[title size=”1 to 6″ style=”options: default, sidebar”]Upcoming VEGA Events[/title]
11/3 Soft Opening, 6pm | Free show: Wondermons at 8pm | A Ferocious Jungle Cat at 9pm
11/5 Filter w/ Fight or Flight; We As Human; Nothing More
11/6 The Envy Corps w/ Twinsmith; Tie These Hands
11/7 Funk Trek w/ AZP; Foam Form
11/10 Bourbon Theatre Presents Portland Cello Project w/ Mondegreen (feat Jurt Knect and Jonah Sirota of Chiara String Quartet)
11/15 Julianna Barwick
11/17 Tim Kasher w/ Eros; Eschaton
11/20 Those Darlins w/ Diane Coffee
11/22 6pm: Lucas Kellison w/ Spirit Animal | 8pm: Ivan & Alyosha
11/30 Halfwit w/ Hotlines and Domestica
[dropcap]1992:[/dropcap] This is the year Jeremy Wardlaw says the dream of opening a business was forever implanted into his mind–a dream that has carried him and his cohort all the way to today. Though the name and business model of Vega, a brand new restaurant, bar, and music venue, was only created and conceptualized in April 2012, its creators would tell you it was years–and in Wardlaw’s case a decade–in the making.
“Eli and Carrie met up with me at Duffy’s [Tavern] beer garden one day. I had no idea what it was about,” states Wardlaw as he sits opposite of me one afternoon. “They said they had this idea. It was a lot like my idea, but more.” Wardlaw explains the meeting between the minds of Eli Mardock and Carrie Mardock (both well known for their music endeavours) and himself that fateful day. This might prove positive that great things happen in the beer garden of Duffy’s Tavern.
That day and conversation between the Mardocks and Wardlaw was a jump off for the four to be working together–that is Wardlaw, the Mardocks and Jeremy Buckley, though Buckley and Wardlaw have been working together for quite some time.
“Jeremy (Buckley) and I have been talking about doing something from working together for sometime. We were doing Lincoln Invasion, Omaha Invasion and setting up festivals like that. They didn’t really pan out. We just thought, lets do this, we’re making money for people who don’t appreciate it.” Wardlaw says. “We were all thinking of doing something around the same time.”
Lincoln is growing and if you take a look into the Haymarket area you will see clear evidence of this growth. A large part of that expansion and change is in the Railyard, a new district of the Haymarket. There, a person can find new food options and bars along with a show and a hotdog at Vega.
“We thought of names that weren’t tied to anything that we could make into something,” Wardlaw explains the origin of that name Vega. “I said something space related would be cool and someone said Astra or Astral Vega. Then we realized no one was going to call it Astra Vega. No one calls Duffy’s Tavern Duffy’s Tavern. So we stuck with just Vega.”
“I am a fan of linear things, you know, that start here and end here. We had no idea where the starting point was. Great idea–what do we do?” Wardlaw talks about the initial struggles of opening a business. One thing that some folks might want to consider before setting out as an entrepreneur is the great sacrifices one has to go through, as Wardlaw states, “You have to sacrifice anything and everything to make this stuff happen. Its a work in progress and its going to continue to be a work in progress.” Wardlaw says that planning ahead is what lead Vega to where it is now, planning ahead and sticking to the plan.
Eli and Carrie are well known for their musical talents and endeavours. Being on multiple tours, the Mardocks have had eye opening opportunities. “He (Eli) has had the chance to go to different world class venues, play at world class venues and eat different kinds of world class food.” Wardlaw states. And world class food is one part of the Vega scene, mainly a variety of world class hot dogs.
“Apparently hot dogs are the number one selling quickly served food item in the world. More so overseas than here I would say. When they (Eli and Carrie) sat me down and gave me the rundown I told them, you had me at hotdog. The hot dogs are going to be different from anything you can get in Lincoln and I don’t think there is anywhere in Omaha where you can get them.” Wardlaw explains. It is clear to see that the culinary experience at Vega will be new to patrons, even if we are familiar with hot dogs. These dogs are different and the idea of that is very exciting for the owners of Vega and Lincoln as a whole.
“There is room for more, as far as music goes. There is a metric shit ton of quality bands in the world, why can’t Lincoln get a good chunk of them?” Wardlaw states his hopes on the future of not only Vega but Lincoln’s music scene as a whole. “The worst thing that can happen is if you have Knickerbockers, The Zoo Bar, Duffy’s, Bourbon and Vega all having really good shows where people have no idea which one they can go to; thats a good problem to have. These other venues have proven what can be done so we want to be apart of what they already started. As far as the food goes, its something different to Lincoln and it is something that other venues don’t have.” Wardlaw says.
Vega is going to be an experience some of us may be used to. It also is going to deliver a new concept of a culinary adventure included in that experience. It seems to make perfect sense to have Vega located in the Railyard of the Haymarket and what it will add in terms of options of things to do in Lincoln is going to something truly wonderful. For Jeremy Wardlaw, Jeremy Buckley, Carrie and Eli Mardock, Vega is a dream come true and will be fully visualized in the first week of November when doors open. Already the concert lineup at Vega boasts names like Tim Kasher, Filter, and Those Darlins with many more to come. If you love music, food, and supporting Lincoln and Nebraska, get down to Vega.
MORE VEGA:
http://vegalincoln.com/
https://www.facebook.com/VegaLNK
