I'm crying too hard to give a personal response, but this just came out on public radio:

First Avenue nightclub closes
Famed Minneapolis rock club First Avenue closed suddenly Tuesday.

The club has been the subject of a management dispute for some time, but the message on the club phone appears to show the staff were caught unawares.

"Hi. Thanks for calling First Avenue and the 7th Street Entry. As of right now, we are closed due to bankruptcy. Hopefully, we will be up and running soonish. There will be ticket refunds, I believe. So we are very sorry to anyone who bought tickets who were coming to the club for any reason," the message said.

Staff members say owner Alan Fingerhut declared bankruptcy. All staff were handed pink slips and the building padlocked. Last week, a court settlement seemed set to transfer control of the club to former manager Steve McClellan, who Fingerhut fired earlier this year.




UPDATED INFORMATION FROM THE STAR TRIBUNE POSTED BELOW
[Edited 11/3/04 8:58am]

That sucks

I'm sooooo glad we went during the OrgInvasion, though the fact that it was dead should have given us some clue...

Maybe it was all those comp tickets we used I hope that gave you a little smile endo

~ Gretch

PS ~ now I really need to find my FirstAve pin

cue sound of my heart suddenly dropping down to my feet and going "thud"

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

dude, wanna join me for a candlelight vigil?

and that place was BUMPIN on Halloween!

And I never got to go. Open again RIGHT NOW!

I am sorry to hear this..

Maybe the Org should buy it, and funk it out.

Yer fucking serious???

Amazing that this California girl got all those pics and memories a week before hand

Odd!

I am certain they will work it out!

endorphin74 said:

hell yeah, i'll join you...and i still can't believe i didn't go on halloween!

my god...downtown mpls nightlife as we knew it is officially dead now. totally finito.

endorphin74 said:

yea, a candlelight vigil sounds good!

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

Where will we see shows?

What about Robyn Hitchock tomorrow and Le Tigre on Saturday?

SFD !!!!!

endorphin74 said:

and what about new year's? and the occasional friday night?? oh man, i seriously hope that this isn't permanent, cuz i refuse to set foot in one of these fuckin "ultra-lounges" that are around now.

I always wanted to go, but have never went.
[Edited 11/2/04 13:21pm]

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

I know, i know, I KNOW.

I can't take this news...not today!

prince should buy it.....

Moonwalkbjrain said:

TheJourney4all7 said:

NO. A THOUSAND TIMES NO.

EskomoKisses said:

endorphin74 said:

I'm seriously teary-eyed folks.

endorphin74 said:

That sucks. I just saw Le Tigre here in NY last night and the show was a total party! I hope they find another venue or 1st Ave reopens.

i just told endo that i get off of work in about an hour, and i live/work right up the street from first ave. so i pass by it every day. it'll be really, really hard for me to not go down the street without crying as i go home in a while.

i guess i'm glad i got one last chance to visit 1st Ave during the Org Invasion...i was laughing at myself for buying a zippo with the club's logo when we were there, who knew it would turn into such memorabilia a week or two later?

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

Okay, maybe not buy it, but he could get them out of bankruptcy. He has way more money then he needs. j/k

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

i'll be wearin my first ave. sweater in memoriam for the rest of the week now... man, i cannot believe this.

EskomoKisses said:

that's it, I'm a total mess now.

Man, that sucks

I always wanted to go too.

for the MplsKitties



~ Gretch

I've been going to first avenue for 25 years now and I'm 40 so well over half my life. I saw the Ramones there when I was 15. I saw Prince there in 1982, 1983, 1984... I was at the Minnesota Dance Company benefit, I was at the "For those of you on valium" show, I saw him jam in the Entry...

I just saw the Cramps there Oct 23 and PJ Harvey a few weeks before that.

It's a drag. I hope they can work things out and reopen it.