M34N STR33T performs tonight at Low End in the Bemis.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

New first, than the old stuff…

Tonight at the cool/fun Low End performance space in the basement of The Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, Omaha hip-hop duo M34N STR33T performs. M34N STR33T is Haunted Gauntlet The Producer (LEO) & Conny Franko The Rapper (TAURUS). It’s a one-hour set that starts at 8 p.m. and is absolutely free. That said, you can reserve as spot from this website.

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Now for Throwback Thursday, let’s go back to Nov. 6, 2003 – 20 years ago – when Greg Dulli and The Twilight Singers played at Sokol Underground with Lincoln band Marianas. My, it seems almost like yesterday…

First published in Lazy-i. com, Nov. 7, 2003:

It will go down as arguably the best live show of 2003, and even more precious for the true Dulli/Whigs fans in the crowd (and there were plenty among the 165 on hand, judging by the age and the patter, the constant ongoing arguments over which was his best album, Black Love or Gentlemen or ’65). 

A handful of people had been there an hour earlier to hear the soundcheck, Dulli apparently was rife with comments about buying cocaine and playing pick-up cover songs. Afterward, Dulli and his band wheeled off to Gorat’s to get a few platters of steak, prepping for a gut-wrenching night (I know those big, fat steaks took their toll when, halfway through his set, Dulli said, “I need a nap.”).

While they were gone, Marianas played their set. The Lincoln 5-piece that prides itself on meticulously arranged ambient songs seemed a strange match for a white-knuckle gutter bluesman like Dulli and Co. It ended up being an interesting contrast. Marianas’ music is multi-layered, with two keyboardists, a guitarist, drummer and bassist/trumpeter. If they sounded like Tristeza on their debut CD, they sounded even more so live, like a blend of The Album Leaf and The Mercury Program. 

There were some obvious problems with their gear that the band must not have noticed from the stage — the guitar was either out of tune or (as one person told me) had a problem with its pedal. The low-end was overpowering, either from the bass or from the keyboard/synth/drum machine, occasionally drowning out the rest of the band. While the drummer did a good job keeping in the middle of everything, I so wanted him to let go and really punish his set. Their best songs featured the bassist on trumpet, and a unique cover of The Velvet Underground’s “Sunday Morning.” I like this band, and would love to see them open for someone like Low or Her Space Holiday.

Five minutes after their set ended, Dulli and his band walked in and within minutes The Twilight Singers lifted off.

Dulli looked like a lean, sweet, young Jake LaMotta, decked out black-on-black, his gleaming jet-black hair framing a face that is pure Italy by way of Greece, like a thin, fit John Belushi standing short beneath a microphone that was too high on purpose, forcing Dulli to squeeze upward with every note, while at the same time pulling down on his electric guitar.

There’s not much to say about the set other than it was as pure an hour and forty-five minutes as you’re going to hear from any performance. Dulli was in perfect voice; as if time had stood still since the day Gentleman was released 10 years ago. He was obviously having a good time, grinning at the crowd, at his band, at his guitar-tech who stood off to the side of the stage and poured him a plastic cup of Maker’s Mark, constantly feeding him cigarettes between songs. The whole band was tight as a tic, the drummer was especially flamboyant and acted as a perfect foil to Dulli’s wide-open front-man pose.

I’ve always liked the Afghan Whigs, and own Gentleman and Black Love, but I couldn’t tell you the name of one of his songs. I recognized a few old Whigs tunes, and the tunes off the most recent Twilight Singers CD, which blended seamlessly together, along with a barrage of covers inset within the songs themselves, covering everything from Prince to Derek and the Dominos to Skip Spence (Moby Grape) to The Zombies. Regardless, I knew the purist would be disappointed without a set list, so I swiped one from the stage after the band finished its encores. Here it is, copied letter-for-letter:

Esta Noche
Teenage Wristband
Twilite Kid
That Bird Sings
Cloud Busting
Decatur Street
Love
Annie Mae
Papillon
Dixie Peach / Ying for Yang
Martin Eden
King Only
Jail
Black is the Color/Time of The Season
The Killer/Rhiannon/Layla
________________________
Uptown
66
Faded

Throughout the set, Dulli referenced Council Bluffs at least a half-dozen times, asking the crowd to join him there for a drink after the gig. He deserved it. We all did after that set. I left thinking Dulli has one of the most distinct and awesome voices in the history of rock, the perfect instrument that can make you cower or cry or stand up straight right alongside him, wanting to testify to love both good and bad and every which way, a dark love that Dulli has seen and wants you to see with him. 

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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

More new music news:

M34N STR33T is releasing their second album, titled Don Quixote’s Lance, April 13 via streaming services and April 14 at Omaha Zine Fest. Why at zine fest? Because the 14-track album, which consists of recordings from 2013 to 2018, includes a limited-edition 34-page illustrated book from Oddities Prints. There are only 100 copies available and it could sell out at zine fest, but some might be available in record stores on Record Store Day.

This news comes via Adam Robert Haug, who adds, “We plan to book live performances again later this spring, and have even newer music on deck.” Omaha Zine Fest is April 14 at the Union for Contemporary Artists, 2423 No. 24th St. More info here.

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Max Trax Records launched a new website at maxtraxrecords.com (duh), where you can pre-order Little Brazil’s new LP, Send the Wolves, on ginchy blue vinyl. Album comes out June 1. Check it out.

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The folks at the Maha Music Festival yesterday said they’ll be announcing this year’s line-up Tuesday, April 17, at 7 p.m. That’s also when early-bird tickets go on sale. Maha has expanded the festival to two days on this their 10th anniversary year, Aug. 17 and 18.

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The April issue of The Reader is out, though I haven’t seen it on the stands yet. This month’s Over the Edge column is a Q1 2018 music recap with 12 short album reviews — or more accurately, notes about new releases I’ve been listening to. You can read them all online right here. But I’ll be posting a different review from the column every day for the next few weeks, starting today.

Yo La Tengo, There’s a Riot Going On (Matador) — I assume the title was supposed to be ironic? I’ve been listening to Yo La Tengo since the ’90s, and while every album has a few sleepy tracks, there’s also always a handful of Velvet Underground-style rockers. Not so much this time. With the exception of the grinding “Out of the Pool” and the bouncy “For You Too,” this was the most yawn-inducing YLT album ever, like listening to breezy airport music — warm, pleasant and easy to ignore.

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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

The announcement that got pulled back last week is back on again:

Conor Oberst announced that he’s scheduled “an intimate solo show” Nov. 3 at the The 40th Street Theater, 4006 1/2 Hamilton St. Originally a Vaudeville theatre, it recently was restored to its former glory by former Bensonite John Hargiss. WOWT did a story on the restoration last month, which you can read here.

Tickets for this special show go on sale at Pageturners Lounge, and at Ground Floor Guitars and Almost Music in the Blackstone District.  Tickets are $35 cash only, and there is a strict limit of two tickets per person. Theater capacity is 200. The show will be seated, first come first served, with doors opening at 7 p.m. Opening the show is Hartford/Focht (Matt Focht and wife Crystal Hartford).

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Couple shows tonight.

At fabulous O’Leaver’s Dressy Bessy headlines. The Denver indie band, which released music on Kindercore back in the ’90s and early ’00s, is associated with the Elephant Six Collective and The Apples in Stereo, among others. Their new album, Kingsized, is out on Yep Rock. Opening is our very own Little Brazil and Arc Flash. 9 p.m., $8.

Also tonight, M34N STR33T is performing as part of a “walking interactive performance art event on South 10th Street.” They’re literally giving away beer (Brickway) and food at the gig (but you have to have a ticket), which is sponsored by Heartland 2050, and which you can learn more about here. Mean Street goes around 8 p.m., rain or shine (It’ll probably be moved inside). Go to the event page and follow the rules regarding free tickets.

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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 © 2016 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Not a lot of indie rock happening this weekend. OK, no indie rock happening. Still, there are some shows worth checking out as we slog our way through these holiday doldrums.

Over at fabulous O’Leaver’s McCarthy Trenching headlines tonight with the Burkum Boys. $5, 9:30 p.m. There are few better places to get your weekend drunk on than The Club on Saddle Creek.

The annual Toy Drive for Pine Ridge is happening tonight at The Barley Street Tavern. Toy Drive for Pine Ridge is a 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. The toy drive started in 2003 with Larry Dunn, a.k.a. Lash LaRue. On the bill are Brad Hoshaw, Prairie Gators and Vago. Show starts at 9 p.m., and your donations are welcome.

Cey Adams, a renowned hip hop graphic design pioneer, old school NYC graffiti writer, and former Def Jam creative director, is having a one-man show that opens tonight at The New BLK Gallery, 1213 Jones St. Adams co-founded the Drawing Board, the label’s in-house visual design firm, where he created visual identities, album covers, logos, and advertising campaigns for Run DMC, Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, Public Enemy, Notorious B.I.G., and Jay-Z. Impressive. Providing the jams is Omaha’s own M34n Str33t. Music starts at 10 p.m. Swing on down and pick up an original Adams print.

No one loves Christmas more than the guys in Bloodcow, and they’re going to prove it Saturday night when the host their annual Bloodcow Holiday Show at T’z Sports Pub, 128 W. Broadway in Council Bluffs. Joining them to celebrate are When Towers Fall and Coupedevillian. $5, 9 p.m. Ugly Christmas sweater optional.

Also Saturday night, John Klemmensen and the Party play at the Reverb Lounge with DANA T and Wild Kingdom. $7, 9 p.m.

And back at O’Leaver’s Saturday night it’s Matt Cox Band with The Willards Band and 24 Hour Cardlock. $5, 9:30 p.m.

That’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. 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 © 2014 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Going through the mailbox…

This just in from Talking Mountain main guy Jason Meyer:

“Feel Tight” is a new band that I’m in with dudes from the Seen and Weird Howl. I think we’re calling it “black prog stoner doom,” which is just a fancy way of saying Black Sabbath stoner rock with other tendencies. Explorations of genres I know very little about. I get to play a loud guitar.

ANYWAY.

We’re playing our first show at The Slowdown August 20 with Huge Fucking Waves (Allan from Snake Island’s surf band) and Stephen Nichols, who is doing some sort of solo/bass/noise/art performance and is Christine Fink’s huzbs. Could be a blasto.

Yes it could, indeed.

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What else:

M34n Str33t has a new video out for “Night Owl,” a track from their Mutants of Omaha LP. Check it out below. No doubt the crew is getting ready for Saturday’s Maha Music Fest (They go on stage at 1:55). Is Mean Street on the verge? There’s a lot of people who think so.

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Speaking of being “on the verge,” the guys in Bloodcow are prepping a Kickstarter campaign for their new album, Crystals and Lasers. Hey guys, don’t tell us you’re going to do a Kickstarter, just do the damn thing. I can only imagine the twisted “premiums” available for donors with this one, none of which can legally be delivered via the U.S. Mail.

Check out the new track here, if you have a PC. They posted the track as a frickin’ .wma file, which isn’t happening on my Mac.

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NPR First Listen is hosting a stream of the new Orenda Fink album, Blue Dream. Check it out here.

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So what do you think of the “We Don’t Coast” slogan, which is showing up on billboards and Social Media?

I stand by my original suggestion. BTW, I’m getting tired of all these montage videos that show zoos and ball parks in timelapse format. What would it take to get someone to make a gonzo-style video that highlights one crazy night in Omaha?

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BTW, there ain’t much happening music-wise this week. Save it up for Maha.

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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 © 2014 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Onto the weekend…

Tonight at The Slowdown Omaha hip-hop posse M34N STR33T (pronounced Mean Street) celebrates the release of their debut full-length Mutants of Omaha.

As member Conny Franko says, “Please do NOT miss this event! This is our heart and souls, blood and sweat, tears and cans of Modelo Especial USA. The project is Midtown, it’s Sam’s Food and Liquor, it’s Cass Gas, it’s Brothers lounge, it’s Cali Bar, it’s for any street north and south of Dodge.”

Joining them will be BOTH, Borealis, and Sean Pratt & The Sweats. $10, 9 p.m. More info here.

Also tonight, brand new band Nanahara makes its stage debut at fabulous O’Leaver’s. According to their Facebook page, “Nanahara originates from Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska. Consisting of members of The Sound of Rails and Sideshow, they joined together to form an instrumental band that reflect their favorite music from today and yesterday.” Members are Eric Ernst, Chris Palmquist and Rich Higgins. Also on the bill are Dirty Talker and Post Verse. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Tomorrow night (Saturday) it’s back to O’Leaver’s for Simon Joyner and the Ghosts with The Subtropics. Both bands are headed out to the West Coast on tour and need your money to cover expenses. $5, 9:30 p.m. And check out Wednesday’s Lazy-i blog post to find out how you can help the tour and get some fine tunage in exchange.

Also Saturday night, Clear the Day hosts a CD release show at Slowdown Jr. The Omaha band’s debut album was recorded by Jeremy Garrett (Citizen Cope, Alicia Keys, Erykah Badu) Opening are The Brigadiers and Morse Code. $7, 9 p.m.

Also, the Big Al Free Music festival is going on tonight and Saturday night at The Hideout. Details here.

Finally, The Sweatshop Gallery in Benson is hosting a rock show Sunday night featuring The Bunnybrains, Rake Kash, Video Ranger and The Lupines. $8, 8 p.m.

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 © 2014 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.