photo of Windpants by Shannon Claire
by Shannon Claire, Dawn Thorfinnson, Michael Todd and Casey Welsch
The second night of Lincoln Exposed went like this: the good guys, the lady-led bands, the evil scientist comedian, the mainstays and the new ones. It was another well-spent handful of hours with Lincoln's best musicians.
Once again, we've got the scoop with photos, reviews, tweets and a schedule for tonight's shows. Pick out one review from the list or read on:
Daniel Dorner, Mark Thornton, All My Friends are Dinosaurs, Once a Pawn, Amy Schmidt and the Restless Things, Tsumi, Domestica, Windpants, Shipbuilding Co., Masses, Low Horse, Stonebelly
Daniel Dorner
review by Michael Todd | photo by Shannon Claire
Daniel Dorner isn't a showman. He talks to the crowd as if they were all close friends, asking them to forgive his recovering voice. It's not out of self-pity, but his laryngitis is something worth mentioning. Daniel couldn't hit all the high notes or sing with the same emotional force he's brought to the stage before. But this time, he enlisted the help of Jordan Ellis (of The Betties). Although the tinny guitar pulled listeners away from her violin, she added texture and harmonies that build up a talented songwriter.
Tweet from @duffystavern: We love our Jordan, and of course Daniel Dorner too! http://t.co/W97JMtig.
Mark Thornton
review by Michael Todd | photo by Shannon Claire
Mark Thornton asked his band, "Is it hot up here, or do I just sweat a lot?" No reply. "I guess I just sweat a lot," Thornton said with a laugh. This good, old-fashioned rock/country act evinced the same feeling as a good conversation with a friend on a road trip. Their lyric, "I don't know where I'm going / But I'll get there real soon," is a good synopsis for the storyline of the group's songs, and though the singing's not always on point, they sure as hell mean it. And that's what matters.
An HN tweet: Mark Thornton is giving it his all with sweat to prove it @The_ZOO_Bar for #lincolnexposed. http://t.co/iwJrjogx.
All My Friends are Dinosaurs
review by Michael Todd | photo by Dawn Thorfinnson
These guys rock, and they do it without sacrificing melody or song structure. The Bourbon hosted a small pocket of devoted followers who called out song titles and rejoiced when their requests were honored. The drummer channeled Pete Townshend with huge windmilling motions as he smacked his set. And when the band dovetailed frequent triplets and idiosyncratic rhythms with driving rock, well, it launched them into the No. 1 spot of the Most Fun category.
Once a Pawn
review by Michael Todd | photo by Dawn Thorfinnson
Once a Pawn are becoming veterans (if they aren't already), and it shows when they play straight through a wobbly mic without missing a beat. Catherine Balta didn't lower the trajectory of her drumsticks as someone offstage was lowering and lifting her vocal mic. The band is a sure thing, time after time, so if they didn't blow you away three years ago, chances are they won't now.
Amy Schmidt and the Restless Things
photo by Shannon Claire
Tsumi
review by Michael Todd | photo by Shannon Claire
Heather Sticka is talkative and nervous. She knows it, she writes songs about it, and it's not something that takes away from her band's performance. But it might attract hecklers of a more congenial kind. The crowd was perhaps the most vocal of the festival so far, and I'll give them credit: Those blazing guitar solos need to be heard. The "You Oughta Know" cover was the strongest of the set, which oddly asks the question: Is the music of Alanis Morissette still alive and well?
An HN tweet: Tsumi's Heather Sticka belts it out, as per the usual, @BourbonTheatre as part of #lincolnexposed. http://t.co/jZ25dCE0.
Domestica
review by Casey Welsch | photo by Dawn Thorfinnson
Domestica. Living legends of Lincoln. Their set at Duffy’s shows everyone why. Aging rockers whose rock hasn’t seemed to age. It’s loud, loud, loud and played with twice the energy of most of these other young whippersnappers. A throwback sound that still rings true in every ear in attendance, even when the songs are older than the listeners.
Windpants
review by Casey Welsch | photo by Shannon Claire
The Zoo Bar almost doesn’t fit Windpants. Had Tim Carr not been wearing his best suit, the gods of blues dwelling on the walls of that blues Olympus may have been angered by the noise. But the crowd wasn’t, and neither was I. From trippy headspaces to hard rhythms fit to dance to, Windpants brought the noise as best he could, and with Tim, it’s never a dull time.
An HN tweet: Windpants @The_ZOO_Bar is killing… I mean, slaughtering the silence. Come on by or open your window and listen. #lincolnexposed.
Shipbuilding Co.
review by Casey Welsch | photo by Dawn Thorfinnson
The guitar rock stylings of Shipbuilding Co. pulsed through the Bourbon Theatre bathroom. They blasted through the front windows and filled every corner of every corner of the venue. A highly melodic breed or rock, with songs you can sing along with, if you know the lyrics. I didn’t, so I just sat back and enjoyed.
Masses
review by Casey Welsch | photo by Shannon Claire
Masses has made themselves one of those bands in Lincoln that pretty much can’t get a bad review. What really can I say about them at this point? They’re great? They rock? They don’t have a single song I don’t want to listen to? What? Everyone knows. Everyone was there, pretty much. And if they weren’t, they probably don’t have souls anyway, and are Communists.
Low Horse
review by Michael Todd | photo by Shannon Claire
I'm calling it early, but this may be the best band of Lincoln Exposed. They've got newness on their side with just a few shows under their belt. It's lines such as "They've got fences here just to keep the dirt on one side" and "The more rings in your trunk the harder it is to get cut" that stick with you, and great orchestration that holds it all together. Plus, since they don't even name most of their songs, these guys are just playing music. They skip the formalities, and that's how a local band should be.
An HN tweet: Low Horse ends a spectacular set drawing a large crowd. Another night of #lincolnexposed down, two more left. http://t.co/lKzkhTX7.
Stonebelly
photo by Shannon Claire
Tonight's shows
Bourbon Theatre
8:30 p.m. Green Trees
9:30 p.m. The Renfields
10:30 p.m. Universe Contest
11:30 p.m. Solid Gold
12:30 a.m. Zed Tempo
Duffy’s Tavern
8 p.m. Entendre Entendre
9 p.m. The Mezcal Brothers
10 p.m. Ideal Cleaners
11 p.m. Carrot Carrot
12 a.m. Lloyd McCarter & The Honky Tonk Revival
Zoo Bar
6 p.m. Bonehart Flannigan
7 p.m. The Allendales
8:15 p.m. Manny Coon
9:15 p.m. Bol’d Crow
10:15 p.m. Los Villanos
11:15 p.m. Time Hammer
12:15 a.m. The Machete Archive
Final note: See a full slideshow of Shannon Claire's photos here.
Michael Todd is Hear Nebraska's managing editor. Reach him at michaeltodd@hearnebraska.org, and he can relay any messages you have for our Lincoln Exposed team.