Thy Kingdom come: Alley Katz reopens with a new look, new name

Mark Robinson
Assistant Spectrum Editor

When Shockoe Bottom concert venue Alley Katz closed this past July after more than 15 years of supporting the Richmond music community, the local music scene was dealt what seemed like an irreparable blow.

Less than three months later, Kingdom, Richmond’s self-proclaimed “new premiere music venue,” is replacing Alley Katz in its old quarters at 10 Walnut Alley.

“We want to stay true to what Alley Katz was over the years: a very aggressive but still progressive club,” said Jeff Cohen, Kingdom’s co-owner. “We’re comfortable giving what we think is a true vibe of Richmond music, where we think some of the other clubs stray away from that.”

Prior to its reopening, Cohen and co-owner Jason Malhoyt launched a complete renovation of the old venue. The inside of Kingdom features a bar on each floor, scattered flat-screen TVs and a wrap-around balcony with a bird’s-eye view of the stage.

“We’ve got a really intimate room; it’s going to give a completely different feeling with your audience,” Cohen said. “We’re hoping artists pick up on it, and we’re hoping fans pick up on it too.”

Although they value the gritty feel of the trash-laden, cobblestoned alley their business resides in, Cohen and Malhoyt plan to install more lights and a larger sign on the outside of the venue to make Kingdom’s location more accessible to directionally challenged patrons.

A contingent of club-goers curious to see the old venue’s new look attended Kingdom’s free grand-opening party last Friday.

Though the grand-opening party was free of charge, all guests under the age of 21 are required to pay a $2 surcharge at the door at each event Kingdom hosts.

Kingdom has already booked big-name acts for the upcoming months, including November appearances by Framing Hanley, The Misfits and Dance Gavin Dance.

But the new concert venue won’t only be for touring acts; both Malhoyt and Cohen want the venue to cater to the local music scene in the same way Alley Katz did.

“Alley Katz was a staple in Richmond’s music scene,” Malhoyt said. “This is a new chapter and we’re going to continue to carry that with our own twist on it. We’re just looking forward to the future and bringing everything we can to Richmond.”

For more information about Kingdom’s upcoming events, visit their website at http://kingdomrva.com.

Alley Katz: a retrospective

Alley Katz was a haven of the Richmond hardcore music scene since it opened in 1995.

Notable past performers include Richmond’s own Lamb of God, early 2000s pop-punk mainstay Good Charlotte, and punk legends 7 Seconds.

Though Alley Katz was not officially shut down until this past summer, the owners were cited for nonpayment of meals taxes and having an invalid business license in June 2010, which resulted in a several-month hiatus, according to a report published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch in July.

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Photos by Mel Kobran