title: 929 West Grace Street
text: # 929 West Grace Street
  
  929 West Grace Street has been a live music venue in the City of Richmond, Virginia since 1970. Over the years, it has operated under various names. Since the 1980s, it was the hub of Richmond's punk and hardcore scene, and is credited with helping Richmond bands Gwar, Lamb of God, Avail, and Four Walls Falling develop.
  
  ## History
  
  Before becoming a music venue, the building was home to R.L. Christian, a local grocery store known for manufacturing its own whisky. After the closing of Christian's, the building became a music venue known as 'The Back Door'. It was this incarnation that musician Bruce Springsteen played the club, with an early version of the E Street Band. In the 1980s, it became club called 'The Wooden Plate', and skewed towards heavy metal music. In the mid-1980s the club became known as 'Twisters', and saw performances from bands such as The Smashing Pumpkins and Green Day. In late 2002, the club became '929', then in 2003, 'Nanci Raygun'.
  
  In 2009, the club became 'Strange Matter', and operated until closing in December 2018.
  
  ## Notable performances
  
  * Against Me
  * Agent Orange
  * Agnostic Front
  * Alchemist's Lament
  * Atmosphere
  * Avail
  * The Business
  * Bruce Springsteen
  * Cut The Architect's Hand
  * Dinosaur Jr.
  * Good Riddance
  * Gwar
  * Death Piggy
  * Lagwagon
  * Lamb of God
  * My Chemical Romance
  * Peelander Z
  * Smashing Pumpkins
  * White Cross
  * Whatever Brains
  * Mens Room
  * Order
  * High on Fire
  * Truman Sparks
  * Battlemaster
  * Lightning Bolt
  