On Sunday night (Mother’s Day, as the crowd was often reminded), the Anthem played host to a lineup that felt like a living timeline of alternative rock when it welcomed Courtney Barnett on her Creature of Habit tour.
The evening featured dusty folk-rock, fuzzy ‘90s guitar crunch, and the observational indie rock that made Courtney Barnett one of the defining voices of modern guitar music. On the Creature of Habit tour, Barnett brings along Truman Sinclair and Momma. The show was like a celebration of how rock music continually reinvents itself without ever fully losing sight of its roots. Warm, loud, and human, the show succeeded not just because of Barnett but because every artist contributed a different chapter to the story.
Opening the night was singer-songwriter Truman Sinclair, whose early set shifted the feel of the Anthem’s large room into something more intimate. Armed with a harmonica and an easygoing stage presence, the Chicago native delivered songs that carried echoes of 1970s folk rock, but with influences from the 2000’s emo scene. Through songs like “Bloodline,” “Pale Horse,” and “Dust to Dust,” I could hear the influence of greats like Neil Young, particularly in the warmth of Sinclair’s vocals and the loose, rootsy guitar work.
The harmonica playing gave songs a warm texture, while the band’s relaxed chemistry made the set feel unforced and genuine. Rather than sounding like an imitation, though, Sinclair’s music felt like a continuation of the folk-rock tradition through a younger lens.
Sinclair’s set never tried to overwhelm the audience. Instead, through Sinclair’s charming nervous energy, it slowly pulled people inward, winning over the room through sincerity and atmosphere. Sinclair’s debut album is American Recordings.
“Never forget you saw Momma on Mother’s Day.” The on-stage energy changed considerably once Momma took the stage. Where Sinclair leaned into folk-rock warmth, Momma arrived with fuzzy guitars and a distinctly ‘90s indie rock edge. The sound of the Brooklyn-based band (Etta Friedman, Allegra Weingarten, Aron Kobayashi Ritch, and Preston Fulks) immediately calls to mind ’90s bands like The Breeders. Momma combines crunchy riffs with melodic hooks and dual-vocal harmonies that, even all these years later, still feel very cool. The band’s set had an effortless swagger that contrasted perfectly with the introspective mood of the opener.
Songs like “Bottle,” “I Want You (Fever),” and “Ohio All the Time” (all from the 2025 album Welcome to My Blue Sky) filled the room with guitar tones that washed over the crowd. Momma’s performance felt like proof that the DNA of ‘90s alternative rock still has staying power.
By the time Courtney Barnett finally walked onstage, the audience had already traveled through different eras of rock history, and the crowd erupted before she even played a note. She opened with “Stay in Your Lane,” from 2026’s Creature of Habit, before launching into a setlist that weighed heavily with new material—16 songs total. But the anxious humor of “Avant Gardener” still resonates, and “Depreston” is a clever story about house hunting, of all things. Then songs like “Pedestrian at Best” and “Nameless, Faceless” exploded with chaotic energy.
What makes Barnett such a compelling live performer is how natural everything feels. She never relies on elaborate theatrics or oversized gestures. There is no “rock star” attitude; even the stage setup is low-key. Instead, she allows the songs themselves to carry emotional weight. The crowd responded with genuine affection. I noticed some kids along the barrier singing along to the songs—they knew all the words.
Taken as a whole, the lineup felt like a conversation between generations of rock music. Truman Sinclair channeled the spirit of 1970s folk rock, Momma embodied the scrappy cool of ‘90s indie, and Courtney Barnett fused those traditions. Together, the three artists demonstrated how rock music continues evolving while still honoring the sounds and attitudes that shaped it in the first place.
The North American leg of the “Creature of Habit” tour wraps up in Chicago on May 24. After a stop in Hawaii in June, it’s off to Japan.
MOMMA
TRUMAN SINCLAIR
