Last week, WTOP reported that a replica of the original 9:30 Club was about to open in D.C.
On Tuesday, more details emerged as the new 450-capacity venue, The Atlantis, announced that it will open on May 30 — the anniversary of the original 9:30 Club’s opening — with a show by the Foo Fighters, followed by a star-studded array of artists.
The Foo Fighters also opened I.M.P.’s other venue The Anthem in 2017. Frontman Dave Grohl grew up in Springfield, Virginia, and often attended the original 9:30 Club at 930 F Street, Northwest, which closed in 1995 before reopening at 815 V Street, Northwest in 1996.
Grohl first hinted at resurrecting the old club at a surprise concert in D.C. in September 2021.
“That’s where we all played first. That’s where REM played first. That’s where the [Red Hot] Chili Peppers played first. That’s where Nirvana played first,” Grohl said in 2021. “It wasn’t the friendliest live environment, but magic happened in that room.”
The Atlantis will be located adjacent to the current 9:30 Club spot.
In a nod to the club’s gritty history, a news release Tuesday from venue owner I.M.P. Concerts said, “Walk in and prepare to turn the clock back to the original 9:30 Club, sans the gargantuan rats and notorious stench, but with a nod to the infamous pole.”
The 450-seat venue will provide intimate views of the stage.
In total, The Atlantis promises 44 artists to mark 44 years at $44 each.
How to get tickets
Tickets for shows at The Atlantis are being sold through a lottery-style system with Ticketmaster. Fans must request tickets before Friday, April 7 at midnight; those whose requests are fulfilled will find out next week.
Fans can request a maximum of two tickets per show for up to twelve artists. Tickets aren’t refundable.
The Atlantis said the system is to help make sure real fans get to see the shows and to avoid scalping.
Ticket requests can be made online.
Who’s playing?
Magic will continue to happen during the opening week of The Atlantis, including The Walkmen on Wednesday, May 31; Hot Chip on Friday, June 2; Rainbow Kitten Surprise on Saturday, June 3; and Modern English on Sunday, June 4.
The month of June will also bring Franz Ferdinand, Pixies, Tank and the Bangas, Yo La Tengo, Marc Roberge of O.A.R., Hannibal Buress + Eshu Tune, Sylvan Esso, Darius Rucker, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, X and Jeff Tweedy.
Summer fun continues in July with Barenaked Ladies, Tegan and Sara, The Head and the Heart, The Magnetic Fields, Clutch, Jenny Lewis, The Struts, Third Eye Blind, Portugal. the Man, Living Colour and Iron & Wine.
August brings more big names, including Gogol Bordello, Bush, Shakey Graves, Drive-By Truckers, George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Thievery Corporation, Joan Jett and Gary Clark Jr.
And as we head into the fall, September delivers Ben Gibbard, Luna, Bartees Strange, Spoon, Tove Lo, Billy Idol, Bastille, Matt & Kim and Maggie Rogers.
See the full lineup announcement below:
44 Years, 44 Artists, $44 Eachhttps://t.co/T661AwXpeR pic.twitter.com/cQ8QMtKtBL
— TheAtlantisDC (@TheAtlantisDC) April 4, 2023
WTOP’s Jessica Kronzer contributed to this report.
