Briefly, my only show this weekend was Friday night at O'Leaver's, featuring Tartufi and The Stay Awake. Tartufi was the big surprise. A two-piece featuring Brian Gorman on drums (and bullhorn) and Lynne Angel on guitar, bass, keyboards and vocals, the trick to their layered sound was the use of loop upon loop upon loop, which allowed Angel to do three-part harmony with herself, play guitar and bass, all at the same time. I've seen the loop-thing done a lot lately, but never as effectively. It worked kind of like this: Angel would loop a lead guitar, change to bass and rough up a second riff, add a vocal, loop it with a second vocal and then a third (there were three microphones set up). The music was proggy indie rock that bordered on Pixies punk. It looked like quite a workout. With all that sound equipment, pedals and other gear, it took Tartufi a long time to get set up, pushing their set past the midnight hour. The Stay Awake did all they could to hustle their gear on stage and get going. As a result, we were treated (or should I say cheated) to a shortened set. The Stay Awake's style is brittle, abrasive, angry and purposely confusing punk rock based on animal riffage and vocal squalls of frontman Steve Micek, and the rhythm power of bassist Robert Little and drummer/god Mario Alderfer. Frenzied, anxious, searing, jittery, heated and loud, The Stay Awake never fail to entertain (which is why they belonged on The Reader's top-band list). My only regret was forgetting to buy a copy of their new album, which was available for the first time at the show. Look for an official CD release show in the coming months.

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Those of you fortunate enough to have snagged tickets to tonight's Bright Eyes concert at The Waiting Room, here's a sneak preview in the form of a review of Monday night's show at Milwaukee's Pabst Theater from shepherd-express.com (full review here). The writer was less than impressed with Simon Joyner: "Numbingly dull singer-songwriter Simon Joyner has a voice like moss and quickly lost the crowd's attention—which is saying something, since usually Pabst Theater audiences will politely sit through anything. 'Conor, where are you?' one woman in the balcony moaned after Joyner finished singing a particularly bland, flat song." Ouch. On the other hand he was impressed with Capgun Coup after he figured out who they were. "Their name was utterly indecipherable—Captain Goo? Cat Fondue?" Cat Fondue is a frickin' great name for a band, btw. "It's not too much of a surprise that Oberst has taken such a liking to them, since they sound a lot like he used to before he tried to reinvent himself as a serious singer-songwriter: spazzy, poppy, catchy, wonderful." He goes on to describe Capgun as sounding "like a young D.C. punk band doing an entire set of Clean covers." As reported earlier, Dave Rawlings is playing guitar with Bright Eyes on this tour, replacing Mike Mogis, who I'm told is busy in the studio. Sounds like we're in for a set list that's a "career-spanning grab bag, heavy on Oberst's louder, more charged material." Opening tonight is Simon Joyner and Flowers Forever. 9 p.m. and yeah, it's SOLD OUT.

Lazy-i content for the rest of the week is a real jumble. First, I plan on posting a review of tonight's show online tomorrow. Despite doing a ton of work for The Reader this week, I don't have much to show for it. This issue is the paper's annual "music issue" that includes the usual list of the area's top 20 bands (and the next 15). I wrote profiles of about six of them. This week's column talks about the list, but is essentially a rehash of last year's column. I'll probably throw it online tomorrow, along with the list. The Reader's cover story is a focus on Omaha sound guys. The photo was taken on stage at Slowdown last last week. Inside are profiles of at least 10 local sound guys. When I approached Editor Andy Norman with the idea, I originally wanted the profiles to resemble trading cards -- each with an action photo of a soundman at work, followed by key stats and comments. I have no idea how the final product will look. I interviewed seven sound engineers for the story: Jason Churchill, Dan Brennan, Jeremiah McIntyre, Brendan Greene-Walsh, Kevin Hiddleston, Jim Bogensberger and Jay Wilcher. Jeremy Buckley also interviewed a few sound guys in Lincoln. Neva Dinova's Jake Bellows wrote the article's introduction. I won't be posting the profiles here, so you'll have to pick up a copy of The Reader when it hits the stands tomorrow.

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My only show this weekend was the Speed! Nebraska showcase at O'Leaver's Saturday night. And as you might imagine, the house was utterly packed.

In many ways, it was a throwback to a better, simpler time, circa 1990-something, when Mercy Rule and Frontier Trust were among the top punk bands in the Omaha/Lincoln area. Now some 15 years later, here was the same primary talent at it again, doing their thing better than ever. I wonder if they knew they'd still be jumping on stages after all these years...

As you may or may not know (and surprisingly, a few people I talked to before the show, didn't) Domestica is two-thirds of Mercy Rule -- vocalist/bassist Heidi Ore and guitarist/vocalist Jon Taylor -- but instead of Ron Albertson, Boz Hicks is behind the drum set bringing a completely different style of drumming to their sound. Beyond that difference, it's pretty much business as usual. Domestica, as Mercy Rule before it, excels in punk-rock anthems -- loud, soft, loud, as Taylor put it, the only way to go. Listening to the band's new five-song EP, I'm reminded of Mercy Rule circa Providence. Heidi's voice has the same sweet coo, Taylor's guitar has the same guttural growl. The CD is a must-have for any Mercy Rule fan, astutely recorded by engineer Ian Aeillo at ARC Studios in Omaha (the Mogis compound).

Strangely, Domestica's mix Saturday night was muddy and somewhat restrained -- you can always use more Taylor guitar. On the other hand, The Monroes' set was dead-perfect all around, probably the best set I've heard from these guys (and I've seen them at least a dozen times). Yeah, O'Leaver's has a tiny PA, but the room is perfectly suited for certain bands, and The Monroes is definitely one of them. I'm listening to their new "Drillin' Daylight" 7-inch as I type this, recorded by Brooks Hitt at his Hittsville! U.S.A. studio in Havelock -- it's the best-sounding record they've ever released. Great sleeve and pressed on sexy ruby-colored vinyl. What more do you want? And in case you didn't know it, Lincoln Dickison is one of the best guitarists in Omaha. Beyond the music, the other highlight was the ongoing trivia contest, where fans were given Richard Petty Pez dispensers as prizes to questions like "How fast was I going when I got a ticket?" Answer: 47, a rather wimpy speed for a Plymouth. You can do better than that, Gary.

Ideal Cleaners played last to a crowd that only got bigger as the night rolled on. I was pinned against the wall by the door throughout the set, no way to move to the railing. Of the three bands, IC is the most straight-forward, and the most brutal. Their new full-length, Muchacho, is an orgy of pounding punk rock that never loses sight of the melodies. A few songs (like the title track, for instance) remind me of Criteria, while other tracks (like "You've Got the Prettiest Fingers") sport a dirtier, grittier groove. I would compare them to Ladyfinger, except that their music is a bit more accessible and less acidic. Nice stuff. Nice night.

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Musician/soundman/Lazy-I intern Brendan Greene-Walsh passed along some rather grim news last night about Melbourne Australia band Electric Jellyfish, who played at O'Leaver's last week. The gig was part of a cross-country tour that included Chicago, Detroit and then Brooklyn this weekend. They never made it.

Brendan got a call yesterday while driving around town from a reporter from the Cleveland Plain Dealer, asking about Electric Jellyfish. What the reporter told him caused Brendan to pull over to the side of the road. The band was in a fatal accident on the Ohio Turnpike yesterday morning; their 2001 Chevy Tahoe flipped, skidded and smashed into a concrete barrier after trying to avoid a deer in the road. Electric Jellyfish guitarist Hayden Rodney Sweeney, 23, and his wife, Bridget O'Brien, 26, died at the scene. Three other band members were taken to the hospital, but were not seriously injured, according to the Plain-Dealer article, here. Sad, scary stuff.

* * *

Very impressive crowd last night at The Waiting Room for The Family Radio/MC Chris show -- maybe 150? I can't tell you who was the primary draw, but there were a ton of faces there I've never seen before.

The Family Radio came out at around 10 with frontman Nik Fackler in full-on ghost warrior face paint. The four-piece blazed through a half-hour of proggy, indie rock that highlighted Chris Senseney's intricate guitar work and Fackler's sing/scream energy. I liken them to a Soviet version of King Crimson with a smattering of Arcade Fire thrown in for good measure. Since it began a few years ago, the band has constantly evolved, from a laid-back warm-hearted chamber-folk project to an intense, all-out prog-punk theater routine. I don't know if I was more mesmerized by the music, the band or the video of a Final Fantasy game that was projected on the screen behind them. Somehow, it all just seemed to fit. Fackler said last night's gig will be the last one for awhile as he's begun shooting his full-length motion picture, Lovely Still, which will keep him busy through spring.

* * *

The weekend is upon us.

Tonight at The Waiting Room it's former wig-wearing sensation Scout Niblett with Thunder Power!! and Alessi. $8, 9 p.m.

Over at O'Leaver's, it's The Jack and Jim Show, Miracles of God and Brian Poloncic. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Saturday's big show is the big Speed! Nebraska showcase at O'Leaver's featuring The Monroes, Domestica, and Ideal Cleaners. All three bands will be celebrating the release of must-have new material. I guarantee this show will exceed O'Leaver's tiny capacity. Get there early. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Down at Slowdown Jr. it's Coyote Bones with touring bands Coupleskate and Belfrie. $7, 9 p.m.

Sunday at The Waiting Room it's Rogue Wave with Port O'Brien, $10/$12, 9 p.m. Meanwhile, over at O'Leaver's, it's The Stay Awake with Dim Light and Meneguar. $5, 9:30 p.m.

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Sounds like there was an impromptu Bright Eyes performance last night, in of all places, The Barley Street Tavern. Matt Whipkey (of The Matt Whipkey Three) was there. He even IM'd me on my cell phone, but by 11:30 I was busy counting sheep. According to Whipkey, it all went down like this:

Bright Eyes' drummer Clay Leverett quickly threw together a country band that included Mike Friedman on pedal steel, Josh Dunwoody (Filter Kings) on upright bass, and Dave Rawlings on electric guitar. The band, which had never played or practiced together before, played and sang country classics for about 90 minutes.

After that wrapped up, most people took off, but that's when Oberst decided to join in on the fun. He played a set of seven or eight new songs, backed by Rawlings, Leverett and Friedman.

"Then he started calling people to the stage," Whipkey said. "Dan McCarthy, then me, then I called Kyle (Harvey) up, Kyle to Justin Dilemma, etc. And we were all backed by Friedman, Rawlings and Dunwoody. Pretty fucking cool."

Whipkey said only about 20 people were in the crowd during the BE set. Oberst sat and listened while Whipkey and the others did their thing. Each performer played two songs. Whipkey did a couple new Whipkey Three tunes, "Free" and "Separation."

Overall, Whipkey said, it was a helluva night. "Great atmosphere. The Barley St. was the perfect place for that." He added that Rawlings may be playing guitar this week in Bright Eyes as Mogis is finishing a big recording project.

* * *

An addendum to yesterday's entry/column on One Percent Productions… Marc Leibowitz and Jim Johnson had a lot to say during our interview Sunday night that I didn't have room for in the story. Among the discussion, would Leibowitz recommend that anyone start up a promotion company today?

"Not in my market. I don't need any more competition," he said, joking. "This is not an easy business. There's a reason why they say bars and restaurants are risky businesses -- because it's true. We learned to make this into a real full-time business. You can have a profitable business doing what is artistically valid. We still bring in bands that we find entertaining. Sure, we joke about shitty bands doing better or selling more records, but that's more jaded than anything else. There is successful quality stuff out there, like Wilco."

Speaking of jaded, have these guys become a little jaded after 10 years of booking shows? "I was I excited to promote this last Built to Spill show as much as the first one," Leibowitz said. "This (job) is cooler than any computer day job or auto body job, but it's still work, it's still demanding and you can still get burned out. Before, we could quit (booking shows) at any time. Now we have a lease and a loan and employees."

Johnson said he was a little more concerned these days about how well shows draw. "I'm more nervous now because it is a full-time job and I don't have a paycheck coming in and I need to make money," he said. "It used to be if you made anything you were happy. It's definitely a job."

Over the years, bars like The 49'r and now O'Leaver's have established a regular clientele. As a result, they've dramatically cut down on live shows because they simply don't need them to draw a crowd. Leibowitz said The Waiting Room probably never would be in that position. "This place couldn't do that," he said. "I can't see the day when this place is packed with 200 people with no show. I don't see it. It's a big place. Our business is providing entertainment."

While they like being in Benson, neither said the location has been an advantage or disadvantage. "I don't think Benson's helped any," Johnson said. "I think we could have done this in any decent location."

"The coolest club in Chapel Hill was in a strip mall in suburbia," Leibowitz said. "We could have been anywhere. Benson's been good to us. As far as not having a parking lot, we've had no parking complaints."

Part of what drove the duo to begin booking shows in the first place was their love for indie music. Has indie seen better days? "When we started doing this we thought indie music was more viable than club owners thought it was," Leibowitz said. "The Ranch Bowl wasn't doing it. Ten years later, some of this indie music isn't as viable. There are still some really successful bands and great music, but it's sort of a dying genre. Some of the labels have adapted in terms of the music. I don't know how much The Arcade Fire and Superchunk have in common, but that's what Merge has done. The success of our company is seeing if we can pick the next genre, the next big thing."

With all the bands they could have asked to perform at their 10-year anniversary, why Bright Eyes? "Why not?" Leibowitz said. "It's the most successful artist out of Omaha that we ever worked with us. We did shows with him in every venue in the city, except for here. He came in and said he liked it. It's an honor to have him playing.

One Percent first booked Bright Eyes in 1997, as an opener for Built to Spill at Sokol Underground. "I remember he played with his back to crowd in the dark," Leibowitz said. "He brought in one of those three-fold blinds and played behind it.

"Almost all those guys -- The Faint, Bright Eyes, Cursive -- all are as cool to us now as at their first shows. That's why they're a success."

* * *

Perhaps I should be known as Pinhead, as I erroneously reported yesterday that Pinback was last night. It's tonight, at Slowdown, with Frightened Rabbit. $15, 9 p.m. Thanks to everyone for pointing out the error.

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Very little to report today other than reiterating yesterday's post about tonight's show at The Waiting Room -- Adam Franklin of Swervedriver. Local heroes Kyle Harvey and Reagan Roeder are opening. Tickets are $10; show starts at 9 p.m. You should go.

And this: I've spent the last day or so listening to the new Springsteen album, Magic. I didn't want to like it. After the schmaltz that was The Rising, I figured "The Boss" had seen his better days. Then I saw that Rolling Stone gave the new album five stars, which is unheard of (I assume part of the rating has to do with politics at Rolling Stone and leveraging their position to get an interview with Springsteen -- just the opposite of what new bands have to deal with at the once-important music magazine. The cover of Stone is gold, but it's only going to happen if your music rates with Joe Levy. Springsteen, on the other hand, could give a shit, and it's Stone that needs him to give the publication credibility in an era when they're putting shit like Zac Efron on the cover). While five stars is unwarranted, I like this album more than I care to admit. It has a cohesive quality that I haven't heard from a new album in a long time. Someone I spoke with compared it to Darkness... It's not nearly as bleak or introspective. It also isn't as bubbly and back-slapping as Born in the USA or as cheesy as Born to Run. Yeah, you can hear when he's trying to sound like his older stuff (He should have let "Livin' in the Future" be a B-side somewhere), but even moreso I hear a modern-day Dylan influence, a return to simple songwriting. Definitely rates a "Yes."

Tomorrow's column: Happy Birthday One Percent...

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Based on the Omahype review (here) sounds like I missed a very special show by The Good Life -- Help Wanted Nights front-to-back in its entirety, that'll never happen again. Instead, I spent the evening staring at Touchdown Jesus from the endzone of The House That Knute Built, watching as The Fighting Irish got their asses handed to them by BC. No, I'm not a Notre Dame fan, but Teresa is. Sounds like I also missed a good Wilco show, too. Ah well, what can you do?

Tomorrow is Adam Franklin of shoegazer/dreampop band Swervedriver at The Waiting Room and to prep for the show, Dave Leibowitz has put together an episode of his Dark Stuff podcast featuring an interview with Franklin along with plenty of his music. Check it out here, then go to One Percent Productions website and buy a ticket to the show. Leibowitz says Swervedriver is one of the best bands of all time. I own not a single Swervedriver album (though I have my share of My Bloody Valentine and Chapterhouse CDs), so Leibs' podcast was indeed a good primer to catch up on the band's sound. Check it out.

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

Just posted, a rather long interview with Tim Kasher of The Good Life, where Tim talks about his screenplay called Help Wanted Nights, the script that the CD of the same name is sort of based on. In fact, most of the story is about the script (if you want to read a review of the album, go here) as well as life in Los Angeles, the movie industry, the Good Life and Cursive. Read the story/interview here.

Will this script ever be produced? After this interview, I'm convinced it will be, eventually. But it could take a long time, maybe even years. By then, Kasher already may have had a different script produced -- he wrote three before he wrote Help Wanted Nights, and finished a new one over the summer. Anyway, go read the story, then come back and read the rest of this blog entry… we'll wait.

Dum-de-dum-de-dum *looks down at his watch*….

Ah, you're done. Thanks for coming back. In my opinion, Kasher should shoot some exteriors in California and then come back to Omaha and shoot the entire film in O'Leaver's -- that's the lounge that was in my mind's eye while reading the script.

Moving on…

You might have noticed that I added a strikethrough in yesterday's column. It was pointed out to me by a reader and by Team Love executive Matt Maginn that I erred in saying that you can't download Tilly and the Wall's Wild Like Children in its entirety at team-love.com anymore. You can, just like you can download some of the other Team Love releases -- not all, but most. Well, a few, anyway. I screwed up by going to the site, looking at the releases pages and not finding any links to download the tracks. They're there, you just have to search for them (and don't bother going to the "downloads" page). Apologies to Team Love for my screw-up, and thanks to those who pointed it out. Now go to team-love.com and start downloading!

Tonight at The Orpheum Theater -- Wilco. Unbelievably, as of noon, the show was still not sold out (according to the One Percent Productions website). Get your tickets now ($29). Andrew Bird opens the show at 8 p.m.

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

Well, Regina Spektor was upstairs at Sokol (sorry OWH, but you got it wrong…again), and it was sold out. Where did all these people come from? Where can one hear Regina Spektor on the radio? In Omaha, the answer is nowhere. I figured she might be played on one of the many women-directed light-rock stations that litter the FM dial, but Teresa, who listens to those stations faithfully, has never heard Regina on any of them. The question came up with a couple of people who were working the show -- one said that Spektor had been featured on CBS Sunday Morning, and that her mom was a huge fan. And I've seen the video for "Fidelity" a few times on MTV2's Subterranean, which is the only bit of sanity left on MTV these days. So, CBS Sunday Morning and MTV2 are the reasons behind Regina Spektor's sell-out of Sokol Auditorium? No…no. I'm sure there's a better reason...

We strolled in at 9 p.m. after watching our Yankees blow it due to a plague of bugs invading Cleveland, we got a beer and walked to the back of the crowd and just then, the houselights dimmed and out came Spektor carrying a microphone. She opened the show singing an a cappella number, tapping her mic in rhythm -- a touching intro. Too bad it got marred by some chick talking in full-voice to her friends, completely ignoring what was going on on stage. The chick, who desperately was trying to look like Britney Spears, just kept right on yacking throughout the whole show. If it were any other rock concert, it wouldn't have mattered because the noise level would have drowned out her big, gaping cake hole. But this was a Regina Spektor show, which featured only Regina and a grand piano. It was the kind of concert that would have been terrific held in The Orpheum or The Scottish Rite or, best of all, The Holland Center. Not in the cow barn we call Sokol Auditorium stuffed with 1,400-plus eager young fans and one Britney wannabe pacing the back of the room, barking like an obnoxious poodle. When she wasn't yelling to her friends, she was yelling into a cell phone. The crowd kept turning around, a few yelled "shut up" but this one wasn't going to stop for anyone. Had I paid $20 for tickets, I would have been pissed. Instead, I moved to the side of the auditorium by the merch area, away from Britney and the masses.

Regina Spektor is an amazing singer/songwriter, there's no arguing it. She writes flamboyant, theatrical songs that sound like modern-day Russian lullabies -- beautiful and charming. Unfortunately, after about 15 minutes of watching her sit behind a piano, it gets rather boring. At one point she got up and played guitar, but for the most part, it was pretty dull. I can imagine her playing larger rooms, arenas where big screens are on either side of the stage, showing live video of the performance -- that would certainly be more interesting, but not much, not really.

* * *

So what's going on tonight? Well, there's that free concert down at Slowdown (Tilly and the Wall, Baby Walrus, and Bear Country) starting at 9. I have a feeling there could be a long line of kids fashionably dressed in Urban Outfitter gear waiting to get into that gig.

Instead, I'll likely be at O'Leaver's for Ketchup & Mustard Gas, Theodore and Bad Folk. According to a post on Slam Omaha, K&MG is "Andy of Cap Gun Coup, Dustin of Paria and Mark of Dance Me Pregnant." Sounds good to me. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Also tonight, down at The Saddle Creek Bar, Denver indie band Light Travels Faster with Birds and Batteries. $5, 9 p.m.

And don't forget Lincoln Calling.

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So where is that Regina Spektor show tonight? The redesigned Sokol website, along with Regina's own site and Ticketmaster say it's upstairs at Sokol Auditorium. The Omaha World Herald, however, says it's down in Sokol Underground. Any other time I'd just ask One Percent Productions, but they're not putting on this show. I guess I'll find out when I arrive. Spektor has a cute, quirky piano-driven sound reminiscent of Tori Amos but without Amos' bullshit melodrama and pretension. There's an honesty to Spektor's music that Amos could never have. I wouldn't be surprised if this one was moved downstairs. Spektor might be a Subterranean darling, but she's unknown around these parts. As of noon today, this show is SOLD OUT, 8 p.m.

Elsewhere tonight, The Waiting Room is hosting twang-mistress singer/songwriter Pieta Brown with Minneapolis folkies The Pines and Omaha's own Paper Owls. $10, 9 p.m.

Tomorrow night is the big Urban Outfitters "Grand Opening Celebration" down at Slowdown with Tilly and the Wall, Baby Walrus and Bear Country all for free and starting at 9 p.m. O'Leaver's is hosting a show by two bands I've never heard of -- Theodore and Bad Folk. $5, 9:30 p.m. O'Leaver's shows sadly are becoming rarer and rarer these days.

Sunday at O'Leaver's it's The Lepers with Ferocious Eagle ($5, 9 p.m.), while The Waiting Room is hosting Jake Bellows and Friends -- who could these "friends" be? $7, 9 p.m.

Of course, don't forget Lincoln Calling, going on all weekend. Check out the Lincoln Calling website for all the latest schedules.

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First, in Lincoln Calling news, I'm told that Saturday's late-night music offering at Box Awesome isn't Goo, it's Derek Pressnall's Flowers Forever DJ extravaganza. I haven't been to Goo yet, so I don't know what it entails. Goo obviously is thematic, and I'm told Pressnall and his posse painstakingly select the material to match specific Goo themes, and I'm sure there's even more to it than that. Regardless, Jeremy Buckley contacted me asking if I could clarify that Saturday ain't Goo, so there you go. That said, "Booty Goo" is tonight at Slowdown, and Lincoln Calling also launches this evening.

Also today is the "soft" opening of Urban Outfitters down at the Slowdown compound. Looking out my office window, I didn't see any banners or balloons or clowns giving out free Pepsi. I guess we'll see the big stuff on Saturday for the official "Grand Opening," which will feature DJs Brent Crampton and Derek Pressnall spinning at the store from noon to 4 p.m. (and, no, that ain't Goo, either), then a free concert at Slowdown at 8 p.m. featuring Tilly and the Wall, Baby Walrus and Bear Country. And Urban will be donating 10 percent of their sales from their opening weekend to the Nebraska AIDS project. Right on.

The real event is the store itself, which almost didn't happen at all. The OWH printed a story on the store in yesterday's issue (here) where they describe it as some sort of industrial high-design concept. It sounds cool, but at the end of the day, Urban Outfitters is the home of the $28 T-shirt (that can go up as high as $48), hoodies that range from $34 to $198, and jeans that range from $49 to $220. The catalog is online here.

I think it's probably a good fit for the Slowdown project, though American Apparel is sort of the new "cool" shop for kids these days. The fact that they're selling a lot of Saddle Creek merch is smart. When it wasn't looking like UO was going to open down at Slowdown, I suggested to the Creek guys that they open their own shop that featured clothing and music from their warehouse and Ink Tank -- after all, plenty of people will make pilgrimages to Slowdown if only because it's operated by Saddle Creek. They didn't like the idea, saying that Sub Pop tried a similar thing and it bombed. Now it appears they have the best of both worlds.

With UO opening, there are only three pieces of the Slowdown puzzle yet to be placed. First, that Blue Line coffee shop/bistro. I'm told that it's slated to open "this fall" -- well, it's fall now, folks, and it ain't open. I suspect you won't see it until this winter (or later).

Then there's the empty restaurant space originally dedicated to Yia Yia's. If I were the Creek guys, I wouldn't let go of that idea -- just like they didn't let go of Urban Outfitters. Yia Yia's is a perfect fit, whether Yia Yia's agrees or not. Finally, there's those vacant artist living spaces/galleries that run along Webster St. Yet another great idea, if they can only find some artists with enough jack to move in.

And speaking of artists… Coyote Bones is putting on a special performance tonight at 6 p.m. at The Bemis, followed by something called "Slide Jam," where 16 regional artists will present five minutes of their art one-after-another. David Matysiak and The Family Radio's Nik Fackler will be among them, with Nik playing guitar for both shows -- not your typical night out.

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One thing I didn't have room for in last week's column about David Matysiak and the Bemis (here) was that David planned to christen the new Bemis recording studio with his old friends The Black Lips while they are in town for tonight's show at The Waiting Room. From what I saw a week ago, the session would merely be a test of how well the room sounds, as there was a lot of work left to do, including constructing a window through the wall that separates the actual recording studio from the mixing room. Still, not a bad way to get the studio off the ground. Matysiak and the rest of Coyote Bones opens for Black Lips tonight, along with The Selmanaires. $10, 9 p.m. -- and still not sold out, as of lunchtime. Maybe it's not sold out because everyone's going downtown to Sokol Auditorium for One Percent Production's very special Mandy Moore concert, which also features Ben Lee and Chris Stills. Just $23, 8 p.m.

It's amusing to go to the One Percent website these days and notice that every date on their online calendar is filled. I don't remember that ever happening before. Business must indeed be booming.

Tomorrow, look here for this week's column, an interview with Jeremy Buckley, the instigator behind the annual Lincoln Calling music festival, which kicks off this Thursday.

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

My weekend plans were stymied by a bad hotdog acquired at a Fort Calhoun high school football game Friday night. I'm not kidding. Always be wary of hand-consumed food prepared at crowded gatherings in farm communities, brought to you from a "back room" by your former typing teacher. I didn't see much hand-washing going on by the food-prep kids, most of whom looked like VICA volunteers. I should have known better.

A couple headlines to start off your week, specifically reviews of Bright Eyes' performance with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl Saturday night. The Los Angeles Times review (read it here) makes it sound like the orchestra didn't add much to the festivities: "Mostly, however, he (Oberst) remained unengaged with the talented troupe behind him. He turned around at one point and shouted, 'You still awake up there?' Then after they had departed, he made a comment about their 'lemon-sucking faces.'" Huh? The Orange County Register review was even more critical (read it here): "Saturday's hit-and-miss stab had as much to do with Oberst's players as himself. Keysman Nate Walcott, for instance, had the task of arranging this material, primarily from the group's latest disc... More than Oberst, Walcott deserves credit for both the marvelous moments and the misfires, while the less-than-dynamic, sometimes lead-footed band should shoulder some of the blame for the spotty bits." While playing with the LA Philharmonic is something of an achievement for Bright Eyes (or for any pop band, for that matter), it's time that Conor gets rid of all the choirs and orchestras and dual drummers and gets back to fronting a plain ol' folk-rock band.

I've been listening to the new Cave Singers disc off and on for about a month now. Not reading the one sheet, I thought the lead singer was a woman doing a Stevie Nicks impersonation. In fact, it's a guy doing a Stevie Nicks impersonation. The Seattle trio is sort of Matador's answer to Two Gallants, but with a more varied folk-rock style (and shorter songs). Black Mountain is Stephen McBean's primary experimental psychedelic freak-out indie rock project (he came through here last year as Pink Mountaintops, remember?). The music is sort of Black Sabbath meets Syd-era Pink Floyd. Their last album -- their groovy debut on Jagjaguwar -- came out two years ago, which means it's time for something new, which I assume we'll be treated to tonight at The Waiting Room. $8, 9 p.m.

Also tonight, just down the street at PS Collective, Kansas City duo Far Beyond Frail plays their style of Lillith Fair female-fronted adult contemporary pop. Opening is Omaha keyboard-and-drums duo Shiver Shiver. $5, 9 p.m.

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