by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

It’s Monday night in Omaha, which means concert night. Tonight it’s Mssv (Main Steam Stop Valve) at Reverb Lounge. 

The trio consists of free jazz guitarist Mike Baggetta, drummer Stephen Hodges, who’s worked with Tom Waits, Sam Phillips, James Harman and David Lynch, and legendary bassist Mike Watt, best known for his work in ’80s post-punk bands MInutemen and fIREHOSE, though Watt’s played with a ton of luminaries including Porno For Pyros, The Stooges, J Mascis, the list goes on and on. In fact, most folks at Reverb tonight will be there to see Watt. who’s one of the most amiable guys in rock. Seems like everyone has either talked to him (or interviewed him) over the years.

That said, Mssv has been a band since 2019. The story goes (according to Wiki), Baggetta and Watt recorded an album with drummer Jim Keltner, who didn’t like traveling, so they brought on Hodges to tour that album. The trio has since recorded six albums, including their most recent, On And On (2025, Big Ego Records). Their mostly instrumental, proggy music combines jazz and punk for a noisy, angular sonic stew. At age 67, and after a number of illnesses, it’s good just to see Mr. Watt is still at it. 

Kansas City’s Dan Jones & The Squids plays a more straight-forward style of post-punk, with Jones crediting Minutemen, Robert Pollard and The Meat Puppet as influences. Their latest is 2023’s Rock and Roll Daydreams. 

Opening the show at 8 p.m. is Omaha synth-and-drums punk duo, Pagan Athletes. $18. I wouldn’t be surprised if this one sold out…

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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.

Mike Watt, circa 1998. His current band, Mssv, plays tonight at Reverb Lounge.

by TIm McMahan,Lazy-i.com

We seem to be lost in a time warp here in Omaha. Earlier this week, a swath of concert announcements brought back memories of the Civic Auditorium and listening to Z-92 in my ’79 Ford Fiesta. We’re talking new shows from up-and-coming acts Journey, REO Speedwagon and Steve Nicks. Can Styx, Kansas and whatever is passing as Van Halen be far behind? I’m keeping my fingers crossed for an April Wine reunion.

Ah, but not tonight. Tonight hot new punk trio Mssv is playing at Reverb, a band that consists of Mike Watt, best known as the bass player for early ‘80s punk band Minutemen and 71-year-old drummer Stephen Hodges, whose credits include playing with Tom Waits on his Raindogs album. The trio is rounded out by veritable youngster, guitarist Mike Baggetta. Watt always brings the noise, and joining them is our very own Bad Bad Men. $18, 8 p.m. 

Since its Throwback Thursday, check out this 1998 Lazyeye interview with Mike Watt – one of the funnest dudes there is to interview: You just hit the record button and let him go! From the interview:

“D Boon’s mom taught me how to play bass,” Watt said. “When we first started playing together, we tried to cover the big rock songs, like ‘American Woman’ and ‘Black Dog.’ Then we saw these punkers one night in LA, and they couldn’t even play their instruments. Some of them weren’t even musicians; they were artists, but it didn’t matter. Right then we knew that we could do our own thing and not have to play the other stuff.”

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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.