FIRST AVENUE is a portrait series captured in 1999, during the photographer's time working at the venue. Sixty of the staff agreed to pose and be interviewed. A tight knit community of misfits, punks and those that had found a family of like minded souls emerged.
First Avenue and 7th St Entry are two music venues housed in the same landmark building in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. The names are derived from the building's location: the corner of First Avenue and 7th Street in downtown Minneapolis. Affectionately labelled the Downtown Danceteria, First Avenue is an historic nightclub operating since 1970; the venue has fostered the legend of everyone from Prince to the Replacements to Hüsker Dü, becoming a mythic musical destination in the process.
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Shot on 35mm Ilford FP4 Plus
Year: 1999
Subjects in order of appearance:
1. Matthew Stafford Larson, Security/Bar, 25
2. Justin J Fowler, Security/Production, 22
3. Emily Melissa Kaplan 'Moose', Barback/Security, 27
4. Michelle Law, Security, 19
5. Peter Jason Cleare, Bartender, 24
6. Greg Matthew Martin, Security/Barback, 27
7. Molly McManus, Manager, 30
8. Bryren Dale Sexton, Barback, 23
9. Emily Pakarinen, Jill of all trades, 23
10. Jill Denise Paquin, Waitron, 21
11. Scott 'Dirty' Strandberg, Lighting Designer, 26
12. Heather Jean Deatrick, Manager, 29
13. Adam James Bauder, Bussing/Security, 22
14. Matthew Stafford Larson, Security/Bar, 25
© Rae Begley 2023
︎ Catalogue