Not much to speak of indie-music wise this weekend…
Tonight at The Sydney in Benson, you’ve got Nordista Freeze on stage. Who is Nordista Freeze? Well, he’s a self-proclaimed Nashville psych-pop artist who’s played over 500 shows over the course of five years. Yep, sounds like another Sydney laptop-guy show. E Rawq opens at 9 p.m. $15.
Meanwhile, Omaha pop-rock project The Real Zebos headlines on Slowdown’s main room stage tonight. Beachmont opens at 8. $20.
Sunday, Southern indie metal band Baroness plays at The Waiting Room. The band has been releasing their albums on their own label, Abraxan Hymns, since 2015. Riffs and arena-rock harmonies abound. Wayfarer and Empire State Bastard open at 8 p.m. $35.
Meanwhile, down at The Admiral Theater, hardcore punk legend Henry Rollins is doing a his spoken word show Sunday night. It’s a comedy set where he tells stories about life on the road. $40. This is a seated show and starts at 8 p.m.
That’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it on the schedule. Have a great weekend.
Singer/songwriter Shalom was one of the promising new wave of artists signed to Saddle Creek Records over the past few years — artists signed by the label’s former A&R professional, Amber Carew. I mentioned back in April (here) that Carew had departed from Saddle Creek sometime in May 2022, based on her LinkedIn profile and comments made by Shalom in an interview.
Well, yesterday Stereogum reported that Shalom also no longer is part of the Saddle Creek family, basing their reporting on comments published on Shalom’s substack blog, Lover Over Fear, where she outlined the reason for the departure. Shalom pointed to Saddle Creek having “fired the person who signed me, never replaced her, and then treated me like shit the rest of my time there.” According to the blog, after demanding and not getting an apology from the label, communications broke down, and Saddle Creek moved to terminate Shalom’s contract.
Stereogum quotes more of her blog at length. Needless to say, she’s not happy. No mention in the Stereogum piece of Saddle Creek’s response, likely because Creek wasn’t contacted. I highly doubt the label would comment, anyway, as no company comments publicly on personnel matters. And yes, I have just now reached out to Robb Nansel at Saddle Creek for comment and will let you know if he replies on the record…
I dug Shalom’s debut album, Sublimation, released this past March by Saddle Creek. She’s working on the follow-up now. Wonder who will release it?
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Puddles Pity Party is tonight at The Admiral Theater. I normally wouldn’t post about this kind of show as it’s really sort of a novelty / comedy act, but the guy who dresses up in a clown outfit and sings ‘80s power ballads (such as Foreigner’s “I Want to Know What Love Is”) has garnered quite a following partially due to playing smaller venues earlier in his career (he’s been to Omaha a few times, I believe). His star rose after a number of appearances on the loathsome America’s Got Talent. Reserved seats are $39.50-$45 (before fees). Show starts at 7:30.
In this day and age, one of the best ways to get your music “out there” is to somehow get your songs on a television show. It’s one of the reasons Azure Ray became so popular as their songs were tailor-made for series like Grey’s Anatomy, where they’ve had a lot of pick up.
So has Ocie Elliott. The Canadian soft-rock indie duo of Jon Middleton and Sierra Lundy snagged two spots on episodes of Grey’s Anatomy. How that happened, I do not know, but it doesn’t hurt to have your music released on Nettwerk Music Group. Or the fact that your songs have the somber, lonely melodies that work so well in scenes where the young doctors and nurses are reflecting on either their wrecked lives or the wrecked life of a patient that recently passed while in their care.
Anyway, Ocie Elliott is playing tonight at Reverb Lounge. Zachy, a dude who really loves Bon Iver, opens at 8 p.m. $20.
The streets of downtown Omaha were lined with cars presumably belong to patrons of the Shania Twain concert being held at that very moment in the CHI arena. Somewhere, rows of middle-aged women in denim skirts, red boots and bedazzled cowboy hats were line-dancing to “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!”
Meanwhile, inside the dark, cavernous confines of The Slowdown, tables of more hip and no doubt more introspective middle-aged music fans waited for Great Lake Swimmers to take the small stage. What would Shania fans think of their style of rural Americana folk rock? Who am I kidding? They’d be bored out of their minds. Not that any style of music is better than another, but Shania arena concerts (well, like any arena concert) is all about the spectacle and radio hits, and, well the only spectacle at The Slowdown was the musicianship of the five people on stage who looked like they were having the time of their lives playing their music.
Fronted by singer/songwriter/guitarist Tony Dekker, the band — stand-up and electric bass, drums, guitar/banjo, keys/guitar — played a tight set of songs from their new album, Uncertain Country, along with selections from the Great Lake Swimmer’s 20-year-long catalog, Dekker quietly introducing most with stories about their origins and meaning, explaining how happy he was just to be able to tour again after the pandemic kept him locked up in his Toronto home.
Their style is indie folk more so than “Americana” and has a lot in common with ‘70s soft rock bands like America and Cat Stevens – at times (considering the rural themes) even reminscent of John Denver, though Dekker’s voice leans closer to Neil Young’s in its high timber.
An evening highlight was born from a calamity — Dekker broke a guitar string right before playing one of the band’s most popular songs, “Your Rocky Spine.” But instead of holding up the performance, he asked guitarist Erik Arnesen to lead off the song. What followed was an extended banjo introduction performed while Dekker kneeled on stage and did his stringing, smiling and nodding his head. The long intro changed the complexion of the song, creating a new drama not heard on the recording that they should make a regular part of their set — in other words, Dekker needs to break more guitar strings.
That moment was only eclipsed by a gorgeous cover of Kate McGarrigle’s “Come a Long Way” accented by beautiful harmonies from guitarist Colleen Brown, and an epic version of “The Real Work,” from the band’s 2018 album The Waves, The Wake (Nettwerk Music Group). The polite, gracious crowd of around 50 never strayed from their seats, leaving only one oddball standing next to the stage throughout the evening.
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Not much happening this weekend. Again, no touring indie bands are coming through. In fact, there’s almost no shows at all. Is this the Husker effect?
Tonight, however, is Benson First Friday, which means Maple Street will be abuzz with art lovers taking in openings in galleries throughout the district. Among them is the opening reception at Ming Toy Gallery (6066 Maple Street) for photographer Jeanne C. Langen’s De Herdere Nacht. The exhibition is a benefit for Wings of Hope Cancer Support Center in honor of Jeanne’s parents – Wesley A. and Judith C. Brown (Pittack), with 100% of all sales going to the non-profit. The show runs from 6 to 9 p.m. Come by and say hi.
As part of BFF, The Sydney is hosting LA electro-techno-punk act Cruel Kiss (a.k.a. Dustin Hollenbeck), along with Ex Lover and Nowhere. $15, 9 p.m.
Saturday night Omaha hardcore band Stronghold is having an album release show at Reverb Lounge with four opening acts: Static Soul, Heavyweight, Healer and Mass Hysteria. $10, 8 p.m.
And that is it. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend.
Wainfleet is a town with a population of around 6,400 located in the Niagara Region of Ontario, Canada, on the upper lip of Lake Erie. Nearby cities include Buffalo, NY, just 41 minutes east, and romantic Niagara Falls, slightly north of there. It’s a quiet, rural community, not known for anything much except as being the hometown of Tony Dekker, singer/songwriter and frontman for indie band Great Lake Swimmers, who just happens to be playing at The Slowdown tonight.
One assumes that frosty northern clime was the primary influence to the band’s ethereal style of folk rock that’s been compared to Nick Drake, Iron & Wine, Will Oldham and Neil Young. The band’s latest, Uncertain Country (2023, Harbour Songs/Fontana), was the product of field recordings made in the Niagara region, according to the one-sheet. It’s a lonely sounding, winter-lit record that should be fun to see reimagined on Slowdown Jr.’s small stage.
Opening tonight’s show at 8 p.m. is the always entertaining Sean Pratt & the Sweats. Steady Wells holds down the center spot. $20.
The Benson Theatre, located right in the middle of our drunken little townlet, could really be a cool stage for rock shows. The room is, indeed, quite beautiful, well designed, with rows of seating and plenty of room in front of the stage to stand. It’s the best of both worlds, or could be. In my mind I could imagine all those Undertow artists’ shows, like the recent Mark Eitzel show that took place downtown in a brew pub drinking room, performed on the Benson Theatre stage, a room just the right size for tours from past stars who now find themselves nomadically playing people’s living rooms.
Alas, one assumes the operating costs associated with this “non-profit” theater makes such concerts impossible, which is a shame because there’s woefully little programming taking place in the state-of-the-art facility in the heart of the city.
But I digress…
Friday night the theater hosted a fundraiser for Omaha Girls Rock, another Omaha non-profit, this one designed to provide direction both musically and ethically to young women from our community. The sold-out crowd consisted mostly of parents of these young rock stars on hand to give moral support, sitting or standing in groups while young kids ran around in costumes or wiggled on the “dance floor” in front of the stage.
Omaha is currently suffering from a lack of young, up-and-coming indie bands. And as few new or touring Omaha indie bands as there are, there are even fewer bands fronted by women, which is ironic because today’s national indie music scene is dominated by women artists. No need to list them, if you know than you know. Omaha Girls Rock, while not established to fix this problem, could certainly provide an effective remedy.
In times past when I’ve seen OGR bands play at fundraisers I’ve approached it like just another supportive parent (though I’m not), understanding the girls were only just learning their instruments. Not so Friday night. The two bands I saw were actually pretty good. Nothing Rhymes with Orange was cute and showed promise, but UN-T.I.L. actually could stand on its own as a functioning post-punk power trio. No idea who’s in the band, but they had some chops, especially on the last two numbers that had more intricate compositions. And if you doubt me, you can find out for yourself as UN-T.I.L. will be opening for Speedy Ortiz at The Slowdown Nov. 17.
They were followed by the return of See Through Dresses, who haven’t played out in a few years. Drummer Nate Van Fleet even made a special trip to Omaha from his new home in LA just for the show. The entire band dressed in matching skeleton costumes a la Phoebe Bridgers’ band, which made it a sort of double costume.
While the band sounded as good as ever playing music that’s a combination of shoegaze and Dinosaur Jr., the vocals by Matthew Carroll and Sara Bertuldo sounded naked on stage, pulled right out front of everything instead of being properly mixed with the rest of the instruments. I’ve never heard these two so loud and clear, like auctioneers fronting DIIV. Still, despite the poor mix, it was great seeing them on stage again.
In an era in Omaha when we’ve got ginormous new music venues popping up everywhere, here’s a small, well-made smaller alternative venue going mostly unused. It would be a shame if more bands weren’t booked there.
By default, it’s Halloween weekend, at least as far as bars are concerned. So brush off your Taylor Swift/Kelce costumes and have a good time. It’s also another no-touring-indie-bands weekend. See what’s on the event horizon through next spring as far as touring indie acts in yesterday’s blog post.
There are a few local shows happening this weekend, not the least of which is the long-awaited return of See Through Dresses. The band is playing a reunion gig tonight at Benson Theatre as part of the 2023 annual fundraiser for Omaha Girls Rock. They’ll be joined by a handful of OGR bands. Tickets are $25 and available at bensontheatre.org. Music starts at 7 p.m., and yes, costumes are encouraged.
No doubt costumes will also be all the rage tonight at fabulous O’Leaver’s as the club hosts a free punk rock show with The Scabby Ghouls, The Shidiots, DSM-5 and Blowing Chunks. The spooky fun starts at 9 p.m.
Meanwhile, over at The Sydney in Benson, Thick Paint opens for singer/songwriter Anna McClellan. $10, 9 p.m.
Three local shows tomorrow night (Saturday):
Local rockers Garst are headlining at Reverb Lounge with Bad Self Portraits and The Moose & The Public. $12, 8 p.m.
Las Cruxes is headlining The Down Under Lounge’s 8th annual Halloween show Saturday night. Joining them are Jar, Glue, and Grief Police. $8, 9:30 p.m. Again, costumes.
And finally, Pet Bun and Sputnik Kputnik are playing at Pageturners Lounge Saturday night. No cover but a $10 donation is suggested. Music starts at 8 p.m.
And then Sunday night Grapefruit Records in the Old Market is hosting a rare Omaha performance by Simon Joyner and the Sirens. It’s a tour kick-off show for the band as they’re headed back on the road. David Nance will be playing a set of brand new material in his opening solo set at 8 p.m. $10. No mention of costumes, but every day is Halloween in the Old Market, right?
That’s it. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a wild and crazy Halloween weekend.
We’ve entered the lull season for shows. I see only 12 touring indie shows coming through town between now and next summer. All are listed below.
Strangely (or maybe not so strangely), two of the city’s biggest, newest music venues in their inaugural years have no touring indie shows booked at all. The Astro has an excuse. Despite a scheduled opening date of Sept. 7, the venue has yet to host any shows due to “construction delays.” Their next scheduled show was Ruben and Clay — which, because of all the other cancellations, postponements or moves to other venues, would have been the first show for the The Astro. But that’s been postponed, too. The next opportunity to see the inside of this multi-million-dollar facility will be Emo Orchestra Nov. 5 (that is, if you’re into Emo Orchestra). The Astro only has five shows booked through May 15.
Meanwhile, the multi-million-dollar Steelhouse Omaha has a total of 18 shows on its calendar. The breakdown by genre: 4 comedians; 4 country; 3 alt rock, and a hodgepodge of gospel, rave, EDM, “family,” smooth jazz, R&B and tribute/cover bands. No indie, but is anyone surprised?
Sure, it’s the down season, but it’s also the inaugural year for this $100 million-plus venue. Or is there another reason their bookings have been so geriatric and disappointing?
Anyway, below is the current list of indie shows booked at The Slowdown and 1% properties through May 30 of next year. Hopefully, more will be booked. If not, it’s going to be a long winter:
As a preview to their upcoming tour of Australia and New Zealand, Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst did a couple lengthy inteviews. It’s a time for reminiscing for ol’ Conor, now 43, who goes back into the mind vault and talks about his early days.
The article in The Music, “Australia’s most respected source for music news,” is the better of the two. Written as a feature story, the writer lays down some ancient history.
— “It’s a running joke – or kinda a half-joke – that we’ll be at an airport with a bunch of guitars, and someone asks us, ‘What kind of music do you play?’ and a number of years ago, I took to saying, ‘Yeah, it’s called confusion rock’, have you heard of that?’ It doesn’t make any sense, and all our records sound different, so if you love one, you’ll probably hate the next one!’ That’s our own genre.”
— On the recent reissues and Companion series: “It basically happened because we moved our whole catalogue from Saddle Creek – which is the label we started as kids, which ran its course – and we moved over to Dead Oceans and the Secretly Group, and they’ve been amazing.” – Last I looked, Saddle Creek still was very much a functioning label.
— “When I listen to or think about an album like [2000 third album] Fever And Mirrors, yeah, there’s a lot of embarrassing things on there – things I wrote and the way I sang and the over-the-top adolescence of it – but then every year somebody goes to high school and somebody’s older sister hands them a copy of it, and this has been happening for 20 years.”
— “I definitely think the output has decreased over the years. When I was a teenager or in my early 20s, I was writing constantly, and it was the only thing I thought about, or cared about really, at all. Probably to my detriment, in a lot of ways, because I think I’ve probably ruined some relationships and made some bad decisions… I don’t know, all of the stuff that you do when you’re a kid.”
— “I always joke that I’ve never worked a day in my life, which is not true, but you know what I’m saying, it’s fine. My buddy’s a part-time musician, and if I’m ever complaining about something on tour or about something that happened, he always goes [adopts deadpan voice], ‘Hey, beats pushing a broom’. Ain’t that the truth.”
The Mixdown appears to be another Australian-based publication (there’s not a lot of info about them on their own website). Their interview with Oberst is a straight up Q&A by someone who admits to be a long-time fan.
— “Commander Venus – such a bad name.” Come on now, Conor, nothing wrong with that band name. Certainly it’s as good as Bright Eyes.
— “People seem to like our records 5 years after they’re released. So it’s always felt like ‘let’s just make something and wait 5 years for someone to tell us it’s brilliant!’ But when it comes out it’s like ‘this is fucking shit!’ [Laughs]”
— On the next Bright Eyes record: “You know, we’ve been recording it… If all goes well maybe next fall. Knock on wood. Or early 2025. That feels so far away though. So I’m hoping for next fall.”
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Tonight at Ming Toy Gallery (that’s the gallery run by my better half) located at 6066 Maple in the heart of Benson, artist and musician Josh Audiss is playing a set of music. Audiss writes in a modern folk, singer/songwriter style. The free show starts at 7 p.m. and you’ll also get a chance to see (and buy) some of his art, which is on display at Ming Toy through the end of the month.
We tend to make things better in our minds after they’re gone, forgetting the bad stuff, remembering only the good moments – it’s true both for people and music venues. O’Leaver’s is a good example. The energy of a night at O’Leaver’s is hard to describe — when there’s a great band playing on their stage, the crowd is drunk and happy (but not too much of either), and you can find your favorite spot to soak it all in.
In reality, not every night was so golden, but there was always someone there who knew your name. Then along came the pandemic and O’Leaver’s changed its business model, opened a grill, put in booths and cut down on the live music. Suddenly, unless you had a serious drinking problem or played volleyball, there were fewer reasons to go to O’Leaver’s.
I cannot blame the folks behind the bar (which include members of Saddle Creek Records band Cursive) for trying the bar-food experiment – after all, it works so well for O’Leaver’s sister establishment – The Winchester (owned by the same team of rock stars). That said, The Winchester ain’t O’Leaver’s. I can imagine taking my imaginary family to Winchester’s for dinner — I can’t imagine taking a family to O’Leaver’s for burgers and cokes (though plenty of people did).
Okay, so yesterday O’Leaver’s posted on social media that it’s pulling the plug on its kitchen. “We were never able to reach our goals of sustainability since opening 3 years ago,” they posted on Facebook. “O’Leavers pub will continue to rock and roll!! We open at 3:30 on the weekdays and noon on the weekends. Happy hour is always a blast and Jeopardy’s still on at 6 every day. AND, live music is on the calendar!!”
Does that mean a return to the old days at O’Leaver’s with live music every weekend? Not likely. Omaha legendary musician and member of the O’Leaver’s brain trust, Craig Dee, said the club may slowly start ramping up music again “but not like the old days.”
Last weekend O’Leaver’s hosted two nights of music, including the return of heritage post-punk act Dance Me Pregnant. Alas, I was unable to attend, but heard it felt like… old times. The club has another free show slated this Friday — a punk-rock gig with The Scabby Ghouls, The Shidiots, DSM-5 and Blowing Chunks. Could more shows be on the way?
I remember a time when fabulous O’Leaver’s booked up to four shows a week, which even for me was exhausting. I’d be happy with rock shows every other weekend, but then again, I’m an old guy. Here’s hoping The Club will re-emerge as another tour-stop and/or viable stage for local post-punk bands, because lord knows we desperately need it…
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