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Venue of the Month - Nightclub 9:30
Washington D.C.'s Rock & Roll Landmark
By: Josh Fedeli
Edited by David Saslavsky - saslavsky@parentsplus.com

As America turned the page from the debauchery of the 1970's to the excesses of the 1980's, the musical spotlight of the time was shared between Disco and the mainstream pop of the nightclub, and the growing movement of punk rock on the rock and roll scene. The early eighties were defined by transition and the musical world followed suit. This period also saw the beginning of many rock acts that will go down in history as some of the greatest ever, and in a little corner of our nation's capital, there was one club were you could see rock's new resurgence, the 9:30 Club.

On May 30th, 1980 a band called Tiny Desk Unit opened the 9:30 Club with it's first performance ever. Located in a seedy part of town at 930 F Street, the original 9:30 was not much more than a hole in the wall with a stage and a bar. With a limited bar and tap selections, the club was small, complete with a pole located directly in the middle of the room to obscure viewing. Guests at the old 9:30 were also treated to a lingering smell in the air that seemed a combination of smoke, beer and a cramped, sweaty crowd. The aroma evened lingered in patrons clothing long after a night out, and even was still present after washing. But what 9:30 lacked in ambience, it made up for in a monthly line up of bands that would come to dominate the rock landscape, nationally and locally, over the next 20 years.

The 9:30 Club began to make a name for itself after The Plastics played a show there in the summer of 1981 that was broadcast live to the nation on radio. That fall, Seth Hurwitz and Rich Heinecke, who would come to own the club in December of 1986, promoted their first show at 9:30 Club under their promotion label I.M.P. I.M.P. currently handles all the promotion for 9:30 Club as well as for many venues in the D.C. area. As 9:30 began to establish itself as a D.C. mainstay, the bands began to come. In February, 1982, R.E.M. opened for The Necessaries in their first ever D.C. appearance. Later that year R.E.M. would return as headliners. In 1984, 10,000 Maniacs played one of their first gigs at the 9:30 Club, opening for The Insect Surfers.

Through the 80's and early 90's, 9:30 Club had become one of the D.C. stops for rock and hardcore bands doing small venue shows and club dates on the East Coast and even nationally. Bands like The Pixies, The Replacements and local talents like The Fleshtones and The Slickee Boys played to enthusiastic crowds that made 9:30 Club a great place to see a band lay it down in a small intimate environment.

As alternative rock became a genre, early giants like The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, and The Smashing Pumpkins introduced themselves to the D.C. rock scene at 9:30. In April of 1990 Nirvana opened for Loop at 9:30 and next year Smashing Pumpkins played as a 3 bands for 3 bucks promotion at the club.

With the reputation as a hardcore/rock club, the jam band scene basically was non-existent at 9:30 Club. Instead, most bands of the jam band genre opted for The Bayou, a long time home of rock, folk and blues on the D.C. musical landscape. In a town known for its blues and hip-hop influences, 9:30 did have its share of rap and hip hop shows, but rock ruled the stage at 9:30.

As the club and its line up were growing, the need to upgrade in space was evident. Preceded by a memorable show of The O.D. Jubilee Band in November of 1994, later found out to be The Black Crowes, the old 9:30 Club closed its doors on December 31st 1995 and moved to a new location. The last show at the old 9:30 included Tiny Desk Unit, the band that had opened the bar.

The change in location was an absolute success. The new 9:30 Club, now called Nightclub 9:30 is located at 815 V Street NW. Although bigger and a bit more polished, its still captures the essence of a top-notch small venue. , Nightclub 9:30 has a large main room with two bars, complete with moveable stage to accommodate for show size. The room's acoustics are excellent. The audio system is regarded as one of the best in the area. 47 different imports, micro-brews and domestic beers on tap and in bottles, complimented by a full bar of top call liquor, make for a satisfying drinking experience. The room is much larger than the old 9:30, lost is the pole in the center of the room. The stage is larger and low to the ground, adding to the intimacy of the club.

In addition to the face-lift, 9:30 began to book a whole new stream of acts. Jam bands, and hip-hop acts now share the stage with a great line-up of rock acts at Nightclub 9:30, making it D.C.Us premier place to see live music. Since the move in 1996, 9:30Us line up has been incredible. Shows such as the Tribe Called Quest, Smoking Grooves, and Lyricists Lounge have highlighted 9:30Us hip-hop resume in addition to rock and mainstream acts such as the Beastie Boys, Nine Inch Nails, Cracker, Alanis Morrisette and Sonic Youth. Those of the jamband nature have followed suit.

In the past year alone, 9:30 has been a haven for jambands, most playing memorably well to the knowledgeable D.C. crowd. Acts such as Ben Harper, Herbie Hancock and the HeadHunters, George Clinton and P-Funk, Dave Matthews, String Cheese Incident and moe. have dashed 9:30Us card with a bit of funk and jam for all to be proud. The moe. show on October 9th was a night to remember, with the boys finally unplugging at 3:30 in the morning. Herbie HancockUs show was incredible, with a very chatty Herbie out in the crowd and talking with fans after the set. A much anticipated two night stint with Widespread Panic November 9th & 10th should bring the jambands community, very deep in the D.C. area, out in numbers.

The atmosphere at 9:30 Club is a festive one, with crowds devoted to music and the power it packs. 9:30 Club still holds its reputation as a local talent spot as well with area bands like Emmet Swimming and Jawbox frequenting the club. Look for 9:30 to continue to bring top-notch jam bands to the nation's capital. With it's aggressive style and incredible atmosphere for live music, Nightclub 9:30 will continue to set the pace in the D.C. scene. You can bet that if you're in town, the show starts at 9:30.

*Writer's Note- The security at 9:30 is good, but not overbearing. It is rare to be frisked at the door, it basically depends on the show. Once in the club there are some eyes on you and there have been stories of drug busts in the bathrooms and off rooms to the main stage. The V Street neighborhood is not great but it is accessible and right in the U street area, which has a lot of nightlife. Best bet is a cab or the metro stop two blocks away. (U Street Station)