Ah, remember a time not so long ago when Cursive tried out their new material at places like O'Leaver's and Sokol for $2 to $5? Those were, indeed, the good ol' days. From now on, looks like we'll have to settle for $14 shows like the one tonight at that hoity-toity Slowdown, with its fancy state-of-the-art sound and lighting system. Come on, Kasher, don't you like singing into microphones that sound like you're screaming into a metal box? All right, all right, I guess it is worth the extra jack to see these guys on the city's finest stage, even if they seem oh so far away up there in the lights… Opening is the best of Omaha's Next Wave bands, Baby Walrus, along with the winner of the 2007 OEA Award for Best Alternative Band, Little Brazil. 9 p.m., $14. This will likely sell out at the window…

On a side note, Slowdown hospitality director Val Nelson sent out a press release last week stating that the bar is now serving sandwiches from Patrick's Market. "We have a vegan, vegetarian, and meat option. Also, the snacks have expanded to include pita chips, pretzels, and a few more savory items." Mmmm, savory items… I wonder where they're going to set up the deli counter. Food continues to be a problem for the entire Slowdown complex, as anyone who's gone to Filmstreams for a 7 o'clock screening can attest. There is nowhere nearby to get a bite to eat. I mentioned this problem to one of the Slowdown owners, who kindly suggested I try the recently opened Old Mattress Factory Bar and Grill. An enormous mistake, as there was a basketball game that night, which meant $6 to park in their lot and having to put up with Bluejay a-holes. No thanks. Eating in The Old Market also wasn't an option -- no way to park, get a table, get served and eat in time to get back to Filmstreams for the opening credits. (We ended up driving all the way to Panera on Saddle Creek (yuck!) and driving back downtown). The most obvious solution is also Slowdown's missing link -- a restaurant in the vacant bay that was supposed to house Yia Yia's Pizza. Am I the only one who thinks a by-the-slice pizza shop is a no-brainer? So why isn't anyone stepping up to the plate?

Moving on…

Tomorrow night's marquee event is, of course, The Stay Awake CD-release show at The Waiting Room with Bombardment Society and those crazy f--kers in Dance Me Pregnant. Prep for the show by re-reading my Stay Awake feature/interview (here). $7, 9 p.m.

Sunday night, it's back to everyone's favorite neighborhood stinkhole, O'Leaver's, for Omaha's favorite math-rock band Fromanhole, along with Chicago punkers Four Star Alarm -- a band that includes members of Strike Anywhere, Horace Pinker and The Bomb. Opening the show is a band that The Stay Awake's Steve Micek said is his favorite new act -- Perry H. Matthews. $5, 9 p.m.

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