SAVAK on the streets of Brooklyn…

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Mike Jaworski, a.k.a. Jaws by those who know him, emailed last week saying his current project – SAVAK — has a new album coming out called Flavors of Paradise on Brooklyn label Ernest Jenning Record Co.

Those of you who were around the Omaha music scene back in the day remember Jaws from his bands Hong Gyn Corp, The Cops, Virgin Islands and Hello from Waveland, as well as his Seattle-based record label Mt. Fuji, which in addition to releasing albums by The Cops dropped records by Omaha indie band Little Brazil. 

So yeah, Jaworski is something of a legend who hasn’t lived around here in ages, but is still remembered as an icon. 

Anyway, SAVAK is a three piece indie rock band that also includes Sohrab Habibion (ex-Obits, ex-Edsel) and drummer Matt Schulz (ex-Holy Fuck).  Joining them as part of the live version of SAVAK are indie rock veterans Jeff Gensterblum (Small Brown Bike, Her Heads on Fire) and Matt Hunter (New Radiant Storm King, Silver Jews). 

The new record was recorded at Steve Albini’s Electrical Audio studio but without Albini and instead with Matthew Barnhart (Superchunk, Bob Mould). “No guests, no edits, no country and definitely no funk—the record is lean, spacious and lively,” says the press release. Undoubtably modern, the record also has some retro touches, among them the Byrds-like harmonies on “Let the Sunlight In” and the ‘70s acid guitar on “The New New Age.” It’s the most tuneful SAVAK album to date and a total gas. 

The band will be playing around Brooklyn this spring and have a tour of France slated for April (ah, April in Paris), but no Omaha dates planned (SAVAK would be the perfect fit for the Outlandia Festival!). Preorder the album here. 

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Tuesday appears to be the day when bands announce tours. 

Ty Segall is headed back to Omaha May 7 for a gig at The Waiting Room. Yesterday he dropped the final pre-release single from his upcoming full-length, Three Bells, which will be released Jan. 26 on Drag City.

Portland’s STRFKR announced they’ll play at The Admiral Theater April 28. Their new album, Parallel Realms, drops on Polyvinyl March 1.

Indie darlings (and personal favorite) Waxahatchee announced their new album, Tigers Blood, drops March 22 on Anti-. They also announched a slew of 2024 tour dates. Their closest pass to Omaha will be the usual Kansas City, St. Paul, Chicago swing April 18-20. See you on the interstate.

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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

Local legend now Brooklyn-ite Mike Jaworski — a.k.a. Jaws — emailed to say that his band SAVAK has a new LP titled Rotting Teeth in the Horse’s Mouth coming out April 10 on Earnest Jennings Record Co. This is their fourth full length in five years.

From the Brooklyn Vegan article: “The band recorded the album at their Gowanus studio and the record features appearances by Scott McCloud (Girls Against Boys, Paramount Styles), Michael Hampton (The Faith, One Last Wish, Fake Names), and Anthony Roman (Radio 4).”

Check out the first single, “Listening,” via Bandcamp and pre-order your copy.

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Speaking of pre-orders, today I pre-ordered the limited edition Disq debut, Collector, on Saddle Creek — the first vinyl album I’ve purchased this year. It comes out March 6, but they just dropped their second video for the song “Loneliness.” Check it below and pre-order that one here.

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And finally, former Omahan now yurt-dweller in Cumberland Gap, TN, Ben McLaughlin, has a new five-song extended single released last Friday for the tune “On Line,” available from his website.

“I left Omaha in 2015 for school at Loyola University New Orleans and had been returning most summers, but finally took off for TN this past August,” McLaughlin said. “The tracks were all played, engineered, mixed and mastered by yours truly.”

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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 © 2020 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Mike Jaworski is an Omaha music godfather, even though he hasn’t lived here in years. The guitarist/vocalist for Brooklyn band Savak, who plays at O’Leaver’s Saturday night, cut his teeth in a little local act called Hong Jyn Corp. Since then, he’s played in a number of bands including Virgin Islands and The Cops, and ran Mt. Fuji Records, whose roster included Little Brazil.

Now with Savak, Jaworski continues his life goal of crushing people with rock ‘n’ roll. The trio, which formed in 2015 in Brooklyn, includes guitarist Sohrab Habibion (Obits, Edsel) and drummer Matt Schulz (Holy Fuck). Their latest, Beg Your Pardon, released last year on Ernest Jenning Records, has a controlled urgency that combines aggressive post-punk beats with a strangely sinister psych-rock groove. 

I caught up with Savak and gave them the Ten Questions treatment. Here’s what the whole band had to say: 

1. What is your favorite album?

Mike Jaworski: Signs of the Zodiac, Scorpio

Matt Schulz: Bad Brains, s/t

Sohrab Habibion: Don’t have a favorite, but recently I’ve been somewhat obsessed with “Blood on the Wall” by Some Chicken: https://youtu.be/4fu2FqKf_U4

2. What is your least favorite song?

MJ: I’d be perfectly fine if I never heard “Hunger Strike” by Temple of The Dog ever again.

MS: I fuckin hate that Toto song by Africa.

SH: Bizarrely, he’s super into the Weezer cover of it. Go figure.

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

MJ: Playing music and hang time with my pals. Getting to travel and see friends in other cities. Eating and drinking the local culinary delights and beverages.

MS: The glory and the riches.

SH: Getting to hang out with friends and clamor about.

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

MJ: Nothing to hate for me. I don’t enjoy being away from my family for extended periods, but our tours are typically short guys.

MS: Nothing.

SH: There’s plenty of goofy stuff, mostly “business”-related or the occasional personality management issue, but nothing so far has been awful enough to stop doing it.

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

MJ: Toss up between coffee, wine and unleavened bread for me. 

MS: Gage.

SH: Probably the 7″ version of Everything’s Gone Green. That bass line is undeniable. I’d dance to it, for sure: https://youtu.be/M4qFoKu-Po0

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

MJ: Omaha! It’s my home town, duh. This is where I learned how to put on my rock ‘n’ roll boots and pants and hats and socks and belts and mesh tank top t-shirts.

MS: Prague is usually fun but the food sucks.

SH: Prague and Brno, too. The Czech Republic is pretty wonderful in general. And, for the record, I’ve had some tasty nibbles in Prague.

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

MJ: I had a particularly horrible show at SXSW last year. Don’t eat the brown acid. That’s all I can say.

MS: I can’t remember, but to avoid laying any blame, I will say it was all my fault.

SH: Let’s just say it was a misunderstanding. But, if we never return to Besançon in eastern France, I doubt they would mind. I’d like to extend another sincere apology to the lovely folks at Les Passagers du Zinc and somewhat less so to the irritatingly exuberant dancers the night we played there with The Poison Arrows.

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?

MJ: No. Nope. Never. Nein. Negatory. Bills are just a concept from the man, man.

MS: I’ve always had jobs, regardless of the money I make from music of the amount of touring I do. I’m a workaholic.

SH: Briefly in the ’90s I did not work at another job. Or maybe it’s better to say the amount of time between jobs was longer than at any other point since I was 15 years old. When we’re not doing band stuff I spend my check-scoring hours either hustling graphic design work or composing a variety of music for tv, film and commercials. Each day is a little different and that keeps it interesting.

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

MJ: Would love to be a Shaman. Would not want to be Donald Trump’s hair stylist.

MS: I don’t want to do anything else. I wouldn’t want to be a dog catcher.

SH: Whatever the job is where you actually feel like you’re contributing something positive to the world. Work that I’d prefer to avoid would involve spending time with distasteful people or actively abusing other people’s health and wellbeing. You know, like those miserable turds who run insurance companies or mansplaining tech bros, etc.

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

MJ: I have lots of stories. What do you want to hear?

MS: I’ve never heard of Omaha.

SH: We’ve been told that there will be a parade to welcome the return of hometown hero Michael Jaworski. Also I’m looking forward to getting a tour of the boyhood homes of everyone from Ritual Device. Jokes aside, the band I was in back in the ’90s, Edsel, spent some quality time in Nebraska and even wrote a song called, “Omaha Intervenes.” Not sure it holds up, but our intensions were good: https://youtu.be/t0J8lVGfeV8

Savak plays with Little Brazil Saturday, April 6 at O’Leaver’s, 1322 S. Saddle Creek Rd. Tickets are $8, showtime is 10 p.m. For more information, go to liveatoleavers.com. 

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So what else is happening this weekend? 

Tonight at The Waiting Room, London band Kero Kero Bonito headlines. Their latest, Time ‘n’ Place, was released last year on Polyvinyl Records. Check them out on their way to Coachella. Jaakko Eino Kaveli opens at 9 p.m. $15. 

Also tonight, it’s another Benson First Friday (#BFF). They’re celebrating at The Sydney with Laughing Falcon and Kobrakyle for a benefit show for flood victims. $5, 10 p.m. 

And since you’ll be in Benson anyway, might as well drop by The Little Gallery, our little shop at 5901 Maple in the east bay of the Masonic Lodge Building. Tonight’s show features small works by the Midwest Fiber Art Alliance (MFAA). See what cool stuff they made with fabric! We’re open from 6 to 9 p.m. Come on down!

Also tonight but not in Benson is No Win, And How and Win/Win at fabulous O’Leaver’s. 10 p.m., $5.

Tomorrow night (Saturday) it’s back to O’Leaver’s for the big Savak / Little Brazil show. This one will be massive. 10 p.m., $8. See you there.

Also Saturday night, Saddle Creek Records act Twinsmith headlines at Reverb Lounge. Jack McLaughlin opens at 9 p.m. $10.

Meanwhile, over at The Brothers Lounge Saturday night, Seattle band Red Ribbon headlines with Oquoa. $5, 10 p.m. 

Finally, Sunday is absolutely loaded with shows.

The best of the bunch is at Pageturners, and it’s free. Nigerian rock innovator Mdou Moctar headlines. This guy is considered the guitar god of the Sahara. His new album, Llana (The Creator) (2019, Sanel Sounds) just scored a massive 8.0 from Pitchfork, who said “The Tuareg musician’s first full-band studio album is an incandescent set of guitar music with a spontaneous, celebratory air—and a latent urgency reflecting the region’s very real difficulties.” It’a amazing that Omaha is even getting this must-see show. The David Nance Band opens at 9 p.m., and like I said, it’s free. 

Also Sunday evening, Omaha sludge-metal giants Ocean Black plays a special 6 p.m. matinee show at O’Leaver’s. Joining them is Austin band SkyAcre, along with Fashion Week and Montee Men. That’s some loud shit! 6 p.m., $7.

Finally, indie pop act Gymshorts headlines at Reverb Lounge Sunday night. Local rockers Garst open at 8 p.m. $7.

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 © 2019 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

I’m figuring out a way to group new music announcements into a single weekly blog post. This may or may not work. Stand by…

Last week David Nance announced that his latest full-length, Peaced and Slightly Pulverized, is coming out on Chicago’s Trouble in Mind Records Oct. 5. It’s credited to the “David Nance Group” and features Nance alongside his recent “hot-shit live band” of fellow Omaha musicians; guitarist Jim Schroeder, bassist Tom May, and drummer Kevin Donahue.

The 7-song LP was mastered by Mikey Young of Total Control and Eddy Current Suppression Ring (no word as to who produced and recorded it). Nance dropped the first single via SoundCloud, “Poison,” and it’s pretty awesome.

Nance is my pick for the next Omaha act to grab some national traction (You could argue he already has). He launches a tour of the Eastern U.S. Sept. 8 in St. Louis that includes a performance at the legendary Gonerfest in Memphis Sept. 29. and Detroit’s Third Man Nov. 8.

The tour rolls home to Omaha Oct. 12, but you can catch Nance sooner — he’s playing the Maha Music Festival this Saturday.

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Digital Leather posted in Facebook Aug. 2 that the project (headed by Shawn Foree) has a new limited vinyl-only release coming out on German label Stencil Trash Records. No drop date, but we know it’s called Feet, and there’s a track listing.

The 12-song LP apparently has been sent to the plant “to be released in about three months” according to the Stencil Trash Facebook page. The label creates elaborate packaging for its releases. Accordingly, “The cover will be printed inside-out on 350g/m² paper. The circle as a glossy sticker and the little hinge as a ‘real’ hinge will be glued on the cover. Limited to 333 copies on 180g black vinyl and dedicated to Peter Eichhorn/P.Trash Records.”

Stencil Trash doesn’t take pre-orders, so…

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World-famous Omaha ex-pat now Brooklynite Mike Jaworski’s latest project, SAVAK, announced that their third album, Beg Your Pardon, will drop Nov. 9 on Ernest Jennings Recordings.

“The band recorded and produced Beg Your Pardon themselves in their Gowanus practice space and then handed off the songs to Mikey Young (Royal Headache, Kelley Stoltz), Geoff Sanoff (Nada Surf, Luna), Ed Ackerman (The Jayhawks, John Wesley Harding) and Matthew Barnhart (Superchunk, METZ) to mix.”

Check out the first single, “Dead Dick,” below.  The band will tour the U.S. and Europe in the fall.

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Finally, one of Saddle Creek Records new-era artists, Young Jesus, today dropped the first single, “Deterritory,” from their forthcoming album, The Whole This Is Just There. The record drops Oct. 12 and pre-orders are now being taken for limited edition yellow vinyl.

The band announced a massive U.S. tour that runs throughout the fall, but alas, is a NOmaha joint.

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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.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Tuesday is becoming mail-bag catch-up day…

Speedy Ortiz’s third album, Twerp Verse, came out last week on Carpark Records. As part of the media blitz, Speedy’s Sadie Dupuis did an interview with The 405 where she declares her undying love for ARC’s Mike Mogis, who mixed the new album.

From the interview:

You worked with Mike Mogis on this album, how did he come into it?

Dupuis: Yes! We’ve been in touch with Mogis for years about doing a record. We became friends, probably three years ago, and I obviously am such a big fan of his. Maybe that’s not an obvious thing, but my holy trinity when I was in 9th and 10th grade were Bright Eyes, Cursive and Rilo Kiley, and I would order by mail Saddle Creek records. He was the first producer that I remember knowing the name of, so it was really very cool that we found out he was a fan of Speedy, and had invited us to come see his studio, and now every time we go through Omaha we stay with him.

So we’d been wanting to do this record for a few years and the timing didn’t really work out for him to record it, but we were able to carve out some time for him to mix it. It’s the longest time I’ve ever spent in Omaha, normally I’m there for one or two nights, and we were there for close to three weeks. He’s obviously a thorough producer, but working with him as a mix engineer was so much more involved than any mixing process we’ve gone through; he really pays attention to the tiniest thing. For me, someone who’s an aspiring producer, it was really educational to see what kind of things he picks up on. Lyrics really matter to him in a way that I don’t think they always do to producers, especially when they’re strictly focused on the mixing. He’s automating every word so that everything’s audible, and just thinking very hard about the tone choices we made and how he can improve upon them. He has such an amazing assortment of gear that he’s collected over his however-many years of producing stuff, so that was really fun, to see what cool toys he’d be putting my guitars through on this particular track or day. So, yeah, only amazing things to say about Mogis, I really hope that we get to do a record from start to finish with him, maybe next time around. And what a childhood dream accomplished it was to do anything with him.

There’s more at The 405.

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Mystic Valley Band member Nik Freitas dropped his first single, “What A Mess,” from his upcoming solo album Dark & Day out June 29. Among the guests on the record is Azure Ray’s Maria Taylor.

Freitas is also slated to play at fabulous O’Leaver’s June 8 with Miwi Laupa.

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Former Omahan Mike Jaworski’s latest project SAVAK dropped a new video from their sophomore album Cut-Ups (out now on Ernest Jenning Record Co.) called “Christo’s Peers (Soon We’ll Be Floating).” The band is headed to Europe next week for a handful of dates.

 

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As you may or may not know, Brad Hoshaw is moving away to the West Coast. I’m not sure of the dates or reasons, just that he’s leaving. Which makes tonight’s opening gig at Reverb Lounge for Charlie Parr all that more important. Get yourself some Hoshaw while you can. $10, 8 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 © 2018 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

 

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Dreamy synth-rock duo Cults have generated a musical cult of their own since their self-titled full-length debut released in 2011 by Columbia Records imprint In the Name Of, run by indie star Lily Allen. Since then, New Yorkers Madeline Follin and Brian Oblivion have released two more critically acclaimed albums, 2013’s Static and their latest offering, titled Offering, which came out earlier this month on Sinderlyn.

The new album is a collection of dreamy, floating pop songs that display Follin’s floating, echoing voice over a cushion of synths, guitars and tapping drums, a perfect setting for an early evening bike ride on a vacant, treelined blacktop county road. The duo’s Oct. 27 performance with Omaha’s own dream-pop duo, Closeness, is part of the Bemis Center Art Auction After Party, a joint promotion of Bemis and the Maha Music Festival.

I’m told that there are fewer than 50 tickets left for this show, btw…

I caught up with Cults and asked them to take my Ten Questions survey. Here’s what they had to say.

1. What is your favorite album?


Cults: Home Schooled-The ABCs Of Kid Soul. Pretty sure everyone in our band could sing every lyric to every song from this record. The mix of incredible musicianship with the most bizarre/touching vocal performances you’ve ever heard perfectly rides the line between emotionality and kitsch.

2. What is your least favorite song?

Sugar Ray, “Every Morning.” I once had the song stuck in my head for an entire year. It’s a great song but having any song stuck in your head for that long will ruin it for you!


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

Being able to travel to places I never imagined I would see.

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

It’s hard to keep in touch with people when you are constantly changing time zones and leaving for long periods of time.

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

Salt! I am definitely guilty of over-salting my food on a regular basis.

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

Omaha. The last time we stopped here on tour we played The Slowdown. There was a snowstorm, we did our laundry in the venue, hung out at the bar next door and caught up with an old friend. We felt so at home. One of the best nights of the tour!

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

Soon after our first EP came out we were asked to open for a pretty large act in D.C. Save for a few tiny warm up gigs we had never really played a show before. Let’s just say it was a little too early for us to be playing a stage that big and we could’ve used quite a bit more practice.

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?

Luckily, yes. When we were offered our first tour we immediately dropped out of college and quit our jobs without hesitation. With only one semester left!

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


One of my good friends travels setting up and testing out zip lines. If I was more of a daredevil I think I would try to steal his job. I would hate to be an accountant. Math stresses me out!

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

I heard that the bobby pin was invented in Omaha and for that I am eternally grateful!

Cults plays with Closeness at the Bemis Center Art Auction After Party Friday, Oct. 27, at Bemis Center’s Okada Sculpture & Ceramics Facility across the street from 723 So. 12th St. Showtime is 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 through Oct. 26, $30 thereafter. For more information, go to bemiscenter.org/benefit

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The new one by SAVAK, Brooklyn indie-punk band fronted by former Omahan Mike Jaworski, made their new album, Cut-Ups, available for streaming before tomorrow’s drop day. The band — which includes members of Obits, Holy Fuck, The Cops, The Make Up and more — just played several dates in support of Pinback and  will be supporting Hot Snakes in Brooklyn and Boston next month.

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It’s a night for heavy music.

Over at The Waiting Room, industrial giants KMFDM headlines. Opening is fellow industrial band OhGr (Nivek Ogre and Mark Walk of Skinny Puppy). $28, 8 p.m.

Also tonight, doom metal monsters Primitive Man headlines at fabulous O’Leaver’s with Bell Witch, Vickers and Houma. $8, 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 © 2017 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Friends of Omaha expatriate Mike Jaworski — a.k.a. “Jaws” — will be happy to hear that his latest band SAVAK has a new album coming out Oct. 28 on Earnest Jennings Records called Cut-Ups. The band premiered the first single, “Natural Light,” yesterday via hipster mouthpiece Brooklyn Vegan. Check out the track and pre-order the album here.

You might remember Mike from previous bands such as The Cops, Hong Gyn Corp and Hello From Waveland, among others. He also ran Mt. Fuji Records, which released a handful of Little Brazil albums.

SAVAK also is performing several dates in support of Pinback this fall, including two-night stands in Washington, D.C., Allston, MA, and Philadelphia as well as one-offs in Hamden, CT, and New York City. Unfortunately, it’s a NOmaha tour at this point, but with Jaws’ connections, I wouldn’t be surprised if SAVAK rolls through town eventually…

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If the name Laura Stevenson sounds familiar it could be because she contributed to Tim Kasher’s 2013 album Adult Film, and has toured with Kasher in the past. She’s also played through Omaha before (last time, at Slowdown Jr. in November 2015). Anyway, Stevenson opens tonight for Jeff Rosenstock at Lookout Lounge. Uh Oh also is on the bill. $15, 8 p.m.

Also tonight, Chicago punk band Meat Wave (Side One Dummy Records) headlines at Reverb Lounge. Rad Payoff opens. $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 © 2017 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.