by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

A head’s up on a few new local things I’ve been listening to…

Midwest Dilemma is back. Sure, singer/songwriter Justin Lamoureux has played here and there over the past few years but he hasn’t released any new music since 2008’s Timelines & Tragedies. The new one, Searching for the Cure for Loneliness, is slated for release Sept. 13. 

Says Lamoureux: “These songs are rooted in the early days of Midwest Dilemma and most of them were recorded in guitarist Nic Johnson’s basement in 2011. Time passed as it always does and these recordings were put on the shelf until they began resurfacing in 2019. The songs never really left, but their stories became more and more relevant as we experienced the loss of family and friends, the absence of friends that moved away, and then the fear and isolation of the pandemic. These songs have been a part of us for over 13 years and witnessing their rebirth all these years later has been transformative.”

He said my favorite song from the new album, a banger called “Stolen Car,” was originally supposed to be recorded in 2011 when the rest of the album was recorded. “Ian (Aeillo, sound engineer extraordinaire) recorded it at Make Believe (Studio) in 1 day, getting in all the players including my 3 littles. It was magical,” Lamoureux said. I’d share the track with you, but he’s holding back on that one, so you’ll just have to wait. 

As with his last record, there’s a shit-ton of musicians on the new album: In addition to Lamoureux on guitar and vocals, you have Nic Johnson, guitar, vox; Joye VanTrimmell, cello, Vox; Ben Arunski, tuba, trombone; John Klemmensen & Unknown, trumpets; Tyler Cook, upright bass; Kaitlyn Hova, violin; Jackie Six, flute; Ian Simmons & Elizabeth Webb, clarinets; Bob Schimpf, bassoon; Dan McCarthy, accordion; Rebecca Lowry, ukulele; Django Greenblatt-Seay, banjolin; Jason Ferguson, mandolin, lap steel; Aaron Jordan, Rhodes, piano; Scott Zimmerman, vibraphone; Matt Arbeiter, drums; Inaiah & Chela Lujan, vox; Ella, Idelle & Luci Lamoureux, vox. Whew!

Lamoureux said he’s trying to get a 12+ sized band on stage for the album’s release show, which is Sept. 13 at Benson Theatre (He’s currently rehearsing with nine musicians). Joining them will be old pals Brad Hoshaw and Kyle Harvey. It’ll be just like Benson 2008 all over again! 

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Omaha singer/songwriter Anna McClellan today dropped a single called “Jam the Phones” via Father/Daughter Records. This follows two earlier singles, “Hold You Close,” and “Like a Painting.” Can a full-on album be far behind? Check out the lyric video, directed by Katrina Peterson:

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I generally don’t like cover songs, preferring to simply enjoy the originals, but I do dig Mitch Gettman’s cover of the Jimmy Webb/Glen Campbell chestnut “Wichita Lineman,” which just dropped earlier this week. 

I guess we’re entering an era once again where artists need to record and release covers, understanding they can pique the interest of new listeners, especially when performed live, because these days, the only way musicians are making any money is playing live on stage…

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Speaking of which, tonight, PACKS headlines at Slowdown’s front room. You can read a Ten Questions interview with PACKS frontperson Madeline Link right here. Omaha slacker-indie phenoms The Dirts get things started tonight at 8 p.m. $18.

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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.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Violin-playing singer-songwriting whistler Andrew Bird is headlining tonight at The Astro in La Vista. He’s one of those guys who has always flown under the radar for me, despite being a major force in indie music for well over a decade, starting out on Rykodisc and Grimsey Records before moving on to Mom+Pop, Fat Possum, and finally Loma Vista for the last few LPs. His most recent, Sunday Morning Put-On, is a collection of jazz covers. It’s interesting to see he’s playing at such a large venue, but I guess Bird graduated to the whole Fleet Foxes/Decemberist/Feist league of indie year’s ago. 

This is a split-headliner show with country/bluegrass act Nickel Creek (Nonesuch). Singer/songwriter Haley Heynderickx opens at 6:30. Tickets range from $50 to $100.

That’s it for national touring indie-esque acts this weekend. 

Tonight (Friday), Mitch Gettman opens for Charlie Ames’ band Cable Network at Slowdown Jr. Always interesting to see what Mitch has been up to, though I know he’s been working on a follow-up to last year’s Tilde. Omaha alt rockers Dear Neighbor opens at 8 p.m. $10.

Tomorrow is the second Saturday of the month which means Blackstone Second Saturday (It just doesn’t roll off the tongue like Benson First Friday). The day’s highlight is at Scriptown Brewing Company. They’re calling it “Summer Smash Vol. II,” and includes a punk rock flea market, tie-dye station and culminates in live performances by tractor-punk mavericks Wagon Blasters and C&W cowboys Lightning Stills. It’s free, and the music starts at 3 p.m. More info here. 

Later Saturday night it’s back to Slowdown Jr. for another evening of up-and-coming locals that includes the arcane synth-and-drum noise-punk of Pagan Athletes. Indie stalwarts Bad Self Portraits headlines, while psych rock newcomers Cowgirl Eastern opens this show at 8 p.m. $10.

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.

Mitch Gettman at The Slowdown, Sept. 16, 2023.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Mitch Gettman and his band played most (but not all) of his new double-CD Tilde to a crowd of less than 100 Saturday night at The Slowdown. He kicked off the set with Track 1 from CD 1, “Someday,” and then went right into Track 2, “PS,” and so on, but eventually changed it up. In the end, he didn’t play it all but did play all my favorites from the 90-minute audio tome.

Backed by a rhythm section of bassist Kevin Sullivan and drummer Adam Stoltenberg (who also co-produced the album), along with a guitarist whose name I didn’t catch, Gettman filled out the dense sound heard on the record playing either keyboards or guitar (using a repeater pedal to give him even more coverage). He seemed at times to be a reluctant frontman, as if he didn’t want to get in the way of his own songs. This makes for an enigmatic performance, with Gettman looking focused, earnest, not wanting to miss a single note (which he didn’t). 

I guess you’d call it a tight performance. He did loosen up on his R&B send-up, “Adore You,” which included some righteous rapping and a rhythm that got the crowd moving. Not one of my favorites from the album, it translated much better live than on record, likely because Gettman knew he has to really throw himself into it to make it work. 

That was the case with most of the guitar-driven numbers (versus the more retrained keyboard tunes), including the night’s centerpiece, a gorgeous rendition of “Empire,” my favorite track from the album, which Gettman held for his encore. I wish he would have instead launched his set with it. The other big standout was an extended version of “Goldie,” a track that, if this album was released by a label, would be the primary single despite its nearly 12 minute run time. 

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Uh Oh on the Omaha Mobile Stage at teh Little Bo Backyard Bash, Sept. 16, 2023.

Earlier in the day I swung by the Little Bo Backyard Bash, the third-annual “festival” held in the parking lot across the street from the old Bohemian Cafe on 13th St. If the intent was to get people to rediscover this new, vital district, it worked, for me at least. I haven’t been down along this street in years and was pleasantly surprised by the cool, new little shops and restaurants (including Fizzy’s, a hip diner/bar that took over part of the Bohemian Cafe). 

In addition to the usual art and beer tents, the Omaha Mobile Stage was on hand to host the music. Uh Oh played a full set in front of an intimate gathering of neighbors, families and their pets (lots of dogs!).

David Nance at the Little Bo Backyard Bash, Sept. 16, 2023.

David Nance closed out the day with a solo acoustic set. He’s one of the only performers who can hold my attention with only his guitar and his voice. Despite the small crowd (by then, the Husker game had started), Nance looked content sitting on stage and singing his stories. 

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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

The weekend’s upon us, but first, a record review…

Mitch Gettman, Tilde (2023, self-released) — It’s hard not to look at this double-CD 20-song collection as anything less than a culmination of where the Omaha singer/songwriter has been heading since he began his musical journey more than a decade ago. Tilde is a mish-mash of styles, an audio resume, as if Gettman was trying to prove he can play anything your heart desires. He goes from somber piano ballad to Beatle-esque pop to shoe-gaze to Americana to indie to funk to hip-hop, and that’s all on the first CD. 

In fact, Gettman said he’s been working on Tilde since 2018, starting as a single-disc project that eventually expanded to single disc plus EP and then double album. Listeners would be hard-pressed to understand the rhyme or reason behind the song order. Gettman says disc 1 (the first 10 tracks, for those who will be downloading/listening via Bandcamp/Spotify) “is more akin to my past releases — singer-songwriter, alternative, indie rock-type stuff; while disc two is more experimental and suggests where I might be going from here on out as a musician and a songwriter.”

The line of demarkation between the two collections is faint. Disc 1 feels more like a song-o-matic pick-your-style conglomeration, but also contains some of his best work, including the epic rockers “Outside the Lines” and “Empire”; shoe-gaze killer “Must Be Killing Me,” the Wilco-esque “Still Hold On” and gorgeous keyboard-driven lovesong “Heroine.” But Disc 1 also includes various and sundry experiments in hip hop and funk as well as curious cover of The Carpernters’ “Sing.” 

DIsc 2 (tracks 11-20) are more cohesive as a collection, as Gettman leans into heavier territory with songs that range from psych to traditional rock to gorgeous, cinematic tracks (“Foraging in Torus,” “Atilla the Hun”) where he gives his musicians room to stretch atop the repetitive arcs. It’s hard not to play “spot the influence” as you go. The FM-ready “Daily Routine” and “Pitfalls Ahead!” are so reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac you wonder if it’s a tribute, while the softer indie tracks feels like a nod to Alex G and the rhythm-fueled stuff could be influenced by Tame Impala. 

It culminates in the final track, the 11+ minute “Goldie,” that shifts from a standard indie rock song with a funky bass line into something you might find on a Khruangbin album. Again, Gettman gives himself and his sidemen room to roam with great effect. The album is a showcase of Getmann’s musicianship as he handles guitar, bass, keys and an assortment of soundmakers throughout, with help from drummers Nate Van Fleet and Adam Stoltenberg, who are central to the album’s success, along with contributions from Paul Jensen, bass; Skye Junginger, tenor saxophone; Ryan Call, upright bass; and Blake Deforest, trumpet. Gettman and Stoltenberg get production credits and the whole thing was recorded at various Omaha and LA studios. 

As a whole, the record is something of a marvel and one of my favorite albums produced locally (or elsewhere) from the past year. The nature of modern music listening allows fans to pick and choose and make their own album out of 90-plus minutes of tracks that have no real central theme or concept (lyrically, Gettman sways between the usual lovesong stuff and reflections on the mundane nature of life – his life – Gettman is the everyman trying to get through his day, and the only thing keeping him going is that special someone – not groundbreaking stuff, but pop lyrics rarely are). I could whittle my choices down to a single, 12-song album but my choices would no doubt differ from yours.

With literally thousands of albums being dropped on Bandcamp every Friday, the odds Tilde will be “discovered” and heard by the audience it deserves is rather slim. When asked (in this day and age when anyone can record and release music online) why record labels are essential, I will point to this as an example. Had this album been released on any small or mid-sized indie label, it would at least get heard by critics, tastemakers and influencers. Self-released albums are doomed to be heard only by a friends-and-family audience. If that becomes the case with Tilde, it would be a shame.

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And you have a chance to hear Mitch Gettman and his band play songs of this marvelous album Saturday night at the release party at The Slowdown. Also on the bill is Matt Whipkey. Goodview opens the show at 8 p.m. in the front room. $12.

That same night, there’s a Speed! Nebraska showcase at fabulous O’Leaver’s. Lincoln super group Domestica tops a bill that includes Wagon Blasters, Bad Bad Men and Clarence Tilton. It says it starts at 8 p.m., but this is O’Leaver’s after all. Here’s hoping it starts late so I can swing by after the Gettman show. Oh yeah, it’s also free.

Saturday is busy. Saturday afternoon is the Little Bo Backyard Bash – the 3rd annual Little Bohemia Bash on the corner of 13th and William in the Dundee Bank parking lot. This year includes live music, art, activities, food trucks, beer, cocktails and many other surprises. All proceeds go to the Little Bohemia Business Association. Among the live music is Dave Nance Band (7 p.m. set time), Uh Oh (6 p.m.) and the Polka Police. It’s free (I think). More info here.

What about tonight? The only thing on the radar is a weird little show at Reverb featuring Nashville indie band Safari Room. The band’s frontman, Alec Koukoi, reached out to say he grew up in Omaha. Joining him is Bad Self Portraits. Sazcha opens this show at 8 p.m. $18.

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

We might as well get an early start on the weekend.

Tonight, singer-songwriter Mitch Gettman is headlining a gig at Slowdown Jr. The show is a celebration of his debut full-length album, We Are the Mad Ones, released in December 2011. Your $12 ticket will get you a copy of the CD. Joining Mitch tonight is NYC-based Omaha expatriate STATHI, who’s last album was the tasty Post-Truth EP. Show starts at 8 p.m.

Tomorrow night (Thursday) Spanish-language punk band Las Cruxes is hosting a cassette-release show at Pageturners. The band is earning a rep as one of the best new acts out of Omaha. How little ol’ Pageturners will contain them is a mystery. Joining them are fellow rockers Cat Piss and Nowhere. No price listed (this one may be free!), show starts at 8:30.

Also Thursday night, kicky Omaha indie act Ojai headlines at Reverb Lounge. The trio is fronted by singer/songwriter Michael Hulstein. I’m just now listening to their 2020 album View from the Chandelier and liking what I’m hearing. Also on the bill is FOX, and Mitch Gettman (probably playing the same set he’s playing tonight!). $7, 8 p.m.

Then comes New Year’s Eve — a night dedicated to amateurs, cover bands and those looking for drunken love. There is one show of interest — Smutthole Burpers, a Butthole Surfers cover band, is playing at fabulous O’Leaver’s. The band features members of The Natural States, Bokr Tov and Boner Killerz, according to the Facebook invite. There will also be karaoke and free headache-inducing champagne at midnight. Hey man, the whole thing is free, and starts at 9 p.m.

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And for those of you wondering where your copy of the Lazy-i Best of 2021 Compilation CD is, don’t fret. I didn’t forget you. It turns out that even little ol’ me is being impacted by supply chain issues. I won’t get my discs until sometime after the New Year, which means you won’t get yours until after that.

That gives anyone wanting to enter the drawing for a free copy even more time to enter! The collection includes songs by Hand Habits, Mdou Moctar, Nation of Language, Turnstile, Claud, Low, Sufjan Stevens, Parquet Courts, Brad Hoshaw, Spoon, Azure Ray and more.  The full track listing is here.

To get your name in the hat, merely send an email with your mailing address to tim.mcmahan@gmail.com. Hurry, contest deadline is Jan. 10.

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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

‘Twas the night before the night before Christmas, and all through the town, three shows to choose from, because we know you’ll be around…

…and most of you/us don’t have to get up tomorrow morning for work. So…

Over at The Waiting Room it’s the Drive for the Heart Ministry. The annual event raises money for the Heart Ministry Center, an organization that assists people with life’s basic necessities. Headlining tonight’s benefit is Omaha alt-country band extraordinaire Clarence Tilton. Joining them are Stephen Sheehan (ex-Digital Sex, The World) and his band, Andrew Bailie and Dan Olsen from Sack of Lions. Tickets are $10 or a minimum 3-item donation (stuff like toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, shampoo and deodorant). Music starts at 8 p.m.

Also tonight, Slowdown Jr. is hosting Oquoa (that’s right, Roger Lewis is back for the holidays). Joining them are Mesonjixx and Tonina. $10, 9 p.m.

Finally, Mitch Gettman is hosting something he’s calling “A Decade of Obscurity,” at Cedar, 8726 Countryside Plaza. It’s three hours of Mitch. No price listed, but it starts at 9 p.m.

And that’s going to do it until after Christmas. Most bars are going to be open Christmas Eve, but many will be closed Christmas Day. Your best bet is to call ahead (or get loaded at home).

Have a fabulous holiday…!

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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

Another Husker weekend which means another front-loaded Friday night of shows and virtually nothing on Saturday, but that’s what fall in Nebraska is all about, right?

Tonight at The Sydney Eric in Outerspace headlines a show with Lincoln indie prog band Universe Contest and BB Sledge. It’s all part of The Sydney’s October Benson First Friday escapades. The club’s featured artist is Nathan Gurnon, and the music starts at 10 p.m. and costs $5.

If you’re going to be in the neighborhood, come on by The Little Gallery, 5901 Maple St., for CARTÓN, the art of John D. Muñoz. It’s art on cardboard and it’s pretty cool. The opening runs from 6 to 9 p.m. Come by and say hi.

Also tonight, Omaha ex-pat Mitch Gettman returns, this time to fabulous O’Leaver’s. Joining him are Lifeline and Mr. E & the Stringless Kite. $5, 9 p.m.

Saturday is a wasteland, but Sunday, Deep Sea Diver plays at Reverb Lounge. Joining her is Meat Hair. $12, 8 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 © 2019 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

 

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Only time for a couple quick mentions.

First, Austin-based R&B/soul band Tomar and the FCs are playing tonight at fabulous O’Leaver’s. This is that old-time sound done with a modern twist. I’m told they’ll play first tonight at 9:30, followed by Omaha faves The Lupines. It’s a can’t-miss show that I’m going to miss because I have to be at work at 7 tomorrow (boo!). $5. Go!

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Former Omahan now Denver-ite Mitch Gettman dropped the second song from his upcoming album, Some Purgatory, which comes out this Friday. Called “Typical Fool,” the tune features local up-and-comer Jocelyn. Check it below. Psst…. Gettman is booked to play Farnam Fest this Saturday.

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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

A few more notes on last weekend’s Maha Music Festival, but first…

I apologize for yesterday’s review, which was rife with tacos — whoops, I meant TYPOS. No excuse except that the 2,700 words were written in one long jag Sunday night, and I don’t have an editor. I fixed what I found. Reread at your leisure. Also check out The Reader‘s coverage of the big show…

Onward…

Rachel Grace, who is handling Maha’s publicity, reported the following attendance numbers:

Friday: 6,500
Saturday: 7,800

“That makes Saturday among the most well-attended single days to date,” she said. But is it biggest one-day in Maha history? Apparently, no.

Last year’s one-day event came in at just over 8,500 in attendance. I don’t have the numbers, but 2016 (Passion Pit) was a down year. On the other hand 2015 (Modest Was) was officially a “sell out” year, but that only means 6,000 tickets were sold; which doesn’t equate to overall attendance.

I’ve asked Rachel for more data.

That said, 2018 will go down as the most attended Maha Festival ever with 14,300 total attendees over both days. Did their Friday night experiment work? Will it be repeated? We’ll have to wait and see.

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New music Tuesday…

Mitch Gettman has a new album coming out Sept. 15 titled Some Purgatory. The LP is available for pre-order now via Bandcamp and iTunes. The first single, “No One on Your Side,” dropped last week.

I have to assume the album artwork (a shot looking toward downtown Omaha along Dodge St.), combined with the album title, is a comment on our fair city?

BTW, Gettman tells me he moved to Denver a couple months ago with his girlfriend, but he’ll be back for Farnam Fest Sept. 15.

The new track by Conor Oberst, written (or released) in conjunction with the new movie Juliet, Naked, already is in the top-10 of Sirius XMU’s Download 15.

The song, an unreleased demo called “LAX,” is covered by Ethan Hawke in the film (btw, the book, by Nick Hornby, is pretty good; the film looks iffy…).

Of the two version, the Oberst demo blows away Hawke’s rock version, which actually, just blows. You be the judge.

Finally, Black Belt Eagle Scout, the latest signing to Saddle Creek Records, is dropping singles from their upcoming Creek debut, Mother of My Children (which is actually a re-release from tiny Good Cheer Records). The album drops Sept. 14. Black Belt Eagle Scout is the moniker of Portland-based songwriter Katherine Paul.

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Seminal ’00s indie band Pedro the Lion plays tonight at The Waiting Room. It’s been years since the band, headed by singer/songwriter David Bazan, has played together. Expect a more ferocious sound than what you usually get from a Bazan solo set. To get an idea what they’ll be playing, here’s the setlist from Pedro’s Aug. 18 show in Newport, KY. And before you go, read the July 2000 Lazy-i interview with Bazan, just for fun. Merge Records artist H.C. McEntire (front woman of band Mount Moriah) opens at 8 p.m. $20

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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 next batch of 30 sessions has been released at the Live at O’Leaver’s website. We’re talking live performances recorded at the bar located at the direct center of the universe.

So far I’ve listened to the Cursive tracks (sublime), Big Harp (cool, different, surprising) and Swamp Walk (Stoner rock extraordinaire — where did these guys come from?). The Swamp Walk recordings are a prime example of why this effort is so important. I probably wouldn’t have heard these guys without this website (What can I say, the band’s name isn’t exactly enticing).

I’m trying to talk mastermind Ian Aeillo into creating some sort of Live at O’Leaver’s Radio button that would randomly play tracks from the entire archive — now there’s an internet radio channel I could get behind. Quick tip for you iPhone users: Go to liveatoleavers.com and create a home screen button so the site is always just a tap away.

Here’s the list of new artist sessions available at the site:

Cursive
Frontier Ruckus
Kickback
Planes Mistaken for Stars
Roman Polanski’s Baby
Brad Hoshaw
See Through Dresses
She Keeps Bees
Last Good Tooth
Dirty Talker
Dumb Beach
Goon Saloon
All Eyes West
Empty Moon
Manic Pixie Dream Girls
Bob Log III
Kill County
Coaxed
Boneheart Flanagan
Dan Mariska
Big Harp
Uh Oh
Worried Mothers
Hotlines
J Fernandez
Anna McClellan
Universe Contest
Swamp Walk
New Lungs
Small Houses

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Singer/songwriter Mitch Gettmann has some new tracks online. You can check them out below. Apparently Mitch ain’t moving to Chicago after all. And he’s got a Kickstarter campaign on deck ready to launch next week. More info soon.

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Dereck Higgins turns 60 today. If you’re involved in Nebraska’s music scene you already know who he is, what he’s done and what he’s still doing. He’s a local legend. If you don’t know, read this profile that barely scrapes the surface of his art and music.

At my 50th birthday rock show/benefit for Hear Nebraska (where Dereck performed as part of Son, Ambulance) he gave me copies of two of his releases on vinyl — a remastered reissue of Nice and a colored-vinyl copy of Flyover. Both albums are now part of my warm-up and stretch routine prior to a long run. Order yours here.

I remember thinking at my birthday party that I would be lucky to be half as vital a part of the local music as Dereck is when I turn 60. We should all be so lucky.

Happy Birthday, Dereck.

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Portland folk rock band Blitzen Trapper (Sub Pop) takes the stage tonight at The Waiting Room. We Are the Willows opens. $15, 9 p.m.

Also tonight at Slowdown Jr. it’s the hard stuff from Cancer Bats (Metal Blade Records). Opening is Megaton and Varmint. $10, 8 p.m.

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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 © 2015 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.