Omaha, NE

The Ranch Bowl … an Omaha staple. People of all ages remember seeing such bands as The Red Hot Chili Peppers and 311 play. Volleyball in the summer and bowling all winter long, as well as the pool hall Snookers were also staples of this amazing music venue. And then the 21st century hit, and the bands got shittier and the crowds got smaller. And the Ranch Bowl Closed it’s doors.

Lots of people have lots of views on the closing of the Ranch Bowl. Some blame the old owners, some the new. And some just think it sucks Walmart might move in. But whatever your view (even if you’re glad to see it go), you can’t deny the role the Ranch Bowl played for Omaha’s music scene.

I can’t do it justice, so I’m recommending the Reader’s article on the subject, and leaving you with this quote:

“The Ranch Bowl was an entirely different place than the falling-apart shithole it became just prior to closing its doors a couple years ago. In the ’80s, the Ranch Bowl was an elegant room, adorned in oak and brass and mirrors, lit by small spotlights that never revealed too much. Tall tables and bar stools lined the railing of the elevated bar and continued along the back of the room to the bathrooms and the door that led to Snookers, the tiny pool hall next door.”

(all photos by Bret McVey)

Omaha, The Ranch Bowl, The Reader