Welcome back to the working week; say ‘hello’ to 2010. The office has been kind of empty without you. It’s nice to have you back. If you haven’t been to Lazy-i throughout the holiday, you’ve got some catching up to do. I’ll make it easy for you. You can either scroll down and read all the past entries, or check out these convenient links. We’ve covered a lot since you’ve been gone, including:

— The Year in Music 2009 (complete with various top-10 lists)
— Visions of 2010, Pt. 1 (a recap of the 2009 predictions)
— The Best of the Decade (that ain’t over yet)

Along with various and sundry live reviews of shows that took place over the past two weeks. Catch up on your reading. We’ll wait…

We’ve also been running a contest in your absence. 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.

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Yesterday (yes, just yesterday) I spent the lunch hour at the home of Wayne Brekke talking into a microphone about the year that was 2009 for the latest episode of his wonderful Worlds of Wayne podcast. Wayne’s already edited the conversation and placed it online for your listening pleasure, right here. We talked about the best music and shows of ’09, and even had a friendly, heated back-and-forth about songwriting rights and the Omaha Entertainment and Arts Awards, though neither conversation may have made it to the final edit. I’ll never know because my ongoing phobia regarding hearing my own recorded voice will likely prevent me from ever listening to this specific episode. But you can, and should. Do it.

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With The Waiting Room closed for renovation and bands generally not touring because of the time of year (Who wants to drive a van in sub-zero, ice-packed conditions?), there aren’t many shows looming on the horizon. Something tells me it’s going to be a long, cold January…

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

So here’s the deal with The Waiting Room, as told to me by the proprietors — Jim Johnson and Marc Leibowitz: Right after the bar closes after tonight’s show featuring Filter Kings, Broken Spindles, Black Squirrels and The Bruces, a small crew will begin clearing out the place in preparation for the venue’s interior demolition, which begins tomorrow.

In essence, the ceiling throughout the entire venue will be “raised” to the same level as the ceiling in the main stage area. That means all of the existing ceiling everywhere else — and whatever’s above it (including a small room) — will be ripped down to expose the building’s true ceiling. Some of the interior walls also will be demolished, opening the sight-lines for the entire space from the bar forward. Johnson told me that the demolition will be full effect on Monday.

After everything is torn down, the new opened-ceiling room will be refinished with the necessary electrical and ventilation and everything else that needs to be done to make the room usable. Johnson told me a new drop ceiling will be installed over the entranceway area that will open up to the full room. The bar area also will see some enhancements, and the rest of the venue’s walls will either be recovered or repainted. In other words, you’re not going to believe what the place looks like when it’s done.

Or sounds like. As part of The Waiting Room’s “facelift,” the stage’s PA will be enhanced, with the speakers hung from the ceiling (or “flown”) similar to how the PA is hung from the ceiling of The Slowdown’s main-stage room. That, along with the removal of the old ceiling, will completely change the venue’s acoustics.

The plan is to have the entire project completed by Jan. 22, when the bar reopens with a free, all-locals show featuring Little Brazil, Little Black Stereo, Ground Tyrants and Kyle Harvey. The following night, afro-beat rockers NOMO returns with Satchel Grande.

It’s a hugely ambitious plan. So ambitious that I’m afraid they’ll be wheeling Johnson out on a stretcher when it’s all done. But in the end, he and Leibowitz will have the music club that they’ve always dreamed of. The renovation of The Waiting Room represents a substantial investment not only in the local music scene but in Benson, helping galvanize the district as the Omaha music community’s “ground zero.”

In the mean time, it also means slim pickin’s in terms of shows throughout most of the month of January. In addition to The Waiting Room being closed, there aren’t that many shows booked at The Slowdown. It’s going to be a long, cold January, folks, but it’ll be worth it.

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Speaking of “closings,” my only venture out on New Year’s Eve was to The Saddle Creek Bar, where a handful of local punk bands including The Upsets (see photo) took the stage for the venue’s “last waltz.” Afterward, the bar closed for good. Only the drive-thru remains open as its “going out of business” sale continues. Mike Coldewey, the guy behind The Saddle Creek Bar, is moving to Chicago in a few weeks. Who knows what will happen to the building, which holds a unique place in the history of the Omaha music scene. The property is being handled by NP Dodge, and there’s a listing online here that shows an asking price of $350,000, which includes the property, the 9,164 sq. ft. bar and drive-thru liquor store. Or you can buy the business without the real estate for $65,000.

I, for one, will miss the Saddle Creek Bar. Despite being vilified for his perceived role in the creation of Omaha’s all-ages music ordinance — and for his tell-it-like-it-is communication style — I liked Mike Coldewey and wanted to see his bar succeed. The reasons were strictly personal — a strong music venue/restaurant would have strengthened a neighborhood that has its share of crime and economic problems. And also because the bar is less than a mile from my house.

But it wasn’t to be. The biggest crowd that I ever saw at the Saddle Creek Bar was when The Good Life played there back on Dec. 21, 2006. The rest of the time I rarely saw more than a handful of people in the club, as Coldewey couldn’t get the bigger-drawing local bands to play there either because of his reputation or the reputation of the venue’s sound system.

I still believe that the bar could be a success due to its location and its size. I’ve talked to a number of touring bands who said the SCB sort of reminded them of The Bottleneck in Lawrence, and I can see that. My fear is that the property will be sold, the venue will be demolished and storage units or some other abomination will be constructed there. And that will be the end of it.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

I don’t think I’ve seen as many “best of” lists as I have this year, most likely because it’s believed to be the end of a decade (when, in fact, the decade ends next year). As someone who has actively covered indie music for the past 10 years, I’ve been asked to give my list of the “best albums of the decade.” My response: You can see my year-by-year list of my favorite indie albums online right here at Lazy-i. In fact, here are the links to each year’s year-in-review write-ups, each of which includes my top-10 list for that specific year:

2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009

So, what are my “best of the best”? Well, all “best of” lists are entirely subjective based on what role an album played in the list maker’s life. For example, I’ve seen Ryan Adams’ Heartbreaker on a few lists. I’ve never cared for the album or Adams — so not only didn’t it make my “favorites of the decade” list, it didn’t make my favorites for the year 2000. Doesn’t mean it’s a bad choice for all those folks who did list it, it just means I never liked the record (and still don’t). And that’s all these lists are — subjective notions made by those who happened to experience a specific song or record at a specific time in their lives — maybe the record was the soundtrack to the year they met their wife or husband, or the year they first moved out their parents’ house, whatever. What’s considered an “important” album to one person is forgotten or tossed aside (or never heard) by another.

So, here’s what I did. I looked over each year’s list and picked an album or two that are my favorites from each. Here’s what I came up with (in chron):

Deathcab for Cutie, We Have the Facts and We’re Voting Yes (Barsuk)
Cursive, Domestica (Saddle Creek)
The Faint, Danse Macabre (Saddle Creek)
Low, Things We Lost in the Fire (Kranky)
Interpol, Turn on the Bright Lights (Matador)
Okkervil River, Don’t Fall in Love with Everyone You See (Jagjaguwar)
The Arcade Fire, Funeral (Merge)
Bright Eyes, I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning (Saddle Creek)
Sufjan Stevens, Illinoise (Asthmatic Kitty)
Cat Power, The Greatest (Matador)
Wilco, Sky Blue Sky (Nonesuch)

You’ll notice no albums were selected from 2008 or 2009, probably because those years are too close to now, and it’s hard to think of anything released so recently as being particularly significant, yet. Maybe in a couple years. I also think that the past few years have been “off” in terms of indie music (and music in general), especially if you’re not into art rock/snooze rock bands like Animal Collective, Fleet Foxes or Grizzly Bear, which bore me. I don’t understand the critical/mass appeal of Animal Collective (though I’ve tried, I’ve tried). Also missing from my list is perennial listee Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. I remember not liking the record when it came out and only rediscovered it in the past year (Now I like it). I still prefer Sky Blue Sky, however. Is your favorite band or album missing? Well then, make your own list, and post it on the webboard.

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Speaking of lists, I noticed yesterday that Brimstone Howl’s latest, Big Deal. What’s He Done Lately, made Magnet Magazine’s list of the Best of 2009: Hidden Treasures (The 10 Best Albums You Didn’t Hear in 2009). Check it out here. Anyone know if Magnet is still publishing? I haven’t seen a copy on the news stands in a long, long time.

What you can still find on the news stands is The Big Takeover, a magazine that’s been around forever publishing tons of CD reviews every six months or so. In the latest issue, editor Jack Rabid’s review of For Against’s new album Never Been was the focus of his Top-40 reviews list. Among his comments: “Playing this record is to be sucked into another world, succumbing to its textural tenacity, so brimming with pocket passages of flickering luminous radiance and the coolest shade, dabbling in dissonance, light jangle, esoteric bass, hypnotic drums, and some of the most inventive guitar playing you’ll hear any year.” Rabid always has been one of For Against’s biggest fans.

Also reviewed in the same issue (No. 65) is Little Brazil’s latest, Son. Among reviewer Neal Agneta’s comments: “Son evokes a certain air of exuberance and grandiosity, and while certainly not a detriment to the music within, Brazil’s commercial ambitions are not to be understated.” You can find copies of The Big Takeover at Barnes & Noble.

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I’ve gotten all of one entry so far in the drawing to win a copy of the (apparently not-so-coveted) 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. Just send me an e-mail (to tim@lazy-i.com) with your name and mailing address and you’ll be entered into the drawing. Deadline is Jan. 18.

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–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

Pt. 2 — which contains the actual predictions for next year — will be online next week. Until then…

Column 252: Visions of ’10, Pt. 1
The Sage looks back…

It’s that time of year again where I gaze into the lid of my magical Technics turntable and see visions of the future — your future! But before I do that, let’s look back at how I did last year.

I can say without reservation that last year’s predictions were the worst I’ve ever made in terms of accuracy. Part of the reason is that I let myself get carried away with technology. I predicted ’09 would see the beginning of a paradigm shift in how we listen to “broadcast” music. Instead of traditional terrestrial radio or satellite radio, Internet radio would emerge as a major player, thanks to the proliferation of simple Internet radio receivers that would allow you to tune into streamed Internet stations via wifi or 3G broadband. With this would come a rebirth of the traditional DJ, who would host these streamed broadcasts and become the nation’s music tastemakers.

Well, it didn’t happen. Yes, Blaupunkt did show off a new Internet car stereo at CES this past year, and Pandora has emerged as an important streaming music source, but nothing has really caught fire in terms of web radio. Wishful thinking? If it ever does happen, Internet radio will change the playing field and open up a whole new way for listeners to discover new music.

OK, so what else did I get wrong (and right) last year?

’09 Prediction: New “smart phones” will effectively killing the iPod and iPhone.

Reality: We said hello to Android and Pre, but neither have seriously bitten into Apple’s market share.

’09 Prediction: Record labels will evolve into entities that loan money to bands to allow them to tour and quit their day jobs, and act as mere brands that bands want to be associated with.

Reality: Not really, though labels continue to become more marginalized as the industry continues to decay.

’09 Prediction: Venues like The Waiting Room and Slowdown will begin to webstream live video broadcasts from their stages.

Reality: This one’s just around the corner.

’09 Prediction: One of Tim Kasher’s bands – Cursive or The Good Life – will release an album somewhere other than Saddle Creek. Creek will release a project this year that will outsell all of its past releases.

Reality: No, though no one knows where Edelweiss (Kasher’s solo project) will be released. And not only didn’t Creek not sign a huge new act, they lost Tokyo Police Club to Qprime label mom+pop.

’09 Prediction: A well-known local club will switch hands. A West Omaha club will catch traction among the indie crowd.

Reality: Mick’s became The Sydney (and no, that hadn’t been announced when I wrote that prediction last year). We’re still waiting for that West O club.

’09 Prediction: A young entrepreneur will launch a promotion company to compete with One Percent Productions.

Reality: One Percent continues to dominate the market, with no real local competition in sight.

’09 Prediction: Bands we’ll be talking about this time next year: Box Elders, Pavement, Brad Hoshaw and the Seven Deadlies, Cursive, U2, Titus Andronicus, Spoon, The Show Is the Rainbow, Replacements, Outlaw Con Bandana, Liz Phair, Talking Mountain, Alessi’s Ark, Jake Bellows, Little Brazil, Denver Dalley, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Fullblown.

Reality: For the most part, right on, except for those illusive Fullblown and Replacements reunions.

’09 Prediction: Bands we won’t be talking about this time next year: Girl Talk, Okkervil River, The Faint, Bright Eyes, My Morning Jacket, Nickelback, Britney, Kanye, Animal Collective, Nine Inch Nails, Radiohead, Of Montreal, Metallica, British divas.

Reality: Well, The Faint just played three sold out dates at The Waiting Room, and Animal Collective’s EP was No. 1 on Pitchfork’s “best of ’09” list.

’09 Prediction: Conor Oberst will break the hearts of thousands of his female fans.

Reality: He’s still available, girls.

’09 Prediction: One of the city’s three renowned downtown record stores – Drastic Plastic, The Antiquarium or Homer’s Old Market – will close its doors.

Reality: Homer’s did close its Old Market store… only to reopen it a block west of its old location.

’09 Prediction: One of Omaha’s under-the-radar record labels will gain national attention when one of its bands breaks nationally.

Reality: Not yet, but Bear Country (on Slumber Party) could make it happen this year.

’09 Prediction: Due to the death of one of its members, we will say goodbye to one of the few remaining all-time classic rock acts that originated in the ’60s and is (was) still performing today. The loss will be recognized as the passing of an era.

Reality: They’re now called The Jackson Four.

’09 Prediction: ARC Studios will host an arena-level superstar to record his/her next album.

Reality: The closest thing (I know of) was Pete Yorn.

’09 Prediction: In an effort to attract new blood to the OEAA’s, one of this year’s OEAA showcases will be held at Slowdown.

Reality: Too bad that didn’t happen.

’09 Prediction: President Obama will announce a one-day concert that will feature some of the hottest indie and hip-hop acts performing alongside the biggest names in rock and jazz.

Reality: His inauguration celebration included Springsteen, Beyonce, Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder and U2.

’09 Prediction: Instead of appearing on one of the usual late-night talk shows, a local band will break into television by scoring a commercial that will make one of its songs as notorious as Feist’s Apple commercial or Of Montreal’s Outback Steakhouse ads.

Reality: Thankfully, no.

Next week: Visions of 2010 — Hold onto your hat.

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New Year’s Eve is always a bust when it comes to music. It’s a holiday designed for cover bands, which is really as it should be, I suppose. That said, there are still a couple good shows going on tonight.

Top of the list is the send-off for The Saddle Creek Bar. Tonight marks the venue’s “last show ever,” according to the venue’s Proprietor of Darkness, Mike Coldewey. As announced on the Saddle Creek Bar website:

Join us Dec. 31st (New Year’s Eve) for one last blowout musical event as we shutter the doors of the legendary Saddle Creek Bar. Appearances by local legends Cordial Spew and The Upsets will be augmented by a closing set by The Shidiots, our (former) bartender Cass Brostad and her Family Gram, and a plethora of solo artists making their last appearance on our venerable stage. As always — admission is free.

The SCB’s drive-thru liquor store also is having a going-out-of-business sale. What a way to close out a decade.

Also tonight, Satchel Grande and Marachi Zapata are at The Waiting Room, which closes its doors temporarily after its Jan 2 show. 9 p.m. $10. The Sydney is hosting a free show with The Mercury’s and free champaign. Starts at 9. And punk bands RAF, Hercules and Cordial Spew, along with five others are playing a show at The Hole at 715 S. 16th St. (under Convicted Skate Shop). 7 p.m., $5.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

Another Faint show is in the books. It must have been the 20th time that I’ve seen them play live over the past decade, and last night’s show ranks right up there with the best of them. “The best of them” being (to me) the Sokol Underground shows from around the middle of the decade and The Waiting Room’s grand opening gig. Last night’s, however, was definitely in the running — the usual high-energy sweat-soaked bounce-a-thon that the band is known for. Great fun and great music, but… it’s the same songs I’ve been hearing them play for years. Not that it matters to anyone, least of all the folks who continue to have a good time pumping their fists to “Paranoia” and “Agenda Suicide” and the rest of them. My hats off to the band for continuing to draw a sizeable underage audience even though they only release new material every four or five years. As I’ve said before, if these kinds of nights are what they’re doing it for, why even bother recording new material? They could live off this live show for years to come. But is that going to keep them satisfied artistically? Who knows. Joel and Mike and Clark all are involved in other bands (Joel also keeps busy producing new bands at Enamel). For the fans in the audience this week, none of that matters. Viva la Faint for as long as The Faint shall be (See photo).

While I dug their set, I was more interested in seeing Digital Leather, and they didn’t disappoint. Shawn Foree and his band (that includes ex-Shanks) ripped through a set of songs off their new album. And while that record is dynamically broad, on stage these guys tear through everything in one gear — bam-bam-bam-bam-bam for every song, with no variance in dynamics or pace, which I suppose is expected of the genre, though I could have done with a touch more of the variety heard on the record. There’s nothing wrong with pulling it back, in fact it only makes the loud parts seem louder. Despite that, theirs was a more compelling set if only for its ingenuity. Digital Leather is a band to be reckoned with. I’m told that they’ve also been invited by SXSW to play at this year’s festival. Oh lord, what those Austinites are in for (See photo).

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And now the moment you’ve all been waiting for, here’s the 2009 Year in Music story, complete with my various “favorites” lists including recordings and performances from ’09. Like I said Monday, this was written about two weeks ago, and some of the year’s best live shows were left out because they hadn’t taken place yet. If the story’s introduction seems dire, it’s because these are indeed dire times for the music industry, both nationally and locally. Who knows what the future holds, but that’s something I’ll be touching on in my “predictions” columns over the next two weeks (starting tomorrow). So without further ado, go read the Year in Music.

And while you’re contemplating the year that was 2009, enter to win a copy of the coveted Lazy-i Best of 2009 Sampler CD! I started putting together samplers 13 years ago as a way of sharing new music with friends and family who either don’t have the time or the resources to hear new music. And now you can become part of that “inner circle.” Just send me an e-mail (to tim@lazy-i.com) with your name and mailing address and you’ll be entered into a drawing for a free copy. Tracks include 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 and more. Full track listing is here. Enter today. Deadline is Jan. 18.

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Tonight is The Faint Part 3 at The Waiting Room. As with the other two shows, it’s sold out and has been for weeks. Opening are two Lincoln bands, UUVVWWZ and Plack Blague. Show starts as 9.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

Bear Country is evolving once again. When I heard them this summer, their sound had gone from run-of-the-mill to something special. Well, their sound continues to get even more special; if last night’s packed LP-release show at Slowdown Jr. (just south of 200 attended) is any indication. The band played songs off the new EP, Frozen Lake, and there were a few rough moments as vocalist Susan Sanchez suffered from a soar throat. Ah, but the show must go on, no matter how raspy your voice is. In the end, she sounded fine.

The big change, however, came in the form of their new songs, specifically two tunes that were fronted by guitarist/vocalist James Maakestad. Both started out with Maakestad playing a simple folk-versed melody by himself on acoustic guitar. When both songs started, I thought they were pretty if not repetitive. Maybe too repetitive, especially over the course of multiple verses. To be honest, I was beginning to get bored, but then slowly the rest of the band joined in on the repetition, and grew the songs to anthemic levels before falling back again. These songs seemed to go on for 10 minutes or more each, and were probably too long in the build-up stage, but the pay off was exquisite, especially for the last song of the evening. Now I want to hear them again… (See photo).

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Tonight at The Waiting Room is Night 2 of The Faint’s three sold-out nights. If I had to choose one of the three nights to attend, it would be tonight as Digital Leather is opening, along with FTL Drive. Digital Leather’s new album, Warm Brother, is one of the best surprises of ’09 — a terrific electric garage rock album that you can actually dance to. Which makes them a perfect opener for The Faint. Show starts at 9 p.m. Get there early.

Tomorrow: The Year in Review 2009.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

A week ago today I had my deadline for the annual Year in Review article for The Reader (which will be posted here at Lazy-i on Wednesday). One major focus of the piece is my list of favorite shows of ’09. Because of that deadline, some of the best shows of the year are missing from the list — the Conor Oberst show from last Tuesday, the Mousetrap show last Wednesday, the Mal Madrigal show Saturday and last night’s Good Life show at Slowdown. No doubt tonight’s Bear Country show also would have made the list, as well as the three sold out Faint shows that begin tonight and run through Wednesday. These last two weeks of ’09 are the best two weeks’ of shows of the year.

Anyway, Mal Madrigal on Saturday night. The blizzard of ’09 V.2 couldn’t stop this one. Streets were slick but passable. On my way down to The Slowdown I watched as people in rear-wheel drive cars drove backwards down streets after giving up. I nearly was smashed a few times by big-shouldered SUVs that weren’t going to share the road with anyone. I saw dark and lifeless cars abandoned in snow banks.

But I made it. And so did a few hundred more people. I had thought the Slowdown folks had made a mistake on their website and forgot to post that the show was on the small stage, but I was wrong. The show was indeed on the big stage, and good thing that it was as it would have sold out the small room.

Steve Bartolomei, Mal Madrigal’s frontman and songwriter, is nothing if not consistent. His uptempo numbers always have had a waltz-time lilt combined with south-of-the-border guitars and melodies. On some songs, it’s almost Flamenco, but not really. Alt-Flamenco? It’s too Americana for that. It’s really just acoustic folk music with a hint of Spanish gypsy, enough to recognize the influence. While Bartolomei is strumming, sideman Mike Saklar blends in his own Andalusian tones. It’s this ethic flair that pumped life into some of the evening’s best numbers (and best songs on the new LP). The highlight was the stomping “Kill Floor Rebellion,” which had the blood-red sunset color of a Robert Rodriguez mariachi western filmed in a meat-packing town in western Nebraska – a song that’s both angry and desperate. (See photo).

But more central to Bartolomei’s music are the sad-guy waltzes — slump-shouldered sorry-for-yourself acoustic dirges designed to make your chest throb in lost loneliness. Bartolomei always has had a good voice, but it’s never sounded stronger and more assured than last Saturday night. I’d tell you that he’s found his voice, but he always knew where it was. Joining him on stage were Saklar, Dan McCarthy (bass), Chris Esterbrooks (keyboards) and Pat Oakes (drums). All perform on the new album, From the Fingers of Trees, along with Ben Brodin and Nate Walcott. What makes the vinyl package a big step forward for Mal Madrigal is the variety of its 10 tracks, ending with bluesy rock-jam “Hush.” I bought a copy of the record at the show and was at first taken aback by the price — $20. But for your money you get a hand silk-screened album jacket, the vinyl and a full-processed CD of the music, along with a couple inserts. The jacket is artwork suitable for framing. And each is hand numbered from a series of 400. You can buy your copy at Etsy, here.

So yes, that show would have made my end-of-year “favorites” list. So would have last night’s Good Life show at The Slowdown. I’d been watching the One Percent site all week, wondering if the gig would sell out. Sure enough, it did at around 9 p.m. Inside, it was one of the largest crowds I’ve seen at a Slowdown show — packed shoulder to shoulder.

I got there just in time to catch about half a set from one of the openers — I’m not sure who it was, but I know it wasn’t Old Canes or Outlaw Con Bandana, which leaves either Fourth of July (though there were no women on stage) or Chris Seseney and his band (I don’t know what Chris looks like). Whoever it was, they played a blazing set of tight, garage-y rock that got the crowd warmed up for the headliners.

It was one of the best Good Life shows I’ve seen. Tim Kasher looked genuinely happy to be back on stage with his mates, playing some of the best songs he’s ever written, including selections from all the records, but pulling heavily from Album of the Year and Help Wanted Nights. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard these songs on stage, and they felt familiar as slipping on an old coat.

About three songs into the set, Kasher introduced a fifth member of the band joining Roger Lewis (drums), Ryan Fox (guitar, keys) and Steph Drootin (bass). The new member made a timid entrance, spending most of the song with just her nose peaking out from behind the stage-right curtain. I thought I might be seeing things until Kasher said she could come out on stage, and there she was, to the whooping of the crowd, Kasher’s dog — a brown-and-white mutt with a red bandana tied around her neck. The crowd loved her so much that Kasher said, “Get her off the stage, she’s hogging all the attention.” Instead, she wandered around throughout the set, finally lying at his feet during one of the evening’s more quiet numbers. Needless to say, it was a relaxed evening. At one point, Kasher began playing “Album of the Year” — a crowd favorite (and one of mine) — and screwed up a line, started over, screwed it up again, then gave up and said, “I’m just not into the song right now. We’ll play it later.” And he did, during the encore, which also included a big, throbbing cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain,” that featured Outlaw’s Pearl Loveioy Boyd on backing vocals, Drootin nailing the song’s iconic bass break and Fox doing his best Lindsey Buckingham axe grinding. (See photo)

The encore ended with Kasher doing what sounded like an improvised version of a song alone on keyboards before being joined by the rest of the band for the big closer, pushing the show past 1 a.m. Epic. My only quibble was with the sound. From my vantage point on the tier along stage left, Drootin’s bass overpowered everything for the entire set. It sounded like a dub version of The Good Life. I’m surprised that whoever was running the main board didn’t make some adjustments, but maybe that dominating bass was what the band was going for. It wasn’t the only sound problems. Kasher commented that, for some reason, his guitar sounded “all distorted,” and back-stage sound guy Dan Brennan ran out and fiddled with an amp right behind Kasher. And then, during the encore version of “Album of the Year,” some dopey young couple came running up the stairs and tried to run out the emergence exit, setting off an alarm (right next to me). Brennan again came to the rescue, but it clearly fucked up the pace of the song, though Kasher and Co. recovered nicely.

So, I’ve been to four shows in the past week and have two more in the next two days to close out the year. Tonight’s show is the Bear Country 10-inch release show at Slowdown Jr. (You read about their new album right here in lazy-i already, right?). Opening is McCarthy Trenching and Sean Pratt. $7, 9 p.m.

Also tonight, The Faint begins its three-day sold out stay at The Waiting Room. Opening for them tonight are Somasphere and Honey & Darling. 9 p.m.

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Being snowed isn’t so bad as long as you got power, and heat, and food. In the past when we had a snowstorm like the one we just had, the power would still be out here. This time we had full power the whole time, so it was actually a nice respite from the holiday noise. The snow plows have made their way through the major arteries, which makes me assume that tonight’s Mal Madrigal LP release show is still on at The Slowdown (I haven’t heard otherwise). Opening the show are Machineshop (Tiffany Kowalski) and Tin Kite (Stefanie Drootin and Chris Senseney). $8, 9 p.m. BTW, this is not listed as a “front room” show on the Slowdown site – I don’t know if that’s an oversight or if they really expect a huge crowd, but I’m guessing this is probably in the front room.

Tomorrow night’s show, however, is definitely in the big room — The Good Life with Fourth of July, Old Canes, Chris Senseney and Outlaw Con Bandana. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen The Good Life — maybe a year? This one is a real surprise. $10, 9 p.m.

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Finally, Mousetrap.

Last night’s set at The Waiting Room might be the most cohesive set that they’ve ever played. Certainly it was their longest. What’s the old saying — you always sound best at the CD release shows, the farewell show and the reunion show.

For me, the most amazing part: Some of their music is nearly 20 years old but it’s as good, or better than, what we’re getting now from bands out there that are just getting started. It held up well. And at times during the set, it was like hearing some of those songs again for the first time.

There was always something subversive or obscene about Mousetrap. They were indeed an underground band in their short-lived heyday. You needed to know someone who knew them to know them, or you had to shop at The Antiquarium. You weren’t going to find them on your own, that’s for sure. And once you did find them, it was going to take awhile to figure out what they were about.

A band could be subversive back then; it could be “underground.” That’s simply not possible anymore, especially if you’re any good. And Mousetrap was good. Dave Sink knew it, Grass Records knew it, John Peel knew it, a lot of kids that would become central to the Omaha music scene and Saddle Creek Records knew it. In the end, it didn’t matter. Their music was too “out there,” too abrasive, too disturbing for a larger audience to appreciate.

Time has blunted the illicit nature of Mousetrap. In an era where nothing is shocking, their music also no longer has the ability to shock. And that changes everything. Instead of disturbing, Mousetrap’s music merely sounds like loud, fast, hard, distorted, and perfectly stylized post-punk, which I’ve always thought they were trying to be anyway. They just wanted to be a rock band, and now they are. What was once unrecognizable is now pop. Which is an overblown way of saying their music may be more relevant now than it ever was back in the ’90s. Especially considering the lack of good, heavy music these days.

The setting couldn’t be more perfect. The Wagon Blasters — ex-Frontier Trust, another band from the era — opened. They were followed by Beep Beep, a band clearly influenced by Mousetrap. And then another band who — along with Frontier Trust — often shared the bill with Mousetrap in the ’90s: the reunited Mercy Rule, bigger and badder than ever. I caught the full Mercy Rule set and it was as if they never stopped playing all those years ago. They rolled out a couple new songs, one of which is probably harder and faster than anything they’ve ever done before (and which I can’t wait to hear recorded).

It all led up to Mousetrap. Yeah, Buchanan and Crawford looked older than the last time they took the stage together, but no worse for wear (see live photo). In fact, Buchanan looked the part of the rock star — Big City Hair, as one guy put it. He had the look and the style. But most of all, still he had the chops — his voice, his guitar, sounded pristine. And then there was Crawford’s amazing bass playing — an aerobic workout — and his voice also never sounded better. Time has been kind to these guys. New drummer Mike Mazzola did what he needed to do to hold it all together.

Together, the band sounded more rock than punk, or at least more rock than I remembered them sounding. The highlights were my favorites from the past — “Superkool,” “Mariko,” “I Know Where You Live,” “Wired.” There were a couple missing from the bunch, chief among them “Have Fun in Hell” and the El Fino Imperials classic “Step Off.” But hey, you can’t have everything.

The set list from last night (via the set list found on stage):

Signal To Noise
Mariko
Flamer
Ribbed
I Know Where You Live
The Coathanger Kid
People Who Disappear
Wired
Sweet Dreams Baby
Superkool

(Encore)
The Last Dance
Give it

The only thing that sounded different other than the drums was the way the band seemed to stretch out the endings of a couple songs — to their betterment. Overall, Mousetrap sounded, well, groovier, less static, certainly less angry. Looking at them smiling on stage, it’s hard to remember Buchanan’s terse, pained scowl and volcanic spitting from the old days. They were having a good time. I think they may have been surprised by the size of the crowd, commenting that it was the biggest show they every played. It wouldn’t have been a Mousetrap show without some sort of technical difficulty — a broken string, a blown amp. So in keeping with their history, Crawford’s bass cut out at the end of “Superkool.” He fiddled with plugs and switches and finally got it going again before the song ended. Perfection.

So what next? I asked both Crawford and Buchanan after the show, and neither could say. Crawford said they’ve talked about working together on another project. After all, they only live about five hours away from each other. Whatever happens, Craig said he plans on continuing playing. It would be a shame if he didn’t. Buchanan always kept playing after Mousetrap ended and I have no doubt that he’ll continue to do so with our without Crawford, but wouldn’t it be cool if they kept it together? I’d love it if a label like Team Love would either reissue a Mousetrap album or create a “best of” collection that pulls together songs from the various singles and albums. And then the band hooked up with one of Omaha’s bigger players for a three-week tour. And then, who knows. Wishful thinking on my part, but I guess it’s the right time of year for that sort of thing.

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I stand by my earlier statements that Oberst is at his best when he’s the center of attention, i.e., Bright Eyes. Whereas Mystic Valley Band was an interesting diversion, and Monsters of Folk is certainly fun (for him), his best work has been with his original band. Or maybe I’m just being sentimental.

After all, backing him last night on The Waiting Room stage was half of Cursive (Ted Stevens and Matt Maginn), a piece of The Faint (Clark Baechle, stellar on drums, as always) and the ever-talented Dan McCarthy. It got even more maudlin when Simon Joyner joined him for a four-song encore (two Joyner songs, two Oberst songs) along with Alex McManus, Mike Friedman and a plethora of musicians from the opening bands.

Dressed formally in a velvet sport jacket and clean-shaven for the holidays, Oberst backed by his friends ran through a passionate set that included old and not-so-old Bright Eyes songs (including a couple I’d never heard before) along with a few Mystic Valley tunes that seemed Bright Eyes-ish when played by this line-up. The performance felt easy and comfortable, well played, as good as any BE or MV set, but strangely better because everything seemed familiar. The only thing missing was the old-time Conor drama that used to mark his earlier shows; those days are long gone.

Besides, the weather provided enough drama for the evening. Twice during the show Oberst told fans they could crash at The Waiting Room if they were afraid to drive home. I don’t know if anyone took him up on the offer. Probably not, considering that the streets were fine when I left at around 1. Tonight could be a different story entirely. I suspect that regardless of any ice or snow that the show will go on. It has to. This may be a once-in-a-lifetime event. The boys from Mousetrap are in town from Chicago, and I can’t see any way that this show could be rescheduled.

It starts at 9 with The Wagon Blasters, followed by either Beep Beep or Mercy Rule, then Mousetrap. All four for just $8. My hope is that the sleet turns to snow during the show, and we all have enough traction to get home alive — that is if we survive the sheer force, power and concentrated anger of Mousetrap. Tonight’s show was the talk of last night’s show. What will the trio bring to the table after all these years? What will they play? As was reported (here), the band says they intend to play a variety of songs off all their albums and singles. I have a feeling it could be something special… if we all make it home alive.

* * *

I’m beginning to think that Bear Country could be poised to break out in 2010, based on their soon-to-be-released EP. Now all they have to do is get on the road and get heard…

Column 251: The Bear Session
Bear Country reinvents itself with Frozen Lake

Compared to Cowboy Junkies’ The Trinity Session, Bear Country’s new EP, Frozen Lake, is downright uplifting.

In fact, the two bands don’t have much in common other than a similar love for laid-back country swing, and heartfelt melodies, and a great female vocalist, and terrific musicianship. Come to think of it they do have a lot in common despite the fact that the bands’ albums are separated by 21 years.

I was the one who brought up The Trinity Session, offhandedly mentioning that Frozen Lake‘s recording had a sonic density and distance similar to the 1988 classic, which legend has it was recorded in Toronto’s Holy Trinity church with a single microphone. I just assumed the folks in Bear Country knew what I was talking about, until about 20 minutes into the interview, when I said, “Uh, have you heard The Trinity Session?” Of course none of the twenty-somethings had, and I was exposed once again as the presumptuous ass that I am.

After I further described the album’s recording approach, vocalist/guitarist James Maakestad said the band was after a similar sort of ethereal sound when keyboardist Aaron Markley recorded Bear Country at the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Strauss Recital Hall. “We were observing the way a note decays, and had to be sensitive to that,” Maakestad said, surrounded by Markley, guitarist/vocalist Mike Schlesinger and drummer Cody Peterson in Markley’s Benson-area home. Vocalist Susan Sanchez and bassist Matthew Owens round out the band.

“We were interested in having listeners hang over the edge of something,” Maakestad said. “We were doing that with sparsity rather than having everything going on at the same time. It’s about phrasing it so that it’s like listening to some story that has dynamic contrast and drama.”

To me, Bear Country is the most surprising band of ’09. When I first heard them perform a few years ago right after Slowdown first opened, they came off as one-dimensional — a hipster-driven cookie-cutter country band that was, quite frankly, boring. I’d written them off as talented, but uninspired and over-hyped.

And then this past June I saw them perform again as part of a Slumber Party Records showcase at The Waiting Room, and was blown away. The formulaic balladry had been replaced with intensely dynamic folk rock that sounded like it fell out of the sky circa 1968. Each player sauntered around the stage with a cool ease and confidence of a band whose every member shared the same great idea. They were unrecognizable, with a sound that reminded me of early Mazzy Star, The Silos, Grant Lee Buffalo, and, yes, Cowboy Junkies, but with a modern, youthful twist.

Their evolution began after spending six months in Bassline Studio at the tail end of 2007. “Through the course of that recording session, we heard how it was developing and realized we didn’t like it too much,” Markley said.

“Hearing yourself back changes your ear,” Maakestad added. “I think it gave us some time to think about what we needed to do to attain the sound we wanted, something a bit more blended. A lot of mainstream music is overproduced — none of it blends so you can hear everything perfectly.”

Instead, the band wanted listeners to get lost in the recording. “Not being able to hear everything at once gives you a reason to listen to it again,” Maakestad said. “Those were some of the things we became conscious of — not having everything be perfectly clear.”

So they threw out most of the Bassline sessions and started over, at UNO, where Markley — a percussion major with an emphasis on music technology — had access to the university’s recording studio and equipment. “We recorded groups of instruments live,” Maakestad said. “That was a change from Bassline, where we tracked every single instrument.”

“Several things were recorded in the (Strauss) Recital Hall,” Markley said. “We also recorded in hallways. We had a lot of different spaces and different sounds.”

The result is a moody 7-song EP with grand scope, open space and beauty, balanced by lyrics typical of the title track’s opening line: “I sat down on the edge / Of a frozen lake / I was thinking to myself, ‘oh man, a poor boy will never catch a break.'”

“Some of the songs are about that feeling of being let down, to the point of becoming indifferent,” Maakestad said. “It’s like waves that keep coming and don’t stop, and you might as well get used to it.”

As much as anything else, Bear Country’s sound is a natural evolution that comes with growing up. “Age was a big contributor,” said Maakestad, who wrote most of the songs with Schlesinger and Sanchez. “I was only 17 when we recorded that first record (2006’s Our Roots Need Rain).”

“A lot of our sound back then had to do with what we were listening to,” Schlesinger added. And what was that? “Rilo Kiley and indie pop.” Since then, the band has graduated to listening to classic and contemporary folk and country. Maakestad said two years of music school got him interested in deconstructing music. “A lot of my influence comes from impressionist composers like Ravel and Debussy, stuff like that,” he said.

It all comes together like a forlorn hoe-down, a musical celebration of futility and the perfect way to start a new decade after being beaten down by the last one.

Frozen Lake comes out on 10-inch vinyl Jan. 12, 2010, on Slumber Party Records. Bear Country celebrates the release Dec. 28 at Slowdown Jr. with McCarthy Trenching and Sean Pratt. $7, 9 p.m.

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