astronomy: Astro opened for business last fall, but held its grand opening ceremony in late May. (Photo courtesy of the venue)
The venue is part of the $200 million City Centre development
The Astro in La Vista, Nebraska, is gaining footing following a soft opening in August, bringing an indoor/outdoor venue to the Omaha market that independent owners and operators said was badly needed.
“We have two venues, but they're all under the same roof and the stages are adjacent to each other,” said Jane Renaud, general manager of the Astro Theatre and Astro Amphitheatre. The theater can accommodate up to 2,300 spectators, while the outdoor venue can accommodate up to 5,000.
Astro is part of the $200 million CityCenter development in the Omaha suburb of La Vista, which industry insiders say the city has long needed a boutique-sized outdoor venue. Since opening, it has hosted artists such as Goo Goo Dolls, Gaslight Anthem, Wilco, Jesse Murph, Three Dog Night, Sum 41 and Tech Nine.
The project is a partnership between the city, developer City+Ventures and promoters 1% Productions of Omaha and Lawrence, Kan.-based Mammoth Productions. The two promoters have worked together in the Omaha market for many years and believe strongly in the Astro project as a partnership.
“The backyard, dressing rooms, loading docks, everything is shared. It's all one structure so we function as one operation,” said Renaud, whose previous venue management experience includes the Alamodome in San Antonio and the Blue Arena in Loveland, Colo. “As of now, we haven't done two shows at once, but there's been talk about it and we will do it at some point.”
Mammoth Productions CEO Josh Hunt said 1% Productions owners Jim Johnson and Mark Leibowitz are true DIYers who embody the spirit of independent Midwest promoters.
“We were looking for the right situation there and we noticed that City & Ventures was developing this project in the heart of metropolitan Omaha in La Vista and we decided to give it a go,” Hunt said.
Johnson said conception for the project began seven years ago, and that the city initially wanted an 18,000-person facility but felt that wasn't the best fit for the market.
Inspired by Pittsburgh's indoor/outdoor Stage AE, with other ideas from The Armory in Minneapolis and The Anthem in Washington, D.C., Johnson said plans were adapted to a more modest capacity and it worked well.
“It's been great. Ticket sales have been great, concession sales have been great,” said Johnson, who served as project manager for the Astro Couplet. “Some shows have been disappointing, but that always happens. On the other hand, some shows have been disappointing. Personally, things have gone as expected.”
The indoor venue will feature five bars, a lobby, VIP space and performance space.
“We have plenty of concession stands,” Johnson said, adding that while they handle alcohol sales in-house, they're also working with local catering companies to develop and fine-tune their food program. “For our sold-out shows, we'll open all the bars, and that's worked out really well because there's no line to get drinks.”
Hunt credits the city of La Vista for embracing Astro as the entertainment focal point of the City Center project and for its enthusiasm.
The overall enthusiasm for The Astro stems from a simple need for a modern venue of that size and an experienced partner who can fill the schedule.
“We have great facilities, a proper loading dock and 'multi-day' parking. We're building what the market wants and people are embracing it,” Hunt added. “We had Ian Mansick and Treaty Oak Revival over the weekend and it was a blast – they had a great time. It was a fun show and people loved it. We're still new so we're seeing audiences that we've never seen before.”
Upcoming performances include Lyle Lovett, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Primus, Ring Star and His All-Star Band, Lamb of God, Mastodon and more.
The DIY and independent spirit means that those involved in the project and those working at the venue feel a real stake in the work and take pride in their work.
“These four owners have sacrificed themselves, their families, everything to create this facility,” Rehnaud said. “There's a little bit more personal investment in the team. This is really the culmination of personal blood, sweat, tears and capital.”
Renaud leads a small team that includes a guest experience manager, a venue accountant and two production managers, and is currently in the process of recruiting a food and beverage manager.
“A big difference between Mammoth and 1% is that the owners provide support to the team in a variety of ways,” she added, referring to support with legal, HR, finance, marketing, sponsorship, etc. “Because 1% has such a large presence locally, they actually send people over at times to help out. Jim and Mark come in and help out multiple times a week, so we get a lot of support.”
While Astro was in development, another major operator recently opened its own venue in Omaha: Steelhouse, which opened downtown with The Killers in May 2023. The $100 million, 3,000-capacity indoor venue was built with private funds, with Live Nation as the exclusive booking partner and operated by the nonprofit Omaha Performing Arts.
Hunt, who operates as a bit of an independent underdog in the same world as major corporations, categorizes the Steel House opening as a deliberate attempt to sabotage The Astro, but says Mammoth's strong partnerships with talent and other promoters give it a competitive advantage.
“It's always been on our side, and the reason we do well is because we're a company that respects the freedom of others,” Hunt said. “We work with others, that's what we do. We've been fighting to survive all this time, so that's OK. We live in the conflict of being independent in this consolidated industry that we're in. That's who we are, and the key is to keep our promises and be a good partner.”
Astro has a unique niche in that it is located in the suburbs but also offers a larger outdoor setting.
“Omaha has a lot more music and sports venues than people realize,” says Renaud, who didn't realize how vibrant a city it was until she moved there for this job. “There's a lot going on here and it's competitive, but our venue is unique (in the market) in terms of the outdoors. Our lineup of shows is eclectic in terms of type of music and age range. A lot of venues say there's something for everyone, and we have it.”