The Buttertones return to Omaha with classic tracks, new energy

The Buttertones are back, and the band made the Slowdown in Omaha one of the few stops on its latest run of U.S. shows on Friday night.

The band, which was nearly derailed by a slew of #MeToo allegations in 2020, has only two members from its previous incarnation left, but it still boasts all the songs that made the slick post-punk-influenced outfit what it was. After the sexual misconduct allegations set off a string of departures and cancellations for the group, singer Richard Araiza and drummer-turned-guitarist Modeste Cobián remain. 

Flash back to 2020: Araiza and Cobián, in a video that was widely viewed by fans at the time as a half-baked apology months after the fact, had pledged to return with new music, but not necessarily as the Buttertones. Yet here the band was, in town for the first time since 2018, playing to a larger crowd than at its previous two shows, perhaps combined (though the Friday night slot was likely a factor). And for most concertgoers, the band had barely missed a beat, despite the addition of only one newer song to its set list.

Shadow play: Araiza flanked by new members.
All photos by Christopher Windle

The new band members include talented bassist Karly Low, who ably and energetically replaced Sean Redman, the most problematic former member. Brandon Gold is the new drummer, and it took two musicians to replace multi-instrumentalist London Guzmán. (Carlos Sanchez is now on sax.) The other official new member, Mimi Pretend, was an aloof presence onstage (although I’ve been assured that the keyboardist and guitarist loves being onstage).

That the band replaced two male musicians with two women seems like it’s meant to be significant. Even Araiza stated during the show that “the gals keep us balanced, you know.”

But the songs are still there. Two of my favorite Buttertones tracks, “Brickhead” and “Darling, I Need Time But Don’t Really Know Why,” which I’d never had a chance to hear live before, were somewhat lacking. Still, the show was surprisingly good. 

The band opened with “Gravediggin’” and also played “Winks and Smiles,” “You and Your Knife,” and “Denial, You Win Again” before the concert really picked up steam. As the Buttertones launched into older tracks like “Rainbow Wine” and “Orpheus Under the Influence"” (with Araiza aptly singing, “I’m drunk”), the band had found its groove. A new song, “Nite Time Is My Time,” was followed by Btones classics like “A Tear for Rosie,” “Connie,” and “Baby Doll.”

“Bebop,” perhaps the biggest bop off the Buttertone’s last album, “Jazzhound,” got the audience fired up. And the energy didn’t come down as the band tore through “Baby C4,” “Two-Headed Shark,” and “Matador.” By the time the band played “Sadie’s a Sadist,” there was a pit churning. An encore of “Bad Girl” and “Dak’s Back” (spoiler: he’s still not) was just what the crowd was looking for.

Is is OK to love the Buttertones again? That’s a question that listeners must decide for themselves. But for Omaha concertgoers, whether they were unfazed by or just unaware of the past, the answer was a resounding “yes.”