Column 255: Jay Reatard & The Niner; It’s True heads to SXSW, new full-length on the way; Beep Beep b-bye…

Category: Blog,Column — @ 6:54 pm January 20, 2010

The following column was written last week. I’m feeling much better now, thanks for asking.

Column 255: The Letting Go
Jay Reatard and the 49’r

I write this at 4 a.m. coming off Percocet and poor sleep after crossing a hill of agony that was abdominal surgery last week.

Three stories burned with controversy in the haze of my midweek absence. First there was Haiti. But that was simply too big to put my feeble mind around. Then there was The Tonight Show Controversy — Conan O’Brien being laid to rest in the path of a greedy Jay Leno. In the end, who cared? Both would wind up at 10:30 somewhere.

Then there was The 49’r Situation.

There actually were four stories that happened during my sleep. Jay Reatard died somewhere in Memphis. His death was one of the first things I tweeted about after surgery; I felt I needed to since no one was talking about it on the intergoogle. Reatard, who recorded on Matador but has roots in Memphis labels like Goner and In the Red was a fresh new hope for rock ‘n’ roll, a guy who embraced the simpler style of garage rock; his noisy, shambolic sound somehow made everything new again.

In his wake he pulled along a lot of people, including local folks like Box Elders and Digital Leather and Brimstone Howl and The Shanks. I thought his death was maybe a hoax — from stories I heard about the guy, it sounded like something Reatard would do. But there is no hoaxing The New York Times, who, in his obituary, called Reatard, real name Jimmy Lee Lindsey, Jr., “a Force in Punk Rock,” dead at age 29.

For some reason I thought Reatard’s death would spur some sort of Kurt Cobain outcry in the art/music world until I remembered that no one really knew who he was. Let that be a lesson to all of you local rockers who have made a mark (of sorts) nationally. Who will talk about you after you’re gone?

Certainly the people who went to — and go to — The 49’r don’t know who Jay was. Reatard was more of a Brothers Lounge or O’Leaver’s sort of guy, though I think he would have liked The 49’r, too.

The bar’s demise became public early last week on Facebook via The 49’r Facebook Page (of course), where someone (no one really knows who runs those “fan pages”) posted the message: “The rumors you’re hearing are true. The 49’r, and surrounding property, has been bought to make way for a CVS Pharmacy. Our doors will close, permanently, next January. Please make this next year the best year the 49’r has ever had.

It was met with an immediate outcry heard low and long over the Internet. Close the Niner? It simply cannot be! It’s an Omaha music landmark. Hell, it’s a national landmark that has acted as a cornerstone of the Dundee neighborhood!

One fan of the Niner, musician Greg Loftis currently of Montana, Facebooked me asking if its demolition could be stopped. Like a doctor telling a parent that his child has passed, I told him that I thought there was nothing anyone could do. I added that, ironically, it was The 49’r where I had first met Loftis so, so many years ago.

Yes it was…and yes we did. lllooonnng time ago,” Loftis replied. “That is where I learned everything I know about music, learned the rules of seedy underground behavior, made almost every friend I have in Omaha (and some that were just passing through)… I loved that place. I remember the old days (before they took out the juke box and when Dana was in charge) when you could walk down the steps in the afternoon on a summer Monday (when the music kids hung out there), a beer would already be waiting, Landon would ask for a shot (he was 19) Marq would be on the desk computer researching right wing politics and Prince, Kasher would tell you about this new record, The Ugly Organ, he was working on, Bob Thornton would be drinking vodka and explaining to someone why he was smarter than them, Kyle Harvey was losing money working there because he was buying too many drinks… everybody knew everybody and if someone showed up we didn’t know they got drunk for free… I once went 47 straight matches undefeated in shuffle board… it was the reason it took Greg Edds like 7 yrs to get out of college, Minturn fell off the roof into the dumpster, I fell off the roof and missed the dumpster, the tattoo shop guys would scare away any frat boys that wanted to come in… Mindy welcomed me to Omaha the first night…Christ that was amazing (get your mind out of the gutter)… I could go on for weeks… this is very sad…the place had changed but I always held out hope it would return to it’s glory days… I never dreamed it would close its doors.

Now a new Facebook page has launched, titled “Save The 49’r.” Something tells me that the person behind it hasn’t talked to owner Mark Samuelson, who will likely see a nice payday for his property, a property that he’s owned and operated and poured money into for a long time.

In the end, it’s just a bar, like a thousand other bars in Omaha. It just happens to have sat at an epicenter where so much was going on around it. The Niner’s glory days from a music standpoint were a long time ago. And while it still hosts bands on weekends, it’s nothing like it used to be.

No, we don’t need another pharmacy. There is one literally a block away from the Niner right now. But what realistically can be done to stop it? Have the building declared a “national landmark” so it can sit empty and be another blight on Dodge St.? Convince Samuelson to not sell it? Why shouldn’t he?

I say, take this final year and enjoy it, remember it, then let it go. In the end, it was just a bar. It wasn’t a person.

* * *

It’s True has received an official invitation to the South By Southwest Festival in March. This is looking to be a strong year for Nebraska band participation in Austin. In addition, It’s True announced that a split 7-inch with Lawrence band Cowboy Indian Bear is being released on Kansas City label The Record Machine. The Nebraska release shows for this vinyl-only outing are Feb. 5 at Duffy’s and Feb. 6 at The Waiting Room with Cowboy Indian Bear and Eagle Seagull. That’s not all — the band also said that it secured The Waiting Room on April 30 for a release show for their debut full length. They don’t mention who is putting it out, however…

* * *

Beep Beep is having its last show ever tonight at Duffy’s. It seems like only yesterday (instead of more than six years ago) that I was interviewing the band for this feature story. And now… gone. Something tells me we haven’t heard the last of Eric Bemberger. Playing with Beep Beep tonight is The Machete Archive and Pharmacy Spirits.

Also tonight, The Lepers are playing a set at The Barley St. Tavern. $5, 9 p.m.

* * *

And hey, did anyone else notice that Monotonix has been scheduled to play at O’Leaver’s on April 19?

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* * *

Tomorrow: A look inside the remodeled Waiting Room.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.

Lazy-i

And the winners are…; Tilly headlines Haiti benefit…

Category: Blog — @ 8:13 pm January 19, 2010

Well, we got a heckuva response to this year’s drawing for a copy of the Lazy-i Best of 2009 Sampler CD — and I even made extra copies — but everyone couldn’t win. Here are the lucky folks whose names were pulled from my green-and-yellow Speed! Nebraska farmer’s cap:

Emily Hiykel, Omaha
Brian Armknecht, Chicago
Jessica Errett, Omaha
Joe Kmiecik, Brookline, Mass
Kelly Murphy, Omaha
Nic Waddell, Eureka, MO
Judy Coleman, Omaha
Andrew Roger, Des Moines
Gary Rosenberg, Omaha
Bill Latham, Austin

The discs will be dropped in the mail tomorrow (probably). Thanks to everyone who entered!

* * *

If you’re like me, you don’t know what to do about Haiti. The catastrophe is just too big to get my head around. In addition to the overall devastation, the earthquake shined a new and unforgiving light on the social and economic conditions that existed in Haiti long before the buildings fell.

Needless to say, there are literally hundreds of ways to give money. But yesterday, Val and the folks at Slowdown came up with another — a benefit concert for Haiti to be held Jan. 28 (that’s a week from Thursday). The lineup has been finalized and includes some of the best talent Omaha has to offer:

Tilly and the Wall
It’s True
Simon Joyner
The Mynabirds (ex-Georgie James)
Bear Country
McCarthy Trenching
Brad Hoshaw

Tickets are only $15, and all proceeds go directly to Haiti relief. I suggest you get your tickets right now (right here) as this very likely will sell out.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.

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I’m back; Last day to enter…

Category: Blog — @ 8:40 pm January 18, 2010

So I’m back from my brief medical hiatus, not at full-speed but getting there. It’s amazing how much stuff happens when you disconnect for even a couple days. The death of Jay Reatard disturbed me more than I thought it would. I write about it and the 49’r in this week’s column (which goes online Wednesday). I keep looking online for more information about his death, but it just ain’t there. Here’s a story about his funeral (which was Saturday) that appeared in the Memphis Flyer, including a eulogy written by Eric Friedl of Goner Records.

* * *

Well, today’s the last chance to get in on the drawing to win a copy of the Lazy-i Best of 2009 Sampler CD. To get your name in the hat, send me an e-mail (to tim@lazy-i.com) with your name and mailing address. It’s that simple. I’ll announce the winners tomorrow!

* * *

I picked the right time to be taken off my feet. It’s been quiet from a show perspective the last few weeks. Something tells me that’s all going to change Thursday night…

–Got comments? Post ’em here.

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Lazy-i

A brief hiatus…

Category: Blog — @ 9:34 am January 15, 2010

…while I recover from surgery…

In the meantime…

Lazy-i Best of 2009 CD coverHere’s another reminder that you’ve got a week to enter to win a copy of the Lazy-i Best of 2009 Sampler CD. It’s my annual best-of-the-best collection, and this year includes songs by Yo La Tengo, Elvis Perkins in Dearland, Box Elders, Micachu and the Shapes, Cursive, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, The xx, Digital Leather, Pete Yorn, Peaches, Ladyfinger, The Avett Brothers, Maria Taylor and more. Full track listing is here. To get your name in the hat, send me an e-mail (to tim@lazy-i.com) with your name and mailing address. It’s that simple. And considering the number of people who have entered so far, your odds of winning are pretty damn good. Deadline is Jan. 18.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.

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Lazy-i

Column 254: Predictions Pt. 3: The Lightning Round…

Category: Blog,Column — @ 5:44 pm January 13, 2010

A final word on my music predictions as we move forward into 2010: People love them, which is yet another reason why I stretch them out over three columns. For those of you who prefer the compendium version (all three parts together in one friggin’ huge article), it’s online here.

Column 254: Predictions Pt. 3: The Lightning Round
Music Visions of 2010

Do we really need three weeks of music “predictions”? I’m afraid the answer is yes. I used to knock this out in one 2,500-word article, but The Reader doesn’t budget space for that sort of thing anymore unless you write horoscopes, so here we are. If you’re coming in late, Pt.1 was a review of my 2009 predictions. Pt. 2 was predictions based on the theme for 2010: Survival in the Time of Music Industry Cholera. And now, onto the “lightning round”:

— Consider it a raising of the white flag — a well-known mainstream band will give away the digital download of its next album. You’ll simply have to log into the band’s website and voila, the files will be transferred to your computer and/or iPod. Though the download will be free, you’ll still have to pay for the CD version and the limited edition vinyl (as well as the tickets to see the band on tour).

— Despite the fact that only old people buy music these days, a new kind of record store will open this year that specializes in just that: Records. This small, boutique-style music store will boast the area’s largest selection of new vinyl, but also will sell CDs and music-related merch, such as T-shirts, collectibles and other assorted music-related ephemera.

— The success of Susan Boyle proves that it doesn’t matter what you look like or how well you sing, anyone can be the next American Idol. All it takes is YouTube and a crush of publicity. With that in mind, watch as record labels scour the globe (or reality television) for the next Elderly Idol — some unassuming, unemployed fat guy or a recently divorced housewife — anyone with a shred of talent who appeals to aging baby-boomers who still buy CDs.

— Three years ago, it was MySpace. Then it was Facebook and Twitter. This year, look for yet another new social media service that will eclipse both of those fossils. This one will be optimized to allow for easy, instant (and legal) distribution of online music, revolutionizing how musicians and fans access “music content” on portable devices, while also providing yet another way to tell our BFFs (and anyone else) what we had for breakfast.

— Omaha dived into music festivals in a big way last year; with every swinging dick putting together a night of shows and calling it “an event.” This year you’ll see fewer “festivals” in Omaha, with one pushing ahead of the pack. The Maha Festival could finally become the event the organizers dreamed it could be, that is if they get the right line-up. Find out July 24 down at Lewis & Clark Landing.

— Adding to the annual “Youth Concert” and the July 4th weekend county-fair freedom-rock concert, look for a third major concert event in Memorial Park this year featuring a genuine outside-the-box performer.

— DJs Rising: Like other big cities, this year you’ll begin to see DJs spinning at more and more clubs and restaurants in Omaha. Soon all of us will know at least one person who “spins” somewhere in the metro, even if it’s only at Anthony’s.

— Finally, a new all-ages performance space will take hold, becoming this generation’s Cog Factory.

— Who we’ll be talking about this time next year: Arcade Fire, Rolling Stones, Radiohead, Liz Phair, Tim Kasher, Of Montreal, Okkervil River, Bright Eyes, It’s True, Soundgarden, Prince, Pavement, Ritual Device, Beck, MGMT, Bear Country, Modest Mouse, The Wrens and Sufjan Stevens.

— Who we won’t be talking about: Animal Collective, Susan Boyle, Monsters of Folk, Wilco, Cursive, The Faint, Emphatic, Lady Gaga, Black Eyed Peas, Phoenix, Green Day and Vampire Weekend.

— UK musician/dope fiend Peter Doherty (Libertines, Babyshambles, Kate Moss) will finally see his problems resolved once and for all.

— Conor Oberst will break the hearts of thousands of his female (and a few male) fans (I know I said that last year, but it’ll actually happen this time).

— Sick of life on the West Coast and seeing no discernable advantages to living near L.A., a member of a national band we all know will move back to Omaha to be closer to his family.

— A major national musician will come to Omaha to record his/her new album. But he won’t be visiting Mogis’ ARC studios; he’s headed to Enamel.

— Watch out SLAM Omaha, a new local online resource will launch in ’10 that will act as the definitive arts, entertainment and music information hub, featuring news, reviews and schedules, along with another pointless online discussion forum.

— Michael Jackson was only six years old when he debuted as a member of the Jackson Five way back in 1964. This year, watch as another 6-year-old raises the eyebrows (and hearts) of an America still mourning the passing of the King of Pop.

— Back in the day (about 20 years ago) there were a few live music venues located in the midtown/Mutual of Omaha area. Who remembers The Chicago Bar and The Brickhouse? With the development of Midtown Crossing, look for a new live music venue to open among all those restaurants that not only will focus on dance music, but will provide a viable stage for original bands.

— Forget about Saturday Night Live, Conan, Letterman or network television in general. No one’s watching anymore. The next national breakthrough for a local band will come when one of its songs is included on the soundtrack of a major motion picture.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.

Lazy-i

The 49’r’s Demise, Box Elders in Buddyhead; The Slowdown’s ‘Free Thursdays’…

Category: Blog — @ 6:55 pm January 11, 2010

The big buzz over the weekend was the announcement that The 49’r and its surrounding property has been sold and will be demolished to make way for a CVS Pharmacy, this according to The 49’r Facebook page. The page says that the bar will be open for the rest of the year, and then it’s wrecking ball time.

The Niner used to be one of Omaha’s primary venues for live indie music, but began ratcheting down the number of live shows back in 2005. It continues to book bands on weekends, and will throughout its final year of operation.

My favorite show at The Niner? There were quite a few. The Street Urchins back in 2004; any show by any of Mike Tulis’ bands (The Sons of…, The Monroes, etc.); Gris Gris and The Terminals back in ’06; all of the Bad Luck Charm shows… And all of Matt Whipkey’s bands had their best shows at The 49’r. The reason: There’s no real stage at The Niner, the band plays right up to the tables and that forces interaction, whether the patrons want it or not. It’s going to be tough to see this one go, especially for something as unnecessary as another pharmacy…

* * *

Following up on ’09, Box Elders’ album Alice & Friends made Buddyhead‘s “Best of 2009” list. Buddyhead has been writing some of the funniest (and meanest) music commentary for a long, long time. Check out their Gossip section.

* * *

The Slowdown is trying out a new “Free Thursdays” showcase, wherein there’s no cover charge for an evening’s worth of live music. The series kicks off this Thursday with Our Fox and The Mynabirds. Next Thursday Fortnight plays along with The Answer Team and John Klemmensen and the Party.

* * *

Lazy-i Best of 2009 CD coverHere’s another reminder that you’ve got a week to enter to win a copy of the Lazy-i Best of 2009 Sampler CD. It’s my annual best-of-the-best collection, and this year includes songs by Yo La Tengo, Elvis Perkins in Dearland, Box Elders, Micachu and the Shapes, Cursive, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, The xx, Digital Leather, Pete Yorn, Peaches, Ladyfinger, The Avett Brothers, Maria Taylor and more. Full track listing is here. To get your name in the hat, send me an e-mail (to tim@lazy-i.com) with your name and mailing address. It’s that simple. And considering the number of people who have entered so far, your odds of winning are pretty damn good. Deadline is Jan. 18.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.

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Will the real Conor Oberst please stand up?; Another O’Leaver’s Weekend (Conchance tonight (canceled))…

Category: Blog — @ 6:52 pm January 8, 2010

Following up on what was reported here early this morning:

A half-dozen or so online music news sites, including NME and Spinner reported this morning that Monsters of Folk are working on new material. They’re making the claim based on a Twitter account titled twitter.com/oberstconor (that shows a profile photo of Oberst smoking a cigarette; the page has just been taken down). None of the sites apparently verified that the Twitter account actually belongs to — or is updated by — Conor Oberst. Just a glance at the account and what’s been written on it would make anyone doubtful. Then there’s the fact that the feeds that @oberstconor is following, such as the @saddlecreek aren’t following @oberstconor.

So I contacted Monsters of Folk’s publicist Jen Appel of Press Here Publicity and asked if @oberstconor was real. This was her response: “Not him. Also, She & Him are starting to promote Volume Two, thus M. Ward is not working on MOF things at this time.”

No surprise here. Anyone who has been following Oberst over the years knows that he doesn’t participate in these kinds of thing, preferring to let his music speak for itself. He rarely even does interviews anymore (I haven’t interviewed him since Cassadaga came out). Twitter seems out of the question.

What is surprising is that music pubs like NME would run the information without verifying it with: 1) Oberst’s or Monster’s of Folk’s publicists, 2) Shangi-La Records, 3) Anyone.

Twitter has taken steps to try to prevent impostors tweeting under other people’s names. Their “verification” checkmark, which you can see @lancearmstrong, for example, is among those efforts.

FYI: As of lunchtime, NME took the story down, but it lives on at sites like clashmusic.com (story here), spinner.com (story here), and strangeglue.com (story here). Ah, the Internet…

* * *

It’s looking like it’s going to be an O’Leaver’s weekend. Tonight at everyone’s favorite concrete bunker is Slumber Party artist Conchance with Terrior Bute. $5, 9:30 p.m THIS SHOW HAS BEEN CANCELED.

Then tomorrow night at O’Leaver’s, Little Black Stereo takes the stage along with Matt Cox Band, Why Make Clocks and Bazooka Shootout. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Of course those shows are always dependent on weather issues. Last night’s Hubble show, for example, was canceled.

This weather is, indeed, wearing thin…

–Got comments? Post ’em here.

Lazy-i

Monsters of Folk BS…

Category: Blog — @ 4:15 pm

That Monsters of Folk article in NME (here) that’s being picked up by a lot of online music sites is complete bullshit. I just confirmed with the band’s publicist that twitter.com/oberstconor is an imposter. More at lunch.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.

Lazy-i

Who is Doom Town Records?; Hubble tonight…

Category: Blog — @ 7:30 pm January 7, 2010

I got a bit of a surprise this morning. I checked my e-mail, then checked various websites including the Lazy-i webboard, where I found a new thread titled “Doom Town Records.” The message announced the release of a 5-song EP by Baby Tears, the new band that features among its members Ethan Jones (ex-Ladyfinger). Clicking through to doomtownrecords.com I discovered that this new label also will be releasing that amazing new Perry H. Matthews LP that I mentioned a few weeks ago that was recorded by Joel Petersen at Enamel. That’s not all. DTR also is rereleasing a couple out-of-print singles by Church of Gravitron.

So who is Doom Town Records? A quick search on whois.net revealed that the site’s domain name (i.e., url) belongs to Ethan Jones, which doesn’t mean that DTR is his label, only that he purchased the label’s domain name. Maybe someone from DTR will let us know the skinny?

* * *

Tonight at The Sydney, space-rockers Hubble will be playing with John Klemmensen and The Party and Agronomo. $5, 9 p.m.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.

Lazy-i

Column 253: Visions of 2010, Pt. 2…

Category: Blog,Column — @ 7:04 pm January 6, 2010

Before we get to Pt. 2 of the three-part “predictions” columns, a few words of wisdom: There’s nothing wrong with making money. I’ve said it before and I’m saying it again. It needed to be said before I sent you onto the column, because there are those out there that think that “making money” is a dirty, selfish thing, especially when it comes to anything associated with art and music. It’s not. There’s nothing wrong with making a living. In fact, there’s nothing wrong with making a lucrative living. So when I say that some bands will begin demanding to get paid to play and that venues will start raising ticket prices, the comments aren’t “negative” or made out of spite. Commerce is essential for art to exist.

Bands, if you value the music you’re making, then you should demand to get paid for it (unless music is merely your hobby). Venue owners, if you feel a band’s music can help you make money, you have the option to pay the bands to get them to perform on your stage.

Conversely, if a band feels that its music is worthless, then by all means, play for free. Venue-owners, if you feel a band’s music can not draw people into your establishment and/or make you money, then by all means, don’t pay them to play on your stage (or, if you like, charge them).

But, if a venue owner is unwilling to pay a band that can draw a crowd, it’s the band’s perogative to refuse the gig. No one is holding a gun up to anyone’s heads.

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Column 253: Visions of 2010, Pt. 2
Sage music predictions of the year to come…

The biggest change of 2010 will be in how bands and musicians react to the continued demise of the music industry. Dreams of living off CD sales have become just that — merely dreams with no bearing in reality. And that means everyone — including the local high fliers — have to figure out ways to better leverage their performance income.

So, Prediction No. 1: In 2010, local bands will become more insistent than ever about getting paid for gigs, and it’s a long time coming. While the army of hobbyist ensembles who are “just happy to be able to perform on a stage” will continue to roll over and lick their nuts for any venue owner willing to put a microphone in front of their mouths, the real bands and performers who have invested long hours and lots of dollars on the road and in the studio no longer will be willing to “suck it up” and play for free or for next to nothing so that the clubs have something to draw people through their doors to buy their booze. With fans no longer buying their CDs, bands will have little choice but to insist on getting paid to play if they want some sort of income for hanging their asses out on stage every night.

Prediction No. 2: As a result of venues (both locally and around the country) being unwilling to knuckle down to those demands from unproven acts, the number of local bands will begin to dwindle. Many long-time stalwarts of the scene that have been struggling to break through the waves will finally realize that it just isn’t worth it, and that maybe it’s time to get on with the rest of their lives.

Prediction No. 3: The serious touring indie bands that can draw hundreds to their shows also are seeing their CD sales dwindle to almost nothing. As a result they will either charge venues higher guarantees or bypass towns like Omaha altogether, assuming that not enough people will show up at their gigs to make it worth their while.

Prediction No. 4: Being forced to actually pay the “good” local bands and pay higher guarantees to touring acts will put more strain on venue owners who have been trying to eke out a profit during these tough economic times. As a result, the number of live music venues will continue to dwindle all over the country, including in Omaha, where the serious options will boil down to The Slowdown and The Waiting Room.

Prediction No. 5: Despite having fewer venues, there still will be plenty of good, young, unproven touring bands looking for a place to play. This will spawn an increase in “alternative venues” like we saw in the ’90s, when social halls and what were essentially practice spaces became options for one-off shows. You’ll also see a rebirth of a serious house-show circuit.

Prediction No. 6: Ticket prices will continue to rise at local club shows. If the $7 ticket became the new $5 ticket three years ago, the $9-$10 ticket will become the new $7 ticket. And $20 to $25 ticket prices for the next-tier acts will become commonplace. Considering what it costs to see a movie these days, $10 is a value for a night’s worth of original live music. Besides, someone has to pay those higher guarantees.

Prediction No. 7: Ultimately, there will be fewer indie shows booked in Omaha next year, but they will be better shows.

Prediction No. 8: Conversely, ticket prices for huge national touring acts at arenas like the Qwest Center will actually go down, driven both by the economy and the bands’ desire to get butts in seats so they can peddle their $100 T-shirts and other assorted non-CD-related merch.

So, to summarize: there will be fewer bands overall, and all of them will be trying to get paid more to play in fewer clubs that will be booking fewer shows but with better national bands playing at a higher ticket price.

Extend that beyond the clubs and you’ll see fewer record labels with fewer bands recording fewer albums. But despite that, I still think local recording studios will be just fine, even though cheap, high-quality home-studio options are more available than ever. There always will be someone willing to invest in serious recording, understanding that it’s the price of admission if they want to get to the next level (whether that level exists or not).

Overall, the slow demise of the music industry will continue to impact every community in the country just as it impacts ours. But there is a wildcard that could change everything in a heartbeat.

All it takes is another Conor to break through. Because every scene needs a prophet to lead it; someone to give musicians’ hope that it could happen to them, too. Well, it’s been about a decade since any Omaha band has broken through the way the core Saddle Creek bands — Bright Eyes, The Faint and Cursive — broke through nationally, and people are beginning to give up hope that it’ll ever happen again.

If in 2010 another music prophet emerges from the Omaha music scene and becomes a national focal point, everything will change, for the better. Prediction No. 9: It’s going to happen. But who will it be?

Next week, the final chapter: Predictions Pt. 3 — The Lightning Round.

* * *

No shows tonight. Again. Ah, but there’s something going on tomorrow, if we’re not trapped in our homes…

–Got comments? Post ’em here.

Lazy-i