A Quick Conversation about Punk Rock Saves Christmas at Maloney's Live This Saturday and Today's Live Music Calendar

This Saturday at Maloney’s Live in Council Bluffs is the second Punk Rock Saves Christmas from the organization Punk Rock Saves Lives and Le Smash. The event will feature area punk bands Scabby Ghouls, The Bricks, The Shidiots, River City Rejects, and DSM-5 and will raise money for the Micha House. Entry is $15 or a comparably priced toy. I talked with Punk Rock Saves Lives volunteer Mike Michael about the event and how he got involved. 

Omaha Buzz: Tell me about the event.

Mike Michael-For a long time, I have been a member of Punk Rock Saves Lives, and we partner and do things around the country. Our main mission is harm reduction, and at music festivals, we hand out Narcan, fentanyl testers, and things like that at every punk festival you can think of. During the off-season, we like to partner and do smaller things with local non-profits where members are located. I was one of those kids growing up who was poor, and sometimes I didn’t have Christmas, and every kid deserves that, so last year I was like, 'We should do something', and our friends over at Maloney’s, we worked out Punk Rock Saves Christmas. It’s a toy drive, and we charge admission at the door or a comparably priced toy. Last year, we raised almost $1400 in cash and toys with just local punk bands and Noisewave.

Omaha Buzz: Do you donate that through a specific organization? 

Mike Michael: The donation goes to Micah House in Council Bluffs, the family shelter here in town. 

Omaha Buzz- Tell me about the bands that are performing and why you are excited about them.

Mike Michael- We have Dummy Head Torpedo, and they perform so seldomly and I am so excited that they are coming up to do it. I have DSM-5 performing, and their bass player, Mike Points, has been around the Omaha punk rock scene forever. The Shidiots are playing, and they are just a blast. They are something else. River City Rejects: I have never actually seen them perform, but we have been friends for a long time. I have never had a chance to catch them. The Bricks—I needed an Oi! Band and they are my favorite OI!-ish band around. Scabby Ghouls are the best-up-and-coming punk rock band in Omaha, and they have their niche and are good at it.

Omaha Buzz: Is it all ages or a 21 and over event? 

Mike Michael- It’s an all-ages show. The last one was 21 and over, but this one is for all ages. We are starting earlier, and with the Christmas thing, there will be a couple Santa Clauses there.

Omaha Buzz- Give me a little bit of your background in the music scene here. What got you involved in this? 

Mike Michael- What got me involved in the music scene in general is that I grew up as a poor outcast, comic book geek, and game-playing nerd in Council Bluffs, and I didn’t have a whole lot of friends. I discovered the punk rock scene when I was 14 or 15, and when I discovered the Cog Factory through Mike Points, it gave me a place of pride. I fit in by not fitting in is how I got into the punk rock thing. The music appealed to me, and it gave me friends that I never had before, like other outcasts. Nerds and punk rock just seem to mesh together. With Punk Rock Saves Live, a couple of years ago, I went through a real rough spot in life, and the founder, Rob Rushing, I knew him kind of through a mutual of mutuals, and he reached out to me and was like, ‘Are you ok’? 'I have been hearing some things about you; do you need help'? He took me out on tour with him for a little while, , we did some Flogging Molly shows. He kind of saved my life, so when they say punk rock saves lives, it really does.Thursday December 7th

Mike Zito with Vertigo at Waiting Room 6PM 

Jim Brickman at Holland Performing Arts Center 

The Wildwoods with Good Morning Bedlam at Reverb Lounge 8PM 

Chris Shelton at Dubliner Pub 9:30PM 

Sounds Fishy at Copacabana at 9PM 

Ninja Phunk at B. Bar 7PM 

Cornhusker Marching Band Highlights Concert at Lied Center 7:30PM 

Artists Anonymous Open Mic at Beach House Bar 9:30

John Lemon Duo at Down Under Lounge 9:30 PM 

Conservatory Players and Suzuki Rep at Omaha Conservatory of Music  6PM