Every year First Avenue office staff members put together their Top 10 shows of the year list…here’s what we rounded up in 2015. It should be noted that for most of these lists there is no rhyme or reason to the order – just our favorite shows of the year.
DAYNA FRANK, OWNER
Sleater-Kinney / Mainroom
Har Mar Superstar / Pizza Luce block party
Alabama Shakes / Hall’s Island
Social Distortion & Nikki Lane / Mainroom
Festival Palomino / Canterbury Park
TV on the Radio / Mainroom
Death Grips / Mainroom
Sleater-Kinney / Palladium
Billy Idol / Turf Club
Astronautalis / Eaux Claires Festival
NATE KRANZ, GENERAL MANAGER
Frankie Lee – Clown Lounge Residency | January
Jack DeJohnette’s “Made In Chicago” at Walker Art Center | March 12
Joe Russo’s Almost Dead at Mainroom | April 22
Replacements at Riv Chicago | April 29 & 30
Alabama Shakes/Father John Misty at Hall’s Island | May 30
D’Angelo at First Avenue Mainroom | September 6
Festival Palomino – Trampled By Turtles, Laura Marling, etc… Canterbury Park | September 19
RSE20 at Target Center | December 4
Gene Ween at Turf Club | October 3
Run The Jewels at Mainroom | October 23
KRISTIN BACKMAN, ART DIRECTOR
Mutemath at 7th St Entry | September 16
Lord Huron at Mainroom | April 26
Dr. Dog at Turf Club | February 5
Flight Facilities at Fine Line | March 5
Dr. Dog at Mainroom | February 6
Dr. Dog at Mainroom | February 7
Tycho at Mainroom | March 22
Dr. Dog at Festival Palomino | September 19
Ben Folds at Turf Club | November 19
Steve Taylor and the Perfect Foil at Fine Line | April 30
STACY SCHWARTZ, COMMUNITY MANAGER
Suicide Commandos with Craig Finn at the Turf Club | January 16
Dan Wilson, Caroline Smith, Jeremy Messersmith at the Bryant Lake Bowl | January 18
Preservation Hall Jazz Band at Orchestra Hall | March 27
Father John Misty at Hall’s Island | May 30
The Rolling Stones at TCF Stadium | June 3
ELnO at Music & Movies Lake Harriet | August 14
D’Angelo in the First Avenue Mainroom | September 6
The Struts in the First Avenue Mainroom | September 17
Leon Bridges in the First Avenue Mainroom | October 28
Home Alone performed by the Minnesota Orchestra at Orchestra Hall | November 29
CALEIGH SOUHAN, TALENT BUYER
Bob Log III at 7th St Entry | June 24
Bongzilla at 7th St Entry | December 10
Chelsea Wolfe at Triple Rock | August 31
Death Grips at Mainroom | June 27
Girlpool at Triple Rock Social Club | October 15
Hurray For The Riff Raff at Cedar | May 1
Joanna Newsom at Fitzgerald | December 17
Neurosis at Mill City | August 1
Rhymesayers20 at Target Center | December 4
Sleater-Kinney at Mainroom | February 14
ANDY MOE, BOOKING ASSISTANT
D’Angelo in the Mainroom
DIIV at the Turf
Sufjan Stevens at Northrop
Death Grips in the Mainroom
Beach House in the Mainroom
DVS1 in the Record Room
James Murphy DJ Set
Caribou in the Mainroom
The Love Below #1 in the Record Room
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah at the Triple Rock
MIKE KILLEEN, CONTROLLER
Rhymesayers20 at Target Center | December 4
The Kills at First Avenue Mainroom | August 3
Tweedy at First Avenue Mainroom | March 8
Father John Misty at First Avenue Mainroom | April 4
Run The Jewels at First Avenue Mainroom | October 23
Nathaniel Rateliff at Turf Club | October 28
Dead Prez at First Avenue Mainroom | November 20
Ben Folds at Turf Club | November 19
Young Fathers at 7th St Entry | May 9
Decemberists at Northrop | March 24
LORI SIMONSON, ACCOUNTING CLERK & OFFICE COORDINATOR
Chris Robinson & the Brotherhood, Fine Line | February 3
Dr. Dog, Turf Club | February 5
Flaming Lips, First Avenue | February 24
William Elliott Whitmore, Turf Club | March 29
Jucifer, 7th St. Entry | April 14
Umphree’s McGee, First Avenue | April 25
Ufomammut, Turf Club | June 12
YOB, Turf Club | October 27
Kylesa, Turf Club | November 27
Bongzilla, 7th St. Entry | December 10
SARAH EVANS, ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
1. The Mountain Goats in the Mainroom, April 19
2. Festival Palomino at Canterbury Park, September 19
3. The National at Eaux Claires, August 12
4. Nikki Lane with Frankie Lee at the Turf Club, August 5
5. Dr. Dog at the Turf Club, February 5
6. FJM/Shakes at Hall’s Island, May 30
7. Lord Huron in the Mainroom, April 26
8. Leon Bridges in the Mainroom, October 28
9. Alabama Shakes at Paisley Park, June 1
10. El Vy in the Mainroom, November 21
GABBY COLL, MARKETING ASSISTANT
EL VY at Doug Fir, Portland – November 3
Lord Huron at Mainroom – April 26
Dr. Dog [and all of Festival Palomino] at Canterbury – September 19
Kurt Vile at Mill City – October 21
The National [and all of Eaux Claires] at Eau Claire, WI – July
D’Angelo at Mainroom – September 6
Nikki Lane at Turf Club – August 5, on my Birthday!
Sims at Icehouse – June 5
Shakey Graves at Mainroom – November 4
TV on the Radio at Mainroom – August 2
DAMON BARNA, OPERATIONS DIRECTOR
Wrestlepalooza V with Metallagher at Mainroom | January 9
The Flaming Lips performing Clouds Taste Metallic with Def Rain at Mainroom | February 24
Theory of a Deadman – Fan Appreciation Show with Shaman’s Harvest, Artifas at Mainroom | November 17
Alabama Shakes with Father John Misty at Hall’s Island | May 30
Joe Russo’s Almost Dead at Mainroom | April 22
Run The Jewels: Jewel Runner Fall Tour with Boots, Faashawn, Cuz Lightyear, Trackstar The DJ and Mike 2600 at Mainroom | October 23
Prof Outdoors 2 with Mystikal, Murs, Denzel Curry, Mac Irv and Last Word at Cabooze Plaza | September 5
Gogol Bordello Gypsy Punks – Underdog World Strike 10th Anniversary Tour with Jessica Hernandez & The Deltas at Mainroom | November 14
RHYMESAYERS 20 with all those Rhymesayers at Target Center | December 4
Festival Palomino curated by Trampled By Turtles with Dr. Dog, Father John Misty, Benjamin Booker, Shakey Graves, Laura Marling, Calexico, Lydia Loveless, and The Lowest Pair at Canterbury Park | September 19
Trinidad James, Marijuana Deathsquads, Astronautalis with Channy Leaneagh (Poliça), Slamdunkapher and TIIIIIIIIIIP at Turf Club | September 19
JON GILBERT, WEBSITE COORDINATOR
Sleater-Kinney | February 14
Lightning Bolt @ Turf | April 20
Belle & Sebastian/Conor Oberst/Courtney Barnett @ Rock The Garden | June 20
Kraftwerk 3D @ Northrop | October 7
Destroyer @ Fine Line | September 26
White Lung @ Entry | June 11
TV on the Radio | July 30
Shannon & The Clams w/Shopping @ Entry | August 28
Mucca Pazza @ Cedar | August 22
Franz Ferdinand + Sparks | October 9
JESSICA HUNTLEY, BOX OFFICE COORDINATOR
1) Cibo Matto at Solid Sound Festival North Adams, MA | June 27
2) JD McPherson at First Avenue | February 13
3) New Standards Holiday Show at State Theatre | December 4
4) Sam Amidon at Eaux Claires Fetival Eau Claire, WI | July 18
5) Sleater-Kinney at First Avenue | February 14
6) Flaming Lips at First Avenue | February 24
7) The Glenrustles at Turf Club | September 18
8) Alabama Shakes at Hall’s Island | May 30
9) Wolf Blood at Homegrown Festival Pizza Luce Duluth | May 1
10) My Morning Jacket at Red Rocks, CO | August 14
EMI WIDMARK-SUNDAHL, OPERATIONS MANAGER
1) Iliza Schlesinger @ Mill CIty Nights | October 03
2) Neil Diamond @ Xcel Center | April 12
3) Billy Idol @ Turf Club | January 19
4) Sleater Kinney @ Mainroom | February 14
5) Run the Jewels @ Mainroom | October 23
6) Gogol Bordello @ Mainroom | November 13 & 14
7) Flaming Lips @ Mainroom | February 24
8) Tycho @ Mainroom | March 22
9) Hozier @ Mainroom | February 20
10) Chvrches @ Myth Nightclub | October 10
ASHLEY RYAN, MARKETING DIRECTOR
Sleater Kinney at ACL Live | April 15
Ben Ballinger, Harvest Thieves, East Cameron Folkcore, Mike and the Moonpies at Holy Mountain | September 25
Gary Clark, Jr. at ACL Music Festival | October 2
Alabama Shakes & Father John Misty at Hall’s Island | May 30
Run The Jewels at First Avenue Mainroom | October 23
Rhymesayers 20 at Target Center | December 4
Festival Palomino at Canterbury Park | September 19
Fleetwood Mac at Frank Erwin Center | March 1
Shakey Graves at First Avenue Mainroom | November 4
D’Angelo and the Vanguard at First Avenue Mainroom | September 6
