by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Petfest is, hands down, the best collection of Nebraska bands to perform on one bill this year. And it takes place this Saturday at Petshop in Benson.

The event is a fundraiser for Benson First Friday (BFF), and features art as well as music (and beer). If you’re worried about the Delta variant, Petfest is hosted outdoors and has a mask requirement.

I went last year during the height of the the COVID-19 pandemic and saw their safety protocols firsthand, so I have no concerns about attending again this year. That said, you do what you do. The only thing that would make this gig safer is if they required proof of vaccination for entry (come on, Omaha venues, let’s make it happen).

The event takes place in the parking lot behind the Petfest building at 2725 No. 62nd St. Last year bands performed both outside and on the edge of the indoor space (the garage), essentially playing outside as well. Tickets are $20 today, $25 tomorrow.

The schedule:

Outside Stage:
2:00-2:20 – Anna McClellan
2:50-3:10 – Lightning Stills
3:40-4:00 – Those Far Out Arrows
4:30-4:50 – McCarthy Trenching
5:20-5:40 – Thick Paint
6:10-6:30 – Her Flyaway Manner
7:00-7:25 – Oqoua
8:05-8:35 – And How
9:15-9:45 – All Young Girls Are Machine Guns

Inside Stage:
2:25-2:45 – Magu
3:15-3:35 – Mike Schlesinger
4:05-4:25 – Miwi La Lupa
4:55-5:15 – Teetah
5:45-6:05 – CHEW
6:35-6:55 – Moon Pussy
7:30-8:00 – Benny Leather
8:40-9:10 – Ghost Foot
9:50-10:20 – Leafblower
10:45-11:15 – Universe Contest
11:30-Whenever – Crab Vs Kobra

More info at the event’s Facebook page.

Petshop actually gets things rolling tonight with a super-hot bill to be held partially outside (in the same space as Petfest). Atlanta experimental artist Salsa Chest (Joyful Noise/Gray Area Cassettes), whose latest was produced by Thick Paint’s Graham Ulicny, is on the bill with Thick Paint, Double Consciousness and headliner Mesonjixx. 8:30, $7.

AND

If you miss Those Far Out Arrows at Petfest during the day Saturday, you can also catch them at Reverb Lounge Saturday night, where they’re playing with The Darma Rose and Bad Bad Men — the supergroup featuring legendary punker John Wolf fronting a power trio rounded out by drummer Chris Siebken and bass player Jerry Hug. $8. 9 p.m.

One last show of note this weekend – Lincoln singer/songwriter Andrea von Kampen (Fantasy Records) has an album release show Saturday night at The Slowdown with Molly Parden. 8 p.m. $20.

And that’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. See you at Petfest.

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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 © 2021 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

I was out and about in Benson late afternoon yesterday, hours after the CDC announced new mask guidelines that say you don’t have to wear a mask indoors if you’ve been vaccinated. I expected it to be like VE Day, with people kissing in the streets. Instead, while a lot of people were maskless on the sidewalks, a lot also still wore masks.

I talked to a masked Maple Street proprietor who had a “masks required” sign on his door. He hadn’t heard the news, and wasn’t bowled over by it. “We’re still requiring masks until we’re told otherwise,” he said, adding that he’d been vaccinated (and also had COVID last year). “Let’s see what happens. If cases start spiking again, the masks will be back.”

Maybe, maybe… And though I’m a bit giddy at the prospect of putting my masks away, I also can’t imagine, say, shopping at the Saddle Creek Baker’s without one (but maybe that has nothing to do with COVID…).

And maybe it’s a coincidence, but suddenly show announcements are popping up again. Last week Petfest announced that it’s coming back Aug. 14 outside of Pet Shop, and the line-up is pretty staggering. It includes Those Far Out Arrows, Lightning Stills, Anna McClellan, And How, Leafblower, Benny Leather and tons more. Full line-up here.

Not to be outdone, Maha announced it’s hosting a one-day music festival July 31 at Stinson Park, with limited capacity. No word on the line-up yet, but no doubt the announcement is imminent. Make your headliner guesses in the comments below.

Speaking of Those Far Out Arrows, that May 28 show at The Sydney is now officially sold out. If you’re like me, you didn’t even know there were tickets for sale!

The moral to the story is if you want to go to a show in the coming weeks / months, you better get your tickets when you can. People are starving for entertainment, and until they pull back on all restrictions, shows are going to be at limited capacities. Looks like I’ll have to wait until Petfest to see the Arrows…

One final note: Today Live at O’Leaver’s, the debut album by Dolores Diaz and the Standby Club, was released on vinyl. The album can be picked up at your local record store (try the new Grapefruit!). Or you can order directly from the 15 passenger Bandcamp site. As someone who was there, it’s worth it if only a memento of another amazing night at The Club.

Now if only O’Leaver’s can remove those booths from their “stage” and get the “Live” thing rolling 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 © 2021 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.