Sam Martin in the Sweatshop Gallery at Sweatfest, July 15, 2015. He’s playing tonight at O’Leaver’s.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Believe it or not, it’s been more than a month since I last went to a rock show. Last show attended: Christopher the Conquered at Slowdown, Jr., Dec. 16. I think this is the longest I’ve ever gone without seeing a show.

Hey, don’t look at me. The only shows booked have been the same local combos that play all the same clubs all the time. Is the lack of shows due to a lack of touring indie bands coming through town or unwillingness of local bookers to book them? Who knows.

What I do know is that I’ll be back in circulation this weekend thanks to a couple “can’t miss” local shows going on, both of them at fabulous O’Leaver’s.

The first is tonight when Gramps (that’s the band headed by Django Greenblatt-Seay of Love Drunk Studio) opens for Sam Adams Martin and Karen Meat & the Computer at the aforementioned O’Leaver’s. Gramps is always a good time, and Sam Martin is something of a genius songwriter. I don’t know anything about Ms. Meat other than she’s from Des Moines and, based on the following track, has a knack for Phil Spector-ish garage rock a la early Camera Obscura. Check for yourself. Show starts at 9:30 and will run you five clams.

Also tonight, Those Far Out Arrows headlines at Slowdown Jr. with surf dudes The Sub-Vectors and Big Slur, the electronic project by Dan Scheuerman, formerly of Deleted Scenes. $7, 9 p.m.

And Milk Run is hosting a show tonight featuring Bed Rest, Minneapolis band The Crash Bandits and No•Getter. $5, 9 p.m.

Then tomorrow is the 5th Annual Take Cover benefit for Hear Nebraska at O’Leavers, the show I wrote about yesterday. Lots o’ local bands covering lots of other local bands (plus playing a song of their own). They’ll be asking for a $10 donation at the door, which goes to feed those hungry Hear Nebraska kids. Come on, open up your heart. Show starts at 9.

Also Saturday night Austin trio BUHU plays at Reverb Lounge. Their new album, Relationshapes, was released earlier this month by FMF Records. Lineman’s Rodeo opens. $7, 9 p.m.

And that’s all I got for this weekend. Have a great one as we all prepare to hunker down for next week’s snowmageddon.

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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 © 2016 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

The 5th Annual Take Cover benefit for Hear Nebraska is Saturday at O’Leaver’s.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Gotta wonder how fabulous O’Leaver’s is going to handle the crowds Saturday night for Hear Nebraska’s Take Cover Pt. 5. I mean, if all the bands performing were to show up at once the club would be at capacity. Where are the fans gonna sit?

The premise every year for Take Cover is the same: A local band covers another local band and also plays a song of their own. This year’s line-up, which was announced Tuesday, has a number of interesting match-ups:

— High Up is covering Digital Leather’s “Studs in Love.” The song has been covered by others (most notably The Hussy on last year’s DL/Hussy split), but High Up will undoubtedly bring something unique to their rendition.

— CJ Mills is covering High Up’s “Two Weeks,” my personal favorite High Up song and one that will demand an insane level of energy for Mills to pull off.

— Well Aimed Arrows is covering Millions of Boys’ “Girl’s Name.” Like a sonic Reese’s peanut butter cup, two of my favorites together in one tasty treat. How will WAA strip this one down to its bare essentials?

— Mint Wad Willy is covering Digital Leather’s “Young Doctors in Love.” Can a band who has more in common with Wilco pull off this post-punk-style gem from a few years back? Digital Leather appears to be the favorite for covers this year, and deservedly so. It’s a shame they’re not covering someone themselves…

— Eric in Outerspace is covering Noah’s Ark Was a Spaceship’s “Wrecking Ball Girl.” This one seems like an obvious combination stylistically, though EiO could make the tune sound even grittier.

There’s more, lot’s more. Check out the lineup at Hear Nebraska. Again, the show is Saturday night at O’Leaver’s. Admission is a $10 donation at the door. The fun starts at 9 p.m. 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 © 2016 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

After last week’s barrage of news I’m scraping to fill an update this week.

Let’s start with this new Love Drunk video featuring The Good Life performing “Flotsam Locked Into a Groove” of the band’s last album, Everybody’s Coming Down. The video was shot on Slowdown’s big stage last November. This info comes courtesy of Roger Lewis, who says he’s in Iceland (presumably visiting Bjork?) before heading to Europe to start the band’s next tour alongside Big Harp. It just never ends.

What else…

One Percent Productions came out with their weekly shows announcement. Notable among the new listings are Foxing March 3 at Slowdown, Kurt Vile and the Violators April 9 at The Waiting Room and Brian Jonestown Massacre May 15 at The Waiting Room.

Brooklyn Vegan reported that Anton Newcombe and Co. are spending a month stateside including an appearance at Levitation Festival in Austin April 29-May 1. Perhaps an alternative to SXSW?

Also playing Levitation is the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson, performing Pet Sounds, and it just so happens that Mr. Wilson also will be rolling through our area, playing Stir Cove July 17. Tix go on sale Friday.

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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 © 2016 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

High Up at Reverb Lounge July 25, 2015. The band plays Saturday night at The Slowdown.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Here’s the rundown for the weekend, none of which is brought to you by The Knitting Factory…

Tonight at fabulous O’Leaver’s Silversphere headlines. Never heard of them? Neither have I, though the listing indicates that Silversphere includes members of legendary local duo The Lepers. Also on the bill are Ruby Block and DWNR. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Also tonight, Milk Run has Chicago power-pop dude Sam Vicari, whose most recent LP came out on Sip City Records. Opening are The Fat Timmys (hey now) and Briner. $7, 8 p.m.

That wraps it up for Friday night.

Saturday night 2015 break-out band High Up headlines at The Slowdown. This is the blue-eyed soul band you’ve been dreaming about. Also on the bill is KC band Yes You Are, the project headlined by Kianna Alarid, who you might remember from a little ol’ band called Tilly and the Wall. Kianna talks about those Tilly days and her new band in this lengthy Kansas City Star article. Carl Miller & The Thrillers kick things off at 9 p.m. $5

Meanwhile, back at O’Leaver’s Saturday night Lincoln rockers Red Cities headlines a bill that includes the always-mesmerizing Domestica. Bullet Proof Hearts open at 9:30. $5.

If that weren’t enough, everyone’s favorite garage band Sucettes (featuring Dave Goldberg and Jeremiah McIntyre, among others) headlines at The Brothers Lounge Saturday night. Warming up the corner for them is Lineman’s Rodeo and David Nance Band. No price shown for this one, but I suspect it’ll be around $5. Starts at 9:30.

Finally, back at Milk Run, Omaha emo heroes Super Ghost headlines another emo bill that includes a bunch of emo bands that are new to me: Mighty Ships, Secret Stuff and The Foxery. It’s another show where the promoter forgot to list the price, so I’m guessing around $5. Starts at 9 p.m.

That’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great 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 © 2016 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

The Slowdown’s booking will now be handled in part by Knitting Factory Entertainment.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Yesterday Pollstar reported that Knitting Factory Entertainment has signed a deal to book The Slowdown. The article doesn’t say much more than that.

I asked Jason Kulbel, who runs The Slowdown, it if means KF will be routing acts through the venue, and if Jason or someone will be filling in the gaps with local promotions/shows. “You got it,” he said.

So, is he psyched or freaked out by the change?

“A little of both… I mean, it’s change right?,” he said. “In the long run I think it will be a great thing for us.” Kulbel went on to mention that former booker Joe Teplitsky no longer is employed by Slowdown, something Teplitsky announced on Facebook a couple weeks ago.

Knitting Factory appears to book eight other clubs in addition to Slowdown, judging by their website. It’s hard to say what kind of bands they book, though. If you go to the site and click the KF Presents dropdown you’ll see bookings for Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn, Beatles cover band 1964 The Tribute, comedian Lewis Black, Joanna Newsom, piano dude Ethan Bortnick and so on.

Having glanced at the Knitting Factory NYC calendars over the years, they’ve never focused on any single genre. I suspect their bookings at Slowdown will be all over the board, from pop to blues to R&B to rock and even some indie.

“I wouldn’t really tag them with any genre or type of band,” Kulbel said. “If anything, they take more of a ‘book the bands that people want to come out to see’ (approach). We, of course, have taken more of that approach over the years as well.”

Who knows how many actual dates KF will fill on the Slowdown calendar. What will continue is the usual assortment of local bands and events that Slowdown has historically booked to fill out their calendar. And yes, 1% Productions will have access to booking Slowdown just like any other local promoter or band.

“(Slowdown is) still available for outside promoters as before,” Kulbel said. “This is really just an uptick in in-house booking.” As for who gets first dibs on the rooms: “There’s not a preference per se. First one to finalize a date with booking agents, bands, etc., gets it. Same way our calendar has always worked.”

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Tonight La Buvette is hosting a very special show — a fundraiser for former staff at M’s Pub, which burned down last week. Performing is Orenda Fink, Ted Stevens, Sean Pratt & the Sweats, and Simply Jake. Show starts at 9 and suggested donation is $10. La Buvette is located at 511 So. 11th in the heart of the Old Market.

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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 © 2016 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

I was going back and forth yesterday with booker Craig Dee about who exactly is in new O’Leaver’s supergroup Chick Pee (yet another in a series of cleverly drafted award-winning band names from the folks who brought you Peace of Shit and Dumb Beach.)  (By the way, members of Chick Pee are Johnny Vredenburg and Jeff Lambelet of Digital Leather and  Austin Ulmer of Dumb Beach, all three are former members of legendary blood-punk band The Shanks).

…when Craig asked who I was looking forward to seeing on the just-released O’Leaver’s gig calendar other than Chick Pee (who play March 21, opening for Memphis band Manatees). I turned it around and asked Craig the same question.

Among the high fliers he pointed out that are set to play on the vaunted O’Leaver’s stage:

— Athens band Mothers, who plays O’Leaver’s Feb. 16. Started as a solo project by frontwoman Kristine Leschper, the four-piece’s debut album was produced by Drew Vandenberg (who’s mixed/engineered Deerhunter and Of Montreal albums). In fact, Mothers toured with Of Montreal last fall. Their single “It Hurts Until It Doesn’t” has just shy of 600,000 spins in Spotify. They are red hot. NYC label Grand Jury will release Mothers’ debut this year.

— LA duo Dirty Dishes plays at The Club Feb. 20. Their debut, Guilty, was released on Exploding in Sound records last year and includes the single “Red Roulette,” which has around 150k Spotify spins.

— Seattle garage-glam band Wild Powwers, who plays O’Leaver’s March 4, have a new album coming out called Hugs And Kisses And Other Things.

Other March O’Leaver’s gigs include Mamiffer (Isis frontman and Hydra Head Records founder Aaron Turner) March 28, Brooklyn band TEEN (Carpark Records) on March 31, as well as two more yet-to-be-announced O’Leaver’s shows by Naytronix (member of Tuneyards) and Athens band New Madrid.

Add to O’Leaver’s list God Speed! You Black Emperor Feb 10 at The Slowdown, Eleanor Friedberger Feb. 27 at Reverb, and Titus Andronicus / Craig Finn March 11 at Lookout Lounge and the calendar starts to look impressive.

We just need to get through January first.

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There’s actually a pretty interesting show tonight at Milk Run. Burger Records Portland duo Love Cop (read about them here at Hear Nebraska) headlines a bill that includes Thick Paint, Little Ripple and The Way Out. $6, 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 © 2016 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

I did not venture out into the blackness of the cold, cold night this weekend. Maybe all the touring indie bands are avoiding Omaha because they know how friggin’ cold it is here, and that lazy sots such as myself would never brave the wind chills for their performances. Maybe.

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Last night was the 10th Annual Omaha Entertainment and Arts Awards (OEAA) held somewhere downtown. Notable winners include See Through Dresses, John Klemmensen, Dan Brennan, Twinsmith, Dereck Higgins and BJ Huchtemann, who was honored for her years of carrying the torch for local blues in The Reader. You can See the full list of winners here. Congratulations to all!

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Though I wasn’t there, I saw via Facebook the return of former Digital Sex frontman Stephen Sheehan to the stage Friday night as part of a tribute to David Bowie at The Waiting Room. Digital Sex was a remarkable Nebraska band from the ’80s that also included OEAA winner Dereck Higgins whose sound epitomized the post-punk era. What will Sheehan do next?

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Last night a blizzard of social media posts announced the 2016 Maha Music Festival date — August 20, again at Stinson Park Aksarben Village. There had been some rumblings after last year’s sell-out success that Maha would expand to two days or at least do something the night before the day show, but that appears to not be the case. So how will they top last year? As one guy recently pointed out: Why do they need to top last year? Wouldn’t they be considered just as much of a success if they were to match last year’s attendance? Maybe, maybe…

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It’s a night of emo at Milk Run this evening when Nashville band Free Throw takes the stage. Joining them are Young & Heartless, Sinai Vessel and Bed Rest. $10, 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 © 2016 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Catching up on Netflix…

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

One good thing about not having any touring indie rock bands playing in Omaha week after week — I’m catching up on my Netflix cue.

I’m up to episode 5 of Making a Murderer (and dreading the ending — how does something like this happen in our country?), and will be watching Mozart in the Jungle on Amazon Prime.

Needless to say, there are no touring indie bands coming through town again this weekend. In fact, I see nothing substantial on the horizon until the end of the month and into February.

That doesn’t mean there isn’t anything to do this weekend.

Tonight at fabulous O’Leaver’s the infamous Bloodcow returns. Expect much mayhem and the occasional Hail Xenu! Agronomo featuring Dereck Higgins opens the evening and the Big Al Band headlines. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Over at Barley Street Tavern Uh Oh headlines with Can’t Won’t, Getchasum and A Fight Within the Mastersleep. $5, 9 p.m.

Kansas City emo band SeaKings headlines at Reverb Lounge with Relax, It’s Science and No Getter. $5, 9 p.m.

And The Waiting Room is hosting a David Bowie tribute tonight performed by Bennie and the Gents. The Beatseekers opens. $8, 9 p.m.

Tomorrow night (Saturday) Montee Men take over the O’Leaver’s stage. With Jump the Tiger and The Brigadiers. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Also Saturday night, Milk Run is hosting a benefit for the Omaha Zine Fest, an event slated for March 12.  “Help us raise funds to offset the cost for local and regional zinesters to come to town and showcase their work.” Where does one find these ‘zines? Anyway, performing Saturday night are Bien Fang, Rogue Moon, Sean Pratt and the Sweats and Razors. $5 donation suggested. Show starts at 9:30.

That’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great 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 © 2016 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Matthew Sweet center stage at the 1200 Club March 28, 2015. Sweet gave an update on his upcoming album.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Did you participate in Matthew Sweet’s Kickstarter campaign back in the summer of 2014? Wondering where the new album is that had an estimated delivery date of April 2015?

Well, Sweet chimed in with an update yesterday to campaign contributors saying that recording has been completed, mostly.

“All the songs I recorded with Ric in October are sung and essentially finished,” he wrote. “Over the next few days, I’ll be writing the very last songs of the project. That’s right, there will be a final batch!…Looks like the final tally will be around 33 songs. Everyone should know I am working, listening and scheming all the time to make this extra special.”

Sweet said later this month The Bangles’ Debbi Peterson will be coming to Omaha to record the very last batch of drums. Other guest musicians for the record have included Greg Leisz, and Val McCallum (who have worked with Lucinda Williams, Eric Clapton and Jackson Browne), Darian Sahanaja (Brian Wilson, Zombies, the Wondermints) and Al Jardine of the Beach Boys. There are a ton more.

“This last batch (of recordings) should be done by April, and detail and guest work for the first 24 songs will also continue til then,” Sweet said. “Then I will be mixing the album in earnest into May. From experience I would say it is very likely the record and rewards will be delivered sometime this summer.”

Gotta love Kickstarter.

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New music is starting to take form for 2016.

Damien Jurado has a new album, Visions of Us on the Land, coming out March 18 on Secretly Canadian. Here’s the first single:

Matador announced that their recent signing, HÆLOS, will see their label debut, Full Circle, released March 18. Here’s the first single, “Oracle.” Very trippy.

And Saddle Creek act The Thermals announced their new album, We Disappear, comes out March 25. Here’s the first single, “Hey You”:

Much more to come…

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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 © 2016 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

David Bowie – 1947-2016

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

I woke up and discovered that David Bowie had died of cancer at the age of 69. Did anyone see it coming? I’d read he’d been ill a few years ago, but then figured he’d recovered, what with the release of The Next Day in 2013 and Blackstar just last week. Now it appears Blackstar was his swan song and parting gift. Its reception was greeted with open arms — critics and fans love the album. Would the way it was received been skewed had we’d known he was dying? Probably. Instead, Bowie went out creatively on top, with people pointing to Blackstar as a triumphant return. And we’re all left wondering what just happened. Somewhere he and Lou Reed are laughing together and saying, “Just play the bloody albums.”

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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 © 2016 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.