Oquoa at Farnam Festival, Sept. 12, 2015. The band celebrates a cassette release Saturday night at O’Leaver’s.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Here’s your weekend round-up, again heavy on the locals, light on touring bands, but what else is new?

It’s been nearly a month since I went to a show, which has to be some sort of record. I blame timing (late night shows during the week ain’t happening) and the preponderance of local shows by the same handful of local bands weekend after weekend. I’ve never been someone who tries to see the same local band perform more than a couple times a year. Call it a personality trait (or flaw?) — I also own zero DVDs as I have no interest in seeing the same movie more than, say, once every 10 years.

I understand why some local bands play weekly (a few play multiple times during the week). They’re trying to generate a fan base or want the gig money for touring, recording, etc. Or they just love playing all the time. But that doesn’t make their shows any more interesting.

John Klemmensen and the Party at Reverb, May 1, 2015. He plays at The Barley Street tonight.

One act I haven’t seen for quite a while and who is consistently interesting is John Klemmensen. He’s doing what appears to be a solo set tonight at Barley Street Tavern with Muscle Cousins, Robo Dojo and Michael Wunder. $5, 9 p.m.

Over at fabulous O’Leaver’s, Montee Men opens for The Regulation along with Sidewalkers. $5, 9:30 p.m.

At the Down Under, 3530 Leavenworth (formerly the Side Door), Relax, It’s Science opens for Pyrate and Anonymous Henchmen. No price listed, 9 p.m.

Tomorrow night, Qquoa celebrates the release of a new cassette that’s a follow-up to their 2014 debut. I have a cassette deck, a nice one. But you have to wonder how many other people have a tape deck these days. Bien Fang opens along with Lodgings and Another Afternoon. $5, 9 p.m.

Benson After Dark, the Maple-street-wide music event, happens Saturday night as part of Benson Days. Six venues (seven if you count the beer garden outside of Jake’s, which also will host live music), 25 performers, all for $10. Bands get rolling at 9 — Jake’s show begins at 1 p.m. The full lineup is online here.

Two New York City acts play Milk Run Saturday night, apparently both as solo artists — Thelma and Pupppy. Also on the bill are Nathan Ma and the Rosettes and Middle Folk. $7, 9 p.m.

Then comes Sunday.

Over at The Slowdown it’s the return of The Jayhawks, who you read about earlier this week right here. Fernando Viciconte opens this big room show at 8 p.m. GA tickets are $25 (I guess they sold out that special balcony/wing seating).

Also Sunday night, O’Leaver’s is hosting a “Sunday Social” headlined by the Burkum Boys but also featuring a couple Kansas City bands: Shy Boys and Fullbloods. This show runs 5 to 8 p.m. and your $7 entry also gets you “food,” though I do not know what that “food” will be.

And 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 Jayhawks play at The Slowdown Sunday night.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Minneapolis indie folk-rock band The Jayhawks have a history of sorts with Omaha. They’ve been touring through our fair city literally for decades, culminating in a spot on the Maha Music Festival last year — a victory lap of sorts for local fans who remember the band playing to small crowds during the early days.

The band is the product of the mid-80s Twin Cities music scene, releasing their first album in 1986 followed by their Twin/Tone Records debut, Blue Earth, in 1989. They broke in a big way in ’92 with Hollywood Town Hall (American Recordings). Viewed by many as their masterpiece,  the album would have sounded right at home on a ’70s rock radio station, thanks to its laid-back, afternoon melodies.

Often described as an “alt country” band, their sound, especially on their latest album, Paging Mr. Proust (2016, Thirty Tigers), has more in common with acts like Big Star, Pete Yorn, Crosby Stills & Nash and local alt rocker Matthew Sweet. Produced by R.E.M.’s Peter Buck, the new record finds Gary Louris reuniting with the band’s late-’90s line-up.

We tossed our Ten Questions survey to the Jayhawks and bass player Marc Perlman took up the reins.

1. What is your favorite album?


Marc Perlman: Big Star, #1 Record

2. What is your least favorite song?

“Kokomo,” Beach Boys

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

The music (when it’s working).

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

Washing Gary’s socks.

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

Chocolate covered raisins

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

Utrecht

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

Utrecht (but it wasn’t my fault)

8. How do you pay your bills?

By the grace of G-d

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

Professional hand model; the guy who has to clean the dressing rooms after a Jayhawks show.

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

In 1986 the Jayhawks played in front of 6 people at Howard Street Tavern… Matthew Sweet and Conor Oberst sponsor and play in a sand volleyball league at O’Leavers (their team is called the “The Power Poppers”)… the dressing room at Sokol Auditorium is haunted… it’s easy to get lost driving from Omaha to Lincoln…

The Jayhawks play with Fernando Viciconte Sunday, July 31, at The Slowdown, 729 No. 14th St. Tickets are $25 Adv., $40 for balcony seating. Showtime is 8 p.m. For more information, go to theslowdown.com.

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Tonight at Stir Cove it’s the return of indie rock band M83. The band is on the road supporting their new album, Junk (2016, Mute), which was a shift in direction to a more dance-oriented sound than heard on their earlier albums. Opening is NYC-based duo Sofi Tukker. $35, 8 p.m.

Also tonight, the might Pro Magnum headlines at Pageturners Lounge. How will such a loud band translate to such a delicate setting? Find out. Leafblower opens. The free show starts at 9:30.

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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.

Pinegrove plays tonight at Milk Run.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

If you haven’t checked out the My Omaha Obsession blog you’re missing out on some fantastic writing and colorful history of our community. The latest installment is an exhaustively researched history of The Brothers Lounge and the buildings that surround it. The piece includes diagrams, advertising and lots of historic photos (including some great shots of Trey and Lallaya). I typically don’t share anonymous stuff, but I’ve been told by a reliable source who “Miss Cassette” is (and you probably know her, too). Check it out.

It’s a pleasure to see long-form writing like this online instead of the usual down-and-dirty write-ups designed to be shared in their entirety as a Facebook post. If you like this kind of writing, check out Medium.com for more.

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Speaking of long-form writing, I neglected to share last month’s Over the Edge column in The Reader with you. It’s a write-up about Yelp and how Yelping has resulted in my ridicule and being banned from  restaurants. It also includes an interview with Omaha’s Chief Executive Yelper Will Simons. Read it online here or pick up a July copy of The Reader while it’s still on the racks.

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Something else to check out, The AV Club’s Binge and Purge column, which details a writer going through his CD collection to make much-needed cuts. Our own Lullaby for the Working Class is among the artists featured. I find I have a lot of the same music in my collection as this dude, but I don’t feel the burning need to dump my CDs. Maybe because I have a place to store them. I know as soon as I sell something I’m going to be reaching for it in six months, and it’ll be gone…

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Tonight at Milk Run, Montclair, New Jersey’s Pinegrove headlines. The band is on the road supporting their recently released debut full-length, Cardinal, on Run For Cover Records (which got a massive 8.0 rating from Pitchfork). Joining them are Halfwaif and SPORTS. $10, early 7:30 p.m. show!

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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.

A screen-cap from the film “Loveil” by Annalibera.The band plays at Milk Run tonight…

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Annalibera is a project fronted by Nebraska ex-pat now Des Moines resident Anna Gebhardt. She’s been performing since 2012, but made her first indelible mark on the music world with 2015’s Nevermind I Love You, a dense, soaring 8-song collection of chiming, beautiful indie rock songs you absolutely must seek out (It’s on Spotify, btw).

In a change of direction, Gebhardt followed the album with ambient/noise/experimental cassette called Loveil (Warm Gospel Records) that included a 26-minute companion film shot at her family farm in Nebraska. Available on YouTube or at annaliberamusic.com the art film is haunting in a Warhol-ian sort of way. Gebhardt will be joined by drummer David Hurlin for the July 25 Milk Run show performing songs from Loveil, along with new material.

I caught up with Gebhardt and gave her the Ten Questions treatment:

1. What is your favorite album? 

Anna Gebhardt: To answer this question I go by what album I’ve listened to the most times so it’s between Loveless or Heaven or Las Vegas.

2. What is your least favorite song? 

Kid Rock “Picture,” that song makes me want to crawl out of my skin, always has.

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

The usual stuff, making music, touring, it’s fun.

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

Juggling everyone’s schedules, all the marketing and emailing.

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

Water. So versatile.

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

Not sure I’ve toured enough for this question. Always great shows in Nashville and Chicago. Recently been thinking about a great one in Gorzow Wielkepolski (Poland), but so far I’ve only played there once. A lot of times those smaller towns make for a magical show (if you go on a weekend).

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

That’s a toss up between Columbus, OH, or Paris. Long story.

8. How do you pay your bills?

With money, unfortunately. (Freelance writing and teaching piano/voice lessons. Occasionally I am employed to be a backup singer! Can’t pay the bills singing in Des Moines, IA, though).

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

I would like to study visual art. I would hate to be in business, law or politics – those are not me. I would feel like an actress every day in my suit.

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

Omaha Nebraska wasn’t good enough for me / always thought i was the roaming kind / with a pocket full of dreams and my one shirt on my back / I left there lookin’ for something to find/ Omaha you’ve been weighing heavy on my mind/ Guess I never really left at all/ I’m turning all those roads I walked around the other way / And coming back for you Omaha (When it’s late and people are passing the guitar around I sometimes play this song, one of my favorites!).

Annalibera performs with Devin Frank Vanishing Blues Band, Sean Pratt & the Sweats and Mike Schlesinger Monday, July 25, at Milk Run, 1907 Leavenworth. Tickets are $7, showtime is 9 p.m. For more information, go to facebook.com/widmestproductionsllc

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Some of the For Against relics at Friday night’s This is Jeff Runnings program at Hi-Fi House. Photo by Stephen Sheehan.

Friday night Hi Fi House hosted an appreciation of the music of Jeff Runnings — former frontman of the seminal ’80s-’90s band For Against — as part of HFH’s new “This is…” series. I was asked the day prior to the event to conduct the interview with Jeff alongside Stephen Sheehan, former frontman of ’80s Omaha ambient-rock band Digital Sex. It turned out to be a quite a night.

Runnings brought a rather sizable archive of For Against recordings, posters and other relics that spanned the band’s career. The interview traced the history of the band, with Runnings filling in a lot of blanks along the way. Sheehan provided insightful questions taken from the vantage point of someone who lived in the rock ‘n’ roll trenches alongside them.

The entire interview was videotaped with professional-looking gear (and technicians). I have no idea when or where this video will be made available. The interview was followed by a “listening” of Running’s new solo album, Primitives and Smalls, released earlier this year by Saint Marie Records.

A bit of news that surfaced during the interview — Saint Marie is planning on reissuing four more For Against albums: Aperture (1993) and Mason’s California Lunch Room (1995), both originally released on Rainbow Quartz Records; Shelf Life (1997) released on World Domination, and 2002’s Coalesced, released by Minneapolis label Words on Music. No word on the exact timing of these releases, but they’ll likely drop sometime early next year. There’s even whispers of a possible For Against reunion (but only for Europe).

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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.

Jeff Runnings’ career and future career are celebrated tonight at Hi-Fi House.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

The super secret/mysterious Hi-Fi House is putting on a special program tonight at 7 p.m. called “This is, Jeff Runnings.” This celebration of Running’s career “so far” will include a sit-down Q&A discussing his musical endeavors as well as a spin of his latest album, Primitive & Smalls (2016, Saint Marie), which I’m listening to now on my home hi-fi system (worth dramatically less than the one at Hi-Fi House).

Runnings, as you may or may not know, was a member of seminal Lincoln ambient-rock band For Against, which I wrote about waaay back in 2007 when the band reunited. The write-up includes a brief history of the band, whose members also included guitarist/keyboardist Harry Dingman III and drummer Gregory Hill. Runnings was the singer and chief songwriter. Read that story here.

In their day, no one around these parts were writing and performing the kind of music For Against was making. Spotify users can dive into the catalog, though I’m told there may be a vinyl alternative available again soon.

Runnings new album takes the most accessible elements of For Against and modernizes it in beautiful ways. Jeff’s breathy voice lies warmly atop layers and layers of synths and beats that shimmer like a dream. Gorgeous stuff.

I’m not sure what the rules are for Hi Fi House, and there is no information on the Facebook event listing. If you’re interested, I suggest showing up just before the 7 p.m. start time. The house is located at 3724 Farnam St. Capacity is limited to 100. See you there.

What else is happening tonight and this weekend?

Tonight at the infamous Brothers Lounge Oklahoma City indie band Cherry Death headlines. Check out their latest EP here. Opening is Stomach, Carl Miller & The Thrillers and Nathan Ma & The Rosettes. Whoa, that’s a huge bill. This 9 p.m. show will run you $5.

Meanwhile, over at fabulous O’Leaver’s, Waterloo, Iowa band SIRES plays with Eklectica and Lineman’s Rodeo. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Tomorrow night the kids from Omaha Girls Rock! play a summer showcase at The Waiting Room. The free event starts at 5:30 p.m. Then later that night at O’Leaver’s, the Omaha Girls Rock instructors are putting on a show of their own. Who will grace the stage? Find out. $5, 9;30 p.m.

There’s a special program at Kaneko Saturday night — the tbd. dance collective will be performing to live original music by Graham Ulicny of Reptar. In addition, Nik Fackler will be premiering a short film called “One Day, One Month, One Year.” The 6:45 p.m. show is free for Kaneko members and $10 for the rest of you. Kaneko is at 1111 Jones St.

Also Saturday night, Scott Severin performs at The Barley Street Tavern with Two Shakes and Bazille Mills. $5, 9 p.m.

That is all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a red, hot American 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

It’s been two years since Matthew Sweet launched a Kickstarter project to fund his next album, which generated more than $55k. Today Sweet reports that he’s finally wrapped up recording. “Last Friday morning I completed recording for the album. I now have final rough mixes done for all 38 songs I started,” he told Kickstarter backers.

Sweet said once he’s settled on a sequence, he’ll start final mixing, prioritizing by what goes on the album time-wise. “I’m guessing mixing will start in two or three weeks,” he said.

Sweet also reported that the album will be called Tomorrow Forever, but didn’t mention a release date. “I know It’s been painful to wait so long, but the wisdom of recording multiple batches in order to get the best stuff possible has paid off big time,” he said. “I really can’t see how it could have been as good as it is any other way.”

Perhaps we’ll get a taste of those 38 songs when he plays the Maha Music Festival in August.

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Some #TBT goodness on a very sweaty Thursday, this previously unpublished photo of Cursive was taken June 3, 2000 (which just happens to have been my 35th birthday). The venue was, of course, Sokol Underground. It was quite a show…

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Couple shows tonight…

Down at Slowdown Aussie alt band Atlas Genius headlines. The Jeffrey brothers started as an indie before signing to Warners in 2012 for their debut. Warners released their last album, Inanimate Objects, in 2015. Bear Hands and The Moth and the Flame open. $20, 8 p.m.

Also tonight, The Waiting Room hosts the New Generation Music Festival Showcase, featuring a slew of acts (Ragged Company and Low Long Signal among them) that will be playing the festival slated for Stinson Park August 5. The free 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 © 2016 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Closeness at O’Leaver’s April 30, 2016. The duo plays tonight at Pageturners Lounge.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

If the first three paragraphs of the below story look familiar it’s because I lifted them from my 1999 interview with Goo Goo Dolls, which you can read online here. GGD’s Robby Takac was a very good interview way back then. He laid it all out when I asked why the band switched from being basically a pop-punk band to mainstream AOR alt rockers. The answer has something to do with selling millions of albums.

I’m told that their show Friday night at Stir Cove is getting close to selling out. Here’s Ten Questions:

Goo Goo Dolls play Friday night at Stir Cove.

Ten Questions with Goo Goo Dolls

The first time I heard the Goo Goo Dolls was way back in ’92, after staying up late on a Sunday night to watch 120 Minutes on MTV. When the video for “There You Are” came on, featuring Goo Goo vocalist John Rzeznick doing his best Paul Westerberg-style crooning over a punchy, punky power chord, I was intrigued.

It was the band’s first video, and pretty much summed up their indie punk-rock sound and style — three average Joes running around an empty Buffalo, New York, baseball stadium, smiling for the camera without a care in the world.

But six years later, Goo Goo Dolls were a different band. Riding the success of their million-selling 1995 album, A Boy Named Goo, which featured the smash ballad, “Name,” Goo Goo Dolls went on to record the most played song on radio in 1998, “Iris,” the theme from the Nick Cage/Meg Ryan chick flick, City of Angels. It netted them three Grammy nominations and a first-class ticket out of the smoky punk bars and into sold-out arenas.

With the release of their latest album, Boxes (2016, Warner Bros), the Goo Goos are trying to change course once again. Rzeznik and co-founder/bassist Robby Takac hired a stable of writers in an effort to push themselves past their comfort zone. The product is a collection of king-sized alt-rock anthems that are a perfect fit for Stir’s Cove’s outdoor concert space, where the band performs Friday night.

We threw the Ten Questions gauntlet down on the Goo Goo Dolls, and Robby Tatac breached it with the following answers:

1. What is your favorite album?

Robby Takac: Todd Rundgren, A Wizard / A True Star

2. What is your least favorite song?

“The Weight,” by The Band

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

The completion of the song cycle you experience at live performances.

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

Being away from my wife and daughter.

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

Green Tea

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

Buffalo, NY

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

They’ve all been perfect …. of course.

8. How did you pay your bills back when the band was just getting started?

Worked at a flower shop, was a DJ, spent lots of time recording punk rock bands, was a barback & bartender, spent some time as a stage hand ….

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

I would like to own a Pez museum. I wouldn’t want to be a cop.

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

I was there once and it was so hot cows were exploding ….. no lie.

Goo Goo Dolls play with Collective Soul Friday, July 22, at Stir Cove, 1 Harrahs Blvd., Council Bluffs. Tickets are $43, showtime is 8 p.m. For more information, go to facebook.com/StirCove.

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Saddle Creek is squeezing every last penny out of its back catalog with the release of a new six-record Bright Eyes box set. Remastered by legendary sound engineer Bob Ludwig, the box includes Fevers and Mirrors (2000), LIFTED or The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground (2002), I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning (2005), Digital Ash in a Digital Urn (2005), Cassadaga (2007) and The People’s Key (2011).

That’s six albums on 10 LPs housed in tip-on jackets, including digital downloads of each album. The vinyl box set exclusives include colored vinyl, twelve 8×10 photo prints by Butch Hogan, and an essay by Nathaniel Krenkel. The vinyl box set is limited to 5,000 copies and includes all 10 LPs housed in a foil stamped linen-wrapped box. Price, a cool $150. You can pre-order now, release date is Sept. 16. Look for black vinyl individual copies of each remastered album available in November.

Saddle Creek is also offering a CD box of the same albums limited to 1,000 copies, also out Sept. 16. It costs a mere $60 a box.

Hey Saddle Creek, we’re still waiting for that exclusive Ladyfinger box set…

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The new Todd and Orenda Fink ambient rock project Closeness performs tonight at Pageturners Lounge. Here’s a review of their O’Leaver’s debut.  It’s definitely worth your while to see and hear them. Ridgelines opens the evening at 10 p.m. and the ‘nice price’ is absolutely free.

Also this evening, if you missed Navy Gangs last night at Milk Run, the band plays again this evening at Almost Music in the Blackstone District. Joining them are Staffers and Sean Pratt & The Sweats. This early 7 p.m. show will cost you $5. Also, Coneflower Creamery will be on site serving their home-made ice cream. Yum!

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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.

Navy Gangs plays tonight at Milk Run.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

If Lincoln Calling and the second year of the Good Living Tour (which kicks off this Thursday in the mighty town of Ord, Nebraska) weren’t enough, Hear Nebraska yesterday announced a mega-fundraiser Sept. 24 in Lincoln. They’re calling it Beer Nebraska — five bands and five breweries. And what bands: Cursive, Criteria, Universe Contest, Better Friend and a reunion of Lincoln band Columbia Vs Challenger. The concert takes place all afternoon in the parking lot of Zipline Brewery in Lincoln at 2100 Magnum Cir #1. Tickets are $30 and include entrance fee and three samples per brewery.

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Tiny Engines, the imprint that releases music by Omaha’s own See Through Dresses, announced that the band is hitting the road on its summer tour starting July 26 at Lincoln’s Vega when they open for Soul Asylum. Afterward it’s off to Hastings for a stop on the Good Living Tour and then a couple dates with Little Brazil in Kansas. After that, STD will be driving along the East Coast, eventually winding up back in Omaha Aug. 20 for a performance at Maha Music Festival.

The band continues to support their 2015 Tiny Engines debut, End of Days, but has begun recording the follow-up, which is slated for release next spring.

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Speaking of the East Coast, Brooklyn band (with Omaha connections) Navy Gangs plays tonight at Milk Run. Hear Nebraska has an interview with the band right here. Opening is Staffers, Vegetable Deluxe and Lush Bruise Crew. $7, 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.

Simon Joyner and The Ghosts at Slowdown Jr., April 4, 2015. The band plays tonight at Slowdown Jr.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

The most distinctive aspect of Brooklyn indie band Woods (besides their songs, which are sublime) is singer-guitarist Jeremy Earl’s high, almost feminine voice. For sheer uniqueness, it’s right up there with Yes’ Jon Anderson and is eerily similar at times on the band’s new album, City Sun Eater in the River of Light, released this year on Earl’s own Woodsist Records.

You have to wonder how Earl even has time to tour considering the size of Woodsist Records’ roster, which includes Wooden Wand, Sic Alps, The Fresh & Onlys, Crystal Stilts, The Pocahunted, as well as releases from standout acts like Wavves, Thee Oh Sees, Kurt Vile and our very own Simon Joyner, whose last album, Grass, Branch & Bone, was released late last year on Woodsist.

I bring all of this up because Woods performs tonight at Slowdown Jr., and Simon Joyner and The Ghosts opens. It’s an earl(ier) show, starting at 8 p.m., $15.

Tonight’s show is a good reason to return to Slowdown after the CWS. Fact is, Slowdown is sporting an impressive calendar of upcoming indie rock events. All of the following Slowdown shows are on my radar:

July 21 — Atlas Genius, Bear Hands
July 31 — The Jayhawks
Aug. 5 — Conny Franko (a.k.a. Conchance) CD release
Aug. 12 — Protomartyr
Sept. 8 — Frightened Rabbit
Sept. 9 — Bob Mould
Sept. 24 — Junior Boys
Nov. 20 — El Ten Eleven

Not bad. The schedule for upcoming Waiting Room and Reverb shows is nothing to sniff at, either. In fact, tonight The Waiting Room has a heavy-weight show of its own: The Tallest Man on Earth. Swedish folkie Kristian Matsson has put out one hit album after another since 2008’s Shallow Grave (Dead Oceans). He’s on the road touring Dark Bird is Home (2015, Dead Ocean). Opening is Lady Lamb (formerly known as Lady Lamb The Beekeeper) whose last album, After, was released on Mom & Pop Music (Courtney Barnett’s label). $25, 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.

Laura Burhenn (Mynabirds) at Stay Gold, March 19, 2015. She plays tonight at O’Leaver’s.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Quite a few shows this weekend, though no national touring indie bands (What else is new?). Let’s get on with it.

Tonight at fabulous O’Leaver’s is pretty gnarly fundraiser for the Benson First Friday Femme Fest (BFFFF). Laura Burhenn of The Mynabirds will be playing a set along with Anna McClellan, Mesonjixx and Badland Girls. Your $10 admission goes to a good cause. According to the invitation: “BFFFF is completely DIY with no budget, and everything made the day of (after pay-to-play costs of the venues/PA rentals/etc.) goes to the bands.” Starts at the usual 9:30.

Also tonight, Bloodcow returns to devastate the Barley Street Tavern with their other-worldly metal mayhem. Joining them are tough guys Hand Painted Police Car and Leaving Vaudeville. $5, 9 p.m.

Tomorrow night everyone’s going to The Brothers Lounge for a sharp bill that includes Well Aimed Arrows, Those Far Out Arrows and Son, Ambulance. $5, 9 p.m.

Before you head out for the evening, there’s a super fun early evening event at The Slowdown. It’s the Omaha Girls Rock! showcase. This performance is a culmination of the girls’ hard work in one week to learn an instrument, form a band, and write a song. Always a good time, and a chance to see the stars of tomorrow. Show starts at 5:30 and suggested donation is $5. Find out more about this very cool program at omahagirlsrock.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.