Eros and Eschaton at Slowdown Jr., Sept. 22, 2013. The band plays tonight at Reverb Lounge.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Colorado Springs shoe-gaze band Eros and the Eschaton got its start right here in Omaha. At its core are former Omahans Kate Perdoni and Adam Hawkins. Hawkins used to be a regular on the local club circuit, playing under the name It’s True. Perdoni and Hawkins joined forces in 2012, and then hit the road to Greensboro, North Carolina, before releasing their debut album, Home Address For Civil War (2013, Bar None), a record that earned 3.5 starts from All Music, which called it a “warm, delirious product of two creative souls deeply in love.” Awww….

Three years later and Eros and the Eschaton now live in Colorado Springs, have expanded to a five-piece band and just released their sophomore album, Weight of Matter (2016, Bar None), which is just as shoe-gazey and ethereal as the debut without ever losing sight of its gorgeous melodies.  Although there are moments of rhythm and grit, at its core Weight is a collection of hazy, cloud-covered tunes that you might hear in the background when you’re about to enter those pearly gates.

We caught up with Eros and the Eschaton’s Adam Hawkins, who graciously answered my Ten Questions survey. And since he’s a former Omahan, he qualified for the bonus round.

What is your favorite album?

Adam Hawkins: Right now it’s a tie between Electric Warrior and The Slider.

2. What is your least favorite song?

“My Brother Thinks He’s A Banana”

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

I love my fat Spotify checks. I almost have enough to replace the hood on my 2000 Toyota Avalon.

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

Interviews

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

2% milk

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

All of them, unless they suck.

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

Kearney. I also played great shows there, but this particular door was the worst. I was playing solo. It was a packed show. I was just starting out. I started playing and nobody cared. Usually you at least get a minute or so where everyone quiets down before starting their conversations again. But I said, ‘My name is Adam Hawkins, and I am It’s True,’ and nobody even turned to the stage. Nobody even gave me a courtesy clap after any song. After the third song I threw my guitar across the stage and just screamed the lyrics to the rest of my songs.

8. How do you pay your bills?

I record bands and make pizza.

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

At one point, I was considering going to school to be a counselor. I couldn’t do the nurse thing. Too much poop and blood.

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

I’ve heard some things

Bonus Round:

11. What do you miss most about Omaha?

I miss my buddies. Although most of them don’t live their anymore. I miss the music scene. I miss having so many cool places to play shows and go to shows.

12. What don’t you miss about Omaha?

I don’t miss playing a show on Husker game day.

13. What was the best part about making Weight Of Matter?

The la Croix.

14. What was the toughest part about making Weight of Matter?

la Croix ain’t cheap.

15. What do you hope to bump into when you return to Omaha and what are you going to tell him/her?

There are too many to list. I’m hoping to see as many of my old buddies as possible so I can pretend I don’t recognize them.

Eros and the Eschaton plays with Lonely Estates and Edison & the Elephant Friday, Sept. 16, at Reverb Lounge, 6121 Military Ave. Tickets are $8; showtime is 9 p.m. For more information, go to onepercentproductions.com.

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Eros and the Eschaton is the highlight of a very sparse weekend show-wise.

Tomorrow night (Saturday) you’ve got a big emo show at The Waiting Room featuring Taking Back Sunday and You Blew It! It’s $35 Adv/$40 DOS and starts at 8 p.m.

Sunday night Cali psych/garage band The Growlers are playing at The Waiting Room. The band’s new album, City Club (2016, Cult Records) was co-produced by Julian Casablancas (The Strokes and founder of Cult Records) and Shawn Everett (this year’s Grammy Award winner for his work with Alabama Shakes). This show lists no openers. Not sure what the deal is. $15, 9 p.m.

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.