Summertime Music Updates, Zoo Bar 38th Anniversary

by B.J. Huchtemann

Playing With Fire plans to go on as scheduled. The event set for Saturday, July 16, has been moved from the Lewis & Clark Landing to the parking lot area west of Rick’s Boatyard. While the website at PlayingWithFireOmaha.net is not updated, organizer Jeff Davis confirms the new location. Check out my colleague Tim McMahan's column where he surveyed the new layout at lazy-i.com/2011/06/playing-with-fire-concert-moves-west-of-lewis-john-klemmensen-and-the-party-tonight/

This is one of the most-anticipated outdoor shows of the summer. Headliner Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings and their high-energy soul-R&B sound wow everyone from blues fans to indie-rock music enthusiasts. Hear the music and find out more at SharonJonesAndTheDapKings.com. 

Also on the bill is Austin soul-blues man Malford Milligan, of Austin super-group Storyville. Check out Malford's great style at facebook.com/pages/The-Malford-Milligan-Band/128840777131592?sk=app_178091127385
 
Carolyn Wonderland Canceled
Jeff Davis’ other summer project is a concert series to benefit the Davies Amphitheater in Glenwood, Iowa. The first show scheduled for Saturday, June 25, with Austin’s Carolyn Wonderland, has been canceled due to the impact of flooding in the Glenwood area. Davis hopes to reschedule Wonderland’s appearance for a later date. No decision has been made about the July 9 show featuring Canadian artists Dawn Tyler Watson, Paul Deslauriers and Trevor Finlay. Ruthie Foster is scheduled on August 13. Tickets are $20 each. Look for updates at PlayingWithFireOmaha.net.


Zoo Bar 38th Anniversary
Lincoln’s Zoo Bar is nationally recognized as one of the country’s longest-running blues bars. The Zoo is even older than famed Antone’s in Austin. The Zoo marks its 38th Anniversary with music in the club July 5-7. Several bands will perform inside each night starting at 6 p.m. Watch ZooBar.com for the complete schedule.
On Friday and Saturday, July 8 and 9, the party takes to the street. On the outdoor stage on Friday, July 8, are the Brad Cordle Band, the king of Americana music Dave Alvin and the eclectic Texas musicians of Brave Combo. On Saturday, July 9, the acts include The Derailers, The Stone River Boys, Kelley Hunt and a reunion of the infamous Self Righteous Brothers.  If you are on Facebook you can preview Dave Alvin's new CD Eleven Eleven (Yep Roc) in its entirety at  www.facebook.com/davealvinofficial?sk=app_146854228721780

Zoo Shows of Note
Meanwhile, the Zoo has plenty of other shows worth talking about including Sunday, June 19, with Chicago’s Nick Moss & The Flip Tops who play 6-9 p.m. On Wednesday, June 22, Popa Chubby plays 6-9 p.m. The Bel Airs heat up the Zoo on Friday and Saturday, June 24 and 25.
Guitar great Jim Suhler plugs in on Wednesday June 29, 6-9 p.m. The late show includes rockin’ folk from Omaha’s excellent Travelling Mercies, plus Tsumi and Dean the Bible.
On Thursday, June 30, after 9 p.m., the “Zoo Bar Big Band” including a four-piece horn section debuts with musicians Kris Lager, Josh Hoyer, Ben Johnson, A.C. Wright, Jamie Cox and more playing funk, soul & R&B. 

Zoo fans can follow and contribute to the new Zoo Bar blog online at http://blog.zoobar.com. 


The Zoo wants your photos, show reviews or anything else you'd like to share about the bar and the music, musicians and community that make it one of the happeningist places on the planet.

21st Saloon Blues
The Thursday blues series continues through the summer, which means any time you can make it to a Thursday show you’ll be insuring the future of this  series.
Continued support will make sure the new owners remain committed to hosting these great shows. Coming up on Thursday, June16, is Blues Music Awards Band of the Year The Nighthawks. On Thursday, June 23, it’s guitar-rocker Popa Chubby, whose 1990s tune “Sweet Goddess of Love & Beer” got some radio buzz.
On Thursday, June 30, it’s Hoodoo favorite Jim Suhler & Monkey Beat. They serve up sizzling Texas-inflected blues-rock with great musicianship and  dynamic chemistry.

Aksarben Blues Fest
The Blues Society of Omaha has teamed up with Aksarben Village to present a blues fest in Stinson Park at 64th & Center. The free show is Saturday, June 25. Headlining the event are the horn-driven sounds of Big James & The Chicago Playboys. The show kicks off at 4 p.m. with two of the current BluesEd youth bands. Blue House & the Rent to Own Horns also perform before Big James’ set. The BSO is also vending the beverages as a fundraiser for the organization.

Doc Mullett Remembered
The Omaha-Lincoln blues community has lost another longtime ardent supporter. Lincoln’s Doc Mullett passed away in his sleep Tuesday, June 7, of an apparent heart attack. He was 61. Mullett was a blues musician who had played in several bands through the years. He also hosted a popular blues radio show on KZUM. He was a member of the Zoo Bar family and a friend and supporter to both local and national blues musicians. A celebration of his life Sunday, June 12, packed the Zoo as he was remembered with music and love.

Hot Notes
Cass Brostad makes a visit back to Omaha from Austin with a special show Sunday, June 19, at Barley Street Tavern, 7 p.m.-1 a.m. Brostad’s friends including Kyle Harvey, Brad Hoshaw and Rebecca Lowry will perform. A reunion of Cass & the Family Gram happens about 11:15 p.m. and Traveling Mercies will close things out. It’s a free show with donations going toward Brostad’s next recording project.
The Travelling Mercies are also among the acts scheduled for Barley Street Tavern Saturday, June 18, as part of Benson SummerFest After Dark. See BarleyStreet.com.
When you can’t find the Hoodoo column in print please check HoodooRootsBlues.blogspot.com.

Copyright 2011, B.J. Huchtemann, all rights reserved.