Indie Music Stores Haven for Must Haves
Nebraska and Iowa's Independent Music Stores Keep Spinning
Sep 14, 2008
Here are a few standouts and must visits for any music fan yearning to sift through vinyl stacks.
Homer’s Music and Gifts
With six locations, three in Omaha, one in Bellevue, one in Lincoln and one in Urbandale, Iowa, this Omaha-based music Mecca is synonymous with cutting edge and a wide selection of sounds that have made the area such a music haven. Plenty of Saddle Creek Records’ selections are found in the staff picks, and local scene.
Homer’s has plenty of new and used products, movies, video games, chotchkeys and every genre of music out there.
Tidbit of information: “City Weekly” staffer and local music scene extraordinaire, Marq Manner, moved through the ranks at Homers, as did 1% Productions and Waiting Room Lounge’s Marc Leibowitz and Jim Johnson.
Antiquarium Records
Nestled on the west side of the Old Market, the arts and entertainment district, Antiquarium Records is vicious for its vinyl. With a wide mix of punk and speed metal, the smaller-shop is mostly used products. There are plenty of Indie and jazz selections. Back in the corner there’s a few stacks of past issues of Rolling Stones, Playboys and gone-but-not-forgotten-VHS tapes and DVDs.
Tidbit of information: When the Antiquarium Used Book Store closed its doors in August 2007 after 37-years, its basement tenant for nearly half that time, Antiquarium Records, moved its doors about a block and a half south.
Drastic Plastic
Another Old Market tenant, Drastic Plastic has been a staple in the cobblestone corner of Omaha since 1982. Mostly punk, ska and industrial, its catalog of vinyl, CD, DVDs and music accessories crosses every genre, and includes such staff favorites as Sheena Easton, Bob Marley, The Boredoms, Moon Dog and the Diskaholics. T-shirts are huge sellers here.
Tidbit of information: Drastic Plastic owner Mike Howard supplemented his sales with t-shirts, eventually starting Impact Merchandising, a multi-million dollar screen printing company. One of its biggest customers is Hot Topic.
Kainesville Kollectibles
Located in Council Bluffs, Iowa, this is the quintessential place to find anything. Eight tracks. Vinyl. Tapes. CDS. Everything. Stacks upon stacks and rooms building on more rooms are the labyrinth that is Kainesville.
For over 30-years this shop has accumulated millions of products. Every record from early big band-era 78s is found in the lower level. The main level is alphabetized with everything from Abba to the Dixie Chicks'. Upstairs are mountains of 45s and thousands of more albums. The store also has rare used books, comics, movies and music memorabilia from nearly every era.
Tidbit of Information: Owner Tim Behrens obtained the products by cleaning out garage sales throughout the Rivercity area. Behrens and his assistant, the comic-book guru known as Cliff, are extremely helpful and knowledgeable of the massive inventory.
Others worth mentioning:
Back Track Records – Lincoln, Neb.
ZZZ Records – Des Moines, Iowa.
Zero Street Records – Benson, Neb.
Harry O’s Groovy Records – Benson, Neb.
