Jake Bellows performs tonight at Slowdown Jr.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Kevin Coffey yesterday got the scoop on this year’s “Loessfest” at River’s Edge Park. Maybe they should rename it Lostfest because the way they’re using that amazing park is a real loss (Get it?) for folks who live on either side of the river.

This year’s “big” concert — Three Dog Night, The Guess Who and Loverboy May 25. Wow. I thought Omaha’s Memorial Park concert featuring Blues Traveller and Smashmouth couldn’t be beat for all-out craptacular-ness, but once again Council Bluffs and its gambling money trumps us all.

No, I’m not surprised by the lackluster line-up. Well, maybe just a little. When River’s Edge Park launched last year I thought the venue might be a game-changer, especially after they announced that it would host the Playing with Fire Concert Series featuring Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings. Even though Jones and Co. ended up cancelling due to medical reasons, there was hope that someone calling the shots might be a little more, let’s say ‘progressive’ then what we’ve come to expect from organizers of large free park concerts (i.e., Memorial Park). Instead, here we are with three dinosaur acts that would fit right in playing Stir’s county fair concert series…

It’s a shame because River’s Edge Park would have been the perfect location for a massive, quality outdoor concert series akin to the Maha Festival. I guess it’s a Loess cause…

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Tonight at Slowdown Jr. it’s the return of Omaha ex-pat Jake Bellows. Jake’s been on the road supporting his 2013 Saddle Creek release New Ocean. Joining him is the incomparable McCarthy Trenching. $8, 9 p.m.

Also tonight, local legend Dereck Higgins performs at MarQ Manner’s Library Pub Wednesday night songwriters’ series. Joining him is Dave Mainelli. 8 p.m. and FREE.

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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.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

In this week’s column, a review of River’s Edge Park (during Playing With Fire). The size, location, set-up could change the area’s live music landscape. Read it in this week’s issue of The Reader or online right here.

One addendum to that review: Part of the Monday event was supposed to be a “Food Truck Festival.” By my count, there was only six vendors there (if you count two ice cream vendors). Not much of a festival. Why this part of the event fell through the cracks is anyone’s guess, but maybe the storm had something to do with it. Omaha (or CB) needs a real Food Truck Festival. Maybe Maha will fill that order.

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Tonight at Slowdown Jr., electronic dream-pop one-man band Indians (4AD Records) headlines with See Through Dresses (Sara Bertuldo of Millions of Boys). $10, 9 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 © 2011 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

“River’s Edge Park” Council Bluffs

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Believe it or not, it’s been a couple years since Playing With Fire’s “grand finale” at Stinson Park featuring Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings. That was one helluva night. So it seems only fitting that Sharon Jones and her band kick off the new Playing With Fire series as it moves from one side of the river to another.

Via a press release that went out this morning:

The City of Council Bluffs along with Con Agra Foods Foundation and the Iowa West Foundation are proud to announce the acclaimed Playing With Fire concert series will bring world-class jazz, blues, soul and funk music to celebrate the Grand Opening of River’s Edge Park at the foot of the Bob Kerry Pedestrian Bridge in Council Bluffs by offering a free Memorial Day concert on Monday, May 27, 2013.

The headliner will be Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings…To complement the headliners, Omaha’s own premier local funk and party band Satchel Grande, and popular veteran of the local blues scene, Mojo Bag, will open the show. Gates at 3:30 p.m. and Mojo Bag kicks off the festivities at 4 p.m.

So where exactly is “River’s Edge Park” (apparently named after the 1986 American drama film starring Crispin Glover, Keanu Reeves, Ione Skye, Daniel Roebuck, and Dennis Hopper as “Feck”)? Well, according to the park’s website, it will be right on the other side of the Bob Kerrey pedestrian bridge, with the stage backing right up to the river. Could be a very cool place to see a show…

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Among my favorite bands of the ’90s was a little Seattle act called Silkworm.

They were on a number of labels, but did some of their best work while on Matador, specifically 1996’s Firewater (though ’98’s Blueblood on Touch and Go is still my favorite). When their drummer, Mike Dahlquist, was killed in a car accident in 2005, the band called it quits, and a few years later, a couple members went on to form Bottomless Pit.

Anyway, today Matador major domo Gerald Cosloy posted in his blog “Can’t Stop the Bleeding” (a must read for any sports fan (even if you — like me — love the Yankees and Knicks)) that documentary Couldn’t You Wait? The Story of Silkworm is now available online for a mere $5. In addition to footage of the band, the film features interviews with Steve Albini, Stephen Malkmus, Jeff Tweedy and others.  Check out the clip below and then download the film.

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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.