BLAIR, NEBRASKA (2025 February 5, Wednesday)
Don Harrold, Writer / Editor
editor@blairtoday.com – Facebook
The Midwest Message, an Omaha-based acoustic duo, will make their Blair debut at Just Mary’s on February 15, 2025, offering a unique take on classic rock hits spanning five decades.
“We’re not playing them exactly how they were written,” explains Logan Corbino, one half of the duo. “Our main goal is to take well-known songs and make them more intimate.”
Corbino’s musical journey began with an iconic inspiration: “Three words: Eddie Van Halen. When I was a kid, Eddie Van Halen was one of my mom’s favorite bands. I just remember the first time I saw him running across the stage playing that solo. That’s what got me into guitar.”
Corbino and his musical partner Jaden Woosley, a music teacher at Omaha’s School of Rock, have developed a distinctive format where they alternate between solo performances and collaborative pieces. “We’re two separate artists on the stage at the same time. We both have our own setlists, our own songs, but we also have songs that we play together,” says Corbino. Their three-hour sets feature everything from Breaking Benjamin to Lionel Richie, with each song reimagined for two acoustic guitars and vocals.
The intimate format has transformed Corbino as a performer. “I was always the front man and singer-guitar player for bands, but I’ve always been kind of shy. This has put me closer to people. Now I have to talk to people and really get intimate with them.”
Their setlist spans decades of hits. “We usually start off with Breaking Benjamin. We do Tom Petty’s ‘Free Fallin” with harmonies and singing together. I do a couple Alice in Chains songs, and then Lionel Richie’s ‘Hello,’ which is one of my favorites that Jaden does.”
Woosley brings his own style to the partnership. “He’s pretty much the same as me. He came up playing in rock bands around Omaha too. He plays more of the classical songs, like the Lionel Richie pieces. He does the KISS covers, but does them acoustic.”
The duo’s mission focuses on creating connections through music. “There’s just something about taking a big song and breaking it down to just a couple instruments and a couple voices,” Corbino explains. “I’m trying to bring back the ’90s acoustic guitar, like MTV Unplugged-type stuff.”
Audience participation is encouraged through their request system. “We have a book that we bring with us. If people want to request songs, they can write them down in that book, and the next time we come to play there, we will have learned them,” says Corbino.
Since forming three years ago, The Midwest Message has performed at venues across Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, and Wyoming, building a reputation for their intimate approach to familiar music.
The Midwest Message brings their acoustic performance to Just Mary’s in Blair on February 15, 2025, for a three-hour show featuring their signature take on rock, pop, and classic hits. The duo transforms familiar songs into intimate acoustic arrangements spanning five decades of music.
