by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

The music calendar has been rather bare the past few days. In fact, I had today off from work and would have loved to go to a show last night, but there was nothing going on.

Not so tonight. The big event is the reunion of The Jazzwholes. The show is being held at House of Loom, which has been working in live music gigs into their regular DJ programming on a weekly basis. I have yet to visit the venue, but have been told that it’s rather cozy, especially for a show like this one that probably could have packed Slowdown’s big room. That’s a long-winded way of saying that if you plan on going, get there early. $3, 8 p.m.

Back in Benson, The Barley Street Tavern is hosting its annual canned food drive tonight. Curated by bluesman Matt Cox, the evening’s “in the round” performances include Cox, Brad Hoshaw, Cass Brostad, Kyle Harvey, Sarah Benck, Justin Lamoureux, Rebecca Lowry, Matt Whipkey, Lash LaRue, Ashley Rayne Boe, Bret Vovk, Dylan Davis and Reagan Roeder. It’s a smorgasbord of Benson singer/songwriters. Admission is two cans of food. Show starts at 9 p.m.

Meanwhile, up the hill at The Waiting Room, it’s Zep trib band Song Remains the Same with Pixies trib band Surfer Rosa. $7, 9 p.m.

Finally, Outlaw Con Bandana is playing a set at La Buvette, 511 So. 11th St. in the Old Market, with Zach Lagrou and “Lute wizard” Kenneth Be. This is being billed as a “So Long” show for OCB. Starts at 9, donations accepted.

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Sting 25 App

A post script to yesterday’s item about record labels leaving Spotify and other music streaming services: The story reminded me of an item that appeared in Billboard last week where Sting gave his vision of the future of recorded music.

When asked if he’ll do another album, Sting said: “It’s hard to know what the new model is. I think the app is the new model. People are going to stop buying CDs. People are going to stop selling and making them, so I am looking for different ways to get music to people, and the application at the moment seems to be the favorite.”

By “application,” Sting means smartphone applications, like his free “Sting 25” app for the iPad, which includes photos, handwritten lyrics and journal entries, interviews and concert footage, as well as 360-degree zoomable views of his signature instruments. It doesn’t, however, include any actual music. It only plays music stored on your iPad or crappy iTunes preview clips. In other words, it’s a way to get people to buy Sting music from the iTunes store.

According to Cult of Mac, Sting ain’t alone in his app love. Bjork released an app alongside her last CD, and Pink Floyd is doing a “this day in history” style app for fans.  Neither contains any actual music.

Says Cult of Mac: “It makes sense. The more you stop and think about it, the more apps feel analogous to albums: a self-contained work by an artist, a thing they can put together over a period of months or years and then sell to fans. Many of today’s youngsters don’t see why they should pay for music – but they’re perfectly happy to pay for apps.”

While I agree that “youngsters” will pay 99 cents to download Movie Cat or Angry Bird or whatever new game winds up in iTunes, I don’t think they’re going to download or buy an app that merely offers to sell them music. Sting’s vision of the future is merely iTunes repackaged, which is no vision at all.

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If I don’t see you here tomorrow, Happy Thanksgiving.

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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.