by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Petfest, Omaha’s best live music festival for showcasing local indie talent, happens this Saturday in Benson. There’s a shit-ton of talent playing on two stages. You can arrive just about anytime between 2 p.m. and midnight and you won’t go wrong, but one band you may want to consider “appointment listening” is The Dirts at 5:15 on the outside stage.

The band opened last night for Toronto band PACKS at Slowdown’s front room and, like the past few times I’ve seen them, they played a heavy set of shoe-gaze-style indie rock influenced by the likes of Galaxy 500, Jesus and Mary Chain, The Cure, etc. 

In fact, if the folks who run the Astro were daring sorts, they’d have The Dirts open for the upcoming Psychedelic Furs/Jesus and Mary Chain show Oct. 22. I mean, what would they have to lose, and certainly fans coming to see those two bands would dig what the Dirts are doing. 

A brief synopsis from what little I know about them – The Dirts are a local five-piece consisting of four women (synth, drums, guitar, bass, vocals) along with a dude lead guitarist/vocalist who (I think) used to be in Garst. They divide the vocal duties between three members, and if there’s a flaw in the composite it’s that you can barely hear the two women when they sing (Someone once told me that was a common trait in early shoe-gaze, but I just find it frustrating because both have good voices). 

They’re a young band and somewhat raw – I’m not aware they’ve recorded anything, at least I can’t find any of their music online — but they’ve got whatever it is that makes good shoe-gaze fun to listen to – great hooks, good guitar riffs, very dense arrangements. Definitely worth checking out if you’re going to Petfest tomorrow. 

The band’s rawness was in stark contrast to last night’s headliner – PACKS – who were a well-honed four-piece indie rock machine. I had no problem hearing frontwoman Madeline Link sing throughout the set, though I had a difficult time understanding what she was singing. Her slurred, unenunciated vocal style made the lyrics indecipherable, which is a shame because she has something to say in her songs. 

The only time you could understand what she was singing was briefly during one tune where Link reverted to spoken word over the riffage (very cool) and during the set’s finale, “HFCS,” which she introduced with “This is for everyone who loves corn and everyone who feels so-so about corn and those who don’t like corn.” HFCS sands for high fructose corn syrup, the song’s main chorus, which got sing-along treatment by the 20 or so folks in the crowd. 

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So what other highlights can I recommend for Petfest? Like I said, it’s hard to go wrong at any point, so you’re best bet is to BE THERE FOR THE WHOLE DANG THING!

Here’s the deal, though – each band only plays 20-minute sets, so if you don’t like what you’re hearing, grab a beer and check your phone and before you know it, the next act will be on stage. 

The performers alternate between an indoor (garage) and outdoor stage, starting with Western Haikus in the garage. Here’s the full schedule:

2 p.m. – Western Haikus
2:20 p.m. – McCarthy Trenching
2:40 p.m. – Ebba Rose
3 p.m. – Rike
3:20 p.m – Mike Sclesinger
3:40 p.m. Ol’ Mo and the Varmints
4 p.m. – Vempire
4:25 p.m. – Saving Fiona
4:50 p.m. – Queer Nite
5:15 p.m. – The Dirts
5:40 p.m. – Heet Deth
6:05 p.m. – Size Queen
6:25 p.m. – Ex-Lover
6:50 p.m. – Mesonjixx Trio
7:20 p.m. – Queer Nite
7:45 p.m. – PROBLEMS
8:10 p.m. – Flamboyant Gods
8:40 p.m. – Dance Me Pregnant
9:10 p.m. – Universe Contest
10 p.m. – Jeff in Leather
9:45 p.m. – Queer Nite
10:45 p.m. DJ  Bumproump

Tickets are $40 day of show (or save $10 and buy a ticket for $30 today!). Food available from Terrible Gerald’s Pizza, and there will be plenty of booze. More info here. See you there.

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.

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

Originally from Toronto, PACKS singer/songwriter/frontperson Madeline Link isn’t actually from anywhere these days, saying in a recent Paste Magazine interview she doesn’t call any one place home, which allows her to seamlessly integrate a variety of perspectives into her songs.

Her most recent album, Melt the Honey (2024, Fire Talk Records), was written and recorded in Mexico City and Xalapa with her band, Dexter Nash, guitar; Noah O’Neil, bass; and Shane Hooper, drums. Despite the global perspective, the album has a static, indie feel like the best college music out of Chicago in the early ‘90s – sorta slacker, sorta DIY, lyrically all over the place. Standout tracks like “Her Garden” and “Honey” remind me of Exile in Guyville in their structure and sound while Link’s vocal style is loose and soaring and at times tough to understand, making listening with the karaoke box on in Spotify an added pleasure. 

With PACKS playing at Slowdown Jr. this Thursday, Link agreed to take the Ten Questions plunge. Here’s what she had to say:

1. What is your favorite album?

Madeline Link of PACKS: Nevermind by Nirvana.

2. What is your least favorite song?

4 Non Blondes “What’s Going On.”

3. What do you enjoy most about being in a band?

Playing music with the homies.

4. What do you hate about being in a band?

Nothing!

5. What is your favorite substance (legal or illegal)?

Horchata

6. In what city or town do you love to perform (and why)?

We love to perform anywhere where they’ll have us! It’s all about the crowd.

7. What city or town did you have your worst gig (and why)?

The worst is yet to come. Nothing is ever truly the worst!

8. Are you able to support yourself through your music? If so, how long did it take to get there; if not, how do you pay your bills?

No way! I’m a set dresser for commercials.

9. What one profession other than music would you like to attempt; what one profession would you absolutely hate to do?

Could try out being a psychic! Would never want to be a prison guard.

10. What stories have you heard about Omaha, Nebraska?

Toro y Moi wrote a beautiful song about Omaha! We stopped there to eat some ramen and found a sweet mall that we wanted to check out next time we were there.

PACKS plays with The Dirts at The Slowdown front room Thursday, Aug. 15. 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.