A screen-cap from One of My Kind, the Mystic Valley Band documentary.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

For Throwback Thursday, here’s a link to a SPIN review I wrote 10 years ago yesterday. Conor Oberst was launching his new project, the Mystic Valley Band, and SPIN needed someone to cover the tour launch. It was an easy $100, and I was going to the show anyway.

Over the years I’ve had opportunities to write for other national rags but turned them down, having neither the time nor the interest. Most didn’t pay a dime, offering instead national exposure that I wasn’t seeking. My high school dreams of being a rock ‘n’ roll journalist drifted away when I realized just how expensive full-time gigs like Rolling Stone can be, especially if you have to live in NYC.

From the review:

…Oberst has never looked more content than when he’s playing with the Mystic Valley Band. Still, he’s the kind of guy who never stays in one place — or with one band — for very long. So tell us, Conor, are you in this one for the long run?

Whatever became of the Mystic Valley Band? I get the feeling that Conor could switch that one back on rather quickly if he wanted to. It never reached the heights of his other projects, though it apparently produced a concert film called One of My Kind, shot by Philip Schaffart, which I’ve never seen and I don’t believe was ever screened here. Well, you can now watch it in its entirety on YouTube, below:

* * *

A trio of shows are happening tonight:

I list Pagan Athletes first though the duo is actually opening for a Salt Lake City band called Ugly Boys at Reverb Lounge tonight. I don’t know a thing about Ugly Boys, but I can tell you Pagan Athletes is a head trip worth checking out. Also on the bill is Omaha rock ‘n’ roll start-up Garst. $10, 8 p.m.

Meanwhile, down at Slowdown Jr., a new project by Jessica Hottman of The Hottman Sisters is launching called Sun Cycles. According to the listing, “Steeped in deep synth, big drums, and soaring vocals – the act pulls inspiration from artists like Imogen Heap, Lorn, and Stevie Nicks.” Kethro opens at 8 p.m. $12.

Finally a trio of singer/songwriters are lighting up the stage at the Down Under tonight: Matt Whipkey Chris Koza and Scott Severin. This one starts at 9:30 and there’s no cover.

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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 © 2019 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Outer Spaces at Milk Run, June 24, 2016. The band has a new single coming out on Saddle Creek Records.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Back in June 2016, I got a chance to see Baltimore band Outer Spaces at the now defunct Milk Run with a handful of other fans. The band had just released its debut LP, A Shedding Snake, on Don Giovanni Records, which ended up being one of my favorites that year.

This morning Saddle Creek Records announced that Outer Spaces will be receiving the “Document Series” treatment — i.e, the release of a 7-inch single, “Teapot” b/w “Children Love to Run” May 3.

Check out the A-side below and order your copy at the Saddle Creek Store.

* * *

Rockaway Beach, NY, psych-rock band Blac Rabbit headlines tonight at Slowdown Jr. The 5-piece is led by identical twin brothers Amiri and Rahiem Taylor. They say their sound is influenced by The Beatles (what band’s isn’t?), and have covered Beatles tunes in the past, most notably at an event alongside Yoko Ono and Ringo Starr. But forget about the covers. The band’s original material is the reason to go see them tonight. Plus you get an opening set by our very own Those Far Out Arrows, who no doubt will be rolling out some new material. 8 p.m., $12.

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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 © 2019 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Kero Kero Bonito at The Waiting Room, April 5, 2019

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

I went into Friday night’s Kero Kero Bonito show at The Waiting Room knowing nothing about the band other than they are on Polyvinyl Records, home to some of the cooler indie bands in the last 20 years (Rainer Maria, Pedro the Lion, Alvvays). Someone outside the club told me they were a K-Pop group. Nothing could have been further from the truth.

In fact KKB was a five-piece British indie pop act with a Japanese front woman who sang, rapped, played keyboards and balanced stuffed animals on her head throughout the set. The music had a break-beat pop flash, driven by an amazing rhythm section with fantastic drumming provided by tour drummer Jennifer Walton (most of the night).  Vocalist Sarah Bonito had a playful, child-like rap/sing style that worked well for songs about stuff like swimming and playing on trampolines. 

Early in the set, it kind of felt like Saturday morning kid’s stuff, but as the set progressed, compositions became more sophisticated and stylish in a yacht-rock sort of way. Guitarist James Rowland proved he could shred when needed, but the band’s mix downplayed his guitar. In fact, the mix felt purposely flat and two-dimensional, with nothing standing out other than front-woman Bonito’s sing-song rap. 

This was another example of a band with a mysterious huge following (tables and chairs were taken out for this show to make room for the massive crowd) that knew the words to what was clearly the band’s “hits,” which have never been heard on any local airwaves. It must be a YouTube thing. The whole crowd joined in on single “Flamingo” (a video with more than 38 million YouTube plays), and I haven’t seen a room bounce like as it did for encore “Trampoline” since the last Faint concert. 

The oddest moment of the evening came after the show ended. The band’s outro music was a synth version of John Denver’s “Country Roads” that had the entire room singing along as they headed for the doors. 

* * *

Tonight at an unspecified location (though I promise it’s some place you’ll like) Will Johnson of Centro-Matic, South San Gabriel and Monsters of Folk fame plays an intimate living room concert. A limited number of $20 tickets are still available for this 8 p.m. performance. For more information, go here.

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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 © 2019 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Savak plays at O’Leaver’s Saturday, April 6.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Mike Jaworski is an Omaha music godfather, even though he hasn’t lived here in years. The guitarist/vocalist for Brooklyn band Savak, who plays at O’Leaver’s Saturday night, cut his teeth in a little local act called Hong Jyn Corp. Since then, he’s played in a number of bands including Virgin Islands and The Cops, and ran Mt. Fuji Records, whose roster included Little Brazil.

Now with Savak, Jaworski continues his life goal of crushing people with rock ‘n’ roll. The trio, which formed in 2015 in Brooklyn, includes guitarist Sohrab Habibion (Obits, Edsel) and drummer Matt Schulz (Holy Fuck). Their latest, Beg Your Pardon, released last year on Ernest Jenning Records, has a controlled urgency that combines aggressive post-punk beats with a strangely sinister psych-rock groove. 

I caught up with Savak and gave them the Ten Questions treatment. Here’s what the whole band had to say: 

1. What is your favorite album?

Mike Jaworski: Signs of the Zodiac, Scorpio

Matt Schulz: Bad Brains, s/t

Sohrab Habibion: Don’t have a favorite, but recently I’ve been somewhat obsessed with “Blood on the Wall” by Some Chicken: https://youtu.be/4fu2FqKf_U4

2. What is your least favorite song?

MJ: I’d be perfectly fine if I never heard “Hunger Strike” by Temple of The Dog ever again.

MS: I fuckin hate that Toto song by Africa.

SH: Bizarrely, he’s super into the Weezer cover of it. Go figure.

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

MJ: Playing music and hang time with my pals. Getting to travel and see friends in other cities. Eating and drinking the local culinary delights and beverages.

MS: The glory and the riches.

SH: Getting to hang out with friends and clamor about.

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

MJ: Nothing to hate for me. I don’t enjoy being away from my family for extended periods, but our tours are typically short guys.

MS: Nothing.

SH: There’s plenty of goofy stuff, mostly “business”-related or the occasional personality management issue, but nothing so far has been awful enough to stop doing it.

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

MJ: Toss up between coffee, wine and unleavened bread for me. 

MS: Gage.

SH: Probably the 7″ version of Everything’s Gone Green. That bass line is undeniable. I’d dance to it, for sure: https://youtu.be/M4qFoKu-Po0

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

MJ: Omaha! It’s my home town, duh. This is where I learned how to put on my rock ‘n’ roll boots and pants and hats and socks and belts and mesh tank top t-shirts.

MS: Prague is usually fun but the food sucks.

SH: Prague and Brno, too. The Czech Republic is pretty wonderful in general. And, for the record, I’ve had some tasty nibbles in Prague.

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

MJ: I had a particularly horrible show at SXSW last year. Don’t eat the brown acid. That’s all I can say.

MS: I can’t remember, but to avoid laying any blame, I will say it was all my fault.

SH: Let’s just say it was a misunderstanding. But, if we never return to Besançon in eastern France, I doubt they would mind. I’d like to extend another sincere apology to the lovely folks at Les Passagers du Zinc and somewhat less so to the irritatingly exuberant dancers the night we played there with The Poison Arrows.

8. Are you able to support yourself through your music? If so, how long did it take to get there; if not, how do you pay your bills?

MJ: No. Nope. Never. Nein. Negatory. Bills are just a concept from the man, man.

MS: I’ve always had jobs, regardless of the money I make from music of the amount of touring I do. I’m a workaholic.

SH: Briefly in the ’90s I did not work at another job. Or maybe it’s better to say the amount of time between jobs was longer than at any other point since I was 15 years old. When we’re not doing band stuff I spend my check-scoring hours either hustling graphic design work or composing a variety of music for tv, film and commercials. Each day is a little different and that keeps it interesting.

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

MJ: Would love to be a Shaman. Would not want to be Donald Trump’s hair stylist.

MS: I don’t want to do anything else. I wouldn’t want to be a dog catcher.

SH: Whatever the job is where you actually feel like you’re contributing something positive to the world. Work that I’d prefer to avoid would involve spending time with distasteful people or actively abusing other people’s health and wellbeing. You know, like those miserable turds who run insurance companies or mansplaining tech bros, etc.

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

MJ: I have lots of stories. What do you want to hear?

MS: I’ve never heard of Omaha.

SH: We’ve been told that there will be a parade to welcome the return of hometown hero Michael Jaworski. Also I’m looking forward to getting a tour of the boyhood homes of everyone from Ritual Device. Jokes aside, the band I was in back in the ’90s, Edsel, spent some quality time in Nebraska and even wrote a song called, “Omaha Intervenes.” Not sure it holds up, but our intensions were good: https://youtu.be/t0J8lVGfeV8

Savak plays with Little Brazil Saturday, April 6 at O’Leaver’s, 1322 S. Saddle Creek Rd. Tickets are $8, showtime is 10 p.m. For more information, go to liveatoleavers.com. 

* * *

So what else is happening this weekend? 

Tonight at The Waiting Room, London band Kero Kero Bonito headlines. Their latest, Time ‘n’ Place, was released last year on Polyvinyl Records. Check them out on their way to Coachella. Jaakko Eino Kaveli opens at 9 p.m. $15. 

Also tonight, it’s another Benson First Friday (#BFF). They’re celebrating at The Sydney with Laughing Falcon and Kobrakyle for a benefit show for flood victims. $5, 10 p.m. 

And since you’ll be in Benson anyway, might as well drop by The Little Gallery, our little shop at 5901 Maple in the east bay of the Masonic Lodge Building. Tonight’s show features small works by the Midwest Fiber Art Alliance (MFAA). See what cool stuff they made with fabric! We’re open from 6 to 9 p.m. Come on down!

Also tonight but not in Benson is No Win, And How and Win/Win at fabulous O’Leaver’s. 10 p.m., $5.

Tomorrow night (Saturday) it’s back to O’Leaver’s for the big Savak / Little Brazil show. This one will be massive. 10 p.m., $8. See you there.

Also Saturday night, Saddle Creek Records act Twinsmith headlines at Reverb Lounge. Jack McLaughlin opens at 9 p.m. $10.

Meanwhile, over at The Brothers Lounge Saturday night, Seattle band Red Ribbon headlines with Oquoa. $5, 10 p.m. 

Finally, Sunday is absolutely loaded with shows.

The best of the bunch is at Pageturners, and it’s free. Nigerian rock innovator Mdou Moctar headlines. This guy is considered the guitar god of the Sahara. His new album, Llana (The Creator) (2019, Sanel Sounds) just scored a massive 8.0 from Pitchfork, who said “The Tuareg musician’s first full-band studio album is an incandescent set of guitar music with a spontaneous, celebratory air—and a latent urgency reflecting the region’s very real difficulties.” It’a amazing that Omaha is even getting this must-see show. The David Nance Band opens at 9 p.m., and like I said, it’s free. 

Also Sunday evening, Omaha sludge-metal giants Ocean Black plays a special 6 p.m. matinee show at O’Leaver’s. Joining them is Austin band SkyAcre, along with Fashion Week and Montee Men. That’s some loud shit! 6 p.m., $7.

Finally, indie pop act Gymshorts headlines at Reverb Lounge Sunday night. Local rockers Garst open at 8 p.m. $7.

And 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 © 2019 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

b

Bad Bad Men at The Brothers Lounge, Feb. 17, 2018. They play tonight at O’Leaver’s.

y Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

For your typical indie music fan here in Omaha, last year’s Maha Music Festival was about as good as it gets. We’re talking some of the best indie acts available anywhere — among them, Father John Misty, Tune-Yards, TV on the Radio and Hop Along — topped off with a non-indie ’90s-era alternative band in Weezer.

The sheer fact that Maha has survived for a decade is a tribute to organizers who poured their blood, sweat and dollars into a dream many thought wouldn’t survive its debut year.

Last year’s 10-year anniversary show pushed the festival to two days, or at least one-and-a-half, with the addition of an evening program the day before the Saturday event. Plans call for repeating that format again for Year 11, slated for Aug. 16-17, as discount pre-sale tickets go on sale Friday for those willing to gamble that the acts announced Thursday, April 18, are worth it.

I should be clear here — according to their Facebook page, early-bird 4-day passes go on sale Friday — i.e., these include admittance to the Big Omaha conference Aug. 14 and 15, which has been awkwardly welded onto Maha after the organization took ownership of Big Omaha last year. Maha has even rebranded itself this year as Maha Festival, which could confuse people outside of the area who stumble upon it for the first time (Hey, look, a 4-day music festival in Omaha. Waitaminit, the first two days are entrepreneur-focused TED-type talks not related to music? Uh, forget it.).

Taking on Big Omaha must have seemed like a natural progression for Maha in their quest to expand the festival beyond music. But to some (i.e., me) it’s an odd fit that doesn’t really have anything to do with their original music-focused mission. But, oh well, right?

It’s anyone’s guess who the festival has lined up for a headliner this year. Weezer may may have seemed outside of Maha’s original indie focus, but is in line with a change that began three years ago with Passion Pit followed by Run the Jewels, acts that aren’t exactly indie. Let’s face it, most music-goers don’t know what “indie” is, anyway.

Maha clearly was trying to broaden its audience, and who can blame them? Indie is a microscopically small genre that appeals to a very narrow audience. That said, indie acts like Wilco, Arcade Fire, LCD Soundsystem, Tame Impala and Courtney Barnett — all of which would draw huge crowds — always seem out of their reach.

My guesses for possible headliners and/or bill fillers?
– Vampire Weekend, who have come through here before and have a new album.
– Jenny Lewis, a local favorite, though she already has a gig booked in St. Louis Aug. 17.
– Wilco, which would be their dream “get”
– Deerhunter, hot new record, not sure they’re a headliner, tho…

Possible line-up fodder:
– Metric, also through here a lot.
– Idles, red hot these days
– Mitski, a great get
– Sharon Van Etten, another hot act.
– Strand of Oaks, one of my personal faves, has a new album.
– Karen O of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, not sure she’s touring.

And no doubt we’ll see at least a couple vintage indie bands in the line-up this year. Maybe Stephen Malkmus of Pavement, perhaps return appearances by Bob Mould or Guided By Voices or Dinosaur Jr.?

We’ll have to wait until April 18 to find out…

* * *

Acts I do know are playing in Omaha… tonight:

Bad Bad Men — a band consisting of uber-talented punk legends John Wolf, Jerry Hug and Chris Siebken — plays tonight at fabulous O’Leaver’s, opening for In the Whale and Natural States. 9 p.m. sharp, probably $5.

Also tonight, mysterious pop-punkers Masked Intruder plays at Lookout Lounge with Four Arm Shiver and The Shidiots. $15, 8 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 © 2019 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Hand Habits at Slowdown Jr., April 1, 2019.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Sara Beth Tomberlin — or just Tomberlin as she’s known professionally and Toblerone as I sometimes mistakenly call her — sat center-stage at Slowdown Jr. last night with an acoustic guitar balanced on her crossed legs and sang heart-breakingly sad personal-journey songs in a voice I can only describe as “angelic.” You’d expect someone who writes such painful lyrics to be church-mouse quiet between songs and mumble morose thank you’s but instead, Tomberlin was a natural crack-up, talking about the time she was on the Jimmy Kimmel show during a bomb threat and how long it takes to get to the nearest Target from her hometown (hour and a half).

Tomberlin at Slowdown Jr., April 1, 2019.

She sang songs off her Saddle Creek debut as well as a couple new ones that fell into the same solemn territory as the others.  She thanked the crowd for being so quiet — the audience of around 60 stood as if in a trance throughout, except for two younger audience members who did a modified grind dance to every sad song.

By contrast, Hand Habits was a veritable rock show. Playing as a trio with bass and drums, Meg Duffy led with an electric guitar that broke away a few too few times for soaring solos that would make Richard Thompson proud. Duffy’s guitar work was stellar and I wished they’d work more of those solos into the set.

Instead, the band played mostly by the numbers songs from their latest Saddle Creek release, Placeholder, which is an early runner for my 2019 top-albums list. On the record, Duffy’s voice sounds like it’s always in harmony with someone or some thing. Live, the drummer added gorgeous harmonies, but for the big single, “Can’t Calm Down,” Tomberlin came up to the stage for one of the night’s highlights.

I can’t quite put my finger on who Duffy reminds me of, and I suppose they’d appreciate that (I’ve yet to meet a musician who likes being compared to anyone). That said (haha) I was at times reminded of Aimee Mann, at least in terms of the way Duffy and company made the most out of simple compositions for maximum emotional impact.

Not surprisingly, both acts said they were happy to be playing home base for Saddle Creek Records, whose reps were sprinkled throughout the audience, proudly watching their latest signees knock them dead.

* * *

Huge show tonight at fabulous O’Leaver’s. Laura Jane Grace of Against Me! is playing with her band, The Devouring Mothers. Advanced tickets to this show are long gone, but there may be a few available at the door for $22.50. The door is at 6:30, so if you’re interested, you’ll want to get in line well before than. The show starts at 7:30 with opening sets by Mercy Union and Control Top.

Also tonight, guitar virtuoso Rob Noyes performs at Reverb Lounge. Joining him are Jon Collin and our very own David Nance. $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 © 2018 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Hand Habits plays tonight at Slowdown Jr.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

There’s a flood going on in Nebraska all right… a flood of great shows. Hope you got your sleep this weekend because you’re not getting any this week, because there’s a great show every night.

Starting tonight when Saddle Creek Records’ latest roster additions — Hand Habits and Tomberlin — play at Slowdown Jr. Headliner Hand Habits is the project of singer/songwriter/guitarist Meg Duffy, whose new album, Placeholder, was released on Saddle Creek earlier this year. The album is sneaky good, and heavier than you might expect. Duffy is also a member of Kevin Morby’s band, and has done studio work on guitar for a number of artists, including The War on Drugs.

Opening the show at 8 p.m. is another recent Saddle Creek addition, singer/songwriter Tomberlin. Her style is pretty much what you’d expect — quiet, withdrawn, personal acoustic confessions. You get both for a mere $10.

Also tonight, dreamy electronic trio Mansionaire (Glassnote Records) plays at Reverb Lounge with Beacon. $15, 8 p.m.

And then, take a look at what’s in store the rest of the week:

— Tuesday: Laura Jane Grace (Against Me) & The Devouring Mothers at O’Leaver’s
— Tuesday: Rob Noyes with Jon Collin and David Nance at Reverb
— Wednesday: Playboy Manbaby and The Candy Boys at Brothers
— Thursday: Telekinesis at Slowdown, Jr.
— Thursday: Bad Bad Men with In the Whale at O’Leaver’s
— Friday: Kero Kero Bonito at The Waiting Room
— Saturday: Twinsmith at Reverb
— Sunday: Gymshorts at Reverb

Holy smokes!

* * *

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.