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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 A U N S T E I N
Winners and Losers
A
hh, democracy. Every few months, we as a nation demonstrate our collective intelligence, proving there’s a reason why great thinkers from Plato to Voltaire and through the ages said that democracy, as a form of government, is not the best choice. Critics maintain it’s a form of organized mob rule. Some say it’s just a clever cover for corporatocracy. Certainly it’s hard to deny that our country is run as an oligarchy, especially when the acknowledged presidential frontrunner from the Republican Party in 2016 is the third Bush out of Texas — and his opponent is likely a second Clinton. Yet many of us go mark ballots in a perversion of a poll dance but with clothes on. Often the most important choices on election days are the ones that determine a “yea” or “nay” to various measures placed on ballots, usually by petition. Once a measure qualifies for a ballot, the real fun begins. For me, seeing who has a vested interest in an outcome, based on how much money is spent on various sides and by whom, is often the best way to determine how to cast a vote. Is a measure backed by the “good guys” or by the “bad guys”? In the absence of in-depth understanding of a proposition, that often makes a complex issue easy to understand. Big Ag vs. Mom and Pop For example, in the recent election, Oregon and Colorado voters had the option of passing a law demanding food labels telling if a food contains genetically engineered ingredients (GMOs or GE). In the case of Oregon, giant corporations outside the state were the main donors to the movement to squash GMO labeling. (Hmm. What could they be afraid of, I wonder. If GMOs are such a good idea, wouldn’t they want to take credit for it and advertise that foods contain them?) With Monsanto and Dupont leading the way, big corporations from outside Oregon spent $21 million convincing Oregon voters to go against the right to know if GMOs are in the food they buy at the store. The pro-Prop 92 folks raised only $8 million, with nearly all of it from individuals and small companies within the state. Outspent nearly 3-to-1, Prop 92 failed to pass by a mere one percent of the vote. Even if I didn’t know a thing about GMOs, I would have voted against Monsanto and Dupont money. So, who were the winners and losers on the recent day at the races? Winner: Recreational Pot Recreational pot won big. If you don’t know by now, citizens in Oregon, Alaska and the District of Columbia voted overwhelmingly to legalize recreational marijuana. As far as alternative
medicine goes, this is a big win. Soon, folks in need of the therapeutic benefits of marijuana will have the opportunity to medicate without delving into the serpentine, broken healthcare system to get the recommendation of a doctor. Pain relief, insomnia, nausea and more will be ameliorated by a drug that is safer than aspirin. (Disclaimer: I am not a pothead. I stopped smoking marijuana before most of my peers had learned how to spell it. I do approve of its removal from the list of illegal drugs.) Winner: Farmers in Hawaii and Humboldt Big Ag loves Hawaii, until last Tuesday. The moderate climate makes for year-long growing seasons so experiments in genetic engineered crops is hastened. But GMO crops have a tendency to pollute the fields of non-GMO crops. It doesn’t go the other way. So if an organic farmer grows non-GMO mangoes, for example, Big Ag down the road growing FrankenMangoes will likely turn the non-GMOs into an altered state. So voters in Maui County Hawaii passed a ban on GMO crop planting. Monsanto and Pepsi and Dow fought the initiative with $8 million but failed. Supporters of the ban got it passed even though they only had $65 K to spend! Humboldt County, Calif. also passed a referendum and banned GMOs in their county, the third in California to do so. Losers: Omaha Taxpayers We get to spend millions of tax dollars to featherbed school construction when simply passing legalized marijuana would pay for it and more. Loser: Planet Earth Defeating GMO label initiatives maintains the agricultural status quo. Label foods, yes, but the real damage by GMO technology is in perpetuating the indentured servitude of American farmers and creating an agriculture that is devastating nature. American farmers are serfs in the corporate fiefdom. As Tom Philpott describes in Mother Jones, “Farmers are caught in a vice between a small handful of [crop] buyers (ADM, Cargill, Bunge) that are always looking to drive crop prices down, and a small handful of input suppliers (Monsanto, DuPont Pioneer, Syngenta, etc) always looking to push the price of seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides up. It’s no wonder, as [research shows], that the long run profitability of such farming is zero.” An Iowa farmer on 2000 acres of GMO corn and soy will lose $325,000 this year. Our current conventional agricultural practices are killing the economy and polluting the planet. We have to vote differently or prove Plato’s prediction that a “benevolent dictatorship” beats democracy. Be well. ,
VISIONS FROM FIVE MINUTES INTO THE FUTURE • NOVEMBER 13, 2014 • Thanksgiving meals of the future will include a surprising dish: eel. An eel craze will sweep America in the next few years, started by curious foodies who enjoy the food in Great Britain and Ireland. Soon, researchers will point out that one of the first foods
Squanto taught the Pilgrims to catch was eel, and all of a sudden all sorts of eel dishes will make their way to the Thanksgiving table. In a century, eel will be considered as much a Thanksgiving tradition as turkey or sweet potatoes.
HEARTLAND HEALING is a metaphysically based polemic describing alternatives to conventional
methods of healing the body, mind and planet. It is provided as information and entertainment, certainly not medical advice. Important to remember and pass on to others: for a weekly dose of Heartland Healing, visit HeartlandHealing.com.
heartland healing
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A N Y D AY I S A G O O D D AY F O R T A C O S A T THESE HOT SPOTS
I
BY CHERIL LEE
searched high and low for the best tacos in the area. After running around all over town, I now present to you my two new favorite places for tacos.
Mula — 3932 Farnam St, 402.315.9051
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I went to Mula with my husband and a couple of friends, each of us resolved to try different tacos so we could compare notes. One of the first things we decided to order was Mula’s yucca fries which are served with a tomatillo ketchup. In a word, this was “delish.” They are crispier than regular fries and not greasy at all. These are authentically prepared according to one of my friends who recently returned from a trip to Peru where he had yucca fries prepared in a pretty similar fashion. The tomatillo ketchup was light but had a hint of spice to it. It proved to be a perfect accompaniment to the fries. Other hits included the fresh homemade guacamole, prepared to order once you decide whether you want the house version or one of three other choices. The chips served with the guacamole were obviously homemade. They stood up to the guacamole well, not breaking under the pressure and had lots of salt which was great for us! The tacos at Mula are on the smaller side, so it is best to order about three in order to get your fill, but with so many different options for fillings, the nice thing is you can try lots of different flavors. All tacos are served in a soft, corn tortilla. On to the top tacos of the evening: Jackfruit al Pastor - My friend said this one was very spicy but had sweetness to it as well as a meaty quality. It is totally vegetarian and quite delicious. Chicken Tinga – This one had a nice spiciness balanced well with avocado and cotija cheese. Machaca – My other pal said this taco was tender with a melt in your mouth dark, intense flavor. Carnitas – According to my husband, braising the pork in Coke gave this taco a subtle sweetness. The tacos are served on small silver platters with handles and the rest of the dishes are funky and mismatched. The whole vibe of Mula is fun and fabulous, but not fussy. It’s a great place to spend a happy hour or a whole evening.
Voodoo Taco — 90th and Fort, 402.614.4430 I had seen a Voodoo Taco location at the Gretna Outlet Mall but couldn’t get in the day I went there because it
crumbs
■ A CHERRY CHRISTMAS There’s good news if you’ve ever looked at a Nativity scene and thought to yourself, “Sure, this is great and all, but it would be better if I could eat it.” The Cordial Cherry is taking pre-orders for their popular Nativity scene made out of cordial cherry chocolates, which just so happened to show up in Oprah Magazine last year. www.thecordialcherry.com ■ A TASTE OF ASIA THANKSGIVING Taste of Asia invites everyone to head to their restaurant on Thanksgiving to enjoy some turkey pho, but not until after they
was far too busy. Though I was bummed, I was elated to find out there was a second location out west. On a recent Sunday night, my husband and I decided to check it out. It was surprisingly busy for a Sunday, but the location at 90th and Fort has tons of seating including booths, tables and bar stools. At Voodoo Taco you order at the counter, grab a number and they bring your tacos to your table. The vibe is bright as the walls are painted red and there are tons of different voodoo dolls adorning the walls. It’s more cute than creepy. Taco choices range from the everyday chicken and steak fajita to the more exotic alligator and Korean short ribs. After checking out the menu a little bit ahead of time, my husband chose a fried chicken taco and a breakfast taco. I selected the fried avocado taco and the mahi mahi taco. We also decided to order chips and salsa to have something to nibble on prior to our meal. The chips were a delightful surprise as they were sprinkled with a wonderful spicy and flavored salt. They were delectable enough to eat on their own without any dip at all. The salsa was a nice complement to the heat of the chips. It was slightly sweet with just a hint of peach flavor. By far, my husband was most impressed with the breakfast taco with brisket. Voodoo Taco offers the choice of brisket, jalapeno cured bacon or chorizo for the breakfast taco, and all the tacos are served in a homemade flour tortilla. The breakfast taco had eggs, cheese and brisket. He loved the brisket and said it was the star of the taco. It was plentiful and tender. For me, I loved the avocado taco the best. It was juicy thanks to the beer batter and had flavorful cotija cheese and cabbage on it. The mahi mahi was ample and nicely grilled. That taco was also tasty. But the avocado taco edges out the fish mainly because it was juicier. Voodoo Taco is a place we will definitely go back to. Two tacos with an appetizer like chips and salsa or a side like beans and rice is definitely enough to fill you up. The place is casual and can easily accommodate large as well as small groups of people. And with 15 varieties of taco, some of which are vegetarian, you can please nearly every taste! , first provide meals to some community members who need help. Volunteers are welcome to help Taste of Asia feed the less fortunate. tofakitchen.com ■ BAR CLOSED Farewell to Starsky’s Bar and Grill on 13th Street. It’s closed for good and has plans to auction off everything that’s left over Nov. 16. You can still visit the other location at F Street, which remains open and ready to challenge you to their famous Pig Wing Challenge. www.starskysbarandgrill.com — Tamsen Butler Crumbs is about indulging in food and celebrating its many forms. Send information about area food and drink businesses to crumbs@thereader.com.
I
s there anything in show biz more iconic than the kick line of the Rockettes, legs flashing feet to eye level in perfect precision? Even the costumes are iconic when the wooden soldiers fall in a row like dominoes. Sure, you’ve seen them on television at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade or maybe you’ve caught them in New York City or Chicago. But for the next two weeks they bring the Radio City Christmas Spectacular to Omaha and 18 Rockettes will kick and tap across the Orpheum stage for 34 performances. How do they squeeze nearly three dozen shows into 16 days? By including four-show Saturdays and threeshow Sundays. As the publicists like to point out, 300 eye-high kicks per show total 1,200 kicks those days. And you don’t have to book a $300 per night room in Manhattan to catch the show that opened the Radio City Music Hall in 1932. In a history rich in trivial delights, it’s fun to know that they were then called the “Roxyettes” after performing for showman Roxy Rothafel at his Roxy Theater. And that on opening Radio City they shared the stage with Ray Bolger (think Wizard of Oz scarecrow), Martha Graham and the Flying Wallendas. But you don’t have to reach that far back for an Omaha connection: In 1972, Patrick Roddy had to
miss some eighth grade classes while he tap-danced with the Rockettes for five weeks at age 13. Now dance coordinator for Creighton University, he was seen by Peter Genaro when his dance mom Jeanne Roddy took him to a dance convention. Patrick has since seen them both in NYC and Chicago, “and I’m so happy they’re coming here.” So is Joan Squires, president of Omaha Performing Arts, who is “especially proud” that the show is coming to Omaha for the first time as one of only three cities on this tour. “It’s an incredible opportunity for families…right here at the Orpheum. “So many people have shared with us their own Radio City Memories” and Squires expects new audiences “to make their own memories.” If anyone suggests that 16th Street in downtown Omaha isn’t Broadway, consider this: For the “New York at Christmas” number, the Rockettes ride a 34-foot-long, 12-foot-high, seven-ton double-decker bus on a guided tour of the Big Apple, passing landmarks on a 50-foot LED screen. That’s a feature that wowed Kendra Ingram, vice president of programming and education for Performing Arts. She’s had a hand in turning this unique visit into a tour de force of education as well as entertainment, but more on that later. Some features of the Christmas Spectacular are not
only the same everywhere, they’ve been the same for 85 years. Those “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” costumes? The same ones that Vincente Minnelli (once husband of Judy Garland, father of Liza) designed in 1933. Talk to local dancers and choreographers, though, and you hear more about their precision than their kick lines. Both Roddy and Roxanne Nielsen, past choreographer for the Omaha Community Playhouse, stressed the practice required. Nielsen says she loves the precision, “It’s old school that I really appreciate.” Both have worked with kick lines as dancers and choreographers. “I’m always at the end of the line because I’m only 5-6,” Roxanne explained. Height is the only strict requirement for Rockettes, who must measure 5-6 to 5-10 and a half, the tallest in the middle and descending to each end. (When Charles Jones arrived as director of the Playhouse in 1974, he hired Joan Cady as choreographer and reported to his wife Eleanor and scenic designer Jim Othuse that she’d been a Rockette, “the short one at the end of the line.” That wasn’t true, but Othuse believed it for years.) Few Broadway musicals feature big kick lines, notably the finale in Chorus Line and that seated slap and kick number, “Our Favorite Son,” from Will Rogers’ Follies. Roxanne recalled others in Sugar
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Babies, 42nd Street and Can-Can. Add Can-Can dancers to those, like the Tiller girls in The Ziegfield Follies and the more immediate predecessors, the “Missouri Rockets,” and you’ve got a capsule history of kick lines leading to the Rockettes. Julian Adair, head of her own dance academy and choreographer for more than 120 musicals, mentioned other dance numbers such as the Hot Box Girls in Guys and Dolls as she praised the workshop conducted in September by two Rockettes. “It was wonderful,” when Rachel Borgman, a Nebraskan from Norfolk who joined the Rockettes 10 years ago, and Karilyn Surratt, a more recent addition from St. Louis, shared their training with young dance students. They taught the girls how to do the wooden soldier routine. But the workshop was just one of an array of activities surrounding the visit. Last Friday they kicked on the lights for the Salvation Army Tree of Lights at 90th and Dodge. (No, that wasn’t the first time a Performing Arts show helped light the tree: the Grinch did earlier.) Later, Rockettes will help fill the red kettles by ringing Salvation Army Bells, and they’ll make hospital visits and do some more teaching and talk-backs during the run. When the show opens Thursday, Nov. 13, the Union
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Pacific mini train and the University of Nebraska at Omaha Marching Band will add to the festivities outside the Orpheum at 6:30 p.m. If the ultimate iconic act isn’t enough, add one more touch of trivia: It was a big deal when The Lion King brought a run of 32 performances. The Rockettes top that with 34. That’s 10,200 kicks. By the way, if you’re thinking you don’t know of any famous Rockettes, how about Vera-Ellen? Odds are you saw her with Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye in White Christmas. She was 5-4 and wouldn’t have qualified when the bar was raised to 5-6. , The Radio City Music Hall Spectacular starring the Rockettes runs Thursday, Nov. 13, through Sunday, Nov. 30, with weekday performances at 7:30 p.m., and weekend performances ranging from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., 1:30, 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. Sundays, presented by Omaha Performing Arts at the Orpheum Theater, 409 S. 16th St., in Omaha. Tickets start at $35, available online 9406VGAHLFReaderCenturyLink2.375x6.6.pdf at TicketOmaha.com; by phone at 402.345.0606, or at Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St., Omaha, NE.
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coldcream
DRAKEFORD, WHITE SHARE ‘SOTA’ SPOTLIGHT AT CRYSTAL B R I D G E S M U S E U M I N A R K A N S A S BY MICHAEL J. KRAINAK
T
here are so many ways to approach, let 227 works by 102 artists. “Controversial,” because alone grasp, large significant group art SOTA’s organizers, the museum’s President Don shows, that attempts to explain, justify Bacigalupi and curator Chad Alligood, claim to have and critique them can become cause cele- discovered significant artists “whose work has not bres themselves. Which yet been fully recognized is a shame because it on a national level,” and, turns the attention away assumedly deserve to be. from the art itself. It’s No such claim that these not the conversation we are the best such “emergcould be having. ing” artists in America, This has often been but the implication is that the case with such these are the best 100 or so blockbuster American of the nearly 1,000 artists exhibits as the Carnegie the curators visited crissInternational, the 2011 CRYSTAL BRIDGES MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART crossing America over a graffiti-inspired Art in year. And, lastly, deserve the Streets at the MOCA in Los Angeles, and especial- to be recognized alongside similar artists getting atly the Whitney Biennial, particularly this year with tention on the west and east coasts. its controversial tri-curatorial direction. It is no less It was a prodigious undertaking, and Bacigalupi’s true with the ambitious State of the Art: Discovering blog and video at the museum’s website documents American Art Now (SOTA) currently on view through their attempt to find meaningful contemporary art Jan. 15, 2015, at Crystal Bridges Museum of American “not rarified, out of touch with reality in our daily Art in Bentonville, AR. lives.” To exhibit it then, one further assumes, with“Ambitious,” because this overwhelming $4 mil- out apology or reservation in Middle America, in a lion dollar exhibit spans 19,000 sq. ft. and includes community already on the map as a retirement area
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and as the headquarters of Wal-Mart, and in a stunning venue gifted by Alice Walton, daughter of WM founder Sam, and designed by reputed architect Moshe Safdie. Labeled the “anti-Whitney Biennial,” SOTA is filled with such irony. Even its title boasts that the work is “state of the art,” which is debatable, and that it comes from all 50 states, which it does not. But there is nothing ironic about Nebraska’s two artists chosen from here, painter-printer Watie White, who is part of SOTA’s symposium Nov. 14-15, and installation artist Angela Drakeford, who conducted workshops at Crystal Bridges Oct. 24-25. White, an accomplished artist in the Metro perhaps best known for two recent, ongoing public art projects called, “all that ever was, always is,” explores in painted narrative panels the rich history within condemned homes in North Omaha. Drakeford, who has benefitted from residencies and shows with the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts and the Union for Contemporary Art, offers a body of work that deals with “perceived identity versus actual identity,” which she says, “addresses my past, present and future.”
n Now running through Nov. 16, the Omaha Community Playhouse’s production of The Whipping Man by Matthew Lopez takes a unique look at faith, family, and race. Set at the end of the Civil War, a wounded Jewish Confederate soldier named Caleb finds his way to his parents’ ruined home. Upon his return, he discovers his family has fled their home leaving their former slaves, Simon and John, to care for the wartorn property. The three men, tied by faith, celebrate Passover with an impromptu Seder where secrets from their past come to light. UNO student Andrew Prescott, who plays Caleb, said that because the lead character’s family were slave-owning Jews, the play takes a unique look at the American slavery dynamic of the mid 19th century. “The director, Stephen Nachamie, talked about how there was such a small percentage of Jewish plantation owners in the South,” Prescott said. “Very little of them actually owned slaves. They would do it to fit in with the community, even though it was against their religion because they celebrate the Passover. The Seder is a celebration of the freeing of Jews in Egypt. So to take slaves on is contradictory of that, but they did it to fit in with the culture and save what small amount of slaves they would take in and give them somewhat of a better life.” Prescott said the cast, which includes Carl Brooks and Luther Simon, and creatives behind the show took care to recognize the delicate subject matter at hand, especially considering the many narratives in the media recently on race relation in America. “I feel like with race, you kind of have to realize that...you can get lost in the moment,” he said. “But we would make sure that we would come back to earth and say, ‘This is the play but don’t beat each other up over it.’ It gets really intense at parts.” The show also presented a unique acting challenge for a physical actor like Prescott. His character, Caleb, is wounded when he comes home and spends much of the play immobilized in a sitting couch so his physical movements are limited. “Very slight shifting in terms of posture and direction,” he said. “If I’m talking to someone, I’m looking one way...then I shift my body to the right, which causes a little bit of pain. The movement is motivated because I want to direct my line to that person. Also, filling the space with your voice is very important. Giving that sense of emotion in your face.” Prescott says that the show’s eloquent traversal of such difficult subject matter makes the show a must see for audiences. — William Grennan Cold Cream looks at theater in the metro area. Email information to coldcream@thereader.com
Though White is the more established of the two in this region, thus living up to SOTA’s premise, Bacigalupi said recently, “Angela is a rising star on the horizon.” He made that remark over dinner when my wife, Janet Farber, and I travelled to Crystal Bridges to renew an old acquaintance—both he and Janet were pre-med undergraduates at Emory University in another bit of irony—and to see if this exhibit lived up to its hype and potential. Bacigalupi, a charming and erudite spokesperson for SOTA and his museum that put Bentonville on continued on page 10 y
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• 8-11 PM
5 advance / $ 7 door • theslowdown.com
N E W C D • L A R G E R WO R L D •
SYMPHONY JOSLYN CONCERT Join us for an afternoon of Music & Art!
MUSICAL COLORS:
Music for Timpani, Strings, and Brass Sunday, Nov. 23 • 2 pm Joslyn Art Museum Thomas Wilkins, conductor Dwight Thomas, timpani Gabrieli (Italian,Canzon c. 1554-1612): Canzontoni septimi GABRIELI: septimi No.toni 2 No. 2 Koetsier (Dutch,Brass 1911-2006): Brass Symphony KOETSIER: Symphony Maves: Timpani ConcertoConcerto (*World Premiere) MAVES: Timpani «WORLD PREMIERE« OLSON: Creatures Olson: NightNight Creatures GALLAGHER: for String Orchestra Gallagher (American,Sinfonietta b. 1947): Sinfonietta for String Orchestra
SUNDAY, NOV. 23, 2014 | 3:00 PM Holland Performing Arts Center
Preconcert talks with Joslyn curators begin at 1:00 and 1:25 pm.
Helen Frankenthaler (American, 1928–2011) Monoscape 1969, acrylic on canvas
Presented in partnership with
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FREE ADMISSION! VoicesofOmaha.org
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NOV. 13 - 19, 2014
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y continued from page 8 the map again, this time culturally, waxed poetically not only about the art, but the exhibit’s journey. This included studio visits covering 100,000 miles to interview artists who were recommended by experts, critics and arts venues. Artists were ultimately chosen based on triadic criteria of virtuosity, engagement and appeal. Sounds simple enough, but the process was arduous and not without surprises. The yearlong journey included considerable selfdiscovery, Bacigalupi said, including the realization that Omaha nurtured a diverse and talented community of engaged artists. Overall, it was the degree of engagement that held the biggest surprise or takeaway. “I was quite amazed by the number of artists whose work engaged in social practice,” he said. “This was particularly true of the younger artists. This wasn’t the case with my generation.” Bacigalupi was quick to point out that SOTA artists whose work supported social issues did not do so at the expense of “technical excellence, visual splendor and intellectual heft.” Many artists in this survey did engage in social practice quite successfully including Vanessa German with her doll-like “power figures” such as “White Naptha Soap” or “Contemporary Lessons in Shapeshifting,” accessorized with found art from an urban ethnic culture. These folk, outsider art totems serve to ward off evil spirits and doings in Pittsburgh inner city neighborhoods. Advocacy aside, these amazing figurines work with a juju of their own. Likewise, White’s five-panel installation in SOTA advocates indirectly with Habitat for Humanity on behalf of inner city restoration. Each panel’s expressive narrative illustrates poignantly the deterioration of both family and neighborhood. His paintings resonate with a heart and soul relevant potentially to any part of the city. Yet there were many more works that indulged in more personal and conceptual themes in every imaginative genre, medium and form, including two companion pieces from Dan Witz and Jamie Adams, a disorienting performance video of Chris Larson’s— a personal favorite, one of the most creative, complex
ANGELA DRAKEFORD
works in SOTA--and Drakeford’s sculptural wall piece. Witz’s oil and digital triptych, “Vision of Disorder” and Adams’s “niagaradown” are more than contemporary riffs on classical styles and old masters, they experiment with current art practices and popular culture. Larson’s “Heavy Rotation,” a topsy turvy dichotomy of simultaneous creativity/destruction, is performed in 1st person camera by him in perpetual motion as he descends two levels in his studio/workroom, drawing, sawing and filming until his creation spins into chaos, only to be repeated. A little worse for the
CRYSTAL BRIDGES MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART
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| THE READER |
culture
wear himself, sweaty, spent, torn and covered in ink, the artist becomes his work, over and over. Drakeford too has “made her bed” with her own “Self Portrait II,” a framed wall, crepe-paper sculpture. Figuratively, a bed of black delicate flowers made of tar paper embedded on an insulation foam board, this work from the multiracial artist challenges notions of what is beautiful personally and socially. These are but a few of the many impressive works in SOTA. Naturally not everything succeeds or holds up after its first impression or under careful scrutiny. After a two-day visit and repeated viewings, Peggy Nolan’s pho- JIMMY KUEHNLE to installation of ordinary daily life can’t transcend its initial “meh moment.” A second and third look/see at Ligia Bouto’s “Understudy for Animal Farm” installation now looked tortured and overdone. Jimmy Kuehnle’s carnival “Amphibious Inflatable Suit in Captivity,” anchored and afloat in the museum lagoon makes a fun first impression, but that too seems to deflate along with its tired, weathered surface that belies its primary color palette. But a big shout out to SOTA for proving that video art is still relevant even if there is a relative dearth
of it in the Metro art scene. This is particularly true of pieces from Jonathan Monaghan, Jawhshing Liori, Kedgar Volta and Dave Greber. The only misstep here is Daniel Nord’s satire of electronics and the entertainment industry’s impact on popular culture, ironically titled “State of the Art.” The video installation casts too wide a net and is ultimately undone by its trite Mickey Mouse sculpture and imagery and Clubhouse song blaring incessantly. Neither is it helped by the curatorial analogy onsite to video pioneer Nam June Paik. But these are isolated opinions of only a few works in this remarkable exhibit. More daunting is seeing the forest for the trees. What then is SOTA’s contribution to the art world? Two recent reviews in Huffington Post serve to illustrate how at odds critical opinion can be, further complicating public perception. One labels the exhibit, “the biggest show in America,” and all that implies while lauding its curatorial effort. Conversely, the second review called SOTA a “curatorial misstep.” It may not be the “biggest show in America,” but neither is it a “curatorial misstep.” If you accept the exhibit at its clearly defined mission, it works wonders. The key word in its statement is “discovery.” This can’t happen unless one is willing to “journey,” that is, to escape the boundaries, conceptually and physically, of what significant contemporary art is and where to find it. That said, SOTA may have the most to offer to other emerging artists of all kinds across America who did not make the cut. As a Mecca of sorts, SOTA is an inspiration and a measuring stick, not necessarily a negative one. Its artists represent not only themselves but all other emerging artists who believe they deserve a broader audience and stage. There are several area Metro artists who would not look out of place in SOTA. Jamie Burmeister, Catherine Ferguson, Vera Mercer, Tim Guthrie, Troy TIM LIDDY Muller and Jess Benjamin come immediately to mind because not only do they push the envelope, they push themselves. The same can be said for several area sculptors and street influenced artists from here to Lincoln. SOTA is a beacon of sorts, and so then is Crystal Bridges. It represents not only itself but all other major arts venues whose mission it is to discover and show deserving local talent, if on a smaller scale. Maybe that’s what we have to look forward to in June 2015 with Joslyn Art Museum’s Art Seen: A Juried Exhibition of Artists from Omaha to Lincoln. Meanwhile, SOTA clearly demonstrates that these are the kind of large group shows that matter. , State of the Art: Discovering American Art Now continues until Jan. 15 at the Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville, AR. Details can be found at crystalbridges.org.
| THE READER |
NOV. 13 - 19, 2014
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8 DAYS
TOPpick Saturday, Nov. 15
MICHAEL LEE FIRKINS
The Waiting Room Lounge, 6212 Maple St. 9 p.m., $12, waitingroomlounge.com
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NOV. 13 - 19, 2014
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Friday, Nov. 14
Saturday, Nov. 15
ALL YOUNG GIRLS ARE MACHINE GUNS WITH DOMINQUE MORGAN, CJ MILLS AND ROTHSTEEN The Barley Street Tavern 2735 N. 62nd St., 9 pm, $5, 21+ (402) 408-0028, barleystreet.com
VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE
THURSAY13
Nov. 13- Dec. 7
VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE SNAP Productions, 3225 California St. Thurs-Sat: 8 p.m. Sun: 6 p.m. Dec. 7: 2 p.m Tickets: $10-15, snapproductions.com
Reviewing their separate, sometimes despairing Michael Lee Firkins is a mostly self-taught artlives, three middle-aged siblings…not ist that began playing guitar at the age of eight. quite sisters, although Vanya is The fact that he was born from musician gay…dress up for a Disney parents, a lap steel guitarist father and costume party. Movie star pianist mother, might have someMasha assumes the inthing to do with that. He took a nocence of Snow White few lessons in Omaha learning despite the presence all of the great rock classics he of her boy toy Spike. loved at the time. During his adDwarfs? Well, nearly olescent years he played in local penniless Vanya and bands and at church. Needless Sonia still need to grow to say it makes sense why Firkins up, there on the failbegan his career at such a young MICHAEL LEE FIRKINS ing family estate amid a age where he toured the country in cherry orchard. An update cover bands for a while before returnof Chekhov’s ironic darkness? ing to Omaha in order to teach guitar and Nyet. Christopher Durang created work on his own songs. He recorded a 5 song a comedy, putting, he avers, Chekhov flavors into demo that helped him get signed through Gui“ a blender, ” a recipe, surely, for lots of laughs, also tar Player Magazine. The albums Firkins prosuggesting that maturity means savoring what life duced showed the eclectic diversity he brought is left. This 2013 Tony Award winner for Best Play to the music scene, mixing rock with country garnered so many other awards that putting them and blues and jazz. Now he has a new album on a mantle could collapse a fireplace. Sparks will out titled “YEP” and lucky for Omaha he will be fly, though. Don’t worry if you’re not that deeply playing at The Waiting Room Lounge this Satinto the Russian playwright’s soulfulness. And, urday. Come out for Firkins to hear this unique happily, animal lovers can relax; no one killed a sound that is hard to describe, but easy to listen seagull. — Gordon Spencer and groove to. — Mara Wilson
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daily dugout
This Friday, All Young Girls Are Machine Guns joins Dominique Morgan, CJ Mills and Rothsteen (frontman Peedi Rothsteen of Voodoo Method) will be featured in an all soul and R&B lineup at the Barley Street Tavern. Among this fine group of musicians, there are 16 OEAA nominations and four OEAA awards. Dominique Morgan alone has been nominated for Artist of the Year for the last three years running. AYGAMG has spent the last two years quietly cultivating a newer, more powerful, more soulful sound, and are ready to start making audiences dance. CJ Mills is a new singer-songwriter in Omaha, with a similar style to the likes of Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, and India. This is the second appearance of Peedi Rothsteen in his new R&B side project, Rothsteen. All signs point to this project being nothing short of stellar.
BAR STOOL RECORD SWAP
Brothers Lounge, 3812 Farnam St. 4 p.m. 21+, homersmusic.com Homer’s Music & Gifts is hosting a Bar Stool Record Swap Saturday at Brothers Lounge. Vendors will include Almost Music, Hipstop Record Shop, Drastic Plastic and several other record show sellers. Homer’s Music will be participating as a vendor as well. All of these record stores along with record collectors, perhaps like yourself, will be selling and trading all over the bar. But don’t worry this is called a Bar Stool Record Swap, so if you don’t want to get up from that comfy spot at the bar with booze in hand you don’t have to since you can sell the records right from your seat. The hosts ask that you please don’t bring in large collections. Other than that, bring in your records and be ready to sell and trade…oh, and drink. — Mara Wilson ALL YOUNG GIRLS ARE MACHINE GUNS
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 ONGOINGCULTURE Katie Frisch - All Day | Free Fred Simon Gallery Textile artist Katie Frisch, of Lincoln, exhibits her latest works in this solo show. Conrad Hinz: Solo Art Exhibition – All Day | Free Star Deli Gallery A local Omaha artist, Hinz attended the University of Nebraska before transferring to the Corcoran School of Art in Washington D.C. where he obtained his BFA degree. He works out of his home studio in Omaha. Hinz’s work depicts the surrealism of dreams. His oil paintings convey imagery that come from imaginative narratives that connect with art history, culture, and the obscure. The exhibition will open on Nov. 7th with an opening reception from 7pm-9pm to coincide with Benson’s First Friday Art Walk. The exhibition will run through Nov. 30. Attend, Admire, Acquire, Adorn - 12:00 pm | Free Artists Cooperative Gallery Four artists show new work through Nov. 23. Painters Jean Barban and Joan Fetter along with weaver Agneta Gaines and glass artist Bob Schipper. Featuring live music by cellist Christina Allred. Digital Hands - All Day | Free Creighton University Lied Art Gallery The Creighton University Lied Art Gallery will host Ceramic 3D Printing artists John Balistreri and Greg Pugh. Through Dec. 7. The Whipping Man - 7:30 pm | $16-$36 Omaha Community Playhouse At the end of the Civil War, Caleb, a wounded Jewish Confederate soldier, finds his way to his parents’ ruined home. Upon his return, he discovers his family has fled their home leaving their former slaves, Simon and John, to care for the war-torn property. The three men, tied by faith and bound by secrets, celebrate Passover with an impromptu Seder. This production contains adult content and strong language and is intended for mature audiences. A Wrinkle In Time - 2:00 & 7:00 pm | $0-$18 The Rose Performing Arts Center It’s a ‘dark and stormy night’ when the very strange Mrs. Whatsit comes to see Meg with frightening news: her father, a gifted scientist, has been kidnapped!. Travel with Meg on this remarkable adventure through the fifth dimension with this imaginative adaptation of Madeleine L’Engle’s award-winning story. Free under the age of two. UNO Theatre Festival - 7:30 pm | UNO Theatre A celebration of all things that make UNO Theatre so vital. We have invited alumni and seasoned professionals to work with our students in the development of extraordinary theatre. You will see spoken word and slam poetry, movement pieces derived from the Comedia Dell Arte’, staged musical reviews and a play by contemporary female playwright, Heather Raffo. Each performance of the musical reviews will highlight some of your favorite UNO Theatre graduates back to our stage. Design students and faculty will have their work on display. Love’s Labor Lost - 7:30 pm | University of Nebraska-Lincoln King Ferdinand imposes a ban on women who will not be allowed within a mile of the court. The princess of France, insulted by the ban, begins to plot ways on taking revenge. Love’s Labor’s Lost is a comedy complete with disguises and mistaken identities. City of Angels - 7:30 pm | $10-$20 Kimball Recital Hall The Glenn Korff School of Music presents the musical ‘City of Angels,’ in November. The musical is directed by Coordinator of Musical Theatre Studies Alisa Belflower. Performances are Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 16 at 3 p.m. Featuring a cast of 33 graduate and undergraduate students, ‘City of Angels’ weaves together two plots: the real world of a detective novelist trying to turn his book into a screenplay, which is in color; and the world of the fictional film he is creating, which is in black and white. Radio City Christmas Spectacular - 7:30 pm | $35 Orpheum Theater-Omaha Don’t miss the Omaha debut of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular Starring the Rockettes. They dazzle in the newly enhanced production of this cherished family show, more spectacular than ever before. So Now You’re a Zombie - 7:30 pm | $30 Apollon Most zombie shows make the extremely arrogant assumption that YOU were the ONE person to survive the zombie apocalypse. We’ll play along at first and take you through knowing your enemy and trying to fight them off, but here at The Apollon, we know you mostly order pizza and watch Netflix and there is literally no chance
you’ll be humanity’s last hope. We’re bringing in experts to teach you how to be the best zombie you can be, one moan, stumble, and shrieking person at a time. Through Nov. 22.
THURSDAY NOV 13
Bread & Jam - 1:00 pm | Free Western Historic Trails Center Measure for Measure - 5:00 pm | $5-$10 College of St Mary Gross Conference Center College of Saint Mary Concert Series presents ‘An Evening of Art And Music’ Measure for Measure: Music of Shakespeare’s Plays, Ensemble Chaconne. Concert at 7pm in Gross Conference Center. Reception prior to concert. In the Hilmer Art Gallery. Night with The String Beans - 5:00 pm | Free University of Nebraska-Lincoln The University of Nebraska State Museum in Morrill Hall invites children and families to the museum for a night of fun and activities. Why Take That - 6:00 pm | Free Natural Grocers Knowing how nutrients work with your body makes it easier to understand which supplements to take and why. This is part of a two part class that can be taken in any order. (see: Why EAT THIS on Nov. 6th) Natural Grocers prioritizes public nutrition education by offering a multitude of classes sharing the latest evidence-based nutrition information. Always informative, always fun, always free. Smooth Jazz Thursdays at Ozone - 6:30 pm | Free Ozone Lounge 4 The Occasion Motley Crue - 7:00 pm | Cover Charge CenturyLink Center Omaha Live Jazz Pianist Mark Misfeldt - 7:30 pm | Free The Omaha Lounge Moran Woodwind Quintet - 7:30 pm | Free Westbrook Recital Hall The Moran Woodwind Quintet’s recital contains three contrasting works: a staple of the early Romantic literature, a modern classic, and a jazz-inspired closer. Trans-Siberian Orchestra - 7:30 pm | $35$62.50 Mid-America Center When Paul O’Neill first conceived Trans-Siberian Orchestra, his goal was as straightforward as it was incredibly ambitious. They have become one of the world’s top acts, with Billboard magazine naming TSO as one of the top touring artists of the past decade. Reggae Night - 8:00 pm | Free The Hive Lounge Live Jazz Party - 8:00 pm | $5 House of Loom This is the only place in Omaha where young folks can hear traditional live swinging jazz music in a grab-your-partner-and-go setting, erst while laid-back enough to just grab a craft cocktail in the lounge and enjoy the atmosphere. Swing dance performances throughout the night Omaha Jitterbugs DJn swingin’ tunes after 21+ HLN10 - 8:00 pm | $15-$60 The Bourbon Theatre HLN10 is 3 full nights of music featuring Wookiefoot, Ill. Gates, Vibesquad, Snow Metal and many many many more. Live Bandaoke with Sh*thook - 9:00 pm | Free Duffy’s Tavern Lincoln All Them Witches - 9:00 pm | $8 ADV / $10 DOS Reverb LoungeThis band began conjuring up music together in 2012. Nots - 9:00 pm | $7 Sweatshop Gallery
FRIDAY NOV 14
3rd Annual Jazzy Wine Tasting - 6:00 pm | $20-$25 Love’s Jazz & Art Center Kick back and imbibe for a good cause with arts, an auction, and live jazz. Come and join honorary chair Johnny ‘The Jet’ Rodgers. Foreigner & Styx - 7:30 pm | $89-$652 Lied Center For Performing Arts Lincoln With ten multi-platinum albums and sixteen Top 30 hits, Foreigner is universally hailed as one of the most popular rock acts in the world with a formidable musical arsenal that continues to propel sold-out tours and album sales, now exceeding 75 million. Live Jazz Pianist Kevin Lloyd - 7:30 pm | Free The Omaha Lounge Huey Mack - The Things Change Tour - 8:00 pm | $12 Sokol Underground Joseph Dalton Michael better known as Huey Mack, is an American hiphop artist from Morgantown, West Virginia. He started writing music as a joke at the age of 14 to pass the time while he was attending high school. A few years later at 17 he decided to start back up and released his first free mixtape at 18.
Creighton Men’s Basketball - 8:00 pm | $15$50 CenturyLink Center Omaha The Bluejays currently compete in the Missouri Valley Conference. Scott Weiland and The Wildabouts - 8:00 pm | $35 Horseshoe Council Bluffs Casino The legendary front man from Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver brings his band The Wildabouts. HLN10 - 8:00 pm | $15-$60 The Bourbon Theatre Live Music - 9:00 pm | Free Horseshoe Council Bluffs Casino Third of July Band - 9:00 pm | $5 Duggans Pub The band (slowly becoming one of Lincoln’s Favorite bands) will be taking the stage at Duggan’s Pub. These guys will play the whole night d buting all kind of new covers and material from their soon to be released original-music CD 18+ “Interrogated” - 10:00 pm | Free Backline Improv Theatre The Arena - 11:00 pm | Backline Improv Theatre
SATURAY NOV 15
Mustache Dache 5k - 9:00 am | $20-$40. $20 for Kids Race Stinson Park, Aksarben Village A fun, timed, mustache-themed 5k benefiting Movember men’s charities aka running for a great cause while trying to look like Tom Selleck = WIN! All participants receive a t-shirt and mustache finisher’s medal, plus access to the Mustache Bash post-race party, with photo booth, costume contest, food trucks, and plenty more. University of Nebraska Women’s Basketball - 5:00 pm | Free University of NebraskaLincoln Athletics Live Jazz and Blues Guitarist George Walker - 7:30 pm | Free The Omaha Lounge Ty Dolla $ign - 8:00 pm | $20 The Bourbon Theatre Live Music - 9:00 pm | Free Horseshoe Council Bluffs Casino Honeyboy Turner Band - 9:00 pm | Free Havana Garage Originally forming under the name of Honeyboy Turner and Cryin’ Heart in 1992, the lineup consisted of John ‘Honeyboy’ Turner (vocals/ harmonica), Harvey Brindell (guitar), Mike Brindell (guitar), Gary Williams (drums), and Dave Wagner (bass). They brought Chicagostyle blues to their hometown of Lincoln. These guys have played every major blues venue, current and past, in their part of the country. Saturday Night Dance Party - 9:00 pm | The Hive Lounge Featuring DJ Sam E.C. Faded w/Attic Light (KC) and Stonebelly 9:00 pm | $5 Barley Street Tavern 3D In Your Face - 9:00 pm | $5 The 21st Saloon The Big haired bad boys are back in action at for another no-holds-barred, In-Your-Face night of off-the-wall Rock N Roll. 80’s hair metal it’s finest. If are looking for a wild party that will leave you feeling like you woke up in 1989 this is the band that will give it to you and give it to you hard.
SUNDAY NOV 16
Healing Tender Hearts - 11:30 am | Free Stinson Park, Aksarben Village Healing Tender Hearts Eat Healthy- Stay Fit Zumba Fitness Takeover Join us for Zumba Fitness on Sundays. Have fun while working the cardio. Shop Farmer’s Market before or after class. University of Nebraska Men’s Basketball 1:00 pm | Free University of Nebraska-Lincoln Athletics Sunday with a Scientist: Agate Fossil Beds National Monument - 1:30 pm | $3$13 University of Nebraska State Museum Join Vertebrate Paleontology Curator Emeritus Bob Hunt; Rob Skolnick, the State Museum’s Vertebrate Paleontology Preparator; and Volunteer Preparator Ellen Stepleton on a journey back in time to the Miocene epoch, 23 million years ago, when northwestern Nebraska resembled today’s Serengeti. Learn about the strange mammals that lived and died here, and explore the mystery of the great Agate bonebed which preserves thousands of fossil mammal bones. Creighton Men’s Basketball - 4:30 pm | $15$50 CenturyLink Center Omaha University of Nebraska Women’s Basketball - 5:00 pm | Free University of NebraskaLincoln Athletics Big Sandy & His Fly Rite-Boys - 6:00 pm | Lincoln’s Zoo Bar Salsa Sundays - 7:00 pm | $5 House of Loom
Live Jazz and Blues Pianist Ray Williams - 7:30 pm | Free The Omaha Lounge Kate Voegele - 8:00 pm | $12-$15 The Slowdown Hailing from a little suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, Kate Voegele first picked up a guitar at age 15. Influenced by the rock and roll history of the city and her father’s songwriting, she began to pen her own songs from the minute she learned to play her first three chords. Uploading song after song to her MySpace page, she managed to get the attention of the social network’s founder, Tom Anderson, and just a few weeks later, she became MySpace Records first signed artist. Shamans Harvest - 8:00 pm | $5-$7 The Bourbon Theatre Deep inside Missouris capital city, you will find one of the most amazing bands to emerge from the Midwest. This 5-piece features Nathan Drake Hunt on vocals, Josh Hamler on guitar, bassist Matt Fisher, Derrick Shipp on lead guitar and Joe Harrington on drums. Together, they have formulated their own unique mix of modern and classic rock with a southern twist that has energized fans across the nation. Shamans Harvest has successfully endured a long journey and cultivated a large national fan base. Luigi, Inc. - 9:00 pm | Free Mr. Toad’s Pub Omaha
MONDAY NOV 17
Argentine Tango Beginners Dance Class and Social - 6:00 pm | Free Vino Mas Join instructor Henry Myint for a fun-filled night of Argentine tango dance and music. As part of this special event series, tangOmaha welcomes everyone to partake one-hour beginners class, followed by an hour of open social and practice (‘practica’). No experience is necessary, no partner is necessary! Comfortable dress shoes or heels/flats are recommended (no sneakers). Vino Mas, our gracious host, offers an outstanding selection of wines (or beer), great staff, and great atmosphere. not to mention special and weekly events. Live Blues and Jazz Saxaphone with Ed Archibald - 7:30 pm | Free The Omaha Lounge UNL Large Brass Ensembles - 7:30 pm | Free Westbrook Recital Hall The Large Brass Ensembles within the Glenn Korff School of Music will perform a recital that will have something for everyone and feature a variety of works spanning from Brahms to the Beatles. This concert showcases three of the brass ensembles: The Husker Horn Choir, directed by Dr. Alan Mattingly; the Nebraska Trombone Ensemble, directed by Dr. Scott Anderson; and the UNL Tuba-Euphonium Ensemble, directed by Professor Craig Fuller. Eyehategod - 8:00 pm | $15-$18 The Bourbon Theatre (Also known as EHG) is an American band from New Orleans, founded by Jimmy Bower and a different line up in 1988. Soon after the group formed, Mike IX Williams became the 2nd vocalist and Joe LaCaze the 2nd drummer, followed by Brian Patton on guitar. The band solidified in sound and style except for a revolving bassist position. Gary Mader joined for a Japanese tour in 2002 and has remained ever since. Open Mic - 9:00 pm | Free Barley Street Tavern Sign up at the bar after 7pm. Monday Night Comedy - 9:00 pm | Free Duffy’s Tavern Lincoln
TUESDAY NOV 18
Science Cafe and Pub Quiz - 7:00 pm | Free The Slowdown Gather up a team of five or less people and test your wits, there is always a nice prize for the winners. University of Nebraska Men’s Basketball 7:00 pm | Free University of Nebraska-Lincoln Athletics Live Blues Guitarist and Vocalist “Hector Anchondo” - 7:30 pm | Free The Omaha Lounge UNL Jazz Combos - 7:30 pm | Free Westbrook Recital Hall The UNL Small Jazz Ensembles comprised of undergraduate and graduate students. This concert features four ensembles coached by DMA Jazz Studies majors Russell Zimmer, Aaron Stroessner, Max Stehr, and Jesse McBee. In addition, one advanced ensemble coached by faculty member Dr. Darryl White.
WEDNESDAY NOV 19
Live Jazz Pianist Ben Tweedt - 7:30 am | Free The Omaha Lounge Ray’s Piano Party - 7:00 pm | Free Mr. Toad’s Pub Omaha Creighton Men’s Basketball - 7:00 pm | $15$50 CenturyLink Center Omaha Live Jazz Pianist Ben Tweedt - 7:30 pm | Free The Omaha Lounge The Legendary Shack Shakers with Aaron Lee Tasjan - 9:00 pm | $12 Reverb Lounge The Legendary Shack Shakers’ hell-for-leather roadshow has earned quite a name for itself with its unique brand of Southern Gothic that is all-atonce irreverent, revisionist, dangerous, and fun. Comedy Open Mic - 10:00 pm | Free Barley Street Tavern
listings
| THE READER |
NOV. 13 - 19, 2014
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BY B.J. HUCHTEMANN
McMurtry, Big Sandy & Elmore
A
ustin singer-songwriter-guitarist James McMurtry is back for a Sunday Roadhouse show at Waiting Room Sunday, Nov. 16, 5 p.m. McMurtry’s storytelling songs are rich with character studies. His snarling vocals and wicked guitar work are backed by an excellent band. In Austin he and Jon Dee Graham hold back-to-back residency sets at Austin’s Continental Club every Wednesday, which might be the best night of loud guitars and insightful songs to be had anywhere on a Wednesday night. See sundayroadhouse.com and jamesmcmurtry.com. Zoo Bar Music Lincoln’s Zoo Bar is cooking with some great shows including Big Sandy & His Fly Rite-Boys Sunday, Nov. 16, 6-9 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 19, is a double-bill of great national acts with fine Texas guitarist Jason Elmore & Hoodoo Witch 6-9 p.m. Elmore is a skilled and versatile player who can rip up styles from Western swing to swampy roots. See jasonelmore.net. Then California’s sweat-inducing soul-rock band Orgone takes the stage at 9:30 p.m. with The Heard opening. See orgonespace.com/ band. Looking ahead to next Friday, Nov. 21, The Paladins play one night only, 9 p.m. 21st Saloon The 21st Saloon heats up with entertaining Canadian guitarist JW Jones’ CD release event for Belmont
hoodoo
Boulevard (Blind Pig Records). Blues Revue magazine wrote that “Jones’ style is a fluid amalgam of T-Bone Walker’s big, bright chords, Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson’s slashing leads, and Clarence ‘Gatemouth’ Brown’s jazzy sting.” See jw-jones.com. Jason Elmore & Hoodoo Witch bring their eclectic Texas trio sound to The 21st Thursday, Nov. 20, 5:30 p.m., opening for Gracie Curran & The High Falutin’ Band. Alternate Root Magazine says Curran and her players are “A five-alarm stew of blues, gospel and soul that burns in your gut like the first time you heard Aretha Franklin’s “I Never Loved A Man.’” Toy Drive Toy Drive for Pine Ridge is back, with local musician Larry “Lash” Dunn collecting toys and donations for Pine Ridge children and families. In addition to toys, the non-profit helps with emergency heating, educational resources and more for children, elders and families living on the reservation. The Blues Society of Omaha and Omaha Jitterbugs host a benefit concert Friday, Nov. 21, 5 p.m. at Sokol Hall with headliners Too Slim & The Taildraggers and Grand Marquis. See toydriveforpineridge.com. Hot Notes Nashville’s blues-influenced All Them Witches plays Reverb Lounge Thursday, Nov. 13, 9 p.m. The Legendary Shack Shakers are at Reverb Lounge Wednesday, Nov. 19. See reverblounge. com. Honeyboy Turner Band is at Havana Garage Saturday, Nov. 15, 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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| THE READER |
hoodoo
overtheedge Manhattan in NoDo: The Film Streams Community
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t was my intention to write a sort of review or report on Feature VI, the annual fund-raiser program by Film Streams that happened Monday night at the Holland Performing Arts Center. I’d even brought a small notebook about the size of a moleskin and a pen to jot down particularly clever, pithy or ingenious comments from the night’s special guests, directors Alexander Payne and David O. Russell. But after the first 10 minutes of Russell’s streamof-conscious retelling of his flight from Salt Lake City and observations on midwestern fashion stereotypes, his childhood adulation of Omaha Steaks and meeting Todd Simon, his experiences shopping at Jackson Street Booksellers and eating vegetarian burritos in a glass-box office that looked like a scene from a Kubrick film, it became obvious that I wasn’t going to be taking any notes. Especially considering the way Payne (who played the roll of the MC) was going to meander through the next hour and forty-five minutes of (mostly) unstructured Q&A divided into segments by clips from Russell’s last few films. The directors chatted like two old friends catching up on each other’s lives, sharing observations about their craft in front of a packed house of adoring fans. It was that kind of night. When it came time to write about what I just experienced, my mind instead wandered to when I first heard about the idea of Film Streams and the Ruth Sokolof Theater way back in 2005, almost 10 years ago. Need I say it, but it was a time before Netflix, when Blockbuster Video was still in business renting DVDs, and when the Dundee Theater was the only place in town to see first-run independent, foreign or “art” films. And even then, the Dundee being a singlescreen theater only presented about 25 films a year, about one per week, with many being held over a second week (and sometimes a third or fourth). Back then, when Teresa and I would escape Omaha for long weekends in New York, we dedicated at least one night per vacation to seek out a particularly interesting independent film we’d read about in Time Out New York that we knew would never make it to Omaha, at least not until it was released on DVD. And then along came Rachel Jacobson and her idea for Film Streams and its a two-screen Ruth Sokolof movie house dedicated in showing independent films and revivals — it was as if Rachel flew in with a helicopter and dropped a slice of Manhattan just north of downtown Omaha. We have been Film Streams
members since the day the theater opened in 2007. It’s been money well spent. Today Film Streams is as relevant as ever, despite the fact that independent, foreign and classic films have never been more accessible. Over the last decade, we’ve watched as the internet has decimated the publishing business, leaving in its wake a collection of abandoned Border’s book stores, like the beige cinderblock hulk that sits vacant at the southwest corner of 72nd and Dodge streets. Who needs bookstores when you’ve got Amazon and Kindle? And then there’s the music industry, suffering its worse financial year in history with album sales in the U.S. at an all-time low. Brick-and-mortar record stores are slowly going the way of the dinosaur thanks to iTunes, the internet and streaming services like Spotify. Only the most savvy independent stores, like Homer’s, are finding ways to remain open. Ironically, it is the vinyl record, given last rites decades ago, that may play a role in the music industry’s survival, as vinyl sales are at their highest in 15 years. The film industry — specifically movie theaters — would appear to be as vulnerable to technology as books and music. After all, how many times has Film Streams screened a film that is readily available for viewing on my 65-inch flat screen via Netflix or Amazon Prime? And yet, we continue to drive downtown to see it on a bigger screen, surrounded by strangers eating popcorn in the dark. Given a choice, we wouldn’t do it any other way. At a time when you’d expect movie theaters to be closing left and right, new ones are popping up everywhere and old ones are being refurbished, like my old friend the Dundee Theater (though owner Denny Moran could pick up the pace a little; it’s been closed for more than two years). Movie houses and cineplexes will always be around because watching films is a community event. You’re surrounded in that darkened auditorium by friends and neighbors and people of a like mind drawn to the theater that evening for all the same reasons you were: to be entertained, enlightened, knocked out by something we haven’t seen before, something that can’t be experienced the same way in our living rooms. It was why we were all there at The Holland Monday night. In addition to having a laugh with our new friends David and Alexander, we, the community of film lovers, were saying thank you to Rachel and all of her friends and associates who have made Film Streams work, and will continue to make it work as the curtains part night after night into the foreseeable future. ,
W TH EE IS KE ND !
LIFESTYLE COLUMN BY TIM MCMAHAN
SCOTT WEILAND NOVEMBER 14
DAVID ALLAN COE DECEMBER 12
AARON LEWIS FEBRUARY 13 AN EVENING WITH BIG HEAD TODD AND THE MONSTERS MARCH 1 Tickets available at whiskeyroadhouse.com, Ticketmaster.com or by phone at 1-800-745-3000
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11/6/14 11:37 AM
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 |
NOV. 13 - 19, 2014
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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
Baby Beauty
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manda Collins, 28, took “beauty pageant mom” to the next level (down) earlier this year when she entered her daughter Luna in Britain’s UK Princess and Prince International -- based entirely on Luna’s ultrasound scan at age 20 weeks. Said Collins, “As soon as I saw her image on the screen ... I knew she was a stunner.” Contest officials had accepted the scan application, and six weeks after birth, Luna was named runnerup in the Princess and Prince, and on top of that, four weeks later, runner-up in Miss Dreams UK. “All she has to do,” said Collins, “is lie in my arms and smile as I stroll down the catwalk.”
Recurring Themes In September, at the annual 10-day Phuket Vegetarian Festival in Thailand (ostensibly promoting abstinence from eating meat), dozens of men pierced and sliced their mouths, cheeks and arms in religious devotion in a spectacle which, though blood-drenched, was supposedly free of pain (and subsequent scars) because the fanatics were in God-imposed trances. The display supposedly brings “good health, peace of mind and spiritual cleansing,” and includes walking on hot coals and climbing blade-embedded ladders (both barefoot, of course), all to the accompaniment of fireworks and the ear-shattering pounding of drums. [Huffington Post UK, 9-29-2014] -- Brad Culpepper played defensive tackle for nine NFL seasons and, not surprisingly, applied for disability when he retired, since his medical folder listed 14 MRIs, head and knee trauma and neurological and vision problems -- which resulted in doctors declaring him “89 percent” disabled and the Fairmont Premier insurance company giving him a $175,000 settlement. Fairmont sued recently to get its money back, claiming that Culpepper is, and was, “exquisitely fit,” as evidenced by a September 2013
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| THE READER |
weird news
Tampa Bay Times feature on his gym workouts, and in his having earned a martial-arts Black Belt, and in his participation for 14 days in the grueling TV series “Survivor: Blood vs. Water” in 2013. -- Angry taxpayers and retail customers sometimes protest their debt by paying the bill with containers of coins (especially pennies), but what if a company did that to a customer? A court had ruled that Adriana’s Insurance Services in Rancho Cucamonga, California, had unjustifiably ejected (and assaulted) 74-year-old Andres Carrasco from its office when he complained about a canceled policy, and ordered Adriana’s to pay him about $21,000. Consequently, in August, the stillirritated company dropped off at least 16 buckets full of coins at the customer’s lawyer’s office. -- Several News of the Weird stories mentioned Body Dysmorphic Disorder sufferers who sought the ultimate treatment: amputation of healthy body parts on irrationally aesthetic grounds, led by castration-desiring men. Now, 15-year-old Danielle Bradshaw of Tameside, England, also wants a useful leg amputated -- but not irrationally. Her “developmental dysplasia” caused the amputation of her useless right leg, but the resultant stress on the left one has weakened it, and besides, having taken up competitive running, she wants Oscar Pistorius-style blades instead of her current prosthesis, which slows her down. However, no hospital has yet agreed to perform the surgery, considering the leg’s continued functionality and Bradshaw’s young age.
Suitors Doing It Wrong (1) News of the Weird’s stuck-in-chimney stories usually involve burglaries gone wrong, but when Genoveva Nunez-Figueroa, 30, was rescued by firefighters in a Thousand Oaks, California, chimney in October, it appeared only that she was unwantedly trying to visit an ex-boyfriend. (The police report diplomati-
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).
cally had her intent as “unclear.”) (2) In August, John Lind, 34, became the most recent frustrated admirer so infatuated with a co-worker that he was moved to ejaculate multiple times on her desk and into her coffee cup. He said he wanted her to “notice” him.
Perspective: The most recent “segregated sidewalks” dispute in a community with a large, strict Orthodox Jewish population occurred in September in the English town of Stamford Hill, when Haredi Jews, trying to remove temptations, placed sidewalk signs (for an upcoming parade) reading, in English and Hebrew, “Women should please walk along this side of the road only” (since sect members are forbidden even to brush against people of the opposite sex except for close relatives). The Hackney council ordered the signs removed because befuddled, sometimes outraged, non-Haredis complained. Florida is well-known not just for its “stand your ground” defense to the use of deadly force, but to the pro-gun interpretation given it by some judges and juries. On the other extreme, however, the legislature has enacted an unusually severe penalty for any “aggravated assault” that includes gunfire -- a “mandatory minimum” of 20 years in prison. Lee Wollard, now 59, faces a 2028 release date because he fired a warning shot into the wall of his home in 2006 to scare off his 16-year-old daughter’s boyfriend, who was threatening the girl. Judge Donald Jacobsen said in court that he disagreed with his own sentence, but that his oath required him to impose it. (In a similar 2012 News of the Weird Florida domestic violence “warning shot” case, Marissa Alexander, 31, remains in prison with a release date of 2032.) -- Though Americans seem sensitive to the issue of government’s use of “science” in policy-making, some
agencies in Iceland believe it irrelevant (as News of the Weird mentioned in a 2009 item in which Alcoa was required to prove it was protecting Iceland’s underground “hidden people” before it was permitted to build a smelting plant). In September 2014, the municipal government of Fljotsdalsherad accepted its own official “truth” commission’s findings that the legendary Icelandic sea monster Lagarfljotsormur actually exists. (The monster, about 100 yards long, has been seen slithering as recently as 2012. Government critics accused the council of pandering for tourism business.) -- In the most recent incident in which a driver actually ran over himself, a man in Aurora, Colorado, suffered lifethreatening injuries on October 26 when, as he backed out of his driveway, his front driver’s side tire ran over his head. He had jumped out the door to avoid a lit cigarette that had fallen into his jacket, and as he fell, he landed underneath the driver’s door as the van continued slowly in reverse.
Update News of the Weird first mentioned the breakthrough treatment of “fecal transplants” in 2000 (to remedy the brutal diarrhea caused by Clostridium difficile infections) -- in which largeintestine bacteria of a healthier relative is delivered to the patient’s gut -- so that healthy bacteria kill off the germs causing the diarrhea. However, the procedure is awkward and inconvenient and requires a colonoscopy to deliver. Recently, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital tried an alternative: placing healthy transplant poop into 30 large, stomach-acid-resistant capsules, to be ingested by mouth over two days. The regimen worked remarkably well for 14 of 20 patients, and for four of the remaining six on a second try. ,
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NOV. 13 - 19, 2014
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cuttingroom
I N T E R S T E L L A R I S S T U N N I N G … LY BA D
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reposterous, pseudointellectual, poorly constructed, clichéd, impenetrably masculine, goofy and possessed of an indecipherable ending, Interstellar is the mother of all misfires. It is a bloated juggernaut of stupidity, rolling its obese body stuffed with melodramatic subplots towards a conclusion that would have been laughed at had it been anyone other than writer/director Christopher Nolan who pitched it. Irritatingly, because Nolan has endeared himself to a loyal legion, the film will have its defenders and apologists. They will be wrong. Interstellar opens well enough; set some indeterminate time in the near future, climate change has borked the planet into full-on disaster. Those who can must grow crops in order to feed what’s left of humanity. This includes Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), a former NASA pilot and single father of two. His young daughter, Murphy, tells Cooper that she has a ghost that haunts her room, pulling books off the shelf in an attempt to send her messages. Turns out, within her bedroom is a “gravitational anomaly” that spells out coordinates.
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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Cooper follows said coordinates and discovers a secret NASA facility that intends to shoot a spaceship into a wormhole to find a planet that can sustain humanity. The leader, Professor Brand (Michael Caine), asks Cooper to pilot the ship, accompanied by three other astronauts, including Amelia Brand (Anne Hathaway), the Professor’s daughter. The voyage means traveling through space in such a way that those aboard age slower relative to the folks at home. For the rest of the movie, we follow not only the alternatingly macabre and silly space misadventures but also Cooper’s kids, Murphy (Jessica Chastain) and Tom (Casey Affleck), as they age on earth and cry a lot. In fact, if there is one defining characteristic of Interstellar it is weeping; nonstop, grating, irritating weeping. As though the set were built on a bed of freshly cut onions, Nolan confuses having people act sad with making his audience feel something. McConaughey cries like 50 times, Hathaway cries, Chastain cries, Affleck cries…hell, Michael Caine cries. And he’s British. They don’t do that. It is as though Nolan is some kind of overly intellectual alien
attempting to learn emotions. “Why human cry? Human sad? Oh, human cry when sad!” This would explain the scene in which Hathaway attempts to describe love as a function of quantum physics. The worst part, hands down, is what will be referred to as “the twist.” It isn’t a twist, however, as it takes anyone who has seen a sci-fi movie literally five minutes to know the ending. Oy vey and that ending… For the record, Mr. Nolan, having a character spout nonsense gibberish about fifth dimension temporal understanding is no different than saying “ta-da! Magic!” Looking no prettier than the TV show “Cosmos” and not as space-terrifying as Gravity, Interstellar is easily the year’s biggest disappointment and the shiniest turd several hundred million can shine. Inception was proof that Nolan is capable of constructing a vastly entertaining and original, intelligent blockbuster; Interstellar makes me want to watch Inception again. , GRADE = D
n The wait is finally over! The new Star Wars is here! Wait, sorry, the new Star Wars title is here…my bad. We no longer have to call it Episode VII, which is great for people who hate Romans and numerals. The new moniker is, wait for it…The Force Awakens. Oh. Okay. That’s…alright. I mean, it’s no stinker like The Phantom Menace or Attack of the Clones but it does sound like the Force ate a big Thanksgiving dinner and had to lay down for a while, only to be stirred by the aroma of Aunt Betty’s delicious cobbler. n Because we can’t have nice things, there’s going to be a Toy Story 4. Yes, really. Despite having composed a beautiful, nearly symphonic ending to a trilogy about letting go of the physical things that made us children while retaining the sense of wonder, Pixar and Disney were like “Dollar dollar bills, y’all! Mommy and daddy need to get paid!” No word on plot, but if it were me, I’d make it all about adults selling things that were once beloved for money they don’t need. n We can reboot it. We have the technology. We can make it dumber than it was. Dumber, more expensive, sillier. This is my proposed mantra for the remake of “The Six Million Dollar Man,” titled The Six Billion Dollar Man because, you know, inflation. Marky Mark Wahlberg will play the man nearly killed in an accident, only to be reconstructed into a powerful cyborg. Peter Berg will direct, so have faith. After all, he’s the guy that directed Battleship. n Despite having drastically fallen off, I still have faith in Judd Apatow. Now comes word that he is pairing up with Laura Dern for an untitled comedy about female football fans, to be written by Pam Brady. Because nothing says “hilarious” like women and the NFL right now… Unless this is a scathing indictment of that organization’s willingness to complicity and explicitly contribute to an overwhelming epidemic of violence against women, Apatow can keep his feel-good schmaltz to himself. —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).
First-Run Films
Films of David O. Russell Special Screening
Birdman First-Run (R)
I [Heart] Huckabees 2004 (R)
Dir. Alejandro G. Iñárritu. Through Thursday, December 4 Michael Keaton stars as a washed up actor known for once playing a super hero trying to stage a comeback.
November 15 & 19
Post-9/11 existential comedy.
Forever Young
The American Nurse
Dir. Carolyn Jones. Tuesday, November 18, 7 pm Presented with Center for Health Partnerships at Methodist College, this one-time screening will be followed by a panel discussion.
The Overnighters First-Run (PG-13)
Porco Rosso 1992
Dir. Jesse Moss. Starts Friday, November 14
Dir. Hayao Miyazaki. November 15, 16, 20, 22, 23 & 27
Coming Soon
A haunting documentary about a North Dakota pastor who risked everything to house migrant oil workers.
From the master Miyazaki comes the tale of a WWI fighter ace cursed with the head of a pig.
Force Majeure First-Run The Theory of Everything First-Run (PG-13) Citizenfour First-Run The Tale of the Princess Kaguya First-Run
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