WASHINGTON D.C. (CelebrityAccess) — For about six months now, fans attending shows at Washington D.C. 9:30 Club have been warned by signs posted around the venue that the show they were attending was being recorded. However, the nature of the recordings was obscure until the club revealed that it was partnering with public television for a new musical variety show.
According to the Washington Post, approximately 40 musical performances have been recorded at the club that will be used for “Live at 9:30,” a one hour music show that will showcase concert excerpts from several bands, along with snippets of stand-up comedy, interview segments and short films.
Each cinematic, one-hour episode of “Live At 9:30” will feature a collection of acts from different genres, interspersed with interviews, short films, and comedic bits filmed unobtrusively with more than a dozen cameras, including hidden GoPros and an airborne cable-cam.
The first three episodes of the 12-episode premiere season will feature performances by Garbage, The Arcs, Tove Lo, Ibeyi, El Vy, MisterWives, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Frank Turner, MS MR, Cold War Kids, Youth Lagoon, and Jess Glynne. Wayne White, of “Pee-wee’s Playhouse” fame, will be “Live At 9:30’s” art director. Episodes will feature a mix of contributors and hosts, including Henry Rollins, NPR Music’s Bob Boilen, Hannibal Buress, Jill Kargman, Ralphie May, and surprise guests.
While replicating the success of "Austin City Limits" which presents a single live performance in its entirety, the producers of "Live At 9:30" are hoping that variety will help keep viewers attention in this era of YouTube clips and viral videos.
“We’ve been approached countless times to do a TV show here, and we’ve always passed,” said Seth Hurwitz, chairman of I.M.P. and co-owner of the 9:30 Club. “But ‘Live At 9:30’ is a great opportunity to work with people we trust to bring music variety to life in a way no one has even attempted. When I said we had no interest in just another concert program, they totally got it. They have come up with a truly entertaining bunch of new ideas on how to change the way people watch live concert shows.”
