Went to a couple shows this past weekend. Last night's Simon Joyner gig down at Goofy Foot Lodge was the better of the two. Plans call for providing a little more detail and a review of Joyner's new album in this week's column, online Wednesday or Thursday. Look for it. Opening act The Miracles of God, who has opened for Simon on a few other occasions, sounded completely different to me, in a good way -- like a hybrid of punk and beer-bottle rock, the kind of punk you might hear in a truck stop driving east of Chicago. Dirty and loud. They played a couple shows with Outlaw Con Bandana leading up to this gig (who I missed last night, thanks to the Cardinals). Outlaw apparently had some van troubles on this short tour, troubles as in getting T-boned somewhere around Iowa City. I'm told their van was totaled. I assume no one was hurt or they wouldn't have played last night. Joyner, incidentally, declared them his current favorite local band during his set -- quite an honor (if you ask me).

The Goofy Foot continues to be one of the cooler bars in Omaha that still doesn't make you feel out of place, even if you're wearing a Ft. Calhoun Pioneers hoodie and a stocking cap (it was cold last night). Their pseudo stage is still somewhat lacking -- actually, it's more of an anti-stage as you seem to be looking down at the band rather than up to them -- but their sound system is more than adequate for the room. It does have a similar "standing in the way" problem that The 49'r has -- if you're not at a table or up at the pool tables, you're probably in someone's way. Oh well. They have the cheapest Rolling Rock in town, incidentally. More on Simon Wednesday (or Thursday).

I didn't get a good enough feel at Saturday night's Titanmoon/Davan show at O'Leaver's to give a real review (I was chatting with someone in the back during most of the set). Titanmoon was fun, poppy rock, and durn good. Davan was quirky and didn't hold my attention. Neither band was a good fit opening for the thunder of Noah's Ark Was a Spaceship, which pounded the place to rubble. Perhaps the bands are friends or the touring bands were just thrown on the night's bill? No idea.

Tonight at Sokol Underground, Detroit's Electric Six with Aberdeen City and The Blue Van. I'm listening to Electric Six's "I Buy the Drugs" right now -- sounds like a throwback to early '80s FM radio rock a la Jack Black, lots of keyboards and guitar and a big, bad chorus. Could be fun. Niz wrote about Aberdeen City here in the OWH this weekend -- their guitarist has Omaha ties, apparently, and Steve Lillywhite likes 'am. $12, 9 p.m.

Here's this week's Slowdown photo. As always, click the thumbnail to enlarge. The cranes have been busy, but it's getting colder out there, folks. Can they get it buttoned down before the heavy stuff moves in?

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