January / February 2017 Encounter

DOWNTOWN · OLD MARKET · DUNDEE · BENSON · AKSARBEN · MIDTOWN

CJ MILLS Pure Hustle, Pure Music BZZY LPS Immature Art for Mature Audiences

ARTS/CULTURE VOL. 22 × JAN/FEB 2017

ISSUE 1

KEEPING UP WITH K ASHER The Indie Musician to Release Solo Album & Film G R O OV Y G R AV Y Poutine Packs a Palatable Punch

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ISSUE 1 | VOL. 22 | JAN/FEB 2017 Publisher Todd Lemke Executive Editor Doug Meigs Associate Editor Daisy Hutzell-Rodman Editor-at-Large Eric Stoakes

6 DON’T BE BORED, GET BOARD

Intern Lindsay Wilson Contributing Writers Greg Jerrett • Josie Loza • Katrina Markel Sean McCarthy • Patrick McGee • Alec McMullen Carol Crissey Nigrelli • Sean Robinson • Max Sparber Ashley Wegner Creative Director Bill Sitzmann

How to Avoid Banishment at Mickey Williams’ Board Game Night

10 ALISHA DAVIS Through a Lens Darkly: A Legacy in Love and Light

Art Director Matt Wieczorek

12 QUEEN OF THE NERDS

Senior Graphic Designer Derek Joy

Playhouse Costume Designer by Day, Cosplayer by Night

Graphic Designer Mady Besch Fashion Editor Nicholas Wasserberger

16 IMMATURE ART FOR MATURE AUDIENCES

Vice President Greg Bruns

Bzzy Lps

Executive Vice President Sales & Marketing Gil Cohen Senior Sales Executive Gwen Lemke Branding Specialists Kyle Fisher • Mary Hiatt • George Idelman Joshua Peterson Executive Sales Manager Vicki Voet

22 CJ MILLS Pure Hustle, Pure Music

26 THANKS, NO THANKS Political Punk Quartet Gets Spooky

Assistant to the Publisher Sandy Matson Senior Account Assistant Alicia Smith Hollins

28 NEW YEAR, NEW YOU

Account Assistant Dawn Dennis

Fashion

Operations Tyler Lemke Accounting Holley Garcia-Cruz

32 KEEPING UP WITH KASHER

Warehouse Distribution Manager Mike Brewer

The Indie Musician to Release Solo Album and Film

Events/PR Alesha Olson

34 GROOVY GRAVY

For Advertising Information: 402.884.2000 omahamagazine.com

Poutine Packs a Palatable Punch

Owned and Managed by Omaha Magazine, LTD. All versions of Encounter are published bimonthly by Omaha Magazine, LTD P.O. Box 461208, Omaha, NE 68046-1208. Telephone: 402.884.2000; fax: 402.884.2001. No whole or part of the contents herein may be reproduced without prior written permission of Omaha Magazine, excepting individually copyrighted articles and photographs. Unsolicited manuscripts are accepted; however, no responsibility will be assumed for such solicitations.

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36 RACHEL JACOBSON’S Dundee Theater Revival

40 FRANK CARTER The Phantom Sniper’s Reign of Terror

42 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

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“Every attendee must play a minimum of one board game every time they attend or be forever banned from future attedance.�

8 JAN/FEB 2017

HOW TO AVOID

B A N I S H M E NT

AT

M ICKE Y W I L L IA M S ’

BOARD GAME NIGHT

by Patrick McGee photography by Bill Sitzmann design by Derek Joy

E

VERY FRIDAY NIGHT, Mickey Williams hosts a weekly ritual—board game night.

The 32-year-old Williams is a board game enthusiast. He resides just south of Omaha’s Little Italy neighborhood. Downtown buildings and lights are visible from the front porch of his nearly 100-yearold house. During his Friday board game nights, Williams opens his home to friends and strangers alike.

The weekly gaming tradition has been ongoing for about five years. Some nights draw 15 or more players. “It is not uncommon that we get 10 at once,” he says while arranging one of the night’s more popular attractions, Ticket to Ride, a train-themed game.

To accommodate an irregular guest list with visitors arriving at unpredictable hours, Williams makes full use of his home’s ample gaming space. In his living room, there are three dining tables.

In the basement, an open ping-pong table is available for more expansive games. Other spaces, such as a gossip bench, are set up for chess and other small games.

“You don't have to worry about ‘Did I miss it, or did I not miss it?’ You don't have to search for it in your events on Facebook.

It's just every Friday.”

The walls and ceiling are decorated by players with graffiti and artwork, which Williams welcomes in the yet-to-be remodeled portions of his home. The wall art includes fullcolor drawings of anime characters, unicorns, miscellaneous doodles, and a mural of a T-Rex on the dining room ceiling. Quotes are scribbled in unexpected places.

Amber Ostergaard, a two-year regular of the board game night, painted the dinosaur on the ceiling. She says many guests have left their marks; it’s all part of the atmosphere.

Living room cabinets and the old home’s built-in shelves store a treasure trove of 127 board games “including expansion sets,” says Williams, who also invites guests to bring their own games.

The event is low-key, but Williams enforces basic rules to ensure the satisfaction of his players and the continuity of the event. He offers these rules as a guide to others who are interested in hosting their own game night event: “Playing games is required,” Williams says.

“Every attendee must play a minimum of one board game every time they attend or be forever banned from future

attendance.” This is the most common rule broken and enforced at game night, though Williams also will eject visitors who are excessively drunk or making other players uncomfortable.

Williams says that many board gamers are “not adept at dealing with difficult social situations,” and that “creating a comfortable environment gets these people out to play.” Williams does not tolerate any form of harassment at game night. He tries to apply the rules “as evenly and non-sexistly as possible,” and he says, “there have been females that have been ejected for their behavior as well [as male players].”

Ostergaard says the event is “inclusive to both genders,” and male and female players seem fairly evenly represented on Fridays. However, Williams does not allow children due to the presence of alcohol.

Another crucial and inflexible rule of Williams’ board game night is that it happens every Friday. No matter what. If the event were inconsistent, Ostergaard says people would lose track of it.

“You don't have to worry about, ‘Did I miss it, or did I not miss it?’ You don't have to search for it in your events on Facebook. It's just every Friday,” Ostergaard says.

Williams adds that having a closed Facebook group for the event does help with reminders. “We try to take a picture of each game,” he says, laughing. “We try to post the 'who won' and whatnot, but we're really bad at that.”

Because Williams facilitates game night, he doesn't have time to be a typical host. “I'm trying to make the games happen,” he says, between his efforts at teaching rules to newcomers and clarifying disputes between veteran board gamers.

For anyone interested in hosting their own game-night event, Williams recommends simple games such as Ticket to Ride.

“You can have five adults who have not played games since they were children sit down with the rule book and learn to play [Ticket to Ride] in 20 minutes,” Williams says, noting there is less than one page of rules. Settlers of Catan is another popular game with a variety of expansion sets, perfect as groups become more advanced and parties gain more participants. Meanwhile, the game Carcassonne is also a Friday night favorite.

More complicated games such as Risk, Axis and Allies, and Diplomacy have their places at game night for his regular crowd, Williams says. Conversely, simpler games—such as Sushi Go and The Resistance—are great due to their brevity and relative ease.

Williams says the key to keeping everything moving with so many guests is to “concentrate on having multiple games of multiple lengths and multiple difficulties going on simultaneously.”

If someone were to show up in the middle of an ongoing game, the house is set up to accommodate late arrivals.

They could play a quick two-player game such as Blokus or Connect Four, he explains, “then we can figure out who is staying, who is leaving, and what game we're all going to play next.”

Everyone gets in a game. Actually, they have to.

Otherwise they are forever banished.

ENCOUNTEROMAHA.COM 9

T H R O U G H A L E N S D A R K LY: A L E G A C Y I N L O V E A N D L I G H T

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by Greg Jerrett photography by Bill Sitzmann design by Derek Joy facebook.com/daviegrams

LISHA DAVIS, LIKE so many of her digital generation, is a self-taught photographer. She didn't study the subject in school, had no mentors, and her teachers at Central High never knew she was interested in photography. CreativeLive courses, contacts, and workshops made up the UNO grad’s education on the subject. Her devotion to the subject is personal, illuminating the faces of her neighbors.

“I learned valuable business information online,” Davis says. “But the people are my inspiration, and I have the privilege of meeting them each and every day.”

“If you spend a majority of your time surrounded by controlled media images, what they create becomes normal to you.”

Davis is currently working on a project called “Building Our Legacy in Love & Light,” encouraged in part by the Thomas Allen Harris documentary Through a Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People. “I love it,” Davis says of the film that tells the story of how images have affected the lives of black Americans. “Everyone should watch it.”

Her objective is to capture and present as public works of art “strong, positive images of black Americans” in places where everyone can see them. “I wanted to create images that capture not only people's eyes, but their minds too. I wanted stories to be told. African-Americans are consistently misrepresented in the media,” Davis says. “This propagates a sense of fear around the image of black people. It sets the tone for the stereotypes associated with African-Americans and gives way to judging a person's character by their physical appearance.”

10 JAN/FEB 2017

The photos in “Building Our Legacy” show images from the daily lives of African-Americans in Omaha rather than images that reinforce misleading stereotypes. “The exhibit features a total of 12 images, six of which were chosen by project supporters at the December release party to be transformed into murals around Omaha during the spring,” she says.

Davis is working with noted Omaha muralist Reggie LeFlore to transform her photographic moments into murals for everyone. “It's great,” Davis says of her work with LeFlore. “We’re both passionate artists who feel compelled to use our gifts to help the community we care about. It's about bringing people together, sharing positive energy, and igniting power within those who feel powerless. You become what you are surrounded with.”

Images create a constructed reality in the minds of the viewer regardless of their accuracy.

“If you spend a majority of your time surrounded by controlled media images, what they create becomes normal to you,” she says. “If you spend a majority of your time tuning into the life around you, you can paint your own picture and decide for yourself what is normal and acceptable. The change that can come from that is unbelievable, but not impossible.”

Davis comes from a family of artists, poets, and musicians. Her grandmother chronicled memories that stayed with Davis, energizing her mission to become “the eye behind the lens.”

“I’ve always been fascinated by cameras and photographs,” says Davis, whose current “weapon of choice” is a Canon Rebel XS. “Taking pictures to capture memories was something my grandma was passionate about. She never practiced it as a profession, but it was an important element at all of our family gatherings. I used to love looking back at all of the photos she had collected over the years, reliving the moments, even if I hadn't been there to live them. It was like therapy for me. Those photos were the pages in a book, and I was reading the story.”

A

MANDA FEHLNER HAS some opinions about superheroes wearing spandex.

“You’re about to go into battle, and what are you going to put on? A spandex suit? That’s not going to help you at all. So, I made the Rogue [costume] out of leather,” says the Omaha costume designer, explaining how she constructed a bodysuit for the X-Men character.

Fehlner says it was one of her earliest forays into the increasingly popular world of cosplay.

P L AY H O U S E C O S T U M E D E S I G N E R B Y D AY, C O S P L AY E R B Y N I G H T by katrina markel photography by Bill Sitzmann design by Derek Joy omahaplayhouse.com

“First of all, cosplay is just a combination of two words. It’s costume-play. So it’s really any opportunity that you as a person get to dress up as someone that you’re not, and you get to play while you’re in that [costume] and have fun with it,” she explains.

Fehlner is more than a hobbyist. She’s an associate costume designer at the Omaha Community Playhouse. Skills useful for her day job benefit her hobby, while the reverse is also true. For instance, a cosplayer might work with plastic to fabricate armor—techniques that translate to theater.

Cosplayers are typically spotted in places that celebrate nerd culture, such as comic book or sci-fi conventions. Fehlner explains that cosplay is similar to attending Renaissance fairs in costume or dressing in genre-inspired outfits such as goth or steampunk, but that cosplayers tend to portray specific characters in movies, comic books, cartoons, or Japanese anime.

"cosplay is just a combination of two words. It’s costume-play.”

On Facebook, where she goes by the name “Ezmeralda Von Katz,” there are photos of Fehlner’s diverse creations including an elaborate Ursula costume from Disney’s The Little Mermaid and the computer game character Carmen Sandiego. Because of her theater background, Fehlner explains that she sometimes enjoys getting into character when she’s in costume, but it isn’t required.

Her passion for constructing costumes started early.

While growing up in Tabor, Iowa, she learned to sew Halloween costumes to meet her exacting specifications and participated in theater at Fremont-Mills High School.

“It started with Halloween. It was my very favorite holiday, still is my very favorite holiday, but as a kid that was my big thing,” she says.

Before heading off to study theater and anthropology at the University of South Dakota, Fehlner was cast in a Mills Masquers community theater production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. She begged them to let her make the coat.

“Of course being in theatre now, I’m sure they were like, ‘Some person just wants to do this, and we don’t have to handle it. Done, done, and done!’”

Fehlner says with a laugh.

She likes a good challenge; her latest cosplay projects include an elaborate ball gown for a character from the anime series Vampire Hunter D and a handstitched Sally costume from The Nightmare Before Christmas. Not to mention the spring productions at the Omaha Community Playhouse.

“I’ll be working on The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, so I’ll get to do some fun Western stuff,” Fehlner says. “Of course, our closer is Beauty and the Beast.

It’s exciting and a little terrifying at the same time.”

Fortunately for the playhouse team, Fehlner says she has already been experimenting with a Beast costume thanks to her cosplay side projects.

ENCOUNTEROMAHA.COM 13

“It started with Halloween. It was my very favorite holiday, still is my very favorite holiday, but as a kid that was my big thing.�

BZZY LPS by sean robinson photography by Bill Sitzmann design by Derek Joy Art by bzzy lps bzzylps.storenvy.com

minds would take them. Soon these quasi-creative brainstorm meetings became a regular thing, and they decided to start illustrating content others could enjoy in zine form.

"Zines were an easy way to get all our drawings into one place at one time," Bauer says.

S

INCE TIME IMMEMORIAL, bored teen boys have been drawing a certain part of the male anatomy on anything they can set pen to.

Identification of such “artists” usually leads to their detention. However, for Mike Bauer and Dustin Bythrow, doodling juvenile outlines of phalluses was the steppingstone to their artistic careers.

Together known as Bzzy Lps, the two have spent the past eight years bringing an artistic touch to subject matter that most consider crass. From turning a childhood image of Lindsay Lohan into a Juggalo to splicing together bizarre online conspiracy videos, their work is always fresh, unique, and never without controversy. The group's name is a term borrowed from a hip-hop jargon dictionary that refers to a woman who enjoys fellatio.

"We became friends after discovering we have a mutual enjoyment of drawing stupid pictures," Bythrow says.

When the two first met, Bauer was attending the University of Nebraska at Omaha for a degree in art, and Bythrow was working at a gas station. Mutual friends introduced them knowing Bauer would enjoy Bythrow's side art project—a hand-drawn book of convenience store items: i.e., big gulps, churros, and overdone hot dogs talking back to customers.

Following their instant connection, the two would regularly get together to draw and drink (and yes, sometimes this included illustrating parts of the male reproductive system). During each boozy hangout, they'd collaborate on images to see where their creative and liquored-up

18 JAN/FEB 2017

At last year's Omaha Zine Fest, Bzzy Lps hosted a table of their independently published content, with their Juggaluminati Hachetmanifesto zine quickly selling out.

Inside the illustrated book are popular pop culture icons—Judge Judy, Yogi Bear, and Rob Lowe to name a few—painted to look like fans of the Insane Clown Posse. For next year's Zine Fest, Bythrow is working to develop character concepts of his Mouse Boy, a Mickey Mouse-esque superhero with a really rotten attitude, into a comic.

While these inventive cartoons and illustrations are Bzzy Lps' specialty, they also have created T-shirts, stickers, and dabbled in video art. For the independent art venue Project Project, under Bythrow's lead, the two made a three-hour-long video installation that stitched together nonsensical content found on YouTube.

"I didn't sleep for weeks and just went down the rabbit hole of the internet," Bythow says. "But we got asked back again, which was a first for Project Project.”

During an unseasonably warm October day on a NoDo patio, in between drags of cigarettes and a rather heated discussion on the underrated roles of Nicholas Cage, the two weigh where they'd like to see their careers develop.

Visions of drawing professional comics and developing content for Adult Swim dance in their heads.

"All that stuff on Cartoon Network, it's nice to see other people who draw dumb cartoons and care about it," Bauer says. "We just don't want to go back to drawing dicks again.”

From turning a childhood image of Lindsay Lohan into a Juggalo to splicing together bizarre online conspiracy videos, their work is always fresh, unique, and never without controversy.

from left: dustin bythrow and mike bauer

Artwork by bzzy lps

This side up

CJ Mills PURE HUSTLE, PURE MUSIC

by Josie Loza photography by Bill Sitzmann design by Derek Joy soundcloud.com/cjmillsmusic

O

N A FRESH autumn night, chatter filled a Lincoln home-turned-music-venue. A few guests trickled through the front door. “No big deal,” CJ Mills thought. It was just a handful of people.

Moments later, more appeared. The trickle turned to a flood. All of a sudden, there were 80 people jam-packed against the makeshift stage.

An astonished Mills stood two feet from the standing-room-only crowd. “I couldn’t breathe,” recalls the 31-year-old singer from Omaha. “I went out the side door to take a few deep breaths.”

The moment was surreal.

This was all new to her. The jam-packed house party. The live acoustic sessions. The impromptu performances and scheduled studio time.

“As a kid, I was huge into reading,” she says. “When I did something well, my mom would take me to the library or buy me a book.”

Soon after, Mills felt compelled to write her own short stories, which turned into poetry she later sang. That was, perhaps, her earliest simultaneous personal and artistic growth.

Life as a new musician moves fast—a constant hustle.

As a teen, singing wasn’t much of a highlight. She attended Marian High School, then ran track at Kansas State University, but was injured her junior year. While weightlifting, she squatted heavy one day and suffered a bulging disc. “Only time heals that wound,” she says.

Three years earlier, Mills (a self-proclaimed introvert) could have never fathomed performing in front of other people. Yet, her soulful, bluesy-folk voice has garnered quite the reputation as a crowd-pleaser. Singing her most cherished words—short poems in lyrical form—only heightened the level of intimacy.

Six months to be exact. With all the down time, she saw a decorative ukulele and taught herself how to play. She progressed to a guitar rather quickly. “I didn’t like the way it was strung,” she says of the first right-handed guitar she purchased, “so I flipped it upside down and restrung it so I could play it left-handed.” >

Mills has a profound gift for turning raw expressions of human frailness into something bordering on sacred.

There’s something about her voice that commands complete attention. She can make a song cry.

22 JAN/FEB 2017

She began singing in church as a young child. “I had always been singing since I was a kid. My family was very religious…Because I could sing, I was always made to,” says Mills, who began writing poetry during her early years.

“I didn’t like the way it was strung,” she says of the first righthanded guitar she purchased, “so I flipped it upside down and restrung it so I could play it left-handed.”

24 JAN/FEB 2017

< Ambidexterity is kind of her thing. “I’m pretty

even-handed. I write with both hands,” she says. “[But] I could not play that guitar. I don’t know why.

Seemed so odd to me. After a month of trying, I Googled how to restring it.”

Now for the whirlwind. Mills released her illuminating debut EP Quiet in 2015, which appeared on multiple lists of the year’s best Nebraska releases.

She played the inaugural Femme Fest (organized

by Lowry) that same year and returned as the festival’s headliner on Sept. 2.

In terms of playing chords, she learned by listening to others. She was influenced by the stylings of Lauryn Hill, India.Arie, and Tracy Chapman.

“Simple chords, yet, powerful lyrics,” she says. Their music spoke volumes to how Mills hoped to be perceived as an artist someday. Writing songs was a natural next step.

Since then, Mills has stayed busy playing shows in Omaha and Lincoln. The music newcomer was featured at this year’s Maha Music Festival. Most notably, Mills was nominated for two Omaha Entertainment and Arts Awards: Best SingerSongwriter and Artist of the Year.

Mills graduated from college, then went on to the workforce. She became a health inspector, not the restaurant kind. More like the Breaking Bad kind.

Off stage, she has been sent to investigate meth labs.

Although she’s insanely talented, she’s modest and humble. “The only time I feel comfortable with music is when I’m by myself creating music or on stage playing it,” she says.

Mills has been playing live music for about three years, and with a band for one year. The band— featuring Mitch Towne, David Hawkins, and Max Stehr—has been a great collaboration of like minds, she says.

Back to that special autumn night. Mills turned that ordinary Lincoln house party into a musical theater.

Mills began to develop her own individual style after college. Blending a mixture of reggae, folk storytelling, jazz melodies, and atmospheric harmonies. She performed her first show at Pizza Shoppe Collective in December 2013. There, she met All Young Girls Are Machine Guns frontwoman Rebecca Lowry, who took to Mills. She asked her to take the stage with her at a local venue.

She composed herself before stepping back on stage, frenetically rapping as she moved through her song “Retail Star” before launching into “I Can’t Be.” Mills delivers a feverish gut-punch that will forever change the way you listen to Omaha singers. Hers is music in its purest form.

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All located at 10th & Howard ENCOUNTEROMAHA.COM 25

Thanks,

NO THA NKS 26 JAN/FEB 2017

POLITICAL PUNK QUARTET GETS SPOOKY by alec mcmullen photography by Bill Sitzmann design by Derek Joy no-thanks.bandcamp.com

T

WO DOZEN SPECTATORS are crammed into a dark, compact venue. Millennials are there in black, tight-fitting clothes, and so are a few hardcore kids, while a group of middle-aged fans sport denim and leather. Black streamers, fake cobwebs, and stringed lights hang from the unfinished ceiling. A Clinton-Trump collage is posted on the wall next to an anti-DAPL petition printed on cardboard.

Complimentary bottles of water, a two-liter of 7Up, and a plate of homemade oatmeal cookies sit near the stage.

A few audience members munch contentedly as they wait for No Thanks—“Omaha’s spookiest political punk act”—to start playing.

"We're go ing to be a lot “Power dynamics, oppression, the idea that you have to do anything in any sort off linear way— that’swhat I’m rejecting.”

In a flash, Castro Turf, Kick Banán, Ruby Roux, and The Lost Boy appear on the tiny, intimate stage. The lead singer, shirtless and covered in fake blood, stands inches from the audience and begins to scream. The show is filled with heavy bass jams, fast-paced drum solos, and intermittent breaks featuring insolent jokes. Midway through, the singer brings out a pumpkin wearing a Trump mask and unceremoniously smashes it to the floor. A few of the younger spectators mosh on its guts.

angrier

No Thanks is the brainchild of Brendan Leahy (aka “Castro Turf ”), Mike Huber (“Kick Banán”), and Camille Stout (“Ruby Roux”). After moving from Georgia, Leahy found himself drawn to the Omaha punk scene, where he met guitarist Huber and bassist Stout. The two locals had already talked about forming a punk band, so Leahy “tricked” them into starting one with him. Their drummer, Gabe Cohen (“The Lost Boy”), originally a fan of the band, joined a few years later. Leahy stresses that the band means different things to different people, but for him it is a statement of rejection: “Power dynamics, oppression, the idea that you have to do anything in any sort off linear way—that’s what I’m rejecting.”

because t

No Thanks follows in the anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist, DIY traditions of post-hardcore punk bands like Fugazi.

The band is not on a label and their first release—recorded with the help of local musicians—consisted of burned CDs with handmade cases. They even make their own T-shirts using local artists and printers. “We’re trying to inspire people to empower themselves or build things from the ground up,” Leahy says. “When you’re not looking for commercial success then your success is just in having a good time or in seeing the community grow.”

You can listen to No Thanks on bandcamp.com, and you can find their tapes at Almost Music, Hip Stop, or Recycled Sounds. This past fall, the band s​ tarted writing ​ their first​full-length album; they also b​ egan planning a Midwest tour to correspond with the album's release.

Commenting on the new album in the works, Leahy promises that the recent election “is going to make everything we say twice as true. We’re going to be a lot angrier because there’s a lot to be angry about.”

from left: Ruby Roux, Kick Banán, Castro Turf, and The Lost Boy

ENCOUNTEROMAHA.COM 27

New Year New YOU photography by Bill Sitzmann styled by Nicholas Wasserberger design by Derek Joy

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HILE YOU'R E WORKING out to get into your new year's wardrobe don't settle for gym clothes, have another wardrobe during your transition.

(Pg. 28) Alex Priest: vest by Jean Paul Gaultier, shirt by Yves Saint Laurent, tie by Hermes (Pg. 29) Alexander Hiffernan: sweater by Oscar de la Renta (Pg. 30) Alex Priest: sweater by Jil Sander, buttons by Judy Blame (Pg. 31) Alexander Hiffernan: jacket by Jil Sander, tie by Oscar de la Renta

28 JAN/FEB 2017

KEEPING UP WITH KASHER KEEPING UP WITH KASHER KEEPING UP WITH KASHER THE INDIE MUSICIAN TO RELEASE SOLO ALBUM AND FILM

by Carol Crissey Nigrelli photography by Bill Sitzmann illustration & design by Derek Joy timkasher.com

A

NYONE WHO WENT to dances or homecoming festivities at Creighton Prep, Marian, Duchesne Academy, Cathedral, or other Omaha high schools from late-1989 through the early '90s probably bounced their head to the beat of a cover band called The March Hares. At the time, no one realized they were witnessing one of the most original talents ever to come out of Omaha.

Tim Kasher, “like most ragged teenage guitar players,” had already been bitten by the underground bug when he and four Prep mates, including Matt Maginn and Matt Oberst, older brother of future indie singer-songwriter Conor Oberst, formed the group. They performed covers of bands like The Clash, The Cure, and R.E.M. in public, while playing original music in one another’s basements.

“We found what got us most excited and, instead of baseball, it was music.”

“It was a good little business,” recalls Kasher fondly, from his home in Los Angeles.

“We found what got us most excited and, instead of baseball, it was music.”

More than 25 years later, music still gets the indie rocker excited and “out of bed every morning.” He’s writing and recording original songs for his current bands, Cursive and The Good Life. He’s also using his degree in English from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to write screenplays and, as always, testing the limits of his vocal cords.

“It’s definitely getting tougher to push the voice,” admits Kasher, 42, whose nasal and sometimes pitchy cries of anguish make his voice unmistakable.

“I long to be 20 again, when I could scream as much as I wanted to. I can’t mistreat it now.”

True to form, Kasher wrote and directed a lowbudget, feature-length film of the same name that uses all the songs from the album. “The film No Resolution is about a couple in their 30s who get engaged because she’s pregnant,” Kasher explains.

“It’s set over New Year’s Eve, an appropriate backdrop to expose that the guy isn’t quite ready.”

Omahans saw an early edit of the film during the Omaha Film Festival last March. The final cut comes out this summer. Unlike many of his lyrics, the movie contains no autobiographical details. A happy and devoted Kasher married an editor at L.A. Weekly about one year ago. The couple live in the Silver Lake neighborhood, where they mingle with a sizeable group of Omaha transplants.

The musician’s private contentment hasn’t tempered his desire for professional independence.

With the new year comes an announcement sure to send tremors through Omaha’s indie sphere: Kasher now has his own record label called 15 Passenger, a nod to an old touring van.

“The new album is on it. We also have all our master reels for Cursive, so we’re going to be releasing our back catalog, along with new stuff” he says. “We’re not planning on getting into the game of taking big gambles on new artists. Just self-releasing.”

W hat about Omaha-based Saddle Creek Records, the label formed and grown, in part, from Kasher’s talent? “Saddle Creek is alive and well. We’re just transitioning over.”

With a new album, new film, and a new record label, the beat goes on for Tim Kasher.

Kasher will have to pace himself this spring when he goes on tour promoting a new solo album, his third. Titled No Resolution, the album comes out in March and, according to Kasher, features the lush sounds of strings, which he helped arrange.

ENCOUNTEROMAHA.COM 33

Groovy Gravy P O U T I N E PA C K S A PA L A T A B L E P U N C H by sean mccarthy photography by Bill Sitzmann design by Derek Joy facebook.com/caskrepublic

F

OODIES GENERALLY REGARD the 1950s as the nadir of 20th century cuisine in North America. It brought us TV dinners, jello salads, and tuna casseroles. However, it also brought us a Canadian dish that, depending on your disposition, is either a trinity of salty, starchy, fatty goodness, or a cardiologist’s dream for stirring up new business (in truth, it’s probably both).

Poutine is, essentially, french fries topped with gravy and cheese curds. Like the Reuben sandwich, there’s been a few claims to its origin, but the general consensus is that it came from rural Quebec in the late 1950s. It’s a prominent staple for restaurants downtown (Block 16) as well as Benson (1912, Benson Brewery). For the Cask Republic bar in Dundee, it’s their primary focus.

Co-owners Ryan Frickel and Craig Lundin opened Cask Republic this past summer in the former home of the popular French Bulldog restaurant.

Frickel came to the decision to focus on poutine after eating it in Benson last year. Frickel says there have been poutine-focused eateries sprouting up on the West and East coasts for the past few years.

Frickel wanted to be the first in Nebraska to have such an eatery.

“Who doesn’t like meat and potatoes in Nebraska?”

Frickel says.

For their version of poutine, the Cask Republic double-fries their french fries to get them crispy enough to withstand the heavy coating of gravy.

Their beef gravy (they also have chicken and vegetarian variations) is a combination of homemade beef stock, spices, herbs like rosemary, and some chicken. Finally, their cheese curds, served at room temperature, top the dish. When you bite into one of the curds, it should sound faintly like a dog toy.

34 JAN/FEB 2017

“If it’s not squeaky, then people in the poutine world get super pissed off,” Frickel says.

Like other greasy spoon staples such as hamburgers and hash browns, there have been plenty of high-end takes on poutine. 1912 has a variation that includes duck. Block 16’s gravy incorporates a red wine reduction. The Cask Republic has poutines that include burnt ends, and even “seasonal” poutines, including turkey for the holidays. Still, focusing your menu on dish that’s basically french fries and gravy is risky. Frickel, however, compares poutine to other dishes that are now commonplace around Omaha. “[We] kind of likened it to sushi, where 20 years ago, people in Omaha either didn’t know what sushi was or never tried it. But on the coast, it was starting to explode,” Frickel says.

Of course, if you’re going to clog your arteries with starch, cheese, and gravy, you might as well go all out and wash it down with a brew. That’s where beer comes in at Cask Republic. Frickel and minorityowner Alex Gunhus are both beer enthusiasts; they traveled to breweries throughout the United States to come up with their beer menu. Frickel says he eventually wants to build his own brewery inside the Cask Republic.

“There’s nothing like that in the Dundee area, which blows my mind,” Frickel says. “We want to be the first to do that.”

Rachel Jacobson’s Dundee Theater Revival

by Ashley Wegner photography by Bill Sitzmann illustration & design by Derek Joy filmstreams.org

B

EFORE FORMER DUNDEE Theater owner Denny Moran decided to sell the iconic Dodge Street structure, before the Sherwood Foundation purchased it, and before Film Streams was chosen to keep it alive, Rachel Jacobson had thought about how adding another screen or two would help the art house better meet the needs of its public.

Responses from Film Streams’ annual survey indicated moviegoers wanted the nonprofit to hold films longer, and also bring more foreign films and documentaries to Omaha.

“We couldn’t address both of those issues without having additional screens,” says Jacobson, Film Streams founder and executive director. “So we felt like we needed a third and potentially fourth screen to do this.”

Jacobson had thought about it. She had researched it.

Board members had articulated the need for additional screens in a 2013 strategic plan. They had even mused over the thought of the Dundee Theater located at 50th and Dodge streets becoming that additional screen. But not until Moran articulated his decision to sell in fall of 2015 did that possibility become real.

36 JAN/FEB 2017

“I felt like it would be our responsibility to run it,” Jacobson says. “We had built an organization and institution that would make it possible for us to operate it.

We had relationships with distributors, a donor base, and a member base. Everyone in the community told us, ‘you guys are the ones.’”

This year, the year of Film Streams 10th anniversary, it has become evident to everyone that they are indeed ‘the ones.’

The Sherwood Foundation, which has had ownership of the theater and surrounding properties since early 2016, will transfer the theater and Old Dundee Bar to Film Streams as soon as the renovations begin, which Jacobson hopes will be as early as late January or early February of 2017. Meanwhile, the nonprofit is working with Alley Poynter Macchietto Architecture on the design, interviewing contractors, and is in the midst of a private, multi-million dollar capital campaign with major donors to raise support for the renovations. If all goes according to plan, the new Film Streams at the Dundee Theater will open later this year. >

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< “Alexander [Payne] has a new movie coming out in fall of [2017], and we would love to open it in conjunction with that,” says Jacobson.

The past 10 years have not been completely without challenges. The College World Series was one Film Streams didn’t see coming when it established itself as a 365-day operation. The organization quickly found out one wants The renovated Dundee Theater and everything it will to be indoors during that time, and regular patrons don’t offer will not replace anything that Film Streams is want to deal with the crowded parking. So now, Film doing at the Ruth Sokolof Theater downtown. Rather, Streams closes for at least a week during the annual event. it will complement and expand upon everything the And while the organization has very organization is doing, in an effort to further its mission. faithful donors, busy schedules and family activities sometimes prevent It’s merely a sequel to everything Jacobson and the Film even the most dedicated patrons from Streams staff, supporters, and board members have seeing a movie in the theater as often accomplished so far. as they would like.

In its first 10 years, Jacobson says the Ruth Sokolof Theater has welcomed more than 500,000 visitors, including an average of 5,000 students per year to its educational programs. Its budget has grown from around $800,000 when the organization opened in 2007 to $2.5 million in 2017. And the administrative staff doubled in 2016 to nine full-time staff members and two part-time staff members in anticipation of additional operating and educational responsibilities.

Jacobson is hoping the location of the Dundee Theater will help with some of that, especially for people who live a little farther west. Renovations are also designed to make the Dundee more of a community gathering place, with a book store, café, and event space designed to coax people out of the house even if they aren’t coming for a movie.

“I just want to see more and more people know who we are, care about us, and care about film as a result of us.

I just want us to continue to be a vibrant and important part of the cultural life of our city.”

The numbers speak for themselves, but it’s not just about the numbers, says Jacobson. What she’s the most proud And the theater itself—which will of is not necessarily one specific event over the past 10 include a main screen with about 300 years but the collective experiences the organization seats and a 25-seat micro theater— has provided for Omahans. will enhance what Film Streams is already doing, allowing the organiShe is proud of the First-Run Films program, which offers zation to bring at least “50 percent American independents, documentaries, and foreign more” titles to the area, building on films making their theatrical premieres in Omaha and the 180 titles per year the nonprofit the surrounding region, for the diversity of voices it has averages now. brought to the city. “This program is so important to our mission because film is such a great window into other The end goal is to create more unique people’s experiences,” Jacobson says. experiences around film and influence more and more people in our She is proud of the classic films the organization has city to make time to go to the movies. brought to the big screen because of the special experiences it has offered to families, children, and local “I just want to see more and more “cinephiles.” And she is especially proud of the organiza- people know who we are, care about us, and care about tion’s community development program, which involves film as a result of us,” Jacobson says. “I just want us to working collaboratively with other local nonprofits to continue to be a vibrant and important part of the cultural bring in national or international films followed by a life of our city.” discussion led by leaders from the partnering nonprofits.

“We talk to people in Omaha who are working on these issues, allowing people to walk away with knowledge of their own community beyond what they’ve learned from the film itself,” Jacobson says.

ENCOUNTEROMAHA.COM 39

T

As it turned out, Frank Carter was not named Frank Carter at all.

Instead, he was an Irish immigrant named Patrick Murphy with a criminal background, including a stretch in prison for killing cattle.

H E STORY OF Frank Carter—Omaha’s phantom sniper—is a histrionic tale of fear and madness gripping the city in the wake of a mysterious shooting spree.

For several weeks in February of 1926, the whole of Omaha was terrified. The first victim was a mechanic, William McDevitt, shot four to six times with a silenced .22 pistol. One shot went straight through his head, lodging behind his eye. McDevitt did not survive.

Carter proved to be a bit hysterical, insisting he had killed 43 people. No evidence of this has ever been found, and even the newsmen of the time were unimpressed.

The Lexington Herald wrote that “he 'confessed' to 43 murders to reporters, most of them obviously fictitious." Carter’s lawyers pushed for an insanity defense while Carter gleefully threatened to escape, and then insisted he wanted to be executed, saying, "I am glad they don't hang in this state, because I am anxious to see how it feels to be electrocuted.”

A few nights later, somebody shot through the windows of a pharmacy. Two nights later, a doctor named A.D. Searles was found shot to death in his office. Two other men claimed to have been shot on the same night as Searles. An officer opined to The Omaha World-Herald, saying, “My theory is that it is the work of a degenerate, probably suffering from a social disease.”

Carter got his wish on June 24, 1927, when he was put to death in the electric chair at the Nebraska State Penitentiary. "Be sure to fix this right so that it will get me the first time" he is reported to have told his guards as they strapped him into the electric chair.

According to The New York Times, city newspapers called for a blackout, as several of the victims had been shot through their windows at night. The sniper continued to fire through windows, and Omaha came to a standstill with residents terrified to exit their houses. The sniper was also responsible for shooting a Council Bluffs railroad detective, Ross Johnson, on Feb. 21. This was to be the end of his reign of terror. Johnson saw his shooter and described him.

On Feb. 22, about two weeks after the phantom sniper began shooting, police captured a sad-faced middle-aged man with a shock of black hair named Frank Carter. He was found 30 miles south of Council Bluffs, and he quickly admitted to the known crimes and more. He claimed it had been his intention to rob McDevitt and Searles, but he shot them instead. “I just get the inclination to shoot,” he said.

His last words, according to witnesses: “Let the juice flow.” The San Diego Union tells the story a bit differently, claiming that his final words were "Turn on the ju—,” leaving incomplete his final statement because he was electrocuted while still speaking.

Frank carter THE PHANTOM SNIPER’S REIGN OF TERROR

by Max Sparber photography provided by Nebraska State Historical Society Typography & design by Derek Joy

40 JAN/FEB 2017

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january/february calendar of Events SPONSORED BY PINNACLE BANK

POG32_OLDMARKET_DIRECTORY_AD.indd 1 ART AND MUSEUM EXHIBITS Passion & Obsession: From the Collection Through May 6 at KANEKO, 1111 Jones St. This exhibit celebrates both the passion of the artist to create and the obsession of the connoisseurs who collect. Admission: Free. 402-341-3800.

-thekaneko.org/passion Dirt Meridian: Photographs by Andrew Moore Through Jan. 8 at Joslyn Art Museum, 2200 Dodge St. During the past decade, artist Andrew Moore made more than a dozen trips to photograph along the 100th meridian, from North Dakota to the Texas panhandle. Museum admission is free, but this is a ticketed event: $10 adults, free for ages 17 and younger, college students with ID, and Joslyn members. 402-342-3300.

-joslyn.org YMCA of Greater Omaha: 150 Years of Providing Firsts Through Jan. 8 at Durham Museum, 801 S. 10th St. On April 2, 1866, the YMCA first began to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind, and body for all citizens of Omaha. Today, they continue to strengthen the community through programs focused on youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility.

Admission: $11 adults, $8 seniors age 62 and older, $7 children ages 3-12, and free for ages 2 and under. 402-444-5071.

-durhammuseum.org American Spirits: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition Through Jan. 29 at Durham Museum, 801 S. 10th St. Step back in time to an era of flappers and suffragists, bootleggers and temperance workers, and legends like Al Capone and Carry Nation. Admission: $11

42 JAN/FEB 2017

adults, $8 seniors age 62 and older, $7 children ages 3-12, and free for ages 2 and under. 402-444-5071.

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Homebrew: A Spirited History of Omaha Through Jan. 29 at Durham Museum, 801 S. 10th St. Krug. Storz. Metz. These were some of Omaha's founding brewers.

Local brews fueled the workers who helped the city expand so rapidly and gave power to the mob bosses of the Prohibition era.

Admission: $11 adults, $8 seniors age 62 and older, $7 children ages 3-12, and free for ages 2 and under. 402-444-5071.

-durhammuseum.org Operation: “Omaha Ivy” by E. Taylor Shoop Through Feb. 20 at Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft St. Shoop has focused his lens on ivy to create his unique, kaleidoscopic compositions. This show focuses on the city’s collection of ivy. Included with garden admission: $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 6 to 12, and free for members and children younger than 6.

402-346-4002.

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Nature Connects: Art with Lego Bricks Jan. 14 through May 15 at Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft St. Sean Kenney’s third indoor exhibit features 13 displays with larger-than-life sculptures. Included with garden admission: $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 6 to 12, and free for members and children younger than 6.

402-346-4002.

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12/2/16 12:39 P Art Exhibit: Omaha Artists Co-op Feb. 23 through April 3 at Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft St. Local artists will exhibit their works in the gardens.

Included with garden admission: $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 6 to 12, and free for members and children younger than 6. 402-346-4002.

-lauritzengardens.org PERFORMING ARTS Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company's The Legacy Project: A Dance of Hope Jan. 19 at the Orpheum Theater, 409 S. 16th St. Told through the lens of the Holocaust and its devastation, hope inspires the journey to a land that promises new beginnings. 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $15-$36.

402-345-0606.

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Searching for the Seventies: The DOCUMERICA Photography Project Feb. 18 through April 30 at Durham Museum, 801 S. 10th St. Drawing inspiration from the Great Depression-era Farm Security Administration photography project, the photographers of the Environmental Protection Agency’s DOCUMERICA project created a portrait of America in the early and mid-’70s. 402-444-5071.

-durhammuseum.org

Around The World In 80 Days Jan. 20 through Feb. 12 at Omaha Community Playhouse, 6915 Cass St. Two men journey around the world to win a simple wager, but they leave an incredible story about loyalty and friendship in their wake. Wednesdays: adults $25, students $18; Thursdays-Sundays: adults $36, students $22 students.

402-553-0800.

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The Sound of Music Jan. 24-29 at the Orpheum Theater, 409 S. 16th St. The hills are alive in this brand-new production of The Sound of Music, directed by three-time Tony Award winner Jack O’Brien. Tickets: $30-$110.

402-345-0606.

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Andy McKee Jan. 7 at the Waiting Room, 6212 Maple St. Andy McKee is among the world’s finest acoustic guitarists. He entertains both the eye and the ear as he magically transforms the steel string guitar into a full orchestra.

8 p.m. Tickets: $20 advance/$25 day of show. 402-884-5353.

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ætherplough Jan. 27-28 at the KANEKO, 1111 Jones St. This group will perform genesis 2.0, a variety of dance styles that aim to provide tools and infrastructure to encourage risk taking and innovation. Dance forms explored include butoh, aerial silk, burlesque, and modern dance. Back-to-back performances Friday and Saturday with one performance at 6 p.m., and the next beginning at 8 p.m.

Tickets: $15.

402-341-3800.

-aetherplough.com Hir Feb. 2-26 at Bluebarn Theatre, 1106 S. 10th St. Somewhere in the suburbs, Isaac has returned from the wars to help take care of his ailing father, only to discover a household in revolt. 7:30 p.m. ThursdaysSaturdays; 6 p.m. Sundays, Feb. 12 and 19, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb 25. Tickets: $25-$30. 402-345-1576.

-bluebarn.org.

Elvis Lives!

Feb. 14 at Orpheum Theater, 409 S. 16th St. Elvis Lives! features hand-picked finalists from Elvis Presley Enterprises' worldwide Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest. 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $35-$65. 402-345-0606.

-ticketomaha.com

CONCERTS Casey Donahew Jan. 6 at the Waiting Room, 6212 Maple St. In just over 10 years, Casey Donahew has risen from being a favorite on the local Texas music scene to a nationally popular touring act who sells out venues across the country. 9 p.m. Tickets: $25.

402-884-5353.

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No Getter with Mom Jeans, Sports, and Graduating Life Jan. 8 at Reverb Lounge, 6121 Military Ave. Four Omaha dudes with similar and different influences.

Emo/punk songs came together with ease—their EP Fitting was released last year. 8 p.m. Tickets: $7. 402-884-5707.

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Cold Cave with Drab Majesty Jan. 15 at the Waiting Room, 6212 Maple St. This band has become a name synonymous with the contemporary resurgence of darkwave and synth pop subgenres. 9 p.m. Tickets: $12 advance/$15 day of show. 402-884-5353.

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The Lumineers: The Cleopatra World Tour Jan. 17 at CenturyLink Center, 455 N. 10th St. Two-time Grammy-nominated artist The Lumineers will be embarking on their first-ever North American arena tour.

7 p.m. Tickets: $30-$60.

1-800-745-3000.

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ENCOUNTEROMAHA.COM 43

january/february calendar of Events SPONSORED BY PINNACLE BANK

CONCERTS No Shelter with Badmotorfinger Jan. 21 at the Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St. No Shelter is a Rage Against The Machine tribute band and Badmotorfinger offers the ultimate Soundgarden tribute experience. All ages. 9 p.m. Tickets: $8 advance/$10 day of show. 402-345-7569.

-slowdown.com Bazile Mills EP Release Jan. 21 at Reverb Lounge, 6121 Military Ave. Bazile Mills is based around songwriter David Mainelli and features lead guitarist Tim Rozmajzl, singer Laura Streeter, rhythm guitarist/vocalist Sam Vetter, bassist/lap steel guitarist Dan Stein, and drummer Robb Clemens. 9 p.m.

Tickets: $8. 402-884-5707.

-reverblounge.com Josh Abbott Band Jan. 25 at the Waiting Room, 6212 Maple St. Josh Abbott Band has become one of the leading country acts in Texas music, winning four trophies in the inaugural Texas Regional Radio Awards. 9 p.m.

Tickets: $20. 402-884-5353.

-waitingroomlounge.com Turnpike Troubadours with Dalton Domino Jan. 26 at the Waiting Room, 6212 Maple St. Turnpike Troubadours are a hard band to define. Take some steel-guitar country music, throw in some punk rock, and add that fiddler from the honky-tonk.

9 p.m. Tickets: $30. 402-884-5353.

-waitingroomlounge.com Cherry Glazerr with Slow Hollows Feb. 1 at the Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St. The off-kilter noise pop sound of L.A. quartet Cherry Glazerr was born in 2012 when high school student and singer-songwriter Clementine Creevy began recording songs in her bedroom. All ages. 8 p.m. Tickets: $12 advance/$14 day of show.

402-345-7569.

-slowdown.com Twenty One Pilots Feb. 1 at CenturyLink Center, 455 N. 10th St. Twenty One Pilots currently consists of lead vocalist and keyboardist Tyler Joseph and drummer Josh Dun. The duo rose to fame in the mid-2010s, after several years of touring and independent releases. 7 p.m. Tickets: $39-$49.

1-800-745-3000.

-ticketmaster.com Excision—The Paradox Tour Feb. 2 at Sokol Auditorium, 2234 S. 13th St. Excision DJ shows are like no

44 JAN/FEB 2017

other—a virtual apocalypse of twisting and morphing sounds turn massive crowds into a frenzy. Also performing: Cookie Monsta, Barely Alive, and Dion Timmer. All ages. 8 p.m. Tickets: $33-$36.

402-346-9802.

-sokolomaha.com Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy Feb. 3 at Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St. This international concert phenomenon features Nobuo Uematsu’s stirring music from one of the most popular video games of all time. 8 p.m.

Tickets: $30-$100. 402-345-0606.

-ticketomaha.com Kevin Garrett Feb. 4 at the Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St. Garrett is known for poignant outof-love songs that combine a reverence for classic soul with modern electronics and traditional instrumentation. All ages.

8 p.m. Tickets: $12 advance/$14 day of show. 402-345-7569.

-slowdown.com

Lemuria with Cayetana, Mikey Erg Feb. 5 at the Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St. Lemuria, from Buffalo, New York, creates what sounds like sugary indie-pop, but is actually discordant notes, odd time signatures, and brutal riffs creating menacing yet catchy music.

All ages. 8 p.m. Tickets: $13 advance/$15 day of show. 402-345-7569.

-slowdown.com An Evening with Dawes Feb. 7 at the Waiting Room, 6212 Maple St. Dawes is an American folk-rock band from Los Angeles and composed of brothers Taylor (guitars and vocals) and Griffin Goldsmith (drums), along with Wylie Gelber (bass) and Lee Pardini (keyboards). 9 p.m. Tickets: $23 advance/$25 day of show. 402-884-5353.

-waitingroomlounge.com Ariana Grande Feb. 7 at CenturyLink Center, 455 N. 10th St. The international pop sensation brings her signature cat and bunny ears to Omaha as part of her "Dangerous Woman Tour." 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $30-$200. 1-800-745-3000.

-ticketmaster.com

Susto Feb. 8 at the Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St. Susto is a Spanish word that refers to a folk illness and means "when your soul is separated from your body." It also roughly translates to a panic attack. All ages. 8 p.m.

Tickets: $8 advance/$10 day of show. 402-345-7569.

-slowdown.com Keller Willams Feb. 10 at the Waiting Room, 6212 Maple St. Williams' music combines elements of bluegrass, folk, alternative rock, reggae, electronica/dance, jazz, funk, and other assorted genres.

9 p.m. Tickets: $23 advanced/$25 day of show. 402-884-5353.

-waitingroomlounge.com Tribal Seeds with Raging Fyah and Nattali Rize Feb. 11 at the Waiting Room, 6212 Maple St. Tribal Seeds is a reggae band based in San Diego, California.

They have shared the stage with Slightly Stoopid, Matisyahu, The Wailers, and others. 9 p.m. Tickets: $17 advance/$20 day of show.

402-884-5353.

-waitingroomlounge.com Mike Doughty with Wheatus Feb. 15 at the Waiting Room, 6212 Maple St. Doughty is touring his largest band ever: a cello/bass player, drums, another guitar player, an organ player, and a backing vocalist. Using hand gestures, Doughty acts as an improv conductor for the band. 8 p.m.

Tickets: $17. 402-884-5353.

-waitingroomlounge.com Hippo Campus with Magic City Hippies Feb. 16 at the Waiting Room, 6212 Maple St. Hippo Campus is an indie rock band that has performed at South by Southwest, Lollapalooza, Red Rocks, Conan, and Reading and Leeds. 9 p.m. Tickets: $15.

402-884-5353.

-waitingroomlounge.com P.O.S. with DJ Fundo & Ceschi Ramos Feb. 18 at the Waiting Room, 6212 Maple St. Stefon Alexander, aka P.O.S., makes tight, declamatory music that builds on DJ Fundo's penchant for grinding beats and radical lyrics. 9 p.m. Tickets: $15 advance/$18 day of show.

402-884-5353.

-waitingroomlounge.com

Zombie Glass Smoke Accessory Shop + Gallery All of our ART is Local 6001 Maple Street | 402•933•7888 Located in Benson Neighborhood

. Locally Owned Since 1970 . . .

Featuring Omaha’s Most Popular Patio The Old Market’s Longest Jazz Gig Live Music Every Sunday 9pm and Wednesday 7pm-10pm Never a Cover Charge

• Water pipes • Pipes

• CBD Products • Detox

402.345.4488

10th and Howard St. MrToadsPub.com

ENCOUNTEROMAHA.COM 45

january/february calendar of Events SPONSORED BY PINNACLE BANK

• Monday Ladies Night • Sunday Fun Day $2 Domestic Tall Boys - $5 Bloody Marys

• Happy Hour - $2.50 Wells

Mon & Tues 4-7 pm Wed-Fri 3-7 pm

Florida-Georgia Line Feb. 24 at CenturyLink Center, 455 N. 10th St. This popular country-music duo’s latest album, Dig Your Roots, includes songs with guests Ziggy Marley and the Backstreet Boys. Tickets: $28-$75.

1-800-745-3000.

-ticketmaster.com Valerie June: The Order of Time Tour Feb. 24 at the Waiting Room, 6212 Maple St. Valerie June encompasses a mixture of folk, blues, gospel, soul, country, and bluegrass. 9 p.m. Tickets: $15.

402-884-5353.

-waitingroomlounge.com Lettuce Feb. 26 at the Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St. For more than two decades, Lettuce has brought a new vitality to classic funk, matching their smooth and soulful grooves with a hip-hop-inspired urgency and mastery of beat. All ages. 8 p.m. Tickets: $20 advance/$25 day of show. 402-345-7569.

-slowdown.com COMEDY A Good Trip with Shane Mauss Jan. 6 at the Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St. Sponsored by the Multidisciplinary Association of Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), comedian Shane Mauss has appeared on Conan, Jimmy Kimmel, Showtime, and has specials on both Comedy Central and Netflix. 8 p.m. Tickets: $10-15.

402-345-7569.

-slowdown.com

46 JAN/FEB 2017

402.933.3927

Improv on Fridays Jan. 6, 13, 20, 27, at the Backline Comedy Theatre, 1618 Harney St. This weekly comedy show features local improvisers and special guests. If you are familiar with the Upright Citizens Brigade, The Backline is the closest in style in the entire midwest. Tickets: $5.

402-720-7670.

-backlinecomedy.com

3530 Leavenworth St. Omaha, NE 68105

Kevin McDonald Jan. 21 at the Backline Comedy Theatre, 1618 Harney St. Known for the TV sketch show The Kids in the Hall and as the alien Pleakely from Lilo & Stitch, McDonald will be in Omaha as part of a weekend workshop. 9 p.m. Tickets: $12.

402-720-7670.

-backlinecomedy.com

-Happy HourMon.-Thurs. from 3-7pm $2 Busch light bottles/cans $2.75 domestic bottles $3 well drinks

SPORTS FOOD

FUN! EST. 1993

2014 TO 2017

FOUR YEARS RUNNING!

6 OMAHA METRO AREA LOCATIONS DOWNTOWN

10th & Capitol | 402-763-9974

AKSARBEN VILLAGE

67th & Center | 402-933-3533

DJSDUGOUT.COM

MIRACLE HILLS

114th & Dodge | 402-498-8855

MILLARD

180th & Q | 402-933-8844

BELLEVUE

23rd & Cornhusker | 402-292-9096

PLATTSMOUTH

Hwy 75 & Oak Hill | 402-298-4166