Music in

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...

, has been a diverse and important influence in the culture of the city. Long a home to

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...

and rock, today Omaha has dozens of subgenres represented, including

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...

and hip hop. Omaha's historical music contributions include being the home of a thriving

African American music African-American music is an umbrella term covering a diverse range of music and musical genres largely developed by African Americans and their culture. Their origins are in musical forms that first came to be due to the condition of slaver ...

scene from the 1920s. More recently, it is home to

indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...

's "Omaha Sound" and the birthplace of one of pop music's most successful producers, Terry Lewis. Also home to Rapper/Producer King Iso who is Signed to Strange Music & Second Home To International Recording Artist Lil Christ Kross Pronounced "Chris"

Institutions and venues

The

Dreamland Ballroom The Jewell Building is a city landmark in North Omaha, Nebraska. Built in 1923, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Located at 2221 North 24th Street, the building was home to the Dreamland Ballroom for more than 40 years, a ...

was located at 2221–2225 North 24th Street in

North Omaha North Omaha is a community area in Omaha, Nebraska, in the United States. It is bordered by Cuming and Dodge Streets on the south, Interstate 680 (Iowa-Nebraska), Interstate 680 on the north, North 72nd Street on the west and the Missouri River a ...

on the second floor of the

Jewell Building The Jewell Building is a city landmark in North Omaha, Nebraska. Built in 1923, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Located at 2221 North 24th Street, the building was home to the Dreamland Ballroom for more than 40 years, ...

. Opening in 1923, it became the premier

nightclub A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music. Nightclubs gener ...

for

big bands A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s and ...

and

in Omaha. James Jewell, Jr. booked the original

Nat King Cole Trio Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's music career began after he dropped out of school at the age of 15, and continued f ...

for $25 a person for one show. Other performances included

Dinah Washington Dinah Washington (born Ruth Lee Jones; August 29, 1924 – December 14, 1963) was an American singer and pianist, who has been cited as "the most popular black female recording artist of the 1950s songs". Primarily a jazz vocalist, she performe ...

Earl Hines Earl Kenneth Hines, also known as Earl "Fatha" Hines (December 28, 1903 – April 22, 1983), was an American jazz pianist and bandleader. He was one of the most influential figures in the development of jazz piano and, according to one source, " ...

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1923 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was based ...

Count Basie William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and the ...

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy Eldridge but addi ...

and

Lionel Hampton Lionel Leo Hampton (April 20, 1908 – August 31, 2002) was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, and bandleader. Hampton worked with jazz musicians from Teddy Wilson, Benny Goodman, and Buddy Rich, to Charlie Parker, Charles M ...

. Dreamland closed in the 1960s. Today the renovated Jewell Building is used for offices and apartments. Although

Sokol Auditorium The Sokol Auditorium is located at 2234 South 13th Street in the Little Bohemia neighborhood of South Omaha, Nebraska. It is a local icon for its historical context, as well as modern musical performances and gymnastics. It has a maximum capacity ...

and its sister space Sokol Underground have been a concert hot spot for many years, the city has recently seen a rise in other

indie music Independent music (also commonly known as indie music or simply indie) is music that is produced independently from commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, a process that may include an autonomous, DIY ethic, do-it-yourself approach to r ...

venues. These newer venues include The Waiting Room (created by One Percent Productions, an Omaha-based booking company), Rock'N'Jocks (formerly the Rock), and The Mosaic. There are numerous other smaller venues and coffee shops that offer nightly performances. The recently opened Slowdown complex, located near the CenturyLink Center, is a Saddle Creek-generated complex of a music venue, shops (such as

Urban Outfitters Urban Outfitters, Inc. (URBN) is a multinational lifestyle retail corporation headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Operating in the U.S., the United Kingdom, Canada, select Western European countries, Poland the United Arab Emirates, Kuw ...

), restaurants, and apartments. Recent developments in the Omaha music scene include the closing of the

Cog Factory The Cog Factory, formerly located at 2224 Leavenworth Street in Omaha, Nebraska, was a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provided a punk rock music performance space for the area. The facility opened in 1994 with bands Ritual Device, Sidesh ...

, The 49'r Lounge, and the

Ranch Bowl A ranch (from es, rancho/Mexican Spanish) is an area of land, including various structures, given primarily to ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle and sheep. It is a subtype of a farm. These terms are most often ...

, three prominent venues that helped launch the current Omaha music scene. Two new developments are

Slowdown A slowdown ( UK: go-slow) is an industrial action in which employees perform their duties but seek to reduce productivity or efficiency in their performance of these duties. A slowdown may be used as either a prelude or an alternative to a stri ...

, a new recording space for

Saddle Creek Records Saddle Creek Records is an American record label based in Omaha, Nebraska. Started as a college class project on entrepreneurship, the label was founded by Mike Mogis and Justin Oberst in 1993 (as Lumberjack Records). Mogis soon turned over his ...

located on the edge of downtown Omaha, and One Percent Productions' venue, The Waiting Room Lounge. In addition to The Waiting Room Lounge, the Benson area features prominent venues, including The Barley Street Tavern, reputed to be the bar with the best acoustics for live music in Omaha due to its 'double barrel' layout. The 402 is another venue that has good live music in the Benson area. Also, the Omaha Blues, Jazz, & Gospel Festival and the

Omaha Black Music Hall of Fame The Omaha Black Music Hall of Fame, or the OBMHoF, is a nonprofit organization founded in 2005 to celebrate, document and honour the legacy of the many top vocalists and musicians whose musical careers began in the metropolitan area of Omaha, Nebr ...

both celebrate

in Omaha. In 2009, the nonprofit

MAHA Music Festival The Maha Music Festival is an independent music festival held in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. The festival is owned and operated by YFC, Inc., a non-profit organization. Upcoming The 2022 edition of the Maha Festival is scheduled to take place ...

featuring rock music was held along Omaha's riverfront, which has become an annual summer event. In July 2011, the Metropolitan Entertainment and Convention Authority (MECA) hosted more than 50 bands for the first annual Red Sky Music Festival at

TD Ameritrade Park Charles Schwab Field Omaha (formerly TD Ameritrade Park Omaha) is a baseball park in Omaha, Nebraska. Opened in 2011, the stadium serves as a replacement for historic Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium. Charles Schwab Field has a seating capacity of 24,0 ...

History of music in Omaha

From the 1920s through the early 1960s the Near North Side neighborhood boasted a vibrant entertainment district featuring

. The main artery of North 24th Street was the heart of the city's African-American cultural and business community with a thriving jazz and rhythm and blues scene that attracted top-flight swing,

and

bands from across the country. The most important venue was the storied

, which was opened in the Jewell Building in 1923 at 24th and Grant Streets in the Near North Side neighborhood. Dreamland hosted some of the greatest jazz, blues, and swing performers, including

, and the original

Whitney Young Whitney Moore Young Jr. (July 31, 1921 – March 11, 1971) was an American civil rights leader. Trained as a social worker, he spent most of his career working to end employment discrimination in the United States and turning the National Urban ...

spoke there as well. Other venues included Jim Bell's Harlem, opened in 1935 on Lake Street, west of 24th; McGill's Blue Room, located at 24th and Lake, and Allen's Showcase Lounge, which was located at 24th and Lake. Due to

racial segregation Racial segregation is the systematic separation of people into race (human classification), racial or other Ethnicity, ethnic groups in daily life. Racial segregation can amount to the international crime of apartheid and a crimes against hum ...

, musicians such as

Cab Calloway Cabell Calloway III (December 25, 1907 – November 18, 1994) was an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, conductor and dancer. He was associated with the Cotton Club in Harlem, where he was a regular performer and became a popular vocalist ...

stayed at Myrtle Washington's at 22nd and Willis while others stayed at Charlie Trimble's at 22nd and Seward. The intersection of 24th and Lake was the setting of the

Big Joe Williams Joseph Lee "Big Joe" Williams (October 16, 1903 – December 17, 1982) was an American Delta blues guitarist, singer and songwriter, notable for the distinctive sound of his nine-string guitar. Performing over five decades, he recorded the s ...

song "Omaha Blues".

North Omaha musicians

George T. McPherson was known as Omaha's first prominent black musician, arriving in Omaha in the early 1870s and opening a music studio there. Mcpherson was called by Thomas P. Mahammitt's ''Enterprise'' "the leading pianist of the frican-Americanrace". Early

bands included Lewis' Excelsior Brass Band,

Dan Desdunes Daniel F. Desdunes (c. 1870 – April 24, 1929) was a civil rights activist and musician in New Orleans and Omaha, Nebraska. Descended from a family of people of color free before the Civil War, in 1892 he volunteered to board a train car des ...

Band, Simon Harrold's Melody Boys, the Sam Turner Orchestra, the Ted Adams Orchestra, and the Omaha Night Owls, as well as Red Perkins and His Original Dixie Ramblers. Lloyd Hunter's Serenaders who became the first Omaha band to record in 1931. A Lloyd Hunter concert poster can be seen on display at the Community Center in nearby Mineola, Iowa.

Nat Towles Nat Towles (August 10, 1905 – January 1963) was an American musician, jazz and big band leader popular in his hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana, North Omaha, Nebraska and Chicago, Illinois. He was also music educator in Austin, Texas. The N ...

was a renowned

territory band Territory bands were dance bands that crisscrossed specific regions of the United States from the 1920s through the 1960s. Beginning in the 1920s, the bands typically had 8 to 12 musicians. These bands typically played one-nighters, six or seven n ...

leader based in Omaha. The National Orchestra Service was an important company based in Omaha that managed white, black and integrated territorial bands. North Omaha's musical culture also birthed several nationally and internationally reputable African American musicians. International

Jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

legend

Preston Love Preston Haynes Love (April 26, 1921 – February 12, 2004) was an American saxophonist, bandleader, and songwriter from Omaha, Nebraska, United States, best known as a sideman for jazz and rhythm and blues artists like Count Basie and Ray Char ...

, and influential drummer

Buddy Miles George Allen "Buddy" Miles Jr. (September 5, 1947February 26, 2008) was an American composer, drummer, guitarist, vocalist and producer. He was a founding member of the Electric Flag (1967), a member of Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsys (1969–197 ...

were all friends while they grew up and played together. They collaborated throughout their lives, and while they were playing with the greatest names in Rock and Roll, Jazz, R&B and Fund. Funk band leader

Lester Abrams Lester Abrams (born 1945) is a singer, songwriter, musician and producer who has played with such artists as B.B. King, Stevie Wonder, Peabo Bryson, Quincy Jones, Manfred Mann, Brian Auger, The Average White Band, The Doobie Brothers, Rufus and m ...

is also from North Omaha. Omaha-born

Wynonie Harris Wynonie Harris (August 24, 1915 – June 14, 1969) was an American blues shouter and rhythm-and-blues singer of upbeat songs, featuring humorous, often ribald lyrics. He had fifteen Top 10 hits between 1946 and 1952. Harris is attributed by ...

, one of the founders of

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...

, got his start at the North Omaha clubs and for a time lived in the now-demolished

Logan Fontenelle Housing Project The Logan Fontenelle Housing Project was a historic public housing site located from 20th to 24th Streets, and from Paul to Seward Streets in the historic Near North Side neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska, United States. It was built in 1938 by the ...

s at 2213 Charles Street. One of Omaha's most notable musicians of the 1940s was

Anna Mae Winburn Anna Mae Winburn ''(née'' Darden; August 13, 1913 – September 30, 1999) was an influential American vocalist and jazz bandleader who flourished beginning in the mid-1930s. An African American, she is best known for having directed the Interna ...

. As the leader of North Omaha's Cotton Club Boys, which included the amazing guitarist

Charlie Christian Charles Henry Christian (July 29, 1916 – March 2, 1942) was an American swing and jazz guitarist. Christian was an important early performer on the electric guitar and a key figure in the development of bebop and cool jazz. He gained nati ...

, Winburn traveled the local region as a typical territorial band. However, upon the advice of Jimmie Jewell, owner of the Jewel Building, Winburn left Omaha and hit the "big time" with the

International Sweethearts of Rhythm The International Sweethearts of Rhythm was the first integrated all-women's band in the United States. During the 1940s the band featured some of the best female musicians of the day. They played swing and jazz on a national circuit that incl ...

. Another notable artist was Lalomie (Lomie) Washburn. Born in North Omaha, she went on to write songs and sing backup with such legends as

Chaka Khan Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan (), is an American singer. Her career has spanned more than five decades, beginning in the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the funk band Rufus. Known as the " Qu ...

Rufus Rufus is a masculine given name, a surname, an Ancient Roman cognomen and a nickname (from Latin ''rufus'', "red"). Notable people with the name include: Given name Politicians * Rufus Ada George (born 1940), Nigerian politician * Rufus Al ...

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...

and

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...

. She signed with the Parachute label in 1977, where she released her first album "My Music is Hot". She went on to launch a solo career, which drew a large following in Germany in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1992 she released several 12" singles, and in 1997 a second (self-titled) solo album. She came back to Omaha to do a small tour when in her mid-seventies. She died on September 18, 2004, in Los Angeles. In 2005 she was inducted into the

Classical music

Beginning in 1871 until the end of the century, Omaha built several opera theaters with considerable seating capacities. The largest of these, the

Creighton Orpheum Theater The Orpheum Theater is a theater located in Omaha, Nebraska. The theater hosts programs best served by a more theatrical setting, including the Omaha Performing Arts Broadway Season, presented with Broadway Across America, and Opera Omaha's seaso ...

, built in 1895, is the principal home of

Opera Omaha Opera Omaha is a major regional opera company in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded in 1958, the professional company is widely known for the International Fall Festival events it held in the 1980s and 1990s, which garnered international attention and served ...

, which was founded in 1958. It is now considered a major regional opera house that has had several major commissions and premieres. The

Omaha Symphony Orchestra The Omaha Symphony is a professional orchestra performing more than 200 concerts and presentations annually in Omaha, Nebraska and throughout the orchestra's home region. The orchestra was established in 1921. It is considered a major American orc ...

, founded in 1921, is also a major regional orchestra. The symphony is based at the

Holland Performing Arts Center The Holland Performing Arts Center is a performing arts facility located on 13th and Douglas Streets in downtown Downtown Omaha, Nebraska in the United States; it opened in October 2005. Designed by Omaha architectural firm HDR, Inc. in collabora ...

New Age/Rock

In the 1970s,

Chip Davis Louis F. "Chip" Davis Jr. (born September 5, 1947 in Hamler, Ohio) is the founder and leader of the music group Mannheim Steamroller. Davis composed the music for several C. W. McCall albums, including the hit 1975 song "Convoy". He has also wri ...

worked for an Omaha advertising agency writing jingles. The agency created a series of commercials starring a fictional truck driver name C.W. McCall. One of the songs McCall sang became a single called "Convoy". The single became a part of a CB radio craze in 1975 and a movie of the same name was made starring Kris Kristofferson. Davis left the firm and recorded an album called Fresh Aire at the studio he used previously, Sound Recorders. He released the album under the name Mannheim Steamroller. Fresh Aire became a series of releases and achieved great popularity, Davis won a Grammy Award for the seventh album in the Fresh Aire series. In 1984, Mannheim Steamroller Christmas was released and its version of "Deck the Halls" became a radio hit. Davis' Christmas tour had its 25th anniversary in 2015.

Pop music

Pop music producer Terry Lewis was born in Omaha in 1956. The second half of one of the most successful production teams in the history of recorded music, Lewis contributed to the success of a variety of modern stars, including

Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...

Modern African American music

While

African Americans African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

have contributed greatly to the history of music in Omaha, they continue to impress black culture upon the city and the country as a whole. Other artists from Omaha's modern

scene include Thomas Wilkins, current director of the

, and Lois "Lady Mac" McMorris, a lead guitarist and vocalist.

Hip Hop/Rap

Omaha is also home to a growing underground hip hop scene. For a long time, the scene was defined by North High School graduate

Houston Alexander Houston Alexander (born March 22, 1972) is an American professional mixed martial artist who last competed in 2017. A professional competitor since 2001, he has fought for the UFC, Bellator, Shark Fights, the RFA, and KSW. He currently compet ...

, a.k.a. Scrib or FAS/ONE. In the 1980s he led a hip hop movement in

called the Scribble Crew as an alliance of

graffiti writer Graffiti (plural; singular ''graffiti'' or ''graffito'', the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from s ...

s who developed a reputation as the top tag artists in the area. The art stands today at 24th and Binney Streets, to 16th and Corby Streets, and other North Omaha locations, and is still respected by the community. His

Midwest Alliance The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...

act was active through the 1990s and into the new millennium, and is seen as influential on the Omaha scene. Other artists from the late 80's that helped push the early years of Hip Hop in Omaha was the Young Rebels who had a semi-major record deal and an import of Offutt Air Force Base named Suavey Spy and his local DJ Disco Rick. Today Alexander is a DJ on a local radio station in Omaha that hosts an independent music show featuring hip hop, and he facilitates an elementary school program that teaches students about hip hop called the "Culture Shock School Tour". Alexander has also been vocal about Omaha's lack of support for its hip hop artists. OTR Entertainment, also under the alias of OTR Familia or OTR Fam, specializing in Latin hip hop with offices in South Omaha, NE and Chicago, features a variety of artists on their label, including Xpreshin a.k.a. XP Brigante, OMC, and Mix Of Combinations a.k.a. MOC. Currently with three projects on their resume, Xpreshin and Prominence 'The Commencement', OMC's 'It Is What It Is' and 'It Takes What It Took' and MOC with OTR Afta School's 'The Curriculum' featuring K2theillest and Young Nikko . OTR Entertainment has had artists open up for acts such as Latin sensation bachata group Aventura, Kumbia Kings, Krazy Race, and Pitbull. OTR Entertainment has also had artists that have collaborated with heavy hitters Krazy Race, underground hip hop legend from California and

Armageddon According to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible, Armageddon (, from grc, Ἁρμαγεδών ''Harmagedōn'', Late Latin: , from Hebrew: ''Har Məgīddō'') is the prophesied location of a gathering of armies ...

, former member of

Fat Joe Joseph Antonio Cartagena (born August 19, 1970), better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper from New York City. He began his music career as a member of hip hop group Diggin' in the Crates Crew (D.I.T.C.), then forged a sol ...

's Terror Squad and executive producer of Fat Joe's J.O.S.E album. Jerry Wade, a.k.a. DJ Kamikaze, was first a member of Omaha's Posse-N-Effect. Their first show was in 1989 in

Miller Park American Family Field is a retractable roof stadium used primarily for baseball. It is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, just southwest of the intersection of Interstate 94 and Brewers Boulevard. It is the home of Major League Baseball's Milwauk ...

Pigeon John John Kenneth Dust (born John Kenneth Dunkin: November 30, 1972), better known by the stage name Pigeon John, is an American rapper based in Los Angeles, California. He is a former member of L.A. Symphony. Early life Pigeon John claims that his ...

, an increasingly popular Christian rapper, is originally from Omaha. Cerone Thompson, known as Scrybe, has had a number one single on college radio stations across the United States. He has also had several number one hits on the local hip hop station respectively titled, "Lose Control" and "Do What U Do". Mars Black, perhaps the Omaha rapper with the most national exposure, has released an album on New York City's

Team Love Records Team Love is an independent record label based in New Paltz, New York, founded by Conor Oberst and Nate Krenkel in 2003. It has released albums by several other recording artists. Team Love also released the documentary film by Roy Germano, Th ...

label. However, in a review of the Mars Black album ''Folks Music'', one reviewer noted that Mars describes the Omaha hip-hop scene as "almost non-existent". Continuing about the album, the reviewer writes, "It's only in such a desolate music environment that his pitiful flow, painfully corny emo-rhymes, and insulting bling-boasts could exist." The Raleigh Science Project Founded in 2009 by Omaha Rapper and Producer Marcey Yates aka Op2mus is a music and arts collective that focuses on growth, development, artist branding and community event planning. The collective includes Omaha rappers Mars Black, Mark Patrick and Xoboi. In 2016 The Raleigh Science Project held it first annual music and arts festival " The New Generation Music Festival". Original 5 Productions was founded in 2001 by Tomas Contreras in Omaha, NE. This cutting edge label's sole purpose is to break into the mainstream music industry while keeping its roots firmly planted in the Midwest. The label has had two major releases in its short existence; its very own CEO's Tomas Contreras’ release of "Reborn In Tha Mind" (available at all Homers Record stores) under the alias Tomas C and "The Eclipse is Season…The World is Ours" (also available at all Homers Record Stores) a group effort including 3 members: Tomas C, Durrtee a.k.a. Albert Cuadra and Big Purp a.k.a. Dj Poppa Lock a.k.a. Ernesto Gomez under the name Tha Originators. Durrtee is from the bayarea and brought lyrical content and introduced the "hyphy" movement to the midwest. Original 5 Productions latest release is Tomas C's sophomore album “The Resurrection of Killer Cortez EP” released June 2011. DavieBoi Playin at Shea Riley's Pub January 23, 2008

DavieBoi Playin at Shea Riley's Pub January 23, 2008

Other recently released artists include Afta Lyfe on Straight Ball'n Records, Teejay of DEATHGANG aka Teezus Christ, Lil Christ Kross who is from Decatur Ga (Both Teezus & Kross Most Likely To Sign to a Major ) No Major Still Major The Album Originally released in 2017 Features

Adam22 Adam John Grandmaison (born November 24, 1983), more commonly known as Adam22, is an American podcaster and YouTuber. He is best known for being the creator and host of pop culture-oriented podcast ''No Jumper''.Grierson, Tim. How Adam22 Tur ...

of the Viral Youtube Show No Jumper, Cornbread on Outta Bounds Records, and Toot on Utopia Entertainment. Big Mista (Redemption, Back For the First Time, For the Last Time), Articulate, ShYnE, Chet Chapman, Dark Reign, Ice Money, D' Cypher, Crazze C, Ty-G & Drew Beatz, H.O.B Records, Papillion X, Benny Salz, DavieBoi, Dark Reign, Big Burn, Buck Bowen, Block Movement with Stylo and Latin Threat, El Genius, Aceo Tha Future, Guerrilla X, Dubbsixx, Foolie Auto, R.E.D., Prophecy, K2theillest, Verze, Galantz, Yung Smokeout, Murder Game, Ellmatiq P-tro, Rush-1, Conchance, Black Jonny Quest, D-Lo, Saint Patrick, Ramm, Jamazz, and Surreal The MC of Noizewave Tomas C of Original 5 Productions Durtee a.k.a. Albert Cuadra Purp Nasty a.k.a. Ernesto Gomez of Original 5 Productions Galvanized Tron (J.Stephens Music) are some of Omaha's most frequent live hip-hop performers. Today many hip hop shows are held at the

in Omaha's Little Bohemia, as well as The Waiting Room, The Slowdown, The Reverb Lounge and The Lookout Lounge. Grammy nominated,

Terrace Martin Terrace Jamahl Martin (born December 28, 1978) is an American musician, rapper, singer, and record producer. He is perhaps best known for producing records for several prominent artists in the music industry, including Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dog ...

spent his summers in Omaha and learned the Omaha sound and picked up the saxophone. His father is noted Omaha jazz drummer, Curly Martin. Omaha Hip Hop/Rap acts from 2013 to 2019 include BOTH aka BXTH(2014 Best Hip Hop OEAA), M34N STR33T (2013 Artist of the Year & Best Hip Hop OEAA)members are rapper Conny Franko & beat maker producer Haunted Gauntlet, Third Eye Merchants, S1SW aka R0t, Black Jonny Quest, Dilla Kids, Marcey Yates, XoBoi, J.Crum, Articulate, Max Fischer, R0ach & Cool Drug Music.

Surf music in Omaha

One of Omaha's most famous exports is the influential surf band

The Chevrons The Chevrons were a United States pop group who recorded the hit record "Lullabye" in 1960. The band featured lead singer Terry Cashman, best known for his baseball songs, notably " Talkin' Baseball", then known by his born name, Dennis Minogue. ...

, who were voted Omaha's most popular band in 1966. Other 1960s surf and rock bands from Omaha include The Echos, 7 Legends, Velvet Haze, Little Denny Wonder,

Freedom Road ''Freedom Road'' was a 1979 American TV historical drama mini-series starring boxer Muhammad Ali and Kris Kristofferson, based on the 1944 novel by Howard Fast and directed by Jan Kadar. Running for four hours, it was first broadcast on NBC on ...

and The Beautiful People. Wee Willie and The Rockin Angels broke all attendance records at The Peony Park Ballroom (National Historic Landmark on the Lincoln Highway). Currently there are a handful of surf rock bands in the Big O including The Subvectors.

Indie rock music

Indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...

bands on the

Saddle Creek Saddle Creek Records is an American record label based in Omaha, Nebraska. Started as a college class project on entrepreneurship, the label was founded by Mike Mogis and Justin Oberst in 1993 (as Lumberjack Records). Mogis soon turned over his ...

record label out of Omaha, Nebraska, include notable artists such as Bright Eyes,

The Faint The Faint is an American indie rock band. Formed in Omaha, Nebraska, the band consists of Todd Fink, Graham Ulicny, Dapose and Clark Baechle. The Faint was originally known as Norman Bailer and included Conor Oberst (of Bright Eyes, with whom T ...

, and

Cursive Cursive (also known as script, among other names) is any style of penmanship in which characters are written joined in a flowing manner, generally for the purpose of making writing faster, in contrast to block letters. It varies in functionalit ...

. These bands are playing a significant role in the current national rock scene. The formation of the sound occurred in the mid-1990s with

Commander Venus Commander Venus was an American emo band from Omaha, Nebraska. Fronted by Conor Oberst and Tim Kasher, the band also included Todd Fink and Matt Bowen of The Faint, Ben Armstrong of Head of Femur and Robb Nansel, executive producer of the i ...

, Frontier Trust, Ritual Device, Clever, Twitch, Steve Walton and The Flash Action Band, Mousetrap, Solid Jackson, Fast Orange, and clubs such as the

, and Sokol Music Hall. Many people involved in these bands and venues are currently involved with Saddle Creek. Other related aspects of the Omaha indie music include various alternative bands. The alternative music scene has produced such popular artists as

311 311 may refer to: * 311 (number), a natural number * AD 311, a year of the Julian calendar, in the fourth century AD * 311 BC, a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar * 311 (band), an American band ** ''311'' (album), band 311's self-titled album ...

, Grasshopper Takeover, The Seen, The Good Life, Civicminded, MANNA, Criteria, A Moment Lost, High Up, Dim Light, Ladyfinger (ne), Icares,

Shelter Belt A windbreak (shelterbelt) is a planting usually made up of one or more rows of trees or shrubs planted in such a manner as to provide shelter from the wind and to protect soil from erosion. They are commonly planted in hedgerows around the edges ...

, Go Crash Audio,

Tilly and the Wall Tilly and the Wall was an indie pop group from Omaha, Nebraska. Their name originated from a children's book called ''Tillie and the Wall'', written by Leo Lionni. They are particularly noted for having a tap dancer, Jamie Pressnall, provide pe ...

, Dead Wave, and Secret Kitten & the Holy Steamroller. Omaha has been a temporary home base of other Indie bands such as

Rilo Kiley Rilo Kiley ( ) was an American indie rock band based in Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1998, the band consisted of Jenny Lewis, Blake Sennett, Pierre de Reeder, and Dave Rock. The group released their debut album ''Take-Offs and Landings'' ...

and Azure Ray. Tim McMahan's ''Lazy-i'', the ''Omaha World-Herald'' hearnebraska.org, omahype.com, the Worlds of Wayne podcast, SLAM (Support Local Art & Music) Omaha, and The Reader alt-weekly are among the main media outlets promoting the Omaha music scene. Other mainstays of the music scene in Omaha include singer-songwriters such as

Conor Oberst Conor Mullen Oberst (born February 15, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter best known for his work in Bright Eyes. He has also played in several other bands, including Desaparecidos, the Faint (previously named Norman Bailer), Commander Venu ...

Tim Kasher Timothy J. Kasher (born August 19, 1974) is an American musician from Omaha, Nebraska, and is the frontman of indie rock groups Cursive and the Good Life, both of which are on the Omaha-based record label Saddle Creek Records. Music Slowdo ...

Clark Baechle Clark Alan Baechle (born April 21, 1981) is an American founding member of the Omaha-based electronic rock band The Faint, along with his brother, Todd Fink. Although he is primarily known for playing drums, he also sings backing vocals and ...

Todd Fink Todd Fink (born Todd Baechle – pronounced "BECK-lee" – on March 3, 1974, in Omaha, Nebraska) is the lead singer of the band The Faint. He attended Omaha's Westside High School. Career Fink was also one of four members of the band Command ...

, Maria Taylor,

Orenda Fink Orenda Fink is an American singer, musician, and writer. Perhaps best known as half of the duo Azure Ray, Fink is also a member of Art in Manila, O+S, Closeness, and High Up, and has played with or appeared as a guest on records by Bright Ey ...

Simon Joyner Simon Joyner (born 1971) is an American singer-songwriter from Omaha, Nebraska. He has influenced the music of Bright Eyes, Kevin Morby and Gillian Welch. In the early 1990s, Beck listed Joyner in his top 10 albums when asked by ''Rolling St ...

, Sarah Benck, Chris Saub, Korey Anderson, Brad Hoshaw, and David Sacco. An integral part of the Nebraska music scene are three Omaha-based record labels:

American Gramaphone American Gramaphone is an American record company based in Omaha, Nebraska. It is best known for releasing Chip Davis' new age solo and Mannheim Steamroller albums. History American Gramaphone was formed in 1974 by Chip Davis. American Gra ...

was founded in 1974 by classically trained composer/musician Chip Davis;

was founded in 1993 by

and

Justin Oberst Saddle Creek Records is an American record label based in Omaha, Nebraska. Started as a college class project on entrepreneurship, the label was founded by Mike Mogis and Justin Oberst in 1993 (as Lumberjack Records). Mogis soon turned over his ...

. Oberst founded Team Love in 2003 in part due to his frustration at not being able to sign and showcase talent quickly enough through the Saddle Creek label. Other significant music venues currently include The Waiting Room Lounge, The Slowdown, The Sydney, The Barley Street Tavern, O'Leaver's Pub, Sokol Underground, The Hideout (now The Lookout Lounge), The B Side (of The Benson Theatre), The Hole, The Sandbox, and Barfly. Omaha indie rock bands from 2012 to 2019 include Capgun Coup, Talkin Mountain aka Jason Steady, Haunted Gauntlet aka adamroberthauG, Bear Country, no.i'm.the.pilot, Howard, Thunder Power, Honey Bee, Baby Walrus, Gus & Call, Our Hearts Are Stars, Flamboyant Gods, Flowers Forever, Icky Blossoms, Glow in the Dark, The Benningtons, The Derby Birds, Noahs Ark Was A Spaceship, See Through Dresses, Junior Varsity, Eric in Outerspace & The Regulation.

Hard rock

Omaha has many heavier rock acts.

Doug Ingle Douglas Lloyd Ingle (born September 9, 1945) is an American musician, best known as the founder and former organist, primary composer, and lead vocalist for the band Iron Butterfly. Ingle wrote the band's iconic song "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida", which ...

was the lead vocalist and organist in the late 60's band

Iron Butterfly Iron Butterfly is an American rock band formed in San Diego, California, in 1966. They are best known for the 1968 hit "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida", providing a dramatic sound that led the way towards the development of hard rock and heavy metal music. ...

. Since the turn of the millennium, it has been a strong spot for

Metalcore Metalcore (also known as metallic hardcore) is a fusion music genre that combines elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. As with other styles blending metal and hardcore, such as crust punk and grindcore, metalcore is noted for its use of ...

bands. A good amount have gone on to be national acts such as Narcotic Self,

Analog Analog or analogue may refer to: Computing and electronics * Analog signal, in which information is encoded in a continuous variable ** Analog device, an apparatus that operates on analog signals *** Analog electronics, circuits which use analog ...

, Paria, System Failure, I Am Legend and Venaculas. It also draws many other heavy musical acts, strongly of the

Screamo Screamo (also referred to as skramz) is an aggressive subgenre of emo that emerged in the early 1990s and emphasizes "willfully experimental dissonance and dynamics".Jason Heller, "Feast of Reason". ''Denver Westword'', June 20, 2002Access date: ...

genre (including bands Sutter Cane, Caught in the Fall, after*forever, & Robots Don't Cry). Other notable local groups include

Back When "Back When" is a song written by Stan Lynch, Stephony Smith, and Jeff Stevens and recorded by American country music singer Tim McGraw. It was released in August 2004 as the second single from McGraw's 2004 album ''Live Like You Were Dying ''Li ...

Father A father is the male parent of a child. Besides the paternal bonds of a father to his children, the father may have a parental, legal, and social relationship with the child that carries with it certain rights and obligations. An adoptive fathe ...

Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the Gr ...

, Keeper of the Morgue, and Bloodcow. An act that toured the

midwest The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...

is Social Outcast, led by local Omaha singer-songwriter Joshua Harris. Another act, edgy and blues-based, is Steve Erlewine's band,

80-pruuf 8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9. In mathematics 8 is: * a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2. * a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of t ...

. A newer hard rock band is Sherry Drive.

Country

In 1973, while working as a creative director for Bozell & Jacobs, an Omaha, Nebraska advertising agency, William Dale Fries, Jr. created a Clio Award-winning (1974) television advertising campaign advertising Old Home Bread for the Metz Baking Company using a pseudonym

C. W. McCall William Dale Fries Jr. (November 15, 1928 – April 1, 2022) was an American advertising executive and spoken word artist who won several Clio Awards for his advertising campaigns. He is best known for his character C. W. McCall, a truck-drivi ...

. Fries wrote the lyrics and sang while

wrote the music. As McCall, this led to a career for Fries as a truck-themed outlaw country musician. Many of his songs tended to be humorous or amusing, some also had serious commentary rooted in environmental conservation & protection issues of their day. McCall is best known for the 1976 No. 1 hit song "Convoy", which came at the peak of the CB fad in the United States and spent six weeks at number one on the country charts and one week at number one on the pop charts. The record was one of the fastest-selling in record industry history, won the Country Music "Artist of the Year" and "Writers of the Year" awards for its creators, and inspired a feature film starring Kris Kristofferson."98. C.W. McCall, 'Convoy' (1975) Photo – 100 Greatest Country Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. June 1, 2014. Retrieved May 1, 2016, at https://www.rollingstone.com/music/pictures/100-greatest-country-songs-of-all-time-20140601/98-c-w-mccall-convoy-1975-0211083 Omaha also has a number of current

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...

, country western and modern country artists, including lead singer Jolie Edwards of

Jolie & the Wanted Jolie & the Wanted was an American country music band composed of Jolie Edwards ( lead vocals), Phil Symonds (guitar), Jonathan Trebing (guitar), Steve King ( keyboards), Ethan Pilzer (bass guitar) and Andy Hull ( drums). Signed to DreamWorks Rec ...

Jazz and funk

Omaha has a thriving jazz, funk, and jam-rock scene that would be considered the current underground movement in the area. Bands like The 9's, Polydypsia, Artillery Funk, Video Ranger, Satchel Grande, Lucas Kellison and Assembled Soul, Sarah Benck and the Robbers,

Funk Trek Funk Trek is a funk/jazz fusion band formed in 2008 in Omaha, Nebraska by cousins Tom Murnan and Daniel Pflug, with guitarist and friend Andrew Wahl. Funk Trek has released three studio albums, the most recent being "Quencher" released on July 10, ...

and Anchondo head up the music in this genre. Popular bands of the past in this area include The Confidentials, Strange Pleasures, Electric Soul Method, The Kind, and The Jazzwholes. Drummer

Victor Lewis Victor Lewis (born May 20, 1950) is an American jazz drummer, composer, and educator. Early life Victor Lewis was born on May 20, 1950 in Omaha, Nebraska. His father, Richard Lewis, who played saxophone and mother, Camille, a pianist-vocalist ...

was born in Omaha.

References

genres of music A music genre is a conventional category that identifies some pieces of music as belonging to a shared tradition or set of conventions. It is to be distinguished from ''musical form'' and musical style, although in practice these terms are some ...

, including jazz, blues, soul, R&B, and rock. {{Omaha American music history

Omaha Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest city ...