A Minneapolis landmark is coming back to life and signaling what looks like a revival in Uptown.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) — The Twin Cities have long been known for their breeding ground for new sounds, from the iconic pop and funk created through Prince, to Soul Asylum and swap edge replacements to the left of the dial.
In 2023, new music and music venues continued to crop up throughout both Minneapolis and St. Paul, providing a home for the creative output of both artists and musicians alike.
With the new year now in full swing, here are five venues offering the chance to see national and local bands that opened in 2023 you might not know about already.
The iconic building that once housed a movie theater opened in June and has since hosted national tours such as Mars Volta, Bad Religion, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness and more.
Designated as a historical landmark prior to its latest redevelopment, the venue opened as the Lagoon in 1916, and was then renamed to Uptown Theater in 1929, before a fire damaged its original structure.
From these ashes, the building developed its now-familiar exterior, complete with a 60-foot-tall three-sided sign, in 1939. The theater has been a Minneapolis staple ever since, and received a $2 million modernization in 2012, before the end of the COVID-19 pandemic before reopening.
“It’s part of the comeback we’re going to see in Uptown. . . Uptown has been through a lot in the last few years, it’s fantastic to see investments coming back in a big way,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey told FOX 9. . at its grand opening ceremony. ” The Uptown Theatre is an iconic venue. Getting it back in shape indicates where we’re going. Plant a flag on the ground that says ‘we’re all in this’ – Uptown is back. “
As the venue continues to book artists on a regular basis, it hopes to attract national tours and local artists, as well as make its space a multi-purpose event hub for networking gatherings such as interview tours.
A relatively new music space taking over where Kim Bartmann’s Red Stag Supperclub was in Northeast Minneapolis, Zhora Darling has been redesigned with a new side room offering bands a place to play – and patrons two free pool tables to play before or after the show.
Partly owned by Eric Odness, who also owns Lake Street Bar in Brooklyn, New York, a Minneapolis-themed bar, the place has a full menu that includes oysters, steaks, salads, burgers and more that they say will be served until 1 a. m.
Opening with a bang hosting 90s post-hardcore favorites Quicksand on Nov. 17, the venue is also promoting dance nights with rotating themes.
Made up of musicians with extensive experience in the music scene, Lake Street’s Cloudland has an official capacity of 150 people and was built specifically for the space and local music.
Created through Maren Macosko and Brad Lokkesmoe, veterans of the Twin Cities music scene, the venue opened in early October and has played host to local favorites Dillinger Four as well as touring artists like Laura Jane Grace and Off With Their Heads since they opened their doors.
Billed as a concert hall and art space, the venue also hosted film screenings in addition to bands of its caliber almost every night of the week.
Minneapolis-based Battery Eyes perform at Cloudland Theater
The lone St. Paul venue to make the list, the White Rock is billing itself as offering, “Good friends + loud music.”
Located next to CHS Field in St. Paul, the venue plans to be “Minnesota’s best-kept secret for showcasing underground and emerging music as national artists. “
According to its website, the venue will also be the official host of upcoming summer and fall music festivals to be held at the St. John’s home. Paul Saints.
Another venue hoping to play a part in Uptown’s resurgence, the Green Room, took over the former Uptown Pourhouse at Lagoon and Girard Avenues in February.
“It’s like I can create the most productive area imaginable for groups,” Tanner Montague, CEO of Green Room, told FOX 9. “All the comforts they want, the solid formula to make them feel good. Create an area for bartenders to feel good, get paid well. And I think if they’re both happy, then the audience is doing really well.
Along with Uptown Theater located a block away, Green Room hopes to be part of the neighborhood’s revival and provide a resurgence for an artistic outlet that the area has historically been known for.
The Green Room has taken over the former Pourhouse Uptown at Lagoon and Girard Avenues. The new venue is already attracting traveling artists, with several exhibitions booked for the next few weeks.