The Blues Society of Omaha (BSO) carries on Héctor Anchondo’s vision with the 10th Annual In the Market for Blues (ITMFB) festival Saturday, Aug. 9. Happening in multiple venues across the Old Market and the Capitol District, the event is a 12-hour pub-crawl-meets-blues-festival with another year of fantastic blues bands on tap. This year’s headliners are John Németh & The Blue Dreamers. Németh has long been a favorite of local audiences, but he’s moved up the ranks nationally and internationally. He comes to Omaha after a recent headlining slot at the Poretta Soul Festival, a prestigious annual international festival in Poretta Terme, Italy, that celebrates American soul music. Németh has almost too many Blues Music Award nominations to count, including a Band of the Year nomination in 2024. He took home the BMA for Blues Instrumentalist – Vocals in 2022. John Németh & The Blue Dreamers play in the Scott Hall at the Holland Center at 7 p.m. as part of ITMFB.
Co-headlining the event is Omaha’s own Héctor Anchondo Band. Anchondo had the original idea for the event and with the support of the BSO, it’s grown from three venues to 10 and now features over 35 bands. Anchondo was the Blues Foundation’s International Blues Challenge (IBC) 2020 winner in the solo/duo category and is one of many artists putting the Omaha-Lincoln scene on the national map for roots music.
A name that’s new to local fans is Ben Levin, an Ohio-based piano player who is a rising star in the classic boogie-woogie style that isn’t performed nearly enough these days. I first had the opportunity to see Levin play when he was literally a kid, a child prodigy featured at one of Chase Garrett’s Piano Stomp concerts in Iowa City. Now a young man, he’s got four albums out and earned three Blues Music Award nominations. Paris-Move.com magazine says, “Ben Levin no longer just embodies the next generation, he is the new boss.”
You can see Ben Levin along with Chicago band Mississippi Heat at the special ITMVB VIP concert Friday night at the Jewell on Capitol (the VIP show requires a separate admission lanyard available for $85, offering admission good for both days) or you can see Levin on Saturday as part of the ITMFB event alongside another rising blues star, Yates McKendree – they perform at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Jewell as part of the festival. Read The Zoo Bar section below for more about McKendree. Check out Levin on your favorite streaming platforms or at benlevinpiano.com.
ITMFB music starts at noon with a special performance at the Dubliner from Kent Burnside, grandson of R.L. Burnside. Local 2025 IBC band winners Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal also get an early start with a 12:30-2:30 set at the Jewell.
For those just wanting a dose of free music, the big stage at the east end of the Gene Leahy Mall is free and open to the public with music from 3 – 10 p.m. Make sure to check out Lincoln’s soulful Big Daddy Caleb & The Chargers on the free stage at 8:30 p.m.
Also worth noting are two shows by Piper & The Hard Times at 8 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. at the Jewell. The band was scheduled to perform at June’s Soaring Wings Winery blues festival but had to cancel due to an unexpected cancer diagnosis for bandleader Al “Piper” Green. After treatments, Green is now able to perform and the Nashville band is back on the road, with a new disc titled “Good Company” due out Aug. 29 on Hard Times Records. Piper & The Hard Times was the 2024 IBC band winner and took home the 2025 Blues Music Award for Best Emerging Artist Album. Piper’s vocals are distinctive and the band’s sound is soulful, funky and instantly memorable. This band is well worth checking out as you plan your personal ITMFB calendar.
The ITMFB Box Office this year is located indoors in “The Link,” at 1299 Farnam; this is the ground floor space between Harney and Farnam streets, and between the Landmark Center and the Farnam Hotel. Both the Box Office and the merch table will be found at this site. The BSO reports that walk-up admission wristbands are available Saturday at the Box Office from 10:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. and also at the Holland from 4:30 – 8 p.m. Wristbands may also be purchased day of show at venues by cash only. Wristbands for all Saturday shows are $40 in advance or at the box office. Advance tickets can be purchased online at Eventbrite.com and then exchanged at the ITMFB Box Office for your wristband.
New this year for all attendees is a shuttle bus between venues. It will be on a circulator route with eight designated stops and available to all those wearing an ITMFB wristband or VIP lanyard. In addition to venues that serve food, there also will be food trucks on site.
Other notable artists who are performing include soul man Johnny Rawls, the Nick Schnebelen Band, Big Al & The Heavyweights, Polly O’Keary & The Rhythm Method, Jeni Grouws, Shannon Curfman, Levee Town, Stranded in the City, and the return of a blues-rocking fan favorite from 2023’s ITMFB, Leilani Kilgore from Nashville. Blues harmonica fans will want to check out Dustin Arbuckle’s harmonica showcase, scheduled from 2-4 p.m. at Annie’s Irish Pub in the Capitol District.
Find the full Saturday schedule in a handy grid at this link.
Playing with Fire Encore for Final Weekend
The 21st Annual Playing With Fire concert series returns for its second week of free international blues presented in a state-of-the-art nightclub setting at the Slowdown Friday and Saturday, Aug.15 and 16. The opening night in July featured Canada’s Harry Manx, and it was stellar, a true delight to see and hear Manx again without thunderstorms, the prospect of heat stroke or other issues threatening the proceedings. The capacity of the Slowdown is about 650, and neither of the July shows came close to reaching capacity, so don’t be afraid to give this new indoor concept a try. The indoor venue is easier and less stressful for the artists and for promoters Jeff Davis and Vanessa Marie, who spend months organizing travel, assisting with visas and getting their headliners to Omaha from Canada, the U.K. and Europe.
As Davis announced in a blog post on the event website, “We can no longer deal with bringing a band 5000 miles, paying for visas and airfare, and not be able to play the show. So, the hard decision is — whether to call it a day or move the event indoors? So indoors we go.”
The indoor setting ensures all these plans aren’t ruined by rain or blistering heat and it’s really a lovely change of pace to be in a nice venue on a hot or stormy summer night.
With all the pre-weekend arrivals, Davis has arranged for another free event, a pre-party Thursday, Aug. 14, 7-10 p.m., in the lobby bar at the host hotel, the Moxy at 409 S. 12th (the corner of Harney and S. 12th). The evening offers three solo acoustic sets featuring two Omaha musicians: Andre Vander Velde playing soulful, genre-blending folk-funk, and Andrew Bailie offering a raw, bluesy singer-songwriter performance. Then there will be a surprise guest who will be of special interest to longtime fans of Playing With Fire. Find the pre-party details here.
Friday and Saturday, Aug. 15-16, each night’s official Playing With Fire show at Slowdown is still free. There is an optional $25 guaranteed admission available for each night through theslowdown.com/events if you are worried about getting in, but based on the first weekend you should not be hesitant to check this new venue out. A photo ID is required by the venue and a small-bag policy is stated on the venue’s website. Note that seating is very limited. There’s parking in the Slowdown lot and also metered parking and parking lots in the surrounding area. All ages are welcome, but everyone must follow the venue’s 21 years old and under entry policy found here theslowdown.com/all-ages/.
Doors each night open at 5 p.m. with music starting at 6:30 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 15, 6:30 p.m., Omaha’s own award-winning Héctor Anchondo opens the show with a solo set. At 7:50 p.m., a PWF favorite, Ben Poole from the U.K., is back onstage. He made his North American debut at PWF in 2013 and returned in 2017. Poole is an award-winning guitarist who counts artists like Jeff Beck, Gary Moore, Beth Hart and Kenny Wayne Shepherd among the professional musicians who are praising his guitar skills. For the 9:20 p.m. headliner, Davis brings back 2024 PWF featured artist, King King from Glasgow, Scotland. The hard-rocking band has been recognized three times as UK Blues Band of the Year and their name is an homage to the famous King King rock club in Los Angeles. The band promises hard-charging energy, musicianship and well, fun, with its press materials noting “King King’s music is the kind of music that makes people happy. And let’s face it, especially in these all too dark and difficult times, who doesn’t want to be happy? Not convinced? It’s simple. Come along to a show and find out for yourself.” You can preview the band’s music on the usual streaming platforms and get ready for the PWF finale. Find Friday’s details here.
Saturday, Aug. 16, music begins at 6:30 with New Mexico’s Levi Platero, a Navajo musician steeped in gospel music and the electric blues of Albert King, B.B. King, Freddie King and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Platero originally was part of his family band, The Plateros, and is a 2016 recipient of the Native American Music Award for Best Blues Recording. At 7:50 p.m., Canada’s Bywater Call is “back by popular demand.” Vocalist Meghan Parnell garners a lot of praise and positive comparisons to Susan Tedeschi. Parnell is a powerhouse singer with stage presence that engages the audience. They are a seven-piece band with horns steeped in the southern blues-rock traditions. Rock and Blues Muse says “This is no ordinary band with a standout lead singer. Their songs are written with insight and come from a place of authenticity and meaning. With a tight rhythm section along with Meghan Parnell’s righteous voice, Bywater Call is going places.”
Tinnitist notes “Authentic, earthy, gritty, punchy, soulful, rough ’n’ ready, raspy, powerful, confident, stylish.”
For the closing set, Davis brings back another of his personal favorites from PWF 2024, Cardinal Black from Wales. Their PWF set last year marked their U.S. debut, and they left Omaha to play sold-out shows in Nashville and at the famous Troubadour in L.A. MusicMecca.org makes note of the band’s “badass blues side” and “anthemic rock bangers” mixed with some “Americana flair,” while observing that this summer’s 2025 U.S. tour has the band playing to sold-out rooms in major cities. And to think, their U.S. ascendency started right here in Omaha. That’s the kind of thing Davis hopes to accomplish each time he introduces an international artist to the U.S.
Find Saturday’s details here. For all the info on Playing With Fire, visit playingwithfireomaha.net.
Zoo Bar Blues
Lincoln’s historic Zoo Bar has a dizzying array of talent in its August schedule with some heavy hitters. Especially notable is an old-fashioned two-night run Monday and Tuesday, Aug. 11-12, 6 p.m. each night, for a triple-bill of Texas blues guitar stars. Acclaimed guitarist and producer Anson Funderburgh is joined by the great Mike Morgan and Shawn Pittman for a tour they are billing the “Texas Blues Summit.” If you are a fan of contemporary electric blues and blues-rock guitar, you won’t want to miss this.
Also on The Zoo schedule, catch a full early show from a true rising blues star, Yates McKendree, on Thursday, Aug. 7, 6 p.m. McKendree is a multi-instrumentalist and the son of acclaimed roots piano/keyboard player Kevin McKendree, who has worked for years with Delbert McClinton as well as being a featured player with many big-name roots-blues artists. Music website makingascene.org writes of the younger McKendree’s new release, “Need to Know,” “McKendree not only justifies the buzz that surrounds him, but reveals the major player inside him still in the process of bursting forth…Not yet in his mid-20s, he plays guitar with impeccable chops and flair, and bowls listeners over in subtle, classy fashion, singing in a youthful, yet very affecting voice.”
Friday, Aug. 8, 5 p.m., Igor & the Red Elvises are back for the early show, throwing down their signature mix of humor and Ukrainian-folk-inflected rockabilly, surf and roots music.
Hadden Sayers fans, mark your calendars, because Sayers’ current project with acclaimed drummer Brannen Temple, BoomChank, has one Nebraska show at The Zoo Bar Thursday, Aug. 14, 6-9 p.m. Sayers and Temple also work together in the touring backing band for the phenomenal Ruthie Foster. Expect a mix of new, hard-driving blues duo material in the style of bands like GA-20 along with some Hadden Sayers Band favorites.
Find all the shows coming up at The Zoo Bar at zoobar.com or get the latest news at facebook.com/zoobarblues.
Hot Notes
If that isn’t enough live music to choose from, there’s also NOMAFEST, a free community event happening Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 9-10. On Saturday, Aug. 9, starting at 6 p.m., the music is happening in Turner Park at Midtown Crossing and features acclaimed blues guitarist Eric Gales, funk band Ghost-Note and multi-Grammy-nominated saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin. Sunday, Aug. 10, 4 p.m. the music moves to NOMA (North Omaha Music & Arts) at 2510 N. 24th St. with performances from vocalist Heidi Martin and NOMA’s own Dana Murray & Manifesto. Find all the details here on Facebook.
Also happening Thursday through Sunday, Aug. 7-10, at Falconwood Park, is the annual Power & Progress Music Festival, which bills itself as Nebraska’s longest-running music and camping festival. The emphasis is on rock, with MCs and electronic music too. Midland Band and Funk Trek are among the rootsier offerings on tap. Admission charge varies depending on how many days you are attending and if you are camping. Find all the details on the Facebook event page.
A few concert and club shows of note include Paul Cauthen “live and acoustic” at Waiting Room Friday, Aug. 15, 8 p.m., Gregory Alan Isakov Monday, Aug. 18, 8 p.m. at the Astro Theater, and the great Steve Earle on his solo and acoustic tour Thursday, Aug. 21, 8 p.m. at The Admiral.
The Turnpike Troubadours hit the Astro Amphitheater Friday, Aug. 29, 7:30 p.m. Omaha’s own Clarence Tilton plays Waiting Room with Minnelusa and Matt Cox Saturday, Aug. 23, 9 p.m. and the Sunday Roadhouse concert series hosts the return of Chicago’s The Claudettes Sunday, Aug. 24, 5 p.m. at Reverb Lounge. (Claudettes’ keyboard player Johnny Iguana is also a collaborator on the soundtrack for Hulu series “The Bear.”)
Tickets are still available for a fantastic double bill featuring Bonnie Raitt plus Jimmie Vaughan & the Tilt-A-Whirl Band Tuesday, Sept. 23, 7 p.m. at the Astro Amphitheater.
Remember the BSO keeps a curated calendar of local and touring events at omahablues.com.
Omaha’s free Jazz on the Green series continues in Turner Park at Midtown Crossing Thursday, Aug. 7, with Brooklyn, New York’s, New Orleans-style female brass band, Brass Queens. Thursday, Aug. 14, the popular summer events conclude with a South Omaha all-star band, Marcos Eduardo’s Explosion Latina. The preshow each night is at 6:30 p.m. Find all the details including the opening acts for each show online at jazzonthegreen.org.