By Sarah F. Sullivan
For the Star City Blog
If you are of the opinion that Lincoln’s music scene is seriously lacking, local musicians Ember Schrag and Cory Kibler would like to change your mind. Starting May 4th, Box Awesome will be hosting the musicians’ collaborative project Songwriter Power Ranger every Monday from 6 to 9 PM.
The goal for Schrag and Kibler is to present three different individuals, some who have been on the scene for a while and some new faces, each with their own style so that listeners will never know what to expect.
I sat down with one half of the collaborative duo, Ember Schrag, to discuss the project. Though I had never met her before, it was very easy to get caught up in her excitement as we discussed the many prospects for the series.
“I think there’s some really great stuff going on in the Lincoln scene, more than people realize. For Songwriter Power Ranger, Cory and I are trying to get just a range of people with different levels of experience.”
And what different levels there will be. The series will showcase seasoned performers like country-blues musician John Walker (performing June 8th at Songwriter Power Ranger), and budding singer/songwriters and musicians who are just getting started.
Local musicians Emma Nelson of Kaycee and the Captain, Manny Coon and Natalie Illeana will be featured during the May showcase. But the acts won’t just be local. Eager to provide a truly unique mix, the series already has Katlyn Conroy of the band Another Holiday from Lawrence, Kansas (June 8) and Kacynna Thompsett of Thunder Power from Omaha (May 11).
This mix of local and out-of-town acts, as well as the varying degrees of experience among the performers are things that Schrag and Kibler hope to continue throughout Songwriter Power Ranger. Indeed, they hope these same aspects will draw out undiscovered musicians and curious audiences. The series will offer a home for the little known musician, as well as a different experience for the singer used to performing in the coffee house or open mic scene.
“There’s things I love about playing at coffee houses, but one of the nice things about playing at a bar is you’ve got a great sound system,” Ember admits with a grin.
The name Songwriter Power Ranger came from Schrag’s fellow partner-in-crime, Cory Kibler. Founder of the free record label Mr. Furious Records, solo songwriter and member of the band The Sleepover, Kibler has been working side by side with Schrag to make the series a reality. Describing him as an “enthusiastic, engaging performer,” Schrag laughs as she points out another of his strong points: his sense of humor. This came in especially handy when coming up with the name for the showcase. They decided on the name when Kibler commented,
“I like how we’re slowly getting together kind of like when the Power Rangers form an even bigger Power Ranger, except with acoustic guitars and beer.”
Though Schrag and I are able to laugh about the name, it is definitely a memorable one and will likely stand out when people are racking their brains trying to think of it in an off moment.
And while we joke about the title of the showcase, a moment later things quickly move to seriousness as we discuss the future of Lincoln’s musicians. For Schrag, music is in her blood, having been performing for seven years and performing in Lincoln for the past four years.
Several years ago, Schrag had planned to take her talent on the road to Portland. But while plans were put on hold after she had her daughter, Schrag believes that sticking around Lincoln has proved to be the better path. Her mutual love of Lincoln and music has fueled her desire to aggressively support the music scene, as well as strive to keep it progressive.
One such attempt is a series of house shows at the Clawfoot House. The house show venue offers a series once or twice a month featuring folk, blues, experimental sounds and the occasional rock band. The Clawfoot House is also home to the Clawfoot Salon, a series exclusively for female musicians. The monthly or bi-monthly gathering invites women who are musicians or who want to be musicians to share knowledge--whether it’s playing a different instrument, practicing harmonization, learning theory or how to book a show.
From all these ideas and gatherings developed the Songwriter Power Ranger showcase, a project that sets Schrag’s face alight whenever we talk about it.
“I’m really hoping it will become kind of a fixture,” she says, “We’re trying to change things up. You think songwriter and think of a certain idea--we want to challenge that idea and show people the talent that we have right here in Lincoln.”
As a non-native Nebraskan, I can relate. Having moved to Nebraska during high school, I nonchalantly adopted the attitude of my peers: that nothing interesting ever happens or can ever happen here. You just have to leave the state to get anywhere, especially in the arts. However, once I moved to Lincoln, I quickly changed my viewpoint as I was thrust into the unfamiliar world of the art scene that was such a strong part of my husband’s life. Though Schrag knows better than I, we both agree: there are things to do here in the Midwest. You just have to change your perception of things.
“I think a lot of times artists in the Midwest have this ‘Midwest Inferiority Complex’ or something,” Schrag sighs, “They don’t think that what they do is as legitimate as what someone’s doing just because they live on the East Coast.”
As we closed up our interview, Schrag said,
“There’s great stuff going on here. If people would just forget about that ‘Midwest Inferiority Complex’ for a while and just stop and listen and look around at the great artists that live here and work here and try to make a living here and really work hard for their audience. There’s a lot of people like that and we want to honor them.”
So to all you musicians out there with such a complex, investigate the Songwriter Power Ranger series. Put yourself out there and give it a try. At the very least, stop by Box Awesome and listen in. There are things to do here. All you have to do is stop doubting and look.
The Songwriter Power Ranger series will begin May 4th at Box Awesome from 6 - 9PM. There will be a $3 cover charge. Check the Star City Blog’s calendar for a full list of shows for the month of May and regular updates as soon as the show lists become available.
If you want to contact Ember Schrag about the Songwriter Power Ranger series or for information about The Clawfoot House and its exact location, email her at ember.schrag@gmail.com.
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