THE READER -EL PERICO OMAHA SEPT 2021

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Norsefyre fire arts troupe member Megan Garcia performs acrofire at the first annual Gothicon. Norsefyre performs a unique blend of circus, fire breathing and acrobatics at local concerts and special events. The inaugural Gothicon event was a gathering of goth and Comicon enthusiasts held at Haunted Hollow on Aug. 7.

STORY BY LeAH C AteS

understood the kids’ cultures, especially since Nebraska is home to many refugees. Plus, she said, many daycares don’t offer flexible hours, leaving parents in the lurch when they work nights or early mornings.

And, according to Campos, some families don’t know resources such as free or subsidized child care exist, or struggle to navigate them. But parents must work, so they resort to leaving children as young as five home alone, she said.

F

lor Campos’ daycare was open 24 hours a day.

“Why [wouldn’t I] help families that wake up at four in the morning [for work] and don’t have anywhere to take the kids?” Campos said.

Campos, herself a single mom of five kids, left her job as an assistant preschool teacher to found an inhome daycare that offered flexible hours and subsidized rates. Campos knew her services were needed by low-income parents, including many refugees employed in meatpacking plants, who worked long before and after their kids went to school.

In the wee hours of the morning, kids slept on mats in Campos’ home. In the afternoon, they got homework help and did educational activities. On weekends, they visited the zoo and Omaha Children’s Museum.

“I moved my own kids to the basement. They weren’t happy about it,” said Campos, who converted the first floor of her home into Flor’s Daycare. “But they knew it was [what] mommy wanted to do.”

Campos recognizes that her work was invaluable, in part because the state subsidized the cost of her daycare for families who needed assistance. Child care is expensive; in Nebraska, the average

annual cost is $11,420 for a 4-yearold and $12,571 for an infant. That’s 35 weeks of full pay for a minimum-wage worker with one infant.

Campos’ work was also essential because if parents don’t have a place to drop off their kids, they can’t make ends meet.

Helping Nebraskans access wellpaid jobs is among the primary goals of Blueprint Nebraska: a plan to guide the state toward economic prosperity by 2030, including by establishing 25,000 jobs. But parents can’t work unless their kids have a safe place to grow and learn.

According to its summary report from 2019, Blueprint Nebraska aims to “revolutionize all educational segments from early childhood to career,” including child care. Campos appreciates the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services’ resources, which include subsidizing the cost of child care centers like hers.

But not all daycares are created equal.

“If a kid is [angsty], it’s because you’re not giving [them] attention,” said Campos, who said some daycares don’t offer the stimulation kids need to thrive. “[Kids] ... cannot watch TV all day.”

Campos, who’s worked with Sudanese, Somali, Korean and Hispanic children, also wishes providers

Even parents who find quality subsidized child care battle guilt and fatigue as they work long hours while another adult nurtures their babies.

Campos knows the feeling all too well.

“I always tried to be with [my kids],” she said, “but now that they’re teenagers, they say, ‘Mommy, we had so much time in the child care.’ I feel guilty.”

Like the parents of the kids she took care of while her own children were in someone else’s care, Campos found that making ends meet often necessitates long hours without your little ones.

“It’s in my blood, working with kids,” said Campos, who’s now working at the construction company she opened but ultimately hopes to once again run a daycare. “[And] being a single mom with five kids, I did what I had to [for] work.”

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The Birds, Bees and Everything in Between

NEBraska GrapplEs wiTh sEx EducaTioN sTaNdards

By Emma Schartz | PHOTOS By chrIS BOWLING

Mar Lee often imagined what senior prom would look like. Growing up in Alma, Nebraska, a town of about 1,000, prom was a public coming-of-age: Teens walked into the dance as family members took photos and their neighbors cheered. There were lights, music and awkward dancing.

But Lee had a deeper worry.

Lee wanted to wear a tuxedo instead of a dress and heels. And when the time came, they did. Lee had never felt better, but lingering thoughts about what that signaled about their gender identity persisted.

“It was really hard, because I didn’t have that language, because I didn’t have those conversations,” said Lee, now out as transgender non-binary and working as a community organizer for LGBTQ+ rights and sexual assault prevention.

“I didn’t have access to that information even. It was very confusing.”

Lee’s not alone. Every year, more than 300,000 kids get a variety of sex education, or none at all, from more than 1,000 public schools in Nebraska.

This year Nebraska’s State Board of Education released a draft of its first-ever health education standards, which includ-

ed comprehensive sex education that covered topics such as teen pregnancy, sexual orientation and transgender identities — read our story about trans students’ school experiences on page 10. Though they’d never be mandated, the standards drew ire from the governor, more than half of the state’s senators and thousands of Nebraskans who voiced their opposition in person and through petitions.

“The sex education standards represent a significant shift in approach to health education,” Ricketts wrote in a March 11 press release, “and many of the new themes are sensitive topics that should be addressed by parents at home and not by schools.”

The standards would have followed an age-appropriate learning track on everything from consent to why it’s important to wash your hands. In first

grade, students would have defined gender, gender identity and gender-role stereotypes, while fifth graders would have learned about sexual intercourse and its role in human reproduction. The standards have since been revised to exclude controversial topics to the satisfaction of neither side.

Some still want to see the standards scrapped altogether, while politicians like state education board member Deborah

Deborah Neary, District 8 eDucatioN boarD represeNtative.

Neary are dissatisfied with the whole process. While the state board as a whole is tasked with crafting the standards, one committee does the research and crafts the language. The members don’t meet publicly, and when The Reader asked to speak to the committee chair, she declined to comment.

“I’ve never had any trouble getting information as [other educational] standards were being developed,” Neary said. “But in this process, it was completely done in silence.”

But through all the noise, one question has risen to the top: Who should get to say what kids should know about sex education?

For some the answer is simple.

“Fundamentally, children belong to their parents. And so when parents feel like … the department of education [is] overstepping their bounds and undermining their rights as a parent, and the values and beliefs that they’re instilling in their children in the home, it causes issues for a lot of people,” said Nate Grasz, policy director at Nebraska Family Alliance.

Others, including Neary, say their voices are getting bulldozed and question whether the process that crafted the stan-

dards worked as well as it could have. Neary represents District 8, which encompasses a large portion of Douglas County, including the Omaha metro area.

“The first draft, I was naive and wanted to believe in the process,” Neary said. “None of the urban areas had any input, a chance to ask questions or have conversations, or share, the most important thing: what we’ve been hearing from our constituents.”

And while some say implementing stronger sex education will overstep families and disrupt community, various school districts have shown positive outcomes. Inclusive sex education curriculums, which are taught

at Omaha Public Schools and in states like Iowa and Colorado, often show success in increasing inclusivity while preventing sexual assault, pregnancy and STDs.

“The jury is no longer still out. We have decades upon decades of research. We have systematic reviews of systematic reviews,” said Lisa Schulze, education and training manager with the Women’s Fund of Omaha. “And young people have told us repeatedly that I received too little information way too late.”

But still more say that this conversation isn’t about research or rhetoric. It’s about people. Like Lee, who lacked the words to describe how they felt in a tuxedo, kids across Nebraska are grappling with similar questions. That’s how Emily Huyck felt before she came out as gay. Now the director of the Montessori Co-op private school in northwest Omaha wants to make sure kids can explore these issues.

“If I had language in front of me, or heard the word queer or gay when I was 12 or 13, I would have maybe had a healthier development,” Huyck said. “For my own daughters, I don’t want them to go into a public school where they’re not represented or where their family’s not respected.”

Read more at thereader.com.

Creighton

Nate Grasz, policy director for Nebraska family alliaNce.

moNtessori co-op director emily Huyck.

Let Trans Kids Be Kids

By Leah Cates | PHOTOS By Chris BowLing

If you ask Sophie Smith why she switched elementary schools, the reasons are simple: gender and name. Sophie, whose name has been changed for this story to protect her identity, wanted to be referred to with the pronouns “she” and “her” and called Sophie –– and then get back to doing what she loved, like creating art and hanging out with friends.

At home, that’s exactly what happened. Even though Sophie was assigned male at birth, her parents listened when at age 3 she told them she was a girl. Experts from the Mayo Clinic to the American Academy of Pediatrics say from a young age, kids can identify their gender –– and whether it matches what’s on their birth certificate. At school it was a different story.

“[Other families questioned] how I was parenting her and [wanted me] to guide her to a different way,” Sophie’s mom said. “I think they were trying to pray for us, like pray the gay away.”

At an Omaha Catholic elementary school, Sophie was misgendered by teachers and bullied by classmates for wearing a dress to an event. When Sophie’s mother asked that her daughter be referred to with she/her pronouns and wear a girl’s uniform, a priest said no. God makes us as we are, Sophie’s mother remembered him saying. It was non-negotiable.

“I believe the very same thing,” her mother told the priest, “that God makes us who we were meant to be, [which means] you can be you on the inside. It’s not just the external parts of your body that make you [who] you [are].”

Nationwide, transgender students have become a magnet for politicans, television pundits and countless social media keyboard

warriors. Omaha’s no exception. The initial drafts of suggested statewide sex education standards, which mentioned gender identity, coalesced into a political proxy war, and the word “transgender” wound up nixed from the drafts (see our story on page 8). But many feel we’re missing the most obvious fact: They’re just kids.

“Little trans girls are not out to get anybody,” said Dr. Jay Irwin, a medical sociologist and sociology professor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. “I don’t know when [trans people] became so scary.”

Experts, parents and transgender kids themselves say they aren’t doing this for sports, bathrooms or pronouns. They’re doing it because trans kids know who they are, and they want the rest of the world to see them that way.

When it doesn’t, when parents, schools or friends aren’t accepting, it can lead to bullying and mental health crises, including higher suicide rates. But that’s not everyone’s experience. Sophie transferred to

Millard Public Schools, which has a non-discrimination policy that includes gender identity. Teachers and kids treat her like the girl she is, her mom said.

“Everybody was scared of Sophie at the last school. They were basically trying to protect all the other kids from Sophie,” her mom said. “Now they’re protecting Sophie.”

Fighting Science and Creating Controversy Where There Isn’t Any

As they returned to class for the new school year, local high schooler Jamal Webber was focused on getting good grades and bracing for the usual teenage social drama. Jamal, whose name was changed for this story to protect their identity, wasn’t thinking about being out as trans and nonbinary in a sea of teenagers.

That’s because their friends were supportive and the rest of

their classmates didn’t really care much.

“People are like, ‘Whatever,’” Jamal said of their classmates. “Students are generally really chill with it.”

Someone’s gender identity shouldn’t be controversial. And for kids, Irwin said, it usually isn’t. According to children’s health experts, before kids can read and write, they begin to form a gender identity. And if it doesn’t match what’s on their birth certificate, so be it.

According to Irwin, telling a kid like Sophie she can’t wear a dress or play with dolls because of what’s on her birth certificate isn’t based on science or biology. It’s a rule made up by humans that can prove confusing to even cisgender kids (whose gender matches the sex on their birth certificate).

“Elementary schoolers [ask], ‘I’m supposed to play with these kinds of toys, but I can’t play with these kinds of toys? Why? They’re toys,’” Irwin said. “Those seem like arbitrary rules to kids.”

Sophie’s younger sibling understands her big sister’s gender. When she sees old photos of her older sister, she matter-of-factly says, “That’s when Sophie was a boy,” but she knows Sophie is a girl now.

Trans kids just want to mind their own business and have normal childhoods, Irwin said. What they don’t want are classmates, teachers and parents looking at their clothes or wondering what’s underneath them. How we feel in our bodies is intuitive and natural, according to experts like those at the American Medical Association. Trying to argue or rationalize it is a losing battle.

LocaL high schooL student JamaL Webber, Whose name Wa s changed for this story to protect their identity, has an anonymous photo taken at home on aug. 20. JamaL said their friends Were immediateLy supp ortive When they Learned of JamaL’s pronouns.

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“People deserve to present as their authentic selves,” said JohnCarl Denkovich, a longtime LGBTQ+ activist in Nebraska. “It really is as simple as that.”

Title IX, School Guidelines and the Gospel

The Archdiocese of Omaha Catholic Schools defines “authentic” differently.

“First and foremost, we abide by what the gospel tells us,” superintendent Vickie Kauffold said. “That’s [our] identity; [that’s] who we are.”

The gospel, she said, explains God created male and female. According to the Archdiocese of Omaha’s Evangelization and Family Life Office, there’s no differentiation between body and soul, nor gender and body.

The Family Life Office says it offers patient, loving guidance to students questioning gender identity. But they’ll affirm reality ––which they consider the sex on the child’s birth certificate –– and not the child’s new pronouns.

Kauffold said an individual school within the Archdiocese could technically affirm a child’s gender identity, but most would seek guidance through the Family Life Office. The Archdiocese recognizes that children might leave Catholic school when their pronouns aren’t affirmed.

“We love these kids,” Kauffold said. “It hurts us to see kids want to walk away from the church [and] from how God designed them to be.”

Sophie said that when Catholic school wouldn’t affirm her name and gender, it made her feel bad. When The Reader asked her in an email interview how she feels now that her Millard classmates and teachers treat her like a girl, the elementary schooler’s response wasn’t complicated:

“Grrrrreat.”

Unlike private schools, public schools are required to follow Title IX, a civil rights law passed in 1972 that protects students from sexbased discrimination. As of June

2021, that includes protecting students on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation.

Omaha Public Schools has four pages of gender identity equity guidelines, which define terms like “gender fluid” and “transgender,” and outline how the district affirms a child’s gender.

Ralston Public Schools lists gender identity, in addition to gender expression, in its notice of non-discrimination. Irwin, himself transgender, serves on the Ralston Schools Board (according to the Omaha World-Herald, Irwin is believed to be Nebraska’s first openly trans elected official), and said it was his idea to add gender identity.

But rules don’t make safe environments for kids. Teachers, administrators and other students do.

“At the end of the day, the student really only knows ... what they’re experiencing in school,” Denkovich said, “and whether or not those policies translate into practice.”

Bullying and Bathrooms: What Guidelines and Gospel Look Like on the Ground

Denkovich attended public school in Lincoln in the late 90s and early 2000s and describes their high school years as horrendous.

“I had food thrown on me, I was spit on, I had my stuff stolen, people keyed the word ‘fag’ into the hood of my car,” said Denkovich, who as a result often experienced panic attacks for years when eating in public and still lives with severe social anxiety. “I was suicidal ... I didn’t think I would live to graduate from undergrad.”

Denkovich, who was inspired by their mother to channel their trauma into LGBTQ+ advocacy work and activism in college, is a proponent of statewide anti-bullying laws that specify protections for historically marginalized groups like the LGBTQ+ communi-

Medical sociologist and Uno sociology professor Jay irwin said hUMans create gender, and discovering how to express yoUr gender can be playfUl and fUn.

ty. Currently, Denkovich said, protections for marginalized groups, which aren’t explicitly covered under Nebraska’s anti-bullying law, are optional.

According to research from the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, LGBTQ+ students who attend schools that have enumerated policies, which explicitly state that they protect marginalized groups, experience less bullying than those whose schools –– like Nebraska’s –– do not.

In Catholic school, most of Sophie’s classmates refused to use her pronouns and chosen name. When Sophie wore a dress to a church event, kids made fun of her, and the school changed its dress code so kids had to wear clothes that aligned with the sex on their baptismal certificate for future events. And when Sophie came to school with a Disney princess backpack, a mom called the priest and requested he talk to Sophie’s mother about appropriate parenting.

“Bullying doesn’t just come from students,” Denkovich said. “It can come from other parents; it can come from administrators and educators.”

Then there was the girls’ bathroom, which Sophie wasn’t allowed to use. Dr. Ferial Pearson, a University of Nebraska at Omaha teacher-education professor and activist, has seen kids lose class time walking to a single-stall bathroom, or get urinary tract infections from holding it all day because they’re scared of physical assault. According to a recent American Academy of Pediatrics study, roughly 36% of trans and nonbinary teens surveyed whose schools restrict bathroom or locker room access had been sexually assaulted in the past 12 months.

“People worry [trans girls are] pretending to be girls so they can molest somebody. There’s no record of that happening,” Pearson said. “But what we have seen [nationally] is trans kids being attacked in bathrooms.”

At Jamal’s school, there is a gender-neutral restroom, but kids need a separate key for it. Unless they’re connected with the right advocates, they’ll never know it exists.

Jamal’s school has been affirming overall; nevertheless, they encountered a teacher who insisted

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that “they/them” is plural, not singular, and misgendered them the entire semester.

“If the teacher gets [your pronouns] wrong and refuses to get it right, you just have to sit with it,” Jamal said.

Transgender students in supportive settings are still up against what Irwin describes as death by 1,000 paper cuts. Misgendering or deadnaming someone (calling a transgender person by their former name), even when unintentional, messes with students’ minds. Irwin said seemingly innocuous gendered comments like “You go, girl!” or “Do you have a boyfriend?” can make trans kids feel like they stick out like a sore thumb.

“It’s a constant reminder of, ‘Oof, I’m not fitting in. Do I want to stand out from the crowd, or do I want to conform?’” Irwin said. “Conformity comes with a price.”

Jamal’s mother worries how gender segregation in schools ––separating boys and girls in sports, bathrooms, prom court –– will affect Jamal. She wonders whether the PE teacher will place them with the boys or girls for swimming, and hopes homecoming “queen and king” will become “royalty.” Jamal, who plans to try out for tennis, is concerned they’ll be forced to wear a skirt.

Sports are another minefield. The Nebraska School Activities Association allows transgender students to play sports –– after they’ve undergone a convoluted process, including official confirmation of the student’s gender identity by parents and peers, potential submission of medical records, review of an application by the NSAA’s Gender Identity Eligibility Committee, and more. Even if a student wins, they still must use the bathroom associated with the sex on their birth certificate if they haven’t had sex reassignment surgery.

“I’d argue that the majority of trans students will never exercise this policy because of how invasive it is and the hoops required to jump through in order to play,” Denkovich said. “And there’s no guarantee that if you submit all this that you’ll even be approved.”

Every school should accommodate trans students, advocates say. That can be as simple as desegregating activities based on gender or educating the class on pronoun usage. But, according to Denkovich, some parents and educators argue only LGBTQ+ students should get that education; the whole class shouldn’t change for one student. Denkovich disagrees.

“[It’s like] taking 10 kids on a field trip, and only nine coming

back,” Denkovich said. “A 90% success rate is great, but if your child is the one child left behind, it’s a problem for you and for that child.”

There’s no way to know who is LGBTQ+ unless there is space created for everyone to feel valued, respected and safe, they said, and even then there’s no standard timeline for coming out.

“The reality of being a queer student,” Irwin said, “is that you have to be the mature one that says, ‘Here’s who I am. Accept me.’”

gender youth and is herself transgender, says parental rejection has a major effect on a person’s mental health. According to the Trevor Project, trans and nonbinary youth whose pronouns are affirmed by everyone they live with attempt suicide at lower rates.

Like Sophie and Jamal’s parents, the parents of many of Blanco’s clients are supportive –– but the kids nevertheless exhibit symptoms of depression and anxiety. She said it’s hard to know whether they actually have diagnosable mental health conditions, or they’re just responding to sustained alienation and abuse.

“[Sometimes it’s] just a natural human reaction to experiencing something that’s not only awful, but is ongoing,” she said.

Mental Health

On the day The Reader talked to OPS teacher Lucas Martin, whose name has been changed to protect his identity, he was pretty sure a kid just came out to him as trans.

“They said their favorite colors [were] pink, blue and white, the colors of the trans flag. The way they were looking at me, I was like, ‘I got you,’” recalled Martin, who said the student was coming out of their shell for the first time. “I do [a lot of] coded language because as kids are discovering themselves, they don’t know how to articulate it, but they have someone they know [will get] it.”

An openly gay teacher who mentors many LGBTQ+ kids, he’s guided trans teens through dark moments.

“I’ve coached [a] student on how to come out as trans and not want to kill yourself as a 13-yearold,” Martin said. “[The potential for] suicide is very real.”

Suicide statistics for transgender youth are staggering; more than half of trans and nonbinary youth seriously considered committing suicide in the last year, according to the Trevor Project’s National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health 2021.

Emiliana Isabella Blanco, a local therapist who works with trans-

That mental-health strain, Blanco said, can derail students’ academic careers. Blanco has seen trans kids flounder in school –– neglect homework, show up late every day –– and grapple with their bodies changing in ways that don’t affirm their gender.

“Instead of vilifying [them] and saying ‘You didn’t do this homework, and you’re bad,’” she said, “[teachers should] check in and ask, ‘Everything OK, buddy?’”

Blanco said transgender youth of color face unique challenges as they battle both transphobia and racism –– and, according to the Trevor Project, they’re less likely than their white peers to have access to mental health care. A Latina trans woman, she herself has dealt with people stereotyping her as a “fiery Latina” or “angry trans woman.” She’s also worked with Latinx kids who worry not only about gender-identity discrimination but also their parents being deported.

Many of Martin’s mentees are immigrants who also struggle with poverty. The more marginalized identities his students have, he said, the more withdrawn and sad they seem. Meanwhile, Martin said, trans kids don’t always have transgender or queer teachers to serve as role models. Many trans and queer educators, he said, remain closeted, fearful of stigma and stereotypes about LGBTQ+ people as predators.

“A natural reaction to experiencing something awful [and] ongoing”: Trans Kids’

THERAPIST EMILIANA ISABELLA BLANCO GRADUATED FROM MILLARD NORTH HIGH SCHOOL, WHERE SHE SAID SHE WAS SOCIALLY OSTRACIZED.

“The culture of [Omaha] is one of secrecy, where people are LGBTQ+ but don’t acknowledge it,” Martin said. “Students are trying to be themselves, and they see adults who are not.”

Martin strives to create an inclusive classroom where kids can be themselves. He displays pictures of his queer chosen family and stocks his bookshelves with literature that represents LGBTQ+ people. LGBTQ+ kids from other classes seek out his classroom as a safe space.

And when they’re in an accepting space, transgender youth can thrive.

Nothing Left to Prove: Giving Trans Kids the Freedom To Be Themselves

On the first day of class, Jamal Webber’s teacher misgendered them. Jamal told her, “I don’t use those pronouns anymore,” the teacher made the switch, and that was that.

“When someone misgenders me, I correct them, [and we move on] –– that’s one of the best things I’ve ever seen,” Jamal said. “It’s nice to have [people’s] support ... without [them] making a big deal out of it.”

According to her mom, Sophie gets tons of support at Millard.

Sophie’s not out to her classmates yet, just to teachers and administrators. For now, Sophie and her mom like it that way.

“Her gender, her privates, that doesn’t matter,” her mother said. “Whether you’re friends with Sophie should be based on whether you get along with her.”

Sophie’s mom knows things might not always be this easy.

“We’re not gonna run to public school and suddenly be free from the people who are against us,” she said, “because there sure as hell are going to be a bunch of people against [my daughter in the future].”

She also recognizes, however, that her daughter is becoming more secure in herself and how others perceive her. When Sophie first told her parents her gender, she wanted all things girly: frilly dresses, glitter, painted nails.

Not anymore. Now Sophie wears pants, shorts and a lot less pink than she used to. Her mother believes it’s because Sophie has made those around her understand what she’s known since she was a toddler. There’s nothing left to prove.

“Back then, she felt like she had to prove to the world how feminine she was,” she said. “Now that she’s been affirmed and she’s a girl, she doesn’t have to do any of that anymore. [Sophie] can just be who she wants to be.”

Still Have Questions About Pronouns & Inclusive Spaces?

ExpErts Discuss in LatEst ReadeR poDcast

By Emma Schartz

For many, discussions of gender identity and transgender experiences bring questions. What language should I use, and what should I avoid? How can I support someone in my own life who is questioning their gender identity? What should I do when I make a mistake?

This month, The Reader hosted guests Ryan Sallans and Megan Smith-Sallans on the inaugural Reader Radio podcast to break down what inclusivity really looks like. Ryan Sallans is a international speaker and author who shares his life experiences as a transgender man, and Megan Smith-Sallans is a practicing psychotherapist in Omaha who works largely with LBGTQ+ patients and families.

When Sallans first came out in 2005, some members of his family were supportive. But there was fear about how the rest of his family and community would react to the transition.

“The best thing you can do is let go of the ‘what ifs’ and just be there and have faith in the other person’s journey and process,” Sallans said. “And when that person needs to reach out, be there for them.”

When working with young patients, Megan Smith-Sallans often sees that parents fear the rejection their child will face in the world. But parents also grapple with insecurities about their own parent-child relationship.

“For parents, there’s a big disconnect when they’re hearing information, maybe that they didn’t know about their child,” Smith-Sallans said. “There’s a grieving in that, like, ‘Oh, what did I miss? Did I not see this?’ And sometimes it can come out as, ‘This isn’t happening because I didn’t know it.’”

The couple also discussed the prevalence of pronouns and labels in the internet age, which can oftentimes be more damaging than helpful for genderqueer people.

“I worry that we get stuck too far up into our heads and defining things and thinking that that means your sense of self, versus actually living life and experiencing things to understand more about who we are,” Sallans said. “Because those words and labels aren’t who we are. Who we are is something much more complex inside.”

So what should you do if you meet someone and you are unsure of their pronouns?

“If you don’t know someone’s pronouns, don’t use pronouns. It’s easy to do,” Sallans said. “If you learn someone’s pronouns, use their pronouns. If you make a mistake, apologize. If someone is harassing someone and refusing to use their name or pronouns, tell them that is not OK, that is harmful to that young person. We need to respect people for who they are today, or how they currently identify so that they have more room to grow.”

Their main advice to create inclusive and safe spaces: Slow down and make room for exploration.

“What inclusivity means for me is creating enough spaciousness that all parts of ourselves get to exist,” Smith-Sallans said. “Now, that also means you get choice around which parts you may or may not want to share with people. But I think that self-awareness is making room for all of those parts of yourself.”

Check out the Reader Radio podcast at thereader.com.

UNO teacher-edUcatiON prOfessOr aNd activist dr. ferial pearsON grew Omaha sOUth high magNet schOOl’s gay-str aight alliaNce iNtO ONe Of the cOUNtry’s largest gsa s.

Thanks Omaha

BrewpuB, AgAin

Proud pioneers of the fermenter-to-table movement.

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

any better than when that table is here at Upstream. But we suspect you already knew that.

Historic Benson Theatre Opens With New Season Historic Benson Theatre Opens With New Season

by Natalie McGoverN | PHOTOS Michal SiMpSoN

er’s renowned Chip Davis is displayed atop the renovated building. Davis donated the theatre’s sound system, which includes accessibility features tailored specifically to disabled audiences, from those who are hearing and visually impaired to those who have sensory sensitivities. A hearing loop system has been installed to generate sound that can be fed to devices such as iPads or straight to hearing aids. The theatre is also fitted with a wheelchair ramp that runs from street level to the green room and auditorium.

engages individuals in the arts community.

“It’s designed to be a flexible space and is about as limitless as you can imagine,” said Michal Simpson, the theatre’s programming director.

Simpson hopes to bring in new talent in a season that will feature comedy, drama and musical selections with paid artists, directorial staff and technicians.

What began as a vaudeville house in benson nearly 100 years ago now stands as a restored arts-centric hub for entertainment, education and inclusion. A $5 million project that was in the works for roughly eight years, the benson Theatre is preparing its highly anticipated opening season, “Coming Home.”

First operated as the benalto Theater from 1923 to 1926, the benson Theatre has had many uses over the last century, including as a movie theatre and furniture store. The theatre now aims to marry arts entertainment and social theatre with inclusive, community-building educational experiences. With more than 110 community partnerships, the benson Theatre collaborates with local nonprofits such as Rabble Mill, Arts For All and One Omaha to educate and offer help to those underrepresented in the community as well as foster understanding among diverse groups of people.

A marquee donning the name of Mannheim Steamroll-

Each feature is designed with welcoming and comfort in mind and for everyone who attends an event to be “seen, safe, and affirmed,” said Echelle Childers, who heads systems and operations for the theatre. In addition, safety and health measures have been ramped up to ensure the building is thoroughly sanitized in response to the pandemic.

The benson Theatre’s first season will host a number of productions geared toward bIPOC, the LGbTQ community and artists with disabilities. Childers said she wants to promote an ongoing discussion on the topics that are not easy to talk about but are paramount in order to progress forward in an ever-evolving society. Her mission, she said, is for underrepresented voices to be heard.

Inclusive programming will integrate arts and culture, through visual arts, theatre, dance and music, into educational programming that includes talkbacks, seminars, mental health discussions and even food programs for those living with food insecurity. Talkbacks and therapy are envisioned as part of the productions, aiming to help audiences heal from traumatic experiences and create a safe space that

“Coming Home,” will feature several productions starting Oct. 21, including Twentieth Century Blues by Susan Miller, a play about women experiencing ageism, racism and sexism. A musical, Choir Boy, by Tarell Alvin McCraney is set to open in April. Featuring a cast of mainly black men, the show touches on sexual orientation and religion at a preparatory school. The Father, a tragic farce around dementia by Florian Zeller rounds out the season.

“[There’s] an underlying mental health issue that happens in our community,” said Childers. “We need to make sure that we are all OK.”

Simpson said the pandemic has made it more vital than ever to incorporate themes of mental well-being into the arts, and he hopes the multi-functional theatre will pave a way for change.

“[We’re] trying to shed a light on some of the issues that we are all facing, point out the ways that we are more similar than different, and find ways to help people through that,” he said.

Poised to become a fixture in the Omaha arts and culture scene, the benson Theatre will surely serve as an emblematic home for reform, inspiration, innovation and creativity.

RestoRed oRiginal exteRioR, with a new blade sign

RestoRed vaudeville stage lip and plasteR RestoR ation undeRway on the pRoscenium aRch

Autumn Art Smart Autumn Art Smart

BY Mike krainak

A more complete version of the fAll Arts preview c An be found At thereAder.com.

Outdoor super spreaders in Milwaukee, Chicago and Sturgis. Wildfires in states west of the Mississippi and their smoke polluting air quality as far as the East Coast. Extreme flooding in the Midwest previously threatened with drought.

After a year indoors compliments of COVID-19, we were anxious to enjoy the great outdoors in record numbers this past summer. But viruses and climate change have had their way with ignorance and denial. What with variants and other gathering storms on the horizon, will we once again shelter in place this fall and winter, or will museums, sports arenas, cinemas and theaters, bars and restaurants be a part of our indoor activity?

Intrepid visual arts centers in the Omaha metro have scheduled a harvest of autumn exhibits to welcome their patrons back inside. But not without caution and a list of entry requirements that vary from site to site. If you wish to attend, pay special attention to each venue’s level of tolerance for in-person events. Whether vaxed or vexed, most likely, you will be asked or told to mask up and keep your distance.

Joslyn Art Museum’s 90th anniversary isn’t until November, but

the museum is kicking off its celebration early with a new collection-highlighting exhibition, faces from the interior: the nor th American por traits of Karl bodmer (Oct. 2, 2021, to Apr. 17, 2022). The exhibition will also feature a new consideration of the legacies of this cultural encounter and debut four short films about the diverse histories, beliefs and practices embodied in Bodmer’s portraits.

After the Sept. 19 close of its current show, All together, Amongst many: reflections on empathy, Bemis Center will pause to install for its much-anticipated fundraiser, the 2021 Benefit Art Auction + Concert. Featuring hundreds of contemporary artworks available for purchase, the display will be on view Oct. 15–29, culminating in the silent auction plus concert event Oct. 29.

Celebrating the creative career of its eponymous co-founder, form: Jun Kaneko opens soon to the public at the Kaneko and runs through Feb. 25, 2022. Its Bow Truss Gallery will be devoted to the ceramic artist’s retrospective, featuring works that are part of the institution’s permanent collection. The exhibition honors Kaneko’s Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Sculpture Center recognizing his exemplary contribution to the field of sculpture; the award will be bestowed the evening before the organization’s annual soirée event on Oct. 22.

Every year the American Impressionist Society holds its exhibition in a different city; its 22nd Annual national Juried exhibition will be on view at Gallery 1516 in Omaha from Sept. 10 through Dec. 12. The exhibition features 200 impressionist paintings by artists selected from across the country. Artwork represents a wide variety of impressionist styles and subject matter, including landscapes, cityscapes, portraits and still life.

The Aliento a tequila (or The Spirit of Tequila) exhibition at El Museo Latino, Sept. 3 to Oct. 23, explores and celebrates the landscape, culture and traditions that gave birth to tequila, Mexico’s mestizo national drink. Additionally, opening Sept. 17 and running through Nov. 19 will be El Museo’s 2021 invitational exhibition, featuring drawings, paintings, prints and sculptures by Nebraska artists.

The conceptual photographic realism of Nebraska painter Neil Griess will be presented in his new exhibition, roam, at the Nebraska Arts Council’s Fred Simon Gallery from Nov. 1, 2021, to Jan. 7, 2022. His layered renderings, often at the rural-urban interface, expose the artist’s personal take on the real, virtual and imaginary American landscape.

UNL alum Amanda Breitbach is featured in the Lied Art Gallery’s fall season opener, exhibiting her oil and water series of color photographs from Sept. 7 to Oct. 8. Breitbach has been exploring the dual nature of the Texas Gulf Coast as a site of vital habitat for wildlife and the economic hub of the global petrochemical industry. Omaha artist Colin C. Smith brings his soft Geometry next to the Lied Art Gallery with an exhibition of recent resin/ pigment paintings and sculpture Oct. 22 to Nov. 22.

The Garden of the Zodiac Gallery will open with steve Joy: traces Oct. 7 through Nov. 28, centering on nine new paperworks. These are part of Joy’s series based on the sacred roads of the Mayans called Sacbe and influenced by his many stays in the area of the Coba ruins in Mexico’s Yucatan.

The fall migration of hummingbirds makes a stop at Anderson

Karl Bodmer

JUn KeneKo wiTh ‘SanBon aShi’ sculpture, hand Built glazed ceraMics and steel. installed at scripps college, clareMont, c alif., 1971. - Jun KaneKo studio

neil GrieSS, ‘SUnSeT Valley’ 2021, acrylic on prepared watercolor paper, 27” x 36” - fred siMon gallery

STeVe Joy, ‘SaCBe (CoBa) 1’ 2021, fiBerglass and wax on paper - garden of the zodiac gallery

Joe BroGhammer, ‘miGhT y liTTle alBaTroSS’ chalK pastel on paper - anderson o’Brien

O’Brien Fine Art with the exhibition Fatties: Joe Broghammer, Sept. 11 to Oct. 5. The artist crosses the boundaries of Audubonian observation with Boschian fantasy to produce highly personal, witty and subversive portraits.

Prairie Landscapes: Ray Knaub follows from Oct. 9-30, offering new atmospheric paintings from this Neo-Regionalist Nebraska artist.

ICONS: Bart Vargas rounds out the fall with an exhibition of new work from Nov. 5-30.

FALL ARTS PREVIEW

and synthetic amalgamates, meat gelatin cast transparent leaves, with bloody veins, objects in fugue.

In Benson, Maple St. Construct offers three monthlong key exhibits: Jerry Peña, who explores his culture identity as a first generation Mexican American, Sept. 3-30; Shane Darwent and Daniel Paul Schubert open Oct.1 at 6 p.m. with large-scale sculpture, and site-responsive installations that distill the commercial vernacular along American roadways into experimental photographic works; and Francesco X. Siqueiros, who opens Nov. 5, with details to come.

opens Hot Shops’ fall schedule, Sept.1, as a month-long, progressive exhibit that invites viewers to create work of their own at one of several creation stations inside the empty gallery. All artwork will then be hung in the gallery. Attend the closing reception Sept. 26 from 1-3 p.m. to see the completed exhibit.

Kate Stevenson, based in New York City, is the second artist-in-residence at Baader-Meinhof and currently working on her next show. Her solo exhibition, Pseudomorphs, will open Sept. 10. The exhibition will feature new sculptural works and engage the gallery in atmospheric installation-based presentational strategies. Taking an indirect approach to political and ecological concerns, such as the Jan. 6 Capitol riot or genetic modification, Stevenson’s exhibition will animate these co-emergent phenomena by way of theatrically staged artifacts

Another Benson venue, Petshop Gallery, has scheduled two, two-monthlong exhibits: solo artist Juan José CastañoMárquez, September/October, explores contemporary issues on historiography, archivization and personal identity; and in November/December, McKenzie Phelps focuses on concepts of femininity, pop culture and identity in oil paintings and quilts.  Creating Community

Fiber Position opens at The Little Gallery Sept. 11, for two months with artist Travis Apel’s series of mixed media sculptures made of garden and yard waste and in the artist’s words: “other plant fibers drawn out my intrinsic affinity for their contrasting fragility and strength. Fiber Position informs us of our stance and impact on this prairie land.”

Delita Martin reopens Union of Contemporary Art Sept. 8 to Nov. 6 with vintage and family photographs as a source of inspiration. Martin’s finished works combine collaging, drawing, painting, printmaking and sewing

techniques, placing her figures amid patterns to “visually represent what it looks like when we become the spiritual other.” By fusing this visual language with oral storytelling in this different space, she offers other identities and narratives for women of color.

Amplify Arts’ Generator Space hosts Squiggles, Spirals, & StraightLine Splices: Glitches of The Off-Modern Revolution, Sept. 10 to Oct. 15. Organized by Adrian Sliva and Hilary Wiese, the exhibition engages architecture, photography and emerging digital processes to investigate the Western body’s conflicted, changing relationship to deep time, entropy and planetary systems.

Omaha North Hills Pottery Tour returns to in-person mode Oct. 2-3 with some new faces. Joining this mostly open-air tour are Sean Scott of Battle Lake, Minnesota, Sarah Hummel Jones of Omaha, and Jenni Petersen Brant of Dubuque, Iowa. Scott’s nature-inspired teapots, Jones’ playful feminine forms, and Brant’s tactile, elegant pastel-glazed pieces add to the scope and form seen on the tour. For details and directions, visit onhpt.com.

Janet Farber contributed to this preview.

- Kate StevenSon and Baader-Meinhof

teapot by Minnesota potter, sean scott

‘Midnight Visitor’ - hot ShopS art Center

‘spirit and self’ - Union of ConteMporary art

Fall in Love with These

Fall in Love with These Musical Delights

by Cheril lee

Omaha Performing Arts has Jazz Hands

Though there is no longer a formal jazz series at Omaha Performing Arts, there’s plenty for jazz fans to enjoy.

“We’re continuing to present amazing jazz artists that represent a variety of styles from Arturo O’Farrill to Lisa Fischer. Along with the changes we’ve made to the Holland Music Club, we have many wonderful shows planned for all our jazz fans,” said Joan Squires, president of Omaha Performing Arts.

Up first this season is a performance by Madeleine Peyroux in the Kiewit Concert Hall Sept 29. Hot on the heels of that performance, boz Scaggs takes the stage a week later on Oct 6. both shows begin at 7:30 pm.

New this year is the “Create Your Own” ticket package. Find all the details at ticketomaha.com.

The Gang’s All Here

The Omaha Area youth Orchestra will start the season with a program featuring all of its ensembles: youth Symphony, youth Philharmonic, youth Concert Strings and the new Percussion Ensemble. Music Director Aviva Segall says one of her goals for the OAyO is to perform works by historically under-performed composers. Pieces on the Nov. 14 concert include Dances in the Canebrakes, composed by Florence Price and arranged by William Grant Still, and A Joyous Trilogy by a young composer named Quinn Mason.

“He’s still in his 20s and is a tremendous composer for his age. This piece is joyful and interesting without sounding trite or forced in any way,” Segall said.

Segall said playing pieces from composers close in age to the OAyO musicians of ten inspires them to try their hand at composing.

“A lot of our students think of themselves as both musicians and composers at a high level,” she said.

Segall hopes to round out this concert with a piece by a former or current OAyO musician.

Concer t information is available at oayo.org.

Bahl Conducts Beethoven, Bach and Britten

Maestro Ankush Kumar bahl takes the stage as music director for the first time Sept. 24-26 at the Holland Center. The program features John Adams’ foxtrot,  The Chairman Dances, beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92 and William Grant Still’s  Out of the Silence. Acclaimed jazz pianist Aaron Diehl joins the orchestra on George Gershwin’s Second Rhapsody for Piano and Orchestra.

The Joslyn Symphony season gets underway Oct. 10 at 2 p.m. The concert starts with a journey to the Andes Mountains with living composer Gabriela Lena Frank’s Levendas: An Andean Walkabout for Strings. Another highlight of this program is Alexandra Rock, principal oboe, who will play Bach’s Concerto for Oboe d’amore. benjamin britten’s Simple Symphony finishes the performance.

Season information is online at omahasymphony.org.

A New Twist on an Old Tale

Opera Omaha starts the season with a story about the most well-known pair of lovers in history, Romeo and Juliet. The Capulets and The Montagues is onstage at the Orpheum Theater Oct. 15 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 17 at 2 p.m. The production by ONE Festival’s artistic director, James Darrah, is dark and rich, exploring the ill-fated couple’s love and ultimate loss. The big twist? Vincenzo bellini wrote the music for Romeo specifically for a mezzo soprano.

Cecelia Hall makes her Opera Omaha debut as Romeo. Returning soprano Andriana Chuchman is Juliet.

For ticket information, the website is operaomaha.org.

According to bahl’s website: He has been a conducting fellow at the Aspen Music Festival with David Zinman and completed his master’s degree in orchestral conducting at the Manhattan School of Music with Zdenek Macal and George Manahan. In recent years bahl has been a frequent collaborator with jazz legend Wayne Shorter, leading his quartet in concerts of his orchestral music at both the Kennedy Center and the Detroit Free Jazz Festival. He has been lauded by both The Washington Post and The New York Times for his enthusiasm and his ability to leave audiences wanting more. He is the 13th music director of the Omaha Symphony.

Q: Your natural love of and affinity for music started very early in your life, didn’t it?

A: Oh yes. My mother used to take me to music events when I was between six months to a year old, and I started hitting her chest in rhythm with the music. It wasn’t too much longer (about age 5) before I decided I wanted to play different notes (pitches and not just rhythms) and that I wanted to play with other people. My brother played the violin and my sister the flute. I started playing violin and enjoyed it. but in fourth grade, the band director asked each of us what we wanted to do and play. He actually singled me out and said, “you have good ears, and you sing in tune perfectly right now. Do you want to play the French horn?’ It was such a beautiful sound, so I said yes. In high school, I started playing piano and was in the marching band, too. but once I took that elective class in conducting, I started to shift my focus.

Q: What drew you to the podium?

A: I liked music but felt I needed to make money, so I went to UC berkeley and double majored. I took music classes for fun. Rhetoric was

my second major. I had one upper division course in conducting. As soon as I took that class my instructor said, “you’re not that bad.” And I thought, “ha ha, I am going to be a lawyer or a doctor or a teacher.” but soon I started putting my own groups together and was conducting. My first orchestral concert I conducted barber’s Adagio for Strings and Copland’s Appalachian Spring.

Q: What attracted you to this position?

A: I love the idea of working with such a high level of musicians. Thomas (Wilkins) built such a fantastic orchestra and organization and community. Everyone has buy-in because he showed them what the orchestra could be. I am lucky to have such a fertile situation here.

Q: i know you love education as much as performance when it comes to the music, right?

A: I enjoy speaking about the pieces and package what the audience is about to hear. I’m happy to bring my thoughts to a piece if you’ve never heard it. Ultimately, I want to bring the community beautiful concerts. I want us to be a vibrant par t of the culture in downtown Omaha. The symphony is a living, breathing lifeform. And I want us to evolve the craft, to push it forward. I don’t want us becoming part of a museum culture by playing the same music over and over. I want to have concerts where people live. I love this idea of random acts of music. These don’t always have to happen in a concert hall setting. I also want to ensure the programming is relevant to the community, special to Omaha and recognized outside the city. Ultimately, I want to feature new and diverse composers, musicians and conductors, thinking about the wider community and giving Omaha a wonderful palette of colors to choose from.

A Quick Q&A with Omaha Symphony’s New Music Director, Ankush Kumar Bahl

Photo courtesy of the omaha area youth orchestra

Veg An OMAhA

D I re C t O ry

BY Sara Locke

As the granddaughter of a Polish immigrant who fed her family by working long hours in the packing house, I know precisely how ubiquitous beef is to Omahans. In fact, growing up, chicken was a once-amonth delicacy in our home. Every other day of the month, beef was what’s for dinner. When I first became vegetarian at the age of 19, there was nowhere to go for a meal that wasn’t served with, cooked in or made exclusively of meat.

Today, however, you’d be hard-pressed to find a spot that didn’t have a good number of vegetarian items to offer. It’s less common, however, to find a restaurant that is truly committed to animal-free, plant-based cuisine. This month, we wanted to honor the establishments taking the risk and devoting their menus to truly meat-free meals.

Amateur Coffee 3913 Cuming

While many local coffee establishments took recent supply chain issues as a sign to stop offering dairy-free milks, Amateur became a poster child for standing by your ethics. The sweet shop offers a full roster of specialty roasts, complete with oat, almond and other alternative milks and a brand-new fall menu of vegan bites that cater to a number of allergies and food sensitivities. The establishment also offers a new compost and recycling counter, ensuring that your stop is powering you up without powering the planet down. If you’re

going to grab a daily coffee, grab one you can feel good about!

Conscious Comforts

Pop-Up

You can find this plant-based pop-up sharing their wares at places like Edge of the Universe, Stir Coffee Bar and Diana’s Papillion Tea Shop, or catering personally to those who place an order online. You can enjoy baked goods, pizzas and burritos, many of which are also offered gluten-free. Conscious Comforts may qualify as the most decadent addition to our list, with towering chocolate drizzled cakes and rich cinnamon rolls. The caring minds

behind the comforts leave no craving uncured.

FauxMaha

1319 S. 50th St.

A lot of time, energy and thought went into what will be a quick bite for you at Fauxmaha. Enjoy your Chicago Dog, French Dip or hearty Garbage Burrito at this all-vegan lunch stop. The nacho cheese and fox sauces make every bite more fun, while the potato salad is a bright and refreshing side to the savory mains.

Ital Vital Living

2323 N. 24th St.

We aren’t sure Where the little is, bec ause the flavor, the portions and the atmosphere are larger than life at little ve’s.

Many of the establishments on this list qualify as stealth-vegan. Vegan but you wouldn’t know it. With Ital, you won’t waste a moment questioning if what you’re eating is truly vital nutrition. Enjoy bright smoothie bowls, fresh cold-pressed juices and dehydrated fruits to glow on the go!

JuJus Vegan

1247

S. 11th St., Lincoln

It takes a lot to get me to make the drive to Lincoln, but JuJu’s Jambalaya is my son’s favorite, which instantly makes it worth the jaunt. I can imagine how one

could create vegan Latin food or Mediterranean, and a few faux meats can make even standard American food plant-based. But I never expected to experience vegan Creole cuisine, and I’m so glad Juju’s has spent the last two years making it happen. Hot hush puppies and cornbread are flavorful and satisfying enough to have you forgetting your main course is still on the way. By the time the aromatic jasmine rice meets your mouth, however, your appetite will know what to do.

Little Ve’s Pop Up

Wherever this spicy shop pops up, the crowds seem to follow. Is

Photo VIA FACEBooK

the meat may be faux, but the fl avor is for real. fauxmaha dogs’ bite is better than their bark. Photo VIA FACEBooK.

it the spicy asada nachos, or the child-sized burritos? I don’t mean child-sized serving, I mean the burrito is approximately the size of a human child at birth. These things are massive, but if you try your best and believe in yourself, you might just conquer it and live to enjoy Ve’s Horchata before you go!

Modern Love Omaha

3157 Farnam

Isa Moskowitz and her team are constantly creating, and the Modern Love owner has quite literally written the book on vegan cooking. The Veganomicon in my kitchen is, itself, well-loved and food-splattered, and the creativity it contains doesn’t touch the ever-evolving menu at Omaha’s most iconic meat-free eatery.

Oso Good Kitchen and Panaderya

Delivery-only

Legally considered a cottage-bakery, this sweet little spot delivers directly to custom-

ers. Occasional pop-ups include treats like mango cupcakes with Pinoy orange curd filling, and Calamansi buttercream donuts. Special order cakes are brilliant, colorful and creatively decorated, with flavors that will make any occasion special. Gluten-conscious options are also available.

Pepe’s Kitchen

1311 S. 11th St., Lincoln

Another Lincoln addition to our list, Pepe’s nachos valencia and curry burrito have been known to lure people from a lot farther than Omaha. Herb roasted okra tacos might be the only way I’ve ever personally enjoyed okra, so if you’ve been looking for a reason to give it another go, this might be the reason to take a chance.

Soular Power Plate

Check

Chef Lex Ewing has put the heart into heart-healthy dining. Her one-woman show is a completely customizable menu of vegan comfort foods, designed to meet each of her client’s health

Get Ready Omaha

LoCo is owned and operated by local independent restaurants. the ultimate goal of LoCo is to offer delivery from the best local restaurants in town, provide great service, and enhance the local dining scene. Support local and download our app today.

“Local Like Crazy”

“Local Like Crazy”

LoCo Omaha is Omaha’s locally owned and operated restaurant delivery service. Founded in 2020,LoCo Omaha is a food delivery co-operative that supports local restaurants and keeps profits in the community. as a co-operative, LoCo Omaha stands out from national third-party services in the following ways:

LoCo Omaha is Omaha’s locally owned and operated restaurant delivery service. Founded in 2020, LoCo Omaha is a food delivery co-operative that supports local restaurants and keeps profits in the community. As a co-operative, LoCo Omaha stands out from national third-party services in the following ways:

••• Lower commissions - LoCo Omaha is a more afordable and sustainable alternative to national services, which often charge up to 30 percent in commissions and fees. Co-op rates are roughly half those paid by restaurants to national services, resulting in larger delivery profits for Omaha small businesses.

•••

Lower commissions- LoCo Omaha is a more affordable and sustainable alternative to national services, which often charge up to 30 percent in commissions and fees. Co-op rates are roughly half those paid by restaurants to national services, resulting in larger delivery profits for Omaha small businesses.

Logistical control - Since LoCo is run as a co-operative, restaurant owners manage the delivery process and maintain their customers’ data. Co-op members also have a vote on the board and gain a share of the profits.

•••

Logistical control- Since LoCo is run as a co-operative, restaurant owners manage the delivery process and maintain their customers’ data. Co-op members also have a vote on the board and gain a share of the profits.

Local collaboration - LoCo Omaha promotes and works with local businesses, unlike big delivery apps that push their national partners at the local level.

•••

Local collaboration- LoCo Omaha promotes and works with local businesses, unlike big delivery apps that push their national partners at the local level.

Local service - the team is composed of Omaha staff, dispatchers and drivers who provide local customer service. LoCo Omaha also offers local It and back office support to local restaurant partners.

•••

Local service- The team is composed of Omaha staff, dispatchers and drivers who provide local customer service. LoCo Omaha also offers local IT and back office support to local restaurant partners.

Lower prices - Unlike national third-party services, LoCo Omaha charges a flat delivery fee no matter the cost of the meal. By ordering from the Get LoCo app, customers can support their favorite local restaurants while paying lower prices for delivery.

Lower prices- Unlike national third-party services, LoCo Omaha charges a flat delivery fee no matter the cost of the meal. By ordering from the Get LoCo app, customers can support their favorite local restaurants while paying lower prices for delivery.

O maha

LOCaLLy OWNed deLIVeRy CO-OP

USE CODE GoLoCo

exactly where they are. Be sure to check out our profile on Chef Lex by searching “Soul Food With Style” at thereader.com

Veg.Edible Pop-Up

Animal-free, glutenfree, nutfree. When I first heard Veg.Edible’s claims I gave a weary sigh. Having a child with food sensitivities, I knew for sure this list also meant to add “taste-free.” Usually, foods that meet all of these criteria are unimaginative bowls of bland veg, but Veg.Edible came to play. Each dish is flavorful, fresh and fun. It’s not a struggle to get a kid to eat a beautiful teriyaki kebab. In fairness, any food you put on a stick is going to get a kid’s attention. Every plate features rich colors, textures and a satisfying serving of the energy you need to

get to dessert — but I swear if you take the last kolache you’re going to need that energy because we’re throwing hands.

RunneR up:

Naughty Buddha Burger Bar

707 S. 24th St.

Naughty Buddha opened mid-pandemic with big goals and big flavors to back them up. So why is a fun atmosphere with high-energy owners and a truly delicious burger not prominently featured on this list? Myriad mistakes, many on the part of a supplier, and the rest the result of

misread labels have made the spot not officially 100% vegan — yet.

From cricket protein to milk powder in chips, a number of products have been found to contain non-vegan ingredients or animal byproducts. So

rather than exclude them from the list, let’s call them an up-andcomer carefully navigating a new business with very specific demands. Those with food allergies and strong convictions, be sure to check your labels carefully as they continue to improve their supplier relationships.

Veg.edible makes Vegan more than edible, but fully delectable. Photo via Facebook.

September 8 - November 6

Conjure, Delita Martin Union for Contemporary Art u-ca.org

September 10

The Fey with J. Crum & Sebastian

Lane

9 p.m. | $8-$10 Slowdown

Aliento a Tequila

(Spirit of Tequila) SEE PAGE 19

September 4

Big Wade & Black Swan Theory

Free Miller Park Pavilion, 2707 Redick Ave o-pa.org

tours and sharing the stage with legendary soul artist Al Green.

The Miller Park Concert Series finale will start at 7 p.m. — Efren Cortez

September 5

Hutchfest

10 a.m. - 4 p.m. | $10 Millwork Commons, 11th & Nicholas St. hutchfestomaha.com

The third and final show for the 2021 Miller Park Concert Series will conclude with local soul and funk group Big Wade & Black Swan Theory Sept. 4.

Fronted by North Omaha native Lewade “Big Wade” Milliner, Big Wade & Black Swan Theory are considered pioneers for Nebraska’s soul music scene. They recently played at the In the Market for Blues music festival in downtown Omaha in August. Milliner’s

If artisan/handmade goods are your jam, get ready to take it to the next level by adding brunch, cocktails and perhaps a spirited game of cornhole! The minds behind Hutch, one of our favorite furniture/housewares stores, have collaborated with 150+ local makers and vintage dealers to bring this epic, highly anticipated one-day maker-fair to Millwork Commons. The kicker? You’re also helping boost the local economy.

The event will go on rain or shine. Attendees are encouraged to wear masks, and vendors will be spaced 6 ft. apart. This is a kidand dog-friendly event.

— Lynn Sanchez

This all-ages show will satisfy fans of R&B, hip-hop and blues alike. Air-tight alt-R&B band The Fey, signed to Kansas City label The Record Machine, will headline and deliver. Emcee J. Crum, who performed at Maha Music Festival, will punctuate the night with transcendent beats and bars. Sebastian Lane, the grandson of Blues Hall of Famer Jimmy Rogers (band-mate of the great Muddy Waters), will add to the mythos of his family name. In short, attend!

— Matt Casas

September 11

Andy

William and The Nebraska All Stars

6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. | $15 The Jewell

On Sept. 11, you have two chances to experience a beautiful celebration of diverse musical stylings. Andy William (AKA Andy Gomez) and his band of topnotch performers the world over (the All Stars) want to show you the best of Afro-Cuban jazz music, with their special Nebraskan twist. Doors will open 90 minutes before each show. So, get there early to prepare for your world to be forever changed by one scintillating Afro-Cuban jazz orchestra. And be ready to dance!

— Matt Casas

September 15

Armand Hammer

8 p.m. | $20

The Waiting Room Lounge

The sound of New York’s underground is stopping at The Waiting Room this month when Armand Hammer comes to town. The duo, comprising rappers Billy Woods and ELUCID, are known for their abstract lyricism delivered over trippy production as a pair and in their solo releases. But together Woods and ELUCID are at their best, particularly on their new album, Haram, which is New York hip-hop from a dystopian reality 30 years in the future. Joining the duo behind the boards is legendary hip-hop producer The Alchemist, who is a willing part-

ner in Armand Hammer’s coup of kaleidoscopic doomsday rap.

— Sam Crisler

September 16

Larkin Poe

8 p.m. | $30 Slowdown

September 17

Pride Night 2

7:05 p.m. | $9-$27

Werner Park

earned an 80/100 on Metacritic and a 7.3 on Pitchfork

Tickets are available for $27 in advance and $30 the day of the show. Doors open at 7 p.m. with singer-songwriter Ryley Walker opening at 8 p.m.

— Efren Cortez

September 21 Lightning Bolt

The Struts & Zero 9:36

Larkin Poe, a Grammy-nominated, roots-rock sister duo consisting of Rebecca and Megan Lovell, are making their way to Slowdown Sept. 16.

The Lovell sisters’ 2020 album, Self Made Man, topped three Billboard charts, making it their second consecutive chart-topping album. Later in 2020, they also released a covers album titled Kindred Spirits, which included songs originally by Elton John, Phil Collins and Neil Young.

The show is mostly sold out, but there will be general admission tickets available on the day for $30. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with the music starting at 8 p.m.

— Efren Cortez

September 17

Exhibition

Celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride at Werner Park on Sept. 17 when the Omaha Storm Chasers face off against the Iowa Cubs! This will be the fourth game in a six-game home series. Prior to the matchup, a pre-game live performance by School of Rock Omaha will occur near the ballpark’s gates. First United Methodist Church will also be at the game to support Pride Night 2. Gates open at 6 p.m. with the game slated to start at 7:05. Remaining game tickets are available for between $9 and $27.

— Efren Cortez

September 20

Dinosaur Jr.

8 p.m. | $27-$30

The Waiting Room Lounge

8 p.m. | $20 Slowdown

7 p.m. | $44-$129

Pinewood Bowl Theater, Lincoln pinewoodbowltheater. com

One of the most influential alternative rock bands during the 1990s due to their lo-fi recordings and implementation of noise rock, Dinosaur Jr. is returning to The Waiting Room Lounge Sept. 20.

Originally slated for a mid2020 release, the trio’s newest album, Sweep It Into Space, released on April 23 instead due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The album

In a ranking of the most chaotic-sounding bands of all time, Rhode Island’s Lightning Bolt would have to be in the top 5. The noise duo has been performing uncompromisingly high-energy rock since their debut in 1999, and their most recent LP, 2019’s Sonic Citadel, is no exception. The band plays with more intensity and precision than most bands half their age could only strive for. Lightning Bolt is stopping in Omaha on their first post-COVID tour this month, and if you go, just remember to bring some ibuprofen along. Omaha electronic artist Darren Keen opens the show as PROBLEMS.

— Sam Crisler

September 22

Shinedown at Pinewood Bowl featuring

Shinedown is a band that, if you have listened to rock radio in the last 20 years, you have heard. They are a multi-platinum fourpiece that currently holds the record for the most Mainstream Rock Airplay top 10s (Billboard). Joining them is The Struts, a prominent U.K. band in the glam, metal and hard-rock subgenres, and Zero 9:36, an artist who blends various genres. Lincoln will shine all night long!

— Matt Casas

September 23

Vanessa Collier

6 p.m. | $15

The Jewell

If you want to experience two performances for the price of one, head to The Jewell later this month. There, you will experience Vanessa Collier, a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist (including a startling saxophonist). Collier has already racked several prestigious award nominations early in her career. One award

equivalent includes high praise from blues legend Buddy Guy, based on an impromptu performance the two once shared. Her fresh face, booming voice and next-level musicianship take well to stages across the world. Catch her in Omaha and dig the hype!

— Matt Casas

September 24

The Wood Brothers

8 p.m. | $26-$30

Slowdown

it started out as a jamming session to break in their new studio.

Reserved pit-side seating is sold out, but general admission and reserved balcony seating are still available at $26 and $41, respectively. Doors for the all-ages show will open at 7 p.m. with the music starting at 8 p.m.

— Efren Cortez

September 26

Agent Orange

8 p.m. | $18-$22

Reverb Lounge

frontman Mike Palm, the sole remaining founding member of the band, which formed in 1979.

Opening will be local punk bands R.A.F. and The Scabby Ghouls.

The all-ages show will start at 8 p.m. with advance ticket prices at $18.

— Efren Cortez

September 23-25

Lincoln Calling 2021 Music & Arts

Festival

5 p.m. (Sept. 23) – 10 p.m. (Sept. 25) | $25$125 lincolncalling.com

Attention all creatives with a will or way to Lincoln! The 18th annual Lincoln Calling returns, bringing much-needed diversity to Nebraskan stages. Beloved downtown venues will help, including Bourbon Theatre, 1867 Bar, Duffy’s Tavern, Zoo Bar and Bodega’s Alley. Artists include Indigenous, Slothrust, Birthdayy Partyy, Thelma and the Sleaze, Kris Lager Band, Dereck Higgins and more. Also, check out the Night Market on 14th Street (between O and P). Be safe, have fun!

— Matt Casas

Folk band The Wood Brothers, featuring brothers Oliver and Chris Wood along with multi-instrumentalist Jano Rix, are playing at Slowdown Sept. 24.

The trio’s latest album, last year’s Kingdom in My Mind, was not planned to be an album. Instead,

Legendary hardcore punk band Agent Orange will be crashing into Omaha Sept. 26 at Reverb Lounge. The Southern California trio were one of the first bands to mix punk rock with surf rock.

It has been more than a decade since a music release from Agent Orange, but any fan of punk owes it to themselves to mosh around and sing along with guitarist and

— Lynn Sanchez

Jocko’s Future Form

Checking in with Omaha’s Hungriest Hardcore Band

By Sam CriSler

On a notably mild August evening, Omaha hardcore band Jocko is getting ready to run through a quick set of songs. They’ve got a show coming up soon, but tonight’s plan is to focus on newly written material; that is, songs that the band wrote in the throes of the pandemic. The band has a finished EP up its sleeve, but those songs are hardly new by now. They’ve actually been completed for almost two years. After the band dropped a pair of singles in early 2020, they opted to hold off on releasing the rest of the follow-up to 2018’s Expression LP until the pandemic was over.

They didn’t think they’d be waiting this long.

The band practices at bassist Benji Molczyk’s house in a quirky part of town, north of Carter Lake and just off Fort Street, one of the few paved arteries in the area. It is heavily wooded with few neighbors around — those who are often make noise well into the night, riding dirt bikes or bumping sub-bass from their car trunks, says drummer Cameron Leininger. Perfect for a loud band’s headquarters.

Practice is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. in a metal outbuilding behind Molczyk’s house. Behind the barn is a basketball hoop adjusted to a 6-foot height on a concrete slab that backs up to a line of trees. A cat known as Hank traipses around the yard as frontman Jacob Adams and guitarists Joey Claus and Wyatt Haertel shoot hoops. When the sun sets, the band heads for the barn, through a pair of doors and into a specially built practice space. The room is modestly sized, about 10 feet by 12, with assorted posters of bands on the wall — there’s Alice in Chains, Butthole Surfers, Soundgarden and the only band with a sound comparable to Jocko’s, Rage Against The Machine.

Of those bands, Rage is the only one with a rapper fronting a rock band. But Jocko isn’t a rap-rock band.

“The goal is to play shit we’ve never heard,” Leininger says.

Their music is rooted in scrappy hardcore punk, with Adams rap-yelling over the top at a breakneck pace. He grew up as a hip-hop kid without any background in hardcore or punk music. In the past decade, he’s performed solo as Static Soul and in the hip-hop projects Dirty Diamonds and Third Eye Merchants, with whom he displayed a grimy aggression and an

on-the-nose sense of rhythm and flow. He doesn’t change his approach much for Jocko. In his mind, the rest of the band is writing riff-heavy hip-hop instrumentals.

“It’s just rap,” he says. “It’s really just rap.”

While his lyrics can be difficult to discern as they’re being rabidly delivered, they’re not meant to be glossed over. A read-through reveals a keen sense of wordplay and a message that’s reflective of the world around him. He’s careful with his words, and he’s got a lot to say.

Here’s an excerpt from “Best of Me,” the second track on Expression: “See the writing clear as day and night / Society’s plight may it rest in peace / All for one is just a waste of time / I won’t let this cold world get the best of me.”

“[I write about] how I wish things were, or things that I feel could be better,” Adams says. “I try to sit with [the lyrics] and make them interesting.”

Leininger says when Jocko started in 2015, they wanted to avoid being thought of as a band with “machismo,” which he associated with certain strains of hardcore. After all, the band’s name comes from the Devo song “Jocko Homo,” a song about the regression of man into more primitive frames of mind. To avoid coming off too macho, the band opts to play in standard tuning, rather than tuning their guitars lower for a more metallic sound.

“Everything about it at the start was so much about being just good energy, but not too tough,” he says.

But over time, the band found that it was the hardcore scene that dug Jocko the most.

“I’ve always enjoyed being invited to hardcore festivals and people coming up to me and going, ‘What the fuck was that?’” Molczyk says.

Leininger credits Jocko’s unconventional style to their Omaha roots. If the city’s hardcore scene were more vast, the band might not have formed with a jazz bassist anchoring its bottom end or a rapper as its frontman.

“It’s straight Nebraska shit, man,” Leininger says. “Other cities are big enough, and they have all these scenes where there’s plenty of people to play in your hardcore band. And that’s kind of the sick thing about being somewhere like Omaha. There’s not. So you start asking, ‘Who is available? Who do I know? Who has something cool to offer?’ And then it just brings together this fucking motley crew of misfit toys, and that breeds Jocko.”

The same can be said for the people who attend Jocko’s Omaha shows. They come from the punk, hardcore, hip-hop and skater subcultures, and they know they can expect a wallto-wall moshpit awaiting them at the show. Few Omaha bands receive local support as passionate as Jocko.

“I feel like it’s pure, and it’s awesome,” Claus says. “I love how excited the kids get at our shows.”

More than 18 months later, the wait to release their EP is almost over, and they’ll soon be back in front of a hungry Omaha crowd. Jocko has plans to drop the EP, titled Future Form, this fall and are playing their first show back on Oct. 9 at Outrspaces.

As practice wraps up, crickets chirp inside the space and the band empties their tallboy cans. It hasn’t quite set in yet that they have a show coming up.

“I think it’s gonna take one show to feel real,” Claus says. “And I think that first show back, I will have a nervousness to me like the first time I ever played a

show.”

Front (leF t to right): Joey Claus, JaCob adams. Back (leF t to right): Wyatt Haertel, benJi molC z yk, Cameron leininger. Photo By anu rei.

JoCko’s Future Form eP droPs tHis fall via dog years reCords.

Lincoln Calling Returns with Lineup of Nebraska All-Stars’

by Sam CriSler

’ve always hoped to someday go to one of the big-time music festivals — one on the level of a Glastonbury or a Primavera Sound. But the lineups I’m really interested in are always a few airport layovers away, or money is too tight to justify spending $500 on the tickets alone. It’s a huge com-

down and book the top talent in Nebraska and the Midwest.

“I know Lincoln, I know Omaha,” Munson said. “We just want to see our favorite bands post-pandemic. So it was about going out and finding and talking with the Nebraska all-stars.”

me? No, not really. Nebraska is fortunate each year to have two reliably solid midsized festivals that happen in the span of about a month. So, instead of looking forward to the major festival announcements h spring, I wait to see who will be playing Nebraska’s biggest fests — Maha Festival

two are very different; Maha is outside at the end of summer and typically books a small lineup of the best artists it can find on the indie circuit, while Lincoln Calling is usually sprawling, with more than 100 artists most years spread out at multiple clubs in downtown Lincoln. Maha, despite a scaled-back lineup and the lingering effects of the pandemic, managed to sell out of tickets this year (they capped entry at 8,000 tickets sold) and went off without a hitch in late July. It was the most fun I can remember

This month, it’s Lincoln Calling’s turn. The

In the past few years, Lincoln Calling has really upped its game, bringing in major acts like Charli XCX, Angel Olsen and Best Coast in 2017 alone. In 2020, though, Lincoln Calling took place exclusively online, t to deliver a festival experience in the midst of a pandemic. The treat of seeing local and national artists perform via livestream on a couple days in early October was certainly a bright spot in our COVID existence, but it was pretty clear that laptop ers were not suitable substitutes for the sonic impact of live instruments making you wish you’d worn earplugs.

Thankfully, Lincoln Calling will be back in real life this year, held on six downtown stages. Like Maha, Lincoln Calling is operating on a budget, so packing this year’s bill with A-list artists was financially impossible. But the fest’s executive director Spencer Munson is pleased with the lineup he and his team put together. Their strategy? Track

That’s how you wind up with local heroes Plack Blague, Kris Lager Band and Universe Contest at the top of the lineup, and the undercard stacked with artists like Twinsmith, The Fey, No Thanks, High Ruler and Freakabout. This year’s headliners are Boston indie rock band Slothrust, South Dakota blues rock band Indigenous and Chicago EDM duo Birthdayy Partyy.

Even if these names don’t ring a bell, Munson thinks that’s part of the fun at Lincoln Calling.

“ There are a lot of people that come to this festival that aren’t expecting a name that they know,” Munson said. “They come to this festival to learn something new and to explore and be turned on to new music.”

And despite the festival’s name, more than a dozen of the acts are from Omaha. Among them are J. Crum (hip-hop), Dereck Higgins (electronic), DEATHGOD (hip-hop), All Young Girls Are Machine Guns (soul) and Las Cruxes (Spanish-language punk), as well as the aforementioned Kris Lager Band, Twinsmith and No Thanks.

A showcase featuring artists affiliated with North Omaha community center Culxr House is planned, and its founder Marcey Yates — who is also performing — is picking the artists. Munson said he’s especially excited to see R&B singer and Omaha native CJ Mills’ return to Nebraska, and to see Dominique Morgan, an R&B singer and the founder of Omaha-based prison abolitionist group Black and Pink.

“We’re just excited to show the Omaha love and hope some folks come down,” Munson said.

This year, I’m attending my first “big time” music festival — Pitchfork Fest in Chicago. It was the right combination of an easy drive with a great lineup. Lincoln Calling is offering that, too, at a fraction of price.

“ To think about being able to see 75 different bands or even 25 in one night, for $20 to $50 is pretty remarkable,” Munson said.

Just don’t forget your earplugs. You’ll actually need them this year.

Shows get added. Shows get cancelled. Things are changeable, so keep an eye on your favorite venues and shows of interest to make sure you know the latest. There were several late-breaking cancellations in August, and some pop-up shows. I always try to update the online version of this column, which you can find under the “Music” tab at thereader. com.

The Blues Society of Omaha’s BSO Presents series brings some heavy-hitters in for September shows, which may not be on the usual Thursday nights. Please check omahablues.com for details and visit facebook. com/bluessocietyofomaha for late-breaking announcements.

The Josh Garrett Band plugs in at The Jewell Thursday, Sept. 9, 6-9 p.m. Garrett was recently seen in Lincoln sharing the bill with Tab Benoit, and Benoit backed Garrett up as his drummer. Garrett and Benoit are both from Houma, La.

The BSO teams up with The B. Bar for a show Friday, Sept. 10, 5:30-8:30 p.m., presenting Florida blues-rocker Sean Chambers. The Blues Society presents the rocking blues of Alligator Records’ Selwyn Birchwood at The Strut, Tuesday, Sept. 14, 6-9 p.m. Accomplished California-born blues guitarist James Armstrong plays The Strut Saturday, Sept. 18, 6- 9 p.m. The Strut is a newer addition to the

By B.J. HuCHTEMANN

local scene, located at 5402 N. 90th St., just northwest of 90th and Fort.

Sunday, Sept. 19, 7-10 p.m., the blues is back at The Dam Grill & Bar outdoor venue on the River City Star landing with popular blues-rock guitar star Albert Cummings. Omaha’s own 2020 International Blues Challenge Solo/Duo winner Héctor Anchondo opens the show with a solo set. Vanessa Collier performs Thursday, Sept. 23, 6-9 p.m. at The Jewell. Collier is a triple-threat, acclaimed as a vocalist, songwriter and sax player. Hadden Savers is joining her band as guitarist on this tour and will open the show with his award-winning solo acoustic set. Renowned guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Coco Montoya hits the Stocks n Bonds stage for a show Wednesday, Sept. 29, 6-9 p.m. The BSO hosts the always fabulous Bel Airs at The Jewell Thursday, Sept. 30, 6-9 p.m.

Zoo Bar Blues

Lincoln’s historic Zoo Bar celebrated 48 years of live roots music with the successful mid-August return of its annual street festival. The Zoo Bar has also updated its website at zoobar. com, which includes a good history of the bar through the years. September schedule highlights include Josh Garrett Band Friday, Sept. 10, 5 p.m., followed by Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal after 9 p.m. Guitarist Dave Kalz,

a contemporary of Mike Zito and a founding member of Devon Allman’s Honeytribe, plays Tuesday, Sept. 14, 6-9 p.m. Selwyn Birchwood is scheduled Wednesday, Sept. 15, 6-9 p.m., James Armstrong is up Thursday, Sept. 16, 6-9 p.m., and Vanessa Collier is set to perform Wednesday, Sept. 22, 6-9 p.m. Every Monday features one of Lincoln’s best local talents, singer-songwriter Emily Bass, leading an “and friends” musical happy hour playing the bar’s upright piano. Bass can also be seen in the area fronting her band The Near Miracle. The Zoo Bar House Band plays Mondays from 7-10 p.m.

Nebraska Blues Challenge

The deadline is Sept. 6 to get your band or solo/duo act entered in the Blues Society of Omaha’s annual Nebraska Blues Challenge. The challenge will select a band and a solo or duo act to represent the BSO in the Blues Foundation’s annual International Blues Challenge in Memphis in January 2022. Send an email to nebraskablueschallenge@ omahablues.com to obtain entry forms and rules. Héctor Anchondo, the winner of the 2020 IBC in the solo/duo category, will be coordinating entries and competition events. Fans should watch the BSO website, omahablues. com and facebook.com/bluessocietyofomaha for updates on

the competition performances, which are open to the public.

Hot Notes

The Jewell continues to present great artists in a world-class setting. See Nebraska’s own excellent band that performs traditional Cuban music, Andy William & the Nebraska All Stars, Saturday, Sept. 11, 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. Bandleader Andy Gomez has put together a fantastic band that performs different styles of Cuban music such as son, Latin jazz, danzón, guaracha, cha-cha-cha and guaguanco. I caught this band at ZOOFEST, and they are wonderful. Their music includes traditional songs performed by The Buena Vista Social Club, a group of senior Cuban musicians from “the golden age of Cuban music” captured by Ry Cooder’s 1996 recordings. Check jewellomaha. com for the complete schedule.

Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal play

The B. Bar Friday, Sept. 17, 10 p.m. Larkin Poe is a young female duo that has won the acclaim of audiences beyond blues fans. They play Thursday, Sept. 16, 8 p.m. at Slowdown. The Wood Brothers are at Slowdown Friday, Sept. 24, 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 10, 9 p.m. at Slowdown, catch local blues-rocker and third generation bluesman Sebastian Lane

local

on an eclectic

bill opening for The Fey. Also performing is J. Crum.

Audience fAvorites the Bel Airs Bring their new orle Ans roots And deltA Bluesinfluenced music to the Bso Presents series At the Jewell thursdAy, sePt. 30, 6-9 P.m. Photo: Bel Airs By Br Andon Kruse.

Fall Movie Preview 21 More FilMs For ‘21

let’s Just Hope the Delta variant Doesn’t infect the Calendar

by Ryan SyRek

as I sat down to assemble this look at autumnal movie goodness, Twitter launched a new meme format. It consists of “My Fall Plans” written above a pleasant/fun/ optimistic image on the left side and “Delta Variant” written above a nightmarish/unfun/pessimistic image on the right side. Please know that even though I’m writing this preview while on the left side, reality could be on the right side by the time you read it.

If the unvaxxed masses don’t plague-ify things, we are in for a truly bonkers bounty of bad-ass flicks from now until the year’s end, which is somehow about five minutes from now. Like a cinematic sommelier, I have carefully stewarded this collection, perfectly paired with the blend of nightmare-fueled ennui many of us are struggling with this year.

The Card Counter (Sept. 10)

Oscar Isaac, Tiffany Haddish and Willem Dafoe star in a movie about an ex-military interrogator turned gambler. Are you still here, or are you in line for tickets already? It’s written/ directed by Paul Schrader, which means that guy you dated who calls literally every movie a “film” is really excited.

The Many Saints of newark (Oct. 1)

The thought of watching James Gandolfini’s son playing Tony Soprano in a prequel to the HbO show is thrilling … for some of you out there. Personally, the whole thing sounds like a combination of ghoulish and unnecessary. but this is America, where ghoulishly unnecessary is arguably the national pastime.

Titane (Oct. 1)

A body-horror film slathered with terrifying-sounding carnal curiosities, the plot description alone of Titane is what many parents think the new sex ed curriculum will be. Julia Ducournau became the second female director to win the Palme d’Or at

the Cannes Film Festival. And you know what they say, “If the French love it … it’s probably artistically problematic.”

no Time to Die (Oct.

8)

Let’s be honest, if a disease was going to stop James bond, we all had money on syphilis, right? COVID turned 007’s long-delayed release into a burn slower than his relationship with Moneypenny. but they added Phoebe Wallerbridge as a writer to a spy film co-written/directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga that features Rami Malek as a bad guy. So, yeah, whenever it comes out, I am coming with it.

Lamb (Oct. 8)

A24 is just playing Mad Libs for its films now. The noun chosen in this case is “hybrid sheep-human.” The blank for “undervalued lead actress” was filled with “Noomi Rapace.” “Choose a hauntingly idyllic setting” was answered with “Iceland.” The instruction for genre was “cram many words together,” and Lamb got “psychological pagan folk horror comedy thriller.” My God. I’m so in…

Venom 2: Let There Be Carnage (Oct. 15)

The first Venom was a surprisingly campy bit of maniacal Tom Hardy nonsense. This one adds Woody Harrelson to the mix, which exponentially amps the camp and maxes the mania. Who needs Spider-Man? We’re all tuning in for the sexual tension between a man and his sentient, murderous alien spacesuit.

Halloween kills (Oct. 15)

Director David Gordon Green’s Halloween was a reboot hoot. The trailer for the sequel reveals that he and writing buddy Danny Mcbride have picked up literally where the last film ended, with Michael Myers hot-footing it out of a burning building to once more try to kabob Jamie Lee Curtis. If it’s a third as fun as the last one, it will still be the second

best thing William Shatner’s face has been in.

The Last Duel (Oct. 15)

Fresh off needing to shut his mouth for various reasons, Matt Damon will follow up his MAGA-baiting Stillwater with a new Ridley Scott medieval movie. you’re probably worried that ben Affleck is in it. He is. He also co-wrote it with Damon. Don’t give up hope — maybe it’s a time-traveling sequel to Good Will Hunting? “How do you like them apples, Serf?” Oh, Adam Driver and Jodie Comer are in it too. So it’ll probably be, like, “good” and stuff.

Dune (Oct. 22)

Are giant sandworms enough to overcome both Es in Timothee Chalamet’s lack of charisma and talent? Writer/director Denis Villeneuve’s intergalactic white savior riff is gonna be absolutely gorgeous. And I’m not just talking about a sandy Jason Momoa and intubated Zendaya. Whether or not the film can cement itself as one of the few space operas to sing about is another matter entirely.

The French Dispatch (Oct. 22)

Wes Anderson is back doing Wes Anderson things. Chalamet is also

in this one, as is literally every other person you’d expect to be in a Wes Anderson movie. Things will be full of twee and quirk. Those who are not totally and completely over his schtick will revel in its allegedly esoteric charm. I’ll be watching Dune Maybe for the second time.

Last night in Soho (Oct. 29)

Speaking of white directors who try too hard, Edgar Wright’s latest is described as a “psychological horror” film and stars Anya Taylor-Joy, whose eyes are literally always stuck in “psychological horror” aperture. There’s body swapping, time traveling and Matt Smith, who probably gave advice on both after his time on Doctor Who. I don’t know, man. I’m still rooting for Wright, but I hope this isn’t just him being sexually aroused by a jukebox filled with b-sides and neon colors again.

The Harder They Fall (Nov. 3)

Idris Elba, Jonathan Majors and Regina King in a hyperactive outlaw revenge Western? This elevator is going to the top, as all of my buttons have been pushed. Whether or not it can fulfil the promise of a trailer that left me 10-gallon twitching, even if it

If everyone gets vaccInated, studIos won’t have to bump fIlm releases, and everybody gets to see c ate blanchett and rooney mara In a noIr fIlm from guIllermo del toro thIs fall. so you’d best behave. stIll from nIghtmare alley. Credit SearChlight PiC tureS (formerly fox SearChlight).

is just OK, I will be contentedly corralled.

Eternals (Nov. 5)

I can safely say that no woman has ever before won the Oscar for best director and then immediately released a comic book adaptation. Because Kathryn Bigelow didn’t do it. But Chloé Zhao did! Sure to feature 100% less bucket pooping than her last film, Zhao’s Marvel project is arguably the riskiest thus far. If it hits, it will expand that world into fascinating new proto-religious areas. If it duds, Kumail Nanjiani got upsettingly swole for nothing.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife (Nov. 11)

In an Incel-free world, we’re at least two films into a trilogy of Paul Feig’s Ghostbuster series. Instead, we are getting this nostalgia pornography that seems to have forgotten entirely that the original, beloved classic was, you know, a comedy. Although this will surely have moments of levity, Jason Reitman’s reboot cross-its-heart promises to treat the source material with overwrought reverence. He just wants to make his dad, who directed the first film nearly 30 years ago, proud enough to argue nepotism works.

Top Gun: Maverick (Nov. 19)

Speaking of nostalgia: You remember how that one-time Tom Cruise played sweaty, shirtless volleyball in a music montage, around which a film about airplanes took place? Well buckle your scientolo-seatbelts, as the hot-dogging Maverick has gone from rebel to flight instructor. But he’s still cool, y’all. Miles Teller is also in it. He still not, y’all.

House of Gucci (Nov. 24)

Some directors slow down when they get older, and some won’t stop until they’ve put Adam Driver in a turtleneck. This crimey quasi-biopic fully had my interest when the first images of Driver and Lady Gaga were released. Then they showed a poster of Jared Leto lathered in the world’s supply of prosthetics. Look, I know we have more to worry about right now as a people, but we’ve gotta get a handle on this Leto bullshit. It goes: COVID, climate change, Leto. And the gaps in that list are shrinking.

Soggy Bottom (Nov. 26)

Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest may not even actually be called Soggy Bottom, but please God let it be called Soggy Bottom. He’s

one of the few filmmakers who could make a “most anticipated movie” list with something that could literally be about the invention of adult diapers or something. Bradley Cooper is in it, and if he poops his pants, so help me, I will not stop until this is the highest-grossing film of all time.

Nightmare Alley (Dec. 3)

Guillermo del Toro is branching out from merman pornography and other spooky nonsense with this adaptation of a pulpy 1946 novel about carnies, hustlers, grifters and femmes fatales. That’s right, multiple femmes! And at least one of them is played by Cate Blanchett! Toni Collette and Rooney Mara are also potential fatales. Sigh, but Bradley Cooper is also in this, with a significantly lower shot at pants-pooping.

West Side Story (Dec. 10)

Do yourself a favor and Google “Ansel Elgort and Sarah Paulson” for some incredibly horrifying allegations that will make you hate him (more) and love her (also more). Anyway, Steven Spielberg is the one human who could direct this musical adaptation and generate something close to excitement in me. This didn’t need to exist, but neither did Ansel Elgort.

Spider-Man: No Way Home (Dec.

Suicide Is Painless DC’s Latest “Heroes” Could Use a M*A*S*H Unit

BY RyAN SyREk

The Suicide Squad is less like a direct descendent of writer/director James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy and more like its debauched third cousin once removed (possibly under penalty of law). That’s a compliment, as whack-a-doodle relatives are a biological delight, provided they’re the “harmless lunatic” kind and not the “QAnon cult member” sort.

Over the last few decades, we’ve gone from superhero movies created solely as a means by which to sell toys to a flick in which a giant kaiju starfish squares off against a guy who barfs interdimensional polka dots and a woman named Ratcatcher 2. People keep comparing the spike in comic book movies to the dominance of Westerns, but unless there’s a forgotten film in which Clint Eastwood’s horse starts speaking and then tramples a whole village to death, those parallel lines are now in a full V.

· Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior) — She controls rats and isn’t the first in her family to do it. It’s all right there in the name.

Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian) — His superpower relies heavily on needing cognitive behavioral therapy and portal vomiting.

King Shark (Sylvester Stallone) – He’s basically a Great White God with the intellectual capacity of the dumbest puppy in obedience class.

17)

The rumors about what may happen in this Marvel movie have crossed from “plausibly fun” to “almost certainly impossible and thus guaranteed to disappoint.” Will Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield show up as their respective Spider-Men? Will Willem Dafoe return as the Green Goblin and thus be the actor with the most films on this list? Will we all be disappointed that we built this up in our minds without any confirmation that any of this was happening? Disappointed isn’t a word I’ve ever used with Spider-Man. And I’ve used a lot of words.

The Matrix 4 (Dec.

The Suicide Squad is not to be confused with Suicide Squad. Except, The Suicide Squad is absolutely a direct sequel to Suicide Squad, only it leaves Jared Leto out entirely. Let us, as a nation, agree to replace all Confederate statues with a bust of whoever made that decision. Second only to that, what Gunn gets spectacularly, brilliantly, almost profoundly right is that nobody gives a squishy pigeon fart about continuity issues. He delivers no boring backstories. No world-building. No set-up at all. It’s just “These naughty-bad supervillains must complete black-ops missions or they get their heads Scanners-ed. Go.”

The team this time consists of the following:

Battling against a mind-controlling monster, the ne’er-do-wells do nearly well, and the whole thing is simultaneously both massive in scale and totally pointless. One of the worst critiques levied against films like The Suicide Squad is how much it cost to make something that will be adored by about the same percentage of the world’s population as actually washes their hands each time they use a public restroom. Is it your money? Was WB going to otherwise give that money to the impoverished? If billionaires want to set their money on fire by using computers to animate the Twelfth Doctor (Peter Capaldi) staring down a several-skyscraper-sized creature named Starro, that is almost certainly less evil than whatever else they were going to do with it.

22)

Talk about not being disappointed, I was and remain a staunch defender of the Matrix sequels. I loved Cloud Atlas. I adored Jupiter Ascending Thus, it is certifiably impossible for writer/director Lana Wachowski to present something I won’t get giddy about. Watching the first film in this series remains one of my top 5 alltime movie-watching experiences. The minute Neo says “Whoa” again here, I expect I will have to revise that ranked list.

· Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) — Her skills include being overwhelmingly popular with fans and either inverting the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope or possibly making it worse, depending on how much you want to unpack.

· Bloodspor t (Idris Elba) — He is not simply a different version of Deadshot from the first film, just as this is not simply a sequel to the first film. Wink.

Peacemaker (John Cena) — He is different from both Bloodsport and Deadshot because he has an even dumber hat.

Colonel Rick Flagg (Joel Kinnaman) — He’s also back from the first film and is as useful as a plastic bucket in a tsunami. He’s supposed to be the “good kind” of rah-rah patriot, if you believe such a thing exists.

So setting aside whether this bloody shenanigans was a “waste of money,” let us ask instead “is it worth our time,” which is a valuable thing we actually own. The answer is a resounding “maybe!” Gunn’s writing is nowhere near as crisp as he so very clearly believes it to be, with one-liners and other dialogue that are less “sing” and more “drunkenly does karaoke.” It’s funny-ish. It’s comedy-adjacent. Sorta. The action is often weird, which is a big plus. But despite all the “You’ll never believe who gets super-duper killed in this one!” hype, things do largely wind up exactly where you’d expect them to drop anchor.

All that being said, this is also so very easily the best DC movie yet. It is fairly unique for the super-genre. It is “for adults” without any grimdark brooding. It is effortlessly rewatchable to the point where immediately starting it again when it finishes yields a far greater return than watching Zack Snyder’s Justice League cut once. Before you fire off an email to me for that last line, please at least read the grade I gave a DC movie.

Grade = A-

Garry Trudeau

Jen SorenSen

Ted raLL

Julie “Judy” Navon

Nov. 25, 1952 – Aug. 17, 2021

Judy Navon is remembered by those who knew her as “wonderful,” “passionate,” “brilliant” and “awesome.” According to a NextDoor post on Aug. 20 by her husband, Dr. David Hibler, Navon died after a battle with cancer the evening of Aug. 17. The family is planning a celebration of life in late September.

A native of Israel, Navon was always happy to share her knowledge with shoppers and volunteers at Benson Plant Rescue, the nonprofit organization she co-founded with her husband. Said friend and BPR board member Trudie Ahlstrom, “She had a great smile, a great sense of humor. She just really, sincerely cared, and had so many deep friendships with everyone.”

Friends appreciated how incredibly straightforward she was, said Ahlstrom, chuckling. “She was so honest. She just ripped that Band-Aid right off! She told you how it was, but with caring. It’s an incredible attribute.”

For the past 23 years, Hibler wrote on NextDoor, Navon poured her energy into “rebuilding the world.” Local plant-lovers visited BPR’s large storefront on Maple Street, where unwanted plants and overstock nursery goods were recycled and revived into free or low-cost garden materials. Navon made sure gardeners understood what each particular plant needed to thrive.

Hibler and Navon believed BPR was about growing community, not just plants. They raised more than $75,000 for children’s books and educational resources for the Omaha Public Library. They donated tons of reclaimed produce to a network of nonprofits, pantries, shelters and refugee families and provided a positive environment for court-appointed community service.

Although their 72nd and Maple location was closed earlier this year, BPR remains open at 7229 Wirt Circle, just north of their garden.

Judy Navon is survived by her husband and daughter, Shani, and two beloved granddaughters. Memorials may be donated to the Benson Plant Rescue Building Fund at Midlands Community Foundation, midlandscommunity.org.

Find more information about BPR’s future plans at bensonplantrescue.org.

We Remember Digital Memorial

More info...

To

On the Brink… Again

C An proof of vACCinAtion prevent A repeAt of 2020?

By Tim mcmAhAn

Aug. 18, 2021 — Two weeks is an eternity when you’re in the middle of a nationwide health emergency. As I write this, the numbers are moving in the wrong direction in terms of COVID-19 and the delta variant. Who knows where they’ll be when you read this in September?

At the heart of the matter is whether mandates should be put in place that force vaccinations on those knuckle-dragging conspiracy theorists who refuse to get the shot(s) because of quack science, backward political leanings or just plain loony ideas.

And now here we are with our world on the brink of another shutdown, another retraction of business and, worst of all, another rise in human illnesses and tragedies. All of it is entirely preventable.

Just a few weeks ago, we seemed on the verge of normalcy, at least in terms of the local music scene. Music venues that survived the shutdown of 2020 had reopened, local bands had returned to stages, outdoor festivals like Maha and Petfest were in full force, and national bands were announcing late summer and fall tours, all presumably to be performed in front of maskless audiences.

Now with the delta variant running rampant almost entirely among the unvaccinated, the masks are returning. But even more unfortunate, bands are beginning to cancel tours.

On Aug. 17, Steve Albini from the legendary post-punk band

“The risks of touring right now remain extreme,” he wrote, “both in material terms and psychic ones, so this seems like the responsible thing to do during a pandemic that has proven pernicious beyond all expectations.”

A quick glance shows other acts, such as Stevie Nicks, Garth Brooks and Lynyrd Skynyrd, are following suit, and more are likely on the way. If you’re a club owner or promoter, there’s a dark pool of dread growing in the pit of your stomach that we’re headed back to where we were a year ago. And that’s something club owners can’t afford.

The simple answer is the most controversial one: Require concertgoers to produce proof of immunization before entering shows.

As of the third week of August, nine local promoters of small shows sent a letter saying fans must either be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have received a negative COVID-19 test within 48 hours prior to entering their events.

“As promoters, we have the tough responsibility to look after not just a portion of our attendees, but ALL of our attendees,” the letter said.

But in the end, it’s up to the venues to enforce such a mandate. Because of the fast-moving nature of the pandemic, I could understand why a club owner would be reluctant to comment for this column.

“Just too many moving parts and varying requests to say much, at least by your deadline,” said Jason Kulbel, who runs Slowdown. “At this point we are not looking at an overarching venue policy, but it’s inevitable that we will end up doing some sort of card/test/etc. check for some shows.”

Kulbel went on to say everyone in the industry seems to agree that they need to do whatever they can to get through the next few months of shows and lose as few of them as possible.

“No one in the chain can take another season off,” he said.

Marc Leibowitz, who, along with partner Jim Johnson, runs The Waiting Room, Reverb Lounge and 1% Productions, said they also haven’t made a formal rule yet but are enforcing policies like the ones created by that cadre of smaller promoters when requested.

“Eventually most shows will require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test,” Leibowitz said.

Such policies can’t come too soon for Philadelphia-based indie-punk band Grocer, who played at Reverb Lounge Aug. 17 on the fourth of a five-week

tour. Bassist/vocalist Danielle Lovier said the band got pushback when they wore masks at clubs throughout the South the first week of their tour, but that as they journeyed West, most venues had mask mandates or negative-test requirements.

“That made it a little easier for us,” she said.

“For me, the name of the game is risk mitigation,” said drummer Cody Nelson. “We’re in a new place every night. If we can make sure we’re surrounded by as few potential carriers as possible that increases the chances of us being healthy and being able to continue our tour.

“If the venue takes the lead, it’s more comfortable for us to show up and be safe.”

ThIS STORy IS BEING uPDATED AT thereader.com>Features> over the edge

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.

Shellac posted on his social media channels that his band is cancelling its West Coast tour.

Philly band Grocer Performing at reverb lounge aug. 17, 2021. the band suPP orts requiring concertgoers to Produce Proof of immunization before entering shows. Photo by tim mcmahan.

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