Friday, Nov. 5, 2004 | 9:13 a.m.
With about 400,000 residents, Omaha, Neb., is approximately one-fourth the size of metropolitan Las Vegas.
Yet while the Killers are creating a stir as the only well-known local band on the national scene, the much smaller Omaha has become known as a breeding ground for promising rock 'n' roll talent.
The Faint, Cursive and Bright Eyes are just a few of the bands that have emerged from the Nebraska city, with each earning considerable critical acclaim over the past several years.
Another Omaha up-and-comer, Son, Ambulance, plays its first Las Vegas show at 8 p.m. Monday at the Aristocrat (850 S. Rancho Drive, Suite 4). Boston's Victory at Sea opens. A $5 donation is requested at the door.
Joe Knapp, frontman for Son, Ambulance, said he's not surprised with the success of so many Omaha bands, considering most of them are linked somehow.
"Omaha isn't a small town, but it has a small-town kind of feel and a lot of the people in the music scene all kind of know each other one way or another," Knapp, 24, said in a phone interview from his Omaha home Tuesday.
"The shows in Omaha are like a huge family reunion of all these people that you've gotten to know over the years from going to shows and being in bands."
Knapp, for instance, played drums in Bright Eyes for a time. Knapp's younger brother, Daniel, is the keyboardist in Son, Ambulance. Their cousin, Dylan Strimple, is the band's guitarist.
It goes on from there. A.J. Mogis, producer of Son, Ambulance's brand-new album, "Key," is the brother of Mike Mogis, sometime member of Bright Eyes and a studio producer for the Faint.
Mike Mogis helped found Saddle Creek Records, the Omaha-based label for all the bands, in 1993. Among Saddle Creek's employees: Cursive bassist Matt Maginn.
"It is kind of a family thing here, and maybe that's why the bands have (made it)," Knapp said. "A lot of the Saddle Creek musicians have been in bands together. We were always starting up new bands and side projects. Some of them are really old and no one knows about them."
Son, Ambulance made its debut in 2001, on a split EP with Bright Eyes titled "Oh Holy Fools," and its first full-length album, "Euphemystic," followed later that same year.
Third release "Key," which has been on shelves less than two weeks, blends piano-driven indie-pop with plenty of classic-rock influence.
"I try to capture this feeling of wonder," Knapp said. "I'll have a melody in my head and it won't leave me alone. I'll go on walks and all the music will be in my head. Then I'll communicate it to someone, like Daniel, and we'll go from there."
Reviewers typically mention Ben Folds, Elvis Costello and Brit-pop as Son, Ambulance touchstones.
Knapp isn't so sure about the Folds comparisons.
"I think we sound more like Mott the Hoople than Ben Folds," Knapp said. "It's darker."
As for Brit-pop, Knapp admitted that's somewhat unavoidable these days.
"I don't listen to a lot of Coldplay, but I think everyone's a big Radiohead fan," he said. "It's not like I'm trying to sound like Radiohead, I just think that's kind of what music sounds like nowadays, you know?"
Music notes
Finished business: R&B vocalist R. Kelly will not accompany rapper Jay-Z on the remaining dates of the two men's "Best of Both Worlds" tour, including a Nov. 27 Thomas & Mack Center show.
According to reports, Kelly was dropped from the tour after walking offstage during a show at New York City's Madison Square Garden last Friday.
Kelly claimed he spotted guns in the audience, then later claimed he was pepper sprayed in the face by a member of Jay-Z's entourage. Neither claim has been verified.
On Monday, Kelly filed a lawsuit against Jay-Z and concert promoter Atlanta Worldwide, seeking a reported $90 million.
"I'd like the show to go on," Kelly said in a statement. "It's really disappointing that Jay-Z and the promoter don't."
Jay-Z issued his own statement through a publicist, citing Kelly's "lack of professionalism and unpredictable behavior."
The rapper has also announced the tour will continue, with remaining shows -- including the Las Vegas date -- now billed as "Jay-Z and Friends."
Exactly who those "friends" will be has yet to be determined, though Mary J. Blige, P. Diddy and Ja Rule have all been mentioned as possibilities. Thomas & Mack spokeswoman Angela Gomes said the venue hopes to secure details sometime this week.
Tickets holders seeking refunds can obtain them at original points of purchase. Tickets are still available from $38 to $103 at the Thomas & Mack box office, UNLVtickets outlets, by phone at 739-3267, and at www.unlvtickets.com.
Ironically, Jay-Z and R. Kelly's new collaborative album, "Unfinished Business," debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart this week.
Hoppin' HOB: The House of Blues at Mandalay Bay offers a diverse slate of weekend shows, beginning with prog-emo rock band Coheed and Cambria at 6:15 tonight. Underoath and 3 open the show. Tickets are $15.50.
Veteran vocalist/guitarist Boz Scaggs stops at the venue Saturday for a spot on his "Essential Tour," celebrating the release of August's "Greatest Hits Live" CD and DVD. Doors open at 7:30 for the 21-and-over event. Tickets are $45-$65.
And on Sunday progressive bluegrass maestro Bela Fleck plays the House of Blues with longtime band the Flecktones, featuring Victor Lemonte Wooten, Roy "Future Man" Wooten and Jeff Coffin. Doors open at 7 p.m. for the 21-and-over show. Tickets are $20-$35.
On sale
Andy Williams brings his "Christmas Show" to the Orleans Arena on Dec. 18. Tickets are $43-$64 and are on sale now at Coast casinos, by phone at 284-7777 and at www.orleansarena.com.
Papa Roach plays the House of Blues on Dec. 13. Tickets are $17-$20 and are on sale now at the House of Blues box office, at TicketMaster outlets, by phone at 474-4000 and at www.ticketmaster.com.
Finch and A Static Lullaby co-headline a Dec. 6 House of Blues show, with support from Hawthorne Heights, Firescape and Code 7. Tickets are $15 and are on sale now through the House of Blues box office and TicketMaster.
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