Often when someone goes to a concert, they encounter a room full of like-minded people. They all paid the same amount of money to see the same singer, and they are often hoping to hear a favorite song or two.
The crowd at Astro Amphitheater Sunday night was a bit different. There were people who came to see the singers of their favorite Christmas album, and people who came to see hear their favorite a cappella group. Then there were people who wanted to relive their youth of 30 years ago with their favorite singer—the opening act.
Lisa Loeb’s classic hit “Stay (I Missed You)” turned 30 this year, and several concertgoers paid homage to the video with little black jersey dresses and/or cat-eye glasses. Loeb’s career has been varied since then, with commercial work, podcasts, an exclusive video interview series with AARP, and more. She appeared onstage with her guitar, one microphone, and a simple video screen backdrop featuring those iconic glasses.
Loeb performed a short set of songs, from 1995’s “Do You Sleep” to 2020’s “This is My Life.” As much as the songs entertained, however, it was the stories behind the songs that gave everyone a bit of knowledge about Loeb, the music industry, the film industry, and more. She complimented Omahans on the city, noting that she and her son spent a portion of the day in Hollywood Candy. Before performing 2008’s “The Disappointing Pancake,” a cute song featured on her “Camp Lisa” album in support of her charity by the same name, the singer-songwriter told the audience that she was going to be out front near the merchandise table after the show to sign autographs. No extra charge for a “meet-and-greet” was required. A good percentage of the cat-eye-glasses-clad crowd left their seats at Astro Theater, where Loeb warmly greeted those who waited for a signature, a photo, and a couple of words.
In preparation of the main act, the video backdrop changed from black-and-white to shades of 1990s-esque neon. The logo appearing on the backdrop was a colorful S with NC, a riff on several boy-band monikers—and indeed, the 10-person vocal group opened with a version of Backstreet Boys’ “Everybody,” complete with high energy dance moves and lots of bright colors, a theme that continued through the set.
A cappella is an interesting music style. Without instruments, it takes raw talent to be able to recreate recognizable pop and rock tunes. This group did it with varied success. While “Everybody” was fine, the next song, “All Star” by Smash Mouth was melodic and pretty—not words often used to describe a ska song. At least three times, I found myself thinking, “What is this song, I know it…” and then remember the name during the chorus. Each time was because the song, in a cappella, doesn’t capture the same feeling aswith instruments. “Linger” doesn’t quite work without an Irish lilt and the violins, Oasis’ “Wonderwall” needed Noel Gallagher’s whine, and Radiohead’s “Creep” is, well, creepy when filled with the angst of 1990s grunge.
That said, there were plenty of songs that did work. Santana’s “Maria Maria,” and Weezer’s “Buddy Holly” both came through well with just vocals. A mix of theme songs from TV shows was fun, especially when the video screen superimposed the faces of the singers over the tops of those from the TV characters. A mix of “Women of the 1990s” highlighted everything from Alanis Morissette to Brittany Spears.
Before, and in-between, songs, the group told jokes, made fun of their age, and generally entertained the crowd in attendance. The final two songs, Ricky Martin’s “La Vida Loca” and a mashup of Montell Jordan’s “This is How We Do It” and Boyz II Men’s “Motown Philly,” were the two most well-received songs of the set.
The group encored with a mix of 1990s dance tunes, from “Rhythm is a Dancer” by Snap! To “Good Vibrations” by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch (Yes, the group led by actor Mark Wahlberg), before bringing it back to a pure a cappella version “Make You Feel My Love,” a song written by Bob Dylan and recorded by several artists.
The show ended around 10 p.m., after which Straight No Chaser also greeted a lengthy crowd in the hallway for an autograph session that lasted for nearly another hour.
