by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

T’was a busy weekend. If you’re looking for the review of the Whipkey/America concert, it was published yesterday, here.

The weekend kicked off with David Nance Band at Reverb Lounge… actually, Nance said he doesn’t want to use that name anymore. I’m not sure if he’s kidding or not, but (maybe) look out for a new band name sometime in the near future.

The gig celebrated the release of his new album, Pulverized & Slightly Peaced, which came out last Friday on Philly label Petty Bunco Records. That said, the performance went well beyond that album’s material, with Nance and Co. playing songs from a number of past records.

The set’s highlight was an amazing version of “Credit Line,” which appears in a more deconstructed, low-fi version on the new record. The version performed Friday night was absolutely killer, and is begging (or I’m begging) to be properly recorded and released. The heart of the sound was the band’s rhythm section, consisting of drummer Kevin Donahue and bassist Dereck Higgins, but the soul came from Nance trading punches with fellow guitarist Jim Schroeder.

Among the night’s openers was Nathan Ma and the Guitars. I’m a fan of Ma’s music, especially his recent singles (here’s hoping he’s pulling them together for a proper album).

Backed by a stellar ensemble that included Tom May on guitar, Jon Cobb on bass, Billy Lieberman on percussion and Colin Duckworth on pedal steel, Ma writes and sings music that lies somewhere between country barroom and ’60s baroque, Flying Burrito Brothers meets The Byrds, with multiple guitar lines weaving in and out of dreamy, mid-tempo melodies sung in Ma’s soft, sweet mew (which, at times, got lost in the mix).

Lieberman’s minimal percussion (mostly bongos) and Duckworth’s warm, layered pedal steel really set the tone, but when all the guitars got into a meticulous groove, it was mesmerizing.

This was one of the largest crowds I’ve seen at Reverb since the pandemic, btw…

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It’s a busy week of touring shows, so get your Red Bull ready:

• — it’s David Dondero and Craig Dee at Pageturners.
• — Wednesday, Man Man at The Waiting Room.
• — Thursday, Neko Case at The Waiting Room.
• — Friday, Helmet at The Waiting Room. This one has been postponed.

But then the weekend falls off a cliff….

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2022 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Before we get to the weekend, remember when I created this ‘Post-Pandemic Nebraska Indie Band List of 2022”? Well, The Reader’s “Music Issue” is on the newsstands now, and the list has made it into that esteemed publication, along with an explainer. I’ve also made a few adjustments to the list, and linked every band to their respective Bandcamp page (if they have one).

Go take a look! This is what replaced the Top 20 list this year, and why not? Because all these bands deserve to be in a Top 20 for surviving the pandemic…

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Now, let’s get to the weekend…

Tonight at Reverb Lounge David Nance Band celebrates the release of their new album, Pulverized and Slightly Peaced. Recorded in early 2017, the album, available on vinyl, is a collection of home-recorded originals that were spit-shined to become the album Peaced & Slightly Pulverized, that was released a few years ago by Trouble in Mind Records.

From the Bandcamp description of the new album: “Conceived and recorded within a single work week, with our blue-collar Nance setting up all the microphones, playing all the instruments, and riding all the faders, Pulverized & Slightly Peaced contains all the elements that we at Petty Bunco admire in music: the tried and true Rn’R instruments lovingly misused to create a vital ragged sound dripping with personality and verve.”

So, an album of demoes? Outtakes? I actually don’t know because I’m only now listening to it this morning. The album includes a 20-minute version of “Amethyst,” which I assume will take up most of (if not all) of side 2. Check it out and order the record here. Performing with Nance and his band is the amazing Nathan Ma and the Guitars, and opener Kyle Jessen. 9 p.m., $10.

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Also tonight, there’s a punk rock show at The Sydney with Nowhere, Living Conditions and a “Special Guest.” Who could it be? Go and find out! 10 p.m. $10.

Tomorrow night (Saturday), indie alt-country acts Cactus Blossoms headlines at Reverb Lounge with Esther Rose, another twanger whose music is released on respected indie label Father/Daughter Records. I got a strange feeling that this will be one of those shows where you say in a few years that you saw these bands on the tiny Reverb stage before they were big. $20, 8 p.m.

And here’s some bonus coverage: Local singer/songwriter Matt Whipkey will be opening for legacy FM radio freedom-rock band America at The Holland Performing Arts Center Saturday night. This is the first time Matt has played the Holland stage, where he’ll be accompanied by his old wingman Scott Gaeta for the performance.

When checking out this show, I tapped through America’s catalog on Spotify. I thought their only hit was “Horse with No Name,” but America actually has, like, a dozen hits, including one of my all-time FM radio faves, “Daisy Jane.” 7 p.m., tix range from $39 to $99.

That’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend!

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2022 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Quick like bunny!

Tonight at The Sydney in Benson, Nashville’s Thelma and the Sleaze headline. The band is “an all-female, queer, southern-rock and roll band” according to Spotify. Their latest, 2020’s Sacred as Hell, was released by DryerBaby Records. Lincoln’s Universe Contest and our very own Pagan Athletes open at 8 p.m. $15!

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2022 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Lincoln Calling yesterday announced the line-up for this year’s festival, to be held Sept. 22-24 in venues throughout the downtown Lincoln metroplex, including Duffy’s, Zoo Bar, Bodega’s Alley, 1867 Bar, and the big stages — The Bourbon, the outdoor Night Market and Duffy’s Backlot.

The headliner is Pennsylvania pop-punkers The Menzingers, whose latest, 2020’s From Exile, was released on Epitaph. Other notable touring indie acts include The Velveteers, whose last album, 2021’s Nightmare Daydream, was produced by Dan Auerbach; and surf punk act Together Pangea. Just as interesting is the selection of local talent, which includes David Nance Band, BIB, M34n Str33t, Cat Piss and Uh Oh.

But wait, there’s more. “A second wave of over 20 additional acts… will be announced in July,” says the LC folks. Tix go on sale to the general public Friday for $55 “with a limited quantity available at that price.” When those are gone, tix are $65. And day passes will be sold in July. More info including the full list of bands is at LincolnCalling.com.

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Hey, just a head’s up if you (literally) didn’t get the memo — that Chvrches show that was originally slated for The Admiral tonight has been moved to The Bourbon in Lincoln. I’m trying to save you a trip down to South Omaha for nothing.

BTW, The Admiral folks have begun posting photos of the newly remodeled space, and it’s looking very nice indeed. Again, will it be ready for Bright Eyes July 2-3?

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Well, the College World Series gets underway this week. In addition to making downtown Omaha a cluster, it means that The Slowdown will be essentially “show-less” for the next two weeks. Slowdown’s next scheduled show is Lilly July 1. I don’t begrudge The Slowdown for putting up the beer tents and booking the cover bands for the next two weeks and taking home as much of CWS fans’ disposable income as possible…

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2022 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

After a long weekend of shows, the Sydney in Benson keeps the hits coming. Tonight at the Sydney, Industrial noise act Compactor headlines. Their description via Bandcamp:

“COMPACTOR is comprised of mostly obsolete machinery, manipulated by an anonymous figure known as The Worker for the Waste MGT corporation. The sounds of the machinery form soundtracks to the daily grind in the urban wasteland. Each Audio Work Document has a different subject and corresponding sonic focus, often some aspect of work and/or technology.”  

Opening tonight’s show is Lil Vo1d, a new project by Shawn Foree of Digital Leather. No idea what this entails, but if I had to guess I’d say it’s probably another one-man electronic project . FLT RTH also is on the bill.

$10, 9 p.m.

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2022 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Where did the week go? Sorry about the lack of updates, but I was supposed to be on vacation over my birthday (thanks for the birthday wishes via Facebook), but Delta Airlines had other plans and I never made it out of Omaha. And since last weekend, things have been pretty quiet show-wise.

News-wise, the June 23 Neko Case show slated for The Admiral has been moved to The Waiting Room, again because of “construction delays.” Ticket sales must have been slow, as TWR only has about 1/3 the capacity of the Admiral. Should make for an intimate gig (incidentally, Case is requiring patrons wear masks in the club).

Still no official word on when The Admiral will have its grand opening. The June 13 Tech N9n3 show at The Admiral has been rescheduled, while the June 15 Chvrches Admiral show has been moved to The Bourbon in Lincoln. The next shows slated for Admiral — the July 2 and 3 Bright Eyes concerts.

Today, via The Admiral Facebook page: “We are getting so close! The water main break is all cleaned up, the paint is drying, shipments are arriving, barware, sound, & lighting are getting unboxed, inspections are happening…. and we have loads of dusting to do! It’s almost time!!!” Fingers crossed.

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Which brings us to the weekend, much of it to be spent at The Sydney in Benson.

Tonight at The Syd it’s a triple post-punk bill headlined by double-bass madmen Violenteer, with Mere Shadows and Hussies. For whatever reason, The Sydney doesn’t list ticket prices, so I can’t tell you what it’ll cost at the door (but it’s probably around $10). I can tell you it starts at 9 p.m.

Saturday night, indie punk Jeff Rosenstock (Arrogant Sons of Bitches, Bomb the Music Industry!) headlines at The Slowdown. His latest, Ska Dream, was released last year on Polyvinyl, though he’s most well known for his 2018 album, POST-. His set list from last Monday’s show in Seattle (thankfully) implies he may be playing mostly songs off 2020’s No Dream. NNAMDI and Catbite open at 8 p.m. $20 (main room!).

Then Sunday night it’s back to The Sydney for headliner PAGOTO (members of L.A. Witch) with the inimitable Solid Goldberg and Omaha’s top Spanish-language punk band, Las Cruxes. $10, 8 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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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2022 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

That Phoebe Bridgers show sounded pretty good… from my back yard a mile away. There are surprisingly few photos from last night’s show in social media, but what I saw looked fun. When is she going to stop forcing her band to wear those creepy skeleton costumes?

I’m out of town this weekend, so here’s a sneak peek at the best indie shows I see on the calendar while I’m away.

Tonight Los Angeles indie band Lo Moon plays at Reverb Lounge. These folks weren’t always indie — their debut album was released on Columbia Records, but their latest, A Modern Life (2022) was released on Thirty Tigers. I’d definitely classify this four-piece as a dream-pop act, their sound has that glitter, warm, mid-tempo underwater vibe. Duluth alt rockers Social Animals opens at 8 p.m. $15.

Tomorrow night (Friday) it’s Benson First Friday — you know what that means — art all along the Benson booze walk (info here). Of course The Sydney always celebrates BFF and this month is no exception. The three-band bill is headlined by Lightning Stills, with Ojai opening and the exceptional Minne Lussa in the center slot. 9 p.m., $10.

Back at The Sydney Saturday night, it’s the hard stuff with metal bands Stronghold, Living Conditions and Wretchgod. bring yer earplugs. $8, 9 p.m.

If you’re wondering what the barricades are for in Benson on Saturday, it’s time for the annual Benson Beer Fest. Looks like it’s only booze and no bands. Drink up!

BTW, The Band Camino show slated for The Admiral Saturday night has been moved to Bourbon Theatre in Lincoln. And the wait for the grand opening of The Admiral continues…

Sunday night, Reverb has rockers The Dylan Doyle Band. Opening is pop punk act Blondo, fronted by Alex Malnack. $10, 8 p.m.

Meanwhile, down the street at The Sydney, it’s a mixed bag of post- bands headlined by Lawrence slowcore act Flooding. Joining them are local heroes No Thanks and Cat Piss (who is just coming off a tour). The Sydney has provided no details on this show — neither price nor start time. I guess just show up and keep your fingers crossed!

If you’re looking for info on that Little Brazil album release show that was slated for June 4, it’s been moved to August 26.

That’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend.

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2022 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

The big Phoebe Bridgers show is tonight outside on Military Ave. next to Reverb. They call it “The Waiting Room Outdoors” but they should really call it “Reverb Outdoors” since that’s where it is — outside of Reverb, on Military Ave.

Look, this show has been sold out for months; I think it literally sold out in a matter of days. I saw Bridgers three years ago (Has it really been that long?) when she played alongside Conor Oberst in Better Oblivion Community Center and that was a great show. I’ve seen Oberst perform at least a few dozen times since he was 16 and it was the happiest I’ve seen him on stage. These days Oberst is so pissed off with the world that he’s walking off stage and leaving his band high and dry two songs into sets (in Houston), so I guess the happy days are over.

Not so for Phoebe. Nothing bothers the bride to be. Expect a lively show tonight performed in front of a crowd of young female fans and their boyfriends, sort of like a Taylor Swift concert, though Bridgers’ music is more indie than Swift’s pop candy. Or I should say, Bridgers’ “song” is. As much as I like Bridgers, most of her music sounds the same, and it doesn’t help that her mewing vocal style and phrasing never vary. So yeah, I like Phoebe’s song, but I liked BOCC’s songs more.

The mystery is whether Bridgers will acknowledge the elephant in the room and say something about Oberst from stage. My money is on a veiled reference to Saddle Creek Records’ music/bands “which I grew up on and love,” and so on. Poor Conor.

Opening the show tonight is Charlie Hickey, whose debut album, Nervous at Night, was released by Bridgers’ Saddest Factory label (a boutique imprint of Dead Oceans). This is indie bordering on pop. In some ways he reminds me of Christian Lee Hutson, though Hutson has a more mature and realized folk sound, which makes sense since Hickey looks like he’s 18 while Hutson is 31. Hutson, btw, is opening for Bridgers for two weeks of PNW dates in late August, following his own summer tour that takes him nowhere near Omaha.

BTW, tonight is No Vax No Entry, so bring your evidence or you’re not getting in. Show starts at 7.

Sorry to say I’m going to miss this show as I’m headed out of town. Let me know how it went. I’ll try to post a weekend preview before I split…

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2022 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

It was probably a good thing that Belle & Sebastian didn’t play at The Admiral after all, judging by the audience size Saturday night at The Slowdown. It was a good-sized crowd, but far from a sellout, and a crowd that would have looked absolutely tiny on the massive Admiral floor.

The smaller crowd made for a more intimate setting for the band to roll out a nice selection of old chestnuts and new tunes off their just-released album, A Bit of Previous (2022, Matador). Stuart Murdoch handled almost all the vocal chores throughout the night, seated behind a keyboard when he wasn’t grooving with a microphone. Sarah Martin, who usually shares vocals (when she’s not playing violin) was absent due to an “unspeakable illness,” which was implied to be COVID-19, and while the violin parts were picked up by someone else, her vocals weren’t, and they were missed. No doubt her absence impacted the set list.

Despite all that, the 9-person band sounded great while videos similar to the mod stylish album artwork played behind them on a big screen. Set highlights included new songs “Unnecessary Drama” (their catchiest song in years) and “Young and Stupid,” and old faves “She’s Losing It” and “The Boy with the Arab Strap,” which got the mostly older crowd singing along. The three-song encore (really two-and-a-half songs) closed with a rousing version of “Judy and the Dream of Horses.”

It was a fun night, but I’m still waiting for my first show at the new Admiral (former Sokol Aud). The next show slated for Admiral is The Band Camino on Sunday night, and the next indie show is CHVRCHES June 15. Will the venue be ready?

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2022 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Before we get to the weekend, a handful of notable new releases came out today or this past week. If you’re buying, you may want to wait until next Friday for your purchase as it’ll be Bandcamp Friday (June 3)…

Dead Letters, the new project by Koly Walter, Brian Byrd (Well Aimed Arrows) and Mark Johnson, dropped the first song from their upcoming debut LP, Songs from Center, which is slated for a vinyl release Aug. 15. Check out the track below and preorder the vinyl here.

PROBLEMS, the new project from Darren Keen (The Show Is the Rainbow), has a new full-length album out today called This Is Working Out, released on the world-famous Orange Milk Records label. Darren takes the infectious style of electronic music to new levels. Mesmerizing. Buy the cassette here.

And Bright Eyes today released the first wave of their reissues series on Dead Oceans, A Collection of Songs Written and Recorded 1995-1997, Letting Off the Happiness and Fevers and Mirrors. Each comes with a “companion” recording of five reworked songs, of note is a cover of Simon Joyner’s “Double Joe,” and Lullaby for the Working Class’ “Hypnotist (Song for Daniel. H).”

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Let’s get to the weekend…

Tonight at The Sydney in Benson Specter Poetics (an electronic project by Jack McLaughlin) is playing along with a mystery band called Sack Religious (I asked Zach who they were and all he could tell me was he thinks they’re from Canada — I think he’s holding back because it’s his birthday). This is listed as starting at 11:30, and no price info, so you’re on your own.

Tomorrow night (Saturday) is the big Belle & Sebastian show at The Slowdown (originally slated for the new Admiral, but had to be moved because they’re still working on construction). The set list from last night’s show at the Riviera in Chicago indicates this will be the usual mix of old faves along with songs from their new album, A Bit of Previous (Matador). As of this writing, tickets were still available for $35. Our very own Steady Wells opens the show at 8 p.m.

Also Saturday night, Brooklyn band The Antlers is headlining at The Waiting Room. Their latest full-length is Green to Gold, released last year on Anti-. John Ross of Wild Pink opens the show at 8 p.m. $20.

And finally, over at The Reverb Lounge it’s a Songwriting Death Battle in memory of John Klemmensen, Omaha’s bigger than life troubadour who passed late last month. Each act will perform a song or two. Tickets are $8 and all proceeds with go to John’s family. Starts at 8 p.m.

That’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great long weekend!

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2022 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.