Simon Joyner and The Ghosts at Slowdown Jr., April 4, 2015.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Simon Joyner never looked more relaxed, more within his element than on the Slowdown Jr. stage Saturday night playing his new music with that band. It was Joyner at his finest singing sad songs to a big crowd of fans and friends and people who have seen and heard him play (in some cases) for more than 20 years.

This version of the Ghosts (his backing band) was as solid as they come. They sounded road-hardened even though they haven’t been touring lately. Among the standouts was guitarist Jim Schroeder, whose muscular style added tension both in his chopping accompaniment and his brazen solos, countered only by Mike Friedman on pedal steel.

Joyner played mainly songs off his new album, Grass, Branch & Bone, all of which already sound like standards to these ears. People are saying it’s the best album he’s ever made, and maybe they’re right. This is the first time I’ve felt that songs from one of his albums could be used in a movie soundtrack or would fit into rotation on a radio station — very likely not something that Joyner was shooting for when he make the album, but wouldn’t it be a kick in the head?

Outlaw Con Bandana at Slowdown Jr., April 4, 2015.

Opening was Outlaw Con Bandana — Brendan Hagberg and Pearl Lovejoy Boyd — playing earthy folk songs with Hagberg either on banjo or acoustic guitar. He’s a throwback performer, a throwback songwriter to a folk style of an earlier time, updated lyrically with stories from his life. It’s the kind of music where you’ll find yourself listening and remembering stories from your own past.

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Desaparecidos finally announced that their next album, Payola, comes out June 23 on Epitaph. The band released a new track, “City on the Hill,” as part of the announcement. The song, below, feature’s Cursive’s Tim Kasher. Album pre-orders can be made here.

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Tonight at The Waiting Room is the band that Omaha World-Herald music writer Kevin Coffey declared as his favorite act from this year’s South By Southwest Festival — Dead Sara. (I never caught them when I was in Austin). Opening is Wans and Freakabout. $15, 8 p.m.

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Reception will be spotty this week at Lazy-i central as I’ll be on the road. There may or may not be updates (but there probably will be). your best bet is too keep checking back, over and over again…

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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.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Conor Oberst collected a bevy of NYC’s best singer/ songwriters at the Beacon Theater Monday night for a benefit concert.

Among the talent was Jonathan Wilson, Felice Brothers, Laura Marling, Natalie Merchant and one of my all-time faves, Suzanne Vega. ‘Conor Oberst and Friends’ was part of the 10th Annual ‘Holiday Cheer for FUV,’ a benefit concert for NPR radio station WFUV. According to Diffuser: “Calling this concert ‘magical’ is a severe understatement, but we are simply at a loss for words for how special the evening was for all involved.”

Conor’s keeping himself pretty busy these days. In addition to finishing up that Desaparecidos record, he’s also taking part in a tribute concert for Emmylou Harris Jan. 10 in Washington, D.C. alongside such music luminaries as Mavis Staples, Kris Kristofferson, Joan Baez, Sheryl Crow and Lucinda Williams.

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Speaking of great singer/songwriters, there’s a special show at fabulous O’Leaver’s tonight. Outlaw Con Bandana returns. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen Brendan Hagberg and Co. Joining them is Charity. $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 © 2014 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

The Men at Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop, SXSW, March 16, 2012.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

The hottest shows of the weekend are happening Saturday night.

Top among them is a gig I’ve been waiting for since it was announced a month or so ago: The Men at Slowdown Jr. Here’s the weird thing about this Brooklyn four piece. I saw them play at Lance Armstrong’s bike shop, Mellow Johnny’s, during South By Southwest in 2012. I got what I expected: Chunky Bad Religion-style rock, loud and fast and raw, with dueling guitar riffs and a couple solid vocalists/screamers.

Then a few months ago, I check out (via Spotify) the band’s latest, New Moon, The opening track, “Open the Door,” starts off like a piano-driven Cat Stevens number before the rest of the band comes in and turns it into a twangin’ yee-ha. Check it out below:

The second track, “Half Angel, Half Light,” has more in common sonically with Centro-matic than any punk band.

They don’t really get heavy until track three, “Without a Face.”

The point is, this isn’t the same band I remember in Austin. The album is one of the bigger surprises of 2013. I have no idea what we’ll get Saturday night when they play on Slowdown’s small stage, but I know it’ll be memorable.

Opening the show is Gordon, one of the Omaha’s best new hopes who hasn’t played live in a few months (at least as far as I know). Get there early. In the center slot is the fucked-up wonder of Baby Tears. Epic show. $10 Adv/$13 DOS. 9 p.m. See you there.

Also Saturday night, The Lupines return to fabulous O’Leaver’s. Opening is North of Grand and The Magnolias. $5, 9:30 p.m. Grab a tiki drink and head out to the patio between sets and soak in the night.

BTW, O’Leaver’s is also hosting a rock show tonight with Rock Paper Dynamite, Witness Tree and Moses Prey. $5, 9:30 p.m. And The Nadas are playing at The Waiting Room tonight with Vago. $15, 9 p.m.

The weekend is rounded out with a pair of shows. Early Sunday evening (5 p.m. to be exact) Outlaw Con Bandana plays with The Brigadiers at O’Leaver’s. But get there anytime after 2 to enjoy some meat & fixin’s from Smoke Buds (I’m getting the munchies already).

Later Sunday night Killer Blow headlines a show at The Sydney with Wisconsin garage rockers Hue Blanc’s Joyless Ones and Silent Drape Runners. $5, 9 p.m.

Whatever you do, get out and enjoy the weather. We’ve waited long enough…

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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

Bad weather (or the threat of if) kept me away from the bars all weekend. What month is it, anyway? March? March used to be “kite-flying month.” Not anymore. Thank you global climate change.

Over the weekend, Matt Whipkey launched his Penny Park Omaha, NE Summer 1989 project. For those too young to remember, there was this urban amusement park located where the Hy-Vee currently stands at 79th and Cass St. I always thought the park itself was kind of shitty, but the lagoon, well, that was special.

Anyway, it was called Peony Park, not Penny Park. But there were some legal questions tied around using the Peony Park name. Whipkey points out that the record isn’t specifically about the park but about a girl named Penny Park.

“Penny Park is a person. Peony was an amusement park. The former spent a great deal of time at the later. This is a record about a girl,” says the mypennypark.com website.

As part of the recording project, Whipkey is asking people to send in their memories and photos of Peony Park. Those photos may be used in the album’s gatefold. We’re talking about a 21-song double vinyl album, folks. In fact, tomorrow, Whipkey will be launching a Kickstarter campaign to help fund its production.

For now, here are a couple recordings that will give you a flavor of the project:

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/84636455″ params=”” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/84638002″ params=”” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Speaking of Kickstarter projects…

Outlaw Con Bandana is currently running a Kickstarter to help produce a new double-vinyl LP and writing collection.

“White Pariah is a micro publishing company started by four friends from Omaha, NE. The Ticks and Trips vinyl and writing collection will mark our first release. We’ve worked really hard to make sure this thing rules. The writing collection has a bunch of great prose, and poetry from Brendan as well as some old photos we had him dig up from the depths. The booklet also features lyrics to all 27 songs featured on the album, which we had fun making Brendan type up. We hope everyone loves sitting down and going through this thing.”

OCB is only trying to raise $1,000 and currently is at the $865 mark with four days to go. Go to his Kickstarter page and give him a hand.

About a month ago I told you about the Kickstarter campaign for Travelling Mercies’ Motel album. Well, according to that Kickstarter site, the band has met it’s $4,000 goal (though the pledges listed don’t add up to $4,000 — I’m not sure how that works. Regardless, congratulations are in order).

Kickstarter is quickly becoming a accepted way for artists to “pre-sale” their albums, effectively funding their production and taking away a lot of the risk involved. For better or worse, it’s become a primary business model for independent musicians.

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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.