What mysteries will be revealed when we stare down a magical Fender Squire Strat and see the future of Omaha’s (and the nation’s) indie music scene? Let’s see what happened to the prediction.
Forecast for 2022: COVID-19 takes its last ugly gasp this winter and then rapidly fades away (except in our memories). By the end of summer, mask-and-back mandates at music venues will be a thing of the past.
real: Mandatory masks and vaccines are a distant memory, but COVID is still around us.
Forecast for 2022: As TikTok creates the next generation of pop stars, more indie acts will take to the platform.
real: TikTok is still a strong talent incubator… for pop stars, not indie stars.
Forecast for 2022: The Maha Music Festival will be held again. But it’s not alone. A Nebraska-based, indie-esque, all-day music festival announced for his 2022 will be in direct competition.
real: Headlined by Wilco and The National, Outlandia Festival took place at Bellevue’s Falconwood Park.
Forecast for 2022: With two smaller music venues closing in 2021, watch as new smaller live music venues open to fill the void.
real: There have been new venues in the past year, but nothing has replaced Brothers.
Forecast for 2022: Helping fill the stages of these tiny venues is an army of next-generation indie bands created during the pandemic, many of them made up of the kids of the era indie bands that made Omaha famous. increase.
real: Cat Piss and Pagan Athletes are the only two that come to mind. Both bands feature descendants of legendary local musician John Wolf.
Forecast for 2022: Unfortunately, when it comes to domestically popular indie acts, it’s still a national tour “Nomaha”.
real: See my one-year review story published here last month. quite on purpose.
Forecast for 2022: Find another famous indie music name to be taken down by a #metoo style scandal.
real: In August, Arcade Fire’s Win Butler was accused of sexual misconduct.
Forecast for 2022: After opening offices in Los Angeles and New York City, Saddle Creek Records makes an important announcement affecting the label’s Omaha heritage.
real: Omaha’s staff is downsizing, but is there anything new here?
Forecast for 2022: Bands and performers featured in next year’s installment: David Nance, Little Brazil, Modest Mouse, Christian Lee Hutson, DIIV, Spoon, Desaparecidos, Yo La Tengo, Jenny Lewis, and (again) Phoebe Bridgers.
real: Nance, Little Brazil, CLH, Spoon, Hutson, Desa, YLT and Bridgers all had new releases in 2022.
Forecast for 2022: No Filter 2021 will be the final Rolling Stones tour.
real: Stones are immortal.
Forecast for 2022: A music journalist begins compiling information on the oral history of the Omaha/Nebraska music scene.
real: Not yet, but soon.
Forecast for 2022: After years of being shut out, the Saddle Creek Records act finally made it to Saturday Night Live.
real: Hmmm! i give up!
So 6 out of 12 – 50%? bar, I can do better than that! Let’s see what happens in 2023:
predict: For the majority of young indie music acts, recording and releasing an entire album is expensive and, in most cases, a waste of money. will receive renewed focus. Is the album era starting to wane?
predict: With soaring inflation and declining album revenue, touring has also become a costly proposition for new bands. Current tours see more artists join Santigold, who canceled his tour in September, saying the model wasn’t sustainable. For many bands, tours are limited to markets close to home.
predict: Big music festivals and national indie tours will be almost completely dominated by legacy bands in 2023. OK Boomer.
predict: And unfortunately, despite the record explosion, downtown Omaha can’t keep up with that many record stores.
predict: In a clever money-making move, many large local stages once known for hosting indie rock shows are starting to book lunch bowl-style cover bands for the entire weekend.
predict: Omaha Performing Arts’ new steelhouse music venue opens in May. Booked by Live Nation, unafraid to take a chance (because it’s a funded non-profit), he’s breathing new life into Omaha’s dwindling indie music scene.
predict: The Maha Festival will make a big announcement after another successful year in 2023. Don’t worry.
predict: Outlandia Festival, meanwhile, will be bigger and better in its second year, with the addition of onsite camps and a wide range of artists, including new breakthrough indie acts.
predict: So does Omaha have room for a third music festival? Better believe it. Pay attention to announcements.
predict: U2, the longest-running band in the original line-up, is finally coming to an end.
predict: Bands featured next year: David Nance, Lewsberg, Phoebe Bridgers (again), The Faint, Courtney Barnett, The Smiths, Parquet Courts, Hand Habits, Orville Peck, Matt Whipkey, Cactus Nerve Thang, Icky Blossoms and Car Seat Headrest.
predict: Thousands of film crews will arrive here in River City in 2023 to begin filming a Netflix/Amazon/Hulu documentary drama series about the early 2000s music scene. Omaha, get ready for your close-ups!
Over The Edge is a monthly column by Leader Senior Contributing Writer Tim McMahan that focuses on culture, society, music, media and the arts. Email Tim at tim.mcmahan@gmail.com.