Versatile artist Bruce Hornsby to perform with the Omaha Symphony

A three-time Grammy Award winner will open the Omaha Symphony’s Rocks series on Friday night.

Bruce Hornsby, known for his hits “The Way It Is” and “Every Little Kiss,” will headline the 7:30 p.m. concert at the Holland Center, 1200 Douglas St. He has drawn from rock, jazz, bluegrass, folk and other musical genres for a career that has taken him to a number of interesting venues, including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, four NBA finals, the MLB World Series and the Olympics.

He was the special guest of Bon Iver at the 2017 Coachella festival, and has worked with noted artists such as the Grateful Dead, Ricky Skaggs, Spike Lee, Bob Dylan and Bonnie Raitt. He also has composed for and performed in movies and documentaries.

Hornsby’s albums have sold more than 11 million copies. “My Resolve,” a cut from his latest release, “Non-Secure Connection,” was picked as one of the best songs of 2020 by the New York Times.

Rob Moose, who was featured on that album, will conduct the Holland Center concert. He has a degree in violin performance from the Manhattan School of Music and is a leader in cross-collaboration between contemporary pop and classical music.

Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. concert, starting at $65, are available at omahasymphony.org.

“The Ebb and Flow Between Us,” an art show featuring three local artists, opens Friday night at the Hoff Family Arts and Culture Center in Council Bluffs.

The artists — Patty Talbert, Celeste Butler and Pamela Conyers-Hinson — decided to display their works together to illustrate the way their lives and careers have influenced each other. The exhibit opens at 6:30 p.m. at the center, 1001 S. Sixth St. The women will talk about the show at 7 p.m.

Talbert explained the goal of the show: “I want the viewer to feel our sense of pride in who we are as individuals, but feel a greater sense of pride and admiration when (the pieces) are viewed collectively,” she said. “The goal is to feel the power of our innate aesthetics immersed together.”

The opening is free, but planners ask that patrons RSVP at blt/ly/ArtExhibit_RSVPOct14.

Talbert, of Council Bluffs, earned a bachelor of fine arts degree in studio art at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She also trained with MacArthur Award winner Debra Willis at the Smithsonian African American Museum of History and Culture. Her works can also be viewed at pattysartomaha.com.

Butler, a native Omahan, is a fiber and textile artist, quiltologist and storyteller whose family migrated from the South in the 1940s. Her Southern roots can be seen in her artistic process and the subjects of her work: family, nature and landscapes. Her works can also be viewed at celestebutlerart.com.

Hinson, of Omaha, is visual artist and educator. Her work has been shown at the Museum of Science & History in Chicago and The ROOM Contemporary Art Space in Venice, Italy, and locally at Kaneko and The Union for Contemporary Art. Her works can also be viewed at conyershinsonart.com.

The Hoff Center show runs through Jan. 14, 2023. Gallery hours are Fridays from 6 to 9 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 4 p.m.

A Nebraska-born singer will share original songs and the stories behind them in an intimate concert at the Benson Theatre on Oct. 21.

Colin Roberts, who was born in Wahoo and now lives in Blair, has been presenting programs across the state for more than 20 years. He started covering other artists but evolved into a songwriter who tells musical stories with vocals, guitar and harmonica.

His songs cover a variety of genres, from Americana to alternative to country and pop.

A limited number of tickets for the 7:30 p.m. concert are available in advance for $10 at bensontheatre.org. Admission is $15 at the door. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Midwest Dog Rescue Network.

Only three concerts remain in the Brownsville Concert Series, a 31-year tradition in Brownsville, Nebraska, about an hour south of Omaha via Interstate 29.

Christine Andreas will present “Piaf: No Regrets” this Friday through Sunday. The concert is a tribute to French singer, songwriter and actress Edith Piaf, who performed in cabarets and other venues from the 1930s to the early 1960s.

Andreas has won acclaim for the show.

“Her ravishing voice and snapping emotional electricity have made her a potent interpreter of Piaf,” said Stephen Holden of the New York Times. He said she performs the most thrilling rendition of “La Vie en Rose” since Piaf herself sang it.

The concerts are Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.

Remaining concerts in the season:

• Nov. 13, 2 p.m.: Saxophonist Steven Banks, who is establishing himself as an important young artist on an instrument that’s rarely performed in solo concerts. Seen and Heard International said he has a “glowing mahogany tone.”
• Dec. 9 and 10, 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 11, 2 p.m.: “White Christmas,” with Brownsville favorites KT Sullivan, Jeff Harnar, Todd Murray and Stacy Sullivan singing music from the movie of the same name. They also will perform other Broadway holiday favorites.

Tickets for each concert, $25, are available at brownsvilleconcertseries.com.