The Great “First Ave Stars” Debate – Who Should Go?
6 Jun
So yeah, there’s a lot of freaking out about First Avenue painting over (temporarily!) the stars on the outside of the building. The venue is moving from 530ish stars to closer to 400. You can even go to their website here and vote for some possible new stars to be added to the wall.
With everyone freaking out, we thought we’d see who should go – hell, I haven’t even heard of some of these bands. Since the stars were added 10 years ago, shouldn’t it be all about who stands the test of time? Who’s still awesome & rockin (even if we may not agree on if it’s good or bad)?
Well, here’s a debatable list of who we think should get the heave-ho. You’ll have to check out the entire list over at the Onion’s AV Club Twin Cities to see if you agree.
ADDA – is this a band? Attention Deficit Disorder Association? What?
Alan Freed
Alex Jarvis
Alexander O’Neil
Babylon Pink
Back - Beck, maybe? That’d make sense to me.
Big Black
Big Head Todd & The Monsters – meh. I liked that one song in the mid-90s, but what have you done for me lately Big Head Todd?
Bionic
Bis
Biz Markie - This is admittedly a tough one, but after that commercial for Radio Shack…
Black Eyed Peas – meh.
Bottom - Some metal band. Which is cool. But do they warrant a star?
Cee Bee
Chi Chi LaRue – Where’s the love for RuPaul, hmmmm?
Chris Bliss - World’s Most Famous Juggler. If it was the World’s Most Famous JuggaLO.. maybe.
Cornelius – Big in 1991…. not so much since.
Corrosion Of Conformity – Metal band. Not playing together… or maybe are sort of according to their website.
Dj Apollo, DJ Echo, DJ ESP, DJ Jennifer, DJ Mia, DJ S. Supreme, DJ Smitty – Now, I’m admittedly not good at the DJ thing, so more than likely some of these deserve to be here. Some prolly don’t though. Best 4 out of 7?
DMX - I can think of other rappers who deserve this wall more. Doomtree, anyone?
Dragnet -The first thing that comes up on Google is the theme music for the TV show, not this band.
Drive Like Jehu
Drone
Dumpster Juice – I just really hate this band name.
Dutch Oven
Dwight Tilley Band
Eric Burden - Can we just put The Animals up instead?
Face To Face – Too many other good punk bands out there.
Fine Art
Fingerprintz
Firehose - Maybe pick one. Minutemen or Firehose? I’m voting Minutemen.
Francisco
Fresco
Golden Palominos
Grandma Flash
H Mhoon
Hammerhead
Heater
Jack Meyers
James Orndorf
Jezus Juice – Ever since the Michael Jackson trial…
Karl Who?
Kindergarten
Kristin Hersh
Lady Luck – Just go check out their promo photo.
Lagbaja
Laughing Stock
Linton Kwest Johnson – Seems like a super cool guy & all… but does he still need a star?
Man Sized Action -2 records in the early 80s produced by Bob Mould. Mould’s prolly on the wall three times between his solo work, Husker Du & Sugar, but that doesn’t mean this band should be up there.
MC Millenium
Menudo – We’re sorta over them.
Mighty Mighty – Bosstones?
Molly McManus
Monster Magnet - Maybe this is an awesome band. Methinks not. I do, however, like their name.
Nina Hagen – Seems like a super cool chic, but what has she done for First Ave?
NNB
O’Connor
PD Spin Love
Penkut
Perfect
Pete Raz
Pop Top
Poster Children
Poster Pal
Powermad
Randy Hawkins
Rank Strangers
Redd Kross
Rita Marley – Bob’s widow has her own star?
Ron A
Ronnie Spector – Love the Ronettes, but she can probably be taken down now.
Sharin’ Beats
Sheryl Crow - Oh Sheryl Crow, how I loathe thee…
Snakefinger
Squirrel Nut Zippers – Love these guys, but until 2010 their last album was in the late 90s and they haven’t been to 1st Ave since. Buh-bye.
Steve Egsgaard - Is this dude’s name even spelled right?
Super Hun
Suzane Vega – Tom’s diner haunted my childhood as did “My name is puka, I puked on the 2nd floor…” Yeah, I was in jr. high.
Syd Straw
Teratism
The Clams – Is this the tribute band? Veto those please.
The Jim Rose Circus – Maybe it was cool in 1992… and pretty much only in 1992. A novelty act that only stuck around a few years at best. Although who didn’t like The Amazing Mister Lifto?
The Maroons
The Morrells – mmm… mushrooms
The Odd
The Overtones
The Raybeats
The Squabs
The Super Rail Band
The Verve - Yeah I love Bittersweet Symphony too, but mostly because of that Rolling Stones riff. So they had one huge hit… that they ripped off from a band much better than they would ever be.
Timbuktu
Tom Arnold – Really? Just, really?
Tony Paul
Tricky – Now, if this was for the Run D.M.C. song…
TSOL
U2 - Like they need a star anywhere. They could just buy a real one.
WIB
White Zombie
Whole Lotta Loves
X Cops – You already have GWAR up there… and they haven’t played since 1996…
Zartan
So, what do YOU think?
Some objections to your choices:
1. Alan Freed ran the Friday night dance nights in the VIP room for years. Also the founder of Beat Radio… if you don’t know that story or the ramifications of it, you should.
2. Zartan was/is Chris Olson, a house manager who earned every inch of that star with sweat and blood. Same goes for Molly McManus.
3. DJ Jezus Juice headed up the long-standing, and wildly successful System 33 Saturday nights for years.
4. PD Spinlove: another MAINSTAY.
It’s clear that you have no idea of the history behind First Avenue, or to what extent the dance nights kept the doors open over the years.
There are several more names I’d school you on, but you don’t care or you wouldn’t put up a halfassed list like this.
Even the Strib would have done a better job.
Frank –
As I said in the intro, all choices are debatable. I’m obviously not as into the DJ scene as you were/are. Which is cool. We all have our own style. I did eliminate some great metal bands, black metal, punk & alternative rock choices as well… but did you check out the entire list of 530 names? Someone’s gotta go. I did check into every name on this list, actually, and some hadn’t done anything since the 70s or 80s. Maybe it’d be nice to update the wall with some relevance? There were a lot of local bands who haven’t played in over 10 years I also left on there, as well as DJs like Roy Freedom, so it wasn’t like the choices were completely random. You may be right that I could delve deeper into the dance and DJ history of the club, but to say I don’t care just because you may not agree is bullshit.
Also, who do you think should go?
Randy Hawkins…
uhm… that one should DEFINITELY stay. Randy is still one of (if not the) best sound men in the cities
i’d also probably disagree with these choices:
Big Black
Cornelius – Big in 1991…. not so much since. (i wouldn’t mind if this one went, but are you thinking of someone else? the Japanese musician Cornelius didn’t release his first album until 1994 and has put out a decent amount of stuff post ’00)
Drive Like Jehu
Eric Burden – Can we just put The Animals up instead? (i’d agree re: The Animals, but i’m guessing they never played First Ave
Face To Face – Too many other good punk bands out there. (one of the best punk bands of the 90′s and recently reformed)
Firehose – Maybe pick one. Minutemen or Firehose? I’m voting Minutemen. (both are worthy in my book)
Jack Meyers (much like Steve Mclellan, this one is a no brainer…)
Perfect (debateable, but Tommy Stinson’s shortlived side project is really great)
Rank Strangers
The Overtones
The Verve – Yeah I love Bittersweet Symphony too, but mostly because of that Rolling So they had one huge hit… that they ripped off from a band much better than they would ever be. (Bittersweet Symphony is far from their best song)
U2 – Like they need a star anywhere. They could just buy a real one. (i like to see names of huge bands who played First Ave/The Entry when they were smaller, no brainer to me)
White Zombie
@solace
Did you look at the big list? Anyone on there that should go instead of stay I didn’t hit on?
You’re right on btw with Randy Hawkins. There’s also an alt-country dude with the same name, which is why that was on my list. Fair enough.
Cornelius – Was thinking about his band prior Flipper’s Guitar. Fail on dates there. I still think he could get the boot.
As for the Verve I could never get into them. So I’d still pass on them getting a star.
U2 – yeah I see your point, but it’s a toss up between bands who were small & are now huge, & names who did stuff for the venue. A good mix is best, of course. If I had to choose between U2 and Doomtree or Mallman, I’d prolly choose the local guys.
yeah, i’m going through the full list now
we def have plenty we agree on from your list, no question about that!
wondering if they couldn’t maybe make the stars a TINY bit smaller to add a lot more room? certainly something to consider
Smaller stars might be nice. Less elimination.
One of the things I’ve been told is the 130 spots they’re getting rid of was mostly former employees, so there aren’t as many bands getting the boot as people think. I definitely think people like Steve McClellan need to stay though.
I’d really like to see a star for Dan Corrigan as well. No one photographer has done so much at and for First Avenue as he has.
totally agree about Dan, good call.
that’s cool about those 130… that makes sense as well. i’m sure the even feistier debate will be who SHOULD get one of those 130 spots
.
i agree there’s a lot of newer local bands, but also a ton of 90′s & 00′s bands that have and still play First Ave regularly that probably deserve one (ie: Built To Spill)
Doomtree over DMX? fuck out of here.