It's my favorite weekend of the year! Heading to my local fest. So many good shows to see and bands to discover!
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Heres a quick review of another fantastic weekend at Lincoln Calling.
I headed downtown on Thursday excited for a great night of music. I had never heard of Myles Jasnowski before this lineup was announced, but after a couple of listens I knew I wanted to see him. Then when the schedule was announced I knew he would be a great way to start the night, and I was not disappointed. He and his band kicked things off with a super smooth mix of R&B and funk, and he really turned things up with his amazing guitar playing. This is definitely someone to watch for as I think he has a real star quality. Great show.
Next up was rapper Fat Tony, who I was only previously familiar with from his single "bkny". He came out by himself (no dj) and controlled all of the music from a small pad and laptop. Tony has a very unique style of hip hop, and it brought a lot of energy. Despite most people not knowing his music, the crowd was fully engaged, and the show just turned into a huge party. Another excellent show.
After that I had just enough time to run over and catch 20 minutes of the Soccer Mommy set. And while they were very good, I was just not in the rifht mindset for that particular show so I headed back for Taylor McFerrin. I didnt know who Taylor was when he was announced as one of the co-headliners, then I found out he was Bobby McFerrin's son and I was a little worried, but after I listened to his first album, I was excited. He also came out solo, and mixed all of his music while also singing at times. His brand of downtempo electro/r&b was a bit mello for some of the crowd, but captivating for those who were paying attention. He then kicked things up at the end by inviting some crowd members up to rap/sing with him. And though the first person fell a little short, he hit the jackpot when a half drunk Myles Jasnowski was pushed on stage by his friends. They then riffed for a good 10 minutes in what was a unique and wonderful moment. Taylor didnt even know who Myles was, but they absolutely killed it. These are the moments I love about this festival.
Finally, to end the night, I got to see someone I've been following since he had less than 1000 listens on Spotify, and has since become a rising star. Cautious Clay makes a very contemporary version of pop/r&b that has brought him a lot of grand reviews. He came with a full backing band as well as a flute, sax, and guitar which he played himself. His talent was fully on display as switched seemlessly between instruments and singing. The vibe was magical and it was the perfect way to wind down the evening. I'm pretty sure he is going to be a very big name in the near future.
Overall, Thursday night couldnt have been better, one of my favorite nights of music ever!
Unfortunately I came home to a sick doggy and had to take care of her all night and then all day on Friday including a vet visit. So I was in no shape to go back that night (I'm old). Luckily Friday was low on acts I wanted to see so I wasn't too upset about it.
Thankfully on Saturday the dog was feeling better. But my Huskers were playing at 7, so I didn't go out until after the game. Luckily(for me)we had a thunder storm come through and push some of the sets I wanted to see back. So I got there just in time to see Charly Bliss play. They were originally supposed to close the main stage but got moved into a very small venue. I think this actually worked out as the place was packed and the crowd was lit. And despite some technical difficulties, the band really seemed to enjoy themselves which was great to see. Also their lead singer my be the nicest person on the planet, she was so sweet and kind, it was really indearing. A great, fun set.
I quickly slipped into the Lee Fields show to see the man do his thing, and thats exactly what he did. He and his band are great, not much more to say than that!
To finish off the weekend, I was able to see a band that was supposed to play earlier outside but got pushed back and moved inside. So glad it did because I would have missed it otherwise. Meat Wave is a lo-fi/post-punk band from Chicago, and they absolutely shred! They were balls to the wall from start to end, and had that place rocking (literally, I thought the speakers were actually going to tip over at one point). An amazing way finish off the weekend for me!
Overall, it was another amazing festival, and I cannot wait for next year!
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