Anna McClellan at O’Leaver’s, Dec. 3, 2015. She plays tonight at The Waiting Room.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

We’re entering a dead zone for shows — the weeks leading up to Christmas, bleak cold days where it takes massive effort for people to venture out into the arctic cold. Like what we’re experiencing right now. The only worst time for shows is after the holiday and before spring. But we’ll get to that, eventually.

There’s a couple big benefit shows happening this weekend.

Tonight there’s an “amplification concert” (my term) called Mobilize Omaha at The Waiting Room. A handful of nonprofits will be presenting their messages to an audience who will also see performances by Orenda Fink, Anna McClellan, Masonjixx, Kait Berreckman and a “surprise guest.” It’s organized by Planned Parenthood, but your $5 donation will be split among all participating non-profits. Starts early, at 5 p.m. and suggested donation is $5, but you can do better than that.

Tomorrow night it’s back to The Waiting Room, this time for a benefit for Youth Emergency Services featuring performances by Low Long Signal, Armful of Tiger Lilies, Slow Stoics, The Clocks, & Port Nocturnal. Tickets are $5 today, $7 DOS. Show starts at 9.

Also Saturday night, they’re calling it “Dad Rock Night at Milk Run.” The line-up ain’t exactly dad-rock-like: Lodgings (members of NAWAS*, Son Ambulance, Head Of Femur, UUVVWWZ, Sound of Rails); Leafblower (members of Little Brazil, NAWAS, New Lungs, Face For Radio), The Sleeperhits and Mike Saklar (Sun-Less Trio, Comme Reel, No Blood Orphan, Ravine). All four acts for just $5. Starts at 9 p.m. at Milk Run.
     * Noah’s Ark Was a Spaceship

Also Saturday night, The Brothers Lounge is hosting a Toys for Tots concert featuring DSM5, Jump the Tiger and Mim Aparo (Anthems). $5 or a toy gets you in. It’s a great cause. Starts at 8 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.

Oquoa at Farnam Festival, Sept. 12, 2015. The band plays tonight at Looking Lounge.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

It’s only the first week of December and the annual year-end lists already are starting to trickle in from everywhere. A couple Omahans have made the early cuts:

David Nance’s new album, More Than Enough (2016, Ba Da Bing), came in at No. 28 on Noisey’s Top 100 albums of 2016. From the write-up: “David Nance’s label refers to him as Omaha’s best-kept secret, but he’s possibly the best songwriter in the United States that nobody outside DIY tape collectors and his friends has heard. This may be dusty and emotive heartland rock ‘n’ roll, but it has more in common with the grimy lo-fi realism of Peter Laughner of Pere Ubu and Rocket From the Tombs than with any John Cougar/Jeff Tweedy sap.”

Omahan (and former Lincolnite) Jeff Runnings’ latest album, Primitive and Smalls (2016, Saint Marie), came in at No. 5 on Pop Matters “Best Indie Pop of 2016” list. Among the comments: “There is a heavy dose of melancholy within the best indie-pop music of 2016, but also significant portions of wit, whimsy and atmosphere, and elemental things like melodies that won’t escape your head, simple guitar parts that sound monumental.”

Get ready for an avalanche of lists over the coming weeks, including mine…

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There’s a couple shows happening tonight.

Over at fabulous O’Leaver’s, Omaha’s premiere alt-country band, Clarence Tilton, opens for Jack Grelle, the St. Louis-based country songwriter on the road supporting his new album, Got Dressed Up to be Let Down (2016, Big Muddy). Also on the bill is Omaha’s Bazile Mills.

And another one happening tonight, indie band Oquoa plays at Lookout Lounge, 320 So. 72nd St., with Millions of Boys and Hellrazor. $8, 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.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

There’s an interesting Q&A with Omaha ex-pat Maria Taylor in something called Alabama Newscenter wherein Taylor talks about getting her music played on soapy NBC drama This Is Us. From the interview:

I have a licensing company that pitches my music to TV shows, and I have been fortunate to have many of my songs featured on TV and in movies. It’s always exciting, especially when you really love the show. I’ve also had songs on Grey’s Anatomy, including an episode named after Song Beneath the Song, and another in the movie The Devil Wears Prada. Dawson’s Creek or Felicity might have been the first license I ever got!

When I first listened to her new record, In the Next Life (which comes out Friday on her label), licensing immediately came to mind. Taylor solo or in Azure Ray creates music that naturally complements these kinds of shows. No doubt licensing can be very lucrative and an exceptional way to augment a musician’s meager income in the streaming era. Too bad it’s so hard to land a licensing deal, but fact is most bands’ music simply doesn’t fit on TV.

One example: Tim Kasher’s music — with Cursive, The Good Life or solo. It’s just too mesmerizing, too distracting. If one of Tim’s songs came on during This Is Us it would be impossible to not refocus your attention toward the music, instead of letting it blend into the background.

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Legendary Omaha musician and promoter John Wolf dropped an email yesterday announcing that SERIAL is playing a Christmas show Dec.23 at Brothers Lounge with those merry elves in Bloodcow.

SERIAL is Tim Moss (Porn music, Ritual Device), Wolf (Cellophane Ceiling, Bad Luck Charm, Porn music, Lee Meyerpeter (Cactus Never Thang, Bad Luck Charm, Filter Kings) and Jerry Hug (Ritual Device, Porn music).

Says Wolf: “Wolf, Moss and Meyerpeter performed as SERIAL a handful of times in the mid 1990s. Various bass players played with the band including Eric Melvin from from NOFX for a couple of shows. For this performance the men of SERIAL coaxed and possibly blackmailed Jerry Hug into playing bass for them. SERIAL was known for their volatile, chaotic, and unpredictable rockin’ performances, and nothing less than this can be expected this time around.”

That’s primo stuff, but it isn’t the only X-mas show going on that night. Criteria is playing at The Waiting Room with Little Brazil on Dec. 23. Plan accordingly…

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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.

Solid Goldberg is playing tonight at fabulous O”Leaver’s.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

It’s the weekend before the blizzard? Not likely, but it’s bound to snow sometime; we might as well get it over with.

Enjoy the last tropical weekend of the year tonight at fabulous O’Leaver’s with performances by Solid Goldberg (a.k.a. the legendary Dave Goldberg), the mighty Lupines and Des Moines punks Broken Ones. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Also tonight at Milk Run there’s a big double record release/benefit show. It’s a four-band bill headlined by Bed Rest and No Getter with The Way Out and Minnesota’s The Crash Bandits. Bed Rest will be releasing their second EP, Gloom, alongside No Getter, who will be releasing their debut EP/cassette, Fitting. A portion of the door will go to RAINN (rape, abuse and incest national network). $5 is the door charge, but go ahead, be generous. Show starts at 9.

Also tonight, it’s Benson First Friday. Among the art openings tonight is the second annual Little Show at The Little Gallery. Each piece of art is 12″ x 12″ or smaller and sells for $100 or less. Give the gift of local art! The reception runs from 6 to 9 p.m. Address: 5901 Maple St., in the ground-floor storefront of the Benson Masonic Lodge (across the street from the Sydney). Beer and treats. Come by and say hello.

On Saturday night, The Waiting Room and Reverb lounge are both in play for the annual toy drive for the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The event raises toys and money for the 501(c)(3) organization, started in 2003 by Omaha musician Larry Dunn a.k.a. Lash LaRue.

It’s a country-rocking event, with bands including Township & Range, Pancho & the Contraband, The Willards, Matt Cox, Korey Anderson, 24 Hour Cardlock, Vago, Kait Berreckman and Ryan Osbahr, as well as Lash LaRue and the Hired Guns. Admission is $10 or a new unwrapped toy per venue or $15, and two unwrapped toys for entry to both venues. The shows start at 8.

Also Saturday night it’s back to O’Leaver’s for Relax, It’s Science with Brazen Throats and Stronghold. $5, 9:30 p.m.

And here’s one that’s under the radar: Indie punk rock band Uh Oh, who hasn’t done a show in ages, plays at Lucy’s Pub way out on 89th and Blondo. Turns out this is actually a house show at 8932 Blondo St. Joining Uh Oh are The Way Out and MAGU. Uh Oh will be filming a music video that night, so look out. This one’s free and starts at 9.

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.

#TBT, The Slowdown complex under construction, Dec. 2, 2006.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

As a #TBT, this from the Lazy-i archives, Dec. 4, 2006 (though the photo was actually taken Dec. 2, 2006):

Here’s an updated pic of the Slowdown construction project. Amazing how much they’ve gotten done. This “pano” shows that they’ve apparently started on the condos on the property’s north side while they slowly begin closing in the theater on the south side. Can they get it buttoned up before the first snow?

Things did start going at a faster clip after that…

In other news, NPR is hosting a “first listen” of the new Maria Taylor album, In the Next Life, which will be out next Friday. Listen below or go to their website.

Tonight at Slowdown Jr. it’s American Wrestlers, who I wrote about yesterday. Opening is Chicago indie band Varsity, and our very own Eric in Outespace. $10, 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.