Duran Duran Live Review, Vago's Final Show and Saturday Night Live Music Options
On Friday, Duran Duran frontman Simon Le Bon asked the audience if they knew when the last time they performed in Omaha was. Many fans acknowledged feverntly with with “1989” as if letting their built-up fandom escape their bodies now that one of their favorite bands was finally on stage in Omaha again. That stage was Steelhouse Omaha, and they were celebrating their one-year anniversary with a special show with a band that doesn’t play rooms this size. In fact, the band had just headlined the massive Creul World Festival at the Rose Bowl in Pasenda a week prior. Fans I spoke with and myself walked away from the show on Friday happy and ready for another return from the band.
Over the course of the night, the band performed both hits, a few deep cuts, a couple covers, and a few newer numbers. It was the right mix of music for fans hoping for more than just a greatest hits set, though from the talking and outright socializing that took place during some of the non-hit numbers, some were definitely just there for the hits. Thankfully, the show was not reseverd seats or seated, and Steelhouse Omaha has a flow to it and great sitelines that allow you to move to other places easily and avoid said clumps of people.
The band started off with “Nightboat” off their debut album, which has been reimagined for their hodgepodge “spooky” album Danse Macbre that came out last year. It’s a slow song for a pop band to start an anticipated show with, and I loved that move. They then went into “The Wild Boys” with Le Bon and John Taylor doing the shouty parts, before delivering one of their biggest hits, “Hungry Like the Wolf." It was “A View to a Kill,” though, where things really started to click, and you knew the rest of the ride would be a good one. That was where you could tell that Le Bon’s vocals were going to deliver all night, and he and the band got locked in, and the song sounded fantastic live.
A rousing “Notorious” followed, and then we got into the interesting part of the set. The band played the funky and fun “Black Moonlight” from Danse Macabre and then “Lonely in Your Nightmare," which is a fan favorite deep cut off of the Rio album that they now mash into a cover of Rick James "Superfreak." I'm not sure I care for that mashup, but hearing them do “Lonley in Your Nightmare” was a huge highlight. Another highlight was “INVISIBLE” off of their fantastic 2021 album FuturePast. They then did “Friends of Mine” and “Careless Memories” off of the debut album. I love that they did deeper cuts on this show.
My first two times seeing Duran Duran were in the early 90's, after they made their comeback with their 1993 self titled album. I have a lot of nostolgia with that album personally, so them doing “Ordinary World” and “Come Undone” back to back was a nice touch, and longtime live vocalist with the band Anna Ross took the spotlight here as well. The band then did “Planet Earth,” and that just really transported me back to the 80’s, oddly for the first time this night, in mind and spirit. A cover of Grandmaster Flash and Melle Mel’s “White Lines (Don’t Do It) was up next. This was fantastic and is the highlight of their 1995 covers album, which I think derailed the comeback they were on. They didn’t just snippit it either; they went full on and did the long version of the song. It was a lot of fun, but the audience seemed confused by it, and you could tell most had never heard the original or even Duran Duran’s cover.
Closing out the night, we had four of their biggest hits. ‘The Reflex” and “Girls on Film” which interpolated the Talking Head’s “Psycho Killer” into it. The band encored with a stunning sing-a-long of “Save a Prayer” and then “Rio” with that horn solo from Simon Willescroft to send everyone home happy. The band, including drummer Roger Taylor and keyboardist Nick Rhodes (still the coolest MF around), took a bow, officially starting the wait for our next Duran Duran experience.
This evening, Samuel Locke Ward will be at O’Leavers with A/C Drips. Samuel Locke Ward is a prolific artist both visually and musically who has worked with Joe Jack Talcum of Dead Milkmen and bass legend Mike Watt. Go look him up. He is fascinating.
Tonight is the final show from the long-running Omaha band Vago. The band will also be releasing their new album, What Can’t I Do?, this evening. The band will be at The Sydney, with Jermey Mercy also on the bill.
Matt Box Band is at Buck’s Bar and Grill, and he is always a great time out there. Rhythm Collective have some reggae for you at Bob & Willies Wonderbowl and Needtobreathe finish out a big week at Pinewood Bowl in Lincoln.
Here is the full line up of live music events tonight
Saturday May 18th
Samuel Locke Ward and A/C Drips at O’Leavers 9PM (Omaha)
Matt Cox Band at Bucks Bar and Grill 9PM (Venice)
Scallywags at The Zoo Bar 5PM (Lincoln)
Josh Hoyer at The Post 6PM (Lincoln)
Rhythm Collective at Bob & Willies Wonderbowl 7PM (Omaha)
Lorraine-Dietrich with Powerful Science at The Zoo Bar 9PM (Lincoln)
Logan Mize and Dylan Bloom at The Slowdown 8PM (Omaha)
Broadway Rave at Reverb Lounge (Omaha)
Hector Anchondo at Mouth of the South Old Market 11AM (Omaha)
Big Daddy Caleb at Mouth of the South Lakeside 11AM (Omaha)
Motley Crucial and Poison Overdose at East of Omaha 8PM (SOLD OUT)
Vago with Jeremy Mercy at The Sydney 8PM (Omaha)
Needtobreathe at Pinewood Bowl Theater 7PM (Lincoln)
Big Wade Trio at The Jewell on Capitol 7PM (Omaha)
402 at Maloney’s Live 8PM (Council Bluffs)
Kethro at 10Forward (Omaha)
Randy Burk and the Prisoners at Dubliner Pub 9:30PM (Omaha)
Blue House at Cobacabana 9PM (Omaha)
Dear Dario, Box Eats Miah and Neola at Down Under Lounge 9:30PM (Omaha)
Wayward Happiness at Down Under Lounge 6PM (Omaha)
Bury Mia, Stay The Course, Guilt Vacation at 1867 8PM (Lincoln)
John Worsham at Vino Mas 7PM (Omaha)
Unbroken Chain at B. Bar 8PM (Omaha)
Blind Item, Dill Pickles, Till Hell, Ten Dead,Cyphen, Crack Mountain at Grays Keg 7PM (Lincoln)
DJ Laced and Landoo Boomin at The Royal Grove 9PM (Lincoln)
Steve Taylor at Twisted Vine at 7PM (Papillion)
Taxi Driver at Surfside Club (Omaha)
Club Noir at The Verdict 9PM (Omaha)
Julie Baker Quartet at Gorats (Omaha)
Ian Munsick at The Astro 7PM (La Vista)
Ghost Town Radio, Cuddlebone, Night Push at Cosmic Eye Brewing 7:30PM (Lincoln)
Silver Moon at Cottonwood Cove (Blair)
Wonder Rising at Whiskey Roadhouse (Council Bluffs)
Envy at Sonny’s 8PM (Omaha)
Velvet Crush at Krush Ultra Lounge 8PM (Omaha)
Lemon Fresh Day at Cappy’s Hot Spot 8:30PM (Lincoln)