Benson First Friday Femme Fest has released the schedule for its Friday, Sept. 4 takeover of the Omaha neighborhood.
Over a five-hour span, 44 bands will cram into seven venues across Benson’s main drag. All Young Girls Are Machine Guns — fronted by festival organizer Rebecca Lowry — lights the flame at 7 p.m. at The Waiting Room with special guests and Omaha Girls Rock group Sassafrass. Life Is Cool will play the after party for musicians and volunteers at 1 a.m. at Sweatshop Gallery
In the hours in between, the schedule becomes vast and daunting. Given the short time span in which Femme Fest takes place, even the most enterprising showgoer won’t be able to catch every band. Instead, such a diverse, eclectic lineup may make fans selective, or it might encourage them to to branch out to listen to bands they otherwise wouldn’t.
Benson First Friday Femme Fest is the first of its kind in Omaha, with each act featuring at least one woman musician. The goal is to showcase the high volume of talented female musicians in Omaha and Lincoln, and by the look of the schedule, the festival is well on its way to achieving that.
View the schedule for Benson First Friday Femme Fest in its entirety below. RSVP here. Tickets are $10, and can be purchased here.
The Waiting Room Lounge (all ages)
7:00 – 7:45 All Young Girls Are Machine Guns (Opening Ceremony)
8:00 – 8:35 Clark & Co.
8:50 – 9:25 Belles & Whistles
9:40 – 10:15 Million Little Voices
10:30 – 11:05 SUN DAY
11:20 – 11:55 The Ronnys
12:10 – 12:45 PYRATE
8:00 – 8:35 Hunit Proof
8:50 – 9:25 Badland Girls
9:40 – 10:15 Blowing Chunks
10:30 – 11:05 Big AL Band
11:20 – 11:55 Manic Pixie Dream Girls
12:10 – 12:45 Domestica
1:15 – 2:00 LIFE is COOL (after-party)
8:00 – 8:35 The Ragabonds
8:50 – 9:25 Phoenix Rising
9:40 – 10:15 Cat DeLuca
10:30 – 11:05 La Guerre
11:20 – 11:55 The Shinys
12:10 – 12:45 Black-Eyed Susan
8:00 – 8:35 24 Hour Cardlock
8:50 – 9:25 The Wagon Blasters
9:40 – 10:15 Cimarron Rose
10:30 – 11:05 The Electroliners
11:20 – 11:55 Pleiades & the Bear
12:10 – 12:45 Pancho & the Contraband
8:00 – 8:35 Edem Keggy
8:50 – 9:25 Blue Bird
9:40 – 10:15 Minutes to Miles
10:30 – 11:05 Mesonjixx
11:20 – 11:55 CJ Mills
12:10 – 12:45 Kait Berreckman Band
The Pizza Shoppe Collective (all ages)
8:00 – 8:35 Molly & the Dustbunnies
8:50 – 9:25 Mary Ruth McLeay
9:40 – 10:15 Miniature Horse
10:30 – 11:05 Elizabeth Webb
11:20 – 11:55 Bell Mine
12:10 – 12:45 The Clocks
8:00 – 8:35 Naive Filter
8:50 – 9:25 Speedsweat
9:40 – 10:15 FIZZ
10:30 – 11:05 Calling Cody
11:20 – 11:55 American Pinup
12:10 – 12:45 FREAKABOUT
* * *
A bit of surprising news yesterday afternoon, as Josh Hoyer announced via the Shadowboxers’ website that the established soul outfit has undergone a name change. The band will henceforth record and perform as Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal.
The official statement explains that the Shadowboxers name, used by several other regional touring and recording acts “was creating confusion among fans, press, and venues.”
The band heads to Nashville in September to record its next studio LP. Additionally, a live vinyl LP — recorded direct to disc — is in the can, scheduled to release in November.
Read the entire press release and keep up with Soul Colossal here.
* * *
By the end of Freakabout’s new video for “Use You,” all of the lo-fi tour footage has given way to full hype and a mixed-up band roster.
The video, released yesterday, mashes a series of B-roll film taken in the midst of touring with scrapped clips from a prior music video shoot, in which the band swaps clothes and rotates instruments. Combined with the occasional explosion and a towering, havoc-wreaking Godzilla, the video footage is as fast paced and energetic as its track.
This marks the second single set to video from March 2015 LP Don’t We All. Director and Lincolnite Quentin Orr also made the graphic-based lyric video for its first single, “Never Have I Ever.”
The Lincoln rock quartet continues to charge on, kicking off another month-long tour Sept. 4 — this time with New York punk rock band American Pinup — at The Sydney as part of Benson First Friday Femme Fest. Freakabout also plays Maha Music Festival this Saturday.
Check out the video for “Use You” below:
* * *
Omaha singer/songwriter Mitch Gettman has also debuted a new video, supporting his forthcoming album and assisting Kickstarter fund.
Omaha’s Cody Fenske produced the film for “All Good Things Must Die,” comprising various old clips of massive landscapes, bonfires and home video footage. The aesthetic adds somewhat of a light nostalgic touch to an already sentimental, contemplative indie rock track.
Gettman has completed recording for Dichotomy, his would-be third LP, and is in the process of raising money through a Kickstarter campaign, which will be open through Aug. 27.
* * *
Tonight, Lincoln’s AZP plays the first show of its “Fall Concert Series” at Duffy’s Tavern with Minneapolis post-rock quartet Clementine. Read our brief exchange with AZP’s Zach Watson here on planning the series of dates and staying active through the rest of 2015. The show starts at 9 p.m., right as Dad’s Beer Night pricing begins. RSVP here.
As always, head to our statewide calendar at hearnebraska.org/events for a fuller listing of shows. If you do not see your show or one you plan to attend, email us at news@hearnebraska.org, or add it yourself. And keep those song submissions, story ideas and news tips coming.