There's a crapload of stuff going on this weekend, not the least of which are Kool and the Gang/.38 Special in the park and the Summer Arts Festival (alright, alright, I'm just kidding…).

On top of my list is a performance by a band called Fortnight. Who are they and why is this show significant? Step right into the Wayback Machine and I'll tell you…

Back in the January 1996, there was a little indie-pop band playing around town called Park Ave. Its members included Conor Oberst, Clark Baeche, Neely Jenkins, Jamie Williams and Jenn Bernard. Read about them here. After Park Ave. dissolved, along came the ultra-shortlived Magic Kiss in 2001, a band that included Jamie Williams and Jenn Bernard of Park Ave., along with Kianna Alarid, Matt Bowen and Jeremy Stanosheck. Read about them here. That was followed two years later by a band we all know and love called Tilly and the Wall, which included Alarid and Williams. For whatever reason Jenn Bernard didn't participate in that band (methinks her teaching career may have had something to do with it).

Now Jenn is back in a new five-piece band called Fortnight that includes a handful of fellow teachers. They've already done some recording, have a myspace page and are playing tonight at The Papio Bowl's T.O. Garcias, way out on 204 E. Lincoln St in Papillion. Something tells me that there won't be any tap dancing in this band. Find out tonight at 9. No idea on the cover.

Also tonight, the reunion of long lost Omaha pop-rock band The 9's at The Waiting Room -- $7, 9 p.m.

Over at O'Leaver's it's Techlepathy with No Blood Orphan and Bird in the Rafters -- $5, 9:30 p.m.

At The 49'r it's Race for Titles and Latitude Longitude (who hasn't played in ages) -- $3-$5, 9:30 p.m.

And over at The Slowdown Jr. it's The Fourth of July with Our Fox and Suzannah Johannes -- $6, 9 p.m.

Things are just as busy tomorrow night. The prime show is probably at The Bemis, where they're holding their "Creative Festival '08." Part of the festivities is an evening of performances in "Gallery 3" by Shiver Shiver, Bear Country, Columbia Vs. Challenger and Capgun Coup. The show starts at 7:30 and runs until 10:30, and is free.

Also:

At The Waiting Room, Joel Petersen (of The Faint) returns with his Broken Spindles project. According to brokenspindles.com, Joel has a new BS album in the can (called Kiss/Kick) but doesn't know when it's coming out. Apparently it's not being released by Saddle Creek Records, as he's been moved off the site's main pages and onto their "Alumni/Inactive" page, along with The Faint. Opening is FTL Drive and Lincoln's Pharmacy Spirits. $8, 9 p.m.

At Slowdown Jr., it's Sarah Benck and the Robbers with Landing on the Moon and Caroline Smith. $7, 9 p.m.

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

When Andy Norman left The Reader a few weeks ago to pursue a degree in environmental journalism, his departure was acknowledged in my column (here). Nothing was done, however, to acknowledge when Tessa Jeffers, the paper's super-talented arts editor, flew the coop. Tessa left about a week before Andy's last day. She's got another writing gig now, but among her side projects was a story she wrote for SPIN magazine. The monthly feature, called Rock City, highlights the finer points of a different music scene in every issue. The July installment is focused on Omaha, and in addition to being on your local newsstands it's available online here (see page 118). Tessa did an expert job highlighting the scene's history, venues, bands and people. Jamie Pressnall from Tilly and the Wall provides some personal Technicolor. Check it out. We miss you, Tessa.

Tonight at The Waiting Room it's RTX, the project of Royal Trux co-founder Jennifer Herrema. Opening is Imaad Wasif, Two Part Beast and Omaha's own masters of garage noise mayhem, Box Elders. $8, 9 p.m.

Meanwhile, this evening at The Westside Community Center, 3534 So. 108th St., it's the Music Saves Lives Blood Drive featuring Little Brazil, Brad Hoshaw, Honeybee and Bartlett. The only thing it'll cost you is your blood, apparently. Show starts at 6 p.m.

Also tonight, at The Barley St., it's My Pal Dragon (solo performance by Matt from Thunder Power), with The Night Gallery, Bear the Ghost, and Ghost of the Forest. 9 p.m., FREE.

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

Up until I got the Brothers angle on this, I was thinking of skipping writing about the smoking ban altogether. What's the point in delving into it? It's a law. There's no stopping it. We all knew it was coming and would get here eventually. How it does or doesn't impact bars and venues is a moot point because it's not going away. Those pro-and-con discussions have been going on for years leading up to the ban. Smokers can grumble and non-smokers can cheer but it won't make a difference.

My only comment is directed to the evangelical non-smokers, the ones who think they're doing everyone a favor by voicing their stern opposition to smoking. Everyone knows that smoking is bad for you. Just like everyone knows that drinking is bad for you, too. Forget about the whole one-glass-of-wine-per-day-is-good-for-your-heart argument -- people don't go to O'Leaver's to have their one glass of wine per day. Here's my point: You can live the healthiest life imaginable -- not smoke, not drink, work out daily, cut out the red meat and sugar and eat a lean diet of grains and hand-blended protein shakes. It doesn't matter. In the end, when your time is up, it's up. All the clean living in the world isn't going to stop it. My mom is a perfect example: didn't drink, didn't smoke, no history of disease in her family, played competitive tennis three days a week, lived on a diet consisting mostly of home-grown vegetables. She had regular check ups. Didn't matter. She died at a relatively young age of 73 due to a fluke heart-related malady. There was nothing she or anyone could have done to prevent it. I remember when my friend Dan, who lives in Santa Monica, quit smoking years ago. Dan loved to smoke -- he loved everything about it -- the smell, the activity, the look. But he was smart enough to know that it wasn't doing him or anyone else any good. So he quit. Dan always told me his greatest fear was being killed in a car accident. His reasoning: He could have been smoking the whole time.

I now await the torrents of non-smokers who have been patiently avoiding going to shows until the ban is in place. They should be here any moment now…

Column 179: Smell Ya Later
The first week of the smoking ban.

Forget about The Waiting Room or Slowdown or The 49'r. Everyone knows that Omaha's most famous rock lounge doesn't even feature live music. The Brothers on 38th and Farnam is recognized as the ultimate musicians hang-out, the Shangri-La of our music scene where on any given night you'll find a sizable contingent of the city's most talented rock musicians drinking, talking and smoking.

Smoking was as central to The Brothers' vibe as booze and the punk rock on its jukebox. The dark, mid-sized club was always enveloped in a haze that hung over the pleather booths like a layer of smog over an LA freeway. Patrons were bent over their stools like little self-contained factories; smoke billowing from thin white stacks held in their yellowed paws. When you got home (or wherever you ended up) after a night at The Brothers, you stripped and tossed your clothes into the hamper (or trash). There was no way to wear those togs again after every fiber of cotton had been permeated in highly condensed tobacco stench.

I couldn't imagine The Brothers without smoke. The thought seemed strange and alien. So when the smoking ban went into effect seemingly overnight last Tuesday, I had to find out what a smoke-free version of the bar would smell like.

I dropped in on Monday evening along with a handful of people who drank pints and shots, ignoring the College World Series playing on the TV over their shoulders. The ashtrays were gone, but the legacy of years and years of smoking remained. The bar smelled like a hotel room that recently went non-smoking -- a strange musk of detergent, mildew, nicotine and dirty orange peels.

Owner Trey Lalley, who is as much a fixture of the Omaha music scene as The Brothers itself, was on the phone with his wife, who was out shopping for ashtrays to place out on the sidewalk. Lalley said even after the law supposedly went into effect, The Brothers continued to allow smoking. Why not? Local bar owners hadn't received notification from the city that anything had changed. The only thing they knew is what they read in the Omaha World-Herald -- hardly an official city document.

So the ashtrays stayed until last Friday night, when a disgruntled customer who'd had a run-in with the bar earlier in the week called the cops. Johnny Law rolled up outside, explained the situation, and shortly thereafter the ashtrays disappeared along with any lit cigarettes (The Brothers still sells smokes behind the bar).

Lalley said police won't be out monitoring the smoking status of bars. Instead they'll react to 911 calls placed from coughing citizens. If the cops show up and catch someone smoking, the person will be cited and fined, along with the venue. Lalley, who isn't a smoker, said he was willing to pay any fines, but said that the repeated recorded offenses eventually would come back to haunt him when it came time to review his liquor license. It wasn't worth the risk.

He's not worried about the ban's effect on his business. The Brothers has a clientele that's willing and able to get up and go outside to smoke. Smaller bars that depend on elderly smoking regulars, however, won't be so lucky. They'll feel the biggest brunt of the new law, he said, along with bars like his that don’t have the luxury of a beer garden.

Lalley's biggest complaint: Bars have always been places where people go to smoke as well as drink. Everyone knows this. Now with the ban, where will people go to get their tobacco fix? Well, they're going to stay home and light up around their family, their kids and in places where no one ever smoked before.

Trey said the ban was designed to protect employees who, advocates say, have a right to work in a smoke-free environment. But the idea that the people who work at The Brothers have no other options for income is insulting to Lalley. He knows better. So do the employees who work there.

The smoke-free Waiting Room had that same lingering old hotel-room stench Friday night. But the first thing I noticed about the ban had nothing to do with my nose. As I walked through Benson on my way to the club, I could hear voices and laughter coming from every direction, as if there was a street festival going on. Looking down Maple St. and the cross-street that runs by Jake's lounge -- people were standing along the sidewalks, enjoying the camaraderie of being in a segregated group probably for the first time in their lives. Smokers are a jolly bunch, but then again, the weather was terrific. How jolly will they be in February?

The ban didn't seem to impact the venue's draw -- The Waiting Room was crushed with people to see Satchel Grande. Outside on the sidewalk, everyone debated the ban. A guy who had lived in NYC when that city's smoking ban went into effect five years ago said the biggest impact wasn't on stand-alone clubs like The Brothers, but on music venues who he said suffered a noticeable drop-off in patronage.

But somehow, New York's club scene survived without smoking. Something tells me Omaha's will, too.

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

Generally when I'm this late with an update I just skip it, but I would be remiss in not mentioning one of the best benefit shows I've seen scheduled in a long time. Tonight at The Waiting Room it's Tunes for Townsend, a benefit for 12-month-old Townsend Holan. One Percent has all the details, but here's the line-up: Beginning at 7 it's Kyle Harvey, Lincoln Dickison, Brad Hoshaw, The Filter Kings, McCarthy Trenching, Black Squirrels, Satchel Grande and Sarah Benck and the Robbers. Cover is $10, with all the money going to the Holan family. Definitely check it out.

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

Heard walking from my car to The Waiting Room Friday night: Voices and laughter coming from every direction, almost as if there was a street festival going on. Looking down Maple or that cross-street that runs by Jake's lounge -- people were standing around on the sidewalks, smoking. It was the first weekend without cigarettes, and the effect was to create a sort of camaraderie. Smokers are a jolly bunch. And the weather was terrific. If it could only be that nice outside all year 'round… but it won't be.

The smoking ban certainly didn't impact the draw at TWR -- it was packed with hippie-folk and middle-aged suburbanites for Satchel Grande -- a band I never figured for having a hippie fan base. Nothing wrong with hippies -- at least they like to dance and have a good time -- which is a stark contrast to the typical slump-shouldered, intense indie crowd I'm used to seeing. SG has emerged as the city's best all-around party band fueled by their own hot original disco-funk songs -- it's hard to not have fun at one of their shows, unless you get slapped in the face by some guy's nasty dreads.

Without smoke, TWR smelled like a hotel room that recently went non-smoking -- a strange musk of detergent, nicotine and dirty orange peels. It's going to take time to air out the place.

So how does O'Leaver's smell? I intend to find out tonight when Brimstone Howl plays, along with Fontana. $5, 9:30 p.m. Meanwhile, over at The Waiting Room, it's the maniacal metal of Bloodcow with Back When, The Clincher and North Carolina's Black Skies. $7, 9 p.m.

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

Show-wise, there's not a lot going on this weekend. The show that was listed at O'Leaver's tonight appears to have been cancelled, according to O'Leaver's Myspace, which also says that out-of-town band Leeches of Lore has moved their set to The 49'r. I plan on dropping in at O'Leaver's anyway just to see how the place smells now that the new smoking ban has gone into effect. Same with The Brothers, a bar I can't even imagine walking into without being overcome by a wall of hazy smoke. Biggest show of the weekend is at a place that's always been smoke-free -- Slowdown Jr. -- featuring Midwest Dilemma, Brad Hoshaw, Reagan and the Rayguns and Band of Annuals. $7, 9 p.m.

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

Photographer/rocker Tony Bonacci and I recently chatted about his photo show hanging down at the Nomad ultra-lounge. The interview was for a story for The Reader. Here's the outcome:

Natural Light
Photographer Tony Bonacci captures sound with a lens.

If you follow Omaha's celebrated indie music scene, chances are you've seen photographer Tony Bonacci's work before.

Bonacci quietly is becoming a go-to guy for some of the scene's most important musicians, including Saddle Creek Records acts Mayday, Criteria and the long, lost duo Azure Ray.

A collection of 30 of Bonacci's portraits (15 rock subjects, 15 non-rock) is currently on display at trendy Nomad Lounge in the Old Market. Among the show's images are Mayday's Ted Stevens working an exer-cycle, Orenda Fink in tribal face paint, Tilly and the Wall pounding out a tune on piano, and Baby Walrus hidden in a field of cattails.

One of the most striking photos is a black-and-white portrait of Tomato a Day's Brian Poloncic sitting on the front stoop of his South Omaha home while his faithful German Shepherd looks on. The photo was used as the inner-sleeve artwork for Tomato a Day's most recent album, The Moon Is Green.

Among the non-rock portraits (though you'll recognize a few local musicians among them) is a quirky photograph of Bonacci's neighbor smoking a cigarette with lipstick smeared across his lips.

Bonacci, 24, has been taking portraits since he was 18. Largely self-taught (He took one photography class which he never completed), his influences include indie film directors Harmony Korine (Gummo, Mr. Lonely) and Larry Clark (Kids) and fringe portrait photographer Diane Arbus. While obviously constructed, Bonacci's images capture subjects in settings both natural and oddly juxtaposed, rarely altering the surroundings. Using a Minolta XG-M 35 mm SLR, Bonacci depends on minimal fill lighting and performs only the most benign Photoshop post production on his images.

The simple hand's off method is key to his matter-of-fact approach. "I think natural photos are interesting," said the soft-spoken artist. "I'm not interested in altering them after the shoot, and that's something you don't see very often anymore."

Bonacci's role as rhythm guitarist for indie band Hyannis provided a convenient entry into Omaha's music world, though "My photography is the main thing," he said. "The music provides instant gratification. I like the idea of doing both, and wouldn't give either one up."

Still, his goal is to broaden his photography portfolio with national magazine assignments as well as more consignment work for bands. He's also considering commercial photography, "If I can do it in my own style," he said.

The show, titled Mach Shau! The Photography of Tony Bonacci, closes June 26 with a special event from 6 to 10 p.m. featuring a live music performance by one of Bonacci's portrait subjects. Nomad Lounge is located at 1013 Jones St.

You can see an example of Tony's work online at tonybonacci.com.

A slew of shows are slated for tonight:

At O'Leaver's, Reagan Roeder and Mike Friedman open for touring band Little Pieces. $5, 9:30 p.m. Over at The Waiting Room, At the Drive-in co-founder and Sparta frontman Jim Ward's side project, Sleepercar, plays. Sleepercar has been described as "alt country, similar to Wilco." Opening is Flight Metaphor and Civicminded. $8, 9 p.m. Down at Slowdown Jr. it's Javelins with Pomegranates and Honeybee. $7, 9 p.m.

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

Tonight at The Saddle Creek Bar it's G.G. Allin's former backing band The Murder Junkies with Koffin Kats (Detroit horror psychobilly), Skinny Jim & the 9 Blacktops (Illinois rockabilly), Shot Baker (Chicago hardcore), Filthy Few (the RUSH of pornobilly!), and Officially Terminated (Lincoln punks). The mayhem starts at 7:30 and will run you $10. (thanks to Tuco for the data).

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

There's something about Scottish and Irish bands... whether you're talking about a more straightforward rock act like U2 or a Celtic-leaning band like The Waterboys, something rooted in their heritage always manages to bubble up in their music no matter how hard they rock. It's subtle, but it's always there. Maybe it's the brogue, but I think it has more to do with a natural sensibility toward green-hilled melodies. Frightened Rabbit frontman Scott Hutchison certainly has an unmistakable, charming brogue, which became more pronounced as the band's set wore on Saturday night at The Waiting Room.

Opening was Mal Madrigal. Actually, Techlepathy was up first, but I missed them, just as I missed the first half of MM's set. Steve Bartolomei and Co. sounded their usual folk-rocking self, though they ended their set with a couple South o' the Border-flavored numbers that took Bartolomei's melodies to a whole different (and amazing) place. Maybe they should try an entire album of Latin-flavored music.

Sub Pop trio Oxford Collapse came on next and sounded like someone from that label circa the late '90s -- solid bass-driven college rock that sort of reminded me of Minutemen, though they weren't nearly as heavy.

Frightened Rabbit hit the stage at around 11:30. Their music floats closer to mainstream rock than indie, again probably because of their Scottish heritage. While ringing and loud, there were moments that weren't far removed from, say, Counting Crows. But there also was a rootsy, faraway quality that I recognized from other bands that have called the northern British Isles their homes -- a lonely, heart-aching sound that burns through no matter how loud the guitars are turned up. Part of it is the rapid, rhythmic strumming. Part of it is Hutchison's rich, throaty voice that would sound at home belting out an Irish (or Scottish) folk ballad (just add fiddle). Great stuff enjoyed by a crowd of around 70 (by my estimate).

* * *

Blogger Annie Dilocker mentioned yesterday that there's a special event going on tonight at Pulp in Benson. Called "Runaways," the event features local writers reading their essays about music, with musicians performing in between readings. Hand-made journals designed by local artists will be auctioned off (silently). Writers include Katie Wudel, Christin Goetz and Dilocker herself. Musician participants include Sam Martin (Capgun Coup), Bear Country, Honeybee and Oui Bandits. Artists include Joey Lynch, Tony Bonacci and Jill Rizzo. The free event (which free wine and beer) starts at 7. Find out more.

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

If there's one thing The Reader doesn't do very well, it's keeping its readers up to date as to who's running the paper. Andy's last issue at the helm of The Reader was a couple weeks ago. He's now relegated to watching from the sidelines like the rest of us. He was always a good sounding board both for the column and for feature stories that I pitched to the paper. He also had the advantage of coming to The Reader from outside Omaha's indie music scene, which gave him a more sober perspective about what was going on. Something tells me that when he returns to Omaha, he'll do so a wealthy man, if there's anything to this whole "Global Warming" bugaboo. Incidentally, no one has been named to Andy's old position, and the powers that be at The Reader are still in the process of working out the details as to who will guide its music coverage going forward. Something tells me that you're going to see some more changes at the paper in the near future...

Column 177: Parting Shots
Andy Norman exits stage left...

And so, we say goodbye to Managing Editor Andrew Norman.

Why, I remember first meeting Andy three years ago, only days after he left The City Weekly to take on the editing chores at The Reader. He was a wee lad, sprightly in stature with pork chop sideburns and a haircut that made him resemble a small, wide-eyed tree monkey or Frodo from the Peter Jackson film The Lord of the Rings. It seems like only yesterday that throngs of tattooed, ebony-haired groupies breathlessly yelled the battle cry "Save Frodo!" when Andy strapped on a bass with his band Jaeger Fight at O'Leaver's. Writer, editor, rock and roll god. And now… now he's gone.

Waitaminit. This isn't an obit. Norman ain't dead. I mean, his career might be dead, but he's alive and kicking and living in Ashland… for now.

About a month ago, Norman, who's been The Reader's acting managing editor and ad hoc music editor (and, as a result, my editor) announced that he was leaving the paper and headed back to school at Michigan State, where he's pursuing a master's degree in "Environmental Journalism," whatever that is. He's spending his summer taking on the self-flagellating role of a construction worker, cooking in the hot summer sun, far away from the e-mail and the deadlines that will plague him for the next few years in East Lansing, Michigan, where he'll also be the editor of his program's publication, EJ Magazine.

But before we let him go, someone had to conduct the exit interview.

Norman, 28, took over the paper's music section in 2005, shortly after the Omaha music scene had reached its zenith of national notoriety and began heading down the other side of the arc. A graduate of UNL, Norman somehow managed to know next to nothing about Omaha's indie reputation or Saddle Creek Records. I still remember him asking who "this Bright Eyes" was. "The only thing I knew about Omaha's music was that a lot of good punk bands came through town," he said. "There was a lot of metal, and I suppose one of the first things I did was listen to 89.7 The River, which gave me a bad impression."

Ah, the smell of bridges burning.

Anyway. Norman preferred the harder stuff, specifically bands like Lagwagon, Good Riddance, Operation Ivy, The Melvins, just about any band on labels like Fat Wreck Chords and Alternative Tentacles.

He said he learned about the local music scene by reading newspapers and blogs and by going to shows and talking to people. He discovered that Omaha and Lincoln are known for their artist-friendly venues, like Box Awesome, the Waiting Room and Slowdown. "Bands want to come back here because they're treated well," he said. "I don't think that was always the case."

Norman said he discovered a diverse music scene that included "good hip-hop and a strong DJ culture." As for indie, he never bought into the standard definition. "I don't think of indie as a genre, but as a way of doing business," he said. "Record labels like Speed! Nebraska and Boom Chick are indie to me."

So what was the biggest pain in his ass as music editor? Norman first pointed to the bands. "In a cultural scene where you deal with artists of any kind, you realize they're often flakes," he said. "It's hard to get them to call you back or send you a photo. All we want is a decent bio, the actual band members' names, a couple songs to listen to and a photo. It made your work a helluva lot harder if you went online and couldn’t find much about a band, or if they had a ridiculous Myspace page that took forever to load. That was pretty irritating."

Another irritant was trying to find writers who knew about something other than the indie scene. Everyone wants to write about The Faint. Try finding an authority on hip-hop or country music. "Typically, people who could write were too tied to the scene," he said. "They were either best friends with bands or in bands, and couldn't separate themselves. Just as the scene grows and young kids need to start bands, there needs to be kids who want to write about music. Someone needs to document what's going on."

The most rewarding part, Norman said, was watching local bands put out albums and start doing "big things" like touring. "I felt proud to be from Nebraska and Omaha where all this stuff is going on," he said. "I would feel comfortable putting music produced by Omaha and Lincoln bands up against music from anyplace else."

He leaves this veil of tears bearing a significant amount of guilt -- for not listening to stacks of CDs on his desk, for not going to enough shows. "I was never able to devote myself to the music editor thing," he said. "My priority was writing news as far as (publisher) John Heaston was concerned. In my opinion, a music editor has to be fully engrossed in the scene."

But there's no time for looking back now. After three years, Norman said it was time for a new challenge. He moves away Aug. 1, and Omaha loses yet another valuable piece of talent.

"The coolest thing about the job was being this country kid from Imperial, a town of 2,000, and ending up in the middle of Omaha's cultural scene," he said. "I'll miss working with the most creative, smartest people in town -- the many writers and fellow editors and staff -- being around that creative power."

Ah Andy, we hardly knew ye…

Tonight at the glorious Orpheum Theater, An Evening with Sigur Rós. It's the opening night of the band's five-city U.S. tour, and tickets are still available for $30 from omahaperformingarts.org. Show starts at 8 p.m. I'll let you know how it goes.

And a brief update on yesterday's blog entry, Midwest Dilemma's new album, Timelines & Tragedies, has climbed 50 spots to No. 112 on the CMJ charts. How high will it go?

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

Here's an item that'll appear in Backbeat in tomorrow's issue of The Reader:

Weeks after its release, the full-length by Midwest Dilemma, Timelines & Tragedies, has landed on the College Music Journal's top-200 chart at No. 161. CMJ develops its chart by compiling play lists from college and non-commercial radio stations.

Midwest Dilemma mastermind Justin Lamoureux sent 300 copies of the CD to radio stations with the help of Minneapolis-based promotion and distribution company Tinderbox Music. He said the service "cost less than $2,000" but was worth it to get the music in front of radio station programmers. Those costs are usually covered by an artist's record label. In Lamoureux's case, the label is his own wallet.

"What I've been told is that it's a good opportunity, especially if you plan on going on tour," Lamoureux said. "It helps build relationships with radio stations in cities you hope to play."

Lamoureux wasn't sure how the CMJ chart will translate into album sales, which, without traditional distribution, he handles online, through iTunes and through Omaha record stores. "I'm hoping it pays off, but I feel that right now, it's cool that these radio stations are getting our music heard," he said. "I'm shocked that so many stations added it to their play lists."

For the week of May 22, Timelines & Tragedies had been added by more than 100 radio stations, according to Tinderbox, and will chart in 13 stations' top-20.

Justin said he should have new CMJ numbers sometime today. Here's hoping he continues climbing the charts.

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

This one appears to have snuck in beneath the radar. The last time the Fiery Furnaces came through town, they were determined to put on a metal show, and they did. From the review of the June 22, 2006, Sokol Underground show:

"I was expecting The Fiery Furnaces' live set to be different from their albums -- no keyboards on this tour, remember? -- but I wasn't expecting the metal-rock-Rush-prog-Talking Head-Zappa-Sabbath explosion that I and about 200 of my closest friends got last night at the Sokol. "Bombastic" doesn't quite cut it. "Mercurial guitar histrionics"? Not exactly. "Anxiety-inducing tension"? Close, but no cigar. I admit to not being a follower of said band, so I can't really tell you how differently they sounded from their previous incarnations. I have only one of their CDs -- their newest one, which Sister Eleanor said they'd be dipping from extensively. From that disc, I only recognized one song -- the surrealistic "I'm in No Mood" and only because there's no mistaking the Russian pastiche melody-line, which when played on guitar instead of keys, was downright Queen-esque. Forget all the pretty stuff on the record, Eleanor has a perfect rock voice that rests somewhere between Chrissie Hynde and Johnny Rotten. Meanwhile, I am now convinced that Brother Matthew is some type of mad genius wunderkind. It's one thing to write this Dali-esque music, it's another thing entirely to play guitar with the virtuosity that he commands. Who needs a synthesizer when you can make your ax create similar (or better) sounds? The bottom line: I like them better as a full-out metal band with punk overtones and a prog jones that comes from listening to too much '70s arena rock (Did I mention Rush?). Yes, their records are interesting, almost quaint. Their live show belongs on a touring festival sandwiched between roaring sets by Cardiacs and The Who." Read the rest here.

I have a feeling they've got something completely different up their sleeves tonight, but if you get a replay of that show, you're in for an ear-ringing good time. Opening the show at The Waiting Room is Grand Ole Party. $15. 9 p.m.

Also tonight, MC Chris is back in town, this time at Sokol Underground with The Age of Rockets. $14, 9 p.m.

If you're wondering, I made it to zero shows this weekend as I spent most of the evenings cowering in the basement waiting for the tornado to strike. Alas, it never did.

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

After last night, I'm beginning to change my mind about Capgun Coup. You could tell that these guys have been touring. Very strong. Sounds like they've toned down the keyboard and amped up the guitars -- always a good decision. I think their secret weapon is whoever that is that leans over and sings harmony vocals with Sam Martin. It made all the difference, and took the edge off Martin's vocals. If it's been awhile since you've seen these guys, they're worth another look.

The same goes for Noah's Ark Was a Spaceship, a band that a year or so ago was just another drone instrumental epic-noise band. They've edged their way into my list of favorite local hard/punk rock bands, right up there with Cursive, Ladyfinger, The Stay Awake, Perry H. Matthews, Monroes, Little Brazil, anything Goldberg's involved in, Criteria and on and on. A brief survey of the crowd brought about comparisons to Unwound and Sonic Youth. They remind me of a late '70s early '80s Athens, Georgia band called Pylon, which probably no one remembers. Pylon played a rather stark, narrow but dance-y version of post-punk, much less broad than Noah's Ark's grinding-yet-soaring post-wave style. In other words, Noah's Ark was a bad-ass. And they're a trio -- gotta love that.

Times New Viking is a trio, too. I admit that I compared them to very early Pavement when I reviewed their CD, mainly because of their low-fi tendencies and simple song structures -- a ridiculous, idiotic comparison after you've see them live, where they in no way resemble Pavement. A trio comprised of a guitarist, drummer and keyboard/vocalist, TNV plays blown-out almost tribalistic post-wave punk that at times borders on anthemic. They certainly got the crowd of 100 or so -- especially the 30 folks pressed against the stage -- rolling with their orgy of noise. On about half the songs, keyboardist Beth Murphy walked away from the keyboard and just handed vocals backed by shredding guitarist Jared Phillips and drummer Adam Elliott, who imbibed in a quart bottle of Jim Beam between songs. Very rock 'n' roll.

* * *

The sweet noise returns tonight to The Waiting Room for the Octopus Garden Art Alliance Benefit featuring Neva Dinova, Ladyfinger, McCarthy Trenching and Roseline. According to a post on the webboard, the organization's goal is to provide arts opportunities to everyone in the community. That includes offering classes and workshops that focus on a variety of media: painting, sculpture, theatre, writing, culinary arts, pottery, murals, photography, sewing, puppetry, music, dance, recycled art projects, etc. The services are available to everyone, but with a special emphasis on helping those who are developmentally disabled, mentally ill and of low income.

This is an awesome concept and an awesome benefit that continues tomorrow night at TWR with Mal Madrigal, Baby Walrus, Brad Hoshaw, Slave 1, and April Domet. Admission is a mere $7 each night. Shows start at 9.

Also tonight, one-man performer Dosh plays with Anathallo and Omaha's own Hyannis at Slowdown Jr. $8, 9 p.m.

Other shows tomorrow night include Mates of State at Slowdown -- the venue's ad hoc one-year anniversary celebration (though I doubt they'll pull out any party favors (though they should)). Opening is Judgement Day. Tickets are $12 today, but will cost you $14 tomorrow.

There also are two shows at O'Leaver's this weekend consisting mostly of bands I've never heard of. Tomorrow night it's Bazooka Shootout, Roman Numerals (which I have heard of) and Imaginary Johnny. Sunday night it's It's True, The Haunted Windchimes, The Mexican and The Vivian Girls. Both shows are $5, and start at 9:30 p.m.

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

Continuing a look back at Slowdown's first year of business with owners Robb Nansel and Jason Kulbel…

The duo discussed their relationship with the venue's primary booking agent, One Percent Productions. When Slowdown first opened, there were questions as to how well the business relationship would work since One Percent owns what arguably is Slowdown's biggest competition, The Waiting Room. Both venues host a similar style of indie rock music.

But Nansel said competition has never been an issue. "I feel like our relationship with One Percent is better than it's ever been," he said. "We just had conversations with them, telling them we want more shows more consistently, and I think they're trying to figure out how to make that happen."

It's rare for One Percent to book a show at TWR that Slowdown wanted, but it's happened. One example is the recent Night Marchers show. "We had Criteria play with The Cops on the same night," Nansel said. "At first we wanted the Night Marchers. It was a bummer, but it was more of a bummer for the Night Marchers show." That's because the Cops/Criteria show sold out Slowdown's small room and likely hurt the draw for Night Marchers, which didn't do nearly as well.

Nansel said that TWR continues to be more open than Slowdown to host different bands from different genres. "They'll book anything," Nansel said. "I think Marc (Leibowitz) thinks of this as more of an indie rock venue." Something tells me that perception will have to change if Slowdown wants to book considerably more big-room shows than they did last year.

Before the club opened, Slowdown wrestled with the idea of being smoke-free. The club even polled people who came to its website. In the end, they followed their gut instinct and kept the smoke out of the club, a decision that they've never regretted.

"If this had been a smoking bar for the last year, it would be in this facility forever and you wouldn't be able to get it out," Nansel said. "I never used to mind going to bars that allow smoking, but after spending more time here in the last year, I notice it a lot more. My eyes hurt."

"I've had a few people tell us -- from both the customer and bar-owner side of things -- that we would have had more business on off nights if we had allowed smoking," Kulbel said. "But I know people who won't go to shows at The Waiting Room because they allow smoking. Had we built Slowdown in 2000, or even in 2005, that choice wouldn't have been there for us. Now enough people know that a nonsmoking environment is where things are headed."

And speaking of where things are headed, what's going on with Blue Line Coffee and American Apparel? Blue Line's addition to the complex was announced before Slowdown opened, with a target opening date of last fall.

"Blue Line is going to open any day now," Nansel said, adding that the owner is just waiting for some "permits and approvals." Nansel pointed out that construction materials -- i.e., drywall -- had just arrived inside the American Apparel space -- a space that was originally slated for a restaurant.

Both Nansel and Kulbel voiced frustration over their inability to find a restaurant suitable for the location, and by "suitable" they mean locally owned and operated -- i.e., not a national chain. "All the restaurant owners we talked to, said 'I'm busy enough trying to keep this one place going. I don't have resources and time to open another location,'" Nansel said. "I think it's a hard business. Anyone in that business on their own is putting all their time and effort into their existing space. We had a couple people approach us who were not previous restaurant owners, but could never get the financing."

"Any frustration you might have is multiplied by 1,000 for me," Kulbel said when I told him how disappointed I was that the restaurant idea fell through. "We went through so many different options and people. It took months and months of time. At the frustrations' peak, American Apparel came to us and said, 'We want that space.' It seemed pretty crazy right off the bat, but the more we thought about it the more it made sense. We had gotten to the point where we were somewhat bleeding money on that space. We have a gargantuan mortgage payment to make every month, too big to have 3,800 square feet of retail space sitting there empty. I can't imagine what would have happened if Famous Dave's had walked up at the same time. I hoped I wouldn't have said 'yes' to that at any point."

So what's the difference between a chain restaurant and a chain clothing store? Kulbel said he eats at chain restaurants all the time. "We just like the idea of a local restaurant, much in the same way we like the idea of a local clothing store," he said. "Slowly we figured out that a local clothing store wasn't a viable thing. The chance of a local clothing store going out of business was way greater than a local restaurant going out of business. You could have the hippest, coolest clothing store in your development and there's a good chance it won't (attract customers). But people will frequent the hippest, coolest restaurant."

Nansel said part of American Apparel's business model is looking at where Urban Outfitters are opening stores and then opening next to them. "Urban Outfitters was happy about (American Apparel)," he said. "From their perspective, it created a whole mindset. People will now think about this area as a place to go to shop for clothes. The more retailers in the area, the better. When they were on their own, people had to come down here just for Urban Outfitters."

So how has Urban Outfitters been doing business-wise? "They're doing good as far as what they tell us," Nansel said. "They're stoked."

There's another recently announced piece of development that also will affect UO and Slowdown -- a new ballpark to be located just east of the Slowdown complex. As you might expect, both Nansel and Kulbel are pleased about it… sort of.

"I prefer it over nothing," Kulbel said. "I am happy for what it will do for the area and the development in the area. I'm glad a decision was finally made on it. It could have been anything as far as we're concerned. There needed to be that anchor piece of the puzzle. Over the next few years everything around here will change, and that will be good. That empty lot across the street (west of Slowdown) will be retail and residential and will add more bars and restaurants, and that's good, too."

"It's always been on the radar screen," Kulbel said of the ballpark. "It originally was going to be on the west side; now it's on the east. We knew that it was a possibility and almost a certainty. The only thing I don't like about it was that it took so long to get going."

They might have foreseen the ball diamond, but they didn’t foresee the all-ages ordinance fight that they went through earlier this year that now requires that anyone under the age of 18 have written, notarized permission before being allowed into Slowdown on show nights. Nansel and Kulbel both say they're fine with how the controversy ended.

"I don't think it's been that much of a pain in our ass," Nansel said of the ordinance. "If it wouldn't have concluded the way it did and we weren't able to do all-ages shows it would have been disastrous. I don’t know if it would have been disastrous from a financial perspective, but from the fundamentals of why we built this place. I would have been very saddened."

"I'm not sure how viable a 21-plus Slowdown would be in this town," Kulbel said. "It would have forced us to do more Goo-like things and really stretched wide open who we booked. (The ordinance) is worth whatever headaches it causes as long as we can continue to do all-ages shows."

We didn't talk at all about the record label, other than Kulbel and Nansel both confirming that it's still their No. 1 interest. "Yeah, it's where I spend most of my time and attention," Nansel said.

"It has to be (No. 1)," Kulbel said. "It's still the day job; it's still what I do with my nine to five."

That said, Kulbel is "completely totally 100 percent happy with Slowdown. I love how it turned out. I love how people seem to like it. It's more work than I ever thought it would be, but it's fun work, too. It's work that I certainly enjoy. I feel like we're building something we're proud of."

* * *

Jesus, this is a long blog entry…

Anyway, there's a couple cool things going on tonight if we don't get blown away by another tornado. Did anyone go to Modest Mouse last night? How'd that turn out?

Down at the ultra-chic dance club called The Nomad Lounge, 1013 Jones Street, local photographer Tony Bonacci is holding his first exhibit, which opens tonight and runs through the rest of the month. Bonacci's niche is rock-star photos, and his portfolio includes shots of Tilly and the Wall, Orenda Fink, Mayday, Azure Ray, Baby Walrus, Coyote Bones and more. The reception is 6 to 10 p.m., with hor d'oeuvres by The Chatty Squirrel. And it's freakin' free.

So go to the art show, then head on over to The Waiting Room for Times New Viking. These krazy kids are the kings of neu-low-fi indie, the successors to a thrown built by Pavement. Opening is Capgun Coup and Noah's Ark Was a Spaceship. 9 p.m., $8.

Keep your eye to the sky…

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

So, why no birthday celebration at Slowdown on Sunday, the one-year anniversary of its public grand opening? Robb Nansel and Jason Kulbel said the date sort of snuck up on them. Actually, Kulbel said they had talked about doing something for the occasion, but nothing fell into place. So, Saturday night's Mates of State show will have to do, as there's no show scheduled for Sunday night.

In my mind, Slowdown is and will always be a music venue. Why would you build such a gorgeous performance space and not use it? Robb and Jason had other ideas, however. During the interviews for this column, both mentioned the problems that are keeping people from thinking of Slowdown as a place where you could just hang out and drink. Its location topped the list. But just as prominent is the problem with any duo-purpose lounge. Nansel used The 49'r as an example. He said there were times when he'd show up there with friends to kick back and have a few drinks only to find out that they were hosting a show that night, causing them to turn around and look elsewhere. The same problem plagues Slowdown. With shows three nights a week (and now probably more) people are not apt to drive down there for drinks and quiet conversation only to discover that there's a show and a $7+ cover charge. The perfect set-up: the old Howard St. Tavern, which sported a stage lounge and a non-performance lounge. If you didn't want to go to the show, you could always go upstairs to the White Rabbit. Alas, there's no way to set up anything like that at Slowdown…is there?

Column 176: Slowdown at One
Bar or music venue?

Only weeks before Slowdown celebrated its one-year anniversary (the public opening was June 8, 2007), the club that is the dream of Saddle Creek Records' entrepreneurs Robb Nansel and Jason Kulbel enjoyed one of its biggest weeks ever.

From May 18 through 24, Slowdown clocked in with two sold-out Rilo Kiley concerts in its "big room," along with two more big-room near-sell outs (Tokyo Police Club and DeVotchKa) and two well-attended small-stage shows.

The guys should be happy. But they want more. And they know the only way they're going to get it is by hosting more big-room shows. Lots of them. More than they ever intended to host at Slowdown.

"We need to have weeks like last week more often to be really comfortable," said Nansel from the Saddle Creek Records' Euro-modern conference room. "When we have shows, the bar does well. When we don't, the bar doesn't do well. When we set out to open this place, our desire was to have two or three shows a week, and we hoped that we would have a nightly clientele. But the reality is that we're pretty far off the beaten path, and people only come here when they have a reason to. It's going to be that way until the neighborhood develops a little more."

Kulbel, who spoke via cell phone while driving across town on Sunday morning, agreed. "The highs are higher and the lows are lower," he said of the first year. "The highs are when the big room sells out and it's packed and crazy. The lows are Sunday nights when no one comes in after 10:30."

You see, Slowdown had the same idea that the other important music venue -- The Waiting Room -- had when it opened a little more than a year ago. Music wasn't supposed to be the main thing. The bar was supposed to be filled with customers even when the stage was dark, which they hoped would be at least four nights a week. "We don't want people to think of it as a music venue, but as a bar that hosts shows," Kulbel said a year earlier.

It hasn't worked out that way. Blame the location. Step outside of Slowdown, and you're facing an empty city block covered in weeds and litter. And while there's a handful of condos a few blocks away in every direction, the streets aren't exactly bustling with foot traffic.

"No one lives around here," Nansel said. "In a few years, the development will come and the foot traffic will increase."

But until then, the new business plan is to make Slowdown the music venue that Nansel and Kulbel never wanted. The duo recently met with the venue's primary booker -- One Percent Productions -- asking for as many big-room shows as possible. "But at the same time, there's only a certain number of shows that are going to come through town, unless we really start to branch out in terms of genres. We're not at that point yet."

One example of "branching out" beyond their bread-and-butter indie rock programming was the Feb. 21 concert featuring Slightly Stoopid -- a band known for its legion of backwards-baseball cap wearing meatheads. The sold-out show was the biggest bar night the club has ever had. It's also the show that both Nansel and Kulbel said was their worst concert experience since they opened.

"It drew somewhat of an aggressive crowd," Nansel said. "There was a fight, and that never happens. People who come to shows here are generally passive. Although it was our biggest bar night, if we had shows of that ilk every night, none of the people who work here would work here."

"That was a rough night," Kulbel said. "If we got another hold for them, I wouldn't hesitate to do it again. But we wouldn't want shows like that once a week or even once a month. It’s not what we do."

Another thing they don’t do, at least not anymore, is a brand of DJ-driven theme nights hosted by members of The Faint and Tilly and the Wall called "Goo." In Slowdown's first months, Goo garnered a reputation for being an all-ages dip into debauchery set to strobe lights and a hot club mix. Goo was wildly successful. It also was an enormous pain in the club's ass.

"Goo is challenging," Nansel said. "It's mostly kids. You have to staff it really well and constantly make sure that no one's getting into trouble."

"The real problem (with Goo) was that these people were trying to cram a night's worth of drinking into two hours," Kulbel said. "They drank really fast, got drunk really fast and then everything went crazy. Afterward, the staff would ask, 'Can we not do this any more?'"

Goo is probably gone for good. Like Seinfeld, the DJs wanted to end it on a high note, and the club won't consider hosting another Goo night unless it's 21-and-over, which is a deal-breaker for the organizers.

But Slowdown doesn't need Goo or Slightly Stoopid to succeed. It just needs good shows and good service. Over the past year, Nansel and Kulbel learned how to run a bar. It used to take 20 minutes to get a drink on busy nights. Now it takes less than five. The rest will work itself out, as ballparks and condos rise around them. The foot traffic will come, eventually, and Slowdown will become the bar -- not the music venue -- that they always wanted it to be.

There's tons more with Robb and Jason that didn't make the cut, which I'll put online tomorrow.

* * *

Tonight at the Westfair Amphitheater, it's Modest Mouse with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. Westfair is about 16 minutes from downtown Omaha in Council Bluffs. $35. Gates open at 6, show starts at 8 according to the Westfair website, where you can find details about the show (parking, what you can bring, etc). If accuweather is to be believed, the weather should cooperate, as thunderstorms shouldn't be rolling into our area until well after 1 a.m., long after the concert should be over.

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

My take on PHM after last night at The Waiting Room is the same as it was before last night -- there's an throw-back quality to their sound that's unquestionable; a throwback to the Omaha/Lincoln scene of the mid-'90s that reminds me of bands like Mousetrap, Sideshow and Opium Taylor, bands that were popular around here when members of PHM were about four years old. It's a punky, dissonant sound, angry and chaotic. The difference last night: It was less messy, more controlled, more refined, but just as brutal. Most young bands these days are playing a brighter-sounding almost tinty cacophonous punk. New Times Viking, who plays at TWR Thursday night, comes to mind. PHM is darker, deeper, more rhythmic (the drums never sounded better). Frontman Paul Hansen's vein-necked screaming continues to remind me of Pat Buchanan but with less flailing and spitting (but just as disturbing). PHM hits the road tomorrow for a two-week tour of the upper Midwest down through Arkansas, Tennessee and Oklahoma. Here's hoping they find their crowd, and that their crowd finds them.

* * *

Tonight at Slowdown its heritage alt-country band Old 97's with Hayes Carll and I Love Math. $17, 9 p.m.

And speaking of Slowdown, in tomorrow's column the club's frontmen talk about the venue as it celebrates its first year of operation. See you then.

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

It was a hot, crowded night at O'Leaver's Saturday for Box Elders and Iowa City's Bent Scepters. I missed BE, but squeezed in just in time for the Scepters. The five-piece takes the garage rock stuff to a cleaner, more professional level. Translated: They sound like they practice, whether they do or not. Or maybe it's because they’ve been around the block longer than most local garage bands and they know these songs like the back of their hands. Some might call them "slick." I call it catchy and clean and right-on from the moment they launched into their set. There's no "warming up," just spot-on Zombies'-style punk-and-roll that gets the girls dancing from the first song forward (guys too). And you rarely see dancing at O'Leaver's.

It's been a few weeks since I stepped into Omaha's favorite stink-hole. Construction is most certainly under way. I didn't get any specifics, but it looks like they're creating a door that will connect to Mach's new sandwich shop next door. Part of the wall that divides the "stage" area from the bathrooms looked like it was gone, too. Outside, the concrete has been poured for the new beer garden and is waiting for fencing -- not just cyclone fencing, but apparently something a bit more… artistic. O'Leaver's must have foreseen the upcoming change in Omaha's public smoking laws announced last week, and should be ready to react when the (anticipated) hammer drops on smoking later this month. Can you imagine O'Leaver's smoke-free? I can't, either, though I talked to one person who said the ban will mark his return to the venue.

We'll now find out sooner rather than later if there's any truth to the old saw that a smoking ban will hurt -- if not kill -- tavern business. I'm skeptical that it will have any impact at all on music venues, as long as those venues have created an option that considers smoking -- such as an outdoor smoking area or a way for people to leave their drinks somewhere so they can smoke on the sidewalk outside (TWR comes to mind, as I don't know how they'll be able to create an outdoor beer garden). The only taverns who will be crippled by the ban are the so-called "regulars bars" that cater to those folks who come in every night for smokes and booze. With no place to go, they'll be staying home with a bottle and an ashtray heaped with dead butts -- now isn't that a lovely image?

* * *

What better way to kick off the week than with an evening of brain-frying punk by a handful of Omaha's best post-core rock bands? Tonight at The Waiting Room it's a last-minute show featuring the mind-fuck stylings of Perry H. Matthews, the intricate prog-math genius of Fromanhole and hot new act The Yuppies. 9 p.m., $7.

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