Pixies, Waxahatchee headline 2025 Maha Festival w/Band of Horses, Silversun Pickups, more…

Category: Blog — Tags: , , , , , , — @ 8:46 am March 20, 2025
Pixies will headline the 2025 Maha Festival.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

The line-up for the 2025 Maha Festival was announced late yesterday afternoon and it may be their best line-up ever: Pixies, Waxahatchee, Band of Horses, Magdalena Bay, Silversun Pickups and local heroes Little Brazil. 

There have been accusations that I had inside knowledge of the line-up prior to the announcement, based upon my Feb. 24 predictions, but nothing could be further from the truth. It was simply a matter of deduction. Pixies have always been a favorite of the folks who ran the now-defunct Outlandia Festival — all of whom are now involved in Maha. Pixies’ tour schedule also had a nice hole on Aug. 2, which happens to be Maha’s date. 

Formed in 1986 but active throughout most of the 2000s, many (including myself) have argued Pixies was the most important post-punk band of the ‘80s whose sound heavily influenced Nirvana and spawned the grunge era, pulling indie rock out of the underground and onto the pop charts. 

Three of the band’s original members remain: Black Francis, Joey Santiago and David Lovering, with Emma Richardson taking over the bass chores from Kim Deal. The band’s latest, The Night the Zombies Came, was released last October on BMG. 

The last time Pixies was scheduled to play Omaha was an oudoor gig at The Waiting Room, Sept. 16, 2021 – a show that was cancelled along with the rest of the band’s tour that year, likely due to COVID issues. Prior to that, you have to go all the way back to September 2010 when the band played The Orpheum Theatre. So, their return is a long time coming. 

My prediction that Waxahatchee could be at this’ year’s festival was more of a wish. The band – one of my favorites – has avoided Omaha since the pandemic. The last time they played Nebraska was Lincoln Calling back in 2018. Prior to that, they played The Waiting Room way back in 2014. Their latest album, Tigers Blood, came out in March 2024 on Anti- and their due for a new LP, hopefully this year. 

Band of Horses played the inaugural Outlandia Festival back in 2022. Their 2006 album, Everything All the Time (Sub Pop), contains the indie hit “The Funeral,” which has almost half a billion plays on Spotify. Their latest LP, Things Are Great (2024, BMG), continues along their dreamy, indie-jangle path. 

Electro-pop duo Magdalena Bay just played The Waiting Room last September, supporting their then just-released Imaginal Disk (Mom+Pop Records). Some folks online have commented that this year’s Maha line-up more resembles an Outlandia festival, but Magdalena Bay definitely targets the younger audience drawn to past Maha fests. 

Silversun Pickups should be very familiar to Omaha audiences. They just played here last April at The Admiral. Before that, they played at Slowdown in 2021, Stir Cove in 2013, Sumtur Amphitheater in 2012, Sokol Auditorium (now Admiral) in 2009, and Slowdown in 2007. 

Little Brazil on the Brashear LLP stage at the first Maha Music Festival in 2009.

Finally, it only seems right that the Omaha band that kicked off the Maha Music Festival way back in August 2009 at Lewis & Clark Landing – Little Brazil – open this year’s festival at its new RiverFront location in Heartland of America Park. 

That’s a strong line-up for a one-day festival that many feared may not return after the 2024 event was “paused.” Among the reasons given at the time: “…the worldwide festival industry has faced an unprecedented increase in costs for talent, transportation, labor, security and insurance.” There were other issues as well, including personnel changes in the Maha organization.

And now it’s back, arguably better than ever. No word yet on ticket prices, but we’ll find out when they go on sale Friday. 

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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 © 2025 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

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New SAVAK (local boy Mike Jaworski); new Ty Segall, STRFKR, Waxahatchee…

Category: Blog — Tags: , , , — @ 8:07 am January 10, 2024

SAVAK on the streets of Brooklyn…

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Mike Jaworski, a.k.a. Jaws by those who know him, emailed last week saying his current project – SAVAK — has a new album coming out called Flavors of Paradise on Brooklyn label Ernest Jenning Record Co.

Those of you who were around the Omaha music scene back in the day remember Jaws from his bands Hong Gyn Corp, The Cops, Virgin Islands and Hello from Waveland, as well as his Seattle-based record label Mt. Fuji, which in addition to releasing albums by The Cops dropped records by Omaha indie band Little Brazil. 

So yeah, Jaworski is something of a legend who hasn’t lived around here in ages, but is still remembered as an icon. 

Anyway, SAVAK is a three piece indie rock band that also includes Sohrab Habibion (ex-Obits, ex-Edsel) and drummer Matt Schulz (ex-Holy Fuck).  Joining them as part of the live version of SAVAK are indie rock veterans Jeff Gensterblum (Small Brown Bike, Her Heads on Fire) and Matt Hunter (New Radiant Storm King, Silver Jews). 

The new record was recorded at Steve Albini’s Electrical Audio studio but without Albini and instead with Matthew Barnhart (Superchunk, Bob Mould). “No guests, no edits, no country and definitely no funk—the record is lean, spacious and lively,” says the press release. Undoubtably modern, the record also has some retro touches, among them the Byrds-like harmonies on “Let the Sunlight In” and the ‘70s acid guitar on “The New New Age.” It’s the most tuneful SAVAK album to date and a total gas. 

The band will be playing around Brooklyn this spring and have a tour of France slated for April (ah, April in Paris), but no Omaha dates planned (SAVAK would be the perfect fit for the Outlandia Festival!). Preorder the album here

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Tuesday appears to be the day when bands announce tours. 

Ty Segall is headed back to Omaha May 7 for a gig at The Waiting Room. Yesterday he dropped the final pre-release single from his upcoming full-length, Three Bells, which will be released Jan. 26 on Drag City.

Portland’s STRFKR announced they’ll play at The Admiral Theater April 28. Their new album, Parallel Realms, drops on Polyvinyl March 1.

Indie darlings (and personal favorite) Waxahatchee announced their new album, Tigers Blood, drops March 22 on Anti-. They also announched a slew of 2024 tour dates. Their closest pass to Omaha will be the usual Kansas City, St. Paul, Chicago swing April 18-20. See you on the interstate.

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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 © 2024 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

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Lincoln Calling Day 1 tonight (Waxahatchee, Japanese Breakfast, Ought), Duffy’s outdoors moved to Bourbon; Clarence Tilton @ O’Leaver’s (Cancelled)…

Category: Blog — Tags: , , , — @ 12:48 pm September 20, 2018

Japanese Breakfast is among the acts playing Night 1 of Lincoln Calling.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

It’s night one of Lincoln Calling. I know it officially started yesterday, but tonight is when they roll out the big guns.

But first — a schedule change: Do to the threat of thunderstorms, events scheduled for Duffy’s Backlot have been moved to Bourbon Theater. That’s significant because two of tonight’s biggest names were slated to play at the backlot.

Japanese Breakfast (now at Bourbon) is Philadelphia musician Michelle Zauner and her band, whose Soft Sounds from Another Planet (2017, Dead Oceans) was something of a breakout release, thanks to singles like “Road Head” (currently more than 7 million spins on Spotify alone) and “Boyish” (3.7 million plays).

Ought (also now at Bourbon) is a Montreal band that sounds influenced by acts like Joy Division, Cure, Gang of Four and current-day Ceremony. Their last album, Room Inside the World (2018, Merge), is a jangling post-punk corker. Great stuff.

The other big name on tonight’s festival bill is Waxahatchee playing at the smallish 1867 venue. If you’re wondering if this is going to be a Katie Crutchfield solo show, you’d be right, as she’s out supporting the acoustic Great Thunder EP, released earlier this year on Merge. Those VIP passes will come in handy getting into this one.

You’ve also got Matt Whipkey at Bodega’s and Twinsmith at Duffy’s (inside). Full sched and ticket info at lincolncalling.com

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And read more about how Lincoln Calling 2018 came together in my article in the September issue of The Reader.

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Something tells me tonight’s Clarence Tilton gig slated for the beer garden at fabulous O’Leaver’s also is going to get moved inside due to inclement weather. If not, you may want to bring an umbrella. This is an early show, starting at 6 p.m. $5. CANCELLED due to rain and Jeopardy.

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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.

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The Big Concert Announcement: June 3 at Reverb; Lazy-i Podcast for May 6 (Barnett, Waxahatchee, Klemmensen, Joyner)…

Category: Blog — Tags: , , , , — @ 12:27 pm May 6, 2015

The 50th Birthday Concert at Reverb, June 3, 2015. A benefit for Hear Nebraska.

The 50th Birthday Concert at Reverb, June 3, 2015. A benefit for Hear Nebraska.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

So here’s the big secret concert I mentioned last week: My 50th Birthday Concert, organized by Polecat Communications

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(i.e., my wife, Teresa), June 3, 2015, at Reverb Lounge. The bands: Son, Ambulance, The Wagon Blasters and The Lupines. It’s a fantastic line-up for a celebration, with proceeds going to a good cause: Hear Nebraska, an organization that I’ve served as a board member for a few years now. Please join me for an evening of fun, music and booze!

The announcement was first made during this week’s Lazy-i Podcast (linked below). This week’s episode features Chris Aponick and myself bantering back and forth Siskel & Ebert style (you can decide which of us is which) over four first quarter 2015 releases by Courtney Barnett, Waxahatchee, John Klemmensen and the Party and Simon Joyner. Also a live soundbite from Digital Leather to kick things off. Check it out below.

 

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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 © 2015 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

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Kasher’s new video; Waxahatchee, Big Al Fest (Bloodcow, Hoshaw) kicks off tonight…

Category: Blog — Tags: , , — @ 12:45 pm April 24, 2014

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Tim Kasher yesterday debuted his new self-directed video for track “You Scare Me to Death” on German website Musik Express. Here’s what they had to say about it:

Cursive- und The-Good-Life-Sänger Tim Kasher hat ein neues Musikvideo veröffentlicht, und das erzählt von einer nur scheinbar heilen Welt: Im Clip zum Song “You Scare Me To Death” geht es titelgemäß um nicht weniger als um die Angst, einen geliebten Menschen zu verlieren.

I don’t know what that means, but I bet it’s really  nice.

Check out the video below:

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Couple o’ shows going on tonight:

At The Waiting Room it’s Brooklyn folk project Waxahatchee (Don Giovanni Records / Wichita Recordings) with Carbonleak & Manic Pixie Dream Girls. $12, 9 p.m.

Meanwhile the Big Al Free Music Festival 2014 kicks off at The Hideout, 320 So. 72nd St. Al’s been doing it for free for seven years. The three-night festival starts tonight with a line-up that includes some big hitters: Bloodcow and Brad Hoshaw, among others. Check out the whole lineup on their Facebook page. The show is free (duh) and starts at 8:45.

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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.

 

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