Views from the stage

Two things seem certain about Gravity Lounge: 1) the depth of the space’s financial troubles, and 2) the near universal reputation it has for bringing in a fantastic variety of musicians—whether the room is half-full, or half-empty. C-VILLE contacted some of the most loyal Gravity Lounge performers, songwriters and musicians who made an early home in the Downtown Mall performance space, and asked for their takes on the stage that they call home. Here’s what they said.—With reporting by Sarah Carr

Paul Curreri

First Gravity Lounge gig: June 27, 2003 (with Andy Friedman and Jeff Romano)

On what makes Gravity Lounge a unique venue: “It seems to dictate a unique set of audience behaviors. People just seem to come there to listen, and they still end up having a blast. And they have some real rockin’ shows there as well—stand-up shows. Just saw Jonathan Richman there a few months ago. That was great. There’s just legends coming through there—but, you know, it’s this medium-sized room Downtown where folks listen. And they’ve got a hell of a beer selection. It would be really a shame if that were to go under.”

Richelle Claiborne

First Gravity Lounge gig: December 6, 2003

On the variety of gigs: “Bill doesn’t discriminate. If you’re a good act, you get in there…[S]o many places, you have to have a certain draw, or be the hot thing…I think it was the second place I did ‘The Richelle Show.’”

On the financial difficulties: “It doesn’t [surprise me], but not because of the space itself—because of the building it’s in. I had a friend that used to live in a studio apartment upstairs…I used to think, ‘Are you high? That’s half my mortgage.’”

Jay Pun

First Gravity Lounge gig: August 20, 2004

On mixed responses to Gravity Lounge: “I know a bunch of artists that are nationally recognized always come in, and some of them think it’s one of the coolest places they’ve played, and some of them think it’s kind of strange, because it’s also a bookstore and has a lot of art. I think they really are trying to be a real music venue, not just a restaurant that has music.”

On audience sizes: “Charlottesville definitely has been on the map for being a great music town, so we have all these bands that are nationally recognized coming through here, and Charlotteville’s population is not as big as Richmond, or Asheville, North Carolina. So I think it’s hard to fill every single show every single night.”

Jan Smith

First Gravity Lounge gig: June 26, 2003 (with the Jan Smith Band)

On Gravity’s best qualities: “We have always had a wonderful time playing at Gravity. Bill and all the folks down there take great care of the musicians, and it’s a real listening room. The ambiance is charming; it’s been a real gem for the Charlottesville music scene.”

On audience sizes: “Whether you are a concert promoter, a venue, a musician or a painter, I think that society values a lot of other things more than art. And there have been new music venues opened in town, so there are more venues vying for the audience’s ticket dollar. Those ticket dollars are far fewer now with the recession…”

Sam Wilson

First Gravity Lounge gig: October 2, 2003 (with the Sam Wilson Group)

On audience sizes and turning a profit: “At some times it was hard.  You know, there’d be these gigs that weren’t well advertised for early in the week—Monday and Tuesday—that were hard. But there were a ton of shows that were virtual sell-outs where the place was completely packed… I would just assume that I’m sure the rent’s probably pretty expensive, and he probably doesn’t want to charge too high of a ticket price…he’s probably making a lot of his money off of the bar. I don’t know why—I know he’s always struggled. It’s always been threatening to close down.”

Alex Caton

First Gravity Lounge gig: December 1, 2003 (with Las Gitanas)

On Gravity as a home: “I think of Bill as just an advocate for musicians in general, and for me specifically. And so I feel really loyal to Bill. And that’s where I kind of feel like that’s really the only place in town I’ve ever really played solo. I kind of feel like it’s like a second home, and that I’m welcome there.”

On turning a profit: “I feel like people may think that some of the shows are a little pricey, but again, I think that these are musicians that are making their living and there kind of needs to be prices set as they are.”

Robert Jospé

First Gravity Lounge gig: November 26, 2004 (with Steve Kessler Quartet)

On Gravity’s best qualities: “I love that club; it’s my favorite place to play in town. “We just did a show there on January 23 that was a terrific crowd; over 170 people came in. That was an Inner Rhythm show. But I’ve played there with a number of different groups. As I’ve said, the combination of the setup and atmosphere, where you can play for listeners who really want to listen, it’s a great environment for performing. Not your average nightclub. They’ve had 300 come through the door for different events.”