9:30 Club

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38°55′5″N 77°1′26″W / 38.91806°N 77.02389°W / 38.91806; -77.02389

9:30 Club
The 9:30
Belle and Sebastian performing at the 9:30 Club in March 2006
Map
Former namesAtlantis (1977–1979)
Nightclub 9:30 (1980–95)
Address815 V St NW
Washington, D.C. 20001-3020
LocationU Street Corridor
Public transitWashington Metro
at U Street
OwnerJon Bowers and Dody DiSanto (1980–86)
Richard Heinecke and Seth Hurwitz (since 1986)
Seating typeStanding room / bar and balcony seating[2]
Capacity1,200[1]
OpenedMay 31, 1980 (May 31, 1980)
Website
Venue Website

The 9:30 Club, originally named Nightclub 9:30 and also known simply as the 9:30, is a nightclub and concert venue in Washington, D.C. In 2018, Rolling Stone named the 9:30 Club one of the 10 best live music venues in the United States. In 2019, the club was named "Venue of the Decade" by VenuesNow.[3][4]

The club opened on May 31, 1980, on the ground floor rear room of the Atlantic Building at 930 F Street NW, in Downtown Washington, D.C.[5] with a legal standing capacity of 199.[2][6] In 1996, the club moved to a larger location at its current location at 815 V Street NW,[2][5] where it anchors the eastern end of the U Street Corridor.

The 9:30 Club's name was derived from its original street address, which was also the reason to set the venue's original opening time of 9:30 p.m.[7] Early advertising on WHFS radio featured the club's slogan, "9:30 – a Place and Time!"

The club has a distinctive wheeled stage mounted on rails, which can be moved back and forth as needed. This way, the place can feel as packed with 500 people in attendance as it would during a sold-out, full capacity show.[8][9]

In October 2013, Fall Out Boy lead singer Patrick Stump said the 9:30 Club "got so much character, you wonder if the locals know how lucky they are."[10]

Nightclub 9:30[edit]

Bad Brains performing at Nightclub 9:30 in 1983
The entrance to the original Nightclub 9:30 in the Atlantic Building in 1990
The interior of the original Nightclub 9:30 in 1990 with the stage visible in the background

Nightclub 9:30 was founded by artist and dancer Dody DiSanto and her husband, Jon Bowers, a local real estate developer and music enthusiast who purchased the Atlantic Building in 1979.[2][5][11][12] The Atlantic Building was full of artists even before it became the 9:30 Club.[13]

On May 31, 1980, the venue hosted its first show,[5] featuring New York City-based jazz-punk band the Lounge Lizards and local new wave band Tiny Desk Unit as the opening act.[2][5][14] The Fleshtones were the first band ever to be booked at the club.[15]

Since its founding, Nightclub 9:30, which allowed fans as young as 16-years-old to enter, was known as a progressive venue noted for its talent in discovering up-and-coming acts. During the early 1980s, it was the home for alternative music in Washington, D.C.,[2] just as the genre was beginning to blossom.[5] On May 21, 1981, Washington, D.C. music programmer and writer Tom Terrell was instrumental in masterminding the U.S. premiere of reggae band Steel Pulse on the night of Bob Marley's funeral, which was broadcast live worldwide from Nightclub 9:30.

Over the 1980s, the club largely featured local bands, including from the punk, hardcore, and go-go genres.[5] James Blood Ulmer played in 1982.[16] Minor Threat played the 9:30 Club in 1983. Maiesha and the Hip Huggers featuring E.U., Root Boy Slim and the Sex Change Band, Rites of Spring played in 1985.

In 1986, after six years of operating the club, Bowers and DiSanto sold it to Seth Hurwitz and Richard Heinecke of It's My Party (I.M.P.), the Maryland-based concert promotion company they co-own.[2][8][11][17] Fugazi played in 1994. Dain Bramage with then-teenage drummer Dave Grohl played in 1999.

In the early 21st century, Government Issue, Iron Cross, the Slickee Boys, Urban Verbs, Chuck Brown ("The Godfather of Go-Go") played in 2005.[18].[2] Foo Fighters played there in 1999.[19]

The venue also became a regular stopping point for punk and new wave bands touring the East Coast.[20] Some of the most notable performers in the early days of Nightclub 9:30 were Black Flag, the Bad Brains, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Psychedelic Furs, Einstürzende Neubauten, the Ramones, X, Blue Angel with lead singer Cyndi Lauper, the Bangles, R.E.M., Hüsker Dü, Erasure, Richard Hell and the Voidoids, the Violent Femmes, the Butthole Surfers, That Petrol Emotion, the Replacements, Marti Jones, Marshall Crenshaw, Mod Fun, The Dancing Cigarettes, Nash the Slash, the Go-Go's, and BETTY, whose bassist and co-vocalist, Alyson Palmer, tended bar in the club at the time.

Over the following years, as the club's prominence and lineup were growing, the need for a bigger space was becoming increasingly evident. In preparation for the move, the owners purchased and extensively renovated the former WUST Radio Music Hall at 815 V Street.

The old Nightclub 9:30 closed its doors on December 31, 1995.[2] The club's final shows at the original location were memorialized on a two-CD set released in 1997 and entitled 9:30 Live – A Time, A Place, A Scene. This live CD, recorded between December 28, 1995, and January 1, 1996, includes local music from the Urban Verbs, Tiny Desk Unit, Mother May I, The Insect Surfers, Tru Fax and the Insaniacs, and Black Market Baby.

In 2023, Hurwitz opened Rhe Atlantis, a small club designed to evoke the original Nightclub 9:30.[21] In the opening ceremony, the Mayor of D.C. designated May 30th as "9:30 Club Day".[22]

9:30 Club[edit]

9:30 Club in 2015

Prior to its reopening, the club owners organized a "christening" show for media and friends featuring the Fleshtones and Too Much Joy. On January 5, 1996, the new 9:30 Club opened to the public with a show that included the Smashing Pumpkins.[11]

NPR's online music show All Songs Considered broadcast some concerts at the venue. There is an archive of these shows.

Washington, D.C.-based acts that have played at the 9:30 Club include Good Charlotte and Vertical Horizon in 2004, Joan Jett in 2006, Mýa in 2007, Wale in 2010, and SHAED in 2019.[23]

Notable performances[edit]

20th century[edit]

View from the balcony during Massive Attack's show on September 29, 2006
Johnny Marr performing with The Cribs at the 9:30 Club in 2010
  • In July 1999, Emmet Swimming played one of the first shows at the new 9:30 on a snowy night and recorded part of their live concert CD Earplugs 50¢ at the venue.[24]
  • On June 12, 1998, Red Hot Chili Peppers performed a surprise eleven-song set at the club. Money Mark and the Propellerheads were the opening acts. The show, which was the band's first at the new venue (they had previously performed at the old 9:30 Club five times from 1985 to 1987), was their first public performance since reuniting with guitarist John Frusciante, who had quit the band in 1992; although the band had performed a short in-studio acoustic set of mostly cover songs a week early for a radio show in Los Angeles. The 9:30 Club show was seen as a warm-up for their performance the next day at the Tibetan Freedom Concert, which was held at the RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C.; when bad weather cancelled their set at the concert, Pearl Jam shortened their own set so the Chili Peppers could perform a few songs.[29][30]

21st century[edit]

  • On November 23 and 24, 2001, O.A.R., whose members grew up in nearby Rockville, Maryland, recorded the live album Any Time Now at the 9:30 Club.[31] The venue also hosted the band's first four shows on their 2012 Extended Stay tour.
  • On February 26, 2002, Gorillaz performed their second concert in the U.S. at the 9:30 Club; their first U.S. show was in Boston at Avalon Ballroom on February 25, 2002.
  • In 2003, local band the Pietasters released their first live video DVD, Live at The 9:30 Club.
  • On June 17, 2004, the Beastie Boys performed at the club after a five-year hiatus. This was a radio event sponsored by WHFS 99.1 FM, which gave away all the tickets for the event to listeners. A thunderstorm delayed the band's travel from New York City. About 8:30 p.m., Radio DJs the Junkies and Tim Virgin read a statement from the Beastie Boys explaining the situation, noting that they were on the train, and saying the show would go on at about 11:15 p.m. The crowd was disappointed, but the club relaxed its re-admittance policy and allowed everyone to leave and have dinner if they so desired. To further ease crowd tensions, the Beastie Boys' management had pizzas delivered to the club for fans.[32] Mix Master Mike took the stage at 11:13 p.m. to warm up the crowd. The Beastie Boys came out minutes later on stage in front of a packed house. Posters of this late 9:30 Club performance are in the Beastie Boys' video "Triple Trouble", pasted on the walls of the streets the group walk through at 2:13.
  • On October 7, 2005, Bob Mould performed at the club, and released a subsequent DVD of the concert called Circle of Friends.
  • On November 24, 2007, Hawthorne Heights guitarist and screamer Casey Calvert was found dead of a drug overdose on their tour bus, which was parked outside the club.
  • In June 2010, Courtney Love and the newly reformed Hole performed a disastrous set described by The Washington Post as a three-hour epic train wreck. A barely coherent Love stumbled, complained and stripped through an entire set composed mostly of incomplete versions of the band's songs. Most members of the audience left before the set ended.
  • On July 30, 2010, house music producer deadmau5 collapsed on stage in the middle of a set and was rushed to the hospital. He had been suffering from exhaustion and vomiting. This collapse led to the cancellation of the nine shows which followed the event.
  • On May 12, 2011, Adele performed at the venue as part of her Adele Live tour. She sold out the venue in less than two minutes, and the show grossed $45,000. Back in 2009, she also performed her debut concert tour An Evening with Adele on January 17.
  • On February 24, 2012, the Soul Rebels Brass Band were the subject of an NPR national broadcast of their show with Galactic live from the 9:30 Club. The broadcast was syndicated on NPR and through other affiliates across the United States, as well as webcast on NPR.org.[36]
  • On September 25, 2012, Adam Lambert headlined a benefit hosted by Marylanders for Marriage Equality, a group working to garner support for the state's ballot-proposition to legislate marriage equality.[37]
  • On June 12, 2013, Animal Collective performed a set of songs previously released on their LPs and EPs. The show was documented on the album Live at 9:30.
  • In 2013, hardcore punk supergroup, Off!, released the limited edition vinyl album, Live at 9:30 Club, which featured their performance from June 25, 2011.
  • In January 2016, 9:30 celebrated its 35th birthday by opening its doors for an interactive exhibition detailing the club's vast history, the "9:30 World's Fair". This exhibition highlighted the pieces of the old 930 F St. location that made the trip to 815 V St., while taking dedicated fans through a tour of the venue like it had never been seen before, including a look inside the dressing rooms and a peek at the hair dryer purchased specifically for James Brown.[38]
  • On October 2, 2016, in support of Wild World, Bastille sold out the club in minutes for their show just months before playing EagleBank Arena.[43]
  • December 14, 2016, Jimmy Eat World returned to 9:30 Club for another "Surprise! At the Club!"[45]
  • On January 14, 2017, 9:30 opened its doors to celebrate the life and music of Urban Verbs' guitarist and NPR music librarian Robert Goldstein, with tribute performances including The Slickee Boys and Martha Hull & The 7 Door Sedan.[46]
  • On August 19, 2017, 9:30 opened its doors to celebrate the life and art of prolific graffiti icon Cool "Disco" Dan, with performances from DJ Flexx, the Howard University Choir, and legendary go-go band Rare Essence, as well as an appearance by Mayor Muriel Bowser proclaiming August 19 "Cool 'Disco' Dan Day".[51]

In popular culture[edit]

The 9:30 Club was mentioned in the Gilmore Girls' final season when Lane books a gig with her band Hep Alien.

In Designated Survivor, Aaron invites Emily to a date at the 9:30 Club.[52]

While filming A.P. Bio, comedian Patton Oswalt ad-libbed a rant about ska music featuring a story about the 9:30 Club, The Pietasters, No Doubt, Madness and more.[53]

The cupcake[edit]

9:30 Cupcake

During the band Cake's two-night run on May 30 and 31, 2009 (the club's 29th birthday), the 9:30 Club introduced the official 9:30 Cupcake, made by Buzz Bakeshop of Alexandria, Virginia. The 9:30 Cupcake is a devil's food cupcake with a buttercream center, chocolate frosting, and chocolate ganache, with the club's italicized “9:30” logo on the top in white icing. The cupcakes are now made fresh by the bakery, delivered to the club each morning, and are available for fans as well as musicians.

The 9:30 Hall of Records[edit]

The Hall of Records
The Hall of Records

Built for the 35th Anniversary "World's Fair" events and left as a growing monument to the club's history, the new Hall of Records documents every headlining performance to occur at the 9:30 Club since its inception in 1980. Catalogued in album form, the collection includes nearly 8,000 vinyl and CDs.[54]

In Print: 9:30 - A Time and a Place[edit]

Accompanying the World's Fair was the release of the "9:30 – A Time and A Place" oral and pictorial history book, featuring 265 pages of behind-the-scenes photographs stories from the venue's past told by staff and artists, including Public Enemy's Chuck D and Sarah McLachlan.[55]

On TV: Live at 9:30[edit]

In February 2016, it was announced that the 9:30 Club had partnered with Squarespace, Shinola, and Destination DC to produce a new musically-centered variety show for PBS, featuring five acts per episode alongside a variety of comedy and short films. Artists include: Garbage, The Arcs, Tove Lo, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness, Grace Potter, Trouble Funk, Troye Sivan, Frank Turner, Cold War Kids, and many more.

Live at 9:30 debuted in May, with a mix of contributors and hosts including Henry Rollins, NPR Music's Bob Boilen, Hannibal Buress, Jill Kargman, Ralphie May and Tony Rock.

While episodes are airing across the country, they are also available on www.liveat930.com.[56]

Awards[edit]

The 9:30 Club has been awarded "Nightclub of the Year" by Pollstar 13 times, the most of any club in Pollstar history, including five years in a row from 2012 to 2016.[57]

For much of that time, it has regularly topped that concert industry trade journal's annual list of the top ticket-selling clubs in the United States.[5][11] In 2014, the 9:30 Club sold 284,309 tickets, the second most for a nightclub worldwide.[58]

The venue won the Top Club awards at the 2007 through 2012 Billboard Touring Awards, except in 2008, when the award was not presented.

Touring artists and managers in conjunction with Rolling Stone rated the club the No. 1 Big Room in America.[59]

In 2019, VenuesNow named the 9:30 Club "Venue of the Decade."[4]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Meet me at 9:30 https://washington.org/visit-dc/930-club-history-washington-dc#
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Kiger, Patrick. (November 11, 2014). "The Epicenter of the 1980s Alternative Music Scene in DC". Boundary Stones. Retrieved August 14, 2016.
  3. ^ Staff (December 13, 2018). "10 Best Live Music Venues in America. From big rooms to intimate spaces, here's a selection of some of the country's best live music spots". Rolling Stone Magazine. Retrieved December 23, 2018.
  4. ^ a b Muret, Don (November 22, 2019). "VENUES OF THE DECADE". VenuesNow.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Du Lac, J. Freedom. (April 18, 2010). "Misfits, new wave icons and giant rats: A history of D.C.'s 9:30 Club" (page 1/5). Washington Post Magazine. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
  6. ^ Du Lac, J. Freedom. (April 18, 2010). "Misfits, new wave icons and giant rats: A history of D.C.'s 9:30 Club" (page 3/5). Washington Post Magazine. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
  7. ^ Du Lac, J. Freedom. (April 18, 2010). "Misfits, new wave icons and giant rats: A history of D.C.'s 9:30 Club" (page 2/5). Washington Post Magazine. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
  8. ^ a b Du Lac, J. Freedom. (April 18, 2010). "Misfits, new wave icons and giant rats: A history of D.C.'s 9:30 Club" (page 5/5). Washington Post Magazine. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
  9. ^ Greenberg, Rudi. (December 31, 2015). "As the 9:30 Club turns 35, we explore some of its biggest secrets". Express. Retrieved August 14, 2016.
  10. ^ "A timely 9:30 Club tribute | business profile | Washington Blade". Washington Blade: Gay News, Politics, LGBT Rights. October 23, 2013. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  11. ^ a b c d Harrington, Richard. (May 27, 2005). "25 Years Later, It's Still 9:30". The Washington Post. p. WE06. Retrieved August 14, 2016.
  12. ^ Andersen, Mark; Jenkins, Mark (Soft Skull Press, 2001). Dance of Days: Two Decades of Punk in the Nation's Capital. Fourth ed., 2009. Akashic Books. ISBN 9781933354996. p. 59.
  13. ^ Gastman, Roger (2016). 9:30 : a time and a place : 1980-2015, the first 35 years (1st ed.). Los Angeles, California. ISBN 978-0-692-58730-0. OCLC 937395837.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  14. ^ Andersen, Mark; Jenkins, Mark (Soft Skull Press, 2001). Dance of Days: Two Decades of Punk in the Nation's Capital. Fourth ed., 2009. Akashic Books. ISBN 9781933354996. p. 60.
  15. ^ Harrington, Richard (May 27, 1990). "The 9:30 Club, Just in Time; Ten Years Later, Still Catching the Next Wave". The Washington Post. p. G01.
  16. ^ Boo Browning. (January 8, 1982). "Ulmer Defies The Easy Categories". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  17. ^ Freed, Benjamin. (October 28, 2014). "How the 9:30 Club’s Seth Hurwitz Built a Live-Music Empire". Washingtonian. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
  18. ^ Rites of Spring - Live at the 9:30 Club, Washington, D.C. 1985 (Complete and remastered), retrieved July 6, 2022
  19. ^ "Search for setlists: 9:30 Club (page 595) | setlist.fm". www.setlist.fm.
  20. ^ Andersen, Mark; Jenkins, Mark (Soft Skull Press, 2001). Dance of Days: Two Decades of Punk in the Nation's Capital. Fourth ed., 2009. Akashic Books. ISBN 9781933354996. pp. 59-60.
  21. ^ Travis M. Andrews. "Rock-and-roll circle of life brings Foo Fighters back to D.C. on Atlantis opening night." Washington Post. 31 May 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  22. ^ Olson, Cathy Applefeld. "There Goes My (Hometown) Hero: Foo Fighters Open DC's Newest Venue As City Declares May 30 '9:30 Club Day'". Forbes. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  23. ^ "Search for setlists: 9:30 Club 2004 (page 7) | setlist.fm". www.setlist.fm.
  24. ^ Joyce, Mike (July 2, 1999). "emmet swimming: "Earplugs 50 Cents"; Screaming Goddess". The Washington Post.
  25. ^ "Bob Dylan - Bob Links - Review - 12/04/97". my.execpc.com.
  26. ^ "Bob Dylan - Bob Links - Review - 12/05/97". my.execpc.com.
  27. ^ "Music". The Washington Post. August 21, 2012.
  28. ^ "Bob Dylan - Bob Links - Reviews - 4/2/04". Archived from the original on November 21, 2006. Retrieved March 3, 2007.
  29. ^ "The Side - Tour Infos". theside.free.fr.
  30. ^ "The Side:Pics".
  31. ^ "oarsa.org | ....of a revolution (O.A.R.) setlist archive". www.oarsa.org.
  32. ^ "Beastie Boys @ 9:30 Club, 6/17/04". HFStival.com Message Board. Archived from the original on December 10, 2007.
  33. ^ "Alice in Chains Kick Off U.S. Tour in DC". September 5, 2009.
  34. ^ "Hold On (4 Haiti): SELF, Steel Pulse, & Partners in Health". www.holdon4haiti.org.
  35. ^ "9:30 Club Celebrates 30th Anniversary". DCist. Archived from the original on November 5, 2017. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  36. ^ "The Soul Rebels in Concert". NPR. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
  37. ^ Yarrison, Mary (September 24, 2012). "Adam Lambert Talks Marriage Equality Ahead of his 9:30 Club Fundraiser". Washingtonian. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  38. ^ "Photos: The 9:30 Club Is Transformed Into A Festive Pop-Up Museum". DCist. Archived from the original on September 7, 2017. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  39. ^ "Jack's Mannequin Everything In Transit 9:30 Club - BrightestYoungThings - DC". brightestyoungthings.com. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  40. ^ "At the Drive-In Cancel Remaining North American Tour Dates". Spin. June 18, 2016. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  41. ^ "Tom Petty turned back the clock with Mudcrutch at the 9:30 Club in D.C. on June 6". Washington Post. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  42. ^ "ZZ Top - Tickets - 9:30 Club - Washington, DC - August 24th, 2016". 9:30 Club. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  43. ^ Hausman, Tom. "Review: Invigorated by an animated crowd, Bastille electrifies the 9:30 Club". The Diamondback. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  44. ^ McKenna, Dave; McKenna, Dave (October 4, 2016). "Green Day at 9:30 Club: As fun as a rock show can get". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  45. ^ Jenkins, Mark; Jenkins, Mark (December 15, 2016). "Two decades in, Jimmy Eat World is still all business". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  46. ^ "A Celebration of the Life and Music of Urban Verbs Guitarist Robert Goldstein - Tickets - 9:30 Club - Washington, DC - January 14th, 2017". 9:30 Club. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  47. ^ "The National, Sleater-Kinney, Tig Notaro, More to Perform at Women's March After-Party | Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  48. ^ "Maren Morris Announces Headlining Hero Tour". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  49. ^ McKenna, Dave. "CONCERT REVIEW: Rick Astley covers 'Freebird' at 9:30 Club in D.C." The Washington Times. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  50. ^ McKenna, Dave (March 6, 2017). "The Flaming Lips bring the whole bag of props to 9:30 Club". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  51. ^ "During Memorial For D.C. Graffiti Legend Cool 'Disco' Dan, Mayor Names Day For Him". DCist. Archived from the original on August 26, 2017. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  52. ^ Browne, Rembert (December 27, 2016). "Designated Survivor Recap: Inauguration Day". Vulture.
  53. ^ Oswalt, Patton (March 29, 2018). "Ska rant! #APBio".
  54. ^ "For One Week Only, The 9:30 Club Transforms Into a D.C. Music Museum". Washington City Paper. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  55. ^ "9:30 Club Book". 9:30 Club Book. Archived from the original on October 26, 2017. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  56. ^ "Home". Live at 9:30. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  57. ^ "Louis Messina, Marty Diamond, Foo Fighters, More Highlight 30th Annual Pollstar Awards". Pollstar.
  58. ^ "Pollstar: 2014 Year End Worldwide Ticket Sales - Top 200 Club Venues" (PDF). Pollstar Pro.
  59. ^ "The Best Big Rooms in America". Rolling Stone. April 25, 2013.

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