Re: Question for Mr Zwirn ...

What would be your recommendation/advice to someone who wants to take their kids to an all-ages show at the 9:30 Club?

I have a friend in the D.C. area, a single mom, who's seriously considering taking her kids (ages 10 and 13) to see Washed Out, this week.

Her kids are pretty musically hip. She says they went to see Odesza last year, at some venue called "JLL" (whatever that might stand for), and they loved it. And they're good kids in general.

Good idea? Bad one? Anything she should be aware of?

Oh, she also said she's considering driving to the show, just so she "won't even have to mess with Uber." She admits, though, she almost never drives in the District, so perhaps this might not be a good move on a Wednesday night in that neighborhood?

I hope you'll be able to see this soon. Thanks.

Hey there! I have taken my son to shows at the 9:30 ... it's a fun, safe, supportive environment for under-21s. I see lots of parents with kids in that age range. And Wednesday has the advantage of earlier start times, although it may be a school night.

Parking near the 9:30 can be tricky, but it's not impossible. Last time I was parked a bit further north in street parking near the McDonald's at Howard University. Of course, you can pay for the 9:30 Club's designated parking lot too, which I've never done. It ranges from $20-$25 a night for parking there which may make sense versus a long Uber.

JLL is Jiffy Lube Live, which is way the heck out in the Virginia suburbs. I have never been there. Too far Makes Wolf Trap or Merriweather Post seem accessible.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/19/2024 11:18AM by zwirnm.

Hey, thanks for the prompt reply! I've passed this along to my friend in Reston.

> JLL is Jiffy Lube Live, which is way the heck out in the Virginia suburbs. I have never been there. Too far ...

Definitely can relate. The Tacoma Dome gets some good arena-type shows that I've been occasionally interested in ... but so far, nothing interesting enough to make the trip. As I've told my old friends in Colorado Springs, "Imagine driving to Denver. Now imagine that in order to get to Denver, you first have to drive through a city with even worse traffic than Denver."

Hey! I live here as well.

Another option, depending on when the show gets out is to take the metro. The U Street metro stop is only a couple of blocks away from the 930 club and is a good option. If she wants to drive, then I would recommend parking on 11th street across from Cardozo High School, the club is only a couple of blocks south east. On a Wednesday night there should be no problem with finding a space and it's free! If that doesn't work, then up on 9th across from Howard University, there is always parking (even on the weekends). From there, just head directly south. I find those are good places to park and are pretty central to all the clubs in the area - DC9, Black Cat, Atlantis, Howard Theater and the Lincoln Theater.

As for safety, I wouldn't worry about it. With some minor exceptions all of the clubs are all-ages and there are generally kids at every show I go to now. The nice thing about the 930 club is that they usually post the set times on the web site day of the show so one can plan accordingly. At the bars are pitchers of water and glasses as well. Tell them to check out the room with cds and albums of every artist that played there in chronological order, it's pretty impressive.

Hope they have a good time!

I've been to Jiffy Lube Live many times. It's the outdoor arena for big shows. It is tied with Wolftrap and MPP with the worst parking lot to get out of after a show.

I knew another one of the TP denizens lived in the D.C. area, but just couldn't remember who it was. Begging your pardon, Heff. Thanks for the great intel, both of you guys.

> It is tied with Wolftrap and MPP with the worst parking lot to get out of after a show.

Being a veteran of shows at Red Rocks, well, I would have to experience and judge those venues for myself.

Those of us who have done battle with the Greek Theater's parking "lots" can only offer a hearty "HA!" at your so-called parking lots predicaments.

The parking situation is why I bike and take the Metro to shows, wherever possible.

Yeah, parking is the worst part of going to concerts in Seattle, too.

Random story that happened at the one and only time I've been to the 9:30 Club -

I was in town and wanted to see a show there in 2007 and luckily Drive-By Truckers were playing. Great show, never saw them live before.

It was a GA show, and at some point between sets, this guy wearing glasses stepped away and eventually came back to his original spot, this time with his glasses off. When he did, this bearded guy behind him was visibly annoyed. (I was standing a few feet behind them while this unfolded.) The bearded guy eventually tapped the guy hard on the shoulder and started berating him. He was angry because he had been there for a long time and didn't appreciate some random guy cutting in front of him and obstructing his view. ("THAT'S NOT COOL, MAN!") It became clear the bearded guy didn't realize this guy was here before. His response was to put his glasses back on, as if saying "recognize me now?" The bearded guy didn't get it, not until his wife or partner came back, and when he explained what was going on, she sternly corrected him, and man was he embarrassed.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/21/2024 12:23PM by belfast.

Thanks again to you guys for your help and encouragement. My friend just got home a little while ago from the Washed Out show at the 9:30 Club. Her kids loved it, they had a great view from the balcony, and the crowd was cool (and widely varied in age -- they saw other young kids and other 40-somethings at the show, so that put them all at ease). When her kids had had enough, they told their mom, "This is really great, but we're getting sleepy. Can we go home now?" So they missed the encore, but that was fine with her.

Alright! Sounds like a great experience overall (presuming you like the music of Washed Out).

I do, great band (Ernest Greene), loved his first two albums, the first of which was stunning, it was my favorite album of 2011. Part of the defunct Chillwave subgenre, his music has some lovely elements of shoegaze in it.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/23/2024 12:06AM by Fleeingbandit.

The last concert I took my kids to was HANSON back in 1998 or thereabouts.
Man that really pissed off Duncan Shiek.

I have very fond memories of the concerts that I attended with my dad.

My brother, my dad and I went to see The Ventures when they played Colorado Springs in 1980, right after I turned 18. Incredibly cool show ... and we got in free, by wearing Ventures T-shirts. (I worked in a screen-printing shop at the time.)

A couple years later, Dad saw ZZ Top on television for the first time. The sight of those guys with their long beards just tickled the hell out of him: "I didn't know the Mennonites had their own rock 'n' roll band!" His curiosity drove him to check out their music more deeply, and he liked what he heard. When he learned they'd be playing at the Colorado State Fair that year, he started saying things around the house like "Man, I'd like to see that band." My brother and I took the hint.

Five years later, he surprised us by taking us back to the State Fair, with choice seats to see Roy Orbison. He was making a comeback with the Traveling Wilburys that year, so my brother and I knew who Roy was ... but we didn't know the deeper parts of his legacy. We were spellbound by that magnificent voice all evening. We were incredibly fortunate to see that show, especially considering Roy's death the following year.

My wife and I took my parents to see Paul McCartney in Denver in 2009. It was my mom's first rock show, and I was a bit worried about how she'd respond, if we found ourselves seated near particularly rowdy people, or heaven forbid, people smoking weed. As it turned out, the group two rows behind us was doing both. But Mom just took it in stride, and had a great time.

And a few years ago, when they were here for Christmas, we took them to see the Brian Setzer Orchestra. That was a fabulous time, with everything my parents could've wanted: Christmas classics, big-band jazz and swing, old-time rock 'n' roll, Stray Cats songs, and tributes to Tom Petty and Glen Campbell. They loved every minute of Brian's set. Dad loved it so much, in fact, that the next day, he suggested that perhaps he and I could get last-minute tickets for their show in Bellingham, about an hour's drive north. But a winter storm advisory for the evening put the kibosh on that plan.