REVIEW BY DAVID TAYLOR | Go Venue Magazine
It’s not every day that you get to cover the biggest rock/metal show of the year in the state of Nebraska. But that is what happens when Sleep Token rolled into Lincoln, NE to play a sold-out show at the Pinnacle Bank Arena on Tuesday, September 30, 2025. Many people wearing Sleep Token shirts packed the arena. I saw so many people outside the venue hours before the doors opened just to get merch. I’ve never seen anything like this concert.
Thornhill from Melbourne, Australia, was the opening act/direct support. This quartet knew how to throw down to get this audience of Sleep Token fans warmed up. I was quite impressed with lead vocalist Jacob Charlton’s energy. That man screamed his heart out for the Lincoln crowd while holding his microphone stand. The riffs were thick, and the breakdowns were heavy. Couldn’t have asked for a better opener for Sleep Token. This was their first time in Nebraska, and based on the crowd’s reaction, this definitely won’t be their last. Check out their latest album, Bodies, as well as their latest single, “Mercia”.
Sleep Token from the UK was ready to take on Lincoln, NE. This was not my first time seeing them, as I saw them in a support slot on a tour back in October of 2022, and I knew instantly when I saw them then that they were truly something special and were going places bigger than the Admiral Theater in Omaha that they were playing. I was not expecting them to go straight to selling out arenas three years later. The music has really resonated with the fans, just an emotional cathartic night for them. During the last song, they held up small signs saying their music saved their life. The production was out of this world, lasers included. I had never seen something like it before. Their stage setup was like a castle fortress, similar to Castle Grayskull from He-Man and Masters of the Universe. It was three stories high and looked incredible. I want the toy version of it immediately with every member of the band. One added touch to the band since I last saw them was the inclusion of backup singers, Espera, which definitely colored their sound in the best way possible. Lead vocalist Vessel continues to be such an enigma of a frontman, with this incredible look and vocals. I also loved this jig that he would do while the band plays. He truly looked like he was having the best time. All of the musicians in the band are incredible at what they do, but I do want to give a shout-out to the member, II, who was behind the drum kit all night, just giving a masterclass of a performance. And the saxophone player, who doesn’t get enough credit they deserve. The crowd and Sleep Token were in a symbiotic relationship during this entire “ritual”. I’ve never seen an audience and musical act become one like this ever. It was quite surreal. I honestly think people should see Sleep Token live at least once, especially with how big their production is now. I can now envision them going from arenas to stadiums. Check out their latest album, Even in Arcadia.
