by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

You know that feeling when you’re sitting at your desk at your office (or wherever you work) after returning from a long vacation, when you’re staring at your computer screen and you think to yourself “It’s like I’ve never been gone.”?

That’s sort of how I felt like this past weekend at rock shows. COVID-19 body slammed us beginning in the late-spring / early summer of 2020. Within a few weeks of St. Patrick’s Day, venues had cancelled all their shows, and just a few weeks after that, the venues themselves were shuttered, as were we all, literally.

Looking back on that time it’s still hard to believe what the country went through; what we went through. Glance at this story I wrote during the beginning of the lock down about being locked down, or just scroll back through time in this blog and you can quickly relive the peril. In a lot of ways, we lost a couple years’ worth of the things we took for granted.

And now we’re back. Again. But this time it’s different. This time it feels like it’s for good.

None of this was going through my head this past weekend at Reverb and Slowdown Jr., however. Instead, I looked around at the mask-less crowd and thought to myself, “It’s like we’ve never been gone; it’s like COVID never happened.” Well, that’s not 100% true. The Slowdown was still checking vaccination cards at the door, and there were hand-sanitizer dispensers at the door of the club. And a couple people still wore masks, bless them.

Now we all wait, holding our breath, that another variant doesn’t emerge from the COVID abyss. And now with a war in Europe, we’ve got something else to worry about.

The war wasn’t mentioned on stage this weekend. Lala Lala played to (by my guestimate) about 75 people in the Slowdown small room. It was a very young, hip crowd vs. whoever was over at CHI Center that night for Tool. Backed by an incredibly talented rhythm section and a multi-instrumentalist whose gauntlet included an alto saxophone, front woman Lillie West played about an hour of oldies and newies.

This was the first stop of her tour, and she admitted to having a case of nerves. You wouldn’t have known it from her performance. Her vocals modulated from breathy-whisper-mumble to clear-voiced-spectacular. But from my limited knowledge of her catalog, she played mainly songs from her latest album, but there were some old ones thrown in and one song she said they’d never played before in front of a live audience.

West’s voice is many-layered, and can switch in tone from song to song. On top of that, she adds electronic effects to change it up even more, including layers of electronic harmonies that were gorgeous.

I caught the last few songs from opening act Elton Aura. Figured I should take a photo because this guy is so good he’s destined to become a star, and then I can point to this photo and say I was there when he opened for Lala Lala right after the pandemic. Elton said this was his first show ever. Impressive, Mr. Aura.

Friday night I caught Indian Cave and Minna Lussa at Reverb. Seemed like the majority of the crowd was there for the opener. Indian Cave is a new band and it showed. The style was very much in the emo spectrum, with the frontman’s voice reminding me of Geoff Rickly from Thursday. There were even some Cursive-esque guitar breaks thrown into the usual four-chord compositions to give it a mathy/angular edge. It’ll be interesting to watch this band grow.

Minne Lussa continues to impress with their dense, dreamy sound. I’ve said before they remind me of early Galaxy 500 or Luna and I stand by that, but the addition of warm, glowing instrumentals adds an Album Leaf flair. Frontman Matt Rutledge uses an effect on his vocals to give it a tinty, far-away sound on songs that are otherworldly to begin with. The fact that he’s singing a few of them in French is of no consequence when the vocal mix makes it hard to understand the words. No matter. It’s the vibe that matters on music that’s played in the darkest of dark-blue/purple lighting, as if the whole thing is taking place underwater.

It was great to be back at rock shows, without a mask. As if we’d never been away.

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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 © 2022 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Here comes the weekend.

Tonight it’s all happening in Benson. First on the list is Minne Lussa at Reverb Lounge. Fronted by Matt Rutledge, with guitarist Pat Reefe (ex-Tomato a Day), guitarist/vocalist Eric Bemberger (ex-Beep Beep), bassist Alan Legge and drummer Eric Ebers (ex-Ritual Device), the band has a smokey shoe-gaze quality reminiscent of Galaxy 500 or Luna. Just gorgeous stuff. Opening is local four-piece Indian Caves (Dan Krueger, Joe Ranne, Kyle Moeller and Leslie Wells). $7, 8 p.m.

Meanwhile down the street tonight at The Sydney Darren Keen’s latest project, Problems, headlines a bill that includes Benny Leather and Gore-TXT. $7, 9 p.m.

Tomorrow night is the big Lala Lala show at Slowdown Jr. which I wrote about here yesterday. Joining Lala Lala is Chicago R&B/hip-hop artist Elton Aura. $20, 8 p.m. This one is No Vax No Entry, so bring your stuff to get in.

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 © 2022 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Chicago’s Lala Lala is the indie rock project by Lillie West playing at Slowdown Saturday night. You might remember when she opened for Better Oblivion Community Center back in March 2019, just months before the troubles. And she’s been through a few times before that.

Her latest, I Want the Door to Open (Hardly Art, 2021) is a sonic push forward for West, incorporating deep beats, electronic shifts and her breathy vocals that at times reminded me of a young Suzanne Vega. It’s a very modern-sounding eclectic collection of songs that can both rock and be quietly introspective.

West co-produced I Want The Door To Open with Yoni Wolf of Why? and had input from poet Kara Jackson, OHMME, Adam Schatz of Landlady, Sen Morimoto, Christian Lee Hutson and Kaina Castillo. Ben Gibbard sings a duet with West on “Plates,” a song about accepting the past regardless of whatever negative feelings accompany those memories.

We caught up with Lillie and asked her to undergo the Ten Questions survey. Here’s how it went:

1. What is your favorite album?

Lala Lala’s Lillie West: Not sure of all time right now I’m really loving the Sudan Archives album Athena. And I always love Mudanin Kata by David Darling & The Wulu Bunun.

 

2. What is your least favorite song?

I do not have one. And if I did I would not tell you.

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

Connecting with people. Traveling. Singing. Music is magic.

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

Driving a lot.

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

Ummm I dont know kombucha? Hummus? Soft fabric? Oil paint? THE SKY??

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

I love to perform anywhere but Chicago does always show up for me literally and spiritually. 

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

I completely lost my voice during a set once but I won’t say where because it’s not their fault.

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?

Yes and no. I also do focus groups, sell prints of my photos, make content for different audio companies, sell clothes online… but I quit my day job at a record store in 2018. 

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

I would love to be a farmer or a dancer. I would never under any circumstance be a cop.

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

I haven’t heard many stories but early in our DIY days we stayed at a house that had a pile of dog food and an inside out dish glove on the ground that no one who lived there could explain. 

Lala plays with Elton Aura Saturday, March 12, at Slowdown, 729 No. 14th St. Showtime is 8 p.m., tickets are $20. This is a No Vax No Entry event, so bring your vax card or proof of a negative test taken within the past 14 days. For more information, go to theslowdown.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 © 2022 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

So. Tonight at The Waiting Room arguably one of the biggest indie shows of the year headlined by Parquet Courts, who have stepped up their game a bit since playing at Sweatshop Gallery way back in June 2013. Yeah, they’ve been through since then, notably at Lincoln Calling in 2018. Their latest album, Sympathy for Life (2021, Rough Trade), is a fave, as is their previous album, 2018’s Wide Awake, which was a commercial breakthrough for the band. They’ve gone from being a garage punk band to something that more resembles latter-day Talking Heads, which means you better bring your dancing shoes.

Opening is Mdou Moctar, the West Nigerian rock band that has been described as a blues band though that’s not right, either. The frontman is a guitar god who shreds with the best of them. They came through and played Pageturners a few years ago. Last year’s Afrique Victime (Matador) made a number of critics’ top-10 lists (including mine).

Mdou Moctar kicks things off at 9 p.m. at The Waiting Room. $28. I’m surprised that as of this writing, the show hasn’t sold out. This is a No Vax No Entry show, so bring your vax card or proof of negative COVID test if you want to get in.

Also tonight, New Orleans punk four-piece Pears (Fat Wreck Chords) headlines at Reverb Lounge with Neighborhood Brats. $18, 8 p.m.

Busy Tuesday. Are things back to normal yet?

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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 © 2022 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

The rumors are true: Little Brazil has a new album coming out. Just Leave will be released by Max Trax Records June 3. The first single, “Station,” dropped today, and pre-orders for the limited edition full-length vinyl just went up at maxtraxrecords.com.

The band’s core — guitarist/vocalist Landon Hedges and bassist/vocalist Danny Maxwell — are joined in this iteration of the band by guitarist Shawn Cox and drummer Austin Elsberry. The album was recorded by the band and co-producer Ben Brodin at ARC, Hand Branch Studio, with additional tracking by Nate Van Fleet at Studio D.

And while I was hoping the album release show would also be on June 3 (the release date and my birthday) it’s been booked for June 4 at The Waiting Room.

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By the way, in case you weren’t aware, it’s Bandcamp Friday. Buy your music from Bandcamp today and the service waives its fees taken from artists. A lot of labels also waive their fees, so it’s a good time to stock up on the tracks you’ve been dying to buy.

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It’s also Benson First Friday (BFF), so take a stroll down Maple Street tonight and soak in some awesome artwork. As part of BFF, the Sydney in Benson is hosting a rock show with Nathan Ma, Bokr Tov and Left Handed Country. $10, 9 p.m.

Also tonight in Benson Will Johnson of Centro-Matic fame is opening for John Moreland at The Waiting Room. Moreland songs have been featured on FX show Sons of Anarchy. $20, 8 p.m.

I’m not sure where I’ll be tonight, but in the running is a return to fabulous O’Leaver’s where one of my favorite bands, No Thanks, is headlining the club’s “Winter Formal.” Joining them Bug Heaven. $10, 10 p.m. (just like the old days, no early shows for this club).

Tomorrow night (Saturday), the big show is Superwolves, featuring Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Matt Sweeney and Emmett Kelly at The Waiting Room. The band’s new album comes out digitally April 30 on Drag City, and also includes Mdou Moctar playing guitar on the recording. David Ferguson opens at 8 p.m. $28.

And 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 © 2022 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

NOTE: FOR MORE CURRENT OUTLANDIA INFO, READ THIS.

I don’t know a whole heckuva lot about the Outlandia Music Festival, which was quietly announced online yesterday with little or no details. What I do know:

— It’s a music festival.
— It’s not a new name for SF’s Outside Lands Festival.
— It takes place Aug. 12-13
— The location has not been announced, though I understand it’s near Bellevue.
— It’s a two-day event with an emphasis on camping.
— It’s not a non-profit effort like Maha.
— Among the folks putting it on are 1% Productions and a few people who were originally involved in creating the Maha Music Festival.

More than that, I cannot say, but no doubt we’ll hear all about Outlandia very soon, including who they’ve chosen for a headliner, which will define what the festival is all about and who they’re targeting.

Will the headliner be an indie band similar to those that have played recent Maha festivals? Will it be a legacy indie act from days gone by? Will it be a jam band? Will it be a metal showcase? Will it be hip-hop act? Will it be a mainstream band like those booked at Stir?

The choice of headliner and the supporting acts may or may not be what differentiates Outlandia from Maha, though one assumes the camping element (if they treat it like a big deal) will also be difference maker. I’m not sure a lot of people over the age of 30 are into camping at music events (unless they’re Dead fans).

UPDATE: I’ve just been told by someone involved that there will be no camping in year one of Outlandia, so maybe camping won’t be such a big deal...

Another question: What makes Outlandia a “festival” vs. just two days of outdoor concerts?

I’ve talked to people concerned that Outlandia will crowd out Maha for festival goers. I don’t see that happening, as it sounds like a completely different sort of experience. And as far as I’m concerned, the more the merrier. But I won’t get too excited until we hear the festival line-up.

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Speaking of 1%, Omaha’s favorite production company’s newest venue, The Admiral, is booking some sweet shows as it gets off the ground.

The Admiral, of course, is the old Sokol Auditorium. Yesterday they announced Belle & Sebastian has been booked to play May 28. Chvrches is booked for June 15. Neko Case are is coming June 23. And of course you’ve got two nights of Bright Eyes concerts July 2 and 3. That’s an impressive start with some real A-list bands.

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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 © 2022 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.