On an absolutely sweltering Monday night in Omaha, Scowl played a super-charged and very sweaty show at Reverb Lounge. The 150 capacity room (not typically very full for most shows I’ve attended there) filled quickly, and the excitement was palpable. 

Local hardcore band, Lead Spirit, kicked off the night with big energy. They had a lot of fans in the crowd (not surprising for Omaha’s hardcore scene), most of which formed a large pit in the small room and took turns screaming into the mic with Lead Spirits’ vocalist. Their set was non-stop energy, and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more local shows from them. 

Glixen, from Phoenix, AZ, was up next, and while they generally slowed things down a bit with vibey shoegaze, they definitely still brought the noise. From their Y2K rocker chic aesthetic, to the soft vocals mixed with the heavy, buzzy instrumentals, the crowd was all but hypnotized. I was unfamiliar with Glixen, but they put on a killer show despite lead singer Aislinn Ritchie being shocked by her mic throughout. I especially loved the last two songs of their set, “lick the star” and “shut me down,” the latter fully instrumental, and one of those songs you just feel in your chest.

Scowl took the stage to a packed room and immediately brought the energy back up, opening with their aptly named track, “Opening Night.” Vocalist Kat Moss danced and two-stepped their way through the whole set, taking time to lean down and sing and scream in the faces of fans pressed against the stage. Formed in 2019 in Santa Cruz, Scowl has really cemented themselves in the alternative and hardcore scenes, playing Coachella in 2023 and signing to Dead Oceans earlier this year. Their newest album, Are We All Angels, released earlier this year took up most of the setlist, but they made time for a few tracks from previous releases, most notably “Fuck Around” and “Bloodhound” from their 2021 album, How Flowers Grow, and “Psychic Dance Routine,” the title track of their 2023 EP. Moss encouraged fans to keep moving and dancing throughout, even calling a circle pit into action, to which the crowd very enthusiastically followed orders. Scowl has made it clear that they value their fans as a community, and it’s clear that the band feeds off that energy, especially in such an intimate setting. The electric night ended with “Special,” a perfect closer in my opinion, as the song is exactly what the title infers.

While this tour has wrapped up, you can catch Scowl on tour this fall with Sunami. Keep up with Scowl on Instagram and grab a copy of Are We All Angels on vinyl, CD, or cassette.

All photos appear courtesy of Crysta Marie for Honorable Mention Magazine