The best news about Saturday night’s concert: The Anchor Inn. Where has this place been all my life? Why aren’t there more (non-redneck) rock shows hosted here?

I admit to having been a little tenuous about driving down there after a long day, and almost didn’t. Where exactly was this place? Would we have to park in a field? Would I have to wait in long lines to 1) get in, 2) buy a beer, 3) take a leak? Do I really have the patience to withstand such an enormous hassle? And what about all the bikers that The Anchor Inn is famous for?

I decided not to sissy-out and Googled the place on my iPhone. It wasn’t too tricky to find — get on Abbott Drive and follow the trail of tail lights headed to the concert. At the end of a long, uneven paved road was the marina-like bar/restaurant and a team of yellow-shirted security guys who directed me to a parking spot only a few yards from the entrance. Despite the concert having started two hours earlier (I missed Son, Ambulance and Matt Focht) there was a long line to get in. Ah, but a plethora of security guys checking IDs shortened the wait. Too bad they couldn’t do anything about the swarm of Obama people asking if we were registered voters (The whole event felt like an Obama rally from the moment we arrived).

After about 10 minutes, we were in. Walking around the restaurant revealed the huge permanent outdoor stage, large enough to handle almost any performer. Just beyond the restaurant’s patio were dozens of picnic tables that led down to an open space in front of the stage. Getting a beer from the outdoor bar took only a couple minutes (no lines, but that might be because a can of Bud Light cost $4). In back was a tent that sold McKenna’s Barbecue, while a row of portajohns sat tucked away left of the stage area. Despite a crowd of 2,000, it never felt crowded. The owner said the venue has handled crowds exceeding 6,000, thanks to a huge field south of the stage that leads down to the river. Add to all that the fact that it was the best sound I’ve ever heard at an outdoor event and this place has the makings of an outdoor music Nirvana. I was blown away. So was One Percent, who said they’re considering hosting more shows there next year. The Anchor Inn certainly has my vote.

Which brings us to the musical portion of the review. While Conor was the headliner, Jenny Lewis and her band was just as much of a draw. Looking like a band of hippies (everyone on stage wore hippie hats, the bass player wore a pseudo American flag vest that looked right out of Easy Rider), her six-piece outfit sounded like the second-coming of the Allman Bros complete with boogie-woogie country rock vibe. The sometimes flaccid songs off her new album, Acid Tongue, roared to life in living, psychedelic color. Lewis, who has one of the best voices in indie music today, belted out one song after another, backed vocally in duets by Jonathan Rice (who sang the Elvis Costello part on “Carpetbaggers” and also shared in the unfortunate cover of “Love Hurts” “dedicated to Barack and Hillary”). Lewis appeared to be having a much better time at this show than the last Rilo Kiley concert down at Slowdown. Something tells me that this band and this music could take over everything in her career.

I had the same feeling about Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band. The six-piece came on at around 11:30 dressed in matching dark-blue satin jackets with their band logo embroidered on the back. Oberst went through two guitars during the first song, a testimony to the equipment problems the band was having — they had to use Lewis’ gear as theirs didn’t show up until minutes before the concert. No matter, the band sounded great ripping through a set of country rock songs that had new life when performed live with this crew. Like Lewis, Oberst looked like he was having the time of his life. He was much more animated than at the usually staid Bright Eyes shows where he’s playing in front of a stringed quartet or brass section. Here it was simple, all-out country rock, loose and fun, eager and relaxed. I left wondering how Oberst could possibly go back to the indie straight-jacket that is Bright Eyes. The answer: He won’t, at least not anytime soon. As I said before, Mystic Valley will continue through the end of the year, and then Oberst will focus on his M. Ward/Jim James collaboration, a band that will likely be as free-wheelin’ as this one was.

But after seeing this show, the thought of Bright Eyes never coming back at all crept into my mind. Oberst is ever moving forward. He’s always looking at the next project, the next opportunity, rarely looking into his rear view mirror at what he’s accomplished. Certainly he’ll continue to work with folks from Bright Eyes — Nate Walcott is a member of the Mystic Valley Band, and Oberst and Mike Mogis will always be joined through ARC and other projects. So could Bright Eyes become this year’s Desaparecidos? Every time I asked Oberst in interviews if Desa was happening again, he’d say, yes of course, it’s just a matter of scheduling. Until the last time I asked, when he said Desa represented a time in his life that has long passed. The same could be said of Bright Eyes and that project’s catalog of forlorn classics perfectly designed to make the little girls cry. Looking around the crowd at Saturday night’s show, there wasn’t a tear to be seen…

* * *

Tonight at Slowdown Jr., those ever-lovin’ muppets known as Talkin’ Mountain with Love Like Fire, Robert Adam and DJ Kobrakyle. $6, 9 p.m.

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It’s Day Two of Lincoln Calling’s 5-day music bonanza. Tonight’s schedule:

Duffy’s: Jodie Loves Hinckley, Machete Archive, Black Hundreds, Techlepathy. 9 p.m., $5, 21+

State Theater: Forty Twenty, The Killigans, Triggertown. 9 p.m., $5, 18+

12th St. Pub: Dan Jenkins (Ideal Cleaners), Nick Westra, Pat Bradley, Matt Martinosky. 6 p.m., $3, 21+

Box Awesome: Academy of Rock showcase — Damnit Dolls, The Story Killers, Learning to Fall. 6 p.m., $5, all ages. Late show: Revival of the DJ. 9 p.m., free 21+, $3 18+

Knickerbocker’s: Pomeroy, Sarah VanderHaar, Golden. 9:30 p.m., $10, 18+

The Zoo: Lucas Kellison and the Assembled Soul, Mo Izreal, 9 p.m., $5, 21+

Full sched and details are at lincolncalling.com.

Also tonight, Paper Owls are hosting a CD release party at The Waiting Room with Shiver Shiver and Midwest Dilemma. The $8 cover gets you a copy of their full length, Myths, recorded at ARC Studios by Ian Aeillo. Starts at 9.

A last-minute show has been put together tonight at O’Leaver’s featuring Jake Bellows (Neva Dinova), Nicole LeClerc and Reagan Roeder. $2, 9:30 p.m.

Meanwhile, down the street at The Barley St. Tavern, Darren Keen (a.k.a. The Show Is the Rainbow) takes the stage with Stolen Kisses and Heligoats. No idea if there’s a cover. Things get rolling around 9 p.m.

Finally, here’s a review of the new Jenny Lewis CD, Acid Tongue, that was supposed to run in this week’s issue of The Reader along with three local CD reviews. They all got pushed back to next week, so hear’s a sneak peek, just in time for Lewis’ opening slot for Conor Oberst Saturday night at The Anchor Inn.

Jenny Lewis, Acid Tongue (Warner Bros) — Her debut, Rabbit Fur Coat, was a lark that ended up being one of the best albums of ’06 — far better than any current Rilo Kiley output. This one isn’t so much a sophomore slump as a flat spot on the shopping-cart wheel of life she so accurately captures in her music. We get Lewis’ usual femme fatales — the used-up should-have-known-better vamps confessing their indiscretions with downcast eyes and a wry, secret smile. The slow songs are the best; the rest sound like experiments in genre appreciation (or nostalgia). Trailer park neighbors include a twangy Elvis Costello sounding like a gawkish Tom Petty. Overall, more evidence that Lewis is this generation’s Nancy Sinatra wearing boots not of shiny, shiny leather but of the silver-toed variety. Rating: Yes (Reader rating: Three stars)

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The hot ticket tonight is once again Lincoln Calling. In fact, tonight is the hottest night of the festival’s five days and definitely worth the hour-long commute to the star city. The standout shows are at Box Awesome and Duffy’s. The two-story BA extravaganza might be the best one-venue one-night line-up this year. And of course the Speed! Nebraska showcase at Duffy’s is an absolute can’t-miss spectacle. Figure out a clever way to split yourself in two so you don’t have to miss a minute of anything. Here’s the Friday night LC schedule:

Box Awesome
(Upstairs): Columbia vs. Challenger, Baby Walrus, Bear Country FTL Drive.
(Basement), UUVVWWZ, Capgun Coup, Honeybee, Conchance. 9 p.m., $8, 18+

Duffy’s: Speed Nebraska Fall Demolition Derby — Domestica, The Mezcal Brothers, The Third Men, Wagon Blasters. 9 p.m., $5, 21+

Zoo Bar: Son of 76 and the Watchmen, Matt Cox, Tijuana Gigolos. 9 p.m., $5, 21+

State Theater: Academy of Rock Showcase, Straight Outta Junior High, Exit 48, Dodging Bullets, Emergency Entrance. 6 p.m., $5, all ages

Knickerbocker’s: The Allendales, Ed Gray, Cameron McGill and What Army, The Whipkey Three. 9:30 p.m., $5, 18+

12th St. Pub: Darren Keen, Heligoats, MWMBLES, Orion Walsh. 6 p.m., $3, 21+

Saturday night

Duffy’s: Boss Martians, Tenth Horse, Volunteers, Little Brazil. 9 p.m., $5, 21+

Zoo Bar: Tatsuya Nakatani, Volcano Insurance, The Mighty Vitamins. 9 p.m., $5, 21+

Knick’s: The Show is the Rainbow, Pharmacy Spirits, Boo and Boo Too. 9:30 p.m., $5, 18+

Box Awesome: The B Foundation, Andrews Ave., Vibenhai. 9 p.m., $5, 18+

Sunday

Duffy’s: Matt Focht (Head of Femur), Son Ambulance. 6 p.m., $5, 19+

Box Awesome: Pattern is Movement, Marianas w/special guests. 9 p.m., $7, 18+

Meanwhile, back here in Omaha, there are plenty of good shows going on if you don’t feel like making that drive.

Tonight at The Waiting Room it’s the yee-haw sound of Forty Twenty and The Mercurys. 9 p.m. $7.

Saturday night is, of course, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band at The Anchor Inn with Son, Ambulance, Matt Focht and Jenny Lewis. Tix are $20 and the show starts at 8 p.m.

Also Saturday night, The Song Remains the Same plays at The Waiting Room with The Ground Tyrants. $7, 9 p.m.

And yours truly will be hosting a panel discussion at noon Saturday down at the Bemis Center as part of the (downtown) Omaha Lit Fest. As described on the Lit Fest site:

Taking Notes: Music and Writing — Reader music critic Tim McMahan discusses the role of music in writing fiction, criticism, and screenplays. With novelists Charles Bock (Beautiful Children, which included an accompanying alt music mix) and Carleen Brice (Orange Mint and Honey, in which Nina Simone plays a role), filmmaker Nik Fackler (director of music videos and the locally shot film, Lovely, Still), and D.E. Rasso (music writer for #1 Hit Song and the defunct Brooklyn dirty-mag for women, Sweet Action).

I’m told Nik probably won’t be there on account of The Toronto Film Festival, where Lovely Still was screened.

Yes, this whole Lit Fest thing is absolutely free, but the organizers are looking for donations, so give up some cash if you go (or even if you don’t).

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

Here it is, my annual column where I laud one person’s heroic efforts while commenting on the gloomy state of local radio. These columns usually result in readers writing in to say, “If you don’t like it, buy an iPod” or something equally as mundane. I’m not naive. Actually, maybe I am. I know radio will never change, but I can’t help dreamin’. In the end, did Omaha’s lack of a radio station that plays quality local music really have a negative impact on the scene? Did the lack of a real college radio station matter to the fate of Saddle Creek? Probably not; or maybe it did in ways we’ll ever know.

By the way, whatever happened to KIND?

Column 190: Daylight Savings Time
New Day Rising rises a little earlier.

There continues to be one dim, lonely light burning in the dark, lifeless chasm of local radio. And now that light just got a little bit closer, a little bit brighter.

A couple weeks ago, local FM “alternative” rock station 89.7 The River moved one if its few valued assets — the 2-hour indie-music program New Day Rising — from 11 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday nights, making it slightly more within reach to all of us who have to work in the morning.

Since its inception in December 2004 (yes, it really has been almost four years) New Day Rising (named after a Husker Du song) has been the sole source of College Music Journal-style programming on the Omaha FM dial, a fact that goes beyond irony to imbecility, considering that our city has been recognized in the national and international press as one of the most vital music scenes in the country. Omaha radio’s non-support of our lauded local talent is nothing less than embarrassing.

But I digress.

New Day Rising host, producer and originator, Dave Leibowitz, said the show’s shift to an earlier time slot came as a result of gaining more listeners. “It’s an award for being successful,” he said a few hours before last Sunday night’s show. “I believe the ratings were up. Also over the years (a percentage) of the bands that started out on New Day Rising found a place in the station’s regular rotation.”

He pointed to bands like Silversun Pickups and MIA that somehow found themselves nestled between The River’s seemingly endless supply of cookie-monster neu-metal goon rock, one assumes to the consternation of the station’s mullet-haired listeners.

A typical episode combines just-released indie rock with older underground standards and a sprinkling of local offerings. Last Sunday’s show included tracks by such indie stalwarts as Jenny Lewis, Neko Case, Conor Oberst and The Shins as well as not-so-familiar acts like The Action Design, The Spinto Band and The Black and White Years, along with a track by local geniuses Little Brazil. Every episode is capped with a classic track from Sonic Youth. “They epitomize what I think the indie or alternative world is supposed to be about,” Leibowitz said. “They’re this generation’s Velvet Underground.”

Leibowitz creates his playlist by scanning what’s hot on the CMJ and FMQB (Friday Morning Quarterback, another industry magazine) charts, then adds new music received from record labels, promoters and bands. It’s all filtered by his personal music taste. “I won’t play something that I don’t like,” he said. “That wouldn’t benefit anyone. I try to make (the show) as well-rounded as possible, but I can’t be all things to all people. Our goal was never to ‘out-indie’ anyone; it was to play music that you can’t hear anywhere else on the radio.”

In a way, New Day Rising is Leibowitz’s personal weekly two-hour mix tape, lovingly created just for his listeners. That level of creative control recalls the good ol’ days when disc jockeys programmed their own shows, before the advent of Darth Vadar-like corporate entities whose goal is to please the greatest common denominator with the most flavorless, colorless and least offensive product.

Actually, with iPods and the Internet, isn’t radio in general becoming a thing of the past? Leibowitz doesn’t think so. “Just like there’s no substitute for discovering new music at a live performance, there’s also no substitute for hearing something for the first time on your radio,” he said. “It really is the easiest way to access music until you can get the Internet in your car or wherever you’re standing. You can get radio anywhere.”

Add to that the medium’s characteristic uncertainty. The web provides an endless sense of choice, the presumption that users can find whatever they want. Perfectly compartmentalized, their favorite music is always only a click away. Radio — for better or worse — takes away that choice. Listeners are forced to sit back and let someone else drive for awhile. Their destination is a mystery, except for the fact that, in New Day Rising’s case, the territory will be distinctively “indie,” whatever that means.

“Saying if something is indie or not isn’t very easy,” Leibowitz said. “You know something is metal by the guitar. Metal may have a million different dimensions, but there’s that one thing that defines it. Nothing defines indie that way. You may think you know what it is, and then along comes a band like The Faint who doesn’t fit the mold. It’s a difficult thing to classify, but people who understand indie know what it is.”

Back when New Day Rising first rose, “indie” was a dirty word that Leibowitz’s original co-host forbade me to use when describing their radio show. “That’s one thing that’s changed over the past four years — we’ve taken indie back,” Leibowitz said. “It used to be that the ‘I-word’ was something that people avoided; now it’s a badge of honor.”

A badge whose recipient, it seems, will forever be relegated to two late hours on a Sunday night. Well, it’s better than nothing.

I blew it by not mentioning all the online New Day Rising resources, such as the website (http://www.newdayrisingshow.com) and the myspace page (http://www.myspace.com/newdayrisingomaha). Go there and find out more, or just tune in on Sunday night. You won’t regret it.

Tonight is the opening night of the area’s best local music festival — Lincoln Calling. The main attraction this evening is at The Rococo Theater: Eagle*Seagull with Neva Dinova (coming off a scorching set opening for Okkervil River last Saturday night at Slowdown) and Manny Coon. Show starts at 7 p.m. and tix are $10. See the full LC schedule here. More on the festival as the week progresses.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

Tonight at The Waiting Room, never-heard-of band The Reign of Kindo plays with Omaha’s Landing on the Moon. $7, 9 p.m. Blues guitarist Jonny Lang (who I also know nothing about) is playing at Slowdown. It’s yet another show (like last night’s Neko Case gig) that originally was scheduled for Sokol Auditorium but moved to Slowdown because of poor ticket sales. $27, 9 p.m. Note that both shows’ tickets exceeded the $20 price line. Is Omaha too cheap for these kinds of quality touring acts, or is it just “the economy, stupid”? I’ve been told by a number of folks that show attendance is down across the board, not only here but all over the country.

That’s all I got, except that personal writing messiah Robert Christgau just reviewed the Conor Oberst CD here. Christgau gave it an ‘A,’ which I think is the highest grade he’s ever given an Omaha band. Sayeth the Christgau:

It’s official. Forget Shins guy James Mercer, Spoon guy Britt Daniel, even Arcade Fire fraterfamilias Win Butler — this vibrato-prone romantic is the greatest melodist in contemporary mega-indie. Whatever his adult solo debut portends for once and future arranger Mike Mogis, the Saddle Creek cartel and his latest girlfriend(s?), its meaning is tunes, with beat enough to carry them forward and no other musical distractions. Unlike Mercer and Daniel, he’s about flow — intricacy is an occasional afterthought. Once in a while a guitar part backs up a tasty phrase, and when the time comes, someone in Bright Eyes will gracefully provide it. And oh yeah — the best song here, quite possibly the best song of his life, is basically a rocking refrain: “I Dont Want to Die (In the Hospital).”

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

Crazy night at O’Leaver’s Friday punctuated with some exciting outdoor activities involving furniture and automobiles. I cannot divulge the details other than to say it was entertaining. As was Vampire Hands, who played to a nice crowd of around 50. Their music takes on a slightly more violent, distinctly more rhythmic tone when performed live. Their bushy v-neck-T-wearing frontman played both keyboards and a modified drum set that backed a full drum set and then a third drum on a few songs. With three vocalists who can actually sing — and with music that’s modern and groovy — these guys will be heading to a larger label near you, which is nothing less than they deserve. Dining note: I declare Worker’s chili dogs to be supremely satisfying after a night of Rolling Rock. Do it.

Saturday night was spent at Slowdown where the most pleasant surprise (besides the show nearly selling out) was the ascension of Neva Dinova from a sleepy indie folk band to a full-out rock odyssey explosion. Never have I heard the combo sound so white-knuckle heavy. It was like watching the second coming of Crazy Horse with Jake Bellows taking Neil’s place. Huge.

Okkervil River looked like rock stars in front of a floor filled with adoring fans who sang along all night — something I never thought I’d live to see back when they were playing to 10 people at The Junction. I think they’re on the verge of becoming this year’s Spoon. At the Dundee Theater earlier that evening Okkervil River was piped through the sound system before the show, only to be heard moments later during a coming-attractions trailer. The audience at Slowdown wasn’t the typical indie crowd — I saw more than my share of backward baseball caps and chummy buzz-headed greeks making out with their girlfriends during the set — yet another sign that they’re on the verge of breaking through the indie glass ceiling, for better or worse. Performance-wise they sounded as good as they always do, but with a new female lead guitarist who pulled the attention away from slouching, slightly spastic Will Sheff. With numerous thank-yous and acknowledgements of shows past (including the infamous California Taco show) the gig had all the makings of a welcome-home celebration from a band that’s made Omaha an integral part of its touring life. Let’s hope they don’t forget us as they continue to climb the ladder.

* * *

Tonight at Slowdown it’s Neko Case with Giant Sand. This show originally was scheduled for Sokol Auditorium, and while its shift to Slowdown reflects poor ticket sales and bad news for One Percent Productions, it could mean the difference between a good show and a great one. Sokol Aud is probably my least favorite place to see a band, what with its lousy acoustics and barn-like atmosphere. Let’s be honest — wouldn’t you rather see The Faint sell out three nights at Slowdown rather than have to see them at one hot, overcrowded, poorly mixed show at Sokol Aud? Sure you would, though I have a feeling that’ll never happen. Tickets to Neko Sand are $22. Show starts at 8 p.m.

Tonight at O’Leaver’s it’s the return of Vampire Hands, a dark-groove indie band from Minneapolis that’s not afraid to throw a waltz-time number in with the rest of their low-down, bass-driven rockers. There’s something cool and hip and at the same time, slightly withdrawn, foreboding and spacey about their music. With Bazooka Shootout. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Also tonight, down at Slowdown, it’s a sold-out show by Atmosphere.

Tomorrow night is Okkervil River at Slowdown with Neva Dinova. I tried in vain to line up an interview with Okkervil’s Will Sheff, but it just wasn’t happening. That didn’t stop The Reader from pushing my deadline, however, so here is what I filed with the paper. Who remembers Watch the Stereo?

The Beaten Path
Okkervil River’s Omaha journey.

You can sketch the ebb and flow of Austin band Okkervil River’s career by tracing where they’ve performed in Omaha over the past six years.

The band of musical gypsies fronted by yearning, literate vocalist Will Sheff has made Omaha a regular tour stop along their endless journey across America.

Their first gig was at the now-defunct Junction (located at 15th & Farnam) back on March 5, 2002. It also was the first time Okkervil River played outside of their home of Austin, Texas. Back then, no one around here had heard of the band, even though they were supporting their second album, Don’t Fall in Love with Everyone You See, the follow-up to their forgotten 2000 debut, Stars Too Small to Use.

Their debut at The Junction was just as forgettable. Only about 10 people were there, stretched out over the bar’s second-hand pleather booths as Okkervil and opening band Watch the Stereo performed beneath the falling ceiling tiles and atop the exposed plywood stage, their songs occasionally punctuated by the crisp crack of a cue ball breaking a fresh rack in the back of the room. The Junction was a lonely little dive, a remnant of Omaha’s musical past that, despite its wore-torn interior, hosted bands as diverse as Kyle Fischer, Bright Eyes, The Prom, Azure Ray, The Rapture, Dave Dondero and The Places.

Sheff called his first two Omaha gigs — both at the lowly Junction — “crappy.” But he’d take a step further south as the next Omaha show would be an impromptu gig at the legendary California Taco. Okkervil River would eventually graduate to Sokol Underground. “I said to myself, ‘We finally made it,'” Sheff said in a 2005 interview, only to find himself and the band playing at the much smaller O’Leaver’s in April 2005. The band would return to Sokol Underground later that November in support of their fourth full-length, Black Sheep Boy, and watched as the crowd ballooned to 200.

Since then, Okkervil River has continued to see its following grow, not only in Omaha but nationwide. Their 2007 album, The Stage Names, peaked at No. 62 on the Billboard album charts and was lauded by everyone from Pitchfork to The New York Times as their best record ever.

Their sound has been compared to a variety of folk-rock acts from Will Oldham to Wilco to Bright Eyes, but the only thing Okkervil River has in common with those bands is their use of eclectic instruments, from accordion to mandolin to Wurlitzer, in addition to the usual guitar-bass-drums rock set up. At the center of it all is Sheff’s unmistakable, thin, weary yodel of a voice, the perfect instrument for his lonely song-stories that capture life lived on the stage and on the road — for better or worse. The popularity of The Stage Names was reflected in last September’s capacity show at The Waiting Room (just two weeks after an appearance on Late Night with Conan O’Brien) that saw people turned away at the door.

Now comes The Stand Ins, released last Tuesday on Jagjaguwar Records, the 11-song opus is being marketed as the sequel to The Stage Names since its tracks were recorded during the same sessions as that album’s. With it comes a move to Slowdown’s big stage, the largest room Okkervil River has played yet and a far cry from The Junction’s ratty confines. Where will they go from there, The Holland Center?

Tickets to Okkervil are $14 and the show starts at 9.

Also on Saturday is the Soaring Wings Food Bank Benefit. The vineyard is located at 17111 So. 138th St. (south of Springfield) and features sets by Sarah Benck and the Robbers, The Whipkey Three, Kyle Harvey, Matt Cox, Brad Hoshaw, Scott Severin and the Milton Burlesque and The Wholes. Admission is $15 and it starts at noon.

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I had a lot of fun Friday night at the Mid American Music Festival. The evening started out early — 7 p.m. — with a performance by David Hurwitz (The Boy Bathing) at PS Collective. As I had predicted, there was only about 15 people there to see this guy who flew in from Manhattan to do this show. It seems odd that the organizers would place traveling bands and performers in such poor time slots, but I’ll discuss that more in this week’s column. Hurwitz did a fine job retooling his band’s music for a solo show.

The next two hours were a whirlwind as Teresa, Hurwitz and I checked out sets by Scott Severin and the Milton Burlesque at PS, Monica Eby at Mick’s, Blastronauts at The Musette, Shiver Shiver at The Foundry, and Naked Plywood at The Barley Street before hitting what would end up being the two highlights of the evening.

Burke’s Pub isn’t exactly renowned in the Benson scene as a music venue. It’s more of a pseudo Irish/regulars bar with a little nook next to the front door where someone could stand with a guitar, mic and amp. And that’s exactly what Kyle Harvey did Friday night, standing with eyes shut in a nook that became smaller and smaller as the room became more and more packed. Unbelievably packed, and for good reason. No one sings a broken-hearted love song quite like Harvey, who had the drunken crowd eating out of his hand with every one of his solo acoustic ballads about booze, love, sex and booze, all painted in dark hues of despair. Harvey is an Omaha original who has no idea just how influential his music has been and will continue to be. The show felt important, and I felt lucky to be there. By the time we left, it felt like Burke’s was going for some sort of telephone-booth-stuffing world record, and it took all we had to squeeze out the door.

The night was capped off by Little Brazil at The Waiting Room, with frontman Landon Hedges doing his damdest to look like Dan Haggerty of Grizzly Adams fame (albeit a 125-pound Dan Haggerty with a 3-pound beard). LB rolled out a number of new songs that take their music in a more hook-fueled (and fun) direction. Hurwitz was blown away by both Harvey and LB, as were Teresa and I.

We skipped Day 4 of MAMF. I interviewed Hurwitz Saturday afternoon to get his perspective on the festival from the viewpoint of someone who traveled here to perform in it. His comments, along with my thoughts on the MAMF, will appear in Wednesday’s column.

* * *

Two shows of worth checking out tonight:

First, down at Slowdown Jr., it’s The Shytburds — a new project by Ted Stevens (Cursive, Mayday) and Alex McManus (The Bruces) — along with Bill Hoover and the Barking Boys and Outlaw Con Bandana. $5, 9 p.m. This show will be packed.

Also tonight at O’Leaver’s it’s an evening of punk by Yuppies, Dim Light and Eat Skull. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Get ready, it’s going to be a crazy week…

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—

No MAMF for me last night as I wasn’t compelled to attend, so let’s look at the rest of the festival’s schedule. Tonight is strongest of the four days. Bring your walking shoes. Primary on my list is David Hurwitz of Brooklyn band The Boy Bathing, playing at PS Collective at 7 p.m. You might remember that I mentioned his band in my column a few weeks ago (the one that talked about the Magnet Magazine sampler, here). Hurwitz has one of the stranger voices you’ll likely to hear at this festival — it’s how I imagine author David Sedaris would sound like if he sang indie folk songs. Still, his songwriting is compelling, especially on his band’s new album, A Fire to Make Preparations. I’ll be talking to Hurwitz about his overall impressions of festival for next week’s column.

The rest of my picks for tonight:

— Scott Severin & Milton Burlesque at PS Collective @ 8:30.

— Shiver Shiver at The Foundry at 10:30.

— Kyle Harvey and the Great Disappearing Act at Burke’s Pub at 11.

— Filter Kings at Musette at 11:30.

— Little Brazil at The Waiting Room at 11:30.

— Big Al Band at the Barley St. at 7.

Ironically Saturday, which you’d think would be the strongest night of any festival, is the weakest. The only shows worth mentioning:

— Dereck Higgins at Mia’s Bongo Room at 10:30, and

— Sleep Said the Monster at The Foundry at midnight.

That doesn’t mean that Benson won’t be hopping. Festival organizers back-loaded the most popular pop-fueled local bands for Saturday night.

Let’s be honest: MAMF isn’t an indie-music festival, and I doubt that it was designed to be. The event’s line-up underscores the difference between “indie” when it describes a style of music and “indie” when it describes bands that aren’t on a record label. For the most part, MAMF simply didn’t attract indie-style bands, local or otherwise. Other than Little Brazil, there are no local indie bands in the festival that have done extensive touring. Missing from the festival are bands that represent these local record labels: Saddle Creek, Team Love, Speed! Nebraska, Boom Chick, Slumber Party, It Are Good, Ant, and Coco Art (I’m sure I’m missing someone).

It’s not like those bands weren’t at MAMF because they weren’t allowed to be. I’m sure MAMF would have loved to have had any of them play the festival, but none signed up during the open-invitation phase of the registration, presumably because they didn’t see any value in playing another local festival. Fact is, almost all the bands from those record labels tour regionally or nationally, and can’t afford — or simply aren’t interested in — playing for free.

Compensation also is probably one of the reasons why Lincoln Calling has such a strong representation of bands from those labels. Since its inaugural year, Lincoln Calling always has paid bands either a guarantee or a piece of the door, realizing that they’re the reason the festival is even happening in the first place. Check out the Lincoln Calling schedule at lincolncalling.com. More on that festival later, and look for more MAMF coverage this weekend.

What else is going on this weekend outside of Benson?

Well, there’s the Free Yr Radio concert at Slowdown Sunday night featuring Flowers Forever and Dan Deacon. Admission to the 8 p.m. concert is free with a ticket you can print out from www.freeyrradio.com/concerts.html. More details at theslowdown.com.

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