August 15 in Omaha @ the Slowdown

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Time for something new, fun, and, FUN. At the Slowdown on Friday, you’ll get to see two great local acts, Thunder Power and Midwest Dilemma. It’s Thunder Power’s CD release show and you WANT this one! Also playing is These United States out of D.C. with a good straight ahead folk rock base-sound and punk feel. There are enough articles out there telling you how they sound, but I’m gonna just tell you to get your booty there and spend the 5 bucks! The venue is awesome, the music is great, and you were just gonna buy 2 forties of Magnum with that 5-spot anyways.

Go get drunk on some indie!

So, my blog followers….

So, my blog followers. I didn’t have a lot of time to do much research to this week but I wanna let you know I’m gonna have a new blog very soon so make sure to look for updates of live local music. I know there’s some great stuff going on this weekend, Saturday night at the Saddle Creek Bar. Also tonight, Tuesday night, Shea Riley’s, Shoot Your Mouth Off, always a great time. Make sure to check this out. All my websites links and contact information are under the contact tab of this site. I’d love to hear from ya!

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More Quality Bang-For-Your-Entertainment Buck!

It’s still July and less snow means more action!  The only problem with having too much going on around town is trying to decide what to do.  There is only one me and I, like many of you, want to see every quality show I can. Last Saturday, I was fortunate enough to see a great up-and-coming metal band from San Diego, Souljourners at the Saddle Creek Bar. That same night, there was a free show in memorial park that I heard was very quality featuring Feist, Juana Molina, and The Good Life. Anyone notice how larger events are becoming more frequent and local bands are becoming such a large part of the success of those events?

I am part of the school of thought that believes Omaha is on its way up in the music world and won’t peak for 10 years at least. If you need proof of this, go to the OEA summer showcase on Friday night and you’ll see what I mean. Almost 40 bands at 6 venues right in the heart of Benson! And, since I am cheap, would like to mention that this night of wild local entertainment is only 10 bucks!! Also, this is a night for you, the spectator, to be a critic. Really pay close attention and decide for yourself which bands you like best and why you liked them. Then in the winter, you, the audience, will get to nominate and vote for your favorites to win big at the Omaha Entertainment Awards.

Much more fun stuff out there than I could possibly mention, you just have to look for it. I like to start by checking SLAM Omaha. There are two popular free entertainment publications to check as well. If you are  adventurous enough to try something new, check out Jazz on the Green at Joslyn because it is a great excuse to get outside, crack open a bottle of wine and learn to appreciate a true American art form. *I assume you are in the learning stage only if you haven’t been to this 24 year mainstay event before!*

If you prefer something more folk/ rock, check out the Saddle Creek Bar this Thursday for Bret Saxon, Platte River Rain, Spiders for Love, and up-and-comer Patrick Langdon. I’ll be there doing what I do and the beer is oh so cheap! Speaking of cheap beer, how about FREE? Yes, that’s right, free beer tomorrow night, Tuesday, July 15 for those of age at Shea Riley’s! This special event is in recognition for Shoot Your Mouth Off’s 4 year anniversary party and is featuring Platte River Rain! NO COVER!!!

Let me know what you think about my page so far and if you think I’m not covering something I should, send me an email or leave a comment! Have a great week!

Summertime, and the Rockin’s Easy (and free)

There is just way too much to do this month. It’s getting to the point where I need an entertainment consultant to learn my personal preferences, prioritize them based on a complex algorithm and choose what’s best for me to do each night.  (Check out the Reader, City Weekly or SLAM Omaha and you’ll get the inside skinny on what’s to come.) These shows don’t hurt the wallet too much either. Tonight alone, there are 3 FREE shows guaranteed to please. Brad Hoshaw’s “Viva La Vinyl” @ Barley Street Tavern, Mick’s open mic acoustic night, and Shoot Your Mouth Off II @ Shea Riley’s.

Shows that are free (or close to free) can send a message that they are not high quality, but that is definitely not true. Just as the recording industry has been flipped on it’s head with free and cheap downloads getting popular, live musicians have found a way to perform to crowds for a minimal cost to the spectator and still make the money they deserve. Sometimes, there is no direct payment, but more people are exposed to the music because there is less barrier to entry. This means entertainers can sell more t-shirts, albums, downloads, and gain the popularity it takes to share a bill with larger touring acts. Once momentum is built, sponsorships become possible.

Another element here is that Omaha itself is full of ‘hungry’ and talented musicians, comedians, and artists of all types who are just having a great time doing what they love. And the crowds are showing up to participate in this uprising. With the economy in shambles and civil/political confusion happening, we need to get out there and express/enjoy/extend ourselves more. So get out there and have a great time, for free!

And let me know what shows you are going to and also which ones you’ve liked best so far. I’d love to hear more about the shows that I missed. Also, I will post pictures, mp3s, and videos here if they represent what’s great about the Omaha entertainment scene.

More Resources to check out:

Good local blog I found:  Omahype

Great local podcast:  WorldsOfWayne