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Home - 8 Days
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8 Days - |
July 25
Jackie Collins Book Signing
Harrah’s Casino, 1 Harrah’s Blvd., Council Bluffs
5 p.m., 712.322.1460
Get your best cougar outfit and sultry soap opera face on … Sexy 70-year-old Jackie Collins will be taking pics with fans and signing her latest bestselling novel, Married Lovers, on her nationwide Harrah’s Casino book tour. In the steamy summer romance novel, Cameron Paradise, a young, stunning personal trainer, flees her abusive boyfriend in Australia for Hollywood. But as you can imagine, things go awry when a married movie producer meets Cameron and all bets are off. Collins has sold more than 400 million books worldwide, and has had every single one of her 28 novels appear on the New York Times bestseller list. Super fans should check out Collins’s Facebook page for the latest updates and pictures.
Suzy Stark
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July 18
Omaha Entertainment Awards Summer Showcase
Downtown Benson,
7 p.m.-12:40 a.m., $10
oea-awards.com
Posing as a giant block party between 10 city blocks of the Benson Business District, on and around 60th and Maple, the Omaha Entertainment Awards are giving you a taste of the musical nominees for this winter’s award ceremony (sponsored by The Reader). With the Waiting Room, PS Collective, Barley Street Tavern, The Foundry, Burke’s Pub and Mick’s, the district hosts 29 acts for five hours of local music, including Civicminded, Paria, Sarah Benck and the Robbers, Tim Wildsmith, The Pendrakes, Sleep Said the Monster, Brad Hoshaw, Akita-Ken and many more. One band will also be chosen to play a special showcase and an invitation to play at 2009’s South By Southwest Festival. Pick up your wristband at The Foundry, located at 6051 Maple St. and the $10 band allows you access into each venue all night.
Chalis Bristol
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July 13
Crosby, Stills and Nash
Stir Concert Cove, Harrah’s Casino,
Council Bluffs, 8 p.m., $57.50-$68.50,
harrahscouncilbluffs.com
The political and counterculture messages entrenched in the music of David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash rings as true today as it did 40 years ago when it was first recorded. After finding success in other bands, the trio came together in the late ‘60s to form one of the first super-groups of the time. After four decades of hits, they’re still together and still as pissed off at the man as they were at the height of Vietnam. The band has battled in-fighting, Crosby’s new liver, Still’s prostate cancer and the coming and goings of Neil Young to continue to show that three guys with acoustic guitars can rock out.
Adam Froemming |
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July 3
Colourmusic w/ Qui Bandits
Waiting Room, 6212 Maple St.,
9 p.m., $7,
884.5353, waitingroomlounge.com
We so often overlook the importance of color in music. Think about it. Where would we be without “Red, Red Wine,” “A Whiter Shade of Pale” and “Tangled Up in Blue”? (What an oddly patriotic trio of songs …) There is one band that recognizes and reveres the important relationship between color and music: Colourmusic. The band’s name is a result of the group’s interest in Sir Isaac Newton’s theory of the relationship between color and sound. The group attempts to craft songs around a certain color for some sort of synesthesiatic effect. (Synesthesia is when one sensory experience, like hearing a song, triggers another, unrelated sensory experience, like seeing a color.) So head on down to the Waiting Room to hear a color and see a song. And why not taste some red, red wine?
Neil Sandhoefner |
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June 27
Willie Nelson & Family
w/ James Hunter
Stir Concert Cove, Harrah’s, Council Bluffs
7 p.m., $51-$62
712.329.6000, harrahscouncilbluffs.com
Willie Nelson turned 75 earlier this year, so if you’re still complaining about him having to cancel last year’s concert at Stir due to exhaustion, time to reassess your notion of septuagenarians and cut the guy a break. Fact is, for all the reefer references and IRS-owing quips that could be cut-and-pasted into this space, everyone knows Nelson is an American iconoclast whose longevity has few comparisons. Does it really matter that you had to wait an additional 365 days to roll out the blanket for this show? Do you really have any reason to whine at all? He’s on the road again.
Casey Logan |
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June 19-23
The Moving Wall
Reichmuth Funeral Home
21901 W. Maple Rd., Elkhorn
402-289-2222,
reichmuthfuneralhomes.com
Michael Herr, Vietnam War correspondent for Esquire Magazine, opined that “all the wrong people remember Vietnam.” He saw the memory of the war convoluted by hollow patriotism and national amnesia. Back in 1982, John Devitt attended the 1982 dedication of the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C., and wanted to share it with the nation. “The Moving Wall,” a half-size replica, has toured the country since. Perhaps it will jog the public’s memory about what happens when the United States launches an ill-conceived attack based on falsified information, only to lose thousands of U.S. troops to a lesser-equipped insurgent force.
Avishay Artsy
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June 13
Didgeridoo Workshop with Sound Therapist Phil Jones
Om Center, 1216 Howard St.,
7-9:30 p.m., $15 ADV, $20 day of
345.5078, omahahealingarts.com
The Om Center, the Old Market’s healing arts center, is the place to go to put the “om” in “Omaha.” Why, then, are they having a didgeridoo workshop? Apparently the Australian instrument can be used in spiritual relaxation sessions. Sound Therapist Phil Jones will be giving a didgeridoo demonstration, showing how breathing techniques, when used by both the didgeridooist and nearby listeners, create a harmonic resonance that soothes and relaxes those present. With over 30 years of what Jones’ website calls “personal spiritual practice” (practice makes perfect), Jones has developed his own unique didgeridoomanship that is supposed to be a particularly potent form of sound healing. So head on down to the Om Center if you would like to hear some soothing, relaxing music or if you can’t afford health insurance and figure that which cannot kill you can only make you stronger.
Neil Sandhoefner |
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June 5
Ron Thompson and His Resistors
Murphy’s, 4727 S. 96th St., 5:30 p.m., $8
339.7170, murphysomaha.com
Ron Thompson’s blues roots run deep. Thompson played with many legends while working the club scene in the East San Francisco Bay area in the 1970s. He was bandleader for the great John Lee Hooker for seven years before forming his own band. Ron Thompson and His Resistors made regular stops at the Zoo Bar and the old Howard St. Tavern back in the day. Thompson is touring again, each night proving he is a one-of-a-kind player and showman. His show bristles with energy and talent as he shifts between keyboards and guitar. Tom Mazzolini, founder and producer of the prestigious San Francisco Blues Festival, called Thompson “the most talented blues guitarist I’ve ever seen. He can do it all.” Ron Thompson and His Resistors also gig at Lincoln’s Zoo Bar on Wednesday, June 4, 6-9 p.m. Look closely on the Zoo Bar walls and you’ll find some vintage Thompson show posters, further testament to a long love affair with the blues.
B.J. Huchtemann
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8 Days - |
June 4
Modest Mouse w/ The Dirty Dozen Brass Band
Westfair Amphitheater, 22984 Hwy. 6, Council Bluffs,
7 p.m., $35, westfairevents.com
Here they come to save the day! Modest Mouse is on the way! From its earlier rough-hewn sounds to later commercial successes such as Good News for People Who Love Bad News and We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank, Modest Mouse’s music remains listenable as ever. Not everyone can polish their sound as the group has over the past five years and still retain its cult appeal (devastating case in point: Liz Phair). New-school fans would be advised to check out 1997’s stunning Lonesome Crowded West. Old-schoolers should acquaint themselves with the Pickin’ On Series album full of bluegrass Modest Mouse covers.
Sarah Wengert |
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May 23
The Wizard of Oz Screening
Joslyn Art Museum, Witherspoon Hall, 2200 Dodge St.,
7 p.m., $15, 558.1546,
omahafilmevent.com
It’s been 70 years since Dorothy first trod that garish but aptly named yellow brick road in her ruby shoes. The film has remained a classic, with its psychedelic colors, creepy flying monkeys, murky connections to Pink Floyd and stereotyping of people based on where they hail from. And just like childhood, at the end you learn the whole thing was unnecessary; and if that didn’t take the wind out of your sails, that it was all a dream. In celebration of the film’s staying power, come see this special screening at Joslyn. Before the film, actor Jerry Maren, who portrayed a member of the important political entity, the Lollipop Guild, will speak and be available for autographs. The evening is sure to be a fun celebration of a film that has captivated audiences and provided a stern argument for twister awareness. Lions and tigers and subtext, oh my!
Neil Sandhoefner |
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8 Days - |
May 18
Michael Dobbs on Winston Churchill
Borders, 7201 Dodge St., 4 p.m.
FREE, 393.5576,michaeldobbs.com
British writer Michael Dobbs has crossed the pond to talk to Americans about Winston Churchill. Dobbs’ visit, sponsored by the Churchill Centre (an organization or, rather, an organisation based in D.C.), occurs with the release of his book Churchill’s Triumph, which centers on the Yalta Conference. Dobbs’ expertise on Churchill knows no bounds and he will field all and any questions on the famed prime minister (apparently Churchill was only divisible by one). Dobbs will answer questions about Churchill on the seas and oceans, he will answer questions with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, he will defend his views on Churchill, whatever the cost may be, he will answer questions on the beaches, he will answer questions on the landing grounds, he will answer questions in the fields and in the streets. He will also be at the midtown Border’s, which may be a more convenient place to run into him.
Neil Sandhoefner |
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8 Days - |
May 13
Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s w/ Cameron McGill
Waiting Room, 6212 Maple St., 9 p.m., $8
884.5353, waitingroomlounge.com
Like Wes Anderson, the creator of the band’s namesake Margot from The Royal Tenenbaums, songwriter Richard Edwards creates hermetically sealed worlds that leak emotion through tiny cracks in their veneer. The difference is that Edwards litters his stories with quirky characters through songs rather than moving images. The band’s debut album, The Dust of Retreat, released more than a year ago, was an impressive collection of layered, folk-inspired pop/rock. The Indianapolis octet is finishing up a new album, so this show is a chance to get a sneak peek at its follow-up.
Lindsay Trapnell |
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8 Days - |
May 2
Voodoo Organist w/ Bazooka Shootout
O’Leavers, 1322 S. Saddle Creek Rd., 9:30 p.m., $5
voodooorganist.com
If Tom Waits had a crush on Elvira and created a new sound to impress her it would be Voodoo Organist. Scott Wexton’s vocals are reminiscent of both Waits and Nick Cave, his Hammond organ, adorned with skulls, sounding simultaneously churchy and demonic with an underlying bluesy bent. Formerly a one-man act, he continues to tour nonstop, now with Robin Kennon (Devil Drums) spreading the “gospel of salvation through sin.” VO kicks out a powerful sound that devilishly rollicks between genres and styles. I think Elvira would totally get with that.
Sarah Wengert |
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8 Days - |
April 26
Omaha Scooter Club Ride-Along
Old Dundee Hardware parking lot
50th and Underwood, 11 a.m., FREE
omahascooterclub.com
What’s the baddest gang on the streets of the big O? It’s the Omaha Scooter Club gangsters! This rowdy group of roustabouts is planning to putt-putt-putt around Omaha, swinging around Eppley before heading to the Old Market for a quick bite at Sam & Louie’s (bring your own pizza money). This would be a great chance to get to know what is, in all honesty, most likely the kindest group of bikers you’re ever going to run into. Get some fresh air, enjoy the scenery, chomp on some pizza, and join the OSC’s ongoing quest to make 35 mph the new 65.
Neil Sandhoefner |
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8 Days - |
April 17
Ladyfinger/Dance Me Pregnant 7-inch Split Release
w/ Her Mischief
Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St., 9 p.m., $7
onepercentproductions.com
Ah, the split 7-inch … It was once an institution among Omaha and Lincoln acts. While Speed Nebraska! does an excellent job of keeping the form alive, you don’t see the number you did 10 or 15 years ago. It enabled a label to reach out to fans of one band and say, “Hey, you should check these guys out, too.” It was a testament to the fraternal bonds between two bands. No Dancing Records, out of Belfast, Northern Ireland, keeps the torch burning with the release of a split 7-inch (The Orange) from Ladyfinger and Dance Me Pregnant. Both bands will play the release, making you nostalgic for the 7-inch before rocking you right into the present.
Jesse Stanek |
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8 Days - |
April 13
Malpais w/ Son Ambulance and Landing on the Moon
Waiting Room, 6212 Maple St., 9 p.m.
$7, myspace.com/malpaisband
Malpais, not even a year on the map, has covered a lot of ground in its infancy. Opening for the likes of Cursive, Say Anything and Blue October would be enough bragging rights for many groups, but Malpais seems ready to blaze its own trails. With an album just completed at ARC and a handful of Eastern dates this April, Greg Loftis’ latest musical incarnation has a sound ranging from gentle to brisk with an ultimately airy quality even at its harder moments. All in all, the sound has a pop backbone, a folk set of lungs and an indie heart. Son Ambulance (fresh off dropping the comma) and Landing on the Moon open.
Sarah Wengert
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April 3-5, 10-13
Aristophanes’ Lysistrata: A Woman’s Translation
Lincoln’s Enid Miller Theatre (NWU) 51st and Huntington,
7:30 p.m., $10, $7.50 students/seniors; $5 kids under 5
nebraskawesleyan.edu, 402.465.2384
Remember five years ago, when there was a “slam dunk case” of Saddam having WMDs, and the liberated Iraqis would welcome us with flowers? Those were the days. But some didn’t believe the hype, and so staged The Lysistrata Project, the largest theater activism project for peace ever undertaken. The classic Greek comedy, in which women keep their feuding husbands in check by withholding sex, enjoys a revival every time the war drums begin to beat. A real-life version occurred in 2006 in a town in Colombia, when a group of gangsters’ wives and girlfriends declared a sex strike to force their partners to disarm.
Avishay Artsy |
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April 2-3
Malcolm X Festival, The Ballot Box or the Bullet: Politics and Malcolm X
UNO, 6001 Dodge St.
Various programs w/ leading Malcolm X scholars, area students and artists,
Keynote Address (w/ national political strategist Donna Brazile), April 3
1 p.m. unomaha.edu/blst/malcolmx
554.2412
As a Barack Obama presidency draws closer to reality the dynamic of race and politics comes more into focus. The civil rights movement produced national black leaders in Malcolm X and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. whose tragic assassinations left their social justice visions unrealized. Jesse Jackson tried picking up their mantel in a most unlikely place, the mainstream political arena. He never gained enough broad support to be a serious challenger in the presidential race, or to change the national dialogue. Obama synthesizes the legacies of his predecessors in ways that unify rather than polarize. What would Malcolm think of the Obama phenomenon and the possibility of a black man being voted into the White House? By any means necessary, man.
Leo Adam Biga |
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March 23
A Celebration of Life: Tribute to Byron ‘Butch’ Berman
Cornhusker Hotel, 333 S. 13th St., Lincoln
4-10 p.m., bermanmusicfoundation.org
They say a man can be measured by the friends he keeps. Butch Berman leaves behind a wealth of friends in the Lincoln music community who will mourn his passing and celebrate his life March 23. Celebrated jazz singer Karrin Allyson headlines. Renowned KC sax man Ahmad Alaadeenan, locals Charlie Burton, Dave Fowler, Dave Boye, Ed Love, Dave Robel, John Carlini and surviving members of Berman’s last band, the Cronin Brothers, will also perform. Butch Berman was a part of the Lincoln music scene for more than 30 years, performing in bands including the Modds (Nebraska Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famers) the popular Megatones and Charlie Burton’s band, Rock Therapy. Berman also toured Europe as part of rockabilly legend Sleepy LaBeef’s band. A move to San Francisco in the ’80s introduced Berman to jazz and when he came home to Lincoln in the ’90s, he hosted jazz programming on Lincoln’s community radio station KZUM. He founded the Berman Music Foundation, sponsoring jazz concerts throughout the Midwest and supporting Lincoln’s Jazz in June concert series. Berman died at home on Jan. 31, after a four-month battle with brain cancer. His last gig was Dec. 30 with his band the Cronin Brothers at the Zoo Bar.
B.J. Huchtemann |
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March 15
Secret Weapon
Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St., 9 p.m., $7
myspace.com/secretweaponrocks
Gather children of ’80s. It’s no secret that the musicians behind Secret Weapon have loads of talent and are involved in various original projects. But since 2005 Secret Weapon has satisfied the urge in us children of the brilliant, gaudy hodgepodge that was the 1980s to get down to the passionate, over-the-top, totally tubular tune-age that defined the era we came up in. Don your jelly shoes, tease and shellac your bangs, hop in the Delorean, give it the old “Nintendo blow” and channel wisdom from your Beta copy of The Goonies. Come be with your people, because it may be their time up there (2008), but it’s our time down at Slowdown.
Sarah Wengert |
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