JESS BECK | Go Venue Magazine
I almost fell out of my chair when I got the call.
“Hey, there’s a live show at the Bourbon in Lincoln, NE…can you cover it?”
“A what?”
“Yeah, a live show…can you cover it?”
“HELL YES I CAN!”
I felt luckier than a pardoned turkey on Thanksgiving.
It was the start of something that can almost be described as a return to normal. The venue had limited seating, and yes, you had to remain seated during the performance at socially distanced tables scattered throughout an area that is typically packed with standing-room only screaming fans.
But you guys…
IT WAS A FUCKING LIVE SHOW FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER A YEAR!
And it was worth it.
It was so worth it.
This was probably the most enjoyable Monday night I’ve had since football was on, and with snow (yeah…you heard that right) fresh off the clouds, April 19, 2021, was a good night to pack in to a warm venue for some performances!
Kicking off the show was local opener Arcade Radio, fronted by Danielle Waite, who, is also married to the bass player Cory Waite. Drummer Josh Kula and guitarist Kyle Waite (wait…all the Waite’s are related…gotcha) round out the four piece that has a heavy sound, very much like Evanescence in their heyday. It was a rather enjoyable performance listening to Danielle hammer out verse after verse while Cory flipped his seemingly never-ending dreadlocks from one side of the stage to the other. They played mostly originals, including “Watch Me Burn,” and “Puppet Show,” while also covering a notable tune by Garth Brooks, “Thunder Rolls.” You can catch more of these humans on Spotify – and I’d check ‘em out again for sure!
Up next for direct support was local mainstay Paisty Jenny. Fronted by Gregg Lee, they came out ready to party. They paid tribute to the fact that it had been a LONG time since anyone had seen the light of a stage like the one at the Bourbon, and the crowd ate it up. The played fast, loud, and hard, and as always, Stan Liberty and Gabe Mathews displayed true showmanship alongside Gregg as they played crowd favorites such as “Criminal,” “My Way Home,” a cover of “Hell Yeah,” and others. Gregg even let the crowd in on a little secret that his pants were in fact, too BIG after losing weight during COVID-19 – a feat that…well…I haven’t done yet, so my hats off to you for your accomplishment sir!
After a brief interlude, the lights dimmed.
The blue stage lights were illuminated only by the incandescent white-lit mic stand, and while there were less than 100 people in attendance for the show, you would’ve thought it was a sold-out arena when the boys from Las Vegas, Nevada took the stage.
This was the final stop on Otherwise’s “Tiger Blood” tour, and as we all know in rock n’ roll, the final stop is typically where the best show is played. The energy is ripe, the atmosphere is brooding with a sense of greatness and expectation akin to that of how the air feels at a mid-summer’s Southern Baptist potluck BBQ – thick. And playing such hits as “Lighthouse,” “Throne,” and “Crossfire,” I don’t imagine the atmosphere could’ve been that different.
Otherwise expressed immense appreciation to the fans who came out, and frontman (and gypsy-rocker-savage) Adrian Patrick (who also kind of looks like that dude who played in The Mummy but in a totally good way) held the mic down from the stage and let several members sitting in the front row sing with him to several songs. You could tell his deep emotional connection to the content in his face, which is always something I look for when someone sings. Passion. Reality. Meaning. And these guys had it.
Bass player Nick Bedrosian was a hell of a spectacle to watch himself, entertaining with a few kicks, jumps, and blowing effervescent (but still hard-rock as fuck) kisses to the crowd in glowing support for those who came out to see them kick ass on a Monday night. Frontman Adrian encouraged the crowd when he said, “My boss can kiss my ass on Tuesday!” to thunderous applause and cheers. Guitarist Ryan Patrick (draped in the American flag no less) and drummer Joe Conner helped to close out the night with their #1 Octane hit “Soldiers” to a fantastic reception.
Once the show was over, the band met fans, signed autographs, and took photos with fans. And as the lights went out at the Bourbon Theatre that night, they went out a little brighter than they had before. And maybe…just maybe…this is the beginning of our return to the land of live music.
Otherwise
Paisty Jenny
Arcade Radio
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