The Reader_September 2018

V o t e i n t h e G ENE R A L

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Metro fall arts preview promises a win-win for player and patron alike

by Mike Krainak

ART: Harvest of Plenty Culture: Dick Cavett Culture: El Museo Latino: A Quarter Century Strong Dish: Nebraska Products on ICE Film: Suck it, Summer Heartland Healing: Real Food? Eggs-actly! HooDoo: Digging the Scene OVER THE EDGE: Lincoln Calling Turns 15 Theater: Fortunate Country

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SEPTEMBER 2018

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publisher/editor........John Heaston john@thereader.com graphic designer........... Ken Guthrie, Sebastian Molina assistant editor.....JoAnna LeFlore joanna@thereader.com rock star intern......................................Cheyenne Alexis

P l e n t y

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

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COVER: Harvest of Plenty

Metro fall arts preview proMises a win-win for player and patron alike

by Mike krainak

art: Harvest of plenty Culture: diCk Cavett Culture: el Museo latino: a Quarter Century strong disH: nebraska produCts on iCe filM: suCk it, suMMer Heartland Healing: real food? eggs-aCtly! Hoodoo: digging tHe sCene over tHe edge: linColn Calling turns 15 tHeater: fortunate Country

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Theater: Fall Theater Arts Preview

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Theater feature: Fortunate Country

healing.........Michael Braunstein info@heartlandhealing.com arts/visual..........Mike Krainak mixedmedia@thereader.com eat....................................Sara Locke crumbs@thereader.com film...........................Ryan Syrek cuttingroom@thereader.com hoodoo.............. B.J. Huchtemann bjhuchtemann@gmail.com music...................James Walmsley backbeat@thereader.com over the edge........Tim McMahan tim.mcmahan@gmail.com theater............................................ coldcream@thereader.com

SALES & MARKETING

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DISTRIBUTION/DIGITAL

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MUSIC: Bach and Beyond: Classical Music Preview

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ARTS: El Museo Latino: A Quarter Century Strong

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HEALING: Real Food? Eggs-actly!

PHOTOGRAPHY

................................. Debra S. Kaplan debra@thereader.com

OUR SISTER MEDIA CHANNELS

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CULTURE: Dick Cavett’s shows still relevant decades later

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DISH: Nebraska Products on ICE

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PICKS: Cool things to do in September

OUR DIGITAL MARKETING SERVICES

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OVER THE EDGE: Lincoln Calling Turns 15

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SEPTEMBER 2018

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HOODOO: Digging the Scene CONTENTS

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FILM: Fall Preview: Suck It, Summer!

ALL TICKETS ON SALE! Order NOW for the Best Seats! 

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Omaha Jobs: Turning a Side Gig into a Career It’s often said, if you love what you do, it doesn’t feel like work.

People who love their work are envied by those who trudge to the workplace dreadful about what the day might bring.

Do you have a side gig that already makes you some money? If you often wish you did a different job, pay attention: Your heart might be saying to focus on your side gig and push to make it your full-time career.

Your starting point Starting from square one in any profession is challenging. If your side gig already makes you money, even if the earnings aren’t much, see if you can evolve from a hobby into a full-time source of income.

But if you’ve never made money that way, you’ll need to do a lot of research. Seek people who are successful at what you want to do. Ask them how they started. Query them about the good and bad sides of the profession. Dig out the real story. Help them define their paths so you might follow.

Practical stuff You may want to up and quit your job to pursue your dream career. To bolster your chance of success, you must be practical. Consider important factors like how much you’ll have to pay for health insurance and set aside for taxes.

Your transition will have fewer hiccups if you already have money to sustain you while you get your new career rolling. Experts recommend three to six months’ worth of expenses plus your existing savings account as a good start. Consulting with a CPA or financial planner is also smart.

When you leave your current job to pursue your passion, do so on good terms. While it might be appealing to burn that bridge so you have no option but to succeed, it’s best to keep your options open.

Know your worth Unfortunately, there are many workers so eager for work, they accept compensation that’s far too low for what they do. Don’t fall into this trap. Working for “exposure” or taking on a project that pays hardly anything so the client can “get to know you and your work” is a slippery slope.

Find out what professionals make doing what you do and don’t accept anything less.

Networking with other people in your desired profession is a great way to find out what you should charge.

Figure out what your hourly rate is. When presented with a project, figure out how many hours it will take you to complete. This tells you how much you should charge.

Learn to say no This may feel counterintuitive, but resist the urge to say yes to every gig that comes your way.

While it is important to acquire new clients and build your reputation, it’s even more important to deliver what you promise. You can’t do that if you have too many things going on and become sloppy.

Go forth boldly Once you pursue your side gig as a career and position yourself for success, put all your effort into gaining solid clients who pay on time and give you repeat business.

When you realize you finally do what you love, enjoy your success and mentor others who want to do the same.

After all, it won’t feel like work.

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SEPTEMBER 2018

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Harvest of Plenty

Metro fall arts preview promises a win-win for player and patron alike

by M i k e K r a i n a k

W

ith the Scott Frost Era on the horizon and what’s being heralded as “the most important mid-term election” in recent political history looming heavily on Harvest’s horizon, the Metro art scene is revving up this autumn for its share of the action.

The latter is not news as art has always competed for attention this time of year as weather cools and spectator sports of all kinds heat up.

Yet even though football and elections are impossible to predict, the annual Fall Arts Preview in the Metro offers more than just a distraction or diversion from the former…especially if football and politics fail to please.

Although most of the visual art’s biggest autumn events take place traditionally in October and November, several interesting exhibitions will have already opened mid and late September. They include the following: Katie Temple & Todd McCollister will open together at the Fred Simon Gallery September 28 from 5-7 p.m.; Joe Broghammer is featured at the Garden of the Zodiac Gallery, opening Sept. 27: The Little Gallery in

Benson is currently exhibiting PORTRAITS: WONDER WOMEN, which includes work by Ricky Powell Jr.; New Work by John Thein, opening Sept.

14, at Creighton’s Lied Gallery; and the Iowa State University Faculty Invitational at the Weber Fine Arts Gallery at UNO continues till Sept. 28 as does Mark Gilbert’s Saving Faces: Art and Medicine through September in UNO’s Osborne Family Gallery.

Aaron Pyle

Perhaps the most significant September art exhibition is the return of MONA2 this Friday, Sept. 7 to its sister venue in Omaha, Gallery 1516 until Oct. 28. It’s 5th visit here, the NEBRASKA REGIONALIST EXHIBITION features work by Thomas Hart Benton, Grant Wood, John Steuart Curry, Lyman Byxbe, Dale Nichols, Kady Faulkner and Aaron Gunn Pyle, all of whom contributed to The 1930s and

Richard Mosse Bekaa Valley Lebanon

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| THE READER |

COVER

Buffalo head portrait by Joseph Broghammer

‘40s Regionalist Movement.

Yet, autumn would not be complete without two of its two biggest visual arts fundraisers from the Kaneko and the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts.

Kaneko’s Open Space Soiree takes place Friday, Sept.

28, and as an additional

enticement it features the final night of its superb Reality Exhibition.

Nearly a month later, the Bemis Center celebrates its Benefit Art Auction, live and silent both, Oct. 26 with its own enticement, a party and concert following the former.

But not before the venue sweetens the deal with a two-week preview of art up for bidding that opens with a members viewing Oct 12.

The Joslyn Art Museum opens two of its biggest exhibits each October and this autumn is no exception.

Pattern and Purpose: American Quilts from Shelburne Museum will show from Oct. 6, 2018 until Jan.6, 2019.

ranging from early wholecloth quilts, carefully-pieced Lemoyne stars, and embroidered botanical “best quilts” to more recent “art quilts” by contemporary makers.

In addition, Joslyn will offer a solo exhibit of documentary photographer Richard Mosse in its Riley Cap Gallery with the above dates.

This photo exhibition will feature a selection of works from Mosse’s recent series, Heat Maps, which chronicles the refugee crisis that has gripped Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa over the last several years.

Christina Narwicz

The exhibit brings together thirtyfive masterpieces made between the first decades of the 1800s and the turn of the twenty-first century,

Not all area fall arts events take place inside the Metro.

One of the most anticipated events is the North Omaha Hills Pottery Tour, Oct. 6-7, which extends an invitation to its followers to attend a self-

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guided tour at working studios and other local venues. There they will find pottery and ceramic fine art for viewing and for purchase along with refreshments and entertainment.

Nineteen potters will display at four tour stops including The Florence Mill, a historic Mormon grain mill, John Dennison’s studio in Ponca Hills, Too Far North Wine Tasting in Ft. Calhoun, and Liz Vercruysse and John Martelle’s Big Table Studios in Herman, NE. This year, Tom Hubbell, Omaha potter, will be a new face at the Florence Mill. Details and a map can be found at omahanorthhillspotterytour.com.

But as weather cools, patrons of the arts will turn their attention more toward indoor attractions, and area galleries are ready to meet expectations for artists, collectors and viewers. The Reader will continue to list, preview and review most, if not all, of the exhibits month to month on-

line from October to December, but below are some of the highlights for the fall season approaching.

The for profit galleries lead the way as they schedule shows for their stable as well as for more independent established artist and those desiring to be: Anderson O’Brien Gallery has scheduled an Oct. 5th opening for one of Omaha’s more popular artists, Christina Narwicz, whose Black and White solo exhibit runs counter to her colorful career.

Not absent from her oil painting however is her familiar abstract and conceptual aesthetic; Modern Arts Midtown will also open Oct. 5 with its latest variation on Cool Abstraction featuring work from Colin C Smith, Marjorie Mikasen, John Andrews, Peter Hill, Michael Tegland, Gary Day and Paul Who. That followed by a two-month exhibit of sculpture and painting from Catherine Ferguson and John Him-

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melfarb with Gordon Powell included as guest exhibitor; Following the close of Broghammer’s pastel “portrait” drawings of buffalos and owls in November, the Garden of the Zodiac Gallery looks forward to a special exhibition of the

his own digital prints and collages as “construction, deconstruction and reconstruction”; Connect Gallery’s major event this fall is its month-long 6th Biennial Fiber Art Show with a reception Oct. 12. The popular exhibit will

Fiber framed wall hanging by Rachel Droppers

sublime, mysterious platinum prints of German photographer Jens Knigge opening Nov. 29th; Stations of Blue: Mike Nesbit and Thomas Prinz, which opens the next Friday, Oct. 12, at Gallery 72 includes monotype prints, paper collages and digital prints, all with a theme of the color blue. Nesbit explores areas between art and architecture with a focus on technique, repetition and representation, while Prinz, also trained as an architect, describes

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show works of local artists working in a wide variety of fibers and will include, wall hangings, weaving’s, clothing, purses, hats, non-traditional quilts and more. Then, Nov. 9, the gallery will feature another popular artist, Courtney Porto, who works in a wide range of styles from realism to abstract but always with an attitude; Meanwhile, Benson First Fridays can look forward to Petshop’s two significant contributions from Joe Pankowski’s mixed media exhibit

| THE READER |

COVER

opening Oct. 5, and a solo exhibit of interdisciplinary artist Rosana Ybarra in November featuring her feminist POV on cultural ideology and the material world.

Metro non-profit galleries are ready for prime time this autumn as well. The Union for Contemporary Art opens its Fellows Exhibit Friday, Nov. 16, highlighting the work of Chikadibia Ebirim, Dominique Morgan, Pamela Conyers-Hinson, Ashley Laverty and Barber in a broad range of mediums, from painting and sculpture, to musical performance and live theatre for the very young. The Omaha Creative Institute opens its experimental In Thicket exhibition Oct. 12 with new photography from Sean D. HenrySmith and video by Alexis Christine Maine, each of whom offer imagery of intimacy and human behavior under a pop cultural umbrella.

Two downtown galleries, the Michael Phipps in the Omaha Public Library and the Fred Simon at

TIONS is the featured solo at the Fred Simon opening Nov. 30. For this exhibit, 3D artist Vargas uses slip cast ceramics nostalgically to inves-

Amy Haney

tigate the power of identity. He also explores the reality of corporations buying up and licensing his childhood heroes and villains documenting how in the 21st century everything is up for sale.

The university scene this fall is highlighted by a solo exhibit from Amy Haney at the Lied Gallery on Creighton University’s campus opening Nov. 2. The show statement states that Haney’s large format prints continue to investigate the personalities and physical attributes found in various types of bird species while “her distinctive markmaking helps tell their stories.”

1004 Farnam Street, are booked through autumn and into 2019. The Michael Phipps offers the jourWhile the Joe Pankowski nal and photos above is only a of Roberta Leapartial list, the verton from her “Tour of Duty: Iraq” fall arts scene includes many other exseries and the multi-media art of Pe- hibits and events from various venues. ter Frankhauser in its two-person No- Please watch for their listings, previews vember/December exhibit. and reviews in the Reader, both in print and on online at thereader.com.

Bart Vargas and his AMALGAMA-

FALL T H EATER p r e v i e w by b e a u f i e l d b e r r y I want you to go see theater in Omaha.

I want YOU to go buy a ticket, grab a drink and get your butt in a seat. It doesn’t matter where, it doesn’t matter what you wear. Just go.

I know you’ve been MEANING to see a play...or maybe you went to one a long time ago and it wasn’t for you...I know you’re busy and there’s LOTS of things to do...but I think, you should do this one. Theater is ever changing, no two shows or experiences are alike. It’s live and available and it takes a LOT of hard work to put it on. So I want you to be a part of that.

Omaha is chock full of some incredible stage talent--who are premiering groundbreaking and original content on a regular basis. Did you know we’ve premiered two new mu-

sicals from local writers in the past year? Did you know two theaters lost their home after nearly 30 years in the same building? Did you know one of the nation’s largest and most prestigious theater gatherings happen right HERE in Omaha every year?

Yeah, there’s a lot going on in the theater community. YOUR community. We want and need your butt in a seat. I promise, you’re gonna like it.

To help you out, I’m going to break down some really great options coming up around town.

your friends Tinder and the looking for a new kind of pals night out, consider checking out a show together!

Most times there’s snacks involved and sometimes wine. So, it’s a win.

Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin is a new musical premiering at the Performing Arts Center at the Union on 24th and Lake. Featuring a multi-ethnic cast of characters and written by Kirsten Childs and directed by the phenom-

enal DO NOT MISS! If you haven’t seen a show at the Union, you haven’t seen a show. If a night of laughs is your thing make your way down to The Backline for Broad Perspective, one of Backlines MANY offerings for comedy in the Big O. This one “invites all women, womyn, female-identifying, and gender-queer folks to band together for a monthly night of hilarity, silliness, comedy, and a great time.” If branching out

One of the best ways to spend DATE NIGHT is cozying up in a theater seat next to your love and taking in a great show. It makes for some interesting conversation for post-show drinks and if you like it, you can always buy season tickets and make it a happen a few times a year. Big Fish: The Musical is premiering at Bellevue Little Theater this season. A magical story, with enchanting music that focuses on family lore and big mythic storytellings.

This is also a great one for a family outing. It’s the Blue Barns 30th Season and I would seriously consider buying season tickets because you can’t find a bad show this year.

Starting with Annie Baker’s Circle Mirror Transformation and ending with the fantastical musical, The Woodsman--this is the season to catch everything. And located right downtown you and easily eat, drink, and listen to Beau Berry.

If you’re tired of guest swiping COVER

| THE READER |

SEPTEMBER 2018

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into the many genres of Burlesque is your thing both ‘Queerniverse’ and Hot Tail Honeys have shows in September. Queerniverse will be performing at BFF Femme Fest September 7th and grab your Gatsby gear and join the Hot Tail Honeys at the Orpheum theater September 22nd.

For your littles ones there is a WEALTH of programming available from the age of 18 months. If you aren’t sure what your kiddos will sit through start them in something interactive like Kerfuffle’s Nest-

ed. Kerfuffle is Theater for the Very Young, ran by Ashley Laverty (who also spearheads Broad Perspective). Kerfuffle is for children 2-5 but it’s made this mama cry, laugh, think and participate more than once. Kerfuffle is an interactive, gentle, visual, and peaceful easy delve into performing arts for babes and I couldn’t recommend it enough. Omaha Community Playhouse is kicking their autumn off with Shrek The Musical, perfect for all ages. And The Rose

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If you’re looking for somewhere to take Mom and Dad, Omaha Performing Arts season is your best ticket. Their calendar is chock-full of exciting choices from classic comedies like “The Play that Goes Wrong” to the record breaking

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has several great choices for families this season with everything from The Very Hungry Caterpillar to Goosebumps the Musical gracing the stage. Discount tickets are available to all of these shows, check out their websites for more information.

Also, if seeing a show isn’t enough for your budding thespian, consider enrolling them in some of the OCP or The Rose’s phenomenal theater courses for children.

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COVER

smash hit “Hamilton”--a night at the Orpheum is never short of amazing. Check out their listings for all of their programming including music, dance, and conversations with some of today’s greatest artists at OmahaPerformingArts.com Consider this a cliffsnotes on what Performing Arts has to offer--you can always see more monthly highlights in our Picks session and reviews and previews online. Our scene is feeling the loss of the Shelterbelt and SNAP! Building this year--they won’t be down for long! Keep up with their progress as they search for a new theater at: www.Shelterbelt.org and www.Snapproductions.com Any updates? Message me at Beau@TheReader.com

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Fortunate Country by b e a u f i e l d b e r r y 10 years ago, Julia Hinson and Kristin Tripe met auditioning for a show at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

“I saw Kristin in auditions, and I remember [that] Kristin spoke honestly about what the words were doing and I was like ‘Oh, she’s really smart, she’s really talented’” says Hinson.

They became fast friends, and what followed were years of friendship, collaboration and support. Julia has always been a go getter. She started her own theater company, Lone Tree Theater, which has taken a variety of shows to fringe festivals all over the world. Some of these shows involved Tripe. This film, however, was the first time that Julia was supporting Kristin’s vision. Tripe described Julia as her personal ‘Artistic Midwife’.

“Throughout college and beyond, Julia has always been part friend, part mentor.”

Their newest endeavor is the film Fortunate Country directed by Hinson, and written, produced by and starring Tripe.

The movie, based on O! Pioneers by Willa Cather, started when Julia was directing Kristin in a play based on the same story.

“During that time, we had all sorts of conversations about what it means to have grown up in rural Nebraska.”

Says Tripe.

Cather is known for painting beautiful and accurate pictures of living on the plains. It’s a testament to Cather’s work that she inspired not only a play, but the film that Tripe subsequently wrote. Cather will often describe a

seemingly common part of nature in a poetically beautiful way.

“There are these scenes where they’re looking at a vast Nebraska sky full of stars…there’s a comfort that comes from feeling connected to the natural world.”

Apparently, there was a running joke during filming as Tripe ran around barefoot practically the whole time.

“You can’t do that in LA, you can’t feel the dirt on your feet.”

Being able to capture the beauty of the world that Willa Cather described in her novel is something unique to film, and specifically Tripe’s adaptation.

“You can only do that in cinema,” says Hinson. Being someone from Nebraska, who has seen the beauty, makes these two the perfect people for the job. The women spoke specifically about a Nebraska sunset. There’s something incredibly unique and majestic about watching the sun fall behind the flat horizon.

The story revolves around Mia, Erin and Alex. “They are

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| THE READER |

FILM

amazing, complicated, nuanced, strong, thoughtful women,” says Tripe, “but there’s love in these women. There’s love for the land that they live on.”

Of course, there are always complex feelings involved. “Erin for instance, she loves where she’s from, but she feels as though she can’t stay. Life in the rural Midwest…you’re in a bubble. It can feel as if there’s something more waiting for you beyond these cornfields.”

The film explores LGBTQ issues, as well. Two of the main characters are struggling with their sexual identities.

“They feel that they can’t be who they are where they are.” Tripe talks with incredible passion about the characters she fleshed out. With so many different viewpoints displayed about staying where you’re from, one message the two women hope will come across is that you can find yourself wherever you are, and wherever you are from.

Kristin currently lives in Los Angeles where she studied Theater Performance at Cal Arts. Coming from such a liberal place, there were some anxious feelings involved with making a controversial film in the smaller Midwest town of Kearney, Nebraska. In the end, she said she was blown away by

the amount of support that they were given.

“Rural Nebraska has become a lot more accepting and progressive than I thought.” Even if on a grander scale, it might seem as though there isn’t a lot of acceptance among those people, Tripe claims “on a one on one basis, Nebraskan’s are kind, they are warm, they are generous, they are accepting.” Of course, there are still people who aren’t as open. However, Tripe points out that those people are everywhere. “I think city people fear the rural communities,” says Hinson, “but I think this film can be a defense of the wholesomeness of the Midwest.

I was never taught hate.” Many Midwesterners can attest to this. There’s a reason that they say, “Nebraska Nice”.

In today’s world, there’s a big upswing of support for Women’s work.

As it becomes more and more obvious that these voices haven’t been heard in the past, Tripe felt very passionate about lifting them now. There does seem to be a rumor, however, of women being difficult to work with. Tripe and Hinson collaborated with a primarily female cast, and creative team, and had an incredibly positive experience.

Of course, that’s not to say that a man and a woman can’t have that sort of working relationship, but in Tripe’s experience, they happen more often among women. Hinson agrees that “because of these micro-conversations that are heightened in emotion, you can find a richness. I’d love to run things in a more feminine way. Touching in with everybody’s feelings. I think braving emotions makes us better collaborators.”

And these women are inspiring other Midwestern artists. Local playwright Beaufield Berry-Fisher is now working on making her play Boom Boom Bette into a film. Apparently, Tripe and Hinson were a big influence on this decision.

“I’ve always been interesting in making a film, but the idea of what it takes is so daunting.” Says Berry-Fisher. “Through watching their process, I felt empowered to learn more, to lean into all I don’t know.”

Berry-Fisher plans to make her film as women centric as possible, starting with recruiting a primarily female creative team. “I loved the way they made Fortunate Country a woman led public entity. It truly inspired me.”

What it feels like to motivate another artist? “I think it’s awesome.” Says Tripe. “The fact that I could inspire someone else to create something, is phenomenal. Even if that’s the only thing to come of this project, I think that in and of itself makes it a success.

If I can have a small part in empowering a woman to tell a story about women, I couldn’t be more grateful for that.”

One of the biggest hurdles in creating this piece was funding. They crowdsourced enough for the production itself, but post production funds are still being generated. “We tried to be as frugal as possible. We saved money in a lot of different areas because of the generosity of the people

in Nebraska.” Even with all that, this film was still costly to make. The team is currently on the hunt for donations, sponsorships, and producing partners.

Any inquiries on how to take part can be sent to fortunatecountry@gmail. com.

“Making this film for me was a repetitive lesson in trusting myself, believing my myself and empowering myself. I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” concludes Tripe. And having your close friend along for the ride seems to have made it all the more amazing. “With this particular process, I don’t think it could have worked with anyone else.” The film is currently in post-production being edited. The team plans to submit to a variety of film festivals, so keep your ears and eyes peeled for this beautiful work

by Nebraska women about Nebraska women. More information can be found at fortunatecountryfilm@gmail. com.

“I think it’s an unfair stereotype that women are catty, or unsupportive of one another, because in my own experience, that’s simply not been the case,” says Tripe. One thing she pointed out is that often, women have a strong connection to their feelings.

While this might seem like the exact problem that people fear, it can allow for more nuanced conversations to happen.

“Women often pick up on sub-text.

I can be saying one thing with my words, but my body and subtext can be saying something else. That doesn’t mean that either is untrue. But when you have the communication skills, and the intuition and the social awareness to pick up on all of that, the work becomes much deeper.”

FILM

| THE READER |

SEPTEMBER 2018

13

BACH, BRAHMS, BEETHOVEN AND BEYOND: Classical Music Preview

BY CHERIL LEE

MUSIC

ERNEST WITH KIDS

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KIDS AND WAITERS

T

his year’s classical music season is all about collaboration. Not only within the different series but also among classical music organizations.

The Omaha Chamber Music Society (OCMS) kicks things off with a new concert series called Eko Nova. Danielle Meier, Board President for the OCMS, said Eko Nova is a three concert season that is run in partnership with Kaneko.

Meier explains each of the performances features a different ensemble exploring a variety of themes, “They will each perform music written in the 20th and 21st centuries. The first concert will feature the Eko Nova Quartet.

They will explore how this super traditional thing, the string quartet, has actually been used by composers as early as Beethoven and as recently as Jerod Tate, as a novel vehicle for expression.”

The next offering on the series spotlights music for flute and saxophone, performed by the Tower Duo. Meier calls the married duo a “super couple.”

Michael is a saxophonist and Erin plays the flute.

Rounding out the season is a concert called, “Eko Nova: The Forces

| THE READER |

MUSIC

Inside” which will feature John Klinghammer, clarinetist for the Kansas City Symphony.

“He is bringing an ensemble from Kansas City that includes a cello, Marimba, violin and himself on clarinet. They’re going to be doing works for mixed ensemble,” Meier said.

The OCMS will also continue its Summer Music Concert Series in June and July of 2019.

“It’s been so much fun to be able to present both traditional and nontraditional chamber music in our amazing concert hall,” she said.

Once again, Meier said they are kicking off the summer season with Bach’s “Brandenburg Concerto, No. 6” featuring two viola players who are constantly weaving in and out and chasing each other throughout the piece.

That will be paired with the Brahms “String Sextet.”

“Then we will move on to what we are calling “Omaha Brass,” which is a brass quintet made up of Omaha Symphony and community musicians.

Brass concerts are always fun because they can feature a lot of traditional classical music with brass. And brass ensembles will often do really neat

arrangements of both popular music and music that’s written for other instruments and other ensembles,” Meier said.

The final performance of the summer series will most likely be centered on Beethoven’s “Archduke Trio,” which features piano, violin and cello.

As always, the OCMS will keep sending ensembles out to UNMC for its Music as Medicine series. The performances all take place in the atrium at UNMC’S Durham Outpatient Center.

“What’s really cool about that space is it’s open to multiple levels so people can come down and sit in the atrium to hear the music if they want, but patients can also just step out of their room and listen for a while,” said Meier.

For a complete list of concerts, the website is OmahaChamberMusic.org.

“Climbing Uphill: A Celebration of Diverse Voices,” and takes place in late January.

“That concert is also designed to be interactive so the audience will engage with the performers throughout the recital. Jaime and Stacie will talk about the music and there will be a good dialogue back and forth,” Goos said.

That weekend, the conservatory will also offer a master class for their voice students as well.

The hope is that by designing concerts to be more interactive and dynamic, attendees will begin to see the performance work in a new way.

“All of these experiences take place here. It’s a very inviting atmosphere. We have a coffee shop that’s open and it’s just a nice, warm environment,” Goos said.

All concert information is at OmahaCM.org.

Omaha Conservatory of Music The Omaha Conservatory of Music has always offered a variety of educational experiences outside of its private lessons and masterclasses.

There are recitals with guest artists and students that have been open to the community. But this year, the organization is making it “official” by offering its brand new Inside the Mind of the Artist series.

T. Adam Goos, Educational Programming Director, says the series was created by the conservatory’s Executive Director, Ruth Meints, Goos explained the concert series will offer six different, unique events that are designed to serve the community.

“We are going to offer some really great music at an affordable rate. Each program is structured to be educational in some aspect and engage in different ways,” he explained.

The season kicks off with a collaboration among the conservatory, UNO’s International Concert Series and Vesper Concerts to present the Amernet String Quartet.

The ensemble will be in residency in Omaha September 14th through the 16th. While they’re here, they will present a concert on the UNO International Concert Series at the Omaha Conservatory of Music. Goos said the group will also do a series of master classes as well as free classes. And then they will finish their time here with a second performance (with different repertoire) on the Vesper Concerts’ series.

Goos said October will feature a program called “Music and Art in Harmony.” For that concert, faculty musicians and community professionals are putting together a content experience that looks at how art and music both reflect and interact with each other.

Then the first program of the new year is a voice recital with vocalist Jaime Reimer, assistant professor of voice at UNL and pianist, Stacie Haneline, artist-faculty of piano at UNO, that offers works by female composers and African American composer. The program is called,

The Omaha Symphony “We are offering a semi-staged version of a full musical this season. It’s South Pacific and I think it’s going to be really, really exciting. We also have Leslie Odom, Jr. performing on the Pops series. You might know him from Broadway and his role in Hamilton,” said Ernest Richardson, Resident Conductor and Principal Pops Conductor for the Omaha Symphony.

Richardson said he’s always impressed by the scope of the Omaha Symphony’s offerings each season. What’s his favorite? Probably the the Christmas program. But that’s not to say it doesn’t have its challenges.

“Christmas sounds like a particular thing to each person who cares about that holiday and it’s a traditional holiday. So there are just certain songs that mean Christmas to each person,” he explained.

Richardson said it’s exciting to put together the program, incorporating traditional songs and offering a new symphonic take on them, complete with dancers and singers. He estimates each year they add 15-20 minutes of new arrangements to the show.

The Harry Potter movie music concerts have been a blast for Richardson as well. He thinks it’s a great way for audiences to enjoy a movie but also discover a newfound appreciation for the score.

This year, the symphony will offer the second of the Harry Potter films.

And speaking of partnerships, he said the symphony will also offer a “Choral Collaborative” concert this fall which will include 400-500 high schools singers performing alongside the Omaha Symphony.

“The students are already starting to work on this year’s project which is Mendelssohn’s “Elijah.”

This oratorio feels so much like an opera. It’s amazing to hear a chorus that big, that’s well prepared and excited to sing with the orchestra,” he said.

Tickets and full concert schedules available at OmahaSymphony.org.

EKONOVA QUARTET

EKONOVA QUARTET

MUSIC

| THE READER |

SEPTEMBER 2018

15

EL MUSEO LATINO: A quarter century strong

BY LEO ADAM BIGA

CULTURE

BALLET FOLKLORICO DANCERS OUTSIDE EL MUSEO LATINO

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maha’s a livelier place today than 30 years ago because Individuals noted cultural voids and put their passion, reputation or money on the line to create iconic attractions.

Blue Barn Theatre, The Waiting Room, Slowdown, Film Streams, Kaneko, Holland Performing Arts Center, Union for Contemporary Art and Gallery 1516 are prime examples.

Count El Museo Latino among the signature venues in this city’s cultural maturation. Founder-director Magdalena “Maggie” Garcia noted a paucity of Latino art-culture-history displays here. Like other place-makers, she didn’t wait for someone else to do something about it. Acting on her lifelong interest in Latino heritage, she left a business career to learn about museums and in 1993 she launched her nonprofit.

El Museo Latino got its humble start in a 3,000 square foot basement bay of the Livestock Exchange Building. The stockyards were still active, making pesky flies and foul smells a gritty nuisance. Volunteers transformed the grimy old print shop space in 34 days for El Museo Latino to open in time for Cinco de Mayo festivities.

Five years later she led the move from there to the present 18,000 square foot site at 4701 South 25th Street in the former Polish Home. Growth necessitated the relocation. As the museum consolidated its niche, it expanded its number of exhibits and education programs. It hosts events celebrating traditional art, dance, music, film and ethnic food.

The museum launched amidst the South Omaha business district’s decline.

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CULTURE

MAGDALENA GARCIA, FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

It prospered as the area enjoyed a resurgence of commerce – finding community and foundation support. From 1993 till now, Garcia’s nurtured a passionate dream turned fledgling reality turned established institution. In celebration of its 25th anniversary, El Museo Latino is hosting a Saturday, October 13 Open House from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Visitors can view a special contemporary textiles exhibition by Mexican artist Marcela Diaz along with selections from the permanent collection.

A quarter century of presenting national-international traveling exhibits and bringing visiting artists, scholars and curators only happened because Garcia didn’t let anything stop her vision. She didn’t ask permission, She didn’t heed naysayers who said Omaha didn’t need another museum. She didn’t delay her dream for her board to find a more suitable space or to raise money.

“My attitude was, let’s get something established instead of waiting for funding, for a different space, for this or that. I just thought we needed to do it now – and so we went ahead, Besides, who’s going to give us the authority to say what we can have and not?”

Retired University of Nebraska at Omaha arts education administrator Shari Hofschire lays the museum’s very being at the feet of Garcia.

“Maggie Garcia’s passion is the building block of its 25 year history. She doggedly fundraised and programmed. She recognized the need for a continued on page 18 y

momentum F E AT U R I N G

Rhapsody in Blue

Joslyn Art Museum Friday, October 19

Iowa Western Arts Center Sunday, October 21

amballet.org | THE READER |

SEPTEMBER 2018

17

community-cultural identity just as South Omaha was growing with new residents.”

Hofschire added the museum’s now “a catalyst for both the past traditions of Latino history and culture and future opportunities for the South Omaha community to express itself and expand its cultural narrative.”

As a founding board member, David Catalan has seen first-hand the transformation of Garcia’s idea into a full-fledged destination.

“Underlying the foundation of El Museo Latino’s success was Maggie’s leadership and outstanding credentials in the arts Her outreach skills harvested financial support in the form of foundation grants and corporate sponsorships,” Catalan said. “Her organizational acumen created a governing board of directors, each with resources necessary for achieving strategic objectives. The museum’s programs and exhibits drew rapid membership growth as well.

“Today, El Museo Latino is a treasured anchor in the cultural and economic development of South Omaha. Another 25 years of sustainability is assured so long as Maggie Garcia continues to be the face of inspiration and guidance.”

Garcia spent years preparing herself for the job. She performed and taught traditional folk dance. She collected art. She met scholars, curators and artists on visits to Mexico. After earning an art history degree, she quit her human resources career to get a master’s in museum studies and to work in museums. Seeing no Latino art culture, history centers in the region, she created one celebrating the visual and performing arts heritage of her people.

She’s seen El Museo Latino gain national status by receiving traveling Smithsonian exhibits. One brought actor-activist Edward James Olmos for the Omaha opening. The museum’s earned direct National Endowment for the Arts support.

In 2016, Garcia realized a long-held goal of creating a yearly artist residency program for local Latino artists.

Her efforts have been widely recognized. In 2015 the Mexican Government honored her lifetime achievement in the arts.

With the museum now 25 years old and counting, Garcia’s excited to take it to new heights.

“I don’t want us to just coast. I don’t want it to get old for me. For me the excitement is learning and knowing about new things – even if it’s traditions hundreds of years old we can bring in a new way to our audiences.

“We want to continue to challenge ourselves and to always be relevant by finding what else is out there, where there is a need, where do we see other things happening. Hopefully that’s still going to be the driving force. It has to be exciting for us. We have to be passionate about it. Then how do we bring that interest, love and passion to do what we said we’re going to do and to make it grow and fulfill needs in the community.”

She cultivates exchanges with Mexican art centers and artists to enrich the museum’s offerings. A key figure in these exchanges is artist-curator Humberto Chavez.

“We have connections with artists and centers in different parts of Mexico because of him,” she said.

“He’s a professor of art in Mexico City and he was head of all the art centers throughout the country.

He’s very well connected. That’s a huge window of opportunity for our artists here and a real plus with our residency.

“We’re not just giving artists a place and time to work and a stipend, but trying to provide them some other opportunities they wouldn’t necessarily be able to get.”

She said she hopes “to expand our network of working with other institutions as well as other artists “ Besides exposing artists and patrons to new things, Maggie’s most pleased when art connects with youth.

“I had a group of elementary students come in to see an exhibition of traditional shawls, Some of the boys and girls said, ‘What are those things doing here?’ Then as I talked about the different fabrics and colors, how the shawls are worn, what they mean, how they’re created, all of a sudden the kids were oohing and aahing at the rainbow of materials and history..

“When we came to a map of Mexico showing where the shawls were made, the kids were asking each other, ‘Where are you from?’ One said, ‘I don’t know where I’m from, but I’m going to go home and ask.’ Another pointed at the map and said, ‘Well, I’m from that state.’ Suddenly, it was accepted by their peers and so it was okay to value who they are.

“I see that all the time here. It’s very satisfying.”

Satisfying, too, is seeing the fruition of her dream reach 25 years.

“The journey has been an adventure. It hasn’t been easy. There’ve been challenges, but I thrive on challenges. If someone says, this is the way it’s been done forever, all the more reason to say, why not make a difference.”

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REAL FOOD? EGGS-ACTLY!

HEARTLAND HEALING

BY MICHAEL BRAUNSTEIN

HEARTLAND HEALING is a metaphysically-based polemic describing alternatives to conventional methods of healing the body, mind and planet by MICHAEL BRAUNSTEIN. It is provided as information and entertainment, certainly not medical advice. Important to remember and pass on to others: for a weekly dose of Heartland Healing, visit HeartlandHealing.com and like us on Facebook. .

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o animal — cow, pig, chicken, fish or human — does well in close confinement. Yet that’s how nearly all of our livestock and animal protein sources live. It’s unnatural. It’s unhealthy.

And the product suffers. That holds true of the meat and the

eggs.

Keeping with the theme of our previous column (Heartland Healing 2018.08.21), let’s move beyond grass-fed beef and look at other examples of real food. And in this case, why our animal products should live in open-air, pastures and not confined animal feeding operations or CAFOs. Nutritional profile. I taught at UCLA for ten years. Each quarter I would start the new class with a round of introductions from each student.

My intention was to foster a class-wide support group. The process was always informative.

I remember one student said, “I want to get into the recording industry because the last thing I want to do is work in my family business.” That prompted me to ask what line of work was so unlikable that he would rather start at ground zero than follow the family. He said, “Chicken ranching. Eggs.” I was taken aback. “But ranching sounds bucolic,” I offered. My student disagreed.

“No. It’s in Irvine in a windowless seven-story building with bare lightbulbs that are on eight-hour shifts to shorten the days in order to get the hens to lay more eggs. Four layers to a cage, scientifically sized to give them just enough space to be productive but not enough to waste room. They can barely move. Last thing I want is to be a part of that.”

It was 1985. Today, some things have changed in the egg business though those techniques are still typical. Worse, giant commercial egg producers have latched onto marketing terms that make their eggs look like and sound like the ones you imagine come from that bucolic chicken farm in my mind, with hens pecking on the ground and cheerfully roosting at night in a nice nest of straw, plenty of fresh air and eating bugs, worms and grass they wander around in during the day. That kind of life for an egg-laying chicken is a real rarity and you’ll only be sure of that if you know your farmer and can see for yourself how his chickens live.

Does it matter? It matters what hens eat and how they live. Eggs delivered have a nutritional profile that reflects that. Hens that actually live on pasture eat what hens are supposed to eat. A commercial hen can live with 20,000 other hens in tight confinement, fed everything from carcass byproducts, dead cats, chicken feces, bubblegum and candy wrappers to leftover dirt. Visit www.HeartlandHealing.com/egg.gifto see a nutrient comparison. Meanwhile, don’t be fooled by commercial egg producers misleading you by twisting the terms. Here are some to watch out for.

Free-range. If that’s on the package, the eggs will likely cost more. The image: happy hens running around outside and eating bugs and such.

The fact: a producer can call a chicken “free range” even if it lives in a metal building with 20,000 other birds as long as there is a small door down at the end that is open for any period of time during the day. Egg cartons typically claim, “All our hens are free to roam outdoors.” Look at the words used that infer an image: “All” and “free” and “roam”. The

| THE READER |

HEARTLAND HEALING

truth is usually that none of the hens will leave their flock, food, water and warmth to go out a small door onto a cement pad.

Omega-3 This is an egg produced to provide added omega-3 fatty acids, presumed to be good for you. The hens are given food additives to add that. The layers could still eat crap and live in tiny cages as long as they get the food additive. Ironically, birds living on pasture already have a good balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fats.

Pastured. Another unregulated term but often used to lure consumers. But a true pastured hen will give the best eggs possible. The best verification is walking the pasture with your farmer to find out.

Organic. Though the term is regulated and defined by the USDA, I don’t buy it. Why? Because hens are omnivores, dummy. They should be eating worms, bugs, grass and seeds. Feeding a chicken onlystuff that is organic feed, which is going to be grains and supplements, is restricting their actual diet. Not good.

Other unseemly practices. Egg-laying hens have to come from somewhere. Those chick breeders take the little chicks and separate the hens from the males. Males are useless to them so live male chicks are tossed in a grinder to be sold as animal protein. The female chicks have their beaks chopped off because large flocks tend to develop into henpecking fights, injuring valuable egg layers.

The hard-boiled answer. Terms can be twisted and misused to market goods. We all know that. The real answer is to find a farmer whose farm you can visit and see for yourself how the animals are raised. You may pay a little more but you’ll be getting real food that is worth the value.

Be well.

Heartland Healing is a metaphysically based polemic describing alternatives to conventional methods of healing the body, mind and planet. It is provided as information and entertainment, certainly not medical advice. Important to remember and pass on to others: for a weekly dose of Heartland Healing, visit HeartlandHealing.com. and like us on Facebook.

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SEPTEMBER 2018

21

DICK CAVETT’S SHOWS STILL RELEVANT DECADES LATER

BY LEO ADAM BIGA

P

CULTURE

erhaps more than any national TV talk show host of his generation, Nebraska native Dick Cavett incisively discussed the 1960s-1970s cultural maelstrom. He applied his intellectual yet Everyman dry wit to touchstone social issues and showbiz icons ranging from the politics of Karl Marx to the comedy of Groucho Marx.

His body of work that era is a trove for cultural scholars in the digital age since he delved into things that continue to haunt and fascinate us today. He was ahead of his contemporaries dealing with Watergate. Excerpts from the shows he did on that scandal became the basis for the documentary Dick Cavett’s Watergate by Robert Bader, who tapped shows about Vietnam for the followup Dick Cavett’s Vietnam. Now Bader examines that era’s major intersectional emblem, Muhammad Ali, in the new film, Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes.

“He did come around at a time made for him,” Cavett said of Ali, whose life touched civil rights, black power. Vietnam and mass media fame.

The Black Muslim boxer from the South and the WASP host from the Great Plains became close off-camera.

“We were a strange pair as friends,” said Cavett.

Across his many talk shows, the Emmy Award-winning Cavett had Ali on as a guest nearly 20 times.

“There were times when I thought he was my best friend. He once stayed at my house in Montauk while doing a documentary of some sort. I said. ‘Where are you staying while you’re here?’ and he said a motel, and I said, half jokingly, ‘Well, you don’t want to stay at a motel, why don’t you stay at my place.’ And Ali said, ‘Oh, my mother would never believe I stayed at Dick Cavett’s house.’ So he did.

“I put him in the big bedroom. I went to get his wife at the motel. While I was gone and he relaxed in the room, the phone rang. It was my then-wife, the late Carrie Nye. She started, ‘Darling …’ and

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“I sure miss them.” y continued on page 22 Ali interrupted, ‘This ain’t darling. I’m the only When Ali appeared after losing to Ken three-time heavyweight champion in the world Norton – getting his jaw broken in the process and I’m lying in your bed and I’m watching your – his usual exuberant persona was nowhere to TV.’ She was able to recover quickly to say, ‘Oh, be seen.

Mr. Ali, I’ll have a plaque put on that bed for “He was dragging himself out onto the sure.’ stage. He was very down. He said, ‘Dick, I’m “Which is more than she ever did for me. That’s just an old broke-down fighter with a wired a joke.” jaw and nobody asked me or invited me Cavett is excited about the film, which on their shows except you. You’re my main premiered at festivals and is slated for an HBO man.’ I didn’t know the significance of the run. expression main man until people explained “It’s a terrific film. It has Ali when he first it to me. Seeing him subdued like that was became famous up through things like the idiot very unusual. On his other visits he was funny boxing commission taking his title away (after and animated like a string of firecrackers Ali refused military service on religious grounds). going off.”

There’s a lot of funny stuff, too.”

The rich cultural gallery Cavett covered One of the funniest bits came when Ali and extended from Ali to John Lennon to John nemesis Joe Frazier did the show together.

Neihardt to Jimmy Hoffa and from Vietnam to “They entered down the two aisles. At one point Haight Ashbury to Watergate. during the sit-down, Ali said to Frazier, ‘Let’s be “I came on just in time for about five friends for one minute, just to get him,” pointing assassinations in a row. Two days after Bobby at me. Ali picked me up on my right side and Kennedy was shot I put together a panel show Frazier picked me up on my left side. They held to discuss it. There was my old philosophy me there squeezed between them with my feet professor (Paul Weiss), actress Lauren Bacall two feet off the ground. A huge laugh, of course. and journalist Pete Hamill. I remember Bacall After they put me down I heard myself say, “I uttering the line, ‘Why doesn’t anybody ever saw that up on the screen – it looked like a giant shoot any right-wingers?’ The network was Oreo cookie.’ disturbed about that – like it was some kind of They feigned offense. Ali choked me once or dare. twice.

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CULTURE

“Oh, God, pretty interesting times. As in what do you do with a president that should be wearing striped pajamas in Richard Nixon’s case.”

The entertainer’s “loaded” liberal shows made him a target of the paranoid commander in chief, who, in Nixon’s own recorded words, sought to “screw” Cavett.

“In Cavett’s Watergate there’s a moment when the screen is filled with nothing but things Nixon said at various times – and it took me three viewings – but down in the right hand corner it says, “Is Cavett a Jew?” That was a big question with him.”

Though years removed from a regular talkshow gig, Cavett’s humorous observations find expression in his New York Times column and books. The former gag writer for Jack Paar, Merv Griffin and Johnny Carson said he feels he should identify more as a writer but added, “I have no discipline. i seem to have to have an assignment before I do anything.”

His sensibilities made him a natural to interview fellow Nebraska satirist Alexander Payne at the Tribeca Film Festival last spring.

Cavett was back here only last fall but he rues it’s “been some years now” since he last visited his beloved Sand Hills. “I used to manage to get there at least every year or

every other year. There really is nothing like them. Sometimes when I’m there alone I will stop the car when there’s no other traffic and I’ll get out and just listen to the silence. You realize how long it’s been seen you’ve heard real, real silence.”

Coming home, he said, is “a mixed blessing because life goes on and then doesn’t for many of the people you knew,” adding, “You keep being reminded of the shortness of life and how many friends are, as the cliche goes, pushing up daisies.”

His secret? “Optimism.” Elusive when he suffered from depression, but the shadows of that illness have long lifted. He’s remarried, fit and still a relevant sage at 81.

“Optimism is something you have to go find.”

Read more of Leo Adam Biga’s work at leoadambiga.com.

b b Red Oak

Autumn Home Tour & Tea Saturday, September 15th, 2018 homeS open 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm ticket PRice incLudeS: • FREE CaRRiagE RidE 1:00 Pm to 4:00 Pm dOwntOwn Red Oak • tEa and REFREshmEnts noon to 5:00 Pm montgomERy County histoRy CEntER 2700 n. 4th st. REd oaK tickets are $15 each or 2 for $25 tickets are available online at www.redoakiowa.com, at the Red Oak chamber and industry association, 307 e. Reed St., Red Oak and the montgomery County history Center

Queen anne VictORian ~ 610 8th StReet Fountain Square LLc with ROOt development

Cynthia Bangston ~ 206 E. CoolBaugh st.

turn of the Century upper level apartment

JEan WEBB ~ 1000 BRoad st.

Southern style home replication of mt. vernon

KERRy & KEvin hohBaCh ~ 805 E. PRosPECt st. colonial Revival Style

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SEPTEMBER 2018

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SUNDAY, OCT. 7, 2018 Baxter Arena | 9 a.m.

3-mile & 1-mile walk komengreatplains.org

BE BOLD. BE FEARLESS.

BE MORE THAN PINK. Connecting Communities Through Art Painting Scuplture Fabric Art

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Photography Calligraphy

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SEPTEMBER 2018

| THE READER |

NEBRASKA’S FRESH PRODUCE ON ICE A Raid on Rural Nebraska Town Harvests More Than 100 Arrests

BY SARA LOCKE

W

hile the entire country has moved toward the ultimate goal of “local” sourcing, Nebraska has enjoyed the upper hand for years.

Within an environment naturally conducive to bountiful harvests, and with an eager workforce, Nebraska farmers have a minor advantage in both the tenable soil and the drive of area workers, keeping them in business through the age of factory farms.

Wandering the aisles of your nearest produce section, the sign “locally grown in O’Neill” rests precariously on a tomato display. From the Farmer’s Market to your favorite Omaha restaurant, O’Neill has been providing Nebraska with fresh, local produce for generations.

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A First Stop For a Fresh Start

SARA LOCKE is the Contributing Editor for The Reader’s Food section. She is fluent in both sarcasm and pig Latin, and is definitely going to eat the contents of her to-go box in her car on her way home. Follow her restaurant reviews and weekly what-todos online at http://thereader. com/dining/crumbs . Follow @ TheReaderOmahaDish on Instagram to find out what else she’s sinking her teeth into.

Known as The Irish Capital of Nebraska, O’Neill bears a promise to “promote and sustain a forward-looking community that champions our community’s diversity and respects the individuals”. The rural town has a tradition for being a place to start a new life, and serves as a beacon for immigrants to the US. Families looking for safety, freedom, and are ready to work hard to earn it.

ICEd Over ICE agents conducting a 15-month investigation posit that it has also become a

beacon for human traffickers, and abuse of undocumented workers. They have used this reasoning to target packing plants, restaurants, greenhouses, and harvest fields, often staffed almost exclusively by migrant workers, both documented and otherwise.

In January of 2017, the current administration demoted Acting Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Daniel Ragsdale. In his time as Director, he focused his efforts on identifying criminal behaviors among undocumented residents, deportation of criminals, and the monitoring of communication among suspected traffickers.

His appointed successor, Thomas Homan was a strong vocal supporter of the new administrations promise to deport those here illegally, and arrests of undocumented residents increased by 38% by May of the same year. By June, Homan had retired, but momentum was building.

O’Neill businesses were tossed in mid-August, and 133 people were arrested on suspicion of working illegally. Another 17 were detained on suspicion of conspiracy to exploit illegal labor for profit, fraud, and money laundering. All were carted off to ICE headquarters in Grand Island, more than 100 miles away. One establishment, O’Neill Ventures, lost more than half of their 80-employee staff.

Witnesses stated that one of the targeted workers, a pregnant woman, was strongarmed and mishandled by agents, before ultimately being taken to the ground and detained. Many find it difficult to believe that intentions stated by ICE, that they were there to protect undocumented workers from mistreatment by those exploiting their situation, were sincere.

Speaking under terms of anonymity, one worker told me “We were cattle. We always were. We’re there to do the hard labor, and then we get kicked and kicked out. Our families and employers fined and driven to poverty for trying to work hard. That’s all we want to do. We pay our taxes. We don’t get government aid. I don’t

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know why people think we’re here to abuse the system, we just want to work hard and live a good life.”

Some of the detainees have been released, pending a court case in Omaha (185 miles away), while others will remain in detention centers until hearings are scheduled. Lawyers have been on hand to inform them of procedure, but each person detained will need to acquire legal representation of their own at a personal cost to them before their hearings.

“These targeted businesses were knowingly hiring illegal workers to unlawfully line their own pockets by cheating the workers, cheating the taxpayers and cheating their business competitors.” Said Tracy Cormier, special agent in charge of Homeland Security’s St. Paul, Minnesota office.* “I would say the amount of criminal warrants that are being executed will be one of the largest for HSI,I’m not aware of a bigger one.”

Among the businesses accused of abusing undocumented labor are: Elkhorn River Farms, LLC O’Neill Ventures, LLC GJW, LLC JP and Sons, LLC Herd Co. feedlot J Green Valley, LLC Castro Properties, LLC Advocates Take Action “They raided places that (the accused) did not have workers.” Reported Angie Phillips, a local advocate who has been helping organize aid to affected families. “They’re trying to cover it like they were going after this group of people taking money from the undocumented workers and treating them horribly, and the fact that the undocumented workers were picked up was kind of ‘collateral damage.”

Ms. Phillips drove to O’Neill to speak with some of those affected.

“The conditions in that tent weren’t great,” she said, referring to the fenced off

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SEPTEMBER 2018

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y continued on page 27 temporary detainment center erected outside ICE headquarters. “Beyond the fact that it was hot, and their limited access to food and water and medical care, they were treated poorly.”

Phillips urges volunteers to donate funds, food, and basic necessities to these families who are suddenly unemployed, facing crippling legal fees, and possible deportation. More than anything, though, she pleads for support. ”Statistics show that if US citizens go to these court dates and we watch, that’s pressure put on the judges. They know we’re paying attention, it increases the likelihood that they won’t be deported.”

What Does This Mean For Nebraska?

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SEPTEMBER 2018

Let’s pretend we don’t care about families being separated. Let’s pretend we don’t care about the thousands of people seeking asylum, the parents of children born here, or the life they’re being shipped back to. Let’s just backburner that for a minute.

Let’s talk about the bottom line. That’s what moves legislation, right?

Food prices are high. It’s not because farmers are overcharging you, living high on the hog, as it were. Generally speaking, farmers are often just getting by. Many work full time jobs in addition to their family farm and their weekly spot at the Farmer’s Market.

Food prices are high because of shipping cost and waste. Every strawberry grown but not sold simply raises the price of every strawberry that comes after it. Every potato left rotting at Elkhorn River Farms right now is actively driving up the cost of every French fry you plan to eat for the foreseeable future.

After all, one lost crop can ripple for years to come.

Local restaurant owners have told me that it’s too soon to tell what this event will mean for their menus, but agree it would be naïve to believe there will be no impact on their ability to source locally, or the prices of their offerings.

Between wildfires, flooded plains, and record heat waves over the summer, much of

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the United States is experiences loss. Here in Nebraska, farmers have experience with sudden weather extremes, and work hard to prepare for the effects of climate change. A hearty stock sits in O’Neill, ripe for the picking.

They took your job. Now’s your chance to go get it back.

What Can You Do?

The League of United Latin American Citizens immediately mobilized a LULAC intervention team to Nebraska, working with local businesses and schools to provide aid for all those displaced by the raid.

O’Neill Cares Coalition and The First United Methodist Church will be hosting a weekly pop-up market for families affected by the raid, creating a list of needed items and collecting donations every week at First United. The long game is important on this, as passions tend to die down quickly. A donation page can be accessed at https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/ showSignUp/70a0d4ea9ac2aaaf58-popup.

The Reader will continue to monitor as this moves forward in the coming months, as well as provide resources and opportunities to connect volunteers with organizers. If you have an opportunity you would like us to forward, Email Sara@TheReader.Com. *The suspected ring has ties leading to Nevada, as well as Minnesota.

Aside from ensuring that you’re registered to vote, petitioning local government to provide a path and protection to asylum seekers and immigrants, and supporting local farms, several options exist to lend support to the families navigating the process of citizenship.

September 5

ers specifically through her personal lens.

Image Maker Connect Gallery Connectgallery.net

Mixed media artist Dumicich riffs on icons found in popular culture Carl Dumicich approaches his art as a means to inspire, teach and provoke further creativity. His next solo exhibit at Connect Gallery in September, brings together paintings and mixed media for a show filled with inspiration from life and popular culture.

As a scenic artist and designer for theatre, Dumicich looks to familiar icons from our collective culture to inspire creation and to pass knowledge down through the modern-day folklore found in film and television.

Science fiction and comic fans will see their favorite characters in a context of art history and technique, emboldening an art discussion that centers evolving medium and storytelling.

Carl Dumicich’s opens September 5 and will be on display in the Front Gallery at Connect Gallery, 3901 Leavenworth until September 29. Reception for the opening will be Friday, September 14, 5:30-9pm. ~ Melinda Kozel

Sept. 6

Metallica

Pinnacle Bank Arena Pinnaclebankarena.com In 2016, Big Four thrash metal titans Metallica released Hardwired...to Self-Destruct, the band’s first proper album since 2008’s Death Magnetic. In many ways, Hardwired was a continuation of Death Magnetic, with similarly beefy, typical 2000s rock production that compressed the instruments to death.

But it was also a return to form of sorts, as Metallica, for the first time in years — really, since

The Black Album — sounded like Metallica, instead of like a band trying to rip off Ride the Lightning. James Hetfield’s crushing riffs, Lars Ulrich’s perfectly adequate, rapid-fire drumming, Kirk Hammett’s triumphant solos — it’s all there on Hardwired. The band, which tends to bring a new setlist to each show, has rarely left the road since the LP dropped, and they stop in Lincoln on a leg of their “Worldwired” tour that takes them to many cities they haven’t played in 30-plus years. Tickets start at $65. ~ Sam Crisler

Sept. 7

The Ipseity Project Union for Contemporary Arts U-ca.org

Charlton’s self portraits a series of ‘body doubles’ in UCA exhibit

Charlton put out a call for models in Omaha, Baltimore and San Antonio, similar to herself only in size— body doubles of a sort. The resulting drawing sessions became an exercise which she describes as one “about empathy and finding reflections of oneself in others while blurring the boundaries and expectations of the self-portrait.”

Charlton is based in Baltimore and is Associate Professor at American University in Washington, D.C. She is the Union’s second recipient of the Wanda D. Ewing Commission, which supports production and presentation of new work by a woman artist of the African diaspora.

Zoë Charlton’s The Ipseity Projectopens at the Union for Contemporary Art’s Wanda D. Ewing Gallery on Friday, September 7 with a reception from 6-9pm. This exhibition runs through October 27 at the Union, located at 2423 N. 24thStreet with free public hours on Tuesdays-Saturdays from 11am-6pm.

Sept. 7

Related Histories Petshop Gallery (2725 N 62nd Street) fb.com/bensonpetshop/

~ Janet L. Farber

The work of visual artist Zoë Charlton addresses concepts of selfhood and identity—ipseity, in a word—rendering human figures often as oft-burdened carriers of voluminous images and symbols of their heritage.

‘White, Houzenga team up in multimedia, graphic reunion at Petshop Gallery Omaha artist Watie White will re-team with New Orleanian Brent Houzenga in Related Histories, a show of their graphics-inspired work at Petshop’s First Friday in September.

For her newest body of work, “The Ipseity Project,” opening at the Wanda D. Ewing Gallery at the Union for Contemporary Art on September 7, Charlton turns the mirror on herself and how she views the identities of oth-

In the gallery, the duo will show paintings, prints and stencil works. The exhibition will also expand beyond the gallery walls to include new murals installed in several Benson alleyways.

White is well known in the region for his community-focused painting and printmak-

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September 2018

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ing. Recently, he began the 100 People Project, creating mural-sized printed portraits of local residents, with the goal dotting the city with 100 such images. His goal is to seek out and highlight the diverse, under-recognized voices of those who work to make Omaha a vital place. Eight new portraits will be part of this exhibition.

Sept. 13

Counting Crows with special guest

+LIVE+: 25 Years & Counting

Houzenga, a former Bemis Center resident, frequently sources antique photographs, comic books and news clippings to fashion portraits in stencil, spray and collage.

His work is a compelling and often exuberant blend of street, pop and graphic arts.

Watie White/Brent Houzenga opens on Friday, September 7, beginning at 7pm. The exhibition continues through the end of October. Petshop is located in downtown Benson. For further information, check the gallery’s Facebook page. ~ Janet L. Farber

Sept. 7

Sept. 7

Benson First Friday

Femme Fest The Waiting Room 62nd and Maple

Seeing Double

Michael Phipps Gallery (inside Downtown Omaha Library) Omahalibrary.org It’s separate but equal in Michael Phipps Gallery’s next joint effort combining work from Holly Kranker and Jeff Sedrel Holly Kranker joins Jeff Sedrel for the next exhibit at the Michael Phipps Gallery opening Sept. 7 and continuing until Oct. 29. Despite their disparate solos, the exhibit’s intent is “to create a dialogue within the community.”

Benson First Friday Femme Fest has taken many forms since its first year in 2015 — notably expanding from one day to two and adding a one-night Lincoln iteration last year.

But it’s always kept its mission in mind: to spotlight the wealth of women musicians in Nebraska and the Midwest. Even in a scaledback format, BFFFF’s six-act 2018 lineup packs a punch. Nationally buzzing Omaha singer-songwriter Jocelyn, power pop band Uh Oh, Kansas indie pop duo La Guerre, Lincoln punks Domestica and Omaha rockers The Wagon Blasters are all on the show. But Lincoln punk band Histrionic, with Aramara Quintos Tapia, perhaps the most commanding frontwoman in the state, tops the bill.

Don’t miss the Queerniverse Burlesque show after music ends. Tickets are 10 bucks, and music starts at 6 p.m. ~ Sam Crisler

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September 2018

Kranker is a multidisciplinary artist. She uses an assortment of materials in a variety of mediums, with more than a slight emphasis on fabric and sewing, to create provocative, immersive and enigmatic installations and stand-alone pieces.

When not working on her art, Kranker is Residency Program Manager for the Bemis Center. She describes her work as “hovering between experience, contemplation, exploration, and memory.” She was an artist-in-residence at the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts in 2018.

explore the role art has historically played in our lives.”

Using bold color behind graphically dense, black marks, filtered through expressionist and pop art sensibilities, and with a strong nod to Asian calligraphy, the works are improvisational, often abstract, and at times, a horse may be the only recognizable figure.

The show runs from September 7th through October 29th. An opening reception for the artists will take place September 7th from 4PM to 6PM.

Stir Cove thereader.com/music/stir-concert-cove

Sept. 14

Parallel Worlds Gallery 72 Gallery72.com

~ Kent Behrens

Sept. 11 - 8 p.m.

Pentatonix with special guests

Echosmith and Calum Scott

Kranker is joined by self-described “modern drawer” Jeff Sedrel.

Sedrel sees the confluence of spirituality and art as the driving force behind what makes civilization more human. “I view the creation of art as a pathway to recognizing the spirit.” This realization led Sedrel to “symbolism, primitivism and mysticism to further

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Shea Wilkinson’s fabric art inspired by sci-fi, philosophy and fantasy

Stir Cove thereader.com/music/stir-concert-cove

A common thread in the genre called science fiction is the “tear in the fabric of space” concept, providing a blank canvas for authors and artists to explore questions of existence,

time, and reality, pretty much with no strings attached.

Whether it be mind-altering quantum events or questioning the philosophies of existence, this is the place where Omaha artist Shea Wilkinson finds much of her inspiration.

A new exhibit of her fabric artwork, Parallel Worlds, opens at Gallery 72 on Vinton Street Sept. 14.

Sept. 19

Beck

Pinewood Bowl Pinewoodbowltheater.com

Though not her only muse, Shea Wilkinson’s fabric and embroidery constructions often go to science fiction, philosophy, and fantasy for her inspirations. Her work might combine elements from the known natural world with extraterrestrial worlds or might take a concept introduced by Einstein and twist it with a multi-dimensional story inspired by Asimov.

Wilkinson is as much a painter and sculptor as she is a seamstress. Using a mixture of embroidery and freestyle quilting, she assembles a relief of color, line and pattern. The embroidery thus illustrates scientific inquiry and mysteries of alternative dimensions.

Wilkinson’s contemplative work has won her several awards and residencies, including the Renwick Chrysalis Award, which recognizes excellence by an emerging artist in a specific craft field.

Parallel Worlds shows from September 12 through October 6th. The opening reception for the artist will be Friday, September 14th, from 5PM to 8PM. Wilkinson will give a Gallery Talk on September 19th at 7PM. More information can be found at Gallery72.com. ~ Kent Behrens

Sept. 15 1:00 pm – 7:30 pm

27th Annual

Intertribal Pow Wow

Not much time has passed since Beck was last near Omaha. The alt-rock icon hit Stir Cove last September, and almost a year to the day later, he comes to Lincoln’s Pinewood Bowl Theater with a fresh record, Colors, in tow. Considering that 2014’s Morning Phase was a rainy-day folk rock diary entry that eventually won Album of the Year at the 2015 Grammys, Beck’s transition to straightup dance-pop-rock on Colors is, at the very least, a curious one. But looking back on his catalog in which he’s often embraced modern trends and put his own spin on them — as with Mellow Gold’s freak-grunge in 1994 and Guero’s electro-garage rock in 2005 — Beck taking on indie pop seems a logical progression. Similarly to fellow alt-rockers Weezer’s youth-focused Pacific Daydream, while maybe not pleasing longtime fans, Colors’ tracks are still sticky enough to weasel into your head for hours. Tickets for the Lincoln show range from $22-$86, and find more info at pinewoodbowltheater.com. Julian Casablancas’ Strokes side-project The Voidz open the show.

If anyone expected downtown Lincoln’s Lincoln Calling festival to face a rebuilding year in 2018 without the aid of local music nonprofit Hear Nebraska, well, they’d be wrong. While Hear Nebraska set a high standard, snagging acts like Ceremony, Cupcakke and Charli XCX in the past two years, new coordinator Spencer Munson came through with some big-name acts of his own. New York art-punk band Parquet Courts headlines the festival along with Japanese Breakfast, Lion Babe, Leikeli47 and Vulfpeck’s Joey Dosik, but nearly 100 bands are on the lineup.

Lincoln Calling 2018 is structured similarly to the Hear Nebraska-run festivals, including the continuation of the Night Market, which occupied 14th Street between O and P streets.

But where the Night Market Stage in past years was somewhat of an afterthought to the vendors, a big-time stage — think the size of The Zoo Bar’s ZooFest stage — will force downtown to listen. Curated showcases and workshops run throughout the festival. Tickets start at $45.

Metro Fort Omaha Campus Crazycrow.com

Lincoln Calling 2018 Throughout Lincoln Lincolncalling.com

~ Sam Crisler

Sept. 21

Deep Purple & Judas Priest

~ Sam Crisler

Sept. 19

DJ Pauly D

Stir Cove thereader.com/music/stir-concert-cove

The Bourbon bourbontheatre.com

Sept. 25

Blink 182

Stir Cove thereader.com/music/stir-concert-cove

~ Sam Crisler

Sept. 19-23

ity TV on cable. There was “The Hills,” “Teen Mom” and “The Real World,” but king among them was “Jersey Shore,” the 2009 show that grouped eight burnt-orange raucous partiers into one vacation house where relationships crashed and burned. Almost a decade since the show’s debut, the gang is back together on “Jersey Shore: Family Vacation,” but DJ Pauly D is there in a limited capacity, as he’s fully embraced his nickname since the first run of “Jersey Shore” ended. He dropped a new hip-hop banger single in January, and he’s touring the country right now, wisely playing mid-sized venues in college towns. He plays The Bourbon Theatre this month, and tickets start at $25.

When most people think of MTV nostalgia, they’re the folks lamenting “Man, remember when MTV used to actually play music videos?” Well, a generation or two later, many people under 30 know Music Television only for having the most dramatic real-

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Think back to 1999, when all the cool kids had highlighted spiky hair, skated down the street in JNCOs with blink-182’s Enema of the State spinning in their portable CD players.

It’s 2018 now, though, and blink-182 is a different band. Not so much sonically, but the ever-divisive alien conspiracy theorist Tom DeLonge is gone and replaced by Alkaline Trio’s Matt Skiba. With Skiba, blink-182 dropped California, its second LP of this decade in

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Sept. 27

Beastie Boy

Garden of the Zodiac in the Old Market Passageway

2016, and much like 2011’s Neighborhoods, the new record continues the band’s trend toward a tamer, Internet-Age-approved sound that’s unmistakably built by a band of aging dads. No, blink no longer has the youthful energy it did on Enema, but for those who came of age with blink, who cares? They play a sold-out Stir Cove show this month, and if you’re resourceful, you can likely snag tickets somewhere online. ~ Sam Crisler

Sept. 25

Mom Jeans.

The Waiting Room waitingroomlounge.com

~ Sam Crisler

September 2018

Broghammer’s solo exhibit opens Sept.

27, from 7-9 p.m. in the Garden of the Zodiac Gallery in the Old Market Passageway, 1054 Howard St, Omaha, NE. For details and gallery hours, phone 402-341-1877. ~ Mike Krainak

Sept. 27 – Oct. 21 Artist Broghammer continues animal mastery with latest set of bestiary drawings Artist Joe Broghammer has made frequent appearances in the former Moving Gallery in the past decade. Broghammer’s most recent occurred last March in the Garden of the Zodiac venue with a variation on his theme of animal rather than people portraiture.

Circle Mirror Transformation Bluebarn Theatre bluebarn.org

Favoring chalk pastel as his medium of choice, the artist offered common hoof stock—cattle, goats, sheep, pigs, horses and buffalo. He presented them as portrait heads or in profile and set against largely atmospheric or minimally descriptive backgrounds.

While much of the emo revival gasps for life, a handful of sad-boy rockers are still heavily connecting with adolescents. What those bands share is a new emphasis on provoking pogo pits with dreary jams, as if they decided one day if they were still going to be sad, they might as well have fun at the same time. Minnesota’s Remo Drive, New York’s Prince Daddy & The Hyena and California’s Mom Jeans. still incorporate many of the twinkly guitar leads and off-beats drum fills that predecessors like The Hotelier and Modern Baseball did, but this new wave of emo would prefer to use tissues to wipe sweat than tears. Mom Jeans., with their relentless touring schedule, stops at The Waiting Room this month with Shortly and Just Friends. Tickets are $12, and head to waitingroomlounge.com for more information.

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Broghammer has had solo exhibitions of his paintings and drawings on several occasions at both Anderson O’Brien Fine Art and the former Moving Gallery in Omaha. While he has enjoyed significant presence in regional art venues for many years, his portfolio has expanded to include exhibitions in Mexico, Berlin, Germany, and Trento, Italy.

This was quite a departure from Broghammer’s previous “Flock of Joe” exhibits that favored birds of quite a different feather often featuring drawn symbols and ciphers that suggested but did not specifically describe a deeper narrative.

Which is to say, that regardless of subject, his portraits are never mere illustrations.

While they remain personal and a bit mysterious at that, his drawings have revealed the artist to be arguably the Metro’s most accomplished mark-maker. Certainly, one of its most interesting.

See for yourself this Sept. 27th when he returns to the Garden of the Zodiac with yet another group from his bestiary, a series of large owls and buffalo heads, more than 12 in all. This set continues Broghammer’s mastery of his medium and attention to surface detail, but on second glance one detects even more personality and character than before. His use of idiosyncratic symbolism both framing and embellishing each image contributes to that illusion.

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Bluebarn Theatre’s 30th Season: America in Pieces starts September 27th Circle Mirror Transformation, by Annie Baker, a 2009 Obie Award winner for Best New Play, will be performed by the Bluebarn Theatre at 10th and Pacific to kick off their 30th season. Students in a community-center

acting class find their lives transformed, their souls reflected, and the patterns of their lives revealed in this extraordinary celebration of ordinary life. As they discover each other through storytelling and deceptively simple games, hearts are won and lost, destinies shaped, and tiny triumphs and tragedies take on epic proportions. Tickets are $35. Season Memberships are on sale now. ~ Reader staff

Sept. 28

The Hottman Sisters

EP Release Show & Tour Kickoff Waiting Room waitingroomlounge.com

Omaha sister indie-pop trio The Hottman Sisters have been on an upward trend for the past few years, releasing their debut EP This Two in summer 2016 and opening Maha Music Festival in 2017. After touring on their mega hooks, dance-pop rhythms and tight, side-by-side sister harmonies, it’s a wonder they haven’t blown up even more yet. Perhaps that’s the next step, as The Hottman Sisters’ second release, Louder, drops this month, and they’re celebrating with a release show at The Waiting Room. Its lead single “Fire” flares with Kelly Clarkson-passion and Haim vocal interplay over a driving instrumental that could ignite dance clubs or soundtrack a motivational montage. Their release show is with L.A. folk artist Ruby Force and Omaha beatmaker Kethro, and tickets are $10. ~ Sam Crisler

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OVER THE EDGE OVER THE EDGE

is a monthly column by Reader senior contributing writer Tim McMahan focused on culture, society, music, the media and the arts. Tim has been writing about Omaha and the local indie music scene for more than two decades. Catch his daily music reporting at Lazy-i.com, the city’s longest-running blog. Email Tim at tim.mcmahan@gmail.com.

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SEPTEMBER 2018

LINCOLN CALLING TURNS 15 The Capital City’s music festival keeps it on the cutting edge.

BY TIM MCMAHAN

M

aybe they should rename Lincoln Calling the “On Their Way Up Festival.”

The annual festival, which runs Sept. 19 to 23 in the heart of downtown Lincoln, is celebrating its 15th anniversary. To mark the occasion, you’d think they’d try to do something bigger than ever, but this year’s festival budget is actually smaller than last year’s, according to festival organizer Spencer Munson.

But for fans of indie rock (and Americana and Folk and Hip-Hop and R&B) the line-up has never been better.

Case in point: The headliners: Parquet Courts — The NYC indie act’s fourth album Wide Awake! (2018, Rough Trade) sees them evolve into a dance-rock outfit with a collection (produced by mega-talent Danger Mouse) that scored a massive 8.0 from tastemaker website Pitchfork.

Waxahatchee — The project by Alabaman Katie Crutchfield has become beloved for its deep, passionate folk rock songs released on stalwart indie label Merge Records. The band just got off the road with New Pornographers and was selected to open Jawbreaker’s recent reunion show.

Japanese Breakfast — This under-the-radar act’s winsome, lovely indie rock has become a staple on college radio and satellite station Sirius XMU. Front woman Michelle Zauner (of the band Little Big League) has emerged as one of today’s most respected singer/ songwriters.

Ron Gallo — The red-hot Philly rocker’s fuzzy garage sound has landed him slots on some of the nation’s biggest festivals, including Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits and Governers Ball.

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OVER THE EDGE

Add to those sizzling newcomers The Nude Party, Lion Babe, Leikeli47, Ought, Joey Dosik, Fantastic Negrito and about 60 more national, regional and local acts including Criteria, Twinsmith, Universe Contest, Matt Whipkey and Stephen Sheehan and you’ve got the making of the first Nebraska-based festival with a vibe that could be compared to the early days of Austin’s South By Southwest Festival.

SXSW? That’s a bold statement bound to raise some eyebrows.

But the comparison comes from the line-up’s emphasis on important, relevant rising-star acts playing at multiple venues rather than on a single, fixed stage. For the festival’s three primary music days, Sept.

20-22, Lincoln Calling patrons will bop among five downtown Lincoln venues as well as the massive outdoor Night Market stage located at 14th and “O” streets.

Unlike SXSW, however, each band will perform only once, whereas a typical SXSW act plays six or seven gigs during that festival’s week.

Worry not, says Mr. Munson, you probably won’t miss a band on your list. “We’ve got the schedule worked out so none of the headliners overlap,” he said. “Well, maybe a little, but you can leave one and see the other without missing much.”

Munson, a Lincoln events organizer who runs the city’s Jazz in June series and Lincoln Exposed festival, has been involved with Lincoln Calling since 2010, working alongside the event’s founder, Jeremy Buckley. Munson was handed the festival’s director chores when nonprofit Hear Nebraska stepped away from Lincoln Calling last year.

He began booking bands for the event in February with the help of Buckley and former Omahan (now Nashville-ite) Sam Parker of Perpetual Nerves Productions. “Jeremy brings in the Americana and

folk acts, Sam brings great punk and indie, and I plug in the hip-hop and R&B,” Munson said.

With a smaller budget than last year, this year’s acts are less well-known (and less expensive to book) than past headliners like Charlie XCX, Charles Bradley and Real Estate.

Instead, Spencer said he targeted younger bands “that are still hungry.”

“We tried to avoid paying too much for something that is underwhelming and that you’ve seen before,” he said, avoiding comparisons to any other local festivals.

“I want people who love music to hear something they haven’t heard. That’s a big difference that makes Lincoln Calling unique – finding bands that are still under the radar.”

Munson would flay me alive if I didn’t mention Lincoln Calling’s non-music activities, of which there’s a ton: Wellness panels, a Makers’ Fair, art curated by Benson First Friday, and innovation & entrepreneurship workshops that include topics as diverse as women in the music industry, DIY touring practices and sound tech workshops.

No doubt the expanded cultural offerings pleases the festival’s many sponsors, which include Allo, Evol Empire Creative, Lincoln Community Foundation and Lincoln Convention and Visitors Bureau, among others.

Lincoln Calling is a non-profit that depends on sponsors for its existence. “I try to break even with sponsorship money,” Munson said.

“Ticket sales are icing on the cake.”

He said he’s already lined up sponsors for 2019 and is in discussion with the Lincoln Arts Council about possibly combining Lincoln Calling with the city’s annual arts festival. “That would easily double the size of attendance and help us grow,” Munson said.

Here’s the details for this year’s Lincoln Calling Festival:

T H U R S D A Y

N I G H T

SEPTEMBER 20 doors 7pm | show 8pm

Dates: Sept. 19-23 Venues: 1867, Duffy’s Tavern, Zoo Bar, Bodega’s, Bourbon Theatre, Night Market Stage Tickets: Advance, full-festival passes are $40 and get you into all events all week long. VIP passes (avoid the lines, guaranteed access all week) are $75. Day passes are $20 for Thursday and $25 each for Friday and Saturday.

For more information and for the full performance and activities schedule, go to lincolncalling.com.

Over The Edge is a monthly column by Reader senior contributing writer Tim McMahan focused on culture, society, music, the media and the arts. Email Tim at tim.mcmahan@ gmail.com

IN PERSON 7300 Q ST | BOX OFFICE ONLINE RALSTONARENA.COM PHONE 800.440.3741 OVER THE EDGE

| THE READER |

SEPTEMBER 2018

35

DIGGING THE SCENE

National Bands Are Hitting Local Stages and Local Artists Are Making Themselves Heard

BY B.J. HUCHTEMANN

HOODOO

B

HOODOO focuses on blues, roots, Americana and occasional other music styles with an emphasis on live music performances. Hoodoo columnist B.J. Huchtemann is a senior contributing writer and veteran music journalist who received the Blues Foundation’s 2015 Keeping the Blues Alive Award for Journalism.

Follow her blog at hoodoorootsblues.blogspot.com and on www.thereader.com.

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SEPTEMBER 2018

SO Presents at Chrome Lounge kicks into September with the return of popular vocalist Reneé Austin. She performs Thursday, Sept. 6, at Chrome. The Minneapolis-area-based singer returned to the stage in 2015 after being sidelined for more than a decade from complications of a 2005 thyroid surgery that left her unable to sing. Visit reneeaustin.org to find out more.

Up and coming blues vocalist Mary Jo Curry, from central Illinois, takes the spotlight Thursday, Sept. 13. See maryjocurry.com.

Reverend Raven & The Chain Smokin’ Altar Boys are up Thursday, Sept. 20. Zac Harmon Band brings their groove-laden blues and R&B to Chrome Thursday, Sept. 28. All Thursday shows are 6-9 p.m.

More Shows of Note Lincoln’s Bourbon Theatre has some great shows in September.

The iconic singer-songwriter Neko Case performs Saturday, Sept.

8, 8 p.m. Another great show happens Sunday, September 16, 8 p.m. with The Reverend Horton Heat featuring Big Sandy.

The Marcus King Band has been getting the attention of a lot of blues fans and they plug in Tuesday, Sept. 18, 8 p.m. Fantastic Negrito, the 2017 Grammy Award winner for Best Contemporary Blues, hits the stage Friday, Sept. 21, 8 p.m. with Edem Soul Music opening. Popular Americana act Drive By Truckers are scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 3, 8 p.m. T. Hardy Morris opens.

See bourbontheatre.com.

Raining Soul Sizzling soul-blues from Detroit, Laura Rain & The Caesars features stellar guitarist George Friend alongside Rain’s fierce, soulful and funky vocals. This seasoned and versatile band doesn’t get to our area often but plays the Zoo Bar Wednesday, Sept. 19, 6-9 p.m.

And Thursday, Sept. 20, they drop into the Corner Bar in Fremont, 6-9 p.m. Listen up at laurarain.net.

Zoo Bar Blues Other highlights from Lincoln’s Zoo Bar schedule include audience favorite and Cate Brothers co-leader Earl Cate fronting Earl & Them Friday, Sept. 7, 5 p.m. Blues veteran Hurricane Ruth plays Wednesday, Sept. 12, 6-9 p.m. Vocalist Ruth LaMaster has performed with John Lee Hooker, B.B. King, Willie Dixon, Taj Mahal, Ramsey Lewis Trio, Sam & Dave, Fenton Robinson and with contemporary acts including Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Royal Southern Brotherhood, and Ronnie Baker Brooks. Check out hurricaneruth.com.

Rockin’ Johnny is up Friday, Sept. 28, 5 p.m. Nashville’s bluesabilly-rockabilly showman Webb Wilder returns Sunday, Sept.

30, 5 p.m.

Lincoln Calling takes over downtown Lincoln again Tuesday, Sept.

18 through Saturday, Sept. 22. A variety of genres showcase their sounds at multiple downtown venues including the Zoo Bar. For artists and venues see lincolncalling.com/music/.

| THE READER |

HOODOO

Femme Fest 2018 The annual BFF Femme Fest organized by Becky Lowry and E3 Music Management is back at The Waiting Room Friday, Sept. 7, 6 p.m.-1 a.m. celebrating women making music. For $10 hear The Wagon Blasters (6 – 6:45 p.m.), Domestica (7 – 7:45), Uh Oh (8 – 8:45), La Guerre (9 – 9:45), Jocelyn (10 – 10:45), Histrionic (11 – 11:45) and Queerniverse Burlesque (12 – 12:45). For more details see Facebook.com/bfffemmefest.

Sebastian Lane’s Debut CD A current Omaha resident who is following in the family blues business, Sebastian Lane released his debut CD, Walkin’ by Myself, this summer. Lane is the grandson of the great Chicago blues master Jimmy Rogers and the son of blues-rocker Jimmy D. Lane. In town attending medical school, he has been lighting up stages with his powerful guitar-driven blues. Catch him hosting the First Friday blues jam Friday, Sept. 8, and the first Friday of each month at Benson’s Barley Street Tavern after 9 p.m. In September, his schedule includes The Rustemberfest Car show Saturday, Sept. 8, in Pacific Junction, Iowa, the Farnam Festival Saturday, Sept. 15, and the 7 Oaks Music Festival Sunday, Sept. 30. Find out more at sebastianlaneband.com.

7 Oaks Music Festival The 2nd Annual 7 Oaks Music Festival is Sunday, Sept. 30, 2 p.m. til 9:30 p.m. at 13302 West Center Rd, in the parking lot of sponsor Paul Weggener’s 7 Oaks Investment Corporation and co-host Thunderhead Brewing Taproom. The Blues Society of Omaha is also a host of the event, featuring live music from Sebastian Lane (3 p.m.), California guitar star Alastair Greene (4:15), The Danielle Nicole Band (6) and Electric Voodoo (7:45) with a fireworks display at 9 p.m.

Greene’s latest disc Live From the 805, celebrates his 20 years as a West Coast blues power trio band leader. Electric Voodoo is an up and coming Southern California band celebrating all types of roots music started by Scott Tournet, a founding member of Grace Potter & The Nocturnals. Admission is free and all ages are welcome, but please do not bring in outside food or beverages and show support for the vendors.

Hot Notes Looking for cool mid-week hangs? The Mitch Town Jazz Organ Trio has a Tuesday night residency at Jambo Cat, 7:30 p.m., in Dundee. The Groovin’ with Grover & Friends Jam at The Opollo has become a Wednesday night happening scene. The jam, led by Grover Lipkins, takes place at The Opollo Music Hall, 6052 Maple St., Wednesdays 9-11:30 p.m.

September 9 is the deadline for bands to enter the Blues Society of Omaha’s Nebraska Blues Challenge that will send one band to Memphis to compete in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis Jan. 22-29, 2019.

Contact the BSO volunteer coordinator at NebraskaBluesChallenge@ OmahaBlues.com for rules, details or entry forms.

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SEPTEMBER 2018

37

SUCK IT, SUMMER! Fall Movie Guide for 2018

FILM

B Y R YA N S Y R E K

For better or worse, depending on who you ask, senior contributing writer RYAN SYREK has been reviewing movies and writing about popular culture for more than 15 years. In print, on social media (twitter.com/thereaderfilm), on the radio (CD1059.com) and on his podcast, Movieha! (movieha.biz), Ryan tries to critically engage pop content while not boring anybody. Send him hate, love or local movie news items at film@thereader.com. .

38

SEPTEMBER 2018

H

ollywood tells time only slightly better than it actually learns meaningful lessons about diversity and sexual harassment. For movies, the “summer season” starts as early as February now and lasts through Moneytober, an imaginary date somewhere between the 32nd of August and the Nth of September.

But who cares? Fall movies are where it’s at and have been for a while. Ranking the movie seasons, it now goes Fall, or Autumn if you’re feelin’ pumpkiny; Summer, which done ate up Spring; and then Winter, those frigid months where the corpses of films that t’were best unborn are dumped. As we wait for the elections in November to determine if we’re still at least feigning democracy, let’s get pumped for the top 10 flicks I’m jonesing for this fall!

This year’s gimmick is me comparing my excitement level for a particular film to a perfect fall activity. It’s possible I’ve done this before, but there’s no way you remember.

| THE READER |

FILM

Love, Gilda (Limited release starts Sept 21) Earlier this year, nostalgic moviegoers beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish yelled “Yes! Dear God, yes!” to the question asked by the title of the Mr. Rogers doc, Won’t You Be My Neighbor? Personally, I’m saving my full quota of “well-intended documentary” tears for this look one of the kindest, funniest people to ever do comedy stuff. A whole generation has been deprived of Gilda’s goodness, and I can’t help but think maybe that’s part of the problem.

Fall feeling: Like sitting around a fire pit, listening to your funniest friend make you laugh about nothin’ The Old Man and the Gun (Limited release starts Sept 28) Writer/director David Lowery won my love so thoroughly with his Pete’s Dragon remake that I can’t help but watch his movies despite his enabling of Casey Affleck. This is allegedly Robert

Redford’s last movie, which makes your parents and grandparents sad. Still, a coy tale about an aged bank robber is the second best way for the guy from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid to go out. What’s the first way? He was also in All the President’s Men. Fall feeling: Like watching a sport with your preferred family member(s) A Star Is Born (Oct 5) This isn’t on my list so much for me as it is for several people I care about who have personally accounted for at least a cool milly of the bazilly views the trailer has gotten. While I recognize the power of the Gaga, I am also assured that some people do not have a violent revulsion to the presence of Bradley Cooper.

“That must be nice for them,” I have thought, while rewatching the scenes from Alias where Will Tippin is treated like all people who bemoan the bullshit “friend zone” should be treated.

Fall feeling: Driving around with the windows down and singing “Poker Face” unironically Venom (Oct 5) For a long time, I didn’t truly believe this would be thrust into our unwanting eyes. A movie about a Spider-Man villain without Spider-Man sounds like some “Zero-Stuft Oreos” nonsense. The first trailer looked boring and regular bad. Then came the second trailer, which looked a very special kind of awful and embarrassing. Y’all Tom Hardy is doing a voice that is silly by Tom Hardy standards! Jenny Slate is in this! Venom has booger lines all over him! Could this b the B-movie we’ve b-een waiting 4?!

Fall feeling: Eating candy corn, which is what “so bad its good” tastes, looks and feels like Halloween (Oct 19) Director David Gordon Green and writer?!

Danny McBride have chosen to “new phone, who ‘dis?” a bunch of previous Halloween sequels. I’d feel worse about using that phrase, but making a direct sequel to a John Carpenter horror movies means making apologies is a dead as Mike Myers prefers his siblings. One of the few truly big name horror movies hitting this fall, this should do money so crazy, Dr. Loomis would get the diagnosis right.

Fall feeling: Getting a Groupon for a haunted house so you feel better paying only $25 to pee just a little in your pants Suspiria (Limited release Nov 2) Either you’re salivating at the idea that they remade Dario Argento’s 1977 horror film about a dance company or you didn’t know Tilda Swinton was in this. Also starring Dakota “Who Even Remembers 50 Shades” Johnson, this hallucinatory and hopefully genuinely campy n’ creepy endeavor should probably be released prior to Halloween, but we don’t tell Tilda when to do things, we just appreciate when they happen.

Fall feeling: Going trick or treating with kids and having a grown-up give you candy too Bodied (Limited release Nov 2) A battle rap movie that has been waiting almost a year for distribution, writer/director Joseph Kahn’s movie will allegedly “start some conversations,” which used to mean thoughtful dialogue but now just means all caps tweets.

Movies so densely packed with words and laced with potent hip-hop aesthetic can be transcendent or problematic, depending on who

did the packing and lacing. Either way, it won’t be boring…

Fall feeling: Getting the parking spot someone tried to steal from you at the mall while shopping during the holiday season Overlord (Nov 9) Rumor had it that this was supposed to be a Cloverfield movie at one point. I don’t care what field it is from, if you make a WWII movie about Nazis trynna make zombies, I’m gonna see it. Again, it sure seems like Halloween would be a good time for this horror-laced war flick, but I guess the terrors of the third Reich really aren’t limited to one specific season these days.

Fall feeling: Please vote this November If Beale Street Could Talk (Limited release Nov 30) Writer/director Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight, perhaps the only film to ever win Best Picture at the Oscars and deserve it, was one of the best movies ever made. If Beale Street Could Talk is an adaptation of a James Baldwin novel that looks like it could be even better. No trailer has goosed my bumps quite like this one in quite some time.

Easily the most anticipated movie for me this fall season.

Fall feeling: That first bite of your favorite Thanksgiving food Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Dec 14) One Spider-Man is among my favorite things. Multiple Spider-Men is even better.

Nicolas Cage voicing an animated SpiderMan is gilding the lily in a way only Cage can gild. A generation of kids are going to get to see Miles Morales take on the mantle of the greatest hero ever created, and that makes me almost as happy as me getting to see slew of Spider-Peoples. I have already requested time off from work for repeat viewings and regression to childhood.

Fall feeling: Thanksgiving leftovers and a perfectly awful movie on basic cable Honorable Mentions You should also be hyped for these films, just not quite as hyped. Like, if you were Flavor Flav, you’d only have a normal-sized wristwatch on.

See good movies.

American independents.

Foreign films.

Documentaries.

Repertory series.

Family classics.

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SHOWING IN SEPTEMBER

Predator (Sept 14) The Sisters Brothers (Sept 21) Bad Times at the El Royale (Oct 10) The Hate U Give (Oct 19) Creed 2 (Nov 21) Ralph Breaks the Internet (Nov 21) Mary Poppins Returns (Dec 19)

FILM

| THE READER |

SEPTEMBER 2018

39

CUTTING ROOM

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SEPTEMBER 2018

| THE READER |

FILM

• In addition to being an all-around good writer person, Leo Biga is also specifically a very good film journalist human. Don’t take my word on it, take his! His latest noncredit continuing education film class, titled Screen Gems Made in Nebraska, runs from Oct 10 to Nov 14 at Metro Community College. If you don’t know what the class is about based on the title, I’m gonna say the chances of you wanting to opt in are pretty low. The films covered will include Boys Town, Terms of Endearment, My Antonia, The Rain People, We’re Not the Jet Set, A Time for Burning and Wigger. Class is in session Wednesdays from 5:45-8:45, and you’re not busy that night anyway, I checked. Head to mccneb.edu to register, provided you’re 18 years old or older. I’ve been assured none of you are younger than that, as Millennial assassins are far too busy murdering a flawed capitalist enterprise based on outdated principles to read things with their eyes.

• If things go well this season, taking an already awesome thing and making it even awesomer by focusing more on women will be called “Doin’ a Doctor Who!” That or it will still be called “Copying Cinemateca.” Film Streams and UNO’s Office of Latino/Latin American Studies (OLLAS) are making Cinemateca 2018, their sixth biennial celebration of Latino, Latin American, and Spanish cinema, dedicated to work by women directors. A different film will play each Tuesday at 7 pm from now until the end of Sept. Before the

show, you can sample food connected to that week’s film. After the show, OLLAS faculty will lead charlas (“discussions”). Folks, this is what we call a “Movie Oreo,” wherein good things are on both sides of creamy cinematic goodness. Dunk your Movie Oreo by going to filmstreams.org for more details.

• This last one is a quickie for those of us pathetically waiting for our prestige TV shows to come back. Seriously, Game of Thrones and Stranger Things both decide to take off the same year? Cool, I guess we’ll all try to just live through 2018 then… The Duffer Brothers, the creators of Stranger Things whose name sounds like a fake country band in a made-for-TV movie, allegedly are taking some inspiration for the third season of their horror-adjacent sci-fi show from Chevy Chase. Not from the actor, as no one will reportedly be acting like a casual racist emboldened by decades-old successes.

Season three, whenever it hits, will reportedly borrow from Fletch. How? Why? Or, more importantly, when?!

Cutting Room provides breaking local and national movie news … complete with added sarcasm. Send any relevant information to film@thereader.com. Check out Ryan on Movieha!, a weekly podcast, catch him on the radio on CD 105.9 on Fridays at around 7:40 a.m. and on KVNO 90.7 at 8:30 a.m. on Fridays and follow him on Twitter.

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