The Decemberists at The Holland Performing Arts Center, April 17, 2011. The band returns to The Holland tonight.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Jenny Eliscu, one of the primary hosts at Sirius XMU and a Rolling Stone contributing editor, has a podcast in iTune, and the latest episode/entry (not sure what you call it in podcast speak?) is an interview with Conor Oberst conducted back in March. Conor takes Eliscu for a stroll down memory lane, recapping his very early days, including his first recordings, his work with Commander Venus and the origins of Bright Eyes and (presumably) Lumberjack/Saddle Creek Records.

It’s interesting stuff, especially the talk about early Grass Records artists, that label, and Conor’s relationship with Grass Records’ owner Alan Meltzer. Toward the end of the interview Oberst describes how Meltzer let him out of a multi-record contract with Grass when Commander Venus broke up, apparently because Conor reminded Meltzer of his son, who had recently passed away. Imagine if Meltzer hadn’t let Oberst out of that deal and Bright Eyes wound up on Wind Up, alongside Creed. Would there have even been a Saddle Creek Records?

Anyway, check out the podcast, which is part 1 of a two-part interview with Oberst, at the LSQ podcast space in iTunes (located right here).

* * *

Goddamn, it’s busy for shows for a Monday night…

Decemberists are returning to The Holland Center tonight. I saw them on the Holland stage back in 2011 and it was a good time, or as good a time as you can have in the rather sterile confines of The Holland. Canadians Kacy and Clayton (New West Records) open at 7:30. Tix are still available for $50-$60.

Meanwhile, over at Reverb Lounge Portland act Sunbathe headlines. The band is headed by Maggie Morris, formerly of Genders and Youth, and includes members of Typhoon. I’m sure those bands are all well known… in Portland. Just like openers Bokr Tov and Sean Pratt and the Sweats are well known in our little burg. $10, 8 p.m.

Sarasota band Pleasures plays tonight at The Sydney in Benson. In a review of their 2016 O’Leaver’s show I said, “The music dripped in a haze of buzzing distortion cut through by a top-notch rhythm section that kept things grounded and rocking.” Tonight’s show is supposedly in 3-D and glasses will be provided (unless it’s some sort of cruel joke). Opening is Universe Contest and red-hot Omaha band Jason Steady and the Soft Ponies. $5, 10 p.m.

Finally, The Buttertones, who came through a year ago with Ron Gallo, return to Slowdown Jr. tonight. Wild Wing opens at 8 p.m. $14.

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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 © 2018 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Pleasures at O’Leaver’s, Aug. 6, 2016. The band plays tonight at The Sydney in Benson.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Yesterday someone (the city? Metro Credit Union?) announced that rock ‘n’ roll fossils Starship and Survivor will be playing this year’s Memorial Park concert June 29.

And while we all know that no one goes to the park for the music (They go for the fireworks), wouldn’t it be nice if Metro Credit Union set aside 30 minutes on the June 29 program and a grand or two of what has to be a multi-thousand-dollar budget and book an actual local act to open this show? Who knows, maybe they are and they just haven’t announced it yet.

Just a thought…

* * *

Q1 2018 CD reviews continue. Read them all here at The Reader website.

Caroline Rose, Loner (New West, 2018)

Caroline Rose, Loner (New West) — This sassy New Yorker calls her style “schizodrift,” which I guess means it tries to capture her ever-shifting moods that range from anger to sarcasm to irony to humor. Actually, three of those are attitudes more than moods. Imagine Alvvays or La Roux but with a darkly wicked sense of humor and a bracingly accurate view of this modern world. It could become my summer album for 2018.

* * *

Tonight at The Sydney in Benson psych-rock noise band Pleasures headlines. Hussies open at 10. $5.

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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 © 2018 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

A photo of the Midtown Art Supply basement taken in November 2014. Milk Run is slated to move to this space starting Friday night.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

The mystery has been solved. Milk Run, which left its old Leavenworth St. location last month, has moved to Midtown Art Supply, 2578 Harney St. This according to a post on Facebook:

“Starting March 31st, Milk Run will operate in the basement of Midtown Art Supply. After looking at several different spaces, MAS’s modified skatepark basement was the best choice for us. We are excited to continue as an independent entity, but this time alongside the gracious MAS crew. Our first show is this Friday, March 31st, with Atlas, Dereck Higgins Experience, Mint Wad Willy, and Jack McLaughlin!“

Former Milk Run operator Sam Parker confirmed the move. The cavernous basement has been used in the past for secret raves and other sordid events. Here’s a description of that space from a Nov. 26, 2014 Lazy-i entry:

“…While the (upstairs) performance space isn’t much to look at, the interior of this building is cavernous and covered with eye-popping graffiti — huge spray-painted murals, which might explain the headache-inducing acrylic smell that hung over the back rooms. The building continues down into a basement where a skateboard ramp leaned against a wall. Down it went to another huge space broken up by support poles where I was told massive thousand-person raves had been held in years past. Another opening led to a blackened room filled with hundreds of doors leaning in stacks against each other. I was told there were more passages somewhere through the darkness that led who knows where…”

If my memory servers, access to the space could provide some interesting challenges. I guess we’ll  find out Friday night…

* * *

Pleasures at O’Leaver’s, Aug. 6, 2016. The band plays tonight at Pet Shop Gallery in Benson.

Here’s one that’s been flying under the radar happening tonight: Florida psych-rock band Pleasures headlines at Pet Shop Gallery (the old Sweatshop performance space at 2725 No. 62nd St. in Benson). The band played O’Leaver’s last August. At that show, “The four-piece drenched everything in technology, from the guitar, which was run though an onslaught of pedals, to the the stack of synths to Katherine Kelly’s vocals that were twisted and stretched and strangled by synths and vocoders and pedals all night. The music dripped in a haze of buzzing distortion cut through by a top-notch rhythm section that kept things grounded and rocking.”

Just like at that August show, Universe Contest will be opening tonight. Joining them is Wolf Dealer, which I’m warned could be their last show for awhile. There’s no price listed for this show, still, you better bring at least $3 to get in (could be more). No time listed, either. I’d get there around 9.

Also tonight, singer/songwriter Canadian Andy Shauf (Anti-, Arts & Crafts) headlines at Reverb Lounge. David Nance opens. $12, 9 p.m.

* * *

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 © 2017 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Pleasures at O’Leaver’s, Aug. 6, 2016.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

I can’t think of a band as densely electronic as Sarasota’s Pleasures, who played at O’Leaver’s Saturday night. The four-piece drenched everything in technology, from the guitar, which was run though an onslaught of pedals, to the the stack of synths to Katherine Kelly’s vocals that were twisted and stretched and strangled by synths and vocoders and pedals all night. The music dripped in a haze of buzzing distortion cut through by a top-notch rhythm section that kept things grounded and rocking.

As interesting as the tech was, there were a few too many times when the vocal distortion got in the way of the music, and I wondered how the songs would have sounded had Kelly simply sung them sans electronic filters. The few moments when her voice peeped through the digital fog reminded me of a young Grace Slick, and certainly she carried the stage with a similar pomp.

Universe Contest at O’Leaver’s, Aug. 6, 2016.

Pleasures were followed by Lincoln’s Universe Contest, whose pounding riffage and bellowing vocals were as musically subtle as hitting a thumb-tack with a sledge hammer — massive walls of throbbing sound and quirky (though barely recognizable) proggy melodies a la early Modest Mouse. The band had one of the better rhythm sections I’ve heard in recent memory, fantastic drumming. And hat’s off also to the violinist, who added much needed sonic nuance (and to the sound guy for somehow making sure she was heard through all the racket).

* * *

That massive Faint / Gang of Four tour is beginning to make more sense. I had been wondering why The Faint had signed up for so many dates without a new album to push. Then last week the band announced that it’s set to release Capsule:1999-2016 on CD and digitally on Sept. 30 and 2xLP on Oct. 28 via Saddle Creek.

The retrospective collection represents a golden era for The Faint and includes 16 of their most beloved songs from five albums reaching back to Blank-Wave Arcade (What, nothing from Media?). The 2xLP is pressed on sexy silver vinyl and the first pressing will contain a bonus  7-inch featuring new songs “Skylab1979” and “ESP,” which feature the newest member of The Faint, Graham Ulicny (Reptar) on synths. Pre-orders are being taken at The Saddle Creek online store, where you can check out the track listing.

It’s a pretty solid collection, though most early Faint albums are pretty solid top to bottom. In fact you can’t go wrong with the trilogy of Blank-Wave Arcade, Danse Macabre and Wet From Birth, whose tracks dominate this new collection…

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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 © 2016 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

PLEASURES plays at O’Leaver’s Saturday night…

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

A lot of weird stuff happens in Florida. There was that time a Florida strip club offered free flu shots. Or the time the guy sprinkled his fiancee’s ashes at a LensCrafters causing the Sarasota Police to evacuate the mall. Or the time the guy tried to pay for a beer with an alligator. Or the time the guy died after getting stuck in his girlfriend’s cat door. All true (I found them on Buzzfeed).

But one of the stranger things out of Florida “in a good way” is PLEASURES. The Sarasota four-piece describes their sound as “sex music for robots” and “psychedelic/synthwave fagcore.” Cool blog Creative Loafing called them “demented surgeons on a quest to create some kind of new sonic Frankenstein” when they awarded them “Best Sci-Fi Psychedelia” in the annual Best of the Bay awards.

I’d describe them as “psych-fueled late-night dream-rock” and “the perfect soundtrack for any John Carpenter hero-epic,” especially songs off their new album Fucked Up Dreams Come True, like “Man Is a God in Ruins,” which just sounds cool and weird. But there’s a lot of weird stuff that happens in Florida.

We gave PLEASURES singer/guitarist Katherine Kelly the Ten Questions treatment. Here’s her answers.

1. What is your favorite album?

Katherine Kelly: 13 Songs by Fugazi

2. What is your least favorite song?

Pachebel’s Canon

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

Touring.

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

Dealing with people’s perceptions of people who are in bands.

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

My girlfriend’s hair.

6. In what city or town do you love to perform?

Raleigh/Charlotte NC; great scene!

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

Toss up between NY and Los Angeles. Because ehh who cares?

8. How do you pay your bills?

Serving tables, painting and contracting work, and the band.

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

I’d like to be a novelist or an elder care companion. I’d hate to manage a restaurant.

10. What are the stories you’ve heard about Omaha, Nebraska?

1, Conor Oberst is a hologram. 2, They like their breakfast burritos “Omaha style” – cream cheese on the tortilla.

PLEASURES plays with Universe Contest and ben Eisenberger Saturday, Aug. 6, at O’Leaver’s, 1322 So. Saddle Creek Rd. Showtime is 9:30 p.m., entry fee is $5. For more information, go to liveatoleavers.com.

* * *

I guess it’s about time to say it: Looks like it’s going to be another O’Leaver’s weekend.

I’ve mentioned PLEASURES at fabulous O’Leaver’s tomorrow night. Tonight (Friday), O’Leaver’s brings the sludge when Ocean Black opens for Elkhorn’s doom rock duo Black Velvet. Hand Painted Police Car kicks things off at 9:30. This one’s just $5.

Also tonight at Slowdown, Conny Franko (a.k.a. Conchance of M34n Str33t a.k.a. Brenton Gomez) celebrates the release of his debut album La Maga, a recording inspired by the heroine in Julio Cortazar’s novel Hopscotch. Also on the bill are Stylo Tha Don, Ichiban Hashface, Cool Drug Music and Dojorok. $10, 9 p.m.

Saturday night, The Brothers is hosting Minneapolis psych/garage rock band Narco States. Opening is Lupines and Huge Fucking Waves. $5, 9 p.m. (but they never start that early at The Brothers).

Other than that PLEASURES show at O’Leaver’s Saturday, that’s it for the balance of the weekend. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section.

Have a great one…

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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 © 2016 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Brad Hoshaw at The Shark Club, March 19, 2016.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Notes from Saturday night’s show, please bear with me…

The Shark Club, located at 2808 S 72nd St, felt like the kind of place that was a hip, happenin’ hot-bed of late-night action… about 20 years ago.

Built above a Quality Inn hotel, the first thing you’re met with as you walk inside the ginchy, all-maroon lounge is a humid wave of chlorine, evidence of a nearby swimming pool. I asked the door guy, and he pointed to the adjacent room whose windows overlooked an enormous indoor pool and hot tub salon. Down below kids with yellow floaties on their arms splashed away while their parents enjoyed beverages neck-deep in hot bubbles. Ohh-la-la…

A loud crack! brought me back to reality, and a young ponytailed girl walked through the hall with a 3-stack of billiard-ball racks. I almost bumped into a guy eating french fries staring at a table while Fast Eddie Felson grimaced watching his cue ball drop in the corner pocket.

Back in the bar, Brad Hoshaw tested his microphone, surrounded by high-top tables, flat-panel TVs and 100-gallon fish tanks glowing with coral. His stage was a plywood platform backed by a huge 10-foot by 30-foot mirror. The lighting was weird. Hoshaw looked like an alien covered in odd patterns of cheap green-red-blue digital lights.

But after 10 minutes of futzing around, the sound wasn’t half-bad and Hoshaw began rolling through another high-quality solo acoustic set. He’s one of the few local performers who can entertain a room with just his voice and his guitar, thanks to the strength of his songwriting (first-tier all the way; like I said, if I only owned a label…).

The 30 or so on hand paid attention in a room not designed for live music. Three folks sat in a large out-of-place red-leather bolstered couch in front of a dormant fireplace that had a large TV mounted over it that showed a courtroom documentary instead if the NCAA tournament which was wall-to-wall in the other room. A group of folks next to the front door erupted in laughter. A family reunion. Hugs all around. Meanwhile, behind where I’m sat, plates of hot wings and nachos cooled untouched in the kitchen’s pickup window. A bell chimed for someone to fetch the victuals, but no one showed.

And so it went, a very different scene from 20 years ago, before cell phones and Tinder, back when a bar like The Shark Club got its name not because of the fish tanks but because of the action happening on the dance floor. Technology has made meat markets obsolete, turning them into pseudo sports bars, pool halls and now, music venues… sort of.

* * *

Lots o’ stuff happening this week. Two shows of note tonight alone.

Lookout Lounge does it again, this time bringing in SWMRS for a headlining show. The Oakland-based punk band features the son of Green Day front man Billie Joe Armstrong (Joey Armstrong) on drums — don’t hold it against them. From what I’ve heard online, they blow Green Day out of the water. Opening band The Frights has a new album just released produced by FIDLAR’s Zac Carper. Also on the bill are The Beat Seakers and The Way Out. Four bands for $13. Show starts early, at 7:30.

Also tonight, fabulous O’Leaver’s welcomes the cool synth-rock sound of Pleasures. The Florida band lists Battles, Flying Lotus and Tame Impala among their influences. Stephen Nichols opens. $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 © 2016 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.