by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

So much for the Red Sky Festival — or, more accurately, the Red Sky Concert Series… Kevin Coffey reported today that the MECA mind trust has given up on trying to book a fourth day for the so-called festival, which means it’ll take place July 18, 20 and 21 — Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. So for all of you music fans flying in for this mega event, you’ll just have to find something else to do on that empty Thursday night, like maybe going to the free Future of Maha Showcase at The Waiting Room for Lightning Bug, Millions Of Boys, and Snake Island!

I know it’s only Year 2 for the “festival,” but maybe it’s time that Meca think about dropping the Red Sky concept and focus instead on booking two or three (or more) stadium-filling concerts throughout the year rather than target a string of days (that aren’t even a string anymore). If they untether themselves from a festival concept and just look at booking available days at the ballpark one would think the odds would be better of booking stellar acts for a facility that (according to Wiki) has capacity for 24,000 people with the ability to expand to 35,000 spectators.

Or maybe they don’t care…

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Speaking of mammoth crowds, according (again) to the OWH, there were 70,000 people at Friday night’s Huey Lewis concert at Memorial Park, although most of them weren’t there for the anonymous opening bands. I caught the last three or four Huey Lewis songs as I waited for the fireworks to begin. The old boy still sounds pretty good for a 61-year-old. Sure, the top end has been shaved off of his range, but none of his songs really demand much range-wise to begin with. It’s as if ol’ Huey knew back in the ’80s that he was going to be doing this heading into his twilight years and that he better not record anything that would be too trying for withered vocal chords. Smart guy. Smarter still is having one of the better backing bands I’ve heard in a long time. No, the music isn’t terribly interesting, but it’s probably just what the doctor ordered for a free outdoor family event.

BTW, whatever happened to the city’s “youth concert series” that used to be held at Memorial? Was Feist the last one?

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Tonight at The Slowdown it’s the return of DeVotchKa with The So-So Sailors and Pony Wars. $15, early 8 p.m. start time.

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ADDENDUM: Oops. Forgot to mention that Brad Hoshaw and the 7 Deadlies is opening for Lucero tonight at TWR…. $17, 9 p.m. I have no idea who Lucero is, but Brad and his band is always worth checking out.

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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 © 2012 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.