August 25, 2010

By By Mitchell Peters

Washington, D.C.'s 1,200-capacity 9:30 Club, one of the nation's top-grossing venues of its size, is launching a record label.

The first artist to put out music on 9:30 Records will be Justin Jones, whose "The Little Fox EP" is scheduled for release Sept. 14. Thirty Tigers in Nashville will distribute the set.

"It's no secret the traditional record business is in total disarray. But I've been an independent businessman my entire career and have been used to taking things into my own hands, so we decided, hell, we'll launch a record label so we can launch Justin Jones," I.M.P. chairman and 9:30 Club co-owner Seth Hurwitz said in a statement.

To help promote Jones' forthcoming release, the 9:30 club will host an invitation-only concert on Sept. 16. It was unclear at press time if 9:30 Records has immediate plans to release music by other acts.

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