Live Review: Broken Spindles returns to find a new generation waiting…

Broken Spindles at The Sydney, Sept. 4, 2026. by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com The fact that Joel Petersen could step back onstage after more than a decade and sound as good — or better — than he ever did wasn't a surprise, especially considering the version of Broken Spindles he surrounded himself with for this return. Behind the drum kit was old pal Javid Dabestani, who played with Petersen on Broken Spindles' last formal release, 2009's Kiss / Kick. Joining them Friday night at The Sydney were Aaron Gum of Glow In the Dark/Dead Poets on keyboards and Sara Bertuldo of Hair Person/See Through Dresses on bass. The band played a well-honed set of songs presumably from throughout the Broken Spindles songbook, most of which I haven't heard in years. The exception, of course, was 'Introvert,' whose video I posted in last week's preview. Among the show's accomplishments was getting me to rediscover Broken Spindles' back catalog, all of which is available on Spotify (and much of which I still have on CD in my voluminous audio archives). It would be understandable if some in the crowd of 60 or so made comparisons to The Faint. After all, Petersen was a founding member of Omaha's most famous blank wave band, and there were moments during the set when the rhythms felt like dead-on replicas of early-aughts Faint masterpieces. But Broken Spindles' music stands on its own, thanks in large part to Petersen's vocals, which have only gotten better with age. They never stood out for me back in the day, but now there's almost a Lou Reed-ian quality to Petersen's voice and delivery, which makes for a perfect counterbalance to the post-punk friction going on behind him. Like the Sideshow reunion a couple weeks ago, there were plenty of old-school scenesters and Omaha-famous folks (including a couple politicians!) who wandered by as I sat on the edge of the Sydney's covered pool table nursing my Rolling Rock. But unlike at Sideshow, which looked like a 30-year high school reunion, the Broken Spindles crowd was mostly young folks who probably never heard Broken Spindles in its earlier iteration or knew the band's backstory, which isn't a bad thing, especially knowing the band is working on new music. Here's hoping they roll out that new material at their next show, which can't come too soon. Primitive Painters at The Sydney, Sept. 4, 2026. I got to The Sydney in time to catch the last few songs by Primitive Painters, the new name of the band Minne Lussa. The stage was dark but the band was hatchet-lit from below via a tucked-away floodlight. I just saw these folks a couple weeks ago at O'Leaver's, where the sound mix was harsher. Friday night, the Painters were at their dreamiest. When are we getting a new album, guys? * * * 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 © 2026 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.