Hey, we have one touring indie act this weekend! And lots of local shows. Has anyone noticed Steelhouse only has one concert booked for the month of August (and it’s a fricken WASP concert)? WTF?
Anyway, let’s get positive, people.
We’ve had a ringside seat as Lomelda a.k.a. singer/songwriter Hannah Read, has gone from a touring opening act for Hovvdy at Reverb before the pandemic to a national indie star with more than a million monthly listeners on Spotify, touring with Magnetic Fields and opening a sold-out Death Cab for Cutie show like she did earlier this year at The Admiral. Now she’s back in Omaha on a solo tour. Her last full-length was 2020’s Hannah, released on Double Double Whammy Records. She’s released a number of singles since then and no doubt has another full-length waiting in the wings. Tonight she plays at The Sydney in Benson with Omaha’s own Anna McClellan. 9 p.m., $15.
Also tonight, just down the street at Reverb Lounge, Lodgings headlines a show with The Sun-Less Trio. I’m not sure why SLT isn’t the headliner as the band, headed by local guitar-playing icon Mike Sakler, is celebrating the release of their new album, The Vanishing.
Says the Bandcamp page about The Vanishing: “Sessions. were primarily hashed out to 2-track live in the December of 2022. Additional vocals and sounds in Spring of ‘23. Thread those tape machines holding on by a thread. Any perceived anomalies are in fact present, tape hiss, wow, flutter, dropouts. Strange panning and phasing.” The final product is collection from Saklar keynoted by his haunted guitar tone and vocals. The trio is Saklar, drummer Marc Phillips, and bass player Cricket Kirk. Hard rock band Living Conditions opens the show at 8 p.m. $10.
Also tonight, San Diego surf-rock band The Frights headline at The Slowdown. Their latest, Gallows Humor, was released earlier this month on Here Lies Music, but they’ve also released material on Epitaph and Dangerbird in the past. Emo band Sad Park opens at 8 p.m. $25.
Tomorrow night (Saturday), local indie band Bach Mai is celebrating an album release show at Reverb Lounge. I’m not sure which album (they don’t say on their invites), but assume it’s for their 6-song EP Good Try, which came out in early May (but isn’t in Bandcamp, so…). Or maybe it’s something else? Also on the bill is Uh Oh and Ghostlike. The music begins at 8 p.m. $10.
And that’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend…
There’s been very little to report this week indie music wise. I’ll tick through the few things in the ol’ inbox:
Joe Champion from the indie band Uh Oh dropped me a line to say the band has dropped two new songs on Bandcamp and is releasing two songs per month for the next four months, in a series called “Cicada Songs.”
Check out “Gold at the End” b/w “A Line in Your Book” at their Bandcamp page.
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An epilogue to last week’s trip to 7th St. Entry in Minneapolis… I mentioned how small the venue was — though it has a capacity of 250 (according to wiki) it felt pretty tight when just a hundred or so people were there to see Blondshell.
Well, yesterday The Pretenders announced their upcoming tour, which is targeting “smaller venues across America.” Among them is 7th St. Entry, where the band will perform Sept. 7. I can’t imagine how that’ll go. It would be like seeing The Pretenders play at Reverb Lounge or Slowdown Jr.
BTW, this tour follows a short stadium tour where The Pretenders are opening for Guns ’n’ Roses.
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A few indie tours have been announced, two coming here, two passing us by:
Hits:
– Canadian folkies Great Lake Swimmers are playing The Slowdown Nov. 2; while Squirrel Flower will return to Reverb Lounge early next year – Jan. 21.
Misses:
British band Yard Act, whose debut album The Overload was a favorite from a year or so ago, announced a new single and a fall U.S. Headline Tour. Closest passes:
– Wed. Sep. 13 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line
– Thu. Sep. 14 – Madison, WI @ The Terrace at University of Wisconsin
– Fri. Sep. 15 – Chicago, IL @ Riot Festival
Low Cut Connie is on the verge of releasing their new album, Art Dealers, on Sept. 8. They’ll be on the road touring it, but their closest passes to Omaha are:
– Oct. 6 – Madison, WI – Majestic Theater
– Oct. 7 – Minneapolis – First Avenue
– Oct. 14 – Chicago – Thalia Hall
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Hey bands and musicians…
As you’re probably aware (or maybe you aren’t), everyone’s favorite local arts and entertainment monthly, The Reader, will be dropping its last issue ever in September. That issue will be dedicated to the newspaper’s legacy, and you can help tell the story.
The Reader is looking for readers to contribute their memories of the paper:
“Be they funny, sad, weird or intriguing, your experiences have kept us going since 1994. And for our final issue, we want to commemorate what this paper has meant to so many people.”
Your contributions are being accepted now through early August. Got a Reader story to tell or just an appreciation of how the paper helped you out or for what John Heaston and his team have done over the past 30 years? You can submit it right here. Help celebrate the end of an Omaha tradition…
The photos you see here were taken on July 6 and no doubt the crews constructing the new Astro venue/amphitheater in La Vista have made progress since then. I took a walk around the facility after work and snapped some photos. After talking to a neighbor and his wife, who were out taking a walk around the lake adjacent to the construction site, I began to understand the layout. I thought the amphitheater would be some sort of grassy knoll when, in fact, it’s more of an outdoor coliseum built off the back of the venue. I only know this because the dude had copies of the construction blueprints in his phone! Who knows where he got them.
This wandering neighbor was a construction guy in his own right and said he’d worked on similar projects. Looking around, I said I couldn’t believe the place would be done in time for their first show at the end of August. He had little doubt they’d finish in time. “Looks to me like everything’s ready for them to button it up and finish the interiors. Look, they even have the railings up around the outside decks.”
Just judging from the walk-around, it’s going to be an impressive facility that will have a major impact on the La Vista community. But, as the neighbor’s wife said, “It’s cool and all but it sure seems like we have a lot of venues for a town our size.” That sentiment was echoed in an interview I conducted with Jeff Fortier, co-owner of Mammoth Inc. and partner in The Astro project with One Percent Productions. You can read the interview and story in the current issue of The Reader, which is in the racks right now (you can find them at Hy-Vee or La Casa, among other places). The story also went online over the weekend, right here.
Here’s the article as it appeared in The Reader’s July 2023 issue:
Squeeze Play
The Astro Theater Enters a Crowded Market of Omaha Music Venues
by Tim McMahan
With the grand opening of The Astro indoor music venue and amphitheater in La Vista in late August, competition for booking national touring bands and performers just got that much more intense.
But before I get into that, let’s talk more about The Astro. The project was announced five years ago in June 2018 as a partnership among Omaha’s One Percent Productions, Kansas City’s Mammoth Inc., and developer City+Ventures. Thanks to a nasty pandemic, the project didn’t break ground until late September 2021.
Now, almost two years later, The Astro is ready for its debut. Located in the heart of La Vista at 8302 City Centre Drive, The Astro and The Astro Amphitheater boast state-of-the-art everything — acoustics, lighting and sound systems — with room capacities of around 2,400 in indoor venue and 5,500 at the connecting outdoor amphitheater.
“A lot of extra energy and detail went into the back stage, artist experience and customer experience,” Mammoth President Jeff Fortier said about the Astro project. “The backstage area has two catering rooms, a break room, a gym, a game room and more dressing rooms, showers and bathrooms than acts of this size need. We overdelivered. The venue also has the capabilities to do arena shows. The dock loading area is unbelievable. The Astro can handle 10 semis worth of gear. It’s not a normal venue, and the capabilities we have are unbelievable.”
Fortier co-owns Mammoth with business partner Josh Hunt, the company’s CEO. Fortier and Hunt have been booking shows in the Omaha market for more than 30 years at venues that include Sokol Auditorium and Underground, The Ranch Bowl, even legendary punk club The Cog Factory.
Astro business partner One Percent Productions — which, at its heart, is businessmen Marc Leibowitz and Jim Johnson — also has been booking live music in Omaha since 1997. One Percent, along with Saddle Creek Records, was critical in establishing Omaha as an indie music mecca in the early 2000s.
Earlier this year, the two companies — in partnership with Lincolnites Sean and Becki Reagan, who operate the The Bourbon Theater — opened the remodeled and refurbished Sokol Auditorium, renaming it The Admiral Theater.
“What One Percent Productions and Mammoth have done together with The Admiral and The Astro represents almost 30 years of hard work and patience,” Fortier said. “We’ve worked our whole careers and a good chunk of our lives to be able to create these venues.”
Over the years, One Percent wasn’t Mammoth’s only partner. The company partnered with Live Nation on a number of projects, including shows at The Uptown and Starlight theaters in Kansas City and arena shows in Omaha. But Live Nation’s aggressive business tactics began to pose a potential threat to Mammoth’s livelihood.
“The writing was on the wall; either we were going to go national or go out of business,” Fortier said.
He and Hunt put a plan together during the pandemic to go national. Mammoth currently employs more than 50 people in offices in New York, Portland, Los Angeles, Nashville, Lawrence, Kansas, and Kansas City.
How the Astro deal came about is a complicated story involving the developer, One Percent, Mammoth and Live Nation. In the end, Live Nation was the odd man out, but not for long.
Live Nation ended up putting together its own project with Omaha Performing Arts (O-pa) to build the 3,000-plus capacity Steelhouse Omaha, which appears to be hosting the same kind of national touring acts targeted by The Astro.
“(Live Nation) is pushing to do exclusive tours and keep anyone else from doing those kinds of acts,” Fortier said, “and they offer huge bonuses. And because they own the ticket company, the production company, the management company, the VIP company and the merch company, how is anyone going to compete?”
Fortier, who hopes to continue to work with Live Nation as well as The Holland Center and The Orpheum — venues controlled by O-pa — said it could get a little tricky competing with Steelhouse. Are there maybe too many players in a pond the size of Omaha? “I think that is the understatement of the day,” Fortier said.
“Listen, we’ve tried to design the venue so we can do bigger stuff than them and smaller stuff than them and leave them their lane, and hopefully figure out a way that the market works for all of us.”
Fortier says both Mammoth and One Percent will book The Astro. “We have a 50/50 co-pro with One Percent,” he said. “They do a lot of heavy lifting at The Admiral, and I think that we’re going to be doing bigger chunks of heavy lifting at The Astro.”
As of June 19, The Astro has booked nine shows for its indoor venue, including funk band Here Come the Mummies on Sept. 7; Beth Hart on Sept. 16; Ancient Aliens on Sept. 21; Casey Donahew on Sept. 22; Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band on Sept. 24; The Gaslight Anthem on Sept. 30; Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder on Oct. 15 and Wilco on Oct. 23. The Astro Amphitheater kicks things off Aug. 30 with Rick Springfield, followed by Goo Goo Dolls on Sept. 23; 311 on Sept. 29 and Dropkick Murphys on Oct. 5.
The current concert lineup reflects the kind of acts The Astro will be booking moving forward, Fortier said. “I think we’ll take a look at all the different cultures and communities that are part of Omaha,” he said. “We’re going to try to represent everybody. I think we’re off to a great start.”
Over The Edge is a monthly column by Reader senior contributing writer Tim McMahan focused on culture, society, music, the media and the arts. Email Tim at tim.mcmahan@gmail.com.
A look at the back of The Astro, where the amphitheater will be located.
Another look at the edge of the Astro amphitheater looking from the back toward the north.
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.
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