July is here and that means it’s time to celebrate Lincoln’s historic Zoo Bar. The club brings its 53rd anniversary party to 14th Street between O and P streets Friday and Saturday, July 10-11. Though downtown Lincoln around 14th & O is in the midst of a lot of construction, the city of Lincoln promises 14th Street will be able to host the annual event. Parking is available in the garage at 14th & P streets adjacent to the festival site and the first hour is free.
The schedule is filling in for the week leading up to ZooFest with a double bill of Josh Hoyer’s Colossal 4 and Kris Lager Band Tuesday, July 7, 6-10 p.m. Popular Omaha band Sailing in Soup with special guest Joe Cabral and Lincoln’s Mezcal Brothers featuring Dave Gonzalez split the bill Wednesday, July 8, 6-10 p.m. Thursday come early for popular Lincoln players the McGovern Stringband at 6 p.m. Stay late for the weekly chance to sing with a live band as Sh#thook plays their raucous live band karaoke.
The big event, ZooFest, starts Friday, July 10, 5 p.m. with one of the most popular bands in the region, The Bel Airs, offering their incredibly danceable mix of Delta blues, New Orleans rhythm ‘n’ blues and 1950s vintage rock sounds. At 7 p.m., the New Orleans grooves of The Iguanas hit the stage. The roots band has been making irresistible music for over three decades that is a rich stew of New Orleans roots music, blues, jazz and Latin influences. The Iguanas include Omaha’s Joe Cabral, a founding member along with Rod Hodges, René Coman and Doug Garrison.
Vanessa Collier returns for a 9 p.m. set. Collier is a crowd-pleasing vocalist, sax player and songwriter. All Music Magazine said of Collier, she “weaves funk, soul, rock, and blues into every powerful performance and she is downright impressive. With soulful vocals, searing saxophone, and witty songwriting, Vanessa is blazing a trail, racking up an impressive arsenal of honors.” Collier is a multiple Blues Music Award winner and nominee.
Local group The Midland Band closes out Friday night at 11 p.m. with their mix of progressive rock, jazz influences and jam band sounds.
Saturday, ZooFest kicks into day two at 1 p.m. with Cheap Death, a high school rock band that has grown out of Lincoln’s Blue Raven Music Studios’ rock camp program. At 3 p.m., Lincoln’s own blues supergroup, Church of Blues, brings their scorching takes on traditional blues tunes to the stage. The band is Josh Hoyer, Levi William, Dave Boye and Joe Gourlay, who are all established local heavy hitters. Texas guitar blues takes centerstage at 5 p.m. with the Texas Guitar Summit featuring Lone Star State guitar stars Anson Funderburgh and Mike Morgan, who both have long histories with The Zoo Bar, along with guitarist Shawn Pittman who made his national debut in 1996. Find out more at facebook.com/texasbluesguitarsummit.
Local fans know that Lincoln rockabilly group The Mezcal Brothers lost their guitarist and musical brother Benjamin Kushner to cancer in 2024. The band had finished recording a new record before his passing. Now the remaining members are gathering together to perform final shows with the help of contemporary rockabilly legend Dave Gonzalez of The Paladins. They will present the record, “Bing Bang Boom” to the world, celebrate Kushner and play several farewell shows. It’s worth noting that the band’s discography is now on Spotify. This special group plugs in at ZooFest Saturday, July 11, 7 p.m.
The national acts Saturday close out with the great entertainer Sugaray Rayford. Calling him a powerhouse doesn’t begin to describe the full-on joy and soul Rayford brings to the stage. He is a Grammy nominee and a multiple Blues Music Award winner including taking home the “BB King Entertainer of the Year” honors two years in a row. His big personality and bigger voice are electrifying. Rock and Blues Music says “Sugaray blends funky grooves, rocking blues and R&B with his raw power as a vocalist and entertainer. Sugaray is a force.”
Closing out the night with an 11 p.m. set is local group The Groove Lagoon, a seven-piece, high-energy funk-fusion band. Friday and Saturday admission is $35 daily in advance or $60 in advance for both days. Advance tickets are available at the bar or online exclusively at ticketweb.com with a small fee (search for Zoo Bar). Any other online ticket sites you see are trying to sell you a resold, third-party ticket, which will also be more expensive.
Check out facebook.com/zoobarblues or zoobar.com for updates on the schedule for the rest of July. The bar staff is particularly excited about the addition of Austin eclectic folk-edged funk-rock band The Nether Hour for a show Tuesday, July 21, 6 p.m. Their website, netherhour.com, promises music that is a “relentless sonic melting pot, fusing the swampy grooves of Louisiana with Texas-sized doses of funk, blues, soul, and rock ‘n’ roll.”
Doug Deming & The Jewel Tones
Fantastic jump-blues guitarist and vocalist Doug Deming & The Jewel Tones hit The B. Bar Thursday, July 16, 7 p.m. The band’s latest record is “Groovin’ at Groove Now – Live in Basel, Switzerland.” The record features special guests, award-winning saxophonists, Terry Hanck and Sax Gordon, and keyboardist Bill Heid. The disc was nominated for Live Record of the Year in the 2023 Blues Blast Music Awards. Florida-based Deming has a rich history as a sideman that includes working with Alberta Adams, Lazy Lester, Gary Primich and Kim Wilson. It was when Deming was out on tour with Kim Wilson that I first saw him play and was knocked out. He’s got taste and tone and an innate sense of how to swing his guitar licks. He’s a fine vocalist too. Deming doesn’t make it to Nebraska often, so make it a point to check out this show. Blues Music Magazine says “Doug is a ferocious guitarist, fiery but clean, with a crisp, clear tone reminiscent of Charlie Christian’s style.”
Eric Johanson at B. Bar Sunday Roadhouse
The Sunday Roadhouse concert series is back at The B. Bar with New Orleans-based guitarist Eric Johanson Sunday, July 19, 5 p.m. Vintage Guitar Magazine wrote of his 2025 record, “Live in Mississippi,” “For lovers of overdriven semi-hollowbody guitar tones and rugged slide playing, look no further.”Johanson might be a new name locally but he’s already landed on Guitar Player Magazine’s list of “25 Best New Blues Guitarists.” Tab Benoit produced Johanson’s first disc, “Burn it Down” (2017) on his own Whiskey Bayou record label, and Johanson toured with Benoit for two years. Luther Dickinson produced Johanson’s second disc and Jesse Dayton was the producer for his third disc. In 2025 he landed on Ruf Records with “Live in Mississippi.” Find out more at sundayroadhouse.com and ericjohanson.com.
In the Market for Blues
Another big summer musical event for blues fans is the annual In the Market for Blues fest, with the main event taking place Saturday, Aug. 1. Organized by the Blues Society of Omaha in collaboration with founder Héctor Anchondo, In the Market for Blues is a multi-venue, multi-band event in The Old Market and the Capitol District.
One wristband gets you into all the Saturday venues with over 30 bands at 11 venues and most of the music is inside, out of the heat or potential bad weather. Acts include local, regional and national artists. The headliners are The Texas Headhunters, a Texas blues-rock super-group featuring guitarist Ian Moore, who fans will remember from back in his days as a bandleader gigging at the Howard Street Tavern and The Zoo Bar. Moore has joined up with fellow Texas guitar slingers Jesse Dayton and Johnny Moeller to create this band. All came up as head-turning guitar stars on the Texas blues scene, learning their craft in the blues music community created by Austin blues icon Clifford Antone. Three guitar-slinging band leaders all together in one band create an incendiary show. Their original tunes are memorable and definitely on the rockin’ side of blues. You can find videos on their YouTube page and more info at txhh.live. ITMFB founder Héctor Anchondo opens for The Texas Headhunters on the main stage.
Other artists playing on 11 stages include Hadden Sayers, Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials, Gary Hoey, Alastair Greene, Polly O’Keary, Patrick Sweany and more. International Blues Challenge winner for Band and Best Guitarist in 2023, Mathias Lattin is set to perform. Des Moines’ retro-blues/jazz group The Soul Searchers and Iowa’s Matt Wodds Band have been added to the lineup along with Matt Cox, Kevin Lloyd, Emily Bass and other local acts. BluesEd alum Heather Newman is scheduled with her band. A highlight will be the Kansas City-Omaha Kings of the Blues show featuring Nick Schnebelen, Héctor Anchondo, Kris Lager, Brandon Hudspeth and Sebastian Lane. Find the full band line up of about 40 bands at omahablues.com/in-the-market-for-blues-artist-lineup.
Brandon Santini had to drop out of the festival and organizers have added Artur Menezes, a rising guitar star from Brazil who now lives in Los Angeles. His Omaha date is his Midwestern debut and the only central U.S. date on his summer calendar. Menezes blends blues with rock, psychedelia and alternative rock. Blues Rock Review writes “Known for his electrifying guitar work and fearless stage presence, Menezes has earned a reputation for pushing beyond traditional blues boundaries.”
One wristband gets you into all the Aug. 1 shows. A higher-priced VIP package includes a ticketed Friday night, July 31, concert at the Jewell on Capitol featuring the Nick Moss Band from Chicago. VIPs also will have entry to a special VIP Brunch at Nosh Restaurant & Wine Lounge on Sunday, Aug. 2, featuring Kansas City duo Hudspeth and Taylor. The pair are three-time Blues Music Award nominees and five-time Blues Blast Award nominees.
Find more details and purchase advance tickets or the VIP package at omahablues.com/in-the-market-for-blues.
Slowdown Highlights
Popular local ska band The Wingtips play Saturday, July 11, 8 p.m. at Slowdown in the front room. The band has been around since 1982 and still delivers their horn-driven ska-reggae sound.
National folk singer-songwriter Mason Jennings plays Slowdown Friday, July 17, 8 p.m. Originating out of the Minneapolis music scene with a debut disc in 1997, Jennings has been honing his songcraft and stage performances for decades, becoming one of the leading voices in the folk and Americana scenes.
Blues guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Joanne Shaw Taylor takes the stage at Slowdown Sunday, July 26, 8 p.m. in the main room. See all the venue bookings and purchase advance tickets at theslowdown.com.
Don’t forget the three-night FREE Playing With Fire August concerts happening Thursday, Aug. 13 – Saturday, Aug. 15, in the air-conditioned comfort of Slowdown. Scheduled performers include King King from Scotland, Meena Cryle & Chris Filmore from Austria, Colin Linden from Canada/Nashville, Rozedale from France and American artists Anne Harris‘ and Markus James‘ amazing project Halo Rider. I’ll dig deeper into the scheduled artists and their music in the August column. Find all the details at playingwithfireomaha.net.
Waiting Room and One Percent Productions
The Mezcal Brothers featuring Dave Gonzalez play Waiting Room Thursday, July 9, 7 p.m. The Mercurys open. The Omaha Girls Rock Amplify Showcase is up at Waiting Room Saturday, July 18, 1 p.m. The Black Keys plug in at the Astro Amphitheater Monday, July 20, 7 p.m. Eddie 9V opens. Emerging Americana-rockers the Mike Thomas Band have been added to the Waiting Room schedule Thursday, July 23, 8 p.m. Check out mikethomasband.com/press. Great Americana-country artist Robbie Fulks plays Sunday Roadhouse at Waiting Room Thursday, Aug. 6, 7:30 p.m. David Huckfelt, formerly of The Pines, performs at The Sydney Friday, Aug. 7, check with the venue for showtime, it’s currently listed as midnight. And an early warning for Mike Zito, scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 13, 7 p.m. at Waiting Room. For details on all these shows and the rest of the scheduled performances visit onepercentproductions.com.
Jazz on the Green
Thursday, July 9, marks the return of Omaha’s Jazz on the Green, the iconic free summer concert series happens every Thursday through August 13 in Turner Park at Midtown Crossing, 3110 Farnam St. Each week there is a preshow at 6:30 p.m. and the headliner performs at 7:30 p.m. Here’s the schedule. Thursday, July 9, the USAF Heartland of America Band, Raptor plays. Blues fans will want to mark Thursday, July 16, and the crowd-pleasing zydeco of one of the best in the genre, C.J. Chenier & The Red Hot Louisiana Band. Chenier’s father, Clifton, was one of the original masters of the genre. José Valentino and the UNO Latin Jazz Ensemble with Michael Pujado are scheduled Thursday, July 23. Another notable booking is New Orleans soul-blues band J & The Causeways Thursday, July 30. After turning heads on the New Orleans scene, the band has toured Europe and is making their way across the U.S. this summer with a sound described as reminiscent of Alabama Shakes and St. Paul & The Broken Bones. Seattle-based soul band Brittany Davis & Black Thunder are up Thursday, Aug. 6, and the jazz/R&B fusion of saxophonist and singer Braxton Cook takes center stage for the final show Thursday, Aug. 13, fresh from a summer European tour. Find more info at jazzonthegreen.org.
Hot Notes
Steelhouse Omaha continues to step it up with some appealing bookings. Old Crow Medicine Show is on tap July 26, 7:30 p.m. Just announced shows of interest include Sons of Legion Thursday, Sept. 10, 7:30 p.m. and Lenny Kravitz Friday, Sept. 11, 8 p.m.
A special free event Sunday, July 12, 4-9 p.m. on the Gene Leahy Mall will feature Grammy Award-winning folk singer Dom Flemons with Brian Fallows, Omaha Gospel musician Jayde Dorsey, a barbershop quartet, former state poet Mark Mason and a Mayoral Proclamation celebrating the nation’s 250 Birthday as well as Omaha’s 172nd Birthday. Food trucks will be on site. Find all the details at the link here.
The always-magical Gillian Welch and David Rawlings perform at Lincoln’s Rococo Theater Aug. 6, 7:30 p.m. Limited seats remain for this show. See rococotheatre.com.
Keep an eye on the schedule for Buck’s Bar & Grill in Venice, Neb., (straight west to 27849 West Center Road). The restaurant gets enthusiastic reviews and the music ranges from now-big-names to artists on the rise. Buck has a good ear for talent and these small venues need support as much or, really, more than the big venues do. See bucksbarandgrill.com.
The Black Crowes play Lincoln’s Pinewood Bowl Tuesday, Aug. 4, 7:30 p.m. Joe Bonamassa with co-headliner Warren Haynes’ Gov’t Mule plug in at Pinewood Bowl Sunday, Aug. 16, 7 p.m.