I knew little about Dr. Dog before last night's show at The Waiting Room. I had listened to one or two of their songs on Lala and just wasn't feeling it. Still, their publicist put me on the list -- and I got my column in early -- so how could I resist? I'd like to tell you that I was pleasantly surprised, but DD sounded pretty much how I expected -- a cross between Gomez and Nada Surf, a little too mainstream for my tastes. The band sports two lead singers -- the bass player who has an in-your-face Roger Daltrey style, and a guitarist/keyboardist with a high, slightly nasal tone who sounded like a cross between Doug Martsch and Neil Young. It was the nasal guy who I dug the most; his subtle approach effectively sanded down the edges of the band's over-the-top rawk that more often than not, suffered from trying too hard. Try telling that to the 180 screaming fans on hand, however, who soaked in every minute of it.

Another reason I went last night was because Teresa wanted a Dr. Dog T-shirt -- not because she likes the band, but because she's dog crazy. Unfortunately, there weren't any dogs on Dr. Dog's shirts, and they cost $20. I'll buy just about any band's T-shirt if it has a halfway interesting design and costs $10. For $20, it has to have either been a life-changing show or an AA shirt with a jaw-dropping design. Or have a dog on it.

I've got a lot of T-shirts.

* * *

Here's the latest and greatest from intern Brendan Greene-Walsh:

Department of Eagles, In Ear Park (4AD) -- The story of how Department of Eagles came to be is as interest as its music. In what could have been a dreaded situation, Fred Nicolaus and Daniel Rossen were assigned as roommates their freshman year of college without first meeting. As luck would have it, their friendship flourished. They began writing together, combining their different influences and ideas. Even though separated while Rossen was on tour, they continued to record and email ideas to each other. It was this cross-country collaboration that helped create the backbone of this album, which comes out next month. The recording is as eclectic and scattered as the methodology that went into writing it. While most songs on the album are down tempo and subdued -- like "Phantom Other" and the title track -- others take the same restrained song structure and couple it with uplifting and whimsical instrumentation, such as on the fourth track, "Teenagers." This feat is achieved thanks to an eclectic selection of backing instruments -- guitar, upright bass, piano, synthesizers, oboe and handclaps. The band keeps an even keel throughout the album, but manages to ensure that the songs don't become repetitive and boring. Rating: Yes. -- Brendan Greene-Walsh

Tim's take: More often than not, DOE sounds like pre-synthpop, pre-Outback Steakhouse Of Montreal -- i.e., earnest. echoing chamber pop . But whereas pre-bloomin' onion Of Montreal tended to wander and bore, DOE's ethereal quality is infused with enough hooks to make you stand and listen and wonder. It's dream pop that isn't interested in putting you to sleep. Rating: Yes.

* * *

Team Love recording artist and Conor Oberst's biggest vocal influence Dave Dondero returns to Omaha tonight at The Waiting Room. Dondero's sets either mesmerize or stultify, depending on his mood and yours. Opening is singer-songwriter and guitar wizard Lincoln Dickison. Definitely worth the $8. 9 p.m.

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

Well, The Filter Kings have to be pleased with the turn-out Friday night for their CD release show. I didn't get an official count, but my eyeball estimate would be at least 200. The crowd was about half that when the Wagon Blasters went on at around 9:30, probably because of debate.

I didn't realize that both Thornton brothers were in the Wagon Blasters -- Bob and Bill playing bass and guitar. As such, it was sort of like a Frontier Trust reunion. We were even treated to a couple classic FT songs, including all-time favorite, "Swimming Hole." Even the new stuff had that slightly country-fied (fried?) twang that FT was known for, more so than the faster, harder, guitar-burning stuff that makes The Monroes so special. The common denominator: Gary Dean Davis, who sports the same hollerin' auctioneer vocals regardless of whoever's playing guitar.

Next, Black Squirrels did their usual laid-back set of homemade bluegrass -- always pleasant. Then it was the Filter Kings' turn. The band seemed properly amped for the show, much more revved up than the last time I saw them just a few weeks earlier. The overall vibe felt chaotic and rough-hewn. Out of the box they had trouble with the stage sound -- frontman Lee Meyerpeter frantically pointed at his microphone and guitar, then pointed skyward. Feedback ensued, and was a problem throughout the set. Still, the band sounded on-point playing songs off the new album along with a cover or two, including a gut-punch tribute to Jerry Reed via a scorching version of "East Bound and Down," which we all remember from Smokey and the Bandit. Guest vocalists came and went all night, including Kat from Cloven Path and Kat from Black Squirrels. The crowd did its share of hootin' and hollerin', and for one night, The Waiting Room was transformed into a Midwestern version of Gilly's.

* * *

Tonight at the Waiting Room, the red-hot Dr. Dog (currently at No. 6 on the CMJ Triple A top-20) plays with openers Delta Spirit and Hacienda. $12, 9 p.m.

Meanwhile, down at Slowdown Jr. it's Birdmonster and local heroes Fortnight (Jenn Bernard of Park Ave.). $8, 9 p.m.

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

We've got another logjam of quality shows tonight. Choose wisely.

I'll be at the Filter Kings CD release show at The Waiting Room, with openers Black Squirrels and Wagon Blasters. I saw the Kings a few weeks ago and it was a rather milquetoast event. I'm told by Gerald Lee himself that the Filter Kings will be at their edgy, boozy, watch-out-for-flying-chairs best tonight. Get there early to see what kind of trouble Gary Dean Davis is up to these days. $8, 9 p.m.

The FK show has fierce competition at Slowdown Jr. from Brimstone Howl, who will be celebrating the release of their new disc, We Came in Peace, on Alive Records. Opening is The Stay Awake and Father of the Year. The show starts shortly after Slowdown's Obama/McCain debate party. $7, 9 p.m.

Also tonight at brand-new music venue The Attic at 33rd and Harney, it's Yuppies, The Cave Kids, Lipstick Homicide and Lincoln legends Domestica. $6, 9 p.m.

And at PS Collective it's the hard stuff by way of Paria and Fromanhole, with The Zach Heath Band and DJ Plan 9. $6, 9 p.m.

There's not so many choices tomorrow night. The only show on the list is the final reunion of Lincoln band Mr. 1986 at Slowdown Jr. Opening is Eagle*Seagull and Darren Keen. $7, 9 p.m.

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

Just posted, a feature/interview with Lee Meyerpeter of the Filter Kings (read it here). Actually, Lee says he goes by "Gerald Lee" these days, even though for all those years in Cactus Nerve Thang and Bad Luck Charm he was simply "Lee." I'm guessing the name shift is a tribute to his late father, Gerald Lee, Sr. The story covers the origins of the Filter Kings and their new album, Finer Things, which will be available at a CD release show tomorrow night at The Waiting Room.

I'm not a country music fan, but just like any god-fearing red-blooded American, I like Johnny Cash and Hank Williams and some of the "old country" bands that were around in the '50s, '60s and '70s, before C&W got slicked down and commercialized. I can say unconditionally that I love this new Filter Kings record. Meyerpeter and his band have made an album of rocking country music about booze and broken hearts that stands tall next to anything played on country radio. There's meaning behind every song, whether it's the story of Meyerpeter's parents' divorce ("Passion Lingers") or Lee Jr.'s love of Rumplemints ("100 Proof Man"). It's one of the top-five locally produced records this year, and has potential to take off if the band can get it into music programmers' hands at so-called "Outlaw Country" radio stations, and if the band can get out and tour. Anyway, read my account of the band, then go to The Waiting Room tomorrow night. Opening is Black Squirrels (who have become the band of choice for opening slots at CD release shows) and The Wagon Blasters -- a new project that reunites The Monroes' Gary Dean Davis with Bill Thornton, both former members of Frontier Trust. Monroes' drummer Jesse Render also is along for this break-neck hayrack ride.

* * *

Tomorrow night's show is the Wagon Blaster's Omaha debut. Their first gig ever was last week at Lincoln Calling, which had its most successful year ever. LC organizer Jeremy Buckley said he was pleased with the attendance numbers. "We had attendance of close to 2,300 overall, with 10 shows having attendance of more than 100," he said of the 5-day event. "Band payout was in the neighborhood of $8,500, and sound guys made $1,300 last weekend. I wish I could do the math and see what kind of money the crowds generated for downtown Lincoln, because if everyone spent $20 on top of the cost of their ticket on food and beer and such, that's 40K. Big numbers."

Indeed. Buckley said he intended to "slow down" after this year's festival, "but it was the first year that I genuinely felt that a lot of non-regulars supported shows at all of the venues involved," he said. "It was a very community-oriented event, and I think rather than tone it down next year I'll just figure out how to involve a group of people (to be) in charge of different aspects of the weekend." Here's to Lincoln Calling '09.

* * *

In other news, while glancing at the Saddle Creek Records tour schedules on their website the other day, I noticed that there's an Azure Ray concert scheduled for The Troubadour in Los Angeles on Nov. 30. The duo of Maria Taylor and Orenda Fink had played together for 13 years prior to their split in 2005. Now three years later, they're back together again, at least for one night. Saddle Creek Records label exec Robb Nansel said the concert is a "one-off for now," but added, "hopefully it leads to more stuff." While I've enjoyed Maria's and Orenda's solo and band projects, none of them reached the level of their Azure Ray output. Could this be the beginning of a long-term thing? Only time will tell. Hey Robb, when are we going to get that reunion on Slowdown's stage?

* * *

Tonight at The Barley St. it's Thunder Power with Midwest Dilemma (there is no way that their full ensemble will fit on Barley St.'s tiny "stage") along with Bad Folk and Spiders for Luv. 9 p.m., $4.

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

A friend of mine read the following column and said, "That's a nice story, but what happened on your panel? Who was there? What'd you talk about?" Well, I didn't bother recapping the dialog between myself and the authors because it was only interesting at the moment -- or as they say, you had to be there. It was mostly back and forth about how music kind of influenced the panelists. Carleen Brice's novel probably had the most direct link to music, having written Nina Simone into the story line. But all the writers said they don't really draw directly from music when they write, and like me, can't write while there's music playing in the background, especially music with lyrics. It's too distracting bordering on impossible. Even when I'm reviewing an album, I might have the record playing when I get started, but eventually I grab the remote and turn it off. Charles Bock uses music to mentally set a tone before he writes. So the underlying theme was, yes, music influenced the authors' creative process, but really, how could it not? I've never met a creative person that isn't inspired in some way by music or art.

The most interesting part of the panel was hearing Dana Rasso discuss her love for The Minutemen and the film We Jam Econo, and hearing Bock complain about Pitchfork and other online music review sites. Part of his comments are below. I had a great time, and from what I can tell, so did the 30 or so people in the gallery.

Column 191: Book Learned
Confessions of a Lit Fest moderator

The (downtown Omaha) Lit Fest was last weekend at the Bemis Center. It was an opportunity for local writers and people who like writers (readers?) to meet and discuss the art of writing with people who do it for a living.

This year I was asked by Lit Fest organizer, novelist Timothy Schaffert, to moderate a panel discussion about music and writing. "Taking Notes: Music and Writing," the panel was titled. "Reader music critic Tim McMahan discusses the role of music in writing fiction, criticism, and screenplays."

The panel included three professional writers. Novelist Carleen Brice, author of "Orange Mint and Honey," is an Omaha native living in Denver who featured the spirit of Nina Simone in her novel, acting as sort of a guardian angel/guiding light to the main character. Charles Bock, author of "Beautiful Children," lives in New York, though he was raised in Las Vegas, where his novel takes place. His music connection involved a promotional website with a rock soundtrack that serenades readers as they browse. Finally there was D.E. (Dana) Rasso, the guy behind defunct music blog #1 Hit Song (numberonehitsong.com), or so I thought. The final scheduled panelist was Omaha's own Nik Fackler, writer/director of the film Lovely Still and frontman for the band The Family Radio. Unfortunately for us (but fortunately for him), Nik's film was chosen for screening at the Toronto Film Festival, which meant he had to be in Toronto.

Then there was me. I've never moderated anything before let alone a panel. While I've been known to read books -- usually two or three at a time -- I have a disability that prevents me from finishing them. If you go into my home office you'll find hundreds of books with deposit slips, matchbooks, Metro cards, concert tickets, torn bits of toilet paper, anything that can be used as a bookmark, sticking out of them. My problem stems from forcing myself to fruitlessly read the Foundation Trilogy in high school. I promised afterward to never subject myself to finishing a boring novel again. And as for good books, I can't bear the thought of finishing one knowing that there was nothing left to enjoy. Better to stop a few chapters before the end and keep something for later. As a result, I had to wait for the movie to find out what happened to Frodo and Miles Roby ("Empire Falls") and James Leer ("Wonder Boys") and Rob Fleming ("High Fidelity").

Well, Dana turned out not to be a guy, but a cute, smart, funny lady with an intense love of The Minutemen. Carleen was pleasant and interesting. Charles Bock, on the other hand, was intense and serious, the portrait of a young East Coast novelist with something to say. I found out later that he's sort of a celebrity in New York. "People recognize him on the street," Dana told me afterward. It was Bock who also had the most on his mind during the panel.

"Online music criticism in general is just ass. It's insular and it's smarmy and everyone has an opinion on something," he said. "It's going to make it really difficult to the point of impossible for anything to be heard genuinely or experienced in a genuine way because there's already a short-handed answer."

Bock went on to say that an album is meant to be taken at face value. "If you're bright you can hear overtones of this and that and come up with something," he said, "but to have a smarmy little fuck tell you in 200 words whatever. And then Entertainment Weekly gives you a grade. Like really? Thumbs up?"

Bock was hitting a little too close to home, especially considering that The Reader just relaunched CD reviews. Each with a 200-word limit. And a 5-star rating.

Afterward, Bock said he was headed back to his hotel room, to write, because "that's what I do." I intend to seek out his book and enjoy it, at least up 'til the ending. Hopefully he's already sold the movie rights so I can find out what happens.

Carleen disappeared to another panel, while Dana and her friend, New York publicist Lauren Cerand, were curious to find out about Omaha outside of The Old Market. So we hopped inside my Mini Cooper, dropped the top, and I gave them a whirlwind tour through midtown, Benson, the faceless West Omaha suburbs, past landmarks like Boy's Town, the Gold's Gym that used to be the Kmart where I worked my way through college, and Von Maur, the scene of last year's tragic shooting and a fine place to buy shoes.

It was the second time in less than a month that I showed a New Yorker around Omaha, and just like the first time, Dana and Lauren seemed genuinely thrilled. Or maybe it was just the fact that, as New Yorkers, they hadn't ridden in a car in months. I hope they flew back to New York having made a few new fans at Lit Fest, and thinking that Omaha would be as good a place as any to end their next novel.

***

Tomorrow: The Filter Kings

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

Team Love recording artist The Felice Brothers are bringing their down-low saloon-friendly jams to The Waiting Room tonight with AA Bondy. $10, 9 p.m. Do it.

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

The best news about Saturday night's concert: The Anchor Inn. Where has this place been all my life? Why aren't there more (non-redneck) rock shows hosted here?

I admit to having been a little tenuous about driving down there after a long day, and almost didn't. Where exactly was this place? Would we have to park in a field? Would I have to wait in long lines to 1) get in, 2) buy a beer, 3) take a leak? Do I really have the patience to withstand such an enormous hassle? And what about all the bikers that The Anchor Inn is famous for?

I decided not to sissy-out and Googled the place on my iPhone. It wasn't too tricky to find -- get on Abbott Drive and follow the trail of tail lights headed to the concert. At the end of a long, uneven paved road was the marina-like bar/restaurant and a team of yellow-shirted security guys who directed me to a parking spot only a few yards from the entrance. Despite the concert having started two hours earlier (I missed Son, Ambulance and Matt Focht) there was a long line to get in. Ah, but a plethora of security guys checking IDs shortened the wait. Too bad they couldn't do anything about the swarm of Obama people asking if we were registered voters (The whole event felt like an Obama rally from the moment we arrived).

After about 10 minutes, we were in. Walking around the restaurant revealed the huge permanent outdoor stage, large enough to handle almost any performer. Just beyond the restaurant's patio were dozens of picnic tables that led down to an open space in front of the stage. Getting a beer from the outdoor bar took only a couple minutes (no lines, but that might be because a can of Bud Light cost $4). In back was a tent that sold McKenna's Barbecue, while a row of portajohns sat tucked away left of the stage area. Despite a crowd of 2,000, it never felt crowded. The owner said the venue has handled crowds exceeding 6,000, thanks to a huge field south of the stage that leads down to the river. Add to all that the fact that it was the best sound I've ever heard at an outdoor event and this place has the makings of an outdoor music Nirvana. I was blown away. So was One Percent, who said they're considering hosting more shows there next year. The Anchor Inn certainly has my vote.

Which brings us to the musical portion of the review. While Conor was the headliner, Jenny Lewis and her band was just as much of a draw. Looking like a band of hippies (everyone on stage wore hippie hats, the bass player wore a pseudo American flag vest that looked right out of Easy Rider), her six-piece outfit sounded like the second-coming of the Allman Bros complete with boogie-woogie country rock vibe. The sometimes flaccid songs off her new album, Acid Tongue, roared to life in living, psychedelic color. Lewis, who has one of the best voices in indie music today, belted out one song after another, backed vocally in duets by Jonathan Rice (who sang the Elvis Costello part on "Carpetbaggers" and also shared in the unfortunate cover of "Love Hurts" "dedicated to Barack and Hillary"). Lewis appeared to be having a much better time at this show than the last Rilo Kiley concert down at Slowdown. Something tells me that this band and this music could take over everything in her career.

I had the same feeling about Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band. The six-piece came on at around 11:30 dressed in matching dark-blue satin jackets with their band logo embroidered on the back. Oberst went through two guitars during the first song, a testimony to the equipment problems the band was having -- they had to use Lewis' gear as theirs didn't show up until minutes before the concert. No matter, the band sounded great ripping through a set of country rock songs that had new life when performed live with this crew. Like Lewis, Oberst looked like he was having the time of his life. He was much more animated than at the usually staid Bright Eyes shows where he's playing in front of a stringed quartet or brass section. Here it was simple, all-out country rock, loose and fun, eager and relaxed. I left wondering how Oberst could possibly go back to the indie straight-jacket that is Bright Eyes. The answer: He won't, at least not anytime soon. As I said before, Mystic Valley will continue through the end of the year, and then Oberst will focus on his M. Ward/Jim James collaboration, a band that will likely be as free-wheelin' as this one was.

But after seeing this show, the thought of Bright Eyes never coming back at all crept into my mind. Oberst is ever moving forward. He's always looking at the next project, the next opportunity, rarely looking into his rear view mirror at what he's accomplished. Certainly he'll continue to work with folks from Bright Eyes -- Nate Walcott is a member of the Mystic Valley Band, and Oberst and Mike Mogis will always be joined through ARC and other projects. So could Bright Eyes become this year's Desaparecidos? Every time I asked Oberst in interviews if Desa was happening again, he'd say, yes of course, it's just a matter of scheduling. Until the last time I asked, when he said Desa represented a time in his life that has long passed. The same could be said of Bright Eyes and that project's catalog of forlorn classics perfectly designed to make the little girls cry. Looking around the crowd at Saturday night's show, there wasn't a tear to be seen…

* * *

Tonight at Slowdown Jr., those ever-lovin' muppets known as Talkin' Mountain with Love Like Fire, Robert Adam and DJ Kobrakyle. $6, 9 p.m.

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

The hot ticket tonight is once again Lincoln Calling. In fact, tonight is the hottest night of the festival's five days and definitely worth the hour-long commute to the star city. The standout shows are at Box Awesome and Duffy's. The two-story BA extravaganza might be the best one-venue one-night line-up this year. And of course the Speed! Nebraska showcase at Duffy's is an absolute can't-miss spectacle. Figure out a clever way to split yourself in two so you don’t have to miss a minute of anything. Here's the Friday night LC schedule:

Box Awesome
(Upstairs): Columbia vs. Challenger, Baby Walrus, Bear Country FTL Drive.
(Basement), UUVVWWZ, Capgun Coup, Honeybee, Conchance. 9 p.m., $8, 18+

Duffy's: Speed Nebraska Fall Demolition Derby -- Domestica, The Mezcal Brothers, The Third Men, Wagon Blasters. 9 p.m., $5, 21+

Zoo Bar: Son of 76 and the Watchmen, Matt Cox, Tijuana Gigolos. 9 p.m., $5, 21+

State Theater: Academy of Rock Showcase, Straight Outta Junior High, Exit 48, Dodging Bullets, Emergency Entrance. 6 p.m., $5, all ages

Knickerbocker's: The Allendales, Ed Gray, Cameron McGill and What Army, The Whipkey Three. 9:30 p.m., $5, 18+

12th St. Pub: Darren Keen, Heligoats, MWMBLES, Orion Walsh. 6 p.m., $3, 21+

Saturday night

Duffy's: Boss Martians, Tenth Horse, Volunteers, Little Brazil. 9 p.m., $5, 21+

Zoo Bar: Tatsuya Nakatani, Volcano Insurance, The Mighty Vitamins. 9 p.m., $5, 21+

Knick's: The Show is the Rainbow, Pharmacy Spirits, Boo and Boo Too. 9:30 p.m., $5, 18+

Box Awesome: The B Foundation, Andrews Ave., Vibenhai. 9 p.m., $5, 18+

Sunday

Duffy's: Matt Focht (Head of Femur), Son Ambulance. 6 p.m., $5, 19+

Box Awesome: Pattern is Movement, Marianas w/special guests. 9 p.m., $7, 18+

Meanwhile, back here in Omaha, there are plenty of good shows going on if you don't feel like making that drive.

Tonight at The Waiting Room it's the yee-haw sound of Forty Twenty and The Mercurys. 9 p.m. $7.

Saturday night is, of course, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band at The Anchor Inn with Son, Ambulance, Matt Focht and Jenny Lewis. Tix are $20 and the show starts at 8 p.m.

Also Saturday night, The Song Remains the Same plays at The Waiting Room with The Ground Tyrants. $7, 9 p.m.

And yours truly will be hosting a panel discussion at noon Saturday down at the Bemis Center as part of the (downtown) Omaha Lit Fest. As described on the Lit Fest site:

Taking Notes: Music and Writing -- Reader music critic Tim McMahan discusses the role of music in writing fiction, criticism, and screenplays. With novelists Charles Bock (Beautiful Children, which included an accompanying alt music mix) and Carleen Brice (Orange Mint and Honey, in which Nina Simone plays a role), filmmaker Nik Fackler (director of music videos and the locally shot film, Lovely, Still), and D.E. Rasso (music writer for #1 Hit Song and the defunct Brooklyn dirty-mag for women, Sweet Action).

I'm told Nik probably won't be there on account of The Toronto Film Festival, where Lovely Still was screened.

Yes, this whole Lit Fest thing is absolutely free, but the organizers are looking for donations, so give up some cash if you go (or even if you don't).

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

It's Day Two of Lincoln Calling's 5-day music bonanza. Tonight's schedule:

Duffy's: Jodie Loves Hinckley, Machete Archive, Black Hundreds, Techlepathy. 9 p.m., $5, 21+

State Theater: Forty Twenty, The Killigans, Triggertown. 9 p.m., $5, 18+

12th St. Pub: Dan Jenkins (Ideal Cleaners), Nick Westra, Pat Bradley, Matt Martinosky. 6 p.m., $3, 21+

Box Awesome: Academy of Rock showcase -- Damnit Dolls, The Story Killers, Learning to Fall. 6 p.m., $5, all ages. Late show: Revival of the DJ. 9 p.m., free 21+, $3 18+

Knickerbocker's: Pomeroy, Sarah VanderHaar, Golden. 9:30 p.m., $10, 18+

The Zoo: Lucas Kellison and the Assembled Soul, Mo Izreal, 9 p.m., $5, 21+

Full sched and details are at lincolncalling.com.

Also tonight, Paper Owls are hosting a CD release party at The Waiting Room with Shiver Shiver and Midwest Dilemma. The $8 cover gets you a copy of their full length, Myths, recorded at ARC Studios by Ian Aeillo. Starts at 9.

A last-minute show has been put together tonight at O'Leaver's featuring Jake Bellows (Neva Dinova), Nicole LeClerc and Reagan Roeder. $2, 9:30 p.m.

Meanwhile, down the street at The Barley St. Tavern, Darren Keen (a.k.a. The Show Is the Rainbow) takes the stage with Stolen Kisses and Heligoats. No idea if there's a cover. Things get rolling around 9 p.m.

Finally, here's a review of the new Jenny Lewis CD, Acid Tongue, that was supposed to run in this week's issue of The Reader along with three local CD reviews. They all got pushed back to next week, so hear's a sneak peek, just in time for Lewis' opening slot for Conor Oberst Saturday night at The Anchor Inn.

Jenny Lewis, Acid Tongue (Warner Bros) -- Her debut, Rabbit Fur Coat, was a lark that ended up being one of the best albums of '06 -- far better than any current Rilo Kiley output. This one isn't so much a sophomore slump as a flat spot on the shopping-cart wheel of life she so accurately captures in her music. We get Lewis' usual femme fatales -- the used-up should-have-known-better vamps confessing their indiscretions with downcast eyes and a wry, secret smile. The slow songs are the best; the rest sound like experiments in genre appreciation (or nostalgia). Trailer park neighbors include a twangy Elvis Costello sounding like a gawkish Tom Petty. Overall, more evidence that Lewis is this generation's Nancy Sinatra wearing boots not of shiny, shiny leather but of the silver-toed variety. Rating: Yes (Reader rating: Three stars)

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

Here it is, my annual column where I laud one person's heroic efforts while commenting on the gloomy state of local radio. These columns usually result in readers writing in to say, "If you don't like it, buy an iPod" or something equally as mundane. I'm not naive. Actually, maybe I am. I know radio will never change, but I can't help dreamin'. In the end, did Omaha's lack of a radio station that plays quality local music really have a negative impact on the scene? Did the lack of a real college radio station matter to the fate of Saddle Creek? Probably not; or maybe it did in ways we'll ever know.

By the way, whatever happened to KIND?

Column 190: Daylight Savings Time
New Day Rising rises a little earlier.

There continues to be one dim, lonely light burning in the dark, lifeless chasm of local radio. And now that light just got a little bit closer, a little bit brighter.

A couple weeks ago, local FM "alternative" rock station 89.7 The River moved one if its few valued assets -- the 2-hour indie-music program New Day Rising -- from 11 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday nights, making it slightly more within reach to all of us who have to work in the morning.

Since its inception in December 2004 (yes, it really has been almost four years) New Day Rising (named after a Husker Du song) has been the sole source of College Music Journal-style programming on the Omaha FM dial, a fact that goes beyond irony to imbecility, considering that our city has been recognized in the national and international press as one of the most vital music scenes in the country. Omaha radio's non-support of our lauded local talent is nothing less than embarrassing.

But I digress.

New Day Rising host, producer and originator, Dave Leibowitz, said the show's shift to an earlier time slot came as a result of gaining more listeners. "It's an award for being successful," he said a few hours before last Sunday night's show. "I believe the ratings were up. Also over the years (a percentage) of the bands that started out on New Day Rising found a place in the station's regular rotation."

He pointed to bands like Silversun Pickups and MIA that somehow found themselves nestled between The River's seemingly endless supply of cookie-monster neu-metal goon rock, one assumes to the consternation of the station's mullet-haired listeners.

A typical episode combines just-released indie rock with older underground standards and a sprinkling of local offerings. Last Sunday's show included tracks by such indie stalwarts as Jenny Lewis, Neko Case, Conor Oberst and The Shins as well as not-so-familiar acts like The Action Design, The Spinto Band and The Black and White Years, along with a track by local geniuses Little Brazil. Every episode is capped with a classic track from Sonic Youth. "They epitomize what I think the indie or alternative world is supposed to be about," Leibowitz said. "They're this generation's Velvet Underground."

Leibowitz creates his playlist by scanning what's hot on the CMJ and FMQB (Friday Morning Quarterback, another industry magazine) charts, then adds new music received from record labels, promoters and bands. It's all filtered by his personal music taste. "I won't play something that I don't like," he said. "That wouldn't benefit anyone. I try to make (the show) as well-rounded as possible, but I can't be all things to all people. Our goal was never to 'out-indie' anyone; it was to play music that you can't hear anywhere else on the radio."

In a way, New Day Rising is Leibowitz's personal weekly two-hour mix tape, lovingly created just for his listeners. That level of creative control recalls the good ol' days when disc jockeys programmed their own shows, before the advent of Darth Vadar-like corporate entities whose goal is to please the greatest common denominator with the most flavorless, colorless and least offensive product.

Actually, with iPods and the Internet, isn't radio in general becoming a thing of the past? Leibowitz doesn't think so. "Just like there's no substitute for discovering new music at a live performance, there's also no substitute for hearing something for the first time on your radio," he said. "It really is the easiest way to access music until you can get the Internet in your car or wherever you're standing. You can get radio anywhere."

Add to that the medium's characteristic uncertainty. The web provides an endless sense of choice, the presumption that users can find whatever they want. Perfectly compartmentalized, their favorite music is always only a click away. Radio -- for better or worse -- takes away that choice. Listeners are forced to sit back and let someone else drive for awhile. Their destination is a mystery, except for the fact that, in New Day Rising's case, the territory will be distinctively "indie," whatever that means.

"Saying if something is indie or not isn't very easy," Leibowitz said. "You know something is metal by the guitar. Metal may have a million different dimensions, but there's that one thing that defines it. Nothing defines indie that way. You may think you know what it is, and then along comes a band like The Faint who doesn't fit the mold. It's a difficult thing to classify, but people who understand indie know what it is."

Back when New Day Rising first rose, "indie" was a dirty word that Leibowitz's original co-host forbade me to use when describing their radio show. "That's one thing that's changed over the past four years -- we've taken indie back," Leibowitz said. "It used to be that the 'I-word' was something that people avoided; now it's a badge of honor."

A badge whose recipient, it seems, will forever be relegated to two late hours on a Sunday night. Well, it's better than nothing.

I blew it by not mentioning all the online New Day Rising resources, such as the website (http://www.newdayrisingshow.com) and the myspace page (http://www.myspace.com/newdayrisingomaha). Go there and find out more, or just tune in on Sunday night. You won't regret it.

Tonight is the opening night of the area's best local music festival -- Lincoln Calling. The main attraction this evening is at The Rococo Theater: Eagle*Seagull with Neva Dinova (coming off a scorching set opening for Okkervil River last Saturday night at Slowdown) and Manny Coon. Show starts at 7 p.m. and tix are $10. See the full LC schedule here. More on the festival as the week progresses.

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

Tonight at The Waiting Room, never-heard-of band The Reign of Kindo plays with Omaha's Landing on the Moon. $7, 9 p.m. Blues guitarist Jonny Lang (who I also know nothing about) is playing at Slowdown. It's yet another show (like last night's Neko Case gig) that originally was scheduled for Sokol Auditorium but moved to Slowdown because of poor ticket sales. $27, 9 p.m. Note that both shows' tickets exceeded the $20 price line. Is Omaha too cheap for these kinds of quality touring acts, or is it just "the economy, stupid"? I've been told by a number of folks that show attendance is down across the board, not only here but all over the country.

That's all I got, except that personal writing messiah Robert Christgau just reviewed the Conor Oberst CD here. Christgau gave it an 'A,' which I think is the highest grade he's ever given an Omaha band. Sayeth the Christgau:

It's official. Forget Shins guy James Mercer, Spoon guy Britt Daniel, even Arcade Fire fraterfamilias Win Butler -- this vibrato-prone romantic is the greatest melodist in contemporary mega-indie. Whatever his adult solo debut portends for once and future arranger Mike Mogis, the Saddle Creek cartel and his latest girlfriend(s?), its meaning is tunes, with beat enough to carry them forward and no other musical distractions. Unlike Mercer and Daniel, he's about flow -- intricacy is an occasional afterthought. Once in a while a guitar part backs up a tasty phrase, and when the time comes, someone in Bright Eyes will gracefully provide it. And oh yeah -- the best song here, quite possibly the best song of his life, is basically a rocking refrain: "I Dont Want to Die (In the Hospital)."

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

Crazy night at O'Leaver's Friday punctuated with some exciting outdoor activities involving furniture and automobiles. I cannot divulge the details other than to say it was entertaining. As was Vampire Hands, who played to a nice crowd of around 50. Their music takes on a slightly more violent, distinctly more rhythmic tone when performed live. Their bushy v-neck-T-wearing frontman played both keyboards and a modified drum set that backed a full drum set and then a third drum on a few songs. With three vocalists who can actually sing -- and with music that's modern and groovy -- these guys will be heading to a larger label near you, which is nothing less than they deserve. Dining note: I declare Worker's chili dogs to be supremely satisfying after a night of Rolling Rock. Do it.

Saturday night was spent at Slowdown where the most pleasant surprise (besides the show nearly selling out) was the ascension of Neva Dinova from a sleepy indie folk band to a full-out rock odyssey explosion. Never have I heard the combo sound so white-knuckle heavy. It was like watching the second coming of Crazy Horse with Jake Bellows taking Neil's place. Huge.

Okkervil River looked like rock stars in front of a floor filled with adoring fans who sang along all night -- something I never thought I'd live to see back when they were playing to 10 people at The Junction. I think they're on the verge of becoming this year's Spoon. At the Dundee Theater earlier that evening Okkervil River was piped through the sound system before the show, only to be heard moments later during a coming-attractions trailer. The audience at Slowdown wasn't the typical indie crowd -- I saw more than my share of backward baseball caps and chummy buzz-headed greeks making out with their girlfriends during the set -- yet another sign that they're on the verge of breaking through the indie glass ceiling, for better or worse. Performance-wise they sounded as good as they always do, but with a new female lead guitarist who pulled the attention away from slouching, slightly spastic Will Sheff. With numerous thank-yous and acknowledgements of shows past (including the infamous California Taco show) the gig had all the makings of a welcome-home celebration from a band that's made Omaha an integral part of its touring life. Let's hope they don't forget us as they continue to climb the ladder.

* * *

Tonight at Slowdown it's Neko Case with Giant Sand. This show originally was scheduled for Sokol Auditorium, and while its shift to Slowdown reflects poor ticket sales and bad news for One Percent Productions, it could mean the difference between a good show and a great one. Sokol Aud is probably my least favorite place to see a band, what with its lousy acoustics and barn-like atmosphere. Let's be honest -- wouldn't you rather see The Faint sell out three nights at Slowdown rather than have to see them at one hot, overcrowded, poorly mixed show at Sokol Aud? Sure you would, though I have a feeling that'll never happen. Tickets to Neko Sand are $22. Show starts at 8 p.m.

Tonight at O'Leaver's it's the return of Vampire Hands, a dark-groove indie band from Minneapolis that's not afraid to throw a waltz-time number in with the rest of their low-down, bass-driven rockers. There's something cool and hip and at the same time, slightly withdrawn, foreboding and spacey about their music. With Bazooka Shootout. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Also tonight, down at Slowdown, it's a sold-out show by Atmosphere.

Tomorrow night is Okkervil River at Slowdown with Neva Dinova. I tried in vain to line up an interview with Okkervil's Will Sheff, but it just wasn't happening. That didn't stop The Reader from pushing my deadline, however, so here is what I filed with the paper. Who remembers Watch the Stereo?

The Beaten Path
Okkervil River's Omaha journey.

You can sketch the ebb and flow of Austin band Okkervil River's career by tracing where they've performed in Omaha over the past six years.

The band of musical gypsies fronted by yearning, literate vocalist Will Sheff has made Omaha a regular tour stop along their endless journey across America.

Their first gig was at the now-defunct Junction (located at 15th & Farnam) back on March 5, 2002. It also was the first time Okkervil River played outside of their home of Austin, Texas. Back then, no one around here had heard of the band, even though they were supporting their second album, Don't Fall in Love with Everyone You See, the follow-up to their forgotten 2000 debut, Stars Too Small to Use.

Their debut at The Junction was just as forgettable. Only about 10 people were there, stretched out over the bar's second-hand pleather booths as Okkervil and opening band Watch the Stereo performed beneath the falling ceiling tiles and atop the exposed plywood stage, their songs occasionally punctuated by the crisp crack of a cue ball breaking a fresh rack in the back of the room. The Junction was a lonely little dive, a remnant of Omaha's musical past that, despite its wore-torn interior, hosted bands as diverse as Kyle Fischer, Bright Eyes, The Prom, Azure Ray, The Rapture, Dave Dondero and The Places.

Sheff called his first two Omaha gigs -- both at the lowly Junction -- "crappy." But he'd take a step further south as the next Omaha show would be an impromptu gig at the legendary California Taco. Okkervil River would eventually graduate to Sokol Underground. "I said to myself, 'We finally made it,'" Sheff said in a 2005 interview, only to find himself and the band playing at the much smaller O'Leaver's in April 2005. The band would return to Sokol Underground later that November in support of their fourth full-length, Black Sheep Boy, and watched as the crowd ballooned to 200.

Since then, Okkervil River has continued to see its following grow, not only in Omaha but nationwide. Their 2007 album, The Stage Names, peaked at No. 62 on the Billboard album charts and was lauded by everyone from Pitchfork to The New York Times as their best record ever.

Their sound has been compared to a variety of folk-rock acts from Will Oldham to Wilco to Bright Eyes, but the only thing Okkervil River has in common with those bands is their use of eclectic instruments, from accordion to mandolin to Wurlitzer, in addition to the usual guitar-bass-drums rock set up. At the center of it all is Sheff's unmistakable, thin, weary yodel of a voice, the perfect instrument for his lonely song-stories that capture life lived on the stage and on the road -- for better or worse. The popularity of The Stage Names was reflected in last September's capacity show at The Waiting Room (just two weeks after an appearance on Late Night with Conan O'Brien) that saw people turned away at the door.

Now comes The Stand Ins, released last Tuesday on Jagjaguwar Records, the 11-song opus is being marketed as the sequel to The Stage Names since its tracks were recorded during the same sessions as that album's. With it comes a move to Slowdown's big stage, the largest room Okkervil River has played yet and a far cry from The Junction's ratty confines. Where will they go from there, The Holland Center?

Tickets to Okkervil are $14 and the show starts at 9.

Also on Saturday is the Soaring Wings Food Bank Benefit. The vineyard is located at 17111 So. 138th St. (south of Springfield) and features sets by Sarah Benck and the Robbers, The Whipkey Three, Kyle Harvey, Matt Cox, Brad Hoshaw, Scott Severin and the Milton Burlesque and The Wholes. Admission is $15 and it starts at noon.

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

There was a nice crowd of around 60 on hand last night at Slowdown Jr. for Centro-matic. Opening was Mal Madrigal (I heard only the last two songs of their set -- nice), and LA band Broken West, who just released a new album on Merge. A standard 5-piece (two guitars, bass, keyboards and drums), it took BW awhile to get into a place outside of the typical indie-rock groove. Seems like half the bands on Merge these days sound like Spoon, and Broken West was no exception (and that isn't necessarily a bad thing).

Centro-matic came on at around midnight and played right up to closing time. Will Johnson, looking like he weighs all of 75 pounds, continues to own one of the most affecting voices in rock music. There's something about Centro-matic music that feels naturally comfortable, as if Johnson always knows the perfect chord or melody to follow. They played a variety of songs from their past albums, including crowd fave "Flashes and Cables." Johnson commented about how nice it is to be called to sound check while you're waiting for your laundry to finish up -- he was clearly enamored with Slowdown's famous green room accoutrements. Playing there must seem like visiting an oasis, especially for bands that are still rolling around in a van rather than a tour bus.

Before we continue, let me take this moment to introduce our returning Lazy-i intern Brendan Greene-Walsh. You might remember his reviews from last year or seen his stuff in the City Weekly. Brendan will be writing CD reviews as part of this Creighton internship, and because I still have a hard time being in two places at once, he'll also be providing the occasional live review, like the following report about last night's System & Station show at the Waiting Room:

I made it to the Waiting Room last night shortly after Fromanhole had started their set. Their performance was as tight and feverish as ever, but never sounded better. The force coming from the stage was a pure sonic wall, driving me backwards -- the kick drum damn near gave me heart palpitations. Despite breaking a bass string, the band continued without missing a beat. I wish they would have played longer, but my real disappointment came from finding out that Race For Titles would not be playing. Two members were sick --damn flu. System & Station came on shortly after, with a new lineup. I've seen S&S four or five times before -- the current band is the strongest to this point. The rhythm section was borrowed from another Portland band, Kieskagato, but they played as if System & Station was their mainstay. The set was filled with material from their new record, spliced with a few classics. The dueling guitar riffs ripped through the low end and nicely complimented the vocals. Though an entire band had dropped off the bill I still drove home content after an evening of solid rock. -- Brendan Greene-Walsh

Thanks Brendan. More to come I'm sure.

Tonight at The Waiting Room, one of the most talked about shows for the past few weeks: the return of The Night Marchers, the latest project of singer/guitarist John Reis, previously of Pitchfork, Drive Like Jehu, Rocket from the Crypt, the Hot Snakes and the Sultans. Opening is Colour Revolt and Lincoln's own Ideal Cleaners. This one has "can't miss" written all over it. $12, 9 p.m. Also tonight, Cincinnati band Pomegranates play at Slowdown Jr. with Cameron McGill and Omaha's own Shiver, Shiver. $7, 9 p.m. While over at O'Leaver's it's Malpais with Brooklyn band KaiserCartel and Benson's own Brad Hoshaw and the Seven Deadlies. $5, 9:30 p.m.

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

I had a lot of fun Friday night at the Mid American Music Festival. The evening started out early -- 7 p.m. -- with a performance by David Hurwitz (The Boy Bathing) at PS Collective. As I had predicted, there was only about 15 people there to see this guy who flew in from Manhattan to do this show. It seems odd that the organizers would place traveling bands and performers in such poor time slots, but I'll discuss that more in this week's column. Hurwitz did a fine job retooling his band's music for a solo show.

The next two hours were a whirlwind as Teresa, Hurwitz and I checked out sets by Scott Severin and the Milton Burlesque at PS, Monica Eby at Mick's, Blastronauts at The Musette, Shiver Shiver at The Foundry, and Naked Plywood at The Barley Street before hitting what would end up being the two highlights of the evening.

Burke's Pub isn't exactly renowned in the Benson scene as a music venue. It's more of a pseudo Irish/regulars bar with a little nook next to the front door where someone could stand with a guitar, mic and amp. And that's exactly what Kyle Harvey did Friday night, standing with eyes shut in a nook that became smaller and smaller as the room became more and more packed. Unbelievably packed, and for good reason. No one sings a broken-hearted love song quite like Harvey, who had the drunken crowd eating out of his hand with every one of his solo acoustic ballads about booze, love, sex and booze, all painted in dark hues of despair. Harvey is an Omaha original who has no idea just how influential his music has been and will continue to be. The show felt important, and I felt lucky to be there. By the time we left, it felt like Burke's was going for some sort of telephone-booth-stuffing world record, and it took all we had to squeeze out the door.

The night was capped off by Little Brazil at The Waiting Room, with frontman Landon Hedges doing his damdest to look like Dan Haggerty of Grizzly Adams fame (albeit a 125-pound Dan Haggerty with a 3-pound beard). LB rolled out a number of new songs that take their music in a more hook-fueled (and fun) direction. Hurwitz was blown away by both Harvey and LB, as were Teresa and I.

We skipped Day 4 of MAMF. I interviewed Hurwitz Saturday afternoon to get his perspective on the festival from the viewpoint of someone who traveled here to perform in it. His comments, along with my thoughts on the MAMF, will appear in Wednesday's column.

* * *

Two shows of worth checking out tonight:

First, down at Slowdown Jr., it's The Shytburds -- a new project by Ted Stevens (Cursive, Mayday) and Alex McManus (The Bruces) -- along with Bill Hoover and the Barking Boys and Outlaw Con Bandana. $5, 9 p.m. This show will be packed.

Also tonight at O'Leaver's it's an evening of punk by Yuppies, Dim Light and Eat Skull. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Get ready, it's going to be a crazy week…

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

No MAMF for me last night as I wasn't compelled to attend, so let's look at the rest of the festival's schedule. Tonight is strongest of the four days. Bring your walking shoes. Primary on my list is David Hurwitz of Brooklyn band The Boy Bathing, playing at PS Collective at 7 p.m. You might remember that I mentioned his band in my column a few weeks ago (the one that talked about the Magnet Magazine sampler, here). Hurwitz has one of the stranger voices you'll likely to hear at this festival -- it's how I imagine author David Sedaris would sound like if he sang indie folk songs. Still, his songwriting is compelling, especially on his band's new album, A Fire to Make Preparations. I'll be talking to Hurwitz about his overall impressions of festival for next week's column.

The rest of my picks for tonight:

-- Scott Severin & Milton Burlesque at PS Collective @ 8:30.

-- Shiver Shiver at The Foundry at 10:30.

-- Kyle Harvey and the Great Disappearing Act at Burke's Pub at 11.

-- Filter Kings at Musette at 11:30.

-- Little Brazil at The Waiting Room at 11:30.

-- Big Al Band at the Barley St. at 7.

Ironically Saturday, which you'd think would be the strongest night of any festival, is the weakest. The only shows worth mentioning:

-- Dereck Higgins at Mia's Bongo Room at 10:30, and

-- Sleep Said the Monster at The Foundry at midnight.

That doesn't mean that Benson won't be hopping. Festival organizers back-loaded the most popular pop-fueled local bands for Saturday night.

Let's be honest: MAMF isn't an indie-music festival, and I doubt that it was designed to be. The event's line-up underscores the difference between "indie" when it describes a style of music and "indie" when it describes bands that aren't on a record label. For the most part, MAMF simply didn't attract indie-style bands, local or otherwise. Other than Little Brazil, there are no local indie bands in the festival that have done extensive touring. Missing from the festival are bands that represent these local record labels: Saddle Creek, Team Love, Speed! Nebraska, Boom Chick, Slumber Party, It Are Good, Ant, and Coco Art (I'm sure I'm missing someone).

It's not like those bands weren't at MAMF because they weren't allowed to be. I'm sure MAMF would have loved to have had any of them play the festival, but none signed up during the open-invitation phase of the registration, presumably because they didn't see any value in playing another local festival. Fact is, almost all the bands from those record labels tour regionally or nationally, and can't afford -- or simply aren't interested in -- playing for free.

Compensation also is probably one of the reasons why Lincoln Calling has such a strong representation of bands from those labels. Since its inaugural year, Lincoln Calling always has paid bands either a guarantee or a piece of the door, realizing that they're the reason the festival is even happening in the first place. Check out the Lincoln Calling schedule at lincolncalling.com. More on that festival later, and look for more MAMF coverage this weekend.

What else is going on this weekend outside of Benson?

Well, there's the Free Yr Radio concert at Slowdown Sunday night featuring Flowers Forever and Dan Deacon. Admission to the 8 p.m. concert is free with a ticket you can print out from www.freeyrradio.com/concerts.html. More details at theslowdown.com.

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

And so ends Day 1 of the Mid American Music Festival in beautiful balmy Benson. I caught Far Beyond Frail at Mia's Bongo Room -- a surprisingly good space for acoustic performances -- before strolling over to The Waiting Room for a pared-down version of Midwest Dilemma (only 9 performers!) and Brad Hoshaw and the Six Deadlies (apparently one deadly was missing, or maybe Whipkey and his amazing hair counts as two?).

Midwest Dilemma frontman Justin Lamoureux said three members of his band were missing for personal reasons. I'm not sure where they would have put them on stage anyway. As such a large ensemble, MD is more of a folk orchestra than a band, boasting such unconventional rock instruments as cello, clarinet and tuba, along with mandolin, guitar, drums, stand-up bass, etc. The product is lilting, geographical, biographical mid-tempo folk waltzes that border on dirges. What Lamoureux lacks in variety (everything was played at the same plodding pace) he makes up for in the compositions, which tried to take advantage of everyone on stage. Yeah, having so many people in the band is impressive, but I personally prefer Midwest Dilemma as a simple trio -- cello, woodwind/vocalist, guitar/vocalist (though it wouldn't hurt to add a drummer to that mix). Unless he's come across a boatload of cash, Lamoureux's going to have to pare down to something more manageable like a trio or four-piece if he decides to take this show on the road -- fewer mouths to feed, less of a money split, etc. While all that extra hardware sounds pretty, he can pull this off just as effectively with a more economical approach.

On the other hand, an already impressive catalog of music by Brad Hoshaw only got better when played by a full band. I've seen Hoshaw three or four times in a solo-acoustic setting and have always been thoroughly moved by the performance. With the "Seven Deadlies" -- two backup singers, stand-up bass, drums, keyboards and guitarist Matt Whipkey (I'm told a trumpet was missing) -- Hoshaw goes from folk-acoustic to folk-rock to alt-country without losing any of his personal edge. Hoshaw's solo acoustic sets can become rather lulling 20 minutes in due to the nature of the ethereal-though-downcast music. The band arrangements remedy this, taking the set from quiet to twangy to rock and back again. One of the highlights was Whipkey. Known more for his own rock projects that he fronts, Whipkey is an ingenious, soulful soloist of the highest caliber. And though renowned for his bombastic drum-set-jumping rock performances -- Whipkey was never overpowering, making sure to hold back when he needed to even though you knew he was dying to burn the house down. I'm told Hoshaw is finishing up an album with this band. As one of the city's best songwriters who's not afraid to tour, a label like Saddle Creek or Team Love would be wise to consider signing this hometown boy who has a sound and style unlike anything on those labels. But if Creek or Conor doesn't, someone else certainly should. It's time for Hoshaw to go national.

Show attendance was respectable for the festival's opening night (and for a Wednesday). Mia's had about 30 people in the house at its peak. There were twice that many in TWR for Midwest Dilemma, and that ballooned to around 75 for Hoshaw and company. I saw a lot of all-access laminates walking around, which makes me wonder how many patrons were paying customers and how many were members of other bands. I suspect the numbers to continue to rise as the weekend approaches.

Tonight's highlights again are mostly at The Waiting Room. At 7 p.m., CB alt-rock buzz band Skypiper plays, followed by Thunder Power at 8:30, while at 11:30 Satchel Grande does another classic set -- seems like these guys play almost every week. The late show is Black Squirrels at midnight at Burke's Pub.

Check out the MAMF website for a full schedule.

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

I wrote this column on the jet back from New York. While the aspects of Simplify mentioned below are interesting and amusing, it's technology like this that will further erode album sales...

Column 188: Peeping Tom
Simplify your assumptions.

Funny how we draw conclusions about people simply by peeking into their proverbial closets.

For example, let's say you're in someone's home and they step away to fix a drink or grab a phone call, leaving you in the room with nothing to do but snoop. You notice the bookcase and glance at some of the titles and immediately begin putting two and two together. Jacqueline Suzanne soft-core porn, The Poetry of Jim Morrison, Bill O'Reilly "think books," your friend may be dumber than you thought. David Leavitt novels, Tales of the City, a biography of Judy Garland --your friend could very well be gay. Philip Roth, The Iliad, Gabriel Garcia Márquez (not translated) -- thoughtful, literate, your friend is clearly smarter than you. And so on. Sure, it's a stereotype, but isn't everything in life a stereotype, and aren't most stereotypes, in the end, correct?

The same idea works for music.

About two weeks ago, local music software impresario Jimmy Winter, the inventor and CEO of Music Arsenal, posted an item on his Live Journal page asking for folks to "be his friends" in Simplify Media.

Simplify is a new software (downloadable for free at simplifymedia.com) that allows registered users to make their entire iTunes music library available on multiple computers and mp3 players via the web. That means online access to all your music using your iPhone or iPod Touch just as if you'd downloaded it. So much for that 8-gig flash-drive limitation.

Mac users already could share their iTunes library on a closed network, so if I was downstairs in my home I could always access my iMac's music library on my laptop anywhere in the house via Wi-Fi. Simplify moves that idea beyond the walls of your home.

Now here's the good part: In addition to accessing your iTunes library, Simplify allows you to access as many as 30 other people's libraries. All they have to do is invite you to be their "friend" -- i.e., add you to their access list. And that's where Winter's LJ plea came in. Jimmy wanted in on everyone's music library, and in return, he was willing to let us in on his. The caveat, as he pointed out, was that you'd be giving people an unflinching glance into your personal music taste -- or lack of one.

Winter could have cared less what anyone thought out his music. "I have some stuff that might look stupid, but it's nothing to hide really," he said. "I was already made fun of by the amount of Weird Al records I have. Weird Al was the first album I ever bought! I’m not going to turn my back on him now!"

Winter may be the only person I've ever met who can listen to Weird Al without having the barrel of a gun pushed against his temple. To balance this out, he also had a large collection of Rocket from the Crypt albums (über cool), The Pogues (a band I've always been curious about, but never got around to listening to, until now) and Randy Newman, who Winter was a bit embarrassed about, even though Newman is one of the finest songwriters to emerge from the West Coast in the past 30 years. For every pop-punk novelty band and comedy album there was a Stnnng, Stiff Little Fingers and Stooges track to counter-act it. Winter's collection painted a picture of a frustrated punk rocker who grew up watching too much Comedy Central.

I prefaced opening my own music closet by telling Winter that there was a number of albums in my 9,000-song online collection that were downloaded for professional purposes -- for review or research -- and that I just never got around to deleting the shitty ones. But how would I explain the John Denver and Barry Manilow tracks downloaded for Teresa's sake? What about the remastered, rereleased Bee Gees greatest hits? And all the Pavement and Sonic Youth albums weren't going to negate my extensive collection of Pet Shop Boys music.

Winter also subscribes to last.fm, a web service that keeps track and reports online what you've been listening to on your computer. Last.fm also recommends and streams music based on your perceived tastes -- just as if it glanced at your bookcase. "I narcissistically like to keep track of what I listen to," Winter said, "but I also like to see what other people are listening to, and check out the recommendations for bands the site predicts I would enjoy."

Call it research. It's just another way Winter keeps tabs on trends that could impact his clients. He's been doing Music Arsenal full-time for three years, boasting 60 customers who use his high-tech contacts and task-tracking software, a number that he says will grow with the release of the latest version that focuses on individual artists rather than only record labels.

Ultimately, doesn't a tool like Simplify hurt his clients' business by taking away potential album sales? No, Winter said. "Well, bands won’t get paid from it by their label contracts or digital distributor when I hear (their music) on Simplify," he said. "It's similar to when friends used to tell me what they liked, loaned me a CD and then I bought it two weeks later. I still buy plenty of CDs, but I can’t buy everything I like. However when that band comes to town I might go to the show or buy a shirt."

As for what Winter thought of my music: He was surprised at the Nine Inch Nails, that I didn't have more Hold Steady, at the hidden John Denver tracks, at the amount of the local non-Creek bands. But in the end, I was a little hurt that he hadn't mentioned the Pet Shop Boys.

Here are my picks for Day 1 of the Mid American Music Festival being held in Benson. As a reminder, admission is $10 for a wristband that gets you into all the participating venues for one night. You'll have to buy another wristband tomorrow and for each night thereafter. Tonight's can't-miss performances are both at The Waiting Room: Midwest Dilemma scheduled for 10 p.m., followed by Brad Hoshaw and the Seven Deadlies at 11:30. Sure, both bands play around here all the time, but it'll be nice to see them back-to-back. Other performances worth checking out:

-- Kansas City's Far Beyond Frail, a male-female Lilith-esque soft-rock duo, at 9 p.m. at Mia's Bongo Room.
-- New Yorker Matt Pless, an acoustic folk balladeer, at Burke's Pub at 9:30.
-- The Whipkey Three at 10 p.m., followed by Sarah Benck and the Robbers at 11:30, both at PS Collective.

Go here for the full MAMF schedule.

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

I'm back from Manhattan with nothing to report musicwise. Labor Day weekend is a bad time for rock shows in NYC as the city tends to empty out for the last holiday of the summer. You can, however, read about my dining experience at Les Halles (Anthony Bourdain's restaurant) here on the Reader's new Dining blog, wherein I go on and on and on about the poor service. Fun! Actually, if you haven't noticed yet, The Reader introduced a whole slew of new blogs a few weeks ago, including blogs for Film, Art, Lifestyle, Books, Theater, and, yes, Music. For the most part, it looks like they've been doing a good job updating them at least a few times a week. It's yet another resource for entertainment info in the Omaha area. Now to really get them cooking, they need is some reader comments. Have at it.

Not much going on around town tonight, I guess that's because everyone's getting ready for the Mid American Music Festival starting tomorrow at all the Benson-area music venues and bars. Details and a schedule are available here. I'll have more on this -- as well as my picks for shows to attend -- as the week goes on.

Finally, Tilly and the Wall are performing on the season premier of the revamped 90210 tonight. Check your local listings for time/channel (in Omaha, 7 p.m. Cox Ch. 11). Now that's what I call marketing. Tilly also just got a slot on the CSS tour later this month.

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