Lincoln Calling
Next week the annual Lincoln Calling festival begins at 10 different venues in the Capital City. More than 120 bands, artists and DJs, mostly from Omaha and Lincoln, are to perform Tuesday, Oct. 11 through Saturday, Oct. 15. Organizer Jeremy Buckley has stated that the lack of a corporate sponsor this year found them having to scale down on national acts. Lincoln Calling had Scion as a sponsor last year and they were able to bring in Roger Clyne & the Peacemaker, Sea Wolf, and more. This event started off as more of a regional event anyways and the lineup looks very solid. Let’s take a look.
On Tuesday, Oct. 11 the event kicks off at the Bourbon Theatre with the Homegrown Film Festival which is exactly what it sounds like. The Film Festival is still being curated at the time of this writing, so I don’t have a list of local talent that will be included. Duffy’s will be hosting a Lincoln Calling listening party on Tuesday, and the live music will be at the Zoo Bar with an open mic night there. On Wednesday things kick up a notch with touring band Larry & His Flask headlining the night at the Bourbon Theater.
Also at the Bourbon Theatre are Killigans, Lionize, and Cornerstone Dub. Duffy’s Tavern has a great lineup that features McCarthy Trenching, the So-So Sailors, South of Lincoln, and the Bears of Blue River from Chicago. The Zoo Bar on Wednesday features catchy Colorado indie pop band Fierce Bad Rabbit along with Rock Paper Dynamite, and Tie These Hands. There is an early all-ages lineup at The Black Market will feature Green Trees, Strawberry Burns, and more. Young polka band Less Talk More Polka will be the featured act at Zen’s on Wednesday.
Nine venues have offerings on Thursday and the highlights include the return of Saddle Creek Recording artists UUVVWWZ on the lineup at The Bourbon Theatre that also features Omaha band Conduits. One of the best venue lineups of the festival is at Duffy’s on Thursday featuring Lincoln’s Irkutsk, Omaha’s Snake Island, Lawrence Kansas band Cowboy Indian Bear, and Dirty Talker also from Lincoln. The Zoo Bar is doing some crazy thing where they have bands that feature many of the same members and they are going to do two sets and just keep swapping people out. I think I got that right.
The Mezcal Brothers, Shaun Sparks and the Wounded Animals, Really Rottons, the Allendales, the Whipkey Three, and All Young Girls Are Machine Guns are all involved in this. The Zoo Bar will also have an early show this night featuring Kill County, Manny Coon, and Gerardo Meza.
The Alley will be featuring hip-hop on Thursday with Qwel & Maker, Purveyors of Concious Sound and more. The Pharmacy Spirts and more are at the Black Market, a lineup that features Dusk Bled Dawn takes place at the Spigot, and DJs including Masaris and Matte Fresh are at the Fat Toad and Mix Barcade.
Friday at the Bourbon Street is a pure rock lineup with the Lepers, Digital Leather, the Photo Atlas and more. Duffy’s Tavern will have Machete Archive, Deer People, and Eli Mardock on Friday night.
The Spigot will have Cynge and more, while jam bands the Balance and the Midland Band perform at the Alley. Lucas Kellison & the Assembled Soul is the featured act at Zen’s and Nick the Quick, Basstoven and more will be the featured DJ’s at Fat Toad and Mix Barcade. There will also be a showcase revolving around the KZUM show X-Rated: Women In Music and the Music In Sense art exhibit on Friday at Parrish Project.
Saturday is a huge night in Lincoln with Somasphere, Icky Blossoms, The Show Is The Rainbow, and Talking Mountain all presumably packing the Bourbon Theatre. Duffys has ten bands playing two showcases there. An early all ages show headlined by JV Allstars and a late show with a great live touring band called the Kickback along with Gus & Call, Ideal Cleaners and more.
The Zoo Bar will also have an early all ages show with Light the Fuse and more, and a late show with Lloyd McCarter, Matt Cox, the Betties, and Kill County. Beaver Damage and Evil Weiner (seriously) are two bands playing the Spigot on Saturday night, while Carrot Carrot and Professor Plum play an all age early show at the Black Market. The Wailing Ships will be the featured act at Zen’s and Jay Zero along with the Gunk DJ’s will be taking up residency at Fat Toad and Mix Barcade. For a full schedule, times, and ticket purchases visit lincolncalling.com.
MarQ Manner has been involved with music in Omaha his entire adult life – from managing and booking bands to a 15-year run as manager at Homer’s Records to writing a local music column for the past 11 years. Currently, Marq is the Music Nominating Chair for the Omaha Arts & Entertainment Awards.