I'm out here in Omaha NE this week on business (like, why else would one go to Omaha?).

Did you know that there actually IS a WOODMEN building - if you saw the movie About Schmidt, you'll understand. I thought the building name was CGIed - it seemed a perfect a parallel to Jack Nicholson's character (who retires from this building at the beginning of the flick). I took a picture of it from the Joseyln museum (everything is closed on Monday) but forgot my cabling to connect my camera to my laptop. C'est la Vie.

Here's a picture I found on the Interweb until I post mine.

So, while I'm out here, I'm going to try to check out a show at the Sokol Auditorium, Omaha's premiere underground spot - this is where Bright Eyes and the Faint, two bands I know virtually nothing about but are supposedly hot, got their first boost. Bright Eyes is playing there on Friday kicking off their double album release on the 25th - but my flight is outta here on Friday morning and quite frankly its pretty damn cold and I don't know the band well enough to know whether I like them or not (supposedly its not really a band but a one-man dealio).

Anyway, there is a show on Wednesday with a handful of bands I've never heard of but for only $5, how much can you lose? One is called Intergalactic Fax Machine - they appear to be the headliners. The name sounds familiar but a google on it turns up little.

Speaking of shows, January in DC is pretty lame what with Arcade Fire selling out in what? 5 seconds? Theivery Corporation are doing a 930 Club DJ set as a benefit for the Tsunami relief (28 Jan) - not really psyched about a DJ show but hey its a benefit so you don't feel real bad about leaving early - and Andy Zipf has a show the day before on the 27th at the Black Cat backstage. Thurston Moore, Kim Gordon, Don Flemming, Andrew W.K., Tom Smith (ex-Peach of Immortality) and many more are doing a Noise Against Fascism Inauguration night gig at the Black Cat (details halfway down this page) but I imagine it will be packed and hard to get into, if it isn't already sold out (but there's always the other stage, pussy! - ed). I was just considering getting out of town that day because security is going to be real tight. They're even banning boats on the Potomac starting this weekend! Or maybe I'll stay and take pictures of all the protesters which is always fun. If anyone is going to these shows, drop me a line - I'll be the guy with the black T-shirt, uh-huh.

Anyway, Andy Zipf - so I downloaded some of his tunes a few weeks ago at the recommendation of a local music blog (which seems to have gone defunct). I find it kinda hard to describe - the song below is sort of a swamp country power pop thing.... great voice - the other blog compares him to "Jeff Buckley, Radiohead or even Moby" - artists that I wouldn't normally recommend but there it is.

here's my favorite download of the bunch:

"Are We Going Down" (referring page with additional downloads) - Andy Zipf

CHEERS!