Music that was worth a little sleep deprivation

Hi,

Last week was thrilling — and exhausting.

I didn't want to half-ass my way through Lincoln Exposed, so I took a maximalist approach, trying to fit as many performances into my schedule as I could without completely destroying my ears. I flaked on a few shows (too tired; too hungry; etc.) but still walked away quite satisfied with the music I did catch.

My main takeaway: Lincoln is packed with talent and full of bands creating music that's unique and eccentric. Sure, I heard a handful of performances that I'd describe as kinda generic alt rock. But the bands who left me a bit cold were far outnumbered by the artists doing interesting stuff.

If you want my subjective impressions of what I really liked (and a lot more), read on. I'm only one person so please don't consider this the definitive take on Lincoln Exposed 2026. For every band I saw, there were four or five others that I physically couldn't because I was at the Zoo Bar instead of Duffy's or Bodega's. Hard choices had to be made.

But — perhaps counterintuitively — I think that's part of the festival's appeal: The knowledge that you're only ever seeing a small slice of Lincoln's vibrant scene is oddly comforting. I never once suffered FOMO in the moment, even though I always knew there were a bunch of other cool bands I could've been seeing. After all, there's always next year!

Number of bands seen: 24

Number of bands who said "Fuck ICE!": Eight

Number of people hit by a jump kick in a mosh pit: One, during the raucous Jiblets show at the Bourbon Theatre

Number of bands who covered "House of the Rising Sun": Two

Best performance: Domestica. Maybe it's not surprising that some of the longest tenured punk rockers in Lincoln would deliver, but I seriously had my mind blown and teeth rattled by their blistering performance on Friday night. They played a 40 minute set like everyone else but man it felt so much shorter. I could've watched them rock for another hour.

Best cover: Woody Guthrie's "All You Fascists" / Corson Branch Buzzard Club

Best crowd work: Orion Walsh and the Ramblers. Orion invited audience members on stage to play the kazoo, the washboard, the tambourine, and a lemon-shaped maraca.

Best fit: Thirst Things First, with their matching tracksuits and dark glasses.

Best bit: Corson Branch Buzzard Club, who repeatedly declared that they'd be playing punk and/or Rage Against the Machine covers — before delivering some of the folksiest (and best) Americana I heard all week. (Sample lyric: "Wear a happy smile and life will be worthwhile.")

Best props: alls, who'd made custom bracelets for each of their songs and tossed them out to the crowd during the show.

Best song dedication: "To anyone who has ever parked in the Russian Bottoms" / The Killigans

Best recovery after a technical malfunction: Thirst Things First, who delivered a dynamite set after fucking around with a TV for ten minutes, trying to get their accompanying video to work.

Best quote: "We're like the opposite of Fear of Falling. They were awesome. And were gonna do the opposite." / Silver Magnolia

Biggest surprise (to me): Silver Magnolia. I couldn't find much about these guys before their concert and had no idea what to expect. But these dad rockers delivered one of the best performances of the week, putting the lie to their self-deprecating stage presence with a soulful, memorable concert.

Most energetic crowd: Estrogen Projection, whose mosh pit made the entire Zoo Bar shake and prompted a complaint from the Daily Nebraskan.

Most danceable tunes: A Ferocious Jungle Cat, who lived up to the hype.

Most fun to watch: Joyrager, who genuinely look like they're having a great time playing together on stage. They project far more joy than rage.

Most intimate concert: Taylor Carnell. He and his bassist stayed seated for their entire set. That, plus the two antique lamps Taylor placed at the front of the stage, made the whole performance feel like we were in his living room — just friends he'd invited over to hear a few songs.

Most crowded performance: Head Of Femur at the Zoo Bar. Personal space had no meaning. Movement was impossible. I kept having the same grim intrusive thought: If there's an emergency, I'm cooked. If the crowd panics, I'm gonna get trampled. Their music was good but not quite good enough to literally die for.

Most eclectic juxtaposition: Leaves Brown (a multi-instrumental string and trumpet ensemble plus a performative dance) who delivered a beautifully mellow set immediately after Domestica.

Most expressive singing face: Brad Hoffman / The Killigans

Bands I regret missing: Root Marm Chicken Farm Jug Band, Sputnik Kaputnik, Powerful Science, After Arizona, Birthday Girl, Social Cinema, Smoke In The Sunlight.

Thanks for reading. Now I'm gonna go back to catching up on sleep.

Send me tips for more Lincoln stuff I should write about: tynanstewart@proton.me

~ Ty