Crystal Wise
Sean Russell of Cut Throat Finches
By all accounts, the newly revamped Jane & John Justin Foundation Omni Theater wasn’t built with rock shows in mind. For decades, its vast dome projected the far reaches of space for school groups and science buffs, not alt-Americana bands from Fort Worth. But on Friday, July 18, the Omni will crack open its newly renovated, spaceship-grade sound system for a different kind of journey — one soundtracked by Cut Throat Finches and their 2019 concept album In Event of Moon Disaster.
“This is the biggest show we’ll play this year — no question,” said Sean Russell, the band's frontman, producer, and spiritual compass. “And I’m spending whatever political capital I have to make sure people show up and see what this experience really is.”
The show is part of Live from the Omni, a new concert series set inside the iconic theater at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, which kicked off in April with Fort Worth native Jacob Furr up front. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for drinks and mingling in the lobby, featuring a cash bar and concessions. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. General admission tickets are available, but VIP guests receive early access to the theater, a limited-edition show poster, and complimentary parking in the Museum School lot on Lansford Lane. VIP Plus ticketholders will also receive a vinyl copy of In Event of Moon Disaster.
The performance marks the first time the Finches will play the album in full — a cinematic, spacey narrative inspired by the contingency speech written for President Richard Nixon in the event that the Apollo 11 crew didn’t make it home. The band will perform the album cover to cover, inside a dome equipped with world-class visuals and surround sound that may rival the scale of the moonshot it commemorates.
“The Omni is the second-most advanced theater system in the world, next to the Sphere in Vegas,” Russell said. “It’s like being inside a giant spacecraft. You try to stay focused on the music, but your eyes keep going up.”
This particular musical mission began months ago with a conversation between Russell and Tom Martens of Hear Fort Worth. The goal: to align the concert with the anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing. “I always thought of this album as a kind of inward-outward reflection — space exploration that really asks us to look inside ourselves,” Russell said. “It’s something we missed out on with the original release because of the pandemic. So this is, in a way, the release show we never got to have.”
There are no openers; no distractions. Just one band and one immersive show. The Omni’s dome will pulse with curated visuals — archival NASA footage and abstract cosmic imagery — designed to mirror the album’s themes. One track even features Dan Bayless reading the never-delivered moon disaster speech in a voice Russell describes as “a 1950s announcer without sounding like a caricature.”
The band’s original lineup will reunite for the show, including drummer Draya Ruse, who will be five months pregnant with twins when she takes the stage. “This might be her last show for a while,” Russell said. “We’re pushing our luck, but it felt important for all of us to play it together.”
After the final notes echo off the dome, fans are invited to keep the night going at the official after party at Hotel Dryce — a fitting landing pad for those still floating in orbit.
As for what’s next, Russell says a fifth studio album is underway and will lean even further into Americana and roots rock. “It’s still Cut Throat Finches, but it’s changing,” he said. “I've collaborated with all kinds of folks lately — even an Apache pilot who sang backup vocals on a few tracks. The sound’s evolving, and so is the band.”
But on July 18, it’s all about one record, one room, and one shared trip to the stars.
“I just think we need something outside of ourselves again — something like space to remind us of who we are and what we’re capable of,” said Russell. “This show is that for me. It’s the reminder.”
Live from the Omni featuring Cut Throat Finches
Friday, July 18
Jane & John Justin Foundation Omni Theater
Fort Worth Museum of Science and History
Lobby opens at 6:30 p.m. | Show starts at 7:30 p.m.
