So I drove past O'Leaver's last night with the intention of sitting in their fabulous new beer garden, but after I saw how it was packed to the gills, I just kept right on driving. It looks super nice, and I think it'll be a popular addition to the venue. Too bad there isn't a way to connect it via habitrail to the volleyball courts, enabling drinkers to stroll from one area to the other with their beverages. Brendan, Mach, someone, get going on that so it's in place in time for Saturday night's Little Brazil show…

Let's take a look at the weekend:

Tonight's marquee event is Son Ambulance with Jennifer O'Connor and Oui Bandits at Slowdown Jr. I guess the Slowdown folks expect this to be a small show -- hence the small room. 'Tis a shame because Son Ambulance would sound great on that big ol' stage. $7, 9 p.m. This should be a great show.

Also tonight, The Good Life is playing a warm-up gig at tiny Barley Street Tavern in preparation for tomorrow night's park concert. Believe it or not, tickets are still available despite the fact that BST has a capacity under 100 and the show is just $5. Something tells me you're going to get a wee bit closer to the band tonight than you will tomorrow. 9 p.m.

Neither show trips your trigger? There's always Sammy Hagar at Stir. I love me some vintage Montrose.

Tomorrow night, of course, is Feist at Memorial Park with The Good Life and Argentine singer-songwriter Juana Molina. As I said before, if the weather holds out, this will be a big show if only because of the rain-out at the last park show. Music begins at 6 p.m. and should be over in plenty of time to hit one of the many shows going on around town, including:

-- The aforementioned Little Brazil show at O'Leaver's. Opening is The Photo Atlas and DJ Kobrakyle. $5, 9:30 p.m.

-- Tomato a Day at The Barley St. Tavern. The band's new album, The Moon Is Green (released on Public Eyesore) is one of my faves so far this year. With Teddy Boy and Samuel Locke Ward. $4, 9 p.m.

-- Souljourners at The Saddle Creek Bar. SCB soundman Gary gave me a copy of this band's disc a few months ago, and though I'm not a metal guy, even I could recognize this band's talent. Bevis and Butthead would approve. Opener is Savage Rage. Get your metal on. $5, 9 p.m.

-- Also, if you're in Lincoln, Son Ambulance plays at Box Awesome with Jennifer O'Connor and AM Revival. $7, 9 p.m.

* * *

So I'm glancing through the Saddle Creek Records website to find out more about the recent Maria Taylor van break-in (someone stole a bunch of her gear, including six guitars. If you know something, e-mail Creek at info@saddle-creek.com), when I notice that the label just released a digital-only EP by Sebastien Grainger, former drummer/singer of Death from Above 1979. Says the Creek site, which now lists Grainger on the label roster: "When Sebastien Grainger, former drummer/singer of Death from Above 1979, set out to make his first solo record he weighed his options – in one hand he held a guitar and a microphone and, in the other, he held everything else. For the last year, amidst sporadic emergences onstage, he’s been in his studio working and reworking a set of songs that have become the EP American Names." Look for a full-length in October. Creek did a good job keeping this one under their hat…

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