by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Here’s what we got for the weekend…

Tonight at fabulous O’Leaver’s it’s Minneapolis band Author. Radio station The Current described the trio’s latest album, 2015’s Of Brighter Days, as “the sort of album John Lennon might have made in 1994 if he’d survived to collaborate with Jon Brion.” Haughty praise. Listen to the album below and decide for yourself if that’s accurate. Also on the bill are LA band Sea Cycles and Eklectica. $7, 9:30 p.m.

And that’s all I see for tonight.

Tomorrow night (Saturday) is another story.

Easily one of the most talked about band debuts in recent memory goes down Saturday night at O’Leaver’s. CLOSENESS (all caps, not sure why) is a collaboration between Orenda Fink of Azure Ray fame and her husband, Todd Fink of The Faint and Digital Leather. They’re describing their music as “haunting and hypnotic electronic songs.” A lot of people are interested in this debut. Opening the bill is Thick Paint, a hot new project by Reptar’s Graham Patrick Ulicny, and spaced_bar. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Then there’s the annual Big Al’s Music Festival, happening all afternoon and evening Saturday at Lookout Lounge. This is the 9th year for BAMF, a free concert featuring a bunch of local bands, this year including the amazing Wagon Blasters (8:45 set), Mike Saklar playing old Ravine songs (9:30) and Relax, It’s Science (10:14), among others. In addition, Big Al Band will be closing out the show (11:45). See the full schedule here. This also is a food drive, so bring your canned stuff, all of which will go toward Food Bank for the Heartland.

Finally, Sunday it’s O’Leaver’s beer garden grand opening. It’s a shame that it’ll probably be cold and raining all day. The night’s festivities include Iska Dhaaf (which you read about here) opening for Annalibera. Also on the bill are Haunted Gauntlet and Mike Schlesinger & Sean Pratt. $5, 9 p.m.

And that is it. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a wet and wild 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.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

First, thanks to those who noticed that the site was down last night. Seems to have been some sort of data-limit issue. We’re back and better than ever.

There’s actually two reasons to see Iska Dhaaf this Sunday at fabulous O’Leaver’s. The first reason is highlighted below — great band. The second reason is that Sunday is the grand opening of O’Leaver’s massive, out-of-this-world beer garden. Yes, I know the new patio was open to the public last fall, but The Club is celebrating its “official” opening Sunday starting at 11.  You can read the whole story behind O’Leaver’s new beer garden in this rather large story that appeared in The Reader last October.

Onward to Iska Dhaaf…

Iska Dhaaf plays O’Leaver’s Sunday, May 1.

Ten Questions with Iska Dhaaf

New York City-based duo Iska Dhaaf’s beautiful, tonal, layered, electronic songs pulse with pop-click-bang rhythms that race like a jackrabbit’s heartbeat. On their new album, The Wanting Creature (2016, Brick Lane Records) Nathan Quiroga’s and Benjamin Verdoes’ voices intertwine in an elegant, ghostly ballet that perfectly complements their songs’ haunting stories of modern life with all its complications.

I asked Nate and Benjamin to take our Ten Questions survey. Here’s what they had to say (seemingly in unison):

1. What is your favorite album?

Iska Dhaaf: Kid A by Radiohead

2. What is your least favorite song?

The “Chicken Song” that they play at roller skating rinks. Also, that song by Edwin McCain, “I’ll Be,” or whatever it’s called, is a close second. I hate these songs with a deep unbridled passion. I resent the question, because now they’re stuck in my head.

3. What do you enjoy most about being in a band?

Writing songs and traveling around the world with my best friend to perform them.

4. What do you hate about being in a band?

Business/promotion is probably the worst aspect.

5. What is your favorite substance (legal or illegal)?

Orange juice, or most variations of fruit.

6. In what city or town do you love to perform?

Paris is really amazing.

7. What city or town did you have your worst gig (and why)?

In general, even in the worst venues and towns we find a way to enjoy ourselves and connect with people. There have been plenty of strange and sparsely attended shows, but they’re all valuable.

8. How do you pay your bills?

Strategically and usually with a sense of unease.

9. What one profession other than music would you like to attempt; what one profession would you absolutely hate to do?

Writing novels, short stories, or films. I would hate to be a mortician.

10. What are the stories you’ve heard about Omaha, Nebraska?

I haven’t heard that many. Most of them are in songs that came from Saddle Creek bands. Nate saw his first Fire-Fly there, though. That’s a nice story.

Iska Dhaaf plays with Annalibera, Haunted Gauntlet and Mike Schlesinger & Sean Pratt Sunday, May 1, at O’Leaver’s, 1322 Saddle Creek Rd. Showtime is 9 p.m. Admission is $5. For more information, go to liveatoleavers.com.

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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.

Jason Meyer in Talking Mountain.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

I first met Jason Meyer back in 2010 for this article that was also published in The Reader. It was an interview with his band Talking Mountain that focused in part on my love of their song “The Abominable Abdominal Snowman,” arguably one of the best songs ever produced by any Nebraska band. Arguably. Look, any song about a snowman obsessed with weight lifting is going to be on that list.

My only regret having seen Talking Mountain at least a dozen times over the course of their short existence was never buying one of their muppet-like fur masks worn during performances (though I can only imagine how it would have smelled).

After Talking Mountain came the first iteration of Feel Tight, a self-proclaimed (in this article from August 2014) “black-prog-stoner-doom” rock band. Around the same time, Meyer was in psych-rock band Calm Fur (seen here from December 2014).

Now comes a new iteration of Feel Tight, or The Feel Tight, as Meyer referred to it in a recent email, which stated that “...a new/first album is well underway with a whole new line-up…” Included in the email was a link to the following rather bizarre video.

Who’s going to be playing alongside Meyer in this new interation of The Feel Tight is still a mystery, though we have an idea how it’ll sound: “(The band is) taking on a pretty cool Krautrock, proggy feel. My old roommate Dan turned me on to Neu!, and that influence is very much there, but heavier.”

Sounds like the new album will include some interesting guests that Meyer has crossed paths with on his trips to Oklahoma, which makes sense since to me, Meyer has always been Omaha’s version of Wayne Coyne.

Check out where he’s evolved to now…

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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

Pssst… word on the street is that tonight’s Napalm Death / Melvins concert with Melt Banana at The Waiting Room is nearly sold out. Best get your tickets while you can.

Quick note: The Ten Questions articles (like the one below), launched a month or so ago, are also published online in The Reader. I posted this one Saturday, and somehow it got picked up somewhere because the story has more than 400 likes on The Reader website, which is some kind of record for one of their articles.

Please to enjoy…

Buzz Osborne of Melvins. The band plays The Waiting Room tonight. Photo by Mackie Osborne.

What can I say about Melvins? The band whose sound influenced all things heavy — from grunge to stoner to alternative metal — has been playing their brand of grindingly hard rock for more than 30 years.

The list of bands influenced by Melvins is a Who’s Who of modern metal, from Mastodon to Sun O))) to Queens of the Stone Age, and, of course, Nirvana. In fact, the story goes that Melvins’ guitarist/vocalist/madman Buzz Osborne (a.k.a. King Buzzo) introduced Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic to Dave Grohl. It was Nirvana’s unexpected success that helped get Melvins signed to Atlantic Records, who released their masterpiece Houdini in 1993.

Now 23 years later, Melvins will release Basses Loaded June 3 on Ipecac. The record features six bass players including Steve McDonald of Redd Kross and OFF!, who will be playing alongside Buzzo and Dale Crover when Melvins play The Waiting Room Monday, April 25.

I asked Buzz Osborne to take our Ten Questions survey. Here’s his answers. Enjoy.

1. What is your favorite album?

Buzz Osborme: Bitches Brew by Miles Davis

2. What is your least favorite song?

“Happy Birthday”

3. What do you enjoy most about being in a band?

I’m in it for the chicks.

4. What do you hate about being in a band?

Not enough chicks.

5. What is your favorite substance (legal or illegal)?

Asbestos

6. What city or town do you love performing at?

Omaha, of course.

7. What city or town did you have your worst gig (and why)?

Maynardville, Tenn.

8. How do you pay your bills?

I sell drugs.

9. What one profession other than music would you like to attempt; what one profession would you absolutely hate to do?

Paid philosopher; testing drugs

10. What are the stories you’ve heard about Omaha, Nebraska?

I hear they have really good steakhouses and excellent topless bars.

Melvins plays with Napalm Death and Melt Banana Monday, April 25, at The Waiting Room, 6212 Maple St. Showtime is 8 p.m. Tickets are $20. For more information, visit onepercentproductions.com

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Well, that Encounter Magazine profile of yours truly finally made it online, right here. Give it a read. Writer James Walmsley did a fantastic job summarizing my life in music journalism/criticism.

Also note, the photo that appears with the story is (probably) the only time my image has appeared on the internet, at least where I’m identified, though I’ve had people tell me they still can’t tell what I look like based on this photo. Kudos to Bill Sitzmann for not revealing too much. BTW, yes, I’m wearing a vintage Mercy Rule T-shirt in the shot.

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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.

Passion Pit is the 2016 Maha Music Festival headliner.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Before I get started, I’ve had a few people ask me what I think of this year’s Maha Music Festival line-up, which was announced last night. Maybe a half-dozen, not a lot. The bottom line: It doesn’t matter what I or anyone else thinks of the line-up as long as it sells tickets.

This isn’t an art show, it’s a rock concert, and the decisions made by the talented board of Maha, while taking into consideration the quality of the bands and their music, very likely also considered how well the bands would draw. What are the bands’ “metrics”? How well does the band do in Spotify? How many Facebook fans does it have? What is its track record at other festivals? How big is its YouTube presence? Does the band have strong “buzz” — whatever that means? And so on.

Add to all that this very important question: How much is it going to cost?

If someone were to ask me to curate a music festival, two things would happen — either virtually no one would show up, or the bands would cost well north of a million dollars. In the first instance, I’d select bands that, while respected in the indie community, are virtually unknown beyond the 300 or so who are ensconced in the local indie music scene, or I’d pick bands like Beck or Arcade Fire or LCD Soundsystem that demand a bazillion-dollar contract.

Either way, my festival would lose money.

So, no it doesn’t matter what I think of the line-up. Or what some snobby guy or gal who’s really into garage rock or ’80s ambient bands or obscure Euro-dance acts or ancient glam bands thinks, especially if that guy or gal has never bought a ticket to past Maha festivals. What matters is that the thing sells. And this line-up looks like it’ll (probably) sell quite well.

Passion Pit is the headliner. I’ve seen them before at SXSW early in their careers, back when Michael Angelakos and his band were lost in the blur of bands that sound like Vampire Weekend and Phoenix and MGMT. I didn’t keep up with them other than their song “Take a Walk,” which was turned into a Taco Bell commercial. I couldn’t tell you the name of their last album or if a local radio station plays their music.

But I assume they have very strong “metrics” or they wouldn’t be the headliner, and lo and behold, taking a look at their Spotify numbers, their 10 “popular” tracks in Spotify have a total of just under 300 million plays.

Grimes at the 9th & Trinity parking garage, SXSW, March 16, 2012.

Grimes, who is sort of a co-headliner at Maha this year, has a lot fewer Spotify plays. Her top-10 add up to just under 100 million plays. I’ve also seen Grimes perform at SXSW a few years ago, right around the release of Visions, her 2012 breakthrough album. She played on the top level of a parking garage a few blocks north of 6th St., a performance that consisted of her standing behind a laptop computer with a guy playing guitar. I assume she’s picked things up a bit since then.

Passion Pit, who started out on Frenchkiss, is now a major-label (Columbia) pop act that plays a glossy style of dance music. Grimes’ last album came out on respected large-indie 4AD. I actually wouldn’t consider either of them dance bands, but that’s what they’re being marketed as, and clearly more people will be dancing to them then, say, Deathcab for Cutie.

Matthew Sweet and Jay Farrar appear to be nods toward the older Maha fan. Sweet has a rich back catalog and is from Lincoln. Farrar, a former member of Uncle Tupelo, is known for his work in Son Volt, and will be playing that band’s album, Trace, which came out more than 20 years ago (Matthew Sweet’s Girlfriend album was released 25 years ago).

I literally heard the name Vince Staples for the first time in conjunction with Maha. I’ve heard not a single note of his music, but when it comes to modern hip-hop, the only games in town for me are Kendrick and Kanye. Part of the fun of festivals is being introduced to new music. I’d never heard of Matisyahu prior to his appearance at Maha a few years ago (and, honestly, haven’t listened to him since).

Then there’s The Joy Formidable, a London-based alt rock band that records on major labels Atlantic and Warners. What can I say, I’ve only seen or heard them on TV. As an indie music fan, they’re out of my wheelhouse, but I’m looking forward to hearing them live.

Then we come to the festival’s sweet spot, for me, anyway. Car Seat Headrest, Diet Cig and See Through Dresses are young, important indie rock bands, all of whom have played in small clubs in Omaha before. CSH just played at Lookout Lounge. Diet Cig plays Slowdown the first week of May and STD is, of course, local heroes who are breaking nationally. These are the bands I’m most excited to see. Combined, they probably couldn’t sell out The Waiting Room, so hats off to Maha for taking a chance on them.

The other locals, Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal and CJ Mills, uphold Maha’s fine tradition of booking quality local acts.

Finally, I saw Diarrhea Planet a few years ago at SXSW. Back then they were sort of a power-pop-punk act. Their novelty-flavored name will raise some eyebrows among the Maha sponsors, but, let’s face it, their name is their most offensive attribute.

The buzz before yesterday’s announcement was that Maha is reaching toward a younger, more dance-loving audience. Maybe, maybe… I don’t view any of the bands on the bill to be dance-focused acts, though they certainly have a more lively beat to their music than some of the previous Maha acts. As for skewing “younger,” how is this line-up skewing any younger than last year’s bands like Alvvays, Speedy Ortiz or Purity Ring?

Will it sell out? We’ll have to wait and see, though if it does, I can’t see the demand for tickets being much higher than last year’s sell out. Maha seems to be settling in on Stinson and a sub-10,000 ticket audience. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

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Onto the weekend.

Tonight Sam Martin headlines a show at fabulous O’Leaver’s. Sam has a new album coming out called Get with the Programmed, and methinks we may be hearing songs from that tonight. Also on the bill are Muscle Cousins (Andy from Capgun Coup) and Javid & the Qualified Suspects (Javid, I assume, is Javid Dabestani, because really, how many Javids can there be in Nebraska?). $5, 9 p.m.

Also tonight, a fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity is being held at The Slowdown. Featured acts include Satchel Grande, Matt Whipkey and Kethro. $15, 9 p.m. More info here.

Tomorrow night Omaha’s hottest new combo, High Up, headlines at Milk Run. The full band will take up half the space on their own. Just kidding, Milk Run. Also on the bill are Halfloves and Ridgelines. Tickets are $5 Adv./$7 DOS. Show starts at 9 p.m.

Also Saturday night, singer/songwriter Anna McClellan plays at The Sydney. Also on the bill are Emily Ward and Rogue Moon. $5, 9 p.m.

And you’ll have another chance to see Clarence Tilton at The Barley Street Saturday night. The band opens for The Bottle Tops and The Hanging Cowboys. Bring your boots and hat, pahdner. $5, 9 p.m.

Then comes Sunday and that sold out Frankie Cosmos show featuring Eskimeaux, Yowler and Anna McClellan. Sold out means sold out. Starts early 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.

Far too young to die…

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

CNN just now at 12:30 confirmed that Prince has died. It’s the only news that matters today.

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Tonight’s the Maha Music folks will announce the line-up for the 2016 festival, to be held Aug. 20 in Stinson Park.

Here’s the deal: I and my friends in the media already know who’s playing. We received an embargoed press release last week and were told to keep mum until after the big announcement event, which takes place tonight at Reverb Lounge from 6 to 7:30. I think it’s fair to say you’re going to be surprised at what you hear.

They’ve been sending out clues this week via their instagram page (@mahafestival),  but the best clue comes from the mahamusicfestival.com website.

“Maha’s got a great beat. You can totally dance to it. Even if the only part of your body moving is your eyebrows, it really doesn’t matter so long as something’s moving and music’s playing. Dust off those dancing shoes and start working on your Maha moves.” 

The implication is that Maha will be booking dance-focused acts this year. I’ll leave that up to you as to whether that description fits the line-up. More than that, I cannot say, other than to swing by the Reverb event tonight, which is free. And if you can’t, well, just watch social media. I’ll let you know what I think about the line-up tomorrow, right here.

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Why am I not surprised that the April 24 Frankie Cosmos concert at Milk Run has already sold out? Forget that Cosmos’ new album, Next Thing (Bayonet, 2016), received a “Best New Music” rating from Pitchfork, and the fact that Milk Run only holds about 100 people.

Instead, consider the overall line-up for Sunday’s show. In addition to Cosmos there’s Eskimeaux, whose new album, Year of the Rabbit, just earned a 6.8 on Pitchfork; Yowler, whose new album, The Office, just gained an 8.0 Pitchfork rating (and features Maryn Jones, who just played Milk Run with All Dogs), and Omaha’s own Anna McClellan, one of the hottest new singer/songwriters on the local scene. All for $10.

Yeah, I know it’s a Sunday, but it starts at 7 and should be done by 11 if Milk Run has its act together. This show marks the first “official” sell out of Milk Run, though I’m told that their recent Bib / Lemonade show drew a larger-than-sell-out crowd. Consider yourself lucky if you got a ticket.

All that said, let’s promote this sold out show a little more…

Frankie Cosmos plays at Milk Run Sunday, April 24.

Frankie Cosmos is Greta Kline, a NYC singer/songwriter/rocker who writes, sings and performs heartbeat-powered indie rock that recalls the best of K Records. That’s a shorthand way of saying her music is mostly quiet soul-searching personal love songs with a kick deftly supplied by a first-rate band that includes Aaron Maine of the band Porches.

It should be added (for the record) that Greta is the daughter of Kevin Kline and Phoebe Cates, which, one might say, doesn’t matter, but let’s face it, it does. You can’t grow up in that house surrounded by those people without having some talent rub off on you. It also shouldn’t matter that Pitchfork gave her latest album, Next Thing (Bayonet, 2016) an 8.5 rating and a “Best New Music” designation, but it does, because, let’s face it, lots of people read Pitchfork. All of this is part of the reason Sunday night’s show at Milk Run is sold out (that, and the fact that Milk Run is only slightly larger than my closet).

I asked Frankie a.k.a. Greta to take our Ten Questions survey and here’s what she had to say:

1. What is your favorite album?

Frankie Cosmos: One Foot In The Grave by Beck

2. What is your least favorite song?

I don’t usually listen to music that I don’t like so I don’t really know, but we listened to “Hoes in My Room” by Ludacris in the car today and it was pretty awful.

3. What do you enjoy most about being in a band?

Connecting with my bandmates when we play together.

4. What do you hate about being in a band?

Getting sick or feeling emotionally drained on tour sometimes.

5. What is your favorite substance (legal or illegal)?

Dogs or water.

6. In what city or town do you love to perform?

New York (my home)

7. What city or town did you have your worst gig (and why)?

No such thing as a bad gig. Our weirdest ever was in Fargo ND but it was still awesome.

8. How do you pay your bills?

Touring, and selling records and stuff.

9. What one profession other than music would you like to attempt; what one profession would you absolutely hate to do? 

I’d like to attempt teaching. I would hate to be an astronaut cause it’s like touring times a zillion (in terms of being away from home and out of ur element)

10. What are the stories you’ve heard about Omaha, Nebraska?

Yo I heard that Anna McClellan is from there. That’s a pretty good story.

Frankie Cosmos plays with Eskimeaux, Yowler and Anna McClellan Sunday, April 24, at Milk Run, 1907 Leavenworth St. Showtime is 9 p.m. The show is SOLD OUT. For more information, visit facebook.com/milkrunomaha

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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

Yesterday, Hear Nebraska announced that The Good Life will be the headliner on the first three dates of this year’s Good Living Tour. Finally the fine folks in Kearney, Grand Island and — yes, frickin’ Ord, Nebraska — will get to experience Tim Kasher’s dangerous hip-sways up-close-and-personal.

Sayeth The Kasher: “Hear Nebraska has charmed us with the reminder that Nebraska is far greater than just Omaha and Lincoln; I’m ecstatic to cruise along those highways less taken to revisit towns and cities I haven’t been to in awhile.” Or ever, Tim. Let’s be honest. Well, maybe Ord.

Other big names on this year’s Good Living Tour include See Through Dresses, Twinsmith, Clarence Tilton, Mezcal Brothers, Conchance and perennial Dwight Yoakam opening act Matt Whipkey, who will give Grant, Nebraska, population 1,137, an experience it’ll never forget.

Full lineup and schedule is at goodlivingtour.com. The whole thing kicks off July 21 in Ord. Gas up and go.

The Good Living Tour has become Hear Nebraska’s marquee event, a true outreach program that brings the music we take for granted to locations that rarely get a chance to see and hear live ORIGINAL music. There’s a lot of good reasons behind the Good Living Tour; maybe the best is that these concerts could inspire folks to pick up an instrument and make some music of their own…

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Walker Lukens plays The Slowdown April 20.

Austin’s Walker Lukens sings rock songs with a swagger, a swoon, a velvet edge that cuts through a retro-fueled funk like Frankie Valli with a shiv. His music struts, it sneers as Walker sings his stories about life and love in the big city.

On his one-sheet, they say he’s been compared to Nilsson (slightly off the mark), to Tom Waits (not sure why) and Pavement (a real head scratcher there). A closer comparison would be to Britt Daniel, which makes sense because lately Lukens has been working with Spoon’s Jim Eno, who (were told) is producing an upcoming Lukens album called Tell It to the Judge. No doubt you’ll be hearing song off that anticipated record when Lukens plays at The Slowdown Wednesday, April 20.

I threw down the Ten Questions gauntlet for Walker, and he crashed through it with great panache. Here’s what he had to say:

1.   What is your favorite album?

Walker Lukens: If Tusk and Bone Machine were mashed up that would be my favorite record.

2.   What is your least favorite song?

“Piano Man” rivaled closely by “American Pie.” Even when I’m in my car or at home, the opening notes of either song have me asking for the check.

3.   What do you enjoy most about being in a band?

Performing alone is like playing tennis against a wall. Who wants to watch someone play with themselves? Who can blame a singer for, after a while, letting the ball hit him in the head just to feel something different?

Playing with a group is like being on a rowing team. The song is the boat. The audience, the water. The band, the oarsmen. At best, I’m Washington standing at the bow in Scott Stapp pose, one foot on the monitor. Triumphant only by the grace of ye oarsmen. At worst, at least I don’t have to pretend to like tennis.

4.   What do you hate about being in a band?

I hate letting down my band. I hate group texting.

5.   What is your favorite substance (legal or illegal)?

I’m not gonna tell you how much I like molly unless you ensure that my mom can’t read this.

6. In what city or town do you love to perform?

Frankly, I like any town where more than 30 people come to the venue where I’m playing and stay through the set. City I like to play where the audiences are nonexistent? Memphis. City I like to play where the audiences are great but the city is subpar? Dallas. Awesome small town? Hot Springs, Ark.

7. What city or town did you have your worst gig (and why)?

I’ve played so many awful shows, you wouldn’t believe. Once, I brought a full band to play a coffee shop in Boone, New Hampshire, that in addition to not disclosing before arriving that they didn’t have a PA, didn’t want any music that required a PA. Once, I played at a venue in Mississippi so poorly grounded that I got shocked every time I sang. The only remedy in the given timeframe was putting the sound guy’s dirty sock onto the microphone.

8. How do you pay your bills?

I don’t walk out of gigs like the ones above. I teach. I fill excel spreadsheets full of data for hourly pay. I hang posters. I accept all free lunch offers.

9. What one profession other than music would you like to attempt; what one profession would you absolutely hate to do?

I would love to be a travel writer. I would hate to own a music venue.

10. What are the stories you’ve heard about Omaha, Nebraska?

All of my favorite bands from high school were from Omaha, so in a weird way I feel like I know lots of stories about Omaha. (Is Omaha on a Wednesday night going to feel like Wet From Birth?)

Walker Lukens plays with Enemy Plans (headliner) and Fontenelle, Wednesday, April 20, at Slowdown Jr., 729 No. 14th St. Showtime is 8 p.m. Tickets are $8 Adv/$10 DOS. For more information, visit theslowdown.com

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If you’re like me you’ve probably been sitting around wondering to yourself, “Whatever happened to Buckethead?” Well, you can find out tonight when the guy with the bucket on his head returns to The Waiting Room. No opening act listed, just Buckethead all. night. long. Show starts at 8 p.m., $25.

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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.

My Record Store Day 2016 haul…

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Well, another Record Store Day has come and gone and we’re all a little lighter in the wallet for it.

I purchased the majority of my booty down at Homer’s, which by early afternoon was still basking in the afterglow of the mob scene that it withstood earlier that day. Did I buy everything I wanted from the 2016 RSD collection? No, no. But I got what I needed. BTW, that Feelies recording is particularly sublime.

One of the Hi-Fi House sound systems.

I hit Drastic Plastic next, then after my trip downtown I checked out the mysterious Hi-Fi House that was celebrating RSD with an open house of its own. Located at the old Joseph’s College of Beauty building at 3724 Farnam St., the facility is first class all the way — a huge open, carpeted space with comfortable furniture arranged in circles throughout, centered around stereo equipment set-ups, like what I was told was an $80,000 system (shown above).

Part of the Hi-Fi House’s extensive vinyl library.

Behind the big room are a couple smaller ones. Inside the first is the Hi-Fi House’s album collection, or what I was told was merely a portion of the collection (which is spread out in locations around the country). A glance at the titles indicated that the music touches all genres. Some of it looked unplayed and was still sealed. There also were some interesting music-related items lying around, like a Patti Smith edition of a Pono Music Player — something I’ve never seen in real life.

Tucked further back in the building was the remnants of the Bomb Shelter Radio studio, which had been housed at Milk Run. One assumes the broadcasts will continue at Hi-Fi House. But I can’t tell you for sure as I still can’t get anyone from the organization to do an on-the-record interview. Hi-Fi House might be open but it’s still hush-hush, for now.

Chemicals at Hi-Fi House, April 16, 2016.

There was 20 or 30 people on hand at Hi-Fi House when Chemicals began its set. Of all the bands I’ve seen Dereck Higgins perform in since Digital Sex broke up, Chemicals was the most impressive. I don’t know much about jazz — or improvisational jazz for that matter — but I can still recognize great music played with fire and funk, and Chemicals was all of that. Higgins said during the set that the band was still in its development phase, but you couldn’t tell by Saturday’s performance.

The band includes guitarist Jacob Cubby Phillips and keyboardist Jake Reisdorff. Horns were provided by trumpeter Blake DeForest and the always amazing James Cuato on saxophone (and keyboards). But keeping it all together was gritty drummer John Evans crashing the beats with style and finesse, and of course Higgins himself at the center, one of Omaha’s greatest bassists holding it all together.

At first I wasn’t expecting much thanks to the long, unstructured noise collage that kicked things off, and then Evans cut through the clutter with a defined beat and Higgins dropped his bass line and we were on our way. This is modern, progressive rock jazz in the same vein as Kamasi Washington, progressive but tuneful and exciting, and well played. I’m sure there was a lot of improvisation going on, but there was no mistaking each song’s foundation and arrangement — this wasn’t random noodling. Can a recording be far behind? (Hey Hi-Fi House, why not put it out on vinyl?).

Hand Painted Police Car at Almost Music, April 16, 2016.

After Chemicals I strolled down to Almost Music and caught Hand Painted Police Car rip the paint off the walls while a crowd thumbed through the bins.

Then it was off cross-town to the new Recycled Sounds, sort of hidden on 76th St. across from Buffalo Wild Wings but tucked in behind a strip mall. It’s easy to miss, but you won’t want to miss it. Recycled moved from its old location in Lincoln and will become a regular stop for used vinyl (along with Almost Music). The releases are very well organized — by band by alpha — and there’s a ton of it. It’s where I found that Lloyd Cole 12-inch 4-song 45.

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Tonight at Reverb Lounge a handful of Omaha performers are getting together to celebrate the genius of Rick Moranis. Among them are Kait Berreckman, Michael Campbell, Castor, Vago, Doug Kabourek (who is the living embodiment of ’80s-era Rick Moranis) and Stephanie Krysl. Expect classic SCTV skits in the bar and the best of the best from past Canada Day events on The Reverb stage. $7, 8 p.m. Tell them Louis Tully a.k.a. The Keymaster sent you…

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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.

Record Store Day is Saturday, April 16.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

What’s the worst thing that can happen when the first really warm weekend of spring finally rolls through your town? You come down with a cold. I don’t know if this is an actual cold or just severe allergies or a reaction to the Kansas bonfires, but my head feels like an over-stuffed pillow this morning, and I have a Kleenix hanging out my right nose. This does not bode well as we approach another weekend of fine live indie music.

First on the list: Lookout Lounge has done it again. The midtown rock club tonight features everyone’s favorite emo punks Little Brazil. Word on the street is that the LB dudes are wrapping up a new album that will finally break through to a national audience. Find out what it sounds like tonight. Lil’ Brazil is the second band on stage. First out of the shoot is pop punk divas The Beat Seekers; last up is headliner, Kansas City’s The Architects. $8, 9 p.m.

Meanwhile, in the heart of Benson, 2015 breakout C&W band Clarence Tilton headlines at The Barley Street Tavern. Also on the twang-filled bill are Rich & Germaine and Matt Cox. $5, 9 p.m.

Also tonight Delta Spirit dude Matthew Logan Vasquez plays at Reverb Lounge with Reverend Baron. $15, 9 p.m.

Tomorrow is, of course, RECORD STORE DAY! Everyone will be up and at ’em to get in line early at Homer’ for all the cool stuff. Homer’s details here.

But the real fun starts at noon at Almost Music at their new location at 3925 Farnam St. In addition to having plenty of RSD merch (Almost Music also opens at 10 a.m.) the store will feature in-store performances all day long. Here’s the sched:

12:00 – Nathaniel Hoier
1:00 – John Klemmensen and the Party
2:00 – Brad Hoshaw Music
3:00 – Bien Fang
4:00 – Hand Painted Police Car
5:00 – See Through Dresses
6:00 – Sucettes
7:00 – The Shrinks
8:00 – Ramon Speed

Drastic Plastic also will be taking part in the RSD feeding frenzy. I’m told they have tons of RSD merch that also will be thrown to the masses at 10 a.m. tomorrow.

Even the Saddle Creek Shop will be open Saturday from noon to 4 selling all kinds of Creek merch including RSD releases by The Thermals and that Fink-powered combo Cho-Cho & Dasheen.

While your downtown near Slowdown, check out Urban Outfitters RSD in-store at 2 p.m. featuring performances by High Up & Dominique Morgan, as well as free beer!

That’s all great, but something REALLY special is happening Saturday — you’ll finally get a chance to see inside the uber-secret Hi-Fi House, the vinyl listening library located in the Blackstone District at 3724 Farnam St. (in the old Joseph’s College of Beauty building). According to their description in Facebook:

“We operate as a musicology lab by day serving educators and health care providers who use music to enhance the lives of their students and patients. We transform into a private club at night to serve artists, industry, neighbors and friends who love music as much as we do.“

More details about Hi-F- House I cannot tell you since I’ve never been there, but I intend to drop in Saturday afternoon, and so can you.

The Hi-Fi House Open House starts at noon and “goes until the last record is played.” The day features live, in-house performances by Chemicals (yet another Dereck Higgins’ project), Ricki and Victoria (Pleiades and the Bear) and Mitch Gettmann starting around p.m.. Ticket into the door is a receipt from your purchase on RSD (any record purchased qualifies).

One last RSD-related event — Recycled Sounds records store, formerly located in Lincoln, is now open in Omaha at 322 No. 76th St. The store will have live performances starting at 5, concluding with a live set from Virgin Mary Pistol Grip at 8 p.m. According to their poster Recycled will also have some RSD merch (store opens at 10 a.m.) as well as 15% off used vinyl.

Saturday night, classic psychobilly band The Rev. Horton Heat plays at The Waiting Room with Nashville Pussy, Unknown Hinson and Lucky Tubb. $25, 8 p.m.

That’s all I got. If I missed your show (or your Record Store Day event) leave it in the comments section. Have a great *aschew!* 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 long, lost Ranch Bowl…

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

This being Throwback Thursday, why not we step into the Lazy-i Wayback Machine and turn the dial to 11 years ago, to April 14, 2005? Omaha was still basking in the glow of national attention thanks to Saddle Creek Records. Adding to the ever-changing local music landscape was the advent of new clubs that would eventually dot the Omaha landscape in the coming years, presumably to ride that indie music wave.

In 2005 the only games in town for indie shows were the Sokol properties (the auditorium and “Underground”), Saddle Creek Bar, Mick’s and various hall shows that were blurring into the ether. And then there was The Ranch Bowl, a relic from an earlier time that had seen better days.

It was on this day 11 years ago that I posted the following column, which reported that the legendary Ranch Bowl, once located on south 72nd St., was finally closing its doors for good and would be torn down to make way for a Wal-Mart. The news sent mild shockwaves throughout the music scene, even though The Bowl had lost its luster years earlier…

Column 21: Selling the Ranch

Mike Brannan isn’t talking.

When news began buzzing through the music scene last Wednesday that the once legendary Ranch Bowl — the venue Brannan owns and operates with partner Dan Crowell — will be closing its doors, Brannan confirmed it, but said nothing more.

Rumors of the venue’s demise had begun circulating earlier in the week, and were met with skepticism by those of us who have followed the music scene for any amount of time. We’d been hearing those rumors for years, from before Brannan and Crowell took over in 2003, back when Matt Markel ran the place. And every time the rumors ended up being false.

Like last October, when rumors were flying that Markel was about to somehow sell the joint out from under Brannan and Crowell, that the IRS had raided the bar during a Little Feat concert, and that the duo had been bouncing checks all over town.

Brannan responded that time, saying he had been involved in a very tough negotiation with the Markels, who had attempted a last-minute renegotiation of their purchase deal. That led to lawsuits from both sides, which eventually were settled. Brannan said that it wasn’t the IRS but the Nebraska Dept. of Revenue that had made an unannounced house call to the Bowl and levied them for $800. He also said that he and Crowell had some additional property under contract, and that other projects would be coming on line that would be unveiled accordingly. “The Ranch Bowl will now receive considerably more attention from Dan and myself as we consider what to do with it,” he had said last October. “We, however, had to resolve the deal with the Markels before we could push ahead with anything else, as that handcuffed us for quite some time.”

Five months later and the rumors were back. But this time there were no denials. Brannan confirmed on SLAM Omaha — the city’s music-scene gossip Web board — that the Ranch Bowl will finally be closed and torn down. A deal had been made to redevelop the site, finalized April 4. All their original renovation plans had been scrapped because they “lacked the local goodwill required for us to make the additional investments required” and that he and Crowell “look forward to putting the first proper mid-sized music venue online in Omaha.”

The next day, The Omaha World-Herald made it official, but Brannan didn’t add any Technicolor. Instead, the paper pursued the Wal-Mart angle. Seems Brannan and real estate man John Lund have been working together to acquire the Bowl property from Markel, which they will turn around and sell along with a sizable chunk of surrounding property. Instead of dropping big bucks on renovating the Bowl, it had to make more sense for Brannan to cash in and invest in a new venue that doesn’t need as much renovation (and doesn’t have a bowling alley attached to it). A place like Club Joy on the southwest corner of The Old Market, for instance.

But that’s all speculation. When contacted Sunday, Brannan was unwilling to comment about the new venue and its location; he wasn’t even willing to say what style of music it will cater to, only saying that there would be an announcement made when the time is right.

He did say that Artery Studios, located in the Ranch Bowl complex, would stay open after the Bowl closes, and that he’s looking for somewhere to move the studio once the bulldozers arrive. Though not eager to run a studio, he said he likes the co-op nature of the recording business, and this time he’ll be bringing in some new players.

But the real questions remain unanswered. Like why Brannan thinks he’ll have better luck with a new venue when he couldn’t make it work with an established enterprise like The Ranch Bowl, a club that once boasted shows by acts like The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pavement and Bob Mould.

Or how a city the size of Omaha can support a new 500-capacity venue — as well as a second new live music venue rumored to be announced this month, also located downtown — when it can’t support the ones that are operating now.

All good questions. But Brannan ain’t talking. — Lazy-i April 14, 2005

Needless to say, The Ranch Bowl was demolished and Brannan never opened another club, but two new mid-sized clubs did pop up a couple years later, but that’s another story…

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The good folks at Live @ O’Leaver’s rolled out three new sessions this week. Check them out below:

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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.