It’s not too early to make New Year’s Eve plans.
Defunct Lincoln progressive rock band The Machete Archive is getting back together for a one-night-only New Year’s Eve show at Duffy’s Tavern with The Kickback.
The trio, made of Ian Francis, Ryan Thomas and Saber Blazek, hung it up in 2012 after four years as one of Lincoln’s most popular, most interesting bands. The Machete Archive drew big crowds to their shows, known for their pure musicianship and technical skill, interweaving instrumentation, effortlessly carrying songs without the aid of vocals.
These days Ian Francis plays drums in Low Horse and Saber Blazek is the on-stage-eccentric Halfwit bassist.
In 2012, looking forward to The Machete Archive’s final show, we compiled some memories from around the community about the band’s influence. Read the whole thing here.
“I think Nebraska needs them. There’s going to be a pretty massive void left by the three of the most technical, nuanced and dynamic musicians in the Midwest,” said Ian Aeillo, sound engineer at O’Leaver’s Pub. “All three are in such demand to play in other bands that as time wore on, I’m sure their practice and writing schedule suffered. But their live shows never did.”
RSVP to the show here. The Facebook event promises presale tickets soon, which rarely happens at a Duffy’s show, so it might not be a bad idea to jump on it.
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A few live videos have been released from the Lower-Level Sessions series. On Oct. 17, Matt Mejstrik and Thomas Yim filmed Uh Oh, Can’t Won’t and Congruency. Lower-Level Sessions is a basement/house-oriented sub-genre of Mejstrik’s larger video project Metador Films.
Each band is relatively new. Uh Oh is nominated for Best New Artist at the Omaha Entertainment and Arts Awards.
Check out the videos below and be on the lookout for more from Lower-Level and from the three bands.
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Alien Ant Farm will play Vega on Nov. 17. The 20-year-old rock band made their name household in 2001 with their cover of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal.”
In September, the band released “Homage,” the first single off the forthcoming Always and Forever record. RSVP to the show here.
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Avi Buffalo plays tonight at Reverb Lounge with Staffers.
The Sub Pop-signed band has released two albums in the last three years, including its self-titled debut in 2011 and September’s At Best Cuckold.
The California-based band sounds like a keen blend of The Shins and Built to Spill, and, indeed, at 23 years old, front man Avi Zahner-Isenberg probably grew up on the two groups.
The show is $12. RSVP here.