Another Maha band: Landing On The Moon (plus a weekend roundup)

After some apparently close voting, Landing On The Moon was selected as band No. 4 to play on the Maha Music Festival's local band Kum & Go stage.

They'll join Satchel Grande, The Mynabirds, Betsy Wells and a player to be named later.

I didn't vote for a band. If I would have, I don't think I could have chosen anyway. I've stated before that the five performers from last night (Honey & Darling, Landing On The Moon, Tim Wildsmith, Matt Cox Band and Midwest Dilemma) could easily just be the Maha local stage lineup. Five of my favorite artists in town, in fact.

Anyway, Landing On The Moon's Oliver Morgan (also of Little Brazil) talked awhile back about the band's latest album, "We Make History Now." He talked about being a diverse band and making records that stand out among other artists.

“We don’t go out of our way to make this next song different from the (others), but at the same time, there’s a presence of mind that we want to be versatile," he said.

The group had a CD release show for the record back in October, but I received a release from Young Love Records saying "We Make History Now" will be released on Aug. 10. I guess it's a re-release?


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What are you doing this weekend? I recommend you get to some shows. It's a busy week.

• If you're into that sort of thing, Kathy Griffin does her standup tonight at the Holland Center. I interviewed her yesterday.

• Also tonight is Mates of State. The (married) indie pop duo’s latest, this year’s “Crushes,” features the group’s distinct take on 10 songs from the likes of Tom Waits, Death Cab For Cutie, The Mars Volta, Fleetwood Mac and others. The tour is accompanied by a traveling variety show and Mates' Jason Hammel acting as resident DJ for the tour. Omaha’s own sideshow, The X-Medic, will perform as an opener along with Omaha band Thunder Power. $15. 9 p.m. at Slowdown.

• On Saturday, I recommend checking out Henry Rollins. Even if you're not a huge fan of his music (personally, I love Black Flag, but not Rollins Band), the man knows how to tell a story. He told me that he'll be talking about his recent world travels, but he always throws in stuff about his touring days, making movies, celebrity encounters and all kinds of wonderful stuff. I've seen him twice and each time was a delight.

News: Second-to-last Maha band showcase announced

More Maha Music Festival details have trickled out.

The news today is the lineup for the second Maha showcase (of three) that decides who plays the fest has been announced. Who will be playing the Waiting Room on June 24? So glad you asked: The Matt Cox Band, Midwest Dilemma, Honey & Darling, Tim Wildsmith, Landing On The Moon.

Who will win? That remains to be decided. This showcase appears to have bands with bigger followings than the last showcase did, so voting tallies may be a bit tighter. Frankly, I like this group of bands better than the first, but that's me.

How does one of these bands get picked for Maha? You, the fans, should go to the free (yes, free) show. Each person gets a vote. If you have purchased your Maha tickets, you get 10 extra votes. Winner of the voting plays the little, local stage at Maha.

So, it's in your hands. The festival is in your hands, dude. (Sorry... Watched a lot of "The Big Lebowski" over the weekend.)

In case you haven't been following, the all-day concert's main stage lineup is all full (Spoon, The Faint, Superchunk, Old 97's, Ben Kweller, It's True), but the smaller, local stage lineup has not yet been decided.

Local groups Satchel Grande and The Mynabirds will be performing on the little stage and, as of last week, Betsy Wells.

Two spots are left to be filled. One will be at the OEAA showcase in Benson down the road and the other is decided June 24 at the Waiting Room.