“Mañana” by Better Friend | HN Live at Take Cover Lincoln

 

Take Cover’s format gives artists (this year, full-bands) an opportunity to pay homage to another Nebraska act they admire, whether through re-imagination or straight replay. Better Friend went emphatically with the latter.

Its choice — “Mañana” from Desaparecidos’ 2002 LP Read Music/Speak Spanish — was well considered. And not just because it gave a gruffer-than-usual platform to vocalist Meghan Munyon’s trademark belt, or because it coaxed guitarist Alex Steele’s best, most heavily-distorted Denver Dalley impression.

Better Friend is a strong part of a young cadre of Lincoln bands, echoing the Oberst-penned charge of a rising generation. It didn’t have to reinvent or morph the song into post-hardcore brood. Sometimes the joy is in the song itself: different enough for them to stretch their legs, fitting enough to be a romping proclamation.

Watch Better Friend perform “Mañana” at Zoo Bar for Take Cover Lincoln: