Homer's Travels: Music: The Breeders With Times New Vikings At The Slowdown

Monday, August 10, 2009

Music: The Breeders With Times New Vikings At The Slowdown

Since we moved to Omaha we've wanted to check out the Slowdown, a local music venue and bar. Most of the acts are either unknown locals or unknown non-locals. When we finally recognized someone, Jenny Lewis, it turned out to be during our vacation so we couldn't go. Fortunately another opportunity presented itself on Sunday with The Breeders.

The venue is small and intimate comparable in size with the Whiskey Pit and the Roxy. If fact the Slowdown is a better venue in ways. It is quieter than the casino-bound Whiskey Pit and the stage area is arranged better than the Roxy allowing more people to be closer to the stage. The only downside I could see was the lack of places to sit meaning you had to stand for all the performance. Next time we go earlier to get one of the few tables near the stage.

The first act was Times New Viking. This three person band has been described as a lo-fi indie rock band. Not being a music expert I would have to agree with that assessment. A guy on guitar (reminded the Wife of her high school geometry teacher), a drummer on an old and cheap looking drum set, and a girl on a tiny, decrepit, and out of tune keyboard (I'm assuming she's girlfriend of one of the guys). There style of music was a little chaotic though some of the riffs held some potential. The biggest thing that got in the way of me liking them is that I suffer from ... OLD. If I were younger I might appreciate their type of music but at my age all I got out of it is an exacerbation of the ringing in my ear. One thing though, they seemed to enjoy themselves which is always a good thing.

The main act was The Breeders. The Breeders are trying to come back after breaking up back in '95, a consequence of drug use.

I went into this with rather low expectations. I liked some of their stuff but I fully expected them to play mostly new stuff that I was not familiar with. I was pleasantly surprised. They did play some new stuff but they also played a lot of the older stuff that go me and the crowd excited. Their voices and style haven't changed. I enjoyed the performance.

Another thing I like about this venue is that photography is permitted. Some pictures of the bands can be found here.

Near the end of the Breeders I looked over where the Wife had been standing and found that she was not there. I thought she was taking a bathroom break but it turned out she had felt somewhere between faint and nauseous and had to find someplace to sit down. During a break in the music she called me over to where she was sitting. Not eating supper before the concert had punched her in the gut and the guy next to her reeking of B.O. and cigarettes delivered the knock out blow - Not me, I don't smoke and I shower, the other guy next to her. Despite this, the Wife enjoyed the show and she likes the venue as well. Next time I will be asking her if she'd eaten enough. I don't want her to pass out in Billie Joe Armstrong's arms.

Next concert, this coming Thursday, Green Day at the Qwest Center.

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