Briefly, my only show this weekend was Friday night at O’Leaver’s, featuring Tartufi and The Stay Awake. Tartufi was the big surprise. A two-piece featuring Brian Gorman on drums (and bullhorn) and Lynne Angel on guitar, bass, keyboards and vocals, the trick to their layered sound was the use of loop upon loop upon loop, which allowed Angel to do three-part harmony with herself, play guitar and bass, all at the same time. I’ve seen the loop-thing done a lot lately, but never as effectively. It worked kind of like this: Angel would loop a lead guitar, change to bass and rough up a second riff, add a vocal, loop it with a second vocal and then a third (there were three microphones set up). The music was proggy indie rock that bordered on Pixies punk. It looked like quite a workout. With all that sound equipment, pedals and other gear, it took Tartufi a long time to get set up, pushing their set past the midnight hour. The Stay Awake did all they could to hustle their gear on stage and get going. As a result, we were treated (or should I say cheated) to a shortened set. The Stay Awake’s style is brittle, abrasive, angry and purposely confusing punk rock based on animal riffage and vocal squalls of frontman Steve Micek, and the rhythm power of bassist Robert Little and drummer/god Mario Alderfer. Frenzied, anxious, searing, jittery, heated and loud, The Stay Awake never fail to entertain (which is why they belonged on The Reader’s top-band list). My only regret was forgetting to buy a copy of their new album, which was available for the first time at the show. Look for an official CD release show in the coming months.

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Those of you fortunate enough to have snagged tickets to tonight’s Bright Eyes concert at The Waiting Room, here’s a sneak preview in the form of a review of Monday night’s show at Milwaukee’s Pabst Theater from shepherd-express.com (full review here). The writer was less than impressed with Simon Joyner: “Numbingly dull singer-songwriter Simon Joyner has a voice like moss and quickly lost the crowd’s attention—which is saying something, since usually Pabst Theater audiences will politely sit through anything. ‘Conor, where are you?’ one woman in the balcony moaned after Joyner finished singing a particularly bland, flat song.” Ouch. On the other hand he was impressed with Capgun Coup after he figured out who they were. “Their name was utterly indecipherable—Captain Goo? Cat Fondue?” Cat Fondue is a frickin’ great name for a band, btw. “It’s not too much of a surprise that Oberst has taken such a liking to them, since they sound a lot like he used to before he tried to reinvent himself as a serious singer-songwriter: spazzy, poppy, catchy, wonderful.” He goes on to describe Capgun as sounding “like a young D.C. punk band doing an entire set of Clean covers.” As reported earlier, Dave Rawlings is playing guitar with Bright Eyes on this tour, replacing Mike Mogis, who I’m told is busy in the studio. Sounds like we’re in for a set list that’s a “career-spanning grab bag, heavy on Oberst’s louder, more charged material.” Opening tonight is Simon Joyner and Flowers Forever. 9 p.m. and yeah, it’s SOLD OUT.

Lazy-i content for the rest of the week is a real jumble. First, I plan on posting a review of tonight’s show online tomorrow. Despite doing a ton of work for The Reader this week, I don’t have much to show for it. This issue is the paper’s annual “music issue” that includes the usual list of the area’s top 20 bands (and the next 15). I wrote profiles of about six of them. This week’s column talks about the list, but is essentially a rehash of last year’s column. I’ll probably throw it online tomorrow, along with the list. The Reader‘s cover story is a focus on Omaha sound guys. The photo was taken on stage at Slowdown last last week. Inside are profiles of at least 10 local sound guys. When I approached Editor Andy Norman with the idea, I originally wanted the profiles to resemble trading cards — each with an action photo of a soundman at work, followed by key stats and comments. I have no idea how the final product will look. I interviewed seven sound engineers for the story: Jason Churchill, Dan Brennan, Jeremiah McIntyre, Brendan Greene-Walsh, Kevin Hiddleston, Jim Bogensberger and Jay Wilcher. Jeremy Buckley also interviewed a few sound guys in Lincoln. Neva Dinova’s Jake Bellows wrote the article’s introduction. I won’t be posting the profiles here, so you’ll have to pick up a copy of The Reader when it hits the stands tomorrow.

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My only show this weekend was the Speed! Nebraska showcase at O’Leaver’s Saturday night. And as you might imagine, the house was utterly packed.

In many ways, it was a throwback to a better, simpler time, circa 1990-something, when Mercy Rule and Frontier Trust were among the top punk bands in the Omaha/Lincoln area. Now some 15 years later, here was the same primary talent at it again, doing their thing better than ever. I wonder if they knew they’d still be jumping on stages after all these years…

As you may or may not know (and surprisingly, a few people I talked to before the show, didn’t) Domestica is two-thirds of Mercy Rule — vocalist/bassist Heidi Ore and guitarist/vocalist Jon Taylor — but instead of Ron Albertson, Boz Hicks is behind the drum set bringing a completely different style of drumming to their sound. Beyond that difference, it’s pretty much business as usual. Domestica, as Mercy Rule before it, excels in punk-rock anthems — loud, soft, loud, as Taylor put it, the only way to go. Listening to the band’s new five-song EP, I’m reminded of Mercy Rule circa Providence. Heidi’s voice has the same sweet coo, Taylor’s guitar has the same guttural growl. The CD is a must-have for any Mercy Rule fan, astutely recorded by engineer Ian Aeillo at ARC Studios in Omaha (the Mogis compound).

Strangely, Domestica’s mix Saturday night was muddy and somewhat restrained — you can always use more Taylor guitar. On the other hand, The Monroes’ set was dead-perfect all around, probably the best set I’ve heard from these guys (and I’ve seen them at least a dozen times). Yeah, O’Leaver’s has a tiny PA, but the room is perfectly suited for certain bands, and The Monroes is definitely one of them. I’m listening to their new “Drillin’ Daylight” 7-inch as I type this, recorded by Brooks Hitt at his Hittsville! U.S.A. studio in Havelock — it’s the best-sounding record they’ve ever released. Great sleeve and pressed on sexy ruby-colored vinyl. What more do you want? And in case you didn’t know it, Lincoln Dickison is one of the best guitarists in Omaha. Beyond the music, the other highlight was the ongoing trivia contest, where fans were given Richard Petty Pez dispensers as prizes to questions like “How fast was I going when I got a ticket?” Answer: 47, a rather wimpy speed for a Plymouth. You can do better than that, Gary.

Ideal Cleaners played last to a crowd that only got bigger as the night rolled on. I was pinned against the wall by the door throughout the set, no way to move to the railing. Of the three bands, IC is the most straight-forward, and the most brutal. Their new full-length, Muchacho, is an orgy of pounding punk rock that never loses sight of the melodies. A few songs (like the title track, for instance) remind me of Criteria, while other tracks (like “You’ve Got the Prettiest Fingers”) sport a dirtier, grittier groove. I would compare them to Ladyfinger, except that their music is a bit more accessible and less acidic. Nice stuff. Nice night.

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Musician/soundman/Lazy-I intern Brendan Greene-Walsh passed along some rather grim news last night about Melbourne Australia band Electric Jellyfish, who played at O’Leaver’s last week. The gig was part of a cross-country tour that included Chicago, Detroit and then Brooklyn this weekend. They never made it.

Brendan got a call yesterday while driving around town from a reporter from the Cleveland Plain Dealer, asking about Electric Jellyfish. What the reporter told him caused Brendan to pull over to the side of the road. The band was in a fatal accident on the Ohio Turnpike yesterday morning; their 2001 Chevy Tahoe flipped, skidded and smashed into a concrete barrier after trying to avoid a deer in the road. Electric Jellyfish guitarist Hayden Rodney Sweeney, 23, and his wife, Bridget O’Brien, 26, died at the scene. Three other band members were taken to the hospital, but were not seriously injured, according to the Plain-Dealer article, here. Sad, scary stuff.

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Very impressive crowd last night at The Waiting Room for The Family Radio/MC Chris show — maybe 150? I can’t tell you who was the primary draw, but there were a ton of faces there I’ve never seen before.

The Family Radio came out at around 10 with frontman Nik Fackler in full-on ghost warrior face paint. The four-piece blazed through a half-hour of proggy, indie rock that highlighted Chris Senseney’s intricate guitar work and Fackler’s sing/scream energy. I liken them to a Soviet version of King Crimson with a smattering of Arcade Fire thrown in for good measure. Since it began a few years ago, the band has constantly evolved, from a laid-back warm-hearted chamber-folk project to an intense, all-out prog-punk theater routine. I don’t know if I was more mesmerized by the music, the band or the video of a Final Fantasy game that was projected on the screen behind them. Somehow, it all just seemed to fit. Fackler said last night’s gig will be the last one for awhile as he’s begun shooting his full-length motion picture, Lovely Still, which will keep him busy through spring.

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The weekend is upon us.

Tonight at The Waiting Room it’s former wig-wearing sensation Scout Niblett with Thunder Power!! and Alessi. $8, 9 p.m.

Over at O’Leaver’s, it’s The Jack and Jim Show, Miracles of God and Brian Poloncic. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Saturday’s big show is the big Speed! Nebraska showcase at O’Leaver’s featuring The Monroes, Domestica, and Ideal Cleaners. All three bands will be celebrating the release of must-have new material. I guarantee this show will exceed O’Leaver’s tiny capacity. Get there early. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Down at Slowdown Jr. it’s Coyote Bones with touring bands Coupleskate and Belfrie. $7, 9 p.m.

Sunday at The Waiting Room it’s Rogue Wave with Port O’Brien, $10/$12, 9 p.m. Meanwhile, over at O’Leaver’s, it’s The Stay Awake with Dim Light and Meneguar. $5, 9:30 p.m.

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Sounds like there was an impromptu Bright Eyes performance last night, in of all places, The Barley Street Tavern. Matt Whipkey (of The Matt Whipkey Three) was there. He even IM’d me on my cell phone, but by 11:30 I was busy counting sheep. According to Whipkey, it all went down like this:

Bright Eyes’ drummer Clay Leverett quickly threw together a country band that included Mike Friedman on pedal steel, Josh Dunwoody (Filter Kings) on upright bass, and Dave Rawlings on electric guitar. The band, which had never played or practiced together before, played and sang country classics for about 90 minutes.

After that wrapped up, most people took off, but that’s when Oberst decided to join in on the fun. He played a set of seven or eight new songs, backed by Rawlings, Leverett and Friedman.

“Then he started calling people to the stage,” Whipkey said. “Dan McCarthy, then me, then I called Kyle (Harvey) up, Kyle to Justin Dilemma, etc. And we were all backed by Friedman, Rawlings and Dunwoody. Pretty fucking cool.”

Whipkey said only about 20 people were in the crowd during the BE set. Oberst sat and listened while Whipkey and the others did their thing. Each performer played two songs. Whipkey did a couple new Whipkey Three tunes, “Free” and “Separation.”

Overall, Whipkey said, it was a helluva night. “Great atmosphere. The Barley St. was the perfect place for that.” He added that Rawlings may be playing guitar this week in Bright Eyes as Mogis is finishing a big recording project.

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An addendum to yesterday’s entry/column on One Percent Productions… Marc Leibowitz and Jim Johnson had a lot to say during our interview Sunday night that I didn’t have room for in the story. Among the discussion, would Leibowitz recommend that anyone start up a promotion company today?

“Not in my market. I don’t need any more competition,” he said, joking. “This is not an easy business. There’s a reason why they say bars and restaurants are risky businesses — because it’s true. We learned to make this into a real full-time business. You can have a profitable business doing what is artistically valid. We still bring in bands that we find entertaining. Sure, we joke about shitty bands doing better or selling more records, but that’s more jaded than anything else. There is successful quality stuff out there, like Wilco.”

Speaking of jaded, have these guys become a little jaded after 10 years of booking shows? “I was I excited to promote this last Built to Spill show as much as the first one,” Leibowitz said. “This (job) is cooler than any computer day job or auto body job, but it’s still work, it’s still demanding and you can still get burned out. Before, we could quit (booking shows) at any time. Now we have a lease and a loan and employees.”

Johnson said he was a little more concerned these days about how well shows draw. “I’m more nervous now because it is a full-time job and I don’t have a paycheck coming in and I need to make money,” he said. “It used to be if you made anything you were happy. It’s definitely a job.”

Over the years, bars like The 49’r and now O’Leaver’s have established a regular clientele. As a result, they’ve dramatically cut down on live shows because they simply don’t need them to draw a crowd. Leibowitz said The Waiting Room probably never would be in that position. “This place couldn’t do that,” he said. “I can’t see the day when this place is packed with 200 people with no show. I don’t see it. It’s a big place. Our business is providing entertainment.”

While they like being in Benson, neither said the location has been an advantage or disadvantage. “I don’t think Benson’s helped any,” Johnson said. “I think we could have done this in any decent location.”

“The coolest club in Chapel Hill was in a strip mall in suburbia,” Leibowitz said. “We could have been anywhere. Benson’s been good to us. As far as not having a parking lot, we’ve had no parking complaints.”

Part of what drove the duo to begin booking shows in the first place was their love for indie music. Has indie seen better days? “When we started doing this we thought indie music was more viable than club owners thought it was,” Leibowitz said. “The Ranch Bowl wasn’t doing it. Ten years later, some of this indie music isn’t as viable. There are still some really successful bands and great music, but it’s sort of a dying genre. Some of the labels have adapted in terms of the music. I don’t know how much The Arcade Fire and Superchunk have in common, but that’s what Merge has done. The success of our company is seeing if we can pick the next genre, the next big thing.”

With all the bands they could have asked to perform at their 10-year anniversary, why Bright Eyes? “Why not?” Leibowitz said. “It’s the most successful artist out of Omaha that we ever worked with us. We did shows with him in every venue in the city, except for here. He came in and said he liked it. It’s an honor to have him playing.

One Percent first booked Bright Eyes in 1997, as an opener for Built to Spill at Sokol Underground. “I remember he played with his back to crowd in the dark,” Leibowitz said. “He brought in one of those three-fold blinds and played behind it.

“Almost all those guys — The Faint, Bright Eyes, Cursive — all are as cool to us now as at their first shows. That’s why they’re a success.”

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Perhaps I should be known as Pinhead, as I erroneously reported yesterday that Pinback was last night. It’s tonight, at Slowdown, with Frightened Rabbit. $15, 9 p.m. Thanks to everyone for pointing out the error.

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