Lazy-i

Live Review: Eagle Seagull, It's True, North of Grand, The Third Men; Dr. Dog tonight... – Feb. 8, 2010 –

It was a strange, mopey night at The Waiting Room Saturday, or maybe I was the mopey one. The crowd seemed restless for a good time and you'd figure they'd get it from Eagle Seagull, who announced from stage that their full length is finally coming out March 28 (but they didn't say who was putting it out, maybe they're doing it themselves?) Edit: A reader pointed out that I reported back in December (in this blog entry) that the record is coming out on [PIAS] Recordings.

If the band seemed a bit listless it might have something to do with not having one of their guitarists -- has there has been a personnel change that I wasn't aware of or was he just under the weather? Or maybe their rather detached performance had something to do with violinist/keyboardist Carrie Butler, who looked sullen bordering on upset throughout their entire set (Or maybe that's just her way). No matter. The music was the usual good stuff, despite the band looking bored and distracted (They say Fleetwood Mac's best album was borne out of conflict.)

The chatter in the crowd focused on It's True, who has announced that its having a CD release party for their debut full-length at TWR April 30. No one, however, knows who is releasing it, and now people are speculating that the band will release it themselves. No one understands why this band doesn't have labels nipping at its heels, be they local or national imprints. Here's a band with a solid collection of songs that seems willing to do whatever is necessary to get the music in front of a larger audience. What more could a label want? Then again, it's getting harder for bands to figure out why they need to be on a label at all, other than the bank and the marketing that goes with it (and certainly they'd like someone to pick up the tab for their recording). Distribution, which was a key advantage in the old days, is losing its value as more people quit buying CDs altogether.

By now, the story of Eagle Seagull's multi-year constipation in releasing their material is well documented, which doesn't make it any less unfortunate. They were a rocket left on the launching pad, bogged down with too many delays until people began to wonder whether the darn thing could ever get off the ground. If nothing happens with their new record, it'll be another in a series of tragedies that seems to characterize Nebraska bands these days. No one wants to see what happened to ES happen to It's True, which is why if the band decides to put out the record themselves that it makes all the sense in the world, especially in an era where patience is often mistaken for indifference. It's True has to push forward right now, and should a label suddenly take interest in them, they can always release the album again. In the meantime, they're hitting their stride, growing with every performance, which means there's never going to be a better time to get out and share it with the rest of the world. (See photo).

Friday night was spent at O'Leaver's with The Third Men and Des Moines rock band North of Grand. My take on The Third Men: Just about any bar or venue would be better off having them perform in some sort of residency capacity, say every second Thursday or the first Friday of the month. The Third Men play good-time rock music for smart people who recognize well-played good-time rock music. There's something comfortable and familiar with their sound, which is probably due to the fact that the band grew up -- and continues to -- love good, unpretentious (and fun) rock music. It also helps that they roll out a few covers with every set. This time they unveiled a snarling version of Warren Zevon's "Poor Poor Pitful Me," along with "Next Time Round," an Elvis Costello chestnut off of 1986's Blood and Chocolate (That's right, that record came out 23 years ago).

Chatting with North of Grand's drummer Pat Curtis before their set, I was expecting a full-on punk attack, but in fact NoG has more in common with post-punk power rock than straight-up punk (and to me, that's a good thing). Despite being hard with their guitars, the band isn't afraid of hooks or cranking up white-knuckle backbeat rhythms right after a break. For whatever reason, I was reminded of post-punk acts like Bad Religion, Fugazi and Husker Du. But that's just me. With four albums under their wing -- all apparently self-released -- it's bands like this that epitomize the DIY business approach that every band will have to adopt sooner or later. Just ask It's True. (See photo of North of Grand).

* * *

Briefly, Mastodon announced its spring tour this morning, and Omaha's Sokol Hall is on the list for May 14.

* * *

Alt country band Dr. Dog returns to The Waiting Room tonight with The Growlers. $12, 9 p.m. I'm told TWR is one of their favorite venues. Since they haven't been here since Sept. 2008, they're in for a surprise.

Live Review: Blue Rosa, Dim Light; The Third Men, Twilight Hours tonight; It's True Saturday... – Feb. 5, 2010 –

It was a pseudo "goth night" at The Waiting Room last night, which meant plenty of the expected costuming (heavy eyeliner (men and women), dyed-black hair, the usual). None of it got in the way, and to be honest, the style of music for the first two bands didn't really fit the vibe.

Opening band Blue Rosa's lead singer had sort of a Lilith Fair lilt to her voice, which either compliments or clashes with their post-neu-wave-ambient style depending on your expectations. It was kind of like listening to Sarah McLachlan front The Cocteau Twins with a cello accoutrement (and I could have used more of that cello in the mix). It was pleasant, but not particularly threatening. Not bad, but these guys need to turn it up. See photo.

Dim Light played as a four-piece and sounded like a leather burlesque show held in an anonymous Manhattan basement club; there's something dirty and decadent about their brazen swing that teeters so close to out of control. One fellow patron told me that he thought frontman Cooper Moon was trying to channel Nick Cave. Maybe so. I've compared him to Mark Lanegan before, and I stand by it, though last night's performance seemed more lucid and coherent than anytime I've seen them in the past. They're ready for prime time. (See photo)

Strap On Halo didn't go on until about a quarter to midnight, so I only caught a couple of their songs, which sounded like attempts at throbbing industrial meets metal played to a drum machine. Lots of lights and smoke; I guess this is where the goth came in.

* * *

Lots going on this weekend. Tonight you have Matt Wilson from Trip Shakespeare reinventing himself as The Twilight Hours at The Waiting Room. Matt Whipkey is opening. $10, 9 p.m. Me, I'll be getting my drink on at O'Leaver's where The Third Men are headlining tonight with North of Grand and At Land (ex-Fizzle Like a Flood). $5, 9:30 p.m.

Tomorrow night, It's True headlines at The Waiting Room with amazing Lawrence band Cowboy Indian Bear and Lincoln heroes Eagle Seagull. $7, 9 p.m. Meanwhile, there's a solid punk show down at The Hole, 715 So. 16th St,. headlined by Dead Town Revival and including Redo, Cordial Spew, Officially Terminated, The Upsets and The Brigandines. $5, 7 p.m.

Mynabirds, UUVVWWZ to play Saddle Creek SXSW showcase; Dim Light tonight… – Feb. 4, 2010 –

It's only the beginning of February, but I'm already making plans for the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, which isn't until March 17. Yesterday, Jason Kulbel at Saddle Creek Records told me that his label will again host a showcase at the event. The deets:

Location: Maggie Mae's Gibson Room
Thursday, March 18

10 p.m. The Mynabirds
11 p.m. UUVVWWZ
12 a.m. Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson
1 a.m. The Rural Alberta Advantage

SXSW has filled in the earlier part of the evening with the following Nicodemus Agency bands:

7:30 - 8:00 p.m.: Common Loon
8:15 - 8:45 p.m.: Unwed Sailor

Last year I missed the Creek showcase as I was making a concerted effort to avoid all the bands that I see on a regular basis 'round these parts -- what's the point of going to Austin if you're going to see bands that always play in Omaha? In the end, I still saw Cursive play a couple times at other day shows. Without a doubt, all of the Creek bands will be playing numerous times throughout this year's four-day foray. Seriously, can you ever get too much of The Mynabirds?

Other Omaha acts confirmed for SXSW this year include Thunder Power, Digital Leather and It's True, though I don't know where any of them will be playing. More details as I get them.

* * *

It's an evening of dark wave/goth/gloom tonight at The Waiting Room with Strap On Halo, Dim Light and Blue Rosa. $7, 9 p.m. Don't be afraid of the snow.

Column 257: You're not getting older, the Grammys are getting younger… – Feb. 3, 2010 –

This week's column is a look back on Sunday's Grammys -- three-plus hours of my life that I'll never get back...

Column 257: Child's Play
The Grammys get younger...

Oh my, The Grammys. There was a time when they meant something to me. But that was a long time ago, back when I was working at K Mart and sneaking (underage) into The Depot in Council Bluffs. Back when bands like The Police and Michael Jackson dominated the awards. All these years have led up to last Sunday night's Grammys, where I realized, to my chagrin, that I didn't know most of the acts that were nominated (and I bet you didn't, either).

Had I finally become what I've always dreaded becoming: An adult who doesn't like music; an old fuddy-duddy who's "out of touch"?

I contemplated this unfortunate fate as the Black Eyed Peas -- a band that does little more than bleep out meaningless five-word phrases followed by "Yeah!" on top of aerobics soundtracks -- received yet another award for best something or other for a song that we won't remember a year from now. And than it occurred to me that I haven't stopped liking music, I stopped liking popular music.

"Pop music" has always been the stuff that appeals to the great unwashed masses. But these days, those masses are comprised mostly of 15 to 19 year olds, the majority of the population that still buys new music, preferably online or at Wal Mart. It's these consumers of the mass bile that, in the next five to 10 years, no longer will listen to music at all. That pleasure will have been replaced with watching television, listening to talk radio and following sports when they're not keeping an eye on their kids.

Yeah, most people "grow out of" music, or more accurately, they grow out of the shitty kind of music that the mass media seem to embrace. They certainly lose the ability to listen to new music, forever lost in the soundtrack of their adolescent years.

I contemplated that unfortunate fate while shopping at Homer's Saturday afternoon, where I picked up new CDs by Spoon (just okay) and Los Campesinos! (amazing). A few years ago, Homer's end caps would have been filled with only the most mainstream, commercial-appealing fluff -- i.e., what's heard on the radio. These days, those end caps are stocked with CDs that you won't hear on the FM, lazily categorized as "indie music" (that Spoon album, for example, released on indie label Merge Records, was listed as Homer's No. 1 best seller).

Now out front, Homer's "indie section" used to be a few feet of shelf space in the back, dedicated to bands whose music and lyrics were more challenging, more personal, and consistently better than whatever won the top prizes at The Grammys, but that rarely sold as many CDs throughout their lifetime as a Black Eyed Peas album sells in a single day.

Anyway, my conclusion: When it comes to pop music, I haven't grown older, the music has grown younger, and dumber and more youth-oriented than it ever was when I was "their age."

There was very little no adult content at The Grammy's this year, unless you count the adult language used in the hip-hop medley. Watching the telecast was like watching The Nickelodeon Awards or some other kids' show. The fact that powder-perfect Barbie Doll Taylor Swift, whose off-pitch voice sounds like she's struggling through puberty, could be honored with the "Album of the Year" was amusing since her music could only appeal to girls in their late teens, and their parents who have to put up with it. It's kind of like giving an Oscar to a Twilight movie, while "Tetro" goes ignored.

Pop music has once again been defined as being kid's stuff. So what else is new?

But imagine this: A Grammy Awards broadcast that opens with Yo La Tengo performing alongside Beck, where Brother Ali and Atmosphere do a medley with Ludacris; where The xx and Phoenix front a huge production number with Lady Gaga and Depeche Mode, where Annie Clark sings a duet with Antony Hegarty and Kris Kristofferson, where Mastodon humbles Metallica, where Mogwai performs with the San Francisco Symphony, where Wilco shares a tune with George Strait. And where the winners' music will be remembered 10, 20, 30 years from now, let alone next year.

* * *

One local guy watching The Grammys last Sunday had some skin in the game. Arguably the area's most talented mastering engineer, Doug Van Sloun, watched as Rhonda Vincent's Destination Life, released last June on Rounder, was up for Best Bluegrass Album. Doug mastered the record, his first project to be nominated for a Grammy. Alas, the award went to comedian Steve Martin (yes, the arrow-through-the-head guy) and his album The Crow / New Songs for the Five-String Banjo, which shouldn't be a surprise since Martin performed songs off the album on just about every late-night talk show. Still. It's honor just to be nominated, right Doug?

* * *

Now for something completely different: Next week, the star city celebrates its best and brightest at Lincoln Exposed 2010. The event, which is held at Duffy's, The Bourbon Theater and The Zoo Bar, runs from Feb. 10-14 and features 60 performances from some of Lincoln's finest musicians including Charlie Burton, The Machete Archive, Darren Keen/The Show Is the Rainbow, Triggertown, Ember Schrag, Her Flywaway Manner, Mercy Rule, The Mezcal Brothers and Pharmacy Spirits. Your $6 per night gets you into all three venues. For a full schedule, search for "Lincoln Exposed 2010" in Facebook.

Live Review: Perry H. Matthews, Her Flyaway Manner; Grammys… – Feb. 1, 2010 –

The Waiting Room is a whole different -- and louder -- animal when it's not packed to capacity, as evidenced by last Saturday night's show, which drew fewer than a 100 people. Walking toward the bar down Maple St. at 10:30, I could hear the noise coming from the venue as far away as Jane's. Imagine how loud it was inside -- but it was nothing earplugs couldn't control.

On stage, Perry H. Matthews tore through songs from their upcoming full-length (to be released by start-up label Doom Town Records). This is loud, propulsive noise rock that chugs along with with serious, pounding riffage. I don't remember if I've ever seen them as a five piece, with a dedicated frontman/vocalist. The guy looked the part, with a striped, sleeveless T-shirt and suspenders. Throughout the set, however, it felt like he was holding back. Though he could be heard above the band (barely), he needs to turn it loose if he's going to keep up with what's happening all around him.

There was no holding back Her Flyaway Manner, who I haven't seen in years. The trio fronted by Brendan McGinn on guitar and vocals was spot on. Their post-hardcore sound reminded me more of Fugazi than the last time 'round -- good, brutal stuff from one of Lincoln's best. (See photo)

A few more thoughts on TWR: They adjusted the stage camera, so that the monitors around the bar are sharper, and are now in living color. While the room does seems semi-empty with only 100 people in the audience, it still feels less empty than, say, Sokol Underground or Slowdown's big stage with a similar-sized crowd. This could be another advantage TWR has over other larger rooms -- small shows don't feel sadly unattended, though just having a crowd that gets off their asses and stands by the stage (as we did Saturday night) always helps.

* * *

If you didn't watch The Grammy's last night you didn't miss anything. I watched only because I intend to mention the telecast in this week's column. It's amazing just how far American popular music has fallen from any resemblance to adult content (unless you count the adult language used in the hip-hop medley). It was like watching The Nickelodeon Awards or some other kids' show. The fact that Taylor Swift, whose off-pitch vocals sound like she's struggling through puberty, could be honored with the "Album of the Year" among other awards, is amusing since her music could only appeal to girls in their late teens, and the parents who have to put up with it. It's kind of like giving an Oscar to a Sponge Bob movie. During her performance with Stevie Nicks, Taylor could have used some auto-tuner action, and believe me, there was plenty to go around.

Live Review: Haiti Relief Concert; Conchance, more Haiti tonight; Her Flyaway Manner Saturday… – Jan. 29, 2010 –

What more could you ask for than Conor Oberst singing "Lua" backed by Nate Walcott on flugelhorn? It was one of the highlights of last night's sold out Haiti Relief Concert at Slowdown. For this rendition of Bright Eyes, Oberst had Walcott on keyboards and assorted brass, Mike Mogis on guitar, Matt Maginn on bass and someone on drums who resembled a young Winona Ryder (at least from my vantage point across the room). Whoever that drummer was, she was amazing.

The crew played a couple new songs (that, or I simply didn't recognize them) that will fit nicely in the Bright Eyes oeuvre. The best of them was the encore that roared to a crashing, epic finish. When will we be hearing this new material? Something tells me it won't be until sometime during the latter part of the year.

I didn't arrive at Slowdown until around 11, when Simon Joyner was on stage with his band playing a rather low-key set. In fact, most of the evening had a distinctly low-key feel, which I guess was appropriate for a benefit for such a grim situation. Tilly and the Wall's set was less rousing than relaxed, especially since Jamie Pressnall no longer tap-tap-taps out the hits, one assumes because she's still feeling the effects of giving birth to her and husband/guitarist Derek Pressnall's first child.

That said, one band did manage to pry the roof off the joint. It's True has never played a better set, taking their sound to uncharted waters. They were the band that had the most buzz among those I chatted with in the crowd. The consensus: They just keep getting better. They knew they were on one of the biggest stages of their careers (thus far), and they took full advantage of it. Wonder who is putting out their upcoming album?

An aside: I haven't seen Oberst play "Lua" in a long time, and to his credit, he attacked it with the same intensity as he ever has, spitting out the lines almost with poetic disgust. Despite being his "hit," the woman next to me had never heard the song before, and commented on how freakin' sad it is.

There was a movie that came out sometime in the early '80s that starred Paul Simon called One Trick Pony. Simon played Jonah, a guy on the downside of his career, balancing various relationships, trying to make a comeback. Anyway, late in the film, an award show based on The Grammy's asks Jonah to appear at their ceremony and perform his famous war ballad "Soft Parachutes," which is just the type of nostalgia trip that Jonah was trying to avoid. In the end, he does the performance, walking onto an empty stage with just a guitar. It's a pretty song, a strong song, the kind of simple melody that Simon did so well and seemingly effortlessly (before Graceland). I think of that scene every time I see Oberst perform "Lua." It would be easy to say that "Lua" is Conor's "Soft Parachutes," except that after all these years, he looks like he still loves playing it, as if he knows what a jewel he has in that song.

* * *

Weekend's looking busy.

Tonight at O'Leaver's, OEA Award winner for best hip-hop, Conchance, opens a show at O'Leaver's with godshamgod and Pharmacy Spirits. 9:30, $5.

There's another Haiti Benefit Concert tonight down at The Hole, 715 So. 16th St. The line-up is Eastern Turkish, Cordial Spew, Living Victim, Youth & Tear Gas and Straight Shot. $5, 7 p.m.

Meanwhile, down at Slowdown Jr., The Killigans have their CD release show with Parting Shot and Cave Kids. $7, 9 p.m.

Saturday night's main event is Her Flyaway Manner at The Waiting Room with Perry H. Matthews, This Life Is a Scarecrow and Bazooka Shootout. $7, 9 p.m.

Benefit for Haiti at Slowdown (sold out), Sarah Benck tonight… – Jan. 28, 2010 –

According to Slowdown major domo Val Nelson, here's how tonight's Haiti Benefit Show is going down: The first band starts at 8:30 sharp, and to facilitate eight bands in four hours each band will play a 20-minute set. The line-up again: Tilly And The Wall, Bright Eyes, It's True, Simon Joyner, The Mynabirds, Bear Country, McCarthy Trenching and Brad Hoshaw. Val says that all money raised from ticket sales will be donated to Doctors Without Borders -- http://doctorswithoutborders.org/. Of course, if you don't have tickets, you're out of luck as the show has been sold out for a few days.

Also happening tonight, Sarah Benck is headlining a show at O'Leaver's with Adam Robert Haug, Pennyhawks and Mumfords. $5, 9:30 p.m. The amazing Blue Scholars are playing at Lincoln's Bourbon Theater; $10, 7 p.m. And DJ Kobrakyle will be running a victory lap at The Waiting Room, celebrating his OEA award for best DJ. $5, 9 p.m.

Haiti Benefit show sold out… – Jan. 26, 2010 –

If you didn't get your ticket to Thursday night's Haiti Benefit concert at Slowdown featuring Tilly and the Wall and Bright Eyes (among others) you're out of luck. The show is now sold out.

OEA Winners & Sinners; Bright Eyes added to Haiti show… – Jan. 25, 2010 –

Well, the bad news is I only got four of my OEAA predictions right. The good news is that about half of the artists I voted for won awards. As I say in the official review that will be printed in The Reader Thursday, last night's OEAAs were a nod to performers who spent most of '09 playing in local clubs rather than the hard-core touring acts trying to make a name outside of our little burg.

Gone are the days when Saddle Creek Records artists -- arguably the most successful and influential bands in the area (and playing the best music) -- dominated these awards. This year, only four Creek-related bands were even nominated, and none took home a prize, despite national and international tours for Cursive and Oberst, along with plenty of road work from the forgotten Ladyfinger. In the end, does it matter if a local band does something like play at SXSW? Apparently not to the OEAA voters.

Taking just over two hours for the entire evening's production, emcee and chief yuckmeister Ethan Stone, part of the morning team at 96.1 The Brew, joked endlessly about the fact that you could actually drink alcohol in the Mid America Center ballroom -- something unheard of at The Holland Center where the event had been held over the past three years.

A small army of wait staff delivered hot-plates of pork and potatoes to the well-groomed nominees as Stone rattled through the list of winners. Only a handful was allowed to come on stage to accept their awards Oscar-style. The rest had their crystal statues delivered to their tables, just like their pork and potatoes, where they proudly lofted their prizes overhead before the attention moved on to the next honoree.

The ceremony was quick and efficient, which was fortunate as some of the year's worst road conditions lay ahead for the trek back over the river.

The evening kicked off with performances by Hot Topic-style emo band After the Fall and what would be the night's big winner, Brad Hoshaw and the Seven Deadlies, who is down to just three "deadlies" these days. While the room lacked the sparkling acoustics of The Holland Center, it was more than adequate for an audience busy downing dinner rolls and Bud Light.

The evening's first highlight was the "Lifetime Achievement Award" bestowed to legendary promoter and entrepreneur Matt Markel. Pacific Street Blues host and former head of Homer's Records Rick Galusha, along with 89.7 The River Program Director Sophia John, recapped the highlights of Markel's career, which included running Omaha nightclub The Ranch Bowl, launching radio station 93.3 K-ROCK, and creating BJM Studio and Get-Go Records. Markel, 58, took the stage in front of a standing ovation. He thanked his wife, Dana, all the bands that had played at the Ranch Bowl over the years along with "all the workers," including those he fired. Despite having suffered a stroke in 2002, Markel looked and sounded in good health. "The stroke has been a blessing to me," he said. "It's calmed me down a lot."

Then it was back to the awards, most of which went to a cadre of bands and performers known for their appearances on Benson stages. Brad Hoshaw and his band took home the lion's share of top honors, including awards for Album of the Year for their debut LP, along with Artist of the Year and Best Singer/Songwriter/Adult/Alternative. Like a good son, Hoshaw went out of his way to thank his mother.

The night's other big winner was It's True, a band led by singer/songwriter Adam Hawkins, which picked up crystal obelisks for Best New Artist and Best Indie / Alternative.

The OEAAs ventured off the Benson reservation only a few times, most notably for the Best Rock award, which went to Goner Records artist Box Elders, and Best Hip Hop, which went to I'm Drinkin This recording artist Conchance.

One of the evening's bigger surprises was the Best DJ Award, which went to Kyle Richardson a.k.a. DJ Kobraklye, who is probably most well known for spinning tracks at Gunk nights at The Waiting Room in Benson.

So was the lack of Creek representation this year a sign of a pull-back in Saddle Creek output (the label released nationally distributed albums by four local artists in '09) or have the OEAAs' voters simply become more focused on local bands that play regularly at local clubs?

Only one winning act -- Box Elders -- has spent more than a month on the road touring in '09. The rest of the winners -- either by choice or due to the financial realities involved with touring -- spent most of last year close to home.

Here's the list of this year's winners:

Best Rock -- Box Elders
Best Hard Rock -- Paria
Best Alternative/Indie -- It’s True
Best Singer-Songwriter/Adult Alternative -- Brad Hoshaw & The Seven Deadlies
Best DJ -- Kyle Richardson a.k.a. DJ Kobraklye
Best Folk/Roots/Americana/Bluegrass -- Filter Kings
Best Soul and R&B -- Satchel Grande
Best Hip-Hop/Rap -- Conchance
Best Gospel -- Salem Baptist Voices Of Victory
Best Blues -- Matt Cox
Best Jazz/Standards/Easy Listening -- Luigi Waites
Best Ethnic/World Music -- The Turfmen
Best Cover Band -- Secret Weapon
Album Of The Year -- Brad Hoshaw & The Seven Deadlies, self titled
Best New Artist -- It’s True
Artist Of The Year -- Brad Hoshaw & The Seven Deadlies

* * *

Bright Eyes has been added to the line-up for this Thursday Haiti Benefit show at Slowdown. The already-packed line-up includes Tilly and the Wall, The Mynabirds, It's True, Simon Joyner, Bear Country and McCarthy Trenching. Tix are still available here for $15. Get them while you can.

* * *

Hey, there were a couple updates over the weekend, including a detailed review of the newly remodeled Waiting Room, so scroll down!

Live Review: The (newly remodeled) Waiting Room; OEA's tonight… – Jan. 24, 2010 –

Though there (probably) have been bigger crowds at The Waiting Room, there's something about the new, wall-less/ceiling-less design that makes the crowd seem bigger and, strangely from a getting-around standpoint, denser as if the room is smaller. Or maybe more people were there last night to see NOMO than I thought.

First off, the overall vibe: More modern; it feels like a completely different club. I've heard people describe it as "Austin-like," or like a venue you'd find in a different city. I didn't quite get that. It does, however, feel more cosmopolitan, and now has more in common with Slowdown than it did before the remodel. It is, hands down, a better club.

The high points: Amazing sight lines from anywhere in the room. I tried to remember how it used to be, with those walls blocking the stage when you stood by the entrance. You can now effectively watch a band from all the way back in the pinball machine area. And now the stage looks like it belongs where it is instead of being an afterthought.

The sound was very good. I think they still need to work some bugs out with the mix, which felt a bit thin, flat and un-dynamic, but overall, balanced (maybe too balanced, as I was having a tough time separating the players). It was earplug loud from everywhere, which tells me that all that sound buffering from the old lowered ceiling is obviously gone. Before the remodel, you could lean back against the bar and take out your earplugs -- that thought never crossed my mind last night.

The lighting was striking, with the new "moving lights" in full motion. They're not as impressive as Slowdown's light curtains -- probably because there are fewer moving lights, and they're still figuring out how best to use them.

New high-table seating along the north wall is a nice touch. I wasn't able to actually sit down and try them, but it looks like a good vantage point for a show. The low tables in the center of the room are pushed back even with the front of the relocated soundboard -- useless during a show with the crowd standing right in front of you blocking your view (though I would have taken a seat there last night if I could).

New plasma video monitors have been mounted throughout back bar area, all are connected to a video camera pointed at the stage, so that when you're getting a drink or playing pool, you can glance up and see what's going on up there. The mounted, motionless camera needs to be adjusted for the dim lighting. The picture was dark and grainy, like 7-11/convenience store robbery footage, the light level is too low to adequately capture color imaging. Still, it's cool, and I assume the monitors can be switched to a game during pre-show or Saturday afternoon boozing.

In the "needs improvement" category:

The room is now too dark. It looks like they have plenty of directed overhead halogen lighting, it just wasn't on or being used. It's much darker back by the bar than it used to be, which makes digging through your wallet a chore (Is that a 10 or a 20? It's a 5?!).

Though they probably haven't changed the table arrangement, it was difficult to walk across the room back by the bar. As I said before, though the room feels bigger, it seems more crowded, or at least it did last night (again, I have no idea what the actual crowd size was, though it wasn't sold out at 11 when I arrived). The soundboard in the middle also adds to the crowding effect when navigating closer to the stage.

Again, maybe it was the crowd size, but I gave up on getting a beer a couple times after waiting in the mob for (Edit: What seemed like) 15 minutes (but was probably more like five). I did get served later in the evening. The bar service was too small to support a crowd as big as last night's. Like Slowdown does for its sold-out shows, they need a second horse-trough beer station where people can just pay cash for a bottle (preferably, Rolling Rock). There is a perfect spot for this right by the entrance (where there are now tables for people to place their bottles when they go out to smoke). It took six months for Slowdown to finally get its hands around its service problems. The new Waiting Room has only been open for three days. They'll get it figured out quickly.

Actually, most of my whining won't apply to non-sold-out nights. Last night was a mob scene, and what a strange mob it was. It was unlike any other crowd I've seen at the Waiting Room -- one guy described it as being filled with "West Omaha hippies." In fact, I saw more than my share of backwards ball caps -- definitely not the usual TWR crowd. Maybe it was NOMO. Was there ever a band more suited to go on tour with Phish or WSP? The six-piece all-instrumental afro-beat band is slick, well-rehearsed (as in tight) and a lot of fun. Too bad there wasn't enough room for people to dance. As much as I liked them last night, it still didn't hold a candle to their red hot June 2006 show at O'Leaver's (reviewed here).

But all that said, with this remodel, I do believe that The Waiting Room is going to attract a new, more suburban crowd that may have ignored the venue in the past because of its "old school" feel. The new Waiting Room is as sleek and modern as any bar west of 120th St. If a new suburban crowd does begin to show up, it could mean a whole new audience for the quality bands that have been playing at TWR all along. Here's a photo from last night.

* * *

Tonight: The Omaha Entertainment and Arts Awards at The Mid America Center. Show starts at 6. Look for Twitter updates (follow me here) as winners are announced.

Addendum: OEA Prediction: Artist of the Year; NOMO tonight… – Jan. 23, 2010 –

A reader pointed out on the Webboard that I forgot to include my pick and prediction for Artist of the Year in yesterday's blog entry. Oops. The nominees are Black Squirrels, Brad Hoshaw & the Seven Deadlies, Cursive, It's True and Little Brazil. My guess is that Little Brazil will squeak by with the win, mainly because they weren't nominated in many other categories despite making the best album of their career. I voted for Cursive, who had a breakthrough year with their new album, their ongoing national (and international) tour and their appearance on Late Night with David Letterman. We'll find out Sunday night.

I didn't make it out to The Waiting Room grand re-opening last night as I'm still on the mend and the idea of standing up for more than an hour didn't seem like a good one. I'll get my introduction to the new room tonight when NOMO takes the stage with Satchel Grande. Tix are $10, show starts at 9.

OEA Predictions; The Waiting Room's Grand Re-opening tonight… – Jan. 22, 2010 –

This Sunday is the Omaha Entertainment and Arts Awards at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs. There has been a bit of muttering about moving the event to Iowa, but you won't hear it from me. The Holland, while regal and impressive, is anything but fun. During past year's award ceremonies, most of the crowd spent the evening in the lobby drinking, because they wouldn't let us bring our booze back to ours seat for fear that you might stain one of their blonde-wood seats. No one cares about such things at the MAC Center, and the organizers have all but promoted the award show as some sort of drunkfest. Good for them. It certainly will be more laidback, if not chaotic.

Anyway, I'll be there again this year. But before I go, here's my list of who will win and who I voted for (or who should have won). As I've said before, the OEAAs are now considered by most folks in the scene as a "Benson thing," which is great for Benson but not so good for the rest of the city (and Lincoln). Oh well, onto the awards:

Singer/songwriter Alternative: I voted for Brad Hoshaw and the Seven Deadlies based on the strength of their debut album, which came out at the beginning of '09. A year later and most folks have forgotten about it, unfortunately. The winner will be It's True, because Hawkins and his crew are red hot right now, and are about to put out a new album.

Alternative/Indie: It's True will win this one as well. I'm telling you, folks, the "It Band" of the moment. I voted for Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, a local guy with national presence, and even though I didn't care for their last album, Conor and his boys clearly eclipsed anyone else locally.

Blues: Kris Lager Band seems to be the favorite here. I voted for Son of 76 & the Watchmen, a band that I discovered last year through the OEAA showcase series.

Folk/Roots/Americana/Blue Grass: Black Squirrels will win this easily. They have a large fan base and voting block. I voted for Outlaw Con Bandana, whose songwriting style is more to my liking.

Hard Rock: Very likely Emphatic will win since news of the band's deal with Atlantic Records broke during the voting period. I voted for Bloodcow.

DJ: Brent Crampton is recognized as the guru of local house/club music, and he'll win it again this year. And I voted for him.

Ethnic / World Music: It'll probably go to Rhythm Collective, whose name seems to pop up a lot these days. I voted for The Turfman, which has been one of the best ethnic (and true folk) bands in Omaha for decades.

Gospel: Either Salem Baptist or Sacred Heart choirs will win, as they should. I voted for Salem Baptist.

Hard Rock / Metal / Punk: A poorly named category since there already is a Hard Rock category, Emphatic will feel stupid picking up two trophies for the same category. I again voted for Bloodcow, who wouldn't mind at all picking up two trophies.

Hip Hop / Rap: Could go to El Genius. I voted for Conchance, who emerged last year as one of the most creative musical acts in the area.

Jazz/Standards/Easy Listening: It's sad that anyone would include "Jazz" with "Easy Listening" in a category name. But because they did, Heidi Joy will win, thanks to her immense fan base. I voted for Luigi, Inc.

Soul and R&B: Considering that he's playing at the OEAA ceremony, it will probably be Lucas Kellison. I voted for Son of 76 & The Watchmen.

Rock: Again, a shitty category name. Is it supposed to mean "generic rock"? Regardless, I voted for Box Elders since they had the biggest growth last year. I also think they'll win as people will ignore Cursive due to their success (I know, it makes no sense).

Cover Band: The dumbest category of the OEAA's. You don't see the Grammy's handing out awards to cover bands. Regardless, Secret Weapon will win this. I voted for Zeppelin tribute band The Song Remains the Same.

Best New Artist: It's True will win and It's True got my vote.

Album of the Year: Based on their fan base and the fact that they open for just about every other band's CD release show last year, Black Squirrel's Paying for your Pleasure will win. I voted for Cursive's Mama, I'm Swollen, which was one of my favorite albums of '09.

Tickets to the OEA Awards Show are $20, or $30 with dinner, and are available via Ticketmaster or at the MAC box office. The reception starts at 4:30, the actual show starts at 6 p.m. this Sunday, Jan. 24.

* * *

As I wrote about (here), the Waiting Room will have its true Grand Reopening tonight with a free show featuring Little Brazil, Little Black Stereo, Ground Tyrants and Kyle Harvey. Show starts at 9. Prepare to be amazed.

Tomorrow night the first touring band will perform at the newly remodeled Waiting Room, and it's a doozy -- afro-beat dancemasters NOMO with Satchel Grande. $10, 9 p.m.

There's a ton of other stuff going on this weekend:

Tonight at The Barley St. Tavern, Our Fox (Jake Bellows & friends) take the stage with Ember Schrag. $5, 9 p.m.

Tomorrow night, fIREHOSE tribute band Brave Captain plays at The 49'r with Dragon Vomit. $5, 9:30 p.m.

The Life and Times are playing Saturday night at Slowdown Jr. with Techlepathy and At Land. $8, 9 p.m.

Spiders for Love are at O'Leaver's Saturday with The Sharks and The Biotomic Point. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Inside the remodeled Waiting Room (sneak peek tonight); The Mynabirds sign to Saddle Creek; Fortnight tonight… – Jan. 21, 2010 –

Just placed online (right here), a feature story about -- and photos of -- the newly remodeled Waiting Room Lounge. Marc Leibowitz talks about what went into the refurb and why he and partner Jim Johnson did it. I can tell you with all certainty that if you've been to the Waiting Room before you're going to be impressed with what you see when they reopen tomorrow night. My only gripe: The new curtaining system effectively takes away my favorite spot to watch a show -- from off stage left. You'll no longer have access to that area, as the new curtain (which doesn't arrive for a couple months) will cover the floor from the stage all the way to the green room door. The area off of stage right also will be covered. Leibs says bands don't like people standing off the edge of the stage (or as he said, they hate to "play in the round."). The curtain will also cover all the equipment that's usually stacked off to the side. It'll also make the stage seem bigger, though it isn't. I was surprised to hear that The Waiting Room's stage is larger than Slowdown's stage, but smaller than Sokol Underground's stage -- just more evidence that I could never be a structural engineer. Anyway, read the article and check out the new Waiting Room yourself tomorrow night or Saturday when NOMO takes the stage.

Can't wait that long? One Percent just announced that it's having a "soft opening" tonight featuring It's True. The doors open at 8 pm. and It's True plays sometime after 11 p.m. And it's free (21+ only).

* * *

Saddle Creek Records announced its first new signing for 2010 yesterday. The label will be releasing on April 27 the full length debut by The Mynabirds, What We Lose in the Fire We Gain in the Flood. The Mynabirds is a new project by Laura Burhenn (ex-Georgie James) whose members also include Dan McCarthy of McCarthy Trenching.

* * *

Other shows tonight include Fortnight at Slowdown Jr., as part of their free Thursday night showcase series. Joining them are The Answer Team and John Klemmensen and the Party. Starts at 9. Also tonight, Fine Fine Automobiles (a.k.a. Landon Hedges of Little Brazil) is playing at The Barley St. Tavern with Watching the Trainwreck, The Gasams and Above the State. 9 p.m., $5.

Column 255: Jay Reatard & The Niner; It's True heads to SXSW, new full-length on the way; Beep Beep b-bye… – Jan. 20, 2010 –

The following column was written last week. I'm feeling much better now, thanks for asking.

Column 255: The Letting Go
Jay Reatard and the 49'r

I write this at 4 a.m. coming off Percocet and poor sleep after crossing a hill of agony that was abdominal surgery last week.

Three stories burned with controversy in the haze of my midweek absence. First there was Haiti. But that was simply too big to put my feeble mind around. Then there was The Tonight Show Controversy -- Conan O'Brien being laid to rest in the path of a greedy Jay Leno. In the end, who cared? Both would wind up at 10:30 somewhere.

Then there was The 49'r Situation.

There actually were four stories that happened during my sleep. Jay Reatard died somewhere in Memphis. His death was one of the first things I tweeted about after surgery; I felt I needed to since no one was talking about it on the intergoogle. Reatard, who recorded on Matador but has roots in Memphis labels like Goner and In the Red was a fresh new hope for rock 'n' roll, a guy who embraced the simpler style of garage rock; his noisy, shambolic sound somehow made everything new again.

In his wake he pulled along a lot of people, including local folks like Box Elders and Digital Leather and Brimstone Howl and The Shanks. I thought his death was maybe a hoax -- from stories I heard about the guy, it sounded like something Reatard would do. But there is no hoaxing The New York Times, who, in his obituary, called Reatard, real name Jimmy Lee Lindsey, Jr., "a Force in Punk Rock," dead at age 29.

For some reason I thought Reatard's death would spur some sort of Kurt Cobain outcry in the art/music world until I remembered that no one really knew who he was. Let that be a lesson to all of you local rockers who have made a mark (of sorts) nationally. Who will talk about you after you're gone?

Certainly the people who went to -- and go to -- The 49'r don't know who Jay was. Reatard was more of a Brothers Lounge or O'Leaver's sort of guy, though I think he would have liked The 49'r, too.

The bar's demise became public early last week on Facebook via The 49'r Facebook Page (of course), where someone (no one really knows who runs those "fan pages") posted the message: "The rumors you're hearing are true. The 49'r, and surrounding property, has been bought to make way for a CVS Pharmacy. Our doors will close, permanently, next January. Please make this next year the best year the 49'r has ever had."

It was met with an immediate outcry heard low and long over the Internet. Close the Niner? It simply cannot be! It's an Omaha music landmark. Hell, it's a national landmark that has acted as a cornerstone of the Dundee neighborhood!

One fan of the Niner, musician Greg Loftis currently of Montana, Facebooked me asking if its demolition could be stopped. Like a doctor telling a parent that his child has passed, I told him that I thought there was nothing anyone could do. I added that, ironically, it was The 49'r where I had first met Loftis so, so many years ago.

"Yes it was...and yes we did. lllooonnng time ago," Loftis replied. "That is where I learned everything I know about music, learned the rules of seedy underground behavior, made almost every friend I have in Omaha (and some that were just passing through)... I loved that place. I remember the old days (before they took out the juke box and when Dana was in charge) when you could walk down the steps in the afternoon on a summer Monday (when the music kids hung out there), a beer would already be waiting, Landon would ask for a shot (he was 19) Marq would be on the desk computer researching right wing politics and Prince, Kasher would tell you about this new record, The Ugly Organ, he was working on, Bob Thornton would be drinking vodka and explaining to someone why he was smarter than them, Kyle Harvey was losing money working there because he was buying too many drinks... everybody knew everybody and if someone showed up we didn't know they got drunk for free... I once went 47 straight matches undefeated in shuffle board... it was the reason it took Greg Edds like 7 yrs to get out of college, Minturn fell off the roof into the dumpster, I fell off the roof and missed the dumpster, the tattoo shop guys would scare away any frat boys that wanted to come in... Mindy welcomed me to Omaha the first night...Christ that was amazing (get your mind out of the gutter)... I could go on for weeks... this is very sad...the place had changed but I always held out hope it would return to it's glory days... I never dreamed it would close its doors."

Now a new Facebook page has launched, titled "Save The 49'r." Something tells me that the person behind it hasn't talked to owner Mark Samuelson, who will likely see a nice payday for his property, a property that he's owned and operated and poured money into for a long time.

In the end, it's just a bar, like a thousand other bars in Omaha. It just happens to have sat at an epicenter where so much was going on around it. The Niner's glory days from a music standpoint were a long time ago. And while it still hosts bands on weekends, it's nothing like it used to be.

No, we don't need another pharmacy. There is one literally a block away from the Niner right now. But what realistically can be done to stop it? Have the building declared a "national landmark" so it can sit empty and be another blight on Dodge St.? Convince Samuelson to not sell it? Why shouldn't he?

I say, take this final year and enjoy it, remember it, then let it go. In the end, it was just a bar. It wasn't a person.

* * *

It's True has received an official invitation to the South By Southwest Festival in March. This is looking to be a strong year for Nebraska band participation in Austin. In addition, It's True announced that a split 7-inch with Lawrence band Cowboy Indian Bear is being released on Kansas City label The Record Machine. The Nebraska release shows for this vinyl-only outing are Feb. 5 at Duffy's and Feb. 6 at The Waiting Room with Cowboy Indian Bear and Eagle Seagull. That's not all -- the band also said that it secured The Waiting Room on April 30 for a release show for their debut full length. They don't mention who is putting it out, however...

* * *

Beep Beep is having its last show ever tonight at Duffy's. It seems like only yesterday (instead of more than six years ago) that I was interviewing the band for this feature story. And now... gone. Something tells me we haven't heard the last of Eric Bemberger. Playing with Beep Beep tonight is The Machete Archive and Pharmacy Spirits.

Also tonight, The Lepers are playing a set at The Barley St. Tavern. $5, 9 p.m.

* * *

And hey, did anyone else notice that Monotonix has been scheduled to play at O'Leaver's on April 19?

* * *

Tomorrow: A look inside the remodeled Waiting Room.

And the winners are…; Tilly headlines Haiti benefit… – Jan. 19, 2010 –

Well, we got a heckuva response to this year's drawing for a copy of the Lazy-i Best of 2009 Sampler CD -- and I even made extra copies -- but everyone couldn't win. Here are the lucky folks whose names were pulled from my green-and-yellow Speed! Nebraska farmer's cap:

Emily Hiykel, Omaha
Brian Armknecht, Chicago
Jessica Errett, Omaha
Joe Kmiecik, Brookline, Mass
Kelly Murphy, Omaha
Nic Waddell, Eureka, MO
Judy Coleman, Omaha
Andrew Roger, Des Moines
Gary Rosenberg, Omaha
Bill Latham, Austin

The discs will be dropped in the mail tomorrow (probably). Thanks to everyone who entered!

* * *

If you're like me, you don’t know what to do about Haiti. The catastrophe is just too big to get my head around. In addition to the overall devastation, the earthquake shined a new and unforgiving light on the social and economic conditions that existed in Haiti long before the buildings fell.

Needless to say, there are literally hundreds of ways to give money. But yesterday, Val and the folks at Slowdown came up with another -- a benefit concert for Haiti to be held Jan. 28 (that's a week from Thursday). The lineup has been finalized and includes some of the best talent Omaha has to offer:

Tilly and the Wall
It's True
Simon Joyner
The Mynabirds (ex-Georgie James)
Bear Country
McCarthy Trenching
Brad Hoshaw

Tickets are only $15, and all proceeds go directly to Haiti relief. I suggest you get your tickets right now (right here) as this very likely will sell out.

I'm back; Last day to enter… – Jan. 18, 2010 –

So I'm back from my brief medical hiatus, not at full-speed but getting there. It's amazing how much stuff happens when you disconnect for even a couple days. The death of Jay Reatard disturbed me more than I thought it would. I write about it and the 49'r in this week's column (which goes online Wednesday). I keep looking online for more information about his death, but it just ain't there. Here's a story about his funeral (which was Saturday) that appeared in the Memphis Flyer, including a eulogy written by Eric Friedl of Goner Records.

* * *

Well, today's the last chance to get in on the drawing to win a copy of the Lazy-i Best of 2009 Sampler CD. To get your name in the hat, send me an e-mail (to tim@lazy-i.com) with your name and mailing address. It's that simple. I'll announce the winners tomorrow!

* * *

I picked the right time to be taken off my feet. It's been quiet from a show perspective the last few weeks. Something tells me that's all going to change Thursday night...

A brief hiatus… – Jan. 15, 2010 –

...while I recover from surgery...

In the meantime...

Here's another reminder that you've got a week to enter to win a copy of the Lazy-i Best of 2009 Sampler CD. It's my annual best-of-the-best collection, and this year includes songs by Yo La Tengo, Elvis Perkins in Dearland, Box Elders, Micachu and the Shapes, Cursive, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, The xx, Digital Leather, Pete Yorn, Peaches, Ladyfinger, The Avett Brothers, Maria Taylor and more. Full track listing is here. To get your name in the hat, send me an e-mail (to tim@lazy-i.com) with your name and mailing address. It's that simple. And considering the number of people who have entered so far, your odds of winning are pretty damn good. Deadline is Jan. 18.

Column 254: Predictions Pt. 3: The Lightning Round… – Jan. 12, 2010 –

A final word on my music predictions as we move forward into 2010: People love them, which is yet another reason why I stretch them out over three columns. For those of you who prefer the compendium version (all three parts together in one friggin' huge article), it's online here.

Column 254: Predictions Pt. 3: The Lightning Round
Music Visions of 2010

Do we really need three weeks of music "predictions"? I'm afraid the answer is yes. I used to knock this out in one 2,500-word article, but The Reader doesn't budget space for that sort of thing anymore unless you write horoscopes, so here we are. If you're coming in late, Pt.1 was a review of my 2009 predictions. Pt. 2 was predictions based on the theme for 2010: Survival in the Time of Music Industry Cholera. And now, onto the "lightning round":

-- Consider it a raising of the white flag -- a well-known mainstream band will give away the digital download of its next album. You'll simply have to log into the band's website and voila, the files will be transferred to your computer and/or iPod. Though the download will be free, you'll still have to pay for the CD version and the limited edition vinyl (as well as the tickets to see the band on tour).

-- Despite the fact that only old people buy music these days, a new kind of record store will open this year that specializes in just that: Records. This small, boutique-style music store will boast the area's largest selection of new vinyl, but also will sell CDs and music-related merch, such as T-shirts, collectibles and other assorted music-related ephemera.

-- The success of Susan Boyle proves that it doesn't matter what you look like or how well you sing, anyone can be the next American Idol. All it takes is YouTube and a crush of publicity. With that in mind, watch as record labels scour the globe (or reality television) for the next Elderly Idol -- some unassuming, unemployed fat guy or a recently divorced housewife -- anyone with a shred of talent who appeals to aging baby-boomers who still buy CDs.

-- Three years ago, it was MySpace. Then it was Facebook and Twitter. This year, look for yet another new social media service that will eclipse both of those fossils. This one will be optimized to allow for easy, instant (and legal) distribution of online music, revolutionizing how musicians and fans access "music content" on portable devices, while also providing yet another way to tell our BFFs (and anyone else) what we had for breakfast.

-- Omaha dived into music festivals in a big way last year; with every swinging dick putting together a night of shows and calling it "an event." This year you'll see fewer "festivals" in Omaha, with one pushing ahead of the pack. The Maha Festival could finally become the event the organizers dreamed it could be, that is if they get the right line-up. Find out July 24 down at Lewis & Clark Landing.

-- Adding to the annual "Youth Concert" and the July 4th weekend county-fair freedom-rock concert, look for a third major concert event in Memorial Park this year featuring a genuine outside-the-box performer.

-- DJs Rising: Like other big cities, this year you'll begin to see DJs spinning at more and more clubs and restaurants in Omaha. Soon all of us will know at least one person who "spins" somewhere in the metro, even if it's only at Anthony's.

-- Finally, a new all-ages performance space will take hold, becoming this generation's Cog Factory.

-- Who we'll be talking about this time next year: Arcade Fire, Rolling Stones, Radiohead, Liz Phair, Tim Kasher, Of Montreal, Okkervil River, Bright Eyes, It's True, Soundgarden, Prince, Pavement, Ritual Device, Beck, MGMT, Bear Country, Modest Mouse, The Wrens and Sufjan Stevens.

-- Who we won't be talking about: Animal Collective, Susan Boyle, Monsters of Folk, Wilco, Cursive, The Faint, Emphatic, Lady Gaga, Black Eyed Peas, Phoenix, Green Day and Vampire Weekend.

-- UK musician/dope fiend Peter Doherty (Libertines, Babyshambles, Kate Moss) will finally see his problems resolved once and for all.

-- Conor Oberst will break the hearts of thousands of his female (and a few male) fans (I know I said that last year, but it'll actually happen this time).

-- Sick of life on the West Coast and seeing no discernable advantages to living near L.A., a member of a national band we all know will move back to Omaha to be closer to his family.

-- A major national musician will come to Omaha to record his/her new album. But he won't be visiting Mogis' ARC studios; he's headed to Enamel.

-- Watch out SLAM Omaha, a new local online resource will launch in '10 that will act as the definitive arts, entertainment and music information hub, featuring news, reviews and schedules, along with another pointless online discussion forum.

-- Michael Jackson was only six years old when he debuted as a member of the Jackson Five way back in 1964. This year, watch as another 6-year-old raises the eyebrows (and hearts) of an America still mourning the passing of the King of Pop.

-- Back in the day (about 20 years ago) there were a few live music venues located in the midtown/Mutual of Omaha area. Who remembers The Chicago Bar and The Brickhouse? With the development of Midtown Crossing, look for a new live music venue to open among all those restaurants that not only will focus on dance music, but will provide a viable stage for original bands.

-- Forget about Saturday Night Live, Conan, Letterman or network television in general. No one's watching anymore. The next national breakthrough for a local band will come when one of its songs is included on the soundtrack of a major motion picture.

The 49'r's Demise, Box Elders in Buddyhead; The Slowdown's 'Free Thursdays'… – Jan. 11, 2010 –

The big buzz over the weekend was the announcement that The 49'r and its surrounding property has been sold and will be demolished to make way for a CVS Pharmacy, this according to The 49'r Facebook page. The page says that the bar will be open for the rest of the year, and then it's wrecking ball time.

The Niner used to be one of Omaha's primary venues for live indie music, but began ratcheting down the number of live shows back in 2005. It continues to book bands on weekends, and will throughout its final year of operation.

My favorite show at The Niner? There were quite a few. The Street Urchins back in 2004; any show by any of Mike Tulis' bands (The Sons of…, The Monroes, etc.); Gris Gris and The Terminals back in '06; all of the Bad Luck Charm shows... And all of Matt Whipkey's bands had their best shows at The 49'r. The reason: There's no real stage at The Niner, the band plays right up to the tables and that forces interaction, whether the patrons want it or not. It's going to be tough to see this one go, especially for something as unnecessary as another pharmacy...

* * *

Following up on '09, Box Elders' album Alice & Friends made Buddyhead's "Best of 2009" list. Buddyhead has been writing some of the funniest (and meanest) music commentary for a long, long time. Check out their Gossip section.

* * *

The Slowdown is trying out a new "Free Thursdays" showcase, wherein there's no cover charge for an evening's worth of live music. The series kicks off this Thursday with Our Fox and The Mynabirds. Next Thursday Fortnight plays along with The Answer Team and John Klemmensen and the Party.

* * *

Will the real Conor Oberst please stand up?; Another O'Leaver's Weekend (Conchance ~~tonight~~ canceled) – Jan. 8, 2010 –

Following up on what was reported here early this morning:

A half-dozen or so online music news sites, including NME and Spinner reported this morning that Monsters of Folk are working on new material. They're making the claim based on a Twitter account titled twitter.com/oberstconor (that shows a profile photo of Oberst smoking a cigarette; the page has just been taken down). None of the sites apparently verified that the Twitter account actually belongs to -- or is updated by -- Conor Oberst. Just a glance at the account and what's been written on it would make anyone doubtful. Then there's the fact that the feeds that @oberstconor is following, such as the @saddlecreek aren't following @oberstconor.

So I contacted Monsters of Folk's publicist Jen Appel of Press Here Publicity and asked if @oberstconor was real. This was her response: "Not him. Also, She & Him are starting to promote Volume Two, thus M. Ward is not working on MOF things at this time."

No surprise here. Anyone who has been following Oberst over the years knows that he doesn't participate in these kinds of thing, preferring to let his music speak for itself. He rarely even does interviews anymore (I haven't interviewed him since Cassadaga came out). Twitter seems out of the question.

What is surprising is that music pubs like NME would run the information without verifying it with: 1) Oberst's or Monster's of Folk's publicists, 2) Shangi-La Records, 3) Anyone.

Twitter has taken steps to try to prevent impostors tweeting under other people's names. Their "verification" checkmark, which you can see @lancearmstrong, for example, is among those efforts.

FYI: As of lunchtime, NME took the story down, but it lives on at sites like clashmusic.com (story here), spinner.com (story here), and strangeglue.com (story here). Ah, the Internet...

* * *

It's looking like it's going to be an O'Leaver's weekend. ~~Tonight at everyone's favorite concrete bunker is Slumber Party artist Conchance with Terrior Bute. $5, 9:30 p.m~~ THIS SHOW HAS BEEN CANCELED.

Then tomorrow night at O'Leaver's, Little Black Stereo takes the stage along with Matt Cox Band, Why Make Clocks and Bazooka Shootout. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Of course those shows are always dependent on weather issues. Last night's Hubble show, for example, was canceled.

This weather is, indeed, wearing thin...

Monsters of Folk BS... – Jan. 8, 2010 –

That Monsters of Folk article in NME (here) that's being picked up by a lot of online music sites is complete bullshit. I just confirmed with the band's publicist that twitter.com/oberstconor is an imposter. More at lunch.

Who is Doom Town Records?; Hubble tonight... – Jan. 7 , 2010 –

I got a bit of a surprise this morning. I checked my e-mail, then checked various websites including the Lazy-i webboard, where I found a new thread titled "Doom Town Records." The message announced the release of a 5-song EP by Baby Tears, the new band that features among its members Ethan Jones (ex-Ladyfinger). Clicking through to doomtownrecords.com I discovered that this new label also will be releasing that amazing new Perry H. Matthews LP that I mentioned a few weeks ago that was recorded by Joel Petersen at Enamel. That's not all. DTR also is rereleasing a couple out-of-print singles by Church of Gravitron.

So who is Doom Town Records? A quick search on whois.net revealed that the site's domain name (i.e., url) belongs to Ethan Jones, which doesn't mean that DTR is his label, only that he purchased the label's domain name. Maybe someone from DTR will let us know the skinny?

* * *

Tonight at The Sydney, space-rockers Hubble will be playing with John Klemmensen and The Party and Agronomo. $5, 9 p.m.

Column 253: Visions of 2010, Pt. 2... – Jan. 6, 2010 –

Before we get to Pt. 2 of the three-part "predictions" columns, a few words of wisdom: There's nothing wrong with making money. I've said it before and I'm saying it again. It needed to be said before I sent you onto the column, because there are those out there that think that "making money" is a dirty, selfish thing, especially when it comes to anything associated with art and music. It's not. There's nothing wrong with making a living. In fact, there's nothing wrong with making a lucrative living. So when I say that some bands will begin demanding to get paid to play and that venues will start raising ticket prices, the comments aren't "negative" or made out of spite. Commerce is essential for art to exist.

Bands, if you value the music you're making, then you should demand to get paid for it (unless music is merely your hobby). Venue owners, if you feel a band's music can help you make money, you have the option to pay the bands to get them to perform on your stage.

Conversely, if a band feels that its music is worthless, then by all means, play for free. Venue-owners, if you feel a band's music can not draw people into your establishment and/or make you money, then by all means, don't pay them to play on your stage (or, if you like, charge them).

But, if a venue owner is unwilling to pay a band that can draw a crowd, it's the band's perogative to refuse the gig. No one is holding a gun up to anyone's heads.

Column 253: Visions of 2010, Pt. 2
Sage music predictions of the year to come...

The biggest change of 2010 will be in how bands and musicians react to the continued demise of the music industry. Dreams of living off CD sales have become just that -- merely dreams with no bearing in reality. And that means everyone -- including the local high fliers -- have to figure out ways to better leverage their performance income.

So, Prediction No. 1: In 2010, local bands will become more insistent than ever about getting paid for gigs, and it's a long time coming. While the army of hobbyist ensembles who are "just happy to be able to perform on a stage" will continue to roll over and lick their nuts for any venue owner willing to put a microphone in front of their mouths, the real bands and performers who have invested long hours and lots of dollars on the road and in the studio no longer will be willing to "suck it up" and play for free or for next to nothing so that the clubs have something to draw people through their doors to buy their booze. With fans no longer buying their CDs, bands will have little choice but to insist on getting paid to play if they want some sort of income for hanging their asses out on stage every night.

Prediction No. 2: As a result of venues (both locally and around the country) being unwilling to knuckle down to those demands from unproven acts, the number of local bands will begin to dwindle. Many long-time stalwarts of the scene that have been struggling to break through the waves will finally realize that it just isn't worth it, and that maybe it's time to get on with the rest of their lives.

Prediction No. 3: The serious touring indie bands that can draw hundreds to their shows also are seeing their CD sales dwindle to almost nothing. As a result they will either charge venues higher guarantees or bypass towns like Omaha altogether, assuming that not enough people will show up at their gigs to make it worth their while.

Prediction No. 4: Being forced to actually pay the "good" local bands and pay higher guarantees to touring acts will put more strain on venue owners who have been trying to eke out a profit during these tough economic times. As a result, the number of live music venues will continue to dwindle all over the country, including in Omaha, where the serious options will boil down to The Slowdown and The Waiting Room.

Prediction No. 5: Despite having fewer venues, there still will be plenty of good, young, unproven touring bands looking for a place to play. This will spawn an increase in "alternative venues" like we saw in the '90s, when social halls and what were essentially practice spaces became options for one-off shows. You'll also see a rebirth of a serious house-show circuit.

Prediction No. 6: Ticket prices will continue to rise at local club shows. If the $7 ticket became the new $5 ticket three years ago, the $9-$10 ticket will become the new $7 ticket. And $20 to $25 ticket prices for the next-tier acts will become commonplace. Considering what it costs to see a movie these days, $10 is a value for a night's worth of original live music. Besides, someone has to pay those higher guarantees.

Prediction No. 7: Ultimately, there will be fewer indie shows booked in Omaha next year, but they will be better shows.

Prediction No. 8: Conversely, ticket prices for huge national touring acts at arenas like the Qwest Center will actually go down, driven both by the economy and the bands' desire to get butts in seats so they can peddle their $100 T-shirts and other assorted non-CD-related merch.

So, to summarize: there will be fewer bands overall, and all of them will be trying to get paid more to play in fewer clubs that will be booking fewer shows but with better national bands playing at a higher ticket price.

Extend that beyond the clubs and you'll see fewer record labels with fewer bands recording fewer albums. But despite that, I still think local recording studios will be just fine, even though cheap, high-quality home-studio options are more available than ever. There always will be someone willing to invest in serious recording, understanding that it's the price of admission if they want to get to the next level (whether that level exists or not).

Overall, the slow demise of the music industry will continue to impact every community in the country just as it impacts ours. But there is a wildcard that could change everything in a heartbeat.

All it takes is another Conor to break through. Because every scene needs a prophet to lead it; someone to give musicians' hope that it could happen to them, too. Well, it's been about a decade since any Omaha band has broken through the way the core Saddle Creek bands -- Bright Eyes, The Faint and Cursive -- broke through nationally, and people are beginning to give up hope that it'll ever happen again.

If in 2010 another music prophet emerges from the Omaha music scene and becomes a national focal point, everything will change, for the better. Prediction No. 9: It's going to happen. But who will it be?

Next week, the final chapter: Predictions Pt. 3 -- The Lightning Round.

* * *

No shows tonight. Again. Ah, but there's something going on tomorrow, if we're not trapped in our homes...

Holiday catch-up; Lazy-i on Worlds of Wayne (again)... – Jan. 4, 2010 –

Welcome back to the working week; say 'hello' to 2010. The office has been kind of empty without you. It's nice to have you back. If you haven't been to Lazy-i throughout the holiday, you've got some catching up to do. I'll make it easy for you. You can either scroll down and read all the past entries, or check out these convenient links. We've covered a lot since you've been gone, including:

-- The Year in Music 2009 (complete with various top-10 lists)
-- Visions of 2010, Pt. 1 (a recap of the 2009 predictions)
-- The Best of the Decade (that ain't over yet)

Along with various and sundry live reviews of shows that took place over the past two weeks. Catch up on your reading. We'll wait...

We've also been running a contest in your absence. Enter to win a copy of the Lazy-i Best of 2009 Sampler CD. It's my annual best-of-the-best collection, and this year includes songs by Yo La Tengo, Elvis Perkins in Dearland, Box Elders, Micachu and the Shapes, Cursive, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, The xx, Digital Leather, Pete Yorn, Peaches, Ladyfinger, The Avett Brothers, Maria Taylor and more. Full track listing is here. To get your name in the hat, send me an e-mail (to tim@lazy-i.com) with your name and mailing address. It's that simple. And considering the number of people who have entered so far, your odds of winning are pretty damn good. Deadline is Jan. 18.

* * *

Yesterday (yes, just yesterday) I spent the lunch hour at the home of Wayne Brekke talking into a microphone about the year that was 2009 for the latest episode of his wonderful Worlds of Wayne podcast. Wayne's already edited the conversation and placed it online for your listening pleasure, right here. We talked about the best music and shows of '09, and even had a friendly, heated back-and-forth about songwriting rights and the Omaha Entertainment and Arts Awards, though neither conversation may have made it to the final edit. I'll never know because my ongoing phobia regarding hearing my own recorded voice will likely prevent me from ever listening to this specific episode. But you can, and should. Do it.

* * *

With The Waiting Room closed for renovation and bands generally not touring because of the time of year (Who wants to drive a van in sub-zero, ice-packed conditions?), there aren't many shows looming on the horizon. Something tells me it's going to be a long, cold January...

The Waiting Room's last show ('til Jan. 22), Filter Kings, Broken Spindles tonight; wanna buy a music venue? – Jan. 2, 2010 –

So here's the deal with The Waiting Room, as told to me by the proprietors -- Jim Johnson and Marc Leibowitz: Right after the bar closes after tonight's show featuring Filter Kings, Broken Spindles, Black Squirrels and The Bruces, a small crew will begin clearing out the place in preparation for the venue's interior demolition, which begins tomorrow.

In essence, the ceiling throughout the entire venue will be "raised" to the same level as the ceiling in the main stage area. That means all of the existing ceiling everywhere else -- and whatever's above it (including a small room) -- will be ripped down to expose the building's true ceiling. Some of the interior walls also will be demolished, opening the sight-lines for the entire space from the bar forward. Johnson told me that the demolition will be full effect on Monday.

After everything is torn down, the new opened-ceiling room will be refinished with the necessary electrical and ventilation and everything else that needs to be done to make the room usable. Johnson told me a new drop ceiling will be installed over the entranceway area that will open up to the full room. The bar area also will see some enhancements, and the rest of the venue's walls will either be recovered or repainted. In other words, you're not going to believe what the place looks like when it's done.

Or sounds like. As part of The Waiting Room's "facelift," the stage's PA will be enhanced, with the speakers hung from the ceiling (or "flown") similar to how the PA is hung from the ceiling of The Slowdown's main-stage room. That, along with the removal of the old ceiling, will completely change the venue's acoustics.

The plan is to have the entire project completed by Jan. 22, when the bar reopens with a free, all-locals show featuring Little Brazil, Little Black Stereo, Ground Tyrants and Kyle Harvey. The following night, afro-beat rockers NOMO returns with Satchel Grande.

It's a hugely ambitious plan. So ambitious that I'm afraid they'll be wheeling Johnson out on a stretcher when it's all done. But in the end, he and Leibowitz will have the music club that they've always dreamed of. The renovation of The Waiting Room represents a substantial investment not only in the local music scene but in Benson, helping galvanize the district as the Omaha music community's "ground zero."

In the mean time, it also means slim pickin's in terms of shows throughout most of the month of January. In addition to The Waiting Room being closed, there aren't that many shows booked at The Slowdown. It's going to be a long, cold January, folks, but it'll be worth it.

* * *

Speaking of "closings," my only venture out on New Year's Eve was to The Saddle Creek Bar, where a handful of local punk bands including The Upsets (see photo) took the stage for the venue's "last waltz." Afterward, the bar closed for good. Only the drive-thru remains open as its "going out of business" sale continues. Mike Coldewey, the guy behind The Saddle Creek Bar, is moving to Chicago in a few weeks. Who knows what will happen to the building, which holds a unique place in the history of the Omaha music scene. The property is being handled by NP Dodge, and there's a listing online here that shows an asking price of $350,000, which includes the property, the 9,164 sq. ft. bar and drive-thru liquor store. Or you can buy the business without the real estate for $65,000.

I, for one, will miss the Saddle Creek Bar. Despite being vilified for his perceived role in the creation of Omaha's all-ages music ordinance -- and for his tell-it-like-it-is communication style -- I liked Mike Coldewey and wanted to see his bar succeed. The reasons were strictly personal -- a strong music venue/restaurant would have strengthened a neighborhood that has its share of crime and economic problems. And also because the bar is less than a mile from my house.

But it wasn't to be. The biggest crowd that I ever saw at the Saddle Creek Bar was when The Good Life played there back on Dec. 21, 2006. The rest of the time I rarely saw more than a handful of people in the club, as Coldewey couldn't get the bigger-drawing local bands to play there either because of his reputation or the reputation of the venue's sound system.

I still believe that the bar could be a success due to its location and its size. I've talked to a number of touring bands who said the SCB sort of reminded them of The Bottleneck in Lawrence, and I can see that. My fear is that the property will be sold, the venue will be demolished and storage units or some other abomination will be constructed there. And that will be the end of it.

Best of the Decade (that ain't over); Brimstone Howl in Magnet, For Against, Little Brazil in BTO... – Jan. 1, 2010 –

I don't think I've seen as many "best of" lists as I have this year, most likely because it's believed to be the end of a decade (when, in fact, the decade ends next year). As someone who has actively covered indie music for the past 10 years, I've been asked to give my list of the "best albums of the decade." My response: You can see my year-by-year list of my favorite indie albums online right here at Lazy-i. In fact, here are the links to each year's year-in-review write-ups, each of which includes my top-10 list for that specific year:

2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009

So, what are my "best of the best"? Well, all "best of" lists are entirely subjective based on what role an album played in the list maker's life. For example, I've seen Ryan Adams' Heartbreaker on a few lists. I've never cared for the album or Adams -- so not only didn't it make my "favorites of the decade" list, it didn't make my favorites for the year 2000. Doesn't mean it's a bad choice for all those folks who did list it, it just means I never liked the record (and still don't). And that's all these lists are -- subjective notions made by those who happened to experience a specific song or record at a specific time in their lives -- maybe the record was the soundtrack to the year they met their wife or husband, or the year they first moved out their parents' house, whatever. What's considered an "important" album to one person is forgotten or tossed aside (or never heard) by another.

So, here's what I did. I looked over each year's list and picked an album or two that are my favorites from each. Here's what I came up with (in chron):

Deathcab for Cutie, We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes (Barsuk)
Cursive, Domestica (Saddle Creek)
The Faint, Danse Macabre (Saddle Creek)
Low, Things We Lost in the Fire (Kranky)
Interpol, Turn on the Bright Lights (Matador)
Okkervil River, Don't Fall in Love with Everyone You See (Jagjaguwar)
The Arcade Fire, Funeral (Merge)
Bright Eyes, I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning (Saddle Creek)
Sufjan Stevens, Illinoise (Asthmatic Kitty)
Cat Power, The Greatest (Matador)
Wilco, Sky Blue Sky (Nonesuch)

You'll notice no albums were selected from 2008 or 2009, probably because those years are too close to now, and it's hard to think of anything released so recently as being particularly significant, yet. Maybe in a couple years. I also think that the past few years have been "off" in terms of indie music (and music in general), especially if you're not into art rock/snooze rock bands like Animal Collective, Fleet Foxes or Grizzly Bear, which bore me. I don't understand the critical/mass appeal of Animal Collective (though I've tried, I've tried). Also missing from my list is perennial listee Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. I remember not liking the record when it came out and only rediscovered it in the past year (Now I like it). I still prefer Sky Blue Sky, however. Is your favorite band or album missing? Well then, make your own list, and post it on the webboard.

* * *

Speaking of lists, I noticed yesterday that Brimstone Howl's latest, Big Deal. What's He Done Lately, made Magnet Magazine's list of the Best of 2009: Hidden Treasures (The 10 Best Albums You Didn't Hear in 2009). Check it out here. Anyone know if Magnet is still publishing? I haven't seen a copy on the news stands in a long, long time.

What you can still find on the news stands is The Big Takeover, a magazine that's been around forever publishing tons of CD reviews every six months or so. In the latest issue, editor Jack Rabid's review of For Against's new album Never Been was the focus of his Top-40 reviews list. Among his comments: "Playing this record is to be sucked into another world, succumbing to its textural tenacity, so brimming with pocket passages of flickering luminous radiance and the coolest shade, dabbling in dissonance, light jangle, esoteric bass, hypnotic drums, and some of the most inventive guitar playing you'll hear any year." Rabid always has been one of For Against's biggest fans.

Also reviewed in the same issue (No. 65) is Little Brazil's latest, Son. Among reviewer Neal Agneta's comments: "Son evokes a certain air of exuberance and grandiosity, and while certainly not a detriment to the music within, Brazil's commercial ambitions are not to be understated." You can find copies of The Big Takeover at Barnes & Noble.

* * *

I've gotten all of one entry so far in the drawing to win a copy of the (apparently not-so-coveted) Lazy-i Best of 2009 Sampler CD. It's my annual best-of-the-best collection, and this year includes songs by Yo La Tengo, Elvis Perkins in Dearland, Box Elders, Micachu and the Shapes, Cursive, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, The xx, Digital Leather, Pete Yorn, Peaches, Ladyfinger, The Avett Brothers, Maria Taylor and more. Full track listing is here. Just send me an e-mail (to tim@lazy-i.com) with your name and mailing address and you'll be entered into the drawing. Deadline is Jan. 18.

* * *

Column 252: 2010 Predictions Pt. 1; Saddle Creek Bar's farewell show tonight... – Dec. 31, 2009 –

Pt. 2 -- which contains the actual predictions for next year -- will be online next week. Until then...

Column 252: Visions of '10, Pt. 1
The Sage looks back...

It's that time of year again where I gaze into the lid of my magical Technics turntable and see visions of the future -- your future! But before I do that, let's look back at how I did last year.

I can say without reservation that last year's predictions were the worst I've ever made in terms of accuracy. Part of the reason is that I let myself get carried away with technology. I predicted '09 would see the beginning of a paradigm shift in how we listen to "broadcast" music. Instead of traditional terrestrial radio or satellite radio, Internet radio would emerge as a major player, thanks to the proliferation of simple Internet radio receivers that would allow you to tune into streamed Internet stations via wifi or 3G broadband. With this would come a rebirth of the traditional DJ, who would host these streamed broadcasts and become the nation's music tastemakers.

Well, it didn't happen. Yes, Blaupunkt did show off a new Internet car stereo at CES this past year, and Pandora has emerged as an important streaming music source, but nothing has really caught fire in terms of web radio. Wishful thinking? If it ever does happen, Internet radio will change the playing field and open up a whole new way for listeners to discover new music.

OK, so what else did I get wrong (and right) last year?

'09 Prediction: New "smart phones" will effectively killing the iPod and iPhone.

Reality: We said hello to Android and Pre, but neither have seriously bitten into Apple's market share.

'09 Prediction: Record labels will evolve into entities that loan money to bands to allow them to tour and quit their day jobs, and act as mere brands that bands want to be associated with.

Reality: Not really, though labels continue to become more marginalized as the industry continues to decay.

'09 Prediction: Venues like The Waiting Room and Slowdown will begin to webstream live video broadcasts from their stages.

Reality: This one's just around the corner.

'09 Prediction: One of Tim Kasher's bands – Cursive or The Good Life – will release an album somewhere other than Saddle Creek. Creek will release a project this year that will outsell all of its past releases.

Reality: No, though no one knows where Edelweiss (Kasher's solo project) will be released. And not only didn't Creek not sign a huge new act, they lost Tokyo Police Club to Qprime label mom+pop.

'09 Prediction: A well-known local club will switch hands. A West Omaha club will catch traction among the indie crowd.

Reality: Mick's became The Sydney (and no, that hadn't been announced when I wrote that prediction last year). We're still waiting for that West O club.

'09 Prediction: A young entrepreneur will launch a promotion company to compete with One Percent Productions.

Reality: One Percent continues to dominate the market, with no real local competition in sight.

'09 Prediction: Bands we'll be talking about this time next year: Box Elders, Pavement, Brad Hoshaw and the Seven Deadlies, Cursive, U2, Titus Andronicus, Spoon, The Show Is the Rainbow, Replacements, Outlaw Con Bandana, Liz Phair, Talking Mountain, Alessi's Ark, Jake Bellows, Little Brazil, Denver Dalley, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Fullblown.

Reality: For the most part, right on, except for those illusive Fullblown and Replacements reunions.

'09 Prediction: Bands we won't be talking about this time next year: Girl Talk, Okkervil River, The Faint, Bright Eyes, My Morning Jacket, Nickelback, Britney, Kanye, Animal Collective, Nine Inch Nails, Radiohead, Of Montreal, Metallica, British divas.

Reality: Well, The Faint just played three sold out dates at The Waiting Room, and Animal Collective's EP was No. 1 on Pitchfork's "best of '09" list.

'09 Prediction: Conor Oberst will break the hearts of thousands of his female fans.

Reality: He's still available, girls.

'09 Prediction: One of the city's three renowned downtown record stores – Drastic Plastic, The Antiquarium or Homer's Old Market – will close its doors.

Reality: Homer's did close its Old Market store... only to reopen it a block west of its old location.

'09 Prediction: One of Omaha's under-the-radar record labels will gain national attention when one of its bands breaks nationally.

Reality: Not yet, but Bear Country (on Slumber Party) could make it happen this year.

'09 Prediction: Due to the death of one of its members, we will say goodbye to one of the few remaining all-time classic rock acts that originated in the '60s and is (was) still performing today. The loss will be recognized as the passing of an era.

Reality: They're now called The Jackson Four.

'09 Prediction: ARC Studios will host an arena-level superstar to record his/her next album.

Reality: The closest thing (I know of) was Pete Yorn.

'09 Prediction: In an effort to attract new blood to the OEAA's, one of this year's OEAA showcases will be held at Slowdown.

Reality: Too bad that didn't happen.

'09 Prediction: President Obama will announce a one-day concert that will feature some of the hottest indie and hip-hop acts performing alongside the biggest names in rock and jazz.

Reality: His inauguration celebration included Springsteen, Beyonce, Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder and U2.

'09 Prediction: Instead of appearing on one of the usual late-night talk shows, a local band will break into television by scoring a commercial that will make one of its songs as notorious as Feist's Apple commercial or Of Montreal's Outback Steakhouse ads.

Reality: Thankfully, no.

Next week: Visions of 2010 -- Hold onto your hat.

* * *

New Year's Eve is always a bust when it comes to music. It's a holiday designed for cover bands, which is really as it should be, I suppose. That said, there are still a couple good shows going on tonight.

Top of the list is the send-off for The Saddle Creek Bar. Tonight marks the venue's "last show ever," according to the venue's Proprietor of Darkness, Mike Coldewey. As announced on the Saddle Creek Bar website:

Join us Dec. 31st (New Year's Eve) for one last blowout musical event as we shutter the doors of the legendary Saddle Creek Bar. Appearances by local legends Cordial Spew and The Upsets will be augmented by a closing set by The Shidiots, our (former) bartender Cass Brostad and her Family Gram, and a plethora of solo artists making their last appearance on our venerable stage. As always -- admission is free.

The SCB's drive-thru liquor store also is having a going-out-of-business sale. What a way to close out a decade.

Also tonight, Satchel Grande and Marachi Zapata are at The Waiting Room, which closes its doors temporarily after its Jan 2 show. 9 p.m. $10. The Sydney is hosting a free show with The Mercury's and free champaign. Starts at 9. And punk bands RAF, Hercules and Cordial Spew, along with five others are playing a show at The Hole at 715 S. 16th St. (under Convicted Skate Shop). 7 p.m., $5.

Live Review: The Faint, Digital Leather; The Year In Music! – Dec. 30 , 2009 –

Another Faint show is in the books. It must have been the 20th time that I've seen them play live over the past decade, and last night's show ranks right up there with the best of them. "The best of them" being (to me) the Sokol Underground shows from around the middle of the decade and The Waiting Room's grand opening gig. Last night's, however, was definitely in the running -- the usual high-energy sweat-soaked bounce-a-thon that the band is known for. Great fun and great music, but... it's the same songs I've been hearing them play for years. Not that it matters to anyone, least of all the folks who continue to have a good time pumping their fists to "Paranoia" and "Agenda Suicide" and the rest of them. My hats off to the band for continuing to draw a sizeable underage audience even though they only release new material every four or five years. As I've said before, if these kinds of nights are what they're doing it for, why even bother recording new material? They could live off this live show for years to come. But is that going to keep them satisfied artistically? Who knows. Joel and Mike and Clark all are involved in other bands (Joel also keeps busy producing new bands at Enamel). For the fans in the audience this week, none of that matters. Viva la Faint for as long as The Faint shall be (See photo).

While I dug their set, I was more interested in seeing Digital Leather, and they didn't disappoint. Shawn Foree and his band (that includes ex-Shanks) ripped through a set of songs off their new album. And while that record is dynamically broad, on stage these guys tear through everything in one gear -- bam-bam-bam-bam-bam for every song, with no variance in dynamics or pace, which I suppose is expected of the genre, though I could have done with a touch more of the variety heard on the record. There's nothing wrong with pulling it back, in fact it only makes the loud parts seem louder. Despite that, theirs was a more compelling set if only for its ingenuity. Digital Leather is a band to be reckoned with. I'm told that they've also been invited by SXSW to play at this year's festival. Oh lord, what those Austinites are in for (See photo).

* * *

And now the moment you've all been waiting for, here's the 2009 Year in Music story, complete with my various "favorites" lists including recordings and performances from '09. Like I said Monday, this was written about two weeks ago, and some of the year's best live shows were left out because they hadn't taken place yet. If the story's introduction seems dire, it's because these are indeed dire times for the music industry, both nationally and locally. Who knows what the future holds, but that's something I'll be touching on in my "predictions" columns over the next two weeks (starting tomorrow). So without further ado, go read the Year in Music.

And while you're contemplating the year that was 2009, enter to win a copy of the coveted Lazy-i Best of 2009 Sampler CD! I started putting together samplers 13 years ago as a way of sharing new music with friends and family who either don't have the time or the resources to hear new music. And now you can become part of that "inner circle." Just send me an e-mail (to tim@lazy-i.com) with your name and mailing address and you'll be entered into a drawing for a free copy. Tracks include songs by Yo La Tengo, Elvis Perkins in Dearland, Box Elders, Micachu and the Shapes, Cursive, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, The xx, Digital Leather, Pete Yorn and more. Full track listing is here. Enter today. Deadline is Jan. 18.

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Tonight is The Faint Part 3 at The Waiting Room. As with the other two shows, it's sold out and has been for weeks. Opening are two Lincoln bands, UUVVWWZ and Plack Blague. Show starts as 9.

Live Review: Bear Country, The Faint Pt. 2 tonight… – Dec. 29, 2009 –

Bear Country is evolving once again. When I heard them this summer, their sound had gone from run-of-the-mill to something special. Well, their sound continues to get even more special; if last night's packed LP-release show at Slowdown Jr. (just south of 200 attended) is any indication. The band played songs off the new EP, Frozen Lake, and there were a few rough moments as vocalist Susan Sanchez suffered from a soar throat. Ah, but the show must go on, no matter how raspy your voice is. In the end, she sounded fine.

The big change, however, came in the form of their new songs, specifically two tunes that were fronted by guitarist/vocalist James Maakestad. Both started out with Maakestad playing a simple folk-versed melody by himself on acoustic guitar. When both songs started, I thought they were pretty if not repetitive. Maybe too repetitive, especially over the course of multiple verses. To be honest, I was beginning to get bored, but then slowly the rest of the band joined in on the repetition, and grew the songs to anthemic levels before falling back again. These songs seemed to go on for 10 minutes or more each, and were probably too long in the build-up stage, but the pay off was exquisite, especially for the last song of the evening. Now I want to hear them again... (See photo).

* * *

Tonight at The Waiting Room is Night 2 of The Faint's three sold-out nights. If I had to choose one of the three nights to attend, it would be tonight as Digital Leather is opening, along with FTL Drive. Digital Leather's new album, Warm Brother, is one of the best surprises of '09 -- a terrific electric garage rock album that you can actually dance to. Which makes them a perfect opener for The Faint. Show starts at 9 p.m. Get there early.

Tomorrow: The Year in Review 2009.

Live Review: Mal Madrigal, The Good Life; Bear Country, The Faint Pt. 1 tonight… – Dec. 28, 2009 –

A week ago today I had my deadline for the annual Year in Review article for The Reader (which will be posted here at Lazy-i on Wednesday). One major focus of the piece is my list of favorite shows of '09. Because of that deadline, some of the best shows of the year are missing from the list -- the Conor Oberst show from last Tuesday, the Mousetrap show last Wednesday, the Mal Madrigal show Saturday and last night's Good Life show at Slowdown. No doubt tonight's Bear Country show also would have made the list, as well as the three sold out Faint shows that begin tonight and run through Wednesday. These last two weeks of '09 are the best two weeks' of shows of the year.

Anyway, Mal Madrigal on Saturday night. The blizzard of '09 V.2 couldn't stop this one. Streets were slick but passable. On my way down to The Slowdown I watched as people in rear-wheel drive cars drove backwards down streets after giving up. I nearly was smashed a few times by big-shouldered SUVs that weren't going to share the road with anyone. I saw dark and lifeless cars abandoned in snow banks.

But I made it. And so did a few hundred more people. I had thought the Slowdown folks had made a mistake on their website and forgot to post that the show was on the small stage, but I was wrong. The show was indeed on the big stage, and good thing that it was as it would have sold out the small room.

Steve Bartolomei, Mal Madrigal's frontman and songwriter, is nothing if not consistent. His uptempo numbers always have had a waltz-time lilt combined with south-of-the-border guitars and melodies. On some songs, it's almost Flamenco, but not really. Alt-Flamenco? It's too Americana for that. It's really just acoustic folk music with a hint of Spanish gypsy, enough to recognize the influence. While Bartolomei is strumming, sideman Mike Saklar blends in his own Andalusian tones. It's this ethic flair that pumped life into some of the evening's best numbers (and best songs on the new LP). The highlight was the stomping "Kill Floor Rebellion," which had the blood-red sunset color of a Robert Rodriguez mariachi western filmed in a meat-packing town in western Nebraska - a song that's both angry and desperate. (See photo).

But more central to Bartolomei's music are the sad-guy waltzes -- slump-shouldered sorry-for-yourself acoustic dirges designed to make your chest throb in lost loneliness. Bartolomei always has had a good voice, but it's never sounded stronger and more assured than last Saturday night. I'd tell you that he's found his voice, but he always knew where it was. Joining him on stage were Saklar, Dan McCarthy (bass), Chris Esterbrooks (keyboards) and Pat Oakes (drums). All perform on the new album, From the Fingers of Trees, along with Ben Brodin and Nate Walcott. What makes the vinyl package a big step forward for Mal Madrigal is the variety of its 10 tracks, ending with bluesy rock-jam "Hush." I bought a copy of the record at the show and was at first taken aback by the price -- $20. But for your money you get a hand silk-screened album jacket, the vinyl and a full-processed CD of the music, along with a couple inserts. The jacket is artwork suitable for framing. And each is hand numbered from a series of 400. You can buy your copy at Etsy, here.

So yes, that show would have made my end-of-year "favorites" list. So would have last night's Good Life show at The Slowdown. I'd been watching the One Percent site all week, wondering if the gig would sell out. Sure enough, it did at around 9 p.m. Inside, it was one of the largest crowds I've seen at a Slowdown show -- packed shoulder to shoulder.

I got there just in time to catch about half a set from one of the openers -- I'm not sure who it was, but I know it wasn't Old Canes or Outlaw Con Bandana, which leaves either Fourth of July (though there were no women on stage) or Chris Seseney and his band (I don't know what Chris looks like). Whoever it was, they played a blazing set of tight, garage-y rock that got the crowd warmed up for the headliners.

It was one of the best Good Life shows I've seen. Tim Kasher looked genuinely happy to be back on stage with his mates, playing some of the best songs he's ever written, including selections from all the records, but pulling heavily from Album of the Year and Help Wanted Nights. It's been a long time since I've heard these songs on stage, and they felt familiar as slipping on an old coat.

About three songs into the set, Kasher introduced a fifth member of the band joining Roger Lewis (drums), Ryan Fox (guitar, keys) and Steph Drootin (bass). The new member made a timid entrance, spending most of the song with just her nose peaking out from behind the stage-right curtain. I thought I might be seeing things until Kasher said she could come out on stage, and there she was, to the whooping of the crowd, Kasher's dog -- a brown-and-white mutt with a red bandana tied around her neck. The crowd loved her so much that Kasher said, "Get her off the stage, she's hogging all the attention." Instead, she wandered around throughout the set, finally lying at his feet during one of the evening's more quiet numbers. Needless to say, it was a relaxed evening. At one point, Kasher began playing "Album of the Year" -- a crowd favorite (and one of mine) -- and screwed up a line, started over, screwed it up again, then gave up and said, "I'm just not into the song right now. We'll play it later." And he did, during the encore, which also included a big, throbbing cover of Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain," that featured Outlaw's Pearl Loveioy Boyd on backing vocals, Drootin nailing the song's iconic bass break and Fox doing his best Lindsey Buckingham axe grinding. (See photo)

The encore ended with Kasher doing what sounded like an improvised version of a song alone on keyboards before being joined by the rest of the band for the big closer, pushing the show past 1 a.m. Epic. My only quibble was with the sound. From my vantage point on the tier along stage left, Drootin's bass overpowered everything for the entire set. It sounded like a dub version of The Good Life. I'm surprised that whoever was running the main board didn't make some adjustments, but maybe that dominating bass was what the band was going for. It wasn't the only sound problems. Kasher commented that, for some reason, his guitar sounded "all distorted," and back-stage sound guy Dan Brennan ran out and fiddled with an amp right behind Kasher. And then, during the encore version of "Album of the Year," some dopey young couple came running up the stairs and tried to run out the emergence exit, setting off an alarm (right next to me). Brennan again came to the rescue, but it clearly fucked up the pace of the song, though Kasher and Co. recovered nicely.

So, I've been to four shows in the past week and have two more in the next two days to close out the year. Tonight's show is the Bear Country 10-inch release show at Slowdown Jr. (You read about their new album right here in lazy-i already, right?). Opening is McCarthy Trenching and Sean Pratt. $7, 9 p.m.

Also tonight, The Faint begins its three-day sold out stay at The Waiting Room. Opening for them tonight are Somasphere and Honey & Darling. 9 p.m.

Mal Madrigal LP release show tonight; The Good Life tomorrow… – Dec. 26, 2009 –

Being snowed isn't so bad as long as you got power, and heat, and food. In the past when we had a snowstorm like the one we just had, the power would still be out here. This time we had full power the whole time, so it was actually a nice respite from the holiday noise. The snow plows have made their way through the major arteries, which makes me assume that tonight's Mal Madrigal LP release show is still on at The Slowdown (I haven't heard otherwise). Opening the show are Machineshop (Tiffany Kowalski) and Tin Kite (Stefanie Drootin and Chris Senseney). $8, 9 p.m. BTW, this is not listed as a "front room" show on the Slowdown site - I don't know if that's an oversight or if they really expect a huge crowd, but I'm guessing this is probably in the front room.

Tomorrow night's show, however, is definitely in the big room -- The Good Life with Fourth of July, Old Canes, Chris Senseney and Outlaw Con Bandana. It's been a long time since I've seen The Good Life -- maybe a year? This one is a real surprise. $10, 9 p.m.

Live Review: Mousetrap… – Dec. 24, 2009 –

Finally, Mousetrap.

Last night's set at The Waiting Room might be the most cohesive set that they've ever played. Certainly it was their longest. What's the old saying -- you always sound best at the CD release shows, the farewell show and the reunion show.

For me, the most amazing part: Some of their music is nearly 20 years old but it's as good, or better than, what we're getting now from bands out there that are just getting started. It held up well. And at times during the set, it was like hearing some of those songs again for the first time.

There was always something subversive or obscene about Mousetrap. They were indeed an underground band in their short-lived heyday. You needed to know someone who knew them to know them, or you had to shop at The Antiquarium. You weren't going to find them on your own, that's for sure. And once you did find them, it was going to take awhile to figure out what they were about.

A band could be subversive back then; it could be "underground." That's simply not possible anymore, especially if you're any good. And Mousetrap was good. Dave Sink knew it, Grass Records knew it, John Peel knew it, a lot of kids that would become central to the Omaha music scene and Saddle Creek Records knew it. In the end, it didn't matter. Their music was too "out there," too abrasive, too disturbing for a larger audience to appreciate.

Time has blunted the illicit nature of Mousetrap. In an era where nothing is shocking, their music also no longer has the ability to shock. And that changes everything. Instead of disturbing, Mousetrap's music merely sounds like loud, fast, hard, distorted, and perfectly stylized post-punk, which I've always thought they were trying to be anyway. They just wanted to be a rock band, and now they are. What was once unrecognizable is now pop. Which is an overblown way of saying their music may be more relevant now than it ever was back in the '90s. Especially considering the lack of good, heavy music these days.

The setting couldn't be more perfect. The Wagon Blasters -- ex-Frontier Trust, another band from the era -- opened. They were followed by Beep Beep, a band clearly influenced by Mousetrap. And then another band who -- along with Frontier Trust -- often shared the bill with Mousetrap in the '90s: the reunited Mercy Rule, bigger and badder than ever. I caught the full Mercy Rule set and it was as if they never stopped playing all those years ago. They rolled out a couple new songs, one of which is probably harder and faster than anything they've ever done before (and which I can't wait to hear recorded).

It all led up to Mousetrap. Yeah, Buchanan and Crawford looked older than the last time they took the stage together, but no worse for wear (see live photo). In fact, Buchanan looked the part of the rock star -- Big City Hair, as one guy put it. He had the look and the style. But most of all, still he had the chops -- his voice, his guitar, sounded pristine. And then there was Crawford's amazing bass playing -- an aerobic workout -- and his voice also never sounded better. Time has been kind to these guys. New drummer Mike Mazzola did what he needed to do to hold it all together.

Together, the band sounded more rock than punk, or at least more rock than I remembered them sounding. The highlights were my favorites from the past -- "Superkool," "Mariko," "I Know Where You Live," "Wired." There were a couple missing from the bunch, chief among them "Have Fun in Hell" and the El Fino Imperials classic "Step Off." But hey, you can't have everything.

The set list from last night (via the set list found on stage):

Signal To Noise
Mariko
Flamer
Ribbed
I Know Where You Live
The Coathanger Kid
People Who Disappear
Wired
Sweet Dreams Baby
Superkool

(Encore)
The Last Dance
Give it

The only thing that sounded different other than the drums was the way the band seemed to stretch out the endings of a couple songs -- to their betterment. Overall, Mousetrap sounded, well, groovier, less static, certainly less angry. Looking at them smiling on stage, it's hard to remember Buchanan's terse, pained scowl and volcanic spitting from the old days. They were having a good time. I think they may have been surprised by the size of the crowd, commenting that it was the biggest show they every played. It wouldn't have been a Mousetrap show without some sort of technical difficulty -- a broken string, a blown amp. So in keeping with their history, Crawford's bass cut out at the end of "Superkool." He fiddled with plugs and switches and finally got it going again before the song ended. Perfection.

So what next? I asked both Crawford and Buchanan after the show, and neither could say. Crawford said they've talked about working together on another project. After all, they only live about five hours away from each other. Whatever happens, Craig said he plans on continuing playing. It would be a shame if he didn't. Buchanan always kept playing after Mousetrap ended and I have no doubt that he'll continue to do so with our without Crawford, but wouldn't it be cool if they kept it together? I'd love it if a label like Team Love would either reissue a Mousetrap album or create a "best of" collection that pulls together songs from the various singles and albums. And then the band hooked up with one of Omaha's bigger players for a three-week tour. And then, who knows. Wishful thinking on my part, but I guess it's the right time of year for that sort of thing.

Live Review: Conor Oberst and friends; Column 251 -- Bear Session… – Dec. 23, 2009 –

I stand by my earlier statements that Oberst is at his best when he's the center of attention, i.e., Bright Eyes. Whereas Mystic Valley Band was an interesting diversion, and Monsters of Folk is certainly fun (for him), his best work has been with his original band. Or maybe I'm just being sentimental.

After all, backing him last night on The Waiting Room stage was half of Cursive (Ted Stevens and Matt Maginn), a piece of The Faint (Clark Baechle, stellar on drums, as always) and the ever-talented Dan McCarthy. It got even more maudlin when Simon Joyner joined him for a four-song encore (two Joyner songs, two Oberst songs) along with Alex McManus, Mike Friedman and a plethora of musicians from the opening bands.

Dressed formally in a velvet sport jacket and clean-shaven for the holidays, Oberst backed by his friends ran through a passionate set that included old and not-so-old Bright Eyes songs (including a couple I'd never heard before) along with a few Mystic Valley tunes that seemed Bright Eyes-ish when played by this line-up. The performance felt easy and comfortable, well played, as good as any BE or MV set, but strangely better because everything seemed familiar. The only thing missing was the old-time Conor drama that used to mark his earlier shows; those days are long gone.

Besides, the weather provided enough drama for the evening. Twice during the show Oberst told fans they could crash at The Waiting Room if they were afraid to drive home. I don't know if anyone took him up on the offer. Probably not, considering that the streets were fine when I left at around 1. Tonight could be a different story entirely. I suspect that regardless of any ice or snow that the show will go on. It has to. This may be a once-in-a-lifetime event. The boys from Mousetrap are in town from Chicago, and I can't see any way that this show could be rescheduled.

It starts at 9 with The Wagon Blasters, followed by either Beep Beep or Mercy Rule, then Mousetrap. All four for just $8. My hope is that the sleet turns to snow during the show, and we all have enough traction to get home alive -- that is if we survive the sheer force, power and concentrated anger of Mousetrap. Tonight's show was the talk of last night's show. What will the trio bring to the table after all these years? What will they play? As was reported (here), the band says they intend to play a variety of songs off all their albums and singles. I have a feeling it could be something special… if we all make it home alive.

* * *

I'm beginning to think that Bear Country could be poised to break out in 2010, based on their soon-to-be-released EP. Now all they have to do is get on the road and get heard...

Column 251: The Bear Session
Bear Country reinvents itself with Frozen Lake

Compared to Cowboy Junkies' The Trinity Session, Bear Country's new EP, Frozen Lake, is downright uplifting.

In fact, the two bands don't have much in common other than a similar love for laid-back country swing, and heartfelt melodies, and a great female vocalist, and terrific musicianship. Come to think of it they do have a lot in common despite the fact that the bands' albums are separated by 21 years.

I was the one who brought up The Trinity Session, offhandedly mentioning that Frozen Lake's recording had a sonic density and distance similar to the 1988 classic, which legend has it was recorded in Toronto's Holy Trinity church with a single microphone. I just assumed the folks in Bear Country knew what I was talking about, until about 20 minutes into the interview, when I said, "Uh, have you heard The Trinity Session?" Of course none of the twenty-somethings had, and I was exposed once again as the presumptuous ass that I am.

After I further described the album's recording approach, vocalist/guitarist James Maakestad said the band was after a similar sort of ethereal sound when keyboardist Aaron Markley recorded Bear Country at the University of Nebraska at Omaha's Strauss Recital Hall. "We were observing the way a note decays, and had to be sensitive to that," Maakestad said, surrounded by Markley, guitarist/vocalist Mike Schlesinger and drummer Cody Peterson in Markley's Benson-area home. Vocalist Susan Sanchez and bassist Matthew Owens round out the band.

"We were interested in having listeners hang over the edge of something," Maakestad said. "We were doing that with sparsity rather than having everything going on at the same time. It's about phrasing it so that it's like listening to some story that has dynamic contrast and drama."

To me, Bear Country is the most surprising band of '09. When I first heard them perform a few years ago right after Slowdown first opened, they came off as one-dimensional -- a hipster-driven cookie-cutter country band that was, quite frankly, boring. I'd written them off as talented, but uninspired and over-hyped.

And then this past June I saw them perform again as part of a Slumber Party Records showcase at The Waiting Room, and was blown away. The formulaic balladry had been replaced with intensely dynamic folk rock that sounded like it fell out of the sky circa 1968. Each player sauntered around the stage with a cool ease and confidence of a band whose every member shared the same great idea. They were unrecognizable, with a sound that reminded me of early Mazzy Star, The Silos, Grant Lee Buffalo, and, yes, Cowboy Junkies, but with a modern, youthful twist.

Their evolution began after spending six months in Bassline Studio at the tail end of 2007. "Through the course of that recording session, we heard how it was developing and realized we didn't like it too much," Markley said.

"Hearing yourself back changes your ear," Maakestad added. "I think it gave us some time to think about what we needed to do to attain the sound we wanted, something a bit more blended. A lot of mainstream music is overproduced -- none of it blends so you can hear everything perfectly."

Instead, the band wanted listeners to get lost in the recording. "Not being able to hear everything at once gives you a reason to listen to it again," Maakestad said. "Those were some of the things we became conscious of -- not having everything be perfectly clear."

So they threw out most of the Bassline sessions and started over, at UNO, where Markley -- a percussion major with an emphasis on music technology -- had access to the university's recording studio and equipment. "We recorded groups of instruments live," Maakestad said. "That was a change from Bassline, where we tracked every single instrument."

"Several things were recorded in the (Strauss) Recital Hall," Markley said. "We also recorded in hallways. We had a lot of different spaces and different sounds."

The result is a moody 7-song EP with grand scope, open space and beauty, balanced by lyrics typical of the title track's opening line: "I sat down on the edge / Of a frozen lake / I was thinking to myself, 'oh man, a poor boy will never catch a break.'"

"Some of the songs are about that feeling of being let down, to the point of becoming indifferent," Maakestad said. "It's like waves that keep coming and don't stop, and you might as well get used to it."

As much as anything else, Bear Country's sound is a natural evolution that comes with growing up. "Age was a big contributor," said Maakestad, who wrote most of the songs with Schlesinger and Sanchez. "I was only 17 when we recorded that first record (2006's Our Roots Need Rain)."

"A lot of our sound back then had to do with what we were listening to," Schlesinger added. And what was that? "Rilo Kiley and indie pop." Since then, the band has graduated to listening to classic and contemporary folk and country. Maakestad said two years of music school got him interested in deconstructing music. "A lot of my influence comes from impressionist composers like Ravel and Debussy, stuff like that," he said.

It all comes together like a forlorn hoe-down, a musical celebration of futility and the perfect way to start a new decade after being beaten down by the last one.

Frozen Lake comes out on 10-inch vinyl Jan. 12, 2010, on Slumber Party Records. Bear Country celebrates the release Dec. 28 at Slowdown Jr. with McCarthy Trenching and Sean Pratt. $7, 9 p.m.

Batten down the hatches, Conor Oberst tonight; Live Review: Comme Reel… – Dec. 22 , 2009 –

God, I hope this weather doesn't screw up the next couple of days. Tonight is the Conor Oberst solo set at The Waiting Room with Renee Ledesma Hoover and Simon Joyner opening. It's sold out and has been for a month or so. Tonight's forecast calls for freezing rain at around 8 p.m. and later after midnight. Could get nasty. Then tomorrow night is the Mousetrap reunion show with Wagon Blasters, Beep Beep and Mercy Rule. Again, freezing rain is in the forecast for the evening, but maybe we'll get lucky. The heavy snow isn't supposed to hit until Thursday. But it's not the snow that gets ya, it's the ice. Keep your fingers crossed.

* * *

Catching up on the past weekend, I caught Comme Reel's set at a crowded O'Leaver's on Saturday night. As you may or may not know, Comme Reel is the folks from No Blood Orphan, headed up by Mike Saklar. Mike started the set by explaining that Comme Reel's music is so different than NBO that they decided to go under a different name for the project. He then warned that they were going to play everything off the new EP -- 29 minutes straight without a break. "It's like a soundtrack to a nice romantic drive to Fremont," he said.

I don't know about the romance part, but the road music comparison was apt. Comme Reel's sound is dark, throbbing, cinematic blacktop music so vivid that you can almost see the white stripes strobing in the headlights though the windshield. Moody. Engrossing. Suspenseful. Sure enough, the set lasted 29 minutes on the nose. They broke away from Comme Reel to play a few NBO songs to close out the set, making me realize just how poppy NBO's music really is. Great stuff.

* * *

Tomorrow: Bear Country.

Matador (and Box Elders), Mousetrap and Little Brazil; Edelweiss (Tim Kasher) tonight; Comme Reel tomorrow…… – Dec. 18, 2009 –

The holidays are a hectic time and the weather's been abysmal, so please excuse me if I miss a day's worth of updates here and there as I did yesterday. Did anyone notice? I didn't have much to say anyway, other than to point out a few fun things:

* * *

For those of you into year-end lists, every year Matador Records posts a doozy. It compiles "favorites" from a variety of bands and personalities that have some connection to their label. The list/blog entry is here. The part I like the most is label exec Gerard Cosloy's submission. And lo and behold (at the very end of the entry) Gerard mentions our very own Box Elders and their album, Alice and Friends. James McNew from Yo La Tengo also included Box Elders on his year-end list.

* * *

In the Mousetrap story that went online Wednesday (and is in the current issue of The Reader) I mentioned that while in Manila in '07, Mousetrap's Patrick Buchanan starred in a couple television commercials. They were for Philippines radio station NU107, and one (titled "Room Service") featured Buchanan in the role of a stereotypical inebriated rock star trashing a hotel room, ending with him trying -- but unable to -- yank a plasma TV off the wall. The commercial's catch phrase: "Times have changed." Buchanan said the taping took place in a real hotel room and he really did trash it. Well, someone forwarded me a link to Buchanan's old blog and there at the bottom of the entry -- dated November 20, 2007 -- is the actual commercial in living color. Take a look. It's awesome.

* * *

Speaking of videos, Little Brazil's video for "Separated" is finally online, in gorgeous hi-def here. How many people do you recognize?

* * *

This weekend is busy for shows, and my suggestion is for you to get in as much live music while you can because the January show schedules look mighty thin. In fact, this might be the slowest January music-wise on record…

Tonight (Friday)

Tim Kasher will be performing solo material tonight at The Sydney under the moniker Edelweiss. Also playing sets are Cursive cohort Ted Stevens and McCarthy Trenching. $7, 8 p.m.

Also tonight, The Dinks are back at O'Leaver's with The Prairies and Watching the Trainwreck. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Saturday

Comme Reel (the same guys in No Blood Orphan) celebrates the release of its new CD Saturday night at O'Leaver's with John Klemmensen and The Party, Ben Brodin, Brad Hoshaw, Eric Baughman and Lincoln Dickison. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Also Saturday night, Underwater Dream Machine plays at The Barley St. Tavern with Traveling Mercies and Manny Coon. $5, 9 p.m.

And Led Zeppelin tribute band The Song Remains the Same plays at The Waiting Room. $7, 9 p.m.

Sunday

Noah's Ark Was a Spaceship plays The Waiting Room Sunday night with The Stay Awake and At Land (ex-Fizzle Like a Flood). $7, 9 p.m.

Lazy-i Interview: The Return of Mousetrap… – Dec. 16, 2009 –

Just posted, an interview with Patrick Buchanan and Craig Crawford of Mousetrap. The story (here) reads just like an episode of VH1's Behind the Music -- it covers the band's rise, fall and return -- specifically their return for next Wednesday's reunion show at The Waiting Room. Go read the story and then buy a ticket to the concert -- it's only $8. Also on the showbill are Mercy Rule, Wagon Blasters (ex-Frontier Trust) and Beep Beep (Their second to last performance ever). It'll be like 1994 all over again, and the ticket money even goes to a good cause, so everyone wins.

Live Review: Our Fox, McCarthy Trenching, It's True; (My) Top 20/Next 15… – Dec. 14, 2009 –

The fact that my driveway had turned into a skating rink by 9 (and that I had a deadline the next morning) kept me from the Lash LaRue Toy Drive show (despite having already paid $17 for a ticket -- what the hell, it's a good cause).

As for Saturday night, I was surprised at the size of the crowd at The Waiting Room -- only about 100 people for one of the better line-ups in recent TWR history. Shows at O'Leaver's and Slowdown could have cut into the draw or maybe It's True is just playing too often. Who knows.

Our Fox was on stage when I got there, but the line-up was different than what I expected. No Roger Lewis, no Jake Bellows (Who I believe is in England performing with Alessi). Instead, a trio headed by Ryan Fox roared into a set of fractured indie/folk rock that started out safe before bleeding bright red with feedback. It reminded me both of Neva Dinova and Fox's old outfit, The '89 Chicago Cubs. I'm dying to hear these guys when they're at full strength.

Dan McCarthy started his set by holding a raffle for a slightly used guitar strap -- something that presumably he no longer will need as he announced that he won't be playing guitar anymore, only piano. And that would be just fine with me, based on the keyboard-only set that he performed Saturday night. My favorite songs off McCarthy's last album, 2008's Calamity Drenching, were the ones he played solo with piano. No other local singer/songwriter has a better sense of melody behind the ivories, or a more honest, forlorn approach to singing in general.

McCarthy spent the entire set playfully complaining about The Reader's Top 20 / Next 15 list in the current issue. McCarthy Trenching didn’t make the list because, well, they didn't release anything in '09 and rarely played (Come on, Dan, you were on the list last year). McCarthy was relentless, and with each jab between songs, I shrunk a little further into the shadows.

Finally, It's True performed its usual pristine set, though I was disappointed that they didn't work in any new material. I don't know what's on their new, yet-to-be-released album, but I'm beginning to think that it must be a full-band rendition of the songs on his debut.

* * *

Speaking of the Top 20, I've already heard from a couple bands that are pissed that they didn't make the list, and I can't say that I blame them. No one wants to be told that they're not good enough to be in the top 35 bands in the area. Actually the list isn't the top 35, it's the top 20 most notable bands of '09 AND the 15 bands that The Reader predicts will make a mark in 2010. Here's The Reader's list:

The Reader's Top 20 Bands

Beep Beep
It's True
Brad Hoshaw & the Seven Deadlies
The Black Squirrels
Outlaw Con Bandana
Conor Oberst
Brimstone Howl
Cursive
Simon Joyner
Emphatic
Box Elders
Landing on the Moon
The Show is the Rainbow
Capgun Coup
Brent Crampton
Ladyfinger (ne)
UUVVWWZ
Little Brazil
Matt Whipkey

The Reader's Next 15

Bear Country
Dim Light
LIttle Black Stereo
Son of 76 & The Watchmen
Filter Kings
Noah's Ark was a Spaceship
Thunder Power
Matt Cox Band
Mal Madrigal
Satchel Grande
Our Fox
Digital Leather
Mercy Rule
Platte River Rain
Baby Tears

FYI, the process for creating the list involved having The Reader music writers each create their own list. Those lists were then compiled by editor Sarah Wengert, and four of the writers (including myself) got together and argued out the final line-up. Overall, I think it was pretty accurate. But in the interest of full disclosure, here's my list:

Tim's Top 20

Conor Oberst
The Faint
Cursive
Box Elders
It's True
Brad Hoshaw and the Seven Deadlies
Simon Joyner
Brimstone Howl
UUVVWWZ
Ladyfinger
Little Brazil
Midwest Dilemma
Beep Beep
Tilly and the Wall
Matt Whipkey
Noah's Ark Was a Spaceship
Landing on the Moon
Capgun Coup
The Show Is the Rainbow
Bloodcow

Tim's Next 15

Honey & Darling
Wagon Blasters
Ragged Company
Digital Leather
Outlaw Con Bandana
Bear Country
Thunder Power
Conchance
Techlepathy
Yuppies
Kyle Harvey
Broken Spindles
Anniversaire
Black Squirrels
Little Black Stereo

Let the shouting begin.

Pretty big friggin' weekend for shows… – Dec. 11, 2009 –

Those looking for The Price of Rock cover story, it's here. Go read it. For the rest of you...

I'm just going to run through my picks quickly and you can figure it out yourselves…

Friday Night

Over at O'Leaver's, Ragged Company (who I wrote about here) is opening for Travelling Mercies and Buick McSnake, neither of which I've heard of. Still, it's O'Leaver's, and sure to be worth your $5. Starts at 9:30.

Down at Slowdown Jr., indie band Flashbulb Fires, who I also haven't heard of, is headlining a show with three bands I have heard of -- Lincoln's Machete Archive (worth the price of admission alone), along with Honey & Darling (awesome) and Down with the Ship. $7, 9 p.m.

Also, Andrew Jay has a CD release party at The Barley St. Among the "special guests" is Dave Downing, who is a member of Ragged Company who is also supposed to be playing at O'Leaver's tonight… Anyway, $5, 9 p.m.

And finally, The Whiskey Pistols are playing at The Saddle Creek Bar, where there's never a cover and the booze is cheap and cold.

Saturday Night

Top of the list is Digital Leather (just got a big review in Pitchfork, here) with Perry H. Matthews (amazing new unreleased and unavailable CD recorded at Enamel) and Dim Light (always a show stopper) at Slowdown Jr. $8, 9 p.m.

Also at the top of the list, an all-star line-up at The Waiting Room headlined by It's True and featuring McCarthy Trenching, Our Fox and The Bruces (singer/songwriter/genius Alex McManus). $8, 9 p.m.

O'Leaver's has Fortnight, O Giant Man and Bazooka Shootout. $5, 9:30 p.m.

It all leads up to…

Sunday Night

The Lash LaRue "Pine Ridge Benefit" Toy Drive at The Waiting Room with Cursive, Capgun Coup, Brad Hoshaw and Vago. This will sell out, folks, so get your tickets now $14, 9 p.m.

Whew!

Feature story: The Price of Rock… – Dec. 11, 2009 –

My portion of the Price of Rock cover story written for The Reader is now online at Lazy-i, here. Go read it.

I've been "involved" in The Reader's Music Issues for the past few years. Two years ago the focus was on sound guys (interviews with a dozen or so). Last year it was electric guitars (defining the six most commonly used, their distinguishing factors, their differences, their advantages). This year it's the price of being in a band. I'm sure that area musicians who already know all of this look upon these stories as rudimentary spoon-feeding to the masses. I understand that. They are not the audience (necessarily), though hopefully they recognize a lot of the information and can nod their head knowingly. Maybe they disagree, who knows.

The focus was on touring indie bands. Musicians in local bands that never tour or that are in cover bands probably don't know or care about a lot of this info since they'll never have to (or want to) experience it. They have regular jobs and regular careers that pay regular salaries and provide regular benefits, like health insurance. And on weekends (or occasionally during the week) they play a gig at one of the local watering holes and pocket the cover charge as a bit of bonus money. Nothing wrong with that. Then there are the ones who feel compelled to reach further with their music, who have turned their backs on having a typical career and everything it provides in order to pursue a dream of making a living solely on stage. Those are the ones we're talking about.

Brad Hoshaw, Little Brazil and Cursive were chosen because each represents a band at a different stage in its career. Though he's been playing music for years, Hoshaw said he only really began focusing on music as a living a couple years ago. Little Brazil has been doing this for five years or so with some success, and Cursive is recognized as one of the more successful local bands (Even still, Matt Maginn says that everyone in the band has a job on the side these days to make ends meet).

My biggest thanks go to Brad, who shared a lot of information that many musicians would feel squeamish about sharing publicly. I think he knows as I do (whether he would admit it or not) that despite the losses, his first tour will be the one he remembers when he's rumbling across country in a tour bus headed to his next theater-sized gig. His debut album, Brad Hoshaw and the Seven Deadlies, was one of the favorites I've heard this year from any band anywhere in the country. That's because Hoshaw is a one of the best songwriters in the country. Someone at a label will figure that out, eventually.

Anyway, go and read the feature, then run out and buy tickets to Sunday night's Lash LaRue Toy Drove concert at The Waiting Room, which features Hoshaw along with Cursive and the subject of yesterday's column, Capgun Coup. Tickets can be bought online here for $14. Do it quick before the show sells out.

* * *

Look for a weekend update wrap-up blog entry later today (probably).

Update later; Dave Rawlings Machine tonight… – Dec. 10 , 2009 –

Between the blizzard and the scooping of snow, I haven't gotten around to creating a page for the Hoshaw/Edds/Maginn interview mentioned yesterday. Look for it online tonight (I'll update this page with the link). Or, if you're super-eager, you can pick up the interviews/story along with the top-20/next-15 list in the new issue of The Reader, which should be hitting the stands today. Regardless, I'll have it all online here tonight or early tomorrow...

To my knowledge, Dave Rawlings Machine is still going tonight at The Waiting Room with Phil Schaffart opening. $17, 9 p.m. If I hear about a cancellation, I'll let you know here. The show tonight at The Slowdown -- LA singer/songwriter Mike Simmons -- has been canceled, though the Slowdown will still be open (hosting one of their infamous pub quizzes).

Column 249 -- Loaded Capgun; Snomaha… – Dec. 9, 2009 –

This is a busy week for content in that The Reader's annual "Music Issue" hits the stands. The theme this year is "the cost of rock." There are four articles total. I interview Brad Hoshaw, Greg Edds of Little Brazil and Matt Maginn of Cursive about the costs of going on tour and living the life of a musician. Brad shares a lot of numbers that will be no surprise to other musicians but might open some eyes from the general public. That story will be online here at Lazy-i tomorrow.

A second story looks at how musicians are coping with health insurance issues. The third is a list of various costs, from studio time to CD production to practice space rental, and so on. The fourth story is the annual Reader Top 20 list of the top bands in the area, plus the 15 to watch out for in 2010 -- always controversial, always fun.

And then there's the following column -- an interview with Sam Martin of Capgun Coup, where he gives his take on the topic and talks about the band's new album. Lots didn't make it into the column because of space. Among the comments was his thoughts on Simon Joyner. I've always thought that Martin had a similar vocal style as Joyner -- that wonky, off-kilter, almost purposely off-pitch vocal style that can make you feel uneasy.

"I didn't really like Simon's music until about three years ago," he said. "I guess I hadn't been that depressed before, I hadn't been looking at myself with that much of a magnifying glass. His songs really spoke to me. I'm sure there's an influence there subconsciously. I like his lyrics and his voice."

Capgun will be putting out videos for every song on Maudlin. Last week was the release of the video for "Only the Times Are Changing," an eye-popping piece of data-moshing fun directed by Jacob Thiele of The Faint that perfectly captures the chaos of the song (check it out here). Martin said he wants to get involved in film making and has been writing scripts and working with local film maker Nik Fackler (Lovely Still). He says he thinks Omaha should be investing in the film making industry so that people don't have to move to California to make films. "It's sad for Omaha to be putting money in things like Midtown Crossing. We already have enough stores, why not build another industry instead of more stores?"

We even chatted a bit about national healthcare. "I think it's a big band-aid on a body that's already dead," he said. "If they want to do free healthcare for everyone with psychological problems, that may be beneficial, but I think there are way bigger problems. The government itself is a big fucking problem. I'm for the Public Option, I'm for people staying alive and being happier, but I don't think it's going to make people happier. If people aren't happy when they're sick, they're not going to be happy when they're not sick."

Fun interview. Fun band.

Column 249: Capgun Confessions
It's all about the attitude…

"I'm pretty poor, I guess. I don't have a job and I live in my mom's basement for now. After this tour I'm going to get a job and save money to travel. You can't be really poor and do your art, but to be a songwriter, all you need is a guitar and to be alive."

That's Capgun Coup's Sam Martin on the poverty of being a musician. He was responding to having his band's press materials read back to him, the part where it says how they "willingly dove head first into poverty in order to pursue music, bidding farewell to the possibility of financial stability." It conveniently ties to the theme of this year's "Music Issue" -- the price of pursuing the life of a musician.

But while Martin and Co. are indeed paying that price, they've had a pretty sweet gig since they first surfaced in 2007 with their jangling, shrill noise rock. Capgun Coup's music is sonically dense and frenetic, like watching a group of 7-year-olds dancing a hyperactive shag to the Sex Pistols, not understanding what they're hearing, only reacting to the energy and the noise, moments away from flying out of control, from taking a forced naptime. In the middle of the group is Martin yelling out the words like a high-strung dodgeball captain at recess.

You either get their music or you don't. Most critics don't, and write them off as "sloppy" and "unfocused."

"That's the attitude," Martin says of the criticism. "It's nice to know our attitude shows through the music. It's also sloppy because we don't practice that much, and sloppy in that there's a lot going on at some points. We play what's fun to play."

He sounds like he doesn't give a shit about the critics, and why should he? Conor Oberst "got it," and agreed to release Capgun Coup's music on his Team Love record label, starting by reissuing their debut, Brought to You by Nebraskafish (originally released on Slumber Party Records), and now releasing their sophomore effort, the more refined Maudlin, recorded in April by local studio pro A.J. Mogis at Oberst's ARC Studios. To capture the chaos (and to save money on studio time), Mogis recorded the band live in one room. "We told him how we wanted it to sound, and he got it exactly right," Martin said.

Maudlin takes a sort of natural right turn from its predecessor. Instead of the minor-key indie rock of the debut, Martin and the band fused elements of surf and garage rock into the mix, giving it a psychedelic flare. Martin said the style came naturally, having grown up listening to his parents' 45s in his dad's '50s-diner-style basement, complete with jukebox. "Velvet Underground, Beach Boys, Mamas and the Papas, stuff like that," he said. "I don't listen to that much new music."

Laced among the spy guitar and noise are Martin's lyrics for songs like "I Wish I Was a Fag." He says that anyone who follows the words will know that it's not a homophobic song, but if, like me, they download the record, they're going to be out of luck. The only words that I can make out are "I can't but I want you bad every girl that I had was a jerk I wish I was a fag so this party..." and then I'm lost.

"The group I hang out with, their scene is very androgynous," Martin explained. "I like that. It's not masculine or feminine in any given person. The song was written in that context. It's about being broken up with, and not wanting to be, and getting the run around by a certain person and finding a safe house in friends, in guys, and thinking about how easy it would be if we could just date and I wouldn't have to deal with motives."

Team Love was "weird about" the song title and wanted them to change it. "They didn't want it to be a speed bump," Martin said. "Well whatever. That's the title of the song and there's no need to change it. I don't think about what people think outside of Omaha. I write (songs) for people that are close to me."

Martin says all of this over a cell phone from somewhere in Gainesville, Florida, on the road with Cursive -- a fortunate situation for any young band, and he's grateful. But he knows touring has a price.

"If you think about how far we drive every day and how much it costs to eat and smoke and drink, we probably won't come back with much money," he said. "It's hard on relationships as well. It's hard to keep a relationship if you're going to be gone for months at a time, especially young people who haven't worked through everything. Young people seem more jealous and wary of their partners than mature people."

Sounds like Martin is still licking some wounds. "I regretted it at the time," he mused. "In the long run, it's good what happened."

He knows the road won't last much longer, and then it'll be back to working a regular job, at least part-time. "I like to be able to eat well," he said, "and most of my calories come from liquor now, and I don't want it to be that way much longer. If you work more than 25 hours a week, you don't have the passion and energy to do music and think about things as much.

"You can take things for granted. It can always be better. I'm trying not to focus on what's good and focus on how other parts of my life could be better, and ride this one out."

Capgun Coup plays with Cursive, Brad Hoshaw and Vago this Sunday at The Waiting Room, as part of the Lash LaRue toy drive.

* * *

I told you I'd pass along the info regarding the Comme Reel CD release show when I found it. The show is Dec. 19 at O'Leaver's.

I also got an e-mail from Mal Madrigal pointing out that the CD included in their new vinyl record is a "real CD" and not a CDR. They went all out this time.

Digital Leather's new album, Warm Brother, got reviewed at Pitchfork, here. It got a 7.3, and a closing line of "The balance between carefully fitted parts and their edge-of-danger deployment keeps us on thrillingly unsteady footing for the album's duration. It's a kitschy, shticky, charming curio." Digital Leather plays at The Slowdown Dec. 12 (this Saturday).

Everything got cancelled last night, and judging by the streets, I wouldn't be surprised if a few get canceled tonight, especially shows that involve out of town bands. That being said, ~~Flobots is scheduled to play at The Waiting Room tonight with Kinetix. $15, 9 p.m.~~ Just got word that Flobots is canceled.

Eagle Seagull on PIAS (finally), new albums abound; Mynabirds tonight… – Dec. 7, 2009 –

Eagle Seagull announced today in various places (including my e-mail box) that the long-awaited The Year of the How-To Book will finally be released in early March 2010 on [PIAS] Recordings, the home of Dinosaur Jr., Editors, Everlast, Crystal Castles and others. Four songs off the upcoming album are now online at the band's myspace page. How long have we been waiting for this record? Two years? One has to believe that the folks in the band are dead tired of playing these songs, and now they're going to have to play them for another year...

* * *

Some CD releases/show announcements/new stuff also entered my email box recently.

-- Bear Country will be celebrating the release of their EP, Frozen Lake, on Slumber Party Records Dec. 28 at Slowdown Jr. I've been listening to it off and on for the past few days and can tell you it's the best SPR release to date.
-- Mal Madrigal will be celebrating the release of their new LP, Fingers of Trees, the day after Christmas at The Slowdown. Joining them are Machineshop (Tiffany Kowalski) and Tin Kite (Stefanie Drootin and Chris Senseney). I believe this is yet another vinyl-only outing (though you will get a CDR in the sleeve).
-- Comme Reel, the reinvention of No Blood Orphan (all the same members!), has a new album coming out, but I'm not sure when because I lost the letter that came with the disc (sorry Mike). I'll post it as soon as I find out.
-- Last but not least, Paul Hansen of Perry H. Matthews sent me an unmastered version of their new untitled album, recorded by Joel Petersen at Enamel. It is a true mind-fuck (in a good way). Unfortunately, unless Hansen gets a job, no one else is going to hear it. Could someone lend him a few hundred bones? It's in everyone's best interest.

* * *

Tonight at The Waiting Room, Mynabirds (Laura Burhenn -- half of the late, great Georgie James, who I talked about here) open for The Dutchess and the Duke, along with Greg Ashley of Gris Gris. $8, 9 p.m. Check it out, y'all.

Jack Oblivian, It's True, Filter Kings tonight… – Dec. 4, 2009 –

It's a crazy-busy Friday night for shows, none of which I'll likely see as I'm "under the weather." None the less, that shouldn't stop you from taking in one of the many spectacles happening around town tonight (and tomorrow night).

Top on the list tonight is Jack Oblivian and the Tennessee Tearjerkers at Slowdown Jr. with John Paul Keith and the One Four Fives and Nebraska's very own Brimstone Howl. Jack Oblivian a.k.a. Jack Yarber is something of a legend of the Memphis underground/garage scene thanks to his work in Compulsive Gamblers and The Oblivians. His latest with the TT's, The Disco Outlaw, was released this year on Goner Records. JPKat145s are signed to Big Legal Mess (Fat Possum). $10, 9 p.m. If you can't make the show, try to catch Brimstone Howl at Drastic Plastic at 6 p.m. this afternoon.

Talk about a big show in a too-small venue, It's True headlines tonight at The Barley St. Tavern. Expect to hear tracks off Hawkins and Co's yet-to-be-released new LP. That alone is enough to crush Barley St., but also on the bill is Noah's Ark Was a Spaceship, Underwater Dream Machine and Cowboy Indian Bear from Lawrence, KS. $5, 9 p.m.

Meanwhile, just up the street at The Waiting Room, it's The Filter Kings with The Mercurys and Cowboy Dave Band. TWR recently opened their swank remodeled pinball room, complete with a couple booths and shiny new bathrooms. Very uptown. $8, 9 p.m.

Also tonight, Sarah Benck plays at PS Collective ($5, 9 p.m.), and Minneapolis band Tarlton plays at The Saddle Creek Bar with Welcome to Florence, 9 p.m., free.

Tomorrow night, Beep Beep plays its second-to-last show ever opening for Melt Banana at The Waiting Room. Joining them is The Show Is The Rainbow. $10 adv./$12 dos, 9 p.m.

Downtown at Slowdown Jr. Saturday night, Brianna Lane (Minneapolis, MN), Jeremiah Nelson (Madison, WI), Brooks West (Nashville, TN) join Brad Hoshaw for an "in the round" performance. $8 9 p.m.

Also Saturday night, the first of Lash LaRue's annual Toy Drive shows is happening at Burke's Pub. The line-up includes Lash, Michael Campbell, Sarah Benck and Korey Anderson. Admission is $10 or a new toy. Show starts at 9.

Finally, down at The Sydney, Little Black Stereo plays with Spider+Octopus, Kyle Harvey and The Worst Friends Ever. $5, 8 p.m.

Briefly: Thunder Power, Cursive, Brimstone, O'Leaver's… – Dec. 3, 2009 –

A few things of note on a quiet Thursday:

-- Looks like Thunder Power has the auspicious honor of being the first Nebraska band accepted at South by Southwest 2010, according to this list on the SXSW site. Congrats. I intend to attend SXSW again this year, if I can find a decent hotel (and it looks like all the ones downtown are already sold out).

-- More Cursive/Kasher interviews keep going online, including this one at offbeat.com and this one at Gainesville.com. As FYI, tickets are still available for the Dec. 13 Cursive show in conjunction with the Lash Larue Toy Drive. Get them while you can.

-- While I'm thinking of it, Brimstone Howl has a live in-store performance scheduled for tomorrow (Friday) at 6 p.m. at Drastic Plastic, 1209 Howard. You should go. It's free.

-- Pretty dead tonight show-wise. O'Leaver's is hosting The Answer Team with Rock Paper Dynamite and The Half Hearts. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Column 250: Five Years Down… – Dec. 2, 2009 –

Chronologically, this is actually No. 249, but timewise, it's the end of five years (Column No. 1, which was a piece on Willy Mason (who had just signed with Team Love Records) was published Dec. 2, 2004. You can find it here (but you'll have to do some scrolling)). Thanks to everyone -- and The Reader -- for sticking around for five years. Now onto the next five years...

Column 250: The Big 250
Five years down...

This week's column marks the five-year anniversary of Lazy-i -- 250 columns, which equates to around 250,000 words, which, if you linked them end-to-end, would reach to the moon and back. Who would have thunk that someone could write essays about the Omaha music scene -- and indie music in general -- for five frickin' years? I sure didn't. Anyway, it's time to glance over our shoulders at the past year's worth of columns and provide any needed updates before we slog forward into year six. As I do every year, I beg/grovel/beseech you to send your column ideas to tim@lazy-i.com. It's your input that keeps this thing going. Now, onward!

Dec. 3 -- Column 201: Darkness on the Edge of Town -- A recap of crime troubles that struck Dundee in late 2008 and the great Benson blackout. The Infinite gas station on Leavenworth where Tari Glinsmann was murdered is now long abandoned. And though there haven't been any murders around here lately, crime remains a problem, especially in Benson where both Burke's and The Barley St. Tavern were held up at gunpoint, and where a friend of mine was mugged only a few months ago -- a signal that it's time for local merchants to pull together and hire a security guard to walk the streets at night.

Dec. 24 -- Column 204: Mick’s Deep Sixed -- Count me among the many who thought the closing of Mick's signaled the beginning of the end of Benson's emergence as an Omaha live music hub. When The Sydney opened in its place, the owners had no intention of making it a music venue, despite having kept Mick's old PA in tact. But only a few months after opening, that PA was back in action above the Sydney's tiny stage, and the club has emerged as yet another option for live music in Benson.

Feb. 12 -- Column 209: A Simple Truth -- An interview with Adam Hawkins, the singer/songwriter behind the band It's True, where he talks about his past demons and his future dreams. Since then, Hawkins has become one of the stars of Omaha's next wave of singer/songwriters, thanks to solid local shows and regional touring. Hawkins and his band entered ARC Studios last fall with producer A.J. Mogis to record the follow-up to there there, now... / i think it's best. Look for it next spring. In the meantime, something tells me there's an OEA Award in Hawkins' (near) future.

March 4 -- Column 212: The Entrepreneurs -- The column title refers to Ladyfinger band members Jamie Massey, who runs The Sydney, and Chris Machmuller, who runs Worker's Take-Out on So. 50th (next to O'Leaver's). They opened their respective businesses during the depths of the worst national economic crisis since the Great Depression, and both continue to thrive. In fact, Worker's has added a new dining room. Can a citywide (nationwide) chain of Worker's franchises be far behind?

May 28 -- Column 223: Save Box Awesome -- Despite efforts to keep it open, Lincoln indie music venue Box Awesome was shuttered at the end of June. At the time, the club's booker, Jeremy Buckley said he and owner Jeremiah Moore were actively looking for a new location. Instead, they turned their focus to Moore's new Bourbon Theater -- a massive live music venue built in a converted movie house located right on Lincoln's 'O' St. Buckley said the venue's front room is being used for smaller shows. So no new Box Awesome? "Not until we are comfortable with the Bourbon as a fully functional venue," Buckley said.

June 17 -- Column 226: The Lincoln Invasion -- Speaking of Buckley, he also was the impresario behind two of the most successful festivals of '09 -- Lincoln Invasion and Lincoln Calling. Look for the return of Lincoln Invasion in June '10, and another Lincoln Calling next fall. And this coming April, look for Omaha Invasion -- where Omaha's best and brightest bands will invade Lincoln venues. Now all's Buckley needs to do is figure out a way for Nebraska to Invade Kansas (and vice versa).

July 15 -- Column 230: Seeing Red -- The column recapped the making of Little Brazil's music video for the song "Separated," shot on location at The Sydney. Plans called for the video to debut in late August. No one foresaw the untimely, tragic death of the video's producer Drew Billings of H-Minus Productions. Billings died in his sleep Sept. 11. "His death was a shock to all of us," said Little Brazil's Greg Edds, who added that afterward, the video's production took a back seat to mourning the loss. The final edits have just been completed, and the "Separated" video will have its invitation-only premiere Monday, Dec. 14, at Filmstreams. Shortly afterward, look for the video online at the Little Brazil Myspace page (myspace.com/littlebrazil).

Oct. 14 -- Column 242: 2001: A Grubb Odyssey -- Where we caught up with Grasshopper Takeover frontman and now studio producer Curtis Grubb. His rock rescoring of the last 35 minutes of 2001: A Space Odyssey (think Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon synced with The Wizard of Oz) will soon be heard by none other than Mrs. Christianne Kubrick -- wife of the late Stanley Kubrick, who requested a copy of the CD/DVD. The rest of us will be able to get a copy of the soundtrack online on 1/1/2010. Look for the physical release sometime in February, as well as a screening of the project in early spring. It might be the last we hear of Grubb for awhile, as he began an odyssey of a different kind Nov. 11 when he and partner Marcie Webber welcomed twins Elliott Logan Grubb and Everly Kai Grubb into the world.

Old Canes in OWH; Pine Ridge listening party tonight… – Dec. 1, 2009 –

No new live reviews as I was out of town last weekend. It was pretty quiet show-wise anyway, except for Sunday night's Season to Risk reunion show. Things will be picking up in the weeks to come, however.

* * *

A headline worth mentioning: Omaha World-Herald's Kevin Coffey put together a one-night tour-diary of Old Canes' mid-November show at The Slowdown (which was reviewed on Lazy-i here). You get plenty of Technicolor from frontman Chris Crisci as well as some nice pics from OWH shooter Kent Sievers. Check it out here. While we're talking about Mr. Coffey, I never got a chance to thank him for the Omaha World-Herald T-shirt I won after he (or his editors) took my suggestion to name his new column "Rock Candy" after his blog. Can't wait to wear it to a rock show!

* * *

There's a listening party tonight at The Waiting Room for the Christmas at Pine Ridge: Vol. 2 compilation CD. I got a preview copy a week ago and have already picked my favorites of the bunch (Noah's Ark, Korey Anderson, Josh Dunwoody). The party begins at 7 and is free.

Live Review: Beep Beep; Black Friday special; some leftover headlines; Season to Risk Sunday… – Nov. 26, 2009 –

There was maybe 50 people on hand at Slowdown Jr. for Beep Beep Tuesday night -- a bit disappointing, but not entirely surprising. Beep Beep's arty noise is definitely an acquired taste that hasn't exactly caught on in the Omaha metro area. For those who "get it," these last few shows of their immediate existence (including Dec. 6 and Dec. 23 at The Waiting Room) are a rare, valuable treat. This was the first time I've seen their new bass player who replaced Darren Keen, and I was impressed. He doesn't have Keen's stage presence (and who does?) but he knows his way around the fretboard. Tuesday's show was the most varied set I've heard them play, but I've still yet to hear them perform "Baby Shoes" live (and I suspect I never will). Opening was the Sacramento/Austin all-girl trio of Agent Ribbons, who play that kind of whimsical, waltz-driven, gypsy-flavored indie rock where you're not at all surprised when one of them pulls out a kazoo and goes to town. Cute and fun.

* * *

Here's a Black Friday music special for you: Last week Portland-based music publicity firm XO Publicity put online their second volume of Christmas music recorded by some of their clients, including The Winter Sounds, Piney Gir, Caravan of Thieves, The BAcksliders and Blue Skies for Black Hearts, who contributed what is destined to become a holiday staple in the McMahan household, "Wishing You a Merry Xmas." The best part (well, one of the best parts) is that XO For the Holidays Volume II is absolutely free to download right here. If you dig it, Vol. I is still online here.

* * *

Here are some headlines that have been clogging up my inbox:

-- There has been a recent wave of Cursive news hitting the net. Among the more amusing articles is this one from Onion AV Club Austin titled "Recluses and martyrs: Five Cursive characters you wouldn't want to invite to Thanksgiving dinner." My favorite: The Great (failed) artist from "What Have I Done" (the closing track off Mama, I'm Swollen). What'd he bring for dinner? "Leftover kung pao chicken, and—what's this? An unfinished manuscript that you should totally read after the game is over? He'd love to hear your thoughts on it." Funny.

-- On a more serious note, there's this recent interview with Cursive's Ted Stevens in the Louisiana Advocate, where Ted talks about the impact of their recent performance on Late Night with David Letterman, as well as their recent tours of Asia and his origins with the group. Interesting stuff. On Letterman: "It's like everything is different," he said in the article. "Suddenly my family, and my extended family, they're all aware of what my band looks like and what we sound like. We came home and were validated for all these years that we'd 'wasted' in this futile pursuit."

-- A brief follow-up on that interview with Chris Crisci of Old Canes from a few weeks ago. At the time, Crisci had said he wasn't quite sure what was next for Appleseed Cast, his other band. Well here's what's next. Appleseed Cast will be hitting the road for a month beginning Feb. 24 in Norman OK, performing what are considered their landmark albums -- Low Level Owl 1 and 2 -- in their entirety. The band also announced that it signed with Chicago independent label Graveface Records, home to Black Moth Super Rainbow and Monster Movie, among others. Their first release on Graveface will be a live album that will be available on tour, and then look for a new Appleseed full-length in late 2010.

* * *

Here's what we got for the weekend, which starts tonight:

Down at Slowdown Jr. it's the return of A.A. Bondy (ex-Verbena) with Lissie and Phil Schaffart. $10, 9 p.m.

Satchel Grande is playing a full set at The Waiting Room tonight. $7, 9 p.m.

The Dark Lord is celebrating his birthday by playing a set at The Saddle Creek Bar with his Sexy Minions. I feel strangely responsible for this, having indirectly named the band/performer. Too bad I have to miss it as I'll be wandering around central Iowa tonight (sorry Mike). No cover, starts at 9.

The highlight tomorrow night -- Saturday -- is Brian Poloncic (Tomato a Day, Cactus Nerve Thang) opening for Golden Mean and Black Lillies at The Barley St. $5, 9 p.m.

Last but not least, this Sunday at The Waiting Room is the 20-year reunion of Kansas City noise-rock legends Season to Risk. Who remembers their 1995 buzzsaw classic In a Perfect World, released by Sony/Columbia? Or maybe you remember them as the band playing in the warehouse party scene in the sci-fi thriller Strange Days? The band is only playing five gigs on this anniversary tour, including ours, thanks to Little Brazil's Oliver Morgan -- LB now records for Anodyne Records, which also is the home to Roman Numerals, the current project by S2R's Steve Tulipana and Billy Smith. Opening is Techlepathy and Comme Reel (members of No Blood Orphan). $8, 9 p.m. Do not miss this one.

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