Since opening in 1978, The Fine Line Music Cafe has often been called the best music club in Minneapolis. Located in the heart of the Warehouse District at 318 First Avenue, the club offers a great variety of musical talent. Its fine wooden floors, good sound and light system and unique vantage points to take in a show make visiting the Fine Line a stellar experience.
The club originally opened in November of 1987 by Ruth Whitney. Ms. Whitney worked tirelessly for the first few years to develop her vision of first class nightclub. Ms. Whitney envisioned a club that could present top quality local and national musical acts seven nights a week. She created the club in the main level of the Consortium building, which was built in 1907 and is considered a historic site. The club offers two tiered cabaret style seating, which Whitney found to be the best way to enhance the guests musical experience.
In their opening months, The Fine Line Music Cafe featured many well known performers including the Cowboy Junkies, Indigo Girls, Mary Chapin-Carpenter and Sheila E just to name a few. Even Prince was seen hanging out listening and playing at the club. Soon after the nightclub took off, The Fine Line introduced an award winning Sunday Gospel Brunch. The brunch was the first of its kind in the Twin Cities area and was a running tradition for ten years.
In 1993 there were a number of ownership changes, ending with the purchase of the club by Dario Anselmo, a local entrepreneur, in December of 1993. Anselmo was a frequent customer of The Fine Line and knew the clubs potential. The club was remodeled, giving it a 90's look and the stage, light and sound system were expanded and improved, as well as the addition of an outdoor cafe for use in the warm summer months. Anselmo also expanded his business plan for the Fine Line to accommodate corporate and specialty events. One such event featured President Clinton as the guest of honor. That day also brought Minnesota natives Soul Asylum to the Fine Line stage at the request of the President.
The Fine Line Music Cafe continued to grow and change throughout the next decade, but proved it had definite staying power on the streets of Minneapolis. Misfortune struck the club in February of 2003 when a pyrotechnics accident lit the ceiling on fire. The club sustained tremendous amounts of smoke, water, and fire damage and had to be completely gutted.
The new construction took five months and included many upgrades like new sound and lights, a new stage, a state-of-the art audio/visual and pleasant aesthetic changes such as a new concrete bar, acoustic ceiling tiles, new flooring, and a whole new color scheme. The balcony encircling the bar is a definite top feature of this club.
The club has played host to thousands of nationally and regionally known acts such as Ben Harper, Sheryl Crow, John Scofield, Martin Zellar, John Mayer, Vic Chesnutt and local favorites Boogie Wonderland. The Fine Line has also been the winner for various "Best of" awards throughout Minneapolis and St. Paul including being voted "Best Music Club" 1993-2001 by Mpls/St. Paul Magazine readers.
Parking is prohibited on First Avenue after 10:00pm on Friday and Saturday Nights, but there are other parking choices for club goers including area lots, a ramp less than a block away and Valet is provided by Fahrenheit located next door.
The industrial space of the Fine Line Music Café features a sleek bar, plasma TVs and a stage equipped with high-tech lights and smoke machines. Stairs lead up to a balcony, where couples and small groups dine and sip cocktails. Expect more of a party crowd downstairs, where Birkenstocks bump into high heels on the packed dance floor. This is one of the Twin Cities' premier places to hear big-name acts as well as bands on the verge. The dance floor gets crowded, so order your tickets now to guarantee you get a good spot by the stage!
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Minneapolis restaurants and clubs have a hard time competing against the Fine Line Music Cafe. The great atmosphere and fabulous dance floor bring in all walks of life. The Fine Line continues to be a favorite performing spot for local turned national sensation Soul Asylum and other local band favorites like Boogie Wonderland. The Fine Line Music Cafe is not the kind of café your grandmother would eat at, it?s a trendy hip place to hang out, grab a drink and socialize. The place fills up quick and if you don?t get tickets early, you may miss out on a special event.
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