Column 174: A Coward's Return; Live Review: Heavenly States, Head of Femur; More Rilo Kiley tonight… – May 21, 2008 –

When I found out that Team Love was rereleasing Simon Joyner's The Cowardly Traveller Pays His Toll I knew I had to interview Joyner about the record. It's been a decade since our last interview. Our talk focused almost solely on the album, and I got so much stuff over that hour on the phone that I knew I would need two columns to get all the best parts in print. So here is part one of my first two-part column. Look for part two next Wednesday.

Column 174: The Traveller Returns
The first in a two-part look at Simon Joyner's just-reissued seminal recording.

The date was sometime in 1994. Omaha singer songwriter Simon Joyner was opening a show for a band who I've long ago forgotten down at the original Howard St. Tavern, the one that was right next to the Old Market Homer's. Sitting at the table looking up at the stage, I noticed a couple things different straight away. First, behind Joyner -- who had always been a solitary performer -- was a guy sitting behind a small trap set. Second, the acoustic guitar that had always been strapped around Joyner's fragile frame had been replaced by one with a chord running from its hind end.

Joyner was about to go electric, and none of us knew what to think. The occasion was the release of his then new vinyl album, The Cowardly Traveller Pays His Toll, a record that would prove to be a departure both for him and for the rest of us who had known Joyner as merely a solo acoustic folk-punk musician. Cowardly Traveller would change all that.

On the occasion of its long-awaited rerelease on Conor Oberst's Team Love Records -- the album's only re-pressing since its second run sold out more than a decade ago -- Joyner talked about how Cowardly Traveller happened, and what it meant to him all those years ago, and today.

But first, let me tell you what it meant to me. Cowardly Traveller was Joyner's third formal release. Over the prior years, Dave Sink's One Hour Records had put out two cassette-only releases -- Umbilical Chords and Room Temperature. It was the latter that had caught the ear of iconic UK DJ John Peel, who played a song from the cassette on his famous radio show (which was shades of things to come). Those two cassettes were filled with Joyner's jangling coffee-shop folk, sort of like early Dylan, but edgy with a fractured punk attitude. Joyner's knack for writing confessional journalistic lyrics carried the day, more so than the songs' melodies, which suffered from a simplistic sameness from track to track, both in composition and musicianship. One marveled at the lyrics and little else.

Then along came Cowardly Traveller, a completely realized album from side to side, probably the first record I had heard released by an Omaha musician that artistically could hold its own with anything released anywhere. The glare of Joyner's distorted guitar chords married with Chris Deden's flat, tribal drumming on opening track "747" was a salvo shot over the bow of anyone who expected another dip of frenetic sidewalk folk. Its cold, hard sonic stare would only be equaled by the album's final track, "Joy Division," a song that closed with the distortion pedal firmly pressed to the floor while Joyner caterwauled in his infamous off-key warble, "Papa, everything falls apart."

Sandwiched between those two songs were 10 more, some of them bracing and electric, others mournful and acoustic, each haunting in its own way. Cowardly Traveller was Joyner's first masterpiece. It would influence a generation of Omaha songwriters, and earn a place as one of my all-time favorite records.

Joyner, who turns 37 in August, was 22 when he recorded Cowardly Traveller, and was staring down what he thought would be the end of a brief musical career, one that he had never expected. "At the time, I didn't know what I wanted to do with myself," he said. "I hadn't considered becoming a professional musician. Music was what I did as a creative outlet. It was something that was fun before I went on to do something else."

But before he left music behind, he had one more record left in him. "I was in a bit of a rut both in my personal and professional life," he recalled. "I felt a little bit restricted in how I had become thought of as this solo acoustic singer songwriter bard of Omaha. I had really expansive musical interests, but up to that point it had been all solo acoustic, which I felt was a proper way of going about beginning a career as a songwriter, just like Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Buckley and Leonard Cohen had."

And like those artists, Joyner was ready to branch out beyond the solo acoustic realm of those first two cassettes, but there were those around him who felt that solo acoustic was all that he would ever be good for. "There are people who are excited about a certain thing you've done, and want you to do it again and again. That's definitely artistic death.

"(The record) was my own small version of a Dylan-going-electric moment," Joyner said. "I didn't know how people would react, but I knew that I definitely wouldn't be making music much longer if it was all going to be acoustic. I thought (Cowardly Traveller) might be the last thing that I would ever do, and it would have made me happy to end like that. Instead, it turned out to be a springboard that kept me challenging myself."

Next week: The recording, the musicians, the story behind the songs and the reaction both here and abroad.

* * *

I've seen a number of different incarnations of Head of Femur over the years, but my favorite is still when the band played as a trio at Sokol Underground back in 2003. Femur ballooned to around eight musicians when they returned to Sokol a couple years later, opening for Rogue Wave. Last night they whittled that number down to five. But it was as a trio that the band was at its edgiest. Back then, they had a wind-blown, organic freedom that felt hand-made and improvised. Maybe it was just the newness of Femur that was showing through their set. Last night's ensemble, on the other hand, was the most competent -- every musician effortlessly hitting their mark, playing with a matter-of-fact confidence as if they'd been on the road nonstop for the past year. They sounded good, professional, an expert band playing indie prog that at times glowed with an Elvis Costello hangover, thanks to a few of the songs' intricate, clever lyrics -- good songs, but Femur is at its best on the ones with the bigger choruses, simpler hooks and fewer words.

There clearly was a comfort level coming off the stage, probably because the crowd of around 60 or 70 consisted of a lot of family and friends, who frontman Matt Focht acknowledged throughout the evening. They came on rather late, around 11:30 after a jumping set by The Heavenly States, who played somewhat pedestrian indie rock that had enough ummph at times to get a few of the folks in front of the stage dancing. "They don't have a drummer, they have a cymbal player," remarked a guy standing next to me. Afterward, of course, it was impossible to ignore how their drummer did seem to have the drum set reversed, playing mainly on the cymbals and using the rest of the set as an accouterment. The result, as you might imagine, was rather bright and brashy. Still, I like the band's singer, whose voice reminded me Trip Shakespeare's Matt Wilson, and I liked most of their songs, though their set fell flat a few times.

Playing the role of audience clowns were members of Poison Control Center, who left the stage before I got there. All bands need this kind of crowd fluffers to stand in front of the stage and interact both with the band and the audience, making people feel more at ease and willing to loosen up. All's they needed was an applause sign…

* * *

Tonight at Slowdown, night two of Rilo Kiley. The line-up is the same as last night, with Nik Freitas and The Spinto Band opening, and also like last night, the show is sold out.

Another missed Cursive show; Head of Femur tonight… – May 20, 2008 –

Somehow I've managed to miss both instances when Cursive has played music from their upcoming recording live. That's a first for me. When Happy Hollow was in its incubation stage, Cursive played a rough pre-studio version at O'Leaver's that was easily the best Cursive concert I've seen. So it was with great misgiving that I had to miss last night's Cursive show at The Waiting Room. I had no choice; I was working on this week's column - part one of two parts dedicated to Simon Joyner's The Cowardly Traveller Pays His Toll, which was reissued on Team Love earlier this month. Part 1 will be online here tomorrow. Part 2 goes online next week. So, sacrifices had to be made, and it looks like I'll have to wait to hear those new Cursive songs. Anybody go last night? Let us know how it went, here.

Tonight, two shows worth blowing a deadline for. Over at The Waiting Room it's the return of Head of Femur, who's out touring what I consider to be their best album, Great Plains. Opening is touring band The Heavenly States and Iowa City freak-out masters Poison Control Center, who I figured I'd never see on the Waiting Room stage as they were supposedly banned from Sokol Underground by the One Percent guys after a series of equipment abuse episodes. Why would One Percent want them to destroy the equipment at the club that they own? PCC usually plays at O'Leaver's and always puts on an entertaining, summersault-fueled rock show. $8, 9 p.m.

Meanwhile, downtown at Slowdown, it's night one of two sold-out nights for Rilo Kiley. Opening is The Spinto Band, and Team Love recording artist Nik Freitas. Like I said, it's sold out, so don't even bother going down there if you don’t have a ticket.

Cursive's Sound Opinions, tonight at TWR … – May 19, 2008 –

A special treat for everyone but us poor folks who work for a living, Cursive is the guest for a live recording of NPR talk show Sound Opinions hosted by Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot this afternoon (at 3 p.m.) at The Waiting Room. The event will include both interviews and a live performance by Cursive, and best of all, it's free. You may want to get there right when the doors open at 2:30. For us working folk, Cursive will play a show tonight at TWR with The Stay Awake and Landing on the Moon. Tickets are still available (as of this writing (noon)) for $12. Get them while you can. Show starts at 9.

Midwest Dilemma, Dariofest tomorrow… – May 16, 2008 –

Maybe it's because all the streets in downtown Omaha are torn up these days or the fact that I haven't been there in over a year, but Sokol Underground seems like a million miles away anymore. I guess I'm spoiled by the proximity of the Benson clubs and Slowdown (which is really just a straight shot down Cuming St. for me). Going to Sokol last night for the Joe "Madder" Kenny benefit seemed like a trek -- a trek that I'm not sorry that I rarely make anymore. Sokol Underground hasn't changed a bit, except for the quality of the show posters next to the staircase. Gone are the artistic screen-print posters used for One Percent shows, replaced with cheap Xerox fliers in a rainbow of colors.

There was probably 60 people at the show when I arrived at around 10:30. The Filthy Few were on stage ripping through a set of shirtless tattoo punk. The Filter Kings were up after that, but for some reason, I just wasn't in the mood for any of it, maybe because of the reason we were there. I barely knew Joe Kenny. We'd corresponded a few times via e-mail. We'd only talked face-to-face twice, but I remember often seeing him at shows at O'Leaver's. When you go to shows by yourself (as I almost always do) the first thing you do when you walk through the door is to look for a familiar face. Joe was one of those faces, and I still subconsciously find myself looking for Madder when I go to O'Leaver's, before realizing that I'm never going to see him there again.

* * *

So what's going on this weekend?

Well, tonight two bands on Kansas City's Anodyne label are playing at Slowdown, Jr. -- The Bellrays and The Architects. $8, 9 p.m.

Tomorrow night's main attraction is Midwest Dilemma on Slowdown's big stage. The band is celebrating the release of their long-player Timelines & Tragedies. I'm still trying to get my mind wrapped around the disc. Its folk orchestra approach featuring more than a dozen musicians is unquestionably impressive. Opening is McCarthy Trenching, Thunder Power!!! and Black Squirrels. 9 p.m., $8.

But before you head down there, head to Benson for Dariofest, part of this weekend's Dundee Spring Fling celebration. That little area right next to Blue Line will be roped off and turned into a beer garden/performance space with performances by Box Elders, Shiver Shiver and Outlaw Con Bandana. I'm told that Brent Crampton will be DJing starting at 3. The bands will start at 5:30. I went to this last year and got blotto on Dario's fancy-schmancy beers (that's what I get for drinking Rolling Rock all the time).

OMG, where's Slam? Madder tribute tonight… – May 15, 2008 –

Across the city, web-connected musicians, bored office deadbeats and the hard-wired unemployed are moaning collectively over the apparent temporary capsizing of Omaha music social hub SLAM Omaha, which has been down since early last night. The site says that it's suffering from "database problems." But what does that really mean? Those of you suffering from SLAM withdrawals who are desperate for a place to vent your spleen (about a music-related topic) feel free to post away on the Lazy-i webboard. It's little solace, I know, but something tells me that SLAM will be back shortly, and better than ever.

Of course tonight's big show is the Joe "Madder" Kenny tribute concert down at Sokol Underground. As I mentioned yesterday, the showcase features some of the city's finest punk acts, including The Deformities, The Upsets, The Shanks, Filthy Few, The Filter Kings and Brimstone Howl. Cost is $7, with all money going to the Kenny family. Doors open at 7, bands are at 8. Get down there and rock for a good cause.

Column 173: A Faint imprint; Madder tribute tomorrow… – May 14, 2008 –

Monday's announcement that The Faint are leaving Saddle Creek ends a two-year saga that, for me, began with this column. I never heard from my trusty "deep throat" source again after that story ran, maybe because things got a little hot (a number of people were asking (nay demanding) to know who s/he was. I, of course, never gave up my source). Today, that old column seems rather harmless, though its aftermath has had a long-term negative impact on my ability to write about a certain band…

Column 173 -- Fasciinatiion Street
The Faint finally leave Saddle Creek.

Yesterday afternoon (which as I write this, was Monday) Billboard.com posted a story on its website announcing that The Faint -- the band that taught Omaha how to dance -- was splitting with its long-time label, Omaha’s own Saddle Creek Records.

The news, which arrived by way of my Google news search tool, caused me to audibly gasp. We all knew it was coming. We had known it for years. Yet, here it was, right in front of my eyes, finally.

The Faint (the article said) is launching its own imprint called "blank.wav," and its first release will be the band’s fifth album, Fasciinatiion (and no, that isn’t a typo), due out Aug. 5. The story went on to quote sales stats from the band’s past two albums – 2004's Wet From Birth, 117,000 copies; and 2001’s Danse Macabre, 143,000 units, perhaps implying that the downturn in sales had something to do with the band's decision to go out on its own.

The Faint’s defection comes only a few weeks after Saddle Creek's first-born son, Conor Oberst, announced that he was releasing a non-Bright Eyes solo album, but that it also would not be on Saddle Creek. Instead, the record is coming out on leading indie label Merge Records, the home to such acts as The Arcade Fire, Spoon and Oberst's buddy M. Ward. That news seemed like a body blow to Creek, even though Bright Eyes still seems to be comfortably held in the label's nurturing arms.

Oberst's news was a surprise. The Faint's, well, not so much. It was two years ago last March when the idea of The Faint leaving Saddle Creek was first openly discussed by label chief Robb Nansel in this very column. Back then, the rumor was that The Faint was headed to American Recordings to work with über producer Rick Rubin. Nansel confirmed that Rubin had indeed expressed interest in working with The Faint, but said that no deal had been made with anyone.

"The possibility of a band leaving has always been there," Nansel said back then. "The bands will ultimately make a well-informed decision about what is in their best interest. We will support their decision regardless of what it is, and hope that all parties are satisfied at the end of the day. Certainly (we) would not be pissed.”

Fellow label executive Jason Kulbel said those comments still apply two years later, as the rumored split becomes a reality. "This announcement does not come as a surprise, and we wish the band continued success," Kulbel said, confirming that Saddle Creek will have no involvement in the release of Fasciinatiion. "They are still friends and we support their decision to do what they, as a band, feel is best for them."

Kulbel said the label has been aware of The Faint's intentions since the release of Wet From Birth. Asked what kind of an impact The Faint leaving would have on Saddle Creek, Kulbel said they "don't see any immediate impact since we have been aware of the likelihood for years."

Despite the loss of The Faint and Oberst sniffing around other labels, the future of Saddle Creek as a business entity seems less in question than it did two years ago when the Faint rumor first surfaced. Since then, Saddle Creek has signed a number of acts including Georgie James, Eric Bachmann, Neva Dinova, Art in Manila and most impressive of all, Tokyo Police Club, whose new album, Elephant Shell, has the potential of being the label’s all-time biggest seller.

Two years ago construction hadn't even begun on Saddle Creek's Slowdown complex. Now after being open for nearly a year, Slowdown is recognized as Omaha's premier music venue, recently honored by Esquire Magazine as the “club of the year” (though I’m not sure how that translates to revenue). And in the past few months, the last remaining empty commercial stall in the Slowdown properties -- originally earmarked for a restaurant -- has been taken by edgy underwear store American Apparel.

The fact is that it's been four years since The Faint released an album. If Saddle Creek hasn't become used to not having them around by now, then they never will.

A more interesting question is how the move will impact The Faint. The band never did record an album with Rubin, instead spending the last few years creating their own Enamel studios, where they recorded the 10 tracks that will make up Fasciinatiion. And they've never really quit touring, thanks to the strength of their rather limited catalog of music. The Faint could probably continue selling-out large venues for the next few years without releasing anything new, thanks to their reputation for putting on events rather than mere concerts.

And then there's blank.wav. Time will tell what exactly this "imprint" will be. What's its distribution model? Will it be an Internet-only venture. And will The Faint be the only band on the blank.wav roster? Maybe it'll follow the same model as Oberst's Team Love label, providing an outlet for local artists such as McCarthy Trenching, Flowers Forever, Tilly and the Wall and Simon Joyner to get their music heard by a larger audience. If so, Saddle Creek's loss will be the Omaha music scene's gain.

Someone asked what was meant by the word "imprint" rather than "label." The word "imprint" has been used to identify boutique labels that are connected to major labels. For example, Rilo Kiley's Brute/Beaute was an imprint under the Warner Bros. umbrella. In the publishing industry, an imprint is a brand name under which a work is published. One single publishing company may have multiple imprints; the different imprints are used by the publisher to market the work to different demographic consumer segments. The Faint's use of the term "imprint" would imply that blank.wav is part of something larger, maybe the organization that will house The Faint, Enamel studio, blank.wav and other Faint-related business endeavors. Who knows? Maybe the band's publicist simply is misusing the term.

I was told yesterday that blank.wav will, in fact, be its own independent label and not a so-called "imprint" or subsidiary of a larger label. We'll see as August rolls around…

* * *

This is an early heads-up about the Joe "Madder" Kenny memorial rock show being held tomorrow night at Sokol Underground. This tribute to one of Omaha's biggest rock fans and local music supporters showcases the city's finest punk acts including The Deformities, The Upsets, The Shanks, Filthy Few, The Filter Kings and Brimstone Howl.
Cost is $7, with all money going to the Kenny family. Doors open at 7, bands at 8. See you there.

Son Ambulance's Deja Vu in July; Brad Hoshaw's deja vu tonight at O'Leaver's… – May 13, 2008 –

As per usual on a Tuesday, not a lot of time for an update. My take on The Faint leaving Saddle Creek will be online tomorrow as this week's column. You can catch up on the story here.

The Faint aren't the only ones announcing their first new album in four years. Son Ambulance today announced that Someone Else's Déjà Vu, the followup to 2004's Key, will be released on Saddle Creek July 8. The 13-track album will be available digitally, on CD or as a super-sweet double-vinyl collection. CMJ has all the highlights here. Looks like the official album release show will be at Slowdown July 11.

Speaking of deja vu, Brad Hoshaw is repeating last week's triumphant full-ensemble performance tonight at O'Leaver's. Also on the bill are Cedarwell and JP05. Show starts at 9:30, and will cost you $5. Do not miss this.

Weekend wrap-up (or the lack of one); Girl Drink Drunk (karaoke) tonight; all-ages update… – May 12, 2008 –

Allergies kept me out of the clubs this weekend. If you saw something that was particularly hot and want to expound upon it, let your feelings be known on the webboard.

* * *

Girl Drink Drunk -- The Waiting Room's answer to Lincoln's Shithook Karaoke -- is tonight. If you've been dying to stand up and belt out one of your favorite songs alongside one of the city's best rock bands, well this is your chance. And it may be your last chance for awhile, as GDD will be going on a short hiatus.

* * *

Chatting online last week with a Slowdown staffer, I was told that a total of nine youths have had their parents sign and submit a notarized authorization that allows them to get into all-ages shows at Slowdown. Not exactly a land rush of consent forms, especially after all the hoo-ha surrounding it, but I have no doubt that the numbers will grow as we get closer to Rilo Kiley and Tokyo Police Club, and after the next serious under-age-drawing band gets announced (Tilly and the Wall, perhaps?). I've also been told that a third venue -- The Saddle Creek Bar -- has submitted paperwork to host all-ages shows. Any other clubs out there getting into the all-ages fray?

Tomato a Day, Spring Gun tonight; Whipkey Three tomorrow… – May 9, 2008 –

Welcome to another weekend, and another list of shows worth pondering, starting tonight:

-- Top of the list (for me, anyway) is at Benson Grind where Brian Poloncic's Tomato a Day is celebrating the release of a disc three years in the making -- The Moon Is Green, released on local art-noise label, Public Eyesore, recorded by Alex McManus at Fried From Sound studio, featuring musicians Dave Nordin, David Downing and Allen Hug. As I said in yesterday's review, there's something lost and lonely about Poloncic's acoustic folk confessions, which plow the same stark territory as, say, Husker Du's Candy Apple Grey or sad Replacements or Todd Grant's yearning solo album. Also on the bill are Dave Nordin (doing a solo set), A. Boardman and Psychic Campfire. The show is free and starts at 8 p.m.

-- Also tonight, down at Slowdown Jr., it's the return of Spring Gun with Hyannis and Honeybee. $5, 9 p.m.

-- At old favorite O'Leaver's, it's garage-rock wonders Brimstone Howl with The Monocles. $5, 9:30 p.m.

-- And over at The Waiting Room, it's night one of two nights of U2 tribute band Me2. $10, 9 p.m.

On top of the marquee Saturday night is The Whipkey Three CD EP release show at Mick's. Joining Whipkey and Co. are Corey and Chris Weber. $5, 9 p.m.

-- Over at The 49'r, Reagan and the Rayguns perform with Bazooka Shootout and Michael Wunder. $3-$5, 9:30 p.m.

-- And finally, down at Slowdown V2 recording artist Josh Ritter plays with Dawn Landes. $12, 9 p.m.

Column 172: CD Roundup; Live Review: American Music Club, Brad Hoshow band; VHS or Beta tonight… – May 8, 2008 –

Before we get to a recap of last night's festivities, here's this week's column wherein I tell you what I've been listening to lately...

Column 172: First Quarter Report
A glance at some recent releases

Whenever people start asking me what I'm listening to, I figure it's time for another CD reviews round-up. These are not full, detailed reviews, rather they're impressions after listening to these albums on and off on my stereo and iPhone over the past few weeks/months. All get the Lazy-i seal of approval.

Aimee Mann, @#&*! Smilers (SuperEgo) -- Faithful Aimee Mann fans stood beside this So Cal (by way of Boston) girl back in her 'Til Tuesday days, did an I-told-you-so when her genius was revealed on the Magnolia soundtrack, and held her hand during all the follow-ups when no one else was around. Here's their reward: Her best album since Bachelor No. 2.

Black Kids, Wizard of Ahhhs (self released) -- Available for free (the trend continues) from their website late last year, the sound is pure '80s new romantic, and at its finest moments emulates The Cure's Kiss Me album right down to the Robert Smith groan vocals. Columbia figured it out and gobbled them up for a formal debut slated for July. Black Kids are on the precipice, staring over the edge where bands like Arcade Fire and Modest Mouse stood a few years ago.

The Breeders, Mountain Battles (4AD) -- Remember when Kim and Kelley were considered edgy and subversive (and The Pixies were still debonair)? The band never recovered after the burnout suffered at the hands of "Cannonball" way back in '93, back when MTV still played videos, especially that one, over and over again. There are no Cannonballs hidden here, nor anything as shocking (and grand) as their cover of "Happiness Is a Warm Gun" (from Pod). Still, serviceable; but just barely.

Joan of Arc, Boo! Human (Polyvinyl) -- Too often, Tim Kinsella tries to sound weird and unapproachable, so imagine my surprise at the simple acoustic pop of opening track "Shown and Told," as well as the tumbling "A Tell-Tale Penis" and the back-beat rocker (yes, rocker) "The Surrender #2." There are still plenty of atonal nightmares, like screamer "9/11 2" and startle-noised "Everywhere I Go." Download discriminately.

The Long Blondes, Couples (Rough Trade) -- Their thump-thump-thump New Wave dance rave-ups, like disco opener "Century" and porn-guitar fueled "Guilt," remind me of another band named after its frontwoman's hair color. All right, you youngsters, I'm talking about Blondie. And though vocalist Kate Jackson is no Debra Harry, her music and her band have the same upbeat, heart-of-glass style.

Neil Diamond, Home Before Dark (Columbia) -- Note to Rick Rubin: Neil Diamond is famous for his bombastic, over-the-top arrangements that boast enough orchestration to launch a space shuttle. The stripped-down arrangements that worked so well for Johnny Cash may be the wrong approach here. I mean, do his fans really want an evening of intimate, acoustic folk songs? No, they want to stand up and punch the sky along with everyone else during "Sweet Caroline." That said, there's more to these tracks than 2005's 12 Songs. Still, I yearn for the day when Rubin and Diamond finally break down and do an album with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

She & Him, Volume One (Merge) -- One of the best moments from the 2003 Will Ferrell break-out film "Elf" was the impromptu duet between Ferrell and a showering Zooey Deschanel. I remember thinking, "Jeeze, she sings as great as she looks." M Ward (the Him) must have thought the same thing. Deschanel is at her best when she croons her own twangy rocking material, sounding like a cuter version of Jenny Lewis. The charm wears thin in the latter half of the album, thanks to Patsy-styled torch ballads ("Take It Back), cheesy doo-wop ("I Was Made for You") and too many uninspired covers (Smokey's "You Really Got Me," a flawed take on The Beatles' "I Should Have Known Better"). Now if we can only coax her back into that shower.

The Teenagers, Reality Check (XL) -- Sorta funny French synthpop is funnier because of the odd, spoken-word vocal approach, which combines Pepé Le Pew with a Valley Girl. It's so well-recorded, however, that you can't help but get into the clean Weezer-meets-The Cars synthpop. Irony was never so catchy.

Tokyo Police Club, Elephant Shell (Saddle Creek) -- I've been told that a local music mogul predicted this will be the biggest selling Creek release ever, bigger even than Bright Eyes. Early criticism, however, complained that it pales compared to the band's noisy debut EP. I say it's far more listenable, like an upbeat Death Cab (a band terminally lost in ennui). They're young and hip and will look good on TV. Maybe that mogul is right.

A Tomato a Day (helps keep the tornado away), The Moon Is Green (Public Eyesore) -- There's something lost and lonely about Brian Poloncic's acoustic folk confessions, which plow the same stark territory as, say, Husker Du's Candy Apple Grey or sad Replacements or Todd Grant's yearning solo album. Three years in the making, it's time that they're finally heard. Check them out at the CD release show Friday night at Benson Grind.

The Whipkey Three, 26 (self release) -- It's the best recording Matt Whipkey ever produced with any band. As one person put it who hasn't cared for any of Whipkey's past projects: "I guess persistence pays off. I actually like this." I like it, too. And it's about as DIY as you're going to get -- Whipkey burned the CDRs and hand rubber-stamped the discs and sleeves. Pick one up at the CD-release show Saturday night at Mick's.

* * *

Despite everything, American Music Club sounded terrific last night at The Waiting Room. Too bad only 50 or so people were there to see it. The band played a short set, maybe 35 or 40 minutes. Frontman Mark Eitzel said thanks and goodnight before starting into their last song. After its climax, they left the stage without comment, leaving the crowd wondering if they were coming back for an encore. The mystery lasted about 20 seconds before the house music came up and people started heading for the door. The usually chatty Eitzel only graced the audience with one story, about how the band formed as the result of members being fired from Celine Dion's Las Vegas act because they refused to sleep with her (Eitzel said he slept with Celine's husband). Someone asked me afterward if Eitzel was kidding when he said he wrote a Celine song used on the Titanic soundtrack. I said as far as I knew, he was. It was that kind of evening.

The highlight (for me) was the openers. The Third Men did their usual rollicking set of originals with a few covers sprinkled in. Their high-energy rock seemed like a strange lead-in to AMC's usually dour, introspective music. Brad Hoshaw, on the other hand, fit right in, and for the first time, a crowd got to see how Hoshaw's acoustic numbers would sound backed by a full band, put together specially for this gig. The result left me wondering why Hoshaw doesn't work with a band all the time. Though as many as seven people were on stage, the arrangements were kept simple, never getting in the way of the songs' core elements. A tune like "Powdernose," which is powerful enough as a solo acoustic piece, was transformed into a dark rock anthem, while simple songs like "Blue Bicycle" were only slightly accented by additional players. Hoshaw said he recorded the performance, which I'd love to hear. Maybe we all will someday (His remarkable Mick's acoustic set from this past January is now available on CD). Someone came up to me afterward and said, "This guy is New West / Lost Highway material." Yeah, he is. Actually, his approachable style of songwriting is broader than what those two labels could offer, but you have to start somewhere. Hoshaw is in the very top tier of Omaha singer/songwriters and deserves to be heard by a national audience. Someone needs to make this happen.

* * *

Tonight at The Waiting Room, it's the return of the electro-dance-rock stylings of VHS or Beta, along with Tigercity and Omaha's own masked crusaders Talkin' Mountain. $10, 9 p.m.

American Music Club, Brad Hoshow band tonight… – May 7, 2008 –

American Music Club is tonight at The Waiting Room. It's a show that people should be excited about, but if it's like last time they came through town, back in Nov. 15, 2004, the turnout will again be light despite the fact that AMC is a legacy indie band that records on indie super-label Merge (who released The Golden Age this past February). For the record, let's step back in time and see what I said about that 2004 show:

The promoters of last night's American Music Club show have every reason to be disappointed with the turnout. Heck, I'm disappointed. There were maybe 70 or 80 people there total, very much below anyone's expectations. Maybe it was because it was a Monday night and Ryan Adams is tomorrow, though I doubt that Ryan Adams draws the same type of crowd as AMC. Add last night to the poor turnout for Matthew Sweet and Vic Chestnutt and you begin to see an unfortunate trend in terms of shows that target an older "heritage" crowd. Side note: AMC was officially One Percent Production's 300th show.

AMC fans who stayed home last night because they couldn't get a sitter or had to work this morning missed out on what could be the last AMC show they'll ever get to see. I overheard Eitzel talking to a fan while he was signing a couple albums. He said that touring was getting too expensive, too hard to do, and that this might be it. And though he sounded great last night, he looked a bit agitated on stage. He was in perfect voice, opening with a couple classics off Everclear before segueing into material from his amazing new album, Love Songs for Patriots. The mix, however, was poor -- too bassy, and there seemed to be a problem with the monitors. Eitzel fiddled with earplugs and looked exasperated. During one song, the bass rumbled like a bomb going off, some sort of weird effect that was distorted and strange. As the set wore on, Eitzel quit talking to the crowd and looked like he wanted to just get off stage, especially toward the end when his vocals seemed to fade and get lost in the ruckus. Still, it was a good set that at times transcended the technical glitches, especially when the band got to stretch out, and Vudi, looking like a indie version of Leonard Nimoy, leaned into a feedback-laden guitar solo.

I remember that show as if it were yesterday. If Eitzel could struggle through all the technical problems that night at Sokol and still manage to entertain the crowd, just imagine how he'll sound on TWR's premium stage. It will be different, though, as everyone who played that night is gone except for Eitzel and Vudi the mad vulcan.

Opening the show is the always entertaining Third Men, and Brad Hoshaw, backed by an entire band. Usually the only one on stage with Hoshaw is his guitar, and it's more than enough. Tonight he'll be joined by Adam Hawkins (It's True), Craig Balderston (The 9s, Acoustic Groove), Jason Ferguson (Sarah Benck & the Robbers), John Klemmensen (Landing on the Moon, Satchel Grande), Karl Houfek (Sleep Said the Monster, Coyote Bones), Liz Webb (Midwest Dilemma), Matt Whipkey (Anonymous American, The Whipkey Three) and Scott Gaeta (Music Factory Productions). Hoshaw says they're playing first, so get there early. $10, 9 p.m.

Also tonight at Slowdown Jr. it's Syracuse, New York band Ra-Ra-Riot with The Little Ones and The Fourth of July. $10, 9 p.m.

Dios Malos tonight… – May 6, 2008 –

I have only the briefest of moments to tell you to go see Dios Malos tonight at The Waiting Room. No, they're not the headliner (Vagrant band Murder by Death is), but they should be. Last time they were here, way back in October 2005 at O'Leaver's, they blew the place away. Here's the review from way back then:

I had zero preconceived notions about Dios (Malos). Like I mentioned yesterday, I got lost on their website and never found any music files online. After last night, I don't think I've been turned on by a band as much since maybe The Smithereens' first album. No, Dios doesn't sound anything like The Smithereens. They do have a similar aesthetic regarding traditional song structure. But the comparison ends there. Dios also has a relationship with My Morning Jacket in that giant-sized singer/guitarist/keyboardist Joel Morales uses a huge amount of reverb and delay in his vocals, which make them sound -- appropriately -- big and haunting. You knew it was going to be special when, during the pre-set sound check, Morales improvised piano fills to New Order's "Temptation" which was playing on the juke box. Their first song played off the opening organ chords of Led Zeppelin's "All of My Love" before turning into a Dios original, sort of (I think it was merely a warm-up exercise). Whereas everything seemed lost and confused with (opener) Swords' mix, the sound couldn't have been any better for Dios -- they did have an unfair advantage in that drummer Jackie Monzon would make my top-five "best of" list for drummers seen and heard at O'Leaver's -- unbelievable stuff. So were the songs, whose So Cal sensibilities and nod to retro supersede any indie rock labels, though they certainly are an indie band. Uber-engineer Phil Ek produced their just-released eponymous CD on Star Time that captures the band's crisp take on laid-back rock. A pleasant surprise.

Other than an iTunes-only 5-song EP, I don't think Dios has released anything since that O'Leaver's show. No matter. If they merely repeated that show, it would be worth the $10. Also opening is Gasoline Heart. Show starts at 9.

Weekend in review; Cut Copy at TWR; Manner gets old before our eyes… – May 5, 2008 –

The Shanks. A punk band. A spectacle. A throw-back to an era of anger as theater. A form of entertainment that makes you rethink your definition of what entertainment is. To the uninitiated, The Shanks are nothing more than a bunch of drunk guys with their amps turned up too loud screaming at each other and the crowd. To the rest of it, each show is an example of entropy and schism and human frailty.

There were a few shows at O'Leaver's over the past month where I thought The Shanks were beginning to, well, mellow. Sure, their music was just as abrasive and shrill, but they appeared almost professional on stage. That wasn't the case Friday night at The Saddle Creek Bar, a venue whose own strange DIY sound system makes it almost tailor-made for The Shanks. I caught only the last couple songs by The Terminals, their lack of a bass player (usually no prob as Dave handles it well on the keyboards) was accented by SCB's odd midrange-heavy acoustics. You could not escape the midrange.

Then along came the Shanks in a cloud of painful, whistling feedback that never went away. Their set began in a blaze of white noise/heat, and before long, off came their shirts -- as good an excuse as any for a couple of the guys in the band to make out with each other on stage. I'm told this is not new to their act, though I've never noticed it before. If this were, say, Pansy Division, the effect would be different, and the crowd would likely be even more shocked. Instead, everyone wrote it off as typical punk hi-jinx.

The show began to devolve halfway through, as the band argued with the crowd and itself, starting and stopping songs, stepping into chaos, and then just as quick, they got their shit together and began playing in earnest, like a phoenix from the ashes. It's best not to over-think The Shanks. Just watch and listen. It turned out being one of the best Shanks shows I've seen, albeit without blood. Then, a few moments after the set ended, while I was chatting with a fellow music writer, a fight ensued between the drummer and the guitarist, people holding each of them back as threats of "The end of the Shanks" were being yelled across clinched forearms. Blame the booze. Blame the violent music. As far as I know, The Shanks are alive and well…

I spent Saturday night down at Slowdown Jr. As I warned, the show sold out and no one was getting in without a ticket. I asked the door guy why they didn't just open the big room. He said you could have a half-empty big room or a capacity small room. The vibe, he said, would be better with a serious crowd, and he was right. At capacity, with the tables pushed out of the way, Slowdown really does seem like a rock club instead of candle-lit lounge. I got there in time to see The Cops rip through their set of angsty punk, harder than I remember it. Then at around a quarter to 12, Criteria took the stage, looking and sounding exactly like they looked and sounded two years ago. It was as if time had stood still. I and everyone there had missed the band and its music, and it was a trip to get to see and hear it again. The new songs sounded as epic and regal as the old songs. It seems the band hasn't skipped a beat in spite of its hiatus. Frontman Stephen Pedersen announced that Criteria will be opening for Tokyo Police Club at Slowdown at the end of the month, so if you missed them Saturday night, you'll get another chance to see them in a few short weeks.

* * *

Two noteworthy shows going on tonight: At The Waiting Room it's the dance stylings of Australian trio Cut Copy. You like pretty dance pop? You'll love these guys. Opening is the band that has been designated as "the next big thing," Jacksonville's Black Kids. See them before they explode. Also opening is Mobius Band. $15, 9 p.m.

Meanwhile, down at The Barley St., local celebrity and all-around man-about-town Marq Manner is celebrating his birthday with an evening of music by singer-songwriters Kyle Harvey, Scott Severin, Matt Whipkey, Brad Hoshaw, Adam Hawkins, Justin Lamoureaux, and more. The show is free and begins at 8. Drop by and buy Marq a celebratory cup of coffee.

Destroyer/Mal Madrigal, Monroes/Domestica, Shanks/Terminals tonight; Cops/Criteria tomorrow… – May 2, 2008 –

I tried to interview Destroyer. I sent the request in a month ago with the publicist. After a few weeks of back and forth, she said she just couldn't work it out with Destroyer main guy Dan Bejar, but that he would be willing to do an e-mail interview. I hate e-mail interviews because there's no chance for follow-up or clarification of answers, and you never know who really is answering the questions (On the internet, nobody knows you’re a dog, etc.). But I figured an e-mail interview was better than nothing, so I wrote a list of questions and sent them off. Time passed. I nudged the publicist. She nudged Bejar. He remained unresponsive. A day after the deadline I was told Dan didn't have time to do an e-mail interview after all. It happens, it happens...

I love the new Destroyer album, Trouble in Dreams, on mighty Merge Records. The music is a combination of Bowie, Jarvis Cocker, and Bejar's other project, New Pornographers. Repeated listenings reap glorious psychedelic benefits. And so, I have to wonder how he's going to make it sound on The Waiting Room stage tonight, where he performs along with Andre Ethier and Mal Madrigal.

And speaking of Mal Madrigal, I got an e-mail from MM's Steve Bartolomei saying that both of his simultaneously released vinyl-only recordings -- The Road Is Glue and Life Among the Animals -- are back in stock and available at The Antiquarium, the Saddle Creek online record store and (one assumes) at tonight's show. They are worth your hard-earned rubles. Steve also mentioned that Mal is beginning to record the follow-up, and you might get a sneak-peek at those songs tonight. $12, 9 p.m.

Also tonight, the return of The Monroes and Domestica to Slowdown, this time on the small stage with Lincoln band The Sleepover Show. Will there be Hot Wheels races at this one, too? Is it possible for Jon Taylor to make his guitar sound louder than it did last time? Find out at 9 p.m., $6.

And finally, over at the notorious Saddle Creek Bar it's a night of garage punk madness featuring The Terminals, The Shanks and Mosquito Bandito. I'm trying to imagine what The Shanks -- a squall-punk maelstrom-noise nightmare when they play at O'Leaver's, will sound like on SCB's hole-in-the-wall (literally) stage powered by 4,000 pounds of assorted antiquated PA amps. Earplugs are a necessity. Put a "Nice Price" sticker on this one -- Free. Starts at 9.

And, don't forget O'Leaver's. Booker/soundman/intern Brendan Walsh's favorite touring band -- The Voodoo Organist -- is playing along with scatter-punk phenoms Bazooka Shootout. 9:30, $5.

What's going on Saturday?

The marquee event is, of course, at Slowdown Jr. (they still haven't moved it to the big stage) featuring The Cops, Little Brazil and Race for Titles, with special guest, Criteria. Even without Criteria this would have been sweet on the "big stage." As it is, I suspect it will sell out sometime tomorrow. Get your $8 ticket today before it's too late. The rock starts at 9 sharp.

And now, the show that's flying beneath everyone's radar: The Night Marchers at The Waiting Room. Who are the Night Marchers? It’s a new punk band featuring John Reis a.k.a. Speedo a.k.a. The Swami -- a seminal member of Rocket from the Crypt, Drive Like Jehu and Hot Snakes fame. I'm told if you liked any of Reis' old bands you're gonna love this one. Opening is Muslims and Omaha's own Bombardment Society. $12, 9 p.m.

Also Saturday night, over at The 49'r it's Greg Loftis' rock odyssey Malpais, with Beat Seekers. Probably $5, probably around 10. Over at O'Leaver's it's Cheap Hookers (the band, not the, uh, hookers) and Radio Moscow. $5, 9:30 p.m.
Also of note, West Omaha lounge The Bar Fly is featuring some very un-loungy music in the form of grit-rock cowboys The Filter Kings and Lincoln knee-to-the-groin bad asses Forty-Twenty. I have visions of baseball-cap-backwards-wearing geeks running for the doors when these guys start smashing beer bottles against amps. Fun! $7, 9 p.m.

Column 171: Here come The Cops; Indian Jewelry is tonight… – May 1, 2008 –

Ever have one of those days when your internal clock was set one day ahead? That was me yesterday. For some reason I kept thinking it was Thursday instead of Wednesday. As a result, I got a couple shows wrong on da ol' blog. Indian Jewelry is tonight at The Slowdown Jr., not last night. So if you're bummed because you thought you missed it, well, here's your second chance (and if you went down there thinking it was last night, well, all's I can do is apologize). More details after the column.

During my interview with Mike Jaworski, he off-handedly mentioned that Criteria is the "special guest" playing at The Cops show Saturday at Slowdown Jr. with Little Brazil and Race for Titles. But, Jaws added, the info was to be kept on the down low as Criteria frontman Stephen Pederesen wanted it to stay a secret for reasons even Jaws didn't know. So I contacted Pedersen and asked if I could mention Criteria in the column, and he said he'd been strong-armed by the fine folks at Slowdown to make the information public on Thursday, and that, yes indeed, it would be fine to mention it in the column. Well, by Wednesday, everyone I talked to already knew that Criteria was playing, and the data had been posted on a couple local webboards. It'll be the first time Criteria has played in Omaha in a couple years, so I suspect this show will quickly sell out Slowdown Jr. Get your tickets today... Maybe we'll get lucky and the Slowdown folks will move the show to the "big room."

Column 171: Convo with a Cop
Jaws talks Cops and Mt. Fuji.

This week we're catching up with Mike Jaworski -- a.k.a. "Jaws" -- former Omahan, frontman of Seattle rock band The Cops and major domo of Mt. Fuji Records, a label whose roster includes Little Brazil, Slender Means, and his own band.

Jaworski chatted via cell from the Fort Green Laundromat in Brooklyn the day after The Cops played at Union Pool in Williamsburg. Just down the street at The Vanderbilt Auto Service, the band's '96 Econovan was getting a much-needed tune-up -- its first after well over 200,000 miles of road duty. Jaworski hoped that new plugs not only would fix that rough, chugging sound coming from beneath the hood, but would boost the van's 12-miles-per-gallon fuel performance. They've got a long way to drive before rolling into The Slowdown this Saturday night for a show with Race For Titles, Little Brazil and special guests Criteria (That's right, Stephen Pedersen and Co. will make their return after a long absence from stage).

For touring bands, life on the road is getting tougher these days, Jaworski said. "We're not pulling in guarantees like Cursive. We're a break-even band who gets by on merch sales. How else can you do this when gas is so expensive?"

Expensive as in $3.80 a gallon in New York City. That ol' Econoline has a 30-gallon tank. You do the math. Jaworski said the answer to holding down tour costs could involve finding bands in different areas of the country, flying in, and hooking up for a tour.

"You share equipment and rent a mini-van," he said. "We could fly into Omaha and do 10 days with Little Brazil, for example. Bands do this already, but it may become common practice. It makes a lot more sense, especially if you're from Seattle, which is many miles from every place else." Unlike Omaha, which Jaworski pointed out, is in close proximity to a lot of large cities.

The Cops are on the road supporting their latest release, Free Electricity, a further refinement of the band's abrasive, slightly inebriated angry punk-rock sound that's equal parts Bad Religion, Hot Snakes, The Clash and Jaworski's own Midwestern songwriting flair. It's a high-water mark for an act that's been kicking around since '04.

But despite such a strong album, Jaworski said the band's trajectory seems to have "flattened over the past year and half." His band mates are having babies, getting mortgages and finding fulltime jobs with no vacation time for touring. As a result, he's lost his guitarist and is playing with a touring drummer. "We're guys in our mid-30s and we're not paying bills with this band," he said. "Our schedule and the amount of work we can do are dictated by things people can do in their lives."

And that includes Jaworski, who says he's probably the Cop who likes being on the road the most. His job booking a 250-capacity club in Seattle called The Sunset affords him the opportunity to tour since he can keep track of business from the road via laptop, Blackberry and cell phone. That's not the case with the rest of the band.

As a result, Jaworski will probably do what just about every musician in Omaha does these days -- play in multiple bands and schedule tours between them. "Unless you're in a band that's busy all the time, I don't see any reason not to," he said. "You don't have to be married to the same project; it's okay not to be monogamous."

Jaworski said The Cops isn't his only venture that isn't making money these days. Though it's been a struggle, Mt. Fuji Records continues to survive despite a future that's in flux. Roster acts Wintergreen and Lillydale no longer are associated with the label. Slender Means, one of the label's best sellers, is finishing a record but is shopping it around to different labels. "If they find a bigger, better label with more resources, I would be happy for them," Jaworski said.

The same is true for Little Brazil, "although they are permanently indentured to me," he joked. "They have a life-long contract with Mt. Fuji. They just don't know it."

Fact is, Jaworski said Little Brazil has never had a formal contract with Mt. Fuji. "They don't owe me any records, but if they look deep down in their souls, they'll want to put their next one out on Fuji."

Even The Cops' last album was released jointly with another label -- Seattle's The Control Group. Jaworski explained that at the time of the release, Mt. Fuji was ending its distribution deal with Redeye. A relationship with someone at Control Group forged the way for the joint release that provides distribution of Free Electricity via powerhouse indie distributor ADA.

In the meantime, Mt. Fuji has taken on a business partner and just signed a distribution deal with Lumberjack Mordam Music Group, whose label roster includes Thick, Lookout, and Asian Man Records. Jaworski said he's looking closer to his Seattle home for future Mt. Fuji acts, and currently is working out a deal with garage punk band The Whore Moans to release their new CD this August.

Overall, things are looking up for Jaworski, but "I wish I wasn't so goddamn poor," he said. "I'm rich with friends and experiences and wouldn't trade that for anything."

So, like I said yesterday, tonight at Slowdown Jr., it's Houston drone-masters Indian Jewelry. According to Wikipedia, the band "is known for its droning vision music and seizure-inducing stage show." The few tracks I've heard were indeed dark, throbbing and psychedelic, yet… strangely catchy. Opening is Lymbyc Systym and Dim Light. $7, 9 p.m. Meanwhile, over at The Waiting Room, bluesy folk master William Elliott Whitmore plays with Triggertown and Lincoln Dickison (The Monroes, Bombardment Society, Techlepathy). $8, 9 p.m. Really. I mean it this time.

Live Review: Reagan and the Rayguns… – April 30, 2008 –

Every table was filled in the "performance room" of the Barley St. Tavern last night, filled with people there to welcome back Reagan Roeder to the world of live rock and roll music. And Reagan did not disappoint.

To inaugurate the return, the Rayguns made some line-up changes, the most dramatic of which was the shift of Mike Friedman from keyboards to electric guitar. The keyboards always seemed out of place to me, anyway, and Friedman is one of the best axe men in town. He showed it last night, torturing his guitar to submission on a set of songs that made me think that The Rayguns could become Omaha's own version of Crazy Horse. New drummer Landon Hedges did his usual arm-swinging Animal-from-the-Muppets good job, while bassist Kyle Harvey tried to kill us all with low-end feedback. As one patron said afterward, "They sound like a rock band." That they do, my son. The Rayguns is a bar-owner's wet dream. Their thick, growling turbulence coaxes listeners to want to drink and drink more. They're a drinkers' band, a bar band, the last band you'll want to hear as the fog of alcohol sweeps over your consciousness, and the last thing you'll remember upon waking in a pool of your own sweat, piss and vomit, squinting in pain, blocking out the cursed sunlight with the back of your hand.

Reagan, by the way, sounded as good as he possibly could over what arguably is one of the worst vocal PA's I've ever heard. I've been to a number of Barley St. shows and the PA usually was adequate. Not last night. Reagan's vocals sounded like they were being sung into a $10 condenser microphone, and then blasted over a pair of $20 Radioshack 6x9 car speakers. I suspect he'll sound somewhat better when the band plays at The 49'r on May 10.

* * *

May 10 also is the date for The Whipkey Three's EP release show at Mick's. I've already received my copy of the EP, and can say without reservation that it's the best recording that Whipkey has ever produced with any band. As one person put it who hasn't cared for any of Whipkey's past projects: "I guess persistence pays off. I actually like this." I like it, too. The EP is about as DIY as you're going to get -- Whipkey burned the CDRs and hand rubber-stamped the discs and sleeves. I'm not sure where you can find a copy, but I know they'll be available at Mick's on the tenth.

* * *

The OWH has a story today on the "live music" ordinance (here), reiterating Slowdown's and The Waiting Room's open house events (TWR's is later today). Kids, get your paperwork together. The article doesn't mention if any other venues have applied for an all-ages permit. Will there be only two?

* * *

Tonight at Slowdown Jr., it's Houston drone-masters Indian Jewelry. According to Wikipedia, the band "is known for its droning vision music and seizure-inducing stage show." The few tracks I've heard were indeed dark, throbbing and psychedelic, yet… strangely catchy. Opening is Lymbyc Systym and Dim Light. $7, 9 p.m.

Meanwhile, over at The Waiting Room, bluesy folk master William Elliott Whitmore plays with Triggertown and Lincoln Dickison (The Monroes, Bombardment Society, Techlepathy). $8, 9 p.m.; while over at Mick's, Brad Hoshaw is playing with Cami Rawlings and Boston to Austin. $5, 9 p.m.

Reagan's return tonight; TWR's open house... – April 29, 2008 –

Singer/songwriter Kyle Harvey writes to say that a last-minute show is going down tonight featuring the Reagan Roeder's return to the stage after recovering from a debilitating car accident a couple months ago. The show is taking place at The Barley St. Tavern and features a whole new line-up for Reagan and The Rayguns: Harvey on bass, Mike Friedman on guitar, Landon Hedges (Little Brazil) on drums, and Roeder out front with guitar. Let's give Reagan a hero's welcome back.

* * *

Like Slowdown, The Waiting Room is hosting an open house inviting parents to drop by, check out the place and get their childrens' permission slip notarized and on file. As mentioned yesterday, the new "music venue" ordinance goes into effect this week that requires all those 17 and younger to have a notarized permission slip on file with the club befoer allowing admittance into all-ages shows. The open house is tomorrow evening, April 30, from 6:30 to 10 p.m.

An O'Leaver's weekend (again); ordinance to take effect; American Princes tonight... – April 28, 2008 –

It was a weekend of contrasts at O'Leaver's. Friday night the bar hosted Sarah Benck and the Robbers and Landing on the Moon featuring new guitarist Matt Carroll, who replaced Shawn Cox last month. Cox, who was at Friday's show, said musical and personal commitments were piling up and something had to give, adding that Carroll's guitar skills were going to blow people away. Carroll, who looks like he just turned 21, was impressive, though for whatever reason, his guitar sounded secondary (volume-wise) in the mix. Maybe it was because the band was playing louder -- and looser -- than usual. Because of their songs' arrangements and style, LotM can sound somewhat tight on stage -- that wasn't the case Friday night at the jam-packed show. They seemed determined to let it all hang out -- and did, to grand effect. The band currently is recording new material with Carroll. More to come…

Call it The O'Leaver's Effect, but Sarah Benck and her posse also sounded more relaxed than I've ever heard them, ripping through a set of their bluesy tunes with laid-back panache. O'Leaver's usual crowd of drunk, unshaven neighborhood regulars, musicians and vagrants was replaced by a covey of well-dressed female Benck followers including a few choice cougars with their cubs in tow. Purrrrrr….

By Saturday night, the usual O'Leaver's crowd was back for a night of heavy-hard noise rock/punk. Much to my chagrin I missed the World Premiere of Techlepathy, who I thought was playing later in the evening. Instead, they were first. The buzz afterward: Techlepathy plays epic Midwestern punk rock and are "awesome." Guess I'll have to wait to see for myself. I caught the last couple death-hammer songs by Sirhan Sirhan -- way too loud for little ol' O'Leaver's. Prize Country, on the other hand, was just right -- aggressive punk rock by way of Helmet or Bad Religion or Fugazi -- super clean, super good, probably the best touring band I've heard at O'Leaver's so far this year. Last up was Omaha's own Fromanhole, playing injured. Bassist Doug Kiser had accidentally drilled a hole in his index finger prior to the gig. He filled the divot with Krazy Glue to numb the pain, and had to stop halfway through the set to apply a second coating. Despite the disability, it was the usual mathy/angular/chaotic set from the trio, who had spent the day recording new material for an upcoming release.

* * *

Val Nelson from Slowdown e-mailed to say that the new "music venue" ordinance that allows those under 21 to be admitted to shows at Slowdown (and other licensed music venues) goes into effect April 30. The biggest change is that those under 18 must have a notarized permission slip from their parent or legal guardian. Slowdown doesn't have a notary on staff, but will have an open house with a notary present this Saturday, May 3, from 2 to 5 p.m. They're encouraging parents with children 17 and under to come down, check out the club and get that permission slip filed.

The consent form can be downloaded online here.

All right, so where the hell else are you supposed to find a notary (and what the hell makes one qualified to be a notary in the first place?)? Well, most First National Bank branch offices have a notary on staff, and if you've got an account there, it's free (or at least it used to be). Check with your bank before you head out.

The new protocol for entry at Slowdown calls for those 18-20 years old to present a valid driver's license, state ID or passport to get in. For anyone under 21, admission will not be granted until one hour before show time, and they must leave immediately after the performance (and buying some merch). Find out more details at The Slowdown website.

Marc Leibowitz at The Waiting Room said the same permission requirements will apply to his club starting April 30.

* * *

Speaking of Slowdown, there's an interesting show in the front room tonight featuring Little Rock five-piece American Princes. Their new album, Other People (on Yep Roc), is a quantum step forward from their last album. At times (like on opening track "Auditorium") the band sounds Paul McCartney fronting Spoon. Local acts Manna and Icares open. 9 p.m., $7.

Live Review: Neva Dinova; Benck/Robbers tonight; Back When tomorrow… – April 25, 2008 –

I thought it was a nice-sized crowd last night at The Waiting Room for Neva Dinova (I'm guessing 150?), but there were still a few people complaining that the gate seemed a little light. The band didn't do itself any favors by playing a show just a couple weeks ago at Slowdown Jr. (I'm told it was supposed to be a "secret show," though there wasn't anything secret about it.). On top of that, Jake Bellows plays solo acoustic/electric quite often, and even though those sets are different than Neva sets, it's still Jake up there. If Neva wants to sell out TWR, they have to play less frequently around here (say once every six months?) and make the show an event.

While the Neva set at Slowdown two weeks ago was good, last night's set was arena-rock quality. The band never sounded bigger or better as they ripped through songs off the new CD. Neva has evolved from being a fun-lovin' bar band whose performances more resembled band practices than concerts, to a highly honed, highly professional rock act that belongs on any stage. There's really nothing holding these guys back except luck or lack of it. They just need to get that one break that'll push them over the hump into the next level. Maybe their move to Saddle Creek will be that extra push. I suspect I'll be seeing them perform on the Kimmel/Daly/Letterman/Conan/Leno circuit sometime in the near future…

If you missed the show last night, you've got a chance to catch the rerun tonight in Lincoln when Neva Dinova plays at Box Awesome with tourmate Ladyhawk and local heroes Outlaw Con Bandana. $8, 9 p.m.

Meanwhile, back here in the Big Oh, Sarah Benck and the Robbers are slummin' it at everyone's (well, at least my) favorite stinkhole, O'Leaver's, with Landing on the Moon (tonight featuring a new guitarist). $5, 9:30 p.m.

Down at Slowdown it's the YWCA Benefit Concert featuring The Wholes, Goodbye Sunday and Eustace. $10 or $7 with student ID. 9 p.m.

Tomorrow night's marquee attraction is Back When at Slowdown (on the big stage) with Lincoln's Ideal Cleaners, Noah's Ark Was a Spaceship and The Show Is the Rainbow. I haven't seen Back When since, well, way back when a couple years ago. Guess it's about time. $7, 9 p.m.

Also Saturday night, Sokol Underground is hosting a good show (a rarity since One Percent quit booking the room) with Thunder Power!!!, Dan McCarthy and AM Revival. $7, 9 p.m.

Finally, O'Leaver's wraps up the weekend with an evening of beautiful noise featuring art math metal maniacs Fromanhole, Oregon's Prize Country, California's Sirhan Sirhan (featuring former members of KC's Molly McGuire) and the world debut of Techlepathy, featuring members of Sound of Rails, Putrescine and The Monroes. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Column 170: Know your enemy; Neva Dinova tonight... – April 24, 2008 –

This week's column is an extension of the portion of Monday's blog entry concerning Saddle Creek Bar's Mike Coldewey, recently made notorious by his role in the all-ages/music venue controversy that led to last week's historic City Council stripper discussion.

Column 170: Public Enemy
Hate for the right reasons.

Last Saturday night, I high-tailed it over to what is widely believed to be a den of pure evil -- The Saddle Creek Bar. There, I consorted with The Dark Lord accused of high crimes and misdemeanors to the Omaha music scene, and retrieved my winnings. As I mentioned in last week's column, I had a bet riding on the outcome of last Tuesday's City Council meeting, a bet I won. I played Randolph Duke to Mike Coldewey's Mortimer Duke, and he paid up: one dollar.

It was then that I realized that these days, people are hating Coldewey for all the wrong reasons.

If there's a back story to the City Council vote that allows minors into bars for all-ages rock shows, it's the demonization of Coldewey. But the fact is, before this whole thing got stirred up, few people who I know in the indie music scene liked the owner/operator of The Saddle Creek Bar or his brash, straight-forward approach.

Musicians already were avoiding SCB either because of its sound system, the lack of free booze for performers or Coldewey's abrasive tell-it-like-it-is personality that refuses to suffer fools lightly. That he pushed the all-ages issue to the forefront by asking Omaha's Finest what he can and can't do all-ages-wise at his bar only made him more of a pariah to people who never went to his bar in the first place.

The story goes back to October of last year when Coldewey e-mailed me a copy of Omaha Municipal Code 15-41. Actually, it goes back even further than that, to the opening of The Slowdown almost a year ago. It was in a cover story I wrote for The Reader in June 2007 where the issue of all-ages shows was first discussed. There, Slowdown owner/operator Robb Nansel said his new club would allow clearly identified minors into shows. "Being all-ages is an important part of our business plan," Nansel said in the story. "People under 21 go to shows. I was under 21 once and I went to shows, and I was really frustrated when I couldn't get in because of my age." I concluded by saying that conceivably, you could see 12 year olds walking around Slowdown on show nights.

This statement, like much of The Reader (unfortunately) must have gone unread by our city's law enforcement personnel who clearly know that minors aren't allowed in bars when alcohol is being served. We must assume that they didn't read it, because the alternative is that they did read it and ignored it or decided to turn their eyes away from an obvious violation of city code.

But the statement didn't go unnoticed by Coldewey, who (after a heated discussion a few evenings before at SCB) sent me a copy of the ordinance, highlighting all the juicy parts. Who knows who else received a similar e-mail from Coldewey, but I know that he did ask the city attorney to clarify the ordinance, which helped get this whole thing rolling.

A week after the April 1 Omaha City Council meeting where Councilman Jim Suttle introduced the so-called "music venue" ordinance, Coldewey outed his role in the controversy in a thread on the SLAM Omaha chatboard that accused him of having a vendetta against Slowdown and/or The Waiting Room.

Those accusations may or may not be true, but either way they're laughable. SCB has never been (and never will be) a competitive threat to those businesses, and had nothing to gain by seeing them ticketed or lose their all-ages shows. Coldewey did have something to lose, however, if cops had busted him with minors in his bar -- a bar that unlike Slowdown or The Waiting Room, is not being lauded by the City of Omaha as a cornerstone of neighborhood development. Considering the police presence in the SCB neighborhood, there's little doubt that Coldewey would have been busted had he hosted an all-ages show, and we all would have ended up in the City Council chambers discussing a "live music" ordinance anyway. The only difference, of course, is that Coldewey would have been ticketed and/or lost his license and maybe his business. But who cares, right?

Well, I do, and it has nothing to do with Coldewey. My reasons are purely selfish -- the Saddle Creek Bar is only a few blocks from my house. It's convenient, and the Rolling Rock is cold and cheap. Fact is, I only swing by SCB for shows once every two or three months. Indie music doesn't work well there probably because of its weird box-like stage and its step-back-in-time sound system. I've suggested that they forget about hosting indie music altogether. Coldewey will never be able to book (or afford) the top-flight touring indie bands handled by One Percent Productions, and all the local indie bands I know hate his guts, even moreso after all of this.

In fact, shortly after the SLAM thread, bands who never stepped foot in the Saddle Creek Bar before were calling for a boycott. And even a week after the book had been closed on the controversy, musicians were still telling me how they'd never go to SCB again.

People can boycott whomever or whatever they want. It's a free country, but do it for the right reasons. Coldewey didn't write the original ordinance. He merely asked a question that led to other questions that led to a new law. So if you're going to hate Mike Coldewey, do it because you think he's an asshole or because he said your band sucks or because he blames you instead of his sound system for the ear-piercing feedback on stage. Hate him because he made you buy drinks instead of giving you unlimited reign over his bar taps. Hate him because he can be a stubborn son of a bitch. But don't hate him because he called out people for violating an ordinance that the city would never allow him to violate, an ordinance that, partially due to his actions, has been changed for the better.

Tonight at The Waiting Room it's Neva Dinova's sort of official CD release show for You May Already Be Dreaming (Read about the band and the CD here). Neva actually played a last-minute show at Slowdown Jr. a few weeks ago on the CD's drop day, but this is the one that the band has been planning on for months. Opening is No Blood Orphan and Jagjaguwar recording artist Ladyhawk, who's touring with Neva through June 1. $8, 9 p.m.

Also tonight, Slowdown Jr. is hosting a fund-raising concert for Democratic senate candidate Scott Kleeb featuring performances by The Night Gallery, Hyannis, Honeybee and Thunder Power!!! Suggested donation is $5; show starts at 8 p.m.

Also starting at 8 p.m., the Oscillations fund-raiser at PS Collective, mentioned in yesterday's blog entry.

And finally, over at The Barley St. Tavern, it's Sarah Benck and Matt Cox for a free show that starts at 9.

Oscillations, Kyle Harvey tomorrow… – April 23, 2008 –

Here's an early heads-up about an event tomorrow at PS Collective. It's a screening of the short film Oscillations by Evan Blakley featuring music by Kyle Harvey. I saw a screening of the film at the Omaha Film Festival a month or so ago as part of the festival's "short film block," the quality of which was, well, gratingly bad -- except for Oscillations, which was something of a mind-fuck. Don't ask me what the movie's about, I don't know. It's essentially a smear of iconic visuals and sharp, nested images that echo with isolation and unease. It's weird in a David Lynch sort of way, but without Lynch's dark irony. In that context, it probably has more in common with the work of another David -- David Fincher. There's no dialogue, just music and atmospheric tonescapes. Not surprisingly, Oscillations didn't take home any honors at OFF, but that's not stopping Blakley from entering the film into other festivals around the country. The PS Collective screening and concert is a fund-raiser to gather money to pay for entry fees and other associated costs. Harvey will start off the evening playing a set, then the film, then if you're not already creeped out enough, there's a performance by FATHR^, a project headed by visionary noise/performance artist Dustin Bushon. It all starts at 8 p.m. and will probably be over in time to walk to The Waiting Room to catch Neva Dinova. Recommended donation is $10.

Conor signs to Merge; appears on the cover of Rolling Stone (sort of); New Waiting Room website... – April 22, 2008 –

Lots of Conor Oberst news today:

Billboard reported this morning that Oberst signed a deal with Merge to release his first solo record since '96's Soundtrack to My Movie. According to Billboard: "The self-titled set is due Aug. 4 and was recorded in January and February in Tepoztlan, Mexico. Oberst is backed on the project by the Mystic Valley Band, the members of whom have not been named. Longtime collaborator Andy LeMaster assisted with the recording, which Oberst produced." The full story is here.

The CD is a departure for Oberst on many levels -- it wasn't recorded at ARC, it wasn't produced by Mike Mogis and it won't come out on Saddle Creek. It'll be interesting to hear how those differences impact the music, and what it means to the future of Bright Eyes, which in most people's minds, was a Conor Oberst solo project (with side players) to begin with. There are going to be those who ask, "How could he put something out on a label other than Creek and his own Team Love?" Hey, we're talking Merge Records here, which over the past two or three years has emerged as the leader among indies. I have a feeling that the record ended up on Merge much the same way Jenny Lewis' solo record ended on Team Love -- the result of a conversation. Conor probably was talking to Mac McCaughan or Laura Ballance and one of them suggested that, hey, you should do a solo record and put it out on Merge. And Conor said "Why not?" followed by "Who's gonna tell Robb."

On top of that, I got my new issue of Rolling Stone yesterday and on the cover, sharing space with a dozen or so others, was Oberst. It's Stone's annual "best of" issue, and Oberst was named "Best Songwriter." Among the comments from the story: "The quality and breadth of Oberst's songwriting have provoked comparisons to Bob Dylan - an IED of a compliment that exploded the careers of many promising artists before him. Oberst is flattered but not fazed. Now twenty-eight, he pauses for a full ten seconds when asked how his songwriting has changed since adolescence. 'It's strange how similar it is,'he says with a laugh. 'It's still mysterious to me.'" Read the whole story (written by Anthony Decurtis) here.

I was reading this and thinking that despite the honor, Oberst continues to be flying under the general-public radar. He still hasn't done a "musical guest" spot on Saturday Night Live (My Morning Jacket is next in the barrel; can Matt Ward be far behind?); and he's never been given a solo Rolling Stone cover. Is it a scheduling issue? Could be. Probably. Or it could be that he doesn't want that limelight, though the last person to care about such things is probably Oberst himself.

* * *

The Waiting Room launched a new website this morning that's a lot easier to navigate (and works better on my iPhone). Check it out at waitingroomlounge.com.

Weekend review; consorting with 'the enemy'; Half-Handed Cloud tonight... – April 21, 2008 –

I didn't go to any shows on Friday night, while I went to three shows on Saturday, sort of. I dropped by at the Earth Day festivities at Elmwood Park Saturday afternoon and caught part of The Pendrakes' set. Very nice. The crowd was larger than last year's, probably because of the fine weather (or maybe it was the addition of a beer garden?).

Saturday night I swung by O'Leaver's. They had just poured their new beer garden patio earlier that day -- not huge but big enough, running along the north side of the building just outside the front door, which now will become a patio exit only. The new front door will be the current exit/entrance to the "pool table room." That means the doorman no longer will be able to watch the shows (Hey, he's not getting paid to watch them anyway, right?). So, I arrived just in time to see El Diablos Blancos' five-minute noise-rhythm set squelchingly played to about 15 people. I guess he wasn't feeling it.

Since it was only around 11:30, I high-tailed it over to what is widely believed to be a den of pure evil -- The Saddle Creek Bar. There, I consorted with The Dark Lord accused of high crimes and misdemeanors to the Omaha music scene, and retrieved my winnings. As I mentioned last week, I had a bet riding on the outcome of last Tuesday's City Council meeting. I played Randolph Duke to Mike Coldewey's Mortimer Duke, and he paid up: one dollar.

If there's a back story to the all-ages music venue issue, it's the demonization of Coldewey. Fact is, few people who I know in the music scene liked him or his brash, straight-forward approach to begin with. Musicians already were avoiding The Saddle Creek Bar either because of the sound system, the lack of free booze for performers or Coldewey's abrasive tell-it-like-it-is personality that refuses to suffer fools lightly. The fact that he pushed the all-ages issue to the forefront by asking cops what he can and can't do all-ages-wise at his bar (and the meaning of an existing ordinance that's never been enforced) only made him more of a pariah to people who never went to his bar in the first place. Accusations that he had a vendetta against Slowdown or The Waiting Room may or may not be true, either way they're laughable. SCB has never been (and never will be) a competitive threat to those businesses, and had nothing to gain by seeing them ticketed or lose their all-ages shows. Coldewey did have something to lose, however, if cops had busted him with minors in his bar -- a bar that unlike Slowdown or The Waiting Room, is not being lauded by the City of Omaha as a cornerstone of neighborhood development. Considering the police presence in his neighborhood, I have little doubt that Coldewey would have been busted, and we all would have ended up in the City Council chambers discussing a "live music" ordinance anyway. The only difference would have been that he'd have been ticketed and/or lost his license and maybe his business. But who cares, right?

Well, I do, and it has nothing to do with Coldewey. My reasons are purely selfish -- the Saddle Creek Bar is only a few blocks from my house. It's convenient, and the Rolling Rock is cold and cheap. Fact is, I only swing by SCB for shows about once every two or three months. Indie music doesn't work well there probably because of its weird box-like stage and its step-back-in-time sound system. I've suggested to Coldewey to back away from indie music altogether. He'll never be able to book (or afford) the top-flight touring indie bands handled by One Percent, and the local indie bands all hate his guts.

What works well at The Saddle Creek Bar is heavy metal shows, as evidenced by last Saturday night's Big Al metal showcase. I got there about halfway through a set by an all-female heavy metal band called The Clincher. It didn't matter if there was a slight error in sibilance in the back of the room -- you could hear the roaring guitars and the roaring vocals just fine. Though I was weaned on heavy metal at good ol' Fat Jack's (where anyone could get in regardless of age if they were ballsy enough to show their ID), I'm not a metal expert and rarely listen to the genre. That said, The Clincher did what they did pretty well, and the crowd (consisting of a cross-section of bikers, metal dudes, chicks in halters and guys who wear their baseball caps backwards) loved it. They also loved The Big Al Band and its four-word metal epics ("It's war, you die," "Boycott The Wal-Mart" "Oregano" and so on…).

SCB should try to become a modern-day version of Fat Jacks. Gary, their sound guy, is a metal fan and knows how to make it sound great in that room. He also has connections in the metal circuit. But it's unlikely that they'll ever go all-metal. Coldewey likes the idea of hosting a wide variety of music styles, from blues and jazz to hard rock, metal and yeah, even indie if it attracts a crowd. For him, it's all about attracting a crowd so he can sell more booze, and isn't that what running a bar is all about?

* * *

Tonight at Slowdown Jr. it's Asthmatic Kitty recording artist Half-Handed Cloud. The project's singer/songwriter, John Ringhofer, has worked with a number of collaborators from the Asthmatic Kitty stable including Sufjan Stevens, and as a result, his music has the same childlike, whimsy quality. Opening is another Ringhofer collaborator, Lake. $7, 9 p.m.

Bad movie soundtrack tonight, Earth Day tomorrow... – April 18, 2008 –

It's been determined that I'm the only one on the face of this great mothership we call Earth who thought the movie Juno was a piece of shit. That critical overhang has caused me to be less than enthusiastic about tonight's premiere show, Kimya Dawson at The Waiting Room (with David Dondero, Angelo Spencer and L'Orchidee D'Hawai). I assume the show will attract avid fans of Juno (which happens to be everyone on the face of the Earth but me) dying to hear some songs from the soundtrack, a soundtrack that was unintentionally dumbed down by being associated with such a dopey film (a film that won an Academy Award for best screenplay, by the way, which is yet another reason why I don't write about film in Lazy-i). $14, 9 p.m. I'm surprised it isn't sold out yet.

Other than that, there's not a lot going on tonight. Kyle Harvey's doing a set at hole-in-the-wall Benson bar Incognito (with John Fino -- 9 p.m., free). Maybe it's time for a visit to The Brothers?

Tomorrow is Earth Day, which we celebrate in this country with day-long concerts interspersed with environmental testimony by people who are supposed to know more than you do about why it's important to recycle. That's what you're in for tomorrow afternoon in Elmwood Park. Highlight performances include Black Squirrels at 3:30, Bear Country at 4:20, Pendrakes at 5:10, Son Ambulance at 6:10 and Sarah Bench/Robbers at 7:10.

Also tomorrow afternoon, Homer's is celebrating "Record Store Day" with in-store performances at its Old Market location by Bear Country, Jake Bellows and Matt Whipkey starting at 1 p.m.

Tomorrow night it's El Diablos Blancos and Endometrium Cuntplow at O'Leaver's. I've never heard of either band, but it's at O'Leaver's so it has to be good, right? $5, 9:30 p.m.

Also tomorrow night, Talkin' Mountain is playing at PS Collective with Chow Nasty and Columbia Vs. Challenger. $5, 9 p.m.

And downtown at Slowdown it's fun-lovin' Philly angle-rockers Man Man (Anti Records) with Yeasayer (who were just here in February). $12, 9 p.m.

Cover story: The Life and Times of Neva Dinova; Ladyfinger/Dance Me Pregnant, Mike Friedman tonight... – April 17, 2008 –

The biggest surprise from people who got a sneak-peek of this just-posted, rather long Lazy-i feature on Neva Dinova (read it here) is how the band has been around for 15 years. That's a long time. In fact, as I mentioned in the first feature I wrote about the band more than six years ago (here), I first saw Neva when they opened for Commander Venus and Norman Bailer sometime around '95 at the Capital Bar and Grill.

This new story takes up where the last one left off. The band talks about their 2004 split EP with Bright Eyes, their relationship with Crank! Records, their slow decline due to endless booze-fueled tours, their near break-up and their sort-of rebirth, as well as overcoming a mountain of obstacles to make their new album. Take a look.

Among the stuff that didn't make it into the story was an update on Bo Anderson, the band's original drummer who was replaced by Roger Lewis in the summer of 2003. Lewis said Anderson left the band to practice law in Houston, Missouri, a small town nestled on the edge of the Ozarks about 100 miles east of Springfield. "The opportunity arose for him to take over his father's law practice and settle down with his wife and kids," Lewis said. "He took that path as opposed to being in a rock band and not making any money." Anderson also is either a city or county prosecutor, depending on which member of Neva you ask.

Neva Dinova's April 24 show at The Waiting Room (and their April 25 show at Box Awesome in Lincoln) is the front end of a tour with Ladyhawk that runs through June 1. Come out next week and wish the band well before they hit the road.

* * *

Speaking of shows, there's a hot one tonight at Slowdown Jr. featuring Ladyfinger and Dance Me Pregnant. The bands are celebrating the release of a split 7-inch on Belfast label No Dancing Records, whose roster includes Desert Hearts and the super-talented Robyn G Shiels. How this tiny Irish label managed to find Ladyfinger and DMP is anybody's guess. I'm told that there is an extremely limited number of copies of the split available, so get them while you can. This show is guaranteed to be crowded and brutal. Opening is out-of-town band His Mischief. $8, 9 p.m.

Also tonight, a super-rare solo performance at Mick's by Mike Friedman, one of the best guitarists in the area. Friedman plays with Simon Joyner as well as Reagan and the Rayguns (and was a member of The Movies). Also on the bill are Heather Wessling and Black Squirrels. $5, 9 p.m.

Column update/correction... – April 16, 2008 –

Despite what I (and every civilian I spoke with) thought I heard (and re-heard in the Cox broadcast), the amendment requiring one security person per 50 attendees (instead of one per 100) did not pass. Slowdown's Jason Kulbel e-mailed last night to say the amendment never got seconded. The column (below) has been updated to reflect the correction...

Column 169: A Confederacy of Dunces; Girl Drink Drunk at TWR... – April 15, 2008 –

The ordinance takes effect 15 days after it's signed by Mayor Fahey. I assume the venues can apply for this special license after that time. I talked to Slowdown's Jason Kulbel before the meeting. He said Councilman Brown's biggest concern with the ordinance was the lack of a "barrier" requirement -- i.e., demanding the construction of a barrier within a venue that would divide minors from the rest of the audience. Such a barrier would be prohibitive (and nearly impossible) in Slowdown, where it would have to run from the stage to the bathroom all the way to the front entrance. That wasn't going to happen, which meant Brown was never on board...

Column 169: No Poles, No Pasties
All ages shows become more legal.

It's been about 20 years since I've been to an Omaha City Council meeting, and in that time nothing has changed about the council chambers -- the paneled décor, the dirty upholstered chairs, the institutional florescent lighting. The place even smells the same, a mixture of dust, mildewed paper, Brylcreem, toilet bowl deodorant and bureaucracy.

Only the players have changed, but really, is Frank Brown that much different then say, Fred Conley? Is Garry Gernandt a big leap from Bernie Simon? No, not really. It certainly didn't seem that way at Tuesday's City Council meeting, which felt like stepping into a time machine, complete with all the usual inane discussions, dumb questions and stripper references that I remember from my days at J school.

At stake was the future of all-ages shows in Omaha bars. The council was voting on the so-called "music venue" ordinance introduced by Councilman Jim Suttle that would let bars allow minors onto their premises during live music events as long they were properly ID'd and identified as minors. The first reading of the ordinance was two weeks ago, and afterward no one thought it would pass. Certainly I didn't.

But over those two weeks, the folks at Slowdown and The Waiting Room tried to find a way to make the ordinance more palatable to a council that's stuck somewhere in the year 1972.

Among the compromises was an amendment that would call for those under the age of 18 to have a notarized parental consent form on file at the bar. I figured that could be a deal breaker -- who wants to bother with looking up forms and checking signatures when there's a line of people waiting to get into your venue?

But the Slowdown guys seemed fine with the amendment, especially considering that the alternative would mean only being able to allow access to those over 18, or worse, only those over 21. All-ages shows are a major staple to Slowdown's business plan and philosophy. In the face of losing that option, digging through a database for a consent form was no big deal.

Neither, apparently, was the inability to sell pitchers of beer -- not allowed under the ordinance. Neither could a patron buy more than two drinks at a time. Other new amendments included a more thorough definition of a live music venue -- it must have a permanent raised stage, fixed lighting and a house PA. That definition leaves O'Leaver's out of consideration, since it doesn't have a real stage.

But the amendments didn't stop there, and that's where the inane discussions began. Councilman Gernandt suggested that the $250 "music venue permit fee" just wasn't enough. How about $375? More "investment" would make the license owners more watchful, right?

And what about this part here that says there will be only one security person for up to 100 attendees, and another for each 100 additional attendees? Come on, how is one person supposed to watch 100 people? How about one security guy for every 50 attendees? Slowdown's Jason Kulbel argued that such an amendment could result in overstaffing. Do the math. It would mean 10 designated security personnel for a 500-capacity show. That's a lot of burly guys in "security" T-shirts. Between those two amendments, only the increase in the permit fees was adopted.

Then it was Councilman Brown's turn, and that's when things started to get out of hand.

Among Brown's concerns: What's to stop someone from dropping off their kids at Slowdown at 8 p.m. and using the bar as a trendy babysitting service? Nothing, of course, though as Kulbel said, it might be a lot cheaper and easier to drop your kids off at Denny's.

What about karaoke? According to the ordinance, a live music venue would be defined as a place where a "live instrumental and/or vocal musical performance is occurring." Well, isn't karaoke a live music performance? What's to stop a crappy karaoke bar from letting minors in?

And for God's sakes, what about exotic dancing? What's to stop a strip club that also has live music from allowing kids in the door? Hey, what about pole dancing? A shiver ran through the crowd. An amendment must be made that disqualified establishments that allow exotic dancing and pole dancing. It didn't matter that the city prosecutor said such an amendment would be meaningless, as he wasn't aware of any definitions for exotic or pole dancing in the city laws. "Without a specific definition, it's impossible to enforce," he said.

Still, the strip club amendment passed, bundled with the karaoke amendment.

But wait, what if someone stood on stage without an instrument and sang wearing nothing but pasties and didn't dance? Would that be allowed? I'm not kidding, that scenario was actually considered and discussed. Kudos to the crowd of more than 100 kids, musicians and other interested parties for not laughing their asses off during this discussion.

In the end, the City Council adopted the ordinance to amend section 15-41 of the Omaha Municipal Code by a vote of 5 to 2. Chuck Sigerson, who remained silent throughout the ordeal, and Frank Brown voted against the ordinance. Brown said he felt that that all of the discussion was proof that the ordinance needed more fine tuning. He was wrong, or at least his cohorts thought so.

Afterward, everyone seemed pleased that all-ages shows would again be permitted in Omaha, just like, well, they always were. Except from now on, you'll have to leave the pasties at home.

Wednesday night at The Waiting Room it's karaoke of a different nature -- Girl Drink Drunk, TWR's version of Lincoln's Shitook Karaoke featuring members of The Third Men and The Black Squirrels backing you on lead vocals. $5, 9 p.m. and by the way, it's all-ages...

It passed… – April 15, 2008 –

The Omaha City Council this afternoon passed the all-ages "music venue" ordinance with a vote of 5-2. Ah, but the amendments... No strippers! No pole dancing! No karaoke! More info later...

Last chance to be heard… – April 14, 2008 –

All right, the City Council meeting concerning the all-ages ordinance (read here) is tomorrow afternoon. Let's go through the list:

-- Have you signed the online petition yet? Do it now.

-- Have you written your City Councilman yet? Go here, click on your district listed on the left-hand side of the page, and e-mail your dude. Make it sound like you know what you're talking about.

Your other chance to be heard is in person at the City Council meeting tomorrow at 2 p.m. The ordinance is Item 20 on the agenda, which is fairly early in the meeting, so be on time. The address is 1819 Farnam St. Ask the information desk for directions. Do everyone a favor and don't dress like you're headed to a Metallica concert. That doesn't mean you have to wear a tie, just don't look like a stereotype.

While I have money riding on an amended version of this ordinance passing, the votes may not be there. This meeting could be a real circus, and your's truly will be there to capture all the action, so look for a late-afternoon Lazy-i update (though Omaha.com will probably break the news first).

Blitzen Trapper tonight; Minus Story, Zep Trib tomorrow; Malpais Sunday… – April 11, 2008 –

My streak of late nights was broken last night when I got word that Jay Reatard canceled (thank you, Omahype). I ended up skipping the show altogether, having already seen the Black Keys a few times, in favor of getting a few extra much-needed hours of sleep.

I doubt I'll get much sleep this weekend, though. Here's the rundown:

Tonight at Slowdown Jr. it's the return of Portland Sub Pop band Blitzen Trapper with fellow Sub Pop act Fleet Foxes and the free-wheelin' Tim Fite. $8, 9 p.m.

Over at The Saddle Creek Bar (yes, they're still doing shows) it's a line-up of bands I've never heard of, including NYC power-pop act The Crash Moderns, Melismatics, Sight Unsound and Pictures of Lilly. The best part: It's free. Starts at 9.

Over at The Waiting Room it's five more bands I'm not familiar with: Victory Records act The Audition, Hit the Lights, Every Avenue, The Morning Light and Kiros (Sounds kind of emo to me). The difference is this show costs $12. Starts at 8 p.m.

Down at Sokol Underground, it's more emo featuring Converge, The Red Chord, Baroness and Genghis Tron. $15, 8 p.m.

Saturday night at Slowdown Jr. it's the return of Lawrence band Minus Story (Jagjaguwar) with Denton TX band Tre Orsi and our very own Dim Light. $7, 9 p.m.

Zep tribute band The Song Remains the Same is playing at The Waiting Room with Matt's Rocket Collection doing an AC/DC trib. $7, 9 p.m.

O'Leaver's is hosting The Shanks, Mosquito Bandito and Perry H. Matthews. Big noise punk death and destruction vulgarity (and maybe a tribute to local music hero Madder. Check out Aponik's Reader story on Joe here). $5, 9:30 p.m.

The Whipkey 3 is doing a set at The Barley St. starting at 9. Barley shows are usually free, but there could be a cover.

Omaha avant-garde noise king and Public Eyesore label chief Bryan Day is putting on a show at Benson Grind with many experimental bands. Could be weird. Probably will be weird. Weird is good. 8 p.m., donation requested.

Finally, over at The 49'r, punk band The Deformities is playing its final show, which one assumes will likely get out of hand. Corpse Show Creeps also are on the bill. $5, 9 p.m.

Then comes Sunday and Malpais -- you know, that band fronted by Omaha man of mystery and walking urban legend Greg Loftis. Opening is the Son, Ambulance and Landing on the Moon. Quite a lineup for $7. Starts at 9.

Column 168: Minor Threat; Jay Reatard, Black Keys tonight… – April 10, 2008 –

This column was written Tuesday morning, before Slowdown began its online petition drive. Marc Leibowitz this morning sent out an insightful reason why you should sign it or send a letter to your councilman: "One of the main reasons we were able to bring so many shows to this market is that we were able to offer all-ages shows. And not just all-ages shows at venues like The Cog Factory that had no bar, but all-ages show at a venue that serves alcohol," Leibowitz said. If all-ages participation at rock shows is banned at our primary venues (Slowdown, The Waiting Room), we're going to see fewer shows coming through town.

Or Leibowitz will be forced to look elsewhere, to places like Sokol Hall and Sokol Auditorium -- venues that have seen almost all of their indie music shows dry up with the opening of Slowdown and The Waiting Room. The Sokol facilities, which are not classified as "a bar," would still be able to host all-ages shows and serve booze. Sokol would clearly have the most to gain if this ordinance fails to pass. Do you think that fact will impact how South Omaha Councilman Garry Gernandt will vote? Ah, but he's only one vote. There are six more available. But by my last count, only two of those six supported the revised ordinance as it was originally presented. There's still a lot of work to do.

Column 168: Minor Threat
Arguing for all-ages venues.

At issue is an ordinance introduced by City Councilman Jim Suttle a couple weeks ago that would create a new category of businesses called "music venues." The ordinance would allow these designated bars to admit minors as long as the bars followed security measures, including having wristbands for those 21 and older and serving alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks in different glasses.

The ordinance was discussed at a City Council meeting two weeks ago. Among those speaking in favor were Matt Oberst (Conor Oberst's father), David Jacobson (the father of Film Stream's Rachel Jacobson, who also is an attorney representing Slowdown and the Waiting Room in the matter), Jason Kulbel (Saddle Creek Records executive and co-owner of Slowdown) and Marc Leibowitz (co-owner of One Percent Productions and The Waiting Room).

Their arguments are obvious to local music fans: Omaha's world-renowned music scene was created by a bunch of kids who grew up watching bands perform at all-ages shows. To prevent the next generation from seeing these shows because they take place in bars (rather than halls) would be a tragic blow to the continued growth of the local arts and music scene.

Among those speaking against the ordinance were members of Project Extra Mile (PEM), a group formed to fight underage drinking. Their chief concern: What would stop an adult from pouring alcohol into a minor's cup at one of these bars? That, and the notion that it would be wrong to allow minors to mingle with adults drinking in public.

At this point, the councilmen already have made up their minds. They either see the ordinance's obvious benefits, or see it as another wrong-headed opportunity for bars to get their hooks into the innocent minds of our youth. As one of the councilmen put it, surely if this music is as good as the proponents say it is, it can survive at venues that don't serve alcohol, right?