First Avenue (nightclub)
| The Mainroom and The Entry | |
First Avenue nightclub in Minneapolis
|
|
| Former names | Greyhound Bus Depot (1937–1970) The Depot (1970–1972) Uncle Sam's (1972–1979) Sam's (1979–1981) |
|---|---|
| Address | 701 First Avenue North |
| Location | Minneapolis, MN 55403 |
| Coordinates | 44°58′41″N 93°16′33″W / 44.97800°N 93.27594°WCoordinates: 44°58′41″N 93°16′33″W / 44.97800°N 93.27594°W |
| Genre(s) | music, concerts |
| Capacity | 1,550 (Mainroom) 250 (7th St Entry) |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1937 |
| Opened | April 3, 1970 |
| Website | |
| www |
|
First Avenue and 7th St Entry (locally known as The Mainroom and The Entry) are two music venues housed in the same landmark building in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. The names are derived from the building's location: the corner of First Avenue and 7th Street in downtown Minneapolis. The building is marked by 531 stars on its exterior along the First Avenue and Seventh Street sides commemorating past venue performers.
The building opened in 1937 as a Greyhound bus station. It was noted for its art deco style and amenities of air conditioning, shower rooms, and public telephones. The interior floor was a checkered terrazzo, while the exterior was shiny blue bricks with white trim.
The transformation from a closed bus depot into a concert venue was developed in 1968 by local rock & roll performer Danny Stevens and Elizabeth Heffelfinger, the original financial partner of the project and wife of wealthy businessman Frank Peavey Heffelfinger. When Mrs. Heffelinger fell ill midway through the development of the project in 1969, Stevens brought in an outside investor, Allan Fingerhut. Stevens, who owned the class-A liquor license from the nearby Hotel Hastings and contributed the initial investment capital, and Fingerhut, heir to the Fingerhut catalog company, opened the doors to the newly transformed venue named The Depot on April 3, 1970 to showcase a two set evening with Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs and Englishmen. In 1970 The Depot recorded the first live album from the historic venue titled, “Gathering at The Depot” featuring artists such as Deadeye, Chesterfield Gathering, System, Thundertree, Danny’s Reasons, Pepper Fog, Kiwani, Free and Easy, Grizzly, and The Litter.
Skip Gaucher (who was well known locally for the psychedelic concerts he booked at Dania Hall on the West Bank) and his business partner/roommate, Tom Fineberg claim to have had the original inspiration for The Depot, however this is heavily disputed by Danny Stevens. Gaucher and Fineberg have made unsubstantiated claims that they were looking for a new venue for concerts when they spotted the abandoned bus depot. Danny Stevens has been cited as being the original developer of The Depot in numerous publications. Stevens recognizes that Gaucher and Fineberg made several important bookings early at The Depot including the opening night act of Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs and the Englishmen as well as other acts like Poco.
...
Wikipedia