Washington Post reports House of Blues coming to DC
11-30-06, 02:57 PM
#1
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Washington Post reports House of Blues coming to DC
I got the news from NewsChannel 8's website:
Front page of today's business section or online here . The story quotes management of the 9:30 club, the Birchmere, and DC Council member Jim Graham expressing concern that this will hurt local businesses. The projected size of the venue, 1,000 to 2,300 people, is pretty much the same as the 9:30 club (1,000 people).
el-barto was here!
el-barto was here!
I think the 9:30 Club, the Birchmere and Jim Graham shouldn't be bemoaning this at all, the 9:30 the least (scared of competition aren't we) - to the three of you: 'Shut the F up!' ... thank god...yes!....
1) This will finally mean less nights at the 9:30 where they are two seperate shows playing the same night. We'll finally be seeing a lot of show coming back to the DC scene, becase HOB has clout and booking power equal to that of the 9:30. I can think of a dozen tours this year that weren't able to come through DC because there wasn't a large enough venue.
2) House of Blues shows start on the early side... a blessing if you ask me..
hurting businesses, please.... people in this town like to complain and bicker don't they?... bravo... House of Blues is a great addition, finally! Another large music venue - a big thumbsup...
didn't I say House of Blues would make a great addition to the city...?!
12-01-06, 08:47 AM
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This is just great news. I agree with everything you said Giles. I'm getting tired of missing out on some of the bigger indie rock acts not coming to town because they can't book 930 (or missing them because the 930 is so damn small).
Any info on where they are planning on building the place?
Any info on where they are planning on building the place?
12-01-06, 10:45 AM
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Interesting news. I like the 9:30 club, but I was shocked the first time there at what a small venue it is considering some of the acts it still manages to book. Competition is always good. 
12-01-06, 07:06 PM
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Hopefully my brother-in-law and his band (The Kelly Bell Band) will get to play there early on.
Phat Blues forever!
Phat Blues forever!
Last edited by A-aron; 12-03-06 at 08:34 PM.
12-04-06, 08:27 AM
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Originally Posted by DVD Josh
This is just great news. I agree with everything you said Giles. I'm getting tired of missing out on some of the bigger indie rock acts not coming to town because they can't book 930 (or missing them because the 930 is so damn small).
Any info on where they are planning on building the place?
Any info on where they are planning on building the place?
12-04-06, 08:38 PM
#9
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Originally Posted by nodeerforamonth
Don't they mean the "House of Anything But Blues"?
02-01-07, 03:34 PM
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well it looks like House of Blues is now concentrating it's efforts in opening a venue in Philadelphia were there is a much more vibrant music scene than lame 'ol Washington DC's - cause I haven't seen any new news. That just pissed me off, since the 9:30 Club has been double booking acts on the same night - which mean upcoming concerts I want to see are going to be very late night events, crap!
02-01-07, 06:26 PM
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Originally Posted by Giles
well it looks like House of Blues is now concentrating it's efforts in opening a venue in Philadelphia were there is a much more vibrant music scene than lame 'ol Washington DC's - cause I haven't seen any new news. That just pissed me off, since the 9:30 Club has been double booking acts on the same night - which mean upcoming concerts I want to see are going to be very late night events, crap!
02-02-07, 09:44 PM
#12
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One of the things I missed most of all when I moved from DC to San Diego 6 years ago was the 9:30 Club. Mostly because we had no mid-size venue out here. But now we have a HOB in San Diego, yet I still miss the 9:30 Club. The HOB in San Diego is the only HOB I've ever been to, but 9:30 is way better. For one, it's larger. Also, the balcony is set farther back from the stage. If you go up to the balcony at the HOB/SD, the balcony is so close to the stage, unless you are in the front row, you can't really get a good view of the stage. The beer selection is also WAY better at 9:30 than the absolute crap they serve at HOB. 9:30 has easier parking too, but you had to worry if your car would still be there when the show was over (has the area gotten better in the last 6 years?). But hey, I'm still glad we have the HOB in San Diego, it's better than alternative, which is nothing.
So you may get another venue in DC, but time will tell if you like it better.
I remember going to the OLD 9:30 Club. What a hoot!
So you may get another venue in DC, but time will tell if you like it better.
I remember going to the OLD 9:30 Club. What a hoot!
09-26-07, 10:15 AM
#13
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well the planned 'House of Blues' DC venue never came about...
but
Live Nations been given the go ahead to construct it's new music venue in Silver Spring Maryland (hooray!)
Washington Post story:
Fillmore Music Hall To Be Built In Silver Spring Under County Deal
By Richard Harrington and Ann E. Marimow
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, September 26, 2007; Page C01
Live Nation, the world's largest producer of live concerts, has sealed a deal to build one of its Fillmore clubs in Silver Spring, bringing a hallowed name in rock history to the entertainment district in the city's revitalized downtown.
Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett said he would join officials of Live Nation at noon today to announce they have signed a letter of intent to build the facility at Colesville Road and Georgia Avenue, the location of the old J.C. Penney department store, whose historic art deco facade will be preserved and incorporated into the club's design. The Fillmore, which would accommodate audiences from 500 (seated) to 2,000 (standing), will be across the street from the AFI's restored Silver Theatre and the Round House Theatre.
Ted Mankin, a Live Nation executive, said the club would offer a wide palette of programming -- rock, folk, blues, jazz, country, comedy and children's entertainment -- while also hosting local talent nights and community events. "It's not going to be just another rock club," he said. The Silver Spring Fillmore's interior will be patterned after the original San Francisco venue once owned by Bill Graham, the late promoter, including crystal chandeliers, dark red walls and historic rock posters.
Parties to the deal said the Fillmore is expected to open in late 2009 or early 2010.
Leggett said yesterday that Live Nation's willingness to open the venue for public and private events -- from graduations to receptions -- was "a key thing" in reaching a deal. "Given the public investment, their ability to bring a wider array of people into Silver Spring was part of it."
The project's roughly $10 million budget relies on $4 million each from the state and from Montgomery County. The balance would come from private parties in the deal.
In late July, the county ended negotiations with the owners of the Alexandria-based Birchmere Music Hall. The administration of former county executive Douglas M. Duncan had approached the Birchmere in 2002 about opening a second venue in Silver Spring, and Duncan announced a tentative deal last year. But the county and the Birchmere ultimately could not agree over what Leggett described as "a host of critical issues."
Duncan, now an administrator at the University of Maryland, announced a new plan yesterday to open a Birchmere venue in College Park. The 500-seat music hall would partner with the university's school of music and be part of its major redevelopment project to bring more restaurants and stores to the campus.
County Council member Valerie Ervin, who represents Silver Spring, expressed confidence that Live Nation would not require ongoing taxpayer subsidies because of its "reservoir of funds." She also said that the Fillmore would bring "an enormous amount of cachet to Silver Spring."
The Fillmore is a new brand of nightclubs that Live Nation has introduced in six cities to complement its 11 House of Blues clubs. Live Nation, when it was a part of SFX, purchased Bill Graham Presents in the late '90s. In the '60s, the legendary Graham-owned Fillmore in San Francisco launched the careers of rock, soul and jazz icons including the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Santana.
Most of the Fillmores are renamed older facilities, including New York's Irving Plaza and Detroit's State Theater. The Silver Spring venue would be the first Fillmore built from the ground up, although the facade will remain. It would occupy the empty J.C. Penney retail space and parking lot as part of proposed $110 million redevelopment plan that will include offices, a hotel and shops.
Lee Development Group is contributing $3.5 million in land for the music hall and for public improvements, said company president Bruce Lee. Under terms of the agreement, LDG will construct the music hall as a major public amenity before building the balance of the proposed development, he said.
Lee said the swift agreement with Live Nation was made possible by "the music operator agreeing to the business terms, which was a major problem in dealing with the Birchmere."
Live Nation was approached when negotiations with the Birchmere began to break down. Live Nation was spun off in 2005 from Clear Channel Communications, which (under the name SFX) acquired many concert production companies around the country, including Alexandria-based Cellar Door in 1999.
It owns, operates or books more than 160 venues globally, including 39 amphitheaters and 58 theaters. Locally, the company operates Nissan Pavilion (which it owns) and the Warner Theatre, and books shows at Verizon Center, Constitution Hall and other locations.
On Monday, Seth Hurwitz, head of Bethesda-based IMP, which owns the 9:30 club (the nation's busiest in terms of ticket sales) and operates Merriweather Post Pavilion, sent a letter to Leggett expressing his "sincere interest in the proposed music facility in Silver Spring." Hurwitz said he had held off, hoping the county and the Birchmere "would all get back to the table because it's probably what belongs there. . . . As a lifelong Montgomery County resident, and with 28 years of experience in the music business, I would have liked to be considered for this opportunity."
The Fillmore would likely pose major competition to the 9:30 club, a District venue long celebrated for booking important rock bands and ranked as one of the nation's best places to hear music.
Leggett said Hurwitz's letter came "sort of at the last minute" and too late. "We've been out there and some people have come and talked to us, but this was the first I heard from them."
but
Live Nations been given the go ahead to construct it's new music venue in Silver Spring Maryland (hooray!)
Washington Post story:
Fillmore Music Hall To Be Built In Silver Spring Under County Deal
By Richard Harrington and Ann E. Marimow
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, September 26, 2007; Page C01
Live Nation, the world's largest producer of live concerts, has sealed a deal to build one of its Fillmore clubs in Silver Spring, bringing a hallowed name in rock history to the entertainment district in the city's revitalized downtown.
Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett said he would join officials of Live Nation at noon today to announce they have signed a letter of intent to build the facility at Colesville Road and Georgia Avenue, the location of the old J.C. Penney department store, whose historic art deco facade will be preserved and incorporated into the club's design. The Fillmore, which would accommodate audiences from 500 (seated) to 2,000 (standing), will be across the street from the AFI's restored Silver Theatre and the Round House Theatre.
Ted Mankin, a Live Nation executive, said the club would offer a wide palette of programming -- rock, folk, blues, jazz, country, comedy and children's entertainment -- while also hosting local talent nights and community events. "It's not going to be just another rock club," he said. The Silver Spring Fillmore's interior will be patterned after the original San Francisco venue once owned by Bill Graham, the late promoter, including crystal chandeliers, dark red walls and historic rock posters.
Parties to the deal said the Fillmore is expected to open in late 2009 or early 2010.
Leggett said yesterday that Live Nation's willingness to open the venue for public and private events -- from graduations to receptions -- was "a key thing" in reaching a deal. "Given the public investment, their ability to bring a wider array of people into Silver Spring was part of it."
The project's roughly $10 million budget relies on $4 million each from the state and from Montgomery County. The balance would come from private parties in the deal.
In late July, the county ended negotiations with the owners of the Alexandria-based Birchmere Music Hall. The administration of former county executive Douglas M. Duncan had approached the Birchmere in 2002 about opening a second venue in Silver Spring, and Duncan announced a tentative deal last year. But the county and the Birchmere ultimately could not agree over what Leggett described as "a host of critical issues."
Duncan, now an administrator at the University of Maryland, announced a new plan yesterday to open a Birchmere venue in College Park. The 500-seat music hall would partner with the university's school of music and be part of its major redevelopment project to bring more restaurants and stores to the campus.
County Council member Valerie Ervin, who represents Silver Spring, expressed confidence that Live Nation would not require ongoing taxpayer subsidies because of its "reservoir of funds." She also said that the Fillmore would bring "an enormous amount of cachet to Silver Spring."
The Fillmore is a new brand of nightclubs that Live Nation has introduced in six cities to complement its 11 House of Blues clubs. Live Nation, when it was a part of SFX, purchased Bill Graham Presents in the late '90s. In the '60s, the legendary Graham-owned Fillmore in San Francisco launched the careers of rock, soul and jazz icons including the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Santana.
Most of the Fillmores are renamed older facilities, including New York's Irving Plaza and Detroit's State Theater. The Silver Spring venue would be the first Fillmore built from the ground up, although the facade will remain. It would occupy the empty J.C. Penney retail space and parking lot as part of proposed $110 million redevelopment plan that will include offices, a hotel and shops.
Lee Development Group is contributing $3.5 million in land for the music hall and for public improvements, said company president Bruce Lee. Under terms of the agreement, LDG will construct the music hall as a major public amenity before building the balance of the proposed development, he said.
Lee said the swift agreement with Live Nation was made possible by "the music operator agreeing to the business terms, which was a major problem in dealing with the Birchmere."
Live Nation was approached when negotiations with the Birchmere began to break down. Live Nation was spun off in 2005 from Clear Channel Communications, which (under the name SFX) acquired many concert production companies around the country, including Alexandria-based Cellar Door in 1999.
It owns, operates or books more than 160 venues globally, including 39 amphitheaters and 58 theaters. Locally, the company operates Nissan Pavilion (which it owns) and the Warner Theatre, and books shows at Verizon Center, Constitution Hall and other locations.
On Monday, Seth Hurwitz, head of Bethesda-based IMP, which owns the 9:30 club (the nation's busiest in terms of ticket sales) and operates Merriweather Post Pavilion, sent a letter to Leggett expressing his "sincere interest in the proposed music facility in Silver Spring." Hurwitz said he had held off, hoping the county and the Birchmere "would all get back to the table because it's probably what belongs there. . . . As a lifelong Montgomery County resident, and with 28 years of experience in the music business, I would have liked to be considered for this opportunity."
The Fillmore would likely pose major competition to the 9:30 club, a District venue long celebrated for booking important rock bands and ranked as one of the nation's best places to hear music.
Leggett said Hurwitz's letter came "sort of at the last minute" and too late. "We've been out there and some people have come and talked to us, but this was the first I heard from them."
Last edited by Giles; 09-26-07 at 10:20 AM.
09-27-07, 12:15 AM
#14
DVD Talk Hero
The only thing with the 9:30 club i've ever had issues with is that all of the big shows sell out so quickly that its next to impossible to get tickets to some shows. the compacity is what, a little over 1000 people.
10-04-07, 12:06 PM
#15
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Thread Starter
well according to this week's City Paper, the proposed House of Blues isn't officially dead, a Live Nation spokesperson, John Vlautin states 'We're always looking for new opportunities for House of Blues, and that still includes Washington DC. DC in turn also seems prone to the idea for House of Blues in becoming a reality. As for the 9:30, owner, Seth Hurwitz - what a whiney baby - he's bemoaning all this competition, hey Seth deal with it. Other cities have multiple venues, it's not rocket science, stop being an asshat about it, stop being selective who the club won't book and get the many bands you choose to ignore (the British ones). Competition is good, it means more bands will have the option to choose the cities venues, and more importantly this will successfully stop the 9:30 double booking of two seperate bands on the same night. Seth, obviousily likes being the king of his domain, and when two other music venues decide to move into the area, he justs becomes paranoid and uptight.
12-04-07, 10:02 AM
#16
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Thread Starter
in last week's Washington Post Business section (Friday) I read that Seth Hurwitz definately successfully prevented House of Blues of becoming a reality here in the District - not only did a very gullable city council supercede to his whims, but his actions and beliefs that he should have the only venue in town for national and international bands/acts reveals he is a selfish, egotistically little c-u-n-t.
