Welcome to Lazy-i, an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news.
The focus is on the indie music scene. Yes, there’s a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area, but Lazy-i also offers interviews, stories and reviews about national indie bands.
Most of the feature stories and columns in Lazy-i will have previously been published in The Reader, Omaha’s monthly alternative newspaper.
In the radio business, doing anything for 20 years is remarkable, but hosting a music-focused radio show for 20 years is almost unheard of. But that’s exactly what David Leibowitz has done. His radio show on 89.7 FM The River, New Day Rising, will celebrate its 20th anniversary with its Dec. 22 broadcast.
The origin of the radio show is chronicled in the following column, published in The Reader and on this website 20 years ago. It features an interview with Leibowitz’s co-host, Eric Ziegler. Ziegler would end up leaving the show after only a few months, leaving Leibowitz to continue it for all these years.
“I actually know what I’m doing after all this time!” Leibowitz said about New Day Rising, which airs from 2 to 4 p.m. Sundays on 89.7 FM in Omaha. “I understand what I want to present, and how to go about doing it.”
A glance at the show’s Dec. 9 playlist indicates he’s kept the program’s indie focus and continues to blend new indie releases with classic tracks. But Leibowitz goes beyond the indie genre on his podcast, The Dark Stuff, available exclusively on YouTube. “The Dark Stuff just expands what I can cover,” he said. “Having the radio experience definitely affects how I operate on YouTube.”
For the special Dec. 22 New Day Rising broadcast, Leibowitz said he will be playing classics from the last 20 years, interview clips and “some other surprises.” Tune in.
As I wrote in the following column, the hope was New Day Rising would encourage The River to incorporate more indie music into their regular play lists, but it never really happened. A glance at the station’s November playlist shows the same selection of alt/grunt rock staples, like Sum 41, Sick Puppies and Return to Dust alongside pop punk/emo bands and, yes, the occasional indie track from Father John Misty and St. Vincent. It’s disappointing, but does it really matter? People discover new music a lot differently than they did 20 years, thanks to satellite radio and streaming services.
Still, radio continues to be more popular than podcasts and streaming services, according to this Forbes article from earlier this year that stated while younger people are shifting to on-demand options, 45% of their listening time remains dedicated to radio. And, of course, old people still love radio, but mainly because of shitty talk radio.
Anyway, on this Throwback Thursday, here again is the column announcing the launch of New Day Rising from Dec. 9, 2004:
Dec. 9, 2004: New Day Rising: Indie Music Returns to Omaha’s Air Waves
It always seemed somewhat ironic that Omaha has become this so-called “center of the indie music world,” yet none of the music from that world can be heard on the radio waves within its borders. Important national touring indie bands come through town all the time and draw respectfully well without an ounce of radio support. The only way anyone finds out about these shows is through articles in The Reader, websites (lazy-i comes to mind), word of mouth and show posters and fliers.
All that will likely change Sunday, Dec. 19, at 11 p.m., when Omaha’s only college rock station, 89.7 FM The River, launches a new, locally produced two-hour radio show whose focus will be, believe it or not, indie music.
Omaha’s had indie radio shows before, most recently “Pirate Radio,” hosted at the same 11 to 1 a.m. Sunday night time slot on 93.3 KRCK — the grunt-rock station that became The Dam and now spins “legendary American country.” Hosted by Saddle Creek main man Robb Nansel and Good Life drummer Roger Lewis, Pirate Radio was a laid-back (some would say unstructured) two hours of indie rock, where you were bound to hear a couple songs by Cursive or Bright Eyes. My fondest memory of Pirate Radio was being a guest host and hearing callers requesting Korn, Metallica and Limp Bizkit songs throughout the entire two hours. Typical call: “Dude, something’s wrong with your station. Turn this shit off and play ‘Freak on a Leash!'”).
Now comes “New Day Rising” (For you younguns, that’s a tip o’ the hat to Husker Du), hosted by Eric Ziegler, manager of Homer’s Old Market store, and Dave Leibowitz, former head of Mafia Money Records out of Madison, Wisconsin, who just moved back to the Big O.
Ziegler says their show will plow similar ground as Pirate Radio, with a play list derived from the College Music Journal charts. CMJ has become the defacto bible of college radio stations all over the country, and indie music is at its very core. Just don’t use the “I” word around Ziegler. Call it “College music” or “Underground” or even “Alternative” (though that word was bastardized long ago by the likes of Creed and Matchbox 20, who are about “alternative” as Britney Spears).
Ziegler says the term “Indie” turns people off. It’s at once too broad (What is indie, anyway?) and too confining (Like “emo,” no one wants the term applied to their music), with baggage that conjures images of pasty scenester kids squeezed into youth medium-sized T-shirts, with dyed-black hair and thick, clunky glasses.
Instead, the show’s play list will be all over the map, even beyond CMJ. “We’ll play anything from Bauhaus to The Replacements to My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult to The Smiths and Pavement.”
Isn’t that oldie indie? “The thing is to play newer music — the stuff the kids are into — and also keep listeners our age (i.e., in their 30s) intrigued. We want to throw in a couple gems to educate people. Half the kids today don’t know who Joy Division is, but will listen to all the bands that were influenced by them.”
The key, Ziegler said, is variety — underground metal next to underground hip-hop, a Shins song followed by the new one from Mastodon. Expect local music, too, but no Saddle Creek artists. “We might stay away from Bright Eyes and The Faint,” Ziegler said. “That stuff’s already on The River’s regular play list.” They’ll also avoid music heard on The River’s local-music show, Planet O.
Could the show’s success influence The River’s regular play list? Ziegler hopes so. “I would suffer through Slipknot to hear TV on the Radio.” But considering the success of the station’s current goon-rock format, any change seems unlikely. – Originally published in The Reader and Lazy-i.com Dec. 9, 2004.
While still recovering… from throat problems, Conor Oberst has been lighting up the internet with news. On a recent Broken Record podcast, Oberst talked about trying to convince Alan and Diana Meltzer of Wind-Up Records to not sign proto-grunge band Creed to their label way back in the mid-’90s. Oberst was in Commander Venus, which was then signed to Wind-Up. Conor must have been 16 or 17 at the time. Read all about it here in Exclaim. Said Conor about the Creek record: “And then, sure enough, they put it out, and it’s the biggest thing in the world. So [that’s] another reason not to ever trust my judgement.“
Bright Eyes also just announced that Christopher Owens will be their supporting act when they kick off their North American Tour Jan. 16 in Phoenix. Owens was formerly in the S.F. duo Girls. He opens for Bright Eyes through Feb. 7, then hands the opener chores to Hurray for the Riff Raff, who eventually hands it over to Cursive in April. Those Bright Eyes/Cursive shows could be a real time machine.
Still no make-up date announced for that “postponed” Steelhouse date….
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Speaking of time machines, tomorrow night (Thursday) at 7:30 p.m., Nebraska Public Media will re-air the next installment of its 33rd Street Sessions series featuring archive performances from Mercy Rule, The Millions and Floating Opera. The old concert clips are interspersed with recent interviews with Mercy Rule’s Jon Taylor, Heidi Ore and Ron Albertson, and The Millions’ Lori Allison. Fun stuff and the recording quality is top-notch. And if you watch via the embedded player below, you can skip over all the NPM fund drive pitches!
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Finally, Dream Ghoul just dropped another track from their upcoming album, A Forgotten Future, which is being released this coming Sunday. Dream Ghoul is the latest project from Max Holmquist (Oquoa). The album was recorded and mixed by Jim Schroeder, of Mesa Buoy and David Nance Band. No doubt you’ll hear most of the album’s songs when the band performs this Friday at Reverb with Western Haikus and The Ivory Claws…
Last night’s performance of Simon Joyner’s Coyote Butterfly at The Waiting Room was a touching tribute to Joyner’s late son, Owen – the subject of the album. Every seat was taken throughout the packed house, with many standing in the back along the bar.
Megan Siebe began the evening performing a solo cello composition on the darkened stage – a solemn, dramatic, tonal piece performed over looped portions recorded via a pedal. The album’s artwork was projected behind her – a bleak snow scape in the dead of winter. The image would later be replaced with a rotating collection of photos taken near the South Omaha Bridge – beautiful landscapes with cloud-filled skies.
Sarah Adkisson Joyner, Simon’s wife, took the stage next and said a few words about Owen and how their family had grieved following his death in August 2022. She also talked about how the music we were about to hear played a role in their grieving process, before introducing the band.
Joyner, seated center stage with his guitar, was surrounded by his friends and bandmates – David Nance on bass, James Schroeder, guitar; Kevin Donahue, drums, and Michael Krassner on guitar and keyboards. They proceeded to perform Coyote Butterfly in its entirety in track order, beginning with the field recordings and Joyner’s guitar instrumental, “Red-Winged Black Birds (March 13, 2024),” that led directly into Joyner singing alone, “I’m Taking You With Me.”
The full band then joined in on “The Silver Birch,” (with Megan Siebe on violin) and continued for what was a note-perfect rendition of the album. An exception was an epic version of “Port of Call” that featured an extended instrumental introduction showcasing the band – it felt like the evening’s centerpiece leading into a performance of the album’s title track.
Joiner didn’t speak between songs, and the audience seemed initially hesitant to applaud, perhaps wondering if it was okay to enjoy themselves while Simon poured his heart out. After the buzz of cicadas heard on the concluding field recording came to an abrupt halt (as it does on the album), the crowd again applauded and Joyner thanked everyone for being there. The evening was somber but also heart-felt and special, and will likely never be repeated.
It’s the first Friday of the month, and that means Benson First Friday. Local artists will be showing their wares in art openings up and down Maple Street tonight, including at Ming Toy Gallery, 6066 Maple Street, where we’re hosting the 2024 Dragon Invitational Open House featuring the works of a whopping 25 artists. Full list of participating artists is right here. I currently am busy this morning baking cookies for this event (Chinese Almond Cookies, Classic Toll House). The opening runs from 6 to 9 p.m. Drop by, have a glass of wine (or whine) and say hello. See you there.
It’s also Bandcamp Friday, which means it’s the best time to purchase music from your favorite artists as today Bandcamp is waving all fees and passing your hard-earned rubles directly to the bands. So whether it’s the Violenteer debut or the latest from Simon Joyner or this groovy new track from Max Holmquist’s Dream Ghoul, now is the time to buy and download.
And, though not a ska fan (except for The Specials, of course), there’s a three-band ska show happening tonight at fabulous O’Leaver’s. They’re calling it “A Plastic Holiday Special,” featuring Omaha skacore band Plastic Presidents, Minneapolis ska/punk/jazz fusion act Runaway Ricochet and Omaha ska/rocksteady act The Bishops. It’s free and has a published 8 p.m. start time. Wear a checkered neck tie and your top-siders!
Saturday night is the big Violenteer EP release show at Reverb Lounge. I wrote about the album here. The four-band bill also includes Dance Me Pregnant, Lodgings and Bad Bad Men. It’ll be a crowded room fer shure. $12, 8 p.m. start time.
Meanwhile, just down the street at The Sydney, Dave Goldberg’s new(ish) metal band Prolapse is headlining a show with Blood Tower and GLOW. $10, 9 p.m. (Sydney Time).
That brings us to Sunday and Simon Joyner’s album release show for Coyote Butterfly. As mentioned in yesterday’s write-up, this will likely be the only time the album is performed in its entirety. It’s also a seated show, so get there early to both get good seats and hear opener Megan Siebe. This early show (6:30 p.m. start time) could be a gut-wrencher. $15. PS: The Waiting Room will be featuring an NA-only special menu. All the profits from the tickets will be donated to the Arch Alumni Association, a non-profit organization whose mission is supporting former members of the Arch Halfway House.
And that’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend.
Knowing the theme behind the recording, I dreaded listening to Simon Joyner’s new album, Coyote Butterfly (2024, Grapefruit Records).
Released last month, the record is the first collection of songs from Joyner in two years following the overdose death of his son, Owen, in August 2022. Joyner’s music is already known for leaning on the heavier topics of life; now along comes a very personal 10-track collection described as an exploration of loss through a series of imagined dialogues and raw confessions drawn from the kaleidoscopic nature of grief.
Well, after listening to the album for the past few days, my dread was unfounded. Coyote Butterfly not only is one of the most poignant collections penned by Joyner, but melodically also among the most beautiful. This is not a minor-key cry of pain, rather it’s an elegiac acknowledgement of grief, regret and acceptance from someone who has been through something no one should go through.
Despite its bleak subject matter, a number of the album’s songs could become staples in Joyner’s future set lists such as “The Silver Birch” and “Port of Call” where Joyner leans on long-time comrades and friends to accompany him – a backing band consisting of David Nance, James Schroeder, Kevin Donahue, Ben Brodin and Michael Krassner.
On the other hand, many of the songs that feature only Joyner, his guitar and voice — especially the gut-wrenching “My Lament” and the heart-breaking title track — are difficult to get through, but are far from maudlin.
AllMusic.com critic Fred Thomas, in an incisive review of the Coyote Butterfly, concluded: “The album does an amazing job of conveying how dealing with death is a journey with no destination, one spent looking for slivers of understanding and acceptance but knowing there will never be resolution. The way Joyner shares his pain with honesty and fearlessness makes these songs some of his most beautiful and connective and life-affirming even in their unimaginable grief.”
Joyner and his band will perform the album at a special seated show this Sunday at The Waiting Room. According to the One Percent Productions’ website, it will likely be the only performance of the album in its entirety. And if my notes are correct, it’ll be the first time Joyner has performed on a formal Omaha stage in almost a decade.
Singer/songwriter Megan Siebe, who has played on a number of Joyner’s previous albums, opens Sunday’s show at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $15.
Weighing in at just under a half-hour, Violenteer’s self-titled 6-song debut EP is a tale of competing sonic identities sandwiched between two slices of bass.
The recording showcases the Cotton Brothers. In the right channel on bass is Randy Cotton, who you might remember from his work in ’90s Omaha golden age punk band Ritual Device, which was followed a few years later by metal band, Ravine. In the left channel also on bass is Barry Cotton, formerly of the band Members of the Press. These guys share a love for pounding, nihilistic-fueled metal that is like listening to one explosion after another or the dark soundtrack to a ’90s grind-core horror flick.
Cutting through the dueling basses’ thundering rumble is vocalist Steve Tulipana’s howls, growls, spoken words and the occasional sung lyric. Tulipana made a name for himself as the frontman of ’90s Kansas City noise-rock band Season to Risk.
The album is a mountain of noise/soundscapes that tumble forward at approaching-doom pace, lovingly provided by drummer Eric Ebers, another Omaha punk rock veteran from bands Ritual Device and Ravine, now a member of shoe-gaze outfit Minne Lussa. New drummer Corey Thumann has taken over behind the kit for the live band. Though overcast by a cloud of metal angst, two songs on the EP break through the darkness.
“Up the Flood” jumps forward atop a groovy, punchy drum line before breaking into monster riffs, then throttling back again to that crazy rhythm. It’s the closest thing to vintage gutter-groove Ritual Device I’ve heard since the last Ritual Device reunion show.
Then there’s “Just Another Day,” a grunge-style ballad that features Tulipana’s best vocals singing the album’s most appealing melodies. The song breaks down to an indecipherable spoken-word bombast before shifting into a Pink Floyd (a la Meddle)-style psych rock soundscape. This song, no doubt, will be the epic closer for Saturday night’s album release show at Reverb Lounge.
Joining Violenteer on this loaded four-band bill are Dance Me Pregnant (‘00s-era O’Leaver’s punk rock survivors Chris Machmuller, Johnny Vredenburg, Corey Broman and Jeff Ankenbauer), Lodgings (last I heard, their new records was in the process of being mixed) and Bad Bad Men (the Wolf-Hug-Siebken power trio extraordinaire). 8 p.m., $12.
Limited-edition 12-inch vinyl and digital download are on pre-sale at the Violenteer Bandcamp page, where you can also hear the first single from the EP.
A week after the news broke in Lazy-i, the folks at the Maha Music Festival today made it official: The Maha Festival returns Aug. 2, 2025, to RiverFront Park in downtown Omaha.
With the headline: Maha Festival Returning in 2025, Combining Forces with Outlandia, the press release also announced Maha’s original four founders are once again involved in the festival — Mike App, Tre Brashear, Tyler Owen and Mike Toohey. And as reported earlier, 1% Productions is both booking and producing the show.
“As Maha grew and found new leadership, the foursome worked with Omaha-based 1% Productions to start another music festival, Outlandia, in 2022,” said the press release. “They have decided to end Outlandia and recombine efforts with Maha.”
Also back for the 2025 festival is former Maha executive director Emily Cox. And let’s not forget MECA, the organization who oversees The RiverFront, who no doubt will also be playing a key role.
Maha Festival Board President TJ Twit said expect announcements on performers and other details about Maha 2025 in the coming months. I’m told they already booked the headliners.
In a time when we seem to hear almost daily of a long-running music festival either being postponed or cancelled (I’m looking at you, Chicago’s Pitchforkfest), it’s great to see Omaha’s keynote music festival is alive and well and will be back, hopefully bigger and better than ever….
A not-so-last-minute show is happening tonight down in the Old Market…
Nashville trio Styrofoam Winos is passing through town and making a stop at the Grapefruit Records stage. The trio of Joe Kenkel, Trevor Nikrant and Lou Turner released their latest, Real Time, via Sophomore Lounge Records this past September. They also appeared on MJ Lenderman’s 2023 album And the Wind (Live and Loose), which makes perfect sense since they have a similar indie folk-rock sound.
Opening for Styrofoam Winos tonight is our very own David Nance and Pearl Lovejoy-Boyd. Expect some sweet, sweet harmonies.
This gig was announced two weeks ago via the Grapefruit Records Instagram and somehow escaped my attention. It starts at 7 p.m. and is $10. Grapefruit Records is located at 1125 Jackson St., Suite 5 (enter on the 12th St. side)…
Tonight, Minneapolis indie punk all-female trio VIAL headlines at Reverb Lounge. Maybe you were lucky enough to catch them this past summer at GRRRL Camp Festival. Their new album, Grow the Fuck Up (2024, Trout Hole Records), drops today, so this is sort of an album release show! Eight songs in under 18 minutes. Fun! Richmond punkers Destructo Disk is in the center slot, whole Omaha phenoms UN-T.I.L. opens the show at 8 p.m. $17.
Tomorrow night (Saturday), Criteria returns to The Waiting Room. Last time through, just a month or so ago, they played a ton of new songs. As a headliner, expect a brisk mix of old and new. Joining them is Omaha indie legends Little Brazil and Prospect Avenue. 8 p.m., $10.
Meanwhile, down the street at The Sydney, Nashville’s Thelma and the Sleaze play a return engagement. Spotify describes them as “an all-female, queer, southern-rock and roll band.” Their latest is the self-released Ain’t Country. Western Haikus open at 9 p.m. (Sydney Time). $15.
Finally, no one enjoys the holidays quite like fabulous O’Leaver’s, where Saturday night they’re hosting a free show with Cupholder, Pagan Athletes and Your Own Knife. No start time is listed, but they never get rolling until at least 9 p.m. at The Club.
And that’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend.
I used to call them “Omaha alt-country band” Clarence Tilton, but these days the band has all but swayed away from the “alt” moniker altogether and is merely “Omaha country band Clarence Tilton.” You can certainly hear it in their music and by the artists they’re now working with.
Tilton recently announced via an embargoed press release that their latest single, “Flyaway Cafe, released last Friday, is a duet with Presley Tucker, daughter of country music legend Tanya Tucker.
For those who don’t pay attention to country music or who were born in the 21st Century, Tucker was a staple on C&W radio stations throughout the ‘70s, thanks to hits like “What’s Your Mama’s Name?” and “Texas (When I Die),” but is most well known for her mega-hit “Delta Dawn,” which was on constant rotation on KFAB-AM back when KFAB played music.
The press release doesn’t say how Clarence Tilton landed Presley Tucker to perform on this duet, only that Tucker said the first time she played with the band, “it felt like I’d know them all along. Their music gives you that nostalgic feeling, like you’ve been there and done that. Grateful to be part of it.”
This is the second time Clarence Tilton landed a big-name guest on one of their songs. In October they released the single “Fred’s Colt,” which features country music icon Marty Stuart on vocals and guitar. Both songs will be included on the band’s new LP, Queen of the Brawl, slated for a 2025 release.
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Conor Obert and Shudder to Think’s Craig Wedren dropped a new song last Wednesday, “Justice to a Scream,” that also is the end-title track from documentary short Alok, from executive producer Jodie Foster.
The film is a portrait of non-binary author, poet, comedian Alok Vaid-Menon. From the press release:
“I am a longtime admirer of ALOK,” said Oberst. “Their powerful writing, art and advocacy for transgender people and all people who suffer from the lunacy of ignorance and bigotry that permeates our society is inspirational. So when the opportunity to work on this song with Craig Wedren came along I was thrilled. I am also a big time, lifelong fan of Craig – from the amazing Shudder to Think records through his various projects and solo work. He possesses a truly one of a kind musical mind and a voice as unique and iconoclastic as he is. He has also been a great and treasured friend of mine for many years. This is all to say I loved working on this project with these two incredible pioneers.”
The track already is on heavy rotation on Sirius XMU.
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We’re entering the Thanksgiving countdown and thus, the more-intense portion of the holiday season, which means we’ll be sadly lacking for shows (specifically, touring indie-rock shows) for the balance of the year and into next February. Instead, prepare for the usual annual locals-reunion gigs, assorted album release show and tribute performances, such as the one happening tonight.
This evening, Reverb Lounge is hosting Stigmata Martyr, a tribute to Bauhaus. The band features Randy Cotton and Mike Saklar, former members of ’90s legendary Omaha punk bands Ravine and Ritual Device, and Benn Sieff of Bennie and the Gents fame in the Peter Murphy role. Joining them are 138: A Tribute to Misfits, and Abscence+Alchemy. 9 p.m., $12.
Meanwhile, down the street at The Sydney, Denver-based electronic/industrial performer Sell Farm performs. No opener listed for this 9 p.m. show (Sydney Time, that is…). $10.
One last-minute gig of note: Los Cruxes is headlining a gig at The Tavern, 514 So. 10th St., tonight. Joining them are Megadestroyer, Trees with Eyes and Neva Dinova’s Jake Bellows. 9:30 star time, no price listed, so you’re on your own…
If I don’t run into you before tomorrow, have a happy Thanksgiving.
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