First Avenue

Minneapolis club in a former Greyhound depot, Prince's home stage and the setting of Purple Rain.

First Avenue is a historic Minneapolis nightclub that shares a landmark downtown building with the smaller 7th St Entry, at the corner of First Avenue North and 7th Street North. Locals call the two rooms The Mainroom and The Entry. In the 1980s the club became central to the Minneapolis sound and served as the main hometown venue for Prince, and it appears in his 1984 film Purple Rain. Its exterior carries more than 400 painted stars honouring performers, and after Prince died in 2016 artist Peyton Scott Russell and a small crew covered his star in gold leaf overnight.

Quick Facts

Nickname

The Mainroom, The Entry

Address

701 First Avenue North

Location

Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.

Event

music, concerts

Opened

3 April 1970

Former names

Minneapolis Greyhound Bus Depot (1937–1968)
The Depot (1970–1972)
Uncle Sam's (1972–1980)
Sam's (1980–1981)

Capacity

1,550 (Main Room); 250 (7th St Entry)

Facts from the source article.

Background

The building opened in 1937 as the Greyhound Lines bus depot, admired for its Art Deco styling, air conditioning and shower rooms. The buses moved to 10th Street in 1968. Allan Fingerhut bought the building, and with Danny Stevens, who held a liquor license, and an idea credited to promoter Skip Goucher, The Depot opened on April 3, 1970, with Joe Cocker and Mad Dogs & Englishmen. As disco rose, it became Uncle Sam's in July 1972, was shortened to Sam's in March 1980, and took the name First Avenue on New Year's Eve 1981. Steve McClellan, who began as a bartender, grew into its talent buyer and general manager. The 7th St Entry, a former cafe and coatroom, opened on March 21, 1980.

Did You Know?

David Carr of The New York Times ranked it with CBGB, Maxwell's, Metro Chicago and the 9:30 Club.
The Mainroom holds 1500 people and the Entry 250.
Many fans came to believe Prince owned the club.
Weekend dance nights called Danceteria often kept the club's bills paid.