Minnesota Portraits: A Conversation with Stephen McClellan

Mentor, music business guru and notorious grouch, Stephen McClellan was interviewed while he was still a general manager at First Avenue nightclub, at a time when the music industry was thriving, and records and live music were abundant. Stephen shares his approach to nightclub management, his alternative job options and his major disdain for the band Technotronic.

Listen to other episodes of Minnesota Portraits and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.

This story is made possible by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the Friends of Minnesota Experience.

“That big, round, black building at 701 North 1st Avenue in downtown Minneapolis contains more legends and myths than Minneapolis probably deserves. The early history of the club is rife with change, contributing to its mercurial feel. For some people, it’s a symbol of musical expression; for others an adult Disneyland.” Continue a tour through the history of the legendary club now known as First Avenue.

First Avenue was one of many venues that punks flocked to in the 1980s – but before that, there was Jay’s Longhorn, a cornerstone of the punk and New Wave movements locally and nationally. A new documentary film explored the venue’s legacy.

Take a stroll down the seedy, late-night streets of downtown Minneapolis, circa 1981, in this time-machine tour.