July 2015

WWW.NOWOMAHA.COM • JULY 2015

don’t miss a thing this month!check out our calendar of events

ENCORE Alabama Shakes returns with Sound & Color

J U L Y 2 0 1 5 • N O W O M A H A . C O M2

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MAYHEM FESTIVAL FEATURING SLAYER JUL 7 § THE AVETT BROTHERS JUL 8

THE ROOTS JUL 18 § alt-J JUL 28 § ALICE IN CHAINS JUL 30

HOZIER WITH DAWES JUL 31 § ALABAMA SHAKES WITH BELLE ADAIR AUG 1

SLIGHTLY STOOPID WITH DIRTY HEADS AND THE EXPENDABLES AUG 29

BILLY IDOL SEP 10 § LITTLE BIG TOWN SEP 18

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ENCORE Alabama Shakes Return with Sound & Color

SWASS Sir Mix-a-Lot is the Ultimate Freak

THE WORLD OF MAC MILLER Pittsburgh Rapper Still on Top

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Alabama Shakes Return with Sound & ColorBy Kyle Eustice

FEEATURE STORY

The small town of Athens, Alabama is home to just over 20,000 people. It was too claus-trophobic for the larger-than-life talents of Brittany Howard. As lead singer and guitarist for Alabama Shakes, she’s learned how to embrace her humble beginnings, but also soar to new heights.

Over the last few years her band, composed of bassist Zac Cockrell, guitarist Heath Fogg, keyboardist Ben Tanner and drummer Steve Johnson, has been all over the world. They’ve been touring nearly non-stop since releasing their debut album, 2012’s Boys and Girls.

Johnson was home in Athens for a rare break before heading out on yet another tour in support of their sophomore effort, Sound &Color, which was released April 21. Far from Hollywood and the frantic pace of places like New York City, he gets grounded every time he returns home.

Growing up, there wasn’t a lot to do, unless you were into sports or the outdoors. For music nerds like the Alabama Shakes, they yearned for something different.

“In Athens, our movie theater only shows like four films at a time so it’s not very big,” Johnson says in his unmistakeable southern accent. “There’s a lot of restaurants. I like to describe it like if you’re driving down the interstate and need to pull off somewhere for fast food, you can pull over here and we’ve got Taco Bell, KFC, Burger King and McDonald’s, a plethora of fast food.”

Despite the confines, Athens often presented, the band managed to escape. Howard and Cockrell attended high school together, but Johnson didn’t really get to know them until they formed Alabama Shakes (initially called The Shakes).

They started off simply playing cover songs, but as their popularity grew, they started writing original material. Those songs took them to New York City’s CMJ Festival in 2011, where the band gave a performance that earned a rave review from New York Times writer Jon Pareles.

He described the band as “a thunderbolt dressed in blue jeans,” with music that’s “aching when it’s slow and growling and whooping when it’s fast.” NPR named the group one of the best bands of 2011, while MTV called the Shakes one of the top bands to look for in 2012. But this was clearly only the beginning. While their meteoric rise to fame has been impressive, it doesn’t mean their hard work is over.

“I love the position we’re in,” Johnson says. “I love the band I’m in. Where we’re going is definitely on an incline, but I don’t think it’s the pinnacle of my life or my career. There’s a lot of other things that mean just as much to me as my band, like my family. I get a lot of satisfaction out of stuff that has nothing to do with Alabama Shakes.

“As far as the band goes, I would like to think we still have a lot of growing to do as mu-sicians, songwriters and performers, he continues. “There’s stuff I mess up all the time and I know that. I’m not the greatest that I can be or at the top of my game yet.

“I keep working on it. It’s tough to do because when you’re in the studio, you’re missing

ENCORE


out on touring then when you get back to tour-ing, it’s getting readjusted to that. You’re also away from your family so when you get home, music isn’t the main priority. I do practice, but it’s not as diligent as when I’m on tour or in the studio. A lot of things come in and out. My chops don’t just stay there. I have to keep practicing to get better. There is the desire, drive and want, but finding the time is difficult. It has to be the appropriate place and time.”

Johnson’s sudden “celebrity” status has been difficult for some of his family and friends, but most of them have embraced his success.

“Some have handled it better than others,” he says. “I will say that. Most of my family is very happy and very proud. There’s that, but then there are some friends and family who haven’t adjusted to it yet. They’re always saying I’m gone all the time, even sadder stuff than that. It’s stuff I don’t even want to talk about it’s so depressing. It’s weird. You would want them to come out, ex-perience it and enjoy it.”

In the meantime, the members of Alabama Shakes are enjoying the ride. There’s a sense John-son is relieved he doesn’t get as much attention as the colorful Howard, but every once in awhile, he does find himself in some funny situations.

“We’ve only been home for a week and a half,” he says. “I went to the liquor store. The lady that works in there is so nice, but sometimes I’m like, ‘Oh wow, this is town I live in.’

“So anyway, I go inside and there’s maybe a few people in there, not very many. She is just like, ‘Hey superstar. Oh my god, we have a ce-lebrity in the house!’ I’m just covering my face like, ‘Hey Pam, what’s going on.’ It was kind of embarrassing. But I witness that kind of stuff all the time; not so much with myself. I’m the drum-mer. I don’t get nearly as much attention as Brit-tany and Zac. They are very noticeable characters. They get swamped.”

As Alabama Shakes take off in support of Sound & Color, Johnson will have plenty of time to work on his chops. He’ll be swarmed by press, fans, promoters, assistants, and meet countless fellow musicians. He’ll get catered food, lots of special treatment and nice hotels. While he might be away from his family, he’s got his best friends on the road with him. It’s a life many musicians dream of having.

Alabama Shakes with Belle Adair will perform at Harrah’s Stir Cove, Council Bluffs, 8 p.m., Aug. 1. Tickets are $50. Visitwww.caesars.com for more information.


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N O W O M A H A . C O M • J U L Y 2 0 1 5 11VISIT WWW.THEROSS.ORG FOR SHOWTIMES & INFORMATION

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SWASS Sir Mix-a-Lot is the Ultimate Freak

MUSIC FEATURE


By Kyle Eustice

In the early ‘90s, Seattle native Sir Mix-a-Lot proudly proclaimed: “I like big butts and I cannot lie” on 1992’sMack Daddy, his third studio album and first for Def American. However, little do peo-ple know the two albums that preceded Mack Dad-dy contained some of his best material.

From “Square Dance Rap” and “Posse on Broad-way” to “Buttermilk Biscuits and “Swass,” there’s more to Mix-a-Lot than just big butts.

Born Anthony Ray in 1963, Sir Mix-a-Lot is the true definition of a “D.I.Y. success story.” He founded his own independent label, produced his own albums and climbed his way into the MTV generation with both 1987’s “Posse On Broadway” and the aforementioned Grammy Award-winning single, “Baby Got Back.”

His debut album, 1988’sSwass, established Mix as a lyrical wrecking ball. Armed with a penchant for descriptive storytelling and rapid-fire delivery, Mix unloaded an arsenal of hip-hop hilarity. In fact, the word ‘swass’ eventually took on its own mean-ing—by accident.

“It meant like ‘cool,’ ‘fresh,’ ‘dope,’ or whatever terminology you want to use,” Mix explains. “Later on, we just applied something to it what we kind of called an acronym, but it really wasn’t an acronym. It was a word we made up by accident.

“I used to work at an arcade and you know, fix-ing machines, handling change, and there was this pinball machine called Flash Gordon,” he contin-ues. “Every time you’d win, it would say ‘flash,’ but it sounded like it said “swass” because something was wrong with the speaker. I thought, ‘Wow! That’s the shit.’ So we started using it joking around in different cities. We’d be like, ‘Man that is swass’ and people were like, ‘What is that?’ So we figured we would just call the album Swass.”

Mix was surprised his own unique brand of hip-hop got any notoriety. After all, his main focus was really DJing, mixing and producing. He record-ed on an 8-track reel-to-reel in a small, homemade studio.

“Before “Posse On Broadway” I did another single, which actually made “Posse On Broadway” possible,” he says. “It was called ‘Square Dance Rap.’ It was a goofy single I did. I intentionally dis-guised my voice because I didn’t want to be known for having a Smurf voice.

“So I put it out and the damn thing took off. I was like, ‘Aw man, it took off. Now what am I go-ing to do?’ Then I started taking it more seriously. Remember, I started off as a DJ. I didn’t start off as a rapper. I was more of an engineer than anything. I love producing and I love mixing; all that stuff.

That’s why I wasn’t Sir Rap-A-Lot.” Once Swass and 1989’s Seminar began garner-

ing significant amounts of attention, Mix caught the eye (well, ear) of legendary hip-hop producer and Def Jam co-founder Rick Rubin, who agreed to executive produce Mack Daddy.

Along with production from Mix himself, Ru-bin and Mix quickly got to work. Upon its initial release, “Baby Got Back” became a pop phenom-enon and catapulted Mix to a whole new level of fame. Despite the ridiculous nature of the lyrics and its subsequent video, the song touched on sensitive topics involving race, the definition of beauty and female objectification.

One of his biggest strengths is being able to tell an incredibly descriptive and comedic story, some-thing noticeably absent in contemporary hip-hop.

“Some people have some fun with records, but for the most part they don’t,” he says. “Some people have really put some work in out on the street, but a lot of them haven’t and use rap as a cover. They think if they can tell somebody else’s hardcore story that somehow makes them more credible. And it actually works because most of the fans buy that bullshit. Real talk— a lot of them haven’t seen what they claim to have seen.

“Saying something funny on a record now is considered corny, which is weird to me,” he adds. “To me, the term ‘keep it real,’ when you take it lit-erally, means if you had a mom and a dad, they did a good job raising you, and you’re well educated and well spoken, don’t be ashamed of it. That’s keeping it real! If you went to college, but you lied and said you were in jail, that’s bullshit.”

He makes an undeniable point. In a world where Lil’ Wayne and Juicy J rule the airwaves with songs about purple drank and groupies, it’s nearly impossible to separate truth from fiction. At 50, he may not be the new kid on the block, but he’s still got his hand on the mic.

“I still love hip-hop and always will of course, but the things that are bothering me on certain lev-els are the need to establish this bullshit credibility and that rap music has a date code on it now,” he says. “In other words, if you’re Eminem and you’re the best rapper in the game right now, but you’re over 30, the press tries to blow it off like you’re just trying to stay relevant.

“It only happens in hip-hop. Nobody looks at Mick Jagger and says, ‘Oh he’s just trying to remain relevant.’ The fact that hip-hop is starting to divide itself is ignorant. Let’s just keep moving.”

Sir Mix-a-Lot will perform July 23, at Knicker-bockers, Lincoln, 9 p.m. Tickets are $20. Visit www.knickerbockers.net for more information.


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HULLABALOO Family-friendly camping and music festival

By Katelyn Sonderman

Back from a 10 day stint with Kris Lager Band, Brandon Miller is in crunch time before Hullabaloo. This year however, he finds himself less stressed due to the amazing team on board this year: “Past years I found myself pulling my hair out to do everything that needs to be accomplished, but this year has been so well put together. I have a great team who is giving it their all.”

He’s excited for the line-up this year, but when asked to choose, there was no way Brandon could pick a favorite. “I’m excited for every band. I hand pick ev-ery artist for Hullabaloo, and I make sure to pick the up and coming music I love. Being on the road with KLB gave me some great connections and some oppor-tunities to meet some truly amazing artists.”

Because of this advantage, he calls Hullabaloo a “taste-maker festival,” and he lives up to the reputa-tion. Many of the acts Hullabaloo has booked in the past have gone to sell out large festivals of their own, The Floozies and Main Squeeze being acts Brandon could name right off the bat.

Since taking over running the venue of Sokol Park, Brandon has added a huge stage, which has the capa-

bilities to hold large nationally touring acts. The ad-dition in stage space has brought a whole new level to the production value. They’ve added a projection screen for this year, and tripled the amount of lights that they have on the stage.

They’ve also added a smaller campsite stage for during the day. The lack of shade near the main stage can make checking out bands during the day uncom-fortable, and Brandon wants to make sure every band has a chance to be heard. The shaded area of the camp-ground will provide refuge from the heat, and allow everyone to lounge around, without having to drag chairs and blankets to the main stage.

The final expansion this year is the Forrest Walk that has been an interactive art exhibit for the past few years. Brandon has handed over the reins to several lo-cal artists and is excited for the elaborate plans they have. The amount of lighting for the area has been quadrupled, and there will be art displays all over the festival.

Hullabaloo is held July 23-25, and for a mere $25 which includes camping as well the ticket price. This is a family-friendly event, so there’s no excuse to not go and check out some great new music, as well as local favorites.

MUSIC FEATURE

Robert Delong is set to perform at this year’s Hullabaloo festival


What’s going on in Omaha? You’ll find out here! Submit calendar listings to [email protected]. Be sure to include NAMES, DATES, TIMES, ADDRESSES and COSTS, and please give us AT LEAST 7 days notice. Events are included as space allows.

There’s too many amazing things happening in Omaha throughout the month of July. We’ve listed Thursday through Sunday’s events for all weekends in July. For more events check out our website at nowomaha.com!

THURSDAY, JULY 9OMAHA UNDER THE RADARJOSLYN ART MUSEUM OPENING EVENTJoslyn Art MuseumAll Day

ROCKBROOK VILLAGE ORGANIC FARMERS MARKETRockbrook Village4 – 7 p.m.

STORM CHASERS VS. IOWA WITH RIVALRY NIGHT AND THIRSTY THURSDAYWerner Park12356 Ballpark Way, Papillion, NE 680467:05 p.m.

LATE NITE CATECHISMOmaha Community Playhouse,6915 Cass St. Omaha, NE 681067:30 – 10 p.m.

ED ARCHIBALD & FRIENDSThe Omaha Lounge1505 Farnam Street7:30 – 10:30 p.m.

PETE CORREALEFunny Bone17305 Davenport7:30 p.m.

KNIGHTS OF COMEDY: A ROLE-PLAYING SHOW WITH DM BRENNA GRABOWThe Hideout Lounge320 S. 72nd St8 p.m.

PAPILLION LA VISTA COMMUNITY THEATRE PRESENTS WIZARD OF OZSumtur Amphitheater11691 S 108th St, Papillion, NE 680468 p.m.

WADE BOWEN & RANDY ROGERS BAND

The Slowdown729 N. 14th St., Omaha9 p.m.

AXCESSThe Waiting Room6212 Maple St. Omaha, NE9 p.m.

THE TALBOTT BROTHERS CD RELEASEReverb Lounge6121 Military Ave9 p.m.

FRIDAY, JULY 10JOHN C. FREMONT DAYSFremontAll Day

WAYNE CHICKEN SHOWWayne, NEAll Day

RHYTHM COLLECTIVE REGGAEBeer and Loathing in Dundee9 p.m.

BRIDGE BEATS - LEE BOWES AND MATT WHIPKEYBob Kerrey Bridge Plaza705 Riverfront Drive6 – 9:30 p.m.

SOUNDS OF SUMMER CONCERT SERIES - SOUL DAWGNebraska Medicine-Bellevue Amphitheatre, Shadow Lake Towne Center72nd Street and Highway 370, Papillion6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

MUSIC AND MOVIES IN THE PARK - INTO THE WOODSBayliss ParkPearl Street and Willow Street, Council Bluffs6:30 – 11:30 p.m.

ROCKBROOK FRIDAY NIGHT CONCERT SERIES - THE CONFIDENTIALSRockbrook Village108th Street and West Center Road7-8 p.m.

COX MUSIC AND MOVIES: WILLY WONKA & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (G) AND MICHAEL LYON AND THE STEVE THORNBERG TRIOHolland Center Courtyard12th & Douglas Streets7 p.m.

MORGAN HERITAGE WITH JEMERE MORGANSokol Auditorium2234 S. 13th St. Omaha, NE 68102

CALENDAR OF EVENTS


7 p.m.

WORDS LIKE DAGGERS, ALLISTER HENNESSEY, WE ARE, TBA’SThe Hideout Lounge320 S. 72nd St7 p.m.

STORM CHASERS VS. IOWA WITH DADDY-DAUGHTER PRINCESS NIGHT AND FIREWORKSWerner Park12356 Ballpark Way, Papillion, NE 680467:05 p.m.

PETE CORREALEFunny Bone17305 Davenport7:30 p.m. & 9:45 p.m.

LATE NITE CATECHISMOmaha Community Playhouse,6915 Cass St. Omaha, NE 681067:30 – 10 p.m

JAZZ ON THE GREEN - THE 9STurner Park at Midtown Crossing7:30 p.m.

CAROL ROGERSThe Omaha Lounge1505 Farnam Street7:30 – 10:30 p.m.

CAPTAIN JOSHFirewater Grille7007 Grover St8 p.m.


BIG WHEEL CD RELEASEReverb Lounge6121 Military Ave8 p.m.

KARAOKE AT THE CALI BARThe California Bar510 N 33rd St9 p.m.

THE 402Ozone Lounge7220 F St9 p.m. – 1 a.m.

AN EVENING WITH JEN KIRKMANThe Slowdown729 N. 14th St., Omaha9 p.m.

FUNK TREKThe Waiting Room6212 Maple St. Omaha, NE9 p.m.

SATURDAY, JULY 11JOHN C. FREMONT DAYSFremontAll Day


RAILROAD DAYSLauritzen Gardens, The Durham Museum, the Union Pacific Railroad Museum, the RailsWest Railroad Museum and the Historic General Dodge House - Omaha, NE9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

THE NIFTY BAR OLYMPICSThe Nifty Bar 4721 Northwest Radial HighwayOmaha, NE 681046 p.m.

BIG CANVAS COMEDY FOR EVERYONEThe Backline1618 Harney StOmaha, NE 681028 – 10 p.m.

STORM CHASERS VS. IOWA WITH ERIC HOSMER BUBBLEHEAD GIVEAWAY & TROPHY GIVEAWAYWerner Park12356 Ballpark Way, Papillion, NE 6804612:05 p.m.

DESPISE THE SUN, NEFIRUM, HELLEVATE, AGRINEX, HOD, DROWNING IN THE PLATTE, GLUTTON FOR PUNISHMENT, DARK APOSTLE, DIABOLIC POSSESSION, WHORE OF BETHLEHAMThe Hideout Lounge320 S. 72nd St2 p.m.

VIBES AT VILLAGE POINTE - PEACE, LOVE, ETC*CHI Health Amphitheatre, Village Pointe Shopping Center168th Street and West Dodge Road6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

PETE CORREALEFunny Bone17305 Davenport7 p.m. & 9:30 p.m

MUSIC AND MOVIES IN THE PARK - PITCH


PERFECTRiver’s Edge ParkCouncil Bluffs7-11 p.m.

OMAHA UNDER THE RADAR 2015 FESTIVALSokol Auditorium2234 S. 13th St. Omaha, NE 681027 p.m.

SATURDAYS @ STINSON CONCERT – RED DELICIOUSStinson Park at Aksarben Village67TH & CENTER • OMAHA, NEBRASKA7-10 p.m.

SLATTERY VINTAGE ESTATES SUMMER CONCERT SERIES - SHADOW RIDGESlattery Vintage Estates8925 Adams St., Nehawka, Nebraska7-10 p.m.

STORM CHASERS VS. IOWA WITH OUTDOORS NIGHTWerner Park12356 Ballpark Way, Papillion, NE 680467:05 p.m.


EDEM KEGEY & LEWADE “BIGWADE” MILLINERThe Omaha Lounge1505 Farnam Street7:30 – 10:30 p.m.

NEIL YOUNGPinnacle Bank Arena400 Pinnacle Arena Dr, Lincoln, NE 685087:30 p.m.

DAISY JONES LOCKER SUMMER SPECTACULARReverb Lounge6121 Military Ave8 p.m.


SECRET WEAPONOzone Lounge7220 F St9 p.m. – 1 a.m.

SUNDAY, JULY 12JOHN C. FREMONT DAYS

FremontAll Day


RAILROAD DAYSLauritzen Gardens, The Durham Museum, the Union Pacific Railroad Museum, the RailsWest Railroad Museum and the Historic General Dodge House - Omaha, NE9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

RAGTIME TO RICHES FESTIVALFirst Central Congregational United Church of Christ421 S. 36th St.1-9 p.m.

OMAHA FARMERS MARKETStinson Park at Aksarben Village67TH & CENTER • OMAHA, NEBRASKA9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

CHURCH FOR SINNERSReverb Lounge6121 Military Ave12 p.m.

REDLINE MEET CAR SHOWRalston Arena7300 Q Street, Ralston (West of 72nd & Q)12 – 8 p.m.

LATE NITE CATECHISMOmaha Community Playhouse,6915 Cass St. Omaha, NE 681062-4 p.m.

BELLEVUE MUSIC IN THE PARK - USAF NIGHTWINGWashington Park20th and Franklin, Bellevue7-8 p.m.

PETE CORREALEFunny Bone17305 Davenport7 p.m.

STEPHEN HAWTHORNE & RICKY WILLIAMSThe Omaha Lounge1505 Farnam Street7:30 – 10:30 p.m.

THE ATARIS PLAY “BLUE SKIES BROKEN HEARTS...NEXT 12 EXITS” WITH TBAS WITH ARLISS NANCY, LITTLE BRAZIL, LOW LONG SIGNALThe Hideout Lounge320 S. 72nd St8 p.m.


July 10 Funk Trekwith Kris Lager Band$8 • 9pm show

July 11 Omaha Girls Rock$5 Donation • 5:30pm show

July 13 Midwest Elite Concerts presents: New Music Monday: The Woodwork with Skyloft & Charlotte SometimesFree Event • 8pm show

July 14 (the) Melvinswith Le Butcherettes$15 ADV / $17 DOS • 9pm show

July 16 Lissiewith Tyler Lyle$16 ADV / $18 DOS • 9pm show

July 17 Melt Banana + Torchewith Hot Nerds$15 • 9pm show

July 18 Say Anythingwith Modern Baseball, Cymbals Eat Guitars, & Hard Girls$20 ADV / $23 DOS • 7:30pm show

July 19 White Girl$7 • 9pm show

July 20 Midwest Elite Concerts Presents: New Music Monday: Two Shakes with Fallen Reign & In The AfterFree Event • 8pm show

July 21 Waiting Room Music QuizFree Event • 8pm show

July 23 STRFKRwith Shy Boys$15 ADV / $17 DOS • 9pm show

July 24 Venaculaswith Arson City, Save the Hero, & We Be Lions$12 • 8pm show

July 25 Dick Dalewith The Sub-Vectors$28 ADV / $30 DOS • 9pm show

July 27 Midwest Elite Concerts presents: New Music Monday: Sebastian Ghostbachz with Born On Leap Year & Group TherapyFree Event • 8 pm show

July 28 Sperry presents:Young Rising Sons & Hunter Hunted$15 • 9pm show

July 29 Cornmealwith Horseshoes & Hand Grenades$15 • 9pm show

July 30 Disorderly Conduct & Player Dee present: We All Stars: Omaha Hip-Hop Then and Nowwith Citoe, P.C.G., Disorderly Conduct, L Macn, Rocky, Flow EZ, Trump Tight, Pocket Pete, Toot, Player Dee & Hosted by Houston Alexander$10 ADV / $15 DOS9pm show

July 31 Venaculaswith Arson City & Devil In The Details$12 • 8pm show

August 1 Bazile Millswith Matt Cox & Kait Berreckman Band$7 • 9pm show

August 2 Sunday Roadhouse presents: Red Molly$20 ADV / $25 DOS • 5pm show

w a i t i n g r o o m l o u n g e . c o m




JAZZ WITH LUIGI, INCMr. Toad’s1002 Harney St9 p.m.

THURSDAY, JULY 16ROCKBROOK VILLAGE ORGANIC FARMERS MARKETRockbrook Village4 – 7 p.m.

SPIELBOUND SOCIAL BOARD GAME NIGHTKaneko1111 Jones St.Omaha, NE 681027 – 9 p.m.

VERBAL GUMBOHouse Of Loom1012 S 10th StOmaha, NE 681087;30 – 11 p.m.

NO SHOES NATION PRE-PARTYPinnacle Bank Arena400 Pinnacle Arena Dr, Lincoln, NE 685082 – 8 p.m.

EDIBLE OMAHA LAUNCHJoslyn Art Museum2200 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE5:30 p.m.

JULES AND JOE BANDOzone Lounge7220 F St6:30 – 9:30 p.m.

BEN FOLDSSokol Auditorium2234 S. 13th St. Omaha, NE 681027 p.m.

FUNNY BONE OMAHA’S CLASH OF THE COMICSFunny Bone17305 Davenport7:30 p.m.

JAZZ ON THE GREEN: PLENA LIBREMidtown Crossing at Turner Park7;30 p.m.

ED ARCHIBALD & FRIENDSThe Omaha Lounge1505 Farnam Street

7:30 – 10:30 p.m.


NO COVER COMEDY: THROWBACK THURSDAY WITH DAN VAUGHNThe Hideout Lounge320 S. 72nd St8 p.m.


KENNY CHESNEYPinnacle Bank Arena400 Pinnacle Arena Dr, Lincoln, NE 685088 p.m.

HONEYHONEYReverb Lounge6121 Military Ave8 p.m.

FREDDIE GIBBSThe Slowdown729 N. 14th St., Omaha9 p.m.

LISSIEThe Waiting Room6212 Maple St. Omaha, NE9 p.m.

FRIDAY, JULY 17GRETNA DAYSGretnaAll Day


RIVERFESTHaworth Park2502 Payne Drive, Bellevue5 p.m. – 1 a.m.

SOUNDS OF SUMMER CONCERT SERIES - THE INNOCENCENebraska Medicine-Bellevue Amphitheatre, Shadow Lake Towne Center72nd Street and Highway 370, Papillion6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

MUSIC AND MOVIES IN THE PARK - SLEEPING BEAUTY


Bayliss ParkPearl Street and Willow Street, Council Bluffs6:30 – 11 p.m.

SLATTERY VINTAGE ESTATES SUMMER CONCERT SERIES - SARAH PEACOCKSlattery Vintage Estates8925 Adams St., Nehawka, Nebraska7-10 p.m.

COX MUSIC AND MOVIES: THE LEGO MOVIE (PG) AND CLARK & CO.Holland Center Courtyard12th & Douglas Streets7 p.m.

ROCKBROOK FRIDAY NIGHT CONCERT SERIES - LUIGI, INCRockbrook Village108th Street and West Center Road7-8 p.m.

CHARLIE MURPHYFunny Bone17305 Davenport7:30 p.m & 9:45 p.m

LATE NITE CATECHISMOmaha Community Playhouse,6915 Cass St. Omaha, NE 681067:30 -10:30 p.m.

JAZZ ON THE GREEN - NAVY NIGHTTurner Park at Midtown Crossing7:30 p.m.


OK PARTY COMEDY PRESENTS DOG & PONY SHOWThe Hideout Lounge320 S. 72nd St8 p.m.


THE BRITSFirewater Grille7007 Grover St, 8 p.m.

ADLEY STUMP (THE VOICE) PARTYOzone Lounge7220 F St9 p.m. – 2 a.m.

MELT BANANA + TORCHEThe Waiting Room

6212 Maple St. Omaha, NE9 p.m.

THE APPLESEED CASTReverb Lounge6121 Military Ave9 p.m.

GRECO, TREY GEE, PACC D, FAMILY MAN, PUNNThe Hideout Lounge320 S. 72nd St10 p.m.

SATURDAY, JULY 18GRETNA DAYSGretnaAll Day

BREW AT THE ZOOHenry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium3701 S 10th StOmaha, NE 681077 p.m. – 10 p.m.

RIVERFESTHaworth Park2502 Payne Drive, Bellevue7 a.m. – 1 a.m.

THE COLOR RUNCentury Link Center455 North 10th ST, Omaha, NE 681028 a.m.

NEBRASKA BUCK N BIRD CLASSICRalston Arena7300 Q Street, Ralston (West of 72nd & Q)9 a.m. – 7 p.m.

PLAYING WITH FIRETurner Park at Midtown Crossing5 p.m.

VIBES AT VILLAGE POINTE - SOUL DAWGCHI Health Amphitheatre, Village Pointe Shopping Center168th Street and West Dodge Road6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

CHARLIE MURPHYFunny Bone17305 Davenport7 p.m & 9:30 p.m.

SATURDAYS @ STINSON CONCERTHI-FI HANGOVERStinson Park at Aksarben Village67TH & CENTER • OMAHA, NEBRASKA7-10 p.m.

SLATTERY VINTAGE ESTATES SUMMER


CONCERT SERIES - SANDY CREEK PICKERSSlattery Vintage Estates8925 Adams St., Nehawka, Nebraska7-10 p.m.

LATE NITE CATECHISMOmaha Community Playhouse,6915 Cass St. Omaha, NE 681067:30 -10:30 p.m.

EDEM KEGEY & LEWADE “BIGWADE” MILLINERThe Omaha Lounge1505 Farnam Street7:30 -10:30 p.m.

SAY ANYTHINGThe Waiting Room6212 Maple St. Omaha, NE7:30 p.m.

THE ROOTSStir Concert Cover-Harrah’s Council BluffsOne Harrah’s Blvd, Council Bluffs, IA 515018 p.m.


DIE TO EXIST, ONE COLD JULY, YOUR LAST CHANCE, GHOSTS OF RUINThe Hideout Lounge320 S. 72nd St8 p.m.

RATHER UNSIGHTLY GENTLEMENReverb Lounge6121 Military Ave9 p.m.

BOZAK & MORRISSEYOzone Lounge7220 F St9:30 p.m. – 1 a.m.

SUNDAY, JULY 19GRETNA DAYSGretnaAll Day


NEBRASKA BUCK N BIRD CLASSICRalston Arena7300 Q Street, Ralston (West of 72nd & Q)10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

89.7 THE RIVER PRESENTS RIVER RIOT

Westfair22984 Highway 6, Council Bluffs12 p.m.


LATE NITE CATECHISMOmaha Community Playhouse,6915 Cass St. Omaha, NE 681062 – 4 p.m.

KINGSHIFTER, TENDEAD, EXIT SANITYThe Hideout Lounge320 S. 72nd St, 6 p.m.

CHARLIE MURPHYFunny Bone17305 Davenport, 7 p.m.


THE ARISTOCRATSThe Slowdown729 N. 14th St., Omaha, 8 p.m.


SHOOT YOUR MOUTH OFF WITH JIM MORRISON & BEN JOHNSON FEATURING CALLING CODYThe Hideout Lounge320 S. 72nd St10 p.m.

THURSDAY, JULY 23WESTFAIR COUNTRY FAIRWestfair22984 Highway 6Council BluffsAll Day


HULLABALOO MUSIC & CAMPING FESTIVALSokol ParkBellevue, NE12 p.m.

2015 FIVB WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL WORLD GRAND PRIX FINALSCentury Link Center


455 North 10th ST, Omaha, NE 681023 p.m.

NEEDTOBREATHE PRESENTS TOUR DE COMPADRESSumtur Amphitheater11691 S 108th St, Papillion, NE 680466:30 p.m.

KNUCKLEHEADOzone Lounge7220 F St6:30 – 9:30 p.m.

RAW: GLIMPSESokol Auditorium2234 S. 13th St. Omaha, NE 681027 p.m.

JIM FLORENTINEFunny Bone17305 Davenport7:30 p.m.

JAZZ ON THE GREEN: THE SIDE GUYSMidtown Crossing at Turner Park7:30 p.m.


COLISEUM, VALKYRIE, POST VERSE, MONTEE MENThe Hideout Lounge320 S. 72nd St8 p.m.

TV GIRLThe Slowdown729 N. 14th St., Omaha8 p.m.

LYDIA LOVELESSReverb Lounge6121 Military Ave9 p.m.

FRIDAY, JULY 24WESTFAIR COUNTRY FAIRWestfair22984 Highway 6Council BluffsAll Day

RHYTHM COLLECTIVE REGGAEBeer and Loating in Dundee9 p.m.

HULLABALOO MUSIC & CAMPING FESTIVAL

Sokol ParkBellevue, NE12 p.m.

2015 FIVB WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL WORLD GRAND PRIX FINALSCentury Link Center455 North 10th ST, Omaha, NE 681023 p.m.

BRIDGE BEATS - PRAIRIE GATORS BAND AND THE PINK FLAMINGOSBob Kerrey Bridge Plaza705 Riverfront Drive6-9:30 p.m.

SOUNDS OF SUMMER CONCERT SERIES - HI-FI HANGOVERNebraska Medicine-Bellevue Amphitheatre, Shadow Lake Towne Center72nd Street and Highway 370, Papillion6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

MUSIC AND MOVIES IN THE PARK - THE SANDLOTBayliss ParkPearl Street and Willow Street, Council Bluffs6:30 – 11 p.m.

STARLIGHT MOVIE THE JUNGLE BOOKSumtur Amphitheater11691 S 108th St, Papillion, NE 680467 p.m.

COX MUSIC AND MOVIES: THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (PG-13) AND BLUE HOUSEHolland Center Courtyard12th & Douglas Streets7 p.m.

ROCKBROOK FRIDAY NIGHT CONCERT SERIES - SOLIDERS OF SOULRockbrook Village108th Street and West Center Road7-8 p.m.

STORM CHASERS VS. COLORADO SPRINGS WITH FRANCESCA BATESTELLI CONCERTWerner Park12356 Ballpark Way, Papillion, NE 680467:05 p.m.

JAZZ ON THE GREEN - CONJUNTO CHAPPOTTIN Y SUS ESTRELLASTurner Park at Midtown Crossing7:30 p.m.

JIM FLORENTINEFunny Bone17305 Davenport7:30 p.m. & 9:45 p.m.

CAROL ROGERSThe Omaha Lounge




1505 Farnam Street7:30 – 10:30 p.m.

RIPTIDE REFUGEESFirewater Grille7007 Grover St8 p.m.

VENACULASThe Waiting Room6212 Maple St. Omaha, NE8 p.m.

FRNKIERO AND THE CELLABRATIONThe Slowdown729 N. 14th St., Omaha9 p.m.

ELENI MANDELLReverb Lounge6121 Military Ave9 p.m.

KARAOKE AT THE CALI BARThe California Bar510 N 33rd St9 p.m.

ON THE FRITZOzone Lounge7220 F St9:30 p.m. – 1 a.m.

SATURDAY, JULY 25WESTFAIR COUNTRY FAIRWestfair22984 Highway 6Council BluffsAll Day

COUNTRY KINDNESS DAYGifford Farm Education Center700 Camp Gifford RoadBellevue, NE 6800510 a.m. to 2 p.m.

WILD, WILD WEST DAYThe Durham Museum801 S. 10th St.Omaha, NE 6810810 a.m. to 3 p.m.

MR. STEVE VISITS OMAHAJoslyn Art Museum2200 Dodge StOmaha, NE 6810210: 30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

ASTRONAUT CLAYTON ANDERSON PRESENTATION & BOOK SIGNINGStrategic Air and Space Museum28210 West Park Highway, Ashland

Omaha, Ne 680032 – 4 p.m.

HULLABALOO MUSIC & CAMPING FESTIVALSokol ParkBellevue, NE12 p.m.


PLAYING WITH FIRETurner Park at Midtown Crossing, 5 p.m.

STORM CHASERS VS. COLORADO SPRINGS WITH HINDER CONCERTWerner Park12356 Ballpark Way, Papillion, NE 680466:05 p.m.

VIBES AT VILLAGE POINTE - THE JIGGAWATTS*CHI Health Amphitheatre, Village Pointe Shopping Center168th Street and West Dodge Road6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

VICTORY FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP 46Ralston Arena7300 Q Street, Ralston (West of 72nd & Q)6:30 – 11:30 p.m.

JIM FLORENTINEFunny Bone17305 Davenport7 p.m & 9:30 p.m.

SATURDAYS @ STINSON CONCERT – RECAPTURED – A TRIBUTE TO JOURNEYStinson Park at Aksarben Village67TH & CENTER • OMAHA, NEBRASKA7-10 p.m.

SLATTERY VINTAGE ESTATES SUMMER CONCERT SERIES - VINYL SPIRITSlattery Vintage Estates8925 Adams St., Nehawka, Nebraska7-10 p.m.


RECKONING: OMAHA’S MONTHLY SATURDAY DRAG KING EVENT! SEBASTIAN SAVAGE, TBA PERFORMERSThe Hideout Lounge320 S. 72nd St, 9 p.m.

DICK DALEThe Waiting Room


6212 Maple St. Omaha, NE9 p.m.

SNOW THA PRODUCTThe Slowdown729 N. 14th St., Omaha9 p.m.

OUTLAW ROADOzone Lounge7220 F St9:30 p.m. – 1 a.m.

SUNDAY, JULY 26WESTFAIR COUNTRY FAIRWestfair22984 Highway 6Council BluffsAll Day



STORM CHASERS VS. COLORADO SPRINGS WITH KIDZ BOP CONCERT AND US BANK FAMILY FUNDAYWerner Park12356 Ballpark Way, Papillion, NE 680462:05 p.m.


SUNDAY MATINEE: VOICE OF ADDICTION, INSUBORDINATION, DSM-5, NO COMPLYThe Hideout Lounge320 S. 72nd St5 p.m.

PAPILLION AREA CONCERT BANDSumtur Amphitheater11691 S 108th St, Papillion, NE 680465 p.m.

JIM FLORENTINEFunny Bone17305 Davenport7 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.

STEPHEN HAWTHORNE & RICKY WILLIAMSThe Omaha Lounge1505 Farnam Street

7:30 – 10:30 p.m.

THE TING TINGSThe Waiting Room6212 Maple St. Omaha, NE8 p.m.

AWOLNATIONSokol Auditorium2234 S. 13th St. Omaha, NE 681028 p.m.


SHOOT YOUR MOUTH OFF WITH JIM MORRISON & BEN JOHNSON FEATURING HIP HOP SHOWCASEThe Hideout Lounge320 S. 72nd St10 p.m.

THURSDAY, JULY 30SARPY COUNTY FAIRSarpy County Fair GroundsSpringfield, NEAll Day

LANCASTER COUNTY SUPERFAIRLancaster Event CenterLincoln, NEAll Day


TOUR DE ZOOHenry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium3701 S 10th StOmaha, NE 681077:30 – 8:30 p.m.

SPIELBOUND PRESENTS STRATEGY BOARD GAME NIGHTKANEKO1111 Jones St.Omaha, NE 681027 – 9 p.m.

STATE GAMES OF AMERICA 2015Ralston Arena7300 Q Street, Ralston (West of 72nd & Q)5:30 – 10:30 p.m

FAR AND WIDEOzone Lounge7220 F St6:30 – 9:30 p.m


IAN BAGGFunny Bone17305 Davenport7:30 p.m.


JAZZ ON THE GREEN: NEBRASKA JAZZ ORCHESTRAMidtown Crossing at Turner Park7;30 p.m.

P-TRO, NIKKO MCFADDEN, CORY SPACELY, J SHAH, DONTE ANTHONY, TRE FLOYD, NORTHSIDE QUIL, BANK ROLLThe Hideout Lounge320 S. 72nd St10 p.m.

FRIDAY, JULY 31SARPY COUNTY FAIRSarpy County Fair GroundsSpringfield, NEAll Day



SOUNDS OF SUMMER CONCERT SERIES - LEMON FRESH DAYNebraska Medicine-Bellevue Amphitheatre, Shadow Lake Towne Center72nd Street and Highway 370, Papillion6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

MUSIC AND MOVIES IN THE PARK - TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLESBayliss ParkPearl Street and Willow Street, Council Bluffs6:30 – 11 p.m.

ROCKBROOK FRIDAY NIGHT CONCERT SERIES - DANNY MATTRAN BANDRockbrook Village108th Street and West Center Road7-8 p.m.

IAN BAGGFunny Bone17305 Davenport7:30 p.m. & 9:45 p.m.

JAZZ ON THE GREEN - BIG SAM’S FUNKY

NATIONTurner Park at Midtown Crossing7:30 p.m.


CONNOR DOWLINGFirewater Grille7007 Grover St8 p.m.

VENACULASThe Waiting Room6212 Maple St. Omaha, NE8 p.m.

HOZIERStir Concert Cover-Harrah’s Council BluffsOne Harrah’s Blvd, Council Bluffs, IA 515018 p.m.

OMAHA SEXY NERD SOCIETY PRESENTS GAME CENTRAL STATION! (TEAM LEO GAMER/COSPLAY BIRTHDAY BASH)The Hideout Lounge320 S. 72nd St9 p.m.

TAXI DRIVEROzone Lounge7220 F St9:30 p.m. – 1 a.m.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 1SARPY COUNTY FAIRSarpy County Fair GroundsSpringfield, NEAll Day


BACK TO SCHOOL BASHHenry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium3701 S 10th StOmaha, NE 681079 a.m. to 5 p.m.

FAMILY FUN CARNIVALStrategic Air and Space Museum28210 West Park HighwayAshland, NE 6800310 a.m. to 2 p.m.

HEALTHY KIDS CARNIVALBoys Town Medical Campus14080 Boys Town Hospital Road


Boys Town, NE 6801011 a.m. to 2 p.m.

GRASSROOTS MUSIC FESTIVALRiver’s Edge Park

LIVING HISTORY AT FORT ATKINSONFort Atkinson State Historical Park201 S. Seventh St., Fort Calhoun, Nebraska9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

OMAHA CRUSHStinson Park at Aksarben Village67TH & CENTER • OMAHA, NEBRASKA1-5 p.m.

BEER AND BACON FESTIVALThe Old Mattress Factory501 N 13th St, Omaha, NE3-7 p.m.

STATE GAMES OF AMERICA 2015Ralston Arena7300 Q Street, Ralston (West of 72nd & Q)5:30 – 10:30 p.m.

VIBES AT VILLAGE POINTE - MCKENZIE RIVER BANDCHI Health Amphitheatre, Village Pointe Shopping Center168th Street and West Dodge Road6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

SLATTERY VINTAGE ESTATES SUMMER CONCERT SERIES - GRAND MARQUIS AND CAJUNFEST!Slattery Vintage Estates8925 Adams St., Nehawka, Nebraska7-10 p.m.

IAN BAGGFunny Bone17305 Davenport7 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.

STORM CHASERS VS. NASHVILLEWerner Park12356 Ballpark Way, Papillion, NE 680467:05 p.m.


ALABAMA SHAKESStir Concert Cover-Harrah’s Council BluffsOne Harrah’s Blvd, Council Bluffs, IA 515018 p.m.

TWOCYPHAThe Slowdown729 N. 14th St., Omaha9 p.m.

ROUGH CUTOzone Lounge7220 F St9:30 p.m. – 1 a.m.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2SARPY COUNTY FAIRSarpy County Fair GroundsSpringfield, NEAll Day


GRASSROOTS MUSIC FESTIVALRiver’s Edge Park

LIVING HISTORY AT FORT ATKINSONFort Atkinson State Historical Park201 S. Seventh St., Fort Calhoun, Nebraska9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

OMAHA FARMERS MARKET Stinson Park at Aksarben Village67TH & CENTER • OMAHA, NEBRASKA9 a.m. – 1 p.m.


STORM CHASERS VS. NASHVILLE WITH US BANK FAMILY FUNDAYWerner Park12356 Ballpark Way, Papillion, NE 680465:05 p.m.

IAN BAGGFunny Bone17305 Davenport, 7 p.m.

JOHN MELLENCAMPOrpheum Theatre409 S. 16th St. Omaha, NE 681027:30 p.m.


PLATTSMOUTH COMMUNITY BANDSumtur Amphitheater11691 S 108th St, Papillion, NE 680467:30 p.m.

JAZZ WITH LUIGI, INCMr. Toad’s1002 Harney St, 9 p.m.


SUMMERConcert SeriesPAGE TURNERS LOUNGE5004 DODGE STREET

The Sun-Less Trio

Sean Pratt + David Kenneth Nance

Super Ghost + Tie These Hands

Kill Country

The Burkum Boys

The Sunks + Mark Johnson

pageturnerslounge




THE WORLD OF MAC MILLER Pittsburgh Rapper Still on Top

By Kyle Eustice

Talking to Pittsburgh native Mac Miller is just what you’d expect. He’s a smart ass, laughs a lot and appears not to take his career too seriously, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Mac Miller (real name Malcolm James McCormick) is self-made and essentially a workaholic. He knew from an early age he wanted to make music for a living and he made it happen. As a child, there was never any doubt Miller was musically gifted.

At the age of 6, he taught himself how to play piano, drums, bass, and guitar. His older brother was getting into hip-hop in the mid-’90s and soon little Mac was pilfering his albums.

“The Beastie Boys were like my first people,” Miller says. “I guess for a lot of white kids, maybe their first rappers are Eminem or other white rappers, but the first rap album I got was Outkast’s Aquemini. I stole it off my brother. My brother did go through this one phase where he was a huge Ja Rule and DMX fan. He used to have this sleeveless Ja Rule shirt. It was pretty awesome.”

Throughout the conversation, he says the word “white” like it’s a four-letter word. Whether it’s a subconscious inse-curity or simply something he’s used to dealing with in the press, he’s quick to point out that his race really never entered

his mind when trying to pursue a rap career. While everyone else saw color, he did his best to ignore it.

“When I was 15, I realized the fact that there were not a lot of white rappers out there, but I tried not to think about it as much as possible because everybody else was thinking about it,” he says. “To me, I just really enjoyed writing and I enjoyed rapping. I fell in love with writing verses. I had this dresser in my basement, and it was filled with so many verses, it was ridiculous. My first raps were big-word-only raps like, ‘the article barnacle anticartigal [sic] phenomenal geronimo [laughs].

“I wasn’t really set up to go to college,” he continues. “My goal was to make rapping a profession for real so I could make money and survive. By the time I was seventeen, I started to get a little buzz, so I barely went to school. My teachers were pretty cool though. They didn’t trip on me too much. At my school, you could basically choose if you want-ed to learn or not. Senior year,

“I had an apartment right across the street from school. I would go to class sometimes, sometimes not. I barely fin-ished at the end. I was pretty intelligent, so I was okay just getting by with the bare minimum.”

In 2010, Miller finally got a record deal with Rostrum Records. It was a dream come true for the young artist and soon he was in the fast lane; recording albums, doing press and touring.

“Obviously, the one thing you hear about the music

MUSIC FEATURE


industry is that it’s slimy and don’t trust anyone, yadda yadda yadda, but being from Pittsburgh, Rostrum was like the gate-keeper,” he says. “They had the connects. When we started get-ting offers from people, I used to bring it to them.

“They would say, ‘I don’t think it’s tight, or I don’t think it’s a good one,’” he continues. “I didn’t feel comfortable working with people I didn’t know. I had known them for three years before we even worked together. When I was about to put out K.I.D.S., Benjy [Grinberg, founder of Rostrum] heard it and they wanted to sign me.”

Once he had a solid label backing him, he became un-stoppable. With his second full-length album, 2013’sWatching Movies With the Sound Off, in the works, they started on pro-motion early. All of his mixtapes were promotion for the album.

He had singles that weren’t even on the album that were sell-ing thousands of copies. He had many naysayers saying, “Oh, Mac Miller is just some Internet White kid. He has YouTube views, but he can’t sell albums.” But he blew them out of the water and ended up with a independent number one album. He credits his “boy-next-door” quality to his success.

“A lot of kids liked me because I was the underdog,” he says. “I wasn’t rapping about being rich. I was just like one of you guys that liked to make music. So I think they kind of just supported me because it was direct from me to the fan, so they went out and bought like nine or ten albums. They knew that I needed it. I didn’t have big business. I didn’t have the funding.”

However, Mac Miller’s road to glory wasn’t paved with

gold, at least not entirely. He had a few moments where he got out of control and

his close circle of friends were worried about him—and rightfully so. Miller was dabbling in drugs and gaining a lot of weight. He says he was just experimenting, but from the outside it seemed he was walking the tight rope of addiction and harmless “fun.”

“When you’re young and you have a bunch of shit going on, it’s nice to take a vacation,” he says. “That was just my version of a nice vacation. I was zombified and not worried about anybody else. It was kind of nice, but it grew to the point where my friends didn’t know what to say to me anymore.

“I would just be locked away in my studio. I was gaining a lot of weight. I could just feel that I was very unhealthy. At a certain point, I got sick of the closest people in my life thinking I’m a piece of shit. Everyone thought I was super addicted to it. So I just stopped. It wasn’t like this huge bat-tle.

“No one thought I would beat it. One day, two of my friends from Pittsburgh came over. I was in L.A. They were just looking at me, disgusted. They came for a week to work, and they obviously didn’t want to work with me while I was all on drugs. So I didn’t do any drugs when they were here, and I just started feeling better. So I just decided to put it down.”

Like a rubberband, Miller bounced back and continued on his rap mission. He started eating healthier and working out three times a week. While he’s no longer signed to Ros-trum, he’s more in control of his career than ever.

He dropped 2014’s Faces on his own imprint, REMem-ber Records. At a mere 22-years-old, he’s a multimillionaire, which is something he also has to learn how to control. He recently made Forbes’ list of Hip-Hop Cash Kings for the third year in a row, tying for 20th place with Lil’ Jon, Rick Ross, J. Cole, and DJ Khaled.

“Having money allows me to have a house where I have fun making music all day,” he says. “The Forbes thing—I mean, it’s dope, but every now and then, I like to be abstract, conceptual, and spiritual. It’s the complexities of dualities. Sometimes you want to be like, ‘Yeah, bitch, what’s up?’

“It feels good every now and then,” he continues. “Back then, when I sought after that type of success, it was my way to tell everyone who saw me as this little White kid that was never going to make it as a rapper, well, I’m on that Forbes list. I thought that would make me feel super good to put it in everyone’s face and put in my own face.

“It really shows who somebody is by how they act when they get a lot of money. If you ask anyone around, I hope they would say I don’t carry that attitude. Someone said I had that rich-person glow. [laughs] Personally, I like to carry myself as the brokest rich dude you’ve ever known.”

Mac Miller will perform at the Grassroots Festival, July 31, at Rivers Edge Park, Council Bluffs, 1 p.m. Tickets start at $49.50. Visit www.grassrootsmusicfest.com for more infor-mation.


THE GOOD LIFE CONTINUES Kris Lager Band

By Katelyn Sonderman

As I was catching up with Kris, it’s amazing to see how far they’ve come in such a short amount time. I met the guys three years ago. I was still living in Sioux City, and my performance with them at Saturday in the Park was my first major hoop performance on a big stage. I was a nervous wreck and glad to have these laid-back guys to reassure me before the set. They were starting to really take off around that time, and were going a few long tours that summer.

I’ve performed with the band many a time since then, and they get bigger and better every time I see them. They’ve toured Japan, as well as all over the country, and released some killer tunes. The tours keep getting longer, and the fan base keeps getting bigger, but the guys still maintain their humble, laid back attitude, no matter how famous they get, and they’re about to blow up on the scene.

They recently signed a new manager, who has big plans for the band. They’ll be in the studio soon re-cording a new album, and in the meantime, they re-corded three new songs in San Francisco. “Ain’t Got No Worries,” which they started performing last year, is a great anthem song for a band as laid back as these

guys. A video was released for it this week, featuring footage from the past couple years on the road, as well as some adorable family footage from the band’s life. You can expect one of the other songs to release next week, so keep checking on the band’s site to be one of the first to catch their funky new jam.

A new manager isn’t the only change to the band. They recently added a saxophone player out of Kansas City, and as Brandon moved to the realm of promoting instead of performing, they’ve added Tom Murnan, the bass player of Funk Trek, and they’re excited at how the additions have evolved their sound.

It’s a busy month for KLB, after returning from a recent show, they’re taking it easy for a few weeks. They have the album release of Funk Trek and then their next gig is Hullaballoo, a favorite of the boy’s to play at. “It’s always a blast. We love seeing all our friends from the road and from home. It’s a great time where everyone we love playing with is together.” Then after Hullabaloo, it’s on to Grassroots, where they’re honored to be “on the bill with a bunch of old school rockers.” Then it’s back on the road, touring through the mountains with their family. “Celebrate Life” is the mantra of the band, and they certainly live up to that expectation.

MUSIC FEATURE

Photo courtesy of Liliedahl Imaging


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