http://www.startribune.co...509374312/

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Excerpts:

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The History Center show includes an exhibit on Prince and “Purple Rain,” which was filmed at the club. The image projected at center was shot by Star Tribune photographer David Brewster at the 1983 concert where Prince debuted — and recorded — many of the songs for the film.

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Let's dance: Renamed Uncle Sam's, the club operated as a “danceteria” for the latter half of the '70s as part of a national chain. It became simply Sam's in '79, and began adding more live music. It adopted its current name on Jan. 1, 1982, in honor of the street where it's located. Museumgoers can dance on a 1970s disco floor, complete with blinking lights, or geek out over DJ Spinlove's turntables, loaded with a pre-release copy of Prince's “Erotic City” (the superstar often brought in records for DJs to test-drive).

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When you were mine: Even though “Purple Rain” put First Avenue on the map, Prince headlined the 1,500-capacity mainroom only nine times, starting March 9, 1981. He debuted the music for “Purple Rain” there on Aug. 3, 1983. Then in November, he rented the club for a month to shoot the film. The cops shut down his final First Ave performance — on 7/7/07 — because it was after 3 a.m. Before the show, club staffers had to cover up a mural, depicting Leonardo da Vinci's “Leda and the Swan,” because it offended his beliefs as a Jehovah's Witness.

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While that page has a couple of photos, there are more and bigger ones available @ http://www.startribune.co...509269541/

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Thanks 4 posting

Very nice, thank you

the prince stuff is cool, and some of the other stuff. but a van used by doomtree? ok lol

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the venue itself is museum worthy, stuff from just any band thats played there? not so much.

BartVanHemelen said:

Before the show, club staffers had to cover up a mural, depicting Leonardo da Vinci's “Leda and the Swan,” because it offended his beliefs as a Jehovah's Witness.

Reading that just made me so sad.