by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

With nothing in particular going on news-wise today, let’s step into the Wayback Machine and pull up this Lazy-i blog post from 11 years ago, March 23, 2004 to be exact. How many of these clubs and restaurants did you frequent and how many are gone now?

From Lazy-i, March 23, 2004: Because I’m often asked this question… 

The iconic sign for The 49’r…

For whatever reason, I’m constantly getting e-mails from national promotions/labels/media marketing companies, etc., asking me to point out local clubs, restaurants and music stores. Who knows why. Maybe it’s a backlash to all the national attention we’ve been getting as part of the “booming Omaha scene.” Anyway, I got another request from a largish music promotions company yesterday. After I wrote the reply, I figured I might as well post the info on the blog for others who may be after this sort of info. Most of you will disagree with my picks, but, hey, I don’t care.

Here’s what I wrote:

Live bars
— Sokol Underground, 13th & Martha — You’re probably already aware of these guys, who go by 1 Percent productions. They book the place. www.onepercentproductions.com. Indie ground zero.
— O’Leaver’s, 1322 So. Saddle Creek Rd. They take most of the Sokol Underground overflow — one of the places that bands play that can’t draw 300 people. It’s capacity is around 100. Aveo is there tonight. Tilly and the Wall played there a month or so ago. My new favorite hangout. Check out their horrible website: www.oleavers.com
— The 49’r, 49th and Dodge St. Another smallish club for indie music, w/capacity at around 150. A good live music vibe, maybe the best in town for interested crowds (not so for singer/songwriters — Owen (of Joan of Arc fame) played there once and was drowned out by chit-chat). www.the49r.com
— The Ranch Bowl, 1600 S. 72nd St. Omaha’s oldest still-operating venue, they book mostly hardcore and goon-rock acts, but also do the occasional indie show, for example, the Starlight Mints play there tonight. 1 Percent’s arch rival. www.ranchbowl.com/
— Sullivan’s Bar, 40th & Farnam. Small bar that occasionally hosts unannounced shows by Creek-related acts. Consafos and Son, Ambulance recently played there.
— Mick’s, 59th & Maple, a folkie singer/songwriter hangout that also does jazz. www.micksomaha.com/
— The brand new Goofy Foot Lounge at 10th & Pacific. It hosted the Simon Joyner CD release show last week — he’s a local singer/songwriter icon that influenced the Saddle Creek crew.

Non-live bars

— The Brothers Lounge, 3812 Farnam. It’s become famous as thee indie drinking hangout, thanks to having the best jukebox in town that plays a lot of local indie/punk along with ’90s punk classics. Where everyone goes when there isn’t a show. Owners are local legends.
— The Homy Inn, 1510 No. Saddle Creek. A neighborhood hole-in-the-wall that attracts scenesters. Tiny. Cold Duck on tap. Peanuts in dog bowls. You get the picture.

Record stores

–The Antiquarium, 1215 Howard St. Arguably the home of indie/punk records and CDs. Home of Dave Sink, local music impresario often credited for nurturing the scene in the ’90s.
—Drastic Plastic, 1209 Howard St. Great punk/indie music store on the Old Market’s main strip.
—Homer’s, three Omaha locations, including one in the Old Market. Independently owned/operated local music store chain with the largest selection of music in Omaha.

Restaurants

I don’t eat out much, but when I do, I go to:
Trini’s in the Old Market, 1020 Howard St. — best Mexican in town
The Indian Oven in the Old Market, 1010 Howard St. — best Indian in town
LaCasa, 4432 Leavenworth St. — best pizza in town
The Rice Bowl, 505 N. Saddle Creek. — best Chinese in town
Trovato’s, 5013 Underwood — Italian/pizza all-around hang-out in the neighborhood

Coffee:
MJ Java, 1299 Farnam
13th St. Coffee Shop, 509 So. 13th St.
Mojo’s, 4826 Dodge St.
Blue Line, 4924 Underwood
Caffeine Dreams, 4524 Farnam

Popular restaurants I don’t eat at because I don’t dig the cuisine:
The Greek Isles, 3821 Center. Greek, but I’m told it’s still good.
McFoster’s, 302 So. 38th St. A popular veg place.

The scene certainly has changed a lot in a decade.

* * *

It’s the final night of Oquoa’s residency at fabulous O’Leaver’s. The band has been playing there all weekend, and now their time is up. Joining them tonight will be the amazing Miniature Horse and James Maakestad. $5, 9:30 p.m. Really, you should go.

Also tonight is a fundraiser at The Barley Street Tavern called Songwriters for Autism Awareness. Your $5 cover will go t  the Golden Hat Foundation (http://www.goldenhatfoundation.org/). Among those taking the stage:

Ash Trenhaile
Brad Hoshaw Music
Dan Quinn
Daniel Burns
Dominique Morgan
Jacob Radley Duncan
Jason Norman Wellsandt-Musician/Artist
Jeff Dworkin
Jeremy Mercy
Joe Watson Music
Kait Berreckman Music
Mace Hathaway Music Page
Michael J. Fillmore
Sam Burt – Music
Scott Evans
Scott Severin
Stephen Monroe

Show starts at 8 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 © 2015 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Crazy busy lately, which is why no update yesterday. There’s also been a deficit show-wise. That should reside this weekend (hopefully).

Coming Lazy-i events include feature stories on The Rentals (including a podcast interview with Matt Sharp)(BTW, no podcast this week) and Dereck Higgins, both written for the May issue of The Reader, which should be out next week.

* * *

Other than that, there’s a lot of buzz about Hop Along, Saddle Creek Records’ latest signing, and for good reason. The band’s Creek debut, Painted Shut, is one of the best records I’ve heard this year and among the best things that Creek has ever released. You have to go back to the Jenny Lewis/Rilo Kiley days to find a non-Nebraska based Creek artist that has had this kind of national push going into a release.

Among the hype is this Village Voice blog item that just came out and includes an interview with front woman Frances Quinlan. Says the writer, “Painted Shut is less a vast departure from what Hop Along have created previously than a confident leap forward, in terms of musicianship, storytelling, and studio mastery…. And on the verge of Painted Shut’s release, those aren’t stars in the members of Hop Along’s eyes — though they’ve produced a knockout record. They’re not gunning to quit their day jobs. In fact, Frances says, ‘I’d just like to see what the album does over time.’”

This follows a Q&A in Vice’s Noisey blog (here) “… they don’t look like they plan on hitting the wall softly, but exploding through it...” and an “A”  review at AV Club, which concluded with “Unfortunately for some, Painted Shut signals the end of Hop Along’s tenure as a little-known buzz band. For everyone else, it’s the sound of being welcomed to the party.”

I suspect more hype to come, plenty more. It’s deserved. The album drops May 4.

* * *

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 © 2015 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

No music for me this past weekend. That’s a first in a long while, but the situation was out of my hands. And as a result, there probably won’t be a Lazy-i Podcast this week (unless I can connect with Chris A before Wednesday).

Newswise, Hear Nebraska made the first in a series of line-up announcements for its Good Living Tour. The tour kicks off July 17 in the bustling metropolis of Imperial, Nebraska, home to HN founder and ED Andrew Norman. The lineup: Imperial natives The Talbott Brothers, Omaha’s See Through Dresses and Lincoln bluegrass/rockabilly band The Bottle Tops. The free gig is being held at The Imperial Country Club — sounds ritzy!

So how did HN come up with these line-ups? The organization published its selection criteria yesterday, which included “artistic and live-performance quality; history of successful touring (i.e., road-readiness); recent or upcoming album releases (i.e., new music); ability to play an all-original (i.e., no covers), family friendly set; proven ability to draw crowds and to self-promote; in some cases, local community ties; and innovative artistic elements…”

“We don’t expect everyone to like every band, but we aim for each audience member to connect with at least one of them.”

What more could you wish for?

* * *

In other news, brand new local act Montee Men released a new tune on Bandcamp, which you can listen to below. Montee Men is John Laughlin (Pro-Mangum), guitar/vocals; Chris Kelley (Back When), bass/vocals; and Matt Baum (Desaparecidos), drums/vocals. Talk about your power trios…

* * *

Finally, I just got confirmation of a rather massive upcoming concert, but have been I’ve been asked to “embargo” the information until given the green light. Needless to say, this is one show you’re not going to want to miss… More to come.

* * *

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 © 2015 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

A frightening still from Plack Blague’s 2014 video for “Boyz Club.” The Blague plays tonight at O’Leaver’s with Digital Leather.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

They’re calling it “The Leather Invasion.” Tonight Digital Leather returns to fabulous O’Leaver’s. On the heels of this week’s album announcement (and a brief tour that brought them to Austin), you can probably expect these guys to be playing new material from the forthcoming FDH release All Faded, out June 23. DL is opening (or so it seems) for the infamous Plack Blague, who must be seen and heard to be believed. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Also Friday night Simon Joyner opens for Denver singer/songwriter Esme Patterson at the Reverb Lounge. Patterson, who also is a member of Denver band Paper Bird, is touring in support of her new album, Woman to Woman (Greater Than), of which The New York Times said: “Her voice is wiry and candid, backed by arrangements that roll along the folk-country borderline.”  Also on the bill is Sean Pratt and the Sweats. $10, 9 p.m.

And don’t forget that Big Al’s Free Music Festival continues tonight and tomorrow night at The Hideout, 320 So. 72nd St. Admission is a can of food (it’s a food drive) and it starts at 8 p.m. Details and Friday and Saturday’s schedule are here.

Saturday night it’s back to O’Leaver’s for Derby Birds with Roxi Copland. $5, 9:30 p.m.

That’s what I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend.

* * *

If you haven’t already, check out this week’s Lazy-i Podcast. The 20-minute program features music by Wagon Blasters, Soft Moon, Blue Bird, Ladyfinger and music and an interview with Super Ghost, along with my picks for the best shows this weekend. Check it out below:

* * *

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 © 2015 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

The Good Living Tour

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Hear Nebraska yesterday announced its first (annual?) Good Living Tour, which brings Omaha and Lincoln bands to small-town Nebraska throughout the summer.

The concert series features “27 of Nebraska’s top, all-original bands playing free, all-ages concerts across nine Greater Nebraska communities. An associated storytelling project will include Hear Nebraska’s production of a total of over 27 music/arts-related feature stories and videos highlighting the elements that make the communities great to live, work and play, especially for young people,” according to the HN press release.

Here’s the sched (for your summer vacation planning needs):

July 17 – Imperial
July 18 – Ogallala
July 19 – Scottsbluff/Gering
July 20 – Valentine
July 21 – North Platte
July 22 – Kearney
July 23 – West Point
July 24 – Nebraska City
July 25 – Grand Island

Hear Nebraska isn’t releasing the names of the bands involved in the series yet, but as a Hear Nebraska Board Member (full disclosure!) I can tell you the line-up is indeed impressive. HN will start announcing the bands April 27.

I think the biggest challenge to pulling large audiences to these shows will be underscoring the quality of the bands, many (most) of which are completely unknown in places like North Platte and Ogallala, where no doubt national mega-pop/American Idol acts, C&W and Freedom Rock is their daily music diet (You could argue that’s the same basic diet to most Omaha and Lincoln residents, as well as the rest of ‘merica). So, it’s a challenge, but no one said it was going to be easy.

Good Living Tour strikes at the core mission of Hear Nebraska, which is to “cultivate Nebraska’s vibrant, fertile music and arts community by providing resources and a voice for bands, artists and members of Nebraska’s creative class and the people and businesses that support them.” Find out more about Hear Nebraska at hearnebraska.org.

* * *

Omahan Matthew Sweet said he’s recorded “at least an album’s worth of demos” for his upcoming album (with the working title of Tomorrow Forever), which he said probably won’t be completed until this fall, according to a Kickstarter update he posted yesterday.

“At this point, anything new I write will go straight to recording stage, as obviously I am running late,” Sweet said. “I am expecting to record one more batch of fifteen songs, at which point I can start putting together an order and getting a feel for what the album is. Most likely we will do this final recording in late May or Early June. We will do a few dates in July but otherwise I now hope to finish singing and overdubbing by Sept realistically.”

Sweet original said in his Kickstarter campaign, which raised more than $55,000, that the album would be completed in early spring 2015. “I know it is quite typical for Kickstarter projects to run late,” he said. “When you run a campaign, you have to pick a date to shoot for, and I’d really hoped to make it. But it has to be better that I make the best album I can and take a little longer than to rush something out.”

* * *

Tonight at fabulous O’Leaver’s Oquoa continues its month-long residency. Joining them are Thinking Machines and Sam Martin, whose latest album, A Notion in An Ocean (Make Believe Recordings) is one of my favorite local releases so far this year. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Tonight also is the kick-off of the Big Al Free Music Festival at The Hideout Lounge, 320 So. 72nd St. In addition to performing, bands will have free recordings available for swapping. The fest (which runs through Saturday) is also a food drive. Bring a can of food with you — donations will go to the Food Bank for the Heartland.

Here’s tonight’s sched:

8:00 – 8:30 Adam Peterson
8:35 – 9:05 Pflames
9:15 – 9:45 ARMY of 2600
10:00 – 10:30 The Sun-Less Trio
10:40 – 11:10 Low Long Signal
11:20 Digga DJ +1 with Big AL

* * *

And if you haven’t already, check out this week’s Lazy-i Podcast. The 20-minute program features music by Wagon Blasters, Soft Moon, Blue Bird, Ladyfinger and music and an interview with Super Ghost, along with my picks for the best shows this weekend. Check it out below:

* * *

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 © 2015 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Check out a brand new episode of the Lazy-i Podcast! In this week’s episode:

-– Desaparecidos and Digital Leather in music news.
— An interview and music from new-ish emo-ish rock band Super Ghost.
— Live Reviews and music from Soft Moon, Wagon Blasters, Blue Bird and Ladyfinger.
— The list of the hottest shows happening this weekend in Omaha.

It’s 20 wasted minutes of your life you’ll never get back, but who cares, it’s free. Check it out.

* * *

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 © 2015 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Ran into one of the members of Twinsmith at Sunday night’s show at Reverb and he told me about a new band that’s opening their album release show May 15 at Slowdown. The band is Healer, and it’s kind of a local supergroup.

At the helm is Dan Brennan, who you might know from his role in Ladyfinger or as the sound engineer at The Slowdown. In the classic frontman role Dan will handle guitar and vocals. Joining him are two members of Noah’s Ark Was a Spaceship — Andrew Gustafson on guitar and John Svatos on bass — and two members of UUVVWWZ — David Ozinga on drums and Jim Schroeder on bass VI and Rhodes.

Schroeder will be MIA for this first-ever gig as he’ll be on the road with Simon Joyner and the Ghosts playing Woodsist Festival at beautiful Big Sur, California.

May 15 will be a busy night. Also that evening The Rentals play at The Waiting Room. Looks like I’ll be doing some driving…

* * *

Digital Leather, All Faded (FDH, 2015)

Yesterday FDH Records announced it will be releasing Digital Leather’s next album, All Faded, on June 23 on CD (the vinyl comes out “sometime this fall” — I guess these smaller labels are giving up trying to determine specific ship dates on their vinyl, and who can blame them). This will mark the first release by Digital Leather’s full band, and judging by the first track, “Face to the Wall,” it’s about time. The track sounds remarkably well produced. Is this a return to the high production values we heard on Warm Brother? We’ll have to wait and see.

The band also announced a handful of tour dates in this month (including this Friday at O’Leaver’s), a few dates down south next month, and a gig at Cake Shop in New York City on June 3. Check out the new Digital Leather track below:

* * *

Tonight at The Hideout, 320 So. 72nd St. (now under new management), it’s Oklahoma City punk band Red City Radio. Opening is local punkers Hand Painted Police Car and The Bricks. $10, 8 p.m.

* * *

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 © 2015 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Wagon Blasters at Almost Music on Record Store Day, April 18, 2015.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Three nights of music this week. I’m definitely NOT getting too old for this shit.

Andy Norman of Hear Nebraska suggested I check out Super Ghost, who recently played a Hear Nebraska / Urban Outfitters in-store. I’d never heard of the band, but since they were attached to Friday night’s bill at The Barley Street featuring Blue Bird, I figured I might as well stick around.

It’s been maybe two years since I’ve seen Blue Bird. Back then, their sound was folksy Americana, fronted by Marta Fiedler with Carrie Mardock. Carrie’s gone, replaced with Rebecca Smith. So is the band’s original sound. They’ve shifted to poppier, synth-driven music (two keyboards), more modern and more interesting. Fiedler does a fine job with the leads, but the band as a whole lacked energy. The performers got into position and stayed there, motionless the entire set. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though it added a static quality to the proceedings. What are they supposed to do, jump around and high kick like Matt Whipkey? No, but when they stand like statues you can’t help but feel they’re just going through the motions whether they are or not, which is a pity considering the music’s colorful energy.

Super Ghost at the Barley Street Tavern April 18, 2015.

Then came Super Ghost, four youngsters from Omaha and Minneapolis weened on modern-day  emo bands like You Blew It! and mewithoutYou. Super Ghost is an emo throwback, not to first-wave acts like Rites of Spring and Sunny Day Real Estate, but ’90s-era second wave emo acts like California band Knapsack, which they most resemble, and Topeka legends Vitreous Humor, who they’ve never heard of (and in reality, very few people have).

Technically tight, smart compositions with insidious solos and counter melodies, Super Ghost was a pleasant surprise, a remarkable new band whose sound has a shimmering drama and musicality that at times recalled early Pavement and Dinosaur Jr. as much as those emo heroes they no doubt adore. Too bad there were only six people in the room to hear them.

Where they came from and what they’re up to next will all be revealed in this week’s podcast, which features a brief interview with frontman Jake Newbold, along with some samples from Friday night’s set.

Despite mother nature, Homer’s pulled off another big Record Store Day. When I rolled into the store at around 5 p.m., Homer’s GM Mike Fratt said he’d been pleased with the crowds, the excitement, the overall day even though he and his crack team fought through technical mine fields caused by the morning’s thunderstorm. Though late in the afternoon, there was still plenty of RSD stock in the bins, including the 25th Anniversary RSD pressing of Pills, Thrills and Bellyaches that I picked up.

Meanwhile, uptown in Benson, Almost Music’s Brad Smith said it was the first time he had line form outside his door before he opened. Almost Music’s daylong concert, originally slated for the sidewalk out front, was moved inside to the bookstore, where I watched the return of Gary Dean Davis and his band Wagon Blasters.

This was the band’s first performance in a couple years, but you wouldn’t know it by watching Gary Dean bouncing around bookcases like a hopped-up hillbilly in a racing windbreaker. His voice, those songs and this band proved once again that Wagon Blasters are Nebraska punk par excellence.

BTW, I picked up a Factory UK pressing of The Return of Durutti Column and The Grifters’ The Kingdom of Jones 10-inch (Shangri La 025), as well as the newly designed, fetching Almost Music T-shirt. Why can’t RSD be every day?

Jake Bellows at the Hear Nebraska Vol. 3 album release show at The Waiting Room, April 18, 2015.

Saturday night was the big Hear Nebraska Vol. 3 album release show at The Waiting Room. As per usual, Jake Bellows had the crowd eating out of his hand as he ripped through a solo electric set of his greatest hits including a few Neva Dinova songs. Jake has enough charisma to be a cult leader and/or standup comic, whichever you prefer.

Ladyfinger at The Waiting Room, April 18, 2015.

The blasting cap we call Ladyfinger closed out the evening. Over the course of a few weeks I’ve seen both musical sides of Chris Machmuller on stage — Mach the troubadour and Mach the rocker, each equally powerful in their own way.

You couldn’t help but wonder as Ladyfinger was belting out songs off their last album — 2013’s Errant Forms — what lies ahead for these guys. Their track “Junk City” off the HN Vol. 3 comp meets and/or exceeds anything they’ve done in the past. Would Saddle Creek roll the dice on another Ladyfinger full-length? And, for that matter, does the band have it in them to write and record a new album? Nebraskans — and the world — await the answers with baited breath.

Soft Moon at Reverb Lounge, April 19, 2015.

Finally Sunday night Oakland post-punk band Soft Moon sonically dismembered the Reverb Lounge. The band, which records on the edgy Captured Tracks label, epitomizes the electronic/industrial sound of the early ’90s from such bands as Nine Inch Nails, Throbbing Gristle, Bauhaus, Suicide, you get the drift. The mastermind behind the project is Luis Vasquez, who is marketed as a one-man project, though last night there were three guys on stage pounding on stuff, including Vasquez, who shoved a metal trashcan to the front of the stage which he banged on STOMP style for a couple numbers.

Their basic recipe was guitar, bass, synths and drums and lots of programming, along with Vasquez’s undecipherable, bronzed vocals drenched in echo for that special gothy touch. It was dark dance music for an elite leather club circa 1992; the instrumentals were powerful while the songs with vocals were the most accessible and leaned closely to early Reznor territory. Fantastic stuff.

Opening was one-woman ambient guitarist Noveller providing ethereal, layered sonic compositions that sometimes involved a violin bow adding deep blue tones. A pretty contrast to Soft Moon’s industrial din.

* * *

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 © 2015 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Record Store Day is Saturday, April 18!

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Saturday is a very special holiday for vinyl record lovers and all fans of recorded music. It’s Record Store Day, that annual event that brings out music fans by the droves eager to snatch up as many valuable, limited-edition sheets of plastic as they can find… or afford.

Almost Music in Benson — a veritable shrine to used vinyl — is going all out again this year. The store opens at 10 a.m. with live music beginning at noon: Here’s the schedule:

Sun-Less Trio 12:00-12:30
Kate Berreckman 12:45-1:15
Dereck Higgins 1:30-2:00
The Broke Loose 2:15-2:45
Wagon Blasters 3:00-3:30
Andy Berkley 3:30-4:00
Razors 4:00-4:30
Those Far Out Arrows 4:45-5:15
Big Slur 5:30-6:00
Matt Tillwick 6:00-6:30
Dead Flower Preservation Club Band 6:30-7:00
Well Aimed Arrows 7:15-7:45

Brad Smith, Almost Music’s proprietor, promises food and drink along with RSD exclusive releases, new T-shirt designs by Robert Cook and, of course plenty of used vinyl and new arrivals.

Now if only someone could do something about the forecast. The weatherman says it’s going to rain tomorrow. Then again, they said it was going to rain yesterday afternoon but there was nary a drop as I lounged on my patio with an ice cold Blue Moon.

Certainly the folks who will be waiting outside of Homer’s down in the Old Market tomorrow morning will be praying for dry weather. But nothing short of gale-force winds is going to stop that dedicated horde from pouncing once Homer’s General Manager Mike Fratt swings wide the door at 10 a.m.

While they stand, Fratt says line-waiters will be serenaded by Saddle Creek Records band Twinsmith (starting at 9:15), and there’s talk of donuts, breakfast burritos and coffee to keep their energy levels up.

“Of course we ordered a gargantuan amount of product this year, even more than last year,” Fratt said of RSD merchandise. Fratt rattled off a long list of special edition merch that Homer’s is offering tomorrow in this week’s Lazy-i Podcast (listen to it here or below). Among the goodies is an exclusive pressing of 311’s Hydroponic, originally a cassette-only local release. Fratt said it was pressed in small quantities for the 311 Fan Club. “They allowed us to buy some directly from them, so we’ll have 50 of those,” Fratt said. “We’ll be the only retailer in the country with that item.”

Among the items Fratt listed in the podcast is RSD releases by Metallica, Bruce Springsteen, Johnny Cash, Citizen Dick (fake band from the movie Singles), Graham Parsons, Black Keys, Freedy Johnston, Bob Dylan, Foo Fighters, White Stripes, The Replacements, Miles Davis, Elvis Presley. Fratt said there is somewhere around 450 releases, and he bought so much stock that he’s “nervous.”

What record store owner wouldn’t be when you consider that vinyl is “one way” and stores can’t return unsold stock. Fratt said Homer’s still has some RSD merch from previous years in the bins. In the podcast, he talks about the risks involved in RSD for retailers, efforts to keep product out of the marketplace before the official RSD start time, and the impact on small labels. Give it a listen.

Along with Almost Music and Homer’s, records stores Drastic Plastic and the Saddle Creek Shop also are participating in Record Store Day Saturday.

Drastic Plastic Records (DPR) is releasing fan-favorite songs by Bauhaus, Love and Rockets, and Tones on Tail with the release of Daniel Ash’s album, Stripped. “The double record pressed on 180 gram yellow vinyl, features these songs reimagined and re-worked by Ash into infectious, synth-driven, dance music and also includes one new song titled, ‘Come On,‘” said DPR in a release.

* * *

So what’s going on this weekend?

Tonight (Friday) Super Ghost plays at The Barley Street Tavern with Blue Bird and Two Drag Club. $5, 9 p.m.

Also tonight Mat Shoare headlines at fabulous OLeaver’s with Uh Oh and Nathan Ma and the Rosettes. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Saturday is Earth Day (in Omaha anyway). The Earth Day folks are having their usual bash in Elmwood Park all day, and it includes the usual live stage.  The most notable performer on the schedule is McCarthy Trenching at 3 p.m. It’s free.

And then Saturday night is a show dear to me heart: The Hear Nebraska Vol. 3 Compilation release show at The Waiting Room, just in time for Record Store Day. Headlining the festivities is Ladyfinger, who’s joined by the beloved Jake Bellows and hip-hop act Both.

HN Compilation Vol. 3 features tracks from all three of the above bands, along with tracks by John Klemmensen and the Party, Josh Hoyer and the Shadowboxers, Cursive, M34n St33t, Halfwit, Outlaw Con Bandana and The Bottle Tops. You need this limited edition vinyl. Pick up a copy at the show. Cover is $7, and it starts at 9 p.m.

Also Saturday night, Clarence Tilton celebrates the release of their debut CD at the Reverb Lounge. Opening is Monday Mourners and Kelly Maxwell. $7, 9 p.m.

Finally Sunday night Captured Tracks artist The Soft Moon a.k.a. Luis Vasquez plays at the Reverb Lounge with Noveller. $12, 9 p.m.

That’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend.

* * *

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 © 2015 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

The Nebraska Folk and Roots Festival is July 31-Aug. 1.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Catching up on some old news…

Lincoln music impresario Jeremy Buckley announced last week the line-up to the 2015 Nebraska Folk and Roots Festival July 31–August 1 at Branched Oak Farm, 15 minutes northwest of Lincoln.

Note that this is about half of the overall lineup. More touring bands are in the works.

Desert Noises (Provo)
Kill County (Austin, Detroit, Nebraska)
Eros & the Eschaton (Colorado Springs)
Victor & Penny (Kansas City)
The Way Down Wanderers (Chicago)
All Young Girls Are Machine Guns (Omaha)
Brad Hoshaw & the Seven Deadlies (Omaha)
Jack Hotel (Lincoln)
Lloyd McCarter & the Honky Tonk Revival (Lincoln)
Bud Heavy & the High Lifes (Lincoln)
The Bottle Tops (Lincoln)
Mesonjixx (Lincoln)
Evan Bartels & the Stoney Lonesomes (Lincoln)
Toasted Ponies (Lincoln)
Dr. John Walker (Lincoln)

Sayeth Buckley: “All access passes will be available online at ticketfly.com and at select retail locations in Lincoln (check www.nebraskafolkandroots.com for locations) for $20 until the overall lineup is announced and at that point tickets will go up to $25 and daily passes will be available for $15. We expect to announce the full lineup including pre-parties in mid-May. The all access pass includes admission to all pre-parties. We will also be offering $50 VIP passes that include an all access pass, 2 meal tickets, 4 drink tickets, a t-shirt, poster and koozie.”

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What else…

Desaparecidos released a new rock video yesterday for the song “City on the Hill,” off their upcoming Epitaph release, Payola, out June 23. Check it. The band also announced a handful of additional tour dates in June.

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There’s a new Tim Kasher song called “Half Full” that’s currently streaming on SoundCloud (below). It’s from a Record Store Day split single with Chris Farren of Fake Problems.

From the press release: “Tim Kasher (Cursive, The Good Life) and Chris Farren (Fake Problems) wrote and recorded one song each, and then passed only the lyrics and chords to one another. Next, the two recorded their interpretations of the other’s song, never having heard the original. The results are found here. Record Store Day limited edition on gray vinyl.” RSD is going to be fun this year.

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Speaking of RSD, make sure you check out this week’s podcast for an interview with Mike Fratt about what Homer’s is doing for Record Store Day this Saturday, plus Mike’s take on how this retail holiday is impacting labels and stores. It’s below, and if you’re going to listen to it, you better hurry. The SoundCloud version got taken down because of the Modest Mouse snippet used at the beginning of the podcast!

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Shows…

Omaha indie band Oquoa starts its April residency at fabulous O’Leaver’s tonight. Joining them is McCarthy Trenching and Universe Contest. This is the first of three April shows at The Club. Now you now have no excuse for not having checked these dudes out. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Also tonight there’s a Tom Waits tribute show at The Barley Street Tavern. Among the talent taking their stab at ol’ gravel pit is Brad Hoshaw, Scott Severin, Kait Berreckman, Jeremy Mercy and the Burkum Brothers, plus lots more. $5, 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 © 2015 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.