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Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Column 166 -- Punk Rock Revival; what I'm missing...

I could easily have written 3,000 words based on interviews conducted for this week's column and still not have scratched the surface of what was the Omaha punk rock scene circa '85-'88. It's history begs to be recorded, and hopefully will be moving forward. Tim Cox tells me that Saturday's show could be the first of an annual event -- certainly there's enough interest -- and enough surviving bands -- to do it for years to come. The specifics: The show is Saturday night at The Waiting Room. It starts at 7 p.m. and will cost you a measly $5. There's no excuse not to go. Well, almost no excuse....

Column 166: More Punk Than You
Omaha's original punk legends gather again.

The idea of the Omaha 'My Generation' Punk Rock Reunion Show (this Saturday night at The Waiting Room) began with a couple former neighbors talking about the good ol' days.

Those neighbors were Tim Cox, drummer for '80s-era punk rock band R.A.F., and the girls that lived next door, Dee Shelton and Meghan Smith. They lived in an apartment building that came to be known as The Farnam House, a place notorious for its ad hoc punk rock shows.

Here's the funny part -- The Farnam House was located right across the street from The Brothers at 38th and Farnam, a building that today is known as Hotel Frank, home of the best house shows in town hosting bands like Capgun Coup and Baby Walrus.

Somehow, Cox and those neighbor girls got in touch with each other 23 years after the fact. "We got to talking about James Widmark, a local artist who was in the Sleez Kangs who had passed away a few years ago," said Cox from his current home in a much quieter neighborhood just off West Blondo. "Meghan mentioned we should get everyone together before we all die. We're all getting older, and we've lived wild lives."

Their small talk spawned the idea of hosting a gathering of survivors of Omaha's '80s punk scene at The Brothers. Cox thought that maybe R.A.F. could play a reunion show. After all, everyone else in the band -- guitarist Paul Moerke, bassist Dereck Higgins, and vocalist Matt Miller -- was still alive.

To help find people they knew from the old scene, Shelton and Smith put together a Myspace page. That's when things really began to pick up speed.

Through a fluke conversation, Cox discovered that one of his co-workers at Fedex/Kinko's was related Jack Hawk, a guitarist for peace-punk thrash-core band Cordial Spew along with Kevin McClay. "Kevin's an insurance salesman now, a big-wig regional guy," Cox said. Before long, McClay, Hawk and the rest of the original Cordial Spew line-up -- frontman Jay Bacon, drummer Conrad Hinz and bassist Bryan Gumm -- were added to the reunion show.

So were local punk legends Apathy and Double-You. Cox decided to push the idea even further by including current-day punk bands The Deformities, The Upsets, Pornhuskers and J.J. Pearson (ex Toxic Reasons) and His Weapons of Ass Destruction.

"The show became a chance to show the kids who never got to see us what these original bands were all about, while letting the old-schoolers see the new stuff," Cox said.

Such a large lineup called for a larger venue. Other than halls and house shows, the only other gathering spot for punk rock in the mid- to late-'80s was The Lift Ticket Lounge (remember, this was years before The Cog Factory). "From '86 to '89, The Lift Ticket became a constant place to play," Cox said. "It was almost a punk club." Where better to host the reunion show than at the very site where The Lift Ticket used to be?

It all sounded great except for one thing: Remembering how to play all those old songs. Cox said Apathy's Mike Homan had to buy a bass for the show -- he literally hadn't picked one up since his grad school days.

"We haven't played together in 20 years," said Apathy guitarist Jim Homan, who along with vocalist Seth "Deth" Kirshman (Snakey Billy), and drummer Mark Blackman (Bad Luck Charm) -- make up Apathy's original lineup

Cox said no one in Cordial Spew even owned any instruments. "Conrad stopped playing drums 15 years ago," said Spew vocalist Jay Bacon. "Tim (Cox) gave us a basement for our first practice, and it was awful."

Fortunately, Jim Homan, who also happens to be one of the city's best recording engineers at Ware House Studios, made a copy of Spew's old cassette tapes, which helped Bacon and the band remember the songs.

The show has all the makings of historical event. Fact is, the history of Omaha's early punk scene and its influence on what came after is impossible to capture in a 900-word column. At its very center is a story of a bunch of misfits who didn't seem to belong in a Cold War, Reaganomics-driven world spiraling out of control.

"It was a time when everyone hung out together -- the straight-edge and party kids, the peace punks and skinheads," Cox said. "We all got along."
Eventually, they all grew up, got married, went to college or got jobs. "For a lot of them, the scene was just a phase of life," Cox said. "But we all still love the music and have fond memories of those days."

Bacon agreed. "The music and the words still mean a lot to me," he said. "I think the kids are ready to hear it. They haven't heard thrash hardcore the way we do it." For Cordial Spew, the reunion could be the beginning of a second life. The band already is slated to play a River Concert Series gig May 7 and will be distributing copies of a new CD at Saturday's show.

"We're all adults with kids and responsibilities," Bacon said. "We're not touring; we're just trying to share the music again."

He said that while times have changed, the music and its angry message are as relevant as ever. There's just one problem: "When I'm doing the songs, I feel the anger, but there I am, standing in a room surrounded by people I love. It's hard to get mad. I have to go to a different place when I sing and remember the things that pissed me off."

Too bad I won't be there to see it. I'll be in New York City through the weekend on R&R (if anyone has any NYC suggestions, I've got the daylight hours on Thursday and Friday to kill and I'll be hanging around the Gramercy Park area). Among the shows I'll miss while I'm gone are Darren Keen Wednesday at The Waiting Room; Felice Brothers, Justin Townes Earle and McCarthy Trenching Thursday at TWR; Headlights Friday at TWR; and Jens Lekman Friday at Slowdown. If anything musicwise happens in NYC, I'll post it on here. Have a good week.

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posted by Tim at 2:00 AM

Monday, March 24, 2008

Live Review: Doug Kabourek; Beach House, Landing on the Moon tonight…
One of the main reasons I dropped in at O'Leaver's Saturday night was to see Doug Kabourek perform again. Doug, who used to go by the name Fizzle Like a Flood, hasn't played a solo show in a couple years. As 10 p.m. rolled around, there sat Doug cradling a guitar, just like he did a few years ago. It was as if time had stood still. Kabourek sounded just like he used to, in good voice singing good little story songs like an Omaha version of John Darnielle. He said he has no plans to revisit the 40-track recording style of Golden Sand, but will continue to play live. Here's hoping he records those new songs somewhere. She Swings She Sways did a nice set, and so did a three-piece version of Black Squirrels.  All-in-all, a laid-back night at O'Leaver's. 

Baltimore's Beach House plays at Slowdown Jr. tonight with Papercuts and Our Fox.  Beach House's new record, Devotion, was released on Carpark last month. What I've heard from their website is pretty trippy stuff -- tonal, slow groove, moody. Opener Papercuts' new record, Can't Go Back, got a whopping 8.3 from Pitchfork. That must mean something. $10, 9 p.m.

Meanwhile, over at The Waiting Room, it's Landing on the Moon with Seattle indie-pop band Smile Brigade and Paper Owls.  $7, 9 p.m.

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posted by Tim at 11:06 AM

Friday, March 21, 2008

Live Review: For Against; Little Brazil tonight, the return of Doug Kabourek tomorrow…

I will wax only the briefest of sonnets about last night's For Against show at The Waiting Room. Almost no one was there, maybe 30 people at its apex, which dwindled to around a dozen by the end of their nearly 2-hour set. I don't know what -- if anything -- will get people to come out and see/hear this band. It's their loss. If you like Factory Records, if you like Joy Division and that style of music, you're doing yourself a great disservice by not seeing these guys whenever you get a chance (and if you live in Lincoln, that means tonight as they're playing an early show (6 p.m.) at Box Awesome). I've seen them a half-dozen times over the past 15 years and last night's set was easily, simply their best. It's rare (nay impossible) for just about any band to keep my attention after, say, 45 minutes. These guys kept me entranced for an hour and forty-five minutes, a distance I wasn't prepared or expecting to travel, as Spring Gun also was slated to play this show, but apparently canceled (though the band was there). Certainly Spring Gun's drummer, Nick Buller, who also is now a core member of For Against, was in the house and performed as if undergoing some sort of tribal rite of passage. Yes, the rhythm section is their backbone, but For Against really is the product of all its parts; a honed, efficient trio that takes advantage of every moment. There are no wasted efforts. The new songs from their new album, Shade Side Sunny Side, held up to any of their earlier material, in fact, the evening's highlight was a song from that CD, called "Why Are You So Angry?" -- which provided a perfect dynamic counterbalance to the band's usual throbbing sound. Now they're off to Italy, where I'm told they'll be performing 2-hour sets on tour "because it's expected." Those lucky Italians.

Tonight at The Waiting Room, something a bit less cerebral -- Little Brazil with The Photo Atlas, 1090 Club and Valley Arena. $7, 9 p.m.

Tomorrow, it's the return of Doug Kabourek (who no longer goes by Fizzle Like a Flood) at O'Leaver's. Doug will be playing a few songs as part of a show that headlines She Swings She Sways and The Black Squirrels. An historic event? You be the judge. 9:30, $5.

Watch for updates over the weekend...

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posted by Tim at 10:14 AM

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Live Review: Colourmusic, British Sea Power; For Against, José González tonight…
The irony of Colourmusic -- other than they aren't British, as the spelling of "colour" would imply (they're from Stillwater, Oklahoma) -- is their use of white -- all-white clothes, white guitars, white amps, white everything. No colour at all! Except the music, which was somewhat colorful. I had a hard time getting a handle on what they were trying to do. There was a lot of Flaming Lips going on, as well as typical indie rock. Fact is, the mix was so bad that all I could hear was the bass and the lead guy's distortion pedals.

Bad sound also hampered British Sea Power's set. Here was a six-piece that included a trumpet and violin player, neither of which could be heard past the bass in the muddy mix. Other than terrible sound, their set was pretty much as expected -- a sort of homage to '80s UK rock. Not bad, but not terribly inspiring and after awhile, somewhat boring, with every song played at the same pace, with the same dynamics, and the same fuzzy bass. Good-sized crowd (150?).
Hopefully, just as large of a crowd will be on hand for tonight's show at The Waiting Room: For Against with Spring Gun and Richard Schultz and the Miracle Men. This show is being promoted by their label -- Minneapolis' Words on Music -- as For Against's CD-release show for Shade Side Sunny Side, their seventh full-length and first studio album since 2002. The album will officially be released on April 8.

I profiled the band last year before they headed out on a tour of Spain (read the story here). In the coming weeks, the band, which includes new drummer Nick Buller (of Spring Gun) will be headed to Italy for a tour that takes them to Rome, Salerno and Savona, with a Northern European tour planned for later in this year. Here's your chance to see them on their home court (well, close to home anyway, as they're actually from Lincoln). $8, 9 p.m.

A few weeks ago when I interviewed Jim Johnson for the Waiting Room anniversary story, he tipped me to another show that's going on tonight: José González at Sokol Underground. It's another in a series of shows by Hunt Industry, a Lawrence-based promotion company that seems to have taken Sokol Underground under its wing. Anyway, González is an Argentinean singer-songwriter with a unique style who has released music on a handful of labels including Parasol and Mute. He's played on most of the late-night chat shows, including Conan and Kimmel. Opening the 7 p.m. show is Mia Doi. Tickets are $15. Would it be possible to hit this show, then For Against? Maybe…

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posted by Tim at 9:22 AM

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

St. Patty's redux; British Sea Power tonight...

A brief comment on Monday's St. Patrick's Day festivities: We turned our backs on the glorious, stench-filled Dubliner as the bar continues to insist on hosting the same crappy band every year -- a band that prefers to play John Denver and Willie Nelson covers instead of Irish ballads. Instead, we headed to The Brazen Head for a true Irish band -- The Turfmen. We walked in at 3 and I had my first Guinness at 3:01 -- far quicker than the Dubliner ever served me on the holiest of drinking days. Still, it just wasn't the same. The Raisin Head essentially is a restaurant located in a strip mall next to a World Market. Its only ties to the emerald isle are a few Irish motifs and a Guinness sign. It's like celebrating St. Patrick's Day at a Village Inn. Even the poor Turfman had been relegated to a corner in the back of the bar, surrounded by empty tables so that no one could get close to the band (or dance an Irish jig). We lasted two hours and then high-tailed it home. Next year, it's back to the Dubliner, even with the John Denver tribute band. Fact is, I just can't get enough of that Dubliner stink!

Tonight at The Waiting Room, it's the Brighton England combo British Sea Power. The 4-piece epitomizes the soaring UK pop sound that I remember from the early days of MTV, complete with chiming guitars and breathy, gasping vocals. They remind me of Welsh band The Alarm (a lot) and early upbeat U2 (a little). Wikipedia says they've been compared to The Cure and Joy Division, which I can't hear at all. Opening are Colourmusic and Who Shot Hollywood -- two bands I'm not familiar with. Still, you probably don't want to miss this one, unless you're torn between this show and For Against tomorrow night (also at The Waiting Room). Why not man-up and go to both? $10, 9 p.m.

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posted by Tim at 10:38 AM

Monday, March 17, 2008

Happy St. Paddy's Day; Hoshaw and Co. tonight...

I had intended to skip the Brad Hoshaw St. Patty's Day Birthday Bash at The 49'r this evening. After all, St. Patrick's Day is somewhat sacred to Teresa and I. We usually spend the afternoon imbibing of Guinness at The Dubliner, and I wind up in bed and fast asleep by 8 p.m. I already told Brad that I wasn't going. But now it seems that Teresa has come down with a cold, and I'm also a bit under the weather due to allergies and we will likely skip the usual revelry. Which means if I'm feeling up to it, I might go to the Niner after all, though there's nothing terribly "Irish" about the the evening's music.

Starting at 7:30, the lineup includes Adam Hawkins, Jake Bellows, Landon Hedges, Matt Cox, Sarah Benck and, of course, Brad Hoshaw. That'll be followed by The Black Squirrels at 9:15, Midwest Dilemma at 10:30 and The Whipkey Three at 11:30, if anyone is still conscious. $5.

Strangely, The Waiting Room has nothing booked in observation of this holy drinking day. One would think that TWR and the rest of the Benson would organize a St. Patrick's Day pub crawl down Maple, with Irish music at all the clubs and bars. Instead, nothing. Maybe next year...

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posted by Tim at 10:52 AM

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Live Review: Springsteen...

As I drove aimlessly through the clusterfucked streets looking for a place to park, I took solace in the fact that this, the third concert I've attended at The Qwest Center, would also be my last.

I guess it's impossible to get good seats at Qwest. For Fleetwood Mac, we sat lower bowl center, straight back from the stage and couldn't see shit. For The Who, I joined a Who fan club just to try to get good seats. We got first tier, but too close to the floor and too far back on the side, so we couldn't see shit. Like every other dumbshit who thought the concert would sell out in two minutes, I was online right when the tickets were made available and was surprised that I even got through. Hence, I took the first "best seats" offered, figuring if I didn't take them, I'd never make it through the queue and would lose any chance of getting tickets. When I looked at the seating chart online, I thought they were pretty good -- section 223 Row N. Heck, second tier right off the stage -- I'll be looking right down on The Boss' bad haircut!

Wrong. The seats were, in fact, off stage right, but I misjudged just how far up they would be. Nosebleed, and as a result, I couldn't see shit. I couldn't even really see the jumbletrons set up on the sides of the stage. The irony that everyone knows who goes to Qwest shows is that all the seats are bad, and as a result, most of the audience spends the show watching the screens instead of the stage.

All right, enough of my endless whining about the Qwest's shitty sightlines. Once we got our $26 dinner (hamburger, fries, chicken tenders, two beers), we climbed to our stratospheric seats, and proceeded to wait 90 minutes for the concert to start. The crowd consisted mostly of retired school teachers, grandfathers, extras from a production of The Sopranos, and lots of older women who thought that a Springsteen concerts was the right place to show their abundant cleavage. Omaha is fat city, we all know this. It's also bust city, and from my seat on top of the world, I got plenty of views "downtown," views I could have done without.

Strangely, no one seemed to mind that the tickets said the show was supposed to start at 7:30 and it was 8:30 and nothing was going on. To keep the crowd on the edge of their seats, a roadie would run out on stage every five minutes and do something. Here comes a microphone stand. There goes Clarence's saxophone holder. Better tape another set list to the ground. Meanwhile, all around me, people were calling each other on their cell phones and then frantically waving. "We're sitting over here! Over here! Look how bad our seats are!" Everyone was brimming with excitement. It was The Boss, after all! The Boss!

The band finally arrived at around a quarter to nine. As with the last two concerts at the Qwest, the sound was pure shit. Look, I know that small club shows have spoiled me forever for auditorium shows. There's no way The Qwest will ever match the sound of The Waiting Room or Slowdown or, uh, O'Leaver's. Muddy, flat high end, extreme bounce off the far wall. But you don't go to a Springsteen show for good acoustics. You go for the performance. Springsteen is a modern marvel. He's 58 but he runs around on stage like he's in his 20s. Off he would run to stage left right up to the barrier, then lean back and throw his hands in the air like a circus performer, as if to say "Stand up, fuckers!" Then run to the other side and do the same thing. Over and over, all night. The only thing I could see on the jumble screens were tight close-ups of Springsteen's face, odd pained facial contortions. In his advancing years, he's starting to look like a dark-haired Joe Cocker (or the Belushi version of Cocker).

His voice is phenomenal. Just a terrific voice that never seems to age. And the band was amazing, especially the rhythm section. Weinberg is just a great, functional drummer. He doesn't do anything particularly flashy, he just keeps it all together, as does the bass player. I don't know what he'd do without them. While Springsteen and Lofgren stumbled through their yawn-inducing solos, the rhythm section and keyboardists kept all the wandering on track.

I've already read a few reviews that highlighted Lofgren's solos. I don't like his style, his touch technique that makes every note sound rounded. It sounds like he's played the same boring solos for 20 years, because he has. Again, Springsteen and his band aren't really known for their guitar solos. They are known for Clemons' sax solos, which sounded just like they do on the records. I expected more interaction between Springsteen and Clemons. Aren't they supposed to be pals like on the cover of Born to Run? The Boss barely acknowledged him all night. Where was the love?

Early in the set, Springsteen dedicated a song to Conor Oberst ("Living in the Future"). I figured Oberst was in Austin for SXSW, seeing as his label has a showcase there. Later, Springsteen name-checked "Mac and Nancy," Oberst's parents. Then out of nowhere, here came Conor. Springsteen trotted him out to sing along with "Thunder Road." Oberst either didn't know the words or was nervous or both. You could barely hear him when it was his turn to sing. It was awkward, only made more awkward by the fact that no one in the audience probably knew who this "hometown hero" was. The 54-year-old lady next to us asked us and when we told her, looked disinterested or confused.

The night's musical highlight was probably "The Rising," one of those songs that you forget how good it is until you hear it again. Or maybe "Jungleland," which was marred by a portly drunken woman a few rows away who insisted on cackling in an irritating Tickle Me Elmo voice "Yeah-a-heah-heah!" over and over. Funny the first time, not so much the fourth or fifth time. You begin to realize after about two hours that Springsteen has a lot of classics, and that a lot of them sound the same. The crowd, of course, ate it all up. Clocking in at over two-and-a-half hours, there's no arguing that Springsteen shows are a good value for your concert-going dollar (especially at a $57-$97 price point). Too bad it had to take place at The Qwest, but where else are you going to hold it? Goodbye white elephant!

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posted by Tim at 10:59 AM

Friday, March 14, 2008

Live Review: Richard Thompson; Springsteen tonight; Sheehan Sunday and the rest of the weekend...

Richard Thompson's 100-minute set (including two encores) last night at Scottish Rite Hall ranked right up there with the last time I saw him play back in '94. It was the same sort of set-up: Thompson came out to a nearly empty stage, surrounded by the flora and fauna that is the Scottish Rite's Bambi-esque stage backdrop. Thompson (black shirt, black jeans, black beret) stood behind two monitors, a panel of pedals at his feet next to a faux tree stump that held a towel, a cup of water and what looked like a container of Johnson's Baby Powder. With no introduction, he rifled into a set of music that stretched back to '74's I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight (the title song and "Down Where the Drunkards Roll") as well as an encore that included "Shoot Out the Lights." Between all that were a handful of songs from last year's Sweet Warrior (which I intend to download today), a cheeky number about how he loves brainy women, and maybe his most-loved ballad, "1952 Vincent Black Lightning."

Anyone who's seen him before knows that Thompson is the king of witty between-song patter; i.e., he's utterly charming, that is if you can decipher his rapidly delivered British brogue. The real treat, though, is his guitar work, which is stunning. He walked on stage with a single acoustic guitar and almost two hours later, walked off stage with that same guitar. In that time, he made the beat-up brown ax sound like a stringed symphony, its tone only matched by Thompson's own brassy voice, which sounded no different than when I heard it 24 years ago.

I watched the show from a half-filled balcony. I never got a look at the crowd on the main floor, though the area in front of the stage was littered with bald guys sitting Indian style -- not a single woman to be seen down there. For the most part, the crowd was responsive, and Thompson seemed to be having a good time (if coming out twice for encores is any indication).

* * *

I told Teresa to listen closely to Thompson's guitar, because she wasn't going to hear anything remotely as well-played at the Springsteen concert tonight -- that's right, we're going. I've never been a big Springsteen fan. I always thought his early albums (Greetings…, Born to Run) were utter cheeseball efforts. His stuff never really interested me until The River and Nebraska. It's been hit and miss ever since (mostly miss), though his last album, Magic, is a nice return to form and is probably the best thing he's done since cheese-factory Born in the U.S.A.

You, of course, will get a full report, either tomorrow or on Monday (but probably tomorrow, so look for it).

What about the rest of the weekend?

Tonight after the Springsteen concert, stroll on over to Slowdown Jr. for Glorytellers, featuring Geoff Farina of the now-defunct Karate. Opening is Thunder Power!!! $7, 9 p.m. It should be the same crowd I saw at the Qwest, right?

Meanwhile, The Saddle Creek Bar is celebrating St. Paddy's Day a few days early with The Killigans, The Upsets, Bent Left and Green Room Rockers. I foresee green beers, Jamison's and a drunken mess. Fun! $5, 9 p.m.

Over at The Waiting Room it's Satchel Grande. $7, 9 p.m.

Saturday night's big show is Vic Chestnutt opening for Jonathan Richman at The Waiting Room. I know, JR is the headliner, but I prefer Chestnutt's music (and will probably be the only one in the room who does). Last time I saw him play live was at The Capitol Bar, probably around '96 or so, with Alex McManus accompanying him. $12, 9 p.m.

Over at O'Leaver's it's Bazooka Shootout, The Championship and a third band TBD, assuming that The Ointments aren't going to play (Does anyone know how Reagan Roeder is doing?). $5, 9:30 p.m.

Meanwhile, at The 49'r, it's an always-classic performance by The Filter Kings with The Mercurys. I assume this one will run around $5 and start around 10.

Finally, Sunday, it's the Stephen Sheehan 50th Birthday concert at Slowdown Jr. Sheehan is celebrating with his two favorite bands, KC's Far Beyond Frail and Omaha's Shiver Shiver. Between sets, he and Richard Schultz will play a set of music from their Between the Leaves project. $5, 8 p.m.

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


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posted by Tim at 10:55 AM

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Column 164: Alessi goodbye; Richard Thompson tonight...

A few more notes about Alessi before I turn you loose on the column… In addition to talking about music, we spent a lot of time discussing her favorite restaurants. Among them, Taqueria La Esmeralda on 32nd and Q. "I get the chicken quesadilla, a large cup of horchata soup, and maybe some guacamole." Then there's Bangkok Cuisine at 19th and Farnam. "I order the Tom Kah soup (spice level 5) with tofu, and as main, the Pad Thai (spice level 8)." She also mentioned Dixie Quicks, Nettie's, Jams and the Dundee Dell (where she orders the fried pickles). She said Indian restaurants are to London what Mexican restaurants are to Omaha -- they're everwhere.

We talked about her many physical mishaps. Alessi considers herself clumsy and points to the time she tumbled down the stairs leading to the main floor at Slowdown. "I sprained my ankle and it swelled up and had I show the next night and had to play on crutches." No word of any pending litigation. Then there's the time her tongue became swollen for no apparent reason. "I couldn't stop breathing. I'd been with Jake (Bellows) and Mike (Mogis) came in and didn't know what to do and called an ambulance and we went to hospital and Jake was there quite a long time." She said the doctors think her muscles had contracted, but didn't know why. She talked about doing a show -- and now a split single -- with Thunder Power!!! "I think they're quite fantastic, they're really funny people, and all a bit clumsy so that really works."

In short, Alessi is lovable. In a remarkably short time, she managed to work her way into the hearts of just about every person involved with the local indie music scene. Everyone knows Alessi. Everyone loves Alessi. And what's not to love? I have no doubt that she's going to be a great big star. I just hope that after she makes it big in the U.K., that she remembers all of the people she met in this patch of dirt in the middle of the U.S. She is, afterall, only 17, and Omaha may only have been just another summer crush.

Column 164: British Bird's Other Nest
Alessi makes Omaha her second home.

This is the story of a girl named Alessi, a stranger from a strange land called London cast away in a distant world called Omaha to be embraced by natives carrying guitars and glockenspiel. She quickly learned the language, thanks to tribe leader Mike Mogis. And now, after spending only a few months here eating Tom Kha soup and quesadillas, shopping at the temple of Target and hanging out with fried-chicken eating musicians, she's gone. Back to London. Leaving behind her extended family to pursue a career fueled by global music powerhouse EMI Records, fondly remembering time spent with new friends that she won't see again for a long, long time.

Alessi Laurent-Marke is a 17-year-old singer songwriter. When I saw her on stage at The Waiting Room and was told her age, I didn't believe it. From my vantage point propped against the bar in the back of the room, Alessi (who is, in fact, named after the famous line of kitchenware products) looked and sounded much older, playing songs that seemed too world weary for her 17 years. Her voice had a shy, warm, breathy tone, saturated in an odd accent that reminded me of Bjork. Standing stone still in a long, hippie dress, her thick bangs stopping just before her eyes, I thought that she could be Britain's answer to Cat Power's Chan Marshall, but without Chan's hang-ups. Alessi was too young to have hang-ups yet.

A few days later, she sat across from me in the front booth at The Waiting Room on a Sunday afternoon. The place was empty except for owner Jim Johnson toting around a ladder, and bartender Matt Bowen working a crossword on his Nintendo DS. The folks from Tilly and the Wall were busy loading out equipment from the previous night's show, and as they noticed Alessi, they came over and hugged her, asking when she was going back.

"The combination of humility and talent make my knees buckle," she said, draped in an electric-green wool overcoat. "People here are oh so gentle. I'm not saying that London isn't welcoming, it just moves a helluva lot faster."

Alessi only began singing a couple years ago, when she was 15. Living in a neighborhood halfway between Hammersmith and Shepherd's Bush, she was as an outsider in school. "I felt I had to change a bit to make friends, which made me sad," she said. "I stopped trying at age 15."

After completing her compulsory exams, Alessi's parents allowed her to quit school, but on the condition that it only be for a year. After being encouraged to find her voice by musician Johnathan Rice, she started playing shows, including a residency at the 12 Bar Club on Denmark St. She recorded a few songs with friends and placed them on a Myspace page. "Mostly Americans wrote me messages asking when I was going to come over," she said. "It was quite astounding that people showed interest."

Then in December 2006, Alessi played a show at a Soho club. In the audience were reps from Heavenly Records, a subsidiary of EMI whose roster includes Ed Harcourt, Cherry Ghost and Magic Numbers. Also in the crowd was the head of EMI. He liked the music and showed interest in signing Alessi. It took awhile, but eventually she signed on the day before her 17th birthday. "I was really cautious," she said. "I feel like you have to compromise quite a bit, but in order to really share your ideas and songs, you need a vehicle, and this will come in handy."

The folks at EMI asked if there were any producers that she wanted to work with. "All my favorite most recent music had something to do with Mike Mogis," she said, specifically referencing Rilo Kiley's The Execution of All Things. "I remember listening to it and thinking 'This is modern music. This is magic."

She showed up at Mogis' ARC Studios in early September, living in the adjacent guesthouse and immediately bonding with the Mogis family. Before long, she also became friends with studio engineer Ian Aeillo and the cast of characters in the Saddle Creek world. "Jake (Bellows) turned up one day with a bucket of chicken and I liked him immediately."

Bellows and Maria Taylor are among the guests who contributed to Notes from The Treehouse, which will be released on Zooey EMI (Alessi's own label) in Europe in July. She still doesn't know who will release it stateside. That'll be decided after she returns to London.

Some of her fondest memories of Omaha are based on food -- the Mexican and Thai restaurants (There are no Mexican restaurants in London), and shopping at "the temple of Target" with her mom ("Every Target smells like popcorn, and that can't be a bad thing."). But mostly she'll miss her friends. "Sometimes I get tearful about it because I didn't really have friends in school," she said. "I hate to leave everybody here. They have such good hearts."

But she'll be back. She wants to tour the U.S., and even asked Bellows and Dan McCarthy to come along. And maybe someday, she might even live in our little creative universe.

"I'd really like to move here," Alessi said. "The dream is to buy a very small little house and anyone could stay there when I'm not in town. I would sleep better if I knew there was a little nest for me in Omaha."

* * *

Tonight at The Scottish Rite Hall, Richard Thompson. No idea who -- of if anyone -- is opening this 8 p.m. show. Tickets are $25. I haven't seen Thompson in 14 years, not since he played at Liberty Hall in Lawrence around 1994. That was a terrific show; this one will be, too.

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


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posted by Tim at 10:47 AM

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Lazy-i in Wayne's World; Eagle*Seagull hates EP's…

For those of you who have always wondered what my voice sounds like, I'm once again featured in the Worlds of Wayne podcast (download it here). This time Wayne and I talk about conducting interviews, writing criticism and other music-related stuff. Like I said the last time I did one of these, I'll never listen to this podcast as I have a deep-seated phobia about hearing my own voice (I think it's known as Phonophobia). So take a listen and let me know how I did.

Also featured in the podcast is music by The Third Men, Fizzle Like a Flood and Tilly and the Wall. Wayne originally asked me to bring music along that I'd like to play, so I burned a copy of a few of my favorite Lloyd Cole tunes. The look on Wayne's face when I mentioned Lloyd Cole was enough to tell me that he was never going to play them on his show. That, and the fact that there are "clearance issues" regarding using music that is licensed and released by a record label. I have no idea how all that works. Luckily, I also brought along a handful of Best of Lazy-i compilation discs from over the years, and Wayne selected a couple songs off those by local bands which he could track down and get permission to use.

I've been asked before why I don't start a podcast, and it would be relatively easy with my Macbook Air and Garageband, but I'm not convinced that there's any value in me reading my blog entries rather than you reading my blog entries. That may change if I can ever figure out a way to record phone interviews…

*****

I continue to find out about other local bands performing down at SXSW. Someone posted on the webboard that Vverevvolf Grehv is playing at Emo's Thursday as part of the Relapse Records' showcase.

Another one is Eagle*Seagull, who's playing at The Thirsty Nickel Friday night. Eli Mardock e-mailed last week letting me know that E*S released a limited-edition vinyl EP cleverly titled I Hate EP's. "There will be only 500 copies made available, all of which feature hand screen-printed cover art," he said. "They'll be sold on our forthcoming U.S. tour with Tokyo Police Club." The EP also became available on iTunes (US) yesterday. The digital edition features three additional tracks.

I asked Eli for an update on the band's efforts to sign to a record label. He said the EP was self-released, however "we've got a new label but are still keeping tight lipped about it (until all the little details are ironed out).  We're really excited about it though, and it's been hard to keep it quiet.  We'll make an announcement soon enough."

Know of any other locals headed to Austin? Post them on the webboard.

Tomorrow, the weekly column, featuring Alessi.

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

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posted by Tim at 11:32 AM

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Live Review: Son, Ambulance; SXSW schedules; UUVVWWZ, Chinese Stars tonight...

The final SXSW warm-up show was last night at O'Leaver's featuring a new line-up for Son, Ambulance. Joe Knapp and his brother, Daniel, still anchor the band. Joining them were original drummer Jeff Koster, singer Jenna Morrison, a guy from the Jazzwholes on saxophone/guitar/keyboards/bells/vocals (he was doing everything, and doing it all quite well), and Dereck Higgins. Higgins is like, well, you remember when you played a pick-up game of flag football and there was that guy on the other team who kicked everyone's ass? You called that person a "ringer." And Higgins, who played bass and some guitar, is the ringer on Son, Ambulance. You get the sense that he could step into just about any band and make everything that much better. Joe said the crew had only been together for two weeks, feverishly learning the songs to be performed this week in Austin. Song-writing wise, it was the best set I've seen from him. Joe appears to be channeling Elvis Costello these days both vocally and musically (he's an absolute dead ringer on a couple numbers). Other times the band took off on trippy psychedelic tangents a la Pink Floyd. Yeah, there were a few glitches, but what did you expect? The real question is how these songs sound on the new record. We'll have to wait and see.

Saddle Creek Records sent out their lineup for SXSW yesterday. Here's the run-down for those of you not on their e-mail list.

The official Saddle Creek showcase at SXSW is set for Saturday, March 15, at Dirty Dog. The order:

8 PM - Son, Ambulance
9 PM - Ladyfinger (NE)
10 PM - Georgie James (acoustic duo)
11 PM - Neva Dinova
12 AM - Two Gallants
1 AM - Tokyo Police Club

Creek also is involved in another showcase Thursday, March 13 , with The Onion at Emo's and Emo's Jr.:

Inside Stage:
12:05 - Ladyfinger (NE)
1:00 - Son, Ambulance
2:40 - Neva Dinova
5:10 - Georgie James (acoustic duo)

Outside Stage:
4:20 - Tokyo Police Club

Meanwhile Team Love artists are also hitting 6th St.:

Capgun Coup
03.13 Austin, TX Sonny's Vintage 2928 Guadeloupe @ 5:30
03.14 Austin, TX Calle Habana 6 709 E 6th St @ 9:30

Flowers Forever
03.14 Austin, TX Calle Habana 6 709 E 6th St @ 9:00

McCarthy Trenching
03.14 Austin, TX Calle Habana 6 709 E 6th St @ 8:30

Tilly & the Wall
03.14 Austin, TX Calle Habana 6 709 E 6th St @ 1:00 AM

And The Show Is the Rainbow is playing no less than seven different gigs at SXSW. Check out his myspace for the schedule.

* * *

Tonight at the all-holy Brothers Lounge, 38th and Farnum, it's a rare live show featuring UUVVWWZ, Plack Blague and headliner The Chinese Stars. 9 p.m., $5. Go.

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


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posted by Tim at 10:50 AM

Monday, March 10, 2008

Live Review: Tilly and the Wall, Ladyfinger; Son, Ambulance tonight...

Believe it or not, it's not uncommon to hear people make fun of Tilly and the Wall. Usually it's people beyond their teens and early 20s, or guys who like tougher, angrier rock music, or high-brow musician types that value technical expertise over anything else. The funnin' can become downright abusive, almost hateful. Part of it is jealousy and envy -- here is this troupe of attractive young men and women on the verge of becoming something huge, something that most of those folks will never have. But part of it is the adoration for what can be rather mundane music, music that has been foisted on the slumped, well-coifed shoulders of a next generation who "should know better."

I've liked Tilly since back when they were Magic Kiss, and Park Ave. before that. I admit to liking them no matter how big of a puss that makes me. Part of my affection is due to my perception that there's something rather dark under that ultra-cute façade, something that speaks to a hidden, unspoken reality about the millennial generation. It's a generation that's not supposed to have any underdogs, yet Tilly songs are all about the underdog trapped in a world of constant competition. Look, all you had to do is listen to the words.

Their new single, "Beat Control," however, flies in the face of all that. It's a dance song with no other interest or design other than to get you to shake your rump; a song, as one local sound engineer said "every 15-year-old girl is gonna love." I played it for someone else who swore Debbie Gibson must have wrote it. It is very Debbie/Paula-esque circa 1983, unapologetically so. I've seen others compare it to Dee-lite, which is off the mark (except for maybe the video). It is undeniably infectious, almost impossible to get out of your head after you've heard it just once. It's also a new direction for Tilly. Forget the tap dancing, forget the coy acoustic guitar and the girlie harmonies. This is a straight-up preprogrammed dance-floor raver. And yeah, it could be a big hit if it were embraced by New York DJ's and radio programmers.

I bring it up because the dance vibe that permeates "Beat Control" enshrouded the first 1/3 of Tilly's sold-out set Saturday night at The Waiting Room. The pre-show glowed with a playful Goo-like dance vibe as big-beat club music blared over the sound system while the crowd poked balloons anxiously awaiting The Tilly to arrive.

The line-up Saturday was the five core members, plus two new ones -- a bass player and Craig D on drums. I can't over-emphasize the difference they made to their sound. Night and day. But part of it was the new songs, which stress big, thick beats over handclaps. Even the old stuff seemed rearranged in a way that sounded more realized (and better) than anything on their old records.

Tilly, it seems, has moved away from their hand-made music experience to become this generation's B-52s, or at least that's what they appeared to be going for. Big party, big fun, gets your hands in the air, bang-bang on the drum baby. And the kids loved it. Tilly has gone from having a thrown-together amateur appeal to something much more refined, professional, commercial. I certainly hope that was their intent, because if "Beat Control" does become a hit, there's no turning back. The new crowd -- the crowd beyond the indie stalwarts who loved them for their down-home talent-show appeal -- will not stand for anything less than the hit, and more songs that sound like the hit. "The tap dancing is cute, but we want 'Beat Control.'" And so on.

Speaking of tap dancing, it's still very much part of the act. In fact, it's been elevated to new heights -- literally. A new "tap dance box" has been constructed (at a cost that I'm told that ran in the thousands of dollars). The box, placed at the back center of the stage, elevates Jamie Williams well above the band, so that she looks either like a ballerina on a music box (complete with tutu) or a stripper. The elevation almost makes her too exposed, and though she's providing a rhythm track, I can't help but think that she's become relegated to the role of "dancer," with no microphone in site. Instead, the vocals are handled by Kianna Alarid and Neely Jenkins, singing harmonies that don't quite hold together as harmonies. No one seems to mind.

The bottom line: Tilly fans will love the new Tilly even more, while those who hate Tilly will keep right on hating them, and maybe even moreso as they become more popular…

Tilly wasn't the only Saddle Creek-related band to play a warm-up set this weekend. I caught Ladyfinger Friday night at O'Leaver's and they sounded ready for anything. I talked to a guy who was at their Waiting Room show a few days ago who said they sounded even better at O'Leaver's. There could be a few reasons for this:

1. O'Leaver's small room and low-rent sound system helps pull everything together and hides any flaws that are clearly exposed by The Waiting Room's far superior sound system.

2. The band was more relaxed playing at O'Leaver's, which essentially is their home court.

3. The guy who told me this was loaded.

I tend to think that the truth is a combination of all three. Ladyfinger's new music is more brutal and also more tuneful than their debut. One of the evening's highlights was an impromptu cover of Heart's "Barracuda" where frontman Chris Machmuller managed to hit all the high notes. The band, however, wisely stopped before the second verse -- no reason to shred Mach's voice before heading to Austin.

A combination of late nights Friday and Saturday night, the move to daylight savings time and my advancing years prevented me from going to Holy Fuck last night. If someone was there, please let me know how it went on the webboard.

* * *

Tonight is yet another SXSW warm-up show, this time with Son, Ambulance who is slated to play an early set (8 p.m.) at O'Leaver's tonight. Also on the bill is Fromanhole, Private Dancer, Vampire Hands and Cheap Hookers. $5, all night.

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


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posted by Tim at 10:45 AM

Friday, March 07, 2008

Ladyfinger tonight, Domestica tomorrow, Holy F*** Sunday; Neva vid shoot...

Here it comes, the weekend leading up to SXSW when bands flock to the local venues to warm up before heading to Austin.

Let's run through the schedule:

Tonight at O'Leaver's, it's a not-so-secret secret show with Ladyfinger and a TBA opener. Seeing Ladyfinger at O'Leaver's is a journey into dark, angry chaos, a sweat bath of bodies crushed deep inside everyone's favorite cramped stinkhole. This is how legends are made. It's also a chance to check out their new stuff before they head to Austin Tuesday. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Also tonight, electro-rock pop band Go Motion plays at The Waiting Room with Roman Candles and Mystery Palace. $7, 9 p.m.

Meanwhile, at the hidden nook called Incognito at 70th Ave. & Maple, a two-piece version of Sleep Said the Monster plays with superstar singer-songwriter Brad Hoshaw. SStM's Karl Houfek says Incognito is "the basement of the '1 Lounge.'" I'm told it's quite cozy. 9 p.m., free.

Finally, tonight at PS Collective it's a veritable Slumber Party Records showcase with the mighty Talkin' Mountain, the charming Honeybee, FTL Drive and NYC band The Lisps. The Mountain say they'll be selling copies of their new I'm Drinking This cassette EP, which will sound awesome in my Tracker. $5, 9 p.m.

Saturday night's marquee show is Tilly and the Wall at The Waiting Room with Thunder Power!!! No surprise: It's Sold Out.

No tickets? No worries. Lincoln heroes Domestica (ex-Mercy Rule, do I still need to say that?) are playing at O'Leaver's with The Lepers, The Stay Awake and Perry H. Matthews. Bring your earplugs. You will need them. I'm not kidding. FYI, those PHM guys say they've got a new 6-song 7-inch (that includes a CD-R, all for only $5) which hopefully they'll have on hand tomorrow night. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Sunday night it's Holy Fuck (read about them here) with A Place to Bury Strangers (read about them in the CW here) and Flowers Forever. $10, 9 p.m.

Meanwhile, down at Slowdown Jr. it's The Most Serene Republic with Grand Archives and Jealous Girlfriend. I've been listening to MSR's ambitious new album, Population, on Canadian label Arts & Crafts (the fine folks who brought you Stars, Broken Social Scene, Feist, etc.). It'll be interesting to see how they pull off the record on stage. $8, 9 p.m.

And over at O'Leaver's (that's three nights in a row for a club that's supposed to be cutting back on shows) it's Orenda Fink with Kid Dakota and Dreamend. $5, 9:30 p.m.

What else.

Saddle Creek Records' go-to guy Jeff Tafolla e-mailed yesterday saying that Neva Dinova is looking for dancing extras for a video they're shooting Monday afternoon and evening at Royal View Hall, 3734 So. 13th St. Apparently the Rosenblatt Stadium parking lot is right across the street from the hall, and you can park there if you go. "Don't worry, if you don't know how to dance, junior high swaying back and forth will be great," Tafolla says. "We just need it to look like a bunch of people showed up for a dance. We need couples, but I'm sure we'll be able to pair up any singles. All are welcome!" You're supposed to wear "conservative dress-up" like for a school dance. They're going for a"50's bubble gum pop feel." I assume Jake is playing the role of the school principal or kindly janitor? The shoot is 4 to 9 p.m. and they say they're providing dinner (something tells me it's pizza). Anyone interested, e-mail Rob Walters at torobwalters@gmail.com.

And don't freakin' forget: Daylight Saving's Time starts Sunday night. That means winter's officially over and barbecue season is once again upon us...

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


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posted by Tim at 10:41 AM

Thursday, March 06, 2008

Column 163 -- The Waiting Room after year one; Phosphorescent tonight...

Some leftovers from the Jim Johnson interview that didn't make it into Column 163 (below)...

When The Waiting Room opened a year ago, I (along with others) told Johnson that he could kiss any free time he had goodbye. And that's pretty much how it worked out. "Whatever anyone said about the hours that it would take was right," he said. "I get to work at about 10 a.m., take a break in there somewhere, and leave between 1 or 2 a.m. every night, seven days a week." Grueling. So how can he stand it? "I just like it. I guess I like it so much because it's actually working. It's been a goal to do this for ten years. Now that it's happening I wish I would have done it a lot sooner, but if we had, I don't know if we'd be here or had these opportunities."

As mentioned in the column, those "opportunities" involve property acquisition, which Johnson said provides a "light at the end of the tunnel," and would eventually allow him to slow down and turn the club over to someone else. "Not that I want to do that in the next 10 or 15 years, but there will come a time where I'll pass it on to some hip kid that knows about this new music."

This prompted a discussion about Johnson's knowledge of up-and-coming bands (He obviously isn't a regular reader of Lazy-i and Omahype!). "It's so hard to keep up," he said. "I was at the store the other day and noticed Vampire Weekend was on the cover of SPIN. Vampire Weekend. We've done two shows with them, and I had no idea they were that big. I didn't know who Sara Bareilles was, and she's everywhere. So it's hard to keep up and stay in front of stuff. When I buy new records, it's The Kinks, The Who and '60s rock. That doesn't help."

Johnson wasn't interested in talking about why One Percent had booked so few shows at Sokol Underground last year, deferring to Marc Leibowitz, who makes the booking decisions. "Without that place (Sokol), we wouldn't be where we are today," he said.

So what's the goal moving forward? "To take it to the next level will involve building a reputation that's generated when bands go on the road and talk to other bands about where they've been and what's good," he said. "Everyone's heard of First Ave. and The Knitting Factory. That's where we want to be, but how many years have those clubs been around? It's just going to take time."

Column 163: A Year of Waiting
Omaha club celebrates its first birthday.

A year ago, on the eve of opening what would become a center point of the Omaha music scene, Jim Johnson wasn't sure The Waiting Room was going to work.

He, along with business partner Marc Leibowitz, couldn't tell if the 250-capacity club nestled in the heart of downtown Benson would even be around a year later.

"You don't know. How would you know?" Johnson said from his office located a flight up from the club's main floor. "I truly think if anyone could have made it work, we could, but we didn't know if a music club would work anywhere in Omaha, let alone in Benson."

But it did work, even better than they had hoped. A year after a March 9 opening that featured Art in Manila, The 4th of July and Black Squirrels, The Waiting Room remains one of the city's prime music venues. The club has hosted more than 250 shows including sold out gigs by local heroes The Faint, Bright Eyes and Cursive as well as national acts such as Okkervil River, The Black Lips and Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers (their biggest bar show yet).

Despite the trepidation, Johnson said The Waiting Room has done solid business from day one, consistently making its monthly revenue goals. But to do so meant having to adjust their business plan. The original idea was to both host live music and cater to a crowd of "regulars" who would patronize the bar even when no one was playing. It hasn't quite worked out that way.

"We realized pretty early on that we needed to fill our calendar," Johnson said, pointing to March and remarking that there are only two empty days on the schedule. "If we don't have some sort of event, we don't have any business. I thought we'd have a regulars crowd, but it hasn't happened. It's only been a year. I'm told it takes longer than a year to build that clientele."

Part of the problem is that people have to do some work before they decide to drop in, he said. "You don't know if you'll have to pay a cover or sit through some band that you can't stand," he said. "First you have to go to our website or look in The Reader and see if we have an event."

And not all of the club's events involve rock bands. Johnson said as the first year wore on, the bar added promotions that he and Liebowitz never would have considered before they opened, including Guitar Hero contests, Wii Bowling nights, rock movie nights and most recently, Omaha's version of Lincoln's popular Shithook Karaoke called Girl Drink Drunk, wherein a member of the audience comes on stage and sings with a live band as they play covers of songs like The Cure's "Boys Don't Cry," The Ramones' "Blitzkrieg Bop" and Generation X's "Ready, Steady, Go."

The duo also strayed from their intended booking policy. Before they opened, they had planned on booking everything from country to jazz to reggae, not just the type of indie bands that made their other venture -- One Percent Productions -- such a huge success. But a year later and indie remains their bread and butter.

"I don't think I agree with that," Johnson said before studying that March calendar again and recanting. "Actually, this month does sort of look indie-heavy, doesn't it. I still think we've done more of a variety of music here than ever before. Some of the country stuff just hasn't worked. We haven't given up on it."

He called the club's two Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash shows "disastrous."

"I love that music, but it's hard to get people out to those shows, especially on weekdays." Why? "I guess because their fans are old and have to work in the morning."

Johnson said the year's low points involved the occasional show where attendance was terrible and the bands were a-holes. On the other hand, the high points included being exposed to music that he'd never considered before, and making a lot of new friends -- especially the cadre of musicians and artists that also make Benson home.

Perhaps the most pleasant surprise was how well locating in Benson has worked out. Johnson pointed out that he and Leibowitz considered other locations. "I think we could have done it anywhere," he said. "Benson ended up being the right move. With all the restaurants and shops, this area could become as hip as the Old Market."

In fact, Johnson's so certain of Benson's potential that he and Leibowitz recently bought the building that houses The Waiting Room at 6212 Maple. The property also houses Edward Jones, Jake's smoke shop and the soon-to-open Jake's Tavern, a new comic book shop located in the empty bay next door and four apartments. They closed the deal a month ago.

"It's something we always wanted to do," Johnson said of their real estate venture, called Revamp LLC. "We wanted to have something that has substance. You can't go wrong with real estate. The concert and bar business is a little scary. And if you're going to work so hard for an area, it's nice to own something there. It's nice to have a little piece of Benson."

Tonight at Slowdown it's Phosphorescent, with Bowerbirds, Coyote Bones and Alessi. Phosphorescent's new CD, Pride, is one of the best slow-groove discs I've heard so far this year. $10, 9 p.m..

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


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posted by Tim at 5:37 AM

Wednesday, March 05, 2008

Holy F**k? Holy F__k? Holy Fuck!; Brother Ali tonight…
One of the challenges faced by The Reader this week was how to handle the printing of the name Holy Fuck in its esteemed pages. Should they spell it out and let the chips fall where they may or alter the name in hopes of saving innocent minds from such a loathsome word? The final decision was the latter, and instead of Holy Fuck, you'll see Holy F**k in the pages of this week's Reader. The decision followed a similar approach taken by most other newspapers that featured the band (The most common approach was spelling it Holy F__k). Methinks the band finds the discussion over its name quite amusing.
Well, Lazy-i ain't afraid of the letters U or C. Take a look for yourself, and while you're at it, read about how the band formed, got its name and what it has in store for their show this coming Sunday (read it here). One little item of note that didn't make it into the story: It's nice to see a band that's still thrilled by the little things, like Radiohead recently playing an HF track on BBC during their stint DJing a radio show in the UK. "Radiohead is one of my favorite bands," said Holy Fuck's Graham Walsh. "It was very surreal, very flattering to hear them even say our band's name on the air. It was like 'Wow, they know my band.' That's really cool. It's certainly been a high point so far for the band." He quickly added that the next high point will be playing again in Omaha.
* * *
Tonight at The Waiting Room, it's Brother Ali with Abstract Rude, Toki Wright and BK-One. Get all brushed up for tonight's show by reading my 2003 interview with Brother Ali -- a story that resulted in an angry shout-out by the MC during his Sokol Underground show that week. $12, 9 p.m.
--Got comments? Post 'em here.--

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posted by Tim at 11:42 AM

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

Saddle Creek Honored in D.C.; The Whigs, Coyote Bones tonight...

While you're getting ready to head out to South By Southwest, Saddle Creek's Robb Nansel and Jason Kulbel are packing their tuxes and heading to DC to be honored for their work creating the Slowdown complex.

They're getting the Entrepreneurial American Leadership Award, presented by D.C.-based Partners for Livable Communities as part of the organization's "Celebration of Vision and Community Spirit" formal dinner and awards program tomorrow night. According to the organization's press release, the award "acknowledges the civic capacity building, commitment, vision and entrepreneurial spirit of an individual. Those honored with this award are real 'doers' that accomplish change for the betterment of our communities. As Partners' President Bob McNulty describes, 'Partners is thrilled to honor two young leaders from the Omaha community. Robb and Jason's efforts to promote livability bring new life to an overlooked district and set a new standard for planning and the power of mixed-use that has been revered by the City.'" Past award winners include architect and sculptor Maya Lin; Ohio Senator George Voinovich, and Albert Simone, President of Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).

What will Robb and Jason likely say as their acceptance speech? "Sweet!"

* * *

Tonight at The Waiting Room it's Athens rockers and ATO Records artist The Whigs with Wilmington's Spinto Bands and Omaha's own Coyote Bones. $8, 9 p.m.

And tune in tomorrow for a fun, funky interview with Holy Fuck. See you then.

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


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posted by Tim at 10:51 AM

Monday, March 03, 2008

Weekend wrap-up: Monroes, Midwest Dilemma, Alessi; Simon Joyner tonight...

I never get tired of seeing The Monroes. I've been watching Gary Dean Davis in his various incarnations since the good ol' Frontier Trust days. That whole rowdy tractor-punk shtick never wears thin, nor does watching Davis bounce around like a giant Mexican jumping bean, tightly grasping a microphone, seed cap firmly planted on his enormous head. Hearing him yell "Thanks!" at the end of every song is like an Omaha punk-rock rite of passage. May he and the rest of the band continue doing it into their 80s.

What about the rest of the show Friday night (Ladyfinger, The Coffin Killers)? Well, I missed it. I intended to come back to The Waiting Room, but never made it. I did, however, make it to the Waiting Room Saturday night to see the ever-expanding Midwest Dilemma. The band has ballooned to seven members, including a flute and tuba player; even a drummer (a first for these guys). The result was a set of ethereal chamber pop played to a lilting waltz beat. Few local artists have grown musically over the years as much as Justin Lamoureux, and I get the feeling that what we saw Saturday night was only the tip of the iceberg. The proof will come with the new CD, which he says will be in your hands in the next couple months. Afterward, a tour is in order. The music that I heard Saturday could just as easily be pulled off with his core band featuring Elizabeth Web on clarinet and vocals and David Downing on cello. The drummer, however, was a nice touch and should be part of any road crew. More to come. I was in the back for most of Jake Bellows' set -- him and an electric guitar. I get the feeling that Bellows could stand up there on stage and play his music for three solid hours and still keep his core fans' mesmerized. Finally, there was Alessi, who've I've been hearing about for months. The Londoner has made Omaha her second home, and at the same time, made the Omaha music scene her second family. She played solo with guitar, and it's fair to say that she could be London's answer to Chan Marshall (though her voice sounds nothing like Chan's). The most shocking moment of the night came when the lady next to me told me Alessi is only 17 years old. Her age and her obvious talent explains why EMI is backing her for the long run. Something tells me she's bound to be a star.

* * *

Simon Joyner opens for Iowa City's Samuel Locke-Ward (Miracles of God) tonight at O'Leaver's. Ward's got a new album out, recorded by Ed Gray, called Golden Favorites-Where Sobriety Is King, which you can check out at his Myspace page. 9:30 p.m. $5.

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


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posted by Tim at 11:06 AM

Music Posts
Column 199 -- Harvey Vs. Saklar…
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