The art of Mari Dailey opens at Ming Toy Gallery tonight as part of Benson First Friday.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Happy Groundhog Day. Our weekend music calendar is like very much like the movie Groundhog Day, in that every year around this time there are no touring indie bands coming through town. And this year is no exception.

That said, it’ll be unseasonably warm this weekend, including tonight, which is Benson First Friday (#BFF) – when the galleries and businesses up and down Maple Street feature art by our talented local artists. If you’re out and about, drop in at Ming Toy Gallery, 6066 Maple Street (right next to Legends Comics) and check out the opening reception for Mari Dailey. The evening will also feature spoken word performances by four poets including Todd (The Toddfather) Robinson starting at 7 p.m. And it’s also our one-year anniversary at this space, so… cake! The opening runs from 6 to 9 p.m. See you there!

Today also is Bandcamp Friday. That means proceeds from all purchases made today go directly to the artists, as Bandcamp doesn’t take a cut on purchases made today (and in many cases, neither do participating record labels). So go to Bandcamp and support musicians!

Among them, TIT. I’ve been wondering what Digital Leather’s Shawn Foree has been up to lately, and now we know. TIT is the project by Foree and Bobby Hussy (The Hussy, Wristwatch). Today they announced their debut, out April 5 on No Coast Records. According to the Bandcamp page, this one is 10 years in the making and includes a special guest appearance from Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes) handling lead vocals on one track. Preorder the album today to pass along those Bandcamp bucks.

While you’re at it, might as well preorder the self-titled debut by by David Nance and Mowed Sound, which comes out Feb. 9 on Jack White’s Third Man Records. 

Show-wise, tomorrow night Mike Saklar’s band The Sun-Less Trio plays at fabulous O’Leaver’s. It’s part of a three-band bill that also includes mysterious headliner The Radical Sabbatical. White Wolf T-Shirt opens the show at 9 p.m. And guess what? It’s free.

Also Saturday night, Des Moines alt-folk-rock band The Nadas is playing at The Waiting Room. To their credit, the band has been coming through Omaha literally for decades. They were named among The Best College Bands You’ve Never Heard of by Playboy in 2001, or “the Creed era” as it’s known in the alternative rock world. Emma Butterworth (no doubt a relation to Nadas’ frontman Mike Butterworth) opens the show at 8 p.m. $30. 

That’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend…

* * *

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

Hey, we have one touring indie act this weekend! And lots of local shows. Has anyone noticed Steelhouse only has one concert booked for the month of August (and it’s a fricken WASP concert)? WTF?

Anyway, let’s get positive, people.

We’ve had a ringside seat as Lomelda a.k.a. singer/songwriter Hannah Read, has gone from a touring opening act for Hovvdy at Reverb before the pandemic to a national indie star with more than a million monthly listeners on Spotify, touring with Magnetic Fields and opening a sold-out Death Cab for Cutie show like she did earlier this year at The Admiral. Now she’s back in Omaha on a solo tour. Her last full-length was 2020’s Hannah, released on Double Double Whammy Records. She’s released a number of singles since then and no doubt has another full-length waiting in the wings. Tonight she plays at The Sydney in Benson with Omaha’s own Anna McClellan.  9 p.m., $15.

Also tonight, just down the street at Reverb Lounge, Lodgings headlines a show with The Sun-Less Trio. I’m not sure why SLT isn’t the headliner as the band, headed by local guitar-playing icon Mike Sakler, is celebrating the release of their new album, The Vanishing. 

Says the Bandcamp page about The Vanishing: “Sessions. were primarily hashed out to 2-track live in the December of 2022. Additional vocals and sounds in Spring of ‘23. Thread those tape machines holding on by a thread. Any perceived anomalies are in fact present, tape hiss, wow, flutter, dropouts. Strange panning and phasing.” The final product is collection from Saklar keynoted by his haunted guitar tone and vocals. The trio is Saklar, drummer Marc Phillips, and bass player Cricket Kirk. Hard rock band Living Conditions opens the show at 8 p.m. $10.

Also tonight, San Diego surf-rock band The Frights headline at The Slowdown. Their latest, Gallows Humor, was released earlier this month on Here Lies Music, but they’ve also released material on Epitaph and Dangerbird in the past. Emo band Sad Park opens at 8 p.m. $25. 

Tomorrow night (Saturday), local indie band Bach Mai is celebrating an album release show at Reverb Lounge. I’m not sure which album (they don’t say on their invites), but assume it’s for their 6-song EP Good Try, which came out in early May (but isn’t in Bandcamp, so…). Or maybe it’s something else? Also on the bill is Uh Oh and Ghostlike. The music begins at 8 p.m. $10. 

And that’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend…

* * *

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

No touring indie shows again this weekend. What else is new?

However, there’s a couple local gigs worth checking out.

Tonight at the Harney Street Tavern, 1215 Harney Street (not to be confused with the long-gone Howard Street Tavern), Jeremy Mercy and the Rapture Orphans will take the stage. More country than indie, Mercy’s last release (that I’m aware of) was a 3-song EP, Heavyweight: Vol. 1, self-released in 2021. No info on tickets or cover, which leads me to believe the show is free. You’re on your own. Starts at 9 p.m.

Saturday night, one of Omaha’s longest-running indie bands, Little Brazil, headlines a four-band show at Reverb Lounge. LB has been playing out a bit lately, most recently playing the Maha Festival “announcement” gig in the park downtown last month. Also on the bill is Violenteer featuring new vocalist Steve Tulipana (Season to Risk, Roman Numerals). Playing right before Violenteer is Mike Saklar’s The Sun-Less Trio. And kicking things off at 8:30 is Fleek and Foust, a new band that includes Scott Klemmensen and Matt Reinarz. Tickets are $10 today, not sure if that’ll go up at the door. This will be a crowded gig that could sell out (it’s the only indie show of any kind happening this weekend), so consider getting your tix in advance, here.

And that’s it for this weekend. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend.

* * *

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.

The Sun-Less Trio at Reverb Aug. 18, 2017. The band celebrates the release of a new EP tonight at Pageturners Lounge.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Tonight The Sun-Less Trio celebrates the release of a 5-song EP called The Willow Tree at Pageturners Lounge. S-L T is a project helmed by singer/songwriter Mike Saklar, who us old-timers remember for his guitar work in a number of bands including late-’90s post-punk projects Ritual Device and Ravine.

S-LT is geared differently than those metal-tinged efforts, leaning more toward minor-key slow-burners a la Disintegration-era Cure (but with more emphasis on guitars than keyboards). Dim-lit, tonal, emotional and ultimately atmospheric, The Willow Tree turns and sways on a dark edge. Saklar chose to open the collection with “Branches Sway,” the most somber song on the EP, desribed as “A hypnotic monotone rhythm captures the minory chords in a classic manner, only to be destroyed by an unforeseeable middle 8.”

A pity he didn’t come out of the gate with the title track, a rocker centered around a guitar riff and Marc Phillips’ pounding drums (of the dry-echo recording, Saklar does a particularly awesome job with Phillips’ booming stickwork). Drums are right in the middle of “The Station,” a slow-swing dirge that closes out the EP. “Exposure” is another echoing ghost track.

By contrast is the EP’s other highlight, “X-Y-Z,” a self-proclaimed drug song that features Saklar’s best guitar work.

This is one of those recordings that takes multiple plays to absorb. Saklar makes the most of his vocals, using them as a secondary tonal instrument that bends with the chords (lyrics, thankfully, were included in the liner notes I received).

The EP will be available as a 7-inch vinyl. The album’s Bandcamp page includes 14 additional tracks (including different mixes of the EP’s songs). Also on tonight’s bill at Pageturners are Styrofoamy (Jim Schroeder/Colin Duckworth) and Stephen Bartolomei. The free show has an 8:30 start time.

* * *

Saddle Creek Records’s 7-inch “Document Series” continues with a new release by Austin band Hovvdy.

Hovvdy (pronounced “howdy”) is the writing and recording project of a couple drummers, Charlie Martin and Will Taylor. Their debut album, Taster, originally released on Sports Day Records was reissued in 2017 by Double Double Whammy. The follow-up, Cranberry, came out this past February.

“Easy” b/w “Turns Blue” 7-inch drops Oct. 5. Pre-order here.

* * *

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.

Shaun McCabe Forever

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

I did not know Shaun McCabe, but I know from many people who did know him that he must have been a great dude and a big music fan.

McCabe passed away Feb. 1 at UC Health University of Colorado Hospital after a life-long battle with Cystic Fibrosis.

He was a Lincoln resident and became friends with a lot of Nebraska musicians. In addition, he was the lead singer/keyboardist in the band Bone Camaro, and a music director at KWSC 91.1 FM while in college. But most of all, he was active in the Lincoln/Omaha music scene.

In a show of appreciation of McCabe’s life, a ton of bands, led by Mike Elfers (Thirst Things First, JV Allstars), put together Shaun McCabe Forever, a compilation of rare and unreleased tracks from a variety of Nebraska artists. Among the 23 tracks are recordings by Columbia Vs Challenger, The Killigans, The Machete Archive, Her Flyaway Manner, Halfwit, Gramps and The Golden Age, there’s even a couple Bone Camaro songs.

“Any and all donations or purchases of this album will go directly to a McCabe family PayPal account that will ultimately make it to either the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Nebraska or the Children’s Organ Transplant Association in Shaun’s name,” said the Bandcamp page.

Check out the page and make a big-fat purchase. There’s some great stuff there. Shaun McCabe Forever!

* * *

Pageturners’ Winter Concert Series continues tonight with Sun-Less Trio and Little Brazil. This dynamic double-bill begins at 9 p.m. and is absolutely free.

* * *

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.

The Faint at The Slowdown, Dec. 30, 2016. The band is among the acts playing at this year’s Maha Music Festival.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

This is the seventh in a series of Ten Questions interviews with bands performing at the Maha Music Festival Aug. 19 at Aksarben Village. For the printed version of all interviews, pick up the August issue of The Reader.

The Faint

This isn’t the first time The Faint has graced the Maha Music Festival stage. The band was one of the headliners along with Spoon and Superchunk at the 2010 festival, held at Lewis & Clark Landing. Their top-bill status — then and now — is well deserved.

One of a trio of acts that put Saddle Creek Records (and Omaha) on the indie music map in the late ’90s and throughout the 2000s, The Faint exploded onto the national scene with 1999’s Blank-Wave Arcade, an album that defined their post-punk, electronic-fueled dance-rock style. Non-stop touring and a reputation for putting on electrifying, sweat-soaked live shows quickly made them concert favorites throughout the country.

Fronted by Todd Fink with guitarist Dapose, drummer Clark Baeckle and newest member, keyboardist Graham Ulicny, The Faint continues to put out new music including three new songs on 2016 “greatest hits” compilation CAPSULE:1999-2016 (Saddle Creek).

What is your favorite album?

Todd Fink: I would never do that to  myself.

2. What is your least favorite song?

Bare Naked Ladies, “Cherry Cola”

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

Free Cabernet

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

The music.

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

Egg nog.

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

Tokyo or Berlin.

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

A festival in Switzerland(?) I had a complete Billy Joel/Casey Kasem meltdown on stage.  I used to really hate it when the vocoder wasn’t hooked up right.

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?

We live in a castle for free.

8.5 What do you eat then?

Carrots.  With bunnies.

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

I’ll be a milliner soon.

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

That Omaha made the reuben.

The Maha Music Festival is Aug. 19 at Aksarben Village. The day-long concert runs from noon to midnight. Tickets are $55. For set times and more information, go to mahamusicfestival.com.

* * *

With everything else happening this weekend, I didn’t want the fact that Mike Saklar’s band, Sun-Less Trio, is celebrating the release of a new album, When Rivers Rebirth Different Maps, at two shows. The first is tomorrow night, opening for Stephen Sheehan at Reverb Lounge (which you read about here). The second is Saturday night at Brothers Lounge with Lupines and Bled Notes.

From the album’s liner notes, Saklar describes the sessions as: “A fabulous disaster. Like a broken record that hops back a few grooves endlessly. The completion of this record is yet another audio miracle notch in the analog belt. The third recorded miracle.” Check it out below:

* * *

Speaking of new albums, Saddle Creek announced today it’s releasing a new EP by Sam Evian with drummer Chris Cohen called Need You, out Oct. 8. Evian also announced a fall U.S. Tour, but it’s a NOmaha affair at this point.

* * *

Former Omahan Maria Taylor is part of the band backing Daniel Johnston when he plays in Los Angeles Nov. 2, according to Pitchfork. Other band members include Ben Lee, Mike Watt and members of Silversun Pickups.

* * *

A couple shows tonight…

Graham Patrick Ulicny (the newest member of The Faint) is playing at Kaneko tonight as part of their Soundscapes Series. 7 p.m., $10. More info here.

Also tonight, local indie band Field Club plays at Reverb Lounge with The Senators and Bokr Tov. $7, 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 © 2017 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Jake Bellows at The Sydney, June 9, 2017.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

I’m still catching up on last weekend, specifically last Friday night when Jake Bellows played at The Sydney. I point to the crowd and the overall vibe of the room for what ended up being one of the best Bellows sets I’ve ever witnessed. Jake solo with electric guitar played a selection from his rather extensive oeuvre with the crowd pushed right up to the Sydney’s stage/platform. You can hear a bit of the set in the Facebook Live recording below (I always feel like a dork when I’m shooting these things, but…).

Now that he’s living in LA, every Bellows set in Omaha is like a family reunion, with lots of familiar faces in the crowd come to pay their respects to our lost hero. Jake may be a Californian these days, but he knows he always has a home in Nebraska.

Sun-Less Trio at The Sydney, June 9, 2017.

Opening for Jake Friday night was a new line-up for Sun-Less Trio. Usual drummer Marc Phillips was replaced for this gig by someone banging on a tom with mallets. Frontman Mike Saklar played a couple of my favorites from his last couple albums along with a few new ones. The set felt stripped down and bare compared to the usual larger, fuller S-LT sound.

* * *

Two shows tonight…

Over at The Brothers Lounge Hussies headline for Brooklyn’s Cat Tatt. The Natural States also are on the bill. $5, 9 p.m.

Meanwhile, alt-country southern-fried rockers Drive-By Truckers headlines at The Waiting Room. Opening is BJ Barham. $30, 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 © 2017 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

The Sun-less Trio at The Waiting Room, Oct. 7, 2015. The band celebrates its record release Sunday at O’Leaver’s.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

And lo, the weekend…

Tonight at Slowdown Jr. Brooklyn hard rock band The Giraffes headlines. Their sixth full-length, Usury, came out a couple weeks ago on Silver Sleeve. It’s a collection of strutting, guitar riff rockers that reminds me of ’90s grunge / alternative bands like Alice in Chains / Stone Temple Pilots. Omaha is one of only three dates they’re playing this year. Opening is Bullet Proof Hearts and DCYC. $14, 9 p.m.

Also tonight (Friday) the mighty Dumb Beach headlines at fabulous O’Leaver’s with St. Louis punkers Shitstorm. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Then comes Saturday and a plethora of festivals and events.

Top of the list is the Holland Stages Festival at The Holland Performing Arts Center. The event is a celebration of the 10-year anniversary of the renowned music hall and features free performances all day, including James Maakestad & Simon Joyner playing in the Con Agra East Lobby Stage (Isn’t that located in Chicago now?) at 6:30 p.m. and Both and See Through Dresses playing in the Scott Recital Hall at 7 p.m. It all leads up to Conor Oberst and friends (M. Ward and The Felice Brothers) playing a free show on the Holland Main stage.

Wristbands, which get you into the Oberst performance, will be handed out beginning at 3 p.m. at The Holland Center. It’s a first-come sort of deal, and all performances after 5 p.m. require a wristband for access. Once they run out of wristbands, they’ll be handing out a different wristbands that will allow you to watch a simulcast of the performance inside the building. The rules and the schedule are outlined here.

Not nearly as sophisticated as Holland Stages is Cassette Store Day, which will be happening at record stores throughout the Omaha metroplex on Saturday. Homer’s and Drastic Plastic are on the list of locals participating. So is Urban Outfitters, located in the Slowdown Complex, which will feature in-store performances beginning at 1 p.m., when they’ll also be handing out free beer and selling CSD “exclusives” including those rare La Luz, Brian Jonestone Massacre and Burger Records tapes.

What else…

Brilliant Beast is headlining at O’Leaver’s Saturday night. The Minneapolis band’s music has been compared to Ride and Yo La Tengo thanks to their very drone-y, chime-y sound, as you’ll see/hear if you click below. Joining them are Eklectica, The Cult of Lip and Devotional Being. That’s a lot of rock for $5. 9:30 p.m.

Metal-heads have Austin band The Sword Saturday night at The Waiting Room. Opening is Kadavar and All Them Witches. $18/$20, 8:30 start time.

Finally, it’s another Sunday Social at O’Leaver’s for what’s really a mini-music-and-booze festival. Helping Mike Saklar’s Sun-less Trio celebrate their record release are The Lupines, Sidewalkers, Relax, it’s Science, Lincoln Dickson (solo), Lodgings (Post Verse, Nanahara, UUVVWWZ) and Cricket Kirk (solo). They’re serving food starting at 2 p.m. and the bands get rolling at 5 p.m. All for $5. 

That’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend!

* * *

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 © 2015 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

The Lupines at The Waiting Room, Oct. 7, 2015.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

“If you’re a praying person, send your prayers to the Thornton family.” Solemn words from Lupines frontman John Ziegler, and a reminder why the bands were playing last night at The Waiting Room.

As outlined yesterday, Robert (Bob) Thornton is going through serious medical issues that have kept him from working and created mountains of medical bills. Find out more about the situation at his GoFundMe page and lend a hand.

Last night’s show was a benefit for Bob, and despite the tragic circumstances surrounding the evening, the bands brought their A games, performing rousing sets performed in front of about 100 fans. Ziegler’s message came smack-dab in the middle of the Lupine’s usual break-neck/ball-buster set we’ve come to expect from the Omaha garage-rock giants.

Wagon Blasters at The Waiting Room, Oct. 7, 2015.

Lupines followed a set by tractor-punk heroes Wagon Blasters, a band that features Robert’s brother Bill Thornton on guitar. Gary Dean Davis and the crew were in rare form, with the Waiting Room’s stage finally giving GDD the space he needs for maximum bounce height/trajection.

The Sun-less Trio at The Waiting Room, Oct. 7, 2015.

The evening was rounded out by a gorgeous set from The Sun-less Trio, a band that features Mike Saklar on guitar and vocals, galvanized by the rhythm section of drummer Marc Phillips and bass player Cricket Kirk.  The music’s style was earthy, laid-back and (dare I say it?) soulful, powered by Saklar’s masterful guitar work. The band has a new record coming out Oct. 18. Their set was the perfect way to end a night of music dedicated to a good cause.

* * *

Word to the Totally indeed.

The hits keep on coming from The Reader. As part of The Reader‘s annual Music Issue, this morning my big-ass feature on O’Leaver’s went online. Matt Maginn, Ted Stevens, Craig Dee and Ian Aeillo give the skinny on what’s happening these days at The Club as it enters its next renaissance. The story covers everything from the new sound system to Live at O’Leaver’s to the booking policy to the new, massive beer garden. The story is on newsstands now and online right here.

This O’Leaver’s feature story is the central part of the issue’s look at Omaha music venues. I also wrote about The Waiting Room and Slowdown, and Wayne Brekke and BJ Huchtemann  wrote about their favorite clubs, including the styles of music, booking etc. Those stories will be online soon but why wait? Grab your copy of the paper right now.

Included (and now online) is BJ Huchtemann’s list of Top Bands, that joins my list and Wayne’s list in the issue. BJ kicks off her list by saying how much she hates lists, and points to John Heaston for coming up with the whole “lists” idea. But, in fact, the blame is all mine. Sorry Beej. Check out BJ’s list right here.

* * *

What’s happening tonight?

Lincoln singer/songwriter Scott Severin is playing down at the Harney Street Tavern with Jack Hotel. That free show starts at 9 p.m.

Meanwhile, over at fabulous O’Leaver’s, All Young Girls Are Machine Guns returns with LA’s Nicky Davey and Mesonjixx. $5, 9:30 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 © 2015 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.