Star City Blog / Music

Lincoln Bands Head to Omaha for Lincoln Invasion 2010 July 9th

By Hilary Stohs-Krause

The word “invasion” strikes fear into the heart of every zombie-conscious citizen – but thankfully, Lincoln Invasion 2010 is a migration of music, not the flesh-eating undead.
   
Friday, July 9 from 6:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., 23 Lincoln-based bands will attempt to conquer the Benson neighborhood of Omaha, spreading the musical sounds of the city’s southerly sister.
   
An all-access pass costs $8 and grants passage to each of the six venues; otherwise individual entrance to each site costs $5. Age restrictions vary by venue. Tickets can be purchased at the venues July 9.

Danielle Gasparro: A Songbird Alights at Deer Springs Winery May 15th

By Hanna Day-Woodruff

Danielle Gasparro, singer, songstress and piano player, has a voice that is well-paired with a glass of wine.  Her deep, rich, velvet voice lingers and soars so effortlessly that the listener is lulled into a musical reverie.  Luckily for us, she will bestow those dulcet tones upon Lincoln audiences at Deer Springs Winery (16255 Adams St.) on May 15th from 7 – 9 p.m.

Gasparro's voice is her main instrument and is beautifully accompanied by the piano she uses to compose.  Her singing career began in 1998 as she crooned the old jazz standards at various nightclubs in New York City.  Friends eventually persuaded her to focus on her own compositions, leading her to give up jazz to pursue her music in 2002.  Since then, she's been developing her craft, all the while learning to listen to her heart and connect with her audiences.  Her lyrics are clear, easy to access and relate to in context of the struggles of the human experience.

Although they are autobiographically inspired, her lyrical themes are universal: the growth that occurs after heartbreak; the beauty of existence, despite its sorrows; and the rewards of living a life of risk.

A Year Later, Clawfoot House Continues to Grow Onward and Ever Upward

By Sarah F. Sullivan

In only a year, local music hub, Clawfoot House, has become an artistic dynamo on the Lincoln scene. Started in January 2009, the house concert venue and arts community located in Lincoln’s Everett neighborhood hosted 45 events last year and effectively solidified their reputation for high artistic quality with their variety of excellent music and art events.

These lively functions included creative folk, rock and experimental music concerts, art shows, workshops, literary events, puppet shows, potlucks and plays, as well as the monthly Clawfoot Salon for female musicians.

Started by ambitious local musician Ember Schrag, Clawfoot House evolved from a music venue to an all-around creative haven, offering cultural and educational opportunities in both music and the arts. By the end of last year, Clawfoot House had established itself as a non-profit business, proudly taking its place as a prominent member of the Lincoln arts and music scene. As a new year begins, Schrag is ensuring that Clawfoot House doesn’t lose its momentum, reaching out to musicians and artists to continue to provide exceptional and engaging productions for Lincolnites to enjoy. 

Lincoln Exposed 2010: Reminding You That Lincoln is a Music City

 By Cory Kibler
The Lincoln music scene is a strange animal, often defying the rules of logic.  Despite the modest size of our city, we have more bands than you can shake a stick at.  We boast a few nationally-recognized bands, as well as countless regional heroes.  The scene is definitely diverse. Punk and metal bands thrive, and the same can be said of those that play blues, hip-hop, country, folk and rock.

Currently, Lincoln is in the process of putting itself on the music map and declaring itself a music city.  Lincoln isn’t the same size as some other musically famous cities, but what we lack in population, we more than make up for in quality acts and events.   

The final (and arguably the most arduous) step is that Lincoln needs to start self-identifying as a music city. This doesn’t mean just the bands, the fans, the press or the city government. It includes everyone in the city of Lincoln. If we start defining Lincoln as a strong music city, everyone else may start to pay attention.  

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.

Lincoln Recording Studios Information

Compiled by Joshua Hoyer

The following is a collection of factual information and sample recordings that didn't fit conveniently into the four part series on Lincoln Recording Studios (links to which can be found here: Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV).  To hear music, hover the mouse over the gray MP3 player and click.

LINCOLN RECORDING STUDIOS

DISTANT STATIONS RECORDING CO.
Website: www.myspace.com/bryanklopping
Location: N/A
Hours: Negotiable
Rates: Negotiable

Gear, engineers, philosophy: I focus on putting a lot of abstract thinking and artistic tinges on a piece.  I produce music as I record it.

Past projects: Bryan Klopping, Luminoso Lashkar, Calling Home, The Wright Bombers.

Lincoln Recording Studios: Part IV

By Joshua Hoyer

The following is the fourth and final article in the “Lincoln Recording Studios” series begun on August 24th.

Links to Part I, Part II, and Part III.

THE CONVERSATION PART IV

How do you see the future of recorded music? And do you think downloads and other technology are helpful, harmful, or both? In what way?
Brendan McGinn:  Coming from the non-traditional studio setting, I think downloads, etc. are helpful. Maybe not if a band's full album can be found online and the band didn't give permission for that. But MP3 blogs are the wave of the future--anyone can find a few songs from new bands and can go from there if they want to find out more about a band. I think we will begin to see .zip files as digital albums with a little picture for cover art, and it can all be put on the MP3 player, totally reducing production costs on packaging for underground bands.

Pick Up the Phone! It's Lincoln Calling

By Joshua Hoyer

Eight downtown venues. Five days. 106 musical acts. And endless reasons for all of Lincoln to celebrate the annual music festival known as Lincoln Calling.

The festival is poised to take Lincoln's downtown area by storm in this, its sixth year of existence. Since 2004, attendance numbers have grown, with the largest leap being last year. Over 2,300 people attended the festival in 2008, a true spark for commerce in downtown Lincoln. The festival, which features bands from Lincoln and Omaha and hosts various national touring acts, is bigger and better than ever. 

Lincoln Recording Studios: Part III

By Joshua Hoyer

The following article is the third in the “Lincoln Recording Studios” series begun on August 24th.

Links to Part I and Part II.

THE CONVERSATION PART III:

How much of your time is spent producing? How much does being part of the creative process come into play in your studio?
Brendan McGinn:  I am not sure what "producing" would entail. That's subjective. I can give feedback to the bands, but I am just there to document what they are doing. I might suggest a mic-ing technique, but I have no interest in re-arranging songs.

Lincoln Recording Studios: Part I

By Joshua Hoyer

Cursive, Bright Eyes, The Faint, JV All-Stars, Dave Gonzalez, Kris Lager Band, UUVVWWZ. Sounds like a list that could be found on the website of recording studios in L.A. or Nashville. But the reality is, all these bands were recorded in Lincoln, NE, and the list is growing.  

From small basement studios, to some of the finest facilities in the nation, Lincoln is a hotbed of music recording and activity. Over the past couple of weeks, I have been corresponding with as many recording facilities in the area as I could find. Although I may have missed some of the smaller underground studios, one thing I have learned is that a large number of people in Lincoln are knowledgeable and passionate about recording music.