New York singer/songwriter Jeffrey Lewis and his band – Jeffrey Lewis & The Voltage – are doing an in-store performance tonight at Grapefruit Record in the Old Market (1125 Jackson Street). You really should go.
Lewis and his band have played Omaha a few times over the years – way back in 2013 opening for Quasi at Slowdown, and again in 2016 with David Nance at Reverb Lounge – great shows. I spoke with Lewis for that 2016 show — that interview reads like one long, run-on sentence. I’m not sure why I didn’t edit the interview more thoroughly, except for the fact that it took place on the cusp of the 2016 elections, and let’s face it, everyone’s mind was occupied with the disaster that was about to take place at the polls. Sort of like right now.
Lewis’ Rough Trade 2001 debut LP, The Last Time I Did Acid I Went Insane, captures his earliest urban folk storytelling in all its glory. But I think I actually first heard Lewis’ music when Rough Trade released 12 Crass Songs (2007, Rough Trade) –a collection of covers of ’70s English punk band Crass.
Lewis’s story-songs have the same raw, matter-of-fact narrative style and humor as my favorite underground comic book writers/artists, like R. Crumb, Daniel Clowes and Harvey Pekar. And as a matter of fact, Lewis even augments his music career with his own comic book series, Fuff — or at least he did back in 2016. I’m not sure if he still does — a lot has happened since then.
For this tour, Lewis and his band are playing as-yet-unreleased songs from an upcoming 2025 album along with “some old favorites” from his 20+ year career. Joining him tonight are touring band Grasping Straws and our very own Megan Siebe. Tickets are $20, doors at 7:30 p.m.
It’s a crazy-busy weekend, so let’s get right to it.
Chicago’s Brigitte Calls Me Baby is a throw-back act that sounds like all the ‘80s candy-pop bands you remember from MTV / Breakfast Club soundtrack. They even carry on the vampy post-glam pretty-boy look from that era, or at least frontman Wes Leavins does, affecting a faux accent on songs like “We Were Never Alive” from their ATO Records debut The Future Is Our Way Out (well, he sure doesn’t sound like he’s from Chicago). The band is on the verge, so I’m kind of surprised this show hasn’t sold out tiny Reverb Lounge, yet. Lincoln five-piece Parking Lot Party opens the show at 8 p.m. $18.
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Meanwhile, around the corner at The Waiting Room, London-based modern-post-punk band Hi Vis headlines. Like Brigitte, they also have a sort of ’80s/‘90s MTV sound (to my ears, anyway). They cite Gang of Four, Stone Roses and The Cure as influences, which kind of comes through on their latest album, Blending (2022, Dias Record). They have a new album coming out later this year. Local acts Trucha and Glow own the undercard, which starts at 8 p.m. $25.
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Also happening tonight (Friday), Slowdown has Virginia Beach dream pop band Turnover. Their 2015 album Peripheral Vision, is one of the more popular releases in mid-size indie label Run for Cover Records’ catalog. Phoenix shoegazers Glixen open, along with Texas band Glare. This one’s in the main room and starts at 8 p.m. $30.
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But wait, there’s more going on tonight! It’s the first Friday of the month which means it’s Benson First Friday (#BFF)! That means art galleries and businesses up and down Maple Street will be displaying art from local artists. That includes Ming Toy Gallery (6066 Maple St.), where we’re celebrating the opening of “Drawing the Interior” – – an exhibition of work from Toni Parker, Ariel Carrillo and Emma Geiger. The opening runs from 6 to 9 p.m. Come by, say hi, have a drink and/or snack and enjoy some great art.
One other show tonight worth your time – Lincoln band Estrogen Projection is playing tonight (Friday) at The Sydney in Benson with opener Not My Wedding. $10, 9 p.m.
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OK, moving on to Saturday!
What to say about Fontaines D.C? IYKYK, and apparently a lot of people do as the show sold out a week ago. The Irish band is on a U.S./Canadian tour that brings them to Slowdown’s big room Saturday night, supporting their new album, Romance (2024, XL Recordings), a follow-up to their 2022 breakout album, Skinty Fia. A glance at their setlist from their Sept. 30 Phoenix show indicates a 16-song set heavy on material from the last couple records, followed by a two- or three-song encore closed out by their current hit, “Starburster.”
Opening band, NYC-based Been Stellar, is supporting their debut album, Scream from New York, NY, out via Dirty Hit Records. They just came off a tour supporting The 1975 and a UK headlining tour. This one’s in the main room, starts at 8 and like I said, is SOLD OUT.
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Fontaines isn’t the only big show going on Saturday. Over at The Admiral, LA’s The Airborne Toxic Event headlines. Their new album, Glory, came out last month on Little Tokyo Records. Their biggest “hit” was “Sometime Around Midnight,” from their 2009 debut on Island. Fellow LA band Near Beer opens at 8 p.m.
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But wait, there’s more! Also Saturday night, Marty Amsler, who we all remember from ’90s Nebraska-based breakout act The Millions, has a new band called Mono in Stereo. They’re opening for Omaha band Sons of No One at Reverb Lounge. 8 p.m., $10.
And down the street at The Sydney, New Orleans-based dance-punk band Special Interest headlines. Their most recent album, Endure, came out in 2022 on Rough Trade. Lincoln leather-synth-dance-industrial dude Plack Blague opens this show at 9 p.m. $15.
Also, Indian Caves are playing a set with Notion Club and High School Dilemma at Fontenelle Supply Co., 1414 So. 13th St. $10, 7 p.m., kids and dogs are welcome!
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And if your weekend wasn’t busy enough…
Sunday is the 8th Annual Porchfest – 12 stages including Omaha Mobile Stage at Yates Illuminates, the Gifford Park Neighborhood Market stage, seven house porches, plus poetry, art, and open mic porches! We’re talking 70+ local performers including McCarthy Trenching, Midwest Dilemma, Mitch Gettman, Jeremy Mercy, B.B. Sledge and Tom Bartolomei. It starts at noon and runs all afternoon. The full schedule is here: https://porchfestoma.tumblr.com/schedule . The weather should be awesome, so check it out.
And thats all I got (Whew!). If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Is it me or do we live in a city that’s feast or famine when it comes to live indie music? Anyway, have a great weekend. .
Who remembers Fizzle Like a Flood, the bedroom project by Omaha singer/songwriter Doug Kabourek?
Turn back the hands of time to November 2000 – just 24 years ago – when Kabourek released what was arguably his masterpiece, Golden Sand and the Grandstand – a tribute to the good ol’ Aksarben thoroughbred horseracing track that used to exist in the area where Aksarben Village currently stands (Think about that the next time you watch a movie at Aksarben Cinema or dine at the Inner Rail food court!).
Kabourek circa 2000.
It was a time when Nebraska and Omaha were just emerging at the center of the indie music universe, thanks to Saddle Creek Records. Kabourek even played a role in the origins of one of the label’s most famous acts.
From a 2000 Lazy-i interview with Kabourek: Kabourek has anonymously played a role in the Omaha and Iowa City music scene for six or seven years, first jamming with the band that would become Norman Bailer (an early incarnation of The Faint). He left Todd Baechle and company after they recorded a cover of Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll.” “I didn’t think they’d get anywhere,” he said.
Oh, how wrong you were, Doug.
It was also a time when musicians were just beginning to make bedroom recordings, and Kabourek as Fizzle Like a Flood was a sterling example. The lush, sweeping sounds heard on Golden Sands were all recorded and mixed in Kabourek’s home using a small multi-track recording and a PC – quite a feat at the time.
But even more impressive was the music, which was first released (as a CDR) on boutique cassette label Unread Records, and later on Earnest Jennings. Kabourek had a knack for creating great indie pop reminiscent of acts like Sebadoh and Flaming Lips.
Over the years, Kabourek as Fizzle (and other incarnations) released more music, most only on Earnest Jennings. And now Fizzle Like a Flood is back with a new record – Black Walls and William Hall, a sort of sequel to Golden Sands about the now defunct Mystery Manor, an Omaha-based haunted house that opened in 1984. Kabourek says the “10-song album will create an immersive and positively screamadelic songscape!”
He talks about the new album and its origins on the homepage of his Kickstarter campaign. Kabourek is trying to raise $3,500 to cover the cost of pressing vinyl for the already-recorded album. He’s offering a variety of kooky and cool Kickstarter rewards for patrons, including custom coozies, art prints by Megan Thomas, artifacts from his homemade haunted house, not to mention a copy of the new record on red splatter vinyl.
The Kickstarter campaign runs through the end of the month, and as of this writing, Kabourek was already more than a 1/3 the way to his goal. Head on over and throw some money at this project. Check out a preview track of Black Walls and William Hall below.
Rule No. 1 for writing a one-sheet: Don’t just talk about the artist; tell his/her/their story and make sure it has a hook.
In New Orleans’ singer/songwriter Odie Leigh’s case, the hook involves a bet with college roommates over who would be the first to create a viral TikTok video. Leigh won with a clip for her song “Crop Circles,” which, as of this writing, has around 400,000 likes in TikTok. More impressive (especially from those of us who don’t use TikTok) is that the single, released in February 2022, has more than 7 million plays in Spotify.
Did TikTok virality lead to Leigh’s contract with indie label Mom+Pop Records? I’m sure it had something to do with it. The label just released her debut LP, Carrier Pigeon, this past July, launching Leigh on a tour that comes to Slowdown’s frontroom tonight. It’s an album of mostly self-deprecating love songs by an unsure participant who no doubt will come out on top, just as she did in that TikTok battle. Idaho singer/songwriter Valley James, whose music is inspired by the likes of Patsy Cline and Chris Isaak, opens the show at 8 pm. $25.
Also tonight, London neo-soul trio Jungle plays at The Astro Theater in La Vista. Their hit, “Back on 74,” off their latest album, Volcano (2023, AWAL), has been on constant rotation on Sirius XMU throughout the spring of summer of ’24. New Yorker hip-hop artist Bas opens the show at 8 p.m. $50-$75.
It’s the start of a busy October, show-wise. Here’s the latest calendar of touring indie bands headed our way:
Oct. 1 – Odie Leigh @ The Slowdown
Oct. 1 – Jungle @ The Astro
Oct. 4 – Brigitte Calls Me Baby @ Reverb
Oct. 4 – Turnover @ The Slowdown
Oct. 5 – Fontaines D.C. @ The Slowdown
Oct. 5 – Special Interest @ Sydney
Oct. 7 – Saturdays at Your Place @ Reverb
Oct. 8 – Boris @ The Waiting Room
Oct. 10 – MJ Lenderman & The Wind @ The Waiting Room
Oct. 10 – Melt @ The Slowdown
Oct. 12 – The Red Pears @ Reverb
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. 22 – Psychedelic Furs/Jesus and Mary Chain @ The Astro
Looks like it’s going to be another Sydney weekend…
Tonight at The Sydney in Benson, Japanese-American costumed punkers Peelander-Z take the stage. I have a friend who lives out of state who describes them as “if The Ramones and the Power Rangers had a baby. Costumes, choreography – hard to imagine them in a tiny space like Sydney.”
Meanwhile, wiki says “Peelander-Z has a complex stage act, which involves hand-written signs, costumes, and audience participation. The signs often contain the lyrics to their songs. At some of their shows they also bring people from outside of the band on stage to play their instruments as they do a stage act.”
Oh boy! It sounds like The Sydney is the perfect place for this show. 9 p.m., $15.
Meanwhile, The Waiting Room has the more serious folk of Shovels & Rope. The husband and wife team of Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst are on the road playing songs off their new album, Something Is Working Up Above My Head (Dualtone), which “finds Hearst and Trent leaning heavier into the rock and punk roots that have always been foundational to the signature sound.” Al Olender opens the show at 8 p.m. $30.
Tomorrow night (Saturday) it’s back to The Sydney for Wichita “post-bubblegrunge” band Breeding Brainbow. Their latest EP, Or Do You Hate Me, came out last November on Shiprek Records. Providing support is our very own Bad Self Portraits and Uh Oh. $10, 9 p.m.
And that’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend.
A few notes to pass along from the in-box (and other places)…
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In addition to releasing a new album with his band Cursive, Tim Kasher has a new feature-length horror film about to make the festival rounds called Who’s Watching.
“Who’s Watching is a story I first conceived way back in 2010, as I had yet to see a movie approach the stalker trope from this particular angle,” Kasher said in an article in horror film blog Bloody Disgusting. “After passing the script around to little interest, I set it aside before returning to it around 2018, realizing that STILL no one had told this story in such a fashion. A few bumpy years followed (as well as a pandemic) but we eventually got it shot in late summer of 2023, in and around Omaha, Nebraska where I was born and raised.”
The film was written and directed by Kasher, who also composed the film’s music. While it doesn’t have a release date, Who’s Watching will be shown at Beyond Fest and the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival. Can a world premiere at Film Streams be far behind?
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Has Saddle Creek Records’ high-flying act Indigo De Souza left our hometown label? In a surprise move last week (to me, anyway) De Souza released her new EP, Wholesome Evil Fantasy, via Loma Vista Recordings. If you go to the Loma Vista website you’ll find plenty of Indigo De Souza content. However, click to Indigo’s personal website and she still lists Saddle Creek as her label contact. Hmm?
The 3-song electro-pop auto-tuner-driven EP is a departure from the usual indie-rock heard on De Souza’s past Saddle Creek releases. Is this a one-off experiment or a permanent change of pace (and change of label) for one of Saddle Creek’s most popular artists?
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Post-Omaha singer/songwriter Anna McClellan announced last week via Terrorbird PR that her new album, Electric Bouquet, will be released Oct. 25 via Father/Daughter Records.
Co-produced with long-time collaborator Ryan McKeever and ARC Studios engineer Adam Roberts, the album was recorded both in Baltimore and Omaha. “While writing the album, Anna attended trade school, apprenticing to become an electrician to escape the service industry grind and secure a foundational career alongside music. Eager to break free from Omaha, she decided to take her newfound electrical skills to pursue a career in the film industry in Los Angeles, CA where she’s now based,” reads the one-sheet.
The 11-track LP includes a send-off of sorts to her hometown — “the grungy “Omaha” sees McClellan delving into her complex relationship with her hometown, navigating between identity, sense of place, and self-groundedness: ‘Wilting til I rot / Is it me or is it Omaha?’”
Check out the video for the first single, “Endlessly,” released Sept. 10…
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Tonight at Slowdown Cinci band WHY? headlines on the frontroom stage. Check out the Ten Questions survey taken by frontman Yoni Wolf before you head down to the show. Joining them is Chicago multiple instrumentalist/songwriter NNAMDÏ (Secretly Canadian Records). $25, 8 p.m.
Tonight at Slowdown, local alt/indie band Indian Caves is hosting their album release party for their new album, The Song Becomes the Curse.
Fronted by singer/guitarist Leslie Wells (ex-Flyover Country) with Joe Ranne (Arbor Vitae, The Atlas) on guitars; Dan Krueger (Someday Stories, Fine Fine Automobiles, Coyote Bones) on bass/synths; and Kyle Moeller (Adam Weaver and the Ghosts, Saltwater Sanctuary) on drums/synths, the album pushes more toward alt than indie, recalling mid-era Smashing Pumpkins. Wells even (at times) has ol’ baldy’s snarl, especially on album standouts, “Joanne” and “Math.” In fact, the entire back half of the 7-track, 35-minute LP reminds me of Mellon Collie anthems, though Caves pushes the prog envelope on 8-plus-minute “Seeds.”
Krueger said the album was a true DIY effort, recorded in homes and rehearsal spaces throughout Omaha by edge-pushing genius Ian Aeillo. It’s a digital-only release for now, but Wells said they hope to press vinyl “down the road.”
Joining Indian Caves tonight at Slowdown’s front room are Dear Neighbor and Mild Temps, and Krueger said watch out for a special guest as well. $12, 8 p.m.
Also tonight (Friday), local indie band Bug Heaven is hosting a farewell show at Reverb Lounge because one of the band members is moving to Philadelphia. Helping say goodbye is opening band Ghostlike. $10, 9 p.m.
Tomorrow night (Saturday) is the big Built to Spill show at The Waiting Room. It’s the There’s Nothing Wrong with Love 30th Anniversary Tour, so expect to hear the album performed in its entirety (and in track order), along with random career selections as the encore (including “Time Trap”). Get there early to see seminal ‘90s indie band Quasi, who, having seen B2S too many times, is the real draw for me (Featuring ‘Birds’ is one of my all-time favorite albums, though it looks like they’re only doing “You Fucked Yourself” from that album on this tour). $30, 8 p.m.
And that’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend.
The day has arrived: Tonight at Ming Toy Gallery, 6066 Maple Street in Benson, singer/songwriter/author David Dondero performs music and reads from his new novel, Chaos the Cat.
– This is a limited-capacity engagement – only 40 people will be allowed in. Showtime is 7 p.m. We’ll be there after 6 p.m. preparing the space, so arrive early and check out the art.
– There are no pre-show ticket sales. A $15 donation is requested at entry, but for $25 you’ll also get a copy of the book. A big, burly, very tough bouncer will be at the door (named Craig).
– Ming Toy doesn’t provide seating. We’ll have some fold-out stools available (courtesy of BFF), but bring your own chair if you want to guarantee the ability to sit down. Or sit on the floor. Or stand.
– The program consists of music, then reading, then Q&A (moderated by the very tall Rob Walters) followed by more music. Not sure how long it’ll last but it’ll definitely wrap up by 10.
– BYOB. We’ll have a cooler of ice water on hand.
– Check out the art! The current show is called “Vox Humana” and is curated by Mari Dailey. Here’s a brief video that explains the show. If you want more info or want to purchase anything, see me or Teresa.
Need more info? Click here. Should be a tons of fun. See you tonight!
It’s been a quiet last few weeks in terms of college/indie music and now this weekend we’re confronted with a “midwest dilemma” in the form of multiple shows happening at the same time. Ah, decisions, decisions…
The primary log-jam is tonight. Over at the Benson Theater it’s the return of Midwest Dilemma, which is celebrating the release of a new album 13 years in the making, titled Searching for the Cure for Loneliness, which I previewed here. Expect an army of musicians on stage with frontman Justin Lamoureux – he said he hopes to have more than 12 musicians playing with him for this show. It’ll be like a full-on Benson folk reunion, as post-Omaha singer/songwriters Kyle Harvey and Brad Hoshaw will open the show, which starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $18 via the Benson Theater website.
Meanwhile, downtown at The Slowdown, Omaha indie legends Neva Dinova celebrates the release of their new album, Canary, which actually doesn’t come out until Sept. 27 on Saddle Creek Records. No matter, as the band likely will be playing it in its totality. I’ve heard an advance of this record and it already owns a place on my best of 2024 list. Opening for Neva are Omaha acts Size Queen and Mike Saklar’s The Sun-Less Trio. $25, 8 p.m.
Choose wisely…
But that’s not the end of your choices this weekend. Saturday is pretty packed as well.
Indie folk royalty Gillian Welch & David Rawlings are headlining at The Astro in La Vista Saturday night. Their latest, Woodland (2024, Acony Records) scored a massive 8.0 from Pitchfork, and yeah, it’s a beaut. Tickets are $55-$102. Starts at 8 p.m. with no listed openers.
Meanwhile, two festivals are happening Saturday.
Tomorrow afternoon from 2 to 5 p.m. the Little Bohemia District is hosting its annual Little Bo Backyard Bash. The event is located at 1408 S. 13th Street, and is one of the most chill neighborhood events I’ve attended. This year, the music line-up is first-rate with Saving Fiona, McCarthy Trenching, Head of Femur and Left Handed Country. Food trucks, beer trucks and other stuff. No cost listed, which tells me it’s free (it was last year). More info here.
Then tomorrow night at The Waiting Room its Fletchival: A Benefit for Vic Fletcher. Vic has been a beloved fixture of the Omaha music scene for decades, and this benefit concert will help raise money as she battles ongoing health challenges. Performing at Fletchival: Bryan Poole, The Mercurys, The Album Party, Bad Bad Men, Filter Kings, Damones, and Midwest Dead Coalition. $20, starts at 5 p.m.
And that’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend!
Okay, two shows worth mentioning this weekend, both happening tonight.
Down at Slowdown’s frontroom, Psymon Spine headlines. I never heard of this New York band prior to bumping into the listing this morning while perusing the Slowdown website. The core members — Noah Prebish, Peter Spears and Brother Michael — have collaborated with the likes of Joe Goddard of Hot Chip and Nick Millhiser of LCD Soundsystem and Holy Ghost. Their dance-punk sound reminds me of DFA acts like The Rapture, and their latest, Head Body Connector, released by Northern Spy Records in February, carries on that tradition. Opening act Wedding is Anna Schulte, who was backed by Nate Van Fleet, Michael Frederickson, Ben Brodin and Nick Costa on her 2023 recordings. Sgt. Leisure also is on the bill. Just $15. Bring your dancing shoes.
Meanwhile, at The Astro Amphitheater in La Vista, Aussie experimental psych-proggers King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard headlines. Very Lips-ian. You might remember the show’s opener, NYC’s Geese, who played a drummer-less set at the 2022 Maha Music Festival. $50-$99, 7 p.m.
Oh yeah, and I almost forgot – It’s Benson First Friday! If you’re in the Benson area tonight, drop by Ming Toy Gallery (6066 Maple) where we’re hosting Vox Humana, a special art show curated by Mari Dailey that features art from 14 local artists including Jamie Burmeister, Anna Stoysich, Mike Eggert and Eduardo Gardea. The opening runs from 6 to 9 p.m.
And that’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend!
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