Firstly, welcome back – or more accurately – it’s good to be back. I’ve been in Savannah the past week on R & R. I won’t get into it other than to say it’s as gorgeous as in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
Anyway, in my absence, the Maha Music Festival announced a “surprise summer showcase” taking place tomorrow afternoon from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at 8th and Farnam downtown (right near the dog park and the Jun Kaneko giant head). Now I wonder why they chose that location? The fun will include a live set from Little Brazil and DJ Crabrangucci. LB, btw, played the first-ever Maha festival back in 2009.
Stand ready for some special announcements about the future of Maha. Head downtown tomorrow and find out. The whole dang thing is free.
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Sacramento garage rock duo Dog Party usually plays at O’Leaver’s when they’re in town. Tonight they’re headlining at Reverb Lounge and recent recordings reflect a shift in their sound in some new directions. Also on the bill are CatBeret and Ragdoll. $17, 8 p.m.
The Astro Amphitheater in La Vista is still being constructed but that isn’t stopping it from announcing the first slate of shows for its new live performance complex located at 8302 City Center Drive in beautiful La Vista.
The facility’s details you already know: 2,400-capacity 52,000-square-foot indoor theater (The Astro) attached to an outdoor grass amphitheater that can host 5,500 attendees (The Astro Amphitheater). Mammoth, Inc., out of Kansas City and 1% Productions manage the facility’s bookings. If you follow them on the socials or their new website, you’ve already heard who will be among the first bands playing at the Astro:
Aug. 30 — Rick Springfield, The Hooters, Paul Young and Tommy Tutone, outdoors
Sept. 16 — Beth Hart, inside
Sept. 21 — Ancient Aliens Live, inside
Sept. 23 — Goo Goo Dolls and Fitz & the Tantrums, outdoors
Sept. 24 — Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band, inside
Sept. 30 — The Gaslight Anthem, inside
Oct. 5 — Dropkick Murphys, The Interrupters and Jesse Ahern, outdoors
Carmen Stalker from Mammoth said the Astro will “have a wide range of musical genres, including rock, alt rock, country, bluegrass, and more.” I’m trying to line up an interview with whomever will be the facility’s primary booker for a story similar to what I wrote about Steelhouse, here.
Like Steelhouse, it may be too early to say what kind of bands The Astro will book, though if this initial lineup is any indication, I have a feeling they might be after the same sort of bands that Stir Cove traditionally has booked. Stir is handled by Live Nation, and the last show I attended there was Beck way back in September 2017. Time will tell.
By the way, Astro has yet to announce its “grand opening” festivities. You’d think, like Steelhouse, who sort of seems to be among their chief competition, they’ll want to start off with a bang, like their sold out Killers show. Hold onto your hats.
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Tim Kasher of Cursive performing at Sokol Underground June 3, 2000.
Speaking of sold out shows, tonight at The Waiting Room its Cursive performing Domestica in its entirety. Hard to believe that album came out 23 years ago. If the show follows the same set list the band played last weekend in Dallas and Austin, expect the performance to be broken into four parts, with an initial set of three songs, followed by Domestica, then a set of five songs followed by an encore. That’s a long-ass show.
Opening is Neva Dinova, which appears to consist of members of Cursive joining Jake Bellows, but this being Omaha, anything could happen. This one’s been sold out for a long time – even your poor, lowly scribe didn’t manage to get a ticket. If you’re going, the fun starts at 8 p.m.
Frank Kozik, who it was announced yesterday passed away last Saturday at the age of 61, was the seminal concert poster artist who captured an era with his colorful style. I only know him through his work, which includes a poster that’s in a lot of Omaha practice spaces, music rooms and (in my case) home offices.
Tim Moss of the band Ritual Device gave me the above Kozik-designed poster after I interviewed his band at his mid-town home located around 48th St. in Dundee in support of the show it promoted. Listed on the poster are many of the bands that defined that era in Nebraska music, which would be so influential in the coming years. What a show that was. What a poster.
Goodbye, Frank, and thanks for the fluorescent memories.
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Yesterday Bright Eyes announced the third wave of releases as part of their ongoing “Companion” project. Cassadaga, The People’s Key and Noise Floor (Rarities 1998-2005) will be reissued by Dead Oceans on June 16. In conjunction with each rerelease will be the release of a Companion EP with new recordings. Each companion contains six or seven songs that include new versions of songs on the source album as well as covers, like the one below of Prince’s “When You Were Mine,” and artist contributions from Johanna and Klara Söderberg of First Aid Kit, Gillian Welch and Alynda Segarra of Hurray for the Riff Raff. Preorder here.
For me, Cassadaga, released in 2007 by Saddle Creek Records, was the last seminal Bright Eyes album and stands right up there among their best, while People’s Key, released in 2011, would end up being the last BE release on Saddle Creek. The band continues to tour supporting these rereleases and their last original LP, Down in the Weeds Where the World Once Was, (2020, Dead Ocean).
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Tonight at Reverb Lounge Chicago band Deeper headlines. The band recently signed to Sub Pop, who released their debut single on the label, “Sub,” last month. Joining them tonight are two Omaha up-and-comers, Bad Self Portraits and Pagan Athletes. Not bad for a Wednesday night. $15, 8 p.m.
It starts tonight with Benson First Friday (#BFF), featuring a world of art all along Maple Street. If you’re going, stop by Ming Toy Gallery 6066 Maple St., and check out the opening for John Dennison featuring nearly 30 of his amazingly weird stoneware masks. Hours are 6 to 9 p.m. Pop in and say hi.
Afterward (if it’s late) head on down to The Sydney in Benson for a three-band bill featuring Omaha electronic psychobilly legend Solid Goldberg a.k.a. Dave Goldberg, whose one-man show is a work of art. Also on the bill is Omaha trip-hop act ZUNEG and the Doom Choir and Chicago’s Baron Von Future. $10, 9 p.m.
Another show tonight, this one with a Cinco de Mayo flair, is a five-band bill headlined by Las Cruxes with bands Glue, Trees with Eyes, Kansas City band Oxytoxin and Frog is in the Rain. They’re calling it Cinco de Mayo at Razor Wire Productions, 1808 Vinton Street. No cover, but donations suggested. All ages, with the first band starting at 6:30 p.m.
Saturday night it’s back to fabulous O’Leaver’s for David Nance and Mowed Sound. Nance is hands down the best psych garage rock band from ‘round these parts. He releases his stuff on Trouble in Mind Records, and will be opening for label mates En Attendant Ana, an electric folk rock band from Paris. Not to be missed. $10, 9 p.m.
Also Saturday night, our indie rock friends from the PNW, Built to Spill, return to The Waiting Room. They’re out touring When The Wind Forgets Your Name, their 2022 self-release LP that’s a real return to form for a band that’s been kicking around for a couple decades. Opening is Albuquerque quartet Prism Bitch and Spokane punk glammers Itchy Kitty. That’s a lot of rock for $30. Starts at 8 p.m.
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Hey, did I mention it’s also Bandcamp Friday? This is the best day to buy music online from your favorite artists because Bandcamp is waiving their fees (and some labels do, too), which means all the money goes to the artists. Here are my “picks of the litter” of local releases for consideration of your hard-earned rubles:
Matt Whipkey is back with a tribute to The Beatles’ Rubber Soul album called Gummi Soul: Another Rubber. Backed by members if his old band, The Movies, Matt has created a complete “reimagining of every song from the Beatles iconic 1965 LP.” Among them, the track below, “Michelle,” mixed by Stephen Hague (producer of Pet Shop Boys, Pere Ubu, New Order among others) and featuring Omaha legend Stephen Sheehan (Digital Sex, The World, Between the Leaves) on lead vocals. Pre-order here, and check out the album release show next Saturday at The Jewell.
The man who needs no introduction, Dereck Higgins, is joined by trumpet player Blake DeForest and guitarist Cubby Phillips on The Muse, a 15-track jazzy, ambient journey that during its quieter times reminds me of Pat Metheny. Buy the CD here.
Not local, but with local ties — No Coast is a record label run by former Omahan Bobby Hussy. His new project is called Wristwatch, and they’re dropping their new album, II, next week. You can preorder it here.
That’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend.
My bit of advice to you, the indie music fan: If you have a chance to go to a show when it’s happening, you better go. It’s no secret that, despite having more music venues than ever, fewer indie rock tours are coming through Omaha these days. If you don’t go to one of them happening tonight, who knows when you’ll get another chance.
Tonight’s pretty loaded for shows. The best of the bunch is at The Waiting Room where The New Pornographers return. The band’s latest, Continue as a Guest, is their Merge Records debut and includes contributions from A.C. Newman, Neko Case, Kathryn Calder, John Collins, Todd Fancey and Joe Seiders. New Pornos regular Dan Bejar only provides “co-writes” on this one, which means you won’t be seeing Bejar on stage with the band tonight.
Opening the show is dreamy NYC band Wild Pink, whose latest LP, ILYSM, was released last October on Royal Mountain. Really pretty stuff that reminds me of Nick Drake or early Iron & Wine. 8 p.m., $35.
Also tonight, Brooks Nielsen, former lead singer to So Cal indie band The Growlers, headlines tonight at The Slowdown. The Growlers was one of the surf bands caught up in the whole Burger Records controversy in 2020. Nielsen’s solo work is more synthy but still has some sunset California touches. No opener listed. Starts at 8 p.m. in the big room. $35.
Meanwhile, down at The Sydney in Benson tonight (Friday), Specter Poetics headlines a show that also includes New Obsessions and Jeff in Leather. $10, 9 p.m.
As for the rest of the weekend, well, like I said, get it in tonight because who knows when you’ll get another chance to see a live indie music. Have a great weekend!
First off, I thought The Hard Times only published Onion-like parody articles about the indie and punk lifestyle. Then last week these two article showed up, both well written, though their content (and opinions) were a bit sketchy.
The first was “Every Bright Eyes Album Ranked.” At the bottom is A Collection of Songs Written… the collection of very early Bright Eyes tracks, many written and recorded when Conor was in middle school (or younger), and they sound that way. I can’t quibble with this opinion. The collection was for completists only.
At the top of the list: 2000’s Fevers and Mirrors. Says writer Corey Montgomery, “If anyone ever tells you this album isn’t the best one, politely tell them to eat shit and die. Just be sure to turn around before they see the single tear running down your cheek.” So yeah, maybe this article was a joke after all, though Corey certainly has listened to these records before.
Of course his ranking is wrong, imho. He has Lifted… listed in the six hole, saying it “feels overcooked and desperate to please.” In fact, along with I’m Wide Away It’s Morning, ranked No. 2, will stand as Bright Eyes’ magnum opus(es).
A few days later, Mr. Montgomery ranked “every Cursive album” and while he got No. 9 correct (2012’s I Am Gemini is, uh, a difficult listen), he ranked 2007’s Happy Hollow No. 1, and with a straight face said “Not enough can be said about this record’s accidental timelessness.” While I can get behind this pick — Happy Hollow is a great record — everyone knows The Ugly Organ is the top classic, followed closely by Domestica, which most others would place in the first spot.
If you’ve never heard Domestica performed live, btw, you’ll get a chance May 16 at The Waiting Room — that is if you have a ticket. The show sold out a long time ago.
One of my all time favorite albums is Damien Jurado’s 1999 album Rehearsals for Departure. I think I lucked into it via a random CD promo mailing sent by his label back in the day and for the longest time, the song “Ohio” made it onto my mix tapes.
Jurado’s latest album, Sometimes You Hurt the Ones You Hate, is pretty good, too. I’m sure you’ll hear songs off this one as well as “Ohio” (which is typically his set-opener) tonight when he plays at Reverb. Opening is Portland singer/songwriter Chris Pureka. $20, 8 p.m.
There are no indie rock shows in Omaha again this weekend. The only event worth mentioning is that this Saturday is Record Store Day. Homer’s, Vinyl Cup and Recycled Sounds are all handling RSD limited-edition merchandise. No idea if Grapefruit is participating, but if you’re out and about buying records, it’s still worth your time. R.I.P. Monster Club.
It was 19 years ago here on this website that I made the following prediction about the future of record stores:
“Independently owned and operated music chains and mom-and-pops will be forced to change their marketing strategy, targeting the high-trend must-have “collectors” and traditional audiophiles who can’t live with mp3-quality sound. Surviving stores will turn into music boutiques, handling hard-to-find limited-edition releases, obscure independent labels, box sets and music fan “gift items” such as T-shirts, posters and assorted memorabilia. And when technology barriers are overcome — eventually allowing for quick, manageable CD-quality downloads — they’ll quit selling pop CDs altogether.”
Well, 19 years later, the prediction is mostly true. With all music readily available online, record stores really are now boutique shops designed to cater to collectors moreso than to people actually trying to discover new music. The last part of that prediction — about the death of CDs — also was true… for awhile. Now CDs — like cassettes — are back as another collectors’ item rather than a necessary vessel for listening to music.
I’ve always thought RSD was cool if only as a way to bring fans together to celebrate a shared hobby – just like Free Comicbook Day. Get out there and buy some vinyl! Support your local Record Stores! But make no mistake about it – if you really want to support the actual artists and musicians, buy your music online at Bandcamp during Bandcamp Fridays…
That’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend!
Omaha.com yesterday published a story that reports The Astro Theater in La Vista plans to stage its first outdoor show in late summer. Beyond the headline and the lead paragraph, there’s little if any news about the actual theater in the article, which focuses on the overall development. We used to call that “bait and switch.” That said, this is the first new “news” about the project in months. Here’s some older information about the project, which broke ground back in September 2021.
In other news, Maha announced it “sold out” its “Tier I” tickets to its July 28-29 music festival, effectively raising prices for all general admission tickets by $10 per day. Did they actually sell out or is this just the scheduled end of “early bird” pricing? Who knows. I’ve heard very little about ticket demand. Their Friday night line-up is headlined by Turnstile, while Saturday’s headliner is Big Thief. More info at Mahafestival.com
It’s been another quiet period for news and shows as we’ve appeared to fallen into another dry spot for scheduled touring indie gigs. The next 1% indie show is Damien Jurado, April 26, while the next indie show at The Slowdown is Brooks Nielsen, formerly of The Growlers, April 28. Here’s hoping things pick up in the coming weeks as the weather warms…
I don’t know what else to call weekends like this, ones where there are no shows to write about or attend. So, take-a-break weekend. In the old days, I’d suggest hanging out at The Brothers, but The Brothers ain’t there no mo’, so fill in the blank with your favorite rock ’n’ roll dive bar.
The weekend isn’t a complete washout. Sunday night New Jersey indie-punk trio Screaming Females headlines at Reverb Lounge. Their latest album, Desire Pathway (2023, Don Giovanni) got a nice write-up from Ian Cohen, the go-to punk/rock guy at Pitchfork, who called the 6.8-rated record “their most consistent album yet,” which doesn’t say anything. A better description: it’s “their most mainstream album yet.”
Here’s what I said about them when they opened up for PUP at The Waiting Room back in March 2020, the last show I went to before the dreaded COVID shutdown:
“A New Jersey power trio, their style was reminiscent of Seattle grunge with a hint of metal (by way of that guitar). The songs were powered by Mike Abbate’s base lines that laid the groundwork for Paternaster’s fretboard gymnastics. When she wasn’t playing (or when she was) frontwoman Marissa Paternoster sang with an affected style that sounded like Grace Slick channeling Eddie Vedder on melodies that weren’t terribly memorable. It’s her guitar work that I’ll remember. Why isn’t this band headlining yet?“
They are now. Also on this four-band bill are LA Latin American garage rockers Generacion Suicida, Cincinnati’s The Mimes, and Omaha’s Sazcha. 7:30, $22.
That’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend.
Well, I didn’t go to either show last night because I was busy and I’ve seen both bands countless times in the past. Here’s hoping y’all had a good time. The show calendar is looking pretty light over the next couple of weeks…
About tonight’s Black Flag show at The Waiting Room, according to the 1% website: “Black Flag will be performing 2 sets. In the first set, they will be performing their groundbreaking 1984 album “MY WAR” in its entirety. The second set will have the band performing over an hour’s worth of their most classic material.”
The line-up includes founder and only original member, Greg Ginn, on guitar and Mike Vallely on vocals. No Rollins, obviously.
8 p.m., $40, no opener.
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Yesterday, Saddle Creek Records released a new song by Neva Dinova called “Something’s Out There.” Says Saddle Creek: “Temporarily tabling their signature melancholic guitar tones for a twinkling keyboard and drum pairing, their marked shift toward exploration on this track finds its spacey home alongside an otherwise otherwordly experience.”
This track appears to be more of a Jake Bellows solo project, with Jake getting credit for vocals, electric guitar, bass, drums, percussion and keyboards. Adrienne Veerhoeven (The Anniversary, Art in Manila) provides backing vocals and keyboards. Ian McElroy (Desaparecidos, Rig. 1) produced it with Jake, and Mike Mogis mixed it. Not sure why they call this a Neva Dinova track when it’s just Jake, but maybe they just want it to tie-in to Saddle Creek’s recent reissue of the Neva catalog.
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