It’s been 20 years since Dean Dobmeier and Gary Grobeck launched their independent Sunday Roadhouse series. With the focus on Americana music, the series has played various venue homes before landing with Waiting Room and Reverb Lounge. The duo celebrates this 20th Anniversary year with the return of an audience favorite, charismatic roots-rocker Sarah Borges. The electric guitarist, singer-songwriter and her band hit the Reverb Lounge stage Saturday, Sept. 23, doors 6 p.m. and show at 7 p.m. See sundayroadhouse.com.
The Sunday Roadhouse series continues in the fall with eclectic The Claudettes Sunday, Oct. 8, at Reverb, 5 p.m. A popular New Orleans’ band with local roots in band member/vocalist/sax player Joe Cabral Jr., The Iguanas play Saturday, Nov. 18, at Waiting Room, doors at 7 p.m. and show at 8 p.m. The band’s combination of Latin styles, Tex-Mex music and the swampy funk and blues sounds of their New Orleans home scene is a dance-floor-filling favorite.
BSO Presents
The Blues Society of Omaha continues to take the role of producer, booking and paying the bands for their weekly blues series. Like all the local promoters, they need an audience to show up in order to be able to afford to keep bringing quality artists to town. Check out their lineup at omahablues.com or under the events tab at facebook.com/bluessocietyofomaha. Shows of note at press time include a non-Thursday show Friday, Sept. 15, 5:30 p.m. at The B. Bar with Kelli Baker, a vocalist from the New York blues scene getting rave reviews. Find out more at kellibaker.com. On Sunday, Sept. 17, 6-9 p.m., Chickenbone Slim & The Biscuits featuring Laura Chavez play an outdoor show at The Rathskeller Bier Haus, 4524 Farnam St. This is a ticketed show but bringing your own bag chair or lawn chair is encouraged. Chicken Bone Slim & The Biscuits are a four-piece West Coast band that lays down swing, rockabilly and roots-rock, featuring 2023 BMA Blues Guitarist Winner Laura Chavez on lead guitar. The BSO hosts a special Wednesday show Wednesday, Sept. 27, 6-9 p.m. at Waiting Room with guitarist Damon Fowler. Thursday, Oct. 5, 6-9 p.m., the BSO teams with Barnato to present Too Slim & The Taildraggers.
Find all the latest BSO events and related news at facebook.com/bluessocietyofomaha and online at omahablues.com.
Zoo Bar Blues
Lincoln’s historic Zoo Bar has some great bookings in September including the guitar-driven sound of GA-20 Monday, Sept. 11, 6-9 p.m., the Billboard Blues charting band features guitarist Matt Stubbs, guitarist/vocalist Pat Faherty and drummer Tim Carman making music inspired by the raw early blues and country of the genre’s originators. American Songwriter calls their music “rough and tumble, relentless blues.” Bandleader, harmonica star and vocalist-singer-songwriter John Németh is up Wednesday, Sept. 13, 6-9 p.m. in a double-bill with Chickenbone Slim & The Biscuits featuring Laura Chavez. Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal gets funky Friday, Sept. 15, 9 p.m., and blues-rock guitarist Coco Montoya plugs in Tuesday, Sept. 26, 6-8 p.m.
See zoobar.com and facebook.com/ZooBarBlues for schedules.
Delmark Records 70th Anniversary
I don’t get much of a chance to highlight recordings but with this final column I wanted to take a minute to mention Chicago’s legendary blues label, Delmark, and their 70th Anniversary compilation released this summer. The disc features some of the most genre-definining recordings from the label’s past 70 years, kicking off with “Snatch it Back and Hold it” by Junior Wells featuring Buddy Guy when both artists where in their muscular musical prime, from Wells’ iconic 1965 album Hoodoo Man Blues. (Go get that disc if you don’t have it.) Also featured on the compilation are Magic Sam, Otis Rush, Jimmy Dawkins with Otis Rush and Big Voice Odom, Dinah Washington, T-Bone Walker, Big Time Sarah, Little Walter with Muddy Waters, Memphis Slim with Matt Guitar Murphy and Jimmy Johnson. You can learn more about Delmark and its late founder, Bob Koester, and purchase your own copy of the 70th Anniversary anthology at delmark.com.
Hot Notes
Sunday, Sept. 17, 8 p.m., Steelhouse presents Parliament Funkadelic featuring George Clinton. See steelhouseomaha.com.
Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash gig at Barnato Thursday, Sept. 28, 8 p.m.
WRITER’S UPDATE: The Astro is scheduled to be a brand new indoor venue that is featuring a variety of genres. Right now, construction has delayed the project. As I post this, the much-anticipated show set for Saturday, Sept. 16, by notable blues vocalist Beth Hart has been completely postponed by the artist due to her desire to focus on her mental health. For more information and updates, see facebook.com/officialbethhart.
Other shows have been moved to other venues. Later shows are currently still showing up as happening at the planned Astro venue (8302 City Centre Drive, La Vista) including Kenny Wayne Shepherd Sunday, Sept. 24, 7 p.m. Shows on the upcoming schedule include Wilco Monday, Oct. 23, 7:30 p.m. See theastrotheater.com and facebook.com/AstroNebraska for details and further updates.
I won’t be in this space to give you pointers anymore, so make the best of social media and venue websites to see what’s happening and support what you can. Support the local clubs that are providing opportunities for original artists and quality original music. You’ll find a curated list of local blues and roots shows on the Blues Society of Omaha’s event calendar at omahablues.com.
Thanks for reading and for supporting live music.
Hopefully I’ll see you at a venue or on the dance floor somewhere down the road.
