20 years of local music in Lincoln Exposed

Vocalist Lanie Schlueter of Estrogen Projection smiles at her guitarist during Lincoln Exposed at the Bourbon Theater on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, in Lincoln, Nebraska. Photo by Nina Kudlacz

Every February, around Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, downtown Lincoln comes alive as music floats down the streets and concertgoers don top hats in celebration of all things Lincoln.

Lincoln Exposed is celebrating its 20th anniversary, marking a historic milestone. This year’s festival features over 100 Lincoln bands across downtown venues. The festival runs Feb. 12-15. 

“I was just looking to do something different, especially in February. I thought that people didn't really understand how many talented musicians there were in Lincoln, and I thought this would be a good way to showcase it,” Peter Watters, founder of Lincoln Exposed and owner of the Zoo Bar, said. 

The first ever Lincoln Exposed was a week-long event exclusively at the Zoo Bar, with less than 10 bands. Watters said he was surprised when it went well the first time. 

“If you're trying to do all these different genres of music, it was inevitable you're going to get something you don't like and you're just going to leave,” Watters said. “My idea from the very beginning (was that) I wanted multiple venues, but I thought I had to prove that it was a good idea before I tried to sell it to other venues.” 

Eventually, other venues did join in on the festival. Duffy’s Tavern was the first to join Lincoln Exposed a few years into the event. Now, 20 years later, Lincoln Exposed is spread across five different venues and features over 100 bands. 

“The festival has grown astronomically, and it's getting to the point where venues are just full all the time, which is a really awesome thing to see,” Dustin “Duff” Hunke, an organizer for Lincoln Exposed, said. “We structured the schedule as mixed genre, and that's methodical, because we want to keep people moving around and getting out of their comfort zones, checking out new stuff, the entire point being to expose people to the wonderful music scene that we have in Lincoln.” 

At least half of each band lives within Lincoln city limits, making the lineup truly local. The bars will also feature drinks from local breweries.  

With most night’s performances starting at 5 p.m., Lincoln Exposed provides an opportunity for an earlier crowd to witness the music scene. The best bands aren’t saved for last, but spread throughout the lineup instead. 

“It's a great experience for the bands, them playing for people who they've never played in front of,” Otto Meza, an organizer for Lincoln Exposed. “(It’s) just some bands who've never even played the festival, bringing them in and giving them a shot and showing them what the Lincoln music scene is like.” 

With over 100 bands, there is a wide variety in genres across hip hop, reggae, punk rock, blues, country and more. Each band will have 40 minutes on stage. It can be tricky to organize so many bands, especially when some musicians play in multiple bands, Meza said. 

“I just can't imagine being a music lover and not loving it, because the talent is there. The talent is in this town,” Watters said.

All shows are 21+ except for any at the Bourbon Theatre. For a full schedule of the bands, view the Facebook event. Some bands worth checking out are Estrogen Projection, Social Cinema, Orion Walsh & The Ramblin’ Hearts and Beyond Bananas. All access tickets or individual night tickets can be purchased here.  

For a preview of the Lincoln Exposed lineup, check out the Daily Nebraskan’s picks on Spotify. 

Published in the Daily Nebraskan, read here.