Turf Club (Saint Paul)
History
Originally a dance hall in the 1940s, the Turf Club has since the 1990s been popular with Twin Cities bands, a sharp contrast to previous years when most local bands only played Minneapolis venues. The club has also become an important venue for national and international touring acts. Japanese indie-rock band Shonen Knife played its 1,000th show at the Turf Club.
The Turf Club was sold to the owners of First Avenue in late 2013. The venue has a capacity of about 350. The club's basement hosts a smaller bar and performance space, the Clown Lounge, which is used for jazz gigs. The Turf Club is located on the north side of University Avenue near Snelling Avenue and across the street from the Snelling Avenue light rail station on the Green Line. In 2014, the club received a substantial remodel, including an upgraded sound system and the return of a mural featuring five racehorses which had been forgotten, hidden behind curtains, for decades.
The building was closed for more than a year in 2020-2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and also incurred fire and water damage during the civil unrest of the George Floyd protests in 2020, requiring months of repair. The Turf Club reopened for concerts in July 2021.
References
- ^ "Turf Club - St. Paul Music Venue:: Twin Cities Music Network". Archived from the original on 2009-02-14. Retrieved 2009-05-22.
- ^ Josh, Wodarz (September 17, 2014). "Shonen Knife pays tribute to the Ramones in 1,000th show at the Turf Club". Twin Cities Daily Planet. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
- ^ Riemenschneider, Chris (October 12, 2013). "Staking Out New Turf: First Avenue owners are preparing to buy St. Paul's Turf Club". Star Tribune.
- ^ Riemenschneider, Chris (August 28, 2014). "First look at St. Paul's renovated Turf Club, which reopens Thursday". Star Tribune. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
- ^ Raihala, Ross (August 27, 2014). "St. Paul's Turf Club reopening after owner First Ave's re-do". St. Paul Pioneer Press. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
- ^ Chapman, Reg (July 7, 2021). "St. Paul's Turf Club Roars Back To Life After Almost 500 Days Of Silence". WCCO-TV. Minneapolis. Retrieved 2021-11-30.