Kris Lager & The Assembly Of Assassins
2 sets of Spiritually uplifting, face melting, and soul stirring music! It’ll be just the medicine you need to forget about this Freezing Midwestern Winter: Nebraska’s own award winning Black Dirt Troubadour Kris Lager & his Assembly Of Assassins converge on Benson’s Waiting Room for two magical sets in one night! That’s right! Two sets of their patented brand of feel good, high energy Americana and Heavy Soul while sprinkling in tributes throughout the evening to a couple of recently departed musical icons: Nashville’s legendary singer/ songwriter Todd Snider and The Mavericks One-Of-A-Kind Frontman Raul Malo. Please join us as we honor and celebrate two iconic figures that deserve to be cherished for their contributions to music! The Assembly Of Assassins include Kris Lager on guitar and vocals. Lincoln’s Jeremiah Weir on Keys, from St. Louis Paul Brackens on bass, Omaha Street Percussions Justin Fisher on drums, Funk Trek alum Caleb Collins on sax and Travis Potter on Trumpet! Rounding out the ensemble will be two time Nebraska Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Famer and legendary percussionist, Michael Pujado. KRIS LAGER BIO: For over two decades, Nebraska’s Kris Lager—a Lincoln native now rooted in Omaha—has crisscrossed the nation as a true musical journeyman, distributing his emotionally rich, genre-blending sound to anyone and everyone willing to listen. At the heart of his philosophy is a powerful “Celebrate Life” mantra—a spirited commitment to uplifting listeners through his deep rooted music and honest/ soul stirring lyrics. His performances are less concerts and more communal gatherings, full of dancing, clapping, “soul clappin’,” and stage-shaking charisma. He connects deeply with audiences, forging unforgettable moments that go beyond just music. Rejecting the traditional music industry ladder, Kris has built his following through heartfelt songwriting, relentless touring, and refusing to chase awards or even mainstream validation. Praised by peers and industry alums alike—Grammy-winning, legendary (and recently departed) producer Jim Gaines, who has mixed two of Kris’ records (Love Songs & Life Lines/ Spectrum) called him “a great voice with great songs,” . Blues Rock Review says ‘He’s a fantastic songwriter’. Andy Frasco & legendary ‘Swamp Rock’ singer J.J. Grey just recently released a country style roots song (Kris and Andy co-penned) entitled ‘Tumbleweed’. Paste Magazine even describes his music as “the kind of toe-tapping rhythm that sometimes you just need to make it through a day.”
Subhumans
Subhumans are one of the most influential bands from the UK Anarcho-Punk scene of the 80’s, filed right alongside Crass and Conflict, and just as relevant today as they were during the darkest days of Thatcher’s Britain. Take your choice in how to label them – Punk, UK82, Crusty, etc, – there lies the attraction and consequent reason for their popularity, the band epitomizes non-conformity and connects with people in many different scenes. Forming in 1980, recording and releasing a series of live and demo cassette tapes on their own Bluurg label, they continued to release music throughout the 80’s – building a powerhouse of a back catalog that completely stands the test of time. Their debut LP ‘The Day the Country Died’ (1983), with its Orwellian influence, is considered by many to be a classic and has sold in excess of 100,000 copies. The second album, ‘From the Cradle to the Grave’, came swiftly the following year (1984), and although the same frenetic pace is in evidence, this marks a significant musical development for the band. In 1985 Subhumans broke up, citing the usual musical differences, although they had managed to release a third, maybe ironically entitled, LP ‘Worlds Apart.’ A final EP was released posthumously in 1986, ‘29:29 Split Vision,’ a further demonstration of how far the band had come musically from their initial leanings. Dick Lucas subsequently joined Culture Shock and then formed political ska-punk band Citizen Fish in 1990, both bands releasing many albums, and still playing today. Subhumans had a couple of reunion shows in the nineties, before a more permanent return for the 21st century, including 2 major tours of the US, the first resulting in the ‘Live in a Dive’ LP. The Subhumans then released a further studio album in 2007, ‘Internal Riot,’ again on Bluurg Records. The band is still passionate and angry, illustrated by Dick saying “Being in a band is the source of most of my passion and drive! The live experience of sharing it with people keeps it ongoing, the release of anger, frustration and initially negative/destructive states of mind is a release from the downward spiral of keeping it all bottled up and it feels positive/constructive as a result.” The band have recently written ten new songs, which Pirates Press Records are thrilled to be releasing, and are embarking on a year of touring in both Europe and North America! First a split with The Restarts before a 12” of their own comes out in October of 2019! The social and political commentary of bands like Subhumans forged a path, along with their contemporaries, for punk to change lives and opinions around the world. Sadly the things they sang about forty years ago are largely just as important now, sometimes more so in an age of Trump and Brexit. We can’t wait to hear more of what they have to say about the current political climate, the immense imbalance of wealth and power, and the causes they hold near and dear to their hearts. — La Pobreska (ska/punk/hardcore from Los Angeles) https://www.instagram.com/lapobreska
Teenage Bottlerocket
They’ve toured the world countless times. They kept the leather jacket-and-Converse look alive through an increasingly neon landscape. They’ve written songs about KISS, Top Gun and Minecraft. Hell, they’ve even been on CNN a few times! Please welcome back to the spotlight Wyoming’s own…Teenage Bottlerocket! With more than 100 original songs already in their catalog, how does the band stay motivated when they’re eight records deep? “We’re always in competition with ourselves,” Carlisle explains. “The real competition is between me and Kody. It’s like, ‘You wrote a song that destroys everything else on this record. Let me try to do that to you real quick. How’s that feel?” And then he comes back and one ups me.“It’s all about the songs,” he continues. “The songs carry this record all the way. That’s not to say there are bad songs on our other records—we have a hard time releasing a shitty song. But these songs are especially great. You know ALL’s best-of record where Allroy is dissecting a musical note? I felt we kind of tapped into that record in a great way, not in a ‘Oh no, they’re experimental now!’ way. This is a Teenage Bottlerocket record through and through, but there’s a lot of hidden elements.” Carlisle’s pride about their latest album, Sick Sesh!, is obvious, but he’s not the only one who loves the album. “Fat Mike called me and said, ‘Hey, this is your best record,” Carlisle recalls. “I said, ‘Cool,thanks for noticing.’” Given that the band is already two decades old, however, is there any chance of the band slowing down? Carlisle shoots that idea down right away.“I want to have the best next 10 years,” the singer says. “We’ve grinded the grind. Now we get to actually enjoy being a band, and not think too much about different ways to try and ‘make it.’ We’re riding this wave we built ourselves. I wanna surf it for another 10 years.”Well there you have it: The three things in life you can always count on are death, taxes and Teenage Bottlerocket.
Archspire
Ticketless upgrade available at https://www.archspire.net/ Since 2009, Archspire has aimed to be one thing above all else: extreme. With their upcoming release Too Fast to Die, they’ve once again raised the bar for what extreme music can be. “We’re like a bit of meth in your cigarette,” says vocalist Oliver Rae Aleron, describing the band’s unhinged live show. “I think people don’t quite know how to describe what they’re hearing.” Now five albums deep, the band continues to push the limits of speed and virtuosity while somehow keeping a sharp focus on hooks. Their music sits on a knife’s edge of “too much,” and just when you think you’ve hit overload, they drop in a soaring melody or a meticulously crafted clean section long enough for you to breathe; before throwing you back into a rap-flow vocal assault or some of the fastest drumming you’ll ever hear. In 2025, Archspire announced their new drummer, Spencer Moore, marking a shift in the band’s trajectory. New blood brings new influences, and with the first single Carrion Ladder, they intend to show exactly how quickly he proved himself. “I had to step my game up fast to pull off the new material,” Spencer explains. “But once we started tracking, everything felt comfortable and natural.” Recorded in 2025, the album reunites the band with world-renowned producer Dave Otero (Cattle Decapitation, Khemmis) for the third time. They locked themselves inside his Denver studio for several months, cutting out distractions and dedicating themselves entirely to the record. Too Fast to Die follows the critically acclaimed Juno Award winning Bleed the Future, and marks the band’s first fully independent release. Early in the writing process they chose to crowdfund the album, a strategy they’d used before; but nothing prepared them for the scale of what came next. They raised nearly $400,000 CAD in 30 days, blowing past their goal in under 24 hours and confirming that independence was the right move. “I was actually shaking when I pressed launch,” says guitarist Dean Lamb. “We’d never taken on something this big, and all I could think was, ‘man, I hope we don’t mess this up.’” Too Fast to Die is set for release on April 10, 2026, and represents a new chapter for Archspire. Now fully independent and armed with a revitalized lineup, they’re intent on expanding their already rabid fanbase, pushing the boundaries of extreme metal, and having a great time doing it.
Ryan Caraveo: Forever Foggy Tour
VIP PACKAGES INCLUDE: One (1) GA ticket to the show One (1) Picture with Ryan Caraveo Early Entry to the venue One (1) exclusive merch item Early access to the merchandise table Please arrive 60-minutes prior to doors to participate in the VIP experience Ryan Caraveo is a genre-blurring artist whose music turns vulnerability into atmosphere. Raised in Seattle and shaped by years of self-reliance, Ryan built his career from the ground up—crafting songs that feel equal parts confession, dreamscape, and cinematic release. Known for his shadowy melodies & introspective storytelling, Ryan creates worlds where foggy emotions and raw resilience collide. Ryan first drew attention with early independent releases that showcased his ability to balance haunting production with deeply personal lyrics. As his audience grew, so did the ambition of his sound—melding alternative, hip-hop, indie pop, and electronic elements into something instantly identifiable. Every track feels handcrafted, reflecting an artist who obsesses over detail, emotion, and visual identity in equal measure. Across hundreds of millions of streams and a cult-like fanbase that spans continents, Ryan has remained unwaveringly independent. He writes, designs, and shapes every part of his world himself, building a creative universe where music, visuals, and storytelling all serve the same purpose: to say the things most people swallow. His upcoming era, Forever Foggy, pushes deeper into that universe—exploring themes of self-protection, growth, longing, and the blurred line between who we are and who we pretend to be. Whether performed onstage or experienced alone in headphones, Ryan Caraveo’s music provides a rare kind of mirror—one that reflects fears, flaws, and hope with brutal clarity. He makes music for those who feel everything.
Volumes
DeVotchKa
In a serendipitous moment on “Morning Becomes Eclectic,” the radio station KCRW in Santa Monica changed the trajectory of both indie cinema and one of Denver’s most distinctive musical voices. When filmmakers Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris heard DeVotchKa’s evocative sound drifting through the airwaves, they knew they’d found the emotional heartbeat for their film “Little Miss Sunshine.” That instinct proved prophetic. DeVotchKa’s soundtrack and score for the 2006 film became inseparable from its story. The bittersweet orchestration to the Hoover family’s cross-country journey, captured the themes of hope, resilience, and beautifully imperfect dreams. The band’s signature sound gave the film its unmistakable soul, turning moments like young Olive’s final dance into cultural touchstones. The work earned DeVotchKa a Grammy nomination for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album and the film won two Oscars. Introducing the world to the band’s cinematic, lush orchestral sound, songs like “Til the End of Time” and “How It Ends” transcended the screen to become anthems. Now, two decades later, DeVotchKa will be celebrating this landmark collaboration with a special 20th anniversary tour, “A Tribute to the Music of Little Miss Sunshine.” The performance honors not just the music that helped define a generation of independent film, but the unlikely journey that began with a radio station, a perfect song at the perfect moment, and a story about never giving up on what makes you different. Join DeVotchKa as they revisit the soundtrack and score that launched them into the cultural conversation – a reminder that sometimes the most beautiful twists of fate create the most lasting art.
The Impulsive
Nick Hexum
“Zoom in and obsess. Zoom out and observe. We get to choose.” Rick Rubin, The Creative Act You probably already know Nick Hexum, the crooner-voiced, laid-back California guy who has long been the lead singer, songwriter, and rhythm guitarist in 311. But do you? His three EP trilogy, Waxing Nostalgic, Full Memories, and Waning Time (yes, they are named in honor of the phases of the moon), features a Midwestern man from Nebraska who plays mandolin and pedal steel, and has many memories from the past he’d like to share. “I’m a person who pretends like stuff doesn’t bother me. So, I knew going into writing this record that it would be cathartic for me,” Hexum says. “I think Covid made me realize just how limited our time really is – it motivated me to create as much as possible,” Hexum said with a laugh. “Is it too late for a midlife crisis?” There is something about reaching not an age, but a stage of life, that forces everyone to slow down and inspires us to look around at what we’ve accomplished, who we’ve become, and what we’re leaving behind. For Hexum, that meant turning to a different style of songwriting. The songs on these EPs are influenced by his foray into Americana, both in instrumentation and songwriting. Reading Saved by a Song by Mary Gauthier and The Creative Act by Rick Rubin pushed him to explore writing far more personal songs inspired by his life. Listening to Americana artists like Sierra Ferrell, Faye Webster, k.d. lang, Patsy Cline, and Madeleine Peyroux was part of Hexum’s path to making these EPs. The idea to release his first solo albums came after starting SKP, a tech company that allows artists to release albums outside the major label system and retain the rights to their work. Realizing that system, and the distribution it offered, were at his fingertips, was all he needed to release these songs after giving himself permission to become more vulnerable in his songwriting. “I don’t have to wait for other people to say when I can release music,” he says. From Waxing Nostalgic, the slow dance opener that saw Hexum making his debut as a mandolin player, is “Cosmic Connection.” It’s a little more akin to a waltz, with a very ‘60s message about tapping into the universal and letting go of a tribal mentality of ‘us versus them.’ “We’re so much more connected and there is more harmony than feels apparent right now,” he says. “I choose to reflect on that, even if we feel more out of sync as a species than we have at other times.” Making a list of traumatic moments that Hexum felt he needed to explore in songs led to writing “I’m Open” on Waning Time about the time before his brother Patrick passed away following an overdose. Hexum, who is sober, discusses painful moments in the song, like offering to discuss sobriety with his sibling, giving him a guitar that he pawned, and accepting that all anyone can do is offer help. The EPs also contain a pair of covers, Chapppell Roan’s “California” on Full Memories and Billie Holiday’s “Solitude” on Waning Time. Both tap into his crooner-style voice, with Roan’s song speaking to a near-universal experience of Midwesterners who move to the coast, East or West, in search of a bigger life. It’s a crisis of confidence explored through the delivery of someone who has lived a whole life in California, and reckoned with the decisions made throughout that life.
The OG’s & WannaBe’s of Comedy & Music
One of Omaha’s most popular local shows returns to The Waiting Room with: “The OG’s & WannaBe’s of Comedy & Music!” on Sunday, Dec 21, with doors at 5pm and show at 6pm. The show features some of Omaha’s best comics and musicians along with some of the up-and-comers in the area. This unique show has sold out The Funny Bone and packed Bushwhackers and the German-American Club. The comedy side will feature BARRY BARGER, an Omaha native living in Los Angeles and working in the entertainment industry as an actor and comedian. Also, performing will be STEVEN NELSON (yes, the boxer) with Host JIM SHEIL. Other comics to be added, please check the Host’s social media for updates. The bands include NEON SAINTS, a newer alternative rock cover band with some original music. Next up is MCM MAXX, an Omaha indie folk group on the local scene. Also, on the bill is NEXT WEDNESDAY, a newer band playing a wide spectrum of rock covers. Rounding out the music will be THE MEMPHIS PROJECT, a group of younger musicians focused on the blues. They are the recent winner of the Nebraska Blues Challenge and will represent Nebraska this winter in Memphis at the International Blues Challenge.