It’s Halloween night, but wasn’t all that last weekend at the bars? Who wants to wear a costume on a Thursday night (or any night)? With that in mind, costumes are optional at tonight’s shows, or at least they are for me as I head down to The Slowdown for Decatur, Georgia, soft-indie band Lunar Vacation.
The five-piece, who apparently all live under one roof (according to the one-sheet), is touring in support of their latest, Everything Matters, Everything’s Fire (2024, Keeled Scales), which Stereogum called “a fuzzed-out, emotionally crushing beauty.” Definitely a fit for fans of bands like The Beths or Alvvays.
For the most part, the new record is by-the-numbers female-led indie rock but at times it exceeds those expectations, especially on the dreamy single “Fantasy,” which is one of the best tracks I’ve heard this year.
Two locals open tonight’s show in Slowdown’s frontroom — Settling Houses, who are new to me, and grungy shoe-gazers Western Haikus, who have been playing around quite a bit lately. BTW, there’s also a Portland band also called Western Haikus. Is this/are they the same band? Go to Slowdown tonight and ask! $25, 8 p.m.
Also tonight, Madison synth-pop diva Carrellee is playing at The Sydney in Benson. Her latest single, “Like a Ghost,” was produced with Brett Bullion (Low, Polica). Specter Poetics and Queer Nit Drag open at 9 p.m. (Sydney time). $10.
Finally, up the street at Reverb, D.C.-based electro-punk band VOSH headlines with Omaha metal-noise monsters Prolapse (Dave Goldberg!) and Zuneg & the Doom Chair. $13, 8 p.m.
Screw it: Go ahead and wear a costume tonight if you want! It’s Halloween!
I’m listening to my copy of For Against’s 1988 album In the Marshes this morning as I pass along this unfortunate news…
A GoFundMe campaign has been organized for For Against frontman/bassistJeff Runnings to support his battle with cancer. Jeff’s diagnosis of Stage 4 Cancer was a gut-punch for me and anyone who knows him and his husband, Sean. Donations of any size will directly fund Jeff’s medical expenses, support his daily care needs, and allow him and his family to focus on his recovery with less financial stress.
Click into the GFM and do what you can. No doubt it’ll be a tough fight, but we all know Jeff will beat this.
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The fine folks at Boing Boing – specifically LA-based writer/educator Lee Keeler — just published an interview with The Faint’s Todd Fink upon the 25-year anniversary of the release of Blank Wave Arcade.
Todd talks about the old days and how the record and their sound came about. He also passed along news that The Faint are planning a rerelease of Blank Wave Arcade that will include tracks from their infamous Blank Wave Arcade Remixes limited edition picture disc. Check out the interview here.
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Tonight at Ming Toy Gallery (6066 Maple St.) Michael Trenhaile’s new musical project, The Aphasias, is performing. Trenhaile is a local artist and lifelong musician, whose past projects include Body of Souls, Worm Trouble and most recently, The Doneofit. Those who attend this free event also will get a sneak peek at Friday night’s opening of The Jenowe Show. 6 p.m.
Alex Orange Drink, a.k.a. Alex Zarou Levine — best known as the singer/songwriter behind The So So Glos — last Friday dropped the single, “The Future’s a Riot,” on Conor Oberst’s new record label, Million Stars.
The track is his first solo music since 2021’s Everything Is Broken Maybe That’s OK LP. The song’s inspiring video features footage chronicling Levine’s 2023 diagnosis of Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma and writing and recording during his first week of treatment. Check it:
Levine has been super busy, having co-written seven songs on the new Bright Eyes album, Five Dice, All Threes, and adding guest vocals to BE track “Rainbow Overpass.”
The new Alex Orange Drink single is the second release on Million Stars following the release of The Felice Brothers’ full length, Valley of Abandoned Songs, this past June. In addition, Yayo Trujillo of Las Cruxes told me last week his band’s new album, which is currently being recorded at ARC Studios with Taylor Hollingsworth as producer, also will be released on Million Stars in the U.S. Las Cruxes’ past recordings were distributed by Sony Music Entertainment US LATIN.
Million Stars isn’t Oberst’s first foray in the music biz. He helped get Saddle Creek Records off the ground back in the ‘90s and also formed Team Love Records (Tilly and the Wall, High Up, Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins) with Nate Krenkel back in 2003.
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Omaha post-punk band Bokr Tov also dropped a new single last week, “(You Too Can Have) A Body Like Mine,” via Bandcamp. It’s a prelude to the band’s next full length, The Way a Tree Shakes, which is due Nov. 16. Nate Van Fleet of See Through Dresses produced the recording, and also produced the new LP by Seattle band Funhouse (featuring post-Omaha star, Carl Miller), called Invasive Species.
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You might remember singer/songwriter Max Holmquist from his work with Oquoa and The Great American Desert. His new project, Dream Ghoul, just dropped its first single, “Qualitative Blue, 1991.” The track was produced by Jim Schroeder (Mesa Buoy, David Nance Band, Rosali, UUVVWWZ), who worked on the album, which is slated to come out this December.
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There’s no Omaha connection to this new Mogwai video, which dropped this morning. I included it just because it features the band’s dogs (and Manhattan). Mogwai also announced their next album, The Bad Fire, will be released Jan. 24 on Temporary Residence Ltd., as well as a massive world tour next year, whose closes pass to Omaha will be the ol’ Minneapolis/Denver/Chicago twist in April…
Here’s the latest list of touring indie shows coming to Omaha through February. Your eyes do not deceive you – there currently are no shows scheduled for December. Let me know if I missed something…
Oct. 31 – Lunar Vacation @ The Slowdown\
Nov. 3 – Chat Pile @ The Waiting Room
Nov. 3 – quickly, quickly @ Reverb
Nov. 7 – Pedro the Lion (w/City and Colour) @ The Admiral
Nov. 8 – The Ivory Claws @ The Sydney
Nov. 10 – The Sufrajettes @ Reverb
Nov. 11 – Dusk @ Reverb
Nov. 12 – Modest Mouse @ Steelhouse
Nov. 12 – The Rev. Horton Heat @ Waiting Room
Nov. 13 – Sorry Mom @ Reverb
Nov. 29 – VIAL @ Reverb
Feb. 5 – Guster @ The Admiral
Feb. 6 — Real Estate @ The Waiting Room
Feb. 24 — Molchat Doma @ Steelhouse
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Last minute show announcement: Chicago post-punk band Edging is playing tonight at The Tavern with Trees with Eyes, Las Cruxes and a special set by Darren Keen. Darren said Edging has opened for Amyl and the Sniffers and Lambrini Girls, who count them as fans. The Tavern is located in the heart of downtown at 514 So. 10th Street. 9:30 start time, donations suggestioned.
Tonight (Friday) there’s a sort of reunion of classic ’00s-era indie act Mal Madrigal at Pageturners lounge. Stephen Bartolomei and Mike Saklar, two of the band’s original members, have worked up 12 Mal Madrigal songs for tonight’s set. Will they do my favorite, “A Broken Window”? Headlining tonight is Wedding, a new project by Anna Schulte that includes Bokr Tov’s Colby Jenkins on bass, and Zachary Roland on percussion. Wedding will be recording at ARC next month with Nate Van Fleet (See Through Dresses) behind the knobs. Poet Alina Nguyen also is on the bill. 9 p.m. Donations encouraged.
How about a night at the theater?
Tonight I’ll be checking out Ghost Brothers of Darkland County, the new production at the Benson Theatre. I think it’s a musical? I’m not sure, but apparently the play’s music and lyrics are by John Mellencamp based on a book by Stephen King. This is the last weekend for the show. Tix are $25, 7 p.m. curtain.
On to Saturday…
This week’s big touring indie show is Porches at Reverb Lounge. It’s a project by New Yorker Aaron Maine, whose latest album, Shirt, was released on Domino in September to mildly positive reviews. Maine went out of his way to rough things up this time and it’s a welcome improvement over the borderline emo-pop of his previous album, All Day Gentle Hold! (2021, Domino). Dreamy New Yorker sweet93 (very Mazzy Star) opens at 8 p.m. $30, 8 p.m.
Meanwhile across town, fabulous O’Leaver’s is hosting their big Halloween show Saturday night headlined by tractor punk mavericks Wagon Blasters with In Tongues and Frankie Chiaro. Costume are “highly recommended!” This $10 party starts at 9 p.m.
Back in Benson Saturday night, Chicago musical comedy duo Griefcat headlines at The Sydney. Music Connection described them this way: “Super hilarious lyrics coupled with very nice music and great vocals is a recipe for success.” You be the judge. $10, and no opener for this early 6 p.m. show.
Are these early shows going to become a thing? Sunday’s Bazile Mills show at Reverb Lounge starts at 5 p.m. with a set by Straight2Munich. $12.
Anyway, that’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend!
Bright Eyes’ frontman and Omaha native son Conor Oberst blitzed the indie music media yesterday with news that he’s recovered from his reported “vocal problems” that forced the band off the road a few weeks ago.
In a video posted on the @brighteyesofficial Instagram account, Oberst, wearing a Tracks Lounge T-shirt (world class chicken!), thanks people who “reached out,” said he’s “feeling a lot better” and that the band plans to resume touring in 2025 “if all goes well as planned.” Still no date for a rescheduled Steelhouse Omaha show, but something tells me that’s pending…
On the cusp of the release of her fourth studio album, yesterday Anna McClellan dropped a video for the single “Omaha,” described as “a complex tribute to her Nebraska roots.”
“Omaha is smoking cigarettes and drinking beers on the porch until 4 am any day of the week,” mused when asked about the song. “Omaha, at least to me, is being so completely known and utterly lonely. Omaha is driving around. It’s a beautiful thing really.”
The track, written during her move to Los Angeles, concludes with the line: “Wilting ‘til I rot / Is it me or is it Omaha?” One must look inside for the answer to that question. See if you can spot your favorite Omaha hangout in the video. McClellan’s Electric Bouquet LP drops tomorrow via Father/Daughter Records.
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Doug Kiser of seminal Omaha punk band fromanhole has a new band, Housewares, that’s making their stage debut Nov. 16 at The Sydney.
In addition to Doug on bass, the band is rounded out by a lot of familiar faces (to those of us who went to shows in the ’00s): Doug’s brother, Daryl Kiser (also ex-fromanhole) on guitar, Jason Koba of Thunder Power on drums, Scott Klemmensen of Reset on vocals, and Andy LaChance on keyboards.
Says Kiser about the band: “It’s melodic, probably technical, with elements of post whatever, jazz, blues and maybe some country. There is a lot of counting, that’s for sure.” We’ll see about that Nov. 16!
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Speaking of new songs, Lincoln act Vempire released a cover of The Ramones’ “Pet Sematary” last Friday. The single is the first from their upcoming EP, Fumes, slated to drop on Halloween. Check it:
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Here’s the latest list of touring indie shows coming to Omaha through February (just so I could include the just-announced Real Estate show (We have to have something to look forward to)). This list gets shorter and shorter…
Tonight marks my first visit to the new Astro Theater in La Vista.
The venue actually opened last December, but tonight’s show – headlined by The Psychedelic Furs and The Jesus and Mary Chain — is the first concert that caught my attention enough to buy a pair of tickets.
I can’t imagine shedding any shrewd, technicolor observations on either band’s performance. Instead, look for detailed reporting and an assessment of “my Astro experience” in tomorrow’s blog (with photos!).
Looking over last night’s set lists from both bands’ gigs at the Stifel Theatre in St. Louis (here’s Psych Furs, here’s JAMC), expect a mostly “greatest hits” set, especially from the Furs. JAMC don’t have nearly as many popular/well-known songs, and are kind of a weird choice for this tour. A lot of the Furs’ fans are going to get bored and anxious waiting for their heroes. That said, I saw JAMC over a decade ago at South By Southwest and they were intense.
Frankie Rose opens tonight’s show at 7 p.m. Her claim to fame is as a member of the bands Vivian Girls, Crystal Stills and most recently Dum Dum Girls. Her latest album, Love as Projection, was released by Slumberland Records in 2023.
Tickets are still available, ranging in price from $59 to $99. See you there…
A common questions being bandied about by indie music fans this weekend: Which Cursive show are you going to?
Omaha legends Cursive are playing two shows – tonight and tomorrow night — at The Waiting Room in support of their new album, Devourer (2024, Run for Cover), which is (imho) their best album since 2009’s Mama, I’m Swollen. Full review here.
Playing both nights are tour mates, Philly post-punk band Gladie, whose last full-length, Don’t Know What You’re in Until You’re Out, was released in 2022 on Plum Records. The four-piece is led by ex-Cayetana member Augusta Koch and includes Pat Conaboy (ex-Spirit of the Beehive). Definitely worth getting there early.
Tonight (Friday), Little Brazil has the honors of opening the show. For Saturday night, that honor falls on Criteria, who I’m told will be trying out a handful of new songs during their set (along with their usual greatest hits).
Both shows start at 8 p.m. and will run you $30. Neither has sold out as of this writing. Choose wisely, or better yet – go to both!
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Other than those Cursive shows, there ain’t a shit-ton going on tonight or tomorrow, though Saturday, Indiana alt-rock band Houndmouth plays Slowdown’s main room. They’re big festival draws (or so I’m told) and this one’s already sold out. 8 p.m.
Ah, but Sunday night, Los Angeles band Color Green plays at Grapefruit Records. One of the band’s two core members – Noah Kohll – is a post-Omaha veteran of the Antiquarium/Almost Music/Grapefruit Records scene. They played a knockout gig at Reverb this past March.
Opening for Color Green Sunday night is Simon Joyner, whose new band, Simon Joyner and The Bells, includes some very familiar names: James Maakstad, Sean Pratt, Margot Erlandson and Tanner Rogerson.
Joyner’s new album, Coyote Butterfly, which drops Nov. 22, is his first collection of new material in two years. He’ll be playing a couple dates in Arizona and LA in November before he heads to Europe for a tour in 2025. Here’s a chance to get a sneak preview of the new album (and band). 7 p.m., $10.
Also Sunday night, Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy Is headlining at The Admiral with Elizabeth Moen. $40-$75. This is a seated show and starts at 7:30.
One last show of note: Singer/songwriter Taylor Hollingsworth, who you might remember from Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, is in town recording the new Las Cruxes album at ARC. He’s taking some time away from the knobs to play a show Sunday night at Pageturners Lounge. Jack McLaughlin opens this FREE show at 8 p.m.
And that’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend.
Superchunk plays tonight at The Waiting Room, and it’s not their first Omaha appearance. Like I said in this 2010 interview with guitarist Jim Wilbur written in support of their 2010 appearance at The Maha Music Festival, anyone who grew up loving college rock in the ’90s has a Superchunk album in his/her collection. My first was 1993’s On the Mouth, whose opening track, “Precision Auto,” with its chugging guitar, crash-bash rhythms and barked out lines: “Do not pass me just to slow down / I can move right through you,” fueled way too many reckless two-lane passes in my ’78 Ford Fiesta.
In the article, Wilbur talked about the band’s history and future and even provided some “Wilbur Wisdom” about touring, technology and having never played Omaha up to then. Back then, the band was on the road in support of Majesty Shredding – at the time, their first album in nine years.
For this go-’round, Superchunk is celebrating the 30th anniversary of Foolish, and tonight will perform a set peppered with favorites from the classic 1994 LP.
That said, the band hasn’t been sitting on their asses for the past 30 years. This past January, Superchunk released the “Everybody Dies” b/w “As in a Blender” 7-inch, followed hot on the heels of last year’s Misfits & Mistakes: Singles, B-sides & Strays 2007–2023.
When they played at Chicago’s Lincoln Hall Tuesday night, Superchunk performed a 16-song set with five encores. Check out that setlist here. Tonight’s opening band, Merge label mates Quivers, hails from Melbourne, Australia, and dropped their latest album, Oyster Cuts, this past August. $30, 8 p.m. and surprisingly not sold out… yet.
Picking through some newsy bits I missed in the in-box:
The Fizzle Like a Flood Kickstarter campaign for the new album, Black Walls (which I wrote about here), met its fundraising goal in just 15 days – impressive. The campaign continues through the end of the month, however, so go there and check out the rewards and/or order your copy of the new album.
I’ve always liked Kickstarter as a pre-sales program, though it must be a pain in the ass for the artists who have to do fulfillments!
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Yesterday Neva Dinova, the project from post-Omaha singer/songwriter Jake Bellows, announced a 6-date West Coast tour for December. The band’s latest, Canary (2024, Saddle Creek), stood at No. 154 on the latest College Radio Charts. If you haven’t checked it out yet, you really should. It’s their best album to date (imho).
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What other notable albums are on the latest College Radio Charts?
– Well, Cursive’s latest, Devourer (2024, Run for Cover) stood at No. 74. The band plays two shows this week – Friday and Saturday – at The Waiting Room.
– Bright Eyes’ latest, Five Dice, All Threes (2024, Dead Oceans), currently stands at No. 13 on the charts. The fact that Bright Eyes was taken of the road for the balance of the year due to Conor Oberst’s “vocal problems” no doubt isn’t helping album sales. Bright Eyes’ 2025 tour kicks off Jan. 16 in Phoenix…
– Midwest Dilemma’s self-released album, Searching for the Cure for Loneliness, came in at No. 261, which is impressive considering the band isn’t touring. How does that happen?
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The latest single by Omaha’s favorite alt-country band, Clarence Tilton, features country music icon Marty Stuart on vocals guitar. The song, “Fred’s Colt,” explores the legacy of a Civil War-era Colt Dragoon passed through Tilton frontman Chris Weber’s family.
The band opened for Stuart when he played in Omaha in 2019 and at some point played the song for him. “I loved this song the moment I heard it. It is a breath of fresh air, real writing,” Stuart said in the press release.
Weber said Stuart’s contribution to the song “really blew our minds. What he did was so cool — not just the solo but all the little parts in between. It was a real lesson for us from a real pro who gave our tune his undivided attention.”
The single, which dropped last Friday, will be on Clarence Tilton’s upcoming full-length, Queen of the Brawl, slated for 2025.
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Soak in the next few weeks of shows, because we’re rounding a corner and the road ahead looks rather barren. Like I always said: if you have a chance to catch a touring indie band, catch it, because you never know when the next one will be coming through town.
Here’s the latest and greatest touring indie shows coming to Omaha through the end of November:
Oct. 16 – Mdou Moctar @ The Waiting Room
Oct. 17 – Superchunk @ The Waiting Room
Oct. 18-19 – Cursive @ The Waiting Room
Oct. 20 – Color Green @ Grapefruit Records
Oct. 20 – Jeff Tweedy @ The Admiral
Oct. 20 – Taylor Hollingsworth @ Pageturners
Oct. 22 – Psychedelic Furs/Jesus and Mary Chain @ The Astro
Oct. 23 – Kate Nash @ The Slowdown
Oct. 26 – Porches @ Reverb
Oct. 26 – Griefcat @ The Sydney
Oct. 31 – Lunar Vacation @ The Slowdown
Nov. 4 – quickly, quickly @ Reverb
Nov. 8 – The Ivory Claws @ The Sydney
Nov. 10 – The Sufrajettes @ Reverb
Nov. 11 – Dusk @ Reverb
Nov. 12 – The Rev. Horton Heat @ Waiting Room
Nov. 13 – Sorry Mom @ Reverb
Nov. 29 – VIAL @ Reverb
Am I missing something? Let me know…
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Tonight at The Waiting Room, Nigerian band Mdou Moctar headlines. He’s considered one of the most innovative artists in contemporary Saharan music “His unconventional interpretations of Tuareg guitar have pushed him to the forefront of a crowded scene,” according to his Bandcamp page. The band’s last album, 2024’s Funeral for Justice, was released on indie giant Matador Records and received Pitchfork‘s “Best New Music” designation along with its 8.4 rating. Opening this show is personal fave, Rosali, a band that includes members of our very own David Nance Band. Her sublime new album, Bite Down, was released this year by Merge Records. $25, 8 p.m.
Also tonight, Boston post-punk band Kal Marks headlines at Reverb Lounge (Exploding in Sound Records) with frickin’ four openers: NightoSphere, Missouri Executive Order 44, Nowhere and Western Haikus. Talk about your late nights! 8 p.m. $15.
Tonight at The Waiting Room, North Carolina singer/songwriter MJ Lenderman headlines with his band, The Wind. Lenderman’s latest album, Manning Fireworks (2024, Anti-), has been at the top of the College Radio Charts for a couple weeks (just above the new Nick Cave album), and is one of my favorites for 2024.
Along with Waxahatchee, Cassandra Jenkins and Wednesday (in which he plays lead guitar), Lenderman is at the forefront of the current folk-rock trend in indie music, one that owes a lot to artists like Neil Young, Jackson Browne, CSN and the ’70s folk-rock acts that came before them.
Based on his past set lists, expect about a 20-song set tonight heavy with tracks from the new record. Lenderman has been rolling out covers of songs by Vic Chesnutt, Lucinda Williams, Wednesday and Smog on this tour. Who will he cover tonight? Opening for Lenderman is Jeffersonville, Indiana, folk rocker Ryan Davis and the Roadhouse Band. $25, 8 p.m.
Also tonight just around the corner at Reverb Lounge, Chicago industrial/dark wave/EBM trio Pixel Grip headlines. LA synth/dance act Madeline Goldstein opens at 8 p.m. $25.
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