Look at this! A full weekend of shows to hype! I guess the pandemic is really over?

The fun starts tonight at the remodeled Reverb Lounge. Topping the bill is the record release show for Mere Shadows’ December 2020 release, Vices for Vices. The band features Michael Johnson on guitar/vocals with Julie Kestner, bass, John Kestner, guitar, and drummer Jeff Everroad. The album was recorded by Bryce Hotz at Archetype Recordings. Check out a track or two below.

Also on the bill is Bad Actors, an Omaha band fronted by “Thad Sand, veteran of the gritty Sioux City IA punk scene (FUR, Kidd Death), and Shawn Tracy, also a figure in the early days of Sioux City’s ‘Kings Court’ scene (Los Guapos, The Blisters), and later guitarist for ’90s Roadrunner Records artist Die Monster Die. Shawn Ruth on bass and Shane Adams on drums complete the lineup.”

They’re dropping a new album tonight called Black Static.

Opening the whole shee-bang tonight is rock royalty in the form of Solid Goldberg a.k.a. Dave Goldberg. Dave is worth the price of admission alone! There’s never been a better time to check out the remodeled Reverb. $8, 9 p.m.

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Saturday night it’s the return of A Tomato A Day, the project by singer/songwriter Brion Poloncic. Those familiar with the Omaha’s golden age of punk circa the early ’90s will remember Poloncic as a member of power punk trio Cactus Nerve Thang. A Tomato A Day was a completely different animal, a low-key acoustic melody-driven project that saw Poloncic sing/moan over chiming chords and warm cello.

Here are comments from March 2008 Lazy-i:

Three years in the making, The Moon Is Green, released on local art-noise label, Public Eyesore, was recorded by Alex McManus at Fried From Sound studio, and features musicians Dave Nordin, David Downing and Allen Hug. There’s something lost and lonely about Poloncic’s acoustic folk confessions, which plow the same stark territory as, say, Husker Du’s Candy Apple Grey or sad Replacements or Todd Grant’s yearning solo album.

Good luck finding a copy of this disc, though I wouldn’t be surprised if Poloncic has a few in hand for this show.

The performance takes place at The Little Gallery in Blackstone, located inside the Mansion at 144 So. 39th St. (just north of Night Owl), where Poloncic currently has a gallery show of drawings created during the pandemic. Also Saturday the mansion will be a food pop-up featuring food from The Pie Fairy and Yeak Inc.

Art viewing and music are free and start at 4 p.m., music starts at 8 p.m. More info here. Swing by and have a beer.

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Finally, Sunday night former Omahan now Californian Brad Hoshaw returns for one night only for a gig at The Trap Room. Unfortunately, the show has been sold out for ages, but fear not. The performance will be streamed live from the Trap Room via Facebook. More info on the Facebook livestream here. I suspect you’ll hear a few new songs off Brad’s yet-to-be-released solo album. The music starts at 5 p.m.

And that’s all I got. Wow, a crowded live music weekend! Weeee! If I missed your show, put it in the comments section, and 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 © 2021 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.