Lazy-i

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* * *

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dios Malos tonight… – May 6, 2008 –

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* * *

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What's going on Saturday?

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

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

Also Saturday night, over at The 49'r it's Greg Loftis' rock odyssey Malpais, with Beat Seekers. Probably $5, probably around 10. Over at O'Leaver's it's Cheap Hookers (the band, not the, uh, hookers) and Radio Moscow. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Also of note, West Omaha lounge The Bar Fly is featuring some very un-loungy music in the form of grit-rock cowboys The Filter Kings and Lincoln knee-to-the-groin bad asses Forty-Twenty. I have visions of baseball-cap-backwards-wearing geeks running for the doors when these guys start smashing beer bottles against amps. Fun! $7, 9 p.m.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* * *

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

* * *

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

* * *

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

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

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

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

* * *

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

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

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

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

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

* * *

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

The consent form can be downloaded online here.

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

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

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

* * *

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Column 170: Public Enemy
Hate for the right reasons.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lots of Conor Oberst news today:

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

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

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

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

* * *

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

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

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

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

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