7th St. Entry — Local services in Minneapolis

If I could rate it at zero...

I am a tourist that arrived Monday November 7th at 10pm. So deliberately arriving at what should be a dead time with little or no excitement. I just wanted to see the place. I was sober, not at all loud, middle-aged and standing at a rather pedestrian 6 foot 250 I'm hardly an intimidating sight.

I walk into a silent, dingy, small club with dimly lit houselights and a band disassembling equipment. My intent was to just look. Not one thing more. A tall skinny kid with light lavender hair asks me my business. My "intimidating" response? "I'm not staying, I'm just looking around." He puts his hand on me and tells me I can't be there. I leave. I didn't raise my voice, I didn't curse, I didn't gesture. I just left. Not one thing more. After I take a couple of pictures of FA (it was closed) from the outside, and the mural, a woman with dark skin (whom I presume was stalking) comes out of 7 Street and starts barking at me. At this point I have had enough. Without raising my voice, I start walking to my vehicle and I tell her to F right off. She started screaming at this point and does the millennial version of "I'm telling my Mommy!" by whipping out her iPhone and pointing it at me as I am driving away.

Prince made that place legendary, but then abandoned it. I think I see why now. If FA and 7th Street are more or less separate entities then I guess I can't hold FA directly responsible for staff behavior, but if they are one entity do the math. They deserve scorn and not much more. I went to Paisley Park (security just a teeny bit tighter than what's called for at the "mammoth" 7th Street Entry) and the security staff was nothing but courteous towards myself and my family. Same with Bunker's. Bunker's bouncer was also courteous and helpful when it came to answering questions.

It was very disappointing, and when I return to Minne, I won't be patronizing...

This is a pretty neat venue. It shares a building with First Avenue and has "hole in the ground" vibes, but I would avoid if you get easily overwhelmed with crowds. This is a really small space and it can get packed easily depending on who is playing. There's a bench that runs along the right-side of the venue that leads to the bar in the back. There are two ledges facing the stage with two chairs at each of them, four in total. Get here early if you want one of these seats, and keep a hold on whatever drinks or items you place on the ledge. They're both about ten feet away from the stage, and the music will vibrate whatever you have onto the floor if you aren't holding on to it. They have two unisex bathrooms in the back (follow the exit sign) and offer coat check at the box office in front. Despite being pretty small, it was still a nice space, and I would see a...

I've known about this venue and its rich history for majority of my life but have never seen a show here while I've seen a dozen shows at First Ave. As a first time at the Entry, I was really blown away with the quality of my experience from bartender service to the sound quality to the quality of the restrooms. There was a little bit of wiggle room during the opening band but as the show got closer to the headliner the more the venue got packed. Really loved the intimate setting that this venue provided and the comradery of my fellow concertgoers. The bathrooms here are much better than First Ave given they offer much more privacy albeit at the cost of longer wait times to get in. Sound was perfect all night for every band which from my experiences elsewhere can be a struggle in very small venues. I would to come back for more concerts here...