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L. Kent Wolgamott: Lincoln music scene far outpaces Omaha's

Friday, Jan 06, 2006 - 12:04:13 am CST

Between Christmas and New Year’s Day, the Journal Star was filled with lots of compare-and-contrast stories about Lincoln and Omaha. But beyond the obligatory biography of Conor Oberst and a brief that mentioned Saddle Creek Records, there was precious little in that series about Omaha’s much ballyhooed music scene.

That’s because, as reported last year by the Associated Press and confirmed by my continual observation, Omaha doesn’t have a music scene. Or, to be fair, it doesn’t have a music scene that befits a metro area of a half-million or more.

In contrast, Lincoln has long had a thriving music scene that has far outdistanced that in Omaha.

Two physical examples of that difference can be found on one downtown Lincoln block.

The Zoo Bar celebrated its 32nd anniversary last summer. That makes it the longest running blues club in a single location anywhere in the country and one of the longest running music venues anywhere. Internationally known, the Zoo consistently brings a solid lineup of roots music acts to Lincoln as well as acting as an incubator for local bands.

Around the corner on O Street is Duffy’s Tavern, which will celebrate its 20th anniversary as a music venue this year. With last year’s closings of Omaha’s Ranch Bowl (one of the most uncomfortable, inhospitable venues anywhere) and the Royal Grove, Duffy’s became Nebraska’s longest-running rock venue.

It, too, has served as an incubator for local talent, including The Millions and Mercy Rule, who, in the 1990s, became the first Nebraska bands signed to major record labels since the 1960s. The ’60s signing was Zager and Evans, a Lincoln band that had a No. 1 hit with “In the Year 2525.”

Lincoln also can lay claim to Matthew Sweet, who left his hometown for Athens, Ga., New Jersey and, finally, California, but is still considered a Nebraska rocker, and to James Valentine, who joined up with a bunch of California guys to make Maroon 5.

Omaha’s similar claim: 311, which migrated to L.A. and became rap-rock hitmakers.

But when you look at record sales and lasting impact, Sweet and Maroon 5 top 311 in both categories.

As for Saddle Creek, the label is to be commended for its determined independence and for fostering a solid roster of Omaha bands. Lincoln has just as many good local groups, from Ideal Cleaners to Forty Twenty. But they’ve operated without the hype that Saddle Creek and Oberst have managed to generate, even though the Omaha label’s record sales remain modest.

But what about the Qwest Center, you ask?

Well, you can buy your way into the major concert business, which is exactly what Omaha did, spending $290 million for its arena and convention center.

The Qwest conveniently opened at a time when Kansas City’s Kemper Arena had become obsolete and the Heartland lacked a strong concert venue. When K.C. opens its new arena in a few years, things are likely to change for the Qwest. Where are the Rolling Stones going to go? Kansas City or Omaha?

The point here is that you can’t buy a music scene, rendering Omaha’s corporate muscle and more affluent population of little value on that front.

Hence the lack of original music venues in Omaha, where 1% Productions brings cool shows to the Sokol Auditorium’s basement but has trouble developing a strong audience for its offerings.

That those shows go to Omaha is always a little disappointing. With its 30,000 or so college students and good venues, Lincoln should get some of those shows. I guess that’s how it goes when you’re the little town down the road. But it seems to work the other way around when it comes to Kansas City and Lawrence, Kan.

That, however, is off the point to some degree.

It has long seemed to me that Lincoln is culturally equal if not superior to Omaha, with more films shown here, thanks to the Ross Media Arts Center, the programming at the Lied Center for Performing Arts that has been unmatched in Omaha, and an internationally acclaimed art museum in the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery.

Just as valuable and unmatched is the Lincoln music scene and clubs, like the Zoo, Duffy’s and Knickerbockers, which has established itself as a venue for touring acts and a place for young rock bands here to build a following.

That should always be remembered when comparing the two cities. When it comes to cultural offerings and the music scene, Lincoln is just cooler than Omaha, period.

Reach L. Kent Wolgamott at 473-7244 or kwolgamott@journalstar.com.