Omaha Blues Award Winner Hector Anchondo Talks About Blues Society of Omaha’s “In The Market for Blues” Event on KIOS-FM

The following program was previously recorded. It's time for another installment of Live and Local from the studios at 33rd and Burt. I'm your local host, Mike Hogan. Thank you for joining me today. Well, they were formed in 1998. They're the Blues Society of Omaha, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion and preservation of blues music through education and world-class live performance events. And that second part is coming up. right here real soon. Friday, July 31st through Sunday, August 2nd down in the old market and here to talk about it in Omaha Blues Hero and the 2020 International Blues Challenge champion. Hector Anchano. Hector, thanks so much for taking the time today. Hey, thank you so much for having me. The 2026 return of In the Market for Blues. It's a three-day, I would almost call it a festival down in the old market and in the capital district. Can you tell us what's going on here? Yeah, it's a choose-your-own-adventure type of event. And the Blue Society of Omaha has been working really hard on getting this all together. It's just the 11th year. So it's like you can, you go through the schedule when it comes out and you pick the artist that you want to see. Meanwhile, you're discovering new music. you know, listening, because maybe you haven't heard this artist, so you're listening. And then you're plotting out your journey. And so you catch this, catch a band at one club, and then you move over to another club to catch this band. Or maybe you can catch 45 minutes of one act, and then you go and catch the second 45 minutes of another act between all the different venues that it's taking place in downtown Omaha. Sure. In fact, 30 acts from, you know, across more than 10 venues, impossible to see it all. That's why it's such a gift that it comes back year after year because you can choose, you know, next year. You could go to this one, this one, and this one, you know, that you didn't get to go through the first time, right? Yeah, absolutely. I just want to mention some of the venues, for example, Holland Performing Arts Center, the Jewel, Gene Leahy Mall. And in fact, there are a couple of these events that are free. No charge to anybody, right? Yeah, that's right. At the Gene Leahy Mall, the stage there, I think, I believe folks passing by could just stop and enjoy the live music. What are some of the bands that are coming? So there's the Little Ed and the Blues Imperials, and if anybody's not familiar with them, many, many moons ago, little Ed got a spot on the Conan O'Brien show, and he just... put on a mind-blowing performance, and that kind of just set his whole career off. So Little Ed and the Blues Imperials are going to be there. The Nick Moss Band, another band from Chicago. There's Alistair Green's going to be there. Hayden Sayers, Polyokarian Rhythm Method. They're a band from Seattle, really good friends of mine.

And that's just to name of you, the Kurt Allen band, Hedspeth and Taylor, Coyote Bill, another great friend of mine from Kansas City. Big Daddy Caleb and the Chargers from Lincoln, Nebraska. It's hard to list them all off. The Texas Headhunters are going to be there. Sure. And Nick Sneblin, Nick Sneblin and Chris Logger with the King of Blues, which I'll be playing with them as well, the King of Blues set. And so for the folks that like guitar, that's a must see. So make sure you check that one out. You are an award-winning and very well-acclaimed blues musician. What makes the blues as a musician? How do you know you are jamming the blues? Well, I think it's a combination of things. I think part of it is one of my favorite parts of a blues is is the expression, you're just really, you just really get to express yourself. You know, if you're doing it right, you're putting all of you into it, you know, whether it's through a solo or through singing or if you're on the drums. So it's, I like the expressiveness of blues, but also it's the style, of course, you know, blues revolves heavily around, you know, birth out of the 12 bar. And then the 12 bar blues, which, and then it expanded and evolved from there. And also, and then also, you know, all types of scales and everything, it can get kind of get down to the more technical side of things. But it's, I think it's a, most importantly, it's a feeling and an expression. Well, plenty of blues to enjoy for everyone. Friday, July 31st through Sunday, August 2nd. Some of the shows are free. Some of them are not. The venues are all over the old market and the capital district. So. Omaha Blues.com would be a great source of information for Showtime's venues and tickets. He is an Omaha Blues Hero and Original and the 2020 International Blues Challenge champion. His name is Hector on Chondo. Hector, enjoy the festival. Thank you so much, Mike, and I hope you make it down there as well. It's a wonderful weekend. And I look forward to it every year. And if anybody out there hasn't made it yet, please go check it out. You won't be disappointed.