September 25, 2021 – Barnato Lounge – Omaha, NE

It’s the summer of 2021, and what the world needs right now is live music!

After events and concerts were canceled for the majority of the past year and a half due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s a safe bet to say that music lovers are ready for the return of live entertainment.  On Saturday September 25, 2021, that’s exactly what they got, thanks to the Barnato Lounge.  The 2021 Summerland tour made its last stop in Omaha, NE outside the Barnato, and featured Wheatus, Living Colour, Hoobastank, and Everclear.

The Barnato was the perfect setting for this concert.  The weather was perfect, and because the concert was held outdoors, it gave concertgoers a chance to spread out and enjoy the show.  The inside of the Barnato Lounge was open as well, and from what I could hear, audio of the concert was streaming for those that wanted to stay indoors.

To kick off the show, fans were introduced to Wheatus, a New York band formed back in 1995.  I can honestly say that I’m not too familiar with Wheatus, besides their 2000 hit single, “Teenage Dirtbag”, so I was looking forward to hearing their set.  Brendan Brown, lead vocalist for the group, was joined onstage with another guitar player, a drummer, and two female backup vocalists.  The group has an Alternative Rock / Pop sound, and kind of reminds me of some other early 90’s groups like Fastball or Third Eye Blind.  They had great energy and seemed really happy to be performing live again, and even though I didn’t recognize a lot of their music, I thought the group sounded really good.  They did a really great job getting the crowd prepped for the rest of the show, and make sure to thank the other bands, Barnato, and the audience for coming.

After a brief intermission, Living Colour took the stage, and the crowd came alive.  It seemed to me like a lot of people at the show were there specifically for Living Colour.  Decked out in a full galaxy-inspired tracksuit and neon orange dreadlocks, lead singer, Corey Glover’s signature voice kicked off the group’s set with a bang.  I’ll be honest here.  I’m not too familiar with Living Colour’s catalogue of music, so the song I was waiting to hear was, “Cult of Personality”, the song which won the group a Grammy Award back for Best Hard Rock Performance in 1990.  Glover and the other members of the band, Vernon Reid, Will Calhoun, and Doug Wimbish, all had great energy and interacted a lot with the crowd.  I think there might have a been a little bit of trouble with Glover’s microphone at one point because his vocals were a little hard to hear, but fans in attendance didn’t seem to notice or mind.  The group played for nearly 45 minutes and ended their set strong with, “Cult of Personality”, which saw Glover hop the barricade and make his way through the crowd.  These guys were a lot of fun and put on a great show.

Next to the stage was Hoobastank.  By this time in the night, concertgoers were prepped and ready for more music, and the stage had a different feeling because it was dark outside and the stage lighting was a lot more prominent.  Shades of dark red and blue with smoke and lights filled the stage, and when Hoobastank appeared, the crowd erupted.  It was clear fans in attendance were huge fans of the group.  For me, Hoobastank feels like a “newer” band than the others on this tour, but maybe it’s just because their smash hit, “The Reason”, was released in 2004.  The group actually formed in 1994, and consists of lead singer Doug Robb, Dan Estrin, Chris Hesse, and Jesse Charland.  At one point during their 9-song set list, Robb stopped the music so that everyone in attendance could sing happy birthday to a girl in the crowd.  The band toasted the crowd, drank a few beers, and genuinely seemed excited to be there.  These guys were awesome.  They had great energy, they sounded great, and the fans loved them.  For me, the highlight of their set was, imagine this, “The Reason.”  Robb’s vocals were spot on, and to this day, nearly 18 years later, the ballad conjures up a lot of emotions for listeners.  There were even a few people in the crowd that cried during the song.  Hoobastank really added to this tour, and for me, seemed like the most popular band of the night.  

Hoobastank Set List:

• Pieces
• Out of Control
• Inside of You
• Running Away
• Remember Me
• Born to Lead
• Same Direction
• The Reason
• Crawling in the Dark

Last, but certainly not least, it was time for Everclear.  The band, formed in 1991 in Portland, Oregon, is one of the most popular Rock bands to come out of the 90’s.  Lead singer, Art Alexakis made his way to the stage with Dave French, Freddy Herrera, and Brian Nolan.  The group has released 9 studio albums, and is responsible for starting the Summerland Tour, which occurs every summer and features other 90’s Rock bands.  The crowd was on their feet during Everclear’s 13-song set.  They played their well-known hits and a few tracks from back in the day that I wasn’t too familiar with, but overall, thought sounded good.  The highlight for me was hearing, “I Will Buy You A New Life”, live and in person.

Everclear Set List:

• Summerland
• Everything to Everyone
• Heroin Girl
• Local God
• Nervous & Weird
• Wonderful
• Strawberry
• Heartspark Dollarsign
• I Will Buy You a New Life

Encore:

• So Much for the Afterglow
• Santa Monica
• Molly’s Lips

Wheatus

Living Colour

Hoobastank

Everclear