A recent NPR article called "The Indie-Rock Club Behind Omaha's $100 Million Creative Boom" explored these very questions, particularly the last one, and found that it all begins with one or two people that feel strongly about making their community count (and proving that you don't have to live on a coast to be important).
The Cog Factory, a notoriously sketchy club that built the foundation for Omaha indie-rock artists Bright Eyes and Cursive, got shut down in the late 90s leaving the city with a massive void. College pals Robb Nannsel and Jason Kulbel decided that the void was unacceptable and made plans to open a new venue along with an independent movie theatre. It took 8 years for the city to agree to the project due to the fear that punk rock kids would run down the neighborhoods (hooligans!). Today the Slowdown has been named "the best indie-rock club in the country" by Esquire magazine and helped bring in $100 million for the city. As soon as Nannsel and Kullbel launched the venue and theatre, professionals began moving back to Ohmaha and offices, apartment complexes, and extensive retail providers moved into the city.
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| Nannsel and Kullbell in front of The Slowdown |
So what's this have to do with technology?
With the prosperous art scene in Omaha, naturally, the technology scene has been at a boom with events such as Big Omaha roping in the brightest tech stars and speakers around. Now, artists and technology developers have begun to collaborate for online projects and promotional tactics creating new jobs and building a strong force to be reckoned within the community.
Travel 527 miles (thanks, Google Maps) to Indianapolis, IN, the saving grace of the state, and witness the up-and-coming Omaha, NE. Big name blogs such as My Old Kentucky Blog have brought the "cool" to Indiana, promoting around 50 indie-rock shows a year. The best part is, these bands leave the city, and tell everyone elsewhere about their great time in Indianapolis thus growing the reputation of the city. Suddenly, music is coming out of Indiana as well as coming in like band We Are Hex who caught the eye of Jack White (he produced a 7" for them...can you say RAD?).
So this music thing is happening and now, just like in Omaha, this technology thing is happening as well...magic! According to Jeb Banner's (owner of Small Box digital marketing company in Indy) personal blog, Indianapolis has become a leader in hosting Startup Weekends, a program for people with ideas seeking other people to help them carry out their ideas. Simple, yet affective. 36% of entrepreneurs that attend these weekends actually end up with a successful business. Along with Startup Weekends, tech companies are rapidly emerging and seeking ways to give back to the local scene because as Banner says, "many of these tech startups are populated with 20 something kids that have grown up on Indie Rock. MGMT, Sufjan Stevens, My Morning Jacket, Wilco, Arcade Fire, etc. These tech "kids" love music almost as much as code."
So what did we learn here today?
city-->music scene-->people talk-->people want to live there-->people live there-->companies emerge-->technology and innovation increases-->jobs are created-->grows economy-->city becomes "hip" and prosperous
Word.
Rep that 317!
KGC
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