July brings the return of two popular musical events. For longtime blues fans, Lincoln’s historic Zoo Bar’s annual ZooFest street festival is a music event that offers top blues artists and the feel of a happy family reunion.
Meanwhile Jeff Davis’ “Playing With Fire” concert series in Omaha offers musical discoveries for fans who want to experience live music by artists that may be making their Omaha debuts.
Let’s dig into both and see what audiences can expect from these annual summer events.
Zoo Bar Celebrates 52 Years
The Zoo Bar’s ZooFest is happening Friday and Saturday, July 11-12. The annual street party celebrates the historic blues bar’s 52ns anniversary. You can check out The Reader cover story I did for the Zoo Bar’s 50th Anniversary here, including a bit of the history going back to when the late Larry Boehmer brought live blues music to The Zoo and how the venue came to be entrusted to current owner Pete Watters.
The Zoo offers live music most nights of the week, and the schedule in the club leading up to ZooFest always offers some special shows.
Wednesday, July 9, 6 p.m., catch the return of John Primer and his straight-up Chicago blues band. Longtime fans will recognize Primer as the sideman in Magic Slim’s band for many years. Before working with Slim, Primer had backed some of the legends of the blues. After a notable run in the Junior Wells Band, he landed long-running gigs with Willie Dixon and then became guitarist and bandleader for Muddy Waters, who he toured the world with. Since 1995, Primer has been out fronting his own group, The Real Deal Blues Band. Primer has recorded more than 100 albums during his career. He’s recorded 17 albums in his own name. He has written and produced more than 55 songs on more than six record labels including his own, Blues House Productions. Primer was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame, has earned three Grammy Award nominations, was given two Lifetime Achievement Awards. He was awarded the “Muddy Award” for being a Traditional Blues Icon, and is the winner of several Blues Blast Music Awards and Blues Music Awards. In May of 2025, he took home the Blues Music Awards for best “Traditional Blues Male” and “Traditional Blues Album” alongside Bob Corritore for their collaboration on “Crawlin’ ‘Kingsnake.”
Thursday, July 10, the music starts early with John Primer & The Real Deal Blues Band firing up at 5 p.m. and The Mike Zito Trio following. The night closes out with one of The Zoo’s house bands featuring some of the best local musicians, Sh*thook, playing their regular Thursday, 9:30 p.m. slot. They offer audience members the chance to sing karaoke-style with a live band.
Tickets for ZooFest weekend Friday and Saturday, July 11-12, are on sale now at the bar or at ticketweb.com. Advance tickets are $35 per day or a two-day pass is $60. Admission is free for children 12 and under with a paid adult. Folding chairs are available and bag chairs are welcome in designated spots. The ZooFest schedule for Friday, July 11, kicks off with the tasty mix of old-school blues, soul and New Orleans sounds from The Bel Airs at 5 p.m., followed by Austin’s outstanding vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Carolyn Wonderland at 7 p.m. The Austin American-Statesman writes that Wonderland is “one of Texas’ finest guitar-slingers…from blues to country to rock ‘n’ roll and beyond, she is fiery and deeply soulful.” Wonderland has long been a local favorite and she holds nothing back, putting her heart and soul into her stage shows. Hoodoo favorite Dave Alvin produced her last two, critically acclaimed albums for the Alligator Records label.
The Blood Brothers featuring Mike Zito and Albert Castiglia plug in at 9 p.m. bringing their acclaimed, high-octane blues guitar partnership to the big stage. Stick around for Kris Lager’s Big Band at 11 p.m.
Then on Saturday, July 12, youth bands are featured at 1 p.m. Catch the crowd-pleasing sounds of some of Omaha’s best roots musicians when Sailing in Soup plays at 3 p.m. A new super-group of notable Lincoln musicians, Church of Blues, takes the stage at 5 p.m. Church of Blues puts contemporary sizzle in old-school blues tunes with Levi William, Josh Hoyer, Dave Boye and Joe Gourlay teaming up for a joyous, soulful collaboration. Kansas City’s keyboard virtuoso Kelley Hunt is up at 7 p.m. Alligator recording artists Tommy Castro & The Painkillers perform at 9 p.m. Castro and his bass man Randy McDonald have been playing The Zoo Bar regularly for decades, dating back to their work in San Francisco area soul-blues band The Dynatones. A multiple Blues Music Award winner, Castro took the 2025 Blues Music Award for best Blues-Rock Artist. Finally, Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal, Nebraska’s 2025 winners of the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, close out the festival with an 11 p.m. set.
All the ZooFest music is outside on a big stage at 14th & P streets. Gates open at 4 p.m. on Friday, July 11, and at noon on Saturday, July 12. Find all the festival information plus what’s happening in upcoming weekly shows at zoobar.com and facebook.com/zoobarblues
Playing With Fire Moves Indoors
It’s the 21st year for Jeff Davis’ annual Playing With Fire (PWF) Omaha concert series. This year, Davis and his team take a new approach to the summer’s shows, moving the concerts inside at the Slowdown. Admission is still free until the venue reaches capacity, but those who want to be sure they get in can get guaranteed admission by purchasing a $25 ticket for each show at theslowdown.com/events. Seating is very limited. Per Slowdown’s policy, every person must have a valid photo ID. This is still a family-friendly event but please see the “all ages” tab at theslowdown.com for more information. Note that those under 17 must have downloaded and filed the venue’s “Music Venue Parental Consent” form. Doors open at 5 p.m. and music starts at 6 p.m.
In a blog on the PWF event website, Davis explained his reasons for the move to an indoor venue, writing “the 100-degree plus temperatures and the perpetual chance of rain just took the fun out of producing PWF shows outdoors. Too much heat stress on the PWF Team, volunteers, and fans. Too much financial risk. We can no longer deal with bringing a band 5000 miles, paying for visas and airfare, and not be able to play the show. So, the hard decision is—whether to call it a day or move the event indoors? So indoors we go.”
Playing With Fire happens at the Slowdown on two weekends, Friday and Saturday, July 25-26 and Friday and Saturday, Aug. 15-16. I’m especially excited about the return of a personal favorite, Canada’s Harry Manx, whose signature blend of American blues and traditional East Indian music is often described as “mysticssippi” blues. Manx employs guitar and banjo in his music and is a master of the mesmerizing sounds of the East Indian 20-stringed Mohan veena. Manx appears with collaborator Kevin Breit, who often plays with Manx. Downbeat Magazine observes “Manx’s real skill lays in creating a rare musical place where blues, country, folk and Indian classical music co-exist as some spirit force.”
Headlining the July 25 show are England’s The Cinelli Brothers. Every year Davis relishes bringing artists to the U.S. and to Nebraska for their first appearances, and this is The Cinelli Brothers’ Omaha debut. The Cinelli Brothers received the 2024 UK Blues Band of the Year honors and they play soul and blues with a contemporary pop-rock influence from artists like The Beatles and Stevie Wonder. Omaha artist Jared William Gottberg opens the show.
Saturday, July 25, the PWF show opens with Marcus Trummer, who Davis says is one of his favorite young singer-songwriters. Expect soulful blues from Trummer and his band. Trummer was a 2022 nominee for “New Artist of the Year” in Canada’s prestigious Maple Blues Awards. UK vocalist Alice Armstrong performs second on the Saturday bill. Armstrong’s mix of “contemporary and classic rhythm and blues” received the 2024 and 2025 UK Blues Award for Contemporary Blues Artist of the Year and she is the winner of the 2025 European Blues Challenge where she competed with bands from 22 countries. Blues in Britain raves “Alice is THE best female vocalist in the UK at the moment: there are others with superb voices and charisma, but Alice has it by the bucket load.” Saturday night’s headliner, Danielle Nicole, is from neighboring Kansas City. While she’s very familiar to Omaha audiences for both her solo work and her early years with her brothers in the sibling trio Trampled Under Foot, she is a powerful vocalist who is an acclaimed artist with a Grammy nomination and multiple Blues Music Awards.
For all the details and to get the rundown on the musicians featured in the Aug. 15-16 events see playingwithfireomaha.net and find late-breaking info at facebook.com/playingwithfireomaha.
Blues Society of Omaha Notes
With all the festivals and free music available, the Blues Society of Omaha (BSO) takes a break from booking shows during the summer. They still maintain a helpful, curated calendar suggesting where to find great blues and roots music at omahablues.com.
Saturday, Aug. 2, 7-10 p.m., the BSO joins with NOMA (North Omaha Music and Arts) to present Sugaray Rayford. Rayford is a soul-blues powerhouse and fantastic showman who is a Grammy nominee and a multiple Blues Music Award winner. Advance tickets are recommended and available at eventbrite.com.
Saturday, Aug. 9, the BSO presents its annual In the Market for Blues festival offering over 12 hours of blues from over 30 bands at 10 venues in the Old Market and Capitol District. Headlining the event are Memphis’ artists John Németh & the Blue Dreamers. VIP ticket holders can also enjoy a special show Friday, Aug. 8, featuring Mississippi Heat with special guest, boogie piano player Ben Levin. Find out all the details and purchase advance tickets at OmahasBluesFest25.eventbrite.com.
Keep up with the BSO’s news and events at omahablues.com and facebook.com/bluessocietyofomaha.
Hot Notes
The Alabama Shakes play The Astro Amphitheater on Saturday, July 19, 7 p.m., with soul legend Lee Fields opening. Other notable shows at The Astro include Sierra Ferrell Tuesday, July 15, Earth, Wind & Fire Wednesday, July 16, and The Avett Brothers Thursday, July 17. See theastrotheater.com.
The old Barley Street Tavern in Benson was a real incubator for local musicians and songwriters during the early 20-teens. The venue at 2735 N. 62nd St. is now the Shakedown Street. Folks who remember all the talent that played that stage can join some of the artists as they return to make some joyous noise when Cass Brostad visits from her current home in Austin, Texas. Joining Brostad on the Shakedown Street stage Friday, July 25, are Matt Cox, The Bedrock and Jeremy Mercy & the Rapture Orphans. Doors open at 7, music begins at 8 p.m.
Omaha’s annual free music series Jazz on the Green at Turner Park at Midtown Crossing kicks off Thursday, July 10, with Emmy-award winning vocalist Shaun Johnson & the Big Band. Multiple Grammy-winner and former trumpet player for Michael Bublé, Jumaane Smith performs Thursday, July 17. Chicago’s LowDown Brass Band bring their funky brass infused with hip-hop and reggae Thursday, July 24. Local soul-blues band Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal are up Thursday, July 31.
Find all the details including the opening acts for each show online at jazzonthegreen.org.
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