DIRECT CALL Patient Transfer Coordinator. Contact Julie Godbout at jgodbout@airmethods.com or at (402)970-8160. Go to OmahaJobs.com for more information.
#1 HIRING COMPANY APPLY NOW: Production/Packing $9-10, Machine Operators $12-$14, Welders- all shifts $15, Entry Level Labor $9! We offer benefits after the 1st week, and all positions are temp-to-hire!! Apply online or call!!! www.remedystaff.com (402)934-7171 PURA VIDA VEIN CENTER & WELLNESS SPA Registered Nurse and Surgical Tech. Contact Tina Severson at tinasev4@aol. com or (402)502-5599. Go to OmahaJobs.com for more information. RAILSERVE, INC. Rail Switchman. Contact hr@ railserve.biz. Go to OmahaJobs.com for information. DOUGLAS COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY Community Outreach Manager. Contact Kathy Aultz at director@douglascohistory. org. Go to OmahaJobs.com for more information. PRINTCO GRAPHICS Receptionist. Go to OmahaJobs.com for information. WEST CORPORATION Now Hiring Multiple Positions. Go to OmahaJobs.com for more information. ALEGENT HEALTH Now Hiring Multiple Positions. Go to OmahaJobs.com for more information. NEBRASKA CREDIT UNION LEAGUE Association Services Assistant. Contact Amy Shaw at ashaw@nebrcul.org or (402)333-9331 x 207. Go to OmahaJobs.com for info.
THOMPSON, DREESSEN & DORNER, INC. Survey Technician. Go to OmahaJobs.com for more information. APOLLO RETAIL SPECIALIST Merchandiser. Contact Tammy Warr at tammy.warr@apolloretail.com or call (813)7122520. Go to OmahaJobs.com for more information. ESU #3 ParaProfessional. Go to OmahaJobs.com for information. ENCARTELE, INC. Marketing Assistant. Contact Jon Osborne at jon.osborne@ encartele.net or (402)8813948. Go to OmahaJobs.com for more information. WESTERN STATES RECLAMATION Heavy Equipment Operation. Email resume to broe@ wsreclamation.com. Go to OmahaJobs.com for more information. INVISIBLE FENCE OF THE HEARTLAND Customer Service. Shelly Fickler at ifheartland@gmail. com or (402)330-5015. Go to OmahaJobs.com for info. TRANS CONTINENTAL CONSULTANTS Physical Therapist. Contact Kristi Weldon at (402)7537230. Go to OmahaJobs.com for more information. NEBRASKA HUMANE SOCIETY Accounting Manager. Contact Michele Tetreault-Mertes at mtetreault-mertes@nehumanesociety.org or (402)4447800. Go to OmahaJobs.com for more information.
Fall quarter begins Sept. 2. Enroll today.
BOTTOMLINE CONCEPTS OF NE Account Representative. Contact John at john@blcgroup. net or at (402)894-0486. Go to OmahaJobs.com for more information. OMAHA STEAKS Now Hiring Multiple Positions. Go to OmahaJobs.com for more information. TIP TOP TUX Assistant Store Manager – Tuxedo Rentals. Contact Cassie Burton at cassie@tttux.com. Go to OmahaJobs. com for more information. THE METRO SHIELD Event Ticket Sales. Contact Mike Bell at tms.applicant@ gmail.com or (402)913-1540. Go to OmahaJobs.com for more information. LINDSAY CORPORATION Linux Systems Engineer / Administrator. Go to OmahaJobs.com for information. PLANET FITNESS Fitness Trainer (Bilingual Preferred). Contact apply@ pfomaha.com or go to OmahaJobs.com for more information. PRINTCO GRAPHICS IT Web. Go to OmahaJobs. com for more information. HERITAGE COMMUNITIES Director of Building Mintenance. Contact Lisa Stalmann at jobs@hmscare.com or go to OmahaJobs.com for more information. THE SANDOR CORP Two Person Team. Contact Kim at kcb@netins.net or Go to OmahaJobs.com for more information.
(I-80 & Giles Rd)
JOB FAIR Thur, Aug 21st from 3pm – 7pm Full-Tim e I Part-Tim e I On-Call Positions include:
Dining Room Manager Servers/Bartenders Banquet Captains Banquet Set-Up Breakfast Cooks Guest Services/Front Desk Housekeeping Supervisors Housekeepers Stewards/Dishwashers Prior to coming: First, complete application on-line at www.jqhhotels.com/careers Then, e-mail margaret.waste@jqh.com to RSVP to the job fair EOE/AA: Females/Minority/Veterans/Disabled
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ant to change the future? become a
(We’ll save you a seat.)
402-930-3000 • mentor@p4k.org
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AUG. 14 - 20, 2014
| THE READER |
CHAMPIONS RUN Housekeeper. Contact Shana Johnson at sjohnson@chapionsomaha.com or (402)498-8900 x 115. Go to OmahaJobs.com for more information.
omaha jobs
The cost of MCC is probably one of the cheapest in Omaha. I don’t have to have any debt when I graduate. And it’s a great college. Alexis Martinez MCC student
heartlandhealing N E W A G E H E A LT H A N D W E L L N E S S B Y M I C H A E L B R AU N S T E I N
News You Can Use: ‘We aggregate so you’ll cogitate’
The Good Bee Killers Banned. This isn’t just good news, it’s great news. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service, which runs all the national wildlife refuges across our country, has issued an directive banning the use of genetically engineered crops (aka GMOs) and a type of pesticide (neonicotinoid) that is proven to kill bees and other wildlife. Neonicotinoids are a type of pesticide that is particularly insidious. Big Ag, chemical companies and industrial ne’er-do-wells have found a way to coat seeds with poison. They can charge more for the seeds by claiming that they germinate and work better. (As if.) Problem is, the poison they coat the seeds with is, er, poison. The seeds are coated with the pesticide before planting then it goes into the leaves, roots, pollen, nectar, and even the food products eventually made from the crop. If insects feed on any part of the plant — even water droplets released by plant leaves — the pesticide, a neurotoxin, kills them. With honeybees, if it doesn’t kill them outright, it still messes up their behavior and ability to communicate, shortens life span, suppresses immunity and disrupts reproduction. Many European nations have banned neonics entirely. The Fish and Wildlife Service refuges encompass 377,189 sq. miles. That’s bigger than Texas and Colorado combined. Big Ag and other profit-motivated evildoers must stop seeing killing as the only solution to problems. Doesn’t work for war. Doesn’t work for environment. Doesn’t work for anything except making money. Killing anything on the planet is yet another injury to all humans. New York Times: Legalize Dope Doubt if you missed this one but still it bears repeating. In a July 27 editorial, the staff of the New York Times, the second most prestigious paper in the United States (just behind The Reader) called for lifting the prohibition on marijuana nationwide. The benefits of legalized herb far outweigh any perceived downside. It’s a no-brainer. In fact, it will be a moot point five years from now. Yes, organic is better. The British Journal of Nutrition reported that organic produce is indeed lower in pesticides and higher in antioxidants and other nutrients. The reality is that you don’t have to choose (or pay for) organic. Just know your farmer and how they grow. If they don’t use industrial seed stock or spray poisons, it’s likely better for you. Or, grow it yourself. The Bad Midwest Agriculture Kills Bees ( and other living things.) On the subject of poisonous neonicotinoids polluting our world, the bad news is that the middle
part of the United States (where we are!) has the highest incidence of bee-killing waterways. The United States Geological Survey, uh, surveyed nine rivers in the Midwest, including the Mississippi and Missouri. Rivers studied drain most of Iowa, parts of Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. These states have the highest use of neonicotinoid insecticides in the nation (likely the world!). Neonicotinoids were found in all nine rivers and streams. It should be noted that, according to Mother Earth News, “One of the most commonly used neonicotinoids, clothianidin, went on the market in 2003 after being granted a ‘conditional registration’ from the EPA. This is code for saying the EPA will allow the pesticide’s use even though there’s not enough evidence to show that it passes safety standards — a practice that, shockingly, occurs for about 70 percent of the active ingredients in pesticides that go through the review process. Leaked memos written by EPA scientists stated that what studies Bayer did submit were poorly run, and the scientists openly admitted that neonicotinoids pose harm to honeybees.” Iowa is a leader in the use of neonicotinoids, having doubled the amount used with corn between 2011 and 2013. Go Hawkeyes. Like, away.
The Ugly Hijacked Meat Next year will mark the 110th anniversary of Upton Sinclair’s exposé of the commercial meat industry. The Jungle profiled the unsanitary and dangerous conditions of meatpacking methods in early Chicago, with an emphasis on the abusive subjugation of an immigrant workforce preferred by the abattoirs. Little has changed. In fact, in an important way, things are worse. According to author Christopher Leonard, Americans have actually never had so few options in deciding what company makes their meat. “The U.S. meat industry is more consolidated today than it’s ever been before,” Leonard told The Washington Post. Oh, you can walk down the meat aisle and it appears there are scores of companies offering packaged meat but the truth is, 80 percent of all the beef in commercial outlets is controlled and processed by just four corporations: Tyson, JBS USA, Cargill and National Beef. The illusion of choice is a miracle of branding and subsidiary companies controlled by the Big Four. And as The Post tells us, the meat industry is under fire for “questionable practices and potential for large-scale contamination.” This is an invitation to meet a farmer and know where your meat comes from. I haven’t bought supermarket meat since 2006. Cogitate before you masticate. Be well. ,
VISIONS FROM FIVE MINUTES INTO THE FUTURE • AUGUST 15, 2014 • A disconcerting trend in the next few years will be the rise of the hobby zoo. These will be small collections of living animals that private citizens maintain in their homes. There will even be tiny apartment zoos, consisting of insects, lizards, and other small animals.
These zoos will often be set up by well-meaning parents as an extracurricular activity for their children, but young adults will also take to keeping these private zoos. The house of the future will be filled with animals.
HEARTLAND HEALING is a New Age polemic describing alternatives to conventional methods
of healing the body, mind and planet. It is provided as information and entertainment, certainly not medical advice. It is not an endorsement of any particular therapy, either by the writer or The Reader. Visit HeartlandHealing.com for more information.
heartland healing
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FOOD, FUN AND FA M I LY AT PICCOLO PETE’S BY SARA LOCKE
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hen nervous teenage boys and their sparkling homecoming dates are ushered into seats beside men in jeans and ball caps this fall, they will not only sit down to a meal that will become a fond memory, but they will have become part of an Omaha tradition. Purchased as a blacksmith shop in 1922 by Sicilian immigrant Joseph Piccolo, the venture took on life as a grocery store, a beer garden and finally under the management of Joseph’s son Anthony, a restaurant and Omaha landmark. Still run by family to this day 80 years later, Omaha’s second oldest steakhouse is proving that in a time of drive-thru dinners and burger dives, sitting down to a hot meal with loved ones is still where the heart is.
A meal fit for a billionaire… or a felon Warren Buffet counts Piccolo Pete’s (2202 S. 20th St., www.piccolopetesrestaurant.net) as one of his favorite restaurants in Omaha. Such loyal patronage by Buffett is to thank for the introduction of Piccolo’s signature root beer float, which is Buffett’s favorite dessert. When he brings investors to Omaha, the restaurant can go through up to 15 gallons of root beer each day of their stay!
Thoroughly Modern Mangia In honor of their 80th anniversary, Piccolo Pete’s will be launching its new food truck by the end of August. A decidedly contemporary move, the truck will be run by Scott Sheehan, youngest grandson of Tony Piccolo.
crumbs
n BREW, VINE AND SPIRITS FESTIVAL The date has been set for the second annual Nebraska Brew, Vine and Spirits Festival: Saturday, Sept. 13. Taking place from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., this year’s event will be on the green space at 10th and Capitol Avenue. Food, live entertainment, and — of course — lots of drinks will be available. nebraskabrewwineandspiritsfestival.com n SCOOTER’S EXPANDING Scooter’s Coffeehouse started in Nebraska back in 1998 by Omaha natives, but this locally-owned coffee powerhouse will soon expand exponentially with even more locations opening up in Arizona. Already present in several states, it’s hard to believe that Scooter’s began as a small drive-thru place in Bellevue. scooterscoffee.com n LIGHTHOUSE PIZZA DELIVERY Ever find yourself
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The truck will delight the most old school of Piccolo’s patrons with traditional prime rib and pasta, but will also appeal to the more casual lunch crowd with tempting sandwiches like grilled beef and cheese, Italian steak, and of course, meatball. A breakfast menu will be added featuring a fried biscuit stuffed with egg, hash browns, sausage, and cheese. And it wouldn’t be Piccolo’s if you couldn’t end your meal with the perfect root beer float. Scott says they have been working on scheduling stops at Farmer’s Markets, college campuses, assisted living facilities, and even doing a Firehouse tour. He also says that he’s excited to be reaching a new demographic, while still bringing the food, service, and tradition that is expected and deserved by their well established customer base.
Find the Truck To ensure that this onetruck food parade will be easy for hungry fans to locate, Sheehan teamed up with local company One Stop Creates to develop an app that will allow you to not only locate the truck, but get directions to its current location, see a menu of today’s available items, order, and pay. The app will be live at Anthonypiccolos.com soon. With 80 years of surviving food fads and fast food, Piccolo Pete’s has more than earned its place as an Omaha institution. And with this bold move into mobile mangia, this octogenarian doesn’t look a day older than those anxious teens perusing the pasta options. , in a situation where you really want some Lighthouse Pizza, but you really don’t want to get off your comfortable couch? Good news: Lighthouse Pizza is now offering delivery for a small charge. Delivery hours and location are limited for now, but will likely expand in the coming months. lhpizza.com n CLICK TO DONATE Food Bank for the Heartland is hosting a virtual food drive where you can “shop” for the food bank online. Check out the virtual store and donate funds for specific items, or give enough to feed a family of four for two weeks or a month. It’s a quick and easy way to help out a food bank that serves 93 counties in Nebraska and Iowa. fooddriveonline.org — Tamsen Butler Crumbs is about indulging in food and celebrating its many forms. Send information about area food and drink businesses to crumbs@thereader.
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hen Mark Evans accepted the job of Omaha Public Schools superintendent in December 2012, he knew the mission would be immense in this sprawling urban district facing myriad challenges. With 51,000 students spread out over 86 schools located in divergent environments ranging from inner city poverty to suburban affluence, the district responds to a wide spectrum of needs and issues. In his due diligence before starting the job he found the district’s good work often overshadowed by controversy and conflict due to an embattled school board and an aloof administration and no clear, unified vision. Besides struggling to close the achievement gap of its majority minority student population, many of whom attend overcrowded, poorly resourced schools, the district reeled from internal rancor and scandal. Longtime district head John Mackiel exited with a $1 million retirement payout many viewed as excessive. His replacement, Nancy Sebring, quit when it came to light she’d exchanged sexually explicit emails with her lover during office hours at her previous employer. The often divisive OPS Board of Education and its handling of the matter drew sharp criticism that resulted in its president’s resignation. The perception was of deep rifts among OPS leaders who spent more time putting out fires than making systemic changes, District elections turned over an almost entirely new board when Evans, who came to OPS from Kansas, officially started in 2013. The board has navigated a flood of changes that Evans has introduced in fulfilling a promise to shake things up and to address identified weaknesses in Nebraska’s largest school district. One of his first orders of business was conducting a needs assessment that sought broad community input. Feedback from parents, teachers, administrators and stakeholders shaped a new strategic plan for the district. The plan outlines strategies for better communication, more transparency and accountability, closer alignment of goals and greater classroom rigor. He reorganized district staff and created new positions in response to an expressed need for better support of schools. He’s overseen a new student assignment plan, a new hiring policy and a facilities wish-list for $630 million in upgrades. Evans wants to stem the tide of students OPS loses to other districts, saying that’s difficult “if you don’t have room for them and many of our schools are just packed to the gills.” He adds, “You can’t compete with other districts unless you have facilities of similar caliber and we’re a real inequitable district today. About half our schools are beautiful facilities. The other half there’s a whole list of things that need to be worked on.” The facilities plan may go before voters as a bond issue. He compares the task of changing the district’s direction to turning around an aircraft carrier at sea. As captain, he plots the course but he relies on a vast team to implement the necessary maneuvers. Evans began the turnaround even before he started. “I didn’t start officially until July 1 but once I accepted the job I started visiting, collecting information, studying, so that when I did walk in the door I didn’t walk in cold. I walked in running because I’d already met staff and community. I’d purposely reached out. I had a very clearly laid out entry plan that described the things we were going to do. “You have to have a real clear plan of how you’re going to implement this kind of stuff or you’re going to
get lost and lose the prioritization. You’ve still got to do what you’ve been doing but do it better while doing these major lifts. So a lot of it has to do with prioritization and focus. A lot of it has to do with 60-plus hour work weeks.” Evans likes what he sees on the horizon now that OPS has aligned goals at every level. “We’ve not had a clearly defined destination until today. What you had was some schools saying, ‘This is my destination, this is what I think is most urgent,’ and they just kind of did it on their own. The difference today is we’ve got clear alignment and we’re creating a system that creates support and accountability throughout. Everyone’s success is contingent upon someone else’s success. “Accountability is now built in because it’s on paper, it’s in writing: Here’s your goal for graduation rate, here’s your goal for NESA scores, here’s your goal for the achievement gap...” He says strategies are being honed “to create that same level of accountability” at all 86 schools and in every classroom. “That’s the whole restructure piece we created. Principals told us, ‘We want more help in our schools,’ so we shut down a department in the district office and put 30 people out in schools. Then we created four executive directors of school support positions. Each is directly responsible for 21 schools. We spent all summer training them. They’re former star principals who serve at the cabinet level with me and top level staff. They look at the alignment of the big picture goals to the school
improvement plan and help principals improve that. Everyone is working towards the same goals.” He says until the strategic plan there wasn’t a coherent, clearly expressed vision “of where we’re at, where we’re going and how we’re trying to get there,” adding, “I think what I feel best about is we’ve created more transparency and communication from the get go because we asked people what are the strengths and needs of our district. We did forums, we did surveys, we used different tools on our website. That was the start of our saying, ‘We’re going to ask you first and then we’re going to use what you tell us to help us see our critical needs.’ To be honest, I already knew we had critical needs but it can’t be my plan, it’s gotta be our plan, it can’t be my thoughts, it has to be our thoughts, and the truth is most of where we ended up at I would have ended up at, too.” Engaging people in the process, he says, “is much more powerful” and staff take more ownership for “achieving specific targets.” The changes have been welcomed by some and met with push-back by others. He jokingly says response is “somewhere between embrace and fisticuffs.” He’s well aware steering this unwieldy district in a new direction will take time given its sheer size. “You just have to know it’s a big journey.” He left a good thing at the Andover (Kan.) school district to make this journey. “I had a great job, we were making progress and nationally recognized. I’d been there eight years and I could have finished my career there fairly easily.”
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He declined OPS overtures before throwing his hat in the ring. “I knew what it was going to take to do something like this, so I said no twice. The third time they asked me to call some people I knew up here and I did and I heard positive things from them. They said to look beyond the headlines because the headlines had been pretty devastating. In my initial research I saw a mess beyond repair but the further I looked, and I still feel this way a year later, the mess has been at the 10,000 foot level – with the superintendent and the board. It’s about getting rid of the noise and distraction and chaos there. “It wasn’t easy moving but at the end of the day I thought I could make a difference here. I know how to systemically build schools. Everywhere I’ve gone we’ve been able to have progress with kids because I understand how to bring a system together and to build teams and create collaborative decision makers.” Making it easier for him to take the plunge was the community support he found here he didn’t find in Wichita, Kan., where he spent 20 years working in that city’s largest public school district. “I’d spent most of my career in Wichita in a very similar setting – from the size of the schools to the number of employees to the demographics of the kids. But there is one significant difference and this is part of the reason I said yes – the community here is more supportive than Wichita is. This community still cares. People want OPS to be successful. There’s philanthropic support. There’s several foundations and individuals that care about OPS.” Along with the deep pockets of the Sherwood and Lozier Foundations, OPS has relationships with mentoring initiatives like Building Bright Futures, Partnership 4 Kids and Teammates. Recognizing that many of its students live in poverty and test below grade level, the district partners with organizations on pre-K programs in an effort to get more at-risk children ready for school. New early childhood centers modeled after Educare are in the works with the Buffett Early Childhood Fund and the Buffett Early Childhood Institute. Evans champions community-driven endeavors aimed at improving student achievement and supporting schools because no district can do it alone, especially one as large and diverse as OPS. “Not only is it a big district, which creates some challenges, we have more and more free and reduced (lunch) students who qualify for the federal poverty line and we know that brings with it some extra challenges which is why we need community support. We have an increasing number of English as Second Language learners because we have a growing number of refugee families. These young people not only have language barriers but huge cultural barriers. “We also have more young people coming to us with life challenges and neighborhood issues. Partnering with community groups makes a big difference with those extra challenges. What we’re trying to do in many situations is fill in gaps. Organizations are critical because we’re filling in more gaps than we have before.” Those gaps extend to resources, such as high speed Internet access. Some kids have it at home and school, others don’t because their parents and schools can’t afford it. He says the efficiencies possible in a corporate, cookie-cutter world don’t fit public schools because no two suppliers, i.e. parents, and no two products, i.e. students, present the same specs.
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T:5.7”
“A great movie in terms of what I knew as an athlete and saw as an athlete.” – NBA Hall of Famer Jerry West
“This is an excellent movie with universal coaching principles that start with ‘team.’” – Marc Trestman, Chicago Bears Head Football Coach
T:9”
Visit Varsity Sports Café (4900 Dodge St. Omaha, NE 68132)
beginning at 4PM on Friday, August 15 to pick-up your passes while supplies last.
TRISTAR PICTURES PRESENTS IN ASSOCIATION WITH AFFIRM FILMS A MANDALAY SPORTS MEDIMUSICA PRODUCTION A THOMAS CARTER FILM “WHEN THE GAME STANDS TALL” EXECUTIVE JIM CAVIEZEL MICHAEL PRODUCED CHIKLIS ALEXANDERBASEDLUDWI G CLANCY BROWN AND LAURA DERN BY JOHN PAESANO PRODUCERS CATHY SCHULMAN DAVID TIDIRECTEDCE THOMAS CARTER ON THE STORY SCREENPLAY BY DAVID ZELON BOOK BY NEIL HAYES BY SCOTT MARSHALL SMITH AND DAVID ZELON BY SCOTT MARSHALL SMITH BY THOMAS CARTER
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NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED OR RESTRICTED BY LAW. Employees of participating sponsors are not eligible. Limit one admit-two pass per person. 100 passes available on a first-come, first-served basis. This film has been rated PG for thematic material, a scene of violence, and brief smoking.
IN THEATERS AUGUST 22 4C PUB PROMO
WhenTheGameStandsTall.com • Facebook.com/WhenTheGameStandsTall • #StandTall
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DATE
YOU AND A GUEST ARE INVITED TO A SPECIAL ADVANCE SCREENING OF
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| THE READER | Notes 4 pt. rule for border 8 or 7.5 pica rating PP billing
cover FINAL story
Production Artist
Production Manager Proofer 1
y continued from page 5 “We take whoever walks in the door and wherever they’re at is where we take them, whether they have special needs, language arts deficiencies or advanced skill sets. So school A and school B might look different, in fact they’ll inherently look different even though the summative assessments are still going to look the same with standardized testing and those kinds of things. We do have these summative tools that tell us something about whether a school is progressing or not. “On the other hand, school A may be quite a bit different than school B because school A has 20 percent refugees with some very specific skill gaps and so how we support them and the grade level assessments tied to that curriculum are going to be a little different than school B which has no refugees, no ELA-ELL (English Language Acquisition-English Language Learner) students. Students in school B are prepared and ready for something much different than what students at school A are prepared and ready for. And so we demand that each school and each staff differentiates based on the needs of the young people. You do formative tests to get those early indicators of where are the skill gaps and how are we going to bridge those skill gaps.” Differences aside, the same overarching goal apply to all schools. “No matter where they’re at, what you’re looking for is progress in both groups. It’s gotta be about growth and progress, wherever they came from, whether from a refugee camp or a single-parent family or a household where both parents are college graduates. The day they walk out they’ve gotta be better than the day they walked in.” Closing the achievement gap, he says, “Is not just resources,” adding, “There’s a lot of things we can do with existing resources – that’s what we’re trying to do with alignment. For example, if we know of a specific strategy to improve math or language arts skills for kids below level why wouldn’t we train all our staff in that methodology for all our schools? We’d never done that. Instead, school A and school B would pick out whatever strategy they wanted. Some would buy a compute-based piece and some would do a tutorial piece at the Teacher Administration Center. “There was no collaborative where educators said, ‘Which one has the highest return on impacting those skills?’ That just doesn’t make any sense. So now we’re attempting to scale those things. Part of it is getting out of our silos and scaling the quality and part of it is helping people develop the skill sets to know how to implement that, because not everybody knows.” His executive directors of school support, including Lisa Uttterback, were principals at high performing schools. Evans has charged them with helping principals adopt best practices at their own schools. “Lisa had great success in a high needs school (Miller Park). The test scores look good, there’s community partnerships and parent involvement. Kids are walking out the door with pride, ready for middle school. I took grief for taking her out of there but my thinking is she can have more impact by scaling her capacities to 21 schools. I need her to develop her skill sets to these principals she supports and I need the other EDs to do that with the leaders they support. “The whole concept is to find where it’s working and make decisions collaboratively on best practices and then support the implementation. It doesn’t happen overnight. It didn’t happen overnight at Miller
Park, but it did happen. So what happened? Well, you had good leadership. She (Utterback) figured out strategies that work.” Other principals have done the same thing. “We’ve got islands of excellence, we’ve got schools doing wonderful things, but then you’ve got other schools that for whatever reasons need more supports and until now there really wasn’t a methodology to try to recognize it and to provide that support.” To achieve the greater classroom rigor district-wide the strategic plan calls for he says OPS is enhancing efforts started before he came to “retrain teachers on baseline skill sets for instructional practice.” He acknowledges “these are things they should have probably had in college but for whatever reason didn’t.” In addition to raising performance, there’s a push to keep kids in school. “In our district right now were at 77.8 percent graduation rate, which by the way is pretty high for an urban setting. But the truth is we’ve got to be higher than that, we’ve got to be over 80 and be moving toward 90, because if they don’t have a high school diploma today the research abundantly shows the opportunities in life are slim. “Were trying to move 13 percentage points over the next five years, which doesn’t sound like a big deal but it kind of is a big deal.” Moving forward, he feels good about the school board he answers to. “I would say our relationship’s good. They’ve had an enormous learning curve. I think their hearts are really good. I think they’re still struggling with the learning curve – heck, I am. They’re trying to wrap their arms around big stuff, I mean, we’re talking big numbers here – a $600 million facilities plan. We’re talking big information – a strategic plan, a student assignment plan, a new hiring policy. I think they’ve done amazing for the amount of time they’ve had to try to capture this.” He says minus drama and acrimony at the top, OPS can thrive. “We have great schools doing really good things. I thought and I still think if we could get rid of that noise and distraction and have an aligned, coherent system we may have one of the only opportunities in America where a community still values urban education, and they do here. There are very few communities like this.” He feels good, too, about he and the board having come in together to provide a restart for the district. “I think this community wanted and desired a feeling of a fresh start. I think people feel like they are seeing something different today than what they saw the last five years. I know we are doing things different because OPS hadn’t done a strategic plan in 10 years, they hadn’t done a bond issue in 15 years, they haven’t done a student assignment plan in many years, they hadn’t done a reorganization with a focus of supporting schools.” Evans likes where his ship of a district is headed. “We’ve got the pieces in place to get it lined up. We’re already doing partnerships, we’re developing better classroom practices, we’re developing leadership for the schools and aligning them to very specific, collaboratively agreed upon goals. If we can pass this facilities plan we can give kids high speed internet access and safer, more secure environments. “Without those kinds of pieces the ship’s going to go on the wrong course.” , Read more of Leo Adam Biga’s work at leoadambiga.wordpress.com.
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8 DAYS
TOPTV LEGENDS
Sundays, 8 p.m. (TNT)
Martin Odum (Sean Bean) is a CIA agent who trans“LEGENDS” forms himself into a different person for each undercover job. For example, he goes to great lengths to style himself as a creepy outsider to infiltrate a domestic terrorist group, masking his British accent with a stutter. “Legends” keeps you on the edge of your seat as Martin tries not to blow his cover under tremendous pressure. That would be enough of an accomplishment for a new series, but “Legends” adds an intriguing twist. Martin is a psychological wreck who has trouble working with his colleagues and his supervisor, Crystal (Ali Larter). Apparently, his unstable personality is what allows him to lose himself in a character. In fact, he’s so unstable that we’re not surprised when a mysterious figure accosts Martin and suggests that he’s not who he thinks he is. Suddenly the key question isn’t “How will Martin stop that bomb from going off?” It is, more elementally, “Who is Martin?” So far, the series’ only lapse is having Crystal go undercover as a stripper. I hope “Legends” gets around to asking the question “Who is Crystal?” — and it would be nice if the answer were something more than just “a sex object.” — Dean Robbins
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She will attend UNMC this August, to finish her bachelor’s degree in nursing. Her new body of work relates to her present studies of anatomy, microbiology and other nursing related subjects. Fusing her past work of landscape and the human imagination with ideas of the micro and the delicacy of the human body, her work explores the relationship we have with our bodies on a biological level and the environment that we are part of that keeps us alive. — Paul Heft
Aug. 15- Sept. 14
ENRON
Omaha Community Playhouse, 6915 Cass St. Thurs-Sat: 7:30 p.m. Sun: 2 p.m., Tickets $22-36 www.OmahaPlayhouse.org The Playhouse is banking on your interest in a provocative satire about which you may not know much. Sure, you’ve heard of the Enron scandal, that 2001 massive, energy company financial scam. But to have the Playhouse invest energy and capital in the eponymous stage work could seem a somewhat risky venture to open its new season. Face it, the 2009 play by 28-year-old Brit Lucy Prebble didn’t rake in fortunes in its one year life. So, admire the chutzpah backing up this local venture, taking on this self-described “true story of false profits,” with imaginative theater devices, masks, puppets, video, songs, dances. Ain’t no documentary, partner, although the facts become clear in this wild cartoon. FYI: Prebble is the master manipulator behind the sensational four-year-running TV series “Secret Diary of a Call Girl.” Trust The Playhouse. It believes you’re up to the challenge. — Gordon Spencer
Aug. 15-17, Aug. 22-24
OXYGEN
Bancroft Street Market, 10th and Bancroft Doors: 6 p.m. — music, food and live painting by the show’s young cast members (with a portion of proceeds from painting sales donated to the children’s choice of charities). Show: 8 p.m. Tickets: $15 ADV, $20 DOS, $10 students w/ID jungleproductions.wix.com Jungle Productions has selected Omaha as a pilot market for reimagining performance arts, and will kick off the organization’s production schedule with the Nebraska premiere of Tim Barr’s Oxygen this week at the Bancroft StreetMarket. The play, told through the eyes of an ailing-yet-spirited family patriarch (Paul, played by Barr), reflects on the toxic effects of
| THE READER |
picks
MONDAY18 Aug. 18
THE EVERYMEN ENRON
vermiculite mining in Libby, Montana — effects that left generations first incapacitated, then dead. A longtime actor who has appeared in more than 170 productions, Barr learned about Libby’s mining history while living and teaching in Missoula, Montana, in the late ’90s. The show also features Omahans Lydia Bruckner as Young Jackie and Christopher Levering as Young Paul. What sets Oxygen apart from most Omaha theater ventures is Jungle Productions’ preshow event that includes food, live music and live visual arts in an intimate theater setting designed to draw the audience, performers and art together. Further, Oxygen raises awareness of a larger issue: asbestos poisoning in communities — a concern for Nebraskans, as well. “This is truly a collaborative effort,” says Barr, “and Omaha offers a brilliant, receptive arts community excited about supporting a Nebraska premiere that tells an important story while showcasing other art and entertainment forms, as well.”
Through Aug. 31
RELATIVITY: A DUO WITH HEATHER RUBINO AND LAURIE SEWELL-MULLER
Star Deli Gallery, 6114 Military Ave. Mon-Thurs 11 a.m.-12 a.m., Fri & Sat 11 a.m.-2 a.m. facebook.com/stardeli Star Deli Gallery presents the work of two sisters, Heather Rubino and Laurie Sewell-Muller. Rubino is currently a student at the University of Nebraska at Omaha/ She is inspired by the textures, colors and shapes that are found in nature and she explores these elements through different painting styles and techniques. SewellMuller received her BFA in Fine Art from UNO in 2010.
O’leavers, 1322 S Saddle Creek Road (402) 556-1238, facebook.com/oleavers Touring behind their new full-length Givin’ Up On Free Jazz, out now via Ernest Jenning Record Co., The Everymen are nine members strong with a penchant for cheap beer and tall tales. The band has taken cues from
THE EVERYMEN
the best of New Jersey’s rock’n’roll cache, but instead of mimicry they’ve joined in right alongside them. Since forming in 2009, The Everymen have quickly built a rock solid resume thanks to their tireless average of over 100 shows a year, and a reputation as one of the hardest working and most exciting live bands around. As a testament to their electrifying performances on and off the stage, WNYC Soundcheck/NPR said: “The Everymen inject each element of their energetic rock with a palpable passion.” You can watch the hilariously awesome video for “Spain” here: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=N7F8Yc18bps
M
aha Music Festival-goers may not have heard of The Both, but they probably know one or the other who make up the stellar duo. The Both is Aimee Mann and Ted Leo, together. Mann made her first splash as the lead singer of post-pop band ’Til Tuesday, whose smash single “Voices Carry” charted in the top 10 in 1985. She went on to helm a solo career in 1990, enjoying mild success with her first two albums until emerging again when director Paul Thomas Anderson recognized
THEBOTH AIMEE MANN AND TED LEO JOIN MUSICAL FORCES BY TIM MCMAHAN
her personal, aching music would be the perfect centerpiece for his 1999 breakthrough film, Magnolia. During one of the film’s pivotal scenes, characters played by William H. Macy, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Tom Cruise (among others) take over the vocals on her song “Wise Up” — a moment guaranteed to choke up even the most stone-hearted. Ted Leo is an indie-rock staple in his own right, with a career that goes back to the late ’90s as a member of Indiana band Chisel prior to forming Ted Leo and the Pharmacists in 1999. Known for quirky, kinetic rock songs that border on punk thanks to their to speed, attitude and blazing guitar lines, Leo released records on well-known indie label Touch & Go before moving to Matador Records with 2010’s sublime The Brutalist Bricks.
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ICKY BLOSSOMS
TWINSMITH
y continued from page 9 Mann and Leo spent a few years touring together as solo artists before joining forces in The Both in 2013. The product of their liaison is their self-titled debut, released on Mann’s SuperEgo label, that ratchets down Leo’s hyper-pop while ratcheting up Mann’s serene heartbreak. The duo perfectly compliment each other both vocally and as songwriters. If you’re a fan of either, you’ll love The Both. We caught up with The Both via a bi-coastal phone bridge, with Mann in Los Angeles and Leo in New York City. Now that you’ve been playing as The Both on stage since April, is it everything you dreamed it would be? Mann: It’s pretty fun, I’m really into it. I just think Ted is a very innovative guitarist and super fun to be with on stage. He’s really funny. With me on bass and touring drummer Matt Mayhall, we’ve become a tight little unit. Leo: I’d just like to hear Aimee say more stuff about me (laughs). I feel the same way. We spent so much time on the road together before actually creating this band, we know each other’s personalities and how to bring out the music we’ve been collaborating on. It’s a pretty joyful experience. Do you feel like you’re creating something new with a new fan base or are you building on the fan bases you’ve generated individually over the years? Mann: My feeling is that it’s a new audience. Maybe I’m basing that on not getting calls for individual solo stuff (which) I would have expected if it were just fans of mine or Ted’s in the audience. People are really coming out to see the band. Leo: There was a small handful of fans on the first leg in the spring who seemed to be there to see one or the other, but that was a real rarity. The much greater percentage of the audience seems to be really engaged with the songs of The Both, which was really gratifying. The first night we played during the week the record came out, people were singing along to the songs. During the songwriting process, were there times Aimee when you heard something Ted was working on and said, “OK, you have to throttle that back” and conversely, Ted, were there moments listening to Aimee’s stuff where you said “OK, we’ve got to bring this up”? Leo: First of all, I actually find myself in a position of pushing back on the idea that what we’ve done musically has been so on the other side of the spectrum from each other. I’m not saying we exist in the exact same space, but there’s more overlap than people give credence to. Because of that, I never felt I needed to ask Aimee to ramp something up, in fact some of the more upbeat songs on the album started with Aimee and slower ones started with me. The fun part of this project is exercising the songwriting muscle and working together. Mann: I agree. Leo: The loudest, peppiest song is “Volunteers Of America.” The original melody came from a 5 a.m voice memo of mine to
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remember the melody, but the pace and energy of song came from Aimee running with it. So what are we getting with this concert? Will we be hearing some Ted Leo songs and some Aimee Mann songs along with stuff off the new Both album? Mann: Mostly our band songs, but a couple of Ted’s and mine will augment the set. Leo: This being a festival, I don’t think we get the entire length of our headlining set. so we might have to do some edits here or there. You chose to release this record on Aimee’s SuperEgo label. Aimee, your role as a stalwart of independent artists is pretty well known. Still, did you completely discard the idea of offering this to a major or mid-sized indie label?
MATT WHIPKEY
DOMESTICA
cover story
THE ENVY CORPS
Death Cab For Cutie
What do you think of efforts like Kickstarter for funding a record? Death Cab For Cutie has chosen a few select sumLeo: I’m of two minds about it. In some ways it mer shows to announce their appropriately quiet reawakputs power back in your hands to get something ening. The long-running indie rock band last album was to an audience that wants it, but at same time 2011’s Codes and Keys, which it’s a shame that it has come followed the band’s two most to this. The fact is Kickstarter successful albums especially exists because people stopped 2005’s Plans. That album and paying for music. It’s a workthe single “Soul Meets Body” around, but I don’t think it’s finally placed the sound of one an ultimate solution. of modern indie rock’s most Mann: I don’t think there is a revered bands into the ears of solution to that problem. Some things just die out and don’t a whole host of radio listeners. come back. The biggest accomplishment is Aimee, I have to ask a two-part Magsinger Ben Gibbard and company achieved nolia question: 1) What did you think that success without sacrificing the band’s when PT Anderson had the characters identity. Death Cab is still essentially riding sing the lines to “Wise Up,” and 2) what did you think the the same wavelengths that they have since their 1998 first time you saw it in the finished film? debut, Something About Airplanes. The band writes Mann: I was very skeptical. It sounded like the acting would airy but erudite songs, which are often anchored by look bizarre or ridiculous. (Anderson) said ‘Just be quiet and the tidy production of band member Chris Walla. The watch.’ I saw it and it was a weird, amazing, magical moment. band’s melodically nimble songwriting has defined It was surreal and heartfelt in a way that makes sense. (Magan era rife with bands that have been inspired to pen nolia) is a real interesting movie to me because all the surreal similarly sentimental but literate indie pop. things are presented in a realistic way and all realistic events are surreal. Have you ever considered doing another soundtrack? The partnership of singer-songwriters Josiah Johnson Mann: That offer was a once-in-a-lifetime situation. They have and Jonathan Russell began over a series of Seattlemusic directors for movies that choose the music. Not a lot of area open mic nights in 2009 and soon rolled up four THE HEAD AND THE HEART directors are that involved. additional members to form the Head and the Heart. So how is The Both going to impact The band’s first release started as a CD-R in a your respective solo careers? handmade sleeve, which sold out once it made Leo: We’re both engaged in this project its way onto local record store shelves. Sub Pop and will continue to do it. We’re working Records remastered and re-released the album on new stuff. in 2011 and songs like “Ghosts”, “Down In The Mann: We’re still pretty excited about Valley”, and “Lost In My Mind” propelled them it and looking forward to writing more to club headliner status across the country. The songs and writing a musical together band continues their solid mix of folk-rock harwith playwrights. monies and indie-pop directness on their second How’d you get involved with the album Let’s Be Still. Maha Music Festival? Leo: We got involved because they asked us to play. I’m excited to come back in Following up a buzzed-about debut album is ofthis context. It’s been awhile since I’ve Hip-hop act M34N STR33T have released a video for “Nite Owl.” ten a thankless task. Stick to the sound and get been to Omaha, plus I have a friend It’s the their first official music video and it’s a collaboration betagged with just repeating past successes. Try to who just opened a new restaurant there tween the group and director Harrison Martin. The video plays change it up and risk losing your audience. Or do called Modern Love. what Local Natives did when they followed up off the song’s vintage sonics with a classic rock radio introducMann: I love playing outdoor shows and playing festivals, and I’ve heard nothing 2009’s Gorilla Manor with 2013’s Hummingbird. tion by UNO deejay Mr. 1960 before transitioning to a hot rod but great stuff about this one. ,
The Head and the Heart
Mann: We initially were talking to Matador, Ted’s label, about releasing it, but their release schedule was so heavy they’d have to delay it by a year and we were impatient to get it moving. One of the fun things about this project is we did it really fast; we didn’t want that usual thing where you start writing and four years later the record comes out. The record was out a year after writing the first songs. Aimee, I think you were ahead of your time creating your own record label. Did you see the erosion of the majors on the horizon when you formed it in 1999? Mann: The only reason I wanted to put out my own records was I was tired of dealing with major labels. It was always the same arguments and energy spent to get people at the label to do the jobs they’re suppose to do — promote the record or get it to radio or whatever it was. It was just a real waste of energy. I dealt with a lot of people who didn’t like music or weren’t music fans. It was disconcerting.
RADKEY
DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE
Working with the National’s Aaron Dessner, the band fully evolved into their own identity, well beyond the grab-bag of indie rock influences that made Gorilla Manor a treat. Local Natives mix harmonized vocals and soaring instrumentation with big rock guitars and tricky rhythmic switches. It’s intellectual indie rock that swings from the hips.
DOOMTREE
Doomtree
This Minneapolis indie hip-hop collective gather together the firepower of P.O.S., Dessa, Lazerbeak and a host of other big underground hip-hop names to make intricately layered music marked by a soul music-cribbing instrumentals and thought-provoking, literate verses.
Radkey
The buzz is building for St. Joseph, Miss. punk power trio Radkey. Consisting of three brothers, the band plays a scuffed-up, grungy rock sound that would appeal to fans of Mudhoney, the Stooges or any number of bass-propelled stoner rock bands. Radkey is already showing a mastery for performing heavy, but hooky rock songs.
Local Natives
The Envy Corps
Songwriter Luke Pettipoole has a dreampop heart but a knack for wringing soaring anthems and propulsively rhythmic rushes out of his lush soundscapes. The Des Moines band has earned a loyal following in Omaha, thanks to frequent club show stops. — Chris Aponick
LOCAL NATIVES
outside Omaha’s retro eatery, The Diner, and then finally to rapper Conchance, who takes the viewer on a skater’s travelogue of midtown Omaha. — Chris Aponick
music
| THE READER |
AUG. 14 - 20, 2014
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AUG. 14- 20, 2014
| THE READER |
eventcalendar For more information about these events and more, go online to:
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Upload your events online at thereader.com/events Questions: listings@thereader.com
ONGOINGART This Slideshow is Here So We Both Know What to Do - 7:00 pm | Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts A combined artist lecture and performance by current resident Chlo Bass. Cigar Box Art Show - 7:00 pm | Free Caesium Gallery Local artists using cigar boxes as their canvas. The show is on Thursday and Friday, Aug. 14th and 15th, from 7-9PM and Sunday, Aug. 17th afternoon from noon-4PM. Courtney Porto - All Day | Connect Gallery Generation - All Day | Lux Center For the Arts UNL Legacy 1999-2013; curated by Gail Kendall, former Hixson-Lied professor of art at the UNL, featuring 14 of Kendall’s former MFA students. Duplicity - All Day | Lux Center For the Arts Duplicity represents a departure from some of Sunny’s previous work in that instead of creating abstractions from nature she ventures further and literally flips her subject 45 degrees. Visions of Lewis and Clark - All Day | Free The Kaneko Visions of Lewis and Clark is a unique historical art exhibit consisting of thirty kites commemorating Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery expedition. Truck-A-Tecture - All Day | Free The Kaneko Truck-A-Tecture examines architecture as redefined by mobility and technical expansion. Mixed Media & Musical Instruments - All Day | Fred Simon Gallery The art of Michael Giron and Riccardo Marchio in the Mixed Media & Musical Instruments exhibit. Flock House Project - All Day | Free Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts What if migratory homes with autonomous systems for rainwater collection and food production were the building blocks of the city of the future? Visions of Lewis and Clark Kite Expo - All Day | $3-$7 Lauritzen Gardens Visions of Lewis and Clark is a unique historical art exhibit consisting of thirty kites commemorating Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery expedition. Toward the Setting Sun - All Day | Free Sheldon Museum Of Art This touring ex-
backbeat
hibition organized by Plains Art Museum in Fargo, North Dakota features mixed media works on paper and oil paintings by artist T. L. Solien. An Artist’s Journey - All Day | $2-$13 University of Nebraska State Museum Presenting the evolution of artistic talent of Nebraska painter, illustrator and muralist Mark Marcuson. Titanboa - All Day | $2-$13 University of Nebraska State Museum From a fossil bed 60 million years old comes the largest snake in the world. Yard/Zone - All Day | Free University of Nebraska-Lincoln An exhibition of stitched sculptural forms by Sarah Wagner of Detroit. Urban Design Lab - All Day | Free Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts Chlo Bass and Teal Gardner are collaborating with 20 local researchers to shed new light on the nature of our urban landscape. Richard Charter: PLAY! - 1:00 pm | Free Smiling Turtle Art Spot Enter the bright, colorful and whimsical world of Richard Charter.
THURSDAYAUG 14 ›››MUSIC Like Moths To Flames - 7:00 pm | $13$15 Sokol Auditorium This band has set the underground music scene ablaze in just a few short years, thanks to a decidedly unique, fresh and original take on an otherwise well-worn genre. Acoustic Music Thursdays - 7:00 pm | Two Fine Irishmen Jazz on the Green - 7:30 pm | Free Turner Park at Midtown Crossing The legendary New Orleans band, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, will perform the final show of the season. Third Thursdays with Thornburg 8:00 pm | Free The Side Door Lounge Reggae Night - 8:00 pm | Free The Hive Lounge Wayland - 10:00 pm | $5-$7 The Bourbon Theatre A four-piece rock and roll band from Michigan.
›››MISC. Comedy Stiles Open Mic - 10:00 pm | Free Stiles Public House The show starts at 10:30! Hosted by Preston Tompkins.
n Orenda Fink released a new music video for single “Ace of Cups,” in advance of her upcoming album Blue Dream. The album is out Tuesday, Aug. 19, on Saddle Creek Records. The video was directed by Aaron Gum and Icky Blossoms’ Nik Fackler and places the the hushed vocals and lush, slow instrumentation of the track in a sea of percolating kaleidoscopic colors. The psychedelic shafts of light and glowing nebulas surround Fink and the video’s cast of “co-singers.” It’s an ideal pairing of dreamscape imagery and the gorgeously unfolding song penned by Fink. n The Seen’s latest video for their song “And Collapse” features a host of dudes and a few ladies spastically dancing in various backdrops, a great match for the energetic guitar rock song. Pick your flavor of any of these three videos by typing it into your Youtube search bar and hitting enter. That’s a pretty easy way to check out an awesome music video. n Downtown’s live music offerings are expanding
Structured Chaos - 12:00 am | Backline Improv Theatre A full night of long-form improv at its finest. Omaha Storm Chasers vs Salt Lake Bees - 7:00 pm | Werner Park
FRIDAYAUG 15 ›››MUSIC Superstar Legends Concert - 6:00 pm | $20-$40 Ralston Arena Relive the greatest music covering the last 60 years on Aug 15-16 direct from Las Vegas. CAP Jazz Fundraiser - 6:00 pm | The Pizza Shoppe Collective Escape from AlcaJazz, an exciting fusion of modal, funk, rock and bebop. 10% of food and drinks will go to the CAP Jazz program, donations accepted. Raw:Omaha - 7:00 pm | $15-$20 Sokol Auditorium This is an 18+ event Fashionable Attire. Rough Cut - 8:00 pm | Free Ameristar Casino Friday and Saturday night. Neptunes - 8:00 pm | $5 McKenna’s Blues Booze and BBQ Live Music - 9:00 pm | Horseshoe Council Bluffs Casino Luke Jenson’s Birthday Show - 9:00 pm | $3-$5 The Bourbon Theatre Come celebrate Luke Jensons birthday with music by $pencelove, JMNM, Audbawl, Realeyez.
The Both (Aimee Mann & Ted Leo) 12:00 pm | $50 Aksarben Village Smilers, her seventh solo CD, Aimee Mann presents thirteen exquisitely-crafted songs. Maha Music Festival - 12:00 pm | $50 Aksarben Village All Day Outdoor Indie Rock Music Festival: Ticket price includes all fees. Vibes at Village Pointe - 6:30 pm | Free Village Pointe Shopping Center The Low on Cash Band - 7:00 pm | Soaring Wings Vineyard Lincoln, NE band specializing in Country Rock. John Crews & Bucky McCann - 8:00 pm | $5 McKenna’s Blues Booze and BBQ 311 Cover Band - 8:00 pm | The Hive Lounge Ezra - 8:00 pm | $5-$10 The Bourbon Theatre Nebraska’s longest running death metal band. Live Music - 9:00 pm | Horseshoe Council Bluffs Casino
›››MISC.
Third Friday at Carver Bank - 6:00 pm | Carver Bank Cultural corridor event featuring Flock House inhabitant Manuel Cook, who will use his time in Mary Mattingly’s Omaha project at Carver Bank to create a video installation. “Interrogated” - 10:00 pm | Backline Improv Theatre Audience members volunteer to come up on stage, confess something they’ve gotten away with, then we send them to perform scenes based on that. Arena: Champions vs. Challengers 11:00 pm | Backline Improv Theatre Omaha Storm Chasers vs Salt Lake Bees - 6:35 pm | Werner Park
The Release - 8:30 am | The Universal College of Healing Arts Interactive conference for womb-men, created by Felicia Webster in partnership with The Center for Holistic Development and The Universal College of Healing Arts. Unleash Your Inner Magic - 9:00 am | $47 Marriott Regency Own a small business or ready to start one? Network with other spiritual entrepreneurs at this innovative weekend: August 16-17. The Samples - Benefit Show for Memories for Kids - 9:00 pm | $25+ The Slowdown Omaha Silent Auction and Raffle. $100.00 VIP tickets include early entry drink tickets, and a meet and greet with the band. Memories for Kids is a a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization with a mission to create lifelong memories for children who have a parent with terminal cancer. Saturday Night Show - 9:00 pm | Backline Improv Theatre Art & Nature in the Afternoon - 3:00 pm | Howlin Hounds Coffee An Afternoon with a bit of art, a splash of nature and just enough sprinkles of both combined to make it perfect, topped with a healthy dose of caffeine and conversation. Nebraska Kidney Association Wine Mixer - 6:00 pm | Sunset Valley Country Club. Our sommelier, Dennis Hein, has traveled the world collecting only the finest wines and spirits. Color Foam 5k - All Day | $46 CenturyLink Center Omaha ColorFoam5k was created to promote health and wellness and to support local charities. Omaha Storm Chasers vs Las Vegas 51s - 6:35 pm | Werner Park
SATURDAYAUG 16
SUNDAYAUG 17
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again, thanks to the opening the Omaha Lounge, 1505 Farnam St. The cocktail lounge, located in the recently renovated Barker Building, will host live jazz and blues nightly from 6 to 9 p.m. The selection of local musicians will include pianists and guitarists, according to the lounge’s press release. The venue will be open daily until midnight. n The 12th annual Cowtown Jamborama is set for four days of swing dancing and live jazz kicking off Sept. 11, and running through Sept. 14. The event will feature nightly dances starting Friday, Sept. 12, at the Eagles Ballroom, 201 S. 24th St. Falty & the Defects will perform Sept. 12, the Robert Bell Uptown Swing Combo will play on the 13th and the Little Harper Big Band will close the festivities out Sept. 14. The weekend will also include plenty of dance instruction workshops and other events. For more information, visit the event’s website at jamborama.com. — Chris Aponick Backbeat looks at music in the metro area. Email information to backbeat@thereader.com
John Stokely - 2:00 pm | Free Soaring Wings Vineyard Music in the Park - 6:30 pm | Free Tom Hanafan River’s Edge Park The Luke Polipnick Trio - 8:00 pm | The Side Door Lounge Trapt, The Veer Union - 8:00 pm | $20$25 The Bourbon Theatre School chums Chris Brown and Peter Charell absorbed the heavy rock sound of Korn, Soundgarden, and Metallica during the mid-90s. Luigi, Inc. - 9:00 pm | Free Mr. Toad’s Pub Omaha
›››MISC. What I Thought I Saw: Random Acts of Blindness - 6:30 pm | Free Community Engagement Center UNO Campus ‘What I Thought I Saw: Random Acts of Blindness’ is a hilarious and inspiring presentation by Leslye Orr, a playwright and performer who has been legally blind since childbirth. Omaha Jewish Film Festival: Film 2 of 4 - 6:30 pm | Jewish Community Center ‘The Zigzag Kid.’ An optional kosher $10 dinner starts at 5:30 pm. Sunday Night Trivia - 7:00 pm | Two Fine Irishmen Omaha Storm Chasers vs Las Vegas 51s - 2:00 pm | Werner Park
MONDAYAUG 18
coldcream
n The night belonged to Les Miserables at the 47th Annual Theatre Arts Guild Awards, honoring the past season’s outstanding accomplishments in Omaha area theatre. The winner for Best Musical, Les Miz took home a whopping 13 awards, 10 more than any other production. On top of Best Musical, Carl Beck and Susie Baer Collins took home Best Director, Jim Boggess won Best Musical Director, Joe Dignoti won Best Lead Actor in a Musical for his performance of Javert. Les Miz also swept the design categories, winning the awards for Best Sound, Props, Set, Lighting and Costume Design. On top of Dignoti, the show won a host of acting awards that included Megan McGuire and Tyler Buglewicz taking home Best Featured Actor and Actress, Noah Jeffrey winning Best Youth Actor, and the show’s rendition of “One Day More” won the Best Ensemble category. Overall, the Omaha Community Playhouse won 19 awards in total, including Best Actress Kathy Tyree in the title role of Ella, Spencer Williams and Judy Radcliffe won Best Supporting Actor and Actress for Young Frankenstein, Noah Diaz won Best Featured Actor for Sirens, Grace Bydalek won Best Youth Actress for Next to Normal and Best Special Event went to the 21 & Over staged reading of Exit, Pursued by a Bear. The Blue Barn Theatre’s production of 33 Variations by Moises Kaufman took home the award for Best Drama, also garnering honors for Nils Haaland as Best Actor and Mary Kelly as Best Supporting Actress. The Shelterbelt Theatre’s production of The Battle of Battles by local playwright Joe Basque won Best Comedy and Best Director of a play. The theater also received the award for Best One Act Play for Chekhov’s Gun by Ben Beck. SNAP Productions took home three awards, including Best Actress Sally Neumann Scamfer for her performance in Come Back Little Sheba. Local playwright Daena Schweiger’s play Voices from the Closet won best new script and also received the Best Featured Actress honor for Nichole Hawkins. The other awards included Best Supporting Actor honors for Dan Chevalier as Sir Andrew Aguecheek in Nebraska Shakespeare’s 12th Night and Debbie Massey winning Best Choreography for her work on Papillion La Vista theater’s production of 42nd Street. The highlight of the evening was The Norman and Louise Filbert Lifetime Achievement Award presented to Creighton University Professor and area designer Bill Van Deest. For a complete rundown of award recipients, you can go online to www.theatreartsguild.com. — Bill Grennan Cold Cream looks at theater in the metro area. Email information to coldcream@thereader.com. Full of Hell & Noisem - 7:00 pm | $7+ Hideout Lounge Naughty Metallic Hardcore from the East Coast. Mike Gurciullo and His Las Vegas Big Band - 8:00 pm | Free Ozone Lounge Open Mic - 9:00 pm | Barley Street Tavern
›››MISC. Movie Night - 8:00 pm | Free The Hive Lounge Pub Quiz - 9:00 pm | Free The Slowdown Omaha Omaha Storm Chasers vs Las Vegas 51s - 7:00 pm | Werner Park
TUESDAYAUG 19 ›››MUSIC Jelly Bread - 6:00 pm | $6 The Zoo Bar Jelly Bread’s musical alchemy blends a dash of alt-rock with soul and funk. Monthly Blues Jam - 8:00 pm | The Hive Lounge Red and Demon Hunter - 8:00 pm | $22 Sokol Auditorium Two sides inhabit the lifespan of a storm: the suddenness of the chaos in the storm itself then the
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listings
| THE READER |
damage, debris and, hopefully, renewal and new growth in the aftermath. Styrofoam Sanchez - 9:00 pm | $5 The Bourbon Theatre A postindustrial, mobile sound and sculptural installation of the personification of the plastic island in the pacific gyre. Open Mic Night - 9:00 pm | Free Venue 51
›››MISC. Omaha Storm Chasers vs Las Vegas 51s - 7:00 pm | Werner Park
WEDNESDAYAUG 20 ›››MUSIC Angel and The Devils - 6:00 pm | $5-$7 The Bourbon Theatre Ray’s Piano Party - 7:00 pm | Free Mr. Toad’s Pub Open Mic Night - 8:00 pm | The Side Door Lounge
›››MISC. Comedy Open Mic - 10:00 pm | Barley Street Tavern Omaha Jewish Film Festival: Film 3 of 4 - 7:00 pm | Jewish Community Center ‘Rue Mandar - Where We Grew Up.’
AUG. 14 - 20, 2014
13
hoodoo
BY B.J. HUCHTEMANN
Hot, Hot, Hot
H
oodoo favorites Dave Alvin and his big brother Phil, founding members of The Blasters, are on the road with Alvin’s band The Guilty Ones in support of their disc Common Ground: Dave Alvin & Phil Alvin Play and Sing the Songs of Big Bill Broonzy (Yep Roc). The CD pays tribute to one of the Alvin brothers’ earliest influences and shows Broonzy’s songs are still relevant. See davealvin. net. The closest the Alvin brothers came to Omaha was Knuckleheads in Kansas City last Friday, Aug. 8. It was a glorious show that featured plenty of tunes from the Broonzy record, plus a shout out to the brothers’ hero, mentor and friend till his death, Big Joe Turner. Turner was born in K.C. and was part of the city’s historic music scene. The two-hour set included a few iconic Blasters’ numbers from Dave’s years with the band. The show also featured some excellent tunes from Phil’s latest jumpin’ record with his current version of The Blasters, Fun on Saturday Night (Rip Cat Records). It was an epic evening that underlined the pure joy music can deliver. The Candye Kane & Laura Chavez band opened. Acclaimed Irish rockabilly-blues singer Imelda May is at the K.C. venue Aug. 17. See knuckleheadshonkytonk.com.
Cancellations The Royal Southern Brotherhood has cancelled several shows including Wednesday, Aug. 13, at Lincoln’s Zoo Bar due to illness, according to Zoo co-owner Pete Watters. Jon Dee Graham & The Fighting Cocks also had to cancel their scheduled Zoo show Monday, Aug. 18, according to Josh Hoyer, who helps book Zoo shows. Hot Notes The Blues Society of Omaha hosts a multi-band event at The River City Star Sunday, Aug. 17, 2:30-6 p.m. on the docked party barge. Tickets are $15 and Sean Chambers Band, Dan Treanor’s Afrosippi Band and Honeyboy Turner Band perform. Sean Chambers toured with Hubert Sumlin’s band before going solo. Chambers is nominated in this year’s Blues Blast Music Awards for Best Rock Blues Album. See seanchambers.com. K.C.’s Brandon Miller Band plays an after-party at The Hive, 6:30 p.m. Lincoln’s Zoo Bar hosts guitarist Chris Duarte Thursday, Aug. 14, 6-9 p.m. The Bel Airs rock the Zoo Friday, Aug. 15, 9 p.m. Scorching rockabilly singer Nikki Hill and her great band heat up Lincoln’s Zoo Bar Wednesday, Aug. 20, 6-9 p.m. and hit The 21st Saloon Thursday, Aug. 21, 6-9 p.m. Illinois guitarist Matthew Curry is getting airplay on NPR and has performed at major festivals. He’s at The 21st Saloon Thursday, Aug. 14, 6-9 p.m. ,
HOODOO is a weekly column focusing on blues, roots, Americana and occasional other music styles with an emphasis on live music performances. Hoodoo columnist B.J. Huchtemann is a Reader senior contributing writer and veteran music journalist who has covered the local music scene for nearly 20 years. Follow her blog at hoodoorootsblues.blogspot.com.
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AUG. 14 - 20, 2014
| THE READER |
hoodoo
overtheedge
LDW
LIFESTYLE COLUMN BY TIM MCMAHAN
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O
n the eve of yet another Maha Music Festival (read all about it on page 9), it’s time to consider the future of “the summer music festival” in general. Certainly Maha organizer Tre Brashear is thinking about it. Last week, Brashear sent folks in the local media to an article that appeared on wonderingsound. com called, “Why the Summer Music Festival Bubble is About to Burst.” In the lengthy examination, author Grayson Haver Currin provided a handful of startling, well-resourced facts. Among them: There are more than 1,200 musicrelated festivals now being held in 70 countries — 847 different music festivals in North America alone. Last year promoters launched the most new music festivals ever. That increase is beginning to make competition fierce for the limited number of ticket buyers who have a bigger choice than ever as to where to spend those disposable income dollars. The Maha Music Festival is part of this boom. Last year, more than 5,100 people flocked to Stinson Park in Aksarben Village to see The Flaming Lips, Bob Mould and a cadre of other bands. Brashear said he’ll be surprised if this year’s festival doesn’t draw more than 7,000, many of whom are traveling to get to the show. “Last year, 40 percent of attendees came from outside Douglas County,” Brashear said. “Twenty percent came from out of state. We know there’s only so many hardcore indie music fans in Omaha who will attend, so we advertise in other markets and do online advertising on social media and websites like Pitchfork and Paste.” Broadening their audience outside the region is a sell point to sponsors and donors who cover half the price of putting on the festival. “We couldn’t do it without them,” Brashear said. “Being a 501(c)(3) nonprofit gives us the ability to raise funds that the other festivals don’t have. We need that, because we haven’t gotten the crowd numbers needed to be on the radar for national advertisers.” The monster national sponsors — the Budweisers and Verizons — won’t look at your festival if it doesn’t draw at least 10,000, Brashear said. “And if you’re a oneday festival, that’s also a tough sell.” As a result, all of Maha’s sponsors are local or regional companies who want to invest in an event that benefits the employees and customers who live in their community. But without that big fish money from national sponsors, attracting the big fish acts to play Maha can be a challenge. “(The cost of ) talent is more than half our budget,” Brashear said. “Every festival is trying to land the same acts, and we realize we can get into a bidding war.” This year, Maha increased its talent budget by 50 percent over the previous year. “A couple years ago, we couldn’t afford Death Cab for Cutie,” Brashear said. “This year we could.” Moving the festival back a week also helped free up availability of bands who are eyeing
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Maha: The Head Versus the Heart
other festivals in North America and Europe. “Our biggest concern was to not have a large-scale North American competitor on the same weekend.” Despite bigger drawing bands and a bigger festival footprint — Maha is expanding to 67th Street this year and adding a Ferris wheel, among other features — ticket prices have been held to a reasonably low $50 for general admission. Brashear again pointed to donation efforts such as Omaha Gives and corporate sponsors as factors in their ability to hold the line on prices, along with an army of more than 250 volunteers who are “the key to making Maha work.” Brashear pointed to the success of large festivals such as Coachella and Lollapalooza for the overall festival boom. But with so many new festivals launching this year and ticket prices continuing to rise (along with the cost for talent) is the festival “bubble” about to burst? Maybe in other regions of the country, but not around here, Brashear said. “A lot of competing festivals have gone away. Now there’s just us and (Des Moines’) 80/35 Festival. There doesn’t appear to be a lot of competition in this space, but we still have to compete for talent nationally.” When Maha launched in 2009, the vision was to grow it to become a Midwestern version of Coachella — a multi-day monstrosity that would take place in some mammoth field outside of town. But expectations have changed. And in the face of a festival bubble, the article seems to argue for smaller, more sustainable regional festivals like Maha. Will Maha be satisfied staying a one-day event that draws below 10,000 ticket buyers? “I think that’s the next discussion,” Brashear said. “There are business people who would like to see us expand to two days, but we surveyed concert-goers and asked if they’d rather have a one-day or two-day festival and people are still supportive of Maha being one day. That framework is feasible, but if we stay one day, it limits sponsor dollars. We won’t get the highpriced talent that would bring even more people from out of town.” It’s a discussion that Brashear and the other three original Maha Board members — Tyler Owen, Mike App and Mike Toohey — will have a smaller say in. “We four founders are largely stepping back after this year,” Brashear said. “We still have some roles (and will continue to help with sponsorships and donations), but we’re actively bringing people in and creating committees and a larger board. The more people the better, and the less stress. Those who have been here the whole time have been on a treadmill. It’s time to turn it over to young blood.” Brashear said a multi-day festival with no paid staff (Maha is all volunteer) would be very challenging. “When does someone get hired and what do they do?” he asked. “If there was an employee dedicated to Maha, that would make a lot of things easier. “Part of the challenge of the new board is to decide where they want to take it. I think there’s a desire to grow the event, but growth can only come with sponsors and donors. It’s a head versus heart proposition.” ,
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OVER THE EDGE is a weekly column by Reader senior contributing writer Tim McMahan focused on culture, society, music, the media and the arts. Email Tim at tim.mcmahan@gmail.com. And be sure to check out his blog at Lazy-i.com
over the edge
| THE READER |
AUG. 14 - 20, 2014
15
newsoftheweird
T H E WO R L D G O N E F R E A K Y B Y C H U C K S H E P H E R D W I T H I L LU S T R AT I O N S B Y T O M B R I S C O E
Perspective
J
eff Mizanskey, 61, is a poster child for one wellknown criticism of mandatory-minimum sentencing laws -- that nonviolent marijuana users (and small-time sellers) may wind up doing decades of hard time and in fact more time than some sociopathic offenders serve for heinous offenses. Mizanskey is 20 years into a life sentence with no possibility of parole for several violations of Missouri’s “prior and persistent drug offender” law, and his only chance for freedom is a clemency plea now under consideration by Gov. Jay Nixon (and still opposed by Mizanskey’s prosecutor).
Weird Old World Unconventional Food Prep: Leaked photographs taken by an undercover health and safety officer at China’s Tongcheng Rice Noodle Factory in Dongguan city in June show workers in street clothes casually walking back and forth atop piles of vermicelli noodles about to be packaged for shipment to stores. Some workers were even seen lounging or sleeping on the mountains of noodles. (In 1992, News of the Weird noted that health officials in South Dennis, Massachusetts, had closed the Wing Wah Chinese restaurant for various violations, including the restaurant’s habit of draining water from cabbage by putting it in cloth laundry bags, placing the bags between pieces of plywood in the parking lot and driving over them with a van.) -- Unclear on the Concept: Werner Purkhart, who has been running a “silent disco” in Salzburg, Austria, for four years, was denied renewal of his business permit in July, supposedly because his parties were too loud. At a silent disco, each dancer wears headphones to hear radiotransmitted music; to those without headphones, the roomful of swaying, swinging dancers is eerily
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AUG. 14 - 20, 2014
| THE READER |
weird news
quiet. Salzburg Mayor Heinz Schaden said it was still too loud. “The noise ... is keeping (the neighbors) up.” -- “The Chinese fondness for napping in odd places is a well-documented phenomenon, one that’s spawned a popular website and even a book,” wrote The Wall Street Journal in a July dispatch. In a recent photo essay, a Getty Images photographer captured a series of shots of customers catching 40 winks in various furniture departments of IKEA stores, which officially does “not see it as a problem,” according to a spokesman. Maybe “we can sell an extra mattress or two.” -- Five siblings in a rural Turkish family near the Syrian border were discovered by researchers in 2005 to be natural, fluid quadruped walkers (hands and feet to the ground, rear ends up), which was thought at the time possibly to mark the first known “turnaround” in human evolution. However, the siblings were re-characterized by recent PLOS One journal research as merely accommodating a musculo-skeletal imbalance in the brain. Other members of the family have normal gaits, and the five quadrupeds show additional developmental issues. -- Also, from the foreign press: (1) Moscow Times reported the arrest of “Tomas” in Moscow in March for allegedly stealing a mobile phone, noting that he was referred to adult court even though family members claim he is only 13. Officials decided he must be at least 16, based on medical examination -- especially “of his genitals.” (2) Turkey’s Hurriyet Daily News reported in May that a 62-year-old man on an Istanbul TV dating show said he was just “an honest person looking for a new wife” -- while also casually mentioning that he had served two prison terms, one for murdering one wife and the other for murdering a girlfriend. “Bad luck always found me,” he said. “This time I’ll leave it to God.”
COPYRIGHT 2014 CHUCK SHEPHERD. Visit Chuck Shepherd daily at NewsoftheWeird. blogspot.com or NewsoftheWeird.com. Send Weird News to WeirdNewsTips@yahoo.com or P.O. Box 18737, Tampa, FL 33679. Illustrations by Tom Briscoe (smallworldcomics.com).
Police Report Inexplicable: (1) Alonzo Liverman, 29, was arrested in June in a Daytona Beach, Florida, police sting on prostitutes’ johns. “I’m hungry,” was the female officer’s come-on. Responded Liverman, “I got a salad.” Even though no salad was found on Liverman, police determined the banter constituted a sufficient offer for paid sex. (2) The robber of a Chase Bank in Tucson, Arizona, in March is still on the loose even though surveillance video has been widely distributed. An additional detail from the video: The man pulled the holdup while carrying a small dog in a basket. The Justice Angle In the midst of the city of Detroit’s water crackdown -- shutting off the spigots of residents delinquent on their bills -- the Council of Canadians has come to the rescue. First, the council pressed the United Nations to label Detroit’s program a “human rights” violation (the denial of clean drinking water to the 3,000 homes per week being shut down). Said the council chair, “I’ve (only) seen this (oppression) in the poorest countries in the world.” Second, the council arranged a convoy of “good Canadian, public, clean water” into Detroit in July to modestly help the estimated 79,000 homes in peril. -- Ms. Ajanaffy Njewadda and her husband recently filed a lawsuit against New York City’s transit authority (MTA) following her tumble down some stairs at a subway station (which caused a broken ankle, concussion and lingering trauma that has required psychiatric care). The MTA had placed a large ad for the serial-killer TV series “Dexter” on station stairs, positioned to be seen just as visitors left the subway. Ms. Njewadda said she was momentarily terrified by the ad and lost her balance. -- Oh, Dear!: A man whose name was withheld (“D.B.”) filed a lawsuit in April against medical clinics and physicians who performed his colonoscopy in Fair-
fax, Virginia, in 2013, based on what the patient learned from audio his smartphone recorded while he was unconscious. Though he originally intended to record only doctors’ instructions, he was dismayed to know that they began “mocking” him the second he went under, making disparaging and untrue statements about his health, feigning disgust at his body (“Oh! Oscar Mike Goss!”) (slang for “OMG” -- oh, my God), threatening to “fire a gun up his rectum,” “diagnosing” him with syphilis or “tuberculosis in the penis,” and threatening to (falsely) note hemorrhoids on his record -- all done amidst gales of laughter.
Donkeys Rising (1) In Turkey, some shepherds have outfitted their sheep-monitoring donkeys with solar panels and battery packs to illuminate nighttime isolated fields in emergencies. Thus, for instance, pregnant animals can be aided during field births and not have to return to the farms. (2) In an interview with Vice.com, the Swiss founder of Eurolactis touts donkey milk as the preferred substitute for cow milk -- since donkeys have only one stomach, as humans have. (Cows, goats and sheep have multiple stomachs to break down their complex milk, but that milk gives humans digestion problems.) On the other hand, as Vice. com pointed out, milk-drinkers, especially, must learn to ignore the A-word nickname for “donkey.” Recurring Themes The most recent murder suspect to whine about his oppressive jail conditions appears to be Adam Landerman, 21, awaiting trial in the grisly 2013 murders of two people. In July, his patience apparently exhausted, he filed court papers in Joliet, Illinois, complaining that the jail’s towels are too small, the jail offers no barber or beautician services or shaving cream, and the food is “monotonous and undiversified,” among other inadequacies. ,
weird news
| THE READER |
AUG. 14 - 20, 2014
17
cuttingroom
B O Y H O O D
A
R E I N V I G O R A T E S
few quick confessions: Because we now have cameras, modern photorealistic paintings have always been, at best, modestly captivating to me. Similarly, most films considered “fictional cinéma vérité” have struck me as dull navel-gazing. Where’s the great art in replicating something a compelling documentary can, by its very nature, do better? Maybe it’s my latent rage that documentaries never get the mainstream success they deserve, save for the occasional button-pushing political endeavor… When I heard about writer/director Richard Linklater’s Boyhood, my first thought was of Michael Apted’s enthralling Up series. The sequence includes eight documentaries (in seven year intervals) that follow 14 individuals from ages 7 to 56. Compared with Apted’s towering experiment, Linklater’s decision to make a fictional coming-of-age story using the same actors for 12 years seemed—if I’m being honest—irrelevant. Then I actually saw Boyhood and everything changed. Linklater has done something Apted’s films haven’t; he has created something that induces in the audience the spider-web of conflicting emo-
Film Streams at the Ruth Sokolof Theater 14th & Mike Fahey Street (formerly Webster Street) More info & showtimes 402.933.0259 · filmstreams.org Facebook | Twitter | Instagram: @filmstreams
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AUG. 14 - 20, 2014
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tions intrinsically associated with “coming of age.” People hung up on the technical aspects of Boyhood are obsessing over the marketing pitch (and again, Apted’s work is more impressive in this regard). The brilliance of Boyhood is not in how it was made. You don’t eat a phenomenal meal and marvel at the way the spices were collected. The brilliance of Boyhood is in its ability to recreate inside of viewers every element of growing up. Ellar Coltrane is the titular boy, Mason. Over 12 years, he copes with a distant father (Ethan Hawke) and struggles with and against his loving mother (Patricia Arquette) before he can become his own person. The plot is gossamer by necessity, which isn’t to say it’s not interesting. There is genuine tension involving an abusive and drunk stepfather (Marco Perella), and the pure romance of the first time Mason truly falls in love. But it is threads that stitch this all together that Boyhood absolutely nails. It dawns on you slowly, the realization “I’ve had some variation of that exact conversation.” Then a shiver races down your spine as feelings associated
First-Run Films A Most Wanted Man First-Run (R)
B Y
R Y A N
S Y R E K
with your own personal youthful regret spill from long-forgotten places. Boyhood is moviemaking as time travel; it is both a window and mirror that allows you to see the reflection of your past on screen. It also features perhaps the greatest performances an actress has ever given. Arquette is a goddamn powerhouse in what is an unparalleled effort. We love to give actresses awards for torturing themselves, tripping over ourselves to shell out acclaim for “playing ugly” or for being “hookers with hearts of gold.” Arquette’s tortured, caring, brave, flawed mother figure is bone-crushingly realistic and absolutely perfect. And thank God, because who knows when studios will deign to allow such an honest female character on screen again. Boyhood isn’t a masterpiece because of its approach. It’s a masterpiece because, in the space of one viewing, it redeemed an entire genre for me and made me feel specific emotions I haven’t had since I was just a teenager. This isn’t a film; this is a uniquely singular experience everyone should partake. , GRADE = A+
Boyhood First-Run (R)
Dir. Richard Linklater. Though Thursday, September 4
Dir. Anton Corbijn. Through Thursday, August 28
Believe the hype — this is the film event of 2014!
Featuring one of the last performances by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Filmed over 12 years with the same cast, Richard Linklater’s BOYHOOD is a groundbreaking story of growing up as seen through the eyes of a child, who literally grows up on screen before our eyes.
When a half-Chechen, half-Russian, brutally tortured immigrant turns up in Hamburg’s Islamic community, laying claim to his father’s ill-gotten fortune, both German and US security agencies take a close interest.
| THE READER |
film
n The inexplicable success of the most nonsensical pop culture franchise in history continues. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was a big, fat stinkin’ hit, kowabunga-ing to more than $65 million opening weekend (way above projections). The disturbingly phallic shaped new incarnations proved immensely popular once more, and a sequel was greenlit yesterday. No word on if Megan Fox will return or if anyone cares if Megan Fox will return or if Megan Fox cares if anyone cares if Megan Fox will return. n If you’re a Roald Dahl purist and obsessive over how accurately his works are adapted to the big screen, get a hobby or something, man. Word is coming that Steven Spielberg’s upcoming adaptation of The BFG— which no one will convince me is an abbreviation that doesn’t include a specific “F” word—is deviating a bit. Instead of an orphanage, the main character will be at a fancy boarding school. And there will be several new characters, including scientists who don’t believe in giants. Actually, right now, there is an entire city (New York) full of people who don’t believe in The Giants. n Zack Snyder, director of Man of Steel and the upcoming (and ridiculously titled) Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, called in to a morning radio show in Detroit (where the latter movie is filming) to defend Aquaman. That’s a real thing that happened. He wouldn’t confirm that everyone’s favorite superhero punching bag and fish speaker was in the movie, but did say “he has the potential to be bad ass.” We live in a world where the director of a multimillion dollar blockbuster just defended a superhero that talks to fish on a radio program. I can’t tell if this makes me happy or sad. n I don’t know why there isn’t a Galaxy Quest 2. It’s such a great movie, and it still holds up! You know who else wants a sequel? Literally everyone involved from the first movie. Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Sam Rockwell, Justin Long, director Dean Parisot, producer Mark Johnson and writer Robert Gordon have all publicly declared their interest in doing a sequel. They’ve made five Step Up movies. I’m just saying. —Ryan Syrek Cutting Room provides breaking local and national movie news … complete with added sarcasm. Send any relevant information to film@thereader.com. Check out Ryan on Movieha!, a weekly half-hour movie podcast (movieha.libsyn.com/rss), catch him on the radio on CD 105.9 (cd1059.com) on Fridays at around 7:30 a.m. and on KVNO 90.7 (KVNO.org) at 8:30 a.m. on Fridays and follow him on Twitter (twitter.com/thereaderfilm).
Forever Young Supported by Lincoln Financial Foundation. The Parent Trap 1961 August 16, 17, 21, 23, 24, 28, 30, 31 & September 4 Kids’ tickets just $2.50!
Filmmaker’s Screening Jayhawkers 2014
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Thursday, August 21, 7 pm
Rich Hill First-Run Calvary First-Run
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AUG. 14 - 20, 2014
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TICKETS ON SALE NOW
PAT BENATAR AND NEIL GIRALDO
PRINCE ROYCE AUGUST 20
WITH SPECIAL GUEST LITA FORD AUGUST 15
SOLD OUT!
GROUPLOVE AND PORTUGAL. THE MAN
THE OFFSPRING AND BAD RELIGION STIFF LITTLE FINGERS AND NAKED RAYGUN
LORDE
SEPTEMBER 27
SEP T EM BER 11
AUGUST 22
A L L AG ES P ERM I T T ED. T ICK E T S AVA IL A BL E AT S T IRCOV E.CO M O R BY P H O N E AT 1- 80 0 -745 -30 0 0.
Schedule and artists subject to change. Must be 21 or older to gamble. Know When To Stop Before You Start.® Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-BETS-OFF (In Iowa) or 1-800-522-4700 (National). ©2014, Caesars License Company, LLC.
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