[3] The club opened on May 31, 1980, on the ground floor rear room of the Atlantic Building at 930 F Street NW, in Downtown Washington, D.C.[4] with a legal standing capacity of 199.

Nightclub 9:30 was founded by artist and dancer Dody DiSanto and her husband, Jon Bowers, a local real estate developer and music enthusiast who purchased the Atlantic Building in 1979.

[4] On May 21, 1981, Washington, D.C. music programmer and writer Tom Terrell was instrumental in masterminding the U.S. premiere of reggae band Steel Pulse on the night of Bob Marley's funeral, which was broadcast live worldwide from Nightclub 9:30.

[2] The club's final shows at the original location were memorialized on a two-CD set released in 1997 and entitled 9:30 Live – A Time, A Place, A Scene.

This live CD, recorded between December 28, 1995, and January 1, 1996, includes local music from the Urban Verbs, Tiny Desk Unit, Mother May I, The Insect Surfers, Tru Fax and the Insaniacs, and Black Market Baby.

[13][18] In the early 21st century, Government Issue, Iron Cross, the Slickee Boys, Urban Verbs, Chuck Brown ("The Godfather of Go-Go") played in 2005.

This exhibition highlighted the pieces of the old 930 F St. location that made the trip to 815 V St., while taking fans through the dressing rooms and items like the hair dryer purchased specifically for James Brown.

Live at 9:30 debuted in May, with a mix of contributors and hosts including Henry Rollins, NPR Music's Bob Boilen, Hannibal Buress, Jill Kargman, Ralphie May and Tony Rock In Designated Survivor, Aaron invites Emily to a date at the 9:30 Club.