This weekend is easy: Just head to Benson for the Omaha Entertainment and Arts Awards Summer Showcase. There. You're done. No more thinking necessary.

Performances are tonight and tomorrow beginning at 8 p.m. Wristbands are sold at the door of every performance spot. A one-time $10 charge will get you into all five venues all night long; or do as I do and spend an extra $5 and get access for both nights

I'm told that this two-day event is actually a fund raiser for the OEA organization, and that the real academy-targeted showcase -- that will feature bands nominated for an award -- will be held sometime this fall. So this one is really "just for fun," an exposure-generator for 60 local bands whose music cuts across multiple genres.

As seems to be the case with most OEA events, the acts chosen to perform are mostly bands that regularly perform in Benson anyway, which makes this more of a "come-to-Benson" exposure-driven event. We'll see if the crowd consists of out-of-Bensoners or the usual crowd (who, strangely, didn't show up for the Lincoln Invasion festival just a few weeks ago).

My advice on how to best enjoy this festival: 1) Find a designated driver, 2) Get your wristbands in order, 3) Proceed to drink you face off while stumbling from venue to venue. Benson-based showcases are really just high-end drinking games involving music. The OEA folks would be advised to organize a taxi stand so game participants can get home safely after the party's over.

Anyway, here is the schedule as posted on the OEA website. For those who need help deciding which bands to see, I've placed an asterisk (*) next to my recommendations -- keep in mind that I haven't seen or heard half of these bands.

Friday July 31

Barley Street Tavern

8:10 p.m. — Spiders For Love
*8:55 p.m. — Answer Team
9:40 p.m. — Travelling Mercies
10:35 p.m. — Matt and Ben
*11:20 p.m. — Boy Noises
12:35 a.m. — Black On High

The Sydney

8 p.m. — Jason Fergusen
8:45 p.m. — Little Black Stereo
9:30 p.m. — Akita Ken
*10:15 p.m. — The Filter Kings
*11 p.m. — Shiver Shiver
*11:50 p.m. — Thunder Power

P.S. Collective

8 p.m. — Pat Higgins Trio
*8:45 p.m. — Honey & Darling
*9:30 p.m. — Sarah Benck
10:15 p.m. — El Genius
11 p.m. — Funk Trek
11:50 p.m. — Rock Paper Dynamite

Burke’s Pub

8 p.m. — The Pilots
8:55 p.m. — Chris Massara
*9:40 p.m. — Dereck Higgins
*10:35 p.m. — Goodbye Sunday
11:15 p.m. — Vago
12:05 a.m. — DJ Spence

The Waiting Room

8:10 p.m. — Lunatik
8:55 p.m. — Mitch Getman
*9:40 p.m. — Anniversaire
10:35 p.m. — Ten Club
11:20 p.m. — The Cowboy Dave Band (ex-40-20)
*12:05 a.m. — Brad Hoshaw & The Seven Deadlies

Saturday, Aug. 1

Barley Street Tavern

8: 10 p.m. — Broken Truth
8:55 p.m. — Strictly Roots
9:40 p.m. — Raven Carousel
*10:35 p.m. — Sweet Pea
11:20 p.m. — Platte River Rain
12:05 a.m. — Vinyl Haze

Burke’s Pub

8:10 p.m. — 24 Hour Cardlock
8:55 p.m. — W.E.R.D.
*9:40 p.m. — Matt Whipkey
*10:35 p.m. — Black Squirrels
11:20 p.m. — Son Of 76 & The Watchman
*12:05 a.m. — Brent Crampton

The Sydney

8 p.m. — After The Fall
*8:45 p.m. — Kyle Harvey
*9:30 p.m. — The Show Is The Rainbow
10:15 p.m. — Surreal
*11 p.m. — Midwest Dilemma
*11:50 p.m. — Paria

The Waiting Room

8:10 p.m. — Kethro
8:55 p.m. — Flight Metaphor
9:40 p.m. — Poor Mans Opera
10:35 p.m. — Oxygen
*11:20 p.m. — Fortnight
*12:05 a.m. — It’s True

P.S. Collective

8 p.m. — Jess Winter Band
8:45 p.m. — ASO
9:30 p.m. — Edge Of Arbor
10:15 p.m. — Qubit
11:20 p.m. — The Last Few
*11:50 p.m. — The Big Al Band

Watch for updates via the Lazy-i Twitter feed (follow me), along with some shaky, grainy, out-of-focus iPhone photos.

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