by Andrew Norman

One of the main goals of Hear Nebraska's involvement in the 2011 Love Drunk tour was to remind/convince/cajole bands from outside our state to add Omaha/Lincoln to their tour routes. Four of the 15 bands we shot already have. Success.

The Menzingers' Tom May made his second swing through the state since last spring on a solo tour with fellow Philadelphia band Luther Nov. 6 at The Sandbox. The next day, we shot him performing a new song in an alley just north of 61st and Maple in Benson, while graffiti artists created a wall mural nearby for a new barcade in the neighborhood.

The shoot went great, May and the band went on their way and got to work putting this video out to help promote the rest of his tour. But two days later, in Normal, Ill., the crew's van was involved into a wreck that put May in the hospital. No one was gravely injured, but May spent some time in the hospital and the tour was cancelled. 

Here's hoping May heals up well, and gets back on the road soon. His band releases its first Epitaph album in February, so you'll likely be hearing a lot more about these guys next year. Until then, check out his HN Live video for "Downriver Opiates," a song about Michigan.