Maybe it was the shitty weather, but there weren’t very many people at O’Leaver’s last night for Judgement Day, which was a shame because the trio was amazing. Driving, pounding, throbbing rock as intense as metal but without the pain. The Pantzer brothers played souring mini-orchestrations blending violin and cello atop a bed of drums.
As you may be aware by the better quality photo I’ve posted recently, I acquired an iPhone 5, and figured I’d test its video capabilities last night. This is a far cry from a Love Drunk or Ingrained video, but you can at least get a general gist of what Judgement Day was about by watching/listening to this amateur video. Hey Judgement Day guys, if you want me to yank it from YouTube, just let me know.
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I suspect O’Leaver’s will be more crowded for tonight’s show: Destruction Unit with Digital Leather and Solid Goldberg. Who is Destruction Unit? This from the Chicago Reader:
Ryan “Elvis Wong” Rousseau’s impressive band resumé (the Wongs, the Reatards, Digital Leather, Earthmen & Strangers) has earned him the right to do whatever he wants, including release a 2012 cassette of fried lo-fi solo material called Hello! Mr. Cactus Man, which sounds like a handful of barbiturates laced with David Lynch. His work with Destruction Unit — a band whose former members include Jay Reatard and Alicja Trout—has morphed since its founding in 2000 from more-or-less straightforward garage into sweeping desert rock inflected with Krautrock and psychedelia. The six enveloping songs of jamming fuzz and synth swashes on the upcoming Void LP (Jolly Dream) are mostly loud and abrasive and dirty, but it’s their subtleties—distant bubbling murmurs of noise, faint guitar noodling—that make for the best hooks.
In other words: Don’t miss it. Digital Leather you already know about, but Hear Nebraska has a brand spankin’ new interview with DL mastermind Shawn Foree to give you even more technicolor. Shawn talks about Omaha, drugs, music and his records and how they’re all connected. Read it here. Solid Goldberg is Omaha legend Dave Goldberg’s solo electronic project that must be seen to be believed. This show could go down as the stuff dreams are made of. $5, 9:30 p.m.
Also tonight is a benefit for the Antiquarium Record Store, which recently announced that it was closing due to debt issues. The show, being held a The Sandbox, features Witness Tree, The Decatures, The Sub-Vectors and Pyrate. $5, 9 p.m., all proceeds go to The Antiquarium. More here.
Finally, over at The Barley Street Tavern, The Whipkey Three opens for CB band The Eightyseven. $5, 9 p.m.
I don’t see much happening Saturday or Sunday. If you’ve some ideas for shows, post ‘em in the comments section.
Later.
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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2012 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.