Guess where... Sept. 2, 2010.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Hey everyone… I’m in NYC for a few days. Don’t know if you’ll be getting updates or not (In fact, with Hurricane Earl blowing just off the coast, I don’t know if you’ll get updates ever again.). Have a good weekend, and keep an eye on the sky…

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2010 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Built to Spill performs at Slowdown Aug. 27 under the watchful gaze of their sponsor.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Column 286: Under the Moon, Under the Stars

Live Review: Built to Spill, She & Him.

The best thing about outdoor concerts: Even if you can’t stand a single note of the music, all you have to do is look up, overhead, and there’s something worth seeing.

Of course that wasn’t necessary this past weekend at two of the summer’s most anticipated indie concerts, both held under the black ocean of night, lit only by streetlight, stage light, star light and eventually, moonlight.

In the case of the Slowdown Block Party — held in the venue’s parking lot Friday night — there also was advertising light in the form of massive stenciled floods that blared “TOYOTA aNTiCS” — the primary event sponsor and the reason you didn’t need to pay to get into the show. Parked throughout the lot was Toyota’s line of economy cars “tricked out” to make the young, ultra-hip audience covet them. It’s all about demographics, my friend, which we would hear more about from stage later.

In this era when the dying shell of the music industry continues to decay before our very eyes, it’s sponsors like Toyota that are helping prop up the carcass. There was a time when bands and their fans would consider such blatant commercial “opportunities” as “selling out” — an inexcusable crossing of the line between art and commerce. In the old days (just 10 years ago) any respectable indie band would have taken one look at that aNTiCS sign, packed up its gear and left. But these days gigantic sponsor banners are the norm at music festivals, while most indie bands would kill their publicist and/or booking agent just for a chance to get their music used in a Toyota commercial. Selling out, it seems, is just good business.

But I digress.

When I joined the crowd of around 2,000 just after 9 p.m., The Mynabirds were finishing their set as the last remnants of daylight waned. Laura Burhenn’s band sported a new cello player tucked neatly behind the front-stage vocalists. As is the case with almost every cello I’ve seen at a rock show, you could barely hear it except at the quietest moments. There was a time when it seemed like every indie band was trying to work a cello into its line-up, including noise-makers like Cursive. But slowly they all got the drift, and cellos began to disappear. Until now.

A stroll around the grounds between sets revealed beer tents, food tents and merch tents mingled among the little Toyotas. You don’t realize the enormity of Slowdown’s parking lot until you’re at this kind of event. It easily could hold a few thousand more music — or sports — fans. In the shadow of the half-constructed TD Ameritrade Park, imagine all the money that will be rolling in during the College World Series next spring, and every spring thereafter. Enough money to “make their year” and allow Slowdown to host more concerts like this one, but without the tacky sponsors.

The Mynabirds were followed by another Saddle Creek band, The Rural Alberta Advantage, whose dusty backbeat hoedown fare makes them a strange fit for the label (though their new material sounded promising). Finally, on came Doug Martsch and Built to Spill. With his stringy hair and big, crazy graying beard, Martsch looked like he just walked out of a survivalist compound. Tough his Neil Young-meets-Kermit the Frog voice can’t hit the high notes on crowd faves like “Time Trap,” Martsch can still shred like few others in the indie world. And when joined by two other axemen, Built to Spill becomes a Fender-powered rocket at lift-off.

Too often, however, the songs turned into extended jam sessions — great stuff if you’re a guitar enthusiast, boring for anyone else. It was between jams that guitarist Brett Netson let loose on the night’s sponsor, angrily warning the crowd that they had been defined as “a demographic.” “I wonder who’s sponsoring this show,” Netson snarled. “What kind of car do you want to buy? A used one.” Hope they got paid up front.

The following night outside along the river a different kind of star took the stage at The Anchor Inn. It was movie star Zooey Deschanel — the she in She & Him — who’s had her own fling with selling out, acting in a TV commercial where she sings about how Cotton is the “fabric of my life”– a jingle that would fit comfortably on the latest She & Him album.

Fortunately, Zooey didn’t sing about her love for natural fibers Saturday night. Instead, she and M. Ward (“Him”) played a selection from their two Merge records. Deschanel indeed has a sweet voice. But you wonder if she would be singing in front of 1,600 people if not for her film career. At its best, her voice is second-round American idol pitchy, especially on an ill-conceived Beach Boys cover. Still, Deschanel and Ward are smart for taking on a retro ’60s girl-group pop style that’s both musically and lyrically risk free. But while Ward and the entire band are talented, there was something strangely inauthentic about their retro sound in a way that only a freed Phil Spector could decipher.

The crowd of mostly women, however, could have cared less about authenticity as they drank their watermelons and bobbed their heads to the milquetoast beat, while the rest of us leaned back on the banks of the Missouri River and looked up as a burnt orange new moon slowly rose in the northeastern sky.

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A terrible summer  head cold kept me away from The Waiting Room last night for Crooning for Kat — figured I shouldn’t ruin everyone’s night by infecting them with my pestilence.  I hope all of Greater Omaha made it out, and that Kat’s quickly on her way back to good health.

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I bet the hot topic of conversation last night at TWR (other than Kat) was the Omaha City Council yesterday rejecting the request by CVS Pharmacy to build a new store at 49th and Dodge, the current location of The 49′r (story & video here). So I guess that means The 49′r will live on, right? Right? Did Mark Samuelson, who owns the Niner, hope to put the bar to bed? One would assume so, since CVS couldn’t have developed the property unless Samuelson wanted to sell it. Looks like he’s lost his buyer, which also makes one assume that The 49′r will indeed live on… until Samuelson finds another buyer.

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Tonight at The Waiting Room it’s Capgun Coup with Conchance featuring Black Johnny Quest, and Dojorok and Kethro. $5, 9 p.m.

Meanwhile, down at Slowdown Jr., it’s the return of Poison Control Center with Talking Mountain. $7, 9 p.m.

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2010 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

First and foremost, tonight at The Waiting Room is Crooning for Kat, a fund-raising benefit for Kat Smith. Kat sings and plays guitar in The Black Squirrels, and chances are if you’re a regular at rock shows in Omaha, you’ve seen her in the crowd (when she wasn’t on stage).

The story behind her recent medical problems is explained in detail here at the Crooning for Kat website. It’s sad and scary, and needless to say, Kat is one tough lady. But now she’s asking for help, and that’s where you come in.

Tonight’s benefit at TWR includes a silent auction that starts at 6 (goodies, listed here, include tickets, food, booze, artwork, fitness stuff, home & garden, fashion, beauty, and more), and live music starting at 7 from some of the area’s best musicians, including Kyle Harvey, Filter Kings, The Bruces (Alex McManus), McCarthy Trenching, Whipkey Zimmerman Sing, Outlaw Con Bandana, and Adam Hawkins (ex-It’s True). Cover is $10, with all proceeds going to Kat. It should be a fun night and a chance to help out a great lady with a great talent.

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There’s a boatload of Cursive news today. One Percent Productions mailed out their list of upcoming shows this morning. Among them are two Cursive dates at the soon-to-be-demolished 49′r Bar Sept. 19 and 20. Sayeth One Percent: “That’s right. Cursive wants to play The 49′r before it disappears.  And two shows at that. Can you blame them?  It’s an Omaha landmark.” That it is. Tickets go on sale this Saturday, Sept. 4.

One question that comes to mind is: Who will be playing drums for these Cursive gigs? It was announced today that Cully Symington, who played with Cursive last year, has joined My Jerusalem, an “indie supergroup” that also includes Jeff Klein, Dave Rosser (Twilight Singers), Ashley Dzerigian (Great Northern, Ed Harcourt) and Rick Nelson and Matt Bricker (both of Polyphonic Spree). The band’s debut, Gone for Good, will be released on Sony/RED Oct. 26.

Finally, a reliable source who’s active in the local stand-up comedy circuit tells me that Cursive fans may want to drop by the Sydney’s open mic comedy night Sept. 9. Those of you who were at the Fancy Party Comedy Show a couple weeks ago and saw local sketch troupe OKFMDOA know what I’m talking about. Is this a new career move by everyone’s favorite “Martyr” (or “Recluse” or “So-So Gigolo”…)?
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Lastly, the Arcade Fire yesterday released what some are calling a “ground breaking” online interactive video for the track “We Used to Wait.” You can see it here, but you have to have Google Chrome to really make it work. What’s it do? Well, you type in the address of your “childhood home” and it integrates Google Map and Google Streetview images into the video. Interesting idea. Unfortunately, where I grew up doesn’t have a street view available. In fact, a lot of locations around here don’t, and when I plug in my current address, it shows the next street over — which isn’t very compelling. Still, they get an “A” for effort, and it’s making me like that song just that much more.

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2010 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Built to Spill at The Slowdown Block Party, Aug. 27, 2010.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

The full review of this weekend’s outdoor shows — the Slowdown Block Party and She & Him at The Anchor Inn — will be online as this week’s column on Wednesday. Until then, here is a selection of photos taken at the shows.

The Mynabirds at The Slowdown Block Party, Aug. 27, 2010.

The Rural Alberta Advantage at The Slowdown Block Party, Aug. 27, 2010.

She & Him at The Anchor Inn, Aug. 28, 2010.

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Update: The Seafarer Kickstarter project met its $3,500 fund-raising goal. Shooting for the film, that will include music by local bands, will begin in the next couple of weeks. More info about the film is available at seafarerfilm.com.

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Envy Corp drummer Scott Yoshimura’s side project, Canby, is playing tonight at The Waiting Room. Opening is Skypiper and Pictures of Then. $7, 9 p.m.

Also tonight, Ember Schrag will be performing at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Art, Gallery 2, along with Baltimore’s Daniel Higgs, The Chiara String Quartet and Carnal Torpor. $6 members, $8 non-members. Doors open at 7.

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2010 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

I knew when I arrived at The Barley Street Tavern last night at around 10:30 that I wasn’t going to be able to hang in there long enough for Little Black Stereo’s last hurrah. The first opener, Kyle Harvey, had only just completed his set and Cowboy Indian Bear was still setting up with Landing on the Moon still to come, and some of us had to work the next morning…

Hailing from Lawrence, Kansas, Cowboy Indian Bear have played in Omaha regularly over the past couple of years, usually down at Slowdown, though they’ve done the full circuit (TWR, O’Leaver’s, etc.). You say you like four-part harmony? How about solid bass lines? What about brawny, thick-beat drums augmented by electronic beats? CIB has it all, along with gorgeous melodies that lean toward the sweeter side of indie pop — think Spoon or upbeat DCFC or Broken Social Scene. Their strength really lies in their vocals — all four members can sing well, including a new female band member whose voice falls somewhere in the Harriet Wheeler (The Sundays) wheelhouse. Their sound is cleanly, crisply captured on their new album, Each Other All the Time, which came out earlier this year and is worth seeking out if you’re looking for a cool, laid-back summer album.

After CIB came Landing on the Moon, but not until around 11:30. I made it through four songs, including what’s become their set highlight, “California,” before I gave up the ghost for the evening. Alas, I missed LBS one last time, though you can catch them tonight for what really is their final show, at The Zoo Bar in Lincoln with Cowboy Indian Bear and High Art (Darren Keen and Co.).

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Reminder: You’ve only got a couple days left if you want to help finance the Seafarer film project via Kickstarter. The locally produced project will feature music from local bands (most likely including Honeybee and Capgun Coup). The project goal is $3,500, and pledges currently stand at $3,065. A pledge of $15 or more will get you some nice goodies along with the knowledge that you helped make the project a reality. Check it out.

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It’s fitting that as summer winds down there are two marquee outdoor shows happening this weekend. The highlight is tonight at Slowdown’s parking lot, the site of what’s being called the “Omaha Block Party,” featuring Built To Spill, The Rural Alberta Advantage, and The Mynabirds. If it’s anything like last year’s outdoor bash at Slowdown (that featured Azure Ray and Cursive, among others) it will have a sort of festival vibe. The best part, of course, is that it’s free, but you’ve got to go to this website and print out an RSVP ticket. Door opens at 7, and the show starts at 8:30. No idea where you’re supposed to park other than on the streets around Slowdown.

Then tomorrow night, She & Him are playing at The Anchor Inn with The Chapin Sisters. I have no idea if the Inn is still suffering from flooding. Regardless, there will be a stage set up somewhere on the grounds. If you haven’t been out there for a show, you’re in for a treat. $20, 9 p.m.

That’s not all that’s happening this weekend.

Tonight is the last show of the summer at Lincoln’s Clawfoot House.  Ember Schrag, who runs Clawfoot with Brian Day, said they are turning over the venue to a young artist/musician couple who will be moving in and taking over as of Sept. 1, with a grand reopening Sept. 30 with Pillars and Tongues from Chicago and FATHR^.

“I had a blast starting Clawfoot House,” Schrag said. “We hosted 89 events at our apartment in a year and a half. And tons of artists from all over came through and performed in our living room and kitchen and porch. But Bryan and I are both ready to have more time to devote to our own projects.”

Those projects include a two-and-a-half month U.S. tour that starts next week, but that really kicks off at tonight’s show, which is a “casual fundraiser to help with a few tour expenses.” It’s at Clawfoot House, 1042 F St., and includes a spaghetti dinner, indoor garage sale, tarot card readings, four bands and a video/sound performance. It’s a $6 cover, $3 for the dinner. The event starts at 6 and music starts at 9 with Ron Wax (featuring Ron Albertson of Mercy Rule), Ed Gray (Iowa City), Ember Schrag and her band, and Tiny Tiny Tongues.

Meanwhile, tonight back here in Omaha, The Ground Tyrants are headlining a show at the Barley Street Tavern with All Young Girls Are Machine Guns. $5, 9 p.m.

Saturday has Lincoln band Wastoid playing at The Brothers Lounge with opener Ron Wax (featuring Ron Albertson of Mercy Rule) and The Lepers. $5, 10 p.m.

Also Saturday night, Ketchup and Mustard Gas are at O’Leaver’s with Birthday Suits. $5, 9:30 p.m.

And Simon Joyner is playing a house show at 4208 Mayberry Street with Ed Gray, The Prairies and Ember Schrag. Show starts at 9 and suggested donation is $5 to $10.

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2010 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Nick Semrad of Little Black Stereo emailed to say that LBS is calling it quits. In fact, tonight’s show at The Barley Street Tavern is their last Omaha gig. Tomorrow’s Zoo Bar show in Lincoln is the band’s official “last show.”

I asked Nick what the story was behind the breakup. “Well, part of it stems from a guitar player moving to Nashville, and I’m headed to LA within the year to be a session player…” he said.

Despite their long history, I’ve never seen a full set by LBS. It’s not like I’ve gone out of my way to avoid them, it’s just been one of those things. Also playing LBS’s farewell show are Landing on the Moon, Lawrence band Cowboy Indian Bear and Barley Street regular Kyle Harvey. $5, 9 p.m.

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HearNebraska.org isn’t the only new effort designed to improve your online search for music news. The Reader is in the process of a bottom-up redesign of its website at thereader.com. I’ve seen the initial drafts, and they’re a huge improvement over what’s out there now. As part of the process, The Reader is asking folks to take a little survey and tell them what they’d like to see on their new site. That means you, so click here and fill the dang thing out. Watch for the new Reader website to launch in the very near future.

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Lincoln music promoter and all-around good guy Jeremy Buckley says that if you want in on the discounted $30 pass that will get you into all of this year’s Lincoln Calling performances, you’ve got ’til the end of the day. The discounted tickets can be purchased online from etix, here. Tomorrow, the price goes up to $40.

There’s also a brand new Lincoln Calling website that just went online at lincolncalling.com that will answer all your questions about the festival, and includes performance schedules, venue and ticket info, everything.

Buckley also announced today that he just locked in a handful of additional bands and performers for this year’s festival, and they are:

Andreas Kapsalis and Goran Ivanovic Guitar Duo

Blue Martian Tribe

Brad Hoshaw and the Seven Deadlies

Carrot Carrot

Conduits

Dirty Talker

Down With the Ship

The Envy Corps

The Filter Kings

The Flatliners

High Art

If Only He Had the Power

The Killigans

Landing on the Moon

Little Brazil

The Machete Archive

Masses

Midland Band

Mitch Gettman

Moustache

Pablo’s Triangle

Pecha Kucha Volume 3

Pharmacy Spirits

The Photo Atlas

The Renfields

Ted Stevens

Tempo

Vibenhai

The Vingins

Voodoo Method

Those additions bring the total number of bands and performers to around 100, which has got to make this the biggest music festival in Nebraska. Lincoln Calling is Sept. 29-Oct. 2.

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There’s a lot happening tonight in addition to the LBS swan song concert:

Tonight at O’Leaver’s, noise-riot-punk brawlers Peace of Shit is headlining a show with Mosquito Bandito and The Spooks. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Also tonight, Sub Pop band Fruit Bats are playing at The Waiting Room with Nathaniel Rateliff and Hospital Ships. $10, 9 p.m.

And finally, everyone’s favorite messed-up art punk garage kids, The Yuppies, are playing at The Hole with Daikaiju (Alabama surf-rock), Ampline (Cincinatti rock rock), and Butchers. $5, 8 p.m.

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2010 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Column 285: Sonic Youth

Tapping the mind of a 17-year-old.

Out of the blue last week I received an e-mail from Molly Misek. Ms. Misek had read my column/review of the Concert for Equality and wanted to interview me for an article for The Network, the highly esteemed Marian High School newspaper. I said sure, but to be fair, there’d have to be an information exchange — she could interview me, if I could interview her.

Look, how often am I going to get a chance to interview a 17-year-old about the music that surrounds her everyday life during what arguably is/will be her most formative years? Do you remember what you were listening to when you were 17? It’s very likely that you’re still listening to that same music today. And let’s face it, how else is a guy of my vintage (with no kids of his own) really supposed to find out what today’s youth is listening to?

Molly’s questions keyed on the Benson concert, the issues surrounding it, and, of course, the bands. Her piece will focus more on the cause than the music, even though it was Conor Oberst — not the plight of illegal immigrants — that drew her attention to the show. “It wasn’t about the issue at all. I’m a fan of Bright Eyes,” she said. “Everything Conor does is pretty awesome. I’m mostly a fan of him, and can’t say I was a fan of any other bands that played, but I’m not so into the super Omaha indie scene.”

Her love of all things Oberst began in 7th Grade when her cousins visited from Laredo, Texas. “They’re super-big fans of Bright Eyes,” she said. “Anyway, we were in Target and we see this guy in dark glasses and this shady kind of hair, and my cousin said, ‘Oh my god, that looks like Conor Oberst.’ She walks by him and says, ‘That’s his voice, Molly.’ Why would he be in a SuperTarget across from my house? They finally made me go up and ask and he said he was (Oberst), and autographed her shoe or something. After that, I got interested in his music and his albums. I wish I had been more of a fan, I would have appreciated it more.”

These days Molly’s record collection consists of about 60 CDs and 3,500 songs on iTunes, about half of which she actually purchased. “I used to buy a lot of CDs,” she said. “Before I got my Macbook I would buy them the regular way, from iTunes. Now that I have my Macbook, I rip them from YouTube if they’re good quality. I was never an ‘illegal person’ — I will buy a song if I feel the band deserves the money for it, not that any band doesn’t.”

Her last purchase was an Interpol CD, bought at Target or Best Buy. “It was probably not even a month ago,” she said. “I went through an Interpol craze and bought their previous three albums.”

Misek said she discovers new music on websites like Spinner.com. “They have a ‘Free MP3 of the Day,’ and I download it every day,” she said. Spinner has a few mainstream tracks (Weezer’s “Memories” is available), but its focus is almost solely indie music, with new tracks by bands like !!!, Revolver, and Broken Social Scene.

How does she define indie? “Indie music is considered anything that anyone doesn’t know about,” Misek said. “There are people who say, ‘Bright Eyes is too mainstream.’ Everyone can be a snob sometimes. When something becomes popular, you can become angry because you knew about it before anyone else. I needed to let that go and like music just to like it, not to be perceived as ‘cool’ or ‘indie.’ A lot of time indie music isn’t even that good.”

Her current favorite song is the new one by Enrique Iglesias. She also likes Lady Gaga (“I think she’s pretty revolutionary”), the new Arcade Fire, Miike Snow and Kid Cudi. “People like rap because it’s good at dances,” she said. “It’s easy to listen to. I’m not a huge fan of rap, but I won’t delete it from my iTunes.”

Molly goes to shows “every couple of months,” and would attend more all-ages shows, but “it’s a problem because I have to get a notarized parent’s signature. It’s a lot of work.” She didn’t know that places like The Slowdown can keep parental slips on file.

To galvanize a stereotype, I rattled off the names of 15 old-school bands like Boston, Journey and REM. Misek was familiar with all of their music, except for Tom Jones (“I’ve heard of him”), The Moody Blues (“never heard their music”), The Dead Kennedys, The Minutemen (Why would she know their music?), and one of my dad’s favorites, Herb Albert (while she knew about The Pixies because they’re one of her dad’s favorites).

Over the course of our hour-long phone interview, we talked about radio (“I used to like 89.7 The River, but now they play more hardcore stuff”), metal (“Weird metal bands are more popular with guys. It’s just gross”), Katy Perry (“I like her despite being normal bubble-gum pop”), and the “next big thing” (“From my point of view, it’s electronic”).

Even though technology has changed the way Molly’s generation listens to music, not much else has changed since when I was her age. Back then, I was always looking for that song that would change my life. Molly’s no different.

“Sometimes you’ll be listening to a song and then one lyric will hit you, and you’ll think ‘Oh my god, I so know what you’re talking about,’” she said. “Maybe I’m too romantic, but music is an expression of the soul. It kind of changes your mind a little. If you identify with a song, isn’t that what it’s supposed to do? Isn’t everything in your life life-changing?”

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Tonight at The Waiting Room is the return of Eux Autres. As I said in this vintage 2005 interview, it’s pronounced “ooz-oh-truh,” and it means “The Others” in French, of course. The brother-and-sister rock band from Portland has Omaha roots. Guitarist/vocalist Nicholas Larimer graduated from North High School in ‘96, while his drummer/vocalist sister Heather graduated from Central in ‘90, where she was “the cheerleader that never smiled.” Since that story was written, the band added drummer Yoshi Nakamoto (The Aislers Set, Still Flyin’) and released a second album, Cold City, on Happy Birthday to Me Records, along with a handful of singles. They’ve got a new album, Broken Bow, waiting in the wings for a November release. Check out their latest free downloadable single, “World Cup Fever 2010.” It’s good. Opening is The Third Men. 9 p.m., $7.

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2010 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

As NYPD detective John McClane said, “Welcome to the party, pal.”

Former Reader editor turned-environmental journalist-turned music writer Andrew Norman yesterday launched a new music column on the starcityblog.com website called Hearing Lincoln.

And he’s already got a prime-time Lincoln scoop:

“A collective groan welcomed news that UUVVWWZ is going on an indefinite hiatus as drummer Tom Ambroz leaves to work in Australia. Bummer. Catch their secret last show Tuesday night at Duffy’s Tavern, 1412 O St., at 9 p.m. Free.”

That show is tonight, btw. Seems like only yesterday (instead of back in Feb. 2008) that I first heard UUVVWWZ playing at the now-closed Saddle Creek Bar and declared them (in this review) “the best local band I’ve heard play live in a couple years.” I also said that if I had a label, I’d sign them. Instead, It Are Good and Saddle Creek Records both signed them and released their debut album. And now, it’s over…

Starcityblog.com is a temporary home for Andy’s blog until his music website, hearnebraska.org, launches sometime next month. Organized as a non-profit entity (he’s going all 501c3 up in there), the site is being designed to communicate all things music in Nebraska — not just Lincoln, not just Omaha. It’ll do this via a conglomeration of blogs, feeds, video, streams, and of course, social media. The hearnebraska Facebook page, vimeo page, and Twitter feed have been live for weeks now.

Full disclosure: Yours truly is on the Hear Nebraska board, along with a handful of other “movers and shakers” who are — in some way — involved in the music scene. Stay tuned…

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Aussie performance/noise artist Justice Yeldham is doing his thing tonight at The Hole, 712 S. 16th St. According to the gig page, “this dude is amazing! uses broken glass on his mouth to make music/noise, not for the faint of heart (i.e. BLOOD!)” Ugh! Also on the bill is Bad Speler (Darren Keen project); Solypsis (experimental/grindcore/breakcore) from Denver/Phoenix/Chicago; Plack Blague (black metal/techno/house) from Lincoln; Violator X (experimental/metal/noise) from Lincoln/Minneapolis, and Seeded Plain (experimental/noise) from Lincoln. It’s a veritable Lincoln noise Invasion. $6, 8 p.m.

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2010 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

The Stay Awake at O'Leaver's, Aug. 21, 2010.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

The Stay Awake sounded particularly sinister Saturday night at O’Leaver’s. Frontman/guitarist Steve Micek explained from stage that he couldn’t “feel” with his ring and pinkie fingers of his left hand after having pinched a nerve. “I’m getting old,” he said. Aren’t we all? Regardless, no one in the audience could tell he was suffering from this temporary disability. The band sounded as raw and unnerving as it always does. They don’t make it easy on their audiences, nor do they try to. The trio’s music is rhythmically violent — a throbbing math equation that solves itself by kicking over the instructor’s desk and kneeing him/her in the groin before scrawling a giant “Fuck You” on the chalk board with the skin/blood of their fists. I like this band; I like them even more when they “lock in” and drive everyone right over the edge with no intention of slowing down. Circumstances have placed The Stay Awake’s future in question. I strongly suggest you catch them the next time they play, because it may be your last chance.

Saturday night also was the debut of Millions of Boys, a new band by Honey & Darling bassist/guitarist/vocalist Sara Bertuldo. She’s primarily playing guitar in this new trio that sounds more cuddlecore K Records poppy than her other band, which also played Saturday night. It’s the first time I’ve seen Honey & Darling in about six months, and they’ve honed their sound to a glistening edge, no matter what instrument any of the members end up playing on any given song (They change it up a lot). In both bands, Bertuldo’s soft, sweet voice could barely be heard over rhythm sections. Frankly, there’s not much a club like O’Leaver’s — with its limited PA — can do about someone who sings just barely above a whisper when the rest of the band is in flames.

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Tonight at The Waiting Room it’s Good Speakers — a new monthly series by Darren Keen. The show features Talking Mountain, Enfant Coma (Jacob Thiele’s DJ project) and Bad Speler, which Keen describes as  “experimenting with Drum and Bass and noise.” The show is well-explained at the One Percent website, so go there for more info. $5, 9 p.m.

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2010 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Just as I posted the item yesterday saying Tim Kasher wasn’t touring anywhere near Omaha, he released a full tour itinerary that includes a date at The Waiting Room Nov. 19. You can read the full schedule at the Saddle Creek website, here.

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Someone e-mailed yesterday asking for more details on the 5th of May recording after having seen this week’s column in The Reader (No. 284). The respective blog entry with links, etc., is here. Check it out.

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It’s looking like another O’Leaver’s weekend…

Tonight at fabulous O’Leaver’s Dim Light is headlining a show with Leeches of Lore and Comme Reel (No Blood Orphan). $5, 9 p.m. And then tomorrow night at O’Leaver’s, The Stay Awake is headlining a show with Honey & Darling and Millions of Boys. $5, 9 p.m.

Also on my radar screen is a special birthday bash for Filter Kings‘ frontman Gerald Lee Meyerpeter at The Barley Street Tavern tonight. Performing at this festive event are Lash Larue, Alex McManus, Whipkey/Zimmerman/Sing, and of course, Lee himself. Show starts at 9, no idea what it’ll cost you to get in. Drop down and buy Lee a shot of Thunder Chicken…

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2010 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.