The National Capital Revitalization Corporation is in the midst of negotiations with the owners of HOB Entertainment, Inc. to build a House of Blues Club in D.C.
“Negotiations are still underway,” said Melanie Wroblewski, manager for marketing and public relations at the NCRC, in a phone message. “We are proceeding forward, and when there is something to announce, we will be announcing it.”
According to the Washington Post, which reported on the pending deal last Thursday, local clubs, including the 9:30 Club, were concerned over the potential loss of business an established concert venue like the House of Blues could incur.
When asked to comment, Melanie Cantwell, a representative for the 9:30 Club declined, saying, “We’re really not addressing it right now.”
Georgetown students who were interviewed did not seem to share the distress over a new venue.
Kelsey Ryan (SFS ‘10), who has attended concerts at clubs in and around the D.C. area, including the 9:30 Club and the Black Cat, said that she didn’t see the House of Blues as a threat to local clubs and concert halls.
“I think the sector of people who go to concerts a lot … [The House of Blues] would just increase the number of concerts they’ll go to, not replace them,” she said.
The first House of Blues opened in Cambridge, Mass. in 1992. The chain has expanded to 10 other cities, including New Orleans and Chicago, where it offers medium-sized venues that hold 1,000 to 2,000 people.
