First Avenue Staff Best of 2015

Dec
23
rd
2015

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


More Shows

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31
st
Palace Theatre

Snow Patrol

May
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th
Fine Line

Magnolia Park

with Hot Milk, Savage Hands and South Arcade
Mar
14
th
7th St Entry

MACSEAL

with Carly Cosgrove and buffchick
Dec
27
th
7th St Entry

Jaki Blue

with KAYCYY and Sophia Eris