Organizers of the Listening Room released the sad news on its Facebook page that it will no longer be hosting its monthly shows at the Firehouse Theatre.
May 20 marks the last Listening Room show of Series IV. It will end with the performances of Vandaveer and Dogs on Main Street.
According to the organizers, “The Listening Room is no longer a necessity.”
The series began in response to the Richmond CAPS crackdown of 2009. Organizers wanted to create a series that would focus on the listening experience without all the noise and what they got was community around the music.
“The Richmond music scene is now in a new place. Alternative venues are again on the rise– shows can be played outdoors, in houses, art galleries, record stores and studios without fear of reprisal. The arts community is thriving and the ‘think local’ community has never been stronger. The Listening Room is no longer a necessity.”
However, the ‘Listening Room Presents’ series will continue as a pop-up show series run by the same people. There is already rumor of a Fall Line Fest appearance and something’s already in store from organizers of the Listening Room and the Live at Ipanema folks.
While I’m sad that this series is ending, I’m happy I got to see it blossom from an idea into a full series of incredible music. I was one of the first media outlets to report on this “new” series and I saw huge potential. The series got better and better every month and for four years, the Listening Room introduced me to artists I would have never seen.
Here are some of my favorite Listening Room memories:
- Paul Watson, Hezekiah Jones, Chris Kasper
- Brown Bird and Homemade Knives
- Alex Enggist, Birdie Busch, Josh Hryciak
- Blasco, And the Wiremen
- Anousheh, Miramar
- Matt Lisk, Birdie Busch, Annie Crane
- Clint Maul, Stolen Sheep, Cinnamon Band
