by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Last week it dawned on me that I better buy a couple VIP tickets to the 2025 Maha Festival, which is Aug. 2 down at the RiverFront Park. But much to my frustration, I couldn’t find an option to purchase VIP tix at the Maha etix webpage. 

The reason: Maha VIP tickets have already sold out. That was quick, and no doubt reflects the level of interest in this year’s line-up, headlined by Pixies, with Waxahatchee, Band of Horses, Magdalena Bay, Silversun Pickups and Little Brazil. 

Past Maha Festival VIP tickets were definitely worth the extra clams – food options, private bar, private AC restrooms and an exceptional viewing area. I have no idea where they’re setting up the VIP area for this year’s Maha festival, but it must be enticing if tickets sold out so quickly. 

General Admission tickets to Maha 2025 are still available for $79 (plus fees).

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Speaking of sold-out shows, while flipping through my Facebook feed last night I ran across a couple photos of David Nance and Mowed Sound opening the sold-out Jack White show at Steelhouse Omaha. To my knowledge, this was the first time a local band opened for a national touring band at Steelhouse. 

I guess that’s one of the benefits of having your latest album released on White’s Third Man Records label. 

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V.V. Volume 1 is a new compilation album announced over the weekend with a drop date of June 6. The 7-song vinyl album will include new songs by local artists Lodgings, Custom Catacombs, Neva Dinova, Ash Rayne Boe, The Sun-Less Trio, Violenteer and Stephen Bartolomei, who appears to be one of the folks behind the project. 

“There’s something distinctively collaborative about making a vinyl compilation album in 2025,” Bartolomei wrote on the project’s Bandcamp pre-order page. “Each recording includes past bandmates, tour mates, local repair technicians, studio engineers, and longtime friends. Putting together music for vinyl requires a high level of trust.”

Indeed. Four of the seven tracks were recorded at Mike Saklar’s Ant-Records, while the remaining were recorded at various studios in Omaha and Kansas City. 

The album will be celebrated with a release show June 6 at Slowdown with performances by six of the seven bands on the album. How did all this come about? I’ll let you know when I know more.

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Lady Lamb is singer/songwriter Aly Spaltro, who you may remember as Lady Lamb the Beekeeper, a moniker she dropped shortly after her 2013 debut, Ripely Pine. She’s actually been releasing EPs and LPs since 2009, bouncing between indie labels Ba Da Bing Records and Mom + Pop Records. Her latest, In the Mammoth Nothing of the Night, is a box set that includes a remastered version of Ripely Pine along with new recordings of songs written during that era. 

No doubt you’ll be hearing some of those songs tonight when Lady Lamb plays at Reverb Lounge. Massachusetts singer/songwriter Hannah Mohan opens the show at 8 p.m. $22.

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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

Lady Lamb is singer/songwriter Aly Spaltro, who you may remember as Lady Lamb the Beekeeper, a moniker she dropped shortly after her 2013 debut, Ripely Pine. She’s actually been releasing EPs and LPs since 2009, bouncing between indie labels Ba Da Bing Records and Mom + Pop Records. Her most recent, Even in the Tremor, brings her back to Ba Da Bing for an intimate collection of folk rock songs. Spaltro paints intricate personal portraits of daily life with all the messy emotions that come with it.

We caught up with Aly and asked her to take the Ten Questions survey. Here’s what she said:

1. What is your favorite album?

Aly Spaltro:

Widow City by The Fiery Furnaces

2. What is your least favorite song?

Maybe ‘Thrift Shop’ by Macklemore?

3. What do you enjoy most about being in a band?

Having friends with which to contemplate snack options at gas stations.

4. What do you hate about being in a band?

Late load-outs with tons of gear after shows!

5. What is your favorite substance (legal or illegal)?

Black diner coffee

6. In what city or town do you love to perform?

New Orleans

7. What city or town did you have your worst gig (and why)?

In Brussels, Belgium, our van was robbed and they stole my pedalboard and discarded our merch all over the street. That was a rough show to say the least!

8. Are you able to support yourself through your music? If so, how long did it take to get there; if not, how do you pay your bills?

Yes I am very fortunate to have been supporting myself with my music since 2010 when I left home in Maine and moved to NYC.

9. What one profession other than music would you like to attempt; what one profession would you absolutely hate to do?

I’d like to attempt film editing. I would absolutely hate to be a helicopter pilot.

10. What are the stories you’ve heard about Omaha, Nebraska?

Romantic Saddle Creek stories of some of my favorite musicians like Conor Oberst, Jenny Lewis and Tim Kasher all hanging out and making music together!

Lady Lamb plays with Renata Zeiguer and Alex Schaaf Monday, April 22, at Reverb Lounge, 6121 Military Ave. Showtime is 8 p.m., tickets are $15 Adv./$17 DOS. For more information, go to onepercentproductions.com.

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Two red-hot shows tonight:

At Reverb Lounge, indie darling Sasami, a.k.a. Sasami Ashworth, headlines. Her self-titled debut was released on Domino Records last month. Canadian singer/songwriter Ellis opens at 8 p.m. $12.

Meanwhile, around the corner at The Waiting Room, the electronica duo The Crystal Method headlines. Their sixth studio album, The Trip Home, was released on Tine e Records last September. Opening is our own electro-rock kingpin Glow in the Dark, who’s getting ready to drop a new record called Teenline. Aaron Gum and Co. just dropped a new video for a song from that album, called “Gemini Looks.” Check it. Tickets are $25, showtime is 8 p.m.

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Who’s excited about the Maha Festival line-up announcement tonight at The Slowdown? Let’s hope it’s bigger than the Mueller Report…

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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 © 2019 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.