Due to a broken pipe in my basement, I arrived at last night's Neil Young concert four minutes before he went on stage -- I couldn't have planned it any better. After three shows at Qwest where my seats were abysmal (Fleetwood Mac, The Who, Springsteen), I had prime seating for this show -- atop the first tier, right by section 120 -- terrific sight lines. There were plenty of other good seats available, too, as the upper tiers were curtained off and only about half the floor was filled. The OWH is reporting attendance of 6,000 -- pathetic. Despite being one of the best live touring performers in history (his live CDs and concert films are as popular as his studio recordings) no one really expected Young to sell out or even draw very well here -- more testimony to the current listening trends of the American Idol/Hannah Montana sink-hole generation.

Anyway, right around 9:30, Neil and his band ripped into their opening number, and like Qwest shows, I was startled at how bad it sounded -- not Neil, but the Qwest's sound system. It had all the dynamics of a transistor radio. Teresa turned to me and said "Wow, this sounds just plain bad." Really bad. And it never got any better, though just like when you listen to your buddy's shitty car stereo, after awhile you think it sounds better, when in fact it doesn't. Part of the problem is the cow barn's terrible acoustics, part of the problem is being spoiled by Slowdown and The Waiting Room. And part of it is my general dislike for arena shows. I don't know, maybe all arena shows sound like shit these days…

It didn't stop Neil and the boys from putting on one helluva show, though. No one's updated the set list at sugarmtn site, but what he played was close to what he's been doing the last few nights (which are listed there). The highlights were 10-minute-plus versions of "Change Your Mind" and "Down By the River," as well as a sweet version of "Tonight's the Night." Despite being in his early 60s, Young's voice is solid, as is his roaring guitar work. The only sign of age other than his general puffy, old-dude-with-long-hair appearance was flubbing up "Cinnamon Girl" and "The Needle and the Damage Done," both of which he had to start over.

The concert's highlight was the encore -- a violent version of Beatle's "A Day in the Life," where Young tore out the strings on his Les Paul and left it leaning against an amp, battered and broken.

* * *

Here are a few web stories of note:

The first reviews of Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band's upcoming album, Outer South, have surfaced in the webosphere. In this review, The UConn Daily Campus gave it 3 out of 5 stars, summarizing with: "Much like other wunderkinds who produce a lot of material, Oberst just needs to find himself a capable editor before producing an album that is more subpar than superior. This album walks that line precariously - but it's such a tight line that one can't help but wonder when it will snap."

The LA Times was even less complimentary in this review, giving the album two stars and saying: "If only Oberst had seared more of his sirloin-steak country-rock with a fraught sense of place, the "Outer South" of his title that's left largely unexplored."

Don't ask me. I've yet to hear the disc.

Cursive is in the midst of a publicity tour. In an interview in the GW Hatchet, guitarist Ted Stevens gives props to The Better Beatles: "There's another band called The Better Beatles that are from Omaha. I just heard of them right before I left on this tour. It's kind of a No Wave, early '80s artsy project where they get a bunch of Beatles music with just a synthesizer and a bass and a little bit of that New York - like I said, No Wave - that Laurie Anderson kind of spoken word. It's pretty hilarious; I've been trying to turn people onto BetterBeatles.com. It's really interesting for a band that existed for probably one afternoon [laughing] and they made one record; it's pretty incredible … what they're doing with that record. It just got reissued." He also talks about the joys of reading Dan Brown.

In another Kasher interview, this time with The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (read it here), Tim talks about opening for Mastodon: "Opening for a metal band, there was the fear of being booed off stage night after night. It really worked out great. It's funny, the first night there was this huge guy in the middle of the crowd, friendly, big smile on his face, flipping us off. His smile said, 'Hey, buddy, don't take it too hard. Understand that you're opening for Mastodon. I don't give a [expletive] about you.' I laughed about it. He wasn't antagonizing. That was the last time we got any heckling."

The Faint also have been getting some web attention in the past few days. My favorite Q&A exchange from this piece in blackbookmag.com:

BBM: Where's the craziest place you've had sex?
TF: "Someone else's house while they were trying to sell it to us."

Nice.

* * *

Singer/songwriter Sarah Xiong opens for Andrew Ancona tonight at The Barley St. $5, 9 p.m.

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

Just to clarify, I don't recommend the U2 CD -- it rates a "no." All of the others get a firm "yes." A few others worth checking out that didn't make it into the column: A.E. Newman, Get Guilty; Alela Diane, To Be Still; Beep Beep, Enchanted Islands; Bonnie Prince Billy, Beware; Elvis Perkins in Dearland, self titled; Heartless Bastards, The Mountain; Little Brazil, Son; M. Ward, Hold Time; Maria Taylor, Ladyluck; Micachu & The Shapes, Jewellery; Mogwai, The Hawk Is Howling; Neko Case, Middle Cyclone; Noah's Ark Was a Spaceship, My Name Is What Is Your Name; Sebastien Tellier, Kilometer; The Show Is the Rainbow, Wet Fist; The Thermals, Now We Can See; Thin Lizzy, Still Dangerous - Live 1977.

Column 219: 13 for Summer
Capsule reviews of recent releases.

Here's another one of those what-have-you-been-listening-to-lately columns to stave off readers dying for music suggestions as we head toward summer. I realized after rereading these that they're written in a sort-of short-hand -- you have to know something about these bands or this style of music or else these caplettes will read like someone with tourettes barking out an iPod playlist. You'll figure it out.

Camera Obscura, My Maudlin Career (4AD) -- As if channeling Phil Spector or the Ronnettes or something that your folks' folks grew up listening to, but jazzed up like modern swing without a hint of nostalgic irony, thanks to Tracyanne Campbell's shiny-lipstick voice. Leave it to some Glasgowians to show us how to reinvent classic American pop.

O+S, self-titled (Saddle Creek) -- The sell-point is Scalpelist (a.k.a. Cedric LeMoyne) adding his thick, throbbing, exotic rhythms to Orenda Fink's downcast, typically passive love/lost songs. In the end, it's a Fink solo album, as moody and down-tempo as everything she's done before. And "The Fox" is the prettiest, saddest, slightest song of her career.

U2, No Line on the Horizon (Interscope) -- It's not so much that it sounds uninspired as much as it sounds like they were trying to capture an earnest buzz not heard since The Joshua Tree. The result is a hodge-podge of shadowy guitar reflections heard on better albums. In the end, it made me like their older material that much more, and made me wonder if they'll ever come up with anything groundbreaking again.

Belle & Sebastian, The BBC Sessions (Matador) -- Back when they were young and sinister, the album collects some of their most obscure -- and most essential (at least to fans) -- recordings, including a handful you've never heard before unless you tuned to John Peel. The stripped-down, breathy production reveals a whole 'nuther, twee-ish view of their intricate, heartfelt songwriting.

Glasvegas, self-titled (Columbia) -- Like a Scottish version of Interpol laced with equal parts of The Cure and Simple Minds, they take songs "Geraldine" and "It's My Own Cheating Heart that Makes Me Cry," to gigantic, anthem-sized proportions. Throughout, the brogue is unabashed -- on the shimmering do-wopper "Daddy's Song," crooner James Allen sings "Forget your da, he's gone." Not dad, da. One of the most hyped bands going, and worth all of it.

Depeche Mode, Sounds of the Universe (EMI) -- When I say it sounds like 1988, I mean the 1988 seen in a film adaptation of a Bret Easton Ellis novel -- rich kids driving in shiny convertibles on their way to a late-night El Lay party, blurred on coke, looking for a backyard swimming pool to pass out next to. No one makes mid-tempo electronic music like this anymore, though that hasn't stopped bands from trying. Their best album since '93's Songs of Faith and Devotion.

Jarvis Cocker, Further Complications (Rough Trade) -- Nevermind that Steve Albini recorded it (What'd you expect? A Big Black album?), it still has the same strut and swagger one wants and expects from a Jarvis Cocker/Pulp record, with something a little harder ("Homewrecker," "Pilchard," the title track) tossed in to shake things up.

Lloyd Cole, Cleaning Out the Ashtrays (Tapete) -- Included because I'm his biggest (and only) fan in Omaha, here's a 59-track, 4 CD box set of b-sides and rarities that span from 1989 to 2006 and includes extensive notes that explain where the recordings came from and why they never saw the light of day. I still say he's our best living literary pop-song writer.

Los Campesinos!, We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed (Arts & Crafts) -- This band of Cardiff, Wales, rebels is getting by on the idea that if you shout loud enough -- together and in a group -- you can make any miserable situation go away. Maybe they're right. On the same label as Broken Social Scene (though punkier than any of their label mates).

Morrissey, Years of Refusal (Lost Highway) -- Is it me or are all of Moz's albums beginning to sound the same, like since Vauxhall and I? Not that that's necessarily a bad thing, but the songs are starting to grow as gray as his sideburns. Still, it's worth it for standouts like the booming "Black Cloud," and the chiming, soaring "I’m Throwing My Arms Around Paris" which, yes, we've heard before, but never seem to grow tired of (at least I don't).

Peaches, I Feel Cream (XL) -- Boom-box bass, electro-clash synth, simple 1-2-3-4 kick drum, and a woman with a filthy mouth who "don't give a f__k if you fall for me." This dance-floor Wendy O. Williams is at her best when she's sassin' ya with her sex jive and bragging that she'll "f__k you like a billionaire," vs. when she's trying to channel Heart-of-Glass-era Blondie. But as infectious as the beats are, she can only "keep it up" for so long.

The Strange Boys, The Strange Boys And Girls Club (In the Red) -- Garage rock by way of dawn-of-time Rolling Stones, Them, The Count Five, The Blue Magoos, all the usual suspects. The up-jump jangle belies songs with titles like "They're Building the Death Camps," "Should Have Shot Paul," and "Death and All the Rest." Don't worry, it's all in good fun, and good fun it is.

Dark Was the Night, various artists, (4AD) -- A can't-lose double-CD (or triple-vinyl) album that compiles previously unreleased songs from current-day indie royalty, from Andrew Bird to Yo La Tengo and 30 artists in between, including Arcade Fire, Bon Iver, My Morning Jacket and Spoon, with proceeds going to the Red Hot Organization dedicated to raising funds and awareness for HIV and AIDS. The most satisfying indie music comp I've heard in years.

* * *

Tonight is the Benefit Music Show for Erin and Ariann Anderson at The Waiting Room. The Andersons' parents, Karla and Robert Anderson, were the couple who died March 30 in their Dundee home -- the alleged victims of a murder-suicide. Performing at the show are Song Remains the Same, Grand Theft Girlfriend, Goodbye Sunday, and Awake and Dreaming. The show starts at 8, and the minimum donation is $10.

Also tonight, Ha Ha Tonka plays at Slowdown Jr. with Tie These Hands and Ben Weaver. $8, 9 p.m. Me, I'll be at Neil Young at the Qwest Center. Opening is Neil Young protégés Everest and the Neville Brothers. Show starts at 7:30 -- I'll get there around 9. Tix are still available.

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

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, I suggested to Lincoln Calling organizer Jeremy Buckley that he should put together a weekend of shows in Benson that feature all Lincoln bands. Maybe call it Lincoln Invasion. Now a few years later, Lincoln Invasion is becoming a reality. In fact, Buckley just sent me the preliminary schedule for the event, which will be held June 19 and 20 at three Benson venues -- The Waiting Room, PS Collective and The Barley St. Tavern.

"It's still seven-plus weeks out so we might have a band cancel or add, but hopefully we don't screw with too much," Buckley said. "We're doing a $5 cover each night -- the cover will get you into all three shows (Barley St. is 21+). We have 10 bands on Friday and 12 on Saturday and I think it's a good representation of what's going in Lincoln musically these days."

So do I. A few bands are obviously missing (Eagle*Seagull, UUVVWWZ, For Against, etc.), but Buckley said that's partially due to scheduling conflicts (i.e., they're on the road). He said that he's also "hoping to set up a bus excursion from Lincoln to Omaha and back each night so fans that don't want to drive up there personally can go with a bunch of other music fans. If we pull this off it will be a true Lincoln Invasion."

Here's the schedule, along with the bands' myspace addresses:

Friday, June 19

The Waiting Room

9:40-10:30 The Machete Archive www.myspace.com/themachetearchive
10:50-11:35 Ideal Cleaners www.myspace.com/idealcleaners
11:55-12:40 The Show is the Rainbow www.myspace.com/theshowistherainbow

PS Collective

9:30-10:20 The Allendales www.myspace.com/theallendales
10:40-11:40 Lucas Kellison and the Assembled Soul www.myspace.com/lucaskellison
12-1 Andrews Ave www.myspace.com/andrewsave

The Barley Street Tavern

9:20-10 Triggertown www.myspace.com/triggertown
10:20-11:00 The Amalgamators www.myspace.com/theamalgamators
11:20-12 Pharmacy Spirits www.myspace.com/pharmacyspirits
12:20-1:00 Big Gigantic www.myspace.com/biggiganticmusic

Saturday, June 20

The Waiting Room

9:40-10:10 Manny Coon www.myspace.com/mannycoon
10:20-11 Crush the Clown www.myspace.com/crushtheclown
11:20-12 Domestica www.myspace.com/domesticajr
12:20-1 Somasphere www.myspace.com/somasphere

PS Collective

9:10-9:50 Gooses www.myspace.com/goosesgooses
10:10-10:50 Once a Pawn www.myspace.com/onceapawnmusic
11:10-11:50 Columbia Vs Challenger www.myspace.com/columbiavschallenger
12:10-12:50 Knots www.myspace.com/knotit

Barley St. Tavern

9:00-9:40 AM Revival www.myspace.com/amrevival
10-10:40 Jodie Loves Hinckley www.myspace.com/jodieloveshinckley
11-11:40 Orion Walsh www.myspace.com/orionwalsh
12-12:40 Strawberry Burns www.myspace.com/strawberryburns

This festival, of course, will not preclude the annual Lincoln Calling festival, which will be held Sept. 30 through Oct. 4. More info as it becomes available...

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

Friday night's Maria Taylor show at The Waiting Room wasn't quite a sell-out but looked pretty darn close. I caught the last two or three hoe-down-inspired tunes by Whispertown 2000 -- a six-piece that included Taylor. Everyone in the band had amazing heads of dark-brown hair -- maybe they should change their names to The Brunettes (Oops, that name's already taken). Taylor and her band came on at around 11 and sounded their usual spot-on selves, playing a nice selection of old songs and new stuff off Ladyluck. Here's a pic from the show.

The running gag throughout the set was Craig Reier's wedding the following day in Lincoln. The keyboardist played the show in a formal suit, apparently coming to the club right after a rehearsal dinner. Many offers were made to buy him a shot to help him get through the next day, but Reier wisely stayed away from the hard stuff. The celebratory tone carried over throughout the evening, with the Taylor's band and members of Whispertown joining for a raucous cover of "Song Beneath the Song" to close out the set.

I didn't know if I was going to catch any of Big Al's "Free Music Festival" last weekend, but ended up down at the Saddle Creek Bar for at least an hour both nights. There was about 60 people on hand both evenings (not including band members) -- not bad. Al did his usual, fun-loving heavy-metal set that included such "classics" as "It's War, You Die," and a new song about people who text and Twitter with their cell phones. In fact, on stage on night one, Al directed that song right at me, saying, "TMac is probably twittering a review of this show right now." He was right (Follow my Twitter feed here). Half of the fun of Al's stage presence (and songs like "Oregano") is his carnival-barker personality behind the microphone. So while I still don't understand why he didn't charge at least $5 (or $3 or $2) for the show, I've got to hand it to him for pulling it off.

* * *

There's an extensive interview with Tim Kasher that was posted today on A.V. Club (right here) that covers everything from his past band break-ups, to listening to old Cursive albums (specifically The Storms of Early Summer), to the status of his Help Wanted Nights -- the script, not the album, the production of which appears to be in limbo. Check it out.

* * *

Tonight, it's the whiskey swagger of Dim Light at O'Leaver's with Drakes Hotel and Junius. $5, 9:30 p.m.

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

Last night started at the sold-out M. Ward show at Slowdown. Ward went on shortly after 10:30 for a 5-man low-key urban hoedown in support of his new album, Hold Time (Merge Records) which I recommend. The music is middle-of-the-road '70s-style countrified folk-rock, differentiated by its thick beat and Ward's miraculous guitar prowess, not to mention his raspy croon. On stage, he was the young guy in the trucker cap surrounded by what looked like a veteran crew of sidemen who followed his lead to perfection.

There is a timeless quality to Ward's music, an easy simplicity that masks a deceptive intricacy. It's considered indie rock, probably because of Merge and his ties to other indie rock performers (not the least of which is Zooey Deschanel), but Ward's music exceeds the boundaries of any trends. I get the feeling he'll be playing his songs for the next 40 years, and they'll always sound just as good as they did last night. I'm also not sure where he falls in the cadre of classic singer songwriters. He's not angry enough for Johnny Cash; too urban for Woody Guthrie; too rootsy for Glen Campbell. Most often, he reminded me of Kris Kristofferson, maybe because the song he was singing -- alone on stage -- when I wrote this note was a dead ringer for "Help Me Make It Through the Night," but with Ward's moonlight guitar chords and his wispy singing style has become his trademark.

Memorable between-song comment: "We've been traveling all over the country. It's nice to be in a place that feels like home." Shortly before that, I took a couple pictures with my iPhone, but was told to stop by a Slowdown guy who couldn't have been cooler. So I guess that makes this photo contraband.

I cut out before the encore so I could drive cross-town to O'Leaver's for The Photo Atlas. Fortnight was still on stage when I arrived, playing its brand of indie-pop. They get better every time I see them. When are they going into the studio?

The Photo Atlas took over at midnight for a set of twitch-dance-rock that reminded me of The Rapture, sort of. It was shiny post-punk with an ever-present dance beat beneath everything all the time. Chatting with folks around the bar, the consensus -- regardless of whether they liked the music or not -- was that this is the kind of band that a label could turn into something huge, at least with 15-year-old girls. I think there's more to them than that, but then again, I like twitchy-dance rock. Here they are in action.

* * *

Let's get to the weekend. Tonight at The Waiting Room it's Nettwerk Recording artist Maria Taylor with Whispertown 2000 and our very own McCarthy Trenching. Tickets are still available for only $9. I wouldn't be surprised if this sells out prior to showtime.

Also tonight at O'Leaver's it's San Francisco duo Tartufi with local heroes Fromanhole and new band (as far as I know) Wall Street Kids featuring members of Perry H. Matthews and Gnome Slaughterhouse (who remembers them?). $5, 9:30 p.m.

Tomorrow night The Thermals play at Slowdown Jr. with The Shaky Hands & Point Juncture, WA. $12, 9 p.m. Thermals' new album, Now We Can See, is a pop gem. This will be tons of fun.

Also Saturday night, singer/songwriter Nick Jaina is playing at The Barley Street with Midwest Dilemma, Robert Adam HauG and Lincoln Dickison. Jaina's new album, A Narrow Way, is loaded with good, lowkey indie folk. $5, 9 p.m.

Of course, going on both Friday and Saturday nights is Big Al's Free Music Festival at the Saddle Creek Bar. 12 bands, two nights, all the details are here.

Column 218: Holiday on Vinyl
Record Store Day afterglow...

Records Store Day has come and gone and now we wait another year for the next one.

The discussion in the Twitter/Facebook-sphere afterward: What did you score? Among my haul purchased at the Old Market Homer's -- only one RSD exclusive: The Flaming Lips with Stardeath and White Dwarfs / Black Lips split 7-inch on luscious seafoam-green vinyl, bought on the recommendation of a local record label honcho. As I type this, I'm listening as Wayne Coyne's spacey whisper-love cover of Madoonie's "Borderline." The rest of my Saturday booty was all CDs: Neko Case's Middle Cyclone, Pete Molinari's A Virtual Landslide, Thin Lizzy's Still Dangerous: Live at the Tower Theater, Philadelphia 1977 and Art Brut's 2007 release It's a Bit Complicated. Most of these were recommended by Homer's staff (The number one reason I shop at record stores is staff recommendations).

Alas, the two things I specifically came to pick up weren't available. The Cursive/Ladyfinger 4-song 10-inch split picture disc sold out immediately (The aforementioned label honcho said that it'll be available on the Saddle Creek website for purchase, eventually), while I was told that the Neil Young Sugar Mountain Live at Canterbury House 1968 2LP set was never in stock. Disappointed? Yes.

Regardless, the event looked like it was a success. At 1 p.m. Homer's was packed with folks mulling around like cattle trying to find the exclusives along with whatever else they needed to pick up. Meanwhile, in the front of the store, KC duo Far Beyond Frail was providing the shopping soundtrack. Funny thing: It really did feel like a holiday. Homer's top dog Mike Fratt did his job generating hype for the event, and people I know were eager to participate. There were also crowds of shoppers up the street at Drastic Plastic and The Antiquarium thumbing through the vinyl bins.

So the question that's begging to be asked: Why can't every day be Record Store Day? Why do the national indie stores only come together once a year to provide exclusive releases, in-store performances and other promotion? I asked Fratt via email but didn't hear back from him by deadline (I'm told he was on vacation). I suspect the answer has to do with the event's overall costs. Still, with indie record stores under attack by everyone from online Somali-like pirates and faceless box stores like Best Buy, they're going to have to keep a Record-Store-Day level of interest going all year 'round.

It's time that record stores return to their roles as gathering spots for music lovers and hubs for products that can't be found anywhere else, especially online.

* * *

The city announced that this year's "youth concert" in Memorial Park will be June 6, and the headliner will be Gomez, a band that hasn't had a notable record in 10 years and would likely be playing Slowdown or The Waiting Room if this "opportunity" hadn't presented itself.

According to an article by Kevin Coffey in the Omaha World-Herald, Mayor Mike Fahey worked with "a St. Louis-based talent scout to line up bands." It's not as if Fahey didn't have other promotional options locally, including One Percent Productions, who at least could have found someone who has released a popular record this century. Needless to say, booking a show like the Memorial Park gig probably needs to be done a year in advance -- as in right now for next summer -- if you want someone with a broad appeal but that still targets a younger demographic, such as Wilco, Death Cab, Belle and Sebastian, PJ Harvey, MGMT, etc.

Depending on the weather, I suspect this will be one of the least-attended of the park concerts. Having been to all four previous events, the largest hands-down was 311 in 2004, followed by Feist last year, Bright Eyes in '06 and Plain White T's in 2007 where fewer than 3,000 people showed up (despite the city's estimate of 10k, which was pure malarkey).

Now the big question: What local bands (if any) will open? Last year The Good Life did a controversial set that was the highlight of the evening. If the city could get The Faint, they might be able to draw a sizable crowd both locally and from out of state. Too bad The Faint has a moratorium on outdoor shows. So who decides...?

* * *

I generally don't hype shows in this column -- we've got an event calendar and our 8-Days section for that sort of thing. Still, I feel compelled to mention the Benefit Music Show for Erin and Ariann Anderson next Wednesday, April 29, at The Waiting Room. The press release issued for the benefit doesn't mention the story at its core -- that the Anderson's parents, Karla and Robert Anderson, were the couple who died March 30 in their Dundee home -- the alleged victims of a murder-suicide. I know Ariann as the singer in long-gone indie band Echo Farm, who I interviewed way back in 1998. Performing at the show are Song Remains the Same, Grand Theft Girlfriend, Goodbye Sunday, and Awake and Dreaming.

I also feel "compelled" to mention the Big Al "Free Music Festival" at the Saddle Creek Bar this Friday and Saturday night. Eleven bands are taking part, including The Filter Kings, Sarah Benck, No Blood Orphan and, of course, The Big Al Band, whose epic anthem "It's War, You Die" has become the theme song at local area fitness centers (or at least the one Al works at). So there's your promo, Al, now GET OFF MY BACK.

Ah, deadlines. Literally a few hours after my column went to press, Mr. Fratt responded to my e-mail questions regarding RSD. Fratt said business for the event was "WAY up" this year. "We were up 88 percent over last year," he wrote. "Even beyond the goals I gave the stores. Last year our bump was only 20 percent so this year's numbers are really good." In fact, nationally, RSD business was up 28 percent over '08. He gives some of the credit to a strong media presence both nationally and locally.

So why not have this level of intense promotion all year 'round instead of just once a year? Fratt says he does, with at least two in-stores per month and 130 exclusives offered last year. "What makes the difference is the national media exposure and the combined efforts of all indies; something that would be difficult to arrange on a daily basis," he said. "It would lose its impact if we tried to say 'Everyday is Record Store Day.' Although the desire is to get people to get into stores everyday by focusing on what we do one day a year.

"Lots of under-20-year-olds don't even know we exist or think we, too, are a national chain because, hell, everything is anymore."

And what happend to my Neil Young album? "Bill, our buyer, got cold feet on the Neil Young vinyl because it was $64.98 list, so sorry about that," Fratt said. He also passed along a list of upcoming in-store performances:

April 24 (Friday): Maria Taylor in the Old Market store, 5:30 p.m.
May 5, Ben Harper listening party at Orchard Plaza, 5:30 p.m.
May 6, Other Lives in the Old Market store, 5:30 p.m. (Elvis Perkins' band may do this, too)
May 25, Grizzly Bear listening party at Orchard Plaza, 3 to 6 p.m.

* * *

According to their publicist, Little Brazil's album, Son, has weighed in at No. 67 in this week's College Music Journal top-200, up 58 spots from the previous week, with 20 stations adding the album this week.

* * *

Tonight at Slowdown it's M Ward with The Watson Twins, and yes, it's SOLD OUT. No tix? You've got a couple other solid shows to choose from:

-- The 1090 Club, The Photo Atlas and Fortnight are all playing at O'Leaver's tonight for just $5. What's going on with O'Leaver's? Suddenly they're booking awesome shows almost every night. It's like 2005 all over again.

-- Over at The Sydney (formerly Mick's), Ladyfinger takes the stage with Paria. Think it'll be loud? $5, 10 p.m. When is The Sydney going to get a website? Let's get on that, Jamie.

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

Just posted, the Lazy-i interview with Maria Taylor, right here. Maria talks about leaving Omaha, leaving Saddle Creek, and the end of a relationship (with Conor? She's not saying...). She also talks about her poppy new album, Ladyluck, and working with (among others) R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe. It's a barrel of fun. In the end, Taylor was sometimes elusive but never unwilling to talk (or explain things, off the record). Give it a read, then run out and buy your tickets to Friday night's show at The Waiting Room. Opening is Whispertown 2000 and McCarthy Trenching. Let's give Maria a homecoming she deserves.

* * *

Tonight at The Waiting Room it's Drew Smith's Lonely Choir, a guy who counts among his influences Harry Nilsson, Van Morrison and Ray Davies. And according to his bio on the Waiting Room website, he once joined a band in Omaha. What band would that be? Opening is Matt Whipkey (doing a solo set). $7, 9 p.m.

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

Techlepathy played their usual post rock / noise / math-groove set last Friday night at O'Leaver's to a smallish crowd of around 30. Here's an action photo from the show that of course doesn't capture the disturbing energy coming off the stage. Their music is intricate and abrasive, nothing that you'd mistake for pop. But just as I was thinking that -- about two or three songs from the end of their set -- the band rolled out a new song that was surprisingly poppish -- or at least started out that way before devolving into their usual brutal fun.

* * *

Two noteworthy shows are on tap tonight setting off a strong week of shows. Tonight at O'Leaver's Minneapolis post-rock phenoms Vampire Hands play with Dance Me Pregnant and Perry H. Matthews. When VH came through O'Leaver's last September, a patio chair almost went through someone's back windshield (see review here). Strange days indeed. $5, 9:30 p.m. Meanwhile over at The Waiting Room, Cleveland indie band Pomegranates (Lujo Records) takes the stage with Baltimore duo Wye Oak (Merge Records) and Omaha's very own Honey and Darling. $8, 9 p.m.

Coming soon (tomorrow? Thursday?): An interview with Maria Taylor.

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

The city announced that this year's "youth concert" in Memorial Park will be June 6, and the headliner will be Gomez, a band that hasn't had a hit record in 10 years and would likely be playing Slowdown or The Waiting Room if this "opportunity" hadn't presented itself. According to Kevin Coffey's OWH article, Fahey worked with "a St. Louis-based talent scout to line up bands." It's not as if Fahey didn't have other promotional options locally -- i.e., One Percent Productions, who at least could have found someone who has put out a decent record this century. Needless to say, booking a show like the Memorial Park gig probably needs to be done a year in advance -- as in right now for next summer -- if you want someone with a broad appeal but that still targets a younger demographic, such as Wilco, Death Cab, Belle and Sebastian, Morrissey, PJ Harvey, MGMT, etc.

Depending on the weather, I suspect this will be one of the least-attended of the park concerts. Having been to all four previous events, the largest hands-down was 311 in 2004, followed by Feist last year, Bright Eyes in '06 and Plain White T's in 2007 where fewer than 3,000 people showed up (despite the city's estimate of 10k, which was pure malarkey).

Now the big question: What local bands (if any) will open? Last year The Good Life did a controversial set that was the highlight of the evening. If the city could get The Faint, they might be able to draw a sizable crowd both locally and from out of state. Too bad The Faint has a moratorium on outdoor shows. Wonder who decides...

* * *

Pitchfork has weighed in on Ladyfinger's Dusk with a 6.2 -- a rating that's par for the course for almost all Saddle Creek releases (read it here). The summary: "Ladyfinger (ne) are obviously a talented bunch, but they're trying to crack open the rock 'n' roll firmament with ball-peen hammers, chiseling grooves without making any real breakthroughs. Which is fine in therapy, but not if you're rocking with your cock out. So to speak." The writer's assessment would hold more water if she could get the names of the songs correct: It's "Plans" not "Plums."

* * *

Tonight at O'Leaver's, Speed! Nebraska is welcoming its two newest bands to the label: Wagon Blasters and Techlepathy. Both bands are kind of connected to the label -- Wagon Blasters' frontman Gary Dean Davis runs Speed! Nebraska with help from Techlepathy's Lincoln Dickison (read about the label here). $5, 9:30 p.m.

Also tonight, Des Moines' band North of Grand plays at The 49'r with live karaoke rockers Girl Drink Drunk. Down at Slowdown Jr., Midwest Dilemma headlines a show with Anniversaire, Cameron McGill And What Army and McCarthy Trenching. $7, 9 p.m.

As mentioned yesterday, tomorrow is Record Store Day at all Homer's locations, Drastic Plastic and The Antiquarium. I'm told that as part of the event, The Antiquarium will be giving away copies of Fullblown's Agents of Entropy CD with any purchase. Nice. Performers Far Beyond Frail, Brad Hoshaw and Matt Cox will be doing in-stores at the Old Market Homer's starting at 1 p.m.

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

I don't know if I mentioned this to you or not (actually, I have), but I've got a little over $800 in store credit at Homer's. And I plan to drop a large chunk of it this Saturday at "Record Store Day."

The event, founded in 2007, is celebrated each year on the third Saturday of April and involves 700 independently owned record stores, which are defined as "a physical retailer whose product line consists of at least 50 percent music retail, whose company is not publicly traded and whose ownership is at least 70 percent located in the state of operation" -- i.e., the Good Guys.

It's not just Homer's who's involved -- The Antiquarium and Drastic Plastic also are participating, which I guess means they'll be offering some of the event's exclusive, limited-edition merch. What kind of merch? Well, the full list is online here.

What each store will actually have on hand is the real question, and will also depend on when you get there, because I assume all of this stuff is very limited. What am I interested in? Well, the Cursive/Ladyfinger 4-song 10-inch split picture disc (two unreleased and two "new" tracks) limited to 1,500 copies; the Neil Young Sugar Mountain Live at Canterbury House 1968 2LP set; The Yeah's new LP; The Smiths The Headmaster Ritual/Oscillate Wildly 7"; the Camera Obscura 7-inch, and that's just for starters. I'm open to suggestions. And apparently there are performances by Matt Cox, Far Beyond Frail, Brad Hoshaw and others downtown at the Old Market location, but I'm not sure of the schedule.

So drop in on any of the local record joints Saturday and buy something. Seriously, when was the last time you went to a record store?

* * *

Seattle singer/songwriter Unwed Sailor a.k.a. Johnathon Ford is playing at O'Leaver's tonight with Landing on the Moon, $5, 9:30 p.m. Also tonight, Little Black Stereo plays at The Barley Street with Down with the Ship and Sweet Pea.

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

Regular readers of Lazy-i can skip this week's column, which I include below for posterity's sake only. It's a remix of last week's Lazy-i review of the Oberst concert with the Spin.com Oberst review, with a slightly different lead and ending.

Column 217: Fly Like The Eagles
Oberst Kicks off U.S. Tour

A day before the sold-out Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley concert at The Slowdown last week, I got an e-mail from an editor at Spin.com, asking if I could review the show for their site. I guess the fact that Oberst was kicking off a national tour in Omaha -- and playing new material from his upcoming album, Outer South -- was newsworthy. So out of that came a review, which is still online and linked from the Spin.com homepage.

The "hook" to the write-up: That Oberst and his pals are this generation's Eagles. Each member of his band took the helm for at least one song during the concert, while The Conor played the role of enthusiastic sideman. Guitarist Taylor Hollingsworth was Joe Walsh on a short Beatle-esque pop song, bassist Macey Taylor was Timothy B. Schmit singing a twangy number that could have been off Oberst's last album, while drummer Jason Boesel did the Don Henley thing behind the kit while Oberst sang along, off microphone.

It was an amusing comparison that of course breaks down when you realize that 1) The Eagles never had a frontman like Oberst to anchor everything, and 2) Other than a similar amount of country-rock twang, the two bands' music isn't terribly similar. When they're rocking, Oberst and Co. sound more like the Allman Bros. than The Eagles (In fact, I can hear Dickey Betts' classic duo-guitar harmonies on "Jessica" in my head as I type this).

OK, now here's what didn't make it into the Spin.com review:

Capgun Coup was on stage when I arrived at around 10:30. Frontman Sam Martin wore what looked like a Kurt Cobain wig and an argyle cardigan sweater. Was it some sort of tribute to the fallen hero a few days after the 5-year anniversary of his death? I don't know. However, I think Cobain would have approved of the tribute as well as Capgun's crash-bam rock style. With the organ/keyboard off to the side, the set had more of a garage-rock feel, but with a proggy overhang that kept things riled up. As per usual, their performance seemed almost purposely sloppy. As Oberst would say later in the evening from stage, Capgun is a band that can't be put in a box, and doesn't even know what a box looks like. They're doing their own thing, whether you like or not.

Clearly some of Conor's little-girl fans didn't. From my roost off to the left I could see a small bevy of bored, pissed-off looking girls leaning against the stage; two of the little puppy dogs had their backs to the band, arms crossed, waiting. They didn't have to wait very long.

Oberst and Co. wasted no time after Capgun's rather short set. There was Conor in his super-tight skinny brown jeans, button-up shirt, Banana Republic sports jacket and flat-toe boots roaring into a couple new songs that were darker than the usual stuff, singing about Jesus and charisma with lines like, "I got a sad, sinking feeling."

While not overly chatty (He's no Kasher when it comes to between-song patter), Oberst did get off a few good lines. Halfway through the set he commented on the Slowdown complex. "Me and Robb (Nansel) never thought we'd have our own mall. Now we have our own mall. It's fantastic," he said in a way that could be taken as sarcasm. He dedicated new song "Nikorette" to his dentist and even did a brief commercial, repeating his dentist office's location and saying, "Over the years I smoked a lot of cigarettes, but they can give you something to make your teeth white," and then broke out a big ol' smile.

Overall, it was a solid two-hour concert that nicely wove the new stuff with stuff off the first album. The highlight (for me, anyway) always is the slower, quieter stuff, and Oberst has a couple nice ones on this new record, including a somber waltz called "Ten Women," and a song that led off his encore that could be "Lua Pt. 2."

I applaud the fact that everyone in the band got to contribute a song or two, but the only non-Oberst song that stood out was the one sung by Boesel. We'll see how it all works out in the end. Oberst clearly just wants to have fun with this band. I can't imagine how he could ever feel he was on the same level with everyone else unless he shared the writing and lead vocal chores with the rest of his chums.

I concluded the Spin review with this: For a guy who's been performing on stage since he was 14, Oberst has never looked more content than when he's playing with the Mystic Valley Band. Still, he's the kind of guy who never stays in one place -- or with one band -- for very long. So tell us, Conor, are you in this one for the long run?

I realized after I wrote it that most of his young fans won't "get" the reference to the Eagles' 1979 album, and in fact, many won't even know who The Eagles are. That's OK, because something tells me The Eagles don't know who Conor is, either.

It's been pretty quiet the past few days for shows. That'll change as we head into the weekend.

Happy Tax Day.

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

No, this isn't necessarily pertinent to us folks who live in Omaha, but since there's nothing else going on today I figured I might as well pass on some info about one of my favorite old-school indie bands. The fine folks in The Poster Children wrote to say that they'll be "emerging from hibernation" on Memorial Day weekend to play a show at The High Dive in Champaign, Ill., in honor of Josh Gottheil, who was an integral part of the 1980s Champaign-Urbana music scene. Also scheduled to appear are The Outnumbered (Jon Ginoli's pre-Pansy Division jangle punk band), Lonely Trailer (hugely influential CU quirk rockers) and Cowboy X (Trashcan Records power poppers). The details:

Sunday May 24, 2009
The High Dive
51 Main St.
Champaign, IL

Doors open at 7 p.m., the show starts at 8 p.m., PC plays at 11 p.m. It's a 19+ show. Tickets available at thehighdive.com.

Check out a few ancient Poster Children videos if you don't know who they are. Have they ever played in Omaha?

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

The smoking Quonset hut has been dismantled, freshly graded beach sand has been added to the volleyball courts, spring is in definitely in the air at O'Leaver's. After catching a little bit of The Ten Commandments (Nile turns to blood, green death sequences) it was off to everyone's favorite booze dispenser, where I arrived just in time for Shiny Around the Edges. I'm told they change their line-up frequently. For Saturday night, the band featured frontman Mike Seman, his wife on drum (not drums) and a guy on bass for a set that can only be described as "experimental tribal noise." The first 15 or 20 minutes was drum and bass and feedback and ethereal vocal/chants. The last 10 minutes, when Seman switched to drum and his wife strapped on a second bass, was more interesting in a throbbing-post-rock sort of way. The set was more "out there" then I remember the last time they came through; you got to hand it to them for changing things around.

The Dinks got off to a rough start thanks to a broken bass string, but their follow-through was golden. Most of the guys in this band were in the now-defunct Shanks -- a violent, free-for-all punk experience that had a way of driving itself off of a cliff every time they performed. Shanks shows were dirty train wrecks that consisted of thrown beer bottles and man-on-man make-out sessions. The Dinks are a different thing altogether. There is an obvious, focused attempt to make this into a rock band rather than a performance-art experience. The result is better music that ranges from punk to metal to straight-up rock. I credit the double-guitar attack, which is getting there but isn't quite there yet. And while I enjoy Shanks' recordings purely for their noisy decadence, this band's songs could be acceptably added to anyone's playlist. This is rock music -- not garage rock -- just rock, and if they keep their eyes on melodies (yes, melodies) they could turn into a winner. Check out the action photo from Saturday night (and get a peek at O'Leaver's state-of-the-art stage).

* * *

Tonight at The Holland Center, it's Death Cab for Cutie with Cold War Kids and Ra Ra Riot. This is promising to be a memorable show for those lucky enough to have tickets. I don't. The 1 Percent website says that it's sold out, but omahaperformingarts.org was still offering second-tier tickets at $35 apiece, but they won't last long. Show starts at 8.

-Got comments? Post 'em here.--

My review of last night's Conor Oberst concert is actually here, at Spin.com. Read it, then come back and read the rest.

OK, here's what didn't make it into that review:

Capgun Coup was on stage when I arrived at around 10:30. Frontman Sam Martin wore what looked like a Kurt Cobain wig and an argyle cardigan sweater -- was it some sort of tribute to the fallen hero a few days after the 5-year anniversary of his death? I don't know. However, I think Cobain would have approved of the tribute as well as Capgun's crash-bam rock style. (see photo). With the organ/keyboard off to the side, the set had more of a garage-rock feel, but with a proggy overhang that kept things riled up. As per usual, their performance seemed almost purposely sloppy. As Oberst would say later in the evening from stage, Capgun is a band that can't be put in a box, and doesn't even know what a box looks like. They're doing their own thing, whether you like or not.

Clearly some of Conor's little-girl fans didn't. From my roost off of stage left I could see a small bevy of bored, pissed-off looking girls leaning against the stage; two of the little puppy dogs had their backs to the band, arms crossed, waiting. They didn't have to wait very long.

Oberst and Co. wasted no time after Capgun's rather short set. There was Conor in his super tight skinny brown jeans, button-up shirt, Banana Republic sports jacket and flat-toe cowboy boots roaring into a couple new songs that were darker than the usual stuff, singing about Jesus and charisma with lines like "I got a sad, sinking feeling." (see photo).

While not overly chatty (He's no Kasher when it comes to between-song patter), Oberst did get off a few good lines. Halfway through the set he commented on the Slowdown complex. "Me and Robb (Nansel) never thought we'd have our own mall. Now we have our own mall. It's fantastic," he said. He dedicated new song "Nikorette" to his dentist and even did a brief promotional speech, repeating the dentist office's location and saying, "Over the years I smoked a lot of cigarettes, but they can give you something to make your teeth white," and then broke out a big ol' smile.

Overall, it was a solid two-hour concert that nicely wove the new stuff with stuff off the first album. The highlight for me is always the slower, quieter stuff, and Oberst has got a couple nice ones on this new record, including a somber waltz called "Ten Women," and a song that led off his encore that could be "Lua Pt. 2."

I applaud the fact that everyone in the band got to contribute a song or two, but the only non-Oberst song that stood out was the one sung by Boesel. We'll see how it all works out in the end. Oberst clearly just wants to have fun with this band. I can't imagine how you could ever feel on the same level with everyone else unless you shared the writing and lead vocal chores with the rest of your chums.

* * *

After a solid week of shows, here's the weekend line-up:

Detroit disco garage band Electric Six is at The Waiting Room tonight with Bang Camaro. $13, 9 p.m.

Meanwhile, down at Slowdown Jr., it's Stardeath and White Dwarfs, an Oklahoma band fronted by Wayne Coyne's nephew, Dennis Coyne, and yes, there's more than a little Flaming Lips residue to their music. Opening is the irascible Talking Mountain. $8, 9 p.m.

Also tonight, Lincoln punk duo Once a Pawn opens for Goodbye Sunday at The Barley St., $5, 9 p.m.

Tomorrow night's just as busy. The Sydney is hosting its first real rock show Saturday with Little Brazil and The Filter Kings. 9 p.m., $5.

O'Leaver's is hosting Denton, Texas post-punk band Shiny Around the Edges with The Dinks and Watch the Train Wreck. $5, 9:30 p.m.

While Saddle Creek Bar brings the punk, old school-style, with The Upsets, Lowkey, Binfield Broke It and Officially Terminated. $5, 9 p.m.

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

Try as I might, I could not get in touch with Bloodcow for comment, and in the end, it didn't matter as the ingenious pitch discussed below speaks for itself.

Column 216: Perfect Pitch
Sometimes a one-sheet actually works.

About a 100 years ago, I was asked to be part of a panel on the music industry, representing (I guess) the perspective of a music journalist. The panel was part of a conference for up-and-coming musicians, designed to give them "tips" to succeed in an industry where success often is the result of a fluke of luck or a curious aligning of stars rather than talent or hard work.

The discussion -- which consisted mostly of the moderator barking out her personal viewpoints rather than referring to a panel that included some actual music business professionals -- eventually got around to the subject of self-promotion. Specifically artist promo packages. Specifically promo CDs and the supporting documentation. Specifically, one-sheets.

The moderator said that "having a perfect package" -- including CD, multi-page bio (no typos), and professionally produced 8x10 print-ready photos, all collected in a rugged folder -- was essential not only to grab the attention of those booking talent at venues, but radio station programmers and music critics. The ocean of blue jeans and T-shirts feverishly took notes, maybe for the first time in their lives.

And then the moderator threw it to me. "Wouldn't you agree, Tim?"

No, I said, I would not agree. Don't bother with any of that stuff. It's expensive, it's time-consuming, it's unnecessary and if it shows up in my mailbox, chances are it'll end up right in the trash. If I want to know more about you or I need a photo of your band, I'll get it off your website or MySpace page. All I want is a copy of the CD and a website address. The rest of that stuff is clutter that I don't have time to sort through. If you do decide to create such a package, my only suggestion is that you make it recyclable.

The moderator stood frozen with mouth agape, staring at me as if I had just stood up, turned around, dropped my drawers and farted loudly into the microphone. She then proceeded to tell the audience just how wrong I was and to not listen to my idiocy. I leaned back in my plastic chair and let her talk, and eventually the "discussion" moved to another pointless topic. Needless to say, it was never "thrown to me" again for the rest of the morning, and I've never been asked to participate in another such panel.

And that would have been the end of the story and this week's column, except that something arrived in my mailbox last week that made me eat my words. Inside the non-descript manila envelope was a folded piece of graph paper with a message written in black crayon, as if scrawled by a child or a mentally challenged (is that the politically correct terminology?) adult. It said:

"Dear Tim, When not doing large piles of blow off of our OEA award, maxing out our credit cards, or planning to launch our own taco restaurant, we have been busy touring, making our way to Austin during SXSW promoting our new 7'."

The letter was from local metal phenoms Bloodcow. It went on to say that the record was a split with Boston band Motherboar, and that the Bloodcow tracks were recorded by (Omaha punk legend and producer) Jim Homan at Warehouse Studio.

The note also said (in perfect hand writing, no typos… er mistakes) that Bloodcow has signed to Crustacean Records out of Madison, Wisconsin, and will be releasing a new CD on that label in the latter part of the fall of '09.

"We have plenty of shows coming up and are getting a tour set for July. Enjoy the record! Thanks Bloodcow."

I've included a scan of a portion of the note, where the writer has drawn a near-lifelike castle and storm cloud, and clarified that "Yes, this is Crayola."

Now here was a one-sheet that caught my attention. I didn't know if I should put the record on my turntable or contact the Nebraska Dept. of Corrections to see if a lunatic was on the loose writing crayon-letters to perspective murder victims. Luckily, I did the former and was rewarded by nearly seven minutes of jittery, vein-bulging punk-metal that wasn't afraid to lay into the funk. Loud, angry, snarling, flamboyant; songs "Shop Together" and "Evil Magna Carta" had everything that would make any metal-lovin' dude throw the devil horns in approval (and the Motherboar tracks weren't bad, either).

Would I have listened to the single without reading the letter? Probably. But not with the same attitude; and having the right attitude when listening to anything (let alone a metal track) makes all the difference.

So here's to you, Bloodcow, for putting me in my place, proving that a one-sheet isn't a waste of time, especially when it looks like a ransom note written by a mentally retarded killer.

PS: Bloodcow opens for Jucifer this Thursday (April 9) at The Saddle Creek Bar.

* * *

A caveat before I begin: I've never been a fan of The Hold Steady. I bought Separation Sunday and Boys and Girls in America on the urging of others (We've got a lot of Hold Stead foamers in Omaha), listened to them a couple times and rarely (if ever) listened to them again. No question that Craig Finn is one clever, witty mofo. And who wouldn't like their faux-Thin Lizzy guitar crunch? I don't know, but for whatever reason, they've never done it for me. Their music is too repetitive, and Finn's monotone nasal delivery is charming but quickly becomes tiresome. I'd rather just read his lyrics.

Still, here they were, coming to Omaha for what will be deemed as one of the biggest shows of the year (even though it took until yesterday for the show to finally sell out The Slowdown). The crowd was a sausage party -- guys outnumbered women 10 to 1. Most of them were in their late 20s early 30s -- the big brothers of the crowd that will be down at The Slowdown tonight for Conor.

At around 10:15, The Hold Steady took the stage and tore right into a set with only a moment's pause in between songs -- very little stage banter other than Finn saying how much he liked the club. Out of the gate, the sound mix was muddy and dense -- maybe the worst sound I've heard at Slowdown on the big stage. It took about 15 minutes to make the necessary adjustments, and after that, it was all rock, with only a few slower ballads thrown in to break things up. (See action photo)

It's not fair to criticize Finn's vocals. Sure, he's monotone and doesn't really sing at all, but some of my favorite bands' frontmen can't sing either -- Lou Reed, Randy Newman (who Finn most closely resembles vocally), Dylan and Gary Dean Davis, who Finn sort of resembles physically. Actually, that's not true at all. Sure, they both have the same hair and glasses, but Davis is a man mountain, a fighting farmer with the power to crush a stage with his mighty leaps. Finn looks like he's four feet tall and is more of a stage prancer than leaper. He looks like someone who works for public radio rather than a rock star. But a rock star he is. From my vantage point just off stage left, I could see that Finn had the crowd in the palm of his hand -- very commanding in a weird sort of way. Just about every guy who stood along the front of the stage sung along with every word he sang, pumping their fists in approval.

The Hold Steady is a terrific, well-seasoned band, and it was a great show, even though the music inevitably bored me long before the encore. These guys love their so-called "Unified Scene," and it loves them back. I'm just not a member of that scene.

* * *

So there are three good shows going on tonight. The marquee event is Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band kicking off their tour down at The Slowdown. The lucky ones who got tickets will get to hear the new material off Oberst & Band's upcoming Outer South. Opening is local faves Mal Madrigal and Team Love recording artist Capgun Coup. This show sold out about a month ago. Watch for Twitter updates from Slowdown.

A good alternative would be Bonnie "Prince" Billy at The Waiting Room with White Magic. As I said in this week's issue of The Reader: Bonnie "Prince" Billy is Will Oldham -- singer, songwriter, musician, actor, former member of The Palace Brothers, the list goes on and on. His music has been hung with the term "alt-country," though the songs on Beware, his latest release on Drag City Records, go well beyond that label. Sure, there are acoustic guitars and fiddles and plenty of twangy choruses, but Oldham's songs are more like explorations of his soul rather than a drive down a dusty country road. At the bleakest moments, the music holds a lost, dark quality, a shadowed loneliness, but with a touch of reassurance that a Palace Brother or Oldham or a Prince is waiting at the bottom of the well to lead you back into the light. $15, 9 p.m.

And then there's the rock in the form mentioned in the above column: Bloodcow opening for Jucifer at The Saddle Creek Bar. Also on the bill are Motherpile and Officially Terminated. There's nothing on the Saddle Creek Bar website to indicate that this show strays from their usual $5 cover charge. And from what I hear about Jucifer, it will be LOUD. Starts at 9.

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

While glancing at my iGoogle page, I noticed that the Omahype RSS feed hadn't been updated since mid-March. Updates to their blog have fallen off over the past few months, but never for this long. When I clicked on the link, here's what I got:

hey guys we had fun
we'll be around
thanks to anyone cool we met
thanks for the guest lists
thanks for the mp3s
love you forever

omahype @ gmail

And that, it appears, is that. All of Omahype's archived blog entries are coming up 404 Not Found. The only way to find them is via web.archive.org (the Wayback machine), which goes back to Sept. 2007.

I loved Omahype. I know I'm not the only one that's going to miss Andrew and Ian's acerbic, enthusiastic takes on the local music scene, as well as their live reviews and leaked mp3 files. Over the course of a couple years, they managed to make a sizeable mark, providing a fresh, young perspective that this scene was -- and is -- sorely in need of. Thanks for the memories, guys. You know you can always come back online...

* * *

Tonight at The Slowdown it's Minneapolis band The Hold Steady. If you didn't get your tickets, you're out of luck because it's SOLD OUT.

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

Speed! Nebraska Records announced yesterday that it signed high-flying rock 'n' roll bands Techlepathy and Wagon Blasters to exclusive contracts.

Techlepathy features Lincoln Dickison (The Monroes, Bombardment Society, Putrescene), Eric Ernst (Fullblown, Sound of Rails, Aemon), and John Kestner (Fullblown, Sound of Rails, Coldsore). The band is described as "Black noise in a black room: a spiritual meltdown, a precognitive vision. Post humanistic, seeking a chemical bond with the circuitry." I describe it as noise punk. You make the call when their debut CD, Anthem for Future History, is released later this spring or early summer.

Wagon Blasters features Gary Dean Davis (The Monroes, D is for Dragster, Frontier Trust, Pioneer Disaster), William Thornton (Past Punchy and the Present, Low Rent Guilt, Frontier Trust), Robert Thornton (Now, Archimedes!, Past Punchy and the Present, Culture Fire, Clayface Regular) and Jesse Render (The Monroes, Lonny and the Lux-o-values, The Bullphrogs). When they first started playing around town late last year, they covered a few Frontier Trust classics, which will give you an idea what kind of sound they're after. Speed! says look for WB's new release sometime this summer.

Both bands are playing O'Leaver's April 17 -- put it in your dayplanner.

* * *

Wonder who that guy was running around with a video camera during the last Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley band tour? It was none other than Phil Schaffart, the band's guitar tech and now filmmaker. His documentary of the past year and a half touring with the band, titled One of My Kind, is slated for an Internet release on April 15 by Causecast.

"Footage from Tepoztlan, Mexico, where they recorded their first album, Conor Oberst, their worldwide tour in 2008, and the making of Outer South in El Paso, TX, takes viewers on a 60-minute musical journey around the world," says the press release. The film will be available as a free stream or HD download at Causecast.org, IFC.com, conoroberst.com, mergerecords.com and wichita-recordings.com.

Causecast is "a community of people and nonprofits that are actively involved in causes like child slavery, global warming, mentoring, animal rights and autism research, just to name a few," says the press release. Wonder if they'll be any footage from last September's Anchor Inn gig...

* * *

Singer/songwriter Damien Jurado plays tonight at The Waiting Room with Laura Gibson. $10, 9 p.m.

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

Enchanted Islands, Beep Beep's new CD on Saddle Creek, is one of my favorites so far this year. Eric Bemberger and former band member Chris Hughes managed to figure out a way to streamline and soften the edges to their more-challenging, abstract music while adding a new dimension with songs that are mellow and catchy yet just as subversive as typical Beep Beep fare.

That said, the band's CD release show at The Waiting Room Saturday night didn't capture the album's essence and power, maybe because they're still learning how to perform the music live. Like the Barley St. show about a month ago, they didn't play any of the new album's slower, mellower stuff. The one exception was "The Lion's Mouth," which featured James Reilly singing from within the crowd. Reilly still seems tentative on vocals, almost as if he's holding back, unsure of himself. He was barely audible throughout the set. He needs to throw himself into these songs like he does with his other band, Pharmacy Spirits.

Missing from the ensemble was new drummer Ian Francis, who Bemberger said had a previous engagement (i.e. another gig). He was replaced for this show with Ben Armstrong (Head of Femur), who just so happened to play drums on Enchanted Islands. Bemberger was his usual preening self -- strange and awkward like a schoolgirl who just discovered s/he's a schoolboy. Darren Keen, on the other hand, continues to be the lion who roared, this time with his shirt off (and no, he didn't go "Full Monty" (like at his TSITR CD release show) during his excellent opening set). This is a strong , talented band. I hope it gets the time it needs to develop into a band that can transport its audience to those elusive Enchanted Islands, mellow stuff and all. Here's an action photo from the show.

* * *

Omaha punk rock heroes Box Elders, hot off a recent tour that included a handful of shows at SXSW, are opening for Quintron and Miss Pussycat and Psychedelic Horseshit tonight at The Waiting Room. $9, 9 p.m.

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

Not much happening as we wait for the weekend to take effect. The forecast seems to change hour-to-hour. It went from 5 to 9 inches of snow expected Saturday night into Sunday to only a dusting (according to Accuweather). We'll have to wait and see, but it looks like it's all going to swing north to Sioux City.

The preceding weather report was brought to you by The KTIM Severe Weather Storm Team™

OK, onto the scorecard for this weekend:

Tonight, Lincoln's Forty Twenty is having its "final show" at The Waiting Room with The Black Squirrels and Gerald Lee Jr. with Josh Dunwoody. Wear your cowboy hat. $7, 9 p.m. We'll miss you boys.

Meanwhile, down the way at The Barley St. Tavern, Brad Hoshaw and the Seven Deadlies will squeeze themselves onto the stage before Son of 76 and The Watchmen play. $5, 9 p.m.

The big show Saturday night is the Beep Beep CD release party at The Waiting Room with The Show Is the Rainbow and Cat Island. Will Darren "go all in" like he did during his CD release show a few weeks ago? You'll have to show up early to find out. $7, 9 p.m.

Bloodcow also is having a 7-inch release show Saturday night at O'Leaver's. $5, 9:30 p.m.

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

Here's the final word on SXSW. First, the full story -- all three days of Lazy-i blog entries from Austin -- all 5,000 words -- cleaned up and compiled into one cohesive story, with all the photos, too. Take a look.

And here's this week's column: Three different views of SXSW by three people who had three different reasons for being there. The summations:

Jeremiah McIntyre: "It's fun. You get to get in front of a lot of people. Parking can be a pain in the ass, but both times we played the 6th St. area we got lucky and got spots right in front of the club."

Robb Nansel: "One of the downsides of living in Omaha is that you don't have access to all those people all the time. And South By Southwest and CMJ are the two times a year that everybody you want to talk to and do business with is going to be in the same city."

Eric Bemberger: "It was not only an opportunity to see things that changed my life, but to converse with someone who's responsible for it."

Column 215: SXSW Epilogue
For bands, was it worth it?

It's only been a week since the South By Southwest Festival ended and it already seems like it never happened. We've all gone back to our little corners of the world, wrote our post-coital summations in blogs and columns and articles and podcasts, told our stories at our respective bars and hang-outs and begun planning for next year with Austin in the rear-view mirror.

From a music journalist's standpoint, not only is SXSW a blast but also a real opportunity to see and hear new music in a condensed, compressed setting. But what about the bands and labels who actually participated in the festival? Was it worth their time to drive or fly cross country, figure out (or actually pay for) lodging and then perform in the center of the cyclone to 15 or 50 or 500 or 5,000 strangers?

Case in point: After seeing our very own Box Elders play at punk wonderland Red 7 on the last day of the festival, I tracked down Jeremiah McIntyre to congratulate him. The first words out of his mouth after saying "thank you" were "Buy us some beers, man, we are so broke right now."

Look, if you're PJ Harvey or even Cursive, you're probably doing SXSW in style, but if you're an up-and-coming band just signed to a label -- or one of the few that's unsigned -- the decision to play SXSW comes with a financial cost that may make you think twice before accepting the invitation. Then again, you'd be stupid to turn it down.

"We'd never been to South By Southwest," said McIntyre a week later. "I'd do it again as long as I didn't have to do any of the work." Box Elders, which also include brother Clayton McIntyre and drummer/keyboardist Dave Goldberg, played five times at the festival. Jeremiah said other than the performances, SXSW was a chance to meet the folks from Goner Records, the label that's releasing their new album in July.

"Goner wanted to get everyone together to meet and do some work," he said. "It was really informal. We met the publicist who'll be working on our record and a couple people who might do booking for us. Booking our own shows is a real drag."

Does SXSW provide advantages for unsigned bands to find a label? "I guess," McIntyre said. "The whole signed/unsigned thing seems irrelevant these days. Signed to what? Do people really buy records on labels anymore?"

Robb Nansel, executive at Saddle Creek Records, certainly hopes so. He's gone down to Austin for the past nine years.

"I do feel like it's worthwhile to be there," he said from a conference room in his Saddle Creek offices. "You may only be playing to 10 people, but the likelihood is that three of them are booking agents, two are writing for a magazine and two are at record labels."

As an example, Nansel said that Saddle Creek fleshed out its relationship with Two Gallants at SXSW. "We met them down there, we saw them perform and then we went up and spoke to them and set up a time to spend a couple hours together to talk and not watch bands," Nansel said. "And the rest is history."

He insists that there are plenty of unsigned bands still invited to the festival, and that it provides a great A&R opportunity to scout talent. "From a label's perspective, I go there for four reasons," he said. "To support our bands, to hopefully see new bands we're excited about, to see all of our friends that we don't get to see that live in other cities, and to conduct business with managers, booking agents, press people and publicists. The whole industry is there."

I was surprised to find that labels aren't charged to host showcases at SXSW. Saddle Creek, who tries to do a showcase annually, merely makes the request and sends the list of participating bands, then SXSW organizers decide on the venue. Last year, Creek's night showcase was at The Dirty Dog. "We're never playing there again," Nansel said. This year they got the larger, nicer Radio Room. I also thought that bands were playing for free. Not so, said Nansel. Participating bands can choose between getting $200 or a single badge that will get one of the members into all the clubs. The rest of the band members get wristbands, which means dealing with long lines.

Among those playing the Saddle Creek showcase was Beep Beep. Frontman Eric Bemberger said playing SXSW was worth it for a myriad of reasons, but for him it was a chance to see a lot of bands he might never have had a chance to see, like punk legends The Homosexuals and Canadian indie band Mother Mother. "It was the adult equivalent of Disney Land," Bemberger said.

"As far as propelling the band, I can't think of too many examples," he added. "There was someone that attended our show that said, 'I run this venue in Sacramento, give this card to your booking agent.' Stuff like that. There were people who wanted to do video interviews that many not have if they hadn't seen us play.

But if you're unsigned...

"The practicality of South By Southwest is slowly but surely disappearing," Bemberger said. "There are bands who are self-released that work so hard to get there that are overshadowed by all these self-gratifying hyped showcases and parties. But other people, who are trying to make music and lasting connections and find someone to support on their next tour, all that is valuable. Record labels, what are they anymore, anyway?"

That's it for SXSW for this year. Time to book my hotel for next year.

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

My interview with Beep Beep's Eric Bemberger was pretty easy. All the questions were right there in front of me: What happened to Chris Hughes? What's with the new album's musical split personality? Will you be playing the quiet stuff in concert? Most of the answers made it into the story, here.

But there wasn't enough room to discuss their live set. I told Eric that I was at their Barley St. Tavern show last month and noticed a lack of quieter numbers from the album. He said that the show was a disaster going in. "We knew before we stepped on stage that things would fall apart," he said, adding they were supposed to go on first, but ended up playing last. "By the time we got on stage, the clock was ticking, so we just blasted through our stuff. We just wanted an opportunity to get some shows under our belt before leaving on tour. Ian (Francis) had only been in the band a month; James (Reilly) had been in for six months and had to learn all the synth parts."

The band may work a couple of the more mellow songs into their set Saturday night at The Waiting Room. They haven't been playing them because they're still figuring out how to replicate them on stage. "We now play 'The Lion's Mouth,'" Bemberger said. "A week before the tour, I cracked the code on Dan McCarthy's accordion on 'Return to Me' and translated it to something that could be played with software."

That said, we won't be hearing the Roxy Music-ish "Baby Shoes." Bemberger said he doesn't know what to do about the Wurlitzer and Rhodes sounds used on the track. That's too bad because it stands out as one of the most starkly different tracks on the album.

Anyway, check out the story, then buy tickets to Saturday night's show. And look for more Bemberger comments in tomorrow's column -- a postmortem of SXSW.

* * *

Thunder Power is headlining a show tonight at The Waiting Room with Midwest Dilemma, Jake Bellows and Carbondale, Illinois band The Black Fortys. $7, 9 p.m.

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