Gym Class Heroes Bring the Party to Omaha

September 24, 2026 – Steelhouse – Omaha, NE

Thursday night, September 24, 2026, Steelhouse in downtown Omaha, Nebraska was the place to be for a night of hip-hop, rock, and nostalgia as Gym Class Heroes came to town.

Steelhouse is one of my favorite venues, and they always seem to bring in great acts, so when this show was announced, I was really excited.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t approved for photo clearance for the two opening acts, B.o.B. and Lupe Fiasco, so I wasn’t able to cover their full sets. From everyone I talked to in the crowd, though, both performances were excellent. I was able to catch the last few minutes of Lupe Fiasco’s set, and it was obvious the crowd was having a great time.

A little after 9 p.m., it was time for Gym Class Heroes.

The second they hit the stage, the crowd went bonkers.

Gym Class Heroes formed in Geneva, New York in 1997 after Travie McCoy met drummer Matt McGinley during high school. Their sound has always been hard to pin down to one genre, which is part of what made them stand out from the beginning. They’ve blended hip-hop with rock, funk, and R&B throughout their career, creating a style that feels completely their own.

The band started building a following through years of touring before signing with Fueled by Ramen and later Decaydance Records, the label founded by Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz. Their 2005 album, The Papercut Chronicles, helped establish them, but things really took off with As Cruel as School Children in 2006.

That album featured “Cupid’s Chokehold,” which became one of their biggest hits and reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100. The band followed it with songs like “Clothes Off!!” and “Cookie Jar,” while continuing to grow their fanbase through appearances on Warped Tour and other major tours.

In 2007, Gym Class Heroes won Best New Artist at the MTV Video Music Awards.

A few years later, after a hiatus and some solo projects, they returned with The Papercut Chronicles II. That album gave them another massive hit with “Stereo Hearts,” featuring Adam Levine. The song also reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains one of their most recognizable tracks.

At Steelhouse, Travie McCoy had great energy from the second he walked out.

He owned the stage, and the crowd was right there with him. There was a real party atmosphere throughout the set, especially when the more familiar songs started. People were dancing, singing along, and clearly loving the chance to hear these songs live again.

Gym Class Heroes have some absolute bangers in their catalog, and they translate incredibly well in concert.

For me, the highlight was “Stereo Hearts.”

They saved it for the end of the show, and it was the perfect closer. The entire room seemed to know every word, and the crowd reaction made it one of those moments that reminds you why certain songs stick around for years.

It’s also cool to see Gym Class Heroes active again after such a long stretch without new music. In 2025, the band was inducted into the Rochester Music Hall of Fame, and in July 2026, they released “Universal Language,” their first new song in more than a decade.

The track serves as the lead single for their upcoming sixth album, and it’s definitely worth checking out.

Gym Class Heroes currently have over 22.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify, which says a lot about how much staying power their music has had.

This was a fun night from start to finish, and once again, Steelhouse delivered.

Another great show in downtown Omaha.

Gym Class Heroes Setlist:

• Papercuts
• Taxi Driver
• Cookie Jar
• Golden (Travie McCoy song)
• Loved Me Back to Life (Travie McCoy song)
• Cupid’s Chokehold
• Ass Back Home
• Viva la White Girl
• Useless
• Billionaire (Travie McCoy song)
• Universal Language
• Stereo Hearts