Chronicle: Omaha's music scene

THE STORIES AND PEOPLE MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY. THIS IS KETV NEWSWATCH SEVEN’S CHRONICLE. WELL, GOOD MORNING, AND THANKS FOR JOINING US. I’M ROB MCCARTNEY. YOU KNOW, OMAHA HAS A RICH HISTORY WITH MUSIC, AND IT’S BEING RECOGNIZED AROUND THE METRO THROUGH NEW VENUES LIKE THE ASTRO, WHERE I AM HERE IN LA VISTA, AND ALSO STEEL. TO NAME A COUPLE THERE IN DOWNTOWN OMAHA. AND WE’RE GOING TO TAKE YOU THERE A LITTLE LATER, AS WELL AS OLDER, MORE WELL-KNOWN ONES LIKE THE SLOWDOWN AND THE WAITING ROOM TO TODAY, WE’RE TAKING A LOOK AT HOW THE VENUES GRAB HEADLINING TALENT, WHILE ALSO CELEBRATING LOCAL BANDS AND ARTISTS. FIRST, WE WANT TO TAKE YOU BACK HERE TO OPENING DAY AT THE ASTRO, WHICH IS AN INDOOR AND OUTDOOR SPACE. PEOPLE AROUND TOWN ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT IT AND CHRONICLES JOSH KRISTIANTO REPORTED. LIGHTS, VENUE CASEY DONAHUE. THE ASTRO LAUNCHES INTO THE STARS THIS WEEKEND, AND IT’S PULLING PEOPLE IN FROM BEYOND OUR IMMEDIATE ORBIT. WE DON’T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE CHAOS OF DOWNTOWN, SO IT MAKES IT EASY. IT’S COOL TO HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THIS IN LA VISTA CLOSE TO WHERE WE LIVE, SO WE DON’T HAVE TO DRIVE ALL THE WAY DOWNTOWN OMAHA TO GO SEE SHOWS AND THINGS. THE SOUTHWEST METRO HAS BEEN YEARNING FOR MORE SPACES TO DO THINGS, MAKING THINGS CLOSER FOR RESIDENTS IS ONE THING. BRINGING IN PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER NEBRASKA AND IOWA IS ANOTHER. I MEAN, I LOVE GOING TO CONCERTS LIKE THAT. THEY HAVE AT THE BOURBON AND STUFF IN LINCOLN. SO THIS WAS AN OBVIOUS CHOICE FOR US TO LIKE, COME DOWN BECAUSE WE LIKE CASEY DONAHUE. THE PROJECT WASN’T WITHOUT ITS CHALLENGES. UNEXPECTED DELAYS FORCED MANAGERS AT THE ASTRO TO MOVE SIX PLANNED LIVE EVENTS TO NEW LOCATIONS. THEY SAID BIG PROJECTS LIKE THIS TAKE TIME NOW HOPES FOR AN ECONOMIC BOOST, GIVING THE AREA SOME OPTIMISM. LOCAL BARS AND RESTAURANTS STANDING TO BENEFIT FROM THE REVELING CROWDS RIGHT NOW, WHERE THE BUSINESSES ARE LOCATED, YOU CAN’T SEE FROM 84TH STREET, SO IT’LL BRING A LOT MORE BUSINESS INTO THEM. IT’LL MAKE THEM MORE VISIBLE TO POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS. SO I THINK IT’LL BE GREAT FOR THEM. THE POTENTIAL HERE IS ASTRONOMICAL AT THE HEART OF A CITY LOOKING TO MAKE THEIR MARK, AND I’M WITH JANE LUNA NOW. SHE IS THE GENERAL MANAGER HERE AT THE ASTRO JANE, THANKS FOR JOINING US TODAY. THANK YOU. HAPPY TO HAVE YOU HERE. WELL, SO TELL ME, FOR THOSE WHO DON’T KNOW AND MYSELF INCLUDED, WHAT EXACTLY IS THE ASTRO? THE ASTRO IS A MULTI-PURPOSE, MULTI-STAGE VENUE HERE IN LA VISTA, NEBRASKA. WE HAVE AN OUTDOOR STAGE AND AN INDOOR, SO WE’RE VERY DIFFERENT FROM EVERYTHING ELSE IN THIS COMMUNITY. SO TELL ME, WHY WAS THERE A NEED FOR THIS KIND OF FACILITY? DO YOU THINK? I MEAN, I THINK SO. SO WE, YOU KNOW, THE THE VENUE LANDSCAPE IN OMAHA HAS GROWN MASSIVELY IN THE LAST COUPLE OF DECADES. BUT OMAHA WAS REALLY MISSING AN OUTDOOR VENUE WITH A LOT OF INFRASTRUCTURE. I WOULD SAY, OKAY, UM, WE HAVE A VERY WIDE RANGE OF CAPACITIES AND SETUPS THAT WE CAN DO HERE BETWEEN THE INDOOR AND THE OUTDOOR. WE CAN GO ANYWHERE FROM 1300 PEOPLE SEATED TO 5000 PEOPLE STANDING, DEPENDING ON IF YOU’RE OUTSIDE OR INSIDE. SO WE HAVE A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY WITH WHAT WE’RE DOING AND WE’RE CATERING TO A LOT OF VERY DIFFERENT CALIBER OF ARTISTS. UM, SO SOME OF THOSE BANDS THAT PLAY SMALLER CLUBS THAT ARE MORE IN THAT THOUSAND PERSON CAPACITY ARE GETTING AN EXPERIENCE THAT A LARGE NATIONAL HEADLINING ACT WILL GET THAT’S DOING 5000 PLUS. SO WHAT? LIKE WHAT KIND OF THINGS WOULD THEY BE GETTING IF I WAS A SMALL BAND AND SAY, HEY, I CAN NOW, I CAN FEEL LIKE I’M A MAJOR ACT? YEAH. WHAT ARE WE ARE WE TALKING LIKE RIDERS IN THE BACK THAT YOU GET CERTAIN KIND OF FRUIT? AND FOR SURE WE GET THEM WHATEVER THEY NEED. BUT HERE THEY ARE REALLY GETTING A HOME. WE AREN’T JUST A SMALL CLUB WITH ONE, TWO, THREE DRESSING ROOMS. WE HAVE PRACTICALLY A FULL HOUSE BACK HERE. WE HAVE SEVEN DRESSING ROOMS, TWO CATERING ROOMS, A GYM, A LAUNDRY FACILITY, A GAME ROOM THAT HAS PINBALL MACHINES AND FUN STUFF FOR PEOPLE TO JUST KIND OF RELAX AND HANG OUT. SO THIS IS OUR ARTIST LOUNGE IN HERE. IT’S A FUN LITTLE GAME ROOM, A SPOT TO RELAX AND HAVE SOME FUN. THESE ARE THE KIND OF THINGS THAT REALLY SET VENUES APART. MAJOR VENUES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THEY’RE GETTING MORE GEARED TOWARDS HAVING THAT UNIQUE ARTIST EXPERIENCE WHERE MAYBE THEY HAVE A PICKLEBALL COURT OR THEY HAVE A BARISTA BACKSTAGE. UM, THERE’S A VENUE THAT HAS A SMASH ROOM THAT YOU GO THAT YOU CAN GO IN AND YOU GET TO SMASH THINGS. SO THIS IS OUR LITTLE CONTRIBUTION TO SOMETHING FUN AND DIFFERENT. SO THE BANDS REALLY DO THEY REALLY WANT THAT? I MEAN, OH YEAH, THEY SAY, DO THEY DEMAND A CERTAIN THINGS OR THEY DON’T DEMAND IT, BUT ANYTHING THAT’S GOING TO BE UNIQUE, THESE PEOPLE ARE ON THE ROAD FOR THE MAJORITY OF THEIR LIVES. AND SO TO BE ABLE TO HAVE SOMETHING TO ENTERTAIN THEM ON SITE IS A BIG DEAL. NICE. WELL, IT’S ALREADY GOING. YEAH, I PLAYED PINBALL SINCE I WAS LIKE IN JUNIOR HIGH. I’M LIKE PINBALL WIZARD. SO LET’S BACK UP A LITTLE BIT. I MEAN, IT’S TAKEN A WHILE TO GET THE ASTRO BUILT. THIS THING JUST DIDN’T POP UP OVERNIGHT. NO, THIS WAS CONCEPTUALIZED. GOSH, SEVEN, EIGHT YEARS AGO. YEAH. AND THERE HAVE BEEN CHALLENGES. I MEAN, WE HAD THE PANDEMIC, SO TALK TO ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU GUYS HAD TO RUN IN. YOU RAN INTO THE PANDEMIC DEFINITELY AFFECTED OUR INDUSTRY. UM, BUT IT AFFECTED THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY AS WELL. SO SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES, STAFFING ISSUES, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN’T GET PEOPLE TO WORK NECESSARILY THE SAME WAY THAT YOU DID PRE-PANDEMIC. AND SO THAT SLOWED CONSTRUCTION DOWN EVERYWHERE. IT’S NOT A UNIQUE PROBLEM THAT JUST THE ASTRO HAD. SO TELL ME ABOUT THE THE PARTNERSHIP. IS THERE A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF LA VISTA OR IS THIS A PUBLIC. THERE’S ABSOLUTELY A PARTNERSHIP THERE. UM, WE ARE PRIVATELY OWNED AND OPERATED 100%. SO WE ARE CO-OWNED BY TWO PRIVATE COMPANIES. UM, CONCERT PROMOTERS, IF YOU WILL, MAMMOTH LIVE AND 1% PRODUCTIONS. SO THEY OWN 100% OF THE ASTRO BUSINESS AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT. BUT THE CITY DID CONTRIBUTE OUR OUTDOOR CONCESSIONS AND RESTROOMS BUILDING FOR THE AMPHITHEATER SIDE. SO WE WORK HAND IN HAND WITH THEM NOT ONLY ON THAT FACILITY THAT WE RENT FROM THEM FOR EVERY SHOW, BUT WE HAVE TO WORK WITH THEM ON PUBLIC SAFETY AND TRAFFIC AND AND ALL OF THOSE TYPES OF THINGS THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A PARTNERSHIP AND HAVE A WELL OILED MACHINE TO BE ABLE TO DO WHAT WE’RE DOING, DO YOU THINK THERE’S ENOUGH OR THERE ARE TOO MANY VENUES OF THIS SIZE IN THE METRO AREA TO SUPPORT THE THE AMOUNT OF ACTS THAT COULD COME IN? I DON’T THINK SO. I THINK WE ALL HELP EACH OTHER IN A WAY, EVEN THOUGH THERE’S COMPETITION THERE WITH VENUES THAT ARE SIMILAR SIZES. WE ALL HAVE THIS GOAL THAT WE JUST WANT TO MAKE OMAHA MORE KNOWN AS A DESTINATION, THAT THESE TOURS NEED TO STOP IN. YOU HAVE A CAPTIVE AUDIENCE. WE DON’T WANT TO DRIVE 3 TO 8 HOURS TO GET TO KANSAS CITY, DENVER, CHICAGO, WHEREVER IT IS. WE NEED TO MAKE THIS A LOCATION THAT IS VERY DESIRABLE FOR ALL OF THESE MAJOR ACTS TO COME TO, BECAUSE THEY HAVE THIS CAPTIVE AUDIENCE. AND SO ALL THIS HEALTHY COMPETITION IS GOING TO HELP PUT US ON THE MAP. LET’S TALK ABOUT THE THE FAN OR THE THE THE EXPERIENCE. WHEN SOMEONE COMES IN, WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO SEE? WHAT’S NEW AND WHAT’S DIFFERENT? WELL, I THINK WHEN THEY COME IN HERE, THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE THE INDOOR AND OUTDOOR VENUE ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT WITH THE INDOOR VENUE, IT’S A VERY INTIMATE SETTING. IT HAS A VIBE TO IT. IT’S IT’S IMMERSIVE IN MY OPINION. I MEAN, IT LOOKS PRETTY COOL RIGHT HERE. I MEAN, YEAH, IT IS. UM, AND SO WHEN THEY COME HERE, THESE ARTISTS THAT THEY’RE SEEING, THEY’RE GOING TO FEEL VERY UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL. AND I KNOW THAT EVERY VENUE WILL SAY THERE’S NOT A BAD SEAT IN THE HOUSE. THAT THAT’S THE SLOGAN. BUT THAT IS EXTREMELY TRUE IN THIS VENUE. IN PARTICULAR. SO I KNOW LOOKING AROUND, I NOTICED I MEAN, YOU HAVE BARS, YOU HAVE HIGH TOP TABLES. I MEAN, WHY THIS SO CLOSE? WELL, WE’RE CATERING TO MANY DIFFERENT AUDIENCES HERE WITH OUR SEATING. SO WE HAVE OPTIONS DEPENDING ON WHAT THE CLIENTELE IS THAT IS COMING TO EACH INDIVIDUAL SHOW. WE HAVE CHAIRS, WE HAVE STANDING, WE HAVE COCKTAIL TABLES. SO YOU CAN HAVE A PLACE TO SET YOUR DRINK. WE HAVE A VIP SUITE AS WELL THAT OFFERS A MORE PREMIUM EXPERIENCE WHERE YOU CAN GET HIGHER END LIQUORS. UM, YOUR OWN BATHROOM AND YOUR OWN BAR THAT ONLY 84 PEOPLE GET TO ACCESS. THAT MAKES IT A LITTLE MORE UPSCALE AND AND SPECIAL. SO WE HAVE EVERYTHING FOR EVERY TYPE OF PRICE POINT AND EVERY TYPE OF EXPERIENCE THAT YOU’RE LOOKING TO GET AS A CONCERT GOER. SO THIS IS THE INDOOR STAGE THAT WE WERE ON JUST A FEW MINUTES AGO, AND THIS HALLWAY RIGHT HERE IS ALL THAT SEPARATES US FROM BEING OUTDOORS. HAHA. SO NOW THIS IS THE. SO NOW WE’RE IN THE AMPHITHEATER. YES. SO THIS IS OUR LARGER CAPACITY VENUE. WE CAN DO ANYWHERE FROM 2800 TO 5000 PEOPLE OUT HERE, DEPENDING ON IF WE ARE DOING SEATED OR STANDING. SO IT’S VERY FLEXIBLE, JUST LIKE THAT INDOOR SPACE. HOW DO YOU MAKE THAT DECISION WHEN A CONCERT IS GOING TO BE INDOORS OR OUTDOORS? I MEAN, I WAS IN CHICAGO TO USE THAT EXAMPLE. IT RAINED PRETTY HARD THAT DAY. I MEAN, WASN’T WAS THERE AN OPTION TO MOVE IT INDOORS? SO I WOULD SAY YES AND NO TO THAT. SO THERE IS KIND OF A MISCONCEPTION THAT WE CAN JUST MOVE ANY SHOW INDOORS IF IT RAINS. UM, OUR CAPACITIES ARE VERY DIFFERENT. SO IF WE HAVE 5000 PEOPLE OUTSIDE, WE CAN’T FIT 5000 PEOPLE SAFELY IN HERE. SO THERE’S NOT AN OPTION TO MOVE THAT INDOORS. THERE’S ALSO A LOT MORE, UM, PRODUCTION TECHNICALITIES THAT MAKE IT HARD TO JUST SAY, OH, THE SHOW IS IN TWO HOURS, LET’S MOVE IT INSIDE. IT’S A LOT MORE COMPLEX THAN THAT. UM, BUT AS FAR AS CHOOSING IF A SHOW IS GOING TO BE INDOOR OR OUTDOOR, THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT FACTOR INTO THAT. IT COULD BE THAT CAPACITY OF THIS IS AN ARTIST THAT IS GOING TO SELL MORE TICKETS THAN WHAT WE CAN FIT IN HERE. SO LET’S MAKE THE MOST OF IT AND GO OUTSIDE OR IT MIGHT BE THERE ARE ARTISTS THAT DO SOLELY OUTDOOR TOURS WHERE EVERY SINGLE STOP THEY DO THAT IS THEIR THING. THAT SUMMER THAT IT IS ALL OUTDOOR. UM, AND SO THERE ARE JUST DIFFERENT THINGS THAT PLAY INTO THAT. AND WITH SEATING AS WELL, WE KNOW THAT A CERTAIN TYPE OF GENRE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO WANT TO STAND UP AND DANCE AND NOT HAVE A SEAT NEXT TO THEM. AND THEN THERE ARE SOME GENRES LIKE CHICAGO. EVERYONE WANTS TO SIT AND RELAX AND ENJOY THEMSELVES, RIGHT? IS THERE? I MEAN, THAT’S GOT TO GIVE YOU BE A BIG BARGAINING CHIP FOR YOU, RIGHT? IF YOU’RE TRYING TO GET SOMEBODY TO COME IN, SAY THEY SAY MAYBE THEY EXPECT A CROWD OF 1200 PEOPLE SO THEY COULD FIT IN HERE. THEY COULD ALSO FIT OUTSIDE. YEAH, BUT SO COULD, COULD YOU SAY, HEY, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO, PERFORMER. YOU WANT TO BE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE? YOU GOT THE CHOICE HERE. YOU CAN. I MEAN, IT’S ALL A RISK SITUATION. YOU’RE MAKING THE BEST DECISION THAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW YOU CAN BASED ON THE DATA THAT YOU HAVE. AND SO THERE’S SOME NEGOTIATING THAT CAN BE DONE THERE. BUT EVERYONE I THINK, TRIES TO BE HOPEFUL. BUT REALISTIC ABOUT WHAT KIND OF AUDIENCE THIS IS GOING TO CAPTURE AND HOW MANY PEOPLE. FINALLY, THEN I JUST WANT TO ASK YOU, WHAT DO YOU WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE OMAHA MUSIC SCENE? I MEAN, WHERE ARE WE? ARE WE ON THE MAP? I THINK WE’RE GETTING THERE. I LIKE TO REFER TO OMAHA AS KIND OF A UP AND COMING AUSTIN, TEXAS, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT’S A BIG GOAL. I UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, BUT IF YOU JUST LOOK AROUND THE LAST TEN YEARS AT THE TYPE OF VENUES THAT HAVE POPPED UP AND THE RENOVATIONS THAT HAVE OCCURRED, EVEN WITH PLACES LIKE THE ADMIRAL USED TO BE THE SOKOL AUDITORIUM UNDERWENT A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR RENOVATION AND THEY’RE SOMETHING WAY BIGGER NOW. UM, AND SO I THINK THAT THERE’S A LOT OF GROWTH HAPPENING RIGHT NOW AND THAT WE REALLY NEED TO TAKE THE BULL BY THE HORNS TO, TO KEEP THAT GOING. AND KEEP THAT MOMENTUM, BECAUSE WE’RE I THINK WE’RE MAKING WAVES IN OMAHA. WELL, NEXT HERE ON KETV, NEWSWATCH SEVEN’S CHRONICLE, WE’RE TAKING YOU DOWNTOWN FOR MORE ON WHAT THE METRO’S MUSIC SCENE HAS TO OFFER. AND LATER, SOME OF THE SUMMER EVENTS HAPPENING THAT YOU PROBABLY WANT TO CHECK OUT.