10 Years are hardcore road warriors!
Before I tell you about the amazing show 10 Years put on at the Bourbon Theatre in Lincoln Saturday night (2.9), I want to give a huge shout out to 10 Years guitarist Brian Vodinh for the photo pass, allowing me to capture all of the awesomeness!
I also want to give a birthday shout out to Kian! Kian was in the front row with his family and even got to stand near the photo pit after telling security it was his birthday. What a cool way to celebrate your 10th birthday, by seeing 10 Years on their 10 Year Division tour. Mind blown!
There were three bands on the bill for the night, Lincoln’s FREAKABOUT, ShallowSide from Alabama, and the legendary 10 Years.
I arrived at the venue just as FREAKABOUT was starting their set. Man, was I ever impressed! I can easily see why they just won the Omaha Entertainment award for best rock group! They had an awesome mix of rock and blues that kept the crowd moving. My personal favorite was a song towards the end of the set. It had a strong Rage Against the Machine feel with crushing bass and jammed out guitar solos.
The incredible Cortney Kirby of FREAKABOUT
Cortney and crew getting down!
Nebraska has a wealth of musical talent, and FREAKABOUT is no exception. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if they were scooped up by a major label or given a support slot for a national tour.
After FREAKABOUT were the boys from Alabama, ShallowSide! These dudes brought the ruckus! Before their set, I talked to ShallowSide super fan Jodi. She was so pumped to see one her absolute favorites! She said she had seen “the boys” many, many times and even drove 32 hours to get to a show. Talk about dedication!
After seeing Jodi’s passion I was really psyched to see ShallowSide. They brought the energy right from the start, mixing up synth, heavy bass, and shredding guitar. The drums were great too. They had a hard hitting bite to them reminiscent of Sevendust. A few songs in, the room seemed to be responding pretty well, throwing up the horns and clapping along. Well that wasn’t enough for these guys. They said “let’s crank it up another notch!”
Lead singer Eric said “Here’s a song we wrote in 1978.” ShallowSide proceeded to blow the roof off with a sweet cover of “Renegade” by Styx. A guy behind me started losing his mind!
You could tell this was the point in the set where they won the crowd over. On the next song Eric had the crowd singing the chorus back to him with fists in the air.
Towards the end of the set Eric gave an awesome talk about overcoming the obstacles of small-town life and having the courage to follow your dreams. He mentioned seeing 10 years on the original “Division” tour when he was still in high school and discovering a passion for music.
It’s so cool to see a band getting to tour with a band that inspired them growing up. Who knows, maybe little Kian will be inspired to play music and in ten years he’ll be opening for ShallowSide. That would be a trip!
ShallowSide’s debut album drops on 3.24.19. You can pre-order the album and follow ShallowSide on Facebook and Instagram @shallowsideband.
Hanging with ShallowSide lead singer Eric after the show.
After ShallowSide whipped the crowd into a frenzy, it was time for the main event, 10 Years!
Before the band stepped out, two LED screens filled with images of the “Division” album. The crowd cheered with excitement as Jesse and crew took the stage.
Jesse from 10 Years gets the crowd pumped!
The band went right into the album’s first track “Actions and Motives.” If there’s one thing I can say about 10 Years, it’s that they definitely know how to write a hook! I constantly find myself humming this one.
Brian shreds!
Keep rockin Lincoln!
Aside from writing super catchy tunes, 10 Years has a true dedication for bringing a passionate performance every night.
Jesse mentioned that this was the last show for this leg of the tour and they had some struggles the last few days.
“The bus broke down yesterday and I lost my voice last night. I went to a casino now my voice is just gone. I didn’t smoke, drink, or even gamble! I guess casinos just take things from you.”
I honestly couldn’t tell Jesse was having issues until the encore. After playing “Division” all the way through, the band came out for a few more songs. I saw the set list on the stage before the show and I got a little worried when didn’t see one of my all time favorites “Shoot it Out.”
However, after a short break, 10 Years came back out for “Fix Me”, “Shoot it Out”, and “Supernovacaine.” Before the encore Jesse said “You guys are gonna have to help me through these.” Luckily, the crowd sang along with every word. I noticed that Jesse did pull it back just a little, but when it came to the crazy scream at the end of “Shoot it Out” he held nothing back “Shoot it shoot it out, cause they want it want it now!” Jesse surfed his way into the crowd and just let loose! A flurry of fans rushed forward to get a high-five or snap a pic.
Before the end of the show, Jesse thanked the everyone for making it out in the cold and all the support over the years. “Even with all the tour struggles, we knew if we could just get to Lincoln, this (the crowd) would be here.”
I’m glad I was able to make it out and I hope to see 10 Years many more times in the future!
Thanks for reading. If you like what you read, please share! Every share, like, comment, and social media follow helps keep the dream alive!
If you would like coverage for your next event please email spencer@storiesfromthecrowd.com. I have a pretty flexible schedule and can travel, but I’m off on Sundays. Thanks!
Follow along on Facebook and Instagram: @storiesfromthecrowd