IS.
FIRST AVENUE IN
INDIANAPOLIS IS WORLDWIDE AS A
TOP CLUB.
IT IS GETTING A ROCK STAR
TREATMENT IN A STYLISH NEW BOOK
CALLED FIRST AVENUE, MINNESOTA
THESE MAIN ROOM.
JOINING US IS CHRIS SNIDER, THE
AUTHOR OF THE BOOK.
YOU HAVE SPENT HOW MANY NIGHTS
OF YOUR LIFE AT FIRST AVENUE?
TOO MANY.
THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN THERE
A TON WEREN'T GOOD SOURCES
BECAUSE IT ALL BLENDS TOGETHER.
PEOPLE WITH A SELECTIVE MEMORY
WERE THE BETTER SOURCES.
WHEN PEOPLE THINK OF FIRST
AVENUE, PRINCE IS THE FIRST
THING TO COMES TO FIND.
OF COURSE.
I INTENDED TO DOWNPLAY PRINCE
WHEN I STARTED THE BOOK.
OF COURSE, HE PASSED AWAY HALF
WAY THROUGH MY WRITING OF IT.
THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING IN A
POSITIVE WAY.
EVEN UP TO THAT POINT I LEARNED
HE REALLY MEANT SO MUCH TO THAT
CLUB AND THE CLUB MEANT SO MUCH
TO HIM.
LY -- HE ONLY PLAYED NINE FULL
CONCERT THERE IS.
WHICH ISN'T A TON.
IT HITS HOME ON HOW MUCH HE
MEANT TO THE CITY.
THAT REALLY WAS THE BASE THAT
IS GROUND ZERO.
THAT'S ONE OF THE GREATEST
MOMENTS IN MINNESOTA HISTORY,
PERIOD.
CULTURALLY IT SPEAKS SO MUCH TO
OUR GREAT CITY.
YES.
HAVING IT OUTSIDE OF THAT
VENUE WAS A GREAT IDEA.
FIRST AVENUE WAS A GREYHOUND
BUS DEPOT IN 1937.
WE HAVE BEAUTIFUL PHOTOS IN THE
BOOK.
YOU CANNOT TELL WHAT IT IS BUT
YOU CAN SEE THE SAME TILE FLOOR
THERE TODAY.
MY GOD, WHO THE FLOOR HAS
ENDURED.
IT CAN NEVER BE CLEANED.
EXACTLILY.
ANYTHING THAT SURPRISED YOU
IN PUTTING THAT TOGETHER?
I WAS SURPRISED HOW OFTEN
THE CLUB ALMOST CLOSED OVER THE
YEARS.
THIS CLUB HAS BEEN HANGING BY A
THREAD UP UNTIL 2004 WHEN THEY
DID ACTUALLY CLOSE FOR THREE
WEEKS.
THERE WAS A BANKRUPTCY AND
OWNERSHIP BATTLE THAT IS
DETAILED IN THE BOOK.
SINCE THEN THEY HAVE MADE A
PROFIT EVERY YEAR.
FOR SO MANY YEARS THEY ARE
BARELY KEEPING THE LIGHTS ON.
I LOVE THE STORY IN THE BOOK
ABOUT DAVE TURNER AND HOW HE
THOUGHT HE WAS HATED BY THE
FIRST AVENUE BOOKING.
THE LONG TIME GENERAL
MANAGER OF FIRST AVENUE CAN BE
A BIT GRUFF.
HE WAS INTIMIDATING TO ALL OF
THESE BANDS IN A GOOD WAY.
HE KIND OF HAD A SKEPTICAL
ATTITUDE OF THEM, WHICH WAS
VERY GOOD TO THEM.
THEY HAD TO GET OVER THEMSELVES
IN OTHER WORDS, WHEN THEY
PLAYED FIRST AVENUE.
DAVE THOUGHT HE WAS BUSTED
LIKE TAKING A BEER FROM BEHIND
THE BAR OR SOMETHING.
YEAH.
ANY CONCERTS THAT STANDS
OUT?
JOE COCKER AND THE LEGENDARY
TOUR.
HE HAD A 27-MEMBER BAND ON
OPENING NIGHT.
WELCOME TO THE MUSIC BUSINESS.
27 HIPPIES AND WHATNOT.
THAT WAS GREAT.
MIDWAY THROUGH THEY PLAYED TWO
SETS.
BETWEEN THE TWO THE MANAGER OF
JOE COCKER SAID THEY WOULD GO
ON IF THEY GET MORE MONEY.
IT IS LIKE TO WELCOME TO THE
CLUB BUSINESS.
COUPLE OF CHANCES TO HEAR
MORE STORIES FROM CHRIS AND
SHARE YOUR OWN, HE'LL BE AT
TALK OF THE STACKS TOMORROW
NIGHT AT
7:00 IN DOWNTOWN MINNEAPOLIS.
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 12th AT 6:30
P.M.
YOU'LL HAVE A BOOK LAUNCH AT
THE 7th STREET ENTRANCE.
IT WILL BE A BLAST.
CONGRATULATIONS ON THE BOOK.