Dish: The Sweetest Treats Found In The Big O
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News: Wind of Change Blows Energy For Nebraska
May 13 & 14
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Wind passes over Brandon Jones’ head as he peaks over the hatch. He’s about 300 feet off the ground, as high as the Statue of Liberty, gazing over miles of farmland stretching toward the horizon.
“In the summertime, when the corn’s tall and the wind’s blowing, it kind of looks like the ocean,” he said.
Jones is one of several wind technicians who maintain the 71 turbines that make up the Sholes Wind Energy Center in Wayne County, Nebraska — a job he started in November 2018 after graduating from a Northeast Community College program in Norfolk.
Wind technicians such as Jones, 24, are part of the United States’ second-fastest-growing career field — one projected to increase by 44% over the next decade. Nebraska’s need could be even greater as it builds more turbines and small towns look for economic opportunity.
“It’s bringing people in, a younger generation that’s going to settle down and raise families,” said Nathan Simpson, who has co-taught Northeast Community College’s wind energy program since it started in 2009. “So it’s kind of spurred on a little bit of growth in some of these smaller communities that have been seeing decline for a lot of years.”
For Jones, who lives in his hometown of Norfolk and commutes about 20 minutes to the
wind farm, this job has given him the opportunity to make a good salary and stay close to his community. After four and a half years, and a few promotions, Jones said he’s making about $79,000.
Javier Lopez, 27, worked as a grocery store meat slicer, custodian and pizza delivery driver before finding Central Community College’s energy technology program in Hastings.. Now the Nebraska native works in Limon, Colorado, and after about a year is making $56,000.
Opportunities to climb the ladder quickly are plentiful in part because demand is high.
“Our rough count on jobs we were asked to provide positions for was roughly 250,” Simpson said. “And that’s not just locally. That’s kind of all over [the country].”
However, wind tech teachers say there needs to be more support for training this workforce. The state has two programs that together graduate about 10 students per year. Some also drop out early to take jobs, but still the numbers are low. Taylor Schneider, who leads Hastings’ program, has pitched expanding renewable programs to gubernatorial candidates, wrote op-eds and talked to local TV news.
“I don’t know what more to do,” he said. “I’ve tried it all. I’m stuck. I’m hitting a wall.”
Suzanne Tegen, assistant director with the Center for the New Energy Economy at Colorado State University, said Nebraska can decide its role in this developing economy.
“If they don’t [train their own people], the wind farms will likely still happen, but the workers will come from other states,” she said.
Companies are also keenly aware that construction and workforce development have to work together, said Jesse Puckett, director of sustainability projects and community affairs for Enel North America, which operates the Rattlesnake Creek wind farm in Dixon County, Nebraska.
“If we want to keep growing renewable energy in Nebraska and across the country, we need more wind techs … It’s not enough for developers to simply build more wind turbines,” reads an email from Puckett, “we’ve got to recruit a workforce to maintain them.”
Estimating how many wind techs Nebraska will need is difficult.
The Nebraska Department of Labor said the state had 123 techs in 2018 and would need 28 more by 2028. The Bureau of Labor Statistics said the state had between 100 and 220 in 2021. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) es-
continued on page 8
“It’s tough for schools to keep up ... It seems lIke development Is just nonstop [movIng] at a crazy rate.”
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timates every seven turbines requires a technician, which would put Nebraska at about 276 techs currently working.
New construction also impacts demand. Since Jones started his job in 2018, Nebraska has grown its installed capacity by 63% — one of the highest rates in the country.
“It’s tough for schools to keep up with the boom in demand for wind,” Jones said. “It seems like development is just nonstop [moving] at a crazy rate.”
For others, wind techs will always be a small part of the job market compared with other, more plentiful trade work, such as construction, wiring homes or building data centers.
“Are there opportunities? Absolutely. But are there huge
opportunities? Probably not,” said John Bourne, who spent 24 years with Omaha’s chapter of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
Others say the numbers don’t tell the full story. Even a handful of workers in a small town can make a big difference.
Simpson said about three-quarters of Northeast’s graduates stay in Nebraska. A 2020 NREL study found a majority of wind tech workers were homeowners who lived in their areas for longer than five years, spending money, paying taxes and raising kids.
“It’s an opportunity where [small towns] otherwise would struggle to bring in different industries,” Simpson said. “So yeah, there’s huge potential there.”
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development agency’s board of directors, describes the jobs created by the project as a huge plus.
When petersburg farmer larry Temme learned in 2006 that the nebraska public power district wanted to install a wind energy farm, he and doug Koch, the village’s top economic development official, teamed up to put Temme’s farm on the map as a possible location.
“we visited their board meetings two or three times before they selected us,” said Koch.
The 54 turbines now spin among corn, alfalfa and other crops on Temme’s land, twoand-a-half hours northwest of omaha in a town with a population of a few hundred people. They aren’t just producing clean electricity — they’re generating income and local taxes. The petersburg native says they’ve saved local grocery stores from closure and helped stem population losses that have plagued rural communities for the last decade.
“The decline would’ve been worse if it weren’t for wind energy,” said Temme. “we’d still be here, but it would’ve been very difficult.”
Tina stokes, who sits on the boone county
“more homes were built; we expanded our campground capacity, and some of them still come up to visit with their families,” said stokes.
wind energy in nebraska is not new — the state’s first turbines were installed 25 years ago — but it’s seen a spurt of growth, with a third of the wind energy facilities in the state having come online in just the last five years, thanks in part to near-complete deregulation of its development.
despite the acceleration, growth has lagged that of other states in the region, which have embraced wind power
as an economic workhorse. advocates say that’s primarily because nebraska provides no incentives or tax credits for wind power development beyond what the federal government offers.
now, rising opposition to wind energy threatens to slow its growth further, if not stall it entirely.
wind turbines take advantage of reliably blustery winds across nebraska. They release no air or climate pollution, but they alter landscape views. if built close to homes, they can have noise impacts on the residents and create strobe-like flicker effects.
experts say nebraska is a prime location to become an important wind energy hub
that could export clean energy to other states where demand is growing quickly. There’s also potential for substantial job gains.
researchers with the net Zero america project at princeton university mapped various development pathways by which the u.s. could reach “net zero” by 2050, meaning the country would release no overall heat-trapping pollution by then. The scenarios rely on heavy wind energy development through the midwest.
Jesse Jenkins, a princeton professor and lead author of the net Zero america report, says solar energy generation doesn’t vary substantially based on geography, making it relatively easy to build solar projects across the country close to where people live.
wind energy, on the other hand, benefits significantly from areas with strong gusts. wind energy production generally works better in rural areas than urban ones because more space is available and fewer residents are impacted, meaning transmission lines need to be built to cities where most energy is used.
Jenkins describes nebraska as part of a “wind belt” in the u s. where there’s already a huge
amount of wind generation, primarily in Texas and Iowa. While Nebraska ranks fourth among U.S. states for potential wind energy generation, it ranks 15th in installed capacity. This has pushed much of what could be an economic bonanza into other states. While more than 1,500 turbines operated in Nebraska last year, Iowa had four times as many during the same period.
Iowa’s wind farms produced more energy last year than all of its households consume. That’s helped the state lure large tech companies with ambitious climate goals to set up power-hungry data operations within the Hawkeye state. It’s also fueled a boom in manufacturing and attracted other suppliers in the wind energy supply chain.
Similarly, as wind energy has grown in Nebraska, so has investment in data centers. Facebook’s decision to set up in Papillion was credited to the Omaha Public Power District, which promised to provide 100% renewable electricity to the data center, courtesy of the Rattlesnake Creek wind farm in Dixon County. Another expansion, which will be powered by the same wind farm, is underway in nearby Springfield.
Google has purchased 100% renewable energy for its operations since 2017, which include a data center outside Papillion and a planned expansion in northwest Omaha. Outside of the metro area, cryptocurrency data centers have taken an interest in the Nebraska Public Power District, whose electricity generation is 62% carbon-free. (Nearly 47% of NPPD’s energy production comes from nuclear energy, which is considered clean but not renewable and presents
other concerns about the safe disposal of nuclear waste.)
The Rocky Mountain Institute, a pro-renewable-energy think tank, projects that Iowa municipalities, landowners and workers could collectively earn $5.3 billion in local taxes, lease
payments and wages from wind farms built during the 2020s. By contrast, the smaller number of wind farms expected in Nebraska are projected to produce $290 million in such benefits within the same period.
“I just think it’s short-sighted to not think about the longer-term economic opportunities. I mean, those jobs are being created elsewhere,” said Jeremy Richardson, a Rocky Mountain Institute official. Richardson, who comes from a family of coal miners, works on projects designed to help ensure that fossil fuel workers and communities benefit from the shift to clean energy. “Some people hate wind turbines, and my response is always like, ‘Well, come to West Virginia, and I’ll show you how we blow up mountaintops to dig coal.’”
In addition to leasing his land for wind production, Temme owns the Rae Valley Market, a grocery store in Petersburg. The store was struggling before the wind farm was built. But Temme said the revenue from the wind farm has helped him expand the store and open a new one in Newman Grove.
Temme said tax revenue brought in by the wind farm allowed the school board to lower its levy. The farm generates about $400,000 in local taxes annually, said Temme, who has served on the school board, roughly halving the district’s levy on property taxes.
“It’s just a supplemental source of income that happens to be green energy,” Temme said.
At the federal level, incentives and tax credits are available for producing wind energy. Apart from Wyoming, every state bordering Nebraska has had some version of a renewable portfolio standard, which requires utilities to sell certain amounts of renewable energy to their customers.
Nebraska lawmakers have never passed subsidies or mandates for renewable energy production. All of the growth in solar and wind energy has been market-driven.
Rich Lombardi, a lobbyist for the Advanced Power Alliance, which represents renewable energy companies, said the wind energy industry wanted renewable portfolio standards in Nebraska. But he and his allies in the Nebraska Legislature didn’t think it was a good idea.
“We didn’t want to be in a situation where we were telling the public power districts what to do,” said Lombardi. “The environmentalist community decided that it would be better to instead run for the power boards, since that would be incredibly powerful.”
Lombardi chose a different tack — to lobby for legislation that eased regulations on the wind energy industry and extend incentives available to other industries. While the incentives never happened, deregulation did.
In April 2016, John McCollister, then a freshman senator in the Nebraska Legislature, authored legislation that almost entirely deregulated wind energy development in the state. McCollister said the bill was modeled on previous attempts that had failed.
“Passing that bill was legislative gymnastics at its finest,” said McCollister. “We couldn’t get it out of [the Natural Resources] committee because the language of ‘renewable energy’ was offensive to a couple of committee members.”
McCollister said he worked with Ken Schilz, the committee chair at the time, to introduce a bill without that language and have it voted out of committee. When it came to the floor, McCollister amended the bill to put the wind-energy-related language back in.
“We were chastised by the speaker for changing the bill substantially, but it was well within legislative procedures. Bills get amended on the floor all the time,” said McCollister.
Despite a filibuster, the gymnastics worked. Since the bill was signed into law, the number of wind farms in Nebraska has nearly doubled. Last year, Nebraska got nearly a third of its electricity from wind energy.
Despite the expansion of wind energy, public support for it in rural communities appears to be waning, even amidst increasing alarm over the effects of climate change. In 2015, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln found 75% of rural Nebraskans wanted increased investment in wind energy; in 2022, that number was 45%.
State Sen. Tom Brewer represents the largest district by area in the state, home to
the Sandhills and much of the Nebraska Panhandle. Brewer is considered the figurehead of the opposition to wind energy in Nebraska. He and his legislative aide, Tony Baker, have advised county commissions on how to advance zoning regulations that would effectively kill proposed wind projects. Over the last eight years, there have been 26 attempts by counties or townships to do just that.
This year, Brewer introduced legislation that would effectively repeal the provisions of McCollister’s bill.
Brewer said he was unavailable for an interview due to scheduling conflicts; Baker was.
As Brewer traveled the 43rd District in 2016, campaigning against incumbent Al Davis, Baker said the only issues constituents asked for action on were property taxes and standing firm against the expansion of wind energy.
After a tough campaign, Davis narrowly lost his reelection bid to Brewer. He attributes it to his support for wind energy, saying that at campaign events,
Brewer’s team would hand out copies of a 2015 article profiling Davis’ support for renewable energy.
“There were meetings across the district about the evils of wind … Several counties I’d won in the primary turned in the fall,” said Davis.
Before the campaign, Baker said he had been a strong supporter of wind energy, citing oil baron T. Boone Pickens’ energy plan. In that plan, introduced in 2008, wind energy was intended as a mechanism to reduce the United States’ dependency on foreign oil. (The plan was eventually abandoned after Pickens decided that natural gas was more economical.)
It was the campaign, Baker said, that changed his mind about wind energy.
“We visited the home of a woman who had built a wind farm on her property. It was two-and-a-half miles away from the front porch. There was this constant, persistent noise that sounded like a jet taking off. Except it never takes off,” said Baker.
Baker said the value of her property has collapsed as a result of that wind farm. The noise pollution, he said, has driven any prospective buyer away.
It’s difficult to know what an acceptable level of noise is for wind turbines, although they’ve become quieter in recent years thanks to newer technology. Academic research into the noise pollution of wind turbines concludes that it boils down to personal preference. Ultimately, it depends on where the wind turbine is relative to where someone is positioned. A report from the American Wind Energy Association describes a wind farm operating 750-1,000 feet away
continued on page 14 /
as no noisier than a kitchen refrigerator.
“I grew up in a home that was half a mile from a railroad track. Wind farms aren’t much compared to that,” said Stokes.
A summary of studies on the National Association of Realtors’ website suggests that the jury’s still out on whether property values are significantly impacted by the installation of wind turbines. Some research suggests that the asking prices could be lower for properties where the view was strongly impacted by wind turbines. Other research suggests property values may be positively impacted by wind energy, although that research looks at other countries, where social attitudes toward wind energy may be different.
In his seven years in the Legislature, Brewer has taken a hard stance against wind energy, introducing several
bills aimed at preventing its expansion.
Instead, Brewer has proposed that in order for the state’s power companies to meet their clean-power goals, they should explore investing in small modular nuclear
ture when the very first wind energy bill was introduced in 2007.
“No one had heard of any of this stuff. You didn’t really have a climate discussion. It was just a different form of energy that we wanted to try,” said Gay.
After leaving the Legislature in 2010, Gay joined Husch Blackwell, a law firm, before launching his own lobbying firm. For the last decade, he’s represented NextEra Energy and Invenergy, two large corporations that have developed utility-scale wind farms in Nebraska.
reactors, an expensive form of energy that is gaining public support but still in the research and development phase. In 2015, 24% of rural Nebraskans wanted more investment in nuclear energy. Last year, that number was up to 36%.
Still, Brewer doesn’t hold it against farmers who welcome wind energy.
“You have to remember, the cattle market has had depressed prices for the last 10 years or so. And then here comes a guy who says he’ll pay you $10,000 every year for the next 20 years if you install wind turbines on your land,” said Baker.
In Petersburg, both Temme and Koch see that as a reliable asset, citing the unpredictability of harvest seasons.
“If you’ve got this fixed revenue coming in every year, that can help steady things a bit,” said Koch.
Tim Gay had just begun his stint in the Nebraska Legisla-
“Because Nebraska’s unique in being a public power state, a lot of developers would come in and not understand it, or there would be barriers to entry,” said Gay. “Much of that was removed with the McCollister bill.”
Gay said McCollister’s legislation has fostered a healthy legislative climate around renewable energy.
“There’s more defense going on than offense in the renewables world,” said Gay. “As things get developed more, there’s been more questions and pushback … but the breadand-butter is still preserving that climate and keeping Nebraska open for business in renewables.”
“The truth is that we’re not really in a policy or advocacy phase anymore,” said Lombardi. “The market’s already driving this … Now it’s really about how creative we can get with the tools we’ve been given.”
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By ElliE KucKElman
On a small farm in Omaha, spring is slowly making its presence felt. Patches of snow are melting, flowers are rising from their beds and a pair of Canada geese are nesting in the tilled fields.
“It’s the same pair, and they come back every year for about three weeks,” said Mark Brannen, co-owner of Benson Bounty.
From the outside, the 1.5acre homestead, bordered by 12 properties, may not seem like much. But since 2015, Mark Brannen and his wife, Michelle, have managed to foster a complex ecosystem amid the variety of herbs, vegetables and other produce they grow and sell. By rotating crops, planting cover crops, using homemade compost and limiting outside inputs, they’ve created a sustainable system — and they’ve done it using many of the key principles of an agricultural approach known as biodynamic farming.
“One of the biggest things for me … is the focus on the farm as a whole system,” Brannen said.
Biodynamic farming utilizes the relationships among plants, animals and soil to
turn one’s waste into another’s energy and eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers or pesticides. Practices include treating crops with only compost and water as well as setting aside land for biodiversity and natural habitats.
Not only do these practices create more sustainable farms, but they also could help fight climate change. Organic farming, closely related to biodynamic farming, requires significantly less energy and produces less greenhouse gasses, such as nitrous oxide and methane, than conventional agriculture. And while these practices represent a tiny
portion of all farms in the U.S., interest is growing and advocates say the mission couldn’t be more important.
“It’s about healing the earth — the plant communities, the animal communities, as well as the human community,” said Evrett Lunquist, director of Certification for Demeter Association, Inc., and co-owner of the Common Good biodynamic farm near Raymond, Nebraska.
While Lunquist studied agronomy as a college student many years ago, he came
across biodynamic agriculture in a comparison study between two farms. The idea that farms could work with, rather than against, the environment clicked with him.
“It was the piece that had been missing in my college studies,” Lunquist said.
The early concepts of biodynamic farming were articulated in 1924 when Austrian scientist and philosopher Rudolf Steiner gave a series of lectures to European farmers who were noticing a quick decline in soil conditions, crop quality and animal health after using pesticides.
Steiner presented the farm as a living organism sustained by the relationships among its crop growth, soil vitality and livestock. In 1928, The Demeter Biodynamic® Standard for certification was established and is currently regulated by Demeter International.
Today the number of biodynamic farms is on the rise, increasing globally by more than 47% between 2000 and 2018. There are currently about 140 certified farms in the U.S., according to Lunquist, and just two in Nebraska. Those numbers don’t include farms such as Benson Bounty, which
implements many biodynamic practices but is not certified.
The Demeter Biodynamic Farm Standard requires the whole farm be certified, not just a specific crop, which could be the case on an organic farm where single fields can be certified at a time.
While organic certification mainly outlines the materials that can and cannot be applied to the soil and its crop, biodynamic certification looks at how all the components of the farm interact, outlining both requirements and principles.
In addition, biodynamic farms must dedicate at least 10% of their land as a wildland reserve, generating the farm’s own fertility. They also use biodynamic preparations, such as field sprays, composting and cow manure, to fertilize crops and control pests with farm-generated solutions rather than insecticides. The end result is not only higher-quality food, but also an improved ecosystem as the farm recycles its own resources.
“Instead of having a huge carbon footprint, you’re
actually refocusing on having a carbon-negative footprint,” Lunquist said.
For Beth Corymb, the approach aligns perfectly with Nebraska farmers’ long-held commitment to stewardship of the land. She and her husband, Nathan, run Meadowlark Hearth, a 540-acre biodynamic farm in Scottsbluff. About 150 acres of the farm is a nature reserve. In 2010 the Corymbs also started a biodynamic seed company.
Beth Corymb said biodynamic farming encourages farmers “to look at the earth as a living being.”
“That thought process helps to approach the earth in a different way,” she said.
Though the number of certified biodynamic farms is tiny in comparison to organic (an industry that comprised 17,445 certified farms in 2022), its practices can still have value without a certification.
For Brannen, biodynamic practices have made a big difference in his soil health. By composting his farm’s plant and animal waste, as well as
using sustainable planting practices, he’s not only getting the nutrients he needs but is also promoting a lively ecosystem below the soil.
“If you just worry about creating a healthy environment for soil microbes, then everything else kind of takes care of itself,” Brannen said.
Lunquist said that’s the fundamental inspiration behind biodynamics — recognizing that soil produces more than just a chemical reaction.
“If you’re taking chemical fertilizers and putting it on the soil, you effectively have a hydroponic crop production system,” Lunquist said. “There is nothing that the soil is providing to the health and vitality of the plant.”
Biodynamic products can be purchased through a variety of channels.
The Corymbs sell their produce at farmers’ markets, as well as through Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA. In these farm-run programs, consumers purchase shares of the coming harvest’s crop in advance and then during harvesting season they receive weekly boxes of fresh produce.
While Lunquist and his wife have used farmers’ markets and CSA in the past, their current channels consist of email lists, retail stores and grocery co-ops, such as Lincoln’s Open Harvest, which has sold its eggs, produce, meat and plant seedlings for more than 24 years.
Benson Bounty sells its herbs to local Omaha markets and restaurants. The Brannens also send out weekly emails for what they have in stock.
“We have a lot of people who shop from us in the neighborhood, so they will bike or walk down,” Brannen said.
He said customers have noticed a difference in the herbs from their farm — they are fresher than the majority of herbs in the U.S. Those are imported from foreign markets.
Lunquist also sees the value in buying locally, especially when customers become acquainted with the farm’s name.
“When you eat the food, it’s nourishment,” Lunquist said. “But then there’s another nourishment that comes from eating food where you have either been to the farm or you know the farmer. It is part of the experience.”
Because biodynamic farms are diverse and self-sustaining, they often require more labor than conventional farms that specialize in specific crops or animals.
Space can also be an issue.
“One of the challenges is being able to produce all the inputs that we need here on
the farm because we are on a smaller space,” Brannen said.
Benson Bounty has chickens, but housing more animals such as cattle and goats would be impossible without more room.
Organic and biodynamic farming also often produces lower yields than conventional farms — as much as about 20% lower, according to a 2014 study from the University of California, Berkeley.
This has led to scrutiny of whether alternatives to conventional farming practices should play a larger role in the global agricultural system. However, studies show despite lower yields, biodynamic farming is more profitable, creates more jobs and is better for the environment. Additional research to close the yield gap, or changing consumption patterns to more plant-based diets, could make alternatives much more palatable.
Public policy could also help transition more farms to sustainable practices as the global population, demand for food, and the effects of climate change increase.
“We are looking forward to more sustainable growth,” Lunquist said.
The Brannens’ first taste of biodynamic farming came while working on an organic farm in Panama in 2012. Eleven years later, they continue to implement the biodynamic practices they learned there as well as share the knowledge they’ve cultivated with others.
The rewards have been bountiful. They’re shielded from the risks of outside markets while creating a healthy, productive farm that’s been their full-time job for close to a decade. Now their three kids, ages 8, 6 and 2, are helping by planting crops, churning compost, collecting eggs or doing any number of other odd jobs.
It’s harder this way, Brannen said. Working without shortcuts means more trial and error, but the more you listen and adapt, the more the land can give back.
“That’s what farming is,” Brannen said, “a continual learning process.”
by Leo AdAm BigA
Traditional theater presentations pose barriers to differently abled audiences. Accessibility advocates say it’s not enough to offer an isolated adaptation. Far better, they insist, is to design theaters for audiences with mobility, cognitive or sensory challenges. That’s precisely the mission of Vroom! – the new Mobile Sensory Theatre the Omaha Community Playhouse (OCP) is launching in April. The Playhouse is the first in the Midwest to offer a personalized theater.
It isn’t the metro’s first theater accessibility initiative, but the first to bring theater directly to individuals. Artistic Director Stephen Santa modeled it on the program Starshine! he devised at Jumping Jack Theatre in Pittsburgh, serving autistic children. Autistic kids are the initial focus of the Omaha iteration. A lead and support actor facilitate each 30- to 40-minute show.
The concept is rooted in the intent to remove road-
blocks from audiences experiencing theater.
“As we thought about ways to eliminate obstacles, we came up with the idea of creating a really immersive, interactive theatrical experience for one child at a time that can travel directly to their home,” Santa said. “Once we started doing the show we realized how revolutionary it was based off the feedback. We know the model works.”
The Omaha show will go to children’s homes via a specially outfitted van that’s “stage” is built for a K-6 audience.. The scenic design is taken from the original Pittsburgh production, “but all crafted by our staff here at the Playhouse,” Santa said. The show is free to families who book it.
“The conceit of the show is that you are a Starkeeper in training and the actor is a Starkeeper,” he said. “The ex-
perience starts on the outside as you launch yourself into space on a trampoline and land on the surface of a star. Inside, you learn a star has lost its shine and to make it gleam again you have to give it some of your own shine. It’s a celebration of uniqueness and caring.”
One child and two parents or caregivers experience the show at a time.
“Caregivers and parents are impacted just as much as the children. It’s a really beautiful show that I can’t wait for people in Omaha to experience.”
This inaugural show, which families can book April through September, will tour two years.
“As we keep reinventing what happens inside the van,” Santa said, “perhaps we create shows that serve different audiences, ages and needs. That aspect of it is really exciting because it feels like the sky’s the limit on what we can do and the audience we can serve.”
Creating something for audiences with disabilities doesn’t typically happen. Even if a theater does, it still requires audiences to come to it.
“A lot of theaters will do sensory-friendly performances that adapt the show for one performance by dimming down the lighting effects and sound cues,” he said. “But the difference here is we’re creating shows made for this audience. Families understand and appreciate that we’ve taken the time to create something just for them that addresses their needs and then brings it to their home.
“Just going to a theater involves a lot more effort for these families. The fact that we can just roll up to their
house and make it easy for them is a game-changer.”
Best practices are incorporated.
“All of the shows we built were researched and workshopped in autism support classrooms with children to give that population a stake in their creation. We worked with the designers and the actors to craft the show based off that feedback.”
Santa said the intimate, personalized show can be adapted to a child’s individual needs.
“When a family books a show we send them preview materials to walk through the experience with their child beforehand,” he said. “That way they have an expectation of what’s going to happen. It
eliminates some of that fear of the unknown and change in routine.”
Sensory moments may prove challenging for some.
“There are moments where they taste something, smell something, touch something, where a light mist of water gets sprayed,” Santa said. “In a survey we have the family fill out, they can rate anywhere from 1, my child may not like that, to 5, my child would love that. Before the show goes out to a family the actors study the survey and use it as a guide to adapt the show to that child’s likes or needs. A moment rated 1 won’t happen.
“So it is highly crafted and adaptable to each family’s specific needs, triggers, ac-
cessibility issues or challenges. If a child’s in a wheelchair or has mobility issues, we adapt accordingly. It’s really important to us the family experiences the show however they want to experience it, as long as they’re safe. There’s no right or wrong way.”
In Omaha, a similar process will unfold, Santa said, “to create new experiences and shows in classrooms with autistic students, working with autistic artists on script development, musical compositions, some performing in productions.” OCP plans to partner with Ollie Webb Center and Circle Theatre, which create productions for special audiences, as well as Munroe Meyer Institute and Autism Action Partnership.
“It’s really important the population is part of the creation of our shows at all times,” Santa said.
It’s been a deliberate process getting the project on its feet here. “It was important to me that we didn’t rush to complete it,” he said. “We’re creating something really special and it needs to be done right and with care and compassion.” As in Pittsburgh, he’s sent this theater on wheels to test audiences for feedback.
“This is a show that never is set, it’s always changing, and we’re always learning from it,” he said.
Actors were also chosen with care.
“This isn’t something you can just throw an actor into because it is so highly interactive, detailed and specific. The child is six inches from you,” Santa said. “Anything can happen, anything can be said. To me, that’s exciting, but it may not be for some actors. You really need actors who can think on their feet, be calm, cool, collected. I sought actors experienced in working with children or children with disabilities.”
He found them in Anna Perilo, Katy Kepler, Kathleen Combs and Jessica Burrill-Logue. “They’re amazing performers,” he said.
If a property or street isn’t conducive to hosting the van, the mobile theater can set up in the Playhouse parking lot or in a discreet location close to a family. “There’s flexibility there.”
Turning a cargo van into a functional theater required long labor. Embedded technology includes a generator running LED lights, fiber op-
tics battery-operated props and a Bluetooth sound system whose cues run on a special iPad software program.
“It took a good deal of time for our designers to troubleshoot, problem-solve and create the show,” Santa said.
“Once inside and the music starts and lights turn on you
forget you’re sitting inside a van. All the outside sounds go away. It becomes this magical environment that is calming, beautiful and safe.”
The rolling venue meets accessibility standards, including a ramp. The flex seating is for a child and two guests, even a therapy dog. Seats can
be removed to accommodate a wheelchair.
Though the experience is mainly intended to go to people’s homes, it can also go to nonprofits and festivals for weekends. Santa has a dream “of bringing the model to other theaters.”
“There are opportunities for community collaboration I’m excited to explore. If a theater wants to invest in this, we can give you everything you need to go out and do this. I hope we can bring this everywhere.”
When accessibility is added to diversity, equity and inclusion mandates, Santa said, audiences win.
“I envision the Playhouse as a space where everyone can experience theater and feel themselves somehow up on stage. This is an extension of that,” he said. “It serves a community that isn’t necessarily having theater created for them or that has its own space to experience art. This is a way for us to engage people with experiences uniquely created for them and thereby truly be a community playhouse.”
Thanks to Kate and Roger Weitz, the Weitz Family Foundation, Lozier Foundation, Immanuel Vision Foundation and the generous support of individuals and organizations throughout the community, there is no cost for families in the Omaha area to experience the show.
The public is invited to an April 6 ribbon cutting for Vroom! from 10-10:30 a.m. at OCP, 6915 Cass St.
Book Vroom! at omahaplayhouse.com/inclusion/mobile-sensory-theatre/
By Kent Behrens
While St. Patrick gets all the attention in March, National Quilting Day came and gone March 18, barely noticed. If some forgot or were unable to celebrate, one can make amends by visiting Gallery 1516 and enjoying its current exhibition, “Modern Quilting on the Prairie,” on view through May 14.
Stepping away from prevailing and rote gallery offerings — painting, photography, installation and sculpture — the Omaha Modern Quilt Guild (OMQG) and Gallery 1516 present a dynamic, enlightening and comprehensive look at the aesthetics of the quilt.
Conceived before, and postponed by, the pandemic, “Modern Quilting on the Prairie” eventually came to fruition, with the guild collaborating with The International Quilt Museum (IQM) in Lincoln.
The exhibit consists of two parts. Nine vintage quilts were chosen from the IQM educational collection, each representing an aesthetic,
construction or design category.
These on-loan examples, spanning early 19th century to 1977, were then paired with one or two contemporary quilts by OMQG artists, illustrating how current quilt makers apply certain aesthetic techniques.
Much of the IQM collection, over 6,000 pieces, is fragile and susceptible to damage from ultraviolet light and inappropriate handling.
“The quilts in the educational collection have fewer restrictions on them,” said partici-
pating quilt artist and OMQG President Susie Bonder.
In keeping with the usual high standards of Gallery 1516, the show catalogue provides a thorough and accessible analysis of the nine categories and pairings, as well as clear, color photos of the work in the show.
Long, and somewhat mistakenly, associated with early American frontier life, grandmothers, pillowcases and bed covers, the quilt is now recognized internationally, collected and exhibited on an artistic level equal
to those more known mediums.
Quilts have only one requirement — they are to be constructed of three layers. The top, the main visual component; the middle, a layer of filler called batting; and a backing, which is sometimes left plain and sometimes “finished,” but rarely as intricately as the top. Art quilts, sometimes referred to as studio art quilts or fine art quilts, identify further with three additional requirements: form (aesthetics, design) over function, individual expression and experimentation.
Art quilts tend to take more risks, employing more political and social statements, treating edges as design elements, ignoring the limits of the rectangle, for instance. Also, consider the increased availability of a wider selection of fabrics and prints to work from.
The word “quilt” conjures up patchwork patterns of balanced, repeating shapes, semi-symmetrical and asymmetrical arrangements, and
even unbalanced, pictorial or abstracted jumbles. But even the initially chaotic, “crazy quilts,” popular in the late 1800s, are subject to some design parameters, planning, fabrics and thread choice, and correcting and editing.
Quilts can be handmade, machine made, or a combination. They can be handsewn, use an original handdrawn pattern or commercial pattern, or be “pieced,” a method of drawing or cutting a paper pattern and sewing the fabric pieces to the paper.
There are embellishments such as “couching,” a method of applying yarn, ribbon or string to the surface; or
adding buttons, photographs and other memorabilia; and edge treatments, adding macramé, as in Ellene McClay’s “Homage to Omaha.”
Quilts can be an album of personal events, or illustrate the personally meaningful, like the pictorial “Sandhill Cranes at
Dusk” by Sheri Oakes and Mary Rudy.
The historic quilts, especially the earlier ones, rely on two foundational design elements: the grid and the frame, or border. Variations on the grid are found in the interplay of negative and positive space, alternating light and dark colors and shapes to simulate transparency and connecting shapes to create latticework or the impression of larger shapes and grids. Some forego the frame entirely. Check out “Log Cabin, Barn Raising” (ca. 1880-1910.)
Some have only a simple frame of color. Others, like the optically playful “Tumbling Blocks” (ca. 18801900), carry the design to the edge but change the background color of the last outside rows of blocks, creating an ersatz frame.
Though there are exceptions, you can see the vintage grid and frame starting to become less important in the 1940s and ’50s, when mid-century design influences favored asymmetry, minimalism, organic shapes and clean lines.
The newer designs delve firmly into the post-modern, eschewing the regular grid and border framing in favor of the less symmetrical and irregular, like Jill Straight’s
“log Cabin, b arn r aiSing Setting,” maker unidentified, probably made in u.S., C. 1880-1910, 72” x 72.” Cotton, handpieCed foundation, hand quilted.
“nine patCh Variation,” maker unidentified, poSSibly made in pennSylVania, C. 1940, 77” x 78.” Cotton, maChine pieCed, hand quilted
“Rainbowlicious,” and more free-form designs as seen in Megan Patent-Nygren’s “Blades of Grass.”
Imagery plays right up to the edge of the piece in contemporary art quilts. Examples are numerous, as in Susie Bonder’s “Damsel,” and K M Jarchow’s “O Prairie Girl.”
Pictorial quilts are also found more in the contemporary. From a floral abstraction, “Prairie Smoke” by Kimberly Doss-Bane to the stately portrait of “Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte,” by Alexis Pappas.
The accompanying display of quilts inspired by the concept of “Prairie,” by the OMQG artists, rewards with 10 smart examples of this art formerly known as craft. They range from the pictorial, as in Shannon Nelson’s “By the Light of the Silvery Moon” to the abstract, like Liz Thanel’s “Modern Prairie Points.”
Don’t miss Heather Akerberg’s “Sunlight on a Camphor Tree,” one of the most distinctive pieces in the show, and the smallest, measuring 18” x 21.” It stands out for its overlapping, green and yellow triangles of folded fabric, the anchoring hidden by each neighboring triangle, creating a mass of overlapping “leaves” that appear to catch dappled sunlight.
A point about the photographs in the catalogue. Details of stitching and embroidery are difficult to see in
the photos. This is not a criticism — photographing and printing that level of detail is difficult, especially when reduced to a small image in a pamphlet. Guests are encouraged to seek the intricate stitching highlights and designs while viewing each quilt
up close. The nuances of which are much more visible thanks to the angle of the gallery’s lighting.
Stitching is as important to the design as choice of fabric. Whether simply joining two pieces or adding complex patterns or imagery to a monochrome field, stitching can add texture and depth.
One intriguing stitching element can be found in the vintage and the contemporary — called trapunto — a method of adding various textures, designs, and optical effects, and employing different thicknesses of batting to create a bas-relief effect. Most, if not all, of the pieces show some application of trapunto, but one of the best examples can be found in the contemporary quilt by Janelle Vogler, “Geese Off Grid,” or
in the vintage Amish offering, “Plain Quilt” -- an extremely minimalist, primarily black quilt from an unidentified maker (ca. 1940.)
The word “quilt” has been used and reused in describing everything from music to interior design, from human communities to aggregations of farm fields. It fits as a noun, a verb and an adjective. This may be one of the best shows this year.
“Modern Quilting on the Prairie” runs through May 14. Check the gallery website for future talks or presentations. Further information can be discovered at gallery1516. org. For more information about the local chapter, go to omqg.blogspot.com. About the IQM, go to internationalquiltmuseum.org
The Omaha Pipes and Drums is a nonprofit ensemble that teaches people how to play bagpipes and drums for free. The organization offers scholarships to help folks attend workshops nationwide and learn the instrument that calls to them.
There are nine pipe players and five drummers in the group. The Omaha pipe band has competed twice (2004, 2017) in the annual World Pipe Band Championship in Scotland with about double those membership numbers. The humble size represents another transition period for Omaha Pipes and Drums.
Many cities forget about their pipe bands until spring. On top of that, “Most people’s perception of bagpipes isn’t great because they heard their crazy uncle play the bagpipes at a wedding once, but for me, it’s a very serious instrument,” said Dr. John Brady, the pipe major and musical director of the Omaha Pipes and Drums band.
Brady recalled that his first show with the group took place in Kansas City during the late Nineties. He lived in
South Dakota and had about three years of experience playing, deciding to mirror his wife’s decision to learn. When asked if he was nervous about his first regional competition, Brady said, “I didn’t want to be the guy that screwed up.”
Two decades into his tenure with Omaha Pipes and Drums,
Brady became musical director. Proving the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, his daughter, Katie, plays in the Twin Cities Metro Pipe Band.
The Omaha band did not participate in St. Patrick’s Day parade as in years past due to the 30-degree weather. But the band kept busy and had
a blast, according to group member Pride Lynch. Their first gig on the holiday was at 11 a.m., and the last performance started at 8:30 p.m. The pipe band split into two groups for 28 stops, and each group changed locations about every 20 minutes.
Now in her seventies, Lynch has played with the band from almost the beginning, joining alongside her late husband, George, in 1975. She was born in rural Alabama and has played music since she was 3 years old, performing in bands since age 5 because there was “not much to do.” Lynch, her sisters and her cousins were raised as multi-instrumentalists.
Tony Smith, a former Canadian Cameron Highlander cadet much too young to be a part of the Canadian Army (in which he also started a pipe band), created the Omaha pipe band in 1970 after his underage status got him kicked out of the service. At first, Smith charged members one dollar per month to incentivize people to stick around. After the band dissolved within a few years, Smith quickly reorganized the group in 1975 with a new goal: teach the pipes and drums for free.
Lynch joined the re-organization efforts after seeing an ad in the paper. Aside from Smith, “George and I were the only other ones when we started,” she said. Smith dedicated himself to the band, the drums, and securing gigs for
the group. According to Lynch, “Nobody didn’t know him.”
Performing an indispensable, dual role as a seamstress for the band, Lynch made roughly 30 kilts in addition to galoshes. Meanwhile, Smith’s brother, who belonged to the Cincinnati Caledonian Pipes & Drums, sold and donated drums to the Omaha pipe band. To pick up a bass drum, Smith persuaded a trucker to help with transportation. The bass drum rode in the back of a refrigerated truck and got delivered on a meat hook.
In the late Seventies and early Eighties, the Omaha pipe band took off, gaining visibility and more members. Part of its early success involved a solid high school drum core. Several drummers joined to learn the unique Highlander drumming style, which is more complex than traditional marching band drum work.
In her early experience with the band, Lynch performed at a parade and broke the gender gap at an Offutt Air Force mess hall dine-in ceremony because outsiders, let alone women, were scarcely allowed inside the base. As a former saxophonist and flutist, she wasn’t nervous.
A woman, at the request of her late husband, asked Lynch to play at a funeral 10 years ago due to her presence in the Omaha Pipes and Drums. All because she marched in a parade in 1978 with a brace on her leg, and the husband remembered her.
The band practiced at the VFW in Florence, Creighton Prep and Barrett’s Barleycorn Pub & Grill before ending up at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church off 84th and Pacific for the past two decades, practicing and teaching weekly. In exchange
for rent, the pipe band performs an annual concert for the church.
Omaha Pipes and Drums wants to set members up for success. To start learning the bagpipes, don’t buy a set of bagpipes. The organization recommends finding a practice chanter, which is significantly quieter than a set of pipes, takes less energy, and sells for under $100. According to Brady, if they practice diligently, students can learn simple songs in 3-6 months before teachers consider transitioning them to bagpipes. To get started on drums, it is suggested buying sticks and a practice pad.
To join the band, visit omahapipesanddrums.org. The organization practices and gives lessons on Saturday mornings, but if people need other times, the group will work with them.
On a Thursday night in a high school band room, two bagpipers practiced with the Nebraska Brass Band in preparation of a sold-out show days away. It was hard not to think that anyone who joins Omaha Pipes and Drums will have a good time by tagging along for the ride.
a familiar aviary, reimagining a favorite of late, the hummingbird. He’s exaggerated their pointy beaks, painting them inky black and turning them into long, twisty roads traveled by silhouetted characters. They have visibly human organs — big ears, biting teeth, twisted colons — and are surrounded by Broghammer’s trademark enigmatic iconography, relating a story only he is privileged to decipher fully. Their appearance is as aggressive as it is intentionally and wonderfully strange.
An opening reception with the artist is April 6 from 6-8 p.m.
--Janet L. FarberApril 7-29
regard to the erosion of identity and sense of self.”
Go to mingtoygallery.com for more information.
--Mike KrainakApril 7-May 26
April 6-May 28
Garden of the Zodiac Gallery
Our feathered friends are always human surrogates in Joseph Broghammer’s art, and these birds have truly gone wild in his current solo show of new work at the Garden of the Zodiac Gallery, opening April 6.
In his first show in many years, comprised entirely of oil paintings, Broghammer begins with
Artist Brian Tait continues his personal exploration of the impact of separation, loss and disconnection on one’s identity while unraveling the meaning of home, objects and familiarity.
Tait’s exhibit, “Also Known As,” which opens April 7 from 6-9 p.m. at Ming Toy Gallery in Benson, includes paintings, sculptures and installations embodying destruction and rebirth, all created from found objects and recycled materials.
In the show statement, gallery owner Teresa Gleason says the artist “visually and cerebrally investigates the consequences of separation on mental health and wellness, particularly in
A different kind of portrait gallery inhabits Petshop’s next exhibition, in which fifty expressive faces crafted by Ramon Guzman will fill the space with vibrant personalities. Guzman’s solo “Daydreaming,” a mixed-media installation, opens on Benson First Friday, April 7.
Guzman hand-carves wood into an imaginative array of facial shapes, features and color, pushing caricature to its limits. The faces are wild and expressive, the product of Guzman’s inner dialogue about accepting reality versus chasing the dream of being a full-time, self-supporting artist. These exaggerated portraits help dispel the stress, bringing moments of humor and lightness to the psychological burdens of “what if?”
The opening reception is April 7 from 7-10 p.m.
--Janet L. FarberThe Mountain Goats will play the Slowdown on April 11 in
support of their 21st and most recent full-length album, “Bleed Out” (2022). Adeem The Artist will open.
Hailing from California during the aughts of the Nineties, amid the alternative explosion, the band traversed the valleys of popular, folk and indie music with explorative curiosity and sharp musical instincts, paving diverging trails of lasting impact.
Adeem The Artist gained national critical attention with their 2021 EP entitled “Cast-Iron Pansexual.”
The show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $39.50-$45 at theslowdown.com/the-mountain-goats/.
— Matt CasasApril 14
Baader-Meinhof
It’s fitting that an upscale version of Baader-Meinhof opens at 2001 Vinton St. this spring with the exhibit “Flowers” by Benjamin Langford, an artist and photographer who lives and works in Brooklyn, N.Y. Owner Kyle Laidig’s impressive venue of 3,280-square feet is divided into two sections: a small entryway gallery that flows into the main showroom.
Langford creates large, vivid prints of flowers on canvas, cut and stitched together to create large-scale illusionistic sculptures that hang flaccidly off the wall. Laidig said the work explores the ways in which images supplant our sense of the natural through increasingly vivid modes of representation.
The April 14 opening reception runs from 6-9 p.m.
— Mike KrainakApril 14-May 7
Omaha Community Playhouse
For many, “Little Shop of Horrors” recalls the iconic 1986 musical-comedy film starring Rick Moranis as the impressionable-yet-heroic Seymour against the killer, conniving, puppetized plant Audrey II.
The home-run motion picture — directed by Frank Oz (voice of the original Yoda, among several Muppets and Sesame Street characters) — was adapted from a 1982 screenplay based on the original 1960 movie.
See why “Little Shop of Horrors” kills in any medium, space and time — but especially on stage.
Show times vary. Tickets are $25-$47 at ticketomaha.com/ Productions/little-shop-of-horrors.
— Matt Casasfrom Ohio, and Sazcha is from Omaha.
The show is at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $18-$22 at onepercentproductions.com/event/ screaming-females/.
— Matt CasasA rock, punk and DIY smorgasbord will be on display at the Reverb Lounge on April 16, led by Screaming Females, a trio from New Jersey.
Screaming Females have self-released eight studio albums since 2006 via their label Don Giovanni Records.
The supporting acts include LA’s “most authentic punk band,” according to Kerrang, whose music is “from the barrio, for the barrio” — Generación Suicida. The Mimes are
Chucho Valdés, a Cuban composer and pianist, is the brains behind this transcendent, award-winning quartet. Valdés is an influential musician and figure in the Afro-Cuban music scene, particularly modern jazz.
The Chucho Valdés Quartet has won seven Grammys, four Latin Grammys (plus a Lifetime Achievement Award) and racked up 12 nominations dating to 1980.
This intimate occasion will prove rich with captivating cross-cultural music, elevated by an ambiance specific to the Holland.
The event begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15-$33 at ticketomaha.com/Productions/ chucho-valdes-quartet.
— Matt CasasX
To celebrate the closing of X at Amplify’s Generator Space,
X at Lynch Park will be held on Friday, April 21, from 6-8 p.m.
Participants are invited to celebrate the future of Lynch Park with food, music and skateboarding. Work from the X exhibition and community feedback during its four-week run will be positioned within the park to contextualize and make meaning of the connections among skateboarding, community and place.
The event is free for all ages. Register to attend on Eventbrite. James Lynch Park is at 2202 S. 21st St (20th and Martha).
— Lynn SanchezElmwood Park
Fontenelle Forest
Once again, Fontenelle Forest will host a conservation hike to celebrate Earth Day.
The nationally recognized holiday, which took root in 1970, represents an opportunity to join your neighborhood nature conservatory for an all-out display of active, collaborative conscientiousness.
Fontenelle Forest has an unflinching passion for nature conservation, and the grounds schedule monthly events that involve and uplift the community, including fan-favorite night hikes and raptor bird watches.
Celebrate the importance of Earth, its beings and our mutual co-existence. Take a hike!
The event runs from 6-8 p.m. Tickets are $10-$15 at fontenelleforest.org/event/ earth-day-conservation-hike.
— Matt CasasMotown’s The Temptations’ effortless harmonies, 14 No. 1 hits, and history are the stuff of legend, having been dramatized in fiction and nonfiction over the years.
“My Girl,” “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” and “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” rightfully dominate their Spotify Top 10 after six decades of living rent-free in our cultural lexicon.
The Omaha Symphony is a natural accompaniment for the group, whose sound welcomes orchestral swagger.
Shows are 7:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, April 22-23. Tickets $20-$99 at ticketomaha.com/Productions/ the-temptations.
— Matt CasasElmwood Park will host another all-inclusive outdoor celebration in honor of Earth Day.
Activities include an electric vehicle showcase, group health and wellness, and tree climbing. They will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., but stick around for the remainder of the main-stage delights, including folk dancers and yoga demonstrations.
You can sign up to lead a yoga demonstration by emailing contact@greenomahacoalition. Or register as a volunteer at bit. ly/3kSfR79 to help the event run smoothly.
The event is free.
22-23
Some of the biggest names in modern metal will play the Slowdown on April 26, including Grammy-nominated August Burns Red, which will headline alongside The Devil Wears Prada and Bleed from Within.
Hailing from Pennsylvania, August Burns Red has performed for 20 years and released 10 studio albums.
Fellow metalcore band from Ohio, The Devil Wears Prada, has released eight albums since 2006.
Bleed from Within is from Glasgow, Scotland, and rock appropriately hard.
The event begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $29.50-$35 at theslowdown.com/augustburns-red.
— Matt CasasApril 29
Baxter Arena
Vanilla Ice, Juvenile, Trina, Montell Jordan and All 4 One present the ultimate ’90s throwback experience.
During the Nineties, while rock music underwent its own internal revolution, the music industry diversified, music seemed to mature with an unforeseeable propensity, and popular culture became forever changed, thanks to hip-hop and R&B.
You won’t want to miss this blast from the past. And at the risk of a bad rhyme, tickets may sell fast.
The show is at 7 p.m. Tickets are $89-$280 at baxterarena. com/event/my-90s-playlist/.
— Matt Casas — Matt Casas
The Orpheum
Jason Isbell is a Grammy-winning, alt-country artist, lauded for his compositions and songwriter’s voice laid bare — vocally and lyrically. He has released eight studio albums and recently released his single “Death Wish” with the unflappable 400 Unit.
Amythyst Kiah, a singer-songwriter from Chattanooga, Tennessee, who plays a brilliant banjo, will open. Kiah has performed at the Grand Ole Opry and has released two solo albums, with the latest being “Pensive Pop.”
The show is at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $49-$70 at ticketomaha. com/Productions/jason-isbelland-the-400-unit.
— Matt Casas
PLEASE JOIN MAMA’S ATTIC’S YEAR LONG EXHIBIT TRIBUTE TO 160TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE EMMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION
On January 1, 1863
President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation freeing enslaved people in the States that rebelled against the Union during the Civil War. We know this proclamation did not free all enslaved people, however, it was a significant step to the passage of the 13th Amendment two years later ending slavery in America.
Moments to Movements, a four- part exhibit series showcasing the history of Black Americans over the last 160 years closes Dec 30, 2023.
Make your reservation to view these free exhibits by going to www.mamasattic.org
Beardmore is in the DNA of Omaha.
We are a family-owned business operating in the area since 1919.
We would like to thank you for nominating Beardmore Subaru for Best Auto Dealership Group.
Voting is taking place until the end of April. We would appreciate your vote.
Omaha is packed to the brim (and growing!) with talented culinary artists making some of the most inventive and delicious meals we’ve seen. But after a perfect bite, how to end the night? We’ve compiled a list of 10 (in no particular order) of our favorite local desserts to sink your sweet tooth into.
14451 West Center Road
402-509-9233
Must Try: Hazelnut Chocolate Éclair
16909 Lakeside Hills Plaza
531-375-5399
1111 Harney St. 402-502-4545
Must Try: Bread Pudding
Made from scraps of leftover po’boy buns soaked in milk and sugar for 24 hours, then baked. You wouldn’t guess that this sticky, sweet concoction was brought to life using day-old discards. Served warm with ice cream and a boozy drizzle, this isn’t the bread’s second chance at life, but its fully evolved form. The thing it was always meant to become.
7110 N 102nd Circle
531-466-3217
13851 FNB Pkwy
402-431-0023
7540 Dodge St.
402-991-0055
Must Try: Key Lime Pie
Tangy and creamy, this tart treat is the perfect addition to your family get-together or girls night in. The flavors are bright and fresh, creating the perfect finishing touch to any meal.
16901 Wright Plaza #173
402-932-3078
Must Try: Butterscotch Budino
Rich, creamy, and decadent, this salty-sweet custard would be more than enough to bring hungry diners to Dante in droves. As it is, the rest of the menu holds up pretty well un der scrutiny as well. In any case, an excellent meal deserves a finishing flourish, and the Budi no delivers.
5217 S 33rd Ave.
402-733-3076
Must Try: Tres Leches
There is no way to make a wrong move at Grand Patisserie, and so very many ways to make the best decision of your day. When Éclairs find themselves on the menu, a Hazelnut Chocolate can’t be beat.
Absolutely anything from this sweet little mom and pop is worth the price of admission, but the Tres Leches is done with love and it shows. As beautiful as it is balanced, this traditional favorite is taken to new heights in flavor and presentation.
Must Try: Napoleon Torte
Lithuanian Bakery has abso lutely no right to be as humble and unassuming as it is, but every trip becomes a delightful surprise as you realize just how much history this sweet little spot is built on. The traditional Napoleon Torte serves as the perfect example of how
something doesn’t have to look flashy to be the perfect bite.
3461 S 84th St.
402-393-0640
Must Try: Strawberry Wedding Cake
When you find the one you’re ready to spend your life with, you learn that every day is a day to celebrate love. And when you don’t find the one, you learn that every day is a day to celebrate cake. Either way, Farmhouse has you covered with its signature slice. Available in round, sheet cakes, and cupcakes.
and practically sinfully simple St. Louis staple. Stirnella’s Gooey Butter Bars are a celebration of yin and yang. Salty and sweet, chewy and custardy, decadent and unpretentious.
3821 Center St.
402-346-1528
Must Try: Baklava
I’m always amazed at the balance the waitstaff displays while bringing the dessert tray to the table and asking, with a straight face, which one you’re interested in. A wrong answer doesn’t exist, unless you’ve ever made the singular mistake of saying “no thank you” when the frosted, dusted, sprinkled, and glazed delicacies are within your reach. But if you’re like me, occasionally overstimulation will lead to decision fatigue, and too many flawless options start to feel like a swinging pendulum. If this sounds like you, just ask for a baklava and sleep easy that you can go back tomorrow for more flaming cheese and another chance at choosing something different.
8721 Countryside Plaza
531-721-2443
Must Try: Dole Whip
I know I’ve thrown a lot of Omaha Royalty and long-established food leaders your way today, but there’s a new kid on the block worth the extra mention. Countryside Cones is the bright, chipper finish to your fully refined meal at Koji in the same center. A perfect summer night bite as you stroll through Countryside Village with the family. The flawless first date finish. Grab a bright and airy Dole Whip to keep the night light, or a rich, creamy cone if you’re not dairy wary or if you’re eating your feelings.
Did your local favorite not make our list? Drop an angry email to Sara@TheReader.com.
It would be wrong to say the freshest beer is automatically the best beer. But the best beer almost always tastes its best when it is, in marketing speak, at the peak of freshness. And it’s hard to get any fresher than beer brewed thirty feet away from your table. And it’s doubly hard to get any better than when that table is here at Upstream. But we suspect you already knew that.
Omaha’s two big music festivals, Maha and Outlandia, have announced their lineups for this summer, and Omaha’s musical legacy and present will play a large part in both. April may seem too early to begin thinking about festivals, but we are only weeks away from Noisefest at Project Project on May 12 and the Omaha Freedom Festival on June 17. Later this summer, we will see festivals that rely heavily on area artists, such as Farnam Festival, In The Market For Blues, Petfest, and more, and those will be covered here as more information becomes available.
iF YOu gO: maha music Festival
o July 28-29 at Stinson Park Omaha
o Friday 4-11 p.m. Saturday 2-11 p.m.
o Tickets: General admission — Friday $50, Saturday $60.
Two-day general admission — $100.
VIP — Friday $130, Saturday $160.
Two-day VIP $240. Tickets available at tixr.com.
featured acts including Big Thief, Turnstile, Alvvays and Peach Pit. Omaha artists have always played a part in Maha’s vision. In the early years of the festival, when it was held at Lewis & Clark Landing, there was a local stage for such bands as Little Brazil, It’s True, and Satchel Grande. After its move to Stinson Park in Year 3, the permanent stage at the park became the local stage, and then over the years, area bands would be integrated among the national acts on the main stage or that side stage.
Maha will hold its 18th annual festival on July 28-29 at Stinson Park. Maha announced its lineup in February, with
Omaha-based bands The Faint, Cursive and Desaparecidos have played marquee slots at the festival over the years.
This year’s area artist lineup is made up of Icky Blossoms,
iF
BIB, M34N STR33T, Garst, Hakim and Ebba Rose. Icky Blossoms will be reuniting for the Maha stage in their first performance in almost a decade. The trio — Derek Pressnall, Nik Fackler, and Sarah Bohling — put out albums on Saddle Creek Records in 2012 and 2015. The band performed on the Maha stage in 2012 and 2014, making it the only threetime music performer at the festival. Icky Blossoms perform high-energy, dark electronic dance music and are known for the songs “Babes” and “Sex To The Devil,” which used to get packed venues jumping and sweaty.
o august 11-12 at Falconwood Park
o Friday 4 p.m. start. Saturday 1 p.m. start.
o Tickets: General admission — Friday & Saturday $89.
Two-day general admission — $169.
VIP — Friday & Saturday $249.
Two-day VIP $449.
Black Belt Eagle Scout on the lineup, and headliner Big Thief put out its debut album on the label. Outlandia will find three bands on its lineup with ties to the label.
The Saddle Creek Records legacy will play a part in Outlandia and Maha this year. Maha has current Saddle Creek artist
BIB is an Omaha-based, noise punk band that has been making waves far beyond the borders of our city. The band has been written about in Stereogum and has performed with many well-known bands in the hardcore genre. The band recently won Outstanding Punk at the 2023 Omaha Entertainment and Arts Awards and will be touring Europe in May. BIB released its debut album, “Delux,” in 2020. Omaha hip-hop act M34N STR33T will be making its second appearance at Maha. The band performed in 2014 and is riding a fresh buzz
after the release last year of the duo’s third album, “BESOS.” M34N STR33T is made up of emcee Conny Franko and producer Haunted Gauntlet. M34N STR33T has won Outstanding Hip-Hop and Artist of the Year at the Omaha Entertainment and Arts Awards.
Garst is a popular rock band in Omaha that packs venues with loyal fans who enjoy their high energy and fun live performances. The band released its debut EP, “Temet Nosce,” in 2018 and followed it with the “Phases” EP in 2019. They just announced a show at Slowdown on May 12 that will serve
as the release event for the debut of their self-titled album. Hakim is a Nebraska rapper who likes to say he is from the “Corn Coast.” The full-length album “The Magnificent Obsession” came out in 2020, and a six-song EP entitled “Planet Drift” was released online on March 19. Ebba Rose is the new project from Erin Mitchel that has turned into a full-fledged band, covering many styles of music, from pop to soul to jazz and blues. A piano-based live recording of the song “All I Wanted” has been making the rounds on social media and garnering praise.
The Outlandia Music Festival is in its second year and will take place at Falconwood Park on Aug. 11-12. This year’s headliners include Modest Mouse, Jimmy Eat World, the Manchester Orchestra and Gregory Alan Isakov. The festival will feature some of Omaha’s heavy hitters from the past, including The Faint, Criteria and The Good Life. Omaha’s dreamy rock band, Minne Lussa, will also perform. It was almost a given that The Faint would perform
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at one of the two festivals in Omaha after announcing their first performance in four years would take place at the Just Like Heaven Festival in Pasadena, California, on May 13. The band also announced shows with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs in Texas. The Faint are one of the most requested bands to play the stages of Omaha, and they will be a big draw at the sophomore event.
The appeal of Outlandia Music increases considerably when you pair it with two other big-name artists from the city’s past. The Good Life started as a solo project for Tim Kasher of Cursive and then became its own band with five critically acclaimed albums. The Good Life is Kasher, Roger Lewis, Stefanie Drootin and Ryan Fox, and it’s believed they haven’t played a show since 2016 after the release of the “Everybody’s Coming Down” album in 2015. The band had scheduled some shows for 2020, but it’s not clear any took place due to the pandemic.
The third in this trilogy of Omaha indie rock bands from
When mixed with gasoline, ethanol displaces toxic aromatics known to cause cancer and other diseases. Ethanol also adds oxygen to fuel, helping it burn more completely, to reduce GHG emissions.
the heyday is Criteria, which features Steve Pederson, A.J. Mogis, Aaron Druery and Mike Sweeny. The band has released three full-length albums: two on Saddle Creek Records and 2020’s “Years” on Cursive’s 15 Passengers label. The band has performed a couple of shows in recent years in Omaha, but they were few and far between. To see these three bands, which haven’t graced the stages of Omaha or anywhere in recent years, together on the same weekend will have a lot of area music fans excited.
Nebraska’s ethanol industry has raised more than $30K for cancer research at Omaha’s Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center while educating about healthier fuel options.
Co-products, including corn oil and animal feed called dried distillers grains, are made from leftover materials so the whole corn kernel is used.
FIND
Iwant to know what AMC
Theaters’ second-place idea for generating more revenue was. The “winner” was “Sightline,” which will charge movie-goers different prices depending on how crappy their view is. Was the runner-up releasing bees in all theaters where most of the audience didn’t pay a “bee-free fee?”
If you’re like me — and you are like me because you’re reading the film section of an alternative news outlet — you’re worried that theaters have gotten the wrong message. Panic is no friend to business, unless you sell panic rooms. Some have compared AMC’s wrongheaded, tiered-seating strategy to the airline industry’s reaction to sagging sales. That’s apples to oranges or, more accurately, “I can watch this at home soon” to “I don’t want to drive 56 hours round trip to see grandma.”
Let’s all agree that AMC’s strategy, which will reportedly be rolled out in all of its theaters by year’s end, is dumb-dumb stupid. What can or should theaters reasonably do to stay open and alive? This is the sustainability issue, and dammit, I want the theatrical experience to be ably sustained.
Hear me out. I know that Alamo Drafthouse wasn’t spared from the pandemic, even here in Omaha. However, having been to lots of theaters recently, my highly unscientific insight is that they are still pretty poppin’. At other theaters, I have seen movies by myself, not going stag but as in I was the only patron. I’ve
always had company at Alamo, and not just the wait staff.
I think they gild the lily a bit much on the “We’ll-murder-you-in-the-face-if-you-talk” schtick. But it has worked. They have a reputation, and audiences are never more behaved (in the metro at least) than at Alamo. That’s a fairly easy thing for other places to adopt. I don’t just mean a pre-trailer commercial that says “put your phone away” featuring animated characters. I mean enforcing a quiet
environment and encouraging a focus on watching movies undisturbed, letting the public know the policy through advertising and social media.
Part of this has to be a systemic rebranding of the theatrical experience. Because, y’all, it does often suck. I would venture to say that I venture to theaters more than most, and the decline was palpable pre-pandemic and has fallen off a cliff since. AMC making you pay more to avoid neck pain isn’t as practical or impactful as working to change the narrative about what it should be like to see movies.
Almost all local movie houses have pivoted to have a bar or restaurant as part of the experience. Some multiplexes are reportedly becoming more like “family entertainment centers” with laser tag, axe throwing, or escape rooms. Eww. Also, I am fully in support of this. I will steer clear of those places, because as the previous section suggests, I go to movie theaters to see movies like a lunatic apparently. However, a lot of folks are interested in having “experiences” that offer more than just pricey popcorn and a few hours when kids can have cinematic supervision.
I am also wildly in favor of all the weird shenanigans with haptic feedback seats, crazy-large screens, and smello-vision, if they bring it back. Trying to enhance the immediacy and provide something
unique to leave your 4K TV viewing experience at home is admirable. I have yet to find one that clicks for me, other than IMAX, but I appreciate the effort. It is wildly pricey to install, and probably will be “worth it” for only a few movies a year. “The Fabelmans” box office would not have surged with shaking seats and five-dimensional sound.
What about a simpler proposal I’ve seen floating around. If TV is now like movies, treat ’em like it. Sterlin Harjo, one of the geniuses behind “Reservation Dogs,” has suggested that theaters show TV programs. It would take some deal-making for sure, but imagine being able to have a chance to watch pop-culture phenom shows with a full audience. Have a post-show bar experience
ready to go. It sounds easy because it is.
Look, I spend a wildly disproportionate amount of time thinking about how to make sure theaters can stay open. I know, for sure, the way to do that is not to do virtually anything AMC is doing. Just, as a rule, do the opposite of whatever they’re suggesting. Theater owners can’t drop prices. They absolutely can’t ensure movies people want to see are being made. The only option is to think about how the experience provide is packaged, curated, and uniquely developed.
They also know they can count on me at least once a week, maybe more. I’m doing my part!
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by Ryan SyRek
“Shazam 2: The Shazam-ening” dares to ask the big questions, such as whether it is cringier to watch a romance involving a 6,000-year age gap or Zachary Levi being “silly.” The premise of “Shazam 2: Shazam-a-lam-a-ding-dong” is that the swole central superhero looks like a middle-aged dude but is secretly a teenager. Levi apparently confused “teenager” with “toddler,” unless he actually thinks that all 18-year-olds are mere seconds away from licking food off the floor and incapable of a coherent, non-horny thought. We let 18-year-olds vote, Zach. No one would leave your version of an 18-year-old unattended with a glass of water for fear of drowning.
“Shazam 2: Whoa, black betty, Sham-a-zam” has other problems. It’s ostensibly a movie about a family of superheroes, but only die-hard comic
Felix Vasquez at Cinema-Crazed.com says: “Hey, it’s better than ‘Black Adam.’”
fans will be able to name all six members of the powered posse by the film’s end. Most siblings aren’t lucky enough to score a subplot. One of the few who gets something resembling a character arc has
Hoai-Tran Bui at Inverse says: “Everything looks a little more washed out, Levi’s jokey delivery
it end with him blurting out his sexuality with zero follow-up. The plot is a lazy, simplistic merry-go-round that sees ancient goddesses attempting to reclaim the fam’s magic juju. All key events and best moments
is tired, and we’ve all had enough of MacGuffins.”
Amy Nicholson at The New York Times says: “It’s
in “Shazam 2: Hey Do you Remember ‘Kazaam’ With Shaq?” were shown in the trailers. It is passably entertaining for 180 seconds and no longer.
The wildest thing in the film isn’t how inert it renders a
an ungainly mishmash of tones that comes together only in one bizarre, wonderful gag when a graying wizard barges into Billy’s
erotic dream to deliver some very serious exposition with his head fused to Wonder Woman’s bronze-plated breasts.”
villainous Dame Helen Mirren and Her Majesty Lucy Liu but how incomprehensible it is in tone. If “Shazam 2: Save the Shaz-ama for Your Mama” wanted to go for a youth-oriented, uber-goofy PG feel, that would have been fine. But you don’t get to fire off “zingers” about a port-a-potty’s stench and also have scenes in which a beloved teacher commits suicide and in which mythical beasts disembowel people. For what it’s worth, said disemboweling creatures are the best part. Everyone (rightly) blasting Marvel’s VFX lately will find some remarkably clean and polished visuals here, which is apparently what happens when a studio actually provides enough time to finish a movie.
“Shazam! Fury of the Gods,” which is apparently its legal name, is not so bad as to be upsetting but so wonky as to wobble without ever pleasing. Another “heroes saving people on a bridge” scene? More “superhero who doubts his worthiness” existentialism? Additional Zachary Levi? These are things that nearly no one has requested, demanded, or can enjoy.
A humble proposal: If Shazam is to return, despite what just happened, put him in a film with adult superheroes. As a foil to a grumpus Batman or a father-figure Superman, the teenage schtick could work, a la Spider-Man in the MCU. This will, of course, entail showing Levi how an actual living teenager communicates and functions. Alternatively, should the powers that be decide to recast the man powered by lightning, nobody will be shocked and some may be electrified.
Grade = C-
“Stranger at the Gate” may not have won Malala Yousafzai an Oscar for live-action short to go with her lonely Nobel Peace Prize, but it has the second-best honor possible: It will be screened here in Omaha.
UNO’s Center for Afghanistan Studies and the Afghan-American Foundation are showing the flick on Thursday, April 13, at 6 p.m. in the College of Public Affairs and Community Service commons room. To be clear, Malala will not be there, presumably because she is too busy with the pesky task of further improving humanity. “Stranger at the Gate” involves terrorism and the Muslim community, in that a U.S. Marine has secret plans to bomb a mosque in Indiana. If you read “terrorism and the Muslim community” and assumed something else happened, please go check out this event.
Apologies to Eliot, but Prufrock is stone-cold wrong about April. No month can be cruel if you have the chance to see “Akira” on the big screen. From April 7-13, down at Film Streams’ Ruth Sokolof Theater, you can catch “Anime Week” -- or as at least one friend I had in high school would call it, “a regular week.” In addition to “Akira,” you can see “Perfect Blue,” from which lots of White artists would later steal. Sorry, “pay homage to.” It’s only artistic theft if you steal someone’s digital monkey. The third film, “Liz and the Blue Bird,” is one I haven’t seen yet. It’s about BFFs who find out that last F stands for something other than “forever.” Get yer tickets at filmstreams.org before my now-onlyFacebook-friend buys them all.
A ShORT film CAN gO A lONg WAy, ANd UNO’S CeNTeR fOR AfghANiSTAN STUdieS, The AfghAN AmeRiCAN fOUNdATiON, ANd mAl Al A WOUld liKe TO ShOW yOU jUST hOW fAR. IMAGE: A stIll froM “str AnGEr At thE GAtE,” thE osc Ar-noMInAtEd short fIlM
Before theaters realized that showing older movies was a great, cheap way to put butts in seats, a lost generation grew up seeing certain beloved series only on VHS. Finally getting to see “Raiders of the Lost Ark” with my dad in a theater, after having seen it repeatedly on cable TV and worn-down cassettes, remains a treasured memory. Thus, it warms my heart to see the original “Indiana Jones” trilogy will be back on big screens at ACX Cinema 12+ in Elkhorn (acxcinemas.com/ acx-cinema-12) this April 12, 19, and 26. On those three consecutive Wednesdays, at 7 p.m., you can see “Ark,” “Temple of Doom,” and “Last Crusade,” respectively. This should prime your pump for the return of Indy this June, when he will be deaged by CGI and fight Nazis with Fleabag (Phoebe Waller-Bridge). I couldn’t find a “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” screening. I will not stand for this Cate Blanchett erasure but fully support this Shia LaBeouf amnesia.
Speaking of “classic” movies … The year is 1998. The world has just learned the word “Lewinsky.” People wore puka shell necklaces on purpose. Nobody thought that, 25 years later, a theater would hold a screening of “The Faculty.” Alamo Drafthouse La Vista is the latest business to cruelly remind me how time works by holding a “Horror Show” event for director Robert Rodriguez’s “gem” about alien teachers on Friday, April 7, at 10 p.m. I highly recommend it, mostly as a primer for what things in the ’90s looked like, as we are poised for a tsunami of nostalgia bait that feels more artificial than a ChatGPT sext.
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 KVNO 90.7 on Wednesdays and follow him on Twitter @ thereaderfilm.
Lincoln’s historic Zoo Bar has announced the lineup for its 50th anniversary celebration. ZOOFEST takes to 14th Street in front of the club Thursday, July 6, Friday, July 7, and Saturday, July 8.
Thursday, July 6, the lineup includes longtime Zoo favorites The Bel Airs and the great Charlie Musselwhite, who has deep roots with the Zoo community and is a blues icon in his own right. Also on the bill is the rockabilly band with a humorous twist, Igor and the Red Elvises
Friday, July 7, puts the spotlight on a mix of familiar and new artists, including rising star Amythyst Kiah, who’s been featured on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and “World Café.” Rolling Stone recently called the singer-songwriter and electric guitarist “one of Americana’s great up-and-coming secrets.” Kiah is also a member of Our Native Daughters, a band of female, Black banjo players that features Rhiannon Giddens, Leyla McCalla and Allison Russell. Their 2019 album, “Songs of Our Native Daughters,” was recognized as one of the best albums of that year by NPR, and they were nominated for duo/group of the year at the 2020 Americana Awards. Kiah received a Best American Roots Song nomination in the 62nd annual Grammy Awards for “Black Myself,” which she wrote for the group. Headlining Friday’s show is Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe
Local award-winning musician and Zoo Bar talent buyer Josh Hoyer says of Denson, “For me, Karl Denson is one of the absolute top funky-soul jam bands in the world for the last couple of decades. Great dance music for the mind, body and soul. Let alone all the accolades and being The Rolling Stones and Lenny Kravitz’s sax player.” Rounding out the Friday night lineup are the horn-driven sounds of The Jimmys early and the fantastic, danceable, Cuban-based Latin music of Andy William & The Nebraska All Stars late.
The Saturday sets include The Fabtones, The Lightning Bugs, and Chicago blues from an artist with a long history playing the Zoo, John Primer & The Real Deal Blues Band. Accomplished British rootsblues vocalist and bandleader James Hunter and his band are a highlight of the Saturday night schedule, as is a performance by five-time Grammy nominee and Chicago blues royalty Shemekia Copeland. Copeland had established herself as a leading artist among the current generation of blues performers. She’s taken home multiple Blues Music Awards, including the prestigious award for B.B. King Entertainer of the Year in 2021.
The weekend will conclude with a late-night, all-star jam called The 50th Waltz, with local artists performing songs associated with the Zoo Bar or its favorite artists. See zoobar.
com for more details and this month’s schedule. Look up Zoo Fest 50 on ticketweb.com to buy advance tickets. A weekend pass is $120 in advance, and individual night passes are also available.
Meanwhile, Omaha’s free blues series, Playing With Fire, celebrates its 19th year with two big weekends of family friendly shows spotlighting international talent. The shows are at Turner Park at Midtown Crossing. Friday, July 14, features the great Sugaray Rayford Band Rayford is a powerhouse bandleader and commanding vocalist nominated for a 2023 Blues Music Award for B. B. King Entertainer of the Year. Rising blues guitar star Eddie 9 Volt is also on the bill. Saturday, July 15, popular Dutch blues artists the Twelve Bar Blues Band are scheduled along with Ireland’s Dom Martin, who Playing with Fire founder Jeff Davis calls “the No. 1 acoustic guitar player from Europe.”
Friday, Aug. 11, you can catch Denmark’s multiple award-winners Thorbjørn Risager & the Black Tornado along with a 10-piece soul band from Toronto, Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar. Saturday, Aug. 12, features another Toronto soul band that has become popular on the Canadian and European festival circuits, Bywa-
ter Call. Also performing Aug. 12 are Joanne Shaw Taylor and Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal Watch for details at playingwithfireomaha.net and facebook. com/playingwithfireomaha.
The Blues Society of Omaha’s weekly shows for April include incredible Chicago blues guitarist Joanna Connor on Thursday, April 6, 6-9 p.m., at the Waiting Room. Her 2021 studio album “4801 South Indiana Avenue” was produced by Joe Bonamassa. She has a new record coming in 2023 on Mike Zito’s label. Popular KC band Katy Guillen & The Drive play Thursday, April 13, 6-9 p.m. The Avey Grouws Band is up at The B. Bar, Friday, April 14, 5:30 p.m. Acclaimed keyboard virtuoso Bruce Katz has a CD release show Thursday, April 20, 6-9 p.m., at The Jewell.
Also check out soul-blues great Johnny Rawls at The Jewell on Saturday, April 8, 6:309:30 p.m. See the full schedule of BSO and curated blues/ roots shows at omahablues. com including an early warning for the return of Curtis Salgado, Thursday, May 25, at the Waiting Room.
1. “I Don’t Want to Spoil the Party” singer
12. Headquarters of an intelligence agency, perhaps
14. Wax philosophical, say
16. Sagrada Familia architect Gaudi
17. Vote of support
18. Genre for which “Poverty’s Paradise” won the first best album category
19. Piles in the yard, perhaps
22. Bust makers
24. Mondelez International snack
25. It’s positive when it’s up
28. “Just say ___ drugs!”
29. Like a conversation with your typical five-year-old
32. Convenience store convenience
35. One sent out for information
36. Yearbook div.
37. Where jazz organist Jimmy Smith is “Back at”, according to the classic 1963 album
40. “___ Magnifique” (Cole Porter tune)
41. Get the picture
42. University that’s a lock?
46. British war vessel of WWII
48. Hero with a weak spot
50. “Anon ___” (2022 debut novel from @ DeuxMoi)
51. MSNBC legal correspondent Melber
54. Govt. securities
55. Professional equipment
59. Video games (like Street Fighter) that require fast fingers and little nuance
60. Dampens, as many towelettes
1. Phrase on a sign for storage units or moving vans
2. Straddling
3. Pool worker
4. Military truces
5. Bit of rest
6. North American indoor sports org. claiming among its total players about 10% Iroquois
7. Web marketplace
8. Meet-___ (rom-com trope)
9. “You ___ Airplane” (of Montreal song)
10. French seasoning
11. Flexible curlers for some perms
12. Bright Eyes frontman Oberst
13. “Heat transfer coefficient” in window insulation (its inverse uses R-and its letter doesn’t seem to stand for anything)
AnsweRs in next month’s issue oR online At theReADeR.com
30. Get inquisitive
31. Pendulum path
32. Take as true
33. 1958 sci-fi movie starring Steve McQueen
34. Sushi bar order
38. Windy City public transit inits.
39. “Star Wars” villain
43. Sacrificial sites
44. Yorkshire County Cricket Club’s locale
45. “To be” in Latin
47. Sampling
49. Words before “Mood” or “Heights”
52. Word after control or escape
53. “Dance as ___ one is watching”
56. 8.5” x 11” paper size, briefly
57. “Spare me the details”
14. Prefix before “demon” (as seen in games like Doom Eternal)
15. Some salts
20. Royal resting place
21. Separator of the Philippines and Malaysia
23. Leslie’s friend on “Parks & Rec”
26. Legendary
27. One can be used to detect asthma (nitric oxide) or lactose intolerance (hydrogen)
58. Owns
© 2023 MATT JONES
AnsweR to l A st month’s “FenDeRs”
April 6, 1931
– March 7, 2023
“I have never had a bad day.”
It’s a remarkable statement, especially considering it came from a man who spent more than 15,000 days at work. With humble beginnings on a farm in Wisner, Nebraska, Al Schmid was destined for greatness over his nearly seven decades of service. Born in 1931 during the Great Depression, Al spent his childhood on his family’s farm, joining the Air Force at age 21.
“I am proud that I was able to serve my country,” he said. After military service, Al returned to the farm to find a difficult year for crops, forcing him to take a position washing windows, sweeping floors and running errands for Packer’s National Bank. “God gave me a sign,” he said.
That role began to build the foundation of Al’s banking career. Al met John Kotouc, executive co-chairman/CEO of American National Bank, in the late ’80s, when they formed American National Bank of Sarpy County. “When I first met Al in 1988, he showed me a picture of a Faberge egg, something truly unique,” Kotouc said. “He then turned to me and said, ‘That’s what a bank and a banker need to be — unique!’ Al was just that kind of a banker and he helped transform American National Bank of Sarpy County into a unique bank.”
Al’s son Jeff joined Al for many years at ANB of Sarpy County. Al was a charter member of the Papillion Area Lions Club and president of the Papillion Chamber of Commerce. He was proud of the four kids he and his late wife, Dottie, raised during their 62-year marriage.
“I always quote that Jimmy Stewart film,” Al said. “It has been a wonderful life.”
— This story was originally published on Omaha.com in 2021 and republished on the American National Bank website. It has been edited for space.
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January 4, 1944
– March 13, 2023
There is an African proverb that says, “When an old man dies, a library burns down.” We lost one of our most important libraries on March 13. The legend Ernest “Curly” Martin, 79, died after suffering a long illness. Curly was a musician to the world, a teacher to us all, family to many, a mentor to some, and a close friend of mine.
Going over to Curly’s house was a journey into Omaha history. He would lead me down to his studio where he practiced four hours a day every day and lifted weights in between. We would sit among his drum kits and analogue recorders and talk about the state of Omaha’s Black music scene. He would tell stories about the “Deuce,” the 24th and Lake Street area, in its heyday. Curly had the kind of stories that a musician who’s travelled the world and played with everyone from Etta James to Calvin Keys would have. But he would also tell stories about everyday life in North Omaha. I would hear about the Allen’s Showcase Lounge, and the alleys the musicians would traverse to hop from club to club. He would tell me who owned every store on 24th Street, and every musician who played the block, as well as those who left town to represent Omaha on the world stage. He was proud of North Omaha’s musical contributions to the world and its impact on it.
Curly would say that young people in Omaha are not being taught how to play instruments and don’t have local examples of people making a living playing music, like he did when he was young. His love for Omaha meant he would live the rest of his years here and use his ability to teach, mentor and use storytelling to inspire the next generation. He also continued to travel the world and play top stages like the Blue Note in New York City.
The last show he played was last summer at the Benson Theatre. He was joined by singer and fiancée, Cynthia Taylor, organist Jeremy Thomas, and Curly’s more famous son, Terrace Martin. Terrace is continuing the tradition of musical excellence and spreading it to the world with a host of artists and friends from Snoop Dogg to Robert Glasper to Kamasi Washington, all of whom sent condolences at the news of Curly’s passing. Curly was a guru to the world’s music community.
Curly was re-introduced to Omaha, particularly to younger enthusiasts, while doing a yearlong residency at the legendary Hi-Fi House thanks to the vision and friendship of owner Kate Dussault. We got to witness history once a month for a year with Curly introducing us to music legends who came from Omaha such as Stemsy Hunter, Hank Redd, and Wali Ali, along with
new artists he thought were carrying the tradition — Omaha’s Lewade Milliner, Ben Merliss, and of course his son Terrace. The ecosystem of the Hi-Fi House, and the Make Believe Studio family solidified Curly’s legendary status with young and old and people of all backgrounds in his hometown. Something of which he was proud.
Curly was a real one, never hesitating to call out musicians who weren’t practicing the excellence that North Omaha was known for back in the day. He was a hard man to get along with for some. But that was only if you were faking the funk. He demanded nothing less than excellence, especially if you called yourself a musician. That meant excellence in your craft, your character, and your professionalism. And he would let you know when you were falling short.
It’s easy to say Curly lived a long, full life, but he was young at heart and looking forward to reaching more heights and goals. The last time I talked to him, he told me to book him for another show at the Benson Theatre. His youthful excitement about the new band he was putting together convinced me that he would be all right. He never waivered in his determination to get better and keep jammin’. He was a tough, old dude who would never let you know anything was wrong. A library of stories that make up North Omaha’s history has burned down. I will truly miss my friend.
Curly is survived by his long love and fiancée, Cynthia Taylor, many children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. The family observed a private service, and a celebration of his life happened on the Deuce on March 25, attended by many family members, friends, and musicians.
When I read the list of bands playing at this year’s Maha Music Festival to a middle-aged friend of mine, I was met with a blank stare and an eye roll.
“Big Thief? Are you kidding me?” he said. “What kind of name is that for a band? Black Belt Eagle Scout? That’s just made up, right?”
Like most people his age (including myself), this guy grew up with FM radio rock bands like Journey or AC/DC or Foghat, a band whose name I’ve never understood but whose songs — “Slow Ride” and “Fool for the City” — were staples at my neighborhood Skateland.
All popular music — be it indie rock or otherwise — is derivative of music that came before it. There haven’t been any “breakthroughs” or “new directions” in popular music since hip-hop and punk rock emerged in the early ‘70s. Rock ‘n’ roll and pop music have always been a wash-and-repeat sort of thing performed by a rotating cast of younger, better-looking people who sometimes use modern technology alongside their Fender Stratocasters.
Indie music is nothing more than the same singer/songwriter stuff we’re all familiar with, except it’s just smart enough and different enough to not get played on the radio, and doesn’t, at least not in Omaha.
So, for my friend and those who went to college in the ‘80s and lost touch with music after landing their first corporate gigs, finding their like-minded spouses and raising their inevitable replacements, here are some of
this year’s Maha Music Festival performers translated to bands you (might) know and remember. In the music business, they call this RIYL, or Recommended If You Like — a term despised by all indie acts that are insulted by the mere idea that their “art” could be compared to anyone else’s. Hey, folks, just think of this as free marketing.
Big Thief — This year’s festival headliner, the band’s front woman, singer/songwriter Adrianne Lenker, sounds like a willowy Emmylou Harris fronting every band that backed Bob Dylan during his Rolling Thunder Revue phase.
RIYL: Brooklyn hipsters who sound like they’re from the Smoky Mountains.
Alvvays — A Canadian band that sounds nothing like RUSH, whose front woman, Molly Rankin, has a soft, cooing voice that often stands in stark contrast to the band’s shimmering rock, a la Cocteau Twins.
RIYL: Laid-back Linda Ronstadt or Nancy Sinatra fronted by “Big Boys Don’t Cry”-era 10 cc.
Turnstile — They call their sound “hardcore punk,” but this isn’t the hardcore punk you remember. Frontman Brendon Yates has a great voice, sort of like Jane’s Addiction’s Perry Ferrell, but backed by Nirvana at 180 BPM.
RIYL: Fast, pumping Metallica sung by someone who can actually sing.
Black Belt Eagle Scout — Not a group of martial arts Boy Scouts but rather a band fronted by Katherine Paul, who has the same breathy coo as, say, Astrud Gilbarto — the woman who sings “The Girl from Ipanema” — but backed by The Psychedelic Furs.
RIYL: Siouxsie and the Banshees.
OK, this has turned out to be much harder than I thought.
The Beths — Fun-loving Australian pop band that’s a cross between The Breeders and Liz Phair. RIYL: The Go-Go’s sung by Olivia Newton John.
Ekkstacy — Catchy mostly electronic music sung in a fuzzy voice. RIYL: (early) The Cure.
BIB — This really is the hardcore punk that you remember. Yell/scream vocals, but strangely tuneful. RIYL: Broken glass and bombs exploding.
M34N STR33T — Hip-hop you’ll be surprised came out of Omaha. RIYL: Beastie Boys. Seriously.
Icky Blossoms — Modern psychedelic fashion show runway music that would feel right at home anywhere in the world. RIYL: The Human League sung by Nico.
After running these descriptions by my friend, I was still met with the same blank stare. “Here’s the thing,” I said. “If these bands and performers weren’t good, they wouldn’t have been invited to play at a festival. Right? I promise you’ll hear something you’ll like, and if not, at the very least it’ll be a nice afternoon in the park … (long pause) and there’s beer available.” That’s all I needed to say.
The Maha Music Festival is July 28-29 at Stinson Park in Aksarben Village
For more information, go to mahafestival.com
Over The edge is a mOnThly cOlumn by reader seniOr cOnTribuTing wriTer Tim mcmahan fOcused On culTure, sOcieT y, music, The media and The arTs. email Tim aT Tim.mcmahan@gmail.cOm.
