Cursive – Live @ Omaha

There are few things that can diminish my enjoyment of live music. The overall experience of just being there and feeling the energy of the crowd is enough to keep me happy. But if the band obviously isn’t feeling enthusiastic about what they’re doing, it tends to leave me unsatisfied.

Seeing local acts can be a mixed bag; you might see the overly enthusiastic high school band with little skill but lots of energy. Sometimes you’ll see a group of fantastic musicians who look positively bored on stage. And sometimes, when the stars align just right, you get to see an amazingly talented group who looks thrilled to be doing what they love to do.

Somehow, I was lucky enough to see three such bands on one night. On January 23rd, the long-awaited return of Omaha’s prodigal sons Cursive took place at the Slowdown. The club, named for an earlier incarnation of Cursive, was the perfect place for the local-turned-national-act to spend a frigid evening with their hometown fans.

First up was It’s True!, a five-piece group of some of Omaha’s finest. I’d heard their name thrown around and even briefly met the bassist some months earlier, but I had no idea what to expect as they stepped into the lights. It was easy to expect them to sound like a mid-’90s garage band with their relaxed personal styles. But when I spied the omnichord, I knew we were in for something amazing. Frontman Adam Hawkins’ powerful but sweet voice drifted up to me in the upper seating area, lulling me into a kind of incredulous silence.

The meaty sounds from each of the five guys could easily have stood on their own, but together they created this incredibly intricate and mesmerizing picture. It’s the type of music that is so substantial you can almost hold it in your hand to admire it. When the group launched into “Honestly,” it felt a little like love: full of pleasure and heartbreak all at once. “I’m not asking you for a miracle/ I’m not asking to part the sea/ I’m not asking you to move the sun or the stars/ They can all stay as they are/ But ooh, take it easy on me,” sung in Adam’s innocently pensive voice, is honestly one of the most beautiful songs I’ve heard in years.

One of the most notable qualities of It’s True! (and there are many) is their enthusiasm. They throw themselves bodily into their music. When Adam’s glasses fell off during a particularly energetic bit of guitaring, he kicked them to the side and went on without them. And when he broke a string and put his guitar out of commission, he simply finished the song a’ cappella. As the set finished, it felt like every last person in the audience had to catch their breath.

Next up was Son Ambulance, another local act full of Omaha music royalty. With singer-songwriter Joseph Knapp heading up the outfit and the incomparable Dereck Higgins on guitar, this laid-back seven-piece may have seemed like an odd choice given the other two bands playing that night. But after the infectious energy of It’s True! and before the plaintive growling and screaming to come with Cursive, Son Ambulance was the perfect way chill-out opportunity.

Not that they didn’t bring their own brand of ass-kicking, of course; their calm is only on the surface. With the mastery that comes from countless hours of simply living inside their music, this group wowed everyone there. With a sax and synthesizer to add depth to their sound, Son Ambulance bounced from folky melodies to ’70s-influenced pop, with a few stops in between. There’s a definite sense of masterful storytelling to every one of their songs. They have that sort of indefinable style transcendence, making them challenging to define but easy to love.

Regardless of the calming influence of Son Ambulance, the crowd came screaming to their feet when Cursive walked out. The local sweethearts are now indie icons and have a massive following in their hometown. They’ve been called “emo for grownups,” which seems to fit them well. So many of us grew up knowing these guys, having mutual friends, or at least seeing them play in dark, smoky bars years ago. Watching them take up their respective instruments obviously stirred a great deal of pride in the Slowdown that night.

Tim Kasher’s small frame and youthful face belie his powerful voice, which he takes from mewling to roaring in an instant. While playing the guitar and singing, he manages to punctuate his words with gestures, stabbing at the air or shaking his fist. Cursive’s sound occasionally dips into chaos, with so much going on at once that it’s difficult to process it all. But that chaos is tempered with an oddly sweet introspection. Each and every song feels autobiographical in a sense, but with the sort of perspective that comes from looking in from the outside. It’s rock with a heart. It’s punkish, but in a slightly gentler way. It’s emo without the self-harm or annoying haircuts. In short, Cursive has taken everything that’s right about indie music and shaped it into a completely unique experience.

Regardless of Kasher’s reported sore throat, his vocals were spot-on. After playing upwards of a dozen songs (and comparing his clothing style to that of Rainbow Brite), Kasher apologetically grabbed his mug of tea and rushed off of the stage. It seemed doubtful that their fans would get the encore they were begging for. Just when standing there got awkward and I began to wonder if I should leave, Cursive indulged us with a few more songs. As with the entire show, they played a mix of old and new – something to please everyone, Kasher promised.

And we were, indeed, pleased. There wasn’t one person in the place who hadn’t been moved to dance – even just a little – at some point during the evening. All three acts were so much better than I could have expected. I’d like to think that everyone else left the show with as big a smile as I did that night.

Tagged as: omaha

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