everything else he’s told me about, they’ll be worth seeing.

On Thursday nights, you’ll find something that is currently unique to Tulsa. It’s an open jam session — which many clubs in Tulsa hold — but the kicker is that no one needs to bring anything but their instruments; Hernandez has amps, P.A., and a drum set all ready to be used by whoever wishes to partake in the jam. Obviously, this gives anyone in attendance a good chance to see a wide variety of musicians playing together.

On Friday and Saturday nights, Hernandez books local and touring bands. Both bands that I’ve seen there have largely played cover songs, which, by what I observed in attendance, a lot of people seem to enjoy. Hernandez and his right-hand man, J.J. Heller, are definitely blues-rock fans, so expect to see a slough of instrumental, blues, and rock bands on the schedule.

With regard to drinks, this place gets my full approval: they pour strong drinks. If you’re into Rattlesnakes, give theirs a shot. No let-downs here. Beer prices are as cheap, or cheaper, than most places downtown. Beer variety is fair, but don’t expect the variety that most downtown bars and clubs have. Food selection is minimal, but if you’re feeling peckish, they have a few snacks for sale. Later in the night they order Sharkbites, which come from Cowboy Sharky’s. Get one of these; you won’t be disappointed.

Overall, I’ll definitely recommend this place as worthy of a visit. The service is top notch. The prices are good. The entertainment is plenty. I will say, however, to not be surprised if Hernandez or Heller come at you wielding a tambourine or cymbals; you’ll be expected to use them to play with the band.

When The Hunt Club quietly popped up on my radar in 2009, I wondered if it would assume the same invisible nature that The White Rabbit did as a restaurant. Frankly, I like the place. It’s never the first on my list, especially considering the other bars on Main Street, but it’s a good place to hit up when Soundpony and Crystal Pistol are packed to the gills.

One of my favorite things about The Hunt Club is their food. Their menu is fairly broad for a place that is definitely more of a pub than a restaurant. Prices are moderate; most of their sandwiches, from their Gyro to the BLT, fall under the $7.50 price range. My personal favorites are their Queso Sliders — four small hamburgers topped with queso. Like everything in life, these go great with beer.

Another great thing about The Hunt Club: they have a late night menu. From 9:00pm to 1:00am, they have a selection of foods, from pizza to chicken wings, which they sell to those with the late night munchies. On Sunday, they serve the late night menu until midnight.

In general, the food is pretty good compared to most food-serving bars’ food. Their bartenders are friendly and personable, which makes the place even more enjoyable. They pour good, strong drinks and they’re quick at it; that always scores well with me.

Perhaps one of the best aspects of the place is the music aspect; they have live music every night. Local acts like The Paul Benjaman Band and Cody Clinton & The Bishops play both inside and outside at The Hunt Club. Just recently, the owner of The Hunt Club commissioned the construction of an outside balcony that overlooks the stage. That should be great, just in time for spring.

Next time your favorite bar is thick with customers, give The Hunt Club a try. They typically aren’t overwhelmed with patrons, so pop by and grab dinner, a drink, and catch a show.