MAHA Music Festival | July 24th

the latest news.

ATTENTION, ATTENTION! - LINE UP / TIME SCHEDULE CHANGE - Here is the new schedule: Thank you to the City for granting us extra time!! Voodoo Method - 1:45; It's True - 2:20; Betsy Wells - 3:15; Old 97's - 3:55; Landing On The Moon - 5:05; Ben Kweller - 5:45; Mynabirds - 6:40; Superchunk - 7:20; Satchel Grande - 8:30; The Faint - 9:25; Spoon - 10:45; Show Over - 12:00.

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The winner of the OEA Showcase is Voodoo Method! Congratulations! Very excited to see you open MAHA!

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MAHA Trivia Starts Tomorrow! (7/15/2010) Visit Alegent Health's Facebook Wall on July, 15th at 12PM for your chance to win a VIP Ticket Package to the Maha Music Festival.

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MAHA is pleased to announce our 2010 food vendors! McKennas (BBQ), Parthenon (Greek), Mangia Italiana (Italian), eCreamery (gourmet ice cream) and Pink Shugar (gourmet cotton candy) YUM, YUM!

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30 Days to MAHA Showcase Winner is Landing on the Moon - Come listen to them play on MAHA's Local Stage - Get your tickets today!

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Volunteer assignments went out by email last night. Please confirm ASAP. Thanks!!! Still want to volunteer but forgot to sign up? Send an email to info@mahamusicfestival.com

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Currently, more than 150 businesses in Omaha alone have agreed to hang MAHA posters. So if you visit one of these businesses and see a poster, thank them for supporting MAHA!

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BETSY WELLS WINS FIRST MAHA SHOWCASE

May 24, 2010 - Betsy Wells (a four person band with no one named Betsy in it) was chosen by popular vote to play the Kum & Go Local Stage at the MAHA Music Festival on July 24th.  Betsy Wells will take the local stage in between performances by It’s True! and Ben Kweller on the TD AMERITRADE Main Stage.    To learn more about Betsy Wells, you can follow them on Facebook and MySpace.  Tickets for MAHA are on sale now.  Quantities are limited.
 
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Final main stage lineup announced for MAHA Music Festival
 
TD AMERITRADE to serve as main stage sponsor.
 
Omaha, Neb.  MAHA’s 2010 lineup just got stronger with the addition of three more bands that will play at the festival July 24. Ben Kweller and It’s True! have been added to the list of performers on the main stage, while emerging local artist, The Mynabirds, have been added to the local stage.
 
MAHA organizers also announced that TD AMERITRADE Holding Corporation (NASDAQ: AMTD) will be the 2010 sponsor of the main stage. “The MAHA Music Festival is a unique event that focuses on something that makes Omaha very special  its love for music  and we applaud the entrepreneurial spirit of the organizers who have worked so hard to make this event a reality,” said Laurine Garrity, chief marketing officer for TD AMERITRADE. “We’re excited to be a part of making MAHA happen this year and look forward to the national and local talent the show will offer.”

Presented by Alegent Health, the 2nd Annual MAHA Music Festival will take place in Omaha on Saturday, July 24, 2010, at Lewis & Clark Landing. Previously announced performers at MAHA include the main stage headliner, Spoon, as well as The Faint, Superchunk and Old 97’s.
 
“With today’s announcements, the lineup for MAHA is now final, except for the determination of the bands that will be selected to play at MAHA’s upcoming showcase events,” said Tyler Owen, vice president of YFC, Inc. “We’re looking forward to completing the lineup with the help of the community."

The showcases will take place May 24 at Slowdown, June 24 at The Waiting Room, and July 16-17 at multiple venues in Benson as part of the Omaha Entertainment and Arts Awards (OEAA) Summer Showcase. Attendees will vote on which bands will take the stage at MAHA this summer.
 
For updates on the MAHA Music Festival, including exclusive information on the complete band list, ticket sales and more, become a fan or follow us today on Twitter and Facebook.
 
Tickets for the 2010 MAHA Music Festival are $33 each and are on sale through the MAHA Web site. Quantities are limited. For more information, please visit http://www.mahamusicfestival.com/.
 
About MAHA Music Festival
The MAHA Music Festival is owned and operated by YFC, Inc., a volunteer-operated, nonprofit organization formed in 2008 to facilitate music festivals that benefit the greater Omaha-Council Bluffs area. For more information, visit http://www.mahamusicfestival.com/.
 
About TD AMERITRADE Holding Corporation
TD AMERITRADE Holding Corporation, through its brokerage subsidiaries,(1) combines innovative trading technology, easy-to-use and understand trading tools, investment services, investor education and superior client service to create a market-leading financial services experience. Now home to the award-winning thinkorswim brokerage and dynamic trading platform(2) and the Investools investor education program, TD AMERITRADE provides millions of retail investors, traders and independent registered investment advisors with the tools, service and support they need to help build confidence in today’s rapidly changing market environment. The Company’s common stock trades under the ticker symbol AMTD. For more information and resources for journalists, please visit the TD AMERITRADE newsroom at www.amtd.com.

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60 Days to MAHA Band Showcase

May 24th @ Slowdown - 8 pm - Admission is FREE!

Come down to vote whether Betsy Wells, Dim Light, Flight Metaphor or Noah's Ark Was A Spaceship play on the local stage at MAHA 2010.  All attending get one vote, but MAHA ticket holders who bring their tickets to the showcase will get 10 extra votes.  Must be present to vote.

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Review of Spoon @ Seattle's Moore Theatre

By Ross James of BeatCrave.com - 4/28/2010

Concert goers got their money’s worth at Seattle’s Moore Theatre show featuring Spoon with openers Micachu & the Shapes and Deerhunter. Britt Daniels, the lead singer and guitar player, swept up the audience the moment he walked on stage. He came out solo and began playing an acoustic version of “Me and the Bean,” from their first album with Merge Records, Girls can Tell. The lighting on the stage, for the moment, comprised of twinkle lights wrapped around and built into their gear. It was beautiful and unexpected.

Daniels followed the opener with a low-key version of “Mystery Zone,” from their newest album Transference with Eric Harvey on piano. The excitement could be felt as the crowd waited for more. Their gentle crescendo into a rock experience was genius. Their third song satisfied cravings for rock when the rest of the band-mates, Jim Eno on drums and Rob pope on Bass, joined the stage for “Written in Reverse.”

Saturday’s set list consisted of 6 Transference songs, 16 from other albums, and one cover. Although they must have played them one million times by now (perhaps a slight over exaggeration) the older songs like “Someone Something,” and “Back to the Life,” were given as much energy as the newer. To top it off, those who are familiar with Wolf Parade were ecstatic when they played a clever rendition of “Modern World.” (Coincidence or not, Wolf Parade is coming to the Seattle’s Showbox in a couple months. Again, genius.)

Transference has received great reviews across the board. It’s a different approach to their style after coming down from the highs Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga generated. It’s widely known that this is the first album they have produced independently, and to some fans, may seem to lack direction and sound sloppy, with Daniels regularly losing the last syllable of his lines, and more disjointed riffs. Without a doubt, anything Spoon creates is amazing, and listening to them sandwiched between long-loved songs certainly helped put them into perspective as a part of Spoon’s legacy.

Daniels obviously enjoying performing and the crowd enjoyed watching him. His confident, relaxed persona attracted all eyes to him as he got lost in the moment. The lighting also helped create a unique visual experience.  Without cluttering up the stage, large rectangular backdrops and boxes were placed irregularly around them. In sync with the songs, they shifted from color to color casting fittingly mood evoking shadows.

This tour is most certainly building up their endurance. Saturday was the second show at the Moore Theatre with the same set. They played for nearly two hours, until they were visibly exhausted. After 19 songs, they took a short break before returning for the encore and played four more. During the last song Daniels stumbled over his words but finished with obvious enjoyment.

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Spoon, Old 97’s Headline MAHA Music Festival

By Anna Swindle of PasteMagazine.com

Omaha is “somewhere in middle America,” as Counting Crows taught us. Turns out it’s also home to the MAHA Music Festival, a one-day event on July 24 headlined by Spoon and featuring the Faint, Superchunk and Old 97’s.

MAHA — only in its second year — was started by local Omaha residents who wanted to bring a quality music event to the city. Featuring both local and national acts, MAHA will take place at the Lewis & Clark Landing in downtown Omaha. Check out the festival’s official site in coming weeks as they add on two more national bands.

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Music Mannerisms: Mo' MAH

By: Marq Manner

The MAHA Festival has added more mainstage bands to the lineup for their July 24 concert at Lewis & Clark Landing. Tickets for the MAHA Festival will go on sale April 24 and they can be purchased at mahamusicfestival.com. Joining the already-announced headliner Spoon will be the Faint, Superchunk and the Old 97’s. There will be more acts, including local artists, added to the festival in the coming months.

This is a huge and credible turnaround from last year’s festival that featured acts that many music fans felt they could see anytime at the casinos or even in our smaller local clubs. Many wanted something more unique and special for Omaha, something like a lot of other towns have with their music festivals. Putting these four bands on the same stage is something special, and the addition of Superchunk makes this event unique and one that many people may travel to town for. Superchunk are the epitome of indie music. The band came around during the college music heyday when Dave Kendall was telling us what was cool in his British accent on MTV’s “120 Minutes.” Superchunk had every opportunity to go to a major label in the early ‘90s and yet stuck to their indie ethos. When their label Matador’s distribution was swallowed up by Atlantic Records, Superchunk jumped to their own label Merge Records. Merge would go on to release some of the quintessential indie albums over the next two decades by bands such as Magnetic Fields, Arcade Fire, Neutral Milk Hotel and even one from Omaha’s Conor Oberst. The label is still putting out sought after new projects such as Let’s Wrestle and She & Him. Superchunk has never played Omaha in their 20-plus year career and only play sporadic shows these days anywhere. So that makes their appearance here special. If you are not familiar with the band’s fuzzy, crunchy, high-energy punk-influenced music check out some of their classic albums such as “No Pocky For Kitty” and “Here’s Where The Strings Come In.”

The addition of the Old 97’s to the lineup is a good one for a couple of different reasons. The Rhett Miller-fronted roots-alt-country band is one of the best touring live bands out there today. While most people should be able to appreciate their music, this will be a nice addition for people that may not like the full on sonics of Spoon, Superchunk, and the Faint. Most everyone in Omaha is aware of the Faint. The former Saddle Creek Band now releases albums on their own blank.wav label. The Faint are known for their high-energy live shows and electronic based indie rock music. When they play Omaha they almost always sell out and the band, along with Bright Eyes and Cursive, have brought a lot of attention to our town and our music scene. The Faint rarely play outdoor shows. Their music is considered better suited for packed to the rafters large clubs or music hall shows full of sweaty bouncing fans. While I have always enjoyed those shows by the band, it will be refreshing to hear their music and watch the band live with a breeze coming off the river, rather than in a BO drenched fog.

I have to give kudos this year to the MAHA organizers. They seemed to really listen to the music fans in Omaha who wanted this festival to be something that we could be proud to say exists in our city. They came through with good-sized, credible bands that all bring something special to the stage. The MAHA people want to grow this festival into a multi-day, multi-venue event. Last year many of us thought this would end up being a one-and-done organization. Now this looks like an organization with legs that just might meet most if not all of their goals and visions in the future.

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No Excuses

By Tim McMahan of The Reader

You now have nowhere to hide. Nowhere. If the MAHA Festival fails, well, it’s as much your fault as theirs.

I say this upon receipt of three more national bands named to play the festival’s Lewis & Clark Landing main stage July 24, along with indie mega-band Spoon. If you follow local music or indie music or music in general, you’ve probably heard who they are by now, but let’s review.

First there’s The Faint, arguably the most fun band from Omaha since 311 (who hasn’t been “from Omaha” for a couple decades). The Faint playing MAHA is a coup on a number of levels. Because of their extensive audio/visual requirements, the band rarely, if ever, plays outdoors, and certainly not before dark. Yet, they will accommodate both fresh air and daylight for this festival.

“We knew getting The Faint would be a huge score, but we didn’t know if it would work in an outside setting, given the energy of their performances,” said Tre Brashear, president of YFC, Inc., the nonprofit organization that launched the event. “There was a lot of discussion regarding price, their rider and technical specifications for the performance. They wanted video screens, but even if we had them, we didn’t know if they’d be visible during that time of day. We’re still working that out.”

The Faint adds something unique to MAHA — a performance on the main stage by a local band, and that’s something Brashear and his partners are proud of.

Next, Old 97’s, the Dallas band whose name is mentioned alongside acts like Drive-By Truckers, The Jayhawks and Uncle Tupelo as alt-country pioneers. Brashear said they were one of the first bands the MAHA folks targeted. “It’s a band with commercial appeal, that has a different age demographic and that attracts a beer-drinking crowd,” he said. “The fact that they were available, and that they sold-out the last time here and are recording a new album makes them a natural fit.”

Other than Spoon, Old 97’s is the most popular band on the bill, but still fits into the festival’s under-the-radar nature when you consider you’ll never hear them on your radio.

Finally, the wildcard: Superchunk, the pride of Chapel Hill, a punk band whose name is synonymous with the DIY essence of indie rock. The word “legendary” is appropriate here. Anyone even vaguely familiar with this band is smiling right now. Their appearance at South By Southwest this year was one of the most talked-about performances of the festival, in part because they rarely play live these days; and when they do, everyone wants to be a part of it. And now, unbelievably, they’re being flown to Omaha for a one-off show.

Brashear said the MAHA team knew of Superchunk and their connection to Merge Records, a label founded by Superchunk’s Mac McCaughan and Laura Ballance. Merge is one of today’s most important indie labels. Its roster includes Arcade Fire, Conor Oberst, She & Him and Spoon. But that’s not why they booked them.

“We’re getting a band that is recognized as a legend,” Brashear said. “We don’t believe they’ve ever been to Omaha before.” He hopes that Superchunk’s position as indie-rock royalty will help attract out-of-town fans that realize the rarity of the performance. “The challenge here will be attracting young people who don’t connect with the name.”

“We think all the bands work well together,” Brashear said, adding that with every new band they considered, they consulted with promoter Marc Leibowitz (One Percent Productions) to think through how many more tickets each would sell. “We needed to add pieces to the puzzle, because we weren’t sure that any one band would be able to sell enough tickets.”

Here’s where they’re being somewhat conservative. Spoon by itself is a $35 ticket in most markets. The Faint, $25 or more. Old ‘97s, $30+. And Superchunk: priceless. MAHA will give you all four bands, plus two more TBD national bands and a handful of the best local bands all for $33 when tickets go on sale April 24.

So there are no excuses. Unlike last year, no one can point to the lineup or ticket price as reasons for not going to this show, especially if they’re indie music fans. It’s the “indie” part that may be the chink in the armor, however. How many indie music fans are there in Omaha and the surrounding area? Enough to sell 6,000 tickets?

“We know we’re taking a risk,” Brashear said. “We’re not booking Ke$ha. We could have gone that direction. Instead, we’re excited about our lineup, and with Marc (Leibowitz)’s input, feel good that people will come out for these bands.”

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MAHA Music Festival is Doing Things Right

By Kevin Coffey of OWH

"I have to be honest that I was a bit surprised, although very pleasantly so, when I heard about Spoon. And I was even more satisfied when I heard about the rest of the lineup: Superchunk, The Faint and Old 97's." Read Article >

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MAHA Announces Three More Acts

By Kevin Coffey WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

MAHA is growing.

Planners for the festival, in its second year, recently announced that popular indie rock band Spoon would be this year's headliner.

Now they're adding three more acts to the lineup: alt-country band Old 97's, indie rock band Superchunk and the dance-punk-party band the Faint, which features Omaha natives.

The show will take place at Omaha's Lewis & Clark Landing on July 24. Tickets, costing $33, will go on sale April 24 at 10 a.m. at www.etix.com and www.mahamusicfestival.com.

Superchunk hasn't released a full album since 2001's “Here's To Shutting Up” and the band has played live only sporadically. All of that will change this year as the group plans to release a new record and do a limited number of shows, including the one at Maha.

“I don't think we'll ever do another three-month tour or anything like that, but we certainly still enjoy playing live,” singer Mac McCaughan told Spinner.com.

McCaughan and Superchunk bassist Laura Ballance have been busy running Merge Records, the successful indie label they founded in 1989.

The Faint is well-known to local fans, who routinely buy enough tickets for the band's sweaty, dancy shows to sell out venues from Sokol Auditorium to the Waiting Room Lounge.

The former Saddle Creek Records band released an album, “Fasciinatiion,” on its own label, blank.wav, in 2008.

Old 97's gained popularity in the mid- to late-'90s along with other alt-country bands such as Uncle Tupelo and the Drive-By Truckers.

The band's most recent release is 2008's “Blame It on Gravity,” but, according to singer Rhett Miller's Twitter, the band started recording a new album last week in a Dallas music club.

More national acts will be added to the festival's lineup in coming weeks, and local artists will be selected through a series of showcases.

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Spoon to headline 2nd Annual MAHA Music Festival

Omaha-based festival announces main stage line-up

Omaha, Neb.  The 2nd Annual MAHA Music Festival will take place on July 24, 2010, at Lewis & Clark Landing in Downtown Omaha. This year’s event will feature a mix of national and local independent music talent and will highlight several noteworthy bands, including the main stage headliner Spoon, which was recently named by Metacritic as best band of the last decade.

In addition to Spoon, MAHA will feature The Faint, Superchunk and the Old 97’s. “With the MAHA 2010 lineup, the committee sought to emphasize the different aspects of independent rock music - pop, dance, electronic, alt country, punk - and find those artists who are known for being innovators within their genre, as well as being great live performers,” said Tre Brashear, president of YFC, Inc., the nonprofit organization that launched the event.  More national acts will likely be added in the coming weeks.

More than 3,000 music enthusiasts flocked to MAHA’s inaugural festival in 2009, which attracted a variety of talent, including Dashboard Confessional, G. Love and Special Sauce, Big Head Todd and The Monsters, Serena Ryder, Appleseed Cast and Army Navy.

In 2009, MAHA emerged as the brainchild of five area professionals who formed a nonprofit, volunteer lead organization to help bring Omaha its own signature rock music festival. The event also helped meet the local demand for an event that further builds on Omaha's growing reputation as a national leader in the support of independent music.

“MAHA serves as a platform for local and national indie artists to have their music heard, which is exciting on several levels,” said Brashear.  “Our goal is to showcase the best the independent music industry has to offer and raise the profile of the area nationally, while establishing an organization through which we can support other nonprofit organizations in the greater Omaha area.”

And local and regional organizations are standing behind the event. This year, 1% Productions has partnered with MAHA’s organizers to serve as the team’s talent buyer and will continue to assist in booking the remaining acts for the event. Additionally, Alegent Health has signed on as MAHA’s 2010 presenting sponsor and Kum & Go will serve as the local stage sponsor.

“There is something intrinsically magical about music  it heals, it empowers and it inspires,” said Heidi Grunkemeyer, vice president of Marketing and Communications for Alegent Health.  “MAHA gives us the opportunity to reach out to the community while supporting a music event that gives so much back to metro area.”

To stay updated on the latest MAHA festival updates, including exclusive information on our complete band list, ticket sales and more, become a fan or follow us today on Twitter and Facebook.

Tickets for the 2010 MAHA Music Festival will be available for purchase through the MAHA website beginning on Saturday, April 24th at 10:00 AM CST. The price per ticket is $33.00. For more information, please visit http://www.mahamusicfestival.com/.

About MAHA Music Festival

The MAHA Music Festival is owned and operated by YFC, Inc., a volunteer operated, nonprofit organization that was formed in 2008 to facilitate music festivals that benefit the greater Omaha-Council Bluffs area. For more information, visit http://www.mahamusicfestival.com/.

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Since we know people will be wondering, the details of the local stage performances are not established yet. One performer will come from the OEA Summer Showcase and one will come from the MAHA 30 Days Out Band Showcase at the Waiting Room on June 24. How other spots are going to be filled is still being determined. ... Should have specifics lined up by end of the month.

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Music Mannerisms: Spoon to Headline Maha
Indie rockers Spoon set to headline the 2010 Maha Music Festival
The City Weekly, Marq Manner

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MAHA Music Festival 2.0 has been scheduled for July 24th and is proud to announce Spoon as our headliner for 2010. More details to follow as advancements are finalized. Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook for the latest updates and ticket sales.

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Add another entry to your summer concert schedule....The popular indie rock band is in the midst of touring to support their recent album, “Transference,” which debuted at No. 4 on Billboard's charts when it was released in February....Spoon, live at Stubb's at SXSW (03/17/2010) - Omaha.Com

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What is our vision? The MAHA Music Festival becomes a multi-day event featuring musical, visual, performance and culinary arts in multiple venues throughout the metro Omaha-Council Bluffs area culminating in a weekend outdoor music and arts festival.

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