The 9:30 Club

Although the 9:30 Club didn’t open its doors til 1980, the D.C. venue is still an important part of punk’s story. It fostered the scene in the city in the ‘80s and ‘90s, helping raise artists like Minor Threat and Fugazi, who kept punk’s legacy alive and moving forward. It also gave the area’s young people a place to discover bands, letting 16-year-olds and up through its doors. Over the years, the good and the great of punk music and beyond have graced the 9:30 stage – including a teenage Dave Grohl, whose former band Dain Bramage scored an early gig there. The iconic venue still gives bands a platform today, albeit in a new location, keeping punk’s spirit alive and well.