by Tim McMahan,  Lazy-i.com

Another quiet weekend for indie music. Frankly, it’s been a quiet month for indie, and things don’t really start to pick up again until August, with only the July 20 Built to Spill show on my radar (and how many times have Doug Martsch and his crew been through here in the past five years?). 

Meanwhile, the preponderance of children driving golf carts throughout my neighborhood can only mean one thing: The big Memorial Park Concert is tonight, this year featuring Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band.

I’m not positive who’s playing in Ringo’s band, though Wednesday night in Charlotte, North Carolina, his band consisted of Colin Hay (Men at Work), Steve Lukather (Toto), Hamish Stuart (Average White Band), Gregg Bissonette (David Lee Roth, Joe Satriani), Warren Ham (Toto, Kansas) and Buck Johnson (Aerosmith). 

The set list consisted of Beatles and Ringo songs, along with covers from Toto, Men at Work, Average White Band and rock classics. You can see the 21-song setlist here, which closed out with (of course) “With a Little Help from My Friends.” 

The concert kicks off at 6:45 with Mike Campbell and the Dirty Knobs, which is truly an unfortunate band name. BTW, “dirty knobs” is supposed to be tech slang for a broken amp dial? Really?

Campbell, as you know, was a long-time member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and co-wrote a number of their hits, including “Refugee,” “Listen to Her Heart” and “All or Nothin’,” all of which they’ll likely play tonight, along with songs off the band’s own albums. Their biggest hit on Spotify is “Fuck That Guy,” which is perfect for a family gathering in the park. 

Ringo and his blokes go on at 8:30 and fireworks are scheduled for 10 p.m. As always, it’s free.

But it’s not the only legacy act playing in Omaha tonight. Over at The Waiting Room, one-hit wonders Tripping Daisy plays. The band had a modest hit on MTV with “I Got a Girl,” off their 1995 album I Am an Elastic Firecracker. They broke up after guitarist Wes Berggren died in 1999. The rest of the band, including frontman Tim DeLaughter, would go on to form the much more interesting chamber-pop act The Polyphonic Spree. 

Tripping Daisy reunited in 2017 and officially reformed in 2024, with plans for touring and writing new music. Opening the show at 8 p.m. is Houston-based garage band Jumprope. $34. 

Tomorrow night (Saturday), Omaha fuzzed-out shoegaze band Dream Ghoul plays at fabulous O’Leaver’s. A project of singer/songwriter Max Holmquist, the band released its debut LP, A Forgotten Future, this past December. Joining them is Colorado band Flesh Tape, who cites Lilys and Sonic Youth as influences for their ‘90s-flavored shoegaze. This one’s free and starts at 9 p.m.

Finally, Sunday night Catskills-based alt-country singer/songwriter (and harpist!) Mikaela Davis headlines at Reverb Lounge. Her 2023 LP, And Southern Star, was released on Kill Rock Stars. Opening is Burlington, Vermont, singer/songwriter Lily Seabird, whose new album, Trash Mountain, was released in April on Lame-O Records. $25, 8 p.m. 

And that’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend. 

* * *

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.