by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

It’s a freaking log-jam of great shows tonight (Friday).

Top of my list is an old-school combination – Lincoln power-punk trio Domestica and Gary Dean Davis’ tractor-punk sensations Wagon Blasters at The Sydney in Benson. Who remembers when Mercy Rule and Frontier Trust played shows together in Omaha and Lincoln back in the mid-‘90s? Well it should be just like that except completely different. Both are opening for Glenn Antonucci’s alt-country-rock band The Broke Loose (think midwestern Centro-matic). $10, 9 p.m. Bring your earplugs…

Meanwhile, down at Grapefruit Records in the Old Market (1125 Jackson St.), Memphis post-punk trio Optic Sink plays an in-store show with local heroes David Nance and Mowed Sound. Fronted by Natalie Hoffman (NOTS) with Ben Bauermeister (Magic Kids) and Keith Cooper (Jack Oblivion & The Sheiks), Optic Sink is a synth-heavy First Wave-style dance-punk riot whose latest, Glass Blocks, was released last September by Feel It Records (Their 2020 debut was released by Goner). David Nance and Co. should be red-hot, having been on the road supporting their Third Man Records full-length debut. DJ Justis Brokenrope kicks things off at 7:45 p.m. $15.

Also tonight… did you know that The Jewell in the Capital District just reopened? Well it did, and in addition to jazz, the new Jewell is supporting local acts of all genres. F’r example, tonight the have The Matt Whipkey Duo (which features guitarist Mike Friedman). It’s a free show and starts at 7:30.

Sunday night, Oakland, California, noise-punk trio Facet headlines at Reverb Lounge. Clearly inspired by ‘90s acts like Unwound and Unsane, their sound is hard, angular, post-hardcore. Joining them on the bill is Omaha noise band Living Conditions and post-punk monsters Leafblower, who kicks things off at 8 p.m. $10. 

Just a head’s up – we’re down to five tickets remaining for Monday’s Eric Bachmann show at Ming Toy Gallery. Snag one while you can from The Undertow Website. More info about that show is right here.  I also may or may not have an interview with Bachmann going up on the site tomorrow – it depends on if he gets in touch with me today. 

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.

Her Flyaway Manner at Scriptown, July 8, 2023.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Scriptown in the Blackstone District again hosted bands this past Saturday as part of the district’s Second Saturday event wherein performers performed in venues along Farnam Street. 

Her Flyaway Manner was already set up and playing to a good-sized crowd at Scriptown when I arrived after 3 p.m. Like last time, the trio was set up in the back corner of the bar near the door that leads to the their back patio, where a small team of personnel was busy stuffing hotdogs and sausages into buns, the smoke from the barbecue wafting through and into the venue – it looked and felt like a Fourth of July picnic, except for the music, of course.

HFM, out of Lincoln, has been around for well over 20 years, powered by frontman/guitarist Brendan McGinn, drummer Boz Hicks and bassist Adam2000. In all that time, their sound hasn’t budged much from its initial brittle, post-punk recipe, and that’s a good thing. The crowd formed a circle around the band as the barkeeps tried to keep everyone’s glasses filled.

Leafblower at Scriptown, July 8, 2023.

They were followed by Omaha band Leafblower, each member of the four-piece adorned with their trademark rubber, old-man-in-a-gray-ponytail mask, which they only wore for the first song (and last). Fronted by guitarist/vocalist Danny Maxwell and bassist/vocalist Craig Fort, with Jahn Clark on second guitar and Tab Tworek on drums, this really was the first time I soaked in what they were after sonically. I’ve seen this band at least a half-dozen times but never paid much attention to what they were doing because I was always derailed by whatever gimmick they were using for their stage show (giant leafblower smoke machines, old-dude mannequins, etc.). Not so Saturday afternoon, as they tore into a set of good old-fashioned heavy metal. 

I’m not now, nor have I ever been, a metal fan; on the other hand, I dig Heavy Metal. The difference: HM is slower, has better hooks, better grooves, is just funkier than metal’s “need for speed,” which usually translates (for me, anyway) into insect-noise fronted by the Cookie Monster. Heavy metal music has more nuanced vocals (or at least better yelling) and is just more fun. And this was, indeed, fun. 

Like all good heavy metal, the proof is in the riffs, which power everything, and that was certainly the case here. The vocals, unfortunately, were next to non-existant from my vantage point behind the speakers (since there was nowhere else to stand), and the fact that Fort’s mic seemed to  only be working half the time. And, goddamn, was it loud. I was happy I had earplugs. 

Good times. Scriptown needs to host bands more often. They could corner the market on live indie rock if they wanted to, as no other business in Blackstone seems so inclined to host these kinds of shows.

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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 © 2023 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

No touring indie artists this weekend. Let the draught continue. 

If you’re in Benson tonight, take in the art at Benson First Friday #BFF. You know the drill, art in venues up and down Maple Street (including at the Ming Toy Gallery, 6606 Maple St., which is open until 8 p.m.). Full list of events and map of the stars is here. Musicwise, The Sydney is hosting Benson Soul Society tonight starting at 10 and it’s free…

Not to be outdone, the Blackstone District is hosting its Second Saturday event this Saturday with music all day in venues throughout the district. You can see the full line-up here, but the highlight is Scriptown’s Summer Smash with Omaha punk band Leafblower and Lincoln’s Her Flyaway Manner. Music starts at 3 p.m. and is free. I went to this Scriptown show in the past and it was a blast (though it looks like they’re foregoing the goats this time). 

Saturday night, Brooklyn-by-way-of-Limerick, Ireland, band Cinemartyr is playing at The Sydney in Benson. Among their (stated) influences are The Mars Volta, Nine Inch Nails, Fugazi and Swans. Could get weird. $10, 9 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 © 2023 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Here comes the weekend. Try as I might, I couldn’t find a single thing to do tonight show-wise, though Saturday is packed. It’s usually the other way around. So, here’s the line-up.

Friday night is a wasteland. Go to a movie.

Saturday you’ve got options. 

Our old pals Oquoa are headlining at fabulous O’Leaver’s Saturday night, no doubt still playing songs from they 2019 LP Timesquares. It’s indie awash in shoe-gaze awash in frontman Max Holmquist’s brassy tenor voice. Joining them on the bill are Steady Wells featuring Jordan Smith of Twinsmith. Singer/songwriter Alexis DeBoer, whose vocal style is more than a little reminiscent of Angel Olson, opens the show at 9 p.m. $10.

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Meanwhile, across town at Reverb Lounge in Benson, Violenteer headlines a three-band bill Saturday night that includes the band Glow and Max Trax Records artist Leafblower.  $10, 9 p.m. 

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Just around the corner at The Waiting Room, gothy industrial instrumental band Lucida Dark headlines a bill that includes Minor Movements, metal monsters Living Conditions and hot new indie sensation Bug Heaven. 8 p.m. $15.

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And now for something completely different…

Sunday night, The Slowdown is hosting Kenyan-Ugandan industrial grindcore/noise act Duma. Their music is brutally heavy, downright punishing. Just listening to the below track makes me jittery and anxious. Imagine how it’ll sound live. Opening is Masma Dream World, the solo recording project of multi-disciplinary artist/healer Devi Mambouka. Kicking things off is Nebraska’s own leather-clad noise gimp Plack Blague. $20, 8 p.m. In the front room.

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If noise ain’t your thing, our old pals Guster are back in town, this time at The Admiral (a.k.a. Sokol Auditorium). I still remember seeing them play at the old Ranch Bowl back in 1999 when they were just getting going (Here’s a fun Lazy-i interview from back in the day). Not sure what brings them back to Omaha as they don’t have new material coming out (that I know of). Still, should be a great show. Chicago band Ratboys opens at  7 p.m. $30 or $75 balcony.

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 © 2022 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

There will come a time where Friday’s will be dedicated to previewing the weekend’s shows. That time is still a ways off.

That said, there is a performance that’s being streamed live at The Trap Room (the bar across the sidewalk from The Slowdown) featuring McCarthy Trenching, which at the very least will feature singer/songwriter Dan McCarthy and (I’m guessing) sideman bass player James Maakestad, though there could be more to the band.

Dan and Co. no doubt will be playing songs off the latest McCarthy Trenching album, Perfect Game, which you can buy here on Bandcamp. Sunday night’s streamed performance begins at 8 p.m. and can be watched for free via Facebook Live.

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The Reverb Lounge is hosting an album release show for rock band The Long Awaited tonight. Gallivant and The Party After open at 9 p.m. $10. No doubt masks and social distancing protocols will be firmly enforced. If you haven’t checked out the new Reverb Lounge, this is your chance.

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I leave you with this new video from Omaha indie-punk band Leafblower. The song, “Yes Men,” comes from the 7-inch released right when Covid was getting started early last spring. The band will be making a second push of the record next week for Bandcamp Friday. Until then, check out yet another video interpretation by band member Craig Fort. It’s weird, but I bet the “making of the video” video would have been even weirder.

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Next week is March. It’s warming up. Covid numbers are down. People are getting vaccinated. We’re getting there, people. It’s just going to take a little more time.

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 © 2021 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

It’s looking like an all-Sydney weekend (when have I ever said that before?).

Tonight at The Sydney in Benson a sweet Benson First Friday show is headlined by Little Brazil (Max Trax Records) with Those Far Out Arrows (High Dive Records) and Eric in Outerspace. $5, 10 p.m.

And since you’ll be in Benson before the show to get some grub (or whatever), drop by The Little Gallery at 5901 Maple (just across the street from The Sydney in the east bay of the Masonic Lodge Building) for “Hatch” by artist Pecha. The opening reception runs from 6 to 9 p.m. Come by, say hi.

Also tonight, Lookout Lounge has an old-school punk show with The Shidiots, Cordial Spew, Old Empires and Wyldra. $5, 8:30 p.m

Tomorrow night (Saturday) it’s back to The Sydney for Leafblower (Max Trax Records) celebrating the release of a new 7-inch with Lincoln pals Her Flyaway Manner and Omaha grinders Living Conditions. $5, 10 p.m.

Also Saturday night, The Dive Kings return to fabulous O’Leaver’s with Side Piece and Faded. 9 p.m., $5.

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 © 2020 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

This morning the folks at the Maha Festival announced its 2020 concert will be held Friday and Saturday, Aug. 7-8 at Aksarben Village — i.e, the same place they’ve been holding the festival for years. They used to say “Stinson Park” but the Maha footprint has continued to grow to the point where it practically encompasses the entire Aksbarben Village business district.

From the press release: “The 2020 festival will take place one week earlier than it has in past years. This eliminates any potential conflict with back-to-school dates, so that more attendees from near and far can experience this wide array of Omaha-centric programming.”

Rachel Grace, who’s handling media for Maha, said while event times won’t be released for a bit, for what’s happening at Stinson Park expect times similar to last year, which would be Friday night only and Saturday afternoon/night.

Maha also will have programming on Wednesday, Aug. 5, in Little Bohemia and Thursday, Aug. 6, in the Blackstone District at “multiple venues.” What that entails we’ll have to wait and see, though I’m guessing they’re going to feature local acts on small stages on those days and (hopefully) will have at least one national indie act play somewhere Thursday night like they did last year with Pinback at The Waiting Room.

Moving the festival up a week will place it in the height of the summer festival season, which could make bookings more difficult. Will one week make a difference in terms of the heat index? Unlikely, though the first week of August can be a mother-f___er for humidity.

Maha has a big challenge in that last year’s sold-out Lizzo-fueled Saturday helped generate a record-breaking 14,500 attendance. How will they top it, or can they? Booking Lizzo was a stroke of luck. Can they capture lightening in a bottle two years in a row?

More importantly, will they move away from their indie-directed programming to something more pop-flavored (such as a likely out-of-reach Billie Eilish or any other Grammy performer) in an effort to sell more tickets? You can read my thoughts on that here.

So who’s on your Maha wish list? No doubt they’ve already signed their headliner (or are about to). My wish list includes DIIV, Sharon Van Etten, Orville Peck, Strand of Oaks, Big Thief, Caroline Rose, Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks and/or Pavement, Pet Shop Boys, LCD Soundsystem, Tame Impala, King Krule, Algiers, Pinegrove, Frances Quinlan, Haim, Jarvis Cocker and Phoebe Bridgers.

A few of those seem financially out of reach (Tame Impala, for example). With last week’s announcement, Bright Eyes also would seem like a shoe-in for Maha, though I’ve been told that isn’t in the cards. Would Bright Eyes be big enough to headline anyway?

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Here’s another one to add to the Maha list: Yesterday Omaha garage-rock vets Leafblower released a new video produced by the fine folks at Love Drunk. It’s a one-take live performance of the band’s single “Still Lazy After All These Beers.” Imagine DMax, Fort and the rest on the big Maha stage belting that one out dressed as their aged mascot, complete with fog-machine leafblower!

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Tonight at The Waiting Room it’s the return of The Anniversary. The Lawrence, Kansas, indie band enjoyed a heyday in the early aughts, and includes singer Adrianne Verhoeven, a former member of Flowers Forever and Orenda Fink’s Art in Manila. Twinsmith kicks things off at 8:30. $25.

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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 © 2020 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

What’d you get on Record Store Day? This is the first year I didn’t go shopping on RSD. It’s not as if there was nothing I wanted (Anyone score that Devo box set? It’s going for $140 today on eBay). I assumed the decline of Omaha record stores (Three closed just this past year, including icons Drastic Plastic and Almost Music) that the interest in RSD was waning, but sure enough, images began showing up on Facebook hours before Homer’s opened Saturday of huge lines outside scrolling around the block, a testament to ongoing interest in this twice-a-year promotion (Black Friday is sort of RSD Pt. 2).

I find that while I listen to more music now than ever before, I listen to vinyl less and less (mainly because I mostly listen to new music). One of my last vinyl purchases was the Red House Painters box set, an old RSD offering — I found an unopened copy on Discogs. Very likely I’ll be buying that Devo box set, too… from Discogs… eventually.

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Speaking of new music, a couple new local releases caught my attention.

First, Matt Whipkey has a new side project called Unexplained Death that’s his take on punk. The first two songs, “Four More Years” b/w “Think For Yourself” (a cover of the Beatles classic) went online a week or so ago. It’s just part of what will likely be an Unexplained Death LP that’ll be released sometime in the near future.

Of course we’re all waiting for Unexplained Death’s first stage appearance.

The other release is a two-song stoner-rock release by Leafblower — “Yes Men” b/w “Still Lazy After All These Beers.” The tunes are available on Spotify now, and will be released as a 7″ later this year by Max Trax Records. Heavy, heavy shit.

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Very cool rock show is happening tonight at Slowdown Jr. — Seattle rock psych-rock band Night Beats (Heavenly Records) headlines with DROSS (members of Noah’s Ark Was a Spaceship) and Sun-Less Trio. 8 p.m. start time, $15.

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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.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

I’m back from New York.

Actually, I’ve been back since Wednesday. It was the usual fun of US Open (Federer won!), Yankees (They lost!) and Broadway (Dear Evan Hansen!). As with every trip to NYC there were celebrity sightings. The first was Saturday Night Live “featured player” Mikey Day (the guy who plays Donald Jr.), who we spied sitting under a tree with a young lad (his son?) outside Yankee’s stadium prior to the game. The second was an almost unrecognizable Sandra Bernhard sitting across from me on the No. 1 train headed downtown. She got off a couple stops before 28th St. Celebrities, going about their lives like the rest of us.

Anyway… looks like I got back just in time for the weekend.

Tonight marks the return of Femme Fest, the annual celebration of women in rock, Omaha edition. This year’s festivities seem to have been limited to one Benson venue, the Waiting Room. The line-up: SAS, Domestica, Uh Oh, La Guerre, Jocelyn, Histrionic and Queerniverse Burlesque. The show starts at 6 p.m. and costs $10.

It’s also Benson First Friday (#BFF). So if you’re in the neighborhood come on by the Little Gallery, 5901 Maple St. (bottom fo the Masonic Lodge building) and check out this month’s show: Ricky Powell Jr.’s portraits of Wonder Women of Omaha. We’re there from 6 to 9 p.m. Booze and food. Yum.

Tomorrow night (Saturday) it’s back to fabulous O’Leaver’s for Leafblower with In the Whale and DROSS. 10 p.m., $5.

Also Saturday, Omaha hip-hop artist Buck Bowen celebrates the release of his new book(!) at Reverb Lounge with a handful of artists including Microphone Elements, Ryan Lucas and The Wolfman. $8, 9 p.m

That is 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 © 2018 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Every year around this time I head to NYC, and this year is no exception. Which means I’m going to miss some very cool events this weekend (but you’re not).

The first one is tonight along Military Ave. in Benson where Jake’s Just Because We Can Block Party will rise again. The mini-fest features booze and food outdoors for an entrance fee of a mere $5. This year’s lineup:

— Gerardo Meza and the Dead of Night
— Leafblower
— I Forgot to Love My Father
— Little Brazil
— Cult Play

The fun starts at 5 p.m. and runs until midnight.

Saturday former actor Alejandro Rose-Garcia (Friday Night Lights, Spy Kids) turned Americana performer Shakey Graves headlines at Sokol Auditorium. But more interesting is the opening act: Twin Peaks. Why these two are paired together I cannot say. Tix are $27 Adv./$30 DOS. 8 p.m.

The weekend’s oddest show is the return of Lawrence, Kansas, grunge rock band Paw at The Waiting Room Saturday. I interviewed these guys way back in 1998 (You can read the story here). Paw will celebrate the 25-year anniversary of their album, Dragline, by playing the whole damn thing. It’s all part of the Corn King Music and Arts Fest, which features five additional bands I’ve never heard of. 5 p.m. $12 Adv/$15 DOS.

Then Sunday it’s the Black Votes Matter Concert for Change. The location is 2205 No. 24th St. in the heart of North Omaha. The event, which runs from 2 to 9 p.m., will include Get Out the Vote speakers, workshops, vendor boots, and, of course, live music.

The line-up includes The Dilla Kids, Dana Murray, BXTH, Mesonjixx and Dolores Diaz & The Standby Club — the nine-piece project that includes indie vets Mike Mogis, Matt Maginn, Roger Lewis, Conor Oberst and Dolores Diaz a.k.a. Corina Figueroa. We’re talking Country & Western covers of songs by the likes of Jerry Reed, Skeeter Davis, Randy Newman and more.

This looks to be a free event, or at least no price is listed. More info at the event’s Facebook listing. Good fun and a good cause.

And that about does it. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend and I’ll see you sometime after Labor Day!

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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.