Who will win / who should have won at the 2012 OEA music awards (and Grammy’s); Lincoln Exposed tonight; Slumber Party, Dirty Flourescents Saturday…
by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com
Well it’s that time of year again for the Benson Music Awards, uh… I mean the Omaha Entertainment and Arts Awards (OEAs).
Look, I’m so far out of the loop regarding the OEAs since I resigned as an “Academy Member” back in 2010 that I no longer get any correspondence from the organization. And I mean absolutely nothing, which is strange, because I still write about music here at Lazy-i.com and The Reader (who (I think) is still an event sponsor).
Oh well. If you want to know my gripes about the OEA’s, read my public resignation, published in my column two years ago, right here.
Nothing has changed. In fact, the whole thing has become even more incestuous. Most of the area’s best talent continues to be ignored, while bands and performers willing to “rally their fans” to vote in the “open voting” portion get nominated. Yes, I know Marq, there’s a whole process for selecting nominees that go beyond the open voting. Still, somehow the OEA’s managed to overlook some of the area’s best talent, including Darren Keen, Simon Joyner, Digital Leather, Ideal Cleaners, Skypiper, Yuppies, Depressed Buttons, McCarthy Trenching, Back When, Baby Tears, It’s True, Con Dios, Peace of Shit, Capgun Coup, Thunder Power, and on and on.
There are politics in everything, including music.
Anyway, the OEAA’s annual awards banquet is Sunday night at the Hilton downtown. And as I do every year, here are my thoughts for each music category on: 1) who will win, and 2) who should have won:
Best New Artist:
Who will win: We Be Lions
Who should have won: Icky BlossomsBest Artist:
Who will win: Matt Cox
Who should have won: Bright EyesBest Cover Band:
Who will win: Secret Weapon
Who should have won: Secret WeaponBest Ethnic:
Who will win: Donnybrook
Who should have won: The Turfmen (too bad they weren’t nominated)Best Progressive/Experimental/Funk
Who will win: Satchel Grande
Who should have won: InDreamaBest Jazz
Who will win: Steve Raybine
Who should have won: Steve RaybineBest Blues
Who will win: Kris Lager Band
Who should have won: no ideaBest Hip Hop
Who will win: Galvanized Tron
Who should have won: ConchanceBest Soul/R&B Gospel
Who will win: Lucas Kellison
Who should have won: Second ChanceBest Country/Americana
Who will win: Filter Kings
Who should have won: Filter KingsBest DJ/EDM
Who will win: Somasphere
Who should have won: Depressed Buttons (also not nominated)Best Indie:
Who will win: So-So Sailors
Who should have won: So-So SailorsBest Hard Rock:
Who will win: Mitch Gettman
Who should have won: Ideal Cleaners (also not nominated)Best Adult Alternative/Songwriter
Who will win: Mitch Gettman
Who should have won: Tim Kasher (not nominated)Best Album
Who will win: Bright Eyes, The People’s Key
Who should have won: Bright Eyes, The People’s Key (Something tells me Conor won’t be there to accept his award).
Details about Sunday night’s event are available at http://oea-awards.com/
* * *
Hey, the Grammy’s are Sunday night, too. Who cares?
Well, despite the fact that The Grammy’s have turned into an extended episode of American Idol and The Voice, I’ll be watching if only to see if Omaha legend Tom Ware picks up a Grammy for his work on Lady Gaga’s Born This Way, which is up for Album of the Year. Keep your fingers crossed, though I think Adele will ultimately take home the trophy.
The closest thing to an indie category at The Grammy’s is “Best Alternative Album,” where it’s Bon Iver, Radiohead, Death Cab, Foster the People and My Morning Jacket. My money is on Bon Iver, because he sure as shit isn’t going to win in the other categories he’s nominated in.
* * *
So what’s happening this weekend?
Lincoln Exposed continues in Lincoln tonight and tomorrow. Details here.
Last week’s Slumber Party Showcase at the Saddle Creek Shop that got cancelled due to the snow has been rescheduled for this Saturday afternoon starting at 3 p.m. The lineup: Jasong Mountain (of Talking Mountain), Andy Cubrich (of Family Picnic), Sam Martin (of Capgun Coup), and Bobby Rubalcava (of The West Valley/The Benningtons) and more. Come on down, it’s free.
Saturday night Dirty Flourescents, Comme Reel and Techlepathy light up O’Leaver’s for a night of midwestern punk. $5, 9:30 p.m.
And then Sunday night Hear Nebraska is hosting a show at Loom featuring Bad Spele (Darren Keen), Machete Archive and more. 9 p.m., $5. More details here.
And finally, Slowdown Jr. is hosting an OEA after party featuring Snake Island and BASSthoven. 9:30, $5 or free if you can prove (willing to admit) you were at the OEAs.
* * *
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 © 2012 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.
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From your farewell to the OEAA’s article-
“It dawned on me after adding the -30- (a traditional, out-dated way of ending news stories) that I should take the same tact that I take for bands that I don’t care for — just don’t write about it. There’s no point in tearing down the OEAAs. The bands that participate aren’t indie bands, aren’t bands that I cover in my column and website, and aren’t the kind of bands Nebraska has become nationally known for.”
That is why I stopped sending your information It didn’t seem like you wanted it anymore.
Comment by MarQ — February 10, 2012 @ 2:01 pm
“Best Progressive/Experimental/Funk”
Is this a real category???
Comment by JOC — February 10, 2012 @ 2:13 pm
Omaha…The tale of two cities. For the “indie music blog guy” who doesn’t like the OEAs you sure seem to mention it a lot. The OEAs are what they are..a chance to celebrate and recognize talent in the area.. as a whole.Individuals/Bands who made some noise in the city the past year get nominated..some win most don’t but it’s a party to celebrate music making.. Nothing more..nothing less. Was it better when a major city like Omaha had nothing like the OEAs? Is there a better way? What ?Have the OEAs made some blatant missteps? Of course.. A good deal of the indie scene here that you cover has been recognized by the OEAs one time or another either by an award or a nomination..if they wanted to be or not. There is so much overlap in the musicians of this town that your outlook seems very out of touch with reality not to mention insulting to people like me that just happen to be busy enough in bands/projects to get noticed by the “system” or the fans.. The “indie snob” outlook that I heard so much about when I moved here is alive and well in your writing. It’s more alive in your writing then in the clubs where musicians hang and play. Pretty pathetic outlook for a local music writer. A few years ago you wrote a piece about a friend (local singer-songwriter)titled “what am I missing?” or something along those lines. Dude..you’re missing most of it.
Comment by Ferguson — February 11, 2012 @ 2:38 pm
So, OEA’s:
#1. Why were national acts even nominated?
#2. Connor’s house boy’s band won best indie? Sorry but everybody knows that they begged for every opening slot in and out of town and now they must be begging Marq as well. Sorry but a space rock band with a weak female singer should have never beat out Noah’s Ark or Dim Light…
#3. Whomever is the board for the OEA’s and MAHA (which we know is the same) does not have their ear to the ground in this local scene. The bands who won, won because of who they’re friends with.. which is sad because a lot of good bands and artist are not getting what they deserve. A man with the last letter Q in his name works with 20% (1%) percent which has ripped off bands for years now and they have used their profits to purchase a large parts of Benson… Yeah they support the local scene but they also have taken more money than any promoter I’ve worked with.. Q & 20% and the click they run with is hurting this scene and I think it’s time for some real change in this town…
Comment by Omaha Music guy — February 13, 2012 @ 11:39 am
Why SHOULDN’T national acts that call Omaha home be nominated? I don’t get this mentality that if you’re signed to a label or you tour nationally that you’re no longer from Omaha, even though you live here. By asking why acts like Bright Eyes and Cursive are eligible you’re really asking “Why does the OEA’s include the good, successful bands?”
As for your criticism of 1%, I don’t know how being successful equates to ripping people off. No one put a gun to any band’s head and said “You must play a 1% show.” If you don’t want to play a 1% show, then don’t. There are plenty of other bands that would love to take your place. The bottom line: No one brings in as many nationally touring indie bands as 1%.
Comment by tim-mcmahan — February 13, 2012 @ 11:57 am
20% does bring a lot of bands to town..but even before they were here bands like The Pixies,The Jesus Lizard, Man or Astro-man, Fugazi, Danzig, Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam, Tool, Nine Inch Nails ect.. ect.. have been making their way to omaha.. Local bands will always find a place to play, but they shouldn’t lose $200.00 up front to play a show with them….
Now the national act thing is just common sense.. Yeah, It’s great that Bright Eye’s and Cursive are from Omaha but why nominate them when they don’t even show up? and why would they..? The OEA’s are a joke to the music scene being that it’s friends giving friends awards..If we had industry people voting for the bands it would be a way better system and probably a fair one.. and when I say industry people I mean Recording Studio engineer’s & folks who actually play instruments… writers will never understand..
Comment by Omaha Music guy — February 13, 2012 @ 12:18 pm
WOW!!! Omaha Music Guy! Even if you don’t like a band it’s not cool to call them out. Sounds like someone didn’t get invited to the prom and is taking it out on the folks who support the local music scene..
Comment by Tom B. — February 13, 2012 @ 1:43 pm
To “Omaha Music guy” – You ought to have your nose bloodied for your “house boy” epithet. Shameful.
Your spite overshadows what you’re trying to say. Be reasonable if you’re interested in actual dialogue. Ad hominem attacks on people you don’t know do nothing to support your argument and make you sound like a crybaby and a fool. Judge a band on its merits, not on your prejudices. If you don’t like them, don’t listen.
Why are you concerned with the OEA awards? It’s a meaningless trophy. If you want “some real change,” stop complaining and get to work on things that matter. Book shows. Learn how to use apostrophes correctly and start your own blog. Get better at your instrument. Go on tour. Do things for yourself and don’t wait for someone to do it for you. Don’t worry about collecting trophies.
* I wouldn’t disagree that local bands often get shitty deals from 1%. Bands have done it to themselves in part by being so willing to play for free (or nearly free) for years. At any rate, it’s bad for the music community and good for the business community.
* Can anyone explain the OEA’s “Progressive/Experimental/Funk” category?
Comment by Ageless Uniform — February 14, 2012 @ 1:44 am
“So, OEA’s:
#1. Why were national acts even nominated?”
Every award show Minnesota, Boston, etc. nominates national bands from their area. Why wouldn’t you?
“#2. Connor’s house boy’s band won best indie? Sorry but everybody knows that they begged for every opening slot in and out of town and now they must be begging Marq as well. Sorry but a space rock band with a weak female singer should have never beat out Noah’s Ark or Dim Light…”
I have no say over who wins the awards. No one on our board touches a ballot-it is all done by an accounting firm. I just organize the events. Conduits did not even play either of our fundraising events nor were they are the award show. I love the people in that band-but they haven’t nor are the expected to participate in the OEAA process. If there were favors being bandied about it probably would have been done for a band that participated don’t you think?
“#3. Whomever is the board for the OEA’s and MAHA (which we know is the same) does not have their ear to the ground in this local scene.”
No one on the MAHA Board is on the OEAA Board. I work the MAHA festival as a stage manager-but I am not on the board.
“The bands who won, won because of who they’re friends with.. which is sad because a lot of good bands and artist are not getting what they deserve. A man with the last letter Q in his name works with 20% (1%) percent which has ripped off bands for years now and they have used their profits to purchase a large parts of Benson… Yeah they support the local scene but they also have taken more money than any promoter I’ve worked with..”
You could not be further from the truth.
“Q & 20% and the click they run with is hurting this scene and I think it’s time for some real change in this town…”
Go for it. I haven’t made a dime off of working with bands in the 15 plus years I have done it. I only cared about us having more option than we did 15 years ago for entertainment. Other people did as well. I fully encourage some fresh young blood to come up and make some stuff happen. The more the merrier. I am not sure what the 20% alludes too-but if it alludes to a percentage taken by 1% from local shows-I am pretty sure they stopped that practice a long time ago (years ago).
Comment by MarQ — February 14, 2012 @ 2:31 pm
Wow…I didn’t catch the racist thing-that is too bad.
Also-I didn’t see this-
“If we had industry people voting for the bands it would be a way better system and probably a fair one.. and when I say industry people I mean Recording Studio engineer’s & folks who actually play instruments… writers will never understand..”
Umm…do you know who are voting for the bands? Obviously not. There are 60 people that vote for the final recipient for music. There are studio engineers, live sound persons, musicians that are not currently playing in bands, people from record stores, music stores, yes-some writers, we have even picked out some music fans that are from different genre’s of music that I see at shows A LOT and I feel will be fair (only a few-but that add’s to the mix), there are also promoters, music venue owners, record store personel, music photographers, the music union, and more. It’s not just writers or a few people picking out their friends.
It’s hard to take this conversation too seriously after the racist comment that was pointed out anyway.
Comment by MarQ — February 14, 2012 @ 6:05 pm