I will be doing occasional columns this year about what is going on in a particular genre and scene in Omaha. Nebraska’s blues scene has a long history and is one of the more supported and organized genres in town. It is also a genre in which the barrier between Lincoln and Omaha does not exist. Blues fans in Omaha and Lincoln have no problem in driving an hour either way to support the touring artists and local events in either city.

Omaha’s blues supporters are organized into a group of musicians, fans, and volunteers in the Omaha Blues Society. The Omaha Blues Society has been organizing events and providing support for events featuring the blues here in town for many years. The organization also sends out a meaty newsletter filled with everything a local blues fan would want to know about upcoming shows and happenings with that genre in town. Information on how to join this group along with up to date happenings in town can be found at omahablues.com. The OBS has also started a program in recent years called Blues Ed in which local musicians help young kids interested in music get started and form bands. These bands frequently get to open up for national artists and have dedicated events that just include their projects. Information on this program can be found at bluesed.com.

Pretty much every venue in town has the blues every now and then, but a few venues and weekly events around the area are dedicated to the genre and similar forms of music. The longest running weekly event in town is the Thursday blues matinee at Murphy’s Lounge. Every Thursday starting at 5:30 p.m. local blues fans can catch some of the biggest touring national blues acts at that venue. One of downtown Omaha’s only music venues is Downtown Blues, which is one of the go to places on the weekends, as they are hosting acts every Friday and Saturday night that appeal to fans of this music. McKenna’s Blues Booze and BBQ is also still hosting local and touring blues music along with a few other genres on the weekends. Lincoln is the home to the state’s most famous live music venue still operating, the Zoo Bar. The Zoo Bar is known to blues musicians from around the world and has been hosting up and coming artists from that genre and similar roots based music for decades now. The small bar, with its history plastered on its walls in the form of past events posters, has hosted many acts that are much bigger than the venue itself, but it seems as if the artists put their egos away to play there. One can find live music at this venue that will appeal to blues, roots and songwriter fans pretty much any night of the week.

Omaha’s summer festivals frequently feature blues acts. There is nothing that goes better with the blues than some good food, a few brews and good people. An event that features all of these is the annual Playing With Fire series, which happens on a monthly basis over the five summer months. This year’s acts include the Edgar Winter Band, Bettye LaVette and Trampled Underfoot. These events are free to the public and take place on the Omaha Riverfront. Other festivals featuring blues music include the Omaha Summer Arts Festival, Ribfest and Bellevue’s Red, White and Que.

Those that may be into the blues but are not out at the live events watching the bands being brought to town should make a trek out sometime to one of the venues and events. Many times a lot of the same people are at many of these shows and they are a welcoming group of people that share a deep passion for this music. In the signature words of Omaha Blues Society President Terry O’Halloran, “Get out and get into it.”