Bar · Omaha · The 402
The Slowdown
NoDo concert hall and bar opened in 2007 by Saddle Creek Records' founders, hosting national touring acts most weeks.
What stands out
intimate room with excellent acoustics/sound system
Good to know
bar drinks seen as pricey by some patrons
- Music venue
- Live music
- Visitor classic
- Local favorite
1 source-backed detail1 of 4 useful labels have their own dated link
Each link supports only the detail beside it. Menus, policies, and setups can still change, so confirm anything important before visiting.
3 broad catalog labels do not yet have an individual source link.
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Omaha readWill this visit work for you?
Check what matters for your visit. Not checked means unknown—not unavailable.
Kids + familyNot checked
Family logistics unknown
A kids menu, high chairs, changing table, stroller room, seating, and noise level have not been confirmed here.
Dietary handlingNot checked
Preparation details unknown
Menu options, substitutions, shared surfaces, fryers, and cross-contact practices have not been confirmed here.
AccessibilityNot checked
Access details unknown
Entrance, seating, restroom, parking, communication, and sensory access have not been confirmed here.
Accessibility notes describe only cited features—not ADA compliance. Dietary evidence is not medical advice or a safety guarantee; confirm your exact needs with the venue.
Hours are not yet consistently verified for this listing. Confirm parking and other time-sensitive details directly before you go.
- Music venue
- Live music
- Visitor classic
- Local favorite
1 source-backed detail1 of 4 useful labels have their own dated link
Each link supports only the detail beside it. Menus, policies, and setups can still change, so confirm anything important before visiting.
3 broad catalog labels do not yet have an individual source link.
See something wrong? Help update it →Public-source snapshot
The Omaha read
Why people go
- intimate room with excellent acoustics/sound system
- friendly, accommodating bar and door staff
Good to know
- bar drinks seen as pricey by some patrons
Sources + full snapshot1 source
Reviewers and local press consistently frame Slowdown as Omaha's flagship indie/rock venue — an intimate, well-run room with strong sound and friendly staff that has anchored NoDo's live-music scene since 2007. The recurring gripe is pricier-than-average bar drinks, but this is treated as secondary to its role as the city's premier stop for touring acts.
More reasons mentioned
- consistently strong national and international touring-act lineup
- well-stocked, reasonably priced bar for a music venue
Open the source snapshots
This is a dated summary of cited public ratings, reviews, and coverage—not a live venue guarantee and never part of the OmahaSpots score. Open a source before relying on current details.
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On the record · what we found
- The Reader (Omaha) — Alt-weekly regularly previews touring acts booked at Slowdown, e.g. The Mountain Goats' April 2023 stop
- The Reader (Omaha) — Coverage of Australian songwriter Julia Jacklin's July 2023 Pre-Pleasure Tour date at Slowdown
- The Reader (Omaha) — Preview of London art-rock band Black Midi's October 2022 show, showing international-act bookings
- Wikipedia — Documents founding by Saddle Creek Records' Robb Nansel and Jason Kulbel and the venue's role catalyzing North Downtown Omaha's redevelopment since its 2007 opening
Cited public sources in the Jun 15, 2026 snapshot — not reviews and never part of the score. Open each source to check current context.
Details not yet verified · seeded from public info
Transparent preview
How OmahaSpots reads it
A sortable preview built from synthetic scenarios—not a live community rating. Use it to compare places, then use the sourced notes above for real-world context.
What to order here
Just for you · on this deviceKeep a running list of the drinks you love here and the ones to try next.
Nothing saved yet — add the drink you can't stop thinking about, or the one you keep meaning to try.
How this score is built · the receiptsSeeded sample
Score by dimension
- Drinks7.5
- Vibe8.7
- Value7.4
- Service8.5
- Music7.7
Each preview score weights synthetic scenarios across sample source, identity, and evidence tiers, then shrinks toward the category average (the faint tick) when inputs are thin. These are not consumer reviews or claims that a real person visited.
Provenance
Built from 6 synthetic scoring scenarios with an effective sample size of 3.7 after credibility weighting.
3 of 6 carrying a sample visit-evidence flag—not a real visit verification
Highest-weight sample scenarios
- scenario: heartland_hops · Sample expert tier×1.55 · Sample receipt flag · 6mo
- scenario: blackstone_b · Sample local tier×1.00 · Sample check-in · 4mo
- scenario: nightowl_ne · Sample registered tier×0.50 · Sample self-attestation · 1mo
- scenario: midtown_mo · Sample local tier×0.50 · Sample check-in · 16mo
- scenario: guest-22b9 · Sample anonymous tier×0.09 · Sample self-attestation · 10mo