neknows.com http://neknows.com "Put a little lipstick on, you'll feel better." Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:33:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 en Music to my Ears http://neknows.com/2009/10/07/music-to-my-ears/ http://neknows.com/2009/10/07/music-to-my-ears/#comments Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:33:44 +0000 neknows http://neknows.com/?p=160 The country fairs have came and went and the Nebraska State Fair (where ever it may be in the future) is over. And with these, the summer music scene in Nebraska appears to be grinding to a halt as well. Unless you live in Lincoln or Omaha, it might appear that your options are bleak or none at all for the rest of the year. But not so fast my friend! Something is stirring beyond Eastern Nebraska! When the thermometer begins to dip, things just start heating up in Central Nebraska! I thought I was going to highlight just a couple of venues and shows, until I began looking around at what was offered in Central Nebraska and found that there is actually something for all tastes in the coming months without having to travel far!

The Heartland Events Center in Grand Island is hosting The Temptations and Foreigner in October. They also play host to a variety of other types of entertainment and have a full and busy schedule into the future. The Grand Island Concert Association focuses on classical music and presents shows nearly once a month throughout their season at what appears by the website to be at Grand Island Senior High.

The Hastings Symphony Orchestra has a smattering of concert opportunities at the Masonic Center Auditorium, including the full Orchestra playing various overtures to a Christmas concert by Mischa Johnson and her Suzuki students. (She has been my mother’s teacher for years… she’s GREAT!) The Hastings College Music Department also offers an occasional concert at the College during the school year. And coming up shortly is the Annual Country Music Festival at the Adams County Fairgrounds in Hastings, a “can’t miss” for country music fans!

The Viaero Event Center in Kearney is hosting Kenny G, Buckcherry with special guests Deaf Pedestrians, Saving Abel and Red this October, Jason Aldean and Disney on Ice (ice skating and music) and the Charlie Daniels Band in December. If musicals are more your scene, then you won’t want to miss Hairspray presented in March. And if you can only take music in very short snippets, then catch a Storm Hockey game running October through March!

The Kearney Concert Association presents various shows throughout the season with performances ranging from an a capella quartet, to an orchestra, a Czech boys choir and even a inique circus type performer.  The concerts are held at the Merryman Performing Arts Center which is rich in old theatre furnishings while attaining a level of comfort and style unmatched in the area. They will also be home to Michael Martin Murphy for a performance coming up soon.

The University of Nebraska at Kearney hosts Conerts on the Platte at the UNK Fine Arts Hall. Performers include UNK faculty, guest artists and current students and offers some of the most sophisticated and technically diverse performers in Nebraska. From the Nebraskats, to jazz and rock ensembles and band and chorus groups, you are sure to find something of your liking at UNK!

The North Platte Concert Association also has a spattering of concerts, mirroring some of the same acts that perform in Kearney.

Set in the concert hall environment, the Tassel Performing Arts Center in Holdrege plays host to a variety of concerts, performers and orchestra venues throught the fall and winter.

The Minden Opera House in Minden is housed the original building which began operation in 1891 and has been recently renovated to the most spectacular setting in the area. In the next few months they play host to a Rat Pack Tribute, a woman billed as “a band in a body” and a terrific Elvis Impersonator that draws such a crowd, there are several nights of the show! Tickets always go fast to events at the Opera House, so plan ahead!

There are many bars, halls and churches in the area that play frequent hosts to bands and groups that are locally popular. Check out your area Elks, Eagles or other animal lodges for their listings too. Two websites that offer up some of the local events are Eventful and Topix. I was wondering if I might get bored this fall and winter, but with all of these opportunities in just the next couple of months, my calendar of ‘want to attends’ has filled up fast!

Tags: Adams County Fairgrounds, Adams County Music Festival, Bo Pellini, Bronzers, Buckcherry, Central Nebraska, Charlie Daniels Band, Christmas, Concerts on the Platte, Cosmetics, Deaf Pedestrians, Disney on Ice, Elvis, Eventful, Foreigner, Grand Island Concert Association, Grand Island Senior High, Hairspray the musical, Hastings College Music department, Hastings Symphony Orchestra, Heartland Events Center, Jason Aldean, Kearney Concert Association, Merryman Performing Arts Center, Micheal Martin Murphy, Minden Opera House, Mischa Johnson, Music and Concerts, Nebraska State Fair, Nebraskats, North Platte Concert Association, Rat Pack, Saving Abel, Storm Hockey, Suzuki, Tassel Performing Arts Center, Temptations, Topix, Uncategorized, UNK Fine Arts Hall, Viaero Event Center

Related posts

]]> http://neknows.com/2009/10/07/music-to-my-ears/feed/ Of course I’m “Corn-fed”! http://neknows.com/2009/08/12/corn-fed/ http://neknows.com/2009/08/12/corn-fed/#comments Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:31:47 +0000 neknows http://neknows.com/?p=157 NeKnows is back online with new and interesting thoughts, tidbits, reviews and much more! Check our blog frequently so you can be in the Know too!

With summer in the peak of its season, as verified by all the bugs from the Kingdom and Phylum right down to the Genus and Species crawling and flying about, this time of year also brings about the other joys of the season: fresh fruits, vegetables, and flowers! These in and of themselves are astonishing. But behold the true wonder… the grower! When you were young, you imagined you too, could have a garden just like Mrs. Berglund. Her garden had a plush carpeting of marigolds and iris lining the borders. And inside, a jungle like maze of everything from beans to watermelon and radishes to cabbage. She could grow it all! So with that image in mind, in your own adult years you take on your own garden, but somehow….. it’s just not the same. What secrets did Mrs. Berglund have? Was she using Miracle Grow on those flowers to make them bloom as big as 4th of July fireworks in their pots? How did she keep those nasty bugs from eating the leaves off the plants? I heard Sevin works well? And the way she consistently had an ongoing plethora of produce for the Farmers Market was unfathomable! But now people frequently question if the produce is grown organically?  Well…. I’m finding out I’m no Mrs. B, but one things for sure, I am a Cornhusker! Our sweet corn is going to be a bumper crop! But I’m not too sure much else will pass muster? So HOW DOES your garden grow? Do you buy seeds from WalMart or is it better to begin with a started plant from Earl May? What is the optimum time to treat for bugs and what organic pest control measures work? Please pass along your secrets for “superior yield” and insect control for your garden! Let us know the best Farmers Markets being held this summer so we can come see what’s growing on Nebraska!

Tags: Earl May, Farmers Market, flowers, foods, fruit, Health, iris, marigolds, Miracle grow, Nebraska, organic, organic pesticides, Sevin, store/shopping center, vegetables, WalMart, yield

Related posts

]]> http://neknows.com/2009/08/12/corn-fed/feed/ December 08 http://neknows.com/2008/11/30/december-08/ http://neknows.com/2008/11/30/december-08/#comments Mon, 01 Dec 2008 04:17:33 +0000 neknows http://neknows.com/?p=155 Okay for the next month we are going to be dashing and dancing and probably a little prancing will be practiced so let’s do it with a happy heart and a willing smile.  Please don’t make the month of December one that is filled with no peace only panic because we have not bought Great Aunt Edna’s favorite fushica hot pants to go with the yellow polka dot puffy shirt she had to have straight off the rack at Goodwill.  Let’s make December fun with a witty comment to all the folks out there trying to make a living at drive thru restuarants, gas stations and every service industry out there.  We need to remember that nothing happens till someone sells it.  Let’s make it a goal to smile pretty and show your teeth to at least half the people we come in contact with for the entire month of December.  You can always snarl at your spouse!  Remember the saying “Tis the season to be Jolly”.  Fill me in on what you did that was amazing or a best good everyday and I will do the same.  Ready, set, GO!!!

Tags: Uncategorized

Related posts

  • No related posts.
]]> http://neknows.com/2008/11/30/december-08/feed/ Black Friday http://neknows.com/2008/11/29/black-friday/ http://neknows.com/2008/11/29/black-friday/#comments Sat, 29 Nov 2008 12:35:43 +0000 neknows http://neknows.com/?p=153 Well, Has a recession hit the tri cities?  It certainly didn’t seem as if it had yesterday as the spending frenzy was spectacular throughout the community of Kearney, Hastings and Grand Island.  Circulate the dollar seemed to be the words of the day.  People going a little crazy and for sure you have two types.  The shopper who is running thru the aisles with the ad, her face completly made up, tennis shoes and a snazzy outfit or the slow moving with a large cup of coffee in hand looks as though they rolled out of bed which they probably just did, with the frightened look of a deer in the headlights.  Those poor souls will never do the morning rush again and will tell all their friends and family what a zoo it was.  The shopping dolls will have a different story that they will boast about for the next year, what time they got up, how many bargins they bought, how the sales force at all the stores didn’t do anything but stand around and on an on about how great it was.  My question is what kind of shopper are you?  One of the two types above or one of the many who look at those and say you have got to be out of your mind to go near a mall on those days?

Tags: Uncategorized

Related posts

  • No related posts.
]]> http://neknows.com/2008/11/29/black-friday/feed/ Via Spiga - 3″ Wish http://neknows.com/2008/11/17/via-spiga-3-wish/ http://neknows.com/2008/11/17/via-spiga-3-wish/#comments Mon, 17 Nov 2008 15:58:21 +0000 neknows http://neknows.com/?p=148 On my Christmas list?  Via Spiga ‘Nebraska’ leather slingback shoes.  Love the graphite-tone buckle, pinked detail and especially the bow! contrasting with the pointy-toe design. Leather and more Leather.  3″ of heel heaven.

Tags: bow, buckle, Christmas, Clothing, Design, Design, detail, heaven, heel, leather, list, Love, Nebraska, shoes, slingback, slingback shoes, Via Spiga, Wish

Related posts

]]> http://neknows.com/2008/11/17/via-spiga-3-wish/feed/ Playing for Pizza by John Grisham http://neknows.com/2008/11/16/playing-for-pizza-by-john-grisham/ http://neknows.com/2008/11/16/playing-for-pizza-by-john-grisham/#comments Sun, 16 Nov 2008 18:04:04 +0000 neknows http://neknows.com/?p=141 Okay, I usually love a good Grisham book and maybe it is because I really don’t understand Football but “Playing for Pizza” just didn’t do it for me.  Has anyone else found this book to be as boring as I think it is?  I am not one to quit when I read anything but this one I was glad to finish.  No real plot and really just a nothing book.  I will take it to the used book store be done with it and I would rate it about a 1 on the scale of 1 to 5.

Tags: anyone, anything, book review, Books & Movies, football, grisham book, Grishham, john grisham, nothing, pizza, Playing for Pizza, plot, rate, scale, used book store

Related posts

]]> http://neknows.com/2008/11/16/playing-for-pizza-by-john-grisham/feed/ San Pedro’s - Kearney http://neknows.com/2008/11/14/san-pedros-kearney/ http://neknows.com/2008/11/14/san-pedros-kearney/#comments Fri, 14 Nov 2008 21:34:22 +0000 neknows http://neknows.com/?p=139 San Pedro’s - If you are looking for a place to eat on a Friday night, I heartily recommend San Pedro’s in Kearney.  Especially if you’re looking for a drink to top it off.  $0.99 Margaritas on Friday nights.  There is plenty to choose from on the menu.  I can’t say I’ve had the same thing twice in a row.  Even for kids that may not want Mexican food, there’s items for them.  Chicken strips are the current family for the kids.  It’s not much for space or ease of parking.  But once the food arrives, which is usually surprisingly quick, it’s worth it.

Tags: Bar, chicken strips, eating out, Fast Food, Friday night, Kearney, Margaritas, mexican food, News & Reviews, night, Restaurants, Restaurants, san pedro, San Pedros

Related posts

]]> http://neknows.com/2008/11/14/san-pedros-kearney/feed/ Hellboy II http://neknows.com/2008/11/14/hellboy-ii/ http://neknows.com/2008/11/14/hellboy-ii/#comments Fri, 14 Nov 2008 21:24:22 +0000 neknows http://neknows.com/?p=137 Hellboy II - I recently saw Hellboy II and found the movie to be entertaining, but certainly not as good as the original Hellboy.  The movie was visually stunning, but at times the imagery overshadowed the story.  I want to see Hellboy break things with humor added.  There are some scenes of man-bonding that are hilarious, but overall the movie lacked any real punch.  It was not a good enough story to carry an entire movie.  And in the end, it seemed to simply stop instead of having a clear conclusion.  2.5 out of 5 stars.

Tags: Books & Movies, Hellboy II, movies

Related posts

]]> http://neknows.com/2008/11/14/hellboy-ii/feed/ Harvest Moon http://neknows.com/2008/11/12/harvest-moon/ http://neknows.com/2008/11/12/harvest-moon/#comments Thu, 13 Nov 2008 04:12:05 +0000 neknows http://neknows.com/?p=113 Anyone that wonders why we live in Nebraska can take a look outside tonight and marvel at the beauty of a full harvest moon.  I have been lots of places and this is one of the most awesome views I have ever seen.  Why do you live in Nebraska?

Tags: beauty, fall, harvest moon, moon, Nebraska, night, Uncategorized

Related posts

]]> http://neknows.com/2008/11/12/harvest-moon/feed/ Outdoor Malls http://neknows.com/2008/11/09/outdoor-malls/ http://neknows.com/2008/11/09/outdoor-malls/#comments Sun, 09 Nov 2008 23:13:07 +0000 neknows http://neknows.com/?p=56 Okay, who thought it was a good idea in Nebraska to start the open air “Outdoor Strip Malls”  again?  You know back in the 70’s they started building all these great Malls with indoor heating and airconditioning and you went into the Mall entrance and you could enjoy a climate controlled environment.  We are just getting into the season of shopping and it is so damn cold who would want to go to an outdoor mall and we now have plenty of them!  Omaha, Lincoln, Gretna, all over the state we have these strip malls that we have to park and walk thru rain, sleet and snow to buy a kitchen gadget that our Mom wants, a sweatshirt for our spoiled neice that is two blocks away from the kitchen store and of course our Dad needs something from Sears which is in the empty Mall clear across town.  You have no time or interest in going from store to store meandering in and out just to enjoy the afternoon shopping.  Now it’s just another task that must be done.  I am the first one that will say it is wonderful to be able to stroll the avenue when the weather is nice but we live in NEBRASKA!!!!  Now seems like a great time if you could afford it to open a boutique or some retail store in some of the empty malls across the state and advertise that you can do one stop shopping once again without it being Wal-Mart.  The midwest is still spending money we just want to spend it in comfort!

Tags: climate control, Gretna, Kitchen, Lincoln, Malls, Nebraska, omaha, Outdoors, rain, shopping, snow, strip malls, Uncategorized, Wal-Mart

Related posts

]]> http://neknows.com/2008/11/09/outdoor-malls/feed/