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January 1st-For Townes-Pageturners Lounge-Some of our area’s finest come together to pay tribute to one of the greatest song-writers of all time Townes Van Zandt. Townes passed away on New Years Day of 1997 and the love and appreciation of his work only seems to increase over the years after his passing.
January 5th-Josh Hoyer and Steve Lovett at B. Bar-Every year a couple of area artists are chosen to go to the International Blues Challenge in Memphis. This year's event starts on January 7th on Beale Street. Our area artists this year are Josh Hoyer and Soul Colossal and Steve Lovett. The Blues Society of Omaha is doing a kick-off party at B. Bar on Sunday, January 5th, to raise a little traveling money.
January 7th-In The Pocket-Benson Theater-The host of In The Pocket, Tim Clarke, is turning 60. To celebrate, he is bringing in some musical heavyweights to help him celebrate. Joining Tim Clarke this evening will be saxophonist Mike Phillips, who has toured with Prince, Michael Jackson, and Stevie Wonder. Trumpet player Johnny Britt will also be joining; Britt, among other accolades, is a member of Little Anthony and the Imperials and an honorary member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Also on stage will be actor and musician Lafayette Reed, who was in The Royal Court. Who knows who else will join?
January 9th-Big Head Todd and The Monsters at Slowdown-Celebrate 40 years of Big Head Todd and The Monsters at The Slowdown. The “Bittersweet” band just released a new album called Her Way Out in 2024, and you will hear songs from that plus the classics from the past four decades.
January 9th-Mania-The ABBA Tribute-Rococo Theater-All four members of ABBA are still alive, and so theoretically you could still see them in concert. You could also keep your New Year's resolution. Look, neither of those things are going to happen, and if your resolution was to get out and see more music, you can keep that up a little longer and do so with the biggest and, some would say, best ABBA tribute around, Mania.
January 9th-Them Dirty Roses at Bucks Bar and Grill-Southern rock band Them Dirty Roses play large rooms and theaters and the when they came through town last they were at The Admiral. They are swinging through town and doing a special intimate performance at Bucks Bar and Grill. One of a few special shows happening there this month.
January 10th-Bennie and the Gents at The Waiting Room-It is that time of the year! The 9th Bennie Does Bowie tribute show. David Bowie was born on the 8th of January and left us on the 10th. Ever since his passing, Omaha glam rock tribute band Bennie and The Gents have paid tribute to the genius of Bowie.
January 10th and 11th-Rathskeller Grand Opening—the Bier Haus and eatery has survived the construction of Hospital City and is back under new ownership. Food will happen, beer will be consumed, but most importantly for our interests, music will happen. Angie Kriz and the Polkatoons will perform on January 10th and Wooden Music will be there on the 11th.
January 11th-An Evening of Improvised Music at Project Project-I attended my first of these shows at Project Project finally just a couple weeks back. It’s a very cool and very cozy affair and definitely something you want to be present in every way to absorb. You never know what you are going to hear. Literally.
January 10th and 11th-Wu Man and The Omaha Symphony at Holland Performing Arts Center-We are going to highlight the Omaha Symphony a few times this month, as they have some very fun and interesting things happening in January. First up is Wu Man who has been called the “world’s finest player of the pipa” by the New York Times, and when she did an NPR Tiny Desk concert, Tom Huizenga said, “Wu Man is the Jimi Hendrix of the pipa, the ancient Chinese lute-like instrument. Through blistering runs of plucking and strumming, she brings action-packed scenes of war and tranquil moonlit nights to life with a cinematic array of color and mood.”
January 15th-Tank and The Bangas at Waiting Room-I have seen funk and soul band Tank and the Bangas a handful of times, including in their hometown of New Orleans. The band is a blast live, and their last Waiting Room show was one of my favorites of the year.
January 16th-Zach Top-Steelhouse Omaha-SOLD OUT-Almost as fast as this was announced, this sold out. I was like, “Who is Zach Top?” I mean, I run a record store, listen to dozens of new albums every week, and had never heard of this guy. So I ordered in his album and checked it out and certainly did not expect it to be as real deal country as it is. He comes from a bluegrass background and band and has a sound that is very George Strait and Keith Whitley. It looks to be resonating with people in a big way.
January 17th and 18th-The Music of Tina Turner with Omaha Symphony at Holland Performing Arts Center-Celebrate the music of The Queen of Rock and Roll as the Omaha Symphony and various vocalists go from “Proud Mary” to “What’s Love Got to Do With It” on the Holland Performing Arts Center stage.
January 22nd and 23rd-Whitey Morgan at Bucks Bar and Grill (the show on the 23rd is SOLD OUT)-Another artist who plays big rooms and is doing a special run at Buck’s is popular outlaw country artist Whitey Morgan. Morgan will be doing acoustic sets, and these shows will be ones for area country music lore, I am sure.
January 23rd-Mattie Barbier-Live at the Low End-Bemis Center-From the Bemis Center Website-Mattie Barbier is an LA based musician and sonic researcher focused on experimental intonation, latent acoustic worlds, and the physical processes of their instrument. Their playing has been described by the Los Angeles Times as being "of intense, brilliant, virtuosic growling that gave the striking impression that Barbier was dismantling the instrument while playing it," by the Wire as “exploring the nooks of instrumental tone far beyond the reach of most mortals,” and by the New Yorker as being a "diabolically inventive trombonist-composer."
January 23rd-Funeral Portrait-Bourbon Theater-Emo rock band The Funeral Portrait just released their new album Greetings From Suffocate City in 2024 The album features lots of guests like Spencer Charnas from Ice Nine Kills, Danny Worsnop, Bert McCracken from The Used, and Eva Under Fire. They are a band quickly on the rise.
January 24th-Bad Bad Hats at Reverb Lounge-Minneapolis indie band Bad Bad Hats will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of their debut album, Psychic Reader, this year. The band will also be playing music from their 2024 self-titled album and probably a whole lot more when they hit the stage at Reverb.
January 25th and 26th-The Power Of Film Music with Alexander Payne-Holland Performing Arts Center-So, this is super cool. Academy Award-winning filmmaker and Omaha native, Alexander Payne, will host a couple of nights of music at Holland Performing Arts Center with the Omaha Symphony. He will discuss the importance of music in film and highlight many composers of film scores over the years.
January 25th-Mike Zito at Bushwackers Saloon-Popular touring blues rocker Mike Zito will be at Bushwackers to kick those cold winter blues. Last year he released his latest album Life Is Hard.
January 28th-Pile at Slowdown-Popular indie rock band Pile will be releasing a new album in 2025 to follow up their acclaimed 2023 album All Fiction. You get to see them live and probably hear some of these songs before pretty much everyone else.
January 31st-Hudson Westbrook-The Admiral-Country artist Hudson Westbrook was just named rookie of the month for December by Billboard Magazine. The young man has only been playing for a handful of years and put out his first songs this year. They quickly gained steam, and it looks like they are going to put a rocket ship on him and launch him as the next generation of country music. So, catch him at these venues now.