by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Given the average demographic of Lazy-i readers, the simplest way to explain a project like Florist (who played at Reverb Lounge Saturday night) is to draw comparisons. 

With that in mind, the easy button points to K Records or acts like The Softies or Ida or Lois. But that isn’t quite right. While there were plenty of soft, muted melodies to go around, Florist proved it can lean into a down-low riff and play it out, sort of like Red House Painters or Bedhead or Galaxy 500 or even Low. 

All of these comparisons, however, are lost on an audience consisting mostly of very young people who have never heard of any of those bands but are familiar with the likes of Adrianne Lenker and Big Thief – who clearly belong in the chat. Your mileage may vary based on your mileage. 

What the 50 or so on hand universally received were thoughtful songs played well by a talented four-piece consisting of bass, guitar, synth/drums and frontperson Emily Sprague on guitar and vocals. Florist has been described as a “friendship project” – a label that seemed apt. Mostly quiet and always ethereal, the band performed songs from their latest, Jellywish, as well as some older numbers, all in the same acoustic style augmented at times by synths provided by the drummer who did double duty. 

Though the evening remained at the same even keel, the highlights included “The Fear of Losing This,” off 2017’s If Blue Could Be Happiness, “Vacation” from the band’s debut EP, 2015’s Holdly, and “Our Hearts in a Room” from the new album, which received a long between-song-while-tuning introduction, where Sprague talked about her life in a way that implicitly asked the audience if they were satisfied with theirs, which matched the song’s theme and the mood of the evening as a whole. 

Opener Allegra Krieger played a solo acoustic set and seemed to struggle getting comfortable behind the microphone (even saying as much at the end). The bare bones approach obviously lost some of the dynamics heard on her band-powered releases, but still managed to hold the audience’s attention. I’d love to see her with a full band.

. 0 0 0 . 

North Carolina’s Southern Culture on the Skids, who play tonight at The Waiting Room, have been playing their brand of surfy, twangy, alt-country post-punk for more than 40 years. Sort of a cross between Creedence and The B-52s. Their last album was 2021’s At Home with Southern Culture on the Skids (Kudzu Records). And they just keep on touring, god bless ‘em.

Our very own tractor-punk legends, Wagon Blasters, open the show at 8 p.m. $25.

* * *

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 © 2025 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Busy Tuesday.

There’s a goth dance party going on tonight. Detroit electroclash / electro-punk band ADULT. brings their synth-style techno to the Reverb. The duo of Adam Miller and Nicola Kuperus have had their last few albums released by Dais Records, including the most recent, 2022’s Becoming Undone. Opening are two EDM up-and-comers — LA-based masked man Kontravoid and fellow Angelinos Spike Hellis. This is a show that should have been held in a converted Meatpacking District warehouse circa 1988. Bring your (leather) dancing shows. 8 p.m., $17.

Meanwhile, just a stone’s throw away at The Waiting Room, Southern Culture on the Skids returns. The Chapel Hill twangin’ trio has been at it for over 30 years. Their latest, At Home with Southern Culture on the Skids, was released last year on Kudzu Records. Opening is Denver’s Dressy Bessy a.k.a. Tammy Ealom, whose latest album, 2019’s Fast Faster Disaster was released by Yep Roc. You get both for $20. Starts at 8 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 © 2022 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Those Far Out Arrows at The Brothers Feb. 17, 2018. The band plays tonight at Burke’s Pub.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

It’s busy for a Tuesday night show-wise…

At The Waiting Room surf-punk twang-masters Southern Culture on the Skids headlines. It’s been a couple years since their last album, The Electric Pinecones, was released. I gotta believe they have new stuff up their sleeves. I know opening band Wagon Blasters definitely has some new material if not available than on the way. $20, 8 p.m.

Meanwhile tonight at Burke’s Pub in Benson, the BFF crew is hosting a launch party for Omaha Gives (which is tomorrow). The stellar line-up includes Those Far Out Arrows, Hussies, FiFi NoNo and DJ Tyrone Storm. The fun starts at 8 p.m. and it’s free. More info here.

Finally, over at Brothers Lounge, Effluvium performs with Houston noise duo Adam Goodwin & P. Gkika and Mighty Vitamins. $5, 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 © 2018 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.