The Great Wad at CWS 2012. Here it comes again…

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

I told you reception was going to be spotty this week. I made a quick overnight trip to NYC. Only one celebrity sighting: Joe Perry of Aerosmith and his entourage walking out the elevator at the Marriott Marquis hotel in Times Square, and based on the scowl on his face he hadn’t been “living it up” while going down. No Steven Tyler to be found. BTW, Perry is a tiny little man, which supports my theory that all major celebrities are wee.

Anyway, I’m back just in time for your weekend update.

The College World Series begins tonight, which means a deficit of shows at The Slowdown for the next 10 days as Robb, Val and Jason crank up that money-printing machine they keep in the secret basement beneath the “big stage” along with the white tents and giant “We’re No. 1” foam fingers. This is, indeed, the harvest time for Slowdown, but for us poor music fans it’s just a worn patch in the road as the only thing playing on their stages for the duration of CWS is cover bands.

This should be an even-more profitable year for the Saddle Creek moguls as they just opened their new bar right across the sidewalk from Slowdown in the old American Apparel space, called The Trap Room. It’s just a bar, kind of like how Krug Park (across the street from The Waiting Room) is just a bar (i.e., no live music, just booze). I’m dying to check it out, but not this weekend.

So with all the focus on downtown baseball-wise, the focus shifts as it always does to Benson and O’Leaver’s.

Speaking of O’Leaver’s, Omaha’s finest music dive bar has a scorcher tonight. Lawrence band Hospital Ships headlines. The band, which features Taylor Holenbeck (Appleseed Cast, Old Canes), has a fine indie rock album just out called Destruction in Yr Soul on Graveface. Opening is fellow Lawrence-ites Cowboy Indian Bear and our very own Cooper Lakota Moon (of Dim Light). $5, 9:30 p.m.

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/92012072″ params=”” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Also tonight, Rogue Wave returns, this time to The Waiting Room, with local folks Field Club. $15, 9 p.m.

Meanwhile, over at everyone’s favorite casino (Harrah’s Stir Cove) it’s Silversun Pickups with Joy Formidable. 8 p.m., $35.

Tomorrow night (Saturday) it’s a mini Lincoln invasion at The Waiting Room with noise band Masses and Life Is Cool. Canby opens. $7, 9 p.m.

O’Leaver’s has more live music Saturday night with The Debts (Unread Records) and Plant Parenthood (No idea who these folks are, but I support their pro-leaf position). $5, 9:30 p.m.

Did I forget something? Put it in the comments.

Oh yeah, I did forget one thing: This week’s column looks at Benson’s Louis Market / Bar property, its potential development and why Bensonites might want to think real hard before they drive it away. It’s in this week’s issue of The Reader or you can read it online right here.

Have a good 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 © 2013 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.