The folks at the Maha Music Festival today announced a pretty drastic line-up change for their upcoming festival. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever has been added to the Saturday program. The Australian band scored big with their 2018 release, Hope Downs (Sub Pop), which made it on a lot of critic’s “best of” list. Their latest, Endless Rooms (2022, Sub Pop) is a return to form, garnering 7.3 on the Pitchfork meter.
Meanwhile, 4AD artist Bartees Strange has dropped off the Maha bill. I was looking forward to seeing Bartees and his band, as Farm to Table is one of the more surprising releases so far this year. But never fear, Bartees Strange has been rescheduled to play at The Slowdown Dec. 15.
So, a wash? Rolling Blackouts probably has a bigger following and might sell more tickets, whereas Bartees is more cutting edge and lesser-known. So, advantage Maha… probably. I have no idea how well festival tickets have been moving. We’re a month out and they have yet to sell out their limited VIP tickets, whereas Outlandia sold out all their VIP tickets some time ago. Apples and oranges I know, but still….
One other Maha schedule change – Saddle Creek Records act Indigo De Souza has been moved from Saturday to Friday night. See the full schedule here, and buy tickets while you’re at it.
You couldn’t have asked for a nicer evening for an outdoor show than Saturday night in O’Leaver’s beer garden where Megan Siebe performed with Nate Bergman. A small PA was set up along the west side of the garden, where Megan was joined by a sign-language interpreter for the one-person acoustic show where she played a number of songs off her most recent album, as well as one or two new ones. The crowd of only around 20, which included a couple local musician luminaries (considering the venue, you can guess who they were), loved every minute of it.
Nate Bergman at O’Leaver’s, June 25, 2022.
Bergman came up right after and performed an acoustic set. He’s got a big voice that reminded me of Van Morrison, and I wondered how the set would have sounded with a full band. No doubt, a rock explosion.
A couple more things… I had a cheeseburger and fries from the O’Leaver’s grill while waiting for music to start, and they were superb. I also had a churro at The Churro Spot that recently opened next to O’Leaver’s, and it was heavenly. Now I need to try their burritos! Maybe I will this weekend, when O’Leaver’s hosts a sort of mystery show inside the club.
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Saddle Creek Records announced last week that it’s releasing Neva Dinova’s all-new Demos and C-Sides LP Aug. 19, along with reissues of the band’s 2008 album You May Already Be Dreaming, the 2001 self-titled LP and 2005’s The Hate Yourself Change.
The first track from the rarities collection, “Too Much Gone,” also dropped last week. Get your orders in for these limited vinyl releases here.
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All things are pointing to those Bright Eyes gigs actually happening at the new Admiral Theater (former Sokol Auditorium) this weekend. The venue itself sounds like it’ll be ready. And so does the band. Bright Eyes apparently pulled off a killer set at the Greek Theater in LA last Thursday. And BE had an appearance on the James Corden show while in town, where the band performed a new version of “Falling Out of Love at This Volume.”
Saturday night’s Bright Eyes show is sold out, by the way…
A reminder: Tonight’s Helmet show at The Waiting Room is POSTPONED. I think COVID had something to do with it.
That was the only show tonight on my radar.
Saturday night, it’s back to fabulous O’Leaver’s for Nate Bergman and Megan Siebe. Based out to D.C., Bergman just got off the road with Cursive and Appleseed Cast. His new album, Metaphysical Change, was released by Velocity Records and has a real traditional rock sound. Omaha singer/songwriter Megan Siebe, who has worked with local heavy hitters including Cursive, Simon Joyner and Tim Kasher to name just three, has a new album out on Grapefruit Records called Swaying Steady that’s a real beaut! You get both artists for the low, low price of FREE. Starts early at 7 p.m.
Also Saturday night, electronic project Cult Play headlines at The Sydney in Benson. Joining Cult Play is Problems (a.k.a. Darren Keen of The Show is The Rainbow) and Money Marcs. $8, 10 p.m.
Sunday night, Cincinnati’s Motherfolk headlines at Reverb Lounge. Minneapolis band Durry opens at 8 p.m. $18.
And that’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend.
I was a bit under the weather yesterday and as a result, I didn’t update the blog yesterday, and as a result, I didn’t hype last night’s Cat Piss show at Reverb (or the Man Man show at The Waiting Room).
So, apologies to Cat Piss’ Sam Lipsett, who reached out specifically about this show. Wish I would have been there.
But, let it be known, Cat Piss is releasing their debut album, Cat Piss Rides Again, this Friday on Boise, Idaho label Mishap Records, and the two singles I’ve heard are like an homage to the ‘90s Nebraska punk sound (i.e., bands like Mousetrap, Cellophane Ceiling and Sideshow come to mind).
Cat Piss is Casey Plucinski on guitar/vocals, Nathan Wolf on drums/vocals and Lipsett on bass/vocals. The new album was recorded by Ben Brodin and mastered by Carl Saff. Get ready for this one.
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Tonight is the big Neko Case show at The Waiting Room. This show was originally slated for the new Admiral Theater (the former Sokol Auditorium), but was moved due to construction delays pushing back the venue’s opening. If you follow The Admiral on Facebook than you’ve seen the recent photos that show the project is coming along, and all indications are that the theater will be open for the July 2-3 Bright Eyes shows.
Anyway, tonight’s show is being marketed as “An Evening with Neko Case” which I guess means there’s no opening act. The June 17 set list for Case’s Portland show indicates it’s going to include from her career-spanning retrospective album, Wild Creatures.
Head’s up, in addition to being a No Vax No Entry show, Neko is requesting that everyone wear a mask. I have no idea how masking will be enforced (or if it will), but bring one and wear it out of courtesy for the artist. 8 p.m. $41.
Dave Dondero at The Concert for Equality, 7/31/10. He plays tonight at Pagerurner’s Lounge.
by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com
Singer/songwriter David Dondero’s goes back to the early Saddle Creek Records days as he’s been cited by Conor Oberst as one of his primary influences, specifically referencing Dondero’s work with his ’90s-era band Sunbrain, which released albums on Grass Records (which released records from a number of Omaha bands, including Commander Venus, Mousetrap and Cactus Nerve Thang). Dondero’s latest release is 2020’s The Filter Bubble Blues. Joining him tonight at Pageturners Lounge is local legend Craig Dee on drums for a few numbers. This free show starts at 9 p.m.
Check out this vintage review of Dave playing The Junction back in 2002 with Matt Whipkey and Fizzle Like a Flood.
T’was a busy weekend. If you’re looking for the review of the Whipkey/America concert, it was published yesterday, here.
The weekend kicked off with David Nance Band at Reverb Lounge… actually, Nance said he doesn’t want to use that name anymore. I’m not sure if he’s kidding or not, but (maybe) look out for a new band name sometime in the near future.
The gig celebrated the release of his new album, Pulverized & Slightly Peaced, which came out last Friday on Philly label Petty Bunco Records. That said, the performance went well beyond that album’s material, with Nance and Co. playing songs from a number of past records.
The set’s highlight was an amazing version of “Credit Line,” which appears in a more deconstructed, low-fi version on the new record. The version performed Friday night was absolutely killer, and is begging (or I’m begging) to be properly recorded and released. The heart of the sound was the band’s rhythm section, consisting of drummer Kevin Donahue and bassist Dereck Higgins, but the soul came from Nance trading punches with fellow guitarist Jim Schroeder.
Nathan Ma and the Guitars at Reverb Lounge, June 17, 2022.
Among the night’s openers was Nathan Ma and the Guitars. I’m a fan of Ma’s music, especially his recent singles (here’s hoping he’s pulling them together for a proper album).
Backed by a stellar ensemble that included Tom May on guitar, Jon Cobb on bass, Billy Lieberman on percussion and Colin Duckworth on pedal steel, Ma writes and sings music that lies somewhere between country barroom and ’60s baroque, Flying Burrito Brothers meets The Byrds, with multiple guitar lines weaving in and out of dreamy, mid-tempo melodies sung in Ma’s soft, sweet mew (which, at times, got lost in the mix).
Lieberman’s minimal percussion (mostly bongos) and Duckworth’s warm, layered pedal steel really set the tone, but when all the guitars got into a meticulous groove, it was mesmerizing.
This was one of the largest crowds I’ve seen at Reverb since the pandemic, btw…
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It’s a busy week of touring shows, so get your Red Bull ready:
— it’s David Dondero and Craig Dee at Pageturners.
— Wednesday, Man Man at The Waiting Room.
— Thursday, Neko Case at The Waiting Room.
— Friday, Helmet at The Waiting Room. This one has been postponed.
What are you going to be doing at age 70? Would you be satisfied flying around he country to venues like The Holland Performing Arts Center (or Memorial Park, for that matter) playing songs you wrote 50 years ago to people who just want to hear the songs you wrote 50 years ago?
Sounds pretty good to me, though at what point do become more of a performer than an artist? The last studio album by America, who played at Holland Center Saturday night, was Lost & Found, released in 2015, and included tracks recorded as far back as 2000. And their Holland set included the album’s opening track, “Driving.”
But looking around at the audience made up mostly of fans who could have bought their ‘70s albums when they were first released, I wondered how many wanted to hear anything other than the hits.
And man, America has a lot of them. They kicked off the night with “Tin Man” from their ’74 album Holiday, which was followed by “You Can Do Magic” from their ’84 album View from the Ground (and their last big U.S. hit), and then my personal fave, “Daisy Jane,” from ’75’s Hearts.
Looking like a hip college professor, co-frontman Gerry Beckley, age 69, handled most of the vocals alongside Dewey Bunnell (the guy on the Horse with No Name, age 70), and both sounded in fine voice, backed in harmonies by three other latter-day traveling members. The third original core member of America, Dan Peek, passed away in 2011, but had left the band in ’77 never to return.
Surprisingly Beckley and Bunnell never mentioned their old compatriot, though he was seen in some of the vintage images shown on the big screen throughout the set. I guess when you play 100 shows a year for 52 years, mentioning an old band member every night would get redundant, though last night’s gig was likely the first time many in the audience have seen America perform.
The show is part of the 50 Year Anniversary Tour, no longer marking 50 years of America, but 50 years of their debut album, released in ’71. To celebrate, the band played three songs from the debut in succession, including their first hit, “I Need You.” If you’re my age, you’d recognize it immediately.
They were followed by one of their most popular hits, “Ventura Highway,” (no doubt the influence to “Theme from The Californians”). It’s FM gold, and the crowd went wild. Then came old sad sack “Lonely People,” which would be the last hit for awhile, as the band then played a number of songs I didn’t recognize. The crowd responded respectfully, waiting patiently for the next hit.
Instead, the got a cover of The Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby” in honor of Paul McCartney’s 80th birthday, as well as a cover of “California Dreaming.” This is how you fill a 90-minute set, but let’s be honest, the crowd would have been just as happy to only hear the hits and those covers, which alone would encompass 11 songs — just the right length for a park festival, but maybe not long enough for a theater gig like this (though I would have happy).
In the end, the fans got what they wanted, as the set closed with anti-war song “Sandman” and mega-hit “Sister Golden Hair,” that got them on their feet. The band left their biggest hit of all, “Horse with No Name,” as the encore (of course).
Matt Whipkey at The Holland Performing Arts Center, June 18, 2022.
Opening the show was singer/songwriter local hero Matt Whipkey, who made the most of his just over 30-minute set. With acoustic guitar and accompanied on keyboards by longtime sideman Scott Gaeta, Whipkey charmed an audience of strangers with songs off his recent album, Hard, as well as a few chestnuts (such us my all-time fave of his, 2008’s “Separation,” which kicked off the set at 7 p.m. sharp).
You’d expect to see some nerves showing from a guy who typically plays to crowds of 100 or so at local bars, now standing in the spotlight in front of a few thousand. But Whipkey made it look like a walk in the park, getting the crowd laughing between songs, even making fun of the giant “Matt Whipkey” sign that blared behind him throughout the set.
Paraphrasing here, Whipkey quipped, “I love playing at O’Leaver’s, it’s one of my favorite places, but this is a little bit better,” with Gaeta quickly adding, “It smells better, too.”
The highlights included “Mayday” and “Overboard” from Hard, “Underwater” from the album of the same name, super-old song “17,” and his cover of “Drive My Car,” also dedicated to McCartney (afterward, I heard some guy behind me playing the Beatles’ version on his phone). It was a great way to kick off the evening, and another in a series of career highlights for Whipkey.
Go take a look! This is what replaced the Top 20 list this year, and why not? Because all these bands deserve to be in a Top 20 for surviving the pandemic…
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Now, let’s get to the weekend…
Tonight at Reverb Lounge David Nance Band celebrates the release of their new album, Pulverized and Slightly Peaced. Recorded in early 2017, the album, available on vinyl, is a collection of home-recorded originals that were spit-shined to become the album Peaced & Slightly Pulverized, that was released a few years ago by Trouble in Mind Records.
From the Bandcamp description of the new album: “Conceived and recorded within a single work week, with our blue-collar Nance setting up all the microphones, playing all the instruments, and riding all the faders, Pulverized & Slightly Peaced contains all the elements that we at Petty Bunco admire in music: the tried and true Rn’R instruments lovingly misused to create a vital ragged sound dripping with personality and verve.”
So, an album of demoes? Outtakes? I actually don’t know because I’m only now listening to it this morning. The album includes a 20-minute version of “Amethyst,” which I assume will take up most of (if not all) of side 2. Check it out and order the record here. Performing with Nance and his band is the amazing Nathan Ma and the Guitars, and opener Kyle Jessen. 9 p.m., $10.
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Also tonight, there’s a punk rock show at The Sydney with Nowhere, Living Conditions and a “Special Guest.” Who could it be? Go and find out! 10 p.m. $10.
Tomorrow night (Saturday), indie alt-country acts Cactus Blossoms headlines at Reverb Lounge with Esther Rose, another twanger whose music is released on respected indie label Father/Daughter Records. I got a strange feeling that this will be one of those shows where you say in a few years that you saw these bands on the tiny Reverb stage before they were big. $20, 8 p.m.
And here’s some bonus coverage: Local singer/songwriter Matt Whipkey will be opening for legacy FM radio freedom-rock band America at The Holland Performing Arts Center Saturday night. This is the first time Matt has played the Holland stage, where he’ll be accompanied by his old wingman Scott Gaeta for the performance.
When checking out this show, I tapped through America’s catalog on Spotify. I thought their only hit was “Horse with No Name,” but America actually has, like, a dozen hits, including one of my all-time FM radio faves, “Daisy Jane.” 7 p.m., tix range from $39 to $99.
That’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend!
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Tonight at The Sydney in Benson, Nashville’s Thelma and the Sleaze headline. The band is “an all-female, queer, southern-rock and roll band” according to Spotify. Their latest, 2020’s Sacred as Hell, was released by DryerBaby Records. Lincoln’s Universe Contest and our very own Pagan Athletes open at 8 p.m. $15!
Lincoln Calling yesterday announced the line-up for this year’s festival, to be held Sept. 22-24 in venues throughout the downtown Lincoln metroplex, including Duffy’s, Zoo Bar, Bodega’s Alley, 1867 Bar, and the big stages — The Bourbon, the outdoor Night Market and Duffy’s Backlot.
The headliner is Pennsylvania pop-punkers The Menzingers, whose latest, 2020’s From Exile, was released on Epitaph. Other notable touring indie acts include The Velveteers, whose last album, 2021’s Nightmare Daydream, was produced by Dan Auerbach; and surf punk act Together Pangea. Just as interesting is the selection of local talent, which includes David Nance Band, BIB, M34n Str33t, Cat Piss and Uh Oh.
But wait, there’s more. “A second wave of over 20 additional acts… will be announced in July,” says the LC folks. Tix go on sale to the general public Friday for $55 “with a limited quantity available at that price.” When those are gone, tix are $65. And day passes will be sold in July. More info including the full list of bands is at LincolnCalling.com.
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Hey, just a head’s up if you (literally) didn’t get the memo — that Chvrches show that was originally slated for The Admiral tonight has been moved to The Bourbon in Lincoln. I’m trying to save you a trip down to South Omaha for nothing.
BTW, The Admiral folks have begun posting photos of the newly remodeled space, and it’s looking very nice indeed. Again, will it be ready for Bright Eyes July 2-3?
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Well, the College World Series gets underway this week. In addition to making downtown Omaha a cluster, it means that The Slowdown will be essentially “show-less” for the next two weeks. Slowdown’s next scheduled show is Lilly July 1. I don’t begrudge The Slowdown for putting up the beer tents and booking the cover bands for the next two weeks and taking home as much of CWS fans’ disposable income as possible…
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