Eric in Outerspace at O’Leaver’s, Aug. 31, 2016.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

How is it, you ask, that I’m able to go out to a rock show during the busy work week? Well, instead of my annual trip to NYC, this year I’m enjoying a “stay-cation” right here in beautiful Omaha. So naturally I don’t have to get up at 5 a.m., which allows for late-night rock ‘n’ roll fun. Like last night’s show at O’Leaver’s.

Triathalon was on deck when I rolled in at around 10:30 to a very sparsely attended show. I’m talking fewer than 20 people were sitting around watching the Savannah four-piece play laid-back R&B-infused rock masquerading as baby-making music for nerdy indie types, all (or mostly sung) in a Beckian falsetto.

Triathalon at O’Leaver’s Aug. 31, 2016.

For the last tune, frontman Adam Intrator put down the guitar and provided some gnarly shoulder-rollin’ dance moves that got everyone smiling. Also smile-inducing was how he ended every song in the set with a spoken “Thank you.” Nothing wrong with good manners.

Local heroes Eric in Outerspace closed out the show after a lengthy set up as no one could figure out what was wrong with the stage monitors. After a lot of fiddling around, I don’t think it got figured. It didn’t matter to the audience, however, because we could hear the band loud and clear.

Despite apparently being under the weather (you couldn’t tell) frontman Sean Paul and company crushed a set of indie rock songs that stylistically recalled Pavement, Nirvana and assorted ’90s-era indie bands like Vitreous Humor and (I’m not sure why) a slowed down version of New Sweet Breath. There were times when Paul’s voice sounded a bit gravelly but that only added a weathered world-weary nuance.

Favorite songs included one about how much he hates summer and another that featured a grand-build all-hands-on-deck guitar-attack ending. I’m listening to the band’s Soundcloud tracks now and there ain’t a one that I don’t like (especially this one playing right now called “Trailing Away,” which I think was that grand-build song I just mentioned). Check them out when they play O’Leaversfest Sept 23 with Bien Fang and Flowers Forever (reunion?).

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Milk Run has another of its 4-band specials tonight. The headliner is Chicago act Dowsing (Asian Man Records). They call their sound “Chicago emo.” Yeek. Joining them is Diners, which calls their sound “Arizona desert bedroom pop,” and which seems to be an apt description. Laid-back groovy. Opening are locals Timecat and Bed Rest. $7, 9 p.m.

Also tonight, Brothers Lounge is hosting a deathmetal show with Horrendous, Flak and Manslaughterer. $5, 9 p.m.

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2016 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.