Byrd Theatre Fundraiser: “Rock ’N’ Roll Hotel” Premiere! (Aug 30)

This is gonna be totally awesome:

Press Release:
The Best Worst Movie You’ve Never Seen!

• Style Weekly Announces Richmond Premiere of the Lost ’80s Movie, “Rock ’N’ Roll Hotel”
• Fundraiser to Benefit the Byrd Theatre

Shortly after the filming of the classic “My Dinner With Andre” at the Jefferson Hotel, another Hollywood crew took over the closed landmark in 1982 to make a very different movie.

What happened next became the stuff of urban legend. And until now — 28 years later — only a handful of people have seen the results of an exuberant yet turbulent production: a music-filled, campy film called “Rock ’N’ Roll Hotel.”

The movie, a sort of low-budget, ’80s-style cross between “Rocky Horror Picture Show” and “Grease,” features Judd Nelson in his big-screen debut, and stars Rachel Sweet, Colin Quinn and a host of Richmond extras and crew members.

Style contributor Dale Brumfield spent months researching the story of the film’s production, to be published as a cover story in Style Weekly on Aug. 18. During this process a co-producer unearthed a VHS copy of “Rock ’N’ Roll Hotel,” buried deep in the closet of an architectural firm in Culver City, Calif.

Style has partnered with Studio Center Total Production to help enhance movie quality and acquired the rights to premiere the film in a special one-time showing to benefit the Byrd Theatre (through the Byrd Theatre Foundation) on Monday, Aug. 30, at 8 p.m.

A grass-roots volunteer force, led by Robey Martin, Chad Brown and Brandon Laroussini of the Byrd Theatre (on Twitter @thebyrdrva), is selling tickets to the Richmond premiere (donation $10 in advance, $15 at the door). A special VIP package includes a 6:30 p.m. pre-reception at the Jefferson with the movie’s original screenwriter, along with other perks (donation $40 in advance, $45 at the door).

The Jefferson Hotel and To the Bottom and Back Bus are serving as co-sponsors.

Ticket information is available at styleweekly.com/thebyrd | Facebook | Twitter

BUY TICKETS NOW

2009 Year in Review…The Big Memes

Everyone else is doing it, so here it goes. As a compiler of news/real time historian/social media expert ;p , here were the big stories of 2009 (serious, silly, and in-between. So what’d I miss?):

January 2009

• Started with (perhaps) the last Carytown NYE celebration ever. Cheap bastards didn’t fill the donation boxes.
• Style Weekly names the “Whistleblower” as Richmonder of the Year. If you recall 2008 was the year of the VCU scandals.
• Wilder’s last days…Jones’ inauguration
• Xin Yang murder. The already psychically fragile Virginia Tech campus gets another tragedy.
• Obama’s BFF Tim Kaine is tapped as the new head of the DNC. Will he have enough RAM to multi-app?
• Kaine’s BFF Barack Obama gets inaugurated. Hardest ticket ever. History rejoices.
• The Shockoe Baseball development story begins to heat up. This story will go on and on and on until the squirrel.
• After 60 years in the business, Circuit City officially closes its doors. 2009 would be a sad year of homegrown businesses shutting down.

February 2009

• February started off with the VCU Police Chief sex chatroom scandal. The transcript of Hotcop2006 and Hannahmontana2012 (undercover Chesterfield PD) engenders shock and chuckles.
• Chris Brown gets arrested in LA for beating then girlfriend Rihanna. It’ll have a Richmond angle.
• While NYC was dealing with their Madoff scandal, Lord Allen Stanford hides out with his girl in Virginia.
• Movieland opens up to rave reviews. Nominal tax dollars used.
• Michael Rao is named the new President of VCU. So will we finally see football on Franklin St?

March 2009

• Phish returns from a long hiatus and they choose Hampton of all places to start their comeback tour.
• Some serious discussion around moving the National Slave Museum to Shockoe (as an add-on project to the Shockoe Baseball initiative)
• Toad’s Place closes its doors and Lady Gaga begins her first of many RVA show cancellations.
• Native Richmonder and Detroit Lion Corey Smith is lost in sea after horrofic fishing trip. Reminds us again that Nature is always in charge.
• Richmond issues $100,000 to study baseball proposal.
• Wal-Mart versus Wilderness Civil War preservation groups. Gee, I wonder who’ll win that one.
• CW films ‘Body Politic’ pilot (eventually not picked up) in Richmond.
• Tobacoo Avenue’s Girl Scout Cookie Chronicles…just because…
• Richmond School Board gets a public scolding for trying to institute a speech restriction policy.
• Chesterfield County’s anti-dancing ordinance. Now I gotta cut loose, footloose…

April 2009

• First Market Bank bought by Union Bankshares. The first sign of the #ukropalypse?
• Slaughterama.
• The Taliaferro trial opens up old wounds.
• Barely on the job for a year, state GOP chair Jeff Frederick steps down after an ugly fight.
• An 18 year media ban on US soldier coffins returning home is lifted as the body of Staff Sgt. Phillip Myers returns home to Hopewell.
• 2009 would be a painful transition year for the daily newspaper business. Media General lays off employees including many household name writers.
• Good friends at Gay RVA open shop.
• Eggleston Hotel Collapses. For me, this event really hit home the power of twitter (as coverage was occurring in real time)
• NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg starts a media campaign going after Virginia’s loose gun laws. Times it with the one year anniversary of the Virginia Tech tragedy.
• The Richmond Tea Party is born.
• Swine flu is born.

May 2009

• Busch wins all three races in Richmond. To think, he would not make the cup race.
• Bear sightings!
• William & Mary students break the Guinness World Record for the most people doing Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” dance. This video will become viral again later in the year.
• SMCRVA is born.
• In another media sign o the times, Q-94 replaces local favorites Sid and Melissa for a (cheaper) nationally syndicated morning show.
• Lots of retail robberies. A crime wave?
• SaveRichmond’s Don Harrison essentially calls out the mayor for having no testicles (re Downtown Plan). Harrison would later become Style Weekly’s new Arts and Culture Editor.
• Richmond loses yet another significant national retail HQ in S&K. I guarantee it.
• Michael Vick released from Kansas prison, returns home to Hampton…Football and traditional media speculate his next move.

June 2009

• Democratic primary was as heated and covered as the actual November race. Creigh Deeds emerges victor of the triple threat match.
• Bill Murray just randomly hangs out in Richmond. Serious Delirium!
• Another successful Broad Appétit.
• Police temporarily shut down Rumors for hosting an “illegal” music show. “CAPs” enters the Richmond lexicon.
• Velvet’s Sam Moore puts up a banner protesting the Shockoe Baseball project. Yeah, he’ll be back.
• Conrad Stoltz wins XTERRA despite nasty foot injury.
• The VITA scandal begins. Director Lemuel Stewart falls on sword. Times Dispatch begins its relentless coverage.
• Austin’s Byron Marshall is recruited to be the city’s new CAO.
• Kings Dominion UFO sighting.
• Highwoods properties drops out of Shockoe baseball project, essentially, killing it.
• Two DC Metro Red Line Trains Collide Near Fort Totten.
• Pandora Founder Tim Westergren visits Richmond for town hall.

July 2009

• Eugene Trani’s last day as VCU president.
• The $100K baseball study is released anticlimactically.
• Michael Jackson dies. Richmonder Chad Brown live tweets from LA, once again, showing the awesomeness of Twitter.
• The legendary Black Dog joins Michael up in heaven.
• The City Hall Ford police car procurement mess.
• Ex-VCU star Brandon Inge voted to All-Star game. Would have an awful home run derby.
• Yellow Brick Road Daycare tragedy.
• Due to budget crisis, the state closes down a number of highway rest stops. Virginians piss their pants over this.
• Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts ruling to wreck havoc on state forensics lab.
• Richmond Fair to feature monkeys riding dog racing. Did the thing ever happen?
• The Ukrop’s sale rumor rocks RVA’s newsrooms. @Mr_Sterling coins the term #Ukropalypse.
• UR alumni Adnan Hajizada is taken political prisoner in his home of Azerbaijan. The Collegian takes local leadership in covering the story.
• The first debate between McDonnell and Deeds occurs in Deeds’ backyard. Mmmm, Hommestead butter.
• Michael Vick is now a Philadelphia Eagles wildcat QB.

August 2009

• Chris Brown Short Pump Town Center sightings.
• Robot Chicken’s Seth Green hosts a skate party in Richmond to move some DVDs.
• Richmond media institution Gene Cox steps down from 11 PM broadcast to get some sleep.
• Harris Teeter is kicked out of the #Ukropalypse.
• The Matko Trial.
• Best Friends Day 8.
• Chris Brown is sentenced in LA to serve community service in Richmond.
• The Robin Starr/Louie story explodes. Everyone and their dog has an opinion on this one.
• #hashbrownnetworking is born.
• Kings Dominion announces their largest roller coaster to date: the Dale Earnhardt inspired Intimidator 305.
• Balliceaux opens up. Probably, the hottest restaurant opening in 2009.
• Ex-Richmonder, Manhattahn socialite Tinsley Mortimer separates from husband.
• The Washington Post publishes Bob McDonnell’s Regent U thesis. It would be a tough couple of weeks for the future governor.

September 2009

• Redskins sue grandmother fan. This would be the straw that broke the camel’s back (at least for me)
• CenterStage finally opens.
• Fall NASCAR race. Say what you want about NASCAR, but no other event in Richmond gets this much national coverage.
• Reggae artist Buju Banton becomes toxic due to protests from the Richmond gay community. All Richmond shows cancelled.
• Defenders announce they are leaving Connecticut to play Double AA at the Diamond.
• Cleveland Show debuts. Stoolbend as Richmond.
• Doug Wilder does not endorse either candidate for Governor which is essentially not endorsing Deeds which is essentially endorsing McDonnell.
• Chris Brown performs community service picking trash. The media goes nuts trying to find the secret location.
• The Farmville Horrorcore murders.
• InLight 2009.
• River City video goes viral.
• Master media manipulator Sam Moore creates more controversy by hanging up a giant Obama/Joker banner.
• After multiple cancellations, Lady Gaga finally plays Richmond.
• City Hall shakeup. Rachel Flynn loses power.

October 2009

• U2 plays Scott Stadium.
• The new Richmond baseball team holds a naming contest (Rock Hoppers, Rhinos, Flatheads, Flying Squirrels, Hambones, Hush Puppies). Hilarity ensues.
• Busch Gardens is sold.
• The first non-black Miss Hampton U. Small race drama.
• Richmond Folk Festival.
• Three Lakes Park is the third local park to get hit with racist graffiti.
• Ladies and Gentleman, I give you the Richmond Flying Squirrels.
• Creigh Deeds will lose the election next month for multiple reasons. Washington Post pens a pre-mortem.
• The Morgan Harrington/Metallica concert saga begins.
• A manatee is spotted in the James River near Richmond. I could go with a number of fat jokes here but won’t.
• Drew Barrymore is spotted in Richmond re-creating the NY Times 36 Hours article.
• Swine Flu reaches its fall peak.
• Richmond Zombie Walk! When there is no more room in Hell.
• Robert Crumb visits.

November 2009

• Bob McDonnell destroys Creigh Deeds. GOP sweeps statewide elections.
• The Fort Hood shootings have a Virginia connection.
• Velvet’s Sam Moore’s ABC hearing is R-rated. The adage of no sex in the champagne room is challenged.
• DC/Ashland Sniper John Allen Muhammad is executed.
• Richard Kelly’s The Box doesn’t do too well at the box.
• Harry Shearer visits. For some reason, the celebrities dig the Carytown.
• Rains like crazy in Virginia. Massive flooding in Hampton Roads. Governor Kaine gets some grief for attending an Arkansas fundraiser in the middle of all this.
• Danville TEA Party considers then cancels effigy burning of Perriello, Pelosi. Bush league psych out stuff, man.
• City Projects $10 Million Shortfall.
• Richmond Sheriff Woody is under investigation for sexual harassment but is quickly acquitted for lack of evidence.
• Al Groh is fired as UVA’s head football coach. He could never beat Tech.

December 2009

• December 1 smoking ban (sort of) in the world capitol of tobacco.
• The Salahis aka White House party crashers.
• UVA hires Mike London.
• The Ballad of Col Barfoot
• The Time Square gunman story also has a Virginia angle
• Redskins fire Cerrato, hire Allen, court Shanahan.
• Ahold buys Ukrops for 89 million euros.
• Major snowstorm shuts down Richmond. snOMG is born.
• Barack Obama prank calls Tim Kaine’s last radio show as governor.
• The inventor of the Sports Machine, George Michael, dies.
• The media inundate us with Best of 2009/Best of the Decade retrospectives. Including this one!

That year, that decade, flew!