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| image_caption = First Avenue nightclub in Minneapolis |
| image_caption = First Avenue nightclub in Minneapolis |
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| address = 701 First Avenue North |
| address = 701 First Avenue North |
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| location = [[Minneapolis]], |
| location = [[Minneapolis]], Minnesota, U.S. |
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| coordinates = {{ |
| coordinates = {{Wikidatacoord|Q5452326|type:landmark_region:US-MN|display=inline,title}} |
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| type = |
| type = |
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| genre = music, concerts |
| genre = music, concerts |
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| owner = |
| owner = |
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| construction_cost = |
| construction_cost = |
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| former_names = Minneapolis Greyhound Bus Depot (1937–1968)<br />The Depot (1970–1972) |
| former_names = Minneapolis Greyhound Bus Depot (1937–1968)<br />The Depot (1970–1972)<br />Uncle Sam's (1972–1979)<br />Sam's (1979–1981) |
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| seating_type = |
| seating_type = |
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| seating_capacity = 1,550 (Main Room)<br />250 (7th St Entry) |
| seating_capacity = 1,550 (Main Room)<br />250 (7th St Entry) |
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| website = {{URL|http://www.first-avenue.com}} |
| website = {{URL|http://www.first-avenue.com}} |
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}} |
}} |
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'''First Avenue''' and '''7th St Entry''' are two historic [[music venue]]s housed in the same landmark building in downtown [[Minneapolis]]. The nightclub sits on the corner of First Avenue North and 7th Street North, from which the venues get their names. The two are colloquially distinguished by locals as '''The Mainroom''' and '''The Entry'''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Matos |first=Michaelangelo |date= |
'''First Avenue''' and '''7th St Entry''' are two historic [[music venue]]s housed in the same landmark building in downtown [[Minneapolis]]. The nightclub sits on the corner of First Avenue North and 7th Street North, from which the venues get their names. The two are colloquially distinguished by locals as '''The Mainroom''' and '''The Entry'''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Matos |first=Michaelangelo |date=14 March 2016 |title=Everybody Is a Star: How the Rock Club First Avenue Made Minneapolis the Center of Music in the '80s |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/article/9832-everybody-is-a-star-how-the-rock-club-first-avenue-made-minneapolis-the-center-of-music-in-the-80s/ |access-date=10 October 2023 |website=Pitchfork |language= }}</ref> |
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The building was constructed in 1937 as the Minneapolis depot of the [[Greyhound Lines]] bus system and operated for 31 years. Allan Fingerhut purchased the facility in 1970 and converted it into a nightclub. During the 1980s, First Avenue flourished and became a landmark in the music and entertainment industry, playing a seminal role in establishing the '80s [[funk rock]] sub genre via the [[Minneapolis sound]], and being the primary local venue for hometown star [[Prince (musician)|Prince]]. Since its rise to fame in the 1980s, First Avenue has hosted many notable local and national music acts. The building is marked by more than 400 large stars on its exterior commemorating these performers, along with other figures notable to the city.<ref>[https://first-avenue.com/about/the-stars]; retrieved |
The building was constructed in 1937 as the Minneapolis depot of the [[Greyhound Lines]] bus system and operated for 31 years. Allan Fingerhut purchased the facility in 1970 and converted it into a nightclub. During the 1980s, First Avenue flourished and became a landmark in the music and entertainment industry, playing a seminal role in establishing the '80s [[funk rock]] sub genre via the [[Minneapolis sound]], and being the primary local venue for hometown star [[Prince (musician)|Prince]]. Since its rise to fame in the 1980s, First Avenue has hosted many notable local and national music acts. The building is marked by more than 400 large stars on its exterior commemorating these performers, along with other figures notable to the city.<ref>[https://first-avenue.com/about/the-stars]; retrieved 14 June 2022</ref> |
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The venue's history and cultural significance has resulted in local and national recognition. Journalist [[David Carr (journalist)|David Carr]] wrote in ''[[The New York Times]]'' that First Avenue's cultural weight and history is matched by only a few clubs in the United States: [[CBGB]], [[Maxwell's]], [[Metro Chicago]] and the [[9:30 Club]].<ref name="CarrNYT" /> It was also one of the first clubs to book Black performers in Minneapolis's once largely segregated music scene.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017 |
The venue's history and cultural significance has resulted in local and national recognition. Journalist [[David Carr (journalist)|David Carr]] wrote in ''[[The New York Times]]'' that First Avenue's cultural weight and history is matched by only a few clubs in the United States: [[CBGB]], [[Maxwell's]], [[Metro Chicago]] and the [[9:30 Club]].<ref name="CarrNYT" /> It was also one of the first clubs to book Black performers in Minneapolis's once largely segregated music scene.<ref>{{Cite web |date=27 November 2017 |title=A brief history of Minneapolis' First Avenue |url=https://www.minnpost.com/mnopedia/2017/11/brief-history-minneapolis-first-avenue/ |access-date=10 June 2022 |website=MinnPost |language=en-US }}</ref> |
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The nightclub was featured in Prince's commercially successful 1984 film, [[Purple Rain (film)|''Purple Rain'']]. |
The nightclub was featured in Prince's commercially successful 1984 film, [[Purple Rain (film)|''Purple Rain'']]. |
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[[File:Minneapolis Greyhound.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Black and white photo of corner building on a semi deserted street with round facade, sign saying Northland Greyhound, and two vertical signs reading Greyhound, surrounded by buses, Pantages Vaudeville and other buildings visible in rear|The Minneapolis [[Greyhound Lines]] depot was built in the [[Streamline Moderne]] style in 1937.]] |
[[File:Minneapolis Greyhound.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Black and white photo of corner building on a semi deserted street with round facade, sign saying Northland Greyhound, and two vertical signs reading Greyhound, surrounded by buses, Pantages Vaudeville and other buildings visible in rear|The Minneapolis [[Greyhound Lines]] depot was built in the [[Streamline Moderne]] style in 1937.]] |
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[[File:Greyhound restaurant 1951.jpg|thumb|left|alt=eight or ten light colored wooden tables with chairs seen from behind host station, lit with six bright ceiling lamps|The depot restaurant (pictured in 1951) became a coatroom which became the 7th St. Entry.]] |
[[File:Greyhound restaurant 1951.jpg|thumb|left|alt=eight or ten light colored wooden tables with chairs seen from behind host station, lit with six bright ceiling lamps|The depot restaurant (pictured in 1951) became a coatroom which became the 7th St. Entry.]] |
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The building opened as a bus depot in 1937, decades after [[Greyhound Lines]] was founded in [[Hibbing, Minnesota]]. It was noted for its [[Art Deco]] style and amenities of air conditioning, shower rooms, and public telephones. |
The building opened as a bus depot in 1937, decades after [[Greyhound Lines]] was founded in [[Hibbing, Minnesota]]. It was noted for its [[Art Deco]] style and amenities of air conditioning, shower rooms, and public telephones. The interior floor was checkered [[terrazzo]], while the exterior was shiny blue bricks with white trim.<ref>[http://www.first-avenue.com/history ''First Avenue History'']; First Ave on-line.</ref> The bus station moved to [[Hawthorne Transportation Center|10th Street]] in 1968,<ref name=Riemenschneider>Riemenschneider, pp. 13–21.</ref> and moved again to Ramp B near [[Target Field]] in 2023.<ref>{{cite news |title=Greyhound, Jefferson moving bus operations to Ramp B in downtown Minneapolis |url=https://www.startribune.com/greyhound-jefferson-moving-bus-operations-to-ramp-b-in-downtown-minneapolis/600304603 |last=Harlow |first=Tim |date=14 September 2023 |access-date=7 October 2024 |work=[[Star Tribune]] }}</ref> |
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The transformation from a bus depot into a concert venue has a disputed history.<ref name=Riemenschneider /> Clearly, Allan Fingerhut, heir to the [[Fingerhut]] mail-order merchandise company, had capital and invested $150,000, and Danny Stevens of the band [[Danny's Reasons]] had a hard-to-get liquor license.<ref name=Riemenschneider /> Both men agree promoter Skip Goucher had the original idea for a nightclub in the bus depot.<ref name=Riemenschneider /> |
The transformation from a bus depot into a concert venue has a disputed history.<ref name=Riemenschneider /> Clearly, Allan Fingerhut, heir to the [[Fingerhut]] mail-order merchandise company, had capital and invested $150,000, and Danny Stevens of the band [[Danny's Reasons]] had a hard-to-get liquor license.<ref name=Riemenschneider /> Both men agree promoter Skip Goucher had the original idea for a nightclub in the bus depot.<ref name=Riemenschneider /> |
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They opened ''The Depot'' on April |
They opened ''The Depot'' on 3 April 1970, with [[Joe Cocker]] and Mad Dogs & Englishmen and a stage crowded with 27 musicians and singers who turned in two magnificent sets.<ref name=Riemenschneider /> Among Cocker's [[Mad Dogs & Englishmen (album)|Mad Dogs & Englishmen]] that night were [[Leon Russell]], [[Rita Coolidge]], [[Claudia Lennear]], [[Jim Keltner]], [[Jim Price (musician)|Jim Price]] and [[Bobby Keys]].<ref>{{cite video |url=https://facebook.com/alanfreed/videos/10157462580266378/ |publisher=Facebook |access-date=13 August 2020 |date=3 April 2020 |title=The Depot Grand Opening }}</ref> |
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=== Disco era === |
=== Disco era === |
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Following two years of steady business, The Depot was faced with a new reality: the public music scene was changing. Psychedelic rock was out and disco was in. In order to stay on top of this new trend, the club needed to change its image. After a short remodel, ''The Depot'' in July 1972, evolved into ''Uncle Sam's'', a national franchise of the {{not a typo|American Avents Corporation}} of [[Cincinnati]]. A red, white, and blue patriotic-themed club with recorded dance music, a drummer, a DJ, and a light-up plexiglass dance floor became what doorman Richard Luka described as, "[[Studio 54]] for the discriminating [[Kmart (United States)|Kmart]] shopper."<ref>Riemenschneider, p. 48–49.</ref> In about late 1973, [[Steve McClellan]] (who |
Following two years of steady business, The Depot was faced with a new reality: the public music scene was changing. Psychedelic rock was out and disco was in. In order to stay on top of this new trend, the club needed to change its image. After a short remodel, ''The Depot'' in July 1972, evolved into ''Uncle Sam's'', a national franchise of the {{not a typo|American Avents Corporation}} of [[Cincinnati]]. A red, white, and blue patriotic-themed club with recorded dance music, a drummer, a DJ, and a light-up plexiglass dance floor became what doorman Richard Luka described as, "[[Studio 54]] for the discriminating [[Kmart (United States)|Kmart]] shopper."<ref>Riemenschneider, p. 48–49.</ref> In about late 1973, [[Steve McClellan]] (who had become the club's talent buyer and eventually general manager)<ref name="Bream">{{cite news |author=Bream, Jon |date=22 March 2015 |title=Mayors declare Steve McClellan Day today in Mpls. and St. Paul |publisher=[[Star Tribune]] |url=http://www.startribune.com/a-first-twin-cities-mayors-declare-today-as-steve-mcclellan-day/297177651/ |access-date=12 August 2019 }}</ref> started working at Uncle Sam's as a bartender.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Johnson |first=Cecilia |title=The Current Rewind: Nov. 28-29, 1979 |url=https://www.thecurrent.org/feature/2020/09/28/the-current-rewind-nov-1979-ramones-pat-benatar-first-avenue |access-date=3 November 2020 |website=www.thecurrent.org }}</ref> He would enter American Avents' management training in 1975. |
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After {{not a typo|American Avents}} left in 1979, general manager McClellan hired his former high school classmate [[Jack Meyers]] to help him manage money.<ref name=":0" /> Dan Lessard managed the bar staff. The club's name was shortened to ''Sam's'' in early 1980. The club got its third name change on New Year's Eve 1981 when it became ''First Avenue''.<ref name="noran-2000">Noran, Rebecca (2000). ''First Avenue & 7th Street Entry: Your Downtown 'Danceteria' Since 1970''. Minneapolis: First Avenue & 7th Street Entry. pp. 15–20.</ref> |
After {{not a typo|American Avents}} left in 1979, general manager McClellan hired his former high school classmate [[Jack Meyers]] to help him manage money.<ref name=":0" /> Dan Lessard managed the bar staff. The club's name was shortened to ''Sam's'' in early 1980. The club got its third name change on New Year's Eve 1981 when it became ''First Avenue''.<ref name="noran-2000">Noran, Rebecca (2000). ''First Avenue & 7th Street Entry: Your Downtown 'Danceteria' Since 1970''. Minneapolis: First Avenue & 7th Street Entry. pp. 15–20.</ref> |
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The ''7th St Entry'' is a smaller stage (capacity 250) attached to the historic First Avenue (capacity 1500).<ref>[http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/music/13851721.html?elr=KArksD:aDyaEP:kD:aUnOiP3UiacyKUUr ''Music: 7th St Entry'']; [[Minneapolis Star Tribune]] article; retrieved .</ref> This space was once a restaurant (the "Greyhound Cafe") and later a coatroom, before staffer Danny Flies and McClellan spent $1,500 to turn it into a barebones music venue as part of Sam's. Meyers donated his own Bose speakers for stage monitors.<ref name=Riemenschneider2>Riemenschneider, pp. 66–71.</ref> Like [[Jay's Longhorn Bar]] and Duffy's, the Entry catered to local bands, often too new to play the Mainroom.<ref name="noran-2000" /><ref>[http://www.mnhs.org/library/findaids/00233.xml ''MNHS.ORG''].</ref> |
The ''7th St Entry'' is a smaller stage (capacity 250) attached to the historic First Avenue (capacity 1500).<ref>[http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/music/13851721.html?elr=KArksD:aDyaEP:kD:aUnOiP3UiacyKUUr ''Music: 7th St Entry'']; [[Minneapolis Star Tribune]] article; retrieved .</ref> This space was once a restaurant (the "Greyhound Cafe") and later a coatroom, before staffer Danny Flies and McClellan spent $1,500 to turn it into a barebones music venue as part of Sam's. Meyers donated his own Bose speakers for stage monitors.<ref name=Riemenschneider2>Riemenschneider, pp. 66–71.</ref> Like [[Jay's Longhorn Bar]] and Duffy's, the Entry catered to local bands, often too new to play the Mainroom.<ref name="noran-2000" /><ref>[http://www.mnhs.org/library/findaids/00233.xml ''MNHS.ORG''].</ref> |
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The Entry opened its doors on |
The Entry opened its doors on 21 March 1980, with Cathy Mason fronting Wilma & the Wilburs, who were first to play, as warmup for headliner [[Curtiss A]].<ref name=Riemenschneider2 /> |
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=== ''Danceteria'' === |
=== ''Danceteria'' === |
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Chrissie Dunlap began to work days in the office in 1979, about the time McClellan booked the [[Ramones]] and [[Pat Benatar]] in back-to-back, sell out concerts. |
Chrissie Dunlap began to work days in the office in 1979, about the time McClellan booked the [[Ramones]] and [[Pat Benatar]] in back-to-back, sell out concerts. Disc jockeys Kevin Cole and Roy Freedom developed weekend dance nights dubbed ''Danceteria'' inspired by the [[Danceteria|New York club of that name]], often creating enough business to pay the club's bills. The club has, through much of its existence, survived on the success of its dance nights.<ref>Riemenschneider, p. 65, 71, 75.</ref> As [[Electronic dance music|EDM]] and [[Rave|rave culture]] grew in the 1990s, Cole mentored younger local DJs such as Woody McBride, [[Dory Kahalé|DJ Apollo (Dory Kahalé)]] and E-Tones at Danceteria and other DJ nights such as House Nation Under a Groove and Depth Probe, helping to create a thriving and distinctive techno-music scene in the upper Midwest.<ref name="Matos2015">{{cite book |last=Matos |first=Michaelangelo |title=The Underground Is Massive: How Electronic Dance Music Conquered America |publisher=HarperCollins |year=2015 |isbn=978-0-06-227180-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7919BAAAQBAJ |access-date=12 December 2023 |page=89 }}</ref><ref name="CP2016">{{cite web |url=https://archive.org/details/MSTCP_2016_08_17/page/16/mode/2up?q=%22dory+kahale%22 |title=Dance Dance Evolution: Meet Woody McBride, Architect of the Twin Cities Underground Dance Scene |last=Matos |first=Michaelangelo |date=17 August 2016 |website=[[City Pages]] |publisher= |access-date=11 October 2023 }}</ref><ref name="Massive18">{{cite web |url=https://archive.org/details/zine_massive18/page/n11/mode/2up?q=%22DJ+Apollo%22 |title=Hyperactive |last= |first= |date=November 1994 |website=Massive, Issue #18 |publisher= |access-date=11 October 2023 }}</ref> |
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[[File:Steve McClellan by Greg Helgeson-198607.jpg|thumb|alt=black & white shoulder high portrait of man in his thirties with folded arms seated at desk in front of vinyl record albums and a stereo, wearing black sunglasses, dark backwards baseball cap, and dark shirt|During the era's wild west of settlement with artists, [[Steve McClellan]] was known as one of the few reliable promoters in the United States.<ref>{{cite news|title=High Road's Frank Riley: On Creating A 'Beacon For Working Musicians'|author=Gensler, Andy|date= |
[[File:Steve McClellan by Greg Helgeson-198607.jpg|thumb|alt=black & white shoulder high portrait of man in his thirties with folded arms seated at desk in front of vinyl record albums and a stereo, wearing black sunglasses, dark backwards baseball cap, and dark shirt|During the era's wild west of settlement with artists, [[Steve McClellan]] was known as one of the few reliable promoters in the United States.<ref>{{cite news |title=High Road's Frank Riley: On Creating A 'Beacon For Working Musicians' |author=Gensler, Andy |date=16 January 2020 |access-date=28 January 2020 |publisher=[[Pollstar]] |url=https://www.pollstar.com/article/high-roads-frank-riley-on-creating-a-beacon-for-working-musicians-143266 }}</ref>]] |
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=== The Prince explosion === |
=== The Prince explosion === |
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Discrimination had created a race barrier in the Minneapolis music scene. Encouraged by Dunlap to write their own material,<ref name=Matos /> [[Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis|Jimmy Jam]] and the 11-piece Mind & Matter were able to break through with bookings by McClellan in the mid-1970s. First booking Black acts in the [[one-hit wonder]] [[Lipps, Inc.]], with lead singer [[Cynthia Johnson]], McClellan decided to book [[Prince (musician)|Prince]] in 1981, for $2,500 plus part of the gate. Before he died in 2016, Prince was to play nine full First Avenue concerts. Over time, many of his fans thought he owned the club.<ref name=Matos>{{cite web|title=Everybody Is a Star: How the Rock Club First Avenue Made Minneapolis the Center of Music in the '80s|url=https://pitchfork.com/features/article/9832-everybody-is-a-star-how-the-rock-club-first-avenue-made-minneapolis-the-center-of-music-in-the-80s/|author=Matos, Michaelangelo |date= |
Discrimination had created a race barrier in the Minneapolis music scene. Encouraged by Dunlap to write their own material,<ref name=Matos /> [[Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis|Jimmy Jam]] and the 11-piece Mind & Matter were able to break through with bookings by McClellan in the mid-1970s. First booking Black acts in the [[one-hit wonder]] [[Lipps, Inc.]], with lead singer [[Cynthia Johnson]], McClellan decided to book [[Prince (musician)|Prince]] in 1981, for $2,500 plus part of the gate. Before he died in 2016, Prince was to play nine full First Avenue concerts. Over time, many of his fans thought he owned the club.<ref name=Matos>{{cite web |title=Everybody Is a Star: How the Rock Club First Avenue Made Minneapolis the Center of Music in the '80s |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/article/9832-everybody-is-a-star-how-the-rock-club-first-avenue-made-minneapolis-the-center-of-music-in-the-80s/ |author=Matos, Michaelangelo |date=14 March 2016 |access-date=12 August 2019 |publisher=Pitchfork (Condé Nast) }}</ref> |
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Recorded live in 1983 by a [[Record Plant]] truck parked outside at an August 1983 show, "[[Purple Rain (song)|Purple Rain]]" became the title of the film ''[[Purple Rain (film)|Purple Rain]].'' Prince's management team offered First Avenue $100,000 to use the mainroom for filming in late November into December 1983, with the clause that the Entry would remain open. Most of the club's employees were extras in the film. The production gave the club its [[patch panel]] and [[dimmer]] packs. McClellan feared the audience had changed from genuine music lovers to a lot of tourists; still, he and Meyers were grateful for the boost in revenue.<ref name=Matos /> |
Recorded live in 1983 by a [[Record Plant]] truck parked outside at an August 1983 show, "[[Purple Rain (song)|Purple Rain]]" became the title of the film ''[[Purple Rain (film)|Purple Rain]].'' Prince's management team offered First Avenue $100,000 to use the mainroom for filming in late November into December 1983, with the clause that the Entry would remain open. Most of the club's employees were extras in the film. The production gave the club its [[patch panel]] and [[dimmer]] packs. McClellan feared the audience had changed from genuine music lovers to a lot of tourists; still, he and Meyers were grateful for the boost in revenue.<ref name=Matos /> |
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=== Changes in ownership === |
=== Changes in ownership === |
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The club was briefly closed by Fingerhut in late fall 2004 for financial reasons, causing a wave of protest from music fans.<ref name=CarrNYT>{{cite news|title=First Avenue Is Dead (Long Live First Avenue!)|author=Carr, David|date= |
The club was briefly closed by Fingerhut in late fall 2004 for financial reasons, causing a wave of protest from music fans.<ref name=CarrNYT>{{cite news |title=First Avenue Is Dead (Long Live First Avenue!) |author=Carr, David |date=15 November 2004 |access-date=10 May 2020 |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/15/arts/music/first-avenue-is-dead-long-live-first-avenue.html }}</ref> The issues were quickly resolved (the judge presiding in the bankruptcy case noted, "I gather there is some urgency about this"), and the club was reopened by new partners Meyers, McClellan, and former business manager Byron Frank, with shows resuming after one week's closure.<ref name=CarrNYT /> An experienced [[crowd surfing|crowd surfer]], Minneapolis mayor [[R.T. Rybak]] reneged on his promise to stage dive at the first show after reopening.<ref>{{cite web |author=David |url=http://howwastheshow.blogspot.com/2004/07/mayor-rt-rybak-stage-dives-and-crowd.html |title=Mayor RT Rybak Stage Dives and Crowd Surfs at First Avenue during Rock for Democracy |publisher=HowWasTheShow Blog |date=18 July 2004 |access-date=11 April 2012 }}</ref> |
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McClellan ended his 32-year stint at First Avenue in 2005,<ref>[https://archive.today/20110805181201/http://articles.citypages.com/2004-06-30/columns/the-first-avenue-massacre/full/ "The First Avenue Massacre - What Steve McClellan's Pink Slip Said"]; by Jim Walsh; [[City Pages]] article.</ref> and began to focus on local music non-profit, the Diverse Emerging Music Organization (or DEMO).<ref>[http://www.demomn.org ''Diverse Emerging Music Organization'']; organizational website.</ref> After McClellan's departure as general manager, Jack Meyers was appointed to the position and continued until 2009, when Nathan Kranz took over.<ref>{{cite web |
McClellan ended his 32-year stint at First Avenue in 2005,<ref>[https://archive.today/20110805181201/http://articles.citypages.com/2004-06-30/columns/the-first-avenue-massacre/full/ "The First Avenue Massacre - What Steve McClellan's Pink Slip Said"]; by Jim Walsh; [[City Pages]] article.</ref> and began to focus on local music non-profit, the Diverse Emerging Music Organization (or DEMO).<ref>[http://www.demomn.org ''Diverse Emerging Music Organization'']; organizational website.</ref> After McClellan's departure as general manager, Jack Meyers was appointed to the position and continued until 2009, when Nathan Kranz took over.<ref>{{cite web |title=About Us: History: Current |url=http://www.first-avenue.com/history/today |publisher=First Avenue, 701 Ventures |access-date=18 January 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100324160635/http://www.first-avenue.com/history/today |archive-date=24 March 2010 }}</ref> [[Dayna Frank]] took over for her father the same year.<ref>Riemenschneider, p. 10.</ref> |
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==Notable events== |
==Notable events== |
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The [[nightclub]] has been the starting point for many acts that have come out of the [[Minneapolis-St. Paul|Twin Cities]], including |
The [[nightclub]] has been the starting point for many acts that have come out of the [[Minneapolis-St. Paul|Twin Cities]], including [[Prince (musician)|Prince]], [[The Replacements (band)|The Replacements]], [[Hüsker Dü]], [[Soul Asylum]], [[Semisonic]], and [[Lizzo]], among others.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About |url=https://first-avenue.com/about/ |access-date=6 September 2022 |website=First Avenue |language=en-US }}</ref> |
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[[File:The Depot Tavern First Avenue 7th Street Entry Minneapolis 14989705730.jpg|thumb|alt=Vertical sign reading The Depot Tavern|The Depot Tavern opened in 2010 next door to the 7th St Entry. The bar and restaurant has live video feeds from both the Mainroom and the Entry.]] |
[[File:The Depot Tavern First Avenue 7th Street Entry Minneapolis 14989705730.jpg|thumb|alt=Vertical sign reading The Depot Tavern|The Depot Tavern opened in 2010 next door to the 7th St Entry. The bar and restaurant has live video feeds from both the Mainroom and the Entry.]] |
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Bands and artists have performed at the nightclub and influenced the Minneapolis music scene from 1970 onward, as exemplified by the silver stars that adorn the black building's exterior (every star has the name of an artist who has played at First Avenue or 7th St Entry). First Avenue also appeared in Prince's 1984 film ''[[Purple Rain (film)|Purple Rain]]'',<ref name="purple-rain">[http://www.fast-rewind.com/purplerain.html{{Dead link|date=December 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Purple Rain; at Fast Rewind.]{{Dead link|date=October 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and many of the film's music performances take place at the venue.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110221191740/http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2052114_2052117_2052150,00.html ''Top 10 Cities That Need Statues from '80s Movies: Minneapolis (Purple Rain)'']; |
Bands and artists have performed at the nightclub and influenced the Minneapolis music scene from 1970 onward, as exemplified by the silver stars that adorn the black building's exterior (every star has the name of an artist who has played at First Avenue or 7th St Entry). First Avenue also appeared in Prince's 1984 film ''[[Purple Rain (film)|Purple Rain]]'',<ref name="purple-rain">[http://www.fast-rewind.com/purplerain.html{{Dead link|date=December 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Purple Rain; at Fast Rewind.]{{Dead link|date=October 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and many of the film's music performances take place at the venue.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110221191740/http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2052114_2052117_2052150,00.html ''Top 10 Cities That Need Statues from '80s Movies: Minneapolis (Purple Rain)'']; TIME article.</ref> |
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[[U2]] wrote part of ''[[October (U2 album)|October]]'' at First Avenue, during sound check.<ref>{{cite web |author=Keller, Martin |title=Young Spuds in a Longhorn Daze |url=http://www.citypages.com/1999-08-04/news/young-spuds-in-a-longhorn-daze/ |work=City Pages |publisher=Village Voice Media |date= |
[[U2]] wrote part of ''[[October (U2 album)|October]]'' at First Avenue, during sound check.<ref>{{cite web |author=Keller, Martin |title=Young Spuds in a Longhorn Daze |url=http://www.citypages.com/1999-08-04/news/young-spuds-in-a-longhorn-daze/ |work=City Pages |publisher=Village Voice Media |date=4 August 1999 |page=2 |access-date=16 November 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091224202815/http://www.citypages.com/1999-08-04/news/young-spuds-in-a-longhorn-daze/ |archive-date=24 December 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> |
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Grammy Award-winning alternative-country star [[Lucinda Williams]] was married on stage following a performance at First Avenue in 2009.<ref>{{Cite web | |
Grammy Award-winning alternative-country star [[Lucinda Williams]] was married on stage following a performance at First Avenue in 2009.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/music/57732067.html |title=Wedding bells at First Ave |website=[[Star Tribune]] }}</ref> |
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Gwar guitarist [[Cory Smoot]] played his last performance at the venue on November |
Gwar guitarist [[Cory Smoot]] played his last performance at the venue on 3 November 2011—he died just hours afterward.<ref>{{cite web |author=Riemenschneider, Chris |title=Guitarist dies after GWAR plays First Ave |url=http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/music/133209498.html |work=Star Tribune |date=4 November 2011 |access-date=4 November 2011 }}</ref> |
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The club was named in ''[[Playboy]]'' Magazine's Guide to Best Nightclubs in the World at #15 out of 20 in the November 2013 issue. |
The club was named in ''[[Playboy]]'' Magazine's Guide to Best Nightclubs in the World at #15 out of 20 in the November 2013 issue. |
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During the [[Theory of a Deadman]] concert on August |
During the [[Theory of a Deadman]] concert on 12 August 2015, part of the ceiling collapsed, pulling down part of the sprinkler pipes. Three people were slightly injured, two of whom were taken to the hospital.<ref>{{cite web |author=Jay Knoll |title=First Avenue evacuated after ceiling collapse, injuries reported |url=http://www.kare11.com/story/news/2015/08/12/first-avenue-evacuated-after-ceiling-collapse-injuries-reported/31595257/ |publisher=KARE 11 |date=12 August 2015 |access-date=13 August 2015}}{{Dead link|date=April 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Phil Helsel, Shamar Walters |title=First Avenue Ceiling Collapses During Theory of a Deadman Show in Minneapolis |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/first-avenue-ceiling-collapses-during-theory-deadman-show-minneapolis-n408956 |work=NBC News |date=12 August 2015 |access-date=13 August 2015 }}</ref> |
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The non-profit Developing Music and Arts Foundation (DMAF) was founded by the club in 1999. It was rechristened The Diverse Emerging Music Organization (DEMO) in 2004 as an independent entity. |
The non-profit Developing Music and Arts Foundation (DMAF) was founded by the club in 1999. It was rechristened The Diverse Emerging Music Organization (DEMO) in 2004 as an independent entity. |
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==Productions== |
==Productions== |
||
In 1970, The Depot recorded the first live album from the venue, titled ''Gathering at The Depot'', featuring artists such as Danny’s Reasons and [[The Litter]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Various-Gathering-At-The-Depot/release/3451617|title=Gathering at the Depot|access-date= |
In 1970, The Depot recorded the first live album from the venue, titled ''Gathering at The Depot'', featuring artists such as Danny’s Reasons and [[The Litter]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.discogs.com/Various-Gathering-At-The-Depot/release/3451617 |title=Gathering at the Depot |access-date=9 May 2020 |publisher=Discogs }}</ref> |
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Daniel Corrigan is a First Avenue photographer since 1981 whose work fills the book ''Heyday''.<ref>{{cite news|title=Daniel Corrigan's 'Heyday' gorgeously reveals 35 years of Twin Cities music photography|author=Thompson, Erik|date=October |
Daniel Corrigan is a First Avenue photographer since 1981 whose work fills the book ''Heyday''.<ref>{{cite news |title=Daniel Corrigan's 'Heyday' gorgeously reveals 35 years of Twin Cities music photography |author=Thompson, Erik |date=26 October 2016 |access-date=10 May 2020 |url=http://www.citypages.com/music/daniel-corrigans-heyday-gorgeously-reveals-35-years-of-twin-cities-music-photography/398485351 |publisher=City Pages }}</ref> Later after the advent of ubiquitous digital photography, he became an employee in the facilities department,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HbblTZVbxA |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/6HbblTZVbxA |archive-date=12 December 2021 |url-status=live |title=Dan Corrigan |publisher=MN Original (MNO): Twin Cities Public Television |access-date=10 May 2020}}{{cbignore }}</ref> and made a series of under-two minute videos for the [[Minnesota Historical Society]] describing his photos.<ref>{{cite news |author=Dan Corrigan |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiaJQbwsRoI |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/CiaJQbwsRoI |archive-date=12 December 2021 |url-status=live |title=Storied: Heyday, Prince}}{{cbignore}}, {{cite news |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TZp9QAGa-A |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/3TZp9QAGa-A |archive-date=12 December 2021 |url-status=live |title=Storied: Heyday, The Replacements}}{{cbignore}}, {{cite news |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfv2C3h16H8 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/sfv2C3h16H8 |archive-date=12 December 2021 |url-status=live |title=Storied: Heyday, Hüsker Dü}}{{cbignore}}, {{cite news |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFOaOH_PXPw |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/xFOaOH_PXPw |archive-date=12 December 2021 |url-status=live |title=Storied: Heyday, Henry Rollins}}{{cbignore}}, {{cite news |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qw7aKjlufHg |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/qw7aKjlufHg |archive-date=12 December 2021 |url-status=live |title=Storied: Heyday, The Whole Lotta Loves}}{{cbignore}}, {{cite news |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HGGoFsjO-o |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/_HGGoFsjO-o |archive-date=12 December 2021 |url-status=live |title=Storied: Heyday, Babes in Toyland}}{{cbignore}}, {{cite news |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iVQnwBZNww |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/0iVQnwBZNww |archive-date=12 December 2021 |url-status=live |title=Storied: Heyday, Iggy Pop}}{{cbignore}}, {{cite news |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NL9cINYFDY4 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/NL9cINYFDY4 |archive-date=12 December 2021 |url-status=live |title=Storied: Heyday, The Suburbs |date=2 November 2016 |publisher=[[Minnesota Historical Society]] |via=YouTube |access-date=10 May 2020}}{{cbignore }}</ref> |
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Local Minnesota band [[Trampled by Turtles]] released ''[[Live at First Avenue]]'' |
Local Minnesota band [[Trampled by Turtles]] released their album ''[[Live at First Avenue]]'' in November 2014. |
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First Avenue & 7th St Entry published a promotional book in 2000, ''First Avenue & 7th Street Entry: Your Downtown 'Danceteria' Since 1970''. |
First Avenue & 7th St Entry published a promotional book in 2000, ''First Avenue & 7th Street Entry: Your Downtown 'Danceteria' Since 1970''. The book was written, edited and designed by Rebecca Noran; and contains information on the history of the club.<ref name="noran-2000" /> Furthermore, the club published a magazine entitled ''First Avenue In House'' for a brief time from September 1998 to August 2000.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rulon.com/pages/books/52682/first-avenue-7th-street-entry/a-small-collection-of-85-magazines-43-poster-calendars-13-danceteria-tickets-more |title=A small collection of 85 magazines, 43 poster/calendars, 13 Danceteria Tickets, & more |access-date=7 May 2020 |publisher=Rulon-Miller Books }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.first-avenue.com/community |title=First Avenue website. |access-date=16 November 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091121000658/http://www.first-avenue.com/community |archive-date=21 November 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> |
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In November 2005, First Avenue released its first compilation CD celebrating 35 years of history. |
In November 2005, First Avenue released its first compilation CD celebrating 35 years of history. The 16 track CD, ''Bootlegs Volume 1'', is a collection of songs recorded in either the mainroom or the 7th St Entry. Most of the songs on the CD were ''bootlegged'', thus forming the title of the CD.<ref>[http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/music/11507756.html "Music"] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607090235/http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/music/11507756.html |date=7 June 2011 }}. ''[[Minneapolis Star Tribune]]'' article.</ref> ''Bootlegs'' was produced by Karrie Vrabel, with the liner notes written by Steve McClellan.<ref>[http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2005/12/07_robertsc_firstavecd/ ''Features: First Ave'']; [[PBS|Minnesota PBS]]</ref> All the proceeds of the CD go to McClellan's non-profit organization, DEMO.<ref>[http://www.first-avenue.com/product/first-avenue-bootlegs-volume-1 ''First Avenue 'Bootlegs,' vol. 1'']{{Dead link|date=December 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}; First Avenue website.</ref> The goals of his organization are "to support musicians while promoting gender equity; diversity of music style and genre; diversity of musicians from local communities; careers in all stages of establishment; and the staging of performances with high production values."<ref>[http://demomn.blogspot.com/2007/11/about-us-artistic-goals.html DEMO Blog] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100223061156/http://demomn.blogspot.com/2007/11/about-us-artistic-goals.html |date=23 February 2010 }}.</ref> |
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[[File:Stephen Sanchez - First Avenue - 10-19-2023 - 074.jpg|thumb|269x269px|Singer-songwriter [[Stephen Sanchez]] performing at First Avenue on |
[[File:Stephen Sanchez - First Avenue - 10-19-2023 - 074.jpg|thumb|269x269px|Singer-songwriter [[Stephen Sanchez]] performing at First Avenue on 19 October 2023.]] |
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First Avenue is also home to F1RST Wrestling, a local professional wrestling company currently owned by professional wrestler [[Arik Cannon]]. |
First Avenue is also home to F1RST Wrestling, a local professional wrestling company currently owned by professional wrestler [[Arik Cannon]]. It showcases Minnesota's top wrestling talent and brings in bigger names, including [[Sean Waltman]], [[Jerry Lynn]], [[Seth Rollins|Tyler Black]], [[Colt Cabana]] and others. F1RST Wrestling currently holds its WRESTLEPALOOZA events at First Avenue which feature a combination of pro wrestling, live music and burlesque. |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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| Line 105: | Line 105: | ||
==Bibliography== |
==Bibliography== |
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* {{cite book|title=First Avenue: Minnesota's Mainroom|author=Riemenschneider, Chris|date= |
* {{cite book |title=First Avenue: Minnesota's Mainroom |author=Riemenschneider, Chris |date=15 October 2017 |isbn=9781681340449 |publisher=Minnesota Historical Society Press }} |
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==Further reading== |
==Further reading== |
||
* {{cite book|author=Keller, Martin|title=Hijinx and Hearsay: Scenester Stories from Minnesota's Pop Life|publisher=Minnesota Historical Society Press|year=2019|isbn=9781681341323}} |
* {{cite book |author=Keller, Martin |title=Hijinx and Hearsay: Scenester Stories from Minnesota's Pop Life |publisher=Minnesota Historical Society Press |year=2019 |isbn=9781681341323 }} |
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* {{cite book|title=Heyday: 35 Years of Music in Minneapolis|first2=Danny (text)|last2=Sigelman|last1=Corrigan|first1=Daniel (photos)|year=2018|isbn=978-1681341231|publisher=Minnesota Historical Society Press}} |
* {{cite book |title=Heyday: 35 Years of Music in Minneapolis |first2=Danny (text) |last2=Sigelman |last1=Corrigan |first1=Daniel (photos) |year=2018 |isbn=978-1681341231 |publisher=Minnesota Historical Society Press }} |
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*Johnson, Cecilia (2020). [https://www.thecurrent.org/collection/rewind/ "The Current Rewind: 10 Pivotal Days at First Avenue."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512151912/https://www.thecurrent.org/collection/rewind |date=12 May 2021 }} The Current ([[KCMP]]) (Podcast). Retrieved 2 November 2020. |
*Johnson, Cecilia (2020). [https://www.thecurrent.org/collection/rewind/ "The Current Rewind: 10 Pivotal Days at First Avenue."] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512151912/https://www.thecurrent.org/collection/rewind |date=12 May 2021 }} The Current ([[KCMP]]) (Podcast). Retrieved 2 November 2020. |
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* {{cite web | |
* {{cite web |url=http://pitchfork.com/features/article/9832-everybody-is-a-star-how-the-rock-club-first-avenue-made-minneapolis-the-center-of-music-in-the-80s/ |website=[[Pitchfork Media|Pitchfork]] |date=14 March 2016 |last=Matos |first=Michelangelo |title=Everybody Is a Star: How the Rock Club First Avenue Made Minneapolis the Center of Music in the '80s }} |
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* {{cite news|title=Prince and First Avenue: a history of the club's ties to its brightest star|author=Riemenschneider, Chris|year=2016|url=http://www.startribune.com/prince-and-first-avenue-a-history-of-the-club-s-ties-to-its-brightest-star/377583391/|publisher=Star Tribune}} |
* {{cite news |title=Prince and First Avenue: a history of the club's ties to its brightest star |author=Riemenschneider, Chris |year=2016 |url=http://www.startribune.com/prince-and-first-avenue-a-history-of-the-club-s-ties-to-its-brightest-star/377583391/ |publisher=Star Tribune }} |
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* {{cite news|title=A day in the life of First Avenue|author=Riemenschneider, Chris|date= |
* {{cite news |title=A day in the life of First Avenue |author=Riemenschneider, Chris |date=17 January 2008 |url=https://www.startribune.com/a-day-in-the-life-of-first-avenue/13851726/ |publisher=Star Tribune }} |
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* {{cite news|title=First Avenue's Black Tuesday|author=Scholtes, Peter S.|url=http://www.citypages.com/2004-11-03/music/first-avenue-s-black-tuesday/#selection-1195.0-1195.28|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130119060020/http://www.citypages.com/2004-11-03/music/first-avenue-s-black-tuesday/#selection-1195.0-1195.28|url-status=dead|archive-date= |
* {{cite news |title=First Avenue's Black Tuesday |author=Scholtes, Peter S. |url=http://www.citypages.com/2004-11-03/music/first-avenue-s-black-tuesday/#selection-1195.0-1195.28 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130119060020/http://www.citypages.com/2004-11-03/music/first-avenue-s-black-tuesday/#selection-1195.0-1195.28 |url-status=dead |archive-date=19 January 2013 |publisher=City Pages |via=Archive Today |date=3 November 2004 }} |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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** [https://first-avenue.com/about/the-stars List of bands that have received stars] |
** [https://first-avenue.com/about/the-stars List of bands that have received stars] |
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* [https://www.facebook.com/alanfreed/videos/10153603653761378/ Joe Cocker performing "The Letter" at The Depot's 1970 grand opening], 6:40 minutes |
* [https://www.facebook.com/alanfreed/videos/10153603653761378/ Joe Cocker performing "The Letter" at The Depot's 1970 grand opening], 6:40 minutes |
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* [https://www.tpt.org/minnesota-experience/video/first-avenue-closer-to-the-stars-preview-37031/ First Avenue: Closer to the Stars] ( |
* [https://www.tpt.org/minnesota-experience/video/first-avenue-closer-to-the-stars-preview-37031/ First Avenue: Closer to the Stars] (30 March 2020). Twin Cities PBS (TPT), 57 minutes |
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{{Music venues of Minnesota}} |
{{Music venues of Minnesota}} |
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[[Category:Art Deco architecture in Minnesota]] |
[[Category:Art Deco architecture in Minnesota]] |
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[[Category:Tourist attractions in Minneapolis]] |
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Minneapolis]] |
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[[Category:Event venues established in 1970]] |
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[[Category:Transport infrastructure completed in 1937]] |
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Latest revision as of 02:22, 24 November 2024
The Mainroom, The Entry | |
 First Avenue nightclub in Minneapolis | |
 | |
| Former names | Minneapolis Greyhound Bus Depot (1937–1968) The Depot (1970–1972) Uncle Sam's (1972–1979) Sam's (1979–1981) |
|---|---|
| Address | 701 First Avenue North |
| Location | Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 44°58′42″N 93°16′34″W / 44.97833°N 93.27611°W |
| Genre(s) | music, concerts |
| Capacity | 1,550 (Main Room) 250 (7th St Entry) |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1937 |
| Opened | April 3, 1970 |
| Website | |
| www | |
First Avenue and 7th St Entry are two historic music venues housed in the same landmark building in downtown Minneapolis. The nightclub sits on the corner of First Avenue North and 7th Street North, from which the venues get their names. The two are colloquially distinguished by locals as The Mainroom and The Entry.[1]
The building was constructed in 1937 as the Minneapolis depot of the Greyhound Lines bus system and operated for 31 years. Allan Fingerhut purchased the facility in 1970 and converted it into a nightclub. During the 1980s, First Avenue flourished and became a landmark in the music and entertainment industry, playing a seminal role in establishing the '80s funk rock sub genre via the Minneapolis sound, and being the primary local venue for hometown star Prince. Since its rise to fame in the 1980s, First Avenue has hosted many notable local and national music acts. The building is marked by more than 400 large stars on its exterior commemorating these performers, along with other figures notable to the city.[2]
The venue's history and cultural significance has resulted in local and national recognition. Journalist David Carr wrote in The New York Times that First Avenue's cultural weight and history is matched by only a few clubs in the United States: CBGB, Maxwell's, Metro Chicago and the 9:30 Club.[3] It was also one of the first clubs to book Black performers in Minneapolis's once largely segregated music scene.[4]
The nightclub was featured in Prince's commercially successful 1984 film, Purple Rain.
History
[edit]Greyhound Lines Facility, opening
[edit]
The building opened as a bus depot in 1937, decades after Greyhound Lines was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota. It was noted for its Art Deco style and amenities of air conditioning, shower rooms, and public telephones. The interior floor was checkered terrazzo, while the exterior was shiny blue bricks with white trim.[5] The bus station moved to 10th Street in 1968,[6] and moved again to Ramp B near Target Field in 2023.[7]
The transformation from a bus depot into a concert venue has a disputed history.[6] Clearly, Allan Fingerhut, heir to the Fingerhut mail-order merchandise company, had capital and invested $150,000, and Danny Stevens of the band Danny's Reasons had a hard-to-get liquor license.[6] Both men agree promoter Skip Goucher had the original idea for a nightclub in the bus depot.[6]
They opened The Depot on 3 April 1970, with Joe Cocker and Mad Dogs & Englishmen and a stage crowded with 27 musicians and singers who turned in two magnificent sets.[6] Among Cocker's Mad Dogs & Englishmen that night were Leon Russell, Rita Coolidge, Claudia Lennear, Jim Keltner, Jim Price and Bobby Keys.[8]
Disco era
[edit]Following two years of steady business, The Depot was faced with a new reality: the public music scene was changing. Psychedelic rock was out and disco was in. In order to stay on top of this new trend, the club needed to change its image. After a short remodel, The Depot in July 1972, evolved into Uncle Sam's, a national franchise of the American Avents Corporation of Cincinnati. A red, white, and blue patriotic-themed club with recorded dance music, a drummer, a DJ, and a light-up plexiglass dance floor became what doorman Richard Luka described as, "Studio 54 for the discriminating Kmart shopper."[9] In about late 1973, Steve McClellan (who had become the club's talent buyer and eventually general manager)[10] started working at Uncle Sam's as a bartender.[11] He would enter American Avents' management training in 1975.
After American Avents left in 1979, general manager McClellan hired his former high school classmate Jack Meyers to help him manage money.[11] Dan Lessard managed the bar staff. The club's name was shortened to Sam's in early 1980. The club got its third name change on New Year's Eve 1981 when it became First Avenue.[12]
7th St Entry
[edit]
The 7th St Entry is a smaller stage (capacity 250) attached to the historic First Avenue (capacity 1500).[13] This space was once a restaurant (the "Greyhound Cafe") and later a coatroom, before staffer Danny Flies and McClellan spent $1,500 to turn it into a barebones music venue as part of Sam's. Meyers donated his own Bose speakers for stage monitors.[14] Like Jay's Longhorn Bar and Duffy's, the Entry catered to local bands, often too new to play the Mainroom.[12][15]
The Entry opened its doors on 21 March 1980, with Cathy Mason fronting Wilma & the Wilburs, who were first to play, as warmup for headliner Curtiss A.[14]
Danceteria
[edit]Chrissie Dunlap began to work days in the office in 1979, about the time McClellan booked the Ramones and Pat Benatar in back-to-back, sell out concerts. Disc jockeys Kevin Cole and Roy Freedom developed weekend dance nights dubbed Danceteria inspired by the New York club of that name, often creating enough business to pay the club's bills. The club has, through much of its existence, survived on the success of its dance nights.[16] As EDM and rave culture grew in the 1990s, Cole mentored younger local DJs such as Woody McBride, DJ Apollo (Dory Kahalé) and E-Tones at Danceteria and other DJ nights such as House Nation Under a Groove and Depth Probe, helping to create a thriving and distinctive techno-music scene in the upper Midwest.[17][18][19]
The Prince explosion
[edit]Discrimination had created a race barrier in the Minneapolis music scene. Encouraged by Dunlap to write their own material,[21] Jimmy Jam and the 11-piece Mind & Matter were able to break through with bookings by McClellan in the mid-1970s. First booking Black acts in the one-hit wonder Lipps, Inc., with lead singer Cynthia Johnson, McClellan decided to book Prince in 1981, for $2,500 plus part of the gate. Before he died in 2016, Prince was to play nine full First Avenue concerts. Over time, many of his fans thought he owned the club.[21]
Recorded live in 1983 by a Record Plant truck parked outside at an August 1983 show, "Purple Rain" became the title of the film Purple Rain. Prince's management team offered First Avenue $100,000 to use the mainroom for filming in late November into December 1983, with the clause that the Entry would remain open. Most of the club's employees were extras in the film. The production gave the club its patch panel and dimmer packs. McClellan feared the audience had changed from genuine music lovers to a lot of tourists; still, he and Meyers were grateful for the boost in revenue.[21]
Changes in ownership
[edit]The club was briefly closed by Fingerhut in late fall 2004 for financial reasons, causing a wave of protest from music fans.[3] The issues were quickly resolved (the judge presiding in the bankruptcy case noted, "I gather there is some urgency about this"), and the club was reopened by new partners Meyers, McClellan, and former business manager Byron Frank, with shows resuming after one week's closure.[3] An experienced crowd surfer, Minneapolis mayor R.T. Rybak reneged on his promise to stage dive at the first show after reopening.[22]
McClellan ended his 32-year stint at First Avenue in 2005,[23] and began to focus on local music non-profit, the Diverse Emerging Music Organization (or DEMO).[24] After McClellan's departure as general manager, Jack Meyers was appointed to the position and continued until 2009, when Nathan Kranz took over.[25] Dayna Frank took over for her father the same year.[26]
Notable events
[edit]The nightclub has been the starting point for many acts that have come out of the Twin Cities, including Prince, The Replacements, Hüsker Dü, Soul Asylum, Semisonic, and Lizzo, among others.[27]
Bands and artists have performed at the nightclub and influenced the Minneapolis music scene from 1970 onward, as exemplified by the silver stars that adorn the black building's exterior (every star has the name of an artist who has played at First Avenue or 7th St Entry). First Avenue also appeared in Prince's 1984 film Purple Rain,[28] and many of the film's music performances take place at the venue.[29]
U2 wrote part of October at First Avenue, during sound check.[30]
Grammy Award-winning alternative-country star Lucinda Williams was married on stage following a performance at First Avenue in 2009.[31]
Gwar guitarist Cory Smoot played his last performance at the venue on 3 November 2011—he died just hours afterward.[32]
The club was named in Playboy Magazine's Guide to Best Nightclubs in the World at #15 out of 20 in the November 2013 issue.
During the Theory of a Deadman concert on 12 August 2015, part of the ceiling collapsed, pulling down part of the sprinkler pipes. Three people were slightly injured, two of whom were taken to the hospital.[33][34]
The non-profit Developing Music and Arts Foundation (DMAF) was founded by the club in 1999. It was rechristened The Diverse Emerging Music Organization (DEMO) in 2004 as an independent entity.
Productions
[edit]In 1970, The Depot recorded the first live album from the venue, titled Gathering at The Depot, featuring artists such as Danny’s Reasons and The Litter.[35]
Daniel Corrigan is a First Avenue photographer since 1981 whose work fills the book Heyday.[36] Later after the advent of ubiquitous digital photography, he became an employee in the facilities department,[37] and made a series of under-two minute videos for the Minnesota Historical Society describing his photos.[38]
Local Minnesota band Trampled by Turtles released their album Live at First Avenue in November 2014.
First Avenue & 7th St Entry published a promotional book in 2000, First Avenue & 7th Street Entry: Your Downtown 'Danceteria' Since 1970. The book was written, edited and designed by Rebecca Noran; and contains information on the history of the club.[12] Furthermore, the club published a magazine entitled First Avenue In House for a brief time from September 1998 to August 2000.[39][40]
In November 2005, First Avenue released its first compilation CD celebrating 35 years of history. The 16 track CD, Bootlegs Volume 1, is a collection of songs recorded in either the mainroom or the 7th St Entry. Most of the songs on the CD were bootlegged, thus forming the title of the CD.[41] Bootlegs was produced by Karrie Vrabel, with the liner notes written by Steve McClellan.[42] All the proceeds of the CD go to McClellan's non-profit organization, DEMO.[43] The goals of his organization are "to support musicians while promoting gender equity; diversity of music style and genre; diversity of musicians from local communities; careers in all stages of establishment; and the staging of performances with high production values."[44]
First Avenue is also home to F1RST Wrestling, a local professional wrestling company currently owned by professional wrestler Arik Cannon. It showcases Minnesota's top wrestling talent and brings in bigger names, including Sean Waltman, Jerry Lynn, Tyler Black, Colt Cabana and others. F1RST Wrestling currently holds its WRESTLEPALOOZA events at First Avenue which feature a combination of pro wrestling, live music and burlesque.
See also
[edit]- Hawthorne Transportation Center, successor to the Northland Greyhound bus station
References
[edit]- ^ Matos, Michaelangelo (14 March 2016). "Everybody Is a Star: How the Rock Club First Avenue Made Minneapolis the Center of Music in the '80s". Pitchfork. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
- ^ [1]; retrieved 14 June 2022
- ^ a b c Carr, David (15 November 2004). "First Avenue Is Dead (Long Live First Avenue!)". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
- ^ "A brief history of Minneapolis' First Avenue". MinnPost. 27 November 2017. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
- ^ First Avenue History; First Ave on-line.
- ^ a b c d e Riemenschneider, pp. 13–21.
- ^ Harlow, Tim (14 September 2023). "Greyhound, Jefferson moving bus operations to Ramp B in downtown Minneapolis". Star Tribune. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
- ^ The Depot Grand Opening. Facebook. 3 April 2020. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
- ^ Riemenschneider, p. 48–49.
- ^ Bream, Jon (22 March 2015). "Mayors declare Steve McClellan Day today in Mpls. and St. Paul". Star Tribune. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
- ^ a b Johnson, Cecilia. "The Current Rewind: Nov. 28-29, 1979". www.thecurrent.org. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
- ^ a b c Noran, Rebecca (2000). First Avenue & 7th Street Entry: Your Downtown 'Danceteria' Since 1970. Minneapolis: First Avenue & 7th Street Entry. pp. 15–20.
- ^ Music: 7th St Entry; Minneapolis Star Tribune article; retrieved .
- ^ a b Riemenschneider, pp. 66–71.
- ^ MNHS.ORG.
- ^ Riemenschneider, p. 65, 71, 75.
- ^ Matos, Michaelangelo (2015). The Underground Is Massive: How Electronic Dance Music Conquered America. HarperCollins. p. 89. ISBN 978-0-06-227180-8. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
- ^ Matos, Michaelangelo (17 August 2016). "Dance Dance Evolution: Meet Woody McBride, Architect of the Twin Cities Underground Dance Scene". City Pages. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
- ^ "Hyperactive". Massive, Issue #18. November 1994. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
- ^ Gensler, Andy (16 January 2020). "High Road's Frank Riley: On Creating A 'Beacon For Working Musicians'". Pollstar. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
- ^ a b c Matos, Michaelangelo (14 March 2016). "Everybody Is a Star: How the Rock Club First Avenue Made Minneapolis the Center of Music in the '80s". Pitchfork (Condé Nast). Retrieved 12 August 2019.
- ^ David (18 July 2004). "Mayor RT Rybak Stage Dives and Crowd Surfs at First Avenue during Rock for Democracy". HowWasTheShow Blog. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
- ^ "The First Avenue Massacre - What Steve McClellan's Pink Slip Said"; by Jim Walsh; City Pages article.
- ^ Diverse Emerging Music Organization; organizational website.
- ^ "About Us: History: Current". First Avenue, 701 Ventures. Archived from the original on 24 March 2010. Retrieved 18 January 2010.
- ^ Riemenschneider, p. 10.
- ^ "About". First Avenue. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
- ^ [permanent dead link] Purple Rain; at Fast Rewind.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Top 10 Cities That Need Statues from '80s Movies: Minneapolis (Purple Rain); TIME article.
- ^ Keller, Martin (4 August 1999). "Young Spuds in a Longhorn Daze". City Pages. Village Voice Media. p. 2. Archived from the original on 24 December 2009. Retrieved 16 November 2009.
- ^ "Wedding bells at First Ave". Star Tribune.
- ^ Riemenschneider, Chris (4 November 2011). "Guitarist dies after GWAR plays First Ave". Star Tribune. Retrieved 4 November 2011.
- ^ Jay Knoll (12 August 2015). "First Avenue evacuated after ceiling collapse, injuries reported". KARE 11. Retrieved 13 August 2015.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Phil Helsel, Shamar Walters (12 August 2015). "First Avenue Ceiling Collapses During Theory of a Deadman Show in Minneapolis". NBC News. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
- ^ "Gathering at the Depot". Discogs. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
- ^ Thompson, Erik (26 October 2016). "Daniel Corrigan's 'Heyday' gorgeously reveals 35 years of Twin Cities music photography". City Pages. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
- ^ "Dan Corrigan". MN Original (MNO): Twin Cities Public Television. Archived from the original on 12 December 2021. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
- ^ Dan Corrigan. "Storied: Heyday, Prince". Archived from the original on 12 December 2021., "Storied: Heyday, The Replacements". Archived from the original on 12 December 2021., "Storied: Heyday, Hüsker Dü". Archived from the original on 12 December 2021., "Storied: Heyday, Henry Rollins". Archived from the original on 12 December 2021., "Storied: Heyday, The Whole Lotta Loves". Archived from the original on 12 December 2021., "Storied: Heyday, Babes in Toyland". Archived from the original on 12 December 2021., "Storied: Heyday, Iggy Pop". Archived from the original on 12 December 2021., "Storied: Heyday, The Suburbs". Minnesota Historical Society. 2 November 2016. Archived from the original on 12 December 2021. Retrieved 10 May 2020 – via YouTube.
- ^ "A small collection of 85 magazines, 43 poster/calendars, 13 Danceteria Tickets, & more". Rulon-Miller Books. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
- ^ "First Avenue website". Archived from the original on 21 November 2009. Retrieved 16 November 2009.
- ^ "Music" Archived 7 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Minneapolis Star Tribune article.
- ^ Features: First Ave; Minnesota PBS
- ^ First Avenue 'Bootlegs,' vol. 1[permanent dead link]; First Avenue website.
- ^ DEMO Blog Archived 23 February 2010 at the Wayback Machine.
Bibliography
[edit]- Riemenschneider, Chris (15 October 2017). First Avenue: Minnesota's Mainroom. Minnesota Historical Society Press. ISBN 9781681340449.
Further reading
[edit]- Keller, Martin (2019). Hijinx and Hearsay: Scenester Stories from Minnesota's Pop Life. Minnesota Historical Society Press. ISBN 9781681341323.
- Corrigan, Daniel (photos); Sigelman, Danny (text) (2018). Heyday: 35 Years of Music in Minneapolis. Minnesota Historical Society Press. ISBN 978-1681341231.
- Johnson, Cecilia (2020). "The Current Rewind: 10 Pivotal Days at First Avenue." Archived 12 May 2021 at the Wayback Machine The Current (KCMP) (Podcast). Retrieved 2 November 2020.
- Matos, Michelangelo (14 March 2016). "Everybody Is a Star: How the Rock Club First Avenue Made Minneapolis the Center of Music in the '80s". Pitchfork.
- Riemenschneider, Chris (2016). "Prince and First Avenue: a history of the club's ties to its brightest star". Star Tribune.
- Riemenschneider, Chris (17 January 2008). "A day in the life of First Avenue". Star Tribune.
- Scholtes, Peter S. (3 November 2004). "First Avenue's Black Tuesday". City Pages. Archived from the original on 19 January 2013 – via Archive Today.
External links
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to First Avenue and 7th Street Entry.
- Official website
- Joe Cocker performing "The Letter" at The Depot's 1970 grand opening, 6:40 minutes
- First Avenue: Closer to the Stars (30 March 2020). Twin Cities PBS (TPT), 57 minutes
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