by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Like I said yesterday, Outlandia Festival won the weather lottery. They should have perfect weather for their two-day concert, which begins this afternoon at Falconwood Park in Bellevue. 

This year’s line-up is on par with what they’ve done the past two years. I’m listening to the Outlandia 2024 playlist on Spotify as I type this mainly to catch up on the handful of acts I’m not familiar with: Men I Trust, The Revivalists, Flipturn.

The familiar names should be familiar to anyone who has gone to an indie show in Omaha over the past… 20 years?  Tonight’s headliner, Flaming Lips, just played at Steelhouse Omaha last year and it sounds like a repeat of their Yoshimi concert, which quite honestly, is the only music most folks know. Which is a shame, because The Lips’ early, proggy experimental stuff would be a kick to see performed live.

Men I Trust is a Canadian trio fronted by singer/songwriter Emma Proulx with a smooth, indie-pop vibe. They self-released their last full-length, 2021’s Untourable Album, and boast about 7.7 million monthly listeners on Spotify. 

Vacations, who also plays this evening at Outlandia, is an Aussie four-piece, that also plays soothing dream-pop, with song titles like “Relax” and “Honey.” They release stuff on Nettwerk and No Fun Records, and played at Reverb Lounge back in spring 2022. 

See a trend here? Tonight is rounding out to be a very laid-back evening in the park… well, except for The Faint. I’ve talked to more folks who are excited about The Faint’s set than any other on the Outlandia bill, despite the fact that the band hasn’t released new music in years and just played Outlandia last year. In addition to their 7:30 performance, The Faint is hosting a DJ set at midnight on the Falconwood Stage where Grrrl Camp was held. 

Omaha bands Ex Lover and Twinsmith are today’s openers.

Outlandia ratchets up the rock tomorrow (Saturday) Headliner The Head and the Heart is a local favorite, or so it seems as they play here a lot, most recently just last year at Pinewood Bowl (a show, that if my memory serves, did very well but got rained on after Fr. John Misty’s set?). 

The first time I heard of The Revivalists was when they announced this festival’s line-up. Totally off my radar (but then again, so was Lord Huron last year).  Hailing from the Big Easy, the eight-piece has had their sound described as “roots rock,” and have among their credits opening for the Rolling Stones’ No Regrets tour in St. Louis, as well as 2 million monthly listeners on Spotify (their hit “Wish I Knew You” has 216 million listens and was used in a Blue Moon commercial). Their music has a Dave Matthews tang. Interesting Revivalists trivia: Their 2014 album, City of Sound, was released by Wind-up Records, who released albums by Commander Venus (and Creed). 

Flipturn was another new one on me. They’re playing in Chicago tonight with Revivalists, which might explain why they’re on this bill. From Fernandina Beach, Florida, they play a shimmery style of indie pop, releasing their last album on Dualtone Records. 

At the core of tomorrow’s schedule are sets by ‘90s indie band Buffalo Tom and old reliable Dinosaur Jr. (Dinosaur Jr. cancelled). For my money, Buffalo Tom alone is worth the price of admission if you, like me, grew up with 1992’s Let Me Come Over. Their videos were a staple on the old MTV 120 Minutes program back in the day. 

Gypsey caberet act Devotchka, another local favorite, also is on the bill. Tomorrow’s opening bands are The Eye, a band that includes Outlandia Festival organizer Tyler Owen. They’re followed by Kentucky-based country singer Kelsey Waldon.

Set times are below. If you’re still wondering what the heck is Falconwood Park, read my feature on the park that was published yesterday at Flatwater Free Press. The park is a great location. Don’t be afraid of Sarpy County.

More info including tickets, parking, maps, what have you, are at OutlandiaFestival.com.

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What else is happening tonight?

Well, Sacramento punk duo Dog Party is headlining a four-band bill tonight at fabulous O’Leaver’s. Joining them are The Rare Candies, Las Cruxes and Bruiser Queen. No idea on cost, though when I clicked into the ticket info link it said $12, but tickets were no longer available, which either means it’s sold out (unlikely) or $12 at the door. 8 p.m. start time.

Also, Lincoln-based leather-electro-freak-out artist Plack Blague headlines at The Waiting Room with Moon 17 Saturday night. $15, 9 p.m. 

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 © 2024 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.