by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

First off, it’s the first Friday of the month and that means Benson First Friday (#BFF). Artists will be showing their wares in galleries and shops up and down Maple Street tonight, including at Ming Toy Gallery, 6066 Maple St., where we’ll be hosting the opening of Courtney Kenny Porto’s latest collection, “Shiney & Bright.” Come by, check out the art, have a drink and a treat. Love to see you. 

I am currently listening to Manic Fever, the latest studio album by Des Moines punk trio Greg Wheeler and the Poly Mall Cops (2023, High Dive Records). It sounds like sort of a hybrid between, say, Jay Reatard and early White Stripes. I actually quite dig it. Well, most of it. You might remember Wheeler from The Slats or Night Stories. The new project has opened for the likes of No Age, Bob Log III, Death Valley Girls, and so on. See them headline tonight at The Sydney. $10, 9 p.m. (Sydney Time)…

Wheeler is hardly a substitute for Jack White, whose playing at Steelhouse Omaha Saturday night. But that show has long been sold out. However you can find tickets online at Stubhub.com for a mere $82, which is actually pretty cheap if you’re a super fan – certainly cheaper than driving somewhere to see him. This one starts at 8 p.m. 

If you can’t get tickets or White simply ain’t your thing, check out Housewares at Reverb Lounge Saturday night. The new project by Fromanhole’s Doug and Daryl Kiser is a five-piece noise-rock band rounded out by Jason Koba of Thunder Power on drums, Scott Klemmensen of Reset on vocals, and Andy LaChance on keyboards. I caught the end of one song at their stage debut at The Sydney in November and it was violently loud! Speaking of violence, Randy Cotton’s band, Violenteer, also is on the bill, along with Sundown Effect. This will be a late night, starts at 9 p.m. $10. 

Finally, in the wildcard category, Sam Blasucci plays a peaceful, easy sounding SoCal style of indie rock (that borders on yacht). A modern-day Boz Scaggs? Maybe. Joining him Sunday at Reverb Lounge is Hudson Valley singer/songwriter Julia Zivic. $22, 8 p.m. 

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

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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 © 2025 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan,  Lazy-i.com

Onward to the weekend…

Has it really been a year since See Through Dresses played a special benefit show at Benson Theater? The band is back tonight at Reverb Lounge. Will their drummer, post-Omahan now-Californian Nate Van Fleet, be along for the ride? I gotta believe he’s in town for tomorrow night’s Bokr Tov album release show (Nate produced the tracks). It’s been seven years since the last See Through Dresses album, which means (hopefully) they’ll be rolling out some new songs. Joining STD is singer/songwriter Mitch Gettman, who opens the show at 8 p.m. $10.

Also tonight, Midwest Dilemma takes over the Down Under stage (How will they get all 12 of them in that tiny space?). Joining them are Tom Bartolomei and Katie Kasher. $8, 9 p.m. 

As mentioned, tomorrow night (Saturday) Bokr Tov celebrates the release of their sophomore album, The Way a Tree Shakes, at Reverb Lounge.  Geno Beach and Bad Self Portraits are also on the bill. 8 p.m., $15. 

Meanwhile, down the street at The Sydney, it’s the stage debut of Housewares, the new project by Fromanhole’s Doug and Daryl Kiser. The five-piece is rounded out by Jason Koba of Thunder Power on drums, Scott Klemmensen of Reset on vocals, and Andy LaChance on keyboards. Doug described their sound as: “melodic, probably technical, with elements of post whatever, jazz, blues and maybe some country.  There is a lot of counting, that’s for sure.” Sounds mathy! Joining them are Minne Lussa and In Tongues. $10, 9 p.m. (Sydney Time). 

But wait, there’s more…

Mono in Stereo, the new project by The Millions’ Marty Amsler, is headlining a free show Saturday night at fabulous O’Leaver’s. Joining them are The Jericho Strays and Tony LaMar. 9 p.m. start time…

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

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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 © 2024 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

From the cluttered Lazy-i email box…

Bright Eyes’ frontman and Omaha native son Conor Oberst blitzed the indie music media yesterday with news that he’s recovered from his reported “vocal problems” that forced the band off the road a few weeks ago.

In a video posted on the @brighteyesofficial Instagram account, Oberst, wearing a Tracks Lounge T-shirt (world class chicken!), thanks people who “reached out,” said he’s “feeling a lot better” and that the band plans to resume touring in 2025 “if all goes well as planned.” Still no date for a rescheduled Steelhouse Omaha show, but something tells me that’s pending…

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On the cusp of the release of her fourth studio album, yesterday Anna McClellan dropped a video for the single “Omaha,” described as “a complex tribute to her Nebraska roots.” 

“Omaha is smoking cigarettes and drinking beers on the porch until 4 am any day of the week,” mused when asked about the song. “Omaha, at least to me, is being so completely known and utterly lonely. Omaha is driving around. It’s a beautiful thing really.”

The track, written during her move to Los Angeles, concludes with the line: “Wilting ‘til I rot / Is it me or is it Omaha?” One must look inside for the answer to that question. See if you can spot your favorite Omaha hangout in the video. McClellan’s Electric Bouquet LP drops tomorrow via Father/Daughter Records. 

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Doug Kiser of seminal Omaha punk band fromanhole has a new band, Housewares, that’s making their stage debut Nov. 16 at The Sydney.

In addition to Doug on bass, the band is rounded out by a lot of familiar faces (to those of us who went to shows in the ’00s): Doug’s brother, Daryl Kiser (also ex-fromanhole) on guitar, Jason Koba of Thunder Power on drums, Scott Klemmensen of Reset on vocals, and Andy LaChance on keyboards. 

Says Kiser about the band: “It’s melodic, probably technical, with elements of post whatever, jazz, blues and maybe some country.  There is a lot of counting, that’s for sure.” We’ll see about that Nov. 16! 

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Speaking of new songs, Lincoln act Vempire released a cover of The Ramones’ “Pet Sematary” last Friday. The single is the first from their upcoming EP, Fumes, slated to drop on Halloween.  Check it:

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Here’s the latest list of touring indie shows coming to Omaha through February (just so I could include the just-announced Real Estate show (We have to have something to look forward to)). This list gets shorter and shorter…

• Oct. 26 – Porches @ Reverb
• Oct. 26 – Griefcat @ The Sydney
• Oct. 31 – Lunar Vacation @ The Slowdown
• Nov. 4 – quickly, quickly @ Reverb
• Nov. 8 – The Ivory Claws @ The Sydney
• Nov. 10 – The Sufrajettes @ Reverb
• Nov. 11 – Dusk @ Reverb
• Nov. 12 – Modest Mouse @ Steelhouse 
• Nov. 12 – The Rev. Horton Heat @ Waiting Room
• Nov. 13 – Sorry Mom @ Reverb
• Nov. 29 – VIAL @ Reverb
• Feb. 5 – Guster @ The Admiral
• Feb. 6 — Real Estate @ The Waiting Room
• Feb. 24 — Molchat Doma @ Steelhouse

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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 © 2024 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.