The last weekend of the year starts out with a bang tonight at Mick's with singer-songwriter Joe Budenholzer's annual live music/tribute show. Budenholzer is a Nebraska native residing in Scotland whose band, Backworld, is influenced by "English folk music, certain aspects of '60s psychedelia, and Christian mysticism," according to the Backworld website. "Recently, while recording the upcoming album, Good Infection, he enlisted the talents of Isobel Campbell (Belle & Sebastian, Gentle Waves), David Tibet (Current 93) and Drew McDowall (Coil) to contribute vocals and other textures to the new songs." Sounds interesting. For the tonight's live set, Budenholzer will enlist the talents of Dereck Higgins on bass, Gary Foster on drums and Bill Eustice on keyboards. The show will be divided into three sets. The first is devoted to Backworld music. The second is a performance of Iggy Pop's 1977 classic The Idiot in its entirety, while the last set will be a free-for-all under the moniker Small Creatures that will feature guest artists (among them, The Faint's Todd Baechle?), a performance of a Higgins song as well as a Digital Sex song featuring Sex frontman Stephen Sheehan. I suspect this will be an SRO event. $7, 9 p.m.

Then there's New Year's Eve and, not surprisingly, no shows that I'm aware of. That's nothing new. New Year's is notorious for its lack of original music -- cover bands rule the night, as it should be, I suppose. While you're all out dodging drunken cars, I'll be checking out this brave new talent named Ryan Seacrest (Dick Clark's heir apparent? Let's hope not.).

--Got comments? Post 'em here.--

Column 57: Crystal Ball Gazing Pt. 2.
Premonitions for 2006

Look, it's very unlikely that I could outdo the unholy performance of my 2005 predictions (see last week's column). I know this. So much so that I considered taking my crystal ball to Sol's and trading it in for a second-hand shotgun or an 8-track-tape player. But, knowing how much you, the reader, depend on my precognitive skills, here are my visions of 2006.

Prediction: This music scene was built from a concrete bunker on Leavenworth Street called The Cog Factory. Just about every significant band of the current era either performed or watched a performance at the all-ages shithole during their creative infancy. Under a cloud of IRS controversy, the Cog closed its doors in 2001. Now as we reach the end of the Omaha music scene's second Golden Age, the next generation of bands will see the opening of a new, all-ages performance space in '06 that caters to high-school kids who've reached the age of anger and dissent. If the operators of this nonprofit venue are wise, they'll consider resurrecting the Cog Factory name, as blasphemous as that sounds.

Prediction: Living rooms will be introduced to Omaha music via a new weekly television program broadcast on one of the four local affiliates. Focusing exclusively on original music, the show will include interviews and taped performances from local bands (including Creek artists).

Prediction: Instead of a slew of music stores closing their doors, a couple new stores will open in '06 selling a combination of new and used CDs, collectables and Urban Outfitter-style apparel.

Prediction: Adding to the resurrection of independent record stores, national box chains (Best Buy, Target, but probably not Wal Mart) that successfully lured unsophisticated music buyers by offering new releases at fire sale prices will get out of the music biz altogether after the major labels finally drop CD prices below the $10 mark. Look for new CDs as low as $8.99 and $9.99.

Prediction: Meanwhile, to make up for this generosity, those greedy major-label bastards will force Apple's hand to introduce a tiered pricing scheme on i-Tunes. The oldies will still cost 99 cents to download, while new tracks by craptacular acts like Britney, Kanye and Stefani will run $1.29 or more. Promised cheaper prices for Freedom Rock classics will never materialize.

Prediction: We're all going to have to keep waiting for that next important music trend to emerge. The only trend in '06 will be more indie bands signing to majors (who will continue to water down their already tired sound), as well as the prolonged country music and retro-electronic/dance music revivals.

Prediction: Bands we'll be talking about this time next year: Morrissey, New Order/Joy Division, Radiohead, Modest Mouse, The Postal Service, Prince, Tilly and the Wall, Ladyfinger, Cursive, Sarah Benck, The Cure, The Who, David Bowie and Simon Joyner.

Prediction: Bands we won't be talking about: Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah, Bright Eyes, U2, Kanye West, The White Stripes, Fitty, Fall Out Boy, Franz Ferdinand, Wilco and Ryan Adams.

Prediction: All of Michael Jackson's personal and legal troubles will come to an end in '06.

Prediction: In a maverick move, One Percent Productions will enter partnerships with a number of large venues in markets outside of Omaha and Lincoln. It's their next step as they evolve into a regional music promotion powerhouse. Marc and Jim in business suits? Unfortunately, yes.

Prediction: Slowdown, the highly anticipated downtown Saddle Creek Records office/music venue/bar/retail space/condos/movie theater/pizza place, won't open in the fall of 2006, as had been announced. But look out 2007.

Prediction: Like the guest who arrives at the party long after everyone's left, a local radio station will switch formats, giving Omaha its first true indie/college radio station. Regardless, local music snobs will still complain that it isn't playing "the right music."

Prediction: With the emergence this year of video i-Pods, myspace and satellite radio, technology will take a breather in '06. The division won't be between Sirius and XM radio users, but between those who listen to satellite radio and the rest of us.

Prediction: I say it every year and I'm gonna say it again: A non-Saddle Creek act from Omaha or Lincoln will make an appearance on a late-night chat show -- Conan, Carson Daly, Craig Ferguson, etc. Meanwhile, this year Bright Eyes will be a "special musical guest" on an episode of Saturday Night Live. It's going to happen this year, by cracky!

No, it's not the end of the world, but maybe the end of an era. This year's year-end wrap-up story (read it here) points out signs that indie and the Omaha scene may have peaked last year. Where we go next is anyone's guess. Included in the story is the annual top-10 CDs list as well as a list of the best shows of '05.

While you're there, make sure you enter to win a copy of the coveted Lazy-I Best of 2005 Compilation CD! All you have to do is e-mail me (tim@lazy-i.com) with your name and mailing address and you'll be entered into the drawing. Tracks include songs by Of Montreal, Eagle*Seagull, Iron & Wine, Mercy Rule, Teenage Fanclub, Okkervil River, Sufjan Stevens, Maria Taylor, Orenda Fink and more. Details and track order are right here. Enter today! Deadline's January 16.

Speaking of "best of" lists, Kyle Munson of The Des Moines Register has put together his annual list, which also includes his annual critics' panel that included yours truly. The White Stripes, eh Kyle? I don't know about that one...

Don't forget, tonight is the Darktown House Band reunion at The Dubliner with Dan McCarthy opening the show at around 8:30.

A couple things that have been pointed out to me the past couple days: First, that there are some worth-seeing shows going on over the next few days, not the least of which is tomorrow night at The Dubliner, where The Darktown House Band is doing a reunion show. The gig was moved from The Darkroom Gallery, which I'm also told is closing in January. Opening the night at around 8:30 is Dan McCarthy. The Dubliner, to me, is the perfect place for this sort of shindig.

Another show that somehow fell off my radar screen is the annual Joe Budenholzer show at Mick's Friday night. This time Joe and his band will be doing up Iggy Pop's The Idiot in its entirety. Budenholzer will also be doing some tunes as Small Creatures. Expect surprise special guests, including (as rumor has it) The Faint's Todd Baechle. Dereck Higgins, who reminded me of this show, will be performing as part of Joe's band and may even play one of his own numbers.

In addition to those reminders, a few people e-mailed commenting on my 2005 predictions recap piece. Someone who reads the RSS-fed version pointed out that I was a might bit too hasty in saying that thrash rock and Mastodon didn't make it to the scene in '05, pointing to this LA Weekly article. Another reader pointed out on my webboard that I was wrong in saying I was right that we wouldn't be talking about Green Day, U2, the Simpson sisters and Gwen Stefani, while I also missed mentioning local bands Paria and Cellador having signed to Metal Blade Records. Who knows what kind of comments I'll get when '06 predictions go online Thursday morning.

Tomorrow I'll be posting the Year in Review story, which includes both my top-CDs and top-shows lists as well as details on how to win a copy of the Lazy-I Best of '05 compilation CD, which has become something of a collectable. Believe me, after you see the track listing, you'll want to enter to win.

--Got comments? Post 'em here.--

Shopping and other important demands prevented me from writing a review of Friday night's Virgasound show at O'Leaver's, which was surprisingly well-attended considering night-two of The Good Life was going on (and sold out) downtown at Sokol with GTO upstairs. First up was Jaeger Fight, a five-man band that includes two guitars, a drummer, a frontman and The Reader's Andy Norman on bass. I had no idea going in what they sounded like and was pleasantly surprised that their sound was an homage or tribute to late-'90s hardcore. Throughout their set of short thrash songs a couple of us leaning against the railing struggled to ID who they were trying to sound like. 7 Seconds? Descendents? Certainly early Epitaph bands (They even did a Bad Religion cover, or so they said). Suicidal Tendencies? Someone mentioned Propaghandi. You get the drift. And they weren't bad, except that they seemed to lack that angry spark that makes those bands so magnetic. It probably doesn't help that the frontman wore a polo shirt and glasses and looked like someone from IT who would come fix your computer. The two guitar parts could have varied more, while the drummer needed to throttle the drums, not just rat-a-tat them. Good punk bands are angry or else they sound like they're merely emulating the style. Andy did fine, looking like the spitting image of Elijah Wood in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, right down to the haircut and sideburns. At one point I wanted to yell "Frodo Lives!" but figured Andy might take umbrage to that comparison. His bass playing was spot on, by the way.

Though I have a couple of their CDs, I've never seen Lincoln's Her Flyaway Manner before. They seem to be endlessly opening shows, and I'm notorious for always arriving late, usually making it to the bar or venue after seeing a movie earlier in the evening. Live, the trio is much more progressive, downright arty, but they have the chops to pull it off. Bass player Adam2000 is the anchor that holds it together, playing a fretless bass like a Midwestern Jaco Pastorius. Just as technically jaw-dropping was drummer Boz Hicks, whose unique style was a sick morph of Buddy Rich and John Bonham. The rhythm section is everything to this band, steering it through an obstacle course of ever-shifting styles, staying on no one rhythm for more than a few bars. The constant change-ups left me both uneasy and in a trance-like state. Frontman/guitarist Brendon McGinn barks rather than sings his lyrics while chopping chords on his guitar, adding yet more layers to the band's rhythmic stew. Because of the variance in styles, you don't leave their sets with any residual melodies ringing in your head -- just ringing in your ears.

Finally there was Virgasound. These guys have emerged as Omaha's all-star team. It's like watching The Yankees at bat, knowing whomever comes up next is as good or better than the last guy and certainly better than anyone on the opposing team. Just look at the line-up: Mike Saklar on guitar -- Saklar's downright legendary for his guitar style, having played in everything form heavy outfits like Ritual Device and Ravine to folk bands like Mal Madrigal. Drummer Jeff Heater is arguably the most over-the-top guy behind a set, having played with Jimmy Skaffa, Carmine, and yes, Men of Porn. Marc Phillips, formerly of Carmine and The Carsinogents, is one of the most underrated bass players in Omaha and is the most important member of this ensemble. Finally there is Chris "Brooks" Esterbrooks (also formerly with The Carsinogents), a stylish in-your-face frontman who isn't afraid of the microphone, making him impossible to ignore. Together, they're sort of a murderer's row of rock, creating a big, booming sound like Social Distortion on speed. They're drawback may be in the samey-quality of their songs, rarely breaking up their sound. But when they do, like on a song who's lyrics are either "I want to piss on you" or "I put a curse on you," it makes all the difference. I think they need to go through their entire repertoire and identify the best songs and get rid of the near duplicates. It was a great set, nonetheless, and a great way to bring in Christmas Eve.

--Got comments? Post 'em here.--

Tonight is the second night of The Good Life at Sokol Underground, this time with Kite Pilot and Little Brazil opening. The show has yet to sell out, but ironically, parking could be even more difficult down at Sokol than last night because the mighty Grasshopper Takeover is hosting their CD release show upstairs in the Auditorium. I intend to go to both shows, so look for a review tomorrow in this here blog (I'm hoping someone who was at the show last night will come through with a review, which they could post right here). The Good Life show is $8 and starts at 9 p.m. GTO is $10 and starts at 7 p.m.

Also tonight, Virgasound (or The Band Formerly Known as The Philharmonic) is at O'Leaver's with Lincoln's Her Flyaway Manner and Jaeger Fight (whose members include The Reader's Managing Editor, Andy Norman -- if you've ever disagreed with any of the paper's editorial policies, tonight's show would be the perfect time to voice your discontent). $5, 9:30 p.m.

After tonight there are virtually no shows of note in Omaha until the second week of January (at least that I'm currently aware of). This will give all of you time to get to know your families again as you share in this holiday season and reflect on the year gone by. Come on, somebody, put some freakin' shows together, will you?

--Got comments? Post 'em here.--

Column 56: Crystal Ball Gazing, Pt. 1
Glimpses forward, glimpses back

One of the more popular articles I write each year is my "predictions" story. So controversial was it last year that those ignoble poets of the airwaves, Todd & Tyler, skewered me over it during their dreadful morning show. The sods. I'll be using this column next week to give you, gentle reader, a glimpse at what lies ahead for '06. But first, let's look at how I did with my predictions published Jan 5, 2005:

Prediction: "Podcasting" will begin to replace traditional radio broadcasting, acting like an audio version of TiVo. Reality: In June, Apple added podcasts to its I-Tunes music store, giving easy access more than 3,000 downloadable podcasts. Today just about every popular radio show has a podcast counterpart.

Prediction: Watch out for Mash-Ups -- a music craze where DJs/remixers take two songs by two different artists and combine them. Reality: In November, boingboing.net reported that the RIAA targeted MashupTown.com, a site that hosts and distributes mash-ups, saying that their content violated copyright law.

Prediction: The first mix-and-burn custom CD kiosks will begin popping up at local coffee shops and music stores. Reality: Homer's added its first such kiosk at their Orchard Plaza location, allowing users to select individual tracks from different sources and burn them onto one CD in the store.

Prediction: The break-out indie artist in '05 will likely be Mastodon. Reality: Masta-who?

Prediction: U2, Bruce Springsteen and one other mega-band will be booked at the Qwest Center by year-end. Reality: U2 was last week. The Stones are Jan. 29.

Prediction: All of Courtney Love's personal and legal troubles will end in '05. Reality: She's alive and kicking.

Prediction: Bands we'll be talking about this time next year: Beck, Yo La Tengo, Nine Inch Nails, Cat Power, M Ward, Bob Dylan, Lou Barlow, Crooked Fingers, Ladyfinger, Anonymous American, Bright Eyes, The Monroes, Neva Dinova, Desaparecidos and The Golden Age. Reality: Beck's up for some Grammy's. NIN finally released With Teeth. Dylan got his own satellite radio show. Ladyfinger and Neva are on the verge of signing with Saddle Creek. And Bright Eyes just released a live CD (but that new Desa album never materialized).

Prediction: Bands we won't be talking about this time next year: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Gwen Stefani, Eminem, Switchfoot, the Simpson sisters, Modest Mouse, Interpol, 50 Cent, Green Day, Avril Lavigne and U2. Reality: Mostly correct, other than Bono (the post-show buzz continues) and Green Day (more Grammys).

Prediction: Saddle Creek will cut a deal with the city allowing them to build Slowdown downtown, somewhere north of the Old Market. Reality: The bulldozers are currently digging away on 13th & Webster.

Prediction: Slowdown won't be the only new live music venue that'll hit the Omaha scene. Reality: A number of new venues opened, including Jobber's Canyon downtown, Shag and The Spotlight Club, but none of them are a replacement for The Ranch Bowl.

Prediction: Saddle Creek Records will add not one but two new local bands to their roster, including their heaviest band yet. Meanwhile, sister label Team Love will out-release Saddle Creek almost two-to-one. Reality: Criteria joined the Creek fold in April, followed by Azure Ray's Maria Taylor and Orenda Fink, with both Neva Dinova and Ladyfinger rumored to be next. Creek, however, out-released Team Love 11 to 4.

Prediction: Saddle Creek mainstay Bright Eyes will boast the label's first gold record. Reality: Not yet.

Prediction: Camera crews from a national TV news magazine -- 20/20, 60 Minutes, 48 Hours or Dateline -- will attempt to blow the lid off the burgeoning Omaha music scene. Reality: A VH1 exec came through this summer to research a proposed expose of Saddle Creek that never materialized.

Prediction: KM3 will replace talentless blowhole Travis Justice's "For What It's Worth" segment with a new nightly arts & entertainment segment. Reality: KM3 deemed For What It's Worth worthless, yanking it last month. But it's another local TV station that's in the early stages of developing a program dedicated to local music. Stay tuned.

Prediction: Scheduling conflicts will take their toll on one of the area's most successful recording studios, causing it to close its doors in '05. Reality: Presto! lives on, though it may be moving to Omaha this year.

Prediction: Two local video producers/film makers will gain national attention for their rock video work. Reality: Local videomaker Nik Fackler (The Good Life, Orenda Fink) will be directing his first full-length feature film this year.

Prediction: As many as six local bands will sign either to national indie or major labels. Reality: The big push never happened, though Criteria went to Creek, Venaculas is working with a start-up indie, and Emphatic is rumored to be working with a major.

Prediction: A non-Saddle Creek act from Omaha will appear on a late-night chat show while Bright Eyes will be a "special musical guest" on Saturday Night Live. Reality: We're still waiting.

Well, 12 for 18 (if I stretch it). Not bad. Next week: Premonitions for '06.

Putting together this week's story on The Good Life (read it here) I completely forgot to add (and didn't have room for anyway) the details about their back-to-back nights of shows tomorrow and Friday at Sokol Underground. Roger Lewis tells me that the band will be playing a different set each night. Night 1 will be "the Quiet Life" featuring more laid-back tune-age, while Friday night will be the heavier stuff, which makes sense considering the diversity of their opening acts from night to night. One Percent Productions warned in their weekly mailing yesterday that the Thursday show, featuring Mayday, Orenda Fink and Cocoon, is almost sold out, and that Friday's show, featuring Kite Pilot and Little Brazil, will likely sell out at the door. Get your tickets now.

--Got comments? Post 'em here.--

We're in that XMas middleground where light becomes shadow and there isn't much musicwise to write about... or is there? Tomorrow I'll be posting a feature on The Good Life where we discuss the band's breakup last May (Yes, it did happen after all.) and how everything seems to be back to normal. Then Thursday Part One of my annual "predictions" article gets served up column-style, wherein I score how well I did on my 2005 predictions (you'll be shocked... shocked!).

I forgot to report my brush with greatness on Saturday afternoon... While driving back from lunch on Underwood St. just before crossing 50th I spied a trollish little man wearing a straw cowboy hat and bug-like glasses surrounded by a handful of people crossing the intersection heading east. My girlfriend erupted "Look! It's Bono! Look! Look!" But I couldn't look because I was trying to safely operate my motor vehicle. I glanced over again, and sure enough, it looked like Bono... sort of. Teresa, however, was sure of it. So we doubled back up Webster to see if we could figure out where he was going, but by the time we got to Underwood again, he was gone, perhaps into Blue Line or Mark's or (and I suspect this to be the case) the Laundromat. Yesterday I recanted this story to my co-workers, and sure enough, Bono had still been in town on Saturday, apparently taking part in some event at The Joslyn Museum. Later that day I surfed to Time.com and there was Bono again, declared the magazine's "Person of the Year." In a photo essay accompanying the story were pictures of the intrepid, ill-shaven Irishman wearing the same straw cowboy hat. So close... so close... There are all kinds of celebrities catting around Omaha this time of year. Last night a friend of mine called from the bar saying he almost got in a scrum with Alexander Payne whose seven foot of bad haircut wouldn't get out of his way.

Other things to occupy your time this morning:

-- Personal music critic guru Robert Christgau has a new reviews/update on the Village Voice site (read it here) where he writes about new non-boxed greatest hits releases. I've learned my lesson to stay away from artist "best of" compilations, preferring remastered complete versions of original releases. This is a fun read, anyway.

-- Everyone's "Top Records of 2005" lists are now coming out. Here's one from Mote Magazine that includes a "Records I need to buy Cuz I hear they're great" list, which I admire. Fact is, most people who write these lists haven't heard half the good stuff out there because it's physically impossible to do so. I'm no exception. (My list, by the way will be online next week as part of the annual Year in Review).

-- The arsenal of press for the new Jenny Lewis solo CD is beginning to slam against the Internet shores. Here's Filter's coverage. I got a copy of Rabbit Fur Coat in the mail last week. First impressions -- Lewis is trying to channel June Carter (or Anne Murray?) and not doing a bad job of it. It's certainly better than the last Rilo Kiley CD.

--Got comments? Post 'em here.--

I was expecting an early evening last Saturday night at O'Leaver's. Fizzle Like a Flood was scheduled to be up first, followed by Shelter Belt. I planned on leaving after that, having seen my share of sloppy Poison Control Center freak-outs. But when I arrived, I found out that the order had been changed -- Fizzle was now up last after The Belt and PCC. In the end, it was all good.

Shelter Belt put on their usual solid set of good-time rock tunes, declaring from the stage that it would be the last time they'd be playing tunes off their last CD, Rain Home. Look for new Shelter Belt music sometime early next year (if all goes well).

Next came PCC. The talk before the set centered around what piece of equipment the boys would break. The Ames Iowa 4-piece is said to be banned from all One Percent shows after destroying various pieces of equipment down at Sokol Underground. What would get destroyed tonight? The microphones (too easy)? The "monitor" (more on that later)? The biggest bulls-eye was circled around that big ol' plasma TV behind the drumset. In my mind's eye I could see a mike-stand flying through it.

Ah, but it was not to be. While they performed their usual calisthenics -- the backward somersaults, table splits and high kicks -- nothing was shattered. Sure, the microphones were thrown to the ground on more than one occasion and numerous glasses and bottles of beer were knocked over by flailing feet, but no one got injured. And for once, PCC sounded more like a band than a novelty act. Yes, they came with their share of sophomoric dick lyrics, but the music was first-rate punk-howl, and though the between-song patter became tedious, the crowd laughed more than once at their drunken monologues.

Finally up, Fizzle Like a Flood featuring Jim Carrig on bass, Travis Sing on guitar and frontman Doug Kabourek behind the drum set Don Henley-style. I came prepared for Doug's usual sing-song mewings. I wasn't prepared for him to bring the rock. Fizzle turned its back on the quiet ballads for a heavy show featuring Sing's rippin' guitar and Kabourek's first-rate drumming, transforming older, quieter songs into full-out punkers. I'm not kidding. This is not your father's Fizzle. If there's a drawback to the new style, it's Kabourek's vocals, which seem better suited for ballads than punk. Part of the problem was O'Leaver's "monitors." Throughout the set, Kabourek complained that he couldn't hear himself, making the trick of playing drums and singing even trickier. Clearly pissed, Doug announced his last song, played it, then split for the exit with the crowd begging for more.

--Got comments? Post 'em here.--

Let's get to it. Another in a series of "last shows" for The Street Urchins is tonight at Mike's Place in beautiful Council Bluffs. From a Nov. 14, 2004, show review, when thoughts of quitting never entered this trio's mind: "Their sound melds power-chord hair rock (not '80s schmaltz) with high-NRG throb that's full-on fast, thanks to a rhythm section that knows what it's doing. I kept thinking about bands like Sweet and KISS and Ram Jam and Thin Lizzy -- i.e., all the bands I grew up loving back in the '70s -- but couldn't keep my mind off acts like The Stooges or The Cramps or The Gories known for their campy theatrics. And in the end, the music is way too fast for either group -- too frenetic and jittery, mixed with simple rock moves and a light show that featured a rack of blaring floods pointed straight at the crowd alternated with floor spots that lit from the bottom up." Catch them while you can. Bad Luck Charm will warm up the stage. Mike's is at 162 W. Broadway. 9:30 p.m.

Meanwhile, MC Buck Bowen and folk artist Tim Perkins take on O'Leaver's tonight. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Saturday night Poison Control Center, Shelter Belt and Fizzle Like A Flood hump it up at O'Leaver's. Ames Iowa's PCC's stage show is unpredictable while their music can be classified as "arty." It's worth the $5 just to see how Shelter Belt manages to cram their full ensemble on O'Leaver's "stage." If only this band shows up along with their families this will be SRO. I'm told Fizzle Like a Flood a.k.a. Doug Kabourek, has turned his live show into a ROCK show, with gunslinger Travis Sing on guitar. You never know what configuration you're in for with Doug, though.

Finally, Sunday night it's back to O'Leaver's for Brimstone Howl's CD release show with The Terminals and Iowa City's Autodramatics (This, according to SlamOmaha --I can't seem to confirm it on any other site, so buyer beware).

--Got comments? Post 'em here.--

For those of you who haven't been paying attention to the local news, the city announced yesterday the construction of a 32-story condo tower smack-dab in the middle of downtown Omaha (at 14th & Dodge -- just north of the new Union Pacific HQ to be precise). Unit prices start at $200k for those at the lowest levels and could rocket up to a half-mil for the top dogs. The burning question that continues to go unanswered: Who the hell wants to live in a high-rise condo in downtown Omaha? Certainly not families. Young urban professionals? Why when there are so many other (better) living options available downtown (and elsewhere)? It's a mystery to me and to everyone I've asked. Regardless, it can only be good news to our friends building Slowdown (the soil-removal work continues on the site), or is it? Do the kind of people who spend between a quarter- and a half-million for an apartment go to rock shows? Maybe... maybe not.

Tonight you've got The (International) Noise Conspiracy with Circa Survive and Nightmare of You at Sokol Underground. (I)NC started its life as a Swedish hardcore band that's been transformed into a Stooges/Hives garage-punk outfit that would have fit well next to the long lost Carsinogents (or one of its surviving brood of bands). Their last CD, Armed Love, was produced by none other than Rick Rubin and included cameos by Billy Preston and Benmont Tench. Sounds like a fun band. Philly's Circa Survive leans more toward a traditional indie/emo sound while Nightmare of You is Morrissey crossed with The Cure and The White Stripes. Derivative? You bet. $12, 9 p.m.

--Got comments? Post 'em here.--

Column 55: No Love in Grammy Town
Bright Eyes doesn't get the nod. Surprised?

So last March I'm interviewing the guys who run Saddle Creek Records -- Robb Nansel and Jason Kulbel -- for a preview piece for the coming year. We talked casually about record releases and new construction and whims of temperamental artists until we got to a discussion about "the industry" and The Grammy Awards. "Wouldn't it be a kick in the ass if Bright Eyes' I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning got nominated?" I asked straight-faced.

Nansel and Kulbel just smiled their usual dead-pan smile. Yeah, it would be something. Especially for an independent record label like Saddle Creek which is more of a co-op than a business. But it could never happen. Not the way Bright Eyes wunderkind Conor Oberst takes on Clear Channel and the rest of the above-ground record industry like a rabid rat terrier flushing out a ground squirrel. Oberst has gone as far as canceling gigs at venues upon discovering their affiliation with CC.

On top of that, there's no way that a community that worships the marketing possibilities of entities like American Idol are going to give the nod to a guy who's taken on our beloved Commander-in-Chief on The Tonight Show.

But still… well, anything's possible. There's no question that I'm Wide Awake is one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the year, and that Oberst, despite his toe-scuffing gee-whizzes, has been deemed this generation's Bob Dylan by a covey of journalists too lazy to realize just how ridiculous that statement is.

I wasn't alone in my speculation. Last week before they were announced, New York Daily News critic Jim Farber posted his guesses at the nominees. Among them: "In the coveted Best New Artist category, expect to see John Legend (the male Alicia Keys), Daddy Yankee (the poster boy for reggaeton) and emo-poet Bright Eyes (aka Conor Oberst)," Farber wrote. "Of course, Oberst is hardly a new performer. But the Grammys, which will never win any awards for hipness, considers an artist eligible for this category if they simply made their first impact in a given year."

Certainly that could be said for Bright Eyes. This was the year that Oberst thrust himself wholeheartedly into the welcoming limelight, going on a peace tour with Bruce Springsteen and appearing (though uncomfortably so) on various late-night chat shows. Oberst has done every bit of publicity he could without losing his self-respect. If it's ever gonna happen, it's gotta happen now. As 2006 rolls in, Oberst, who's been putting out records for over a decade, will no longer be considered a "new artist."

Ah, what silly lads we are, Mr. Farber.

Later that day, amongst a blitzkrieg of flashbulbs and blazing-hot cell phones, the 48th annual Grammy nominations were announced at Gotham Hall in New York City. All the usual schlockmeisters were named in the usual categories, including world-class yodeler Maria Carey, thug-life role model and videogame character Fitty Cent, Madonna impersonator Gwen Stefani, and proud i-Pod hucksters U2. There were no surprises.

Eagerly, I scrolled down the list expecting the inevitable and getting it. The nominees for Best New Artist: Ciara (the so-called "first lady of Crunk"), Fall Out Boy (a painfully bad Green Day rip), Keane (a painfully bad Coldplay rip), John Legend (Touché, Mr. Farber), and SugarLand (yee-haw country).

No Bright Eyes.

OK, how 'bout Best Alternative album (even though there's nothing really "alternative" about Bright Eyes)? And the nominees are: The Arcade Fire's Funeral (For once, the Grammy's got something right), Beck's Guero (One of my favorite albums of '05), Death Cab for Cutie's Plans (Oops, this one was a step backward for the band, but better late than never); Franz Ferdinand's You Could Have So Much Better (*yawn* When will these guys go away?) and The White Stripes' Get Behind Me Satan (The love affair with this novelty act continues).

No Bright Eyes. In fact, a quick word search of the list for Bright Eyes turns up "Not Found." It looks like our boy has been -- as they say in the awards business -- snubbed.

I wasn't the only one who searched out the nominees list online Thursday. So did Nansel. When asked Saturday night about the lack of nominations for Wide Awake, I got the same faraway look that I'd seen last March when I first proffered the topic. Nansel said he wasn't surprised or disappointed. "Just look who got nominated," he said, betraying at least a hint of disappointment. Whether he wants to admit it or not, a Grammy for a Creek artist would have made a world of difference, not only for the artist, but for a label that's managed to survive in a business that doesn't tolerate troublemakers. When did rock 'n' roll become such a prissy sport?

And what about Oberst? Something tells me he wouldn't have accepted the award anyway.

We've obviously hit the holiday season. Just glancing that the various and sundry upcoming-shows calendars is rather depressing. There's no shows this week until Thursday's International Noise Conspiracy gig at Sokol Underground, at least none that I know of. In fact, the boys from One Percent will be taking Sundays through Wednesdays off for the next couple months. One hopes that O'Leaver's will be stepping up to fill the void. I found out last weekend that everyone's favorite man about town, MarQ Manner, is now working with O'Leaver's to book their local shows. Hopefully MarQ has some latent HTML coding skills and can update the O'Leaver's online show calendar, which hasn't seen an updated since before Halloween.

Digging through my e-mail yesterday I found an update from Ezra Caraeff of Portland's Slowdown Records with news that the label signed Denver Dalley's Intramural project. Denver's been working on this for over a year with his Nashville bro Sam Shacklock. Essentially the duo write foundation tracks and e-mail them off to a plethora of vocalists who add their talents to the mix. Confirmed vocalists include members of Men Women & Children, Brand New, The Velvet Teen, The Faint (who could this be?), and John Roderick (The Long Winters). Seems to me one of the women in Azure Ray also was involved. Regardless, this originally was strictly a recording project with no intention of touring, but those things have a way of changing. The first track is online at the Intramural myspace. Ezra doesn't mention a release date. Let's hope it isn't another year away.

In Bright Eyes news, the band's latest video (for "At the Bottom of Everything") went online Dec. 9 at Video Static and stars Terrance Stamp, Evan Rachel Wood and Brady Corbet. Stamp, btw, has been named as a primary actor in another upcoming Omaha-based film project, which I've written about a number of times on this blog. You remember Stamp from The Limey, right? OK, well then you remember him from Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, doncha? OK, how about as General Zod from Superman II. Now we're talkin'!

Bright Eyes gets taken behind the barn for a whoopin' by our liberal friends at The New Republic. In an article titled "Trite Eyes," Jason Zengerle slowly dismembers Oberst, with the central theme of "why aren't there any good protest singers anymore?" His description of Bright Eyes' "When the President Talks to God": "Yes, the lyrics are that bad, and the instrumentation--provided by a lone, off-putting acoustic guitar--isn't much better. And then there's the problem of Oberst's voice: It is fey and timorous, which may be good for lamenting lost loves but is ill-suited for stopping a war." Ouch. He goes on to try to decimate any comparisons between Oberst in Dylan: "Where Dylan's protest songs awe and maybe even frighten you with their power, Oberst's make you want to give him a hug and tell him everything's going to be OK. Dylan was an angry young man; Oberst is a whiny boy." Yikes. While amusing, the article is hardly insightful. Everyone who knows Bright Eyes music (not the least of which is Oberst) has always laughed at the Dylan comparisons.

As a counter, "Bernie" at Pop Politics tells Zengerle to relax.

I'll be writing more about Bright Eyes (and The Grammys) in this week's column, which appears in tomorrow's pulse-pounding installment of Lazy-i!

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Last night started at O'Leaver's, where a revolving cast of performers took the stage, almost all connected in some way to Saddle Creek Records. The exception was Nik Fackler, who though not directly connected to Creek has done a lot of videos for Creek bands. He also was an exception in that his was the only inspired music of the bunch. First up was The Dead Bird, featuring Tilly and the Wall's Derek Pressnall on acoustic guitar and vocals and Nick White on keyboards. The duo did a couple mid-tempo singer-songwriter ditties, before being joined by Neely Jenkins for a song. After that Clark Baechle of The Faint took up a stool and an acoustic guitar and sang a couple numbers, one of them with lyrics involving gas pains. Somewhere in there Joe Knapp joined in (or at least was on the stage) as did another women who I didn't recognize. None of the music sounded terribly inspired or memorable.

It's become something of a necessity for Creek performers to put together solo side projects. They obviously want to explore something creative outside of their usual schtick along with new frontiers involving publishing rights, and you can't blame them for that. But the effort has to be inspired or else it's just another side project that borders on a hobby. Had this music been performed by a cast of no-name local musicians it would never be heard (or at least not in front of a crowd like last night's).

After the Creek acoustic parade ended, Nik Fackler took the stage backed by Dereck Higgins and White again on keyboards. Fackler was clearly nervous, and why not? I think this was one of his first gigs, and it just happened to be in front of a jam-packed crowd that consisted of the entire Saddle Creek Records staff as well as members of The Faint, Cursive, Neva Dinova and a variety of scenesters. Anyone would be nervous. Fackler pulled it off, however. In his soft voice he sung four songs that sported intricate acoustic guitar lines reminiscent of Kings of Convenience or early Simon and Garfunkel. Higgins, the consummate pro and artist, provided the perfect accompaniment (as always), adjusting his style and tone throughout Fackler's uncertain set. What made the performance stand out was Fackler's enthusiasm and youthful intensity. You'd think with his film aspirations that music would only be a novelty, but that clearly isn't the case after what I heard last night. He's talented and knows how to write a good ballad. Obviously his vocals were somewhat subdued, but that'll come with time, if he continues to pursue it.

After Fackler, I drove downtown to Sokol Underground, missing both Cocoon (The Faint's Todd Fink and Jake Bellows from Neva Dinova, apparently dressed in Zorro costumes) and Dave Dondero. I got there just in time to see The Stnnng, and believe me, after an hour of acoustic love ballads it was just what I needed. The Stnnng is one of those bands that you can't enjoy from the back of the room. You have to get right up there near the stage and just soak in the madness and naked aggression. They are brutal and angry. Frontman Chris Besinger doesn't sing, he exorcises by yelling into a leather-grasped microphone like an unholy reincarnation of David Yow. The fist-poundingly quick music bludgeons you… in a good way. It's an amazing band sporting one of the most muscular rhythm sections I've heard in a long while, balanced by two blazing guitars and the crazy man on the microphone. This must be seen and heard live and loud. A studio recording will pale in comparison.

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There is a plethora of shows tonight. I'll start off with the one I'll likely be at: Dave Dondero, Nik Fackler and The Dead Bird at O'Leaver's. Dondero is the headliner, while The Dead Bird -- Derek Pressnall and Nick White from Tilly and the Wall -- will open the show. Sandwiched in between those two bands is a new band fronted by local filmmaker Nik Fackler with Dereck Higgins and Nick White. I suspect that this show will be unbelievably packed if only due to its innate hipster factor. Dondero and Tilly are both on Team Love, which means the Creek contingent will be in the house. One could argue that this should have been held in a larger (all ages) venue. $6, 9:30.

Meanwhile, down at Sokol Underground it's Minnesota's The Stnnng (pronounced "The Stunning"), Ladyfinger and The Stay Awake. The Stnnng are arty, proggy punk; they sort of remind me of Dismemberment Plan but not nearly as tuneful. $7, 9 p.m. Then there's Bad Luck Charm and Escaping Sobriety at The '49r. $6, 10 p.m. And Brad Hoshaw and Adam Weaver at Mick's, $5 9 p.m. Find a show and go.

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Well, I'd like to tell you that I was disappointed by the Liz show last night, but I'd be lying. I went into it thinking the show would be just south of mediocre -- Liz isn't exactly known as a live performer, her strength used to be in her songwriting, which she compromised years ago leaving her with nothing of value other than really nice hair. Like I said, I wasn't disappointed.

The mix was about as bad as it gets at Sokol Aud. It's always boomy. It was particularly boomy last night. You could barely hear her guitar. Unfortunately, you could hear her lead guitarist and his overtly ornate style all too well (someone needs to take away about half of his pedals). And although Liz played a half-dozen songs from Exile, I would have preferred that she hadn't. Not with this band, not with these arrangements. To make the most of her "new style" of songwriting, Liz has put together a So Cal-style chug-a-lug ensemble -- an absolute necessity of you're going to play the type of cheese-flavored shitola that she now squats for a living. Keep them away from the classics, please. I don't need to hear "6'1"" turned into an Eagles song. There's a reason why there isn't a guitar solo on that track. Exile wasn't about guitar histrionics.

Which brings us to Liz's vocals. Look, everyone knows she sings like your sister fronting a neighborhood garage band -- that's part of the charm and honesty of Exile. The slightly off-kilter voice is every girl you knew in high school who decided to take a shop class instead of Home Ec. On stage, it's just as wobbly -- not a bad thing if you're playing the '90s. A problem if you're playing Avril karaoke. Judging by the crowd's reaction, most were there to see a Sheryl Crow concert. Well, Liz ain't no Sheryl Crow. Liz will never be Sheryl Crow. She doesn't have Sheryl Crow chops. And writing Sheryl Crow songs only accentuates the negative.

So am I wrong calling her new songwriting style misdirected? Well, my girlfriend, who's never heard a Liz Phair album in her life, preferred every song performed from Exile and Whip-smart -- even in this watered down form -- over the limp stuff from her last two records. "6'1"," "Never Said," "Mesmerizing" "Fuck and Run" "Supernova" all rocked with an energy that made the new stuff seem formulaic and flaccid in comparison. Regardless, the biggest cheers she received last night came for the more recent stuff. The opening chords of the Avrilesque "Why Can't I?" were met with high-pitched squeals from all the women in the crowd (and there were a lot of them). Liz said "This one isn't very radio" when introducing "H.W.C," her current take on "edgy" sung to a melody that has all the depth of a toothpaste commercial jingle. It was a short set, maybe 40 minutes, and I didn't stick around for the encore.

Some sidenotes: It was crowded, and hot, probably because the adjacent gym was closed off for the first time that I can remember. That said, it looked like there was still about 800 people there (I didn't get a headcount from the promoter). One guy commented about how lifeless the crowd seemed. I'm not sure what he expected or, really, how the crowd reaction was different than at an indie show. The only difference was in the average concertgoer's age. There were a lot of soccer moms in the audience last night, and that ain't such a bad thing. They need to get out more. Like maybe tonight, when Lawrence bands The Pomonas and Conner (very Rapture dance-esque) take the stage at O'Leaver's. I was told last night that there have been some improvements in the sound system there. We'll see.

Look here for a blog update tomorrow (which will probably include a show review).

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Besides the fact that it's One Percent Production's 500th birthday, I do actually want to go see Liz Phair tonight. This could be a surprise to you younger readers, those who are only aware of Phair's last two albums. Why would Lazy-i be interested in a performer who's music is so vanilla, so candy-white boring, uncreative and clearly manufactured to please MOR FM "adult contemporary" music programmers? They might say, as I do, that Phair's self-titled 2003 Capitol Records outing is merely an adult's attempt at Avril Lavigne's moronic pap. And they'd be right, of course. The only thing more mundane is the just-released Somebody's Miracle, which takes the same bland, bordering-on-country-music formula and slows it down slightly. It is worse than bad, it is boring.

You see, kids, it wasn't always like this. Once upon a time there was an album called Exile in Guyville that came out on indie powerhouse label Matador Records in '93. If you haven't heard it, get up right now, go to your nearest Homer's record store, and plop down $10 and take it home. It'll be the best $10 you spend this month. Exile easily is one of the 10 best albums released in the '90s. Not "the 10 best indie albums." Not "the 10 best albums by a female vocalist." One of the 10 best albums released in the '90s. Period. It is a testament to what can be done by a songwriter. It is personal and confessional, dark and sexy, and above all, it rocks. It's one of my favorite albums of all time. It is a "stranded on a desert island" selection. I do not stand alone in this assessment. Many of my generation, who grew up with indie and punk and music that isn't afraid to push the boundaries, looks upon Exile as an achievement. From a female vocalist standpoint, it's the best thing done by a woman since Joni Mitchell's Blue album changed everything in '71. It is one of a kind, and there will be nothing like it again. Certainly there's no one doing what Phair did back then currently on the concert circuit, except for Phair herself. And even she doesn't exist anymore.

Now the best thing you can say about Phair (other than Exile) is that she perfectly defines the concept of a "sell out," and she did it unashamedly. She turned her back on her former self because she was tired of being deified by the indie music scene and glorified by the critics only to have to crawl back inside a van and tour the same smoky clubs that she toured for a decade. She wanted better -- financially. So she brought in some "songsmiths" (among them, the same team who created the Frankenstein monster of idiocy named Avril) and tried her damndest to write a radio-friendly album. Then she did whatever an artist needs to do to get the radio industry to pay attention (so ugly and sordid, that I don't want to go into it on a publicly accessible website... let's just say it involves a lot of schmoozing) and lo and behold, Liz had a hit on her hands. The totally forgettable '03 album connected with that great unwashed audience of people who prefer celebrity over creativity when it comes to their music (how else could one explain shit factories like American Idol?). Now, whenever there's a discussion at a record store and a kid asks a clerk "What exactly is a sell-out?" the clerk can say "Someone who compromises their art to make money, you know, like Liz Phair did." A confused look with cross the kid's face before s/he says "You mean lady that sings about motherhood on Q98? She's awful." "Yes, my child, she's awful, but she wasn't always that way." And then the clerk will put on a copy of Exile and the two will laugh and cry and wonder why -- like plastic surgery or becoming a Republican -- why would anyone do that to themselves?

See you tonight.

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Column 54: One Percent Turns 500
The independent promoters look back.

Thursday's Liz Phair concert at Sokol Auditorium marks the 500th show put together by One Percent Productions since Ani Difranco graced that same stage in October '97. While everyone touts Saddle Creek Records as the driving force behind the current state of the Omaha music scene, I also point to Marc Leibowitz and Jim Johnson - the guys behind One Percent -- for bringing Omaha the music that's influenced so many successful local bands. To commemorate the occasion, I asked the dynamic duo to list the 10 most important shows from the past 500. Without further ado:

1. Ani Difranco w/Indigenous, 10/24/97, Sokol Auditorium. It was One Percent Production's first show as a company, and it was a sell out. "It helped that she was on the cover of SPIN the week after we booked it," Leibowitz said. The $17-a-ticket show would give the team momentum moving forward, and they'd need it. "It paid for the first Jayhawks show, where we lost money, and a couple others as well," Leibowitz said.

2. Built to Spill w/The Delusions and Bright Eyes, 5/7/99, Sokol Underground. Legendary if only for the amount of cigarette smoke that filled the stuffy basement venue, the show was booked without the help of Saddle Creek Records personnel, who One Percent had worked with on a number of early productions. "The agent called me and said 'Let's do a show,'" Leibowitz said. "We knew we must be doing something right." Show highlight: Oberst played his entire set in the dark.

3. Guided by Voices w/Sensefield, 4/8/00, Sokol Underground. One of Leibowitz's "top-5 favorite bands," he first approached The Music Box to host it, but they passed having never heard of GBV. "It's a prime example of why The Music Box isn't around today," Leibowitz said. Colorful sidenote: While most large bands have a guitar tech, GBV had a "beer tech," whose only job was to fetch beer for the band.

4. Wilco w/Preston School of Industry, 7/29/02, Sokol Auditorium. Leibowitz had just moved back to Omaha from North Carolina, and the estranged Jim Johnson had rejoined the company. "It marked the beginning of Round 2 of One Percent," Leibowitz said, "and it was a good start"… even though the show didn't sell out.

5. Interpol w/Calla, 1/15/03, Sokol Underground. Though there was plenty of buzz about Interpol among music insiders, Leibowitz and Johnson didn't expect the capacity crowd that showed up, especially in the heart of one of the worst winter storms to hit Omaha that year. "It snowed hard the entire time," Johnson said. "At 12:30, you walked out of there and wondered how you were gonna get home." Perhaps one of the best-sounding shows heard in the Underground.

6. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs w/SSION and Beep, Beep, 4/5/04, Sokol Auditorium. Originally slated as an Underground show, its quick sell-out prompted a move to the upstairs auditorium. Most remember Karen O's skin-tight dress and Nick Zinner's (a.k.a. Edward Sissorhand's) buzzsaw guitar. The after-party in the Underground following the show is the stuff of legend.

7. The Arcade Fire w/Kite Pilot, 11/29/04, Sokol Underground. Booked before the band broke big in the U.S., One Percent got them for a mere $150 guarantee. "The agent laughed at me. He knew I was underestimating the show," Leibowitz said. The band still walked away with a ton of money, thanks to a sweet back-end deal.

8. Bright Eyes and The Faint, 5/11/05, Mid America Center in Council Bluffs. One Percent's first arena show drew 3,200 ticket buyers and stands as their largest-drawing production to date. The duo first approached The Qwest Center to host it, "but they didn't want to work with us," Leibowitz said. Thanks to a recommendation by 89.7 The River's Sophia John, the MAC took the show. Look for more One Percent/MAC shows in the future

9. Bright Eyes, Spoon, Dave Dondero, Willy Mason, 11/11/05, The Orpheum. "It was monumental because of the facility, which is big and amazing," Leibowitz said. It was also arguably the best Omaha Bright Eyes show this year.

10. Liz Phair w/The Fray and Aqualung, 12/8/05, Sokol Auditorium. In addition to being their 500th show "it's safe to say we've always wanted to book a Liz Phair show," Leibowitz said.

Honorable mention: Har Mar Superstar at O'Leaver's 10/24/04 (Leibowitz: "He (Har Mar) made out with every girl in the room."); Sebadoh at Sokol Underground 8/20/04 (Johnson: "One of the only times I've been star struck."); Ween at Sokol Auditorium 11/29/05 (Leibowitz: "I said I could retire after booking Ween. Well, I'm not retiring").

As I type this, it's -7 outside. But never fear those of you who are considering venturing out to see Milemarker tonight at O'Leaver's. Forecast calls for the temperature to rise dramatically to at least 7, which, admittedly, is sweater weather. Opening is Louisville screamo band Lords, whose music combines fast metal riffs with vocals that are only slightly better than your typical hardcore screamer (At least vocalist Chris Owens doesn't sound like the Cookie Monster). Lords are on tour supporting Swords, their new release on Jade Tree Records. Note: This one is $6 (not the usual $5). Starts at 9:30. If it wasn't so bleedin' cold I'd predict a good-sized crowd as Milemarker has ties to a lot of Omaha bands (many on Saddle Creek).

Look for this week's column online tomorrow -- One Percent Productions looks back at their "10 most important shows" on the eve of their 500th show Thursday night.

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Our man Alex McManus (a.k.a. The Bruces) was already on stage with drummer Chris Deden when I finally showed up at Sokol Underground Friday night, having missed the entire Simon Joyner and the Wind-up Birds set -- a set that I'm told was one of the best Joyner performances in recent history (all the more painful considering it may be quite awhile 'til I get a chance to see them again). McManus never seemed more confident in voice, belting out his tunes while bending his electric guitar in all directions, doing just fine only with Deden's drums (Who needs a bass these days?). He's reminding more and more of a looser, groovier version of John Darnielle, with songs that sport the same sameness of melody as Mr. Mountain Goats, songs that depend on the stories to keep them interesting, along with his stylistic guitar playing honed to a bitter edge after years and years of sideman duties for other good songwriters. McManus seemed, dare I say it, happy on stage, which is more than you can say about a lot of indie troubadours these days.

Head of Femur -- performing as a five-piece -- came out of the gate somewhat stiff and less than dynamic. Part of the problem was a flat mix that seemed to blend everything into a gray sonic stew. Focht still did an admirable job with the stripped-down version, though prog this proggy demands those extra instruments (the trumpet was sorely missing) to give it the wind it needs to take off. Highlights included a number of covers, the best of which was a take on The Rolling Stone's "100 Years Ago." As the night wore on, the band picked up steam (again, I credit the mix, or maybe it was the Rolling Rock), and an uneventful set turned out to be respectable, but far from the best Femur show I've seen. Crowd size: 125.

And in this holiday season when we're surrounded by good Samaritan stories, here's a great one from the Daily Freeman that involves our boy Conor Oberst, who did what he could to give a couple Boston girls badly burned in a house fire at least one evening to try to forget their troubles. From the story: "Peone (the mother of the two girls hurt in the blaze) said a friend arranged for the family to see the band Bright Eyes, a favorite of Dina and Angie. They especially like frontman Conor Oberst. 'Dina and Angie are crazy about him,' Peone said. 'They treated us like queens. We went backstage, and Conor kneeled down in front of Dina's wheelchair and took her hand. She was over the moon. They gave us CDs and posters and T-shirts. We had great seats and they dedicated a song to my girls.'" Nice.

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I was going to write about the whole Scott Stapp vs. 311 brawl, but really, who cares? Stapp is a no-talent has-been who will end up on America's Most Wanted some day while 311 is a band that continues to suck off the teat of its former fame, having done nothing innovative musically in over a decade. There are a couple amusing lines from the story, however, such as "Meanwhile, 311 is due in Toronto Friday as part of a fall tour in support of the Omaha-based band's latest album, Don't Tread on Me." Omaha-based band? And "(Stapp's) debut solo album, The Great Divide, barely dented the charts this week, opening at 19 with 94,000 in sales." I can see why he's drunk all the time -- only 94k in sales the first week?

Anyway, the hottest show of the weekend is tonight down at Sokol Underground with Head of Femur, The Bruces and Simon Joyner, all on one bill for a mere $7 -- a remarkable value. According to their website, the line-up for HofF tonight will be Ben Armstrong, Mike Pardington Elsener, Matthew Focht, Tyson Thurston and The Chancellor. I assume since 1 Percent is billing him as simply "Simon Joyner" that he won't be backed by his band, The Wind-up Birds, who just wrapped up recording an album down at The Goofy Foot space slated for release sometime next year. That likely won't stop Simon from playing some songs off the upcoming album, however.

Meanwhile, also tonight, is Meadowlarks, Austin Britton (Kite Pilot), Bill Latham and Outlaw Con Bandana at O'Leaver's. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Saturday night, O'Leaver's has Kansas City's Roman Numerals (Steve from Season to Risk), Members Of The Press (Randy Cotton), and Fromanhole. $5, 9:30 p.m. And that about does it for shows this weekend.

Column 53: What Have We Learned?
Looking back at a year's worth of Lazy-i.

It's been a year since this column began appearing in The Reader -- Dec. 2, 2004, to be exact. Fifty-two weeks and 52 columns later, what have we learned? Here's an update on some of the people, places and things covered over the past year:

Column 1 -- Stronger than Bombs: Willy Mason Blows Up All Over the Indie Scene -- Wherein we meet young Willy Mason, singer/songwriter extraordinaire who had just signed with Conor Oberst's new Team Love Records (A label's name hasn't gotten any better with the passage of time). Incessant touring and the vices that come with it took its toll on ol' Willy, and he pulled himself off the road early the following year, only to re-emerge, older and wiser, opening for Bright Eyes at the recent Orpheum show.

Column 2 -- New Day Rising: Indie Music Returns to Omaha's Air Waves (12/9/05). The 2-hour all-indie radio show, an experiment by our friends at 89.7 The River, continues to introduce Omaha to new music every Sunday night at 11. Eric Zeigler, half of the original on-air team, is gone, but Dave Leibowitz continues like Omaha's version of John Peel (RIP). Hey Sophia, this show deserves a better time slot.

Column 4 -- There Are Giants in the Earth (12/22/05) -- A profile of band The '89 Cubs. They have since broken up. Ryan Fox is now touring with Mayday, while drummer Matt Baum can be heard in Race for Titles.

Column 6 -- Young Eyes, Big Vision (1/6/05) -- A profile of Omaha filmmaker/actor Nik Fackler. When he wasn't hanging out with Lea Thompson and Dave Foley, Fackler was lining up financing for his first feature film, Lovely Still, which could begin shooting sometime early next year with an all-star cast (I'm not kidding).

Column 12 -- INXSessive or American Idolatry? (2/10/05) -- Myself and most of America forgot to watch the Mark Burnett-produced reality series, Rock Star, which aired this past summer and fall. No one who took part in the Omaha try-outs made it to LA. One local performer invited to the final call-back turned it down, not wanting to be hounded by cameras 24/7 -- a wise decision.

Column 16 -- Grant-ed a Second Chance (3/10/05) -- The story of the re-emergence of Todd Grant, an influential singer-songwriter from the Golden Age of the Omaha music scene circa early-'90s. Grant's series of on-stage implosions last summer (including a brawl at Mick's) all but guarantees that he won't be seen on an Omaha stage anytime soon. Nonetheless, he continues his musical pursuits.

Column 21 -- Selling the Ranch (4/14/05) -- A look at the activities of former Ranch Bowl owner Mike Brannan, with WalMart looking over his shoulder. Brannan's rumored 500-capacity venue at the old Club Joy never materialized. Something tells me we haven't heard the last from him.

Column 26 -- Heavy Rotation (5/19/05) -- With the subhead "Has the River changed its course?" an interview with 89.7 The River's program director Sophia John on the station's shift to more indie-flavored programming. Six months later, that course seems to have changed back to their usual goon rock/aggra-rap/screamo formula -- a pity.

Column 27 -- Behind the (Omaha) Music (5/25/05) -- An interview with VH1's Eli Lehrer on a proposed documentary about the Omaha music scene. Lehrer visited Omaha a few weeks after the column appeared, looking for dirt about personnel conflicts within the Saddle Creek Records family. Methinks the project got shelved.

Column 32 -- The Border Wars (7/6/05) -- An interview with Shag owner Terry O'Halloran on the division between east and west Omaha venues (and their clientele). That division runs as deep as ever, with yet another west O venue -- The O Zone -- catering to cover bands and bands that sound like cover bands. Meanwhile, Saddle Creek Records' Slowdown complex has broken ground on North 13th St., promising to provide everything indie.

Column 37 -- One Hundred and 1 Percent (8/16/05) -- One Percent Production's Marc Leibowitz talked about quitting his day job, but it was partner Jim Johnson who took the plunge, quitting his job a few months after this column. Look for more One Percent news in next week's column.

Column 40 -- The 49'r Takes Five (9/1/05) -- Where 49'r owner Mark Samuelson assured us that the mid-town tavern would pump up its live music after a brief hiatus. Funny, there were no shows at the Niner last weekend. We're all waiting, Mr. Samuelson.

Column 41 -- Brother, Can You Spare $3.30? (9/8/05) -- Seems like only yesterday that bands (and the rest of us) were whining about $3.30 per gallon gas. Who remembers Katrina?

And so on. Thanks to all the "deep throats" who provided the inside poop that helped make Lazy-I -- both in The Reader and online -- an interesting read. Now, onto year two...