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When talking about 12 for $12, it's a good deal if you're talking about buying some Old Styles from the neighborhood supermarket.

It would be considered quite the better deal if talking in terms of 12 hours of music for the same 12 bucks.

Tomorrow, the first edition of Music Meltdown will descend upon the Loess Hills of western Iowa, an area more commonly referred to as Mount Crescent.

The event, organized by college radio station 89.7 The River, will feature more than 40 bands on four stages as well as vendors and booths for artists to display their wares.

An eclectic mix of music will encompass the event, with bands performing music in such genres as rock, blues, jazz and reggae, as well as an acoustic stage and an area for DJs to mix and spin.

Music Meltdown
Who: More than 40 local bands and DJs
When: Saturday

Cost: $12 advance (available at Omaha area Subways); $15 day of show

"I think the Meltdown is the key to getting people of the Midwest excited to go out and celebrate life," said Curtis O'Brien, also known as DJ CBO.

O'Brien added: "It is great exposure for all musicians, especially the DJs since we do not have a radio station outlet in Omaha."

Mount Crescent is usually reserved for wintertime skiing and snowboarding, but for the people involved it seemed like the ideal place to have the September event.

"The venue is perfect," O'Brien said.

"The ski lifts are a plus and the venue is a big part of the feeling of the show. It's amazing that you can see the Omaha skyline and everything around it."

The vendor booths will provide their own brand of amusement with a variety of stands including one to promote the local bands that are performing, as well as arts and crafts booths.

Tom Burns, bass player for local band Vago purchased a space to promote any local band that wants to be involved.

"It's been really good to see the bands working together," Burns said.

"We thought that Music Meltdown would be a great way for local bands to get some exposure. It's not a personal profit thing."

Eyes of the World, an imported arts and crafts store in Lincoln will have a booth set up with an emphasis on keeping people occupied.

"We'll have things to keep the kids busy, like kites and whistles," said Linda Witfoth, a manager at the store.

She added the music scene and the arts scene are closely related in the Omaha/Lincoln area.

"A lot of our customers are eclectic and are into music as well as the arts," Witfoth said.

O'Brien said the Omaha/Lincoln music scene was thriving.

"The local scene is about to explode. There is this buzz in the air and everyone is starting to go to the events, whether it be DJs or bands, it doesn't matter," he said.

Acoustic performer Jerry Johnson said there were a lot of good bands no one knows about.

"You can't blame that on the people, though," Johnson said.

"The bands need to learn how to promote better. Music Meltdown is a cool festival because it isn't about who knows who. It was about who would be good for the music scene to hear more from."

More information, including printable schedules and maps to the event are available at www.897theriver.com.