Coran Capshaw is shutting down Starr Hill after buying the Satellite Ballroom, The Hook reports. The folks who established the Satellite Ballroom on The Corner saw part of their mission as providing a venue not owned or operated by Coran Capshaw, so this may well have been a sale of last resort for them. The restaurant at Starr Hill, which occupies the downstairs of the two story building, has long been awkward to operate, since Capshaw has gone back and forth on whether he’s interested in it turning a profit. The paper says that a sports bar is due to move into the current Starr Hill location, continuing the tradition for the spot established by the long-standing Blue Ridge Brewery that previously occupied the location. The last gig will be local boys Navel, on July 7, according to a press release by Starr Hill.
07/06 Update: One of the owners of Satellite Ballroom posts a quick clarifying note.
So… the music venue is going to be Satellite but the Restarant is history? That’s really too bad. True the menu selection was often small and overpriced, but the quality was usually excellent.
Besides, where are we going to get Dark Starr Stout on tap now? (As most of the restaraunts don’t seem to carry it because of the need for nitrogen).
I am glad that they’re moving the music venue though. The layout of the place wasn’t a good place for concerts.
I can’t be the only one who thinks this sucks. Corin Capshaw will basically have a total monopoly on the music that gets booked in Charlottesville.
Well, this is likely no good. Over the past few years, the Satellite Ballroom has been great about bringing in acts that I enjoy — acts that I would’ve never imagined coming to Charlottesville only years earlier — while, for the most part, Starr Hill has continued to draw… crap (with some notable exception, like the recent Yo La Tengo and Explosions shows… but enough with the cover bands!)
If Capshaw turns the Ballroom lineup into one that mirrors the Starr Hill schedule, it’s probably more appropriate to mourn the loss of Satellite Ballroom.
Competition is nearly always better than monopoly.
Agreed. This should be interesting to follow, though it’s never good when a music venue gets shut down. I was wondering what mike take Starr Hill’s place as a music venue on or near downtown, but then I remembered that Coran is re-opening The Jefferson next year; I’m sure he’s in the process of making that a music-friendly venue with a presence on the Downtown Mall.
I liked Starr Hill, including the double-wide layout upstairs, but I know not many others did. Good memories of that place. Too bad about Satellite though. Take back the Pavillion!
Seriously chris!! The real story here is that the Satellite Ballroom is essentially closing, and that sucks!
I’m pretty sure that Coran has always been a silent partner in the Ballroom. Nevertheless, I hate to see this consolidation.
Amy, you’re absolutely right — I’d forgotten about that. It was that fact that provided an added level of intrigue to the whole thing, making some folks there feel like they were in the belly of the beast, as it were. :)
what is the issue many people seem to have with Coran?
Although it wasn’t the greatest venue, I’ve seen some good shows at Starr Hill and will miss it.
Any word on changes with the brewery?
The brewery moved out to Crozet a while ago, so you’ll still see Starr Hill beer around town.
I saw a lot of great shows at Starr Hill. The room itself I won’t miss at all; it was pretty awkward having a staircase in the middle of the room. And I enjoy the vast array of music we have here, from really crappy garage bands all the way up to some of the world’s most successful acts, and everything in between. A lot of credit has to go to Coran, and I continue to look forward to nights at the Ballroom.
Waldo, the opening line of your post is incorrect. You wrote, “Coran Capshaw is shutting down Starr Hill after buying the Satellite Ballroom, The Hook reports.” However, nowhere in the article does the Hook report that Capshaw bought the Satellite Ballroom. Nor is it in fact true that Capshaw bought the Ballroom.
I’m attempting to envision a scenario under which Coran would shut down Starr Hill and announce that, from now on, all of his shows will be held at Satellite Ballroom…and he didn’t have an ownership stake in that other venue. As Amy pointed out, Coran actually bought a chunk of Satellite Ballroom quite some time ago. If there’s any question that he has an ownership stake in Satellite Ballroom, I’m not aware of it. But, anonymous, if you have any information to the contrary, I hope you’ll present it.
Hey Waldo,
I am one of the owners of the satellite and would love to chat about the facts anytime. The consolidation was mutual. We at The Satellite will continue to support the independent music scene but believe cooperating and working with Coran will benefit the entire venue, giving us access to music we would not otherwise have.
Chuck Adcock
That’s good news, Chuck. I’ve updated the blog entry to call attention to your comment, lest it be lost in the shuffle.
Waldo – the link works on the article page but not on the home page.
D’oh. Thanks, Chris.
As per the headline of the article you’re linking to, how about “bought into” instead of “bought”?
The fact is, Capshaw bought into the business, he did not “buy” the business outright.
There’s an important distinction.
nonetheless Coran will be “running the show”