Wife wants to move... anything going on in OMAHA?

[Will Kelly]

My wife is going to audition for the air force band in Omaha, NE and I have a feeling she might get the gig.

Unfortunately, this means for me leaving my native south Texas and all of my gigs in Austin and San Antonio.

Is there any kind of music scene in Omaha? Can I make a living playing music there?

Thanks for any input!

[blendermassacre]

Omaha is sort of indie / emo rock heaven (I.e. brighteyes is from there). Their zoo is super awesome. Not a bad place overall. 3hrs from kansas city, close to des moines, IA too.

[coolrunner989]

I grew up there. Let me know if you find the music scene alright, I've never been back except to pass through on the way to somewhere else...

[Tampabass]

You gotta do what's best for the family, etc., but, man, leaving the Austin scene by itself would be a bummer no matter where you're going. Austin is such an incredible live-music town, IMO, based on the coupla times I went to SXSW. So many musicians want to get TO Austin. I'd think Omaha would be a huge step down, in terms of playing opportunities.

[Bassguy61]

I lived in Des Moines for about 10 years and spent a good deal of time in Omaha (about 90 miles from Des Moines). Pretty cool city for what it is. As far as the band scene, I can't say what it's like now, but there were a number of decent venues for live music in the 90's. I don't know if you could make a living at it there though. Keep in mind though that Lincoln (home of Univeristy of Nebraska) is only around 60 miles away. Being a college town might give it some decent prospects. Still nothing like Austin, I'm sure.

[gjbassist]

I don't know about the music scene but Omaha is a nice small city overall. Clean, good restaurants (several of which have been featured on Triple D), one of the best zoos in the country and a nice downtown riverfront area (not as nice as San Antonio's though). Coming from Texas though will be a big change come winter time! How do you feel about snow?

[MNAirHead]

There could be a good bar scene.. nothing really happens out there.. I"m sure they're scratching for entertainment.

I'm betting classic rock and classic country are the rules.

Didn't Warren Buffet say they had a traffic jam last month?

Timmy

[darkhorse9]

Can't say much for the music scene, but I guarantee you WILL become a Cornhusker fan.

I lived in Omaha and Lincoln for about seven years during my youth. To this day I am obsessed with the team. You will be too.

resistence is futile.

(of course that assumes you haven't started out as a Longhorn fan...then all hope is lost)

[chrisbass0013]

best of luck to you man i'm sure they'll be other musicians worst comes to worse you start something up there

[BigOldHarry]

Man, leaving Austin for Omaha...

You did something *very* bad in a past life, didn't you?

Enjoy the food - that's one thing those folks know how to do is EAT!

[Will Kelly]

Hah hah! Thanks for all the great input guys!

It seems the overall impression is about in line with what I thought. Ugh. (No disrespect to you Omahaians).

I do like cold weather though. One thing I have had enough of is San Antonio's freakin' hot and humid summers. And springs. And falls. And winters.

Maybe she won't get the gig.

[bassslater19876]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Omaha
From the looks of this it's -core music and "indie" music.
Haha. The two trends in music all in one city for ya.

[nicfargo]

I personally HATE the music scene in Omaha...however the music scene in Lincoln (1 hour away) is awesome! Like Blender said, Omaha is very Indie/Emo. I'm not completely opposed to either genre, but I do like a little variety (and no, just adding country doesn't count). Lincoln has a very diverse, very active music scene. Maybe Omaha has gotten better...but I doubt it. If you're not country/cover/indie/emo, you're not getting a gig in Omaha. In Lincoln you'll be welcomed with open arms.

[saintx]

What types of bands are you in now?
There are a couple Casinos in the area. If you can get a steady gig at one of those you'll make some good scratch.
The jazz scene is pretty small.
Lots of original indie/rock/americana places to play. Bring your own audience
If your wife is military I'm guessing you'll live in Bellevue, which is only a slight drive to get to the Omaha shows. Lower taxes, also.
Tip: if the Cornhuskers are on TV, play somewhere that airs the game. No TV = empty bar.

[nicfargo]

Very good point that saintx brings up about football being on TV. Football is life in this state. If you're playing somewhere during a football game, expect no audience. That said, playing a gig after the game downtown in Lincoln...the bars are all packed! You'll find out how much Football has a role in everything in this state pretty quickly. I photograph weddings...if your wedding is during a game, I charge extra. Never once did anyway say "that's stupid"...everyone understands and agrees completely.

[jmorbita]

Well, there's that song by Counting Crows, right? If it weren't for that song i'd never heard of Omaha, maybe untill reading this thread's title!

somewhere in middle america... get right to the heart of matters...

[John Wentzien]

Originally Posted by nicfargo

Very good point that saintx brings up about football being on TV. Football is life in this state. If you're playing somewhere during a football game, expect no audience. That said, playing a gig after the game downtown in Lincoln...the bars are all packed! You'll find out how much Football has a role in everything in this state pretty quickly. I photograph weddings...if your wedding is during a game, I charge extra. Never once did anyway say "that's stupid"...everyone understands and agrees completely.

I heard the big red "N" on the football helmets stands for "knowlege"

[pappas0211]

I live by Omaha and they are right. It is very Indie heavy. The venues here are getting better as of late. After the Ranch Bowl closed, we went through a drought of venues that lasted a couple of years. But, the music scene isn't even so much Emo anymore cause a lot of bands are Screamo.

The scene is nothing like what it was 10 years ago. But, Omaha itself is actually a nice city. As long as you stay away from the North side. The Air Force base is South. I say if you guys come, welcome to the city! It's not Austin, but it's a good place to live.

[waynobass]

Originally Posted by nicfargo

If you're not country/cover/indie/emo, you're not getting a gig in Omaha.

That sounds like a broad range to me. If none of those are your style, you could be a pioneer.

Go to Omaha. No one should live his whole life in one place.

P.S. The OP lives in San Antonio, which is ~75 miles from Austin.

[Jeff K]

Originally Posted by John Wentzien

I heard the big red "N" on the football helmets stands for "knowlege"