New stuff from Jason Steady, David Nance; Lupines, Noah Sterba, Rusty Lord, Dog Party tonight…

Category: Blog — Tags: , , , — @ 12:38 pm July 11, 2018

Dog Party at O’Leaver’s, July 30, 2017. The band returns to O’Leaver’s tonight.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

This past Monday Jason Steady (once of the band Talking Mountain, among others) dropped me a line about a new track he’s recorded — a cover of Gram Parsons’ “One Hundred Years From Now,” which, I must say, is sublime. It marks a new direction for Steady, a sound which I described as “psych-country,” but which Jason calls “outer space cosmic death nature sounds.”

Check it out below and/or download/buy it along with Steady’s cover of George Jones’ “Things Have Gone to Pieces” (and a demo  of the Parsons cover) at his Bandcamp page.

Speaking of new music, David Nance posted that his next record, titled Peace and Slightly Pulverized, will be released Oct. 5 by Trouble In Mind Records. The Chicago label’s roster includes Dick Diver, Paperhead and Ultimate Painting, among others. The seven-song vinyl features Nance backed by his band — Kevin Donahue, Jim Schroeder and Tom May. Nance blew a hole in the wall with last year’s Negative Boogie (Ba Da Bing Records). I can’t wait to hear this one…

* * *

Two shows of note tonight…

Pageturners Lounge continues its summer concert series tonight with a triple-bill: Lupines, Noah Sterba and Rusty Lord. Is this the show that the real-life Rusty Lord finally makes an appearance? Find out. This one’s free and starts at 9 p.m.

Also tonight, Sacramento’s Dog Party — the garage rock duo of sisters Gwennie and Lucy Giles — returns to fabulous O’Leaver’s. Joining them are Mad Dog and the 20/20s and Muscle Cousins. $7, 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 © 2018 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Lazy-i

Little Brazil record release, #BFF, Muscle Cousins tonight; M34N STR33T, Lupines Saturday…

Category: Blog — Tags: , , — @ 12:49 pm June 1, 2018

Little Brazil at The Waiting Room Dec. 30, 2017. The band celebrates the release of its new album, Send the Wolves, tonight at The Waiting Room.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Tonight’s the big Little Brazil album release show for Send the Wolves. You read the backstory behind the making of the album right here in The Reader. Kevin also did a story in this week’s Go! section of the OWH, which you can check out here. Pro-Magnum and Eric in Outerspace open at 9 p.m. $8. See you there.

BTW, it’s also #BFF — Benson First Friday. If you’re going to the Little Brazil show, drop by The Little Gallery beforehand and check out the opening reception for Home Sweet Home by Katie B. Temple? Temple, an Omaha artist and educator, is the studio coordinator for the Kent Bellows Mentoring Program at Joslyn Art Museum. Home Sweet Home was inspired by homes in Omaha that aren’t currently occupied.

It’s also the gallery’s third birthday, so you’ll be able to enjoy a slice of cake with your beer or wine. The opening is from 6 to 9 p.m. The Little Gallery is located in the bottom of the Benson Masonic Lodge, just up the street from The Sydney.

Speaking of The Sydney, as part of #BFF the club is hosting a show with Hussies, Gerardo Meza & The Dead and Muscle Cousins, who are celebrating the release of their debut EP, Flex. 10 p.m. and free.

Saturday night M34N STR33T celebrates the release of their new album, Don Quixote’s Lance, at Brothers Lounge. Jaw Knee Vee opens at 9 p.m. $5.

Anonymous Henchmen headline at fabulous O’Leaver’s Saturday night. The Lupines and Satellite Junction open at 10 p.m. $5.

The B Side in Benson, 6058 Maple (right next to Virtuoso Pizza) kicks off its B Side Story Sessions Saturday night with Andrew Bailie. Each session features a solo artist in a “Storytellers” style two-hour performance. Bailie has played with Jazzwholes and It’s True, among others. Tickets are $10 advance, $15 DOS. Show starts at 9 p.m.

Satchel Grande headlines at The Waiting Room Saturday night with Omaha Beat Brigade. $8, 9 p.m.

Doom Lagoon headlines at Reverb Lounge Saturday with Cvlt Play, Silversphere and Supper. $5, 9 p.m.

That’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend.

* * *

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.

 

Lazy-i

RSD Weekend!; Lupines, Wagon Blasters, Sucettes, Stelth Ulvang, McCarthy Trenching tonight; Bill Hoover, Mynabirds, Whipkey, State Disco Saturday; Anna McClellan Sunday…

Category: Blog — Tags: , , , , , — @ 12:35 pm April 20, 2018

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

There’s a shit-ton going on this weekend so let’s get to it:

First off, it’s Record Store Day weekend, which means that as I type this there could be vinyl nerds standing in line downtown in front of Homer’s. There certainly will be tomorrow morning. Here’s how it breaks down:

Homer’s opens at 10 a.m. and is offering free coffee, breakfast and donuts for line-waiters. Country-blues artist Matt Cox will be performing outside at 9:30 a.m. in support of the release of his vinyl release High Places. Homer’s gets the biggest shipment of RSD merch because they’re the biggest record store in Omaha. If you’re looking for that rare hard-to-find limited RSD release, get in line.

Almost Music, which also will be selling RSD merch, is hosting performances all afternoon and into the evening. Blackstone Meatball will be slinging meatballs in the shop. The schedule for the Almost RSD-fest:

12:15 — Bill Hoover
1 p.m. — Pagan Athletes
1:45 —Megan Siebe
2:30 — Kyle Jessen
3:15 — Those Far Out Arrows
4 — Tom Bartolomei
5 — Putter & Co.
5:45 — Rusty Lord
6:30 — Death Cow
7:15 — Houma
8 — Conny Blanco w/ Dojorok

Both Drastic Plastic locations in the Old Market are taking part in RSD. They’re handing out coffee and pastries and a full selection of RSD bootie. Stores open at 10 p.m.

Don’t forget Ear Wax Records and Collectibles, 5054 So. 135th St., which opens at noon; and Recycled Sounds, 322 No. 76th St. , which also opens at noon. Both are taking part in RSD merch-stock promotions.

And when you’re all done, chill out at the Hi-Fi House open house, where you can brag up your lucky finds with fellow vinyl fanatics.

When it comes to my luck getting the good stuff, I’m still trying to find a Red House Painters box set from RSD a few years back, something I’d actually play on my record player. I know there’s got to be one out there (for less than $400)…

* * *

Onto the rest of the weekend.

As the weather improves, so do nights at fabulous O’Leaver’s. Tonight the club has Lupines in the headline position with Wagon Blasters opening and a new act called Sidewalkers sandwiched in the middle. 10 p.m., $5.

Meanwhile, over at The Sydney in Benson, Sucettes play with headliner Lincoln’s Laughing Falcon. Green Alter opens at 10 p.m. $5.

Also in Benson over at The Barley Street Tavern McCarthy Trenching is on a bill that includes Smith’s Cloud and The Wildwoods. $5, 9 p.m.

And let’s not forget Stelth Ulvang of Lumineers (whose Ten Questions you read yesterday) opening for Wild Child at The Slowdown’s big room Friday. $17, 9 p.m.

Saturday kicks off with Earth Day in Elmwood Park. The big-name performer is Saddle Creek Records act The Mynabirds playing at 4 p.m. The aforementioned Matt Cox has the stage at 2:20. Of course it’s all free. Full schedule is right here.

It’s back to O’Leaver’s Saturday night where Matt Whipkey has the center slot with stoner-rock heavies Ocean Black opening and headliner Bokr Tov, who have new self-titled EP. $7, 10 p.m.

Also Saturday night, State Disco, which calls their sound “indietronic dance rock,” celebrates the release of their new album Going to Sleep Is Giving Up at The Waiting Room. The album was produced by Graham Ulicny (Thick Paint, Reptar) and recorded at The Faint’s Enamel Studios. Opening is Saddle Creek Records band Twinsmith and Chicago’s The Kickback (Julian Records). $10 Adv/$13 DOS. 9 p.m.

Finally on Sunday night hometown hero Anna McClellan returns, this time to OutrSpaces, 1258 So. 13th St.. Joining her is Staffers, LA’s Syko Friend and Jim Schroeder Band. Starts at 8 p.m. Suggested donation: $10-$20.

Gaddamn, what am I missing? Put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend!

* * *

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.

Lazy-i

Live Review: Bad Bad Men, Lupines, Those Far Out Arrows at The Brothers; Blank Range tonight…

Category: Reviews — Tags: , , , — @ 12:36 pm February 19, 2018

Bad Bad Men at The Brothers Lounge, Feb. 17, 2018.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

No matter what happens to the Blackstone District — no matter what new restaurant or bar or business opens its doors, no matter how gentrified it becomes — there will always be The Brothers Lounge.

The Brothers has always been — is — and will always be an Omaha punk Mecca that remembers its past and welcomes its future with open arms. The Brothers is where you’ll find the best jukebox, the nicest staff and the coldest beer (though they quit selling Rolling Rock because, I was told, the last “regular” who ordered it died of a heart attack. I guess Trey either forgot that I drink Rolling Rock or I need to become a regular).

I can’t imagine Omaha without The Brothers, and hopefully I’ll never have to. I write this because in an effort to keep up with all the new-fangled businesses (including yet another new bar that opened practically right under them) The Brothers has been beefing up its live music bookings lately. This past weekend featured back-to-back showcases Friday and Saturday night.

I made it to Saturday night’s three-band bill, figuring I’d miss the opening act (hey, Black Panther is a long friggin’ movie), but there was John Wolf and and Co. belting out the magic at 10:30 p.m. The band is Bad Bad Men, featuring legendary punker Wolf fronting a power trio rounded out by drummer Chris Siebken and bass player Jerry Hug. Saturday night’s show was their debut, but you’d never guess judging by how tightly they played.

Bad Bad Men is a natural continuation of the style of music Wolf has been playing for more than 20 years, reaching back to acts like Cellophane Ceiling and Bad Luck Charm. The only difference is in the economy of arrangements (BBM is a mean, lean fighting machine) and Wolf’s growl, which has grown into a brash, guttural bray that cuts through the band’s back-beat swing.

At times BBM felt like high-energy boogie blues punk, somewhat rootsier than Bad Luck Charm’s ’90s-influenced Ameri-alt-rock sound (can you believe Viva La Sinners came out 17 years ago?). The music chugged along like a high-ballin’ locomotive powered by the Siebken/Hug rhythm section and Wolf’s blazing riffs. The band closed out its set with a brutal cover of Warsaw’s “No Love Lost” (compliments to Dr. Sheehan for pointing this out) that was the perfect capper to a perfect debut. More to come.

The Lupines at The Brothers Lounge Feb. 19, 2018.

Next up was The Lupines, who played a solid set that included a few songs off their most recent collection, Mountain of Love (2017, Speed Nebraska). They closed with a long burner that I wouldn’t have minded had it gone on for 20 minutes. It was good to once again see guitarist Mike Friedman ripping alongside frontman John Ziegler and hearing his crazy leads laced throughout the songs.

Those Far Out Arrows at The Brothers Feb. 17, 2018.

Finally, Those Far Out Arrows hit the stage well past midnight. The band had played The Replay Lounge in Lawrence just the night before, and could be the next break-out act to grab national attention thanks to their take on garage psych-rock. If you haven’t seen these guys lately, do yourself a favor. They have a West Coast/San Francisco style reminiscent of ’90s-’00s acts like Brian Jonestown Massacre, BRMC and The Warlocks. but with a nod to bands that go back even further and farther (Them, Small Faces, etc.).

Unfortunately their set got cut short when first the bass drum pedal broke and then the bass drum head broke. These things happen. You’ll get a chance to catch them again when they open for White Mystery March 4 at fabulous O’Leaver’s.

* * *

Tonight Nashville band Blank Range headlines at Reverb Lounge. Rolling Stone named them one of the “10 New Country Bands You Need to Know” though I’d classify their sound as leaning more toward alt-country/Americana than straight up C&W. Think Jason Isbell or Sturgill Simpson but with less twang. Frankly, they remind me more of The Band than anyone else, and are keeping their options open by opening shows for everyone from Spoon to Drive-By Truckers to Black Joe Lewis. Evan Bartles opens tonight at 8 p.m. $10.

* * *

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.

Lazy-i

The Broke Loose, Wagon Blasters, Closeness, Twinsmith, Clarence Tilton tonight; TFOA, Lupines, Bad Bad Men (John Wolf) Saturday…

Category: Blog — Tags: , , , , , , — @ 1:06 pm February 16, 2018

Twinsmith on the Maha Music Festival main stage back in 2014. The band plays tonight at Slowdown Jr.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

It’s a packed weekend for local shows, not much from a national-touring-indie perspective, but what else is new? It’s February, after all. Who wants to tour through Omaha in February? Apparently no one.

Anyway…

The Brothers Lounge is really stepping up its game, hosting two shows this weekend. Tonight’s headliner is The Broke Loose. The band released a single this past January called “Flatlands,” and another in February called “Cold As Hell.” Both were recorded with Rick Carson at Make Believe Studios. Frontman Glenn Antonucci said they’re the first in a series of nine singles, all recorded at Make Believe, that they plan to release one by one over the course of 2018.

Why release a single at a time versus a full album?

“Well, a couple reasons,” Antonucci said. “For one, we thought many of the individual tracks that came out of this session had a distinctive feel, and could stand on their own. And of course, it also gives us the ability to offer up something new each month (or thereabouts), rather than drop an album on people all at once and then retreat into silence for a year or more.”

I like it. It’s like the old days or rock ‘n’ roll when bands released 45s then compiled them into albums. Too bad Broke Loose songs aren’t being released as 45s, but imagine how much that’d cost…

Opening for The Broke Loose tonight is legendary tractor-punk band Wagon Blasters (Gary Dean Davis and crew) and Ottumwa Iowa basement rockers X-Ray Mary. $5, 9 p.m.

Also tonight Closeness headlines at The Sydney in Benson. Seems like we haven’t heard from the dynamic duo of Todd and Orenda Fink for quite a while. Will we be getting a glimpse of new Closeness music tonight? Opening is Lincoln’s Universe Contest and garage-punkers FiFI NoNo. $5, 9 p.m.

That’s not all. Tonight Saddle Creek Records band Twinsmith headlines at Slowdown Jr. The Sunks open at 9 p.m. $10.

And also tonight at fabulous O’Leaver’s it’s another shit-kicker of a bill headlined by Omaha’s finest alt-country band Clarence Tilton, who just released a split LP with Monday Mourners. Opening for Tilton is fellow boot-scooters The Eletroliners and 24-Hour Cardlock. $5, 10 p.m.

Tomorrow night (Saturday) it’s back to The Brothers for a special night of rock headlined by Those Far Out Arrows. The always awesome Lupines hold the second spot while a new band called Bad Bad Men, featuring John Wolf (Cellophane Ceiling, Bad Luck Charm), Chris Siebken (Lude Boys) and Jerry Hug (Ritual Device), has the opening slot. Lots o’ curiosity about these bad hombres. $5, 9 p.m.

And that’s all I got. If I missed your show put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend…

* * *

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.

Lazy-i

Ocean Black, Lupines, Nathan Ma tonight; Minneapolis Uranium Club, Sucettes, Lash LaRue Toy Drive Saturday…

Category: Blog — Tags: , , , , , — @ 11:30 am December 8, 2017

Sucettes at The Waiting Room, Dec. 28, 2014. The band opens for Minneapolis Uranium Club Saturday at Pet Shop Gallery.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Last weekend I got a good tip from one of the music scene’s cherished treasures. His trick for weathering the cold this winter: Put on long underwear in November and don’t take them off until March. Pretty much that’s it.

Anyway, the weekend starts tonight at fabulous O’Leaver’s where Ocean Black headlines. Call it stoner rock, call it whatever you want, Ocean Black does it darkly. We’re talking slow, heavy-metal dirges as only this power trio can provide. The Lupines will warm the stage for them. Their latest album, Mountain of Love, made my 2017 best of list which you can find in the December issue of The Reader. Kicking it all off is Lincoln band Trash Cat. $5, 10 p.m.

Also tonight, Nathan Ma headlines a show at Brothers Lounge for South High that also features Red Beard and JockO. Starts at 10.

And Brad Hoshaw opens for Blue Moon Ghetto at The Waiting Room tonight. $20, 9 p.m.

Tomorrow night (Saturday), Minneapolis Uranium Club plays at Pet Shop Gallery in Benson (the former Sweatshop space). This is one of the hottest indie-punk bands going, whose album All of Them Naturals, released on UK label Static Shock, is another one that made by favorites-of-2017 list. Since I mentioned this show a week or so ago, I’ve received email from out-of-towners making a trip to see them. Opening are the mighty Sucettes and Dilute. $5, 9 p.m.

Also Saturday night is the annual Toy Drive for Pine Ridge at The Waiting Room Lounge and Reverb. $10 or a new toy per venue / $15 or two toys for both venues gets you in to see a plethora of local talent including Matt Cox, 24 Hour Cardlock, Korey Anderson and, of course, Lash LaRue and the Hired Guns.

The Toy Drive for Pine Ridge is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that collects and delivers toys for children of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, and raises donations for heating, clothing, food, and educational resources for residents of the reservation. That’s where your donations are headed. Shows start at 8:30.

And finally, over at O’Leaver’s Saturday night its The Regulation, Mitch Gettman and Magu. $5, 10 p.m.

And that’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend.

* * *

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.

Lazy-i

Live Review: The Lupines/Leafblower/Dog Party; Digital Leather, The Life and Times tonight…

Category: Blog,Reviews — Tags: , , , — @ 12:47 pm July 31, 2017

Leafblower at O’Leaver’s, July 30, 2017.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

The O’Leaver’s Sunday Social is as good an excuse as you’ll find to get blasted, eat good food and listen to some fine music on a lazy summer afternoon. That’s exactly what happened yesterday at The Club where a trio of bands played to a hot, packed room.

Dog Party at O’Leaver’s, July 30, 2017.

First up was Dog Party, a Sacramento two-piece consisting of sisters Gwendolyn and Lucy Giles that played some groovy up-tempo pop-punk as you’d expect from a band that opened for Green Day on their 2016 North American Tour and has four albums out on Burger and Asian Man Records. I typically don’t like guitar-drums two-piece acts (White Mystery is an exception) because they tend to sound hollow and/or flat, but these sisters had a well-rounded sound. Fun!

Leafblower was a necessary contrast to all that pop-punk. A power trio that combines fuzz metal with noise punk, they’ve never sounded better, with both Danny Maxwell and Craig Fort yelling at their primal best. Great guitar and bass interplay, I was reminded of mid-’90s noise punk outfits like Cactus Nerve Thang and Culture Fire combined with Sabbath.

With a flair for the theatrical, the trio came out in matching sleeveless jumpsuits with their band logo screen-printed on back, and cranked up their fourth member — a large, old-dude mannequin/dummy maned Tim holding a leaf blower that spewed plumes of stage smoke. Yard work was never this fun.

The Lupines at O’Leaver’s, July 30, 2017.

Finally The Lupines came on at around 8 p.m. playing their usual fine set of bone-breaking punk-Americana — the kind of rock you’d hear want to hear blaring from our Plymouth Charger’s AM on a road trip across Nebraska circa 1967. Frontman John Ziegler pointed out this was not their official CD release show, nonethelesss, the band’s tasty new album, Mountain of Love, was available for purchase (So when’s the real deal, gentlemen?).

If you listen to the album, you’ll notice plenty of real piano keyboards, which, alas, were not performed live for one obvious reason — Ziegler plays keyboards and guitar on the record. The band would have to bring on another member to allow Ziegler to get behind a piano. That said, I’d love to hear these songs with the full compliment of instruments performed live — dare to dream.

Sunday Socials at O’Leaver’s are all-afternoon events. They begin at 4 with free food (this week, fine smoked pork-butt sandwiches courtesy of Smoke Buds). The music was suppose to start at 5, but didn’t get rolling until 6, giving the crowd even more time to imbibe, which I did out in the beer garden where DJ Tyrone Storm spun the good stuff. Good times indeed.

* * *

Two shows on a Monday night? Why not.

Over at Pageturners Lounge (which I keep hearing referred to as PTL) Digital Leather performs tonight as a digital-only two-piece. Not sure who’s joining Shawn Foree behind the consoles, but will tell you it’s worth it just to hear songs off the new album, Pink Thunder. Something called 2:46 Club also is on the bill. These free shows start at 9.

Also tonight. KC band The Life and Times plays at Reverb Lounge. These guys have been touring through Omaha for more than a decade. This past spring the band released their fifth LP for digital download, titled The Life and Times, on Slimstyle Records. Opening is the double-bass attack of Relax, It’s Science. $12, 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 © 2017 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Lazy-i

Twinsmith, Ex-Cult tonight; Benson Days Saturday; Leafblower, Lupines album releases Sunday…

Category: Blog — Tags: , , , — @ 12:55 pm July 28, 2017

Is this not the most bad-ass poster you’ve seen in a while? Lupines and Leafblower celebrate releases Sunday night at O’Leaver’s.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

These are prolific times for local music.

Two weekends ago it was a celebration of David Nance and Noah Sterba’s album releases. This weekend we three more local bands celebrating the release of new material.

It starts tonight at The Slowdown main room where Saddle Creek Records band Twinsmith celebrates the release of their third long-player, Stay Cool. This one was something of a surprise for me. I’d pretty much written off the band as a low-octane version of Vampire Weekend, with the same light-bounce indie pop sound. Well, the pop is still there, but the sound has indeed evolved. Stay Cool is a fun listen, a synth-fueled dance-rock album ripe for pop radio that has more in common with Phoenix or Twin Shadow or current-day (dancy) M83  than their past releases. Did I say “synth-fueled?” We’re talking super-synthy. Infectious in a good way; a perfect companion for a run in the park. I Forgot to Love my Father and Thick Paint open. $10, 9 p.m.

Also tonight, Goner Records mainstay Ex-Cult rolls into fabulous O’Leaver’s. Their latest, Negative Growth, out on In the Red, is brutal, static noise-rock at its finest. This is a massive four-band bill with Wrong Pets, KC’s Kool 100s (Rainy Road Records) and NOWHERE. $7, 9:30 p.m.

Saturday is something of a blank music-wise. If you have the day free, stop by for Benson Days, which is happening in… Benson. Parade, food trucks, beer tents, face paint. What more do you want? I’ll be there manning the Little Gallery booth (buy some art). And later that night it’s Benson Soul Society at Reverb. Your day is planned.

Then comes Sunday and a duo album release bonanza at O’Leaver’s.

The Lupines just dropped the gorgeously recorded LP called Mountain of Love (Speed! Nebraska Records) that sees John Zielger and the boys crawling out of the “garage rock”cellar that, too often, is code-language for home-made and low-fi. This one sounds huge, majestic, like watching a’70s-era 70-millimeter western saga on the big screen. Recorded over two days at ARC Studios by Ben Brodin, Ziegler on vocals, guitar and piano, never sounded more ominous testifying on these 13 stompers backed by lead guitarist Mike Friedman, bassist Mike Tulis and drummer Calvin Retzlaff. Copies of the release will be available on that new-fangled Compact Disc format. Get it.

Meanwhile, the boys in Leafblower opted for the more traditional cassette tape format for the release of their new one, Live at O’Leaver’s 11-23-16. The four-piece consists of members of Danny Maxwell’s New Lungs, with Craig Fort, drummer Tab Tworek, guitarist John Svatos and DMax. It’s probably no coincidence that the song names are typed in ALL CAPS because this one is bigly loud; in fact, it’s one of those albums that sounds better the louder you play it. I guess that’s why they call it metal.

If that weren’t enough, Asian Man Records band Dog Party also is on the bill. This is part of O’Leaver’s Sunday Social program, which means the music starts at 5 p.m. AND there’s food, this time courtesy of your friends at Smoke Buds who will have pork butt and beans (and more) while it lasts. $5!

And thats all I got for this weekend. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a  good one.

* * *

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.

Lazy-i

New Lupines (and more to come); Laughing Falcon, Ocean Black tonight…

Category: Blog — Tags: , — @ 1:34 pm February 17, 2017

Ocean Black back when they were Nightbird at The Sydney, July 18, 2014. The band plays tonight at O’Leaver’s.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

This will be a short entry as almost nothing happening musicwise this weekend, which sucks because some of us have Monday off. But before we get to that…

Lupines guitarist extraordinaire Mike Friedman emailed earlier this week to let me know the band dropped its latest collection, Eternal Wax, on Bandcamp. “We did this one by ourselves at home a couple years ago,” Mike wrote. “We wanted to get it out before we release the one we recorded at ARC last year. That one will have a physical release hopefully in the not too distant future.

I’m listening to Eternal Wax now and it’s exactly the kind of grinding, noisy garage-rock goodness we’ve come to expect from Lupines. Check it out below and download your copy.

Wish the Lupines were playing somewhere this weekend. As it stands, there’s only one show on my radar, and it’s tonight at fabulous O’Leaver’s — a heavy rock show featuring Laughing Falcon, Ocean Black and Hyborian. Ocean Black is the newish name for Nightbird, a stoner rock band that features Lee Meyerpeter, Jeff Harder and Scott Zimmerman. They’re the real deal. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Milk Run remains a mystery. I’d heard last weekend’s shows were the last, then I heard they still will have shows at the venue. Tonight Sioux City post-hardcore band Grobe is slated to play according to the Milk Run Facebook page. Jettison and The New Rosenbergs also are on the bill. 8:30 p.m., $5.

And that’s it. Talk about a sleepy weekend. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend and get out and enjoy the fine weather…

* * *

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.

Lazy-i

Solid Goldberg, Lupines, No Getter, Bed Rest, BFF tonight; Pine Ridge toy drive, Uh Oh Saturday…

Category: Blog — Tags: , , , — @ 1:58 pm December 2, 2016
Solid Goldberg is playing tonight at fabulous O"Leaver's.

Solid Goldberg is playing tonight at fabulous O”Leaver’s.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

It’s the weekend before the blizzard? Not likely, but it’s bound to snow sometime; we might as well get it over with.

Enjoy the last tropical weekend of the year tonight at fabulous O’Leaver’s with performances by Solid Goldberg (a.k.a. the legendary Dave Goldberg), the mighty Lupines and Des Moines punks Broken Ones. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Also tonight at Milk Run there’s a big double record release/benefit show. It’s a four-band bill headlined by Bed Rest and No Getter with The Way Out and Minnesota’s The Crash Bandits. Bed Rest will be releasing their second EP, Gloom, alongside No Getter, who will be releasing their debut EP/cassette, Fitting. A portion of the door will go to RAINN (rape, abuse and incest national network). $5 is the door charge, but go ahead, be generous. Show starts at 9.

Also tonight, it’s Benson First Friday. Among the art openings tonight is the second annual Little Show at The Little Gallery. Each piece of art is 12″ x 12″ or smaller and sells for $100 or less. Give the gift of local art! The reception runs from 6 to 9 p.m. Address: 5901 Maple St., in the ground-floor storefront of the Benson Masonic Lodge (across the street from the Sydney). Beer and treats. Come by and say hello.

On Saturday night, The Waiting Room and Reverb lounge are both in play for the annual toy drive for the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The event raises toys and money for the 501(c)(3) organization, started in 2003 by Omaha musician Larry Dunn a.k.a. Lash LaRue.

It’s a country-rocking event, with bands including Township & Range, Pancho & the Contraband, The Willards, Matt Cox, Korey Anderson, 24 Hour Cardlock, Vago, Kait Berreckman and Ryan Osbahr, as well as Lash LaRue and the Hired Guns. Admission is $10 or a new unwrapped toy per venue or $15, and two unwrapped toys for entry to both venues. The shows start at 8.

Also Saturday night it’s back to O’Leaver’s for Relax, It’s Science with Brazen Throats and Stronghold. $5, 9:30 p.m.

And here’s one that’s under the radar: Indie punk rock band Uh Oh, who hasn’t done a show in ages, plays at Lucy’s Pub way out on 89th and Blondo. Turns out this is actually a house show at 8932 Blondo St. Joining Uh Oh are The Way Out and MAGU. Uh Oh will be filming a music video that night, so look out. This one’s free and starts at 9.

That’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section.  Have a great weekend.

* * *

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 © 2016 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Lazy-i