By Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

In February when the Maha Music Festival announced it was 86-ing this year’s festival, it felt like another symptom of the slow death of indie music here in River City. Maha is/was the last reflection of a time when Omaha was a magnet for up-and-coming touring indie bands. And now even that festival was gone (for now?).

Then last week Grrrl Camp Festival announced its 2024 line-up and, by god, they’ve managed to out-Maha Maha in terms of up-and-coming touring indie bands. While no rules govern Grrrl Camp booking, there’s little doubt that the festival is a celebration of women artists in a time when women artists are calling the shots – both in the indie and pop music worlds. 

Slated for July 19 and 20 at Falconwood Park in Bellevue, One Percent Productions and Falconwood have put together one of the strongest lineups of up-and-coming touring indie acts of any local regional festival. It’s loaded top to bottom.

On top of the list, Indigo de Souza, Saddle Creek Record’s current break-out act, whose last two albums have been critical and indie fan favorites.

Mannequin Pussy, who’s latest, I Got Heaven (Epitaph), is a Pitchfork “Best New Music” pick (a staggering 8.8 rating) and will provide the festival’s eye-gouging power rock moment.

Hurray for the Riff Raff‘s latest, The Past is Still Alive (Nonesuch), also is a Pitchfork “Best New Music” pick (8.3 rating)). The indie veterans who play gorgeous folk-tinged rock and count Conor Oberst among their fans (Conor also sings on their new album). 

And the last big-font name is none other than Oakland garage-punk heroes Shannon and the Clams, who I was lucky enough to see perform on The River City Star’s “sailin’ and wailin’” cruise back in May 2016. 

That alone is pretty impressive, but the remaining 10 bands on the bill are also top-shelf.

Rosali is a known commodity here in Omaha as her backing band is made up of dudes who play with David Nance (and includes Nance himself). Her latest album, Bite Down (Merge Records), is a standout. The band has been touring the U.S., culminating in a sold-out show at fabulous O’Leaver’s last weekend.

Annie DiRusso plays gritty confessional indie rock in the vein of Blondshell. Her latest EP is God, I Hate This Place (2023, Good Partners), and is a personal favorite. She’s got a full-length in the can for release later this year.

Minneapolis trio Vial’s latest, burnout (2024, Get Better), is 10 songs in 10 minutes and is brat-punk gold. They played at Reverb Lounge last year. 

Leeds, England, trio Girl Ray plays fun dance rock that sounds like un-cheesy disco with a nod toward Bee Gees and George Michael. Their latest LP, Prestige (2023, Moshi Moshi), was co-produced by Ben H. Allen (M.I.A., Gnarls Barkley, Deerhunter). 

Boston duo Mint Green‘s sound borders on modern emo. Pictoria Vark is throw-back indie (who remembers Kite Pilot?). Wichita trio Keo & Them has an R&B vibe that kind of reminds me of Khruangbin. 

Three locals round out the bill. Lincoln’s Estrogen Projection, Madeline Reddel and Krissy.

To give you an idea just how “up and coming” these bands are, albums from three of the bands currently are charting in the top-20 on the College Radio Charts — Hurray for the Riff Raff (No. 7), Mannequin Pussy (No. 8) and Rosali (No. 15), while Vial’s latest is No. 76. Indigo De Soua’s last album also topped that chart.

Hat’s off to One Percent Productions and Falconwood for putting together this line-up. Grrrl Camp is like a perfect “other” to One Percent’s Outlandia Festival, whose headliners appeal to an older audience (The Flaming Lips, Head and the Heart, Dinosaur Jr., etc). 

The biggest challenge for Grrrl Camp will be overcoming its name. If you only knew the name, you’d think the festival was a two-day music development camp that’s an off-shoot to Omaha Girls Rock. In fact, some dudes may not even check out the line-up or will think the festival isn’t for guys at all, which is anything but the truth, according to organizer Shannon Claire, who said guys are indeed invited to this Grrrl Camp…

Early bird tickets for the full weekend are just $65 – insanely cheap! Tix and more info at https://www.falconwoodpark.com/grrrlcamp…

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LA-based alt rock band Silversun Pickups headlines tonight at The Admiral. The band’s last formal LP was 2022’s Physical Thrills (New Machine Recordings). It should be noted that the Pickups’ biggest hit “Lazy Eye” is not the official anthem for this blog. LA four-piece Rocket opens the show at 8 p.m. $40.

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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 © 2024 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

First weekend of shows since the pandemic where there are two great shows happening on the same night, forcing either decisions or a very long evening. And while that is yet another sign that we’re slowly getting back to “normal,” we’ve still got a long way to go.

Still…

Tonight at the undisputed home of Omaha punk rock — The Brothers Lounge — it’s the best post-punk act currently happening in the region: No Thanks. Check out this Alex Preston interview with the band in The Reader. They’re bringing along their Black Site Records label mates, KC’s Red Kate, who open at 10 p.m. No entry without proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within the last 24 hours. This is the first no-vac/no-entry show I know of at Brothers, and if Brothers is doing it, everyone should be doing it. $7 at the door.

Meanwhile, down at The Slowdown, Philly punk band Mannequin Pussy headlines in the big room. Their new 5-song EP, Perfect, was released this year on Epitaph. Baltimore punk band Pinkshift opens. This also is a no-vax/no-entry event. 8 p.m. $20.

Which will it be? Well, considering the timing, it may be possible to catch both shows. That’s a lot of rock. And it ain’t all tonight.

If you’re planning on tooling over to Benson tonight, be prepared for Military Ave. to be closed as you drive through flocks of silver-haired dudes on their way to see 38 Special on the outdoor stage. They call this Waiting Room Outdoors, but it should be called Reverb Outdoors. Myron Elkins opens at 7:30 p.m. This is a $45 show. Gates at 6, so hold on loosely and don’t let go.

Also tonight, Josh Hoyer and the Soul Colossal play at The B Bar, 4330 Leavenworth. $10, 9 p.m.

Meanwhile, just down the street at the Down Under, 3530 Leavenworth, it’s Jeremy Mercy and the the Rapture Orphans. 9:30, no price listed.

While over at The Sydney tonight, Chicago band Waltzer performs. No opener listed, but there will also be a drag show. 9 p.m., $10.

All that stuff happening tonight and ain’t a thing going on the rest of the weekend, at least not on my radar. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend!

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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 © 2021 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

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by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

It’s been so long since Digital Leather played locally I thought frontman Shawn Foree moved back to Arizona. The project came out with a limited edition vinyl compilation on the Stencil Trash insignia in January called Feeet, as well as a limited 8-track tape (you read that right) version of 2007’s Blow Machine (FDH Records). But still no local appearances.

Then last Friday night Foree and his current Digital Leather line-up took the stage at The Sydney for a half-hour set. DL has had numerous iterations over the years, swinging between ‘80s electronic synth-driven No Wave to full-on guitar punk, with Foree either behind a keyboard rack or slinging an electric guitar. This time he stood out front with an electric bass backed by two synth players — a pal from Arizona named Jason and Omahan Blake Kostszewa of FiFI NoNo — while veteran stickman Jeff Lambelet took his usual place behind the drum kit.

Bringing the bass out front proved to be a bold move as the band ran through a set that included standout track “Puff” off the new record (but originally released on 2018’s Headache Heaven) and a re-imagined version of “B12” (originally released as part of Foree’s Mere Mortals project and later covered (with lyrics rewritten) by The Faint as “Damage Control”).

Foree put down his bass and returned behind the synths for the set closer, singing lyrics read from a sheet of notebook paper. I figured it was maybe an obscure cover, but he said afterward it was a new song called “Compass” — red hot and the evening’s highlight. Here’s hoping the song gets a proper release, along with whatever else the prolific Mr. Foree has been working on.

Saturday night I walked around the block to the Parkwood Lane Bluegrass Festival to catch a performance by Clarence Tilton. This is actually the annual block party held on Parkwood Lane just west of Memorial Park — picture lots of neighbors standing in the street eating covered-dish gourmet while kids speed around on mini BMX bikes, big-screen TVs showing whatever game is on ESPN. And at the end of the street, a small stage under a tent where the bands played.

I keep comparing Clarence Tilton to ’90s-era indie power-pop acts and I’ve got to admit, it’s kind of a stretch, especially when you see them perform live. I mean, don’t get me wrong, they could be a fantastic power-pop act, especially with their backgrounds, but the fact is these guys are playing countrified Americana music, and the twang is unmistakable on stage, where they resemble The Statler Brothers more than The dBs, and that’s not a bad thing.

Overheard from the neighborhood crowd: “These guys are the real deal.” And they are. I don’t know why they haven’t been discovered on a national level, they’re certainly as good or better than anything I’ve heard on the country Sirius stations. The Weber Brothers are among the best axe men around, and then you’ve got three different (very good) vocalists. I guess maybe their lack of national notoriety has to do with the fact that the band members have other careers — and lives — that prevent them from touring outside our little burg. That means Clarence Tilton will likely remain Omaha’s — and Parkwood Lane’s — best kept secret.

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Tonight at Slowdown Jr. it’s Philly band Mannequin Pussy. Though they’re on Epitaph Records, they don’t sound like a run-of-the-mill Epitaph band. With their shoe-gaze shimmer, I’d more likely mistake them for someone on 4AD. Their latest, Patience, is shoe-gaze leaning on heavy metal. Opening is Sacramento band Destroy Boys (Uncool Records) and UK producer/musician Ellis. $15, 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 © 2019 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.