It seems only appropriate that The Chop Shop, a new music venue/hangout/creative space in NoDa, will open on Friday the 13th. After all, this place has been in the works for more than a year, and the right-hand man (or woman) to owner Jay Tilyard is Tracie Nasta, party-girl promoter with Nasty Promotions, known for events like the White Trash Party, A Very Horny Christmas, and more. (We won't say anything about the connotation of the Friday the 13th movies and the word "chop" being in the name of the venue.)

Located on 35th Street, behind Cabo Fish Taco and over the railroad tracks, the "wrong side of the tracks," as they say, The Chop Shop will be a safe haven for artists, musicians, mechanics, martial artists, lovers, and any and all other creative types.

"Keep in mind, this is the beginning of the Chop Shop, not the final product," Nasta says. "There will hopefully never be a totally final product, we want the place to be ever changing and growing."

Grand opening festivities span the entire weekend, Friday and Saturday from 8 p.m. to 2 p.m.