THREE DAY BENEFIT CONCERT
Saturday, 1/12/08 9:00PM
w/ Baby Walrus, No Blood Orphan, Johnny Clash, & Groove Govnors
Sunday, 1/13/08 9:00PM
w/ Josh Audiss, Jake Bellows, Orenda Fink, Matt McLarney, Dan McCarthy, Joe Knapp, Derek Andersen, Ben Komar, & More
TICKETS: $7 at the door
The goal of The Octopus Garden Art Alliance is to provide new opportunities to everyone in the community in the area of the arts. They will hold classes and workshops focusing on a variety of media including: painting, sculpture, theatre, writing, culinary arts, pottery, murals, photography, sewing, puppetry, music, dance, recycled art projects, etc. Their services are available to everyone, with a special emphasis on helping those who are developmentally disabled, mentally ill, and of low income experience the therapeutic benefits of art. They also have plans for many community / neighborhood improvement projects. They need volunteers who have interest in working with others and sharing their skills and ideas. They are also collecting art supplies of any kind, along with any community improvement and workshop ideas.
Monday, 1/14/08 8:00PM - 21+
ROCK MOVIE NIGHT
w/ Flaming Lips - The Fearless Freaks
NO COVER CHARGE!!!
Director Bradley Beesley's revealing documentary THE FEARLESS FREAKS fashions an insightful portrait of eccentric Oklahoma City rock band the Flaming Lips. Shot over a period of ten years, Beesley's film achieves an unprecedented level of intimacy due to his longtime friendship with the band, whom he first met in 1991 when they needed a filmmaker to shoot their music videos. Over the ensuing years, the Lips allowed Beesley to document not only their ever-evolving musical career--which grew from punk-drenched psychedelia to Brian Wilson-esque orchestral pop--but also the personal lives of band members Wayne Coyne, Steven Drodz, and Michael Ivins in their most private moments, including the death of Coyne's father and, most hauntingly, Drodz's ongoing heroin addiction. Culled from over 400 hours of footage, THE FEARLESS FREAKS blends Super-8 home movies, candid interviews, live performance footage, music videos, and outtakes from the feature film CHRISTMAS ON MARS into a compelling narrative that transcends the rockumentary genre to become a heartfelt meditation on personal growth and transformation.
Wednesday, 1/16/08 9:00PM
SCOTT SEVERIN & THE MILTON BURLESQUE
w/ Derrick Higgins & Electic Needle Room
TICKETS: $7 at the door
Scott Severin redefines eclectic. Born "sometime during the Kennedy administration," this songwriter/performance artist has been a folkie, punk rocker, actor, street performer, and published poet. Although his musical style could nominally be defined as Indie-Rock, he manages to encompass and eviscerate musical styles from Country & Western, Americana, traditional Rock & Roll, Blues, Folk, and Tom Waits-like mock opera. The only thing easily definable about Scott Severin’s sound is that it is truly original and challenging.
Thursday, 1/17/08 9:00PM
LITTLE BRAZIL
w/ Articulate, Old Boy Network, & Jamazz
TICKETS: $7 at the door
On their second full-length release Tighten the Noose, Omaha, NE indie rockers Little Brazil make a bold statement as a titan force of pop rock. Their sophomore effort showcases a band taking a confident step in their progression as artists who have honed their songwriting craft while mining the deeper and darker regions of relationships. Lead singer Landon Hedges writes with his heart on his sleeve yielding a compelling lyrical approach. Hedges isn't afraid to sing about the dark corners of love and he knows how to pull you in with inviting melodies and anthemic hooks.
Friday, 1/18/08 9:00PM
BOX ELDERS AFTER DARK
TICKETS: $7 at the door
Box Elders are celebrating the release of their 7" record on Grotto Records by hosting "Box Elders....After Dark". A show of true musical variety, featuring the pop styling of Mr. Wizard, the awe inspiring "noisecraft" of This is my Condition, and the tragedy that is The Shanks. Plus side acts for the entire family: balloon artists, acrobats, ventriloquists, and more!!! One night night only at the fabulous Waiting Room Lounge in downtown Benson!!
Saturday, 1/19/08 9:00PM
SECRET WEAPON
TICKETS: $7 at the door
Secret Weapon was born in the Summer of 2005 by a bunch of local Omaha musicians looking to play songs that they grew up loving. Being children of the 80's their set includes just what u would expect: Glam metal, Synth-Pop, and Pop Rock Classics!!! This band includes members of many original projects including Malpais, The Beatseakers, civicminded, Old Boy Network, Bloodcow, Lovetap, SOJH, The Miscasts, Prospect Avenue, and A.Symbiont.
Sunday, 1/20/08 4:00PM
GORILLA PRODUCTIONS
Battle of the Bands
TICKETS: $8 ADV / $10 DOS
Gorilla Productions is a cutting edge national production company based out of the Rock 'N Roll capital city, Cleveland, Ohio. Gorilla Productions was designed to foster independent talent through educating artists about music promotion while gaining exposure to fans and industry executives. They believe in taking a grassroots approach to concert promotion. With over a decade of experience, their goal has become educating the talent they work with; giving them tools to be successful in the industry. Gorilla Productions uses the techniques of classic guerilla marketing. They encourage bands to use all mediums including print ads, radio ads, press releases, myspace.com, websites, as well as direct ticket selling and flyering. Gorilla Productions strives to bridge the gap between art and business in the music industry through the education of our developing artists.
Monday, 1/21/08 8:00PM - 21+
ROCK MOVIE NIGHT
w/ Dig!
NO COVER CHARGE!!!
Ondi Timoner's electrifying documentary tells a cautionary tale about the dangers and trappings of the rock & roll lifestyle. Shot over a seven-year span beginning in the mid-1990s, DIG! follows two bands, the Brian Jonestown Massacre and the Dandy Warhols, as they befriend each other, have a falling out, and find their careers heading in severely opposite directions. Mastermind behind the '60s-influenced Brian Jonestown Massacre, the talented and prolific, yet deeply damaged Anton Newcombe appeared to be headed for superstardom. In 1995 he formed a close bond with Courtney Taylor, leader of power-pop band the Dandy Warhols, and the two began to conceive of a musical revolution. Unfortunately, Newcombe's mental fragility and egotistical behavior continually sabotaged his chances of ever scoring a record deal with a major label. Meanwhile, Taylor and his bandmates signed with Capitol Records, and, after initially lackluster album sales, the Dandy Warhols began to explode overseas. Challenged by their success, Newcombe retreated further into his shell and the relationship dissolved, bringing a painful end to a once-hopeful era. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival, DIG! is mandatory viewing for anyone who is interested in the music industry. Timoner's fascinating film addresses several poignant issues, such as the dangerously thin line between success and anonymity, as well as stability versus insanity.
Tuesday, 1/22/08 9:00PM
THE BRUTES
w/ Talkin' Mountin, Tim Perkins, & Honey and Darling
TICKETS: $7 at the door
Observation and logic tell us that man is both a savage animal and a civil being. History, philosophy, and religion have all agreed that regardless of which side of this nature we choose to develop, or if even if we do not choose a side at all, we will still live with this conflict in ourselves. There will be times when we will strive to be civilized and we will lose to brutality, and there will be times when we will try to be brutes but we will loose out to civility. To choose a side does not end the conflict, but rather more nearly stabilizes the nature of the combat so that we can more consistently wage our war against the other side of our opposing nature. The Brutes in Omaha: to miss this would be just like the opportunity you had for your one and only first kiss with that girl/boy who you'll never lay next to.
Thursday, 1/24/08 9:00PM
NOAH'S ARK WAS A SPACESHIP
w/ Dimas Lemus & Spring Gun
TICKETS: $7 at the door
Noah's Ark Was A Space Ship, three young men of mental handicaps, who have come together to play groovyfuzzedspace rock. The band originally formed in 2004 with Andrew and John and has had many great members. The band now consists of Andrew Gustafson, John Svatos, and Rob Webster. The boys enjoy legos, finger painting, and the paranormal. Paying dues, Noah's Ark hope to record and tour by the summer of 2008. They are slowly growing more neurotic, but it's fun!
Friday, 1/25/08 9:00PM
LEE ROCKER of The Stray Cats
w/ Mario Matteoli
TICKETS: $15.00 
Since the release of his Alligator debut, Racin' The Devil, bassist/vocalist/songwriter (and Stray Cats co-founder) Lee Rocker's solo career has been skyrocketing. Publications from USA Today to Billboard and The New York Times raved about the undeniable power and foot-stomping fun of Rocker's Americana-based roots rock. OffBeat declared, "What's most satisfying about Lee Rocker is his ability to graft classic Sun licks and shuffles onto Americana. He bridges the gap between Bruce Springsteen and Hank Williams, Sr." Bass Player magazine simply said, "He absolutely kills." Lee's live shows, fueled by his barnstorming, rocking band, grow wilder each night out. And now, on the heels of the national Stray Cats 2007 summer reunion tour, Lee Rocker is back with his second Alligator album, Black Cat Bone. In the early 1980s, Rocker, with The Stray Cats, helped reintroduce rockabilly to a mass audience. His solo recordings continue igniting the roots music fire. Rocker's powerful, original songs, amazing musicianship, and passionate and vibrant vocals, bring depth and substance to a style of music noted for its ability to get people up and dancing. And when Lee and his band perform live, they leave audiences begging for more.
Saturday, 1/26/08 9:00PM
THE STAY AWAKE
w/ The Bombardment Society & Dance Me Pregnant
TICKETS: $7 at the door
The Stay Awake make what they hope is cerebral sonic rock music. They love what they do. They hope also that you will love them. Please make kissy faces at Steve(the guy with the guitar), aka. the CYCLONE, he likes it a lot.
Sunday, 1/27/08 4:00PM
GORILLA PRODUCTIONS
Battle of the Bands
TICKETS: $8 ADV / $10 DOS
Gorilla Productions is a cutting edge national production company based out of the Rock 'N Roll capital city, Cleveland, Ohio. Gorilla Productions was designed to foster independent talent through educating artists about music promotion while gaining exposure to fans and industry executives. They believe in taking a grassroots approach to concert promotion. With over a decade of experience, their goal has become educating the talent they work with; giving them tools to be successful in the industry. Gorilla Productions uses the techniques of classic guerilla marketing. They encourage bands to use all mediums including print ads, radio ads, press releases, myspace.com, websites, as well as direct ticket selling and flyering. Gorilla Productions strives to bridge the gap between art and business in the music industry through the education of our developing artists.
Monday, 1/28/08 8:00PM - 21+
ROCK MOVIE NIGHT
w/ The Song Remains The Same
NO COVER CHARGE!!!
The best of Led Zeppelin's legendary 1973 appearances at Madison Square Garden. Interspersed throughout the concert footage are behind-the-scenes moments with the band. THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME is Led Zeppelin at Madison Square Garden in NYC concert footage colorfully enhanced by sequences which are supposed to reflect each band member's individual fantasies and hallucinations.
Tuesday, 1/29/08 9:00PM
HED PE
w/ Kingspade, Sub Noize Souljaz, Dog Faced Gods, & Insolence
TICKETS: SOLD OUT!!!
Huntington Beach, California's (hed) p.e. (the "pe" stands for "Planet Earth") was founded in 1994 by frontman Jahred (aka M.C.U.D., aka Jerred Shaine), whose goal was to fuse the region's long-standing punk rock heritage with G-funk-inflected hip-hop -- a sound he labeled "G-punk." Three years and a self-financed 1995 EP entitled Church of Realities later, (hed) p.e. (also comprising lead guitarist Wesstyle , rhythm guitarist Chizad, bassist Mawk, drummer B.C., and DJ Product on turntables and samples) released their eponymous debut through Jive Records, then hit the road with Ozzfest and bands like Korn, Static-X, and System of a Down. A second album, Broke, followed in the year 2000, and a third, Blackout, in 2003, after which (hed) p.e. switched labels from Jive to Koch, and underwent something of an overhaul (welcoming new guitarist Jaxon and drummer Moke) prior to recording their fourth album, 2005's Only in Amerika. The all-new Back 2 Base X and Best of (hed) Planet Earth compilation arrived in 2006, followed by Flat Bill Hat in the summer of 2007.
Wednesday, 1/30/08 7:00PM - 21+
GUITAR HERO III TOURNAMENT
NO COVER CHARGE!!!
Back by popular demand, Homer's, The Reader, SLAM Omaha and The Waiting Room proudly present a series of Guitar Hero Tournaments. We've made some tweaks to the layout, and thanks to our many suggestions we'll be starting a little later, at 7:00 PM, but for those that were there to witness the first one, all the fun and virtuosity should remain unchanged. So, just show up anytime before 7:00pm to throw your hat (and guitar) into the ring, and see if you can be the one to unseat our reigning champion!
Thursday, 1/31/08 9:00PM
LUDO
w/ The Effects & Sounds Under Radio
TICKETS: $8.00
Ludo’s sound has been described by some as Weezer meets Queen, and anyone who has seen the band’s explosive live show can attest to those similarities both musically and theatrically. And while it may seem like a cliché for indie touring bands, there aren’t many bands out there who work as hard as Ludo and that hard work seems to be paying off.
Saturday, 2/01/08 9:00PM
OXYGEN / THE MERCURYS
TICKETS: $7 at the door
This is a co-headlining show with Oxygen and The Mercurys. The last one worked out well. Come check it out again!!!
Saturday, 2/02/08 8:00PM
JOB FOR COWBOY
w/ The Red Chord, Skeletonwitch, & Paria
TICKETS: $13 ADV / $15 DOS
Unleashing a relentless fusion of hardcore and death metal with the precision guitar attack of progressive metal, Job for a Cowboy was formed in Glendale, AZ, in 2002. The group was founded by vocalist Jonny Davy, guitarists Ravi Bhadriraju and Andrew Arcurio, bassist Chad Staples, and drummer Andy Rysdam, and the band cut their first demo CD in 2004. Later that year, Staples and Rysdam left Job for a Cowboy, with Brent Riggs and Elliott Sellers respectively stepping in as bassist and drummer. In 2005, the band recorded a six-song EP, Doom, that attracted the attention of Arizona independent label King of the Monsters, who distributed the disc after an initial self-released pressing by the band. Doom earned a potent buzz in metal circles, enhanced by extensive touring, and Metal Blade Records signed the band in 2006, reissuing Doom with a bonus track. Also in 2006, Arcurio dropped out of Job for a Cowboy, and new guitarist Bobby Thompson joined the group. While Job for a Cowboy was writing material for their first full-length album, Sellers left the band, and Jon "The Charm" Rice became their new percussionist. Recorded between road trips with producer Andy Sneap at the controls, the group's first album, Genesis, was released in May 2007 by Metal Blade, with lots more touring to follow.
Friday, 2/08/08 9:00PM
POLYDYPSIA
w/ Dessa Vibes
TICKETS: $5 at the door
Formed with it's original line-up in June of 2005, Polydypsia has rocked the Big O and surrounding areas for a number of years. The members of Polydypsia have played with a number of local talented musicians, and their music is ever-changing and evolving. Described as Jazz Fusion with heavy elements of funk and rock, the Dyps keep their audiences entranced with groove crecendos and mood altering improvisational abilities. Trained to play Jazz, these guys use their skills to fill a need, a need for their audiences to get a little funky. With influences like Frank Zappa, George Benson, Miles Davis, P-Funk, Ramsey Lewis, and many more these guys surely quench the need for some soul shakin. The sounds that make up Polydypsia are Jazz inspired Guitar, Mind-expanding keys, Rippin Bass, Bluesy vocals, and a Percussion section that just won't quit. Polydypsia means "excessive thirst", the way they see it your thirst for music is what keeps them playing and searching for new heights. Come out soon quench yourself and get down. Until then, stay thirsty.
Saturday, 2/09/08 9:00PM
CLEVER
w/ Old Boy Network & Straight Outta Junior High
TICKETS: $7 at the door
Clever's been one of Omaha's top-drawing rock bands since it was formed in late '97 out of the ashes of two other well-respected local bands. Vocalist/guitarist Bruce Coddington, formerly of Blue Moon Ghetto, matched up with former Secret Skin bassist Clint Thomas and drummer Paul Weaklend. Rounding out the 5-piece is Clint's little brother, Kevin, playing guitar alongside Moerke. The band's trademark sound is excruciatingly tight funk rock in the vein of 311 or the Urge, but much, much heavier. "Accidentally?" their May '98 release, showcased Clever's fast, yet bone-crushingly brutal style of head-bouncing rock. Their popularity grew as word spread of the band's over-the-top live shows that turn crowds into an ocean of hopping, moshing, sweaty bodies. Before long, the band managed to grow a regular following, while selling more than 1,800 copies of their debut CD. Ben Maxwell joined the band on drums six months ago after Weaklend quit to spend more time with his family. He's toured with that band as the guitar tech and stage manager for the past two and a half years.
Tuesday, 2/12/08 8:00PM - 21+
Wii BOWLING NIGHT
NO COVER CHARGE!!!
It's Wii Bowling Night!!! Come be all you can be!
Friday, 2/15/08 9:00PM
FORTY TWENTY
w/ The Filter Kings
TICKETS: $7 at the door
Take a couple of country boys, a rhythm section with a punk-rock background, add a multi-talented guitar player, and you’ve got FortyTwenty, a young, energetic group of musicians playing the songs they’ve written and the songs they grew up on. With slogans like “So Country It’ll Make You Puke,” and “Purveyors of Fine Music,” FortyTwenty manages to seamlessly transition from honky-tonk originals to metal covers (and back again) with a breakneck speed and ferocious intensity that somehow makes sense. “It’s kinda like a punk show, only way twangier,” said Jedd Beaudoin of F5 Magazine. Currently touring in support of its debut studio album, “Lowdown and Dirty,” FortyTwenty has performed live on radio stations and shared the stage with numerous national acts including BR549, Hank Williams III, and the Dera.
Saturday, 2/16/08 9:00PM
THE PENDRAKES
w/ Sarah Benck & The Robbers
TICKETS: $7 at the door
The Pendrakes new recording, Sunday Punch showcases their “sugar sweet pop licks played with maximum ampage and minimum pretense”, yet also finds them venturing into country/Americana, swing and 70’s flavored R & B. In years spent on the Minneapolis music scene, Paul Novak (Vocals, Guitar and Wurlitzer) has shared the stage with members of Son Volt, The Replacements, Gear Daddies and The Jayhawks. Moving to Omaha, Novak found himself musically alone for the first time in many years. As fate would have it, Omaha music veteran Eric Ebers (Drums and Accordion) and Novak shared a cubicle wall before finding out they also shared a musical connection in bass man Craig Meier. The trio began work on Sunday Punch in the summer of 2007. The newest Pendrake, Corey Weber (Guitar and Pedal Steel), has added a hard rock punch and a little twang to the recording as well as rounding out The Pendrakes sound and turning them into a formidable live act. Musically, Sunday Punch shines through sunny and hopeful even while telling tales of dead end jobs, phonies, sycophants, and making up and breaking up.
Sunday, 2/17/08 9:00PM
JOSEPH ISRAEL
TICKETS: $10 ADV / $12 DOS
The Journey of Joseph Israel Through its simple, sweet reflections of love, its headline-torn news reports, its tales of spiritual awakening and calls for unity, there is a thread running through the songs on Joseph Israel's debut disc, Gone are the Days. Combined, they quite simply point to a better way to live, to a better world. Conscious and idealistic, they are songs that compose an album whose release marks the impressive and thoroughly independent rise of this Truth seeking Soul, utter devotion to the music and culture of Jamaica and the messages of roots reggae can be felt throughout. If the album marks the 28-year-old, self-made musician’s coming of age as an artist, it does so through songs that, among other things, mark his coming of age as a man. The disc’s 13 tracks represent the realization of a life-long dream for the Arkansas–based Israel. And they also mark him as a bona fide member of the roots reggae community, despite his skin color or country of origin. Recorded over several months in Kingston, Jamaica—at the fabled Tuff Gong studio (Bob Marley and the Marley family's studio), Shaggy's Big Yard studio, and others—Gone are the Days carries the endorsement of a cast of reggae vets.
Monday, 2/18/08 9:00PM
SARA BAREILLES
TICKETS: $10 ADV / $12 DOS
Sara Bareilles has been writing songs for as long as she can remember. Some of them make her happy and some of them she says are shit, but all of them come because she can't imagine what else to do with her head and the things that are in it besides write songs. Songs, and some pretty bad poetry. But mostly just songs. Songwriting is the most sacred thing in her life. It's how she processes her world. For now, it's usually her and her piano (that she rents cause she doesn't have one), her lousy grammar, and some emotion that makes her feel like she's bursting at the seams. And it's the best feeling in the world.
Thursday, 2/21/08 9:00PM
CAPGUN COUP
TICKETS: $7 at the door
The members of Capgun Coup aren’t very good at listening to people compare their music to other bands. Perhaps because Sam Martin, Greg Elsasser, Eric Ohlsson and Andy Matz are not the most well-versed students of rock music, their debut release, Nebraskafish, demonstrates a refined style that is largely unhindered by the type of hero-worship that often marks a young band. The Capgun Coup story starts somewhere in the cultural void of suburban Omaha, Neb., where Elsasser and Martin began playing music over three years ago. Steeped in basement show tradition and house party culture, the debut material from Capgun Coup fits neatly with other bands that recently emerged to wide acclaim from the Midwestern culture vacuum. But that doesn’t mean the boys aren’t bringing something new to the table. Nebraskafish is the wonderfully schizophrenic product of the rich interplay within Capgun Coup. Ever tinkering with noise and samples, Elsasser serves as the band’s spacey Johnny Greenwood to Martin’s more song-oriented Thom Yorke. Ohlsson and Matz give Martin and Elsasser’s compositions backbone and organization. Recorded over more than a year, the album demonstrates an evolution in songwriting, from the band’s early folk songs (“Oh My Mod”), which were recorded mostly at legendary Presto! Studios in Lincoln, to the Guided By Voices-by-way-of-Cursive pieces (“Social Security Number”), which were self-produced. The album is sandwiched by moody sound collages. These negative tracks were produced separately by Martin and Elsasser with the intention of tying the last two years of songwriting together. All together, it’s music meant to be heard in a close setting with friends preferably a hundred of them, all dancing. Just don’t request a Minutemen cover.
Saturday, 2/23/08 9:00PM
BASIA BULAT
TICKETS: $8.00
Basia Bulat hails from the forest city of London, Ontario, where she found her songs and stories dangling from the trees. Her debut album Oh, My Darling was engineered and produced by Howard Bilerman (Godspeed You! Black Emperor, The Arcade Fire, upcoming British Sea Power). The album is out already in the UK and Canada to widespread acclaim. Basia's songs are infused with sweet ragtime piano melodies, tender-hearted string arrangements, and a voice that has been compared to Elyse Weinberg and Leslie Feist. Together with her backing band, Basia has begun bringing her unique blend of folk and chamber pop to audiences across Canada. The US is next on the list with the release of Oh, My Darling and a Springtime US tour.
Sunday, 2/24/08 9:00PM
THESE ARE POWERS
w/ Mahjongg & Calvin Johnson
TICKETS: $8.00
Most likely no other band than These Are Powers has enthusiastically been described after a live show as "baby John Coltrane in a stroller" or as having used "all of the buffalo". They have been hugged by strangers who had never before heard them play, and have also received a few handwritten notes--one of them a "permanent thank you" complete with a shaky black ink drawing of a wide-eyed cat. In the short time they have existed, These Are Powers has played by the refrigerator door and on the counter of a kitchen in Little Rock. They have turned a living room full of kids in Kansas City into a giant group hug and carpet-wrestling match. In Montreal, the same drunken Quebecois girl has given them a partial striptease and the hairy eye. They have performed in a Brooklyn church basement, a Polish ballroom, an Ethiopian restaurant, a Cleveland coffee shop, and have inspired quite a few people to move. Movement is freedom. Repetition creates emotional resonance. These Are Powers mesh organic sounds in real time into the shape of songs through improvisation and collaboration. Subsonic bass frequencies are future primitive undercurrents to spectral guitars and banshee vocals. These are hymns over club beats, ragas piggybacking on noise collages, dirges married to dance. Could it be anything but Ghost Punk?
Tuesday, 2/26/08 9:00PM
THE BLACK LIPS
w/ Quintron & Miss Pussycat
TICKETS: $10.00
The Black Lips are what you could call true visionaries of a skeptical age. Even from their very first 7" EP, you could tell they were doing their own thing on their own terms, and of course it didn't sit well, even with the dawning of the 21st century and all it promised. Wildly cross-eyed broken stars destined to waver in their importance in the cosmos, they know no boundaries and they take no pretense. Like a volatile and teetering amalgamation of the SWELL MAPS trying to cover the SWINGIN' MEDALLIONS, it's just not right for this world. Unless you long for theunhinged freedom that comes with music that challenges everything without becoming an unlistenable mess of sound. It's a dazzling catastrophe that needs to be absorbed before it vaporizes into thin air. The fun these guys have is hard to hide either live or on record. Seriously slurred swashbucklers living out the ultimate teenage dream, yet breaking through another layer of remarkable idiocy, transcribed through hallucinations, exasperation, and perfectly casual dick fumbling.
Thursday, 2/28/08 9:00PM
GIL MANTERA'S PARTY DREAM
TICKETS: $7.00
Check out these two guys, Ultimate Donny and Gil Mantera. They're from Youngstown, Ohio. They're brothers. They're blonde, handsome, and strapping. They play rock-style music mixed with alternative-style. They're Gil Mantera's Party Dream. The duo started rocking shows back and forth between the Youngstown and Columbus, Ohio scenes back in 2000, sharing stages with a variety of bands of different genres and dominating all. On the strength of their incredible live show and two self-released CDs, they grew to own a solid fan-base in every nook and cranny of the state of Ohio (which, believe it or not, is no easy goddamned task) and soon thereafter most of the Midwest. By 2004, The Party Dream's storm had expanded to envelop most of the Northeast and even parts of the South. All the while honing their craft, their stage-presence and songwriting abilities had grown to monstrous proportions, thus generating interest from tastemakers, labels, and a whole bunch of other pretentious wing-dangs. Despite the influx of attention, the boys held fast and maintained course until the right men for the job approached them. Gil Mantera's Party Dream are here for the long haul. Their songs, phenomenal live show, integrity, and the swagger and attitude of the members themselves make clear one thing: Gil Mantera's Party Dream is to pop music what Freddy Kruger is to supernatural creatures that haunt their victims' dreams - which is to say they set the goddamned standard.
Friday, 2/29/08 9:00PM
LADYFINGER
w/ The Coffin Killers
TICKETS: $7 at the door
Pounding. Squealing. Rabid. Feral. A classic rock voice that melts the cockles like butter on a biscuit. This is Ladyfinger. A four-piece Midwestern convergence of yin and yang, classic and new, rock and yes, we'll say it roll. A tornadic force prepared to rip your roof clean off. Are you ready to rock and be rocked, Globe? Then, as the French say: Commence.
Saturday, 3/01/08 9:00PM
ALESSI
TICKETS: $7 at the door
Alessi lives in a little house in London where she makes her songs. She uses shells and sequins for their rhythms, the guitar to paint the scenes, the keyboard and glockenspiel for decoration and her voice to tell the stories. Paying attention to the smallest and yet sometimes the most significant details in the natural world is inspiring to her song writing. Trees, leaves, constellations, birds and the studying of dreams are some of her favourite subjects to write about. Alessi records all of her songs in her bedroom and is currently putting her record together, we've heard through the willows that the record will be titled 'Notes from the Tree house' but we are not yet sure if we heard that correctly.
Sunday, 3/02/08 4:00PM
GORILLA PRODUCTIONS
Battle of the Bands
TICKETS: $8 ADV / $10 DOS
Gorilla Productions is a cutting edge national production company based out of the Rock 'N Roll capital city, Cleveland, Ohio. Gorilla Productions was designed to foster independent talent through educating artists about music promotion while gaining exposure to fans and industry executives. They believe in taking a grassroots approach to concert promotion. With over a decade of experience, their goal has become educating the talent they work with; giving them tools to be successful in the industry. Gorilla Productions uses the techniques of classic guerilla marketing. They encourage bands to use all mediums including print ads, radio ads, press releases, myspace.com, websites, as well as direct ticket selling and flyering. Gorilla Productions strives to bridge the gap between art and business in the music industry through the education of our developing artists.
Tuesday, 3/04/08 9:00PM
THE WHIGS
w/ Spinto Band
TICKETS: $8.00
With their fierce intensity and explosive punk rock energy, The Whigs had a specific mission in mind for their new album, MISSION CONTROL; to capture the energy and spirit of their live show. The legendary Hollywood Sunset Sound Studios (where everyone from The Beach Boys to Led Zeppelin have tracked) was a far cry from the sweaty, dilapidated mansion in Athens, GA, where the then-college students made their self-produced and later critically acclaimed debut GIVE ‘EM ALL A BIG FAT LIP, but it proved an optimal background for their ATO Records debut, MISSION CONTROL. MISSION CONTROL is a raucous thirty-seven minutes embodying all things forgotten in alt rocks uncompromising optimism. The Whigs toured relentlessly behind GIVE ‘EM ALL A BIG FAT LIP, including a stop at the 2007 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. Now with new bass player Tim Deaux on board, The Whigs are ready to hit the road again in support of MISSION CONTROL, which will be released on January 22nd, 2008.
Saturday, 3/08/08 9:00PM
TILLY AND THE WALL
w/ The Family Radio
TICKETS: $10.00
Tilly and the Wall create jagged elegant songs about secrets and kissing. From Omaha, Nebraska, Tilly further asserts the depth of the scene. While perfectly inclined to a Friday night, Tilly's music is equally capable on Sunday morning. Tilly and the Wall wants to entertain you. Let them.
Sunday, 3/09/08 9:00PM
HOLY FUCK
w/ A Place To Bury Strangers & Flowers Forever
TICKETS: $10.00
Holy Fuck make experimental dance music with drums, kid’s toys, distorting mixers, bass guitars, and archaic film editing equipment. You would think Holy Fuck would be a household name by now. Ok… maybe not household but at least entertaining a bidding war from every cleverly progressive indie label out there! Their latest self released EP is one of the most impressive Canadian releases this year and the limited edition pressing is almost sold out. Their reputation as a must-see live band is well deserved… So check out their tour dates and make sure to show up early!
Saturday, 3/15/08 9:00PM
JONATHAN RICHMAN
w/ Vic Chestnutt
TICKETS: $12.00
Jonathan Richman has been writing songs, making records and performing live for most of his life, winning fans and making friends around the world with his guileless honesty and playfully catchy compositions. He's revered by countless fellow artists, and has built a remarkably loyal international audience through his tireless touring. His deceptively straightforward songs embody timeless qualities of humanity, optimism, emotional insight and a boundless sense of humor, untainted by cynicism or transient notions of hipness.
Friday, 3/21/08 9:00PM
LITTLE BRAZIL
w/ The Photo Atlas, The 1090 Club, & Valley Arena
TICKETS: $7 at the door
On their second full-length release Tighten the Noose, Omaha, NE indie rockers Little Brazil make a bold statement as a titan force of pop rock. Their sophomore effort showcases a band taking a confident step in their progression as artists who have honed their songwriting craft while mining the deeper and darker regions of relationships. Lead singer Landon Hedges writes with his heart on his sleeve yielding a compelling lyrical approach. Hedges isn't afraid to sing about the dark corners of love and he knows how to pull you in with inviting melodies and anthemic hooks.
Saturday, 3/22/08 9:00PM
POLYDYPSIA
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TICKETS: $7 at the door
Formed with it's original line-up in June of 2005, Polydypsia has rocked the Big O and surrounding areas for a number of years. The members of Polydypsia have played with a number of local talented musicians, and our music is ever-changing and evolving. Described as Jazz Fusion with heavy elements of funk and rock, the Dyps keep their audiences entranced with groove crecendos and mood altering improvisational abilities. Trained to play Jazz, these guys use their skills to fill a need, a need for their audiences to get a little funky. With influences like Frank Zappa, George Benson, Miles Davis, P-Funk, Ramsey Lewis, and many more these guys surely quench the need for some soul shakin. The sounds that make up Polydypsia are Jazz inspired Guitar, Mind-expanding keys, Rippin Bass, Bluesy vocals, and a Percussion section that just won't quit. Polydypsia means "excessive thirst", the way they see it your thirst for music is what keeps them playing and searching for new heights. Come out soon quench yourself and get down. Until then, stay thirsty.
Wednesday, 3/26/08 9:00PM
BLACK MOTH SUPER RAINBOW
TICKETS: $7 - AVAILABLE JANUARY 19th
Members prefer to go by aliases and stay away from normal press photos so the music is always the main focus. Not really coming from any kind of scene, Black Moth Super Rainbow is somewhat of an anomaly in their hometown of Pittsburgh; a place where most people don‘t even realize BMSR is from. By developing their ideas in near-seclusion and without any local influence, they come across as something feral and without solid comparison. Imagine being able to wipe the slate clean and hearing a pop song without ever hearing a pop song before. And then replacing the types of melodies you‘re accustomed to hearing from certain instruments with something different. It‘s kind of like that. Most people associate sounds like a vocoded vocal with techno and novelty, and analog synths with electro, but BMSR is coming from a different place and trying to re-contextualize these sounds. They‘re categorized in the Electronic Genre, but their heads are somewhere else. Live, they are an extremely psychedelic pop band that likes to create a sometimes vastly different experience from the recordings. Echoplex freakouts and gong smashes with spinning drums are part of the repertoire now. Noise plays with melody, and old synths might help you remember why it can be fun to wiggle or jump or cry.
Wednesday, 4/02/08 9:00PM
NADA SURF
w/ What Made Milwaukee Famous
TICKETS: $14.00
The three members of Nada Surf have played together now for a dozen years. They’ve survived overnight major-label success and the inevitable morning-after bleariness, persevering past obstacles that would have sunk a less resilient combo to become one of America’s most truly independent bands. Experience has only made their work richer, bringing gravity to the subject matter and lightness to its presentation. Keeping things honest – and often rapturous -- has become a modus operandi. Lucky, the title of Nada Surf’s fifth album, is at once literal and ironic. Like the songs that singer- guitarist Matthew Caws, bassist Daniel Lorca and drummer Ira Elliot crafted for their previous two albums, Let Go (2003) and The Weight Is A Gift (2005), Lucky is filled with images of restlessness, longing and the elusiveness of love. Yet the band counterbalances the lyrical bittersweetness with a musical buoyancy. Intimate songs become in-it-together anthems, thanks to the chiming guitars, propulsive rhythms, and the emotional candor in Caws’ vocals. Turn up the volume, hit the repeat button, and your troubles, for a blissful three minutes or so, will disappear.
Saturday, 4/05/08 9:00PM
DOUG STANHOPE
TICKETS: $15 ADV / $18 DOS
When Doug Stanhope first performed stand-up comedy in Las Vegas in 1990, all he was hoping to accomplish was free beer and maybe the attention of chicks who wouldn't otherwise talk to him. Regardless of his successes, his ambitions remain mostly the same. Stanhope has been described as a free-thinking nihilist, a vulgar miseriblist, a self-indulgent, drunken washout and a deviant, misanthropic Charles Kuralt. His material ranges from true-life graphic perversion to volatile social criticism. He's also a bit of a boozehound.
