September 24, 2025 – The Admiral – Omaha, NE
The Admiral in downtown Omaha was the place to be on Wednesday night, September 24, 2025. They Might Be Giants rolled into town and delivered a show that was equal parts sharp, silly, and simply brilliant.
The band lineup was the core duo — John Flansburgh and John Linnell — backed by longtime collaborators Danny Weinkauf (bass), Dan Miller (guitar), and Marty Beller (drums). Between them they made a tight, versatile ensemble that could shift from quirky pop to full-on alt-rock in a heartbeat.
If you weren’t already on board, here are a few fun facts about They Might Be Giants: they’re known for a wildly inventive catalog spanning adult and children’s music, and they’ve earned serious cred over their decades-long career. They’ve won two Grammy Awards — one for “Boss of Me” (the Malcolm in the Middle theme) and another in the children’s category for Here Come the 123s. Their 1990 album Flood went platinum, and their children’s albums like Here Come the ABCs and Here Comes Science have also been certified gold. Over time, their albums and clever side projects have built a beloved, devoted following. (Plus, John Flansburgh once co-founded the Hello CD of the Month Club back in the ’90s.)
As of tonight, They Might Be Giants draw over 1.3 million monthly listeners on Spotify — not bad for a band that’s never shied away from weird ideas and smart lyrics.
From the moment they struck their first chord, the sound was crisp, clear, punchy. Linnell’s keys and woodwinds blended beautifully with the guitars and rhythm section, and Weinkauf and Beller locked into grooves that never felt rote. The mix was balanced: you could hear every vocal twist, every odd instrumental turn, yet the energy packed the room.
What made the night extra special was how funny and playful they were onstage. Flansburgh and Linnell bantered like old friends who hadn’t seen the crowd in a while — making jokes, riffing on song intros, poking gentle fun at themselves and the audience. They’d pause mid-song for a quip, then launch back in so seamlessly you barely realized it wasn’t part of the show. And they threw in little surprises: odd lyrical detours, spontaneous calls for crowd singalongs, unexpected instrument swaps. It felt loose, but you could tell it was finely tuned chaos.
They moved through hits and deep cuts, dipping into children’s-leaning tracks alongside more “grown-ups” fare, and the crowd ate it up. There were moments when the voices in the room rose so loud you could see the band yield to it for a second, smiling at the push of it.
No over-the-top staging, no unnecessary pyrotechnics — just a band that knows their material, trusts their chemistry, and trusts the audience. Trust me, the audience got exactly what they came for. They definitely gave the crowd their money’s worth.
By the final encore, folks were grinning, singing, and dancing in place. Walking out of The Admiral that night, you felt like you’d witnessed something both familiar and delightfully off-kilter — exactly what a They Might Be Giants concert should feel like.
If you didn’t catch it, mark the next time they swing through your town!
They Might Be Giants Setlist:
- Theme From Flood
- Birdhouse in Your Soul
- Particle Man
- We Want a Rock
- James K. Polk
- Twisting
- Minimum Wage
- stelluB
- Moonbeam Rays
- Whistling in the Dark
- Road Movie to Berlin
- Istanbul (Not Constantinople) (The Four Lads cover)
- Synopsis for Latecomers
- Call You Mom
- Authenticity Trip
- Older
- Wearing a Raincoat
- Why Does the Sun Shin? (The Sun Is a Mass of Incandescent Gas) (Tom Glazer cover)
- Wicked Little Critta
- Shoehorn With Teeth
- Cloisonné
- Can’t Keep Johnny Down
- Turn Around
- The Darlings of Lumberland
- Brontasaurus
Encore:
- Ana Ng
- Doctor Worm
Encore #2:
- Dead
