In June 1977, Jay Berine opened a live music club in what had been a Texas ranch-themed steakhouse. Jay’s Longhorn Bar, with its cow head and wagon wheel decorations, would become the epicenter of the Twin Cities punk and New Wave music scene.
—–Editor: Britt Aamodt Producer: Britt Aamodt Editorial support: Emily Krumberger Mixing & mastering: Chris Harwood
Transcript
MN90 Intro: Welcome to MN90: Minnesota History in 90 Seconds.
Narrator: In the early 1970s, Minneapolis’ 14 South 5th Street was a steakhouse. Cow heads and wagon wheels dotted the walls. And a rug, blazoned with a longhorn steer, set the tone for this slice of Texas ranch on the Midwest prairie.
But by 1977, the restaurant had closed, and the building had gotten a new owner. Jay Berine wanted to open a punk/New Wave club but didn’t have the money to change the décor. So, it was in this cowpunching ambiance that Jay’s Longhorn Bar began life.
The atmosphere was electric. Because finally, local bands like the Suburbs, Suicide Commandos and Husker Du had somewhere to play their own music, not crummy Top 40 covers, and they could build a following.
Jay’s Longhorn only lasted until 1982, but by then it had already laid the foundation of the Twin Cities alternative music scene.
[MN90 Outro]