Her Flyaway Manner at Scriptown, July 8, 2023.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Scriptown in the Blackstone District again hosted bands this past Saturday as part of the district’s Second Saturday event wherein performers performed in venues along Farnam Street. 

Her Flyaway Manner was already set up and playing to a good-sized crowd at Scriptown when I arrived after 3 p.m. Like last time, the trio was set up in the back corner of the bar near the door that leads to the their back patio, where a small team of personnel was busy stuffing hotdogs and sausages into buns, the smoke from the barbecue wafting through and into the venue – it looked and felt like a Fourth of July picnic, except for the music, of course.

HFM, out of Lincoln, has been around for well over 20 years, powered by frontman/guitarist Brendan McGinn, drummer Boz Hicks and bassist Adam2000. In all that time, their sound hasn’t budged much from its initial brittle, post-punk recipe, and that’s a good thing. The crowd formed a circle around the band as the barkeeps tried to keep everyone’s glasses filled.

Leafblower at Scriptown, July 8, 2023.

They were followed by Omaha band Leafblower, each member of the four-piece adorned with their trademark rubber, old-man-in-a-gray-ponytail mask, which they only wore for the first song (and last). Fronted by guitarist/vocalist Danny Maxwell and bassist/vocalist Craig Fort, with Jahn Clark on second guitar and Tab Tworek on drums, this really was the first time I soaked in what they were after sonically. I’ve seen this band at least a half-dozen times but never paid much attention to what they were doing because I was always derailed by whatever gimmick they were using for their stage show (giant leafblower smoke machines, old-dude mannequins, etc.). Not so Saturday afternoon, as they tore into a set of good old-fashioned heavy metal. 

I’m not now, nor have I ever been, a metal fan; on the other hand, I dig Heavy Metal. The difference: HM is slower, has better hooks, better grooves, is just funkier than metal’s “need for speed,” which usually translates (for me, anyway) into insect-noise fronted by the Cookie Monster. Heavy metal music has more nuanced vocals (or at least better yelling) and is just more fun. And this was, indeed, fun. 

Like all good heavy metal, the proof is in the riffs, which power everything, and that was certainly the case here. The vocals, unfortunately, were next to non-existant from my vantage point behind the speakers (since there was nowhere else to stand), and the fact that Fort’s mic seemed to  only be working half the time. And, goddamn, was it loud. I was happy I had earplugs. 

Good times. Scriptown needs to host bands more often. They could corner the market on live indie rock if they wanted to, as no other business in Blackstone seems so inclined to host these kinds of shows.

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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 © 2023 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Was it the first-time novelty of the event or a reflection of an actual thirst for Saturday afternoon rock shows? Whatever the reason, Saturday’s GoatFest was a marvelous success judging by the crowd and the good times. When I arrived at a little past 3 p.m., punk-trio Bad Bad Men was already playing in the back corner of Scriptown Brewery, hidden behind a crowd that ran along both sides of the enormous bar all the way to the entrance. From the looks of it, as many people were there to sample a pint of Scriptown’s tasty, just-released Goatsmack Helles Bock as enjoy the music. 

Like I said last week, GoatFest had the potential to provide that same warm party vibe as I remembered from South By Southwest day parties. Anyone who’s been to SXSW will tell you the day parties are the best part of the festival – super laid-back events where you can listen to great bands while enjoying some much-needed day drinking. The only difference: It’s usually 80 degrees and sunny at SXSW, whereas it was 30 degrees and snowing in the Blackstone. But that didn’t slow anyone down. 

Someone told me that Blackstone was considering more daytime rock shows on weekends. It’s something the district could become known for — or that Scriptown could corner the market on if so inclined. Would the crowds continue to show up if they hosted rock shows every weekend? 

To me, it depends on the bands. SXSW day shows, for example, involve the best original indie bands in the country. I wouldn’t go if it featured cover bands or blues acts. Still, plenty of serious beer drinkers like both of those “genres,” and  regardless of the band I could definitely see a regular weekend afternoon series catching on, especially if another venue in Blackstone also got into the act — part of SXSW’s appeal is stumbling from one venue to another and back again to listen to bands all afternoon. 

And Blackstone is tailor made for hosting weekend day shows, more so than Benson, whose stages are dedicated to supporting that district’s robust nightlife, or the gentrified Dundee and its vibrant restaurant scene, or the Old Market that despite its hip brick buildings still feels like a tourist scene. 

What more to say about Bad Bad Men that I haven’t already said? They’re a super-fun hard rock band that verges on post-punk, fronted by Omaha legend John Wolf, whose rapid-fire guitar riffs scorch above a rhythm section powered by a Siebken/Hug powertrain. I don’t know what John was singing through that PA and it didn’t matter. Folks not used to this style of music had to wish they brought their ear plugs (as I always do). 

The music only got louder when Those Far Out Arrows took over shortly after 4. They stand side-by-side with David Nance Group as the best full-on psych-rock guitar band in this region. Both bands have a knack for finding a deep, guttural groove and playing it out for all its worth. The differentiator is how the Arrows stand closer to traditional, pure ‘60s garage rock, taking that sound and modernizing it in their own midwestern way. 

Amost forgot to mention — what would a GoatFest be without real goats? Two were stabled out back in a small trailer parked near the patio area, no doubt wondering who all these drunks were stumbling out of the building, gawking at them. 

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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 © 2023 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Pro-Magnum, Desinfectar b/w Black Iron Tongue

Music kingpin Johnny Vredenburg, frontman of indie metal act Pro-Magnum, says his band will be releasing a new 7-inch, “Desinfectar” b/w “Black Iron Tongue” at their August 18 O’Leaver’s show. “It was recorded in the fall of 2015 by Ben Brodin at ARC studios,” Vredenburg said. “We’ve been sitting on these for a little longer than anticipated. We sent them off to the pressing plant right around Record Store Day, so, of course, the big dogs slow-up the pressing of smaller runs like ours.”

The tracks also became available today on Bandcamp (but they’re going to sound a whole lot better when you hear them on vinyl). Both songs are very much bad-ass. If you like classic devil-horn metal bolted down by a massive rhythm section you’re going to dig these tracks.

In addition to Vredenburg on bass and vocals, Pro-Magnum includes guitarist John Laughlin (Montee Men), guitarist Alex Kinner (Bib, Borealis) and legendary drummer Pat Oakes (Ladyfinger). That Aug. 18 show will also feature Des Moines band Druids and locals Super Moon.

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Ever notice some local non-profit Board of Directors are a mystery? Who runs these organizations? There’s no mystery with Hear Nebraska. Talk about your transparency, they have their entire Board of Directors listed right there in black and white on their website, so you always know who to love (or who to blame).

I mention this because the HN Board just welcomed a new member — Craig Meier, who you may recognize from the alt-country band Clarence Tilton. Meier also just happens to be the CEO of Medical Solutions. Craig isn’t the only new face on the board. Within the past year, Hear Nebraska welcomed new board members Kristine Hull (who’s also the CFO at Heartland Family Services) and Nic Swiercek (a director at Nebraska Appleseed).

With these additions, HN Board is now a massive 9-member rock ‘n’ roll monstrosity (of which I’ve been a member since its birth, what seems like 40 years ago). Find out more about what HN is and does (things like The Good Living Tour and the upcoming Lincoln Calling Festival) right here.

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One show on the roster tonight: Those Far Out Arrows play at Scriptown Brewing Company in the Blackstone District. If my memory serves, this will be the first show hosted at the brew pub. And in addition to great music, the pub is taking $1 off pints from 8 to 11 p.m. Music starts at 8 and it’s 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 © 2016 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.