The Reader July 10 - 16, 2014

OMAHA STEAKS Now Hiring Multiple Positions. Go to OmahaJobs. com for more information.

HEARTLAND MARKETING & COMM. Back-Pack Journalist.

Contact Becky Jungers at HMCListing@gmail.com or (402)293-0200.

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CENTURY LINK Customer Internet Help Desk - RSA. Contact Rick Wolf at rick.wolf@ centurylink.com. Go to OmahaJobs.com for more information.

FIRST STATE BANK NEBRASKA Correspondent Mortgagte loan Purchaser/Reviewer.

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PAUL J. STRAWHECKER, INC. Office Support Coordinator. Contact Kari Kratky at kari@pjstraw.com. Go to OmahaJobs.com for more information.

CROWN SERVICES General Labor/Warehouse. Contact Paul Berley at Omaha@crownservices or (402)553-6115.

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HEARTLAND FOOD CORP General Manager. Contact Valcorn@heartlandfoodcorp.com.

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AQUA-TOTS Swim Instructor. Contact Steve at Stevem@aquatots.com. Go to OmahaJobs.com for more information.

ACORN STAIRLIFTS, INC. Outside Sales Representatives. Must be able to Install & Service. Contact gtrapani@acornstairlifts. com. Go to OmahaJobs. com for more information.

THE METRO SHIELD, INC. Phone Sales.

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THE SANDOR CORPORATION Two Person Team. Concessions 10-5 every other weekend. Contact Kim at kcb@netins.net. Go to OmahaJobs.com for more information.

PREMIER BANK Loan Operations Specialist. Go to OmahaJobs. com for more information.

JULY 10 - 16, 2014

AAA LIFE INSURANCE Life Sales Agent. Go to OmahaJobs.com for info.

HAUSMAN AGENCY LLC Marketing. Contact Chris Hausman at chausman@ allstate.com. Go to OmahaJobs.com for more information.

| THE READER |

TRANS CONTINENTAL CONSULTANTS Physical Therapist.

Contact Kristi Weldon medlink ne@gmail.com or at (402)753-7230 Go to OmahaJobs.com for more information.

CABELA’S Part-time Deli Associates.

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TRANS CONTINENTAL CONSULTANTS IBM FileNet Developer.

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BRAZILIAN CONSORTIUM OF STONE Showroom Assistant.

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heartlandhealing N E W A G E H E A LT H A N D W E L L N E S S B Y M I C H A E L B R AU N S T E I N

News You Can Use: July 2014 It’s All Good

Avoiding GMOs I was shocked 18 months ago. At a meeting with five well-educated, well-compensated professionals intimately involved with the logistics and promotion of a large farmers market, I brought up the topic of labeling GMOs. Not one of the five people knew what GMO meant. But times have changed and awareness of genetically modified “frankenfood” has blossomed. The topic of GMOs is hotter than ever. Now comes a report from the Organic Trade Association that shoppers are seeking to avoid genetically modified foods more than ever before. In a new survey, the OTA found that over 70 percent of the parents queried knew what GMO stood for. That’s not only good news but great news.

The OTA found that people who chose organic food did so in order to avoid GMOs more than ever. Demand for organic products is booming, with sales in the United States jumping to $35.1 billion in 2013, a 12 percent hike from the previous year and a new record. OTA’s survey shows that eight out of ten American families now make organic products a part of their grocery list if not all the time, at least sometimes. Organic foods cannot contain GMOs and that is an increasing driver for shoppers to make the choice for organic.

Code Black I haven’t seen it so should not offer a solid “good” label to it, but the award-winning documentary film Code Black, by emergency room doctor Ryan McGarry, is getting rave reviews and has been covered fully in mainstream media. What is so certainly good about the film is that it focuses on the area of conventional medicine that is far superior to anything that alternative and natural approaches could muster: trauma and emergency medicine. In his film, McGarry takes us into areas of the ER that are ordinarily off limits.

We see actual footage of the medical magic that ER personnel carry out amid the chaos and carnage in a big city trauma bay. It is a reminder that trauma and heroic life-saving in calamitous circumstances is conventional medicine’s forte. Disease care, not so much.

Sudsy Find.

Usually, the News You Can Use columns are an aggregate of wire service stories that come my way that readers may have missed or that I feel are notable. This

next item relies on personal experience. Many readers are aware that what passes for conventional soap found in the store, isn’t really. Commercial soap is usually a concoction of detergent and chemicals, fragrances and packaging. Commercial soap, even the “good” kind found at “health food” stores, isn’t like the true natural stuff. Soap is simple. It’s the result of a natural process called saponification. Combining lye and fat, the end product contains soap and glycerine. One problem with commercial soap is that the glycerine is usually removed while cheaper chemicals are added.

Recently I found a soap at a local Ace Hardware called “Grandma’s Lye Soap.” I bought it on a whim, mostly because it looked like it was from a small company and the label says the ingredients are: “Food Grade Lard, Lye and water.” All I know is how it works for us.

We’ve both been showering with the first bar for four weeks now and judging by the size of it, there’ll be at least eight more weeks left.

And it’s great. I can feel the glycerine in it (a natural skin conditioner). It washes clean without drying the skin. I went back to Ace and bought two more bars, leaving one on the shelf for another lucky shopper. When I find a product I like that appears to be made by real people at a real company — not some offshore, megacorporation’s wholly owned subsidiary that is packaged to look like a mom-and-pop — I like to give the company a call to suss it out. I spoke with Tim down in Tulsa, where Grandma’s Lye Soap is made. I learned Remwood Products is indeed a small (20 or so employees), family owned firm and my suspicion about the glycerin was confirmed by Tim. “We leave the glycerin in.” I’ve tried a lot of good soaps, beginning with Dr. Bronner’s back in the ’60s and the local Blue Cheetah version in the ’90s. Though I’ll keep my Dr. Bronner’s for dish, laundry, teeth and general use, Grandma’s is the best I’ve found for shower and hand soap.

VISIONS FROM FIVE MINUTES INTO THE FUTURE • JULY 10, 2014 • A minor trend in the next few years will be something called "regionalicana," in which artists and collectors focus their efforts on their state, city, and even neighborhood. Think of it as a folk history of the people who live next door to you, or the original owner of

your house, or the man the creek was named after. This will form the basis for plays, songs, web projects, and decorating schemes entirely based around historic objects from the collector's own neighborhood. Culture exists where you find it.

Rinse. Repeat.

It’s been rainy in Nebraska. Though nationwide a serious drought persists, we’re starting to see some relief in the Great Plains. California is still in big trouble but heavier than normal rainfall for June was good news for the surface reservoirs of Nebraska. The National Drought Mitigation Center is located in Lincoln, Neb. and run by UN-L. They are reporting that while we’re not out of it yet, major surface water reserves like Lake McConaughy are well above last year, though still not normal. Still, Nebraska farmers should begin to transition from water wasting crops like ethanol corn.

Be well. ,

HEARTLAND HEALING is a New Age polemic describing alternatives to conventional methods

of healing the body, mind and planet. It is provided as information and entertainment, certainly not medical advice. It is not an endorsement of any particular therapy, either by the writer or The Reader. Visit HeartlandHealing.com for more information.

heartland healing

| THE READER |

JULY 10 - 16, 2014

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SOMMELIER ON A MISSION: JENNIFER MOLESKI KNOWS EXCELLENT SERVICE

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et’s be honest here – we all know that Omaha has an amazing restaurant scene. This is no secret to us, and apparently word is spreading because people outside of Omaha are hearing it too. Enter Jennifer Moleski, a restaurant industry consultant who uses her years as a sommelier and trainer to help restaurant service teams figure out how to be great.

Jennifer started a tour last month that is taking her all around the nation in a quest to visit with the best restaurants and see what makes their service teams tick. So, of course, she wound up in Omaha and visited with four of our best eateries to add to her ongoing blogumentary.

She spent one shift with the service team of each restaurant and watched what they do and how they do it.

Not surprisingly, she had really good things to say about each place she visited here.

Boilerroom Restaurant “I really liked Boilerroom,” says Jennifer. “I liked the layout and the team that’s there. They’re very professional. It’s like a perfect mix of hospitality, genuine kindness and warmth, mixed with absolute professionalism and dedication to the job. I enjoyed them very much. Their moves were very elegant and thoughtful.”

The Grey Plume Jennifer noticed right away that there is a huge emphasis on sustainability at The Grey Plume.

“Most businesses and restaurants are just a long shadow of the owner, so whatever the owner’s vision is, that trickles down. I really got the feeling that everyone on that team really loves participating in sustainable actions.”

V. Mertz Leave it to a sommelier to sniff out a restau-

www.midtowncrossing.com

rant that takes pride in their wine. “Their wine dedication is probably the strongest that I saw. All of the restaurants really loved wine, but the team at V. Mertz really wants to go in the right direction with wine knowledge.

They have a great chef, but they also want to have that wine knowledge to back up the dinner selections with a great wine. So I think their big thing is knowledge.”

Dario’s Brasserie A little taken aback by the unexpectedly warm, family-like feel of Dario’s, Jennifer says that she liked the overall neighborhood feel. “I typically

crumbs ■ THIRSTY FOR TEA? Thirst-Tea Café opened its doors June 30 in Midtown Crossing. They offer a huge variety of teas and plenty of snacks. If you’re a fan of bubble tea, you’re going to love this place.

Any chance this tea place will sway the coffee lovers of Omaha and make them tea fanatics? We shall see. www.thirstteacafe.com ■ GROWING CITIES NEEDS HELP This is your last chance to help local filmmakers Dan Susman and Andrew Monbouquette with their quest to get their documentary Growing Cities aired on PBS. Their Kickstarter campaign is nearing its funding amount, but more is needed. Help these guys get the word out to the world about urban farming. Seriously, even $5 will help. www.kickstarter.com/projects/growincities ■ SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINE If you’re thinking about

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JULY 10 - 16, 2014

| THE READER |

dish

go to white-linen places, so Dario’s was the most interesting Omaha restaurant for me. Really, what I’m finding on this tour is that most restaurants want to be known as the neighborhood restaurant, but this really was! They just know their clientele. From what I understand from talking to the staff, this was a place where people go to eat and have a good time, and the staff really embraces that.”

Maybe Nebraska really is “nice” Jennifer noticed an all-around trend among the Omaha restaurants she visited. Not only were they all very welcoming to her, but they all spoke very highly of one another. “There wasn’t any smack talking about other restaurants,” she says. “It was all, ‘we love them over there!’ and ‘we love what they’re doing over there!’ It’s rare, and it’s a sign of a great restaurant community. They don’t see it as competition; they see it as collaboration. This is a crowded nation, so for me to have heard about Omaha from people all over the country, you guys are doing something right.”

She hopes to spread the word that service is important in the restaurant industry. “Everyone is writing about chefs. There’s nothing wrong with that. If you turn on a TV right now you’ll find a chef show, and that’s great because the more excitement that’s generated about a profession, the better the profession becomes.

People take it seriously. I think there needs to be a movement for the service team. Nobody’s writing about servers and that makes me so sad. As a server of ten years and a sommelier and a trainer, someone who’s worked on really great service teams, I want to give kudos to the people in that profession. And I kind of want to let them know it’s OK and great to be a server. This doesn’t have to be transitory. It can be your job. It can be your profession.”

Remember, when it comes right down to it, you probably spend more time with your server than you do with your food. “I don’t know how much time you spend with an entrée, but it’s only a brief moment in the hour when you’re sitting in the restaurant,” she says. “The food plays a part, but really, the one-on-one experience with a server, or with a service team, that’s what feels either good or bad.” , Learn more about Jennifer’s restaurant service blogumentary: www.iamwaitress.com pursuing a career in the culinary arts, check out the scholarships available to enroll in the Metropolitan Community College Culinary Arts and Management program. The deadline to submit your scholarship application and perhaps someday become the next big thing on the Omaha food scene is July 28. https://mccneb.starsscholarshipsonline.com/stars/ default.aspx ■ OUTSTANDING IN THE FIELD Join Chef Paul Kulik from The Boiler Room on July 25 at Branched Oak Farm in Lincoln for Outstanding in the Field, a national tour that offers white tablecloth feasts smack in the middle of farm fields. This is truly a farm-to-table experience that helps diners get a better understanding of where their food comes from. Tickets are $190. www.outstandinginthefield.com — Tamsen Butler Crumbs is about indulging in food and celebrating its many forms. Send information about area food and drink businesses to crumbs@thereader.com.

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| THE READER |

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E

ntrepreneurial African missionary Aisha Okudi, 37, laid the foundation for her thriving business and ambitious humanitarian work during a period when she and her children were sometimes homeless. She’d been through worse.

Regardless of how bad things have gotten, she’s remained focused on her mission because she considers her story of transformation a testimony to her faith in a Higher Power she serves for the greater good. The Omaha visionary is proud of how far she’s come with her Sha Luminous line of organic shea butter skin rejuvenation and beauty products. Sha Luminous is available at Hy-Vee supermarkets in six states as well as Akins Natural Food Stores, No Name Nutrition, Jane’s Health Market and select salons. She’s working to get in Whole Foods.

She’s humble about her success because she’s following a plan she feels called to. She views everything about her journey, even the dark side, as a conduit for the missionary work that is her real passion.

The base of her hand-crafted products is butter extracted from the shea nut, a natural plant indigenous to the same rural African provinces she serves. After years helping poor African children by sending supplies and making donations, she visited Niger in 2010 through the auspices of the international NGO, Children in Christ. She made connections with villagers, tribal leaders, fellow missionaries, government representatives and American embassy offcials. She purchased a missionary house to accommodate more evangelists.

She says she’s tried getting Omaha churches on board with her work but has been rebuked. She suspects being a woman of little means and not having a church or title explains it. Undaunted, she works closely with CIC Niger national director, Festus Haba, who calls her work “a blessing.” In addition to Niger, where she once considered moving, she also visited Togo on that 2010 trip.

She visited Ghana in 2012. She’s returning to Africa in August, this time to Mali. With the help of Haba and CIC she’ll explore growing her business there to create import-export streams. At one time she weighed developing holistic herbal health clinics in West Africa.

“I want to create job opportunities for people because this business is about helping people who come out of poverty just like me.”

She wants more Africans enjoying the fruits of the shea nut grown there by employing locals in its production and sale and by making her products affordable so more locals can enjoy their health benefits.

It’s a far cry from the self-centered, destructive path she was on from the early-1990s through 2004. Growing up in Omaha and Des Moines she long headed for a hard fall. Her family often moved. Finances were always tight. She was a head-strong girl who didn’t listen to her restless mother and alcoholic father. She got in trouble at school.

“There were issues at home. I was always told no coming up and I got sick of hearing that. I felt I was a burden, so I was like, ‘I’m going to get out and get my own stuff.’”

At 15 she left home and began stripping. A year later she got pregnant. She gave birth to the first of her four children at 17.

“I found myself moving around a lot. I really didn’t know what stability was. I never had stabil-

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JULY 10 - 16, 2014

ity, whether having a stable home or just being stable, period, in life. I was young and doing my thing.

My dad walked in the club where I was stripping.

My sister told on me.”

The ensuing confrontation only drew her and her parents farther apart.

“I was trying to live that life. I wanted to have whatever I wanted to have. I danced, I sold my body and I made lots of money from it. I did it for about 12 years.

I wanted to have it all, but it was not the right way.”

She got caught up in the alcohol, drug abuse and theft that accompany life on the streets.

“I was in and out of prison a lot. I used to steal to make money.”

In 1997 she served time in the Douglas Country Correctional Center for theft by receiving stolen property.

In 2004 she was crying in an Iowa jail cell after her second Operating While Intoxicated offense. Her ar-

| THE READER |

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rest came after she left the strip club where she performed, bombed out of her head.

“I had to get drunk so I could let these men touch me all night,” says Okudi, who drove her car atop a railroad embankment, straddling the tracks, poised for a drop-off that led straight into a river.

That night in jail a decade ago is when it all came to head. “I just sat there and I thought about my kids and what I just did,” she says. She felt sure she’d messed up one too many times and was going to lose her children and any chance of salvaging her life, “I was crying out and begging to God. I had begged before but this time it was a beg of mercy. I was at my bottom. I surrendered fully.”

To her relief the judge didn’t give her prison time at her sentencing hearing. “I told the judge, ‘I will never do this.’ He said, ‘If I ever see you in my courtroom again it will be the last time.’ I burnt my strip clothes

when I got out, and I didn’t turn back. I got myself into treatment.” She’d been in treatment before but “this time,” she says, “it was serious, it wasn’t a game. I enrolled in school.”

Ten years later she has her own business and a higher calling and, she says, “I’m so proud that I write the judge and tell him how I’m doing.” Okudi’s learned how to live a healthy lifestyle and not surround herself with negative influences and enablers.

Her life has turned many more times yet since getting straight and sober. In 2006 she seemingly found her soulmate in George Okudi, an ordained Ugandan minister and award-winning gospel artist. They began a new life in Washington DC and had two children together. Then she discovered he was still married to another woman in Africa. The couple is separated, awaiting a divorce.

She’s learned to forgive, but she’s only human.

“Even though I’ve grown sometimes it feels like, ‘When is it going to end?’ But too much is given, much is required. You’ve just gotta consistently stay on track. No matter what it is, stay focused.”

Even as recently as 2012 and 2013 there were tests and setbacks, including bouts of homelessness. The difference then and now is that when adversity strikes she doesn’t get too high or too low, she doesn’t feel entitled to act out. She claims she experienced an epiphany in which God spoke to her and set her on her Esha Jewelfire mission.

“When I had that vision and dream I was pregnant with my youngest son. I was living with my grandmother. I was newly separated from my husband. I said to my grandmother, ‘I don’t know if I’m going crazy or what, but the Lord said I will build like King Solomon and go and help my people in Africa.’”

Since childhood this Africaphile has expressed a desire to help alleviate poverty overseas. Her visit to Niger and the overwhelming reception she received confirmed she’s meant to serve there.

“It was immediate. I was able to blend in wherever I went. I know that’s where my calling is. I cook African, my children are African, my friends are African. It’s just a natural thing for me.”

She even speaks some native dialects.

She’s long made a habit of sending clothes and other needed items to Africa. But a call to build was something else again.

“Where am I going to get the money from to help these people in Africa?” she asked her grandma. “I didn’t know.”

Then by accident or fate or divine providence a friend introduced her to shea butter, an oil used in countless bath and beauty products. “And that’s how the idea for my business came up,” Okudi says.

Shea is gritty in its natural state and only transforms with love. Sound familiar? “I researched it and found that it moisturizes, it cleanses, it refreshens, it heals, it brightens, it just makes you shine. It’s naturally rich in vitamins A, E and F. So I figured out what I needed to do with it.”

Her experiments led to lightly fragranced shea butter-based products, including lotions, creams and scrubs. She began marketing them.

She gets raw shea in big blocks she breaks down by chopping and melting. She incorporates into her products natural oats and grains as well as fruit and continued on page 8y

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y continued from page 6 herb oils to lend pleasing textures and scents. The fresh fruit and herbs are pressed by hand. Nothing’s processed. “All this stuff comes from God’s green earth -- oils, spices, herbs, organic cane sugar,” she says.

Nothing’s written down either. “I have it all in my head. I know every ingredient in everything I make.

Everything is made fresh to order and customized. Everything is hand-packaged, too.”

Selling at trade shows, house parties, off the Internet, the small business “started really growing and taking off for me,” she says. With her products now in chain stores, she contracts workers to act as sales demo reps where her products are carried. She also has a contract with a hand-mass manufacturing firm in Nashville, Tenn. She’s in discussions with a majo beauty products manufacturer-distributor.

She says besides her line being “bomb diggity,” retailers and customers alike respond to “the mission purpose behind it,” adding, “It’s purposeful, its meaningful, there’s life to my company.”

Her business has been based at various sites, including the Omaha Small Business Network. Production’s unfolded in her mother’s kitchen, in a friend’s attic, in her house, wherever she can find usable space. “My business is simple, it doesn’t really need a big plant or office.”

Having a store of her own though was a dream. A few years ago “an angel” came into her life in the form of Robert Wolsmann, who within short order of meeting Okudi wrote her a check for $10,000 – as a loan – to help her open her own shop.

Wolsmann is not in the habit of lending such amounts to near total strangers but something in Okudi struck him. Besides, he says, “I could see she needed help. She showed me what she made and I was so impressed I presented her with that money. I couldn’t resist investing.”

“He’s an awesome person,” Aisha says of Wolsmann. “We’ve become great friends.”

She says her dynamic personality attracts people to her. She feels what Wolsmann did is evidence “things work in mysterious ways – you don’t know what’s going to happen, you’ve just got to be prepared.”

Her Organically Sweet Shea Butter Body Butter Store opened in 2010. The labor of love proved star-

crossed when after two months her landlord evicted her. Okudi’s opened and closed two more stores to pursue new opportunities .

“Entrepreneurs go where they have to go to get things done.”

Evictions from two rental homes found to be uninhabitable took their toll. “I asked God, “What is going on? Why does this keep happening to me?’ I didn’t have nowhere to go. I was seeing myself back living from place to place like I’ve always been, still trying to take care of my kids and do my business.” Stripping’s fast money lured her back for a short time. She and her kids stayed at the transitional housing program, Restored Hope, but when things didn’t work out there they went back to couch surfing before finding stability at the Salvation Army Shelter.

“It kept me focused on my mission. I’ve been called to be that missionary, so I’m not so upset anymore about why I’ve been bounced around or why things have happened the way they have. There’s a way bigger purpose. If you just be really humble and wait and be patient to see what God’s doing, He’ll turn things around.”

It’s why she no longer dwells on the past or worries about what she doesn’t have right now.

“Nothing matters when it comes to material things.

The only thing that matters to me is my health and just doing what I know is right in my heart to do. Even though I lived the way I lived, basically homeless, I realized I am very blessed and I remained grateful.

“God only gives you what you can handle. He obviously knew I was equipped to do it. You just do it, but there’s preparation to everything. Nothing goes to waste. Everything I’ve been through I’ve actually used as a powerful testimony to either encourage someone else or to inspire myself to move forward.”

For the past year she’s earned enough money to find stable living in her own downtown condo.

Often asked to share her story before church congregations and community groups, her message is simple: “To persevere, period. I don’t care what your situation is you’ve got to keep going. The world doesn’t stop, time doesn’t stop, problems never cease. You have to go through them. I go through my trials and tribulations and I never ask God to remove me out of them because

AISHA OKUDI’S AFRICAN ADVENTURE PHOTOS COURTESY FESTUS HABA

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AISHA OKUDI’S AFRICAN ADVENTURE PHOTOS COURTESY FESTUS HABA

it builds character, strength and perseverance for you to move on. I always tell people, ‘Don’t stop, just keep going.’ The fight is not easy, the fight ain’t no joke, it’s a war, it’s a battle. You’ve got to put full armor on and fight. God don’t have punks in his army.

“You’ve got to be a soldier for everything you put your hands to.”

She’s aware her success amid myriad struggles inspires others.

“It reminds me who I am and that when I don’t think people are watching me they are. I’ve always been a happy, giving, loving person. Even when going through something, I pick myself up. Even my father said, ‘If you can be changed from where you came from, I know there’s a God.’ Now, he’s stopped drinking. He’s reborn.”

She realizes her own rebirth may be hard for some to swallow. “People who knew me in my past might say, ‘Oh no, not Aisha, with what she used to do?’” She acknowledges she couldn’t transform without help.

“When I got the call to start my business to support the Africa missions I had no business training or educating, I just did it. I’ve learned as much as I can from experts and entrepreneurs who’ve already been there and done it. I’ve seen what not to do and what to do.

I’ve learned to listen more, to be more patient, to look at all options instead of just what I know, because it’s not about what I know it’s about what I need to know. This has been a very humbling and hard faith thing for me.”

In 2011 she graduated from Creighton University’s Financial Success Program for low income single mothers.

“I learned how to be very resourceful working within my means, how to budget and how to cut out unnecessary costs.”

She was introduced to EcoScents owner Chad Kampschneider, who became a mentor and ended up picking up her product line.

After being accepted to tape an episode of Shark Tank she decided to pass on the opportunity rather

than risk gaining partners who would wrest control of her vision.

“I’ve gotten this far with my mission and purpose and I don’t want to get detoured on another path. I figure one day I’ll be a shark myself helping people grow their businesses and realize their dreams. If I continue to follow the path I’ve been following I’ll get there. I see myself global helping in poverty areas through my company.”

She’s determined to complete her mission.

“I just get up knowing I gotta do what I gotta do, and I live one day at a time. I don’t let my financial and emotional path haunt me. There’s nothing you can do but do what you need to do every day and be a part of hope. Too many people are hopeless. There’s no light in them. I’m not about that, I’m about life and living to the fullest and being happy with what I have and where I’m at because I know greatness will come some day for me. I’m a very favored woman in all things I do.

“I haven’t been at a standstill. I’ve come a long way and I continue to grow. I’m still transforming, I’m still moving forward. I still reach out for help in areas I need help in.”

She suspects she’s always had it in her to be the “apostolic entrepreneur” she brands herself today.

“Sometimes you don’t discover it until things happen to you. I think I had it but I didn’t embrace it then. I heard so much negative in my life coming up that it turned me away…I said, ‘I’ll show you,’ and I made wrong decisions. What the devil meant for bad, God turned it for good.

“I’m a natural born hustler, but I hustle in the right way now.” , This month Okudi will be at select Walgreens and NoFrills stores seeking donations for her African missions.

For more about her products, visit her Facebook page, Sha-Luminous-by-Esha-Jewelfire. Read more of Leo Adam Biga’s work at leoadambiga.wordpress.com

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| THE READER |

JULY 10 - 16, 2014 7/2/14

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10:27 AM

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T H E R E A D E R ’ S E N T E RTA I N M E N T P I C K S J U LY 10 - 16, 2 014

FRIDAY11

ALISON KRAUSS

Friday, July 11

Wednesday, July 16

Stir Concert Cove, One Harrah’s Blvd.

7 p.m., Starting at $52 www.stircove.com

The Slowdown, 729 North 14th St. 7:30 p.m., $22, theslowdown.com

ALISON KRAUSS AND WILLIE NELSON

Alison Krauss, a skillful bluegrass singer since age 14, has sold more than 12 million albums and won 27 Grammy Awards. Krauss is next up at Harrah’s Council Bluffs Casino Stir Concert Cove. Melodious and constantly testing the gap between roots, country, rock and pop, Krauss has smoothly made her way into the music industry and is going to stay there. With her band Union Station, Krauss’ newest album Paper Airplane was released in 2011. If you are a fan of Krauss you won’t want to miss this show. Even if you aren’t familiar with her music, she isn’t one to disappoint.

Along with Krauss is Willie Nelson, the iconic Texas THE STRAIN singer-songwriter and activist Sundays, 8 p.m., FX who was born in the 1930s Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth) coand has rose up in the wrote and directed the first episode of country music world.

“The Strain,” a stylish thriller about A seven-time Grama virus with vampiric origins. Dr. my Award winner Ephraim Goodweather (Corey Stoll), he changed the way radio sounded durhead of a Centers for Disease Control ing the ’60s, fusing unit in New York City, is called in to country and pop investigate the mysterious deaths together. Outside of of 200 airline passengers. We know his music, Nelson fosomething he doesn’t: a monster did it, THE STRAIN cuses his time on raising popping out of the cargo hold in the susawareness thrugh differpenseful opening scene. We meet the spooky ent groups, such as Farm Aid, characters who do this monster’s bidding, along which he co-founded. Nelson may be with an elderly pawnbroker (David Bradley) listed by some as “old-school,” but he sure does know who fought him during World War II and is prehow to country.

— Mara Wilson pared to fight him again. The pawnbroker has

ANDREW MCMAHON W/ WILD PARTY & MY BODY SINGS ELECTRIC

DAYS

TOPTV

impressive skills, but he might be no match for gooey tentacles that…well, you really need to see the tentacles in action. My description couldn’t possibly do them justice. This new series is a superior creature feature. The pilot takes the trouble to characterize Ephraim, a committed professional who struggles to make a commitment to his family. The production deftly manages a large cast while keeping the momentum rolling.

Best of all, it mostly uses horror tropes to entertain you rather than to gross you out. Until The Strain, I thought that was a lost art on cable TV. — Dean Robbins

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JULY 10 - 16, 2014

WEDNESDAY16

SATURDAY12 Saturday, July 12

COOKING MATTERS AT THE STORE FOR ADULTS Hy-Vee, various Nebraska/Iowa locations 10-11:30 a.m. and 1-2:30 p.m., free Advance registration required www.cookingmatters.org

The Visiting Nurse Association will be holding supermarket tours in partnership with thirteen Hy-Vee stores across Nebraska and Council Bluffs to show area

| THE READER |

picks

families how to make healthy choices at the store on a limited budget. During the tour, dubbed Cooking Matters at the Store for Adults, participants will get plenty of hands-on practice as they learn how to compare unit prices, purchase fruits and vegetables on a budget, compare food labels and pick out whole grains.

Event organizer Anna Curry cited the growing need for families to learn how to make the best possible use of their resources when shopping for food in this difficult economy. Share Our Strength Cooking Matters developed Cooking Matters at the Store for Adults based on research showing that careful food shopping practices, such as price comparison and nutrition label use, are associated with measures of better dietary quality.

The program aims to promote real changes to food shopping habits by creating a dynamic learning experience for participants. Tours in the Omaha/Council Bluffs area will be at these Hy-Vee locations: Stockyards - 3505 L St.; 51st and Center - 5150 Center St.; Fort Street ­ - 10808 Fort St.; Peony Park - 7910 Cass St.; Council Bluffs - Broadway- 2323 W. Broadway; Fremont- 840 East 23rd St. Tours also are being held in select Lincoln, Kearney, Grand Island, and Norfolk locations. VNA is the only in-home care provider that offers public health nurse home visitation and extends care into the community. Share Our Strength’s Cooking Matters, nationally sponsored by Walmart and locally supported by The Conagra Foods Foundation, USDA and UNL Extension, empowers families at risk of hunger with the skills, knowledge and confidence to prepare healthy and affordable meals.

It is said that Andrew McMahon started writing music at the age 9. He grew up all around the country, moving from place to place with his family. He was never settled and this was his inspiration for his early songs. McMahon’s first band, Something Corporate, formed after his sophomore year of high school and after three albums and a tour that seemed to last forever, the band decided to take a break. This band was replaced by a solo project, Jack’s Mannequin, that quickly turned into a popularity McMahon didn’t expect. He wrote the songs without having the idea of them being released. Soon after the completion of Everything in Transit, McMahon was diagnosed with Leukemia. Thanks to a stem cell transplant from his sister, he was able to get back to his music. Jack’s Mannequin released three albums until 2012 when McMahon retired the name. This last year he released his first solo album, The Pop Underground, under his own name, and he heads the Dear Jack Foundation, an organization dedicated to causes impacting young adults with cancer. — Mara Wilson

ANDREW MCMAHON

T

he Wailers & Bob Marley: Together with Bob Marley, the Wailers have sold in excess of 250 million albums worldwide.

In England alone, they’ve notched up over twenty chart hits, including seven Top 10 entries. Outside of their groundbreaking work with Marley, the Wailers have also played or performed with international acts like Sting, the Fugees, Stevie Wonder, Carlos Santana, and Alpha Blondy, as well as reggae legends such as Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, and Burning Spear. As the greatest living exponents of Jamaica’s reggae tradition, the Wailers have completed innumerable other tours, playing to an estimated 24 million people across the globe. They have also been the first reggae band to tour new territories on many occasions, including Africa and the Far East.

Their nucleus formed in 1969, when Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer, and Peter Tosh recruited the Barrett brothers - bassist Aston “Family Man” and drummer Carly - from Lee Perry’s Upsetters to play on hits such as Lively Up Yourself, Trenchtown Rock, Duppy Conqueror, and many more besides. Inspired by Rastafari and their ambitions of reaching an international audience, this is the line-up that pioneered roots rock reggae, and signed to Island Records in 1971.

— wailers.com

D

J Trichrome has music flowing through his veins…he started playing drums at the age of 10, enjoyed raiding his dad’s record collection and was DJing his school dances and starting bands and getting some radio experiance in the 1980s.

Trichrome maintains his own niche in this world of digital media…with REAL VINYL! He has been spinning records for more than 25 years and will continue to do so till he dies!!

His career as DJ Trichrome started in 1998 alongside Pacesetter Sound System and then Formula Sound System in Madison, WI. In 2001 Trichrome moved to Minneapolis, MN where he formed III Kings Sound System and founded Trichrome Productions in 2004.

— djtrichrome.com

W

I

n a collaboration of different styles mashing underground hip hop with thumping dance beats and soulful vocals, the Purveyors of the Conscious sound have formed one of the most unique and untouched fusions of raw and gritty lyrics over crowd hyping instrumentals. With the members hailing from the midwest to the east coast, this four member crew brings a live hiphop show that is unrivaled.

e Be Lions was formed in February 2010, to create a completely new and original sound that is built to both move your feet and bang your head at the same time. Fans can feed off of the dynamic vocals that range anywhere from your favorite hip hop to new age grunge, along-side a funk/ rock, guitar/bass duo.

From there, the music aims to allow a wide variety of listeners the chance to identify with the lyrics and the melody. The different musical tastes and influences that each member brings to the table helps create a one of a kind sound.

At the start the band, there was Cody Fox on vocals, Kelvin Brooks on drums, Kyle Buglewicz on bass, and Sean Albracht on guitar.

The new group started coming up with all new music. The first taste the public got came on a 3-song EP that was given out for free. Jeff Fenn was added to play backup guitar, keyboards and samples.

We Be Lions has gone through a number of member changes since. Original backup guitar, keyboard and samples player, Jeff, left and was

replaced by Ben Linke on keyboards in 2011. In 2012, original lead guitarist Sean and original bassist Kyle left the band and were replaced with lead and rhythm guitarists Ricky Szablowski and Mike Novy. Bass was taken over by Jake Pirruccello.

Slang 5 was formed in early 2003 and the five has always been the band that brings the party, consisting of two vocalists (who share the emcee and singing duties), a DJ, phat bass, guitar and a funky drummer.

With funk-rock grooves and pimped out vocal styles, the five has mad their mark.

Slang 5 has been through a few changes in their career. Once the lineup was solidified with the right players, the band made friends with national recording artists and underground heroes the Phunk Junkeez.

—facebook.com/WeBeLionsmusic -—reverbnation.com/slang5

M

y mission is to connect people through joyful yoga. Energetic vibrations of fun run deep in my veins. When we come together on the mat and experience this bliss, the manifestation of my intention to teach has arrived. I own Lotus House of Yoga, a vinyasa studio in Omaha.

The classes I lead are fun, challenging and filled with love. I enjoy playing at the edge of the asana practice and watching the spirit soar to new heights. Music is integral to the asana classes I lead. My playlists are funky and always fresh, incorporating soul, hip hop, folk, and pop. My class will connect you to your true self and ignite your passion for life.

— maryclaresweet.com

T

hough they’re from Omaha, Nebraska, Satchel Grande sounds like they’ve lived the majority of their lives on Mars, or The Mighty Boosh’s Old Gregg’s lair.

Yes, Satchel Grande has an electronic sound that’s more Breakbot than Daft Punk. They could be the perfect gateway band for those listeners looking to traverse the realm of ’70 discoinspired dance music to taste generously reined-in funk. Consider them the toe you dip hesitantly into the hot tub of dance-funk. Beginning as a one-man show and developing over the years into a full-fledged, nine-person funk/soul/pop band, these groove aficionados can now call themselves a musician collective.

The combination of guitars, sax, and some frisky keys, allows the music to play with a gleeful ebb and flow that echoes the mood of a damn good George Clinton/Chromeo remix. Tracks from their album Dial ‘M’ for Moustache’, like“Workin’ Title”, have the potential to be a pre-game anthem. Easily danceable and singable, Satchel Grande are straight-up the most fun(k) you’ll have shakin’ your tail feathers to.

K

ris Lager Band, the Thrift Store Junkies from the heartland, play soul music and Boogie Trance. With their hot new album ‘Swagadocious’ these self-proclaimed ‘Rock Revivalists’ are quickly spreading their celebrate life mantra to the masses, and blazing a trail that many more are sure to tread and follow.

“Swagadocious has something for everyone who appreciates music with a little more energy and a little rougher edge than the slick radiofriendly fluff we get from Nashville nowadays.”Times Record News (Wichita Falls, TX) The Kris Lager Band has spent the better part of ten years on tour honing their sound, style, and message, including backing Mato Nanji, as Indigenous from 2007 to 2009. During that peri-

od they were featured on the Vanguard Records release Broken Lands produced by Jamie Candiloro (REM, Willie Nelson, Ryan Adams).

Their new album features living legend Magic Slim on an impromtpu off the cuff track, as well as a polished horn section on five of the cuts.

Swagadocious marks KLB’s fifth studio album with another to be released entitled Platte River Runaway produced by Grammy nominated and international superstar Tab Benoit.

“Swagadocious bears up to repeated listening long after the smell of stale smoke and spilt beer has gone. This record captures a band moving into a creative period where the output is art in the classic sense of great albums.”

- Rick Galusha (Pacific Street Blues)

A

ll five members of 311 grew up in the 1970s in Omaha. Nick Hexum, Tim Mahoney and Chad Sexton lived on the west side of town and went to Westside High School together. P-Nut and SA Martinez lived on the south side of town and went to Bryan High School together.

During high school, Nick and Tim played in a rock band together called The Ed’s. Nick was also in the high school concert jazz band with Chad.

At seventeen, Nick graduated early from high school and moved to downtown Los Angeles in pursuit of a music career. When Nick returned to Omaha for Chad and Tim’s high school graduation – the three of them jammed and realized they had a special musical chemistry. They soon added a keyboardist named Ward Bones and called themselves “Unity”. In late ’88, Nick, Chad and Ward moved to LA and made an unsuccessful stab at getting a recording contract.

Disillusioned with the L.A. scene, Chad soon moved back to Omaha and began jamming with P-Nut and a guitarist named Jim Watson. Months later, Chad persuaded Nick to move back to Omaha and join them. They played their first gig opening for Fugazi on June 10, 1990.

In 1991, they parted ways with Jim Watson and added Tim Mahoney as lead guitarist. At that time, SA Martinez began to make guest appearances with the band – and was eventually added as a full member.

311 was complete (Nick, Chad, Tim, P-Nut and SA).

In 1990 & 1991 the band released three independent records on their own label (What Have You Records). The records were called “Dammit,” “Hydroponic,” and “Unity.” With these records and their solid live show, the band quickly established a following in the Midwest and then set out for the West Coast.

They rented a small house in Van Nuys, California and all moved in together. These were very lean times for the band. Just before disintegrating into total poverty, they were signed to Capricorn Records.

311’s first cd “Music”, was released with little fanfare in February of ’93 (now Gold). The band hit the road in support of the record and was temporarily sidelined when their touring RV caught on fire and exploded on the shoulder of the highway. The fire destroyed all their equipment, clothes, money and personal possessions. Despite losing everything – the band members escaped the blaze with minor burns and injuries. They decided to persevere and they only canceled one show before returning to the stage with equipment donated by fans and friends who heard about the disaster on the television news.

In July of ’94 they released their second cd “Grassroots” (now Gold).

By this time they were touring the US non-stop. They moved out of the house in Van Nuys – put their stuff into a storage space and literally just lived on the road. They put all their energy into their live show and steadily developed an incredible grassroots following nationwide.

On the 20th anniversary of its initial release, Grassroots, 311 will be playing that album in its entirety.

— 311.com

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ONGOINGART

THURSDAYJULY 10

Aim for the Stars - 7:00 am | University of Nebraska at Omaha

›››MUSIC›››

Generation - All Day | Lux Center For the Arts UNL Legacy 1999-2013; curated by Gail Kendall, former Hixson-Lied professor of art at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, featuring 14 of Kendall’s former MFA students.

Duplicity - All Day | Lux Center For the Arts Duplicity represents a departure from some of Sunny’s previous work in that instead of creating abstractions from nature she ventures further and literally flips her subject 45 degrees.

Omission in Print - All Day | Lux Center For the Arts As an American-born child of Nigerian immigrants, Joy continually works to shape her identity as an African American woman. This series focuses on images of family members here and abroad in Nigeria.

An Odyssey of Dreams - All Day | Free Sheldon Museum Of Art Join us for this exhibit of the work of Basil Alkazzi.

Visions of Lewis and Clark - All Day | Free The Kaneko Visions of Lewis and Clark is a unique historical art exhibit consisting of thirty kites commemorating Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery expedition.

Julie Schram - All Day | Connect Gallery Graphite Drawings - Portraits Reception - Fri. July, 18, 5:30-9 pm.

Truck-A-Tecture - All Day | Free The Kaneko Truck-A-Tecture examines architecture as redefined by mobility and technical expansion.

Around the World and Home Again - All Day | University of Nebraska at Omaha Display of paintings and sculptures by Katy Haberman.

Flock House Project - All Day | Free Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts What if migratory homes with autonomous systems for rainwater collection and food production were the building blocks of the city of the future?

A Theft in the Garden - All Day | $3-$7 Lauritzen Gardens Buck Christensen’s minimalist compositions.

Titanboa - All Day | $2-$13 University of Nebraska State Museum From a fossil bed 60 million years old comes the largest snake in the world - Titanoboa! Measuring 48 feet long and weighing up to 2,500 pounds, this massive predator could crush and devour a crocodile.

Yard/Zone - All Day | Free University of Nebraska-Lincoln An exhibition of stitched sculptural forms by Sarah Wagner of Detroit.

Studio Poche - All Day | The Kaneko An exhibition presented by the University of Nebraska Lincoln College of Architecture.

coldcream

Randy McAllister - 6:00 pm | Cover The 21st Saloon Randy McAllister is one of the premier singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist to emerge from Texas.

Somasphere - 9:00 pm | $6-$8 The Bourbon Theatre The four-piece instrumental electronica group known as Somasphere formed in 2006, and quickly became known in Lincoln, Omaha, and surrounding areas for energetic live shows.

The Matador - 9:00 pm | $5 O’Leaver’s Pub With special guests Varmint!

Second Thursday Art Talk - 7:00 pm | Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts A new format of the Art Talk program in order to open up space for interactive dialogues between the Artists-in-Residence and the audience.

3D In Your Face At The 21st Saloon - 9:00 pm | $5 The 21st Saloon Celebrating 15 years as a traveling, writing, and recording Rock N Roll band, 3D In Your Face’s 2014 Summer Tour will be making an unscheduled stop in Omaha.

Jazz on the Green - 7:30 pm | Free Turner Park at Midtown Crossing The soul/funk Omaha band The 9swill start the Jazz on the Green season off.

›››CULTURE›››

Third Thursdays with Thornburg - 8:00 pm | Free The Side Door Lounge Jazz Group formed in 2014 consisting of alto saxophonist Steve Thornburg, bassist Mark Luebbe and drummer Mary O’Keefe.

Scru Face Jean - 10:00 pm | $7-$10 The Bourbon Theatre Scru Face Jean is a the fastest rising hip-hop star in Nebraska, a state on the verge of a booming scene.

›››CULTURE››› Annie - 8:00 pm | $8-$15 Sumtur Ampitheater Join us for an amazing performance of Annie.

›››MISC››› Chuck Hassebrook for Governor - 5:30 pm | $50 The Slowdown Omaha Join Academy Award Winner Alexander Payne at Slowdown for an event to support Chuck Hassebrook’s campaign for Governor!

FRIDAYJULY 11 ›››MUSIC››› Thrift Shop Radio - 7:00 pm | The Pizza Shoppe Collective Mr. Sinister - 7:00 pm | Arena Sports Bar and Grill Cox Music and Movies - 7:30 pm | Free Holland Performing Arts Center Join us in the courtyard for a screening and a high energy soul and R&B concert.

Putnam County Spelling Bee - 7:30 pm | $12$18 Ralston Community Theatre The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a hilarious tale of overachievers’ angst chronicling the experience of six adolescent outsiders vying for the spelling championship of a lifetime.

SATURDAYJULY 12 ›››MUSIC››› 311 and the Wailers - 2:00 pm | $26.65 River’s Edge Park Two of the biggest names in reggae at the Grassroots Music festival.

Vibes at Village Pointe - 6:30 pm | Free Village Pointe Shopping Center Join us for hot live music and enjoy a glass of wine or a cold beer.

Kids, have your face painted and dance down by the stage. Bring chairs or a blanket and be entertained by Hi-Fi Hangover!

Hittin Skinz - 7:00 pm | Arena Sports Bar and Grill Girls’ Night Out - 7:00 pm | $5 Soaring Wings Vineyard Ladies, this night is for you! With a dj, raffles, and drink specials. Bring your best girl friends and join us for a fun night without the boys.

Omaha Under the Radar - 7:30 pm | $10 The Slowdown Omaha Sure to be a high-point of the Omahas 4 day Under The Radar festival, with virtuosic free jazz, modern dance, reimagined classical instruments, and electronic music featuring Ken Vandermark & Tim Daisy, Aspidistra, Dereck Higgins, Weston Olencki, Luke Polipnick Trio and more.

Marty Stuart - 8:00 pm | $40-$70 Holland Performing Arts Center Marty Stuart is a five time GRAMMY-winner, platinum recording artist and Grand Ole Opry star.

Big Time Grain Company - 8:00 pm | Free Ameristar Casino

Big Time Grain Company - 8:00 pm | Free Ameristar Casino

Soul Dawg - 9:00 pm | Free Ozone Lounge

Swampboy Blues Band - 8:00 pm | Free McKenna’s Blues Booze and BBQ

SUNDAYJULY 13

Funk Trek - 8:00 pm | The Hive Lounge

›››MISC››

Peace, Love, Etc. - 9:00 pm | Free Ozone Lounge Peace, Love, Etc. plays an energetic, danceable mix of classic pop/rock music.

Ragtime to Riches Festival - 1:00 pm | $10 First Central Congregational United Church of Christ 10th annual edition; features two concerts,

n Awards season kicked off last week when the Omaha Community Playhouse held its annual volunteer awards night. The night was highlighted

by Carl Beck and Susie Baer Collins receiving the Trustees’ Award for their many years of service to the Playhouse. The award was followed by a surprise video featuring several Omaha theater figures wishing the two directors all the best in their future endeavors.

The biggest award of the evening, the Fonda/McGuire Award, was given to Camille Metoyer Moten for her performance in Having Our Say and Joe Dignoti for his performance in Les Miserables.

Hector Anchondo - 8:00 pm | Free McKenna’s Blues Booze and BBQ

The Mary Peckham Featured Actor Award in the musical category went to Angela Jenson-Frey for Next to Normal and Ablan Roblin for Young Frankenstein. The play category went to Lanette Metoyer Moore for Having Our Say and Monty Eich for Boeing, Boeing.

The Barbra Ford Award for supporting acting in a musical went to Abigael Stewart and Cork Ramer for Les Miserables as well as Spencer Williams for Young Frankenstein. The play awards went to Jonnique Peters and Andre McGraw for Race as well as Anthony Clark-Kaczmarek for Boeing, Boeing.

The Elaine Jabenis Cameo Award for musicals went to Megan McGuire and Noah Jeffrey for Les Miserables while the play awards went to Mary-

a workshop, post-concert get-togethers called ‘afterglows,’ and a showing of a 2012 documentary about Illinois’ World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest and Festival.

›››MUSIC›› Daniel Christian - 2:00 pm | Free Soaring Wings Vineyard Music in the Park - 6:30 pm | Free Tom Hanafan River’s Edge Park Ceremony - 8:00 pm | $10 The Slowdown Omaha With Ceremony, Angel Dust and Forced Order.

The Luke Polipnick Trio - 8:00 pm | The Side Door Lounge

MONDAYJULY 14 ›››MISC›› Schoolhouse Fiddle Camp - 9:00 am | $60$200 The Old Avoca Schoolhouse Registration is now open for the 2014 Schoolhouse Fiddle Camps, in the Old Avoca Schoolhouse, in Avoca, Nebraska.

Monday Night at the Movies: Meet the Parents (PG-13) - 9:00 pm | Free Turner Park at Midtown Crossing Samurai of the Spoken Word - 8:00 pm | Free The Pizza Shoppe Collective Warning, adult content.

›››MUSIC›› Mike Gurciullo and His Las Vegas Big Band - 8:00 pm | Free Ozone Lounge 17 Piece big band extravaganza!

Songwriter Open Mic - 9:00 pm | Free The Barley Street Tavern Sign up starts at 7pm. Talk to the bartender to get on the list. 15 minute sets (including set-up/tear-down time).

Gypsyhawk - 9:00 pm | $8-$10 The Bourbon Theatre Gypsyhawk is four metal dudes playing rock and roll and bringing the party every time they get on stage.

n Lincoln’s claim as a music city will ring true July 15 as the city hosts three shows that would be marquee indie rock events in any Midwestern city. Within a square mile in the state capital, Vega, the Bourbon Theater and Knickerbocker’s will all host excellent shows. Lo-fi slacker pop songwriter Mac DeMarco headlines at Vega with opener Calvin Love.

Cloud Nothings will fill Knickerbocker’s with their buzzsaw guitar reconstruction of Weezer-style power pop, highlighted by singer Dylan Baldi’s post-emo vocals. The Bourbon Theater will host the best opening acts, boasting spastic indie poppers the Front Bottoms, punk-pop band the So So Glos and indie emo revivalists You Blew It! all opening for the heart-on-sleeve alternative rock of Say Anything. n Arizona band Andrew Jackson Jihad will spread their folk-punk stomp across the city Tuesday, July 15, supplementing their night show at the Waiting Room Lounge, 6212 Maple St., with an all-acoustic instore performance at Homer’s Music, 1210 Howard St. The 6 p.m. record store performance is free.

— Chris Aponick Backbeat looks at music in the metro area. Email information to backbeat@thereader.com ing throaty soulful howls, bleeding guitars plugged into smoky half stacks, and the stomp of a vintage Ludwig bass drum.

Monthly Blues Jam - 8:00 pm | Lounge

TUESDAYJULY 15 ›››MUSIC›› Tempo of Twilight - 6:00 pm | $3-$7 Lauritzen Gardens These family-friendly outdoor concerts provide a unique atmosphere to enjoy wonderful musical entertainment.

Say Anything - 7:00 pm | $17.50-$21 The Bourbon Theatre Say Anything has been making odd, unclassifiable indie rock music since they were 14 or 15 years old, playing strangely literate and loud rock.

Lounge Against Humanity! - 7:00 pm | The Side Door Lounge Join us for another installment of Lounge Against Humanity.

The Hive

WEDNESDAYJULY 16 ›››MUSIC›› Studabaker John - 7:00 pm | $5 McKenna’s Blues Booze and BBQ Andrew McMahon - 7:30 pm | $33 The Slowdown Omaha From Jacks Mannequin now travels under his own name.

Open Mic Night - 8:00 pm | The Side Door Lounge Nostalgia Wednesdays - 9:00 pm | Free Ozone Lounge

Reignwolf - 8:00 pm | $12-$14 The Slowdown Omaha Reignwolf is invading the streets unleash-

Beth Adams for Boeing, Boeing and Noah Diaz for Sirens. The Bill Bailey Debut Awards went to Regina Palmer for Sirens and Tyler Buglewicz for Les Miserables. The Charles Jones Award from the directors went to Jason Delong.

A very poignant moment came when Beck and Collins announced the recipients of the Dick Boyd Lifetime Achievement Awards. Longtime Playhouse staples Jim McKain and Judy Radcliff each received thunderous standing ovations as recognition for their years of contributions to the Playhouse’s stages.

Several staff awards were given out in recognition of years of Playhouse service, most notably was Jim Othuse for 40 years as a designer at the theater.

listings

For a complete breakdown of awards from the night, visit www.OmahaPlayhouse.com n Red Theater Omaha will close its latest season with their upcoming show Red is the New Black, presented as part of the Omaha Under The Radar Festival. The show will feature the usual Red Theater format of 30 plays in 60 minutes but the focus for this show will be on social and gender politics.

The lone performance of the show will be on Sunday, July 13, at 3 p.m. at the Bancroft Street Market on 10th and Bancroft St. Tickets are $10. Colloquy, a jazz inspired improvisation band, will open the show.

— Bill Grennan

Cold Cream looks at theater in the metro area. Email information to coldcream@thereader.com

| THE READER |

JULY 10 - 16, 2014

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O M A H A U N D E R T H E R A DA R : B R I N G I N G C O N T E M P O R A RY C L A S S I C S TO O M A H A

“I

t is a festival for music, dance and theatre focusing on contemporary living creators, so living composers, living playwrights and living choreographers,” explained one of the Festival Organizers, Amanda DeBoer Bartlett of Omaha Under the Radar.

Bartlett said she and her colleagues started Omaha Under the Radar with the intention of focusing on the people in the region who are creating work that is under programmed by the larger arts organizations. She said by starting this festival, they hope to give a platform to those who might not normally be heard or seen.

And there’s another benefit to offering work from living playwrights, choreographers and composers, and that’s a little something called “relatability.”

Bartlett, who is a local musician, said after talking with several arts groups in town, including Opera Omaha, the Omaha Chamber Music Society and the Nebraska Arts Council, one common theme kept creeping into the conversation.

“A lot of arts organizations are seeing a diminishing audience between the ages of 18-35 and part of it has to do with relatability,” she said.

For Bartlett, the great thing about Omaha Under the Radar is that the composers who are coming to see their work performed or the playwrights who are creating this work are younger performers and creators.

Bartlett said a lot of the people whose work is being featured are between the ages of 20 and 30 years old.

“These are the next generation of performers and creators and I think in order for Omaha to be part of the national conversation, there has to be an emphasis not only on focusing on the classics and masterworks but also in developing the next generation of arts creators,” Bartlett said.

Omaha Under the Radar strives to stimulate innovation of arts and performance practices within the Midwest for the next generation of performers, presenters, educators, and audiences by encouraging conversation, collaboration, and exploration.

The festival organizers put out a national call for applications.

Bartlett said they received more than 60 applications from performers in the region. They accepted less than a third of those applications and the result is a festival that features about half local and half non-local performers.

Bartlett said the festival is marketing itself regionally in Sioux City, Des Moines and Kansas City. She said she has friends in those locations that are helping her get the word out.

“There will be a lot of people coming to Omaha for the first time for this festival. I wanted this to be something that draws people to Omaha but also celebrates the local community we already have,” explained Bartlett.

She said when they were organizing Omaha Under the Radar, it didn’t occur to Bartlett that theirs was such a different approach.

“We are using a lot of different venues.

They are all on board and excited to work with each other. This festival will reach a pretty wide geographic region in Omaha,” Bartlett explained.

The events will happen everywhere from

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| THE READER |

108th at the Omaha Conservatory to as far north as Lake Street at the Union for Contemporary Art. Bartlett is proud the festival will reach a diverse geographic region since so many festivals are only focused on one venue. She also said she doesn’t know of any other festivals that include dance, theatre and music.

“I am trying to fill in the gaps that the large organizations, who are busy enough trying to represent the tradition of the arts, don’t necessarily have the time or programming budget to produce,” she said.

There will be more music than dance and theatre at Omaha Under the Radar. But one of the bigger performances will be by Red Theatre Omaha. They will take audience suggestions and create 30 different plays in 60 minutes. Bartlett said that will be a really interesting performer/audience collaboration.

She said there are also several chamber groups coming. These two to three instrument groups work with living composers to create experimental classical music. There will also be a solo tuba player performing, a singer who does voice electronics and two contemporary dance groups, one from Lincoln and one from Omaha.

Headlining the festival are Ken Vandermark and Tim Daisy, who are both jazz musicians from Chicago. The duo draws on a variety of influences including free improvisation, 20th century contemporary music and visual art.

Bartlett said, “They also work to integrate their creative energies to further explore and assemble sound in a spontaneous context.”

She said one of the biggest events involves 20 musicians and features percussion, winds, voices, strings and everything else, all together at

STRONG

SIGNAL

culture

BY CHERIL LEE

the Kaneko for an hour-long performance.

“The concert will be filled with transformative, meditative music influenced by a lot of different things like African drumming traditions,” said Bartlett.

She fully expects different people will be drawn to different events.

One of the goals of the festival was to make it as diverse as possible in terms of representing different people of different backgrounds as well as different performance styles.

There will be those who will be drawn to some of the underground events at the House of Loom and the Slowdown. Even though those who are under 21 cannot go to those events, there are things like the event at Kaneko that will be really interactive and immersive and open to all ages.

And then there are those who may only be interested in the workshops. Bartlett said there are lots of free events to keep them accessible to the public.

Students who are in the Omaha Area Youth Orchestra as well as the Omaha Conservatory of Music can get into some of the events for free.

“I am trying to make the information as available as possible because I really want to reach those emerging artists as much as possible,” Bartlett said.

According to Bartlett, there has been a lot curiosity about this festival.

She said people who are involved in the arts as well as those who enjoy experiencing the arts are excited. She said she thinks having an assortment of venues helps because people tend to get excited when events are happening in their own neighborhood.

“People love Little Italy where the Bancroft Street Market is located.

All of the arts organizations are completely supportive, totally on board and totally excited. I just think it’s going to draw a lot of people from many communities,” Bartlett said.

Six venues have committed to the festival and include The Bancroft Street Market, Joslyn Art Museum, The Slowdown, Kaneko, Omaha Conservatory of Music, Accelerando Coffee House, and House of Loom.

Bartlett said day and weekend passes will be available, thus allowing audiences to navigate between venues and “choose their own festival adventure.”

She said she hopes to make Omaha Under the Radar an annual event and explained she has already started planning for next year. Right now she said there isn’t an organization in town that has agreed to consistently sponsor the event. Currently, it is artist-driven.

Having an organization that can consistently promote and present these performances will help efforts a little more.

“I am trying to make this as approachable as possible so that the art is accessible in terms of dialogue, Q&A sessions, and the artists being personally available to meet and interact. I think there will be a nice immersive feeling that goes along with the festival,” said Bartlett. , Omaha Under the Radar, July 10-13, various venues, www.undertheradaromaha.com.

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JULY 10 - 16, 2014

17

BY B.J. HUCHTEMANN

Zoo Bar 41 & More

Z

oo Bar 41st Anniversary celebrations continue Thursday, July 10, inside the club with Too Slim & The Taildraggers (6 p.m.), Soft White Sixties (8:30 p.m.) and A Ferocious Jungle Cat (11 p.m.). Friday, July 11, the party moves outdoors with The Bel Airs (5 p.m.), Brave Combo (7 p.m.), and Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers (9 p.m.). The Killigans (11 p.m.) close things out. Saturday, July 12, the lineup is Oketo (1 p.m.), The Black Lillies (3 p.m.), Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials (5 p.m.), Kelley Hunt (7 p.m.), and the great Delbert McClinton (9 p.m.)

Josh Hoyer & The Shadowboxers (11 p.m.) brings their funk, soul & R&B to stage for the finale. Hoyer plans to showcase new material during their set. The outdoor shows are $15 advance and $20 day of show for each day. See zoobar.com for details.

21st Saloon Blues The 21st Saloon, 96th & L, gets back to Thursday shows with popular Texas roots singer-songwriter-musician Randy McAllister Thursday, July 10. The Nace Brothers are onstage Thursday, July 17, and Eric Jerardi plugs in July 24. Thursday shows are 6-9 p.m. The 21st also features a day-long showcase of the BSO’s BluesEd youth performance bands Sunday, July 13, 2-7 p.m.

hoodoo

See facebook.com/BluesEd. McKenna’s Music McKenna’s offers a bunch of music including Swampboy Blues Friday, July 11, 8 p.m., and Hector Anchondo Band Saturday, July 12, 8 p.m. The venue just announced a show Tuesday, July 15, 7 p.m. with Michigan’s Rusty Wright Band. The band received a 2013 Blues411 Jimi Award for Contemporary Blues Release of the Year. See facebook.com/rustywrightband. Hoodoo favorite Studebaker John brings his great original songs and gear-grinding, slide-guitar-driven Chicago blues Wednesday, July 16, 7 p.m.

Blues Blast Music Awards Voting opens July 15 for the Blues Blast Magazine Music Awards.

Two Lincoln artists are recognized in these national awards. Both Josh Hoyer & The Shadowboxers and Shawn Holt & The Teardrops are up for Best New Artist Debut Recording. Shawn Holt is also nominated for the Sean Costello Rising Star Award.

See bluesblastmagazine.com.

Hot Notes Honeyboy Turner & Harvey Brindell’s duo plays Havana Garage Friday, July 11, 7-10 p.m.

Iconic guitarist Dick Dale hits The Waiting Room Monday, July 14, 8 p.m. Samantha Fish is playing at the top of her game, proving herself to be a serious guitarist as well as vocalist. Catch her at The Hive for a special show next Saturday, July 19, 9 p.m. . ,

HOODOO is a weekly column focusing on blues, roots, Americana and occasional other music styles with an emphasis on live music performances. Hoodoo columnist B.J. Huchtemann is a Reader senior contributing writer and veteran music journalist who has covered the local music scene for nearly 20 years. Follow her blog at hoodoorootsblues.blogspot.com.

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JULY 10 - 16, 2014

| THE READER |

hoodoo

overtheedge LIFESTYLE COLUMN BY TIM MCMAHAN

Trading Places: Rock Publicist Tries Life in the Van

T

here are very few perks to being a music critic. It’s a thankless low- or no-paying career choice that usually means being loathed by the very people you’re writing about (if you’re honest).

The few perks that come with the job are generally provided by publicists.

Music writers depend on publicists to help them do their jobs. They’re the people who line up interviews with musicians, get them pre-release albums and make sure us poor writerly types are “on the list” for concerts when the talent they represent comes through town.

In most cases, a music critic’s access is only as good as the publicists s/he works with. If the publicist is a boob (and there are plenty of them), interviews drop through the cracks, records aren’t received and — worst of all — names get left off lists, and there’s nothing more demoralizing than walking up to the counter at a show and asking if you’re on the list only to be told, “Nope, nothing here.”

None of those things happened whenever Catherine Herrick was involved. She worked for the past 10 years as a publicist for The Beggars Group, a consortium of record labels that includes such stellar imprints as Matador, XL, Rough Trade and 4AD. Anyone who’s interviewed, say, Cat Power or Guided By Voices or Interpol, has probably worked with Herrick. She was the best publicist I’ve worked with over the course of my 20-plus years as a music journalist. She was iron clad, a go-to person who kept me in the loop and followed through on everything I needed help with. I could count on her, and that’s the best thing you can say about any publicist.

Needless to say, I was bummed a few months ago when I read that Herrick was leaving Beggars Group to tour with her band, The Everymen; a tour that brought her to fabulous O’Leaver’s -- Omaha’s premier dive-bar music venue -- this past weekend. I would finally get to meet the person who had been my lifeline to so much good music over the past decade.

I’ve been to O’Leaver’s probably a thousand times, but always late at night, when concerts are scheduled.

This concert, however, was part of their Sunday Social Club series, which meant it began at 5 p.m. O’Leaver’s on a hot Sunday afternoon in July is a surreal experience, like stepping onto the set of a ‘70s-era Robert Altman movie (M*A*S*H comes to mind). All the usual characters I’ve seen in the dark were strolling around outside in the bar’s “beer garden” holding sweaty cocktails in the blazing heat while an O’Leaver manned a barbecue, frying up large greasy kielbasa. Across the parking lot in the fenced-in sand pit, half-naked volleyball players slathered in sunblock slammed PBR tallboys to the sound of Van Halen’s “Panama.”

Meanwhile, inside the dark, cool confines of O’Leaver’s, The Everymen were setting up for the after-

noon gig. There was Herrick, a pretty shortish 30-something with long, dark curly hair fiddling with a microphone while the rest of the band plugged in their gear. For the most part, it was a traditional line-up — two guitars, a bass, drums, with Herrick sharing vocals with the band’s frontman, Mike V. The wildcard was the saxophone. That sax player (who switched between bari and alto when he wasn’t singing) provided the band’s defining sound, along with Herrick, whose vocal intensity reminded me of Heidi Ore, front woman of legendary Lincoln punk band Mercy Rule (and her current band, Domestica). I passed the compliment onto Herrick outside after their set, but it was lost on her as she’d never heard of Ore’s bands (though she promised to look them up).

I asked Herrick why she gave up a career as a successful publicist. She said touring in a band was a dream come true.

“It’s crazy, it’s kind of like doing things in reverse order,” she said. She began an internship with Beggars Group right out of college and was hired full-time shortly thereafter. “I started my path toward working in the music business two days after finishing college, so I didn’t get to try things out. This is me sort of doing that 10 years later.”

So instead of working in a posh Manhattan office building fielding calls for rock stars, here she was, talking to a hayseed writer in a parking lot after playing in front of 30 people on a Sunday afternoon in the middle of nowhere.

“I look at everything as a worthy experience,” Herrick said. “I’ve worked with all sorts of bands — baby bands who were just starting out to bands that were established. It was interesting to see some inexperienced bands skyrocket. I always thought they were cheated.

All bands, regardless of who they get signed by or how much money is behind them, should go through a touring bootcamp to see if they can survive it.”

This tour was Herrick’s first extended road work — seven weeks’ worth. “It’s been illuminating,” she said. “I’ve had glimpses of it before, but now I really understand how grueling it is.” Grueling as in having a house party performance shut down by cops during South By Southwest or not knowing where she was going to sleep tonight — a perennial problem for all indie bands on their first tours.

On one hand, her years at Beggars gave her a perspective most bands never see. “You realize when you’re on the other side of things how hard it is and how many bands come and go,” Herrick said. “Had I started (in a band) when I was in my teens or early 20s I would have expected things that I now know not to expect. I know what I’m doing is especially crazy.”

On the other hand, she needed to try something other than PR. “I’d been doing it for so long, it was time for something else. I realized I need that ‘eat pray love’ experience to figure stuff out.”

Would she ever go back to being a PR flack? “I don’t know. Maybe. In some ways I think I’d like to, because I can appreciate certain things more now.” ,

OVER THE EDGE is a weekly 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. And be sure to check out his blog at Lazy-i.com

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newsoftheweird

T H E WO R L D G O N E F R E A K Y B Y C H U C K S H E P H E R D W I T H I L LU S T R AT I O N S B Y T O M B R I S C O E

Wicked Wine Test

C

alifornia Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo has a huge, 350-student “viticulture and enology” program, preparing its majors for an industry critical to the state’s economy (and with a venerable international cachet) -- but puritanical state law continues to hobble it. Many in Cal Poly’s four-year wine-making program must arrange for a fifth year -- after they turn 21 -- because, otherwise, faculty and administrators could be felons for “furnishing alcohol to a minor” when they assign students to taste their own class creations. The current California legislative session is considering allowing underage wine-making students to sip and spit.

Science on the Cutting Edge On dairy farms across the country, cows bizarrely queue up, without prodding, to milk themselves by submitting to $250,000 robots that have recently become the salvation of the industry. According to an April New York Times report, this advance appears to be “win-win” (except for migrant laborers watching choice jobs disappear) -- more efficient for the farmer and more pleasant for the cow, which -- constantly pregnant -- usually prefers frequent milking. Amazingly, cows have learned the drill, moseying up to the precise spot to engage the robot’s arms for washing and nipplecupping. The robots also yield copious data tracked from transponders worn around the cow’s neck.

-- Argentinian agricultural scientists in 2008 created the “methane backpack” to collect the emissions of grazing cows (with a tube from the cow’s rumen to the inflatable bag) in order to see how much of the world’s greenhouse-gas problem was created by livestock. Having discovered that figure (it’s 25-30

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weird news

percent), the country’s National Institute of Agricultural Technology announced recently that it will start storing the collected methane to convert it to energy.

In a “proof of concept” hypothesis, it estimates that about 300 liters of methane could power a refrigerator for 24 hours.

Scientists Just Wanna Have Fun Bioengineers who work with Dictyostelium slime molds held the “Dicty World Race” in Boston in May for a $5,000 prize and intellectual adulation in August at the Annual International Dictyostelium Conference in Potsdam, Germany. The molds oozed down the 800-micrometer (0.0315 inches) track, lured to the finish line by ordinary bacteria that the molds normally enjoy. A team from the Netherlands beat out 19 others for the coveted prize.

(Among the other “games” scientists play, mentioned in the same Nature.com story is the “Prisoners’ Smellemma,” in which players mix obscure samples in a test tube and smell the result to guess what their opponent used.)

-- Artist Diemut Strebe offered his 3-D-printed re-creation of the famous ear of Vincent van Gogh for display in June and July in a museum in Karlsruhe, Germany -- having built it partially with genes from a great-great-grand-nephew of van Gogh -- and in the same shape, based on computer imaging technology. (Van Gogh reputedly cut off the ear himself, in 1888, during a psychotic episode.) Visitors can also speak into the ear and listen to sounds it receives.

-- Researchers from the Polish Academy of Sciences, writing recently in the journal Zoo Biology, reported witnessing 28 acts of fellatio by two orphaned male bears at a sanctuary in Kuterevo, Croatia -- the first-ever report of bear fellatio and the payoff from 116 hours of scientific observation over a six-year period. In each case, the researchers wrote, the older male was the re-

COPYRIGHT 2014 CHUCK SHEPHERD. Visit Chuck Shepherd daily at NewsoftheWeird. blogspot.com or NewsoftheWeird.com. Send Weird News to WeirdNewsTips@yahoo.com or P.O. Box 18737, Tampa, FL 33679. Illustrations by Tom Briscoe (smallworldcomics.com).

ceiver, and the researchers speculated that the episodes were less sexual in nature than a reflection of the bears’ “early deprivation of maternal suckling.”

Defective Animals: (1) A black-and-white housecat, Lenny, was turned back to a shelter near Rochester, New York, in April, only two days after adoption because the new owner could not tolerate Lenny’s flatulence. (A braver second adopter, even though “warned,” has taken Lenny in successfully.) (2) When three parrots were stolen from a home in Saxilby, England, in June, the owner provided police with their descriptions, even though all three are African greys, quite talkative and look very much alike. One of the three, however, has asthma and is easily recognized by his chronic cough. (3) Miles Jelfs of Bristol, England, was seeking financial help in April to cover surgery for his hard-luck tortoise, Cedric, whose prolapsed penis (likely from a mating mishap) constantly drags on the ground, partially erect. [Democrat & Chronicle (Rochester), 4-9-2014] [BBC News, 6-8-2014] [Daily Mail (London), 4-18-2014]

The Fine Points of the Law Paul Stenstrom, 62, lived comfortably in his Palm Harbor, Florida, home from 2002-2014 without paying a penny of his $1,836 monthly mortgage bill, exploiting federal bankruptcy law that forces foreclosing creditors to back off once a debtor files for protection. Stenstrom and his wife filed 18 separate petitions in that 12-year period, according to an April Tampa Bay Times report, until a judge recently cut them off. The Stenstroms were spotted recently preparing to relocate -- but Stenstrom said he was considering buying the Palm Harbor house back (since the price has dropped because of the foreclosure).

Leading Economic Indicators First-World Sales Launches: (1) Daneson (an Ontario “purveyor of fine tooth- picks”) recently introduced $35.99 “Artisanal Toothpicks” (that’s per dozen, in “Single Malt” and other exotic flavors) for the discriminating dental raker. The lemon-flavored picks are a bargain at only $19.99, yet are made from the same “finest quality Northern White Birch,” “prepared according to exacting recipes.” (2) The Skin By Molly salon in Brooklyn (and by now, perhaps, competitors) offers “facials” for the derriere (occasioned by a recent social-media fascination with “bum selfies.”) Molly’s is the “Shiney Hiney Facial” ($65 for a 30-minute treatment), important because, she says, “Acne can flare up anywhere.”

Least Competent Criminals (1) A “stocky” man in his 30s wearing a Cincinnati Reds baseball cap was sought in New York City in June after holding up five banks in the space of about three and a half hours but earning a total of only $449 (still, an average of $128 an hour). (Actually, $399 came from one Chase branch and $50 from another; three banks had shooed him away empty-handed.) (2) Notorious San Diego tagger Francisco Canseco, 18, was present in a downtown courtroom in June for a hearing on 31 misdemeanor paint-vandalism charges and apparently could not contain his boredom. While waiting (as officials discovered only the next day), Canseco managed to tag numerous chairs in the courtroom, along with benches in the hallway. (Vandalism of a courthouse is a felony.) ,

weird news

| THE READER |

JULY 10 - 16, 2014

21

cuttingroom

SNOWPIERCER IS A GLIMPSE INTO AN ODD FUTURE

I

’m not saying that the impoverished are going to grab axes and violently murder the wealthy elite. But I’m also not NOT saying that…

Writer/director Joon-ho Bong’s Snowpiercer does what the sci-fi genre does better than any other cinematic medium: examines modern life by asking a surreal “what if.”

The “what if ” in this case being a metaphorical examination of the redistribution of wealth and the subsequent inability of the poor to climb the social ladder using a postapocalyptic ice age and Tilda Swinton with goofy teeth. Wait! It works! I swear!

Snowpiercer is actually built on two modern social crises: global warming and the rising plutocracy. Set in the very near future, climate change has progressed to the point where even Ann Coulter has to admit the weather’s messed up. In a panic, scientists spread a chemical into the atmosphere “Cat’s Cradle” style, and the whole world winds up a giant igloo. The only survivors are those who boarded a former luxury train that circles the world annually without stopping thanks to a crazy perpetual engine.

Film Streams at the Ruth Sokolof Theater 14th & Mike Fahey Street (formerly Webster Street) More info & showtimes 402.933.0259 · filmstreams.org

In quite possibly the most literal sci-fi metaphor ever, the rich live lives of luxury at the front of the train. The poor are bound to the back, where they are crammed in tight quarters, eating “protein bars” made of stuff that makes hot dog ingredients sound delicious. Previous attempts at revolution have failed during the 17 years since Earth became a popsicle. But Curtis (Chris Evans) and his mentor Gilliam (John Hurt) have a new, albeit very uncomplicated, plan: Bust security expert Namgoong Minsoo (Kang-ho Song) out of train jail and get him to open the locked gates that lead to the front of the train, fighting cart by cart until they control the engine.

It does not go well.

If you’ve never had the pleasure, and I do mean pleasure, of watching one of Bong’s films, be prepared for whiplash-inducing changes in tone. In what is fast becoming his trademark, Snowpiercer abruptly shifts from grim-dark murderfest to broad surrealist comedy to moralizing parable. And somehow it works. It shouldn’t be possible for Evan’s tortured Curtis to share a scene with Swinton’s absurd Mason, but Bong pulls it off flawlessly.

First-Run Films We Are the Best! First-Run

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Starts Friday, July 11

Revolves around three girls in 1980’s Stockholm who decide to form a punk band -- despite not having any instruments and being told by everyone that punk is dead.

Perfect for rebels!

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film

B Y R YA N S Y R E K

The entire cast, including Jamie Bell, Ed Harris and Octavia Spencer, manage to navigate the potential minefield of unintentional comedy with remarkable aplomb.

Although Snowpiercer’s metaphor is absurdly explicit, the take-home message is more nuanced. Without spoiling things, Bong does not offer false hope to real-life, would-be revolutionists, suggesting a complicated and chilling outcome if true change is achieved. What’s nice is that the film can be enjoyed for its ridiculous action, consumed for its eccentric comedy or celebrated for its complex commentary. If you happen to enjoy all three, it’s a near masterpiece.

Bong’s first English language film is a towering accomplishment born of immense creativity, social awareness and a fearlessness that few mainstream American directors possess. It’s the kind of film brave enough to completely stop before the final fight and let its main character unload a chilling, heart-rending soliloquy. In short, Snowpiercer is the kind of movie we need and get too few of these days. ,

Obvious Child First-Run (R)

Dir. Gillian Robespierre.

Through Thursday, July 17

The smart, of-the-moment romantic comedy audiences didn’t know they deserved. Saturday Night Live’s Jenny Slate gives a breakthrough performance as a standup comedian who seeks an abortion after a one-night stand.

“The subversive surprise of OBVIOUS CHILD is not will she or won’t she have an abortion, but will she or won’t she fall in love.” — Tiny Mix Tapes

GRADE = A-

n There are two movies whose rabid fandom I’ve never understood: The Goonies and Hocus Pocus. The former has had a sequel in the works as long as Dr. Dre has been promising to drop “Detox.” The latter had a sequel rumor bubble in its cauldron this week, one that claimed Tina Fey was making. Turns out that’s not true.

What is true is that Fey is working on a completely independent new witch movie for Disney. So while we wait to see if this new project becomes an inexplicable cult hit, I’m going to start a rumor that it’s a “Teen Witch” sequel. n Word broke this week that The Expendables 3, yes we’ve let this happen three times now, got a PG-13 rating. Fans of the series, yes there are fans of the series, have expressed dismay, as the only reason anyone watches it for ridiculous R-rated violence. Sadly, this is in no way a reflection on a decreased level of carnage in the upcoming murderfest but an indication that the MPAA ratings board has slouched so far ethically that they will let exploding heads be seen by adolescents. Say a bad word or show a boob though? Whammo! R-rating! n If you’ve never seen a movie from Japanese director and madman Takashi Miike, news that one of his films is being remade into an English-language film may make sense. However, if you’ve seen Audition, the film in question, you probably just did a spit take with whatever beverage you were consuming. The thought of anyone being able to scrape enough of Miike’s whacked-out shock-and-schlock off of that film to make it palatable to American audiences is just hilarious. And by hilarious, I mean whoever is thinking of making this should ask Spike Lee how his Oldboy remake went.

—Ryan Syrek 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 half-hour movie podcast (movieha. libsyn.com/rss), catch him on the radio on CD 105.9 (cd1059.com) on Fridays at around 7:30 a.m. and on KVNO 90.7 (KVNO.org) at 8:30 a.m. on Fridays and follow him on Twitter (twitter.com/thereaderfilm).

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| THE READER |

JULY 10 - 16, 2014

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