First Avenue

Soul Asylum for some reason putting out a new album coincides with this video clip of Dan Murphy talking about First Avenue and what the club has meant to the cultural history of Minneapolis.

But as far as being the nexus of the Minneapolis music scene, nothing about First Ave. has changed. When we talked to Dan Murphy, guitarist for Soul Asylum and a guy who’s been coming there for decades, he remained as in awe of its power and importance as when he first attended as a teenager. These days, Murphy is on a first-name basis with seemingly everyone who works at the club, introducing us to Sverkerson and staff photographer Daniel Corrigan (whose iconic shots fill the next-door Depot Tavern), and recounting the many times he watched bands like The Replacements and Hüsker Dü tear up the club’s punk-friendly front room, The 7th Street Entry, then sneak into the main area to swipe drinks abandoned by disco dancers.

Also, it's nice to see someone else admit out loud that Purple Rain is a terrible, unwatchable movie.


The club that launched Purple Rain, The Replacements and Soul Asylum