Concert season is heating up! With so many artists getting back on the road after a long season of cancellations and postponements it seems like there's a hot show going on almost every night.
I'm sure like most of you out there, our social feeds and inboxes are bursting with tour announcements. With such a plethora of shows to choose from, how can you tell where to spend your hard earned dollars?
Have no fear! We're highlighting some of our Spring concert picks and letting you know why you should click that checkout button. Now the only hard decision you'll have to make is which black band shirt to wear to the show!
All Them Witches
This one is coming up fast. This Saturday, All Them Witches will take over the Slowdown main room with openers The Swell Fellas. This will be my second time taking in the blues and stoner-psychedelic group. It's hard to put a label on All Them Witches, but rest assured, they rip live.
I had heard their name on comedian Dean Delray's podcast. Being a former touring musician, Dean always has the goods on where to find rocking tunes. I was on a work trip to San Francisco and randomly All Them Witches was one of the few good tours coming through that week. I packed into The Independent with about 300 other people and was blown away by the wicked guitars and trippy melodies of these dudes from Nashville.
What: All Them Witches
When: Saturday, March 5
Where: Slowdown, Omaha
Rival Sons & The Velveteers
Who's ready for some good old fashioned rock and roll? You won't find any backing tracks or auto-tune here. Both Rival Sons and The Velveteers are the real deal. This will be my second time shooting Rival Sons, but my first time taking in The Velveteers. The last time Rival Sons came through it was one heck of a hootenanny!
Rival Sons put so much soul and energy into their blues-inspired rock and roll jams. Their last album Feral Roots is sure to go down as a rock and roll classic. From front to back that thing just grooves! I suspect to hear a lot of cuts from Feral Roots, but with so much time off from touring hopefully we'll get some new tunes as well.
What: Rival Sons & Velveteers
When: Tuesday, March 8
Where: Bourbon Theatre, Lincoln
Tool
This band needs no introduction. You already know Tool will go down as one of the biggest shows of the year! I caught Tool a few years ago when they came through Lincoln on the beginning of the Fear Inoculum tour and it was fantastic.
It's cool that the tour resumed exactly where it left off in Portland. From reports I've seen the band is back with a vengeance and ready to melt faces. Tool is bringing along openers The Acid Helps. In typical Tool fashion, I'm sure The Acid Helps will be completely out of left field and I'm here for it.
What: Tool and The Acid Helps
When: Saturday, March 12
Where: CHI Center, Omaha
Tyler Rich & SixForty1
Bust out those boots and get ready to boogie, cause we're going country! I've been wanting to break into the country scene for a while and I'm excited to announce we'll be at Tyler Rich and SixForty1 at Barnato Lounge on March 12! I haven't been to Barnato yet, but from the photos and what I've heard from friends in the scene it sounds like it's going to be an awesome show.
Tyler Rich is putting up some huge Spotify numbers. With over 1.2 million monthly listeners this guy is making some waves! Two of his songs "Leave Her Wild" and "Better Than You're Used To" both have over 30 million streams and "The Difference" has over 60 million! Apparently Tyler knows how to write some hits!
Nashville based pop-country duo, SixForty1 (Brooks Hoffman and Austin Gee) are bringing people together in a big way. The duo originally formed when the two met at Murray State, in Kentucky. Since then, the band’s goal was to bring people together, through their music, as does highway 641, the band’s namesake.
Since making the move to Nashville in 2018, the two have managed to create quite a buzz. They have a unique and inimitable songwriting chemistry and a knack for catchy and clever musical phrasing. Through a series of independent releases over the last three years, SixForty1 has already made waves in the streaming world, setting themselves up for breakout success.
Excuse me while I go practice my line dancing and shine up my bolo tie, so I'll be ready to party!
What: Tyler Rich & SixForty1
Where: Barnato Lounge, Omaha
When: Saturday, March 12
From Ashes to New, Still Panicking Tour
with Fire From The Gods, Blind Channel, Kingdom Collapse, Above Snakes
Wow, talk about value! This package is going to be absolutely killer. Five bands for $20? Are you kidding me? I've personally seen From Ashes to New and Kingdom Collapse as opening acts before, but I'm looking forward to Ashes headline set.
Another band that's been on my radar for a long time and I'm super excited to finally see live is Fire from the Gods. These guys are the next generation of metalcore superstars, a Sevendust 2.0 if you will. I'm expecting some big energy from the Gods. I'm gonna have to practice ducking the crowd surfers for this one because the pit is going to be raging!
With Linkin Park leaving a planetary-sized hole in the nu-metal scene, From Ashes to New is here to carry the flag forward. We all know LP created the blueprint for mixing up clean vocals, screams, and rap flows all over electronic beats, but From Ashes to New is doing it justice and putting their own style on it. This tour is a big step forward for From Ashes to New and I'm excited to see where they take it from here!
What: From Ashes to New, Fire from the Gods, Kingdom Collapse, Blind Channel, Above Snakes
Where: Bourbon Theatre, Lincoln
When: Tuesday, March 15
Billie Eilish
Another artist on our list that needs no introduction. Billie Eilish has been killing the game over the last few years. Multiple Grammy awards, a new album Happier Than Ever, a Disney special, and SNL appearance? I don't think it gets much bigger for a current artist. Look for Billie to blow the roof off of CHI Center on March 16. There's still time to grab tickets. Don't miss out!
What: Billie Eilish
Where: CHI Center, Omaha
When: Wednesday, March 16
Greta Van Fleet
Greta Van Fleet have had a meteoric rise. In just the last five years the band went from playing The Admiral (formerly Sokol Auditorium) in south Omaha to the CHI Health Center, one of Omaha's biggest stages.
Over the last 20 years I've witnessed a few occasions where a band has been slated to play The Admiral and by the time the show comes around they're experiencing an incredible hot streak. With not enough time to move the show to a bigger venue, tickets start exchanging hands for several times more than face value.
Off the top of my head, Modest Mouse when they released the seminal album Good News For People Who Love Bad News and the single "Float On" was just starting to gain some ground on radio and television. The Killers when they were riding the success of "Mr. Brightside" the second (U.S.) single from their debut album Hot Fuss. Death Cab For Cutie when their single "Soul Meets Body" from their major label debut Plans became a massive hit. Then finally, Greta Van Fleet when their debut single "Highway Tune" topped the Billboard Rock Chart for four weeks in a row.
Greta Van Fleet is back in support of their second studio album The Battle At Garden's Gate, bringing along who would you know, Rival Sons and The Velveteers! The "Dreams In Gold" tour is slated to hit the CHI Center on Friday, March 25. This is sure to be one of the best rock shows of the year. Hit that checkout button now!
What: Greta Van Fleet Dreams in Gold Tour with Rival Sons & The Velveteers
Where: CHI Center, Omaha
When: Friday, March 25
Code Orange
Code Orange is out for blood! First off, awesome tour name. Second, this show is a bit under the radar, but for those in the know, this line-up is an absolute banger. Code Orange have steadily progressed from underground hardcore kids (hence their original name Code Orange Kids) to more a more mainstream metal and industrial sound.
Their latest single "Out For Blood" is reminiscent of early Nine Inch Nails, which is totally fine by me. I was able to catch Code Orange before they dropped their major label debut Forever, when they were doing a short run with Deftones. They absolutely destroyed then and I don't expect anything less when they play The Slowdown on April 5.
Speaking of Deftones, the direct support act Loathe has been getting a lot of comparisons to Deftones over the last few years, and rightfully so. Their style is all over the place going from super heavy death thrash on one track to atmospheric shoegaze the next.
Deftones frontman Chino Moreno has been quoted in reference to Loathe's single "Two Way Mirror" as "This song is still better than all your stupid music, including mine." Now you're just talking crazy, Chino! (Nothing can touch White Pony). But if Loathe has the co-sign from Chino you know it's going to be good. Be ready to get stomped though, this pit will most definitely be a brutal one.
What: Code Orange Out For Blood Tour with Loathe, Vended, and Dying Wish
Where: Slowdown, Omaha
When: April 5
Snoop Dogg & Koe Wetzel
A Snoop Dogg show in a college town on 4/20? Make sure to bring plenty of Visine. I've seen Snoop twice and yes, it's pretty crazy. Dude had giant marijuana leaf signs, people were passing the green stuff everywhere, and clothing was apparently optional. Was it an awesome party? Absolutely. Could I have passed a drug test after? Undetermined.
Coming off one of the best Superbowl halftime shows ever, these tickets are going to go fast. Click that link and drop em like they're hot!
What: Snoop Dogg & Koe Wetzel
Where: Pinnacle Bank Arena, Lincoln
When: April 20
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