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The Hat Factory

wrldcoupe4

By wrldcoupe4
in Richmond

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  • 2 weeks later...
burt Megalopolis

burt

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BGW, you were certainly correct in your comment about at least one nostalgia act playing Toads. According to Melissa Ruggieri at inRich, Jefferson Starship's ressurection was a mistake in Thursday night's Summer of Love Tour.

But, an actress-singer named Cathy Richardson channeled Janis Joplin to perfection and had the crowd of several hundred screaming for more.

Overall, Ruggieri's closing comment summed up the evening: "Yes, sometimes nostalgia is groovy. Other times, it's just sad."

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Does anyone know the status of Toad's restaurant HIGHWATER and the hall's liquor license? Are people using the canal-side balconies yet?

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nhughes Whistle-Stop

nhughes

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I hope Toads Place is doing well. Has anyone heard?

It sure does have a lot of bookings lined up.

And does anyone have any info on HIGHWATER, the restaurant that was announced for the site? Last I heard, it has not yet opened.

I'll have to remember to post after this Saturday. We're headed out there for the Reel Big Fish and Less Than Jake show. Doors open at 6pm, which leads me to believe it may be an all-ages show.

GASP! I just remembered that they didn't have their ABC license....I wonder if they got that straight? A dry show?! Please say it's not so! :shok:

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burt Megalopolis

burt

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Waiting eagerly for your Toads report, nh. I watched for a few minutes on Vistas live web last night and there seemed to be a decent number of attendees waiting in line.

Though I'm told that HIGHWATER will open "soon", it will not be when I'm there Aug. 5th. But I was advised that full-service bars are open. Is that true, nh?

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nhughes Whistle-Stop

nhughes

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Waiting eagerly for your Toads report, nh. I watched for a few minutes on Vistas live web last night and there seemed to be a decent number of attendees waiting in line.

Though I'm told that HIGHWATER will open "soon", it will not be when I'm there Aug. 5th. But I was advised that full-service bars are open. Is that true, nh?

Great show. It started earlier than we thought, so we missed the first couple of bands -- but since we got there just before Reel Big Fish went on, we weren't disappointed.

We managed to get special access to the second floor. I am glad we did, because the house was packed! The show was sold out, and it was great to see such a great turnout for these bands.

No alcohol, I'm sorry to report. The bars look great, but they were only peddling water. There is still a fair amount of work to be done, and the entrance/exit setup baffles me (there is a real bottleneck, and only one entrance/exit). I'm hoping that part of the setup will change once the construction is complete. Honestly, it didn't seem to be too much of an issue when we were trying to leave, to my surprise.

Great setup, great show! :)

Oh, and I loved that the "holding area" outside the front doors lets out right on the canal! We went back down there yesterday because were so intrigued with the Canal Walk.

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nhughes Whistle-Stop

nhughes

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nh, did you get a chance to peek into the Highwater space? Does there appear to be any work going on there? Is it on the ground level or above with access to the balconies?

It was my first time to the building, so I was a little disoriented. I don't know where HIGHWATER is supposed to be. Is that right across from BLACKFINN? Or are you saying that it is supposed to be in the same building as TOAD'S PLACE?

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burt Megalopolis

burt

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It was my first time to the building, so I was a little disoriented. I don't know where HIGHWATER is supposed to be. Is that right across from BLACKFINN? Or are you saying that it is supposed to be in the same building as TOAD'S PLACE?

Yes. Same building -- and I think it is where you enter from the canal...either there or the next level above. Did you see a glassed in stone wall atrium? I think it's supposed to be at the base of it which supposedly will have a waterfall feature.

Guess no liquor is available because no food is served yet.

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burt Megalopolis

burt

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Yes. Same building -- and I think it is where you enter from the canal...either there or the next level above. Did you see a glassed in stone wall atrium? I think it's supposed to be at the base of it which supposedly will have a waterfall feature.

Guess no liquor is available because no food is served yet.

Was just advised that Toads expects to get its ABC license this week. But Highwater will not open until September.

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journiyin Hamlet

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Was just advised that Toads expects to get its ABC license this week. But Highwater will not open until September.

i believe Highwater is on the top level of the building and that the venue is on the bottom two levels... nh did you enter from the canal or above on the 3rd level?

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burt Megalopolis

burt

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i believe Highwater is on the top level of the building and that the venue is on the bottom two levels... nh did you enter from the canal or above on the 3rd level?

Journi, the Lady Bird building is divided down the middle. Toads occupies 3 levels on the northern side. Space on the southern side is reserved for HIGHWATER which I think will be on the ground, and possibly, the second level. There are offices on the top floors.

Entrance to Toads is from the canal but club-goers pass through the restaurant space to reach the music hall on the north side of the building.

It is a convoluted arrangement, but I think my description is pretty accurate. As nhughes said, it's easy to get disoriented.

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journiyin Hamlet

journiyin

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Journi, the Lady Bird building is divided down the middle. Toads occupies 3 levels on the northern side. Space on the southern side is reserved for HIGHWATER which I think will be on the ground, and possibly, the second level. There are offices on the top floors.

Entrance to Toads is from the canal but club-goers pass through the restaurant space to reach the music hall on the north side of the building.

It is a convoluted arrangement, but I think my description is pretty accurate. As nhughes said, it's easy to get disoriented.

That makes more sense... guess my information was bad. But I am glad to be corrected.

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burt Megalopolis

burt

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Tonight Kelli Pickler, famous from American Idol exposure, takes the stage at Toads Place, 140 Virginia Street. Doors open at 8PM and admission is $20 at the door.

Hanson (I suppose they were a popular tenny-bopper group a few years ago) has regrouped and will check into Toads on October 19th at 8PM.

Toads policy of announcing when doors open is hard on old folks who usually expect doors of theatres to open no earlier than half hour before performance time. I've just learned that my group of a dozen friends and relatives going to hear Ken Navarro on 8/5 will have to wait 'til 8:30 to see the musician even though time shown on the tickets for door-opening is 7:30. It involves rearranging pre-show activities and dinner reservations at BOOKBINDERS.

Isn't 8:30 pretty late for a Sunday night jazz guitarist's performance? I mean, it's not like Navarro is GWAR!

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burt Megalopolis

burt

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Oh, Lord! My party, which has now grown to 14, thought that Ken Navarro would go on at about 8 o'clock on Sunday 8/5. Bt we've learned that there is an opening act that precedes him at 8:30 and Navarro won't appear 'til about 9:45!!!

There are going to be some droopy eye lids among my old folks. :lol:

Opening for Navarro is a local group called Doors Wide Open. I checked out their web site and they are pretty good. -- a smooth jazz sound.

Toads is confident they'll have a liquor license by then even tho HIGHWATER won't be ready. However, the kitchen WILL be ready so that in the meantime Toads can serve up some kind of food to keep the ABC agents at bay.

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deeznatz Unincorporated Area

deeznatz

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Oh, Lord! My party, which has now grown to 14, thought that Ken Navarro would go on at about 8 o'clock on Sunday 8/5. Bt we've learned that there is an opening act that precedes him at 8:30 and Navarro won't appear 'til about 9:45!!!

There are going to be some droopy eye lids among my old folks. :lol:

Opening for Navarro is a local group called Doors Wide Open. I checked out their web site and they are pretty good. -- a smooth jazz sound.

Toads is confident they'll have a liquor license by then even tho HIGHWATER won't be ready. However, the kitchen WILL be ready so that in the meantime Toads can serve up some kind of food to keep the ABC agents at bay.

Well, Burt, it looks like you will be getting a good night's rest on Sundaynight after all; the Navarro show has been cancelled.

I just went to the place tonight and it is very nice, definitely the finest club Richmond has ever seen. One thing is for sure, they need to get rid of the "seating" steps of whatever they are on the sides of the place. this town is stuffy enough, we doon't need to encourage people to sit down at rock shows for pete's sake.

the sound was excellent, as was the lighting. I am not a big fan of the facing on the rail of the second level baclony, it just looks kind of obtrusive, and I feel a wood floor would be nicer than the concrete.

It is def. on the level of the 930 club or Norva, but I do prefer those venues....they just have a more classic, less stale vibe.

truth be told, if we didn't have a world class venue opeing in 7-8 months I'd probably be a tad disappointed overall, but fortunatey that isnt the case.

If the National is done right, and by all accounts it is certainly heading in that direction, i find it hard to imagine Toad's being successful long term. Perhaps they can incorporate some dance nights and other stuff to cmpete? I hope so b/c it would be great to have two nice places.

also....the bars are not set up yet at all, i couldnt figure out how to get upstairs, and there is still major construction going on when you first walk in....i mean, you walk though an area that is totally a construction zone. I know it will be finished soon, but it kind of puts a damper on the overall effect. I guess it was the band, too....i only chose them b.c it was cheap and it will be several weeks before an artist I really want to see arrives...The Avett Brothers.

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  • 2 weeks later...
wrldcoupe4 Metropolitan Area

wrldcoupe4

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Haha well it wasn't me as we were on the balcony. Speaking of these photos, I think the style photographer (if not then another photographer) was scolded by Toad's staff for getting too close into Guy's face for a couple shots as he walked along the balcony (opposite from our side). He was standing right where the last photo was taken of Guy in the Style article.

That show was such a treat!

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