Address 729 N. 14th Street Owner Saddle Creek Records Opened 2007 | Location Omaha, Nebraska Capacity 470 | |
 | ||
Slowdown is an entertainment venue located at 729 North 14 Street in NoDo, a new development near the Near North Side neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska. A combination of a live music venue, shops, restaurants and apartments, the venue was developed by Saddle Creek Records as a direct competitor to the Sokol Auditorium in Little Bohemia. Slowdown is said to be "unlike anything in Omaha - or the Midwest" because of its comprehensive, mixed-use design. The venue is named after the group Slowdown Virginia (later renamed Cursive (band)), who have had a strong influence on "The Omaha Sound". Slowdown has shows 3 to 4 nights per week as well as a weekly pub quiz. The venue is open one hour before the event and stays open until around 2am, often offering a post-show Happy Hour. Slowdown's shows are usually all ages unless otherwise specified, but on nights there is not an event the venue functions as a bar. Slowdown is a place full of, "Rock shows, socializing, dancing, going to the bathroom, sitting, standing, walking, pool, video games, board games, some light reading, etc."
History
Slowdown began in 2000 as an idea to start a rock club. Jason Kulbel and Robb Nansel started with the idea to renovate a space somewhere in the downtown area and give Omaha the permanent music venue they felt it was lacking. As it became apparent that the perfect space for renovation was just not out there, Robb and Jason spent most of their time working on the expansion of Saddle Creek Records. In 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 now was to build a permanent home for both Slowdown and Saddle Creek.
Fortuitously, the "perfect" spot was found on Saddle Creek Road in midtown Omaha. However, there was strong opposition to the development from local residents, and those plans were scrapped. Jason and Robb were approached by the City of Omaha to find the right place to build Slowdown. A few different options were considered, and the one that seemed to make the most sense was on a plot of land the city offered just south of Omaha's Near North Side and a few blocks west of the Qwest Center. Slowdown is surrounded by an Urban Outfitters, Saddle Creek Records, Film Streams, Blue Line Coffee, and apartments along with some other local businesses.
The city proposed kick-starting the rebuilding of the north downtown area, and with the help of J Development and Alley Poyner Machietto Architecture, the Saddle Creek/Slowdown building quickly became a part of a "development".