by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Where was I last weekend? Well, I didn’t make it to a single rock show, and there were some doozies, including that Cold Cave gig at The Waiting Room. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t going to happen — too much to do and not enough time to do it.

In fact, the only boozing done this past weekend was meeting an old high school pal on the balcony/beer garden of The Parliament Pub at Midtown Crossing. I drive by that place at least a couple times a day (it faces Dodge Street) and rarely see anyone outside drinking. Was it doing OK business-wise?

I got my answer Saturday night — the club was crushed. Amidst the light and noise, the only thing I remember was it being black and red and looking like an Axe Body Spray commercial featuring the cast of The Jersey Shore. And what exactly is Hollister, anyway? Is it the Britannia Jeans of this generation?

The Parliament also apparently is thee place for bachelorette parties, as there were three going on simultaneously all night — lots of sashes and cheap tiaras.

Musicwise, there was a DJ booth and your stereotypical DJ dude, with a pair of cans (one covering one ear, the other pushed up on his bald, sweaty head). Can’t say I dug his mix, but he wasn’t exactly targeting my demo, if you know what I mean. Parliament represents what became of the ’80s meat market clubs — noisy and chaotic with lots of Brut and charisma. The cover bands that were a meat-market staple are long gone, replaced with generic, thudding house music. But other than that, little has changed.

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Pujol

This morning the folks at Tell Our Your Friends PR sent out a press release heralding that Pujol has signed to Saddle Creek Records, and that a debut announcement is “coming soon.” I had not heard of Pujol prior to today. I’m listening to the single “Mayday” as I type this — very upbeat, jangling indie rock, a perfect fit for Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, who Pujol will be touring with.

According to the literature, Pujol, a.k.a. Daniel Pujol,  lives in Nashville, has worked with Jack White of White Stripes fame, and has released material on Third Man and Turbo Time labels (among others). I’m sure we’ll be hearing more about this signing in the near future.

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BTW, this year’s MAHA Music Festival Aug. 13 will be the third-to-last show ever for Guided by Voices, as the “classic lineup” featuring Rob Pollard and Tobin Sprout, will be splitting after their show in Raleigh on Sept. 9. This may be your last chance to see this fantastic, influential band; and it’s happening right here in Omaha…

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There’s a benefit concert being held tonight at The Waiting Room for the folks in Joplin, Missouri, who had their lives blown apart by a massive tornado on May 22. Your $8 cover will help rebuild Joplin. Taking part in the benefit, which starts at 8 p.m., are Black On High, Moscow Mule, Knife.Fight.Justice, Clock Ticks Late and The Minnahoonies.

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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 © 2011 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.