Artists on the label
Saddle Creek Records in Omaha, such as
Bright Eyes,
The Faint, and
Cursive, are nationally renowned. The formation of the sound occurred in the mid-1990s with
Commander Venus, Frontier Trust, Weak, and Matchbook Shannon, and clubs such as the
Cog Factory, and
Sokol Music Hall. The 2000s saw a rise in popularity of
Saddle Creek Records. The label went on to build a music venue called
Slowdown.
The Waiting Room also opened in March 2007. The alternative music scene has produced such popular artists as
311, Beaver & the Hottage Cutch, Betsy Wells and
Grasshopper Takeover, and Omaha has been a temporary home base of Midwest bands such as
Tilly and the Wall,
Rilo Kiley,
The Urge,
Pomeroy, and
Blue October. Tim McMahan's Lazy-i and SLAMOmaha.com are the main media outlets promoting Saddle Creek and other Omaha bands. In Omaha, a mainstay of the music scene is
Nils Anders Erickson. The studio houses modern equipment and has recorded with artists with local connections such as 311, but what makes the studio famous is its collection of vintage equipment. On addition to the studio, Nils heads local jam band Paddy O'Furniture. Other mainstays of the music scene in Omaha include folk artists such as
Simon Joyner,
Kyle Knapp, and his son, Saddle Creek artist
Joe Knapp,
Joe Watson,
Mike Murphy,
Kevin Quinn, and electronic artists
Peter None and
Chip Davis. Notable jazz musicians include jazz guitarist
Dave Stryker and drummer
Victor Lewis. Omaha also has many heavier rock and metal acts. In the mid to late 1990s the bands Secret Skin, Clever, and Twitch dominated the scene with their highly rhythmic and guitar-driven sound. Since the turn of the millennium, it has been a strong spot for
Metalcore bands. A good amount have gone on to be National acts, such as Analog,
Paria,
System Failure, and
I Am Legend. Also, the
Power Metal band
Cellador hails from Omaha. It also draws many other heavy musical acts, including many
Screamo artists, including
Eyes of Verotika,
Caught in the Fall, and
Robots Don't Cry. Other notable groups include
Noah's Ark was a Spaceship,
Back When, and Father. Blues advocates including Terry O'Halloran and the Omaha Blues Society have brought world class blues to Omaha. Local artists like Satchel Grande,
Kris Lager Band, and
Funk Trek are examples of popular local blues artists. Their predecessors
Electric Soul Method and Polydypsia helped set the stage for this music to grow in Omaha.
North Omaha From the 1920s through the early 1960s North Omaha boasted a vibrant entertainment district featuring
African American music. 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,
blues and
jazz bands from across the country. An important venue was the storied
Dreamland Ballroom, 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
Duke Ellington,
Count Basie,
Louis Armstrong,
Lionel Hampton, and the original
Nat King Cole Trio.
Whitney Young 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, musicians such as
Cab Calloway 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 song "Omaha Blues".
Notable North Omaha musicians Blues singer
Wynonie Harris was born and raised in Omaha. Early
North Omaha bands included
Lewis' Excelsior Brass Band,
Dan Desdunes Band, Simon Harrold's Melody Boys, the Sam Turner Orchestra, the Ted Adams Orchestra, the Omaha Night Owls,
Red Perkins and His Original Dixie Ramblers, and the
Lloyd Hunter Band 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. North Omaha's musical culture also birthed several nationally and internationally reputable African American musicians.
Preston Love and drummer
Buddy Miles were friends while growing up and they collaborated throughout their lives.
Big Joe Williams and funk band leader
Lester Abrams are also from North Omaha. Omaha-born Wynonie Harris, one of the founders of rock and roll, got his start at the North Omaha clubs and for a time lived in the now-demolished Logan Fontennelle projects at 2213 Charles Street.
Surf One of Omaha's most famous exports is the influential
surf band
The Chevrons, who were voted Omaha's most popular band in 1966. Other 1960s bands include
The Echos,
7 Legends,
Velvet Haze,
Little Denny Wonder,
Freedom Road and
The Beautiful People. ==Other places==