So much of D.C. musical history centers around 930 F Street even now. So many of the seminal acts who still cast a long shadow over new ones got their start there. And even with changes in venue, and attempts to recreate the magic, the past still looms large over the present.
That pic is by me of The Fleshtones at The Atlantis last year. That band played the old 9:30 Club early on and so it felt like history was continuing when they played The Atlantis recently, given that the upstairs of that club replicates -- or tries to -- the vibe of the old 9:30. It's odd to attempt to replicate that vibe, but it makes sense since so many of us hold this city's musical history dear to our hearts.
My friend and gig buddy Tom Berard has assembled a panel for the 2024 DC History Conference, which will be taking place at the Martin Luther King Library over the weekend of April 4 through April 6. The panel covers the seminal Atlantis Nightclub, which was the city's first venue that catered primarily to the new music bubbling up in the late Seventies, and which became hugely influential when the venue reopened as the 9:30 Club. The panel features five people intimately involved in both venues, and will cover what went into the creation of the first and the transition to the second. The details are below, and if you're interested in D.C. Punk history, I am sure you will want to attend this event. It is expected to be well attended, so you'll need to pre-register. The link is below. The panel will be held in the 5th Floor Auditorium. The description from the event catalog with the full panel, and registration information is below. I hope you can make it!
DC History Conference
website: https://conference.dchistory.org/
4/6/24, 11:45 AM
MLK Library
5th Floor Auditorium
FROM ATLANTIS TO THE 9:30 CLUB
The 9:30 Club has been an incubator and important part of DC's music scene for more than four decades. It has inspired countless musicians and music fans, fostered community, and continues to inspire future generations to be involved in artistic expression and creativity. But how did this DC institution start?
This roundtable discussion brings together the people who turned the short-lived Atlantis into the legendary venue that continues to inspire new generations of music lovers. Join this entertaining and informative conversation.
PANELISTS:
Bob Boilen, Tiny Desk Unit/NPR
Dody DiSanto, 9:30 Club/The Center
Kevin Duplain, Atlantis Nightclub
John Paige, WGTB-FM/Interzone/Universal Media, Inc.
Chris Thompson, WGTB-FM/Interzone/Tiny Desk Unit
MODERATOR:
Ian MacKaye, Dischord Records / Fugazi / Coriky
