What to do this weekend - January 8, 2026
I've already failed a new year's goal, plus a profile of local punk band Estrogen Projection!
Hi,
Welcome back to This Week In Lincoln. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. Personally, I came back to Lincoln more tired than when I left and I've already failed one of my goals for 2026, which was to get this newsletter out on time. So much for that! Better luck next year.
As usual, I've got a roundup of cool stuff happening this weekend and further down the road. Here's a few other things to know:
- The Lincoln Resistance Coalition said it's planning a local vigil/rally this weekend to protest ICE's killing of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis. Details have yet to be announced, but keep an eye on their Instagram and event calendar.
- This year's legislative session has begun. Here's a recap of the first day from the Nebraska Examiner and another from Nebraska Public Media. Sadly, but unsurprisingly, there's already a bunch of proposed legislation that targets trans people in the state. From NPM's story:
Sen. Kathleen Kauth introduced three bills dealing with issues affecting transgender people. One would limit the use of school and state agency bathrooms to people based on their sex at birth. Another would prohibit providing certain hormones and puberty blockers to youths under age 19. And a third would give people who undergo gender transitioning procedures and later decide they were harmed up to 12 years to sue their medical providers.
- One of the best exhibits at the International Quilt Musuem, "Aftershock: The Long Shadow of 2020," is ending on Saturday. So if you'd been meaning to go see it, this weekend is your last chance! I previously wrote about the exhibit here, and I really do recommend you check it out.
- If you missed it over the holidays, This Week in Lincoln published our first piece from a guest writer! Local community organizer Brent Lucke wrote about the legacy of former mayor Coleen Seng, who died late last year. I'm hoping to publish more pieces from other cool writers in 2026. So if that describes you, please get in touch.
I've got a new story out in the Flatwater Free Press. It's about local punk band Estrogen Projection and their influence on the local scene. They very graciously let me crash two of their rehearsals and answered every question I had for them. Go check out their music on Bandcamp! (They're no longer putting their new stuff on Spotify, which is awesome because fuck Spotify.)
Here's a few paragraphs from that story:
Lanie Schlueter put her head in her hands. Was she tired? Upset at her bandmates? Depressed by the world?
None of the above.
That’s just how Schlueter, a guitarist and vocalist, finds inspiration.
“Every single song that I write, it’s just been like this,” Schlueter said with a laugh. “If I sit there looking pathetic enough, something will come to me.”
It was a little after 8 p.m. on a Wednesday in late November. Schlueter and the rest of her band — the Lincoln-based, all-woman surf punk group Estrogen Projection — were gathered in the basement of lead guitarist Lexi Storm’s house, where they practice and write songs. A portrait of John F. Kennedy gazed down from one wall.
The band had just finished a playthrough of “Caligula,” a new track named for the ancient Roman despot who was killed by his political enemies at age 28. Schlueter was still sorting out the lyrics of the last verse.
“We’re gonna have to think long and hard about what works,” Schlueter said. “Tonight, I said, ‘Caligula, what happened to your head? / They f***ed up, now Charlie Kirk is dead.’”
Not every Estrogen Projection number has such a hard edge. Their style is as expansive as their creative inspirations, which range from country crooner Marty Robbins to new waver pioneers Pylon. The band, which includes drummer Amilia Breton and bassist Lyla McConnell, could reasonably be described as surf, alternative, indie and even slightly country.
Go read the rest here and support the Flatwater Free Press, they do good work. Also, Estrogen Projection has a show coming up on Saturday, January 31. More details on that below!
Got an event you want to see featured in next week's event roundup? Submit it here. You can also send feedback, suggestions, compliments, criticism and ideas for things I should write about to tynanstewart@proton.me
~ Ty
Thanks for being here! I have a lot of plans for the newsletter in 2026, including trying to recruit more contributors to write stuff about Lincoln you won't read anywhere else. But I can't ask folks to write for me without paying them, so if you'd like to support that effort, please consider signing up as a paid subscriber. It's just $5 a month or $50 for a year. (Also, tell your friends!)
Thursday, January 8
Thursday, January 8
Music: Sideshow Sessions: Live Music with Rich Confer
+ When: 7 pm
+ Where: Sideshow Speakeasy, 151 N 8th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Not sure if there's a cover!
Thursday, January 8
Books: Books on Tap
+ When: 6 pm
+ Where: Saro Cider, 1746 N St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: No cover!
Show up with your favorite book!
Thursday, January 8
Film: Nouvelle Vague
+ When: 5 pm | 7:15 pm
+ Where: Ross Media Arts Center, 313 N 13th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: $10 at 5 pm | $12 at 7:15 pm
More details about the film: "Oscar-nominated director Richard Linklater’s love letter to the spellbinding magic of French cinema, NOUVELLE VAGUE reimagines the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s revolutionary BREATHLESS, which ultimately cemented Godard as a pioneer of the French New Wave."
More showings this weekend and through January 15!
Thursday, January 8
Film: The Secret Agent
+ When: 6 pm
+ Where: Ross Media Arts Center, 313 N 13th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: $12 at 6 pm
More details about the film: "Brazil, 1977. Marcelo, a technology expert in his early 40s, is on the run. Hoping to reunite with his son, he travels to Recife during Carnival but soon realizes that the city is not the safe haven he was expecting. Master filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho teams up with renowned actor Wagner Moura – giving an extraordinary, career-defining performance – to craft a thrillingly unpredictable, playfully shape-shifting epic steeped in history even as it feels remarkably contemporary, paying affectionate tribute to the movies of Filho’s youth while unfolding against the backdrop of political turmoil and palpable danger."
More showings this weekend and through January 22!
Thursday, January 8
Games: Game Night at DAME
+ When: 7 pm to 2 am
+ Where: DAME, 2713 N 48th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Doesn't seem to be a cover!
More details from DAME's Facebook page: "This night is whatever YOU make it! Bring your favorite games or join a group already playing! This is a great opportunity to meet new people and learn new hobbies, or bring an established group into our welcoming atmosphere."
Thursday, January 8
Hockey: Lincoln Stars vs. Tri-City Storm
+ When: 7:05 pm
+ Where: The Ice Box, 1880 Transformation Dr. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: $8
Thursday, January 8
Public Meeting: Historic Preservation Commission Meeting
+ When: 2 to 4:30 pm
+ Where: County/City Building, 555 S 10th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Open to the public!
The agenda for this meeting can be found here.
Friday, January 9
Friday, January 9
Music: The Pocket Architects
+ When: 9 pm
+ Where: The Zoo Bar, 136 N 14th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: $10
Come out and support them before they travel to Memphis to represent the Omaha Blues Society in the International Blues Challenge!
Friday, January 9
Film: Rebels With a Cause
+ When: 7 pm
+ Where: Black Cat House, 1601 B St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Free!
A viewing and discussion of this film from 2000.
Friday, January 9
Music: Josh Hoyer
+ When: 7:30 pm
+ Where: The Garage, 5551 S 48th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Not sure if there's a cover!
Friday, January 9
Music: Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials
+ When: 5 pm
+ Where: The Zoo Bar, 136 N 14th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: $15, no advance tickets
Long-standing blues band from Chicago! Another show on Saturday.
Friday, January 9
Music: Sasha Watson
+ When: 5 pm
+ Where: Meadowlark Coffee, 1624 South St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: No cover!
Friday, January 9
Public Meeting: Lincoln Metropolitan Planning Organization Officials Committee
+ When: 2 to 3 pm
+ Where: County/City Building, City Council Chambers, 555 South 10th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Free and open to the public!
The Lincoln MPO is responsible for transportation planning in the city and county. The agenda for this meeting can be found here.
Saturday, January 10
Saturday, January 10
Market: Bugeaters Vintage Market
+ When: 10 am to 4 pm
+ Where: Canoyer Garden Center Greenhouse, 2601 Long Pne Rd. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Free entry!
There will be 40+ vendors selling vintage clothing and accessories!
Saturday, January 10
Festival: Nebraska Anime-Fest
+ When: 10 am to 5 pm
+ Where: Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Lincoln North Hotel and Conference Center, 5353 N 27th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Tickets start at $20 | Free for kids 11 and under
Find more details on the anime fest's website!
Saturday, January 10
Market: Community Free Market
+ When: 10:30 am to noon
+ Where: Eiseley Branch Library, 1530 Superior St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Free!
More details on the event Facebook page.
Saturday, January 10
Music: Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials
+ When: 5 pm
+ Where: The Zoo Bar, 136 N 14th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: $15, no advance tickets
Long-standing blues band from Chicago!
Saturday, January 10
Music: Jazz Night featuring 52nd Street Jazz
+ When: 8 pm
+ Where: Sideshow Speakeasy, 151 N 8th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Not sure if there's a cover.
Saturday, January 10
Outdoors: Protect the Prairie - Cedar Cut
+ When: 10 am to noon
+ Where: 14th Street Entrance of Wilderness Park between Yankee Hill Road and Rokeby Road on 14th (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Free!
Organized by Friends of Wilderness Park. More details from their Facebook page: "Please wear gloves and long sleeves to protect your arms from cedar scratches. Waiver forms must be signed at the beginning of the event. Please bring bow saws and loppers if you have them. Tools will be provided if you don't have them. This cedar cut will be led by FWP board member, Bryan Mack."
Sunday, January 11
Sunday, January 11
Film: Breathless
+ When: 1:30 pm
+ Where: Ross Media Arts Center, 313 N 13th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: $10 at 1:30 pm
More details about the film: "There was before BREATHLESS, and there was after BREATHLESS. Jean-Luc Godard burst onto the film scene in 1960 with this jazzy, free-form, and sexy homage to the American film genres that inspired him as a writer. With its lack of polish, surplus of attitude, anything-goes crime narrative, and effervescent young stars Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg, BREATHLESS helped launch the French New Wave and ensured that cinema would never be the same."
A special screening — this one day only! Pair with Richard Linklater's new film Nouvelle Vague, also showing at the Ross.
Sunday, January 11
Books: Book Club - Dust Child by by Nguyen Phan Que Mai
+ When: 6 pm
+ Where: Off Leash Dog Bar, 1975 M St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: If you don't have a dog, visiting the bar is free!
Hosted by Kim Sleeper.
Things to do next week:
Monday, January 12
Public Meeting: City Council
+ When: 3 to 5 pm
+ Where: Council Chambers, County/City Building, 555 South 10th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Free and open to the public!
The agenda for this meeting has not yet been posted, but will be found here.
Tuesday, January 13
Public Meeting: Pedestrian/Bicycle Advisory Committee
+ When: 7 to 8 am
+ Where: Woods Park Place, Parks & Recreation - Large Conference Room, 3131 O St., Suite 300 (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Free and open to the public!
This committee provides recommendations to Lincoln on the development of a comprehensive plan for bicycles and pedestrians. The agenda for this meeting has not yet been posted, but will be found here.
Tuesday, January 13
Public Meeting: Board of Health
+ When: 4 to 5 pm
+ Where: Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department, 3131 O St (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Free and open to the public!
The Board of Health is responsible for advising the local health department. The agenda for this meeting can be found here.
Wednesday, January 14
Public Meeting: Lincoln Metropolitan Planning Organization Technical Committee
+ When: 2 to 3:30 pm
+ Where: County/City Building, Room 113, 555 South 10th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Free and open to the public!
This committee makes technical recommendations to the MPO Officials Committee on transportation related topics. The agenda for this meeting can be found here.
Thursday, January 15
Politics: Town Hall with State Senator George Dungan
+ When: 6 pm
+ Where: Olin A, Nebraska Wesleyan (northside of campus) (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Free!
The Nebraska Legislature is back in session, so if you're in Sen. Dungan's district, this is a chance to share what you want to see accomplished this year and hear the senator's priorities.
Friday, January 16
Theater: Hadestown
+ When: 7:30 pm
+ Where: Lied Center, 301 N 12th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Tickets start at $90 and $51 for students | Buy tickets here
More details: "Intertwining two mythic tales — that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of King Hades and his wife Persephone — HADESTOWN is a haunting and hopeful theatrical experience that grabs you and never lets go."
More showings scheduled for Saturday and Sunday!
Saturday, January 17
Music: The Midland Band Album Release Show
+ When: 7:30 pm (doors), 8 pm (show)
+ Where: Bourbon Theatre, 1415 O St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Tickets start at $22.09 (includes online fees)
More details: "The Midland Band is excited to release their second full length studio album at the Bourbon Theatre January 17th, joined by Omaha’s own Grateful Dead tribute group “Unbroken Chain” and recently reunited Lincoln jam juggernauts “The Balance” for a night of music and celebration of the Midland Band’s first studio release since 2012!"
Saturday, January 17
Stargazing: Jupiter Rising
+ When: 7 to 11 pm
+ Where: Branched Oak Observatory 14300 NW 98th St. Raymond, NE 68428 (Google Maps)
+ Cost: $5 for people older than 5 | $20 for a family of four or more
Come see Jupiter at it gets close (relatively speaking) to the Earth!
Things to do later this year:
Saturday, January 31
Music: Bad Self Portraits + Ghostlike + Estrogen Projection
+ When: 6 pm (doors), 7 pm (show)
+ Where: Rococo Theatre, 140 N 13th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: $20 advance tickets | $22 day of show
Some amazing bands here. Links to their music and stuff:
+ Bad Self Portraits: bandcamp / linktree / insta
+ Ghostlike: bandcamp / linktree / insta
+ Estrogen Projection: bandcamp / linktree / insta
Tuesday, January 20
Music: New York Polyphony
+ When: 7:30 pm
+ Where: Lied Center, 301 N 12th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: $12 for students | $42 for everyone else
More details from the event page: "Critically acclaimed for a “rich, natural sound that’s larger and more complex than the sum of its parts,” (NPR) and as “singers of superb musicianship and vocal allure” (The New Yorker), New York Polyphony is one of the foremost vocal chamber ensembles active today. Their innovative programming spans Gregorian chant to contemporary commissions, and their focus on familiar and rare works of the 12-17th centuries has helped bring early music to modern audiences."
Thursday, January 22
Public Meeting: Telecommunications / Cable Television Advisory Board
+ When: 4 to 5 pm
+ Where: County/City Building, Room 303, 555 South 10th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Free and open to the public!
The Telecommunications / Cable Television Advisory Board advises the city on telecommunications policy. The agenda for this meeting has not yet been posted, but will be found here.
Sunday, January 25
Party: fiftyfifty issue 3 release party
+ When: 6 pm (doors), 7:30 pm (start)
+ Where: Bourbon Theatre, 1415 O St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: $8.21 (including online fees)
fifityfifty is a Nebraska-based skateboarding magazine. Featuring videos by the booey boys, taylor dao and nate judds.
Thursday, January 29
Public Meeting: StarTran Advisory Board Meeting
+ When: 8:15 to 9:45 am
+ Where: County/City Building, Bill Luxford Studio, 555 South 10th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Free and open to the public!
This board provides recommendations and advice on the operation of the city bus system. The agenda for this meeting has not yet been posted, but will be found here.
Thursday, January 29
Public Meeting: Lincoln Commission on Human Rights
+ When: 3:45 to 4:45 pm
+ Where: Council Chambers, County/City Building, 555 South 10th St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Free and open to the public!
The agendas for this committee's meetings don't seem to be available online, which is concerning.
Wednesday to Saturday, Feb 11-14
Music: Lincoln Exposed 2026 - 21st Anniversary
+ When: Times TBD
+ Where: 1867 Bar | Bodega's Alley | Bourbon Theatre | Duffy's Tavern | Zoo Bar
+ Cost: All access pass is $45.78 (includes online fees)
The annual celebration of all local music returns!
Sunday, March 1
Music: Ricky Chilton
+ When: 8 pm
+ Where: Duffy's Tavern, 1412 O St. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: $12 advance tickets | $15 day of the show | Buy tickets here
Links to music and socials: bandcamp / spotify / linktree / insta
Thursday, March 26
Community Meeting: Solutions Briefing Rally
+ When: 6:30 to 8 pm
+ Where: Southwood Lutheran, 4301 Wilderness Hills (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Free!
Organized by Justice in Action, an interfaith, grassroots coalition of faith communities in Lancaster County.
Thursday, April 30
Community Meeting: Nehemiah Action Assembly
+ When: 6:30 to 8 pm
+ Where: St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, 8550 Pioneers Blvd. (Google Maps)
+ Cost: Free!
Organized by Justice in Action, an interfaith, grassroots coalition of faith communities in Lancaster County.