I never get tired of seeing The Monroes. I've been watching Gary Dean Davis in his various incarnations since the good ol' Frontier Trust days. That whole rowdy tractor-punk shtick never wears thin, nor does watching Davis bounce around like a giant Mexican jumping bean, tightly grasping a microphone, seed cap firmly planted on his enormous head. Hearing him yell "Thanks!" at the end of every song is like an Omaha punk-rock rite of passage. May he and the rest of the band continue doing it into their 80s.

What about the rest of the show Friday night (Ladyfinger, The Coffin Killers)? Well, I missed it. I intended to come back to The Waiting Room, but never made it. I did, however, make it to the Waiting Room Saturday night to see the ever-expanding Midwest Dilemma. The band has ballooned to seven members, including a flute and tuba player; even a drummer (a first for these guys). The result was a set of ethereal chamber pop played to a lilting waltz beat. Few local artists have grown musically over the years as much as Justin Lamoureux, and I get the feeling that what we saw Saturday night was only the tip of the iceberg. The proof will come with the new CD, which he says will be in your hands in the next couple months. Afterward, a tour is in order. The music that I heard Saturday could just as easily be pulled off with his core band featuring Elizabeth Web on clarinet and vocals and David Downing on cello. The drummer, however, was a nice touch and should be part of any road crew. More to come. I was in the back for most of Jake Bellows' set -- him and an electric guitar. I get the feeling that Bellows could stand up there on stage and play his music for three solid hours and still keep his core fans' mesmerized. Finally, there was Alessi, who've I've been hearing about for months. The Londoner has made Omaha her second home, and at the same time, made the Omaha music scene her second family. She played solo with guitar, and it's fair to say that she could be London's answer to Chan Marshall (though her voice sounds nothing like Chan's). The most shocking moment of the night came when the lady next to me told me Alessi is only 17 years old. Her age and her obvious talent explains why EMI is backing her for the long run. Something tells me she's bound to be a star.

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Simon Joyner opens for Iowa City's Samuel Locke-Ward (Miracles of God) tonight at O'Leaver's. Ward's got a new album out, recorded by Ed Gray, called Golden Favorites-Where Sobriety Is King, which you can check out at his Myspace page. 9:30 p.m. $5.

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In case you didn't know, you've been given an extra day of life in the form of "Leap Day" today. Don't waste it. And to help make sure you don't, Omaha's entertainment mafia has put together a jam-packed night of shows. Here's the round-up:

-- An unofficial Leap Day celebration is taking place tonight at The Waiting Room with the long-awaited return of The Monroes. Seems like forever since these fun-lovin' farm boys have been on stage. Joining them will be street-fight punkers The Coffin Killers, School of Arms, and the night's headliners, Ladyfinger. $7, 9 p.m.

-- Meanwhile, there's a rock show going on downtown at the new Antiquarium Record Store featuring Box Elders, Yuppies, Mr. Wizard and Time Falcon (quite possibly the best-named band in recent memory). The show is free, but donations will be accepted for Yuppies' and Box Elders' tour funds (So don't be a cheap-ass). The show also is a great chance to check out the record store's new location, if you haven't already (they moved last June). The address is 417 S 13th St., right next door to the 415 Lounge. Buy some vinyl while you're there. Show starts at 8 p.m.

-- While you're downtown, you might as well swing past Slowdown Jr. for Scott Severin & The Milton Burlesque, with The Whipkey Three and The Black Squirrels. $7, 9 p.m.

There's also a couple great shows tomorrow night. The one with the highest profile: They Might Be Giants at Slowdown with Oppenheimer. If you don't have tickets, you're out of luck, since it's SOLD OUT. No tix? Check out London-based freak folk phenom Alessi at The Waiting Room with Jake Bellows (of Neva Dinova), Midwest Dilemma performing as an 8-piece (including tuba), and the always provocative Honey & Darling. $7, 9 p.m.

Let me know if I missed anything by posting it on the webboard. Have a good weekend.

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I already know how most local indie bands will react when they read the following column. "Cover bands make more money on a given night than original bands? No shit, Sherlock!" But they also know that there's a perception by some people outside the industry that touring indie bands are rolling in cash when they get home from a tour. If that were only true. Bands frequently save up as much money as they can before they hit the road so that they don't run out of cash before they get home, especially with gas at $3 a gallon. On the other hand, cover bands can make good bank without leaving the city limits. The flipside, of course, is that you'll never see The Fishheads or High Heel and the Sneakers on Letterman...

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I apparently inaccurately described Honeybee yesterday in the blog as a 5-piece. Either that or one of their members was sick last night, because the band only featured two girls and two guys. Frontwoman Melissa Geary has a sweet, cute but cutting voice, not mewing and withdrawn, but out front, crisp and quite good. You'll scratch your head trying to figure out who she sounds like, but you'll never pin her down. Their music borders on twee, K Records girly soundz except that they can ride it into something much bigger when they want to. That said, their youth and youthful precociousness is always evident. Ultimately, I like them because they're cute, tuneful and unpretentious, which is the best trait of Slumber Party Record's best bands. I'm told they just completed recording a track with Darren Keen (The Show Is the Rainbow), which is slated for an upcoming comp CD.

The evening's big surprise, however, was Thunder Power!!! Flash back to April 29, 2007 and O'Leaver's, where I described them this way: "Their sound is low-key, low-fi, indie acoustic music (guitars, keyboards, drums, clarinets) in the manner of, say, early Sebadoh. Whereas the clarinetists were talented, their toot-toot-tooting was out of place and too out front in the arrangements. A member of the band told me they only had a handful of practices before this gig, and are still searching for their sound."

Well, judging by their performance last night, they've found it, and it doesn't resemble that early incarnation at all. The band now has six members, including a female vocalist whose voice is the spitting image if Chan Marshall's (though one patron said she sounded more like Hope Sandoval). Their music matches that Cat Power style, and wherein most six-piece bands seem to have two too many members, TP!!! uses every position to its fullest -- a keyboard player (who smokes a pipe on stage, very professorial!) two guitars (a rhythm and a lead), bass and drums, and that earthy front woman. For the final song, one of the guitarists took over lead vocals, sounding a lot like Cat Stevens, which made me think they may want to change their name to Thunder Cats!!! I'm told they just finished recording a track for a split with Alessi. Could be big things in their future for a band that I wrote off a year ago as just another indie janglepop band.

Finally, the headliners, XYZ Affair, a four-piece that brought more than its share of hubris to the stage. As one guy said to me, this is what Weezer would sound like if they were a bunch of jocks. I didn't dislike them quite that much. I mean, who can dislike a band that starts its set with an a cappella version of the intro to Prince's "7"? Frontman Alex Feder doesn't really sound like Death Cab's Ben Gibbard as much as John Darnielle backed by a bar band. Flamboyant, yes, and with plenty of falsetto. Not bad, not terribly memorable. I have no doubt that their common-man pop sense will some day land this unsigned band on a major label.

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I've been meaning to check out Honeybee for a long, long time. I even trekked out to The Waiting Room a couple months ago for that very purpose only to find out that they'd canceled right before their set. I'm keeping my fingers crossed tonight. Honeybee, btw, is three girls and two guys who record for Slumber Party Records. Check out their myspace.

They're opening for Brooklyn band The XYZ Affair at The Waiting Room. I've been listening to XYZ's music all morning -- sort of a cross between Death Cab (the vocals) and Weezer or The Ark (the power pop) with funny, introspective lyrics. The New York Times described them as "a middle ground between the Beach Boys and Queen." They must be talking about the falsetto. Catchy? You bet. Thunder Power!!! also is on the bill. $7, 9 p.m.

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Tomorrow's column explores a recent trip out West (as in West Omaha). Don't miss it.

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Just a quick moment to let you know what you've probably already known for weeks -- The Black Lips are playing tonight at The Waiting Room with Quintron and Miss Pussycat, and Lincoln's own Brimstone Howl. $12, 9 p.m. Go.

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The most surprising thing about Mick's birthday concert Friday night was how well the bands sounded after being in mothballs for so many years. Janglepop, which broke up sometime earlier this century, sounded no different than I remembered. Actually, they sounded somewhat better on The Waiting Room's stage. The Get also sounded tight, but I'll be honest with you, I never really followed any of these defacto old school "Slam Bands." That includes Musico, who everyone seemed most excited about seeing again. Darren Keen and the boys also sounded as good as I remembered the one time I saw them back in the day. The bottom line: the enormous crowd (which was like walking through a class reunion or a wedding reception) loved every minute of it.

Saturday night was spent slumming, and I may or may not go into great detail about it in this week's column (which I have yet to formulate). Let's just say I spent the evening "out west," and that the entertainment had nothing to do with indie music.

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Tonight -- two rather huge shows for a Monday. At The Waiting Room it's Har Mar Superstar with Little Brazil and Talkin' Mountain, all for $8. This one could (and probably will) sell out. Meanwhile, down at Slowdown, it's Team Love's most recent addition -- The Felice Brothers -- opening for Drive By Truckers. $20, 9 p.m.

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I'm just messin' with ya, Mick. Mick ain't 50. One of the creators and driving forces behind slamomaha.com is celebrating becoming a wee lad of 40 at The Waiting Room tonight with a bunch of bands that no doubt show his age (and, unfortunately, mine). Among them, The Get (check out the classic photo), Musico (One of Darren Keen's early incarnations), and Janglepop (more bad-ass photos). Add to that new comers The Ground Tyrants and the funkalicious Satchel Grande and you do, indeed, have a party going on. $5, 8 p.m. Something tells me Mick is going to get smashed from all the free shots.

Also tonight, just down the street at PS Collective, it's Hyannis, Honeybee and Sleep Said the Monster. $3, 9 p.m., while down at Slowdown it's our old friends Malpais (fronted by that trouble-making troubadour Greg Loftis) and Landing on the Moon opening for Say Anything. $15, 8 p.m.

Tomorrow night's spotlight show is Neva Dinova at Slowdown with Race for Titles and Noah's Ark Was a Spaceship. This may well be the closest thing we get to a CD release show for Neva's new disc, You May Already Be Dreaming as the band will be on the road for the foreseeable future. $8, 9 p.m. Also Saturday night, David Matysiak of Coyote Bones and Eli Mardock of Eagle*Seagull open for Basia Bulat at The Waiting Room. $8, 9 p.m. Get an early start on the evening by checking out the 5 p.m. screening of the Evan Blakely film Oscillations, featuring the music of Kyle Harvey at Westwood Cinema, part of the Nebraska Short Film Block of the Omaha Film Festival.

Finally, there's a hummer of a show Sunday night at The Waiting Room, headlined by These Are Powers. These Are Powers is former Lincolnite Pat Noecker's new band. Noecker was a member of seminal '90s band Opium Taylor. He went on to form Liars with Ron Albertson (ex-Mercy Rule), which released the critically hailed They Threw Us in a Trench and Stuck a Monument on Top on Gern Blandsten in 2001 before he and Ron left the band, effectively turning Liars into shit. Along with Noecker, These Are Powers features Anna Barie (ex-Knife Skills) and Ted McGrath. Opening is Mahjongg and founder/owner of K Records, Calvin Johnson, whose former bands include Cool Rays, Beat Happening, The Go Team, Dub Narcotic Sound System, and The Halo Benders. $8, 9 p.m.

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First, a correction to yesterday's blog entry: The Focus Mastering open house is March 1, not this coming Saturday. Don't go there this Saturday!

Someone asked me what I thought of the Tilly and the Wall and Beep Beep stuff that I heard at Focus. All's I can say is hold onto your hats. One of the Tilly songs was a complete and utter departure from the usual tap-dance routine. In fact, it had no tap dancing at all that I could hear. Instead, it was a full-out dance-floor raver that, if released, will take the band into an entirely different direction. When I heard the Beep Beep stuff, I had to ask Doug a couple times, "Who is this again? This isn't Beep Beep, is it?" It was. Doug played a couple songs that sounded like something you'd actually hear on the radio -- incredibly tuneful, down-right laid-back. Exceptionally good. Yes, there were still the usual quirky numbers, but they weren't nearly as sharp around the edges as the stuff on their debut. Doug had some good stuff to say about the new Son, Ambulance as well, but I didn't get a chance to hear any of it (we ran out of time). Boo.

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I went to UUVVWWZ at Slowdown Jr. last night to see if that show at the Saddle Creek Bar a few weeks ago was a fluke. It wasn't. That said, the band sounded better at SCB than at Slowdown. Who knows why? Had nothing to do with the sound system. The only time it seemed to make a difference was during a couple of the bluesy, slow numbers. When UUVVWWZ played them at SCB, they were more cohesive, each part blurring together in a gorgeous, gritty brew. Last night, however, there was too much separation between band members and Teal, and the result was disjointed and a bit staid. There simply is nowhere to hide within Slowdown's premium sound system. I'm convinced that no two UUVVWWZ shows will ever be the same. You'll get what you get on any given night -- or even within the set itself. I'm also convinced that they'll be one of the more divisive bands when it comes to crowd response. One guy next to me thought they were fun, and asked me if I ever heard of Deerhoof. "This is the closest this town will ever get to a band like that." Meanwhile, another guy was freaked out by Teal, and didn't care for the slow numbers (which are some of my favorites). He compared her to Diamanda Galas, of whom I know nothing. He did, however, like the bombastic rock numbers, which is where the band really took off last night. Recording these folks is going to be a challenge for whomever takes them on. In the right hands, their record could be ground-breaking. Looks like your next chance to see them in Omaha is at The Brothers on March 11 with Chinese Stars and Plack Blague.

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Benson is where it's at tonight. At The Waiting Room it's Capgun Coup with Simon Joyner, Bear Country and Noah Sterba. It'll be Capgun's first show in four months, and their last in Omaha before they go back on tour (this time with Tilly and the Wall, including a show at Noise Pop 2008 in S.F.). $7, 9 p.m. This show will be wall-to-wall. Meanwhile, down the street at PS Collective, it's Shiver Shiver and Jenna Morrison. $5, 9 p.m.

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As a primer to the feature I just posted about Doug Van Sloun's brand new Focus Mastering studio (here), you may want to read (or reread) my interview with Doug from 2003 (here). Then come back and read the feature about Focus, where Doug gives full disclosure on his new state-of-the-art mastering studio. Most readers of this site know who Doug is, but for the few who don't: Van Sloun is the guy who mastered every major indie release out of Nebraska for the past 10 years or so. His name is as synonymous with Nebraska indie music as Saddle Creek Records, Mike Mogis and Bright Eyes. His new studio will blow your mind. Read about it, then check it out for yourself at his open house, Saturday, March 1. I warned Doug that he'll have more than just potential customers out there to hear what perfect sound sounds like. We go beyond the new studio in this week's column, where Doug talks about mastering in general, the recording industry, mp3s and other fun stuff. Consider it part 2 of today's feature, online tomorrow.

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Here are my misgivings about tonight's show at Slowdown:

Ever have someone go on and on about a movie that you "just have to see"? They tell you how the film "changed their lives," how the plot and acting and cinematography were beyond clever. How the soundtrack will make your head spin. How they laughed and cried and held on to the edge of their seats for what was a once-in-a-lifetime thrill ride. The words "Oscar" and "Best Picture" are tossed around matter-of-factly, along with phrases like "You MUST see it," and "Unforgettable."

So you go. And the movie might be good, but it never, ever lives up to the build up. And ultimately, you're disappointed.

That's what I'm worried about with UUVVWWZ. I hope I didn't oversell them in my review a few weeks ago. Don't get me wrong, they were frigging amazing. To me. But I don't know if they're going to be the answer to everything that ails you. I don't want you going to Slowdown Jr. tonight expecting the second coming of PJ Harvey, Bjork and The Pixies all rolled up in one. UUVVWWZ isn't that. They are what they are -- which is one of the most talented new bands I've seen around here in years. And hopefully they'll be that for you tonight. If they're not, there's always The Show Is the Rainbow's usual fun-loving bag of tricks. Darren never fails to entertain. And from Edwardsville, Illinois, near St. Louis, comes tonight's headliner, So Many Dynamos. Their name, as you may or may not have figured out, is a palindrome, just like Slap a Ham on Omaha, Pals. Spell it backwards and it spells the same thing. They began working on a new album last year with Death Cab's Chris Walla at Tiny Telephone. Their stuff on myspace reminds me of early Dismemberment Plan. Odd, but spunky. $5, 9 p.m. As we used to say back in old days, Go hang a salami, I'm a lasagna hog!

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Sorry about the lateness of this post, a post that will probably get lost in the shuffle as I'll be placing my Focus Mastering/Doug Van Sloun story online tomorrow. That said, I see by the Omaha World-Herald (story here) that those Saddle Creek guys gave up on the idea of having a restaurant down at the Slowdown complex. Instead of having a place to get a bite to eat before a show, we will now be able to buy a variety of trendy clothing and under garments from American Apparel.

You can't blame Kulbel and Nansel for taking AA up on their offer. The underwear store, known for its racy advertising and horny CEO Dov Charney, apparently were the only ones interested in that empty 3,800-foot stall. "I think I personally need to get over there not being a restaurant there," Kulbel said in the OWH story. "Every time I walk past it I see a restaurant in there. I don't think it will be weird for other people. It's altered a bit, but I certainly don't think it's altered to the point of it being radically different." He goes on to say other restaurants eventually will locate nearby. If only that were true.

It'll be interesting to see how the addition of an American Apparel store will impact Urban Outfitters, who I have to assume was under the impression that it was going to be the only clothing store on the block. Or how the new AA store will impact Drastic Plastic, who's been one (if not the only) American Apparel outlet in the Omaha area. At least we'll be able to get a good cup of Joe before a show. According to the article, Blue Line still intends to open a "European-style café" in the Slowdown development. No word on when, though…

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Last week, one of the site's more loyal readers posted a link to a new mousetrap myspace (here) on the webboard. The site consolidates all those mousetrap Youtube videos that have been floating around, along with a handful of classic mousetrap tracks, as well as a brief history of the band. Check it out. I wonder what this influx of mousetrap content could possibly mean?

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Again, tomorrow check out the feature on Focus Mastering, which includes an interview with mastering engineer superstar Doug Van Sloun that concludes with this week's column on Thursday.

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Remember that scene in The Ten Commandments, the one toward the end when Chuck Heston as Moses climbs Mount Sinai to have a chat with his pal God while everyone down below was letting loose with the mother of all orgies? Remember them dancing around in their underwear, throwing gold baubles at Dathan (as played by Edward G. Robinson) while Aaron made the golden calf? Well, it was kind of like that Friday night at O'Leaver's for the first of two final performances of Cloven Path. Debauchery at its finest. Lecherous chaos. Gluttony and debasement. What a way to go.

First up was The Shanks playing a by-the-book, no-kill set of gutter-punk that was relatively flawless and in tune. You read that correctly. The Shanks came off as real pro's -- a disappointment to everyone who expects utter chaos and/or the usual bloody shock and awe. Instead it was almost run-of-the-mill. Downright efficient. And (dare I say it) professional. What's wrong with this picture? They've always said their stage theatrics were never planned; the violence was the natural by-product of too much booze and pent-up anger. So when they do explode, it's an honest explosion. I suspect the days of fist-fights and cymbal throwing are far from over. Until then, we'll have to settle for their buzzsaw, feedback-ringing, hump-thump punk rock, and that's good enough for me (for now).

The timidity would not continue with Cloven Path. The duo is headed to some place in the center of Texas,