Red Sky Festival Held in 2011
This website was created to promote the 2011 Red Sky Festival. The Red Sky Music Festival was a six-day event held outdoors at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha and on the adjacent Festival Grounds in Omaha, Nebraska. Single day, three day and six day passes for the Festival Grounds, plus tickets for the Main Stage, were available here for the 2011 & 2012 festival. The format for the festival included a headlining act closing each night with local and national acts performing on stages around the stadium during the day. The festival aimed to include many different genres of music.
If you attended the Festival in 2011 this page should bring back some great memories. I was there will a bunch of friends. We had decided to all wear variations of cool Batman sweatshirts. I wore a designer Batman sweatshirt with The Joker design on the first day we attended. I love this online store - moonatmidnight.com - where I buy all my Batman shirt styles. They have so many styles I could probably wear a different design every day for a year. The the fourth day of the festival people were calling us the Bat Gang. I must admit being identified as Batman fans was a great way to meet girls. By the last day of the festival there were lots of fans wearing Batman shirts. It was a gas seeing how we were influencing others to join the Batman gang. We had a blast at the festival and were really disappointed that there wasn't going to be another Red Sky Festival (see announcement below). True it was hot out there, but the music was great with acts like Sister Hazel, John Ondrasik of Five for Fighting, George Clinton & Parliament-Funkadelic, Tonic, The Charlie Daniels Band, STS9, Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers, as well as guitar greats Eric Johnson and Buddy Guy. I can't believe this was it for the Red Sky Festival. Bummer!
In the fall of 2012, MEC (Omaha's Metropolitan Entertainment and Convention Authority) announced that there would not be another Red Sky Music Festival. Citing difficulties including scheduling artists around summer tours and the blistering July heat, they said there would still be concerts at TD Ameritrade Park, just not in festival format.
Press Release
For Immediate Release – December 15, 2010
RED SKY MUSIC FESTIVAL TO ROCK OMAHA FOR SIX CONSECUTIVE NIGHTS
Multi-Genre Annual Music Festival Debuts July 2011
Omaha, NE – The Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority and Live Nation have come together to announce the new Red Sky Music Festival bringing top entertainment and breakout artists to Omaha each July. The outdoor festival, produced by Live Nation, will feature all genres of artists, on three stages in Downtown Omaha, for six consecutive days each summer. The inaugural Red Sky Music Festival will be held on July19, 2011 through July 24th taking place in and around TD Ameritrade Park Omaha and the Qwest Center Omaha. Confirmed artists will be announced early next year.
Commenting on the event, MECA President and CEO Roger Dixon stated, “Partnering with Live Nation, the world’s largest live music company, gives us access to an incredible artistic lineup. We have been working hard to make the Red Sky Music Festival a reality, and we are intrigued with the possibilities of where this festival can go.”
“Omaha is a strong live music market making it an ideal city to create a multi-night music festival to feature the best in superstar and emerging touring talent. The success of Qwest Center Omaha has proved time and time again that Omaha music fans are some of the most passionate live music fans in the country,” said Mark Campana, Co-President, Live Nation, North American Concerts. “We are excited to work with The Metropolitan Entertainment and Convention Authority on what we hope to be a musical highlight of the summer for Omaha.”
About Live Nation Entertainment:
Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE-LYV) is the largest live entertainment company in the world: connecting 200 million fans to 100,000 events in over 40 countries which has mad ticketmaster.com the #3 eCommerce website in the world.
2011 Festival
2011 Red Sky Music Festival Showcases Schedule:
The festival will kick off each day with bands on two outdoor stages in MECA Parking Lot B, directly in front of Qwest Center in Omaha and to the south of the stadium. In addition to the bands performing in Lot B each day, there will also be food and beverage tents, sponsorship activation, corporate hospitality and other vendor activity
The music starts at noon each day, with the winners of the Battle of the Bands Showcases leading the charge. The Battle of the Bands Showcases have sparked strong interest locally and across the region, with more than a 150 bands submitting their music.
Once the sun goes down, the Red Sky Music Festival will move next door to the TD Ameritrade Park for the final big headlining concert of the night.
The schedule includes:
— MONDAY, JULY 18: Sister Hazel, 3:45 to 5 p.m., Stage C; The Fab Four: The Ultimate Tribute, 4:30 to 5:45 p,m., Stage B; Better Than Ezra, 5:30 to 7 p.m., Stage C; Five for Fighting, 6:15 to 7:15 p.m., Stage B; and Journey, with Night Ranger, 7:30 p.m., Main Stage.
—TUESDAY, JULY 19: Kids These Days, 2:20 to 3 p.m., Stage C; Big Gigantic, 3:15 to 4:15 p.m., Stage B; Cornmeal, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., Stage C; STS9, 5 to 6:45 p.m., Stage B; George Clinton, 5:15 to 6:30 p.m., Stage C; and 311 with Sublime, 6:30 p.m., Main Stage.
— WEDNESDAY, JULY 20: Tonic, 3:45 to 4:45 p.m., Stage C; Chad Lee, 4:15 to 5:15 p.m., Stage B; Soul Asylum, 5:15 to 6:45 p.m., Stage C; the Charlie Daniels Band, 5:45 to 7:15 p.m., Stage B; and Kid Rock with Jamey Johnson, 7:30 p.m., Main Stage.
—THURSDAY, JULY 21: Michael Williams Band, 3 to 3:45 p.m., Stage B; 10,000 Maniacs, 3:45 to 4:45 p.m., Stage C; Eric Johnson, 4:15 to 5 p.m., Stage B; Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers, 5:15 to 6:30 p.m., Stage C; Buddy Gunn with Quinn Sullivan, 5:30 to 6:45 p.m., Stage B; and the Zac Brown Band, with Blackberry Smoke and Sonia Leigh, 6:30 p.m., Main Stage.
— FRIDAY, JULY 22: The Dirt Drifters, 3:45 to 4:45 p.m., Stage C; Ingram Hill, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., Stage B; the Randy Rogers Band, 5:15 to 6:45 p.m., Stage C; Cowboy Mouth, 6 to 7:15 p.m., Stage B; and Jason Aldean, with Chris Young and Thompson Square, 7:30 p.m., Main Stage.
—SATURDAY, JULY 23: Showcase Bands, noon to close, Stages B and C.
Festival grounds tickets are $15 for a single-day pass, $30 for a three-day pass and $60 for a six-day pass. All passes include admission to Stages B and C only. Entry to Main Stage in TD Ameritrade Park Omaha is not included. The festival grounds gates will open at 11 a.m each day, with the music starting at noon. Wristbands to leave and re-enter the festival grounds are available at all gate areas daily. Re-entry wristbands will be valid for a single, same day re-entry
Each Main Stage ticket purchase includes admission to the festival grounds (Stages B & C). Main Stage tickets range from $25 to $125 (includes fees) for Journey; $25 and $35 for 311 and Sublime; $33 to $55.50 for Kid Rock; $34 to $55 for the Zac Brown Band; and $29.75 to $54.75 for Jason Aldean.
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Battle of the Local Bands 2011 Schedule
The Metropolitan Entertainment and Convention Authority (MECA) of Omaha and Live Nation are pleased to present the first ever Red Sky Music Festival in and around TD Ameritrade Park Omaha. Omaha's original alternative newsweekly, The Reader, is leading the battle. They will select a variety of local bands/artists, then hold a month long music showcase at local venues where bands can compete for a performance slot at the festival.
- June 10 - The Slowdown
Avaricious Band, Finest Hour, Session 7 - June 11 - Parliament West
Velvet Crush, Take Me To Vegas, Moon Juice, Straight Out of Junior High, The Bishops, Vago, Twitch - June 16 - Rednecks
Crossfire, Jaymie Jones, Shelia Greenland, The Willards - June 19 - The Waiting Room
Satchel Grande, We Be Lions, Lonely Estates, Midwest Dilemma - June 24 - Pat & Mike's
Rock Paper Dynamite, The Answer Team, Voodoo Method, Mint Wad Willy - June 25 - The 21st Saloon
Bad Country, Blue Bird, Sidecar 69 - June 26 - Pizza Shoppe
Rhythm Collective, Chris Saub, Marcos y Sabor, Mojo Bag - June 30 - Lava Jay's
Hookshot, After the Fall, Mitch Gettman Band, Mr. Hand - July 1 - Chrome Lounge
Byleth, Broken Crown, Paisty Jenny, Vulsafire - July 9 - Duece's
Confidentials, Steve Villamonte, Cleo's Apartment, Matt Gagne
HOW TO SUBMIT: Bands will be invited to showcase in a series of performances currently being scheduled in June and July. If selected, bands will have the opportunity to perform at the Red Sky Music Festival held on July 18-23, 2011, on one of the 3 festival stages. Several selected bands will perform at the festival per day.Please know that we intend for bands to be paid for any performance, the final details for the showcases will be determined by venue. To streamline this process and collect pertinent information, we're inviting bands to sign up through Sonicbids, the industry leader in helping bands get gigs.
GO TO - www.sonicbids.com/redskyfestival (Deadline - May 18, 2011)
- Artists selected for the showcase will be compensated, based on draw.
- All artists selected for the showcase will get a complimentary 3-day pass to the festival for band members, good for entry to the B and C stages.
- Professional sound and lights, as well as a sound engineer, will be provided at each showcase.
- The artists who are selected to play at the festival will be compensated.
More Background on RedSkyFestival.com
The Red Sky Music Festival was a short-lived yet ambitious music event held in Omaha, Nebraska, during the summers of 2011 and 2012. Conceived as a multi-genre festival, it aimed to position Omaha as a significant destination on the national music festival circuit. Despite its promising start, the festival faced numerous challenges that led to its discontinuation after just two years.
Origins and Conceptualization
The festival was a collaborative effort between the Metropolitan Entertainment and Convention Authority (MECA) and Live Nation, one of the world's leading live entertainment companies. Announced in December 2010, the Red Sky Music Festival was envisioned to emulate the success of Milwaukee's Summerfest, offering a diverse lineup of artists across multiple stages over several days. The inaugural event was scheduled for July 18–23, 2011, at the TD Ameritrade Park and its adjacent festival grounds in downtown Omaha.
2011 Inaugural Festival
The first Red Sky Music Festival featured a lineup that blended national headliners with local and regional acts, aiming to cater to a wide array of musical tastes. The format included daytime performances on two outdoor stages, referred to as the B and C stages, with evening headliners performing on the Main Stage inside TD Ameritrade Park. This structure was designed to keep attendees engaged throughout the day and into the night.
Notable headliners in 2011 included:
- Journey: The iconic rock band known for hits like "Don't Stop Believin'."
- Kid Rock: The genre-blending artist whose performance was among the festival's highlights.
- 311: Omaha's own rock band, bringing a hometown appeal to the lineup.
- Sublime with Rome: Performing the reggae-infused rock hits of Sublime with new frontman Rome Ramirez.
- Zac Brown Band: The Grammy-winning country group known for their harmonious melodies.
- Jason Aldean: A leading figure in country music, adding star power to the festival's country offerings.
Supporting acts included artists like Five for Fighting, George Clinton & Parliament-Funkadelic, Tonic, The Charlie Daniels Band, STS9, Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers, Eric Johnson, and Buddy Guy. In total, the festival hosted 37 local acts alongside 35 national acts, with the final day dedicated exclusively to local performers.
MECA estimated that around 80,000 people attended the festival over its six-day run. While this number was respectable for a debut event, it fell short of the organizers' expectations, leading to considerations for adjustments in subsequent years.
2012 Festival and Challenges
In its second year, the Red Sky Music Festival faced significant challenges that impacted its execution and reception. Initially planned as a four-day event from July 18–21, 2012, the festival was further shortened to three days due to difficulties in securing headlining acts for the Thursday slot. This reduction was indicative of broader issues in artist scheduling and booking, which were compounded by the competitive summer touring season.
The 2012 lineup featured:
- Rascal Flatts: The country trio headlined the opening night, supported by Little Big Town, Eli Young Band, Logan Mize, and Edens Edge.
- Brad Paisley: Another major country artist, with The Band Perry and The Lost Trailers as supporting acts.
- Def Leppard: The British rock band closed the festival, with Poison and Lita Ford adding to the rock-centric lineup.
Notably, the festival offered free admission to the B Stage performances, sponsored by TD Ameritrade, in an effort to attract more attendees. Despite these efforts, attendance numbers did not meet expectations, and the festival struggled to establish a distinct identity in a crowded market.
Critiques and Reception
The Red Sky Music Festival received mixed reviews from both attendees and critics. Some praised the diversity of the lineup and the inclusion of local artists, while others criticized the festival for lacking a cohesive identity and failing to attract top-tier headliners that could draw larger crowds.
Local music critic Tim McMahan of Lazy-i was particularly vocal in his critiques, describing the festival as a "failure" and questioning the vision behind its programming. He noted that the festival's approach seemed to lack direction, resulting in a lineup that did not resonate with a clear target audience.
Cultural and Social Significance
Despite its brief existence, the Red Sky Music Festival played a role in highlighting Omaha's potential as a music destination. It provided a platform for local artists to perform alongside national acts, fostering a sense of community and offering exposure that might not have been available otherwise.
The festival also sparked discussions about the viability of large-scale music events in Omaha, influencing future endeavors and contributing to the evolution of the city's cultural landscape.
The Red Sky Music Festival serves as a case study in the complexities of organizing large-scale music events. While it had the backing of significant entities like MECA and Live Nation, and the advantage of a modern venue in TD Ameritrade Park, the festival faced challenges that ultimately led to its discontinuation.
Factors such as competition with established festivals, difficulties in artist scheduling, and the challenges of appealing to a broad audience contributed to its short lifespan. Nonetheless, the Red Sky Music Festival remains a notable chapter in Omaha's musical history, reflecting both the ambitions and obstacles inherent in the festival industry.
