If you happen to walk through downtown Lincoln this week and see a packed bar with music booming through the front door, don't be alarmed - it's probably just one of more than 35 local and Midwest bands doing their thing. Call it community. Call it a love of music. Call it "Lincoln Calling." Entering its fourth year, the Lincoln Calling Music Festival amps up tonight for four straight days of alternative music vibrations. Based on the mantra that Lincoln and surrounding areas have much to offer musically, the festival was started by Jeremy Buckley, a senior English major at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Aware of the lack of notoriety that can plague local bands, Buckley first saw Lincoln Calling as a means to expose a broader fan base to alternative selections of music. "Local music is pretty niche-oriented," he said. "I've been going to shows for quite a while now, and I still see a lot of the same people. Many people enjoy music, but they might not be aware of all the different options available right here in Nebraska." Buckley first brainstormed with UNL's University Program Council in 2004 as to how the university could provide college-age students with alternative tunes at low cost. Despite being officially denied funds after a close vote failed to approve his proposal, Buckley was still given $3,000 to put on the festival. "They trusted me enough not to screw around with their money," he said, "and to show that we could bring in many different people and bands with little cost." And so began Lincoln Calling. Its first year, the festival featured around 25 bands. "The idea was to get a lot of performers playing at a lot of different venues," he said. "If you don't like hip-hip, you could go to a different place and see rock or blues. It's basically a bunch of shows under one banner." Finding success from the start, the first Lincoln Calling brought in approximately 900 paying music fans and also secured bands from outside states like Kansas, Oklahoma and Iowa. The festival has since diversified. This year, bands as far away as Chicago, Denver and even Tokyo will be performing for Lincoln audiences. Greg Edds, a guitarist for the Omaha-based band Little Brazil, said the lineup for the festival has continued to improve. "The bills get better every year," he said. "The festival is getting more touring bands coming through, bands from other cities, other states, even other countries, and I think that's great."
Flash forward Inspired by the popularity of the festival in its first year, Buckley resolved to continue its operation even after losing some financial backing. "In 2005, the UPC decided not to be involved in Lincoln Calling, which was fine," he said. "But I still really wanted to do it." Since then, Buckley has largely been planning the festival by himself, starting in April. The festival is held in either September or October. Omaha promotions company 1% Productions helps coordinate some of the larger acts, but the majority of the work falls on Buckley's shoulders, he said. "I estimate I put in 300 unpaid hours into this thing annually." Buckley said the bands that play the festival also deserve praise for performing for such little pay. "Most of the bands that play here are used to not getting guaranteed cash for playing," he said, "and I can't afford to just give them money out of my own pocket." Essentially, this means that bands depend on audience turnout for any monetary gain. "If they are willing to give up that guarantee, they are playing just for playing," Buckley said.
A community affair This will be Little Brazil's third consecutive year at Lincoln Calling. "One of my favorite memories is from last year," Edds said. "We played the night UNL played (the University of Southern California). Of course, in Lincoln, there is more anticipation around football than a rock band. "We ended up just hanging out with the other bands and watched the game on TV, but we got to turn right back around and be a rock band again." "Little Brazil, who are in the first week of a 27-day tour, will play at Knickerbockers, 901 O St., Saturday night at 8. Sam Larson, a bass player for the Lincoln-based band The Balance, also expressed enthusiasm at what the festival has accomplished. "It's fun to support something community-based," he said, "and it's good exposure to the creativity of the city we all live in." Like Edds, Larson also has fond memories of Lincoln Calling. "The first year we were here, I remember wearing my coveted Superman-outfit, which was basically my underwear," he said. "It was a great feeling." The Balance will play Friday at Knickerbockers at 9 p.m. Feedback on Lincoln Calling has been encouraging as more and more music lovers attend the performances every year. Last year, 1,350 people attended, compared with 1,200 people in 2005. This year, Buckley hopes for 1,500 visitors spread out amongst the festival's four venues: Knickerbockers; Duffy's Tavern, 1412 O St.; The Zoo Bar, 136 N. 14th St.; and Box Awesome, 815 O St. "I hear feedback mostly from regulars and the bands themselves," Buckley said. "They're all really supportive of this. They know this takes a lot of work, and the bands seem excited to be here." As the hours tick down to the first strummed chord, Buckley just hopes that his hours of hard work will introduce audiences to a new cluster of musical groups. "I'm not making a lot of bucks doing this, and it takes up a lot of time," he said. "But it's still a good feeling." For more information on Lincoln Calling, including a listing of bands, prices and showtimes, visit www.lincolncalling.com. billfech@dailynebraskan.com
