Here is some good news!

Just came across an article saying Nebraska State lawmakers passed a bill allowing Bars and Restaurants to stay open past 1 AM serving alcohol. I think this quote from Sen. Scott Lautenbaugh sums up best why Omaha needs this legislation.

"We are the only top 50 city that has a 1 a.m. closing time," he said. "People who come from elsewhere are genuinely surprised."

I look forward to this on weekends, I only fear during the week I will be kept out an extra hour to watch a headliner at any show.

FOUND in Benson

The newest issue of FOUND in Benson came out last night and, if you have the means, you should definitely check it out. Content for the zine and the number of copies printed each week solely depends on how many submissions we get and how much people donate. This week was a pretty limited run of 100, but there should be copies in a few places around the Dundee area (Amsterdam, Blue Line Coffee, etc) as well as all of the usual businesses in Benson.

This is the cover of this week's issue.


















This zine is something I am really proud of and am happy to be a part of. Also in this issue: an interview with Beck from AYGAMG (who is playing a show tonight at the Pizza Shoppe with Addison Wright and Whipkey Zimmerman), a great fiction piece from Aaron Shipp, poetry from Scott 'Zip' Zimmerman, and a great new mix-tape (which you can stream online at the FOUND in Benson Facebook page). Check it out if you have time.

Up in the Air

I did something Sunday night that I rarely do these days. I actually went to the theater and paid to see a movie. The movie was suggested by a friend, and I didn't really know much about it other than that a friend from high school happened to work on the film (read: corral hoards of women swooning after George Clooney) when shooting was being done in Omaha. Anyway, there wasn't much appeal. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised. Clooney continues to get better with each new film. The supporting cast was great as well, with appearances from Zach Galifianakis, Danny McBride, Jason Bateman, and Sam Elliott, to name a few).



George Clooney plays Ryan Bingham, a man who travels around the country to various workplaces and conducts employee layoffs on behalf of bosses too cowardly to do it themselves. On occasion, he also delivers motivational speeches about the virtue of a relationship-free life, often using a backpack analogy. He relishes the comfort of being anonymous during his perpetual travels. He does not have a personal life and chooses to stay away from his family. He is close to achieving his personal goal of 10 million miles.

One of my favorite things about the film is the opening credit sequence featuring some amazing aerial shots and an outstanding version of This Land is Your Land by Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. This isn't really a video, but you get to hear just how amazing their version of the song is.



The other major highlight is that the film includes various shots of Omaha, including the downtown area and the airport. Seeing this movie in Omaha is probably a completely different experience than seeing it anywhere else. You can literally feel how excited people get seeing an Omaha landmark (even though Clooney's character frequently laments the fact that his life is based out of Omaha and refuses to admit that he actually 'lives' here). When it's all said and done, Up in the Air is good movie with a good soundtrack and is, overall, a pretty solid piece of film making.

SCB

In case you haven't heard, the Saddle Creek Bar has closed it's doors for good. The final night in business was New Years Eve. A few local bands took the stage for a small - though enthusiastic - crowd Thursday night. I'm sad to see it go, but more for nostalgia than anything else. It's always sort of bittersweet when one of your favorite dives/venues closes, and this one was pretty close to home. Apparently, the drive-thru will stay open as its "going out of business" sale continues. Mike Coldewey, the guy behind The Saddle Creek Bar, is moving to Chicago in a few weeks. Who knows what will happen to the building, which holds a unique place in the history of the Omaha music scene. The property is being handled by NP Dodge, and there's a listing online that shows an asking price of $350,000, which includes the property, the 9,164 sq. ft. bar and drive-thru liquor store. Anyway, whatever happens to it, I hope it's something good...preferably something music-related. Here's to Mike Coldewey. Best of luck in Chicago.

oh, boy...the joys of getting older

Adam Hawkins (along with his band It's True) was my introduction into the Omaha music scene. When I was still in school...or maybe shortly after graduating from Creighton, I happened upon It's True's MySpace page, the same way you happen upon any other page while surfing around the internet; by chance. The song I heard was called Honestly. I Instantly fell in love with Adam's music. I sought out his music page and listened to the few tracks available there, including Honestly, Take this One from Me, and the chilling War Comes Home. I was amazed by what I heard and loved the incredibly lo-fi recordings. I made it a point to find out where I could find Adam's music (since it didn't seem to be available anywhere on CD) and finally, a time came where he was going to play a show at the Barley Street Tavern in Omaha. Well, since no one else I knew had even ever heard of Adam or the Barley, I ventured out on my own. What I found: a small, crowded, homey bar full of regulars, and Adam Hawkins - acoustic guitar in hand. This was one of the most memorable performances I've ever seen, and it was at a dive bar on open mic night. Since seeing Adam play, I've made it a point not to miss a show in Omaha and, rightly so, because he and his band get better and better with each show they play. They've evolved into something completely exciting and different than that first show I saw, and I expect great things from this band.



Adam Hawkins (It's True) with the Haunted Windchimes.

Anyway, the point of this story (other than to gush endlessly about how amazing I think this music really is) was to introduce the video above. I once heard Adam perform this song at a house party, in a house I'd never been to before, toward the end of last winter, in a room lit by twinkle lights that was full of strangers who all knew the words. There is a certain sentimentality in his music for me now and, well, it was at that moment that I decided I wasn't ready to leave Omaha...yet.