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.