by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Subscribers to The Slowdown’s weekly e-mail blast found out yesterday that the venue is hosting another free concert in their parking lot Aug. 27, this time featuring Built to Spill, The Rural Alberta Advantage and the Mynabirds. That’s a strong line-up that would have made for a great youth concert at Memorial Park (if the City still did that sort of thing).

Last year’s Slowdown parking lot bash featured Cursive and Azure Ray, and was sponsored by Mutual of Omaha as part of its 100th birthday celebration. It was a good time. This year’s bash is sponsored by Filter Magazine and Toyota. So although the concert is free, you still need to RSVP at this website. After you do, a ticket — which is required for entrance — will be e-mailed to you.

Slowdown also announced that it is hosting a Goo-fueled Maha Festival afterparty that apparently isn’t directly affiliated with Maha, though folks who show up with ticket stubs will get in free.

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As I watched (on TV) UCLA get demolished during last night’s College World Series finals, my mind wandered again to Slowdown.  Its location right next to the new stadium where the CWS will be played next year makes it the best place to booze it up during the two-week event. Still, Slowdown always has had a “no sports” mentality. There are no TVs in the bar, though they’ve been known to roll some out for “events.” Will the bar/music venue retain its music focus or turn into Nike Town next June?

Jason Kulbel, who owns the club with Robb Nansel and is an admitted Minnesota Twins fan, said they “have some rough plans” for next season. “We will cater to the series crowd, though not sure how much we will actually change up the space,” he said in an e-mail written in a style that sounds like it was translated from Morse code. “Guessing that if we do book bands, it will make sense with the crowd that will be in the neighborhood.”

Does that mean cover bands? I have a feeling you won’t be seeing any of the noisier Saddle Creek artists on their big stage those two weeks. “I think we will have a tent of some sort (outside), but bands inside since we already have the setup,” Kulbel wrote. “I am sure whatever we do in Year One will change in Year Two. Just need to figure out what works best.” Jason didn’t mention where they’ll be setting up the money-counting booths needed to process the huge inflow of cash pouring down on them for those two weeks.

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Tonight at O’Leaver’s is Lincoln punk band Machete Archive with Down with the Ship and Wichita band Zsa Zsa Ketzner. $5, 9 p.m.

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Tomorrow: An unquestionably unbiased review of the new album by It’s True…

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2010 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.