Midweek: Six Featured Shows for Tuesday and Wednesday and Whole Lot More

I have a new thing where I am recording a show playing tunes and talking about songs new and old and talking about connections to them. You can listen to that HERE

I have a podcast with Dave Leibowitz called Against The 90’s HERE -this month we talk about 90’s Alt. Country and Americana.

HERE are the shows that went on sale last week

HERE is the album list for last week.

HERE is this weeks full calendar

Country artist Willow Avalon is a southern belle raisin’ hell and she will bring the Pink Pocket Pistol tour to Waiting Room on Tuesday. The album Pink Pocket Pistol came out on June 25th and the first single was Cardinal Sin which features Jason Isbell. It’s a good one. Fun fact: she is the daughter of Americana singer-songwriter Jim White, who some of us older people saw open up for David Byrne at Joslyn art Museum.

Lindsey Stirling is quite the show‑woman, and she brings that show to The Astro Amphitheater on Tuesday. She brought her Duality tour there in 2024, and now it looks like the “Untamed” version of the tour is coming to La Vista. It’s very cool that pop star PVRIS is also on the show. I have been selling PVRIS records for years now, and just realized this week that it is pronounced Paris.

Grand Rapids Michigan indie rock band The Crane Wives are coming to The Admiral with Brye on Wednesday. They are of course named after "The Crane Wife" by The Decemberists, and the band have put out six albums. The band’s latest album was Beyond Beyond Beyond from 2024.

Indie pop band no vowel band Dwllrs will bring songs from their 2025 album Cameraman to Slowdown on Tuesday. They will be joined by thebandfriday who just released the song “Who We Are” this past Friday.

Popular blues artist Mike Zito is making another run through Nebraska this week. Zito was a member of the Royal Southern Brotherhood, along with Cyril Neville and Devon Allman. He is a member of the Blood Brothers with Albert Castiglia. He has number one blues albums, has recorded with everyone from Tracii Guns to Joe Bonamassa, and is touring on his latest album, Outside Or The Eastside.

He will be at The Zoo Bar on Wednesday and Waiting Room on Thursday. The start time of the Thursday show got bumped up to 9PM as the Playing With Fire event is happening at Slowdown, and they are hoping Omaha blues fans will make a whole night of it. If you pre‑order tickets you will get a free copy of his new CD as well. Check his Facebook page for details.

Speaking of Playing With Fire, the FREE blues festival that officially starts at Slowdown on Thursday, has a pre‑party on Wednesday at The Moxy in the Old Market. That’s the hotel, not a new venue. The lineup includes Little Joe McCarthy, Jared William Gottberg, who also goes by the name Badsquatch and has a new song coming out on Friday, and Jeni Grouws and Andrew Bailie playing together, which should be awesome.

Tuesday August 11th

Willow Avalon at Waiting Room 8PM (Omaha)

Lindsey Stirling with PVRIS at The Astro 7PM (La Vista)

Dwllrs and thebandfriday at Slowdown 7PM (Omaha)

Igor and the Red Elvises at The Zoo Bar 6PM (Lincoln)

Pam Kalal Band at Lake Manawa 7PM (Council Bluffs) FREE

Shake a Tailfeather Tuesday at The Zoo Bar 9PM (Lincoln) FREE

The Jazzocracy at The Zoo Bar 7PM (Lincoln) FREE

Shake A Tail Feather Tuesday 9PM (Lincoln)

Live Jazz with Kevin Lloyd at Red Lion Lounge 7PM (Omaha)

Peter Bouffard at Boiler Brewing Company 5PM (Lincoln)

Mahr Quartet at Lake Manawa 7PM (Council Bluffs)

Wednesday August 12th

The Crane Wives with Brye at The Admiral 8PM (Omaha)

Mike Zito Band at The Zoo Bar 6PM (Lincoln)

Playing With Fire Pre-Party with Joe McCarthy, Jared William, Jeni Grouws and Andrew Bailie at The Moxy 7PM (Omaha)

Puppy Mill with Swiss, Pain God, A.G.W.K.E at The Breakroom 6PM (Omaha)

Vibe Check at The Zoo Bar 9PM (Lincoln) FREE

Tim Koehn at Warhorse Casino 6PM (Omaha)

Robert Taylor Smith with Sal Salazar & The All Nighter’s and Bode Farr at Duffy’s Tavern 8PM (Lincoln)

Paper Tiger and Surley Tempo at Reverb Lounge 8PM (Omaha)

Daddy Mac and the Flak at Bogies West 6:30PM (Omaha)

Lincoln Irish Session Players at Hub Farmers Market 5PM (Lincoln) FREE

Nebraska Brass at Barbara Bartle Garden Noon (Lincoln) FREE

Whiskey Wednesday Groove at The Nifty 8PM (Omaha)

Live Jazz with Red Lion Quartet at Red Lion Lounge 7:30PM (Omaha)

Catalyst Sessions at The Zoo Bar 9PM (Lincoln)

Open Mic at The Tavern 9PM (Omaha) FREE

Open Mic at Dubliner Pub (Omaha) FREE

Jam Session at Vino Mas 6PM (Omaha)

The Musicians Collective Open Jam at B-Side Bar 7PM (Council Bluffs)

Kevin Lloyd at Mr. Toad 8PM (Omaha)