The Wedding Present at Red Eyed Fly, SXSW, way back on March 14, 2012.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

As you’ve probably already figured out, I didn’t go to the South by Southwest Festival in Austin this year. With The Reader no longer being a sponsoring publication, it’s unlikely I’ll ever get a SXSW media badge again. That doesn’t mean I’ll never return to SXSW, but it makes it a whole lot more expensive (if I want a badge, anyway).

So no, I’m not there, and neither is Kevin Coffey from the Omaha World-Herald (Why he’s not there, I don’t know, but with the recent slew of lay-offs at the paper, I can guess).

And with Hear Nebraska now rolled into Rabble Mill, there’s no one from HN reporting from SXSW, either. The latest Hear Nebraska news is that applications are being taken for the 2018 Good Living Tour. The deadline to be considered for the fourth annual event is March 26.

This begs the question: How can any of us lost Omaha souls keep up with what arguably is the most important music festival in the country?

Well, there’s still a fairly large contingent of Nebraskans attending SXSW. In fact, 11 Nebraska bands are participating in Nebraska Exposed, a free showcase being held on the rooftop of Cheers Shot Bar on E 6th St. Wednesday night.

The 11 bands: Better Friend, HAKIM, Laughing Falcon, The Dilla Kids, State Disco, Orion Walsh, SAS, Lloyd McCarter and The Honky Tonk Revival, A Different Breed and KHARI The Duo, No doubt the majority are from Lincoln, which makes sense since the showcase is presented by Lincoln public radio station KZUM and Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development.

If you happen to be Facebook friends with anyone in these bands, you might be able to glean some SXSW updates throughout the week. For me, the best reporter on the scene is Jeremy Buckley. J has been a SXSW regular for years, and he’s already streamed a number of SXSW performances on Facebook Live. If you’re lucky, Jeremy might let you be his friend, too.

In year’s past, Saddle Creek Records hosted a SXSW showcase, but not this year. In fact, the only Creek band that appears to be playing the festival is Hop Along, who’s busy promoting their upcoming release, Bark Your Head Off, Dog, slated for release April 6. You can see Hop Along’s SXSW schedule at saddle-creek.com/sxsw

That said, it’s odd that the other Creek acts with releases upcoming — Stef Chura, Young Jesus, Rural Alberta Advantage — aren’t playing in Austin this week…

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No shows tonight, but there are tons on the horizon. In the meantime, here’s the new video by Belly, who has self-released album coming out May 4 called Dove. And a tour, but alas, it’s a NOmaha affair…

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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 © 2018 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.