I twittered last night from the show that there were eight hundred thousand people in O’Leaver’s. That estimate may be a tad light. I don’t know how much money or cans of food they raised for Sienna Francis House, but I’m sure it was enough to feed a few hundred people for a few days at least. There was barely enough room to walk, but somehow I never found myself waiting for a Rolling Rock. Kudos to the staff (including my former intern) for their hard work for a good cause.

I’m convinced that Dan McCarthy (McCarthy Trenching) might be the best find of ’08. He’s been around for years, but only recently have I had a chance to hear his recording, specifically his Calamity Drenching CD that came out on Team Love earlier this year. It’s a special album that has a Randy Newman meets Kris Kristofferson in Dundee vibe, gorgeous piano and guitar story folk — along with a few full-band rockers — about life and living in Omaha. Endearing stuff, and the best thing Team Love released in ’08. On “stage” last night, McCarthy brought the album to life with help from a few friends who wandered up from the crowd.

If you missed it, you’ll get another chance tomorrow night at Slowdown when McCarthy Trenching opens for Neva Dinova. And if you missed Outlaw Con Bandana last night, too, you can catch them tonight when they play with Techlepathy and The Wagon Blasters (Gary Dean Davis, the Thornton brothers, Jesse Render) at Slowdown. The evening begins early with an exhibit by art/rock photographer Kevin Andrew Jones — one of the best (if not thee best) live-rock shooter in the area. His reception runs from 6 to 8 and is free. The rock show begins at 9 and costs $7.

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And there’s yet another art show and benefit going on tonight that you won’t want to miss. Artist Mike Loftus is having a showing of his paintings at PS Collective. If you’ve been around town, you’ve seen Mike’s stuff before — he’s Omaha’s version of Picasso. You also might remember Loftus as the drummer for rock bands Shovelhead, 60-Watt Saloon, Hong Jyn Corp., and most recently The Sons of… Performing at PS will be Midwest Dilemma with Dylan May and the Paybacks. The evening also is a fundraiser for online radio station KIND.org (you remember, here). Admission is $5, and the music starts at 9.

And speaking of PS Collective, the restaurant (i.e., The Pizza Shoppe) is now offering pizza by the slice Thursdays through Saturdays, 5 p.m. to close. This menu expansion is a long-time coming — as much as I dig their pies, I never don’t have time to hang around and wait for them to come out of the oven. I assume (hope) that the by-the-slice pie will be a quick-serve operation. This comes on the heels of news that a new by-the-slice pizza place will be opening behind Jane’s health food store in Benson, though I have no idea when.

Also tonight, classic Omaha punk band Cordial Spew opens for 138 (Misfits tribute) and The Lude Boys (Social Distortion tribute) at The Waiting Room. $7, 9 p.m., while punkers The Sidiots, Officially Terminated and Bomb’s Blast play at The Saddle Creek Bar, $5, 9 p.m.

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