by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Saddle Creek Records has a history of discovering amazing talent and then somehow losing it to other record labels. One recent, unfortunate example is indie powerhouse Big Thief, who broke to a huge national audience with their debut studio album, Masterpiece in 2016, and the follow-up, Capacity, the following year, both released on Saddle Creek.  But the band moved to legendary indie powerhouse 4AD Records with the release of U.F.O.F. in 2018.

Now Indigo De Souza, another rising indie star who got her start at Saddle Creek Records, has ditched the label after 2023’s All of This Will End, and today announced her full-length, Precipice, will be coming out July 25 on Loma Vista Recordings. Check out the first single, “Heartthrob,” below. De Souza will be doing limited touring, including performances at Pitchfork Festivals in London and Paris. 

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With Saddle Creek still in mind, today some news about Desaparecidos member Ian McElroy a.k.a. Rig 1. The former Omahan now New Yorker dropped a new single today, “Old Gaia,” that also features Brad Greenberg a.k.a. BrightA. It was released by Flower Moon Records, a label run by Maria Taylor of former Saddle Creek Records act, Azure Ray fame. Check it.

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Saddle Creek got a shout out in the New York Times in a feature story about the Rilo Kiley’s “Resurrection” published this past Tuesday (link behind firewall). The article traces the band’s rise with the release of arguably their best album, The Execution of All Things, in 2002, and follow-up, More Adventurous, in 2004, both released by Creek. The band split with Saddle Creek for 2007’s Under the Blacklight, which came out on Warner Bros. They broke up a year later.

Now Rilo Kiley’s back and on the road again (including a show at the Astro Amphitheater Sept. 17), supporting last week’s reissue of Execution, again on Saddle Creek Records. The Times article states there’s a “greatest hits album” coming out on Saddle Creek; but are they talking about the reissue? Can’t imagine the Times being inaccurate…

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Just a head’s up: As I was perusing upcoming shows on The Slowdown website, I noticed one of the few shows I was looking forward to seeing at the venue — Hurray for the Riff Raff — has canceled their July 15 show. No reason was given for the cancelation, as the tour continues to Chicago July 17…

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One show that’s not cancelled is tonight’s Nada Surf concert at The Waiting Room. Described as an indie band, I’ve always thought of them as alternative, having scored a hit back in ’96 with the Weezer-ish track “Popular,” off their High/Low album, released on Elektra. Man, it must be weird singing that song almost 30 years later. The band has always made Omaha a tour stop, going back to the early 2000s. Chattanooga duo The Cle Elum opens the show at 8 p.m. $25. 

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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.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Sometime around 2007, Omaha’s indie music scene had all its plates spinning in harmony — three very successful touring bands, an industry-respected record label, and two brand new, shiny venues destined to become the city’s most important indie music stages.

I began having a vision of a night when it all came together. It would be like in the film The Last Waltz, but instead of Robbie Robertson calling Neil Young or Joni to join him on stage, members from Omaha’s indie scene would come together and perform each other’s songs. After all, these bands grew up together and shared similar careers. 

But it never happened. Maybe the closest we came was 2010’s Concert for Equality in Benson, a gig that saw performances by Bright Eyes, Desaparecidos and Lullaby for the Working Class, but even then, there was no mixing and matching, no classic moment where someone came in from the wings. 

Well, last night’s Bright Eyes / Cursive concert at The Astro sort of filled that fantasy for me, at least with two iconic bands who grew out of the Nebraska scene. And it happened three times. 

The first instance came toward the the end of Cursive’s propulsive opening set, which included all the usual chestnuts (“Sierra,” “Art is Hard,” “The Martyr,”) as well as a rousing version of “What the Fuck” from the new album, Devourer, and set-closer (and personal Cursive favorite), “From the Hips.”  

Frontman Tim Kasher introduced the mashup-song, “Recluse I Don’t Have to Love,” giving no hints as to what was about to happen, simply saying, “Let’s see how this goes.” Halfway through the usual jangling version of “The Recluse” on bounded Bright Eyes frontman Conor Oberst as if he just got back from a trip to Cabela’s, wearing a camo-hoodie that partially obscured his face. He grabbed the mic and spit out lines from “Lover I Don’t Have to Love,” perfectly melding it with “The Recluse.” The crowd of around 1,200 (in my guestimation) went wild.

But the real mash-up moments came during Bright Eyes’ workman-like set. When the band first kicked off its tour late last year in support of their latest album, Five Dice, All Threes (2025, Dead Oceans), YouTube videos began popping up showing a groggy, out-of-it Oberst struggling to get through the night. Fans lambasted his performances on social media. In mid-September, the band announced it was cancelling or postponing tour dates “on the advice of doctors,” including an upcoming appearance at Riot Fest and a show at Steelhouse Omaha. Oberst reappeared in an online video in mid-October saying he “was feeling a lot better” and that the tour would go on in 2025 “if all goes well as planned.”

Well, it obviously has, as Oberst appeared to be recovered from whatever ailed him last year.  Considering last night’s Astro concert was the last of this leg of the tour, one would expect his voice to be slightly ragged, but Oberst was in fine voice throughout the night, preforming a 19-song set and three-song encore that included selections from throughout the Bright Eyes catalog. 

Among the highlights were rousing versions of “Mariana Trench,” “Shell Games,” and a cover of Daniel Johnston’s “Devil Town.” Joining the core band of Mike Mogis and Nate Walcott were drummer Conner Helms Conor Elmes, bassist Alex Levine and multi-instrumentalist/vocalist MiWi La Lupa. Oberst did his usual politicizing when he introduced “Old Soul Song (for the New World Order),” imploring fans to do something – anything – to protest against actions of the current administration. “I, for one, do not plan to live in Elon Trump’s fascist wet dream,” he said. The crowd roared with approval. 

But for me, the set’s high-water mark came when Oberst called members of Cursive to the stage to join him on a couple songs. First was a stunning version of “Nothing Gets Crossed Out,” from 2002’s Lifted, with Kasher handling most of the lead vocals and cellist Megan Siebe adding layers of emotional depth. 

The second came during the encore. Oberst again called for Cursive, but especially for Ted Stevens, who would sing leads on a cover of Lullaby for the Working Class song “Hypnotist (Song for Daniel H.),” from 1997’s I Never Even Asked for Light. Stevens fronted Lullaby before joining Cursive. Siebe again joined him onstage along with drummer Pat Oakes.  In both cases, Oberst joined in on vocals, and it was very much the kind of shared moment I’d always dreamed of. Siebe and Oakes remained on stage for a boisterous version of “Let’s Not Shit Ourselves (to Love and to Be Loved)” that closed out the night in celebratory style.

Now if we could only get The Faint to join Bright Eyes and Cursive on a tour…

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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.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

You survived the worst monsoon/hailstorm since last year’s worst monsoon/hailstorm (leading up to next week’s worst monsoon/hailstorm) and deserve a weekend of premium indie rock shows. So where are they happening? Well, chum, you’ve come to the right place.

It starts tonight at Reverb Lounge. Cryogeyser is three-piece shoegaze band from El Lay fronted by singer/songwriter Shawn Marom whose latest self-titled album has been compared to ’90s-era Ride (by the folks at Monster Children), whereas I was reminded of ‘90s indie acts like Madder Rose and Scrawl. Their latest single, “Mountain,” features guest vocals by Karly Hartzman of Wednesday and is somewhat awesome (see video below). Joining them on this tour is Kansas City slowcore trio Flooding (an appropriate band for what we went through yesterday) and Lincoln’s Ghostlike. 8 p.m., $20.

Meanwhile, right down the street at The Sydney in Benson, Detroit alt-goth duo Vazum headlines. Omaha goth-rockers Absence+Alchemy opens at 9 p.m. $10.

Seems like this Ty Segall acoustic showcase happening Saturday night at Scottish Rite Hall (202 So. 20th St. in downtown Omaha) was announced over a year ago, and now here it is. This show is intriguing; my last Segall experience was one of the loudest concerts in memory. How will his songwriting translate in a quieter acoustic setting? You might be pleasantly surprised. Opening is Los Angeles singer/songwriter MIkal Cronin, whose worked with such acts as Thee Oh Sees, King Tuff, Shannon and the Clams. 

My last Scottish Rite experience was for a Jenny Lewis show way back in March 2006. The hall was kind of a bare-bones concrete-stepped auditorium. Anyway… Tickets range from $30 (balcony) to $40; show starts at 8 p.m.

I’m happy to report that fabulous O’Leaver’s survived the Great Saddle Creek Flood of 2025 unscathed and is hosting a three-artist show with singer/songwriters Ronette Lee, Vernon John and Paul Petersen. The show’s free and starts at 9. 

There’s also a sort of hidden show Saturday evening featuring Cowboy Eastern at Benson Theater as part of the Benson Film Festival. Fest organizers are taking a shot at adding live music to the event. Their set is scheduled for 6 p.m. and is $10 or free with an all-access pass. More info at bensonfilmfest.com.

Sunday is the big Bright Eyes/Cursive show at The Astro Theater in La Vista. It’s the last date of their joint tour and a sort-of homecoming that’s bound to include some surprises. Or maybe not. I guess we’ll see. 

On this tour, Conor and Co. have been playing a 19-song set with 3-song encore that includes songs from throughout his catalog as well as a couple tunes with Cursive, even a Lullaby for the Working Class cover. Check out the setlist from last night’s show in Louisville.

Cursive has been playing a 14-song career-spanning set that includes that mash-up with Conor of “Recluse I Don’t Have to Love.” Here’s the setlist from the April 22 show at McKees Rocks, PA. 

Tickets are $45; the show starts at 7 p.m. 

Finally, competing with that big BE/Cursive show is UK punk band Bad Nerves at The Waiting Room. They describe themselves as the bastard child of a Ramones/Strokes one-night stand. Their last album, 2024’s Still Nervous, was released on Loosegroove Records. Very poppy, very fast, very fun. San Francisco rockers Spiritual Cramp is tour support. Omaha’s Social Cinema opens the show at 8. $25.

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 © 2025 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Reverb Lounge continues to book some interesting acts; tonight it’s Brooklyn-based post-punk no-wave artist Pons. 

The description at onerpercentproductions.com says Pons is an experimental project that began in North Carolina with guitarist/vocalist Sam Cameron and drummer Jack Parker. They added second percussionist Sebastien Carnot after they released their first EP in 2018, according to Totally Wired. 

The band moved to NYC after the release of their 2020 debut, Intellect. Their 2023 full length, The Liquid Self, was released on Dedstrange Records, a label run by Death by Audio / A Place to Bury Strangers’ Oliver Ackerman, along with Mitchell O’Sullivan and Steven Matrick. 

Their latest single is a cover of Suicide’s “Fast Money Music,” and appears to have some connection to Gogol Bordello, who posted the video. Reminds me lots of acts like Devo, Uranium Club and various egg punk acts. It’s not necessarily indicative of their overall sound, which is much more percussive, and weird. 

Pons has become known in some circles for their madcap live shows. This one could be sneaky good. Opening the show is Omaha’s Trees with Eyes and Lincoln electropunks Benjamin Gear X. $15, 8 p.m. 

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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.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

It’s Monday night in Omaha, which means concert night. Tonight it’s Mssv (Main Steam Stop Valve) at Reverb Lounge. 

The trio consists of free jazz guitarist Mike Baggetta, drummer Stephen Hodges, who’s worked with Tom Waits, Sam Phillips, James Harman and David Lynch, and legendary bassist Mike Watt, best known for his work in ’80s post-punk bands MInutemen and fIREHOSE, though Watt’s played with a ton of luminaries including Porno For Pyros, The Stooges, J Mascis, the list goes on and on. In fact, most folks at Reverb tonight will be there to see Watt. who’s one of the most amiable guys in rock. Seems like everyone has either talked to him (or interviewed him) over the years.

That said, Mssv has been a band since 2019. The story goes (according to Wiki), Baggetta and Watt recorded an album with drummer Jim Keltner, who didn’t like traveling, so they brought on Hodges to tour that album. The trio has since recorded six albums, including their most recent, On And On (2025, Big Ego Records). Their mostly instrumental, proggy music combines jazz and punk for a noisy, angular sonic stew. At age 67, and after a number of illnesses, it’s good just to see Mr. Watt is still at it. 

Kansas City’s Dan Jones & The Squids plays a more straight-forward style of post-punk, with Jones crediting Minutemen, Robert Pollard and The Meat Puppet as influences. Their latest is 2023’s Rock and Roll Daydreams. 

Opening the show at 8 p.m. is Omaha synth-and-drums punk duo, Pagan Athletes. $18. I wouldn’t be surprised if this one sold out…

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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.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

I looked and looked, and there doesn’t seem to be any indie shows this weekend involving either local or touring indie bands. Omaha is a metropolitan area with a population of over 1 million. Just saying. 

In the city’s defense, it is Easter weekend, and let’s face it, the weather sucks. In the old days, we’d say this was a Brothers weekend, as in a weekend to hang out at the Brothers Lounge. Ah, but The Brothers hasn’t been open in years.

My only recommendation would be to check out the Free Farm Spring Fundraiser at fabulous O’Leaver’s on Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. “Find handmade local goods, awesome merch and always delicious food & drinks made from our locally grown produce!” says the event invitation. And it’s free, though they’re accepting donations.

If I missed a 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 © 2025 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Catching up on that ol’ debble in-box…

Former Omahan Mike Jawarski’s band SAVAK has an ew album coming out May 30 on Ernest Jennings Recording Co. called SQUAWK! (SAVAK, it seems, likes using all-caps). Their last album, Flavors of Paradise, was a welcome surprise and a high-water mark for the Brooklyn-based band. 

Jaworski, known locally as Jaws, has Omaha music roots that go back to ‘90s band Hong Jyn Corp. He also ran Mt. Fuji Records, that released albums by local heroes Little Brazil. SQUAWK! is SAVAK’s seventh album. Check out the first single and video, “No Man’s Island,” below and pre-order the album here. BTW, still no future Omaha tour stops. What’s the deal, Jaws?

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Omaha alt-country/Americana band Clarence Tilton released their third full-length, Queen of the Brawl!, April 4. They’ve been dropping singles from the album for months, including collaborations with Marty Stuart and Tanya Tucker’s daughter, Presley Tucker. The band’s album release show is May 2 at Reverb. The record is streaming on the usual services (though strangely, it’s not available on Bandcamp). 

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Sioux Falls post-punk band Shurr Jr. released their debut EP, Red Shelter, late last month via Omaha’s Max Trax Records. The power trio consists of guitarist/vocalist Nick Maxwell, drummer Frankie Maxwell and bass player Kelly Maxwell. The siblings’ father, Frank Maxwell, was an Omaha music legend who played guitar in the band Fifth of May in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Buy the digital album from their Bandcamp page. 

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Speaking of Max Trax Records, the label announced Monday Leafblower’s LP, Burn Cruise, is slated for release June 13. The band consists of guitarist/vocalist Danny Maxwell (Little Brazil), guitarist Clark Jahn, drummer Tab Tworek and bassist/vocalist Craig Fort (Lightning Stills). They’re calling their sound “doom metal,” and I guess maybe it is, in an old-school, Ozzie sort of way. Judge for yourself when you watch the video for their first single, “Unsatisfied.” Preorder the vinyl here. 

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Here’s the updated list of touring indie bands headed our way. Let me know if I’m missing anything. What’s my next show? Either Bad Nerves or Bright Eyes/Cursive – both shows are April 27. We shall see..

• – MSSV, April 21 at Reverb
• – Cryogeyser, April 25 at Reverb
• – Vazum, April 25 at The Sydney
• – Ty Segall solo April 26 at Scottish Rite
• – MURS, April 26 at Reverb
• – Bright Eyes, April 27 at The Astro
• – Bad Nerves, April 27 at The Waiting Room
• – Nada Surf, April 30 at The Waiting Room
• – Husbands, May 1 at Reverb
• – Season to Risk, May 3 at The Sydney
• – Future Islands, May 7 at The Admiral
• – Julien Baker & Torres, May 12 at The Admiral
• – Being Dead, May 13 at Reverb
• – Black Country, New Road, May 14 at Slowdown
• – Spellling, May 15 at The Waiting Room
• – Anna McClellan, May 17 at Slowdown
• – Friko, May 20 at Reverb
• – Florist, May 24 at Reverb
• – Southern Culture on the Skids, May 27 at Waiting Room
• – Samantha Crain, June 17 at Reverb
• – Har Mar Superstar, June 20 at Reverb
• – Holy Fawn, June 25 at Reverb
• – Hurray for the Riff Raff, July 15 at Slowdown
• – The Avett Brothers, July 17 at The Astro Amphitheater
• – Built to Spill, July 20 at The Waiting Room
• – Maha Festival, Aug. 2 at RiverFront Park
• – Rilo Kiley, Sept. 17 at The Astro Amphitheater 
• – The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Sept. 23 at Slowdown
• – Swans, Sept 28 at The Waiting Room
• – Father John Misty, Sept. 30 at Astro Theater

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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.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Last night’s Bob Mould/Craig Finn concert at The Waiting Room was a crowded house of graying temples and vintage concert T’s worn by eager (sometimes chatty) aging hipsters paying their respects to a rock god, who at age 64 is very much alive. 

The crowd was so immense that after winding your way up the club’s front steps and past the seated dude scanning tickets you were met with the crush of humanity that seemed packed asses-to-elbows all the way to the stage on the other side of the room. In other words, a typical sold-out Waiting Room show. 

I didn’t even try to get a Rolling Rock as we were only moments away from Finn’s opening set. Somewhere in the darkness, a dense fist smacked me on my right shoulder – either a greeting or a warning – I still don’t know who it was because I was determined to make my way through the crowd. 

A pro-tip about sold-out Waiting Room shows: No matter how crowded it seems, you can always squeeze through as if headed to the bathrooms and instead find an opening to stand only a few feet from stage left, which is where I was for most of the show surrounded by a herd of middle-aged dudes holding cans of beer. The guestimated average age was 50, almost all guys, though later in the evening I saw a woman using a walker who had to be in her late 70s (and having a great time).

Usually at these shows a smattering of youngsters are peppered in the crowd, but last night, the “youngsters” were dudes in their 30s. The idle talk between sets – will Mould play songs from his days in Hüsker Dü – a band that broke up in 1988, 37 years ago. 

With Mould’s reputation for being one of the loudest performers to come out of the indie underground, Craig Finn proved to be quite a contrast for an opening act. The bookish frontman of aughts-era indie rock band The Hold Steady took to the stage with an acoustic guitar and a sideman carrying a variety of wind instruments (saxophone, clarinet), for a quiet 9-song set of story-songs, many taken from his latest album, Always Been. 

With a warm, Midwestern drawl, Finn came off like a combination of Randy Newman, John Darnielle (of The Mountain Goats) and short-story humorist David Sedaris singing/telling short stories about broken people forced to settle for whatever their desperate lives had become, all sung in his trademark nasal voice. It was like a kinder, gentler version of his Hold Steady output, but accompanied by a guy on saxophone instead of an electric guitar.

Before beginning, Finn said he had no allusions of competing with his hero, Mr. Mould, in a rock and roll contest, but I doubt he knew he’d have to compete with the rising roar of idle chatter that grew in the back of the room throughout his set. By the set’s mid-point, the crowd noise became distracting, but apparently not to Finn, who soldiered through if only for the attentive, respectful audience leaning toward the stage.

Right around 9:15, on came Mould dressed for work in black T-shirt, blue jeans, and a standard issue black-and-white Fender Strat (but, I’m told, a deluxe model with the LSR roller roller nut and lace sensor pickups, whatever that means). 

All business, Mould roared into his opening song, “Star Machine,” from 2012’s Silver Age album, and rarely stopped 26 songs later. His stamina was impressive, never letting off the gas pedal for 90 minutes of impassioned yelling/singing acompanied by his riff-fueled guitar histrionics, all fueled by what has become his go-to rhythm section of bassist/backing vocalist Jason Narducy and drummer Jon Wurster.

Despite the 35-degree windchill outside, the Waiting Room was a hot-house sauna. I was told Mould had requested no air conditioning in an attempt to save his voice and by the third song he was dripping sweat and his round book-keeper-style glasses were partially fogged over.

The set was front-loaded with songs from solo albums only dating back 13 years, many of which I was unfamiliar with. But even with this material, people up front were locked into the performance. The standouts in the first half were “Black Confetti” from 2016’s Patch the Sky and “American Crisis” from 2020’s Blue Hearts, along with the title track off the new album, Here We Go Crazy.

The second half kicked off with a moving version of “Hardly Getting Over It,” which would be one of seven Hüsker Dü classics, including four that closed out the set.

Mould shows – even the acoustic ones – have a reputation for being painfully loud, but last night’s show didn’t seem so bad, or at least it started out that way. The volume built up over time and midway through my iWatch warned me of 110 dBs. Earplugs became my best friend. Surprisingly, few around me also wore ear plugs, but I guess at their age it didn’t matter — the price for living a rock and roll lifestyle. 

What were the other Hüsker Dü songs performed last night? “Celebrated Summer,” “Flip Your Wig,” “Love Is All Around,” “Something I Learned Today,” and set-closer “Makes No Sense at All.” 

By the end of the evening I’d moved to the back of the room both to snag a T-shirt before the inevitable merch-table deluge and to stretch out after standing in one spot for nearly two hours. I was joined by many of the fans who had stood near the stage early in the set, all of them no less locked into the music. 

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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.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

It’s Monday night in Omaha, which means concert night. Tonight it’s Bob Mould at The Waiting Room. And the show appears to have sold out over the weekend.

Mould’s latest, Here We Go Crazy (2025, Granary/BMG), is his first solo album since 2020’s Blue Hearts, and a respectable follow-up. If you’re a Mould fan, you’ll be satisfied, though compared to his early solo work, Sugar or his Husker Du output, it can be somewhat passive and predictable.

Everyone has their favorite Mould era. Mine is ’89-’90 Mould of Workbook/Black Sheets of Rain – one album a full-spectrum acoustic/electric gut-wrencher, the other an emotional tour de force that was a prelude to his more accessible work in Sugar. 

While there’s plenty of guitar and energy on the new record, it suffers from a lack of variety and feels like he recorded it over a weekend with his ol’ rhythm-section mates, bassist Jason Narducy and drummer Jon Wurster, who will be backing Mould tonight.

His 27-song setlist from last Friday’s show at Marquis Theater in Denver included only five songs from the new album along with seven Husker Du songs (including favorites es: “Love is All Around”/“Makes No Sense at All,” which he closed the show with). Also, a nice selection from his last few albums, but alas, nothing from Workbook/Black Sheets. You can’t always get what you want. Mould has been known to throw in a wildcard, so you never know. 

There could be as many folks at TWR tonight to see The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn as to see Mould. Finn’s new album, Always Been (2025, Tamarac/Thirty Tigers), has been getting plenty of huzzahs, including a review by the dean of rock critics, Robert Christgau, who gave the record an “A” and said “its 11 songs achieve a literary pitch that could win this alt-rock lifer a short story prize.” He also said the story-songs can be a bit of a bummer, but such can be the case from aging rock stars looking back at their lives. 

Finn has only been playing nine songs on this tour (like at his April 7 show in Seattle, according to Setlist.fm), only three songs from the new album and no Hold Steady songs. I’m unsure if this will be a solo acoustic set or not. I guess we’ll find out tonight.

Like I said, it’s sold out. Show starts at 8 p.m. See you there.

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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.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Here comes the weekend. It’s mostly local shows, but there’s one wild-card thrown in on Saturday night.

First, tonight at The Sydney in Benson, Indian Caves headlines a show with country bumpkins Lightning Stills and Wedding. I’m told that Lightning Still will actually be playing last after Indian Caves. Published start time is 8 p.m. $10.

Also tonight, Grapefruit Records is hosting an in-store performance by Expensive People – a new project featuring Lonnie Methe (Naturaliste), Alex Boardman (Shelf Life, Rake Cash, Watch the Stereo) and Bryan Day (Public Eyesore/Eh?). The trio has a new tape out on Baltimore’s Spleencoffin Records. Oakland’s Big Cat also is performing along with Omaha legend Dereck Higgins. This one starts at 7:30. I’m unsure the cost (if any). Grapefruit Records is located at 1125 Jackson St. in the Old Market. 

Saturday night it’s back to The Sydney for groovy Seattle trio Black Ends. They call their sound “Gunk Pop,” which is a ginchy way of describing their psychedelic garage rock. Their latest album, Psychotic Spew, came out last year on Youth Riot Records. This four-band bill also includes Trees with Eyes, Amphibaphobia and The Ivory Claws. $8, 9 p.m. 

Meanwhile, across midtown at fabulous O’Leaver’s Saturday night, Frankie Chiaro headlines a show with Watson & Co. and Katie Kasher. This one’s free and starts at 9 p.m. 

Finally, Sunday night Tulsa’s Township & Range headlines at Reverb Lounge. You may remember the band’s frontman, Travis Linn, from his work in Black Squirrels and The Electroliners. Opening is the duo of Matt Whipkey and Mike Friedman. $10, 7 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 © 2025 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.