by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Another no-touring-indie-bands weekend. It might be a good time to point out to those not keeping score at home: Almost all touring-indie shows coming to Omaha in the coming months are taking place during the week (a ton are scheduled on Monday nights). When you live in a small market surrounded by important tour-stop cities like KC, Minneapolis, Chicago and Denver – who get the weekend gigs – you’re going to be left with a lot of Monday night shows (if you’re lucky). 

That leaves weekends for the locals. But not tonight as there are no indie shows to speak of, but since it is the first Friday of the month that means it’s Benson First Friday! 

Art galleries and businesses up and down Maple Street are hosting art shows this evening, including Ming Toy Gallery, 6066 Maple St., which tonight is featuring the art from the father-and-son team of Brad and Howard Thiel. Titled “The Enemy Within,” the show is “an effort to come to terms with the result of the 2024 presidential election...” Is that even possible? Find out! Booze and treats will be served from 6 to 9 p.m. Come by and say hi.

Tomorrow night (Saturday), Shakedown Street (the bar formerly known at the Barley Street Tavern) is hosting  newish band Mono in Stereo (singer/guitarist/songwriter Charles McNeil (Brian Jones Was Murdered); bassist Marty Amsler (legendary ’90s Lincoln act The Millions), guitarist James MacDougall, and drummer Joe Eichoff (The End in Red). Joining them is Lincoln band Red Cities. 8 p.m. start time and an old-school $5 cover charge. 

Also Saturday night, the weekly free concert series continues at fabulous O’Leaver’s with four bands I’ve never heard of: Ronette Lee, Sundown Effect, Wayne Infamous and The Dangerous Moment. The Ronette Lee track below is reminiscent of early Cowboy Junkies (promising!), but it’s from 2005, so… NO start time given but it’s probably 9 p.m. FREE!!

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 © 2025 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Lincoln Exposed 2025 posted their official line-up and schedule for their 20th Anniversary extravaganza, which happens in less than a month. We’re talking more than 100 bands representing multiple genres playing at five downtown Lincoln venues. You can see the line-up at the event’s Facebook invitation page, right here.

Whereas I recognize some old familiar faces on the schedule — Domestica, Floating Opera, Vempire, Sweats, Her Flyaway Manner, Josh Hoyer, Estrogen Projection, Thirst Things First, Head of Femur —  I admit to not knowing most of the acts listed. I’ve asked festival organizer Dustin “Duff” Hunke, who books the Bourbon, if an online event program with band descriptions or – better yet – a playlist could be made available. Stay tuned….

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Only one show of note this weekend and it’s happening tonight at The B. Bar on Leavenworth Street (4330 Leavenworth, to be exact, right next to Barrett’s Barleycorn). Matt Whipkey and Mike Friedman are opening for newish band Mono In Stereo, which consists of singer/guitarist/songwriter Charles McNeil (Brian Jones Was Murdered); bassist Marty Amsler (legendary ’90s Lincoln act The Millions), guitarist James MacDougall, and drummer Joe Eichoff (The End in Red), according to their “Bandmix” page (Is Bandmix the new MySpace?). $5, 9 p.m. 

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 © 2025 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan,  Lazy-i.com

Onward to the weekend…

Has it really been a year since See Through Dresses played a special benefit show at Benson Theater? The band is back tonight at Reverb Lounge. Will their drummer, post-Omahan now-Californian Nate Van Fleet, be along for the ride? I gotta believe he’s in town for tomorrow night’s Bokr Tov album release show (Nate produced the tracks). It’s been seven years since the last See Through Dresses album, which means (hopefully) they’ll be rolling out some new songs. Joining STD is singer/songwriter Mitch Gettman, who opens the show at 8 p.m. $10.

Also tonight, Midwest Dilemma takes over the Down Under stage (How will they get all 12 of them in that tiny space?). Joining them are Tom Bartolomei and Katie Kasher. $8, 9 p.m. 

As mentioned, tomorrow night (Saturday) Bokr Tov celebrates the release of their sophomore album, The Way a Tree Shakes, at Reverb Lounge.  Geno Beach and Bad Self Portraits are also on the bill. 8 p.m., $15. 

Meanwhile, down the street at The Sydney, it’s the stage debut of Housewares, the new project by Fromanhole’s Doug and Daryl Kiser. The five-piece is rounded out by Jason Koba of Thunder Power on drums, Scott Klemmensen of Reset on vocals, and Andy LaChance on keyboards. Doug described their sound as: “melodic, probably technical, with elements of post whatever, jazz, blues and maybe some country.  There is a lot of counting, that’s for sure.” Sounds mathy! Joining them are Minne Lussa and In Tongues. $10, 9 p.m. (Sydney Time). 

But wait, there’s more…

Mono in Stereo, the new project by The Millions’ Marty Amsler, is headlining a free show Saturday night at fabulous O’Leaver’s. Joining them are The Jericho Strays and Tony LaMar. 9 p.m. start time…

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.