The 929 West Grace archive
Flyers, photos, ticket stubs and stories from one room near VCU. It was The Back Door, Twisters, Nanci Raygun and Strange Matter. Send in what you have.
This is a public scrapbook for one address.
929 West Grace Street was a music venue for about forty years, under half a dozen names. It has been empty since December 2018. The story of the room is here.
I never went inside. A lot of you did, and that is the reason for this page.
What I am looking for
- Flyers and posters
- Ticket stubs and wristbands
- Photos, from the stage, the floor or the sidewalk out front
- Set lists
- Stories. Your first show, your worst show, the night something went wrong.
- Recordings, if you can link to them
It does not have to be good. A blurry photo with a date on it beats a perfect one with no story.
How to send it
Tell me four things if you can: what it is, the year (a guess is fine), which name was on the door, and how you want to be credited. A first name, a band name or “anonymous” all work.
The fine print
- Only send things that are yours to share. If you took the photo or made the flyer, good. If somebody else did, tell me who, so they get the credit.
- Sending it means you are fine with me posting it here with your credit. You keep whatever rights you had.
- If you are in a photo on this page, or you made something on it, and you want it down, tell me and it comes down. No argument.
- Nothing here is for sale.
What is here so far
To get it started I put in a few things the record already shows. Those are marked “From the record.” Everything else is up to you.
The Back Door1970s to the mid-80s
ShowEarly 1970s
Bruce Springsteen, before anybody knew
Before he was famous, Bruce Springsteen played this room with an early version of the E Street Band. Nothing I have read gives a date.
If you were there, or your parents were, this is the one I most want to hear about.
From the record · Axios Richmond
Twistersmid-80s to 2002
ShowDate unknown
Dinosaur Jr. plays to a few dozen people
Dinosaur Jr. came through Twisters and played to a few dozen people. I do not have the year. Were you one of the few dozen?
From the record · RVA Magazine
Show1991
The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins played Twisters in 1991, the year their first album came out. Anybody have the flyer?
From the record · RVA Magazine
ShowJanuary 1993
Green Day
Green Day played Twisters in January 1993, a year before Dookie.
From the record · RVA Magazine
The 929 Cafe2002 to 2003
Nothing here yet. If you have something from these years, send it in.
Nanci Raygun2003 to about 2008
Nothing here yet. If you have something from these years, send it in.
Bagel Czarbriefly, around 2008
Nothing here yet. If you have something from these years, send it in.
Strange Matter2009 to 2018
MilestoneDecember 2009
Strange Matter opens
Strange Matter opened in December 2009 with a full menu, vegan and vegetarian food, and a dozen arcade games at a quarter a play.
From the record · RVANews
ShowDecember 15, 2018
The last show
The final night was the annual Punks for Presents show. The owners’ goodbye started with “All good things must come to an end.”
If you have photos from that night, they belong here.
From the record · RVAHub
Empty2018 to now
MilestoneJune 2026
For rent
After years of sitting empty, still covered in old posters and peeling stickers, the building got a For Rent sign.
From the record · Axios Richmond