Left is West at O’Leaver’s May 10, 2019.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

A friend who listened to the new Left is West album How to Be Happy Without Even Trying described it as sounding “expensive.” I’m not sure exactly what he meant by that other than the recording quality was impeccable, which it is. So well done, in fact that it eclipsed the band’s live performance last Friday at O’Leaver’s.

It’s usually the other way around — bands rarely capture the ferocity of their live set on their recordings. For example, Omaha’s The Carsinogents were mercurial on stage, and while their recordings rocked, the albums never rocked nearly as intensely as when they were trying to burn down Sokol Underground. Left is West isn’t in the same incidiary category as Carsinogents. Instead, their album has a peaceful easy feelin’ style as if recorded in the ‘70s with one of the great producers like Bill Szymczyk at the knobs — it’s a true studio document that sounds like a perfectly balanced weapon. There was no way the band was going to replicate it in O’Leaver’s.

And they didn’t. The songs were still there, but… you couldn’t quite hear the keyboards, the vocals were at times soft and the drums hid behind the bass. Lead guitarist Matt Wellendorf, however, soared, and I was reminded again of Jackson Browne to the point where I kinda/sorta wanted them to cover “Running on Empty.” 

The Lupines at O’Leaver’s May 10, 2019.

On the other hand, The Lupines were completely uncaged and on fire Friday night. But I’ve never seen them perform any other way. They rolled out a couple new songs, which I hope means there’s a new album waiting in the wings. 

We’re in an era when there just aren’t many indie bands performing in Omaha anymore; and instead, garage / psych-rock bands are in the forefront. The Lupines stands tall as being among the best of them, alongside David Nance Group and Those Far Out Arrows. 

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The folks behind the June 28 Memorial Park Concert this morning announced that Chris Isaak is opening for Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul for their big event. Who remembers “Wicked Game”? Great video. Couldn’t tell you what Isaak’s been up to since then except for some cameo film appearances. The Firm (not the one with Jimmy Page) opens the show at 6 p.m. Fireworks at 10. 

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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.