My Thoughts On Maha, Good Life Festival Announced, Country Music Hall Of Famer, Ethnomusicologist Among Live Performers This Evening

Thursday Night Live Music Lineup

The Maha Festival announced its lineup last night for the event at Heartland of America Park on August 2nd. The lineup features six bands: Pixies, Waxahatchee, Band of Horses, Magdalena Bay, Silversun Pickups, and Little Brazil. The Maha Festival began in 2009 on the Omaha riverfront, which looks nothing like it did back then. In 2011, it moved to Stinson Park at Aksarben Village, where it remained until 2023. Initially a single-day event, it expanded to two days in 2018. The festival did not take place in 2020 due to COVID, and in 2021, it restarted as a one-day festival before going back to two days for 2022 and 2023.

It was announced that Maha would return to the completely redesigned Riverfront in 2024 for a two-day festival with multiple stages, signaling a significant growth for the event. However, it was eventually announced that the festival would not happen at all in 2024. While this was shocking, many established festivals across the country faced similar challenges. We could write for days about how the music, concert, and festival industries have changed in recent years, but the bottom line is that many festivals simply couldn't make it work anymore. Maha stated they would return in 2025, and many, including myself, had serious doubts about that.

For the past three years, another festival happened in our area, Outlandia, was started by some of the original team behind Maha and 1% Productions. They also called it a day after 2024. Now, the original founders of Maha and 1% Productions are back, folding Outlandia into the Maha name.

So, while that sounds complex, the lineup reveals that their solution is quite simple. In the past, single-day Maha festivals featured eleven to thirteen acts, and in its final year, there were twenty-one artists. Those lineups often included emerging artists and local acts, eventually making Maha more youth-oriented and diverse as the years went on and a larger group of people got involved. Outlandia focused on legacy acts from the alternative rock era and currently established indie artists, with a mix of up-and-coming and Americana acts.

With Maha 2025 featuring just six established acts, we know exactly what to expect. Personally, I will miss many of the up-and-coming acts, as they sparked my musical interest and excitement about the festival. However, it makes sense to start this way given the current climate—or at least to try it and see if it works. This likely won’t be a festival where there’s a mostly empty field during the first few hours; I think there will be a solid presence throughout.

Little Brazil is one of the longest-running indie rock bands in the area and a favorite among local music fans. They don’t perform often, so showing up early to see them makes sense. Magdalena Bay, a synth-pop duo with two albums out, is currently experiencing significant growth in their fan base, which will likely continue throughout the year. I saw them last year at Waiting Room to a packed house of young fans. They are a very visual band, taking inspiration from Peter Gabriel in regards to their visuals. Their album Imaginal Disk made many best-of lists last year, and they should attracts a large young crowd.

Silversun Pickups and Band of Horses are established artists with solid fan bases among listeners in their third and fourth decades of life and beyond. Waxahatchee, led by Katie Crutchfield, is one of the most critically acclaimed artists in recent years, with her 2024 album Tigers Blood considered by many to be the best album of the year. This is a major draw for me and many others, as we’ve wanted Waxahatchee back in Omaha for a long time. She last performed here in 2015, and much of her best music has been made since that performance. Her music appeals to both aging fans and younger listeners alike. The same goes for Pixies. The legendary college rock band is one of those acts that most people enjoy. I know the younger staff at the record store I work at love them, and they’ve been the soundtrack for many older fans throughout their lives. They’re a solid choice to headline the festival. I’ve actually never seen Pixies live, so I’m excited; I’ve seen Frank Black many times, but never the full band.

We’ll see how this all works out. If Maha is successful this year, it will be interesting to see if they stick to this format or start to expand again and try new things. The response to the lineup seems positive, with many from my age group and slightly younger declaring it the best lineup ever, mainly because they recognize many of the names. Of course, some would like to see more genres represented, and my personal taste leans that way as well. However, I understand the strategy behind this approach, especially considering the challenges faced by festivals that were doing things differently. There are other festivals in the area that have not yet announced their plans or lineup. Those festivals also tended to feature more up-and-coming acts.

Overall, this is a solid reboot that I believe will draw a lot of people to the Riverfront. Tickets go on sale tomorrow.

Good Life Festival, which is an event centered around the Good Life Podcast and Good Life Records will happen Friday July 18th and Saturday July 19th at Slowdown. The festival is focused on artist who are singed to the newly formed Good Life Records label, many of whom are from this area. The Impulsive, Arcade Riot, Second Place, Dream Aura, VIRGIN MARY PISTOL GRIP, and Kevin McClure will perform on Friday and Evandale, MCHNZ, Public Figure, Alyeska, Etched in Embers , Feel Good, and Names Without Numbers will perform on Saturday.

It is time to party with Marty once again. Country Music Hall Of Fame member and multiple Grammy Award winner Marty Stuart will bring that hillbilly rock to the Waiting Room tonight. He has a new album in the works called Songs I Sing In The Dark. No release date, but maybe he will give us a hint tonight.

Tonight at Live at the Low End at Bemis Center is guitarist, composer, ethnomusicologist, and instrument builder Paolo Angeli. He is associated with traditional Sardinian music. He has collaborated with Pat Metheny (he uses Angeli's guitar in Orchestrion), Fred Frith, Hamid Drake, Iva Bittova, Butch Morris, Ned Rothemberg, Jon Rose, Antonello Salis, Evan Parker, Takumi Fukushima, Louis Sclavis, Paolo Fresu, etc. Link HERE for the rest of his BIO.

This evening is the monthly singer-songwriter showcase at North Omaha Music and Arts. Tonight is the post remodeling opening. I am not really sure what they were doing over there, as the place is already super nice, so I will be curious. The lineup tonight is another who’s who with Andrew Bailie, Alexis Arai, Dani Cleveland and Andre Vander Velde

Blues Music Award winner and electric blues saxophonist Jimmy Carpenter is ]at Philly Bar and Grill this evening. Carpenter has a long musical history, including performances in Mike Zito’s band and recordings with artists like Maria Muldaur, Jimmy Thackery, Eric Lindell, and more.

Here are the other happenings tonight

Thursday March 20th

Marty Stuart at The Waiting Room 8PM (Omaha)

Paolo Angeli at Live at the Low End at Bemis Center 8PM (Omaha) FREE

Andrew Bailie, Alexis Arai, Dani Cleveland and Andre Vander Velde at North Omaha Music and Arts 7PM (Omaha)

Jimmy Carpenter at Philly Sports Bar and Grill 5:30PM (La Vista)

John Till at Brokedown Palace 8PM (Omaha)

David Graham and the Eskimo Brothers at The Zoo Bar 6PM (Lincoln)

M?stic & Swampz at Reverb Lounge 9PM (Omaha)
Chris Shelton at Dubliner Pub 9PM (Omaha)

Sqwerv at Bodegas Alley with Beyond Bananas 8PM (Lincoln)

Ed Love Band at Pla More Ballroom 6:30PM (Lincoln)

Open Mic Night at Hub Cafe 5PM (Lincoln)

Pop Girlie Tribute Show at Screamers Family Restaurant 7PM (Lincoln)

Rum Runner at Vino Mas 6:30PM (Omaha)

Lemon Fresh Day at Copacabana 9PM (Omaha)

Artists Anonymous Open Mic at Beach House Bar 9:30PM (Omaha)

Jazz Night at The Tavern (Omaha)

Jenkins-Kilgore Quintet at Dundee Dell 7PM (Omaha)

Joe McCarthy at Habitat Restaurant & Bar 6PM (Omaha)

Jake Bellows at Pageturners Lounge 8PM (Omaha)

Drew Phillips Band at Tanks Country 8:30PM (Lincoln)