Arcade Riot’s Y2K Spectacular
Hail the Sun
Altura
Smells Like Nirvana
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.”
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 Album Party
-formerly Rock & Roll Suicide- The Album Party is a band out of Omaha NE focused on covering albums in their entirety.
The Traynr Band
Elton & Billy
