Foo Fighters to headline opening night of ‘The Atlantis,’ a near replica of DC’s old 9:30 Club

The Atlantis announces all-star lineup

The Foo Fighters and frontman Dave Grohl will headline the opening night of The Atlantis, a new club that will be fashioned as a near replica of D.C.'s old 9:30 Club.

WASHINGTON - The Foo Fighters and frontman Dave Grohl will headline the opening night of The Atlantis, a new club that will be fashioned as a near replica of D.C.'s old 9:30 Club.

I.M.P., the owners of the 9:30 Club, The Anthem, and who operate The Lincoln Theatre and Merriweather Post Pavilion, said the band will play the new venue's opening show on May 30th, 2023.

The owners say the new $10 million, 450-capacity forum will be an homage to the original venue that originally opened its doors in 1980.

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Close-up of the entrance doorway of the origional 9:30 Club location at the Atlantic Building, 930 F Street, Northwest, Washington, District of Columbia, DC (Library of Congress)

"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," I.M.P. said in a press release. The name, The Atlantis, is a nod to the venue that briefly occupied the 9:30 Club's original space prior to its opening.

"We've been doing our smallest shows in other peoples' venues for too many years now," said Seth Hurwitz, chairman of I.M.P., said in a statement. "We needed a place that's ours. This can be the most exciting step in an artist's career. This will be where we help introduce new artists to the world, and their story needs to be told right. Our smallest venue will be treated as important, if not more, than our bigger venues. If the stories are told right, both the artists and the fans begin their hopefully long-term relationship, and we as promoters do better too."

Grohl grew up in the D.C. area and attended shows at the original 9:30 Club. Late, he played on stage with his bands Scream and Nirvana.

"That's where we got to see every f***ing band... That's where we all played first. That's where R.E.M. played first. That's where the [Red Hot] Chili Peppers played first. That's where Nirvana played first," he said about the original venue in 2021 when the Foo Fighters opened the 9:30 Club following the COVID-19 shutdowns. "Magic happened in that room. And if the new room has the same vibe as the old 9:30 Club, you'll see some real magic there, too."