the reader feb. 6-12, 2014

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2 FEB. 6 - 12, 2014 | THE READER | omaha jobs

Nebraska Childfind provides information to parents on child development and special education for birth to age 21.

If you suspect your child has a developmental delay, contact your local school district or call 402-597-4936.

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3FEB. 6 - 12, 2014| THE READER | omaha jobs

OMAHA STEAKSRetail Store Manager #102. Contact [email protected]. Go to OmahaJobs.com for more information.

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Born This Way? Hardly

Nature or nurture? The debate has raged for centuries, asking whether behavior is deter-mined more by genetic coding or by influ-

ences during our formative years.Back in the day, it was annoying to hear conserva-

tive pundits warn that marijuana and LSD “damage chromosomes.” Aside from being an obvious scare tactic to keep young people from experimenting with pot, I wondered how it could be so. Isn’t DNA etched in stone? I’m sure some kind of research or theory of the time, specious that it may have been, supported the claim. But I asked myself how does a natural herb break or damage the links of adenine, guanine, cytosine and thymine described by Francis Crick and James Watson? Since then, it’s become obvious that yes, lots of things can alter genes: aging, sun-light, chemicals, mam-mograms and CT scans, genetic modification — the list is endless. Whether pot is still on that list, I don’t know.

So it begs the question: Is it valid to claim one’s behavior is permanently determined by immutable genes? Certainly it is obvious that various physical characteristics are genetically coded. Think eye color, gender, body type and sadly, some diseases. The big-ger question however, is whether we are capable of changing our genetic blueprint or do we claim to be powerless. If many things can change DNA, behavior, if due to genetics, isn’t exactly etched in stone, is it?Claim or blame Something about the lyrics in Gaga’s “Born this Way,” and in Macklemore and Lewis’ fine work, “Same Love” cause me to cringe. Not because of the message that all persons should be seen as equal. You don’t need a song to realize that. But because of the implied impotence and denial of self-realization the songs defend. Claiming to be “born this way” and therefore implying the inability to do something about it, is less empowering than saying, “I have a right to express love in the manner I choose.”

In “Same Love,” what words could be more de-pressing than “I can’t change, even if I wanted too”? The intention of the song is commendable but the mixed message of presenting the right to be a certain way measured with some supposed inability to change strikes an imbalance. Though the lyrics of both songs take it much deeper and actually encourage the idea of surmounting apparent obstacles, their veneer is an anthem for validating inability to change. It might be cooler to sing, “I wasn’t born this way. I choose to be this way.” It would certainly be more empowering.

What a horrible doom it would be to be unable to change. Sexual orientation is only one area in the Na-ture or Nurture debate. Other human activity is often explained away by genetic predetermination. Artistic talent, genius, athleticism, mental illness, disease, homicidal tendencies are others.

The Nurture side of the argument contends the influence of environmental factors during our forma-tive years shapes us. Recently, a drunk driver in Texas claimed the “affluenza defense”. Lawyers argued he came from such a wealthy, privileged background, given so much slack while growing up because of it, that he was not responsible for his actions. He never learned there were consequences. Getting drunk and

mowing down a crowd of pedestri-ans, killing four, re-sulted in probation. Of course our for-mative years have impact. But are we powerless to change their result?

With both Na-ture and Nurture, self-determination gets left out of the

loop. What about our ability to change because we decide to? Or our right to be who we are because we want to?

We live in a society that is stealing our self-reliance on a daily basis. We don’t watch the sky to notice an approaching storm. The Weather Channel does that. If they miss the forecast we get Atlanta’s or Katrina’s. We don’t know our bodies. We let lab tests tell us about them. We don’t know our world or ourselves.Express yourself. Look, reason dictates certain genes will indeed hold sway over our physical experience. And no doubt the influence of circumstance and up-bringing can temper our behavior later in life. But to claim or blame either as the sole determining factor denies the power vested in each of us. Science is find-ing that more important than having the genes that trigger a particular trait, factor, behavior or even dis-ease is whether those genes are switched on or not; whether the gene expresses itself or not. And what we are finding out is that our activities, our diet, our men-tal state, our stress, our lifestyle can all help determine whether a gene expresses its associated trait or not.

If our life is a continual accretion of bad habits, poor diet, disregard for others and lack of belief in our own power, some genes will probably dominate. What if something as simple as changing one of our behavioral factors has the effect of turning a gene on or off? Research points to that. The study of these more intricate implications of genetics is called epigenics. If pot can change our DNA, so can we.

Be well. ,

4 FEB. 6 - 12, 2014 | THE READER | heartland healing

HEARTLAND HEALING is a New Age polemic describing alternatives to conventional methods of healing the body, mind and planet. It is provided as information and entertainment, certainly not medical advice. It is not an endorsement of any particular therapy, either by the writer or The Reader. Visit HeartlandHealing.com for more information.

heartlandhealingN E W A G E H E A L T H A N D W E L L N E S S B Y M I C H A E L B R A U N S T E I N

VISIONS FROM FIVE MINUTES

INTO THE FUTURE

• FEBRUARY 6, 2014 •

With the popularity of 3D printing

devices, an unexpected trend will

develop: People who design working

objects based on television cartoons. It

will be entirely possible to live in a

house and drive a car that resembled

those from the Flintstones or, if you

like, the Jetsons. A surprising number

of people will live in Simpsons-inspired

homed. And it will be quite common to

decorate children's room with objects

borrowed from Disney films. The trend

will be called A Cartoon Tomorrow, and

will sweep the nation.

dish | THE READER | FEB. 6 - 12, 2014 5

n Massena Farms, an 80-acre farm outside of Bennington, Neb., recently announced a new Com-munity Supported Agriculture (CSA) program for fresh, pasture-raised poultry. “We plan to raise our chickens in the Nebraska sunshine where they’ll feed naturally on grains, bugs and grass,” said Jim Steffen, president and CEO of Massena Farms.

Find more information on the CSA and the farm’s commitment to naturally fresh, open air, chick-ens free from antibiotics and genetically modified grains at www.massenafarms.com.n Zurlo’s Bistro Italiano, 13110 Birch Drive, is launching a new menu for their brunch service which runs 10 a.m to 2 p.m Sundays. If ham benedetto, homemade belgium waffles or ama-retto french toast sounds good, call for reserva-

tions at 402.884.9500.n According to an accepted building permit, a new Chick-fil-A is going to be constructed at 17501 West Center which is on the southwest corner of 175th and Center streets. Currently, there is a Chick-fil-A located in Bellevue at 2016 Cornhusker and at 8710 S. 71st Plaza in Papillion.n Join Infusion Brewing Co., 6115 Maple St., for a “Randy” Valentines’ celebration as they connect

four of their yummy beers to beer randalls (a beer randall is a double-chamber filter that connects to a beer tap then is filled with flavor-enhancing in-gredients.) They will offer a Cherry Porter, Peach Vanilla, Rosehips Saison, and Chocolate Imperial Stout starting at 3 p.m. Feb. 14.

— Krista O’MalleyCrumbs is about indulging in food and celebrating its many forms. Send in-formation about area food and drink businesses to [email protected].

Appreciating the small things had a whole new meaning Jan. 25. A little bit of rye, a little bit of food, a lot of overwhelming

intoxication of the senses. Nearly delirious with the memory of soft scallop, creamy egg, and the friendly, sweet burn of whiskey, my husband and I could hard-ly find the words to discuss the incredible tastes and smells of that evening.

But let me try.Library Pub played host to a whisky tasting with

Chef Tom Meade at the reins. Walking into the bar, with its neighborhood feel and dusty books, it was an interesting blend of class and casual. Nearly 40 people attended the tasting, along with onlook-ers sipping beers from a mix of taps. Owner Mark Smith, outfitted in a bright Hawaiian shirt and looking more like a tourist than beverage expert, gave a preview of the evening. “Rye is the Ameri-can forgotton whisky,” he said amongst the clink of glasses. “It was the most popular whisky in America before Prohibition. After drinking was outlawed, whisky makers moved south, where there wasn’t a lot of rye, so they used corn instead.”

As whisky has currently grown in popularity, rye has been a fast seller in bars across America. “Rye is spicy, with hints of cinnamon and anise, and is very flavorful,” said Smith. In order to be a rye, the spirit must be made with 51% rye in the mash, aged for two years, and may not exceed a 160 proof.

Enough chitchat, I thought, my fingers dancing on the table. Bring on the first course.

Chef Meade made his way up to the front to give an introduction of the first course. “With each

whisky that was selected tonight, I made a dish based upon the flavors that stood out in the spirit,” he said. The first being Pendleton 1910 Rye, glistening gold in a spotless lowball glass. Described as “peppery, with tobacco smoke and caramel,” this Canadian rye boasted heat, and twisted my tastebuds in a sensation of delight. A small dish was placed in front of me, with a spectacular egg. A tra-ditional deviled egg to be exact, with a sliver of pepper, and maple bacon placed across a creamy, fragrant yolk, dressed with a sticky, rich root beer glaze. “The whisky flavors were root beer, ginger snaps, and belgian beer,” said Meade. “So I reduced Sioux City Sarsaparilla root beer to make the glaze, and made a candied bacon to accompany.”

Looking more like a work of art, the egg was the perfect way to start off this incredible evening. My only complaint is there was only one, per person.

Next we moved to a Prichards Rye, my favorite of the evening. “Prichards is a small distillery in Tennessee that distills in small copper stills,” said Smith. “They are the first legal distillery in the state in 50 years.”

The nose of this whisky is fragrant and deceiv-ing, giving a preconceived sensation of heat and overpowering spice. The taste is similar to a team of synchronized swimmers on the tongue, a merging of complexity and smoky smoothness that leaves the taster dizzy with pleasure. I couldn’t imagine how this whisky could be complemented by anything other than another pour, but Chef Meade showed us up with a salty, spicy Bay Scallop Ceviche.

Buttery and soft, this dish was colorful with spicy chiles and jalapenos, accented with blood orange, coconut and mango. “When I tasted Prichards, I

found an odd assortment of flavors,” said Meade. “Clean, Kool Aid, Juniper and Salt were the flavors that jumped out at me.”

The combination of fish and oak did give an odd resemblance to gin, and I could see all the flavors ex-cept for Kool Aid, thank God.

Our third whisky was the High West Double Rye, a whisky out of Utah with a blend of young (2 yr.) and older (6 yr.) ryes. Slaps of vanilla and sugar rattled my cheeks. “My tasting notes for this rye were saw-dust and vanilla,” Meade laughed.

I thought the first two dishes could not be topped, but I was not prepared for the dish that would blow every other dish out of the water. A fish oreo.

Rather, the preparation was that of an oreo. Two circles of pumpernickel bread held a mellow, savory Boursin cheese, with a smoked salmon and asian pear slaw on top. This dish was everything any foodie could dream of. Salty and sweet, the umami flavors overtook my palate and I could barely taste the whisky.

After the room recovered from this incredible as-sault on the senses, the bartenders brought out our fourth taster, the Hudson Manhattan Rye. “This is the first rye whisky distilled in New York in a 100 years,” said Smith. 90% of the raw ingredients in this rye are sourced within 10 miles of the distillery, and the freshness is evident with every sip. “Nutmeg, cin-

namon and clove are the notes that came through as I tasted this whisky,” said Meade. “It was literally beg-ging for cheese.”

And cheese we had. Smoked cheddar pig Chee-tos, pork cracklings dusted with cheese, satisfyingly crunchy and rich. The spicy complexity of the rye was a perfect match with the cheetos, and a great way to loosen up the cheese dust in my cheeks.

As all great things do, the night was approaching it’s end, and we were all a little buzzed, a little warm, and very happy. A mexican chocolate creme brulee was our final dish, served with the Jefferson’s 21 Year Presidential Select Rye. A sipping whisky, this golden oldie was smooth and peppery, perfect neat, or with a drop of water. I chose neat, to compliment the eggy, thick, sweet brulee. The only tasting notes from Chef Meade? “It’s damn good.”

This was a worthy summary of the entire evening. Five dishes and five whiskies that would create food memories for everyone involved, even the bystanders getting a contact buzz from the excitement. Enjoying the small things, whether they be an egg, a scallop, or glass of rye, took new meaning that day, and these tastings will hopefully become a regular event at Li-brary Pub. ,

Library Pub, 5142 N. 90th St. Hours: Noon to 2 a.m. daily, 402-571-6262, www.LibraryPubOmaha.com

“AA ‘yes’ vote fixes the parts of Fremont’s ordinance that are not working for our commu-

nity,” said Virginia Meyer, a local Fremont activist from the organization Fremont Yes!. Meyer and fellow colleagues are just some of the many residents that are concerned about the special election to be held in Fremont on February 11.

Fremont residents have been given the op-portunity to vote on the housing provisions of Ordinance 5165 – intended to discourage undocumented immigrants from renting by requiring all renters to pay a fee and get a li-cense from the police. “If we fix the ordinance, we don’t have to worry about risking entering into costly legal fights or having to go through an annoying and burdensome process of get-ting a license and paying a fee every time we move to a new rental,” indicated Meyer.

By taking the time to cast a “yes” ballot in the special election, Meyer and fellow col-league Krista Anderson believe the City of Fremont and its residents will avoid facing costly legal battles that could take a toll on the people of Fremont. Anderson points out other towns that have attempted to enact similar laws are now footing the bill, into the millions of dollars, because of legal issues. “You will find those ordinances were deemed unconsti-tutional,” said Anderson and are being chal-lenged in court.

“We’ve seen how a similar ordinance in Farmers Branch, Texas cost their city millions in legal fees and increased Farmers Branch res-idents’ property taxes,” added Meyer. Meyer, who just purchased a home in Fremont wor-ries that if residents do not vote ‘yes’ and the housing provisions of Ordinance 5165 are al-lowed to go into effect, the City of Fremont will be challenged in court and this might lead to increased property taxes in Fremont.

“With our mortgage, kids, cars, etc, our bud-get is fairly tight,” said Meyer, adding “I don’t want my property taxes to increase so our city can defend an ordinance that is ineffective, burdensome and gives Fremont a bad name.” Increased property taxes could create financial strain for the families residing in Fremont.

Homeowners aren’t the only ones that could be affected if the housing provisions of Ordinance 5165 go into effect. “There is still a common misunderstanding about this ordi-nance,” pointed out Anderson. “It applies to anyone who rents in Fremont. This includes seniors, college students, young families, people in transition who are waiting to buy or build a home.”

Although the intent of the ordinance is to discourage undocumented immigrants from

renting in Fremont, the ordinance itself does not require proof of citizenship or legal status to obtain an occupancy permit to rent in Fre-mont. Ultimately, the housing provisions of this ordinance “create an additional obstacle for renters in Fremont,” mentioned Anderson.

The two activists point out that a ‘yes’ vote will help the residents of Fremont avoid a te-dious process. “If enforced, the housing por-tions of the ordinance requires everyone that wishes to rent a house or apartment to pay a five dollar fee for every person in the home over eighteen and get a license from the po-lice station,” clarified Meyer. “If enforced, it will be a hardship for people in our commu-nity,” said Meyer.

“I don’t like that idea that renters have to register at the police department. It’s partly because of the fee, partly because of the incon-venience, but mostly because of the intrusion into a person’s private living circumstances,” pointed out Anderson. For these reasons both women strongly encourage the residents of Fremont to read the ordinance itself and look at the flow chart the City of Fremont has pro-vided so they can gain a better understanding of the legislation.

Meyer and Anderson aren’t the only ones encouraging residents to vote ‘yes’ on Febru-ary 11. “Our Chamber of commerce, our lo-cal economic development group called the Greater Fremont Development Council, the

owners of several assisted living and nursing facilities in Fremont, our mayor and a handful of Fremont City Council members,” support a ‘yes’ vote said Meyer. She added that even the Fremont Area Young Professional group is taking steps to encourage residents to vote ‘yes’ so Fremont doesn’t become a city with a bad reputation.

“This vote is an opportunity for us to change the direction of our community. We urge people to read the facts on this ordinance. We know there are many people still undecided.It has been a very heated debate, but I hope people can see that we truly want what will be best for our community as a whole, in the long-term,” concluded Anderson. ,

6 FEB. 6 - 12, 2014 | THE READER | cover story

| THE READER | FEB. 6 - 12, 2014 7

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Since 2010, Dallas, Texas, (Lewisville) has been the home base of upstart artist Liz Cook and her temple of tattoos, Rebel Muse. After earning a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the Univer-

sity of North Texas, Cook left for Australia where she took an appren-ticeship six months into her stay. Upon her return to the states, Cook quickly opened shop and began traveling to various competitions and trade shows to showcase her skills. Word of Cook’s skill rap-idly spread with an average wait for a session with her now being between six months to a year. Her specialties? Realism, portraits (perhaps her best work), horror and pin-up.

How has Pinterest and other internet media channels changed the tattoo world?

Cook: I’ve had a lot of experience with people who find something on the internet that is ridiculously elaborate and not understanding how much time actually goes into something like that. Sometimes you just have to start at ground zero with some people and educate them a little bit.

How has media changed tattooing?

I started my apprenticeship in 2009, not that long ago, and even from then to now there is a big difference. (Aside from all of the TV shows that have come out) with all of the great comments you get from your fans on the internet, there are just as many people that are happy to critique your work on a daily basis. At the same time, artists really get a lot more exposure now, helping to raise the level of art and ex-perimentation. At the end of the day, that really is the most important thing.

culture | THE READER | FEB. 6 - 12, 2014 15

How did you get your start?

My grandmother had me drawing as soon as I could hold a pencil. When the opportunity came along to go to college for art it was like, ‘This is what I’m going to do.’ My sophomore year of college, the beauty salon I was working at wanted to start doing permanent makeup. The owners knew I was in school for art and set me up with some classes. It wasn’t what I ultimately wanted to be doing. I automatically wanted to be doing body tattoos. (After graduation) I met my husband in Australia and after six months there he was getting a sleeve done and I would always watch the work. The artists there knew I could draw and was interested so they offered me an opportunity for an apprenticeship.

Who are some of the artists/periods that you studied in Fine Arts that inspire you now?

The Art New Vogue period was the one that jumped out to me the most particularly Alphonse Mucha. Before college it was comic books. J. Scott Campbell was one of my favorites. Boris Vallejo and Julie Bell, I reference their stuff so much and study their techniques. I don’t think there will be a time that I won’t be looking at their work because it so inspiring.

What about tattoo artists?

Definitely Mike DeVries was one of the realist artists that in-spired me to go in the direction I did. Even the California artists like Roman and Mike Demasi.

What kind of machines do you use?

I started out with coils because I think it is important to have that traditional foundation. I’ve used pneumatics, right now I use intuition pneumatics. I’ve used rotaries, irons and stig-mas. I like using different types of machines and really explor-ing various techniques. It’s like using pencils, paintbrushes and water colors. There’s always something to gain from it.

How has your involvement in trade shows and competitions effected your business?

It’s a double sided sword. It’s a lot of work to get out to the shows, get on the road and bring all of your equipment. I use to fly but, I got tired of airports breaking all of my shit. Even food. Trying to be healthy on the road is a really tough thing.

You can’t eat Ramen Noodles andMcDonald’s everyday.

No. Not unless you want an ass that’s twice the size as when you left.

How is it getting a temporary license for a show when going out of state?

Man, it’s such a pain in the ass. Not so much because of getting licensing or anything. It feels like every single show we do, we have to get a new (license). There are standards you can have across the board nationally but, it seems like when you’re in a particular state, that state wants only their version of it. Then you get into a new state and it’s something different. We stay up-dated on it of course but, instead of doing one update once a year you have to do six different updates for six different states.

For the tattoo junkies at the show looking to add to their collection or even get their first tattoo, Cook recommends that you really study the art. Every artists has their own style and a client should really understand what style the artist they go to specializes in to allow that artist the artistic freedom to give them the best of what they do. Having a laundry list of things you want in a piece can go against that. It’s not necessarily a bad thing to have that, just understand what type of art you like and what the artists is most specialized in. Artists do best when they have artistic freedom.

Artistic freedom is letting the artist do their thing.

— James Derrick Schott

10 FEB. 6 - 12, 2014 | THE READER |

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Alice in May 24, 2014

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| THE READER | FEB. 6 - 12, 2014 11

12 FEB. 6 - 12, 2014 | THE READER |

17330 West Center Road • Eats, Drinks, Scenic Views

over the edge | THE READER | FEB. 6 - 12, 2014 13

The first thing that crossed my mind after watching Sick Birds Die Easy, the new film by Nik Fackler, was wondering how much

of it was real and how much was made up.“I’d say 70 percent is real, and the rest is a nar-

rative,” said Fackler during a conference call that included two of the film’s co-stars. “It’s a mixture of both. The film starts as a documentary and then melts into a narrative and then ends as a documen-tary again.”

I knew none of this going into the film, which I watched via a private online stream. There are virtu-ally no credits, just an opening shot of a huge tree (the tree of life?), followed by a montage of tribal imagery and a soft, mewing voice-over by Fackler channeling Werner Herzog:

“There are other uses for this world, secret alter-nate realities of perception and culture, existing in secret as I speak to you now, hidden and oppressed for thousands of years by religious and cultural con-quests, bizarre and beautiful, one foot in reality, the other in legend…”

From there, the film tells the story in documentary style of a rag-tag crew sent to the belly of an African rainforest to study the effects of the root drug Iboga, which, when combined with various rituals, is said to cure addiction. Along the way they take plenty of acid and other drugs, get into arguments, drink their own urine, and listen to endless philosophical chat-ter by French expatriates who escaped to the jungle only to get snared by its culture and the drug itself.

There are clues throughout the first hour that the whole thing is a put-on, certain verbal cues by the film’s primary stars, local musician Sam Martin and former actor now organic farmer Ross Brockley. When, at about 45 minutes into the film, one of the jungle guides dies in his tent, the jig is up. “I would have heard about that,” I thought to myself. And then it all falls into place. The overly self-involved

tone, the fictions (Martin is not a moneyed trust-fund baby), the Herzog affectation.

I’ve known Fackler since he was a teenager mak-ing music videos for Bright Eyes and Tilly and the Wall, and I’ve been watching Martin perform on stage both as a solo artist and a member of the band Capgun Coup. That knowledge made me “in on the joke,” but what about a film-goer in Duluth who has

never heard of these guys? To them, it will be just an-other documentary. One assumes it will all become clear during the obligatory post-screening Q&A.

“I still call it a documentary,” Fackler said. “I still think it’s more real than a Michael Moore documen-tary. It’s just as real as a reality TV show.”

“I think it’s real in that it’s a documentary about making movies,” Brockley said during the call. “It’s a movie about making movies.”

In that context, the film also is a satire and state-ment about the look-at-me nature of Western cul-ture taken to Ugly American extremes. What little charm the characters possess at the beginning of the film is worn away by the end when you realize they ultimately learn nothing on this expensive misad-

venture. And if that’s your take-away, the film has succeeded in its intent.

“It’s about a bunch of westerners who go to Africa to heal themselves and then fuck everything up,” Fackler said, adding that initially there was a script. “It all fell apart. The script got thrown out the win-dow, and we all started making up all our own stuff. It’s hard to remember what’s real and what isn’t real.

It’s kind of intuitive. People were quitting and getting sick. It sucked. It was hor-rible, but that was part of the process.”

While you may wonder which scenes were scripted, there’s no denying the illness

captured on film. Almost everyone got sick at some point during the production. Sound-man David Ma-tysiak is seen passed out with an IV drip after contracting malaria. Martin suffered from some sort of virus, while Brockley got Iboga poisoning re-sulting in a day’s worth of vomiting. Fackler said there

were days when food never arrived, which meant liv-ing off a steady diet of Clif Bars.

Then there was the bickering among cast and crew, all captured for posterity. We see and hear all of Brockley’s conspiracy theories, including his take on the Holocaust, which ultimately offended most of the crew.

“It was shocking to all of us, there was a big blowup about it,” Fackler said. “It’s was undeniably hard to take, but at the same time it’s not my job to censor the whole world. If people don’t talk about these things, then no one will come to any conclu-sions about them.

“I realize watching the film that none of us look good in the movie, we all look like assholes,” Fackler said. “(The film’s theme) is a serious topic and none of us are taking it seriously. But that was the point.”

To me, the film was a long, strange drug-fueled journey into a heart of darkness where you learn too little about the ancient culture depicted with its face paint and rituals and too much about the ignorant Westerners trapped inside it. Fackler said some people get it (the film won the top prize at the Polish Film Festival) — while others have walked away angry and offended. But throughout its 90 minutes, it’s never less than entertaining. ,

You’ll get your chance to weigh in on Sick Birds Die Easy when it premieres Feb. 11 at Film Streams, fol-lowed by a Q&A and after-party at The Slowdown fea-turing musical performances by Martin, Matysiak and Fackler’s band InDreama. A DVD version of the film (including a copy of Martin’s sublime soundtrack) is slated for release later this month.

THE FACT AND FICTION OF SICK BIRDS DIE EASY

overtheedgeL I F E S T Y L E C O L U M N B Y T I M M C M A H A N

OVER THE EDGE is a weekly column by Reader senior contributing writer Tim McMahan focused on culture, society, music, the media and the arts. Email Tim at [email protected]. And be sure to check out his blog at Lazy-i.com


Since 2010, Dallas, Texas, (Lewisville) has been the home base of upstart artist Liz Cook and her temple of tattoos, Rebel Muse. After earning a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the Univer-

sity of North Texas, Cook left for Australia where she took an appren-ticeship six months into her stay. Upon her return to the states, Cook quickly opened shop and began traveling to various competitions and trade shows to showcase her skills. Word of Cook’s skill rap-idly spread with an average wait for a session with her now being between six months to a year. Her specialties? Realism, portraits (perhaps her best work), horror and pin-up.

How has Pinterest and other internet media channels changed the tattoo world?

Cook: I’ve had a lot of experience with people who find something on the internet that is ridiculously elaborate and not understanding how much time actually goes into something like that. Sometimes you just have to start at ground zero with some people and educate them a little bit.

How has media changed tattooing?

I started my apprenticeship in 2009, not that long ago, and even from then to now there is a big difference. (Aside from all of the TV shows that have come out) with all of the great comments you get from your fans on the internet, there are just as many people that are happy to critique your work on a daily basis. At the same time, artists really get a lot more exposure now, helping to raise the level of art and ex-perimentation. At the end of the day, that really is the most important thing.

culture | THE READER | FEB. 6 - 12, 2014 15

How did you get your start?

My grandmother had me drawing as soon as I could hold a pencil. When the opportunity came along to go to college for art it was like, ‘This is what I’m going to do.’ My sophomore year of college, the beauty salon I was working at wanted to start doing permanent makeup. The owners knew I was in school for art and set me up with some classes. It wasn’t what I ultimately wanted to be doing. I automatically wanted to be doing body tattoos. (After graduation) I met my husband in Australia and after six months there he was getting a sleeve done and I would always watch the work. The artists there knew I could draw and was interested so they offered me an opportunity for an apprenticeship.

Who are some of the artists/periods that you studied in Fine Arts that inspire you now?

The Art New Vogue period was the one that jumped out to me the most particularly Alphonse Mucha. Before college it was comic books. J. Scott Campbell was one of my favorites. Boris Vallejo and Julie Bell, I reference their stuff so much and study their techniques. I don’t think there will be a time that I won’t be looking at their work because it so inspiring.

What about tattoo artists?

Definitely Mike DeVries was one of the realist artists that in-spired me to go in the direction I did. Even the California artists like Roman and Mike Demasi.

What kind of machines do you use?

I started out with coils because I think it is important to have that traditional foundation. I’ve used pneumatics, right now I use intuition pneumatics. I’ve used rotaries, irons and stig-mas. I like using different types of machines and really explor-ing various techniques. It’s like using pencils, paintbrushes and water colors. There’s always something to gain from it.

How has your involvement in trade shows and competitions effected your business?

It’s a double sided sword. It’s a lot of work to get out to the shows, get on the road and bring all of your equipment. I use to fly but, I got tired of airports breaking all of my shit. Even food. Trying to be healthy on the road is a really tough thing.

You can’t eat Ramen Noodles andMcDonald’s everyday.

No. Not unless you want an ass that’s twice the size as when you left.

How is it getting a temporary license for a show when going out of state?

Man, it’s such a pain in the ass. Not so much because of getting licensing or anything. It feels like every single show we do, we have to get a new (license). There are standards you can have across the board nationally but, it seems like when you’re in a particular state, that state wants only their version of it. Then you get into a new state and it’s something different. We stay up-dated on it of course but, instead of doing one update once a year you have to do six different updates for six different states.

For the tattoo junkies at the show looking to add to their collection or even get their first tattoo, Cook recommends that you really study the art. Every artists has their own style and a client should really understand what style the artist they go to specializes in to allow that artist the artistic freedom to give them the best of what they do. Having a laundry list of things you want in a piece can go against that. It’s not necessarily a bad thing to have that, just understand what type of art you like and what the artists is most specialized in. Artists do best when they have artistic freedom.

Artistic freedom is letting the artist do their thing.

— James Derrick Schott

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Well known DJ/producer Z Trip sells a T-shirt that reads “I AM A DJ” while Girl Talk’s Greg Gillis

offers one that reads, “I AM NOT A DJ.” While it’s true the lines have been blurred since technology made making music a lot easier, there’s still a solid understanding of what a “real” DJ actually does, especially among other turntablists. According to DJ Rob Swift, formerly of the X-ecutioners, “At its most simplistic, a DJ plays music for groups of people or him/herself. But be-yond that, a DJ’s roll revolves around being able to control people’s emotions through music.” Omaha-based DJ Dave Stutsman has been actively DJing since 1992, when he was a freshman in high school. He felt the same was as Swift described.

“Going to raves and house parties where other DJs were controlling the room got me into it,” Stutsman says. “I liked the power of the DJ. So I started watching their every move to learn the technique. DJ Halo from Chicago was at an Omaha party back in ’93. He brought me to see the power of music. The rest is history.”

Since then, the San Antonio native has settled into the Omaha music community. From his work with Omaha Night Life (ONL) to this year’s involvement with the Best in the Midwest Tattoo Convention, he always has one hand on a turntable. Al-though he is no longer with ONL, he’s still proud of its growth.

“I came up with the concept of Omaha Night Life when I was driving to a rave in Kansas City,” he recalls. “I was big into checking out message boards for the next

DJ event and Omaha really had nothing. There was a void for information in the met-ro. I found some people that had the same vision. And we created something pretty cool. It got bigger then I ever imagined. I’m no longer with the company. I moved on to start my own businesses.”

For Stutsman, there is something working a “normal” job will never give him and that’s the feeling of lighting up a room with music.

“I love the feeling I get when people go nuts to what I play,” he says. “That means you’re feeling what I’m feeling. That con-nection is irreplaceable. Track selection is key. You have to think ahead of what will continue to make this group dance and feel what you’re playing. I never plan out playl-ists because you never know what crowd you will have. I also love to be versatile. I do love doing open format gigs. I love play-ing the classic that people sing to.”

Over the years, DJing has taken Stutsman all over the country. Performing under his DJ Shif-D moniker, he’s played several Omaha clubs like House of Loom, Halo, Shark Club, Rehab Lounge, Lit Lounge, The Capitol, and Espana. He’s also played clubs in Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and other various cities.

“I would be so bored not having DJing in my life,” he says. “I plan on getting into pro-ducing in 2014. I have all the toys to do it. It’s just a big learning curve to learn Abelton LIVE, but I’m determined to learn it.”

From February 7-9, 2014, Stutsman has the honor of being the house DJ at the Best in the Midwest Tattoo Convention, which is held in Council Bluffs.

“I have been sponsored for DJing by Big Brain for a couple of years now,” he explains. “Big Brain owner Smitty came to me about being the house DJ for all their conventions. It’s been great getting to see new cities and play other clubs in America. I can’t wait to see what the future holds. This convention is top notch and will only get bigger. I love tattoos, and now even more. I’m also the webmaster for www.sha-neoneillproductions.com. Seeing all this tal-ent this convention brings is quite appeal-ing. Plus, tattoos are addictive. I have 2 big ones planned.”

At this point in his DJing career, it’s clear he’s comfortable in his niche city of Omaha. He’s lived in the modest community since 1984. As a husband and father of (almost) two kids, his roots are firmly planted.

“I love that there is so much talent,” he says. “The live music scene is so great. Omaha loves music and knows talent. That is why you see so many shows sell out in this town. The Faint could be my favorite band in town. They are doing something nobody else is in the world is doing. Icky blossom is also awesome. You can’t forget the hip-hop scene. Everyone’s doing big things.”

Stutsman has played all kinds of gigs and seen a lot of smiling faces, which he says overwhelms him with gratitude.

“I love that I can bring money to my fam-ily and have fun doing it,” he concludes. It keeps me focused on doing a top-notch job. Making the people/client happy will only get you more opportunities to play more events.”

O N W A X : D J S H I F - D M A K E S T H E C U T B Y K Y L E E U S T I C E

| THE READER | FEB. 6 - 12, 2014 23

O N W A X : D J S H I F - D M A K E S T H E C U T B Y K Y L E E U S T I C E

24 FEB. 6 - 12, 2014 | THE READER |

The art of tattoo has always fascinated Sioban Kozisek (“Chevy”). She got her first tattoo when she was attending boarding school in Ireland. “I

was 16-years-old and I had a fake ID to say I was 18,” Kozisek recalls. “I found some little dive shop above a pub in Cork City and decided to get a yin yang on my shoulder. This massive bearded man with a Celtic design on his chest had me sit backwards on a broken chair and lean forward. The yin yang came out all distorted and didn’t heal very well. I totally deserved that for fibbing about my age and not knowing any better.”

As she got older (and was actually over the age of 18), Kozisek started getting more and more. It’s been said tat-toos are like children. Most people have a few and once you have one, it’s hard to stop. “A good tattoo, an original piece, is really amazing if you think about it,” she says. “It’s not like you have an eraser or a fresh piece of canvas to go to if you make a mistake. To watch a tattoo artist work is fascinating.”

For years, tattoos were almost looked down upon. There was a negative stigma attached to them. After all, most people thought only criminals, gang members and Hells Angels had them. Now they are more common and Kozisek believes the stigma is gone. As a Master Ethesti-cian and make-up artist at Sirens in the Old Market, she does recall a time when it wasn’t that easy.

“I remember starting in the beauty industry in the early ‘90s,” she explains. “If you had tattoos then, well, they had better be hidden. Now it’s almost part of the dress code. Just like clothes and accessories, tattoos are an expression of ones individuality. I can’t really say I have experienced prejudice because of them, but they have defiantly been a

y continued on page 26

| THE READER | FEB. 6 - 12, 2014 25

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26 FEB. 6 - 12, 2014 | THE READER |

conversation piece. As far as being judged for having them, I haven’t felt that way or else I wasn’t aware of it.”

Fortunately, her job allows more freedom than most places when it comes to appearance. In fact, it’s encouraged to stand out.

“I guess it would depend on the salon and the clientele,” she re-marks. “Being down in the Old Market Sirens, it is located in Oma-ha’s arts and warehouse district. Our team is a very diverse group of individuals. From very tattooed to none at all, the salon is a melting pot of all kinds of professionals and clients.”

Kozisek was born in Denver, Colorado. Her father, Dr. Michael Naughton, is a biochemist. She lived in Blackpool, England from the ages of 3 to 5 and Denver from 5 to 12. She attended Bandon Gram-mar School in Co. Cork Ireland from the time she was 13 until she moved backed to Denver at 19 to attend the Colorado Institute of Art (CIA) for the Music and Video business program. She met her husband at CIA and they have two children. Together, they moved to Nebraska in 1996. She went to Capitol School for Esthetics and has been in the salon and spa industry for over 14 years. In 2006, she won the award for Best Esthetician in the 2006 Reader’s Choice Awards. Her unique leadership qualities as a manager inspire her staff to attain the highest standards of excellence. As far as the nick-name “Chevy” goes, it’s just something that happened.

“My real name is Siobhan, which means Shavon,” she explains. “It’s an Irish name with traditional Celtic spelling. When I moved back from Ireland, I had a lot of people calling me Chevron, Chevette, etc. Chevy just kind of stuck and it suits my personality.”

This year, along with the rest of the Sirens team, Kozisek was in-vited to attend the Best in the Midwest Tattoo Convention. “I attended all three days the first year,” she says. “Last year, I was out of town working on a film. I’m really excited to attend this year with the Sirens team. It’s an amazing convention with incredible talent!”

Armed with seemingly endless amounts of enthusiasm, Kozisek stays busy. She enjoys live music, traveling, doing make-up and spe-cial effects for film, video, and photo shoots. She’s currently working as a co-producer on the documentary, There Will Be No Stay, which is a film about the men who are tasked by society with carrying out the death penalty. It’s a first-hand look at executioners, the pressures they’re put under, and the unbearable toll the act of taking another’s life has on their own. While she’s not consumed with everything she has going on, she’s plotting out her next tattoo.

“A lot of people have many tattoo pieces done by the same artist,” she says. “I am collecting the same piece done by different tattoo artists. Right now I have four sirens, or mermaids if you will, done by four different artists, each completely different from the other. I guess I’ll keep my eye out for that unique style of an artist to do a fifth siren.

“Let’s hope tattoos are not a trend,” she adds. “Trends come and go. A tattoo is a life time commitment.”

y continued on page 24

| THE READER | FEB. 6 - 12, 2014 27

Oscar Shorts! The Academy Award Nominated Short Films 2014 First-Run

Don’t miss this year’s Academy Award Nominated Short Films! View the films and cast your own ballot at the Ruth Sokolof Theater before the Oscars telecast (March 2).

Animated Program: Through Feb 20

Live-Action Program: Through Feb 20

Documentary Progam: Feb 7 - 13

Filmmakers’ Screening:Sick Birds Die Easy First-Run Dir. Nik Fackler.Feb 11, 7 pm With Omaha-based writer-director Nik Fackler and crew in person!Your ticket stub also gets you into a soundtrack album release show at Slowdown following the film!

First-Run Films Film Streamsat the Ruth

Sokolof Theater14th & Mike Fahey Street (formerly Webster Street)

More info & showtimes 402.933.0259 · filmstreams.org

Facebook & Twitter:

@filmstreams

Forever Young Admission just $2.50 for kids 12 and under!

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington 1939 Dir. Frank Capra.Feb 6, 8, 9 & 13

Coming SoonGloria First-Run (R)The Past First-Run (PG-13)The Grand Budapest Hotel First-Run (R)Tim’s Vermeer First-Run (PG-13)

The Hitchcock 9 Generously supported by Sam Walker.

Downhill 1927 Dir. Alfred Hitchcock.Feb 13, 7 pmRecorded soundtrack by Schlomo.

Tickets: $12 general, $10 for students, seniors, teachers and military, and $8 for Film Streams Members.

28 FEB. 6 - 12, 2014 | THE READER |

SUNDAY9

Sunday, Feb. 9JEFF DUNHAM Pinnacle Bank Arena, Lincoln3 p.m., tickets $48.50www.pinnaclebankarena.com

“Here I was, this unremarkable kid in the third grade,” comedian/ventriloquist Jeff Dunham ex-plains. “I was as average as average could be — wasn’t popular with girls, wasn’t popular with my other classmates, I was a little bit pudgy, and I was no good at sports. I was shy. And now I had this dummy, and I could sit up in front of the class and make people laugh and then make fun of the prin-cipal or the teacher, or my other classmates and I’d get laughs and get accolades. I really never wanted to do anything else.” Dunham really hasn’t done anything else since launching his career in the late ’70s. In 2003, he made his first Comedy Central ap-pearance and things kept getting better from there. His fifth special, Minding the Monsters premiered on Comedy Central in October 2012. Currently back on the tour circuit, Dunham makes a stop in Lincoln this Sunday.

—Kyle Eustice

SATURDAY8

Saturday, Feb. 8THE OPP – FILM PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRENTON GOMEZ AND NEAL DUFFY Omaha Design Group1258 S. 13th St.

6 p.m. Free

The Omaha People’s Party has returned for its sec-ond year in Omaha. Hosted at the Omaha Design Group, a graphic design and advertising agency, artists in the different industries of music, film, design and photography will feature their work for one night. This event features film photography by Brenton Gomez, also known as Conchance, and Neal Duffy, Omaha native and sound engineer for the popular Neon Trees pop-rock group. Duffy will be presenting some photos, as well as participating in the musical aspect. Gomez is an Omaha indie rapper who won the OEA for best hip-hop artist in 2010 and 2011 and was nominated in 2012. That

same year he released his debut full-length album Calm Kids. Gomez will be sharing photos from his travels to Mexico this last year. Prints will be for sale during the event. There will be video screen-ings in a local art showcase from artists Scky Rei, Make Believe Recordings and more. The event will feature live music with special guest emcees DJ IN-FNTLP, WERD (Neal Duffy) and Dojorok and hip-hop from Scky Rei. Live Art by Gerard Pefung will also be included, fashion shirt designs and more! With an after party at the House of Loom at mid-night you won’t want to miss this Omaha People’s Party event.

—Mara Wilson

MONDAY10

Monday, Feb. 10THE MENZINGERSW/ OFF WITH THEIR HEADS Bourbon Theatre, Lincoln7:30 p.m.$12/ADV $14/DOSwww.bourbontheatre.com

Since signing the dotted line with Brett Gurewitz, founder of Epitaph Records and Bad Religion gui-tarist, The Menzingers haven’t looked back. As one of the newest members to the Epitaph family, they have enjoyed all the perks that come along with that—endless support, nice tour buses and a

proper publicist. Hailing from Scranton, Pennsyl-vania, the punk rock outfit formed around 2006. Go-Kart Records put out the group’s debut, A Les-son in the Abuse of Information Technology, then they jumped to Red Scare Industries where they released a 4-song EP and again split for a brief stint with Anti-Flag in 2010. By the time they found Epitaph in 2011, The Menzingers had built a solid following. They released On the Impossible Past on the imprint in 2012, which was voted “Album of the Year” by Absolutepunk.net and Punknews.org. Their fourth studio album is due out this year..

—Kyle Eustice

DAYS

T H E R E A D E R ’ S E N T E R T A I N M E N T P I C K S F E B . 6 - 1 2 , 2 0 1 4

TOPTV

8“Don’t Trust Andrew Mayne”Mondasy, 9 p.m. (A&E)

Andrew Mayne is a mischief-loving magician who becomes impatient when people aren’t looking at him. “Ever try to get someone’s attention and they just won’t give it to you?” he asks in his new reality series, oozing insincerity. Andrew solves this problem by accosting passersby and blowing their minds with prankish il-lusions. He rubs the ink off their dollar bills and makes their motorcycles float away, saying, “I love to screw with people.” Yeah, we noticed. Andrew is an arrogant cad, but he seems to be enjoying his stunts so much that we do, too. His reality series is a fast-paced half-hour whose crazed editing matches the star’s knack for creating chaos. In each episode, he pulls off several small illusions on the street, along with one big one in which he partners with someone seeking revenge — for example, a wife with a beef against her husband. Andrew has a way of making things right in such situations, but his methods will not be endorsed by any licensed marriage counselor. “Sometimes,” he confides, “you just have to blow stuff up.”

— Dean Robbins

picks | THE READER | FEB. 6 - 12, 2014 29

NEAL DUFFY

THE MENZINGERS

THURSDAY 6ANDY T & NICK NIXON, (Blues) 6 pm, 21st SaloonGONZO & J. EXPO, 9 pm, Bar 415, FREE.SONG REDEMPTION NIGHT, 9 pm, Barley Street Tavern, $5.RANDY ROGERS BAND W/ DYLAN BLOOM BAND & BRYANT CARTER BAND, (Country) 9 pm, Bourbon Theater, $15 ADV / $20 DOS.NEW MOON SONGWRITERS NIGHT, (Folk/Singer-Songwrit-er) 7 pm, Crescent Moon Coffee, FREE.LINCOLN EXPOSED, 5 pm, Duffy’s Tavern, $6.ECLECTIC TUBA & TATONKA, (ROCK) 9 pm, Knickerbock-ers, Check venue for cover charge.SMOOTH JAZZ THURSDAYS AT THE OZONE LOUNGE W/ED AR-CHIBALD, (Jazz) 6:30 pm, OzoNE Lounge at Anthony’s Steakhouse, FREE.SWAMPJAM HOSTED BY SWAMPBOY BLUES BAND, (Blues) 8 pm, Rusty Nail Pub, Contact venue for cover charge.ACOUSTIC MUSIC THURSDAYS!, 8 pm, Two Fine Irishmen, Contact venue for cover charge.LYMPHNODE MANIACS, (Jazz) 9 pm, Venue 51, FREE.THE LOVE TECHNICIANS W/ LOW LONG SIGNAL, (Indie) 9 pm, Waiting Room, $5.LINCOLN EXPOSED, 5 pm, Zoo Bar, Contact venue for cover charge.

FRIDAY 73D IN YOUR FACE, (Cover Band) 9 pm, 21st Saloon, $5.5 MAN TRIO, (Rock) 9:30 pm, Arena Bar & Grill, FREE.SEMTECH’S BIRTHDAY W/ AMMO, 9 pm, Bar 415, $5.BENSON FIRST FRIDAY AND ROBO DOJO, (Rock) 9 pm, Bar-ley Street Tavern, $5.LINCOLN EXPOSED, 5 pm, Bourbon Theater, $8MR. SINISTER, (COVER BAND) 9 pm, Chrome Lounge, Contact venue for cover charge.LINCOLN EXPOSED, 5 pm, Duffy’s Tavern, $8.PEACE, LOVE, ETC., (Rock) 9 pm, Firewater Grille, Check venue for cover charge.DR. LONNIE SMITH TRIO, (Jazz) 8 pm, Holland Performing Arts Center, $30.KARAOKE THEATRE, 9 pm, House Of Loom, FREE.TREV TAYLOR W/ MC TEACH, TRIPLE THREAT & LOVELESS, (Hip-Hop/Rap) 9 pm, Knickerbockers, Check venue for cover charge.HIDDEN AGENDA, (Cover Band) 8 pm, Loose Moose, FREE.SEE THROUGH DRESSES W/SHY BOYS AND GHOSTY, (Rock) 9:30 pm, O’Leaver’s Pub, $5.LOW LONG SIGNAL W/ FREAKABOUT, MITCH GETTMAN & MANIC PIXIE DREAM GIRLS, (Rock) 9 pm, Slowdown, $5.

STOP SIGN RIOT W/ ONE OF THESE DAYS ALICE, STALEMATE, SHERRY DRIVE & GRUMBLE, (Rock) 6:30 pm, Sokol Hall & Auditorium, $8.SWEATSHOP PRESENTS: DJ THOMAS FLAHERTY, (Art Shows) 9 pm, Sweatshop Gallery, Contact venue for charge.THE NADAS W/MATT WHIPKEY BAND, (Folk/Singer-Song-writer) 8 pm, Vega, Ages 21+ $8.FRIDAY AFTERNOON CONCERT SERIES FEAT. SWAMP BOY BLUES, (Blues) 6 pm, Venue 51, FREE.FINO, VAGO & MATT COX, (Rock) 9 pm, Venue 51, $5.THE ZERO SUM CD RELEASE, (Rock) 9 pm, Waiting Room, $8.LINCOLN EXPOSED, 5 pm, Zoo Bar, Contact venue for cover charge.

SATURDAY 8FORK IN THE ROAD, (Rock) 8:30 pm, Ameristar Casino, FREE.THE FOOLS, (Rock) 9:30 pm, Arena Bar & Grill, FREE.AARON LEE & DINO VELVET, (Rock) 9 pm, Bar 415, $5.NAIVE FILTER, GEOFFREY LOUIS KOCH AND JOHN LARSEN, (Indie) 9 pm, Barley Street Tavern, $5.LINCOLN EXPOSED, 11 am, Bourbon Theater, $8LUKE BRYAN, (Country) 7:30 pm, CenturyLink Center Omaha, $29.75-$59.75.DONNYBROOK, (Rock) 9 pm, Dubliner Pub, $3.LINCOLN EXPOSED, 11 am, Duffy’s Tavern, $8.KARAOKE, 8 PM, Firewater Grille, Contact venue for cover charges.THE SWAMPBOYS BLUES BAND, (Blues) 9 pm, Havana Garage, FREE.NORTHWEST PASSAGE & MY BROTHER, (Rock) 9 pm, Knickerbockers, Check venue for cover charge.CACTUS HILL, (Cover Band) 8 pm, Loose Moose, FREERSTYLE, (Hip-Hop/Rap) 9 pm, Shamrock’s Pub & Grill, Contact venue for cover charge.DAWG DAYS OF SUMMER BATTLE OF THE BLUEGRASS BANDS, (Blues) 9 pm, Venue 51, $5.ONE EYE WHITE CD RELEASE, (Rock) 9 pm, Waiting Room, $7.LINCOLN EXPOSED, 11 am, Zoo Bar, Contact venue for cover charge.

SUNDAY 9SALSA SUNDAY W/ LATIN MADNESS, 7 pm, House Of Loom, $5.LINCOLN EXPOSED, 11 am, Bourbon Theater, $8.LINCOLN EXPOSED, 11 am, Duffy’s Tavern, $8.O’LEAVER’S OPEN MIC NIGHT, 9 pm, O’Leaver’s Pub, Free.

OPEN MIC NIGHT, 8 pm, Red9, FREE.SOARING WINGS VINEYARD SUNDAY MUSIC WITH MARK IR-VIN, 2 pm, Soaring Wings Vineyard, FREE.LINCOLN EXPOSED, 11 am, Zoo Bar, Contact venue for cover charge.

MONDAY 10OPEN MIC NIGHT, 6 pm, 402 Arts Collective/ Aromas Coffeehouse, FREE.OPEN MIC & SONGWRITER SHOWCASE, (Folk/Singer-Song-writer) 9 pm, Barley Street Tavern, FREE.THE MENZINGERS W/ OFF WITH THEIR HEADS, ELWAY, THE RIDGEWAYS & NO TIDE, (Punk) 7:30 pm, Bourbon The-ater, $12 ADV / $14 DOS.JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, (Pop) 8 pm, CenturyLink Center Omaha, $47-$177.FIRST CUT INDUSTRY NIGHT W/ DJ DRDRIGGS, (DJ/Elec-tronic) 9 pm, House Of Loom, FREE.GOOCH & HIS LAS VEGAS BIG BAND, 8 pm, OzoNE Lounge at Anthony’s Steakhouse, FREE.OPEN MIC NIGHT! AT RED9, 8 pm, Red9, FREE.WAITING ROOM MUSIC QUIZ, 8 pm, Waiting Room, FREE.ZOO BAR HOUSE BAND, 7 pm, Zoo Bar, $3.PIANO HOUR W/ EMILY BASS, 5 pm, Zoo Bar, Contact venue for cover charge.

TUESDAY 11VIC NASTY, 8 pm, Bar 415, Contact venue for cover charge.THE KIN, (Pop) 8 pm, Bourbon Theater, $10 ADV / $12 DOS.OPEN MIC NIGHT, 9:30 pm, Dubliner Pub, FREE.DAD’S BEER NIGHT W/ TERRIBLE BUTTONS, (Blues) 9 pm, Duffy’s Tavern, FREE.TIME AND DISTANCE W/ WICKY BID, (Rock) 9 pm, Knicker-bockers, Check venue for cover charge.OPEN MIC NIGHT, (Folk/Singer-Songwriter) 8 pm, Venue 51, FREE.HOUNDMOUTH W/ WILLIE WATSON, (Blues) 9 pm, Waiting Room, $12 ADV / $15 DOS.JAZZOCRACY, (Jazz) 6 pm, Zoo Bar, FREE.DJ RELIC SOUL PARTY, 8 pm, Zoo Bar, FREE.

WEDNESDAY 12DJ ANIMALE, (DJ/Electronic) 9 pm, Bar 415, FREE.DICEY RILEYS, 7 pm, Brazen Head Irish Pub, FREE.DEVIN SINHA / ARIEL & THE ARGA KNOTS, MICHAEL WUN-DER & THE UNINSPIRED, (Folk/Singer-Songwriter) 9 pm, Duffy’s Tavern, $5.CHRIS SHELTON, (Rock) 9 pm, Firewater Grille, Check venue for cover charge.LOVE & LAUGHTER TOUR FEAT. KEITH SWEAT W/ TONY ROCK, MONIQUE, RODNEY PERRY & MORE, (Hip-Hop/Rap) 8 pm, Omaha Civic Auditorium/Music Hall, $57.55 - $68.50.LEGRAND & COMPANY, (Rock) 6:30 pm, OzoNE Lounge at Anthony’s Steakhouse, FREE.TALKING MOUNTAIN W/ GREEN TREES & CHRIS COUSE, 9 pm, Slowdown, FREE.ATTILA W/ I SEE STARS, CAPTURE THE CROWN, ICE NINE KILLS & MYKA, (Metal) 7 pm, Waiting Room, $16 ADV / $18 DOS.JOHN NEMETH, (Blues) 6 pm, Zoo Bar, $10.SPOCK NIXON W/WILDWOODS, (Blues) 9 pm, Zoo Bar, $5.

30 FEB. 6 - 12, 2014 | THE READER | music listings

SEND CALENDAR INFORMATION — including addresses, dates, times, costs and phone numbers — to The Reader’s calendar editor. Mail to or drop off information at P.O. Box 7360 Omaha, NE 68107; email to [email protected]; fax to (402) 341.6967. Deadline is 5 p.m. the Thursday prior to issue date.

livemusiccalendarcoldcream■ As most people were preparing their festivi-ties for the Big Game this past Sunday, a group of performers were getting set to showcase some wholly unique, one-of-a-kind theatrical of-ferings. The event was part of Shelterbelt The-atre’s 20th Anniversary Write Off, a fundraiser held late last summer to celebrate the theatre’s fi rst two decades.

“While planning for our 20th anniversary par-ty last July we were brainstorming how to do a little fundraising for the theater,” said Shelterbelt Artistic Director Beth Thompson. “Ellen Struve had the brilliant idea to auction off playwright’s to write monologues for specifi c actors.”

They playwrights were assembled (includ-ing Scott Working, Ellen Struve, Joe Basque, Daena Schweiger, Beaufi eld Berry and Nick Zadina) and the auction began. “Guests at the party could put down a bid and any actor they wanted,” said Thompson. When all was said and done, the winners were announced and the ac-tors were chosen: Barb Ross, Kaitlyn McClin-cy, Daena Schweiger, Bob Fischbach, Laura Campbell and Steve Krambeck (order paired

with writer order from above). With about a month to go before Sunday’s

event, Thompson contacted all of the writers and gathered drafts of monologues the actors would perform. “We had a little rehearsal/tech on Saturday to decide the order and give the actors a chance to be in the space and fi nd a few props if necessary and then [got ready for] Sunday,” Thompson said.

The free afternoon of performances that fol-lowed one of the matinee performances of From Shelterbelt with Love was a complete success. Social media was abuzz that if you were lucky enough to attend the one and done show, you would not soon forget it.

“It was one of the most amazing shows I’ve seen in a long time,” said Thompson. “It was raw, live theater at it’s best. Some were writ-ten very specifi cally for the actor (like Bob Fischbach in The Most Interesting Reviewer in Omaha), while others felt like the writer created a ‘dream role’ for their performer.”

After seeing the success of the event, the Shelterbelt will no doubt be looking for ideas for next season’s fundraisers.

“It was a lot of fun with a lot of talent on one stage,” she said. “I can not wait to do it again. I think we should make it an annual thing!!”

—Bill Grennan

Cold Cream looks at theater in the metro area. Email informa-tion to [email protected]

hoodooB Y B . J . H U C H T E M A N N

HOODOO is a weekly column focusing on blues, roots, Americana and occasional other music styles with an emphasis on live

music performances. Hoodoo columnist B.J. Huchtemann is a Reader senior contributing writer and veteran music journalist who

has covered the local music scene for nearly 20 years. Follow her blog at hoodoorootsblues.blogspot.com.

Hot Blues & Lincoln Exposed

You may not know their names, but Nick Nixon and “Andy T” Talamantez are veteran blues musicians. They’re out on the

road touring in support of their 2013 CD, Drink, Drank, Drunk (Delta Groove) produced by well-known Texas guitarist and longtime bandleader Anson Funderburgh. Nixon is a heritage artist who has gotten a new hearing. Born in Nashville, he was part of the city’s Jefferson Street Blues scene and recorded for Chess Records in the ’70s. Nixon’s smooth R&B vocal style found him performing with The New Imperials for 45 years. Nixon was also a friend of Jimi Hendrix and sometimes shared the stage with Hendrix. Nixon has been credited with taking a key role in reviving Nashville’s blues scene. Now Nixon is partnered with “Andy T” Talamantez, who has worked with Guitar Shorty and Smokey Wilson, and whose guitar style is infl uenced by artists like T-Bone Walker, BB King, Magic Sam and Albert Collins. See andytband.com. They play The 21st Saloon Thursday, Feb. 6, 6-9 p.m.LIVE & LOCAL: Betty Jean, the new incarnation of Heather J. Berney’s The Betties, has a CD release party at The Slowdown, Thursday, Feb. 6, 9 p.m. The new disc is Over the Moon and it’s Berney’s third

CD. Also performing are Travelling Mercies and Matt Cox. There is a great weekend of local bands at The Hive, 1207 Harney. Friday, Feb. 7, catch The 9s plus The Undisco Kids after 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8, it’s Kris Lager Band.OEAA AWARDS SHOW: The 8th annual OEAA awards program is Sunday, Feb. 16, 7 p.m., at a new location, the DoubleTree Hotel, 1616 Dodge Street. Musical performances during the awards show are scheduled to include music nominees Josh Hoyer & the Shadowboxers, Purveyors of the Conscious Sound and Belles & Whistles featuring Daniel Christian. There are also offi cial pre-party and post-party events. Tickets to the awards are $25 and available at oea-awards.com/tickets.HOT NOTES: Lincoln Exposed is back Feb. 5-8 with various genres and multiple bands at The Zoo Bar, Duffy’s and Bourbon Theatre. See the venue schedules or the Facebook Lincoln Exposed event page. Jazz fans note Hammond B3 master Dr. Lonnie Smith performs Friday, Feb. 7, at the Holland Performing Arts Center’s 1200 Club. Smith has been infl uential in jazz, acid jazz and funk. See omahaperformingarts.org. The popular, soulful R&B and blues of John Németh hits Lincoln’s Zoo Bar Wednesday, Feb. 12, and Omaha’s 21st Saloon Thursday, Feb. 13, both shows 6-9 p.m. ,

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31FEB. 6 - 12, 2014| THE READER | hoodoo

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CALL OR CHECK OUR WEBSITEFOR MOVIE TIMES AND PRICES

Going Postal

America’s returning warriors con-tinue to experience inexplicable difficulty after putting their lives

at risk for their country. It took 13 years for Army Sgt. Maj. Richard Erickson to get his job back from his civilian employer after he took leave in 2000 to serve in the Na-tional Guard special forces. The employer soon fired him for taking “excessive military leave.” The employer? The U.S. Postal Service, for which Erickson worked as a window clerk (and which was forced to reinstate him after a January 2014 ruling awarding him $2 million in back pay). Erickson had won several interim victories, but USPS fought each one, extending the case, and said in January that it might even appeal the latest ruling.

Recurring ThemesHappy New Year: (1) Once again, celebrants in France marked Jan. 1 by setting fire to 1,067 cars nationwide (down from 1,193 the previous Jan. 1). (2) In the Hill-brow neighborhood of Johannesburg, South Africa, celebrants apparently decided to abandon a 20-year-old tradition and not hurl furniture from high-rise apartments. (The Hillbrow custom was high-lighted on one social-networking website, along with the New Year’s graveyard gathering of relatives in Chile and Ireland’s banging bread on walls to dispel evil spirits.)

-- Holy Mutations: Deformed animals born in developing countries often attract streams of pilgrims, seeking to touch a creature considered divinely blessed. In De-cember, a five-legged cow in Raipur, India, had supposedly “caused” the last 30 women who touched it to give birth to boys. And a day after that report came one from Phuket, Thailand, in which a newborn gecko with six legs and two heads has become a magnet for visitors seeking clues to win-ning lottery numbers.

-- In November the Journal-News of Hamilton, Ohio, examining various police union contracts in

the state, learned that in several jurisdictions, officers are allowed to work their shifts even when less sober than some drivers whom they ticket for DUI. In Lebanon,

Ohio, for instance, cops can work with a .04 blood-alcohol reading. In Butler

County, a .04 reading triggers legal pro-tections for officers that are unavailable to

ordinary drivers. (However, in Lebanon, an officer’s right to suck on a breath mint be-fore taking the test was recently removed from the contract.)

-- Judges as Romantics: (1) In December, Ita-ly’s top appeals court awarded a new trial to a man, 60, who had been convicted of having sex with an 11-year-old girl. Evidence had been excluded that the pair were having an “amorous relationship” with “feelings of love.” (2) Alabama Judge James Woodroof of Limestone County, given two separate chances in December to sentence Austin Clem, 25, to jail time for raping a girl beginning when she was 13, both times opted for probation. (The no-jail sentences per-haps reflected that Clem’s family and hers continued to socialize after the rapes.)

-- The Continuing British Campaign to Abolish Risks: (1) Britain’s Royal Mail

announced in December that it would stop delivery to Jeff and Sheila White’s cottage in Carnforth because the car-

rier was frightened of cows. (Mrs. White said he was just lazy, in that when the cows were present, the carrier had to open and close a

gate to get to their cottage.) (2) A 65-year-old school crossing guard resigned in October from a job he said he liked

because officials at Manadon Vale Primary School had ordered him to stop

playfully “high-fiving” students. Guards, the school said, need both arms free to hold signs and make proper signals.

-- News of the Weird has reported the emerging mainstream treatment (for various bowel disorders)

newsoftheweirdT H E W O R L D G O N E F R E A K Y B Y C H U C K S H E P H E R D W I T H I L L U S T R A T I O N S B Y T O M B R I S C O E

32 FEB. 6 - 12, 2014 | THE READER | weird news

33FEB. 6 - 12, 2014| THE READER | weird news

COPYRIGHT 2014 CHUCK SHEPHERD. Visit Chuck Shepherd daily at NewsoftheWeird.blogspot.com or NewsoftheWeird.com. Send Weird News to [email protected] or P.O. Box 18737, Tampa, FL 33679. Illustrations by Tom Briscoe (smallworldcomics.com).

of fecal transplants, in which a healthier relative “donates” via enema supposedly healthier microbes to a sickly patient to normalize intestinal activity. The process, still strange to many patients despite its appar-ent success, has become so popu-lar that in October Canadian officials felt the need to warn patients not to perform amateur transplants. Said one mother, after suc-cessfully having her 10-year-old daughter treat-ed, “I think one day ... we will have fecal-matter banks like (blood banks and sperm banks).”

-- Unclear on the Concept: In December, after Carmen Reategui, 34, was arrested for DUI in Read-ington Township, N.J., and was too impaired to drive home, she called Nina Petracca, 23, who arrived at the police station impaired herself (and was arrested for DUI), and both women called Ryan Hogan, 33, to take them home, but he also arrived impaired and was arrested.

-- Classics: (1) Jamal Garrett, 29, was arrested in Antioch, Calif., in January after, police said, he tried to rob a Wells Fargo bank, but had fled empty-hand-ed after a teller struggled to read a poorly written holdup note. (She and her manager said they did not even know immediately if it was a holdup or just a note requesting assistance.) (2) Daniel Severn, 27, pleaded guilty to burglary in England’s Hull Crown Court in December, for trying to en-ter a home through the roof but get-ting trapped, upside down, in the bathroom. He dug his phone out of his pocket, but it fell into the toilet, and he remained hanging for an hour and a half until a resi-dent arrived and found him.

Updates on News of the Weird StoriesUnrelenting, swastika-tattooed New Jersey neo-Nazi Heath Campbell, 40, saw child No. 9 born in Novem-

ber, and once again, the county fam-ily welfare office removed it almost

immediately. “I’m not allowed to have children because I’m a Nazi,” he la-

mented. Campbell first made head-lines in 2008 when a bakery declined to decorate a birthday cake for his

son, Adolf Hitler Campbell, leading child welfare officials to investigate, and

more seizures followed, now including the November-born Eva (Lynn Patricia) Braun. Campbell told reporters he would continue to fight for offspring. “I’ll stop making them

when they stop taking them.”-- News of the Weird informed readers in No-

vember that the Snuggle House was about to open in Madison, Wis., promising clients pajama-clad bed-mates -- as long as no sex (or foreplay, even) took place. In fact, Snuggle House has yet to open (in part because the Madison assistant city attorney has yet to over-come her belief that cuddling without sex is impos-sible). However, a December Associated Press report noted that no-sex cuddleries thrive in Rochester, N.Y. (The Snuggery), Boulder, Colo. (Be the Love You Are), and San Francisco (Cuddle Therapy). Snuggle House

owner Matthew Hurtado said he is still working with Madison officials on regulations to prevent naughtiness.

-- Among planet Earth’s most bizarre local customs is the Christmas tradition in Spain’s Catalonia region of

decorating Nativity scenes with figu-rines of famous people squatting and answering nature’s calls. News of the

Weird has noted that presidents (Bush and Obama) have been “honored” with posterior-baring

statuettes, along with Queen Eliza-beth. Right on cue this past Christ-

mas, Spanish artists unveiled “caganers” in the images of Pope Francis and Nelson Man-

dela. (Perhaps the least-illogical explanation for the tradition is that if the manger is fertilized, the coming year’s crops will flourish.). ,

—Drew Zinn Interior Design

I chose MCC because I knew I would be

My instructors me learn about the profession, and now I’m at a design firm.

CHALLENGED.

HELPED

INTERNING

Spring quarter begins March 7.

34 FEB. 6 - 12, 2014 | THE READER | film

n The Internet broke in half this summer when Ben Affleck was announced as the new Batman in the upcoming Batman/Super-man movie. Since then, we’ve barely held the information superhighway together with superglue, positive thinking and lots of por-nography. But that all changed the moment that Jesse Eisenberg was announced as Lex Luthor. The fact that Eisenberg both has hair and is a young person whipped denizens of the Internet into a cyber-riot that has irrevo-cably broken the World Wide Web, as book-store owners feel pretty good about life for the first time in a decade. n Director David O. Russell and Jennifer Lawrence apparently want to see what they can get away with. Having gotten scores and scores of nominations and awards for their collaborations in the mediocre Silver Lin-ings Playbook and American Hustle, the duo want to know if we’ll literally give them tro-phies for whatever they do. Next up may well be a movie about the inventor of the Miracle Mop, with Lawrence playing said mopstress, Joy Mangano. This just in, Lawrence has already won a Golden Globe for the perfor-mance she has yet to film. n In the “nothing good can last” department, Shia LaBeouf has already unretired. Three weeks after his hissy fit stemming from an act of plagiarism he committed, The Boof booked a role alongside Bill Murray in Rock the Kas-bah, where he will be joined by Bruce Willis, Kate Hudson, Danny McBride and Zooey De-schanel. With a cast that good, there’s a small chance even The Boof can’t screw it up. n They are making a Back to the Future musical. Set to appear next year on Lon-don’s West End, the original team of writer Bob Gale and director Robert Zemeckis are working alongside producers to turn a much beloved ’80s classic into a song-and-dance vehicle because modern society doesn’t know when to quit. Those who just thought “at least it’s not a remake” haven’t envisioned the soft-shoe number in the middle of the jaunty tune “1.21 Gigawatts of Love!”

—Ryan Syrek

Cutting Room provides breaking local and national movie news … complete with added sarcasm. Send any relevant informa-tion to [email protected]. Check out Ryan on Movieha!, a weekly half-hour qqqqqqqmovie podcast (movieha.libsyn.com/rss), catch him on the radio on CD 105.9 (cd1059.com) on Fridays around 7:30 a.m. and on KVNO 90.7 (kvno.org) at 8:30 a.m. on Fridays and follow him on Twitter (twitter.com/thereaderfilm).

RE

PO

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CA

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Just as the short story trembles in the foot-print of the novel, the short film plays David to feature-length film Goliaths. But with the

help of shiny, naked bald men, these wee bits of cin-ematic splendor step from the shadows and sling their short shots. And in the 12 years I’ve had the pleasure of covering them, this year’s bunch is easily the best.

Live-Action Short FilmsAquel No Era Yo (That Wasn’t Me)Director: Esteban CrespoSet in Africa, this short is proof that you can create pant-wetting tension, heart-splitting tragedy and soul-filling redemption in less than 30 minutes flat. Crespo creates a nu-anced, minimalist story revealing the hellish world of child soldiers and the limitless potential of the human spirit for forgiveness and rebirth. So, yeah check the on your ballot now and thank me later.GRADE = A+

HeliumDirector: Anders WalterIf somehow That Wasn’t Me doesn’t win, it will be because Oscar voters couldn’t pass over a film about a boy dying of cancer and a kindly hospital worker who invents heaven. It may be a bit cloying and cliched with its heart-string puppetry, but the fantasy sequences alone elevate the material beyond Lifetime TV-style limits. Audiences will be split into two camps: those who say they got misty eyed and liars.GRADE = A-

Avant Que De Tout Perdre (Just Before Losing Everything)Director: Xavier LegrandLegrand’s film is basically a heist movie. Money is transferred into accounts and cons are underway. But the “treasure” stolen here is freedom from domestic violence. A woman seeking to save herself and her children asks for help escaping her abuser from her

job. Her boss fires her instead of letting her resign, so she gets severance, her coworkers lie to cover for her but then her husband shows up. It delivers unreal tension in just under 30 minutes. Related: I can appar-ently hold my breath for just under 30 minutes.GRADE = A

Pitääkö Mun Kaikki Hoitaa? (Do I Have to Take Care of Everything?)Director: Selma VilhunenThe lone dud among the 10 live-action and animated shorts, this slightly goofy comedy is eight minutes of a family rushing to a wedding. People fall down and

wear silly clothes, if you’re into that. I can only hope some form of nepotism got this a nod because I don’t get it. Oof.GRADE = D

The Voorman ProblemDirector: Mark GillIf one film from this bunch is developed into a feature, it should be this. Starring Martin Freeman as a psy-chiatrist interviewing Tom Hollander playing a man who claims to be God, this has at least 2 “holy eff ” moments and the coolest ending of the bunch. That Wasn’t Me was the “best” short of the year, but The Voorman Problem was my favorite.GRADE = A

OVERALL GRADE FOR THE 2013 LIVE-ACTION SHORTS: A-

Animated Short FilmsGet a HorseDirector: Lauren MacMullenNominating any Disney animation feels obvious and obligatory. But Get a Horse is a delightful madcap romp that brings a classic version of Mickey Mouse back on the screen. Little more than a series of cartoon charac-ter slapstick sight gags, it’s a throwback that still has a bit of pep in its step, even if it has nothing to say.GRADE = B

FeralDirector: Daniel SousaThis gorgeous endeavor feels like a moving painting. Following a wild boy who is brought to a school to be civilized, the short reminds us that the savagery of the animals is outdone by the beastly nature of “society.” It’s the most visually arresting film of the bunch, even if its theme is as old as Tarzan.GRADE = A-

Room on the BroomDirectors: Jan Lachauer, Max LangThis faux clay-mation special is pure kids’ stuff, which is surprisingly refreshing. The whimsical narration provided by Simon Pegg advances a delightful moral-ity tale about acceptance, collaboration and the power of the dark arts. Parents may not be wild about that last part, but it’s a lot of fun.GRADE = A-

PossessionsDirector: Shuhei MoritaPossessions is a three-dimensional, computer-gen-erated version of hand-drawn Japanese anime, in-fused with the spirit of Hayao Miyazaki. Umbrellas and tapestries come to life and “attack” a wayward soul who defeats them by repairing them. It’s as silly and delightful as it is lush and vibrant. It’s the epitome of why I love animated shortsand it’s not even the best one.GRADE = A+

Mr. HublotDirectors: Laurent Witz, Alexandre EspigaresI watched Mr. Hublot twice in a row. I love it. I want it made into a full-length feature, and I would buy the inevitable associated toy line. A fusty robot with OCD is transformed when he adopts a growing robo-pup. This gem is part steampunk visuals and part E.T. sci-fi tear-jerking. Get a Horse will take home Oscar gold (ugh), but Mr. Hublot stole my heart.GRADE = A+

OVERALL GRADE FOR ANIMATED SHORTS: A

American Hustle = BSolid, slightly odd, con film with great female performances.

Nebraska = B-Another nice, quiet, muted film from the master.

Her = B+Love between a man and his computer can be beautiful.

READER RECOMMENDSThe Great Beauty = A-A Fellini-esque reflection on life, love and Italian apathy.

ON DVDBlue Jasmine = B+A show-stopping performance for Cate Blanchett.

Captain Phillips = CA fake-feeling real-life story.

The Fifth Estate = C- As exciting as actually watching people type!

Rush = B+ True story about a sport we don’t care about that you’llactually care about!

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35FEB. 6 - 12, 2014| THE READER | billboard

Poseidon and the SeaMyth, cult and daily life,February 8–May 11

Free admission for all Joslyn members! $10 for general public adults; youth ages 17 and younger & college students with ID are free. Special Thursday pricing (4-8 pm): $5 for general public adults.

The realms of Poseidon encompassed virtually every aspect of life in the

ancient Mediterranean world, from mythology and religious cult to the daily

life of its people. This exhibition explores each of these three dominions,

beginning with an impressive marble statue of the god. This remarkable

Roman statue from the first century AD sets the stage for more than 100

additional works of Greek, Etruscan, and Roman art including stunning

examples of black-figure and red-figure pottery; sculpture in terracotta,

marble, and precious metals; and extraordinary examples of ancient glass,

mosaics, carved gems, and coins.

2200 Dodge St.Omaha, NE 68102 (402) 342-3300 www.joslyn.org

Major SponSor

Douglas County

Supporting SponSor

additional Support provided by

Nebraska Arts Council and Nebraska Cultural Endowment

Contributing SponSorS

the reader feb. 6-12, 2014

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