An unexplained roaster of barbecued meat permeated the air with its essence, but I suppose stranger things have happened at Zoo Bar. I was there last Friday to see the show, featuring The Vingins, Little Brazil, and The Photo Atlas — and it became one of the best Lincoln shows I've had the privilege of attending. (Ed. note: This was a Hear Nebraska/Poster Child Productions presents show.)

 

The Vingins opened the show to an already near-packed house, dishing out their particular brand of guitar-driven garage/acid rock. These guys are still a fairly young band in the scheme of Lincoln's music scene, but they play with the confidence and ability of a much more seasoned group. Think of a male version of Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs fronting the White Stripes and you'll have some approximation of their sound (A sound that inspired a proclamation of “These kids are too damn loud” from the older woman at the table near me). The Vingins have quickly become one of my favorite bands to see in town, and could have a pretty bright future ahead of them if they play their cards right.

 

Next up was Omaha's Little Brazil, a band I'd seen a couple of times before and thought I had pegged fairly well, but their performance at this show completely blew me away. Vocalist/guitarist Landon Hedges led the band through a set almost exclusively made up of new material, exchanging fairly hilarious banter with a well lubricated bar patron in between songs. Following The Vingins is a tall order for any band in terms of keeping the energy levels high, but Little Brazil easily matched (if not exceeded) the bar set by the openers. If this batch of new songs translates nearly half as well onto recordings as when played in a live setting, I don't think it would be a stretch to say Little Brazil may have their best album yet.

After Little Brazil finished their set, I was more than a little disappointed to see a good portion of the crowd clearing out before The Photo Atlas even began. My first encounter with TPA was a few months ago at a last minute show they played at Cultiva, and I've been in love ever since. Luckily, the band was not affected by the dissipation of the crowd before their set and brought even more energy than the two acts before them, something that those of us remaining in attendance couldn't help but take notice of as we were drawn toward the front of the stage. One thing that really sets TPA apart is spastic guitar riffs played over their driving rhythm section, creating the perfect recipe for dance punk perfection that makes it impossible to remain stationary. If you haven't heard this band, drop your pencil/book/laptop/work/infant and go check them out immediately. You shall not be disappointed.

 

* Photo by Lauren Turner

 

Zach Artz is the kind of guy you could drop off at the Arctic Circle wearing a pair of bikini underwear, without his toothbrush, and tomorrow afternoon he's going to show up at your pool side with a million dollar smile and fist full of pesos. Contact him at zachary.artz@huskers.unl.edu.