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9:30 Club

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Coordinates: 38°55′5″N 77°1′26″W / 38.91806°N 77.02389°W / 38.91806; -77.02389
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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
9:30 Club on a summer night
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.[3]

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.[4] with a legal standing capacity of 199.[2][5] In 1996, the club moved to a larger location at its current location at 815 V Street NW,[2][4] 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.[6] Early advertising on WHFS radio featured the club's slogan, "9:30 – a Place and Time!"

History

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Nightclub 9:30

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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][4][7][8] The Atlantic Building was full of artists even before it became the 9:30 Club.[9]

On May 31, 1980, the venue hosted its first show,[4] featuring New York City-based jazz-punk band the Lounge Lizards and local new wave band Tiny Desk Unit as the opening act.[2][4][10] The Fleshtones were the first band ever to be booked at the club.[11]

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.[4] 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.[4] James Blood Ulmer played in 1982.[12]

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][13][7][14]

In the early 21st century, Government Issue, Iron Cross, the Slickee Boys, Urban Verbs, Chuck Brown ("The Godfather of Go-Go") played in 2005.[15][2] Foo Fighters played there in 1999.[16]

The venue also became a regular stopping point for punk and new wave bands touring the East Coast.[17]

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 The Atlantis, a small club designed to evoke the original Nightclub 9:30.[18] In the opening ceremony, the Mayor of D.C. designated May 30th as "9:30 Club Day".[19]

9:30 Club

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The Hives at the 930 Club in July 2024
Basement at the 930 Club in September 2024

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.[7]

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 1,200-person show.[13][20]

9:30 Cupcake

During the band Cake's two-night run on May 30 and 31, 2009, the 9:30 Club introduced the official 9:30 Cupcake, made by Buzz Bakeshop of Alexandria, Virginia.[21] The 9:30 Cupcake is a devil's food cupcake with chocolate frosting and the club's italicized "9:30" logo on the top in white icing. The club is known for giving cupcakes to all performers at the venue.[22]

The Hall of Records
The Hall of Records

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 fans through the dressing rooms and items like the hair dryer purchased specifically for James Brown.[23][24]

In February 2016, it was announced that the 9:30 Club would produce a new musically-centered variety show for PBS, featuring five acts per episode alongside a variety of comedy and short films. 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

Notable shows

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20th century

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  • 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.[25]
  • On June 12, 1998, Red Hot Chili Peppers performed a surprise eleven-song set at the club. 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. 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.[30][31]

21st century

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  • In 2003, local band the Pietasters released their first live video DVD, Live at The 9:30 Club.
  • On October 7, 2005, Bob Mould performed at the club, and released a subsequent DVD of the concert called Circle of Friends.
  • 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.[35][36] 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.[37] He had been suffering from exhaustion and vomiting. This collapse led to the cancellation of the nine shows which followed the event.
  • 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.[38]
  • 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.
  • December 14, 2016, Jimmy Eat World returned to 9:30 Club for another "Surprise! At the Club!"[41]
  • 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".[43]
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In Designated Survivor, Aaron invites Emily to a date at the 9:30 Club.[44]

Legacy

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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.[45]

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.[4][7] In 2014, the 9:30 Club sold 284,309 tickets, the second most for a nightclub worldwide.[46]

The venue won the Top Club award in 2007 and again from 2009 through 2012 at the Billboard Touring Awards.[47][48][49]

Touring artists and managers in conjunction with Rolling Stone rated the club the No. 1 Big Room in America.[50]

References

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  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 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.
  5. ^ 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.
  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 2/5). Washington Post Magazine. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ Gastman, Roger (2016). 9:30 : a time and a place : 1980-2015, the first 35 years (1st ed.). Los Angeles, California: R. Rock Enterprises. ISBN 978-0-692-58730-0. OCLC 937395837.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ Boo Browning. (January 8, 1982). "Ulmer Defies The Easy Categories". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  13. ^ 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.
  14. ^ Freed, Benjamin. (October 28, 2014). "How the 9:30 Club’s Seth Hurwitz Built a Live-Music Empire". Washingtonian. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
  15. ^ Rites of Spring - Live at the 9:30 Club, Washington, D.C. 1985 (Complete and remastered), retrieved July 6, 2022
  16. ^ "Search for setlists: 9:30 Club (page 595) | setlist.fm". www.setlist.fm.
  17. ^ 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.
  18. ^ 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.
  19. ^ 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.
  20. ^ Greenberg, Rudi. (December 31, 2015). "As the 9:30 Club turns 35, we explore some of its biggest secrets". Express. Retrieved August 14, 2016.
  21. ^ DiMargo, Carissa (May 28, 2009). "Cupcakes at 9:30". NBC4 Washington. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  22. ^ Greenberg, Rudi (December 23, 2021). "As the 9:30 Club turns 35, we explore some of its biggest secrets". Washington Post. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  23. ^ "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.
  24. ^ "For One Week Only, The 9:30 Club Transforms Into a D.C. Music Museum". Washington City Paper. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  25. ^ Joyce, Mike (July 2, 1999). "emmet swimming: "Earplugs 50 Cents"; Screaming Goddess". The Washington Post.
  26. ^ "Bob Dylan - Bob Links - Review - 12/04/97". my.execpc.com.
  27. ^ "Bob Dylan - Bob Links - Review - 12/05/97". my.execpc.com.
  28. ^ "Music". The Washington Post. August 21, 2012.
  29. ^ "Bob Dylan - Bob Links - Reviews - 4/2/04". Archived from the original on November 21, 2006. Retrieved March 3, 2007.
  30. ^ "The Side - Tour Infos". theside.free.fr.
  31. ^ "The Side:Pics".
  32. ^ "oarsa.org | ....of a revolution (O.A.R.) setlist archive". www.oarsa.org.
  33. ^ Labbé, Theola (November 26, 2007). "Guitarist Dies Before Show at 9:30 Club". Washington Post. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  34. ^ "9:30 Club Celebrates 30th Anniversary". DCist. Archived from the original on November 5, 2017. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  35. ^ Malitz, David. "Courtney Love stumbled, complained and stripped through a bad show at 9:30 Club". Washington Post. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  36. ^ Kreps, Daniel (June 30, 2010). "Courtney Love Melts Down at D.C. Club Show". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  37. ^ Cochrane, Greg (August 2, 2010). "DJ Deadmau5 collapses onstage in Washington". BBC News. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  38. ^ "The Soul Rebels in Concert". NPR. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
  39. ^ "Jack's Mannequin Everything In Transit 9:30 Club - BrightestYoungThings - DC". brightestyoungthings.com. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  40. ^ "ZZ Top - Tickets - 9:30 Club - Washington, DC - August 24th, 2016". 9:30 Club. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  41. ^ 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.
  42. ^ "The National, Sleater-Kinney, Tig Notaro, More to Perform at Women's March After-Party | Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  43. ^ "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.
  44. ^ Browne, Rembert (December 27, 2016). "Designated Survivor Recap: Inauguration Day". Vulture.
  45. ^ "Louis Messina, Marty Diamond, Foo Fighters, More Highlight 30th Annual Pollstar Awards". Pollstar.
  46. ^ "Pollstar: 2014 Year End Worldwide Ticket Sales - Top 200 Club Venues" (PDF). Pollstar Pro.
  47. ^ Waddell, Ray (November 15, 2007). "The Police Win Big At Billboard Touring Awards". Billboard. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  48. ^ Gilbert, Sophie (November 11, 2011). "9:30 Club Named Top Club By Billboard - Washingtonian". Washingtonian. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  49. ^ "Roger Waters, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Diamond, Kenny Chesney, Lady Gaga Among 2012 Billboard Touring Awards Winners | Billboard.biz". Archived from the original on December 14, 2012. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
  50. ^ "The Best Big Rooms in America". Rolling Stone. April 25, 2013.
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