First Ave., The Entry, and Cabooze named among world's top rock clubs by Pollstar

​Earlier today, the concert tour industry trade publication Pollstar announced their listing of the world's Top 100 Club Venues for 2011. Three Minneapolis clubs made the worldwide list, with First Avenue ranking 6th, the neighboring 7th St. Entry finishing 82nd, and the Cabooze coming in 94th. The yearly rankings are based on total 2011 ticket sales for clubs and venues throughout the world.

In what many still consider to be a downtime for both touring and the music industry, these strong representations from our local clubs only clarifies how passionate we are about our live music here in Minneapolis and throughout Minnesota. Fans continue to show up in droves to support the musicians and bands they love, and the ticket sales for the area clubs surely reflect their dedication to live music.

Arenas and amphitheaters are excluded from the list, and some venues don't choose to share their information and aren't represented, but that shouldn't diminish in any way the strong local representation found on the list. To see First Avenue in the top 10 amidst much larger cities like New York, Washington, D.C., Boston, Brussels, and St. Louis only exemplifies just how many fans show up to the venerable Minneapolis club each and every night.

​And the fact that the intimate, lovable 7th St. Entry made the list despite being about the size of Beyonce's closet is truly encouraging, and really should come as no surprise to anyone who has attended one sold-out show after another in the Entry throughout the year. The Cabooze was certainly buoyed by Snoop Dogg's memorable two-show stand, Raphael Saadiq's endless soul party, as well as many other memorable performances.

And 2012 shouldn't prove to be any different, as the Twin Cities music fans continue to support great live music in all the fine clubs we are truly fortunate to have here in Minnesota.