- Jacqueline Radakovich
Reverb Lounge in Omaha welcomed hip-hop artist GarageSale last Saturday night
for their EP release party. The lineup was a diverse group of local music artists and bands from Omaha and Lincoln including: Justin Pickett, Even Coast, DRE’LEQUE, Ryan O’Neel from After Arizona, and GarageSale. GarageSale is a project by Bobby Wright with Jesse Little. Bobby is also the lead singer of Omaha metal band, From This Day Forward. His solo project is an emo hip-hop project in which he incorporates metal and acoustic elements. You might think that metal, acoustic, and hip-hop do not work well together, but the way GarageSale mixes everything in makes an intriguing and satisfactory sound. GarageSale is mixed and mastered by Jesse Little, who also incorporates guitar, cello, and vocals.
Justin Pickett at Reverb Lounge Photo Credit: jrad.arts
Justin Pickett went on first, an independent artist from Omaha. He mentioned as he first
went on stage how seriously he was taking this opportunity, which I appreciated. Jesse Little was his DJ, and Pickett performed some rap as well as sang. He seemed a bit nervous, but that and stage presence comes with practice and time. Pickett was super passionate and interactive, and you could see he wanted to be there. His sound was pretty good, and his songs were catchy, a suggestion I would have is that it was a bit hard to decipher between him and the background music. He also stuck around to watch and cheer for each act after him, showing his support for the local music scene. Pickett is on Spotify, as well as Instagram @jpick402.
Even Coast at Reverb Lounge Photo Credit: jrad.arts
Even Coast was second, a pop punk rock band from Omaha formed in 2018. It was a
three-person band with Andrew Nelson on lead vocals and guitar, Tavyer Glass on bass, and
Henry Sukstorf on drums. They pride themselves on playing whatever feels right rather than
limiting themselves to one genre. Even Coast was interactive, passionate, and had a great
sound. There was not an instrument that overpowered another, and they seemed to have great chemistry on stage and with each other. They opened with a cover of Green Day’s “Welcome To Paradise” to get the crowd hyped up with a song everyone knew. Then they performed several of their original songs and closed with another Green Day cover. Even Coast was enjoyable to watch and listen to and they rocked out. Honorable mention of Henry’s drumming and contribution to the band. I feel that sometimes drummers are forgotten about or left in the back, but Henry made himself known and proved that with his drumming. I would love to see another Even Coast show and see how they continue to improve. The band also stuck around the venue and encouraged anyone to come talk to them. You can find their music on Spotify, as well as Instagram @evencoast.
DRE'LEQUE & Jesse Little at Reverb Lounge Photo Credit: jrad.arts
DRE’LEQUE followed next with Jesse Little on DJ. DRE’LEQUE is a rapper based in Lincoln, Nebraska, with roots in Kansas City, MO. Dre has been rapping for years but recently started studio recording with Jesse. He has a few projects out on streaming services, with a recent
single “BLACK STAR (Freestyle)” that just came out last week and has a groovy beat to it. Dre has only performed a few times, but his rap flow is well developed. With more practice, he could shape up to become an exceptional performer. He performed several original songs written by him and brought up one of his friends to perform “Yayo”. A suggestion I have for him is just to be more interactive, so people know who he is, and what songs he is performing. I think if he made sure everyone knew his name, people would remember him because he brings lots of talent to the stage. As his performance went on it looked like he got more comfortable, and it was a fun show to watch. He also brought up the rest of his buddies to perform “BLACK STAR” which showed how he appreciates those who support him. I look forward to his future as a rapper and performer. You can find his music on Spotify.
Ryan O'Neel of After Arizona at Reverb Lounge Photo Credit: jrad.arts
Ryan O’Neel from After Arizona performed next. Unfortunately, the rest of his band
could not make it due to personal reasons, but I appreciated that O’Neel still performed by
himself instead of canceling. After Arizona is a pop punk band that was formed in 2016 by
O’Neel. He put on an acoustic show, with just him and his guitar. It was a super chill set that
was enjoyable to listen to. He has a great voice for pop punk and seems passionate about his music. He sang many songs from After Arizona and told backstories on some songs as well. He also shared that he has not played these songs on guitar in a long time, but he still did a great job with it. He also stayed to support GarageSale after his set. You can listen to After Arizona on Spotify and find them on Instagram @afterarizona.
GarageSale at Reverb Lounge Photo Credit: jrad.arts
Seeing GarageSale perform was entertaining because Bobby has a great stage presence. He looks the happiest when he is on stage and is passionate about his music and how he performs it. Behind him on stage was Jesse Little who was a DJ, guitarist, and vocalist, and played the cello for this set. Bobby also hopped on the piano while Jesse played the cello for an acoustic track, “Song One”. GarageSale also brought up Eddie Deets, the guitarist for his band From This Day Forward, to play guitar for the track “Pain”. Jesse also played guitar for this track. All these instruments and features made the show even more enjoyable to watch. While it was an emo rap show, they still found a way to make it different from everyone else and incorporated other genres into it to create something of their own that everyone can enjoy. I love that Bobby is involved in the local music scene and is appreciative of those who help him create his music. As for the sound itself, the added instruments all sounded great and were in sync with the beat. Bobby has a great voice for this type of music and incorporates some metal into his vocals for some added fun. They were passionate and interactive and got the crowd moving and singing along. I look forward to the future of GarageSale and hope to get the chance to review shows in the future. Be on the lookout for the new EP “Burned” coming soon. You can find GarageSale on streaming services as well as social media @garagesale.music
This was a fun local music concert and displayed some of Nebraska’s talent through
several different styles and genres. These artists all have the potential to grow, and I look
forward to each and all their futures as artists! The show ran smoothly, and everyone looked like they were having a great time. GarageSale is an interesting project that incorporates many styles to create something of their own. Be sure to check out their new EP! Bobby’s band From This Day Forward is going on tour this November with Jesse as their new bassist! I would recommend getting yourself to a show!
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