Omaha Magazine - July/August 2021 - The 2021 Arts & Culture Issue

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FROM THE EDITOR // LETTER BY TARA SPENCER, SENIOR EDITOR

CERAMICS, MUSIC, GRAPHIC DESIGN J u ly /A u g u s t I s s u e

is

A rt f u l

Managing Editor’s Note: As Omaha’s arts and culture magazine, this July/ August edition, which focuses entirely on those subjects, is one of the staff’s favorites. This month’s editor’s letter is written by A+C editor Tara Spencer.

T

here’s nothing better than hearing the right song at the right moment—whether it’s one that picks people up and gives them energy when they need it, or one that reaffirms that a person is not alone in their feelings.

Listening to music has always been a way for me to work out my emotions, often resulting in my feeling better about life in general.

Considering the mental and emotional drain this last year has been, it’s little wonder that the annual arts-and-culture-themed issue focuses heavily on beats and melodies.

In one of the features, musician and regular writer Virginia Kathryn Gallner talks to some well-known artists in Omaha’s music scene about who they think deserves some recognition. This city has a music scene—encompassing everything from jazz to folk-rock to hip hop—that continues to grow and thrive.

Speaking of recognition, be sure to read the story on the Mezcal Brothers, a group who’s been sharing their rocking, danceable music with the world for more than two decades. That is longer than our accomplished Gen O subject, 13-year-old Winston Schneider, has been alive.

It’s impossible to ignore our city’s vibrant visual artists, and the main feature highlights one of Omaha’s most recognizable people, Jun Kaneko, who continues to strive to find answers. Despite, or perhaps because of, the pandemic and a Parkinson’s diagnosis, the man who helped shape Omaha’s artistic landscape is looking to find the positive side.

After trying to find a traditional job in graphic design, multimedia artist Adri Montano found her own way of telling her story and those of women of color erased by history. Two local documentarians did not start out wanting to work in that medium. One wanted to share her story to help others learn and cope with trauma. The other began by telling people’s stories in print, but couldn’t find a satisfying way of doing so until he started working in film.

Each story in this issue includes a bit of arts and culture. Restaurant veteran George Liao of Wave Bistro offers a literal, and visual, feast in West Omaha. In Benson, the art at Ika Ramen is as stimulating as the food is comforting. Then there’s the guy who wants you to eat his art—his bread art, that is.

Each year, we produce several themed issues. As the arts and culture editor, this is one of my favorites, allowing me the opportunity to highlight so many of our city’s talented individuals.

This issue offers a glimpse into the world of those who help Omaha’s artistic scene flourish, whether they are collectors or makers, and we are ever so thankful for their work.

JULY/AUGUST

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2021

TAB L E of CON T E N T S THE USUAL SUSPECTS 03

From the EditorFrom July/August Issue is Artful

06

Between the Lines

08

Calendar of Events

014 History

David P. Abbott

089 Obviously Omaha

Cultural Spots in the Metro

132 Explore!

135 Instagram 136 Not Funny

The Adventure of Adventuring

A R T S + C U LT U R E 016 Music

Mezcal Brothers

020 Theater

Matthew Gutschick

022 Entertainment Adri Montano

PE O P L E 050 Gen O

Winston Schneider

034

F E AT U R E S

034 040 THE NEXT VERSE 046 THE THRILL OF THE HUNT JUN KANEKO Wholly His Own

Turning an Eye to Emerging Local Artists

Celebrating Cultural Voices Through Collecting

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JULY/AUGUST 2021

052 Profile

Denisha Seals

054 Profile

Nick Beaulieu

056 Sports

Sarah Ernst

GIVING 068 Calendar 074 Profile

Omaha Street Percussion

60PLUS 078 Feature

Square Dancing

082 Nostalgia Music Box

70 trees have been reforested

due to the printing of our last round of publications.

Learn more at

.com

WHO’S NEXT FOR OMAHA’S MUSIC SCENE • BEST OF OMAHA CAMPAIGN • 41ST U.S. SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP • TOP LAWYERS

THE 2021 ARTS & CULTURE ISSUE

Life, Ceramics, and Curating a Vibrant Arts Scene

FoodIssue

J U LY / A U G U S T 2021 | U.S. $4.95

084 Profile

016

A B O U T T HE COV ER Omaha Magazine was invited into the home of Jun and Ree Kaneko for our cover feature on their work in curating the arts scene in Omaha.

Susan Henshaw

086 Profile

Steve Yoneda

088 Prime Time

Karen Fitzgibbons

DINING 090 Feature

Wave Bistro

094 Profile

Matthew Scheffler

096 Review

Ika Ramen and Izakaya

126 Dining Guide SPECIAL SECTIONS 025 Best of Omaha Campaign 058 Top Lawyers of Omaha 101 41st U.S. Senior Open Championship

096

read online at omahamagazine.com

Between

THE LINES A LOOK AT FOUR OMAHA MAGAZINE TEAM MEMBERS

JULIUS FREDRICK—Contributing Writer and Digital Assistant Fredrick is an award-winning lifestyle writer and nature enthusiast. He currently writes for the trip planning platform Jubel (@jubel.co) and for his personal travel blog, takegoodrisks.com. His wanderlust is global, having toured cities such as Tokyo, Santiago de Chile, Marrakesh, London, and Cardiff with his "dynamite" girlfriend and photographer, Sarah Lemke. While he enjoys urban settings, his favorite place is anywhere that offers obscure, beautiful landscapes and a toasty campfire. When not clacking away at the keyboard or retying his hiking boots for the 20th time that day, Fredrick is likely to be found in some hole-in-the-wall with a slice of New Yorkstyle pizza and a pending jukebox request for David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance.”

HANNAH HESER—Editorial Intern Heser was born and raised in Omaha. She is finishing her last two semesters at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, preparing to graduate in December 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in creative media and a minor in communication studies. When she is not in school or working, Heser enjoys singing and songwriting, learning new skills on the guitar, spending time with friends and family, and relaxing. After she graduates, Heser hopes to move to Nashville, Tennessee, to follow her dreams with music and get affiliated with a company that offers journalism/broadcasting jobs in that area. Heser actively posts on her Instagram account, @hannahheser.

JOEL STEVENS—Contributing Writer Stevens was born and raised in North Omaha. As the ninth of 10 sons, he barely survived childhood and the inevitable deep trauma associated with having eight older brothers. It’s no wonder he married a licensed therapist/social worker. After graduating from Central High School, he studied journalism at UNO. He’s worked as a bartender, cook, video store clerk, researcher for an environmental nonprofit, and as a film critic, entertainment reporter, and sportswriter. When he’s not writing or in therapy, he’s usually exhausted and spending time with his wife, Angee; his four children—Beckett, Finnegan, Juno, and Iris; and dogs Zeke and Cora. He has also served as a judge for the Omaha Film Festival and is active in several local charities and social causes with his wife and children.

WENDY TOWNLEY—Contributing Writer The garden has become Townley’s happy place, second only to the library and a craft supply store.

If she hasn’t returned an email or text message yet, chances are she’s finishing an overdue library book, creating some sort of paper craft, or regretting not pulling those weeds sooner. Townley’s first byline appeared in Omaha Magazine in the late 1990s, thanks to an assignment by the magazine’s then-editor—the late, great Eric Stoakes. Townley serves as executive director of the Omaha Public Library Foundation and teaches a journalism course at UNO. She’s grateful that her husband, Matt Tompkins, and their Westies, Barley and Teddy, don’t mind glitter, glue, and dustings of potting soil throughout their house.

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JULY/AUGUST 2021

SUB

JULY/AUGUST 2021 VOLUME 39 // ISSUE 4

SCR

IBE

EDITORIAL Managing Editor

DAISY HUTZELL-RODMAN Senior Editor

TARA SPENCER Associate Editor

LINDA PERSIGEHL Editorial Intern

HANNAH HESER Contributing Writers

KAMRIN BAKER · LEO ADAM BIGA · CHRIS BOWLING TAMSEN BUTLER · KIM CARPENTER · VIRGINIA KATHRYN GALLNER CHRIS HATCH · JEFF LACEY · NIZ PROSKOCIL · SEAN ROBINSON KARA SCHWEISS · JOEL STEVENS · TIM TRUDELL DOUGLAS “OTIS TWELVE” WESSELMANN · MIKE WHYE

CREATIVE Creative Director

MATT WIECZOREK Senior Graphic Designer

DEREK JOY Graphic Designer II

MADY BESCH Contributing Photographers

JUSTIN BARNES · KEITH BINDER · COLIN CONCES SCOTT DRICKEY · JOSHUA FOO · WILLIAM HESS · SARAH LEMKE

Ken Ludwig’s

Dear Jack, Dear Louise

*A Christmas Carol

The Color Purple

*Christmas in My Heart

April 15–May 8, 2022

Nov. 19–Dec. 23, 2021

Aug. 20–Sept. 19, 2021

Agatha Christie’s

The Giver

A Concert Featuring Camille Metoyer Moten

Murder on the Orient Express

Nov. 26–Dec. 23, 2021

Sept. 17–Oct. 10, 2021

Bright Star

The Mystery of Irma Vep

Jan. 21–Feb. 13, 2022

Oct. 8–Nov. 7, 2021

Feb. 11–March 13, 2022

Outside Mullingar

A Penny Dreadful

March 4–27, 2022

Stick Fly

May 6–June 5, 2022

Kinky Boots

May 27–June 26, 2022

*R.E.S.P.E.C.T June 10–26, 2022

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Joslyn Art Museum features works from antiquity to the present. Whether inside or out, the galleries offer a relaxing and artful destination for all.

explore

NOW

AT

MEGAN BARTHOLOMEW

FREE GENERAL ADMISSION For current visitor guidelines, special exhibitions, and hours, visit joslyn.org

2200 Dodge St. | Omaha, NE | (402) 342-3300 | www.joslyn.org JULY/AUGUST 2021

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EVENTS

» Museums « CHARLEY FRIEDMAN: SOUNDTRACKS FOR THE PRESENT FUTURE

Through Aug. 1 at Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, 724 S. 12th St. Experience this immer-

sive auditory installation that combines over 70 secondhand guitars, mandolins, and basses to create a singular instrument. Soundtracks for the Present Future explores ideas around decentralization and diversity through the multiplicity of distinct instruments. 402.341.7130.

–bemiscenter.org

NEBRASKA ARTIST BIENNIAL

Through Aug. 1 at Gallery 1516, 1516 Leavenworth St. The 2021 Nebraska Artist Biennial is a

juried exhibition. Ultimately, 100 artists representing a variety of artistic styles and disciplines were selected this year. Admission: free. 402-305-1510.

–gallery1516.org

ATIIM JONES: CROSSROADS

Through Aug. 7 at Fred Simon Gallery 1004 Farnam St. Jones is a Minneapolis-born street

photographer based in Omaha, Nebraska. In 2010, he began photographing strangers in the Old Market District, and in 2011 created Crossroads, a photographic documentary of people in the Old Market and surrounding area. It has since become one of the largest photography projects in the world. 402-595-2122.

–artscouncil.nebraska.gov

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JULY/AUGUST 2021

SALVADOR DALI’S STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN

Through Aug. 14 at El Museo Latino, 4701 S. 25th St. Curated by David S. Rubin, this exhi-

bition presents a comparative study of two of Salvador Dalí’s most celebrated portfolios, his book illustrations for the Comte de Lautréamont’s Les Chants de Maldoror (1868-69) and Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy (c. 1308-20), and includes 143 prints signed by Salvador Dalí (43 prints for Les Chants de Maldoror, and 100 prints for The Divine Comedy). Admission: $5 adults, $4 college students, $3.50 students and seniors, and free for members. Wed-Fri: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sat: 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

–elmuseolatino.org

FAIRYTALE LAND

Through Aug. 29 at Omaha Children’s Museum, 500 S. 20th St. An enchanting castle adventure

awaits at the museum, where visitors can scale the castle wall, visit Bentley the unicorn, or prepare a feast in the castle kitchen. Admission: $14 nonmembers, adults, and children ages 2-17, $13 seniors (60+), and free for members and children under 24 months. 9-4 p.m. 402.342.6164.

–ocm.org

AMERICAN ART DECO: DESIGNING FOR THE PEOPLE (1918-1939)

Through Sept. 5 at Joslyn Art Museum, 2200 Dodge St. This ticketed exhibition investigates a

dynamic period in American history and culture, when the country and its citizens went through political, economic, social, and artistic transformation and revolution. From stylish decorative art objects to products of industrial design, modern American paintings to compelling photographic images, the multimedia works of art in this exhibition reflect both the glamour and optimism of the 1920s and the marginalization, devastation, and escapism of the 1930s. Admission: $10 adults; $5 college students with ID; free for Joslyn members and youth ages 17 and younger. Wednesday through Sunday: 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. 402.342.3300.

–joslyn.org

DIEDRICK BRACKENS

Through Sept. 5 at Joslyn Art Museum, 2200 Dodge St. Drawing on global textile and weaving

traditions, Diedrick Brackens creates intricate tapestries that interrogate personal stories and shared cultural realities. 402.342.3300.

–joslyn.org

JAMES CAMERON CHALLENGING THE DEEP

Through Sept. 12 at Durham Museum, 801 S. 10th St. The exhibition follows explorer and

filmmaker James Cameron’s achievements in deepocean science, engineering, and exploration and features his record-breaking dive to the bottom of the earth in his Deepsea Challenger submersible. Admission: $11 adults, $8 seniors (62+), $7 children ages 3-12, and free for members and children ages 2 and under. Tuesday-Saturday: 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sundays: noon-4 p.m. 402.444.5071.

–durhammuseum.org

ALL TOGETHER, AMONGST MANY: REFLECTIONS ON EMPATHY

Through Sept. 19 at Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, 724 S. 12th St. Th is exhibit

explores the cultural and sociopolitical issues currently defining the United States. While it is not an exhaustive survey, it provides a snapshot of America’s turbulent society today. 402.341.7130.

–bemiscenter.org

GAME ON!

Through Dec. 31 at Omaha Children’s Museum, 500 S. 20th St. This interactive children’s exhibit

brings well-known board games and popular video games to real-life adventures. Admission: $14 nonmembers, adults, and children ages 2-17, $13 seniors (60+), and free for members and children under 24 months. 9-4 p.m. 402.342.6164.

–ocm.org

Read About

in Omaha Magazine

Five venues, five unique celebration experiences. Hosting events for 100 - 1,000 guests, Omaha Event Group boasts 15 years of experience with over 300 events each year, including Omaha Fashion Week. Schedule a consultation with our team of experts today. hello@omahaeventgroup.com | 402.819.8792 | omahaeventgroup.com Omaha Design Center | The Downtown Club | Empire Room | Omaha Palazzo | Anderson O'Brien Fine Art Gallery

JULY/AUGUST 2021

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OMAHA MAGAZINE | EVENTS CALENDAR

NICK CAVE’S SOUNDSUITS: ENSEMBLE

CHRISTOPHER TITUS

Aug. 11-21 at Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, 724 S. 12th St. In this mini exhibition,

July 22 at Funny Bone Comedy Club, 17305 Davenport St. Titus is an American comedian,

actor, and podcaster. He starred in his own netinternationally known Chicago-based artist Nick Cave’s Soundsuits, from the collections of Betiana work TV show, simply called Titus, and now has his own podcast. 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $25. and Todd Simon, Karen and Robert Duncan, Kathy and Marc LeBaron, and Polina and Bob 402-493-8036.

–omaha.funnybone.com Schlott are brought together. Soundsuits will travel to the Simon residence for the Summer Arts Encounter event on August 29. 402.341.7130.

ILIZA: BACK IN ACTION TOUR –bemiscenter.org July

CATBOY, OWLETTE, & GEKKO

Aug. 20-22 at Omaha Children’s Museum, 500 S. 20th St. Th is is the museum’s first-ever

PJ Masks-themed weekend, featuring character appearances, a DIY mask station, and more.

Admission: $14 nonmembers, adults, and children ages 2-17, $13 seniors (60+), and free for members and children under 24 months. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. 402.342.6164.

–ocm.org

» Stage Performances « AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE ACROSS AMERICA

July 1 at The Lied Center for Performing Arts, 301 N. 12th St. ABT is one of the great dance

companies in the world and is internationally celebrated as a cultural institution dedicated to preserving and extending the great legacy of classical dancing. 8:15 p.m. Tickets: $5-$50. 402.472.4747.

–liedcenter.org

EDDIE GRIFFIN

July 9-10 at The Waiting Room, The Waiting Room Lounge, 6212 Maple St. Griffi n is

a popular comedian turned actor who started his career onstage as a dare. His comedy special Eddie Griffin: Undeniable is currently airing on Showtime to rave reviews. Times vary. Tickets: $40. 402.884.5353.

–waitingroomlounge.com

POWER HOUR

July 10 at The Backline, 1618 Harney St. Th is

show lines up some of the area’s best comedians to each do quick sets of their best material. If you want a taste of the best comics in the region (and sometimes special guests), jam-packed into just over an hour, then this is the show to watch. 8:30 p.m. Tickets: $5 402.720.7670.

–backlinecomedy.com

LORENZO “RENNY” CROMWELL

July 16 at Reverb Lounge, 6121 Military Ave.

Renny is an accomplished social media star and stand-up comedian whose comedic videos have garnered more than 3 million followers, including Diddy, Rihanna, Wale, and Drake. Times vary.

Tickets: $20. 402.884.5707.

–reverblounge.com

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JULY/AUGUST 2021

22

July 22 at Holland Center Outdoors, 1200 Douglas St. Over the course of 10 years,

comedian Iliza Shlesinger has gone from winning NBC’s Last Comic Standing to premiering her fifth Netflix stand-up special UnVeiled in November 2019. 7 p.m. Tickets: $49.50-$106.

402.345.0606.

–ticketomaha.com

PAULA POUNDSTONE

July 24 at The Lied Center for Performing Arts, 301 N. 12th St. A revered panelist on NPR’s Wait,

Wait . . . Don’t Tell Me, Paula Poundstone was the first woman to host the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and is the recipient of an American Comedy Award for Best Female Stand-up Comic.

7:30 p.m. Tickets: $16-$42. 402.472.4747.

–liedcenter.org

RAVE ON! PRESENTS: BUDDY. THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY

July 30 at SumTur Amphitheater, 11691 S. 108th St. Papillion. This performance tells the

true story of Holly’s meteoric rise to fame, from the moment in 1957 when “That’ll Be The Day” hit the airwaves until his tragic death less than two years later on “The Day the Music Died.” The show features over 20 of Buddy Holly’s greatest hits. 402.597.2000.

–papillion.org

JO KOY: JUST KIDDING WORLD TOUR

July 30 at Ralston Arena, 7300 Q St. As one of

today’s premiere stand-up comics, Koy has come a long way from his modest beginnings performing at a Las Vegas coffee house. He has appeared on over 140 episodes of Chelsea Lately as well as many other late-night shows. 8 p.m. Tickets: $45.50$189.50. 402.934.9966.

–ralstonarena.com

DAMON WAYANS

July 30 to Aug. 1 at Funny Bone Comedy Club, 17305 Davenport St. Wayans is a stand-up come-

dian, actor, writer, producer, and member of the Wayans family of entertainers. Wayans performed as a comedian and actor throughout the 1980s, including a year-long stint on the sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live. Times vary. Tickets: $50. 402.493.8036.

–omaha.funnybone.com

OMAHA FRINGE FESTIVAL

Aug. 5-7 and Aug. 12-14 at Weber Fine Arts Building, 6505 University Drive S. and Big Canvas Theatre, 3624 Farnam St. The Omaha

Fringe Festival is two weekends of live theater created, produced, directed, and performed by Omaha artists. The lineup consists of multiple performances throughout the festival. Times vary.

Tickets: $10 individual show ticket, $25 day pass, $50 festival pass.

–omahafringe.com

OMAHA UNDER THE RADAR

Aug. 7 at various locations. This annual event

gives Midwestern and national performers the chance to connect and learn. While the festival will be different this year, the organization will still be producing their SOUNDRY Workshop for sound art and experimental music. There will be both online and in-person options available. There is a tuition, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds. Times vary. Tickets: TBD –undertheradaromaha.com

AUBREE SWEENEY & FRIENDS

Aug. 14 at The Backline, 1618 Harney St. Sweeney is a nationally touring comedian. She is currently based in Los Angeles, but loves to come home to Nebraska. Join her and some of her comedian friends for an evening of comedy, music and storytelling. 7 p.m. Tickets: $10. 402.720.7670.

–backlinecomedy.com

SWEAT

Aug. 16-Sept. 15 at Omaha Community Playhouse, 6915 Cass St. Winner of the 2017 Pulitzer

Prize for drama, Sweat follows a group of American steelworkers who lose their economic security.

7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays.

Tickets: $18-36. 402-553-0800.

–omahaplayhouse.com

DEAR JACK, DEAR LOUISE

Aug. 20-Sept. 19 at Omaha Community Playhouse, 6915 Cass St. A heartwarming recount

of wartime romance between two strangers, stitched together from hundreds of real-life letters between the playwright’s parents. Jack is an Army doctor stationed in Oregon, accomplished and disciplined. Louise is an aspiring actress in the heart of NYC, bubbly and ambitious. Times vary. Tickets: TBD 402-553-0800.

–omahaplayhouse.com

BELLYDANCE HAFLA

Aug. 21 at Apollon Art Space, 1801 Vinton St.

This dance performance will feature local dancers, and is open to the public. Enjoy beautiful dancing while listening to wonderful global music. Limited seating and performance slots are available, and pre-registration is strongly encouraged. 6-8 p.m.

Tickets: $10. 402.884.0135.

–apollonomaha.com

OMAHA MAGAZINE | EVENTS CALENDAR

BRAD WILLIAMS

STEVE EARLE & THE DUKES

SOUTHERN AVENUE

comedian and actor who has appeared in numerous films and television shows, including Mind of Mencia. Times vary. Tickets: $25. 402-493-8036.

–omaha.funnybone.com

er-songwriters of his generation, a worthy heir to Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark, his two musical mentors. He is a master storyteller whose songs have been recorded by a vast array of artists, including Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Joan Baez. 8 p.m. $40 advance, $45 DOS. 402.884.5353.

–waitingroomlounge.com

live shows in over a dozen countries and wowed audiences at festivals such as Bonnaroo, Firefly, Electric Forest, and Lockn’ with their boundary-breaking Memphis soul/blues/R&B fusion music. Local group Kris Lager Band will open the show. 7 p.m. Tickets: $18-$35. 402.345.0606.

–ticketomaha.com

Aug. 27 and 28 at Funny Bone Comedy Club, 17305 Davenport St. Williams is a stand-up

July 8 at The Waiting Room Lounge, 6212 Maple St. Steve Earle is one of the most acclaimed sing-

» Concerts « FREE CONCERTS:

Th is summer, several places will offer an eclectic array of live music from local musicians. These concert series, offered in some of Omaha’s most vibrant areas, will provide a fun night out.

• Jazz on the Green (Turner Park at Midtown Crossing, 3110 Farnam St.): 7:30 p.m.

Thursdays July.

• Music and Memories (Shadow Lake Towne Center, 72nd Street and Highway 370): 6:30 p.m. Fridays.

• Music in the Park (Bayliss Park, 100 Pearl St., Council Bluffs): 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays.

• Music in the Park (Washington Park, 20th and Franklin streets, Bellevue): 7 p.m.

Thursdays.

• Rockbrook Village Friday Night Concert Series (108th and Center streets): 7 p.m.

Fridays.

• Saturdays @ Stinson Concert Series (Stinson Park, 2285 S. 67th St.): 7 p.m.

Saturdays.

• Village Pointe Vibes (Village Pointe, 17305 Davenport St.): 6:30 p.m. Thursdays.

JOCELYN

July 2 at The Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St. Omaha

native Jocelyn combines her observant, mature outlook on life, love, and music to write amazing, memorable songs that stick in your head. Th is show was originally scheduled for May 15, 2021.

All previously purchased tickets will be honored and do not need to be changed, updated, or reprinted. 8 p.m. Tickets: $15 advance, $20 DOS. 402.345.7569.

–theslowdown.com

BENNIE AND THE GENTS

July 2 at The Waiting Room Lounge, 6212 Maple St. This is a local glitter rock tribute band

that formed nine years ago. The group plays the music of David Bowie, Queen, Alice Cooper, and other heroes of ’70s glam rock. 9 p.m. Tickets: $12 advance, $15 DOS. 402.884.5353.

–waitingroomlounge.com

July

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THREE DOG NIGHT

July 23 at Holland Center Outdoors, 1200 Douglas St. This band’s performances have electrified

NICK SHOULDERS

July 24 at The Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St. Shoul-

band Three Dog Night’s hits weave through the fabric of pop culture today. They have had 21 hit singles, including 11 Top Tens, and 12 consecutive gold albums. 7 p.m. Tickets: $39-$99.

402.345.0606.

–ticketomaha.com

ders is a living link to the roots of country music with a penchant for the absurd. His creative output is steeped in the complicated history of his beloved home of rural Arkansas, but crafted as a conscious rebuke of country music’s blind allegiance to historical seats of power and repression. 7 p.m.

Tickets: $12 advance, $15 DOS. 402.345.7569.

–theslowdown.com

CODY CANADA AND THE DEPARTED

MAHA MUSIC FESTIVAL

July 10 at Holland Center Outdoors, 1200 Douglas St. Legendary American rock

July 14 at Reverb Lounge, 6121 Military Ave.

This group is a three-piece Americana roots-rock band based in New Braunfels, Texas. The band is comprised of frontman Cody Canada, bassist Jeremy Plato, and drummer Eric Hansen. 8 p.m.

Tickets: $20. 402.884.5707.

–reverbloung.com

THE DOCKSIDERS

July 16 at Holland Center Outdoors, 1200 Douglas St. This lively group is known as Amer-

ica’s favorite Yacht Rock tribute band. Led by three-time Grammy® nominee, Kevin Sucher, The Docksiders bring their tribute act of your favorite soft rock songs of the ’70s and ’80s. 7 p.m. Tickets: $18-$35. 402.345.0606.

–ticketomaha.com

ELI YOUNG BAND

July 17 at Holland Center Outdoors, 1200 Douglas St. While selling out venues as a head-

liner from coast-to-coast, Eli Young Band has toured with Jason Aldean, Dave Matthews Band, Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts, Toby Keith, Tim McGraw, and Darius Rucker. This performance includes special guest Pony Creek. 7 p.m. Tickets: $20-$60. 402.345.0606.

–ticketomaha.com

SKID ROW

July 17 at Stir Concert Cove, 1 Harrah’s Blvd., Council Bluffs. Infamous ‘80s hair band Skid

Row are gearing up to perform at the cove with glam metal rockers Dokken and Vixen. Don’t miss your chance to experience Skid Row’s signature energy live in concert. 8 p.m. Tickets: $39.50$161. 712-329-6000.

–caesars.com/harrahs-council-bluffs/shows

July 28 to Aug. 1 at Stinson Park, 2285 S. 67th St. This summer music festival showcases a

vibrant, eclectic mix of national and local musicians and artists. This year’s lineup includes Thundercat, Khruangbin, Drive-By Truckers, and more.

Opening night will be housed at multiple venues, followed by a day-long conference on Thursday, and performances on Friday and Saturday. 4 p.m.

Wednesday, 8 a.m. Thursday, 5 p.m. Friday, 1 p.m.

Saturday. Tickets: TBD. –mahafestival.com

BILLY MCGUIGAN’S POP ROCK ORCHESTRA

Aug. 5-7 and Aug. 13-15 at SumTur Amphitheater, 11691 S. 108th St.. Papillion. McGuigan

and his 14-piece rock orchestra present a high-energy concoction of rock ‘n’ roll mega hits in a unique, live concert experience. They will take you on a journey through ’50s rock, the psychedelic ’60s, and the sweet sounds of the ’70s. 402.597.2000.

–papillion.org

BACH MAI: ALBUM RELEASE SHOW

Aug. 6 at The Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St. Th is local indie pop punk band leans on lyrical content, pop punk tropes, and percussive nuance to garner the attention of their listeners. J. Crum and Steady Wells will also perform. 7 p.m. Tickets: $8 advance, $10 DOS. 402.345.7569.

–theslowdown.com

JACKOPIERCE

Aug 12 at Reverb Lounge, 6121 Military Ave.

Jack O’Neill and Cary Pierce, the “Jack O” and “Pierce” who make up the seminal duo Jackopierce, are celebrating 30 years of making music that has amassed a loyal following of millions of fans across the world. 8 p.m. Tickets: $25.

402.884.5707.

–reverbloung.com

JULY/AUGUST 2021

// 11 //

OMAHA MAGAZINE | EVENTS CALENDAR

MELISSA ETHERIDGE: 2021 TOUR

Aug. 14 at Holland Center Outdoors, 1200 Douglas St. Etheridge stormed onto the American

rock scene in 1988 with the release of her critically acclaimed self-titled debut album. Known for her confessional lyrics and raspy, smoky vocals, she has remained one of America’s favorite female singer-songwriters for more than two decades. 7 p.m. Tickets: $54.50-$399 (VIP w/ photo op.)

402.345.0606.

–ticketomaha.com

BROTHERS OSBORNE

Aug. 14 at Stir Concert Cove, 1 Harrah’s Blvd., Council Bluffs. The duo’s third studio album

Skeletons is a melodic, muscular album that builds on the hooks of the band’s career-launching debut, Pawn Shop. The brothers carved their own path in country music, and with six Grammy nominations, four CMA Awards, five ACM trophies, and more than half a dozen hits, it’s clearly working for them. 8 p.m. Tickets: $49-$163. 712-329-6000.

–caesars.com/harrahs-council-bluffs/shows

BLAKE SHELTON: FRIENDS AND HEROES 2021

Aug. 18 at CHI Health Center, 455 N. 10th St.

Shelton is bringing his show and some of his favorite friends to Omaha. Watch Shelton, Martina McBride, Tracy Byrd, Trace Adkins, and Lindsay Ell take to the stage again. 7 p.m. Tickets: $36$359. 402.341.1500.

–chihealthcenteromaha.com

SHAKEY GRAVES

Aug. 19 at The Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St.

Alejandro Rose-Garcia, aka Shakey Graves, is an Americana musician from Austin, Texas. His music combines blues, folk, country, and rock. He released his breakthrough debut album, Roll the Bones, a decade ago on Bandcamp. It’s been sitting atop the most downloaded folk records rankings since then. 7 p.m. Tickets: $28 advance, $30 DOS. 402.345.7569.

–theslowdown.com

OPERA OUTDOORS

Aug. 20 at Turner Park at Midtown Crossing, 3110 Farnam St. This free opera concert under the

stars features highlights from the coming season as well as some of opera’s greatest hits. 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: free. 402-346-7372.

–operaomaha.org

SINGER-SONGWRITER SHOWCASE

Aug. 26 at Holland Center Outdoors, 1200 Douglas St. In partnership with the Omaha

Entertainment and Arts Awards (OEAAs), OPA presents a showcase giving aspiring songwriters the opportunity to share their talent. One artist will be selected to open for The Alternate Routes at Holland Center Outdoors September 2. The event is free, but a suggested donation of $10 is encouraged upon entry. Proceeds will directly benefit the talent being featured. 6:30 p.m. 402.345.0606.

–ticketomaha.com

// 12 //

JULY/AUGUST 2021

MEMORIAL PARK CONCERT

Aug. 28 at Memorial Park. Enjoy this free annual

celebration with a Fireworks Grand Finale. Musical guest TBA.

HIPPIE FEST

August 28 at Falconwood Park, 905 Allied Road, Bellevue. This live music event features bohemian

shopping, vintage hippie car show, DIY tie-dye, giant bubble garden, cirque performers, kids activities, drum circles, delicious food, cocktail bar, beer, dancing, and more. All ages welcome. Tickets: $15-25, kids 10 and under free. 402.332.5771.

–gosarpy.com

» Family & More « FARMERS MARKETS

Farmers Markets are open. Here are the times and dates for the local markets. Attendees are encouraged to check with organizers for availability before attending any market.

• Aksarben Village (67th and Center streets) 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Sundays • Bellevue (Washington Park) 8 a.m.-12 p.m.

• Council Bluffs (Bayliss Park) 4:30-7:30 p.m.

Thursdays • Florence Mill (N. 30th Street) 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday • Gifford Park Neighborhood Market (33rd and California streets) 5-8 p.m. Fridays • Old Market (11th and Jackson streets) 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturdays • Villae Pointe (168th and Dodge streets) 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturdays • Papillion (84th and Lincoln streets) 5-8 p.m. Wednesdays

FREE MOVIES

Laugh, cry, and relax with classic and current movies on starry summer nights. Bring a blanket or a chair and the whole family and enjoy the show. All movies begin at dusk.

• Free Friday Summer Movies at Ditmars Orchard & Vineyard (19475 225th St. Council Bluffs): through Aug. 27.

• Monday Night Movies at Midtown Crossing (Turner Park, 3110 Farnam St.): through July 28.

• Music & Movies in the Park (Bayliss Park, 100 Pearl St., Council Bluffs, IA.): Fridays through July 26.

• Starlight Movies (SumTur Amphitheater, 11691 S. 108th St., Papillion, NE.): TBA.

THE 3RD ANNUAL COUNCIL BLUFFS TATTOO ARTS CONVENTION

July 2-4 at Mid-America Center, 1 Arena Way, Council Bluffs. Special guest this year is Al Flic-

tion from Ink Master, season one. Admission is free for children under 12. Tickets: $20 day pass, $40 weekend pass. 712.323.0536.

–villainarts.com

LEASHES AT LAURITZEN

July 5 and 12 and Aug. 2 and 9 at Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft St. Canines are invited

to walk the grounds and enjoy the great outdoors.

This is an informal, fun way to enjoy and explore Lauritzen’s 100 acres and miles of trail with the family and four-legged friends. 6 p.m. Tickets: $10 for non-members, $5 for dogs, free for members.

402-346-4002.

–lauritzengardens.org

TURNER PARK NIGHT MARKET

July 16- Sept. 10 at Turner Park, 3110 Farnam St. The Omaha Farmer’s Market and Turner Park

bring visitors family-friendly activities, vendors, food, entertainment, and more. 6-10 p.m. last Friday of each month. Admission: free.

–midtowncrossing.com/events/

OMAHA MAGAZINE | EVENTS CALENDAR

RALSTON’S ANNUAL INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION

NEBRASKA ASIAN FESTIVAL

MILLARD DAYS

year’s theme is “Tribute to Essential Workers,” as the Fourth of July Ralston community tradition continues with a fun run/walk, parade, fire department water fight, a spectacular firework show, and more. Times vary. Admission: free. 402-339-7737.

–ralstonareachamber.org/independence-day

promotes, and educates the public on Asian heritage. Guests can enjoy food, fun activities, and cultural performances throughout the day. 11 a.m. Admission: $5, free for children under 12.

402-216-9081.

–facebook.com/AsianFestivalNebraska

parade, a carnival, a beer garden, tractor pull, and live music. Times vary. Admission: free, $25 for carnival. 402-679-5258.

–millarddays.com

July 4 in Downtown Ralston, 7400 Main St. This

TBA at Lewis and Clark Landing, 515 N. Riverfront Drive. This family-oriented event celebrates,

DOUGLAS COUNTY FAIR

FAIRYTALE BALL

the county where urban and rural meet, with something for everyone: live music, the parade, and a livestock show. Times vary. Admission: free.

–douglascountyfair.org

filled with encounters with princesses and princes, horse-drawn carriage rides, a wishing well, and activities including crafts and archery training.

Dinner is included and costumes are encouraged. 6 p.m. Tickets: $20 for members, $35 for non-members. 402-342-6164.

–ocm.org

July 11-14 at Sycamore Farms, 1150 River Road Drive, Waterloo. This is a celebration of

RIVERJAM “THE WOODSTOCK 50TH ANNIVERSARY EXPERIENCE”

July 16-18 at Riverwest Park, 23301 West Maple Road. RiverJam will pay tribute to the greatest

music festival of all time—Woodstock. With more than 40 DJs, bands, and artists performing on three stages, food trucks, a beer garden, vendors, and more. Times vary. Tickets: $15-$325.

–eventbrite.com

8TH ANNUAL RIBSTOCK

July 24 at Stinson Park in Aksarben Village.

This celebration of great barbecue also features craft beer and live music from local favorite Lemon Fresh Day. Proceeds benefit the Food Bank for the Heartland, Project WeeCare, and the Millard Business Association scholarship fund. Admission: $5. 402.496.1616.

–aksarbenvillage.com

BENSON DAYS

July 30 to Aug. 1 along 60th and Maple streets.

Benson Days is a family-friendly summer festival that celebrates the neighborhood’s creative culture.

Friday features a movie night in Gallagher Park with food trucks. On Saturday, take a tour of Benson’s historic buildings, and Sunday attendees can take a bike ride through the neighborhood. Those are just a few highlights of the weekend. Email bensondaysne@gmail.com for more information.

Admission: free.

–bensondays.com

THE COLOR RUN 5K

TBAat CHI Health Center Omaha, 455 N. 10th St. The popular traveling 5K returns to Omaha.

Participants run the route while paint powder colors the streets—and the runners. 8 a.m. Tickets: $25-$50 adults, $15 children ages 5 and under.

–thecolorrun.com

July 23-25 at Omaha Children’s Museum, 500 S. 20th St. This enchanting night at the museum is

NEW AMERICAN ARTS FESTIVAL

Aug. 6 in Benson at Military Ave. and Maple St. Due to COVID-19, their typical street festival

will now be a hybrid of gallery-operated in-person exhibits, featured artisans at local retailers, food trucks, satellite on-street stages, as well as virtual performances. 5-10 p.m. Admission: free.

402-342-6164.

–bffomaha.org

NEBRASKA BALLOON AND WINE FESTIVAL

Aug. 20-21 at Ta-Ha-Zouka Park, Elkhorn. As the name implies, guests can sip Nebraska wines and view hot air balloon launches. 5 p.m. Friday, 3 p.m. Saturday. Tickets: $19 wine-tasting package at the gate, $15 wine-tasting package in advance, $14 general admission, $7 children under 12, children 5 and under free. 402-346-8003.

–showofficeonline.com/NebraskaWineBalloon

Aug. 24-29 at Andersen Park, 136th and Q Streets. Th is full week of activities includes a

ARTS BLOCK PARTY

Aug. 14 at Cass St. between 72nd and 69th Streets. Guests can tour the Omaha Community

Playhouse, Omaha Conservatory of Music, and Omaha Academy of Ballet. There will be live music and performances, interactive demonstrations for the kids, food, and raffle prizes galore. 10 a.m.

Admission: free.

–artsblockpartyomaha.com

DUNDEE DAY

Aug. 21 in Dundee, 50th St. and Underwood Ave. This family-friendly street festival celebrates

and highlights the Dundee neighborhood with a parade, 5k run, art and craft vendors, pancake breakfast, food trucks, live music, and a beer garden. 8:30 a.m. Admission: free.

–dundeeday.org

SEPTEMBERFEST

Sept. 3-6 at CHI Health Center Omaha, 455 N. 10th St. This “Salute to Labor” festival offers four

days of entertainment, educational and artistic displays, a carnival, Omaha’s largest parade, a beer garden, and food. Times vary. Admission: $5 per person per day, parade is free, .

–septemberfestomaha.org

PETFEST 2021

Aug. 14 at Petshop, 2725 N. 62nd St. Th is is

Benson First Friday’s Annual Music Festival Fundraiser, with an incredible lineup of local musicians, drag performances, and live painting. Times vary.

Tickets: $20 advance, $25 DOS. Email info@ bffomaha.org for more information.

–bffomaha.org

OMAHA FASHION WEEK

Aug. 26-28 at Omaha Design Center, 1502 Cuming St. OFW is returning to the runway

for another season of fashion and glamour. It is the nation’s fifth-largest fashion event, showcasing designers each year on the runway and providing mentoring, education opportunities, and a professional showcasing platform. Times vary. Tickets: $40-$80. 402-937-1061.

–omahafashionweek.com

Event times and details are correct as of presstime, but are subject to change. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many events are canceling and/or changing dates/time/ places as needed. Most venues base these decisions on direction by the Douglas County Health Department and Nebraska’s publication of guidance on canceling events and limiting the number of people in public gatherings.

Omaha Magazine encourages readers to visit venues' websites and/or calling ahead before attending an event or visiting a museum.

JULY/AUGUST 2021

// 13 //

hose who spend any time near the historic Hanscom Park neighborhood may not realize a small brick home sitting at 3316 Center St. played a sizable role in the craft of magic more than a century ago. It became the stage of latenight, four-hour magic shows that were intimate and engaging.

At the center of these Center Street performances was David P. Abbott, a Falls City, Nebraska, native whose travels and opportunities eventually brought him to Omaha.

But let’s not give away the secret to this whole trick.

As an 8-year-old boy, Abbott attended one of his fi rst magic shows. Inspired by the intricacies of such a performance, Abbott returned home and conspired with his younger sister to host their own magic show—which involved guessing the number of seeds in an apple.

Abbott and his siblings grew up on a family farm with their parents, George and Sarah. George lived a life flush with activity and activism, spending time in political protests and running for public office as a Populist. George was an avid traveler, crisscrossing the country as his children grew.

“David Abbott was raised in a fearless household,” said Dave Arch, a local magician and member of the Omaha Magical Society (which this year celebrates its 100th anniversary). “The belief in the Abbott family was ‘we will land on our feet.’”

As the boy’s fascination for magic grew, Abbott developed the same spirit of fearlessness as his father. According to research and writings by magician Teller (of Penn and Teller fame), Abbott completed three months of school, excelling in algebra and geometry. He discovered talents for music, too, learning to play the piano, oboe, clarinet, and guitar.

“Abbott picked up the mantle of the Spiritualist who was fleecing widows through magic. He called them out [in his book]. This incensed him. He exposed all of the fraudulent methods he knew they were using to fleece people through magic.”

- Dave Arch “Abbott picked up the mantle of the Spiritualist who was fleecing widows through magic,” Arch explained. “He called them out [in his book]. Th is incensed him. He exposed all of the fraudulent methods he knew they were using to fleece people through magic.”

It was those experiences that Abbott used as inspiration for the tricks he created— and eventually debuted for years in his east Omaha home.

“Abbott was [keen] to beat back the people who were using trickery for nefarious purposes,” Arch added.

After a stop in Lincoln to run a loan business alongside his siblings, Abbott and his wife, Fannie, eventually moved to Omaha and into the now-famous home near Hanscom Park. Abbott and his brothers secured jobs in banking and finance.

His passion for magic never waned. In his spare time, Abbott not only refi ned his work as a magician, he developed tricks that have continued to influence magic today. Those tricks include the Disposable Fingertip, the Red Herring Th imble, and the Black Bag. His Center Street home was a playground for these new tricks, using all rooms, every nook and cranny, to entertain and delight intimate audiences, but also to become a master of his trade.

Years later, Abbott’s legacy as an inventor of magic tricks and techniques began to take shape. He traveled to nearby counties in Nebraska practicing and perfecting his craft, dedicated to maintaining magic’s reputation.

“He took that house and just rigged it from top to bottom with all that he needed,” Arch said. “People would come just to see him perform at his house.”

In fact, one of Abbott’s greatest contributions to the practice of magic was his 1907 book, Behind the Scenes with the Mediums. The book not only dove deep into magic and mediums, but the human psyche and how it can often be so easily swindled.

Apparently, a lot of people came just to see him perform. According to the site Vanishing in Magic, Teller and Todd Karr compiled a 900-page collected works of Abbott in which, “There is informative correspondence in the form of letters from Abbott’s friend

Kellar, who offers unguarded commentary on the likes of [notable magicians] Ching Ling Foo, Alexander, Horace Goldin, and Okito.”

Although Abbott understood the importance of the performance, it was the behind-the-scenes work he enjoyed the most, the solitary task of developing, quite literally, the tricks of his trade.

Arch said that if Abbott were alive today, chances are you’d never see him perform: “He is revered as an inventor of a lot of the magic that’s still used today.”

Abbott, who died in 1934, was a founding member of the Omaha Magical Society. At its start in January 1921, it was only the seventh chartered magic club in the United States. The national parent organization, the Society of American Magicians, was led by president Harry Houdini—arguably history’s most famous magician and escape artist.

One of the society’s goals is to share the joy and craft of magic from generation to generation. They have donated a collection of more than 1,200 books on magic to Criss Library at the University of Nebraska at Omaha as part of this goal.

Another: keeping Abbott’s legacy alive by honoring area magicians who share their passion. Known as the Old Market Magician, Ryan Chandler received the society’s David P. Abbott Award in 2019.

Chandler, 35, is a musician and an educator for Elkhorn Public Schools.

Despite teaching full-time and raising his young son alongside his wife, Chandler has maintained a love of magic—even impressing perhaps the most well-known magical duo, Penn and Teller. In 2018, Chandler performed on their network TV show Fool Us. Like other magicians before him, Chandler’s love of magic was born from watching magic shows as a child—often alongside his father, Robert Chandler.

He spent years developing his own tricks and practicing the tricks of others.

But what has kept Chandler drawn to this peculiar performance world is the intimate, often unexpected moments created with other people.

“I do magic because it’s fun,” Chandler said. “I don’t think anything I’ve done is all that special. The only way [to perform magic] is to share it with other people.”

Visit theomahamagicalsociety.org for more information.

JULY/AUGUST 2021

// 15 //

A+C MUSIC // STORY BY LEO ADAM BIGA

.

Rooted in

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN

DESIGN BY MATT WIECZOREK

Rock d by e d n Bo travel THE MEZCAL BROTHERS KEEP SHAKIN' THINGS UP

JULY/AUGUST

// 16 //

2021

lB The Mezca

sists of ba rothers con

ssist Charl

ie Johnson

Shaun Th , drummer

eye, frontm

an

uit eza , and g Gerardo M

arist Benn

y Kushner

// A+C MUSIC //

// A+C MUSIC //

R

oots rock devotees near and far count lincoln-based band mezcal brothers righteous practitioners of the genre’s pure, hard-driving beats.

Originally founded in 1998 by siblings Gerardo and Tony Meza, the group’s origin story is organic. The brothers hung out making music, sometimes jamming at family gatherings. Then Gerardo volunteered the as-yet-unformed, unnamed band to replace a no-show group at Duffy’s in Lincoln. They scrambled to find players, rehearsed, hit upon the name and, once onstage, discovered people dug their sound and energy.

The sons of Mexican immigrants grew up steeped in the pure rhythms of classic rock.

“Something about that era really drew me in and the music really spoke to me,” Gerardo Meza said. “When I started writing I would hear that influence. It would just come out.”

His brother ended up leaving the band before they put out their first record, Hold on Tight.

“That’s what we toured with. None of us really had jobs at the time so we had to play, we had to be on the road,” Meza said.

“Eventually we got some connections and reviews.” Additional records followed.

“The records got everywhere,” he added.

The band toured California and the Pacific Northwest. “That’s where our big fan base was.” They also toured the Midwest with Los Straitjackets and Big Sandy.

Eventually, their music took them overseas to places such as Scandinavia, where rockabilly rules. Back home, they played major festivals in Wisconsin and Washington. Fans of the style “live and breathe this stuff,” Meza said.

“At times I just thought of it as one big party.”

Omaha music journalist B.J. Huchtemann appreciates the band’s “high-octane” style and “irresistibly danceable” sound.

Their current lineup has long been intact.

Frontman, songwriter, and acoustic guitar player Meza is joined by Charlie Johnson on bass, Benny Kushner on electric guitar, and Shaun Theye on drums. They make “a good fit” Meza said, despite the fact Kushner and Theye “were never really into this music” before they joined. “We kind of schooled them as far as ‘listen to this, listen to that.’

Of course, they liked it.” They’ve killed it ever since.

“A lot of that has to do with the fact we were on the road,” Meza said. “We had to depend on each other quite a bit playing those shows. That really bonds a band. We anticipate what we’re doing on stage. It’s like being tied at the waist by a rope. We all kind of know who’s pulling and tugging where, so we know how to respond.”

At the peak of their travels, they were gone a month at a time.

Recording and touring gave way to local gigs. The Nebraska Music Hall of Fame inductees are a fixture at Lincoln’s iconic Zoo Bar. Once the pandemic hit, Meza said, “We went six months without actually playing a show.” They used the downtime to get back in the studio. The result is Shakin’ Dog, a 14-track LP that released to strong reviews last fall. “We just got tired of doing the same set every night. We had to mix it up and get it more exciting and challenging, and that’s where we’re at now with the new songs.”

“We spent most of our career on the road and so when we came back to Nebraska, a lot of people didn’t recognize the fact we were getting recognition nationally and internationally,” Meza said. “Being validated in Nebraska meant a lot to us because that’s where we’re from.”

The Lincoln Journal-Star’s Kent Wolgamott wrote the record is “reminiscent of a Blasters album”and delivers “the “blistering rockabilly expected from the Mezcals.”

Meza—who is also a Lincoln Public Schools fine art instructor, studio artist, and the leader of a second band, The Dead of Night—said, “The Mezcals have been the foundation and

After years without a new album, Shakin’ Dog is a fitting followup to the hall of fame induction.

it’s nice to have lincoln be such a musical city where we can always get gigs. it’s a perfect place to play music, enjoy music, and be around like-minded people.

-gerardo meza

The rockabilly album reworks old songs

by Meza the band never performed or recorded. The remixed works “sound sweeter” thanks to the magic of Johnson, who co-owns Fuse Recording, and top local players jamming on sessions. “Charlie is a genius. He knows his way around a recording studio and soundboard. His ears are the only ones I trust,” Meza said. “We have a genius guitar player in Benny and an amazing producer in Charlie, so we’re pretty lucky. That’s why we look at this project we call the band as having the right people, the right sound, and the right attitude. That’s what keeps bands together.”

There are no egos running amok. “That’s what usually breaks up bands,” Meza said.

“We never really had those issues…We’ve worked with good people.”

The band’s last shakeup was 14 years ago. Being together so long has forged an unspoken unity.

the solid thing throughout. I can’t even imagine what it would be like without it. I think everybody in the band feels the same way.”

Realistically, the band won’t be going on any long tours again. “We’re grateful for those days. We were young and energized enough to do it then,” Meza said. “But it takes a toll. Shitty food, being at a bar every night, drinking. Tempers flare because you’re frustrated being gone. It’s nice to have Lincoln be such a musical city where we can always get gigs. It’s a perfect place to play music, enjoy music, and be around likeminded people.”

Meza and company look forward to laying licks and riffs down in front of fans again.

Sure, the band’s older now, but, Meza said, “We still bring it.”

Visit mezcalbrothers.bandcamp.com for more information.

JULY/AUGUST 2021

// 19 //

Unafraid

Determined

and

// 20 //

JULY/AUGUST 2021

A + C T H E AT E R / / S T O R Y B Y V I R G I N I A K AT H R Y N G A L L N E R

MATTHEW GUTSCHICK MANIFESTS VISIONS PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN // DESIGN BY MATT WIECZOREK

A

fter sampling them all, Matthew Gutschick found an artistic medium that spoke to him at age 8. It continues to speak to him as an adult.

Gutschick’s mother is a ceramics artist. Raising Matthew and his two brothers, she wanted to make sure that in all their extracurriculars, they had at least one artistic activity. They tried painting, dancing, even exercise videos. Theater was next.

“I remember feeling like there was a way of engaging in pretend play with the structure of a story,” he said. “It was pretty electrifying, even at that young age.”

That’s why he is invested in doing his work at an intergenerational theater: to give other kids that same opportunity to find their voice and use it to change the world.

Gutschick earned his B.A. in communications and theater at Wake Forest University. He also took business classes at the graduate level to gain a better understanding of the management side of arts. While there, he had the incredible experience of learning from Maya Angelou, who was a humanities professor during that time.

Every spring, Angelou hosted a course for 30 students focusing on poetry in performance. She shared stories and coached students on how to perform some of her favorite pieces.

“Here’s this person who, on day one, knew all of our names,” he said of Angelou. “She impressed upon us that knowing somebody’s name takes a small amount of effort, but is an enormous gesture.

[It was] emblematic of her philosophy deeply rooted in an appreciation for what ties us together as human beings.”

After graduating, Gutschick worked at a children’s theater in North Carolina. He struggled with how to grow the organization and open it to new plays. So, he went to graduate school to pursue theater management.

His MFA program at Yale University represented the evolving conditions of being an artistic director at a larger theater. Yale gave him the opportunity to apprentice with artistic directors, as well as learn from acclaimed playwright Paula Vogel.

As fate would have it, The Rose Theater was looking for someone with his qualifications shortly after he graduated.

“This is an opportunity I’ve had to grow into,” he said. He had expected to serve in other roles for some time before taking on a leadership role.

Julie Walker, managing director, has been a close collaborator and partner. “Matt sets the artistic vision, and together we work to fulfill the mission of the theater,” Walker said.

That vision manifests visibly in their productions.

“It’s very important that there’s a pathway for me to fall in love with material I’m directing—whether being able to personalize it

in some way, or recognize how it can inspire or move others.”

Gutschick appreciates a challenge as a director, too. “I’m drawn to plays that have something in them that scares me or stretches me.”

Gutschick works in close collaboration with directors of educational programs at The Rose to ensure they are speaking to as many children as possible. They want to reduce the barrier of cost when needed, to make sure they do not turn any child away: from tickets to shows to camps and classes. The Rose is unique among professional theaters in that they have dedicated teaching artists among their full-time staff. Often in the world of theater, teachers are contracted. These teaching artists also contribute to mainstage work as actors and directors.

At a time when many cultural institutions are confronting histories of systemic racism, Gutschick wants to help make BIPOC communities feel like The Rose is a place that reflects and embraces their experiences. This means more than just inclusive casting practices. For Gutschick, that is not enough.

“Our organization has tried to look very hard at ways we can become more anti-racist. That, of course, has included an ambitious learning-based agenda for our staff and board, but also emboldening some of the action steps…deliberately trying to open our doors to more BIPOC artists to collaborate with us.”

That is how the “Sharing Our Stories” initiative started. The initiative is open to all local playwrights who have an idea for a children’s play or musical. The Rose will support these playwrights in their artistic development through one-on-one consultation and by providing space and time to workshop the pieces. They will provide an artist stipend. If a play or musical is a good fit for a production at The Rose, they will commission the artist to further develop the project.

Gutschick wants to “open our doors to people who want to create work for [children], and uplift voices that have been historically underrepresented on our stage and others.”

The Rose has also been working with other children’s theaters to adapt one of Angelou’s lesser-known works, Life Doesn’t Frighten Me. “It feels like a very full-circle moment, working with her estate to try and bring that to the stage.

“I’m emerging from shutdown more excited about live theater than I’ve ever been, even as a kid.”

That childlike sense of wonder is what The Rose hopes to nurture in their young audiences.

“We both believe children can impact and change the world,” Walker said. “Experiencing theater is something we believe every student should have access to—and the benefits of being part of the creative process will stay with them as life skills for a long time.”

Visit matthewgutschick.com for more information.

JULY/AUGUST 2021

// 21 //

A+C VISUAL STORY BY KAMRIN BAKER PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN DESIGN BY DEREK JOY

// 22 //

JULY/AUGUST 2021

E-CRE ATING Adri Montano

HISTO RY

& the Invisible Women

WITH HER of the World

HAND S

// A+C VISUAL //

“ Adri’ s artwork makes women of color visible, thereby including them in the patterns our brains are making.

Adri is doing critical work to enrich all our lives by not overlooking humans with much to offer. ” -Peggy Jones ’m here to dismantle the patriarchy and cure the traumas of our ancestors,” Adri Montano said, clear as day. It’s her elevator pitch, her tagline, her purpose in the world.

The multimedia artist, who specializes in illustration, graphic design, and animation, immigrated from Colombia with her family 21 years ago, fi rst landing in Florida, later Washington D.C., and now, with her husband and daughter, in Papillion. Montano was born creative, influenced by her father’s passion for the arts. However, it took time to reach the beauty she has discovered now.

“The lifestyle was way different in the States,” said Montano, who took dance, music, and tennis lessons in Colombia.

“You couldn’t just get private arts tutoring because that’s only for rich people. I had to work and help in the house to just keep my family afloat. There were days that gum was for dinner. I didn’t have the privilege to simply go to school.”

Montano eventually pursued community college in Florida, and later graduated from the University of Nebraska at Omaha with a visual arts degree, concentration in graphic design, and a minor in art history. Despite countless years of grinding and sacrificing, she still had trouble finding work.

“I want whoever hears my story to put themselves in the shoes of an immigrant of color with a graphic design degree, trying to get a job in this city, where people look and sound nothing like you,” Montano said. “I went to countless interviews, and it happened again and again, losing to white cis men. So I said, ‘f*ck it, I’m going to do my own thing.’”

Her thing is creating art to tell the stories of women of color erased by history.

Her Black, Colombian, and Indigenous identities inspired her to research women whose lives changed the course of history—who otherwise would never have their portraits drawn.

There’s Queen Nzinga of Ndongo (now Angola) and Matamba, who is Montano’s favorite, the one she would “choose to revive if there were ever a zombie apocalypse.” Nzinga spent her life fi ghting Portuguese colonizers in the 1500s and even killed her own brother, who was selling her people into slavery.

Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz was a Mexican writer who refused to get married and instead became a nun so she could continue her studies, even though she did not believe in the Catholic church.

Her poem, “You Foolish Men,” which describes men as predators, was written in the 1600s.

Then there’s Tu Youyou, a Chinese woman who discovered a groundbreaking treatment for malaria through the study of ancient plants and medicine.

The government kept her discovery under wraps for years, until she won the Nobel Prize in 2015.

“I am so passionate about the history of marginalized women who are basically invisible,” Montano said. “It’s not because they were quiet, or because they didn’t exist, it’s because they were never included.”

Peggy Jones, an associate professor in UNO’s school of the arts, has spent her career studying the intersections of gender and the arts.

“When we don’t know something, it in effect doesn’t exist,” Jones said. “People’s lack of knowledge creates a ripple effect whereby they act on this lack as if these accomplishments have never existed, nor could they ever have existed. Our brains are constantly and unconsciously seeking patterns on which to base future actions.”

Jones taught Montano in her Black Aesthetics course at UNO, where students explored paradigms such as race and gender, and how those paradigms affect art and the way it is and was created.

“Adri’s artwork makes women of color visible, thereby including them in the patterns our brains are making. Adri is doing critical work to [enrich] all our lives by not overlooking humans with much to offer,” Jones said.

// 24 //

JULY/AUGUST 2021

Montano’s creative process often depends on how she’s feeling. When she’s angry about the injustices of the world, she said it’s impossible to create digital art.

“It has to be physical,” she said. “I make paper from scratch. I’ll use charcoal or homemade paints. The whole process is very therapeutic and takes time. The imperfections on the paper make me feel so raw and human. Just like your skin that has scars and bruises and stretch marks and wrinkles, the paper feels the same way.”

When she’s able to channel her feelings into more concrete ideas, she works on digital illustrations. She is currently developing a book: Th e Black Adventures of Nina and Catalina, the story of two girls who travel through time and space to be empowered by the women of yesteryear, learning about science, history, and self-discovery along the way.

“I am raising my daughter this way,” Montano said. “She was named after an indigenous woman from the area I was from in Colombia, who was abused by her colonizers yet formed treaties with them to help her people. My daughter is half and half like that, too. I want her to be seen. I want her to be heard.”

Her daughter is half Colombian and half American. “She is like a bridge between the two worlds, just like la India Catalina.”

Montano creates vivid, colorful works to fi nd healing in her ancestral story, while developing a new narrative.

“If I’m not being represented, if you’re not going to hire me, I don’t need you. I can do it myself.”

To learn more about Adri Montano, visit adrimontano.com.

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// 33 //

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN // DESIGN BY MATT WIECZOREK

34

wholly his own

Feature // Story by Joel Stevens 35

FEATURE // KANEKO

CREATING CERAMICS AND A VIBRANT ART SCENE

“ what does it mean?” is often said to be the question that makes every artist cringe.

The path to enlightenment, it seems, begins not with a step but with a shortcut. Positively pregnant with a half-hearted need for clarification that borders on the uninclined, the question concerns itself far less with the artist’s inspiration than the patron’s interpretation.

Jun Kaneko doesn’t hate the question. He swears he doesn’t. But every time he hears it, he isn’t quite sure what the question is either.

“I say, ‘I wish I knew the answer,” he said. “Because that’s what I’m looking for, too. When you find out what it means, that’s the end of it, isn’t it? If you completely understood what you’re looking for and then you understand what you’re looking at, what’s next? That’s it. You have to quit.

Questions are tricky. The questions you ask yourself could help your truth, but they could kill you.”

Kaneko hasn’t quit yet. He’s still seeking the answers and the questions that consume him and his art.

An internationally acclaimed sculptor best known for his ceramic “dangos”—named for the sweet dumplings of his childhood—that resemble swollen, three-dimensional canvases of abstract graphics and colors, Kaneko has called Omaha home for more than 30 years. Now 79 and diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, he can still be found most days in his studio, where he’d much rather be making art than talking about it. His work? That’s the same as it ever was.

Bold. Contemplative. Playful. And wholly his own.

Kaneko’s sculptures are included in more than 40 museum collections internationally and more than two dozen public art commissions bear his name around the world. All of it painstakingly created—or at the very least conceived—in his Omaha studio. He and wife, Ree Schonlau Kaneko, have been Omaha arts scene mainstays since the 1980s. They were instrumental in the founding of the Bemis Center for Contemporary Art before opening their Kaneko Gallery in 1998. All of it housed on a near city block of century-old former warehouses at 11th and Jones streets in the Old Market.

For half a century, Kaneko has immersed himself in the contemporary ceramics movement and come out the other side as world renown as he is enigmatic about what makes his work uniquely his.

“I just like to do my own thing,” Kaneko said. “Even making my own pieces I don’t know if I’m doing good stuff or bad stuff or making a ton of trash.”

How Kaneko found himself in Omaha still seems to surprise the artist. And not unlike his transition from self-described abstract painter to ceramic sculptor, both happened nearly by chance.

" If you completely understood what you' re looking for and then you understand what you' re looking at. what' s next? That' s it. You have to quit."

- jun kaneko 37

FEATURE // KANEKO

Born in Nagoya, Japan, in 1942,

Kaneko arrived in America in 1963 with $300 in his pocket, little knowledge of the English language, and a plan to study painting at Chouinard Institute of Art. In Los Angeles, Kaneko was taken in by Fred and Mary Marer. The Marers happened to be avid collectors of what was then a relatively new art form: modernist ceramic sculpture. Kaneko can still recall the Marers’ tiny apartment jam packed with colorful, glazed sculptures unlike anything he’d ever seen.

“If I didn’t see her that [second] time, I probably [would not have] come to Omaha,” Kaneko said of his future wife.

After considering studio space on the East and West coasts, Ree convinced him to consider real estate options in Omaha’s downtown.

Kaneko purchased a 40,000 square foot former brick warehouse in the Old Market in 1990.

“I would look at it and think, ‘This is something,’” Kaneko said.

Kaneko didn’t realize it at the time, but he had landed smack dab in the middle of the American Contemporary Ceramics Movement. His interest soon became obsession. The young artist went on to study under Peter Voulkos, Paul Soldner, and Jerry Rothman, all masters of the era.

Rothman first gave Kaneko clay of his own and a corner of his studio in which to experiment.

“It was a ton of mixed clay,” Kaneko said. “He dumped it on the floor and told me to go to work. He didn’t teach me anything about it.”

Kaneko began by making flat, ceramic slabs and painting them because “…that’s what I knew how to do.” He had no idea if he was any good but kept at it. He made hundreds of flat slabs and painted them. Then he got tired of it. He wanted something more. He slapped two slabs upright together as a “more three-dimensional piece, with a front and back.”

Then it began to bother him that his pieces had a front side and a back side.

“I always had one side I liked better than the other,” he said. “When you take a picture of the side you like and send it, the back side, nobody knows. So I decided it wasn’t good.”

He then began molding the shape, making it more spherical, more three-dimensional, without edges, with neither back nor front.

For the next few years he experimented until it looked “interesting enough,” he said. “It was gradual but it took shape.”

By the mid 1960s, Kaneko had transitioned out of painting to sculpture, although the former was always integral to the latter.

When he first made the move, he got questions from other artists curious why he chose Omaha of all places as his base of operations.

“I had quit my job, I had no income, I wasn’t selling at all and I came to Omaha where there wasn’t that big of support for art at the time,” he said. “So a lot of people were checking me out to see if I was still alive.”

The new studio came at a fraction of what he might have paid in New York or Los Angeles, and gave Kaneko space and solitude—two things the artist known for creating largerthan-life sculptures that can weigh hundreds of pounds and extend more than 10 feet tall was positively giddy about. Some works can take as much as 18 months to dry and years to paint. The ceramic creative process is as lengthy as it is measured, from the shaping of the piece from raw clay, to the drying, to the glazing, to the kiln firing, and the cooling.

Each step is impacted as much by his own hand as climate and gravity.

Over the following decade, Kaneko taught ceramics at leading art schools Scripps College, the Rhode Island School of Design, and the Cranbrook Academy of Art. All the while, he developed what would become his signature style, reflecting his origins as a painter and embracing the ceramic artist in him. His dangos, his giant sculpted heads, and wall plates seem to push at the limits of their creative space from meager beginnings as lumps of dull gray clay.

In 1983 Kaneko was commissioned for his first large scale endeavor: the Omaha Project at the former Omaha Brickworks. It was around this time that Kaneko would give up teaching and pursue his work full time. A chance encounter with then-Ree Schonlau not once, but twice, would change the geographical trajectory of exactly where he would work.

“Everything I do takes a really long time to develop. Even glazing. I even keep changing my glazing technique. You can just apply the glaze or spray it or brush it on or dip it but there’s so many ways of doing that.”

" I had quit my job,, I had no income, , I wasn t selling at all and I came to Omaha where there , wasn t that big of support for art at the time. So a lot of people were checking me out to see if I was still alive."

- jun kaneko 38

Kaneko thinks he learns something about himself and his art with every new piece, every velvety layer of glaze, and every brushstroke over years of working on a project.

“Some artists want to figure everything out before they start, like in conceptual art. Lots of artists try to figure it all out as close as they can so they don’t waste their time,” Kaneko said. “In my case, it’s more like an intuition. I do one thing and that changes a piece. And then I add something to it and then I think about how to improve that and do another thing.

It’s a back and forth. It’s a conversation.

I always have to have as open a mind as possible before I start something.” continued on pg.67

X

The

FEATURE // STORY BY VIRGINIA KATHRYN GALLNER Photography by Bill Sitzmann // Design by Matt Wieczorek

NE T

T

hroughout the past year while the curtains have been closed, mu sic i a n s have been hard at work behind the scenes. Without live performances, it’s hard to stay connected with audiences. Some have connected through livestreams, like Aly Peeler and Hector Anchondo, while others have used the time away from the stage in other ways, honing their craft, or “shedding,” as jazz musicians would say. Many have been preparing new music for release, while others are itching for the opportunity to get back onstage.

40 JULY/AUGUST 2021

Turning an Eye to Emerging Local Artists

Verse

Social media provided new opportunities to connect with audiences. Singersongwriter Andrea Von Kampen shared a duet with her violin player Jessica Hanson. Dryden Thomas has been sharing previews of his upcoming album, playing multiple instruments and layering vocal harmonies to create elaborate TikToks. Ben Rasmussen, development director at classical music station KVNO, has been posting Irish folk tunes, “dueting” with himself on mandolin and guitar.

We asked established musicians to name emerging artists who have caught their attention. Some of the artists here have been working in the scene for several years but strive to challenge and even reinvent themselves.

As a singer-songwriter, I find myself inspired and motivated by these musicians. It takes tremendous drive to keep growing as an artist, especially at a time when live performance has been difficult, if not impossible. These artists have the ambition to keep pushing forward through a global crisis that has severely impacted the music industry—not just to survive, but to thrive.

This is just a small sample. The Omaha music scene is home to a wide variety of genres and artists, as is neighboring Lincoln. As venues continue to open, these are a handful of the artists to watch.

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FEATURE // The Next Verse

A

Aly Peeler is a ukulele-wielding mother of two boys. Since 2013, Peeler has hosted one of Omaha’s longest-running open mic nights at the Down Under Lounge (formerly known as The Side Door Lounge). She loves to cultivate young and emerging talent, and is an award-winning songwriter in her own right.

Sandy Irwin was nominated by the Omaha Entertainment and Arts Awards (OEAAs) under the name Come Back Sandy. Now, she has reinvented herself and started a new project called SAND.

“She’s grown so much in the past couple years, and this project is my all-time favorite of hers,” Peeler said. “She recently shaved her head and I am here for it, too! Her lyrics are so powerful…SAND is literally just getting started.”

Peeler also pointed to Erin Mitchell, whose first band, Daisy Distraction, formed in honor of her friend Anna Abbott. Peeler noted that every project is different and “cooler than the last.” Mitchell’s latest endeavor, Urn, was nominated for 2020 Outstanding New Artist by the OEAAs. » Aly Peeler: facebook.com/people/Aly-Peeler/100038758213612/ » SAND: facebook.com/comebacksandymusic » Urn: facebook.com/musicbyurn

H

Héctor Anchondo is an award-winning blues guitarist. He started performing as the frontman of Anchondo, but felt drawn to the blues. He moved to Chicago for a year to immerse himself in its historic scene. He is also a co-organizer of Omaha’s In the Market for Blues Festival—alongside E3 Music Management—booking over 40 local, regional, and national bands at 12 downtown venues.

“Grace Giebler is a special talent,” Anchondo said.

Like Mitchell, Giebler is a BluesEd alum. Anchondo served as a judge for the youth edition of the Blues Challenge in Omaha a few years ago. He remembers that Giebler and her band brought down the house with her phenomenal voice, refinement beyond her years, and wonderful stage presence.

Anchondo also mentioned Joseph Donnelly, “a star shining bright right out of the gate.” Not only does he have his own solo act, he tours with famed guitarist Kris Lager.

“He’s slaying that groove,” Anchondo said, adding that you should not miss the chance to see Donnelly play in person if given the opportunity.

This is high praise coming from Anchondo, who won the solo/duo category of the International Blues Challenge in 2020, in his third year performing at the Challenge in Memphis as the representative for the Blues Society of Omaha. » Hector Anchondo: hectoranchondo.com » Grace Giebler: gracemusiclive.com/home » Joseph Donnelly: facebook.com/josephdonnelly.716

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Mesonjixx (Mary Lawson) honed her musical style of Afro-futuristic Experimental Subculture Soul in Chicago and returned to Nebraska in 2014 to find balance in her interconnected identities. In March last year, just before venues shut down, she opened for Kamasi Washington at the Slowdown with her trio.

She recommended Mars X. “They are an incredible producer, lyricist, singer, performer. I first heard their music in 2020 and am now a fan for life.” Mesonjixx is grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow alongside them here in Omaha. “All should tap in.”

Mesonjixx herself is exploring new avenues of creative expression. While she is still performing, she is also expanding into organizing, and others are noticing.

Amanda DeBoer Bartlett is a soprano singer, improviser, composer, and organizer, as well as founder of Quince Ensemble and Hasco Duo. In 2014, she started Omaha Under the Radar, an experimental performance festival. Bartlett noted that in addition to musical projects, Mesonjixx is “emerging as a brilliant curator and organizer with projects like Strange Fruit Femmes, Uplift+Elevate at the Union for Contemporary Art, projects with Charlotte Street in Kansas City, and more.” As a festival curator, Bartlett knows that organizing can be thankless work.

“It’s an act of love for the community. I think we’ll feel the ripple effects from Mary’s work for a long time.” » Mesonjixx: mesonjixxmusic.com » Mars X: marsxtheplanet.bandcamp.com » Amanda DeBoer Bartlett: amandadeboer.com

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Hard rock band Evandale has invited two bands to be part of their album release show later this year: The Party After and Gallivant. They have both been on the scene for a few years, but Evandale’s drummer, Ryan Lang, said their live shows are something to be seen.

Fronted by Jared William Gottberg, The Party After is a three-piece group that takes its cues from ’70s blues-rock and ’90s alternative rock. “Jared really knows how to speak to the crowd and his genuine personality shows so much… cracking jokes and reacting to the fans,” Lang said.

He described Gallivant as straight-up talented. “If you’re into those bands where every band member can sing, play, and rock out at the same time, look no further.” In their current live show, they switch instruments between “shreddy but tasteful” solos.

Joseph Donnelly, guitarist mentioned by Hector Anchondo, is also a member of Gallivant. » Evandale: evandaleband.com » The Party After: facebook.com/PartyAfterBand » Gallivant: gallivantomaha.com

“

His message [is] absolutely beautiful.

All you have to do is go to one of his shows and see how much it matters to want to root for him.

-Justin Strawstone

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Justin Strawstone, founder of Nice Enough Ent., has been doing great work for the hip-hop scene, both to support established artists and uplift young and emerging voices. He started as an artist in his own right, and three years ago, he shifted to the management and promotion side of the industry. Strawstone said he wanted young musicians to have better opportunities than he had. He started managing a few artists and building local shows to expand his circle. He has become a connection point for regional and national artists coming to Omaha—but he makes sure to showcase Omaha artists whenever he can.

His work led him to connect with King Iso, a hip-hop artist from Omaha who has been signed by Strange Music.

“His message [is] absolutely beautiful,” Strawstone said. “All you have to do is go to one of his shows and see how much it matters to want to root for him.”

King Iso sold out a mixed-genre show at The Waiting Room before leaving for a tour in which he shared a bill with Omaha artists Snake Lucci, Taebo Tha Truth, and Jay Influential. His music spreads a message about mental health awareness.

Strawstone noted that he has a lot of respect for those who have waited out of safety precautions, but he is excited to see more live music. » Nice Enough Ent.: facebook.com/NiceEnoughEnt » King Iso: facebook.com/TheRealKingIso

J

Jocelyn got her start at open mics and songwriter nights, and has since risen to national recognition with her positive, empowering music and her powerful stage presence. She stepped into the national spotlight in 2017 with her appearance on Celebrity Undercover Boss with songwriter Darius Rucker of Hootie & The Blowfish. In early 2018, she signed with major record label BMG and has since released her debut full-length album. In 2020, she was selected as the Capitol District Musician in Residence.

She said that Radio Jamz is one to watch. Radio Jamz is a hiphop and rap duo with Brady Wells (of Domestic Blend) and Ishma Valenti (formerly of AZP). “Brady sings the smooth hooky melodies while Ishma spits the cool rap lines.”

They have been working on an EP, and they performed at The Mint in L.A. last month.

Jocelyn is also mentoring young artist Izzy, a 13-year-old singer-songwriter, through the Midlands Music Group. Izzy is currently working on her first EP. “For now, you might find her at an open mic or two at the Down Under or other venues. At some point she will open for me, so be looking for Izzy in the future.” » Jocelyn: jocelynmusic.com » Radio Jamz: radiojamz.band

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FEATURE // The Next Verse

Mitch Towne is a keyboardist and touring musician, regarded as the “go-to” Hammond organist in the Midwest. He has performed with jazz/R&B artist and Grammy-winning producer Terrace Martin; jazz artists Ryan Kisor, Dave Stryker, and Adam Larson; blues guitarists Eric Gales and Ben Poole; and multi-platinum artist Aloe Blacc.

Towne noted two players on the rise: drummer David Hawkins and guitarist Myles Jasnowski.

“David Hawkins has honed his craft the old-fashioned way: hard work, apprenticeship, and constantly striving to play with musicians better than he is. This is how jazz musicians did it in the old days and, starting in high school by hauling drums for jazz great Dana Murray and literally taking notes in a notebook at his gigs, David has developed into a startlingly talented and versatile drummer who is building his reputation both locally and regionally.”

Hawkins has performed with Jocelyn, Sebastian Lane, and many other local and regional jazz musicians.

“Myles is a triple threat: fantastic singer, excellent songwriter, and a phenomenal guitarist. There doesn’t seem to be a ceiling to what he’s capable of.”

Based in Lincoln, Jasnowski has played with Mesonjixx and Chad Stoner Band, among others, as well as his own band, who opened for Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal at the Zoo Bar in 2019. He sometimes joins the house band at The Jewell.

“He’s adept at not only his own music, but he is also a first-call sideman with some of the area’s best jazz, gospel, and soul artists.” » Mitch Towne: facebook.com/mitch.towne.7 » David Hawkins: facebook.com/david.d.hawkins.9 » Myles Jasnowski: facebook.com/mylesjasnowskimusic

H

Having been a performing artist since 2012, I’ve had the honor of sharing the stage with several of the musicians mentioned here, and many others. Aly Peeler welcomed me to her open mic when I was starting out, alongside Jocelyn and other young songwriters. I remember jamming with Jack Hotel at Folk Alliance International in Kansas City in 2018, in a small hotel room with musicians from around the world.

Many artists give back to our audiences and the wider Omaha community through arts-related volunteer work. Omaha Girls Rock brings together femme and nonbinary artists from around the city to empower youth through music. Several of the artists mentioned here have volunteered for OGR, myself included.

Looking west, Lincoln Calling has been doing great work to amplify the voices of local artists, especially those from historically underrepresented communities.

A lot of us in the Omaha music scene wear multiple hats as performers and organizers, or as songwriters and bandmates. Most of us do our own marketing, booking, and outreach as well. It is an interconnected and collaborative community. We are at our strongest when we’re supporting each other—whether attending shows, playing together, or just spreading the word about new releases. That support has grown during the pandemic as we realize how precious and beautiful live performance is. » Virginia Kathryn: virginiakathryn.com

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JULY/AUGUST 2021

Omahans View Collecting Art As a Way to Celebrate Cultural Voices

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ADVENTURE // STORY BY Jeff Lacey Photography by bill sitzmann Design by matt wieczorek

In her article “Collecting: An Urge that’s Hard to Resist,” psychologist Shirley Mueller reported that 33 to 40% of Americans practice the art of collecting.

The reasons that people collect things, however, are varied. Mueller explained that some people are motivated by the thrill of the chase; others are motivated by the chance to participate in the social network that’s created in the pursuit of a common goal; still others are motivated by the thought of being a part of history via the preservation of culturally important items.

If Omahans Russ Locke and Glenda Stone were asked which of these motivations best defined their passion for collecting, they would have a hard time deciding. These Omaha residents and master collectors have been in pursuit of the treasures to be found at estate sales, antique shops, and thrift stores for over 30 years, and show no signs of stopping.

Locke and Stone, married for the past 10 years, partly trace the love of collecting to their childhoods. Locke grew up on the northern edge of Stanton, Nebraska, and remembers the magic of playing in creeks and discovering tools and arrowheads buried in the running waters, while Stone traces her love of collecting back to a single object: a mink poodle brooch. ‘‘My mother had a mink pin,” Stone explained. “It was so old-school. It had a chenille pipe cleaner element that I just loved. I would have to ask permission to play with it.” As an adult, Stone started collecting mink jewelry. “A lot of the stuff dates back to the things we experienced as children, wanting to reconnect to that magic.”

The element of adventure that treasure hunting offers appeals to the couple as well. They cite the thrill of finding something they had not seen, or didn’t know existed, as a major draw. As for the geographic limit to their treasure hunting adventures, Stone explained, “There isn’t any.” They love using antique shops, auctions, estate sales, and thrift stores as the lenses through which they learn about new places and people.

“Part of the fun is going into an antique store or thrift store in a different part of the country. You learn about a place from that. And then when you find something special, there’s your connection to that place.” Whether it’s discovering a priceless painting in an antique shop in Santa Fe, or coming home from a farm sale a couple hours away with a kitten hidden under their hood (they kept him, and named him Dexter), Locke and Stone are always ready for the thrill of the search. “Some people are just hunters and gatherers,” Stone explained.

The Art of Donel Keeler

Some collectors have items that are not only important to them, but to the culture at large. Some of the most important pieces among Locke and Stone’s collections are their pieces of Donel Keeler’s artwork. Keeler was a Native American artist from Nebraska who was an enrolled Crow Creek Dakota member with Northern Ponca ancestry. Keeler passed away in June 2020, but his importance as an artist has been acknowledged by many. The Donel Keeler Indigenous Arts Festival is held by UNO’s Office of Multicultural Affairs every November, and in 2018, Keeler granted the State of Nebraska permission to use his artwork on a license plate honoring Native Americans in Nebraska.

Not only did Keeler gift the state with his artwork, he chose not to capitalize much on the honor, instead requesting that a lot of his proceeds from the plates be added to the Native American Scholarship and Leadership Fund.

Locke and Stone had always had a great love and respect for Native American art, so when they wandered into the basement of an antique store in North Omaha several years ago, two framed pieces of ledger art immediately attracted Locke’s eye. Locke didn’t know who’d made them, but he thought they were amazing. “Oh my God, I love these,” he remembers thinking. He bought them right away.

JULY/AUGUST 2021

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ADVENTURE //

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“We enjoy being able to support Native artists, and we have a great respect for their heritage and the fact they are trying to express their heritage and way of life.” -Glenda Stone

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The more Locke and Stone learned about Keeler, the bigger fans they became. They kept an eye out for Keeler’s work and then, at the 2014 Fort Omaha Intertribal Memorial Powwow, Locke and Stone had the opportunity to buy an entire lot of Keeler’s artwork—close to 30 prints. When they viewed the collection, they saw it as an amazing opportunity. According to Locke, “It was like a treasure chest opened.”

The next year, they met Keeler in person, and their respect for the artist grew even more.

“He was so nice, so personal. I could have talked to him for hours,” Locke said.

Gretchen Carroll, the UNO Multicultural Outreach Coordinator at UNO involved in coordinating the Keeler Indigenous Arts Festival, explained that Keeler was often personable. “[Keeler’s] connection to the community and his style of art was special, and he was a special person. We named the festival after him because we wanted to remember him and his art. He was a friend to a lot of us here, and was a huge supporter of UNO and the students here.”

While Stone and Locke love the style of Native American art, collecting Keeler’s work isn’t simply about pleasure. They see it as a way to participate in the preservation of important cultural voices as well. Stone, an artist herself, explained, “We enjoy being able to support Native artists, and we have a great respect for their heritage and the fact they are trying to express their heritage and way of life.”

Those who attend arts festivals and antique stores might bump into Locke and Stone on their next adventure. Chances are, the couple are keeping their eyes peeled for a Keeler.

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“When I researched them, it got even better.

I still get chills,” Locke explained.

Visit unomaha.edu for more information on the Donel Keeler Indigenous Arts Festival.

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At 12, he became the youngest composer to be accepted to the Young Artist Summer Program at Curtis Institute of Music (the alma mater of Leonard Bernstein), and he’s already a three-time American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers Morton Gould Young Composers Award Finalist for composers under 30.

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ER D I E N H SC RK N A O M T S L A N WI SIC U M S I S H MPOSE

GEN O // STORY BY SEAN ROBINSON // PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN // DESIGN BY MATT WIECZOREK

IT ' S 4 A . M .

The Schneiders’ West Omaha house is still and silent—except for the scribble of pen on paper in 13-year-old Winston Schneider’s bedroom. Unlike his peers, it’s not playing video games or producing TikTok videos that keeps him up until the wee hours of the morning. It’s inspiration. His next masterpiece just itching to get out.

“My creative period for composing is late at night. That’s when I get my best ideas.”

Winston said. “My parents are not the biggest fans of this. But I say, ‘C’mon just one more measure, one more passage.’”

Winston may not be old enough to get behind the wheel of a car, but he’s already composed about 70 original songs and received considerable acclaim for his musical accomplishments, including more than 20 national and international awards. This kid is the real deal: a musical prodigy and bonafide composer in the making.

“One of my favorite things about composing is the fact that you can create whatever you want musically out of a blank piece of staff paper. That has always appealed to me,” Winston said.

Before becaming a mini maestro, Winston started by taking piano lessons at 5 years old. Planted on the bench, fingers to keyboard, and feet stretching toward the pedals, Winston played like a beginner for a brief period. In a few months, he was playing pieces in entirely different keys than the ones in which songs were written.

Those small tweaks were the beginning of Winston f lexing his creative muscles.

Original composing soon followed. Five months into piano lessons, Winston wrote his very first song, titled “Snowman, Snowman, Don’t You Melt.”

“First, I was playing my pieces in all different keys. That was something I just loved to do in my spare time,” Winston said. “Then the notion of creating my own music became a favorable idea of mine.”

Winston, the first born of two, took his parents by surprise. His parents didn’t have prior experience watching a child master music, so Winston’s rapid pace didn’t initially seem out of the norm.

“He would play in different keys, and I would enjoy listening. I didn’t know until later that was unusual,” mom Heather Schneider said. “At some point, we realized he had perfect pitch. Then, year by year, it was more and more impressive.”

Impressive is an understatement.

At 10, Winston was one of six pre-college composers selected internationally to write a new piece for the Music at the Anthology’s Jr. Festival. That year, he was also named a first place winner in the National Association for Music Education’s Composition Competition.

At 12, he became the youngest composer to be accepted to the Young Artist Summer Program at Curtis Institute of Music (the alma mater of Leonard Bernstein), and he’s already a three-time American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers Morton Gould Young Composers Award Finalist for composers under 30. It was announced May 14 that Winston won an honorable mention in the 2021 competition for an 8-minute piece "Expiculating Quintet" for clarinet, bassoon, violin, viola, and violoncello. He was one of 38 honorees out of hundreds of applicants.

To those not in the classical music circuit, these honors and programs might not have much meaning. However, one thing is certain: This young composer is already making a big impact in his community.

“There’s the big ‘wow’ moments, but it’s the smaller ones that stand out. One of my favorite memories was when he was 9,” Heather said. “We were listening to a recording of a string quartet playing one of his songs. He said, ‘Mom, let’s dance.’

I knew instantly to treasure that.”

“That piece, ‘Insect Suite,’ almost brought me to tears,” said Dr. Kenneth Meints, music director and conductor of Orchestra Omaha.

Meints has been working with Winston and honing his composition skills since the budding Beethoven was 7.

“The harmonies he uses at the end are heart-wrenching,” Meints continues. “He has a last moment about fireflies. Hearing it, it’s like watching the fireflies go away for the evening. You can imagine yourself sitting there with a loved one and seeing them twinkle out.”

Not all of his work has such a playful motif.

Winston was commissioned by the Omaha Symphony, as part of a joint project with the Durham Museum, to work on a piece focused on children’s perspective of COVID19. He was given a stack of essays authored by other kids and asked to pick and choose inspiration from the text.

“On the way from swim practice, an idea finally popped in my head. I asked my mom to please not talk so I could think about and formulate it,” Winston said.

That idea became “The Summer of COVID19” and was performed by the Omaha Symphony in October 2020.

He achieves the sort of recognition that many adult composers dream about. He premiered one of his latest compositions, "The Battle of Five Armies" (inspired by the book The Hobbit) for winds, brass, and percussion on May 13 at Composition Date 2021 with New York Youth Symphony.

It’s often the smaller things, too, that Winston draws inspiration from.

However, it’s not all work, no play. Winston is still just a kid. Like any of his peers, he balances academics, sports, friends, and even finds time for another creative passion. He has been in several Rose Theater productions and was nominated for a Broadway World Regional Award for his 2018 performance in Newsies.

“I love insects. They have been one of my foremost musical inspirations,” Winston said. “They are like nothing else on this planet. They’re like miniature aliens.”

“How do I balance it all?” Winston wondered.

“I don’t like being stagnant. I guess by day I’m normal Winston, but I’m composing Winston by night.”

As with music, this teenager has been fascinated by bugs since he was 5—and they’ve buzzed their way into his work almost from the beginning. Creepy crawlies meet classical composition with original pieces titled “Arousing of the ArrowJawed Ants” and “Insect Suite.”

By night and the early hours of the morning…just don’t let his parents know the latter.

JULY/AUGUST

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2021

Visit winstonfschneider.com for more information.

“

HAVING THIS HEART-WRENCHING TRAUMATIC STORY, THE FACT THAT SOMEONE NOT ONLY WAS SURVIVING AND FUNCTIONING, BUT ALSO WAS SO CONCERNED WITH THE PLIGHT OF OTHERS AND MAKING AN IMPACT WAS WHAT I THOUGHT WAS SO AMBITIOUS ABOUT [THE DOCUMENTARY]. -Dr. Nikitah Imani // 52 //

JULY/AUGUST 2021

”

PROFILE // STORY BY JOEL STEVENS // PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN // DESIGN BY MATT WIECZOREK

Walking in Her Light Filmmaker and Author Denisha Seals

TURNED TRAUMA INTO COMMUNITY ADVOCACY

B

y age 9, Denisha Seals had already survived more trauma than most people endure in an entire lifetime.

By age 22, Seals was a first-generation college student on a full-ride scholarship at University of Nebraska at Omaha, a survivor of horrific sexual abuse, abject poverty, and years of struggles with her mental health when she was finally given the diagnosis that would change her life.

Seals was diagnosed as suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, a form of mental illness brought on by experiencing or witnessing traumatic events. She was sexually abused by her brother beginning at age 5. By her ninth birthday, Seals was removed from her home and sent to foster care.

She was eventually reunited with her family, but the years of abuse left her empty and confused. A decade of therapy never yielded the diagnosis that would suddenly put all the puzzle pieces of her trauma together.

“It all made sense—the nightmares, the flashbacks, the anxiety, and the attacks of depression,” Seals said. “But in my community, you don’t know the signs of mental illness because it isn’t talked about and it’s stigmatized. Most organizations [that treat mental illness] don’t cater to people who are often marginalized in society.”

Seals, now 30, has turned her trauma, the healing she has pursued, and her advocacy for those in minority communities who have suffered sexual abuse into her life’s mission.

“When I was diagnosed, I decided there are a lot more people like me and I wanted to give other people a platform to speak on their sexual assaults, to encourage policy makers to change the laws to protect victims that are a part of the system,” she said. “I want to create a safe space for a gay Black man or young Black woman like me or that Latina or that Native American.”

Seals’ No Longer Silent: Hear Our Voices Project, a documentary she began as an undergrad at UNO, was her first step. The film tells the stories of multicultural women and men who have experienced sexual assault, rape, and child molestation.

The seeds of the film came to Seals in a dream.

She had neither a background in film nor much of an interest in making a documentary. Her vision became a passion project.

Dr. Nikitah Imani, a Black Studies professor at UNO, was Seals’ adviser on the film as part of her independent study.

“Having this heart-wrenching traumatic story, the fact that someone not only was surviving and functioning, but also was so concerned with the plight of others and making an impact, was what I thought was so ambitious about [the documentary],” he said.

The project quickly became less about Seals’ personal story than a multicultural community of people facing the same challenges to heal.

“It was unique,” Imani said. “It made me want to be involved. Not just on the intellectual level but really being empathetic to what it

was she was doing. She was carving out a life’s mission. An empathetic life mission where the documentary was just one part of an ever-increasing sequence of things.”

Seals hopes the film can begin difficult conversations and change attitudes on how society and culture responds to the worst of its sins.

“I’m tired of this idea we have to stay silent,” she said. “When survivors stay silent about what predators did to us because of society, we are essentially continuously allowing it to happen not knowing that our silence is actually complicity. I wanted to speak to the disgusting pain of what predators do.”

No Longer Silent was an official selection at the 2020 International Black Film Festival. Seals hopes to market the film as an educational resource and as a professional development tool for social workers and therapists. The same professionals who missed the signs in her case.

“I was that young Black girl that was labeled as a bad child in school when all the teachers ignored or didn’t recognize that the little Black girl was being sexually assaulted,” she said. “There are holes that are in our community, in our society, about the recognition of sexual assault and empathy and sympathy if the sexual assault is happening to a child of color. I would say, it’s nearly non-existent.”

Since graduating from UNO, Seals has leapt headlong into tackling the complex sociological issues of sexual abuse in minority communities. She launched her own website, wrote a children’s book aimed at multicultural

children with a mental illness, and began work on a second documentary.

Black Soil and Red Sky, Seals’ next film, examines generational trauma in the Black and Native American communities. Her goal is to show how violence affects individuals on a psychological level and its impact historically and culturally. She expects to complete the film this summer.

Her children’s book, Butterflies In Me, will be published by Boys Town Press in 2022.

Seals is one of two women of color to sign a book deal with Boys Town Press in its 35 years of operation.

Seals knows her journey—both professionally and personally—has just begun.

“I honestly believe what it is I’m doing now, won’t be what I’m doing five years from now,” she said. “I will always be an empath, I will always be spiritual and will always be guided to assist other people. My life does not belong to me. But I do not believe sexual assault, telling my story of sexual assault, will be my life. I believe that my life will be about the healing of a nation. And it starts with me.”

She even has a name for what she plans to do.

“In a cultural perspective,” she said. “I would like to be considered as a light.”

Visit water2spirit.com for more information.

JULY/AUGUST 2021

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PROFILE // STORY BY KIM CARPENTER PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN // DESIGN BY MATT WIECZOREK

N

ick Beaulieu didn’t set out to make documentary films. He didn’t set out to be affiliated with vaunted outlets such as PBS. He wanted to be a journalist, and for a while, the 26-year-old, who grew up in West Omaha and attended Millard North, was on exactly the right path.

He attended the University of Nebraska at Omaha and rose through the journalism ranks, eventually becoming the editor of the student newspaper The Gateway before graduating in 2016. He also spent over a year paying his dues on the copy desk at the Omaha World-Herald.

“For a long time, I saw myself exclusively as a writer,” Beaulieu said. “I was on track with UNO and freelancing for a lot of blogs.” As an astute observer of journalism, however, he also was losing faith in the profession as a career path.

“I was noticing at the time how journalism was changing,” Beaulieu said. “Facts are so disputed right now. You can’t get people to agree on objective facts and to accept news that they don’t trust. We’re at an impasse.”

Beaulieu wanted to bridge that gap and find common ground. He believed having empathy and just listening was the way to do that.

“I really liked in-depth storytelling with emotion and conflict,” Beaulieu said. “I wanted to do those kinds of feature pieces.

That’s when I realized that I could find that through filmmaking.”

Time in Los Angeles during summer 2015 helped bring him to that conclusion.

Originally, Beaulieu traveled to the West Coast for an internship with F.A.M.E.’US Magazine, but, he said, “It didn’t go anywhere.”

and my comfort zone. I was working with a really diverse team and learned so much.

It was really formative. I knew for sure after that summer that documentary filmmaking was what I wanted to do.”

Beaulieu returned to Omaha and did whatever he could to learn about the profession. He interned at Film Streams, where he could view documentary films and meet filmmakers. “Just being in that world—that was my classroom,” he said. “When you want to do something that’s a creative endeavor, you just have to keep going.”

He started paying attention to what kinds of stories he wanted to share. “What’s the biggest story in Omaha that’s untold?” he asked himself. Beaulieu became interested in huge gaps in racial equality and violence in the city and started investigating those themes through the lenses of city, church, and family.

Beaulieu joined an online documentary community last April and began making use of the resources such as weekly meetings, mentoring, and networking, which all helped orient him toward his new career path.

“It was a game changer,” he says.

Indeed it was.

A woman in the group saw that PBS was looking for Nebraska contributions to its American Portrait series, which focuses on ordinary people and their extraordinary lives. She urged Beaulieu to consider it.

The experience was life changing.

He did and he ended up profiling five people from Omaha. His subjects included Gladys Harrison, owner of Big Mama’s Kitchen and Catering, who explained why she wanted to run for Congress; and local artist Watie White, who described his public art project 100 People, which he created to showcase the people who’ve inspired him. In each of Beaulieu’s segments, his intuitive approach of letting subjects reveal themselves through their intimate stories is evident.

“I was an Omaha kid, and this was the first time that I had stepped outside Nebraska

The experience was a major turning point for the budding documentarian’s career.

Instead, he ended up working as a contributing writer on the documentary The Last Tear, which chronicled the 200,000 women who worked as sex slaves for the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II.

“It’s amazing the doors this has opened,” said the filmmaker. “Contributing to PBS was a huge moment. It’s pretty sweet.”

Author, director, and screenplay writer John Kaye has enjoyed watching Beaulieu’s development. The two met in 2016 after a Film Streams’ screening of American Hot Wax, which Kaye wrote. They struck up a conversation after the Q&A, and over the years became close friends.

“Nick presents himself as ‘West O. Bro’ and as a chill guy, but he approaches everything in a really smart way,” observed Kaye. “He’s very productive in the way he assesses things.

He is so open to possibilities.”

Kaye described how Beaulieu offers insightful criticism of his work, and said that keen perspicacity lends itself well to impactful documentary work.

“He watches everything,” Kaye said. “Rather than approach his work in a linear fashion, it’s more like a polaroid. It’s taken guts to do it, because he’s had to reframe and roll the dice on his imagination. It makes what he’s doing really compelling.”

Beaulieu’s main focus right now is finishing the film he’s been working on for the past five years in Omaha. He’s in the editing and post-production phase.

Although not ready to divulge the details of the product, he said he’s on target. “The average time for the first documentary is seven years.”

After that, Beaulieu sees himself branching outside the area in search of more stories to tell.

But, he noted, his storytelling will never be far from home.

“Omaha will always influence my work. I take a lot of pride in representing the Midwest. I’m excited to keep contributing and representing Omaha and telling our stories.”

Visit pbs.org/americanportrait to view Beaulieu’s work.

“I REALLY LIKED IN-DEPTH STORYTELLING WITH EMOTION AND CONFLICT. I WANTED TO DO THOSE KINDS OF FEATURE PIECES. THAT’S WHEN I REALIZED THAT I COULD FIND THAT THROUGH FILMMAKING.” -NICK BEAULIEU // 54 //

JULY/AUGUST 2021

THE ACCIDENTAL

DOCUMENTARIAN Nick Beaulieu Transfers Love of Storytelling from Newsprint to Video

JULY/AUGUST 2021

// 55 //

// 56 //

JULY/AUGUST 2021

SPORTS // STORY BY MIKE WHYE // PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN // DESIGN BY MATT WIECZOREK

Marching Through A Unique Year A

Drum Major Sarah Ernst Leads the Husker Marching Band

fter not performing in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Memorial Stadium during football games in fall 2020, about 50 of the normal complement of 300-some members of the Cornhusker Marching Band played during the spring game on May 1, 2021. For many, it was their first and last public appearance of the academic year.

Senior Sarah Ernst, who was chosen to be a drum major last spring for the 2020-2021 season, led the band in her first, and only, public appearance. She conducted the band during rehearsals just before game time, and then through the National Anthem and school songs inside the stadium.

“We just had to accept the terms of COVID,” Sarah said. “It’s been a sad situation for the students who are in their last year.”

Born in South Korea and adopted by Phil and Sharon Ernst of Columbus when a few months old, Sarah’s passion for music began at age 4 when she shared piano lessons with her mother. They were joined by Sarah’s older brother, Ryan, who had been born in South Korea two years before Sarah.

“We never had to tell her to practice,” said Phil. “She enjoyed music.”

Without urging, Sarah began playing the clarinet in fifth grade and later followed Ryan to play in the Columbus High School marching band. She played in the school’s symphonic band as well. After a couple years, she responded to the urging of a friend to try out for the position of drum major of the high school band and did that for two years.

Sarah also helped band director Jeff Peabody during her senior year as a teaching assistant for the freshman band. “I learned a lot about music administration from the...perspective of teaching a music class. I enjoyed that,” Sarah said.

Near the end of high school, she considered studying psychology in college, but Peabody suggested that Sarah major in music. Considering how she liked teaching, she started her studies to become a music teacher by enrolling in UNL’s Glenn Korff School of Music.

Anyway, she added, she was fine with playing the clarinet in the marching band another year. Still, her competitive spirit urged her to audition one more time for drum major, this time at the end of her junior year. Because of COVID-19, the auditions were video submissions.

During her freshman year there, she applied to play in the Cornhusker Marching Band; however, she was not selected.

When friends later texted her the results, saying that she was going to be a drum major, Sarah couldn’t believe them until she read the official results.

“After that, I was really considering not auditioning again,” said Sarah, who nevertheless went on that year to audition for, and was accepted to, the university’s pep band, Big Red Express. With about 120 musicians, this band pumps up fans’ spirits at men’s and women’s basketball games, volleyball and softball games, gymnastic events, and wrestling matches.

In the pep band, she met other students who were also in the marching band, and they encouraged her to try again to join the larger band. That time she was chosen, and played the clarinet in the marching band during her second year. Sarah then auditioned to join the school’s Student Leadership Team, a nonacademic group that helps other students with music instruction, marching, organization, and motivation, among other skills. The team also includes drum majors.

Again, there were interviews and auditions. These included conducting the band through songs, and those wanting to become drum majors had to perform fast and slow struts and do that backbend all UNL drum majors do—the one where the feathery plumes atop their tall hats touch the ground behind them.

Sarah once more wasn’t chosen. “I wasn’t actually serious about auditioning for leadership,” she said. “I just wanted to see what the process of auditioning for drum major looked like.”

Three others were also chosen as drum majors, and all help during the football games, said Professor Tony Falcone, associate director of bands. He said one stands on a ladder in front the band during the half-time shows while the others stand in other positions because the band takes up so much space on the field during its performances. He added that the drum majors rotate the positions between the home games.

However, last fall was not a regular season due to COVID-19. No one marched. The scarlet and cream band uniforms remained in storage. The tall feathery plumes atop the drum majors’ hats never touched the ground during any backbend.

Now 22, Sarah looks forward to student teaching in the junior and senior high schools in Raymond this fall. She will not, however, lead the band during the football games. “Student teaching takes up all your time,” she said.

After graduating in December, she hopes to teach music in a junior or senior high school.

“I’m sad to see her graduate,” Falcone said. “But I’m looking forward to the great things she’s going to do out there in the world.”

Visit unl.edu/band for more information.

JULY/AUGUST 2021

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T

o create the list, the magazine contracted DataJoe Research to facilitate an online peer-voting process and Internet research process. DataJoe Research is a software and research company specializing in data collection and verification, and conducts various nominations across the United States on behalf of publishers. To create the list, DataJoe Research facilitated an online peer-voting process. We paired this with an Internet research process to identify success characteristics. DataJoe checked and confirmed that each published winner had, at time of review, a current, active license status with the appropriate state regulatory board. If we were not able to find evidence of a lawyer’s current, active registration with the state regulatory board, that lawyer was excluded from the list. In addition, we checked available public sources to identify lawyers disciplined for an infraction by the state regulatory board. These entities were excluded from the list. Finally, DataJoe presented the tallied result to the magazine for its final review and adjustments.

Final note. We recognize that there are many good lawyers who are not shown in this representative list. This is only a sampling of the huge array of talented professionals within the region.

Inclusion in the list is based on the opinions of responding lawyers in the region. We take time and energy to ensure fair voting, although we understand that the results of this survey nomination and Internet research campaign are not an objective metric. We certainly do not discount the fact that many, many good and effective lawyers may not appear on the list.

Disclaimers. DataJoe uses best practices and exercises great care in assembling content for this list. DataJoe does not warrant that the data contained within the list are complete or accurate.

DataJoe does not assume, and hereby disclaims, any liability to any person for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions herein whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause. All rights reserved. No commercial use of the information in this list may be made without written permission from DataJoe. Questions? For research/methodology questions, contact the research team at surveys@datajoe.com.

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JULY/AUGUST 2021

Slowiaczek Albers, PC LLO provides complex family law services including premarital agreements and divorces involving high asset marital estates, business valuations, and child custody. With decades of experience, we pride ourselves on professionalism and client satisfaction.

We have extensive trial experience but strive to provide our clients with satisfactory settlement options. We also consult with other lawyers to help them analyze cases, strategize and resolve their cases.

John S. Slowiaczek has been recognized in Best Lawyers® annually since 1995 and Virginia has been recognized since 2011. In the area of Family Law, John was named “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers® in 2009 and 2016. Virginia received the “Lawyer of the Year” award by Best Lawyers® in 2011, 2014, 2018 and 2021. Both John and Virginia have received the highest rating (“AV”) by the Mar tindale-Hubbell legal directory. The firm has received a Tier One ranking in the 2021 edition of U.S. News - Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” for the Metropolitan Omaha area in the practice of Family Law. John is currently the President of the American College of Family Trial Lawyers. He recently served as President of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.

Dennis G. Whelan is a valued member of our family law team. T. Geoffrey Lieben is Of Counsel advising the firm on tax, estate and employee benefit matters.

A Divorce & Family Law Firm 9290 West Dodge Road | Suite 100 | Omaha, NE 68114 | p 402.930.1000 | www.saalawyers.com JULY/AUGUST 2021 // 59 //

APPELLATE LAW Trenten P Bausch Cline Williams Wright Johnson & Oldfather LLP Stuart J Dornan Dornan Troia Howard Breitkreutz & Conway PC LLO

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JULY/AUGUST 2021

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// 60 //

Thomas M Locher Locher Pavelka Dostal Braddy & Hammes LLC

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Nicole Seckman Jilek Abrahams Kaslow & Cassman LLP 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 300 Omaha, NE 68114 402.392.1250 AKCLaw.com

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CORPORATE LAW

COMMERCIAL FINANCE LAW

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CRIMINAL DEFENSE GENERAL PRACTICE

COMMERCIAL LITIGATION Victoria H Buter Kutak Rock LLP Andrew M Collins Erickson & Sederstrom PC

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Sean M Conway Dornan Troia Howard Breitkreutz & Conway PC LLO Justin D Eichmann Houghton Bradford Whitted PC LLO Denise E Frost Johnson & Mock PC LLO

Vacanti Shattuck, Attorneys congratulates Christopher A. Vacanti for being included in the 2021 edition of The Best Lawyers in America © for the practice of Family Law. Mr. Vacanti has achieved this recognition each year from 2012 - 2021. The Best Lawyers in America © is the oldest and most respected peer-reviewed publication in the legal profession.

Christopher A. Vacanti and the lawyers at Vacanti Shattuck have significant experience guiding their clients through difficult transitions in their divorce, child custody, and other family law matters. Vacanti Shattuck prides itself on providing steady counsel, responsive service, and powerful advocacy.

Vacanti Shattuck, Attorneys | Lawyers Dedicated to Helping Families in Transition.

vsfamilylaw.com | 2051 Harney Street | Omaha, NE | 402.345.7600 JULY/AUGUST 2021

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Clarence E Mock Johnson & Mock PC LLO

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EDUCATION

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GOVERNMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE

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EMPLOYEE BENEFITS ERISA LAW Jeremy T Christensen Baird Holm LLP

Matthew G Dunning Vandenack Weaver LLC 17007 Marcy Street, Suite 3 Omaha, NE 68118 402-504-1300 vwattys.com

Gary N Clatterbuck Baird Holm LLP

Margaret C Hershiser Koley Jessen PC

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EMPLOYMENT LAW INDIVIDUALS

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JULY/AUGUST 2021

Alex M Clarke Baird Holm LLP

Andrew D Kloeckner Baird Holm LLP Christopher A. Vacanti Vacanti Shattuck Attorneys 2051 Harney St. Omaha, NE 402.345.7600 vsfamilylaw.com

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IMMIGRATION LAW Brian J Blackford Blackford Law LLC

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FRANCHISE LAW

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// 62 //

Vickie B Ahlers Baird Holm LLP

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HEALTH CARE LAW

Robert L Cohen Kutak Rock LLP

ENERGY OIL AND GAS

EMPLOYMENT LAW MANAGEMENT Michaelle l Baumert Jackson Lewis PC

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Mary Vandenack, Mike Weaver, Monte Schatz, Matt Dunning and James S. Pieper

The other good news:

The Awards Won’t Change Them a Bit Mary Vandenack, Mike Weaver, Monte Schatz, Matt Dunning and James S. Pieper were recently voted Top Lawyers in Omaha for 2021 by their legal peers. Each says they are humbled by the honor. All five are quick to assure you nothing

Voted Top

Lawyers in Omaha

will change.

Each remains focused and energized on maintaining the high level of legal, business and tax work that won Omaha voters over.

It is, Mary, Mike, Monte, Matt and James say, the standard at Vandenack Weaver. Each day, every day, attorneys pride themselves on providing big firm legal and business expertise along with a refreshingly relationship-driven concern for their client’s best interest.

The combination wins confidence and importantly, cases for people across Omaha.

See what the legal community sees in Vandenack Weaver. Contact us today.

402.504.1300 | 888.232.1000 17007 Marcy Street | Suite 3 Omaha, Nebraska 68118

VWattys.com

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JULY/AUGUST 2021

Jon E Blumenthal Baird Holm LLP

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// 64 //

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info@adventip.com

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// 66 //

JULY/AUGUST 2021

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FEATURE // KANEKO

continued from pg. 39

That dialogue gives each of Kaneko’s works its own distinctive skin, painted and glazed by hand and in patterns as varied as dots, zigzags, or lines that never feel perfunctory. The Smithsonian American Art Museum described the overall visual effect of his work as “one of disciplined repose...by reducing his imagery to simple, archetypal symbols of nature, and minimizing the range of his colors, Jun Kaneko has created contemplative ceramic sculptures that celebrate universal aesthetic principles.”

Littleton Alston, an associate professor of sculpture at Creighton University who has known Kaneko for over two decades, compares Kaneko’s work to haiku: a poetic conversation that “elevates creative language.”

“What you have to not fall for is they’re bright, they’re big,” Alston said. “No, no, no that’s not what they’re about.

That’s the language he uses but what he’s doing is speaking words that aren’t filler. It’s not a filler conversation. If he’s saying something, you better listen to every word. What he has done is considered, and thought about, every single word in context to all of history.”

When other artists see Kaneko’s work they sense the pursuit of perfection in each piece. Alston has seen Kaneko destroy works if they weren’t what he wanted. But if you look closely at that “perfection,” Alston said, you get a glimpse of how large work can communicate in the same way a fine porcelain potter applies an intentional “human mark” on a work to indicate the humanity of the act and a oneness with the material.

large-scale ceramic pieces as well as work by other artists. In addition to exhibitions, the gallery hosts readings, lectures, and film and music presentations all centered around four major themes: design, ideas, performance, and innovation.

The gallery is currently holding a $30 million capital campaign to construct an additional building that will permanently house the artwork and artifacts in the Jun Kaneko Collection.

Alston is well aware of Kaneko’s path to Omaha, and “Omaha, the state of Nebraska, are damn lucky he stayed,” he said. Too many artists for the Creighton professor to name came to Omaha either through the Bemis or to work with or for Kaneko and many stayed, bringing their creativity and revenue to the state.

" If he' s saying something, you better listen to every word.

What he has done is considered, and thought about, every single word in context to all of history."

-littleton Alston may not reopen. The arts, like all businesses, have suffered considerably.

“It’s influenced me to look at a piece differ“The man is a lion,” Alston said. “And “He is the catalyst for that,” Alston said. ently,” Kaneko said. “I always said there’s no that’s not an understatement. He “And the Bemis is a catalyst for a lot of way any interesting situation or piece has only understands all of what he’s doing in that. And The Kaneko is catalyst for a one side, even if it’s a good piece or a bad reference to all of history. Don’t under- lot of that. Just because it doesn’t fall piece. Even good pieces have a not-so-good estimate that. It’s not a black-and-white in the ‘Beef, it’s what’s for dinner,’ it is side. And the piece you don’t like can have contrast. He is that beautiful, eloquent much more deeper than that. We need a positive side. That’s the case all the time. refinement that comes out in very to understand that when we open up Nothing is just flat. The thing is if you can’t subtle conversations, not a bullhorn.” our understanding of what art is and see the other side, that’s the problem.” what it does in the world.

Kaneko’s impact on the Omaha visual Time, Omaha, a Parkinson’s diagnosis and the arts scene certainly hasn’t been quiet. “You look at who was doing what first pandemic have not changed Kaneko’s work.

His studio, his gallery, and the work and who was doing it best and he’s right But they perhaps have changed his perspective he and Ree have done to help lead a in there. You can’t talk about art history on his work—both in progress and when he revival of downtown has had its own without talking about Jun Kaneko.” must walk away from it. trickle-down effect on the art scene.

They’ve proven art and artists can Kaneko admitted Parkinson’s has “I’m trying to find the positive side all the flourish somewhere besides New York. slowed him. But he still works most time,” Kaneko said. “And I keep on adding days. Between his work, gallery shows, positive, on top of positive, on top of posiThe Kaneko’s downtown space has and the occasional public commission, tive. If it goes that way, I’m lucky it will end become a landmark in the Old Kaneko has a staff of full-time assis- up an OK piece. But sometimes I miss the Market. In 2019, an atrium entrance tants to help. Ree handles much of the other side of it. I’ve been doing this 60 years was unveiled that links the three brick business side and he’s fine with that. already. I’m thinking about what happens on warehouses and the 400,000 square The last year hasn’t been an easy one that other side.” feet that make up the complex. The for him, or anyone, he said. The pangallery is dotted with Kaneko’s demic shuttered galleries and many Visit junkaneko.com for more information.

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July 17 RELAY FOR LIFE OF GREATER OMAHA Benefiting: American Cancer Society Location: Stinson Park at Aksarben Village —cancer.org July 17 INFUSION BLOODY MARY MIX-OFF TO-GO Benefiting: National Hemophilia Foundation Location: Spirit World (to pick up supplies 9-11 a.m.)

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Aug. 21 CELEBRATION GALA Benefiting: Madonna School Location: CHI Health Center Omaha —madonnaschool.org

// GIVING CALENDAR // Aug. 22 17TH ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT Benefiting: Lutheran Service Corps Location: Eagle Hills Golf Course —lutheranvolunteercorps.org Aug. 23 LFS GOLF SCRAMBLE Benefiting: Lutheran Family Services Location: The Players Club at Indian Creek —lfsomaha.com Aug. 23 12TH ANNUAL JESUIT ACADEMY GOLF TOURNAMENT Benefiting: Jesuit Academy Tuition Assistance Fund Location: Indian Creek Golf Course —jesuitacademy.org Aug. 23 INAUGURAL CASA CLASSIC Benefiting: CASA for Douglas County Location: Oak Hills Country Club —casaomaha.org

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// 73 //

Recycled Sounds Je ff B abcock

Justin Fisher

Omaha Street Percussion Marches to Their Own Beat

GIVING PROFILE // STORY BY KARA SCHWEISS PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN DESIGN BY MATT WIECZOREK

P

ercussionists Jeff Babcock and Justin Fisher once busked at an Old Market intersection to help bring a little boy from Korea into the Babcock family.

“We were doing this to help get some extra tip money that would go towards Jeff and his wife’s overseas adoption process,” Fisher explained.

That was summer 2012. Instead of playing traditional percussion instruments, the two men repurposed household items such as plastic buckets and metal trash cans. The medium attracted the attention of bystanders and the professional quality of the music kept them listening. The concept was so well-received by the community that Fisher began asking other colleagues to join the pair. Soon the casual ensemble was receiving their first requests to perform and teach workshops.

“That’s when things kind of took off,” Fisher said. “It happened organically. There wasn’t a business plan or a specific goal or objective; it kind of just manifested.”

The handful of percussionists became Omaha Street Percussion in 2013. Today Omaha Street Percussion’s seven members—Fisher, Babcock, Dakarai White, Chris Sikkema, Tony Lever, and Henry Fernandez—have performed hundreds of shows around Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, and Missouri from festivals and corporate events to school assemblies. OSP also works with dozens of schools to present educational programs and workshops, host an annual summer drum camp, and offer private drum lessons.

“We didn’t know OSP was going to be what it turned out to be. We always wanted to play music and continue it the rest of our lives. Most of the guys were into hardcore

“

marching percussion, competitive percussion, but that pretty much stops at a certain age,” Babcock said. “I never stopped drumming. I played in church, and that’s where I met Justin.”

Thanks to the universality of music, OSP’s performances aren’t targeted toward any particular demographic, Fisher said.

“We have a wide range of audiences, anywhere from preschool-age to retired adults.

We’ve had days where we’ve performed at a preschool in the morning and performed at a retirement community in the evening,” Fisher said. “I think it’s a cool, all-ages type of experience.”

“We’ve met some incredible people along the way. We’ve been in pretty much every concert venue and have been able to play with some fun acts,” Babcock said, adding that one highlight was opening for a Lincoln performance of “Stomp,” a U.K.-based group with a theme similar to OSP’s of using everyday objects as percussion instruments.

OSP is certainly not the only street percussion group in the country, but they’re unique to the region, Fisher said.

“I think one of the reasons we’ve been able to be so successful is that we offer something out of the norm. It’s a mix of different percussive art forms. There’s nobody else like this around,” he said. “We made it into a real workable art form that’s rehearsed and polished and presented at a professional level. Eight years later we’re still playing, and people are still discovering us.”

OSP has more than 100 shows booked for the second half of 2021. “It’s really exciting to have it bounce back like that,” Fisher said.

The organization’s members made the decision early on that their focus would be the street percussion/repurposed-materials-as-instruments concept.

“We thought it would be a way to carve our own niche. We didn’t want to be a drumline because, although most of us came from that background, we wanted it to be something different,” Fisher said.

“We are all professionally trained drummers, and we teach lessons and play on real drum kits,” Babcock added. “But there have been times when I’ve gone a long time without being able to play on a real drum set because I’ve been banging on buckets and trash cans and pots and pans.”

Spectator reactions to OSP’s novel instruments range from amused to intrigued to “kind of surprised,” Fisher said.

“When you see our setup with the recycled items, you assume something cool is going to happen,” he said.

“Since we’re high-energy, we usually get a high-energy response back: dancing, singing along, claps, cheers; what we do encourages all of that,” Babcock said. “We get people who are blown away that we can take pots and pans and buckets and make music out of it.”

Professional percussion instruments and drum kits are a considerable investment, Fisher said, and the cost of musical instruments can be prohibitive for aspiring musicians.

“We wanted to do the recycled item concept because we wanted to show that music is accessible,” he said. “You can get creative and still have a good experience with certain items that are available to you on a daily basis.”

Some of the items we play with have been given to us, and we’re not even sure what to do with it and if we’re going to keep it around. But then we discover it has a unique sound and it becomes a big part of our show. -Justin Fisher

”

JULY/AUGUST 2021

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// GIVING PROFILE //

It’s advantageous for OSP, too. Not only is overhead low, the improvised instruments are easy to replace, Fisher said. And they’re flexible in a fun way, he added.

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“The percussion instruments we choose give us that opportunity because there are so many different sounds, and we’re discovering different sounds,” he said. “Some of the items we play with have been given to us, and we’re not even sure what to do with it and if we’re going to keep it around. But then we discover it has a unique sound and it becomes a big part of our show.”

OSP has cultivated remarkable longevity with zero turnover. Fisher serves as the organization’s full-time director and the other six members have parttime commitments, but all seven work other jobs as they continue with OSP.

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Babcock was the only member who was married with children when OSP started; now his slightly younger colleagues have followed suit. OSP is rooted in family, after all. The group was on hand to greet Babcock’s son Ari when he arrived at Eppley Airfield from South Korea, and they still give a performance benefiting adoption charities every year.

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“We’ve never faced a situation where we felt like we’ve had to change our lineup or add, we haven’t had anybody want to leave or move,” Fisher said.

“Everybody is friends, and we hang out when we’re not playing.”

or Call 402.330.3000

“We became a family as it started, and Ari immediately became part of the OSP family,” Babcock said.

“They were part of the journey, and it’s part of the foundation of Omaha Street Percussion.”

Visit omahastreetpercussion.org for more information.

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// 76 //

JULY/AUGUST 2021

60 OMAHA plus

July/August 2021

Lyle & Deborah Waterhouse

Page 78

“The “The people that come into square dancing and stay with it realize realize that they're in a community that isn't just their block or or their their city, but they're in a community that expands and contracts contracts based on wherever they want to go.”

-Carol -Carol Weaklend

60+ FEATURE // STORY BY CHRIS BOWLING PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN // DESIGN BY DEREK JOY

Ferris Wheels, Squares, & Spinning Tops ONE AMERICAN TRADITION KEEPS US CONNECTED he love affair started six years ago. Familiar red, white, and blue Fourth of July parade floats promenaded through Lyle Waterhouse’s small town of Missouri Valley, Iowa, about 20 miles northwest of Omaha. Then, the dancers arrived.

Music blared as the couples stepped to the beat, swung each other around, and swapped partners. All the while a man held a microphone, announcing moves in time with the music.

A lightbulb went off—the Waterhouses needed to become square dancers.

The 58-year-old Waterhouse said, “My wife and I just kind of looked at each other and thought, “well, that’s totally us.”

While most people wouldn’t use “irresistible” to describe square dancing, that’s exactly how diehard fans like Waterhouse see the organized blend of music, dance, and socializing. And he’s not alone.

Across America, clubs gather in churches, schools, and performance halls to socialize and continue the tradition of this authentically American dance. In Nebraska alone, the state’s square and round dance association lists 28 clubs, including the Sandhill Twirlers, Prairie Promenaders, and the Heartland Singles.

// 60+ FEATURE //

Music today ranges from the aforementioned fiddle tunes to songs like “Live it Up,” a synth-heavy pop song by Pitbull and Jennifer Lopez. hile many of those dances satisfy the stereotype of cowboy boots, swishing dresses, and country western music, modern square dancing has come a long way.

There’s clubs for families, grandparents and their grandkids, singles, and couples.

There’s clubs around the world, gay and lesbian clubs, and even more, said Carol Weaklend, an Omaha native and square dancer.

“That’s all it is,” she said. “It’s truly an activity for everybody.”

Weaklend, 71, got her start square dancing in 1968. She was a freshman at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Her roommate in the Selleck Quadrangle asked if she wanted to take a trip. There was going to be a square dance in her roommate’s hometown, Odell.

Like a lot of people, Weaklend remembered square dancing from awkward school events. She still gave it a shot, driving in her Dodge Dart 50 miles south of Lincoln to Odell. Nearly a half century later, she’s still dancing.

Across the world, organized and traditional dances are essential cultural touchstones. Square dancing dates back to English quadrilles brought to the North American colonies. As the dances spread, regions such as Appalachia and the West added their own flavor. By the time Weaklend was dancing in Odell, square dancing had its own music, standard moves, and structure.

Today, modern “mainstream” square dancing follows many similar rules. A caller announces from a repertoire of about 70 moves to dancers organized in squares of four couples. Dances usually last a few hours and take place in community spaces.

Waterhouse found the activity instantly clicked with him and his wife, Deborah.

“The more that we did it, the more that we got into it,” he said. “The more that we learned of the actual dance...it was the thing that had us hungering for a little bit more.”

Waterhouse considers it an art. The caller directs a crowd of people through movement and sound, piecing together the dance knowing full well it could break down at any minute.

Still, no one’s going to be upset if someone is learning and breaks the square.

That’s part of the fun.

“There’s something so nuanced about it,” Waterhouse said. “It’s a little bit different for each individual who’s participating, but it really is something that you come to and create something [special] together.”

Through it she met her husband, traveled, and made close friends. And even as square dancing changed, the root of what makes it so fun remained.

While many in grade school learned to do-si-do to “Turkey in the Straw” or “Buffalo Gals,” music today ranges from the aforementioned fiddle tunes to songs like “Live it Up,” a synth-heavy pop song

by Pitbull and Jennifer Lopez, of which a square-dancing friendly version is available on the site musicforcallers.com.

“The people that come into square dancing and stay with it realize that they’re in a community that isn’t just their block or their city,” Weaklend said, “but they’re in a community that expands and contracts based on wherever they want to go.”

Golf polos are as common as pearl buttons. Clubs that once only allowed couples are now usually open to everybody. Conventions have become increasingly more diverse as square dancing continues to be popular in countries such as China and Japan.

// 80 //

60 PLUS • JULY/AUGUST 2021

Even the way folk dances are taught is changing. Whereas Weaklend learned to square dance for Nebraska History Month back in the ‘60s, today’s kids learn dances from around the world.

Tom Michalek has taught music in schools for more than 30 years. The 52-year-old teaches kindergarten through fifth graders in Hastings with a curriculum that includes playing instruments, reading music, and folk dancing.

Because music and dance connects us in a way other things can’t. Especially in an age where everyone is simultaneously more connected and disconnected, creative expression reconnects us to a collective identity, or lets us find a moment of calm.

That’s the common thread, whether it’s folk dances around the world or the square dancing taking place in a local school gym. While it’s fun to dance, sing, and laugh off each other’s mistakes over a momentary water break, what keeps people coming back is the sense of belonging to something greater than themselves.

Waterhouse is excited to get back to it, especially as dances return in the Omaha metro area. A lot of other people feel the same way, he said. And while he doesn’t foresee square dancing ever rising to the prominence of another cultural phenomena, all that matters is that for the people who love it, they know it’ll still be there.

“I don’t foresee the time in Omaha that we have, you know, 50 squares going at whatever venue downtown,” Waterhouse said. “But to have those opportunities continue and to have six or seven squares on at a social hall, or in a church someplace…I perceive that as something that would exist in this area for a good long time going forward.”

Visit squaredanceomaha.org or squaredancene.org for more information.

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// 81 //

A Look at Rich History of The Music Box

Psychedelic Godfathers and Punk-Rock Gods Nils Erickson recalls looking up in awe at famed harmonica player Charlie Musselwhite.

Erickson was getting ready to run sound for the burgeoning blues legend during a packed show at The Music Box in downtown Omaha.

Then, Musselwhite did something Erickson didn't expect. He pulled the youthful sound technician aside. "He told me, you know, some of these kids run sound, but you look like you know what you're doing.”

Erickson said.

“Get the sound...then go dance."

That's what The Music Box was for so many people, a chance to stand mere feet away from rock idols and blues gods—and it was a place that so many countless Omahans used for that purpose exactly.

It was a place, and a chance, for a young kid to run sound for a man who would become an icon, and—above all—a place where you always, always could dance.

// 82 //

60 PLUS • JULY/AUGUST 2021

“It was considered kind of an underground, hippie place in the early ‘70s.” - Nils Erickson

recorded him. You would have a little tiny tape deck, a little reel-to-reel tape deck. And Jerry was kind of moping around, afterwards, because he thought he had done a really terrible job. And he and my buddy actually sat there and listened to the show, and then Jerry was like 'oh, that's not so bad.'”

Erickson recounts the mid-week shows, giving thanks for the central location of The Music Box and crediting the Lincoln Highway and its Omaha through-line that cut from Chicago to Denver as a big part of why such massive acts would come to town on a Wednesday or Thursday night.

“Almost every week,” Erikson recalled. “A lot of bands would just pick up a date at The Music Box to get gas money. Where someone else was paying them a couple grand, we might be paying them a hundred bucks.”

Ask anyone over the age of 70 who’s from Omaha about it. Or, look it up online with just a few quick words in the Google search box: “The Music Box, Omaha, NE” and you’ll see how the place served as more than just a place to listen to Glenn Miller’s latest hits.

When Jimmy Carter was president and a comic-strip cat that hated Mondays as much as he loved lasagna was only a couple months old, there was one place to be on a frosty, pre-Thanksgiving night for those who wanted to rock out.

That was when people like Omaha native Nancy Neurohr attended shows at The Music Box. “It was considered kind of an underground, hippie place in the early ’70s.”

She said. Remarking that the signature atmosphere was very different than what you’d see at a show today. “It was smoky and dark.” She recalled.

The fabled Omaha concert hall loomed large in Omaha’s early days of rock, roll, and all the rest.

That was the first Music Box. The OG before anyone used the term OG; a ballroom located in downtown Omaha where big bands played and military boys, who were soon-to-be-men, would find themselves staring at a girl and all that war-honed bravado would suddenly melt into the shiny shoes they were swaying in.

It was a place to find young love; a place where young people of a certain age could forget about the bleak, uncertainties of a war raging across the ocean and instead focus their glowing eyes on the person they were about to ask to dance.

It was a place where many, many young couples met and you’ll see it in their wedding anniversary notes from local publications, gilded remembrances of a place long gone but a moment never left behind.

Erickson, owner of Rainbow Recording Studios and resident historian of The Music Box has a few stories of his own.

Not from the big band days. But from days when The Music Box was landing big bands.

He’ll tell you of packed houses and wild moments. He’ll mention nights spent with Frank Zappa’s band, The Mothers of Invention, and casually drop tales of interactions with Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead.

“Jerry thought his guitar kept going out of tune,” Erickson said, recounting one of the two times the world-famous group played The Music Box. “So one of my friends actually loaned him his guitar to play. And then another friend of mine

He remembers asking for spare change in front of the building and, when that didn’t work, digging deep into his bag of teenage tricks.

“You’d get your hand stamped and then your friend would lick their hand and you’d put your hands together and get two for the price of one!” he said, laughing about the old ways they used to monitor the entrance to shows.

As the years progressed, so did the music, even if the building and its patrons remained the same age.

In the late 1970s, the Ramones would stomp out onto the stage at The Music Box, wearing their patented leather jackets and dark glasses, and sneering with the perma-smirk glower of the too-cool punk-rock bad boys.

Soon one of the Ramone boys would shout out a wild, staccato, four-number countdown, and they would rocketlaunch into the opening strains of their hit song about Rockaway Beach and the simpler times before they became rock sensations and front-line fighters against “the man” and disco. That was on Friday, Nov. 17, 1978—one of the last times people danced at The Music Box downtown. In the early 2000s, another venue called The Music Box brought to Omaha the neo-beatnik sounds of bands such as Grateful Dead cover band Dark Star Orchestra and Donna the Buffalo at 77th and Cass Streets, but that closed in 2004.

The hand stamps may be long gone, but the memories are indelible.

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60+ ACTIVE LIVING // STORY BY KARA SCHWEISS // PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN // DESIGN BY DEREK JOY

ike many natives of Omaha, Susan Henshaw remembers visiting Joslyn Art Museum as a gradeschool student. Her father told stories about seeing Sarah Joslyn out and about near the neighborhood he grew up in, not far from Sarah and George Joslyn’s Gold Coast mansion. The Central High School alumna enjoyed the daily view of the museum’s Georgia pink marble facade throughout her teen years.

“I’ve always been drawn to it,” Henshaw said. She became a regular visitor to the fine arts museum as an adult, and as a member and supporter, even during her busiest working years in the insurance and banking industries. In 2001, an ad in the members’ magazine for weekend volunteers caught her attention.

“It was kind of like an epiphany,” she recalled. “And the rest is history.”

“If you think about the number of visitors she’s assisted and the number of people she’s helped connect with the museum, her reach in 20 years is kind of limitless.”

KATIE HERRING “The time Susan has spent with us has been shared amongst a variety of different positions previously, and she’s actually holding five different volunteer positions at the current time,” Membership Manager and Campaign Assistant Katie Herring said.

The contributions of volunteers like Henshaw are essential to the nonprofit Joslyn Art Museum, Herring said.

Henshaw serves as a Joslyn Information Assistant, the same position in which she began volunteering 20 years ago. Her other work includes development volunteer, Hitchcock Museum Shop volunteer, ticket-taker volunteer, and volunteer trainer. Herring likens her to an “auxiliary staff person.” // 84 //

60 PLUS • JULY/AUGUST 2021

“She has such a passion for the museum and is so willing to help with anything we can think of asking her…The help from her as a volunteer is completely unmeasurable,” Herring said. “Her volunteerism has assisted us in more ways than we can count, and that’s just for the staff. If you think about the number of visitors she’s assisted and the number of people she’s helped connect with the museum, her reach in 20 years is kind of limitless.”

Henshaw’s volunteer training was scheduled shortly after the events of Sept. 11, 2001, a period when people were staying close to home following the shock and uncertainty of a national tragedy. She recalled that the museum was nearly empty when she arrived for volunteer training and that her conversations with the trainer echoed in the open spaces. “It was almost kind of eerie.”

Before she retired from her 27-year career at First National Bank (“If I like something, I stick with it.”), Henshaw primarily served at the museum as a weekend JIA. Once her schedule opened, she was able to cross-train into more positions.

Henshaw said she’s been able to apply much of her professional experience to her volunteer work at the museum, with attention to detail that long ago became second nature. “Working for a bank, you have to be awfully careful what you’re doing,” she explained.

Henshaw said she has also enjoyed the opportunities that allow her to reach outside her comfort zone, such as working in the Hitchcock Museum Shop.

“I’d never worked retail, so I was hesitant to try,” she said. “But I’ve learned so much.”

Henshaw said she especially enjoys her interactions there with the youngest patrons. She’s become acquainted with the museum regulars, and when Joslyn gets busy during the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders Meeting or the College World Series, Henshaw looks forward to making new connections.

“You would not believe the people that I have spoken to from all over the world,” Henshaw said.

“I can’t draw a straight line. I have taken the art classes [at Joslyn] and the instructors are always very kind, but I have no artistic talent whatsoever.”

SUSAN HENSHAW She enjoys the constant exposure to the museum’s artworks in its permanent collections, and Henshaw said she has also seen so many impressive exhibitions over the years that it’s impossible to choose a favorite. But she leaves the creation of art to others.

“I can’t draw a straight line. I have taken the art classes [at Joslyn] and the instructors are always very kind, but I have no artistic talent whatsoever,” she said.

As a former volunteer, Herring said she understands why Henshaw keeps giving her time and talent to the museum.

“There’s a certain level of satisfaction to be able to help engage people at the museum, to see that excitement on an adult’s or child’s face alike, when they see something they’ve never seen before or they’re genuinely excited about something,” she said.

Henshaw said her volunteer experience has enriched her life.

“They always tell me ‘thank you’ when I leave, but I’ve learned so much about the inside workings of a nonprofit from them and the staff is just amazing.” she said. “I have made great friends there, and I have learned so many new things.”

Visit joslyn.org for more information.

Drawn To it Headline Volunteer Celebrates Subhead 20 Years at Joslyn

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Steve Yonedas f Happines o s nt

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ife’s W o is L rk

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Talents y n a M

60+ Profile // STORY BY LEO ADAM BIGA // PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN // DESIGN BY DEREK JOY decade ago, Steve Yoneda found himself stuck in a midlife crisis. It took surviving stage-four colon cancer for this Hawaii transplant to reorient his priorities.

“When I look back, I was just a miserable human being, obsessed with, well-whatabout-me, what-about-what-I-want,” Yoneda said. “It sounds weird, but cancer really saved my life. I realized the only thing I want is for my wife and kids to be happy.”

Cancer-free now six years, he’s free, too, of the negativity that once cast a shadow over everything.

“Unless you actually go through something like that, it’s hard to really take to heart changing your mindset,” Yoneda said. “You realize all that space in your head those negative thoughts take up.

Now it’s like my mind is clear.”

“If making someone else happy makes you happy, then that’s all there is , man.”

-Steve Yoneda “If making someone else happy makes you happy, then that’s all there is, man,” he continued. These days, part of what is making him happy is dedicating himself to wife Deb and daughters Elyssa and Lindsey.

Yoneda, 62, is a craftsman with the heart of an artist. “My eyes tell my hands what to do.” He owns SY Construction, where he creates custom carvings and murals for clients that often draw on the cultural palettes of Hawaii and his Japanese heritage. Water, sky, and floral imagery abound in his work that graces homes and businesses.

A musician since youth, the acoustic guitarist and singer performs solo and with his band The Coconuts.

He came to Nebraska when classmates left the big island to attend Creighton University in the 1980s. He followed, not for school, but to hang out.

“I always was attracted to the mainland,” Yoneda said. “I like the difference. I like the change of seasons.”

There’s a sizable Hawaiian contingent in the metro, where he found a laidback culture not unlike home. He met Deb, an Omaha native, here. She’s Jewish and he grew up Buddhist. The couple’s daughters made a birthright trip to Israel.

Within the Yonedas' circle of friends, he said, “In true Hawaii style Deb and I are ‘Auntie’ and ‘Uncle’ to all of their kids, as they are to ours.”

He was a teppanyaki cook at the former House of Genji and a display artist for J.C. Penney’s at Westroads Mall.

Yoneda and two island bros he reconnected with here, Mike Baysa and Eric Ramelb, formed the original Coconuts.

Their public debut came at the annual Creighton Hawaii Club luau. They played at Mai Tai Lounge and Mai Tai West. More recently, Vino Mas and Ono Pinay Kitchen became the band’s home base. They’ve also played weddings, private parties, and backyard concerts.

Ramelb has since departed the band but still drops in to harmonize. John Kreifels sometimes plays congas and cajon with the group.

A typical Saturday night Coconuts gig features Hawaiian music the first set, with the rest of the night devoted to covers of singers such as Jimmy Buffett, or Ed Sheeran. “Just good times,” Yoneda calls the intimate gigs. His solo sets on Thursdays feature the darker tunes he personally gravitates to.

“I am drawn to any song that tells a story,” Yoneda said. “When I sing, I close my eyes and actually try to live the song. I don’t have any illusions about having a great voice. but I know I can get to what the story of the song is and relay it to people.”

Vino Mas owner-manager Deanna Albertson said, “Steve’s warmth and personality shine when he’s playing. He and his group make you feel like you’re sitting in their living room and they’re just jamming out. There’s a little island flair to everything they play. We’re eager to have Steve and The Coconuts back this summer.”

“I am drawn to any song that tells a story. When I sing, I close my eyes and actually try to live the song.”

-Steve Yoneda As Yoneda’s matured, he’s taken his music more seriously. “I’m only now concentrating on the musicianship part of it. I think it's good I'm doing it so late in life. I'm not jaded and burned out.

Everything is new and exciting.”

Creative pursuits run in the family. His daughter Lindsey is an artist who has designed and sold T-shirts and is a musician (her dad taught her guitar) who plays in the band Ghostlike. Daughter Elyssa is an interior designer. A niece is an architecture student and Yoneda collaborated with her in designing and building a garden bridge.

As “an old guy,” Yoneda can’t relate to much new music. He eschews high-tech devices for pen and paper to curate songs.

“I enjoy writing a song’s lyrics down word by word because as I do it I get to know the song. You’ll find a phrase you never noticed before and it makes the story clear to you.”

In the throes of crisis, he followed that ritual for the Colin Hay song “Beautiful World” and was struck by how a subtle shift in verse—“perhaps this is as good as it gets” to “yeah, this is as good as it gets”—offered “a totally different perspective.” “And now this song is like my life anthem,” he said.

Yoneda’s artwork can be viewed at @ Stephen-Yoneda-Art.

JULY/AUGUST 2021 • 60 PLUS

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60+ e Prim e T im KAREN FITZGIBBONS // 71 STORY BY DAISY HUTZELL-RODMAN PHOTO BY BILL SITZMANN

Fitzgibbons wore white during her career as a nurse, but her personal sense of style dazzles with many colors of the rainbow.

She became interested in fashion as a teenager in Dedham, Massachusetts, where she realized she could expand her clothing options by sewing her own clothes. She credits her high school home economics teacher for this interest.

Fitzgibbons gained a sense of fashion from that time period by watching models on TV, who wore dirndl skirts with matching belts and blouses, or long-waisted jumpers with a belt on the hips. Fitzgibons particularly recalled a favorite pair of bright yellow T-strap pumps that she coordinated with an orange-and-yellow jumper and orange tights to match her sunny personality.

She said she loves to stay in fashion but wears different clothes than her daughters, who are in their 30s. She stays active by working out a couple times a week, particularly with her stationary bike.

Also influencing Fitzgibbons’ style is the travel she has done with her husband, Robert, a surgeon in Omaha.

Fitzgibbons said her favorite place has been Buenos Aires, Argentina, and she is fond of the suede items she has picked up there.

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OBVIOUSLY OMAHA // STORY BY TAMSEN BUTLER // PHOTOGRAPHY CONTRIBUTED

CULTURAL SPOTS IN THE METRO

01

SIX LESSER-KNOWN ATTRACTIONS

While it’s certainly true that the Old Market is host to a variety of cultural experiences, it’s important to know that numerous cultural sites exist outside the confines of downtown, yet still within the Omaha metro area. Note: Hours are correct as of presstime.

01. MODERN ARTS MIDTOWN 3615 Dodge St. | 402.502.8737 modernartsmidtown.com The Modern Arts Midtown gallery is full of pieces from contemporary artists within the local and regional area. They recently shifted some of their exhibited art to the main gallery to make it easier for visitors to peruse.

The gallery is open by appointment only.

02. JOHN SAUTTER FARMHOUSE 222 N. Jefferson St. | 402.679.5100 John Sautter, Jr. was a German immigrant who lived in this home from the 1860s to 1916. The Papillion Area Historical Society purchased the home in 1979 and moved it to its current location after housing developers bought the Sautter Farm. Inside the house is authentic decor and photos of the Sautter Family.

The home is open by appointment only.

03. GREAT PLAINS BLACK HISTORY

MUSEUM

2221 N. 24th St. | 402.932.7077 gpblackhistorymuseum.org The Great Plains Black History Museum was originally opened in the mid1970s and is dedicated to preserving, celebrating, and educating about the myriad achievements of African Americans in the Midwest and beyond.

Open for tours by appointment only on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 1-5 p.m. Tours are also available for organizations by appointment.

04. CZECH AND SLOVAK EDUCATIONAL

CENTER AND CULTURAL MUSEUM

8106 S. 84th St. | 402.686.9837 @CzechAndSlovakMuseum

One of Omaha’s newest cultural areas feature exhibits honoring Nebraska’s early Czech and Slovak immigrants. According to nebraskastudies.org, between 1856 and World War I, over 50,000 Czechs chose

02

Nebraska as their new home. This center tells their story, and also features a gift store and cafe. They host presentations on making Czech foods such as kolaches and on historical or cultural information.

The museum is open Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays 1-5 p.m.

05. MALCOLM X MEMORIAL FOUNDATION 3448 Evans St. | 800.645.9287 malcolmxfoundation.com

03

This organization teaches the community about the legacy of human rights activist Malcom X while also providing educational, family-friendly experiences along with special programs such as a community garden, radio station, and yoga classes, among others.

The site is open to the public Saturdays from noon-4 p.m. and the rest of the week by appointment, which can be scheduled by calling.

04

06. THE JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER OF

OMAHA

333 S. 132nd St. | 402.334.6426 jccomaha.org Started in 1926, the JCC offers a wide variety of social, recreational, and educational activities to the community and is home to both the Institute for Holocaust Education and the Jewish Press. The JCC has a thriving and active performing arts program along with a variety of other programs designed with the Jewish community of Omaha in mind. Last year the JCC was renamed the Staenberg Omaha Jewish Community Center in honor of philanthropist Michael Staenberg.

The JCC is open weekdays from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. with weekend hours of 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., but since these hours are primarily for the fitness center portion of the campus, visitors should consult the website for current hours of other offerings.

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2021

05

06

s e t lp a

dining feature // STORY by Niz Proskocil

photography by bill sitzmann // design by matt wieczorek

A

h t i w z z a z ip z Asian fusion cuisine at

Wave Bistro

pleases the

eye and the

palate

A dozen stir-fried jumbo shrimp circle the border of a sleek white plate, all neatly arranged on a pool of spicy-sweet sauce. A small mound of steamed broccoli sits in the center of the plate, crowned by a flaky, golden puff-pastry lattice dome. The Szechwan Shrimp entree at Omaha’s Wave Bistro is one of several beautifully plated creations that are a delight to the eye.

Owners George and Connie Liao are the husband-and-wife team behind the bistro, where thoughtful food presentation, friendly service, and dishes prepared with care and attention have made the restaurant a popular dining option for more than 14 years.

George is the executive chef, and Connie manages the dining room.

“The combination of excellent food and service at our restaurant is something I am proud of and find very special,” said George, who has worked in the restaurant business for more than 30 years.

Originally from Taiwan, the Liaos ran the former Tokyo Kitchen Japanese Grill in West Omaha for more than seven years and sold it before opening Wave Bistro at 144th Street and West Maple Road in March 2007. The couple wanted to shift their focus from an order-at-the-counter, fast-casual spot to a more upscale restaurant that offers higher-quality ingredients, attentive service, and culinary creativity.

George, 62, describes his restaurant’s style as Asian fusion. He likes to take Asian ingredients and flavors from cuisines such as Chinese, Thai, and Japanese and combine them with French and Italian cooking techniques, then add his own personal touches.

“This is the reason I opened Wave Bistro. I try to make different dishes, try to make it unique,” he said, adding that he’s more interested in “creating a new style of dishes” instead of food that is traditional or authentic.

A Thai-inspired dish he created for the menu at Wave is Garlic Basil Crusted Chicken with Seven Pepper Spiced Mango Sauce.

He wanted to pair fragrant Thai basil with mango, two ingredients that complement each other nicely. The entree features a marinated chicken breast crusted with Thai basil, served with a spicy mango sauce that infuses the dish with a pop of bright flavor and color.

Other menu highlights include Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes, Sliced Beef in Spiced Hoisin Sauce, Green Curry Vegetables, and Lemon Creamy Almond Shrimp. Wave also offers more familiar Chinese menu items such as fried rice and orange chicken, George said, since not everyone may want to try the Asian fusion fare.

The restaurant’s name is inspired by his love of seafood. George worked for an aquaculture company in Taiwan before he and Connie moved to the U.S. in 1987. They lived in Lincoln, where they had relatives, and George graduated from the food service program at Southeast Community College. He later earned a master’s degree in hospitality management from the University of Nevada in Las Vegas.

He managed gourmet Asian restaurants in Las Vegas before he and Connie returned to Nebraska. It’s where they wanted to raise their son and daughter, and start a business. The Liaos opened Tokyo Kitchen, their first restaurant, in 1999. The couple have known each other since they were children and attended the same elementary school. Growing up, their families lived about a mile apart in a small town in Taiwan.

Japanese Vanilla Souffle Cheesecake is lighter than a traditional Western-style cheesecake, but just as tasty.

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Pan-seared po rk d

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An American Culinary Federation-certified executive chef, George enjoys expanding his culinary skills and learning new techniques.

His interest in baking led him to take pastry classes in Las Vegas and at Metropolitan Community College in Omaha. At Wave, he especially likes making the desserts, which include a light and fluffy Japanese-style cheesecake, chocolate mousse torte, and crème brûlée.

He is also an avid cookbook collector and owns more than 500. In the mornings, he enjoys studying recipes and getting inspired.

“During my free time, I am always experimenting with different tastes and ideas,” he said.

“This is the way you can improve.”

Food presentation is important to him, so he strives to make dishes that look as good as they taste. Among the eye-catching entrees at Wave is the Cashew Crusted Salmon Fillet, a customer favorite. It features a stacked presentation that starts with a bottom layer of rice formed into a disc, followed by a tidy row of vibrant green asparagus, and topped with tender, flaky salmon with a golden-brown, crunchy cashew crust for added texture and flavor. A savory teriyaki reduction sauce is swooped in a circle around the plate.

When using edible garnishes such as fresh herbs, fruit, or sliced vegetables to decorate a dish, he said, it’s important that the

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garnishes complement the dish’s flavor and enhance its appearance. Dots and swirls of sauces, ingredients with varied shapes and sizes, and bright pops of color can add visual appeal to the plate.

“This is the first impression to the guests,” he said. “Making food look good is all part of the joy of cooking.”

The dining room at Wave also makes an impression. Featuring a mix of contemporary and traditional decor, the 74-person capacity space is comfortable and inviting. Glass water goblets and crisp white cloth napkins adorn the wooden tables, and a pair of giant wavy sculptures hang from the high ceilings. Soft, neutral colors and fresh flowers set the tone for a relaxing ambiance.

Providing a positive dining experience and interacting with guests is what Connie enjoys most about owning and operating a restaurant. Before coming to the U.S., she worked in an administrative job at a high school in Taiwan. She’s known for her people skills and warm, cheerful personality, her husband said, and has a knack for remembering names and faces of many guests over the years.

“A lot of customers have been like friends,” Connie said. “I like to talk to customers.

George likes cooking.”

This is the first impression to the guests.

Making food look good is all part of the joy .. of cooking.

-George Liao

Being a chef and owner is hard work, but it’s also rewarding, George said. It allows him to be creative while taking on a variety of responsibilities in and out of the kitchen. “I like the fast-pace nature, creating new dishes, making decisions...and building a community of friends,” he said.

For some of the restaurant’s regulars, Wave has become a favorite spot to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions.

“People come here not only to enjoy the food but the service and the music,” George said.

Once a year, the Liaos take a break from the bistro and go on a weeklong vacation, usually overseas. France and Italy are among their favorite travel destinations, largely for the food.

Even on Sundays, his one day off, George is all about cooking and creating. He’ll head to the restaurant, where he has the kitchen all to himself, and spend hours baking cakes, bread, and French and Chinese pastries, or experimenting with new dishes. Not to put on the menu, he said, but simply for the joy of it.

Visit wavebistrorestaurant.com for more information.

// 94 //

JULY/AUGUST 2021

DINING PROFILE // STORY BY TARA SPENCER

T

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN // DESIGN BY MATT WIECZOREK

omatoes, peppers, chives, mushrooms, and onions placed carefully on a bed of chewy, sourdough focaccia bread form a portrait of puppy love. Matthew Scheffler has officially found a new hobby—creating art from bread.

what I have in my house.” After doing some research, he decided to try sourdough focaccia. “When I first tasted it, I was blown away. It was the first successful bread I’d ever made,” he said. “So I kind of stuck with that.”

Many people turned to the oven while stuck at home in 2020.

However Scheffler’s bread affair began pre-pandemic. His mom would make simple banana breads when he was younger. While it wasn’t an interest at the time, later in life he started experimenting with baking his own and bringing his creations into work for coworkers and friends. One day he might use carrots, or make a zucchini bread, “just kind of spicing it up and making it a wacky bread.”

Focaccia is his main jam right now, but this isn’t just any flat Italian bread. Scheffler has taken Matt’s Breads to a whole new level, recreating familiar works of art and creating his own using a variety of vegetables and herbs.

His friend and former coworker Katie Callaghan said he made her a vampire bread. “We were just talking, and I think I said a vampire would be cool and he said, ‘OK!’” The bread included peppers, tomatoes, onions, and black olives. “It tasted great,” Callaghan said.

He tried his hand at making other types of loaves. “I tried wheat bread, I tried a marbled dry.

I failed every time,” he said with a laugh.

Callaghan said she loved working with Scheffler, and not just for the free bread.

“He was always in a good mood,” she said, before adding that he had “the strangest music taste.” A visit to the kitchen when he was working might reveal him blaring a Britney Spears tune one minute and rocking out to Slayer the next. “You never knew what he was gonna play.”

“So it kind of turned into this joke, and I started getting a little adventurous,” he said.

The interest was organic, becoming something he enjoyed doing on a regular basis. He started photographing his doughy creations, even starting an Instagram account.

“I cracked myself up one night calling it Matt’s Breads.”

No doubt he cracks others up as well.

The 31-year-old, who works at La Buvette, has an energy that is infectious even over Zoom. He walks from room to room, pausing longest in the kitchen to touch on his latest creation, a beet-infused pan of focaccia and a spinach puree for future use. “Look at this gorgeous green,” he said enthusiastically. He is also working on some sourdough brownies. “That’s a big hit…got some white chocolate and walnuts in there.”

A look at Matt’s Breads’ Instagram page could draw some comparisons. One photo features a buttery-looking recreation of Gustav Klimt’s “The Kiss,” while the one before it is the Jurassic Park logo. His first attempt at creating art on bread was the aforementioned portrait of puppy love—a picture of his friend’s chihuahua. He also made one featuring Picasso’s “The Old Guitarist” for his father, who is a jazz guitarist with the Omaha Symphony.

Cooking was not something that came to him naturally. Scheffler said while he’s now been in the service industry for roughly seven years, it all began with a little fear at what used to be Saints Pub in Midtown Crossing. “I started as a terrified mid-20s server—absolutely terrified. And then they told me to bartend and I was terrified. And then they told me to cook, and I was terrified,” he said. “Now I’ve done pretty much everything besides G.M. but I do great at all of it….[I] kind of just hit the ground running with it all. I didn’t even know how to make a Jack and Coke, but here I am, making Long Islands,” he joked.

Scheffler said he doesn’t consider himself to be terribly artistic. “I never tried to paint…my artistic background is doodling on bar napkins, I guess.” It’s these doodles, however, that spawn the ideas for his bread art.

Baking sourdough bread was also intimidating at first. “It seems complicated and science-y. But then you just kind of get into the kitchen and do it.” Scheffler said the sourdough starter is like a pet.

“You feed it every day, and you watch it bubble up, and you start to see it grow and get stronger, and you kind of take pride in your starter after a while…like a little baby. Or a Tamagotchi.”

His first sourdough attempt was trying to make a loaf, but he said that failed. “I didn’t have the equipment…I’m just working with

JULY/AUGUST

While he might sketch things out beforehand, as he did with a recent Star Wars-themed creation, he said when it comes to creating the images, he uses an exacto knife to cut the vegetables. “It’s not like I can trace anything…so it’s pretty much winging it,” he said. “When you’re cutting out vegetables, there’s no erasing or going back.” He added that he does lay things out on a plate before placing them on the dough.

Sheffler said there is a wild card moment, in that you don’t know what it’s going to do once you bake it. “There’s kind of a magic about the impermanence of it all that kind of adds to the charm, I think, of the art,” he said. “Also, you’re gonna eat it. Like, I spend four hours doing the art, but I can’t wait for you to eat it, because it’s so good.”

Visit matts_breads on Instagram for more information.

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2021

96

| JULY/AUGUST 2021

AN ARTFUL ADVENTURE IN

FLAVOR

DINING REVIEW // STORY BY TIM TRUDELL

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN // DESIGN BY MATT WIECZOREK

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| DINING REVIEW | IKA RAMEN AND IZAKAYA

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KA RAMEN AND IZAKAYA IS A FAR CRY FROM THE CUP OF RAMEN HEATED IN ONE'S DORMITORY-ROOM MICROWAVE, OR THE DRIED NOODLES WITH FLAVORING PACKETS MANY SURVIVE ON IN THEIR FIRST APARTMENT. LOCATED IN THE HEART OF BENSON, AMID BARS, GALLERIES, BOUTIQUES, AND VINTAGE GOODS STORES, THE ASIAN EATERY AND BAR ROCKS THE PALATE WITH ITS TAKE ON RAMEN SWIMMING IN ITS OWN UNIQUE SPICY BROTH. IN JAPAN, AN IZAKAYA IS A CASUAL BAR, WHERE PEOPLE MEET, ENJOY DRINKS, AND GRAB A BITE TO EAT—THE PERFECT DESCRIPTION FOR THIS LOCAL EATERY.

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he storied neighborhood is a perfect fit for the original Ika home, as its eclectic, relaxed vibe embraces the restaurant. With Beercade’s retro arcade across the street, Ika is a great date-night spot.

My wife Lisa and I enjoy strolling through Benson, taking in the neighborhood’s public art, either through the “alley” art with its colorful murals or the social justice messages displayed on storefront windows.

We’d been wanting to try Ika Ramen and Izakaya for a while.

I love ramen. If I could live off of it, I would. (Unfortunately, Lisa has other ideas for sustenance.)

Splitting a couple of small plates, we each selected an item.

Lisa chose a five-piece order of gyoza, while I opted for the buffalo chicken skins. The gyoza, a dumpling with pork and cabbage, lay in a shallow pool of their “magic” sauce, which provided a nice flavor. The buffalo chicken skins, tossed in their fuego sauce, offer a hot and spicy crunch. Though served on a small plate, we agreed the skins were plenty as an appetizer for two. The fuego sauce consists of chicken broth and a chili sauce similar to sriracha, said Blake Farias, the front-of-thehouse manager.

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Since Ika Ramen and Izakaya is a Japanese-style kitchen, everything is cooked at the same time, unlike other places in which appetizers are prepared first, Farris said. That’s why some items are referred to as small plates. He said the chicken skins rate among customers’ favorite small plate offerings, while other tasty small plates include chicken skewers and fried brussel sprouts.

“I’ve been told we have the best calamari in town,” he added.

Bowls are among the entree options, and include poke, featuring fish with vegetables or rice. Lisa chose the Poke Ceviche, which consists of salmon, cucumbers, red and green onions, avocado, cilantro, Thai chili, a citrus marinade, seaweed, and that magic sauce.

The ramen, of course, is the main star at Ika. My usual go-to is Tonkotsu, with a pork broth, shar siu (barbecue pork), ajitama (soft-boiled egg), negi (green onion), pickled ginger, and mushroom.

However, the spicy miso intrigued me, with chili oil and spicy bok choy. Swimming in chicken broth, the dish includes gochugan sausage (flavored with chili paste), onsen tamago (soft-cooked egg), and noodles. It’s definitely a spicy dish, which I loved. Fair warning though, I did find myself taking more than a few drinks of my soda during dinner.

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| DINING REVIEW | IKA RAMEN AND IZAKAYA hose who don’t care for spicy ramen dishes can choose from several mild options, such as Mary Jane (featuring barbecue chicken in chicken broth).

A third entree option on the menu is donburi, a rice bowl with meat or fish, as well as vegetables and rice.

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While all have murals on the walls, each features a different design unique to that eatery and created by Alex Roskelley, who did the murals at Beercade and Jake’s Cigars. Each piece adds to the individuality of that location, and, if you’re art enthusiasts like we are, they entice you to visit each restaurant.

For more information on the restaurants, visit ikaramen.com.

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JULY/AUGUST 2021

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Distinctive art at each spot helps distinguish them from each other.

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While ramen is the main attraction, menus vary at each location. The Papillion location includes a large selection of sushi, and Lucky Tiger Izakaya also features sushi with the ramen and small plates.

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Since opening in 2017, the company has added Ika San Downtown in the Old Market. Lucky Tiger Izakaya opened in the Blackstone District in 2020, and the newest location, Ika San Shadow Lake in Papillion, opened in April.

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“The bartenders are great at creating fun drinks,” Farris said.

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With an intimate seating capacity of 36 people, Ika Ramen and Izakaya fills up quickly. On Friday and Saturday, the wait can last up to three hours, Farris said. Kaitei—Ika’s speakeasy—is located in the basement, and is an excellent spot for people to wait for a table, he said. Guests can enjoy a drink and visit with their party. The staff will come and lead them to their table, Farris said.

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While we didn’t order an alcoholic beverage during our visit, Ika’s bar menu offers a nice selection, from sake to rice beer, as well as plenty of mixed drinks. A favorite option is Makgeolli, a rice wine that is gaining popularity across the United States, Farris said. .

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Course Guide

FORE-WARD THINKING A History of Omaha Country Club COMPILED BY DAISY HUTZELL-RODMAN

maha’s most prestigious country club is also the city’s original. In 1899, Omahan Arthur P. Guiou persuaded 65 fellow members of the Omaha Club to donate $100 per person to establish the Omaha Country Club. Guiou owned Guiou Lumber Co. and was a prominent figure in Omaha society. With these funds, a board was established and 80 acres were purchased south and east of a trolley line that ran through the Benson area (60th and Maple streets). The next year, according to the Omaha WorldHerald, a professional golfer from Kansas City named George Baird came to lay out the golf links. Two months later, the club held its first celebrity golf match.

The idea of playing golf in Omaha became successful. In 1905, 40 additional acres were purchased to create one 18-hole course. By 1916, OCC created a waiting list for membership.

In November that same year, construction began on a practice putting green.

The “Roaring ’20s” gave OCC much prosperity. In 1922, the OCC hosted the Trans-Mississippi Golf Association Tournament, and by the mid-1920s, professional golf gave more prominence and a sense of fashion to the game.

The land for the location of Omaha Country Club at 6900 Country Club Road was procured in 1922 from the sale of the previous land at $150,000. // G102 //

OMAHA MAGAZINE • JULY/AUGUST 2021

It was the site of clothier Arthur Brandeis’ estate, called “Olive Crest,” and Boston golf course architect Wayne Stiles created the 18-hole course. A fashionable Tudor-revival-style clubhouse, offering many modern amenities, was opened in 1927. The clubhouse sits in this location today.

As the country experienced the Great Depression in the 1930s, the Omaha Country Club strove for innovation, planning, and frugality, but still entered 1940 financially insecure. World War II and rationing also contributed to low membership and income, but by 1945, OCC was swinging again. The 1950s saw prosperity in the club and its membership. Architect Perry Maxwell was commissioned to undertake an extensive renovation of the course in 1952. Changes made by Maxwell included shortening hole No. 5, lengthening holes No. 6 and 10, relocating the green on No. 12, and completely rebuilding many of the green complexes on the golf course. As a result, OCC bears the unmistakable stamp of Maxwell's hand and its undulating greens, with their “Maxwell rolls.”

The terrace was completely rebuilt and included a dance floor.

The 1960s through the 1980s carried the traditions of the OCC as a premier golf course and club, but the transition to the modern era brought with it many changes. Chief among these was a more active mixed-golf program.

With more women employed outside the home, many women worked during the traditional golf days of Tuesdays for 18 holes and Wednesdays for nine holes. A new golf shop and ladies locker room were added to the north end of the clubhouse in 1960. OCC also hosted the Women's Trans-Mississippi Championship in 1972.

The 21st century brought with it a strategy to remain the city’s premier country club. In 2004, Keith Foster of Paris, Kentucky, was chosen as the architect to revitalize the entire golf course. The renovated course, on which golfers and spectators will gather for the U.S. Senior Open Championship July 8-11, was listed in Golf Week Magazine’s “Top 200 Classic Courses” in 2016.

OCC first hosted the U.S. Senior Open Championship in 2013. The course was redesigned in preparation, and the clubhouse was significantly remodeled—from necessary roof repair to renovating the screened-in porch. The event brought national attention to the club.

OCC celebrated its sesquicentennial in 2017. They are proud to be the host of the 2021 USSO. For more information, visit omahacc.org

PHOTO BY BILL SITZMANN COURSE ILLUSTRATIONS BY BRIAN HILL

WELCOME To the U.S. Senior Open Championship

maha Country Club, site of the 41st U.S. Senior Open Championship, is Omaha’s premier country club.

Established in 1899, the club has kept up-to-date through a series of enhancements and renovations throughout its 155-year history.

Jackie Brandt spent several summers caddying at Omaha Country Club in the 1950s as a youth.

In 1956, he began playing for the New York Giants, and he spent the majority of his 12-year MLB tenure with the Baltimore Orioles. He played in two All-Star games and won a Golden Glove in 1959.

The course on which top senior golfers will play over the next four days was designed by architect Perry Maxwell in 1952. The design was renovated in 2004 by Keith Foster; who also restored Maxwell’s course designs at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa and Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth.

Thomas Sieckmann is the director of golf instruction at Omaha Country Club. This former PGA player won the 1988 Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic with a score of -17. Scott Gutschewski, Mike Schuchart, and Jim White are also former PGA golfers with roots in Omaha.

One notable Major League Baseball player graced the golf course at Omaha Country Club.

OCC welcomes all visitors and players to the 41st U.S. Senior Open Championship.

JULY/AUGUST 2021 • U.S. SENIOR OPEN

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OMAHA MAGAZINE • JULY/AUGUST 2021

Jennifer Likes Board Member and Golf Committee Chair

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he elevated first tee presents players with the first risk/reward of the round. The hole is a relatively short par 4 with a dogleg right, and the tee shot is critical. A long hitter can hit though the fairway and into the punishing rough. The right corner is heavily guarded by a well-placed bunker, tall pines, and native grasses. The fairway slopes left, and the tee shot is best played to the right center of the fairway, flying the bunker if possible. Anything left of center means the player will have a blind second shot, which is slightly uphill into a well-guarded green with deep bunkers to the left and right. The green, with its subtle breaks, can prove to be a difficult read.

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ee the ball on the left side of the markers and aim down the right side with a south wind. In a north wind, aim down the middle and attempt placement in the middle or right side of the fairway. The left rough is brutal. Aim the second shot at the trees to the right of the sand trap on the right of the green to take advantage of the right-to-left fairway slant. The third shot to the green should be between 60 to 100 yards, setting up a sand wedge, gap wedge, or wedge depending on the wind. Plan to land the ball on the green 5 to 8 yards short of the flagstick to allow for roll up, unless the flagstick is on the front right (then the goal should be hit high to the left). The green slopes severely back to front and right to left, so, if the green is fast, avoiding going long is essential.

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OMAHA MAGAZINE • JULY/AUGUST 2021

Ande Johnson Board Member, Ladies Golf Co-chair, Membership Committee Co-chair, 2012 & 2016 Club Champion

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his is the longest of the par 3s on the course and is the ninth (men) and 11th (women) handicap hole. Like all the other par 3s at OCC, prepare for a lot of trouble surrounding a deceiving green. With a downhill look, this green is flanked by sand.

An overhanging tree on the back right of the green can mean a brutal pitch or chip shot.

A way-left hit creates a blind pitch into a green with multiple breaks. Any player can shoot for the flagstick, but the potential for a double is high. The smart decision is to play for the center of the green regardless of hole location. The next best option is to hit short. On the green or just off, a par is achievable, but if anywhere else, players should say a prayer and hope for the best.

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he fourth hole is the most difficult par 4 and the No. 1 handicap hole. The right side of the fairway is guarded by multiple trees and runs alongside an unmaintained native area. A severely sloped hillside and fairway bunker guard the left side of the fairway. An accurate tee-off on this hole is key. A drive in the fairway will leave a mid-to-short iron to a large, but nuanced, elevated green protected by two deep bunkers. Approach shots that land in the back third of the green rarely hold the putting surface. Par is a great score on this hole.

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he fifth hole is the most difficult of the five par 3s. The green complex is among the most challenging. Deep bunkers guard both sides of this steeply sloped green.

A false front makes a precise tee shot critical. A tee shot into the center of the green is always a wise play regardless of the hole location. Back right hole placements require a precise shot to a small, but accessible, plateau. The green will be running away from players, so keeping the chip shot on the green is no small task. Back left hole placements are the most accessible, as a well-struck shot into the middle of the green will feed left and often leave an uphill putt for birdie. But even to the back left, the steep slope of the green easily fools players. Front left hole placements are generally a few paces from the false front that guards this green. Coming up short means being left with an interesting 25-to-30-yard chip. Par is an excellent score on this hole.

// G108 //

OMAHA MAGAZINE • JULY/AUGUST 2021

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his is one of the best risk-vs.-reward holes on the course, and there are many different ways to play it. Depending on the wind direction, a good drive will leave the player at the bottom of the hill with a 180-160 yard shot to the green. Big hitters should avoid the left, as there is a hidden creek in play. Shorter drivers should plan for a layup and favor the left side, as a miss right makes the layup harder. Those who decide to layup should note a gorgeous creek intersects the fairway about 80 yards from the green. The green has lower and higher tiers. A player can use the green’s slope as a backstop for lower-tier hole locations, and get in good position. For higher-tier hole locations, it is imperative to be level or below the hole. A miss long to the back of the green’s rough will likely result in big numbers. Likewise for the back green side bunker.

Leaving the ball in the middle of the green and trying to two-putt is the conservative play. With a long- or mid-iron, favor a distance to the front of the green to protect against going long. With a wedge after a layup, the middle of the green is a good target distance-wise. The hole is well-bunkered.

JULY/AUGUST 2021 • U.S. SENIOR OPEN

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his hole represents the best scoring chance of the par 3s on the front nine. The tee is elevated, from which the green site is situated at a low point, immediately past a creek that will likely not come into play. The hole is framed by trees and three bunkers We make it easy to stay comfortable through all of Omaha’s most unpredictable weather. That’s because that are benched up to the putting surface. When on the tee, players should take notice Claim your special limited of the wind direction and hole location, as it will dictate the overall shot shape via a installed to seal in comfort in your home, for years to come. time offer at PellaOmaha.com, fade or a draw. Using the inside edges of the front two bunkers as the shaping target Claim your special limited time offer at PellaOmaha.com, or call 402-493-1350. will lead to success. The largest challenge for the seventh hole is the subtle nature of or call 402-493-1350. breaks that are presented on the green and feature a gentle slope that divides the green into quadrants. To make par here is expected, whereby birdie is needed before heading onto the final #1 two of the front nine, which prove difficult.

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// G110 //

OMAHA MAGAZINE • JULY/AUGUST 2021

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his is ranked as the third toughest hole at Omaha County Club, and it easily deserves this ranking. This is a long par 4 that requires two well-struck shots to reach the green. The optimal tee shot finds the left side of the fairway and often catches a speed that allows the ball to travel another 20 yards or more on the ground. Missing right sends the player into a hazard and missing too far left blocks the player by a thicket of low-hanging trees. After a nice tee shot, the player is faced with a mid-tolong iron shot. The green is well-protected by sand traps on the right side and severe mounding on the left. Missing short or right will allow the player to get up and down with a deft pitch shot. Missing long, or, even worse, missing left, requires one of the most difficult pitches on the golf course with the severe left-to-right green running away from the player. There is no certain two-putt on this double-tiered green that breaks severely from left to right.

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he ideal tee shot is on the right side of the fairway as the fairway slopes hard down and left. There are two deep bunkers on the right side, making reaching the green in regulation a challenge. Hitting too far left will leave a player in deep rough. A tee shot down the middle can easily dribble off into the left rough.

A good tee shot will leave a player with a mid-iron into a green with two greenside bunkers on the right and left. One should aim for the center of the green. A fast downhill green makes for a difficult shot when a player hits off the back. The ideal approach will leave the ball below the hole. Par on this hole is a win, and birdies are also achievable.

// G112 //

OMAHA MAGAZINE • JULY/AUGUST 2021

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challenging dog-leg right that rewards a well-hit drive and tempts the brave with a “go for it in two” uphill second shot. A good strategy is to play the left side of the fairway with a driver off the tee. If struck well, a second shot seven-iron, placed between the right and left fairway bunkers, allows for a short iron to the green (an errant third shot assumes risk on both the right and left, in addition to going out-of-bounds long and behind). The undulating green and constant speed pose a two-putt par.

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OMAHA MAGAZINE • JULY/AUGUST 2021

his is a relatively short par 3; however, it poses lots of opportunities to find trouble.

The small green of this 170-yard hole has four greenside bunkers and a falsefront fairway that seem to be a magnet for any errant shots. If the flagstick is tucked behind the front bunkers, aiming at the center of the green is probably the best option, because the ball will funnel back to the hole. If the flagstick is back, aiming for the center of the green is not a bad choice. The back bunkers pose the biggest threat.

Missing on the left side of the green will put a player on the false front fairway side.

This leaves the golfer with a tight lie to a very small, undulating green. Part of what makes the hole difficult is the scenery. This may be the shortest hole on the course, but has one of the best views of any hole. From the tee, golfers are able to see the 16th green, the 12th fairway, the 17th tee, the 18th green, and the OCC Clubhouse looming in the foreground. This is often an underappreciated hole and one of the best that OCC has to offer.

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ole No. 12 is one of the more difficult holes on the course, requiring a precise drive and offering a challenging green complex. The drive should be aimed at the right third of the fairway. The sloping right-to-left fairway will bring the ball to the left third of the fairway. A miss to the rough on the right offers little chance to hit the green, as the green is guarded on the right by a large cottonwood tree. A miss ending up in the left rough does offer a chance to reach the green, but the green is guarded by a false front on the left and by a deep bunker complex. A drive in the fairway offers the best chance to hit this green, which slopes right-to-left and back to front. Once on the green, putts require good green reading and distance control. Birdies are rare, and bogies are more likely.

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OMAHA MAGAZINE • JULY/AUGUST 2021

Scott Schmidt Board Member and Club President

N

o. 13 is the easiest hole on the golf course, yet presents several challenges. Hitting a 200-yard tee shot to the left side of the fairway presents the best opportunity to approach the green; however, two fairway bunkers guard the left side of the fairway, and any tee shot between 200-300 yards left is either in a bunker, behind a tree, or in tall native grass. The green slopes left-to-right and back-to-front, and is guarded in front by bunkers on the left and right. A false front stops any approach shots that fall short. Hitting driver off of the tee can drop the ball in front, or on the green, but anything that misses the 20-yard landing area will cause the golfer to end at par or above, potentially giving a shot back to the course.

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Joe Sullivan III Board Member, Club Treasurer

T

his hole plays longer than its 324 yards based on its long gradual uphill trajectory.

Roughly 220 yards from the tee is a bunker off the left side of the fairway, and not much further on the right side the fairway begins to narrow considerably. The green is guarded by two large bunkers; one left front and the other on the right side. Off the tee, a good strategy is sacrificing distance for accuracy with hopes of leaving a nine-iron to the middle of the green.

402.905.4175 bigbrainwestomaha.com 16920 Wright Plaza #162, Omaha, NE 68130 402.905.4175 bigbrainomaha.com 1123 Jackson Street, Omaha, NE 68106 JULY/AUGUST 2021 • U.S. SENIOR OPEN

// G117 //

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1500+ Courses to choose from // G118 //

OMAHA MAGAZINE • JULY/AUGUST 2021

T

his is one of the most challenging holes on the course. Club selection is more variable on this final par 3 than it is on any of the others. The tee box sits at one of the highest points on the course and the hole plays dramatically downhill toward the lowest point on the course at the creek bed. Wind, however, is the biggest consideration when selecting a club. Players who miss the green may want to be short, because there isn’t an easy second shot from anywhere else. A miss left makes the second shot nearly impossible to hold the green and a miss right will usually put players in the deep greenside bunker, which makes it hard to judge distance and loft. The slope of the green is fairly severe, running from the back to the front. There are many subtle breaks on this green that can be difficult to read.

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his is a long, demanding par 5 into a well-bunkered, two-tiered green. This hole features one of the narrowest fairways on the course, with trees on the right and heavy rough on the left. The ideal tee shot is on the right side of the fairway, as the fairway slopes hard down and left. Two deep bunkers on the right side of the green can cause fits for all players. Hitting too far left will leave players in deep rough. A drive down the middle can easily dribble off into the left rough. A good tee shot will leave the player with a mid-iron shot to the green, with greenside bunkers on the right and left. Aim for the center of the green. This fast downhill green makes for a difficult shot when a player hits off the back. The ideal approach will leave a ball below the hole. A severe pull will find the creek on the left side. Going for the green in two is only for long hitters, and is a high risk/reward situation.

402.333.5722 15803 PACIFIC ST., OMAHA, NE SW-FENCE.COM JULY/AUGUST 2021 • U.S. SENIOR OPEN

// G119 //

COURSE GUIDE HOLE SPONSOR

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T

he fairway slopes slightly from left to right. Favoring the left/middle side of the fairway on the drive is ideal, as it will feed to the right/middle of the fairway, allowing for a better angle on the approach shot. Hitting a second shot from the fairway will permit the player to be more aggressive with a precise approach shot. The green is well-guarded by bunkers and deep rough, as well as a severe uphill slope in front of the green. Missing short could result in the ball rolling 40 to 70 yards back down the fairway. This large green allows for a wide array of hole locations. Several subtle slopes throughout the green makes for a tricky read. It will take three precise shots to make birdie. Making par is always a good score on this hole.

// G120 //

OMAHA MAGAZINE • JULY/AUGUST 2021

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Janet Kratina Member, Two-time Member/Member Tournament

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he tee and green on this hole are nearly level, but the fairway dives down a ravine.

A good tee shot should get players close to the top of the hill. The second shot needs to stay right, because the fairway slopes drastically from right to left. The chances are that an uphill approach shot, from an uneven lie, will be challenging.

While the green isn’t as difficult as some, it’s protected by three bunkers, the worst of which a golfer will go into if the player needs to approach from the left. A safe miss on the green is short as it is sloped upwards from front to back. The next stop is always the 19th hole.

FASTSIGNS® of Omaha 751 N. 114th Street, Omaha, NE 68154

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www.fastsigns.com/47 JULY/AUGUST 2021 • U.S. SENIOR OPEN

// G121 //

A CERTIFIED

PROFESSIONAL STORY BY HOWARD MARCUS PHOTO BY BILL SITZMANN

Bringing the Gold Standards maha Country Club General Manager Tom McKitterick and his 60-member clubhouse staff will run the foodand-beverage service inside the facility at the 41st U.S. Senior Open Championship.

Fortunately, McKitterick has been acquainted with commercial kitchens since high school, when he worked at a Howard Johnson’s restaurant in Rapid City, South Dakota.

“I started as a dishwasher, did some work as a busser, [then] moved up to cook— and that was mostly during the summers,” said McKitterick, 58.

He then worked toward a Bachelor of Science in hotel and restaurant management at Southwest Minnesota State University.

When McKitterick’s parents retired and moved from Rapid City to Lincoln, he transferred to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

He earned a Bachelor of Science in food service management, with a minor in business management, from UNL in 1985. // G122 //

OMAHA MAGAZINE • JULY/AUGUST 2021

While at UNL, he did an internship at the Cornhusker Hotel in Lincoln. The hotel then hired him as assistant catering services manager.

A few months after graduating, Lincoln’s Hillcrest Country Club hired McKitterick as assistant manager. He managed Hillcrest for 11 years.

What followed were positions at clubs around the country, including three years as CEO of the Country Club of Decatur in Decatur, Illinois; nearly four years as COO of Minnehaha Country Club in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; then 16 years as CEO of the Country Club of Lincoln.

Along the way, McKitterick earned two certifications from the Club Management Association of America. One is Certified Club Manager. When McKitterick first became certified in 1993, he was 30—one of the youngest CCMs in the country.

In 2011, he earned the Certified Chief Executive certification from CMAA, which mandates a minimum of five years’ service as a chief executive and time spent mentoring others, among other requirements. A final step is Master Club Manager. “I'm working on that,” he said.

One thing he doesn’t do much is play golf.

“People will often say, ‘I bet you golf a lot.’

And I'm like, well, to be a decent golfer, you have to golf a fair amount, and I just never had time with the family and work,” he said.

McKitterick’s move to the Omaha Country Club happened a year ago.

OCC’s location was an attraction to him and his wife, as their daughter, son-inlaw, and two grandsons live in Omaha.

In his role at the 122-year-old club, McKitterick oversees an operation that employs about 200 people at its summertime peak. About 90 work at the club year-round.

The U.S. Senior Open Championship—a joint effort of the United States Golf Association, event facilitator Bruno Event Team, and the OCC, is a point of pride for McKitterick, who said, “we're excited for the city, and our members are excited to showcase their course. Our golf season here in the Midwest is so short. But everyone at the club is happy to see this event come to Omaha.”

Visit omahacc.org for more information.

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// G123 //

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// 125 //

- Sponsored Content -

Omaha

DINING GUIDE AMERICAN BARREL & VINE- $$ 1311 South 203rd Street Omaha, NE 68130 Barrel and Vine’s restaurant is an elevated food experience that is made from scratch daily with love in our kitchen. Our menu combines a mixture of Chef driven creative dishes, crave-able comfort meals and premium Nebraska steaks. Barrel & Vine also doubles as a live music venue and offers a rooftop bar, outdoor patio with firepits, and dozens of high end bourbons, scotch, and over 100 wine selections. Come check out an experience that is like nothing else in Nebraska. Open 7 days a week.

Coming July 2021.

JAMS- $$ 7814 Dodge St. - 402.399.8300 17070 Wright Plz, Ste. 100 - 402.810.9600 1101 Harney St. in the OldMarket 402.614.9333 Jams is an Omaha restaurant legacy, an “American Grill” that offers a melting pot of different styles and varieties. The dishes are made with high-quality ingredients that pair well with award-winning wines or creative cocktails. —jamseats.com

LE PEEP - $ 69th & Pacific - 402.933.2776 177th and Center streets - 402.934.9914 156th St. & W. Dodge Rd. - 402.408.1728 120th and Blondo streets - 402.991.8222 Le Peep puts a wholesome perspective on your favorite neighborhood breakfast and lunch spot. Fresh. Simple. Elegant. Inviting.

We put the emphasis on people, both patrons and staff. We focus on providing each of our guests the fresh food and friendly service that they have come to expect. Open daily 6:30 a.m.-2 p.m.

—lepeepomaha.com

STELLA’S - $ 106 S. Galvin Road, Bellevue - 402.291.6088 Since 1936, we’ve been making our world-famous Stella’s hamburgers the same way. The family secrets have been handed down to each owner, ensuring that your burger is the same as the one you fell in love with the first time you tried Stella’s. And if it ’s your first time, we know you’ll be back! Monday-Saturday 11 a.m.-9 p.m., closed Sunday.

—stellasbarandgrill.com

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JULY/AUGUST 2021

TED AND WALLY’S - $ 1120 Jackson St. - 402.341.5827 Come experience the true taste of homemade ice cream in the Old Market. Since 1986, we’ve created gourmet ice cream flavors in small batches using rock salt and ice. We offer your favorites, plus unique flavors like margarita, green tea, Guinness, and French toast. Special orders available. Mon.-Thurs. 11 a.m.10 p.m., Fri.- Sat. 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Sunday. Noon-10 p.m.

—tedandwallys.com

VARSITY SPORTS CAFE - $$ Ralston - 9735 Q St. - 402.339.1944 Bellevue - 3504 Samson Way - 402.932.1944 Millard - 14529 F St. - 402.505.6660 Dundee - 4900 Dodge St. - 402.934.9439 Ralston, Bellevue, Millard and Dundee. We are truly grateful to have been welcomed into each of these communities and welcome you in for good food, a cold drink and a comfy seat to enjoy the sport of your choosing!

Determined to bring only the freshest ingredients, homemade dough and our specialty sauces to the table, we have worked hard to perfect our craft for you. Our goal is to bring the best food service to the area and show the best sports events that you want to see. Pick up and Delivery availalble. Please check website for hours of operation.

—varsityromancoinpizza.com

xican Dining Me

ichanga Chim

DINING GUIDE LEGEND

$=$1-10 • $$=$10-20 • $$$=$20-30 • $$$$=$30+

5 METRO Locations!

3 90th & Blondo 402.391.8870 3 146th & Center 402.330.4160 3 96th & L 402.331.5656 3 Galvin & Avery 402.292.2028 3 29th & Farnam 402.346.1110

www.romeosOMAHA.com

Omaha

DINING GUIDE

I TA L I A N

Get a Little Saucy. CHANGE Appetizers

yH Happ our

LA CASA PIZZARIA - $$ 45th and Leavenworth streets - 402.556.6464 ntic Restaura ma nt Ro

an Dining Itali

SPEZIA SPECIALTIES

LO SOLE MIO RISTORANTE ITALIANO - $$ 3001 S. 32nd Ave. - 402.345.5656

WOOD FIRE STEAKS & SEAFOOD INNOVATIVE PASTA—RISOTTO—GNOCCHI FRESH SALMON DAILY

Open 7 Days a Week for Lunch & Dinner

Patio Dining Available

Catering

La Casa Pizzaria has been serving Omaha its legendary Neapolitan-style pizza and pasta for 60 years. We offer dine-in, carry-out, party facilities, catering, and now pizza shipments to the 48 contiguous states. Open Tuesday-Saturday at 11 a.m. and Sunday at 4:30 p.m.

—lacasapizzaria.ne

Take Out & Curbside Pickup Available!

. Private Party Rooms . Walk-Ins Welcome 3125 South 72 nd Street

(Easy access off I-80, take 72nd Street Exit)

402.391.2950 . Call today to make your reservation

The restaurant is located in a residential neighborhood, surrounded by charming homes. Everyone is greeted with homemade bread, a bowl of fresh tomatoes and basil, a bowl of oven-roasted garlic cloves, specially seasoned olive oil, and (at night) a jug of Chianti! The menu includes a large variety of pasta, chicken, veal, seafood, and even a delicious New York steak.

Traditional dishes such as lasagna, tortellini, and eggplant parmigiana are also available. Lunch offerings include panini, salads, and one of the best pizzas in town. Patio seating, full bar, and a great wine list complete the atmosphere. No reservations, except for private rooms.

—losolemio.com DINING GUIDE LEGEND

$=$1-10 • $$=$10-20 • $$$=$20-30 • $$$$=$30+

CHEERS! 18 YEARS IN A ROW! LaMesaOmaha.com | 6 Locations JULY/AUGUST 2021

// 127 //

ROTELLA’S ITALIAN BAKERY, INC.

Omaha

DINING GUIDE Breakfast

PASTA AMORE - $$ 11027 Prairie Brook Rd. - 402.391.2585

156th & Dodge • 408-1728 177th & Center • 934-9914 120th & Blondo • 991-8222 69th & Pacific • 933-2776

Thanks for Voting Us # BREAKFAST YEARS in a Row!

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Drive-Thru Open (Center St. Only) Open Daily 6:30am-2:00pm Serving Breakfast & Lunch All Day!

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Try Omaha’s Favorite Reuben!

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3578 Farnam St • 402-345-1708 www.beercornerusa.com

SPEZIA - $$$ 3125 S. 72nd St. - 402.391.2950 Choose Spezia for lunch or dinner, where you’ll find a casual elegance that’s perfect for business guests, get-togethers, or any special occasion.

Exceptional food, wine, and service, with a delectable menu: fresh seafood, certified Angus steaks, innovative pasta, risotto, gnocchi, cioppino, lamb, entrée salads, Mediterranean chicken, flatbreads, and fresh salmon daily.

Enjoy a full bar, Italian and California wines, Anniversary/Lovers’ Booth (call to reserve), private dining rooms, and wood-fired grill. Open Monday-Sunday.

Cocktail hour 4-6 p.m., when all cocktails, glasses of wine, and beers are half price. Evening reservations recommended. —speziarestaurant.com

LEPEEPOMAHA.COM | @LEPEEPOMAHA n Sandwi ube ch Re

Pastas are made fresh daily, including tortellini, fettuccine, and capellini. Daily specials and menu items include a variety of fresh seafood and regional Italian dishes, such as linguini amore and calamari steak, penne Florentine, gnocchi, spaghetti puttanesca, and osso buco.

Filet mignon is also offered for those who appreciate nationally renowned Nebraska beef. To complement your dining experience, the restaurant offers a full bar and extensive wine list. Be sure to leave room for homemade desserts, like the tiramisu and cannoli. MondayThursday 9 p.m. and Friday-Saturday 10 p.m. Reservations recommended.

—pastaamore.com

DINE-IN TAKE-OUT

4524 Farnam St. - 402-991-7724 FREE PARKING . LIVE MUSIC . BIER GARDEN

R AT H S K E L L E RO M A H A .C O M

MEXICAN FERNANDO’S - $ 7555 Pacific St. - 402.339.8006.

380 N. 114th St. - 402.330.5707 Featuring Sonoran-style cooking made fresh daily. Catering and party rooms also available. Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.10 p.m., Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Sunday 4-9 p.m. —fernandosomaha.com

STEAKS • CHOPS • SEAFOOD ITALIAN SPECIALTIES 7 private party rooms Seating up to 400 Lots of parking

1620 S. 10th Street

402-345-8313

www.casciossteakhouse.com

DINING GUIDE LEGEND

$=$1-10 • $$=$10-20 • $$$=$20-30 • $$$$=$30+

JULY/AUGUST 2021

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Omaha

DINING GUIDE LA MESA - $$ 158th St. and W. Maple Rd. - 402.557.6130 156th and Q streets - 402.763.2555 110th St. and W. Maple Rd. - 402.496.1101 Fort Crook Rd. and Hwy 370 - 402.733.8754 84th St. and Tara Plaza - 402.593.0983 Lake Manawa Exit - 712.256.2762 MODERN COCKTAILS MIXED WITH AMERICA’S MUSIC

Enjoy awesome enchiladas, fabulous fajitas, seafood specialties, mouthwatering margaritas, and more at La Mesa. Come see why La Mesa has been voted Omaha’s No. 1 Mexican restaurant 18 years in a row. Sunday-Thursday 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m. —lamesaomaha.com

ROMEO’S MEXICAN FOOD AND PIZZA - $ 90th and Blondo streets - 402.391.8870 146th St. and W. Center Rd. - 402.330.4160 96th and L streets - 402.331.5656 Galvin and Avery roads - 402.292.2028 29th and Farnam steets - 402.346.1110

3825 N. 30 ST., OMAHA, NE @JOHNNYTSBARANDBLUES TH

“exactly like nothing else.”

coming july 2021

Romeo’s is your friendly, family Mexican food and pizza restaurant.We take real pride in serving our guests generous portions of the freshest, most flavorful dishes made with the finest ingredients available. Zesty seasonings and the freshest ingredients combine to ensure the ultimate in flavor. Our savory taco meat is prepared every morning at each location. Make sure to try our chimichangas; they’re the best in town.

—romeosomaha.com

Hamburger

SPECIAL DINING CRESCENT MOON ALE HOUSE - $ 3578 Farnam St. - 402.345.1708 Founded in 1996, we’ve grown into Beer Corner USA with the additions of The Huber Haus German Beer Hall, Max and Joe’s Belgian Beer Tavern, and Beertopia—Omaha’s Ultimate Beer Store.

With more than 60 beers on tap and Omaha’s best Reuben sandwich, we are a Midtown beer-lover’s destination. Hours: Monday-Saturday 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Kitchen hours: Monday-Wednesday 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Thursday-Saturday 11 a.m.-midnight.

Closed Sunday. —beercornerusa.com

RATHSKELLER BIER HAUS-$$ 4524 Farnam Street - 402.991.7724 Rathskeller Bier Haus celebrates daily with German beer, wurst and many other menu items. Within arm’s reach of the Blackstone District and historic Dundee. Rathskeller Bier Haus is our German castle and designed to bring the storied traditions of Bavaria to the beating heart of Omaha’s metro area.

Come enjoy our large outdoor beer garden and four legged friends are welcome. Prost! Open daily 11 a.m.-Late.

—rathskelleromaha.com

thanks to our customers for voting us the “BEST BURGER

IN OMAHA

“Serving World Famous Hamburgers Since 1936” 106 Galvin Rd., Bellevue, NE • 402-291-6088 • Open Monday-Saturday, 11:00 am - 9:00 pm // 130 //

JULY/AUGUST 2021

Oppty-790_Barrel&WineAd_OmahaMag_v2.indd 1

5/3/21 4:31 PM

Omaha’s Riverfront Entertainment Venue

Omaha

DINING GUIDE WEDDINGS • PARTIES • EVENTS

GREEK ISLANDS - $ 3821 Center St. - 402.346.1528

JAMS OLD MARKET • 1101 Harney St • Happy Hour M-F 3pm-6pm

Greek cuisine with specials every day at reasonable prices. We are well-known for our gyro sandwiches and salads. We cater and can accommodate a party for 65 guests. Carry-out and delivery available. Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.- 7 p.m.

—greekislandsomaha.com

JAMS MIDTOWN • 7814 West Dodge Road • Sunday Brunch 10am-2pm

LIVE MUSIC TH-SU

402-342-7827

CASCIO’S - $$ 1620 S. 10th St. - 402-345-8313

• WEDDINGS • PARTIES • EVENTS • REUNIONS • MEETINGS

JAMS LEGACY • 17070 Wright Plaza • Party Rooms & Patios • jamseats.com

Take Out & Delivery Available Online Ordering Available at Bellevue, Millard & Dundee Locations

402.339.1944

402.505.6660

151 FREEDOM PARK ROAD • OMAHA www.rivercitystar.com

Sports Bar

Please Check Website for Hours of Operation

402.932.1944

STEAKHOUSES

Cascio’s is Omaha’s No. 1 steakhouse.

We have been serving Omaha for 69 years. We feature steaks, chops, seafood, and Italian specialties. We have seven private party rooms, seating for up to 400 people, and plenty of parking.

—casciossteakhouse.com

THE DROVER RESTAURANT & LOUNGE - $$$ 2121 S. 73rd St. - 402-391-7440 Famous for the original Whiskey Steak.

Truly a one-of-a-kind Midwestern experience. Excellent food, wine, service, and value. Rare...and very well done. Lunch Monday­- Friday 11 a.m.-2 p.m., cocktail hour 3-6 p.m., dinner nightly 5 p.m. —droverrestaurant.com

402.934.9439 DINING GUIDE LEGEND

varsityromancoinpizza.com

$=$1-10 • $$=$10-20 • $$$=$20-30 • $$$$=$30+ h Steak ouse

@The Drover Restaurant & Lounge | Gift Cards Available 2121 S. 73 St. | (402) 391-7440 | DroverRestaurant.com Open Monday - Friday 11am - 2pm | Dinner nightly from 5pm

ek Dining Gre

Family Owned Since 1983 CATERING / PARTY ROOM AVAILABLE HOMEMADE, FRESH FOOD, ALWAYS.

3821 Center St. / 402.346.1528 GreekIslandsOmaha.com JULY/AUGUST 2021

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IOWA INDEPENDENCE DAY July 3 at Living History Farms in Urbandale. Celebrate America’s birthday with a family-oriented day of pieeating contests, foot races, a town parade, and more. The celebration will also include the Walnut Hill Bluestockings playing baseball according to 1875 rules. 515-278-5286. —lhf.org IOWA CITY JAZZ FESTIVAL July 2-3 in downtown Iowa City. This two-day event brings a weekend of live jazz performances, food vendors and fireworks displayed over the University of Iowa Pentacrest to close out the festival. 319-337-7944.

—summerofthearts.org

NEBRASKA UNCLE SAM JAM! July 3 at Oak Lake Park,

Lincoln. This family-friendly event is Lincoln’s official celebration of Independence Day, featuring food, music, fireworks, and more. 402-441-7547.

—lincoln.ne.gov

festival will feature all-day performances from national and local musicians along with food, drinks, and merchandise for sale. 402-435-8754.

—zoobar.com

CORNHUSKER STATE GAMES July 16-25, varying

RED, WHITE, KABOOM! July 3 at Ag Park

in Columbus. The biggest Independence Day celebration in Columbus brings event goers a day of live music from Barrel House, activities, a bouncy house, and more.

Fireworks starting at dusk. 402-564-2769.

—thecolumbuspage.com in Fairbury. This annual event features more than 215 vendors, where everything from dishes to clothes will be available for purchase, along with great food. A Fourth of July Celebration will take place the first day. 402-729-322.

—fairburyfleamarket.com

1890S INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION July 4 at

Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer in Grand Island.

This summer tradition includes a parade, a concert, pie-eating contests, games, and more. Runners should be sure to check out the annual Firecracker 5K, which kicks off at 7 a.m. 308-385-5316. —stuhrmuseum.org

OREGON TRAIL DAYS July 8-11 throughout Scottsbluff. This annual event is one of the oldest community festivals in Nebraska. The celebration includes a kickoff barbecue, a hill climb bicycle ride to the top of Scotts Bluff National Monument, a chili cook-off, horseshoe tournament, and more.

308- 632-2133. —oregontraildays.com JOHN C. FREMONT DAYS July 9-11 throughout Fremont. Held every second week of July, this event celebrates John C. Fremont, and includes free activities, historical tours, car and bike shows, vendors, antiques, and live entertainment. 402727-9428. —johncfremontdays.org event celebrating German culture brings eventgoers a grand parade, ribfest, tractor pulls, live music, entertainment, and more. 402-269-3242.

—gosyracusene.com

ALLIANCE HERITAGE DAYS July 13-18 throughout Alliance. Celebrating 4o years of Alliance heritage and history, this five day event brings carnival rides, various vendors, live musical entertainment, a parade, games, and so much more. 308-762-5400.

—cityofalliance.net

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July

03

49TH ANNUAL FLEA MARKET July 3-5 at City Park

GERMANFEST July 13 throughout Syracuse. An

SATURDAY IN THE PARK July 2-3 at Grandview Park in Sioux City. On July Fourth weekend, Sioux City hosts a free music festival. This event is free admission, but you will need to reserve a ticket to attend. Friday’s headliner is indie pop trio AJR and the legendary John Fogerty will be the headliner on Saturday.

712-277-2575. —saturdayinthepark.com

ZOOFEST TBD at the Zoo Bar in Lincoln. This

locations in Lincoln, Omaha, and surrounding communities. This amateur sporting event offers participants the opportunity to compete in Olympic contests like gymnastics, track and field, and swimming, as well as more relaxed events like horseshoe pitching and chess. 402-471-2544.

—cornhuskerstategames.com

FLIGHT NIGHT July 17 at Strategic Air Command

& Aerospace Museum in Ashland. Stargaze with the Omaha Astronomical Society or view planetarium shows at this after-hours event. Enjoy free simulator rides and guided tours of the HU-16 Albatross, Black Holes Exhibit, Space Humanities Longest Journey Exhibit, and more. This is a 21 and over evening out, with a cash-only bar. 402944-3100. —sacmuseum.org

NEBRASKA STAR PARTY Aug. 1-6 at Merritt

ANIMEIOWA 2019: POST-A-PIG-ALYPTIC

July 30 to August 1 at Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in Des Moines. The biggest anime convention in Iowa is back for another year of cosplay, guest appearances, panels and more. —animeiowa.com

CHRISTMAS IN JULY July 10 in downtown Oskaloosa. Celebrate Christmas in the summer with fun and festivities for the whole family! From 2-8 p.m. on the Square, there will be games, activities, and a Christmas movie outdoors. Funds raised will benefit the Painting with Lights display. 641-672-2591.

—mahaskachamber.org/mainstreet TOUR DE BREW July 17 at Millstream Brewery

Reservoir State Recreation Area near Valentine.

This week-long event dedicated to nature and the stars will entertain children and adults alike. Guests can learn how to explore the night sky and take educational tours July of the surrounding area. 402-333-5460.

—nebraskastarparty.org

in Amana. Millstream Brewery brings a unique twist to this event that allows goers to bike to different breweries for a beer tasting. Food will be available at the end of the tour. 319-6223672. —millstreambrewing.com

WASHINGTON COUNTY FAIR July 18-23

at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Washington. This annual county fair includes rodeo and motocross events, a talent show, demolition derby, and more fun for the family. 319-653-2552.

—washingtoncountyfairia.com

18-23

COLUMBUS DAYS Aug. 13-15 throughout Columbus. Attendees can spend the weekend listening to live music, enjoying food, a cornhole contest, bed races, a parade, and more. 402-564-2769.

—thecolumbuspage.com/events/columbus-days KOOL-AID DAYS Aug. 20-22 throughout Hastings.

Celebrate America’s beloved powdered drink mix, which was created in Hastings, with this weekend festival. Events include Kwickest Kool-Aid Drinking Contest, Jammers Boat Races, a fun run/ walk, and more. 402-461-8405. —kool-aiddays.com NEBRASKA STATE FAIR Aug. 27-Sept. 6 at the state fairgrounds in Grand Island. Participate in traditional fair activities like livestock exhibits, a midway, and lots of fried food. Concerts include Theory of a Deadman, Trace Adkins, Cody Jinks, and more. 308-382-1620. —statefair.org

SOUTHERN IOWA FAIR July 18-23 at the Southern Iowa Fairgrounds in Oskaloosa.

This yearly event brings six days of rides, food vendors and more, with musical guest Lonestar.

641-673-7004. — southerniowafair.com RAGBRAI July 25-31 in multiple cities across Iowa. Thousands of bicyclists will converge upon Iowa for one week for this annual ride.

This year’s event travels the state from Council Bluffs in western Iowa to Keokuk in eastern Iowa. Come for the ride, stay for the homemade pie found in each town along the route. 515284-8341. —ragbrai.com

VACATION. STAYCATION. SUMMER CELEBRATION. WE’VE GOT IT COVERED IN SARPY COUNTY. Tree Rush Adventures at Fontenelle Forest, Bellevue Nitro Circus, Aug. 26 rpy County Fair,

to the Sa LANCO, coming

Aug. 7

Werner Park, Papillion

Joe Nichols and Warrant coming to Bellevue Rocks! The Riverfron t, Aug.

13-14

The Sarpy County Fair, Aug. 4-8.

Extreme bull-riding, rodeo, parade, carnival rides and more!

UPCOMING EVENTS AUGUST 4-8 Sarpy County Fair, Springfield

Omaha Storm Chasers at Werner Park, Papillion

Nebraska Brewing, La Vista

AUGUST 13-14 Bellevue Rocks! The Riverfront American Heroes Park, Bellevue AUGUST 26 Nitro Circus Werner Park, Papillion

Tara Hills Golf Course, Papillion

Midwest Pirate Festival, Bellevue

Union Omaha

AUGUST 28-29 Midwest Pirate Festival Bellevue Berry Farm & Pumpkin Ranch, Bellevue

Sarpy County will be awaiting with a wonderful mix of fun things to see and do this summer.

Catch a Union Omaha soccer or Storm Chasers baseball game. Enjoy some family fun at one of our exclusive outdoor festivals. Spend the day exploring the outdoors and then wrap up the evening at one of our many local breweries, distilleries and winery. With six wonderful communities, we promise you’ll have one great time. For the area’s most complete and up-to-date listing of restaurants, hotels, events and more, be sure to visit us online at GoSarpy.com!

BELLEVUE • GRETNA • LA VISTA • PAPILLION • SPRINGFIELD • OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE • OMAHA METRO

// EXPLORE CALENDAR // NORDICFEST July 22-24 in downtown Decorah.

This town promotes its Scandanavian heritage by welcoming visitors from around the world for a festival full of traditional crafts, food, colorful parades, musical performances, and a Saturday night fireworks show. 800-382-3378.

—nordicfest.com

a no-kill, foster animal rescue foundation.

—appellationkc.com

DODGE CITY DAYS July 30 to Aug. 8 in Dodge City. Running into early August, this two week celebration will mark the 59th year of the festival.

This event will have food trucks, an obstacle course, BBQ contest, a car show, and more. 620227-3119. —dodgecitydays.org

ITALIAN AMERICAN HERITAGE FESTIVAL OF IOWA

TBD at Western Gateway Park in Des Moines.

Attendees can participate in Grape Stomping, A Street Chalk Art Competition, Bocce, or Cannolieating contests, listen to a variety of bands or watch cooking demonstration, and eat lots of Italian food.

515-770-9839. —italianfestivalofiowa.com

HELEN GILLET Aug. 25 at the 1900

July 30-Aug. 7 at the National Balloon Classic Memorial Balloon Field in Indianola. This event promises a spectacular visual experience, with nearly 100 hot-air balloons adorning the sky, live music, glowing lights, and fireworks at night, along with other family-friendly attractions. 515-9618415. —nationalballoonclassic.com

25

Building in Mission Woods. Gillet is a singer-songwriter and surrealistarcheologist exploring synthesized sounds, texture, and rhythm using an acoustic cello.

Her solo performance is known for its enigmatic quality as she fabricates each song with innovative use of the cello and true mastery of live looping technology. 913-730-1905. —1900bldg.com

04

Reservoir, Cross Timbers State Park and Toronto Wildlife Area in Toronto. Celebrating 150 years of Toronto, this three-day event offers vendors, booths, games, musical entertainment, and a parade. The event will close out with a fireworks show. 620-637-2985. —facebook.com/ torontobooster

2019 SUNDOWN SALUTE July 3 at the Historic

Heritage Park in Junction City. This five-day event celebrates Independence Day with a vast collection of vendors, food, a carnival, a car show, and live music entertainment. 620-225-3277.

—sundownsalutejc.org

JUNQUE N’ DONUTS FLEA MARKET July 10 at Louisburg Cider Mill in Louisburg. Vendors will be setting up shop to showcase their treasures.

Event-goers can shop around or stop into the Mill for refreshing cider and delicious cider donuts.

913-837-5202. —louisburgcidermill.com APPELLATION KC July 17 at Fiorella’s Event Center in Overland Park. This event will have 150plus different wines from all around the world for tasting selected by sommelier Zach Cherry. All net proceeds will benefit the Rescue K-911 Foundation,

// 134 //

JULY/AUGUST 2021

ALICIA KEYS Aug. 25 at Starlight Theatre in

Aug.

HINTERLAND MUSIC FESTIVAL Aug. 6-8 at Avenue of the Saints Amphitheater in St. Charles. Guests will be entertained with music from a talented MISSOURI number of artists from around the country (and the world) with styles rooted in rock, country, and more.

FOURTH OF JULY EXTRAVAGANZA July 4 at Performers include Hozier, Kacey Musgraves, Rothwell Park and Howard Hills Athletic and Brandi Carlile. 515-333-4628.

Complex in Moberly. This July Fourth July —hinterlandiowa.com celebration includes games, inflatables, food trucks, live entertainment, and more.

IOWA STATE FAIR Aug. 12-22 at the Iowa Fireworks will begin at dark. 660-269-8705 State Fairgrounds in Des Moines. Revel in x 2040. — moberlymo.org the family-friendly atmosphere of this annual and traditional event, featuring rollercoasters for 2019 KANSAS CITY AIR SHOW July 3-4 at all ages, games, and much more. Special guests Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport. This twoinclude The Chainsmokers, Pentatonix, Hootie day event comes back for another year of aerobatic and the Blowfish, and comedian Gabriel “Fluffy” performances, demonstrations, and an appearance Iglesias. 515-262-3111. —iowastatefair.org by the U.S. Navy Blue Angels. —kcairshow.org

TORONTO DAYS Through July 4 at the Toronto

VIRTUAL ETHNIC FESTIVAL Aug. 21-23 Online Event in Kansas City. This event will be livestreamed this year in lieu of an in-person festival at Swope Park. The annual tradition will still offer food, music, crafts, and dances from all around the world, supplied by locals in the KC metro area. 816-513-7553. —eeckc.org

ANDERSON COUNTY FAIR July 26-Aug. 30 in Garnett. This free, annual family event includes carnival rides, tractor pulls, demolition derby, and free musical entertainment featuring the Dirty Bourbon Band. 785-448-6767. —andersoncofair. com

ABOVE AND BEYOND: NATIONAL BALLOON CLASSIC

KANSAS

the jaw-dropping talents of the most incredible illusionists on Earth. The show has shattered box office records across the globe and dazzles audiences of all ages with a powerful mix of the most outrageous and astonishing acts ever to be seen on stage. 816-363-7827. —kcstarlight.com

SAND CINEMA PRESENTS: DISNEY’S ALADDIN July 9 at Longview Lake Beach in Blue Springs, Mo. Bring the family down for this lakeside event and enjoy a movie on the inflatable screen. Complimentary photos with Jasmine from @ThePrincessLife.

Concessions are available. 660-269-8705 x2040.

—makeyourdayhere.com KC FRINGE FESTIVAL July 18 to Aug. 1 in Kansas City. This is a 14-day festival of unjuried, uncensored performing and visual arts features performers and creators from all over—local, national, and international. 816-359-9195 .

—kcfringe.org

Kansas City. The 15-time Grammy Awardwinning artist, songwriter, musician, and producer returns to the stage to bring her repertoire of worldwide hits to iconic venues across North America and Europe.

816-363-7827. —kcstarlight.com

MARTINA MCBRIDE Aug. 29 at Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts in Kansas City.

Multiple Grammy nominee Martina McBride is bringing her Livin Life Up Tour the Muriel Kauffman Theatre. Country musician Hailey Whitters will open the show.

—kaufmanncenter.org

Event times and details may change.

Visit omahamagazine.com for complete listings.

Check with venue or event organizer to confirm.

NO BETTER DIRECTION ...to take your flock

AQUAPALOOZA July 17 at Lake of the Ozarks.

This family-friendly summer event held at Osage Beach brings boating events, live music, activities, and prizes. On the Water Party at Captain Ron’s Bar & Grill. 573-348-9797.

—funlake.com/aquapalooza RUBLECON 2019 July 17 at the Relics Event Center in Springfield. This family-friendly event brings local artists for a day of cosplay, costume contests, cash prizes, toys and comics, and more.

417-882-0070. —facebook.com/THERUBLECON THE ILLUSIONISTS—DIRECT FROM BROADWAY

July 20-25 at Starlight Theatre in Kansas City. This mind-blowing spectacular showcases

Call For Your Free Travel Guide!

308-432-3006 www.DiscoverNWNebraska.com Photo by Zachary Carlson

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JULY/AUGUST 2021

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NOT FUNNY // COLUMN BY OTIS TWELVE // PHOTOGRAPH BY BILL SITZMANN

TH E ADVE N TURE O F ADVE N TURI N G

I

’ve heard it a lot lately. “Make every day an adventure!” Or, “Life should be an adventure!” Or, “Arkansas is an adventure!” Or, “Let’s go on an underwater cave adventure!” Or, “My adventures in life insurance underwriting.” Or—my favorite—“Join the adventure of model railroading.”

This is one of the curses of our current culture; words are losing their meaning. Concepts are being devalued, distorted, and/or simply mangled. Dogs become “support animals.”

Parents become “helicopters.” And riots become “patriotic parades.”

Adventure, after all has a precise meaning. It is defined as an unusual and exciting, typically hazardous, experience or activity. (It’s that “hazardous” bit that I no longer have a taste for.) Now, I know there are a lot of adventurous people around these days, though probably fewer than there were back when going from the cave to the campfire involved dodging not-quite-domesticated wolves. It’s simply true that there are fewer real adventures available to us modern, developed-world, Netflixed humanoids. That’s especially true if we are the kind of biped that gets a lot of mail from AARP. Nowadays we have to seek out an adventure, check that it fits into our budgets, does not interfere with our scheduled nap, preferably does not involve passing through a security checkpoint, consider dietary restrictions, requires a sunscreen value less than SPF 50, avoids any sudden and extreme gains or loss of altitude or elevation, matches our available footwear, and make sure that it conforms to any medical advice we might have been given—even if that advice came from an in-law.

Simply deciding which adventures are out there is more of a challenge than ever. In the olden days you could just point the bow of your little sailing ship one way or the other and you’d be guaranteed to find yourself somewhere unknown where “there be dragons,” or various indigenous people, who justifiably resent your claim of “discovering” them.

As a bonus, this kind of adventure included scurvy and bad biscuits.

So, how can we find our adventures in this modern civilized era? It’s obvious. We only need to ask Google. As in “Google, what’s my best adventure?” The answer? Here’s what the omnipotent, all-knowing search engine told me…

1. Hike the Incan trail to Machu Picchu. (No—this involves “Altitude” and “Footwear” objections.)

2. Go on safari in Kruger Park. (No—there are multiple security checkpoints on the way there.)

3. Take a hot air balloon ride over Cappadocia. (No—I don’t like eggplant. That’s a dietary restriction.)

4. Scuba dive on the Great Barrier Reef. (No—This also involves dietary restrictions, as in: I don’t want to be part of a Great White shark’s diet.)

5. Rave at the Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan. (No—Raving interferes with my nap time.)

6. Climb Mount Kilimanjaro. (No—I’ll stick to Hemmingway. Also see No. 1.)

7. Walk along China’s Great Wall. (No—I got this advice from an in-law.)

8. Helicopter over the Grand Canyon. (No—My dad was a pilot and he warned me about helicopters. “They don’t glide.”)

In conclusion…Get lost, Google. Who needs a new adventure? I have an old house, a dog that is not housebroken, an alarm clock that goes off at 4 a.m. every morning, and several children. In other words, keep your Machu Picchu, I’ve got adventure up to here.

Thank you very much.

Otis Twelve hosts the radio program Early Morning Classics with Otis Twelve on 90.7 KVNO, weekday mornings from 6-10 a.m. Visit kvno.org for more information.

JULY/AUGUST

// 136 //

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