The Rebates at The Brothers Lounge, May 26, 2012.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

The Brothers Lounge turned into a punk-rock old folks home Saturday night for the big Rebates reunion, and I can say that without fear of reprisals since I was one of those old folks. Still, even I’m too young to remember The Rebates on their first go ’round circa sometime in the late ’70s. Back then I was busy tipping cows in Ft. Calhoun, listening to Zeppelin and Floyd on The Z and dreaming of Gina Tomasina. Meanwhile, this roughshod trio was injecting high-grade punk into the Omaha biosphere, reportedly for the first time.

I wasn’t the only person in the packed house who was too young to have seen The Rebates the first time, and was there because they’d been told the show would be special. And special it was. Although I didn’t recognize any of the songs (someone who was around during Omaha’s first wave pointed out a Stranglers cover) I recognized the vibe and the energy and can only imagine how it translated in a different Omaha, before punk and Caulfield and Saddle Creek, when the only thing in town was meat markets and cover bands. It was bands like the Rebates that helped lay the groundwork for what Omaha would become.

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It’s back to The Brothers tonight for the Capgun Coup tour send-off show. The band heads to LA for a month of shows. Help launch their tour in style. Opening is Gus & Call. 10 p.m., $?. More info here.

By the way, someone asked the other night how I found out about the Rebates show or any Brothers show for that matter. The only place I’ve seen their shows listed or mentioned was The Brothers Facebook page.  Go there now and “like” ’em.

Also tonight, a little ol’ band by the name of Best Coast plays at Slowdown with JEFF the Brotherhood. $17, 9 p.m.

Before you head to either show, drop by the Shop at Saddle Creek for tonight’s Record Club, featuring Talking Heads’ Remain in Light. The needle drops at 7, followed by friendly conversation. And pick up some vinyl while you’re down there.

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Tomorrow: Maha responds to the comments on this blog entry.

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by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

So what’s going on musicwise on this 3-day weekend?

Well Aimed Arrows, Adult Entertainment (2012, self released)

We’ve been hearing about the release of Well Aimed Arrows’ debut, Adult Entertainment, for a long, long time. Well, tonight’s the night. The band is having its official vinyl release show at Slowdown Jr. with Millions of Boys and Dads. $7, 9 p.m. Before you go, check out the entire WAA album right here on their Bandcamp page.

Also tonight, The Drowning Men play a free show at The Sydney with Lightning Bug. Drowning Men is the latest in a long line of Arcade Fire-inspired bands, this time from Oceanside, CA.  Check out “Get a Heart” via SoundCloud below. BTW, The Sydney has been ramping up its live show calendar lately, including a Dave Dondero show booked for June 2.

The Drowning Men, “Get a Heart”:

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/9159544″ iframe=”true” /]
Saturday night is that big Rebates reunion show at The Brothers, which I told you about last week. A brief refresher: The Rebates is considered by some to be Omaha’s first punk band, whose members included Dave “Stinky LePew” Wees, who would go on to become a member of Buck Naked and the Bare Bottom Boys. Stinky, will join fellow Rebates Steve Warsocki and Tim Drelicharz (later of The Click) for the Brothers gig, which is a warmup for a show Sunday at The Joyo Theater in Lincoln with Pogrom/Ex-Machina, The Spastic Apes, Sacred Cows, Informed Dissent, Lon’s Garden and Battle Ship Gray. Joining The Rebates at Saturday’s Brothers gig is Bullet Proof Hearts and The Bob Garfield Experience. $7, 9 p.m., once in a lifetime event…

Also Saturday night, Kite Pilot returns to fabulous O’Leaver’s with Video Ranger and I Am the Navigator. $5, 9:30 p.m.

If that wasn’t enough, Gus & Call have scored a play for the Great Plains Theatre Conference, which will be performed on the opening night of the conference Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. at House of Loom. Titled Muazzez, the play was written by Mac Wellman and directed by Elena Araoz. More info here. While your at the website, check out the Playfest schedule, which features local musicians including Shane Aspegren (the Berg Sans Nipple), Pearl Boyd and Bill Hoover, David Downing, The Answer Team, George Walker and  Gus & Call.

Finally, Austin-based indie band Nelo plays at Slowdown Jr. Find out more at their very cool website. $11, 9 p.m.

Finally Sunday night The Heartless Bastards perform at The Waiting Room with These United States. 9 p.m. Save a couple bucks and get your tix today: $12 adv./$14 DOS.

Have a fantastic Memorial Day.

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by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

A look back at St. Vincent’s performances in Omaha as the setting for last Monday night’s sold out show at The Slowdown is fodder for this week’s column in The Reader, which you can read it online here at thereader.com. Annie Clark, St. Vincent’s frontwoman, is bucking the one-hit-wonder trend that plagues today’s indie scene, where bands make a big splash with one record and then spend the rest of their careers frantically waving their arms while bobbing up and down in the vast sea of talent that makes up today’s music industry. I guess it helps to be unbelievably talented. And gorgeous. And talented. So is she the next PJ Harvey? Read on…

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Trey Lalley, everyone’s favorite bar owner and proprietor of The Brothers Lounge, sent a heads up about the big Rebates reunion show next Saturday night (May 26) at Brothers. The band is considered by some to be Omaha’s first punk band, whose members included Dave “Stinky LePew” Wees, who would go on to become a member of Buck Naked and the Bare Bottom Boys. Stinky, who now lives in S.F., is headed back home where he’ll join fellow Rebates Steve Warsocki and Tim Drelicharz (later of The Click) for the Brothers gig, which is a warmup for a show the following day (May 27) at The Joyo Theater in Lincoln with Pogrom/Ex-Machina, The Spastic Apes, Sacred Cows, Informed Dissent, Lon’s Garden and Battle Ship Gray, according to Chris Aponick’s report in this week’s issue of The Reader (right here). Joining The Rebates at Saturday’s Brothers gig is Bullet Proof Hearts and The Bob Garfield Experience. It is, as they say, kind of a big deal. More info here.

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Matt Whipkey also sends a head’s up that The Whipkey Three’s new album, Two Truths, is streaming for free right here on Soundcloud. Check it out.

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The Love Drunk Tour 2012 continues as, according to the schedule, the band is in Knoxville, TN, today filming that ever-elusive band that goes by the name TBA. Regardless, check out their latest video from the tour (for “Somebody” by Jukebox the Ghost) and get a status update right here.

Tonight at The Waiting Room it’s Quintron and Miss Pussycat. According to good ol’ Wikipedia:

Quintron is a multi-instrumental one-man-band. During performances, Quintron utilizes a custom-made Hammond organ/Fender Rhodes synthesizer combo, which he has had custom outfitted to resemble the body of a car, complete with working headlights and a Louisiana license plate which reads “Quintron.” Quintron is often accompanied by The Drum Buddy, a rotating, light-activated analog synthesizer, one of many which he has created and manufactured himself. Quintron is regularly accompanied by his wife Miss Pussycat, who sings backup and plays maracas.

Sounds like quite a spectacle. Opening is Vickers and the always amazing Solid Goldberg, who by himself is worth the  $10 ticket price. Starts at 9 p.m.

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Tomorrow: Big news about Hear Nebraska. Bring your pocketbooks and/or wallets.

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