No touring indie shows this weekend. Same old story. So what else is happening in Omaha this weekend?
Saturday night there’s a subterranean show at fabulous O’Leaver’s. For whatever reason, O’Leaver’s is hosting the performers in their basement, I guess in the area that used to be (and maybe still is) a rentable karaoke space. I haven’t been down there in years.
The featured artist for Live in O’Leaver’s Basement is the quiet acoustic folk of Asheville, North Carolina singer/songwriter Reddenhollow, a.k.a. Taylor Moses. Vocally, he reminds me of a bit of Will Oldham, though his music isn’t as bleak. Also on the bill is our very own Megan Siebe, hot of touring with Cursive. Sean Pratt opens at 8 p.m. $10. This should be a laid-back show, which I guess is why they put it in the basement, away from the usual O’Leaver’s chaos…
And as mentioned yesterday, this weekend sees two farewell shows for Darren Keen, who is moving to Chicago. Tonight, his latest project, PROBLEMS, plays at Duffy’s in Lincoln with Pagan Athletes and Benjamin Gear X. 6 p.m., $10. Then Sunday night (July 16), PROBLEMS plays at The Sydney in Benson with Turquoise, Cultplay and Oceanz. $10, 5 p.m. Come say goodbye to a Nebraska icon!
That’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend.
In the news department, Lincoln and sometimes Omaha electronic-fueled singer, songwriter and beat maker Darren Keen says he’s moving to Chicago. You likely know Darren from his current project, PROBLEMS, as well as his former project, The Show Is the Rainbow.
In Darren’s own words: “It’s just time. Gotta go back to a bigger city.” Keen spent years in NYC before moving back to Nebraska. His music continues to grow and he’s been touring his one-man project constantly the last few years. Chicago is a smart move and something tells me will provide a happy ending to an already pretty happy story.
To send him off in style, PROBLEMS has two nights of going away gigs this weekend. Friday night, PROBLEMS is at Duffy’s Lounge in Lincoln with Pagan Athletes and Benjamin Gear X. $10, 6 to 9 p.m. Sunday night (July 16), PROBLEMS plays The Sydney in Benson with Turquoise, Cultplay and Oceanz. 5 to 9 p.m., $10 donation.
Come say goodbye to a dude who has been a staple of Nebraska music for the past 20 years! Don’t forget us, Darren…
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What’s happening tonight?
Down at The Slowdown in the Main Room, Oregon band Flor headlines. The four-piece (now a trio) is a self-proclaimed indie band and Fueled by Ramen is, indeed, an indie label (The Front Bottoms, Panic at the Disco) or should I say “was” as they were bought by Elektra Records in 2018. Flor is more of a pop band masquerading as an indie. That said, the acts opening for Flor tonight — Bad Self Portraits and BB Sledge — are as indie as they come. $25, 8 p.m.
Also tonight, Safe Space plays at The Sydney in Benson. This is the indie-style project by the pop singer/songwriter who performs locally by the name “Ione.” In this iteration, she sings singer/songwriter fare alongside a talented guitarist – quite a contrast to the Sheryl Crow-style pop stuff she’s becoming known for (thanks to Bon Jovi). Also on the bill are The Oddities and Chase the Horseman, two acts I’m not familiar with. Three performances on a Thursday night starting at 8 p.m.? Only at The Sydney. $10.
When you think of First Avenue and 7th St. Entry what immediately comes to mind is the iconic club scenes from Prince’s Purple Rain; this venue was voted among the top 3 in the country (according to their signage). But that’s First Ave you’re thinking of, not 7th St. Entry. 7SE is a tiny shithole of a venue located in the same building as First Avenue, and really that’s its only connection.
That said, the room wasn’t without its charm. After showing your ticket you pass through a thick velvet curtain into a room that is shockingly small, with a small bar tucked into one corner adjacent to a tiny stage. The all-black room feels like it slopes down to the stage, but that may just be an illusion. Capacity couldn’t be more than 100 (wiki says it’s 250, but that cannot be right), though there were at least 150 in there last night.
Knowing the show had sold out, we purposely arrived late to cut down on the amount of time we’d have to suffer in what I assumed (correctly) would be a crush mob of people in a tiny space. In the end, it didn’t matter because the opening act, an NYC trio called Hello Mary, started 45 minutes late — which meant standing in the hot hellhole of a stink zone for a half an hour, shoulder-to-shoulder, listening to a drone pre-set track on the PA. It was ungodly uncomfortable, and I started to consider skipping the gig altogether except for the fact that we were literally surrounded by people who were years (decades) older than us who were gutting through the experience. Here I thought I’d be the oldest person in the room. Whoda thunk that Blondshell would attract such a geriatric audience?
Hello Mary at 7th St. Entry, July 11, 2023.
Well, just before giving up, on came Hello Mary. As shabby as 7SE is as a club, the sound was pristine, driven in part by a talented band of players who really knew their way around their instruments, especially the rhythm section. The bass player, Mikaela Oppenheimer, was particularly awesome, working her hands up and down the fretboard, all the time looking bored out of her skull. Maybe it was because of the songs, which were pure ‘90s indie girl rock (everything from The Spinanes, Squawl to Helium came to mind) powered by That Dog-style vocal harmonies between guitarist Helen Straight and drummer Stella Wave. Despite going on 45 minutes late, the band played an excruciatingly long set, which only got better the longer it went.
After a quick equipment swap out, on came Blondshell, playing as a four-piece with frontwoman Sabrina Teitelbaum standing alone instrument-less, behind the microphone backed by a super-tight band that had me thinking they must be hired studio musicians who’ve come in to handle the tour or who played on the record. You never got a sense that they’re actually her band, though they killed on every note of these hook-filled indie tunes. I wish I could tell you Teitelbaum did as well. Throughout the set, her vocals were a mere facsimile of what’s heard on the album, which is a studio-produced masterwork. Live, the voice is there but it’s nowhere near as powerful.
What Teitelbaum does have is a solid set of songs, which the crowd spent most of the set singing back to her. While most of her album is downcast, she wisely brightened the set with a couple covers, including a tasty take on Le Tigre’s “Deceptacon.” The night’s highlight was a sterling rendition of “Kiss City,” the best performance of the night, though she struggled to pull off the high notes during the song’s intense last chorus. Don’t blame road fatigue; this was only their third night.
Despite a luke-warm performance in a smelly, tiny venue, the trip was worth it if only to say I’ve been to this legendary club next to the one Prince made famous.
Welp, tonight is first in what is likely to be a series of out-of-town travel concerts — i.e., the new normal if you’re a fan of modern indie music and live in Omaha.
I bought the tickets to tonight’s Blondshell concert in early March after I discovered her music via an article that listed the most anticipated acts at this year’s South by Southwest festival in Austin. Blondshell topped Brooklyn Vegan’s list. After listening to the singles she’d released, I checked out her tour schedule and saw that her closest pass to Omaha would be tonight’s show at 7th St. Entry.
A somewhat unknown entity at the time, tickets were easy and cheap ($15), and I figured if anything came up that prevented me from making the drive, I could just ditch them. Four months later and Blondshell, a.k.a. Sabrina Teitelbaum, has released her debut album on Partisan Records, had a successful week at SXSW, and made her network television debut on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. And, of course, tonight’s concert is now sold out.
Since she announced this tour, she’s also announced that she’ll be the chief support for Liz Phair’s upcoming national tour, which also is skipping over Omaha. It’s a potent combination, as Blondshell’s confessional rock was heavily influenced by Phair as well as Hole, PJ Harvey and Patti Smith, among others.
Is she an LA product act? Probably. When that Brooklyn Vegan mention first happened there wasn’t much about her on the inter webs. Now her Wiki entry is voluminous. Turns out her first shot at music was a pop act called BAUM, which released songs used for Target ads. She’s no poor indie upstart. She (reportedly) attended The Dalton School. No doubt she comes from $$$. Now, apparently, she’s trying the indie thing. I don’t care; her debut album is among my favorites so far this year.
Anyway, I’ll be writing a full report on the trip and live review, probably tomorrow sometime, so look for it…
Scriptown in the Blackstone District again hosted bands this past Saturday as part of the district’s Second Saturday event wherein performers performed in venues along Farnam Street.
Her Flyaway Manner was already set up and playing to a good-sized crowd at Scriptown when I arrived after 3 p.m. Like last time, the trio was set up in the back corner of the bar near the door that leads to the their back patio, where a small team of personnel was busy stuffing hotdogs and sausages into buns, the smoke from the barbecue wafting through and into the venue – it looked and felt like a Fourth of July picnic, except for the music, of course.
HFM, out of Lincoln, has been around for well over 20 years, powered by frontman/guitarist Brendan McGinn, drummer Boz Hicks and bassist Adam2000. In all that time, their sound hasn’t budged much from its initial brittle, post-punk recipe, and that’s a good thing. The crowd formed a circle around the band as the barkeeps tried to keep everyone’s glasses filled.
Leafblower at Scriptown, July 8, 2023.
They were followed by Omaha band Leafblower, each member of the four-piece adorned with their trademark rubber, old-man-in-a-gray-ponytail mask, which they only wore for the first song (and last). Fronted by guitarist/vocalist Danny Maxwell and bassist/vocalist Craig Fort, with Jahn Clark on second guitar and Tab Tworek on drums, this really was the first time I soaked in what they were after sonically. I’ve seen this band at least a half-dozen times but never paid much attention to what they were doing because I was always derailed by whatever gimmick they were using for their stage show (giant leafblower smoke machines, old-dude mannequins, etc.). Not so Saturday afternoon, as they tore into a set of good old-fashioned heavy metal.
I’m not now, nor have I ever been, a metal fan; on the other hand, I dig Heavy Metal. The difference: HM is slower, has better hooks, better grooves, is just funkier than metal’s “need for speed,” which usually translates (for me, anyway) into insect-noise fronted by the Cookie Monster. Heavy metal music has more nuanced vocals (or at least better yelling) and is just more fun. And this was, indeed, fun.
Like all good heavy metal, the proof is in the riffs, which power everything, and that was certainly the case here. The vocals, unfortunately, were next to non-existant from my vantage point behind the speakers (since there was nowhere else to stand), and the fact that Fort’s mic seemed to only be working half the time. And, goddamn, was it loud. I was happy I had earplugs.
Good times. Scriptown needs to host bands more often. They could corner the market on live indie rock if they wanted to, as no other business in Blackstone seems so inclined to host these kinds of shows.
No touring indie artists this weekend. Let the draught continue.
If you’re in Benson tonight, take in the art at Benson First Friday #BFF. You know the drill, art in venues up and down Maple Street (including at the Ming Toy Gallery, 6606 Maple St., which is open until 8 p.m.). Full list of events and map of the stars is here. Musicwise, The Sydney is hosting Benson Soul Society tonight starting at 10 and it’s free…
Not to be outdone, the Blackstone District is hosting its Second Saturday event this Saturday with music all day in venues throughout the district. You can see the full line-up here, but the highlight is Scriptown’s Summer Smash with Omaha punk band Leafblower and Lincoln’s Her Flyaway Manner. Music starts at 3 p.m. and is free. I went to this Scriptown show in the past and it was a blast (though it looks like they’re foregoing the goats this time).
Saturday night, Brooklyn-by-way-of-Limerick, Ireland, band Cinemartyr is playing at The Sydney in Benson. Among their (stated) influences are The Mars Volta, Nine Inch Nails, Fugazi and Swans. Could get weird. $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…
The Maha Music Festival will look a lot different this year — its last year at Stinson Park in Aksarben Village. Food vendors will not be allowed within the festival compound. That means you’ll be on your own to get grub from the local restaurants located outside the festival grounds.
“There will be four new exit-only gates along 67th Street, opening right at the doorstep of several eateries — some even offering special Maha menus,” Maha said in a press release. “You can reenter the festival at any time; just keep your ticket handy to scan out and in.”
And don’t bring your food with you. Maha has set up picnic tables outside the main entrance so you can scarf down your dinner before going back inside.
Is this a bad thing or a good thing? Well, I’ve never partaken from Maha’s food vendors in the past (other than the beer vendors, that is, and they’ll still be on festival grounds), so I guess I don’t know what I’m missing. This could introduce a whole new crowd to Inner Rail Food Hall, which is somewhat hidden if you don’t know what you’re looking for. So in the end, it may be a good thing, that is if these restaurants staff up to handle the (potentially) larger patronage…
And in case you missed it, Maha is moving down to the Riverfront for 2024. I suspect the food trucks will be back for that one…
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Tonight at The Sydney in Benson it’s Brooklyn “premier speed rock band” Pons. According to their bio: “Known for their dynamic swing and thunderous pulse, word of the band has quickly spread due to their unconventional and controversial approach to live performance, known as ‘body connection.’”
I see an affront on your personal space in your future… if you go. Also on the bill are Omaha’s premier speed rock band, Cat Piss. Western Haikus open the show at 9 p.m. $12.
I’m unsure where Fleet Foxes fits on the spectrum of today’s popular music. They are indie for sure, releasing records on Seattle super-indie label, Sub Pop Records, and their music is anything but radio friendly, or is it?
Standing in the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd at Steelhouse Omaha Sunday night as the band rolled into their fourth song, the mid-tempo pumper “Can I Believe You,” I was reminded if only for a moment of ’70s feel-good FM-favorite Chicago, thanks to the ensemble’s mini-brass section.
A trumpet, trombone and sax player, all of whom did double duty providing harmony vocals or playing assorted other instruments, was part of an 8-person ensemble that was far from crowded on Steelhouse’s enormous stage. The sax player was particularly versatile, swapping out tenor sax with stand-up bass, flute and tambourine.
At other moments, I was reminded of CSNY, Cat Stevens and, yeah, Air Supply. Hey, I love two out of three of those bands. The evening’s high point was a pretty rendition of one of Fleet Foxes’ most familiar songs, “White Winter Hymnal” from their 2008 self-titled debut, sounding like an indie barber shop quartet building layer upon layer of glimmering harmonies.
The performance was a rote set of mostly older music. Fleet Foxes have done just about everything they can with this style of Americana-inflected indie folk and could keep riding the wave to larger and larger audiences I suppose, though I have to believe it’s going to get boring for them after awhile. They’ve already rereleased their debut in a sort of omnibus collection with an early EP and B-sides, and frontman Robin Pecknold released yet another version of these old songs on A Very Lonely Solstice. Where they’re headed next is anyone’s guess…
A few side notes…
– I’m forever astounded by the need of some concertgoers to carry on full-blown yell-conversations during concerts like this one. Fleet Foxes’ music is somewhat delicate, and having three women yell to each other about their day while standing right up by the stage is the height of self-centeredness. And is just plain weird. Look around, folks. People are trying to enjoy a concert that cost them $$$. Take your convo to the prison-yard patio.
– Speaking of which, after fielding complaints from patrons, Steelhouse security is now segregating smokers out in the prison yard patio. Smokeheads were pushed all the way to the far fence by an imposing dude with a walkie talkie. He told me Steelhouse is looking for ways to better utilize the enormous outdoor space. Maybe more tables and chairs; maybe use it for wedding receptions (!).
– One beer and one vodka lemonade. Cost w/tax and tip: $41.48. These are Broadway bar prices, folks, which I guess Steelhouse can get away with in their early days, but if they want to continue to attract large crowds, they’re going to have to offer more reasonably priced drink options or drop their prices (highly unlikely).
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Melissa Etheridge tears it up at Memorial Park June 30, 2023.
Speaking of cheap nights of music, I strolled up to Memorial Park Friday night to catch the last half hour of Melissa Etheridge and was pleasantly surprised at how good it sounded – like a real rock concert. Nice job, audio people (whoever you are); it must be a real challenge to make a large field situated next to a highway sound like a concert hall.
Etheridge was in good voice, no surprise there, as she ended the evening with her “hits” from 30 years ago, though instead of closing out on a grand high note, she drew out a song with a drum solo(?) followed by an extended end-play that just sort of petered out. Kind of weird, especially with a crowd salivating for their fireworks to begin…
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Tonight at The Blind Spot, Bar None recording artist, San Francisco’s Pardoner, who All Music (accurately) describes as “Noisy slacker pop quartet that marries angular heaviness with indie rock catchiness.” On their just released album, Peace Loving People (Bar None), they remind me a lot of early Parquet Courts mashed with early low-fi Pavement.
The Blind Spot is a new all-ages venue in / near downtown Omaha around where The Cog Factory used to be. The organizer asks that you DM Morgan Goldsberry for the address, though the address is clearly stated on the Nebraska DIY Facebook post (click through the post’s images to event “Vintage Clothes and More!!!,” where you’ll find the address).
Hey folks, I realize DIY is all about keeping things on the down-low to control your audience, but you’re a venue now. Just print the freakin’ address on your flyers.
Based on past and future bookings, The Blind Spot will be the home for hardcore and metal shows. Such is life. The fact that they’ve let this indie show sneak in is a positive sign. We need another place for young touring indie bands to perform besides Reverb, which these days is only booking breadcrumbs. Tonight’s show is a four-band bill with Fire Sign, Glow and Western Hairus, and kicks off at 8 p.m. $10.
If you’re looking for me tonight, I’ll be on my porch eyeing the crowds as they pass by my home on the way to Memorial Park, a beer by my side, a shotgun across my lap…
I’ve been watching the weather the past few days, wondering if the city would cancel the event. The stage is all set up, and it seems unlikely unless there’s lightning in the vicinity. So, enjoy Melissa Etheridge in the park. Just stay off my lawn.
Kidding. But not really. But yeah. I saw Etheridge in concert way back in the early ‘90s as part of a double-headline bill with Matthew Sweet, again, playing in a park, this time in Philadelphia. No doubt fans are in for a good show. Etheridge goes on at 8:30 following Herman’s Hermits w/Peter Noone. Fireworks at 10 p.m.
The rest of the calendar is looking pretty light. There’s nothing happening tonight or tomorrow night, unless you like wrestling or Taylor Swift. Slowdown has no shows at all this weekend.
Sunday night is Fleet Foxes at Steelhouse Omaha. Their last release was 2021’s A Very Lonely Solstice, stripped down versions of older songs. 2020’s Shore I believe was the last original studio album and included the single “Can I Believe You.” The show kicks off at 8 p.m. with a set by Uwade (full name Uwade Akhere), who you might remember from her contributions to FF’s Shore album. She’s got a number of singles out but is yet to release an LP. Main floor tickets are still available for $35. Will there be giveaways leading up to Sunday? Watch your socials…
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Also Sunday night is a sneaky good show at Reverb Lounge featuring a handful of bands I’m just discovering thanks to this show.
Glare is a Texas-based self-proclaimed shoegaze act whose most current releases are on Sunday Drive Records. Their newer stuff is warm, shimmering and gauzy, while their older stuff leans toward post-Grunge ‘90s alt rock. Here’s hoping for a set of the new stuff. Co-headliner, Portland’s Alien Boy (yes, a Wipers reference), is guitarist / songwriter Sonia Weber and drummer Derek McNeil, with a rotating cast of Portland support players. Their music is released on Tiny Engines, and is very indie, very poppy, very hooky, very fun. The Dirts and Glassblower also are on this 4-band bill. $18, 8 p.m.
And down the street at The Sydney in Benson Sunday night, Denton four-piece Pearl Earl headlines. Captain Howdy opens at 9 p.m. $12.
And that’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend.
Making a go of it as an indie band has never been easy. Even in the heyday in the early 2000s, young bands who wanted to break through to the next level had to commit to spending a lot of time on the road, playing to small crowds in venues that ranged from your typical local music club to someone’s basement.
Three weeks ago, Saddle Creek Records’ latest roster addition, Feeble Little Horse, celebrated the release of their Creek debut, Girl with Fish. Pitchfork gave the album its illustrious “Best New Music” designation and a startling 8.2 rating, calling it a “richly textured album full of fuzzy melodic hooks and beguiling left turns.” Sirius XMU began to play the first single, “Steamroller” on high heat rotation.
Everything was setting up well for their just-announced month-long tour and the inevitable world conquest, and then late last week the band posted on Instagram that they had cancelled all the dates.
“we were so excited and this tour meant the world to us. we have been blown away by all the recent support we have received but for now we have to take a step back and reassess our little world for our continued health. we are really sorry if this has a negative impact on anyone’s best summer ever plans it definitely is lame for us as well. right now, we are letting the horse get a good night’s sleep.”
Among the thank you’s was one for Saddle Creek Records: “thank you @saddlecreek for carrying us to heights we never imagined.” There have been no further FLH posts, and who knows what happened, but in this new age when people are now recognizing their health needs (mental or otherwise) and taking the necessary actions, the band seems to have wisely pulled their hand away from the fire when the flame is at its highest. Hopefully they’ll be back on the road soon and will remember Omaha as a tour stop.
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Philly band Speedy Ortiz dropped a new single and video yesterday from their upcoming album, Rabbit Rabbit, out Sept. 1 on Wax Nine Records. They also announced a tour that will bring them to The Slowdown Nov. 17 (OMG, summer will be in our rear view mirrors by then). Check it:
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Omaha’s Ebba Rose a.k.a. Erin Mitchell and 2023 Maha Festival performer, celebrates the release of her new album tonight at Reverb Lounge. The four-band bill includes Cowgirl Eastern, BB Sledge and Trees with Eyes. $15, 8 p.m.
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