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Sep 19, 2023

Summer Concert Series begins Wednesday at The Mill at Telegraph

Kadie Sheldon (left) flips through her study notes while drinking a cup of

Kadie Sheldon (left) flips through her study notes while drinking a cup of coffee at the Mill in the Telegraph District.

Tamara Sloan learned early on — most likely while running the Meadowlark Music Festival a lifetime ago — one of Lincoln's truisms: this city loves free music.

If there's music, they will come. They'll even bring their own chairs.

"That's the way it's always been," said Sloan, co-owner of the Mill Coffee & Tea.

In 2017, Sloan recognized she had the venue — an expansive outdoor patio at the Mill's Telegraph District location — and a partnership with neighboring Allo that made it work.

On Wednesday, the 2023 Summer Concert Series: Live at Telegraph kicks off its fifth season — they took a year off for COVID — with performances by AM/FM and Raw Nerve, a local band made up of musical dentists.

"It's completely local," Sloan said.

And it's become popular. The Mill's outdoor patio regularly gets filled to capacity and the area behind the stage, outside the fence on the grass that leads to the parking lot has plenty of traffic, too.

The unofficial headcount has been as many as 700 people — and that's a good way to market both the coffee shop and the Lincoln-based internet and cable television provider.

"What better way to be local than a small free concert on Wednesdays during the summer," said Brad Moline, Allo's president and CEO.

The Mill was the first retailer to join the Telegraph District.

It's another way to bring the community together, Sloan said.

"We'll pull out the grill," Sloan said. "A meal will be anywhere from $10 to $12 ... we try not to overcharge for anything."

Beer, wine and a full bar are also available, with local brewers on hand with their products. All they ask is that patrons don't bring in their own food or drinks.

Both Sloan and Moline give much of the credit to Dave Miller, Allo's director of ethical engagement and resident local music expert.

It's Miller who books all the bands and does all of the concert scheduling.

"That's his jam," said Sloan, noting that Miller has a rich history of playing in rock and bluegrass bands.

"Dave Miller took the idea and made it bigger and better than I could have imagined," said Moline, who once played drums in one of the bands Miller was fronting.

Rock and roll singer Tina Turner, right, performs with Rolling Stones lead singer Mick Jagger at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame awards ceremony in New York City, Jan. 18, 1989. Jagger is one of the inductees. (AP Photo/Susan Ragan)

Rock and roll singer Tina Turner performs at the Lawlor Events Center in Reno, Nev., Sunday night, June 6, 1993, opening her national "What's Love" tour. (AP Photo/Ira Mark Gostin)

U.S. rock star Tina Turner performing in 1985. (AP Photo)

FILE - Tina Turner performs her current hit song "What's Love Got to Do With It" in Los Angeles on Sept. 2, 1984. Turner, the unstoppable singer and stage performer, died Tuesday, after a long illness at her home in Küsnacht near Zurich, Switzerland, according to her manager. She was 83. (AP Photo/Phil Ramey, File)

Tina Turner with James Brown shown at Grammy Award on Feb. 24, 1982 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Doug Pizac)

Tina Turner (Singer), shown at the American Music Awards on Jan. 28, 1985 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/ Nick Ut)

U.S. rock star Tina Turner in full swing in Munich, West Germany. She was performing in Munich?s Olympic Hall on March 5, 1987 at the start of her 70 concert tour. (AP Photo/Helmuth Lohmann)

Singer Tina Turner shown in January 1984 in London. (AP Photo)

American singer Tina Turner is seen arriving at London's Heathrow Airport for a three day visit in May 1979. Turner just completed a tour of Germany. (AP Photo)

Tina turner arrives for the 12th annual American Music Awards presentations at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, Calif., January 28, 1985. (AP Photo/Lennox McLendon)

Tina turner poses with her award backstage at the 12th annual American Music Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, Calif., January 28, 1985. Turner won Favorite Female Artist and Favorite Female Video Artist trophies in the Soul/R&B categories. (AP Photo)

Tina Turner and Lionel Richie pose with a total of five awards between them, at the Grammy Awards show in Los Angeles, Calif., February 27, 1985. Turner won Female Pop Vocal Performance and Record of the Year for her album "What's Love Got to Do With It," and Female Rock Vocalist for the song "Better Be Good to Me." Richie won Album of the Year for "Can't Slow Down," and shares Producer of the Year honors with David Foster. (AP Photo/Lennox McLendon)

Beyonce, left, and Tina Turner perform at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 10, 2008, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)

Tina Turner performs at The Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo., Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2008. This is the first concert of her tour. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

Tina Turner performs at The Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo., Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2008. This is the first concert of her tour. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

U.S. singer Tina Turner performs on stage during her concert at the Hallenstadion venue in Zurich, Switzerland, on Sunday, Feb. 15, 2009. (AP Photo/Keystone/Steffen Schmidt)

Singer Tina Turner presents the new CD "Beyond" of Vocalists Regula Curti and Dechen Shak-Dagsay, not pictured, during a press conference in Erlenbach, Switzerland, May 14, 2009. Tina Turner speaks a spiritual message on the CD. (AP Photo/Keystone/Alessandro Della Bella)

FILE - In this March 3, 2009 file photo, US singer Tina Turner performs on stage, during a concert at the O2 Arena, in London. A restored one-room schoolhouse where Turner attended classes opened Friday, Sept. 26, 2014, as a museum honoring the singer's career and recalling her childhood in this small West Tennessee town. Turner, who lives in Zurich, Switzerland, did not attend the ceremony, but she recorded a video that was played for those in attendance. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, file)

Rock and roll singer Tina Turner poses with her plaque and a bouquet of roses near her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame during the unveiling ceremony in Los Angeles, Ca., Aug. 28, 1986. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

Singer Tina Turner dances the samba with traditional carnival dancers in the streets of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, December 30, 1987. Turner is in Brazil on her world tour and will perform in January at the Macarana Stadium in front of a record-breaking audience of more than 100,000 fans. (AP Photo)

President Bush, right, and first lady Laura Bush, second from right, stand with actor Robert Redford, left, and singer Tina Turner, second from left, before the start of the Kennedy Center Honors Gala on Sunday, Dec. 4, 2005 in Washington. Members of the 28th annual class of Kennedy Center honorees are being singled out for their contributions to the arts and culture. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Tina Turner, left, reacts as Mick Jagger grabs her thigh during their duo performance at the Live Aid concert in Philadelphia, Pa., July 13, 1985. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)

Tina Turner, right, rehearses for a concert to honor the 200th birth anniversary of Hans Christian Andersen Friday April 1, 2005 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The celebration called "Once Upon a Time" on Saturday is billed as the largest televised event in Danish history. (AP Photo/John McConnico)

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Night editor

Pat Sangimino is a San Francisco native who has been the Journal Star's night news editor since April 2018.

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