Articles by Ben Buchnat
Lizzo, Jenny Lewis, Courtney Barnett to headline 11th Maha Music Festival
Omaha’s Maha Music Festival has announced its lineup for 2019, with headliners including Minnesota rapper Lizzo and former Rilo Kiley frontwoman Jenny Lewis performing on Aug. 16 and 17. Lizzo, Saturday’s headliner, is a rising star in the hip-hop world and is set to release her major-label debut “Cuz I Love You” on April 20.
Isaiah Roby enters NBA draft, could still play under Hoiberg
Nebraska junior forward Isaiah Roby will enter the NBA Draft, according to an interview with the Omaha World-Herald. Roby will not hire an agent, meaning he could return to the Huskers next year under new head coach Fred Hoiberg. Hoiberg has already reached out to Roby in a phone call.
REVIEW: New La Dispute LP combines strong production, emotional lyrics
La Dispute is one of the most polarizing bands in the post-hardcore scene. Its brand of extremely emotional spoken word vocal delivery from frontman Jordan Dreyer has given the band a cult-like following while also being different enough to turn off many casual listeners who might think the almost overly expressive music is “cringey.” With the Michigan group jumping to Epitaph Records for its first LP since 2014, “Panorama,” will the band try to appeal to a wider audience than before?
REVIEW: American Football’s third album fills holes previous album left
American Football used to be a band relegated to the mythos of emo folklore. The band’s 1999 self-titled debut “American Football” was one of the most influential emo records of all time but only reached that status years after the band broke up. When American Football first announced its reunion in 2014, it would have been crazy to think there would be multiple records released since the reunion began. That’s where the Illinois-based band is, though.
Decision on Miles' future will wait until after postseason play
Nebraska basketball head coach Tim Miles’ status at Nebraska won’t be decided until after postseason play, according to athletic director Bill Moos. “We will await Sunday’s announcement to see if we receive an invitation to participate in the NIT,” Moos said. “Once our season is completed, my evaluation of our men’s basketball program will draw to a close.” Nebraska lost 66-62 against Wisconsin in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament.
Mikaela Foecke named AAU Sullivan Award Semifinalist
Nebraska senior volleyball player Mikaela Foecke was named as one of the 30 semifinalists for the AAU James E. Sullivan Award, according to an announcement from the Amatuer Athletic Union. The AAU Sullivan Award is annually presented to the “most outstanding amature athlete in the United States,” according to an athletic department press release. Foecke previously was a finalist for the award during the 2015-16 season.
Maurice Washington being processed by CA officials
Nebraska running back Maurice Washington III is in California today being processed for his charges of distributing child pornography and sending “revenge porn,” according to head coach Scott Frost. In a press conference, Frost said he has met with Washington individually about how he will behave moving forward, but is currently keeping the situation at arm’s length.
UNLPD 'evaluating' hateful comments of current student, former NE GOP field director
University of Nebraska-Lincoln student and former field director for the Nebraska Republican Party Bennett Bressman said he regretted posting racial and homophobic slurs and anti-Semitic rhetoric on an online chatroom, according to an interview with the Lincoln Journal Star. Bressman was known as the user “bress222” in a server on the platform Discord devoted to fans of Nick Fuentes,a far-right YouTuber who participated in the “Unite The Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia in August 2017.
Maurice Washington being processed by CA officials, according to Frost
This story was updated at 11:33 a.m. on March 11 to include quotes from head football coach Scott Frost. Nebraska running back Maurice Washington III is in California today being processed for his charges of distributing child pornography and sending “revenge porn,” according to head football coach Scott Frost. "He's in California getting processed today," Frost said in a press conference. "...
REVIEW: New Weezer album disappoints with weak lyrics, lack of flow
Weezer has had a strange 12 months. An internet campaign trying to get them to cover Toto’s “Africa” in May 2018 gave them their biggest hit in over a decade, and the band followed that success with an ’80s-inspired cover album featuring “Mr. Blue Sky” and “Take On Me.” Looming above all of this was their often-teased “The Black Album,” which was finally released on March 1.
Slipknot to perform at Pinnacle Bank Arena on August 8
Metal group Slipknot will be coming to Lincoln on August 8 at Pinnacle Bank Arena, according to an announcement from the band. The Iowa band has released five albums throughout their career spanning over two decades, with a sixth album targeted for a summer release date. Slipknot is known for their masked appearance on stage and their aggressive style of metal.
Letter from the Editor: Don’t waste your time wishing for another season
Dear reader, I sometimes find it hard to live in the moment. It’s difficult to just appreciate what I have in front of me without looking ahead for something better. This is especially true when it comes to something as bitter as a long, cold winter. I’m not going to lie, I think winter sucks. After January, winter is a disgusting mess of a season. It’s still freezing cold, the snow has a lack of luster and I’ve fallen on ice more times than I can count.
RECAP: Lincoln Exposed, Feb. 9
Floating Opera, Zoo Bar, 5 p.m. By Ben Buchnat +4 Genevieve Bachinski of Floating Opera performs on night four of Lincoln Exposed at Zoo Bar on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019, in Lincoln, Nebraska. Photo by Jordan Opp Floating Opera opened up the final night of Lincoln Exposed by packing eight members on the Zoo Bar stage. The band sounded great, with none of the venue’s sound issues from the night before carrying over to Saturday.
RECAP: Lincoln Exposed, Feb. 8
Gabe Nelson with PANTS, Zoo Bar, 6 p.m. By Ben Buchnat Gabe Nelson with PANTS brought the cool factor to the Zoo Bar on Friday night. The group’s frontman took the stage with sunglasses at night, a bold choice for sure. However, Nelson had such a confidence with him, it didn’t matter that he was making such a fashion statement — the audience bought in right away.
BUCHNAT: Expectations were low for Maroon 5's halftime show. They still disappointed.
No one expected Maroon 5 to have a good Super Bowl halftime show. The band was always going to be a lukewarm pick. Multiple artists like Cardi B and Rihanna turned down the opportunity to perform at the event, citing the league's handling of the Colin Kaepernick protests. In Atlanta, a city with so much music history, picking the soft rock/pop band seemed like an odd choice. The deck was stacked against the band from the beginning.
Entertainment Optional Ep. 11: Pokemania
On episode 11 of Entertainment Optional, hosts Wade Ronspies, Kyle Kruse and Ben Buchnat discuss Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, the recently announced nominees for The Game Awards 2018 and Stan Lee’s legacy.
Editor score predictions: Nebraska Huskers vs. Bethune-Cookman Wildcats
Noah Johnson, Senior Sports Editor: Nebraska 49, Bethune-Cookman 21Husker nation let out a collective sigh of relief on Saturday as Nebraska ended its historic losing streak in a 53-28 thumping to Minnesota.This gave Scott Frost his first win at his alma mater as a coach, and provided some tangible results for a Husker team that looks like it is starting to turn a corner. Now the focus shifts to Bethune-Cookman, a game scheduled on what was supposed to be Nebraska’s bye week.
Letter from the editor: Reconnect with family, friends, hometown over short breaks
Dear reader,Over fall break, I reconnected with people from my time before attending the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.I expected to have a good time visiting friends and family from back home. What I did not expect was to feel re-connected with so many people in such a short time period. Fall break is a criminally short four days, so I didn’t think it would be anything more than a fun extended weekend.
Husker running back Greg Bell leaves football program
Husker running back Greg Bell will transfer from Nebraska, according to a report from HuskerOnline.The former junior college transfer is the second player this week to leave the football program, along with wide reciever Tyjon Lindsey. Bell began the season sharing starting running back duties with senior Devine Ozigbo. However Bell only had two carries for 2 yards last week against Purdue, with Ozigbo taking the majority of running back snaps.
Fall Out Boy to perform at Pinnacle Bank Arena
As perhaps the most successful band to come out of emo’s popularity explosion in the mid 2000s, Fall Out Boy has remained one of the world’s biggest bands for more than a decade. In fact, they’ve only seemed to get bigger in recent years.With an ever-changing musical style, from pop-punk to alternative rock to straight-up pop and three chart-topping albums since 2013, Fall Out Boy will play in Nebraska for the first time since 2005. The rock group will hit Pinnacle Bank Arena Friday, Oct.
Entertainment Optional Ep. 4: Fall vibes
In this week's episode of Entertainment Optional, join hosts Wade Ronspies, Kyle Kruse, Ben Buchnat and Libby Schilz as they discuss Kanye West’s knack for controversy, Mary Poppins and why emo music and autumn are like peanut butter and jelly.
Entertainment Optional Ep. 2: DC Universe without Henry Cavill, Nintendo Direct and Emmy predictions
On the second installment of Entertainment Optional, Wade, Kyle, Ben and first-time guest John Reel discuss Henry Cavill’s exit from the DC Universe, the latest Nintendo Direct and predict Emmy winners.
REVIEW: Russ fades into the background of uninteresting album “ZOO”
Russ is one of the most controversial figures in hip-hop today. While the 25-year-old received hate for his family connections in the music industry and for calling out modern producers, his Twitter comments following the death of rapper Lil Peep in 2017 are what really caused an internet craze.
Letter from the Editor: Don’t forget people behind the scenes of music festivals
Dear readers,With the lineup announcements of Lincoln Calling and the Maha Music Festival this week, it got me thinking about all the time and money I’ve spent on music festivals. It’s been a large amount of both.When I was in high school, I had a hard time finding my place. I liked a lot of things but couldn’t really find my passion. Then during my sophomore year, I convinced my dad to take my brother and me to Riot Fest 2012 in Chicago to see Rise Against and Dropkick Murphys.
Copeland and Palmer. Jr. declare for NBA draft, won't hire agents
Nebraska basketball junior forward Isaac Copeland and junior guard James Palmer Jr. announced their decision to declare for the 2018 NBA draft on Tuesday afternoon. The two athletes both decided to forgo hiring agents in order to maintain their college eligibility, according to a press release from Nebraska basketball.Both players will have the opportunity to attend team workouts starting in April and are eligible to compete at the NBA Draft Combine in May if selected.
BREAKING: Nebraska Union's Runza to close in April, manager says
An employee of the Nebraska Union’s Runza confirmed he was told by management that the restaurant will close in April.In a text message to employees, a manager for the Nebraska Union Runza, which originally opened in 2008, said it will close next month and will be replaced by a Steak ‘n Shake and a Chick-fil-A.
Nebraska Union's Runza to close in April, manager says
An employee of the Nebraska Union’s Runza confirmed he was told by management that the restaurant will close in April. In a text message to employees, a manager for the Nebraska Union Runza, which originally opened in 2008, said it will close next month and was outbid by a Steak ‘n Shake and a Chick-fil-A. A screenshot sent on March 8, 2018, to the Nebraska Union's Runza employees from their manager says the location will close next month.
McDonald’s Szechuan sauce does not live up to ‘Rick and Morty’ hype
In 2017, the television show “Rick and Morty” exploded from having a niche, cult fanbase to gaining national acclaim from fans who knew seemingly everything about the show.
REVIEW: Lincoln Exposed, Feb. 7
Wendy & The Lost Boys, Duffy’s Tavern, 8:40 p.m.Folk group Wendy & The Lost Boys opened up Lincoln Exposed at Duffy’s Tavern on Wednesday, Feb. 7. Before the performance started, singer and guitarist Wendy Bantam noted that this might be the group’s last show with the current name. If that’s true, than it was a heck of a way to go out.The band’s nostalgic style of folk really brought out memories of younger times.
BUCHNAT: Don’t eat Tide Pods, eat the Hurts Donut version instead
It’s safe to say the Tide Pods meme has gotten out of hand.The popular laundry detergent has been a source of controversy the past few weeks, as people have, for some reason, started consuming the product. It all stems from a joke that the pods look like candy, therefore appear edible and tasty.This has birthed many popular memes, like this viral CollegeHumor video from last summer and humorous images of Tide Pods being photoshopped into food packaging or being eaten by cartoon characters.
REVIEW: Jeff Rosenstock’s new album gives hope after Trump’s first year in office
This is a weird era in our country’s history.It’s one year into the Trump administration, and many people are trying to cope with the fact that the once unthinkable is the new normal, something that prevails throughout “POST-,” the newest album release by Long Island-based pop-punk savant Jeff Rosenstock.“POST-” was surprise-released on Monday, Jan. 1.
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