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Minnesota Music Notes | Minnesota Music Notes: Stories from First Avenue

Minnesota Music Notes: Stories from First Avenue | celebrating noteworthy artists, people and moments that shaped the history of Minnesota’s Mainroom First Avenue

Minnesota Music Notes: Seasons 1 & 2 | celebrating noteworthy songs, artists, and musical performances from Minnesota

REM Gets Bumped to the Mainroom

REM had yet to release an album. They were touring the U.S. on the strength of their first single, “Radio Free Europe”, and here they were in Minneapolis for a show at Sam’s (later First Avenue) on Thanksgiving in a blizzard. Britt Aamodt finds out what happened to the up-and-coming band when the headliner canceled.


Chrissie Dunlap Meets the Godfather of Soul

He was the Godfather of Soul. Now First Avenue’s office manager Chrissie Dunlap had to tell him he was late hitting the stage. Britt Aamodt shares Dunlap’s encounter with James Brown.


Curtiss A Remembers Lennon

Curt Almstead, known in the Twin Cities music scene as Curtiss A, couldn’t believe it. Some deranged man had just shot John Lennon dead. Almstead wanted to do something to remember the artist whose band, the Beatles, had meant so much to him. Britt Aamodt explores the origins of First Avenue’s annual John Lennon Tribute.


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McKnight FoundationMN Legacy