Cog Factory
Encyclopedia
The Cog Factory, formerly located at 2224 Leavenworth Street in Omaha, Nebraska
, was a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provided a punk rock
music performance space for the area. The facility opened in 1994 with bands Ritual Device, Sideshow and Mousetrap. Musician Conor Oberst
began making public performances there in the 1990s. Cog Factory closed permanently in January 2002.
, and indie scene for many years, the Cog Factory was an all ages venue located in Omaha's downtown core near the historic Old Market. Founded by self described "DIY-Punk" Robb Rathe, the Cog Factory served as the launching pad for the careers of many Saddle Creek Records
bands, as well as being a tour stop for national acts. Cog Factory also promoted shows at Sokol Auditorium
when the draw was too large for its own club.
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
, was a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provided a punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
music performance space for the area. The facility opened in 1994 with bands Ritual Device, Sideshow and Mousetrap. Musician Conor Oberst
Conor Oberst
Conor Mullen Oberst is an American singer-songwriter best known for his work in Bright Eyes. He has also played in several other bands, including Desaparecidos, Norman Bailer , Commander Venus, Park Ave., Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, and Monsters of Folk.-Musical career:Oberst began...
began making public performances there in the 1990s. Cog Factory closed permanently in January 2002.
About
Serving as the foothold for the Omaha punk rock, hardcore, skaSka
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
, and indie scene for many years, the Cog Factory was an all ages venue located in Omaha's downtown core near the historic Old Market. Founded by self described "DIY-Punk" Robb Rathe, the Cog Factory served as the launching pad for the careers of many Saddle Creek Records
Saddle Creek Records
Saddle Creek Records is an American record label based in Omaha, Nebraska. Started as a college class project on entrepreneurship, the label was founded by Conor Oberst and Justin Oberst in 1993 . Conor soon turned over his role in the company to Robb Nansel...
bands, as well as being a tour stop for national acts. Cog Factory also promoted shows at Sokol Auditorium
Sokol Auditorium
The Sokol Auditorium is located at 2234 South 13th Street in the Little Bohemia neighborhood of south Omaha, Nebraska. It is a local icon for its historical context, as well as modern musical performances and gymnastics....
when the draw was too large for its own club.
Structure
The Cog Factory was a non-profit 501(c)3 organization run strictly by volunteers. All the proceeds from shows were used to cover the building expenses and payment of artists. Numerous volunteers tried keeping the club going until 2002, when Cog Factory ceased to operate. With all the original founding volunteers no longer operating Cog Factory after 2001, its original goal of providing an all-ages venue for every type of independent music free of discrimination started to erode. The club's organizational structure broke down, sufficient funds were no longer being earned, and the location was closed.Notable performers
- 8th Wave
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- AvailAvailAvail is a punk band from Richmond, Virginia. Originally from Northern Virginia, the band formed in 1987, its members including Joe Banks, Doug Crosby, Brian Stewart, and Mikey Warstler. The only original remaining member, guitar player Joe Banks, teamed up with rival band LDK's Tim Barry...
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- C'mon Jack
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- Frontier Trust
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- The Illegitimates
- Jimmy Skaffa
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- Pageninetynine
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- Propaghandi
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- Red Menace
- REVILO
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- ROW8P30
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- Slowdown VirginiaSlowdown VirginiaSlowdown Virginia was an indie rock band from Omaha, Nebraska, on Lumberjack Records, the predecessor to today's Saddle Creek records.-Biography:...
- Small Brown BikeSmall Brown BikeSmall Brown Bike is a band from Marshall, Michigan, United States that started in 1996. The trademark of Small Brown Bike is their "double vocals" backed by melodies. Their sound is often identified as being similar to other post-hardcore bands, such as Avail, Hot Water Music and Dillinger Four...
- Solid Jackson
- SpoonSpoon (band)Spoon is an American rock band formed in Austin, Texas. The band is composed of Britt Daniel ; Jim Eno ; Rob Pope and Eric Harvey .-History:...
- Sorry About DresdenSorry About DresdenSorry About Dresden is a four-man indie rock band from Chapel Hill, N.C. Since forming in 1997, the band has made a modest splash in the national indie scene....
- Titanium White
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- UK SubsUK SubsThe U.K. Subs are an English punk rock band, among the earliest in the first wave of British punk. Formed in 1976, the mainstay of the band has been vocalist Charlie Harper, originally a singer in Britain's R&B scene. They were also one of the first street punk bands.-Career:The U.K...
- X-CopsX-CopsX-Cops was a side project composed of members from the band Gwar and their extended "family" of musicians. Each member of X-Cops performed in a police uniform and had their own character. They released the album You Have The Right To Remain Silent... on Metal Blade Records in 1995...
- YellowcardYellowcardYellowcard is an American pop punk/alternative rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1997, and based in Los Angeles, California since 2000. Their music features the use of a violin, unusual for the genre...
External links
- Lazy-i Interview: October 1998 with Rob Rathe (the original operator)
- Lazy-i Interview: October 1998 with Chris Harding (the new operator)