Andrew Jackson Jihad at The Waiting Room, July 15, 2014. They return as AJJ tonight at TWR.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Let’s start with the “antifolk” show at The Waiting Room tonight.What is antifolk? Well, according to antifolk.com it’s “a musical genre that promotes song-writing over technique and personality over polish. Some see it as the evolution of folk, others as a combination on punk and folk.” Couldn’t have said it better if I tried.

AJJ sort of falls under this definition. Once known as Andrew Jackson Jihad, AJJ is headlining this show tonight at TWR. Their name sounds punk-y but they’ve never sounded punky to me,  more like early Mountain Goats — clever lyrics, wonky vocals. Political? You bet (Check out the timely “Night of the Long Knives,” below).  They’re out supporting their latest, Ugly Spiral: Lost Works 2012-2016 (2018, SideOneDummy). Also on the bill: Kimya Dawson is better known for her work with Moldy Peaches, an antifolk style she’s continued as a solo performer. Laura Stevenson (Don Giovanni Records) and Shellshag (Don Giovanni) round it out. That’s a lot o’ entertaining for $18. Starts early — 7 p.m.

By the way, it’s Benson First Friday. The Sydney is celebrating with a four-band bill that includes Wrong Pets, Montee Men, Living Conditions and Tyrone Storm. $5, 10 p.m.

And if you’re in the Benson neighborhood, don’t forget to stop by The Little Gallery, located in the east bay of the Masonic Lodge Building (just across the street and a block east of The Sydney in East Benson). Tonight’s gala opening featured artist is Megan Thomas. Booze and treats provided, 6 to 9 p.m. Stop in and say howdy.

Two “festivals” are happening tomorrow night (Saturday). The No Means No Festival is going on at Petshop Gallery. Thirteen bands including No Thanks, Jocko and Bedrest start performing at 7 p.m. $7. More info here.

Also tomorrow night is the Big Al Free Music Festival at fabulous O’Leaver’s. It’s an all-solo affair that includes performances by Dereck Higgins, Sam Martin and Darren Keen (as well as Big Al himself). Comedians will perform between sets. It’s free but you have to bring food (cuz it’s a food drive, duh). Starts at 8 p.m. More info here.

Also Saturday night, The Brothers Lounge is hosting a rock show headlined by The Natural States (it’s their EP release show), with Houma and Silversphere (ex-Lepers). $5, 9 p.m.

Finally on Sunday Soccer Mommy headlines at Reverb Lounge. You read her Ten Questions survey here a couple days ago. Sasami a.k.a. Sasami Ashworth, formerly the keyboardist for the L.A. indie rockers Cherry Glazerr, opens. $12, 8 p.m.

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

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2018 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Andrew Jackson Jihad at The Waiting Room, July 15, 2014.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

I was converted at the Church of Andrew Jackson Jihad last night. I came in not knowing much about the band other than what I briefly heard off the interweb. My initial comparisons were pretty straight on, though I missed the band’s biggest resemblance (or influence): The Mountain Goats.

Frontman Sean Bonnette is a desperate, anxious, scared version of John Darnielle singing not about some mythic, drunken aging couple but (presumably) about a loser/loner celebrating a loneliness that the 150+ crowd at The Waiting Room last night could identify with and revel in. It was, indeed, a party atmosphere that (based on the band’s comments from stage) almost got out of hand.

On recordings, AJJ is a lyrically driven acoustic-powered dynamo. They ramp up their sound live with plenty (too much) low end, plus electric guitar and keyboard, turning into something that more closely resembles Decemberists. Unlike Mountain Goats’ galloping 3/4 time shanties, AJJ’s ballads are straight-four rattlers that earn them their folk-punk designation. The wooden-sounding cello gave a handful of songs an earthy flair.

Frontman Bonnette is a friendly muppet confessing to every vice and ill life has thrown at him with a smile and perfect enunciation. This would just be another run-of-the-mill indie folk band if you couldn’t understand every word of his clever, joyful confessions. And it was fun watching a guy standing alone well back from the stage mouth every word to every song.

No doubt these celebrations of despair meant something wholly different to a newer generation. The young-ish crowd on hand last night (I recognized no one except the TWR staff) responded to the dark elegies with an unbridled YOLO-ish spirit. Despair, I spit in your face!  Isolated slam-dancing, crowd-surfing and synchronized crowd sway were the norm.

My reaction as someone old enough to be their father was slightly different. Pained lyrics like, “Love what you can ’til it dies / Then let it lie, let it fly away” hit a little too close to home, and I found myself more bummed and introspective than when I listen to the usual punk-rock fist-pumpers. All I could think of while I was watching the happy spectacle during songs like “Heartilation,” with lines like “Sometimes I get so lonesome I can’t breathe / Sometimes I get so scared I can’t speak,” was Go ahead and laugh, for as HST used to say, it’s later than you think.

Great show, great band.

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Tonight at The Waiting Room LA band Bad Suns (Vagrant) with Colony House (Descendant Records). $10, 9 p.m.

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2014 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Andrew Jackson Jihad plays tonight at The Waiting Room.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

What can I say, this is a late one because I couldn’t write over my lunch hour. Look, you haven’t made your evening plans yet anyway, unless you’re headed to Lincoln for the plethora of shows happening there.

Let’s focus on what’s happening right here in O-town tonight. First on my list is Andrew Jackson Jihad at The Waiting Room. The Phoenix acoustic folk-punk band has been around for a decade and just released its fifth album (on SideOneDummy) Christmas Island. Their nefarious sound is a cross between Violent Femmes, They Might Be Giants and Titus Andronicus. Check them out below. Opening is Hard Girls & Dogbreth. $15, early 8 p.m. start time.

Meanwhile, over at the Sweatshop Gallery, golden slacker rockers Amen Dunes headlines. The band has a new record out on Sacred Bones, Love, that sounds like it was cut from the same cloth as records by Kurt Vile. Great stuff. Joining them is the groovy psych-rock of Axxa/Abraxas (Captured Tracks). Opening is Caravat featuring David Ozinga and Teal Gardner of UUVVWWZ and Andrew of Noah’s Ark Was a Spaceship. Huge. $7, 9 p.m.

Figure out a way to hit up both shows. I’m not sure what that “way” would be, but seriously…

Also tonight in Benson, Viva La Vinyl is happening at The Barley Street Tavern. Stop in, it’s free.

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2014 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.