About Us

The Butter Room was built to spread and discuss live music. The contributors of this site, or as I like to call them, the residents of the Butter Room, all volunteer their time to provide the content. We do this as a labor of love.

Residents of The Butter Room: Who we are, where we reside offline and on, and what were the best live shows that we ever attended.

Joel Berk, Chicago IL huemusic.com

1. Zappa Plays Zappa, 7/20/07 @ Civic Opera House, Chicago IL
2. Gene Ween, 1/30/08 @ Tonic Room, Chicago IL
3. Gov’t Mule, 4/05/00 @ The Vic, Chicago IL

Graham Blevins, Richmond VA grahamblevins.com

1. Phish, 10/31/96 @ The Omni, Atlanta GA
2. Radiohead, 5/11/08 @ Nissan Pavilion, Gainesville VA
3. Grateful Dead, 6/25/95 @ RFK Stadium, Washington DC

Matt Blum, Richmond VA

1. U2, 12/11/87 @ Hampton Coliseum, Hampton VA Great first concert that lead to a career and a lifestyle surrounded by live music. The band still knows what it means to create a spectacle where the artist and the experience is much larger than the music.
2. Jerry Garcia Band, 11/19/93 @ Hampton Coliseum, Hampton VA One of the most amazing nights of music I have ever witnessed. A show now immortalized in a recent release by the Jerry Garcia estate. I’m not a spiritual guy, but I think I saw God that night. Or maybe it was something I ate.
3. Phish, 8/16-17/96 @ The Clifford Ball, Plattsburgh Air Force Base, Plattsburgh NY Extraordinary weekend of music and fellowship that introduced me to the possibilities of a live music event and the types of experiences that can surround it. As Wick has said over and over, we had no clue what we were in for. Without Clifford Ball, there would be no Bonnaroo, no Coachella, no Austin City Limits Festival. It was disorganized mayhem and groundbreaking all at once.

Martin Blum, Columbia, SC

1. Pink Floyd, 6/1/88 @ RFK Stadium, Washington DC
2. R.E.M., 11/14/86 @ William and Mary Hall, Williamsburg VA
3. Jerry Garcia Band, 11/19/93 @ Hampton Coliseum, Hampton VA

Kevin Curry, Virginia Beach VA kevincurry.tumblr.com

1. U2, 4/10/85 @ Hampton Coliseum, Hampton VA The Unforgettable Fire Tour
2. R.E.M. w/ 10,000 Maniacs, 10/9/87 @ William and Mary Hall, Williamsburg VA
3. Phish, 8/16-17/97 @ The Great Went, Loring Air Force Base, Limestone ME

Dylan Fulmer, Charlottesville VA dylvez.tumblr.com

1. H.O.R.D.E. Tour, 9/1/94 @ Jones Beach, NY Allman Brothers, Blues Traveler, DMB. The only time I’ve ever seen Blues Traveller. They played a triumphant show, but the Allmans were even better.
2. Fugazi/Jawbox, 9/24/93 @ Roseland Ballroom, NYC Pure hard rock glory.
3. MMW, 10/14/96 @ Knitting Factory, NYC The last of the weekly “Shack Parties” at the Knitting Factory leading up to the release of Shack-Man. At this show, the played the entire album from start to finish the night before it dropped.

Eugene Revzin, Chicago IL euphonicbrew.net

1. Phish, 7/18/03 @ Alpine Valley, East Troy WI
2. Umphrey’s McGee, 6/11/04 @ Bonnaroo, Manchester TN
3. Radiohead, 6/17/06 @ Bonnaroo, Manchester TN

Zak Schwartz, Lancaster PA agentphish.tumblr.com

1. Phish, 3.1.03 @ Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC Great show that I got to host 18 people at my parents house for….my dad had a huge trash can full of beers on ice for all of us when we arrived. The best part was Gboro had the worst ice storm in its history the day before we got there and there was no electricity. The venue wasn’t even sure the show was going to go on.
2. Phil & Friends, 11.30.2003 @ Tower Theater, Upper Darby, PA Hands down, the best live show I have ever seen. It was pure fire with a little magic thrown in. We hung with the guys afterward. We were told that it was a “top ten show for me, ever.” by Phil. That’s saying something.
3. MMW, 2.5.2000 @ Virginia Tech, Burruss Auditorium, Blacksburg, VA Excellent show from what I can (or can’t) remember. My first time seeing MMW and they blew my mind. If anyone has this show, please get ahold of me, I’d love to hear it again.

Matt Simpson, Chicago IL trappedintime.me

1. Phish, 7/29/03 @ Star Lake, Burgettstown PA
2. Radiohead, 6/17/06 @ Bonnaroo, Manchester TN
3. Dave Matthews Band, 7/6/01 @ Soldier Field, Chicago IL

Todd Wickersty, Charlottesville VA wick.me

1. The Who, 7/29/89 @ Tampa Stadium, Tampa FL My first road trip to see a show, and my first stadium show. Funny how I recall Who fans older than me calling them washed up at this point in their career. Little did anyone think they would still be touring 20 years later!
2. Phish, 8/16-17/96 @ The Clifford Ball, Plattsburgh Air Force Base, Plattsburgh NY An unbelieveable experience. First Phish show. Changed my life.
3. Radiohead, 5/11/08 @ Nissan Pavilion, Gainesville VA Nothing like seeing one of the best bands of my generation at their prime in a downpour and flash flood.

We get a lot of questions about the name of our site. The Butter Room is a room in an old fraternity house of Blacksburg, Virginia near the campus of Virginia Tech. It’s a small, low-lit room with nothing but a few benches and tables. You go there to get away from all distractions and have a conversation, which is what we want to foster here: a place where you can get away from all the distractions of life to enjoy and discuss live music.

Thanks for stopping by, and leave us a comment, suggestion, or request.