Festival Alert: Shadow Ridge Is Almost Here!

Story by Spencer Fleming

Look out music fans, one of Omaha's biggest parties is coming in less than two weeks! The 7th Annual Shadow Ridge Music Festival is going to be epic. Headlined by English rockers Bush, with hit-makers The Fray, 90s rockers Fuel, and Shadow Ridge second-timers Lit rounding out the bill, this will be a night to remember!

One of the things I love about Shadow Ridge is the date placement alone. It's always the Friday after Labor Day so kids are back into the swing of things with school, the weather is starting to cool off, and that first little taste of fall is in the air. Just thinking of the smell of freshly baked pizza and barbecue takes me back to the festival grounds. In addition to the awesome musical acts, the party vibes are truly unmatched.

Located on the scenic Shadow Ridge Country Club grounds, there's plenty of space for some of Omaha's best food vendors, tasty drink stations, and of course room to dance!

Let's take a closer look at some of the bands Shadow Ridge will be bringing this year.

Bush

Photo Credit: Amy Harris AP

Bush are legends when it comes to the alternative rock scene. With several number one singles, a Grammy nomination, and over 20 million albums sold, these guys know how to write hits! Expect a solid set of bangers and a sprinkling of songs from Bush's hot new album I Beat Loneliness when they hit the stage as the 7th annual Shadow Ridge Music Festival headliners.

Bush formed in London in 1992. As of 2025, their lineup consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Gavin Rossdale, lead guitarist Chris Traynor, bassist Corey Britz, and drummer Nik Hughes.

In 1994, Bush found immediate success outside the UK with the release of their debut album, Sixteen Stone, which is certified six times multi-platinum! They became one of the most commercially successful rock bands of the 1990s, selling over ten million records in the United States and 20 million records worldwide.

Bush have had numerous top-ten singles on the Billboard rock charts, and one No. 1 album with Razorblade Suitcase in 1996. The band broke up in 2002 but reformed in 2010, and have released six albums since then: The Sea of Memories (2011), Man on the Run (2014), Black and White Rainbows (2017), The Kingdom (2020), The Art of Survival (2022), and I Beat Loneliness only a few weeks ago!

After all of these years I've still never seen Bush live so I'm really pumped for this one.

The Fray

Photo by Shorefire media

The Fray has had a track record of success going all the way back to 2005 with the release of their debut album How To Save A Life. The album was released on September 13 of that year. "Over My Head (Cable Car)" was released as the first single from the album, and it soon became a Top 40 hit on the Modern Rock Tracks chart in late 2005, peaking at No. 37. The single gained airplay nationally was the fifth-most downloaded single of 2006.

While "Over My Head (Cable Car)" was rising on the charts, the song "How to Save a Life" featured on an episode of Grey's Anatomy and then on an episode of Scrubs. The TV spots catapulted the song to the top of the charts ultimately leading to a double platinum release in How To Save A Life. The Fray went on to have another platinum release for their second self-titled album on the strength of the single "You Found Me". They've gone through a significant line-up change with the departure of lead singer and main songwriter Isaac Slade, but I'm sure the soul of the songs will remain. The Fray got so much airplay in the 2000s you'd be hard pressed to find anyone over 30 who doesn't recognize their hits. It should be a great set!

Lit

Photo by me!

I have a prediction.....Lit will be the sleeper hit at Shadow Ridge Music Festival this year.

Lit is now a two-timer for Shadow Ridge. We covered the band at the festival in 2022 and it was a riot! Lit is one of those bands that you may write off as only having a couple hits, but their energy was unmatched, and they have a lot more songs than you remember. Even their latest album Tastes Like Gold is pretty solid. I guarantee you'll find yourself bobbing your head and tapping your foot. Of course everyone in the crowd will go wild when they play "My Own Worst Enemy" but you'll find yourself pleasantly surprised with Lit's set.

Fuel

Fuel is another band that's a total sleeper! Everyone remembers the song "Hemorrhage (In My Hands" from Fuel's second album Something Like Human, but let's not forget there were multiple bangers on Fuel's debut album Sunburn. The release spawned the singles "Shimmer", "Bittersweet", "Jesus Or A Gun", and the title track, "Sunburn". Fuel would go on to have several more hits like "Falls On Me", "Bad Day", "Innocent", and "Won't Back Down" in their heyday.

The band has gone through several line-up changes over the years, between the death of original drummer Joey Abbot and the departure of their original lead singer Brett Scallions, but the current line-up is solid. In 2021 drummer Kevin Miller reached out to guitarist and primary songwriter Carl Bell to mend their relationship and form a new version of Fuel. In 2021 Bell and Miller released Anomaly and received a decent amount of radio airplay from their lead single "Hard". The song sounds like classic Fuel with a new twist. I'm personally looking forward to jamming out with all of these classic pop-metal songs.

If you love nostalgic rock, tasty pizza, barbecue, and tacos this is the place to be! Tickets are moving fast so don't get left behind. Grab your friends and get ready for a killer time!

A huge thank you to Shadow Ridge Music Festival for their partnership. We'll see you there on September 5.

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