Omaha loves Wilco, and Wilco loves them right back, judging by the number of Wilco shows we’ve seen come through town over the years. Tonight the band is playing at The Astro Amphitheater in beautiful La Vista. This show was originally slated to be performed in the The Astro’s indoor music venue, but construction delays continue to plague the project, apparently, and the show had to be moved outdoors to the amphitheater, which actually could be an upgrade considering how nice the weather is expected to be.
The band is on the road supporting their 13th album, Cousin, release late last month on dBpm Records, Wilco’s own label, which has released all their albums since 2011’s The Whole Love. The album was produced by Cate Le Bon, the first time the band has handed over the reins to someone outside the Wilco circle in 16 years. Based on the setlist from last night’s show at Mission Ballroom in Denver, you can expect a 19-song set that dips deep into their catalog, with a three-song encore. Good thing they moved the show start time back to 6:45 p.m. (doors at 6 p.m. ). Singer/songwriter Nina Nastasia is the opener. Her last full-length, Riderless Horse, was produced by Steve Albini and released in 2022 on Temporary Residence. Tickets are still available, ranging in price from $45 to $100.
When will we get to see a show in The Astro’s indoor venue? Well, Ruben & Clay are slated to play indoors this Saturday. With the weather taking a turn for the worst later this week, it’s very unlikely they’d move that to the amphitheater (though 1% has a lot of indoor options if the Astro is still not ready for action).
I’ll start with Sextile at The Waiting Room and go backward from there.
The band had made it known they were going on at 10:15 last night, and I arrived shortly before that, catching only the last song by the opening act, someone who’s music I had determined I didn’t need to hear after listening to a number of his tracks prior to the show. Some folks expected Sextile to be a big draw, others were like me, skeptical but hopeful that Omaha would show up — and more Omaha showed up than I expected – a crowd of maybe 150, a fine mix of ages and genders drawn together by a goth sense of fashion and a shared love for this style of post-punk post-New Wave synth-powered dance music.
The trio bounded onto the velvet-black stage to the blump-blump-blump beat of “Contortion,” off their new album, Push. Or at least I think that was the name of the song. I would be lying if I told you I knew the words to any Sextile song or their names for that matter, other than the ones fans consider their “hits” – “Disco,” “New York,” “No Fun,” “Current Affair,” etc., all of which were played at some point last night to a crowd of sometimes-jumping sometimes-undulating fans, many of which looked ready for Halloween.
In addition to having an infectiously driving beat, Sextile songs sport abrasive counter-melodies played mostly on synths but sometimes on electric guitar, and vocals that consist mostly of either frontman Brady Keehn or frontwoman Melissa Scaduto barking out words in a staccato yelp tightly in synch with the proceedings. At their best, even the most dead pile of human flesh can’t help but move to their coal-black rhythms.
So much of the music was preprogrammed that it was hard to say if and when any of Sextile were actually playing anything, other than punching the track number from a play list, though it sure looked like guitarist Cameron Michel was actually shredding that guitar, as did Scaduto. More often, the performance consisted of a bleach-blond-sunglassed Keehn bounding about the stage, spitting out lyrics while showing off his contorted dance moves, glowing/blasting on-off-on in the blinding strobes. T’was a shame the place wasn’t packed, as (like that Model/Actriz show a week ago) I can only imagine how this performance would feel at, say, a sold-out Terminal 5 in Brooklyn.
Another Michael at Reverb Lounge, Oct. 19, 2023.
Going backwards earlier the evening… There was a wholly different kind of audience at Reverb Lounge last night for Ratboys, a well-attended (but not sold out) show. These folks clearly were not ready for Halloween. Opening band Another Michael is a Philly four-piece that plays Americana-inflected indie rock, though that’s not really a fair description. It’s clearly a singer/songwriter act powered by frontman Michael Doherty backed by a rock-solid band anchored with precision and grace by a drummer who’s name I don’t know and can’t find and in this day-and-age don’t want to make any assumptions.
Doherty’s songwriting style would be as successful in the ‘70s as it is here in the ’20s (and upon reading that sentence, I feel very old indeed). The only band I would compare them to is early ‘90s-era The Silos. Doherty has a high, sweet voice and style similar to Walter Salas-Humara, though instead of singing about the Southwest, Another Michael’s songs are rooted in the frozen Northeast. Really gorgeous stuff and a good opener for Ratboys.
Ratboys at Reverb Lounge, Oct. 19, 2023.
A hot ticket thanks to the success of their latest album, the Chris Walla produced The Window, and for touring with bands like Wilco and Guster (who they opened for here in Omaha a year ago), the band has a poise and style that points to much bigger stages than Reverb’s. Singer/guitarist Julia Steiner is like watching Broadcast News-era Holly Hunter lead a modern indie band that has a lot in common with acts like Hop Along (the closest comparison vocally to Steiner). Her voice can be at times sound earnest and personal while at other times almost overtly cute, just as their songs can waver between straightforward indie rock and Wilco-esque Americana.
Steiner also has good between-song-tuning-my-guitar snappy patter, telling stories about “the wooden man” they saw at a Luv’s somewhere in Iowa (Hate for Iowa was a theme throughout the night by both bands who wrongly think Nebraskans hates Iowa for some reason, which couldn’t be further from the truth, but who am I to correct their regional prejudices?). There is no doubt this band is going to be huge, and the fact that this show didn’t sell out tiny Reverb only adds to the continued mystery as to why touring indie shows are drawing so disappointingly in our market.
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Onto the weekend, and an O’Leaver’s weekend at that, though there is one big touring indie show worth mentioning.
First though, like a blast from the past, there are back-to-back nights of live music this weekend at fabulous O’Leaver’s. Tonight, elusive local indie band BB Sledge opens for two bands I’ve never heard of — Saltwater Sanctuary and The Bedrock. Will I finally see BB Sledge after countless efforts to see them in the past were for naught? Maybe. This show is $10 and starts at 9:30.
Tomorrow night (Saturday) at O’Leaver’s see the return of Dance Me Pregnant, who we haven’t heard from since, what, 2012? It’s the classic Dance Me Pregnant line-up with Chris Machmuller, Johnny Vredenburg, Corey Broman and Jeff Ankenbauer. Some of these folks I literally haven’t seen in a decade. If that weren’t enough to get you to O’Leaver’s, the night’s bill also includes The Flamboyant Gods (I’m Drinking This Records) and In Tongues (Robert Little, Jason Ludwick and Boz Hicks). And it’s free. Expect a crush mob. Good thing it’s nice out so you can step out onto their gorgeous patio between sets. Starts at 9 p.m., just like old times.
The other big show Saturday night is indie darling Samia at The Waiting Room. The band is riding a wave of popularity thanks to the sing-along song “Honey” off the album of the same name released earlier this year on Grand Jury Records. Was a time you couldn’t turn on Sirius XMU without hearing the track (how does that happen, by the way?). Also on the bill is the cute Nashville indie duo Venus & the Flytraps. 8 p.m., $25.
And that’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend!
For work reasons I didn’t attend last night’s Amyl and the Sniffers show, which, by all accounts, was a banger. I intend to make up for it tonight.
Los Angeles post-punk band Sextile came out of nowhere in 2015 playing a style of high-energy electronics-driven No Wave rock reminiscent of the early days of The Faint. Their sound is driving, relentless, synth-fueled dance punk, shiny vinyl and strobe lights, with a nod to early post-punk acts ranging from Gary Numan and Flock of Seagulls to The Cramps and Christian Death.
In 2017 the band played a set at Meatball in the Blackstone District to close out that year’s Farnam Fest. It was a glorious shambles. Two years later, Sextile’s guitarist, Eddie Wuebben, died and sent the band into hiatus. They emerged on the other side of the pandemic to carry on with the single “New York” in 2022. The full-length, Push, was released this past September on Sacred Bones and is their best album so far.
Tonight’s Sextile show boasts three openers, all laptop performers. N8NOFACE is an LA-based dark-synth punk artist apparently obsessed with killing, judging by his 2022 release Homicide. Lincoln synth-leather-fetish-dance-dude Plack Blague also is on the bill. Runway thumper Jeff in Leather kicks things off at 8 p.m. $20.
I’m told Sextile could go on as early as 9:45 10:15. I bring this up because right around the corner at Reverb, Ratboys is headlining. The Chicago four-piece has been described as “soft-hearted Midwestern indie rock with an ever-so-subtle Americana twist” — about as far away from Sextile as you can get. Their latest, The Window, was released this past August by Topshelf Records. Produced by Death Cab’s Chris Walla, Pitchfork bestowed the record with a massive 8.0 rating while Stereogum described it as “one of the absolute best albums of the year.”
Opening for Ratboys at Reverb is Philly duo Another Michael, who’s new album, Wishes to Fulfill, has a soothing ‘70s FM sound you will immediately recognize if you grew up riding around town in the back of a stationwagon. 8 p.m., $18.
It’s my intent to try to go between the two clubs throughout the evening. We’ll see how that goes…
This one was originally scheduled for The Admiral Theater a.k.a. the venue formerly known as Sokol Hall. But because of ongoing construction delays (and, I’m sure, other issues) the Chris Distefano concert originally scheduled to be performed at the new Astro Theater had to be moved to The Admiral, bumping Amyl/Sniffers to The Waiting Room (And something tells me poor tickets sales also might have had something to do with it).
Regardless, a show slated for a 1,400-capacity hall has been moved to a venue half that size, which means expect a crush-mob crowd. Heck, I thought Amyl / Sniffers would have sold out The Admiral weeks ago, but I obviously misjudged their popularity in our ever-shrinking music-listening market.
The Aussie punk band blew up after the release of the 2019 self-titled debut album on ATO/Rough Trade, which, in addition to winning a number of Aussie music awards, also garnered frontwoman Amy Taylor the monikier “one of the hardest rocking people on the face of the planet.” Their follow-up, Comfort to Me (2021,Rough Trade/ATO), landed them the opening slot for Weezer and Green Day in Europe, who they no doubt blew off stage.
To give you a taste of what you’re in for tonight, here’s a clip of the band performing “Shake Ya” this past Saturday in California.
Opening act, Austin’s Die Spitz, is a perfect compliment – an all-female four-piece rock band that can hold its own with the toughest punk boys. Their latest full-length, Teeth, was released this past January on Poop Butt Records.
Expect to see a lot of black t-shirts and/or leather jackets tonight at The Waiting Room, and why not? $35, 8 p.m.
Aussie band Civic didn’t so much get NOmaha’d by the crowd as much as they were NOmaha’d by Bad Religion at the Admiral Friday night, or more accurately, Dwarves, who opened for Bad Religion. I have little doubt that the Admiral’s show drew away their target audience, and it was a shame.
While it was an intense performance by Civic, you’re naturally going to lose something when only playing in front of 50 or so people in a mostly empty Slowdown Jr. Frontman Jim McCullough made the best of things, asking the crowd to move up closer to the stage between songs. “We have a problem,” he said with his charming Aussie accent. “This hole right here.” He pointed at the empty space in front of him. “Move up. You don’t have to be afraid.”
The crowd did move up and a few even tried to start a shoving mosh pit to no avail. Certainly Civic’s music lends itself to shoving, the band takes a clean, modern approach to punk rock even though their music is too well played for punk, sounding more like fast heavy metal with a snarl. I would have loved to have seen these guys play this show at a drunken, chaotic O’Leaver’s back in its heyday.
Regardless, despite the small crowd, Civic was good-hearted fun, clearly excited to be in Omaha (and Nebraska) for the first time. “For dinner, we were going to go to this joint where you can watch raccoons eat,” McCullough said between songs, clearly referencing the Alpine Inn in Ponca Hills. “But we were two hours late so we’ll have to throw some garbage in the pit and watch you eat it. Just kidding. When we come back, you’re all going with us.”
“And he’s paying,” quipped sideman Lewis Hodgson. Count me in.
Another busy weekend for shows. Here’s where you need to be if you’re ready to rock…
Tonight at Slowdown Jr. Melbourne proto-punk band Civic headlines. Their latest, Taken by Force, was release this past February by ATO Records. Big riffs, precise guitar interplay, snarling Stooges vibe, it’s been awhile since I’ve seen a new touring act just straight-out rock, and these guys bring the fire. Also on the bill is our own power-rock trio, Bad Bad Men, which (in my humble opinion) is a perfect fit for this gig. Bliss opens the show at 8 p.m. $20, front room so get tix if you can.
Competing directly with this Civic show is Bad Religion at The Admiral. Greg Graffin, and the boys have been doing it since the early ‘80s, defining the Epitaph sound and paving the way for acts like Green Day and Offspring, who “acquired” their sound and ran with it. No doubt this show will steal much of Civic’s ticket-buying thunder (Imagine if both bands were on the same bill…). Adding to the show’s fire power at The Admiral is Dwarves, who bring their own unique punk energy. Speed of Light opens at 7:30. $45.
Your Saturday activities start early with Farnam Fest in the Blackstone District, or should I say pre-Farnam Fest activities as Ground Floor Guitar is hosting its first in-store performance ramping up to Farnam Fest. Omaha singer/songwriter/sensation Mike Schlesinger performs in the shop followed by the C&W stomping of Lightning Stills (Craig Fort and his band of punk cowboys). This gig begins at 2 p.m. and is free, though you may want to buy a guitar while you’re in the shop, which is located at 4009 Farnam Street, just west of Noli’s.
Then comes Farnam Fest ’23 kicking off at 4 p.m. I’m not sure where they’re going to have the stage set up this year, though it’s probably somewhere along 40th and Farnam. The line-up is pretty solid with some of Omaha’s best:
– Bad Self Portraits
– David Nance Band
– M34N STR33T
– The Real Zebos
– BIB
$10 at the door.
David Nance is one busy dude, because he’s also playing at Pageturners Saturday night with DJ Trolli and The Mighty Vitamins. 8 p.m., no cover but $10 donation is suggested. I’m now told this show has been cancelled (see comments).
Nance and friends will also be backing Rosali at Grapefruit Records Saturday night. The singer/songwriter (who just played at Pageturners herself a couple weeks ago) is playing in the Old Market record store with Chicago indie singer/songwriter Fran, a.k.a. Maria Jacobson, whose latest, Leaving (2023, Fire Talk) is a real beaut. 7 p.m., $10.
And that’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend.
Somewhere in Omaha, but probably in midtown, Mark Eitzel will be playing a show tonight in someone’s living room.
Eitzel, who may be best known as the frontman to seminal ‘90s indie rock band American Music Club, is on an Undertow tour wherein the artist plays in someone’s living room, usually solo acoustic but sometimes plugged in. The show’s location is a secret until you purchase a ticket. The only clue is the house is located in the 68102 zip code.
Eitzel’s last proper studio album was Hey Mr. Ferryman (2017, Merge), a gorgeous, lush set of dreamy, gritty, personal music Eitzel has become known for. But in addition to that, Eitzel has self-released a number of collections on Bandcamp, the latest being a solo acoustic collection, Lover’s Leap USA, released in May 2021.
The third and last time I saw Eitzel perform was back in May 2008 when American Music Club played a 30-minute set at The Waiting Room with The Third Men and Brad Hoshaw. The first time was back in 2002 when he played solo at Sokol Underground with Tim Easton and Matt Whipkey. “The idea of smart people writing songs for the masses is over,” Eitzel said in an interview in support of that 2002 show. “The masses don’t really want to hear them.” Does he still hold that opinion? Find out tonight. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased online here. The show starts at 8 p.m. somewhere in Omaha.
This weekend was a study in accessibility – three shows, three experiences, only two out of the three were successful.
Friday night’s crowd for Slow Pulp at The Slowdown was picture perfect – the floor of the main room was nicely filled but not too crowded, you could get around easy but the place didn’t feel empty, I was able to stand at my favorite stage-left perch throughout the set. It’s the way I like it at Slowdown and probably a bummer for the club owners, who would prefer a jam-packed evening for obvious reasons.
Slow Pulp at The Slowdown, Oct. 6, 2023.
Slow Pulp came on at around 9 and were terrific. The remarkable thing about the band is how lead singer Emily Massey’s flat, unadorned, unfussy vocals perfectly compliment the bands’ impeccable playing. On the surface, Slow Pulp is nothing new or groundbreaking — they play somewhat run-of-the-mill indie rock that would fit comfortably alongside other modern-day female-led indie projects like Alvvays or Momma. Their strength lies in creating a sound that feels comfortable and assured — a fine, even style of songwriting I could listen to all night.
At time’s Massey’s voice was as naked and pure as a senior-year talent show, but it’s that unassuming, unadorned style that made it so appealing, powered by a super-tight band who looked relaxed and assured. Her voice only got stronger as the night wore on, peaking during a great rendition of “Broadview,” a favorite off their most recent album, Yard, where Massey pulled out a harmonica and pushed the song into Neil Young Harvest territory.
Saturday night was Rosali at Pageturners but, alas, it was not to be. When I arrived at around 9 Sean Pratt was on stage with Megan Siebe and every table was filled. Folks were standing in the back in the aisle that leads to the parking lot and I wondered where I would be able to stand and watch the show. The answer: nowhere. It was like the old days at The 49’r, another bar where if you didn’t get there early you were screwed because the tables took up all the room right up to where the band played and there was nowhere to go where you wouldn’t be in someone’s way, especially if you’re 6-foot-2.
So with no place to stand, I turned around and left and learned a lesson that the trick (or necessity) to seeing a show at Pageturners is to get there early, before the performances start.
Finally Sunday night it was down to Grapefruit Records for an in-store concert by Lewsberg. The set-up was as Simon had described it – the store had wheeled the album racks into the hallway, creating a big-ish space for people to stand in front of the the small elevated stage. It was a comfortable crowd of around 50 with a few seated on the floor to the left of the stage like grade schoolers at storytime.
The Prairies at Grapefruit Records, Oct. 8, 2023.
One of the openers, The Prairies, consisted of Dave Nance, Noah Sterba, Myke Marasco and Kevin Donahue all having the time of their lives playing old songs from an old cassette recorded years ago – a cassette I would now like to own a copy of. Each took turns rotating between instruments (“Everyone plays drums in The Prairies”) for these short, sharp, fun songs that heralded back to the good old days of Nebraska post-punk.
The best way to describe Lewsberg’s set was how my wife described it, saying she felt like she was in a cool, secret club somewhere in Europe. To me, it felt like seeing Talking Heads during their 1977 tour at someone’s house party in the Lower East Side.
The Rotterdam four-piece played songs off their amazing new album, Out and About (2023, 12XU), as well as older favorites like “Cold Light of Day,” from 2020’s In This House. Their simple arrangements, chiming guitars and frontman Arie van Vliet’s dry, close-to-spoken-word Lou Reed-style delivery gets them compared to Velvet Underground, while their stripped down rhythms recall The Feelies, but for me there was a trance-like quality I haven’t heard since The New Year/Bedhead. That’s a lot of comparisons for a band that has created something wholly originally and difficult to pin down – quiet yet intense, the only thing more intense was guitarist Michiel Klein’s tight, skull-like stare throughout the set as he focused on the repeated rhythm parts or opened up on solos. It was good to see him smile after the set.
II can’t wait to see another show at Grapefruit Records. If this is what it means for indie to go back underground, I’m all for it.
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It’s another Monday night in Omaha with three marquee shows happening at the same time, maybe because these touring bands just finished playing bigger cities over the weekend. Whatever the reason, there are choices to me made.
In the case of The Church, who is playing tonight at The Waiting Room, Omaha is actually the kick-off city for the next leg of their U.S. tour. They’re out on the road supporting new album, Hypnogogue, a strong collection that recalls their mid-‘80s heyday when they released Starfish and their biggest hit, “Under the Milky Way.” This is “an evening with The Church,” which means no openers. $35, 8 p.m.
Meanwhile, around the corner at Reverb Lounge, electronic post-punk band Model/Actriz headlines. They remind me a shit-ton of The Soft Moon – same sort of bracing bounce electronic rhythms mixed with static noise and bass, like Nine Inch Nails meets The Rapture. This could be a really cool show. Conjunto Primitivo opens at 8 p.m. $15.
Meanwhile, The Slowdown is hosting the long-sold-out Ethel Cain show. Everyone’s wondering how The Slowdown got this gig, considering Cain has sold out much larger rooms. I’m told she specifically sought out the club on this tour — a tiny room considering she has nearly 2 million monthly listeners on Spotify and one of her most popular tracks is called “A House in Nebraska” – a stark and depressing song about crippling lost love. Midwife opens at 8 p.m.
It’s a three-car pileup of shows tonight (we have another one come Monday). Add a 7 p.m. Husker game and BFF and things could get interesting. I’m not sure if “the Husker effect” is still a thing since the football program hasn’t been successful for more than 20 years. We’ll see tonight.
Top of the list is, of course, the homecoming of The Good Life. The band led by singer/songwriter Tim Kasher, with Roger Lewis, Ryan Fox and Stef Drootin, has been touring in support of the double-LP version of Album of the Year, rereleased by Saddle Creek Records. I thoroughly expected this show to sell out little ol’ Reverb Lounge but tickets are still available. Opening the show at 8 p.m. is Chicago band Doom Flower, who has been compared to Mazzy Star, The Breeders, Cat Power and Portishead. $25.
Meanwhile, down at The Slowdown, Chicago by way of Madison, Wisconsin, band Slow Pulp headlines. Fronted by Emily Massey, the band has toured with Alex G, which is a good combination considering the similarity in styles. The band is on the road touring their just released album, Yard (2023, ANTI-), which Pitchfork gave a 7.5 rating and said its “clear-eyed sincerity, bubblegum hooks and mellow arrangements feel like a warm embrace.” Classic indie rock, they’re selling out shows around the country (but not here). Opening the show at 8 p.m. is New York duo Babehoven (Double Double Whammy Records). This is a main room show; tickets are $20.
Yesterday when I was buying my Lewsberg tickets I discovered that Grapefruit Records, 1125 Jackson Street in the Old Market, has another show happening tonight. Athens band Immaterial Possession is a four-piece led by Cooper Holmes and Madeline Polites whose music is “inspired by musical scales of the Greeks and Spanish,” according to their bio at the Fire Records website. It just sounds like groovy indie rock with some psychedelia to me. Opening this show is Heavy Clippings at 8 p.m. sharp! $10.
Pro-tip regarding Grapefruit Records shows – they only post on Instagram, so give them a follow for their latest show and release info.
If that weren’t enough, tonight is Benson First Friday. That means art shows up and down Maple Street, not the least of which is the show at our place, Ming Toy Gallery at 6066 Maple. Tonight’s reception is for Josh & Shelby Audiss: Le Femme Fantastique. The opening runs from 6 to 9 p.m. Drop by, say hi, have beer or wine and buy some art! See you there.
Also as part of BFF, The Sydney in Benson is hosting Austin Texas 6-piece noise-rock band Neckbolt. The music sounds like their name. $10, 9 p.m.
Saturday’s big show is at Pageturners where singer/songwriter Rosali returns. She opened for Destroyer back in April 2022 backed by David Nance, Jim Schroeder and Kevin Donahue. I’m told they’ll be on board for Saturday’s show as well. Her 2021 album, No Medium was one of my favorites from that year; her new music is being released on Merge Records. See her on a small stage while you can. Singer/songwriter Sean Pratt opens at 8 p.m. There’s no cover but $10 donation is the least you can do.
Then it’s onto Sunday for Lewsberg at Grapefruit Records. If you haven’t discovered this amazing Rotterdam-based four-piece you’re missing out. It’s like listening to a dry European translation of The Feelies mixed with Lou Reed and Yo La Tengo and nothing could be more perfect.
I wrote Wednesday about how Grapefruit has upped its game in terms of being a venue. Find out for yourself. Also on the bill is a reunion of The Prairies – a band that consists of Dave Nance, Noah Sterba, Myke Marasco and Kevin Donahue – who will be playing songs off their first cassette tape. New band Western Haikus open at 7:15 p.m. This is a $12 show and advance tickets are available at Grapefruit Records, 1125 Jackson Street in the Old Market.
And that’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend.
There have been rumblings for weeks that The Jewell, a jazz club located in the Capitol District, has closed its doors for good. The events calendar at the club’s website lists no scheduled shows, and shows that had been scheduled for the last week of September had been cancelled.
A couple days ago Jewell operator Brian McKenna posted a photo of the club’s shiny logo on Facebook, which generated dozens of condolences and thank you’s in its comments, but no definitive statement. So has The Jewell closed?
If it has, it’s a shame. Though I only went to the club a few times, I always thought it was a classy, comfortable room with great sound and sight lines. The club opened a year before Covid in early 2019 and was a living tribute to North Omaha’s jazz history, which was apparent just looking at its walls. It was among the “jewels” of a new Capital District in downtown Omaha.
With recent and upcoming investments in downtown Omaha — the new park, the Steelhouse, the Illuminarium, the new Mutual of Omaha HQ, the proposed streetcar, Millworks Commons, etc. — the Jewell’s (alledged) closing leaves questions as to what did it in: Was it increased overhead costs? Low ticket sales? Challenges booking touring jazz artists?
While I don’t know anything about the local jazz scene, I do know a number of people who love the genre, including a few who make regular trips to Kansas City solely to attend jazz shows. And while there’s been a number of jazz rooms in Omaha over the years, The Jewell was certainly at the top of the list…
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We’re about to enter Rocktober. Lots of shows are on the horizon. It’s going to be a busy month for music.
It starts tonight at The Slowdown with Chicago post-punk noise band Djunah (pronounced “JUNE-uh”) headlining in the front room. The duo consists of guitarist/vocalist/Moog bass organ player Donna Diane and drummer Jared Karns. Their latest, Femina Furens (2023, self-released), is a punishing collection, but on stand-out tracks like “Phaethon,” Diane almost sounds like she’s channeling early, noisy PJ Harvey (if Harvey was fronting The Melvins).
This is a loaded show with locals Violenteer (the Cotton Brothers’ double-bass attack) and Las Cruxes also on the bill. Bring your earplugs because it’s gonna be LOUD. 8 p.m., $20.
One other show of note: New York-based composer and guitarist Rafiq Bhatia is playing at Low End at The Bemis. Lauded as “one of the most intriguing figures in music today” by The New York Times, Bhatia joined Son Lux in 2014. He’s touring on a collection of covers, but his latest original full-length, Breaking English, was released in 2018 on Anti-. Lovely stuff. The show is free and starts at 8 p.m.
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