Star City Blog / Music

'Deck the Halls' with Lincoln’s Symphony Orchestra

Start your holiday season off on the right note with Lincoln’s Symphony Orchestra!
 
LSO will feature the Lincoln Boys Choir, the University of Nebraska at Kearney Choraleers and the Lincoln Midwest Ballet Company on Saturday, December 12, at 7:30 p.m., at the Lied Center for Performing Arts. The concert, performed under the baton of Dr. Tyler G. White, includes popular holiday favorites Sleigh Ride and excerpts from The Nutcracker, and works by Bach, Handel and Berlioz.
 
Come at 5:30 p.m. and get an early start on the festivities with a special reception. For $20 per person, enjoy hearty appetizers, a cash bar, a performance by the Lincoln Boys Choir, and get a jump start on your holiday shopping with poinsettias, Christmas ornaments, raffle items and photo opportunities with Santa Claus. The special pre-concert reception is presented by the LSO Guild.

See Big Gigantic w/ Somasphere at the Bourbon Theatre December 4th

Rad Kadillac Productions in association with HighLucyNation are pleased to present BIG GIGANTIC w/ guests Somasphere, Thursday, December 3rd at the Bourbon Theatre.

(Please Note:  This will be the first of a run of shows that local live electronica group Somasphere will be playing with Big Gigantic.  The run passes through Lincoln, Lawrence, St. Louis and Fayetteville.  This is just the beginning of what could be a great year for Somasphere as they have been getting requests to play all over the country.)

Boulder's Big Gigantic has been killing the live electronic music scene as of late. Since the beginning of 2009, they went from playing a few club gigs around Colorado to opening numerous dates for STS9 (Omaha and Lawrence in October). They have played shows with Shpongle, EOTO, Disco Biscuits, Bonobo, Bassnectar, Pnuma Trio and countless others. They are scheduled to open for Disco Biscuits and STS9 during their New Years runs at the end of this year. They killed the festival circuit this past summer and now are headlining shows throughout the country. Next stop... the Bourbon Theatre in Lincoln December 3rd!

Record Review: 'Big Deal. What's He Done Lately?' by Brimstone Howl

By Cory Kibler
 
When listening to Nebraska rockers Brimstone Howl, you should listen while keeping mind the context of an aesthetic ideal.  The band's music, which could roughly be described as lo-fi, blues/garage-punk, might seem rough around the edges to some.  However, everything about the band adheres to a raw and deliberate rock n’ roll ethos. Case in point: their new record, Big Deal. What’s He Done Lately?, which will be released November 24th on Alive Records. 

The first thing people will notice upon a first listen is the album’s production.  If you’re expecting a record that’s slick, layered and clean, you might initially be confused and/or scared.  Like most of Brimstone Howl’s records, this album is fuzzy, raw and pleasantly retro.  The instruments all blend together in a beautifully distorted haze. In all honesty, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was all recorded live in one room with five microphones.  The vocals are relatively obscured, partly due to a heavy dose of reverb. There are a few “guest” instruments, but not many. A harmonica and keyboard make a few appearances, but for the most part, this record is simply a balls-to-the-wall rock experience.  

Experience the Emmitt-Nershi Band on Dec. 4th at the Bourbon Theatre

Drew Emmitt of Leftover Salmon and Billy Nershi of String Cheese Incident are two of the most influential and beloved musicians on the scene. So our excitement is through the roof that Emmitt-Nershi Band is returning to the "Good Life" for a special Friday night hoedown at the Bourbon Theatre in Downtown Lincoln.

Emmitt and Nershi have fully realized their potential as they just released their debut album "New Country Blues" as ENB Sept. 29th of this year. Since then they have continued to blaze across the country burning down venues and putting smiles on people's faces. With Drew Emmitt (Leftover Salmon) on mandolin & vocals and Bill Nershi (the String Cheese Incident) on acoustic guitar and vocals, ENB delivers a dynamic blend of bluegrass, newgrass, country and Americana that is sure to excite fans of all these genres and countless others. Rounding out the group are Andy Thorn on banjo/vocals and Tyler Grant on bass/vocals both of whom have more than earned their spots in this super group.

Paleo to Perform at Clawfoot House November 17

By Cory Kibler
     
Paleo, aka David Strackany, is pushing the boundaries of rock-lifestyle in several different ways, and it has everything to do with the music.  It’s not because he’s partying 24/7 with trace amounts of drugs on all of his possessions.  He doesn’t come off as decadent or concerned with his status.  Instead, he’s a thoughtful, grounded guy who is always--and I mean always--writing, recording, and touring.
     
Paleo is probably most well known for his “Song Diary” project, which consisted of writing a song a day for a full year (Spring 2006 to Spring 2007).  And that’s just the tip of the iceberg: when I took a look at his website and saw his tour history, I started to feel exhausted myself.  It is expansive to say the very least.

Tamara Cass Named Executive Director of Meadowlark Music Festival

For more than 15 years Tamara has brought creativity and extensive fundraising skills to various charitable organizations in Lincoln. She has served as chair of the LPS Gold Star Salute for the past ten years, and the design coordinator for the Child Advocacy Center. She currently sits on the Board of Directors of Family Services.

After graduating from Iowa State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Fashion Design, Tamara worked for major retailers in New York, San Francisco and Newport Beach, CA.  She has owned and operated successful small businesses including YikYak Designs.  

Nebraska Brass Presents: 'A Nebraska Brass Christmas'

Celebrate the holiday season with music at “A Nebraska Brass Christmas,” the second concert series in the 2009-2010 Nebraska Brass season.  At its most popular event of the year, the Nebraska Brass will perform traditional holiday favorites and festive arrangements that are sure to warm the hearts of audiences on even the coldest Nebraska nights. The final “A Nebraska Brass Christmas” concert at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church on Sunday, December 6, 2009, will include a silent auction fundraiser to support the programs of the Nebraska Brass.

Experience 1320 Recording Artists Two Fresh at the Bourbon Theatre Nov. 14th

Rad Kadillac and HighLucyNation Productions are proud to present 1320 Recording artists Two Fresh as they prepare to make their "Good Life" debut Saturday, November 14th at Lincoln’s Bourbon Theatre.

Fans of Pnuma Trio, Big Gigantic, Pretty Lights and all things that get you movin' and groovin' will love Two Fresh. Local dance purveyors INFLECT and Discoball will get the floor prepped for the main event.

Two Fresh consists of an inseparable pair of twin producers, Sherwyn and Kendrick Nichols, who have been making beats and playing music together since they were fifteen years old. They are now accompanied by drummer Colby Buckler. Now only twenty, the twins just released their first album entitled "The Baker's Dozen."

Record Review: 'Matador' by Arms and Sleepers

By Cory Kibler

Matador, the latest record from down-tempo, electronica-pop duo Arms and Sleepers, often plays like a soundtrack. The songs are anything but "in-your-face," the instrumentation itself is delicate, and the dynamics are subtle.  That's not to say it’s best utilized as background music for a film or a slide-show. 

Instead, because of the strong musical themes that are present throughout, Matador effortlessly creates a slide show in the mind of the listener.  I can easily imagine tender, emotional, and thoughtful cinematic scenes being played out as I listen to this record, and just as with a good book, the imagery comes quite easily.   

Lincoln’s Symphony Orchestra features Polochick and Miller in Special Recital

A project that was 10 years in the making is finally coming to fruition for LSO’s music director and concertmaster.
 
Edward Polochick and Anton Miller will present a special recital on Sunday, November 15, at 4 p.m. at the Sheldon Museum of Art. The program will include Beethoven’s Spring Sonata, Debussy’s Sonata for Violin and Piano, a set of works by Kreisler, and other music by Vieuxtemps, John Williams and Brahms.
 
“We are so excited to finally make this dream a reality,” Miller said. “It is music that is close to our hearts and we believe will be equally shared with the hearts of our audience.”
 
“The best part of playing this program together is that we will be able to showcase Ed's prodigious pianistic talent and musicianship along with the special musical connection he and I have with each other,” Miller said.