There’s no doubting Eric Hilton‘s devotion to the District. A founding member of the D.C.-based DJ duo, Thievery Corporation, Hilton found himself in a bind recently when he got an offer from the Fillmore, a new music venue openingin Silver Spring. Hilton was worried about cheating on the group’s usual hometown venue, the 9:30 Club.
“We were faced with a dilemma because we got an offer from the Filmore that was almost too good to refuse,” Hilton told Yeas & Nays. Hilton called 9:30 Club’s Seth Hurwitz, who came up with a plan to keep the show in the District limits —play the first ever show at the new Washington Kastle’s stadium.
“Our audiences generally like going to the 9:30 Club and they like being in D.C. so they can go out before and after the show and make kind of an evening of it,” Hilton explained. “There’s nothing wrong with Silver Spring, but it’s not the same as D.C.”
Thievery Corporation will take the stage of the wharf stadium in Southwest on Saturday. It is their only show scheduled on the East coast, coming off the heels of their latest album.
Hilton also has an interest in keeping his crowds in D.C., because of the many bars and restaurants along the U Street corridor that he’s invested in. Hilton has been involved in the opening of a number of popular night spots including Marvin, Patty Boom Boom, American Ice Company and will soon open a British pub called Brixton, though he’s sick of getting all the credit for it. “What’s been happening for the last few years is that I’ve been getting the credit for all of this and the story has sort of become, ‘oh that guy opened another bar or another restaurant.’ No really, that’s too simple of a story, there’s a lot of other amazing people,” Hilton said. “But I get the credit and it’s not fair.”
Saturday’s Thievery Corporation show starts at 6 p.m.
