Lincoln Exposed felt like, well, Lincoln Exposed last weekend.
The 18th edition of the downtown multivenue music festival featuring only Lincoln bands was back to its closest to Lincoln’s birthday weekend after being moved to the spring and summer by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The band count exceeded 80 — and could have been more had the Bourbon Theatre been available for all three nights. And, especially on Friday and Saturday, the venues — Zoo Bar, Bourbon, 1867 Bar, Duffy’s Tavern and Bodega’s Alley — were full to overflowing, an indicator that attendance was back up to pre-pandemic levels as well.
Just as important, for the health and growth of the Lincoln scene, the joyous sense of community returned in full as musicians came out to support each other, regulars caught new groups and old favorites, and newcomers got caught up in the camaraderie and the "who should I see next?” festival fun.
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As for the music, I saw on Thursday three complete 40-minute sets and at least 20 minutes of three more; on Friday four more full sets and pieces of three others and on Saturday five full sets and two partials.
That adds up to 20 bands, not quite a quarter of the 80-plus total that took the stages in the five venues. That’s a good number. But not enough to provide a full festival overview. That would take a coordinated effort by four or five people.
Nor did I catch all the shows that were getting raves, e.g., Dirty Talker at Duffy’s Saturday. And, to be honest, I avoided a couple of ultra-packed venues as the question “Do I want to get COVID bad enough to see this?” ran through my mind.
That said, I saw a couple of Lincoln’s best bands “mak show,” as the German audiences demanded from The Beatles in the early ’60s.
On Friday at the Bourbon Theatre, Thirst Things First and, a couple of hours later, The Mezcal Brothers, exhibited understanding garnered over years in the biz that they’re first-class entertainers.
Thirst Things First made its show wearing track suit and sunglasses, working under the orders and introduction of video projection Lord Boot, urging the audience to “Drink Oil” – it’s part of the Lord Boot schtick – and cranking up a wall of guitars to create pop punk that draws on ’70s punk.
The Mezcal Brothers did it with supercharged rockabilly — the original punk rock (as during their smoking medley of Carl Perkins’ “Boppin’ the Blues” and Jerry Lee Lewis’ “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” — a cool ’50s inspired look and the gymnastics of Charlie Johnson, who played his doghouse bass on its head and like a guitar, climbed on top of it a couple of times, then turned on flashing lights on the closer “Let’s Go Rock ‘n’ Roll.”)
I was also taken by The Zooeys and their cool, melodic rock ‘n’ roll, and The Credentials, who delivered an impressive show of Nirvana-influenced rock injected with a shot of ’60s garage at 1867 Bar on Friday.
And the song that has stuck with me since I heard it came from LaPerm, the cat-ear wearing, genre-mixing duo of guitarist Julius Levi Bradis and vocalist/lyricist Marissa Kibble — “The Music,” a reverb-laden number that sounds like it should be the theme for a James Bond movie.
The bands, all of which do original music, are allowed under Lincoln Exposed rules to do one cover song during their set. I didn’t see them all and many bands didn’t do one. But the cover of the festival had to be Head of Femur’s set-opening take on Television’s “Marque Moon,” a tribute to guitarist Tom Verlaine, who died Jan. 28.
One of the aims at every festival I attend is to find a band, entirely new to me, that is so impressive that it lands on my “fell in love with a band” list. That happened Saturday, thanks to a tip from festival organizer Otto Meza to be sure to see The Oddits.
The three-piece band of University of Nebraska-Lincoln students brought a set of melodic rock ‘n’ roll that ranges from a cool stretched out number with snaky guitar and near spoken vocals and delicate ballads to rave-ups.
While you can’t hear every word live, The Oddits have good songs — the biggest challenge for most bands, who, frankly, don’t — all three members sing, another plus, and they can play just fine. The Oddits are, after a couple of years, just breaking out on the local scene. Check them out if you see they’re playing a show. You can thank me later.
Another lesson I’ve learned from 30-plus years of going to South By Southwest and other multivenue, multiday fests like Lincoln Exposed is that after you catch a band that really connects on the last night, it’s time to head for home.
For me Saturday, that band was Bull Face, who tore through 40 minutes of Detroit punk at Bodega’s. Bringing their dynamic Stooges-style assault with power and dexterity — as good and impressive as they’ve been every time I’ve seen them.
It was a perfect way end the 18th Lincoln Exposed, which for me — and I’ve been to all of them — was, on every level., one of the best incarnations of the festival.