Omaha Exploration

What started as a bowling alley in 1957 would eventually become the center of Omaha’s music scene before closing its doors in 2005. The Ranch Bowl began as just one of 27 bowling alleys in the area. With the city on its way to becoming the bowling capital of the world, three entrepreneurs wanted a piece of the action. That’s when I. B. Ziegman, Jerome Milder, and Morris Brick decided to open the Ranch Bowl just west of the Aksarben Race Track and Coliseum at 72nd and Hickory.

Adorned with oak, brass, and mirrors, the ranch-style building featured 24 lanes and automatic pinsetters. It also included a cocktail lounge with a fireplace, snack bar, party room, and nursery where parents could drop off their children while they bowled and enjoyed a couple of drinks. These amenities weren’t unusual for bowling alleys at the time, which faced fierce competition that eventually led to the addition of a full-service restaurant complete with cloth napkins and tablecloths.

By the mid-1970s, the Ranch Bowl was in need of new life. That’s when Larry Good convinced his childhood friend, Matt Markel, to return to Omaha from Myrtle Beach, where he had been restructuring failing hotels for Hilton. Matt’s talent for fixing broken things made him the ideal business partner to reinvigorate the once-popular bowling alley.

During an extensive renovation in the summer of 1978, the Ranch Bowl auctioned off numerous items from its previous incarnation. The sale included a complete 22-seat snack bar, kitchen supplies, classroom-style school desks, more than 100 liquor decanters and bottles from faraway places such as Uruguay, Mexico, France, Scotland, and Czechoslovakia—along with hundreds of other items.

Just days after reopening, burglars broke in through the roof, forced open a safe, ransacked the office, broke into 13 pinball machines, and made off with $10,000 in cash. While business started slowly, it soon picked up steam. Within a year, reception bookings had increased by 80 percent, with the venue capable of hosting up to five receptions per day. To further diversify income, live weekend music was introduced, performed by Sweet Country.

After managing the business for two years, they purchased the bowling alley outright. Larry focused on managing the bowling side, while Matt saw growing opportunity in live music. To support that vision, they closed the kitchen and converted it into a dedicated music space. Drawing on connections he made in the hotel industry, Matt booked local acts and, by 1984, even some national performers. At that point, the Ranch Bowl consisted of a bowling alley and two large entertainment rooms: one lounge featuring live music and another used for wedding receptions and special events. Rock bands began attracting large college crowds.

The space continued to evolve with the 1983 opening of Matthew’s Pub, created from former office space. Designed for a 25-and-older crowd, the pub featured low lighting, dark wood, brass rails, booths, and maroon-upholstered chairs. It catered to patrons who preferred conversation and drinks over watching live bands.

As music became the primary focus, Matt successfully booked popular cover bands along with occasional national acts that drew sizable audiences. In 1987, Larry sold his share of the business and three years later, Matt converted the former nursery into Snooker’s, a space featuring snooker and billiards tables, dartboards, video games, and televisions for watching sports. The room included an elevated bar with stools lining the railing, while tables surrounded a dance floor stretching to the glass doors. Beyond those doors were sand volleyball courts. By this point, the Ranch Bowl Entertainment Complex was largely complete.

In 1991, Matt purchased radio frequency 93.3 and remodeled the building to include a studio and offices for his K-ROCK radio station. Omaha’s first heavy metal station, the goal of K-Rock was to compete with Z-92 though it was would later shift to alternative rock.

Already traveling to meet with agents for up-and-coming acts such as Pearl Jam, Matt’s promotional reach expanded dramatically with the launch of the radio station. As both venue owner and promoter, he could advertise shows freely on his own station. This led to the Ranch Bowl hosting acts such as 311, Joan Jett, Nirvana, Green Day, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and LL Cool J. Some concerts packed more than 1,000 fans into a space designed for just 350. Matt continued booking local bands as openers, along with artists that reflected his personal musical tastes, including B.B. King and Buddy Guy.

Beyond the Ranch Bowl, Matt held exclusive booking rights for Sokol Auditorium, Westfair Amphitheater, and the Anchor Inn, while also booking shows at the Aksarben Coliseum and Civic Auditorium. While the venue became famous for live music, much of its early success depended on the bowling alley, which helped pay the bills and later provided performers a place to unwind after long stretches on tour buses and in hotels. Bands such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers even brought their own bowling shoes when they played there.

In 2003, amid declining health, Matt sold the business to Mike Brannan. The new owner announced plans to remodel and expand the aging music venue, but two years later revealed that the Ranch Bowl would instead close permanently. Not long after, Walmart constructed a midtown store on the site that once hosted John F. Kennedy, along with decades of bowling tournaments, weddings, dinners, and concerts.

Upon selling the Ranch Bowl, Matt reflected, “It was a good time while it lasted. I’m not sad about it, because it was in terrible shape. Everything has to come to an end. I had my time.” The godfather of Omaha’s local music scene received the Omaha Entertainment and Arts Awards Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010. He was working on a book titled Ranch Bowl – A Party Every Night when he passed away in 2014.

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