FocusV3I7 by Focus Omaha

VOLUME 3 ISSUE 7 | FEBRUARY 13 - FEBRUARY 19 | 2019

YOUR

FREE

ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT, HEALTH, PERSONAL FINANCE, & MUSIC NEWSWEEKLY

LOCAL The Dive Kings

LIVE Todd Snider

SPORTS College Basketball

STREAM Peter Rowan, the Bluegrass Buddha

TABLE OF CONTENTS

- FEBRUARY 19 | 2019

YOUR

| FEBRUARY 13 NEWSWEEKLY VOLUME 3 ISSUE 7 NAL FINANCE, & MUSIC ENT, HEALTH, PERSO FREE ARTS, ENTERTAINM

FOCUS ON THIS WEEK! THE ARTS

LOCAL

TThe Dive Kings Original Rock ‘n’Roll By Andy Roberts SPORTS

LOCAL

The Dive Kings

LIVE

Todd Snider

FAMILY

College Basketball

STREAM

grass Buddha

Peter Rowan, the Blue

EVENTS

Your Daily Guide

ON TEN

Top Ten Events By Focus Omaha

12 THIS WEEKS FEATURE 14

THE SHOPS AT COUNTRYSIDE VILLAGE

LIVE

Psychedelics, Old Dogs & Jerry Jeff’s Balls: Catching Up With Todd Snider By Jesse D. Stanek

FINANCE

Retirement Plans for Small Businesses: By Michael Herek Sponsored By Blue Capitol Wealth

STREAM

Getting to Know The Bluegrass Buddha: Peter Rowan By Jesse D. Stanek

HAPPY HOUR

We gathered up some of the BEST Happy Hour spots around the Omaha metro. Focus is your FREE Arts, Entertainment, Health, Personal Finance, & Music Newsweekly.

FOCUS ON BENSON

HEALTH

Health- CDC Media Statement from Dr. Redfield on Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America By Focus Omaha

Focus 7914 W Dodge Rd. # 413 Omaha, NE 68114 (402) 208-6545 focusomaha@gmail.com www.focusomaha.com

SPORTS

College Basketball By Focus Omaha

We’ve brought all of these elements together for the first time, all in one weekly format. Our goal is to provide you, the customer, with the best possible publication to suit all of your needs.

Saturday, February 17 @ 7:30p Omaha Symphony Women Rock Holland Performing Arts Center Ernest Richardson, conductor Get ready to dance, sing along and “Hit Me with Your Best Shot”! Women Rock is coming to the Holland, honoring the powerful female singers and songwriters who changed Rock ‘n’ Roll forever with an incredible band of performers joining the Omaha Symphony for a onenight-only concert. With Aretha, Carole, Janis, Tina, and Pat all in one place, you’ll be “Dancing in the Street” with hits like “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll,” and “You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman.” -----------------------------------------------Sunday, Febraury 24 6p-8p Sip & Paint for Sweet Cases Therapy Bar and Grill 5059 S 108th St, Omaha Cost is $20 per person *includes wine glass, stencils, painting supplies and paint, along with a quick art lesson on “How to Paint your glass”

bition featuring videos by Kader Attia and Candice Breitz, curated by Taraneh Fazeli, 2018 Bemis Curator-in-Residence. Amidst the current “migration crisis,” these artworks interrogate who is afforded the right to speak or the ability to be understood considering dominant representational narratives and the political, socio-psychological and technological systems that shape our understandings of self and the communal. -----------------------------------------------Through March 8 Into Purer Light by Jeremy Caniglia Public · Hosted by Creighton University Lied Art Gallery, 2500 California Plz A Creighton University alumnus and a painter with a noted Omaha name will open the Lied Art Gallery’s first exhibition of the new year. Jeremy Caniglia, MEd’16, will exhibit paintings and drawings in a show titled “Into Purer Light.” The pieces are Caniglia’s latest figurative works and are an exploratory journey into the Greek concept of the afterlife. You must Pre-Register and pay fee prior -----------------------------------------------to event as space is limited. You can pay Through March 23 online using Paypal https://paypal.me/ Effects of PTSD | Elizabeth Boutin sweetcasesomaha?locale.x=en_US Fred Simon Gallery,1004 Farnam St. Through February 20 Elizabeth Boutin unpacks her memories Inner Worlds and journals onto canvas based on the Modern Arts Midtown, 3615 Dodge St. time she spent volunteering as a AmerFeaturing works of Jennifer Homan, ican Red Cross Volunteer. She assisted Martha Horvay, Merrill Peterson and with wounded soldiers during Operation Laura Nothern. Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring -----------------------------------------------Freedom, during which time she enThrough February 22 countered many wounds, hardships, and Salute to Black Men and Womern the discovery that time can not heal all Great Plains Black History Museum, things. One important take-away from 2221 N 24th St. her time as a military spouse and volunThis exhibit features teer are the painful effects of PTSD. drawings by Terry Diel in this tribute to She only started to delve into these histopric women and distinguished men, memories and harmful mental condition including Maya Angelou, Rosa Parks, in 2014, and has taken to her art hisMalcom X and many more. Free. torical and painting expertise to share -----------------------------------------------her story and relate to with others with Through February 23 similar stories. Free. I LET THEM IN. Conditional Hospitality -----------------------------------------------and The Stranger Bemis Center for Through May 12 Contemporary Arts Dinosaur UpROAR, Lauritzen Gardens 724 South 12th Street 100 Bancroft St., 9a to 5p daily “I let them in. Conditional Hospitality Don’t miss this life-sized adventure and The Stranger” is a two-person exhi- through the fauna and fearsome flora

Focus | - February 13 - February 19 | Volume 3 Issue 7

of Lauritzen Gardens that’s fun for the whole family. Dinosaur UpROAR offers a realistic glimpse into the prehistoric world, allowing visitors to experience what life was like millions of years ago when dinosaurs roamed the earth. The indoor exhibit will feature 20 life-sized installations positioned throughout the garden, where massive creations by Guy Darrough will appear right at home nestled among plants that have survived through the ages and jungle-like landscapes. The carefully crafted dinosaurs will range in size from a 14-inch Sordes to a massive 33-ft. Daspletosaur, and plant fossils of Nebraska and a collection of prehistoric plants will also be highlighted. With discovery stations and plenty of educational activities and

special events scheduled throughout the exhibit, it is bound to be a RAWR-ing good time in the garden. Included with paid garden admission or membership ($10 adults, $5 children 6-12, free for children under 6). Explore more during Dino-Nights, February 15-17, 22-24, March 1-3, 8-10, 2019 from 5 to 8 p.m. each evening When the gates close and the sun goes down, guests get to explore the garden’s “Jurassic dark.” Get an evening fossil fix that’s fun for the whole family when the sculptures of Dinosaur UpROAR are illuminated (thanks to the amazing advancements in technology made since the Jurassic Period). Dino Nights are only for a limited time, enjoy them before they go extinct.

Focus | February 13 - February 19 | Volume 3 Issue 7 5

Through February 23rd I LET THEM IN. Conditional Hospitality and The Stranger Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts 724 South 12th Street, Omaha “I let them in. Conditional Hospitality and The Stranger” is a two-person exhibition featuring videos by Kader Attia and Candice Breitz, curated by Taraneh Fazeli, 2018 Bemis Curator-in-Residence. Amidst the current “migration crisis,” these artworks interrogate who is afforded the right to speak or the ability to be understood considering dominant representational narratives and the political, socio-psychological and technological systems that shape our understandings of self and the communal. www.bemiscenter.org -----------------------------------------------Monday, March 18 | 6p PJ Masks Live! Save The Day Ralston Arena, 7300 Q St, Omaha PJ MASKS LIVE: is back with an all new

super-heroic, live musical show, featuring the heroic triofrom your favorite series: The PJ MASKS! Watch Catboy, Owlette and Gekko along with their new friend PJ Robot, as they try to save the day from the sneaky villains - Romeo, Night Ninja and Luna Girl! Fluttering Feathers! Leaping Lizards! What a CAT-tastrophe! www.ralstonarena.com -----------------------------------------------Through April 14 Super Sports: Building Strength, Sportsmanship, and Smarts Omaha Children’s Museum, 500 S. 20th You’re the all-star in the special exhibit Super Sports: Building Strength, Sportsmanship and Smarts. Test your skills throwing footballs and baseballs. Take aim on the mini soccer, hockey and basketball courts. Family events continued onto the bottom half of page 7.

Focus | - February 13 - February 19 | Volume 3 Issue 7

EVENTS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14 Jay Harris at The Gathering Room Hosted by McCoy’s at Thunderbowl 8p FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15 Knockout Parties - DJ Jake - Every Friday The Mile Away Hall & Tavern, 7p

---------------------------------------------The Persuaders Amerisports Bar, 8:30p

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 16 JB Acoustic Cellar 19, 7p

---------------------------------------------The Persuaders Amerisports Bar, 8:30p

---------------------------------------------Flippin Whiskey Whiskey Roadhouse, 9p

Family events continued from page 6. Each area in the exhibit is an interactive experience focusing on a different sport or profession related to sports. Children can develop team-building skills, and learn about nutrition and an athletic lifestyle, all through play. There’s even a separate toddler area for our youngest athletes-in-training. www.ocm.org -----------------------------------------------Through April 28th Oliver Jeffers: 15 Years of Picturing Books Joslyn Art Museum, 2200 Dodge This exhibition chronicles Oliver Jeffers’ development and success as a children’s book artist, including illustrations from The Day the Crayons Quit and The Day the Crayons Came Home, both The New York Times #1 Best Sellers. A Mind’s Eye Gallery exhibition.

Focus | February 13 - February 19 | Volume 3 Issue 7 7

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 13 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13

Happy Hippie Hour with Carrie Jean The Down Under Lounge, 3p ----------------------------------------------Dr. Webb Music The Down Under Lounge, 4:20p ----------------------------------------------Beer, Bingo & Trivia Kros Strain Brewing Co., 6p ----------------------------------------------Bozak and Morrissey Ozone Lounge, 6:30p ----------------------------------------------Kandace Springs, The Jewell, 6:30p ----------------------------------------------CD 105.9 Whiskey Wednesday Library Pub, 7p ----------------------------------------------Trivia, Stocks n Bonds, 7p ----------------------------------------------Acoustic Open Mic Night The New Frontier Bar, 7p ----------------------------------------------Mason MIchaels Therapy Bar & Grill, 7p ----------------------------------------------Postmodern Jukebox Holland Center, 7:30p ----------------------------------------------Rayford Jones The Omaha Lounge, 7:30p ----------------------------------------------Comedy Open Mic Barley Street Tavern, 8p ----------------------------------------------Thursday Night Trivia, Nifty Ba, 8p ---------------------------------------------Aly Peelers Open Mic Night The Down Under Lounge, 8p --------------------------------------------The House Of Love Valentine’s Day Pre Party, Bar 415, 9p ----------------------------------------------Karaoke w/ Host Adam Flohr Brokedown Palace, 9p ----------------------------------------------Matt Cox Solo Residency Harney Street Tavern, 9p ----------------------------------------------Open Mic Night (Hosted by Stathi) The B. Bar, 9:30p ----------------------------------------------Wednesday Night Karaoke with Brixz Brokedown Palace, 10p

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 14 Robert Kimbrough Sr. Blues Connection Chrome Lounge, 6p ----------------------------------------------Tim Koehn and The Sweet Tea Jazz, A Louisiana Kitchen, 6p

Smooth Jazz with Chad Stoner Band Ozone Lounge, 6:30p ----------------------------------------------Valentine’s Night Dance Party Omaha Ballroom, 7p ----------------------------------------------Sexploration Fest OutrSpaces, 7p ----------------------------------------------Valentine’s Dinner & Show with Cliff Wright, Ramada Plaza, 6p ----------------------------------------------Big Wade & The Black Swan Theory Ozone Lounge, 6:30p ----------------------------------------------Valentines Day Show w/ Kris Lager Solo The B Side of Benson Theatre, 7p ----------------------------------------------Acoustic Open Mic Night The New Frontier Bar, 7p ----------------------------------------------Come Together Band Vino Mas, 7p ----------------------------------------------Sarah Colonna Omaha Funny Bone, 7:30p ----------------------------------------------Trivia, The Sociable Inn, 7:30p ----------------------------------------------Ladies Night ft DJ Sean Micheal Karma Nightclub, 8p ----------------------------------------------Love You To Death Lookout Lounge, 8p ----------------------------------------------Thursday Night Trivia, Nifty Bar, 8p ----------------------------------------------Matt Hackett Jazz LIVE South Omaha’s Finest Tequila Garage, 8p ----------------------------------------------Love SUCKS Party Addy’s Maple, 9p ----------------------------------------------Love : Super Size w/ Dominique Morgan Barley Street Tavern, 9p ----------------------------------------------EDM Thursdays Candlelight Lounge, 9p ----------------------------------------------Ladies Night & Adam Lee Copacabana Cocktail Lounge, 9p --------------------------------------------Thirsty Thursday Karaoke Forte Music Hall, 9p ----------------------------------------------Valentines Day w/ Magick K Acoustic Harney Street Tavern, 9p ----------------------------------------------KoZee Karaoke, KoZee Lounge, 9p ----------------------------------------------Karaoke | Salsa Lessons, Rehab Lounge, 9p ----------------------------------------------Chris Shelton, Dubliner Pub, 9:30p ----------------------------------------------Singer-Songwriter Night The Down Under Lounge, 9:30p ----------------------------------------------Jessica Errett, Brokedown Palace, 10p

Focus | - February 13 - February 19 | Volume 3 Issue 7

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 15 OBW Kickoff: w/ a Doppelsticke Altbier! Scriptown Brewing Co., 5p ----------------------------------------------Jared William Gottberg The Cove Lounge, 5p ----------------------------------------------Lauren Anderson The B. Bar, 5:30p ----------------------------------------------Mayyadda ft. Andrew Bailie & Aly Peeler Thje Jewell, 6:30p ----------------------------------------------Billy Troy American Legion Post #1, 7p ----------------------------------------------Taxi Driver Bogie’s West, 7p ----------------------------------------------Jacked Firewater Grille, 7p ----------------------------------------------Live & Obey, Lookout Lounge, 7p ----------------------------------------------Wine, Chocolate, & Tango: Sips & Dips Omaha Ballroom, 7p ----------------------------------------------Brandon Liberty Therapy Bar & Grill, 7p ----------------------------------------------70xForgiven The Well, 7p ----------------------------------------------Haystak “Stak Is Back Tour” Forte Music Hall, 7p ----------------------------------------------Sarah Colonna Omaha Funny Bone, 7:30p/9:45p ----------------------------------------------Emily Bass - Aaron Stroessner Quartet Jambo Cat, 8p ----------------------------------------------Mr. Hotheaded Lookout Lounge, 8p ----------------------------------------------Todd Snider with Kevin Gordon Scottish Rite Hall, 8p ----------------------------------------------Rustic Gold Wired Pub, 8p --------------------------------------------Gallivant, The Long Awaited & Fallen Reign, American Dream, 9p ----------------------------------------------Ragged Company, Project : Constellation & Ted & Alice, Barley Street, 9p ----------------------------------------------Simplicated, Debut Chrome Lounge, 9p ----------------------------------------------Daddy Mac and the Flak Copacabana Lounge, 9p ----------------------------------------------Fearless Fred Fury Album Release Dr. Jack’s Drinkery, 9p -----------------------------------------------

Flippin Whiskey Forte Music Hall, 9p ----------------------------------------------Kaylyn Sahs Growler USA, 9p ----------------------------------------------Earthbound & Down Harney Street Tavern, 9p ----------------------------------------------Polka Police Huber Haus German Bier Hall ----------------------------------------------Trivia Night, Julio’s, 9p ----------------------------------------------The Angry Minnows On The Q St Bar, 9p ----------------------------------------------Peace Love Etc Ozone Lounge, 9p ----------------------------------------------DevonDupree+Jallee Bday Bash Parliament Pub, 9p ----------------------------------------------Carey and Davis Rathskeller, 9p --------------------------------------------Elevate presents: M25 Reverb Lounge, 9p ----------------------------------------------Toby Love Rhythmz Lounge, 9p ----------------------------------------------Jump The Tiger w/ Two Shakes, DROSS Slowdown, 9p ----------------------------------------------Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Ball w/ Ventura Blvd, Stocks N Bonds, 9p ----------------------------------------------Whitey Morgan w/ Alex Williams The Waiting Room, 9p ----------------------------------------------Royce Johns Live @ BCA! Beer Can Alley, 9:30p ----------------------------------------------Dicey Riley Dubliner Pub, 9:30p ----------------------------------------------Grassfed The Down Under Lounge, 9:30p ----------------------------------------------Dorsia DJ Set O’Leaver’s Pub, 10p ----------------------------------------------Living Conditions w/Unmanned and The Natural States, The Sydney, 10p

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 16 Come Fly Our Beer Benson Brewery, 11a --------------------------------------------Tony MacAlpine Lookout Lounge, 6p --------------------------------------------Little Joe & Big Trouble Original Showcase The Down Under Lounge, 6p

--------------------------------------------Blue Knights Guns and Hoses Hockey Ralston Arena, 6:05p --------------------------------------------Women Rock Holland Center, 7:30p --------------------------------------------Sarah Colonna Omaha Funny Bone, 7:30p/ 9:30p --------------------------------------------Valentine’s Hangover Forte Music Hall, 8p --------------------------------------------Karaoke & Music, Smitty’s Garage, 8p --------------------------------------------Trivia & Karaoke Night Stumble Inn, 8p --------------------------------------------Women Rock Holland Center, 7:30p ----------------------------------------------Noah’s “Ignacio” Birthday! Bar 415, 8p --------------------------------------------The Matt Amandus Jazz Trio Jambo Cat, 8p --------------------------------------------Cocktails & Kisses Da Truth Love’s Jazz & Art Center, 8p --------------------------------------------Moon Hooch w/ Elena Shirin of Aramboa, Slowdown, 8p --------------------------------------------MagicK K Therapy Bar & Grill, 8p --------------------------------------------Cruz Control The Well, 8p --------------------------------------------Over The River with Nuclear Bees and Brixz Wired Pub, 8p --------------------------------------------Badmotorfinger, & Alice Unchained wsg Eli Dykstra Rocks The Waiting Room, 8:30p --------------------------------------------Barley Street Tavern, 9p --------------------------------------------Bad Habit Chrome Lounge, 9p ---------------------------------------- Skretta Etc. Growler USA, 9p --------------------------------------------Room with a View Harney Street Tavern, 9p --------------------------------------------Trivia, Julio’s, 9p ---------------------------------------------Hi Fi Hangover Ozone Lounge, 9p --------------------------------------------Dre Days Reverb Lounge, 9p --------------------------------------------DJ Pink Bunny The Cove Lounge, 9p --------------------------------------------Tim Budig Solo Rathskellrt, 9:30p --------------------------------------------Gallivant The Down Under Lounge, 9:30p --------------------------------------------Dicey Riley Dubliner Pub, 9:30p ---------------------------------------------

Settling Houses, Sleeping on Couches & Ryan Nordstrom O’Leaver’s Pub, 10p

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 17 Beer Olympics with Infusion Brewing Co., Nifty Bar, 12p ----------------------------------------------Soups On, Blind Dave’s Bar, 1p ----------------------------------------------Half-Way to Oktoberfest Party Huber Haus German Bier Hall, 2p ----------------------------------------------Marina’s Switch Sunday The Down Under Lounge, 5p --------------------------------------------DEADSHIPS, Sherry Drive & Flourishing Illusions, Lookout Lounge, 8p -------------------------------------------FREE Booze Bingo! The Down Under Lounge, 8p --------------------------------------------Lissie, Roscoe & Etta The Waiting Room, 8p --------------------------------------------For the Love of Karaoke The Down Under Lounge, 10p

MONDAY FEBRUARY 18 Movie Monday The Down Under Lounge, 3p --------------------------------------------Archetype-Scriptown Coffee Beer Tap Takeover, Scriptown Brewing Company, 6p --------------------------------------------Aly Peeler and Andrew Bailie Monarch Prime & Bar, 6:30p --------------------------------------------Ozone Big Band Ozone Lounge, 6:30p --------------------------------------------Early Karaoke Forte Music Hall, 7p --------------------------------------------BINGO at Southwest Infusion Brewing Company, 7p --------------------------------------------Poker Night Therapy Bar & Grill, 7p --------------------------------------------Trivia, Vis Major Brewing, 7p --------------------------------------------Michelle Eva Bleu w/ B. Baldwin The Omaha Lounge, 7:30p --------------------------------------------The Love Language The Sydney, 8p --------------------------------------------Open Mic Barley Street Tavern, 9p --------------------------------------------DJ Howie’s Karaoke Grant St. Bar, 9p --------------------------------------------Open Mic Molly’s Pub, 9p --------------------------------------------Poker Night Therapy Bar & Grill, 7p --------------------------------------------Open Jam With Jason Figueroa The Down Under, 9p

continued on page 11

Focus | February 13 - February 19 | Volume 3 Issue 7 9

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 15

Todd Snider w/ Kevin Gordon SCOTTISH RITE HALL

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 16

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 15

Omaha Beer Week First Event with Delirium DOWN UNDER

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 16

Firkin Good Beer! Women Rock FUNDRAISER UPSTREAM BREWERY HOLLAND CENTER

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 15

USA National Miss Iowa and Nebraska Pageant OMAHA MARRIOT

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 17

Moon Hooch SLOWDOWN

Focus | - February 13 - February 19 | Volume 3 Issue 7

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 15

Lissie Roscoe & Etta WAITING ROOM

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 17

Love For Your Fellows Man w/ Shoot To Thrill CHROME LOUNGE

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 16

WeBop Family Jazz Party CHILDRENS MUSEUM

TUESDAY FEBRUARY 19

Creighton Bluejays CHI HEALTH CENTER

Events continued from page 9

TUESDAY FEBRUARY 19 Open Jam w/ Tony Romero Therapy Bar & Grill, 6p --------------------------------------------Pro-Choice Trivia Night! brothers lounge, 6:30p --------------------------------------------Billy Troy Ozone Lounge, 6:30p --------------------------------------------Open Jam hosted by Scott Moyer Barley Street Tavern, 7p --------------------------------------------Motel Martyr // Gaffer Project // Hollow Animal , Dr. Jack’s Drinkery, 7p --------------------------------------------Trivia, Goldeez, 7p ---------------------------------------------

Nat Geo Live! Social by Nature with photographer Ronan Donovan Holland Center, 7:30p --------------------------------------------Huber-Schlaggen with Infusion Huber Haus, 7:30p --------------------------------------------Mitch Towne Jazz Organ Trio Jambo Cat, 7:30p --------------------------------------------Needtobreathe: Acoustic Live Tour Orpheum Theatre, 7:30p --------------------------------------------Hector Anchondo The Omaha Lounge, 7:30p --------------------------------------------Open Mic Jam Brokedown Palace, 8p --------------------------------------------On the Cinder / Top-Notch Defective / Brixz The Flip , Lookout Lounge, 8p ---------------------------------------------

Diamond Empire Band Soiree Room, 8p --------------------------------------------Gang of Four w/ Eric in Outerspace Slowdown, 8p --------------------------------------------Spencer’s Trivia Dojo The Down Under, 8p --------------------------------------------Music Quiz! w/Sara and Rob The Sydney, 8p --------------------------------------------Madness & Mayhem Tour: Mushroomhead, The Waiting Room, 8p --------------------------------------------Karaoke, Forte Music Hall, 9p --------------------------------------------Karaoke Battle of Champions The Down Under Lounge, 10p --------------------------------------------Karaoke w/the Beautiful Tony Buttells, The Sydney, 10p

Focus | February 13 - February 19 | Volume 3 Issue 7 11

Empyrean Pint Night, Down Under, 5p-2a White Elm Tap Takeover Spirit World, 5p-11p Kamikaze Karaoke with Brickway Nifty Bar, 7p-12a

Infusion Brewing - SW, 7p-9p Beer & Donut Pairing Pint Nine Brewing 7p-8:30p

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 17

OMAHA BEER WEERK EVENTS Omaha Beer Week is an annual celebration that celebrates the metro area’s local businesses and its long history of craft beer culture. Featuring dozens of bars, breweries, and restaurants while hosting more than 100 events there is something for everyone.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15

Tapper’s Homebrew Competition Benson Brewery, 12a-12a Wasatch/Squatter’s Tap Takeover + Crepe Beyond Pop Up, Jake’s Cigars & Spirits11a-2a Surly Tap Invasion Blatt Beer & Table - Legacy, 11a-11p $1 Off Craft Bottles and Cans Jake’s Cigars & Spirits11a-2a Guess the Flight! 5168 Taproom, 11a-12a Farrell’s Irish Red Pint Night Sean O’Casey’s, 11a-12a Plinko at Farnam House! Farnam House, 11a-10p White Elm Tap Takeover Casual Pint, 2p-11:45p Moab (Mother of all Bettys) 2019 Bottle Release Party, Nebraska Brewing Co., 2p-10p Extreme Pro-Am Preview Infusion Brewing - Benson 3p-2a Omaha Beer Week Kickoff Event with Delirium, Down Under3p-2a Alaskan Brewing Co. Tap Takeover Omaha Tap House3p-11p Sour Tap Take Over Thunderhead Taproom, 3p-11p OBW Kick Off with New Belgium Foeder Sour Tappings Krug Park, 4p-2a Roll Out the Barrel Crescent Moon, 5p-12a Omaha Beer Week 2019 Kickoff! Scriptown Brewing, 5p-7p Anchorage Brewing Event Spirit World, 5p-7p

Bells Brewery Closest to the Pin and Hop Slam! Beyond Golf 5p-7p Dogfish Head Tap Takeover Growler USA 5:30p-7:30p NBC NIGHTLY, NEWS feat. Lester HoltSt. Andrew’s Pub 5:30p-2a Craft Beer Bingo w/ Fernson Brewing Smitty’s Garage, 9p-11p

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 16

Brews & Breakfast with Kinkaider Crescent Moon, 10a-12p Drink Local - All Day Pint Night Crescent Moon, 11a-2a Come Fly Our Beer, Benson Brewery, 11a-8p White Elm Tap Invasion Blatt Beer & Table - Legacy 11a-11p Omaha Beer Week Bus Tour Liquid Sunshine Taproom - SW11a-11p New Belgium Night Jake’s Cigars & Spirits, 11a-2a Bus Day Specials Lucky Bucket Brewing 11a-10p $5 Flights 5168 Taproom 11a-12a Apps and Ales Farnam House Brewing Company, 11a-10p Winter Beanfest, Infusion Brewing - SW 12p-10p 2017 Cellar Reserve Tapping, Beercade,12p-10p Culture Lab Launch Party Zipline Brewing 12p-10p Bus Tour Barrel-Aged Tappings Omaha Tap House, 12p-10p JUST BUSSED A MOVE - $1 Off Craft Cans, St. Andrew’s Pub12p-8p Sierra Nevada and Beer Bingo Beyond Golf 12p-10p Kros Strain Tap Takeover, Krug Park, 12p-2a Sour Tap Take Over Thunderhead Taproom, 12p-11p Firkin Good Beer! - Cask Ale Fest & Fundraiser, Upstream Brewing, 1p-5p Beat the Brewer Beer Pong Sean O’Casey’s, 1p-6p Cellar Peek, 1912, 4p-12a

Focus | - February 13 - February 19 | Volume 3 Issue 7

Homebrew Day with Infusion Infusion Brewing - SW, 9a-3p Beerunch Benson Brewery 10a-2p Surly Beer Brunch,Casual Pint,11a-2p Brunch & Beermosas with Delirium Crescent Moon 11a-2p Pint Nine Tap Invasion Blatt Beer & Table - Legacy 11a-11p Belgian Brunch & Bourbon Barrel Quad Release, Farnam House Brewing Co., 11a-9p N. Coast Rye Whiskey Barrel Aged Old Rasputin Tapping Krug Park11a-2a Bar Olympics with Infusion Brewery Nifty Bar 11:30a-7p 6th Annual Chili Cook-Off Infusion Brewing - Benson 12p-3p Sour Tap Takeover Thunderhead Taproom 12p-7p Girl Scout Cookie & Beer Pairing Growler USA 1p-7p Half-Way to Oktoberfest Party Crescent Moon 2p-6p Gigantic Brewing Jenga Competition Bärchen 2p-6p Pint Nine Tap Takeover at Rathskeller Pint Nine Brewing 2p-4p Meet OUR Brewer! 5168 Taproom 2p-4p Pint Nine Tap Takeover at Blatt Pint Nine Brewing 6p-8p Nebraska Craft Beer Trivia Night w/ Omaha World-Herald Local Beer, Patio & Kitchen Downtown6p-8p Omaha Beer Week Booze Bingo Down Under, 8p-10p

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18

Makeaerica Growler Again Benson Brewery 11a-10p Founder’s Tap Takeover Sean O’Casey’s 11a-10p Beer Cocktails!5168 Taproom, 11a-10p Board Games & Beers Farnam House Brewing Co. 3p-10p BA Tap Takeover Thunderhead Taproom 3p-10p Discounted Staple Beers Lucky Bucket Brewing 4p-10p White Elm Brewer’s Choice Unveiling Krug Park 4p-2a Dogfish Head Flight Night, Bärchen, 4:30p-10p New Belgium Bike Giveaway Crescent Moon, 5p-9p MOAB Monday, Casual Pint, 5p-9:30p New Belgium TakeoverOmaha Tap House, 5p-7p Pint 9 and Beer Bingo!Beyond Golf, 5p-7p Keg Creek Tap Takeover Growler USA, 5:30p-7:30p Archetype-Scriptown Coffee Beer Tap Takeover, Scriptown Brewing, 6p-11p Mornin’ Delight with Sarah Baker Hansen and Omaha Dines Blatt Beer & Table - Legacy, 6p-9p Extreme Bingo Part 1

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19

Balance with Brews | Taproom Yoga 5168 Taproom, 8:30a-9:30a New Belgium Tap Invasion Blatt Beer & Table - Legacy, 11a-11p Nouveau Belgium Tap Takeover St. Andrew’s Pub, 2p-2a Barrelywine Release Kros Strain Brewing 3p-10p Craft Carnival, Vis Major Brewing, 3p-10p BA Tap Takeover Thunderhead Taproom, 3p-10p Lazy Horse & Golf Competitions Beyond Golf, 3:30p-6p Beer and Dessert Pairing Infusion Brewing - Benson 4p-9p Dogfish Head Anniversary Pint Night & Seafood Boil, Crescent Moon, 4p-1a Boulevard Chocolate Ale Tapping Krug Park 4p-2a Nordic Tap Takeover Bärchen, 5p-11p New Belgium Brewing Tap Takeover Growler USA, 5p-7p “Hop’d Off the Farm” w/ Hop Yard Liquid Sunshine Taproom - SW,5p-11p Rare Beer Release! Farnam House Brewing Company, 5p-10p Boulevard Brewing Pint Night Sean O’Casey’s,6p-8p Bags Tournament, Lucky Bucket Brewing, 6p-8p Single & Mingle, Benson Brewery, 6p-8:30p America’s Pub Quiz Trivia Scriptown Brewing 7p-9p Pint Nine Beer Trivia Pint Nine Brewing, 7p-8:30p Huber-Schlagen with Infusion Crescent Moon 7p-10p

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20

New Belgium Pint Night at Sean O’Casey’s, 11a-11p PINT Night!5168 Taproom11a-10p Leave No Stone Untapped 5 Beercade, 2p-12a Triple Your Quad Reps, Bärchen, 3p-11p Dales Pale Ale Pint Night, Down Under, 3p-5p Warhead Wednesday Kros Strain Brewing 3p-10p BA Tap Takeover Thunderhead Taproom, 3p-10p Infusion Pint Night 1912, 4p-12a Pint Nine Brewing Cloud Jumper Release & Pints for a Purpose, Pint Nine Brewing, 4p-9p Discounted Growlers Lucky Bucket Brewing, 4p-10p Rare Tappings with DESTIHL Krug Park 4p-2a IPA Tap Takeover Crescent Moon, 5p-1a Founders Tap Feature Blatt Beer & Table - Legacy, 5p-11p Keg Creek Beat the Brewer Beyond Golf, 5p-12a Mid-Winter Float Fest

Scriptown Brewing, 6p-9p New Brew(er) Release Benson Brewery. 6p-9p Bingo Bango MAAANGO! Zipline Brewing, 6p-7p Beer Dinner with Well Seasoned Infusion Brewing - SW, 6:30p-9p Ales and Oils Thunderhead Taproom, 6:30p-8:30p Dogfish Head Trivia Night Casual Pint, 7p-10p IT FLOATS! Craft Raft Night St. Andrew’s Pub, 7p-2a Giant Jenga Tournament with Pint Nine, Nifty Bar 8p-12a Nifty Jenga Tournament Pint Nine Brewing, 8p-10p THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21 Destihl Tap Invasion Blatt Beer & Table - Legacy, 11a-11p Blue Blood Night Jake’s Cigars & Spirits, 11a-2a Battle of the Stouts at Sean O’Casey’s Sean O’Casey’s, 11a-10p CRAFT RANGOON St. Andrew’s Pub, 2p-2a Thursday Afternoon Book Club Kros Strain Brewing 3p-10p Return of the Funk! Farnam House Brewing Co., 3p-10p BA Tap Takeover Thunderhead Taproom, 3p-10p Pint Nine Release of Donnybrook Pint Nine Brewing 4p-9p Special Edition Wing Fling Crescent Moon, 4p-11p Kinkaider Tap Takeover Omaha Tap House, 4p-7p Two-Buck IPAs! Lucky Bucket Brewing, 4p-10p Founders Brewing Co. KBS Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout Tapping Krug Park 4p-2a Butterfish Sushi & Scriptown Beer Tasting Scriptown Brewing, 5p-9p Beertopia Tasting & Tapping with Pint Nine Pint Nine Brewing,5p-8p Tilquin Event, Spirit World, 5p-7p Saugatuck Brewery Beat the Brewer Golf Competitions, Beyond Golf, 5p-12a Beer, Beer, Bags & Beer, 1912, 5:30p Toppling Goliath T-Rex Takeover Growler USA, 5:30p-7:30p Sour Hour Bärchen, 6p-11p Brats and Brews Kros Strain Brewing, 6p-9p Books and Brews Thunderhead Taproom, 6p-9p Extreme Bingo Part 2 Infusion Brewing - Benson, 7p-9p Trivia Night, Nifty Bar, 8p-10p

5168 Taproom, 11a-10p I Love the 90s!Casual Pint,2p-11:45p Pint Night w/ Live Music Infusion Brewing - SW, 3p-12a Pint Night, Infusion Brewing - Benson, 3p-2a Dogfish Head Pint Night, Down Under, 3p-2a Beer Releases for Omaha Beer Week Lucky Bucket Brewing, 3p-10p Surly Tap Takeover Thunderhead Taproom, 3p-11p Deschutes Brewing Co. Golf & National Margarita Day, Beyond Golf, 4p-12a Dogfish Head Tap Takeover Krug Park 4p-2a Scriptown Tap Takeover at Hy-Vee Papillion Market Grille, Scriptown Brewing, 5p-8p Fernson Mini Tap Takeover Spirit World, 5p-11p Sandhills Tap Takeover | Kinkaider & Scratchtown Growler USA5:30p-7:30p Boulevard Tasting w/ Jeremy Danner Beercade 9p-11p Brewery Karaoke Battle Crescent Moon, 9p-11p

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23

Polka Party, Bärchen,11a-1a Deschutes Pint Night Sean O’Casey’s, 11a-12a Guess That Flight Farnam House Brewing Co.,12p-4p Sierra Nevada Barrel-Aged Draught Tappings Krug Park, 12p-2a Surly Tap Takeover Thunderhead Taproom, 12p-11p Extreme presented by Beertopia Crescent Moon, 3p-7p Kamikaze Karaoke with New Belgium Nifty Bar 8p-12a

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24

Extreme Brunch, 1912, 10a-2p Bacon Brunch Farnam House Brewing Company, 11a-4p Closing Night with Odell Cellar Series Krug Park, 11a-2a Surly Tap Takeover Thunderhead Taproom, 12p-7p Founders Finders Keepers St. Andrew’s Pub, 2p-2a

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25

It’s Not Hard to Say “Good Buy” to OBW, St. Andrew’s Pub, 2p-2a

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22

Keg Creek Tap Takeover Jake’s Cigars & Spirits, 11a-2a Odell Brewing Pint Night Sean O’Casey’s, 11a-12a Plinko at Farnam House! Farnam House Brewing Co. 11a-10p Double Stamp for Crowler Club

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CDC Media Statement from Dr. Redfield on Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America By Focus Omaha “I’m excited that CDC is part of this unprecedented opportunity to end the HIV epidemic in America. The Administration’s plan will deploy the people and key prevention and treatment strategies needed to reduce new HIV infections by 75 percent over the next 5 years, with the hope of a 90 percent reduction within 10 years. We have the tools to end new HIV infections in this Nation, but they must be applied now. The most recent data suggest that progress in reducing new infections has plateaued, and many communities remain vulnerable to HIV

ensure communities with the greatest burden make progress. We will listen to people living with HIV, and to public health partners in the most-affected communities, so we reach those in infection. Under this proposed initiative, greatest need. we will focus on four key strategies to CDC is proud to have been part of meet the needs of communities with the fight to prevent HIV from the the highest HIV burden: diagnose very beginning, and we are honored new HIV infections; treat those with to continue to work with our HHS infection rapidly and effectively; colleagues on this important initiative. protect people from being infected I thank the President and Secretary through access to comprehensive Azar for their visionary leadership in prevention and treatment, including medications that can prevent infection; seizing this opportunity. The time to end the HIV epidemic is now. I have and respond quickly to and stop new always believed in seeing the possible. outbreaks. To accomplish this, we will Embracing the possible, we will do it accelerate our work with state and together.” local health departments. We will –Robert R. Redfield, MD, establish HIV elimination teams—for Director, Centers for Disease Control ‘boots-on-the-ground’ support—to and Prevention

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GET YOUR FOCUS ON!

www.focusomaha.com

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Zach Jackson finished with 27 – the fifth time in six games he has gone for at least 20 points. Mitch Hahn added 21 and KJ Robinson kicked in 20 points. Summit League leader South Dakota State comes to Baxter Arena on Thursday. The Valentine’s Day matchup brings Kimball native Mike Daum – the two-time league player of the year - to Omaha for the final time as a collegian. This is the squad Omaha likely needs to beat in the league tournament to earn an NCAA bid.

Creighton Bluejays By Focus Omaha With its starting backcourt sidelined due to injury, Creighton took the defending national champs from Villanova into overtime before dropping a 66-59 game in Philadelphia. With Marcus Zegarowski and Ty-Shon Alexander recovering from injuries, the Bluejays went inside and slowed the game from their usual “Let It Fly” approach and had a potential game-winner miss before falling in overtime 66-59. Martin Krampelj produced his third double-double of the season and finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Davion Mintz added 19 points and had his best rebounding night of the year with eight. It was a great effort but the Jays didn’t finish – on Saturday the East Coast road trip continued with similar results. After twice battling back from double-digit deficits to take the lead, CU (13-11, 4-7 Big East) fell in the final moments at Seton Hall. Krampelj had a career high 25 points and a season best 11 rebounds but Myles Powell had 13 of his 22 after halftime – most in the final minutes and the Jays lost another potentially great tournament resume win. They are back on the road at Xavier on Wednesday.

Omaha Mavericks By Focus Omaha

Nebraska Huskers By Focus Omaha It’s unfortunate that Nebraska had to play one of the hottest teams in the conference on their own home court Saturday, as the Huskers fell to Purdue 81-62. Nebraska played their hearts out and the final score wasn’t indicative of the effort, but the window to the tournament continues to dim. The Huskers are now 1-5 versus ranked opponents despite Thomas Allen’s 18-point effort which was only matched once before this year against Creighton. The Boilermakers however just had too much offense, as they shot 50.9 percent from the field becoming only the second team in the last 49 games to shoot over 50% against Nebraska dating back to last season. Nebraska also had 23 points from the bench which was greatly aided and skewed by Thomas Allen not being in the starting lineup. They now get to try and vindicate themselves on Wednesday at home against Minnesota (a game which they should have won on their last meeting) before facing Northwestern at home on Saturday.

Focus | - February 13 - February 19 | Volume 3 Issue 7

The Omaha men’s basketball team worked overtime on Thursday to top South Dakota 107-102 in a neutral court game at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls. That gave the Mavericks (14-9, 8-2 Summit League a sweep of the season series with Coyotes and kept them in the running for the regular season league title.

The Dive Kings Original Rock ‘n’Roll By Andy Roberts It began innocently enough for the young Mike Irish. Irish was serving detention at his Elkhorn grade school and followed a girl he knew couldn’t be in trouble down the hall to an after-school music program. It didn’t take long for the teacher to asked if he wanted to join. Irish looked around the room at all the girls and said: “Yes I do!” But that was just the start. “The eventuality was when the Christmas musical came about . . . I actually got a part,” he recalled. “Oh my God this is something I can do well.” He stayed in the choir and was given a guitar for his 16th birthday. That eventually led to The Dive Kings, an original music band playing some of Omaha’s best music clubs. But, of course, that didn’t happen right away. In due time Irish found an ad for a band that was looking for members and called the number – undeterred by the band’s Sioux City base he joined. They worked at it for a few years and Storyteller’s self-titled CD was released in 1995.

“I was just a vocalist back then,” Irish recalled. Then one day he went to practice only to find the guitar player had left with all their gear and headed for Seattle to live out his rock ‘n’ roll dreams. “I never let anyone else be in charge after that,” he stated. From Storyteller Irish moved on to a band called Nail – just as the singer but it was not really his style. Then he joined Jackboot Suicide. “I played with those guys for like 12 years.” The name got them gigs with metal bands but they sounded like the, “Chili Peppers meet Sublime.”

allows them to be recognized. “That’s kind of one of my favorite things.” Those sounds can range from almost folk music to “just shy” of heavy metal.

Perhaps they should have gone with Irish’s idea for a name.

The music is inspired by his life experiences.

“I wanted to call it Rubber Tummy,” he recalled. “It would have been a great name.”

“Strange upbringing, rough childhood,” he said. “Same things everyone goes through . . . We grew up super poor . . . it was my outlet.”

So, about a decade ago The Dive Kings formed in Irish’s basement on South 16th Street. The lineup has been cycled through a few times but has stabilized with Irish as the singer-songwriter and guitarist. The drummer is Aaron Root who also helps on backing vocals, with bass player Tony Caruso who adds to vocals as well. Root is a two-year veteran while Caruso has been with Irish for six years and their friendship predates that. The two went to ITT and are electronic engineers. While working on a joint project, Caruso mentioned he had played bass in high school and a bond was formed. The sound? “I like to think that it’s on the rockabilly side of rock ‘n’ roll,” he said. Irish feels the band has a central musical hub that

Irish recalled he didn’t have a lot of nice things when he was growing up. “Actually the trailer park I grew up in is now a Menard’s.” The band’s show is almost all original material with what Irish termed “maybe a half dozen remakes” and not straight covers. If the name offers any confusion it may be due to them going under the name Bad Dynamic for about 18 months. “Over the last month or two we’ve been trying to make the transition back,” Irish explained, adding there has been more to that than anticipated. While they were away he lost the old website. “The positive side of that is I found there’s now a ‘dot.band,’” he said, which

works out better for artists looking to promote their work on the Internet. For The Dive Kings, there is a lot of work ready to be shared and more to come. Irish has written about eight hours of music and the band has learned about half of it well enough to perform in public. To date they have performed at multiple metro locations including The Waiting Room, The Barley Street Taverns, and Harrah’s Casino. Irish is hoping to take the project as far as it can go. “At least to the extent that this is what I do when I wake up,” he stressed. When pressed for an endorsement on the band, Irish said people who are looking for something they’ve never heard before but something that reminds them of the music they grew up with should check out The Dive Kings. “I hope other people get out of it what I try to put into it.” For more on The Dive Kings: www.facebook.com/ MikeIrishwiththeDiveKings

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two guys mostly,” Snider said Psychedelics, Old Dogs & Jerry Jeff’s “Those during a recent phone conversation, started with Jimmy [Buffett] and Balls: Catching Up With Todd Snider “itJohnall [Prine] for me. Robert Earl Keen

By Jesse D. Stanek

is another one who helped me out a lot. They met me when I was younger and I think he’s an alright guy. More than an from Seattle, playing what he calls showed me how it’s done. I try to do alright guy really, that’s just the name “music’s true alternative” - silence, that with younger artists who are also of one of his many songs I love, one of “roots-grunge.” The band that wouldn’t sick with it. I wanna tell em go sail or his many examples of clever wordplay play a note riding the celebrity wave something, do something else. But shit and hummable melodies. Todd Snider before crashing and packing up the van, if they’re like me, as soon as I got on a ranks as one of the best songwriters moving back to Athens, GA. boat I’d be like ‘where’s the guitar.’” living. His uncanny observations, his envious vulnerability, his buddy-inSnider’s laugh-out-loud (seriously, “Don’t get me wrong,” he added with the-backyard voice, it all adds up to not just that stupid “lol” people throw a chuckle, “I like it still. I can’t think something really unique. An evening around these days) memoir “I Never of anything else to do. But yeah man, spent listening to Snider is a memorable Met A Story I Didn’t Like: Mostly Tall I like the writing. There’s a guy who one, his stories, and one-off quips every Tales” opens with Snider backstage helps me with all that Peter Cooper, bit a part of the performance as the in Miami having fruit thrown at him he’s a journalist. He helped me type actual songs. by label boss/show headliner Jimmy it all, he helped me process it. It’s fun Buffett, who has apparently taken issue making that stuff up. The book is just Snider hit Nashville long before The with Snider’s decision to not play his Black Keys or Jack White, bumping “radio hit,” the aforementioned “Seattle around Music City USA since the Grunge Blues.” All is resolved with mid-nineties, making the acquaintance Snider’s trademark hilarious humility, of and becoming colleagues with the after walking off the tour and breaking likes of John Prine, Jerry Jeff Walker, down in the parking lot, he comes to and Jimmy Buffett. His albums haven’t his senses recognizing his own childish exploded onto the Charts but they behavior and the amazing opportunity haven’t busted the bank either. His Buffet laid on his doorstep. This fine single “ Talking Seattle Grunge Rock piece of literature is also where you’ll Blues” got some play when it was find the reference to Walker’s balls released over 20 years ago, a tonguealluded to in the title of this article. No in-cheek tale of gold digging record spoilers here folks. labels sniffing just because you’re

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me traveling around meeting people, smoking a joint with them. It doesn’t feel like art. It’s just something they asked me to do and it went well. My records, not so much, that’s something I have to do.” I’m glad Snider has this artistic compulsion, his barstool-buddy vocals and quirky stories making the world a better place. With over 17 proper records under his belt, Snider has been busy if not downright prolific, far from the stoned-out-slacker he sometimes projects. Snider has drawn criticism for his discussion of illegal substances, about which he neither condones or condemns, he just tells the stories the way they come. When discussing the recent mainstream success of Michael Pollan’s critically acclaimed “How

to Change Your Mind,” a book that discusses the medicinal and spiritual healing possible through the mindful use of psychedelics, Snider was candid. “I haven’t read the book yet but I live my life that way,” he said. “I’ve done a lot of LSD, as much as if not more than I’ve done of anything. As I got older, towards 48, I kind of got back into it. I think it’s good, especially if you’re ready for it. I can see how that party state of mind with Acid could go bad. You know you probably got like a stepparent who’s a dick or something and your favorite music is Metallica or AC/DC or something. But if you make it out to a Widespread [Panic] or Phish parking lot, a safe, good place for it, that can be a good thing.” Snider went on to tell the story behind his upcoming release “Cash Cabin Sessions Vol. 3” a collection of songs recorded at Johnny Cash’s legendary studio/cabin. After meeting June Carter Cash when Loretta Lynne was recording at the Cabin, Snider struck up a friendship with Cash and the experience evolved organically. “I was having dreams about the place. So Dave [Schools] (Widespread Panic

and Snider’s bandmate in The Hard Working Americans) and I and the whole tribe went out there and tripped balls. I made up 11 songs. It was something else, I mean it was Johnny’s cabin, he died in that room.” As an artist who tours frequently, Snider chooses to bring his trusty dog on the road with him. Companionship on those long overnight rides, a tailwagging friend for all occasions. His dog spends most of the night on stage with Snider, laying comfortably at his feet, taking it all in. “Oh man, he’s a ham,” Snider said of his four-legged partner in life. “His name is Cowboy Jim. He likes those gigs man. He’s 11 years old and I never had to train him, he’ll go anywhere. I can walk down the street in Manhattan and he stays right by, doesn’t wander off at all. Most of my songs he’s into, every now and then I’ll play an old song and he’ll get up and leave.” Todd Snider plays the Scottish Rite Hall, 202 South 20th St, on Friday, February 15 at 8 pm. Tickets range from $25-$40. Kevin Gordon opens the show. For more info visit onepercentproductions.com.

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Retirement Plans for Small Businesses: By Michael Herek

To maximize the amount you can save for your own retirement? A plan funded by employer contributions? By employee contributions? Both? A plan that allows you and your employees to make pre-tax and/or Roth contributions? Tax advantages The flexibility to skip employer contribuA retirement plan can have significant tax tions in some years? advantages: A plan with the lowest costs? Easiest • Your contributions are deductible administration? when made The answers to these questions can help • Your contributions aren’t taxed to guide you and your retirement profesan employee until distributed from sional to the plan (or combination of the plan plans) most appropriate for you. • Money in the retirement program SEPs grows tax-deferred (or, in the case A SEP allows you to set up an IRA (a of Roth accounts, potentially tax“SEP-IRA”) for yourself and each of your free) eligible employees. You contribute a Types of plans uniform percentage of pay for each emRetirement plans are usually either ployee, although you don’t have to make IRA-based (like SEPs and SIMPLE IRAs) contributions every year, offering you or “qualified” (like 401(k)s, profit-sharing some flexibility when business conditions plans, and defined benefit plans). Qualivary. For 2019, your contributions for fied plans are generally more complicat- each employee are limited to the lesser of ed and expensive to maintain than IRA25% of pay or $56,000. Most employers, based plans because they have to comply including those who are self-employed, with specific Internal Revenue Code and can establish a SEP. ERISA (the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974) requirements in or- SEPs have low start-up and operating der to qualify for their tax benefits. Also, costs and can be established using an qualified plan assets must be held either easy two-page form. The plan must cover in trust or by an insurance company. With any employee aged 21 or older who has worked for you for three of the last five IRA-based plans, your employees own (i.e., “vest” in) your contributions immedi- years and who earns $600 or more. ately. With qualified plans, you can generSIMPLE IRA plan ally require that your employees work a certain number of years before they vest. The SIMPLE IRA plan is available if you have 100 or fewer employees. Employees can elect to make pre-tax contributions Which plan is right for you? in 2019 of up to $13,000 ($16,000 if age With a dizzying array of retirement 50 or older). You must either match your plans to choose from, each with unique employees’ contributions dollar for dollar advantages and disadvantages, you’ll — up to 3% of each employee’s compenneed to clearly define your goals before attempting to choose a plan. For example, sation — or make a fixed contribution of 2% of compensation for each eligible do you want: If you are self-employed or own a small business and you haven’t established a retirement savings plan, what are you waiting for? A retirement plan can help you and your employees save for the future.

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employee. (The 3% match can be reduced to 1% in any two of five years.) Each employee who earned $5,000 or more in any two prior years, and who is expected to earn at least $5,000 in the current year, must be allowed to participate in the plan. SIMPLE IRA plans are easy to set up. You fill out a short form to establish a plan and ensure that SIMPLE IRAs are set up for each employee. A financial institution can do much of the paperwork. Additionally, administrative costs are low.

Profit-sharing plan

Typically, only you, not your employees, contribute to a qualified profit-sharing plan. Your contributions are discretionary — there’s usually no set amount you need to contribute each year, and you have the flexibility to contribute nothing at all in a given year if you so choose (although your contributions must be nondiscriminatory, and “substantial and recurring,” for your plan to remain qualified). The plan must contain a formula for determining how your contributions are allocated among plan participants. A separate account is established for each participant that holds your contributions and any investment gains or losses. Generally, each employee with a year of service is eligible to participate (although you can require two years of service if your contributions are immediately vested). Contributions for any employee in 2019 can’t exceed the lesser of $56,000 or 100% of the employee’s compensation.

401(k) plan

The 401(k) plan (technically, a qualified profit-sharing plan with a cash or deferred feature) has become a hugely popular retirement savings vehicle for small businesses. With a 401(k) plan, employees can make pre-tax and/or Roth contributions in 2019 of up to $19,000 of pay ($25,000 if age 50 or older). These deferrals go into a separate account for each employee and aren’t taxed until distributed. Generally, each employee with a year of service must be allowed to contribute to the plan.

You can also make employer contributions to your 401(k) plan — either matching contributions or discretionary profit-sharing contributions. Combined employer and employee contributions for any employee in 2019 can’t exceed the lesser of $56,000 (plus catch-up contributions of up to $6,000 if your employee is age 50 or older) or 100% of the employee’s compensation. In general, each employee with a year of service is eligible to receive employer contributions, but you can require two years of service if your contributions are immediately vested. 401(k) plans are required to perform somewhat complicated testing each year to make sure benefits aren’t disproportionately weighted toward higher paid employees. However, you don’t have to perform discrimination testing if you adopt a “safe harbor” 401(k) plan. With a safe harbor 401(k) plan, you generally have to either match your employees’ contributions (100% of employee deferrals up to 3% of compensation, and 50% of deferrals between 3% and 5% of compensation), or make a fixed contribution of 3% of compensation for all eligible employees, regardless of whether they contribute to the plan. Your contributions must be fully vested. Another way to avoid discrimination testing is by adopting a SIMPLE 401(k) plan. These plans are similar to SIMPLE IRAs, but can also allow loans and Roth contributions. Because they’re still qualified plans (and therefore more complicated than SIMPLE IRAs), and allow less deferrals than traditional 401(k)s, SIMPLE 401(k)s haven’t become popular.

Defined benefit plan

A defined benefit plan is a qualified retirement plan that guarantees your employees a specified level of benefits at retirement (for example, an annual benefit equal to 30% of final average pay). As the name suggests, it’s the retirement benefit that’s defined, not the level of contributions to the plan. In 2019, a defined benefit plan can provide an annual benefit of up to $225,000 (or 100% of

defined benefit plans can be attractive to businesses that have a small group of highly compensated owners who are seeking to contribute as much money as possible on a tax-deferred basis. As an employer, you have an important role to play in helping Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s workers save. Now is the time to look into retirement plan programs for you and your employees.

pay if less). The services of an actuary are generally needed to determine the annual contributions that you must make to the plan to fund the promised benefit. Your contributions may vary from year to year, depending on the performance of plan investments and other factors. In general, defined benefit plans are too costly and too complex for most small businesses. However, because they can provide the largest benefit of any retirement plan, and therefore allow the largest deductible employer contribution,

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Getting to Know The Bluegrass Buddha: Peter Rowan By Jesse D. Stanek

You might expect an artist with over a half-century of recording and performing under his belt to stick to what he knows. Nobody would fault you for expecting a BB King record to be his trademark Blues. Guitarist/ singer/songwriter Peter Rowan puts that notion to rest. Sure, he earned his stripes with the Father of Bluegrass Bill Monroe, playing as one of Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys from 1964-1967, and while Bluegrass and acoustic music has always been the canvas he works on, Rowan has released records in a plethora of genres: bluegrass, blues, rock and roll, Hawaiian, reggae, country, Irish and Tex-Mex. Just imagine if The Stanley Brothers had ever worked with a Tibetan throat singer on a reggae project, now you’re getting a sense for the depth and breadth of Rowan’s work. Monroe was always known as a bit of a workhorse musically and he expected the same from his Bluegrass Boys, crisp vocals, pitch-perfect harmonizing, ferocious and studied picking, all

Garcia was busy with some rock and roll project he had going (The Grateful Dead), the others had their own musical paths to follow, with Grisman and Clements experimenting in a variety of formats including jazz and country-rock, defining characteristics of former Mon- it wasn’t long before O&ITW was in roe disciples, artists like Rowan, Richard Rowan’s rearview. Greene and Del McCoury. There’s little Rowan’s brothers Chris and Lorin made doubt the young blue-eyed Boston Boy a name for themselves as The Rowlearned a lifetime of musical lessons in an Brothers and Peter put out a few those years working with Monroe, but records with them, enjoyable albums when Monroe told him you can’t write but far from his best work. Of course songs about Buddha for people in Kenthere were the bluegrass collaborations, tucky, Rowan packed up his guitar and working with the genre’s finest, artists headed out to California, where apparlike Jerry Douglas, Tony Rice, Sam Bush, ently it’s acceptable to write bluegrass Ricky Skaggs and more. Whether writing songs about Buddha. and singing about cowboys out on the Out on the sunny left coast Rowan made plains, lonesome trails, self-medication the acquaintance of Jerry Garcia, David for writer’s block, or transcendental spiritual echoes through time, Rowan’s Grisman and Vasser Clements, forming sugar-in-the-raw voice brings it all home the legendary bluegrass band Old & In time and time again, cresting high and The Way (O&ITW). The band was short lonesome, swinging down to the dirty lived, however, in that tiny window places, all within the confines of a single they managed to give many of Rowan’s line. He is a regular on the Summer compositions a permanent place in the Bluegrass Festival Circuit, making cannon of acoustic American music. Songs like “Moonlight Midnight,” “Pana- venues like Telluride’s storied town park ma Red,” “Lonesome L.A. Cowboy,” “The the churches in which he delivers his singular gospel. Hobo Song” and “Land of the Navajo” have become newgrass and folk staples. Rowan’s early work with O&ITW remains some of his most iconic. While the group’s self-titled studio album is an excellent example of the band’s brilliance, it’s not available from most streaming services, leaving us to pick through live releases to get a taste of that Rowan magic. Both “Live at The Boarding House: The Complete Shows” and “Acoustic Archive Series Vol. 2: Breakdown (Live)” serve as excellent documentation of the band, showcasing many of it’s standout tracks, including along with the aforementioned Rowan compositions, classics like “Pig in a Pen,” “Muleskinner Blues,” “Wild Horses” and “Uncle Pen.” Rowan singing and picking the guitar, Garcia adding harmonies and deft banjo rolls, Grisman getting frisky on the mandolin and Clements lighting up the fiddle, O&ITW is a great introduction to not only Rowan’s impressive catalog but also to Bluegrass music in general.

Focus | - February 13 - February 19 | Volume 3 Issue 7

A Peter Rowan performance is never short on the chatter, with the Bluegrass Buddha every bit as comfortable spinning yarns as he is picking blistering bluegrass numbers or acoustic skanking on a reggae ditty. His 2006 release “Crucial Country” is a personal favorite. Recorded at the legendary Telluride Bluegrass Festival, the performance (an awe inspiring set I was able to enjoy with my son Van) finds a later day Rowan comfortable in his skin, plowing through bluegrass rippers like “The Walls of Time” and “Ancient Tones” along with a gorgeous 11-minute cover of Bob Marley’s “No Woman No Cry.” His band on this record, also called Crucial Country, features some of acoustic music’s most prolific pickers and Rowan’s pristine, almost-angelic voice does things with Marley’s tune nothing short of musically transcendent. Bluegrass aces like Bush and Douglas carry the string groove, with some stellar drumming and percussion making it just a little too beautifully weird to ever be embraced by the bluegrass purists. For more of the acoustic songwriter feel his self-titled 1978 record is one of those albums you’ll continue to come back to, impressed a bit more each time, music and words aged like a fine Bordeaux. Many of the cuts, notably “Land of the Navajo” and “Midnight Moonlight” remain staples, being reinvented in a variety of ways with a variety of players. “The Free Mexican Airforce” is a first rate Texican romp, complete with blistering accordion (yeah, that’s a thing), Rowan spins a cowboy smuggling number that would make Jimmy Buffett blush. For more of that Rowan bluegrass stuff, check out his record “New Freedom Bell.” Recorded with Druha Trava, a Czech bluegrass band he boarded with at an International Bluegrass Festival. The picking is first rate.Trava’s Eastern European roots flavor much of the music, giving older numbers a whole new Gypsy string birth and spicing up covers of Guy Clark and Bob Dylan. Back in 2014 Rowan got together with some electric country rock players and

put together an extremely jammy, not for the faint of ear collection called Peter Rowan’s Twang an’ Groove It’s Rowan’s most rocking record, rock and roll spiced with the reggae flavor found in much of his later work. “Fetch Wood Carry Water” and “Pulling the Devil by the Tail” get two of their best arrangements, the band flushing them out, finding new nuances and creating different creatures in the process. In 1993 Rowan released a record I consider to be a masterpiece, the sensually slow and spaced out “Awake Me in the New World.” His acoustic picking carries the music, but it’s far from rapid-fire flat-picking, slowly serving the seductive island mood, his voice a cool night breeze, salty and pure. “Caribbean Woman” is a slow-groove acoustic love song standing with his best and “Sugar Cane” picks a slick island blues, challenging Rowan’s timber, tit for tat, back and forth, an excellent example of his vocal mastery. The title cut is one of Rowan’s finest, percussion rollicking, his vocal range on full display, the longing palpable and the hope just another pipe dream destined to go south. The tune has gotten a recent resurgence after being covered by a couple newgrass acts, and while the young bucks handle it ably, it’s never in better hands than Rowan’s.

Records to Stream/Download: Old & In The Way: “Acoustic Archive Series, Vol. 2: Breakdown (Live) Peter Rowan: Crucial Country Druha Trava & Peter Rowan: “New Freedom Bell” Peter Rowan: “Peter Rowan” Peter Rowan: “Awake Me in the New World” Peter Rowan’s Twang an’ Groove: “Vol. 1” Focus On The Stream/Getting to Know is a weekly column by contributing writer Jesse Stanek. Each week the column will introduce (or in the case of many artists reintroduce) the reader to a different band or artist and tell you why they’re worth checking out. The column will recommend albums by the artist/band to stream or download. WHAT’S YOUR

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Focus | - February 13 - February 19 | Volume 3 Issue 7

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Focus | February 13 - February 19 | Volume 3 Issue 7 29

Focus | - February 13 - February 19 | Volume 3 Issue 7

Focus | February 13 - February 19 | Volume 3 Issue 7 31