The Reader March 24, 2011

march 24 - 30, 2011 VOL.18

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dish 12

Approval of Stamps

Theater 17 ‘Young Frankenstein’

music 19 Railroad Earth

send and receive

art 20

Bemis Juried Art Exhibition

From Nebraska bands who went to Austin to bands in Austin that should come to Nebraska, a full report on SXSW 2011

OMAHA JOBS 2

cover story by chris aponick and andrew norman ~ Page 9 photo by bryce bridges, taken at the durham museum

Weird 28

MOjo 30

FUNNIES 31

Full-time

Full-time

Hillcrest Health Systems Occupational Therapist & CMA/CAN/FT/PT Contact jyoung@hillcresthealth.co m. For more information go to OmahaJobs.com.

JOB FAIR – APRIL 6, 2011 MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW! OmahaJobs.com will be hosting their first of five job fairs for 2011 on April 6th at CoCo Keys Resort from 10a.m. to 5p.m. FREE to the public.

Many great companies have already signed up to do recruiting that day. Bring plenty of resumes and dress for success. Adults looking for employment, career change and education opportunites. Please plan to attend Omahajobs.com.

Black Hills Corp.

Blair, NE. visit: blackhillscorp.com. For more information go to OmahaJobs. com.

Fontenelle Nature Assoc.

Finance Associate. Contact jhuffman@fontenelleforest.org. For more information go to OmahaJobs.com.

Telvent DTN Computer Programmer. At least three years of this experience must have included developing software solutions using AJAX technologies.Qualified applicants should send resumes and cover letter to Lisa.Barajas@telventdtn.com. For more information go to OmahaJobs.com.

Merry Maids Solo Cleaners. Contact nporter@merrymaids.com.

For more information go to OmahaJobs.com.

State Farm Charlotte Beardmore Insurance Sales/Service charlotte@ BeardmoreInsurance.com.

For more information go to OmahaJobs.com.

Signs by Tomorrow Sign/Graphic Installer deldridge@signsbytomorrow.com. For more information go to OmahaJobs. com.

Predictive Technology, Sales Representatives.

Contact awilson@ptisolutions.com For more information go to OmahaJobs. com.

Full-time

Full-time

Full-time

Full-time

Full-time

Full-time

As part of Black Hills Corporation (NYSE: BKH), Black Hills Energy is your service provider, offering electric and natural gas service to customers in Nebraska. We offer the following career opportunity: Service Technician (Blair, NE) Requires high school diploma and NE driver’s license with safe driving record. Must have completed at least 6 months in Service Technician Trainee classification or have equivalent training or experience as determined by the company; working knowledge of NE HVAC and plumbing codes, electronics & HVAC equipment; demonstrated ability to understand control systems, read blueprints and wiring diagrams. Must obtain and keep current, applicable licenses and certificates, and work assigned shifts, on call, assigned holidays and overtime as required. We offer an attractive salary based upon qualifications with competitive benefits and a supportive professional work environment. To learn more about Black Hills Corporation and apply for this position, visit: blackhillscorp. com EOE/AA.

Nebraska CNA or Nebraska CNA/Med Aide 40 certified. Experience in Long Term Care if helpful.

Full benefit package: Health, Dental, Vision, Life, Cancer, Critical Illness, Accident, 401(k) with a match, Double time on Holidays, and paid Vacation and Sick leave. Contact Kathy Hicks, HR Manager, Phone 402-614-4000, Fax 402-614-4015 Brookestone Village, 4330 S 144th St, Omaha NE 68137, BrookestoneVillage.com.

Now hiring friendly, experienced servers for nights & weekends. Excellent Tips. Apply MondayFriday 1p.m.-4p.m. 12997 West Center Road. For more information visit OmahaJobs.com.

Pioneer Publishing is a fast growing leading local media company with print publications, websites and the leader in hosting the largest job fairs in the area seeking part time Freelance Commissioned Sales Representatives for the Omaha market. If you have knowledge of print & internet sales, please send resume to Clay Seaman at work@thereader.com. For more information visit OmahaJobs.com.

Great Plains Auto Body Receptionist Front Desk bhcrashman@gmail.com For more information go to OmahaJobs.com.

Academic Rheumatologist Full-time academic position. A substantial recruitment package is available to the right individual. Individuals from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. For more information visit OmahaJobs.com.

Test Engineer II wanted for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska in Omaha, Nebraska. MS degree in Computer Science, Business or related and one year experience or BS degree in same and 5 years of experience. Fax resume to 402.392.4134.

Metropolitan Utilities District Information Technology Division. Candidates must have the ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing with diverse clientele, including technical personnel, both internal and external to the District. Qualified individuals must also have a valid Driver's License. Experience with Cisco operating software for IOS, VLANS and ISL/802.1Q is desired.

The Human Resources Office is located at 3100 South 61st Avenue, Gate #1, where a full job description for this position may be viewed. Applications will be accepted between the hours of 7:30 a.m. - 4:00p.m., until March 25, 2011.

Prudential Agency Recruiter. Contact Shelly.larsen@prudential.c om. For more information go to OmahaJobs.com.

Computer programmer: Telvent DTN has an opening in Omaha, Nebraska, for a Computer Programmer. Convert project specifications into computer language. Develop and write computer programs to store, locate, and retrieve specific data and information.

Program, analyze, design, develop and deploy complex software solutions.

Specifically, the Computer Programmer will work to develop leading edge software solutions in JavaScript and AJAX technologies, as well as designing and developing databases utilizing knowledge of Microsoft SQL servers, and implementing object-oriented design patterns in applications relying on Coldfusion knowledge and experience. Requires Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, as well as five (5) years experience as a computer programmer, developer or computer analyst developing software solutions using Coldfusion, Java and/ or Javascript; developing databases using Microsoft SQL servers; and implementing or designing applications using Coldfusion. At least three years of this experience must have included developing software solutions using AJAX technologies. .

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omaha jobs

State Farm Sales/Service Assistant.

Contact kyle.emsick. rnol@statefarm.com.

If you would like more information go to OmahaJobs.com.

Assistant or Associate Professor. The successful candidate will be expected to develop a solid, funded research program and contribute to teaching medical, allied health and graduate students. Visit OmahaJobs.com for more details.

Ambitious? Creative? Outgoing?

Claas Omaha Assembly Technician Robbin.galdeano@claas. com. For more information go to OmahaJobs.com.

Now Hiring!

Pioneer Publishing, a fast growing local media company with over 10 channels, both print and online, is seeking Marketing Solutions Experts for full-time, part-time and freelance positions. Successful candidates must be ambitious, creative, outgoing, super helpful with a passion for solving problems and building relationships. If you have a background in sales, marketing or customer service, especially in the bar, restaurant, automotive or media industries, we want to talk to you! We need team members who are ready to meet new people, understand marketing needs, close the deal and deliver ongoing value. Spanish proficiency is a plus.

Graphic and Web Design Openings Proficient in Adobe Creative Suite, HTML, Expression Engine experience a PLUS. Work with creative team of Local Print and Digital Media. Varying M-F schedules. English and Spanish required.

Drop your resume and goals to work@thereader.com

| THE READER |

march 24 - 30, 2011

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notableevents

Q Making Profit from War...Making War for Profit: Thursday, Mar. 24, 7 p.m., Harper Center, 2500 California Plaza. Fr. G. Simon Harak, director of the Center for Peacemaking at Marquette University, discusses war in the 21st Century.

Creighton.edu Q HELP M.E. Recycling Drive: Saturday, March 26, 3 p.m., Central Presbyterian Church, 726 S. 55th St. HELP Adult Services hosts a medical equipment recycling drive to aid local families. helpadultservices.org Q NOCHF Grand Opening: Monday, March 28, 2:30 p.m., Urban League of Nebraska, 3040 Lake St. Grand opening and open house for the North Omaha Center for Healthy Families. lfsneb.org

South Omaha leaders pool resources to address violence

e d i t e d

photo by Derrick Schott

lence Prevention and Intervention meeting. The mayor’s community liaison, Roger Garcia, and Southeast Police Precinct Captain Katharine Gonzales led the group to identify the problems facing South Omaha, and to brainstorm solutions.

There was no shortage of ideas or agencies ready and willing to help. The discussion touched on everything from teen pregnancy and dropout rates to community policing and the effects of antiimmigration legislation proposed in Nebraska.

Rev. Howard Dotson of Westminster Presbyterian Church says he’s already seen the debate

numberscruncher

PARTISAN CLICKS:

Percent of Americans who said they received most of their 2010 Election news online: 24 Percent of Americans who received most of their election news online in 2002: 7 Percent of Republicans who got their online news from Republican sources in 2010: 44 Percent of Democrats who got their online news from Democratic sources in 2010: 37

Source: The Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project

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State Department orders additional pipeline study

“The intervention and prevention meetings will help us figure out who’s at the table, where are the gaps, how do we coordinate efforts. It takes a whole team,” he says. “We need to figure out what grants are out there and how we can come together so we don’t duplicate our efforts. It’s about appreciating the advantages one

by Brandon Vogel group has and celebrating one another.”

Gonzales thinks it can work. After the official lberto Gonzales didn’t enter the meetmeeting adjourned, an impromptu after-meeting ing room at the South Omaha Library on formed organically to keep the discussion going.

March 15 so much as the room opened up The passion was there and perhaps nobody knows and embraced him. The 30 or so community leaders how valuable a mentor can be more than him. at the first South Omaha Violence “In my lifetime, I’ve had Prevention and Intervention meeta lot of people stop me on the ing included: local clergy members; street and thank me for helping representatives from the mayor’s to change the path they were office; citizens; school advisors; the on,” Gonzales says. “Those are captain of Omaha’s Southeast Police powerful moments.”

Precinct; and outreach workers from For now, Gonzales is various city organizations. Gonzales continuing to get out on the arrived early, greeting everyone with streets when he can. He visa hug, a handshake, a fist bump — its prisons on his own time some in English, some in Spanish, to let his connections know whatever formed the best connechow their kids are doing on tion. It’s what Beto does best — he’s the outside. He’s still meetdevoted the past three decades to ing with kids referred to him helping others — but the job has bethrough the court system. His Some of the community leaders behind the first South come a little more difficult lately.

Noble Youth group continues Omaha Violence Prevention and Intervention meeting.

The Omaha Boys and Girls Club to meet every Wednesday. is feeling the effect of the reeling Some things are different. economy, like many organizations. For 37 years, surrounding the Fremont immigration ordi- Gonzales says budget cuts will make it harder for Gonzales was on the streets visiting schools and nance and the recent failed attempt to pass an him to reach the hardcore kids — the kids he calls prisons as the organization’s lead gang interven- Arizona-style law at the state level take its toll in his true calling. But he remains hopeful. tionist at the South Omaha branch. But budget cuts South Omaha.

“I’m glad that this is not coming to an end,” at the national orgnazation has forced Gonzales “The number of people who went into the Gonzales told The Reader after the meeting. “I’m to shift his focus. He now works mainly out of the Southeast precinct for help dropped the day after really looking forward to what we can do.” , South Omaha office. And while he’s grateful for the Arizona signed its bill into law,” he says. “There opportunity, he recognizes what was lost. are rumors on the street that police are checking The South Omaha Violence Prevention and Interven“I’m not out on the streets. I’m not in the schools papers, even though it’s not their policy to do that. tion group meets the second Wednesday of each month or intervention centers, and that was my love,” he Now we have to repair what’s played out from Fre- at 11 a.m. at the South Omaha Public Library, 2808 Q says. “But I’m still here in the building mentoring mont and Lincoln.”

St. The next meeting is April 13. For more information quite a few kids. There are some hard-luck stories Dotson believes the group can help the com- contact Roger Garcia atroger.garcia@ci.omaha.ne.us. here and I’m glad that I’m working with them.” munity develop a multi-pronged approach to adHelping to replace some of those services was dress some of its problems. one of the primary goals of the South Omaha Vio-

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news

upfront

Ganging Up

topnews There was good news and bad news last week for opponents of the Keystone XL pipeline that would carry 500,000 barrels of tar sands oil each day from Alberta through six states to the Gulf of Mexico. It would cross the ecologically delicate Sandhills and the Ogallala Aquifer, Nebraska’s largest source of drinking and irrigation water.

First the bad news: On March 14, the Nebraska Legislature’s Natural Resources Committee failed to advance any of the three bills proposing stricter regulation of oil pipelines in the state. Critics claim Nebraska’s lack of pipeline policy leaves the state wide open to outside interests.

“States have a clear role in pipeline regulations,” says Ken Winston, lobbyist for the Nebraska Sierra Club. “We can’t allow a foreign company to dictate what is best for our state’s resources.”

Canadian oil company TransCanada doesn’t have that authority, yet. One day after Nebraska’s regulation bills stalled, the U.S. Department of State announced it was requesting additional studies on the environmental impact of the 1700-mile pipeline.

A February study commissioned by four environmental groups found tar-sands oil is more corrosive and susceptible to leaks than traditional oil, claims that were refuted by TransCanada. It was the latest back and forth between environmentalists and oil producers in a drawn-out battle that has politicians lining up on both sides.

Now the State Department will take a step back and listen. Officials expect to release the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in mid-April, followed by a 45-day window for public comments and a public meeting in Washington, D.C. prior to making a final decision.

Sen. Ben Nelson praised the move in a statement, saying he was hopeful the Supplemental EIS “will take into consideration the comments and concerns Nebraskans raised with the original EIS.” Nelson and Sen. Mike Johanns had both written to State Secretary Hillary Clinton in recent months urging her to request additional studies.

After originally scheduling a decision for the first quarter of 2011, the State Department now expects to approve or deny the Keystone XL building permits before the end of the year.

— Brandon Vogel

theysaidit they “When the Nebraska Legislature is in session, [NET is] the equivalent of C-Span for Congress.” – Sen. Ben Nelson to the Los Angeles Times. The House voted 228-192 on March 17 to strip federal funding for public broadcasting. The Senate is unlikely to bring the measure up for vote.

A Special Evening with Jun Kaneko MARCH 31 KANEKO Bow Truss/1111 Jones Street

5:30 pm Kaneko Onstage:

You're Invited!

SATURDAY, MARCH 26TH The Max at 15th & Jackson 5:30-8:30pm

An Exhibit of Jun Kaneko’s Designs for Madama Butterfly

Opera like you have NEVER seen it!

Featuring the BEST female impersonators and their interpretations of classic opera arias.

6:30 pm Kaneko Onstage:

A Public Presentation on Opera Design with Jun Kaneko

8:00 pm Butterfly’s Closet:

Opera Omaha Guild’s Fundraiser and Fashion Show with Sushi from Hiro 88 $25 in advance or $35 at the door. ticketomaha.com

OF THE OPERA Tickets $35

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To purchase tickets go to: www.ticketomaha.com or call 402-345-0606 A processing fee will be assessed if paying by credit card.

To pay by check or cash, please visit the Ticket Omaha Box Office at 13th & Douglas Questions? Call Opera Omaha at 402-346-4398 or operaomaha.org

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MARCH 24 - 30, 2011

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thenewshound

Feb. 18–March 27

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March 4–April 3

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Terry aide tapped for anti-violence office Gov. Dave Heineman named L. James Wright, 41, the new director of Nebraska’s Office of Violence Prevention. An Omaha native, Wright works as a constituent liaison for Rep. Lee Terry and previously worked for the City of Omaha. He has more than 16 years of public service experience, including volunteering with the Urban League of Nebraska and the FBI Citi- L. JAMES WRIGHT zens Academy Alumni Center.

Wright replaces former state senator Mike Friend, who resigned in January to join the political advocacy group Americans for Prosperity. As a senator, Friend sponsored the 2009 anti-crime package that helped create the Violence Prevention Office. The state organization oversees $350,000 a year in grants for anti-violence groups.

Wright will assume his new role April 11.

Fallen Nebraska soldier awarded Silver Star U.S. Marines Staff Sgt. Michael Bock will be awarded a Silver Star March 26 at Offutt Air Force Base, seven months after

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the Springfield, Neb. native died in Afghanistan. Bock, 26, was killed Aug. 13 in the Helmland province. He is survived by his wife, Tiffany, and son, Zander, both of whom live in Omaha.

The Silver Star is the military’s thirdhighest award for combat valor. Bock previously received a humanitarian ribbon from the Marine Corps for his tsunami recovery work in Australia and Indonesia in 2004.

According to The Washington Post’s “Faces of the Fallen” database, 53 Nebraska soldiers have died in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001.

New partnership to destroy condemned home Project Demolition, a partnership between the City of Omaha and Habitat for Humanity, kicked off a pilot program March 21 that will remove dilapidated homes in North and South Omaha to help spur economic development.

Habitat for Humanity plans to destroy 40 of the 443 single-resident homes on the city’s demolition list in the first phase of the project this summer. Two houses were torn down March 21 near 17th and Manderson and will

murderink they There are no new murders to include in this section this week. Two suspects involved in last week’s shootings of Jarrod Maxwell were denied bail and police were still searching for a third man believed to be involved.

Destination: World’s Fare will take you to four fabulous destinations!

Play black jack and roulette in Las Vegas; Enjoy the intrigue of India; Hear opera in Vienna, Austria; Experience the magical lights of Copenhagen’s Tivoli Gardens.

2011 OMAHA HOMICIDES: 9 (THERE WERE 9 HOMICIDES AT THIS TIME LAST YEAR)

be replaced with seven new Habitat Omaha homes in June.

Report: Fewer than half of Nebraska Latinos are citizen voters A new report released March 15 by the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Office of Latino/Latin American Studies shows fewer than half of Nebraska’s Latino population are citizens of voting age. Utilizing new data from the 2010 Census, OLLAS found Latinos constitute 7.7 percent of the state’s population, but only 3.4 percent them are citizens who are also old enough to vote.

Latinos represent the fastest-growing minority group in Nebraska but, according to the report, “their young age, relatively low rates of U.S. citizenship and lack of political capacity to transform numbers into registered and active voters may dilute their influence in future elections.”

Westside school district to cut 20 jobs The Westside Community Schools board announced March 21 that it would cut 20 jobs through attrition and reorganization for the 2011-2012 school year to help close a projected $6 million budget gap. Administrators say resignations and reassignment, along with the board’s decision to discontinue its partnership with the Underwood Hills Focus

School next year, should allow the district to reduce its staff without resorting to layoffs.

Nebraska’s public schools will have to wait until this summer to find out the full extent of proposed cuts to state funding but current estimates range as high as $478 million. On Mar. 7, the Omaha Public Schools board announced 154 job cuts for the upcoming school year.

MCC student dies in fall Jon Peters, a 31-year-old student at Metropolitan Community College, died March 19 after falling nearly 30 feet from a utility pole at the school’s Applied Technology Campus at 104th and State. MCC officials say Peters was participating in a utility lineman exercise and was familiar with the process. Campus police are continuing to investigate.

An Act II benefit for the Omaha Community Playhouse

FOR THE GETAWAY OF A LIFETIME!

Dine on international cuisine! Sip signature cocktails!

Enjoy surprise entertainment along the way!

Saturday, April 9 at the Omaha Community Playhouse ALL passengers receive complimentary bar service for the evening.

6 p.m.~$125 per ticket 7-9 p.m.~$75 per ticket

For more information, call the Development Coordinator at (402) 553-4890, ext. 145.

www.omahaplayhouse.org

“A blissfully funny MONSTER MASH.”

Shooting Rounds Fanta Smith, 34, and Constance Wilson, 46, survived after being shot in a drive-by shooting during a family gathering at 4727 N. 42nd St. March 20. Police have made no arrests.

Lucia Sauceda, 23, survived after being shot inside Kurt and Clyde’s Bar, 13th and Dorcas, March 17. John Grimaldo, 30, was arrested Mar. 19 on second-degree assault and felony weapons charges.

— Brandon Vogel

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ART BY MARK STUTZMAN

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Chicago Symphony Orchestra • Mondays 8 PM Live at the Concertgebouw • Tuesdays 8 PM Modern Classics • Fridays 6pm Midnight Special • Fridays Midnight Metropolitan Opera • Saturdays Noon Classical Guitar Alive • Sundays 10 AM Composer Spotlight • Sundays 11 AM Going Beyond Words • Sundays Noon From The Top • Sundays 5 PM New York Philharmonic • Sundays 6 PM

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Reactor Reactions: Luddite is right

S

ince 1986, my Super Bowl tradition has been to do something different or creative on that annual Sunday of football fervor. In January of 1986, rather than watching the Bears roll Patriots, I was on a boat watching whales frolic in Santa Catalina Channel. We spent the afternoon amid a pod of grey whales on their southward migration toward winter quarters in Baja’s Magdalena Bay. On Super Sunday 1993, I met Joseph Chilton Pearce. He delivered a lecture at the Philosophical Research Society in Los Feliz, a district of Los Angeles.

His newest book, Evolution’s End, was just out and I was lucky enough to get a signed copy from him.

Famous for numerous books on the development and state of human consciousness and intelligence, especially that of children, Pearce is a folksy and brilliant genius. Evolution’s End spins the reader right to the core of the holographic universe, letting science lead to spirit, fact to faith.

As human intelligence evolved and diverged along two very useful — but often competing — paths, the brain evolved, too. Pearce’s book and his citation of research by others describe the complexity of human decision-making and intelligence on both physiological and metaphysical levels. The brain is not the only body part that is involved in creative thought. Further, it’s not the body that thinks, it’s the mind, even though that mind is associated with functions of the body.

Albert Einstein: “The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.” In his way, Einstein was observing the difference between the intellect and intelligence. They are not the same. One can certainly have intellect without intelligence.

Throughout human experience, it is the intellect that has usually directed technology. It must be given to intelligence, though, to determine whether a given technology is boon or bane. One person who saw a particular technology as bane was Ned Lud. From knitting frames to mainframes. Legend places Ned Lud near Leicester, England in 1789. An incident resulting in his smashing two mechanical knitting frames was made a symbol by an 1811 political movement. Calling themselves “Luddites,” activists smashed industrial textile machines in English factories to protest technology eliminating their jobs. The movement was crushed by the Crown but the term lived on and is used to describe anyone who opposes technological advances. The term Luddite became pejorative and included the allusion of unreasonable fear.

Viewing history, it is reasonable to be skeptical of technology. Countless times technological advances applied without concern for long-term impact have risen up to bite us in the butt, Luddite and technocrat alike.

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In the age of information and computer-based data mining, techno-development is at an all-time high. Decoding the DNA secrets of life and mapping genes has given us a tempting target for our manipulative technology. Applying all the information we gather about the inner workings of nature and turning it over to computer-based analysis leaves us with intriguing but questionable inventions. Time and again we see how we have compromised our innate powers by surrendering them to technology.

Possible does not mean appropriate. Pearce writes in Evolution’s End that it is not as simple as labeling technology as bad or good. Society, motivated by profit, has lost its intelligent guidance. The intellect, Pearce writes, “manipulates its environment without concern for, or the foresight to determine the consequences of, its impulsive invention. Intellect looks through its tunnel vision and asks only ‘Is it possible?’ and creates disaster.” Intelligence, a different quality from intellect, asks a different question: Is it appropriate? The appropriateness of technological advances is the question the true Luddite asks.

Somehow we allowed intellect to persuade intelligence that nuclear fission was a clean source of energy generation. In the short term it may appear so.

But how clean is it looking now? It’s eye-opening that the best the media can do is compare one thing that’s bad for us to another thing that’s bad for us, as in: “The amount of radiation at the leak absorbed in one hour is less than what you’d get in a CAT scan.” As if we should just accept that a CAT scan is a good thing. Maybe it is in comparison but hardly benign in itself.

We develop vaccines for nearly every thing or ailment in human existence but don’t stop to ask whether taking immunity from the oversight of a once very capable immune system is actually defeating it in the big picture. We think we can control our environment by one technological advance after another and things get worse instead of better. We miss the big picture and forget the important question: Yes, it is possible to do X, Y or Z. But is it appropriate?

Rise of the neo-Luddite. Darn right I’m not giving up my laptop or email. And I’ve got this sweet little box that lets me play music from my iBook through my stereo into any room I want. Getting Lakers scores from my iPhone at 2 a.m. is priceless to me. But you know what? We cannot become dependent on any of it.

When technology gets in the way of quality of life itself, one has to pause for thought. Have we redefined quality of life to mean quantity of money or stuff or a continuum of connectivity? Is any given technology causing more harm than good, more peace of mind or less?

No. I’m not insulted to be called a Luddite. When technology is ill-advised and carried out just because we can do it without concern for whether we should do it, I’ll stand on the side of the knitting frame smashers, along with heroes from Yoda to those in Terminator and all who recognize the broken cog in the machine.

Be well. ,

Heartland Healing by Michael Braunstein examines various alternative forms of healing. It is

provided as a source of information, not as medical advice. It is not an endorsement of any particular therapy, either by the writer or The Reader. Access past columns at HeartlandHealing.com

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heartland healing

coverstory Local bands do the state proud in Austin

By Andrew Norman

W

atching the grass turn from tan to yellow to green through the car’s window — and feeling the air warm at stops — during the 14-hour trip to Austin, Texas, is enough reason to attend the SXSW Music Festival every year in March. After a Nebraska winter, the climate change provides a nice reminder that spring really will come. And then there are the bands. Almost 2,000 of them.

Our half of The Reader/HearNebraska.org team rolled in about 1 a.m. Wednesday morning, and we were out when we hit the pillows at the house of a Lincoln transplant in Austin, in order to get rested for the upcoming week of music.

After registering for media badges the next day (a go-anywhere at anytime pass that screams ‘asshole’ as you walk past every poor sap standing in lines at venues), I filed some work at the media lounge at the conference center, walked past Jack White — who was on his way to the restroom — and headed east on 6th Street.

This year, only a handful of Nebraska bands are playing: Bright Eyes played a big show Saturday at an outside auditorium; Lincoln folker

Send and Receive

From Nebraska bands who went to Austin to bands in austin that should come to nebraska, sxsw 2011 cover PHOTO of satchel grande

by BRYCE BRIDGES, TAKEN AT THE DURHAM MUSEUM

by lauren turner for hearnebraska.org

bright eyes

Orion Walsh picked up a last-minute gig, and played at a small club Thursday night; Midwest Dilemma played a house show; and Daniel Christiansan and Reader-sponsored band Satchel Grande played at the same time at different venues Wednesday night.

Here’s a re-cap of South By Southwest 2011.

As the founder and editor of HearNebraska. org, I’ll supply reviews of the local stuff, then hand it over to Chris Aponick, who’ll report on several bands he now hopes to see coming through Omaha soon.

Satchel Grande Satchel Grande’s showcase at Karma Lounge, an off-the-beaten-path venue, had a sparse crowd as the big Omaha soul-funk-pop band started its set. Wearing orange and brown business casual attire (obviously inspired by this website’s

cover story

by lauren turner for hearnebraska.org

Hear This, Nebraska

satchel grande

color palette) and their Blueblockers-sponsored shades, they look the part of a serious band.

And though this was their first non-Nebraska show, the nine-piece left no questions about their substance. As they played their catchy tunes — every single one of which you feel like you know on first listen, which is a good thing — more and more people moved from the back of the room to the front. There were only about 30 or 40 people there, but they were fixed on these white guys who brought soul from Nebraska. Our state should be proud to have been represented by them.

They killed it.

After the set, I overheard a guy telling his buddy, “This was definitely worth $10.” Satchel made some fans in Texas. Let’s hope they got the road bug and continue to spread the word.

Orion Walsh Orion Walsh, Amy Schmidt and Brian Brazier had driven down Wednesday to play an afternoon show, which I missed, at a coffee shop. So I’m glad to be catching them playing a similar set of Walsh’s songs to an organic group of locals hopping to and from a bus, and concertgoers moving to and from sobriety.

Walsh on acoustic guitar, kick-pedal tambourine, kazoo and harmonica, Schmidt on the banjo and Brazier (Bolzen Beer Band) on the tuba, the trio played, in front of a Starbucks, about a dozen of Walsh’s blue-collar, Phil Ochs-style folk songs. The crowd was diverse and many surprised me with their attentiveness. Six people dropped money in Walsh’s guitar case, and grabbed one of his CDs. A couple Nebraskans were among them.

Betty Levitov and Carla Stormsberg were in town for the film portion of SXSW — Levitov teaches film at Doane College. I asked them why they were standing on this street corner at about 10 p.m. Levitov points to Brazier’s Tshirt, peeking out from behind his swinging tuba. It read, “Nebraska Matters.”

“We walked by and turned back because we liked the sound,” Levitov said. “We stayed because we saw his shirt.”

Midwest Dilemma Justin Lamoureux and three other members of Omaha folk band Midwest Dilemma played an unofficial show east of downtown in a little grotto area behind Uncorked, a wine-tasting bar.

The show was a Paper Garden Records/Lonely Hearts Club showcase — a Brooklyn-based label founded by Nebraskan Bryan Vaughan.

(They put out Eagle Seagull’s self-titled debut.)

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The walk there put us about 15 minutes late.

But when we arrived, Lamoureux was standing with a beer, chatting with a couple of the probably 40 people in the sit-down, fenced-in area.

Midwest Dilemma was only at 4/9 power — acoustic and electric guitar, stand-up bass and flute — but few people knew it. Staring out at the Texas Capitol, the band moved swimmingly through about eight grab-you-by-the-throat folk songs that had people dancing between tables. The song “The Great Depression” particularly captured the crowd’s attention, with its lifting melodies and chorus that you can’t help but sing: “Victoria, Victoria, you don’t have to give up your land.” They represented Omaha and Nebraska well.

Bright Eyes I tried to catch up on some world news Saturday — Libya, Japan — while I waited for Bright Eyes. As the sun set, I realized the space — capacity 20,000 — quickly filled. It’s packed..

The Omaha band was a four-piece that night, with The Mynabirds’ Laura Burhenn (keys), Clark Baechle (drums) and Nate Walcott (guitar) flanking Conor Oberst, whom everyone came to see.

The band’s first SXSW show in a decade began with “Firewall” from its new album, The People’s Key. They followed with four songs from the new album within the first 10 songs. Even way back where I was standing, peopled were singing all the words. The crowd was there For Bright Eyes, and got one helluva concert, complete with an intense light show. The band played for some 105 minutes and the show culminated with a fireworks display.

Not a bad representation of Nebraska music, I’d say.

bands has become unwieldy for those who, like me, don’t want to miss a thing.

In years past, I’ve issued a report card, going through each band, saying what my ears deciphered from the band’s sound and then slapping a letter grade on it for a quickhit dose of finality. But then I found myself actually enjoying music by a band that had underwhelmed at SXSW. This year, however, I went down to SXSW with something in mind: What I wish would come or even just come back to Omaha.

During the course of the week, the idea morphed into something more tangible. So as I trekked across Austin, I actively considered whether a band was both enjoyable to me and something that should have found its way to Nebraska.

This is my open letter to those who book shows in Omaha: Seek out these bands and try to make their tour trajectory include a stop in town.

Pains of Being Pure at Heart Who Are They: This Brooklyn indie pop band first blew up in 2009 after Slumberland Records released their self-titled debut to tons of praise. The band is about to release their follow-up record, Belong, also on Slumberland, but this time they will be exchanging the lo-fi DIY-ness of the debut for the combined highgloss sound of producer Flood and mega-mixer Alan Moulder.

Why They Should Come To Town: When Pains played Slowdown’s front room

the crowd and stage for bright eyes at sxsw 2011

by andrew norman

coverstory

Fitz & the Tantrums Who Are They: This Los Angeles band is partsoul revival, part-’80s new romantic maestros.

The Dangerbird Records band has blown up in parts of the country, including Kansas City, where they recently played to 3,500 people at the Midland Theatre.

Why They Should Come To Town: This is a specific memo to 89.7 The River and Q 98.5 FM, whatever. You should be playing cuts from this record, specifically “L.O.V.” and “Moneygrabber.” They fit in with the Cee-Lo Green, Adele neo-soul thing and are catchy as hell.

I know Omaha isn’t Kansas City, but this is a band that should be able to pack the Slowdown, if only there was radio that actually sought out new music. So prove me wrong, Cutting Edge of Rock and Modern Hit Music.

stage after their first album blew up, there was a medium-sized crowd hanging on the band’s every note. The excitement that I had for the band that night hasn’t changed.

Hearing the new songs coupled with the old in a live setting bridges the gap between the band’s two records. Singer Kip Berman is a kindred spirit to Belle & Sebastian’s Stuart Murdoch and Belong has Pains poised to reach beyond the success that Belle & Sebastian has experienced. It’s been way too long since that Slowdown show and it’s time for more.

these united states

A Booking Wishlist

photo by lauren turner for hearnebraska.org

SXSW trip turns into hopes for future Omaha show dates

by Chris Aponick

W

ith such a sprawling event, it can be truly difficult to summarize South By Southwest in a neat and

tidy way.

The Austin, Texas music festival, conference and weeklong binge of beer, BBQ and

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Eternal Summers Who Are They: Kanine Records indie-poppers are the shoegazing cousins of Best Coast and blissed-out beach pop. The three-piece stand out thanks to great songs and a female singer/guitarist who is not afraid to play her guitar and throw a little noise atop melody.

Why They Should Come To Town: Best Coast has proved Omaha has an appetite for catchy, but not highly-polished indie pop music. Eternal Summers delivers.

The Strokes Who Are They: Former saviors of rock are back on the road behind their fourth album, Angles. The New York band has been hidden away as their members embarked on solo projects. This is the welcome comeback.

Why They Should Come To Town: The Strokes haven’t been to Omaha since the twi-

light of touring behind their 2001 debut, Is This It? Everything about their outdoor show at SXSW proved that they are a perfect choice for a Midwest summer show, whether it’s tucked gently beside a casino or down by the Missouri River on a bill with several indie bands. They played plenty from their first two albums and were quite impressive in the open-air setting. I am done with hints — Stir Cove or MAHA Festival, here’s a potential marquee draw.

coverstory 6th street in austin

Diamond Rings Who Are They: Gothic Canadian oneman act John O’Regan is catching on with those who expect their mopes to bring a little glam style to the proceedings.

Why They Should Come To Town: The profile of Diamond Rings is just on the cusp of spilling from smaller clubs to being a major indie rock venue draw. Omaha’s love for raw emotion and dance music sync nicely with what Diamond Rings offer.

photos by lauren turner for hearnebraska.org

Death From Above 1979 Who Are They: In the afterglow of sudden indie stardom, Death From Above 1979 imploded. In the vacuum left by the Canadian two-piece rock act’s destruction, out came the dance-minded MSTRKRFT and the Saddle Creek-signed Sebastien Grainger. Now, the band is reuniting for Coachella and it’s hard to believe that’ll be it.

Why They Should Come To Town: A secret show turned into a crush mob and a near-riot among those who couldn’t get in. Even though I missed it, it’s easy to tell that the band’s popularity has barely waned. Those who were there say the band was more than on its game and any festival booking this band is guaranteed to spark a pilgrimage to their event, as long as they make sure the band is not playing any nearer than Chicago.

art vs. science

Airborne Toxic Event Who Are They: That “Sometime Around Midnight” band is more than that and I’m hoping their forthcoming sophomore album, All At Once, will prove it. “Changing,” the lead single, is already working on becoming the band’s second big hit.

Why They Should Come To Town: Their victory lap show at the Slowdown after “Sometime Around Midnight” blew up was a night of conversion from skeptic to believer for me. For as many bands that seem to constantly return to the area, this is one show I’d love to catch again. I’m sure more would agree.

with Roky Erickson come as no surprise once you hear this band.

Why They Should Come To Town: The band hasn’t been to Omaha since they played the Waiting Room Lounge, when the Benson club still reeked of newness. In the time they have been away, the Black Angels have boomed into a major band, replacing fellow stoner-psych-shoegaze revivalists like Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.

Black Angels Who Are They: Austin’s psych-rock drone kings have found a melodic bent to match their blasting-out-through-the-dead-of-night sonics on last year’s Phosphene Dream. Their shows

Charles Bradley Who Are They: Daptone Records discovered Charles Bradley in a Brooklyn club doing serious justice to James Brown. Now he has an album of his own, No Time For Dreaming.

Why They Should Come To Town: Sharon Jones is hitting the Playing With Fire show this summer. Black Joe Lewis is hitting the Waiting Room Lounge. Omaha’s appetite for real-deal soul is on the uptick and Charles Bradley delivers with true grit, despite being in his 60s.

A Place To Bury Strangers Who Are They: New York’s loudest band has logged time opening for Nine Inch Nails. Prin-

cover story

cipal member Oliver Ackermann is a deconstructionist with a bank of amps and pedals.

If it all sounds like the end of the world, that’s because 2012 is just around the corner.

Why They Should Come To Town: Two shows within about a year spurred hope that the band would make Omaha a regular stop. Since then, nothing despite a great second album, Exploding Head, in 2009. This is essential mayhem. Not only one of the loudest bands I’ve ever seen, but one of the best.

Cheap Time Who Are They: Jeffrey Novak’s garage rock outfit rips through mean, economical powerpop filtered through a no-frills classic rock lens.

Why They Should Come To Town: Cheap Time didn’t get to play to many of Omaha’s garage music fans when they opened for Yo La Tengo in 2009, but it’s hard to believe they didn’t convert some indie fans to their cause at that show. Either way, Cheap Time are the sort of band that would rattle the rafters of any one of Omaha’s marquee dive bars. ,

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Approval of Stamps

84th Street Café Serving delicious cost-conscious food.

8013 S. 83rd Ave. • 597-5003 www.facebook.com/84thstcafe Anthony’s Steakhouse/The Ozone Club For more than 38 years, Anthony’s has been known for its steaks, using premium black angus beef aged on premises.

Anthony’s is dedicated to bringing customers a truly special dining event every visit.

7220 F St. • 331.7575 anthonyssteakhouse.com

Attic Bar & Grill Great food and great drinks with live music.

3231 Harney St. • 932.5387 atticbarandgrill.com Blue Planet Natural Grill Healthy People. Healthy Planet.

6307 Center St. • 218.4555 blueplanetnaturalgrill.com Cascio’s Steakhouse Established 1946, 63 years of selling great steaks.

1620 S. 10th St. • 345-8313 casciossteakhouse.com Dundee Dell Omaha’s Finest Neighborhood Restaurant & Pub 5007 Underwood Ave. • 553.9501 dundeedell.com Hector’s Boasting the only Baja-style Mexican cuisine in the city, Hector’s serves fresh food with panache from Baja California and northwest Mexico.

Two Locations: 1201 S. 157th St. • 884.2272 3007 S. 83rd Plz. • 391.2923 hectorsomaha.com La Casa Pizzeria Fine Italian Dining Since 1953. Located on historic Leavenworth street in midtown Omaha, La Casa has the freshest pizza in town.

4432 Leavenworth St. • 556.6464 lacasapizzaria.net La Mesa An authentic Mexican experience, from mouthwatering enchiladas to fabulous fajitas. Top it off with one of La Mesa’s famous margaritas. Voted # 1 Mexican Restaurant eight years in a row.

Locations: 156th and Q • 763.2555 110th & Maple • 496-1101 Ft. Crook Rd. and 370 (Bellevue) • 733.8754 84th and Tara Plaza (Papillion) • 593.0983 Lake Manawa Exit (Council Bluffs) • 712.256.2762 la-mesa.com

Shucks Fish House & Oyster Bar Great Seafood. Great Prices.

Southwest corner of 168th & Center 1218 S 119 St. • 827.4376 absolutelyfresh.com Ted & Wally’s Premium Ice Cream Voted best ice cream in Omaha!

1120 Jackson St. • 341.5827

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by Summer Miller

A

Bailey’s Best breakfast in town. “King of Eggs Benedict.”

1 block south of 120th & Pacific • 932-5577 absolutelyfresh.com

Matsu Sushi Downtown’s Original Sushi Restaurant 1009 Farnam St. • 346-3988 matsusushi.wordpress.com

Two Omaha farmer’s markets now accepting food stamps

t the end of the film Food, Inc., white words flash onto and fade into a black screen. The words, simple but poignant and, in some ways, naïve, encourage communities to advocate for the use of Food Stamps, now called EBTs or SNAP benefits, at Farmer’s Markets.

The concept is a good first step to providing avenues of access to fresh fruits and vegetables for those struggling with food security. As of 2010 only 1.5 percent of farmer’s markets in Nebraska accepted Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, much lower than the still dismal national average of cutline 7.5 percent. The problem with accepting SNAP benefits is that food stamps are no longer booklets of coupons. They are debit cards known as an Electronic Benefits Transfer, and expensive equipment is needed to process the payment.

The cost of credit card or EBT machines is prohibitive for most individual farmers market vendors and market managers; but public and private efforts are underway to subsidize the $13,000 required to purchase the machines.

The Omaha Farmers Market and the Aksarben Farmers Market will be among the first in the metro area to accept EBT and credit cards.

“I’ve believed from the very beginning that the farmers market is a community resource. It’s something for the community, but you can’t be for the community if you are not for the whole community,” says Vic Gutman, operator of the two markets.

Gutman had applied for federal grants but was turned down. That’s when a foundation, which wishes to remain anonymous, donated the money for the machine. He is following a strategy similar to other markets across the country — rather than requiring each vendor to have a machine, the market owns one machine and will issue tokens for credit card users and EBT users. Tokens will differ in color and dollar amount — most likely $1 or $2 tokens for EBT users because government rules prohibit cash back, and $5 tokens for credit card us-

| THE READER |

dish

ers, which can be exchanged for cash. Getting the tokens is as simple as walking up to the information booth and swiping your card for a certain amount.

Hopefully, any stigma will be removed by having EBT and non-EBT users taking advantage of the token system. In addition to the no-cash-back rule, EBT users can only use tokens at certain vendors, mainly those selling whole, non-prepared foods.

Last year the Nebraska Legislature amended the Value Added Producer Grant to include a line item for EBT scanners. Proponents saw the state support as a step toward reducing health disparities by creating another avenue for those struggling with food security to access healthy food. The Old Cheney Road Farmers’ Market in Lincoln is the only organization that applied for the grant with the intention to implement EBT scanners. The grant was awarded but it’s likely to be the only one under what will probably be a short-lived program.

“I hate to say this, but the program is probably not going to survive the budget cuts,” said Linda Fettig, executive director of the Nebraska Rural Development Commission.

But the grant has yet to be cut, and the deadline to submit an application is April 7.

More than 71,000 people in Douglas and Sarpy counties received SNAP benefits in the month of February. Increasing access to fresh fruits and vegetables is important in any population but is considered critical to a low-income population that consists mainly of children and seniors.

“In Nebraska, we are not good. We do not get enough fruits and veggies in our diet. We are in the bottom 10 in the country, and for our low-income families it’s a primary concern. Our low-income areas don’t have the same access to high quality fruit and veggies to feed their families,” says Wanda Koszewski, director of Nutrition Education Program for Limited Resource Families at UNL. Increased access to fruits and vegetables leads to increased intake of fruits and vegetables, which leads to better health and lower healthcare costs.

It’s naïve to think that solving issues of food security is a simple as implementing a scanning device at a farmers market. Access to fresh food goes beyond the farmers market and into issues of food education, transportation, childcare and social woes; but doing it in the streets of a neighborhood is a good place to start. ,

n Spring is traditionally a time of planting — getting the herbs and vegetables arranged and settled in so you can begin reaping rewards by the time summer really hits its stride.

But for others, “planting” takes on a whole new meaning. Homesteading has been around since, well, the country began; but itís undergoing something of a renaissance. Whether thatís due to tea partiers, agribusiness, the economy or all those things, publishers are responding in kind. This spring weíll see a deluge of books devoted to becoming self-reliant when it comes to food. Even if all you have is just a window planter, youíll find plenty of ideas.

The two words city dwellers will want to look out for are “urban” and “homesteading.” Don’t believe me? Here’s a rundown of titles: Urban Homesteading: Heirloom Skills for Sustainable Living, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Urban Homesteading, Urban Pantry, Growing Food in Your Urban Home, Your Farm in the City: An Urban-Dweller’s Guide to Growing Food and Raising Animals, City Farmer: Adventures in Urban Food Growing (already out), Modern Homestead: Grow, Raise, Create, The Edible Front Yard (also already out) and finally, a book for kids: Watch Me Grow!: A Down-to-Earth Look at Growing Food in the City.

Who needs a farmer’s market? n Warmer weather also means it’s time to dust off the grill and start enjoying that smoky flavor that only gas, briquettes or hardwood charcoal (choose your weapon) can provide. You can certainly load up on all the fancy, chef-branded grilling accoutrements at your local chain store, or you can save a few bucks by heading to the restaurant supply stores and get pro equipment. They’re more than happy to sell to the general public.

While you won’t find grates, baskets or “kiss the cook” aprons, you will find sheet pans, heatresistant spatulas, tongs and oven mitts. Prices are generally the same or less for these items, but you’re likely to get much better quality — these tools are designed to work instead of just looking cute hanging off the handle of your preferred cooking vessel.

Most stores will also have a section for used equipment, which is where the real deals are. You can find restaurant-quality sautee pans, scoops, ladles and all sorts of stuff for much, much less. Yeah, it may be battered and a little jaunky looking, but it’ll stand up to punishment and you won’t break the bank. Check the phone book or the Google machine for “restaurant supplies” to find the closest provider.

crumbs

dish

— Kyle Tonniges Crumbs is about indulging in food and celebrating its many forms. Send information about area food and drink businesses to crumbs@thereader.com

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8 days

TOPTV Shark Tank

Fridays, 7 p.m., ABC

This reality series allows would-be entrepreneurs to pitch ideas to several “sharks” — i.e., high-rolling business people — who decide whether they want to invest their own money in the companies. If they like what they hear, they dicker with the entrepreneurs

and each other. If they don’t like what they hear, they intone the series’ catch phrase: “I’m out.”

The season premiere exposes the flaws in the concept. With their cold eyes and flinty person

alities, the sharks are the kind of people most of us would avoid like the plague in real life, so why would we want to hang out with them here? Plus, listening to them work through the financial figures — what percentage royalty vs. equity, etc. — is about as exciting as doing your taxes.

I’m out.

— Dean Robbins

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THURSDAY24 March 24

College Night with Talking Mountain

Urban Outfitters, 745 N. 14th St. 4 p.m.-9 p.m., show at 7 p.m., Free Are you a college student? Do you have your student ID? Are you in the market for clothes … at a discount? If you answered yes, Urban Outfitters is where you want to be this Thursday night.

It’s hard to find the time to go shopping while in college. It can be even harder to budget. The timing could not be better, especially since UNO students find themselves on spring break this week. Students who present a valid student ID on March 24 can receive 10 percent off full-priced items and an additional 50 percent off sale items in the store. And while sale items range anywhere from $9.99 to $39.99, students can walk away with quite the loot, without breaking the bank.

If $5 and $10 items aren’t enticing enough, perhaps the magical sounds of Talking Mountain are.

The local band famous for whimsical tunes and fog machines will be performing live in the store around 7 p.m. They will be singing to customers from the first floor, the men’s department.

While the discount is eligible to students with ID only, anyone is able to attend the show. And best of all, it’s free. This event is exclusive to the Omaha Urban Outfitters store only.

— Jessica Stensrud March 24

PICKOFTHEWEEK

March 26-27

Orchid Show Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft St. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., $6/ages 6-12, $3/members FREE 346.4002, lauritzengardens.org When my long-dormant orchid plant materialized with bulging buds last week I was so proud. Nevertheless, my two intricately pretty blooms have nothing on Lauritzen’s annual show, produced by the Greater Omaha Orchid Society. Enjoy displays from local, regional, national and international vendors and growers, and ask the experts for advice on keeping the finicky, Goldilocks of plants in bloom. New this year is a grower of quality slipper orchids. While onsite keep the botanical fun going with Lauritzen’s Spring Flower Show (through May 8) and Omaha artist Kristin Pluhacek’s exhibit Weeds/Pods/Seeds and The Landscapes (through April 17).

— Sarah Wengert

of short- and long-poses at their request; one male and one female coincide providing multiple perspectives. Bring your own tools and be ready for a fun night of artistic fabrication and foolery.

“Drink N Draw”

The New BLK, 1213 Jones St. 8pm, $10 donation (19_) thenewblk.com, 402.403.5619 “For art to exist, for any sort of aesthetic activity or perception to exist, a certain physiological precondition is indispensable: intoxication …” Wise words by 18th century German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche might sway you to attend The New BLK’s “Drink n Draw,” a monthly night of creative camaraderie for art-

| THE READER |

picks

Orchid Show

— Sally Deskins

FRIDAY25 March 25

The Envy Corps w/ Thunder Power, My Pal Dragon, & Lonely Estates ists of all levels. Two personable and playful models invite the artists to drive the evening

The Waiting Room, 6212 Maple Street, 9 p.m., $8, onepercentproductions.com With the convergence of indie bands over the last few years, even the most brilliant of artists

t h e r e ad e r ’ s ente r tainment picks ma r ch 1 7 - 2 4 , 2 0 1 1 can be swept under the rug only to be rediscovered in record store discount bins. Such can be said for Ames, Iowa’s The Envy Corps, a band with a legit, yet small national and international fan base who have yet to break through the mainstream ceiling like some of their peers.

“It’s almost more about your association with other bands or your Twitter feed or your perception from the indie blogosphere,” divulged lead singer Luke Pettipoole. Whatever the case may be, they are due for a breakthrough soon with their exceptional blend of shoegaze instrumental rock similar to early Coldplay. With their frequent visits to Omaha, the band has acquired a family here that will no doubt help propel them into bigger success.

— Chlis Bristol

Through March 31

Looney Tunes

Film Streams, 1340 Mike Fahey St. 3:45 p.m. on March 26, $9, more show times to be announced 402.933.0259, filmstreams.org “Ehh, wad up Doc?” March 19-31 Film Streams will be showcasing a classic collecLooney Tunes

March 24-27

Tom Wilson

The Funny Bone, 17305 Davenport St., Suite 201 Thurs. at 7:30 p.m., Fri. 7:30 and 9:45 p.m., Sat. 7 and 9:30 p.m., Sun. 7 p.m. $15 Thurs. and Sun., $17 for all other shows, funnyboneomaha.com

T

om Wilson, who you probably associate mostly with his Biff Tannen character from the Back to the Future trilogy, was kind enough to answer questions for us this week in advance of his weekend of dates at the Funny Bone. Tickets are available at funnyboneomaha.com, and we suggest getting out there to see him if you can — you might leave associating him with standup comedy, too.

It’s interesting that you did stand-up way before you did any of the Back to the Future stuff, even working with names like Richard Pryor and Robin Williams, etc. I assume stand-up is your first love. What makes stand-up better for you and what’s the difference between delivering comedy live on stage as opposed to a camera? tom wilson Standup comedy is the most immediate art form there is, because the reaction is instantaneous and can lead to wonderful chaos. I was a young acting student, and I just wasn’t getting cast in enough shows, so I figured I’d write my own “show” and put it on. A few friends did standup, and they made 10 bucks most nights, with free food. I made nothing doing small parts in Shakespeare plays and had to buy my own snacks. Case closed, hello standup.

It’s been an amazing adventure, and the good news is, the food is still free. Doing comedy for a live audience is exciting and fun, doing comedy for a camera is mostly waiting for fat guys to set up lights…

SATURDAY26 March 26

Nebraska Belly Dance Spectacular Holland Performing Arts Center, 13th and Douglas 8 p.m., $35 345-0606, ticketomaha.com

If, like me, your only exposure to belly dancing is purely voyeuristic, courtesy of Hollywood movies using it as background action or wry counterpoint, consider yourself ripe for learning. There’s a community of Nebraska belly dancers eager to overturn stereotypes via an annual revue showcasing different genres of this Middle Eastern dance. Who knew?

Perhaps because it’s subject to preconceived notions of nubile, voluptuous, dark-skinned women baring much skin and writhing in sensual fashion, this year’s show explores the theme, what is beauty? The fact the dancers come in all shapes, sizes, ages, complexions and belly dance styles hints that beauty is not only skin deep. There’s a pre-show with demonstrations, costumes and cuisine. Jill Anderson emcees the goings-on.

— Leo Adam Biga

THREEUPTHREEDOWN

tion of Looney Tunes Shorts on Saturday, Sundays and Thursdays. “Nah buoy, I said buoy,” you better be in attendance or else you will miss out on some of the franchise’s most memorable episodes such as: “Foghorn Leghorn,” “Feed the Kitty,” “Ballot Box Bunny” and “Fast and Furryous.” In the words of the great Pepe Le Pew, “I am ze peanut butter.

You are ze jelly. Come, let us make a sandwich of love.” Translation, your eyeballs are in for a real treat. “D-Ba-buh-D-Ba-buh-D, thats all folks!”

— James Derrick Schott

It seems like you’re not huge on talking about Back to the Future, but I know your stand-up routine often includes “The Question Song,” a satire of the questions and requests you get from “Back to the Future” fans.

I know a few actors that are in the unusual position that I’m in — smokin’ hot, yet unassuming pop cultural icon — and it just seemed like nobody knew how to deal with the human challenge of having the same set of questions asked over and over for a matter of decades. I’ve been asked questions about the movies for 25 years now, so I thought that writing a song about it would be a fun way to frame the situation for people. It’s worked great, has millions and millions of YouTube hits, and it’s been a lot of fun to do in the show. A musical version of saying “yeah ... I’ve heard that one before.” That’s my approach to the movies, and I don’t talk about them much more than that because, I mean, what else is there to say? I said a whole bunch of stuff for a really long time and I’m out of ideas. If you were on the 6th grade volleyball team in 1985, can you imagine if, wherever you went, people would go, “Whoo! 6th grade volleyball! Spike! Side out!” It’s not mean, or torturous or anything, but it would get you thinking up new ways to answer, don’t you think?

Finally, you seem to get to Omaha at least once a year … what are some of your favorite things about coming here and what keeps you coming back?

This really will sound self-serving, but I really do love Omaha. The food is great everywhere you go, the people are very friendly, and I’ll tell you what — the audiences in Omaha are smart, hip, mannerly and really out to have a great time. No kidding. People often ask me my favorite cities to perform in and I swear to you I always include Omaha. “Omaha?” they ask, and then I either explain the whole hip/smart thing, or just remain silent and wait for them to ask me a Back To The Future question. Also, I want to remain close with the people of Omaha because my son is a pitcher in 9th grade, and we’re planning on watching him in the College World Series in a few years. Or, if he doesn’t get a scholarship, sending him to Boys Town to see what they can do with him. As many times as I’ve been here, I always look forward to coming back. It’s so good, in fact, that this trip I might even pay for some of my food.

—Sean Brennan

picks

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So Much To See And Do... www.oldmarket.com

25 Y E A R S

PREMIUM HOMEMADE

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MARCH 24 - 30, 2011

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| THE READER |

theater Young Frankenstein to the Orpheum next week

by Warren Francke

I

Les Miserables. That was in Moorhead, across the Minnesota border from Fargo, N.D. His grandfather sang at the Met and in Italy, then taught voice at Concordia College in Moorhead, where his parents now teach. They don’t sound like those average Minnesotans Garrison Keillor talked about, but Preston comes closer to the stereotype when you learn that hockey competed with theater in his high school years.

“I played center and a couple of junior teams checked me out.” But theater won. He took the

t gave new meaning to March Madness when the little guy and the big guy in the crowd at the Duke game turned out to be Igor and the Monster from the Mel Brooks musical Young Frankenstein.

Of course Igor (Cory English) wasn’t wearing his hunchback and the Monster wasn’t greenish with the zipper young frankenstein in his neck. For Preston Truman Boyd, a 6-foot-3 Minnesotan, it was an afternoon of basketball instead of his usual daily round of golf.

But they found themselves in Charlotte, N.C., before their arrival in Omaha next week, so Boyd and his smaller buddy, who originated the Igor role on Broadway, took time for NCAA hoops. As the Monster, Boyd doesn’t need to arrive at the theater until a half-hour before the opening curtain because he “comes to life” late in act one.

He spends an hour and 15 minutes getting made up with the zipper, scars and “the Peter Boyle hair style,” referring to the film version with Boyle as the creation of Gene Wilder’s Dr. Frankenstein, aided by bugeyed Marty Feldman as Igor.

(Igor’s the reason I’m staring over my keyboard at a gray faux brain labeled “Abby Normal,” a name drawn from the little brain advice of a classmate who left Moorhead for New snatcher’s confusion over “abnormal.”)

Boyd understudied the original Monster, York City, and studied at the University of Cinwhose inarticulate grunts and moans were in- cinnati Conservatory of Music.

He played the Pirate King there in Pirates spired by his toddler “trying to make sounds whenever he wanted something.” The character’s of Penzance, but his favorite role was the male triumphant moment, as the promos remind fans lead in Pajama Game, singing such songs as of the movie, comes when he manages to utter, “Hey, There.” He’s also performed in musical theater in St. Louis and Kansas City’s Star“Puttin’ on the ritz.”

But that’s as close as Boyd comes to show- light Theatre.

Touring separates him from his “serious” ing the vocal prowess that landed him the role of Jean Valjean in his high school production of girlfriend, who has a role in the blues musical

Memphis back in New York City. But it allows daylight hours for his golf and other outdoor activities. He particularly enjoyed stops in Denver, where he headed out for some white water rafting, and Arizona where he indulged in more golf to work on his “7 or 8 handicap” game.

He also comes from a skiing family, a sport that gained momentum when his grandfather taught in Boulder. He’s not tempted, however, to try the slopes in his Monster gear.

It includes a big muscle suit and giant leather boots with four-inch lifts. With four layers of clothing, his appearance on stage for almost the entire second act constitutes a good workout.

The layers come in handy when he bursts through the wall of the blind hermit’s hut. That’s the scene when the blind man pours hot soup in his lap and sets fire to him.

While his “Puttin’ on the ritz” song-and-dance may be more oft-remembered, some would argue that the great climax comes when Elizabeth (think Madeline Kahn in the movie) is so inspired by his prowess that she bursts into an orgasmic, “Ah, sweet mystery of life.”

It could spoil a fellow for less enthusiastic responses to his charms. In any case, Boyd must play his role without such freedom of expression.

The tour stop isn’t his first in Omaha. Boyd has visited a high school friend who teaches grade school here. , Young Frankenstein runs March 29-April 3 at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, with a final performance 7:30 p.m. Sunday at the Orpheum Theater, 409 S. 16th St., as part of Omaha Performing Arts Broadway Across America series. Tickets, beginning at $25, are available at the Holland Performing Arts Center, online at ticketomaha.com or by calling 402.345.0606.

theater

coldcream

Tall Tale

n I hope to see Into the Woods this week despite the best efforts of Creighton University to keep their theatrical productions a closelyguarded secret. OK, that’s an exaggeration, but one based on more than this season’s experience in trying to get both the drama department and their university relations people to better inform us on their shows.

It isn’t that they single out The Reader for the silent treatment. They don’t put notices in the monthly Taglines newsletter of the Theater Arts Guild and even the daily has to go out of its way to find out what they’re about.

In this case, it’s the Stephen Sondheim musical based on the Brothers Grimm with such proven voices as Dan Tracy as the Baker and Maria Becvar as the Baker’s wife.

It runs this Wednesday through April 3 with 7:30 p.m. performances (2 p.m. Sundays) in Creighton’s Lied Education Center for the Arts, 2500 California Plaza. n Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is not one of those musicals where you’ll leave the Bellevue Little Theatre humming its tunes. But you may rave about two stellar performances by Mark Thornburg as the sophisticated charmer of a con man and Steve Krambeck as the loopy goofball con man.

They’re especially hilarious when Thornburg’s character tries to escape marriage to a cowgirl from Oklahoma by presenting Krambeck as Ruprecht, his loony brother. They’re supported by Michael TaylorStewart as Thornburg’s police chief sidekick with a French accent out of Peter Sellars and three appealing women: Angela Fick as the cowgirl, Cathy Hirsch as a wealthy American mark and Debbie Cline, as delightful as ever in musical comedy. n If you’ve ever doubted the ability of the Omaha Community Playhouse to make the most of wellworn material, see Nunsense before it closes April 3. It started on a weekend with three other openings of shows I hadn’t seen before, so it fell to the bottom of my list.

But I finally got there and saw what magic Susie Baer Collins had worked with what I’d mistakenly considered rather routine stuff. I’d expected strong performances by Moira Mangiameli as the Mother Superior and Dawn Buller-Kirke as her rival, but I was also wowed by Megan McGuire’s operatic power as Sister Mary Amnesia and the comedic charms of Sally Neumann Scamfer.

You may have noticed that the musical Chicago returns to the Playhouse next season after being pulled from a previous schedule. This year Chanticleer was hit by the same problem, having to find a replacement for Fiddler on the Roof after another touring company was booked into the Orpheum.

— Warren Francke Cold Cream looks at theater in the metro area. Email information to coldcream@thereader.com.

| THE READER |

march 24 - 30, 2011

17

art

OpeningS

BEMIS UNDERGROUND, 724 S. 12th St., 341.7130, bemiscenter.org. 2011 BEMIS CENTER REGIONAL EXHIBITION: Regional Juried Exhibition, through Apr. 16, reception Mar. 25, 6 p.m.

CHADRON STATE COLLEGE, 1000 Main St., Chadron, NE, 800.242.3766, csc.edu. SENIOR THESIS STUDENT ART SHOW: Group show, opens Mar. 30-Apr. 15.

CREIGHTON LIED ART GALLERY, 2500 California St., 280.2392, finearts.creighton.edu. CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL ART EXHIBIT: Opens Mar. 25, 4 p.m.

GALLERY 9, 124 S 9th St., Lincoln, 477.2822, gallerynine.com.

WHERE THE OWL LIVES: Wendy Bantam opens Mar. 30-Apr. 20, reception Apr. 1, 6:30 p.m.

HILLMER ART GALLERY, College of St. Mary, 7000 Mercy Rd., 399.2400, csm.edu. NEW WORK: Jess Benjamin, through Apr. 15, reception Apr. 7, 5 p.m.

HITHCOCK NATURE CENTER, 27792 Ski Hill Loop, Honey Creek, IA, pottcoconservation.com. TALL GRASS PRAIRIE- PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE: Through Apr. 28.

LAURITZEN GARDENS, 100 Bancroft St., 346.4002, omahabotanicalgardens.org. THE ORCHID SHOW: Prize-winning orchids, opens Mar. 26-27.

UNL HILLESTAD TEXTILES GALLERY, 35th & Holdrege, 2nd Floor, Home Econims Bldg., Lincoln, textilegallery.unl.edu.

THAIS REGINA DE OLIVEIRA: A CARNIVAL OF SOUND: Opens Mar. 28-Apr. 8, reception Apr. 8, 5 p.m.

UNL ROTUNDA GALLERY, Nebraska Union, 1400 R St., Lincoln, 472.8279. NEW WORK: Josef Kren, opens Mar. 28-Apr. 1.

ONGOING

A CAVALLO VIOLINS, Countryside Village, 87th & Pacific St. ART OF SOUND: Violins and violas, through Apr. 9.

A TO Z PRINTING, 8320 Cody Dr., Lincoln, 477.0815, atozprint. com. NEW WORK: Julia Lauer-Cheene, through March.

ANDERSON O’BRIEN FINE ART COUNTRYSIDE VILLAGE, 8724 Pacific St., 390.0717, aobfineart.com. EFFORTLESS ELEGANCE: Wearable art by Kay Chapman, through Mar. 24.

BEMIS CENTER, 724 S. 12th St., 341.7130, bemiscenter.org.

STILL LIFES: New work by Vera Mercer. ANOTHER NEBRASKA: Group show by the Nebraska Arts Council individual artist fellows. Both shows through Apr. 9.

BLUE POMEGRANATE GALLERY, 6570 Maple St., 502.9901, bluepom.com. SPRING INVITATIONAL: Featuring Jaime Bowers and Nancy Smith, through March.

CATHEDRAL CULTURAL CENTER SUTHERLAND GALLERY, 701 N. 40th St., 551.4888, cathedralartsproject.org. SHARING SPACE: New work Dennis Wattier and Deborah Murphy, through Apr. 2.

CHADRON STATE COLLEGE, 1000 Main St., Chadron, NE, 800.242.3766, csc.edu. THEN AND NOW: Faculty art show, through Mar. 25.

DRIFT STATION GALLERY, 1745 N St., Lincoln, driftstation.org.

ONE MARK TO THE NEXT: Group show, through March.

DUNDEE GALLERY, 4916 Underwood Ave., 505.8333, dundeegallery.com. NEW WORK: Lissa Hase and John Stillmunks, through Mar. 27.

DURHAM WESTERN HERITAGE MUSEUM, 801 S. 10th St., 444.5071, durhammuseum.org. SCHOOL HOUSE TO WHITE HOUSE: THE EDUCATION OF THE PRESIDENTS: Through Mar. 27.

EISENTRAGER-HOWARD GALLERY, Richards Hall, Stadium Drive and T, Lincoln, 472.5025, unl.edu/art/facilities_eisentragerhoward.shtml. UNDERGRADUATE STUDIO ART COMPETITION: Through Mar. 24.

EL MUSEO LATINO, 4701 S. 25th St., elmuseolatino.org. MOLAS EXHIBIT: Textiles created by the Kuna people of Panama.

NEBRASKA MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS: Group show, through Apr. 16. EL CABALLO: The horse in Mexican Folk Art, through May 4.

ELDER GALLERY, 51st and Huntington, Nebraska Wesleyan University, nebrwesleyan.edu. FACULTY EXHIBITION: Group show, through Apr. 8.

FRED SIMON GALLERY, Burlington Building, 1004 Farnam St., nebraskaartscouncil.org. NEW WORK: Anne and Mike Burton, through Apr. 22.

GOVERNOR’S RESIDENCE EXHIBITION, 1425 H St., Lincoln, nebraskaartscouncil.org. NEW WORK: Nancy Lepo, through Apr. 15.

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march 24 - 30, 2011

GRAND MANSE GALLERY, 129 N. 10th St., Lincoln, grandmanse.com. NEW WORK: Paintings by Neal R. Anderson, through March.

GRAHAM GALLERY, 617 W. 2nd St., Hastings, graham-gallery. com. NEW WORK: Janey Nottage Tacey, through Mar. 31.

GREAT PLAINS ART MUSEUM, 1155 Q St., Hewit Plc., Lincoln, 472.0599, unl.edu/plains/gallery/gallery.shtml. DOUBLE VISION: New work by Hulleah Tsinhnahjinnie, through Apr. 17.

HAYDON CENTER, 335 N. 8th St., Lincoln, 475.5421, haydonartcenter.org. WIND ON EARTH: Native American group show, through May 7, reception Apr. 1 & May 6.

HISTORIC GENERAL DODGE HOUSE, 605 3rd St., Council Bluffs, 501.3841, dodgehouse.org. IN MEMORY OF... THE ART OF MOURNING: Examines a family’s response to loss and mourning in the late Victorian period, through Oct. 23.

HOT SHOPS ARTS CENTER, 1301 Nicholas St., 342.6452, hotshopsartcenter.com. OPEN HOUSE: Old Market Artists open house, Project Harmony is the 2011 beneficiary. ART WITH HEART: Fundraiser for American Heart Association. Both shows through Mar. 27.

INTERNATIONAL QUILT STUDY CENTER AND MUSEUM, 1523 N. 33rd St., Lincoln, 472.7232, quiltstudy.org. MARSEILLE: WHITE CORDED QUILTING: Through May 8. REVISITING THE ART QUILT: Through Apr. 3, gallery talk Apr. 3, 3 p.m.

JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER, 333 S. 132nd St., 572.8486, jccomaha.org. NEW WORK: Frann Addison, through Mar. 31.

JOSLYN ART MUSEUM, 2200 Dodge St., 342.3300, joslyn.org.

THE GLORY OF UKRAINE: Two part exhibition that forms an unprecedented celebration of this large European nation, through May 8. FROM HOUDINI TO HUGO: The art of Brian Selznick, through May 29.

KIECHEL FINE ART, 5733 S. 34th St., Lincoln, 420.9553, kiechelart.com. SHARED HISTORY: Anthony Benton Gude with works by Thomas Hart Benton and Dale Nichols, through Apr. 8.

KIMMEL HARDING NELSON CENTER FOR THE ARTS, 801 3rd Corso, Nebraska City, 874.9600, khncenterforthearts.org. LAURINE KIMMEL HIGH SCHOOL ART EXHIBITION: Through Apr. 30.

KRUGER COLLECTION, UNL Architecture Hall, 10th and R, Lincoln, 472.3560, krugercollection.unl.edu. THINK GREEN: Interior/green design and miniatures, through Apr. 1.

LAURITZEN GARDENS, 100 Bancroft St., 346.4002, omahabotanicalgardens.org. A TROPICAL PARADISE: Amazing tropical plants, through Apr. WEEDS/PODS/SEEDS: New work by Kristin Pluhacek. THE LANDSCAPES: New work by Kristin Pluhacek.

Both shows through Apr. 17.

THE LICHEN, 2810 N. 48th St., Lincoln, thelichen.com. MARCH OF THE UNICORNS: Female-dominant group show curated by Sandra Williams, through March.

LUX CENTER FOR THE ARTS, 48th and Baldwin, Lincoln, 434.2787, luxcenter.org. NATIONAL JURIED CUP EXHIBITION: Julia Galloway juries, through Apr. 30. JURIED STUDENT ART SHOW: Group show, through Mar. 26.

METRO COMMUNITY COLLEGE, Fort Omaha Campus, 30th & Fort St., North Building #10. LUIGI WAITES EXHIBIT: Artwork honoring Luigi Waites, through Mar. 30.

MODERN ARTS MIDWEST, 800 P St., Lincoln, 477.2828, modernartsmidwest.com. WATER FORMS: New work by Kelly Manning and Amy Smiths, through Mar. 26.

MUSEUM OF NEBRASKA ART (MONA), 2401 Central Ave., Kearney, 308.865.8559, monet.unk.edu/mona. THE ANIMAL KINGDOM: Through Jun. 5, 2011. A GREATER SPECTRUM: African American artists of Nebraska, 1912-2010, through Apr. 3.

THE NEW BLK, 1213 Jones St., 403.5619, thenewblk.com. RGB: MODERN. DIGITAL. AMERICAN. PHOTOGRAPHY.: New work by Bill Sitzmann, through Mar. 25.

OLSON-LARSEN GALLERY, 203 5th St., Des Moines, IA, 515.277.6734, olsonlarsen.com. NEW WORK: Group show, through Apr. 9.

PARALLAX SPACE, 1745 N St., Lincoln, parallaxspace.com.

VARIOUS ENCOUNTERS: Work by Matt Belk, through Mar. 28.

RETRO, 1125 Jackson St., 934.7443. PARADIGM: New work by Gerard Perfung, Holly Kranker, Manuel Cook and Phil Hawkins, through March.

RNG GALLERY, 1915 Leavenworth St., 214.3061. THE KENT BELLOWS STUDIO MENTOR EXHIBITION: Group show, through Mar. 27.

SHELDON ART GALLERY, 12th and R, UNL, Lincoln, sheldonartgallery.org. BETTER HALF, BETTER TWELFTH: Women artists

| THE READER |

art/theater listings

poetry/comedy thursday 24

check event listings online! in the collection, through Apr. 1, 2011. AN AMERICAN TASTE: THE ROHMAN COLLECTION: Through May 1. POETICAL FIRE: THREE CENTURIES OF STILL LIFES: Group show, through May 7. TRANSFORMING VISION: PHOTOGRAPHIC ABSTRACTION IN SHELDON’S COLLECTION: Group show, in conjunction with Lincoln Photofest.

SILVER OF OZ, 6115 Maple St., 558.1307, silverofoz.com. NEW WORK: Charity Hathaway, through Mar. TUGBOAT GALLERY, 14th and O, 2nd floor, Lincoln, tugboatgallery.com. WHIPSTITCH: Group show featuring Erika Eden, Mary Pattavina, Eric Tremblay, through Mar. 26.

UNO CRISS GALLERY, 6001 Dodge St., 554.2640, library. unomaha.edu. INSIDE THE CERAMICS STUDIO: A SURVEY OF CLAYWORK AT UNO: Through Mar. 27.

WORKSPACE GALLERY, Sawmill Building, 440 N. 8th St., Lincoln, sites.google.com/site/workspacegallery. SELECTIONS FROM THE FORTIETH PARALLEL: MISSOURI, KANSAS, AND COLORADO: New work by Bruce Myren, through May 5.

theater oPENING

ANGELS IN AMERICA, PART ONE: MILLENIUM APPROACHES, Flatwater Shakespeare, The Haymarket Theatre, 803 Q St., Lincoln, flatwatershakespeare.org. Opens Mar. 31-Apr. 17, Thu.-Sun., 7:30 p.m., $18, $15/seniors, $10/students.

INTO THE WOODS, Creighton Lied Center for Performing Arts, 24th & Cass St., creighton.edu. Mar. 24-Apr. 3, Wed.-Sat., 7:30 p.m., Sun., 2 p.m., $15.

IT’S THE HOUSEWIVES!, TADA Theatre, 701 P St., Lincoln, 402.438.8232, tadatheatre.info. Opens Mar. 24-Apr. 17, Thu.-Sat., 7:30 p.m., Sun., 2 p.m., $18, $15/Sunday.

MOUSETRAP, Nebraska Wesleyan, Miller Theatre, 51st and Huntington, 465.2384, nebrwesleyan.edu. Opens Mar. 31, Apr. 1-2, 7-9, 7:30 p.m.,, Apr. 3, 10, 2 p.m., $10, $7.50/seniors, $5/students.

NEBRASKA BELLYDANCE SPECTACULAR PRESENTS “WHAT IS BEAUTY?”, Holland Center, 13th & Douglas St., 345.0606. Opens Mar. 26, 8 p.m., $35.

YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, Orpheum Theater, 409 S. 16th St., 345.0606, omahaperformingarts.org. Opens Mar. 29Apr. 3, various times, $25.

oNGOING

THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, Omaha Community Playhouse, 6915 Cass St., 553.0800, omahaplayhouse.com. Through Mar. 27, Thu.-Sat., 7:30 p.m., Sun., 2 p.m., $40, $24/student.

BITCH, Blue Barn at The Downtown Space, 614 S. 11th St., 345.1576, bluebarn.org. Opens Mar. 25-26, 7:30 p.m., Apr. 1-2, 11 p.m., $10.

DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS, Bellevue Little Theatre, 203 West Mission Ave., 291.1554, bellevuelittletheatre. com. Through Apr. 3, Fri-Sat., 8 p.m., Sun., 2 p.m., $15, $13/seniors, $7.50/students.

KING HEDLEY II, John Beasley Theater, 3010 R St., Omaha, johnbeasleytheater.org. Through Mar. 27, Thu.-Sat., 7:30 p.m., Sun., 3 p.m., $16.

LIFE WITH FATHER, Chanticleer Theatre, 830 Franklin Ave, Council Bluffs, chanticleertheater.com/index.php.

Through Mar. 27, Fri.-Sat., 7:30 p.m., Sun., 2 p.m., $17, $14/seniors, $9/students.

NUNSENSE, Omaha Community Playhouse, 6915 Cass St., omahaplayhouse.com. Through Apr. 3, Wed.-Sat., 7:30 p.m., Sun., 6:30 p.m., $40, $24/students.

THREE TALL WOMEN, Blue Barn at The Downtown Space, 614 S. 11th St., bluebarn.org. Through Apr. 2, Thu.-Sat., 7:30 p.m., Sun., 6 p.m., $25, $20/students and seniors.

COMEDY NIGHT AT THE SIDE DOOR, 3530 Leavenworth St., 8 p.m., $5. Every Thu. FR. G. SIMON HARAK, S.J., Mike & Josie Harper Center Ballroom A, Creighton University, 2500 California Plz., 7 p.m. Lecture, “Making Profit from War--Making War From Profit.”

TOM WILSON, Funny Bone, Village Pointe, 17305 Davenport St., funnnyboneomaha.com, 493.8036, 7:30 p.m.

FRIDAY 25

EKPHRASIS SHOW, Gallery 9, 124 South 9th St., Lincoln. The Poetry reading, based on Meghan Stratman’s work.

TOM WILSON, Funny Bone, Village Pointe, 17305 Davenport St., funnnyboneomaha.com, 493.8036, 7:30 p.m, 9:45 p.m.

SATURDAY 26

CIVIL WAR BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP, The Bookworm, 87th & Pacific, 392.2877, bookwormomaha.com, 10 a.m.

STEPHANIE PATSALIS, The Bookworm, 87th & Pacific, bookwormomaha.com, 1 p.m. Author will sign Greek Chic Cuisine.

“WHAT IS BEAUTY” NEBRASKA BELLYDANCE SPECTACULAR, Scott Recital Hall, Holland Center, 1200 Douglas St., omahaperformingarts.org, 8 p.m., $35.

TOM WILSON, Funny Bone, Village Pointe, 17305 Davenport St., funnnyboneomaha.com, 493.8036, 7:30 p.m, 9:30 p.m.

Sunday 27

ARCAEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF AMERICA LECTURE SERIES, Abbott Lecture Hall, Joslyn Art Museum, 2201 Dodge St., joslyn.org, 2 p.m. Lanny Bell presents lecture, “Tutankhamun: The Life and Death of a God King.”

LEWIS BLACK: “IN GOD WE RUST”, Holland Center, 13th & Douglas St., 345.0606, ticketomaha.com, 7:30 p.m., $35-$65.

LIAR’S CONTEST 2011, The Bookworm, 87th & Pacific, 392.2877, bookwormomaha.com, 2 p.m. Pre-register by calling 551.4532, for more information visit nebraskastoryarts.org.

STEVE MARANTZ, The Bookworm, 87th & Pacific, 392.2877, bookwormomaha.com, 12 p.m. Author will sign The Rhythm Boys of Omaha Central.

TOM WILSON, Funny Bone, Village Pointe, 17305 Davenport St., funnnyboneomaha.com, 493.8036, 7 p.m.

monday 28

DUFFY’S COMEDY WORKSHOP, 1412 O St., Lincoln, 474.3543, myspace.com/duffystavern, 9 p.m. (every Mon.) POETRY AT THE MOON, Crescent Moon Coffee, 816 P St., Lincoln, 435.2828, crescentmoon@inebraska.com, 7 p.m. Open mic and featured readers Gage Wallace, Katie F-S, Oracle Jones, Grey Castro and Jason Albin. (every Mon.) WWII HISTORY BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP, The Bookworm, 87th and Pacific, 392.2877, bookwormomaha.com, 2 p.m.

tuesday 29

SHOOT YOUR MOUTH OFF, The Hideout, 320 S. 72nd St., 504.4434, myspace.com/shootyourmouthoff, 9 p.m. Spoken word, comedy, music and chaos (every Tue.)

Wednesday 30

ACOUSTIC OPEN MIC FOR MUSICIANS & POETS, Meadowlark Coffee & Espresso, 1624 S. St., Lincoln, 8 p.m., 477.2007. Hosted by Spencer. (every Wed.) BEARDS OF COMEDY, Side Door Lounge, 3530 Leavenworth St., 8 p.m., $5.

JESSICA SAVITZ, Elder Gallery, Rogers Center for Fine Arts, Nebraska Wesleyan, 50th & Huntington Ave, Lincoln, nebrwesleyan.edu, 6 p.m. Poetry reading.

MIDWEST POETRY VIBE, Irie, 302 S. 11th St., 9 p.m., poetry, R&B, Neosoul music, live performances, concert DVD and food and drink. (Every Wed.) PEOPLE’S FILM FESTIVAL: PALESTINE TRILOGY, McFoster’s Natural Kind Cafe, 38th and Farnam, 7 p.m., FREE. Three videos show activists at work. (every Wed.) SIERRA DEMULDER, Omaha Healing Arts Center, 1216 Howard St., 345.5078, omahaslam.com, 8 p.m., $7 suggested donation. National Poetry Slam champion.

THEASTER GATES, Bemis Center, 724 S. 12th St., bemiscenter.org, 7 p.m. Performance and public introduction to Theaster Gates’ Town Hall project.

J. MEDICINE HAT, Funny Bone, Village Pointe, 17305 Davenport St., funnnyboneomaha.com, 493.8036, 7:30 p.m.

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Full Steam Ahead Railroad Earth reinvigorates newgrass genre

By Jesse D. Stanek

I

music

features Skehan, vocalist/guitarist Todd Sheaffer, vocalist/violinist Tim Carbone, multi-instrumentalist Andy Goessling, drummer Carey Harmon and bassist Andrew Altman. The band played a couple of gigs in and around New Jersey and Pennsylvania and quickly found a manager to come on board. That summer the band was given a spot at the prestigious Telluride Bluegrass Festival (this was its 10th show ever), a tough nut to crack and a testament to the band’s astute musical proficiency. The band’s live, vigorous tenacity and its penchant for musical exploration quickly landed Railroad Earth a devoted following who now refer to themselves as the “hobos.”

The band has become a festival favorite and this

n 1945, Bill Monroe brought banjo expert Earl Scruggs into his Blue Grass Boys backing band (which also featured guitarist Lester Flatt) and in essence created the musical genre which would become known as Bluegrass.

Through the 25 or so years that followed, Bluegrass was primarily played by old men wearing matching hats and suits who all stuck to a strict definition of what it meant to play the music.

Then in 1971 Sam Bush and Courtney Johnson formed Newgrass Revival, Railroa dEarth a rag-tag bunch of longhairs playing in the traditional bluegrass ensemble who liked covering rock ‘n’ roll, protest and even reggae songs, and who stretched the genre beyond its somewhat rigid confines. The Newgrass spirit was further developed by artists like John Hartford, J.D. Crowe and The New South and Seldom Scene. The sound would later be transformed even further when Colorado bands like Leftover Salmon and The String Cheese Incident took the instrumentation of bluegrass, added rock ‘n’ roll drums and began to improvise in new and inventive ways. New Jersey-based Railroad Earth, coming to The Waiting Room on Monday, falls into the direct lineage of these bands.

“One thing people have to remember,” says Railroad Earth cofounder and mandolin player John Skehan, “and summer will play Telluride, Floydfest and Bonbluegrass purists can be pretty strict on what aroo among others. they consider bluegrass, but what Bill Monroe And while Railroad Earth’s live show is a was doing was pretty revolutionary in terms musical spectacle of gorgeous harmonies, pistolof country music. I guess, where we fall in with whipped picking and musical interplay, the band that, and I’m a big fan of Bill Monroe, would be also has a recorded canon that stands among the that I’ve always loved the bluegrass ensemble; the best bluegrass-influenced acts going today. The mandolin, banjo, guitar and fiddle. It seemed like band currently has six long-players to its credit, adding drums, an element of rock ‘n’ roll, just including two on stalwart bluegrass label Sugar seemed logical.”

Hill and two on String Cheese’s imprint SCI Railroad Earth came to fruition as a band Fidelity. The most recent, 2010’s self-titled reduring the early part of 2001 and took the name lease, is the band’s most developed to date. The from a Jack Kerouac short story called “Octo- sound stays true to the band’s Newgrass roots ber in The Railroad Earth.” The current lineup but also has a classic country rock feel to much

music

of the music. Tracks like the sprawling 11-minute “Spring-Heeled Jack” find the band drawing out the compositions in familiar fashion and in a new development. “Jupiter & The 119” could find itself on alternative radio station playlists. Longtime fans will find Railroad Earth staying true to its top-shelf songwriting, impeccable musicianship and soaring harmonies.

“We were going for certainly a more production-oriented record on the new one,” Skehan says. “Having come from Amen Corner, which was basically a home recording experiment in a big old farmhouse where we just rolled the tape while we played and jammed. It seemed more logical to go for a production aspect on this one.

All the songs are new to the band’s repertoire except one. This one was definitely more of a construction piece. The process allowed us to do a lot more vocal work. Vocals have always been an important part of the band since its first record.

On this one we really utilized everybody’s voice in some aspect.” , Railroad Earth plays Slowdown, 729 N 14 St., on Monday, March 28 at 8 p.m. The all-ages show will start at 8 p.m., Whitewater Ramble will open and tickets are $20 in advance and $25 day of. For more info visit radkadillac.com.

| THE READER |

march 24 - 30, 2011

19

art

Thirty-six finalists vie in Bemis Center’s first juried regional exhibition

By Michael J. Krainak

A

sk any gallery director, private or public, what “job one” is and they are likely to tell you it’s organizing exhibitions that meet their mission and satisfy the needs of their artists and patrons.

As axiomatic as it may seem, it’s not as simple as it sounds. A museum or art center must build and draw upon its reputation to bring significant national and international exhibits to its audience. It must also build and draw upon ample budgets to satisfy those ambitions.

Private galleries can rely on their stable of artists, connections and influence within their community to show and sell art to beginning and experienced collectors. But gallery owners must use strong marketing skills and be wary of artist overexposure to an audience gone weary of the face and brand.

It would then seem easier for alternative venues like the Bemis Underground to fill its schedule and considerable space since its commitment to experimentation on behalf of emerging and mid-career artists would guarantee a ready regional supply.

But those enigmatic “e” words pose challenges of their own. Since its opening in 2005 the Underground has learned a lot about finding, scheduling, curating and generally coping with emerging artists and its audience’s taste for edgier, experimental art.

The Underground’s latest effort on behalf of all the above is Bemis’ first Regional Juried Exhibition, which opens officially this Friday, March 25 at 6 p.m. and continues through April 16. The exhibit, organized by Underground curator Joel Damon, features 36 finalists who range in age from 22 to 88, and over 50 works of their art.

The finalists, chosen from a field of 217 by juror Kate Hackman, associate director of Charlotte Street Foundation in Kansas City, vary from familiar established artists like Gary Day, Tim Guthrie and Ann Gradwohl, to mid-career Michael Burton and Peter Cales, to emerging artists Matt Carlson, Laura Mohr and Derek Pressnall and UNL/UNO BFA or MFA candidates Jason Young, Jessica Machacek and Drew Leuders, and commercial photographer/designer Jodi Cramer, among many others.

The mediums represented are just as varied, from the new media of Angeles Cossio and Trudie Teijink to the more traditional sculpture of Lauren Mabry, Peter Cales and Ryan Fisher; the mixed media of Megan Sanders, Audrey Stommes and Arjan Zazueta; paintings by Will Anderson, Neil Griess, Alexandra Borovski and Nikolaus Hansl; and printmaking from Brittan Rosendahl, Ella Weber and Jeffrey Thompson.

Three of these exhibiting artists will be awarded $500 and a 2012 solo exhibit in the Underground. Hackman will

20

march 24 - 30, 2011

announce the winners at Friday’s reception. She will conduct a gallery talk this Saturday, March 26 at 12 noon. Underground curator Damon says Bemis will profit as well.

“By awarding the top three a show, it provides part of our schedule,” he said. “The true intent of this show is to put us in contact with a larger pool of area artists and put them into our sightline, especially those we haven’t been aware of.”

Damon credits the recent Science Fair, a DIY effort organized by Josh Powell and Kevin Rooney to recognize alternative, pre-emerging and relatively unknown artists, as inspiration for the Undergrounds’ continuing desire to offer that next possible stage in their development. He also feels a judge unfamiliar with an area brand or name best creates a level playing field.

“An outside juror gives credibility by taking the judgment out of our hands,” he said. “She’s not familiar with the Underground scene. Her lack of bias helps us offer them something more than a coffee house or bookstore to show in.”

That explains why Bemis veterans like Day, Guthrie and Carlson are showing alongside the relatively unknown and fresh performance art of Cossio, the installation of Teijink and an inkjet print of Thompson which first greet the viewer and set an exemplary stage for what is to follow.

It’s not an overstatement to say that virtually all of the finalists are worthy of an Underground show, a conclusion shared by Hackman. “I was pleased to find many artists with very strong bodies of work, all of which I would have happily included. And there were many strong additional artists that there simply was not room to include.”

Hackman said that though she used no hard and fast criteria, she was “looking for work that felt fresh, relevant and representative of a specific and distinctive point of view. I was favorable toward those who seemed to be taking risks in their work.

“There are definitely some artists I found through this process that I will invite to submit proposals for shows in Kansas City, so hopefully that is of value, perhaps especially to younger artists who are in the fairly early stages of building their careers.”

The work in this exhibit is that good. But while any one of the more established artists may indeed win this competition, this review is mostly interested in work from artists newer to this community. What follows are a dozen artists who caught this critical eye and his personal choice for a top three award, though all are deserving.

— The digital prints of Sean P. Morrissey. Featuring 3-D geometric forms in a 2-D space, the impact of these oddly titled pieces (All Things Are Tragic) is oddly disorienting: a genuine paradox of emotional detachment and visual engagement.

— Another digital print, “An Age of Comfort and Refugees,” this one from Alison VanVolkenburgh. Using a striking one point parallel perspective, this socio-political piece separates two sets of silhouettes, one black, one white like sheep and their shepherds on a runway to an unknown future.

— An ongoing installation, Imminent Danger, of even greater socio-political portent by Ann Gradwohl that will

| THE READER |

art

remind some of Guthrie’s Underground installation, Extraordinary Rendition, what with its array of surveillance cameras and monitors and its own provocative American flag with green stripes and red stars. Sit down and watch yourself watching yourself for your daily dose of paranoia.

— A conceptual mixed media collage, An Underlying Sadness, from Emma Nishimura, that features two empty, billowing shirts linked together on a mountainous background. Though it eludes interpretation, its dingy black and gray palette and somber mood suggest possible environmental and human catastrophes and their aftermath.

— The two paper collages, Revelations and Afterlife Abstractions from Derek Pressnall, with their densely overlapping imagery that references similar work from Josh Powell and Nic Bohac, minus the social commentary. Instead, Pressnall’s images and iconography are more mythical and spiritual.

— The 88-year-old Nikolaus Hansl offers, ironically, naïve acrylic paintings, e.g., “Halloween,” whose scenarios of a simpler way of life shows he hasn’t lost his imagination and innocence as the puppet master of his puppet-like figures.

— Two untitled digital photographic prints of William Hess from his Vessels series that are virtual, contradictory companion pieces of death and repose. The first is a semi truck on its side, detached, lifeless and abstract, and the second is grandpa, laid out in a funeral parlor, solemn, “gazing” upward and surrounded by a heavenly, albeit artificial light.

— A relentless video loop from Kan Seidel whose message from its black Woman, “I am a black woman, the American dream, the American destiny…for every white woman” speaks dramatically for itself.

— While the above commentary on gender and race was man-made, conversely, the three provocative, black and white digital prints that deal with passive-aggressive issues of identity and roles in the bedroom come from an anonymous woman known only by her titled pseudonym, Z Xonk.

A trio of possible winners from the 36 finalists in no particular order might include: — The three whimsical, imaginative animated and painted videos of Michael Burton, whose collaboration with wife Anne in Tween is currently on display at the Fred Simon Gallery. Here Burton makes good use also of his classical soundtrack and sound effects to create a moving, humorous and sensual experience in broad cinematic strokes.

— Conversely, Neil Griess, the nephew of artist Kent Bellows, offers two pleasing oils in a similar Photo-Realism style as his uncle, but have an interesting surrealism of their own due in large part to his detached POV as if creating/seeing these fabricated cityscapes through a telephoto lens.

— Meghan Sullivan’s marvelous painted sculpture, “Awkward Conversation,” that isolates one female from two others and their male centerpiece. Though the figures are primitive their body language and posture gives clues to what it’s like to be an outsider in this “Big Love” scenario, but just as awkward is the sculpture’s placement that discourages viewers from circling behind and seeing this social drama reinforced, arm-in-arm. ,

mixedmedia

Win! Place! Show!

n Lincoln’s ProjectRoom Gallery is opening its final show Friday, April 1. Drive Dark West, featuring work by Fortner McDowell, will close the gallery’s three years in downtown Lincoln’s Parrish Building. Thirty distressed photographs and 30 bullet-pierced text pieces create an environment that reflects on a variety of subjects: family, work, honor, sex, love, violence, destiny, death and “life’s drive towards some kind of personal resolution.”

The show opens as part of Lincoln’s First Friday event on Friday, April 1 from 7-10 p.m. n Pulitzer Prize winning photographs– including a handful of instantly recognizable images–will be on display at the Durham Museum beginning April 9. Capture The Moment: The Pulitzer Prize Photographs features more than 150 winning photographs in black and white and color. Two photographs each year win the prize, and the show includes the firstever winners from 1942. Highlights include Joe Rosenthal’s 1945 photograph of the American flag raising at Iwo Jima and Nat Fein’s photo of Babe Ruth at Yankee Stadium. n The Joslyn Art Museum’s latest Family Fun Day focuses on its exhibition The Glory of Ukraine.

The free event, slated for Sunday, March 27 from 1-4 p.m., will include a performance of traditional Ukrainian and Eastern European dances by the Omaha International Folk Dancers, a demonstration of egg tempera painting and gold leaf gilding from artist Jan Tan Creti , and a viewing of traditional ritual rushnyk cloths from Olesia Repichowskyj’s personal collection. Art making activities will include jewelry making, rushnyky cloth making and a clay animal craft. n The Nebraska Arts Council is looking for artists to participate in the 2011-12 Governor’s Residence Exhibition Program. Two-dimensional artists can apply to exhibit on the lower level of the Governor’s residence in Lincoln. Eligible artists must live in Nebraska, be 21 years old or older and not enrolled in a visual arts degree-granting program. Artwork must be paintings, drawings, prints or photos; 3D work cannot be accommodated because of space constraints. Interested artists can apply online for free.

The deadline is May 31. For more information, visit NebraskaArtsCouncil.org or contact J.D. Hutton at jayne.hutton@nebraska.gov. n The Bluffs Arts Council is seeking artists and musicians to be part of its spring “Savor the Flavor event,” which highlights local artists, musicians, local wine and gourmet food. It takes place in the Bluffs’ historic 100 Block on West Broadway on Saturday, May 14. Participants walk up and down the block to take in art, music and food. For more information or to be a featured artist or musician, contact Laural Ronk at the BAC at 712.328.4992 or via email at info@bluffsarts.org.

— Sarah Baker Hansen Mixed Media is a column about local art. Send ideas to mixedmedia@thereader.com.

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| THE READER |

MARCH 24 - 30, 2011

21

2234 South 13th Street Omaha, NE 68108 346 - 9802 www.sokolundground.com

livemusiccalendar

SEND CALENDAR INFORMATION — including addresses, dates, times, costs and phone numbers — to The Reader’s calendar editor. Mail to or drop off information at P.O. Box 7360 Omaha, NE 68107; email to listings@thereader.com; fax to (402) 341.6967.

Deadline is 5 p.m. the Thursday prior to issue date.

thursday 24

fri 3/18/2011

wed 3/23/2011

thu 3/24/2011

thu 3/25/2011

What DWells Within W/ a sequence of Ghosts, the catalyst, WorDs like DaGGers, at War With Giants, anD Dire Gnosis Doors @ 6:30shoW @ 7:00 Blacklist Presents: Vitosus, Vulsafire, escaPe the fire, anD eVerythinG Goes Doors @ 5:30shoW @ 6:00 hearneBraska.orG Presents: soJh W/ school of rock Doors @ 6:30shoW @ 7:00 tranceformers: nerDtron Vs. re:animateD featurinG 10 of the miDWest’s toP DJs anD ProDucers, liVe Visuals, crystal clear chest PounDinG sounD, full on laser anD concert liGhtinG, anD more! 8:00 - 2:00

MusicOmahaShow.com

The Documentary three-part episode

With Special Guest:

Andrew Jay

From Rock Paper Dynamite

22

march 24 - 30, 2011

ROOMFUL OF BLUES, (blues) 5:30 p.m., 21st Saloon, $15.

MICHAEL WUNDER, TREE, CASTLE MYSTERIO, (rock/

singer-songwriter) 9 p.m., Barley St. Tavern, $5.

RHYTHM COLLECTIVE, (reggae) 9 p.m., Bones, FREE.

READER RECOMMENDS

LINCOLN EXPOSED 2011 W/ MARK THORNTON, THE

MACHETE ARCHIVE, ELI MARDOCK, MASSES, THE

VINGINS, (rock) 7 p.m., Bourbon, $7, $15/3 day pass.

LINCOLN EXPOSED 2011 W/ SHAUN SPARKS & THE

WOUNDED ANIMALS, WELL-DRESSED MAN DISGUISE, SMITH’S CLOUD, SON OF 76 AND THE

WATCHMEN, KID B, (rock) 7 p.m., Duffy’s, $7, $15.

SHAWN FREDIEU, (rock) 9 p.m., Firewater Grille, FREE. FALL DOWN DRUNKS, THAD SANDS 1 MAN BAND, HOT TAIL HONEYS, (rockabilly) 9 p.m., Gator O’Malley’s.

NOVAK & HARR, (jazz) 6 p.m., Jazz Louisiana Kitchen.

MY BROTHER, ESCAPE THE FIRE, SMALL TOWN HOPE,

(rock) 9 p.m., Knickerbockers.

SEVENDUST, KORN, DISTURBED, IN THIS MOMENT, STILL

WELL, (rock) 8 p.m., Mid-America Center, $39.75-$55.

SUSIE THORNE, (jazz) 9 p.m., Myth, FREE. THE LAST FEW, (jazz) 6:30 p.m., Ozone, FREE. SWAMPJAM, (blues) 8 p.m., Perry’s Place, FREE. WHITE WOLF TSHIRT, (rock) 8 p.m., PS Collective.

USA COUNTRY SHOWCASE, (country) 5 p.m., Rednecks.

FOOLS & HORSES, (rock) 8 p.m., Slowdown, $10.

HEARNEBRASKA.ORG PRESENTS: STRAIGHT OUTTA

JUNIOR HIGH, SCHOOL OF ROCK, (punk/rock) 7 p.m.,

Sokol Underground, $5.

JR HOSS, (acoustic) 9 p.m., Two Fine Irishmen, FREE. SATURN MOTH, DIM LIGHT, CYMBAL RUSH, KNIFE.

FIGHT.JUSTICE!, (rock) 9 p.m., Waiting Room, $5.

LINCOLN EXPOSED 2011 W/ TIJUANA GIGOLOS, LIL SLIM

BLUES BAND, CORY KIBLER, MUSTACHE, BUCK &

FAVER, (blues) 6 p.m., Zoo Bar, $7/ $15/3 day pass.

FRIDAY 25

MIXDUP, MYTH, (DJ) 9 p.m., 415, $5.

BLUE HOUSE, (blues) 9 p.m., Ameristar Casino, FREE. ROUGH CUT, (cover) 9 p.m., Arena, FREE. THE WHIPKEY THREE, BETTER DAYS, AT LAND, (rock) 9

p.m., Barley St. Tavern, $5.

HOT BUTTERED MOJO, (blues/rock) 9 p.m., Bones, FREE. LINCOLN EXPOSED 2011 W/ ONCE A PAWN, REALLY ROTTENS, SAS, THUNDERSTANDABLE, SOLID GOLD,

(rock) 7:30 p.m., Bourbon, $7, $15/3 day pass.

MOON JUICE, (cover) 9 p.m., Chrome, FREE. LARK MARKEL, OWLSLEY, GNARWHAL, (rock) 8 p.m.,

Cultiva, FREE. FLANIGANS RIGHT HOOK, (celtic) 9 p.m., Dubliner, $3.

LINCOLN EXPOSED 2011 W/ LUCAS KELLISON & THE ASSEMBLED SOUL, THE BETTIES, PROFESSOR

PLUM, TIE THESE HANDS, SFS, (rock/various) 7

p.m., Duffy’s, $7, $15/3 day pass.

OK SISTERS DUO, (blues) 8 p.m., Havana Garage, FREE. MARIACHI LUNA Y SOL, (mariachi) 6:30 p.m., Hector’s.

READER RECOMMENDS

RED CITY RADIO, SUBJECT TO AUTHORITY, THUNDER

BOLTS, SWEATER TEETH, (punk) 8 p.m., The Hole, $8.

RUSSIAN RHAPSODY W/ ANDREW GRAMS, JOYCE YANG,

(classical) 8 p.m., Holland Center, $15-$75.

DIRTFEDD, CANNONISTA, IVAN VOLVAGIA, (metal) 6 p.m.,

Knickerbockers.

CASPTER AND THE COOKIES, FOR EDWARD, (rock) 9

p.m., Knickerbockers.

HIFI HANGOVER, (cover) 9 p.m., Loose Moose, FREE. MIDWEST BATTLE OF THE BANDS W/ THOSE GUYS, THE TRAGIC FALL, IN THE ATTACK, GUNSHOT ITCH,

| THE READER |

music listings

ILLUMINATI, (rock) 9 p.m., Louis, $10.

MATT COX, (blues) 7 p.m., McKenna’s, FREE. WGO ORCHESTRA, (jazz) 9 p.m., Ozone, FREE. BANJO LOCO, (rock) 9 p.m., Pizza Shoppe Collective.

QUARTUS, (cover) 7 p.m., Prestige, FREE. BLAIR HIGH ROAD, (cover) 9:30 p.m., red9.

BROKEN CROWN, THE END IN RED, HOOKSHOT, BLACK

ON HIGH, (rock) 9 p.m., Slowdown, $7.

READER RECOMMENDS

TRANCEFORMERS: NERDTRON VS. RE:ANIMATED, (DJ) 8

p.m., Sokol Underground, $10.

SNAKE ISLAND, MOTHER CULTURE, (rock) 9 p.m., Stir, $5.

PATOSHOW, (cover) 9:30 p.m., Two Fine Irishmen, FREE. THE ENVY CORPS, THUNDER POWER, MY PAL DRAGON,

LONELY ESTATES, (rock) 9 p.m., Waiting Room, $8.

RYAN HILL, (rock) 9 p.m., Whiskey Roadhouse, FREE. CHRIS JONES, 9 p.m., Your Moms Downtown Bar. LINCOLN EXPOSED 2011 W/ NO JUMPIN FOR JIM,

GERARDO MEZA, AMY SCHMIDT & THE RESTLESS THINGS, THE AMALGAMATORS, (blues/rock) 7:30

p.m., Zoo Bar, $7, $15/3 day pass.

SATURDAY 26

GAGATEKA W/ SASHA & MISHA, (DJ) 9 p.m., 415, $5.

BLUE HOUSE, (blues) 9 p.m., Amerisports Bar, FREE. ROUGH CUT, (cover) 9 p.m., Arena, FREE. WESTERN ELECTRIC, THE BEARS OF BLUE RIVER, KURT

WILDASIN, (rock/folk) 9 p.m., Barley St. Tavern, $5.

THE BISHOPS, (reggae) 9 p.m., Bones, FREE. LINCOLN EXPOSED 2011 W/ STONEBELLY, EMILY BRASS, DANIEL MARTINEZ AND JARANA, THE ALLENDALES, THE SHOW IS THE RAINBOW, (rock/various) 7:30

p.m., Bourbon, $7, $15/3 day pass.

READER RECOMMENDS

FLANIGANS RIGHT HOOK, (celtic) 9 p.m., Dubliner, $3.

ROCK’N’ROLL COMBO BLOWOUT, (rock) 8 p.m., Cultiva.

LINCOLN EXPOSED 2011 W/ THE HUNDRED MILES,

ORION WALSH, MANNY COON, HANGING COWBOYS,

LIFE OF A SCARECROW, (rock) 7 p.m., Duffy’s, $7,

$15/3 day pass.

READER RECOMMENDS

CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS, (latin) 8 p.m., Havana Garage.

ANESTATIC, FADED, PIGPEN, THE TRASHMAN, ANGIE

OTTO, (rock) 9 p.m., Hideout, $5.

RUSSIAN RHAPSODY W/ ANDREW GRAMS, JOYCE YANG,

(classical) 8 p.m., Holland Center, $15-$75.

KEVIN BONHAM, (acoustic) 9 p.m., Island, FREE. NOVAK & HARR TRIO, (jazz) 7 p.m., Jazz Louisiana Kitchen.

J.V. ALLSTARS, SHERIDAN BREAKDOWN, A SUMMER

BETTER THAN YOURS, (punk) 6 p.m., Knickerbockers.

J.V. ALLSTARS, SAME OLD CRAP, CHEAP NUNCHUCKS,

VIBENHAI, EMMETT BOWER BAND, (pop/punk) 9

p.m., Knickerbockers.

THE POISON CONTROL CENTER, BRASS BED, (rock) 9:30

p.m., O’Leaver’s, $5.

SOUL DAWG, (cover) 9 p.m., Ozone, FREE. LEMON FRESH DAY, (cover) 7 p.m., Prestige, FREE. KENNY CHESNEY, BILLY CURRINGTON, UNCLE KRACKER,

(country) 7 p.m., Qwest Center, $33-$92.

HIFI HANGOVER, (cover) 9:30 p.m., red9.

SUN SETTINGS, MILLIONS OF BOYS, THE PLURALS,

MINT WAD WILLY, (punk/rock) 9 p.m., Slowdown, $8.

WHAT DWELLS WITHIN, REJECTED SAINT, SINS OF THE FATHER, GHOSTS OF RUIN, UNDER SHALLOW

GROUND ANCHORS, DUELING AT DAWN, THE

NIGHTMARE PARADOX, FAITH BURIED IN FLAMES, ANCIENT ELM, GLASGOW SMILE, (metal) 6 p.m.,

Sokol Underground, $12.

WISHLIST FOUNDATION GLOBAL EVENT W/ TEN CLUB,

(tribute) 9 p.m., Stir Live, $5.

PERSONICS, (cover) 9 p.m., Two Fine Irishmen, FREE. WEST WIND, (country) 9 p.m., Uncle Ron’s.

SATCHEL GRANDE, JOHN KLEMMENSEN & THE PARTY,

(funk/rock) 9 p.m., Waiting Room, $7.

THE VYBE, (cover) 9 p.m., Whiskey Roadhouse, FREE. ELECTRIC ROOSTER, (blues/rock) 9 p.m., Your Moms

Downtown Bar, FREE. LINCOLN EXPOSED 2011 W/ LEVI WILLIAM, HANNA

KORNBLUH, SOUTH OF LINCOLN, LLOYD MCCARTER AND THE HONKY TONK REVIVAL, MEZCAL

BROTHERS, (various) 6 p.m., Zoo Bar, $7, $15.

SUNDAY 27

SUNDAY GOLD W/ GREG K, (DJ) 9 p.m., 415, FREE. 80’S NIGHT, (DJ) 8 p.m., Bricktop, FREE. THE BEARS OF BLUE RIVER, NICK WESTRA, MIDWEST DILEMMA, (folk/rock) 9 p.m., Duffy’s, $5.

DAN ZANES PRESENTS WOODSTOCK FOR KIDS, (children)

2 p.m., Holland Center, $16-$29.

READER RECOMMENDS

MASTERSINGERS PRESENTS “A SIMPLE SONG THE

MUSIC: OF LEONARD BERNSTEIN”, (broadway) 6

p.m., Jewish Community Center, FREE. TRACY SKRETTA, (acoustic) 2 p.m., Soaring Wings, FREE. RISING FOE, DROWNING IN THE PLATTE, SONS OF

VOORHEES, AMERICAN GUN FIGHT, WICKET ME, AT WAR WITH GIANTS, BYLETH, VERENDUS, SEPPEKU, (metal) 6 p.m., Sokol Underground, $12.

TOM RUSSELL, (country) 5 p.m., Waiting Room, $25.

THE NEBRASKA BRASS, 3 p.m., Westminster Presbyterian.

MONDAY 28

STAY, LEARNING TO FALL, TOPPERGO!, (pop/punk) 5

p.m., Bourbon, $5, $7/under 21.

READER RECOMMENDS

THE MACHETE ARCHIVE, FRIDAY MAYBE SATURDAY,

(rock/instrumental) 9:30 p.m., O’Leaver’s, $5.

MIKE GURCIULLO & HIS LAS VEGAS LAB BAND, (jazz)

6:30 p.m., Ozone, FREE. RAILROAD EARTH, WHITEWATER RAMBLE, (folk/rock) 8

p.m., Slowdown, $20/adv, $25/dos.

TUESDAY 29

JUDGEMENT DAY, RANDALL SHREVE, THE SIDESHOW,

(rock) 9 p.m., Barley St. Tavern, $5.

LANDSQUID, BASSTHOVEN, PERICLES, (DJ/electronic) 9

p.m., Bourbon, $5, $7/under 21.

MACHETE ARCHIVE, FRIDAY MAYBE SATURDAY, PRETTY

LITTLE VEGAN, (instrumental/rock) 9 p.m., Duffy’s.

HOUSE OF BROKEN PROMISES, (rock) 9 p.m.,

Knickerbockers.

ROXI COPLAND, ALL YOUNG GIRLS ARE MACHINE GUNS,

(singer-songwriter) 7:30 p.m., Pizza Shoppe Collective.

CLEEMAN, PLATTE RIVER RAIN, CAPGUN COUP, NICOLE

LECLERC, (indie/rock) 9 p.m., Slowdown, $8.

READER RECOMMENDS

LANDING ON THE MOON, BAZOOKA SHOOTOUT, BIRDS

& BATTERIES, NO I’M THE PILOT, (indie/rock) 9 p.m.,

Waiting Room, $7.

Wednesday 30

MOM - E BROWN, (DJ) 9 p.m., 415, FREE. CLEEMANN, ALL YOUNG GIRLS ARE MACHINE GUNS,

(singer-songwriter) 7 p.m., Clawfoot House, $5.

SFS, TODD DAY WAIT’S PIGPEN, SOLID GOLD, (jam/rock)

9 p.m., Duffy’s.

WHITEY MORGAN AND THE 78’S, THE GOLDEN HOUR,

(rock) 9 p.m., Knickerbockers.

APRIL VERCH, (celtic/jazz/bluegrass) 7:30 p.m., Lied

Center, $18, $9/students.

JOHNNY RAY GOMEZ, (oldies) 6:30 p.m., Ozone, FREE. BENJAMIN SHAFER, 7:30 p.m., Pizza Shoppe Collective.

CITY CITY, THE SEEN, (rock) 9 p.m., Slowdown, $10.

JERROD NIEMANN, LEE BRICE, (country) 9 p.m., Uncle

Ron’s, $18/adv, $22/dos.

STATE RADIO, THE GOLDEN DOGS, (rock)9 p.m., Waiting

Room, $15.

ANDREW JR. BOY JONES, (blues) 6 p.m., Zoo Bar, $10.

CHOCOLATE CAKE, THE ORIGINAL ARTISTS, (rock) 9:30

p.m., Zoo Bar, $4.

VENUES

Ameristar Casino, 2200 River Rd., Council Bluffs, ameristar.com Arena Bar & Grill, 3809 N. 90th St., 571.2310, arenaomaha.com BarFly, 707 N. 114th St., 504.4811 Barley Street Tavern, 2735 N. 62nd St., 554.5834, barleystreet.com Bourbon Theatre, 1415 O St., Lincoln, 730.5695 Duffy’s Tavern, 1412 O St., Lincoln, 474.3453, myspace. com/duffystavern The Hideout, 302 S. 72nd St. Knickerbocker’s, 901 O St., Lincoln, 476.6865, knickerbockers.net LIV Lounge, 2279 S. 67th St. livlounge.com Louis Bar and Grill, 5702 NW Radial Hwy., 551.5993 McKenna’s Blues, Booze & BBQ, 7425 Pacific St., 393.7427, mckennasbbq.com New Lift Lounge, 4737 S. 96th St., 339.7170 O’Leaver’s Pub, 1322 S. Saddle Creek Rd., 556.1238, myspace.com/oleaverspub Ozone Lounge at Anthony’s Steakhouse, 72nd and F, 331.7575, ozoneclubomaha.com.

Pizza Shoppe Collective, 6056 Maple St., 556.9090, pscollective.com Qwest, 455 N. 10th St., qwestcenteromaha.com Side Door, 3530 Leavenworth St., 504.3444.

Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St., 345.7569, theslowdown.com Sokol Hall, 2234 S. 13th St., 346.9802, sokolundergound. com The Sydney, 5918 Maple St., 932.9262, thesydneybenson. com Stir, 1 Harrahs Blvd., Council Bluffs, harrahs.com Venue 162, 162 W. Broadway, Council Bluffs, 712.256.7768, myspace.com/venue162 Waiting Room, 6212 Maple St., 884.5353, waitingroomlounge.com Whiskey Roadhouse, Horseshoe Casino, 2701 32nd Ave., Council Bluffs, whiskeyroadhouse.com Your Mom’s Downtown Bar, 1512 Howard St., 345.0180 Zoo Bar, 136 N.14th St., Lincoln, zoobar.com

0

UPCOMING SHOWS

For generations of American songwriters, the music and the message have been inextricably linked. Word and deed are one in the same, and the only thing more moving than the rousing call to action is the song that transports the words like a shell casing. Following the hard travelin’ path of Woody Guthrie, these bands sing about ordinary people in extraordinary ways and can turn the world inside out with three chords and the truth.

WedneSday, 3/30/11 9:00PM @ The WaiTing RooM

STATE RADIO

w/ Dim Light, Cymbal Rush, & Knife.Fight.Justice!

FRiday, 3/25/11 9:00PM @ The WaiTing RooM The enVy CoRPS

w/ Thunder Power, My Pal Dragon, & Lonely Estates

SaTuRday, 3/26/11 9:00PM @ The WaiTing RooM SaTChel gRande

Sunday, 3/27/11 5:00PM @ The WaiTing RooM Sunday RoadhouSe PReSenTS: ToM RuSSell

Monday, 3/28/11 8:00PM @ SloWdoWn RailRoad eaRTh w/ Whitewater Ramble

TueSday, 3/29/11 9:00PM @ The WaiTing RooM landing on The Moon

w/ Bazooka Shootout, Birds & Batteries, & No I’m The Pilot

ThuRSday, 3/31/11 9:00PM @ The WaiTing RooM MaCKleMoRe & Ryan leWiS

ThuRSday, 3/31/11 9:00PM @ SloWdoWn old 97’S

FRiday, 4/01/11 9:00PM @ The WaiTing RooM iT’S TRue

ThuRSday, 3/24/11 9:00PM @ The WaiTing RooM SaTuRn MoTh

w/ Blueprint

MARCH 27•7:30 PM

Holland Performing Arts Center TICKETS: 402.345.0606 • ticketomaha.com

SPOtlIGHt SHOW

w/ The Golden Dogs

w/ The O’s

4/01/11 COLD STEEL 4/02/11 THE READY SET 4/02/11 TORO Y MOI 4/03/11 JAMES MCMuRTRY - EARLY SHOW 4/03/11 VIBESQuAD - LATE SHOW 4/03/11 WYE OAK 4/04/11 BLACK JOE LEWIS & THE HONEYBEARS 4/05/11 LIGHTNING BOLT 4/06/11 ASKING ALEXANDRIA 4/06/11 SuPER HAPPY FuNTIME BuRLESQuE

w/ The Haunted Windchimes, Noah’s Ark Was A Spaceship, & Cowboy Indian Bear

4/07/11 BASSNECTAR 4/07/11 GuNSHOT ITCH 4/07/11 DAVID DONDERO / FRANZ NICOLAY 4/08/11 THAT 1 GuY 4/08/11 CuRSIVE 4/09/11 THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME 4/10/11 RYAT 4/12/11 JOE FIRSTMAN 4/13/11 DELICATE STEVE 4/14/11 THE WONDER YEARS / FIREWORKS

More Information and Tickets Available at

Produced by EXCEPTIONAL ARTISTS

WWW.ONEPERCENTPRODUCTIONS.COM

music listings

| THE READER |

MARCH 24 - 30, 2011

23

lazy-i T H E

O M A H A

M U S I C

Adam Hawkins’ Encore — It’s True emerges from the ashes

by Tim McMahan

W meet real women tonight most local singles

try for

free

402.898.4226 More Local Numbers: 1.800.210.1010 18+

www.livelinks.com

Ahora en Español

Bilingual Career Fair Metropolitan Community College 27th & Q

Tuesday, March 29th, 2011 11am to 4 pm

hen local indie band It’s True’s announced during a performance last June that it was breaking up, I was more than a bit surprised.

After playing South by Southwest the March prior, the band released its debut full-length to much local adoration. They went on to play a number of shows in California that were, by all indication, a big success. Rumors abounded that the band had caught the eye of a few big-name star makers. The world was about to take notice of what many of us thought was Omaha’s next big thing.

And then during a show that was more like a drunken Irish wake, It’s True frontman Adam Hawkins announced with a bourbon drawl, “This is our third-to-last show,” and that the band was hanging it up after its performance at the MAHA Music Festival that July.

“I got tired of all day, every day, all anyone would talk about was the band,” Hawkins explained from his home in Grimes, Iowa, a small town just outside Des Moines. “The strategizing and worrying about decisions about where we should play next, those were the only conversations we had, and it was all that anyone would want to talk about whenever I ran into anyone outside the band. It felt mentally limiting. Everything that I was doing at that point was not feeling right or natural. It wasn’t anything personal, it wasn’t any big dramatic event, I just needed a little space to breathe.”

Hawkins said the breakup didn’t catch the band by surprise. “I think that maybe they didn’t think it would actually happen,” he said, “but I don’t think they were surprised at all. Everyone knew I wasn’t happy.”

But if the band knew it was coming, the fans didn’t. “I had a couple people tell me that they were really pissed at me,” Hawkins said. “People thought I was really throwing something away and making a big mistake, not understanding the situation. A number of people cried at the last few shows, they came up to me teary eyed. It was strange to hear how much it meant to people.”

But Hawkins’ mind had been made up by the time of that brief California tour. “We all knew that was our last hurrah,” Hawkins said, adding

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that he had nothing to come home to after the tour. “I’d been slacking off at my job, and they fired me, rightfully so,” he said. “And so I came back with no job and no money and decided I was going to get out of there.”

Hawkins’ parents own a combination art gallery, frame shop and flower shop located in an old stone church in Des Moines. “I knew mom was looking for some help in the kitchen and asked if she’d be interested in me coming back and staying a month or two,” he said.

The plan was for Hawkins and his girlfriend, Katey Sleeveless, to save some money before going back on the road, but things didn’t work out. His kitchen replacement fell through, and his mother made strong hints that it would be helpful if they hung around, so they signed a sixmonth lease on an apartment.

And then Hawkins and Katey found out they were going to be parents.

“It hit me in a lot of different ways,” he said.

“Everything is totally different now. It’s definitely the No. 1 important thing for me — finding ways to provide happiness for my family.”

But while all that was happening, Hawkins never stopped writing songs. “Music was always there,” he said. “I wrote songs no matter what, and had a little collection that I wanted to record and not worry if they were good.” His first call was to It’s True bass player Kyle Harvey. By October, Hawkins was recording most of the parts at the home studio of Jeremy Garrett, The Waiting Room’s sound engineer. The rest of It’s True filled in the holes, except for drummer Matt Arbiter, who had moved to New York.

The eight-song EP, Another Afterlife, is an evolution for Hawkins. It’s more straight-forward and tuneful, and in many ways more personal than the band’s debut full-length. “It’s all about the last year or so,” Hawkins said of the album.

“It’s kind of all about starting over, different things beginning and different things ending.”

But the EP and its release shows at The Waiting Room April 1 and the Bourbon Theater in Lincoln April 2 aren’t so much a new beginning for It’s True as a reunion (even Aribiter is coming back from NYC for the shows). Hawkins has his sights set on only one thing after the final encore.

“First of all, I’m going to have a baby,” he said of his future. “That will take precedent for awhile. After that, I don’t know. Katey and I are both musicians. We’ll find a way to do that, and not in a background sort of way. We’ll find ways to make it an integral part of our lives.” ,

LAZY-I is a weekly column by long-time Reader senior contributing writer Tim McMahan focused on the Omaha music scene. Check out Tim’s daily music news updates at his website, lazy-i.com, or email him at lazy-i@thereader.com.

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MARCH 24 - 30, 2011

| THE READER |

lazy-i

b l u e s ,

r o o t s ,

a m e r i c a n a

a n d

21st Saloon, Roadhouse at Waiting Room

T

he Thursday blues series continues at The 21st Saloon and needs consistent support from audiences. The first few shows were well attended but the March 17 show with powerhouse talents Josh Garrett & The Bottomline could have used a bigger audience.

Hopefully the slight lull was due to the St. Patrick’s Day holiday conflict and the fact that the venue no longer boasts an Irish name.

The official name of the venue is now The 21st Saloon. Apparently The 21st Amendment Saloon was taken somewhere. This is the place formerly known as The New Lift Lounge and Murphy’s Lounge at 96th & L, now owned by John Anderson and Chad Kelderman.

The 5:30 p.m. Thursday blues shows are continuing at The 21st on a trial basis, so keep up the audience support if you value this series. Blues Society President and former owner of the venue Terry O’Halloran remains involved in booking the bands, so fans can expect the same level of quality national artists.

Case in point, Thursday, March 24, veteran blues band and award winner Roomful of Blues will be there. The horn-driven group has plenty of sounds to appeal to swing, jump-blues and even jazz band fans. Folks who loved the old Jailbreakers, and you who dig local crowd-pleasers Funk Trek, should check out New England-based Roomful of Blues. This band delivers with horn-driven riffs, stellar musicianship and soulful vocals. Preview tracks from their latest Alligator Records disc Hook, Line & Sinker are at Roomful.com.

Roomful of Blues plays the Zoo Bar the night before the Omaha gig on Wednesday, March 23, 6-9 p.m.

Next Thursday, March 31, blues, R&B and gospel singer-songwriter and show-stopping boogie piano player Kelley Hunt has a CD release party at The 21st. Her new disc is Gravity Loves You. Reviewers call her “impressive” and “powerful.”

Tom Russell & James McMurtry

Dean Dobmeier and Gary Grobeck started their Sunday Roadhouse concert series to bring Omaha the Americana artists that blew them away on their annual trips to Austin’s SXSW. Just back from their 2011 trip, the duo have two big shows on tap.

Singer-songwriter Tom Russell plays the Sunday Roadhouse series at The Waiting Room this Sunday, March 27, at 5 p.m.

Acclaimed Americana artist Russell has collaborated and toured with Dave Alvin. Russell wrote the song “Blue Wing,” which became one of Alvin’s

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signature tunes. If you’re an Alvin fan, you should attend. Check TomRussell.com for details on Russell and SundayRoadhouse.com for more on the Americana series. Look to this week’s 8 Days (page 14-15) for more on Russell’s Omaha show.

Next Sunday, April 3, Dobmeier and Grobeck present two icons of Americana when Austin’s James McMurtry and his band perform along with roots-rockers The Bottle Rockets. This show is also at The Waiting Room at 5 p.m.

Salgado in Lincoln

Award-winning soul man Curtis Salgado is booked to play Lincoln’s Jammin’ Away The Blues event on Saturday, May 14, at the Bourbon Theatre. The annual gig is an awareness-raiser for the Mental Health Association of Nebraska. Salgado is a local favorite with strong ties to the metro. He received his life-saving liver transplant at Omaha’s UNMC Lied Transplant Center in 2006.

Since then, Salgado has released an acclaimed CD, Clean Getaway. In 2010, he was honored with the national Blues Music Award for Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year. Salgado is a multiple-BMA-nominee and is nominated for the award this year. The Brad Cordle Band is also on the bill. Advance tickets will be available via Etix.com.

Hobarts Need You

Previous columns have mentioned Jon Dee Graham’s new collaboration with Susan Cowsill and Freedy Johnston. The trio call themselves The Hobart Brothers and Lil’ Sis Hobart after the Hobart brand commercial dishwasher that many musicians wrestle with while working day jobs. They’ve launched a Kickstarter.com project with the goal of raising $10,000 toward the final mastering, packaging and marketing of their disc, At Least We Have Each Other.

Find the link to the Kickstarter.com page and also find song samples and more about the project at TheHobartBrothers.com. They are about onethird of the way to their goal. Kickstarter backers receive a variety of rewards, from an advance digital download of the disc to the chance for a house concert with the trio.

Zoo Bar Blues

Andrew “Jr. Boy” Jones hits Lincoln’s Zoo Bar next Wednesday, March 30, 6-9 p.m. The Texas bandleader is a veteran of Freddie King’s and Charlie Musselwhite’s bands, serving as Musselwhite’s guitarist from the late 1980s until 1995.

Jones started a solo career after the Charlie Musselwhite Band took home a W.C. Handy Award (now known as the Blues Music Awards) for Blues Band of the Year in 1995. See ZooBar.com for the full calendar. ,

Hoodoo is a weekly column focusing on blues, roots, Americana and occasional other music styles with an emphasis on live music performances. Hoodoo columnist B.J. Huchtemann is a Reader senior contributing writer and veteran music journalist who has covered the local music scene for nearly 20 years.

hoodoo

| THE READER |

march 24 - 30, 2011

25

e d i t e d

Irons returns to the pride with Last Lions

By Ryan Syrek

T

by a big bruiser with a scarred face. He becomes a villain as much as “Sliver Eye,” the seemingly evil leader of the marauding lions who decide to follow Ma di Tau to her new zip code. The story, and it is a story, unfolds in captivating fashion, with heart-breaking casualties and cheer-worthy action sequences, elements scripted dramas frequently fumble.

When nature documentaries get didactic, they feel redundant and shallow. Anyone interested in watching a full-length film about endangered animals really doesn’t need convincing

hroaty and sleepy, Jeremy Irons begins his narration of the wildlife documentary The Last Lions as if awoken from a crumpet-induced nap. Any electricity that’s felt by once more having Irons’ voice laid atop images of lions is blunted by a delivery that sounds like Irons is auditioning for a British sex chat line. His dulcet tones seem at odds with Last Lions a surprisingly riveting story of survival; if March of the Penguins was a family drama, husband-and-wife filmmakers Dereck and Beverly Joubert give us Die Hard with more hair (sorry, Bruce).

Unlike most National Geographic documentaries content to deliver nature porn for Whole Foods shoppers, The Last Lions starts with an action set piece. A small family of lions is assaulted by marauding invaders in a brutal brawl that looks damn-near choreographed. Although she gets her licks in, our lead lioness, Ma di Tau, is profoundly perforated by enemy fangs, while her mate meets his fuzzy final fate. Nothing says “time to move” like new neighbors intent on eating you.

So Ma di Tau scoops up her three cubs and makes a break for it, crossing hostile territory to reach a new island to call home. Far from an oasis, the spot is populated by a herd of water buffalo, led

26

march 24 - 30, 2011

| THE READER |

that species preservation is a good idea. The best ones, then, show the splendor and value of the environment by telling a wickedly entertaining tale using only natural elements … well, natural elements and an actor with a big buttery voice you never tire of hearing.

Even the language in the narration is smartly handled. In the face of a hard-won battle, Irons intones, “Africa is as dispassionate about victory as it is about loss.” A statement like that is more revealing and insightful than a verbal treatise on conservation or modern progress. Of the myriad of ways to make someone care about something, the most effective is just handling the material with clever grace.

Although the hyenas are decidedly less Whoopi-tastic, enthusiasts of The Lion King will find much to love in this tale of family adversity.

But be warned: The Last Lions is no Disney movie. The film doesn’t fade to black over a delightful Elton John ditty but moves towards its finish with a contemplation that begins “we don’t know about animal grief.”

A final happy beat or two aside, consider yourselves warned.

The Last Lions does nothing new but many things well, and that should be a fine source of, ahem, pride for all those involved.

GRADE: B+

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n I think I accidentally mentally combined the two events that Film Streams at the Ruth Sokolof Theater (FilmStreams.org) have planned for April 1 to June 16. They’re doing another installment of two film series: “Forever Young Family and Children’s Series” and “Great Directors.” But I’m pretty sure that kids won’t be rushing to see 8½ and that Pete’s Dragon wasn’t a Fellini movie (although I wish it was). For accurate lists of when each series will be showing what, I recommend checking the site and not asking me, as I’m likely to suggest you take the family to go see Satyricon. n Attack the Block, a flick in which urban British youth fight aliens, is getting rave reviews and sparking an interesting discussion: Do the thick accents the kids sport warrant subtitles for the wide release? A legion of moviegoers are prone to grab a pitchfork and torch at the thought of reading during movies.

However, the potential of hearing “what did he say?” a thousand times and the fact that I have no allergic reaction to seeing words on a screen leaves me hoping they slap some text on this bad boy. Regardless, it’s an interesting discussion, no? n Magic Kingdom has been described as Night at the Museum in Disneyland, or as I summarize it, “Oh God … please … no!” But the first draft was written by Ron Moore, who made millions love the reboot of Battlestar Galactica. Now comes word that the rewrite duties will be handled by Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Chabon. This is like that one time that a Nobel Prize-winning physicist made me a sandwich at Subway.

— Ryan Syrek

cuttingroom

Where’s Whoopi?

film

Cutting Room provides breaking local and national movie news … complete with added sarcasm. Send any relevant information to film@thereader.com. Check out Ryan on the radio on CD 105.9 (Fridays at around 7:30 a.m.), on his blog at thereader.com/film/ C19 and on Twitter (twitter.com/thereaderfilm).

Film Streams Repertory Series:

Great Directors: Federico Fellini April 1 – June 16, 2011

April 1 – 7:

I vitelloni 1953 La strada 1954

April 8 – 14:

April 16, 17, 20:

Nights of Cabiria 1957

April 23, 24, 27:

Juliet of the Spirits 1965

April 29 – May 5: May 6, 8, 10, 12:

8 ½ 1963 – New 35mm Print!

Fellini: I’m A Born Liar 2001

May 7, 9, 11:

Rome, Open City 1945

May 13 – 19:

Amarcord 1973 – New 35mm Print!

May 20 – 26:

Fellini Satyricon 1969

May 27 – June 2: June 3 – 9:

Fellini’s Roma 1972

La dolce vita 1960

June 10 – 16:

Fellini’s Casanova 1976

La strada 1954 Courtesy of Janus Films

SERIES SPONSORED BY fIlm STREAmS mEDIA PARTNERS

DESIGN PARTNER

Film Streams at the Ruth Sokolof Theater 14th & Mike Fahey Street (formerly Webster Street) More info & showtimes 402.933.0259 · filmstreams.org Facebook & Twitter: /filmstreams

This Week Kaboom first-Run (NR) Directed by Gregg Araki One week only!

Friday, March 25 - Thursday, March 31 “Pure fantasy in every sense of the word... an unhinged ride through the sensual pleasures of movies, full of naked bodies, booming music, bright colors, crazy twists, and zippy action sequences.”

—Noel murray, The Onion A.V. Club

Coming Soon The Last Lions first-Run (PG) Through Thursday, March 31 “One of the most urgent and certainly among the most beautifully shot documentaries to hit the big screen in recent memory.”

—manohla Dargis, The New York Times

forever Young family & Children’s Series

Looney Tunes Shorts

Heartbeats first-Run (NR) Directed by Xavier Dolan Friday, April 1 - Thursday, April 7 The Sound of Music 1965 New 35mm Print!

April 2 - 14 (Saturdays, Sundays, Thursdays)

Jane Eyre first-Run (PG-13) Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga Starts Friday, April 8

March 19 - 31 (Saturdays, Sundays, Thursdays)

| THE READER |

march 24 - 30, 2011

27

CREIGHTON Welcome to Our House!

BASEBALL

SOFTBALL

u Creighton vs. North Dakota Saturday, Mar. 26 @ 1 p.m. (DH) Sunday, Mar. 27 @ 1 p.m.

u Creighton vs. Southern Illinois Saturday, Mar. 26 @ Noon (DH) Sunday, Mar. 27 @ Noon

u Creighton vs. North Dakota State Monday, Mar. 28 @ 3 p.m.

Baseball & softball home games played at the Creighton Sports Complex (22nd & Burt St.) DH = Doubleheader

Tickets: 280-JAYS

WWW.GOCREIGHTON.COM

newsoftheweird

T H E W O R L D G O N E F R E A K Y B Y Z W I T H I L L U S T R AT I O N S B Y TO M B R I S C O E

Sudan Ponzi Scheme …

Really?

singled out (“amid much laughter”) one particular farmer whom it had calculated as producing the most excrement of anyone in the village.

2

Latest Religious Messages

1st Century American Exports? In strifetorn Sudan (land of the Darfur murder and rape atrocities and a per-capita annual income of $2,200), an epic, yearlong Ponzi scheme engineered by a lowly former police officer has enticed nearly 50,000 victims to invest an estimated $180 million (according to a March dispatch on Slate.com).

At the height of the hysteria, even militia fighters in Darfur rushed to invest. (As Bernard Madoff was initially, perpetrator Adam Ismael is lounging comfortably under house arrest.) And in February, NPR reported that the United States government will soon be asked to bail out yet another bank that dramatically overextended itself with bad loans — and is now $900 million short: the Bank of Kabul in Afghanistan.

Ewww!

The government of Malawi’s proposed environmental control legislation, introduced in January, was thought by some advocates to be broad enough to criminalize flatulence. The justice minister said the section about “fouling the air” should cover extreme flatus, but the country’s solicitor general insisted that only commercial air pollution was punishable.

Only 20 percent of Cambodians have access to toilets (half as many as have mobile phones), and missions such as International Development Enterprises blanket the countryside to urge more toilet usage. In one promotion campaign in Kandal province, according to a February BBC News dispatch, an investigating team called a public meeting and

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MARCH 24 - 30, 2011

| THE READER |

weird news

“I thought, ‘Man, is this what Jesus would do?’” said Akron, Ohio, repo man Ken Falzini, after surviving a short, harrowing ride clinging to the hood of the Lexus he was trying to repossess from Bishop Marc Neal of Akron’s Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church in January. Neal, later charged with felony assault, told a reporter he thought it “disrespectful” for Falzini to try to repossess a preacher’s car during Sunday services. Falzini said Neal was “laughing” during parts of the drive, which included sharp zig-zagging at speeds around 50 mph to dislodge Falzini from the hood.

In Britain’s Coleraine Crown Court in February, Colin Howell, convicted last year of a double murder (of his wife and his girlfriend’s husband), testified at the girlfriend’s trial for the same crimes that he frequently drugged her during their sex sessions. She had requested to be unconscious during sex, according to Howell, so that she would not be bothered by “Christian guilt” over the extramarital affair they were having. (The trial was ongoing at press time.)

Genetic Legacies In January, Czech Television reported on a recent, joyous, but confusing, family reunion featuring a woman (Ilona Tomeckova) who had become a man (Dominik Sejda), and who had finally found love (in the person of Andrea Kajzarova, who was, before her own sex change, a bodybuilder named Tomas Kajzar). Dominik, motivated to reconnect with his original family, learned that the son he had given birth to (Radim) was himself undergoing a sex change (to become Viki).

COPYRIGHT 2011 CHUCK SHEPHERD. Visit Chuck Shepherd daily at NewsoftheWeird.blogspot.com or NewsoftheWeird.com. Send Weird News to WeirdNewsTips@yahoo.com or P.O. Box 18737, Tampa, FL 33679. Illustrations by Tom Briscoe (smallworldcomics.com).

Rachel Brock, 21, was arrested in Phoenix in December for an alleged sexual relationship with an underage boy — the same boy that her mother, Susan Brock, had already been arrested for sexually abusing. (Neither Rachel nor Susan knew about the other’s affair.)

Questionable Judgments In Brooklyn, N.Y., Judge Bernard Graham recently awarded custody of an estranged couple’s teenage boy to the father even though the father was at the time homeless and living from night to night in shelters and storefronts. The mother, Jeannette Traylor, who earns $90,000 a year as a courthouse employee, was even denied visitation rights. (Judge Graham insisted the arrangement was in the boy’s best interest, but Graham was later transferred to non-divorce cases.)

Apathy is a problem with many homeowners’ associations, but at the annual meeting of the Hillbrook-Tall Oaks Civic Association of Annandale, Va., in June, 50 people sleepily voted for Ms. Beatha Lee as president, thus electing (in a legitimate, by-the-book process) a Wheaten terrier belonging to former association officer Mark Crawford. Crawford said that Beatha, as a manager, “delegates a lot.”

The Redneck Chronicles An unnamed man was taken to St. John Medical Center in Tulsa, Okla., in February with a gash on his face and a bullet (later removed) in his sinus cavity. KOKI-TV reported that police think “he might have been chewing on a firecracker or a bullet” when it exploded.

A 50-year-old woman was arrested in February in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., after managers at a Family Dollar store accused her of walking out without

paying for packages of baking soda and dishwashing detergent and a pair of thong panties (total value, according to Family Dollar, $7.50).

Least Competent Criminals To conceal an arrest warrant for auto theft, Amos Ashley, 62, told traffic-stop officers in Lawrenceburg, Ind., in February that he was (as he wrote on a paper for them) “Rorth Taylor.” (“Pronounce it,” ordered a trooper.)

“Robert Taylor.” (“Spell it once more, please.”) “R-e-r-e-r-t,” wrote Ashley. (“And ‘Taylor’?”) “T-a-y-l-o-e-r.”

Several more attempts followed, until Ashley finally admitted his name and was arrested.

Police in Princess Anne, Md., arrested George Ballard, 25, inside a PNC Bank at 11 p.m. on Jan. 25 after a motion detector sounded. Officers said the “cash” Ballard was in the process of taking was in fact a stack of fake bills the bank uses for training.

A News of the Weird Classic (April 2007) Doug Guetzloe, one of central Florida’s most prominent political operatives (and a subject of investigations by the Florida Elections Commission and an expressway commission in Orlando), had long infuriated prosecutors with his slippery denials of knowledge of unethical campaigns that they were certain he was deeply involved in. However, late (in 2006), Guetzloe missed a payment on his rental storage locker, and 50 boxes of his professional and personal records were seized and auctioned for $10 to a curious citizen, who then gave them to Orlando’s WKMG-TV, which had several earlier investigations of Guetzloe still open. Based on early readings of the storagelocker papers, Guetzloe was quickly indicted for felony perjury. ,

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| THE READER |

MARCH 24 - 30, 2011

29

planetpower W E E K L Y

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MARCH 24 - 30, 2011

| THE READER |

mojo

Mam. You are kickin’! You’re two short weeks away. Dream your scheme, your ruler Mars is still in Pisces until the New Moon in Aries (the sign of new starts) April 3; part of a “stellium,” or four or more planets in one sign. This is the first significant astral event of 2011. Six Astrological planets in Aries on April 3rd. That’s the word. Want to start something!? b TAURUS (4.21-5.20) The whole world’s on the verge of political chaos and destruction and you’re just idling away in your own version of Shangri La. Venus is in the Aquarius/Pisces’ cusp along with Pisces’ mystical ruler, Neptune. You just can’t see why everybody just doesn’t love each other and get along? Jesus Christ! It’s Spring! Maybe we could just dream it into place? Let’s try? c GEMINI (5.21-6.21) You’ve got roughly (emphasis on roughly!) one long week to get as much as possible done on the communicative level before your ruler, Mercury, leads us headlong into confusing territories where we sometimes have to go to find where it’s at. This week put down everything you’ve got or want to happen in 2011 into an envelope and send it off. Next week you’ll be asked to go/look outside the envelope. d CANCER (6.22-7.22) It is/will be all in your mind. Someone or something is going to try to upset your equilibrium. You are/ will be the cause. You’ll be in the middle.

Let them work it out. If no one else perceives your dilemma, you are free to make up your own mind and draw your own conclusions, which will be the only way to extract/retrack yourself. Silence is golden. e LEO (7.23-8.22) Well, now that we’re at war we’ll need a King to tell us what to do and who to kill. Pull out the old crown off the mantle and as the Bible states “gird your loins.” In modern terminology, I think that means it’s time to put your “jock strap” back on? Queenie, who

B Y

M O J O P O

you gonna’ castle up with when/once Johnnie comes marching home? April works for you. f VIRGO (8.23-9.22) Please read Gemini.

An Aries will prove/have the key to/for your money. You’re slated to play the April Fool.

If you don’t flip out it can/will work for you by the “Fool Moon” on Palm Sunday. Old habits die hard. g LIBRA (9.23-10.22) Please read Taurus. It’s true for you, too. Put your responsibilities (your ability to respond) into one of those envelopes and send ‘em to your/any perspective partners.

Your emphasis for April is/will be on the “not self.” Go ahead and look around? Test us. h SCORPIO (10.23-11.22) Emphasis during April is on your work and your health. Walk, jog, do yoga, turn the world upside down by standing on your head for five short minutes a day and come up with your next million dollar idea/scheme (!) and put/plant it into fertile Earth during May. i SAGITTARIUS (11.2312.21) Your Father or some

symbol of authority is seemingly backing off for a minute in their seeming opposition to your harmony. They’re just gathering their forces until mid-June. You’ll be off and running and won’t even notice their disapproval until New Year’s Eve. Then it will be your Momma! Now, how does the MOJO know that? j CAPRICORN (12.22-1.20) Please read Libra.

Your monstrous (Thank you, Lady Ga Ga) opposition is coming from your home center and altering/criticizing/ creating obstacles for/ towards/against your concepts/necessities of your fame, your fortune and your career. k AQUARIUS (1.21-2.19) You are the unexpected spark of the new/next revolution. It’s continuous. You’re always there. You’re there right now. Don’t pretend. Don’t pretend — with me. Let it all happen beneath your exalted, enlightened view. We (will) need you; but not yet. You are more electrifying when you arrive unexpected? l PISCES (2.20-3.20) Please read Taurus. How was your rebirth? It’s hard for us to tell when you’re mad with Cosmic fervor and when you’re just mad? Can you tell (us)? Some people just don’t know how to handle or what to do with a complement? I guess it seems safer to hide?

Still, you’re beautiful when you’re happy! ,

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