The 2016 Good Living Tour Week Three Recap

This story runs as part of the 2016 Good Living Tour storytelling project, thanks to Humanities Nebraska, Nebraska Department of Economic Development, Peter Kiewit Foundation, Center for Rural Affairs, Pinnacle Bank, Nebraska Loves Public Schools, Union Pacific Railroad, Viaero Mobile, Huber Chevrolet and Sandhills Energy.

For coverage of Thursday night in Grant, click here.

* * *

During his band’s thunderous closing number Sunday night, Josh Hoyer stood up from behind his Hammond keyboard, walked to the edge of the stage and hopped down into the Barnett Park grass to greet the 20 or so McCook residents dancing to “Blood and Bone.”

Throughout the Lincoln soul band’s set, he talked at length about Nebraska harboring a strong music community, that “it’s cool to be from Nebraska.” And then he connected directly with a new audience, giving hugs and shaking hands before answering their calls for encore.

For my money, connections like these are a large part of what make the Good Living Tour valuable, and we saw many of them form, strengthen or reappear during its final weekend. Whether it was a local band playing to its hometown, a new connection between artists or an on-stage familial bond, the entire tour was marked by them.

Perhaps none were more helpful to the tour itself than HN executive director Andrew Norman’s to his hometown Imperial. Unseasonably cold weather and drizzle forced the Friday night show into the Chase County Elementary School gym for what felt like classic old all-ages DIY show. Norman was mic’ed up for NETV and running around facilitating the move. DJ Sharkweek spun absolute bangers, bringing lint down from the dusty rafters. Uh Oh and Clarence Tilton played with energy and enthusiasm; the latter band held its set short so it could continue down the street at the VFW until 1 a.m. And Kris Lager Band, for the second straight year on a floor-level stage, induced the most intense dance party of the tour.

Sidney’s threads shone bright in both a hometown and familial way. The extraordinary heat break — the temperature at dusk hovered in the low-60s — seemed to bring people out in droves. String band Aspen County and country singer/songwriter Matthew Scott played to more than 300 of their fellow Sidney residents. Scott, playing only his third show, seemed in awe, but clearly relished it, his solo performance filling the evening sky. The mother-daughter duo of Jaymie and Kelli Jones rocked, playing a series of upbeat country songs and well-chosen Shania Twain and Dixie Chicks cover. Sam Ayer and the Love Affair brought it all home in style, his band donning sunglasses and suits and playing smooth soul.

Boil it down, and 47 acts all performed for vastly new audiences in places many of them had never been before. Bands from Lincoln and Omaha met others local to their concert locations, helping to forge new connections. From behind the merch booth, almost every night, I heard people remark that concerts like these should happen all the time. That’s certainly the idea.

One more connection, this one from last night. Marina Kushner, I Forgot To Love My Father violinist, was a valuable part of the Vessel Crew throughout the trip, building the stage and running monitors from the on-stage sound booth. Her father, Benjamin, ripped off solo after solo from just a few feet away on the platform she put up hours earlier. It was a fantastic moment that stood out among many. At the risk of hyperbole, it doesn’t really get much cooler than that.

More of our favorite things: attendance counts of 250-plus all weekend; Belles & Whistles’ near-perfect harmonies; Kelli Jones nailing her Shania Twain cover; Matthew Scott signing autographs for fellow McCook residents; Sam Ayer’s vocal smoothness; the Sidney sunset; Kris Lager Band reigning dust down on the Imperial gymnasium; SharkWeek joining Lager for a freestyle verse; Uh Oh frontman Joe Champion trading his guitar for a dance partner; Clarence Tilton rocking two sweaty, intimate sets back-to-back; losing our collective minds on the gym dance floor; Homemade Crazy playing for its home crowd; everything Soul Colossal drummer Memphis Shepard does; the fiery passion of Hoyer’s vocals; every Benji Kushner solo face; the 30-minute tour-ending staff dance party.

Below are photos of these and more. Thanks for the memories, Nebraska. We’ll see you next year.

Friday: Sidney

More than 300 Sidney residents gather Friday night at Hickory Street Square for the Good Living Tour | photo by Andrew Dickinson

Nebraska Loves Public Schools representative Abigail Fraas sings before the Sidney Good Living Tour concert | photo by Lindsey Yoneda

Sidney string band Aspen County opens the southwest Nebraska town’s Good Living Tour Concert | photo by Andrew Dickinson

A father and daughter dance during Aspen County’s set in Sidney | photo by Andrew Dickinson

Aspen County | photo by Lindsey Yoneda

Sidney country singer/songwriter Matthew Scott plays his third-ever concert for the Good Living Tour | photo by Lindsey Yoneda

Matthew Scott | photo by Andrew Dickinson

HN executive director Andrew Norman dances with a concertgoer in Sidney during the Good Living Tour | photo by Andrew Dickinson

Belles & Whistles’ Kelli Jones watches Matthew Scott’s solo concert in Sidney | photo by Andrew Dickinson

The sun sets over Sidney Friday night, just before Belles & Whistles takes the stage | photo by Andrew Dickinson

Kelli Jones and her mother Jaymie harmonize during Sidney’s Good Living Tour concert | photo by Andrew Dickinson

Omaha pop-country duo Belles & Whistles and band in Sidney | photo by Andrew Dickinson

Omaha soul band Sam Ayer & the Love Affair play Sidney’s Good Living Tour stop Friday night | photo by Lindsey Yoneda

Sam Ayer & the Love Affair bassist Thomas Olk | photo by Lindsey Yoneda

Sam Ayer | photo by Andrew Dickinson

Sam Ayer & the Love Affair drummer Paul B. Allen IV | photo by Andrew Dickinson

* * *

Saturday: Imperial

Lincoln DJ Sharkweek (Erin McMorrow) leads off in Imperial for the Good Living Tour | photo by Andrew Dickinson

DJ Sharkweek | photo by Andrew Dickinson

Omaha rock band Uh Oh plays the Chase Country Elementary School gym in Imperial | photo by Lindsey Yoneda

Two kids dance during Uh Oh’s set in Imperial Saturday night | photo by Andrew Dickinson

Uh Oh frontman Joe Champion | photo by Lindsey Yonead

Omaha alt-country band plays a shortened set at the Imperial Good Living Tour stop Saturday night. It later played down the street at the Imperial VFW | photo by Lindsey Yoneda

photo by Lindsey Yoneda

Fans dance during Clarence Tilton’s Saturday night set in Imperial | photo by Lindsey Yoneda

photo by Andrew Dickinson

Clarence Tilton | photo by Andrew Dickinson

The elementary school gymnasium was packed full of concertgoers, and thus was very hot and humid. Some chose to take a breather between sets. | photo by Andrew Dickinson

Kris Lager Band closes Imperial’s Good Living Tour concert Saturday night | photo by Lindsey Yoneda

photo by Lindsey Yoneda

Kris Lager Band attracted the tour’s largest stage-front dance party Saturday night in Imperial | photo by Andrew Dickinson

Dancers during Kris Lager Band’s set | photo by Andrew Dickinson

photo by Andrew Dickinson

Sunday: McCook

McCook student vocalists sing the national anthem to open the final 2016 Good Living Tour concert | photo by Lindsey Yoneda

Lincoln DJ Nick Fitch spins between sets Sunday night in McCook | photo by Lindsey Yoneda

Homemade Crazy vocalist/synth player Breezy Ortega Sunday at McCook’s Good Living Tour concert | photo by Andrew Dickinson

McCook’s own Homemade Crazy | photo by Andrew Dickinson

The McCook crowd, more than 250 strong, watches Homemade Crazy Sunday evening | photo by Andrew Dickinson

Homemade Crazy | photo by Andrew Dickinson

A few kids play human fooseball in Barnett Park in McCook during the Good Living Tour concert | photo by Andrew Dickinson

Concertgoers enjoy a frozen treat in McCook’s Barnett Park Sunday evening | photo by Lindsey Yoneda

Matt Cox with his full band, stopping in McCook Sunday night for the Good Living Tour on their way to Colorado for a few shows | photo by Andrew Dickinson