W PICKS W PetRock’s smooth 70s rock, Slowdown has the show for you. The popular 70s tribute band will be performing two consecutive nights, Friday, April 16, and Saturday, April 17. PetRock has a lineup of crowd favorites from classic 70s bands like the Eagles, Styx, Doobie Brothers and Wings. Whether you’re looking for a night of nostalgia or an opportunity to “soft rock” to some classic tunes, these shows are sure to be a good time for all. is replaced by a bouffant of table saws. In “Good Morning Afternoon,” a cigarette-smoking woman arises from the center of a fruit and floral centerpiece like something out of an Esther Williams movie.
April 1
Fetish
Garden of the Zodiac
sexual fetish objects. Celebrating sexuality with alluring objects of desire, Buller both delights the viewer and furthers his goal to “demystify sex between men and encourage dialogue around topics typically not discussed in ‘polite’ society.” Larry Buller: Fetish runs through May 23 in the Garden of the Zodiac Gallery, 1042 Howard St. There will be no opening reception. Call 402-341-1877, email gardenofthezodiac@gmail.com or visit the gallery’s Facebook page. —Janet L. Farber
Larry Buller, whose show Fetish opens April 1 at the Garden of the Zodiac, is not interested in subtlety. Why else would he trick out his molded ceramic forms into highly embellished decorative set pieces using floral decals, gold luster, fur and fake gemstones while flirting with kitsch? Gilding the lily is, in fact, the point. In the age of Rococo, when chinoiseries flourished, emphasis was on abundant and elaborate decoration, equating to the life pleasurable. Buller has stepped into this breach, exploiting decorative arts’ historical and domestic connotations by encoding them further with the cultural vocabulary of gay identity, masculinity and
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April 2
Glue Factory Petshop
Collage artist Glue Pinella will debut in Omaha with an exhibition at Petshop, opening on First Friday, April 2. Entitled Occurrences and Emptiness, it features new work in which retro magazine images are combined to create familiar yet surreal narratives. An admirer of the 1950s illustration, Pinella cuts out varied images of people, consumer goods, food and plants, reimagining them into fun and curious compositions. In “Cutting Edge Hairstyle,” a woman’s coiffure
APRIL 2021
All collage elements are pasted against the blank background of paper, an empty space the artist describes as consonant with his feeling about his own life as “a series of bizarre occurrences spontaneously arising out of emptiness then returning to that emptiness.” Nonetheless, his choice of source material and their recombination result in an alluring and whimsical view of the past, perhaps as prologue. Glue Pinella: Occurrences and Emptiness continues through Friday, May 28, at Petshop, 2725 N. 62nd St. Check the gallery’s Facebook page or email alex@ bff.org for more information. —Janet L. Farber
April 16 & 17
PetRock Slowdown
As PetRock asks on its website: “Are you ready to soft rock?” If you are indeed ready to hear
Doors open both nights at 7 p.m., and the show will start at 8:30 p.m. Tickets start at $15 for general admission and go up to $45 for reserved and balcony seating. To see more details and Slowdown’s COVID-19 safety protocols, visit their Facebook page. —Alex Preston
April 17
Earth Day Elmwood Park
Omahans can celebrate a scaled-down Earth Day event in person this year. Held at the historic Elmwood Park on Pacific Street, the 32nd annual Earth Day Omaha will be free, open to the public and socially distanced. For more information, including a full event schedule, check out earthdayomaha.org. In collaboration with Sarpy County Earth Day, Earth Day Omaha is also hosting a monthlong, virtual expo: the Nebraska Earth Day Passport. From April 15 through May 15, up to 10,000 participants (called “players”) can download the Nebraska Earth Day Passport app and check out virtual exhibitor “booths.” At each booth, players compete for daily points
