First Avenue sits across 1st Avenue from Target Center. / Jerry Holt, Star Tribune (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Trump rally prompts neighboring First Avenue to donate Thursday's profits to Planned Parenthood
Across the street from Target Center, the club's two concerts and its restaurant the Depot Tavern will be impacted by traffic and protests that night.
October 9, 2019 at 1:11PM
While the debate rages on over who's paying for what when President Donald Trump visits neighboring Target Center on Thursday, First Avenue nightclub and its restaurant the Depot Tavern aren't quibbling. They will give all their profits that day to Planned Parenthood North Central States.
First Avenue staff announced its donation plans Tuesday night in a press release, which also warned of traffic closures and congestion for its pair of Thursday concerts opposite Trump's Keep America Great Rally, scheduled for 7 p.m. across the street at Target Center. The president's appearance is expected to draw widespread protests in addition to the normal closures for security measures.
Psychedelic San Francisco band Thee Oh Sees perform in the First Ave main room that night starting at 8:30 p.m., while Warped Tour vets Ballyhoo! are in 7th St. Entry starting at 8 p.m. The Depot will be serving its fare at its normal hours, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.
"First Avenue believes in radical inclusivity; every person needs to be treated with dignity, respect, and professionalism," the venues' owner Dayna Frank said in a statement.
"While we are not a political organization, First Avenue has hosted candidates and events across the political spectrum and supports diversity of thought. However, the actions and policies of this administration are in direct conflict to our core values."
Under the Frank family's ownership, First Ave first waded into choppy political waters when state legislators tried to pass a same-sex marriage ban in 2012. The club took out a billboard with its iconic logo on it denouncing the ban, which read, "Don't limit the freedom to marry." First Ave has since hosted events with U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Bernie Sanders as well as Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.
Outside of the political angle, First Avenue is a competitor of AEG, the international concert corporation that manages Target Center for the city of Minneapolis and has been mired in the debate over expenses incurred by Trump's visit.
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