First Avenue unveiled Bruce Springsteen’s silver star on the northwest side of its building at ground level on March 31, just hours before The Boss kicked off his “Land of Hope and Dreams” tour across the street at Target Center.
The star sits just a few spots from the red George Floyd star on the venue’s celebrated exterior wall — home to some of the most storied names in rock, pop and soul. Springsteen’s name replaced a previously painted star for Los Angeles punk band X, who will be repainted at a nearby location on the building.
“In honor of his recent performance in the First Avenue Mainroom and tireless advocacy work for the state of Minnesota, we’re proud to have @springsteen’s name on our wall forever,” First Avenue said in a social media post announcing the honor.
Springsteen earned the recognition after his Jan. 30 appearance at a benefit concert led by Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello — a fundraiser for the families of Renée Good and Alex Pretti, two Minneapolis residents killed by ICE agents in separate incidents earlier that month. It was during that concert that Springsteen debuted “Streets of Minneapolis,” a folk-rock protest song written and released just days earlier in response to Operation Metro Surge in the Twin Cities.
“Yup, this one is special. Welcome to the wall, @springsteen,” Dayna Frank, Chief Executive Officer and President of First Avenue, said via social media.
Springsteen went on to perform the song at a Democracy Now event in New York City in March and again at the flagship “No Kings” rally at the Minnesota State Capitol on March 28 — just days before the tour opener.
Speaking with the Minnesota Star Tribune ahead of Tuesday’s concert, Springsteen singled out the First Avenue appearance as among the most meaningful performances of his five-decade career.
“Being in Minneapolis [in January] goes way up to the top of the list as far as meaningful shows I’ve played,” he told the Star Tribune. “Being in that club meant a lot. I knew the history of the club itself and knowing how much a place like that means to a certain city.”
The Target Center show — the first of 19 dates on the tour — also marked the full-band premiere of “Streets of Minneapolis” with the E Street Band. Morello, who organized the January benefit concert at First Ave, is joining Springsteen and the band as a special touring member this spring. The first two songs of opening night were livestreamed for free on YouTube.
First Avenue’s wall of stars has been a Minneapolis institution since the 1970s, honoring artists who have played the legendary venue. Among the most prominent names on the wall is Prince, whose 1984 film “Purple Rain” was largely filmed inside the club.
