by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

That Scott Severin gig I mentioned in my column a couple weeks ago… turns out it will be the last show ever at Venue 51.

Sevs tells me the club has decided to close its doors and that the July 18 show will be the grand finale. Located at 1951 St. Mary’s Ave., the venue only opened last year. Sevs tells me the place is actually closed right now and won’t open again until that show on the 18th, even though their online calendar shows bookings through August and there’s no mention of their closing on their Facebook page (though the last timeline entry was June 28).

I have to admit to never stepping foot in the club, mainly because it never booked the kind of music I listen to. Actually, it rarely booked bands I’ve even heard of.

Severin is just one of the performers playing the July 18 “last waltz.” Joining him will be touring artist Melissa Greener, and local singer/songwriters Michael Campbell, Pat Gehrman and Logan Krug. Event info here. 

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Speaking of upcoming shows, if you missed The Everymen last Sunday (read about them here) fret not, as the band is headed back (to O’Leaver’s again, no less) Aug. 18.

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Paul Hansen of Pro-Magnum wrote to let me know that this Saturday night’s Pro-Mangnum show at fabulous O’Leaver’s is going to be his ad hoc bon voyage party. I’ll let him tell you:

“We are playing with Maps for Travelers. More importantly, from a personal standpoint, this is my last show with the band as I’m leaving Omaha to start graduate studies in Louisiana. Before I depart we are doing this last show and going back into ARC to finish our record with Ben Brodin.  Even more importantly, it’s a Saturday in July and everything pretty much sucks.  To quell the suckiness we are setting up a hot dog/brat bar before the show. $5 bucks gets you into the gig while a handshake and a smile gets you unlimited hot dog access (none of that Kroger brand bullshit either, we are talking Just Good Meats). Yet even more exciting is that we will have a fuck-ton of different toppings to load your dog and or bratwurst with. 

In summation:

Show purpose: Funds for recording.

Why I care: Last show, sentimental, leaving a drunken community I have enjoyed being apart of.

Why anyone else should care: The hot-dog bar

But why would we buy mass quantities of hot-dogs and or brats if we are trying to save, not spend money? Sometimes, Tim, money isn’t an object and the hot dog wins.”

This one will be insane. $5, 9 p.m. Hot dogs. Pro-Magnum. O’Leaver’s. You summer has just been made.

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Sunday night Ceremony (Matador Records) returns to Slowdown Jr. Opening is Angel Dust and Forced Order. $10, 8 p.m.

Meanwhile over at The Waiting Room Sunday night, Bon Iver member S. Carey plays at The Waiting Room with The Pines. $12, 9 p.m.

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

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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 © 2014 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

The Everymen at O’Leaver’s, July 6, 2014.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

O’Leaver’s on a hot Sunday afternoon in July is a surreal experience, like stepping onto the set of Robert Altman’s M*A*S*H. All the usual characters strolled around outside in the “beer garden” with cocktails sweating in the blazing heat while an O’Leaver manned a barbecue grill frying up large greasy kielbasa. Across the parking lot in the sand pit half-naked volleyball players slathered in sunblock slammed PBRs to the sounds of Van Halen’s “Panama.”

Meanwhile, inside the dark cool confines of The Club, The Everymen set up for the afternoon gig. The band featured none other than Catherine Herrick, the former PR wonk at Beggars Group (Matador, XL, etc.) familiar to anyone who’s had to interview, say, Cat Power or a member of Interpol over the past 10 years. I chatted with Catherine after the show, and that interview will be the basis for this week’s Over the Edge column in The Reader. You’ll have to wait for it..

In addition to Herrick, The Everymen consisted of five more members — two guitarists, bassist, drummer and saxophone player. That sax — along with the band leader’s love of all things New Jersey (and The Sopranos) — might give you some ideas what this band sounded, but you’d be wrong.

The Everymen combined elements of garage and indie with doo-wap, metal, even theater rock. Their style was all over the board. One minute you’d think you were listening to something penned by John Steinman (albeit, without keyboards), the next it sounded like an homage to The Scorpions, but with sax thrown on top of the riffs.

That sax player (who switched between bari and alto when he wasn’t adding vocals) defined (or at least shadowed) everything about The Everymen, along with Herrick, who has an intensity that reminded me of Heidi Ore of Mercy Rule/Domestica fame, and frontman/guitarist Mike V, who would have you believe this band is just a group of goombahs in town from the Jersey shore. And while they did have sonic similarities to a certain Jersey dude who also has a sax player in his band, no one would mistake this guttural rock with anything released by The Boss.

Highlight moments came toward the end of the 45+ minute set in the form of a growler I think was called “Motorbike,” and a fist-pumping anthem (again) I think was called “I Held On.” They could be campy (synchronized group arm gestures, finger-snapping), they could be heavy, but most of all they were fun. And labels like Matador or XL could use a little fun in their rosters.

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Tonight at The Sydney it’s a four-artist bill headlined with New Orleans band SIRENS (Community Records). Opening is Mike Schlesinger, Anne McClellan and adamroberthauG. $5, 9 p.m. Not a bad way to kick off the week…

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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 © 2014 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.