by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

You survived the worst monsoon/hailstorm since last year’s worst monsoon/hailstorm (leading up to next week’s worst monsoon/hailstorm) and deserve a weekend of premium indie rock shows. So where are they happening? Well, chum, you’ve come to the right place.

It starts tonight at Reverb Lounge. Cryogeyser is three-piece shoegaze band from El Lay fronted by singer/songwriter Shawn Marom whose latest self-titled album has been compared to ’90s-era Ride (by the folks at Monster Children), whereas I was reminded of ‘90s indie acts like Madder Rose and Scrawl. Their latest single, “Mountain,” features guest vocals by Karly Hartzman of Wednesday and is somewhat awesome (see video below). Joining them on this tour is Kansas City slowcore trio Flooding (an appropriate band for what we went through yesterday) and Lincoln’s Ghostlike. 8 p.m., $20.

Meanwhile, right down the street at The Sydney in Benson, Detroit alt-goth duo Vazum headlines. Omaha goth-rockers Absence+Alchemy opens at 9 p.m. $10.

Seems like this Ty Segall acoustic showcase happening Saturday night at Scottish Rite Hall (202 So. 20th St. in downtown Omaha) was announced over a year ago, and now here it is. This show is intriguing; my last Segall experience was one of the loudest concerts in memory. How will his songwriting translate in a quieter acoustic setting? You might be pleasantly surprised. Opening is Los Angeles singer/songwriter MIkal Cronin, whose worked with such acts as Thee Oh Sees, King Tuff, Shannon and the Clams. 

My last Scottish Rite experience was for a Jenny Lewis show way back in March 2006. The hall was kind of a bare-bones concrete-stepped auditorium. Anyway… Tickets range from $30 (balcony) to $40; show starts at 8 p.m.

I’m happy to report that fabulous O’Leaver’s survived the Great Saddle Creek Flood of 2025 unscathed and is hosting a three-artist show with singer/songwriters Ronette Lee, Vernon John and Paul Petersen. The show’s free and starts at 9. 

There’s also a sort of hidden show Saturday evening featuring Cowboy Eastern at Benson Theater as part of the Benson Film Festival. Fest organizers are taking a shot at adding live music to the event. Their set is scheduled for 6 p.m. and is $10 or free with an all-access pass. More info at bensonfilmfest.com.

Sunday is the big Bright Eyes/Cursive show at The Astro Theater in La Vista. It’s the last date of their joint tour and a sort-of homecoming that’s bound to include some surprises. Or maybe not. I guess we’ll see. 

On this tour, Conor and Co. have been playing a 19-song set with 3-song encore that includes songs from throughout his catalog as well as a couple tunes with Cursive, even a Lullaby for the Working Class cover. Check out the setlist from last night’s show in Louisville.

Cursive has been playing a 14-song career-spanning set that includes that mash-up with Conor of “Recluse I Don’t Have to Love.” Here’s the setlist from the April 22 show at McKees Rocks, PA. 

Tickets are $45; the show starts at 7 p.m. 

Finally, competing with that big BE/Cursive show is UK punk band Bad Nerves at The Waiting Room. They describe themselves as the bastard child of a Ramones/Strokes one-night stand. Their last album, 2024’s Still Nervous, was released on Loosegroove Records. Very poppy, very fast, very fun. San Francisco rockers Spiritual Cramp is tour support. Omaha’s Social Cinema opens the show at 8. $25.

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

* * *

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 © 2025 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Eric Bachmann is tonight at Ming Toy. I mention this because there’s one ticket left out of the 40 originally made available. I’d love to see this (possibly) inaugural show sell out.

You could be that lucky person who snags the final ticket. It’s $25 and available only from the Undertow website, right here, where all the information about the show is available. There are NO tickets available at the door. The location is Ming Toy Gallery, 6066 Maple Street, right next door to Legend Comics and Coffee in downtown Benson. Doors at 7, show at 8 with no opening acts. I’m excited and a little bit nervous, but isn’t that the recipe for every success? 

I’ll let you know how it went tomorrow. 

. 0 0 0 . 

Also tonight on this busy Memorial Day, Kansas City slowcore trio Flooding plays at Reverb Lounge. Fronted by guitarist/vocalist Rose Brown, the band’s music gives a nod to Bedhead’s somber guitar jangle before inevitably exploding into sound. Opening for Flooding are Omaha noise-punk bands Western Haikus and Size Queen. 8 p.m., $12. 

* * *

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 © 2024 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

That Phoebe Bridgers show sounded pretty good… from my back yard a mile away. There are surprisingly few photos from last night’s show in social media, but what I saw looked fun. When is she going to stop forcing her band to wear those creepy skeleton costumes?

I’m out of town this weekend, so here’s a sneak peek at the best indie shows I see on the calendar while I’m away.

Tonight Los Angeles indie band Lo Moon plays at Reverb Lounge. These folks weren’t always indie — their debut album was released on Columbia Records, but their latest, A Modern Life (2022) was released on Thirty Tigers. I’d definitely classify this four-piece as a dream-pop act, their sound has that glitter, warm, mid-tempo underwater vibe. Duluth alt rockers Social Animals opens at 8 p.m. $15.

Tomorrow night (Friday) it’s Benson First Friday — you know what that means — art all along the Benson booze walk (info here). Of course The Sydney always celebrates BFF and this month is no exception. The three-band bill is headlined by Lightning Stills, with Ojai opening and the exceptional Minne Lussa in the center slot. 9 p.m., $10.

Back at The Sydney Saturday night, it’s the hard stuff with metal bands Stronghold, Living Conditions and Wretchgod. bring yer earplugs. $8, 9 p.m.

If you’re wondering what the barricades are for in Benson on Saturday, it’s time for the annual Benson Beer Fest. Looks like it’s only booze and no bands. Drink up!

BTW, The Band Camino show slated for The Admiral Saturday night has been moved to Bourbon Theatre in Lincoln. And the wait for the grand opening of The Admiral continues…

Sunday night, Reverb has rockers The Dylan Doyle Band. Opening is pop punk act Blondo, fronted by Alex Malnack. $10, 8 p.m.

Meanwhile, down the street at The Sydney, it’s a mixed bag of post- bands headlined by Lawrence slowcore act Flooding. Joining them are local heroes No Thanks and Cat Piss (who is just coming off a tour). The Sydney has provided no details on this show — neither price nor start time. I guess just show up and keep your fingers crossed!

If you’re looking for info on that Little Brazil album release show that was slated for June 4, it’s been moved to August 26.

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

* * *

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 © 2022 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.