Men At Work Rocks Stir Cove

August 8, 2026 – Stir Cove – Council Bluffs, IA

Saturday night, August 8, 2026, was another great night of music at Stir Cove in Council Bluffs, Iowa, as legendary 80s band Men At Work came through town and brought two incredible openers with them.

It was a muggy night and slightly overcast, but thankfully we made it through the whole show without any rain delays. The annual Maha Music Festival was also taking place that day across the river, and they were not quite as lucky with the weather. They had several delays throughout the day, but on the other side of the bridge in Council Bluffs, we were jamming out in the cove.

The night kicked off with Shonen Knife, and even though I was not familiar with them before this show, they won me over pretty quickly.

Shonen Knife is a Japanese pop-punk band formed in Osaka in 1981. Their sound is influenced by 1960s girl groups, pop music, the Beach Boys, and early punk bands like the Ramones. Their songs are stripped down, catchy, and quirky, with lyrics sung in both Japanese and English.

The band has released more than 20 studio albums and has been credited with helping make the international pop underground even more international by opening doors for bands from Japan. They have also performed as a Ramones tribute band under the name the Osaka Ramones.

There is something really fun about a band that can sing songs about things like cookies, sushi, jelly beans, and banana chips while still making the whole thing feel like a legit rock show. Their set had great energy, a lot of charm, and a sound that was impossible not to enjoy.

It was a great way to kick off the night.

Next to the stage was Toad the Wet Sprocket, and this was my fourth time seeing them live.

Toad the Wet Sprocket is an alternative rock band formed in Santa Barbara, California in 1986. The current lineup includes Glen Phillips, Todd Nichols, Dean Dinning, and Carl Thomson. The band had major success in the 1990s with songs like “Walk on the Ocean,” “All I Want,” “Something’s Always Wrong,” “Fall Down,” and “Good Intentions.”

The band broke up in 1998, but eventually reunited and began touring again. Their most recent full-length album, Starting Now, was released in 2021, and in 2026 they released Rings: The Acoustic Sessions, an acoustic album featuring previous hits.

These guys are still great after all these years. Glen Phillips sounded fantastic, and the band has such an easy, familiar sound that works perfectly in an outdoor venue like Stir Cove. Their songs have aged really well, and hearing them live again was a reminder of why they continue to have such a loyal fanbase.

They currently have over 724 thousand monthly listeners on Spotify, and their latest acoustic album is definitely worth adding to your playlist.

After a brief intermission, it was time for Men At Work, and when they hit the stage, the crowd went nuts.

If you would have asked me years ago if I would ever get to see Men At Work live, I probably would have thought you were crazy. Here I was though, watching them perform in person, and they absolutely delivered.

Men At Work is an Australian rock band formed in Melbourne in 1979. The band is best known for classic hits like “Down Under,” “Who Can It Be Now?,” “Be Good Johnny,” “Overkill,” “It’s a Mistake,” and “High Wire.” Founding member and frontman Colin Hay performs lead vocals and guitar, and he remains the heart of the band.

Men At Work became one of the biggest bands of the early 1980s. In January 1983, they became the first Australian artists to have a number one album and number one single at the same time on the U.S. Billboard charts with Business as Usual and “Down Under.” They also achieved that same number one album and single distinction in Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

Their second album, Cargo, was another major success, reaching number one in Australia, number two in New Zealand, number three in the United States, and number eight in the United Kingdom. The band also won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1983, was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 1994, and has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide.

At Stir Cove, Men At Work put on a great show. Colin Hay sounded great, and the crowd was with him the entire time. There was such a fun energy in the audience, especially when the band played the songs everyone had been waiting for.

Hearing “Who Can It Be Now?” and “Down Under” live in person was amazing. Those are the kind of songs that immediately bring people back to a certain time, and the crowd ate it up. People were singing, dancing, smiling, and just enjoying the chance to hear those classics under the summer sky.

What made the night so fun was how different each act felt. Shonen Knife brought a quirky, upbeat pop-punk energy. Toad the Wet Sprocket gave the crowd a great set of 90s alternative favorites. Men At Work closed the night with a wave of 80s nostalgia and songs that still sound great decades later.

Stir Cove has been delivering concert after concert this summer, and the lineups have been awesome. This was another really fun night of music in Council Bluffs, and it was one I am glad I got to experience.

Men At Work Setlist: