by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Did I tell you the story about how Kurt Vile saved my life?

It happened way back in 2014. I was covering the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas, for The Reader. It had been a long day and an even longer night. Kurt Vile was my last stop, a performance at outdoor venue Cheer Up Charlie’s, located on Red River Road. It was your typical beautiful night in March in Austin and I know the fun would go all night, but it was midnight and I was a broken man, tired and ready to end it, but I wanted to see Vile, who was red hot at the time. I wasn’t sure I would even get into the venue (even with a media badge), but sure enough, come on in.

There seated on stage was Vile playing to a standing-room-only crowd, barely visible above the audience’s heads on the low-riser stage. I guess Kurt was tired, too. I didn’t realize it was going to be a solo acoustic gig, a format that really exposes how important a backing band is to Vile’s music. All you could hear was his mumbling free verse recited/sang over barely audible guitar and the constant rumble of the crowd. “mmmblmmmmbl… here’s another one.” Somewhat awful.

Halfway through the gig I said screw it and left to hike back to my hotel about a half-mile away through gigantic crowds of clearly loaded people just getting started. Late night at SXSW is like the scene at the end of The Ten Commandments where they’re having an orgie and making a golden calf while Moses is climbing the mountain barefoot to get the laws. Booze, drugs, loud music all around and thousands of wonked-out people flailing in the streets. 

The next morning I awoke to text messages from my family that said “Are you OK?”  

I rubbed sleep from my eyes. “Yeah, I’m fine. I’m in Austin. What’s up?”

“Turn on your TV.”

At around 12:30 a.m. the previous night a crazed drunk driver drove onto Red River Road and into a crowd of people, killing two and injuring 23 more. It appeared to happen on the street right outside of Cheer Up Charlie’s. Had Kurt Vile not sucked that night, forcing me to leave before his set ended, I might have been in the crowd and got creamed. 

So, thank you, Kurt, for saving my life.

Anyway…

Kurt Vile plays tonight at The Admiral Theater with his band, The Violators. Based on his set list from his Louisville show Tuesday night, looks like he’ll be playing a lot of songs off his 2022 release, (watch my moves). Opening the show tonight at 8 p.m. is Julia Shapiro from the band Chastity Belt. $35, or $65 if you want to stand in the balcony.

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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.

Thick Paint at Slowdown Jr., March 30, 2018. The band plays tonight Pageturners Lounge.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Not much to talk about regarding this past weekend (since I didn’t see any music; the weekend itself was great).

There’s a shit-ton of new music I’m wading through. On top of the list are records by Oh Pep!, Future Generations, Pile, Tragic Jack, Sextile, Ron Gallo, Mirah and Cut Worms, plus a lot of Spotify stuff. I’ll start dribbling out reviews over the coming days.

For now, how about a nearly 10-minute song, “Bassackwards,” from Kurt Vile’s upcoming new album, Bottle It In (2018, Matador), out Oct. 12? Vile and his band, The Violators, today announced a Slowdown date for his 2019 tour. Feb. 26, to be exact. By then we’ll all be recovering from winter (hopefully). BTW, The Sadies open. And tix go on sale Friday.

Pageturners continues its summer concert series tonight with Thick Paint (When are we going to get news of a new record from these fine folks?) and Minneapolis’ Loud Sun a.k.a. Andrew Jansen. This free show starts at 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 © 2018 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

No updates since last week because there ain’t a whole helluva lot happening. No indie shows last night or tonight and not much on the horizon until the weekend (which is very crowded indeed).

A few things from today’s inbox…

Robert Plant announced his U.S. tour dates. His closest pass to Omaha is Chicago Feb. 20 and Minneapolis Feb. 22. I’d definitely go see him if he played Omaha. Plant has a new album out Oct. 13 on Nonesuch called Carry Fire.

Protomartyr today shared a new track off their Relatives in Descent album, upcoming on their new label, Domino, a song called “Don’t Go to Anacita.”

Ty Segall dropped a new single today called “Alta,” recorded at Electrical Audio with Steve Albini during a break on tour this past spring.

And Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile today released a new single, “Continental Breakfast,” off their upcoming joint album Lotta Sea Lice, which drops Oct. 13 on Matador.

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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 © 2017 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Courtney Barnett at the SXSW Convention Center, March 20, 2015. She’s not coming to Omaha anytime soon…

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Because you asked for it (no, demanded it: It’s time for another wave of NOmaha Alerts (*mree mree mree mreeee*).

I’ve been getting lots o’ press releases this week about new releases and tours that are bypassing our great city.

Top o’ the list is Courtney Barnett, who announced today she’s releasing an LP with Kurt Vile on Matador Oct. 13 called Lotta Sea Lice. It’s a collaboration, as is their fall North American tour, that includes three dates in Chicago and a St. Paul date, but… NOmaha.

Today Ted Leo announced he’s sending out downlinks to his Kickstarter supporters for his new double LP The Hanged Man. His tour starts Sept. 9 and runs for two months and includes Chicago Sept. 22, Minneapolis Nov. 11 and… NOmaha.

Yesterday Algiers, maybe Matador Records’ best new thing, announced a crapload of new North American tour dates, the closest being Chicago on Oct. 18. But still… NOmaha.

Also yesterday, Saddle Creek Records announced that it’s releasing the next album by Rural Alberta Advantage, The Wild, Oct. 13. A lengthy tour is planned that comes nowhere near Omaha, or… NOmaha.

On Monday The Oh Sees, who recently changed their name to simply Oh Sees, announced that they are changing their name again, this time to OCS. They’re releasing their 20th album, Memory of a Cut Off Head, Nov. 17 via Castle Face, under the OCS moniker. Of course there’s a lengthy fall tour planned, but… NOmaha dates. (Why the Nebraska boycott, OCS?).

And the list goes on, including just-announced tours by Hope Sandoval, Death from Above, Protomartyr, The National, Luna — all NOmaha tours…

But let’s not be gloomy Gusses. We do have Beck coming next month…

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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 © 2017 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.