by Connor Little
(Omaha, Neb.) Following the deadly shooting at its venue last month, the Waiting Room Lounge in the historic Benson District and their booking agency, One Percent Productions, announced they will no longer be hosting local hip-hop artists. That news caused widespread outrage from local artists and fans who claim the announcement is racist and against the Omaha music scene.
Local hip-hop artist and UNO student Rosalita (Ramon Martinez) said the Waiting Room’s decision isn’t the right one. “It’s not fair to single out a whole genre of music, let alone its local scene, just because of some isolated incident,” Martinez said. The ambiguity of the shooting also has most locals concerned. “As far as I know, the details of the shooting aren’t even clear, so how could anyone conclude that the events were connected?” asked Martinez.
Marc Leibowitz, co-owner of the nightclub told the Omaha World-Herald that any music genre can generate problems, but that the nature of the showcase slated for Aug. 8 was “inherently stressful.”
Since the shooting, musicians and artists have performed at the venue, which was opened in 2007, without incident.
