by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

I say “night 2” with Friko because the Chicago band just opened for Black Country, New Road at Slowdown last week. Tonight they’re headlining at Reverb Lounge. 

Like I said in last Wednesday’s preview, the duo of Niko Kapetan and Bailey Minzenberger grabbed national attention with their debut album, Where We’ve Been, Where We Go from Here, released last year on ATO Records. Pitchfork gave it a glowing 7.9 rating, saying the album channeled “the sound and spirit of 2000s indie rock.” For me, the guitar-fueled singer/songwriter fare leans closer to alt rock than indie, which probably explains their ever-growing popularity.  

That’s not the case for touring opening act Youbet.  On their most recent album, Way to Be (2024, Hardly Art), the NYC-based indie project fronted by Nick Llabot with Micah Prussack and Jojo Quinn sounds like a cross between modern singer/songwriter stuff and gritty, low-fi post-punk a la Sonic Youth (especially on new single “Deny.”). Should make for quite a double-bill. $20, 8 p.m. 

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2025 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.