Andrew Jackson Jihad at The Waiting Room, July 15, 2014.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

I was converted at the Church of Andrew Jackson Jihad last night. I came in not knowing much about the band other than what I briefly heard off the interweb. My initial comparisons were pretty straight on, though I missed the band’s biggest resemblance (or influence): The Mountain Goats.

Frontman Sean Bonnette is a desperate, anxious, scared version of John Darnielle singing not about some mythic, drunken aging couple but (presumably) about a loser/loner celebrating a loneliness that the 150+ crowd at The Waiting Room last night could identify with and revel in. It was, indeed, a party atmosphere that (based on the band’s comments from stage) almost got out of hand.

On recordings, AJJ is a lyrically driven acoustic-powered dynamo. They ramp up their sound live with plenty (too much) low end, plus electric guitar and keyboard, turning into something that more closely resembles Decemberists. Unlike Mountain Goats’ galloping 3/4 time shanties, AJJ’s ballads are straight-four rattlers that earn them their folk-punk designation. The wooden-sounding cello gave a handful of songs an earthy flair.

Frontman Bonnette is a friendly muppet confessing to every vice and ill life has thrown at him with a smile and perfect enunciation. This would just be another run-of-the-mill indie folk band if you couldn’t understand every word of his clever, joyful confessions. And it was fun watching a guy standing alone well back from the stage mouth every word to every song.

No doubt these celebrations of despair meant something wholly different to a newer generation. The young-ish crowd on hand last night (I recognized no one except the TWR staff) responded to the dark elegies with an unbridled YOLO-ish spirit. Despair, I spit in your face!  Isolated slam-dancing, crowd-surfing and synchronized crowd sway were the norm.

My reaction as someone old enough to be their father was slightly different. Pained lyrics like, “Love what you can ’til it dies / Then let it lie, let it fly away” hit a little too close to home, and I found myself more bummed and introspective than when I listen to the usual punk-rock fist-pumpers. All I could think of while I was watching the happy spectacle during songs like “Heartilation,” with lines like “Sometimes I get so lonesome I can’t breathe / Sometimes I get so scared I can’t speak,” was Go ahead and laugh, for as HST used to say, it’s later than you think.

Great show, great band.

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Tonight at The Waiting Room LA band Bad Suns (Vagrant) with Colony House (Descendant Records). $10, 9 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 © 2014 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Andrew Jackson Jihad plays tonight at The Waiting Room.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

What can I say, this is a late one because I couldn’t write over my lunch hour. Look, you haven’t made your evening plans yet anyway, unless you’re headed to Lincoln for the plethora of shows happening there.

Let’s focus on what’s happening right here in O-town tonight. First on my list is Andrew Jackson Jihad at The Waiting Room. The Phoenix acoustic folk-punk band has been around for a decade and just released its fifth album (on SideOneDummy) Christmas Island. Their nefarious sound is a cross between Violent Femmes, They Might Be Giants and Titus Andronicus. Check them out below. Opening is Hard Girls & Dogbreth. $15, early 8 p.m. start time.

Meanwhile, over at the Sweatshop Gallery, golden slacker rockers Amen Dunes headlines. The band has a new record out on Sacred Bones, Love, that sounds like it was cut from the same cloth as records by Kurt Vile. Great stuff. Joining them is the groovy psych-rock of Axxa/Abraxas (Captured Tracks). Opening is Caravat featuring David Ozinga and Teal Gardner of UUVVWWZ and Andrew of Noah’s Ark Was a Spaceship. Huge. $7, 9 p.m.

Figure out a way to hit up both shows. I’m not sure what that “way” would be, but seriously…

Also tonight in Benson, Viva La Vinyl is happening at The Barley Street Tavern. Stop in, it’s free.

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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 © 2014 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Dick Dale circa 1998. The King of Surf Rock plays tonight at The Waiting Room.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Like Bono a few years back, the Berkshires apparently gave Paul McCartney a tour of Dundee yesterday evening, or at least took him to Avoli for dinner and eCreamery for dessert. The OWH has the details, here.

Funny how when these celebs show up with Susie and Warren in Dundee, the social channels explode as if the great unwashed had been visited by an alien life form instead of a rock star, a strange other-worldly creature who’s come down to observe life in rural Nebraska by strolling through the petri dish at the corner of Underwood Ave. and 50th St.

Imagine if “Sir Paul” had instead been taken by black limo to fabulous O’Leaver’s to witness some red hot sand-volleyball action. He could have slipped off his loafers, rolled up his pants and spiked a few for the locals. Afterward, he could have plugged in and played some old Beatles tunes on the world famous O’Leaver’s stage before stretching out in the smoking patio with a PRB alongside Warren, Susie and the usual O’Leaver’s suspects. Talk about your alien life forms…

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Other than overhearing The Fishheads at the Omaha Brewers Barbecue Saturday evening behind Beertopia, I caught zero music this weekend. Bah!

Tonight at The Waiting Room it’s surf-guitar legend Dick Dale. As with all the other times he’s visited our fair city, I now link you to my Dick Dale interview from 1998. Dick was a mere 61 back then. He’s 77 now and still going strong. Opening is local surf heroes Huge Fucking Waves. $25, 8 p.m.

And if you’re in Lincoln, Paul McCartney is playing at The Pinnacle Arena tonight. Tix range from $29 to $253.

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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 © 2014 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

That Scott Severin gig I mentioned in my column a couple weeks ago… turns out it will be the last show ever at Venue 51.

Sevs tells me the club has decided to close its doors and that the July 18 show will be the grand finale. Located at 1951 St. Mary’s Ave., the venue only opened last year. Sevs tells me the place is actually closed right now and won’t open again until that show on the 18th, even though their online calendar shows bookings through August and there’s no mention of their closing on their Facebook page (though the last timeline entry was June 28).

I have to admit to never stepping foot in the club, mainly because it never booked the kind of music I listen to. Actually, it rarely booked bands I’ve even heard of.

Severin is just one of the performers playing the July 18 “last waltz.” Joining him will be touring artist Melissa Greener, and local singer/songwriters Michael Campbell, Pat Gehrman and Logan Krug. Event info here. 

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Speaking of upcoming shows, if you missed The Everymen last Sunday (read about them here) fret not, as the band is headed back (to O’Leaver’s again, no less) Aug. 18.

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Paul Hansen of Pro-Magnum wrote to let me know that this Saturday night’s Pro-Mangnum show at fabulous O’Leaver’s is going to be his ad hoc bon voyage party. I’ll let him tell you:

“We are playing with Maps for Travelers. More importantly, from a personal standpoint, this is my last show with the band as I’m leaving Omaha to start graduate studies in Louisiana. Before I depart we are doing this last show and going back into ARC to finish our record with Ben Brodin.  Even more importantly, it’s a Saturday in July and everything pretty much sucks.  To quell the suckiness we are setting up a hot dog/brat bar before the show. $5 bucks gets you into the gig while a handshake and a smile gets you unlimited hot dog access (none of that Kroger brand bullshit either, we are talking Just Good Meats). Yet even more exciting is that we will have a fuck-ton of different toppings to load your dog and or bratwurst with. 

In summation:

Show purpose: Funds for recording.

Why I care: Last show, sentimental, leaving a drunken community I have enjoyed being apart of.

Why anyone else should care: The hot-dog bar

But why would we buy mass quantities of hot-dogs and or brats if we are trying to save, not spend money? Sometimes, Tim, money isn’t an object and the hot dog wins.”

This one will be insane. $5, 9 p.m. Hot dogs. Pro-Magnum. O’Leaver’s. You summer has just been made.

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Sunday night Ceremony (Matador Records) returns to Slowdown Jr. Opening is Angel Dust and Forced Order. $10, 8 p.m.

Meanwhile over at The Waiting Room Sunday night, Bon Iver member S. Carey plays at The Waiting Room with The Pines. $12, 9 p.m.

That’s all I got. If I missed anything, put it in the comments section. Have a good weekend!

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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 © 2014 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Screenwriter of Jurassic Park III, Alexander Payne, is among those who will be on hand for tonight’s Chuck Hassebrook fundraiser. Hey Al, just playin’ with ya, Mr. Oscar…

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

There’s a couple shows happening tonight scheduled in such a way that you should be able to hit up both of them.

Show No. 1 is Orenda Fink at The Slowdown. The gig is a campaign fund-raiser for Chuck Hassebrook, who’s running for Nebraska governor against Pete Ricketts.

The lowest entry price-point for this show was $50, but organizers repriced general admission tickets to a mere $15. Also on hand will be screenwriter of Jurassic Park III (and director of a few movies, including About Schmidt and The Descendents) Alexander Payne.

Opening for Orenda are The WordSmiths (?) and McCarthy Trenching. Look, it’s a good opportunity to do what you can to keep Ricketts out of office while getting some quality music to boot. You can give more than $15 if you wanna. Donations range right on up to $2,500, Mr. Moneybags.

Get your tickets here. The program runs from 5:30 to 8:30 tonight.

That means you’ll have plenty of time to get across town to The Waiting Room, where The Hold Steady will be playing tonight. I can take or leave ol’ Craig Finn and Co., but have to admit it’ll be a treat to see them on TWR stage, and surprisingly, this one has yet to sell out. Opening is the Josh Berwanger Band (He’s the dude from Lawrence band The Anniversary and The Only Children). This is nice-priced at $18. Show starts at 9.

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Check out the new video by The Faint for “Scapegoat” off SQE release Doom Abuse. What dungeon basement was this shot at?

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Also released yesterday, the title track off Jenny Lewis’ upcoming album The Voyager. Check it below. Lewis is booked to play the Slowdown Aug. 4, by the way…

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While I’m cleaning out the ice-box, here’s the latest track from Saddle Creek band Rural Alberta Advantage. Their new one, Mended with Gold, comes out Sept. 30 on the Creek.

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This is connected to nothing local, I just wanted to pass along that I’ve been digging the new album by Strand of Oaks, HEAL (Dead Ocean). I’ve been looking for the vinyl in Omaha, and of course, no one has it. This one is on my shortlist for the first half of 2014. For you Spotify-ers out there:

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In this week’s column, what happens when a top music PR flack (Catherine Herrick of Beggars Group) turns her back on the business and hits the road with her band? You can read it in the current 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 © 2014 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Zepparella at The Waiting Room, July 8, 2014.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

The problem with any Led Zeppelin tribute performance is that — in the mind of a hardcore fan — every riff, every nuance, every musical cue has been permanently ingrained. I’ve been listening to those Zeppelin records for nearly 30 years. And as such, there are things I’ve come to expect when listening to a band try to perform those songs, no matter how attractive the performers are.

And when the riff, the nuance, the cue is missed, mangled or glossed over, well, it does not go unnoticed. Thus it was last night at Zepparella at The Waiting Room. Four young-ish ladies playing the hits we’ve come to know and love. And while they were fun to watch, they missed the mark musically more than they hit it, whether it was singing verses in the wrong key, mangling a central riff or re-imagining a solo or vocal phrase.

On the plus side was the rhythm section. Lots of people were there to see the drummer, Clementine, who has family here in Omaha and has a personal connection to local legend Tim Moss (Ritual Device, Porn). While her drumming wasn’t as thick and throaty as Bonham’s (and whose is?) she respectfully captured the essence of his style. I’m sure she made her family proud.

Bassist Angeline Saris also was impressive in the John Paul Jones role, sticking tightly with Clementine, keeping the bottom intact during some rather loose moments. Frontwoman Noelle Doughty sounded like Nancy Wilson aping Robert Plant, while Gretchen Menn took the biggest liberties with Page’s work, inventing riffs where recognized standards belonged.

Only the most fearsome Zep nerd would make the above comments, especially considering the crowd of 100+ didn’t seem to mind the skipped notes during the slide guitar part on “In My Time of Dying” or the strange vocal take on “Immigrant Song.” They were too busy grooving, or in the case of the table of fat middle aged guys behind me in Tommy Bahama-wear, too busy yelling not-so-clever one-liners at the band like, “You can squeeze my lemon.” Har-har.

Maybe the rust and the band’s lack of energy had to do with this being only the third date on a tour that runs into August. I made it to “Moby Dick” then hit the road, listening to the remastered Zeppelin II recording in my car on the way home.

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Well, the Nielsen Mid-Year 2014 sales report is out and it continues to look bleak for traditional album sales. For the first six months of the year, album sales were down 14.9 percent vs. the same period last year. Total album sales (CDs, cassettes, LPs, and digital albums) were 120.9 million, vs. 142 million last year through June.

Meanwhile, vinyl sales grew a whopping 40.4 percent to 4 million (vs. 2.9 million through June 2013). Yeah, I know 4 million ain’t squat, but at least the number is growing.

The most disheartening fact in the Nielsen report (other than the top 10) is that on-demand audio streams rose an amazing 50.1 percent in the first six months of 2014 to just over 70 billion songs . Holy Spotify.

For you vinyl fans, here’s the vinyl chart for the first six months of 2014:

— Jack White, Lazaretto, 49,100 units
— Arctic Monkeys, AM, 25,100
— Beck, Morning Phase, 21,300
— Black Keys, Turn Blue, 21,000
— Lana Del Rey, Born to Die, 16,500
— Bob Marley/Wailers, Legend, 13,000
— Beatles, Abbey Road, 12,600
— Lorde, Pure Heroine, 12,400
— Mac Demarco, Salad Days, 11,900
— St. Vincent, St. Vincent, 11,400NCENT 11400

And if you’re still bummed about the music industry’s downward spiral, just read Tayler Swift’s Op Ed in the Wall Street Journal (here). Taylor would like to point out:

“…people are still buying albums, but now they’re buying just a few of them. They are buying only the ones that hit them like an arrow through the heart or have made them feel strong or allowed them to feel like they really aren’t alone in feeling so alone. It isn’t as easy today as it was 20 years ago to have a multiplatinum-selling album, and as artists, that should challenge and motivate us.”

So there. Get challenged, rockers!

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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 © 2014 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Not a lot of time to write today, but a couple things worth mentioning:

— The Good Speakers Fest is happening Sept. 19 & 20. The headliners (so far) are Andrew WK and Icky Blossoms, but that wasn’t what people were talking about. It’s the festival’s location that has people curious — The Carlisle Hotel, way out on 109th and M St. I haven’t been out there in years, having once hosted a conference in their meeting rooms. Back then, it was your run-of-the-mill conference center/hotel, and I have no doubt it hasn’t changed in the past decade.

According to the Facebook invitation:

“The Bar, Beer Garden, Marketplace, Pool, and all the rooms are OURS!  Shows will take place mostly in the Bar, Marketplace, and Beer Garden, with a few exciting surprise locations popping up here and there during the weekend too… This is a 21+ event, and we are looking for fun, adult oriented sponsors and vendors.”

Sponsors being sought include: “Head Shops / Record Stores / Vintage Clothes / Niche Boutique Retail / Collectors / SWAG / Homebrewers / Promoters / Venues / Adult Novelties.”

Things could get pretty weird. Tix are $28 per day or $44 for a 2-day pass. And there are hotel room options. Oh my. I think we’ll be hearing a lot more about this one in the coming weeks. Check out the invite.

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Tonight at The Waiting Room it’s Zepparella, which has been described as “an all-female tribute to Led Zeppelen.” I’ve been told this must be seen to be believed. I plan on seeing it tonight. The mighty Filter Kings open. $15, 9 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 © 2014 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

The Everymen at O’Leaver’s, July 6, 2014.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

O’Leaver’s on a hot Sunday afternoon in July is a surreal experience, like stepping onto the set of Robert Altman’s M*A*S*H. All the usual characters strolled around outside in the “beer garden” with cocktails sweating in the blazing heat while an O’Leaver manned a barbecue grill frying up large greasy kielbasa. Across the parking lot in the sand pit half-naked volleyball players slathered in sunblock slammed PBRs to the sounds of Van Halen’s “Panama.”

Meanwhile, inside the dark cool confines of The Club, The Everymen set up for the afternoon gig. The band featured none other than Catherine Herrick, the former PR wonk at Beggars Group (Matador, XL, etc.) familiar to anyone who’s had to interview, say, Cat Power or a member of Interpol over the past 10 years. I chatted with Catherine after the show, and that interview will be the basis for this week’s Over the Edge column in The Reader. You’ll have to wait for it..

In addition to Herrick, The Everymen consisted of five more members — two guitarists, bassist, drummer and saxophone player. That sax — along with the band leader’s love of all things New Jersey (and The Sopranos) — might give you some ideas what this band sounded, but you’d be wrong.

The Everymen combined elements of garage and indie with doo-wap, metal, even theater rock. Their style was all over the board. One minute you’d think you were listening to something penned by John Steinman (albeit, without keyboards), the next it sounded like an homage to The Scorpions, but with sax thrown on top of the riffs.

That sax player (who switched between bari and alto when he wasn’t adding vocals) defined (or at least shadowed) everything about The Everymen, along with Herrick, who has an intensity that reminded me of Heidi Ore of Mercy Rule/Domestica fame, and frontman/guitarist Mike V, who would have you believe this band is just a group of goombahs in town from the Jersey shore. And while they did have sonic similarities to a certain Jersey dude who also has a sax player in his band, no one would mistake this guttural rock with anything released by The Boss.

Highlight moments came toward the end of the 45+ minute set in the form of a growler I think was called “Motorbike,” and a fist-pumping anthem (again) I think was called “I Held On.” They could be campy (synchronized group arm gestures, finger-snapping), they could be heavy, but most of all they were fun. And labels like Matador or XL could use a little fun in their rosters.

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Tonight at The Sydney it’s a four-artist bill headlined with New Orleans band SIRENS (Community Records). Opening is Mike Schlesinger, Anne McClellan and adamroberthauG. $5, 9 p.m. Not a bad way to kick off the week…

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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 © 2014 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

The lineup on the evening of the 4th at O’Leaver’s. God Bless America.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

You’d think with tomorrow being a holiday someone would have put together one helluvan indie rock show tonight, but no, nothing’s happening.

That’s okay because that’ll give you a chance to rest up for tomorrow night’s holiday extravaganza at fabulous O’Leaver’s. After you’ve finished wrapping up whatever’s left of your fingers post-cherrybomb, head on down to The Club for what promises to be one of the most drunkenly violent rock shows of the year.

The line-up: Jewel Beast (a band I know nothing about but whose name is awesome); Dumb Beach (the only band on this line-up whose name eclipses Jewel Beast); New Lungs (Danny Maxwell and company return with an audio-inflected knee in the groin) and headliner Lupines (supergroup extraordinaire, indie-rock Americans). I suspect everyone will be drunk and someone will light one of those scary Chinese lanterns/house-fire-starters in the parking lot (along with some snakes). I can’t wait. $5, 9:30 p.m.

We might as well talk about the rest of the weekend since it’s unlikely I’ll be updating this tomorrow, what with all the parades and stuff.

Saturday is, of course, The Indie 5k/10k foot race that starts at 8 a.m. in the heart of Benson (60th Ave. and Maple) and runs all the way to Ames Ave. and back (or at least the 10k does). This event is also a pseudo “Taste of Benson” event as runners will get a ton of free food and drinks (lots of drinks) courtesy of race sponsors. Because, you know the first thing I want after I finish a 10k race is an apple dumpling shot.

Anyway, during the race, Brad Hoshaw and the Seven Deadlies will be performing along with The Big Deep. The stage will be set up right there by the starting line from 8 a.m. to sometime around 11. Don’t be a pussy. Sign up for the race. Your $30 entrance fee goes to help improve Benson and Fontenelle parks.

That’s not the only thing happening in Benson on the 5th of July. Sweatfest will be going on at the Sweatshop Gallery. We’re talking 14 bands on two stages. I guess the whole thing is a fundraiser to acquire a new PA for the gallery’s performance space. The bill includes M34n Str33t, Coaxed, Worried Mothers, Skeleton Man and a host of other local punks. Show starts at 6 and is a mere $8. More info here.

That’s what I got. If I missed anything, put it in the comments section. Have a good 4th and don’t blow your hands off.

ADDENDUM: I forgot to mention that The Everymen (Earnest Jennings Records), featuring former Beggars Group (Matador, XL Records) Media rep Catherine Herrick, is playing at O’Leaver’s Sunday night as part of The Club’s Sunday Social program. Joining The Everymen is Lot Walks and No Thanks. This is an early 6 p.m. show, and the usual $5. See you there…

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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 © 2014 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

In this week’s column, I touch base with Omaha singer/songwriter Scott Severin about Time Out New York’s list of New York City’s Top 10 All Time Greatest Rock Stars. Never one to mince words, Severin provides insight and Technicolor from the perspective of someone who lived there when it was all going down punk-wise. KISS and Richard Hell fans beware.

You can read it in this week’s issue of The Reader or online right here. Many thanks to Scott for sharing his unique, relevant viewpoint.

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Huffington Post premiered what it says is a NSFW (though I’m not sure why) video by The Hussy for their cover of Digital Leather’s “Studs in Love.”

Director Shane O’Neill said in the HuffPost article, “It’s hard for me to get excited about something unless there’s at least a trace element of something funny, and hearing Bobby whine that he likes hairy asses still makes me giggle. I wanted the video to reflect the song’s spirit of hyper-masculinity crossed with absurdity. And I wanted to make a pun on the word ‘stud.’”

Check it out at here at HuffPost.

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There’s a special night of music happening this evening at Almost Music in Benson. New Zealand legends The Renderers are topping a stellar bill that includes The Bruces (this is the farewell show for Alex McManus as he and his family head north) and Simon Joyner and The Ghosts, who will be playing material from the band’s upcoming album.

And if that wasn’t enough, Brad at Almost Music is offering 20 percent off all used vinyl tonight. $5 minimum donation, 7 p.m. start time.

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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 © 2014 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.