Concert lineup Purchase tickets:  or Plan 9

Some might look at the failure of Toad’s Place and think, why bother trying to re-enter those treacherous waters?  Add in the success of The National, and the idea of establishing another similar music venue seems like a suicide mission, at best.  But former Richmonder Ben Wingrove and his three partners in the soon-to-open Hat Factory believe they are up for the challenge—and have enough ideas to differentiate them from the refurbished theater on Broad Street.

My hands were still gripping the armrests, but I wasn’t sweating.  My knee was bouncing, but I think it was from the steady beat running through my head and not nervousness and anxiety.  In many ways, it was just another flight a necessary evil in my life because I like to travel.

You hate to think about Legends—the few who deserve the capital L treatment—not being among us anymore.  You also hate to ponder the equally sad reality that most of these Legends only have but so many more vital years ahead Mick Jagger and Tina Turner, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen.

Michael’s music During the first half of last week, total national airplay for Jackson’s most popular 20 songs averaged about 350 spins a day. On the day of his death, that number spiked to 10,000 spins, and on Friday, 20,000 spins. The top five Jackson songs played last Thursday between 3 p.m. and midnight:  “Billie Jean”  “Thriller”  “Rock With You”  “Man in the Mirror”  “Beat It” SOURCE: Nielsen BDS