October 1st-Jungle at The Astro-There are going to be a few artists on the October list that you will see me say-’I didn’t think I would see them in Omaha’. October is a good month for those acts. We start off with UK funk and disco band Jungle. On album this group is one of the most fun that has come out in the past decade. Their new album Volcano is an absolute blast. They just won a Brit Award for Best British Band also. Gonna be next to impossible to not dance at this one.
October 2nd-Tommy Castro-The Zoo Bar Longtime California blues rocker and blues Entertainer of the Year (2008) Tommy Castro & The Painkillers will make a trek to Lincoln to perform at The Zoo Bar.
October 3rd-Chappell Roan-Westfair Amphitheater-I have worked in music retail for well over thirty years and have seen a lot of people skyrocket, but it has been a long time since I have seen one like Chappell Roan. Kind of odd, but super cool that we are getting one of the non-festival one off shows and at Westfair. This is basically sold out of course, but you can find tickets for a price. Just be very careful buying on the secondary market.
October 3rd-Arushi Jain-Live at The Low End-Bemis Center--From their site-Arushi Jain is a modular synthesist, singer, producer, radio host, and engineer with an unorthodox vision of a centuries-old tradition—one that’s electronic and resolutely DIY. Her compositions are inspired by Hindustani classical ragas, explored in an aesthetic that is contemporary and current. Her music is a unique reinterpretation of her two contrasting worlds colliding.
October 4th-Brigitte Calls Me Baby-Reverb Lounge-probably the hottest up and coming band right now. Do not sleep on this, see them when. Sometimes they sound like Morrissey, sometimes they sound like Roy Orbison. The songs are infectious and we have played this album dozens and dozens of times this year at the record store. Do not miss this.
October 5th-Creeper-Barnato-Start Halloween month off properly with UK horror rock band Creeper! The band has only been around a decade, but has achieved quite a bit since then including performing at the Reading and Leeds festivals and getting kudos in lots of rags including Alternative Press and Kerrang!
October 5th-Fontaines D.C. at Slowdown-I did expect Irish post punk band Fontaines D.C. to come to Omaha at some point in their career, just not at the moment they were becoming one of the biggest bands in the world. A lot of us have been fans since day one, but with their new album Romance, the rest of everyone are getting on board. I have no idea how this show is not sold out yet, but it will be. Do not wait.
October 5th-Nice Enough Five Year Anniversary Show-Waiting Room Lounge-area promoters Nice Enough celebrate five years with The Scabby Ghouls, Taebo Tha Truth, VenonStayDrippin, C10, Jay Influential, Forest, Justin Pickett, B Positive, Soda Spill, Dakotah Faye and Sean Anonymous all on stage that night.
October 8th-Still Woozy-Steelhouse Omaha - is Still Woozy too big to call a bedroom pop artist? Oh well, we are going with that. Do not sleep on Gus Dapperton who is opening this show.
October 9th and 10th-Steve Aoki-The Royal Grove-Aoki is one of the biggest DJ’s in the world. He sold out the Thursday show and they added a Wednesday date He has been an important part of EDM for almost thirty years. Big get for The Royal Grove.
October 10th-Ludacris at Liberty First Credit Union Arena-Rapper, actor and pilot Ludacris is coming to Liberty First Credit Union Arena on October 10th with early 2000’s rappers Ying Yang Twins.
October 10th-Morgan Wade at The Admiral-One of my most played albums of 2021 (and 2022) was Morgan Wade’s debut Reckless. It is a flawless album. Last years follow up was Psychopath, and I didn’t really get too deep into that one, but then she surprised us with another album earlier this year called Obssessed and I am once again spinning her non-stop. I am looking forward to this one, I had been planning on traveling to see her live.
October 10th-MJ Lenderman-Waiting Room Lounge MJ has put out a few albums, including the critically acclaimed Boat Songs album in 2022. He is also the guitarist for the band Wednesday, which has also come to critical acclaim. Wednesday just performed a really fun show earlier this year at Slowdown, with Lenderman being a standout on that stage. Lenderman will have a new album out called Manning Fireworks in September. You will have just enough time to learn all of the songs before his show at the Waiting Room Lounge. Also on the lineup are Ryan Davis and the Roadhouse Band. Ryan is from the band State Champions.
October 10th-Mike Tramp’s White Lion-Bourbon Theater the lead singer from White Lion, brings his version of the band to The Bourbon Theater. Hear “Little Fighter” (my favorite), “When The Children Cry”, “Wait” and more. Fresh off his appearance in the Paramount Plus documentary Nothin’ But A Good Time.
October 11th-The Grey Day Tour-Pinnacle Bank Arena-The Grey Day Tour is coming to the Pinnacle Bank Arena on October 11th. First I want to point out Ekkstacy down in the bottom corner. I love the new Ekkstacy album, and they were fantastic at the Maha Festival. Do not miss out on Ekkstacy. The big names on this bill are of course Suicide Boys and Denzel Curry. Also on the lineup is Pouya, Shakewell and Haarper.
October 11th-Cody Jinks at Liberty First Credit Union Arena-it is finally here! This show was announced like a year ago. In that time Cody will have released two albums of new material. It is also pretty cool that The Cadillac Three is opening for the country outlaw.
October 11th-Kenny Fiedler and The Cowboy Killers-Bucks Bar and Grill-Kenny Fiedler will bring his “cowboy shit” back to Bucks Bar and Grill for a show on October 11th. Don’t worry if you are going to Cody Jinks that night as this is an afterparty.
October 12th-Jeff In Leather, Ex-Lover, Pagan Athletes at The Sydney if you don’t get a little darkwave in your life in October, you are not doing October right. Two of the best in the genre in our area-Jeff In Leather and Ex-Lover pair up at The Sydney and Public Circuit and area faves Pagan Athletes are along for the ride.
October 12th-Farnam Fest-let’s do one more outdoor fest this year with Minne Lussa, Velvet Velvet, Cowgirl Eastern, Clarence Tilton and DJ Herricane Cole
October 15th-Skeletal Remains-Reverb Lounge-is there a more October show that this? Skeletal Remains? Witch Vomit! Bewitcher. Plus Phobophilic which means having a love of fear! It’s just perfect.
October 16th-Chromeo-Steelhouse Omaha-So here is a band I never expected to see in Omaha. The Canadian electro-disco band has been putting out fun and funk filled albums for a couple of decades now and will bring their show to Steelhouse Omaha. Excited for this show.
October 16th-Mdou Moctar-Waiting Room-Nigerian guitarist Mdou Moctar and his band return to the Waiting Room on October 16th. The last show at the Waiting Room was one of the most talked about shows of that year, it’s a pretty incredible experience. They are touring on their new album Funeral For Justice. Also on the lineup is Rosali who was the standout at this years GRRRL Camp festival.
October 16th-Ingested at 1867-UK death metal band Ingested is going on two decades of metal and touring on their latest The Tide of Death and Fractured Dreams.
October 17th-The Awakening Tour-Baxter Arena-Baxter Arena seems to have replaced the MAC in Council Bluffs as the go-to for the big contemporary Christian shows. See Christian pop-rock artists Casting Crowns and We The Kingdom and more!
October 17th-Superchunk-Waiting Room-I am the weirdo who likes later Superchunk the best, but I do like early Superchunk also and we will get a whole night of it when they celebrate the 30th Anniversary of legendary indie rock album Foolish. Opening is Quivers-they are good-get there early.
October 18th and 19th-Cursive-Waiting Room Lounge-if you didn’t get indie rocked out the night before at Superchunk, you can go two more nights with Cursive. Omaha’s own has a new album out called Devourer and they are celebrating. Little Brazil plays the first night and Criteria the second.
October 18th-Preservation Hall Jazz Band at The Lied Center-There are very few American music traditions that have lasted as long at Preservation Hall and it’s jazz band. There is nothing like seeing them at the original hall in New Orleans. I noticed my last time there-that they now to summer shows in a different building because of the heat. I personally think that is part of the experience, but what-ever. You also can see them with climate control at The Lied Center and that is the next, next best thing.
October 20th-Pink-Pinnacle Bank Arena-If you skipped the Pink show this past year at the ball park because it was 110 degrees out (I did), you have another chance top see her flip around and sing a whole bunch of hits at the Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln.
October 20th-Jeff Tweedy-The Admiral-See the Wilco front-man in a somewhat intimate situation at The Admiral.
October 22nd-The Jesus and Mary Chain and Psychedelic Furs at The Astro-This was the holy hell announcement of 2024. The Furs have of course played Omaha, including one really odd show I will talk about later this month, but who would have ever thought that The Jesus and Mary Chain would play here? Getting both of them together is pretty mind-blowing and I also love opener Frankie Rose. This is a must see show.
October 23rd-Kate Nash-Slowdown-Kate Nash played Britannica on the Netflix show Glow (she was my favorite), but is also a singer-songwriter who has hundreds of millions of streams. She is touring on her brand new album 9 Sad Symphonies.
October 25th-Korn and Gojira at CHI Health Center Omaha-I almost wonder that if after that opening performance at the Olympics if more people are not going to see Gojira perform? That certainly raised their profile.
October 26th-Wagon Blasters, In Toungues, and Frainkie Chiaro-O’Leavers- dress up as your favorite Speed! Nebraska character and get in the Halloween spirit with some of our area’s finest musical acts.
October 29th-Last Waltz Tour-Orpheum Theater-Singer-songwriters Ryan Bingham and Jamey Johnson will join Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers members Mike Campbell and Benmont Trench, Neville Brother Cyril Neville, Don Was, John Medeski of Medeski, Martin Wood, Terence Higgins of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Dave Malone of The Radiators, and Mark Mullins & The Levee Horns in recreating The Bands 1976 Thanksgiving concert. It is one hell of a lineup and should be an incredible show.
October 29th-GWAR-The Bourbon Theater-Break out the bad clothes as GWAR is coming back to Bourbon Theater. This time it is with Dark Funeral and Squid Pisser (which is a band, not something GWAR is going to drench you with). The show is October 29th, just in time for Halloween!