Celebrated as one of the longest-running independently owned and operated music venues in the United States, First Avenue occupies a distinctively curved Art Deco building at 701 First Avenue North in downtown Minneapolis. The structure was built in 1937 as the Northland-Greyhound Bus Depot and converted into a rock club in 1970 by 25-year-old Allan Fingerhut, who invested 150,000 dollars from his family's catalogue-sales fortune into the transformation. The venue operated under several names -- The Depot, Uncle Sam's, Sam's -- before becoming First Avenue in 1981. No account of the venue is complete without acknowledging Prince, who made First Avenue his regular stage, his testing ground for new material, and both the set and the setting for his 1984 film Purple Rain. The Minneapolis R&B scene came of age in the same room, and the club launched the careers of Husker Du, The Replacements, Lizzo, and countless others. Rolling Stone readers ranked it the number-two club in America in 2013, and touring musicians voted it number one in a 2011 Metromix poll. The Mainroom holds 1,550, while the adjacent 7th Street Entry is a 250-capacity room that serves as a launching pad for emerging talent. More than 400 stars adorn the building's black exterior, each commemorating a past performer. Prince's star was secretly repainted with gold leaf by local artist Peyton Scott Russell overnight following the musician's death in April 2016 and remains gold to this day. The team books over 1,000 events annually across five Twin Cities venues. Tickets and event information are at first-avenue.com. After a temporary closure during the pandemic, First Avenue reopened in the summer of 2021 with its independence and mission intact. The club negotiated a unique standing after-hours agreement with the City of Minneapolis known as the Prince Permit, allowing all-night operation should Prince perform again. While the namesake never used it during his lifetime, the club invoked it following his April 2016 death, hosting three till-dawn dance parties in tribute.

Type: NightClub

Address: 701 First Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN, United States, 55403

Website: https://first-avenue.com

Capacity: 1550

Opening Date: 03/04/1970