Of Montreal at The Waiting Room, Nov. 2, 2013. The band plays at The Waiting Room Sunday night.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

It’s drop day for Conor Oberst’s solo album, Ruminations. In the old days, drop day meant when you could go out and buy a copy of the record. These days drop day means you can now listen to the new album on Spotify and the other streaming services.

Reviews of Oberst’s new album also have been dropping all week. The one everyone cares about — Pitchfork — went online Wednesday. Saddle Creek beat critic Ian Cohen gave the record a respectable 7.5 rating, saying it is “stunning for how utterly alone he sounds.”

Rolling Stone gave the album 3.5 stars. AV Club, B+. NME: 4 out of 5. All Music: 3 stars. Drowned in Sound: 9 out of 10. The Album of the Year composite score is 69. As a whole, the reviews have been positive, pointing out that it’s a stripped-down, personal record, which it is. I do like the record, but it’s not likely to be something I’ll be reaching for very often. These are very sing-songy efforts, which I guess means they sound like the chords came first and he merely sang lyrics over them in the most comfortable, obvious way. You will not be surprised by the musical direction of any song.

But that said, some of these songs will resonate more over time, especially combined with his overall songbook.  He now has the acoustic solo album out of his system. What will he do next?

* * *

Let’s look at the weekend. The only major show is Sunday. We’ll get to that.

Tonight Chemicals opens for CJ Mills at Reverb Lounge. If you haven’t caught a Chemicals set, you’re missing out. $7, 9 p.m.

Also tonight, Blue Bird headlines at fabulous O’Leaver’s with St. Paul band Communist Daughter and Satellite Junction. $7, 9 p.m.

Tomorrow night (Saturday) California garage rock veterans Ex-Cult (Goner, In the Red, Lollipop Records) headlines at Milk Run. Joining them are No Thanks and one one other TBA superstar. $10, 9 p.m.

Meanwhile, at O’Leaver’s, Lodgings headlines Saturday night with Sean Pratt and Brazen Throat. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Also Saturday night, singer/songwriter Mitch Gettmann headlines at the Down Under Lounge, 3530 Leavenworth. Mike Saklar’s Sunless Trio also is on the bill, along with Disquieting Muses. No price listed, 9 p.m.

And Satchel Grande celebrates its 10 year anniversary at The Slowdown Saturday night. Rothsteen opens. $8, 9 p.m.

Then comes Sunday and this show at The Waiting Room:

Of Montreal plays at The Waiting Room Oct. 16.

Of Montreal has made Omaha a regular tour stop for well over a decade. If you’ve kept track of the band you know their early-days home-made theatrics have evolved into grandiose, eye-popping extravaganzas that can compete with Flaming Lips for over-the-top stage dominance. We’re talking lights, costumes, props and numerous stage extras (actors?) living out the songs in weird, wonderful ways. It’s a spectacular spectacle that David Bowie surely would have approved of.

The band returns supporting its latest album, Innocence Reaches (2016, Polyvinyl), that finds Kevin Barnes and Co. mining EDM territory but with quaint electronics and beats reminiscent of Pet Shop Boys. The thread that runs through it and all Of Montreal records is Barnes’ quirky melodies and trademark vocal croon that sounds like an alien computer singing lullabies to its robot children.

We caught up with Barnes and asked him to take our Ten Questions survey.

1. What is your favorite album?

Kevin Barnes: Lamentations by Moses Sumney

2. What is your least favorite song?
 


The National Anthem

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



Being wild and free.

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



Practicing

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



Glass

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



Santa Fe

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



Eureka, California, It was Cinco de Mayo many years ago at a sports bar, no one knew who we were and everyone seemed  intensely stupid and openly hostile. One person spent most of our show standing in front of our bass player and giving her the middle finger.


8. How do you pay your bills? 



With money

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 become a sports writer and cover boxing matches for a newspaper. I’d hate to be the judge at any kind of food eating competition.

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



I’ve heard that it smells of manure and that it’s rich in precious jewels.

Of Montreal performs with Teen Sunday, Oct. 16, at The Waiting Room, 6212 Maple St. Showtime is 9 p.m.; tickets are $20. For more information, go to onepercentproductions.com

That’s all I got for this weekend. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a good one.

* * *

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 Faint on Adult Swim’s Stupid Morning Bullshit.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

I haven’t neglected you, I’ve just been busy. And it’s tough to adjust to this season that precedes months of ice and cold, months that I despise. I belong in southern California or Key West or the Texas Gulf, not here in the winter-time.

Anyway…

Firstly, David “Doc” Matysiak wrote to tell say that The Faint appeared on Adult Swim’s streaming morning show Stupid Morning Bullshit on Wednesday. Todd, Clark and the guys played improv-style while the hosts rambled on about things like Runzas and ComicCon, plus there were segments like “Paint with the Faint” and “Blazing Saddle Creek.” It’s basically a video podcast featuring a floating shot of The Faint performing throughout.

Matysiak, who we all remember from Coyote Bones and CoCo Art, works on the show as a hands-on producer. Check it out online here.

* * *

Conor Oberst on the New York Times’ Facebook Live session.

Yesterday Conor Oberst did a Facebook live session for the great, gray, digital New York Times. The 17-minute video includes a few songs and a Q&A with questions via Facebook.

Among the questions, where’s one of your favorite places to perform? Conor: “There’s this place called O’Leaver’s that is one of my favorite places to play. It’s a dive bar but it has a special place in my heart…” Awww….

Watch it here.

* * *

Brooklyn by way of Omaha band Navy Gangs has a new EP coming out and it’s sublime, one of the best spins so far this year. Flood online is hosting the first video from the EP and a tour diary (which I can’t find). Check it out. How come none of you told me about these guys before?

http://floodmagazine.com/40466/premiere-fight-your-post-debate-malaise-with-navy-gangss-mondays-video/

* * *

This month’s Over the Edge column in The Reader is about the challenges I’ve faced learning how to swim — a topic that fits right in with this month’s cover story theme, politics (not). Anyway, a fun read you can check out online here or on newsstands now.

* * *

Tonight at Milk Run it’s Minneapolis post-punk (emo) rockers Infinite Me with Timecat and Pando Potential Meter. $7, 9:30 p.m.

* * *

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.

Twin Peaks performing at Lincoln Calling Oct. 7. Photo by Lauren Farris, courtesy of Hear Nebraska.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

How about the fantastic weather this past weekend? No doubt it helped get people out to this year’s Lincoln Calling. Andrew Norman, the Executive Director of Hear Nebraska (who ran LC this year), said the festival was a hit.

“The turnouts exceeded our expectations in most cases,” he said. “The venues were all wonderful to work with. The artists, without exception, put it all out there, and many definitely gained new fans in the process. The Nebraska bands represented super well, and handled this year’s various logistical changes graciously and professionally (which was greatly appreciated).”

One of the weekend’s big surprises was a reunion of golden age punk band Sideshow, facilitated in part by frontman Bernie McGinn being in town for an LC workshop.

Despite how well everything went down, there’s room for improvement, Norman said. “There are definitely things we’ll do differently next year, and we will be sending out a survey soon to get artist/venue/fan feedback on what worked and what didn’t. Our volunteers made the whole thing work very efficiently, in my opinion, and handled many curveballs in stride.”

For the record, Norman’s favorite performance of the festival: A Giant Dog. “I’ve been listening to their new record, Pile, for that last few months,” he said, “but I had no idea how fun of a spectacle their show would be.”

All told, Norman said more than 2,000 people attended this year’s festival. Impressive, especially for HN’s first year of management. How will they top it next year?

Check out more photos from the event at hearnebraska.org.

* * *

It’s good to see Conor Oberst getting political again. He’s been somewhat quiet during this election cycle, especially considering that the election of a President Trump would set back immigration reform — a subject that’s always been near and dear to Oberst’s heart — more than anything he battled against with Desaparecidos a few years ago.

No doubt Oberst is aware of this. According to this review of last week’s concert at Dallas’ Granada Theater, Oberst made a “pointed” threat to the audience: “If any of you motherfuckers vote for this orange rat, I swear I will crawl into your house and slit your throat!” Not exactly subtle, but I’ll take it. BTW, if the Observer‘s comments are any indication, Oberst will be catching a lot of bouquets when his new album, Ruminations, comes out next week. Read the glowing review here.
* * *

Quinton and Miss Pussycat kick off your week tonight at Reverb.  Quintron plays a Hammond B-3 and a cache of homemade electronic gear. Miss Pussycat plays maracas, and sings. And then there are the puppets.  Check out their performance at Sonic Protest Festival from this past spring, below. Omaha’s own Sucettes opens. $10, 9 p.m.

* * *

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.

Ceremony at The Sweatshop Gallery, July 11, 2015. The band plays Lincoln Calling Saturday night.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

It’s a Lincoln Calling weekend. You know the drill. Schedule and ticket info is at lincolncalling.com. If you’re planning on hitting the fest tonight and Saturday, you still save money with a $49 Festival Pass vs. the $29 day pass option. Just sayin’….

The hot bands to see tonight at LC: Everything at the Bourbon Theater (Eric in Outerspace, A Giant Dog, Twin Peaks and Real Estate); Eros & the Eschaton, Oquoa, White Mystery and Cloud Nothings at Duffy’s backlot; Bib at The Bay.

Saturday night Duffy’s Backlot is the place to be — the whole line-up is red hot: No Thanks, Once a Pawn, Better Friend, Bien Fang, See Through Dresses, Screaming Females and, in my humble opinion, the best band of the festival, Ceremony. That said, you also have High Up and The Mynabirds at Bourbon; and Domestica, White Mystery and Anna McClellan at The Bay.

If you’re staying in Omaha this weekend, you’ve got options as well.

FLOCK opens at the Little Gallery tonight.

In Benson, it’s Benson First Friday, the 1st Annual Omaha Food Truck Rodeo and the Grand Opening of the new Little Gallery, which just happens to be the gallery operated by my wife, Teresa. The debut show is FLOCK by the folks at Min Day (the people who designed the new Blue Barn Theater, among other things). Read about it here. We’ll have free beer and wine and Halloween candy while the gallery is open from 6 to 9 p.m. The new Little Gallery is located in the ground floor of the Benson Masonic Lodge building right off Maple St. at 5901 Maple St. See you there.

Saturday night Omaha has a festival of its own — Farnam Fest. Located in the heart of the Blackstone District, the block party will include food (including Blackstone Meatball!), booze (Scriptown, bitches, along with Farnam House and Infusion) and music by Head of Femur, Those Far Out Arrows, Twinsmith, Conny Franko (M34N STR33T), AF Jungle Cat and The Diplomats of Solid Sound featuring the Diplomettes. Music starts at 4 p.m. and runs until 10:15, followed by Benson Soul Society Vs. Obvious Funk. Oh yeah, and it’s free.

The weekend closes out Sunday at Reverb…

Cymbals Eat Guitars plays Reverb Sunday night.

Staten Island band Cymbals Eat Guitars got its name from a Lou Reed quote about Velvet Underground’s sound, which is kinda ironic considering their new album, the sublime Pretty Years (2016, Barsuk), sounds nothing like VU.

Instead, the record, one of the best of the year so far, is like Jane’s Addiction mixed with Archers of Loaf and your favorite modern post-punk band. The Jane’s comparisons comes by way of frontman Joseph D’Agostino’s throaty growl that sounds like a possessed, angry Perry Farrell. The record was produced by indie wunderkind John Congleton (Suuns, Swans, Tim Kasher), who gives it a raw power not heard on their previous albums.

I sent the Ten Questions survey to the band, and bassist Matt Whipple took the bait.

What is your favorite album?

Cymbals Eat Guitars: Bowie’s Low or Springsteen Born in the USA

2. What is your least favorite song?

“Nobody’s Gonna Break My Stride” or whatever it’s called.

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

The four of us in a room playing.

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

Making more money than I know what to do with.

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

Advil

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

NYC

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

Paris is kind of a nightmare to drive a huge van around for gig logistics. Let’s go with Paris.

8. How do you pay your bills?

Day jobs.

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

Interior design; stand-up comedy.

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

Probably something about Saddle Creek or Warren Buffett? Not much to be honest, despite having toured extensively with Cursive and See Through Dresses.

Cymbals Eat Guitars plays with Field Mouse and Wildhoney Sunday, Oct. 9, at Reverb Lounge. Tickets are $12; showtime is 9 p.m. For more information, go to onepercentproductions.com

Also Sunday night — or Sunday afternoon to be more precise — Anna McClellan headlines the weekly Sunday Social at fabulous O’Leaver’s. Also on the bill are Little Ripple and Chris Engles. This one starts at 5 p.m. and runs until 8, and will cost you $5 (and includes a taco bar!).

That’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend.

* * *

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.

Atmosphere at The Maha Music Festival, 8/15/15. He plays tonight at Sokol Auditorium.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Maria Taylor’s press people announced this morning that the former Omahan and member of Azure Ray will be releasing a new album called In the Next Life on her own Flower Moon Records label.

Says the press release: “Maria co-produced In The Next Life alongside Nik Freitas (Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band), which features guest vocals from Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes), Joshua Radin, Macey Taylor (Bright Eyes, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, Jenny Lewis, AA Bondy), Jake Bellows (Neva Dinova), Louis Schefano (Remy Zero, Suspicious Light), Morgan Nagler (Whispertown), and Tiffany Osborn.”

Quite a list of guest artists. No tour listed. Looks like Maria will be hosting her album release show at The Troubadour in LA. Very che’che’ …

* * *
This article written by The Thermals’ Hutch Harris has been making a lot of waves on social media. Harris outlines six reasons why he no longer will tour (which should be a bit of a downer for Saddle Creek Records, who released the last Thermals album).

If I had to sum it up, I’d say Harris is just tired of the grind of the road after 14 years.  You can’t blame him. What I find ironic is that there are so many young bands who would kill for his situation — to be able to play their music for a living. A lot of young bands who desperately need to tour struggle because they either don’t know how to book a tour, don’t know how to promote a tour (or their band), and simply can’t afford it. Fourteen years ago, record labels played a larger role getting bands over those hurdles.

Well, no ones buying records anymore, and being on a label (especially if you’re a new band) provides few of those benefits. As labels decline, we’ve got to figure out a way to help bands get their show on the road. As for Hutch Harris, we’ll miss seeing you, bro, but something tells me we haven’t seen the last of you.

* * *

Lincoln Calling 2016 kicks off this evening. Some might say it’s the start of a new era for the festival, which has been going strong for more than a decade. This year, Hear Nebraska took over the reigns and expanded the band offerings to more out-of-towners than ever before. With its multiple venues/stages and A-list indie and local talent, could this be the start of a Nebraska version of SXSW?

The schedule for tonight’s line-ups is online right here. Highlights include performances by Conny Franko (M34n Str33ts), Icky Blossoms and Halfwit. It just gets better over the next two days. Get your one-day passes or three-day wristband (the best value) at the lincolncalling website.

Meanwhile, back here in Omaha, there’s a couple outstanding shows going on.

Matador recording artist Steve Gunn headlines at Reverb Lounge. Gunn’s new album, Eyes on the Lines, (which Pitchfork gave a massive 8.0 rating) has a similar laid-back feel as the last few Kurt Vile albums, which makes sense when you consider Gunn used to play guitar in Vile’s band. They’re calling this folk rock, but its more of a throwback to carefree ’60s rock that sounds like Jackson Browne fronting Grateful Dead, especially on tracks like “Full Moon Tide.” Opening is Omaha’s own Kate Berreckman. $13, 9 p.m.

The huge show is at Sokol Auditorium where indie hip-hop goliath Atmosphere will perform along with a slew of acts including Brother Ali, deM atlas, Plain Ole Bill and Last Word.  Atmosphere wowed the Maha Festival audience a couple years ago with the most upbeat set of the festival. $25, early 7 p.m. start time.

* * *

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

Original SLAM Omaha logo.

Twenty-odd years ago, back when the internet was just getting started, when those of us who were “online” were using AOL and Netscape browsers, there was a little ol’ website called SLAM Omaha.

SLAM stood for Support Local Art and Music. The website was among the first online resources for band gig information, with a robust show calendar that was unmatched by anyone. Over time, the website became known more for its webboards than anything else. Both the Music and Cool Talk boards were hot beds for heated discussion, sometimes insightful, often hilarious. This was a time well before Facebook or Twitter when webboards were a preferred online resource for music information. Saddle Creek Records had a very robust webboard of its own; as did punknews.com and a few others that have long since disappeared.

Well, time finally caught up with SLAM Omaha, too. For the past few years, the site has been limping along with no updates and only a handful of people still chiming in on the webboards. Last week the site quit working, and users were redirected to a SLAM Omaha Facebook page.

Mick Messina, who was among those who ran the site, confirmed that SLAM Omaha is, indeed, dead. After the site’s budget dried up a couple years ago, he and his wife, Melissa, paid the service fees out of their own pockets. They finally quick paying. “Very hard for us to let go,” Mick said. “We peeled that band-aid very slowly.”

Mick said Hear Nebraska and its website, hearnebraska.org, helped them realize it was time to close SLAM Omaha for good.

It’s hard to pin down the significance of SLAM Omaha in the history of the Omaha music scene. There’s no question that it played an important role during a time when Nebraska was just emerging nationally. SLAM Omaha was the online water cooler where fans and musicians traded rumors, compliments and outrageous insults about everyone involved in the scene. Oftentimes, those comments were posted anonymously, and part of the fun or frustration was trying to figure out who was saying what about whom. It was a free-form environment that — for better or for worse — will never exist again in the Facebook era. It will be missed.

* * *

Yesterday it was reported that bluesman Charles Bradley has been diagnosed with stomach cancer and is cancelling his upcoming shows, including this week’s Lincoln Calling festival appearance.

In a statement, Bradley said: “In the past few months, I have had to cancel a number of shows due to illness, taking me away from my beautiful fans. My doctors recently discovered a cancerous tumor in my stomach. I’m getting the best medical care and we are all extremely optimistic. I will fight through this like I’ve fought through the many other obstacles in my life. My upcoming tour dates will be postponed so I can concentrate on healing. Thank you all for understanding. Music is how I share my love with the world, and the love that my fans have given back brings me so much joy. I look forward to seeing your gorgeous faces soon, and to continue to share my love through music.”

Hear Nebraska, who is organizing Lincoln Calling, quickly filled Bradley’s LC spot with The Mynabirds. No doubt front woman Laura Burhenn will have a special tribute to Bradley during her band’s performance.

Lincoln Calling kicks off tomorrow. You best get your tickets now at lincolncalling.com.

* * *

Canadian musician/producer Jay Arner headlines tonight at Reverb Lounge. Arner releases music on Mint Records. Opening is Routine Escorts. $7, 9 p.m.

* * *

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.

Mark Kozelek at Slowdown Jr., Oct. 3, 2016.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Mark Kozelek and his keyboard player, Ben, walked onto the Slowdown Jr. stage a little after 9 last night and didn’t leave for two and a half hours. In that time, they ran through a set list of Sun Kil Moon songs that included a few off Benji (“Richard Ramirez…” “Micheline” and “Dogs”), Universal Themes (“The Possum,” “This Is My First Day…”) and the just-released Jesu/Sun Kil Moon album (“Fragile,” “Exodus”) as well as a few new ones (“He’s Bad,” a song about Michael Jackson with the chorus “He’s Bad / And he’s dead / And I’m glad“), a cover of “Send in the Clowns” and a few I didn’t recognize, including a set intro and a set outro wherein Kozelek talked about never having been to Omaha before, his lunch at The Blatt (where his waiter called him “Boss” repeatedly), and seeing Conor Oberst play at The Forum when he was this tall (and who Kozelek will be opening for in a one-off show in a few weeks).

Kozelek only played guitar on a couple songs (including “Richard Ramirez…”).Most of the time he stood on the front of the stage with his microphone or sat next to Ben, directing the beat with his free hand in a solemn wave. At times, especially on new songs, he referred to lyrics written in a binder. This was the first of three shows with this new keyboard player and Kozelek warned there would be some rough edges, and there were, but they only added to the charm of the set.

I’ve read he can be nasty to his audience, but he was nothing but kind and funny last night, laughing often and mostly at himself. The laughter countered the hard-reality lyrics that dealt with death and murder and getting older and memories of loved ones gone… depressing lyrics mostly sung but sometimes spoken as keyboardist Ben tickled his Roland and controlled a thick, dark beat.

I think Benji is Kozelek’s masterpiece, and he acknowledged that the album is what most new audiences know him from, saying Red House Painters (his first band) was so long ago. The Benji songs, which came out in 2014, indeed stood out next to the newer material that at times seemed like stream-of-conscious poetry. The moments when Kozelek used that angelic voice of his and reached beyond his slow, guttural, spoken delivery were when he raised the night to the next level.

There’s not much more to say. The crowd of around 60 were seated at tables throughout the club and a few yards away from the stage. Kozelek asked people to come closer all night, and eventually they scooched their chairs forward toward the stage. It was a quiet, intimate performance that kept the audience rapt and silent.

* * *

Another master story-teller songwriter performs tonight, this time at the Holland Performing Arts Center. It’s a solo performance by Elvis Costello. Based on the set list from Saturday’s show at Town Hall in NYC (which you can read here) this could be a greatest hits collection — played with piano and guitar — that spans to his first album. Opening is Larkin Poe, who I wrote about yesterday. Tickets for the 7 p.m. show range from $46 to $126.

* * *

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.

Mountain Goats at The Waiting Room, Sept. 30, 2016.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Another crushed, table-clearing night at The Waiting Room last Friday for The Mountain Goats — especially impressive when you consider it was a $25 ticket.

John Darnielle and company have been coming through Omaha literally for decades. Darnielle pointed that out from stage, reminiscing about first hearing a young, bombastic folkie named Simon Joyner when Joyner passed through Darnielle’s town. They exchanged information and eventually would record and release music together. In fact, I’m holding a copy of the Why You All So Thief 7-inch, a split between Joyner and The Mountain Goats that came out on Sing, Eunuchs! way back in 1994 (and which is still available from Simon’s grapefruitrecordclub.com website).

Darnielle played a couple songs which were either inspired by or recorded at the time of those Joyner sessions, recorded “with Simon just around the corner from the Antiquarium.” One of those songs was “Baboon,” played during the solo acoustic interlude in the center of his set. The rest of the night, Darnielle was accompanied by his band, including a dude on a jazzy tenor saxophone, playing songs from their latest album, an ode to professional wrestling called Beat the Champ (2015, Merge). Most were preceded by a funny story explaining the lore of the world of wresting and the characters that inhabit it.

I’ve been watching and listening to Darnielle for years and other than a few recent loungy additions, his story-telling song-writing style hasn’t changed. Every song is an introduction to a new character who is trying to do his or her damnedest just to get by. Simple, honest songs that no doubt have influenced a variety of bands from The Hold Steady to Decemberists.

While the crowd was definitely into the set — a few even moved to the beat on the floor — Mountain Goats isn’t exactly a dance band, and is now reaching a level of popularity where a sit-down concert at a formal theater might make sense. Imagine them at The Orpheum…

Oh Pep! at The Waiting Room, Sept. 30, 2016.

Opening act Oh Pep! drew upon gorgeous melodies and frontwoman Olivia Hally’s remarkable voice for a memorable set of music from their debut album, Stadium Cake, which they said took seven years to make. While Hally handled the acoustic guitar parts, the “Pep” part of Oh Pep! —  Pepita Emmerichs — switched between mandolin and violin while adding gorgeous harmonies. This is a band to keep an eye on.

Oh Pep! closed out the set with help from Mountain Goats, who joined them on stage for a rousing version of the band’s first single, “Doctor Doctor.”

* * *

Larkin Poe opens for Elvis Costello tomorrow night at The Holland.

Talk about your sweet opening gigs, Atlanta sister act Larkin Poe will have a hard time finding a better tour mate than the legendary Elvis Costello, who they open for Oct. 4 at the Holland Performing Arts Center.

The band, fronted by Rebecca and Megan Lovell, started out as the Lovell Sisters with their sister, Jessica, an act that ran its course in 2009. In their new iteration, the sisters have definitely gone electric, playing a southern-fried style of rock that sounds like heavy Alison Krauss meets Iris Dement.

Here’s how the sisters tackled the Ten Questions gauntlet:

What is your favorite album?

Megan: Dark Side of the Moon, Pink Floyd.

Rebecca: Living with the Law, Chris Whitley.

What is your least favorite song?

“This Is The Song That Never Ends”

What do you enjoy most about being in a band?

Megan: Playing music for a living! The opportunity to get up onstage and share a connection with people of all shapes and sizes. It’s amazing to see so many different parts of the world.

Rebecca: Creative freedom. The art of singing and songwriting has been around since the dawn of enlightened man; to be able to carry on that tradition and walk the righteous way of rock’n’roll is an incredibly satisfying way to live.

What do you hate about being in a band?

Megan: You have to say goodbye to your home and loved ones far too often.

Rebecca: The temptation to be highly critical of yourself as an artist. All the time.

What is your favorite substance (legal or illegal)?

Megan: Cheddar flavored popcorn. It should be illegal.

Rebecca: Patchouli oil.

In what city or town do you love to perform?

We played a sold out show in London at the Borderline a few months ago – having ticket scalpers working the sidewalks out front of the club, for our show, was a rush. We appreciate the support our British fans have shown us.

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

The worst gigs we’ve ever played are the gigs that we didn’t get to play. We’ve only had to cancel a few shows due to illness, but canceling a show is the worst thing of all.

How do you pay your bills?

We’re proud to be full-time musicians. We pay our bills by being ’21st century artists’… In short: we do just about anything and everything to bring in the dough – touring, recording, writing, you name it.

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

Megan: I’d be a professional stunt double. I’d hate to work in a slaughterhouse.

Rebecca: I’d be a crystal-gazing clairvoyant. I’d hate to be a competitive eater.

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

We’ve made our own stories in Omaha with native son, Conor Oberst. We’ve spent a couple pleasant nights at his place, Pageturners Lounge, listening to friends perform or playing songs of our own!

Larkin Poe opens for Elvis Costello Tuesday, Oct. 4, at the Holland Performing Arts Center, 13th & Douglas Streets. Tickets range from $46.25 to $126.25. Showtime is 7 p.m. For more information, go to ticketomaha.com

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Tonight, Mark Kozelek makes his first appearance ever at Slowdown Jr., and if I’m not mistaken, first time ever in Omaha. He’s played the last two Sun Kil Moon shows at Vega in Lincoln. Tonight’s show is listed as “An Evening with Mark Kozelek,” with no opener. I’m curious how this will deviate from a SKM show and the set he performed Sept. 26 as Sun Kil Moon in Denmark, which you can read here. I can tell you it’ll be a heavy experience for those who attend. I saw Kozelek as SKM perform in a church at SXSW a few years ago, and it was a long, dark evening that I’ll never forget. $23, 9 p.m. See you there…

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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.