First Avenue (nightclub)

First Avenue and 7th St Entry
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′41″N 93°16′33″W / 44.97800°N 93.27594°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.com

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.

^ 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 June 14, 2022
^ Cite error: The named reference CarrNYT was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ "A brief history of Minneapolis' First Avenue". MinnPost. 27 November 2017. Retrieved 10 June 2022.

[1] 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.

[2] [1]; retrieved June 14, 2022

[CarrNYT-3] Cite error: The named reference CarrNYT was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[4] "A brief history of Minneapolis' First Avenue". MinnPost. 27 November 2017. Retrieved 10 June 2022.

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