This morning Kevin Coffey signed off as the music reporter at the Omaha World-Herald. Kevin’s been covering the scene for 15 years, interviewing national touring acts coming through town, reviewing their concerts and keeping up with what’s happening music-wise locally. He posted on Facebook that he’s starting a new gig at Creighton University, where I’m sure he’ll kick much ass. Kevin continued a long line of OWH music writers that included Niz Proskocil, Roger Catlin, Tony Moton, Christine Laue, Steve Millburg, Jim Healy and Jim Minge.

So who will be covering music at the OWH in Kevin’s wake? That remains to be seen. The Omaha World-Herald historically has played an important role covering the arts, but the way things have been going at the paper the past few years… It would be a shame if they cut back on coverage. Reminds of what musician/stock broker Matt Whipkey once told me: “Getting a story about the band in The Reader is great, but getting a story in The Omaha World-Herald… I mean, my parents read the Herald.” It’s true, oh so true.

At least Kevin says in Facebook he hopes to continue as a freelance contributor to the OWH. And he has other music-relate stuff up his sleeve that he’ll reveal when he’s good and ready. I have no doubt I’ll continue to bump into Kevin as shows, once we get past all this pandemic nonsense…

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The Slowdown continues its summer concert series its hosting in partnership with Maha Music Festival. The gigs are being held on the Slowdown’s parking lot with enforced social distancing in the form of cattle fencing! We’re talking 10’ by 10’ pods, each holding 10 people. There’s also some small pods for two or three people. Bring a lawn chair if you want to sit down on something other than pavement. And of course, wear a friggin’ mask!

All the rules are right here.

Tonight’s headliner outside at The Slowdown is country picker Kolby Cooper, with Pecos & the Rooftops opening at 6:30 p.m. $15

Tomorrow night (Saturday) indie-folk artist Andrea Von Kampen headlines Slowdown outside, with Matt Cox opening at 4 p.m. $15.

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily (if there’s news) 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 © 2020 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Congratulations to the Omaha World-Herald on its relaunch of its Go section.  They’re calling it “Go Magazine” now, though the  print format is no different than the paper’s old Go section. According to the article explaining the change, the section will include more quick reads because, “We know you’re busy and don’t always have time to read longer stories,” and “more of you,” which means they’re soliciting reader input via social media channels, because we all want to read what the person in the cubical next to us thinks about the latest Tom Hanks movie.

Those changes are inconsequential compared to the fact that the section appears to have more music coverage. They worked Kevin Coffey like a mule for this inaugural relaunch issue, and it shows especially with this fun story where people recount memories of bands playing Omaha before they made it big. The Nirvana stories are particularly interesting. The section’s music calendar is probably the best design improvement in the printed version of Go.

Unfortunately, the Go website (like the OWH website in general) continues to de-emphasize the content for the benefit of the horrific pop-up advertising. But maybe their strategy is to get you so infuriated with their lousy website that you’re forced to buy a printed copy of the paper to read the articles. Who knows. The OWH has never had a good website.

Regardless, here’s hoping Go continues to maintain its heavy music focus. You cannot have too many music news resources in a market the size of Omaha.

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Meanwhile, in this week’s issue of The Reader (in addition to this Desaparecidos story), I’m characterized as a “naive lib,” and also talk about Lee Terry, heathcare.gov, the Goth Ball, The Book of Mormon, Avoli Osteria and Dundee’s impending parking problem. Like I said, it’s in this weeks issue of The Reader or you can read it online right here.

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Tonight at fabulous O’Leaver’s Twinsmith kicks off a sweet little Midwest tour. Opening is their pals Routine Escorts. $5, 9:30 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 © 2013 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Cursive bassist Matt Maginn e-mailed me yesterday to let me know that his other project, the amazing Con Dios, has taken up a residency not at The Bemis, but at a much more haughty enclave: O’Leaver’s Pub. Every Thursday night for the next three weeks, Maginn and the rest of Con Dios (keyboardist Dan McCarthy (McCarthy Trenching), drummer Pat Oakes (Ladyfinger) and frontman Phil Schaffart (Bright Eyes, indie lumberjack) will be performing on O’Leaver’s illustrious stage, and hosting a night of music. Their special guest line-up looks like this:

— Jan. 6: McCarthy Trenching

— Jan. 13th: Bear Country

— Jan. 20th: So-So Sailors

Check out the brand new Con Dios Facebook page, which includes streams of seven recordings by the band. Thursdays just got a whole lot better. $5, 9:30 p.m.

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Amidst all of these new websites (Omahype) and other websites getting face-lifts (including The Reader‘s), the Omaha World-Herald today launched a newly designed version of its Go! online section. It’s a huge improvement over the OWH‘s traditional website, which looks like a peacock exploded all over a copy of the Yellow Pages. Congrats to Kevin and the OWH entertainment team.

With the non-profit HearNebraska.org site also about to launch, Omaha has become rife with online entertainment news resources. Not all of them will survive.

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Tonight at The Waiting Room, singer/songwriter Mitch Gettman headlines a show that includes Landing on the Moon and Lonely Estates. $7, 9 p.m.

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They’re coming in one and two at a time, the entries in the drawing for the Lazy-i Best of 2010 sampler CD. And you, too, can be among them. All you have to do is send me an e-mail to tim@lazy-i.com with your name and mailing address. Tracks include songs by Tim Kasher, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Belle and Sebastian, Titus Andronicus, The Mynabirds, A Weather, Jenny and Johnny, Zeus, The Black Keys, Pete Yorn and more. Full track listing is here. And not only do you get a CD, you also get the new limited edition Lazy-i Sticker, suitable for any car bumper (even with that lousy new Nebraska license plate design). Enter today. Deadline is Jan. 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 © 2010 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.