Sunday, 9/7/08 8:00PM @ The Waiting Room - 21+
A TRIBUTE TO JERRY REED
NO COVER CHARGE!!!
Come celebrate the life of one of country music's greatest men. We will be playing Jerry's music, showing old performances, and showing "Smokey And The Bandit" for this special movie night. Stop in for a diablo sandwich and a Dr. Pepper. "Smokey And The Bandit" starts at 8pm. $2 Coors original cans 'til they're gone, son!

Monday, 9/8/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room - 21+
ROCK MOVIE NIGHT
Pavement - Slow Century
NO COVER CHARGE!!!
This is essential viewing for anyone interested in alternative rock. Pavement was the quintessential slacker band, bar none. SLOW CENTURY captures them in all their unadorned glory, boldly sacrificing tuning and practice for their special brand of magic. The live shows are somewhat chaotic as a result, but anyone familiar with the band would expect no less.

Tuesday, 9/9/08 7:30PM @ The Waiting Room
VALENCIA
w/ Sing It Loud, Single File, & Cash Cash
TICKETS: $10 ADV / $12 DOS
Valencia is a five-piece pop-punk alternative band from Philadelphia, PA. They are on I Surrender Records and have a debut album, This Could Be A Possibility, which debuted in October 2005 and re-released in September 2006 with national distribution through RED Ink. The band met by playing local shows together around the tri-state area in their respective bands. The name comes from the city in Spain because it is known for it’s progress and evolution; Valencia felt the same way about their music at the time of formation so they decided the name was a good fit.

Wednesday, 9/10/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room
SYSTEM AND STATION
w/ Race for Titles & fromanhole
TICKETS: $7 at the door
System and Station is from Portland, Oregon via Idaho and Madison, Wisconsin. The band has been on over 18 national tours. Released 8 recordings (4 eps, 4 lps). Have owned 2 very loyal Ford Club Wagons. Have had approximately 12 breakdowns (some in -20 degree weather, some strictly mental). Have torched 4 computer monitors in San Antonio. Have seen 1 man dressed as a nun defile someone in New York. Have been jumped by 1 crack head and 2 hookers in Knoxville, TN. Have stayed at the producer of the Oprah Winfrey shows home without them knowing it 1 time with Caustic Resin. Have had 1 fight with a gang of DJ's in Las Vegas Nevada. Have been in 1 Texas Jail cell. Have seen 2 dead bodies 1 in Savannah, GA and 1 in New Orleans, LO. Have been mugged by 1 gypsy in New Orleans. Have way too many stories to list on this page. Have played with everyone from Marky Ramone to Shiner, from Alex Chilton to Built to Spill, from Jeremy Enigk to Canyon, from Black Rebel Motorcycle Club to The Meat Puppets oh yeah and also Sloppy Seconds. Have met some of the most inspiring and amazing people on this planet earth who have taken us in without a second thought.

Wednesday, 9/10/08 9:00PM @ Slowdown Front Room
CENTRO-MATIC
w/ Broken West & Mal Madrigal
TICKETS: $8.00
Centro-matic's music comes on like a sound from a distant dream, something new, yet unmistakably familiar. Clear images adding up to something a little vague, but in such a comforting way. Their music is somehow like something you heard in my head as a child, yet you know you didn't. You find myself singing along with their songs the first time you hear them. They're the best live band in America and know how to make great records. Bunches of them (they're prolific as hell) yet some how they keep getting better. All of this while playing an exhausting 150 shows a year.

Thursday, 9/11/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room
THE NIGHT MARCHERS
w/ Colour Revolt & Ideal Cleaners
TICKETS: $10 ADV / $12 DOS
Ladies and Gentleman... I present to you the next SoCal, mall punk, stupor group; THE NIGHT MARCHERS!.... apparitions of modern day street warriors that manifest in the neglected corners of subterranean, Rock ‘n Roll lore. Take Speedo (ex Rocket from the Crypt barker/broom swinger, Hot Snakes riff architect, Drive Like Jehu octavarian, The Sultans booking agent, Pitchfork stylist, and lest not forget Swami Records honcho humongous and KBZT 94.9 FM DJ to the stars). Then add the black Irish of Dner (ex Hot Snakes subsonic maestro, current Beehive and the Barracudas legal representative, White Apes roadie and merchandise coordinator, and of course, I would be remiss to not mention his ongoing contributions to the field of recording science at the helm of Strange Sounds recording studio). Now reinforce these bad intentions with Thee Mount Olympus of all rhythm sections. Literally, an all-Greek powerhouse suspended by Ionic fortitude and bathed in a distilled olive oil suitable for the same rectal lubrication that eased in democracy and the Olympics. J. Sinclair K. propels these files with the same vintage overload he brought on the drums while steering Hot Snakes, Delta 72, Bardo Pond and Mule. At the ripe young age of 56, newcomer Thomas Kitsos, aka Titus Gangbangus of CPC Gangbangs fame, lays a heavy pipe on the four string bass guitar. Tommy recently relocated to San Diego from Montreal where his father owns and operates a Greek Restaurant, and his mother is a witch/fortune teller. After one listen to the band’s earliest demos, the Department of Naturalization & Immigration granted Titus a green card with no questions asked. A quick Wikipedia search will tell you no less.

Thursday, 9/11/08 9:00PM @ Slowdown Front Room
POMEGRANATES
w/ Cameron McGill & Shiver, Shiver
TICKETS: $7.00
Pomegranates began in the young minds of Jacob Merritt and Isaac Karns. With a mutual desire to make music, the two began penning songs. Immediately they felt this new project was heading places, so they solicited the help of Joey Cook, and the three got down to business. Their initial practice session gave shape to what would later become their first song, "Nursery Magic". Poms were official. June of 2007 saw the release of their well received debut EP 'Two Eyes'. Their full length, 'Everything is Alive', was released in May of 2008. Pomegranates continues to write music and share it with whoever lends an ear.

Friday, 9/12/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room
THE 9's
w/ Oxygen
TICKETS: $7 at the door
Telepathically tight rhythm section? Check. Screaming Hammond organ? Check. Monster synthesizer leads? Check. A front man who's not afraid to proclaim he's “The Only Rock Star You Know?"...check and mate. The 9's, once described as "the future of music" by Alan Gorrie (Average White Band), are celebrating the release of their new CD at The Waiting Room. Critics will undoubtedly argue that The 9's latest effort is "out of touch". But was there ever a time that was ripe for a hybrid of 70's jazz rock, 80's funk, soaring stadium rock with a healthy dose of wink-and-a-nod thrown in? Maybe not. But on September 12th, The 9's will restate their commitment to mind-bending musical intricacy and pop shamelessness. Since their inception, The 9's have shared the stage with The Average White Band, Parliament/Funkadelic, Maceo Parker, Sonja Dada, Ziggy Marley, and Bela Fleck.

Friday, 9/12/08 9:00PM @ Slowdown
ATMOSPHERE
w/ Abstract Rude, Blueprint, & DJ Rare Groove
TICKETS: $17.00
Eleven years after becoming the first hip-hop act to put the Twin Cities on the map, Atmosphere has grown into one of the most accomplished MC/producer duos around. Between Slug and Ant, they’ve released six albums, 11 Sad Clown tour albums and various side-projects like Felt — amounting in well over a million units sold. And along the way have performed to sold-out crowds everywhere from modest sized venues in their hometown to colossal festivals in Japan. Since releasing their 1997 debut, Overcast!, Ant’s ASR-born melodic beats and Slug’s open book and observational style of rapping continues to evolve into hip-hop that’s more honest — more textured. And the praise for these Rhymesayers pioneers hasn’t stopped flowing in.

Saturday, 9/13/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room
NEIL HAMBURGER
w/ Pleaseeasaur & Nick Allen
TICKETS: $8.00
America's Funnyman Neil Hamburger is the hardest working comedian in existence, performing up to 399 shows a year to critical acclaim and audience bewilderment. Recently, Neil's frequent appearances on the Fox News Red Eye program has exposed Neil's diseased comedy stylings to disgruntled right-wingers.

Saturday, 9/13/08 9:00PM @ Slowdown
OKKERVIL RIVER
w/ Neva Dinova
TICKETS: $14.00
Will Sheff, Zachary Thomas, and Seth Warren first met in the tiny town of Meriden, New Hampshire, (population 500), then relocated a few years later to Austin, Texas to dedicate themselves to playing music. They called the group they formed Okkervil River, after a short story by the Russian writer Tatyana Tolstaya. Keyboardist Jonathan Meiburg (also of Shearwater) joined the band during the sessions for their second full-length, Don't Fall In Love With Everyone You See, a record which subsequently won the group a rabid fanbase (critical raves from the likes of Rolling Stone, MOJO, Alternative Press, and No Depression variously compared the band to Neutral Milk Hotel, Wilco, Bright Eyes, Tindersticks and Will Oldham). After their third record, came endless touring and the addition of the phenomenal Mr. Nelsen to the band permanently, and Okkervil left home. Forever.

Sunday, 9/14/08 8:00PM @ The Waiting Room
WHITECHAPEL
w/ Through The Eyes of the Dead, Impending Doom, & A Different Breed of Killer
TICKETS: $12.00
Started in February of 2006, Whitechapel quickly gained the attention of the underground scene in the US and Europe with relentless touring and face-melting, neck-snapping tunes. Ever since their inception Whitechapel have been turning heads, whether it be by word of mouth, online, or through their devastating live show. With the line up of the band at its strongest and best it has ever been, the release of their highly anticipated full length album entitled The Somatic Defilement (Candlelight USA), and their freshly inked deal with Metal Blade Records, there is nothing that can stop them now. Look for Whitechapel on tour throughout the rest of 2007 in support of their latest album The Somatic Defilement (Candlelight USA). Whitechapel’s Metal Blade Records debut will be out in stores and online everywhere in 2008.

Sunday, 9/14/08 8:00PM @ Slowdown Front Room
THE CAB
w/ This Providence, Hey Monday, & A Rocket To The Moon
TICKETS: $10.00
The Cab is an American rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada, signed to Fueled By Ramen subsidiary Decaydance Records. Their debut album, Whisper War, was released on April 29, 2008. They have also been called “The Band You Need To Know 2008” by Alternative Press. Blender named them #75 on their Top 100 Hot Report in September 2007, before they had actually released any official material. The group has toured with We The Kings, Metro Station, Cobra Starship, Charlotte Sometimes, Forever the Sickest Kids, and others.

Monday, 9/15/08 8:00PM @ Slowdown
NEKO CASE
w/ Giant Sand
TICKETS: $22.00
The story of Neko Case could be told a number of different ways; but the facts, as always, yield only a part of the truth. Neko is a major poet by any standard, a songwriter less interested perhaps in traditional narrative form than in distilling a pure moment of time. She’s an artist whose songs are so textured in their presentation that the subtleties filter into the subconscious while the overall effect astonishes. But rather than each of her progressive albums disposing of what came before it, there is, instead, a sense of “continuation” at play--in which every album exists like the subsequent chapter to a novel that grows more complicated and intriguing as it progresses. The continued evolution of her as a creator, producer, personality and live performer has been as fascinating to witness as the music she makes. Neko claims no genre, nor utilizes any classic formula for her songs and singing. More than anything she thrives in the spaces in between her music. As with the highest art, the negative space should be calculated, too. What isn’t readily seen also carries its own weight—an articulated emptiness, a space defined and made human by whatever has sought to confine it. It's neither the singer nor the song alone that defines the best music. It’s how much power moves between the two.

Monday, 9/15/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room
PERPETUAL GROOVE
TICKETS: $10 ADV / $13 DOS
A celebrated, international touring act for over four years, Perpetual Groove has built a reputation on intense, emotional music that fans call "trance arena rock". The Athens, GA-based band's riveting live performances have catapulted them into the "must-see" category of live rock bands. With a funky blend of jazz-rock, neo-psychedelia, R&B, trance electronica, progressive rock and anthemic arena rock, the Bonnaroo veterans have conquered the festival circuit and continue to tour relentlessly.

Tuesday, 9/16/08 8:00PM @ Sokol Auditorium
JONNY LANG
w/ Sharon Little
TICKETS: $27.00
Lang started playing the guitar at the age of twelve, after his father took him to see the Bad Medicine Blues Band, one of the few blues bands in Fargo. Lang soon started taking guitar lessons from Ted Larsen, the Bad Medicine Blues Band's guitar player. Several months after Lang started guitar lessons, he joined the Bad Medicine Blues Band, which was then renamed Kid Jonny Lang & The Big Bang. The band moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota and independently released the album Smokin. Lang was signed to A&M Records in 1996. He released the critically acclaimed multi-platinum Lie to Me on January 28, 1997. The next album, Wander This World, was released on October 20, 1998 and earned a Grammy nomination. This was followed by the more soulful Long Time Coming on October 14, 2003. Lang also made a cover of Edgar Winter's "Dying to Live." Lang's newest album, the gospel-influenced Turn Around, was released in 2006, and most recently won Lang his first Grammy Award.

Tuesday, 9/16/08 8:00PM @ Hoyt Sherman Theater
NEKO CASE
w/ Giant Sand
TICKETS: $25.00
The story of Neko Case could be told a number of different ways; but the facts, as always, yield only a part of the truth. Neko is a major poet by any standard, a songwriter less interested perhaps in traditional narrative form than in distilling a pure moment of time. She’s an artist whose songs are so textured in their presentation that the subtleties filter into the subconscious while the overall effect astonishes. But rather than each of her progressive albums disposing of what came before it, there is, instead, a sense of “continuation” at play--in which every album exists like the subsequent chapter to a novel that grows more complicated and intriguing as it progresses. The continued evolution of her as a creator, producer, personality and live performer has been as fascinating to witness as the music she makes. Neko claims no genre, nor utilizes any classic formula for her songs and singing. More than anything she thrives in the spaces in between her music. As with the highest art, the negative space should be calculated, too. What isn’t readily seen also carries its own weight—an articulated emptiness, a space defined and made human by whatever has sought to confine it. It's neither the singer nor the song alone that defines the best music. It’s how much power moves between the two.

Tuesday, 9/16/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room
THE REIGN OF KINDO
w/ Landing On The Moon
TICKETS: $7.00
The Reign Of Kindo formed shortly after the abrupt disbanding of the musical group "This Day & Age" and is comprised of the 4 remaining members along with the displaced bass player of the musical group "Elektromat" (which also disbanded abruptly around the same time). Without hesitation, the five panicked and flustered chaps began frantically writing the most unreserved music that any of them had ever been a part of. Four of those songs are on this disc alongside their own rendition of a popular Flaming Lips tune.

Wednesday, 9/17/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room
FANCY PARTY COMEDY PRESENTS: RECESSED
w/ Nick Allen, Austin Anderson, Richard Reese, Tim Greenup, & Cody Hustak
TICKETS: $5 at the door
Fresh, smart, original, FUNNY. Stand-up and sketch comedy from the best Omaha has to offer. Come be a part of the fastest growing comedy show in the city.

Thursday, 9/18/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room
PAPER OWLS CD RELEASE SHOW
w/ Shiver, Shiver & Midwest Dilemma
TICKETS: $8 at the door (includes CD)
Paper Owls’ debut album Myths is an ethereal and stunning result of a series of accidents and experimentations involving some of Omaha’s most talented musicians. Myths transitions from haunted folk to progressive pop to ambient rock while maintaining a sense of continuity. The band features longtime song-writing partners April Twist and Cricket Kirk. The duo has been fleshed out into a full band featuring percussionist Matt Arbeiter and guitarist Ben Zinn. The band is part of the burgeoning ‘second wind’ of post Saddle Creek Records bands that are proving that the town has another wave of great artists on the cusp of national and international breakthrough. Paper Owls and their new album Myths are welcome contributions to the creative and groundbreaking music community in Omaha.

Thursday, 9/18/08 9:00PM @ Slowdown
APOCALYPTICA
TICKETS: $18 ADV / $20 DOS
There aren't many rock bands on this planet that wouldn't like to be regarded as unique. Of course, in these times of nostalgia and endlessly recycled ideas, very few actually deserve that description. Finland's Apocalyptica deserve it more than most. Utterly original in every respect, these classically-trained merchants of genre-shattering metal sound quite unlike anything or anyone else in musical history. Formed in the early '90s Apocalyptica chose an entirely individual path from day one. A few years earlier, while students at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, these young virtuosos joined a cello band that specialised in playing music by everyone from Bach to Hendrix. However, Eicca Toppinen and his three comrades had something louder in mind. All fans of heavy metal, they decided to form their own band. Toppinen wrote some unique arrangements of songs by Metallica, Slayer and other metallic legends. Apocalyptica were an overnight success in their native land, embraced by a surprisingly large audience that contained both die-hard metal fans and chin-stroking classical aficionados. It might seem a peculiar combination, but for the band the two genres have a logical and natural relationship. Inspired by their sudden and surprising rise to prominence, Apocalyptica spent the rest of the '90s riding a towering wave of creativity and earning themselves a formidable reputation as a jaw-dropping live act.

Friday, 9/19/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room
FORTY TWENTY / THE MERCURYS
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 Forty Twenty, a young, energetic group of musicians playing the songs they’ve written and the songs they grew up on. Add The Mercurys and you have an amazing night. The Omaha based trio has forged their roots in Rockabilly Blues sound for the past 11 years. They sling slanky grooves and country honky-tonk into a soiree of magic that can only be described as The Mercurys.

Friday, 9/19/08 9:00PM @ Slowdown
ANCHONDO CD RELEASE PARTY
w/ The Effects, B Foundation, Vibin High, & Bargain Music (Acoustic)
TICKETS: $10.00
Quoted as "the next big thing" AnchondO is the band that has everybody talking. Known as Midwestern road dogs AnchondO it seems is on a perpetual tour playing several shows a week every week. AnchondO plays to anyone and everyone who appreciates their eclectic blend of latin/reggae/rock and ska. With their skilled musicianship and action packed high-energy live shows AnchondO is standing out and quickly emerging out of the Mid-Western circuit turning heads and gaining legions of fans everywhere they go. With their "do it yourself" attitude, AnchondO is also known as one of the hardest working unsigned bands in the Mid-west and their hard work is only matched by their dedication to their music and their fans.

Saturday, 9/20/08 8:00PM @ The Anchor Inn - 18+
CONOR OBERST & THE MYSTIC VALLEY BAND
w/ Jenny Lewis, Matt Focht, & Son, Ambulance
TICKETS: $20.00
Conor Oberst is set to release a solo album on August 5th on Merge Records. This recording was made in Tepoztlán, Morelos, México during the months of January and February 2008. In Tepoztlán, a place known for Aztec Magic and Extra-Terrestrial Sightings, a temporary studio was created in a mountain villa called Valle Místico at the outskirts of town. It was produced by Conor Oberst with much help from engineer and long time associate Andy LeMaster. A special band was assembled for the recording, known amongst themselves and to friends as The Mystic Valley Band. It was there at Valle Místico that Conor and the band lived and worked for that time in near perfect harmony, often unaware of the hour or the day. The result is his first solo album in thirteen years.

Saturday, 9/20/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room
SONG REMAINS THE SAME
TICKETS: $7 at the door
Started up by some of the most experience musicians in the Omaha music scene. Song Remains the Same pays a great tribute to one of the most influential bands of all time. Most common phrase muttered after their performance is "you won't believe it until you hear it." The ever growing crowds have turned their shows into more of an event. If you plan to attend and SRtS show, get their early. You might not get in.

Sunday, 9/21/08 4:00PM @ The Waiting Room
GORILLA PRODUCTIONS
w/ 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, 9/22/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room - 21+
ROCK MOVIE NIGHT
My Morning Jacket: Okonokos: Live Concert Film
NO COVER CHARGE!!!
As an accompaniment to their recent live album Okonokos, My Morning Jacket filmed their two night stint at San Francisco's legendary Fillmore as a DVD release, which also ran in limited cinemas. Harking back to the classic days of the concert film, Okonokos is basically a straight live performance form the band, bookended with a mild narrative - the product of Jim James' wild imagination.

Tuesday, 9/23/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room
THE FELICE BROTHERS
w/ AA Bondy
TICKETS: $10.00
Simone (Vocals, Drums, Guitar), Ian (Vocals, Guitars, Piano) and James (Vocals, Accordion, Organ, Piano, Strings) Felice are three eldest boys from a family of seven, born carpenter's sons in the wilds of New York's Catskill Mountains. Less than a year ago they cajoled their best friend Christmas (a 19-year old bassist and chancer of questionable origin) into quitting his job and together the motley quartet forsook all else but song, found the Searcher, and moved their Sunday BBQ sing-alongs at their Dad's house into a ramshackle triage recording studio and out into the streets and subways of New York City. These days the boys draw comparisons to anyone from young Springsteen to the Scorsese film Gangs of New York. So it goes. The Felice Brothers travel the world performing homegrown and gritty Americana on the city stages as if they were hosting a sing-along on their front porch in their native Catskills, NY, or playing the backroom of a dusty tavern. The sound that emerges from their instruments seeps with instinctive authenticity rooted in tradition, while their panhandling antics and penchants for illegal subway performances carries the final product from the backwoods to the Concert Halls of America and Europe.

Wednesday, 9/24/08 9:00PM @ Slowdown
BUCKETHEAD
w/ That 1 Guy
TICKETS: $22 ADV / $25 DOS
Buckethead is an American guitarist and composer. He is known for wearing a white plastic mask and a KFC bucket on his head and for being a quiet individual who rarely if ever gives interviews. If an interview is given all questions are answered by Buckethead's rubber hand puppet "Herbie". He is a prolific composer, having released 38 solo albums and performed on over 50 more. He has also made a guest appearance on 44 different albums from various artists. His music spans across diverse areas such as thrash metal, funk, electronica, jazz and avant-garde music. Although a multi-instrumentalist (playing bass guitar, banjo, keyboards, ukulele, organ, violin, clarinet, saxophone, recorder, drums, gong, and piano), Buckethead is best known for his electric guitar playing, characterized by diverse playing styles spanning thrash guitar, fingerpicking, and slap guitar. Although Buckethead now works primarily as a solo artist touring the United States with a trio, he has had a wide variety of high profile collaborations with such artists as Les Claypool, Tony Williams, Bootsy Collins, Bernie Worrell, Iggy Pop, Serj Tankian, Guns N' Roses, Saul Williams, Mike Patton, Viggo Mortensen and with Bill Laswell on Praxis.

Thursday, 9/25/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room
THE STRING CHEESE INCIDENT HI-DEF VIRTUAL CONCERT
w/ Polydypsia
TICKETS: $8.00
Shot in high definition, Virtual Venues Network presents a life size and on-stage premiere screening of The String Cheese Incident's final two performances at Red Rocks Amphitheatre on August 11th & 12th, 2007. With more than 3 hours of live footage, this "virtual concert" experience is sure to thrill live music lovers everywhere and give people a feel for what it was like to be at one of the world's premiere outdoor venues for these very special SCI shows.

Friday, 9/26/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room
THE FILTER KINGS
w/ The Black Squirrels & Wagon Blasters
TICKETS: $7 at the door
What started out as a "boys" night of partying and messing around with some songs between Gerald Lee, Todd and Chris, soon became an actual band. Not sure if it was all the tasty libations or anything else but one night we decided to start gigging. We were rockin' it out as a 3 piece for a while, things were good, songs were great and the cocktails were flowing every Wednesday night. It was too much fun NOT to make this a band. A few years later, Josh joined the Filter Kings for the debauchery and follie. So, here it is, The Filter Kings. Come to a show, you are guaranteed a good time cuz' we likes to throw down our version of alt-country and punk and chase it with some shots and beers with our rowdy ass fans!!! It's a stiff cocktail any crazy mofo is sure to enjoy!!!! We are from Omaha, this is our scene and we dig every minute of it!!! Ok boys, get the girls and the martini shakers and for God Sakes start that friggin' bubble machine!!!

Friday, 9/26/08 9:00PM @ Slowdown Front Room
MALPAIS
TICKETS: $7.00
Malpais was formed in 2007 by Greg Loftis once he got back to Omaha from his travels around the globe. His zest for exploring brought him to a small beach in Central America that inspired the ironic name. He returned to his midwestern home and began singing with long-time friend/partner in crime, Joshua Hendricksen. They put together a band with Dave & Luke Backhaus, Phil Reno, Scott Evans - and got right to work. In the short life of the group (about six months) they have played around with Cursive, Blue October, Say Anything, The Narrator, Little Brazil, and Ludo to name a few. The style ranges from indie rock to shoe gazer/dream pop - to straight R.E.M style arena alt. rock. Interesting and original, the band is very much at home in front of huge crowds and intimate settings alike. Their debut album was recorded at ARC studios in Omaha with recording guru A.J. Mogis.

Saturday, 9/27/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room
THE HEATSEEKERS
NO COVER CHARGE!!!
The Heatseekers are Omaha's new favorite good time party band. They play a variety of great classic rock, selected country, and the occasional mellower song. And lets not forget the balls to the wall rock that we all love. If its a good song, they will play it. They are currently finishing up preparing for their new sets. They are cocked, locked and ready to rock! Everything from the 60's all the way up to todays hot rockers.

Saturday, 9/27/08 9:00PM @ Slowdown Front Room
MR. 1986
w/ Eagle Seagull
TICKETS: $7.00
Mr. 1986 is reuniting to play two final shows. Comprised of members from notable local bands (UUVVWWZ, Spring Gun and Tie These Hands), these performances will mark their first since 2005. Come and help them celebrate their reunion and their final farewell.

Sunday, 9/28/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room - 21+
ROCK MOVIE NIGHT
We Jam Econo - The Story of the Minutemen
NO COVER CHARGE!!!
Chances are if Alt-Rock changed your life in the 1990s you have the 1980s band The Minutemen to thank. And for those of you who missed out when The Minutemen were at the top of their game, you're in luck. We Jam Econo - The Story of the Minutemen is the long-awaited documentary of this wildly eclectic, seminal indie punk band. San Pedro High School graduates and long time friends D. Boon (guitar), Mike Watt (bass), and George Hurley (drums) formed The Minutemen in 1980 in the wake of the late seventies punk explosion. The Minutemen's trademark sound was a unique blend of punk, funk, classic rock riffs, mexicali rhythms and jazz beats sprinkled with a healthy dose of left wing politics and angst. These genres were often blended together into the same song and played in rapid fire bursts clocking in at one to two minutes tops. Their relentless touring and recording helped The Minutemen build a solid underground following while winning praises of music critics everywhere. After releasing their magnum opus Double Nickels On the Dime (1984) and opening for REM in 1985, the Minutemen were quickly rising to the top of the American Underground/College Rock heap. It looked as though super stardom may have been on the horizon for the boys from San Pedro. Sadly, the ride would be cut short when front man D. Boon died in a car crash on December 22, 1985. Culled from hours of home video footage, live concert footage and new interviews with Mike Watt and George Hurley, We Jam Econo chronicles the band from their early teen years, the band's roots in the 1980s Southern California hardcore scene, right up to the tragic death of front man D. Boon.

Monday, 9/29/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room
DR. DOG
w/ Delta Spirit & Hacienda
TICKETS: $10 ADV / $12 DOS
Dr. Dog is a musical band from the greater West Philadelphia area. We are interested in playing Boggle, three-part harmonies, roman candles, slow dancing, the great outdoors, pizza parties, and diminished chords.

Monday, 9/29/08 9:00PM @ Slowdown Front Room
BIRDMONSTER
TICKETS: $8.00
Don’t let the name scare you; Birdmonster doesn’t bite. Quite the opposite—the San Francisco quartet weaves beautiful melodies and harmonies into intimately inviting songs that feel familiar upon first listen, and yet still fresh after the hundredth. The foursome is a diverse bunch, drawing from a wide array of individual influences. As is typically the case, the resulting product is much more compelling and fresh than if each member came from a similar musical background.

Tuesday, 9/30/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room
DAVID DONDERO
TICKETS: $8.00
Few songwriters have experienced and expressed the sinking depths and uplifting optimism of humanity like David Dondero, and his ability to shine a light on the human condition (his own included) is inspiring. Dondero is best known for his narrative tales of America. Having spent most of his life on the road, Dave uses his staggering lyrical talent to paint tales of life in the US of A through clever word play and sarcastic humor about some of life's most sensitive subjects.

Wednesday, 10/1/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room
DEAD CONFEDERATE
w/ Catfish Haven & Awesome Color
TICKETS: $8 ADV / $10 DOS
There's a new breed of dark, raw, mind-blowing psych-rock crawling from the South, and its name is Dead Confederate. After relocating to music-rich Athens, Dead Confederate amped up their touring schedule and a copy of their demo fell into the hands of Scott Register, a radio DJ and well-known member of the rock community who had a good relationship with The Artists Organization label’s founder and legendary A&R executive Gary Gersh. Gersh, who inked deals with Nirvana and Sonic Youth, heard the band's disc by chance on a car ride home from the airport and was riveted. He immediately made plans to travel to Nashville gig to meet with the band, and offered them the opportunity to work together over a Mexican dinner that same night. They've already shared the stage with R.E.M. (at a lauded 2008 SXSW appearance), Dinosaur Jr., Drive By Truckers, the Black Angels, Deerhunter and Black Lips and are looking forward to tossing aside their day jobs (everything from catering to construction) to get back into their live groove this summer.

Wednesday, 10/1/08 9:00PM @ Slowdown Front Room
KAYO DOT
TICKETS: $7.00
Kayo Dot is an experimental rock / modern composition ensemble currently based in New York City.

Thursday, 10/2/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room
NASHVILLE PUSSY
w/ Grady
TICKETS: $12.00
It's been said that the devil has all the best tunes, but that's not the case anymore, since a lil' ol' band from Georgia -- known to friends and followers as Nashville Pussy -- found a way to pick the lock on that storehouse of demonic sonics and make off with some of its most incendiary contents. While they've been at it for the better part of the decade, the band -- fronted by the hard-livin' hard-rockin' husband/wife team of Blaine Cartwright and Ruyter Suys -- has never been more intensely supercharged than on Get Some. The disc, their fourth full-length and first for Spitfire, offers heaping helpings of neck-snapping guitar riffage and a full-on embrace of the sort of good-time decadence that's part and parcel of life below the Mason-Dixon line. It also shows off Cartwright's razor-sharp wit, which permeates the disc with laugh-out-loud moments that'd do John Belushi proud.

Thursday, 10/2/08 8:00PM @ Slowdown Front Room
SING IT LOUD
w/ You, Me and Everyone We Know & Take Cover
TICKETS: $10.00
Formed in April, 2007, Sing It Loud hails from Minneapolis, Minnesota. The band is building massive buzz across the country with their blissfully contagious brand of pop rock and their boisterous live shows.

Friday, 10/3/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room
THE BLACK SQUIRRELS
w/ Brad Hoshaw & The Great Atomic Power
TICKETS: $7 at the door
For those tired of the standard-issue indie rock that emanates from Omaha like the stench from a South O packing house, the BLACK SQUIRRELS are here to offer an aural respite. Formed in the spring of 2006 by three small-town kids lost in the big city, Black Squirrels shy away from terms like “bluegrass,” and “folk.” The group is influenced by the rich tradition of American country music, and although their reverence for the past runs deep, this is not a retro act. Black Squirrels meld a modern, literate twist onto the old forms. Although proficient players, a premium is placed on strong songs, whether it’s a four-to-the-floor barnburner, or a gently swaying waltz.

Friday, 10/3/08 8:00PM @ Slowdown Front Room
SKYPIPER
w/ Flight Metaphor & Charn
TICKETS: $7 at the door
Skypiper has been described as Nickel Creek meets the Beatles. Their organic sound and smooth harmonies are evocative of bands like Travis and Wilco. Skypiper's unique instrumentation (including upright bass and accordion), catchy lyrics and memorable tunes will keep you humming long after the songshave ended. The on-stage chemistry of this 5-piece combo combines to create a rare live experience that will keep you dancingand singing along. Skypiper is eager to release their recently-completed debut record, Lay Low and Pretty, available in late June.

Saturday, 10/4/08 7:00PM @ Sokol Auditorium
TRIVIUM
w/ All That Remains, 36 Crazyfists, & The Human Abstract
TICKETS: $16 ADV / $20 DOS
There's no such thing as a band born to greatness. To succeed in the world of music there's a whole energy-sapping storm of hard work to plough through. Florida's Trivium has surely earned the major contender status that has been afforded them by the international media. After spending the last few years up to their necks in blood, sweat and tears, the formidable foursome, whose 2005 sophomore release (and Roadrunner debut) Ascendancy made them a hit with discerning music fans everywhere, have paid their dues. Relentless touring around the world with over 350 shows in the past two years has sharpened the band's live prowess, making their new album, The Crusade, one of the most hotly anticipated hard rock albums of 2006. The level of charisma and energy that they've harnessed since hitting the global gig circuit has built Matthew K. Heafy, Corey Beaulieu, Paolo Gregoletto and Travis Smith a huge international fan base that is as devoted as it is ever growing.

Saturday, 10/4/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room
OLD BOY NETWORK
w/ Two Drag Club
TICKETS: $7 at the door
Old Boy Network had one of the strongest rock releases of 2007. With driving guitars in songs like "Mystery", "Ultrabrite" that made you do a double take at the CD player thinking Van Halen or the Foo Fighters snuck in when you turned your head for a second. And the lyrics of Jimmy Watson give you something to believe in whether it's "Map The Starts", "Let You Down", "Letterbomb" or "Disappointment". Killer song writing and lyrics full of life, Old Boy Network has finally arrived it's been along time coming!

Sunday, 10/5/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room
ONE FOR THE TEAM
TICKETS: $7 at the door
On One for the Team's debut album, Good Boys Don't Make Noise, the band tackles the pesky problem of aging with big guitars and even bigger hooks, fusing sugar-sweet melodies and grinding electric guitars to anthemic lyrics that deftly chronicle adolescent unrest. And it;s not over. The band is still scared as hell: scared of responsibility, relationships, and the "real" world that looms large on the horizon of young adulthood. Hailing from Minneapolis, Minn., One for the Team started practicing and recording in the spring of 2005. The band's main songwriter and lyricist, Ian Anderson, planned to use The Team as an outlet for the poppy material he deemed unfit for his other, heavier band, Aneuretical. Accordingly, The Team has embraced Anderson's pop aesthetic wholeheartedly, but manages to avoid heavy-handed sentimentality. Instead, the group is taut and earnest with their emotions, and the simple sincerity of Anderson's lyrics bind the record together. At its core, Good Boys Don't Make Noise is a musical bildungsroman for all ages, it's an album for anyone that feels like they're never going to stop growing up.

Tuesday, 10/7/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room
THE SILVER JEWS
w/ Monotonix
TICKETS: $12.00
A beautiful mess of indie rock, country-rock and lo-fi with lyrics both witty and profound, the Silver Jews were formed in 1989 by writer/musician David Berman with his friends, guitarist/singer Stephen Malkmus and drummer Bob Nastanovich. The trio performed together as Ectoslavia when they studied at the University of Virginia; after graduation, they moved to New York and shared an apartment. Dubbing themselves the Silver Jews -- after the Silver Apples, the Silver Beatles, and slang for blonde-haired Jewish people -- they played noisy, often improvised songs, mostly for the sheer enjoyment they got out of playing together after a hard day's work. After work, they would record songs into people's answering machines, but even after the band's sonics improved, the basic idea of friends playing together in a spontaneous way became the Silver Jews' trademark style.

Wednesday, 10/8/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room
STNNNG
w/ Perry H Matthews, Mother Pile, & Child Bite
TICKETS: $7 at the door
STNNNG is a 5-piece band from Minneapolis, MN. They have played a gazillion shows with a bajillion terrific bands, both heroes & friends. People have described their sound in a variety of ways. The stock reply for relatives or co-workers who ask what kind of music they play is "rock and roll". In a recent scientific poll, STNNNG has both pleased and disappointed.

Thursday, 10/9/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room
A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS
w/ Sian Alice Group & UUVVWWZ
TICKETS: $10.00
A Place To Bury Strangers have often been called "the loudest band in New York". This may very well be the case, but unlike much so-called "loud" rock and roll that's out there, APTBS is not loud simply for the sake of it. The sonically overdriven sound they've accomplished is no clumsy accident, but a carefully cultivated and well-maintained entity all its own, fostered by an unbridled passion that's clearly evident in every live show they play and each recording they make. A Place To Bury Strangers does not so much play songs as allow them to pour out. They are songs about longing, heartbreak and confusion played extremely well and at a passionately loud volume.

Thursday, 10/9/08 9:00PM @ Slowdown
LOTUS
w/ Somasphere
TICKETS: $12 ADV / $15 DOS
Lotus is a five-piece band that has creatively fused electronic dance music with instrumental post-rock for eight years. The result is an explosive live show that has made crowds get down across the U.S., Canada, and Japan. Armed with a massive light rig and one of the most energetic shows on the circuit, Lotus proves why they have become a go-to act for late night festival slots.

Friday, 10/10/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room
McCARTHY TRENCHING
w/ Neva Dinova & Ted Stevens
TICKETS: $7 at the door
Dan McCarthy has spent the past five years playing and touring with his friends’ bands, including Mayday, Neva Dinova, The Good Life, Orenda Fink, Maria Taylor, Bright Eyes and others. He has also been heard on a number of Nebraska bands’ recordings, from Cursive’s “Happy Hollow” (playing piano) to Tilly and the Wall’s “Bottoms of Barrels” (playing accordion). McCarthy Trenching is not what he does on the side; it’s what he does all the time.

Friday, 10/10/08 9:00PM @ Slowdown Front Room
RUBY ISLE
TICKETS: $8.00
Ruby Isle are a singing trio of brothers — Aaron, Dan, and Mark Isle. In the year 2008, they received a plea to come to the Mexican village of Santo Poco to defend it from a bandit named El Guapo. The villagers gave the band a hero's welcome. After a nearly fatal confrontation with El Guapo, they realized the danger to which they were subject. Ruby Isle made several disastrous attempts to thwart the bandits, including infiltration of El Guapo's birthday party and seeking of mystical aid via a singing bush and an invisible swordsman. They then discovered that the villagers' greatest skill is sewing. Ruby Isle organized the villagers, using their sewing skills to create an army of "Amigos" by replicating their mariachi costumes. The villagers defeat the bandits by appearing clad in the costumes and shooting from all sides, creating the illusion that the Amigos are everywhere. Thereafter, Ruby Isle rode off into the sunset. No matter the style, Ruby Isle sings tight three-part harmonies that were instantly recognizable; as brothers, their voices blended perfectly, in the same way that The Beach Boys' did. The three brothers co-write most of their hits and enjoy pastimes such as International Espionage, Mallman and I am the World Trade Center; but they say that they feel like they become 'one person' when they are writing.

Saturday, 10/11/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room
SCHOOL OF ARMS
w/ Paria, The Coffin Killers, & The Matador
TICKETS: $7 at the door
Dave is leaving town. This show is for him. It should be a good time for all.

Saturday, 10/11/08 9:00PM @ Slowdown
BEN KWELLER
w/ Whitley
TICKETS: $15 ADV / $17 DOS
Remember the days when male solo rockers ruled the pop charts? When you couldn't turn on the radio without hearing "Free Fallin'" or "Born in the U.S.A.?" Ben Kweller does. Kweller has travelled a long road since leaving high school in the mid '90s to play rock 'n' roll with his teenage punk band Radish. When the group disbanded in 1999, Kweller moved to Brooklyn, NY to pursue a solo career. He flirted with NYC's Anti-Folk scene and self-released a CD called Freak Out It's... Ben Kweller, which caught the ears of Evan Dando, Jeff Tweedy and even Dave Matthews, who signed Kweller to his indie label ATO. 2002 saw the release of the college classic Sha Sha, which ranged from delicate folk-pop to full-on rock freak-outs. He followed up in 2004 with On My Way, which critics hailed for its charming oddness and brightly contagious mix of lithe harmonies and shiny power-pop. Now, by nodding to the rock heroes of the '70s and '80s, Kweller is taking the next step in his natural evolution and perhaps making his mark as today's premier male solo rocker.

Sunday, 10/12/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room
HIGH ON FIRE
w/ Baroness
TICKETS: $13.00
With a heavy-handed approach and a sound that crashes like thunder, HIGH ON FIRE has put the power back in 'power-trio'. Less a band than a supersonic exercise in conquest by volume and sheer heaviness, the band has burned the metal rulebook and forged a new archetype.

Sunday, 10/12/08 9:00PM @ Slowdown
MINUS THE BEAR
w/ Annuals & Themes
TICKETS: $15.00
I'm sure you've heard of Minus the Bear before. The banter usually goes a little like this: "Oh, their songs are totally funny. They sing about kickin' it like wild donkeys." For anyone cares, Minus the Bear might be the best band in the world, but the full scope of band's achievements, for the most part, seem to have fallen on deaf ears in favor of stabs at one-dimensional song titles. In the simplest terms, song titles are not the focus of Minus The Bear; it's the music, it always has been. With their new album, Menos El Oso, The Bear reinforce that focus and expand on it, ushering richer narratives, refined production, and emotional breadth into their sound. The song titles are more subtle, the lyrics, more thematic. The rich syncopation and calculated, but lush, musical arrangements remain-only they've been cultivated. Think early Police, add a dash of Prefuse 73's electronic subtlety, tons of intricate musicianship, heaping mounds of sincerity and a few emotional outbursts made by ex-members of Botch, Kill Sadie, Sharks Keep Moving, and producer Matt Bayles (Isis, Mastodon, The Blood Brothers), now you're getting there.

Monday, 10/13/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room
THE ENVY CORPS
w/ The Silent Years
TICKETS: $7.00
The Envy Corps are an indie-rock quartet from Ames, Iowa. The band are known for their atmospheric-meets-pop sound, attracting comparisons to Radiohead, Doves, New Order and Modest Mouse. The Envy Corps were formed in October 2001 by Luke Pool, who met David Yoshimura at Iowa State University in early 2002 and quickly added him to the lineup as second guitarist. Pool changed his last name to Pettipoole soon after this. The band forged their sound in the coming years playing around the Midwest and featured many lineup changes, with Pettipoole and Yoshimura the only constant members.

Monday, 10/13/08 9:00PM @ Slowdown
DEERHOOF
w/ Experimental Dental School & Au
TICKETS: $10.00
Deerhoof is a San Francisco musical group, currently consisting of Satomi Matsuzaki (usually vocals and bass), John Dieterich (usually guitar), Ed Rodriguez (usually guitar as well) and Greg Saunier (usually drums). Although typically classified as an indie rock band, due to their having been on an indie rock label (Kill Rock Stars) for the entirety of their career, the mercurial and unconventional nature of Deerhoof's music makes genre identification difficult, and perhaps inappropriate. But several recurring features can be said to constitute Deerhoof's distinctive sound: unassuming vocal delivery set against hyper-expressive instrumental playing; an elastic approach to group dynamics and rhythm more akin to the rubato of classical music performance practice than rock; odd yet highly memorable melodies; harmonic sophistication and dissonance; disjointed, condensed, asymmetrical and otherwise unconventional song structures; raw and at times strident sound surfaces; improvisation; and general creative restlessness.

Tuesday, 10/14/08 9:00PM @ Slowdown
BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE
w/ Land Of Talk
TICKETS: $20.00
Broken Social Scene was born in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It began in 1999 with two newfound friends, Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning, making beautiful music together in basements and bedrooms. Over the course of 2001, Broken Social Scene – at this point, a creative core featuring Drew, Canning, Whiteman, Spearin and Peroff — played many shows in Toronto, each being radically different from the previous. Line-ups would expand and contract around this core, depending on who was available to join in. The revolving support cast included Feist, Cranley, Emily Haines and James Shaw of Metric; John Crossingham of Raising the Fawn, and Bill Priddle of Treble Charger. Studio sessions would even find Jessica Moss of A Silver Mt Zion quickly dropping in give some musical love. Each new face brought a new dimension to the sound. Some shows were blissful space-rock excursions, some were dub-soul massage sessions with full horn sections, others were chaotic feedback frenzies. In the summer of 2001, the band even temporarily changed its name to Do the 95 to indulge in their noise-rock affinities. (As a side note: at no point was Broken Social Scene ever conceived as a “supergroup.” Yes, many of the participants were affiliated with other renowned Toronto indie bands, however, pretty much every band features people who once belonged to other bands, so by that token, every band must be a supergroup. Broken Social Scene is, always has and always will be a group of friends and loves.) Many people wonder how a band as constantly in flux as Broken Social Scene can hold it together amid the rigorous demands of becoming a major international touring band. But, really, the recipe is simple: close friends, a lot of love and a mutual desire to transcend the ennui and ugliness of our day-to-day lives by creating something beautiful and timeless together. And share it with you. That’s the only plan this band has ever had. And it’s the only one it needs.

Wednesday, 10/15/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room
MURS
TICKETS: $12.00
He is the only rapper with his own music festival. Each album he releases sells more than its predecessor. He toured the world without having a major record deal. So, there’s a reason why independent rap stalwart Murs decided to name his major label debut album Murs For President (Love And Rockets). Murs wants to be rap’s leader and spokesperson, the artist who helps give rap a credible face to fans, the media and critics. After all, the Los Angeles rapper is articulate and well read. He doesn’t use drugs and his platform consists of peace, love, unity and having fun.

Wednesday, 10/15/08 9:00PM @ Slowdown
THE MOUNTAIN GOATS
w/ Kaki King
TICKETS: $15.00
Most bios attempt to describe the music made by the band they're profiling, and to compare it favorably to the work of giants in the field. This isn't that kind of bio. The general musical framework within which the Mountain Goats have worked for ten-plus years has been acoustic guitar, bass, and voice. The lyrics are central to the whole enterprise. Many of the songs involve desperate characters who've found themselves in some trouble and want to moan about it a little before taking their lumps. The sexual tension between characters in your average Mountain Goats song could split the atom if the power could be harnessed, but it can't, so forget it. Now you know what we know. Go forth and sin no more.

Thursday, 10/16/08 8:00PM @ Slowdown Front Room
SLEEPING AT LAST
w/ Skypiper & Brad Hoshaw
TICKETS: $8.00
Since the release of 2003's Ghosts, the members of Sleeping At Last have logged in thousands of miles on the road, earned heaps of critical acclaim and continue to refine its well oiled alternative rock machinery. From early spot dates with Zwan to touring with Switchfoot and Bleu to time with Yellowcard, Something Corporate and The Format to a solo headlining jaunt, the Chicago based trio has amassed a considerable following in all parts of the globe, connecting with its artistic melting pot of swelling anthems and lyrical sincerity.

Friday, 10/17/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room
CROOKED FINGERS
w/ Uglysuit
TICKETS: $10.00
Crooked Fingers is a Seattle, Washington-based indie rock band led by former Archers of Loaf lead singer Eric Bachmann. The band currently releases albums on Merge Records, and tends to have a rotating lineup.

Sunday, 10/19/08 8:00PM @ The Waiting Room
MISSY HIGGINS
w/ Joshua Radin
TICKETS: $14.00
Passionate and sincere, Australian singer-songwriter Missy Higgins is a welcome relief in a music landscape littered with disposable pop. The 24-year-old Melbourne native has enjoyed phenomenal success in her homeland, and a growing fanbase in the U.S., in spite of — or perhaps because she shuns the usual synthetic packaging and tabloid tackiness. Instead she's adopted a more timeless approach, relying on her undeniable songs and unforgettable live performances to forge a genuine connection with her audience.

Monday, 10/20/08 8:30PM @ Slowdown
AGAINST ME!
w/ Ted Leo and the Pharmacists & Future of the Left
TICKETS: $17.00
The roots of Against Me!'s rousing punk-folk sound lie in Tom Gabel's guitar-and-stool troubadourship around his native Gainesville, FL, beginning in 1997. The then 17-year-old Gabel performed as a solo act wherever anyone would have him, drawing much influence from early acoustic protest music. The band around him would eventually solidify by 2001 — including guitarist James Bowman, drummer Warren Oakes, and bassist Andrew Seward — and get considerably louder as punk bands often do. But there would always be some anarchism and Billy Bragg in the raucous braggadocio.

Tuesday, 10/21/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room
IAN MOORE
TICKETS: $8 ADV / $10 DOS
Moore is a prolific singer songwriter from Seattle who was spawned from the 90's roots rock scene of Austin, TX and gained popularity as a guitar prodigy. He has opened, full North American tours for the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, ZZ Top and most recently British icon Paul Weller. Now as renowned for his soulful vocals and insightful lyricism as his stellar fretwork, Moore has been headlining theaters and club venues throughout the US and Europe 150 days a year. With 3 Top 10 Billboard hits and seven albums to his credit, he continues to mesmerize critics and audiences alike with his riveting live performances.

Wednesday, 10/22/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room
FANCY PARTY COMEDY PRESENTS: RECESSED
w/ Nick Allen, Austin Anderson, Richard Reese, Tim Greenup, Rudy Waltz, Ryan Cownie, Cody Hustak, & Kevin Grace
TICKETS: $5 at the door
Fresh, smart, original, FUNNY. Stand-up and sketch comedy from the best Omaha has to offer. Come be a part of the fastest growing comedy show in the city.

Wednesday, 10/22/08 9:00PM @ Slowdown Front Room
APOLLO SUNSHINE
TICKETS: $8 - AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 13th
Since the release of their 2003 debut, pollo Sunshine has thrilled audiences. Their unique and eclectic sound - from avant-garde noise experiment to ultra-melodic pop, to rock, to punk (sometimes all within one song), combined with quite possibly one of the best live shows you will ever see (a controlled rock chaos of pedal steel, guitar, bass, double necked guitar/bass combo, two handtaped-together keyboards/samplers, percussion, drums and how the hell does he play bass with his left hand, keyboard with his right and sing lead vocal?!), have left audiences screaming, dedicated, breathless and unable to hold still! Apollo Sunshine's dizzying tour schedule has quickly gained them a steadfast audience in nearly every city in the US. A unique "Apollo Sunshine vibe" has been emerging at these shows, transcending the usual rock show experience. Apollo Sunshine are true musicians and an American rock' n roll band. They're coming to your town to help you party down, rock you, entertain you and leave you breathless. . . and you best let them. It's a damn good time.

Thursday, 10/23/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room
THE LITTLE ONES
TICKETS: $8.00
The Little Ones are comprised of Ian Moreno, Edward Nolan Reyes, Brian Reyes, Lee Ladouceur, and Greg Meyer. Coming together in Los Angeles in early 2006, the summery-sounding Little Ones wear their influences (the Beach Boys, the Zombies) on their sleeves while composing some of the brightest indie rock of the new millennium. They self-released their debut EP, Sing Song, that spring. That fall, the band landed a worldwide deal with Astralwerks -- Heavenly Recordings in the U.K. and Europe and Astralwerks in the Americas.

Thursday, 10/23/08 9:00PM @ Slowdown
AMY RAY
TICKETS: $15 - AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 13th
Amy Ray’s second solo album, Prom, explores the dance between gender and sexuality, man and woman, youth and adulthood, authority and rebellion. The setting is the South, both suburban and rural, where an undercurrent of whitewashed innocence and destructive value systems often hold the hierarchy together. These ten songs are full of characters from Amy’s past and present, including the disenfranchised kids from her high school days, loves lost to addiction and abuse, and the teenagers that now inhabit her southern rural neighborhood. She challenges many institutions including the Christian Right, but does not shrink from taking to task the alternative institutions of rebellion. Her almost edible, growling voice and innate storytelling renders an album that is pastoral but filled with firecrackers; life giving, but never resting. Ray, one half of the Indigo Girls, will release this album, like her last, on her independent label, Daemon Records. Indigo Girls fans will find an edgier, angrier, and yet more hopeful, compassionate and playful Ray on this record than ever before. It is something short of a proclamation and more of an exploration; Ray asks the questions and leaves the answer to the listener and for herself. As they find their own meaning in Prom, listeners will undoubtedly find some of their past, present, and future selves between the lines. Rub up against it ‘til it gets inside you, and let it burn for good. Let it burn for good.

Saturday, 10/25/08 9:00PM @ Slowdown Front Room
THE WHIPKEY THREE
TICKETS: $5.00
Combining forces of two of Omaha's most recognized bands, Matt Whipkey and Anonymous American and Sarah Benck and The Robbers, The Whipkey Three is a juggernaut. In the summer of 2007, songwriter Matt Whipkey was needing a new outlet for the numerous compositions he was creating. Then there was three. Balancing melody, aggression, subtlety and power, Whipkey’s songs set a new standard for a city with an already impressive catalog.

Wednesday, 10/29/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room
ELECTRIC SIX
w/ Local H
TICKETS: $13.00
Show business is often referred to as “the last frontier of Communism”. Think about it. Performers are beholden to the common interests of a faceless collective who demand more for less. In the advent of technology, the ability of the artist to make massive profits has been destroyed. But even in the belly of despair, there is always hope. Armed with a new record, Electric Six is coming at you with all full force, hearkening back immediately to a very profitable time in its career, hoping that somehow an association will be made wherein the listener might accidentally buy more copies of this record than he normally would have. The record is a beacon of liberty in an ocean of communism. If you love America, you will buy this record.

Thursday, 10/30/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room
1090 CLUB
w/ Michael Zapruder
TICKETS: $7 at the door
This harmony-happy rock quartet boasts a changing lineup of vocalists whose collaborative efforts keep their repertoire flexible, while each player's strong instrumental skills keep their riffs rocking.

Friday, 10/31/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room
SONG REMAINS THE SAME
w/ Satchel Grande & The Lizard King
TICKETS: $7 at the door
Started up by some of the most experience musicians in the Omaha music scene. Song Remains the Same pays a great tribute to one of the most influential bands of all time. Most common phrase muttered after their performance is "you won't believe it until you hear it." The ever growing crowds have turned their shows into more of an event. If you plan to attend and SRtS show, get their early. You might not get in.

Friday, 10/31/08 9:00PM @ Slowdown Front Room
RIG 1
TICKETS: $7.00
Rig 1, a Midwestern endeavor 10 years in the making, started in the jammed-in-the-deck 36 Chambers cassette, melting behind the dashboard controls in the baking sun, windows up tight, air choking and abandoned; Rig started in the janitor's closet, in the bag of E's in the top drawer, in the notion that innerspace has no mirrors, only manifestations of will. Ian McElroy took his Rig project to Athens, GA in 2007 because it was time to put it all down. The scraps of paper covered in rhymes were filling the ashtrays and falling in the space behind the piano in the front hall. Andy LeMaster and Rig bunkered up and started expoloring the sounds that were noticeably absent from hip-hop, sonic mud pots, forgetting to turn off the oven, bloddy eggs, guitars, Aceeed 303 late 80's gurgle and layers of sound that toss Spaceman 3, Mercury Rev, Too Short, and Timothy Leary into one rolled up and lit up endeavor, doing something the way you hear it in your heart and mind. Now residing in New York City, working double shifts, keeping it Murray and always confused, but positive, Rig is still with the breast pocket of his life suit filled with new lines and thoughts. Look to the sky and see what is inside the Rig.

Saturday, 11/1/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room
AUGUSTANA
TICKETS: $16 - AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 13th
Beginning before they were even "old enough to drink," as frontman/songwriter Dan Layus puts it, the band Augustana has grown up tremendously over the past three years, touring relentlessly while supporting Epic debut All the Stars and Boulevards (which reached #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart) and hit single "Boston." Inking a producer before they'd been seriously tested before an audience, and finding themselves in the recording studio tracking a major-label debut before the masses knew who they were, the band had to grow into the ambitious blueprint they'd set out for themselves, and grow they did.

Saturday, 11/1/08 8:00PM @ Slowdown
COPELAND
w/ Lovedrug, Lydia, & Lights
TICKETS: $12.00
It's a problem that has plagued songwriters since the advent of multi-track recording: how do you make something lush and expansive in sound and arrangement yet intimate and relatable in spirit and performance? The answer is found on Copeland's third full-length release, Eat, Sleep, Repeat, a beautifully dense sonic workshop of layered strings, aching melodies, and towering vocals that sounds as if it were made in your living room. The result is a different kind of indie pop album, one that's over-the-top in its melodic directness, yet retains its DIY craftsmanship. In the end, it's an album that is as massive as it is immediate, as uncompromising as it is accessible, a sound big enough to fill a stadium but nuanced enough to require headphones. The final challenge for Copeland is likely to be how to retain their intimate relationship with their fans as their profile grows. If the careful dynamics of Eat, Sleep, Repeat are any indication, it's a challenge they're more than capable of meeting.

Sunday, 11/2/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room
THE KING KHAN & BBQ SHOW
TICKETS: $10.00
The King Khan & BBQ Show is the most revered band in their scene, and there are many reasons why. They took it easy, honing their craft, playing sporadically to crowds outraged by their incredible sound and nasty live show. Orgiastic, anarchic, hypnotic and personal are the shows to this day. Blow-jobs and blood, pick-ups and puke, dancing and laughing. Two guys. Mark Sultan (BBQ), smashing snare, bass drum and tambourine with his bare feet, molesting his guitar and singing like a possessed angel. He is often cited as having one of the finest voices (think Sam Cooke) and greatest songcraft in the world. The other, King Khan, is nearing legendary status for his advanced nuttiness and unpredictability, as well as top-notch showmanship and musicianship. He spins and howls like a freak while belting it out on his guitar like a masher. What does it all sound like? It sounds like five men. Really. And it is very difficult to peg the sound. It really is a cross-section of amazing bands, places and energies. This is soul. This is punk. This is psychedelic. And who do you think started this whole sock-hop/doo-wop revival? Sultan and Khan.

Monday, 11/3/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room
HAYES CARLL
w/ The Dedringers
TICKETS: $10.00
Joshua Hayes Carll, known as Hayes Carll, is a singer/songwriter from The Woodlands, Texas currently signed to Lost Highway Records. Raised in a Houston suburb by two working parents (who he has identified as "liberal"), Carll has cited influences in his youth from such songwriters as Bob Dylan, Kris Kristofferson and John Prine to Jack Kerouac and Dead Poets Society. After developing a following in the Houston area, Carll signed a one-album contract with Compadre Records. They released his debut Flowers and Liquor in 2002. Immediately embraced by critics, the album garnered comparisons to Townes Van Zandt. The Houston Press went so far as to name him the best folk act and best new artist of 2002. After turning down a multi-album deal from Sugar Hill Records, his second album, Little Rock, was released under his own label, Highway 87 Records. It was produced by notable country music figure R.S. Field. It became the first self-released album to reach number one on the Americana music charts. In May of 2006, Carll announced that he is signed with Lost Highway records.

Tuesday, 11/4/08 9:00PM @ Slowdown
STEPHEN MALKMUS & THE JICKS
w/ Blitzen Trapper
TICKETS: $15.00
From the day nigh two decades ago when the first scratchy sounds of Pavement floated in the ether above Stockton, the music of Stephen Malkmus has been the gift that keeps on keepin’ on. Did SM not offer the eternal promise of “perfect sound forever”?

Friday, 11/7/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room
DANIELSON
w/ Cryptacize
TICKETS: $10.00
What's in a name? After eldest Smith sibling finished his senior art school project and released it in 1995 under the moniker, "Danielson," he brought his four younger siblings and a few friends from childhood into the mix for the critically-acclaimed, "Tell Another Joke At the Ol' Choppin' Block," calling the group, "Danielson Famile." This was followed by the back-to-back concept albums, "Alpha" and "Omega," in 1998 and 1999 under the name, "Tri-Danielson." It was a long and confusing study in the three sides of music-making: Famile, Brother, and Ship. The follow-up release was Danielson Famile's "Fetch the Compass Kids," celebrating family. Then came Br. Danielson's "Brother Is To Son," celebrating personal identity and community. Now, "Ships" is the resolution. Opening arms wider than ever, Daniel made a long list of artists who have worked with Danielson over the years and other folks who planned to work together at some point. This list led to working with family, making new friends, and keeping the old. All joined together - both the well-known (Deerhoof, Sufjan Stevens, Why?) and not as well-known artists (Sereena Maneesh, Leopulde, Half-handed Cloud) - each bringing his or her own skills and ideas to Daniel's songs and voice, resulting in this crowning achievement.

Friday, 11/7/08 9:00PM @ Slowdown Front Room
CAPGUN COUP
TICKETS: $7 - AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 13th
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.

Monday, 11/10/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room
DEVIN THE DUDE
TICKETS: $15 - AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 13th
Known more for blunts and beer that bullets and bling, Devin the Dude has kept a smile on Hip Hop's face while most of his peers have opted for a menacing scowl. Possessing the rare ability to inject humor, sex and substance in each of his rhymes, Devin has carved his own unique niche in rap music, becoming everybody's favorite guilty pleasure in the process.

Thursday, 11/13/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room
O'DEATH
TICKETS: $8.00
Originally formed in 2003, the band self-released their first album in 2004. They quickly took to the task of stirring up a wholly original scene of NY musicians with their reverently twisted take on Americana filtered through a wealth of musical influences as divergent as Bill Monroe, Prince, Dock Boggs, Neil Young, The Microphones, and The Misfits. As they gathered the songs for their second LP, Head Home, the band perfected their mesmerizing and riotous stage presence and took to turning their share of heads across the country. It’s an infectious sound coming your way; unique and wonderfully raw, but with the ability to drop the jaws of even the most jaded music fanatic and leave them testifying to it’s unique power.

Saturday, 11/15/08 6:30PM @ Sokol Auditorium
METRO STATION
w/ Shwayze, Tyga, & Cash Cash
TICKETS: $16 ADV / $20 DOS
If one was to make a musical time capsule of 2007 – a collection of sounds and lyrics reflecting the energy of our moment – it might be a good idea to drop in a copy of Metro Station’s eponymous debut record. Sure, the band is young (ok, still in fake ID territory), but Metro Station’s brazenly catchy dance hooks and yearning lyrics perfectly capture what it feels like to be a teenager in today’s culture. This is a band that was weaned on and made by the Internet, whose dedicated legion of online fans made them MySpace stars in a matter of weeks. This is a band that caught the early attention of Alternative Press (earning a spot as one of the magazine’s “22 Best Underground Bands”), along with URB and Teen Vogue magazines, months before they signed to a label. Metro Station is a band that, despite their youth, have made their way from greasy mall jobs to recording with Motion City Soundtrack in the same year. They are truly a product of their times and their generation, and they are ready to take advantage of it.

Saturday, 11/15/08 9:00PM @ Slowdown
MATT NATHANSON
w/ Jessie Baylin & Break And Repair Method
TICKETS: $13.00
After relocating from Boston to San Francisco in the early '90s, Nathanson came to prominence on the coffeehouse scene, but before he picked up his acoustic guitar, he was well-schooled in the art of big-riff rock. That grounding has stayed with him to the point where he can still trot out a Kiss cover or whip out a wallet adorned with the visage of Jon Bon Jovi. Nathanson lived his life as the very model of the modern independent artist, journeying from town to town, logging literally hundreds of thousands of miles, all the while captivating audiences with his confessional songs and spontaneous, uncensored stage banter. This hard work has garnered Nathanson a remarkably devoted following -- folks willing to cross many a state line to spend a couple of hours communing with Matt and his band.

Sunday, 11/16/08 8:00PM @ Slowdown
INGRID MICHAELSON
w/ Newton Faulkner
TICKETS: $15.00
Staten Island native Ingrid Michaelson was born into a house of all things artistic. Following in the eclectic footsteps of her mother, a sculptor, and her father, a classical composer, Ingrid began piano lessons at only four years old. Her songwriting career began after college while touring the country in a national theater troupe and spending all her free time composing the songs that would eventually make it onto her current CD, Girls And Boys. An entrepreneur as well as a talented musician, Ingrid released Girls And Boys on her own Cabin 24 Records. A mere three months after the CD release, Ingrid won a national songwriting award, sponsored by West Virginia's Mountainstage. In November, 2006 an unexpected phone call catapulted her career forward. The music supervisor from Grey's Anatomy wanted to use the song "Breakable" from Ingrid's CD in an upcoming episode. Following the exposure on Grey's Anatomy , Ingrid's career as an independent artist immediately hit the fast track and she began to achieve milestones previously unheard of for an artist not signed to a major label. Both national radio and the blogosphere began paying attention. National media began to take notice as well and in early summer 2006, Ingrid appeared on Good Morning America, NPR's Talk of the Nation and Fuse TV. She's also been the subject of a front page feature article in the Wall Street Journal. Ingrid is staying true to her indie roots by continuing to distribute Girls And Boys through her Cabin 24 Records imprint.

Tuesday, 11/18/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room
HEARTLESS BASTARDS
TICKETS: $10 - AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 13th
The Heartless Bastards are taking us on a sonic road trip as Erika Wennerstrom explores the alleys and horizons of her talent, creativity, and vision. Her courage to make change in life has yielded sound and art that we are lucky to discover with her. The music has turned heads, ears, and put them on festival stages and starry bills, but the band is still evolving with Wennerstrom’s sonic vision. After years with the same basic power trio lineup, Erika made both a life and artistic change. In 2007 she moved to Austin, Texas for a change of inspirational scenery, a new recording project, and queso. In true ascetic discipline, she arrived in a new town, rented a meager apartment, and wrote for six months. It is during this period she imagined the new record with expansive instrumentation, challenging lyrical and musical spaces, and an uninterrupted vision. The CD, entitled “The Mountain”, delivers the powerful howl that fans expect from Heartless Bastards, but also weaves in adventure with mandolins, banjos, strings, and Erika’s transcendent voice.

Saturday, 11/22/08 9:00PM @ Slowdown
MASON JENNINGS
w/ Zach Gill (of ALO/Jack Johnson)
TICKETS: $15 - AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 13th
Singer/songwriter Mason Jennings is one of the best-kept secrets in pop music. In his adopted home of Minneapolis his shows draw 3,000 fans. He was hand-picked by music supervisor Randall Poster to perform two Dylan songs, “The Times They Are a-Changin’” and “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll,” in Todd Haynes’ acclaimed I’m Not There, both on the soundtrack album, and lip-synched by Christian Bale in the movie. And now, his sixth full-length album, In the Ever, is being released on Jack Johnson’s Brushfire Records, after the chart-topping performer personally recruited him for the label. Coming off his 2006 major-label bow, Boneclouds, for Modest Mouse leader Isaac Brock’s Epic-distributed Glacial Pace label, Jennings retreated to a studio in the woods, where he set himself up with a laptop and two microphones. With a family that includes two kids, 5 and 2, Jennings continues to balance his touring demands with home life.

Sunday, 11/23/08 9:00PM @ Slowdown
CALEXICO
w/ Bowerbirds
TICKETS: $15 - AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 13th
There’s always been intrigue and adventure at the heart of CALEXICO. Ever since they were a largely instrumental duo experimenting with their unique collection of instruments and soundtrack sensibilities, Joey Burns and John Convertino have constantly imbued their music with an unparalleled sense of drama, calling upon the myths and iconography of the American West and its Spanish speaking neighbor Mexico, equal parts Sergio Leone, Larry McMurtry, Carlos Fuentes and Cormac McCarthy. Naming themselves after a town near the California/Mexico border in honor of this cultural mélange, they’ve spent the eighteen years since they met in Los Angeles mapping out musical territory that had otherwise been neglected or at the very least considered the preserve of historians. CALEXICO’s music has always mirrored Burns and Convertino’s penchant for new experiences. As their horizons have expanded, through both their relentless touring schedule and growing reputation, they have been able to call upon a growing community of collaborators and an ever-increasing familiarity with music from around the world, integrating both seamlessly into their idiosyncratic sound.

Monday, 11/24/08 9:00PM @ The Waiting Room
BRIGHTBLACK MORNING LIGHT
TICKETS: $10 - AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 13th
Brightblack Morning Light is the color of the day when the truth of the Universe is faded into a veil of blue sky. In this Light individuals can make deliberate exchanges on their own, using Light as a messenger.