The April passing of favorite son Prince turned media attention back onto Minneapolis’ musicians of the late ’70s and early ’80s. One Magnet Magazine piece gathered tales from close to 40 witnesses to the scene that spawned two other Minneapolis legends: Hüsker Dü and the Replacements.
Both bands’ earliest gigs — from 1979 to 1981 — focused on the scene’s hottest clubs (The Longhorn and the 7th St. Entry, a small room that was part of the bigger First Avenue). The Hüskers and the ‘Mats circled each other, often playing the same venue within days of each other, but apparently didn’t share a gig until both bands opened for the Neglectors at the 7th Ave. Entry on Sept. 5, 1981. (Down the line, Hüsker Dü and the Replacements would make their New York debuts at Great Gildersleeves on April 17, 1983, supported by a New York band called Young and the Useless that coincidentally included future Beastie Boy Adam Horovitz.)
Hüsker Dü and the Replacements: Two monster bands starting their careers on tight parallel paths at the same Minneapolis clubs. But what other bands traveled with them at the very beginning of their ride? Here are five bands you should know about:
- The Suburbs. If you grew up in the Midwest during the era, you likely heard of the Suburbs, who were considered by many on the scene to be the band most likely to break nationally. In 1980, the Suburbs actually headlined a three-night run at The Longhorn supported by the Replacements (June 5); the Dads (June 6) and Hüsker Dü (June 7). “I looked up to the Suburbs, because they were older guys who were rockin’ it and had big crowds,” said Replacements bassist Tommy Stinson.
- Ben Day Dots. Ben Day Dots were Longhorn regulars, sharing stages with Hüsker Dü and the Suburbs and releasing this single on Minneapolis’ influential Twin/Tone Records, which also launched the Replacements. (Hüsker Dü’s own Twin/Tone debut was derailed by the Replacements’ deal, and the Huskers ended up releasing their first single on the Reflex label.)
- The Dads. Along with the Replacements and Ben Day Dots, the Dads were the subject of an early profile of the new Minneapolis breed by Mike Hoeger writing for the Minneapolis Daily. The earliest known live recording of the Replacements features the band supporting the Dads at the Longhorn July 17, 1980. Speaking of his association with lead Replacement Paul Westerberg, Twin Cities singer-songwriter Kevin Bowe describes the bands’ crossed paths “We were a horrible band called ‘The Dads’ like ‘Dad’s Root Beer.’ After a certain point in time, we’d only open for them, and then after a certain point in time we weren’t good enough to open for them anymore. (laughs) That’s how I met Paul.”
- L-73/The Suicide Commandos. L73 is elusive on the web but traces another connection between Hüsker Dü and the Replacements: Steve Fjelstad, whose bass work with the band earned him a 1981 nomination at the first Minnesota Music Awards. L-73 played early gigs with Hüsker Dü, and Fjelstad would go on to be a key collaborator behind the boards for Hüsker Dü, the Replacements and Soul Asylum. L-73 also featured Chris Osborn and Dave Ahl, guitarist and drummer with the Suicide Commandos, formed in summer 1975 and hailed as “the granddaddies of the whole scene” by Paul Jesperson, manager of the Replacements and co-owner of Twin/Tone. Check out this video from the Suicide Commandos:
- The Neglectors (The Jayhawks). Another rarity online, the Neglectors have the distinction of headlining the first bill that included both the Replacements and Hüsker Dü. Guitarist Marc Perlman would go on to a lengthy career with longstanding alt-country pioneers the Jayhawks.
And if you want a feel for the cohesion of the Minneapolis scene, here’s a bonus video that wraps it all up in a bow: Hüsker Dü’s Bob Mould joined the Suicide Commandos in late April to pay homage to Prince with a cover of “When U Were Mine.”
Want to tune into more Minneapolis bands of the ’70s and early ’80s? Check out this conversation by scene veterans on TCPunk.com!