Friday, September 29, 2006 |
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Live Review: Eric Bachmann, Richard Buckner; Two Gallants tonight…
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A restrained, arty crowd (of 150?) last night at Sokol Underground got a long earful of Richard Buckner, maybe (definitely) too long. Seated with just his guitar and a sideman, Buckner put together a set of new and old that spanned at least 75 minutes, which I'm sure was a delight for fans. For the rest of it, the guy-and-guitar performance is always what I've never liked about him, and why his latest CD, Meadow, is such a good trip because there he's backed by a full band, making these folkish ditties into rockers instead of snoozers. Part of the problem was the lack of dynamics -- one song blended into the next, until you caught yourself looking at your watch. Buckner finished up at around midnight (only a handful of people left after his set) then up came the towering Bachmann (There would be no sitting down for him!). From the first note of "Man o' War," which just happens to be the first song on his new album, Bachmann created on stage a pitch-perfect, dynamic replication of the CD -- in other words, if you like the record, you liked the set (I do and did). I heard two people comment on the Neil Diamond similarity in vocals (everything but the low-end growl), and another yap about Bachmann's precise finger-picking style (delicate pinging on a nylon-strung acoustic). The highlight, though, was my favorite track off Crooked Fingers' Red Devil Dawn, "Bad Man Coming," and fleshing it out with violin, keyboards and a guy playing a couple drums with mallets. Beautiful. Tonight, all kinds of things going on. Down at Sokol Underground Two Gallants with Langhorne Slim and Trainwreck Riders. Here's what I wrote for The Reader about this show that they didn't publish: I've got to admit it -- Two Gallants' Saddle Creek Records' debut, What the Toll Tells, has grown on me. At first I couldn't get past the backbeat shack-shanty pirate pulse that runs thick throughout their take on '20s- and '30s-era blues by way of modern-day San Francisco. But now I look forward to hearing the over-the-top bash-crash ruckus of "Las Cruces Jail" and the rocking-chair blues of "Steady Rollin'" whenever they show up on my iPod shuffle. On stage they take their gritty folk elegies a step further, turning their set into a rock 'n' roll tent show. Don't miss out on this revival. $8, 9 p.m. Also tonight, Scott Severin Band is at O'Leaver's. Scott sent me a copy of his latest CD, which reminded me of John Hiatt morphed with Stan Ridgway and some Midwest snarl. Wonder what he sounds like live? With three other bands, 9:30, $5. And maybe the theatrical show of the evening, Father, collaborating with Dapose of The Faint, performing the first track off their disturbing just-released debut (you can find it at Drastic Plastic) along with Vverevvolf Grehv (Formerly Precious Metal), Wasteoid, and Kjeld, all at The Magic Theater, 325 S. 16th St, and by candlelight no less. 9 p.m., $5. The rest of the weekend is Little Brazil Saturday night and Jenny Lewis Sunday. More later. --Got comments? Post 'em here.-- |
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posted by Tim at 5:40 AM |
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Thursday, September 28, 2006 |
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Column 94 -- Listening to Art; Eric Bachmann/Richard Buckner tonight...
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Clearly, as the Joslyn staff pointed out in Niz's story in The OWH Sunday (here, but you gotta register to read it), Art for Your Ears is targeted at attracting new blood to the museum, just like their (now defunct?) "college night" concert series that featured Son, Ambulance last year (and Tilly the year before). It's a good idea. We got masterpieces in our midst and most people don't even know it. While I was figuring out how to use the Joslyn's mp3 player next to that huge Chihuly near the gallery entrance, a young guy was standing dumbfounded looking up-up-up at the those shiny glass Mardi Gras bulbs. He asked if he could touch the sculpture. I said, "Better not. What if it came down around us? It'd be a helluva mess." He smiled and nodded, never taking his eyes off the art.
Tonight at Sokol Underground, Eric Bachmann and Richard Buckner along with local singer-songwriter Mal Madrigal, all for just $10. This is sort of a pseudo CD release show for Bachmann, whose new album To the Races, was released on Saddle Creek Records Aug. 22. I went out of my way yesterday to tell someone that the new Buckner CD, Meadow, was boring, when in fact it's much more interesting and lively than his last record. Buckner seems headed in a similar direction as Richard Thompson's solo stuff. It ain't bad, and the fact is most people will be there tonight to see Buckner, who has a bigger following here (for some reason). --Got comments? Post 'em here.-- |
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posted by Tim at 5:27 AM |
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Wednesday, September 27, 2006 |
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Eric Bachmann review; Butch Walker reviewed; Kayo Dot/Shinyville tonight...
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I just posted the first new full-length review on the ol' Reviews page. It's been over a year since that index has been updated, seeing as how the Reviews Matrix has taken center stage. My original plan was to interview Eric Bachmann as a preview for tomorrow night's show with Richard Buckner, but he wasn't available when I was available and vice versa, so instead I put together this review, which will give you a general idea of where he's coming from on his new album, To the Races. And speaking of reviews, the folks at The Reader tell me that CD reviews will be returning to the paper after, what, an 8-eight year absence. Strangely, I think The Reader is just about the only alternative newspaper in the country that hasn't run CD reviews. It is a freakin' staple for alt weeklies, as it should be. And while we're talking about reviews, Lazy-i intern Brendan Greene-Walsh has submitted some more reviews for your perusal, starting with the following, which is another example of where we disagree -- we're a regular Ebert and Roeper (Wherein Brendan plays the role of the fat guy and I'm the geek).
Tonight at O'Leaver's, Kay Dot with local boys Shinyville and Eagle's Blood. $5, 9:30 p.m. --Got comments? Post 'em here.-- |
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posted by Tim at 5:42 AM |
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Tuesday, September 26, 2006 |
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An Iris Pattern signs with Hilfiger; Bright Eyes heads to California; The Life and Times tonight...
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A couple hot little items to pass along on a quiet Tuesday. I got a call from Greg Loftis of An Iris Pattern last night, inviting me to a last-minute gig at O'Leaver's. The reason for the show: To prepare for another show the band will be performing next Monday at an art gallery in New York City. According to Loftis, An Iris Pattern will indeed be the first band represented on Tommy Hilfiger's new record label. The as-yet-unnamed label (Hilfiger doesn't want his name involved, apparently) is in talks now regarding distribution (Atlantic Records is one name being tossed around). Loftis said the deal is 100 percent in the bag, and that a second act also will be joining An Iris Pattern on Hilfiger's label. "Tommy wants to show people what we sound like," Lofits said of the NYC gallery show. "It's playtime for him, but it's our lives." Another bit of news, word has it that Bright Eyes has wrapped up recording in Omaha and has been working in Lincoln at Presto! studios to finish up the new album. Whether any more work continues at Presto! or not, chances are that the Bright Eyes album will mark the last project before the Lincoln studio closes for good and reopens full time in Omaha. Saddle Creek confirmed that Bright Eyes will now head to California at the beginning of October to do some mixing on the project. Allen Epley's (ex-Shiner) new project The Life and Times will be taking the stage tonight at O'Leaver's. The KC trio also includes Eric Abert (Ring, Cicada) and Chris Metcalf (Stella Link). Good with Guns opens. $9:30 p.m., $5. --Got comments? Post 'em here.-- |
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posted by Tim at 11:01 AM |
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Monday, September 25, 2006 |
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Ladyfinger drops tomorrow, Slowdown speeds up, Man Man tonight...
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If you haven't had a chance or didn't look, there's a live review of last Friday night's Ladyfinger show just below this entry. The band's CD officially hits the record stores tomorrow, yet there have been very few pre-release reviews of the disc. Aversion posted this one today that gives Heavy Hands 4 out of 5 stars. Not bad for a first review. * * * Finally, after months of sitting dormant, serious work has begun again on the Slowdown compound. I was surprised to see steel beginning to go up last week from my office window and felt compelled to take a few snappies as I drove by the property yesterday afternoon (click to enlarge thumbnail). If the 24-Hour Fitness on 77th and Cass is any indication, once the steel arrives it's only a matter of weeks before the whole damn thing is framed and walls become enclosed, and before you know it, they'll be working on the interior. I'm hearing from various sources that one of the retail bays is now spoken for by a coffee shop, though the folks at Slowdown deny that any tenant has signed a lease. At first blush, a coffee shop seems like an ill fit for an indie music venue, offices and film house, until you realize that there will be a couple hotels right across the street (to the north, which I suspect at the rate they're going up, will be open for business before the first band takes the Slowdown stage). I'll continue to take pics as construction progresses. * * * Tonight at Sokol Underground, Man Man, with Pit er Pat. Philly's Man Man plays an eclectic style of music that can sound as varied as Eastern European carnival hoedowns to standard Flaming Lips-flavored psych rock. $9, 9:30. --Got comments? Post 'em here.-- |
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posted by Tim at 5:38 AM |
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Saturday, September 23, 2006 |
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Live Review: Ladyfinger, Criteria; Neva Dinova tonight...
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It was Saddle Creek night at Sokol Underground with two of the label's "rock bands" playing back-to-back, picking their shots and landing just about every one of them. The night started with Now Archimedes! I arrived right before Criteria took the stage, and the place was already packed -- a sell-out sized crowd that reached all the way to the back wall. It was the first time Criteria has played in Omaha with new drummer Matt Sanders, best known for his work in Lincoln punk band The JV All-Stars. The story behind the exit of Criteria original drummer Mike Sweeney is cryptic. Sweeney, I'm told, e-mailed the band saying he was done. A drummer from New York filled in during part of this summer's tour, before Sanders took over behind the kit. So how did he sound last night? It's hard to say, since the drums were buried in a mix that was bleached out with high-end and midrange. The kick-drum was virtually nonexistent, while Stephen Pedersen's guitar sounded tinny and shrill. The band's guitars always sound tuned on the high-end to me anyway, but last night's mix was so bright that everything was awash in piercing, jagged tones. That said, the performance was as honed as you would expect from a band that's road-hardened from virtually endless touring over the last six months. Pedersen's voice showed absolutely no wear, while AJ Mogis has become a veritable Sinatra compared to how he sounded a year ago. Criteria's music continues to age well live. You'd expect a band that's played the same songs for so long to lose their edge or at least some of their intensity. Not last night. Clearly the band was feeling it, and so was the crowd. Or maybe the band was just happy that it was the last night of the tour, and now they can look forward to some well-deserved R & R while they work on their next record. Not so Ladyfinger. As if grabbing the baton from Criteria, last night marked the band's first gig of two weeks of serious touring that continues tonight in Minneapolis with Cursive and The Thermals. What better send-off than a sold-out CD release show? And Ladyfinger was up to the challenge. They sounded thunderous despite the continuation of that midrange-heavy mix. Anyone who's seen this band play at small stages like O'Leaver's or The 49'r likely wouldn't recognize them with the Underground's more massive sound system. I know absolutely nothing about the science of singing. That said, you have to be concerned about Chris Machmuller's voice. It's not like Ladyfinger plays all that often, and now he's headed out for two weeks of nightly gigs where he'll be screeching in his barely-in-control vocal style. Will there be anything left by the time he reaches in Columbia, MO, Oct. 4? A couple vocal veterans assured me that he'd be just fine. Considering how things ended last night, their biggest problem will be their lack of material. The fans wanted more, but the band simply didn't have anything left to give them. --Got comments? Post 'em here.-- |
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posted by Tim at 8:48 AM |
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Friday, September 22, 2006 |
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Live Review: White Whale, Nada Surf; Ladyfinger, Criteria tonight; Jon Crocker Sunday...
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I don't know if it was the rain or the fact that the band hasn't released an album in a year, but only about 150 showed up last night for Nada Surf at Sokol Underground compared to, what, 500 the last time they came through and played upstairs? There are those who will point to the fact that Rogue Wave opened for them last March, and maybe Rogue Wave was the draw. Who knows? Regardless, I wasn't the only one expecting a sell out. Maybe if the show had been marketed as part of a "greatest hits" tour, more people would have come out, but more on that in a minute... White Whale was up first (after The Plus Ones, who I missed), and despite the fact that their new album is kinda interesting in its without-borders approach, the band came off somewhat flat. You knew there was going to be trouble when they took 20 minutes to do their sound check. There was just too much stuff going on, what with three guitarists (two of whom doubled on keyboards) and a mix that was soaking in delay and echo. It sounded like the band was playing inside an empty blimp hanger. All that delay made for a mushy mess, which made it that much harder to find the songs' already-buried hooks. Their best stuff was saved for the end (vs. the eight or nine-minute "odysseys" that made up the first half of their set). I'd like to hear these guys stripped down to the bare essentials with a more conventional mix and fewer (or no) effects. Nada Surf came on at around 11:30 and announced that they were going to do their entire set in chronological order, starting with a cover (I can't remember what it was) and blowing right into their all-time hit "Popular," a song that I'm told they've never played in Omaha before and that they supposedly quit playing live years ago. It was followed a cover of Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart," which wasn't half bad. From then on, the set consisted of songs from their other early albums. "We now go from 1998 to 2002," said frontman Matthew Caws, who explained that last night's gig was a fill-in for an open date on their tour with Guster (ironically, that tour is coming to Omaha Oct. 31, without Nada Surf). This gave them plenty of room to stretch out on the set, which I'm sure was a treat for the hardcore Nada Surf fans who braved the elements. I thought the band sounded pretty good, but when I mentioned that to the guy next to me (a big fan), he said they sounded like shit, and that they already blew it on a couple of the older songs. I couldn't tell because I've only heard their last record. By the time midnight rolled around and I had to leave, they were still playing songs from 2002's Let Go. Tonight, it's Ladyfinger and Criteria at Sokol Underground. I beseech anyone who followed the Omaha punk scene in the early to mid-'90s to get to this show early and check out opening band Now Archimedes! (Here's a review of their last O'Leaver's gig). I'm told Criteria will be playing with their new drummer (Mike Sweeney apparently left the band a few weeks ago). Expect a sizable turnout for this, the kickoff of Ladyfinger's first national tour in support of Heavy Hands. I assume copies of the new CD will be available at the show. Pick one up. $8, 9 p.m. As for the rest of the weekend: -- Saturday night it's Neva Dinova with No Blood Orphan, Tomato a Day and Drake's Hotel at Sokol Underground. That's a lot of music for $8. -- Sunday night brings an interesting show to O'Leaver's featuring gritty, earthy, folkie singer-songwriter Jon Crocker, on tour supporting his new album, Death.. Also on the fight card are local singer-songwriter Brad Hoshaw and the legendary Dereck Higgins (Digital Sex, The Family Radio). $5, 9:30 p.m. --Got comments? Post 'em here.-- |
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posted by Tim at 5:26 AM |
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Thursday, September 21, 2006 |
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Column 93 -- The Price of a Finger; White Whale, Nada Surf tonight...
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Consider this an addendum to yesterday's Ladyfinger feature. The specifics were too good to cram into that story and deserved their own column. What would I have suggested had I been asked (and there's absolutely no reason why I would have)? Ladyfinger UK, of course. There's a rich history of bands that have tucked a UK after their name to appease greedy squatters (which is all that LA band really is) and lawyers. Who remembers Kansas City's Cher UK? Or Charlatans UK? Chameleons UK? The list goes on and on. I have no idea how much more negotiating went on beyond what's below. I wouldn't be surprised if there were counter-counter offers, but the fact is, time was running out. The band needed to get the CD pressed. Schedules were in place for a reason. Would they have won had they fought it? Maybe, but it would have taken months if not years for the glacial judicial system to render a decision...
This week of quality shows continues tonight with White Whale opening for Nada Surf down at Sokol Underground. If it sounds like a weird combination, believe me, it sounded weird when I mentioned it to the guys in White Whale, too. Also playing tonight, The Plus Ones (ex-members of Mr. T Experience and Pansy Division who played at O'Leaver's a year ago July). $15, 9 p.m. --Got comments? Post 'em here.-- |
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posted by Tim at 5:19 AM |
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Wednesday, September 20, 2006 |
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Ladyfinger joins the Saddle Creek Mafia; Headlights tonight at O'Leaver's…
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This week's profile is a massive feature on Ladyfinger that may or may not be the cover story of this week's issue of The Reader. It was originally slated to be the cover, but now that looks doubtful, though the story is still cover-story length. It's confusing. The story was supposed to be the main feature of The Reader's "music issue," but that got pushed back until next week, which would mean this story wouldn't run until after their big show Friday night at Sokol Underground. The band will still be on the cover of next week's issue of The Reader along with two other bands, but not with this story (which is in the issue coming out late this afternoon). Screw it -- just read the story now. It's right here. Chris, Jamie, Pat and Ethan talk about how the band got together, how they hooked up with Saddle Creek, how they made their new album, Heavy Hands, (including details on how they worked with producer Matt Bayles) and all kinds of other fun stuff. It's long. It's comprehensive. It's Ladyfinger! And yes, I know that I've left off the (NE). Find out why in tomorrow's column (which, btw, also is in today's issue of The Reader). Yes, I believe this band could be on a rocketship, what with a primo opening slot on Cursive's next tour and almost a month's worth of touring in Europe. Catch them while you can this Friday. It could be a while until Ladyfinger plays here again. Tonight, it's Polyvinyl recording artist Headlights with Decibully and Someday Stories. Headlights just played at O'Leavers in April supporting their EP, The Enemies. Now they're supporting their debut LP, Kill Them with Kindness. See them again. $5, 9:30 p.m. --Got comments? Post 'em here.-- |
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posted by Tim at 5:34 AM |
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Tuesday, September 19, 2006 |
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Lincoln Calling recap; Of Montreal sells out; Murder by Death/Appleseed Cast tonight…
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Sorry for the delays in updates. I was out of pocket yesterday, but I'm back now with an update on how well Lincoln Calling did last weekend. Organizer Jeremy Buckley IM'd me to say that the numbers weren't as hot as he'd hoped. The breakdown: 600 attended Thursday night's shows, 500 on Friday and 250 on Saturday, bringing the grand total to around 1,350 -- a far cry from his hoped-for 2,000. The UNL-USC "rivalry" had more of an impact on the draw than he expected. So did last Saturday night's thunderstorms, which had the sirens going off here in Omaha throughout the game. That said, Buckley is OK with how things turned out. He's already looking at next year's Husker schedule for by weeks, and he's even considering adding a Wednesday night session. Here's to the 4th Annual Lincoln Calling... What else... Am I the only one to notice the new Appleby's (or was it Outback) commercial that features a rewritten version of Of Montreal's "Wraith Pinned to the Mist and Other Games"? There's no mistaking the source of the commercial's jingle, and you have to assume that whatever ad firm came up with it paid Of Montreal for the rights, which is a shame because it's my favorite song off that album and now it's being used to sell poorly prepared fast food. Or maybe Of Montreal isn't even aware that the commercial exists, which means there may be a lawsuit in the making (if they ever find out about it). A big four-band show tonight at Sokol Underground: The moody Murder by Death with Appleseed Cast, Unwed Sailor and Sam Lowry. $10, 9 p.m. Meanwhile, the velvet tones of Voodoo Organist will be heard down at O'Leaver's with Life After Laserdisque and We're From Japan. $5, 9:30 p.m. Stay tuned tomorrow morning for a huge feature/interview with Ladyfinger as we prepare for Friday's big shoe. --Got comments? Post 'em here.-- |
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posted by Tim at 10:56 AM |
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Friday, September 15, 2006 |
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A weekend in Lincoln; Gillian Oberst tonight at the Rite...
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I'm looking at the calendar and other than tonight's Gillian Welch / David Rawlings / Conor Oberst concert at The Scottish Rite Hall (which, curiously, is still not sold out, according to the One Percent Productions website, where you can by tickets for $15) there ain't a whole lot happening in Omaha this weekend. Actually, I don't see a single show here in town worth commenting on, which is yet another indication that Lincoln Calling should have a banner year. I talked about the line-up yesterday and included a full schedule. Jeremy Buckley, who runs the event, lost the rights to lincolncalling.com -- the festival website -- but has since established a new site -- lincolncallingfestival.com -- which one would believe would have the most up-to-date schedule (although they failed to add the last-minute Gillian Welch afternoon show at The Zoo Bar yesterday that I hinted at in my column). If I were going to the festival tonight, my first inclination would be to head to Duffy's for the Ideal Cleaners/Virgasound/Domestica show, which starts at 9 and is a measly $5. But considering that 2/3rds of this lineup is bound to play at The Brothers in the coming weeks, I'd probably end up at Knickerbocker's for The Show is the Rainbow / Heiruspecs ($9, 9 p.m.). Tomorrow's early show choice is Jake Bellows and McCarthy Trenching at The Zoo Bar ($3, 5 p.m.). Buckley tells me this version of Trenching won't be of the Oberst/Taylor variety, but should be just as good. My late show would be Neva Dinova, Little Brazil and The Golden Age at Knickerbocker's ($8, 9 p.m.). The Golden Age will likely be hampered by the Husker game, but things should get rolling after that. --Got comments? Post 'em here.-- |
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posted by Tim at 5:35 AM |
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Thursday, September 14, 2006 |
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Column 92 -- Lincoln Calling (starts tonight); Live Review: Black Squirrels...
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Not mentioned in the Lincoln Calling schedule (at the end of the column) are the movies scheduled at Mary Riepma Ross as part of the event. Tonight it's I Am Trying to Break Your Heart (Wilco documentary), Friday it's Fearless Freaks (Flaming Lips documentary) and Saturday it's Disc 2 of Pink Floyd's Pulse, the full Dark Side of the Moon concert. All screenings are at 11 p.m. and are free.
Big crowd last night at The Dubliner for the debut of Black Squirrels. Right from the start, the band's Darktown House Band heritage was obvious and appreciated. The four-piece played a nice, laid-back set of bluegrass-flavored torch songs that were as relaxing as your favorite blankie and a glass of hot Irish coffee. If you ever went to a Darktown show, you'll recognize Kat Smith's coffeehouse vocals, singing lyrics that were timely, local and pretty funny (in the right way). And then there was that spot-on cover of REO Speedwagon's "Take It On the Run," ratcheted down as only the Squirrels can. Drummer Doug Kabourek sat in on the last four songs, and his addition helped pep things up (even though he only played with brushes). Yes, this is a mellow crew, and quite a contrast to Gael Sli, the neo-traditional band from Dublin, who played afterward. I've seen my share of Irish folk bands (Hey, I went to Ireland last year, remember?) and these guys are right up there with the best of them, giving the usual fiddle-and-accordian traditionals a modern spice, thanks to a chopped-and-slurred acoustic guitar that recalled Luka Bloom. --Got comments? Post 'em here.-- |
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posted by Tim at 5:35 AM |
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Wednesday, September 13, 2006 |
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Lunchtime update: Welch and Oberst tonight at Mick's…
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Tonight's music calendar just got a bit more crowded: Mick's in Benson will be hosting Gillian Welch tonight along with Conor Oberst, Sarah Benck and Korey Anderson. The show starts at 9 p.m. and is free. Better get there early if you want in! --Got comments? Post 'em here.-- |
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posted by Tim at 10:47 AM |
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This week's feature: White Whale; Black Squirrels, Race for Titles tonight…
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This week's feature is a short one. Short, mainly because the cell connection sucked. Cell phones have become the blessing and bane of interviewers. They're great because you can get ahold of bands much, much easier (usually from the back of their van) and they suck because it's like talking to someone on a walkie-talkie (from the back of a van). I don't own a cell phone, by the way (*readers cringe in disgust*), so let me let you folks who own one in on a secret -- you sound like shit from a land line and we're not hearing the first word of most your sentences. And you drive like shit. And you're annoying in elevators... Anyway... Here's this week's feature on White Whale (read it here). Bassist Rob Pope, formerly of The Get Up Kids, does a bit of compare-and-contrast between the two bands, about their music and their careers. Though I interviewed them back in 2002, I never much cared for The Get Up Kids, whereas I much dig White Whale's debut on Merge Records. And as for Pope's question to me in the story, my reply was, "Yes I do. When you grow up in the country (in my case, Fort Calhoun) all you ever listen to in high school is Led Zeppelin. Maybe a little Pink Floyd and Van Halen, but mostly just Led Zeppelin." Pope said I was lucky, that he didn't get into Zeppelin and Floyd until he was in in his 20s. He obviously didn't grow up listening to Z-92. A couple marquee shows tonight. I already talked about Black Squirrels at The Dubliner (in yesterday's blog entry -- You really should come down there tonight and buy me a Guinness). That one starts at 8:30 and will cost you $5. Also tonight, down at O'Leaver's, our old friends Race For Titles is playing with Back When. I hear those RFT boys will be hitting the studio hard over the next week, working on a new album. It's about time. $5, 9:30. --Got comments? Post 'em here.-- |
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posted by Tim at 5:12 AM |
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Tuesday, September 12, 2006 |
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New meat: Thunder Power tonight at O'Leaver's, Black Squirrels tomorrow at Dubliner; Oberst added to Friday show…
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Remember that column where I asked 'Where are all the new bands going to come from?' (read it here, if you missed it)? Well, two new promising bands are making their debuts this week. Tonight at O'Leaver's is the debut of Thunder Power, a supergroup of sorts consisting of members of Life After Laserdisque, Watch the Stereo and the Davenports, specifically Matt Hutton, vocals, guitar; Jason Koba, synth, vocals; Ian Simons, sax; squeeze box; Brendan Walsh, drums; and Will Simons, clarinet. Their myspace is here. With Pontiak and The Pistol Brothers.$5, 9 p.m. Then tomorrow night at The Dubliner is the unveiling of Black Squirrels, consisting of two former Dark Town House Band employees -- Kat Smith, vocals/guitar and Kate Williams, accordion/vocals/keyboards -- and former Fizzle Like a Flood-ers Travis Sing, bass/vocals and Doug Kabourek on drums. Check out their myspace at www.myspace.com/blacksquirrelsomaha. The Squirrels will be opening for Gael Sli, a neo-traditional band from Dublin. $5, 8:30. If anything, it's just a great excuse to get down to The Dubliner! By the way, One Percent Productions announced that the "mystery guest" for Friday's Gillian Welch show at Scottish Rite Hall is (ta-da!) Conor Oberst a.k.a. Bright Eyes. Expect the show to now sell out quickly. It should have sold out with Welch alone. Tickets are still available at onepercentproductions.com. I'm hearing rumblings of a second (even maybe a third) Welch show sometime this week. I'll pass on the details when/if I get them. --Got comments? Post 'em here.-- |
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posted by Tim at 10:49 AM |
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Monday, September 11, 2006 |
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Live Review: Thor, Zolar X...
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When someone asks me "How was Thor on Saturday night?" it's kind of like asking "How was meeting the Pope?" or "What was it like to witness the parting of the Red Sea?" or "What did Santa Claus say when you met him at the North Pole?" The phrase "bigger than life" just doesn't cut it. Nor do words like "miraculous" or "biblical" or "Godlike." This wasn't just a concert, it was a life-changing event, like watching the birth of your first child or waking up from a 10-year coma (neither of which, admittedly, I have ever done). I knew I was in for the heights of rock theater when one of the band's roadies opened up a large plastic container next to the stage filled with skull masks and plenty of plastic battle weapons (axes, swords, etc.). Oh yes, there would be blood. But first, there was "Rock and Roll Nightmare," a film narrated by the man/god himself. I walked into the Saddle Creek Bar about halfway through what appeared to be a soft-porn horror flick complete with rubber monsters, fake blood and boobs. On screen was a younger, more muscular version of Thor with a huge head of blond hair and pecs the size of your thigh (a version of Thor, incidentally, that's long gone). Nothing feels quite as uncomfortable as watching a movie of a women taking a shower and then getting humped by Thor while surrounded by a 100 or so folks who you will likely see at The Brothers on any given night. After someone tripped over the projector chord -- bringing the film to a close before we could find out who was responsible for all that fine cinematography -- Zolar X, a science-fiction punk band from the '90s that I'm told are friends with Jello Biafra, took the stage. Dressed in blond wigs and skin-tight Lycra space suits, these scrawny guys weren't "brothers from another planet" as much as "geezers from another era." Their music was punk merged with '60s garage rock played by a trio that looked like they've lived through every bad moment of the last four decades (and have the wrinkles to prove it). It was like watching My Favorite Martian's Ray Walston fronting an effeminate version of The Buzzcocks dressed in Star Trek costumes. Things got off to a hairy start when the band was assaulted with ear-splitting feedback from the monitors (I couldn't hear it from the floor). After the first song, the drummer threw his sticks down and yelled, "The fucking feedback is killing us. FIX IT!" before storming off the stage. Someone apparently did, and he came back a few minutes later, looking a lot more relaxed. Their set was fun, if not too long. Or maybe it just seemed too long because we were all waiting to see the Thunder God. We got our wish moments later, when Thor and his band of merry warriors took the stage, tearing into a set of heavy metal that would make Spinal Tap proud. Donning a huge black (plastic) chest plate and a series of gruesome rubber masks, Thor had the crowd in the palm of his mighty fist, proudly belting out one heavy metal ditty after another. Whether standing tall with shining crossed swords or looking for evil amidst the audience holding forth an electric Coleman lantern, Thor filled the crowd with a sense of awe and wonder. As the crowd pressed the stage, shaking their devil-horns high above their heads, I felt for a brief moment like I was back at Fat Jacks circa 1985, an era when touring heavy metal bands ruled the club circuit (Ah, those were fun times indeed. Where have they gone?). Without his hood/masks, Thor's graying locks betrayed the aging God, and he sort of looked like a buff version of Kenny Rogers (albeit, with a broadsword). Whether he was singing about Thunderhawks or about to behead a goblin or just making friends with a monstrous ogre, everything about Thor's stage show was pure entertainment, right down to the band, which featured Omahans Dave Goldberg, Steve Jacobs and Jeff Decker, all of whom definitely are earning their money on this tour. As I mentioned before, I've seen some of the best touring heavy metal bands from the '80s era, and these guys definitely could hold their own with any of them, showing an incredible respect for a genre that I have to believe peaked well before their time. Saturday night was another success for the Saddle Creek Bar, bringing in a crowd that was even larger than that On No! Oh My! show the weekend before. Yeah, there were a few technical difficulties again (the Zolar X feedback episode, Thor's microphone cut out on the first few songs), but overall the sound was first class. Unfortunately, I'm not aware of any other shows slated for the venue worth mentioning. The folks at One Percent Productions tell me they don't have anything planned at the SCB in the future. And though I've talked to three or four local bands who want to play there, nothing has been scheduled that I'm aware of. It would be a shame if this stage didn't get utilized to the extent that it could/should -- it's a perfect venue for shows too big for O'Leaver's and not big enough for Sokol Underground. And damn, it's so close to home. --Got comments? Post 'em here.-- |
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posted by Tim at 10:47 AM |
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Friday, September 08, 2006 |
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A perfect weekend for a Thunder God...
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The show with the biggest buzz this weekend is without a doubt Thor at The Saddle Creek Bar Saturday night with Zolar X. I've heard nothing but freaked-out praise about Thor's July 3 Shea Riley's gig -- we're talking costumes, bodybuilders and full-on heavy metal riffage. And I know from talking to Saddle Creek's Mike Coldewey that the band will be building special staging for Saturday night's carnage. The whole thing starts at 8 p.m. with a Thor movie, followed by Zolar X, then Thor, backed by the same band that backed him in July -- Omaha's own Dave Goldberg (The Terminals), Steve Jacobs (Diabolic Possession and The Filthy Few) and Jeff Decker. You can save a couple bucks by buying advance tickets today for $8 from angel.ammpp@yahoo.com (according to Slam Omaha). Tomorrow the door will be $10. In addition to first-rate zany entertainment, you'll get a chance to see and hear the reopened Saddle Creek Bar. Don't forget your broadsword. Before all that (specifically, tonight), Little Brazil will be playing at O'Leaver's with Casper & The Cookies (ex-Of Montreal) and the somersaulting Poison Control Center. $5, 9:30 p.m. Those not headed to The SCB for Thor may want to drive downtown to Sokol Underground Saturday night for Cloud Cult with Shinyville and Noah's Ark Was a Spaceship. Cloud Cult puts on an elaborate stage show, with painter/artists on stage and other weirdness augmenting their Modest Mouse-esque pop indie sound. $8, 9 p.m. The capper for the weekend is Outlaw Con Bandana at O'Leaver's Sunday night with Francois and Rachel Dadd. $5, 9:30 p.m. --Got comments? Post 'em here.-- |
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posted by Tim at 5:35 AM |
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Thursday, September 07, 2006 |
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Live Review: McCarthy Trenching/Shelley Short/M Ward; Gillian Welch "and special guest" Sept. 15...
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The McCarthy Trenching "supergroup" took the stage last night opening for M Ward at a packed Scottish Rite Cathedral show. I thought there was more people there last night than at that Jenny Lewis show last March, but the promoter tells me there were actually 100 fewer tickets sold. You wouldn't know it in the balcony, where I sat and where almost every seat was taken. I just have to add this comment one more time for those who haven't heard it: Scottish Rite is a first-class performance hall, an old-time theater environment that rivals Liberty Hall in Lawrence. I don't know why the facility isn't used more often. It's old-style stage with the draped velvet curtains gave last night's performances a Prairie Home Companion-feel. Certainly the music would have been appropriate for that radio show, well, most of it. First off was Dan McCarthy and his latest version of McCarthy Trenching featuring Maria Taylor on drums and a Castro-hatted Conor Oberst on guitar, keyboards, recorder and backing vocals. At first I couldn't tell that it was Oberst, thanks to that big blocky hat. There may even have been a few there in the crowd last night that never knew it was him. Oberst merely lent a hand as an accompanist on the set of twangy folk songs and honky-tonk rousers. McCarthy's voice and style is a cross between a Windham Hill folky (David Massengill or John Gorka comes to mind) and Neil Young. The band provided a subtle backdrop on the lilting waltzes and just enough chutzpah to power the tweedy rockers. Nice set, and well-received. Could McCarthy be headed to Team-Love? Wait and see. Not so well-received (judging by all the chit-chat-ruckus both in the lobby and behind me in the balcony) was Chicago's Shelley Short, who played a set of twangin' two-step music accompanied by three musicians including violinist Tiffany Kowalski. Short's voice is an acquired taste, sounding like a reedy, nasal Loretta Lynn or Dolly Parton. A little goes a long way. Last up was M Ward, though it seemed like forever for his set to get rolling. Maybe there was a technical problem that caused the delay. During McCarthy's set, a lightbulb (or something) fell from one of the overhead rigs. As a result, two large lighting rigs were lowered after his set and hand-checked, I assume for safety reasons. I have no idea what caused the delay between Short's and Ward's sets, though waiting for his band to take the stage felt like an eternity, which wasn't helped by the between-set house music -- a seemingly endless set of recorded traditional blues standards that no one should have to be subjected to. Let's leave those Blind Willie Johnson CDs at home next time, guys. Finally, Ward and his ensemble hit the stage and set the bar for the night's performance accompanied by a band that included two drummers (one that also played vibes). I've never been an M Ward fan, his recordings always sounding a bit too wilted for my taste, but last night he tore it up, taking his flavor of rootsy rock to a new level. Big guitar licks and plenty of stomp. If you missed the show and still haven't seen anything at Scottish Rite, a last-minute show was announced for next Friday, Sept. 15 -- folk singer-songwriter Gillian Welch with David Rawlings and a "very special guest." If you know some of Welch's biggest fans, you'll have a good idea who that guest will be. Needless to say, the guest's name will be announced Monday and will likely result in a quick sell-out, which means if you're at all curious you better buy your tickets ($15) when the go on sale Saturday. Watch the One Percent Productions site for details. --Got comments? Post 'em here.-- |
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posted by Tim at 5:34 AM |
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Wednesday, September 06, 2006 |
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I'm back; prelude, Column 91 -- The Return of Saddle Creek Bar, postscript; live reviews; M Ward and Oberst tonight...
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So I'm back and the hiatus is over and I can tell you that Cape Cod hasn't changed and I have the sunburn to prove it. Thank you for your patience in my extended absence. I have a load of catching up to do, and I realize that there's no way you're going to read all of this, perhaps the longest blog entry in the history of the Internet, but I have to get this all down now or it'll never see the light of day. So let's start off with the column. By now, you may already have read it in The Reader that came out last Wednesday night. But I'm writing this portion of the blog entry from the seat of my Midwest Airlines leather seat, so I haven't seen what was published. I do know via e-mail that portions where changed, including the ending, which was deemed too harsh by the publisher, who was probably right. I had no intention of throwing any bombs with the column, and certain comments quoted from Mike Coldewey may have sounded purposely confrontational. They weren't meant that way; they were merely Coldewey's way of voicing the facts, his motivation behind the reopening of the club and the competitive nature of the Omaha live music scene. Regardless of publisher John Heaston's timidity, I've included the column in its entirety here, knowing that Coldewey meant no harm in his assessment of the plethora of West Omaha bars. What didn't make the column by my own volition was the back story behind the reopening of the Saddle Creek Bar. It's a story that the editors of The Reader told me had already been told in the paper, so it may be old hat to you. I'd never heard it until Coldewey told me, and in many ways, it's more interesting then the column that got printed. To understand the full story, you need to know who Mike Coldewey is and how he comes off in an interview situation. I met him at the bar after I got off work a couple weeks ago. There was no one in the place but a bartender and a couple bar flies cooling their heels, waiting for the happy hour crowd to get started. Coldewey is a wiry guy, a youthful 42 who looks like he could hold his own as a bouncer. He's a quick talker, articulate, and isn't afraid to speak his mind even with a guy sitting across from him, typing up every word on a PowerBook. Coldewey's story actually starts five or six years ago. He was a regular at the Saddle Creek, where he said he used to get hammered - it was a convenient watering hole since he lived right up the street. "There was this snotty cocktail waitress named Tricia Jameson…" Coldewey didn't think much of her back then. She was just a waitress that brought him drinks, nothing more. She worked part-time with the Army National Guard as a medic. It was a job that eventually became full-time and an experience that changed her life. Meanwhile, Coldewey was going through some changes of his own. He opened a restaurant in North Omaha called Mother's Good Food that consumed his life and forced him to clean up his act. "I quit drinking because you can't work like that and be fucked up," he said. Mother's quickly garnered a reputation for its well-made Cajun cuisine and became a destination spot for those willing to travel north of Dodge. Many did, including Tricia. "She came into my place as a customer, and she looked better than she ever did slinging drinks," Coldewey said. "I made her food, and gave her some extra sauce and told he it was complements of the chef. She didn't have any idea who I was." He told her about knowing her from her days at The Saddle Creek, the two quickly became reacquainted and began dating. "We fell in love and we were going to get married," Coldewey said. But duty to her country got in the way of all that, and on July 14, 2005, Tricia Jameson was killed in Iraq. I didn't press Coldewey for the details. He said it was all there if I wanted to know, just do a Google search. The story had been covered extensively in the media. I haven't had the heart to look it up. Coldewey said Tricia's death threw him into a downward spiral. He closed Mother's Good Food because he couldn't work. His life had come to a standstill. But a funny thing happened at Tricia's well-attended military funeral. Coldewey ran into the owner of The Saddle Creek Bar -- an old friend and Tricia's old employer. Coldewey said the meeting was strangely serendipitous. "Before then, I had been talking to him on and off for years, asking 'Do you really want a million dollars for this place?' There was something going on here that was pushing it my way." The owner of the then vacant bar reconsidered Coldewey's offer. They did the deal over the course of a couple months and the place started operating again a year ago Labor Day as a bar and package drive-thru joint - a business that Coldewey had to learn on his own. It seemed everyone wanted him to reopen Mother's at the Saddle Creek location, and finally, he decided it was a good idea. Coldewey built a new kitchen in the back of the place, adjoining the old one and opened the restaurant in January. The rest of the story is in the column, below.
"I'm not a concert promoter and I don't want to be a concert promoter. I don't have the connections with the media or with the venues. I resent the fact that in the Midwest clubs have to do all the promotions and the bands set up and play and walk away with all the money. If they're going to be successful, they're gonna have to try to be successful." Coldewey pointed to how live music is handled on the West Coast -- where bands have to pay to play, or at least hustle to sell tickets to their shows. He knows that won't work here, but the last person I heard describe that strategy was The Ranch Bowl's Matt Markel, and in a lot of ways, Coldewey reminds me of him, though he has no intention of filling Markel's shoes as a music mogul (that's Leibowitz territory). So will Coldewey's Plan B for the Saddle Creek work? Time will tell. The possibilities are endless. I think Coldewey sees the same potential for that part of Saddle Creek Rd. that the guys from Saddle Creek Records saw when they proposed to build the Slowdown project just west of the Homy Inn three years ago, but were driven away by a neighborhood association that wasn't going to allow it. Three years later, and that proposed location for Slowdown is the same blighted corner with no development in sight. Coldewey said Slowdown would have never worked there because of the backward-thinking neighbors and business owners, not because it was a bad idea. Had Slowdown happened, he said, it would have revitalized the entire area. New businesses would have opened all along old Saddle Creek - restaurants and bistros. "This area would have become what Benson would like to become, but never will." But that's for another column… Back to the present... Actually, I've been back in town since Saturday afternoon, which means I had a chance to go to a couple shows last weekend, including that Oh No! Oh My! show at The Saddle Creek Bar, which was a make-or-break event for the venue. The consensus -- it was definitely "make" not "break." A respectable crowd of around 100 turned out, including some of the scene's more notorious figures and lots of people connected to that "other Saddle Creek." Though I'd gotten a gander of the bar when I interviewed Coldewey, the dynamics of the place wasn't as clear until show night. The Saddle Creek Bar really does have all the accouterments to become a first-class venue, and a comfortable one at that. There's tons of seating. Directly across from the stage (and the empty dance floor) are dozens and dozens of tables. While across from the bar is high-chair seating along a rail, which extends along the back of the bar where there's even more seating. The place seems to go on and on. In addition to the tables, people hung out in back by the pool tables and stood along the bar. Capacity of 250? Something like that, yeah… The site-lines from any location were terrific -- no metal beams or poles in the way. Then there's the sound system. Coldewey indeed tweaked it and the results are impressive. It's a meaty PA, with two large banks of two-way speakers on either side of the stage and a battery of subs beneath the stage. Coldewey himself runs the sound board and overall it was well-balanced from act to act. I would find out later that there were some problems with the stage monitors (The bands apparently weren't too pleased about it) and a few other technical difficulties which were unnoticeable to the average beer-drinking patron. In addition to all the plusses, there are few other minuses worth mentioning. The biggest is probably that dance floor. Regulars of rock shows know that part of the deal is standing in front of the band when they perform. The SCB stage is a good three feet above the dance floor -- nice. The problem is that no one was willing to stand on the dance floor during the set, probably because they didn't want to block the view of everyone sitting at the tables. This result: Too much distance between the band in the crowd -- very noticeable when you consider we're used to having the band practically play in our laps at places like O'Leaver's and The 49'r. I don't know how they'll fix this, maybe move the tables closers to the stage? But if you did, people would likely congregate behind the tables, taking them even further from the bands. This problem, of course, will be alleviated at a show that draws a capacity crowd-- which we might see this coming Saturday when Thor takes the SCB stage. The performers seemed to dig the place. First up was Whispertown 2000, which in this incarnation was essentially a solo performance by frontwoman Morgan Nagler, accompanied a couple times by a drummer (was it Rilo Kiley's Jason Boesel?). You might remember her from opening for Rilo Kiley at Scottish Rite back in March. Well, she sounded better (maybe because she left her lousy band at home), but seemed just as uncomfortable. At the end of her set, she begged people to dance to a number that included pre-recorded rhythm tracks on an iPod, which improved her sound immeasurably. Sure enough, about a dozen scenesters took the floor and did a sort of indie-dance, which looked as awkward as you can imagine. Somebody Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin was next, and though they sounded more polished then when I saw them a few months ago at O'Leaver's, their music sounded more vanilla, more generic, with a few Wheezer licks thrown in for good measure. Finally, the headliner, Oh No! Oh My!, and oh my, what a band they were. There's a well-deserved buzz going around about this Austin, Texas, 6-piece, whose make-up includes numerous keyboards and a trumpet. Clearly, the band was influenced by our old friends The Pixies, but managed to take that sound in their own direction, thanks to the instrumentation. They even got a couple people to dance without having to ask! Their eclectic style and rambunctious stage presence makes them the perfect fit for opening for The Flaming Lips this Thursday in Burlington VT. Yeah, I think you'll be hearing a lot more from this band in the future. One more show of note -- I went to The Like Young/ Landing on the Moon show at O'Leaver's Sunday night (I had Monday off, so what the hey?). The Like Young is/was a Chicago-based drum-and-guitar husband-and-wife duo a la The White Stripes, though they sound nothing like them. Instead, frontman/guitarist Joe Ziemba comes off like a young, angry '70s-era Elvis Costello, complete with punk snarl. They tore into a set of 20-plus songs that lasted well over an hour. It's a shame that they're hanging it up after this tour. Turns out that they both have regular jobs that they've decided to dedicate themselves to instead of spending the next part of their lives slogging it out on the road. Despite a deal with Polyvinyl, the duo never reached the levels they hoped to reach. Here's hoping they don't give up on music altogether. Landing on the Moon sounded as strong as ever, and continues to be one of the fullest-sounding bands out of Omaha these days. Drummer/vocalist Oliver Morgan said the band is working on some new material as they forge ahead with their plan for world domination. As for O'Leaver's, I talked to a couple of folks who work there, and none of them are terribly concerned about the advent of The Saddle Creek Bar, though it has their clientele directly in its crosshairs. Why should they be? They have 18 shows scheduled for the remainder of September and 16 already lined up for October. If anything, they probably need someone to take a few shows off their hands. Fact is, simply looking at how these venues differ, I don't see them directly competing with one another. Which brings us to tonight's M Ward show at Scottish Rite Hall with Shelley Short and McCarthy Trenching. I have yet to get 100 percent confirmation that the McCarthy Trenching line-up will be an all-star cast that includes Conor Oberst and Maria Taylor. One Percent Productions wouldn't directly confirm it, but hinted at it in their weekly e-mail "...Dan put together an all-star band for this show. That's really all I can say about it, but that should be enough..." The venue alone is worth the price of admission. Scottish Rite Hall is an undiscovered gem of a venue in the heart of downtown (here's what I said about it after the Jenny Lewis show). 8 p.m., $15. It's good to be back... --Got comments? Post 'em here.-- |
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posted by Tim at 5:26 AM |
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