Sad music for the foxes
A look inside Lincoln's intimate new house venue: The Fox Den.
Taylor Carnell spent last winter feeling, in his words, "very lost as a musician." Taylor, a local singer-songwriter whose contemplative lyrics evoke and explore melancholy, desire and self-doubt, wants his music to be heard and appreciated. But many of Lincoln's best venues are bars — and not always a great fit for his acoustic songs.
"I was just doing bar gigs all winter long, and I noticed that everyone would talk over (my) set," Taylor told me. "It makes sense. If I'm performing Friday night at Bodega's, they're there to party."
He paused. Then added: "You're going to a bar, you're not there to hear sad folk music."
Taylor Carnell sits in The Fox Den and performs in his house. (Credit: Taylor's YouTube channel)
Earlier this spring, Taylor decided to create a space where people actually would go to hear his music. He already had experience organizing scrappy backyard shows, including a gig in his grandpa's barn and a rap concert staged atop a parking deck. Plus, he had a garage. So he took the logical next step.
In April, Taylor hosted the first-ever show at The Fox Den, a new DIY venue in Lincoln's Irvingdale neighborhood. While the performance space is in Taylor's house, it's actually a collaborative venture: He runs it with the help of his girlfriend Emma (also a musician) and his manager.
"(Emma) made the flyer for the first show," Taylor said. "But she titled it 'music for the foxes.' Because there's so many foxes in this neighborhood."
I visited The Fox Den for a show in late June, and while I didn't see any foxes — aside from Dennis, a stuffed animal who serves as a kind of mascot — I did get a chance to experience the venue for the first time.
How to find The Fox Den
I agreed not to share The Fox Den's exact address so as not to dox Taylor. But if you want to see a show, just DM the venue's Instagram account. It's within easy walking distance of Stransky Park.
The space is small, though whether its feels intimate or cramped might depend on your personal taste. (The garage door stayed open throughout the show, and I found that I preferred listening from the driveway.) The combination of soft yellow string lights, a couch that serves as the stage, and a few other personal touches makes the setting feel less like a garage and more like a friend's living room. It seems ideal for solo artists or musical duos, though that evening's headliner, Omaha-based singer-songwriter Izzy Worden, brought four bandmates and still made things work. About twenty people came out; like many house shows, it drew a mostly young crowd.
Taylor, who is 21, told me his vision for The Fox Den is to craft a space that can help people recapture a sense of childlike joy.
"Everyone says when you graduate, go to college and get a real job, that magic's gone, and you can't chase that anymore," Taylor said. "But I don't believe that."
And there was something a little magical about the show I attended. It was a sweltering afternoon in late June, but as the sun began to set, the neighborhood cooled and fireflies emerged to dance above the grass. A few of Taylor's neighbors even came out to listen from their front porches.
More than anything, the venue feels earnest and "full of sincerity," as a recent review from local music zine Interrobang put it. While The Fox Den was born from Taylor's desire for a space where people could listen to his music, he clearly sees it as a way to lift up other artists as well. He's also offering his basement as a recording studio for $30 an hour (or $20 for a band that plays a show).
"I've recorded hundreds of folk songs in that basement and know how to mix and master," he said. "And so I was like, 30 bucks an hour would be a great start to helping people who don't have access to that equipment."
Taylor's goal is to take fewer hours at his job and devote that time to turning The Fox Den into an even cooler space. It's not really about the money though. He's certainly not going to get rich recording songs for other folk musicians. But he might help make Lincoln's music scene a bit more robust and interesting.
"When I feel uninspired, someone comes in and we work together and I learn something new about their process and then that's inspiration," Taylor told me. "I get paid more than money when I work with people."
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this piece, tell your friends about This Week in Lincoln and please consider signing up for a paid subscription to support this work.
~ Ty
