The pull of Gravity

By Jane Dunlap Norris

| 978-7249

For the past five years, a downstairs nightspot on First Street on the Downtown Mall has brought in everything from folk legends to alternative rock bands to cabaret acts of almost every stripe to a vaudeville-flavored circus.

Gravity Lounge will be marking its fifth anniversary Saturday evening with a show featuring the Hackensaw Boys, Morwenna Lasko and Jay Pun and the Honey Dewdrops.

“It’s going to be a really high-energy evening,’’ publicist Che Stratos said. “[Gravity Lounge owner] Bill [Baldwin] has been dying to get the Hackensaw Boys here forever and ever.’’

Since opening its doors in 2003, Gravity has been a listening room that can seat up to 175 people, as well as a cafe, bookstore and art gallery.

The venue has been home to children’s concerts by Rocknoceros and Farmer Jason, poetry events and fiction readings from “The Great Gatsby’’ and “To Kill a Mockingbird’’ for the Big Read initiative and a film series focusing on gay, lesbian and transgender issues, as well as a who’s who of performers from Jesse Winchester to Tish Hinojosa to Richie Havens. It’s also a place where one can grab a fresh pastry and go online for a while.

But times have changed in the past five years. Baldwin said that it’s getting tougher to operate a smaller venue these days, thanks to the pressure of a changing economic climate that strains families’ entertainment budgets and the presence of a variety of larger venues, including the John Paul Jones Arena, that weren’t around when Gravity opened its doors.

Whether the venue is around to plan a 15th-anniversary celebration may depend on how much Charlottesville residents want to support venues that bring in performers who offer something a bit different.

“Most of the events we have there are events that wouldn’t happen anywhere in town,’’ owner Baldwin said, calling Gravity one of the city’s best-kept secrets.

Stratos said that Gravity is on the market, but “we’re not planning on closing the doors any time soon,’’ Stratos said. “To coin the phrase, everything’s always for sale.

“We all want Gravity to be around forever because it’s such an eclectic venue,’’ Stratos said. “It’s just a different feel.

“I think that we have entered the hearts of a lot of performers far and wide. That’s a wonderful feeling, too. The Samples said it was one of the neatest venues they’d ever played in. Constantine Maroulis, for instance, loved the room.’’

Stratos said that Gravity offers local audiences the chance to see performers with something different to say.

“I think we bring in a very eclectic, a very genuine sort of performer,’’ Stratos said. “Bill really does his homework and really knows his game. Our hope is that more people will take a chance and see the Bindlestiff Cirkus next time they come through.’’

Baldwin said that Gravity’s offerings sometimes get overshadowed when big-name acts come to town elsewhere. People who shell out for high-priced national acts often must cut back on local shows, and “you feel the repercussions of that for weeks or months afterward,’’ Baldwin said.

Baldwin said he originally envisioned the venue as having a more middle-class appeal, but that approach doesn’t seem to be popular in a downtown environment with upscale dining options and pricey cocktails.

“Being low-key and unpretentious is probably not a good idea in Charlottesville if you want to make money,’’ he said.

Another trend that cuts into the bottom line is a cafeteria-style approach customers often take. Instead of catching a show at Gravity and making an evening of it by coming early for a meal or staying for drinks, many audience members will dine somewhere else and then arrive for the performance, Baldwin said.

“They want the gourmet high-dollar meal and the world-class entertainment after,’’ Baldwin said.

He said he frequently hears of similarly sized venues closing around the country, even in college towns.

The availability of high-tech entertainment keeps many potential audience members at home, too.

“Little venues like ours are closing,’’ Baldwin said. “People are staying home with PlayStations.’’

So is Charlottesville too small for a place like Gravity? Baldwin said no.

“I think it’s about choices. I think it’s big enough to support what it wants,’’ Baldwin said.