Universe Contest: We started after the demise of another band or two back in the fall of 2010 or 2011. Can’t remember. We’ve always kind of had a revolving door policy of people in the band but the last two years saw a pretty steady line up until recently. Now with a new cast of some more of our best friends, we are excited to be having fun playing music and recording again. see ya soon.
-Timothy Perry Carr

Press Reviews:

“Lincoln’s Universe Contest is a spastic indie rock band that has been threatening to break out into a full-scale indie music phenomenon for the last year. The question is more when will it happen rather than if it will. The band perfects theatricality in their live sets, while still delivering melodic precision. Modest Mouse is the usual comparison thrown Universe Contest’s way but there’s elements of the last decade’s best, messy indie pop acts in here. If you’re already inclined to liking acts like Tapes N Tapes or the Dismemberment Plan, you’ll find lots to like in Universe Contest.” – Tim McMahan, Omaha Reader

” The search for the ‘next big thing’ is a frustrating exercise as old as rock music itself. Who will ‘break through’ to the ‘next level’ and make a ‘big splash’ on the national scene? Molded in a prog rock sound reminiscent of early Modest Mouse- and driven by a rabid fan base emanating from the Star City- Universe Contest is poised to be the next big thing. Let’s leave it at that.” – www.hearnebraska.org

“The best new find of the night was at The Bourbon Theater Rye Room where Universe Contest was playing. The band (which I am told are former members of Gooses) were exciting, interesting and explosive sonically. They were appealing and catchy though they did not color within any lines or play nicely with the formula for current indie music that has been thoroughly mapped out. This was one of those moments where people were crawling over each other to see the band play with a ferocious energy only to drop down to more somber moments at the stop of a drumstick. I had to climb up some stairs (also full of people) and hold on to a bar with one hand just to catch glimpses of the group. I have listened to their album online three times today (winners.bandcamp.com/) and this is one of the most interesting and exciting bands I have heard out of the area in a long time. I would travel to Lincoln again just to see them, though I hope we will be seeing many more Omaha appearances in the future.” – Marq Manner, Shout! Magazine