by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

I need to come up with a permanent disclaimer to place on any comments regarding hearnebraska.org, which says: “Full disclaimer: I’m on the board of hearnebraska.org.” Not that it matters — I’m not involved in the site’s day-to-day activities and have little or no input on events, such as this weekend’s fund raiser, which is being held tonight at The Zoo Bar in Lincoln.

Called “Take Cover,” the Hear Nebraska posse put out a call to local bands asking them to come up with covers of songs from other local bands — i.e., Nebraska bands covering Nebraska bands. Cool idea.

Among the pairings: All Young Girls Are Machine Guns covering It’s True; Jim Schroeder and Teal Gardner of UUVVWWZ covering Flowers Forever; The Renfields covering Bright Eyes, and so on. Looking at the list, there are 11 bands in the line-up that are new to me, which I guess says more about my knowledge of the current Lincoln music scene than the lineup (actually, there are a number of bands playing the Omaha version of Take Cover next month who also are new to me). So (if you’re like me) there’s a good chance that you’ll be hearing new bands playing covers of songs by other new bands.

While I think this is a cool idea, I’d love to hear bands like Little Brazil covering Cursive or Digital Leather covering Digital Sex or Gus & Call covering The Filter Kings or Wagon Blasters covering Simon Joyner or Conduits covering Kite Pilot or The Fucking Party covering Mousetrap or Blood Cow covering Ritual Device or Noah’s Ark Was a Spaceship covering Sideshow or Ideal Cleaners covering Cellophane Ceiling or Icky Blossoms covering The Faint or So-So Sailors covering Bright Eyes or All Young Girls Are Machine Guns covering Mercy Rule. Or vice versa. I’m told that it was hard to get these kinds of bands to participate in a benefit where they’re only allowed to play a few songs. That said, I think a curated version of this same event would raise some interest across the scene, especially if it was recorded…

Anyway, show starts at 8 p.m. at The Zoo Bar and your $5 cover goes directly to the folks at Hear Nebraska. More information about the show, including the line-up, is here.

Also tonight in Omaha, The Filter Kings are playing at The Waiting Room with The Blacktop Ramblers and Matt Cox Band as part of the Sailor Jenny Pinup Pageant. $7, 9 p.m.

Tomorrow night it’s off to O’Leaver’s for Saudi Arabia, Dim Light and Leeches of Lore. $5, 9:30 p.m.

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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.