Playing With Fire Concert - Omaha

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Follow & Get Notifications! Since 2004, the annual free summer concert series has been held in Omaha, NE. Friend the Fire on Facebook!

Omaha's FREE Summer Concert Series in the Heartland of America- Nebraska, U.S.A
22 years of bringing free summer concerts to the Omaha community.
2026 is around the corner! Playing with Fire (PwF) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to supporting local, non-profit organizations and building bonds between people--locally, nationally, and internationally--with free, family-oriented, live music concerts presented by brilliant, award-winning, and worldwide musicians. Originally held at the Lewis and Clark Landing, and currently presenting at Turner Park at Midtown Crossing. Playing with Fire sizzles along the edges of incendiary blues, rock, soul, funk, R&B, and Americana blues and roots. With support from the Nebraska Arts Council and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment, Douglas County Visitors Improvement Fund Grant, sponsorships, private and fan donations, and the amazing, hard work of volunteers, we bring the world to Omaha and take Omaha to the world -- one free concert at a time. Playing with Fire supports local community causes and, through its BluesEd program, promotes music awareness and education for the children of the Omaha region. Thanks to the goodwill and generosity of our loyal fans who have made the series such a great success, building community through the power of music! Plan a vacation in Omaha, or a staycation with your family, friends, and music peeps while supporting and enjoying the gems of Omaha. We welcome you to check us out, we're everywhere you need to be! Visit our spiffed-up web page and subscribe to our newsletter! www.playingwithfireomaha.net. Follow the Fire on Twitter! www.twitter.com/pwfireomaha

Subscribe to our Youtube channel! www.youtube.com/user/PlayingwithFireOmaha?feature=mhec

Follow the Fire on Instagram! www.instagram.com/playingwithfireomaha

Help us keep the fire burning bright!

-The ‘Playing with Fire’ Organizational Team

09/04/2026

Two years ago, Jeni Holtan Grouws came into our world as a Music House Artist-in-Residence. Since then, Jeni has made the residency everything Jeff envisioned, and we hoped it could become — a place where an artist has the space to create, explore, make music, and present to the Omaha community.

Along the way, Jeni Grouws Music has become a beautiful part of The Music House, and we couldn’t be more honored that she chose Music House as the title of her first solo album.

The Music House is officially going out into the world! ❤️🎶

We hope you’ll join Jeni at Captain Roy's in Des Moines, IA to celebrate the album release — and, most importantly, support the music by purchasing the album directly from Jeni. Friday is Bandcamp Friday, which means even more of your purchase goes directly to the artist.

We’re incredibly proud of Jeni, of this album, and of what has grown from her time at The Music House.

Congratulations, Jeni. We may not get to be celebrating in person, but our hearts will be there in Spirit right along with you! (Know you understand) If your day is free, head on over and catch Jeni live with her big band and friends.

Jeni's got ALL THE DEETS in her post.🎶🔥❤️

Jeff & Vanessa

After a very long travel day Derrick Dove & the Peacekeepers made it to Omaha late last night. They are now rested and r...
08/30/2026

After a very long travel day Derrick Dove & the Peacekeepers made it to Omaha late last night. They are now rested and ready to hit the stage at The Waiting Room Lounge.
This is the The Blues Foundation 2026 International Blues Challenge (IBC) Band winner! Opening for the show is one of Omaha’s finest AND 2020 IBC Solo/Duo Winner!

This show is sponsored by Playing with Fire in support of Blues Society of Omaha Membership Appreciation.

Music Starts 3:30PM
Admission is your current BSO membership!
Not a member? Come on down, join at the door and come on in. Membership begins at $30/yr. Family $45/yr.

Easy as that!
Support Your local Blues Society in keeping the music Live and artists from around the country coming to Omaha!

That’s what we believe is a Win-Win🤩

Come Join us and let’s show these musicians our appreciation.

Only way we keep this going is to support one another.
Jeff and Vanessa
PwF Co-Producers

08/26/2026

You were introduced to th Bywater Call at Playing with Fire and now they are back! Don’t miss this rare chance to see them and hear their new music live at The B. Bar August 27th. Grab your tixs tonight! 💝🎶

Three countries. Three musical firebrands. One final night to burn.Before France’s Rozedale makes history with its first...
08/15/2026

Three countries. Three musical firebrands. One final night to burn.

Before France’s Rozedale makes history with its first-ever U.S. performance tonight, Playing With Fire has a couple of fairly spectacular detours planned.

🔥 return from Cornwall, England, bringing the saltwater soul, slide guitar and free-range roots rock that first hit the PwF stage in 2019.

Frontman Wille Edwards moves between slide guitar, lap steel and vocals while the band’s 2026 album, “Salt Roots,” stretches through blues, rock, folk and improvisation without showing much interest in staying between genre guardrails.

Then comes – with Markus James threading Mississippi Hill Country blues through rhythms he explored during his musical travels in Mali. Anne Harris answers with electric fiddle that can carry Celtic echoes, Americana roots and rock ’n’ roll voltage. Behind them is Larry Thompson, a drummer with more than 300 recording credits and a résumé that includes John Lee Ho**er, Dr. John and Dizzy Gillespie.

And then?
🇫🇷 Rozedale.� Making its American debut. �In Omaha.

England → America → France. Cornish roots rock → trance blues and electric fiddle → high-voltage French blues-rock – we’re not just going out with a bang, we’re sending the whole barn up in flames!

🔥 Playing With Fire�📍 Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St.�🚪 Doors 5 p.m. | Music 6 p.m.�🎟️ FREE admission until capacity�👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 All ages

One more night. Let’s make it count.

This is the final night of Playing With Fire 2026 – and we saved a barn-burning ripper for the finale.We’re not going t...
08/15/2026

This is the final night of Playing With Fire 2026 – and we saved a barn-burning ripper for the finale.

We’re not going to call it “saving the best for last.” After the past two nights, that would start an international incident. But we did save something historic.

Tonight, France's Rozedale makes its United States debut. Right here in Omaha at Playing with Fire!

Formed by vocalist Amandyn Roses and guitarist Charlie Fabert, Rozedale has spent the past decade building a serious European résumé: tours across more than a dozen countries, an opening slot for Ben Harper and two French music honors — the Prix Révélation Cognac in 2020 and Prix Révélation RiffX in 2022.

Their album, "Wide Awake," earned a Best International Blues Album nomination from Germany’s critics and Rozedale became the only French band in the first 28 years of Bluesnews magazine to land on its cover.

There was just one conspicuous blank on that résumé: Never played America.

Until tonight.
Not New York.
Not Los Angeles.
Not Austin.
Not Nashville.
Omaha.

Rozedale headlines the final night of Playing With Fire, with and England’s .official completing one rather combustible international bill.

🔥 Doors: 5 p.m.
🎶 Music: 6 p.m.
📍 Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St.

🎟️ FREE admission until capacity is reached
All ages

We told you about the free concert featuring Austria’s Meena Cryle & Chris Fillmore earlier – their band is tonight’s P...
08/14/2026

We told you about the free concert featuring Austria’s Meena Cryle & Chris Fillmore earlier – their band is tonight’s Playing with Fire headliner at the Slowdown – so here are two very good reasons to get there early (doors open at 5 p.m., music starts at 6 p.m.):

– the Canadian bluesman who previously performed at PwF in 2018 is fronting MonkeyJunk – will get things started tonight with his multi-instrumental attack. You’ll see the Ottawa-raised, Toronto-based singer, songwriter and producer move from harmonica and guitar to bass, keyboards and vocals – without making any of them feel like a side hustle.

Then, it’s from one Canadian to the next but this one is now based in Nashville. His name is , a friendly roadhouse raconteur whose slide guitar carries whispers of Delta blues ghosts and the polish and precision of a seasoned Nashville session stalwart.

The doors to the beautiful music open at 5 p.m.
The beautiful music begins at 6 p.m.
The beautiful experience is FREE and open to all.

Playing with Fire is off to a hot start! Last night was King King, Will Wilde and The Pocket Architects, and tonight the...
08/14/2026

Playing with Fire is off to a hot start! Last night was King King, Will Wilde and The Pocket Architects, and tonight the fire rages on with another PwF 3-Peat, Meena Cryle & Chris Fillmore, who top Friday night’s lineup at the Slowdown.

(And it’s free.)

PwF welcomed Meena and Chris in 2012, and the response was so emphatic that PwF brought them back in 2013. Then Omaha waited 13 (long) years.

(But all that time, PwF was free, and it's still free.)

And now the wait is over because the Austrian band is finally back – with that same electric chemistry highlighted by Meena’s commanding vocals and Chris' guitar, where every bend of a string and every pause has a purpose and a sound that commands the room.

(Getting into the room is free, too.)

See what we mean tonight when Chris and Meena take the stage after two knock-you-on-your-backside sets featuring opening performer, Canada-based , and featured act , a fellow Canadian, who now calls Nashville home.

Doors open at 5 PM, music starts at 6 PM.

Oh, and the show is FREEEEEEEEEEEE!

Tonight is the night! Scotland’s powerhouse blues-rock band King King kicks off the August edition of Playing With Fir...
08/13/2026

Tonight is the night! Scotland’s powerhouse blues-rock band King King kicks off the August edition of Playing With Fire at Slowdown, with Omaha’s opening the evening and England’s "Hendrix on harmonica" – Will Wilde - Harmonica .wilde – taking the stage next as the featured act before King King brings the night home.

Doors open at 5 p.m. Music starts at 6 p.m. Admission is FREE and all ages are welcome.

Three bands. Three countries. One seriously combustible night of music.

🔥 Playing With Fire
📍 Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St.
🎟️ FREE

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Omaha, NE
68154

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