Omaha's Playing with Fire presents ‘Encore Weekend’

Blues and rock bands from Scotland, Wales, the U.S. and Canada return for highly anticipated concerts – free and open to all at Omaha’s Slowdown

OMAHA, NE, UNITED STATES, August 15, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A lineup of award-winning blues artists – crowd-tested and beloved by local music fans – returns this week to reignite Playing with Fire’s buzz-stoked Weekend No. 2 of the annual free summer concert series.

Known for bending guitar strings like psychic spoon-benders at a county fair, these Playing with Fire showstoppers are returning to Omaha on Friday and Saturday (August 15 and 16) for what organizers are officially calling “Encore Weekend.”

“These are the bands that have electrified PwF crowds in recent years – they’re able to turn a single riff into a fist-pumping, foot-stopping, blues-rock rally cry,” says Jeff Davis, founder of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit festival in Omaha. “This time, they’ll unleash that same fierce fire indoors.”

Staged at The Slowdown, 2025 marks the first time the event is not being staged outdoors at a local Omaha-area park or greenspace. While holding Playing with Fire indoors is new, one thing remains unchanged: it’s still free, and still all inclusive, still open to all ages.

“Two nights of world-class, award-winning music – local, national and international – where the only ticket you need is a love for live music that stirs your soul and connects you to the PwF vibe that makes strangers feel like family,” says PwF co-producer Vanessa Marie.

International Summer
This year’s Encore Weekend is a passport stamp in sound – bands from Scotland and Canada to England, Wales and the good ol’ U.S.A. – proof that the blues speaks fluently in language.

Last month, at Playing with Fire Weekend No. 1, the lineup was packed with contemporary blues stars, including Alice Armstrong, two-time UK Contemporary Blues Artist of the Year (2024 and 2025). Longtime fans not only embraced our new artists but also loved the move indoors, which Davis says was born of both necessity and opportunity.

“It’s a game-changer,” he added. “Bringing Playing with Fire indoors to The Slowdown gives our longtime fans a live music experience where every fiery guitar lick and blistering note is crisp and clear – and the only heatwaves or stormfronts are the ones coming from the stage.”

Doors open at 5 p.m., and music begins at 6:30 p.m. each night. Seating is first-come, first-served, and the capacity for the shows is 600 each night.

The schedule for this week’s Playing with Fire “Encore Weekend”:

Friday, August 15
• Omaha blues virtuoso Hector Anchondo (Class of 2017) opens the night with raw, slide-guitar storytelling.
• Up next, it’s Ben Poole (Classes of 2013 & 2017), the U.K. guitar wizard whose 2013 debut here still echoes in fans' ears.
• Wrapping up the night with electrifying Scottish-flavored blues-rock is King King (Class of 2024), whose kilt-clad energy and anthemic songs will turn the night into a full-on blues-rock celebration!

Saturday, August 16
• Hailing from To’Hajiilee, New Mexico, Levi Platero (Class of 2022) delivers dynamic, Navajo-rooted blues that are both soulful and seismic.
• Toronto’s Bywater Call (Classes of 2023 & 2024) brings its fiery seven-piece soul rock blend – horns, grooves and powerhouse vocals are most definitely included – brace yourself!
• Closing out Playing with Fire 2025 in grand style is Cardinal Black (Class of 2024) with an ocean-sized surge of soulful grit and sold-out-tour swagger straight from Wales.
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For more details on Playing with Fire and this year’s artists lineup, go to playingwithfireomaha.net.

ABOUT PLAYING WITH FIRE – Since 2004, Playing with Fire has been Omaha’s free summer concert lifeline, spotlighting global blues, soul, funk, and roots music while fueling local nonprofits. Guided by Jeff Davis and his co-producer Vanessa Marie – two nomads in pursuit of musical brilliance – and supported by the Douglas County Visitors Improvement Fund, in-kind support, and public donations. PwF has hosted 1,000-plus musicians and welcomed 750,000 fans, all with an impeccable safety record, deep respect for the music, and boundless community goodwill.

Jim Minge
Wayfinder
jim@wayfinderpr.com
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