by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

The Omaha Film Festival (OFF) kicks off next Tuesday with screenings at Aksarben Cinema and runs through March 16. You can read all about it right here. 

A couple weeks ago, one of the festival’s documentary film makers sent me a link to an online stream of the film, The Opener, which is being screened Saturday, March 15 at 2:30 p.m. 

Directed by Jeff Toye and produced by Sunya Mara – the duo does all the filmmaking – The Opener documents what happened when singer/songwiter Philip Labes was “discovered” via algorithmic chance by Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Jason Mraz. Seems Labes was doing one of his many live-stream TikTok performances and Mraz just happened to be among the 30 online listeners. As a result, Mraz invited Labes to open eight dates of his East Coast tour. 

The film follows Labes as he tries to make the most of his big break. More than just a “star discovery” story, The Opener also is a comment about the perceived futility of making art, life during the pandemic (when Labes began to generate his online following), how TikTok can create stars, the generosity of fame and the outcome of persistence. 

Pulling it together is Labes’ music and chipmunk-like personality. Raised middle class in Palm Springs (his father an amateur musician who also tried his hand at music in his youth), we see Labes during his shuttered COVID year, toiling at songwriting, held captive by fear in his tiny apartment. 

Mraz’s influence can be heard in Labes’ music. Mostly performed alone on acoustic guitar, the well-crafted songs sounded like modern Broadway versions of nice Mountain Goats tunes (regular goers of modern musicals will recognize what I’m talking about). They’re sweet, clever, often self-deprecating life stories that attempt to capture Labes’ COVID angst. 

Clocking in at an hour and 12 minutes, the first half focuses on Labes’ during COVID while the balance of the film covers the tour’s ups and downs, and the lengths Labes will go to get his music heard. Smart editing and Labes’ performances keep things moving. The only thing missing was the usual epilogue card that explains what happened to Labes after the tour. Did performing with Mraz push him to the next level? We’ll have to find out on our own. 

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Joining Jake Bellows (of Neva Dinova fame) for his usual Thursday night gig at Pageturners is Boston guitarist Ethan WL. His second solo album “in the American Primitive Guitar style,” Blood Farm, was releases last summer on Carbon Records. Omaha singer/songwriter Sean Pratt kicks things off at 7 p.m. and there’s no cover.

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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 © 2025 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.