IT CALLS ME BY NAME Tour
Wage War, Nevertel, Orthodox
May 8th, 2026
The Admiral, Omaha, Nebraska
Words, and Photo by Jason Bob – @artbyjbob
I had never seen Orthodox before, but I had been listening to their latest album, A Door Left Open. From the first note to the very last, their set was absolutely brutal, fueled by eager crowd surfers and a mosh pit that never stopped circling like a tornado through the center of a Nebraska cornfield. The energy was relentless, and by the end of their set it was obvious why the band has been building so much momentum lately. I’m already looking forward to the next time they come through town, and you’d be a fool to miss any stop on the rest of this tour.
Next up was Nevertel, opening with their popular single “Break the Silence,” featuring Sleep Theory. It was also my first time seeing them live, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. What I got was a sonic treat. Their unique fusion of rock and rap delivered with nonstop energy while guitarists Alec Davis and Raul Lopez ran and spun across the stage without missing a single beat. Kalie Wolfe of Rivals joined Nevertel onstage for a song, adding another memorable moment to an already explosive set. Their performance pulled tracks from across their catalog before closing with “Criminal,” the band’s first song released to radio. One of the coolest moments of the night was seeing multiple generations of fans singing every single word back to the stage, something vocalist Jeremy Michael acknowledged with a smile and a point into the crowd.
Last, but certainly not least, was Wage War closing out the night after the tour support had the crowd fully warmed up and ready to erupt. Wage War brought the swamps of Florida to the Midwest with a set packed full of songs spanning their entire discography. Midway through the set, the band gave the crowd the choice between “Relapse” and “Who I Am,” with the audience emphatically choosing “Who I Am.” Afterward, most of the band stepped away from the stage for a stripped-down and intimate performance of “Gravity,” creating one of the night’s most emotionally charged moments. By the time the final notes rang out and the house lights came up, the crowd looked equally exhausted and exhilarated, the kind of feeling only a truly great heavy music show can leave behind.
From Orthodox’s unrelenting aggression, to Nevertel’s infectious energy, to Wage War’s massive closing performance, the night felt like a perfect snapshot of where modern heavy music is right now: emotional, chaotic, and completely alive.
