Political-Protest Folk visits Omaha on Jesse Welles’ Headlining tour
On a cloudy Tuesday in August, people lined the streets outside the Steelhouse in Omaha, Nebraska, to see singer-songwriter Jesse Welles. A mix of Bob Dylan and The Beatles, creating everything from political protest folk tracks to classic rock tracks with rapping throughout. This has established Welles is in a league of his own. Fans eagerly filed inside, quickly filling the venue.
Warming up the stage before the main act was Ratboys, a female-fronted, five-piece band from Chicago. They began their set with a few tracks from Singin’ to an Empty Chair, including Open Up, Anywhere, and Penny in the Lake. Ratboys exists somewhere between indie rock, country, and folk. Their songs feel like driving down a back road with the windows down on a summer night, while letting the breeze slip through your fingers.
While introducing their song Burn It Down, lead singer Julia Steiner dedicated the song to the immigrants who make this country so beautiful, stating, “Immigrants make America great,” as the crowd cheered. They ended their set with the feel-good country song Go Outside.
After a quick stage changeover, Welles entered. He walked out solo, armed with only his guitar and harmonica. The stage setup mimicked how he’s often seen in his videos, surrounded by the great outdoors. Grass sprawled across the stage, with flowers sprouting up throughout. A huge steel utility pole towered behind him. A single light hit his back, catching in his floppy shag and perfectly mimicking the warm glow of sunlight.
Welles opened the night with his 2024 single Walmart, a song that brings attention to corporate greed and the wealth gap in this country. He flowed through his setlist with ease and without interruption. The crowd erupted in applause after especially witty and poignant lines.
The energy was raw and vulnerable, with a clear focus on the power of the lyrics. During Whirlwind, a four-piece band flooded the stage and joined Welles, shifting his classic folk sound toward something heavier and more rock-oriented. The bass guitar cut through the crowd as they launched into the satirical track, Join Ice.
Having a full band didn’t slow Welles down, though. The musicians masterfully flowed from one track to the next, creating a seamless transition between his stripped-down folk sound and heavier rock moments. Supporting Welles were Adam Meisterhans on guitar, Joel Parks on bass, Connor Streeter on drums, and Bobby Steinfeld on keys.
As the night progressed, the stage lighting dimmed to mimic the sun setting. Then, blinking lights, emulating stars, started behind the band. It felt like laying on your back in an empty field with your friends as you admire the night sky. This transition led into the first cover of the evening, War Pigs by Black Sabbath. A track that not only works perfectly with Welles vocally, but fits right in with his other political tracks as well.
After a few more songs, Welles’ band exited, leaving just him and his guitar on stage once more. Welles then played some of his older hits, such as Turtles and Bugs, stating that since this is his first time in Omaha, he has a few albums' worth of music to cover.
To close out the evening, Welles wrapped up his set with War Isn’t Murder, a protest track calling out the brutality of the ethnic cleansing currently occurring against the Palestinian people. As the final notes rang out through the Steelhouse, the audience cheered. The crowd was left with a sense of camaraderie with one another as the evening really highlighted that Omaha is the blue dot in Nebraska.
