The Tale Untold, DAKØTA, and Annaliese
HALLOWEEN HAVOC
October 24, 2026
Reverb Lounge, Omaha, Nebraska
Halloween arrived a week early at the Reverb Lounge as three female-fronted bands from the Midwest came together for an unforgettable evening appropriately billed as Halloween Havoc. Between the costumes, the music, and a few unexpected surprises, the night offered plenty of tricks and even more treats for those in attendance.
The evening brought together three bands whose musical styles might not immediately seem like an obvious combination. Omaha’s The Tale Untold delivered their brand of melodic deathcore, DAKØTA brought a combination of pop and metal, and Annaliese closed things out with her pop-rock sound. Despite their differences, each band’s performance complemented the next, creating a surprisingly natural progression throughout the evening.
And, of course, everyone got into the Halloween spirit.
The Tale Untold: Scooby-Doo Meets Deathcore
Opening the evening was Omaha’s own The Tale Untold, who traded their usual appearance for something straight out of Saturday morning cartoons. The band arrived dressed as the Mystery Inc. gang from Scooby-Doo, bringing a little late 1900’s nostalgia into a musical setting that was considerably heavier than anything Hanna-Barbera ever imagined.
The contrast was entertaining enough on its own. Seeing the familiar Scooby-Doo characters performing melodic deathcore isn’t exactly something you encounter every weekend. The band even tossed out Scooby Snacks during their performance, adding a playful touch to an otherwise aggressive set.
Musically, The Tale Untold wasted little time getting down to business, opening with “Barbarian” before launching into an unexpected cover of Chappell Roan’s “HOT TO GO!” It was the kind of song choice that fit the evening perfectly, bringing a recognizable pop hit into the band’s heavier musical world. From there, the band moved through “Burn It Down,” “Coffee,” and “Glitch In The System,” followed by “I Like It” and “Battleground.” They wrapped things up with “It’s Complicated” and “God Complex,” completing a tight nine-song performance.
There was something genuinely fun about watching a band balance their heavier musical identity with the silliness of a Halloween costume party. The Tale Untold managed to embrace both without sacrificing either.
DAKØTA: A Horror Movie Comes to Life
If The Tale Untold brought Saturday morning cartoons to the stage, DAKØTA took things in a considerably darker direction.
The band’s Halloween presentation looked like a gathering of horror movie villains. Art the Clown handled guitar duties, Michael Myers took his place behind the drums, and Dakota herself appeared as a variation of Jared Leto’s Joker from Zack Snyder’s Justice League. It was an interesting collection of characters, and one that gave the performance a distinctly sinister appearance.
DAKØTA’s music offered another shift in the evening’s atmosphere, combining pop-rock sensibilities with heavier metal influences. The contrast between memorable melodies and heavier instrumentation worked particularly well following The Tale Untold’s more straight up aggressive opening set.
After an introductory track, DAKØTA launched into “Sincerely,” followed by “Losing War” and “The Cycle.” The band then delivered their own Halloween Havoc surprise with a fan-favorite cover of Avril Lavigne’s “I’m With You.” It was another example of how the evening’s performers weren’t afraid to bring familiar pop music into their respective musical styles. “Sycophant” and “Beneath My Skin” followed before the band closed their seven-song set with “Memories.”
Much like the evening’s opening performance, DAKØTA kept things moving without unnecessary downtime. The music and costumes provided two different kinds of entertainment, and neither overshadowed the other.
Annaliese: The Broken Doll Takes Center Stage
Closing out Halloween Havoc was Annaliese, whose stage presentation might have been the most visually intriguing of the evening. Annaliese appeared as a broken porcelain kewpie doll, complete with a pink babydoll dress that seemed pulled from the shelves of a long abandoned haunted antique shop.
Her backing band provided an equally interesting visual contrast. Dressed entirely in white hoodies, white pants, and ski masks, the musicians looked almost anonymous behind their matching outfits. Both the hoodies and masks featured Annaliese’s heart logo, giving the entire group a coordinated appearance.
Where The Tale Untold leaned into cartoon nostalgia and DAKØTA embraced horror movie villains, Annaliese’s presentation felt more like a twisted dollhouse fantasy. Her performance also represented the evening’s final musical transition, moving toward a more pop-rock-oriented sound without completely abandoning the energy established by the previous two bands.
The set began with Annaliese walking on stage to Britney Spears’ “Gimme More,” serving as the introductory music before opening with “Train Wreck.” “Haunting Me” and “Body Glow” followed, leading into one of the evening’s notable moments: the live debut of “Mad Luv.” From the look on her face, Annaliese was overjoyed to see so many fans singing her latest single back to her from the crowd.
She then channeled her early 2000s emo spirit with a cover of Story of the Year’s “Until the Day I Die.” Being the song that first put Annaliese on her fans’ radar, it was another unexpected selection that fit comfortably into a night filled with musical surprises. She closed the evening with “Physical Therapy,” bringing her set, and Halloween Havoc itself, to an end.
Three bands, three sounds, one great Halloween concert. What made Halloween Havoc particularly enjoyable was how well these three very different bands worked together. The Tale Untold’s melodic deathcore, DAKØTA’s pop-metal approach, and Annaliese’s pop-rock sound each occupied their own musical territory. Rather than competing with one another, the performances offered something different as the night progressed.
There was also something worth appreciating about an entire evening featuring female-fronted bands, each with a distinct musical personality and stage presence. The Halloween costumes added another layer of entertainment, but the music remained the focus. Each band delivered a tight, focused performance, and the evening never felt like the costumes were being used as a substitute for the music.
From Scooby Snacks flying through the crowd to masked horror villains and a broken porcelain doll, Halloween Havoc offered plenty of memorable visuals. Underneath all the Halloween theatrics was what really mattered: three bands, three different styles of music, and another great night at Omaha’s Reverb Lounge.
And they would’ve gotten away with it, too, if it weren’t for those meddling concertgoers.
