The last weekend of the year starts out with a bang tonight at Mick’s with singer-songwriter Joe Budenholzer’s annual live music/tribute show. Budenholzer is a Nebraska native residing in Scotland whose band, Backworld, is influenced by “English folk music, certain aspects of ’60s psychedelia, and Christian mysticism,” according to the Backworld website. “Recently, while recording the upcoming album, Good Infection, he enlisted the talents of Isobel Campbell (Belle & Sebastian, Gentle Waves), David Tibet (Current 93) and Drew McDowall (Coil) to contribute vocals and other textures to the new songs.” Sounds interesting. For the tonight’s live set, Budenholzer will enlist the talents of Dereck Higgins on bass, Gary Foster on drums and Bill Eustice on keyboards. The show will be divided into three sets. The first is devoted to Backworld music. The second is a performance of Iggy Pop’s 1977 classic The Idiot in its entirety, while the last set will be a free-for-all under the moniker Small Creatures that will feature guest artists (among them, The Faint’s Todd Baechle?), a performance of a Higgins song as well as a Digital Sex song featuring Sex frontman Stephen Sheehan. I suspect this will be an SRO event. $7, 9 p.m.

Then there’s New Year’s Eve and, not surprisingly, no shows that I’m aware of. That’s nothing new. New Year’s is notorious for its lack of original music — cover bands rule the night, as it should be, I suppose. While you’re all out dodging drunken cars, I’ll be checking out this brave new talent named Ryan Seacrest (Dick Clark’s heir apparent? Let’s hope not.).

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

Column 57: Crystal Ball Gazing Pt. 2.
Premonitions for 2006

Look, it’s very unlikely that I could outdo the unholy performance of my 2005 predictions (see last week’s column). I know this. So much so that I considered taking my crystal ball to Sol’s and trading it in for a second-hand shotgun or an 8-track-tape player. But, knowing how much you, the reader, depend on my precognitive skills, here are my visions of 2006.

Prediction: This music scene was built from a concrete bunker on Leavenworth Street called The Cog Factory. Just about every significant band of the current era either performed or watched a performance at the all-ages shithole during their creative infancy. Under a cloud of IRS controversy, the Cog closed its doors in 2001. Now as we reach the end of the Omaha music scene’s second Golden Age, the next generation of bands will see the opening of a new, all-ages performance space in ’06 that caters to high-school kids who’ve reached the age of anger and dissent. If the operators of this nonprofit venue are wise, they’ll consider resurrecting the Cog Factory name, as blasphemous as that sounds.

Prediction: Living rooms will be introduced to Omaha music via a new weekly television program broadcast on one of the four local affiliates. Focusing exclusively on original music, the show will include interviews and taped performances from local bands (including Creek artists).

Prediction: Instead of a slew of music stores closing their doors, a couple new stores will open in ’06 selling a combination of new and used CDs, collectables and Urban Outfitter-style apparel.

Prediction: Adding to the resurrection of independent record stores, national box chains (Best Buy, Target, but probably not Wal Mart) that successfully lured unsophisticated music buyers by offering new releases at fire sale prices will get out of the music biz altogether after the major labels finally drop CD prices below the $10 mark. Look for new CDs as low as $8.99 and $9.99.

Prediction: Meanwhile, to make up for this generosity, those greedy major-label bastards will force Apple’s hand to introduce a tiered pricing scheme on i-Tunes. The oldies will still cost 99 cents to download, while new tracks by craptacular acts like Britney, Kanye and Stefani will run $1.29 or more. Promised cheaper prices for Freedom Rock classics will never materialize.

Prediction: We’re all going to have to keep waiting for that next important music trend to emerge. The only trend in ’06 will be more indie bands signing to majors (who will continue to water down their already tired sound), as well as the prolonged country music and retro-electronic/dance music revivals.

Prediction: Bands we’ll be talking about this time next year: Morrissey, New Order/Joy Division, Radiohead, Modest Mouse, The Postal Service, Prince, Tilly and the Wall, Ladyfinger, Cursive, Sarah Benck, The Cure, The Who, David Bowie and Simon Joyner.

Prediction: Bands we won’t be talking about: Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah, Bright Eyes, U2, Kanye West, The White Stripes, Fitty, Fall Out Boy, Franz Ferdinand, Wilco and Ryan Adams.

Prediction: All of Michael Jackson’s personal and legal troubles will come to an end in ’06.

Prediction: In a maverick move, One Percent Productions will enter partnerships with a number of large venues in markets outside of Omaha and Lincoln. It’s their next step as they evolve into a regional music promotion powerhouse. Marc and Jim in business suits? Unfortunately, yes.

Prediction: Slowdown, the highly anticipated downtown Saddle Creek Records office/music venue/bar/retail space/condos/movie theater/pizza place, won’t open in the fall of 2006, as had been announced. But look out 2007.

Prediction: Like the guest who arrives at the party long after everyone’s left, a local radio station will switch formats, giving Omaha its first true indie/college radio station. Regardless, local music snobs will still complain that it isn’t playing “the right music.”

Prediction: With the emergence this year of video i-Pods, myspace and satellite radio, technology will take a breather in ’06. The division won’t be between Sirius and XM radio users, but between those who listen to satellite radio and the rest of us.

Prediction: I say it every year and I’m gonna say it again: A non-Saddle Creek act from Omaha or Lincoln will make an appearance on a late-night chat show — Conan, Carson Daly, Craig Ferguson, etc. Meanwhile, this year Bright Eyes will be a “special musical guest” on an episode of Saturday Night Live. It’s going to happen this year, by cracky!

No, it’s not the end of the world, but maybe the end of an era. This year’s year-end wrap-up story (read it here) points out signs that indie and the Omaha scene may have peaked last year. Where we go next is anyone’s guess. Included in the story is the annual top-10 CDs list as well as a list of the best shows of ’05.

While you’re there, make sure you enter to win a copy of the coveted Lazy-I Best of 2005 Compilation CD! All you have to do is e-mail me (tim@lazy-i.com) with your name and mailing address and you’ll be entered into the drawing. Tracks include songs by Of Montreal, Eagle*Seagull, Iron & Wine, Mercy Rule, Teenage Fanclub, Okkervil River, Sufjan Stevens, Maria Taylor, Orenda Fink and more. Details and track order are right here. Enter today! Deadline’s January 16.

Speaking of “best of” lists, Kyle Munson of The Des Moines Register has put together his annual list, which also includes his annual critics’ panel that included yours truly. The White Stripes, eh Kyle? I don’t know about that one…

Don’t forget, tonight is the Darktown House Band reunion at The Dubliner with Dan McCarthy opening the show at around 8:30.

A couple things that have been pointed out to me the past couple days: First, that there are some worth-seeing shows going on over the next few days, not the least of which is tomorrow night at The Dubliner, where The Darktown House Band is doing a reunion show. The gig was moved from The Darkroom Gallery, which I’m also told is closing in January. Opening the night at around 8:30 is Dan McCarthy. The Dubliner, to me, is the perfect place for this sort of shindig.

Another show that somehow fell off my radar screen is the annual Joe Budenholzer show at Mick’s Friday night. This time Joe and his band will be doing up Iggy Pop’s The Idiot in its entirety. Budenholzer will also be doing some tunes as Small Creatures. Expect surprise special guests, including (as rumor has it) The Faint’s Todd Baechle. Dereck Higgins, who reminded me of this show, will be performing as part of Joe’s band and may even play one of his own numbers.

In addition to those reminders, a few people e-mailed commenting on my 2005 predictions recap piece. Someone who reads the RSS-fed version pointed out that I was a might bit too hasty in saying that thrash rock and Mastodon didn’t make it to the scene in ’05, pointing to this LA Weekly article. Another reader pointed out on my webboard that I was wrong in saying I was right that we wouldn’t be talking about Green Day, U2, the Simpson sisters and Gwen Stefani, while I also missed mentioning local bands Paria and Cellador having signed to Metal Blade Records. Who knows what kind of comments I’ll get when ’06 predictions go online Thursday morning.

Tomorrow I’ll be posting the Year in Review story, which includes both my top-CDs and top-shows lists as well as details on how to win a copy of the Lazy-I Best of ’05 compilation CD, which has become something of a collectable. Believe me, after you see the track listing, you’ll want to enter to win.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

First, a Merry Christmas to all you faithful Lazy-i readers. Here’s hoping you got everything you wanted for Xmas or Chanukah or Festivus…

Shopping and other important demands prevented me from writing a review of Friday night’s Virgasound show at O’Leaver’s, which was surprisingly well-attended considering night-two of The Good Life was going on (and sold out) downtown at Sokol with GTO upstairs. First up was Jaeger Fight, a five-man band that includes two guitars, a drummer, a frontman and The Reader‘s Andy Norman on bass. I had no idea going in what they sounded like and was pleasantly surprised that their sound was an homage or tribute to late-’90s hardcore. Throughout their set of short thrash songs a couple of us leaning against the railing struggled to ID who they were trying to sound like. 7 Seconds? Descendents? Certainly early Epitaph bands (They even did a Bad Religion cover, or so they said). Suicidal Tendencies? Someone mentioned Propaghandi. You get the drift. And they weren’t bad, except that they seemed to lack that angry spark that makes those bands so magnetic. It probably doesn’t help that the frontman wore a polo shirt and glasses and looked like someone from IT who would come fix your computer. The two guitar parts could have varied more, while the drummer needed to throttle the drums, not just rat-a-tat them. Good punk bands are angry or else they sound like they’re merely emulating the style. Andy did fine, looking like the spitting image of Elijah Wood in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, right down to the haircut and sideburns. At one point I wanted to yell “Frodo Lives!” but figured Andy might take umbrage to that comparison. His bass playing was spot on, by the way.

Though I have a couple of their CDs, I’ve never seen Lincoln’s Her Flyaway Manner before. They seem to be endlessly opening shows, and I’m notorious for always arriving late, usually making it to the bar or venue after seeing a movie earlier in the evening. Live, the trio is much more progressive, downright arty, but they have the chops to pull it off. Bass player Adam2000 is the anchor that holds it together, playing a fretless bass like a Midwestern Jaco Pastorius. Just as technically jaw-dropping was drummer Boz Hicks, whose unique style was a sick morph of Buddy Rich and John Bonham. The rhythm section is everything to this band, steering it through an obstacle course of ever-shifting styles, staying on no one rhythm for more than a few bars. The constant change-ups left me both uneasy and in a trance-like state. Frontman/guitarist Brendon McGinn barks rather than sings his lyrics while chopping chords on his guitar, adding yet more layers to the band’s rhythmic stew. Because of the variance in styles, you don’t leave their sets with any residual melodies ringing in your head — just ringing in your ears.

Finally there was Virgasound. These guys have emerged as Omaha’s all-star team. It’s like watching The Yankees at bat, knowing whomever comes up next is as good or better than the last guy and certainly better than anyone on the opposing team. Just look at the line-up: Mike Saklar on guitar — Saklar’s downright legendary for his guitar style, having played in everything form heavy outfits like Ritual Device and Ravine to folk bands like Mal Madrigal. Drummer Jeff Heater is arguably the most over-the-top guy behind a set, having played with Jimmy Skaffa, Carmine, and yes, Men of Porn. Marc Phillips, formerly of Carmine and The Carsinogents, is one of the most underrated bass players in Omaha and is the most important member of this ensemble. Finally there is Chris “Brooks” Esterbrooks (also formerly with The Carsinogents), a stylish in-your-face frontman who isn’t afraid of the microphone, making him impossible to ignore. Together, they’re sort of a murderer’s row of rock, creating a big, booming sound like Social Distortion on speed. They’re drawback may be in the samey-quality of their songs, rarely breaking up their sound. But when they do, like on a song who’s lyrics are either “I want to piss on you” or “I put a curse on you,” it makes all the difference. I think they need to go through their entire repertoire and identify the best songs and get rid of the near duplicates. It was a great set, nonetheless, and a great way to bring in Christmas Eve.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

Tonight is the second night of The Good Life at Sokol Underground, this time with Kite Pilot and Little Brazil opening. The show has yet to sell out, but ironically, parking could be even more difficult down at Sokol than last night because the mighty Grasshopper Takeover is hosting their CD release show upstairs in the Auditorium. I intend to go to both shows, so look for a review tomorrow in this here blog (I’m hoping someone who was at the show last night will come through with a review, which they could post right here). The Good Life show is $8 and starts at 9 p.m. GTO is $10 and starts at 7 p.m.

Also tonight, Virgasound (or The Band Formerly Known as The Philharmonic) is at O’Leaver’s with Lincoln’s Her Flyaway Manner and Jaeger Fight (whose members include The Reader‘s Managing Editor, Andy Norman — if you’ve ever disagreed with any of the paper’s editorial policies, tonight’s show would be the perfect time to voice your discontent). $5, 9:30 p.m.

After tonight there are virtually no shows of note in Omaha until the second week of January (at least that I’m currently aware of). This will give all of you time to get to know your families again as you share in this holiday season and reflect on the year gone by. Come on, somebody, put some freakin’ shows together, will you?

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

Column 56: Crystal Ball Gazing, Pt. 1
Glimpses forward, glimpses back

One of the more popular articles I write each year is my “predictions” story. So controversial was it last year that those ignoble poets of the airwaves, Todd & Tyler, skewered me over it during their dreadful morning show. The sods. I’ll be using this column next week to give you, gentle reader, a glimpse at what lies ahead for ’06. But first, let’s look at how I did with my predictions published Jan 5, 2005:

Prediction: “Podcasting” will begin to replace traditional radio broadcasting, acting like an audio version of TiVo. Reality: In June, Apple added podcasts to its I-Tunes music store, giving easy access more than 3,000 downloadable podcasts. Today just about every popular radio show has a podcast counterpart.

Prediction: Watch out for Mash-Ups — a music craze where DJs/remixers take two songs by two different artists and combine them. Reality: In November, boingboing.net reported that the RIAA targeted MashupTown.com, a site that hosts and distributes mash-ups, saying that their content violated copyright law.

Prediction: The first mix-and-burn custom CD kiosks will begin popping up at local coffee shops and music stores. Reality: Homer’s added its first such kiosk at their Orchard Plaza location, allowing users to select individual tracks from different sources and burn them onto one CD in the store.

Prediction: The break-out indie artist in ’05 will likely be Mastodon. Reality: Masta-who?

Prediction: U2, Bruce Springsteen and one other mega-band will be booked at the Qwest Center by year-end. Reality: U2 was last week. The Stones are Jan. 29.

Prediction: All of Courtney Love’s personal and legal troubles will end in ’05. Reality: She’s alive and kicking.

Prediction: Bands we’ll be talking about this time next year: Beck, Yo La Tengo, Nine Inch Nails, Cat Power, M Ward, Bob Dylan, Lou Barlow, Crooked Fingers, Ladyfinger, Anonymous American, Bright Eyes, The Monroes, Neva Dinova, Desaparecidos and The Golden Age. Reality: Beck’s up for some Grammy’s. NIN finally released With Teeth. Dylan got his own satellite radio show. Ladyfinger and Neva are on the verge of signing with Saddle Creek. And Bright Eyes just released a live CD (but that new Desa album never materialized).

Prediction: Bands we won’t be talking about this time next year: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Gwen Stefani, Eminem, Switchfoot, the Simpson sisters, Modest Mouse, Interpol, 50 Cent, Green Day, Avril Lavigne and U2. Reality: Mostly correct, other than Bono (the post-show buzz continues) and Green Day (more Grammys).

Prediction: Saddle Creek will cut a deal with the city allowing them to build Slowdown downtown, somewhere north of the Old Market. Reality: The bulldozers are currently digging away on 13th & Webster.

Prediction: Slowdown won’t be the only new live music venue that’ll hit the Omaha scene. Reality: A number of new venues opened, including Jobber’s Canyon downtown, Shag and The Spotlight Club, but none of them are a replacement for The Ranch Bowl.

Prediction: Saddle Creek Records will add not one but two new local bands to their roster, including their heaviest band yet. Meanwhile, sister label Team Love will out-release Saddle Creek almost two-to-one. Reality: Criteria joined the Creek fold in April, followed by Azure Ray’s Maria Taylor and Orenda Fink, with both Neva Dinova and Ladyfinger rumored to be next. Creek, however, out-released Team Love 11 to 4.

Prediction: Saddle Creek mainstay Bright Eyes will boast the label’s first gold record. Reality: Not yet.

Prediction: Camera crews from a national TV news magazine — 20/20, 60 Minutes, 48 Hours or Dateline — will attempt to blow the lid off the burgeoning Omaha music scene. Reality: A VH1 exec came through this summer to research a proposed expose of Saddle Creek that never materialized.

Prediction: KM3 will replace talentless blowhole Travis Justice’s “For What It’s Worth” segment with a new nightly arts & entertainment segment. Reality: KM3 deemed For What It’s Worth worthless, yanking it last month. But it’s another local TV station that’s in the early stages of developing a program dedicated to local music. Stay tuned.

Prediction: Scheduling conflicts will take their toll on one of the area’s most successful recording studios, causing it to close its doors in ’05. Reality: Presto! lives on, though it may be moving to Omaha this year.

Prediction: Two local video producers/film makers will gain national attention for their rock video work. Reality: Local videomaker Nik Fackler (The Good Life, Orenda Fink) will be directing his first full-length feature film this year.

Prediction: As many as six local bands will sign either to national indie or major labels. Reality: The big push never happened, though Criteria went to Creek, Venaculas is working with a start-up indie, and Emphatic is rumored to be working with a major.

Prediction: A non-Saddle Creek act from Omaha will appear on a late-night chat show while Bright Eyes will be a “special musical guest” on Saturday Night Live. Reality: We’re still waiting.

Well, 12 for 18 (if I stretch it). Not bad. Next week: Premonitions for ’06.

Putting together this week’s story on The Good Life (read it here) I completely forgot to add (and didn’t have room for anyway) the details about their back-to-back nights of shows tomorrow and Friday at Sokol Underground. Roger Lewis tells me that the band will be playing a different set each night. Night 1 will be “the Quiet Life” featuring more laid-back tune-age, while Friday night will be the heavier stuff, which makes sense considering the diversity of their opening acts from night to night. One Percent Productions warned in their weekly mailing yesterday that the Thursday show, featuring Mayday, Orenda Fink and Cocoon, is almost sold out, and that Friday’s show, featuring Kite Pilot and Little Brazil, will likely sell out at the door. Get your tickets now.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

We’re in that XMas middleground where light becomes shadow and there isn’t much musicwise to write about… or is there? Tomorrow I’ll be posting a feature on The Good Life where we discuss the band’s breakup last May (Yes, it did happen after all.) and how everything seems to be back to normal. Then Thursday Part One of my annual “predictions” article gets served up column-style, wherein I score how well I did on my 2005 predictions (you’ll be shocked… shocked!).

I forgot to report my brush with greatness on Saturday afternoon… While driving back from lunch on Underwood St. just before crossing 50th I spied a trollish little man wearing a straw cowboy hat and bug-like glasses surrounded by a handful of people crossing the intersection heading east. My girlfriend erupted “Look! It’s Bono! Look! Look!” But I couldn’t look because I was trying to safely operate my motor vehicle. I glanced over again, and sure enough, it looked like Bono… sort of. Teresa, however, was sure of it. So we doubled back up Webster to see if we could figure out where he was going, but by the time we got to Underwood again, he was gone, perhaps into Blue Line or Mark’s or (and I suspect this to be the case) the Laundromat. Yesterday I recanted this story to my co-workers, and sure enough, Bono had still been in town on Saturday, apparently taking part in some event at The Joslyn Museum. Later that day I surfed to Time.com and there was Bono again, declared the magazine’s “Person of the Year.” In a photo essay accompanying the story were pictures of the intrepid, ill-shaven Irishman wearing the same straw cowboy hat. So close… so close… There are all kinds of celebrities catting around Omaha this time of year. Last night a friend of mine called from the bar saying he almost got in a scrum with Alexander Payne whose seven foot of bad haircut wouldn’t get out of his way.

Other things to occupy your time this morning:

— Personal music critic guru Robert Christgau has a new reviews/update on the Village Voice site (read it here) where he writes about new non-boxed greatest hits releases. I’ve learned my lesson to stay away from artist “best of” compilations, preferring remastered complete versions of original releases. This is a fun read, anyway.

— Everyone’s “Top Records of 2005” lists are now coming out. Here’s one from Mote Magazine that includes a “Records I need to buy Cuz I hear they’re great” list, which I admire. Fact is, most people who write these lists haven’t heard half the good stuff out there because it’s physically impossible to do so. I’m no exception. (My list, by the way will be online next week as part of the annual Year in Review).

— The arsenal of press for the new Jenny Lewis solo CD is beginning to slam against the Internet shores. Here’s Filter’s coverage. I got a copy of Rabbit Fur Coat in the mail last week. First impressions — Lewis is trying to channel June Carter (or Anne Murray?) and not doing a bad job of it. It’s certainly better than the last Rilo Kiley CD.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

I was expecting an early evening last Saturday night at O’Leaver’s. Fizzle Like a Flood was scheduled to be up first, followed by Shelter Belt. I planned on leaving after that, having seen my share of sloppy Poison Control Center freak-outs. But when I arrived, I found out that the order had been changed — Fizzle was now up last after The Belt and PCC. In the end, it was all good.

Shelter Belt put on their usual solid set of good-time rock tunes, declaring from the stage that it would be the last time they’d be playing tunes off their last CD, Rain Home. Look for new Shelter Belt music sometime early next year (if all goes well).

Next came PCC. The talk before the set centered around what piece of equipment the boys would break. The Ames Iowa 4-piece is said to be banned from all One Percent shows after destroying various pieces of equipment down at Sokol Underground. What would get destroyed tonight? The microphones (too easy)? The “monitor” (more on that later)? The biggest bulls-eye was circled around that big ol’ plasma TV behind the drumset. In my mind’s eye I could see a mike-stand flying through it.

Ah, but it was not to be. While they performed their usual calisthenics — the backward somersaults, table splits and high kicks — nothing was shattered. Sure, the microphones were thrown to the ground on more than one occasion and numerous glasses and bottles of beer were knocked over by flailing feet, but no one got injured. And for once, PCC sounded more like a band than a novelty act. Yes, they came with their share of sophomoric dick lyrics, but the music was first-rate punk-howl, and though the between-song patter became tedious, the crowd laughed more than once at their drunken monologues.

Finally up, Fizzle Like a Flood featuring Jim Carrig on bass, Travis Sing on guitar and frontman Doug Kabourek behind the drum set Don Henley-style. I came prepared for Doug’s usual sing-song mewings. I wasn’t prepared for him to bring the rock. Fizzle turned its back on the quiet ballads for a heavy show featuring Sing’s rippin’ guitar and Kabourek’s first-rate drumming, transforming older, quieter songs into full-out punkers. I’m not kidding. This is not your father’s Fizzle. If there’s a drawback to the new style, it’s Kabourek’s vocals, which seem better suited for ballads than punk. Part of the problem was O’Leaver’s “monitors.” Throughout the set, Kabourek complained that he couldn’t hear himself, making the trick of playing drums and singing even trickier. Clearly pissed, Doug announced his last song, played it, then split for the exit with the crowd begging for more.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—