Almost Music calls it quits with a huge rock show this Saturday.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Before we get to it, tickets went on sale today for both the March 21 Better Oblivion Community Center (Conor Oberst/Phoebe Bridgers) show at The Slowdown and the two-night stand by The Faint at The Waiting Room May 24 & 25. Better get on it before tix are gone…

Now, on with the weekend…

Sub Pop recording artist King Tuff plays tonight at Slowdown Jr. King Tuff a.k.a. Kyle Thomas was a member of Ty Segall’s band The Muggers. The Reader‘s Houstin Wiltsey has an interview/feature with King Tuff online right here, which you should really check out before the show. Australian psych-rock band Stonefield opens at 9 p.m. $17.

Also tonight See Through Dresses kicks off its latest tour with a show at The Sydney in Benson. This is a big one that also includes Those Far Out Arrows, Lincoln’s Her Flyaway Manner and the always awesome Tyrone Storm. Music starts at 10 p.m and it’s the usual $5. Get there early and check out the multi-artist art opening that benefits the amazing Youth Emergency Services. More info here. It’s all part of Benson First Friday (#BFF).

Speaking of BFF, if you’re in Benson for the festivities, swing by The Little Gallery (my wife’s place) and check out this month’s opening featuring the art of Bob Matthews. The Little Gallery is at 5901 Maple St. in the east bay of the Masonic Lodge building. Stop in and say hello. We’re there from 6 to 9 p.m. More info here.

Tomorrow (Saturday) is the Almost Music Going Out of Business Music Festival, a stupendous line-up of bands that starts at 4 p.m. Get in on the music and leave with some bargains as the store will have deeply discounted vinyl available. It’s free, though donations are welcomed; it’s BYOB; and Nite Owl is preparing a “special punch” for the occasion. And it’ll be a good chance to say goodbye to Brad and thank him for all he’s done. Here’s the set times:

Bad Actors (first show): 4:15-5:00
Eric in Outerspace: 5:15-6:00
Kyle Jessen: 6:00-6:45
Putter & Co.: 6:45-7:30
Little Ripple: 7:30-8:15
Pagan Athletes: 8:15-9:00
Wagon Blasters: 9:00-9:45
Houma: 9:45-10:30
Conny Franko: 10:30-11:15
BIB: 11:15-midnight

Also Saturday night Matt Whipkey headlines at Reverb Lounge. Will Matt roll out a few new (punk) songs during his set? You’ll have to go and see. Hot new band Garst opens at 9 p.m. $8.

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 © 2019 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Reaching back into the archive on this Throwback Thursday, to a time when Twitter was just getting going. Who’da thunk back than that Twitter would become the main tool for the country’s Biggest Tool? And yet, here we are. This column was a sort of introduction to Twitter, and the first time I used the tool for doing live concert reviews. It was also the last time. There’s no point in “real time” reporting a live concert in Twitter. It’s about as interesting as seeing pictures from people’s vacation while they’re still on vacation. Actually, isn’t that what Facebook is based on?

The concert I was tweeting from was a preview show by Cursive of material that would appear on Mama, I’m Swollen, which was released March 10, 2009, and is still one of my favorite Cursive albums.

From Lazy-i, Jan. 29, 2009…

Column 207: In a Twitter
The end of conversation.

Back in the old days — a few short years ago — just blogging was enough. People had a way of electronically publishing their ideas — no matter how mundane — in a format that was accessible to the entire world via the Internet. Bored college students in Toledo could now share their insights with bored college students in Gdansk about such nail-biting topics as: what they had for dinner, why they’re pissed at their boyfriend/girlfriend, and what’s on TV.

Now along comes Twitter. Well, not just now. Twitter’s been around since 2006 (according to Wikipedia, which itself has been around since 2001), but it seems like no one started using it until last year. Oh sure, there were a couple Twitter pioneers (drones who will proudly boast that they’ve been Tweeting (the verb form) for years), but the technology — and the term itself — only just entered our vernacular in the past year or so (or mine, at least).

Brief tech discussion: Twitter is a browser-based “social networking” environment that limits its users to 140 characters per post. The limit is there, in part, to facilitate the use of cell phones as input devices, along with the web. It also forces people to strenuously self-edit themselves, to carefully hone their ideas to only the most critical few words. Each comment answers the universal question: What are you doing? The result: Briefer discussions about what’s for dinner, boyfriends/girlfriends, and what’s on TV.

Unlike blogs (but like Facebook, which is another slice of entropy altogether) people search Twitter for their friends, and then “follow” them. Twitter aggregates everyone you’re “following” into one inane conversation, each comment conveniently time-stamped, something like:

Husker_power: Hungry. Taco Johns tonight fur shure. about 3 hours ago from TwitterBerry
Santinofan: Watching Top Chef. Ariane got screwed. Padme where are you? about 5 hours ago from web

And so on. Twitter appears to be a natural de-evolution of human interaction. Soon all discussions will be limited to Tarzan-like grunts, culminating in: “Poop. Pee. Eat. Poop. Screw. Eat. Simpsons. Poop.”

So why all this discussion about Twitter? About six months ago, I logged onto Twitter for the first time. You can “follow” my tweeting online at: twitter.com/tim_mcmahan. I quickly discovered that “micro-blogging” has its advantages. Take CD reviews, for instance. Instead of spending hours writing gripping, nuanced examinations of an album’s true meaning, I only have room for:

tim_mcmahan: Listening to the new Ladyfinger album. Brutal fun.

or

tim_mcmahan: Listening to new Springsteen. Nothing new here *yawn*.

Conversely, Twitter allows bands, record labels and assorted famous folk to keep in touch with their fans. I now know what The Willowz (thewillowz), Saddle Creek Records (saddlecreek) and Lance Armstrong (lancearmstrong) are having for lunch. For better or worse.

One perceived value of Twitter is the real-time nature of the medium. Instead of text messaging to one person, you’re text messaging to all of your “followers” at once. To test Twitters’ capabilities and limitations, I took my iPhone to Slowdown last Saturday night for the Cursive concert and annoyed everyone within a few feet of me by tapping in the following comments throughout the evening. Here’s the transcript/review:

tim_mcmahan: Full house. I’m buying Rolling Rocks two at a time. 10:34 PM Jan 24th from mobile web

tim_mcmahan: House music is Michael Jackson, or at least it sounds like Jacko. 10:37 PM

tim_mcmahan: Nice. Kasher’s voice sounds husky. 10:57 PM

tim_mcmahan: Classic Kasher rant. “Bark bark bark.” 11:11 PM

tim_mcmahan: Seems like they’re working trumpet into every song these days. For better or worse. 11:14 PM

tim_mcmahan: Some of this new stuff sounds like The Good Life. The convergence keeps getting closer. 11:31 PM

tim_mcmahan: Halfway through the set. Ted Stevens finally switches from the 12-string to his LP. 11:34 PM

tim_mcmahan: Kasher says he’s got a sore throat and is drinking hot tea. He sounds fine. 11:41 PM

tim_mcmahan: “What Have I Done.” Kasher’s back to the self-referential lyrics. Songs about writing songs. 11:44 PM

tim_mcmahan: His most soulful song since Domestica. 11:46 PM

tim_mcmahan: Cornbread on drums changes the entire complexion of Cursive. They swing now, moreso than the old frontal assault of Schnase. 11:54 PM

tim_mcmahan: Off stage now. Encore’s next. This is a longer set than Union Hall. 11:55 PM

tim_mcmahan: Back. With “Art is Hard.” Crowd loves it. Kasher’s right. Mostly kids huddled along the stage. 11:59 PM

tim_mcmahan: Never get tired of hearing “The Martyr.” 12:04 AM

tim_mcmahan: Okay, now his voice is giving out. 12:06 AM

tim_mcmahan: Struggling through “Sierra.” The last song of the night. 12:11 AM

tim_mcmahan: Kasher takes over the drum kit. 12:13 AM

tim_mcmahan: That’s it. Kasher won’t be talking for a week. 12:14 AM

Just like being there? Not really. Looking over the comments the following morning, I wondered if they needed to be augmented with explanations, but realized that anyone who knows me and what I write about understands the shorthand. They know who Kasher and Cursive is. They know the song titles and the terminology. And if they don’t, they can always find out. On Myspace or Facebook. On YouTube. On Wikipedia. Or on Twitter, which is effectively shoe-horning the world into a conversation that’s only 140 characters wide. For better or worse.

* * *

Tonight, BMG Recording artist Jocelyn releases the first single from her upcoming album, a song titled “Speak Up,” at Slowdown Jr. I’ve heard it and it’s pop-candy fun. Aly Peeler opens the show at 7 p.m. $10.

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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 © 2019 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

The Faint at the 2017 Maha Music Festival, Aug. 19, 2017. The band is playing at The Waiting Room May 24 and 25.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Here yesterday I said indie music is on the wane in Omaha (and it is) and today we have three big concerts announced.

The first is Better Oblivion Community Center — the new project featuring Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers — announced they’re playing at The Slowdown March 21 with Lala Lala and Christian Lee Hutson. Tickets, which are $25, go on sale Friday at 11 a.m. This will sell out.

Check out the new BOCC video that dropped today, directed by Japanese Breakfast:

The other big announcement is that The Faint and Closeness are playing at The Waiting Room May 24 and 25. Choirboy also is on the bill. Tickets for this one also go on sale this Friday at 10 a.m. These will sell out as well.

And maybe the biggest announcement of all…

This Saturday Almost Music and Solid Jackson in the Blackstone District are hosting a concert from 4 p.m. until whenever in honor of them closing their doors. They’re going out of business, folks. If you’re looking for bargains, better get there now. When I stepped into the shop last Saturday all vinyl was 50 percent off.

The line-up for Saturday’s going-out-of-business concert:

Bad Actors (first show): 4:15-5:00
Eric in Outerspace: 5:15-6:00
Kyle Jessen: 6:00-6:45
Putter & Co.: 6:45-7:30
Little Ripple: 7:30-8:15
Pagan Athletes: 8:15-9:00
Wagon Blasters: 9:00-9:45
Houma: 9:45-10:30
Conny Franko: 10:30-11:15
BIB: 11:15-midnight

Donations are welcomed; it’s BYOB; and Nite Owl is preparing “special punch” for the occasion. It’s free so this one won’t sell out but it’ll definitely be SRO. Come say goodbye to a local hero.

* * *

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 © 2019 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

See Through Dresses at Maha Music Festival in 2016. The band won for Best Alternative/Indie band at last nights OEA Awards.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

A few words on last night’s Omaha Arts and Entertainment Awards ceremony held at The Slowdown…

I try to ignore this every year and every year I get sucked into the awards show, which last night was streamed live by the folks who run Omaha Magazine

. I try to ignore it because: 1) I’ve never heard of many of the nominees, 2) Many of those I do recognize (as Dave Sink used to say about bands he didn’t like) aren’t my cup of tea, and 3) The bands that are my cup of tea rarely are nominated. I would like to tell you there’s a fourth reason — that I don’t like award shows — but that wouldn’t be true. I watch all of the film-related award shows on television. I haven’t missed an Oscars telecast in years, and I even have the Grammy’s on while I’m doing something more important, like clipping my toenails.

That said, there were a few bands who won awards last night that I’ve heard of and actually like. They are: See Through Dresses, which took home the award for Best Alternative/Indie; Clarence Tilton, who won for Best Country; Dan Brennan, the soundman at The Slowdown who won for Best Live Music Sound Engineer; R.A.F., who won for Best Punk, and ARC Studios, who won for Best Recording Studio.

You can see the full list of winners right here

.

As one gets older one can lose touch of a scene, and that was obvious watching the broadcast light night and recognizing few of the nominees. Then again, my sights have always been set on indie music, a genre that is slowly slipping from importance locally.

Interestingly, the complex in which the award show was being presented — The Slowdown — was built by the folks behind Saddle Creek Records, who have offices right above the stage. Neither the label’s name nor any musician who has ever been on its roster was mentioned during last night’s proceedings, despite that fact that Saddle Creek has enjoyed great success in the past few years, as have many of the label’s musicians from the past who still call Omaha home. Not that it matters…

* * *

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 © 2019 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Eric in Outerspace at O’Leaver’s, Aug. 31, 2016. The band plays O’Leaver’s Saturday night.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Watched that Fyre Fest documentary last night (the Netflix version, not the Hulu version). The first question that came to mind after slogging through that slow-motion dumpster fire: How did Ja Rule avoid getting his ass sued off alongside Billy McFarland?

Onward to the weekend…

I can’t find a thing to do tonight show-wise. I suggest bellying up to the bar at The Brothers and enjoying their fine jukebox offerings. Now if only I could get Trey to stock Rolling Rock again…

Now, there are a number of shows Saturday…

Local indie stalwarts Eric in Outerspace headline Saturday night at fabulous O’Leaver’s. Joining them is DROSS (members of Noah’s Ark Was a Spaceship) and Cloud Feeder. $5, 10 p.m.

Also Saturday night, Benny and the Gents is doing another David Bowie tribute night at The Waiting Room. And She Was opens at 9. $10.

Around the corner at Reverb Lounge Saturday night, CJ Mills returns with Kethro and Masonjixx. 9 p.m., $8 Adv./$10 DOS.

Finally, there’s an early show at Reverb Sunday night headlined by indie Americana band Bazile Mills. Opening is Minne Lussa, a new project with Eric Ebers (Ritual Device), Alan Legge, Matt Rutledge on vocals and guitar, and Pat Reefe. This one starts at 5 p.m. and is $7.

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 © 2019 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Better Oblivion Community Center is Phoebe Bridgers and Conor Oberst, plus a host of indie rock veterans.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

In addition to rolling out Better Oblivion Community Center — the new band fronted by Conor Obert and Phoebe Bridgers — on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert last night, the band also dropped the entire debut album, released on Dead Oceans. Hey, who needs to wait ’til Friday to release an album?

Out front in the TV performance, which is embedded below, was a grizzled Oberst in Converse sneakers and the angelic Bridgers, who provided the prominent voice on song “Dylan Thomas.” Is Bridgers “Ally” to Oberst’s “Jack Maine”? We all know how that one ended. 

No, not quite; and the band also isn’t a return to the Laurel Canyon sound, as Rolling Stone seemed to imply in its 4-star review of the record. Instead, Oberst and Bridgers are building on top the current singer/songwriter movement associated with the artists like those in boygenius (Bridgers, Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus), Mitski, Big Thief, Soccer Mommy, and so on. Or maybe I’m just listening for Bridgers more than Oberst on these songs. Certainly you can’t miss Conor, who’s growly croon is an abrasive counter to Bridgers’ sweet coo. 

It’s easy to pick out who wrote what if you’ve been following along the last couple of years. The pretty, sad stuff is Bridgers; the folky slice of life stuff is Oberst. The sound isn’t so much a true duet as much as one guesting on the other’s songs. 

The only other person I recognized in the video last night was Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, who’s as genius as ever on guitar.

Other BOCC participants according to the Q&A at the Secretly Store website are Carla Azar from Autolux; Wylie Gelber and Griffin Goldsmith of Dawes; songwriter Christian Lee Hutson on guitar and Anna Butterss on bass. The album was produced by Oberst and Bridgers with help from Andy LeMaster, who you might remember from Now It’s Overhead. 

Quite a splashy way to launch a project. I wonder when they’re going to drop the cheesy phone number/fake self-help program facade, which, because it wasn’t explained, came off clumsy last night on the Colbert show. My wife asked, “What’s with the graphics and the phone number on the screen?” It takes a long time to explain the joke. Hopefully they’ll leave it off when they play this weekend on CBS This Morning Saturday.

BOCC tour stops apparently will be announced next week sometime. Here’s hoping for an Omaha date. 

* * *

Noname (a.k.a. Fatimah Warner) is a Chicago indie hip-hop artist. Her self-released debut Room 25 chronicles the two years since the release of her debut mixtape Telefone, “most notably her move from Chicago to Los Angeles and an intense, short-lived relationship that resulted in the loss of her virginity at age 25,” says the Wiki. She headlines tonight at The Waiting Room. Opener Elton kicks things off 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 © 2019 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Is this the album cover of the new Better Oblivion Community Center album?

That “secret” Conor Oberst/Phoebe Bridgers project — mysteriously named Better Oblivion Community Center — is the musical guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert tonight and will also appear on CBS This Morning Saturday on Jan. 26 as part of the show’s “Saturday Sessions.”

This according to Brooklyn Vegan, which added that CBS This Morning anchor Anthony Mason tweeted what appears to be the album cover last week. And a YouTube video tweeted by Oberst today indicates the new project will be announcing tour dates next week.

Tune in tonight to see who else is in the project.

* * *

Dayton self-proclaimed jam band The Werks plays tonight at The Waiting Room. The band plays a throwback style of ‘70s prog rock mixed with funk elements and (at times) reggae beats — translated: They’re a jam band, right down to encouraging taping of shows a la The Grateful Dead. Omaha jam band Slow Stoics opens at 8 p.m.; $15.

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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 © 2019 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal’s Do It Now dropped last Friday on Silver Street Records.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Last Friday Josh Hoyer and Soul Colossal released their fourth full-length, Do It Now, via Silver Street Records. The 10-song collection was recorded at Silver Street in Ashland and Make Believe Studios in Omaha.

From the Josh Hoyer website: “Upon its initial European release in August 2018, the album drew rave reviews from European publications, with Blues Magazine stating, ‘Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal still prove to be at the top of the contemporary soul movement.’ The band promoted the album on their second European tour; a 37-city outing spanning six different countries.”

I don’t jack about modern blues and soul other than Sharon Jones, Dap Kings and whatever Black Keys are up to these days, but I dig Hoyer’s album, which feels like a throwback to the kind of FM easy-listening R&B music I remember back in the ’70s by acts like Lou Rawls, Jerry Butler and The Impressions.

Gotta wonder how Hoyer’s turn on The Voice

helped build his national exposure and fan base. He talked about it in this Q&A with the Lone Peak Lookout, last summer:

From the article: “I learned a lot from being on the show. I met a lot of like-minded performers and got to understand the industry a lot more. In the end, it is just a very tough business. No one is going to achieve much success unless they are willing to roll up their sleeves and put in a great deal of work into their craft. There is no easy way to the top. I’m thankful to have made new fans via the show, but I am still out here working my tail off for everything the band and I are able to achieve.”

Hoyer and his band are touring the Rocky Mountain states through early February, with a Valentine’s Day gig at Zoo Bar in Lincoln before touring throughout the Midwest (including a Slowdown gig March 16) and South through this summer.

Check out the new album on Spotify and iTunes and buy the vinyl from his merch page

.

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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 © 2019 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Clarence Tilton at The Waiting Room, Dec. 23, 2018. The band plays tonight at the Harney Street Tavern.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

I can’t remember such a lack of shows on a given weekend as this weekend.  Considering the crappy weather we’re expecting, I guess the timing is good. 

The only show on my radar is Clarence Tilton at the Harney Street Tavern tonight. The free show starts at 9 p.m.

One Percent has no indie shows (local or otherwise) at any of its venues this weekend. 

Slowdown Jr. has singer/songwriter Dan Tedesco Sunday night. $10, 8 p.m.

O’Leaver’s has three acts tonight I’ve never heard of (doesn’t mean they’re not any good): Smokin’ Shepherd, Solo Safe and James and the Hat. $5, 10 p.m. No show tomorrow or Sunday.

The Brothers has nothing scheduled this weekend, nor does The Sydney.

Fun Fact: I haven’t been to a show in 2019. Just sayin’…

* * *

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 © 2019 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

What is Better Living Oblivion Center? Enquiring minds want to know…

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Last week Tim Kiefer, the man behind Widmest Productions production company, which booked shows throughout Benson, at O’Leaver’s and at other venues, announced Widmest was ending after three years of operations.

“We loved doing this, but all good things must come to an end and as professionals in our late 40s with young kids, we just couldn’t give Widmest the attention it needed – and the bands and venues we work with deserve nothing but our utmost attention

,” Kiefer said.

Among the acts Widmest booked are Christopher the Conquered, Clarence Tilton, Bud Bronson & The Good Timers and Cracker.

“We were able to work with one of our favorite artists for our first show, Grant Hart (in May 2015),” Kiefer said. “We had a great weekend getting to know him and the events were great. Grant was everything he was cracked up to be: generous, a bit odd, curmudgeonly, funny and genuine. It was awesome.”

Another highlight was releasing Bazile Mills’ 2015 EP Where We Are. “We’re proud of the record and being a part of the entire process was a great experience,” he said. “We didn’t really think through distribution, which was a pretty big miss, but we’re whole in the end and we have the record as proof of our efforts.

“It is cliche, but the best part truly was meeting a ton of really great people,” he added. “We learned a lot about how difficult it is to make a living in this industry (We weren’t trying to make our living through Widmest, thank God!) and how hard the artists work to try and make it. Thankfully, there are so many great musicians willing to throw their hats in the ring. In the end, we remain huge fans of a wide range of artists and we look forward to going back to just enjoying the fruits of others’ labors!

”

Are there any local promoters left outside of One Percent Productions that book indie shows in Omaha?

* * *

One bit of mysterious music news… from Brooklyn Vegan.

Within the past month, Conor Oberst and Team Love have been connected to a viral promotion for Better Oblivion Community Center, which may or may not be the name of a new music project. Brooklyn Vegan reported that BOCC may be connected to a collaborative project involving Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers, who already have a history of working together.

I guess we’ll have to wait until next Wednesday, Jan. 23, to find out. That’s the date of BOCC’s “launch party” according to the message that plays when you call the number on the brochure…

* * *

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 © 2019 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.