SOLD OUT: SLEEP THEORY!

Story and Photos: Spencer Fleming

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The Admiral was packed to the brim last night (8.1) for one of the hottest shows of the year! Sleep Theory is rising up the ranks in the rock and metal world. From major festival appearances, to sold out theater shows, and a European tour this fall, the band is poised to make some major moves going into 2027.

I was lucky enough to meet the band at their show in Lincoln last year and they were so nice and down to earth. This time around I was able to say hi to lead singer Callum as he was going backstage. He started stepping towards me but then realized he'd get mobbed if he stopped to chat, ha! It was cool that he smiled and gave me a nice wave. Just the cherry on top of an amazing show.

Before Sleep Theory played we saw a set from NuMetal new-comers Silly Goose. I had seen these guys open for Magnolia Park a few months ago and remembered they had a crazy amount of energy. They definitely take a note from the NuMetal bands of the 2000s like Limp Bizkit, Taproot, and Spineshank. As soon as they hit the stage their lead singer Jackson was telling everyone to get in the air and start the circle pit. The whole set he was calling for crowd surfers but it took a few songs to get the process going. At one point Jackson asked the crowd "Who has the most energy here"? Someone in a Waldo hat raised their hand and they were brought on stage. Jackson told them they needed to leap into the crowd, but Waldo hesitated a bit and hit the front of the barricade. Luckily Waldo seemed unscathed as he surfed over the first few rows. For a good 30 minutes Silly Goose whipped the crowd into a frenzy before closing with the bombastic track "Bad Behavior" from their latest album Keys To The City.

I can't really say that Silly Goose is for me, but if I showed my angst-ridden 16 year old self their music I'd definitely say "show me to the circle pit". Silly Goose is on tour all across the U.S. this fall if you're looking to get some anger out.

Around 9:15 the lights dimmed and the sounds of "Party In The U.S.A" by Miley Cyrus blared overhead. The crowd of mostly millennials and Gen-Z sang along to every word. Sleep Theory pranced on stage and broke into "Fallout" from their latest album Afterglow.

The thing that's so crazy about Sleep Theory is they're getting so popular, but they're still only on their first album. They've had a couple EPs and a few singles and cover songs along the way, but their show covers their whole catalog! Typically when you go to a show you're hoping to hear your favorite song from a particular album, but with Sleep Theory we got to hear everything! I don't think there was a single song from Afterglow that was skipped.

After "Fallout" the band played one of my favorite songs from their Paper Hearts EP "Enough". The crowd was going wild, with circle pits starting and crowd surfers everywhere, it was pure chaos! It's been a hot minute since I've been to a completely sold out Admiral show but boy can they pack the people in. From top to bottom there was barely a spot to stand. I was so happy that the band sold the place out though. Sleep Theory is such an awesome act and I can't wait to see where they go from here. It wouldn't shock me at all if they were playing arenas in the next two to three years.

After giving Omaha 19 songs Sleep Theory called it a night with their smash hit "Static", the opening track of Afterglow. As I mentioned towards the top Sleep Theory will hit Europe this fall after doing some massive festivals like Aftershock, Louder Than Life, and Warped Tour. It may be some time before they hit the Midwest, but when they finally come back do yourself a favor and snag a ticket! I can't recommend this band enough. After AFI, this was the second best show of the year so far. There's still some bangers on the calendar, but this one will be tough to beat!

Thanks so much to Mammoth Live for photo access. Thanks for reading and we'll see you at the next one!