First Avenue repainting stars, asking for input from fans

• I am pissed. Sublime was on that wall and they will never be back. You have destroyed my whole love for that wall and some of my pride for being there. I hope you go under.

• They could fit a lot more stars if the ones at/around eye level are smaller. More stars! Just don't give 'em to the likes of Korn or Nickelback...

• How about blending the stars into one major collage of PAST, PRESENT & PHUTURE? For instance, take 50% of the names that were ORIGINALLY on the wall, 25% of the names that are CURRENTLY BEING PAINTED OVER and 25% of the stars VOTED IN BY CURRENT MAJORITY? Personally, I think it is really most important that we remember the past because some of the entertainers to pass through those doors and perform in the venue are legends and recognized by young and old alike! I would also add the date of the band/artists very first performance!

• not fair! why did you do it? it meant a lot to other people. don't do it. stop it. NOW! (a little kid wrote this) (the little kid told me to write "YOU GOT SERRRRVED!" - but I told him I wouldn't do it)

• CHROMEO is coming in August ... are they allowed to have a star? ... please?

• Dillinger Four

• the Replacements, H�d�p Shakespeare, i mean hey. Keep the local talent up there.

• Beck!

• TBT just got the star and then you take it awy? WTF? it's first ave. give credit where credit is due. If someone hasn't been there for 30 years, fine take that star away.

• There are plenty of hungry, talented artists in Minneapolis. A few of them should have been hired to restore the stars by hand - it would look beautiful and give some locals a chance to be a part of First Ave history. Bad move painting over it all. Also - please don't add color!

• I can't say I'm happy about painting over the stars.....a lot of history there. But if they are doing new stars, lets see some METAL represented this time. GWAR, American Head Charge, After the Burial, Jobforacowboy, Chimaira, etc. There have been tons of great metal bands gracing the stage over the years.....time to give them thier due!

• Bob Dylan anyone?

• The following all had great shows and deserve a star: Ramones, U2, Tina Turner, Suburbs, Suicide Commandos, Pretenders, Mute Math, Bangles, Hypstrz

• J. Christopher, leading singer for Rifle Sport, pointing to his band�s star in the movie, �First Avenue: Hay Day:� �You know that pretty much makes our day. It�s the whole reason we�re here tonight. Ten YEARS of this bullshit. I mean, look, REM�s gotta star�they�ve never even played the fuckin� Entry. Eh? What�d ya fuckin� think of THAT?�

• Just a thought, legend has it that U2's first stop of their American Tour at First Ave. Apparently, they wrote some of the songs from their 2nd album right back stage. Maybe a star for them? Also, I don't think First Avenue Management is trying to "hurt anyone's feelings". I think we tend to forget that as personal as music may feel, it is a business.

• Yeasayer is a must in my opinion

• Slave Raider

• All I can say is thank god they're painting over the odd. Whatever anyone thinks of that band (does anyone remember the 90's?) they played like 2-3 shows in the entry, hardly enough to constitute a star. There were some bands that really put on unforgettable shows in the entry: like the Peasants, Whiskey Sournotes, and Beangirl--all three of those should be up there!

• Important and influential local bands should have the top row: Prince, The Time, Husker Du, The Replacements, The Jayhawks, Babes in Toyland, Soul Asylum, ect.... Then, other influential bands that have SOLD OUT First Avenue on more than one occasion; Bad Religion Wilco Weezer The Pixies The Lemonheads Black Flag Social Distortion Flogging Molly Fugazi PJ Harvey Radiohead Dinosaur Jr. Pavement Devo They Might Be Giants REM ......I'm certainly forgetting many... but this is a start.

• There was a time not so long ago when there weren't stars at all. And before then, there was a time when there were stars. And before then, there weren't stars. The interior is the same. Over the years, assorted staff members and friends of the club have been allowed to paint murals on the walls of the club. Over time, those get covered up and replaced. There has been a process of evolution on the walls of the club spanning decades - but you have to have been around for decades yourself to have likely noticed.

• DUMB!!!!!! i understand the need for change in a business but seriously ITS FIRST AVE!!! its historically known. i take soo much pride in my first ave. SH!T i absolutely never had a problem standing in line in the freezing a$$ cold because i would look at the stars. knowing that some of those bands came there makes me feel more connected with the music.like i am interested in seeing who gets put up there, but then again im really scared to see who gets put up there. see the old stars, those people were LEGENDS and always will be! and today yeah there are really popular people that roll through first ave, but music comes and goes so fast that no one ever sticks around.and ill be DAMNED gucci mane gets a star

• How about getting rid of the crappy no name stars and keeping it LOCAL you fuckers!?! Seriously, 1st Ave should be the melting pot of diversity for local music. Instead, it's the chamber pot of all the hipster garbage this state can muster. The management at First Ave makes me sick. Go die.

• SLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYER!

• Stupid! They're removing their heritage in favor of something some marketing manager thinks is "cool". There will be a bunch of has been bands up there within a few years.

• How about just getting 1stA 'management' out from behind their desks and doing promotions for the local acts? Not much has changed since ownership rolled over a while back, management still sits on their hands and tells bands to promote themselves.

• How about just one big star with Nickleback right in the middle. On second thought a dildo would be more appropriate than a star.

• I'm not enough of a local music scholar to make suggestions about whose star stays or go but it's a pretty good opportunity for 1st Avenue to add a little color to a pretty drab looking building. Highlight some of the more recognizable stars who've played at 1st Ave (obviously, Prince and The Time), different sized stars for the "played here before they made the big time" acts and local heroes and maybe either smaller stars or just a list of unusual acts (Tiny Tim) or acts with unusual names.

• Well, there was a time in 1st Ave's heyday when the stars weren't even there, like the time I saw Danzig fronting Samhain in about '85 - it was all black. Just be glad the place is still there, and still having good music.

• HELLO?!?! These stars HAVE NOT been there since the Ave opened... only since the late 80's or so. I am sure it will be just fine. At least the place is still open, RIGHT?!? How quickly you forget...

• Barry Manilow

• Based on the shows and dance nights I've attended over the years: Brother Ali Atmosphere Gogol Bordello George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic - can't wait to see them again on Monday!

• Wait a minute. What was I thinking. Forget GAYNGS. A year from now they're completely done and forgotten. In ten years they'd be one of those stars that people are clueless about, and for good reason.

• What corporate a**holes made this decision! Hey corps stay out of the music scene! It belongs to us.

• GAYNGS

• Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers

• I spent most of my teens and early 20's at First Ave, and I think it's great that they're repainting. What about all the sweet bands that've played there recently, but don't get a star because theres no room? Shouldn't they have a shot at a star? Do you really think First Ave didn't put a lot of thought into this before going ahead and painting? First Ave doesn't have to take anyone's feelings into account when improving the look of the club. Thats like getting mad at your neighbor because he wants to paint his house a red, but you like it blue.

• I was just visiting MPLS a month ago and took pics of a bunch of the stars. My boyfriend was embarassed by my being so touristy, but he's gonna be glad now. I'm sooo happy I took those pics. It may be restored, but it will probably never look the same.

• The Suburbs have to make the list for sure!

• also, folks need to remember that these stars we repainted about a decade ago. this isn't a michaelangelo here.

• I would've gone with a painting company that could've preserved the original stars. your just painting over history and that's unprofessional. looks messy in my opinion. bad move.

• As the foreman of the paint project, I have to defend the fact that it is arguably a restoration job. It's really not feasible to work around each star by hand. Remember, we're dealing with thousands of square feet here and 1st Ave certainly hasn't got an unlimited budget. I think that once we're finished, most people will be excited about how true we kept to the old style. As far as choosing the new names, there will definitely be a lot of new acts up there, but the old one's that stood the test of time will remain.

• Wow. I was in shock when I saw this... You just erased another piece of history, and we will never get it back. Thanks a lot, dick heads :P

• I agree with Camille; I don't think that First Ave thought about how much those stars mean to some people. Wiping out the whole wall and starting over from scratch shows a lack of understanding. People love the stars that they love -- if a name "makes the cut" for the new stars, it won't be the same painted name that they've been looking at for years. That was history, and a lot of it will now be lost. Would Tiny Tim make the cut in a poll today? Probably not, but the fact that he WAS there was part of what made the wall of stars so fun to look at. Boo! I say, boo!

• it was the history of the mpls scene, history is history and we can't get that back. even if they are going to "repaint" it still had its statement, and now its gone. It totally could have been restored like a piece of art, all by hand and caring for each star.

• I agree with RUSKO!

• RUSKO

• How about somebody I've actually heard of?

• Cognition

• Franz Ferdinand

• Brother Ali

TotalComments: 50