About First Avenue: Stories of Minnesota's Mainroom Your all-access pass to the stars, the shows, and the stories of the legendary club that put Minnesota music on the map. Exterior entrance of First Avenue, 7th Street Entry. Black and white photo by Daniel Corrigan.
Since 1970, First Avenue & 7th St. Entry have been at the heart of the Minnesota music scene. Celebrate the musicians, the employees, and the regulars who called First Avenue their rock 'n' roll home. About Prince: Before the Rain Minnesota photographer Allen Beaulieu helped shape the icon we know today as Prince. As Prince's personal photographer and friend, he had access to Prince that few photographers have had, before or since.
Based on Beaulieu's photography book, Prince: Before the Rain, the exhibit includes album cover outtakes, live performance shots, and rare behind-the-scenes candids. Read More
|
(Note: like most other public buildings, the Minnesota History Center is currently closed, but we invite you to check out the exhibits once this public health crisis subsides)
Celebrating its fiftieth anniversary this coming week, First Avenue & 7th St. Entry have been the heart of the Minnesota music scene since its first show (featuring Joe Cocker) in a converted bus station originally called The Depot, then Sam's. That fabled history is documented in a unique exhibit now on display called First Avenue: Stories of Minnesota's Mainroom at the Minnesota History Center.
Filled with decades of memorabilia showcasing renowned national, international and local acts, the exhibit is all-access pass that brings the club into sharp focus as to how and why it has flourished over five decades of presenting live music.
The beginning hallway of the exhibit features an impressive collage of monthly calendar flyers from its heyday, with numerous acts who would later play arenas and stadiums (like U2 who composed part of 'October' during their first soundcheck there), penciled in alongside bands that have been forgotten over time.
A front corner of the exhibit highlights the club's 70's-era days as a danceteria and the tenure when it was known as Uncle Sam's, complete with a lighted disco dance floor with accompanying videos and ephemera from the period.
A battered first cash register, graffiti wall with stickers, numerous photographs, and backroom documents are many of the mini kiosk displays seen along the way. Heralded national bands that began in Minnesota are given their own individual displays, including a speaker and lyric-filled drum kit from Husker Du, sneakers and a Gibson Les Paul from Soul Asylum, and even the actual touring van from hip-hop collective Doomtree.
A small theater features a mini-movie about the club running every twenty minutes, a wall of impressive silkscreen gig posters is located near the back, and interactive displays let you write in your most memorable shows attended, and guests can even customize their own First Avenue star.
Of course, a good amount of the exhibit is dedicated to Prince, who gave First Avenue even more acclaim and awareness, when the club was used as a central location in 1984's Purple Rain. His famous purple suit is there, along with associated memorabilia and even fan-made memorial tributes left after he passed, are on display. Additionally, an unused version of his famous motorcycle in the film, is located in the museum's main lobby downstairs.
As a bonus, a sister exhibit called Prince: Before the Rain is located nearby and features photographic prints from friend and early official photographer Allen Beaulieu, covering the time period from the late 70's to just before Purple Rain.
Based on Beaulieu's photography book of the same name, the exhibit includes album cover outtakes, live performance shots, and rare behind-the-scenes candid images that provide an insider's visual insight into the musical legend.
We were on-hand for the official opening of the Before The Rain exhibit last October, celebrated with a group discussion featuring Beaulieu, Prince guitarist Dez Dickerson, and DJ Kevin Cole, moderated by Andrea Swensson of The Current. Each of the panel related stories and memories from the time period that provided additional detail into Prince's early days, his association with the club, and meteoric rise into the public eye.
The exhibits were initially due to run only until May 3rd, but with Paisley Park's annual Celebration delayed into the fall, and the museum currently closed due to virus concerns, expect an extended run for both exhibits, once all is re-opened. Additionally and related, a documentary on First Avenue is premiering on the local Minneapolis public television channel on March 30.
Celebrating its fiftieth anniversary this coming week, First Avenue & 7th St. Entry have been the heart of the Minnesota music scene since its first show (featuring Joe Cocker) in a converted bus station originally called The Depot, then Sam's. That fabled history is documented in a unique exhibit now on display called First Avenue: Stories of Minnesota's Mainroom at the Minnesota History Center.
Filled with decades of memorabilia showcasing renowned national, international and local acts, the exhibit is all-access pass that brings the club into sharp focus as to how and why it has flourished over five decades of presenting live music.
The beginning hallway of the exhibit features an impressive collage of monthly calendar flyers from its heyday, with numerous acts who would later play arenas and stadiums (like U2 who composed part of 'October' during their first soundcheck there), penciled in alongside bands that have been forgotten over time.
A front corner of the exhibit highlights the club's 70's-era days as a danceteria and the tenure when it was known as Uncle Sam's, complete with a lighted disco dance floor with accompanying videos and ephemera from the period.
A battered first cash register, graffiti wall with stickers, numerous photographs, and backroom documents are many of the mini kiosk displays seen along the way. Heralded national bands that began in Minnesota are given their own individual displays, including a speaker and lyric-filled drum kit from Husker Du, sneakers and a Gibson Les Paul from Soul Asylum, and even the actual touring van from hip-hop collective Doomtree.
A small theater features a mini-movie about the club running every twenty minutes, a wall of impressive silkscreen gig posters is located near the back, and interactive displays let you write in your most memorable shows attended, and guests can even customize their own First Avenue star.
Of course, a good amount of the exhibit is dedicated to Prince, who gave First Avenue even more acclaim and awareness, when the club was used as a central location in 1984's Purple Rain. His famous purple suit is there, along with associated memorabilia and even fan-made memorial tributes left after he passed, are on display. Additionally, an unused version of his famous motorcycle in the film, is located in the museum's main lobby downstairs.
As a bonus, a sister exhibit called Prince: Before the Rain is located nearby and features photographic prints from friend and early official photographer Allen Beaulieu, covering the time period from the late 70's to just before Purple Rain.
Based on Beaulieu's photography book of the same name, the exhibit includes album cover outtakes, live performance shots, and rare behind-the-scenes candid images that provide an insider's visual insight into the musical legend.
We were on-hand for the official opening of the Before The Rain exhibit last October, celebrated with a group discussion featuring Beaulieu, Prince guitarist Dez Dickerson, and DJ Kevin Cole, moderated by Andrea Swensson of The Current. Each of the panel related stories and memories from the time period that provided additional detail into Prince's early days, his association with the club, and meteoric rise into the public eye.
The exhibits were initially due to run only until May 3rd, but with Paisley Park's annual Celebration delayed into the fall, and the museum currently closed due to virus concerns, expect an extended run for both exhibits, once all is re-opened. Additionally and related, a documentary on First Avenue is premiering on the local Minneapolis public television channel on March 30.
Prince PR motorcycle |
|
Prince exhibit |
Prince exhibit |
Purple Rain suit |
Theater mini movie |
|
DoomTree van |
Husker Du drumkit |
Soul Asylum display |
sticker wall |
poster display |
|
Uncle Sams dancefloor |
Uncle Sams items |
History Center hallway |
History Center hallway |
|
Al Beaulieu / Andrea Swensson |
Dez Dickerson / Kevin Cole |
Al Beaulieu |
Dez Dickerson |
First Avenue and Prince: Before the Rain at Minnesota History Center, St. Paul |
Recent Comments