Work has been crazy lately, which is why there was no update yesterday. Had I updated the blog, I would have told you to go to the Bruces/Mayday/Neva show at TWR or go to the Joe Budenholzer show at PS Collective (with Dereck Higgins opening) or head to Lincoln for Day 1 of two days of new music showcases at Box Awesome.

I definitely would have reviewed the Noah's Ark Was a Spaceship/Paria show that took place at TWR Thursday night. Here's what I would have said: There's been a lot of chatter about Noah's over the past few months. The whole time I've been scratching my head, wondering why an instrumental rock band that sounds like Mogwai was garnering all the attention. Then someone pointed out that the Noah's Ark now performing is nothing like the band I saw over a year ago at Sokol Underground. This version is a trio -- with vocals -- and now resembles a lot of the pre-grunge post-punk rock bands that I remember from the late-'80s and '90s, including Sonic Youth, Husker Du, Pavement, Polvo, Blonde Redhead, Archers of Loaf, etc. The difference being a deeper low-end to Noah's music, in fact, a deeper sound altogether. Vocals range from screaming/yelling to forceful singing. The whole thing was dissonant art rock with a groove. I need to track down a copy of their disc…

I spent most of Thursday night sitting next to one of the city's music legends who has an encyclopedic knowledge of '80s-'90s rock. He was the one who originally suggested the Sonic Youth comparison, which I didn't hear at first, but figured out after I got past all the low end (SY was never that bassy). He wondered how these youngsters knew so much about the '90s. I said that maybe they thought they were inventing a new sound -- not likely. This guy next to me also was a metal expert, which came in handy for Paria. Other than Slayer and Motörhead, I don't have a lot of experience with metal. Coming off a performance at the OEA showcase a few weeks ago at The Barley Street (which convinced the organizers to put them on stage for next Thursday's Holland show), Paria has a rather massive buzz going on around town. I've talked to people who know nothing about metal and never listen to the genre who told me how great they were -- that isn't necessarily a good thing. Before their set, my metal expert told me that Paria was the real deal. "You can tell good metal from bad metal in about 10 seconds," he said. "These guys know what they're doing."

Just a guitar, bass and drummer, Paria took the stage and launched into one of their explosive, propulsive metal "songs." To the uninitiated (i.e., me) the music was all about the drums. Huge drums, precise and hyper, they controlled everything happening on stage -- the guitar and bass merely played off the drummer's direction. With no vocals (purely instrumental), the drums became the central focus on proggy, jittery noise concoctions that seemed to change direction every 32 bars or so. Yeah, it sounded complicated, and you had to wonder how the band knew when to start and stop, but after a while, the math equation that underlies the compositions began to show through. It's pretty hard not to marvel at the musicianship. The guitarist was making some high-level, high-speed noise while the bassist kept it going underneath. But to me, it was all about the big-shouldered drumming. Other than one slower, more melodic number in the middle of the set, most of the songs sounded the same -- you could drop in at any point of any one of them and it would sound like the one before it. I mentioned this to the metal expert, who just shook his head.

"You're not a metal guy so you're not going to get it," he said. "There are subtle nuances that differentiate one song from another, and one section of the song from the next. The guys out there in the audience who follow the band know what's going on and know what to expect. That's the cool part about this -- to the uninitiated it may sound like unstructured noise, but if you listened to this again and again, you'd spot how these songs never differ from night to night. They're not just improvising noise."

To really understand Paria, he said, I needed to see them more than once. If I only saw them once, I probably wouldn't get past the noise (it was hugely loud). He said metal is like country music -- if you don't like country music, it'll all sound the same to you. But each song is really different. Metal's the same way. With metal, he said, melody is replaced with rhythm -- those beefy drums -- and the guitar is the accompaniment, the accoutrement. It all made perfect sense, and before long I felt like I was talking to the Yoda of metal. Maybe I was.

I told Yoda that Paria was going to play at the OEA's next Thursday. He thought that sounded cool, but not cool enough to attend. It just so happened that I took part in the first OEA awards night earlier that evening at The Scottish Rite. Awards were given in some of the arts, theater and music categories that there isn't time for next Thursday. WOWT's Sheila Brummer and I gave out awards for Achievement in Lighting Design and Achievement in Sound Design. There also were a few music awards given that night. The Song Remains the Same won for best cover band. Brent Crampton won for Best DJ/Electronic. And in a moment that recalled last year's debacle where The Jazzwholes won for best jazz band, Forty Twenty took home the award for Best Bluegrass/Country.

No offense to Forty Twenty -- they're one of the better live bands out there these days -- but they're not a bluegrass band. Forty Twenty plays rock music that twangs (Yoda told me they've been known to play heavy metal covers at shows). One could make the argument that they're a "country" band, I suppose, especially based on their Myspace recordings. But bluegrass, no way. The problem here is the category description -- bluegrass/country. The two should never have been grouped together. Bluegrass has a very distinctive style and instrumentation that includes upright bass, fiddle, guitar or mandolin, banjo. Certainly no drums. Forty Twenty isn't bluegrass, yet there it was in a category called Bluegrass/Country, up against acts like Black Squirrels and the Southpaw Bluegrass Band, and of course they won because they're more popular than their competition.

Like I said last year when the Jazzwholes took the jazz prize -- it's not they're fault if the unwashed masses don't know the difference between rock and jazz. We'll see more of these inconsistencies next Thursday at the Holland -- inconsistencies that we suffered through last year that we were told were going to be prevented this year. Apparently not. It underscores the problem with these kinds of awards programs.

Tonight at The 49'r, it's Little Brazil and No Action -- should be quite a crowd -- $5, 9 p.m. The Filter Kings open for The Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash tonight at The Waiting Room -- $10, 9 p.m. Meanwhile, down in Lincoln, it's night two of Jeremy Buckley's new music showcase at Box Awesome. Last night was UuVvWwZ, Spring Gun, Gold Lion, The Terminals and Aria Falls. Tonight it's Ideal Cleaners, Domestica, Dean Arm Band, PaperPeople, and Columbia Vs. Challenger. A great line-up that starts at 7 p.m. I'm begging Jeremy to figure out a way to get all these bands to play in Omaha for a couple nights this summer in all the Benson bars -- call it Lincoln Invades Omaha.

Hey, don't forget to enter to win a copy of the coveted Lazy-I Best of 2007 Compilation CD! All you have to do is e-mail me (tim@lazy-i.com) with your name and mailing address and you'll be entered into the drawing. Tracks include songs by Stars, Interpol, Rilo Kiley, Wilco, Les Savy Fav, Justice, Baby Walrus, Bright Eyes, The Good Life, The Monroes, The Third Men and many more. Details and track order are right here. Enter today! Deadline's January 17.

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Here it is, the annual Year in Review article, complete with the usual list of favorite CDs and favorite shows of '07. It's also in today's issue of The Reader, but you can read it here, now.

While you're there, make sure you enter to win a copy of the coveted Lazy-I Best of 2007 Compilation CD! All you have to do is e-mail me (tim@lazy-i.com) with your name and mailing address and you'll be entered into the drawing. Tracks include songs by Interpol, Rilo Kiley, Stars, Wilco, Les Savy Fav, Justice, Baby Walrus, Bright Eyes, The Good Life, The Monroes, The Third Men and many more. Details and track order are right here. Enter today! Deadline's January 17.

A couple shows worth mentioning tonight: At The Barley Street Tavern, it's She Swings, She Sways with Dublin's own Robin James Hurt and The Black Squirrels. $5, 9 p.m. Meanwhile, up the street at The Waiting Room, it's Bombardment Society with Ketchup & Mustard Gas, Noah's Ark Was a Spaceship and Paria. $7, 9 p.m.

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Hope you're having a good holiday. The Lazy-i Year in Review article goes online tomorrow, and with it, the usual "best of" lists and the annual Lazy-i Best of 2007 CD track listing and contest. Yes, I put together another comp disc this year, and you can enter to win a copy. Details tomorrow.

Some late reflections on last Saturday's Mal Madrigal album release show at Slowdown: Steve Bartolomei is the best male vocalist of anyone in the local scene these days. His voice is rich and pure and without any affectations. There are other good singers around town, but most of them have some sort of made-up style or nuance that seems unnatural, and as a result, takes away from their performance. They would deny this, but anyone in the audience can pick out their forced stylization. Bartolomei doesn't try to create something in his voice that isn't there. He merely sings his songs, and that's enough. You could argue that he doesn't have much range, but few male vocalists around here do. He could certainly go above or below his comfort zone, but that's more of a criticism of his songwriting than his voice. If there's a stone to throw at Bartolomei's music, it's that his melodies often are too narrow and can be forgettable. He makes up for this drawback with a first-rate band that makes everything sound lush and gorgeous, especially on the vinyl. The show was clearly one of the best sounding live performances I've seen on Slowdown's big stage, and as always, I had to wonder if this band will ever get what's due to it by going out on a respectable tour -- not just to Kansas City and Des Moines, but to the East and West Coasts. The only way that's going to happen is if one of the established Saddle Creek bands takes them under their wing as a tour opener. Mal Madrigal would be a natural opener for Bright Eyes, Mayday, The Good Life, Art in Manila, Maria Taylor and Neva Dinova, to name a few. Unfortunately, Mal Madrigal isn't part of the Saddle Creek stable, even though Bartolomei has toured with a number of these bands (as part of their bands). Could the entire Mal Madrigal ensemble go on the road for three or four weeks? That's the big question.

I got to Slowdown early enough to see Ted Stevens do his solo set, starting out on ukulele then moving to guitar. Stevens goes in whatever direction he wants to, and I don't think he cares if you come along for the ride or not. He's content going his own way, singing for an audience of one. As accessible as Stevens can sound on stage, he's one of the most experimental singer/songwriters performing today. He ended his set with a song where he seemingly turned his electric guitar into a sitar. In fact, I wouldn't have been surprised if Stevens had pulled a sitar from back stage. What will he do Friday night when Mayday plays at The Waiting Room?

I watched most of Mal Madrigal's set from the balcony, looking down at a full floor below. The draw was much larger than I expected. Good thing they didn't hold this in Slowdown Jr. -- that would have been uncomfortable. Judging by the crowd around the merch table and the people walking around with copies of the album, Bartolomei moved a lot vinyl Saturday night.

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It's probably not fair to the rest of the band, but really, the highlight of any Third Men show that's dedicated to cover songs (like last night's at The Waiting Room) is hearing Mike Tulis belt out a song (or two!). Going in, you never know if Tulis will do any songs at all. It's always a game-time decision, and there's always a chance you're going to leave disappointed. Not last night. Not only did we get Tulis' rousing version of Nick Gilder's "Hot Child in the City," but we also got Argent's "Hold Your Head Up" performed as only Tulis can -- with fist held high in a brazen act of pride, anger, defiance. It was a true rock moment.

King Shit and the Golden Boys is a Guided by Voices tribute band that features frontman/guitarist Mario Alderfer in the role of Robert Pollard, with drummer/vocalist Robert Little, guitarist/vocalist Matt Stamp and a fourth guy on bass who I don't know. It wasn't a spot-on replica of GBV. That would have required the band to be drunk off their asses surrounded by spent Budweisers and cigarette butts (Who remembers the 2000 GBV show at Sokol Underground?). Me, all I wanted to hear was "I Am a Scientist." I like GBV, but I'm not a huge fan. I got my wish toward the end of the set. They did all that you can hope for from any tribute band: They made me reconsider GBV's catalog of songs and seek out the originals when I got home.

* * *

It's CD-release party weekend. There are two of them tonight, and one vinyl release show tomorrow. Don't these people know that they're gonna get screwed when it comes time for the critics to make their "best of" lists? They've already filed their '07 lists, and who will remember December releases this time next year?

The two tonight: Civicminded celebrates its new LP, Sequence, at The Waiting Room with Race for Titles, Sleep Said the Monster and Paper Owls. Your $8 admission gets you a copy of the new disc. 9 p.m. Meanwhile, down at Mick's, Goodbye Sunday is celebrating the release of a new four-song EP, with John Henry and The Cicadas. 9 p.m., $5. GS plays first because, according to Cami Rawlings in yesterday's OWH: "We're old, and we like to get it done. I'm 40. I can't stay up until 1 anymore." Come on.

I'll probably end up at O'Leaver's tonight for Reagan & the Rayguns, Thunder Power!!!, and Noah's Ark was a Spaceship. I've been told by a ton of people that Noah's Ark ain't the same boat that I heard a year (or two) ago. $5, 9:30 p.m.

I won't be missing tomorrow night's vinyl release show for Mal Madrigal's two new LPs, performed on Slowdown's big stage (This was originally slated for Slowdown Jr.). Seriously, someone should sell turntables at this show. Why not? Playing with Steve Bartolomei and Co. is Ted Stevens, Dan McCarthy and "special guests." Who could that be? $7, 9 p.m.

If you miss this show, you can see an abbreviated version at O'Leaver's on Christmas night, with Steve Bartolomei, McCarthy Trenching and Outlaw Con Bandana. Go to the one at Slowdown, though, just because.

Also Saturday night, a very special holiday evening with Bad Luck Charm at The 49, along with Santa's little helpers, The Deformities. $5, 10 p.m.

And also Saturday night, Song Remains the Same plays (again) at The Waiting Room. $7, 9 p.m., while, over at O'Leaver's, it's The Lepers with Matt Cox. $5, 9:30.

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Just posted this morning, a feature story on Mal Madrigal (read it here). Frontman Steve Bartolomei talks about the making of his band's two new, separate, vinyl albums that will be the focus of Saturday night's album-release show at Slowdown. There was a ton of info gleaned during our interview at Blue Line last Saturday that didn't make it into the story. I don't have time to post it now, so I'll be recapping all that extra stuff here tomorrow. For now, read the feature and enjoy the Bill Sitzmann photos.

Tonight at The Waiting Room it's King Shit and the Golden Boys -- a Guided by Voices tribute band, along with The Third Men, who will be playing a set of covers. I'm told there will be an all-new Mike Tulis-sung cover, and maybe some Nick Gilder action (if he feels like it). $7, 9 p.m.

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Don't get me wrong, I still listen to entire albums, though rarely at one sitting. When was the last time you did?

Tomorrow, an interview with Mal Madrigal, whose new records fly in the face of everything you just read. And in case you haven't noticed, Pitchfork published its top-50 albums of '07 yesterday (here). No. 1, Panda Bear's Person Pitch, was one of the more boring records from last year. Lists generally suck (and as proof, I'll be posting mine next week).

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After a company Christmas party, I checked out Chris Aponick's birthday bash Saturday night at The Waiting Room -- quite a crowd (maybe 100?). The Terminals' present to Chris was putting on what I think was their best live performance -- blistering hot. Whenever I listen to The Terminals these days I get nervous, almost twitchy, thanks to their sheer speed and abrasiveness. They no longer sound like a "garage punk" band. Their style is edgier, almost brazenly jolting, as nervous as a triple shot of espresso. Brimstone Howl, on the other hand, brought more of a groove, but even they are straying from their original garage punk origins, pushing bracingly closer to '70s NYC punk territory (Ramones meets The Stooges). Like a finely crafted hot rod, their music goes in only one direction and has only one gear -- loud and fast.

* * *

Lincoln Journal Star's L. Kent Wolgamott wrote a massively long story on the future of music sales in Sunday's LJS that quotes Homer's Prez Mike Fratt and Saddle Creek Records Exec Robb Nansel. The nut of the story is nothing new: Record sales are spiraling down. As a result, labels, retailers and musicians have to find a way to make money in a era when more and more listeners are merely downloading music for free. Among the topics discussed are the dreaded "360 degree deal," the "regionalism" of music and the "middle-classing" of musicians. Even Nansel admitted that Creek is being impacted by the sales slump. "Five years ago, we could put out any record and sell a couple thousand without any trouble," he said in the LJS article. "That's not the case anymore. That Ladyfinger record is a prime example. It sold about 200 copies. How could a record released on a label sell only 200 copies?" Nansel even indicated that the future could bring more 360 deals -- where artists are forced to share revenues with labels generated not only by record sales, but merch and touring income. "That model is probably the direction things will go," Nansel said in the article. "The record label has to evolve. The label needs to operate more like a manager. Whether you sell pre-recorded music or not, there's still going to be a business side to a band's career." Fratt, on the other hand, said any band that did a 360 deal would be "sort of a fool." Read the whole article here.

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Here's what I got:

-- Dance Me Pregnant and Noah's Ark Was a Spaceship at The 49'r. Why not? I generally don't like going to The Niner because there's no place to stand without being in someone's way. But few other venues in town have the holiday vibe that The Niner has this late in December. $3-$5, 9:30 p.m.
-- Evil Beaver and The Big Al Show at Shea Riley's. I haven't seen EB play in six years. There appears to be some controversy about this EB line-up, based on their old website, and apparently lawyers are involved. That won't stop Big Al and Metal Barbie from rocking some "Oregano," though. $5, 9 p.m.
-- The Song Remains the Same at Barfly. $5, 9 p.m. Suddenly these guys are playing all the time. They've got another gig at The Waiting Room next Saturday night.

Saturday night:

-- The Chris Aponick show at The Waiting Room featuring The Terminals, Brimstone Howl and Fucken Snakes. One of the City Weekly's key music writers puts on his own show. Hey, when is someone going to host a Lazy-i showcase? Problem: No bands would play for that sumbitch... $5, 9 p.m.

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J Mascis looked like that slightly overweight ex-hippy uncle who gets his electric guitar out once a year after Christmas dinner to entertain the nieces and nephews with a little G-L-O-R-I-A. Pudgy face, blue T-shirt, brownish jeans, long gray witch hair draped over his shoulders that from a distance looks like he's wearing a dirty wet towel over his head. Behind him, seven or eight Marshall amps stacked in three towers that stood taller than him, as if he was standing in a dressing booth made of sonic pain. To his left, a bald, fit-looking Murph on drums, and the ageless Lou Barlow (compared to J, anyway) on bass, his dark-brown hair covering his bouncing face. Dinosaur Jr. wasn't much to look at. And they didn't do much to intentionally draw your attention to them. Mascis barely moved his feet, except to shuffle up to the microphone between guitar solos. Still, I couldn't keep my eyes off them throughout the hour-plus set at Slowdown last night, a set that drew more than 430 to see if the legendary band still had it.

They did, of course. No one doubted that they still had it. But no one was expecting it to be so loud. Loud, yes, but not as loud as it was. Pity any poor soul standing on the main floor who didn't have hearing protection last night. I thought Jon Taylor's guitar in Domestica was loud a few weeks ago. It sounded like Joanna Newsom's harp compared to Mascis' wall of sound. So loud that halfway through the set, I wondered what damage I was doing to my hearing (and I wore earplugs). I could feel my clothes rippling across my body, moved by the shockwaves of noise (think of the famous Maxell poster where the guy sits in front of a loudspeaker, holding onto the arms of his easy chair to keep from being blown backwards by the volume). Crazy, excessive, pure, necessary loudness.

I've never seen Dinosaur Jr. before, though I've heard most of their records. I knew what I was in for. Judging by the looks of the crowd -- a lot of people my age who grew up with SST records -- they did, too. D Jr.'s formula has always been simple -- songs start off with a catchy riff shared by Mascis and Barlow, Mascis moans some sort of phrase over and over, and then plays a hyperkinetic guitar solo while Barlow repeats a bass line and Murph bashes the shit out of his drums. The solos seemed to go on for 20 minutes or more, but of course they didn't. It's like that slow-motion feeling one gets when experiencing a car accident or a free fall -- time slowing to a crawl as you notice every little detail for the first time. Mascis is recognized as a guitar god by anyone who followed indie rock in the '90s. The reputation is well deserved. Though there was a similarity in all his solos, Mascis always worked something different and interesting into them that made you pay attention. Considering the volume, though, you had little choice.

They played for an hour, then came out and did a two-song encore. Throughout the set, the band barely acknowledged the crowd except to say "We're happy to be here" and "It's been too long," that sort of thing. They barely acknowledged each other between songs as they constantly tuned up, Murph filling in the blank spot with precision drum fills. It was sort of like being at a band practice for one of the best bands from your youth, running through a set of your favorite songs and a few new ones, not trying to impress you, just trying to prove that they know what they're doing, and they do.

* * *

A little bird told me at Slowdown that there's an unannounced show at O'Leaver's tonight featuring the long-dormant Race for Titles (and possibly Landon Hedges). This is not confirmed, so don't blame me if it doesn't happen (but it probably will). Also tonight, Scott Severin and the Milton Burlesque play at The Waiting Room. $7, 9 p.m.

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Before I get to this week's column, here's a plea to come down to Slowdown tonight for Dinosaur Jr. The band originally was booked to play at The Waiting Room. When I first heard that, I told the promoter that the show would sell out in a matter of minutes -- after all, just a few years earlier during their original comeback tour, they were drawing thousands to shows. For whatever reason, the gig was moved to Slowdown, but surprisingly, there are still tickets available for tonight's show. I've heard D. Jr.'s latest, Beyond, and it really is their best release since Green Mind. Reviews of their current tour, however, have been luke warm. This Dallas Morning News review of Sunday night's show points to a weak draw that appears to have left the band a bit uninspired. Hopefully, tonight's show will sell out before they hit the stage. It is, after all, a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see a band that inspired a lot of what you're hearing in today's harder indie music. Opening is Amazing Color and Coyote Bones. $20, 9 p.m. Brave the cold.

This week's column contains themes heard in last week's review of the OEA block party. Academy ballots must be in the hands of the OEA braintrust by midnight tonight. I sent in my ballot yesterday. Needless to say, I didn't vote in every category because despite the block party, there were still a number of performers in some categories I knew nothing about. This ignorance won't stop some members from voting, though, which is yet another factor that puts these kinds of events into question. Despite the OEAs' efforts to put the decision making into the hands of "music professionals," these awards are still really just a popularity contest. The winner isn't necessarily the best band or performer, it's the one that most people know, have heard before or -- as this column points out -- are friends with.

See you tonight at Slowdown.

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You couldn't have asked for a better time to have an ice storm, at least musicwise. There are no major shows going on tonight (and none last night), which means there also are no cancellations. Now if today had been tomorrow, we'd all be wondering whether Dinosaur Jr. was still happening at Slowdown. I have no idea how J and the band are traveling these days. They were scheduled to play Oklahoma City Sunday night -- one day before most of that state went black due to power outages. Tonight they're in Iowa City (hopefully they're already there). There's nothing stopping them now.

That's all I got today, other than to ask you to go to the webboard (here) and list your favorite CDs from '07. I'm in the process now of putting together my year-in-review article for The Reader, so your suggestions are welcome.

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Well, Eagle*Seagull canceled due to the weather. I can't say that I blame them. One of Slowdown's owners described the melee that ended Fathr's set -- one of the performers continuously stabbing a guitar. I would have liked to have seen that. The guitar was still lying on the stage as the grips prepared for The Show Is the Rainbow's set. Despite the snow/ice/sleet, there looked to be around 150 or so on the floor or milling around the balcony. A good draw considering the weather. Darren Keen brought his A game, but doesn't he always? It was the usual shtick -- Keen running around the audience singing/rapping over prerecorded tracks while his homemade videos were projected on a wrinkled bed sheet draped over a pole hung from the rafters. He told me he was going to have some "special guests" perform with him, but that never happened. If you took the entire set and divided the actual music from the between-song patter, you'd discover that Keen joked around as much as he sang. The crowd didn't mind. They were laughing. There is a self-defeating, self-deprecating tone to Keen's comments -- taken out of context, they could be as sad as they are funny, humor as pathos (though in real life, there's nothing pathetic about him). Keen makes fun of himself and the scene, his music and the audience. And when he reaches for applause, you naturally join in. The guy is up there alone, after all, with his shirt off, sweating, trying to get the crowd to put their hands above their heads. What easily gets lost at a TSITR show is the music itself, which is always interesting but clearly secondary to "the performance." I never had a chance to see TSITR with his short-lived band. But I have a feeling the only difference was the guys standing on stage, wondering what the hell Darren was going to do next. He ended with a new song that sounded more streamlined and tuneful that his old stuff. At the end of his two-song encore, the crowd rallied Keen with the chant of "Five More Years! Five More Years!" I have no doubt.

Tonight at Slowdown Jr., uber-hot indie band Vampire Weekend takes the stage with Grand Ole Party and 4th of July. $8, 9 p.m. Meanwhile, over at O'Leaver's, it's Brimstone Howl with Digital Leather and Dead Beat recording artist Forbidden Tigers from Grand Island, NE. The gig is FT's official CD release show for Magnetic Problems, an LP recorded by Brooks Hitt at DNA Studios. $5, 9:30 p.m.

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At Slowdown, it's The Show Is the Rainbow's big 5-year anniversary extravaganza. TSITR main man Darren Keen wanted it on Slowdown's big stage and that's exactly what he got. Expect some special guests during his set. Opening is Relapse recording artist Vvervvolf Grehv featuring Dapose of The Faint, Fathr featuring James Cuato (Saxophone), Clark Baechle (Drums), Dapose, and Seth Johnson (Visuals, etc.), and Lincoln indie rockers, Eagle*Seagull. $8, 9 p.m.

Meanwhile, over at The 49'r, it's No Blood Orphan playing what likely will be their last show for awhile as guitarist/frontman Mike Saklar will be turning his attention to Mal Madrigal. Also on the bill, the "awesome sound" of Panang. Probably $5, probably starting around 10:30.

Finally, over at The Waiting Room, it's the annual Lash LaRue Toy Drive featuring performances by The Mercurys, The Filter Kings, John Henry and Vago. Admission is $10 or an unwrapped toy. Show starts at 8.

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Our old friend Mike Perry pointed out on the webboard that Zack Nipper and Bright Eyes have been nominated for a Grammy for Best Recording Package for Cassadaga. This comes as no surprise to anyone who has seen the packaging, which received almost as much publicity as the recording upon its release. Zack and Co. are facing some stiff opposition from the likes of Black Sabbath, Menomena, The Fold and GTS (the list is here). It's impressive how many indie labels are in the running. Conventional wisdom would say that the Sabbath album should win due to the academy's familiarity with the band. But I'm not buying that logic (Yep, I'm predicting a Bright Eyes win -- surprise, surprise).

Tonight is huge for shows, starting off with The Pendrakes' CD release show at The Waiting Room with Old Money and Landing on the Moon. I'm listening to their CD, Sunday Punch, as I type this. For whatever reason, I was mistakenly under the impression that The Pendrakes was a rock-a-billy band. It isn't. Their style is straight-up rock in sort of a Tom Petty vein. It's well done. Interestingly, the disc was produced by Grasshopper Takeover's Curt Grubb and was recorded at Grubb's basement studio, Grubb Inc. (and mastered by Doug Van Sloun at Focus Mastering). $7, 9 p.m.

Meanwhile, garage punk trio Box Elders, featuring them thar McIntyre Brothers and groove king Dave Golberg, is playing over at O'Leaver's with Bombardment Society (featuring mega-bassist Lincoln Dickison (guitarist for The Monroes)) and Private Dancer (members of STNNNG). Bring your earplugs, it's going to be loud. $5, 9 p.m.

Baby Walrus headlines a show at PS Collective that features a handful of hot Next Wave artists, including Tim Perkins, Hyannis and Talkin' Mountain. 8 p.m., $5.

Meanwhile, Honeybee (a member of the Slumber Party brigade) opens for Canadian band The Most Serene Republic (Arts & Crafts Records) down at Slowdown Jr. $7, 9 p.m.

Hey, does anyone know who Cross Canadian Ragweed is?

Look for Saturday night's show line-up tomorrow.

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For those of you who can't get enough of Darren Keen, there's also a feature in this week's City Weekly that talks about his new role in Beep Beep. Darren mentioned this off-handedly during our interview, but I didn't know what he was talking about. I talked to another musician last night who said he laid down some harmonica for the new Beep Beep album at The Faint's Enamel studio. Can't wait.

To clarify, Saturday night's show isn't the actual anniversary of TSITR's first gig. "I played my first show ever on New Year's Eve going into the year 2003," Keen said. "It was a house party in Lincoln, and it ruled." Something tells me Saturday night's show at Slowdown will rule, too.

Last night's OEA Block Party was a success by anyone's standards. It didn't start out that way. The clubs were sparsely populated at 6 when things were just getting rolling. One of the club owners asked if I thought the Westroads shooting spree would dampen the event, and I thought it might. All night I heard stories from people who were either at Von Maur or knew people who were there. All were freaked out. It underscores just how small our city is -- no one won't to be touched by this madness in some way. We'll be hearing about in the media for the balance of the year and into the next, only to relive it again next year as Dec. 5 nears.

By 8 p.m., however, the clubs were filling up. It wasn't a SXSW-type situation with lines of people waiting to get in, but it was respectable, especially for a Wednesday night in Benson. I'm not going to provide my scorecard. I will say that there's a good reason why I haven't seen some of these bands before, and that I won't be seeing some of them again. There also were some remarkable performances. How 'bout we do this block party more than once a year?

Tonight at The Waiting Room, it's Alessi with Jake Bellows, McCarthy Trenching and Sara Bertuldo. I'm told Alessi's music falls under the "freak folk" category, sort of like Joanna Newsom without the Lisa Simpson vocals and harp. $5, 9 p.m.

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Tonight is the big Omaha Entertainment Awards Nominee Showcase Block Party being held at a handful of venues in Benson. For $5 you can pick up a wristband that will get you into showcases at Mick's, The Waiting Room, España, The Barley St. Tavern and PS Collective. Sayeth the OEA website: "The Waiting Room Lounge, Barley Street Tavern and Mick's will host bands performing in 20-minute segments. España will feature DJs and ethnic ensembles, and the PS Collective will present the performing arts showcase. Screens throughout The Waiting Room and other establishments will show a constant feed of visual arts nominee highlights." This is a helluva deal. There isn't an official schedule yet, but a tentative line-up has appeared on SLAM Omaha, and is below:

At Mick's:
6:15 Steve Raybine
6:50 Side Effects
7:25 Lucas Kellison
8:00 John Henry
8:35 Oxygen
9:10 Sabor
9:45 Sarah Benck and The Robbers
10:20 No Better Cause
10:55 Forty Twenty
11:30 Chris Saub

At The Waiting Room:
6:00 Icares
6:50 Mariachi Luna y Sol
7:25 a symbiont
8:00 Mariachi Zapata
8:35 Satchel Grande
9:10 Little Brazil
9:45 Narcotic Self
10:20 Confidentials
10:55 Wholes
11:30 Venaculas

At The Barley St.:
6:15 South Paw Bluegrass
6:50 Tim Wildsmith
7:25 Acoustic Groove
8:00 Secret Weapon
8:35 Matt Whipkey
9:10 Black Squirrels
9:45 112 North Duck
10:20 Filter Kings
10:55 tba
11:30 Paria

At España:
9:30 Brent Crampton
9:50 Shor-T
10:20 Jamazz
10:45 Shif-D
11:15 HG Filled
11:40 CMB
12:05 Articulate
12:35 Chiffy
1:05 Breathless
1:30 Goo

As an OEA academy member, I need to see as many bands as possible that I haven't seen before, which means I'll be spending most of my evening at Mick's. I could come up with an elaborate personal schedule to weave back and forth through the various venues, but I know that none of them will adhere to their scheduled times. It's going to be a real crapshoot if you want to see a specific band. Just get there early and ask the guy at the door who's next.

Wouldn't it have been great if they had blocked off Maple St. and let people walk from venue to venue with beer/drinks in hand? Or if street food vendors (operated by Benson restaurants) were available so you could nosh as you go? I'm not looking forward to eating at Subway tonight.

If you don't want in to deal with the drama, swing over to O'Leaver's tonight for Midwest Dilemma with Zephuros and Lincoln singer/songwriter Cory Kibler (ex Robot, Creek Closer). I'm told the new MD recording is stunning and includes a plethora of instrumentation which may or may not be replicated tonight on stage. $5, 9 p.m.

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Saturday night was sweet and sour. I got to the Barley Street Tavern at around 10:30 and discovered that I missed an impromptu 4-song set of Compost songs performed by Todd Grant and Matt Rutledge. Everyone was still buzzing about it. Ah, if I would have only known…Ted Stevens was already on stage, backed by Alex McManus. Calling themselves The Shitbirds (or as McManus preferred, The Shyte Byrds), the duo played a set of bluesy folk songs punctuated by Stevens' trippy, clever lyrics. McManus spent the set ripping into some amazing fills and solos on electric guitar. At times, the arrangements seemed downright esoteric. Stevens hinted at a future album, but didn't give any specifics.

Next up was Cary Smith, with Todd Grant playing the sideman role. Smith only played a couple songs, stopping and starting throughout, sometimes to tune his guitar. Afterward, Grant played two songs -- one from the Grant/Kasher sessions from a couple years back; the other, a roaring version of "The Know" from Strangled Soul. And that was it for Grant. He told me he intended to play more, but apparently the night was running long and he wanted to give Jake Bellows the stage -- a real disappointment as I'd hoped to hear a full Grant set. Next time. As consolation, it was the best Bellows solo set I've ever heard. His voice soared throughout his hour of sleepy, downcast folk ditties (that included a Mayday cover). Nice crowd of 40-50.

* * *

There's an item in the Hollywood Reporter (here) about Nik Fackler's film Lovely Still, which currently is shooting somewhere around Omaha. One amusing line from the story: "'Lovely' will feature an original score by Nathaniel Walcott and Michael Riley Mogis of Bright Eyes." I guess score credits demand more formal names than "Nate" and "Mike." For the first time, Landau's and Burstyn's co-stars in the film were named: The super-hot Elizabeth Banks (40 Year Old Virgin) and Adam Scott (HBO's Tell Me You Love Me). I have yet to see the production trailers around town.

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I generally don't review movies on Lazy-i unless they have some sort of music connection, which is why I'm jotting down a few words about "I'm Not There." I saw it last night at the Dundee. All-in-all, a pretty bad flick. It's only saving graces were Cate Blanchett, Jim James and the soundtrack. The rest of it was mildly embarrassing. I suppose the whole idea behind the lack of a plot line was to reflect the overall chaos that was/is Bob Dylan's life. I get it. That doesn't make it very interesting, though. Neither do the cheesy, amateurish performances by Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Ben Whishaw, and even little Marcus Carl Franklin, each representing either Dylan or one of his archetype characters/phases in life/ideas, all slammed together in one disjointed scene after another. Julianne Moore is so bad that I wondered if she was overacting on purpose -- maybe the whole thing was an elaborate satire/parody? If so, how do you explain Blanchett, who was remarkable? But even her eye-rubbing Dylan impersonation becomes tiring after awhile. The movie is two hours and fifteen minutes long. The only thing that kept us in our seats was waiting to see what kind of crazy shit they were going to make Richard Gere do. I ran into a local movie guru at The Waiting Room afterward who told me she liked the film. It turns out that she's a huge Dylan fan, and said if you weren't hip to Dylan's life story and "legends" you probably wouldn't understand most of what filmmaker Todd Haynes was trying to do. She was right. Though I recently read Dylan's autobiography, I know little else about him other than his music. So when Richard Gere rode a horse through "Halloween Town" -- a Western movie back lot populated by people in costumes -- I had no idea what was going on, nor why I should care. At least Gere didn't try to mimic Dylan's nasal drawl. The film's highlight came during that Gere sequence, when Jim James and Calexico performed "Goin' to Acapulco." That, along with the cinematography and Blanchett's eerie impersonation, almost made it worth sitting through the rest of the pointless, boring exercise. Almost. Well, not even almost.

More entertaining was McCarthy Trenching at The Waiting Room last night. In front of a pretty good-sized crowd (maybe 80?) Dan McCarthy and a drummer/keyboardist played a collection of dour, downcast acoustic folk songs that, to me, sounded like a combination of John Gorka and Kris Kristofferson. Pretty good stuff.

You might have noticed yesterday that I augmented my earlier post about tonight's show at The Barley Street. Instead of Scott Roth, who canceled, Ted Stevens is joining Todd Grant, Cary Smith and Jake Bellows for a night of singer/songwriter fare. Now that the ice is melting, I suspect this will be a crowded show at the little hole-in-the-wall venue. Get there early.

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So I'm standing there next to the wall that divides The Waiting Room's stage area with the rest of the bar, next to a video camera that was recording The Third Men's entire set, wondering how anyone was ever going to hear this band's music.

Like I mentioned before, Boost is one of the best CDs I've heard this year, released on Speed! Nebraska records, eventually available from iTunes and Rhapsody and other online sales points. That's a lot of availability, but still, who would go out and buy this disc? Here we were at their CD release show with maybe 50 people. The band was pleased with the turn-out, but I thought it was kind of light. What did I expect? It was a Thursday night and there had been very little pre-show hype (My item in The Reader was useless, seeing as the paper apparently hadn't been distributed that day -- there certainly weren't any new copies at TWR last night). I'm watching them run through their set of songs from the new album, and this guy tells me, "These guys are the most accessible band in Omaha. I could play this for my friends (He was a youngster) or my folks and all of them would be able to get into it." He was right. And it was because of that accessibility that Third Men music would work so well on radio. But we all know that will never happen.

Neither would serious touring. Here was a band whose style would work well in rock clubs around the country. I can imagine them opening for Matthew Sweet or R.E.M. or Wilco (talk about dreaming). Still, every member of the band has a real job/career and isn't about to let that go to hit the road (well, unless Matthew Sweet or R.E.M. or Wilco called).

On top of that, I also know that Boost will never get reviewed in Pitchfork or any of the mainstream music publications (not that the band sent copies to them anyway). What would Pitchfork think of this album? It's not indie, it's not electro-dance, it's not freak folk. It wouldn't get reviewed. Believe me -- I get a lot of CDs in the mail. As hard as I try to listen to them all, I'll never have that much time. Imagine how many discs Pitchfork gets per week? I assume they shuffle through them and decide which to review based on being familiar either with the band or its label. Any copies of Boost sent to Pitchfork would wind up in a bin with all the other CDs from bands and labels that the editors never heard of.

So how does The Third Men's music get heard? On stage, at shows like last night's. Hopefully people who went will tell their friends and the next time they play, the crowd will be a bit bigger (though their next show, at TWR Dec. 20, will be part of a night of cover acts -- i.e., they'll only be playing cover songs). At that pace, without radio, without touring, The Third Men's record will be lucky to sell a few hundred copies. Which is probably enough for these guys, anyway. Still, it's a shame that it'll likely never get heard by a bigger audience, an audience that would eagerly embrace this band…

Anyway… onto the weekend, which starts tonight with McCarthy Trenching at The Waiting Room with Alina Simone, Brad Hoshaw, & Reagan and The Rayguns. Sounds like the only full band on the bill is The Rayguns, everyone else is either playing solo acoustic or with only one or two side players. $7, 9 p.m.

Meanwhile, down at Sokol Underground, it's the Nebraskafish Rising showcase featuring Sam Martin (Capgun Coup), No, I'm the Pilot, Ingrid Blood, Outlaw Sin Bandana (Brendan Hagberg), Robert Cook and FTL Drive. $6, 9 p.m.

Tomorrow night could be tricky if we get hit with an ice storm. Hopefully it'll miss us and I'll be able to make it to The Barley St. where singer/songwriter Todd Grant is scheduled to play a solo set accompanied by some of the area's best troubadours including Scott Roth (Roth canceled, he's being replaced by...) Ted Stevens, Cary Smith and Jake Bellows (Neva Dinova). Grant, a former member of '90s band Compost, will unveil a set of new material as well as songs recorded with Tim Kasher (Cursive) and, for the first time in years, will perform songs from his critically acclaimed 1995 solo album, Strangled Soul, an album which I still listen to regularly. Todd Grant shows are always unpredictable, and I suspect this one will be as well. 9 p.m., absolutely free.

Meanwhile, down at Slowdown, it's Dischord Records band Antelope with The Stay Awake and Bring Back the Guns. Antelope carries on the Washington D.C. punk tradition, sounding like Fugazi meets pre-dance Rapture. The Stay Awake are one of Omaha's best math/punk bands. Only $5, 9 p.m.

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Someone asked me last night at Slowdown if I ever get tired of writing this column after having done it every week for three years. The answer is no, though sometimes coming up with column ideas can be a challenge (and that's where you come in). I find writing columns and updating this blog much more fun than, say, writing features on jaded national bands who don't want to do interviews but realize that they have to in an effort to get people to their shows. As it was when I first started writing about music 20 years ago, it's much more fun interviewing the up-and-coming bands still hungry to get the word out, and our local bands who always always always have a good story to tell. On to year four...

It was one of the bigger crowds I've seen for a show at Slowdown Jr. last night, which surprised a couple people who I talked to that are familiar with King Kahn & BBQ -- they figured no one would show up for the gig. But it looked like 100+ did, a lot of them followers or members of the Omaha/Lincoln garage punk scene. They weren't disappointed. Box Elders took the stage at around 9:45 (I thought Slowdown was going to strictly adhere to a 9 p.m. start time? I guess that flew out the window when they realized that people tend to buy lots of drinks while they're waiting) with Clayton McIntyre donning a bob-cut women's wig -- shades of things to come. Box Elders' unique spin on garage punk comes by way of the McIntyre Brothers' dueling vocals (and one-note harmonies) and pointman Dave Goldberg on drums/keyboards -- drums consisting mostly of a kick bass and high hat played with his leg and right hand while his left pounded out counter melodies on a keyboard. Goldberg's instrumentation stood out more than the guitar and bass, but it didn't overshadow those ginchy, sloppy vocals.

King Kahn/BBQ spent what seemed like 20 minutes fiddling with their guitars before tearing into their set of big-riff garage doo-wap music that merged '50s greaser with '70's NYC punk. The King was adorned in a rather sultry dress and a purple woman's wig that perfectly accented a macho mustache. BBQ (a.k.a. Mark Sultan) was less flashy, sporting a red turban, he played a kick drum and guitar seated, and hence was hidden behind an adoring crowd pushed against the stage. You had to get right up there to see him. After the first dozen or so songs, I got the gist of what they were about and headed home while the crowd continued to groove the night away.

Tonight at The Waiting Room it's The Third Men CD release show with Black Squirrels and Adam Hawkins. Do yourself a favor and stroll over to the merch table and pick up a copy of Boost. You'll be glad you did. $7, 9 p.m.

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I've noticed that Mondays and Tuesdays have become much more quiet in the past few months. It seems like clubs are booking fewer and fewer shows Sunday through Tuesday, which is probably a good idea. I don't know about anyone else, but I rarely am able to go to shows on Sunday and Monday nights as I have deadlines that wake me at 5 a.m. the following morning.

Anyway, speaking of shows, there are a number of CD release parties that are getting scheduled through the end of the year. Consider this an early head's up:

-- The Third Men will be celebrating the release of their debut full-length, Boost, tomorrow night at The Waiting Room with The Black Squirrels and Adam Hawkins. As I said in this week's issue of The Reader:

It's one of the most balanced CDs I've heard this year. Remember the old days when you bought a record fresh from the record store shelves, took it home and then were pleasantly surprised at how well the first three songs just fell into place one after another? You get that same feeling with the opening triumvirate of "High" "Happy as Larry" and "What a Day (to Call it a Day)" on Boost. The album is one pop gem after another, with no one song reaching the 4-minute mark. The production -- recorded by frontman Pat White and mastered by Doug Van Sloun -- is pristine. This CD is a long time coming, and I'm happy it made it out in '07.

-- Got an email from Greg of Lincoln band Strawberry Burns this morning saying that his band will be celebrating the release of its third long-player, Clam Diggers Peach, Dec. 15 at Box Awesome (which is garnering a buzz as maybe the best venue in Lincoln these days) with Gamma Goat, Dean the Bible, and Tenth Horse. I haven't heard these guys since their debut in 2003 (review here).

-- Last but far from least, I got an email from Steve Bartolomei saying that he will be celebrating the release of the long-awaited Mal Madrigal double-album Dec. 22 at Slowdown. I've been hearing from various sources about this record for what seems like years. Well, looks like the long wait is over. The hook with this one is that it will only be available on vinyl. If you don't have a record player, you better get out there and buy one. You'll be happy you did (They make great Christmas presents, by the way).

Tonight at Slowdown Jr., it's Canadian garage punk duo The King Kahn & BBQ Show with Omaha's own garage punk legends, Box Elders. Leather jackets are not optional. I'm told the Box Elders (featuring Dave Goldberg and the McIntyre Brothers) are about to release a new 7-inch in the very near future -- yet another reason to buy a record player. $8, 9 p.m.

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The last few times that I've seen Domestica play -- whether at O'Leaver's or The Waiting Room or wherever -- I was a tad disappointed in the volume level. Among the things Mercy Rule was known for back in the old days was Jon Taylor's hugely loud, all-encompassing guitar sound -- massive yet tuneful, and never painful (as long as you took the proper precautions, which Slowdown now sells over by the photo booth for 50 cents a pair). Taylor told me during our recent interview that he'd decided to tone the guitar down with this new band, that it wasn't necessary to prove his guitar might by turning it to 11. So while past Domestica shows have been great, there was always something missing. Well, it wasn't missing Saturday night at Slowdown. I can't remember Taylor's guitar ever sounding that loud. It was freaking crazy LOUD, beautifully LOUD. During the set, a local guitar pro walked up and said, "I've never heard anything like this before. It's loud and I'm wearing earplugs." Was this insane volume necessary for Domestica to work? No, but it sure was fun.

Heck, you knew the whole night was going to be a fun when at 9 p.m. the Slowdown grunts pulled back the dividers to reveal a stage adorned in checkered flags, a Hot Wheels track and a sign that said, Welcome Racing Fans. The show started at around 9:45 with The Monroes. I've never heard a Gary Dean Davis-fronted band on such a large stage with such a large sound system. The result was as expected -- big and loud and sonically perfect. You felt every nuanced Lincoln Dickison guitar chord, every Gary Dean grunt and Tulis bass note. The most impressive difference, however, was Jesse Render's drums. In small rooms like O'Leaver's, Jesse can get buried and lost. For the first time, I could really feel his drumming and got a new appreciation for just how good he is. It was the best sounding Monroes set I've ever heard, but I have to admit that as pristine as it was, I would still prefer to see these guys at O'Leaver's or The Niner or any other of the city's smaller stages. It's a band that deserves a room where the crowd is standing right in front of them rather than seated somewhere beyond the shiny dance floor.

After The Monroes finished their set, the races began -- bracketed double-elimination Hot Wheels action. The double-lane track was draped from a table in front of the stage all the way across Slowdown's dance floor. The heated action was accented by a record played over the sound system consisting of race track noises. Sweet!

Ideal Cleaners took the stage after the first round of heats. Again, the Slowdown sound system allowed you to hear parts of songs that are missed at O'Leaver's or Sokol Underground. The band blew through a selection of tunes off Muchacho!, their just-released Speed! Nebraska full-length, before leaving the stage and resuming the Hot Wheel races.

Those races were still under way when Domestica began its set. Sound guy Dan Brennan certainly earned his pay Saturday night. With the first song, Taylor's guitar was absolutely huge, so huge that you couldn't hear vocalist Heidi Ore's sweet-angel voice -- and that's a big problem. Brennan, however, was on it, and by the third song, Heidi was brought higher in the mix, her gossamer soprano cutting through Taylor's low-slung guitar growl. This was how Domestica's music should always be heard -- big, mean, muscular. Here's to Taylor never turning it down, no matter where he plays.

I was told by Slowdown's owners that the bar originally wanted the show performed in Slowdown Jr., the small front-room stage, but that the bands insisted on the big stage and were willing to pay for it. In the end, it was the right decision if only to hear this music on such a mighty sound system. The final numbers were 106 paid at $6 a head, which was more than enough to cover facility costs and give the bands some cash to take home.

It's been a busy November for Speed! Nebraska Records. This Thursday, Speed! band The Third Men will host their CD release show at The Waiting Room for their new full-length, Boost. It's another must-see show...

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It's shaping up to be another weekend to be spent at Slowdown. Tonight, Landing on the Moon headlines the small stage with openers Acadia and the Asteroid out of Billings, and Bright Light Fever out of Sacramento. LotM's Oliver Morgan says look for a set of all new material, most of which will be on the band's next full length, slated for next summer (They're in the studio now). 9 p.m., $7.

Tomorrow night on Slowdown's big stage, it's the Speed! Nebraska Records Drag Race and Rock Show featuring The Monroes, Ideal Cleaners and headliner Domestica. This is a once-in-a-lifetime can't-miss spectacle for just $6. Show starts at 9.

It's not the only show tomorrow night. Punk band The Stay Awake plays at The 49'r with Latitude Longitude. $5, 9:30 p.m. Team Love band Flowers Forever plays at The Barley St. Tavern with UUVVWWZ and Dim Light, 9 p.m., free. While over at The Waiting Room, it's Sarah Benck and the Robbers with The Filter Kings and Son of 76. $7, 9 p.m.

Finally Sunday night, again at Slowdown Jr., it's Outlaw Con Bandana (featuring special guest Matt Rooney) with The Bruces and the Southpaw Bluegrass Band. $7, 9 p.m.

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Just posted, a nice long feature on Domestica (read it here). The story begins in 1999 discussing the reasons behind the break-up of Mercy Rule, and runs through their one-off reunion at The Brothers in 2006 and eventual step forward as Domestica. It's a heartwarming story that you can share with your families tomorrow at Thanksgiving dinner. The article was so long that I had to use this week's Lazy-i column space to get it all in (so no column tomorrow).

One part that didn't make it into the article: The story behind Mercy Rule's lighting. Anyone who ever saw the band in its heyday in the '90s will remember how Mercy Rule used flood lights mounted on the stage -- pointed straight up -- producing an eerie yet cool hatchet-lighting effect. Jon Taylor said he got the idea after going to a Flaming Lips concert. Before the band went on while the stage was still dark, the club was filled with smoke. An unseen voice came over the PA saying, "Don't breath the smoke." He thought he was going to suffocate when suddenly the stage lit up with blinding flood lights pointed directly into the crowd, cutting through the haze. Taylor liked what he saw.

"With four-band lineups, everyone looks the same," said Domestica frontwoman Heidi Ore (who's also Taylor's wife). "If you change your lights, you've already changed something."

"We were always the best lit band of the night," Taylor said. "Days after a show, we'd get a stack of photos in the mail from someone in the crowd, saying, 'You guys were really well lit.'" There's a photo of what it looked like in the story.

I admitted that whenever I went to Domestica shows I was a little disappointed that the lights were gone, as stupid as it sounds they added something special to those Mercy Rule shows. Taylor said he still has the lighting rig. Will we see it used again at this Saturday night's show at Slowdown? Keep your fingers crossed.

* * *

I've come to believe that hip-hop is best served as a recorded medium. At least that's always been my experience whenever I've gone to a live hip-hop show. Last night's Blue Scholars' gig at the Waiting Room, unfortunately, was no exception. All the cool instrumental counter-melodies, all the little subtleties heard on the duo's CDs, were lost amidst the bass-heavy mix. I know heavy bass is the language of hip-hop -- I drive next to the same ridiculous, bass-blasting SUVs that you do, the ones that force you to roll your windows up. I get it. I felt like I was riding in that SUV last night, the bass reducing the beauty of the songs to one long evening of thump-thump-thump. The other disappointment: the rapping. Unlike most hip-hop I've heard on MTV or wherever, you can understand every word of every Blue Scholars song… on disc. Blame it on the live setting, where half the battle is getting the crowd into it, but MC Geo's rhyming sounded forced and rushed, as if he was overextending himself to get above that bass. The only time I felt connected to the band was during the anti-war song "Back Home," and on one other song where Geo brought the sound down to a whisper before blowing it all up again. Strangely, the Scholars didn't sing their latest single, "Joe Metro," probably their most tuneful song which was just released as an EP. Who knows, maybe they kept it as an encore, which the Tuesday-night crowd of around 50 wasn't going to get, as Geo literally handed the mic over to Psalm One to begin her set.

* * *

Look, no one has to go to work tomorrow, right? So there's no reason to miss The Song Remains the Same at The Waiting Room with The Whipkey Three. I won't recast what I've already said about TSRTS, just go read this column, which explains the band and what they're about. $7, 9 p.m.

If I don't see you tomorrow, have a happy Thanksgiving.

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When Del the Funkee Homosapien came to Slowdown a few weeks ago, I got plenty of shit about not posting anything about the show on my site. Fact is, I'm not a follower of Del's. I barely know who he is. That doesn't mean I don't like hip-hop. Au contraire. I like hip-hop, I'm just excruciatingly choosy as to what hip-hop I listen to. You can count the number of hip-hop albums I own on two hands, and it's mostly old school stuff by N.W.A., Ice Cube, Ice-T, Public Enemy, as well as some stuff by Brother Ali, Justin Warfield (years and years before She Wants Revenge), Danger Mouse and those old white guys, the Beastie Boys.

And Blue Scholars. I got a copy of their debut in the mail back in 2004 and reviewed it in the matrix, saying: "I don't know a lot about hip-hop -- that's well documented. But I do know what I want when hip-hop comes to mind. Good, clean beats. The ability to understand at least some of the lyrics. A clear flow. I turn off bad hip-hop almost immediately. It better hold my attention. This did. It's well-produced. I like them horns. Reminds me of Pharcyde. From Seattle, with attitude."

I figured no one knew who they were, but I was wrong, as per usual. Blue Scholars have something of a cult following in the Pacific Northwest. Their songs are about life and living in Seattle; their name is a play on the phrase "blue collar," which is what they're all about. Their most recent full-length, Bayani, is a head trip rhymed in the language of a guy you'd meet riding the 49 Metro (Seattle's equivalent to a MAT bus) cross town -- with the same concerns and frustration of anyone just trying to make ends meet. Forget all the gangsta and bling-isms, Blue Scholars is honed, accurate social commentary from two very smart guys -- DJ Sabzi and MC Geologic -- who know their history and can tell you about it in a way that won't let you to sit still. They were named the best hip-hop act in Seattle Weekly's 2006 Music Awards Poll. Their just-released EP, Joe Metro, charted on CMJ. I never thought I'd see them on an Omaha stage, yet here they come tonight, opening for Psalm One and Articulate at The Waiting Room. $10, 9 p.m. Go!

In other news:

At Saturday's birthday party for Feirin down at Slowdown, Saddle Creek Records executive Robb Nansel told me that Slumber Party Records just signed a distribution deal with Saddle Creek that will dramatically increase the reach of that label, whose roster has included Capgun Coup (now on Team Love), Bear Country, April in Andalusia, Conchance, FTL Drive and Honeybee .

In addition to distributing their own products, Saddle Creek also distributes products for Range Life Records (White Flight, 1,000,000 Light Years, Fourth of July) and Team Love -- all of which, are in turn, distributed by ADA. Go to the Saddle Creek online store and there's already a link to the new Slumber Party Records online store. Nansel said the first release under the new distro deal will be Baby Walrus on Feb. 5.

* * *

According to an item at the Minneapolis Star-Tribune website, Conor Oberst will be performing for three back-to-back nights at The 400 Club in Minneapolis -- not as Bright Eyes, but only as Conor Oberst. According to the Trib article (here), "Word from 400 Bar management is that Oberst wants it explicitly known these won't be Bright Eyes shows – i.e., he won’t be doing any of those songs! He will be playing new material with a different backing band." Is that the band with M Ward or the solo project with Jake Bellows that Omaha City Weekly's Hildy Johnson referenced in last week's issue (here, scroll to the bottom of the page)? Guess we'd have to go to Minneapolis Dec. 27-29 to find out.

Tomorrow: Domestica. Be here.

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Briefly, I made it back from Lincoln Saturday night just in time to catch the Big Al CD release show at Saddle Creek Bar. Frankly, I wasn't expecting much, but ended up having a good time. Al and his bass-player sidekick Metal Barbie, played somewhat simplistic heavy metal songs over a pre-recorded rhythm track. Actually, "simplistic" really applies to the lyrics, which in the case of songs like "It's War, You Die," consisted of Al yelling the same phrase over and over. Then there was "Oregano," a spoken-word rocker about Big Al's run-in with undercover cops selling, you guessed it, Oregano. It would be easy to simply discount it all if the music wasn't so fun, and if Al wasn't sincere in what he was doing. Plus, his guitar riffs were seriously righteous. I still haven't listened to the CD that was given to everyone in the crowd (which was sizable for Saddle Creek -- at least 60?), but I have a feeling it's going to be just as fun. And what's so bad about having fun once in a while?

Tonight at Slowdown Jr., it's Baltimore-based 4AD band Celebration with Kill Me Tomorrow and Dim Light. $8, 9 p.m. Meanwhile, singer songwriters Kyle Harvey and Reagan Roeder are playing a set at The Barley St (and it's free). Starts at 8.

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I snuck into The 49'r last night just in time to see The Coffin Killers' set. It's the first time I've been in the Niner in probably a year or more. The only thing that's changed is the lighting. It was darker in there than I remembered, as if the overhead lights had been turned off. I liked it. What hasn't changed is the enormous crowds. As always is the case, if you get there late (as I did) you're going to have a tough time finding a place to watch the band without being in someone's way. I lucked out and noticed that no one was standing in front of the trashcan along the wall by the pickle machine and found my spot for the evening, just a foot or so from the band -- actually, a great spot.

Coffin Killers play old school punk with a guitar rock attitude. In other words, there's plenty of melody and actual singing that float on top of the constant barrage of classic punk guitar riffs. While I love punk rock, I've never had an encyclopedic knowledge of the genre. Sure, I know the usual dozen or so British and NYC '70s punk bands that everyone else knows, but I don't know the obscure stuff by rote like I assume most of the people who were standing in the first three or four rows did. Or maybe I'm just assuming they were punk experts by their tattoos. Regardless, my forced comparison for CK comes by way of '90s-'00s rock act The Explosion, who actually had a similar sound to The Loved Ones, U.S. Bombs and Strike Anywhere, and who counted Social Distortion among their biggest influences. Any band fronted by Lee Meyerpeter is going to get a few Social D comparisons because his voice so closely resembles Mike Ness' voice. That said, of all the bands I've seen Meyerpeter play in, this one was the least Ness-ian of the bunch. It's also my favorite. Don't get me wrong, I like Bad Luck Charm and The Filter Kings, but I enjoy listening to this straight-out melodic punk more than BLC's cacophony and FK's southern-fried rural punk. This is power rock with a punk snarl, the kind of music that gets people in the mood to fight. The set-up is simple -- Meyerpeter on lead guitar and vocals, looking like a construction guy, his eyes covered by dock worker's stocking cap. Backing him were bassist Ryan McLaughlin (Race for Titles) and drummer Matt Baum (ex-Desaparecidos, ex-89 Cubs). Baum replaced legendary drummer Jeff Heater, who was celebrating his birthday somewhere in San Diego last night. Meyerpeter toasted Heater in his absence, and the crowd joined in. Few people can match Heater for his over-the-top all-over-the-place drumming style that cranks up the sweat and energy to 11. Baum pumps things up just as effectively, but does it more simply. He's got a rugged drumming style, bashing the cymbals as hard as he can while wearing what appears to be shooting range ear muffs. Baum is well known for getting up between songs and yelling at the band and the crowd, but he never got up last night, and he didn't do any yelling until the final song. Rounding out the four-piece was another guitarist, a young guy that looked like a member of The Clash. I don't know his name, but I'm told he either is or was a member of Cruisin' Rosie -- blazing second guitar that churned it out while Lee did his solos. The band only played for about a half-hour and closed with rocker doused in feedback that still buzzed through the monitors while Baum began to tear down his drum set. Great stuff, indeed.

So what's going on tonight?

If you've been to a One Percent show, chances are you've met Feirin, who's been known to take your money down at Sokol Underground. Well, Feirin is celebrating her birthday tonight at Slowdown with a stellar lineup that includes a slew of the city's hottest new bands: Conchance, Capgun Coup, Bear Country and Honeybee. It looks like they're hosting it in the big room, so this may be the best chance you'll have of seeing Omaha's Next Wave of indie bands all in one night. $5, 9 p.m.

Meanwhile, down at The Saddle Creek Bar, Sarah Benck (acoustic) and Bleeding Ophans (apparently a derivative of No Blood Orphan) are opening for the Big Al Band CD release party. The Big Al Band is Al Hatfield on guitar and vocals and Metal Barbie on bass and vocals playing noise metal. The first 100 through the door get a free CD. $5, 9 p.m. Other than a Dec. 15 benefit show, this is the last gig currently scheduled for the Saddle Creek Bar, according to their website. Enjoy it while you can.

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Here's tonight's best bets.

At The 49'r: The legendary Coffin Killers, a band that features Filter Kings frontman (and ex-Cactus Nerve Thang member and Bad Luck Charm member) Lee Meyerpeter at the helm. I'm told this is a departure from the Filter Kings' twang-punk to something that's more punk-punk. As we all know, CK's drummer, Jeff Heater, has moved to fire-prone San Diego (Is it a coincidence that the town was set ablaze shortly after his arrival?). Taking his place is the equally incendiary Matt Baum (ex-Desaparecidos, ex-'89 Cubs). The Killers get it rolling at 10 and are followed by School of Arms. No idea on the door, but probably $5 or less. Go.

Meanwhile, down at Slowdown Jr, it should be a tad more mellow with Eric Bachmann (Crooked Fingers), Kyle Harvey and Adam Hawkins. Bachmann came through here a year ago with Richard Buckner and it was a terrific show (review). $10, 9 p.m.

It's twang night over at The Waiting Room, with Lincoln honky-tonk rockers Forty Twenty, The Black Squirrels and Western Electric. $7, 9 p.m.

And last but not least, down at filmstreams, it's opening night for the Joy Division biopic CONTROL. Directed by Anton Corbijn, the film has been getting rave reviews all over the world. Do not miss this limited engagement. 4:30, 7, 9:30. Go to Filmstreams.org for more info.

I'll give you the run-down on the rest of the weekend tomorrow morning. Check back!

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The bottom line: Change is good. Change is inevitable. Change is unstoppable. It's like that ol' slogan used by challengers in political campaigns: Are you better off now than you were four years ago (or eight years ago or 20 years ago)? For an industry and a genre that's dying, I've never listened to more good music than I have in the past couple of years. Change is here. And things are only going to get better.

We go a couple days without shows around here and you think it really is the death of music. Well, there are a couple good ones tonight, and the weekend's looking pretty crowded as well. As mentioned yesterday, Cloven Path plays at O'Leaver's tonight with or without a vocalist. Along for the ride is opening band Slough Feg. $5, 9:30 p.m. Meanwhile, over at The Waiting Room, it's the full-throttle grinding head-rush of Noah's Ark Was a Spaceship with Yuppies and Bazooka Shootout. I haven't seen Noah's Ark in about a year and a half. Judging from the tracks on their Myspace page, they've changed their style somewhat since then. "Adult Sized Skeletal" is filthy slacker indie punk that reminds me of Vitreous Humor. I don't remember Noah's having vocals back then. They've got 'em now. And what is it about Bazooka Shootout that reminds me of Chavez? Probably the way the lead singer does his thing. Vitreous Humor? Chavez? I'm really dating myself with these references. If you've never heard of either band, run out and buy their shit now, then head to The Waiting Room. $5, 9 p.m.

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It been kind of quiet the past few days musicwise. Something worth mentioning... Remember how I said there were only four shows slated for O'Leaver's for the balance of the year? Turns out the bar just hadn't gotten around to updating their myspace calendar. That number has doubled (actually, one of those dates is a chili cookoff), and includes a Cloven Path show tomorrow night, which should be interesting as the band recently lost its singer and was contemplating either finding a new singer or going without one as they had for so long before Kat showed up.

And... that's all, folks. Tomorrow's column discusses the bleak vision so many people seem to have for the future of the music industry. As pre-reading, go find the current issue of Rolling Stone. You can't miss it, it's the magazine with the giant holograph for a cover.

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I didn't get rolling until 10 on Saturday, so it came down to: 1) I've never liked Trail of Dead, 2) That Nirvana Tribute will be packed/require waiting in line to get in, 3) that touring band at SCB probably already played (as SCB has touring bands open so as not to get Omaha'd). That left The Rayguns/Sleep Said the Monster at O'Leaver's, which is where I intended to go in the first place, specifically to see the Rayguns. I got there just in time for their last song -- a Jazz Odyssey-style noise symphony that reveled in its own improvisational excess. I'm told it wasn't a typical Rayguns' song, and made a note to make sure I get to The Waiting Room early on Nov. 30 when they open for McCarthy Trenching.

Reagan and friends were followed by Nashville band Happy Birthday Amy, a four-piece fronted by a woman seated behind a keyboard. By her side, a bassist, drummer and a guy who plays a variety of horns (trumpet, trombone, other brass that I wasn't familiar with). The music felt like indie cabaret, with leader Amy Smith belting out one rousing ballad after another, sort of like an alt-Bette Midler meets Joanna Newsom. Rocking enough where you didn't miss the lack of electric guitar.

Sleep Said the Monster played last. A guy watching the set next to me screwed up my evening by saying, "Don't they sound just like Coyote Bones?" I've seen SStM a few times and that comparison never dawned on me. Afterward, it was all I could think of, though honestly, their songwriting style is somewhat different. Coyote Bones' songs have a stronger central melody; SStM sounds more closely married to traditional indie rock. The biggest similarity sonically comes from their keyboard arrangements; whereas similarities performance-wise come from their frontman (don't know his name/it ain't on their myspace) who's stage presence is equal to or eclipse's CB's David Matysiak's. SStM's frontman pushes his music with his eyes and facial expressions -- I mean, when was the last time you saw a singer's eyes at O'Leaver's? He sings well, too, but his performance style makes you think he's belting it out in front of a TV camera, reaching out to those viewers watching at home. On the minus side, I can remember what SStM sounds like, but I can't remember a single song from their set. They still need to write that song where, when you're talking to someone about them, you can say, "They're the guys that do that song about…" Halfway through the set, someone asked me what I thought. I passed on that Coyotes Bones comment and afterward, he told me that's all he could think about, too. Sorry dude.

Looks like a quiet week ahead...

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Another lonely night at The Saddle Creek bar. Like O'Leaver's, SCB isn't getting out of the live music business altogether, they're just going to become extremely choosy as to who they let perform on their stage, a stage that unfortunately never lived up to its potential. I was hugely excited when I heard more than a year ago that someone was taking over the venue and turning it into a club that would cater to all types of music, including indie. The size and location are made to order. You can come up with your own list as to why so few people ever came to shows there. I point to the booking, the ever-changing sound system and the fact that the club was launched by a guy who came from outside the current music scene. Mike Coldewey is a musician who's played in rock bands for years, but none of them were part of Omaha indie collective. As a result, most of the bands that I talked to about SCB always looked at the club as an oddity among all the other clubs doing shows these days. So, as I said, Coldewey says he'll still do music, but only shows that he thinks are positively going to draw well. He can't afford nights like last night, where by the end of the evening, the headlining band was essentially only playing to the other bands on the bill and a couple stragglers like myself. The irony of it all is that the PA never sounded better. Part of the reason has to do with the bands themselves, who know how to make the best out of any PA.

I only caught the last three Scott Severin and the Milton Burlesque songs, which included a cover of Ian Hunter's "Once Bitten Twice Shy" (you probably remember the version covered by Great White). I need to see an entire Severin set, but from what I could glean from last night, he's trying to create something in the purest essence of rock 'n' roll (and he has the history and chops to pull it off). I'm redundant with this comment: The Matt Whipkey Three is the best band that Whipkey's ever been involved in, and after last night, that includes The Movies. I'm an enormous fan of perfectly balanced trios. It doesn't get more balanced than this. If you like alt-Americana rock, you'll be hardpressed to find a better band. Last might was more proof that they should have been in The Reader top-20. Something tells me that if they get this new album recorded and get out on the road (all three work at Dietz, so there's nothing stopping them other than booking the tour), I have no doubt they'll be on that list next year.

As for the Saddle Creek Bar, well, they've got another show going on tonight -- Midwest Dilemma and the Southpaw Blues Band, and according to the Saddle Creek website, St. Louis band Grace Basement, which was chosen as the Best New Band of 2007 by The Riverfront Times. The band's new album, New Sense, recalls Wilco, Kinks, and laidback indie rockers like The Reivers. Grace Basement frontman Kevin Buckley's work includes contributions to the new New Pornographers album. Check out their myspace. $5, 9 p.m. It would be a shame if they played to 10 people, but with everything else going on tonight, that's what will probably happen. The only things left on the SCB calendar is Sarah Benck next Saturday and a benefit show Dec. 15.

So your choices again tonight:
-- the SCB show just mentioned,
-- Reagan and the Rayguns opening for Sleep Said the Monster and Happy Birthday Amy at O'Leaver's
-- the Nirvana tribute showcase at Slowdown
-- and Trail of Dead with Virgasound at The Waiting Room.

Something tells me I'll be doing some bar-hopping...

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Well, if you missed the show last night or got there late like I did, then you missed the last-ever performance by Kite Pilot (for real this time). Whether the band is breaking up or not isn't the question. Todd and Erica Hanton and Jeremy Stanosheck have instead decided to simply quit playing Kite Pilot music. Call it a long-term hiatus, though the chances of the three of them playing again as Kite Pilot are slim outside of a reunion show in eight years. They aren't giving up music altogether. Instead they say they're going to explore new sounds that are a long way from conventional guitar/drum/bass rock music. Erica also said that she's tired of fronting a band, preferring to simply be in the background. What will they come up with next? Stay tuned.

I showed up halfway through Aqueduct's set. I thought I'd seen them before, but I would have remembered their style -- straight-up melody-driven rock (indie or otherwise). The highlight was their cover of Warren G's "Regulate," (You know, the one with the sample from Michael McDonald's "I Keep Forgettin'"). It's a perfect example of why a band shouldn't cover a song that's more memorable than their own material. Afterward, I heard a couple people say how much they liked the cover, but neither mentioned Aqueduct's own songs, which included a number of tunes off Or Give Me Death, their latest album. Aqueduct is a great match for a band like Georgie James -- both bands obviously have a love for '70s rock.

This was the first night back for Georgie James after a break due to illness. They sounded tight, running through songs off their new Saddle Creek album, Places, essentially replicating the recording almost too much to a T. Maybe it was because they haven't stepped into the ring for awhile, but they seemed to be going through the motions, finishing the last song and then saying goodnight somewhat abruptly.

* * *

You've got a lot of choices this weekend, starting tonight. Let's just go down the list:

At The Waiting Room it's Toronto band Do Make Say Think, yet another act coming through town associated with Broken Social Scene. Their music is moody instrumental fare, and to be honest with you, I like the opening band, Apostle of Hustle, a little more. Lead apostle, Andrew Whiteman, also has played with BSS. $10, 9 p.m.

At Sokol Underground it's Portland punk trio The Thermals with Reporter and Thunder Power!!!. Judging from the scuttlebutt the past few weeks, this one will be well attended. $10, 9 p.m.

Finally, over at The Saddle Creek Bar, it's The Whipkey Three, Scott Severin and the Milton Burlesque, and Kyle Harvey. The Third Men originally were on this show but apparently had to cancel. $5, 9 p.m.

Saturday is just as crowded:

Slowdown Jr. is hosting a Nirvana tribute featuring more than 11 bands including Baby Walrus, Flowers Forever, Coyote Bones, Bear Country, The Shanks, Thunder Power!!!, Outlaw Con Bandana., Steph Drootin, Jake Bellows, Flamboyant Gods, and Ascetics. Each band has chosen a different Nirvana song to cover (there will be no duplicates). Should be interesting and you can't beat the price -- FREE. Starts at 9.

Still not sold out (surprisingly) is … And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead at The Waiting Room with Virgasound. Odd, considering that this band has drawn huge over the past few years. $12, 9 p.m.

Sadly, if you look at O'Leaver's online calendar, there are only four shows listed through the end of the year. Saturday night it's Sleep Said the Monster with Happy Birthday Amy (from Nashville) and Reagan and the Rayguns. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Of course Sunday you've got your Meat Puppets with Ha Ha Tonka at The Waiting Room. $13, 9 p.m.

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I already talked about missing the Broken Social Scene show last week. I have no regrets, though it still stings a little.

There's no secret about tonight's must-see show: Georgie James with Aqueduct and Kite Pilot at Slowdown Jr. It's a terrific line-up for only $8.

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Just placed online, an interview/feature with John Davis of Georgie James. Davis talks about his love of soft rock derived from a life growing up in the radio business. His father, Don Davis, even did a tour of duty in Omaha at the now-defunct WOW FM, a short-lived rock station. Davis also discusses Georgie James' influences, the break-up of his former band (Q and Not U) and getting signed to Saddle Creek Records. Read it here. Some tidbits that didn't make into the story:

-- Tomorrow night's show at Slowdown Jr. is the first one back after the band took a break due to "illness." James said he's now nearly 100 percent, that constant touring without a break took its toll on him. "I'm not normally an anxious person, but it's starting to wear me down," he said last Saturday. "At this moment, I'm fine."
-- While Georgie James is primarily Davis and Laura Burhenn, the band also includes bassist Michael Cotterman, who used to play in Kid Dynamite and The Loved Ones, and drummer Andrew Black, formerly of The Explosion. "Those guys are the live band," Davis said. "The reason it's presented as a duo is that Laura and I do the writing and recording. Originally it was just the two of us for a year. These guys have been friends of mine for a long time."
-- The band's name, Georgie James, is a play on Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames. "We kicked names around for three months," Davis said. "What about Tall Grass? What about The National Zoo? We were desperate. I always thought Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames was a great name. I'm not a huge Georgie Fame fan, but what an awesome name. I suggested Georgie James because I just read a book about James Taylor. Laura liked it."
-- Though Q and Not U broke up in September 2005, Davis said the breakup had been in the works from the beginning of that year. "We half-assed a tour. It didn't go well and afterward we said, 'See? Our time's up.' It was intentional on our own part; it gave us a reason to get out of it. Harris (Klahr) and I were feeling the same thing about not wanting to do it anymore. We felt if we kept the band together when we were doing new things, the (new projects) wouldn't get the attention we wanted them to get. People would say, 'Oh, the side project is great, but when are you going to get back to the real stuff?' Forget that."
-- Davis is a vinyl music fan and is proud that Places has been released on vinyl. "I think in some ways it's a better format, both the way it sounds and the bigger artwork. It's just a better experience," he said. "In an era of free downloading, vinyl has its place. You can't download vinyl."

Now go read the whole darn article, and go down to Slowdown Jr. tomorrow night for Georgie James along with Kite Pilot and Aqueduct. It's only $8 ferchristsake... But before you do, go down to Slowdown Jr. tonight for Reagan and the Rayguns (that's Reagan Roeder's band) when it opens for Will Hoge along with Brad Hoshaw. $12, 9 p.m.

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Relapse Records, home to such artists as The Dillinger Escape Plan, Mastodon, Cephalic Carnage and Alabama Thunderpussy, announced yesterday that it signed Vverevvolf Grehv, the one-man metal project of Faint guitarist Dapose (a project formerly known as Precious Metal). "Metal has always been the most extreme form of music since its creation, and I've always felt a calm and a peace from it," Dapose said in the Relapse press release. "Something like the intensity of a Buddhist monk's chant, or the sounds one hears when riding a train, relentless repetition becomes meditative and allows a reflective process aiding our well being. Which to me is why many people in the metal world are among the nicest people you'll ever meet."

Dapose's Relapse debut, Zombie Aesthetics, is slated for release March 4. Omahans may get a sneak peak at Dapose's new album when VG opens for The Show Is the Rainbow at Slowdown Dec. 8.

Tomorrow, look for an interview with John Davis of Georgie James.

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Nearly 400 diehard Stars fans got more than their money's worth last night at Slowdown -- a set that lasted nearly two hours. The whole time, you could tell that Torquil Campbell and the rest of the band were thrilled to be there. In fact, they told the crowd so, over and over throughout their set, saying such glowing things like Slowdown was a gem "built on music." All night, band members would make their way to the microphones and say how proud they were to be there. It was kind of sweet and charming.

The band came on at around 10:15 to a stage adorned with bouquets of flowers and abstract artwork on easels. It almost looked like a funeral, except for the computer-controlled strobes that blared from behind the stage. Talk about your theatrics, at one point Torq strolled out in a jacket covered in lights, looking like a walking Christmas tree. Glam!

I'm not a long-time fan of Stars, having only discovered them with this last album. Obviously they have a strong back-catalog judging by what I heard last night. I had a couple people tell me to check out Set Yourself on Fire, which I'll definitely do after hearing some of the lush songs performed last night. Gorgeous stuff. The six-piece included a guitarist, bass, drummer, keyboard player, Torq on a Casio-style keyboard, trumpet and vocals and Amy Millan on guitar and vocals. It was the best-sounding set I've heard on Slowdown's big stage (and that includes Cursive, Two Gallants and The Rentals). They finished at around 11:15, then went on to play an encore that lasted nearly 45 minutes. I didn't get out of there until midnight.

A few notes about Slowdown while I'm thinking of it. First, they've installed a huge, white Habitrail-looking piece of artwork that hangs from the ceiling over the main floor (see homepage pic). The installation is from Brooklyn artist Jason Peters who currently is working at The Bemis. I'm told that the tube actually lights up in different colors. For some technical reason, it didn't light up last night, but it was still impressive and fit right in with Slowdown's overall aesthetic. It's not a permanent feature. Proprietors Nansel and Kulbel tell me that it'll only hang in the rafters for about a month, but that we can expect to see more artist installations in the future.

The other bit of news is the new capacity rating for Slowdown. The city originally gave the room a capacity of around 470. The new number is a whopping 615. That's a huge jump based solely on having the inspectors come out and take another walk through the venue. There's no question that the new number will have a positive impact on the size/stature of bands that One Percent and Slowdown can book for the venue.

Tonight at O'Leaver's, Athens band Casper and the Cookies with Pat Fleming. $5, 9:30 p.m.

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I know what you're wondering and the answer is yes, I was there, too. I actually heard about it a lot earlier than most, but I couldn't get over there until around 11, and by then, well, as expected the place was packed. They started off by thanking the crowd for coming out and then tore into a number of songs off their last record, which made the crowd go completely apeshit. In fact, I thought there was going to be a riot when they said that their next song would be their last, but as luck would have it, they had time for one more (which I think they had intended to play anyway). When they finally finished, everyone was on their feet begging for more, but that was it, not only for last night, but forever.

Waitaminit. You didn't think I was talking about the Broken Social Scene show at Slowdown last night, did you? I heard about that one, too, at around 10:30 last night, but as much as I like BSS, there was no way I was going to miss LALD's last show ever. From what I can tell, Omahype was the first to get the scoop online, and also is the only one with a full review of the show, complete with pics. Check it out. It will go down as another in a series of amazing "secret shows" that everyone will say they were at, but few actually were. The same will be said for LALD's last show, too. What's the old adage? The biggest crowds that bands play for are at their CD release show and their farewell gig. That probably also was the case with LALD. It was the biggest show I've seen at O'Leaver's in quite a while. It was also the best performance I've ever heard from the band, so good, in fact, you wonder why they're hanging it up. I'm sure they have their reasons, and I'm sure we'll be seeing these guys performing around town again in other bands in the near future.

Tonight, the not-so-secret Mountain Goats show at Slowdown, or the pop-rock stylings of Black Tie Dynasty at The Waiting Room.

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Is it me or has Slowdown put some giddy-up in their booking? Remember when Robb and Jason said they were only going to do two or three shows a week? Just glancing at their calendar, I think that's headed out the window, and why not? It's a shame to let the venue's two wonderful stages go to waste. But before we get to that, tonight is the farewell performance of Life After Laserdisque. I'm not sure why the band has decided to hang it up, but they're going out in style, headlining at O'Leaver's with Kansas City's The Dark Circles (Anodyne Records) and Ketchup and Mustard Gas (Mark from Dance Me Pregnant, Dustin from Paria, Andy from Capgun Coup). Will there be special guest appearances by Eric Clapton or Bob Dylan? Highly doubtful. 9:30, $5.

Also tonight, Hyannis, Talkin' Mountain, Electric Needle Room and Top Hat at Shea Riley's. It's the CD release party for ENR. $5 if you're over 21, $8 if you're not (but are over 18). 9 p.m.

Saturday night, The Mountain Goats return to Omaha, this time at Slowdown with Bowerbirds. Anyone remember what happened the last time the Goats came through? You can reminisce here, and then look for Donovan lurking over by the photo booth, ready to pounce. $12, 9 p.m. Also Saturday night, Dallas-based '80s-inspired rockers Black Tie Dynasty plays at The Waiting Room with A. Symbiont. $7, 9 p.m.

Sunday night it's Stars at Slowdown with Magnet. $15, 9 p.m.

Did I miss anything? Post the show here.

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