by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Trend Watch: The hottest new trend in air travel headgear is gigantic headphones. Wherever you go in airports or airplanes there’s always people wearing a pair of large, colorful cans on their heads. I guess we can thank Dr. Dre (who has his own line) and Michael Phelps (who was never seen without a pair of Sol Republics during the Olympics). I realize some of these have noise-cancelling qualities, but they can look ridiculous, especially when the airline waitresses have to consistently ask “Are those things plugged into a portable listening device. TAKE THEM OFF.”

Anyway…. I’m wasting time writing about headphones because there isn’t a whole helluva lot to write about musicwise in Omaha this weekend. All the best shows took place during the week apparently. The irony, of course, is that it’s a “bye week” for Husker football. You’d think the clubs would be loading up on rock bands to get asses in seats. Apparently not.

Needless to say, one man is taking advantage of this non-Husker weekend: Jeremy Buckley. Lincoln Calling 2012 is going full steam for the next three days. More bands, more venues, more fun! Here’s the sched for the balance of the week:

Friday, October 12

$10 for day pass (age restrictions may apply)

Duffy’s Tavern
8 p.m. The Betties (Lincoln/Omaha) http://Facebook.com/thebetties
9 p.m. Kill County (Lincoln) https://www.facebook.com/killcounty
10 p.m. The Kickback (Chicago) https://www.facebook.com/thekickback
11 p.m. Masses (Lincoln) https://www.facebook.com/massesmusic
12 a.m. DEERPEOPLE (Stillwater) https://www.facebook.com/deerpeople
1 a.m. Universe Contest (Lincoln) https://www.facebook.com/universecontest
$5, 21+

Zoo Bar
5 p.m. Tijuana Gigolos (Lincoln) https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Tijuana-Gigolos/48121983910
6:15 p.m. The Mezcal Brothers (Lincoln) https://www.facebook.com/mezcal.brothers
7:30 p.m. My Brother (Lincoln) http://www.facebook.com/mybrother402
$5, 21+
9:30 p.m. Manny Coon and the Spotlight Killers (Lincoln)
10:30 p.m. Lil’ Slim (Lincoln) https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Lil-Slim-Blues-Band/109836905744202
11:45 p.m. Black Cohosh (Lincoln) https://www.facebook.com/Black.Cohosh
$8, 21+

The Spigot
9:30 p.m. Haggard Mess (Lincoln)
10:30 p.m. Gallows Majesty (Lincoln) http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gallows-Majesty/124186304348546
11:30 p.m. Dope Pope (Lincoln) http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dope-Pope/277326888967863
12:30 a.m. Wooden Coat (Lincoln) http://m.soundcloud.com/wooden-coat
$5, 21+

The Alley
9:30 p.m. Stonebelly (Lincoln) http://facebook.com/stonebellyband
10:30 p.m. Vibenhai (Lincoln) https://www.facebook.com/Vibenhai
11:30 p.m. FREAKABOUT! (Lincoln) http://www.freakabout.com/
12:30 a.m. Midland Trio (Lincoln) http://www.themidlandband.com/
$5, 21+

The Black Market
7 p.m. Mildred Bonk (Lincoln) https://www.facebook.com/mildred.bonk
8 p.m. Talking Mountain (Omaha) http://facebook.com/talkingmountain
No cover, all ages

The Fat Toad
Fusion (Lincoln)
Kronan (Lincoln)
No cover, 21+

Mix Barcade
Think 2wice Records showcase featuring
Brent Tactic (Kansas City)
B-Stee and Archie (Kansas City)
Ra Cailum (Kansas City)
Andrew Thomas Sinclair (Kansas City)
No cover, 21+
http://soundcloud.com/think-2wice

Yia Yia’s
11 p.m. Amy Schmidt (Lincoln) http://www.amyschmidtmusic.com/
12 a.m. Tie These Hands (Lincoln) https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tie-These-Hands/21617498914
No cover, 21+

Saturday, October 13

$13 for day pass, does not include admission to Wolfgang Gartner show (age restrictions may apply)

Bourbon Theatre
Rad Kadillac nd HLN Productions present
Wolfgang Gartner’s “Love and War” tour w/ Pierce Fulton and Popeska
8 p.m. doors, 9 p.m. show, $10 w/ all access pass, $18 adv, $20 dos
https://www.facebook.com/djwolfganggartner

Duffy’s Tavern
6 p.m. Academy of Rock (Lincoln) http://www.academyofrock.org/
8 p.m. The Static Octopus (Lincoln) http://www.facebook.com/TheStaticOctopus
$5, all ages
9 p.m. Dastardly (Chicago) https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dastardly/189638794663
10 p.m. Snake Island https://www.facebook.com/SnakeIslandarego
11 p.m. Ideal Cleaners (Lincoln) http://www.idealcleaners.com/
12 a.m. Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles (Minneapolis) https://www.facebook.com/lapelles
1 a.m. The Killigans (Lincoln) https://www.facebook.com/thekilligans
$5, 21+

Zoo Bar
6 p.m. Academy of Rock (Lincoln) http://www.academyofrock.org/
7 p.m. Entendre Entendre (Lincoln) http://entendreentendre.bandcamp.com/
8 p.m. Everyday/Everynight (Kansas City) https://www.facebook.com/everyday.everynight
$5, all ages
9:30 p.m. Gerardo Meza (Lincoln)
10:30 p.m. Andreas Kapsalis & Goran Ivanovic Guitar Duo (Chicago)
11:45 p.m. JARANA (Lincoln) http://www.jaranamusica.com/
$10, 21+

The Spigot
8 p.m. Ghost Hollow Road (Springfield, IL) https://www.facebook.com/GhostHollowRoad
9 p.m. Saint Christopher (Lincoln) https://www.facebook.com/pages/Saint-Christopher/115341298550310
10 p.m. Mob Action (Quincy, IL) https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mob-Action/60459597350
11 p.m. SS Web (Milwaukee, WI) https://www.facebook.com/pages/SS-WEB/115275818521973
12 a.m. Beaver Damage (Lincoln) https://www.facebook.com/pages/Beaver-Damage/140747185977615
$5, 21+

Black Market
6 p.m. Windpants (Lincoln)
7 p.m. Green Trees (Lincoln) https://www.facebook.com/pages/Green-Trees/326981100675725
8 p.m. John Klemmensen and the Party (Omaha) http://www.facebook.com/pages/John-Klemmensen-and-the-Party/121528977870416
No cover, all ages

The Alley
9:30 p.m. All My Friends Are Dinosaurs (Lincoln) http://www.facebook.com/allmyfriendsaredinosaurs
10:30 p.m. Dude Won’t Die (Lincoln) http://www.dudewontdie.com/
11:30 p.m. Voodoo Method (Omaha) https://www.facebook.com/voodoomethod
12:30 a.m. AZP (Lincoln) http://www.facebook.com/GOAZP
$5, 21+

The Fat Toad
Ponce de Leon (Lincoln)
DJ Jab (Omaha)
No cover, 21+

Mix Barcade
The JHAM (Lincoln) https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Jham/107857432572633
No cover, 21+

Yia Yia’s Pizza
11 p.m. The Renfields (Lincoln) https://www.facebook.com/Renfields
12 a.m. Dark Satellites (Lincoln/Kansas City) http://facebook.com/darksatellites
No cover, 21+

Sunday, October 14

Duffy’s Tavern
9 p.m. Eli Mardock (Omaha/Lincoln) https://www.facebook.com/elimardock
10 p.m. Life is Cool (Omaha/Lincoln) https://www.facebook.com/pages/LIFE-is-COOL/198212376975503
$3, 21+

Zoo Bar
6 p.m. Gooding https://www.facebook.com/goodingmusic
$8, 21+

***

So is there ANYTHING going on in Omaha this weekend?

Well, tonight local blues guy Kris Lager and his band is playing at The Waiting Room with Voodoo Method. Anyone else notice that in recent photos Lager is starting to look like Kid Rock? Is that by design? If not, someone should let him know. $7, 9 p.m.

More blues is happening at Slowdown for the Playing With Fire Fundraiser featuring Curtis Salgado, Joe Louis Walker, Tommy Castro and The Painkillers. $35, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday is the Zombie Walk in Benson. Dress up like a zombie and take a stroll through Lover Luxuries. The walk starts at 6 p.m, followed by the Zombie Ball at The Waiting Room at 7 p.m., where there will be a Zombikini contest. $7.

Also Saturday night in Benson, it’s Cass and Dylan’s Barley Street Wedding Party. I remember Cass when she was behind the bar at the ol’ Saddle Creek Bar and from her musical exploits. But even if you don’t know who they are, stop by for the music, which features performances by Brad Hoshaw, Reagan Roeder, Dylan Davis, Cass Brostad (Davis?!), Matt Cox and Underwater Dream Machine. The free show starts at 8 p.m.

Sunday Minneapolis rock band Motion City Soundtrack plays at The Slowdown with Jukebox the Ghost and Now, Now. $20 Adv/$23 DOS, 9 p.m.

Also Sunday, El Ten Eleven plays at The Waiting Room. You may know them from the soundtracks to Gary Hustwit documentaries Helvetica, Objectified and Urbanized. Opening is Boyfrndz. $8 adv./$10 DOS. 9 p.m.

So I guess there is stuff going on in Omaha. Go out and do something…

* * *

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

I remain on the road, speaking at a Social Media conference in Philadelphia. All you SM wonks can follow along on Twitter at #CSMB2B. Or you could. The conference just ended, and I’m now cooling my heels at Philly International, which resembles a shopping mall more than an airport. I’m sitting in the food court next to Sbarro’s watching people carelessly toss away years of their lives eating the mucous-covered glop they call “pizza.”

Very unlikely that I’ll be home in time — or in the right state of mind — to enjoy tonight’s musical offerings. Chief among them is Night 2 of Lincoln Calling. For reasons known only to organizer Jeremy Buckley, the LC schedule isn’t at Lincolncalling.com, but rather at the Lincoln Calling Facebook page. It’s also below:

Wednesday, October 10 — $10 for a day pass (age restrictions may apply)

Bourbon Theatre
6 p.m. Homegrown Film Festival showcase https://www.facebook.com/groups/homegrownfilmfestival/
$3 all ages

8:30 p.m. Classes (Lincoln) http://facebook.com/classestheband
9:30 p.m. Minor Birds (Twain Harte, CA) http://minorbirds.bandcamp.com/
10:30 p.m. Gayle Skidmore (San Diego) http://www.facebook.com/GayleSkidmoreMusic\
11:30 p.m. Flashbulb Fires (Denver) https://www.facebook.com/pages/Flashbulb-Fires/111976458200
12:30 a.m. Orion Walsh (Lincoln) http://www.orionwalsh.com/
$5 for 21+, $7 for 18-20

Duffy’s Tavern
9 p.m. Good Show Great Show (Lincoln) http://goodshowgreatshow.com/
10 p.m. Tenderness Wilderness (Omaha) http://tendernesswilderness.bandcamp.com/
11 p.m. Hume (Baltimore) https://www.facebook.com/HUMENOW
12 a.m. Carrot Carrot (Lincoln)
$5 for 21+, $7 for 18-20

Zoo Bar
6 p.m. Jazzocracy (Lincoln) https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Jazzocracy/107272432624817
7 p.m. Emily Bass (Lincoln)
8 p.m. McCarthy Trenching (Omaha) https://www.facebook.com/mccarthytrenching
$3, 18+
9:30 p.m. Omni Arms (Lincoln) http://omniarms.bandcamp.com/
10:30 p.m. Touch People (Lincoln) https://www.facebook.com/pages/touch-people/129288513764265
11:30 p.m. THEMES (Portland, OR) http://www.themesmusic.com/
12:30 a.m. Dirty Talker (Lincoln) http://www.facebook.com/dirtytalkerdirtytalker
$5 for 21+

Black Market
7 p.m. Demos (Lincoln) http://facebook.com/demosrock
8 p.m. Domestica (Lincoln) http://domesticanebraska.bandcamp.com/
$5, all ages

Fat Toad
DJ Aim (Lincoln)
Christian Brabec (Lincoln)
No cover, 21+

Mix Barcade
Moeglie (Lincoln) https://www.facebook.com/moegliejunglebastard
Shark Week (Lincoln)
Bassthoven (Lincoln) https://www.facebook.com/bassthoven
No cover, 21+

* * *

If you don’t live in Lincoln or don’t feel like driving there, you’ve got a couple choice shows going on right in your back yard.

At The Waiting Room, it’s the return of Brother Ali. He’s grown quite a bit in popularity since I interviewed him in 2003. Opening is Blank Tape Beloved, Homeboy Sandman with DJ Sosa, & The Reminders. Unlucky $13, 9 p.m.

Meanwhile, down at The Slowdown, it’s the return of Dr. Dog, with Cotton Jones. $15, 9 p.m.

* * *

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Going through the ol’ mailbag…

James Reilly of Pharmacy Spirits tapped my shoulder via Facebook to say that he’s got a new band called Life Is Cool. Among the members: Eric Bemberger (ex-Beep Beep), Eli Mardock (ex-Eagle Seagull), Mike Elsener, Ben Armstrong and Kendra Campbell (Cat Island). They’ll be debuting Oct. 14 at Duffy’s in Lincoln, but you can check out a track from their SoundCloud page, below.

So is this a prescription for the end of Reilly’s other band, Pharmacy Spirits? Not at all. In fact Reilly said PS is recording a new EP right now with Mark Wolberg. And look out for PS drummer Courtney Nore’s new band Tubetop, which is the best new band name I’ve heard in a long time.

Life is Cook, JDWYD

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/57924407″ iframe=”true” /]

* * *

What else…

Lincoln Calling announced its second round of bands for this year’s festival, slated for Oct. 9-14. You can see the current list and get other pertinent info at the Lincoln Calling website. The geographic breakdown:

Acts by city (21 cities total):

73 Lincoln

14 Omaha

5 Kansas City

4 Chicago

4 Omaha/Lincoln

2 Des Moines, San Diego

1 Baltimore, Denver, Kansas City/Lincoln, Lawrence, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, New York, Paris, FR, Portland, OR, Provo, UT, Quincy, IL, Seattle, Springfield, IL, Stillwater, Twain Harte, CA

* * *

Lots of early buzz about tomorrow night’s show at The Sandbox — Wild Nothing and Diiv. Both bands are red hot in the Pitchfork/indie world right now, and as a result of the interest, I’ve been getting questions about the venue.

The last time I was at the Sandbox was December 2011 for The STNNNG. Here’s the write-up/description of the venue. I’m told that since then they’ve added a new stage, new sound and professional lighting. But unless they’ve remodeled the entire upstairs of that building, it’s still going to have a warehouse/loft vibe, and as such, this gig could feel like a loft show. Depending on what you like, that’s either a good thing or a bad thing (from my point of view, it’s a good thing).

I’m told venue capacity is around 200, but as I’ve said, this isn’t your typical venue. Tickets are available online at mooseriot.com. As for parking, you’re on your own…

* * *

Could the description of Pageturners Lounge in today’s OWH make the bar sound any more boring? “The sunken bar and dim lighting are reminiscent of retro Omaha neighborhood bars like the Holiday and the Interlude — places where (Phil) Schaffart and his friends have spent a lot of time over the years. And the menu is no-fuss — 10 beers on tap, another 25 in bottles and cans, four house cocktails (a fifth is coming as soon as one of the spirits comes in), and several dozen wines.” *yawn* Sounds like your run-of-the-mill hole-in-the-wall neighborhood bar, but maybe that’s what Phil and co-owner Conor Oberst were after. Mayhaps I’ll find out for myself this weekend…

* * *

Tonight at The Waiting Room, Providence, RI noise-rock duo Lightning Bolt takes the stage. They’re one of those bands that bring the party to you,  playing directly on the floor instead of the stage. We’ll see if they follow suit tonight. Opening is Touch People (Darren Keen, ex-The Show Is the Rainbow). $10, 9 p.m.

* * *

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.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Jeremy Buckley, the guy behind Lincoln Calling, says that he’s in the middle of  organizing the 9th year of the event, which takes place Oct. 9-13, 2012. As part of the process, he’s posted an form on the home page of lincolncalling.com for bands to apply. “As was the case last year, applying does not mean bands are ensured a spot, but it will allow me to compile contact info for bands and maybe find out about a few bands that might have so far slipped under my radar, definitely in the case of regional bands,” Buckley says.

Buckley also points out that bands are compensated for their appearances at Lincoln Calling, “and it’s been a great way for bands from Lincoln and Omaha to create relationships that last long past the fest itself,” he said.

Last year’s attendance at LC was just under 5k. If you’re in a band, go to the site and sign up.

* * *

As a precursor to their respective full length releases on Saddle Creek, Icky Blossoms and Mynabirds are releasing tracks through various and sundry websites.

In Icky’s case, it’s Pitchfork, where yesterday IB premiered the album version of “Perfect Vision,” which you can check it out here. Their full self-titled debut comes on July 17.

And today Rolling Stone premiered the new Mynabirds track “Body of Work,” which you can check out right here. The rest of Generals hits the stores June 5.

* * *

Tonight at The Barley Street Tavern it’s Landing on the Moon with Schwervon! and Tenderness Wilderness. $5, 9 p.m.

* * *