No touring indie shows this weekend, but a couple local album release gigs worth your attention:
Tonight at Reverb Lounge it’s the album release show for the debut album from Bad Bad Men. The power trio consists of Omaha rock ’n’ roll legends Chris Siebken on drums, Jerry Hug on bass and frontman/guitarist John Wolf. The album, Messed Up, is a 10-song scorcher that recalls the gritty, bluesy punk style Wolf brought to classic ‘90s-‘00s act Bad Luck Charm, sung with his distinctive snarl/growl that will have you breaking bottles and starting fights. Siebken and Hug are so tight they sound like they’re attached at the hip, while Wolf’s guitar flies high above it all.
Recorded over two days at ARC Studios with Adam Roberts, it’s the first new release on Speed! Nebraska Records in recent memory. As a result, the album release show is a pseudo showcase, as label executive Gary Dean Davis’ own band, Wagon Blasters, will kick off the evening. Also on this crowded bill are Omaha garage rock titans Those Far Out Arrows and Pagan Athletes — the prog-noise duo of Griffin and Nathan Wolf, who are, yesss, The Sons of John Wolf (now there’s a band name for you)(Waitaminit, does that make Bad Bad Men “dad rock”?).
Then tomorrow night (Saturday) it’s the vinyl release show for R.A.F.’s No Salvation album, which was released this past July. The punk band’s line-up is Paul Moerke, Tim Cox, Dereck Higgins, Dan Stewart and Kelley RAF. At least one of the band’s members is traveling in for this special one-off gig. Also on the bill are punk band Cordial Spew and “2 special guests,” according to the flyer. $15, 8 p.m.
And that’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend.
Desaparecidos keyboardist Ian McElroy’s hip-hop project, Rig 1, released a new single yesterday, “Kindest Brother.” The track comes from his upcoming album, Separation Illusion, which drops Nov. 3 on Maria Taylor’s Flower Moon Records. The song was written by McElroy and Neva Dinova frontman Jake Bellows.
The track will be released as a double A-sided 7-inch b/w “Real Hot Boy,” a track that features Maria Taylor, Mike Bloom and Josh Rawson (Felice Brothers). In fact, the album’s credits is a “who’s who” of early century Omaha Indie music glitterati and includes Todd Fink and Clark Baechle of The Faint, Nik Freitas, Blake Sennet of Rilo Kiley and Kirby James Fairchild (Granddaddy, Modest Mouse).
To me, McElroy’s Rig 1 delivery has always been more like spoken word over trip-hop rhythms rather than straight up hip hop, like listening to slam poetry to a beat track. Check it:
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Tonight at Pageturners Lounge in Dundee indie trio Ojai headlines. The band consists of singer/songwriter Michael Hulstein with Micah Renner on bass and Tanner Rogerson on drums. Sounding like a pop-rock version of Wilco meets Harry Nilsson, they just played the opening slot at Petfest 2023 (and are probably still recovering from heat stroke).
Joining Ojai is touring singer/songwriter Al Oleander — on the road supporting her debut album, Easy Crier, a record who’s backing band included members of The Felice Brothers. Something called Stick With It opened at 8 p.m. No cover, but a $10 donation is suggested.
Other than yesterday’s news about The Astro’s delays in opening, it’s been pretty quiet news-wise.
Yesterday, Omaha Performing Arts announced Liz Phair will be performing her debut album, 1993’s Exile in Guyville, in its entirety in honor of the 30th anniversary of its release on Matador Records. It is definitely among my top-20 all-time favorite records.
However, the performance, Dec. 5, is happening at The Holland Performing Arts Center, which means it’s a sit-down show. This, after O-pa opened the $100 million+ Steelhouse Omaha general admission standing-room rock palace. No doubt Phair and/or her people were involved in the venue choice, perhaps as a money grab, who knows. It’s a shame. Holland is great, but not for rock concerts. Last time I saw Liz Phair was the show she played nearly 20 years ago (Dec. 8, 2005, to be exact) at Sokol Auditorium that commemorated 1% Production’s 500th show.
Unlike her fall tour where Blondshell opened, this one has Kate Bollinger in the opening slot. Tickets likely go on sale Friday…
A few other shows worth mentioning recently announced:
If you missed The Good Life at Outlandia, good news – they’re playing Reverb Lounge Oct. 6. This is their Album of the Year tour, so it’ll be a special night, and considering the size of Reverb, will no doubt sell out despite the $29 ticket price (with fees).
– And “An Evening with The Church” has been announced for Oct. 9 at The Waiting Room. Always a good show. Tickets are $37 (with fees).
– Red-hot Omaha punk band BIB is the headliner for this year’s Farnam Fest Oct. 14. The rest of the line-up includes Bad Self Portraits, David Nance Band, M34N STR33T and The Real Zebos. Quite a lineup for just $10.
– Not sure I mentioned this before but Speedy Ortiz is playing The Slowdown with Space Moth Nov. 17. Tickets are $20.48 (with fees).
– In case you missed it, that Sept. 20 Yo La Tengo show at The Waiting Room has been postposed due to drummer/vocalist Georgia Hubley’s knee surgery (Hey, we’re all getting older). No new date has been announce as of yet.
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Tonight comedienne / rock star Tim Heidecker is performing at The Astro. The show will feature one set of comedy followed by a second set of Heidecker’s original music. I’ve not heard his comedy act before, but I’ve listened to his recent album, High School (2022) and it’s a big-melody throwback album that’s kind of a cross between upbeat Wilco and Jimmy Buffett and has received a lot of love from Pitchfork and Paste.
This is a seated show, apparently, and the lowest priced tickets are around $50 (with fees). Starts at 8 p.m.
Looks like The Astro project has hit some snags. The new indoor/amphitheater venue, located in La Vista, was slated to have its grand opening August 30 with ’80s rocker Rick Springfield and friends. That show along with a handful of others, has been moved to alternative venues “due to unexpected delays.”
From a press release issued by The Astro this morning:
“We’re all eager for The Astro to open as Nebraska’s ultimate indoor and outdoor live music destination. Big projects like this take time. Above all, we’re committed to making this a spectacular venue while taking care of our guests and musical acts,” said Marc Leibowitz, Co-Owner of 1% Productions, which manages bookings for The Astro in partnership with Mammoth, Inc.
“Some of the concerts have moved from indoors to the outdoor Astro Amphitheater. The venue will be open in time for our mid and late-September lineup of concerts. We are grateful for everyone’s patience and understanding. The community’s support means a lot to us as we navigate this unexpected delay,” said Josh Hunt, Co-Owner of Mammoth, Inc.
The shows moved to other venues so far:
– I Want My 80’s Tour with Rick Springfield, The Hooters, Paul Young, and Tommy Tutone on August 30 moved to Liberty First Credit Union Arena, 7300 Q St, Ralston.
– Here Come the Mummies on September 7, moved to The Admiral, 2234 S 13th St, Omaha.
– Beth Hart on September 16 moved to The Admiral, 2234 S 13th St, Omaha.
– Ancient Aliens on September 20 moved to The Admiral, 2234 S 13th St, Omaha.
– Casey Donahew on September 22 moved from the Astro indoor facility to The Astro Amphitheater, 8302 City Center Drive, La Vista.
– The Gaslight Anthem on September 30 moved from The Astro’s indoor facility to The Astro Amphitheater, 8302 City Center Drive, La Vista.
Missing from this list are Goo Goo Dolls, Sept. 23; Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Sept. 24, and 311, Sept. 29, all of which fall into this same time span as shows listed above. One assumes they’re still happening at the Astro Amphitheater as originally scheduled.
If you thought this year’s Maha Festival was miserably hot, it didn’t hold a candle to Petfest last Saturday. With the heat index rising somewhere to around 105 degrees, the annual festival held behind Benson’s Petshop Gallery felt like a survival contest. No doubt the extreme temperatures put a damper on the BFF fundraiser’s attendance numbers, which, when I was there from 4 to 7 p.m., looked to only be around 100 sweaty, stoic bodies.
Like last year, the festival performances switched between two stages – one inside the garage of Petshop, the other across the rock parking lot. Festival organizers hung colorful parachutes in an vain effort to provide something resembling shade. Goddamn, it was hot.
Thirst Things FIrst try not to implode from the heat at Petfest 2023, Aug. 19.
Despite the extremes, Lincoln band Thirst Things First kept with their tradition and wore matching black track suits — stifling. A red faced Mike Elfers ripped into their set backed by this always entertaining band that is sort of a cross between Devo and The Faint but with a better sense of humor. Just like last year, their synth and guitar-heavy sound wowed the crowd. What will it take to get these folks to play a show in one of Omaha’s countless venues? The answer is $$$… or oil.
Little Brazil perform under the parachutes on the “outside stage” at Petfest 2023.
Next up across the gravel-pit lot was Little Brazil. No matter the conditions, these guys bring the rock. They took the opportunity to roll out a couple new songs, which they say will be recorded and released on a 7-inch single early next year. On one of them, Landon Hedges played a unique dissonant chord progression countered by Shawn Cox’s funky middle-Eastern-sounding riff.
Cat Piss plays a scorching set in the Petshop garage stage.
Omaha post-punk power trio Cat Piss followed inside the Petshop garage and even got a few sweaty kids slamming in front of the garage door.
While there was plenty of booze to choose from, Petfest didn’t offer food options – in fact no food trucks or food vendors that I could find. Maybe Dundee Day or the Riverfront grand opening hogged them all (or they were just following Maha’s example). That forced folks to leave the festival to eat, and likely provided a cooling respite from the heat and humidity in one of the nearby restaurants. I also needed a break, leaving after Cat Piss’ set to go home and change out of my sopping wet clothes.
Head of Femur rips through another hot song on the Petfest “outdoor” stage.
But I was back an hour later to catch the full set from Head of Femur on the “outdoor stage.” The band has been around since 2001, fronted by guitarist vocalist Matt Focht, they’ve released albums on a number of indie labels including Spin Art and Grey Day Records and are critical darlings thanks to their intense, intricate yet catchy take on prog rock.
Focht and company rolled out a number of new songs that were more melodic and less proggy than their usual fare. To my ear they sounded more traditional — and groovier — and a natural for a festival like Outlandia next year. Here’s hoping this new material is a precursor to a new album.
I split after Femur, though I could hear the festival echoing off the streets of Benson from my house a mile away. It’s a shame that the heat got in the way, but a good time was had by the hearty few who endured the inferno.
The Petfest compound looking North. Yes, i was as hot as it looks…
Other detes about Petfest: Just $30 if you buy your ticket today online here, $40 if you wait until tomorrow. Children under 10 are free. It’s located behind Petshop Gallery at 2725 No. 62nd St. The fest features 20 bands and performers starting at 2 p.m. and running sometime aft 11 p.m.
It’s going to be hot as fxxx, so bring a water bottle if you don’t plan on getting all liquored up.
Maybe because it’s being held at Lincoln’s Pinewood Bowl, but tonight’s Father John Misty concert has been flying under my radar. He played at Maha 2018 right before Weezer and was pretty good. His duet with Lana Del Rey is one of my favorite songs of 2023. FJM is opening tonight for boring folks rock act The Head and the Heart. Miya Folick also is on the bill. This is a seated show with tickets running between $30 and $70 bucks. Starts at 8 p.m.
Also tonight, Des Moines folk rock band The Nadas plays at Reverb Lounge with Elizabeth Moen. $20, 8 p.m.
Tomorrow (Saturday) in addition to Petfest, it’s Dundee Day, which I accidentally wrote about last week (right here). Again, don’t miss the parade along Underwood Avenue at 10:30 a.m. featuring a marching band consisting of a number of indie music notables from bands that include Desaparecidos, Cursive, Flowers Forever, the list goes on and on. Should be weird.
Las Cruxes kicks off the Dundee Night Street Party at 4 p.m., which is capped off by Satchel Grande at 10:15 p.m. The full line-up is here.
Also, the Riverfront grand opening is this weekend, and there are a couple interesting performances, but you’ll have to navigate their painfully lousy website to figure it out. I plan on going down there sometime this weekend. Future home of Maha Music Festival…
And that’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend.
Petfest is this Saturday behind Petshop Gallery in Benson, 2725 No. 62nd St. If you thought last year’s was a cornucopia of the best local talent, you’re in for even more this year. We’re talking two stages, one right next to the other, hosting bands playing 30-minute sets. If you don’t like what you’re hearing, go take a piss, grab a bite or a drink, and when you come back a different act will be performing (or a dope drag queen).
We’re talking 20 bands starting at 2 p.m. with Ojai and wrapping up at 10:35 p.m. with BIB (followed by DJ Scherritaivo). I don’t know every act, but here are the ones I do know:
Head of Femur – Fronted by guitarist/vocalist Matt Focht with contributions by a plethora of local heroes, the band plays gorgeous indie that falls somewhere between folk rock and prog.
Little Brazil – Sometime in the last 20-odd years they elevated to the status of “local legends.” Founded by singer/songwriter/guitarist Landon Hedges and bassist/vocalist Danny Maxwell, the band was — and is — a staple of the Omaha indie music scene thanks to their punk-meets-emo rock histrionics.
Mike Schlesinger – Acoustic singer/songwriter has the best voice of any performer from ’round these parts, playing sad folk indie songs guaranteed to break your heart.
Thirst Things First – Lincoln band of uniformed musical miscreants is a cross between Devo and Uranium Club with a complicated backstory about a computer gone mad. DO NOT MISS.
Dereck Higgins – The one and only, his music spans every genre though lately the focus is on electronic dance and ambient (dare I say, jazz?). Who knows what he’ll bring to the show Saturday.
Cat Piss — The post-punk trio is carrying on a rock tradition with roots that run deep in Omaha’s early ’90s golden age of indie, but for a whole new generation.
Pagan Athletes – Noise-rock brothers Griffin and Nathan Wolf make a jittery, noisy racket that will fray your nerves… in a good way.
Universe Contest – The Lincoln band is massive in size and sound, like having our very own version of Modest Mouse (but back when Modest Mouse was good).
The Machete Archive – Another classic Lincoln indie noise-rock band from back in the day, known for its guitar and bass histrionics, they’ve only improved with age. Epic.
BIB – They’re saving the hardest, fastest, punkest for last. BIB are redefining hardcore without losing sight of their roots. This is the real thing.
And there’s more, most of which I’ve never heard before, but no doubt all worth checking out.
Get in all day for just $30 dollars in advance (with no additional charges!) or $40 day of show. Plus art, a cash bar, and you’re supporting the non-profit Benson First Friday crew. Here’s the lineup, on two stages:
2:00 – OJAI
2:25 – Pagan Athletes
2:50 – Dereck Higgins
3:15 – XID
3:40 – Mike Schlesinger
4:05 – Specter Poetics
4:30 – Living Conditions
4:55 – Thirst Things First
5:25 – Little Brazil
5:55 – Cat Piss
6:30 – Nowhere
6:50 – Head of Femur
7:20 – The Machete Archive
7:50 – Face
8:20 – Child of Night
8:50 – Universe Contest
9:25 – Jeff in Leather
10:00 – Chew
10:35 – BIB
11:00 – DJ Scherritaivo
More info, tickets, schedule and other good stuff at the Petfest webpage, right here. See you there.
Not a whole heckuva lot going on indie-music wise since last weekend’s Outlandia Festival. I didn’t attend again this year, but from all reports, it was another smashing success. The Omaha World-Heraldfiled a story that says attendance rose by 25%, and I’ve got a request out with one of the organizers for attendance numbers, which I’ll pass along when/if I get them.
In the wake of Outlandia, things have been pretty quiet in indie music land. Two festivals down and one more to go this weekend. I’ll post a preview of Petfest tomorrow.
Over the weekend, my penultimate (i.e., my second to last) column for the soon-to-be-sunsetted TheReader went online. It looks back at the glory days of Omaha indie music with a head-scratch at the current state – we’ve got more mega-venues than ever, none of which are booking up-and-coming indie bands, nor, I suppose, are they designed to. Thank god for Outlandia, Maha and Petfest. You can read the story in the printed version of The Reader (pick one up at Hy-Vee or La Casa) or online right here. I’ll be posting the column in this space eventually (for posterity’s sake – who knows how long The Reader servers will stay online?). One more issue to go…
A few new releases to pass along:
Local indie project Uh Oh released their second single off their upcoming August Cicada Songs LP, “Firefly” b/w “”When the River Runs Low.” They’re releasing two new songs per month for the next few months.
Sufjan Stevens released the first song off his first solo singer/songwriter album since 2015’s Carrie & Lowell. It’s called Javelin and comes out Oct. 6 on Asthmatic Kitty Records. No doubt a tour will follow. Will Omaha be on his tour schedule? Hope so.
Australian indie band Middle Kids are currently on tour opening for Manchester Orchestra and Jimmy Eat World. For whatever reason the kids weren’t included in this year’s Outlandia festival, which featured both those bands. Sometimes that’s just how it works. Their new single, “Highlands,” dropped a couple weeks ago. Let’s hope they come through Omaha again (maybe even at The Sydney, like last time).
So, Outlandia this weekend. The preview is here. Weather should be awesome. Tix and other info at OutlandiaFestival.com.
So what else is happening this weekend?
Not much tonight and Saturday – but here’s an early head’s up for NEXT SATURDAY…
NEXT Saturday is Dundee Day, and part of the festivities include a parade that runs along Underwood Avenue from 10:30 to 11:45 a.m. What would a parade be without a marching band? But not just any marching band. In addition to some of Omaha’s finest musicians, this marching band includes a number of indie music notables from bands that include Desaparecidos, Cursive, Flowers Forever, the list goes on and on. Expect some surprises.
Later that afternoon is the annual Dundee Night Street Party, which will be kicked off at 4 p.m. by Las Cruxes and capped off by Satchel Grande at 10:15 p.m. The full line-up is here.
Onward to THIS Sunday…
Down at The Slowdown Sunday night, The Menzingers return. The pop-punk/emo/indie band has made Omaha a regular tour stop throughout its career. They’re on the road supporting their latest full-length, On the Possible Past, released last November on Epitaph. Also on the bill are Prince Daddy & the Hyena and Mercy Union. 8 p.m., $35.
Meanwhile, over at The Waiting Room, pop-metal/hair-metal band White Reaper headlines. The band started out as an indie-punk band that recorded for Polyvinyl and opened for acts like Twin Peaks and Together Pangea, but then got signed to Elektra, switched up their sound and became a sort of faux hair-metal band, or at least that’s how their sound on their latest album, Asking for a Ride (2023, Elektra). Could be fun. No opener listed, $25. 8 p.m.
Also Sunday night, Minneapolis indie-punk all-female trio VIAL headlines at Reverb Lounge. Their latest is Loudmouth (2021, Get Better Records). Local heroes Social Cinema (Kill Vargas, Death Cow) opens at 8 p.m. $16.
And that’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. If you’re going to Outlandia, don’t forget your sunblock. Have a great weekend!
The weather gods are shining on this year’s Outlandia Festival, which is this Friday and Saturday at Falconwood Park in Bellevue. Sure, it’ll be in the 90s on Friday, but Saturday is looking somewhat perfect and a ton better weather-wise than Maha Festival’s steam-table/thunderstorm/heatstroke weather.
Considering tickets cost the same for both days, your best value is Saturday, where you’ll get seven bands vs. Friday’s 5-band line-up. One assumes the Friday price is for headliner Lord Huron, and I must admit right up front I’ve never heard a song by this band, but am told people are coming from far and wide to hear them sing their mega-hit, “The Night We Met.” Their latest album is music from the motion picture The Starling Girl, a film I’ve also never heard of, released on Mercury Records. Lord Huron has a massive 14.6 million monthly Spotify listeners.
The rest of Friday night’s line-up compliments Lord Huron’s mid-tempo acoustic balladry. Things kick off with Minne Lussa, an indie five-piece and local favorite fronted by the inimitable Matt Rutledge. The band plays shimmering rock songs reminiscent of acts like Luna and The Album Leaf. Really gorgeous stuff and a good reason to get there when the festival kicks off at 4 p.m.
Next up is Des Moines indie band The Envy Corps, who have been around forever and always plays the 80/35 Festival. They’ve played Omaha clubs a number of times.
Then comes (for me) Friday’s headliner – The Good Life. This legendary band emerged as a singer/songwriter side project by Cursive’s Tim Kasher in the early 2000s, releasing a string of classic albums on Saddle Creek Records. For years, Kasher would alternate between those two bands, releasing an album by Cursive which they would tour for year or so, and then releasing an album by The Good Life, which that band would tour, and so on. Eventually he also mixed in years where he focused on his solo album and subsequent tour.
The Good Life hadn’t played in in years, but is currently on the road supporting a new double-LP rerelease of 2004’s Album of the Year, although this Outlandia performance will be more of a greatest hits set. I would love to see it.
Finally, alt-folk singer/songwriter Gregory Alan Isakov plays a set before Lord Huron takes the stage. He played a sold out Admiral Theater earlier this year, and again, I have to admit to not having heard any of his music prior to that show, but the tracks I have heard since were great.
Here’s the Friday schedule:
Minne Lussa – 4 p.m.
The Envy Corps – 5 p.m.
The Good Life – 6:15 p.m.
Gregory Alan Isakov – 7:45 p.m.
Lord Huron – 9:30 p.m.
Saturday’s line-up is more diverse and, in my opinion, rock solid.
It kicks off at 1 p.m. with Criteria. The Omaha-based indie rock band (often classified as emo, though they’re not really emo in my book), was among the cadre of acts that released music on Saddle Creek Records in the early 2000s. Fronted by the high-flying guitarist/vocalist Stephen Pedersen, Criteria hosts a holiday concert every year at The Waiting Room, which is always jam-packed with familiar faces. Let’s hope some of them show up for this early set.
They’re followed by Chicago indie band Horsegirl, whose 2022 album, Versions of Modern Performance (Matador Records), was on my list of favorites that year. This band would have been a natural for the Maha Festival, but Outlandia gets them and is better for it.
Then along comes Cat Power. I’ve seen her a number of times, and you’re either in for a performance that’ll do down as an Outlandia highlight, or you’re in for a train wreck. There is no in between. Cat Power a.k.a. Chan Marshall, was part of the high-water days of Matador Records when the label could do no wrong with acts like Pavement, GBV and Yo La Tengo releasing one classic album after another, with Cat Power right there in the mix.
Chan’s followed by a reunion of another classic Omaha band, The Faint, who by themselves is worth the prices of admission. This band of No Wave / Blank Wave / electronic-driven dance-punk rockers owned the early 2000s indie landscape next to labelmates Bright Eyes, and were one of the driving bands that briefly made Omaha indie-famous during Saddle Creek Records’ glory years. Do not miss.
Then comes the festival’s headliners…
Manchester Orchestra have been around forever and falls into the same dreary category as The National to some extent, though they’re not nearly as popular. They have a new EP out on Loma Vista Records.
Lots of people are excited about emo band Jimmy Eat World. Either you were a big Jimmy Eat World fan or, like me, you missed the boat with these guys. That said, there will be a ton of people on hand just for this set. Their latest release, the single “Place Your Debts,” was written by Desaparecidos’ Denver Dalley and The Faint’s Clark Baechle. Will Clark make a cameo appearance during the set?
Finally, it’s headliner Modest Mouse. They played Maha a few years back and have a huge fan base that counted me among them… back when they released their debut album, TheLonesome Crowded West. Unfortunately, they kind of moved on from that sound, and are more known for their single “Float On.”
Here’s the Saturday schedule:
Criteria – 1 p.m.
Horsegirl – 2 p.m.
Cat Power – 3:30 p.m
The Faint – 5 p.m.
Manchester Orchstra – 6:30 p.m.
Jimmy Eat World – 8 p.m.
Modest Mouse – 9:30 p.m.
I’m on the fence about going on Saturday afternoon, which should be pretty awesome, though I have some trepidation about the whole campsite situation, having never been to Falconwood and having no idea how to get there. I’ve talked to a couple folks who have attended, and they say it’s easy-peasy.
Single-day festival tickets are $105 ($89+$16 in fees); two-day passes are $190 ($169+$21 in fees); single-day VIP tickets are $273 ($249+$24 in fees). This year all tickets include parking. More info at Outlandiafestival.com.
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