by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

No national indie shows this weekend. Hey, we got Black Midi last weekend, right? Be thankful for at least a couple decent touring indie shows per month. (Who remembers the old days, when we were all stretched between multiple touring indie shows per night on weekends?). 

Tonight, local band Fox plays at Reverb Lounge. Who’s in Fox? Hard to say when they don’t have a website and the personnel or any information about the band isn’t listed on any of the online show promotion. No matter, I recognize Jessica Errett and Marta Fiedler in the promo photo. A little digging revealed that Jason Domonkas and Jesse Otterson also are in the band, but no idea what their music sounds like, except the description “We play love songs to ghosts,” so… take a chance? Also on the bill are Ojai and Ebba Rose. $8, 8 p.m. 

Similar situation tomorrow night (Saturday) where you’ve got Begonia playing at The Sydney. Who is Begonia? Hard to say. No description on any of the promo materials. I guess “for fans only”? Luckily, you have Lazy-i to dig around and find out for you. 

Begonia is an “indie pop powerhouse” launched into the Canadian music scene with her “critically acclaimed” 2017 EP Lady in Mind. OK, that doesn’t ring a bell. Her website says she’s “Canada’s breakout alt-diva” who has been nominated for a JUNO award. Opening is Seattle duo Dooms, which includes Katlyn Conroy, an ex-member of old friends Cowboy Indian Bear. There’s also a TBD on the bill. $12, 9 p.m.  

And that’s all I got. Hey, at least we got Black Midi last Saturday, right? If I missed your show put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend.

Speaking of nostalgia…

Ten years ago this weekend Judgement Day played at O’Leaver’s and I just happened to capture one of the songs. Enjoy.

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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 © 2022 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Judgement Day at O’Leaver’s, Oct. 18, 2012.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Maybe it was the shitty weather, but there weren’t very many people at O’Leaver’s last night for Judgement Day, which was a shame because the trio was amazing. Driving, pounding, throbbing rock as intense as metal but without the pain. The Pantzer brothers played souring mini-orchestrations blending violin and cello atop a bed of drums.

As you may be aware by the better quality photo I’ve posted recently, I acquired an iPhone 5, and figured I’d test its video capabilities last night. This is a far cry from a Love Drunk or Ingrained video, but you can at least get a general gist of what Judgement Day was about by watching/listening to this amateur video. Hey Judgement Day guys, if you want me to yank it from YouTube, just let me know.

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I suspect O’Leaver’s will be more crowded for tonight’s show: Destruction Unit with Digital Leather and Solid Goldberg. Who is Destruction Unit? This from the Chicago Reader:

Ryan “Elvis Wong” Rousseau’s impressive band resumé (the Wongs, the Reatards, Digital Leather, Earthmen & Strangers) has earned him the right to do whatever he wants, including release a 2012 cassette of fried lo-fi solo material called Hello! Mr. Cactus Man, which sounds like a handful of barbiturates laced with David Lynch. His work with Destruction Unit — a band whose former members include Jay Reatard and Alicja Trout—has morphed since its founding in 2000 from more-or-less straightforward garage into sweeping desert rock inflected with Krautrock and psychedelia. The six enveloping songs of jamming fuzz and synth swashes on the upcoming Void LP (Jolly Dream) are mostly loud and abrasive and dirty, but it’s their subtleties—distant bubbling murmurs of noise, faint guitar noodling—that make for the best hooks.

In other words: Don’t miss it. Digital Leather you already know about, but Hear Nebraska has a brand spankin’ new interview with DL mastermind Shawn Foree to give you even more technicolor. Shawn talks about Omaha, drugs, music and his records and how they’re all connected. Read it here. Solid Goldberg is Omaha legend Dave Goldberg’s solo electronic project that must be seen to be believed. This show could go down as the stuff dreams are made of. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Also tonight is a benefit for the Antiquarium Record Store, which recently announced that it was closing due to debt issues. The show, being held a The Sandbox, features Witness Tree, The Decatures, The Sub-Vectors and Pyrate. $5, 9 p.m., all proceeds go to The Antiquarium. More here.

Finally, over at The Barley Street Tavern, The Whipkey Three opens for CB band The Eightyseven. $5, 9 p.m.

I don’t see much happening Saturday or Sunday. If you’ve some ideas for shows, post ’em in the comments section.

Later.

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Judgement Day plays tonight at O’Leaver’s.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

No, tonight isn’t the night you’ll finally pay for all those sins you’ve committed at O’Leaver’s over the years (though admit it, you probably deserve a sound spanking).

No, the Judgement Day that’s about to befall O’Leaver’s tonight is actually a rock band… or maybe mini-orchestra would be a better way to describe them. On their third full-length album, Polar Shift (minus HEAD Records), the Oakland trio deconstructs and reconstructs heavy rock with nothing more than violin, cello, and drums. The trio consists of Anton Patzner (violin), Lewis Patzner (cello), and Jon Bush (drums). If the names sound familiar, it’s because Anton used to tour with Bright Eyes, and played on both the Four Winds EP and Cassadaga LP.

Give a listen to the video for “Forest Battle” on YouTube. They remind me a whole helluva lot of another strings-based rock band that descended on O’Leaver’s way back in 2005, called Matson Jones. That show ended up being one of my faves that year. Of course Matson Jones consisted of women, and their songs included vocals. This looks to be an all-instrumental attack. It also looks like it’ll be a hispters’ paradise, considering Panzer’s strong Saddle Creek connection. Opening is our old friends Landing on the Moon. $5, 9:30.

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In this week’s column: Is local TV news headed the way of the dinosaur or will it land of its feet online, and just what are they calling “news” these days? Read it in this week’s issue of The Reader or online right here.

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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 © 2012 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.