Milk Run transitions to women-led management team, Parker remains owner

Like any successful DIY venue — and after a year, it’s safe to call it a success — Milk Run operates on volunteer help by necessity, under the leadership of owner Sam Parker. With a litany of projects piling up for the coming year (including executing the majority of Lincoln Calling booking for Hear Nebraska), Parker has decided to turn management over to three of Milk Run’s most dedicated volunteers.

Kelly Langin, Taylor Sankey and Emmaline Sabin will form Milk Run’s management team beginning January 2017, the venue announced Sunday via its Facebook page. The trio will receive guidance from See Through Dresses’ Sara Bertuldo and musician Myer Stevens, both of whom will continue booking shows, while Parker will maintain venue ownership.

All three members of Milk Run’s new management team have been instrumental to the downtown Omaha DIY venue in their respective roles. Langin (a former HN intern) became directly involved in mid-February, cultivating its social media presence and running shows. Sankey climbed on board in June after reaching out to Parker, and has worked the door and, on occasion, run the soundboard. Sabin has been involved since September.

Parker says he has full confidence that his replacements will maintain Milk Run’s course.

“They will be doing everything the same as they have done thus far, but just more of it,” Parker says. “They are more than capable [and] they’ve continued to prove it at every show since they started here.”

Looming plays Milk Run Dec 29 | photo by JP Davis

Bien Fang at Milk Run on Oct 30 | photo by Lauren Farris

The change comes at a pivotal moment for Milk Run. Earlier this month, it surpassed the one-year mark, a milestone for any DIY operation. Throughout that time, it has maintained a strong presence as Omaha’s only all-ages, venue (which doesn’t require a consent form), serving a large part of the city’s DIY and independent community and booking strong touring acts like Screaming Females, All Dogs and Machine Girl.

Langin says she and Parker have been discussing his move for the past few months, crystallizing hers, Sankey’s and Sabin’s expanded roles in a conversation this past Tuesday night. She says her involvement at Milk Run has allowed her to contribute to the music community without being in a band.

“It gave me a way to be present in the music scene,” Langin says. “It’s been a way for other women … other female volunteers that have been able to help. I think that’s really important.”

The trio will have a support system in Bertuldo and Stevens, both of whom have long been contributors to Milk Run’s existence. Bertuldo and See Through Dresses bandmate Matt Carroll have been involved from the beginning, donating sound gear and green-room amenities. She also manages direct booking amid a busy touring and recording schedule.

Stevens has booked some of the rowdiest, most boundary-pushing shows the venue has seen, including the recent Machine Girl show and Nebraska Noise and Electronic Fest. He will maintain that role while providing various other forms of guidance.

Going forward, the team is adamant Milk Run will remain an important local space for art and music.

“We’re going to operate the space the same way we always have because it works,” Langin says. “I feel like a lot of DIY spaces don’t last past a year, but we’re doing a lot of things to make sure it continues to be a part of the DIY community in Omaha.”

Milk Run has also launched an end-of-year GoFundMe campaign to continue operations. Donations will support equipment replacements and upgrades, rent and utilities and overall continued viability. Donate here.

Find upcoming Milk Run events here.

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Photo coverage: Daughter, Vancouver Sleep Clinic at Slowdown

HN multimedia intern Lauren Farris went to Slowdown Saturday night for London-based indie rock band Daughter, which stopped in Omaha while on the U.S. portion of tour in support of its latest album, Not To Disappear. The trio’s sophomore album has been critically hailed as a step up from debut If You Leave, softening that effort’s abyss-like despair while vocalist Elena Tonra’s lyrics still cut sharply. Vancouver Sleep Clinic opened in support.

See Farris’ photos below:

Daughter

Vancouver Sleep Clinic

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Photo coverage: Wolf Dealer, The Vahnevants, Haunted Gauntlet, Afghan Hounds at O’Leaver’s

HN multimedia intern Connor Lepert went to O’Leaver’s this weekend to catch Des Moines garage rock band The Vahnevants along with Omaha’s Wolf Dealer, Haunted Gauntlet and Afghan Hounds. As we noted Friday, Wolf Dealer comprises Omaha veterans from Talking Mountain, Sun-Less Trio, Carsinogents, Virgasound, Skull Fight, Fonzarellies, Thuggs and the Cuterthans (that’s Jason Meyer at the helm).

See Lepert’s photos below:

Afghan Hounds

Haunted Gauntlet

The Vahnevants

Wolf Dealer

 

Photos by Connor Lepert

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Photo Coverage: The Hottman Sisters, Jennifer Hall, Kyra Sallans at Duffy’s Tavern

Lepert was out again Sunday night, grabbing photos of The Hottman Sisters with Chicago indie rock act Jennifer Hall and singer/songwriter Kyra Sallans. Hall and her band are on a midwest tour that included weekend stops in Omaha and Lincoln.

See Lepert’s photos below:

The Hottman Sisters

Jennifer Hall

Kyra Sallans

Photos by Connor Lepert

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Photo Coverage: Root Marm Chicken Farm Jug Band at The Ferguson House

Farris also went to Lincoln’s historic Ferguson House Sunday night for the second installment of KZUM’s Soup & Songs series, which featured folk act Root Marm Chicken Farm Jug Band. The concerts take place once a month from November to March; upcoming acts include Josh Hoyer and Gerardo Meza, Edem Soul Music, Jackie Allen and Evan Bartels. Find the full schedule here.

See Farris’ photos below:

Photos by Lauren Farris

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Hakim, Bazile Mills, Uh Oh and more on HN Radio

It’s Monday, which means add-day for our HN Radio playlist at the top of the website.

This week’s playlist features new music by Bazile Mills, Uh Oh and Those Far Out Arrows, the likes of which we covered throughout last week. It also includes the latest from Lincoln rapper Hakim, who released new EP Royale with Cheese digitally on Oct 30 and at a show at The Bay this past Saturday.

Also, find tracks from Kait Berreckman, Lucas Kellison Quartet, Wolf Dealer and Millions Of Boys, which plays this Wednesday at O’Leaver’s with Montee Men and Leafblower (RSVP here). It’s the garage rock trio’s first since Dec 11, 2015.

Stream the latest HN Radio playlist below or at the top of HearNebraska.org.

https://soundcloud.com/hearnebraska/sets/hn-radio-11-21-16

And don’t forget: tune in to Hear Nebraska FM on 89.3 KZUM tonight at 8 p.m. for two hours of Nebraska music. That’s 89.3 FM in Lincoln, or via stream at kzum.org around the world.

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Musicians/bands: Have an upcoming video or new music release? Planning a tour or local concert? We want to know about it. Email us at news@hearnebraska.org.