Mina Davis
CONTRIBUTOR
Four years ago, The Wombats graced Omaha with their presence at the Slowdown to coincide with the release of their latest album, “The Modern Glitch.”
On Sept. 29, The Wombats came back to Omaha, this time playing at The Waiting Room in the heart of Benson with the opening act, MONA.
Tickets were a reasonable price of $18 before the day of the show and $20 the day of the show, making it very affordable to any Wombats fan.
MONA, an American rock band from Nashville, Tennessee, set the stage with songs from both of their albums, “Mona” and “Torches & Pitchforks.” The vibe of the music was sometimes gritty but not so much so that it left you feel dirty.
The somewhat grungy tone may have taken some back to the 90’s but the band still had enough modern touches to feel relevant.
The front man even jumped in the crowd and encouraged fans to sing along with him as he waltzed back up to the stage. Other members of MONA were also jamming out with the fans as the guitarist danced across the stage during some songs, which really helped set an energetic vibe.
I was truly unsure that I would even like this band, but after watching them perform and hearing sounds that were similar to The Wombats, but much heavier on the rock sound, I ended up buying a CD.
The Wombats, an English rock band, are on tour with their previous stop in Zilker Park in Austin, Texas for the Austin City Limits (ACL) music festival.
Their latest album “Glitterbug” debuted in all of its glory in front of an excited, vibrant crowd. Mixed in with classics from their previous two albums such as “Kill the Director” and “Patricia the Stripper,” The Wombats were able to get the crowd into a stirred frenzy.
A healthy mix of the classics and introductions to some of the new songs on the latest album energized the crowd.
As an avid Wombats fan, I ended up buying their touring t-shirt, a pack of buttons and their latest CD so that I could have something to play as I made the morning commute to work.
The stage was set with a purple hue – the very color scheme that details the front cover of “Glitterbug.” One could see The Wombats plastered in light white lettering on black, creating a sense of anticipation for their arrival.
The concert lasted a good two hours – with a little intermission between bands to get the crowd ready for The Wombats. The best part of the night was chanting for an encore, which they obliged, and all were treated to the classic “Let’s Dance to Joy Division” and “Isabel,” a heartfelt solo sung by the lead singer on their latest album “Glitterbug.”
If you’re a fan of indie rock that encourages you to get out of your seat with easy sing-along lyrics, The Wombats are for you.
Take The Wombats and MONA for a test drive. Search their name on Spotify, and you may like what you hear, just like those of us in attendance at their live performance.
