Downtown Lincoln Association announces acoustic series Tower Unplugged; Good Living Tour survey; Weekend coverage featuring No Tide, Do-It-Ourselves Fest, Megafauna

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Over the next few weeks, a handful of Lincoln’s most currently active songwriters are going acoustic.

From Aug. 26 to Sept. 23, Downtown Lincoln Association will host Tower Unplugged, a free, five-week acoustic concert series that will run from 6-8 p.m. every Wednesday. Myles Jasnowski (of Mesonjixx, Zion, A Ferocious Jungle Cat) will perform the opening date (RSVP here).

The late-summer slate will showcase a diverse array of songwriting talent. Acts in following weeks include Evan Bartles, Luke Polipnick, longtime Lincoln songwriter Nicholas Westra and a joint-show with Miniature Horse and Izzy Dominguez.

Spencer Munson, DLA communications coordinator and series organizer, says he asked musicians whom he thought were relevant to Lincoln’s current music landscape.

Munson also says Downtown Lincoln Association has been experimenting with different kinds of programming (Summer Blend, Tower Jazz, for example). They will continue to do so in order to lay out a full schedule in Spring 2016, including 10-15 Wednesday evening shows.

“Hopefully this is something that I can do all summer next year,” Munson says.

See the full schedule and more details on Tower Unplugged below.

Aug. 26 – Myles Jasnowski (Lincoln jazz/soul)
Sept. 2 – Evan Bartels (Lincoln folk-rock)
Sept. 9 – Luke Polipnick (Omaha jazz guitarist/composer)
Sept. 16 – Nicholas Westra (Lincoln producer/guitarist; of The Renfields)
Sept. 23 – Izzy Dominguez (lo-fi folk) & Miniature Horse (folk/punk)

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It’s been almost a month since the Good Living Tour ended (we are in disbelief; seems like we just got home). As we plan to take the show on the road again in 2016, we need your feedback.

If you were present at any of the nine Good Living Tour stops, please take three minutes to answer a few survey questions.

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Tons of live music happened over the weekend, so we’re catching up on coverage in photos.

It started with No Tide’s noontime Hear Lincoln performance at 13th and P this past Friday. The hard-touring punk band released its first full-length LP Death Of The Sun June 27 on Massachusetts label Take This To Heart Records. They leave again on a Midwest tour Sept. 2 with labelmates Thieves.

Comprising its three Lincoln-based members, the punk band braved the intense heat Friday to rock the lunch-hour crowd. See HN intern Peter Barnes’ photos below.

Next week, Once A Pawn graces the Hear Lincoln stage for the series’ final installment. RSVP here. As always, Hear Lincoln is ponsored by the Cooper Foundation, presented by the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce and promoted by media sponsor KZUM.

No Tide at Hear Lincoln | 8-14-15No Tide at Hear Lincoln | 8-14-15No Tide at Hear Lincoln | 8-14-15No Tide at Hear Lincoln | 8-14-15No Tide at Hear Lincoln | 8-14-15

photos by Peter Barnes

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Later that evening, Do-It-Ourselves Fest ramped into full swing, with an evening pack with DIY workshops and local music. Barnes snapped some photos of the festivities on Friday, while first-time contributor Justin Flowers was kind enough to send us photos of the rest of the weekend. See them all below.

Friday

Candid at DIOFest | 8-14-15

Above: Shannon Claire teaches conducts a photo transfer project workshop

Candid at DIOFest | 8-14-15Above: Lee Lohrberg leads audio engineering for live music workshop

Candid at DIOFest | 8-14-15

Above: Self Defense / Beginner Kickboxing with Lyndon Peter Lincoln

Fruit Fight

Fruit Fight at DIOFest | 8-14-15

Commander Kilroy

Commander Kilroy at DIOFest | 8-14-15

King Thumper

King Thumper at DIOFest | 8-14-15

photos by Peter Barnes

Saturday

Producers of the Word

Producers of the Word | DIO Fest, SP CE Commons | 8.15.15

Sun Day

Sun Day | DIO Fest, SP CE Commons | 8.15.15

La Musa Confusa

La Musa Confusa | DIO Fest, SP CE Commons | 8.15.15

Phoebe Dro

Phoebe Dro | DIO Fest, SP CE Commons | 8.15.15

Hana Zara

Hana Zara | DIO Fest, SP CE Commons | 8.15.15

Abbie Lewis

Abbie Lewis | DIO Fest, SP CE Commons | 8.15.15

Jacoby

Jacoby | DIO Fest, SP CE Commons | 8.15.15

Saturday photos by Justin Flowers

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Friday night, Austin, Texas, prog-rock band Megafauna played O’Leaver’s with Lineman’s Rodeo. Megafauna toured with Cursive in the spring during the Omaha band’s promotion of The Ugly Organ reissue. It last issued new music in 2014, but is currently hard at work on new material. See photos of their performance below:

Megafauna

Megafauna | O'Leavers | 8/14/2015

Lineman’s Rodeo

Lineman's Rodeo | O'Leavers | 8/14/2015

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Also last Friday, HN contributor James Dean was on the beat in Omaha, and caught a Slowdown front room performances by Anniversaire, Lot Walks and We Are The Willows.

Anniversaire

Anniversaire | Slowdown | 8/14/2015

Lot Walks

Lot Walks | Slowdown | 8/14/2015

We Are The Willows

We Are the Willows | Slowdown | 8/14/2015

photos by James Dean

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Tonight, Brooklyn garage pop act Sharkmuffin swings through Omaha, will play O’Leaver’s with New York touring partner Lost Boy ? and Omaha support Dumb Beach. Sharkmuffin just released its debut full-length LP Chartruese Aug. 7 on Little Dickman/State Capital Records. RSVP to the 9 p.m. show here.

In Lincoln, reggae vocal trio The Mighty Diamonds plays Vega with Nebraska reggae quintet Ro Hempel Band. Carter van Pelt will open the show spinning reggae vinyl. The Mighty Diamonds, hailing from Jamaica, have been singing and performing reggae for more than 40 years, producing as many albums and touring their animated hand gestures and energetic footwork around the world. Entry to the show is $20. RSVP here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k05n4xpXFeI

As always, head to our statewide calendar at hearnebraska.org/events for a fuller listing of shows. If you do not see your show or one you plan to attend, email us at news@hearnebraska.org, or add it yourself. And keep those song submissions, story ideas and news tips coming.