Word went out this morning via The Reader that long-time Reader contributor MoJoPo, a.k.a. Michael Joseph Pryor, has passed away. As long as I can remember MoJo wrote The Reader‘s Planet Power astrology column. He also was a musician and colorful addition to any crowd. I never met him and knew him only through second-hand discussion when, at a show, the person next to me would say, “Look, Mojo’s here” and point to a guy with a Dumbledore-style beard who looked like a wizard circa the 1860s wild west. Needless to say, he was a friend to a lot of musicians and people in psychedelic circles, and will be a lost patch of color in the fabric of the Omaha music scene…

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Omaha musician Luke Polipnick dropped a line to say that he and Almost Music record store proprietor Brad Smith are starting a new music series in the Solid Jackson Bookstore space he shares with his store at 6569 Maple Street in the heart of Benson.

The Almost Music Concert Series kicks off Dec. 7 with a show featuring the legendary Dereck Higgins, Luke Polipnick Esoteric Trio and Rake Kash (Lonnie Methe). “This new concert series will showcase and foster the growth of regional musical experimentation and exploration,” Polipnick said in a press release. Tickets will be $5, and shows will start at 7 p.m.

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Despite the miserable turn in the weather, the weekend (music-wise) begins tonight at The Slowdown where Cults takes the main stage. The NYC indie band caught fire with their 2011 self-titled debut. They’re back with Static, their 2013 follow-up on Columbia Records. Opening is fellow NYC band SACCO and Atlanta band Mood Rings (Mexican Summer Records). $17, 9 p.m.

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In this week’s column, a look at Alexander Payne’s new film, Nebraska, and how we’ll be combating its stereotypes for years to come. You can read it in this week’s issue of The Reader or online right here.

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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 © 2013 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.