Tonight marks our fourth-annual Omaha Take Cover showcase and fundraiser. Some of Omaha’s most talented songwriters will be playing two songs each at The Waiting Room — one original and one cover by another Nebraska artist. We’re biased, but it’s one of our favorite events of the year. The $8 show starts at 9 p.m. sharp. RSVP here. And get there early so you can have a drink in hand before Anna McClellan starts the show.
We want to give a huge “thank you” to our sponsors. We send our gratitude to Nebraska Arts Council for making Take Cover possible with a grant. We’ll be selling raffle tickets for donated goods from local businesses. For those, thank you to Urban Outfitters, Hello Holiday, Omaha Bicycle Company, Almost Music, Scout Dry Goods and Doe Eyed Design.
Here’s the order of tonight’s lineup, plus what a few people will be covering:
Anna McClellan will play a song by Baby Walrus
Mim Aparo (Anthems) will play “Supercomputer” by Jake Bellows
Sarah Bohling and Graham Ulicny (Icky Blossoms) will play a Capgun Coup song
Jeremy Mercy (Travelling Mercies) will play “Elkhorn” by Vern Fergesen
Sam Ayer
Jessica Errett (Edge of Arbor, All Young Girls are Machine Guns) will play “Tag Along” by Ojai
Matt Whipkey
Heather Berney (Betty Jean) will play a John Klemmensen song
Jason Meyer (Talking Mountain, Feel Tight)
Edem Kegey
See Through Dresses will play a Little Brazil song
Lars & Mal
Dan McCarthy will play “Common Knowledge” by Conor Oberst
Andrew Gustafson (Noah’s Ark) will play “Man of the Hour” by Bryce Hotz/Lodgings
John Klemmensen will play a Criteria song
We can’t wait to see you tonight, but don’t forget that the fun continues next week at The Bourbon in Lincoln with another lineup. Check out the details here.
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At a State Capitol press conference on Wednesday, Saddle Creek Records Finance Director Jeff Beck spoke about a newly-filed LGBT employment rights bill.
Along with the bill’s introducing state senator, Adam Morfeld, Beck and a few other Nebraska business figures supported LB586, which would prohibit workplace discrimination based on an employee’s sexual orientation, gender identity or sex.
The Daily Nebraskan reports Beck as saying: “Our success as small businesses depends on three things … Attracting top artistic talent, developing and retaining our employees and having a diverse and creative audience here to support us. Workplace equality helps us achieve all three.”
Beck also spoke to KNOP news, saying, “Saddle Creek and Slowdown support the workplace equality legislation because it mirrors our commitment to providing a diverse, creative and vibrant community in which everyone feels open and able to focus on their jobs.”
Hear Nebraska strongly agrees. As an organization which hopes to see Nebraska’s music and arts community grow larger, more self-supporting, more diverse and more inclusive, we think it’s imperative that basic civil rights be championed and legally protected.
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Let’s run down some shows this weekend.
Tonight, Josh Hoyer and the Shadowboxers play The Zoo Bar. Next week, the band plays its first stop (Dallas) on a three-week southern United States tour. The Facebook event also promises a special surprise. RSVP here.
Tomorrow night, Sower Records heads west for a showcase at Kearney’s World Theatre. Jack Hotel, The Bottle Tops, Evan Bartels and the Stoney Lonesomes and Dylan Bloom Band will all be playing. RSVP here.
At Sweatshop Gallery tomorrow, Bass Drum of Death plays with Dumb Beach and Those Far Out Arrows. Garage rock trio Bass Drum of Death released Rip This in October, the band’s third full-length. Driven primarily by John Barrett’s guitar, Rip This explores the annals of scummy rock ‘n’ roll history.
Sunday night marks Meadowlark Coffee and Espresso’s third Songwriter Sunday. This week features Orion Walsh and Massachusetts-based reggae/folk outfit Father, Misty and the Big Rock. RSVP here.
Speaking of Songwriter Sunday, here are two videos from Meadowlark’s first showcase, shot by Sonata Sessions’ Nickolai Hammar and current HN intern JP Davis.
Check out videos from Xion and Will Hutchinson Band.
You can find a fuller listing of weekend shows on our events calendar at HearNebraska.org/events. And if you have Nebraska music news on your mind, send it to news@hearnebraska.org. Have a great weekend!