Is Lincoln Calling the next SXSW?

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Here’s the nut graph to my Lincoln Calling preview article in the current issue of The Reader:

With more than 70 national, regional and local acts, Lincoln Calling has the makings of the first Nebraska-based festival with a vibe that could be compared to the early days of Austin’s South By Southwest Festival.

Yeah I know, a bold statement, but when you look at the line-up of up-and-comers, there’s no question that Lincoln Calling is the most cutting-edge of local music festivals.

Lincoln Calling organizer Spencer Munson talks about how he and his team booked the bands, the schedules and the non-music activities, as well as how he’s made this year’s event as relevant as last year’s while having access to a much smaller overall budget.

You can read the article online right here at The Reader website or in the September issue, which is on newsstands now.

The full Lincoln Calling venue schedules finally have been uploaded to the Lincoln Calling website. Here’s each day:

• — Thursday, Sept. 20
• — Friday, Sept. 21
• — Saturday, Sept. 22

If you’re only driving down for one day, Friday is likely the sweet spot, with Parquet Courts, Criteria, Ron Gallo, Nude Party, Fantastic Negrito and Stephen Sheehan among the choices. That said, Thursday’s and Saturday’s lineups are nothing to sneeze at. Full ticket/schedule info at www.lincolncalling.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 © 2018 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Thick Paint at Slowdown Jr., March 30, 2018. The band plays tonight Pageturners Lounge.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Not much to talk about regarding this past weekend (since I didn’t see any music; the weekend itself was great).

There’s a shit-ton of new music I’m wading through. On top of the list are records by Oh Pep!, Future Generations, Pile, Tragic Jack, Sextile, Ron Gallo, Mirah and Cut Worms, plus a lot of Spotify stuff. I’ll start dribbling out reviews over the coming days.

For now, how about a nearly 10-minute song, “Bassackwards,” from Kurt Vile’s upcoming new album, Bottle It In (2018, Matador), out Oct. 12? Vile and his band, The Violators, today announced a Slowdown date for his 2019 tour. Feb. 26, to be exact. By then we’ll all be recovering from winter (hopefully). BTW, The Sadies open. And tix go on sale Friday.

Pageturners continues its summer concert series tonight with Thick Paint (When are we going to get news of a new record from these fine folks?) and Minneapolis’ Loud Sun a.k.a. Andrew Jansen. This free show starts at 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 © 2018 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Leafblower at O’Leaver’s, July 30, 2017. They’re playing there again Saturday night.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

I’m back from New York.

Actually, I’ve been back since Wednesday. It was the usual fun of US Open (Federer won!), Yankees (They lost!) and Broadway (Dear Evan Hansen!). As with every trip to NYC there were celebrity sightings. The first was Saturday Night Live “featured player” Mikey Day (the guy who plays Donald Jr.), who we spied sitting under a tree with a young lad (his son?) outside Yankee’s stadium prior to the game. The second was an almost unrecognizable Sandra Bernhard sitting across from me on the No. 1 train headed downtown. She got off a couple stops before 28th St. Celebrities, going about their lives like the rest of us.

Anyway… looks like I got back just in time for the weekend.

Tonight marks the return of Femme Fest, the annual celebration of women in rock, Omaha edition. This year’s festivities seem to have been limited to one Benson venue, the Waiting Room. The line-up: SAS, Domestica, Uh Oh, La Guerre, Jocelyn, Histrionic and Queerniverse Burlesque. The show starts at 6 p.m. and costs $10.

It’s also Benson First Friday (#BFF). So if you’re in the neighborhood come on by the Little Gallery, 5901 Maple St. (bottom fo the Masonic Lodge building) and check out this month’s show: Ricky Powell Jr.’s portraits of Wonder Women of Omaha. We’re there from 6 to 9 p.m. Booze and food. Yum.

Tomorrow night (Saturday) it’s back to fabulous O’Leaver’s for Leafblower with In the Whale and DROSS. 10 p.m., $5.

Also Saturday, Omaha hip-hop artist Buck Bowen celebrates the release of his new book(!) at Reverb Lounge with a handful of artists including Microphone Elements, Ryan Lucas and The Wolfman. $8, 9 p.m

That is 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 © 2018 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.