Joe Knapp is the mastermind behind Saddle Creek Records act Son, Ambulance. And while Son, Ambulance has continued to play a show or two every year, the band hasn’t produced any new recorded music for quite some time.
Well, out of nowhere last week, a new track dropped by an outfit calling itself Joan App, a very tasty track called “Beautiful Machines.” The song was written by Joe Knapp and sung by Sarah Bohling of Thick Paint and Icky Blossoms, and you can listen to it below via Soundcloud (though it’s also up on Spotify).
Says Joe: “I wrote the song and produced it with drummer Adam (Hootie) Erickson. The idea of it started as a song for a car commercial/tech ad.” Dylan Strimple also appears on the track on guitar along with Colin Duckworth on pedal steel, Olga Smola on violin and Blake DeForest on trumpet. The track was produced by Joan App with Adam Erickson, with sound engineering and mixing by Adam Roberts at the mighty ARC Studio in Omaha.
I love this track. I hope there’s more coming.
Also, Omaha indie band Win/Win has a new four-song EP out called Home. Check it out below via Bandcamp.
A quick note to make you aware of a GoFundMe campaign that’s been set up for Joe Knapp.
Joe recently was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, a chronic autoimmune condition in which the body attacks its own insulin-producing cells.
As the singer/songwriter behind seminal Saddle Creek Records act Son, Ambulance, Joe is one of Omaha indie music’s elder statesmen. Though the band hasn’t released an album since 2008’s Someone Else’s Déjà Vue (Saddle Creek), they’ve continued to perform sporadically over the years, always rolling out new material, which we can only hope will one day be recorded and properly released.
Needless to say, with this diagnosis, Joe is finding himself with medical bills his ACA insurance isn’t covering, which is where this campaign comes in.
“On the brighter side, I quit smoking. I am eating healthier than ever and practicing regular exercise and yoga,” Joe said. “Type 1 is a ‘self-awareness disease’ and I am more aware of my body than ever before.”
Son, Ambulance gets the official #Warrior designation after their show Friday night at Slowdown Jr. Daniel Knapp was involved in a car accident a few hours before the show, which left him bandaged head-to-hand. But the show must go on, as they say on Broadway, and Daniel was behind the keyboards playing with his usual panache.
In fact, everyone played with panache, in front of about 50 people, with a set that leaned heavily on older, familiar tunes. Where did all that new material go that we heard a year or so ago? Who knows. Maybe the band will roll it (or other new stuff) out when they play at O’Leaver’s later this month.
One new one they did play, titled “Fuck Trump,” felt less like a political anthem than a reflection of our current state of affairs, punctuated toward the end with a “Fuck Trump” rallying cry. Joe Knapp’s vocals, while burning with Costello snarls, were blurred in the mix so I couldn’t make out the rest of the song’s lyrics. I’d love to see a lyric sheet — or better yet, a clean recording issued on 7-inch vinyl.
Little Brazil at O’Leaver’s, Sept. 16, 2018.
Last night was the Mike Loftus Benefit Concert at O’Leaver’s. I only had time to drop in for Little Brazil’s set. The band played most of the songs off their latest album, Send the Wolves (2018, Max Trax), with a lethal intensity that eclipsed their CD release show.
Hats off to soundguy Ben VanHoolandt, who diligently adjusted the sound throughout the set to meet the band’s peaks and valleys. A typical problem at Little Brazil shows is that Landon Hedges’ vocals sometimes get lost in the mix. That wasn’t a problem last night. It’s the first time I’ve heard Landon so clearly on stage, and it made all the difference.
The crew also pulled out a couple new ones (which I believe they also played at their CD release show); the first of which features a very cool riff by new guitarist Shawn Cox, (who slayed his solos throughout the performance). LB just released their last record in June and it sounds like they’re already ready to return to the studio. I’d love to see them tour this record before they put out the next one, but we all know how god-awfully taxing touring can be, both to the band’s wallets and families.
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Special show tonight at O’Leaver’s…
Billed as “Creatures of Rabbit,” the gig is actually a warm-up for this weekend’s Lincoln Calling Festival by Stephen Sheehan and his band, which features Dan Crowell, Randy Cotton, Donovan Johnson and Mike Saklar.
Sheehan, as we all know, was the frontman to late-’80s early-’90s post-ambient band Digital Sex. He re-emerged from a performance hiatus with this new band (but with Ben Sieff instead of Saklar on guitar) last August (you can read how and why it happened, here). Catch the set before they head to Lincoln Calling Friday night. Tonight’s show starts at 9:30 with no opener. $5.
John Klemmensen and the Party at Reverb, May 1, 2015. Klemmensen returns to the stage tomorrow night (Friday) at O’Leaver’s as a member of The Candy Boys.
Hard to believe it was more than three years ago — May 1, 2015, to be exact — that John Klemmensen & The Party hosted their album release show for the LP Party All Night at Reverb Lounge.
The album was a career benchmark for Klemmensen, who had been performing music for more than 20 years both solo, with The Party and in a slew of bands, the most recent having been Landing on the Moon.
But shortly after that album release show, Klemmensen’s world unraveled. Among the lows was when Klemmensen stole a King Kong poster from a King King fast-food restaurant wearing a panda hat — an act that got broadcast on Crimestoppers. It was just part of a downward spiral.
“The underlying story was depression, massive prolonged intake of HARD drugs, overall bad decision making. A lot of self-sabotage, basically,” Klemmensen said.
“I never planned on taking such a long hiatus, but getting myself out of the trouble I had caused myself took some time,” he said. “I’m still working on being human.”
And among the best parts of his humanity is his music. Klemmensen will return to the stage tomorrow night (Friday) at fabulous O’Leaver’s fronting a new rock band called The Candy Boys. The band consists of Vern Fergesen on bass, Daniel Dean Leonard on drums, and Klemmensen on guitar and vocals.
Klemmensen said it’s “a little more sloppy and loud (on purpose) than ‘the Party.’ I think it’s closer to where I came from, like Reset or Revilo (although I wasn’t in Revilo).”
Tomorrow night’s set will focus on all new music, a reflection of Klemmensen’s new life. “I’m better now,” he said. “Weed, ice cream maybe an occasional shot of whiskey. I’m a good boy now.”
The Candy Boys play tomorrow night (Friday) at O’Leaver’s with Columbus/Omaha punk/folk act Not Funny.
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OK, but what’s going on tonight at O’Leaver’s? Just another stacked bill. Headlining is Oquoa (Max Holmquist and the boys) with Saddle Creek Records band Son, Ambulance. Joining them is Denton, Texas act Claire Morales, whose new record All That’s Wanting, was released June 29. $5, 9 p.m.
Also tonight, The English Beat, who probably plays more often in Omaha than in their origin city of Birmingham, England, returns to The Slowdown. The Bishops open at 8 p.m. $28.
Reception will be hazy for the next few days. I’m headed to D.C., where among other things, I’ll be going to the 9:30 Club to see The Feelies. Full report/review likely next Tuesday.
In the meantime…
Conor Oberst is getting his Mystic Valley Band back together for a short California / Phoenix tour the first week of October. MVB members include Nik Freitas, Taylor Hollingsworth, Macey Taylor, Nate Walcott and Jason Boesel. Their last gig was apparently this past New Year’s Eve. Before that, you have to go back to 2013 for a gig.
Singer/songwriter Phoebe Bridgers opens three of the upcoming dates. Oberst sang on a track on her latest album.
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Tonight (Thursday) you’ve got Clarence Tilton doing the O’Leaver’s Happy Hour Series. It’s an early gig — 6 p.m. Not sure what they do if it rains, but you’ll find out. $5.
Also tonight, Son Ambulance plays at The Down Under as part of the “Evening with Dereck Higgins” series. 3gypt also plays. 9:30, and free.
For Friday night’s show at The Sydney, Digital Leather was configured as a trio with Shawn Foree in front playing synth and bass, Greg Elsasser on synths and long-time DL drummer Jeff Lambelet. If the plan was to get the crowd dancing, it was a winning combination, maybe the most danceable version of DL I’ve seen live.
Lambelet, one my favorite drummers, is a massive upgrade to the synth beats heard on Headache Heaven, DL’s latest, which sounds like a collection of bedroom-recorded demoes. With Lambelet, and Foree adding bass, along with Elsasser, the songs were fully-realized New Wave-esque dance tracks. Their set was helped along with a dense layer of smoke-machine haze cut through by lazer lights — I haven’t seen this much smoke and lazers since that last Talking Mountain concert.
It’s also worth noting that Friday night’s crowd was one of the largest I’ve seen at The Sydney for a rock show. The audience built up throughout the evening, starting with a gorgeous set by Son, Ambulance.
Son, Ambulance at The Sydney, April 6, 2018.
I’ve always thought Joe Knapp had an interesting voice, a sort of indie version of Elvis Costello, but as he gets older his voice only gets better and more in control. Good thing, too, because he’s fronting one of the best line-ups I’ve heard from Son, Ambulance over the years, including a sweet three-piece horn section and a rock-solid rhythm section swinging on a set of new material that’s begging to be recorded.
Her Flyaway Manner at The Sydney, April 6, 2018.
Lincoln’s Her Flyaway Manner owned the center slot Friday night. The trio headed by vocalist/guitarist Brendan McGinn crushed a set of angular post-punk rock that reminded me of Fugazi and an earlier age of Nebraska punk rock. All said, a terrific night of music brought together by between-set sets from DJ Tyrone Storm that had me tapping my Shazam app.
It’s been awhile since I’ve been in The Sydney, and was surprised to discover they’ve taken out all the back booths, effectively clearing out that music room giving it more space for rock shows and dance nights. Even the high-top tables were gone on Friday…
Nap Eyes, I’m Bad Now (Jagjaguwar) — This warm, melodic indie rock comes from an act out of Nova Scotia who played in Omaha last year opening for Fleet Foxes (a show I missed). They remind me of The Feelies, especially because lead vocalist Nigel Chapman’s drab, nasal delivery matches Feelies’ Glenn Mercer, though Nap Eyes lacks Feelies’ driving, relentless rhythms that rise and rise and explode. This just sort of lays there from song to song.
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Tonight at The Waiting Room it’s The Bronx. The band is out supporting their new one, V, out last year on ATO. The record was produced by Rob Schnapf (Beck, FIDLAR, Elliott Smith) and has a very pro sheen to it. Still rocks hard. No Parents and No Thanks open. 8 p.m. $17.
Mega Bog is the project of Seattle native now Brookynite Erin Birgy, who has been making her unique potion of jazz-infused art rock for eight years. Her latest album, Happy Together (2017, Nicey), runs and wobbles between free-form loveliness and dizzy indie rock, giddily capturing an artist in motion with a breathy voice that evokes memories of Nico. Her band has included members of iji, Hand Habits and Big Thief’s James Krivchenia (who also mixed and mastered her new record).
We caught up with Birgy and asked her to take the Ten Questions plunge. Here’s her answers:
1. What is your favorite album?
Mega Bog’s Erin Birgy: Definitely don’t have a favorite, but Diamond Dogs is almost always on standby. It’s what I use to practice vocals. Deeply inspiring.
2. What is your least favorite song?
(Bandmate) Zach (Burba) and I are trying to pick a least favorite song, but it’s hard! We thought of a time our friend, Joel, who helps with all the album art, was playing something by a Magnetic Zero band.
3. What do you enjoy most about being in a band?
I enjoy the responsibility of learning how to take care of others, my family, and act as an ambassador for this weird music world.
4. What do you hate about being in a band?
Peanut butter in the car. Having to compromise with other peoples cleanliness standards, or lack of.
5. What is your favorite substance (legal or illegal)?
Water and cedar oil.
6. In what city or town do you love to perform?
“Every place is home” by Vollmar
7. What city or town did you have your worst gig (and why)?
A show at Bard College eight years ago. It was a terrible tour, with an abusive guy in the band we were touring with, and I was at the end of my rope dealing with their creepiness and anger. It was freezing, everyone in the band was fighting, and I cut my hand on a borrowed guitar after mine broke, and just laid my head down on the concrete floor and started crying. I took it all out on Zach while we played, which made it doubly worse. He left the “stage” early and people were backed up against the garage door, just scared and annoyed.
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?
In some moments, it seems like it. I do a lot of strange gigs, but kind of a $200 an hour minimum, if it’s not music.
9. What one profession other than music would you like to attempt; what one profession would you absolutely hate to do?
I don’t see myself as a professional. Or a musician. I do see myself as a citizen scientist. I could take that more seriously.
10. What are the stories you’ve heard about Omaha, Nebraska?
I’ve never heard a story about Omaha, Nebraska.
Mega Bog plays with Destroyer Saturday, Feb. 3, at The Waiting Room, 6212 Maple St. Showtime is 9 p.m.; tickets are $20. For more information, go to onepercentproductions.com
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Tonight Son, Ambulance returns to the stage, this time as part of Pageturners’ Winter Concert Series. The band just played a few weeks ago at O’Leaver’s, but no two Son, Ambulance sets are ever alike nor is the line-up from show to show. Expect some surprises, and a large crowd. Sean Pratt & the Sweats open at 9 p.m. Admission is, as always, free.
Saturday night’s show at O’Leaver’s is the first rock show I’ve gone to since Zola Jesus way back on Oct. 11 — easily the longest stretch I’ve had between shows since sometime in the ’90s probably.
I actually intended to go to two shows this past weekend. I walked down to The Waiting Room Friday night to see Whitney/NE-HI after our art show ended at The Little Gallery (and after checking out the new B-Side, which is very nice indeed) only to find that it was sold out. I was disappointed yet happy for the the sell out — people really do still love going to indie rock shows.
Saturday night was the return of Son, Ambulance to O’Leaver’s. The band seems to re-emerge on a stage somewhere every six months or so with a slightly different line-up. Backing frontman singer/songwriter Joe Knapp this time were a couple horns, pedal steel, drums, Dereck Higgins on bass and instead of a second guitar someone playing sitar.
I was stationed at my usual spot, peeking through the glassless window panes by the bathrooms, which placed me right next to the aforementioned sitar. It sounded not so much like the traditional instrument we all know from Ravi Shankar, but more like a plucked-out high-end bass line. At times, distracting, but didn’t cover up the rest of the band, which was, for the most part, pretty solid.
Son, Ambulance played three old ones (including set staple “Paper Snowflakes”) and three new ones, the best of which was set-closer “Fuck Trump,” a rocker that wasn’t so much a call-and-response anthem as much as a song about living in the here and now, punctuated by the title lyrics.
Knapp says expect to hear a lot more from Son, Ambulance in 2018. With such a huge back catalog of songs, they’re among the few local bands I’d go see once a month.
Lodgings at O’Leaver’s, Dec. 2, 2017.
Lodgings is an act I’ve somehow managed to miss over the years, which turns out to be a huge bummer because they play a style of music I love — a laid-back, slacker rock that’s part Pavement part Pixies part Grifters, essential ’90s indie, often slow, sometimes quiet but also bold and loud.
So packed was O’Leaver’s that I ended up standing behind the amps so I couldn’t hear frontman Bryce Hotz terribly well, though the rest of the band came in loud and clear, including cellist/keyboardist Megan Siebe and guitarist Jim Schroeder (bassist Michael Laughlin and drummer Eric Ernst round out the combo).
The set drove me to seek out the band’s recordings on Spotify; and as a result, I spent a good part of the balance of the weekend listening to last year’s eponymous release and their more recent 6-song EP Daisies, which, had I found it earlier, would have been included in my local faves for 2017.
Dirt House at O’Leaver’s Dec. 2, 2017.
Last up was Dirt House, the new band from Annie Dilocker, who has surrounded herself with some of the best musicians in Omaha. Joining Amy Carey on violin is a rhythm section consisting of drummer Roger Lewis and bass player Miwi La Lupa. It doesn’t get more solid than that.
Dilocker is a long-time music scene veteran who’s been involved in a number of projects including Sweet Pea, Hubble, and for a brief time, Digital Leather. Her piano-driven songs are reminiscent of Regina Spektor or Sarah Bareilles though her melodies aren’t as varied. Dilocker’s vocals at times got lost in the mix. I wanted her to really belt it out — a necessity when backed by such a strong band. Considering her piano skills and her melodies, I wonder how her songs would fare without a backing band.
No doubt Dirt House is beginning to capture a fan base (the audience for Dirt House looked different than the one for Son, Ambulance) and the band’s Facebook page says they’ll be recording by the end of the year. More to come.
Is this the last “warm” weekend of the year? Maybe, probably. I’m getting my crappy winter beater car out this weekend — a sure sign winter’s here.
Anyway, take advantage of the last warm weekend of the year and see some shows…
The best of the bunch this weekend is tonight at The Waiting Room where indie hot stuff Whitney headlines with NE-HI. From Chicago, Whitney consists of members of the late, great Smith Westerns. The band’s break-out album, Light Upon the Lake, came out in 2016 on Secretly Canadian. One presumes they’re working on new material, though recent shows merely featured the old stuff along with a handful of covers (including Neil Young’s “On the Way Home,” Dolly Parton’s “Gonna Hurry (As Slow As I Can),” Dylan’s “Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here with You,” NRBQ’s “Magnet,” etc.). Opener NE-HI just played Reverb this past March (read their Ten Questions interview here). $15, 9 p.m., expect a packed room.
Also tonight, Ryan Menchaca & The Invisible Horses headlines at fabulous O’Leaver’s. Opening is Carl Miller of The Thrillers’ fame and Des Moines act SIRES. 10 p.m., $5.
And its the first Friday in December which means it’s Benson First Friday. As part of the fun The Little Gallery, 5901 Maple St., is hosting its annual “little show” where all works in the main gallery are 12” x 12” or smaller and $100 or less — perfect for holiday gift giving! Among the more than 20 artists showing works are Jason Steady, Jadon Ulrich, Mike Loftus, Brad Thiel and Nebraska Dept. of Motor Vehicles. Plus there will be beer, wine and some food. Drop by and say hello. The gallery is the east storefront of the Masonic Lodge Building on south side of Maple Street at 5901. See you there.
Tomorrow night is the return of Son, Ambulance at O’Leaver’s. Who will be in this incarnation of the band, fronted by singer/songwriter Joe Knapp? Opening is Lodgings while Annie Dilocker’s latest project, Dirt House, headlines. $7, 9 p.m.
Finally Mark Olson of The Jayhawks plays at The Waiting Sunday night. $15, 7 p.m. And Matisyahu plays at The Slowdown with Common Kings and Orphans. 7:30 p.m. start time; tix are $25 Adv./$28 DOS.
And that’s all I got. If I missed your show put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend.
Busy weekend for shows. Very busy. But the big stuff doesn’t start until tomorrow.
First, a mention of the OEAA showcases going on in Benson this weekend. I admit to knowing almost none of the bands performing this year. The few stand-out bands I recognize include John Klemmensen, Mitch Gettman, Latin Threat and Ragged Company. The full schedule is online right here. Cost is $10 one night, $15 for both nights. This is the only OEAA event that I participate in; it’s always fun to walk around Benson and check out new bands.
Onto Saturday night…
The marquee show is, of course, the Silver & Gold Celebration for Mike Tulis at fabulous O’Leaver’s. For his 50th, Tulis is getting the band back together — in this case, Cultural Attraction. Read all about the band’s history right here. Opening is Little Brazil and The Sons of O’Leaver’s. This can’t-miss show starts at 9:30. See you there.
Also celebrating a birthday Saturday night is The Brothers Lounge — opened apparently in conjunction with Tulis’ birth (both are 50 years old). Playing the party are Minnesota band Jaw Knee Vee, Lincoln madman Plack Blague and surprise guests You’ll Love These Rockets. $5, 9 p.m.
Also Saturday, Jerry’s Bar in Benson is hosting a festival all afternoon and evening. Among the performers are Matt Whipkey and Clarence Tilton. More info and the day’s schedule here.
Sunday it’s back to fabulous O’Leaver’s for their Sunday Social and one of the best line-ups of the weekend: Chris Cohen (Ex Deerhoof, Ariel Pink’s Huanted Graffiti), Son, Ambulance, Kansas City’s Shy Boys and Thick Paint. All for $8 plus FREE FOOD (no idea what kind of food, but it’s free). This starts early — 4 p.m.
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Nothing plays Slowdown Jr. Sunday night.
Sunday night Nothing plays with Culture Abuse, Wrong and Bib at Slowdown Jr. Here’s Ten Questions with Nothing…
Ten Questions with Nothing
Philly band Nothing may be known as much for its frontman’s brutal history as its music. As the story goes, Domenic Palermo spent a couple years in the slammer after stabbing someone in a fight back in 2002 when he was a member of hardcore punk act Horror Show, according to NPR. As you would expect, the experience changed him and his musical direction. With Nothing, Palermo returned to his first love: shoegaze. The music on the band’s latest album, Tired of Tomorrow (2016, Relapse) sounds like a reinvention of (or at least heavily influenced by) bands like My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive combined with early Smashing Pumpkins. The product is dense, bleak and oftentimes brooding.
We asked Nothing to take our 10 Questions survey. Palermo took the plunge:
1. What is your favorite album?
Nothing: Sun City Girls, You’re Never Alone with a Cigarette
2. What is your least favorite song?
Theme song to “Frasier”
3. What do you enjoy most about being in a band?
Not having to be at home.
4. What do you hate about being in a band?
Having to be on the road.
5. What is your favorite substance (legal or illegal)?
Semen
6. In what city or town do you love top perform?
Chicago
7. What city or town did you have your worst gig (and why)?
Chicago. I fell asleep standing up, while we were playing.
8. How do you pay your bills?
Relapse Records allowance money.
9. What one profession other than music would you like to attempt; what one profession would you absolutely hate to do?
Writing questions for newspaper; prostitution
10. What are the stories you’ve heard about Omaha, Nebraska?
One about these two brothers. One’s a cop and one’s a bad ass. The bad ass brother gets in a fight and kills a man in a bar fight. The cop brother chases him down through the back roads all the way to Canada, but decides to let him go, because a man that turns his back on his family, just ain’t no good.
Nothing plays with Culture Abuse, Wrong and Bib Sunday, June 12, at Slowdown Jr., 729 No. 14th St. Tickets are $13 Adv./$15 DOS. Showtime is 7 p.m. For more information, go to theslowdown.com.
That’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great (red hot) weekend…
Joe Knapp is the mastermind behind Saddle Creek Records act Son, Ambulance. And while Son, Ambulance has continued to play a show or two every year, the band hasn’t produced any new recorded music for quite some time.
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