Catch an electrifying performance from The Pretenders in Omaha! Chrissie Hynde’s iconic vocals and the band’s timeless rock hits are a must-see for the unparalleled energy and passion.

The Pretenders rose out of London’s late-70s punk/new wave scene, effectively bridging the gap between that world and the Top 40 with a series of lean, spiky singles that were also melodic and immediately accessible. Released in 1980, their first album topped the U.K. charts and is widely considered one of the greatest debuts of all time. Their initial run yielded a clutch of smartly-written, successful singles like “Brass in Pocket”, “Back on the Chain Gang”, and “Middle of the Road”.

As the ‘80s wore on, the death of two original members and a succession of replacements essentially turned the Pretenders into Hynde’s project, though her semi-autobiographic songwriting and distinctive vocal phrasing continued to define their sound. 1984’s Learning to Crawl and tis 1986 successor, Get Close, went gold on both sides of the Atlantic and 1994’s Last of the Independents yielded a perennial rock ballad in “I’ll Stand by You.” In the 21st century, the Pretenders’ output slowed, though records like 2008’s Break Up the Concrete and 2016’s Alone continued to perform well on the U.K. charts and Hynde’s songwriting never lost its bite and vitality. Those attributes were in full effect on their 12th album, 2023’s Relentless.