Yes, this is a rare Weekend Update on Lazy-i. There's too much stuff going on this weekend, and I don't want to smash it all into one blog post on Monday. We have Vanderslice tonight and singer-songwriters tomorrow, but I'll get to that (again) in good time.

This was my first time experiencing a live rock show at The Sydney (ex-Micks). I'd been warned by a number of people that despite lowering the stage to near floor level from Mick's ridiculously high perch that the room still sounded like a noisy ball of shit. Ah, but the crowd last night was mostly full of tough guys that embrace such dissonance. It was the first time in a long time that someone pulled a "Nice earplugs" barb at me. I just smiled and adjusted my foam nubs -- I knew I'd get the last laugh.

As I've mentioned before, I like the laidback feel of The Sydney. The room just has a good, friendly drinking vibe to it now that it didn't have before. The folks running the place are super nice; everyone seems to be in a good mood -- what a concept! (Everyone seems to be in a good mood at O'Leaver's every night, too, but that's because they all seem to be lost in a NyQuil daze after mainlining Rumplemintz since 4 in the afternoon).

When you went to Mick's to see a show, you very likely were sitting down somewhere. If not, you were trapped in the crawlspace by the door, probably in someone's way but still able to see the band on the crazy-high stage. At The Sydney, the tables play a secondary role. There's plenty of space near the pseudo-stage, which is so low to the ground as to encourage you to get off your ass and stand up there next to the band and soak in the full force of whatever's going on. I have to assume that the bands prefer this over towering above -- and being separated from -- everyone in the crowd.

Kansas City's The Life and Times -- the night's opener, who went on at around 10:30 -- certainly seemed to dig it. A classic rock trio -- guitar/bass/drums -- I'd heard they had a "showgazer vibe." Not to me. From the opening song I was reminded again and again of classic '90s Chicago Matador band Chavez -- from their mathy compositions to the slurring, rising vocal lines that ironically countered the machine-gun-firecracker drums and counter-melody bass lines. The frontman's voice even sounded sort of like Matt Sweeney's. And don't get me wrong -- you're not likely to find a bigger Chavez fan in any crowd, and these guys stylistically hit the mark. Here's an action photo.

Was it loud. Oh yeah. I saw a few fans up front doing the classic fingers-in-the-ears pose. I found the comedian who mocked my earplugs hiding in the back. Silly rabbit -- everyone knows that there's nowhere to hide from the noise in Mick's/Sydney -- it's as if you're trapped in a gigantic whispering arch, the sound is as loud in back of the room as it is up front. That said, I thought the dynamics were just fine (and even better for Little Brazil, who themselves had more dynamic range in their set). I can see why TL&Ts is generating a following around Omaha. They have a powerful, melodic sound, and when they stray from their Chavez/Sunny Day-esque formula, they really "shine" (get it?).

Little Brazil came on at about a quarter to midnight. I was wondering how they were going to fit onto the stage when TL&T barely could get all three members on the platform. The answer: They didn't. Guitarist Greg Edds set up his pedals and stood off the corner of the stage. I don't see a solution for this as there just isn't any room for expanding the stage. (See photo). If you're a four-piece (or larger) someone's going to be playing on the floor. Edds didn't seem to mind (or care) -- he just stood off in the dark and did his thing. Instrumentally, Little Brazil sounded spot on, if not a bit more majestic than usual (they pulled out a Tighten the Noose song that sounded fresher than ever, tucked into a set of songs from LB's most recent album, Son). Vocally, Landon Hedges sounded a bit tired and complained of having a tough time catching his breath, even asking if it as possible to develop adult asthma. Someone in the crowd yelled, "Quit smoking" and he responded with "I don't smoke that much, I only smoke when I drink," to which the voice in the crowd replied "Yeah, but you drink all the time." That said, neither Landon nor the band clearly were loaded last night. Maybe after playing the same songs for months, they just need a break. Too bad they won't get one. Word is they'll be heading out on tour later this summer -- and they need to, as that record was charting pretty well on CMJ last I looked.

* * *

OK, as I mentioned yesterday, tonight is John Vanderslice down at Slowdown Jr. with Skypiper. I have a funny feeling that this $10 show will be near capacity. You may want to get your tickets early. Also tonight, the Speed! Nebraska caravan rolls into O'Leaver's with Wagon Blasters, The Third Men and Ideal Cleaners. $5, 9:30 p.m.

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

Here comes the weekend...

Start it out with a fundraiser concert for the Omaha Entertainment Awards at Nomad downtown (not sure why this is being held downtown since the OEAs have historically been the domain of midtown/Benson, but I guess this must be considered an "outreach effort"). The program runs 5 to 9 p.m. and features Matt Cox, Satchel Grande and Rhythm Collective. Your $10 cover charge also gets you two draws of beer from Upstream brewery.

Alas, I won't be starting until much later, specifically at The Sydney where The Life and Times are playing with Little Brazil. While I do enjoy drinking at The Sydney, which is in the space that used to be Mick's, I've yet to hear a band perform there. The bar's sound system has received mixed reviews (from folks I've talked to). We'll see tonight. $8, 9 p.m.

Also tonight, get your twang on at The Waiting Room with Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers along with Dead Rock West the Pendrakes. $17, 9 p.m.

Saturday night, John Vanderslice plays at Slowdown Jr. with Skypiper. I've been listening to Vanderslice's new CD, Romanian Names, for the past few weeks and have yet to hear anything that stands out, but then again, I've never been a big Vanderslice fan. That shouldn't stop you, though. $10, 9 p.m.

Over at O'Leaver's, it's another Speed! Nebraska showcase, this time featuring Wagon Blasters (Gary Dean Davis' latest hot rod), The Third Men and Ideal Cleaners. $5, 9:30 p.m.

The Waiting Room is closed this Saturday night for a "private event." I just realized that it's been too long since I've there (I sadly missed Mike Watt a couple weeks ago), which means I'll have to make an extra effort to try to get out there Sunday night when Willy Mason -- the subject of my very first column -- returns to Omaha with Jake Bellows, Dan McCarthy and Phil Schaffart. $8, 9 p.m.

Also Sunday night, Saddle Creek Records artist Sebastien Grainger and his band The Mountains drops in at Slowdown Jr. for a last-minute show with Brimstone Howl. $10, 9 p.m.

And also Sunday night, O'Leaver's is hosting The Pendrakes with The Tisdales and Greg Loftis (of Malpais fame). $5, 9:30 p.m.

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

As mentioned in the column below, numerous calls to the property owner were unanswered and remain unreturned.

Column 223: Save Box Awesome
The Lincoln venue is being forced out...

Before I wrote this, I figured it would make sense to actually see the club that I had been hearing so much about for the past couple of years.

So this past Sunday night I drove down to Lincoln to see Box Awesome for the first and probably the last time -- at least at its current location.

For a guy who rarely drives to Lincoln (I'm not a huge Husker fan), finding the club wasn't easy -- 815 "O" St. appears to be an off-ramp when searching on Google maps. It took some mindless wandering around to figure out how to get to the Haymarket and Box Awesome.

Once through the door, you're met with a choice -- either go into the main club or downstairs. The main club is flat-out swank -- oak floors, cool artwork, vivid colors, a funky modern big-city vibe. The stage is oddly located in the center of the long, narrow room. There are no sight lines to the stage from the tables along the front of the building where the stage used to be when Box Awesome was The Chatter Box.

Sunday's upstairs show featured metal bands. So most of my evening was spent in the basement -- and that's exactly what the downstairs bar looked like. The lumpy cave-like walls were painted in a weird silver-gray paint that made them look like the surface of the moon as viewed from an orbiting service module. The decor was second-hand trailer-park -- ratty couches, kitchen dinette sets and a velour La-Z-Boy -- all had seen better days. The cave had all the charm of the rec-room of a neighbor who likes to have his friends over for house shows.

The stage wasn't a stage at all, but a space near the front of the long, narrow room where the band was set up behind a floor-speaker-quality PA. "Can I get more of the upstairs band in my monitor?" asked Sweet Pea bassist Django between songs as the bad Soundgarden-style noise filtered through the floorboards.

So this was Box Awesome -- a two-story music venue where the main bands play upstairs and the smaller bands, downstairs. But Jeremy Buckley, who helps book and manage the club, said it's more than that. Box Awesome has become a hotpoint for the Lincoln indie music community. In fact, folks involved in the venue's day-to-day operations include members of bands Crush the Clown, UUVVWWZ, Dean Armband, Knots, Idle Minds, The Show is the Rainbow and Eagle Seagull. And now that community is about to see its home taken from them.

While standing outside the club just downwind from the smokers, Buckley gave me his 10,000-foot explanation. The building's landlord -- a company called U.S. Property -- is trying to get Box Awesome to vacate as soon as possible instead of at the end of their lease, which runs through October. Buckley said no one knows exactly why, but that the legality surrounds a breach of contract that has to do with a rent payment sent a day or so late (but not exceeding the fifth of the month, Buckley said).

Efforts to discuss motives have fallen on deaf ears. U.S. Property apparently doesn't care that the club has performances booked through July, nor that Box Awesome has established itself as Lincoln's premier hip indie rock venue, whose performers have included Tilly and the Wall, Ssion, Grand Ole Party, Broken Spindles, Bassnectar, EOTO, Mr. 1986, Pattern is Movement, Flowers Forever, Eagle Seagull, the Flobots and Big Business.

In fact, one of the club's biggest shows is slated for June 17 -- Cursive, with openers Ideal Cleaners and Box Elders. Buckley said Cursive could have played at a much larger venue, but preferred to play at Box Awesome, which has a capacity of only around 250.

Ultimately, the reasons behind the eviction are likely business, not personal. Some are speculating that the landlord has found a high-dollar tenant willing to shell out even more for the building. Others suggest that one of U.S. Property's other tenants runs another club and sees The Box as unnecessary competition. None of it makes sense. Buckley e-mailed me U.S. Property's contact information Monday afternoon, but calls to their offices were unreturned; questions left unanswered. Maybe they just wanted them out.

But it's not going to be that easy.

Last week, with the blessing of club owner Jeremiah Moore, Buckley posted an "open letter to the local music community" on the Starcityscene webboard (here) outlining the situation. "We've been asked to leave the building and the landlords along with their lawyers are trying to find ways of forcing us out," he wrote.

And with lawyers come bills. Buckley's plea: "We will need to figure out how to either pay some lawyers or allow ourselves to be harassed without recourse if we can't pay those legal fees," he wrote. "If you are in a band and are interested in being a part of a series of benefit concerts to help with some of these legal fee issues, please feel free to contact us."

As a result of the letter, 27 bands offered to play fund-raisers. Two shows are now scheduled: May 29 at Box Awesome and June 7 at Duffy's, along with a comedy-show fundraiser June 10 at Duffy's, and a "garage sale" June 14 at 18th and Washington streets (in Lincoln).

Buckley and the rest of the Box Awesome community realize that whatever happens, they are going to be out of their current location by Halloween. Their only wish is to be able to spend the next few months playing out their final schedule, and finding a home for the next Box Awesome.

* * *

A few weeks ago, I got into a heated discussion with someone over the virtues of a Shanks reunion. The person speaking against such a diabolical proposal said that nothing good could come of it, except pain and despair. I argued that a Shanks reunion was inevitable, that all of the angst that existed between band members hadn't had a chance to work itself out (on stage) and that sparing us from that cathartic experience would mean cheating their primary fans, who have been following this rock 'n' roll Payton Place for the past few years. Well, tonight's the night. The Shanks are performing at Muscle Beach -- i.e., a house show -- with Digital Leather and Perry H. Matthews. Don't ask me where Muscle Beach is because I don't know. Digital Leather is Shawn Foree, a labelmate of Box Elders on Goner Records, who records songs himself and tours with a band, which this time is comprised of members of Shanks/Dinks/Ric Rhythm. Foree has been involved with bands that included current garage-rock phenom Jay Reatard. I'm also told that Forsee just signed with Fat Possum for his next record. I suspect that this show will get out of hand (in a good way). Find it and go. We'll probably see more of the Shanks in the future (but only at house shows). They have a split 7-inch with El Diablos Blancos coming out on Free Thinkers Union Records and a 7-inch called "Backstabber" that's being released this fall on Tic Tac Totally.

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

Well, I drove down to Box Awesome Sunday night to see what the place actually looked like. You'll see that report in tomorrow's column, where I essentially reiterate what was written last Friday, but with a little more Technicolor. The whole controversy surrounding Box Awesome doesn't make a bit of sense to me, and I can't get anyone other than Jeremy Buckley (the guy at the center of the storm) to talk. Regardless, the fundraiser benefit shows are scheduled, along with a garage sale. Details tomorrow.

When I arrived at Box Awesome, there was a metal show going on upstairs. The door guy let me take a stroll through the club, however, and I was genuinely impressed. It is a cool room, though as I say in the column tomorrow, I don't understand the stage location. I'm sure there's a logical reason for it being smack in the middle of the room rather than at one end or the other.

In addition to the fact that I had Monday off (and there was virtually nothing going on in Omaha Sunday night), Sweet Pea was the reason for heading down there. The band has been playing a ton around town, but I've never managed to catch their set. Needless to say, I still need to catch them in Omaha because the Box Awesome basement is rather… rustic. It's PA is a few steps below O'Leaver's, and the acoustics of a concrete bunker leaves a lot to be desired. Still, even in such un-acoustic-friendly conditions, Sweet Pea was a lot of fun. The four-piece is anchored by a lead guitarist/vocalist frontman and a female keyboard player/vocalist. There music resides somewhere between K Records twee pop, Belle and Sebastian, The Pixies, and new-indie dance acts like Cut Off Your Hands, The Pains of the Pure at Heart and Tokyo Police Club. The funny thing about keyboardist Annie Dilocker is that unlike a lot of women in local indie-rock bands, she can actually sing, though her voice was lost in the basement rattle. Toward the end of their set, the room had become so hot (as in muggy, since there's no circulation in the room) that the band asked that the lights to bet turned off, and they were, leaving them to perform in the unlit cave. A small gaggle of young women up near the non-existent stage danced in the dark. Check out the blurry action photo.

Sweet Pea is headlining a show at Slowdown Jr. June 19 with Boy Noises, AM Revival and In the Spring. Ironically that's also the first night of the Lincoln Invasion festival in Benson.

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

The Reader published another handful of micro CD reviews in this week's issue. Among them, my micro-take on the new one by Noah's Ark Was a Spaceship:

Noah's Ark Was a Spaceship, My Name Is What Is Your Name (Slumber Party) -- Even their own literature says that they're a product of '80s/'90s "alternative rock," so call them an unabashed post-post-punk band, which is something to be proud of in an era of post-chamber/folk/country rock. The guitars are chiming (and loud), the simple rhythm section is core (and loud), the vocals slur and scream (and yes, are loud). The six-song EP spans nearly 28 minutes and may bring to mind chunky, brittle, early Nirvana, but more likely mid-'90s bands like Rodan, Polvo, Zoom and Slant 6. Take it from someone who was there: These guys know what they're doing. Lazy-i Rating: Yes. Reader Rating: 3.5 stars.

Other CDs that were reviewed include the new ones by Little Brazil, Beep Beep and Cursive (All three would have received a "Yes" rating from me). Pick up a copy of The Reader and check them out.

* * *

Homer's Records Major Domo Mike Fratt wrote in yesterday to say that Week 2 sales numbers dropped for Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band's Outer South. The breakdown: 4,926 physical copies sold, good enough for No. 94 on the Billboard album charts, and 866 digital sales for No. 117 on the digital charts. After two weeks of release, Outer South has sold around 25,000 copies, which Fratt said is below what Oberst's done before, but is still "quite impressive." Fratt thinks Oberst is losing his traditional "emo kids" audience and gaining new, older Triple-A fans. "These 'older' fans are not as street-date driven and take longer to discover and make a purchase decision," he said. If true, that would be good news for Oberst, who was tagged with the emo label from the age of 14. Now that he's pushing 30, it's time to shed it once and for all.

* * *

The opening line-up has been announced for Cursive's June 17 show at Box Awesome in Lincoln. The bands are local heroes Box Elders and Lincoln's Ideal Cleaners. I'm told that Cursive was presented with larger venue options for the Lincoln show, but insisted on Box Awesome even though the venue's capacity is a mere 250. Tickets are $13, and should go quickly.

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

I guess there are a couple things to keep in mind before you read this week's column: First, as much as I enjoy Slam Omaha I don't post messages there very often. i have my own webboard, website, blog and column where I can espouse my profundities. When someone goes after me on Slam (which happens every once in a while) I wait for the discussion to come to me, then comment, usually on my board, but occasionally in my blog. I'm not a fan of pissing matches. And moreover, if you're going to write a column or music criticism, you better be prepared to hear that you're full of shit. And hear it often.

Also, the folks who frequent Slam like a different style of music than I listen to or write about, so I don't have much to offer by way of relevant commentary, and reciprocally, I don't think the folks there give two shits about my point of view (nor should they). Still, I check it out every day, even throw in a few bon mots in their Cool Talk board (usually about film or food).

Whether the folks in indie-music land want to admit it or not, Slam is an important part of the Omaha music and arts landscape. The few times I've been fortunate to talk to Mick (one of the guys who runs the site) I've heard about upcoming upgrades to Slam's technology. Yes, their webboard is somewhat old-fashioned and lacks most of the functionality of simple user-created online hosted webboards. But there's a charm and simplicity to its basic usability that I hope it never loses.

Column 222: The Art of Conversation
Online discussion boards are under siege.

Almost didn't have a column this week. These are, indeed, the doldrums, my friends; the time just before summer where nothing "musically" is going on, no CDs are arriving at my door (or in my e-mail box). Everything is on hold, waiting for something to happen.

So in these times of uncertainty, when I'm clawing for an idea -- any idea -- for this column, I do what I normally do -- I check out S.L.A.M. Omaha to see what the chatter's all about.

S.L.A.M. Omaha (or just Slam), for those of you completely out of the loop (not by choice but by ignorance), is a website located at slamomaha.com that includes music and art events calendars, news and probably its most popular feature, message boards. For a decade at least, Slam has been a local musicians' and music fans' watering hole where folks shoot the breeze over last night's show, tonight's show, next week's show and everything else in between. The occasional well-thought-out analysis of a specific music genre, artist or performance is mixed in with assorted dick jokes, insults and personal attacks. It's the latter that keeps some musicians and music fans away, or chases away others who feel that the site isn't living up to what the SLAM acronym stands for: Support Local Art and Music. My response to them: It's a friggin' discussion board. It's the Internet. What did you expect? Along with unmonitored discussion comes controversy and general stupidity as well as the occasional thoughtful insight and humor.

Despite its outdated technology and general lack of interest (or contempt for) indie music and Saddle Creek artists, Slam continues to be one of the most important online resources for Omaha music information. It is the first place I go for a daily perspective on the local scene. If a musician had a breakdown on stage the night before, you'll read about it the next morning on Slam.

But lately, sites like Slam are under siege by new-ish social media "services" -- Facebook and Twitter come to mind. Now musicians and music fans can create their own online communities and share their comments only with those who have a like-minded point of view -- their "friends," their "fans," their "followers." It's safe, it's easy, it avoids uncomfortable feedback from those who might not dig what you're doing. For musicians, it paints a perennial rosy picture that almost always is untrue. Facebook can create a dangerous tunnel vision, a guarded, unnatural point of view, and before you know it, the emperor is parading down Maple Street naked with a guitar slung over his shoulder.

* * *

An example of an interesting recent Slam thread asked whether venues' "regulars" should be forced to pay a cover charge when there's a live band scheduled to perform. Well, as with most popular threads on Slam, the discussion morphed from "regulars" not paying the cover charge to roadies and even free-loading music critics. Wrote Klark Kent (the K Mart of Supermen): "I'm wondering how long it's been since (for example) MarQ (Manner, the patron saint of the Benson music scene) or Tim McMahan (has paid to get into shows -- I had to finish the sentence because Klark apparently lost his chain of thought -- don't go to discussion boards for good grammar or spelling).

There was a time when I always was on "the list," back in the Sokol Underground days, when the guys running the door just stamped my hand. Those days are gone, not because I pissed them off, but because those guys aren't working the door anymore, and quite frankly, they don't need to give the guy who writes Lazy-i a free pass. They know that -- probably more than most people in the club -- I can afford it.

Still, whenever I write a preview profile on a touring band or pimp a show in my column, I ask the record label to put me on "the list." Why not?

The only place where I've never been on "the list" is O'Leaver's. As One Percent Productions' Marc Leibowitz used to say way back in the day when he booked shows there: "O'Leaver's doesn't have a list." Nor should it. When a band rolls into town after driving in a dirty van all day, wondering if their petrol will hold out 'til they get to the club -- hungry, tired, second-guessing this whole rock-star shtick -- and then see the dump that they're going to play at, they deserve every penny of that $5 cover charge from fans who showed up to rock. They need the cash to get to the next town. And while you're at it, buy a T-shirt, too.

But should that include $5 from regulars? My answer: No, it shouldn't. These "regulars" are the life-blood of any bar. They're a hedge against tough times, showing up night in and night out to drop $10+ on booze. Without regulars, a venue is going to be forced to grind out shows on their stage every night, or quickly find themselves out of business (or both). Bands who feel cheated by a toll-free presence should feel lucky to even have a place to perform, because believe me, most bars or venues would rather cater to a roomful of regulars than those bands' fans, who likely will be bolting the minute they say "Goodnight."

* * *

So that's my take. After it's published, I'll post a link to this column on Slam Omaha. Some of the website's regulars will read it and hate it and will say so. But that's part of the fun. On a discussion board, you're going to catch a few turds along with any roses. But if we all lived in Facebook, where would we find our turds?

Tonight at Slowdown Jr., it's Chicago indie band Raise Height the Roof Beam with local comers Thunder Power and Sweet Pea. TP says that this will be the second to last Thunder Power show until the end of August due to touring. $6, 9 p.m.

Meanwhile, over at The Waiting Room, Minneapolis art rock band Cloud Cult returns with Ice Palace. $10, 9 p.m.

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

I'm telling you, there's nothing going on tonight. Well, nothing in Omaha anyway. In Lincoln, the band Big Business, whose members include 1/2 of The Melvins (presumably the good half), are playing at Box Awesome. According to Wikipedia:

Big Business started as a two piece band composed of Jared Warren of Karp and The Tight Bros From Way Back When, and Coady Willis of Murder City Devils. Their sound has been characterized as a bombastic and frantic low end attack, marked by Warren's signature vocal delivery. The band released its first album, Head for the Shallow, on January 25, 2005. In late 2006, after relocating to Los Angeles, Jared and Coady both became members of The Melvins and were featured on the Melvins album (A) Senile Animal.

Show starts at 9:30 and is $6 if you're over 21 (It's $8 for 18-21). More details here.

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

Very little to report from this past weekend music-wise. Saturday night involved a drop-in at Dario Days -- as part of the Dundee Spring Fling event -- where I saw one of the worst live bands I've heard in long time (while enjoying a cup of potent Belgian beer). The combination of cold weather and bad music drove me away fairly quickly. In addition, I never made it to Mike Watt at TWR, which I've been told was the usual event-quality performance.

And thus, another uneventful weekend passes.

So who was the crappy band at Dario's? You'll figure it out on your own if you ever see them (or simply do the math). I'd never heard of them prior to the gig, and have a feeling they won't be playing again (at least at any venue that you and I frequent). Like I've said here before -- I generally don't shit on sucky local bands unless they've managed to receive a modicum of national attention (National bands, of course, are fair game). Instead, I just don't write about them. Perhaps I'm doing you a disservice. The way I see it, I'd rather brag up someone you should check out than bag on someone you probably won't be seeing anyway. Or maybe you will be seeing them, and they turn out be the band you've been looking for all your life. Who am I to deprive you of such a discovery?

* * *

Minneapolis indie band One for the Team plays tonight at Slowdown Jr. with Betsy Wells. $7, 9 p.m.

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

David Matysiak of Coyote Bones sent me an e-mail with a head's up that he just mastered their new record, Niobrara, on April 2. "Just finishing the artwork and then going to print vinyl LPs," Matysiak said. "No CDs this time!"

Matysiak said CB is now a trio, featuring himself, Jordan Noel of Athens band Iron Hero, and Heather Kemp, a singer from Macon, GA. Coyote Bones just opened for Cursive May 1 in Atlanta. Look for their new album in late August on Matysiak's label, CoCo Art. "PS:," he wrote, "New Telephono Vol. 2 info coming up!" Nice.

* * *

Keynote event for my weekend is, of course, Dundee's Spring Fling event, but specifically Dario Days -- the music/beer-drinking event held in the parking area right next to Blue Line Coffee in Dundee. The music starts at 6:30 with Ragged Company, followed by Moses Prey, Rock Paper Dynamite and Satchel Grande at 10 p.m. Taking place just a few yards away will be the Dundee Spring Fling stage located right outside of the KFAB building. The music starts at 11:45 a.m., but the biggest draw will likely be for U2 tribute band Me2 at 5:30.

Also Saturday night, Mike Watt returns to Omaha, this time to The Waiting Room, where he's headlining a show with The Stay Awake and The Third Men. Tickets are $10, show starts at 9.

Also Saturday night, Bazooka Shootout plays at O'Leaver's with Actors and Actresses. $5, 9:30 p.m.

And Sunday night, O'Leaver's is hosting Fucken Snakes with Mosquito Bandito and Goddamn Gallows. $5, 9:30 p.m.

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

You'd think it was Friday instead of Saturday based on tonight's show line-up.

Down at Slowdown Jr., it's Saddle Creek recording artist UUVVWWZ, with Oui Bandits, So Many Wizards and Black Hundreds -- all for only $7. Starts at 9 p.m.

Also tonight, It's True headlines a show at The Waiting Room with Midwest Dilemma, Brad Hoshaw and the Seven Deadlies, Little Black Stereo and Haywood Yards. $8, 8:30 p.m.

* * *

An addendum to yesterday's Mogwai live review: I forgot to link to the photos I took at the show. Here's a shot of Mogwai's Stuart Braithwaite making some noise using his battery of effects pedals. Here's a typical action shot of Mogwai jamming. And finally, here's a blurry shot of opening band Women. Of course, those of you who follow Lazy-i in Twitter saw all these the night of the show.

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

Before we get to the breaking news, first this review of Monday night's Mogwai show. I don't think this show sold out, but judging by the size of the crowd, it must have been pretty close. This wasn't the loudest show I've ever attended. That honor goes to a Bob Mould concert at The Ranch Bowl that was so painfully loud that it cut alleys into the sold-out crowd standing in front of the stacks. The Faint concert at The Waiting Room back in March 2007 comes in a close second. This one was right up there, though...

Photo by John Shartrand, used with permission.

Column 221: A Night of Sound
Mogwai brings it LOUD.

A lot of people have asked me how I manage to go to shows during the week and still maintain a "regular job" that commands that I be in the office by 8 a.m. The Slowdown's strict policy of starting shows at 9 p.m. sharp helps immensely, because it means I'll probably be home by midnight.

And that schedule was kept at the Mogwai concert this past Monday. Opening band, ironically named Women (no skirts in sight), hit the stage at the stroke of 9, even if I wasn't there to see it. I've heard their highly lauded debut album, and wasn't feeling it. Their live performance, however, made me shuffle through my iTunes library afterward, looking for the tracks.

The Calgary four were the most un-rockstar looking dudes I've ever seen -- they looked just like you and me, like nobodies -- no style visually at all, just a bunch of guys you'd find shopping at the Slowdown Mall. But musically, they were the reincarnation of the classic '80s-era 4AD band, with a minimalist, rhythmic style that was much more interesting than what I heard on their Jagjaguwar release.

Mogwai didn't do much to ratchet up the style quotient, except for their preponderance of shaved heads, most notably from short-guy frontman Stuart Braithwaite, who welcomed the crowd in his lovely Scottish brogue before proceeding to slowly, deliberately take away their ability to hear.

I've written about hearing protection before, so I'm not going to re-plow that old ground except to say: 1) I was happy I had my earplugs, and 2) They sell earplugs at Slowdown's bar for 50 cents (They used to have an earplug gumball machine, but someone smashed it).

But I digress. It was loud. It needed to be loud. Such is the style and ways of Mogwai, a band whose instrumental-only music creates tension through its quiet-LOUD-quiet dynamics.

In fact, that equation is the be-all and end-all of their compositions -- start off each song with a quiet guitar melody, keyboard or soothing percussion line, and then slowly build-build-build as if climbing a mountain or having sex -- or having sex while climbing a mountain -- until they reach some sort of breathless orgasmic peak -- usually at ear-bleeding wake-the-neighbors decibels -- to slowly come back down in a post-coital glow, lying back in wait for the next mountain to conquer.

Like any good partner, they occasionally strayed from the standard deviation -- once lulling the audience to comfortable passivity bathed in dark blue or ruby red stage lighting -- only to shock with a wall of bristling noise accompanied by blinding STROBES. The strobes were the only elaborate piece of staging, and were used effectively to accent the high-noise action in a BOOM! Take that! sort of way.

OK, I admit that I did find it a bit repetitive, especially since every song was played at the exact same plodding pace -- absolutely no variety in meter the entire night. But I suppose keeping the performance locked in a single gear was part of their shtick. And what they lacked in rhythmic variety they made up for in sheer majestic scope.

My plus-one for the evening texted me throughout the show from somewhere in the crowd, mostly complaining about the constant mid-tempo pace, with text messages like, "Hoping 4 godlike instead got plodlike."

I couldn't argue, but I still dug every minute of it. And so did the crowd, though at times it was hard to tell. From my usual "spot" in the front right corner along the wall by the fired doors just off of stage left, I watched the crowd. A skinny kid in a T-shirt -- no more than 18 -- stood up front and stared not up at the band, but downward, toward the front edge of the stage. Blank. Flat line with eyes wide open. What was he looking at? What was he seeing?

Meanwhile, between songs from in back of the audience a drunk woman slur-yelled "Yah-yah-yah- yah-yah" like a tipsy peacock. Over and over. She tried to get the rest of the crowd to join in, slurring "Come on, everybody!" before screaming another drunken mating call. On stage, the band tuned their guitars and smiled. "And I'm used to people not understanding me," Braithwaite said, sounding like a short, bald version of Scotty from Star Trek.

About three songs from the end I noticed that most of the kids standing in front of the stage -- all young guys -- weren't looking up. They stared forward like an army of sad killers. Or zombies. Lost, I guess, in the fog of sound.

Meanwhile, during the encore, a woman nearby cringed and covered her eyes, cowering against the STROBES and the NOISE, waiting for it all to end. First she would have to endure 10 minutes of noise created by Mogwai's arsenal of effects pedals that Braithwaite and one of his cohorts "played" while kneeling on stage, covered in a shower of lightning. As the drone continued to echo, he grabbed a couple empty Red Stripe bottles, stood up and waved to the crowd and was gone.

And I was home by midnight.

* * *

And now the news: Val Nelson who helps run Slowdown tells me that Cursive is headlining a free show with Azure Ray and Flowers Forever to be held in the Slowdown parking lot July 24. The 18+ concert is being held in conjunction with Mutual of Omaha's Wild About Omaha weekend. With the Conor Oberst Anchor Inn show on June 26, and a second even more interesting show at Anchor Inn rumored to be in the works, this is turning out to be a great year for outdoor entertainment.

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Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band's album, Outer South, released last week on Merge Records, came in at No. 40 in the latest Billboard charts, according to Mike Fratt of Homer's Music. The album nationally sold 14,361 physical units, while moving 4,823 digital copies -- good enough for No. 12 on the Billboard digital charts. Fratt said only five records on the charts sold more than 50,000 copies last week.

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The Mogwai live review with photos will be online tomorrow. Why tomorrow? Because I used it for this week's column in The Reader. The short version: It was big, it was loud, it was somewhat awesome, if not a bit monotonous.

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Paste Magazine today published a brief history of the Farnam House/Gunboat/Frank's Hotel, written by local music journalist Liz Stinson. Liz describes the house (located at 38th and Farnam, right across from The Brothers Lounge), interviews a number former occupants and discusses its improbable future. Read it here. My first interview with Conor Oberst back in '98 took place in that dumpy house.

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It's a busy night for shows. Down at The Slowdown, Del the Funky Homosapien returns with Mike Relm, Bukue One and Serendipity Project. $18, 9 p.m. I believe Del sold out The Slowdown the last time he came through, so you may want to buy your tickets before you head downtown.

Also tonight, The Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash play at The Waiting Room with The Filter Kings. $10, 9 p.m.

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And before you do anything, don't forget to vote!

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The Whore Moans were tearing it up when I got to O'Leaver's Friday night, in fact they were about halfway through their set. The Seattle band is on Mike Jaworski's Mt. Fuji label, the former home of Little Brazil (who moved to Anodyne for their latest record). WM is a completely different animal than LB. They play spazzy, jittery punk that leans forward with an open aggression that is nothing less than impressive, especially on O'Leaver's tiny "stage." Though they're designed on an indie-rock platform, there's something almost glammy about the 4-piece soundwise. They're too self-assured to be mistaken for a garage band, but they're not shiny enough for pure commercial consumption. Put it another way -- they seemed at home at O'Leaver's and would be just as comfortable at The Niner, but I don't know if their sound/style would translate well to a larger stage like The Waiting Room. Like any great party band, they make the most of dungeon-like confines and cramped pseudo stages to the point where that's the only place that I can imagine seeing them, especially when they're doing things like jumping off tables or hanging from the rafters (which they did Friday night). I think this is a band that Fuji can build upon if they can keep them in the stable.

Techlepathy is becoming O'Leaver's pseudo house band (They're playing there again June 6). I don't know what more to add since the last time, other than beneath the unholy, mathy, complex din there is a pop sensibility lying in wait -- whether frontman Lincoln Dickison ever allows it to come out and play for more than one song is yet to be determined.

Late Saturday night I dropped in at The Saddle Creek Bar where I heard the last few songs by singer/songwriter Chris Pureka, which were very strong. Despite the obvious similarities, it's unfair to compare her to Melissa Etheridge or Amy Ray -- her music and style are more indie and more compelling than either of those two. Sarah Benck followed with a solo set that included acoustic versions of a few songs from her last album along with some stuff I haven't heard before, all enjoyed by the 10 or 15 people on hand.

Tonight at Slowdown, it's the power and majesty of Mogwai. As I said in this story, don't expect a ton of fancy lights or any intricate staging, just five guys creating a helluva beautiful noise. Opening is critics' darlings Women (which, incidentally, includes no Women). $17, 9 p.m.

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Listening to the new Sonic Youth album, The Eternal, which is slated for release by their new label, Matador Records, June 9. It's not so much what I expected from SY as much as what I wanted from them -- their most tuneful album in years.

Here's what we got for the weekend…

Tonight at O'Leaver's, it's Mt. Fuji recording artist The Whore Moans with Psychic Campfire opening the show and Techlepathy headlining. Michael Jaworski, proprietor of Mt. Fuji, said The Whore Moans "are truly the best live band I've ever worked with" -- high praise when you consider Jaws worked with Little Brazil for quite a few years. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Over at The Waiting Room it's the return of folkie singer-songwriter William Elliott Whitmore with Frontier Ruckus and songwriting genius Brad Hoshaw solo. $8, 9 p.m.

At The Barley St., it's Black Squirrels with Sweet Pea, Traveling Mercies and everyone's favorite troubadour bartender Kyle Harvey. $5, 9 p.m.

Saturday night The Dinks are playing at The 49'r with Cat Island. This should be raw. Cover will probably be around $5 and things will get rolling at around 10.

Meanwhile, Margot and the Nuclear So & So's are playing at Slowdown Jr. with Everything Now! $10, 9 p.m.

The Saddle Creek Bar has Sarah Benck with Northampton, Mass. singer/songwriter Chris Pureka and Platte River Rain. $5, 9 p.m.

Sunday night, Landon Hedges in the form of Fine Fine Automobiles is playing O'Leaver's with David Zollo. $5, 9:30 p.m.

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Just placed online, a feature story with comments from Stuart Braithwaite of Mogwai (read it here). I say "feature story" vs. "interview" because Stuart was a man of few words. Still, he talked about what few words are used in Mogwai's mostly instrumental music -- song titles, album themes, etc. He also talked briefly about iPods and what the band has in store for next Monday's show at The Slowdown. Give it a quick read -- then click over here and buy your tickets.

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Speaking of shows, last night's show at The Waiting Room was a good one. I got there just in time to catch the last song by Bear Country, which featured some gorgeous multi-part harmonies a la CSNY. Here's an action photo. I haven't seen these folks do a full set in a couple years (and I need to).

Stillwater, OK, band Other Lives was up next. The six-piece was more like an orchestra than a band, featuring cello, harmonium and violin (not fiddle) along with the usual guitar/keyboard/bass/drums combo. Their music was as big and broad as the Oklahoma sky -- cinematic and, especially on a Leonard Cohen cover, draped in drama like a soundtrack from a Sergio Leone spaghetti western. Folks in the crowd compared them to everyone from Richard Buckner to Fleet Foxes to (in my case) Pinetop Seven -- one of the few bands that had the same epic grace and scope (see photo).

Elvis Perkins' set opened on a somber note when he came out alone -- looking like a 95-pound version of Johnny Depp -- and performed a solo version of "123 Goodbye," that, for me, was one of the night's highlights (see photo). Afterward, he was joined by the rest of his band -- each member playing multiple instruments -- guitar, piano, bass and most notably, trombone. Ah, that trombone, which was only used on a few songs, gave the proceedings a brassy New Orleans sheen. Most of the set was dedicated to the …in Dearland album, including a gripping version of "Shampoo," the album's "single," which you could hear on your radio if life were fair. But life isn't fair when it comes to independent music, and never will be. That said, Perkins is riding a deserved wave of loving press these days, ordained as the latest "NPR band" to break through from college to something (slightly) bigger. He's the kind of guy whose music will appeal to everyone from smart late teens to their parents to their parents' friends in their 50s and 60s who grew up listening to The Band and Dylan. The next time we see Perkins could very well be on stage at The Holland or another larger, more formal venue.

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Who knows what the Polecat record discussed in the column below is really worth. What I do know is that eBay makes it easier to find out. It's also ruining it for treasure hunting at shows like the one held last Sunday. Used to be you could go to a record show (or an antique store or a garage sale…) and find a hidden treasure if you dug long enough. Those days are long gone -- that's the downside to eBay. The upside is that you can find just about anything you've ever wanted online… but for a price.

Column 220: Skinning a Polecat
A record collector's story

It was some time last week that I got a call from a pal who makes money on the side as a record dealer, asking if I knew anything about a 7-inch by a band called Polecat.

I recognized the name immediately. Polecat was a band from Lincoln in the early '90s that consisted of Ted Stevens, Boz Hicks and Oliver Blaha. Stevens, as regular readers of this column know, went on to form chamber-pop group Lullaby for the Working Class, and today plays guitar in Cursive. Hicks went on to become a member of Her Flyaway Manner, and today is in Domestica, a trio featuring ex-Mercy Rule rockers Jon Taylor and Heidi Ore.

But was there more to the story of that red-vinyl single, titled "2500 ft of our love," and the role it played in the history of the Omaha music scene?

My broker pal said he was headed to a record show Sunday with the Polecat single, unless, of course, it made more sense to sell it on eBay, where the item could ignite a bidding war. There are stories about how copies of Conor Oberst's cassette-only early recording, titled Water, have fetched hundreds of dollars on eBay. Could the Polecat single be as valuable? It seemed doubtful, but I said I'd ask around.

Funny how the Internet has made the world so much smaller. Imagine trying to track down an old friend from 16 years ago without using the World Wide Web. It would involve lots of phone calls and maybe even hiring a Jim Rockford-style PI. Today, all you have to do is Google.

Moments after getting off the phone with the broker-friend, I logged onto Facebook, and lo and behold, also online but Dan Schlissel, proprietor of '90s-era Lincoln-based Ism Records (which became Ismist). Back in the day, Schlissel was involved with record distribution, including handing that Polecat single. Sure, he remembered it. So what's it worth? Schlissel, who now runs the amazingly successful comedy label Stand Up! Records (whose roster includes Grammy winner Lewis Black), said he'd seen the single sell for more than $20 on eBay.

I called the dealer back, and with that info he decided to go ahead and bring the record to the show and see what happens. But that wasn't the end of the research. Later that evening I went down to Slowdown for the Crystal Antlers show, and who was there but former Polecat drummer Boz Hicks (and for once, he wasn't working behind the bar).

Between bands, Boz told stories of Polecat from days gone by. He thought the single was released at about the same time that local label Lumberjack Records (which had released that Water cassette) was forced to change its name because a distributor already had the rights to the name "Lumberjack." Turns out that song titles on that Polecat single were "Chinese Water Torture" and (wait for it...) "Saddle Creek." Hicks has a couple copies of the single himself, and thought it could fetch far more than $20 if the record's back story were well-established to potential buyers.

The next morning I headed down to the record show thinking I might just buy that damn single myself. After all, it was a piece of local music history.

The show -- organized by Tim Behrens, the guy behind Kanesville Used Records in Council Bluffs (and the undisputed local king of used vinyl) -- was located in the Firefighters Union Hall at 60th and Grover. If you were looking for proof that vinyl is making a comeback, all you had do was look at the crowds jammed between the rows and rows of tables stacked with boxes of CDs, T-shirts, posters, music memorabilia, but most of all, record albums.

Behrens, who's been dealing records for 30 years, said the show did well. "It was a full house of dealers and there were lots of new faces," he said. He credited a renewed interest in vinyl by fans who want something more substantial than a computer file or a jewel case holding a piece of silver plastic. "Plus, used records are cheaper than new," he said. "Selling used stuff doesn't seem to be affected by the state of the economy."

As I thumbed through the bins, time seemed to stand still, or even slip slightly backwards. Here were all the lousy records I'd bought back in high school by bands I'd long forgotten -- Fastway, April Wine, The Alarm, The Firm, Asia -- along with an endless supply of Beatles records. And just like whenever I go thrift-store shopping, a wave of exhausted malaise rolled over me like an overdose of dusty nostalgia.

I hustled over to my broker friend's table that was set up in the middle of the hall. "Where is it?" I asked. Too late, it's gone. Sold only moments earlier. The lucky buyer was Jordan Delmundo, who bought the single, along with another piece of vinyl, for a total price of $20.

He pulled it out of its plastic bag and let me take a look. Despite a small crease at the top of the sleeve, it probably looked the way it did when it was first sold 16 years ago. "You know what you have there?" I asked Delmundo. He did. He knew it might have be worth more than $20 -- or maybe less -- but he had no intention of finding out.

I didn't go home empty handed. I added to my Factory Records collection, purchasing FAC 123 ("The Perfect Kiss") and FAC 293R ("World in Motion Remix") -- 12-inch records by New Order. Ah, but I would have rather gone home with a Polecat record.

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Elvis Perkins in Dearland is in town today and tonight -- I highly recommend you catch him. The main attraction is the show at The Waiting Room with Other Lives and Bear Country. Tickets are still available for a mere $10. But if you’re a cheap-ass and don't have a job, you can always swing by Homer's in the Old Market this afternoon at 4 p.m. and catch them doing an in-store with opening band Other Lives. While you're there, you may want to pick up Perkins' latest album on XL Recordings, which currently sits at No. 163 on the Billboard charts.

Also tonight, Little Brazil has been added to a show at Slowdown Jr. headlined by Australian band Youth Group and also featuring The Sleepover. $8, 9 p.m.

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The new Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band disc, Outer South, dropped today on Merge. If you're wondering what it sounds like, check out the stream at mergerecords.com. The Pitchfork review came out yesterday (here) with a rating of 4.9 -- the lowest PF rating I've seen for an Omaha-based act in a while (or maybe ever). "As you might expect, Oberst's reversion to logorrhea and emotional extremism here effectively eliminates the possibility that Outer South will possess any ensemble cohesion," says the review, which was written in a style that's about as inviting as a college thesis. On the other hand All Music Guide chief critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave the album 4 out of 5 stars (here) -- the highest rating he's ever given an Oberst-related record (He gave Wide Awake 2 stars). Says Erlewine, "Oberst himself seems swept up in the motion -- he's dropped his vocal affectations, his grandiose couplets, he's happy to be leading a group that feels like a band of brothers -- one that might not always sing in the same voice, but share a sensibility, something that gives Outer South a big human heart." Rolling Stone, btw, gave it three and a half stars (here). My take? I've yet to sit down with my Mac and listen to the whole stream.

Tonight at The Waiting Room, former Television guitarist Richard Lloyd plays at The Waiting Room with The Third Men and Scott Severin and the Milton Burlesque. Tickets are still available for $12. Show starts at 9.

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Before Via Dove went on stage Friday night at O'Leaver's, I caught a couple songs by Mal Madrigal, which for this performance was the duo of Steve Bartolomei and Mike Saklar. The songs were the usual poignant, well-crafted, singer-songwriter fare that we've come to expect from MM, who I later was told had been asked to be on the bill at the last minute. Bartolomei is old friends with Via Dove bass player Mike Marquard.

What to say about Via Dove… The first thing you notice about these guys has nothing to do with their music -- all four members wore white pants, a mistake in a club like O'Leaver's, which is like playing inside the lungs of a 85-year-old lifetime smoker. I guarantee those pants weren't white when they climbed back into their van. The white pants were the brunt of many a comic aside by many a crowd member. Matching wardrobe decisions almost always are a mistake unless you're DEVO. A few songs in, the argument was over who came up with the idea of the white pants (The consensus: It was probably the frontman) -- not something you want people talking about during your set.

Anyway… Via Dove isn't an indie band and never said it was. They are an unabashed modern pop-rock band, with a talented lead guitarist and a frontman who sounded like the second coming of Michael Hutchence. In fact, some of the band's music resembled early INXS -- a comparison that I'm sure most indie bands would cringe at. These guys, on the other hand, might consider it a compliment, and in fact, it's meant to be. Their music was upbeat radio rock that's just a few steps from being hooky enough to be played on the radio. If there's a minus it's that the vocal melodies meander too often for this kind of band (and this kind of frontman, who is an arena-rock showman). Another minus was their choice of covers -- a snippet of Eurythmics "Sweet Dreams," and an encore of "Helter Skelter." Unless you're Neil Young, you may want to step away from the Beatles covers. That said, the crowd ate it up.

Saturday night at Slowdown Jr. featured the funniest line of the weekend. From the opening band: "Hi, we're Swine Flu from Mexico City and this is our first time in Omaha." Nice. Swine Flu a.k.a. His Mischief from Minneapolis tore into a set of noise rock that made me regret having (for the first time) forgotten my earplugs. I survived with torn bits of cocktail napkins stuffed in my ears (couldn't find The Slowdown's earplug gumball machine). They were followed by Crystal Antlers, a band that records on Touch & Go who take noise rock to epic levels. The six-piece (which included a drummer and percussionist) created rhythmic walls of throbbing psychedelic rocket noise -- huge and ominous and at times sludgy. It's not garage rock as much as modern noise rock with a big helping of low-fi dosing up the middle. Too bad they played such a sort set.

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Waitaminit, you already knew about UUVVWWZ signing to Saddle Creek? Seems like everybody already knew… except poor ol' me (*sniff*) -- just more proof of my "insider" status with the Omaha music scene. Ah well… It's a smart signing for both parties involved, and of course, for all of us who will be reaping the benefits of more UUVVWWZ music in the future. In fact, the benefits will be heard on the rerelease of their debut, as I'm told AJ Mogis has remixed all the tracks. I wonder if Darren Keen, owner if It Are Good Records (who originally released their debut), got a big, fat buyout check from Creek…

It wasn't the only announcement yesterday: Creek also signed a band called Rural Alberta Advantage, and will be rereleasing their debut, Hometown, on July 7 (also when the UUVVWWZ album comes out).

Pitchfork had the exclusive, here. They don't say much about UUVVWWZ. Of course I've been writing about UUVVWWZ for awhile. Here's a review of the first live show of theirs I attended over a year ago, and an interview/feature with the band from last August.

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With the recent rise in popularity of vinyl, I also foresee a new level of interest in record shows -- after all, what good is having a turntable if you're only going to play 180-gram reissues instead of the originals? Well, there will be plenty of originals available this Sunday at the Music & Collectors Show at the Firefighters Union Hall, 60th & Grover. I'm told the fine folks at Kanesville Kollectables are behind the event, which means there should be plenty of good stuff to choose from, including vinyl, CDs, posters and other memorabilia. The show runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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Let's get to the weekend:

Tonight at The Waiting Room everyone's favorite local rock trio The Box Elders are headlining a show with Brimstone Howl and Flameflower's Tribute to Black Flag. $7, 9 p.m.

Meanwhile, down the street at The Barley St. Tavern The Stay Awake are headlining a show with Life of a Scarecrow, Techlepathy and Lightning Bug. $5, 9 p.m.

Thunder Power is headlining a show at The 49'r with Malpais and Lawrence band Cowboy Indian Bear. $5, 9 p.m. Get there early.

Finally, over at O'Leaver's, St. Louis band Via Dove is headlining a show with Mal Madrigal. $3, 9:30 p.m.

Saturday night has Crystal Antlers over at Slowdown Jr. with His Mischief and Perry H. Matthews. $8, 9 p.m.

The Answer Team plays at Saddle Creek Bar Saturday night with Gyromancer and Oneword. $5, 9 p.m.

And finally, The Whipkey Three plays at The Barley St. with The Pilots and Two Drag Club. $5, 9 p.m.

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