About Us

About Us

About Us

"Playing with Fire"  by Jean Mason

A painting of a person playing an electric guitar

The inspiration for the festival's name.

About Us

Playing with Fire bridges communities through the power of music.


Our mission as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization is clear: to champion local non-profits and foster connections between people across the globe, all through the magic of free live music concerts.


At Playing with Fire, we believe in the transformative power of music to unite, inspire, and uplift. Through our events, we bring the world to Omaha while sharing the spirit of Omaha with the world. Each concert features extraordinary, award-winning musicians from around the globe, offering unforgettable experiences for audiences near and far.


Join us in our journey to celebrate diversity, support local causes, and create lasting bonds through the universal language of music. Together, we're igniting passions, breaking down barriers, and spreading joy—one free concert at a time.

Festival Awards

  • Sponsors of two 2024 Maple Blues Awards in honor of PwF 20th Anniversary and the pipeline of presenting exceptional Canadian artists to the community of music lovers attending PwF.
  • Winner of 2007 (OEAA) Omaha Arts & Entertainment Award for Best Local Show in the Live Music category.
  • Key to the City of Omaha at the end of the inaugural season for “his vision, support, and promotion of the summertime events.”  Mayor Fahey stated, “The Playing with Fire Concert Series and Jeff Davis are perfect examples of what makes Omaha the great city it is.”

Charitable Partner

PwF sees it as its responsibility to expose future generations to various genres of blues, soul, funk, R&B and roots music and learn the art of true musicianship through the BluesEd Youth Artist Development Program. Since 2017, PwF has committed to supporting the BluesEd Program as its Charitable Partner, sharing the free-will donations at all PwF concerts to help further the organizations' mission, provide a platform for the youth of this organization to perform, and encourage them to continue keeping the Blues alive for the forthcoming generations.

A logo for blues ed with a guitar in the middle.

The Team

Board of Directors

Our Grants

The Nebraska Arts Council, a state agency, has supported this program through its matching grants program funded by the Nebraska Legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment.

Visit www.nebraskaartscouncil.org for information on how the Nebraska Arts Council can assist your organization, or how you can support the Nebraska Cultural Endowment.

Nebraska Arts Council

A black and white logo for the nebraska arts council
The logo for douglas county nebraska dedicated service community involvement

Douglas County Visitor Improvement Fund Award

The logo for douglas county nebraska dedicated service community involvement

19 Years of Incredible Music!

  • A poster for a concert called playing with fire

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    2004

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  • A poster for a concert series called playing with fire

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    2005

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  • A red poster advertising free blues and flaming tires

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    2006

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  • A poster for a concert called blues at the landing

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    2007

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  • A poster for a live concert series of blues

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    2008

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  • A poster that says live music all summer on it

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    2009

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  • A poster for a concert sponsored by first national bank

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    2010

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  • A poster for a concert called playing with fire

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    2011

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  • A poster for a free music concert on july 28th

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    2012

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  • A poster for a concert with a lot of fire on it.

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    2013

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  • A flyer for a concert with a picture of a bull on it.

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    2014

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  • Playing with fire 2015 presents thursdays in the park at midtown crossing 13th annual free summer concerts

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    2015

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  • A poster for playing with fire on saturdays

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    2016

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  • A poster for playing with fire free concert series

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    2017

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  • A poster for the 15th annual turner park free concert series

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    2018

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  • A poster for playing with fire 16th annual free summer music concerts

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    2019

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  • A poster for a concert called playing with fire

    Slide title

    2004

    Button
  • A poster for a concert series called playing with fire

    Slide title

    2005

    Button
  • A red poster advertising free blues and flaming tires

    Slide title

    2006

    Button
  • A poster for a concert called blues at the landing

    Slide title

    2007

    Button
  • A poster for a live concert series of blues

    Slide title

    2008

    Button
  • A poster that says live music all summer on it

    Slide title

    2009

    Button
  • A poster for a concert sponsored by first national bank

    Slide title

    2010

    Button
  • A poster for a concert called playing with fire

    Slide title

    2011

    Button
  • A poster for a free music concert on july 28th

    Slide title

    2012

    Button
  • A poster for a concert with a lot of fire on it.

    Slide title

    2013

    Button
  • A flyer for a concert with a picture of a bull on it.

    Slide title

    2014

    Button
  • Playing with fire 2015 presents thursdays in the park at midtown crossing 13th annual free summer concerts

    Slide title

    2015

    Button
  • A poster for playing with fire on saturdays

    Slide title

    2016

    Button
  • A poster for playing with fire free concert series

    Slide title

    2017

    Button
  • A poster for the 15th annual turner park free concert series

    Slide title

    2018

    Button
  • A poster for playing with fire 16th annual free summer music concerts

    Slide title

    2019

    Button
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