The Good Living Tour heads to Imperial

by Andrew Stellmon | photos by Lauren Farris

The Imperial, Nebraska crowd cheered its loudest during The Talbott Brothers headlining set Saturday in Imperial, and perhaps louder still during rolling folk song “Heartland.” Nick Talbott, who now lives with his brother Tyler in Portland, Oregon, seemed to know it might move the people and place that inspired it.

“It usually gets more of a response here than when we play it there,” he said as he introduced it.

The folk duo received a lot of love during the third-annual Good Living Tour concert in the western Nebraska town, as did the rest of an impressive Saturday night billing. Hundreds of Imperialites turned out to 8th & Broadway for live music, which started at about 7 p.m. after a day filled with barbecue competitions and family-friendly activities — including a bouncy house and and .05k, costumed fun-run.

Mary Lawson, aka Lincoln soul artist Mesonjixx, kicked off the proceedings, and was followed by Lincoln indie rock band Universe Contest and R&B vocalist Rothsteen. After his set, I spoke with Rothsteen, who played last year’s Good Living Tour concert in Norfolk, in front of more than 1,000 fans. Though there wasn’t much dancing near the front of the stage, he noted the attentiveness and energy in the crowd.

After The Talbott Brothers closed things down with a rousing edition of “Hey Honey,” the action moved over to Broken Arrow Cellars Winery & Brewery, where Universe Contest played a more intimate nightcap.

HN intern Lauren Farris took photos throughout the day; view them below. The Good Living Tour heads to Red Cloud’s Starke Round Barn on July 15; RSVP here.

Two young women paint original album artwork in the Chase County Elementary School gym before Imperial’s Good Living Tour Concert

Costumed race participants stretch before the .05k fun-run Saturday at 8th & Broadway

Mesonjixx performs at 8th & Broadway

Universe Contest performs at 8th & Broadway

Hundreds of Imperialites turned out for the western Nebraska community’s third-annual Good Living Tour Concert

A woman takes video of Universe Contest’s performance Saturday night

A member of the Imperial Jaycees grills hamburgers during the Good Living Tour concert Saturday. The organization is dedicated to raising funds for area youth and youth activities.

Rothsteen performs at 8th & Broadway

The Talbott Brothers headline Imperial’s Good Living Tour Concert

Universe Contest plays the GLT Imperial after-party at Broken Arrow

photos by Lauren Farris

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Charles Musselwhite, Ruthie Foster headline ZooFest

by Sam Crisler

The Zoo Bar is celebrating its 44th anniversary this year, and it hosts its annual ZooFest on Friday and Saturday night with ten bands playing on 14th Street in downtown Lincoln. Headliners for the festival include Mississippi blues rock hero Charles Musselwhite and Texas singer-songwriter Ruthie Foster, along with local blues  The Mezcal Brothers and Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal.

Two-day passes for ZooFest are $35, and single-day tickets are $20. Find more information here, and grab your tickets here. Take a look at the full lineup below.

Friday, July 7

5 p.m. – The Bel Airs
7 p.m. – The Paladins
9 p.m. – Ruthie Foster
11 p.m. – Sidewalk Chalk

Saturday, July 8

12 p.m. –– Blues Society of Omaha’s BluesEd Band
3 p.m. –– The Mezcal Brothers
5 p.m. –– Hadden Sayers
7 p.m. –– Big Sandy and His Fly-Rite Boys
9 p.m. –– Charlie Musselwhite
11 p.m. –– Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal

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Mark Patrick takes down fake rappers and celebrates his hometown in “Ride All Night” video

by Sam Crisler

When emcee Mark Patrick emerges from the front door of Homer’s Music in the video for his bouncy “Ride All Night” track, he takes in downtown Omaha and proceeds toward his topless four-door with a pair of motives: to throw shade at wack rappers and to show a pride for his state that emanates from the song’s hook to the Nebraska Cornhuskers flat bill on his head.

“We wanted to showcase parts of Midtown and Downtown with an upbeat, can accomplish anything sort of attitude,” Patrick said about the motivations behind the video, premiering here.

The video, directed by Timmy Vogel, sees Patrick, vocalist Jamire Graye and their crew rolling through The Old Market, up and down the hills of Dundee and cruising west through Benson on Maple Street. And while he spits bars knocking rappers that make him sick, “like they ain’t individuals,” Patrick sports a “Straight Outta Omaha” t-shirt. It’s the sort of video that makes you take a look at your surroundings and think, “hey, this place is actually pretty special.”

The Marcey Yates-produced, West Coast-flavored track appears on Patrick’s Pen and Pad LP, which dropped last December.

See the “Ride All Night” video below.

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Photo coverage: 311 in the Streets

Yes, we went there.

HN intern Emma Petersen was on hand as Omaha-native rock group 311 took to the streets of Lincoln, playing for thousands of fans in a Friday homecoming concert. British reggae band The Skintz and Danish pop act New Politics opened the show. 311 just released Mosaic, the band’s 12th studio album and one hailed as a return to peak form. Omaha World Herald writer Kevin Coffey recently asked the trio, together for 27 years, about each of their band members and why it has worked for so long; read here.

View Petersen’s photos below:

The Skintz

New Politics

311

Photos by Emma Petersen

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Photo coverage: Omaha Concert World Series at Reverb Lounge

HN photographer Marti Vaughan went to Reverb Lounge Friday for Omaha rapper Axcess’ “Omaha Concert World Series” event, which featured a bevy of acts including Jazz Simone, Domestic Blend, Houdiini, Chucho and Diego Danger. DJ K Dub was on the 1s and 2s with host Doc BeatBox. See photos below:

Jazz Simone

Domestic Blend

Houdiini

Chucho

Diego Danger

Axcess

Photos by Marti Vaughan

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Photo coverage: Shipwrecked!

HN contributor Harrison Martin boarded the River City Star on Friday for SHIPWRECKED!, Perpetual Nerve’s boat concert series swept ashore. The event featured Chicago electronic duo (and Lincoln Calling alumni) HIDE, Lincoln’s Plack Blague, Cincinnati punk rock band Leggy, Omaha’s David Nance Band and Cult Play and Brooklyn duo The Winstons. Martin’s photos, among them some beautiful shots of downtown Omaha, are below:

The River City Star

Winstons

Cult Play

David Nance Band

A crew of boats dock near the River City Star

Plack Blague

Downtown Omaha, as seen from the River City Star

Leggy

Hide

photos by Harrison Martin

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Photo coverage: Dominique Morgan, The 9s at Reverb Lounge

HN photog Petersen hopped up to Omaha Saturday for R&B vocalist Dominique Morgan and his new full band, The Experience. Morgan, a social activist heavily involved in underprivileged communities around the city, was featured last month in USA Today’s “Faces of Pride,” which surveyed “Members of the LGBT community and their allies,” one from all 50 states. In the blurb, he talks about starting Queer People of Color Nebraska and generating awareness for misunderstood minorities; read it here. The 9s opened the show; see photos below:

Dominique Morgan & the Experience

The 9s

Photos by Emma Petersen

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Concert Round-Up

With the holiday coming up on Tuesday, local shows have slowed down a bit, but head over to our events page for a more comprehensive list of shows and add your own events with our contribute feature here.

Writers’ Night: Poetry Open Mic at Crescent Moon Coffee – Crescent Moon Coffee in the Haymarket hosts its weekly poetry open mic tonight, so stop in and hear some prose, or hit the stage and show what you’ve got. 7 p.m.

Hear Nebraska FM – And whether your festivities have begun, or you’re fighting through the work week, do so with our live music playlist tonight on Hear Nebraska FM on KZUM. Tune in to 89.3 FM from 8-10 p.m. for two hours of live Nebraska music recordings from in the KZUM studio, HN’s Take Cover concerts, the Live at O’Leaver’s series and more. We’ll run it via HN Radio all week long, because what goes better with lake day than live music?