Plan 9 profile

April 23, 2024 – DOUBLE CHECK, MAY NOT HAVE RUN

Meet Plan 9 Music - Richmond, Virginia

It all started back in the 1970s when Jim Bland was in college at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. He was always into music so he got a job stocking records in a department store before being hired at a local record shop called the Album Den. That's where he met David "Petey" Kurzman, a manager of the nearby B. Dalton Bookseller who became a regular. When the bookstore closed, Kurzman saw an opportunity and the need for a record store in Richmond, so he called up his record store buddy Bland. They got together and, with $1,200 from tax returns and a used cash register, opened a small record store in 1981. Both had an interest in cult films and after a conversation about the 1959 sci-fi horror film "Plan 9 from Outer Space," they had their name: Plan 9 Records.

Plan 9 only stayed in its first location for a year before making multiple moves until it landed in its largest location at 4,000 square feet. They opened a second location in Charlottesville in 1985, which is still there today. About a decade after opening, Bland bought out Kurzman, who went on to pursue other passions. In the 1990s as the music industry was evolving, he rebranded from Plan 9 Records to Plan 9 Music. Plan 9 continued to grow until it had two Richmond stores, two Charlottesville stores and locations in Harrisonburg and Williamsburg. Bland also acquired a few Record Exchange stores bringing the Plan 9 portfolio to 10. But the economic downtown in 2008 forced him to close store after store, until there were only the two left standing today in Richmond and Charlottesville. 

"It's for the love of music, being able to be my own boss and my involvement in the music community that has kept me motivated through the tough times," Bland said in an interview with Richmond Magazine. "Throughout, I could not imagine doing anything else."

In 1977, while working at the Album Den, Bland landed his first in-store performance when he booked the Ramones, who were coming through on tour. In-store performances and signings became a regular occurrence at Plan 9 with visits from artists such as No Doubt, Camper Van Beethoven, the Zombies, Lucy Dacus, Drive By Truckers, and numerous local and regional bands, as well as a return visit from the Ramones in 1991. From 1996 to 2013, Bland ran his own record label called Planetary Records to help local bands grow. He's also been heavily involved in the Richmond Folk Festival.

Today, Plan 9's two locations feature new and used records, CDs, tapes, DVDs, video games, stereo equipment and more. They also carry more than 300 titles on consignment from local bands and continue to host and promote area bands and support the local music scene."I think music is kind of an all language kind of thing. It speaks to the soul," Bland told ABC 8News. "And no matter what you like, you know, you're touched by music and we love sharing that with our customers."

Special Note: 
Broadtime was lucky enough to meet Jim Bland when we first started and they have become our first and oldest customer, close friend, concert buddy and mentor through the years. We were saddend with them at the loss of Bob Schick last year to cancer, their longest running employee and all around great guy. Jim's son Chet Bland has now become actively involved in buying and store managing, along with Shelby Guest.