The Millions, circa 2013

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

I’ve been fighting a summer cold all week. It’s insidious in its intensity. A seemingly benign pestilence quietly builds and builds… I know, I know, “Who gives a sh*t about your f**king cold, man, just tell us what’s going on this weekend.” You’re heartless…

Tonight’s performance by The Millions at The Waiting Room is sort of both a CD release show and the first of three farewell shows. The band is rereleasing M Is for Millions as the second CD from the band’s “Millions Archive Series.” The two CD set includes M is for Millions as it was originally released on cassette by the band before they were signed to Smash (minus the songs “No. 6” and “The River,” which are already available on the recently released Poison Fish CD).  Disc two is called M is for Millions Sessions and contains 11 previously unreleased tracks.

In addition to tonight’s show, the Millions is headed to Lawrence tomorrow to play at The Bottleneck, and then plays the Maha Music Festival Aug. 17. After that, the future of the band is anyone’s guess. Lives have a way of getting in the way of things like rock and roll, and certainly that’s the case with The Millions, who presumably will go back to their usual day-to-day existences after Maha. Bassist Marty Amsler said the band never intended to play beyond last December’s reunion show at The Bourbon. These three shows are merely “bonus time.” That said, something tells me this won’t be the last you hear from these folks…

Opening for The Millions tonight is fellow Lincolnites UUVVWWZ. $10, 9 p.m.

Also tonight, The Sydney has a red hot show featuring See Through Dresses, Dsoedean and Well Aimed Arrows. $5, 9 p.m.

And….tonight at The Barley Street, Blue Bird plays with Communist Daughter and Field Club. $5, 9 p.m.

Benson Days is Saturday in… Benson. Of note is the “Benson Mainstage,” which apparently will be a beer garden and stage located somewhere on or near Maple Street. The line-up ain’t half bad:

12 to 2:30 — DJ Kobrayle
2:30 to 4:50 — Brad Hoshas, Matt Cox and Sarah Benck
5:10 to 5:50 — Howard
6:10 to 6:50 — Dumb Beach
7:10 to 8 — Simon Joyner
8 to -9 — DJ Dave Goldberg

Following the day activities, Benson bars will be hosting bands throughout the strip, but it’ll cost you $10 for a wrist band. The clubs’ lineups are here.

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In this week’s column, how Playboy magazine got me hooked on canned beer, and why (despite the proliferation of online porn) Hefner’s enterprise will never drop the nudie photos. You can read it in this week’s issue of The Reader, or online right here.

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Have a good 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 © 2013 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.