Slowdown » History

History

Slowdown began as an idea to start a rock club in the fall of 2000. And a fairly simple idea at that.After living in California for a couple of years, Jason Kulbel moved back to Omaha with the intent of opening a rock club with his friend Robb Nansel. Their idea was to renovate a space somewhere in the downtown area and give Omaha the permanent music venue they felt it was lacking.As the months went by, it started to become apparent that the perfect space for renovation was just not out there. In the meantime, Robb and Jason spent most of their time working on the expansion of Saddle Creek Records. Though the idea for the club was still around, it took a back seat as the label began to build. In the fall of 2004, they decided that the renovation of an old space was never going to be ideal and started looking around for some land to buy. The intention was now to build a permanent home for both Slowdown and Saddle Creek.

A spot was found on none other than Saddle Creek Road in midtown Omaha. The location was thought to be perfect and some contracts were drawn up on the land. Soon after, nearby residential neighbors got wind of the opening of a bar/concert venue in their backyard and, putting it mildly, threw a fit. It was soon decided that this was not going to be the best place to build said permanent home.

Shortly after pulling out of the Saddle Creek Road deal, Jason and Robb were approached by the City of Omaha to find the right place to build Slowdown. A few different options were looked at, and the one that seemed to make the most sense was on a plot of land the city had to offer North of Omaha’s Old Market area and a few blocks west of the Qwest Center arena. The only catch with the land was that it seemed to be a sort of no man’s land.Fearing a future of faceless neighbors and expanded corporate globalization, the city proposed that we took the future of our neighbors into our own hands and help kick-start the rebuilding of the north downtown area. We conceptualized our own “mall” (for lack of a better word) and with the help of J Development and Alley Poyner, began to make it a reality. The Saddle Creek/Slowdown building quickly became a part of a “development” and the rest, as they say, is history.

Slowdown as it has been built is much the same as the idea from 7 years ago - it’s a permanent rock club and bar that Omaha has long been lacking - it just happens to be surrounded by some amazing other spaces as well. We aim to have some great shows and some great times, with your help. See you soon.

Slowdown Show History
June 7, 2007 - Bright Eyes
June 8, 2007 - Little Brazil, Domestica, Art in Manila , Now Archimedes!, Flowers Forever, Cap Gun Coup
June 9, 2007 - Neva Dinova, Bear Country, Ladyfinger, The Terminals, Mal Madrigal
June 14, 2007 - Soft Opening of GOO
July 3, 2007 - Flowers Forever, Fourth of July
July 5. 2007 - The Birth of GOO with Har Mar Superstar
July 6, 2007 - Dave Vandervelde & The Moon Station Band, Cap Gun Coup, The Family Radio
July 18, 2007 - Built To Spill, The Boggs
July 19, 2007 - Psychedelic GOO
July 20, 2007 -Tokyo Police Club, Dappled Cities
July 21, 2007 - Jimmy Eat World, Maria Taylor
July 25, 2007 -Handsome Furs, Latitude Longitude
July 26, 2007 - Vampire Weekend, Landing on The Moon, Sad Sailor
July 30, 2007 - Blitzen Trapper, Coyote Bones
August 1, 2007 - Silversun Pickups, Sea Wolf
August 2, 2007 - Future GOO
August 5, 2007 - Against Me!, Two Gallants, Gaslight Anthem, Cobra Skulls
August 8, 2007 - Bishop Allen, Page France, Spring Gun
August 10, 2007 -The Rentals, Copeland, Goldenboy
August 11, 2007 - Lacona, High Places, Soft Circle
August 12, 2007 - The Felice Brothers, Outlaw Con Bandana
August 16, 2007 - Holy GOO
August 17, 2007 - Eagle*Seagull. Kite Pilot
August 21, 2007 - Cap Gun Coup, Or The Whale
August 27, 2007 - People Noise, Go! Motion
August 30, 2007 - Punk GOO
September 3, 2007 - Dirty Projectors, Yacht, FTL Drive
September 8, 2008 - Bear Country, Baby Walrus
September 10, 2007 - Dave Dondero, Mal Madrigal, Brad Hoshaw
September 12, 2007 - Cursive, Cap Gun Coup, Coyote Bones
September 13, 2007 - Animal GOO
September 14, 2007 - Paria, Noah’s Ark Was a Spaceship, Bazooka Shootout, Eustace
September 15, 2007 - The Besnard Lakes, Starvin’ Hungry, Baby Walrus
September 17, 2007 - Bill Callahan, Sir Richard Bishop
September 19, 2007 - The National, St. Vincent
September 22, 2007 - The Brunettes, Ferraby Lionheart
September 23, 2007 - Dave Bazan, The Winston Jazz Routine
September 24, 2007 - Redman, Kidz in the Hall, Akir
September 28, 2007 - Two Gallants, Blitzen Trapper, Songs for Moms
October 4, 2007 - Booty GOO
October 6, 2007 - Tilly & The Wall, Bear Country, Baby Walrus
October 8, 2007 - Head of Femur, Son Ambulance, Cherry Papers
October 10, 2007 - The Deadly Syndrome, Pictures of Lily
October 13, 2007 - The Good Life, Georgie James, Zookeeper
October 18, 2007 - Pinback, Frightened Rabbit
October 20, 2007 - Coyote Bones, Coupleskate, Belfrie
October 25, 2007 - My Friend GOO
October 26, 2007 - The Wholes, Haywood Yards
October 27, 2007 - Little Brazil, Articulate, Malpais
October 28, 2007 - Minus the Bear, Helio Sequence, Grand Archives
October 31, 2007 - Del The Funky Homosapien, Devin the Dude, The Coughee Brothaz, Bukue One, Junk Science
November 2, 2007 - Broken Social Scene
November 3, 2007 - The Mountain Goats, Bowerbirds
November 4, 2007 - Stars, Magnet
November 7, 2007 - Will Hoge, Reagan and The Rayguns, Brad Hoshaw
November 8, 2007 - Georgie James, Aqueduct, Kite Pilot
November 9, 2007 - Pajama GOO
November 10, 2007 - Nirvana Tribute Show
November 11, 2007 - Say Hi, The Velvet Teen, The A-Sides
November 16, 2007 - Eric Bachmann, Kyle Harvey, Adam Hawkins
November 17, 2007 - Bear Country, Cap Gun Coup, Honeybee, Conchance, DJ Frankie Troia
November 18, 2007 - Secret Weapon
November 19, 2007 - Celebration, Kill Me Tomorrow, Dim Light
November 22, 2007 - Gluttony vs. GOO
November 23, 2007 - Landing On The Moon, Bright Light Fever, Acadia & the Asteriod
November 24, 2007 - Domestica, Ideal Cleaners, The Monroes
November 25, 2007 - Outlaw Con Bandana, The Bruces, Southpaw Bluegrass Band
November 28, 2007 - King Khan & BBQ Show, Box Elders
December 1, 2007 - Antelope, The Stay Awake, Bring Back The Guns
December 6, 2007 - Funk GOO
December 7, 2007 - The Most Serene Republic, Honeybee
December 8, 2007 - The Show is The Rainbow, Fathr, Vvervvolf Grehv
December 9, 2007 - Vampire Weekend, Grand Ole Party, DRI
December 12, 2007 - Dinosaur, Jr., Awesome Color, Coyote Bones
December 14, 2007 - Bear Country, Spring Gun, Baby Walrus
December 20, 2007 - Zombie Beach Party GOO
December 22, 2007 - Mal Madrigal, Ted Stevens, Jake Bellows, Orenda Fink
December 29, 2007 - Neva Dinova, Mayday
December 31, 2007 - Happy GOO Year
January 10, 2008 - Sam Martin, Talkin’ Mtn., Oui Bandits, Netherfriends
January 11, 2008 - Thunderpower!!!, Dan McCarthy, Spring Gun
January 12, 2008 - The Third Men, Ideal Cleaners, Pendrakes
January 17, 2008 - Drag GOO
January 18, 2008 - Black Tie Dynasty, The Crash That Took Me, FTL Drive
January 23, 2008 - Breathless, DJ ShorT, Articulate
January 25, 2008 - Cursive, Little Brazil, Baby Walrus
January 26, 2008 - Sam Martin, Conchance
January 31, 2008 - Blood On The Wall, Honeybee, Unique Penis
February 1, 2008 - As I Lay Dying, August Burns Red, Evergreen Terrace
February 6, 2008 - Yeasayer, MGMT
February 7, 2008 - Bright Eyes, Jim James, M. Ward, Jim Ward, Secret Life of Sparrows
February 8, 2008 - Thunderpower!!!, Darren Keen, Somewhere Soon
February 9, 2008 - Daniel Johnston, Flowers Forever, Jake Bellows
February 12, 2008 - Kevin Devine, AA Bondy, The Jealous Girlfriends
February 14, 2008 - For the Love of GOO
February 15, 2008 - Tim Wildsmith, Skypiper, Akita-Ken, Leslie
February 18, 2008 - Dax Riggs, Coffin Killers, Dim Light
February 20, 2008 - So Many Dynamos, The Show is the Rainbow, UUVVWWZ
February 21, 2008 - Slightly Stoopid, The Expendables, Outlaw Nation
February 22, 2008 - Say Anything, Landing on the Moon, Malpais
February 23, 2008 - Neva Dinova, Race For Titles, Noah’s Ark was a Spaceship
February 25, 2008 - Drive By Truckers, The Felice Brothers
February 27, 2008 - The A-Sides, Division Day
February 28, 2008 - Gaelic Storm
February 29, 2008 - Scott Severin & The Milton Burlesque, The Whipkey Three, Black Squirrels
March 1, 2008 - They Might Be Giants, Oppenheimer
March 5, 2008 - Audrye Sessions, Oui Bandits
March 6, 2008 - Bowerbirds, Phosphorescent, Coyote Bones, Alessi
March 8, 2008 - King Britt of Digable Planets, Brent Crampton, Jason Moracek, Zach Tiller, Mello Mic
March 9, 2008 - The Most Serene Republic, Grand Archives, The Jealous Girlfriends
March 14, 2008 - Glorytellers, Thunderpower!!!
March 15, 2008 - Secret Weapon
March 16, 2008 - Far Beyond Frail, Shiver Shiver
March 22, 2008 - Blind Melon, Old Boy Network
March 24, 2008 - Beach House, Papercuts, Our Fox
March 25, 2008 - Mike Doughty’s Band, The Panderers
March 28, 2008 - Jens Lekman, The Honeydrips
March 29, 2008 - Glam VIP3 with DJ Word, The Glamazon Performance Group
April 3, 2008 - Grand Ole Party, Honey & Darling, Talkin’ Mtn.
April 4, 2008 - Grand Buffet, Talkin Mtn., DJ Kobrakyle
April 5, 2008 - The Paper Chase, Fromanhole, Shiny Around the Edges
April 8, 2008 - Neva Dinova, Outlaw Con Bandana, Our Fox
April 10, 2008 - The Black Keys
April 11, 2008 - Blitzen Trapper, Fleet Foxes, Tim Fite
April 12, 2008 - Minus Story, Tre Orsi, Dim Light
April 14, 2008 - Forecast, Paper Revival
April 16, 2008 - Cap Gun Coup, Pomegranates, Honeybee
April 17, 2008 - Ladyfinger, Dance Me Pregnant, His Mischief
April 18, 2008 - Spill Canvas, Playradioplay
April 19, 2008 - Man Man, Yeasayer
April 20, 2008 - Bazooka Shootout, Siberian, Ragged Company
April 21, 2008 - Half-Handed Cloud, Lake
April 25, 2008 - The Wholes, Goodbye Sunday, Eustace
April 26, 2008 - Back When, Darren Keen, Noah’s Ark was a Spaceship, Ideal Cleaners
April 28, 2008 - American Princes, Icares, Manna Band
May 1, 2008 - Indian Jewelry, Lymbyc System, Dim Light
May 2, 2008 - Domestica, The Monroes, The Sleepover
May 3, 2008 - Criteria, The Cops, Little Brazil, Race For Titles
May 7, 2008 - Ra Ra Riot, The Little Ones, 4th of July
May 9, 2008 - Spring Gun, Hyannis, Honeybee
May 10, 2008 - Josh Ritter, Dawn Landes
May 11, 2008 - Laura Veirs, Liam Finn
May 17, 2008 - Midwest Dilemma, Black Squirrels, McCarthy Trenching, Thunderpower!!!
May 19, 2008 - Cloud Cult, Kid Dakota
May 20, 2008 - Rilo Kiley, The Spinto Band, Nik Freitas
May 21, 2008 - Rilo Kiley, The Spinto Band, Nik Freitas
May 22, 2008 - Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, Ha Ha Tonka, Tie These Hands
May 23, 2008 - Tokyo Police Club, Criteria, Minipop
May 24, 2008 - Devotchka, Basia Bulat, Born in the Flood
May 30, 2008 - Bang Camaro, DJ Kobrakyle
June 3, 2008 - Old 97’s, Hayes Carll, I Love Math
June 6, 2008 - Dosh, Anathallo, Hyannis
June 7, 2008 - Mates of State, Judgement Day
June 14, 2008 - Cobra Starship, We the Kings, The Secret Handshake, Delux
June 19, 2008 - Javelins, Pomegranates, Honeybee
June 20, 2008 - The Botecellis, The Sleepover
June 21, 2008 - Skypiper, Tim Wildsmith, Akita-Ken
June 22, 2008 - Midwest Dilemma, Regan and the Rayguns, Band of Annuals
June 27, 2008 - Fourth of July, Our Fox, Susannah Johannah
June 28, 2008 - Sarah Benck and the Robbers, Caroline Smith, Landing on the Moon