July 2015 by Shout Omaha

WWW.NOWOMAHA.COM • JULY 2015

don’t miss a thing this month!

check out our calendar of events

ENCORE

Alabama Shakes returns with Sound & Color

ALL SUMMER LONG MAYHEM FESTIVAL FEATURING SLAYER JUL 7 ยง THE AVETT BROTHERS JUL 8 THE ROOTS JUL 18 ยง alt-J JUL 28 ยง ALICE IN CHAINS JUL 30 HOZIER WITH DAWES JUL 31 ยง ALABAMA SHAKES WITH BELLE ADAIR AUG 1 SLIGHTLY STOOPID WITH DIRTY HEADS AND THE EXPENDABLES AUG 29 BILLY IDOL SEP 10 ยง LITTLE BIG TOWN SEP 18

TICKETS ON

SALE NOW 2

J U LY 2 0 1 5 โ ข N O W O M A H A . C O M

All Ages Permitted. Tickets available at Stircove.com or by phone at 1-800-745-3000.

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contents

President: brad@adpointe.com • Editorial: dbowen@adpointe.com Calendar and Graphic Design: kmelrose@adpointe.com Now! Omaha, 6969 Grover St., Omaha, NE 68106

06 ENCORE Alabama Shakes Return with Sound & Color

12 SWASS Sir Mix-a-Lot is the Ultimate Freak

36 THE WORLD OF MAC MILLER Pittsburgh Rapper Still on Top N O W O M A H A . C O M • J U LY 2 0 1 5

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FEEATURE STORY

ENCORE Alabama Shakes Return with Sound & Color

By Kyle Eustice The small town of Athens, Alabama is home to just over 20,000 people. It was too claustrophobic for the larger-than-life talents of Brittany Howard. As lead singer and guitarist for Alabama Shakes, she’s learned how to embrace her humble beginnings, but also soar to new heights. Over the last few years her band, composed of bassist Zac Cockrell, guitarist Heath Fogg, keyboardist Ben Tanner and drummer Steve Johnson, has been all over the world. They’ve been touring nearly non-stop since releasing their debut album, 2012’s Boys and Girls. Johnson was home in Athens for a rare break before heading out on yet another tour in support of their sophomore effort, Sound &Color, which was released April 21. Far from Hollywood and the frantic pace of places like New York City, he gets grounded every time he returns home. Growing up, there wasn’t a lot to do, unless you were into sports or the outdoors. For music nerds like the Alabama Shakes, they yearned for something different. “In Athens, our movie theater only shows like four films at a time so it’s not very big,” Johnson says in his unmistakeable southern accent. “There’s a lot of restaurants. I like to describe it like if you’re driving down the interstate and need to pull off somewhere for fast food, you can pull over here and we’ve got Taco Bell, KFC, Burger King and McDonald’s, a plethora of fast food.” Despite the confines, Athens often presented, the band managed to escape. Howard and Cockrell attended high school together, but Johnson didn’t really get to know them until they formed Alabama Shakes (initially called The Shakes). They started off simply playing cover songs, but as their popularity grew, they started writing original material. Those songs took them to New York City’s CMJ Festival in 2011, where the band gave a performance that earned a rave review from New York Times writer Jon Pareles. He described the band as “a thunderbolt dressed in blue jeans,” with music that’s “aching when it’s slow and growling and whooping when it’s fast.” NPR named the group one of the best bands of 2011, while MTV called the Shakes one of the top bands to look for in 2012. But this was clearly only the beginning. While their meteoric rise to fame has been impressive, it doesn’t mean their hard work is over. “I love the position we’re in,” Johnson says. “I love the band I’m in. Where we’re going is definitely on an incline, but I don’t think it’s the pinnacle of my life or my career. There’s a lot of other things that mean just as much to me as my band, like my family. I get a lot of satisfaction out of stuff that has nothing to do with Alabama Shakes. “As far as the band goes, I would like to think we still have a lot of growing to do as musicians, songwriters and performers, he continues. “There’s stuff I mess up all the time and I know that. I’m not the greatest that I can be or at the top of my game yet. “I keep working on it. It’s tough to do because when you’re in the studio, you’re missing N O W O M A H A . C O M • J U LY 2 0 1 5

out on touring then when you get back to touring, it’s getting readjusted to that. You’re also away from your family so when you get home, music isn’t the main priority. I do practice, but it’s not as diligent as when I’m on tour or in the studio. A lot of things come in and out. My chops don’t just stay there. I have to keep practicing to get better. There is the desire, drive and want, but finding the time is difficult. It has to be the appropriate place and time.” Johnson’s sudden “celebrity” status has been difficult for some of his family and friends, but most of them have embraced his success. “Some have handled it better than others,” he says. “I will say that. Most of my family is very happy and very proud. There’s that, but then there are some friends and family who haven’t adjusted to it yet. They’re always saying I’m gone all the time, even sadder stuff than that. It’s stuff I don’t even want to talk about it’s so depressing. It’s weird. You would want them to come out, experience it and enjoy it.” In the meantime, the members of Alabama Shakes are enjoying the ride. There’s a sense Johnson is relieved he doesn’t get as much attention as the colorful Howard, but every once in awhile, he does find himself in some funny situations. 8

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“We’ve only been home for a week and a half,” he says. “I went to the liquor store. The lady that works in there is so nice, but sometimes I’m like, ‘Oh wow, this is town I live in.’ “So anyway, I go inside and there’s maybe a few people in there, not very many. She is just like, ‘Hey superstar. Oh my god, we have a celebrity in the house!’ I’m just covering my face like, ‘Hey Pam, what’s going on.’ It was kind of embarrassing. But I witness that kind of stuff all the time; not so much with myself. I’m the drummer. I don’t get nearly as much attention as Brittany and Zac. They are very noticeable characters. They get swamped.” As Alabama Shakes take off in support of Sound & Color, Johnson will have plenty of time to work on his chops. He’ll be swarmed by press, fans, promoters, assistants, and meet countless fellow musicians. He’ll get catered food, lots of special treatment and nice hotels. While he might be away from his family, he’s got his best friends on the road with him. It’s a life many musicians dream of having. Alabama Shakes with Belle Adair will perform at Harrah’s Stir Cove, Council Bluffs, 8 p.m., Aug. 1. Tickets are $50. Visitwww.caesars.com for more information.

9/4-7 Lot D of the Century Link Check back next month for more information! N O W O M A H A . C O M â&#x20AC;˘ J U LY 2 0 1 5

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SHOWING IN JULY

VISIT WWW.THEROSS.ORG FOR SHOWTIMES & INFORMATION N O W O M A H A . C O M • J U L Y 2 0 1 5 11

MUSIC FEATURE

SWASS

Sir Mix-a-Lot is the Ultimate Freak

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By Kyle Eustice

That’s why I wasn’t Sir Rap-A-Lot.” Once Swass and 1989’s Seminar began garnering significant amounts of attention, Mix caught the eye (well, ear) of legendary hip-hop producer and Def Jam co-founder Rick Rubin, who agreed to executive produce Mack Daddy. Along with production from Mix himself, Rubin and Mix quickly got to work. Upon its initial release, “Baby Got Back” became a pop phenomenon and catapulted Mix to a whole new level of fame. Despite the ridiculous nature of the lyrics and its subsequent video, the song touched on sensitive topics involving race, the definition of beauty and female objectification. One of his biggest strengths is being able to tell an incredibly descriptive and comedic story, something noticeably absent in contemporary hip-hop. “Some people have some fun with records, but for the most part they don’t,” he says. “Some people have really put some work in out on the street, but a lot of them haven’t and use rap as a cover. They think if they can tell somebody else’s hardcore story that somehow makes them more credible. And it actually works because most of the fans buy that bullshit. Real talk— a lot of them haven’t seen what they claim to have seen. “Saying something funny on a record now is considered corny, which is weird to me,” he adds. “To me, the term ‘keep it real,’ when you take it literally, means if you had a mom and a dad, they did a good job raising you, and you’re well educated and well spoken, don’t be ashamed of it. That’s keeping it real! If you went to college, but you lied and said you were in jail, that’s bullshit.” He makes an undeniable point. In a world where Lil’ Wayne and Juicy J rule the airwaves with songs about purple drank and groupies, it’s nearly impossible to separate truth from fiction. At 50, he may not be the new kid on the block, but he’s still got his hand on the mic. “I still love hip-hop and always will of course, but the things that are bothering me on certain levels are the need to establish this bullshit credibility and that rap music has a date code on it now,” he says. “In other words, if you’re Eminem and you’re the best rapper in the game right now, but you’re over 30, the press tries to blow it off like you’re just trying to stay relevant. “It only happens in hip-hop. Nobody looks at Mick Jagger and says, ‘Oh he’s just trying to remain relevant.’ The fact that hip-hop is starting to divide itself is ignorant. Let’s just keep moving.”

In the early ‘90s, Seattle native Sir Mix-a-Lot proudly proclaimed: “I like big butts and I cannot lie” on 1992’sMack Daddy, his third studio album and first for Def American. However, little do people know the two albums that preceded Mack Daddy contained some of his best material. From “Square Dance Rap” and “Posse on Broadway” to “Buttermilk Biscuits and “Swass,” there’s more to Mix-a-Lot than just big butts. Born Anthony Ray in 1963, Sir Mix-a-Lot is the true definition of a “D.I.Y. success story.” He founded his own independent label, produced his own albums and climbed his way into the MTV generation with both 1987’s “Posse On Broadway” and the aforementioned Grammy Award-winning single, “Baby Got Back.” His debut album, 1988’sSwass, established Mix as a lyrical wrecking ball. Armed with a penchant for descriptive storytelling and rapid-fire delivery, Mix unloaded an arsenal of hip-hop hilarity. In fact, the word ‘swass’ eventually took on its own meaning—by accident. “It meant like ‘cool,’ ‘fresh,’ ‘dope,’ or whatever terminology you want to use,” Mix explains. “Later on, we just applied something to it what we kind of called an acronym, but it really wasn’t an acronym. It was a word we made up by accident. “I used to work at an arcade and you know, fixing machines, handling change, and there was this pinball machine called Flash Gordon,” he continues. “Every time you’d win, it would say ‘flash,’ but it sounded like it said “swass” because something was wrong with the speaker. I thought, ‘Wow! That’s the shit.’ So we started using it joking around in different cities. We’d be like, ‘Man that is swass’ and people were like, ‘What is that?’ So we figured we would just call the album Swass.” Mix was surprised his own unique brand of hip-hop got any notoriety. After all, his main focus was really DJing, mixing and producing. He recorded on an 8-track reel-to-reel in a small, homemade studio. “Before “Posse On Broadway” I did another single, which actually made “Posse On Broadway” possible,” he says. “It was called ‘Square Dance Rap.’ It was a goofy single I did. I intentionally disguised my voice because I didn’t want to be known for having a Smurf voice. “So I put it out and the damn thing took off. I was like, ‘Aw man, it took off. Now what am I going to do?’ Then I started taking it more seriously. Remember, I started off as a DJ. I didn’t start off as Sir Mix-a-Lot will perform July 23, at Knickera rapper. I was more of an engineer than anything. bockers, Lincoln, 9 p.m. Tickets are $20. Visit www. I love producing and I love mixing; all that stuff. knickerbockers.net for more information. N O W O M A H A . C O M • J U L Y 2 0 1 5 13

The Old Market’s neighborhood bar and grill!

BEST sandwiches in the old

MARKET

12 1 7 H ow a r d Street | Historic O ld Marke t wOw h a. com J U L Y 2 0 1 5 • Nw OW M A.oc H A . onnorsoma COM

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MUSIC FEATURE

Robert Delong is set to perform at this year’s Hullabaloo festival

HULLABALOO

Family-friendly camping and music festival By Katelyn Sonderman Back from a 10 day stint with Kris Lager Band, Brandon Miller is in crunch time before Hullabaloo. This year however, he finds himself less stressed due to the amazing team on board this year: “Past years I found myself pulling my hair out to do everything that needs to be accomplished, but this year has been so well put together. I have a great team who is giving it their all.” He’s excited for the line-up this year, but when asked to choose, there was no way Brandon could pick a favorite. “I’m excited for every band. I hand pick every artist for Hullabaloo, and I make sure to pick the up and coming music I love. Being on the road with KLB gave me some great connections and some opportunities to meet some truly amazing artists.” Because of this advantage, he calls Hullabaloo a “taste-maker festival,” and he lives up to the reputation. Many of the acts Hullabaloo has booked in the past have gone to sell out large festivals of their own, The Floozies and Main Squeeze being acts Brandon could name right off the bat. Since taking over running the venue of Sokol Park, Brandon has added a huge stage, which has the capa-

bilities to hold large nationally touring acts. The addition in stage space has brought a whole new level to the production value. They’ve added a projection screen for this year, and tripled the amount of lights that they have on the stage. They’ve also added a smaller campsite stage for during the day. The lack of shade near the main stage can make checking out bands during the day uncomfortable, and Brandon wants to make sure every band has a chance to be heard. The shaded area of the campground will provide refuge from the heat, and allow everyone to lounge around, without having to drag chairs and blankets to the main stage. The final expansion this year is the Forrest Walk that has been an interactive art exhibit for the past few years. Brandon has handed over the reins to several local artists and is excited for the elaborate plans they have. The amount of lighting for the area has been quadrupled, and there will be art displays all over the festival. Hullabaloo is held July 23-25, and for a mere $25 which includes camping as well the ticket price. This is a family-friendly event, so there’s no excuse to not go and check out some great new music, as well as local favorites. N O W O M A H A . C O M • J U L Y 2 0 1 5 17

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

The Slowdown 729 N. 14th St., Omaha 9 p.m.

What’s going on in Omaha? You’ll find out here! Submit calendar listings to kmelrose@adpointe.com. Be sure to include NAMES, DATES, TIMES, ADDRESSES and COSTS, and please give us AT LEAST 7 days notice. Events are included as space allows.

AXCESS The Waiting Room 6212 Maple St. Omaha, NE 9 p.m.

There’s too many amazing things happening in Omaha throughout the month of July. We’ve listed Thursday through Sunday’s events for all weekends in July. For more events check out our website at nowomaha.com!

THURSDAY, JULY 9 OMAHA UNDER THE RADAR JOSLYN ART MUSEUM OPENING EVENT Joslyn Art Museum All Day ROCKBROOK VILLAGE ORGANIC FARMERS MARKET Rockbrook Village 4 – 7 p.m. STORM CHASERS VS. IOWA WITH RIVALRY NIGHT AND THIRSTY THURSDAY Werner Park 12356 Ballpark Way, Papillion, NE 68046 7:05 p.m. LATE NITE CATECHISM Omaha Community Playhouse, 6915 Cass St. Omaha, NE 68106 7:30 – 10 p.m. ED ARCHIBALD & FRIENDS The Omaha Lounge 1505 Farnam Street 7:30 – 10:30 p.m. PETE CORREALE Funny Bone 17305 Davenport 7:30 p.m. KNIGHTS OF COMEDY: A ROLE-PLAYING SHOW WITH DM BRENNA GRABOW The Hideout Lounge 320 S. 72nd St 8 p.m. PAPILLION LA VISTA COMMUNITY THEATRE PRESENTS WIZARD OF OZ Sumtur Amphitheater 11691 S 108th St, Papillion, NE 68046 8 p.m.

18 WADE J UBOWEN L Y 2 0 1&5RANDY • NOW ROGERS O M A H BAND A.COM

THE TALBOTT BROTHERS CD RELEASE Reverb Lounge 6121 Military Ave 9 p.m.

FRIDAY, JULY 10 JOHN C. FREMONT DAYS Fremont All Day WAYNE CHICKEN SHOW Wayne, NE All Day RHYTHM COLLECTIVE REGGAE Beer and Loathing in Dundee 9 p.m. BRIDGE BEATS - LEE BOWES AND MATT WHIPKEY Bob Kerrey Bridge Plaza 705 Riverfront Drive 6 – 9:30 p.m. SOUNDS OF SUMMER CONCERT SERIES SOUL DAWG Nebraska Medicine-Bellevue Amphitheatre, Shadow Lake Towne Center 72nd Street and Highway 370, Papillion 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. MUSIC AND MOVIES IN THE PARK - INTO THE WOODS Bayliss Park Pearl Street and Willow Street, Council Bluffs 6:30 – 11:30 p.m. ROCKBROOK FRIDAY NIGHT SERIES - THE CONFIDENTIALS Rockbrook Village 108th Street and West Center Road 7-8 p.m.

CONCERT

COX MUSIC AND MOVIES: WILLY WONKA & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (G) AND MICHAEL LYON AND THE STEVE THORNBERG TRIO Holland Center Courtyard 12th & Douglas Streets 7 p.m. MORGAN HERITAGE WITH JEMERE MORGAN Sokol Auditorium 2234 S. 13th St. Omaha, NE 68102

7 p.m. WORDS LIKE DAGGERS, HENNESSEY, WE ARE, TBA’S The Hideout Lounge 320 S. 72nd St 7 p.m.

ALLISTER

STORM CHASERS VS. IOWA WITH DADDYDAUGHTER PRINCESS NIGHT AND FIREWORKS Werner Park 12356 Ballpark Way, Papillion, NE 68046 7:05 p.m. PETE CORREALE Funny Bone 17305 Davenport 7:30 p.m. & 9:45 p.m. LATE NITE CATECHISM Omaha Community Playhouse, 6915 Cass St. Omaha, NE 68106 7:30 – 10 p.m JAZZ ON THE GREEN - THE 9S Turner Park at Midtown Crossing 7:30 p.m. CAROL ROGERS The Omaha Lounge 1505 Farnam Street 7:30 – 10:30 p.m. CAPTAIN JOSH Firewater Grille 7007 Grover St 8 p.m. PAPILLION LA VISTA COMMUNITY THEATRE PRESENTS WIZARD OF OZ Sumtur Amphitheater 11691 S 108th St, Papillion, NE 68046 8 p.m. BIG WHEEL CD RELEASE Reverb Lounge 6121 Military Ave 8 p.m. KARAOKE AT THE CALI BAR The California Bar 510 N 33rd St 9 p.m. THE 402 Ozone Lounge 7220 F St 9 p.m. – 1 a.m. AN EVENING WITH JEN KIRKMAN The Slowdown 729 N. 14th St., Omaha 9 p.m.

FUNK TREK The Waiting Room 6212 Maple St. Omaha, NE 9 p.m.

SATURDAY, JULY 11 JOHN C. FREMONT DAYS Fremont All Day WAYNE CHICKEN SHOW Wayne, NE All Day RAILROAD DAYS Lauritzen Gardens, The Durham Museum, the Union Pacific Railroad Museum, the RailsWest Railroad Museum and the Historic General Dodge House - Omaha, NE 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. THE NIFTY BAR OLYMPICS The Nifty Bar 4721 Northwest Radial Highway Omaha, NE 68104 6 p.m. BIG CANVAS COMEDY FOR EVERYONE The Backline 1618 Harney St Omaha, NE 68102 8 – 10 p.m. STORM CHASERS VS. IOWA WITH ERIC HOSMER BUBBLEHEAD GIVEAWAY & TROPHY GIVEAWAY Werner Park 12356 Ballpark Way, Papillion, NE 68046 12:05 p.m. DESPISE THE SUN, NEFIRUM, HELLEVATE, AGRINEX, HOD, DROWNING IN THE PLATTE, GLUTTON FOR PUNISHMENT, DARK APOSTLE, DIABOLIC POSSESSION, WHORE OF BETHLEHAM The Hideout Lounge 320 S. 72nd St 2 p.m. VIBES AT VILLAGE POINTE - PEACE, LOVE, ETC* CHI Health Amphitheatre, Village Pointe Shopping Center 168th Street and West Dodge Road 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. PETE CORREALE Funny Bone 17305 Davenport 7 p.m. & 9:30 p.m MUSIC NOW AND O M MOVIES A H A . C OIN M THE • J UPARK L Y 2 0- 1PITCH 5 19

PERFECT River’s Edge Park Council Bluffs 7-11 p.m.

Fremont All Day

OMAHA UNDER THE RADAR 2015 FESTIVAL Sokol Auditorium 2234 S. 13th St. Omaha, NE 68102 7 p.m. SATURDAYS @ STINSON CONCERT – RED DELICIOUS Stinson Park at Aksarben Village 67TH & CENTER • OMAHA, NEBRASKA 7-10 p.m. SLATTERY VINTAGE ESTATES SUMMER CONCERT SERIES - SHADOW RIDGE Slattery Vintage Estates 8925 Adams St., Nehawka, Nebraska 7-10 p.m. STORM CHASERS VS. IOWA WITH OUTDOORS NIGHT Werner Park 12356 Ballpark Way, Papillion, NE 68046 7:05 p.m. LATE NITE CATECHISM Omaha Community Playhouse, 6915 Cass St. Omaha, NE 68106 7:30 – 10 p.m. EDEM KEGEY & LEWADE “BIGWADE” MILLINER The Omaha Lounge 1505 Farnam Street 7:30 – 10:30 p.m. NEIL YOUNG Pinnacle Bank Arena 400 Pinnacle Arena Dr, Lincoln, NE 68508 7:30 p.m. DAISY JONES SPECTACULAR Reverb Lounge 6121 Military Ave 8 p.m.

LOCKER

SUMMER

PAPILLION LA VISTA COMMUNITY THEATRE PRESENTS WIZARD OF OZ Sumtur Amphitheater 11691 S 108th St, Papillion, NE 68046 8 p.m. SECRET WEAPON Ozone Lounge 7220 F St 9 p.m. – 1 a.m.

SUNDAY, JULY 12 20 JOHNJ U C.LFREMONT Y 2 0 1 5 • DAYS NOWOMAHA.COM

WAYNE CHICKEN SHOW Wayne, NE All Day RAILROAD DAYS Lauritzen Gardens, The Durham Museum, the Union Pacific Railroad Museum, the RailsWest Railroad Museum and the Historic General Dodge House - Omaha, NE 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. RAGTIME TO RICHES FESTIVAL First Central Congregational United Church of Christ 421 S. 36th St. 1-9 p.m. OMAHA FARMERS MARKET Stinson Park at Aksarben Village 67TH & CENTER • OMAHA, NEBRASKA 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. CHURCH FOR SINNERS Reverb Lounge 6121 Military Ave 12 p.m. REDLINE MEET CAR SHOW Ralston Arena 7300 Q Street, Ralston (West of 72nd & Q) 12 – 8 p.m. LATE NITE CATECHISM Omaha Community Playhouse, 6915 Cass St. Omaha, NE 68106 2-4 p.m. BELLEVUE MUSIC IN THE PARK - USAF NIGHTWING Washington Park 20th and Franklin, Bellevue 7-8 p.m. PETE CORREALE Funny Bone 17305 Davenport 7 p.m. STEPHEN HAWTHORNE & RICKY WILLIAMS The Omaha Lounge 1505 Farnam Street 7:30 – 10:30 p.m. THE ATARIS PLAY “BLUE SKIES BROKEN HEARTS...NEXT 12 EXITS” WITH TBAS WITH ARLISS NANCY, LITTLE BRAZIL, LOW LONG SIGNAL The Hideout Lounge 320 S. 72nd St 8 p.m.

waitingroomlounge.com

July 10 Funk Trek with Kris Lager Band $8 • 9pm show July 11 Omaha Girls Rock $5 Donation • 5:30pm show July 13 Midwest Elite Concerts presents: New Music Monday: The Woodwork with Skyloft & Charlotte Sometimes Free Event • 8pm show July 14 (the) Melvins with Le Butcherettes $15 ADV / $17 DOS • 9pm show July 16 Lissie with Tyler Lyle $16 ADV / $18 DOS • 9pm show July 17 Melt Banana + Torche with Hot Nerds $15 • 9pm show July 18 Say Anything with Modern Baseball, Cymbals Eat Guitars, & Hard Girls $20 ADV / $23 DOS • 7:30pm show July 19 White Girl $7 • 9pm show July 20 Midwest Elite Concerts Presents: New Music Monday: Two Shakes with Fallen Reign & In The After Free Event • 8pm show

July 24 Venaculas with Arson City, Save the Hero, & We Be Lions $12 • 8pm show July 25 Dick Dale with The Sub-Vectors $28 ADV / $30 DOS • 9pm show July 27 Midwest Elite Concerts presents: New Music Monday: Sebastian Ghostbachz with Born On Leap Year & Group Therapy Free Event • 8 pm show July 28 Sperry presents: Young Rising Sons & Hunter Hunted $15 • 9pm show July 29 Cornmeal with Horseshoes & Hand Grenades $15 • 9pm show July 30 Disorderly Conduct & Player Dee present: We All Stars: Omaha Hip-Hop Then and Now with Citoe, P.C.G., Disorderly Conduct, L Macn, Rocky, Flow EZ, Trump Tight, Pocket Pete, Toot, Player Dee & Hosted by Houston Alexander $10 ADV / $15 DOS 9pm show July 31 Venaculas with Arson City & Devil In The Details $12 • 8pm show

July 21 Waiting Room Music Quiz Free Event • 8pm show

August 1 Bazile Mills with Matt Cox & Kait Berreckman Band $7 • 9pm show

July 23 STRFKR with Shy Boys $15 ADV / $17 DOS • 9pm show

August 2 Sunday Roadhouse presents: Red Molly $20NADV / $25 OWO M A HDOS A . C•O5pm M • show J U LY

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PAPILLION LA VISTA COMMUNITY THEATRE PRESENTS WIZARD OF OZ Sumtur Amphitheater 11691 S 108th St, Papillion, NE 68046 8 p.m. JAZZ WITH LUIGI, INC Mr. Toad’s 1002 Harney St 9 p.m.

THURSDAY, JULY 16 ROCKBROOK VILLAGE ORGANIC FARMERS MARKET Rockbrook Village 4 – 7 p.m. SPIELBOUND SOCIAL BOARD GAME NIGHT Kaneko 1111 Jones St. Omaha, NE 68102 7 – 9 p.m. VERBAL GUMBO House Of Loom 1012 S 10th St Omaha, NE 68108 7;30 – 11 p.m. NO SHOES NATION PRE-PARTY Pinnacle Bank Arena 400 Pinnacle Arena Dr, Lincoln, NE 68508 2 – 8 p.m. EDIBLE OMAHA LAUNCH Joslyn Art Museum 2200 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE 5:30 p.m. JULES AND JOE BAND Ozone Lounge 7220 F St 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. BEN FOLDS Sokol Auditorium 2234 S. 13th St. Omaha, NE 68102 7 p.m. FUNNY BONE OMAHA’S CLASH OF THE COMICS Funny Bone 17305 Davenport 7:30 p.m. JAZZ ON THE GREEN: PLENA LIBRE Midtown Crossing at Turner Park 7;30 p.m. ED ARCHIBALD & FRIENDS The Omaha Lounge 1505 Farnam Street

7:30 – 10:30 p.m. LATE NITE CATECHISM Omaha Community Playhouse, 6915 Cass St. Omaha, NE 68106 7:30 – 10 p.m. NO COVER COMEDY: THROWBACK THURSDAY WITH DAN VAUGHN The Hideout Lounge 320 S. 72nd St 8 p.m. PAPILLION LA VISTA COMMUNITY THEATRE PRESENTS WIZARD OF OZ Sumtur Amphitheater 11691 S 108th St, Papillion, NE 68046 8 p.m. KENNY CHESNEY Pinnacle Bank Arena 400 Pinnacle Arena Dr, Lincoln, NE 68508 8 p.m. HONEYHONEY Reverb Lounge 6121 Military Ave 8 p.m. FREDDIE GIBBS The Slowdown 729 N. 14th St., Omaha 9 p.m. LISSIE The Waiting Room 6212 Maple St. Omaha, NE 9 p.m.

FRIDAY, JULY 17 GRETNA DAYS Gretna All Day RHYTHM COLLECTIVE REGGAE Beer and Loathing in Dundee 9 p.m. RIVERFEST Haworth Park 2502 Payne Drive, Bellevue 5 p.m. – 1 a.m. SOUNDS OF SUMMER CONCERT SERIES THE INNOCENCE Nebraska Medicine-Bellevue Amphitheatre, Shadow Lake Towne Center 72nd Street and Highway 370, Papillion 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. MUSIC AND MOVIES IN THE PARK - SLEEPING BEAUTY N O W O M A H A . C O M • J U L Y 2 0 1 5 23

Bayliss Park Pearl Street and Willow Street, Council Bluffs 6:30 – 11 p.m. SLATTERY VINTAGE ESTATES SUMMER CONCERT SERIES - SARAH PEACOCK Slattery Vintage Estates 8925 Adams St., Nehawka, Nebraska 7-10 p.m. COX MUSIC AND MOVIES: THE LEGO MOVIE (PG) AND CLARK & CO. Holland Center Courtyard 12th & Douglas Streets 7 p.m. ROCKBROOK FRIDAY NIGHT SERIES - LUIGI, INC Rockbrook Village 108th Street and West Center Road 7-8 p.m.

CONCERT

6212 Maple St. Omaha, NE 9 p.m. THE APPLESEED CAST Reverb Lounge 6121 Military Ave 9 p.m. GRECO, TREY GEE, PACC D, FAMILY MAN, PUNN The Hideout Lounge 320 S. 72nd St 10 p.m.

SATURDAY, JULY 18 GRETNA DAYS Gretna All Day

CHARLIE MURPHY Funny Bone 17305 Davenport 7:30 p.m & 9:45 p.m

BREW AT THE ZOO Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium 3701 S 10th St Omaha, NE 68107 7 p.m. – 10 p.m.

LATE NITE CATECHISM Omaha Community Playhouse, 6915 Cass St. Omaha, NE 68106 7:30 -10:30 p.m.

RIVERFEST Haworth Park 2502 Payne Drive, Bellevue 7 a.m. – 1 a.m.

JAZZ ON THE GREEN - NAVY NIGHT Turner Park at Midtown Crossing 7:30 p.m.

THE COLOR RUN Century Link Center 455 North 10th ST, Omaha, NE 68102 8 a.m.

CAROL ROGERS The Omaha Lounge 1505 Farnam Street 7:30 – 10:30 p.m. OK PARTY COMEDY PRESENTS DOG & PONY SHOW The Hideout Lounge 320 S. 72nd St 8 p.m. PAPILLION LA VISTA COMMUNITY THEATRE PRESENTS WIZARD OF OZ Sumtur Amphitheater 11691 S 108th St, Papillion, NE 68046 8 p.m. THE BRITS Firewater Grille 7007 Grover St, 8 p.m. ADLEY STUMP (THE VOICE) PARTY Ozone Lounge 7220 F St 9 p.m. – 2 a.m. MELT BANANA + TORCHE

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NEBRASKA BUCK N BIRD CLASSIC Ralston Arena 7300 Q Street, Ralston (West of 72nd & Q) 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. PLAYING WITH FIRE Turner Park at Midtown Crossing 5 p.m. VIBES AT VILLAGE POINTE - SOUL DAWG CHI Health Amphitheatre, Village Pointe Shopping Center 168th Street and West Dodge Road 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. CHARLIE MURPHY Funny Bone 17305 Davenport 7 p.m & 9:30 p.m. SATURDAYS @ STINSON CONCERT HI-FI HANGOVER Stinson Park at Aksarben Village 67TH & CENTER • OMAHA, NEBRASKA 7-10 p.m. SLATTERY

VINTAGE

ESTATES

SUMMER

CONCERT SERIES - SANDY CREEK PICKERS Slattery Vintage Estates 8925 Adams St., Nehawka, Nebraska 7-10 p.m. LATE NITE CATECHISM Omaha Community Playhouse, 6915 Cass St. Omaha, NE 68106 7:30 -10:30 p.m. EDEM KEGEY & LEWADE “BIGWADE” MILLINER The Omaha Lounge 1505 Farnam Street 7:30 -10:30 p.m. SAY ANYTHING The Waiting Room 6212 Maple St. Omaha, NE 7:30 p.m. THE ROOTS Stir Concert Cover-Harrah’s Council Bluffs One Harrah’s Blvd, Council Bluffs, IA 51501 8 p.m. PAPILLION LA VISTA COMMUNITY THEATRE PRESENTS WIZARD OF OZ Sumtur Amphitheater 11691 S 108th St, Papillion, NE 68046 8 p.m. DIE TO EXIST, ONE COLD JULY, YOUR LAST CHANCE, GHOSTS OF RUIN The Hideout Lounge 320 S. 72nd St 8 p.m. RATHER UNSIGHTLY GENTLEMEN Reverb Lounge 6121 Military Ave 9 p.m. BOZAK & MORRISSEY Ozone Lounge 7220 F St 9:30 p.m. – 1 a.m.

SUNDAY, JULY 19 GRETNA DAYS Gretna All Day OMAHA FARMERS MARKET Stinson Park at Aksarben Village 67TH & CENTER • OMAHA, NEBRASKA 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. NEBRASKA BUCK N BIRD CLASSIC Ralston Arena 7300 Q Street, Ralston (West of 72nd & Q) 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. 89.7 THE RIVER PRESENTS RIVER RIOT

Westfair 22984 Highway 6, Council Bluffs 12 p.m. CHURCH FOR SINNERS Reverb Lounge 6121 Military Ave 12 p.m. LATE NITE CATECHISM Omaha Community Playhouse, 6915 Cass St. Omaha, NE 68106 2 – 4 p.m. KINGSHIFTER, TENDEAD, EXIT SANITY The Hideout Lounge 320 S. 72nd St, 6 p.m. CHARLIE MURPHY Funny Bone 17305 Davenport, 7 p.m. STEPHEN HAWTHORNE & RICKY WILLIAMS The Omaha Lounge 1505 Farnam Street 7:30 – 10:30 p.m. THE ARISTOCRATS The Slowdown 729 N. 14th St., Omaha, 8 p.m. JAZZ WITH LUIGI, INC Mr. Toad’s 1002 Harney St 9 p.m. SHOOT YOUR MOUTH OFF WITH JIM MORRISON & BEN JOHNSON FEATURING CALLING CODY The Hideout Lounge 320 S. 72nd St 10 p.m.

THURSDAY, JULY 23 WESTFAIR COUNTRY FAIR Westfair 22984 Highway 6 Council Bluffs All Day ROCKBROOK VILLAGE ORGANIC FARMERS MARKET Rockbrook Village 4 – 7 p.m. HULLABALOO MUSIC & CAMPING FESTIVAL Sokol Park Bellevue, NE 12 p.m. 2015 FIVB WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL WORLD GRAND PRIX FINALS Century Link NOW O MCenter A H A . C O M • J U L Y 2 0 1 5 25

455 North 10th ST, Omaha, NE 68102 3 p.m. NEEDTOBREATHE PRESENTS TOUR COMPADRES Sumtur Amphitheater 11691 S 108th St, Papillion, NE 68046 6:30 p.m.

KNUCKLEHEAD Ozone Lounge 7220 F St 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. RAW: GLIMPSE Sokol Auditorium 2234 S. 13th St. Omaha, NE 68102 7 p.m. JIM FLORENTINE Funny Bone 17305 Davenport 7:30 p.m. JAZZ ON THE GREEN: THE SIDE GUYS Midtown Crossing at Turner Park 7:30 p.m. ED ARCHIBALD & FRIENDS The Omaha Lounge 1505 Farnam Street 7:30 – 10:30 p.m. COLISEUM, VALKYRIE, POST VERSE, MONTEE MEN The Hideout Lounge 320 S. 72nd St 8 p.m. TV GIRL The Slowdown 729 N. 14th St., Omaha 8 p.m. LYDIA LOVELESS Reverb Lounge 6121 Military Ave 9 p.m.

FRIDAY, JULY 24 WESTFAIR COUNTRY FAIR Westfair 22984 Highway 6 Council Bluffs All Day

Sokol Park Bellevue, NE 12 p.m. 2015 FIVB WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL WORLD GRAND PRIX FINALS Century Link Center 455 North 10th ST, Omaha, NE 68102 3 p.m. BRIDGE BEATS - PRAIRIE GATORS BAND AND THE PINK FLAMINGOS Bob Kerrey Bridge Plaza 705 Riverfront Drive 6-9:30 p.m. SOUNDS OF SUMMER CONCERT SERIES - HIFI HANGOVER Nebraska Medicine-Bellevue Amphitheatre, Shadow Lake Towne Center 72nd Street and Highway 370, Papillion 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. MUSIC AND MOVIES IN THE PARK - THE SANDLOT Bayliss Park Pearl Street and Willow Street, Council Bluffs 6:30 – 11 p.m. STARLIGHT MOVIE THE JUNGLE BOOK Sumtur Amphitheater 11691 S 108th St, Papillion, NE 68046 7 p.m. COX MUSIC AND MOVIES: THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (PG-13) AND BLUE HOUSE Holland Center Courtyard 12th & Douglas Streets 7 p.m. ROCKBROOK FRIDAY NIGHT SERIES - SOLIDERS OF SOUL Rockbrook Village 108th Street and West Center Road 7-8 p.m.

CONCERT

STORM CHASERS VS. COLORADO SPRINGS WITH FRANCESCA BATESTELLI CONCERT Werner Park 12356 Ballpark Way, Papillion, NE 68046 7:05 p.m. JAZZ ON THE GREEN - CONJUNTO CHAPPOTTIN Y SUS ESTRELLAS Turner Park at Midtown Crossing 7:30 p.m.

RHYTHM COLLECTIVE REGGAE Beer and Loating in Dundee 9 p.m.

JIM FLORENTINE Funny Bone 17305 Davenport 7:30 p.m. & 9:45 p.m.

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CAROL ROGERS The Omaha Lounge

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1505 Farnam Street 7:30 – 10:30 p.m.

Omaha, Ne 68003 2 – 4 p.m.

RIPTIDE REFUGEES Firewater Grille 7007 Grover St 8 p.m.

HULLABALOO MUSIC & CAMPING FESTIVAL Sokol Park Bellevue, NE 12 p.m.

VENACULAS The Waiting Room 6212 Maple St. Omaha, NE 8 p.m.

2015 FIVB WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL WORLD GRAND PRIX FINALS Century Link Center 455 North 10th ST, Omaha, NE 68102 3 p.m.

FRNKIERO AND THE CELLABRATION The Slowdown 729 N. 14th St., Omaha 9 p.m. ELENI MANDELL Reverb Lounge 6121 Military Ave 9 p.m. KARAOKE AT THE CALI BAR The California Bar 510 N 33rd St 9 p.m. ON THE FRITZ Ozone Lounge 7220 F St 9:30 p.m. – 1 a.m.

SATURDAY, JULY 25 WESTFAIR COUNTRY FAIR Westfair 22984 Highway 6 Council Bluffs All Day COUNTRY KINDNESS DAY Gifford Farm Education Center 700 Camp Gifford Road Bellevue, NE 68005 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. WILD, WILD WEST DAY The Durham Museum 801 S. 10th St. Omaha, NE 68108 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. MR. STEVE VISITS OMAHA Joslyn Art Museum 2200 Dodge St Omaha, NE 68102 10: 30 a.m. to 1 p.m. ASTRONAUT CLAYTON ANDERSON PRESENTATION & BOOK SIGNING Strategic Air and Space Museum 28210 West Park Highway, Ashland

PLAYING WITH FIRE Turner Park at Midtown Crossing, 5 p.m. STORM CHASERS VS. COLORADO SPRINGS WITH HINDER CONCERT Werner Park 12356 Ballpark Way, Papillion, NE 68046 6:05 p.m. VIBES AT VILLAGE POINTE - THE JIGGAWATTS* CHI Health Amphitheatre, Village Pointe Shopping Center 168th Street and West Dodge Road 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. VICTORY FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP 46 Ralston Arena 7300 Q Street, Ralston (West of 72nd & Q) 6:30 – 11:30 p.m. JIM FLORENTINE Funny Bone 17305 Davenport 7 p.m & 9:30 p.m. SATURDAYS @ STINSON CONCERT RECAPTURED – A TRIBUTE TO JOURNEY Stinson Park at Aksarben Village 67TH & CENTER • OMAHA, NEBRASKA 7-10 p.m. SLATTERY VINTAGE ESTATES CONCERT SERIES - VINYL SPIRIT Slattery Vintage Estates 8925 Adams St., Nehawka, Nebraska 7-10 p.m.

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SUMMER

EDEM KEGEY & LEWADE “BIGWADE” MILLINER The Omaha Lounge 1505 Farnam Street 7:30 – 10:30 p.m. RECKONING: OMAHA’S MONTHLY SATURDAY DRAG KING EVENT! SEBASTIAN SAVAGE, TBA PERFORMERS The Hideout Lounge 320 S. 72nd St, 9 p.m. DICK DALE TheNWaiting Room OWOM A H A . C O M • J U L Y 2 0 1 5 29

6212 Maple St. Omaha, NE 9 p.m. SNOW THA PRODUCT The Slowdown 729 N. 14th St., Omaha 9 p.m. OUTLAW ROAD Ozone Lounge 7220 F St 9:30 p.m. – 1 a.m.

SUNDAY, JULY 26 WESTFAIR COUNTRY FAIR Westfair 22984 Highway 6 Council Bluffs All Day OMAHA FARMERS MARKET Stinson Park at Aksarben Village 67TH & CENTER • OMAHA, NEBRASKA 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

7:30 – 10:30 p.m. THE TING TINGS The Waiting Room 6212 Maple St. Omaha, NE 8 p.m. AWOLNATION Sokol Auditorium 2234 S. 13th St. Omaha, NE 68102 8 p.m. JAZZ WITH LUIGI, INC Mr. Toad’s 1002 Harney St 9 p.m. SHOOT YOUR MOUTH OFF WITH JIM MORRISON & BEN JOHNSON FEATURING HIP HOP SHOWCASE The Hideout Lounge 320 S. 72nd St 10 p.m.

THURSDAY, JULY 30

CHURCH FOR SINNERS Reverb Lounge 6121 Military Ave 12 p.m.

SARPY COUNTY FAIR Sarpy County Fair Grounds Springfield, NE All Day

STORM CHASERS VS. COLORADO SPRINGS WITH KIDZ BOP CONCERT AND US BANK FAMILY FUNDAY Werner Park 12356 Ballpark Way, Papillion, NE 68046 2:05 p.m.

LANCASTER COUNTY SUPERFAIR Lancaster Event Center Lincoln, NE All Day

2015 FIVB WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL WORLD GRAND PRIX FINALS Century Link Center 455 North 10th ST, Omaha, NE 68102 3 p.m. SUNDAY MATINEE: VOICE OF ADDICTION, INSUBORDINATION, DSM-5, NO COMPLY The Hideout Lounge 320 S. 72nd St 5 p.m. PAPILLION AREA CONCERT BAND Sumtur Amphitheater 11691 S 108th St, Papillion, NE 68046 5 p.m. JIM FLORENTINE Funny Bone 17305 Davenport 7 p.m. & 9:30 p.m. STEPHEN HAWTHORNE & RICKY WILLIAMS The Omaha Lounge 30 1505 JFarnam U L Y 2Street 015 • NOWOMAHA.COM

ROCKBROOK VILLAGE ORGANIC FARMERS MARKET Rockbrook Village 4 – 7 p.m. TOUR DE ZOO Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium 3701 S 10th St Omaha, NE 68107 7:30 – 8:30 p.m. SPIELBOUND PRESENTS STRATEGY BOARD GAME NIGHT KANEKO 1111 Jones St. Omaha, NE 68102 7 – 9 p.m. STATE GAMES OF AMERICA 2015 Ralston Arena 7300 Q Street, Ralston (West of 72nd & Q) 5:30 – 10:30 p.m FAR AND WIDE Ozone Lounge 7220 F St 6:30 – 9:30 p.m

IAN BAGG Funny Bone 17305 Davenport 7:30 p.m.

NATION Turner Park at Midtown Crossing 7:30 p.m. CAROL ROGERS The Omaha Lounge 1505 Farnam Street 7:30 – 10:30 p.m.

ED ARCHIBALD & FRIENDS The Omaha Lounge 1505 Farnam Street 7:30 – 10:30 p.m. JAZZ ON THE GREEN: NEBRASKA JAZZ ORCHESTRA Midtown Crossing at Turner Park 7;30 p.m. P-TRO, NIKKO MCFADDEN, CORY SPACELY, J SHAH, DONTE ANTHONY, TRE FLOYD, NORTHSIDE QUIL, BANK ROLL The Hideout Lounge 320 S. 72nd St 10 p.m.

FRIDAY, JULY 31

VENACULAS The Waiting Room 6212 Maple St. Omaha, NE 8 p.m. HOZIER Stir Concert Cover-Harrah’s Council Bluffs One Harrah’s Blvd, Council Bluffs, IA 51501 8 p.m. OMAHA SEXY NERD SOCIETY PRESENTS GAME CENTRAL STATION! (TEAM LEO GAMER/ COSPLAY BIRTHDAY BASH) The Hideout Lounge 320 S. 72nd St 9 p.m.

SARPY COUNTY FAIR Sarpy County Fair Grounds Springfield, NE All Day LANCASTER COUNTY SUPERFAIR Lancaster Event Center Lincoln, NE All Day

TAXI DRIVER Ozone Lounge 7220 F St 9:30 p.m. – 1 a.m.

RHYTHM COLLECTIVE REGGAE Beer and Loathing in Dundee 9 p.m.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 1

SOUNDS OF SUMMER CONCERT SERIES LEMON FRESH DAY Nebraska Medicine-Bellevue Amphitheatre, Shadow Lake Towne Center 72nd Street and Highway 370, Papillion 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. MUSIC AND MOVIES IN THE PARK - TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES Bayliss Park Pearl Street and Willow Street, Council Bluffs 6:30 – 11 p.m. ROCKBROOK FRIDAY NIGHT SERIES - DANNY MATTRAN BAND Rockbrook Village 108th Street and West Center Road 7-8 p.m.

CONNOR DOWLING Firewater Grille 7007 Grover St 8 p.m.

CONCERT

IAN BAGG Funny Bone 17305 Davenport 7:30 p.m. & 9:45 p.m. JAZZ ON THE GREEN - BIG SAM’S FUNKY

SARPY COUNTY FAIR Sarpy County Fair Grounds Springfield, NE All Day LANCASTER COUNTY SUPERFAIR Lancaster Event Center Lincoln, NE All Day BACK TO SCHOOL BASH Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium 3701 S 10th St Omaha, NE 68107 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. FAMILY FUN CARNIVAL Strategic Air and Space Museum 28210 West Park Highway Ashland, NE 68003 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. HEALTHY KIDS CARNIVAL Boys Town Medical Campus 14080 N OBoys W O Town M A H Hospital A . C O MRoad • J U L Y 2 0 1 5 31

Boys Town, NE 68010 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. GRASSROOTS MUSIC FESTIVAL River’s Edge Park LIVING HISTORY AT FORT ATKINSON Fort Atkinson State Historical Park 201 S. Seventh St., Fort Calhoun, Nebraska 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. OMAHA CRUSH Stinson Park at Aksarben Village 67TH & CENTER • OMAHA, NEBRASKA 1-5 p.m. BEER AND BACON FESTIVAL The Old Mattress Factory 501 N 13th St, Omaha, NE 3-7 p.m.

ROUGH CUT Ozone Lounge 7220 F St 9:30 p.m. – 1 a.m.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2 SARPY COUNTY FAIR Sarpy County Fair Grounds Springfield, NE All Day LANCASTER COUNTY SUPERFAIR Lancaster Event Center Lincoln, NE All Day GRASSROOTS MUSIC FESTIVAL River’s Edge Park

STATE GAMES OF AMERICA 2015 Ralston Arena 7300 Q Street, Ralston (West of 72nd & Q) 5:30 – 10:30 p.m.

LIVING HISTORY AT FORT ATKINSON Fort Atkinson State Historical Park 201 S. Seventh St., Fort Calhoun, Nebraska 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

VIBES AT VILLAGE POINTE - MCKENZIE RIVER BAND CHI Health Amphitheatre, Village Pointe Shopping Center 168th Street and West Dodge Road 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

OMAHA FARMERS MARKET Stinson Park at Aksarben Village 67TH & CENTER • OMAHA, NEBRASKA 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

SLATTERY VINTAGE ESTATES SUMMER CONCERT SERIES - GRAND MARQUIS AND CAJUNFEST! Slattery Vintage Estates 8925 Adams St., Nehawka, Nebraska 7-10 p.m. IAN BAGG Funny Bone 17305 Davenport 7 p.m. & 9:30 p.m. STORM CHASERS VS. NASHVILLE Werner Park 12356 Ballpark Way, Papillion, NE 68046 7:05 p.m. EDEM KEGEY & LEWADE “BIGWADE” MILLINER The Omaha Lounge 1505 Farnam Street 7:30 – 10:30 p.m. ALABAMA SHAKES Stir Concert Cover-Harrah’s Council Bluffs One Harrah’s Blvd, Council Bluffs, IA 51501 8 p.m. TWOCYPHA The Slowdown 729 N. 14th St., Omaha 32 9 p.m. J U LY 2 0 1 5 • N O W O M A H A . C O M

CHURCH FOR SINNERS Reverb Lounge 6121 Military Ave 12 p.m. STORM CHASERS VS. NASHVILLE WITH US BANK FAMILY FUNDAY Werner Park 12356 Ballpark Way, Papillion, NE 68046 5:05 p.m. IAN BAGG Funny Bone 17305 Davenport, 7 p.m. JOHN MELLENCAMP Orpheum Theatre 409 S. 16th St. Omaha, NE 68102 7:30 p.m. STEPHEN HAWTHORNE & RICKY WILLIAMS The Omaha Lounge 1505 Farnam Street 7:30 – 10:30 p.m. PLATTSMOUTH COMMUNITY BAND Sumtur Amphitheater 11691 S 108th St, Papillion, NE 68046 7:30 p.m. JAZZ WITH LUIGI, INC Mr. Toad’s 1002 Harney St, 9 p.m.

SUMMER Concert Series PAGE TURNERS LOUNGE 5004 DODGE STREET The Sun-Less Trio

Sean Pratt + David Kenneth Nance

Super Ghost + Tie These Hands

Kill Country

The Burkum Boys

The Sunks + Mark Johnson N O W O M A H A . Cpageturnerslounge O M â&#x20AC;˘ J U L Y 2 0 1 5 33

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MUSIC FEATURE

THE WORLD OF MAC MILLER Pittsburgh Rapper Still on Top By Kyle Eustice Talking to Pittsburgh native Mac Miller is just what you’d expect. He’s a smart ass, laughs a lot and appears not to take his career too seriously, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Mac Miller (real name Malcolm James McCormick) is self-made and essentially a workaholic. He knew from an early age he wanted to make music for a living and he made it happen. As a child, there was never any doubt Miller was musically gifted. At the age of 6, he taught himself how to play piano, drums, bass, and guitar. His older brother was getting into hip-hop in the mid-’90s and soon little Mac was pilfering his albums. “The Beastie Boys were like my first people,” Miller says. “I guess for a lot of white kids, maybe their first rappers are Eminem or other white rappers, but the first rap album I got was Outkast’s Aquemini. I stole it off my brother. My brother did go through this one phase where he was a huge Ja Rule and DMX fan. He used to have this sleeveless Ja Rule shirt. It was pretty awesome.” Throughout the conversation, he says the word “white” like it’s a four-letter word. Whether it’s a subconscious insecurity or simply something he’s used to dealing with in the press, he’s quick to point out that his race really never entered

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his mind when trying to pursue a rap career. While everyone else saw color, he did his best to ignore it. “When I was 15, I realized the fact that there were not a lot of white rappers out there, but I tried not to think about it as much as possible because everybody else was thinking about it,” he says. “To me, I just really enjoyed writing and I enjoyed rapping. I fell in love with writing verses. I had this dresser in my basement, and it was filled with so many verses, it was ridiculous. My first raps were big-word-only raps like, ‘the article barnacle anticartigal [sic] phenomenal geronimo [laughs]. “I wasn’t really set up to go to college,” he continues. “My goal was to make rapping a profession for real so I could make money and survive. By the time I was seventeen, I started to get a little buzz, so I barely went to school. My teachers were pretty cool though. They didn’t trip on me too much. At my school, you could basically choose if you wanted to learn or not. Senior year, “I had an apartment right across the street from school. I would go to class sometimes, sometimes not. I barely finished at the end. I was pretty intelligent, so I was okay just getting by with the bare minimum.” In 2010, Miller finally got a record deal with Rostrum Records. It was a dream come true for the young artist and soon he was in the fast lane; recording albums, doing press and touring. “Obviously, the one thing you hear about the music

industry is that it’s slimy and don’t trust anyone, yadda yadda yadda, but being from Pittsburgh, Rostrum was like the gatekeeper,” he says. “They had the connects. When we started getting offers from people, I used to bring it to them. “They would say, ‘I don’t think it’s tight, or I don’t think it’s a good one,’” he continues. “I didn’t feel comfortable working with people I didn’t know. I had known them for three years before we even worked together. When I was about to put out K.I.D.S., Benjy [Grinberg, founder of Rostrum] heard it and they wanted to sign me.” Once he had a solid label backing him, he became unstoppable. With his second full-length album, 2013’sWatching Movies With the Sound Off, in the works, they started on promotion early. All of his mixtapes were promotion for the album. He had singles that weren’t even on the album that were selling thousands of copies. He had many naysayers saying, “Oh, Mac Miller is just some Internet White kid. He has YouTube views, but he can’t sell albums.” But he blew them out of the water and ended up with a independent number one album. He credits his “boy-next-door” quality to his success. “A lot of kids liked me because I was the underdog,” he says. “I wasn’t rapping about being rich. I was just like one of you guys that liked to make music. So I think they kind of just supported me because it was direct from me to the fan, so they went out and bought like nine or ten albums. They knew that I needed it. I didn’t have big business. I didn’t have the funding.” However, Mac Miller’s road to glory wasn’t paved with

gold, at least not entirely. He had a few moments where he got out of control and his close circle of friends were worried about him—and rightfully so. Miller was dabbling in drugs and gaining a lot of weight. He says he was just experimenting, but from the outside it seemed he was walking the tight rope of addiction and harmless “fun.” “When you’re young and you have a bunch of shit going on, it’s nice to take a vacation,” he says. “That was just my version of a nice vacation. I was zombified and not worried about anybody else. It was kind of nice, but it grew to the point where my friends didn’t know what to say to me anymore. “I would just be locked away in my studio. I was gaining a lot of weight. I could just feel that I was very unhealthy. At a certain point, I got sick of the closest people in my life thinking I’m a piece of shit. Everyone thought I was super addicted to it. So I just stopped. It wasn’t like this huge battle. “No one thought I would beat it. One day, two of my friends from Pittsburgh came over. I was in L.A. They were just looking at me, disgusted. They came for a week to work, and they obviously didn’t want to work with me while I was all on drugs. So I didn’t do any drugs when they were here, and I just started feeling better. So I just decided to put it down.” Like a rubberband, Miller bounced back and continued on his rap mission. He started eating healthier and working out three times a week. While he’s no longer signed to Rostrum, he’s more in control of his career than ever. He dropped 2014’s Faces on his own imprint, REMember Records. At a mere 22-years-old, he’s a multimillionaire, which is something he also has to learn how to control. He recently made Forbes’ list of Hip-Hop Cash Kings for the third year in a row, tying for 20th place with Lil’ Jon, Rick Ross, J. Cole, and DJ Khaled. “Having money allows me to have a house where I have fun making music all day,” he says. “The Forbes thing—I mean, it’s dope, but every now and then, I like to be abstract, conceptual, and spiritual. It’s the complexities of dualities. Sometimes you want to be like, ‘Yeah, bitch, what’s up?’ “It feels good every now and then,” he continues. “Back then, when I sought after that type of success, it was my way to tell everyone who saw me as this little White kid that was never going to make it as a rapper, well, I’m on that Forbes list. I thought that would make me feel super good to put it in everyone’s face and put in my own face. “It really shows who somebody is by how they act when they get a lot of money. If you ask anyone around, I hope they would say I don’t carry that attitude. Someone said I had that rich-person glow. [laughs] Personally, I like to carry myself as the brokest rich dude you’ve ever known.” Mac Miller will perform at the Grassroots Festival, July 31, at Rivers Edge Park, Council Bluffs, 1 p.m. Tickets start at $49.50. Visit www.grassrootsmusicfest.com for more information. N O W O M A H A . C O M • J U L Y 2 0 1 5 37

MUSIC FEATURE

Photo courtesy of Liliedahl Imaging

THE GOOD LIFE CONTINUES Kris Lager Band

By Katelyn Sonderman As I was catching up with Kris, it’s amazing to see how far they’ve come in such a short amount time. I met the guys three years ago. I was still living in Sioux City, and my performance with them at Saturday in the Park was my first major hoop performance on a big stage. I was a nervous wreck and glad to have these laid-back guys to reassure me before the set. They were starting to really take off around that time, and were going a few long tours that summer. I’ve performed with the band many a time since then, and they get bigger and better every time I see them. They’ve toured Japan, as well as all over the country, and released some killer tunes. The tours keep getting longer, and the fan base keeps getting bigger, but the guys still maintain their humble, laid back attitude, no matter how famous they get, and they’re about to blow up on the scene. They recently signed a new manager, who has big plans for the band. They’ll be in the studio soon recording a new album, and in the meantime, they recorded three new songs in San Francisco. “Ain’t Got No Worries,” which they started performing last year, is a great anthem song for a band as laid back as these

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guys. A video was released for it this week, featuring footage from the past couple years on the road, as well as some adorable family footage from the band’s life. You can expect one of the other songs to release next week, so keep checking on the band’s site to be one of the first to catch their funky new jam. A new manager isn’t the only change to the band. They recently added a saxophone player out of Kansas City, and as Brandon moved to the realm of promoting instead of performing, they’ve added Tom Murnan, the bass player of Funk Trek, and they’re excited at how the additions have evolved their sound. It’s a busy month for KLB, after returning from a recent show, they’re taking it easy for a few weeks. They have the album release of Funk Trek and then their next gig is Hullaballoo, a favorite of the boy’s to play at. “It’s always a blast. We love seeing all our friends from the road and from home. It’s a great time where everyone we love playing with is together.” Then after Hullabaloo, it’s on to Grassroots, where they’re honored to be “on the bill with a bunch of old school rockers.” Then it’s back on the road, touring through the mountains with their family. “Celebrate Life” is the mantra of the band, and they certainly live up to that expectation.

E’

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