Oso Oso brought an intimate show to The Bottleneck

July 29, 2025

Alex Agueros,

Oso Oso. // photo by Alex Agueros

Jade Lilitri has plenty to celebrate.

Since his debut as Oso Oso in 2015, Lilitri has parlayed a name-your-price “Mixtape” into a pair of acclaimed albums on Triple Crown Records – including the instantly essential Basking in the Glow – and most recently released Life Till Bones on Yunahon Entertainment LLC, named after his aforementioned indie standout, The Yunahon Mixtape.

Lilitri marked 10 years of his alternative rock project with “The $10 Bill Tour,” delivering a decade’s worth of Oso Oso’s sunny melodies and humble insight to a modest Lawrence crowd Thursday, July 24, at The Bottleneck.

Appreciating humble pleasures like sharing Gatorade, playing house shows, and waking up to the socks next to his bed are fundamental to the Oso Oso ethos, making the lowkey feel of the weeknight, $10 ticket thematically appropriate. Chances are everyone in the crowd of about 120 heard their favorite song across the 25-song setlist. Despite the light headcount, undeniable pop-punk hooks on “Josephine,” and “Reindeer Games,” put some bounce in the crowd, and cuts from 2019’s breakthrough Basking in the Glow stood out as emotional highs while touring Oso Oso’s no-duds discography.

Lilitri’s laid-back stage presence further promoted a mellow atmosphere inside the Bottleneck. Breaks between high-energy, uptempo songs were peaceful as Oso Oso’s leader quietly tuned his guitars and his band mates slugged bottles of water. Standing stage left, Lilitri only claimed the spotlight upon delivering solo acoustic performances of “One Sick Plan,” and “This Must Be My Exit,” and saved the majority of his smiles for after the set, chopping it up with fans from the stage during breakdown.

The comprehensive nature of Thursday’s setlist promoted reflection on their story. They opened with the first track on their debut album (“Track One, Side A”), and closed with their first release on Triple Crown Records (“gb/ol”). They covered their anthemic highs from Basking in the Glow, and slick, efficient melodies on Life Till Bones, revisited characters like “Father Tracy,” and “Charlie,” as well as the grief and love connected to the release of 2022’s Sore Thumb. Many bands have lasted longer than 10 years and accomplished more in a decade’s time than Oso Oso, but few current figures in emo music have proven to be as consistently endearing.

Scott Ayotte, who played bass for Oso Oso on Thursday, opened with an acoustic set of songs from his band Born Without Bones. Despite filling in for scheduled opener Jophus – who dropped from the lineup weeks earlier for personal reasons – more than a few fans in attendance were mouthing Born Without Bones lyrics, especially lines from his 2013 release, Baby.

Ayotte delivered raw confessions with energy akin to 2003’s Punk Goes Acoustic and bookended his brand of diarybook emo by working parts of Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m on Fire” and Radiohead’s “Creep” into his setlist.

Born Without Bones. // photo by Alex Agueros

Playing his Born Without Bones songs before performing for Oso Oso, in place of an artist who themselves is a member of Prince Daddy & The Hyena, Ayotte expressed gratitude toward Lilitri for the opening slot. Given the collaborative history between Oso Oso and The Hotelier on early tours, I came away impressed at the camaraderie essential to supporting a healthy music scene and further convinced Lilitri is an All-Star teammate.

All photos by Alex Agueros

Oso Oso

Oso Oso setlist
Track One, Side A
Basking in the Glow
Josephine
Subside
The Plant Mouth
Out of the Blue
The Country Club
Father Tracy
Give a Fork
All of My Love
That’s What Time Does
Dog Without Its Bark
Morning Song
The View
The Cool
Reindeer Games
Where You’ve Been Hiding
Nothing Says Love Like Hydration
Charlie
Dig
One Sick Plan
This Must Be My Exit
Computer Exploder
Shoes (The Sneaker Song)
gb/ol