Pop Evil-Lincoln-4.13.25

Pop Evil at The Bourbon Theatre in Lincoln, Nebraska on April 13, 2025.

Photos and Review by The Pit Magazine Contributor, Bob DeHart Photography

Pop Evil continued their “What Remains” tour in Lincoln, Nebraska on April 13^th at the Bourbon Theater. One thing that became clearly evident from the beginning is that Lincoln loves this band! And from the way the show went, Pop Evil loves Lincoln right back. This was my third time having the opportunity to cover Pop Evil over the past few years. And admittedly, I was a fair weather fan, liked a few songs, but hadn’t totally bought in to them entirely. After covering them a few times, they have transformed me into a fan that looks forward to their treks through the area. The literally seem to get better and better each time I see them.

When lead vocalist Leigh Kakaly howls into the mic, it’s a beautiful thing, maybe one most under-rated vocalist in rock right now. The rest of the band sounded tight and in sync. The rest of the band is made up of Nick Fuelling on lead guitar, Dave Grahs on rhythm guitar, and Joey “Chicago” Walser on bass, and Blake Allison on drums. The last two, the rhythm section for Pop Evil, pulled double duty also playing for opener Devour the Day. Which is quite the feat considering how much energy these two bands put out during their shows.

Pop Evil ripped through a 16 song set. Highlights for me included Skeletons, What Remains, and Lions. They closed the set with crowd favorite Breathe Again and Footsteps. They are a perfect mix of hard rock and catchy melodies. Which is why they keep me coming back for more. Check them out if you can, they obviously are doing something right, and they have some of the most dedicated fans I have seen at a show in a while.